《Painting the Mists》


 1 Prologue - Clear Sky

    Dedication:


    To my brothers.


    For always being there when I need them most.


    Author''s Note:


    Du Cha Ming was a normal person. Normal people go with the flow; they don''t ever make any real decisions, even if they think they do. As Cha Ming begins to question his place in the universe, a fateful encounter gives him another chance at life: a chance where he can make his own destiny.


    I would like to thank my readers in advance for following Cha Ming on his epic journey. This is my first work of fiction, and as such I am very excited to be able to pour in all my best ideas without reservation. This might be surprising to some of you, but I am an engineer by trade and have taken a total of one English class at the university level. You couldn''t pay me to take any more of them.


    This story, by nature, will have a constantly evolving and changing style. There are no fixed chapter lengths, and some chapters will be naturally long while others will be naturally shorter. This is because writing this novel is also my own second chance at life. It is a beginning, a beginning where I get to choose every single detail that I write with no strings attached. In a sense, it is very liberating. In contrast, the corporate engineering world is very rigid and stifles creativity.


    Please join Cha Ming and his friends on his journey through an ancient land, a land filled with cultivators, demons, devils, and angels. He will fight his enemies and experience true love. As such, he will also feel great hurt and heartache. Without further ado, let us begin his eventful journey in Painting the Mists.


    --


    Prologue


    Fate is a funny thing. It plays with people and pulls them around. It makes people love, and it makes people cry. Most people can''t even see the tiny strings that pull them in one direction or another; they just go with the flow, following the path of least resistance and living out their lives. Other people submit to their fate; these people seek divine guidance from above and ask their savior to teach them the way. This isn''t a bad thing. For most people, this is a relief from a world overcrowded with too many choices.


    Du Cha Ming was neither of these people. He used to think it was his nature to go with the flow. "Become an engineer," people said. "You''re good at math and bad at English."


    It was true, his writing skills in high school were mediocre, and his handwriting was atrocious. But there was something about grinding away at a few equations or solving a science problem that satisfied a craving deep inside.


    This type of craving was the same with puzzles¡ªlike Sudoku and Ken-Ken¡ªand all types of board games, strategy games, and computer games. Games were nice that way. Except in some extreme cases where friends forced you to play something unpleasant, for the most part you got to choose what to play. There were rules, most certainly, but these rules were something you walked into knowingly, unlike the monotonous experience called life.


    As usual, Du Cha Ming was at work. With a glazed look in his eyes, he scrolled through his phone. Nowadays he mostly read Chinese web novels. The addictive style, the Chinese culture, the exciting main characters¡ªall of these features appealed to him in a way that regular life never could.


    Life¡­ it''s so boring. You start with school for eighteen years, most of which has been decided for you. Then you pick a degree if you want to do well in life. Eventually you date someone for long enough and get married because it seems like the right thing to do. Perhaps you''ll stay together, but it''s more likely that you''ll get a divorce or two, leaving you jaded in work, romance, and basically everything else in life. What would it be like to chase your dreams? he wondered.


    "Ming! Ming! Are you coming to see the solar eclipse?" Cha Ming''s eyes focused on the short, bearded man in front of him. The man had brown skin, a thick beard, glasses, and a modern hairstyle that had both sides of his head shaved and the top grown out and combed over. His name was Usama, and Usama was Cha Ming''s good friend. They''d been working for years together and would go out to have fun every now and then.


    "I don''t want to," Cha Ming muttered. "It''s just a solar eclipse, nothing special. They happen every decade or so." He rubbed his tired eyes. They were tired from all the reading he did.


    "Don''t be a party pooper," Usama said. "Everyone else is already outside, and the eclipse is in three minutes." He gave Cha Ming a look that hinted that he wasn''t going to move until he got up. He fought the urge to look back at his phone. It was hard to be so rude as to read when someone was standing in front of you.


    "Fine," Cha Ming said dispassionately. He grabbed his coat and followed his smirking friend outside. Usama pulled out a worn welding mask with a rather smug expression on his face.


    "I, the great Usama, stole the mechanic''s welding mask so that we can all see the solar eclipse together. There''s no need to thank me; your cheerful smiles are all the thanks I need!"


    Usama wasn''t exactly the humble type, but oddly enough, everyone seemed to like him, even if he did make over ten awkward jokes every single day.


    "Gimme that," said Geoff beside him, grabbing the welding mask. Geoff had a wry smile on his face and put the mask on, taking a quick look at the sun. Geoff was a short, burly man, seemingly more like a tank than anything else. After a quick look at the sun, he took off the welding mask and gave it back to Usama, then walked back into the building. A few more people took the mask politely, took a brief look, and then gave the mask back and stood there chatting.


    "My dearest friend, have a turn," said Usama, winking and giving the mask to Cha Ming. Cha Ming put the mask to his face and peered carefully toward the sun. A good three-quarters of the sun was blocked out by a black circle. A solar eclipse had come up a few times in his life, but he''d never bothered to take a look before. This time he was here purely out of peer pressure.


    Just as he was about to take the mask off, he noticed there was a white star above the red sun.


    Strange, he thought. It was the middle of the day, and even if this was a solar eclipse, there shouldn''t be such a bright star in the sky.


    The "star" in question was growing quite quickly, rapidly covering the red sun in the sky. His hazel eyes narrowed as he quickly ripped off the mask. He was nearly blinded by the flash of white light. Cha Ming put his hand above his brow and squinted while peering silently toward the sun. The white flash was gone and nowhere in sight.


    "Did you guys see that white light?" asked Cha Ming.


    "What light? Are you seeing things again?" said Usama while smirking. Of course they hadn''t seen it. He had been the only one with the mask on.


    "It''s nothing¡­" Cha Ming sighed. Time to go back to his boring work, and his boring life.


    The rest of the day passed by uneventfully. Cha Ming drove home, steadily making his way through the congested rush-hour traffic. He stared at a conservatory in the distance, located in a park at the south end of the city, near the river. A white light reflected off the river near the woods, briefly blinding him for a moment before he shifted his gaze back to the road.


    Today is a good day for a walk in the woods, he decided.


    A couple of hours later, he was sweating profusely. The sweat was burning his eyes a little, so he decided to walk down toward the riverbank. This conservatory was very scenic and inviting. At least, it was during the few short months of summer. The weather was not hot enough to be unpleasant. Many types of terrain caught his attention¡ªrocky, sandy, and earthy. Here and there a metallic glint or reddish hue could be seen on the clifflike riverbank. This land would likely become a mine if any of the companies around town had their way. Aspen trees, evergreens, and rose bushes littered the land as far as the eyes could see.


    As he neared the stream by the cliff, Cha Ming noticed that the sun was getting rather low.


    I should get back soon, he thought. Meanwhile, he noticed a white mist was starting to drift off the river; the temperature was beginning to cool along with the setting sun. Wiping down his face, he noticed a white gleam in the corner of his eye. The gleam seemed to be coming from behind the bank.


    Curious, he decided to ignore the setting sun and edge his way along the narrow, rocky shore. The river current was getting slower, and a small waterfall could be heard in the distance. The mist from the waterfall was making Cha Ming''s clothes stick to his skin.


    After a short while the narrow beach widened, and a white glowing mist seemed to linger on the sand and avoid the water.


    Strange, he thought, mists usually gather on the water and travel outward.


    He hesitated a little and slowly made his way toward the center of the mist. He felt drawn to the mists, drawn in a way that he hadn''t felt in a very long time. It was a similar experience to meeting a lifelong friend; at first you feel just a little bit nervous, but soon you find yourself easing into a conversation, and before you know it you''re spending every day together.


    Upon reaching the center of the mist, he noticed an object only a few feet away from him, barely discernible through the mist. As soon as he could make it out, something seemed to pulse. Cha Ming''s eyes darted toward this pulsing, and what he saw was a long staff, buried in a small crater in the sand. The crater, unlike the nearby beach, was completely clear of sand, and the staff was wedged in cracked, rocky ground. The staff was translucent white with red, yellow, silver, blue, and green runes undulating along its length. It was a perfect cylinder, making Cha Ming wonder how someone could smooth out such a perfect shape.


    Upon closer inspection, he noticed that the runes on the staff looked a lot like the Chinese characters that he had been struggling to learn recently. And the runes were pulsing in a way that made the staff seem like it was made just for him. After building up a bit of courage, Cha Ming inched closer to the runed staff. If he had to guess the length of it, he would have said it was seventy-two inches long. Looking closer, both ends were covered in five inches of inky-black patterns. These black patterns spiraled out toward the tip where the lines converged upon a flat obsidian surface.


    "Why would such a beautiful staff be here?" Cha Ming wondered aloud to himself. As he breached an invisible boundary two feet away from it, he noticed that the multicolored runes were reacting to his presence, spelling out words he could vaguely understand. They were clearly not English. What sounded like the soft voice of a gentle old man whispered these words as they reverberated through his mind in a way that he intuitively understood.


    The sages say the Dao made one and one made two;


    Two made three and three made many.


    Who made this clear Sky?


    Who painted first in black and white,


    To shape these lonely mists?


    Cha Ming reached out toward the staff with a confused look on his face. Reaching out to touch it seemed to make sense. This was his staff after all. He stood in front of it, gripping his hands around its cold surface. The surface was not slippery, but neither did it feel rough. It felt custom made, like it would never slip out of his hands for as long as he willed it. Cha Ming let out a loud grunt as he mustered all the strength he had to pull it out of the ground. His efforts persisted for a full two minutes, after which the staff finally gave way.


    Looking closely at the staff, he finally realized that it was not truly a staff. At the end of the long handle was a twelve-inch-long black-and-white brush.


    "Who painted first in black and white to shape these lonely mists?" he wondered softly. To him, it seemed like a question as old as the universe itself. As he pondered this question, the whole world seemed to fade. He was struck with a sense of foreboding, an inexplicable sensation that he only had moments left in this world, and his life was coming to an end.


    Oh well, he thought, it was a boring life anyway. Who could have predicted that my curiosity would kill me? Still. If there is a next life, I want the ability to create my destiny and be free from the shackles of society. I want to choose my fate.


    With this last thought, his entire body, starting with his hands, then his arms, then his legs, and finally his whole body, turned ethereal. So did the brush. Everything faded into white, and soon the brush and Du Cha Ming were nothing more than a white mist floating off into the starry skies.


    --


    In the distance, an old fisherman was sitting cross-legged on a boat, wandering down a slowly flowing but mighty river. This was no ordinary river, nor was it an ordinary boat. The old man was not ordinary either. To most people he would appear to be an ordinary fisherman. But how could an ordinary fisherman be fishing in this river?


    The river in question was the Yellow River , also known as the River Styx to some. This river flowed only one way, and that way was toward Diyu, the underworld of souls. After what seemed like an eternity, the old fisherman removed his conical hat and the hood of his cloak, revealing a mantle of long white hair. His strange black eyes had no whites, and anyone who dared to look him in the eye would be struck by the endless vicissitudes found within. The man''s name was Yama, and he had been around since the beginning of the universe itself. He was born with a duty, one assigned to him by Pangu at the time of his creation and Pangu''s demise.


    Although Yama never involved himself with the squabbles of Heaven and Earth, he had seen far too much in his lifetime. For some unknown reason, a thousand years ago, he had decided to come inspect this section of the Yellow River. He wasn''t sure why. Frowning, he berated himself for his moment of impulsiveness. Every moment he was away from Diyu was a chance for all those ingrates to line their pockets. He wasn''t omniscient after all.


    As he peered out into the distance, he pulled out an old ebony pipe, which he then stuffed with tobacco and lit. He''d always enjoyed smoking, and it was one of the few pleasures he had other than fulfilling his duties as lord of the Underworld. After smoking for an undetermined amount of time, he sighed and put away the pipe. It was time to go.


    He wasn''t sure why he''d come here, but there was surely a reason. His intuition had been honed over countless grand-kalpas, and he could count the number of times he''d been wrong over the past million universe cycles on one hand. Nevertheless, he couldn''t stay forever. Putting on his conical hat, he pulled out an old oar, which he used to propel himself swiftly down the river.


    As he traveled down the river, he observed the yellow-tinged souls of various mortal life-forms. They didn''t scream, as one would expect. They simply followed the river along the Collection, a wide network of tendrils that spread throughout space to collect souls from each mortal plane. Some of the branches were as narrow as ten full-grown elephants. Others were as thick as a thousand Nile Rivers. Yama had been waiting on a branch of the Collection that led to the mortal plane that contained the current Earth.


    He noted, with interest, a particular river the size of the Yangzi River. Likely, the mortal plane which fed it was undergoing a fierce power struggle or a natural disaster. The river was a steep contrast with another neighboring river; its flow had slowed to a trickle, due to the establishment of a prosperous and peaceful kingdom.


    As his boat continued to travel, the river he occupied grew at an alarming pace, as nearby tendrils merged into the Yellow River. After arriving, he stopped paddling and lay down on his small boat to relax. Occasionally he knocked the ashes from his pipe into the river before lighting another batch of tobacco. It had taken old Yama several breaths of time to hop from his original location to the main river, which was a testament to the size of the massive network. Such effort was no longer needed. The current was strong, and it only led to one place.


    Of course, this moment of relaxation was serious business, or so he told everyone. It was an inspection of sorts. Nearby, he observed a group of administrators who implemented "the thinning." These administrators were a specially groomed group of sea turtles, who unceremoniously ripped off pieces of the passing yellow souls. This yellow hue was the stain of sin, which had been accumulated by the soul over the course of its previous life. The biting sea turtles administered a form of painful punishment, which served to cleanse the souls before their rebirth.


    After observing the turtles for some time, Yama proceeded to observe another squad, the one he was most proud of. Some evil doctor from a planet called Earth had developed a technology that had improved the performance of the shark squad by thirty percent. All the evil doctor had asked for in compensation was that the squad now be called "sharks with freakin'' laser beams on their heads," a price which Yama had been eager to pay. It was a good name.


    The boat''s next stop came naturally, after the river became pure and white. The souls had completed their cleansing. The old man passed under a large bridge, the Bridge of Forgetfulness. There, he observed millions of flesh and blood workers tossing basket after basket of specially prepared tea leaves into the river below. The tea leaves mixed with the white river, causing soul after soul to lose the memories of their past life. Unfortunately, it wasn''t a perfect process. Many people retained memories of past lives, pervading each mortal realm.


    As he observed the falling tea leaves, the lord of the Underworld massaged his temple, recalling an ongoing HR problem. The root of the problem lay with one of his staff members, Qingguang. He didn''t get along with Meng Po, the only one in the universe who could brew the Tea of Forgetfulness. As such, he often put forth motions to have her fired, which was his right as the assistant to the regional manager.


    A rare smile lit Yama''s face as he recalled the success of this rare innovation¡ªbefore Granny Meng''s tea, reincarnation had been chaos. People had kept their memories of past lives in perpetuity, which had led to the destabilization of the universe some time ago. The legendary Tea of Forgetfulness had fixed this pressing problem, which was why, despite King Qingguan''s bickering, Granny Meng was still employee of the year. After all, one couldn''t mistreat talent when running such a tight ship.


    Yama continued to float under the bridge, then he braced himself just before plunging down a huge waterfall. The rocking boat stabilized, and he continued his fishing and smoking. He stared off into the distance at a literal ocean of souls. These souls would wait in this ocean by the beach for a full lifetime before reincarnating.


    He continued his fishing for many lifetimes. During this time, countless pigeons had swooped down beside him to carry off souls who were due to be reincarnated. They carried the souls¡ªfor they had forgotten how to walk¡ªto a group of six sixty-li-wide reincarnation portals. There was one for each of the six paths of reincarnation: Hell, Hungry Ghosts, Beasts, Demons, Humans, and the Heavens .


    The carrier pigeon system had been fine-tuned over countless ages. It was one of the management consulting marvels of the universe and the epitome of the slogan "You don''t have to be small to be nimble."


    As Yama floated on the white ocean of souls, a yellow trickle flowed down through the collection system to the Yellow River. This yellow trickle contained a bit of white mist, which followed the trickle until it joined the Yellow River. The mist was spread thinly, and Yama himself had trouble making it out. The white mist provoked no reaction from the thinning system or its domesticated, soul-devouring creatures. The mist was unaffected by Meng Po''s tea, retaining its memories.


    But how can a mist have memories? Because that mist was a person, of course. It was Du Cha Ming, who had left his previous life behind.


    Upon reaching the final sea, the mist drifted over the pure white ocean. Yama, as if sensing something, stared straight at the mist but couldn''t discern anything out of the ordinary. After spending some time trying to solve this mystery, he grabbed his oar and made his way to his old hut by the shore. A very long, indeterminate amount of time passed, after which the mist floated out to the human path of reincarnation and entered it.


    For Cha Ming, it was time for a new life. A life where he could choose his fate.

 2 Green Leaf City

    A warm breeze blew past a young man as his exhausted footsteps slowly but surely made their way toward a city in the distance. The man had long brown hair and hazel eyes. He was a tall man, much taller than most people from around the area. His clothes were tattered and covered in dust, the result of his half-year long travel from his home town.


    The young man''s name was Du Cha Ming. He was born in a small, unremarkable town. His parents were foreigners in this country, and his mother had died during childbirth. Prompted by his father''s untimely death, the fifteen-year-old Cha Ming had started a journey to find a better future, a future where he could finally choose his own fate. His destination was Green Leaf City.


    Green Leaf City was a humble city. While it wasn''t an economic powerhouse by any means, its proximity to the spirit woods meant that it had an important function to perform in the Song Kingdom. Every day, groups of adventurers wandered to and from the spirit woods. These adventurers would bring back corpses of spirit beasts, medicinal herbs, and bundles of spirit wood back to the main city. They would then sell these goods to the merchants and spend their hard-earned coin in town, returning to the woods once their wealth ran dry.


    The city was surrounded by stone walls roughly twenty feet tall. The city itself was about five miles in diameter. It served as both a trading hub for the raw materials gathered from the spirit woods and a base for adventurers, providing them the various necessities they required between their trips. Various shops, inns, and entertainment venues could be seen everywhere. Apothecaries mixed and sold medicinal pastes and powders and sometimes medicinal pills obtained from one of the few alchemists in town. Blacksmiths crafted and maintained the weapons and armor. Some higher-end stores sold magical talismans and amulets that could be used to attack or restrain the beasts in the woods.


    This world was a world of cultivators, vicious beasts, and demonic beasts. It was a world where the strong preyed on the weak, and the weak didn''t have much of a say in anything. Not everyone could be a cultivator¡ªonly one out of every hundred people. Out of these people, the majority had barely stepped into the cultivation world, boasting physical strength and Daoist spells whose power highly exceeded that of the general population. These powers could lead adventuring parties, defend the city against beast tides, and could apply their supernatural abilities through various professions.


    The goal of every family was to have a child become a cultivator. A cultivator in the family could bring the family out of poverty and ensure that the whole family would at least have a decent life. The cities in turn encouraged such behavior. Cultivators were the lifeblood of a city''s economy and defense, and the power base of each city lord. As such, various schools had been established throughout the continent to foster any and all cultivators.


    Becoming a powerful cultivator was also one of Du Cha Ming''s goals. He had realized early on in life that unlike Earth, where everyone could get ahead just by getting an education, this world had a need for genuine strength. Wits, while they could get you somewhere, would not get you very far without any kind of supporting strength. In this land, strength meant choice, and choice was something Cha Ming wouldn''t do without.


    Cha Ming reached the city in time to witness the beautiful red setting sun. As was custom in such small cities, the gates were closing at sunset, and the guards were between shifts. Cha Ming approached the large wooden gates, and as expected, he was stopped by a rough, assertive voice.


    "Halt!" cried a middle-aged guard. Chain armor clanked noisily as the guard slowly walked up to him. He didn''t draw his weapon, as Cha Ming must have seemed quite helpless. This guard wasn''t one to bully the weak.


    "Kid, are you looking to enter the city? It''s five copper coins to get in, but since you''re young and you look hungry, we''ll give you a discount¡ªthree copper coins to get in." The guard was the leader of the crew going off-shift. He had a little girl around Cha Ming''s age, and he had a bit of leeway with entry permits.


    Cha Ming fished through his belt pouch and took out his last two copper coins. It was the last of the money his parents had left him, and he didn''t know how he would be able to gain a third coin. Noticing the reluctant look in the youngster''s eyes, the guard frowned. Cha Ming''s eyes darted down as he heard the dull sound of a coin hitting the stony city road.


    "You dropped a coin," the guard muttered softly. "I have a few young kids your age. Kids always do careless things like dropping coins when paying."


    Seeing the gentle look in the guard''s eyes, Cha Ming quickly took the hint and picked up the coin, presenting the three coins to the guard, who dutifully put them into the collection pouch. The other guards pretended not to notice the sleight of hand. Clasping his hands, Cha Ming gave a grateful bow and scampered off into the city.


    Cha Ming had never been to a city in this life. He had just turned fifteen when he left his hometown, and it had taken him nearly a full year to get to Green Leaf City. Although he had seen many major cities on Earth, he had never seen such grand construction. The majority of the buildings in the outer part of the city seemed hewed out of whole pieces of gray stone. Here and there he could make out flickering torches that lit the way to different residential areas.


    He didn''t have anywhere to go, so he walked around aimlessly as his stomach let out one loud growl after another. Food was a problem for tomorrow, when there was light. There would be no food or a place to stay for the night. His face was dirty and his clothes even more so. His breath was beginning to mist as the night chill settled in.


    He was used to the chill; he had lived outdoors for most of the past year, and this wasn''t his first night going hungry. Low key, he thought as he continued down a deserted and poorly lit street. He was looking for a small alley of some sort, or something that could provide him shelter from the wind for the night. Preoccupied with his search, he barely noticed the sounds of guards walking toward him.


    "You there, halt!"


    Cha Ming turned, his dirty hair blowing in the wind, and saw a pair of guards. He frowned. The guards had an unfriendly look in their eyes.


    "Don''t you know it''s past curfew, street urchin? You looking for a beating?" growled the second guard, who proceeded to crack his knuckles. He was clearly not in a good mood.


    "Sirs," Cha Ming said, "I''m not looking to cause any trouble. I''m new to the city, and I''ll get off the streets right away."


    If there really was a curfew, why would the guards have let him into the city in the first place? Still, he was in no position to put up a fight. Even worse, if he displeased them, he might just get thrown right out of the city and have to save up another three to five coppers.


    Without any warning, an armored boot flew out and landed in the pit of his stomach, throwing Cha Ming back a few steps. He knelt on the ground, clutching his stomach, and looked at the guard in shock.


    That kind of reaction was the sort of thing the psychopath was looking for. Somehow he knew that. The guard was clearly angry and trying to blow off steam.


    "Trying to pick a guard''s pocket is a serious crime," the guard bellowed. "It''s our duty to educate you on behalf of your parents. Now be obedient and take your beating!"


    He hit Cha Ming across the face with a powerful backhand. As Cha Ming resigned himself to his fate, a soft voice sounded out.


    "Ma Fu, isn''t it below your station to be beating innocent children? If I didn''t know any better, your wife must have put you out to the doghouse. She''s such a nice lady. Why do you need to keep stepping out of line?"


    Cha Ming turned and let out a sigh of relief when he saw the voice was that of the helpful guard captain who had let him inside the city.


    It must be my lucky day.


    "What do you know, Hong Jin? Chen and I caught this little pickpocket trying to steal our belt pouches. Since he''s young, we''re not arresting him, but that doesn''t mean we shouldn''t discipline him!"


    Both Chen and Ma Fu had their arms crossed as Hong Jin walked over and helped Cha Ming up. A trickle of blood was running down the corner of his mouth, the split on his lip caused by Ma Fu''s backhand.


    "This young man is my guest. To think you had the brass balls to assault the guest of a guard captain. I should file a report to the commander and let him know that our junior guards are lacking in etiquette. It''s nothing severe discipline can''t handle, but it''s best to handle these small problems before they get out of hand."


    Hong Jin walked up to the two guards as he lit a cigarette. After inhaling deeply and burning out half his cigarette, he blew out a smoky cloud that lingered around their faces. Ma Fu and Chen hesitated. They were looking for easy pickings and to let off some steam. Getting tangled up with a guard captain, especially if they pushed things too far, likely meant a pay cut.


    Ma Fu snorted loudly as he whipped around his crimson guard cloak. "Consider yourself lucky, kid." He and Chen stormed off, likely looking to cause more trouble in another neighborhood. Once they rounded the street corner, Hong Jin signaled for Cha Ming to follow him. They walked down the dimly lit streets toward a nearby residential area.


    "What''s your name, kid?" asked the guard captain while walking, tossing him a rag to wipe off his face.


    "My surname is Du. My given name is Cha Ming," he replied politely. The middle-aged man thought for a while and sighed. He grabbed the dirty rag and threw it up in the air. It burned up in a puff of smoke and not even ashes remained. The guard captain was clearly a cultivator, one who cultivated fire techniques.


    "My name is Hong Jin. Come to my place for supper, and we''ll let you stay the night. It doesn''t look like you can afford to stay anywhere else."


    Cha Ming stopped and hesitated. He already owed this guard for the coin, and he didn''t want to owe him for yet another thing. Seeing the hesitation in his eyes, the guard sighed and continued walking. After a few steps, he paused.


    "We all have choices in life. Some choose to bully the weak, but others just want to help out. Who knows how things were in a past life or how they will be in the future? Who''s to say that I won''t be in exactly the same position as you a thousand years from now?"


    Cha Ming, unlike most people, remembered his past life. The hesitation in his eyes faded away, and he gave the guard a soft smile.


    "Sir, you are very right," said Cha Ming. The kindness you show will surely return to you ten times in the future. Still smiling, he followed Hong Jin to his house. Even if karma did not pay Hong Jin back ten times, Cha Ming surely would.


    It took about twenty minutes for the pair to reach the house. It was a narrow townhouse dwelling, which was quite common in the district. The district wasn''t poor; quite the contrary, it seemed that one had to reach well into the middle class to be allowed to live there. The streets were swept clean, and the road was made from a white stone, unlike the gray stone that made up the main city streets. Most houses had a few brightly lit rooms, and the flickering made it evident that these room were all lit by spirit light.


    "Daddy, Daddy!" yelled a sweet voice followed by the soft sound of running footsteps. They were still about twenty feet away from the house, but they had already been spotted. A clanking sound rang out as a teenage girl ran out and tackled her father.


    "Attack hug!" the girl yelled as she landed, almost knocking her father over. Hong Jin laughed softly and put down his daughter, lightly ruffling her hair in the process. She finally noticed the dirty street urchin beside her father and looked at him curiously.


    "Daddy, who is this?" Then she blushed, perhaps realizing that Cha Ming had seen her rather enthusiastic greeting. It clearly wasn''t a side she showed to strangers. Women her age were expected to be gentle and reserved.


    Hong Jin smiled as he ushered his daughter and Cha Ming inside. As they walked inside, the sounds and smells of cooking emanated from the kitchen. Two older boys came downstairs to greet their father. His wife came out of the kitchen smiling. This scene reminded Cha Ming of the family he never had in this lifetime.


    The mother in the family, seeing Cha Ming standing awkwardly to the side, gave him a warm smile. He glanced at Hong Jin, who looked at his wife and kids and introduced him.


    "This is Cha Ming, and he''s new to the city. I thought he could use a warm meal and a place to stay the night. Cha Ming, this is my wife Xu Lin, and these are my three children, Hong Xin, Hong Xun, and Hong Ling." He beamed proudly as he introduced his family members. Du Cha Ming quickly clasped his hands and bowed.


    "Du Cha Ming greets Madam Xu." He then clasped his hands once more and greeted the children. Remembering that he was probably filthier than most of the dogs on the city streets, he awkwardly held his hands to his front and seemed to hide behind Hong Jin. The understanding Madam Xu quickly noticed this and motioned to her youngest son.


    "Please Cha Ming, call me Aunt Xu, and call my husband Uncle Hong. Xun, how about you take your new friend upstairs to take a bath and get a change of clothes? You''re roughly the same size, so finding something shouldn''t be a problem."


    Hong Xun nodded eagerly and motioned for Cha Ming to follow, explaining that he had turned seventeen earlier in the year. He quickly brought Cha Ming upstairs to clean up. Xun was a very obedient child, and while he was quite curious about their guest, he didn''t dare delay in his task. There would be plenty of time to talk over supper.


    The pair were done a half hour later, with Cha Ming wearing blue robes. His shoulder-length brown hair had not yet dried. In contrast to his previously haggard appearance, he now seemed like a proper, handsome teenager.


    It was now time for the family supper. The first family supper he''d had in a whole year.

 3 Green Leaf Academy

    Hong Jin''s whole family was sitting at the table when Cha Ming walked in. They let out a loud gasp once they saw the cleaned-up youth in pristine robes. He now looked like a young scholar, one who was in the process of preparing for the government official examination. His hair was tied back with a pin, leaving only his wavy bangs hanging. His hazel eyes were a glaring contrast to the usual dark brown or black eyes in this part of the world.


    "Wow! Second brother Xun is so skillful, he can make Cha Ming so handsome in just a half hour!" Xin exclaimed. Her almond-shaped eyes were now perfectly round.


    "It''s not just Xun''s hard work," said Madam Xu. "Cha Ming is clearly naturally quite handsome. I''m sure anywhere he goes, all of the young women will be chasing him." She put her hand to her mouth while chuckling.


    Hong Jin cleared his throat. "I''m sure Cha Ming is starving. Let''s eat!" he said, gesturing to the table full of vegetable and tofu dishes. "My apologies on the meager fare. Our family follows Buddhist traditions, and so we usually eat vegetarian food." He shook his head apologetically.


    Cha Ming smiled politely. In his past life, he had also been a vegetarian¡ªhe rather liked the idea of not causing harm to others when it was within his ability. It was very difficult to behave this way in this world, where everyone was struggling to survive. Like most things, it was also easily achievable once a family attained a certain level of wealth.


    "I sincerely appreciate your family for having me over for dinner, and Madam Xu for cooking the meal. I have lived as a vegetarian in the past, and although it has not always been possible these past years due to poverty, it is surely something I would like to get back into."


    Cha Ming helped himself to several dishes. While he was starving, he held himself back, as overeating would cause him a stomachache. The Hong family had clearly not planned for his arrival, and it seemed a few extra dishes had been prepared just after his arrival. He didn''t want to deprive the rest of the kids from the unusual feast that had been prepared due to his presence.


    Throughout the meal, Xin and Xun asked him about the many places he had seen on his journey to the city. Ling paid attention while quietly eating his meal. Due to his low level of strength, he would never get to explore the world like his little brother and sister would. Any information from outside the city was quite useful for his future business. He listened attentively, and the conversation continued until the meal was complete.


    Once everyone else was full, Cha Ming shyly ate up the remaining dishes, causing Madam Xu to let out a small laugh. He blushed; he had been this way as far back as he could remember.


    "Little Ming, you''ve just arrived, and tomorrow is the last day of the Green Leaf Academy recruitment. Do you intend to participate?" Hong Jin asked curiously.


    Cha Ming had heard of Green Leaf Academy, of course; every city government was quite avid in educating young cultivators, since these cultivators would become the core of the city''s economy, defense, and prestige.


    "I¡­" Cha Ming said hesitantly. "I am interested in going to take the test, but I am unsure if I have the talent." Talent was something someone was born with and was passed down in the family; his parents had never practiced cultivation, and as such he was unsure of their talent, if any.


    "I understand," said Hong Jin. "Xin has already undergone the entrance examination and will be starting at the academy in two days. Xun is currently in his second year. Ling, however, is eighteen, but he was evaluated and determined to have no talent for cultivation. He is currently being educated as an appraiser at a prestigious auction house as he is quite intelligent and has financial talent. There are many paths to walk in life, so don''t be discouraged if you don''t have cultivation talent. Less than one in a hundred of the general population have this talent."


    Despite his encouraging words, it was plain that Hong Jin had a proud smile on his face¡ªwith two younger generation cultivators in his family, their family''s future was guaranteed. He was a cultivator himself and knew very well how much preferential treatment they received. He was a guard captain, after all, and even regular city guards had to have a minimum cultivation requirement.


    But Hong Jin''s words also surprised Cha Ming. He had known that not everyone could become a cultivator, but he had never known the odds were so stacked against him. Then again, he had been reborn in a very strange way, and thinking back to the image of the clear staff, he found it very difficult to believe that he would not be able to cultivate after his miraculous rebirth.


    "I''m¡­ somewhat confident for some strange reason. I will give it a try tomorrow and see if my luck pays off. Then Xin and Xun and I could be schoolmates." Xin and Xun responded to his words with encouraging looks.


    "Daddy, maybe¡­ It can be quite embarrassing if he goes to test his talent in front of so many people. Could we maybe try with the last affinity-testing talisman?" Xin asked, looking at her father with an embarrassed expression. It was not something she should have asked, because affinity-testing talismans were quite valuable.


    "This¡­" Hong Jin stopped to think. While the talisman was valuable and a single-use talisman, it would not get used up if Cha Ming had no talent. If it did trigger, his kids would have another friend in school. Although he still had an affinity talisman out of the set of three he had bought for his children, it could be sold for money. However, he would also be able to save Cha Ming some embarrassment if he was not talented.


    "All right, let''s try it out. If it gets used up, be sure to help make sure Xin isn''t bullied when you get into Green Leaf Academy!" said Hong Jin. He then wandered off upstairs and came back with an ornate wooden box. He opened the box using a brass key around his neck and took out the elemental affinity talisman.


    "Cha Ming, look closely. This is a lesser-five-elements affinity-testing talisman. The first requirement for using this talisman is that a practitioner helps you circulate the qi inside your body. It doesn''t matter if you''ve never done it before. Once your qi is circulating inside your body, you will keep trying to circulate it as hard as you can while you hold the talisman in both hands."


    He motioned with his hands to show what came next. "You will then attempt to force the circulating qi into the talisman¡ªit doesn''t take a lot. The reaction of the talisman will depend on the elemental affinity you have. If you have affinity to wood, the talisman will split up into green leaves and fall to the floor. If you have an affinity for fire, the talisman will burst into flames. If you have affinity for earth, the talisman will crumble into sand. If you have affinity for metal, the talisman will turn rigid and shiny, like gold. If you have affinity for water, the talisman will melt into a puddle of water." Hong Jin said all this calmly. He had guided his three children through the process.


    "I will do my best. Many thanks for helping me," said Cha Ming. The family migrated to the living room. Aunt Xu proceeded to clean up the dishes, and Ling went upstairs to study. Only Xun, Xin, and Uncle Hongremained in the living room with Cha Ming.


    As Cha Ming sat down in a meditation pose, Hong Jin pressed his hand gently on his back to start the circulation of qi. Slowly but surely Cha Ming became aware of the strange but invigorating feeling of having his qi circulate through his meridians. Once the flow was maximized, Uncle Hong removed his hand, and Cha Ming continued to try and circulate. The flow dropped down to one-tenth of its original flow, but there was still circulation.


    There is hope! he thought.


    Uncle Hong placed the talisman in Cha Ming''s hands about a minute later. After building up his courage, Cha Ming stared at the talisman and started forcing the circulating qi toward it. At first, there was no reaction. Then something strange happened. The talisman did not flutter, burn, crumble, shine, or melt. Instead, it started drifting off little by little. In ten seconds, the talisman had completely transformed to a soft white mist that drifted off into the air, never to appear again.


    Hong Jin frowned deeply. Surely Cha Ming had cultivation talent, but it was definitely not in one of the five elements. "This¡­ I''ve never heard of this reaction from a lesser-five-elements affinity-testing talisman before. The good news is, I''m one hundred percent sure you have some level of cultivation talent. The bad news is, I''m not sure what element it would be in. This isn''t actually bad news. In fact, it''s good news! There are two possibilities."


    He had the children''s full attention. "The first possibility is that you are gifted in more than one element, and this grade of talisman is not at a high enough level to detect it. This is an advantage. For starters, this gives you a choice of elements if you want to cultivate a single element, and certain combinations of elements are superior to only having a single element. In addition, certain professions require the cultivation of multiple elements, such as an alchemist, a spiritual blacksmith, or a spirit doctor.


    "The second possibility is that you''re not gifted in one of the five elements but something much rarer. This could be wind, thunder, light, darkness, and in some very rare cases, space. That is definitely an advantage. Either way, Green Leaf Academy will be able to inform you specifically on your talent. Congratulations! I''ll take some time off and take you to Green Leaf Academy to register tomorrow."


    Uncle Hong got up and patted Cha Ming on the back. Cha Ming was quite touched by the care and attention he was receiving. Everyone continued to talk for a couple of hours, then they went to sleep. Cha Ming shared a bed with Xun.


    They had a long day ahead of them since the lineups for testing at Green Leaf Academy were always quite long. Cha Ming and the other children woke up early in the morning. Xun and Xin wanted to tag along with Cha Ming to the academy as they were very curious as to what kind of results he would achieve. The strange behavior with the talisman indicated that his test would be anything but ordinary.


    The group set out before sunrise and lined up behind what had to be at least ten thousand people. These people had clearly been waiting a good portion of the night, not wanting to miss out on the last day of testing. The line snaked back from the main square, where Green Leaf Academy had set up a temporary testing facility. The tests were to be conducted out in the open, not so much for the sake of transparency but more for advertising and public relations.


    In front of the test square, several chairs were set up for representatives from the different departments at Green Leaf Academy: the city lord''s faction, the city guard, and various high-profile merchant associations. There was only one covered pavilion, and it was clearly there for someone of very high stature. The heads from the different departments in the academy were there to see if any particularly talented individuals popped up to be recruited to their respective groups.


    The various other factions in the city were also there to keep track of any budding talents that should be recruited or roped in before they graduated. After all, these children wouldn''t go to school their entire lives.


    A little goodwill up front would go a long way into strengthening their respective factions.

 4 Zhou Li

    Du Cha Ming, his two new friends, and Uncle Hong stood in line for the entire morning. It was lucky that they had decided to leave so early. They were now roughly 200 meters from the stage. Although they would have liked to temporarily step out of line to take shelter from the hot noon sun, it would be regrettable if they lost their spot in line. The queue behind them still looked just as long as when they''d arrived. It was unlikely that even twenty percent of the youngsters would be tested by the end of the last day of recruitment.


    While they progressed toward the stage, Uncle Hong explained the various tests to Cha Ming. He would be evaluated according to three metrics: talent, attribute, and soul. The test of talent came first and was used to screen the various would-be students. If they failed this test, there was no need to take any others. Since the schools were set up by the state, anyone with at least a Grade 1 talent would be accepted into Green Leaf Academy. Talent was divided into five grades, with Grade 1 talents being the least talented and meeting the bare minimum for cultivation, and Grade 5 talents being super-talented geniuses.


    Grade 1 and 2 talents would pay a tuition fee, but this fee could be deferred until graduation, like a student loan. Various groups would rope in students by offering to pay their tuition fee upon graduation along with an offer of employment. Grade 3 to 5 talents would obtain free tuition, room, and board, with each additional grade in talent obtaining the students increasingly preferential treatment. Students could apply for graduation after five years or once the student reached foundation establishment, whichever came first. A five-year stay was common.


    As their small group approached the testing platform, Cha Ming noticed that a group of youngsters was accumulating on the platform. Every once in a while, someone from the line would walk onto the platform while the rest of the people in line dispersed into the city, clearly unsuccessful. Right before they arrived at the platform, Uncle Hong leaned over and whispered:


    "Cha Ming, it''s all up to you now. You''ll first have to cross a boundary onto the test platform prior to being tested. The boundary doesn''t let anyone pass unless they meet certain conditions. First, their bone age must be greater than fifteen years old but less than seventeen years old, which is the maximum recruitment age for the academy. Fifteen is the minimum, since a cultivator''s meridians aren''t normally fully developed before then unless one gets fed many precious herbs as a child. These people wouldn''t normally attend Green Leaf Academy, so this is normally not considered. Certain noble families can apply for early admissions as an exception if they can prove that their child''s meridians are fully developed and it''s clear cultivating early won''t damage their foundation.


    "The second condition the boundary evaluates is whether or not the person has at least a Grade 1 talent. Everyone passes the first test before ascending the platform, but the platform evaluates their individual performance and allows the academy to grade students based on their potential. In turn, they will assign the appropriate cultivation resources to each student based on their potential¡ªspirit stones don''t grow on trees after all. Anyway, go up there and do your best! We''ll wait down here until you are done."


    Cha Ming already knew he would pass the first hurdle, and so he proceeded through the boundary without any hesitation. Right behind him, a youth attempted to run through the boundary and use his momentum to force his way through the boundary. This ended unsuccessfully, of course, and the youth walked off with a bloody nose amidst the jeering crowd.


    There were many spectators, as it was a public event. Most of the spectators were divided into two camps. The first camp was there purely to take pleasure in other people''s misfortunes. The second camp was made up of parents who had brought their children to look and either encourage them to become cultivators or to show them that the odds were against them and that they should focus on other avenues in life.


    As Cha Ming walked onto the dark wooden stage, he noticed there were another nineteen youths waiting in a group¡ªthirteen boys and six girls. The number of girls who became cultivators was much lower than the number of boys. That wasn''t to say that their talent was inferior but that lower class society typically frowned upon their daughters becoming cultivators, preferring to marry them off so they could have a safe life and raise children. As a result, the girls who stepped forward typically had at least one parent or grandparent as a cultivator, which increased their odds of passing the test. Cultivation talent was hereditary, and so with fewer applicants, one out of every ten girls passed the test instead of one out of every hundred boys.


    The group was separated into cliques. The most obvious cliques were those belonging to nobility and to the lower class, and they were equal in number. Nobles had naturally higher chances of producing cultivators, but the lower class was much larger in comparison, making up for their terrible odds with sheer numbers.


    There was one youth who stood apart from the rest of the crowd. He stood alone in his pristine white robes and seemed very uninterested in the test. The expression on his face told Cha Ming that he already knew the results and was only carrying out a dog and pony show.


    This man isn''t simple, he thought.


    As if reading his mind, the boy turned his head toward him. His gaze seemed ice cold and devoid of emotion, while at the same time burning through Cha Ming, causing him to sweat a little. His long black hair and eyes were contrasted by an unusual pair of red pupils. After looking at him for a few seconds, the boy turned his head and continued gazing at the middle-aged man on the platform.


    The middle-aged man had shoulder-length black hair, a thin beard, and was wearing Green Leaf Academy''s standard garb. His simple uniform was adorned with a golden token with the characters for "Elder" embossed on it. Everyone quieted down as the Elderstepped forward to speak.


    "Ahem. Young boys and girls, congratulations on passing the initial screening. You may all call me Elder Wang. I am in charge of today''s recruitment. It takes a long time to process the people stepping up to the stage. As such, we perform these tests in groups of twenty, and in the order which people arrive. I''m sure you''re all familiar with the contents of the test, but in the interest of fairness and for the sake of the crowd, I''ll have the next person in line come forward as I explain the process."


    As Elder Wang finished speaking, a young boy nervously stepped up, stated his name¡ªLing Xiao Hou¡ªand gave a short bow.


    "The first test is the test of talent. Please step onto this formation circle." Elder Wang paused to give the youth enough time to walk to the middle of the formation. "As you can all see, this formation has five circles, with the inner circle representing a Grade 1 talent and the outer circle being a Grade 5 talent."


    He reached forward and pressed on a stone stele situated beside him. The formation started glowing, and the two center circles lit up. The youngster stepped off the formation once Elder Wang motioned his hand.


    "Grade 2, average talent. Approximately ninety percent of admitted students are evaluated as Grade 1 or 2 talents. Nine percent of students are Grade 3 talents, and another 0.9% are Grade 4 talents. The remaining one of every thousand is a Grade 5 talent, and we evaluate about one or two per year."


    The group of examinees and the crowd let out loud gasps. Such a disparity in talent was terrifying. It made the new recruits realize that they would, in all likelihood, be relegated to the dregs of the cultivation world. They would never amount to much more than foraging in the woods or joining the city guard. After giving the students some time to absorb this information, Elder Wang continued his explanation.


    "The next test is the test of affinity. Each prospective student must go into this affinity-testing formation. While not exhaustive, this affinity formation evaluates the different affinities you might be proficient with. Some affinities are rarer than others. The affinities tested for in this formation are the five elements: wood, fire, earth, metal, and water; the minor space-time elements, light and darkness; and the three balance elements: wind, lightning, and fate. One of every ten people will have two affinities, one of every hundred have three, one of every thousand have four, and one of every ten thousand have five. Note that this only applies to the five elements¡ªcombinations with the other elements are much rarer and not worth mentioning for now." As he finished speaking, Elder Wang once again gestured to the youngster. "Ling Xiao Hou, step into this star-shaped formation."


    The student followed his instructions and stepped into the formation. The five elements were imprinted into the center in the shape of a star within a circle, as per traditional Chinese five-element theory. The five other elements formed five independent stars outside the circle and were each represented by a crystal. The boy stood for half a minute before the upper green point of the star lit up, glowing with an emerald light.


    "Ling Xiao Hou, wood element!" intoned Elder Wang.


    The wood element was not very exciting, but it was the mainstay of Green Leaf Academy and Green Leaf City. Wood-element practitioners could be employed to grow and collect various herbs, which accounted for half the city''s income. Xiao Hou clearly knew this and was quite pleased with himself. With this result, he could feed his whole family for the foreseeable future without getting into any significant danger.


    "Next, the test of soul," said Elder Wang. "Most people who go through this test will have a test result of one, while perhaps one percent of participants will have a result of five to ten. Those with innate soul talent are by definition born with outstanding souls, so mediocre readings between two and four are almost unseen. Soul talent is especially useful for the various professions, such as talisman craftsmen, formation masters, spiritual blacksmiths, spiritual doctors, and the most prestigious occupation: alchemists.


    "These professions also require specific elemental combinations, and so potential talents in these occupations are rather rare. Talisman craftsmen and formation specialists have no specific elemental requirements. Healers require dual affinities in water and wood, and while soul force is not a strict requirement, healers with innate soul talent have the potential to become spiritual doctors. Spiritual blacksmiths are physically strong and require fire and metal affinities. Alchemists require wood and fire affinities and innate spiritual talent of seven and higher. Those with results of five and six will at best become apothecaries, who assist the alchemists.


    "This test is difficult to explain, so Xiao Hou will demonstrate it for you. Xiao Hou, please step onto the soul formation."


    As Elder Wang requested, the youth stepped onto a complex formation shaped like a turtle with a snake as a tail. His face paled.


    "This formation will extract all available soul power and circulate it around you as a force field. This soul field is very effective at levitating these silver pearls etched with soul runes. I have a set of ten soul pearls; it is fundamentally impossible for a non-cultivating body to accommodate more than ten soul pearls. This formation would not have let you through if you had condensed qi, so we know the test represents innate soul power."


    The silver pearl drifted from his hand and floated toward the formation, where it orbited around Xiao Hou. Once the orbit had stabilized, Elder Wang threw another silver pearl at the soul field, which shattered and dropped both pearls on the ground.


    "Innate Soul Level 1," Elder Wang announced dispassionately. This result was far too common, and so it was his least favorite test. It was, however, a requirement, and as such he would perform the test meticulously. A sweep of his hand brought the two pearls back to their pouch. He then motioned for Ling Xiao Hou to stand off to the side.


    The following twelve tests were uneventful. The thirteenth test participant, a young boy named Meng Chun, was discovered to be a Grade 4 talent, with dual wood and fire affinities and a Soul Level of seven. He was immediately recruited by a representative of the alchemist guild¡ªthis specialty was far too rare and very lucrative. Understandably, they could also make the highest offer. Meng Chun would study in Green Leaf Academy while working part-time as an apprentice alchemist. He would be sent off to the capital for further training once he reached foundation establishment.


    Finally, the nineteenth test participant stepped up. He sighed once upon the platform. Cha Ming was very curious about this youth and the results he would achieve in the test. The white-clad youth clasped his hands politely and bowed toward the elder.


    "Zhou Li greets Elder Wang," the young boy said respectfully.


    Elder Wang startled slightly, as he was familiar with the name. The Zhou family was very influential and domineering in Green Leaf City. The elder quickly adjusted his attitude and politely gestured for Zhou Li to step onto the talent formation. Elder Wang''s hand shook slightly as he pressed onto the stone stele.


    Suddenly, the talent formation lit up like a brilliant sun. The five bright circles were fully lit, and each circle was more brilliant than the last. The audience was temporarily blinded before the formation faded. The audience let out a soft gasp.


    Grade 5 talent! More importantly, he was a part of the Zhou family. It was only a matter of time before he matured. The full support of the Zhou family would ensure that another earth-shakingly powerful figure stood at the peak of Green Leaf City. The people in the special seats began to pay close attention. Zhou Li''s expression remained unperturbed as he walked toward the next formation.


    Elder Wang was practically trembling at this point, and he became even more polite as he directed Zhou Li to the affinity-testing formation. A half minute after Zhou Li stepped onto the formation, two crystals began to shine brightly. The first was fire, which on its own was quite ordinary. The second, however, was the rarest of all: fate!


    The crowd immediately began murmuring to each other. Fate was a very rare affinity. In fact, the royal family had dominated the capital city through the powers of fire and fate for a few millennia. Fate was very strong on its own; a fate cultivator was also known as an oracle, and such a person could guide a nation through droughts and disasters, quell rebellions before they occurred, and directly add to the fortune of the people leading the kingdom.


    The now-silent Elder Wang''s face became serious when Zhou Li calmly stepped onto the soul testing formation. As Zhou Li''s face paled, a turbid cloud started whirling around him. One silver pearls, two, three. The soul pearls orbited around him one after another, after which nine pearls finally revolved around him. Would he achieve a perfect result? The crowd waited silently for the final result.


    Finally, Elder Wang, tossed the last pearl, and it shattered the soul field, and all ten pearls tumbled toward the ground. The youth didn''t seem to be surprised in the very least. Innate Soul Level 9!


    While it was not quite a perfect result, its rarity couldn''t be questioned. Not even one in ten million people could achieve such a result. As the proud Zhou Li left the platform, the heads of various organizations rushed up to him to make him offers. Even the pretentious alchemist association would want to rope in someone like him, and he couldn''t even become an alchemist.


    The bickering continued as Elder Wang looked around nervously. He wanted to finish the last test, but he dared not interrupt the attention Zhou Li was gathering. Even the school head was trying to get Zhou Li''s attention, and Elder Wang certainly did not want to get fired. The bickering quelled after another quarter hour had passed, and the sound of someone clearing his throat echoed from the golden pavilion and silenced everyone. Not a single person dared utter a word. Once everyone was quiet, a man''s voice sounded out.


    "Zhou Li is hereby issued an invitation from the royal family''s head oracle to become his closed-door disciple. This humble envoy was already aware of this result before coming, and I hereby request all other parties not to haggle with this lowly one."


    Silence followed. It was difficult to compete with an invitation from the royal family. The only chance the other parties had was is if Zhou Li declined the royal family''s invitation. Even then, how could they pit themselves against the royal family? Trying to recruit him now would surely incur the wrath of Heaven upon their respective organizations. Zhou Li looked toward the pavilion with his usual dispassionate gaze.


    "This humble one sensed that I should take part in this test, and destiny has clearly brought me here. Who am I to argue with destiny? Of course, I gladly accept your invitation." Zhou Li then bowed and made his way to the pavilion.


    Following the awkward silence, Elder Wang realized that Cha Ming still hadn''t taken the three tests yet. He gestured hurriedly for him to step up and get it out of the way. Standing on the platform had gotten extremely uncomfortable since the last testing, and he couldn''t wait to step out and take a breather.

 5 Cultivation Technique

    Du Cha Ming let out a depressed sigh as he noticed the severe lack of attention he was getting on stage. Even a decent result would get overshadowed by Zhou Li''s outstanding result. He shifted his gaze toward the carriage as he felt a burning stare pierce through him once more.


    Interesting, he thought. Despite all the attention he is getting, Zhou Li is still watching me.


    Cha Ming smirked as he made his way to the center of the talent testing formation. Elder Wang impatiently pressed his hand on the stone stele, and three circles lit up.


    "Grade 3 talent, above average," Elder Wang intoned once again. Seeing that no one was paying attention, Cha Ming moved on to the elemental affinity formation. A half minute later, a strange sight appeared.


    Five glowing lights lit up around Cha Ming, connected by a white circle and inscribed with a black star. Five crystals. Elder Wang was quite shocked. Not even one in ten thousand people had this configuration, and while it was not unheard of, like Zhou Li''s result, it was quite rare. The result briefly took away a little of Zhou Li''s attention among the academic staff. But their distracted attitude meant that they didn''t notice how unusual his result really was. Affinity to the five elements didn''t usually light up the circle and the star.


    While a Grade 3 talent was worth paying attention to, especially with so many choices on how to cultivate, the different organizations were hesitant to make any firm commitments. This was because while he had the greatest ability to choose, there were certain optimal configurations for each department. For example, the alchemy department would want someone to dual cultivate wood and fire, and it was unknown whether he had significant innate soul force. He was also only a Grade 3.


    Once Elder Wang got over his shock, he ushered Cha Ming forward to the soul testing formation. As Cha Ming turned pale, a white cloud even thicker than Zhou Li''s sprung out. Perhaps twenty to twenty-five percent of people were now paying attention to his results instead of Zhou Li''s. After all, he did not have an outstanding affinity like fate.


    One by one, the soul pearls were added to the formation by Elder Wang. One, two, three, finally up to eight. This result pleased Cha Ming. When everyone thought that was the limit, a ninth pearl was added to the soul field. Cha Ming''s result was now as good as Zhou Li''s! It was a pity that he was only a Grade 3 talent, otherwise his results would have been just as outstanding as Zhou Li''s.


    Finally, Elder Wang tossed in the last of the ten soul testing pearls as a formality. Elder Wang and the audience waited for the inevitable shattering sound, but in the end, the sound didn''t come. Elder Wang rubbed his eyes as he realized that all ten soul pearls were still orbiting Du Cha Ming.


    "Innate Soul Level: 10!" he exclaimed. This result was inconceivable and exceeded that of Zhou Li''s. The crowd started loudly discussing the result, trying to determine whether Du Cha Ming or Zhou Li was more outstanding. After a full five minutes of discussion, the audience came to the conclusion that, while his result was very rare, it was a pity that his talent was so low.


    What shocked Elder Wang the most was not his soul talent but the combination of his talent grade and an affinity for all five elements.


    First, perhaps only one out of ten thousand people would have an affinity for five elements, not considering talent. This alone, combined with his full innate soul talent, was just as rare as Zhou Li''s result.


    Typically, Full Innate Soul Force manifests itself within Grade 4 or 5 talent. Grade 3 cultivation talents with Grade 10 innate soul talent were basically unheard of. So despite his results being a thousand times rarer than Zhou Li''s, it just came across as disappointing. Normally he would have attracted quite a bit of attention, but compared to the previous result, it was lackluster. No one from the various factions was willing to discuss an offer with him.


    Looking to clear up the awkward atmosphere, Elder Wang decided to take initiative. "You have a very rare set of talents, young man. However, all of the various representatives will likely wait until you have made a decision on which elements to cultivate. You should bear in mind what interests you before you make a decision, and once you have made your choice, these representatives will likely want to speak with you. That being said, you have been accepted into Green Leaf Academy as a Grade 3 talent, and your future will surely be very promising!"


    Smiling, Elder Wang gave Cha Ming his bronze identity badge and ushered the group off the stage. They were to meet up at the academy gates tomorrow morning. As Cha Ming walked off the stage, he couldn''t help but notice that same burning gaze latched onto him again.


    ---


    "It''s a pity his cultivation talent is so low," said a man in gilded armor from within the golden pavilion. He shook his head in disappointment. Zhou Li didn''t care about the amount of attention he had gathered, or how much Cha Ming had taken away from it. After all, he had told his family that this dog and pony show wouldn''t amount to much. Only now did he realize that the reason was not because the people didn''t care about him, but that the one who came after him would take away from the attention his family had hoped to gather.


    "Protector Song, I predict that this young man is not so simple," said the armored man. "He is, after all, the only person who has been able to obscure my eyes of fate."


    Protector Song gave Zhou Li a surprised look. Those with Zhou Li''s unique talents would be able to predict the fate of almost anyone at their own level of cultivation. Anyone whose destiny was obscured was a very rare individual. Only people like them would be able to make true choices in life. Everyone else was just going with the flow.


    "Let''s go to the capital, Protector Song. After all, fate is a funny thing. It plays with people and pulls them around. It makes people love and it makes people cry." Zhou Li took one last look at Cha Ming before leaving. Elder Song followed behind him, still shivering at the words he''d just heard. After all, he had witnessed firsthand how funny "fate" could be.


    --


    As Cha Ming made his way through the parting crowd, he heard a familiar voice yelling out his name. He smiled as he saw the same three figures waving off in the distance. Hong Jin was very surprised by Cha Ming''s performance and had long since taken out a cigarette to ease his nerves. Hong Xin was pouting in the ten-foot smoke cloud that surrounded them. The smoke cloud was devoid of everyone but his children, who were obviously used to these antics.


    "Cha Ming, you''re so talented! You''re much better off than Xun and I!" exclaimed Xin. They were both going to be classmates, so Xin was very happy right now. Xun was also smiling to the side while Uncle Hong grinned from ear to ear.


    "Don''t worry about those old farts," Uncle Hong said, taking another puff of his cigarette. "They were so shocked by Zhou Li''s recruitment that they missed the shining star of the show. They''ll be crying once they figure out that they made a big mistake by not pouncing on you when they had the chance. Who cares what they think right now¡ªeffort proves everything. Besides, you''re quite a bit better off than my children. They both have Grade 3 talent and a single affinity for fire, since they take after me. However, they don''t have innate soul force or any elements matching to specific professions. Comparatively, your future is full of choices. Make sure you select a good dual-element affinity practice. With luck, you''ll be able to become a decent alchemist or spirit doctor and be set for life!"


    Cha Ming gave Uncle Hong a light smile as he sighed inwardly. This was much too similar to his past life. While he had been talented in many things, people had urged him to go to school to learn engineering because it was in demand everywhere. He was not intelligent or hardworking enough to be a doctor or pharmacist, so he had to give up on those career paths. In the end, he had disappeared from the world, dissatisfied after being dragged along through life by everyone else''s whims.


    Uncle Hong didn''t notice Cha Ming''s brooding and brought the children back home. They had a dozen dishes to celebrate his success that night. Uncle Hong could now rest assured that his daughter Xin and his son Xun would not be lonely at school; good friends were always in short supply.


    --


    Cha Ming, Xin, and Xun woke up early the next morning, eagerly making their way to the school gates. Cha Ming had thanked Aunt Xu profusely before leaving. He promised to come visit often and made a mental note to come and help her with chores when he was free. He hadn''t felt the warmth of family in over a year now. Once they arrived at the gates, Xun promptly left to join his second-year class. Xin walked with Cha Ming as they joined the roughly one thousand people that had been recruited over the past week.


    The new students had already gathered into cliques, a scene that resembled the recruitment platform earlier. Cha Ming noticed that not every student had a bronze badge like he and Xin. About one in ten people had a bronze badge and nine in ten students had a white badge. According to his understanding of talent distribution, the badges must have represented grades. More talented students tended to gather together, as their future growth prospects were correspondingly greater. There were twelve Grade 4 talents this year, and they were all clustered together in their own little group.


    There were no Grade 5 students, as the only one had been pilfered by the royal family. This was considered an honor to Green Leaf Academy. The academy would surely see its yearly funding increase over the next few decades. Of course, there were other peripheral benefits to being in such a talented individual''s hometown, such as preferential treatment from other entities to curry favor. But there were still a handful of Grade 5 talents, which the academy had accumulated over the past few years. These talents would eventually be referred to higher-level academies once they reached a certain level in their cultivation.


    The students waited for the time it takes an incense stick to burn before a group of teachers, elders, and older students walked toward the crowd of youngsters. Elder Wang, who was standing toward the front of the group of elders, bellowed out in a loud voice, "Silence!"


    The student''s voices turned to whispers, and finally the whispers were too loud, and the speaking ceased entirely.


    Elder Wang looked at the students from left to right, nodding in satisfaction at their obedient behavior. "First of all, you will now separate into your respective talent groups. Everyone with a white badge, line up to my left in forty rows. People with fire affinity will go to rows one through eight, those with earth affinity the next eight, followed by metal, water, and wood. Those with bronze badges will line up beside them in six rows, one for each element, and the sixth row will be for those with dual-element proficiencies. Those with silver badges will line up in a single row. These badges represent your talent and potential future achievements. Those of you with white badges will have to work twice as hard and encounter many strokes of luck to achieve what the others will achieve. Life is unfair that way.


    "The heavens never seal off all exits. You currently have different badges, but each badge starts at the number one. This represents your current level in the academy. There are nine levels in total, and from now on, you will attend classes corresponding to your level. Students will graduate if they meet the minimum requirements in five years'' time. The minimum requirement for graduation is reaching the fifth level of qi condensation, and perhaps half of you will be able to achieve this threshold.


    "Another way to graduate is to break through to foundation establishment. Anyone who breaks through to foundation establishment will immediately become a nominal elder of the academy. While the position has no immediate responsibilities, an elder of the academy is entitled to VIP treatment in the Song Dynasty. The opportunities for employment are boundless once a person reaches foundation establishment.


    "Now that these trivial matters are out of the way, I would like each group of students with single element specialties to follow their teachers."


    A group of forty-five teachers and a hundred assistants broke out from behind Elder Wang and ushered off over ninety-five percent of the students. Cha Ming said goodbye to Hong Xin and made plans to meet for supper later that evening. Only twenty-eight students remained out of the original group.


    "There are many of you remaining this year. It has truly been a good harvest!" Elder Wang said with a smile. He continued. "There are a total of twenty-eight new students with dual affinities. One of you has already been recruited by the alchemy department, another by our spiritual blacksmith, and two of you have been recruited by our spirit doctor teacher. Each of you can go ahead and follow your teachers in each field. These professions are often best pursued with a specific cultivation technique, so be sure to follow their recommendations." These four students departed with their three teachers.


    "There are now twenty-four students remaining. Jin Lingfu, Song Jia, Wang Lin, please follow Elder Xing. Lin Chen, Feng Ming¡­"


    Elder Wang continued until all students with dual-element specialties were divided up amongst their respective teachers, until only Cha Ming and a young man called Zai Chen remained. The group of eight remaining elders discussed amongst themselves for a few minutes before finally deciding how to allocate the two students.


    "Zai Chen," said Elder Wang, "you will follow me for the time being since your elemental affinities in water, wood, and fire happen to match my own. Cha Ming, your case is a bit special since you have five-element affinities and full innate soul force. We''ll have Elder Ling show you around."


    A kindly elder man stepped forward. He was quite disheveled and balding with a few white hairs remaining. His wrinkled hands were stained in ink. Despite his unkempt appearance, he seemed to receive a lot of respectful glances from the surrounding elders. Cha Ming bowed to Elder Wang and the other teachers and followed the aged man obediently.


    --


    Elder Ling was a very efficient walker. He walked as though he didn''t see anyone in front of him and he was the only man in the world. Most people would follow roadways and avoid grassy areas out of courtesy to the gardeners. This old man showed no such regard as he cut across lawns, wandered through rows of trees, and cut through long lines. Cha Ming, a little embarrassed, followed after him swiftly. At times, Cha Ming almost had to break into a run. At other times, Elder Ling would suddenly stop to admire a group of flowers. Unpredictable, erratic, and disorganized would describe Elder Ling perfectly.


    "Kid, you may call me Elder Ling. Usually kids with your level of talent don''t get their own personal tour guide, but your five-element affinity and high innate soul force have made you an exception. While I have quite a bit of experience, you''re someone who has the ability to choose what you want to do. Regretfully, you aren''t a top-grade talent, so your achievements will be very dependent on how much effort you put in. Luck is also very key. Aim to be lucky."


    Cha Ming gave Elder Ling a fake smile as he broke into an embarrassed sweat.


    Aim to be lucky? Yep, I''ll give it my all! thought Cha Ming bitterly.


    Elder Ling didn''t seem to notice his fake expression. He simply assumed that this youngster knew how to take good advice.


    "Most people have their own predispositions on what is better. I myself am not very talented, but I cultivate three elements. I had an innate soul talent of five, and later I learned to craft talismans. My teacher let me pick what I wanted to do, and I''ve never regretted the decisions I''ve made in life.


    "Contrary to those other nagging elders in various factions, I''m going to do the same. More to the point, I believe a great deal in destiny. Your destiny has given you a path with many forks, and you are the most equipped person to choose your own path than I''ve ever seen. People who are too talented often get forced down a specific road. In fact, you would likely have been forced down a specific road if that genius Zhou Li hadn''t popped up. While you might think that you''ve been overshadowed, I personally believe this is your good fortune."


    Cha Ming pondered Ling''s words a bit as he considered this. Most people would indeed see it as a stroke of bad luck, but unlimited choice was not a bad thing. He had always been lacking in this respect.


    As they finished speaking, they arrived at the school library. The library was the third-largest building on campus, and it was built out of red cubic stones that looked like brick. These stones were three feet by three feet and just as deep. They were held together with a pristine white binding agent, forming a flush surface with the wall itself. The walls seemed as though they had been recently washed. He could see students on scaffolding with large brushes washing the sides of the buildings. These students were performing these menial tasks to earn extra income and contribute to the school.


    The largest building on campus was naturally the cultivation pavilion, where the students spent the majority of their time training during the day. The second-largest building was the student dormitory, and the fourth largest was the treasure pavilion.


    Various other buildings and specialized training grounds were scattered around campus, which was located at the very north of the city and was one of the few parts of the city that overlapped with the forest. From a bird''s-eye view, the campus looked like a circle within a circle, the larger circle being Green Leaf City itself. It occupied five percent of the total surface area in the city, slightly larger in size than the city lord''s manor.


    This sizing arrangement was according to status, and the city lord''s manor would never dare encroach on this status, at least not officially. While the city lord was the highest official authority in the city, Green Leaf Academy represented the Empire. It wouldn''t be an understatement to say that the school head could cause a change in government over the span of a year or so. This authority was usually never exercised, but the threat of such a maneuver gave the academy a lot of influence in city politics.


    As they approached the dazzling red library, they bypassed a long queue of groups and entered the side door. They were allowed in once Elder Ling was recognized. The teachers guarding the entrance let them through with a mixture of reverence and fear. Cha Ming shot him a surprised look while the elder simply smiled.


    "There are privileges to being old. One of them is not having to wait in line. While I don''t have the highest authority, I will be able to get you access to the best cultivation techniques in this academy." They walked for a short while and climbed two sets of stairs to the fourth floor of the library.


    This floor contained many large study rooms and twenty mahogany bookshelves. A quarter of the bookshelves were filled with various technique scrolls, while the other three-quarters seemed to be filled with crafting recipes, encyclopedias, and other such things relating to professions. The last shelf was only a quarter filled and contained a few dozen scrolls.


    "These are the best cultivation techniques in our school''s possession," explained Elder Ling. "For each basic element, we generally have two or three training scrolls. Rarer affinities only have one. For example, we only have one wind-related cultivation technique. Technique scrolls at the mortal level are typically classified as mortal, bronze, silver, and gold class. We aren''t a top-ranking school, so our best cultivation techniques are silver class. For certain uncommon disciplines, we only have bronze-class cultivation techniques. For example, we only have bronze techniques for wind, fate, and space. The other single elements all have silver-grade cultivation techniques.


    "If you want to choose a single element, you can choose the Frozen Heart Sutra, the Burning Heart Mantra, the Growing Strong method, the Blade Melody, or the Desolate Earth method. These are all silver ranked, and in my humble opinion they are the best of the bunch. The advantage of a single-element cultivation technique is that you only need to comprehend the usage of one element.


    "In addition, there is no need to split your qi pool between elements, as I will explain later. This makes it much easier to cultivate higher-ranked battle or auxiliary techniques, as you will have a much higher capacity for each element. Treasures specialized for each element will be easy to come by, medicinal pills will not need to be tailored for you, and many natural treasures will respond very well to your specialized constitution. The downside is that you lose any flexibility in techniques, and you lose out on a principle called augmentation or fueling."


    Elder Ling eyed Cha Ming. "This brings me to my next point, dual affinities!"

 6 The White Brush

    Elder Ling scratched his scraggly white five-o''clock shadow before continuing.


    "Typically, dual affinities are viewed as the best type of cultivation. This type of cultivation requires twice the insight compared to single-element cultivators. People with higher innate soul talent will be able to comprehend these insights quickly, overcoming the hurdle. In addition, you must evenly split your qi between two elements. In a sense, you are forced to learn techniques from two elements. Failing to master the different techniques will leave you with only half the stamina of a normal cultivator.


    "Since there are drawbacks, there are surely benefits. The first benefit is that you can use battle and support techniques from two elements. The second benefit is that you can choose a supporting profession if you possess strong enough soul force. For example, dual wood and fire attribute cultivators with strong soul force can become alchemists, and metal and fire attribute cultivators can become spiritual blacksmiths. The third and final benefit is that with the right combination of elements, you can fuel the techniques of one of your elements with another."


    "How does fueling work?" he asked. Elder Ling, sensing his interest, was quite pleased to continue.


    "Fueling is a phenomenon that takes place through the augmentation in the five elements," said Elder Ling. "Wood fuels fire, fire creates earth through volcanoes and the like, metal is found in the earth, metal carries water, and finally, water feeds wood to complete the cycle. Conversely, some elements have a destructive relationship. Water extinguishes fire, fire melts metal, metal cuts wood, wood grows in the earth, and soil soaks up water.


    "If one were to cultivate metal and water, for example, one could use the metal qi that is cultivated to fuel a water technique. As a result, that person''s ability to execute water techniques will approach that of a pure-element water cultivator, despite only cultivating half of his qi as water qi. That person would also gain the ability to use metal-based techniques.


    "That said, few people choose to cultivate elements in the destructive cycle. Destructive relationships, such as metal and wood, only harm each other. Not only can one not reinforce wood with metal, using metal qi on wood techniques would weaken the technique. Therefore, people rarely choose such combinations. Spiritual blacksmiths are an exception to the rule¡ªyou can''t forge metal without fire, and so this sacrifice is necessary to become a spiritual blacksmith.


    "On the plus side, body-refinement techniques usually require destructive interactions. For example, a person can strengthen their body with metal and subsequently refine their body with fire, gaining great defense and physical strength. These body refiners will have lower battle prowess when utilizing their qi in battle, but some of this loss will be made up with physical strength.


    "Given these characteristics, the academy has a couple of silver-level cultivation techniques in each of the five augmentation relationships, as well as fire and metal destructive cultivation techniques. The best of these techniques in the academy are Burning Forest Script, the Lord of Magma method, the Total Defense Sword Cultivation Art, the Frost Sword Sutra, the Healing Heart Sutra, and finally the Forged by Iron and Fire body-cultivation method.


    "Similar rules apply to triple affinities. Five of the three-elemental affinities have an augmentation relationship and five of them have a destructive relationship. Likewise, we also have one silver-level cultivation technique for each augmentation type. I myself cultivate the ''Living Inferno'' cultivation technique, due to my three affinities in water, wood, and fire. Likewise, I split my qi into three parts. My water qi can reinforce my wood techniques, and my wood qi can fuel my fire techniques. Coincidentally, I am also able to dabble in alchemy and healing due to cultivating these three elements."


    Cha Ming pondered this for a few minutes before he looked back at Elder Ling and asked, "Can you feed water to wood, and use wood to fuel fire? Conversely, can you fuel fire with wood and use the stronger fire to refine metal? If you use metal refined by fire, can you better destroy wood due to the higher quality of the metal qi remaining? Does refined metal carry water better, or is cut wood a higher-quality fuel for fire?" If there was one thing Cha Ming was good at, it was asking questions.


    "Those¡­ are difficult questions to answer." Elder Ling hesitated a little before continuing. "With any of the cultivation techniques in this academy, you will not be able to do any of these things. You would first need to find a better cultivation technique and replace the one you pick here. Unless you disperse your cultivation in the future, you would need to continue cultivating in the same elements, and your ability to make the switch will depend on luck.


    "The Living Inferno technique that I practice is not from the academy, but rather my original sect. I would share it if I could, but I can''t share the technique outside the sect due to a Dao oath." He looked at Cha Ming apologetically. He really liked the kid, and he would have passed on the cultivation technique if he could.


    "Elder Ling, I understand," said Cha Ming, "Let''s ignore the issue of a cultivation technique for now. What I really want to know is if it''s possible¡ªand under what conditions it would be possible¡ªfor each of these situations. I play to win, and I wouldn''t let a small setback like my initial cultivation technique hold me back from my full potential."


    Elder Ling was very impressed with his confidence and enthusiasm, so he continued his explanation. "Right, right. One should never let themselves be held back by their initial circumstances. That''s what being a cultivator is all about, after all. Forever improve, and if the heavens try to stop you, fight the heavens!


    "The answer to your question is simple: Yes. It is theoretically possible to fuel two elements consecutively in the creation circle. The person in question needs a very stable cultivation, and the requirements on the technique are rather high. The qi must also be very pure, and this detail is also dependent on the cultivation technique. Finally, you need to remember that you would potentially be feeding three times as much energy into the final element as you normally would be. In addition, the original water qi fueling the wood, unless completely consumed by the wood-element qi, would counteract the fire. Very strict control and finesse are required when fueling a technique in this fashion.


    "To answer your question on refinement, wood-fueled fire will refine the best metal, assuming the wood is completely consumed prior to the flame reaching the fire. Otherwise the metal being refined will fight against the wood qi. Assuming you are successful, the final refined metal would be lower in quantity but much higher in purity. Any refined element will provide much higher-quality fuel for the corresponding technique, but the loss in the refinement is usually much greater than the gain. Conversely, the refined element will be the best refining agent, but the lower quantity of refining agent¡ªsay, water-quenched flame, for example¡ªwill only be able to refine a much smaller amount of its opposing qi."


    A bright look had appeared in Cha Ming''s eyes after hearing Elder Ling''s explanation. He clasped his hands and bowed. "Thank you for explaining, Elder. This has helped me a great deal. Are there any four- or five-element techniques available?"


    Elder Ling pondered a moment and dug out an old bronze scroll. He dusted off the scroll as he shook his head and placed it back on the shelf.


    "What is this cultivation technique?" asked Du Cha Ming curiously.


    "This technique is the Lesser Five Elements cultivation technique. To cultivate this technique, you need to split your qi into five. Unfortunately, even by using a fueling effect, you would only have access to the mid-level skills of each element. You could also do things like use two or three attribute skills, though these skills are quite rare. Regrettably your small qi pool in each element would also make it so you can''t practice consummate skills in any specific element. All of the professions are available, but splitting your attention between all of them dooms you to never accomplishing anything great in any of them.


    "While five-element affinity is rare, there was once a great emperor, Emperor Qin, who practiced all five elements. He created his own cultivation method, and eventually the Lesser Five Elements cultivation technique became available in all kingdoms. Unfortunately, it is only a bronze-grade technique, and people rarely practice it. Guidance is almost impossible, and so people must advance without the aid of a competent teacher. I do not advise that you practice this method." Elder Ling once again shook his head in sorrow. "This technique was clearly incomplete, otherwise Emperor Qin would never have risen to prominence like he did."


    While the Lesser Five Elements cultivation technique was perfectly suited for Cha Ming, the path he would need to travel would be harder than any other. Sacrificing perfection for variety was a great taboo for most professions; this was also considered an unwise choice in the cultivation world.


    Cha Ming sat down cross-legged and pondered for an hour. Many groups of grades three and four students came and went. One by one, they obtained a copy of their respective cultivation techniques and quietly left. A memory of his past life surfaced as he saw these many students following their suggested path, with only the illusion of choice. This memory strengthened his determination, after which he stood and pointed his finger.


    "This one. I choose the Lesser Five Elements cultivation technique," said Du Cha Ming calmly.


    A few of the surrounding teachers and elders escorting students gave Cha Ming and Elder Ling a strange glance. They would never under any circumstance recommend such a choice. However, they were quite afraid of Elder Ling, and they continued their quest in escorting their various students.


    "Are you sure you want this one? It is very difficult to turn back once you''ve started a cultivation method," Elder Ling warned sternly.


    "I''m sure," replied Cha Ming. For the very first time in his two past lives, he felt like he''d made a significant choice, one that would affect his entire destiny.


    Elder Ling took the scroll to a contraption with two platforms. The scroll was placed on the platform, and another identical but newer scroll appeared. Elder Ling then put away the old scroll and handed the new scroll to Cha Ming.


    "Cha Ming, this is an illusory scroll, which will persist for five days, after which it will fade away. It has been recorded under your identity, and if it is leaked, we will immediately know. If you fail to memorize this technique before it fades away, you will have another chance to take a scroll. However, your choices will be more limited due to your low perception. You would not get access to this fourth floor ever again. I''ll once again give you one last chance to change your mind."


    Elder Ling didn''t want Cha Ming to live with regret, but he also did not want to take away his freedom of choice. Cha Ming declined, as expected.


    As a new Grade 3 student, he was allowed to choose a single treasure, and so they made their way to the treasure pavilion.


    --


    From the outside, the treasure pavilion looked a little like a very large green silk tent with golden posts and a conical roof. A very burly monkey holding a spear was standing guard at an entrance flap to the pavilion. It sat down meekly as it saw Elder Ling bringing Cha Ming inside.


    Elder Ling chuckled. "I raised this monkey since it was a little child. It always treats me like its parent."


    Elder Ling really did dabble in everything under the sun. Talismans, alchemy, healing, and raising beasts. Elder Ling telling Cha Ming not to divide his attention was like the pot calling the kettle black.


    Just past the entrance flap was a large greeting hall. The inside of the building no longer looked like a green tent. A figure that looked a lot like a Saudi Arabian vizier walked up to them, a large smile plastered on his face. His beard was heavily oiled and merged with his mustache into a single large curl.


    "Gentlemen, it''s my pleasure to welcome you to this humble establishment! And you, Elder Ling, it has simply been ages since our last meeting. I assume this youngster is here to pick his introductory treasure? I highly recommend this wonderful sword. It is definitely first in its class, and he will not be disappointed." He held out the sword while Elder Ling waved his hand, shooing him away with a gust of hot wind. The man continued smiling despite Elder Ling''s assault.


    "This is the treasure pavilion keeper," Elder Ling said in a low voice. "He''s technically not a part of Green Leaf Academy but a part of the world-renowned treasure pavilion. All the people inside are his employees, and all of the profits are handled by their corporate office. This gentleman is the highest authority here. For the most part, they will try to con you. Every Grade 3 or higher student can choose treasures here, but we give them a fixed payment for each student. He''s simply trying to maximize his profits!"


    Elder Ling gave a quick humph and kept walking with Cha Ming in tow. The pavilion keeper kept smiling and greeted the next batch of guests. It was quite lively inside due to the large influx of students.


    The treasure pavilion was gigantic and could likely accommodate a dragon''s treasury. Treasures were crammed onto shelves here and there with no semblance of order. Cha Ming was instructed to wander through and see if there was anything he liked. In the future, he would be able to accept assignments to earn contribution points and trade them in for items. Alternatively, he could just pay for them with any money he made. Elder Ling seemed unimpressed.


    Cha Ming wandered about for a whole two hours. He picked up items, swung swords, inspected seemingly ordinary goblets, mirrors, and talismans. He tried on a pair of boots, swung a staff, and tried to lift a huge greatsword. After the excitement wore off, he walked through the remainder of the pavilion at a brisk pace.


    About three-quarters of the way through the pavilion, a small item caught his eye. It looked like a paintbrush. Curious, he picked it up and began inspecting it in detail. It seemed quite familiar to him. The paintbrush was the purest white in color, with thin, barely visible lines forming patterns.


    Suddenly, it struck him. The little brush looked just like the staff that he''d seen prior to disappearing in his previous life! Where the black patterns had appeared previously, thin golden lines now passed through. Where the five colored runes once were, thin engravings were present. The brush was very light and only twelve inches long. The bristles were held together by a golden ferrule, which had previously been pierced into the ground. The bristles were thicker near the base and quite thin near the tip. The brush would be capable of both very broad strokes as well as thin, precise strokes.


    The more he thought about it, the more it seemed like fate that he''d seen the brush that day. If there was anything else he needed, he could always come back for it later. But if he didn''t choose it, where would he find it if someone else took it? As he continued examining the brush, the thin engravings seemed to transform into a string of words. The words were very small, barely large enough for Cha Ming to make them out.


    Three made many, and choices are infinite;


    Do not let worry color the landscape.


    Why not paint the heavens


    With this Clear Sky Brush?


    Why not paint the heavens, he thought. What a bold statement. But indeed, there were too many things to worry about in life. Cultivation techniques, occupation, money, marriage, fortune, and disaster. Everyone had too much to handle. The worries created are endless. But the brush was saying, "Why worry? There are so many details ordained by the heavens."


    Painting the heavens? The brush was telling him to overthrow his fate and forge his own destiny. This enlightenment strengthened Cha Ming''s resolve in choosing his own path.


    Since he had made his decision, he slowly walked back to the desk, enjoying the scenery. Elder Ling had been with him all day and noticed the change in temperament.


    Cha Ming smiled as he placed the paintbrush on the desk. "I would like to take this paintbrush."


    Elder Ling shot him a strange look, but the pavilion keeper was quite happy. Elder Ling clearly recognized the brush and had already judged that it was quite an ordinary but very specialized treasure. The pavilion keeper also didn''t see it as a very expensive item. It had been around for ages. Both Cha Ming and the treasure pavilion were very happy with the exchange.


    Once they exited the pavilion, Elder Ling instructed Cha Ming to register at the student residence, where he would be assigned a room and given his monthly allowance of ten spirit stones.


    "You have a lot of possibilities to choose from, but a lot of opportunity to go astray. I also know that you''re not a very rich student. Since you''ve decided on five-element cultivation, you would be allowed to learn as an apprentice alchemist, but they wouldn''t put a lot of effort into teaching you. Those old coots are very stubborn and proud. However¡­ well, I find that your talents suit talisman crafting quite well. You also picked that old talisman brush that''s been there for some hundred or so years, and I''m a little intrigued.


    "No need to answer now. You''ll need to reach at least the third level of qi condensation before being able to start practicing any professions. Just come find me at my home if you ever decide you want to learn from me, and don''t be a stranger!"


    With that, Elder Ling placed his hands behind his back and walked away, whistling happily.

 7 Qi Condensation

    It was just before supper by the time Du Cha Ming made it to the residence hall. The campus was quite large, and he had a long wait at the front desk before obtaining his room key. Every room required a jade slip to enter, and his room was the five hundred and twelfth. Third grade or lower talents needed to share rooms while fourth grade or higher talents were allowed their own courtyards, so Cha Ming was not talented enough to enjoy this luxury. Despite this disadvantage, he considered himself quite fortunate to have free room and board. If not for the academy, he truly didn''t know how he would have been able to feed himself.


    He didn''t immediately go to his new room but instead made his way to the dining hall, where had had promised to meet Hong Xin. Supper was served over a long period of time, so only fifty or so students loitered around while talking and eating. Cha Ming immediately spotted a shy girl poking at the cold food on her plate. An impish grin appeared on his face as he avoided her line of sight and put his hands on her shoulders.


    "Boo!"


    Instant regret appeared on Cha Ming''s face as Hong Xin let out a bloodcurdling scream, attracting the attention of dozens of nearby students. These students shot them awkward glances, which caused Hong Xin''s face to turn beet red.


    "Cha Ming, I waited so long, and you only show up now! I''m going to tell Second Brother that you''ve been bullying me, and he''ll come beat you up!" A cute, pouting expression was painted all over her crimson face.


    "Ha-ha, Xin Er , I''m sure you missed me and my devilish good looks! Here, you can have this dumpling if you don''t tell Brother Xun about this."


    In truth, he was less scared of Brother Xun and much more scared of Uncle Hong. Uncle Hong had a very impressive aura and was extremely protective of his only daughter. Xin Er cast him a suspicious glance but chose to eat the last remaining dumpling regardless, appeasing her fleeting rage.


    Cha Ming sighed in relief as he excused himself to get another helping. He returned in a few minutes with a plate full of food and two glasses of pomelo juice, one of which he placed in front of Hong Xin.


    "Xin Er, I''ll be locking myself up to learn my new cultivation technique starting tonight. I''ve been told by Elder Ling that the cultivation technique I''ve chosen is very difficult, and I only have five days to learn it before my illusory scroll disappears."


    He had originally intended to spend a few days with Xin Er so they could familiarize themselves with campus, but his time was currently too precious.


    "I understand. I should do the same as well. You''re so lucky. I''ve only been given three days to practice my Gentle Flame dance technique. If I can''t practice it successfully I''ll be forced to give up and learn a new technique." She thought for a bit as if connecting the dots. "Wow, you get a whole five days with yours? Which dual-element technique did you decide to practice?" Her previously disappointed expression had been replaced with pure excitement.


    "This¡­ I didn''t pick a dual-element technique," said Cha Ming, embarrassed.


    "Wow, so you got a whole five days with a single-element technique? So lucky!" Not a hint of jealousy was reflected in her beautiful eyes.


    "Actually¡­ I''m cultivating a five-element technique. The Lesser Five Elements cultivation technique."


    Xin Er''s face filled with pure shock, and a few nearby forks were dropped as some older students were overcome with surprise. They had clearly heard about the technique and its origins, as well as the difficulty of the technique. The surprise only lasted for a few seconds, as they quickly recovered and continued eating.


    "I didn''t know that was even a possibility. Elder Brother is so impressive!"


    Her expression was now one of pure admiration. The girl really didn''t know how to hold back her emotions.


    They finished eating at a relaxed pace, after which both Cha Ming and Xin Er spent an hour chatting and headed to the cultivation pavilion.


    --


    The cultivation pavilion was a veritable palace. Its pure alabaster walls were adorned with carvings of immortals fighting ferocious demons. The palace stood in stark contrast to the gaudy treasure pavilion, with not a single golden adornment on its walls. The two characters for "cultivation" were engraved into the front arch, and the characters seemed to imbue each person who walked through the empty arch with a sense of calmness and tranquility.


    There were no guards at the front of the arch, and everyone could enter and exit the pavilion as they pleased. Violence was strictly forbidden; this was enforced by a guardian elder who meditated on each floor. Lucky students could sometimes catch them when they weren''t cultivating and receive guidance.


    The rooms were lent out to the students on a first-come, first-served basis. The cultivation pavilion had nine floors, one for each of the nine levels in qi condensation. A student could enter any floor for which they met the cultivation level requirement and claim a room. The rooms would stay allocated to them until they left the pavilion.


    Cha Ming and Xin Er chose a pair of rooms in a remote corner of the first floor. They both took their bronze identity medallions and placed them on pedestals outside the room. The pedestals were protected by a shield that would not allow anyone but the occupant to retrieve the medallion inside. These medallions would glow brightly outside the door to indicate that the rooms were occupied.


    The cultivation room was very plain. It contained a bed, a meditation cushion, a water pitcher, a toilet, and a bowl filled with dried fruits and nuts. Cha Ming was thirsty, so he poured himself a glass of water only to see the clear pitcher refill itself before his eyes. The bowl of dried fruits and nuts would likely also refill itself. According to the supervising elder at the entrance, these items were used to facilitate closed-door seclusion for first-year disciples who still needed to eat and drink very often. This mortal need would slowly disappear over time as their cultivation increased.


    Finally, Cha Ming took out the bronze scroll and started to read it. The scroll was bronze on the outside but white on the inside. The writing was in black, green, red, yellow, silver, and blue ink. It was very different than what he had originally imagined. He thought back to what he had learned so far.


    Qi condensation was the first step in cultivation. In the qi condensation stage, a cultivator absorbed qi from Heaven and Earth. Once enough of this qi was accumulated, the cultivator would be able to condense a single drop of qi, after which he would reach the first level of qi condensation. The cultivator would continue to accumulate qi as he advanced his level as a qi condensation cultivator. Once he accumulated enough qi, he would be able to establish his foundation and become a true expert.


    Most cultivators in Green Leaf City were qi condensation cultivators, while elder-level figures were foundation-establishment cultivators. Any major powers in the city had at least one foundation-establishment expert. Of course, this was only the exposed strength of each major power. Each major power would want to keep some hidden cards to deter other forces from eyeing their possessions.


    This was all a matter for the future, and Cha Ming was more concerned about reaching the first level of qi condensation in five days. He sat on his bed and started the first step, sensing the qi of Heaven and Earth. He had already experienced this feeling before, when Uncle Hong had circulated his innate qi, so it did not take long for him to sense it. Sensing it, however, was different from having it seep into your body. That was the next step.


    Cha Ming tried continuously for the next two days with no progress. On the third day, he was finally able to absorb the qi he sensed. The qi was of five colors, one for each of the five elements. This was one of the reasons why it took him so long to begin absorbing the qi. With his level of talent, a half day would have been enough to start absorbing a single element, but this would have thrown his qi out of balance. The qi he had just absorbed formed a five-colored cloud which floated in his dantian or energy center.


    Once the first bit of qi was introduced into his dantian, it wasn''t long before he filled it to its maximum capacity, after which he compressed it further still. Now the only way to continue absorbing qi would be to condense it into a drop. Upon reaching this step, he finally realized that he hadn''t understood something in the scroll, which prevented him from completing this step. He could only continue and attempt to comprehend by trial and error, and his efforts persisted for another two days.


    --


    It was the last day remaining with the scroll. Cha Ming finished a quick meal before he opened the scroll again, trying to comprehend the last piece of the puzzle. As he stared at it, he pondered the reasons for his repeated failures while trying to condense his qi. Every time he had tried to condense the five-colored cloud, it would quickly collapse. The collapse seemed to happen because each type of qi, while reinforcing the next in the cycle, would also restrain the one that came after. Once a tiny bit of qi was destroyed, the balance became worse and worse, and there was not enough qi remaining to condense.


    As he pondered, he continued to stare at the scroll. He stared at the red until it turned green. His eyes focused on the green until it turned to blue, then to silver, then to yellow, and finally the color changed back to red. His eyes followed this for hours, slowly moving in a circle. On the 120th hour since the scroll was formed, the scroll disappeared. A look of understanding appeared in Cha Ming''s eyes, and he no longer needed the scroll for reference.


    Inside his dantian, the five-colored mist slowly moved. Instead of condensing, he first separated the mist into five parts. This separation took a full day. Once the mists were fully segregated, he then started to compress them. All five mists shrank about five times until their reached a critical point.


    At this point, the edges of each group of mist began to erode. The silver mist began converting to blue mist and attacking the green mist. Cha Ming responded by separating the green and silver mists and feeding the yellow mist to replenish the silver mist. The yellow mist tried to attack the blue mist, so he separated them and supplemented the red mist by converting it to yellow mist. This cycle continued between the five colors. They moved in a circle to maintain balance while the center was kept void, preventing the different elements from attacking each other. He continued like this for another twelve hours, after which an equilibrium took place and the process became second nature.


    With this equilibrium in place, Cha Ming began to exert more pressure on the different mist groups. Once the balance was upset, he corrected it. He continued this cycle of compression and correction a total of eleven times. The volume was compressed by half each time, reducing the volume by two thousand and forty-eight times. On the twelfth compression, a black drop of liquid finally condensed, and another, then another, until a total of five drops had condensed. The group of five black drops then separated again into a five-colored liquid swirl. He''d succeeded! He was officially a qi condensation cultivator!


    Cha Ming''s elation over his success was short-lived, however. Just as he had broken through, a feeling of nausea overcame him. A black, fishy-smelling film now covered his skin. A portion of the impurities he had accumulated over the first fifteen years of his life was forced out of his body, announcing his rebirth on the path of cultivation. He quickly washed off using the unlimited supply of water in his room and put on a new set of robes, robes that seemed to have been there the whole time. The academy was obviously experienced in this regard, not minding the expense of new clothes over the possibility of distressing students in mid-cultivation.


    For the next three days, he continued to accumulate the liquid drops of qi until he had three of each colored drop. After all, he didn''t want to be left with the bare minimum. Coincidentally, fifteen drops of qi turned out to be the maximum amount one could have at the first level of qi condensation.


    --


    Eight days had passed since Cha Ming began his seclusion. While he had subsisted on rations the entire time, he was craving a proper relaxed meal. He had also locked himself away without speaking for eight days and would need a bit of time adjusting. When he emerged, the melodious sounds of chirping birds seemed incredibly loud in comparison to the deathly quiet of his cultivation chamber. He made his way directly to the dining hall, feeling the light chill that came every night with the setting sun.


    As he finished grabbing a plate of food, he noticed that Xin Er and Brother Hong Xun were happily eating their supper. A bright smile appeared on Xin''s face once she saw Cha Ming. The smile was rapidly replaced by a sulking look, evidence that she still remembered his antics from eight days prior. Hong Xun smiled at his sister''s rare expression and noticed that something was different about Cha Ming.


    "Congratulations on reaching the first level of qi condensation!" said Xun. He was quite relieved to find out that Cha Ming had been successful in his seclusion. His sister had succeeded in her cultivation on the second day, and when Xun inquired on Cha Ming''s whereabouts, he was shocked when he learned that he had been attempting to cultivate the Lesser Five Elements cultivation technique. He had heard a description of it in his introductory classes. Approximately one person attempted it every ten years.


    Xun was in his second year, and he had reached the fourth level of qi condensation. While this level was not particularly impressive, it was above average for students in their second year, with most students reaching the third level by that point in time. Only the top ten percent of third-grade students would reach the fifth level. The effort between stages doubled each time.


    As a grade-three talent, reaching the fifth grade of qi condensation by the end of the second year was normal. Reaching the peak of qi condensation in five years was a little out of reach, though, and forget foundation establishment. Without cultivation resources, a grade-three talent would take fourteen years to reach that level. A grade-four talent would take seven years. The only ones who could reach foundation establishment in the five-year limit were fifth-grade talents. They could do this by cultivating normally without assistance. Of course, such a situation happened. Who would dare neglect a fifth-grade talent?


    "You were a little slow compared to Xin Er. She broke through to the first level six days ago," Xun said quite proudly.


    Cha Ming looked over, shocked. "Aiya! Sister Xin is truly talented! I only broke through three days ago due to luck. I barely managed to comprehend the technique five days after I received the technique scroll, just as it was disappearing. I would have been in trouble if I had not succeeded then." Cha Ming shook his head self-deprecatingly.


    "Brother Cha Ming, your talent is pretty good. You have such a complicated cultivation technique," Xin Er said enthusiastically with a gloating expression. "I''ve heard from Second Brother that fifteen people have tried that technique in the past hundred years at Green Leaf Academy. Three of them succeeded, and all the others had to move on to a different cultivation technique," Xin whispered.


    Despite her reassuring words, she was clearly trying to boost her own ego by appearing modest. Most people in her talent bracket would take the full three days to master a cultivation technique, and she took two, indicating she had high comprehension skills.


    They continued to eat while chatting away. Their entire evening was free, and now that Cha Ming was done with his seclusion, he could start attending lectures. Due to the tendency of cultivators to seclude themselves, the lectures were loosely arranged. The lectures would continue for eight hours every day and last a week, effectively forming lecture blocks. They would then repeat the lecture if the minimum number of students were in attendance. If not enough students were present, they would hold a one-week recess and try again until no students fell through the net.


    A minimum of four courses were required in their first year as a foundation, and the remainder of the five years was filled with electives. Xin Er had already started her first block today, since it was the start of a new week. Cha Ming would need to wait another six days before the start of the next block.


    "Brother Cha Ming, have you gotten your Green Leaf jade yet?" asked Xun. Seeing Cha Ming shake his head, he continued. "You likely don''t know about this yet, as you haven''t attended classes. Since you can''t attend classes for six days, I''ll fill you in. On the first day of classes, each student can collect a Green Leaf jade from the campus office. These jades have a very important function¡ªto store and spend contribution points for each student. With the exception of each starting cultivation technique, other techniques like battle techniques can only be traded for contribution points.


    "There are a few ways to accumulate contribution points. First, third-grade talents start with one thousand contribution points, fourth-grade talents start with five thousand, and fifth-grade talents start with twenty thousand contribution points. From then on, each student must accumulate these points with actual merits. The most common way is through simple duties like cooking and cleaning, though this is extremely slow. After all, your time is much more valuable. This kind of task is only suited for the least gifted and most cowardly students, so no need to look at this option. Another way to earn points is by participating in a monthly exchange and win matches against students at your own cultivation level. For each consecutive match won, you get a corresponding number of points. Special events also award points.


    "That leaves two remaining ways to earn points. The first way is to venture out in the woods, which requires a minimum of the third level of qi condensation. Various tasks are posted on a board with corresponding rewards. These tasks typically involve fighting spirit beasts for valuable materials, collecting herbs, mining ores, etc. Most students rely on this method to obtain contribution points, and these methods can be completed in groups, with the points split amongst the group members. The students can also choose to sell these materials for spirit stones privately in Green Leaf City.


    "Finally, a student can become an apprentice in a profession. Each profession has simple tasks that can be performed by the less-skilled students, saving senior students, teachers, and elders quite a bit of effort. They will reward you with contribution points for services, and they can typically sell their completed wares for a tidy profit."


    Cha Ming now understood how the academy worked much more clearly. On the outside, the academy had been founded for the common good of the people. It functioned a lot more like a business and recruitment agency. The students would earn contribution points by making money for the academy while talented students were also rewarded, and this helped them in their cultivation to facilitate their recruitment in the outside world. Some also chose to stay with the academy.


    The world here functioned a lot like the world in his past life.

 8 One Mans Trash

    Cha Ming woke up early the next morning, eager to claim his Green Leaf jade and learn some combat techniques. Fighting as a path for self-improvement was not new to him. He had taken martial arts in his past life, and he rather liked the intense but forgiving atmosphere that accompanied a friendly spar. He had already washed and changed into a fresh uniform before sunrise and would be one of the first people to get his breakfast. The sight of an empty bed on the other side of the room made him wonder if he would get to have his own room for the remainder of the year.


    The administrative building was a small building built with pure black stone. It was not made from obsidian but rather a very pure marble that fit together so perfectly that it seemed to be made from a single piece. The building stood in stark contrast to the lush wooded gardens that were maintained around the building. To make his way to the building, he walked along a white stone road similar to those found in the richer areas of Green Leaf City.


    The administrative building was no longer as crowded as it had been on the first few days of recruitment. Cha Ming was able to walk out of the building in the time that it took an incense stick to burn. The bright green jade he received was half a finger width thick, the size of a playing card, and was engraved with a green maple leaf, the symbol of Green Leaf Academy. The reverse side displayed his full name, the number of contribution points stored on the card, and a single drop of blood that had been absorbed by the jade in a small red circle. This blood contained his aura and prevented other people from using the card should it be stolen.


    Cha Ming made his way to the library once more, this time with his Green Leaf jade containing one thousand contribution points. This time he was not accompanied by Elder Ling and had to wait in line for an hour before being allowed entry. Access was limited to a certain number of people per floor to ensure that each student had a quiet atmosphere with which to browse skills.


    "Halt!" said a middle-aged man in green robes. He regulated entry into the library. "Please present your Green Leaf jade and specify which floor you would like to access."


    The man had a golden emblem on his chest engraved with the character for "supervisor." Each student allowed in the library would first need to prove that they had sufficient points to purchase a technique in the library. This was done to prevent loitering by wishful students.


    Unlike the fourth floor, the first floor contained hundreds of shelves packed full of techniques and other reference information.


    How am I supposed to look through all of these? he wondered. Unlike most people, I can''t just look through a narrow section in the library, and I can literally practice all of these techniques if I set my mind to it.


    It was better to start somewhere than be overwhelmed by the amount of choices, so he picked a bookshelf and started browsing by price. If possible, he wanted to purchase one technique for each element. The techniques on this floor were Mortal Tier techniques separated into grades 1-5. The grades were dependent on the quality of the skill¡ªtypically a higher-grade skill would have a much greater effect per amount of qi or an overall greater power than a lower-grade technique. There were no bronze, silver, or gold techniques on the floor.


    After two hours of browsing through wood techniques alone, he realized exactly how poor he truly was. One thousand contribution points might sound like a lot, but having to split between five different techniques, he only had 200 points per element. The minimum cost of techniques on the first level was 100 points, while the highest cost was 5,000 points.


    "Do you need some help finding anything?" said a squeaky voice behind him.


    Du Cha Ming jumped upon hearing the voice and looked behind himself. He didn''t notice anyone and continued looking around. Once he confirmed that no one else was present, he continued rummaging through the books.


    "Ahem." The sound of a throat clearing could be heard immediately behind him. He looked back once again and noticed a strand of hair. Following the strand of hair, he looked down and noticed a small figure. The figure was a short old man. In fact, he was a little too short¡ªthree feet tall at the most. Cha Ming hadn''t heard there were dwarves in this world. Or perhaps he was a halfling?


    He clasped his hands apologetically and bowed. "Greetings, Elder. My apologies. Is there something you need?" He didn''t dare to elaborate on the reason he initially ignored him. Who knew if this short man would have a disproportionate temper? Much to his relief, the short old man smiled, brushed off the unintentional insult, and started speaking.


    "My name is Elder Xiao . Yes, it is a very ironic name, so please don''t laugh. My family has always been of this¡­ stature, supposedly from ancient times. Regardless, it looks like you''re not sure what to pick for techniques. I am the overseer on the first floor, and perhaps I can be of assistance. Otherwise, the other students may not get a chance to browse the library, as you might be here all week."


    A little embarrassed, Cha Ming nodded and accepted his help. He truly did have too many options, and a little help would go a long way. "I am currently cultivating the Lesser Five Elements cultivation technique," Cha Ming explained as he walked through bookshelves behind Elder Xiao. "While I have one thousand points to spend as an acceptance bonus, I am pretty insistent on cultivating at least one technique for each element."


    The elder looked over at him, surprised, but allowed him to continue.


    "I have a significantly lower qi pool in each element than most people, around one-fifth, and so I would need skills that emphasize variety and decision-making. They must be of low cost but must give me tactical advantages as opposed to skills emphasizing brute force. I cannot compete with others based on brute force or skills that emphasize large amounts of qi for a single technique."


    The elder pondered for a few moments, contemplating Cha Ming''s thought process. Indeed, this was really the only way he could compete, which was to outwit his opponents and catch them by surprise. After a while he turned around and motioned for Cha Ming to follow him. They passed several bookshelves until they reached a small room. There was a large black stone inside the room, and the stone gave off a glossy lustre similar to polished obsidian.


    Elder Xiao stood in front of the stone and intoned, "Computer, please show all skills below three hundred contribution points in the elements of wood, fire, earth, metal, and water."


    Cha Ming was quite shocked. Elder Xiao called the stone "computer." It seemed a little too coincidental.


    Elder Xiao frowned as a list of over a thousand scrolls popped up on a screen in the back of the room. "Please remove all water-element techniques that focus on aspects other than evasion and freezing. Remove all non-defensive earth skills. Remove all non-offensive fire skills. Remove all wood skills that do not heal and grow plants. Remove all metal techniques that are not physical offense and physical defense skills." The list narrowed to 200 skills.


    "Different elements have different specialties," explained Elder Xiao. "Often, single- or dual-attribute cultivators need to obtain a variety of skills in an element to ensure they have a variety of skills, even if the element is not particularly good at these types of skills. For example, earth skills focus on all types of defenses, but you can''t win only by defending. Therefore, earth cultivators will also practice mediocre attack skills. Water skills are good at slow, freezing, and redirection techniques, but their attacking power is also not as strong as fire or metal, and their defensive techniques are not as strong as earth and metal. They have healing techniques, but wood is far superior in this regard. While water is good at entrapment, it is worse than wood skills, which provide the best physical restrictions.


    "Since you don''t specialize in an element, it would be best to go for efficiency. That is, focus on the skill that each element is good at." After his explanation, he turned back to the black orb. "Computer, remove all skills that cost more than three drops of qi at the level of initial mastery." The list narrowed down to twenty skills.


    "Typically you want to be able to use a skill more than once, unless it is a finishing move. You don''t have the qi pool to have a finishing move, so I suggest you don''t study those yet. The skills currently on the list are the only skills you can practice with your small qi pool. The qi requirements for each skill will increase when your mastery of the skill increases.


    "Normally you would want skills that are able to augment each other in the generation cycle. However, these are all dual-element skills of a higher grade, which you can''t afford. As your cultivation advances, be sure to get such skills, as you will start to have access to high-qi finishing moves and combination specialties. For example, the best attack moves would have fire augmented with wood, while the best defensive moves would have earth reinforced with steel. The best healing skills are water-fed wood techniques."


    Cha Ming looked at the skills carefully. Eventually, he was able to choose a total of five skills.


    Wood Auxiliary Skill, Mortal Grade 1, Entrapping Vines¡ª100 contribution points


    Water Auxiliary Skill, Mortal Grade 1, Frost Cloud¡ª100 contribution points


    Fire Attack Technique, Mortal Grade 1, Blaze¡ª100 contribution points


    Earth Defense Technique, Mortal Grade 1, Earthen Wall¡ª100 contribution points


    Metal Attack Technique, Mortal Grade 1, Finger Slash¡ª100 contribution points


    Cha Ming had 500 points remaining, but he felt like he was missing something. These skills only took up 20% of his qi pool per usage, and he felt like he was lacking a movement skill and perhaps a basic attacking skill to make up for a potential qi deficiency.


    Elder Xiao, sensing his predicament, went through a few dropdown menus and brought up another two skills.


    "This basic fist technique, Tiger Fist, doesn''t really require any qi to activate. It''s based on your fleshly body strength. While your body strength isn''t very high, your opponent''s qi pools aren''t high either, and it will give you a lot of flexibility with your attacks. If both you and your opponent''s qi pools are exhausted, you can still use this basic fist technique to deal with them. What are your thoughts?" asked Elder Xiao.


    Cha Ming agreed quickly, and another hundred contribution points were deducted. Elder Xiao continued to look through the techniques until he found one last skill:


    Physical Movement Technique, Mortal Grade 3, Ghost Steps¡ª400 contribution points


    "This technique is very good for its price. It''s also a fleshly body technique, and it will help you position yourself to execute attacks and evade attacks. It would be a very sad situation if you didn''t have the qi to execute a movement technique when you are in critical danger." This time Elder Xiao didn''t wait for Cha Ming''s reply before making a copy of the technique.


    The whole trip to the library had taken Cha Ming four hours, and he''d obtained seven scrolls. These scrolls were valid for one month, as they were not especially valuable.


    --


    Cha Ming started practicing the skills he obtained at the library that same day. The skills were not very challenging, and he managed to learn each skill in the next six days, all of them learned to the initial mastery level. Perfection in these skills would take a long time, and higher levels in each skill required a larger qi pool. He also continued to cultivate as much as possible every day, and while the amount of qi he had stored did not change, it appeared to be constantly trying to break free from its bindings.


    He continued to have supper with Xin and Xun. Xun was about go into the forest on a mission to gather medicinal herbs, and he made sure to spend extra time with his sister. On this sixth day after Cha Ming started training his techniques, Xun departed with a group of five other students, leaving Xin in Cha Ming''s care. Xin was a girl, after all, and Xun felt reassured that Cha Ming was around to prevent her from being mistreated.


    --


    Cha Ming was convinced that lectures were perhaps the most boring way a human being could teach a subject. There were many better ways, such as teaching by repetition in a martial arts class, through games, and by getting a student to practice under guidance. Unfortunately, Cha Ming once again found himself sucked into compulsory lectures. The lecture was packed with 300 people and was taught in the same way as in university.


    A professor would read through a flowing script that was projected on a white stone in the background. His dull voice droned on and on for the next eight hours, only halting for a one-hour break at lunch. The students had all packed lunches from the cafeteria and ate at their seats. The structure made Cha Ming wish the teachers would just write an overly expensive textbook, which at the very least would enable him to skip lectures and obtain a passing mark if he passed the final exam. But there was no exam for this class, only mandatory attendance.


    The class focused on the basics, such as the different cultivation elements, their strengths, and their weaknesses. The lecture also covered common techniques in both single-element and dual-element combinations. There was also an introduction to the different professions, types of magical items, and low-rank magical beasts and herbs, which the students would likely go gather in their early stages of qi condensation to accumulate contribution points.


    One interesting lecture touched on the importance of basic body strengthening and finally touched on the concept of body cultivation. The majority of young cultivators would possess a fist strength of one to two hundred jin, the strength of a strong adult. Body cultivation could increase fleshly body strength, the rate of healing, the body''s natural defenses, and the body''s reflexes.


    Body cultivation could also be broken up into three stages containing three grades each. In early-stage body cultivation, one would train their body strength to the average adult strength of 200 jin. Building body strength past this point would become increasingly taxing, reaching 400 jin by the end of mid-stage body cultivation. The body''s natural healing abilities would also increase during this period.


    Late-stage body cultivation would increase one''s fist strength to 1080 jin, the very limits of strength deliverable by a normal human body. During this stage, the body''s defenses would also increase substantially. Very rarely, cultivators would finally be able to purify their body''s flesh. While this step would not deliver an increase in strength, it would eventually lead to the destruction of one''s mortal shackles, and one''s body would be reborn. The body cultivator would then be considered as a Xiantianlife-form, natural and pure. From then on, he would be able to embark on the true journey of body refining.


    Cha Ming learned that body refining to become a Xiantian life-form was extremely painful, and the vast majority of people would not attempt it. In addition, one could usually obtain a better and less painful advantage through qi refining for the same amount of effort. Much less effort was required to reach the peak of early-stage body cultivation in early adulthood.


    The path of body cultivation was the right path only for a select number of people. Some people were born with innately strong bodies and were especially suited to body cultivation. Others were born with special physiques that give them innate Xiantian bodies, which means that they would reach the Xiantian stage early on in life without much effort at all.


    In addition to all of these, destructive dual-element cultivators yielded very good results in body refining. This was because the first element could be used to reinforce the body while the other opposite element rid the body of the impurities generated by this element. The combination of strengthening and refining was ideal since body refining was usually limited by the physical stamina and healing power of the person in question.


    While Cha Ming was quite interested in body cultivation, he decided to postpone trying it for now, opting to do some running in the morning to at least increase his stamina. He had many things to work on, too little time, and far too few contribution points.

 9 Monthly Arena Battle

    Cha Ming''s first round of classes ended after a week. The teacher kindly reminded them that they should attend the monthly arena battle; if they performed well there, they could earn contribution points. This was one of the school''s ways of rewarding the talented of each generation. Of course, talent could only be evaluated based on success within a specific cultivation level. Cha Ming had already cultivated to the peak of the second level of qi condensation, and as such he would be matched up against other people of the second level.


    Perhaps one-fifth of the new students had reached the second level of qi condensation. The effort required to get to this level was quite pitiful compared to subsequent levels, so there would not be any remaining students from the previous year to compete with. Grade-four talents would have already moved into the third level of qi condensation.


    Normally the monthly arena battle would involve five elimination rounds. Those who lasted three rounds would obtain 100 contribution points, those who lasted four rounds would obtain 500 contribution points, and those who lasted five rounds would get 1,000 contribution points. The amount would scale up for higher-level students.


    Since this was the first round since the start of the New Year, the freshman students could earn 100 spirit stones in addition to the 1,000 contribution points if they passed five rounds of elimination. Grade-three talents could obtain ten spirit stones per month as an allowance to support their cultivation, so this amount was not a measly sum. The reward was put into place to get first-year students to face their fears and gain a bit of combat experience. After they had passed through this first round, they would be much less afraid of fighting and would continue to participate.


    How could Cha Ming miss out on a great money-making opportunity? He effectively had the mentality of a forty-five-year-old between his previous and current life. He was not too worried about outwitting a bunch of teenagers.


    --


    The morning of the tournament, Cha Ming and Xin Er made their way to the arena. The atmosphere was festive due to the number of excited new students. These first-year students were quite haughty due to having been admitted to Green Leaf Academy; being able to cultivate put many of them above their previous friends and family members, and as such they had grown quite arrogant. The tournaments had been designed in part to teach a good portion of these students humility.


    Hong Xin, being quite shy, did not want to participate in this round of arena battles without her brother present, and she decided to stay in the audience and cheer for Cha Ming.


    At least I don''t have to worry about Xin Er getting bullied in the arena battles, he thought. If she got hurt, he would never hear the end of it. Therefore, he didn''t try to convince her and quietly stood in line to complete his registration. He was handed the number twelve. There were only a hundred or so students at the second level of qi condensation. In a few months, there would be over five times this number of competitors, so this specific competition was unique. All first-grade students and most second-grade students who were participating were in the same category: the first level of qi condensation. The competition in this group was fiercest. Unless these students gained incredible good fortune, they would never step into foundation establishment.


    Once everyone had completed their registration, an energetic middle-aged man wearing elder robes stepped up.


    "Silence!" he shouted. "You may all call me Elder Huang. I will be presiding over this arena competition and will have final say in deciding every match. As many junior students are participating today, many of the older students will be adjudicating individual matches. Their word is final, and they are all being rewarded with contribution points. You can rest assured that these adjudicating positions are highly sought after, so they would not dare to be dishonest while performing their duties as referees during this competition.


    "Before we begin, please accompany me in bowing to our teachers and elders."


    Elder Huang turned around, clasped his hands together, and bowed toward the east. The students followed suit. As it was still early morning, the sun was shining brightly in their direction, and it was difficult to make out the faces of the different teachers and elders. Elder Huang turned around and continued.


    "This round of the monthly arena battles is very special. As per our yearly tradition for the past few centuries, this month''s arena battles are used to spotlight outstanding talents. Talent is a very difficult thing to define. Many people compare talent in terms of cultivation speed; our school also gives preferential treatment to third-grade through fifth-grade cultivation talents. While this is a very technically accurate way to evaluate talent, is this truly the most effective way?


    "To put it in other terms, is cultivation talent the only way to evaluate talent? The answer is no, of course! This world is one that reveres the strong. As such, many different types of strength are important. One of the most important types of strength is combat strength. If two people are at the first level of qi condensation, clearly the one who is victorious over hundreds in the same class can be considered talented, even if his innate cultivation talent cannot be compared to others.


    "Another way to classify talent is in terms of mentality, or mental toughness. Those who persevere can reach the heavens, while those who do not will never amount to anything! I will give you an example. I myself am thirty-six years old this year. What level do you all think my innate cultivation talent is?"


    Elder Huang looked around at the silent audience. Every once in a while, a student would throw out a guess, anywhere between third grade and fifth grade. After several attempts, Elder Huang continued.


    "My innate cultivation talent is only first grade! My normal cultivation speed would dictate that it should take me fifty-six years to reach the peak of qi condensation. Not only that, my chances of reaching foundation establishment and becoming an elder were a hundred times less than those with third-grade talents. Oh, how life is unfair!


    "However, Heaven never bars all paths. In my first month of cultivation, I worked very hard, yet I did not manage to reach the second level of qi condensation. I did manual labor to earn enough contribution points to purchase a single mortal-grade-one movement technique and a single mortal-grade-three combat technique. I increased my physical strength through body cultivation by training eight hours each day, and at night I cultivated instead of sleeping. This was all while providing for my three younger siblings so they could have three meals a day.


    "Finally, this very day twenty years ago, I participated in my very first monthly arena battle, where this very event was held for all first-year students. I was very motivated to win the reward¡ªnot only would I gain cultivation resources, but I would not have to worry about providing for my siblings for months.


    "Back then, there were over fifteen hundred other students registered in the tournament. I persevered through the first-round battle royale, which eliminated all but sixteen of us. Only one out of every one hundred passed the first round! Through sheer determination, I continued on and won second place. Alas, I didn''t get the 100 spirit stone reward. I continued to work myself to the bone, and year after year I pushed myself to do everything I could to earn spirit stones, contribution points, and medicinal pills to boost my cultivation.


    "Finally, on the very last day of my fifth year, I attempted to break through foundation establishment. Can you guess what happened? I failed! I graduated with a ninth level of qi condensation, and I was employed by the sect as a protector for the younger generation. For fifteen years, I struggled and failed to achieve foundation establishment many tens of times. A few months ago, I finally managed to achieve foundation establishment and became an elder of the academy. It was the happiest moment of my life! In the past five decades, I was the first grade-one talent to accomplish this feat! I had realized early on after winning second place in this very tournament that above all, I would need hard work and determination; my efforts have all paid off.


    "As such, I wish to remind you all¡ªthis is not just a day to evaluate cultivation talent. It is the day to separate both the talented and the hardworking from the lazy and inferior. It is a day to test yourself and your resolve. You''re not talented? Fine! Work harder! You don''t measure up? Work harder! Remember that the toughest and wittiest among you will win those one hundred spirit stones, and that those winners truly deserve this fortune. Let that motivate you to work harder and reach new heights."


    After finishing, Elder Huang looked around, proudly beaming at the new students.


    What a motivating speech, thought Cha Ming. Normally I don''t get impressed by these kinds of speeches, but he even has me a little bit riled up. This was a testament to Elder Huang''s charisma.


    Following this grand speech, Elder Huang explained the rules of the arena battles. For the majority of the students present, the arena battles would be split among the various levels of qi condensation. At the lower levels, the number of participants could number around 500¨C2,000, far too many to adjudicate. As such, each tier would participate in a battle royale until sixteen students remained. There would be another four elimination rounds, after which a final winner would emerge, and the students would obtain their respective prizes.


    While the students could injure each other, killing and crippling each other was strictly forbidden. In either case, the guilty student would be expelled on the spot. In between each round, each student was allowed a full hour of rest while the other participants from other tiers held their respective battles. Talismans and magical items within certain limitations were allowed beyond the fourth level of qi condensation. These items were considered a part of each participant''s respective strength and would take away some advantages from wealthier families for lower-level students. At this point, children of the noble families would start to gain a distinctive advantage over others, as their wealth could finally be demonstrated.


    Defeat could take place in a variety of ways. The first way was if a participant lost consciousness. In this case, they would be escorted off the stage by an adjudicator. Falling off the stage would also eliminate a participant. There were two stages, one large and one small, with the larger stage being utilized for elimination battles.


    Finally, a student could give up. By giving up and sitting down, a student would be eliminated, and participants were prohibited from attacking. In one-on-one battles, simply saying "I admit defeat" was also sufficient.


    --


    The first round for the first level of qi condensation began a half hour after the elder finished explaining the rules. The group battle continued for about an hour, after which sixteen bloodied students made their way off the stage to recuperate. Off to the side, many older wood- and water-element students and teachers acted as medics and gave emergency treatment to injured students.


    Much to Cha Ming''s surprise, the second level of qi condensation was skipped, as well as the third, which contained only twelve students. The fourth through seventh-level preliminaries were then completed. This wasn''t to say that there were no eighth- and ninth-level students present, it''s just that they were too few. Their rewards for winning were larger, and so students still participated in the monthly battles.


    Finally, students at the second level of qi condensation were called to the stage. While they were not the most talented and as such were not the main event, talent was best combined with hard work. In terms of rewards, students at the third level were considered to have two wins, and the final winner could obtain the five victories necessary for their reward of 1,000 spirit stones. This level was currently beyond Cha Ming''s reach, so he put it out of his mind.


    Cha Ming proceeded to the stage along with the other hundred or so students. He had chosen to be near the corner. While he would be in a vulnerable position compared to the students closer to the center, he would not be surrounded on all sides.


    "Begin!" shouted Elder Huang from the side of the stage. A few older students were ready on the side, waiting to retrieve students who resigned.


    As soon as the match started, a good ten figures darted off toward their nearest opponents. These were the impatient ones¡ªthey figured that eliminating opponents early would bloody the waters and cause the wounded to be targeted by others, all the while intimidating other nearby students. While not a bad strategy, it put them at a disadvantage in terms of stamina compared to the others on the stage. Cha Ming continued to observe everyone.


    Finally, someone close to him decided to feel him out with a hard iron fist. His fist was clearly reinforced with metal element energy, and Cha Ming realized that facing it head on would likely propel him off the stage. He immediately responded with his movement technique, Ghost Steps. It was an ideal counter to brute-force techniques like this. Maximum result for minimum effort. The student''s momentum was redirected, and the punch continued off the stage.


    Looking around, Cha Ming noticed that another eight or so students had also either accidentally leapt off the stage or had been pushed off by strong techniques. He began to walk around cautiously while thinking and looking for a target. After a few breaths, he noticed that one of the students near him was being attacked constantly by low-level flares, all the while bringing up earthen walls, one after another.


    Cha Ming waited for the ideal moment and formed some quick hand seals¡ªvines instantly grew out of the surrounding stone and grabbed the steadily defending student''s feet. The quick entanglement paused his defense, and the attacking student was able to quickly knock him off the stage. He gave a nod to the attacking student, who shot him a grin¡ªthis was an elimination game, right? Why not wash, rinse, and repeat? Together they used the same tactic and eliminated another four students, after which the surrounding students became more vigilant.


    After fifteen minutes of intense fighting, they were now down to twenty students; four more students would need to be eliminated before the next round. Cha Ming knew he couldn''t use the same tactic anymore¡ªhe was out of wood qi, and he needed to keep as much of his other qi in reserve as possible in case he was attacked. Looking around, he noticed that one of the participants was closer to the center of the stage. He was far from intact, but his wounds kept quickly regenerating. An armor of bark also covered him, making it difficult for the surrounding students to justify wasting stamina on attacking him.


    He walked toward this student slowly¡ªno need to rush, these kinds of skills would quickly drain stamina. When he was roughly three feet away, he noticed a metal spike heading swiftly toward his shoulder¡ªwhile this spike wouldn''t kill him, it could severely injure someone. He once again used his Ghost Steps and his body wrapped around the metal spike, redirecting it slightly toward the nearby regenerating student. The spike seemed to ignore his wooden armor, piercing his leg. Cha Ming swiftly unleashed five consecutive slashes with his Finger Slash technique, once again penetrating the youth''s defenses, after which he quickly shouted, "I give up!" A shadow flashed in front of him, and the student was whisked away to a nearby medic.


    In the time it took for him to deal with that student, another three were eliminated, after which Elder Huang called the battle to a halt. The remaining students had passed the first round and would get one hour to rest. The first-level students would now fight their individual second-round matches, followed by the second, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth stages respectively. The third-level students would finish the second round off with four group battles; each group of three would fight until one student was eliminated from each group.


    Looking up at the audience, Cha Ming spotted Hong Xin near the top stands, waving a banner that read "Handsome Cha Ming, go go go!" Beads of sweat began to form on his brow, and Cha Ming thought about how his name sounded an awful lot like the word "charming" in English.


    After calming down, he sat down to meditate and recover his depleted qi pools. He''d gotten a chance to practice two out of his five elements, and while he would have liked to practice the others, he decided to hold back the other three until he had to reveal them. It never hurt to keep a few aces up your sleeve.

 10 Second Level, First Place

    Cha Ming was standing on a rough gray stone stage. This stone stage was substantially smaller than the previous stage used for the group battle. It was about a hundred feet on each side, a perfect square. Despite having been baked by the sun all morning, it was still pleasant and cool to the touch.


    His opponent in the second round was called Tu Sheng. Tu Sheng was the kind of man who wore his heart on his sleeve. Cha Ming truly had no idea how this sort of man had made it so far through the elimination rounds. While most people had been sitting and recovering their stamina, Tu Sheng was busy talking about how great it was to meet so many new friends. He then proceeded to tell everyone about his abilities and specialties. Perhaps everyone had clued in to his disposition and decided to pick on someone else, giving the whole group of remaining people higher odds in proceeding to the next round.


    Earth users were typically defense oriented, and Cha Ming''s read on Tu Sheng¡ªsupplemented by the vast amount of information he willingly divulged¡ªwas that the large burly man was a go-big-or-go-home sort of guy. Accordingly, Cha Ming decided to drain away at his opponent''s stamina by using a few sword fingers mixed in with his basic fist technique.


    The sword fingers, while they looked impressive, were really a low-consumption harassment technique. Tu Sheng''s goal was clearly to tire Cha Ming out by continuously defending his attacks. How could he possibly know that Cha Ming''s techniques consumed very little qi? Conversely, Tu Sheng''s techniques were mid-range as far as qi consumption went. In addition, the techniques tended to slow him down quite a bit. He soon noticed that every time Tu Sheng cast a defensive earth spell, he would slow down drastically for a whole second. That was perfect.


    Cha Ming first provoked Tu Sheng''s defense with a sword finger and grinned as he formed hand seals, sprouting vines and entrapping Tu Sheng when his movement was the slowest. This took Tu Sheng completely by surprise¡ªmetal and wood were a very unique combination because most who cultivated metal would rather not cultivate wood since they could not be able combine their techniques very efficiently. He cursed under his breath, and after Cha Ming hit him with a few fists, he finally broke free of the vines. He had clearly lost in that exchange.


    Cha Ming repeated the same tactic multiple times until his opponent finally ran out of qi. The fellow was really a hopeless case, and he was unable to adapt to the situation before finally admitting defeat.


    "He is way too fortunate to be able to cultivate a dual element," said one girl.


    Another nearby girl started mocking her. "How fortunate is that? What a rubbish combination of elements to cultivate! You can''t combine these elements properly as a qi refiner, and most students wouldn''t even bother to split their attention!" she said smugly.


    After being mocked by the other students, the girl quickly quieted down. This was common knowledge, and even the academy did not facilitate this kind of cultivation technique past bronze grade. Perhaps they assumed Cha Ming had decided to bite off more than he could chew and was choosing to cultivate incompatible elements.


    Naturally Cha Ming didn''t take it to heart. These were, after all, just a bunch of teenagers. What kind of adult would lower himself to bickering with teenagers? He did not bother to defend himself and let the criticism wash over him.


    Over in the elders'' seating, one of the teachers asked, "Is that¡­ the student who decided to cultivate five elements?"


    Another teacher beside him nodded. "I was present when Elder Wang was administering the test. The student is quite a good seedling and has an absurdly high soul force. Regrettably, he decided to pick a dead-end path." The teacher sighed.


    "But I didn''t even see him using more than metal and wood. Did he decide to ditch the cultivation techniques he picked and cultivate something else?" asked the same teacher.


    The teacher beside him, who was a little more experienced, shook his head and said, "He shouldn''t have switched. If you had a high innate soul talent and had a choice to pick two elements, how could you cultivate a combination so worthless as metal and wood? At the very least he could have also cultivated fire as a third element, but it''s still suboptimal, despite the flexibility in choosing professions. Allied elements make much more sense, so water as a third element would be a distinct possibility. Who knows, maybe he has his heart set on being a spirit doctor."


    The next fight began as the chatter continued, and the other seven matches in the second level finished. Fights of this level were very interesting because the students barely had enough time to cultivate. Who knew what kind of mistakes they would make while picking techniques? These students had no combat experience, and they would take a while to improve. It was very similar to watching little kids chase each other around, only to have one of them trip on a tree branch and sprain their ankle. Taking pleasure in others'' misfortunes had always been a popular form of entertainment.


    There were a few noteworthy battles among the second-level students. The fiery youth that had cooperated with Cha Ming in the preliminaries was named Feng Ming. He finished his battle very quickly through a combination of fierce, overwhelming, and accurate moves. He cultivated a fire-based movement technique, a low-level fire technique for feinting, and a higher-level fire attacking technique to finish off his opponents.


    Another interesting character was a girl named Gong Lan. She seemed to win by effortlessly weaving around her opponent, who soon became enraged and charged at her, only to be caught and thrown off the stage. She received loud applause from the male students since she was quite good looking.


    An hour passed by, and soon it was Cha Ming''s turn once again. This time he was matched up against Gong Lan, and he knew she would be a rather tricky opponent. They stepped on the stage and bowed before awaiting the command to start the match. Gong Lan winked at him right before Elder Huang yelled, "Fight!" Cha Ming resisted the temptation to roll his eyes, and they began to circle each other.


    Gong Lan walked in the opposite direction of Cha Ming, advancing when he advanced, backing off as he backed off. They moved in a perfect circle, which kept growing and shrinking. When he reversed, she changed her direction as well, like a mirror to his movements. Since the battle wasn''t progressing, he took the opportunity to inspect her good-looking figure. Her hairstyle was quite unusual, a bob-style haircut that was extremely short on the back and chin-length on the front. One side was longer than the other and drooped across one eye; the other, shorter side was pinned back with a white-and-blue pin. The pin perfectly matched her white tai chi uniform with a blue embroidered front.


    Judging by her movements and dress style, she clearly practiced a soft-style martial art; Cha Ming would need to take the initiative. He was especially wary of her movement technique, which he had witnessed her use when she threw an opponent off the stage. Cha Ming started off by advancing and sending out a few jabs with his left hand. In response, Gong Lan began to weave around him with a water-element movement technique, maneuvering him to the edge of the stage.


    Once they were three feet from the edge of the stage, Cha Ming overcommitted a punch with his right hand, an opportunity which Gong Lan quickly grasped by attempting to throw him off the stage, using the Circular Softness movement technique. Smirking, he maneuvered around her with his Ghost Steps, using his elusive technique to outplay her circular movement. In the middle of their exchange, he suddenly struck out with a sword finger, and a second, and a third! These were quickly dodged in succession, and she took advantage of the last sword finger to grab on to his wrist to attempt to throw him off the stage once again.


    As he flew above her head, Gong Lan seemed very pleased with herself. This expression quickly disappeared as she felt her hands being pulled forward. She gasped as she saw that both of her hands, which had been used to throw Cha Ming, were now wrapped in thick vines that she had no way to break.


    Instead of being thrown off stage, Cha Ming swung off toward the side and continued to pull, using his momentum to tug her forward and off the stage. She landed in a rather embarrassing position.


    "Winner!" exclaimed Elder Huang. He was quite surprised by this reversal, and this fight looked a lot more like an exchange at the fifth level and higher. The elder fondled his short beard, appreciating the new batch of good seedlings.


    Cha Ming gave Gong Lan an apologetic look as he left the stage. Meanwhile, she gave him a pouting look and limped toward the medic tent, rubbing her bottom and looking very aggrieved. Cha Ming instantly became the object of public persecution; he was slandered as heartless, cold, and ungentlemanly.


    Massaging his temples, he thought, Am I just supposed to stay there while she throws me off the stage because she is pretty? She stepped on stage! Shouldn''t she accept this risk in competing?


    In the stands, Hong Xin was still waving her makeshift banner and seemed to have been joined by a group of young girls who were clearly less than pleased with Gong Lan and her popularity with the boys. This made the jeering teenage boys even more furious.


    The matches continued as before, and Cha Ming won another two matches without having to reveal any trump cards. He had made it to the finals!


    Despite his easy wins, Cha Ming did not get arrogant. After all, even a tiger should use his full strength to catch a rabbit. He walked up for his last match after being called on stage.


    By now, the audience had figured out that Cha Ming cultivated at least two elements, possibly three, to create an allied metal-water-wood combination. This type of combination was sometimes employed by healers to provide themselves with some level of offensive ability, as metal combined well with water. Only at this stage of his cultivation, he would not be able to fully utilize this advantage. Cha Ming was seen as a calm and composed youth. Conversely, his opponent, Feng Ming, seemed to be quite brash, finishing all his matches very quickly. His hair was short and wild, and the skinny youth literally wore silk pants. They bowed to each other, smiling.


    "I would never have thought that we''d meet again so quickly. I haven''t had to take anyone else seriously, and it''s nice to be able to fully exert myself." The youth smirked, hoping to throw his opponent off with an arrogant front.


    Cha Ming calmly smiled. "Likewise. I still have a few tricks up my sleeve."


    As soon as Elder Huang announced the start of the match, Feng Ming charged at Cha Ming, while the latter quickly circled around him using his Ghost Steps. Feng Ming would occasionally launch probing, fiery punches, which Cha Ming would dodge effortlessly. Cha Ming tried several times to trap Feng Ming with vines, but he burned them away quickly. Cha Ming became confused. While Feng Ming was very aggressive, his elemental attacks were quite weak.


    He must have something hidden, he thought. And then it occurred to him¡ªhe was part of the twenty-eight new students that had a dual affinity!


    As they continued their exchange, Cha Ming had been forced to the edge of the stage. He darted to his right to avoid being cornered, but as he did, a wall of earth popped up. Cha Ming gave his opponent a meaningful look. After all, Feng Ming had managed to get this far in the arena battles without exposing his second affinity. This was very similar to what Cha Ming was doing with his water, earth, and fire elements.


    Trapped between the wall, Feng Ming, and the edge of the stage, Cha Ming turned around to confront Feng Ming. Once he turned around, he saw a fiery sandstorm heading his way, threatening to push him off the stage.


    --


    "Dual-element fire-earth technique¡ªDesert Sandstorm!" shouted Elder Huang. "This is a very qi-intensive technique, utilizing roughly forty percent of one''s earth qi and twenty percent of one''s fire qi when cultivating both elements. It will be very interesting to see if Cha Ming can wiggle his way out of this one! This is a trademark skill of the Feng family in Green Leaf City, and it is not taught to outsiders!"


    The announcement was isolated from the stage for the sake of fairness in the competition. After all, they did not want the competitors to obtain any extra information until after the competition ended.


    --


    While this technique caught Cha Ming by surprise, he was quite grateful that he''d held back his other techniques. The first thing he did was generate a strong frost cloud to protect himself from the heat. He then quickly summoned three consecutive walls of earth. While walls of earth were stationary, their defensive power against something like fire, water, or other earth techniques was quite extraordinary. This was also one of the reasons why Cha Ming had picked this particular technique¡ªvery high defense, low qi cost. Another disadvantage, of course, was that these walls were stationary, but looking at the pale Feng Ming, there was little doubt that he did not have enough energy for a follow-up attack.


    Ducking behind the multiple layers of earthen walls, he sheltered himself from the blast. The first two walls crumbled, and the sandy storm buffeted the last remaining earth wall. Hot winds blew past Cha Ming but were quickly absorbed by the surrounding frost cloud. Cha Ming then quickly darted from behind the wall and threw out a few bursts of flame at the exhausted Feng Ming, who flew to the ground and shouted mid-flight, "I concede!"


    A medic shot onto the stage and started treating him on the spot. It was truly an intense battle.


    --


    Down in the elders'' seating, the two teachers who had been discussing his techniques were quite shocked. They thought they had narrowed him down to having cultivated three elements, an aspiring spirit doctor. They had no idea he had been holding out the entire time.


    Some teachers were looking at Du Cha Ming curiously, while others were looking at Feng Ming admiringly¡ªwhat a powerful attack for the second level of qi condensation! Elder Ling was also seated there, smiling and rather satisfied. It looked like five-element cultivation suited the crafty Cha Ming rather well, and it was the correct decision to let him pick the technique despite the failure of his predecessors.


    --


    Before Cha Ming stepped off the stage, Elder Huang congratulated him and handed him a bag containing one hundred spirit stones, the reward for the year''s freshman competition. In addition, he produced a jade containing a thousand contribution points. Once the jade touched Cha Ming''s, it burst into a thousand green lights and was absorbed into Cha Ming''s original jade.


    The monthly arena battles continued, but Cha Ming was quite tired and walked away laughing with the happy Hong Xin and her new group of lady friends. After recovering and taking a bath, he joined everyone for supper. Feng Ming and Gong Lan joined him and Xin for supper¡ªthey were both new students and hadn''t yet had the time to make many new friends. People in the cultivation world often made friends through fighting. Gong Lan no longer looked so aggrieved and wore a sweet smile on her pretty face.


    What a quick recovery, thought Cha Ming. This young lady will likely be able to manipulate the boys at the academy quite easily in the future.


    Hong Xin was also quite happy because she finally had another girl to spend time with.


    After staying up late celebrating all night, Cha Ming fell directly into his bed. He didn''t cultivate that night, as he was quite exhausted. For the first time in a long time, Cha Ming went to bed with a smile.

 11 Five Fingers

    It was the first day of autumn. The green maple leaves that adorned the many trees in the city were now bordered in red and gold, one of the natural wonders of Green Leaf City. While the city did not experience winter like the snowy countries in the north, the temperature would always dip low every night, leaving a fresh layer of frost on the already beautiful scenery. The leaves would never completely change to red and gold but would maintain this color throughout the winter.


    Cha Ming had recently broken through to the third level of qi condensation. After enjoying a quick breakfast, he met Feng Ming out at the cultivation pavilion. Despite his appearance as a silk-pants young master, Feng Ming was always hard at work. He and Cha Ming would usually spar against each other every day, and once Feng Ming got used to Cha Ming''s plethora of cheap techniques, they were evenly matched.


    Paff, paff, paff. The sound of wood clashing on wood echoed out through the empty courtyard. Cha Ming had used his gains from the freshman tournament to purchase a low-quality spirit weapon and a corresponding weapon art. There were many types of weapons to choose from. Swords were the most common, followed by sabers, spears, and bows. There were also many unusual weapons such as whips, bolas, needles, and daggers. Cha Ming eventually settled on the staff. The staff was a very flexible and fast weapon, but conversely, a heavy staff could be used with devastating brute force.


    Feng Ming was currently using a wooden sparring sword. He had a real spirit sword, but he wasn''t at a level where he felt comfortable sparring against Cha Ming without severely wounding him. In this current match, they had limited themselves to movement techniques and weapon arts. These techniques did not require any qi, and they were very useful for any battle, whether it be a long or short one.


    The battle ended with Feng Ming''s loss. Cha Ming had used his superior technique to deflect Feng Ming''s training sword, throwing him off balance. He then followed up with three quick strikes to Feng Ming''s wrists, forcing him to drop the sword.


    "You went easy on me," Cha Ming said, shooting his handsome friend a grin.


    "That''s what I''ve been saying the whole time!" moaned Feng Ming. "You can use your own spirit weapon and I can''t. It''s completely unfair and against the natural order of things. Really, I should just fight you with a big bag of money. I''d smash you to death with that!"


    Feng Ming was always like that, looking for any excuse to avoid taking blame for his losses. The young man had very thick skin and would often use shameless feints to squeak out victories. He would exaggerate his victories and downplay his losses. Cha Ming didn''t mind, but he still intentionally played into Ming''s bait.


    "Of course, how could Ming the Great possibly ever lose a fight! Oh wait, I remember the time that I won that fight at the freshman competition without any weapon advantage¡­"


    Cha Ming rolled his eyes as he wiped the sweat off his brow. He then fastened the wooden spirit staff to his back while Ming put away his training sword in his bag of holding.


    "That was pure, blatant, dishonest trickery! Not a fair fight at all! At least if I fought you with a giant bag of money, I would be honest about it. I mean, I wouldn''t tell you the weight or anything, but I''d at least show you the bag before I beat you to death with it."


    Feng Ming belonged to a wealthy family. Their family owned many businesses in town. His uncle was a well-known alchemist, and alchemists were in very short supply in such a small city. His father, on the other hand, was a centurion in the royal army garrison in Green Leaf City, a figure that even the city lord dared not offend. His older brother was also a captain in the city guard and occupied a similar position to Uncle Hong. He didn''t dare speculate how many "facilitating payments" Ming''s family had accumulated over the past few decades.


    The laughing duo had sparred until mid-afternoon, after which they made their way back to the residence to meet the girls for an early supper. As they were walking back, they noticed a figure dressed in black, walking the opposite direction, on same narrow pathway as them. The man looked like he was at most eighteen, and his long black hair accentuated his pale, gaunt face. He walked forward as if every student on campus was beneath his notice. As Feng Ming was about to force his way forward and initiate a collision with the rude student, Cha Ming''s hand darted out and pulled him off to the side. The figure in black paused just after passing them and shot Cha Ming an apathetic look. After a few seconds of observing Cha Ming, he continued his previous, hauntingly slow pace.


    "Why didn''t you let me teach that arrogant brat a lesson? He''s definitely around our age, how much stronger could he be?" Feng Ming was incensed, and he was used to strutting around town in a domineering fashion.


    "You should consider being less of a bully. Just now, you almost kicked a very thick steel plate." Cha Ming, seeing Ming''s puzzled look, continued explaining. "Yes, that young man was definitely only a year or so older than us. However, if you look more closely you''ll notice that out of the corner of his black robe there was a golden glint. When he turned over, he exposed a golden badge with the number eight on it. That means that not only is he an eighth-level student, he''s also a fifth-grade talent. The school only has a handful of them, and I''m sure he has a lot of influence in town."


    Feng Ming''s face paled. No matter how powerful his father and uncle were, they would need to curry favor with this individual for the sake of their respective organizations. He kept quiet all the way back to the residence.


    --


    Cha Ming was currently walking outside through the frosted woods. The woods near the school were divided into areas of varying safety; the safest area was a very large park which contained a multitude of winding stone trails. Lonely benches had been placed every few hundred meters.


    He had picked sunset to take his walk. This was the time when the green, red, and gold colors in the leaves would appear in their greatest contrast. Trees, mountains, and rivers¡ªthese had been Cha Ming''s favorite sceneries as far back as he could remember. His favorite paintings always contained one, two, or three of these elements. While spring was his favorite season due to the feeling of hope in the air, fall was definitely the most beautiful season.


    Cha Ming walked for a few hours, slowly but surely. Every once in a while, he would grab a red or gold tinged leaf and admire it, sometimes sitting down on a nearby bench. The park reminded him of modern parks. Lanterns lit up the road as far as the eye could see. The lanterns were powered by spirit oil, which was produced by crushing, refining, and mixing spirit stones with other ingredients. By the end of the process, the spirit oil had no other use but lighting, and the school did not need to worry about theft. The spirit oil would absorb sunlight in the daytime and recharge, only needing to be changed out every few decades or so.


    The latest leaf he had been admiring was unique among all of the other leaves he had found. It was not only green and tinged in both gold and red, but it also had blue and brown patterns running through the leaf. The brown patterns seemed to outline a sharp mountain, while the blue pattern emulated a stream running through the mountain. The leaf itself looked like a perfect sunset in the forested mountains. He found himself lost in thought. When he finally came back to reality, he noticed the surrounding woods were covered in darkness. Not a single light could be seen in the distance. He refused to believe that all of the lights would malfunction at the same time.


    He frowned and continued walking down the path, which he could barely see. Eventually, he noticed a single lamp lit near a park bench. An elder with white hair and a white robe was doing what he had been doing previously, admiring a leaf he had picked off a tree. Cha Ming approached the elder slowly.


    "Young friend, do you know why mankind has five fingers?" said the elder softly.


    Cha Ming was surprised, as he was quite sure that he hadn''t made any sounds while approaching. Nevertheless, after hearing the question, he could not help but ponder on it.


    "Is it not purely coincidence, and did we not evolve from other creatures?" said Cha Ming carefully. The elder chuckled, replacing the leaf on the tree. The leaf merged perfectly with the tree, and in fact turned even more healthy and green than it had been before.


    "Many in this world would consider what you said heresy. Some would say that mankind was created by the gods, and others would attribute this to the Jade Emperor. Few people know that in other worlds, mankind did in fact evolve from other creatures by pure chance. But these worlds are very far removed from our own." The elder then paused, stroking his long white beard.


    "In this world, mankind was directly created by Nuwa . The five fingers were by design, to correspond with the five great gifts that she gave mankind after their birth. She made mankind using her clay and blood. Through this clay and blood she granted mankind with affinities for the five elements that she used to create their life. At the end of their life, they would once again return to these five elements upon their demise, and their souls would go to the netherworld to be reincarnated in the Yellow River."


    Cha Ming was quite surprised at the man''s words. It seemed like he was aware of other worlds, and Cha Ming had experienced first-hand his own rebirth through the Yellow River. Was this man a god?


    The white man looked at him, still stroking his white beard, nodding his head as though he had come to a decision. He then opened his mouth and said softly, "You should have some kind of paintbrush on your person. May I see it? Don''t worry, I won''t take it from you."


    Cha Ming was surprised yet again, but then he decided that he may as well take out the brush. Although it was likely linked to his rebirth, he felt as though this expert could destroy him with a single thought, should he so choose.


    When Cha Ming presented the paintbrush, the old man gently took it. He stroked it, looked at it carefully, and ran his fingers along the inscriptions. After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, he handed the brush back to Cha Ming.


    "You may call me Uncle Su," said the old man.


    Cha Ming bowed and said, "Uncle Su, this one of the younger generation is called Du Cha Ming."


    Uncle Su nodded, seeming pleased. "There is karma between you and me, since you are now the bonded owner of this brush. As such, I want to teach you a technique. My only condition is that you are not allowed to tell anyone that you learned it from me."


    At this point Cha Ming was quite intrigued, but he was really at the mercy of this expert and figured he might as well go with the flow.


    "Let it be as Uncle Su has suggested," said Cha Ming.


    Hearing his answer, Uncle Su smiled and walked toward him. He was a full head shorter than Cha Ming, quite short for an adult. After reaching him, he took out his hand. Each of his fingers was glowing a different color and was inscribed with the Chinese character for each element: wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. On the outside, he could see a white circle. In the middle of the circle and connecting the elements was a black star. The black star had no characters. It was as if it could not be materialized as a character, instead materializing as a block of nothingness.


    Before he could react, the man let out a quick palm strike to his chest. He was thrown back and landed at the foot of a tree. He couldn''t move his limbs, and as his eyes slowly closed, Cha Ming wondered what the hell had just happened.


    --


    "Cha Ming! Cha Ming!"


    He woke up feeling groggy and shaken to the chirping voice of Xin Er. She explained how she had not seen him all morning, and finally in the afternoon she remembered that he had gone for a walk. She saw him resting quietly by a tree. It looked like he had slept all day, judging by the number of leaves that had settled on him.


    Rubbing his eyes, he slowly looked up at the sixteen-year-old girl that was staring at him rather grievously. "Wuuuuu, you are bullying Xin! I was so worried that something had happened to you out in the woods, yet here you are, napping all day!"


    Xin then broke into tears again and sat down crying. Looking around him, Cha Ming didn''t see any sign of the old man. Although he felt more energetic than normal, there was no wound remaining from that vicious palm strike. He got up and brushed the leaves off himself.


    "Xin Er, did you see an old man in a white robe with white hair nearby?" he asked.


    Xin Er finally stopped crying and shook her head. Sighing, he took her hand and led her back to the school, and they arrived just in time for supper. After a while, Hong Xin was fine. Feng Ming and Gong Lan had not really noticed Cha Ming''s absence. After all, it was common for cultivators to wander off and seclude themselves for a few days¡ªwhy would a single day trouble them? After accompanying Xin Er for a sufficient amount of time, he finally made his way back to his room and started cultivating. As he looked inward, he almost fainted from surprise.


    If he had looked into his dantian two days ago, he would have seen a mixed swirl of five elements, sitting together in a small puddle. The situation now was starkly different. Instead there were five liquid spheres floating in the air, joined by a white circle. A black star was present in the middle, crossing between the elements in a destructive cycle but not daring to touch the white circle.


    This¡­ what the hell? That looks a lot like Uncle Su''s palm!


    As he continued to observe it, he noticed a few strange things. First, it seemed like each puddle was twice as large as before. As he inspected further, he noticed that the white circle holding them separate was circulating a thin layer of elemental energy from one sphere to the next. This seemed to reinforce each element. Conversely, the black star seemed to cause mutual restraint, but now that he looked at it, something was a little off. The black star seemed to only have four lines, but the lines alternated between the elements. It was like the four lines were instead averaged over its initial five spaces. He was still at the third level of qi condensation, but he now had access to twice as much qi! Wasn''t this a little too much?


    After finishing his observations, the soft voice of Uncle Su sounded in his head.


    "Young lad," the voice whispered, "I am always a man of few words. Since you have that brush, I decided to give you this cultivation technique on a whim. Since you haven''t cultivated it from the start, however, I needed to be a little¡­ forceful. Nevertheless, if you can hear my voice now, it means that the process was a success.


    "What you are now cultivating is called the Perfect Five Elements cultivation technique. This technique is a little special; you can use the five elements in a creation cycle and generate ''creation energy.'' This creation energy is made from all five elements and is used to suppress the destructive energy between the elements in your dantian. This destructive energy is not there on purpose. Instead, it''s a consequence of joining the five elements together in formation. Effectively this means that you can remove one ''restraining'' or ''destructive'' interaction in your dantian. Accordingly, one restraint is eliminated from each element, which allows the individual''s qi pool to double its growth instead of being inhibited as with lower-level cultivation methods. There are also other ways to make use of this interaction, but you seem like a creative man; I''ll let you figure it out.


    "To finish, I''d like you to continue paying close attention to that brush that you''ve bonded. It''s not an ordinary item, and I can sense the karma of reincarnation on you. Perhaps in time you will be able to solve the riddle of the brush. When you meet my dear apprentice, perhaps he will be able to elaborate.


    "Anyhow, take care. Remember that your path forward is like a clear sky, with many possibilities."


    The voice faded away. Cha Ming pondered a bit before he walked out of his room. Looking toward the woods, he kowtowed in the general direction. After all, Uncle Su could now be considered a teacher.


    Little did he know, at the edge of the woods there was an old man in a white robe. He was quite short and was gently stroking his long white beard. After a few moments, he turned around and walked inside the woods, seeming to vanish with the mists.

 12 Seventy-Two Transformations

    Cha Ming''s sudden and stable growth in his qi pools led to a series of realizations over the next few days. The first was that he would need to change up his combat style. This came to him when sparring with Ming after finishing twenty consecutive fights. He usually had at least forty percent of his qi remaining at the end of every fight, and unfortunately he had no good way of utilizing it. The next realization was that he would need to acquire additional battle techniques¡ªthe cheap ones he had acquired before no longer suited him.


    Finally, Cha Ming had to face a depressing fact: he was broke. He hadn''t had to think about this in a while because since entering the academy, he had no need to purchase additional techniques. Additionally, his cultivation was proceeding much slower than before since advancing in each subsequent stage would take twice as long as the next. Growing his qi pools was not what took the longest; instead it was overcoming and growing the limits of each qi pool between stages. This required large amounts of pure qi. He had attempted cultivating by drawing energy from some of the spirit stones he had earned as a prize. And while his cultivation improved by leaps and bounds in a short amount of time, he felt his heart ache every time he witnessed a spirit stone crumble into dust.


    He decided to bring this topic up at supper the next night. Xin just blushed and said that her father earned spirit stones as a captain of the city guard, and she received some every month. For contribution points, she performed menial cleaning tasks for individual courtyards.


    Feng Ming, on the other hand, was simply very rich. He could get as many spirit stones to spend as he wanted, within reason. He did not need a lot of contribution points because his family had inherited techniques that suited him perfectly. If he ever needed them, he could buy them for a price that seemed outrageously low. He offered to lend spirit stones to Cha Ming. Cha Ming politely refused, as he didn''t like being indebted to others. This was especially true because Feng Ming was from an aristocratic family, and favors like this would likely need to be paid back in some sort of political support in the future.


    Gong Lan was originally from a family of commoners. Over the last few years, her eldest brother had managed to successfully establish a small mercenary group. However, the danger levels were quite high, and she was forbidden from participating. As such, she had been preparing to venture out into the woods with other students to help gather herbs and fight off spirit beasts.


    "It''s going to be so cold and lonely at night," she said. "Oh, Cha Ming, how about you tag along for the mission? It''ll be much more exciting with the two of us there."


    Cha Ming blushed as Gong Lan made eyes at him. He had never been too good at these kinds of things. He made up some nonsensical excuses, such as needing to continue training with Ming.


    "Cha Ming, you have a very high innate soul force, right?" Feng Ming inquired.


    "Yes, I have the peak soul force available for someone of my cultivation," replied Cha Ming.


    "It''s simple, then! Just pick up a profession! Professions typically pay very well and teach you auxiliary skills. Since you cultivate five elements, you should be able to choose one you like the most," said Feng Ming. "Since you don''t have a lot of experience with these kinds of things, let me elaborate. In the martial world, there are often professions that support cultivation, and these professions combine the power of their qi and soul force to produce extraordinary results. Typically, these can be separated into some combat-oriented roles, like beast tamers, illusionists, necromancers, and the like. These types of professions burn through money, so what you''re looking for is a creation-type profession.


    "Alchemists must practice both wood and fire and create pills that help support cultivators. The profession is in high demand, but they are insufferably arrogant. They command a lot of respect and make a lot of spirit stones. Often, sects have a trade-in system where apprentice alchemists and alchemists can create medicinal pills or assist in their concoction for contribution points. This would solve both of your problems. My uncle is an alchemist, but I don''t recommend him as a teacher. He''s extremely grumpy and has a very poor reputation with his students.


    "Spirit doctors are another noteworthy profession. They are very well respected; however, the apprenticeship is very long. Before you complete your apprenticeship, you would only be marginally better at healing than a wood-element specialist or a dual wood-water-element specialist. In addition, it is frowned upon to earn a lot of money as a doctor. People would think that you are taking advantage of people. Therefore, I do not recommend this occupation in the short term.


    "Spiritual blacksmiths require cultivating fire and metal elements. However, before starting in this field, you would first need to embark on the path of body cultivation, which is time intensive and quite painful. Since you are already cultivating five different elements, it may be difficult to add in yet another cultivation method. In addition, while alchemy is very lucrative, spiritual blacksmiths are very hierarchical. They basically have a cartel that distinguishes the quality of goods. Master blacksmiths would make a lot of money, but the markets are flooded with apprentice-level products. Unfortunately, those who produce high-quality goods as apprentices cannot advertise their goods properly until they become master blacksmiths. Therefore, this would not solve your financial problem and would only give you headaches.


    "The remaining supporting professions are spirit arborists, artificers, formation experts, and talisman artists. Spirit arborists increase the growth of plants and medicinal herbs. This may be suitable for you¡ªwood-element specialists can only aid the growth of common medicinal herbs, while high-quality medicinal herbs can only be nurtured by spirit arborists. The profession is in very high demand here in Green Leaf City.


    "Becoming an artificer would normally be a possibility for you¡ªthey require a triple-element specialty at the very least, due to all the interacting components¡ªhowever, there is no Artificers Guild in Green Leaf City. You can only give up this path for now. Formation experts are in the same boat¡ªto my knowledge there is no one in the city that can teach you, and there is no demand for this profession in such a small city.


    "Talisman artists are very rare and eccentric, and this path would be quite suitable for you. Your small qi pool could be subsidized by elemental ink used in talisman creation, and you would be able to craft a large variety of them with your specialties. Unfortunately, there are only three people who make talismans in the city. Zhou Li''s uncle, Zhou Tong, is a talisman artist, and so is the city lord''s son. At Green Leaf Academy, Elder Ling is very gifted in talisman creation. However, it is very difficult to meet this man, and he almost always refuses people who request to be his disciple.


    "Talismans are almost as useful as medicinal pills, and as such, the market is very lucrative. They are one-use items that use ink, spiritual power, and qi to cast one-time Daoist spells. Anyone who has a talisman can use a very miniscule amount of qi to cast a spell, whether it be offensive, defensive, etc. The talisman is consumed in the process, but the one-time effect can tip the scales in a battle. If talismans weren''t so expensive, everyone would carry their weight in them." Feng Ming finished his explanation proudly. Due to his noble background, he had been educated for many years, and his lessons could finally be used to show off, his favorite activity. Cha Ming was quite thankful and agreed that taking on a profession would be a very good idea.


    That night, Cha Ming headed back to his room to meditate and think on his path forward. Cultivating, while necessary, was truly boring. It would be good to get a hobby. Alchemy seemed pretty fun. He''d also considered being a doctor before, so becoming a spirit doctor could also be a good choice as well. More importantly however, he''d discovered that Elder Ling''s invitation was in fact quite precious. Furthermore, he''d gotten the invitation because he''d picked up a paintbrush.


    Is it a talisman brush? Cha Ming wondered.


    Remembering that Uncle Su had also mentioned that same brush, he decided to take it out for a closer look. It really was a beautiful brush, and mostly white in color with black highlights. Many runes were engraved on the brush, and he could vividly remember them dancing around in five colors.


    He looked at the brush from every angle, trying to discover its secrets. Finally, not being able to resist further, he decided to dip it in a pot of ink on his desk. He attempted to write his name on a piece of paper, only to discover that the paintbrush had not carried the ink.


    Strange. This is a brush. How can it not carry ink or write?


    He repeated the process several times and obtained identical results. He also tried to paint on his desk to no avail. Then he borrowed ink from Hong Xin, Feng Ming, and Gong Lan. Each batch of ink showed the same results. Just to be sure, he used a regular brush to spell out his name successfully.


    Maybe something happens when the brush touches the ink?


    It was difficult to tell because the ink was black, and the brush had an inky-black hue. He decided to pour ink into a bowl and see if anything happened to the brush. As he dipped the brush into the bowl, he didn''t notice any reaction. As he pulled it out, however, he observed a strange phenomenon. A drop of ink was about to drop from the brush, but instead of dripping down, it moved back toward the tip of the brush.


    What the hell? This brush drinks ink? Isn''t this the opposite of what a brush does?


    He decided to try "feeding" the brush. Perhaps there was a limit. One pot, two pots, three pots. He borrowed ink from all of his neighbors. After ten pots of ink, the brush finally seemed to be "full" and refused to absorb ink. Although it wouldn''t absorb any more, it seemed to be too prideful to be stained by the ink, so it still would not carry ink or write his name. Then, a thought struck him.


    If it won''t write the normal way, maybe I can use qi to force ink out onto the paper.


    This concept excited him quite a bit. To play it safe, he first poured separate types of qi into the brush. Then in combinations of two, three, and four, and finally all five types at once. After all five types of qi poured into the brush, the qi pools were draining like crazy. Quickly, before the last of his qi disappeared, he wrote "Du Cha Ming" on a piece of paper. Success!


    Once his qi was fully drained, his face paled with exhaustion. That had been like executing a full-force battle technique that drained all your qi. Finally, he looked at the brush. It looked the same as before, except on its length, small characters written in gold had appeared.


    Seventy-Two Transformations . The first twelve start with self. "ľ, »ð, ÍÁ, ½ð, Ë®"


    The symbols were the Chinese characters for wood, fire, earth, metal, and water respectively. Perplexed, he recovered his cultivation base and wrote out a single character on a paper every time, the characters for the five elements in order, starting with wood. There was no response from the paper, no response from the brush.


    Strange. The Clear Sky Brush was truly bizarre. He tried again in reverse order, and finally in all possible orders, with no results.


    Finally, he decided he must be missing something and would need to experiment more in the future. His adventures in writing characters had left him interested in crafting talismans. He decided to go see Elder Ling the next morning.


    --


    Cha Ming rose up bright and early the next morning. Showing up early showed eagerness, and Elder Ling''s status definitely warranted his respect. He followed directions from students along the way and made his way to the school''s commercial district. Looking everywhere, he could see stalls for medicinal ingredients, beast parts, beast cores. He could also see bright medicinal pills on display, different weaponsmiths plying their wares, and various ores and refined metals.


    Eventually he reached an alleyway with a shabby sign that looked a lot like a talisman. This large talisman was used as a sign that said "Elder Ling''s Talisman Shop." The sign was very unprofessional, and Cha Ming started to wonder if he''d made the right decision. At the end of the alley was a wooden shack, and this shack was covered in paper talismans from top to bottom.


    These appeared to be talismans for warding off demons, but Cha Ming didn''t think anyone would try and steal them. Who knew what kind of spells could be imbued in any one of them. The whole shack could catch on fire and burn the culprit alive. In front of the shack door rested a black cat with a white moon on its forehead, blocking the door.


    Of course he''s a cat person, thought Cha Ming.


    Cha Ming walked up to the door and tried to step over the cat, which started hissing at him. After falling backward and straightening himself out, he tried passing to the side, only to be hissed at again.


    If only I had a mouse to distract him, he thought. He couldn''t approach the door to knock, and the remainder of the house was covered in talismans, so he didn''t dare knock on the wall. With no other options, he called out Elder Ling''s name loudly. Obtaining no response, he tried calling out multiple times to no avail. Disappointed but not dejected, he decided to sit in front of the door. The cat continued to stare at him with a gleam in its eyes.


    He sat there for the whole day until he heard footsteps coming from the alley.


    Finally! This person will know what to do about this cat. The person ended up being a mute and deaf nine-year-old girl, and Cha Ming watched as she poured some milk for the cat and left right away. Luck was not on Cha Ming''s side today. As the sun was setting, more footsteps sounded, this time familiar ones. It was Elder Ling. He clearly had not been at home all day.


    "Ah, Cha Ming!" said the scruffy looking elder. "Welcome to my home! My cat, Mr. MaoMao, says that you just got here, what good timing!"


    Cha Ming almost fainted out of rage while glaring at the cat, who shot him a taunting look.


    "Ahem, well, I don''t want to keep you waiting outside too long," said Elder Ling. "Come in, come in for tea! I haven''t had anyone over in a very long time. I usually keep myself cooped in this shack. It''s so lonely in this alleyway, and I''m very lucky to have my dear friend Mr. Mao Mao keeping me company!"


    This cat is why you''re so lonely. What the hell? Are you blind?


    He suppressed the urge to yell out and obediently followed Elder Ling inside. As he walked by the cat, he felt a sharp claw nick the inside of his thigh. Clearly the scratch was a warning. Chills ran down his spine, and Cha Ming remembered some joking words of wisdom: It is only when a mosquito lands on your testicle that you realize that violence is never the answer.

 13 The Power of Names

    Elder Ling led Cha Ming down a narrow hall. Like the outside of the house, these walls were also plastered in talismans. The walls outside had contained words like "impenetrable," "invulnerable," "solid earth," or "tough as steel." The talismans inside the hallway were more specific to evil, like wards repelling the undead, vampires, ghouls, zombies, and so on. Here and there he spotted wards with the words "demoness," "hag," or "witch."


    Cha Ming shot Elder Ling a strange glance, to which he sheepishly replied, "That''s a secret you don''t need to know about." Upon exiting the hallway, they entered a small living room. Beside the living room was a simple kitchen, and in the living room was a Weiqiboard. It had been a lifetime since he''d played, but it had been one of his many hobbies in his past life.


    The Weiqi board was slightly different than in his past life. First, the board was black instead of wooden, possibly made from obsidian. Next, the lines were white as alabaster. It was still a 19 x 19 board with 361 spots to play. An additional but intriguing difference was that each white stone had the character "angels," while the black stones had the character "devils."


    Seeing Cha Ming''s interest, Elder Ling asked, "Do you play Angels and Devils? It''s rare to find young players who are willing to commit the time to learn. Usually players are in their thirties or forties or much older, since cultivators have a longer lifespan."


    "Yes, I have played a similar game in the past. I was just wondering if the rules are the same."


    Hearing this, Elder Ling became quite excited and rushed to make tea, seating Cha Ming in front of the board. Mr. Mao Mao shot him a jealous glare and started sharpening his claws on a nearby whetstone.


    This cat has a whetstone for its claws? The cat was clearly a problem, and he hoped it was too lazy to do anything or that it had a low level of cultivation, if any.


    Soon Elder Ling came and sat in front of Cha Ming, pouring them tea over a wet tea table . Once they both had tea, Elder Ling went ahead and explained the game.


    "I''m not sure what the game you played was called, but this game is called Angels and Devils. Black plays first, as destruction came before creation. The mortal realms are the same, so it is said. Once, the mortal realms were overwhelmed by the devils, intending to grow their influence in all the planes. Not willing to let them have the advantage, the Jade Emperor Yucame down from the heavens with his host of angels. Blessed by heavenly luck, the angels managed to overcome the demons at great cost.


    "This game was introduced to all mortal realms from the heavens in remembrance of this great war. To offset the advantage in initiative from the devils, the angels get an additional 5.5 points, signifying their karmic luck. Despite this perceived advantage, the game is a statistically even game and has been praised by many human emperors since then. It is popular amongst cultivators due to its depth of strategy and myriad possibilities."


    Elder Ling then continued to explain the remainder of the game. It was, in fact, exactly the same as Weiqi in all aspects. Seeing that Cha Ming understood, he let Cha Ming have the first move.


    The game continued for three hours and ultimately ended with Elder Ling winning by a half point. Given his experience in the game, Cha Ming knew that Elder Ling had strung him along the whole time. He clasped his hands and bowed slightly.


    "Thank you for the game!" Cha Ming said. "I feel that our difference in skill is very significant. I believe in the future I should play with an appropriate handicap so you can teach me better, all the while having a pleasant game yourself."


    Hearing Cha Ming''s modest words, Elder Ling smiled and agreed that Cha Ming should have a six-stone handicap. "I''ve never seen a youngster like you play so well," he said. "I always invite the elders to my place, but they never seem to make it here. I always end up playing at their homes." Elder Ling sighed gently. Mr. Mao Mao purred.


    Seeing that there was now an awkward silence, Elder Ling broke the ice. "It seems you''ve come to my shack not just to play Angels and Devils. Have you decided to take me up on my offer to learn talismans?"


    Cha Ming nodded silently.


    Elder Ling continued. "I can see that you''ve reached the third level of qi condensation. This is good. While talisman crafting is not particularly taxing on qi, it is very taxing on the soul. Additionally, you have split your elements into five, so while others might be able to start at the first level, you had to wait a little longer. On the other hand, increasing your cultivation has a large effect on your soul. Your spiritual perception will be greater and your control over qi will make it easier to craft talismans.


    "Now, I''m not going to ask you to acknowledge me as a master or anything like that. Calling me teacher is fine. I have a feeling that you will reach heights much greater than Green Leaf City, so I don''t want you to feel any obligation to stick around this miserable city. I have two other teachers who assist me when things get busy, and I have two other students. Most people in the city think there are only three people who make talismans, but these people are only registered talisman artists.


    "My other students are a little lousy, but don''t tell them I said that. They usually produce low-level talismans, which are produced in great numbers. Besides, they had a falling out with Mr. Mao Mao, so they haven''t been here in a while. As such, the other teachers and I have been a little overworked. I''ve had to seclude myself to this hut for five out of seven days to keep up with demand. Now, what do you know about talismans, young one?"


    "Teacher, I apologize for my ignorance," said Cha Ming, "but my experience is very shallow. I have heard from one of my friends that talismans use ink, paper, characters, and qi to cast single-use spells, but I am not sure of the specifics. From what I know, one uses special ink to draw on special paper and effectively ''store'' a spell."


    "Hm. It doesn''t seem like you know much, so I will start from the beginning," said Elder Ling. "The origin of talismans is very profound, stemming from the beginning of the universe. Every being in the universe has a true name. Every object, energy, and spirit in the universe also has a true name. Most are not aware of it, while others who know their true name guard it closely. Devils in particular have a very specific weakness. If their true name is known, they can easily be restrained and controlled. This is, of course, if the one using the talisman has sufficient power.


    "When the demons invaded the mortal realms, many humans and non-humans were tempted by the devils. They were taught the true names of lesser devils to summon them to the mortal plane. It is normally very difficult for a devil to travel to the mortal realms, but they are very powerful. Humankind became overwhelmed. As such, Emperor Yu sent down many angels to fight against the devils. He also taught Daoist priests the magic of talismans. In the best of cases, experts in divination would discover the names of devils, and talismans would be crafted to destroy them. In the worst of cases, these were mass produced, with the names for ''devil,'' ''evil,'' or perhaps the names of the commander of specific devils.


    "The power of names was effective due to the power of fate. Each name was said to have a fate, a destiny, or a string of karma. Eventually, with the devils banished, talismans lost their popularity. It was later discovered by some experts that devils not only had true names but elements and magic as well. Instead of devil blood and devil names, they used special ink and the true name of the elements to call upon fierce magic. While these were not as powerful as the original talismans, they became quite useful, as this was effectively like storing a spell.


    "Over time, the talisman-crafting tradition has continued, but other trades have taken the forefront. After all, medicinal pills can aid one in cultivation and achieve better effects than talismans in certain regards by amplifying and combining rare medicinal ingredients. Spiritual blacksmiths'' weapons offer very concrete advantages to a cultivator, while spiritual doctors save lives. Other specialties who rely on spiritual power have increased battle prowess or serve other vital functions in society. What talismans offer are extra choices and temporary battle power or protection. They are one-time use items and not permanent. As such, they are seen as a bit of an extravagant money sink."


    Cha Ming nodded. Talisman crafting was truly interesting, much more so than he had originally thought. Thinking of something, however, he frowned. "Teacher Ling, I''ve thought of something. Why is your entrance hallway plastered in protections against evil? Surely Green Leaf City is very safe."


    Elder Ling pondered a moment before answering. "Many decades ago I used to belong to another sect. There, I got married to a beautiful woman. Little did I know that she was a demonic, vile temptress! I''m actually hiding here with Mr. Mao Mao." Elder Ling smiled. "But you don''t have to worry about that. These are small problems, and I will solve them myself. Next, I will teach you about the basics of crafting talismans."


    Elder Ling then brought Cha Ming to his study, which was littered with thin strips of paper. There were many shelves containing brown bottles with inky substances, and there were perhaps hundreds of different bottles. There was also a small cauldron stained in ink. On the desk were various sizes of brushes from thin to thick. The largest brush could paint one inch wide and was two feet long. Moving to the desk, Elder Ling brought out a small chair seemingly from thin air and placed it beside the larger chair. He then sat down and picked up a brush, a bottle of ink, and a paper.


    "Talisman crafting has three important components," explained Elder Ling. "The first component is a spiritual brush. I highly suspect that the brush you picked at the treasure pavilion is a spiritual brush. The next component, as I explained previously, is a name. Names are many, and all names hold power. For example, if I wrote the name for Burning Crimson Lotus, the spell would need to invoke these three things, or a combination thereof. This specific talisman would contain the properties of burning, the properties of crimson, and the properties of a lotus. While it might seem strange that a color could be invoked, colors truly have special effects when combined with the elements.


    "Finally, the ink also plays a very important role. The ink is made with a combination of herbs, ores, natural items, and crushed spirit stones. That is why this occupation literally eats away money. The ink must naturally hold the properties that you are trying to imitate. Take, for example, this Burning Ink of the Crimson Lotus. The base materials are fire essence stones, fifty-year-old lotus roots, and live crimson beast blood. These materials could be used to invoke a variety of effects, but it has been matched to these specific characters. Special materials are able to invoke special characters, and some materials can be used as ink without being blended with spirit stones. These materials are, of course, very valuable, and only used for more expensive talismans." A pensive look appeared on Elder Ling''s face, as though he was thinking about whether to say something or not.


    The pensive look was very brief, and Elder Ling suddenly became extremely focused. He took the brush and dipped it in the ink pot. After he took the brush out, Cha Ming noticed that the brush was not stained in ink, just like his own brush. Elder Ling brought his brush to the piece of paper and slowly began to write the five characters. It seemed to be an extremely draining process. As the brush flowed along the piece of paper, the talisman slowly gained a reddish hue.


    The piece of paper was soon decorated in bright red lotuses, and the edge developed flamelike patterns. The process took a total of thirty minutes, and Elder Ling had to dip his brush in ink several times. Then, when the final stroke was completed, the talisman turned a crimson color, and the characters burned black. He then picked up the talisman and inspected his work, handing it over to Cha Ming after it was complete.


    "This is a mid-grade mortal talisman. It has the power of a fifth-level qi condensation artist''s strike at full force. Try using this on that dummy there." Elder Ling pointed to a shabby gray dummy in a corner of the room.


    Cha Ming frowned and threw the talisman at the doll. After making contact, the doll was suddenly enveloped in a crimson lotus. The lotus lingered and burned for five seconds, after which it faded away. The attack was quite a bit more powerful than Cha Ming could currently manage.


    While Cha Ming stood in shock, Elder Ling went to a back room and retrieved a dusty old book, along with five brushes and five pots of ink. He put them in a small bag along with a large stack of paper.


    "Here is a starting kit for you. The book inside contains instructions on making one talisman for each element. Each brush is suited to its own element, and each ink is not very potent but suited to multiple kinds of talismans of each element. Try to practice with normal ink first. I''m sure you''ll figure it out. You seem like a smart boy. If you can make five of each talisman, you''ll have broken even on the ingredients supplied, and you can give these to my shop to pay for the supplies. Anything extra you can keep for yourself and sell however you see fit. You can come back to me once you run out of materials, and I''ll teach you the next batch.


    "Basically, anything you make will make up for some of the supply gap in low-level talismans, and this will relieve a lot of the pressure off myself and the other teachers. While we can make each talisman in about a minute each, our time is very valuable, and as such these talismans are in quite short supply at the academy. The only ones who would use them are those in the first to third levels of qi condensation. If you think about it, that''s at least a thousand students in your year, as well as many cultivators in the city. There are other groups in the city which supply them, though, so demand never gets too out of hand.


    "Now, I forgot to tell you something very important. Do not write the basic characters for each element alone and unaccompanied. Being specific, in a sense, weakens the power of each name. Pure elements, while their names are simple, are extremely powerful. Without the appropriate materials and spiritual force, you will not be able to write them, and even worse, you could lose control of them and cripple or kill yourself!"


    Cha Ming raised his eyebrows in shock¡ªhe hadn''t realized that such a simple thing could have such dire ramifications. Seeing the serious look on Elder Ling''s face, he decided to heed his warning. After all, without that warning that was likely the first thing he would have tried. He could have died!


    Cha Ming bowed deeply and accepted the little bag from Elder Ling. Peering inside, he was shocked to notice that it seemed to contain about one cubic meter of space.


    This must be very valuable for most students, he thought. He would definitely need to put in his whole effort into crafting talismans so he didn''t let Elder Ling down. Elder Ling hadn''t asked for anything, after all. I''ll need to make sure I join him for a game of Weiqi once in a while. I should probably bring a tribute for Mr. Mao Mao and get on his good side, too. That cat is a ticking time bomb.


    After saying goodbye to Elder Ling, he walked back to the residence hall. By the time he arrived, it was very late at night. Fortunately, he didn''t have any classes to attend. That night he had a lot of trouble sleeping, and all he could see as he went to bed were bright, five-colored characters dancing in his dreams.

 14 Wang Jun

    Cha Ming woke up the next morning to the sound of a turning key. His locked door opened softly until sunlight lit up his bed. A short figure with long blond hair was looking through the crack in the door. He seemed to realize that another person was in the room and shut the door softly.


    Cha Ming sighed and got up. It looks like I have a roommate now. Better get up quickly and let him in.


    He got up and brushed his teeth, washed his face, and put on a set of clean clothes. It was past breakfast time, but he would have preferred to sleep for a couple of more hours. Finally, he opened the door only to see the blond-haired male sitting cross-legged. The man was slender and seemed to be the same age as Cha Ming, and he gave off an aura of being detached from material possessions. The young man slowly opened his eyes and smiled.


    "My apologies for waking you up this morning. Most cultivators get up at dawn, so I assumed you would not be in the room at this time. I will make sure to knock in the future." The youth slowly got up¡ªhe was wearing simple green robes, but his demeanor was anything but simple. After getting up, he clasped his hands and gave a light bow, which Cha Ming reciprocated.


    "My name is Wang Jun, and I assume that you are my roommate, Cha Ming. I was a little late in my travels, and so I''ve only just arrived. My circumstances are a little special, so the academy has made an exception for my tardiness. I hope that I can take you out for supper tonight to make up for the inconvenience." Wang Jun smiled sincerely.


    Cha Ming couldn''t think of any reason to turn him down, and he should probably be on good terms with the person he would share a room with for the school year. Realizing that Wang Jun was still standing outside of what was technically also his own room, Cha Ming opened the door and invited him in.


    Wang Jun had only been carrying a single briefcase, but out of this briefcase he pulled out several changes of robes, some light crystals for his desk, pens, and many stacks of paper. He immediately began to pore through papers with a focused expression on his face.


    What a hard worker, thought Cha Ming. Surely he must either have supplementary studies to complete or he belonged to an aristocratic or merchant family he needed to manage. Seeing this, Cha Ming sat on his bed and cultivated for a few hours, after which he went to lunch. Wang Jun was too busy to eat, but he insisted that he only needed to eat once per day and that Cha Ming didn''t need to worry about him.


    Once he got back to his room, Cha Ming began his practice on writing talismans. The first portion of the book was background, simple drills to be completed with a normal brush and ink, and calligraphy exercises. He completed them one after another until suppertime came. Seeing that he''d completed his drills, Wang Jun got up and led Cha Ming out of the academy.


    As they walked, Cha Ming took the opportunity to look around the city. He had never gotten a chance to look around the entertainment district in Green Leaf City, as he had only been to the Hong family''s house, the central square, and the school. Once they entered the entertainment district, everything changed. While the city looked fairly run down but still well maintained, the entertainment district looked brand new. In contrast to the stone construction of most of the city, this district seemed to keep true to the city''s name. Lush trees, bamboos, and other foliage could be seen everywhere. Trellises were quite popular everywhere as well. The roads were no longer made from gray stone either; it seemed that no expense was spared and the roads were constructed with a hard red-tinted wood that softened everyone''s steps as they walked. The chirping of birds could be made out between the occasional pauses in everyone''s conversations.


    Eventually they made their way to a large restaurant. The restaurant was built with the same wooden d¨¦cor as every other building, but in front there was a unique fence made of jade-green bamboo. Over the door of the restaurant was a sign written in gold characters that said Jade Bamboo Restaurant. At the doors, a man was greeting guests. He frowned slightly, about to shoo them away until Wang Jun flashed a purple jade token to him. He immediately straightened and bowed to the two students. "Young Master Wang, if you could please follow me, I will lead you to the manager. He will be able to properly seat and assist you."


    Cha Ming had been impressed before, but now he was shocked. How could the host already know Wang Jun if he had just arrived today?


    Wang Jun smiled sheepishly and explained the situation. "The Jade Bamboo establishments are all owned by my family. I have been temporarily assigned to handle an assignment here in Green Leaf City. I just showed him a Wang Family authority jade. It is necessary for conducting business transactions on behalf of the family." They continued into the restaurant, after which they were greeted by a cultivator in green robes.


    "Master Wang, greetings to yourself and your guest."


    This figure was quite distinguished, with white hair. While he emanated an aura of superiority, he was quite subservient. Finally, he brought the two to a private balcony on the second floor. Wang Jun ordered a couple of dishes and insisted that Cha Ming pick a few, so he chose a few unique-sounding vegetable dishes. The menu did not have prices, so he wasn''t sure if he was being impolite. The older man bowed and went to bring their order to the kitchen.


    "I always prefer these private balconies on the second floor. There are a total of five of them in each Jade Bamboo Restaurant, and they give a full view of the guests in attendance." Wang Jun motioned to the tables below. "Only the most high-class citizens of Green Leaf City can afford to eat here. Of course, you are my friend, and anytime you visit this establishment, you''ll receive the most distinguished service free of charge. Of course, don''t abuse this privilege too much, or you''ll run us out of business." Wang Jun chuckled while covering his mouth, making Cha Ming wonder if he was just a handsome guy or a girl in disguise. He had read many Chinese novels in the past, and this seemed to be a common thing.


    "I am originally from Gold Leaf City," he continued. "I come from a fairly wealthy business family. Our family does not vie for political power, and instead focuses on making money. I have seven brothers and sisters. Since I have four older siblings, I have been sent abroad to help the family business. What about yourself?"


    At this point, the food arrived. The preparation was truly too fast, and he had a feeling that powerful cultivators may have had something to do with it. As if to answer his question, Wang Jun chuckled and explained that these dishes had been prepared by high-quality spirit chefs. These foods were not only delicious but also beneficial to cultivation. Now Cha Ming understood why only the upper class could eat here, as such chefs and ingredients must be in high demand.


    They quickly helped themselves to the food. Cha Ming told his story, from his humble origins as a cow herder to his journey to the school, and his recent adventures pursuing talisman crafting. Cha Ming had a very good first impression of Wang Jun, so he did not spare many details. When Wang Jung heard Cha Ming mention his adventures in five-element cultivation, he frowned.


    "I think you have the wrong impression of the five-element cultivation technique," said Wang Jun. Taking a sip of his tea, he closed his eyes briefly and continued. "Where I come from, it is quite a prestigious technique. It is very difficult to be lucky enough to cultivate it, and it has very high comprehension requirements on the user. Five-element cultivation is much more powerful than four-element cultivation because the full cycle of five elements both reinforces and destroys at every point. The advantages don''t typically get realized until later on." He then shot Cha Ming a strange look.


    "We all have our secrets, but I''ll get straight to the point. I have a very special talent, a talent in appraisals. I am able to look at an item and instantly judge its relative value. I am also able to look at any cultivator and tell his talent, the grades of his techniques, etc. While you say you''ve been practicing five-element cultivation, I happen to know that the school only contains one version of it, which is graded as a bronze technique. This version is incomplete. However, when I look at you, I don''t see the glow that a bronze cultivation technique would bring.


    "You see, each cultivation technique gives off a certain aura. This aura is difficult to spot until you''ve reached a certain cultivation, but I am an exception to the rule. A bronze technique would give off a bronze aura, a silver technique a silver aura, and a gold technique a gold aura. Even higher than that and I would see a purple aura, which only a select few geniuses on this continent would cultivate. This is curious because I do not see any of these colors on you, only a pure white aura.


    "The current versions of the five-element cultivation technique are the lesser, middle, and greater five-element cultivation techniques. There is no purple-level technique that I know of. Therefore it is curious that the aura you give off is white. There is no need to share your secrets, and I realize you could be in a difficult position, but I won''t pry. However, I would suggest that you don''t be self-deprecating when mentioning your cultivation technique. The technique is very prestigious abroad, and the ones who criticize it don''t know how high the heavens are or how low the earth is." Wang Jun continued sipping tea and refilling their cups, while Cha Ming stayed deep in thought. Before he knew it, a full hour had passed.


    Looking at Wang Jun, he smiled. "Thank you for not prying. I do have some secrets that I wish to keep. Perhaps one day I will be able to tell you."


    Wang Jun smiled, waving it off. After all, he definitely had his own, much darker secrets.


    --


    A week passed by quickly as Cha Ming worked furiously at his drills for making talismans. The next set of training drills involved imbuing regular ink with qi and guiding its spiritual force while he practiced the calligraphy outlined in his book. As he practiced, he noticed that his training speed had improved significantly. He made sure to use his qi evenly to maintain a balance between the elements. As he practiced his calligraphy drills, it became less and less taxing on his spiritual force.


    He asked about this during another match of Angels and Devils with Elder Ling. His teacher explained that while his level of cultivation would have a large impact on which talismans he could make, his soul could also be trained by constantly controlling spiritual force, similar to how a muscle is trained.


    Of course, Cha Ming had remembered to buy something for Mr. Mao Mao. He bought him a shiny pendant, and while Mr. Mao Mao did not seem to appreciate the pendant itself, he appreciated the show of subservience.


    By the second week, Cha Ming was learning to write out the most basic low-level talismans: Lesser Recovery talisman, Lesser Flare talisman, Lesser Wall talisman, Lesser Shield talisman, and Lesser Frost talisman. Apparently, writing the character "lesser" to start off a talisman intentionally reduced its power. It also reduced the use in qi and spiritual power. While these characters were already fairly weak¡ªfrost being weaker than ice, which was in turn weaker than blizzard¡ªthey were a little too powerful for grade-one talismans and much too draining for beginners.


    At first it took him a half hour for each talisman, then twenty minutes, then ten, and finally five. At five minutes per talisman, he seemed to reach some kind of bottleneck. Eventually he realized that he''d finished all of the ink that was given to him. He had made ten of each of the five talismans with a failure rate of approximately fifty percent. From what he understood, anything above thirty-three percent success was quite good, and a success rate of twenty-five percent had been assumed when Elder Ling had gathered his starting materials.


    By the end of the second week, Hong Xun finally came back from his adventure. He took everyone out for supper after returning. Not only did they have an above-average trip, he had also broken through to the sixth level of qi condensation, which was cause for celebration. Hong Xin was relieved. She had missed her brother terribly, and she didn''t appreciate playing board games or sparring like Cha Ming did.


    That week, Cha Ming, Hong Xin, Feng Ming, Gong Lan, and Wang Jun attended their second fundamentals class. Wang Jun had been exempt from the first class and had spent the past two weeks working away in their room and cultivating, as well as taking long trips to town for business. Cha Ming wondered if he actually needed to attend school or if he was simply using it as a front so that people would underestimate him.


    While classes continued, Cha Ming practiced another four lesser low-grade talismans for each element to build a strong foundation. The five-minute barrier seemed to eventually fade away with experience, and the talismans could simply be completed as a thirty-second calligraphy exercise. That week, he finished twenty-five talismans, and his success rate shot up to ninety percent. Elder Ling was shocked at his progress and instructed him to not waste his time on first-grade talismans any longer and gifted him with a book of grade-two talismans. The book contained instructions on ten talismans, two for each element. It was gifted with the intent of keeping him busy for a few weeks.


    One week later, Elder Ling was floored again. Cha Ming had completed ten of each assigned talisman in only a single week, and the number of talismans implied that he had a fifty-percent success rate as opposed to the usual twenty-five. He was truly a highly talented child. To bring him down a notch, he gifted him another book of ten talismans for each element, this time for third-grade talismans. Third-grade talismans were the peak of the lesser mortal-grade talismans.


    This time it took Cha Ming two weeks to complete seven talismans for each element. His success rate had been knocked down to thirty-five percent, which was still above average but quite believable. Since Cha Ming had already broken through to the fourth level of qi condensation, Elder Ling decided to push him a little further with fourth-grade talismans. After two weeks, Cha Ming returned with only five of each. Still, his talent was indeed quite high. Most cultivators could not make talismans at their same level of cultivation. Instead they needed to reduce it by one or two levels. While it was not economical for Cha Ming to make fourth-level talismans, as he was only breaking even, it was still rare for someone to be able to achieve this.


    Since he seemed to have reached a plateau in crafting talismans, Cha Ming decided that he should really upgrade his battle techniques. Alas, he was too poor. Once he explained his problem to Wang Jun, the latter nearly fell off his bed laughing. After recovering, he sat on his bed and explained.


    "You are literally printing money, and you''re concerned about money. It truly baffles me." Wang Jun shook his head mockingly.


    Cha Ming was confused. He''d had a feeling that his talismans were worth something, but he had never looked into it or been taught by his teacher.


    "I saw you writing out mortal-grade-one talismans about six weeks ago. Each of these are worth about four spirit stones each, and the materials are worth about one spirit stone each. At a twenty-five percent success rate, you break even.


    "Grade-two talismans are worth about twenty spirit stones each, and materials cost roughly five spirit stones each. Grade-three talismans are worth fifty spirit stones each, and grade-four talismans are worth two hundred spirit stones each. I happen to have an eidetic memory. If my deductions on your rate of crafting and approximate paper and ink usage are correct, and accounting for your failure rate, which I judge based on you crumpling a talisman and throwing it into the garbage can, and the number of talismans you need to turn in, I would guess that you have about 1,645 grade-one talismans, 250 grade-two talismans, and 100 grade-three talismans. Is this correct?"


    Cha Ming gaped at him, astonished. The number was spot on. Was his friend having him monitored? After all, Wang Jun was away for at least four hours daily. Slowly, he nodded his head.


    "No need to be surprised. I''m very good at this sort of thing," he continued. "Now, talismans are usually sold fairly quickly and low-level talismans like yours are in high demand. They are essentially a commodity and can be traded like money at seventy-five percent of their price in shops. If you do a bit of math, you''ll find that your talismans are worth approximately 18,300 spirit stones at retail value. Their liquid value is about 13,700. So tell me, are you lacking in spirit stones? Also, you can likely get five contribution points per value in spirit stones if you trade them to Elder Ling. So tell me, are you lacking contribution points?"


    Cha Ming paled, realizing something, and he gasped. "You''re telling me¡­"


    Wang Jun''s otherwise temperate demeanor was lit up with an expectant smile.


    "Wang Jun¡­" Cha Ming said gravely, "I''ve basically lost 15,000 to 20,000 spirit stones in the past four weeks improving my talisman-crafting skills!"

 15 Soul Pearl Manifestation

    Wang Jun stared at Cha Ming in shock, then burst out laughing.


    "En, yes! Absolutely correct! You could have made 15,000 to 20,000 more spirit stones if you''d focused on only grade-one talismans. But that may be a little too narrow-minded. Currently, you can expect to earn a profit of 4,250 to 6,000 per week making grade-one talismans, 2,500 to 5,000 per week with grade-two talismans, and 0 to 3,400 when making grade-three talismans. Unless you have a good buyer, you''re slightly losing out on grade-three talismans and losing out big on grade-four talismans. However, you''ve also improved your skill.


    "When your cultivation increases and your talisman crafting improves, your success rate and crafting rate for grade-two talismans should skyrocket. Let''s say you''re currently making 2,250 grade-one talismans per week, at a ninety-percent success rate. If you can make half as many grade-two talismans, you could make up to 16,250 spirit stones per week! So think of these ''lost'' spirit stones as an investment. So far you''ve paid 20,000 spirit stones to learn, and you can make it up in one week in the future. Also note that you''re able to craft talismans of your cultivation level. While they are expensive, they will be a valuable lifeline in the future. You also get them at cost, without having to sell them through an intermediary." Wang Jun was looking quite pleased with himself. This was his area of expertise, after all, and everyone loved talking about their own interests.


    Thinking about it more, Wang Jun added, "I happen to have connections at the Jade Bamboo Auction House in town. If you have any leftover talismans after you trade them in for contribution points, I can get you ninety percent retail price for them. Honestly, for you, contribution points are currently the most effective route, but don''t underestimate the value of money! Also, I advise that you keep some for yourself. Talismans can be extremely useful in life-threatening circumstances. After all, the heavens are jealous of the talented." His eyes momentarily darkened, after which he walked to his desk and continued to focus on his work.


    Seeing that his friend wanted to be left alone, he made his way to Elder Ling''s house. After a brief discussion, Elder Ling agreed to take 10,000 spirit stones'' worth of assorted talismans for 50,000 contribution points, which he transmitted to his Green Leaf jade. As for money, he didn''t want to be bothered with it and offered Cha Ming seventy percent of market value. He was not a storefront, after all. He heaved a sigh of relief once he saw that Cha Ming would take care of it on his own. Before Cha Ming took off, Elder Ling gave him a few words of advice.


    "Cha Ming, my student, while talisman crafting is a very fulfilling career and quite lucrative, to advance in cultivation you should go out adventuring a little. I have a suggestion for you." The eccentric elder took out a book from his shelf and handed it over to Cha Ming.


    "This is a book of various ingredients that you can find throughout the world for mortal-grade talisman ink. Quite a few of them can be found in Green Leaf Forest. Meanwhile, you could go out with some of your friends. Any herbs you turn in can be exchanged for contribution points. While some people might have moral qualms about hunting the beasts in the forest unless they have to, if they come to fight you, its okay to fight back. If they don''t run away it, would even be all right to kill them. This experience will also help temper your battle techniques and even your cultivation." Elder Ling went to his desk and retrieved a list of medicinal ingredients and expensive alchemical ingredients.


    Cha Ming accepted the list, nodding. Makes sense, and it would be a shame to be gifted in creating talismans but not be able to make your own ink.


    Ink was very specific to the type of talisman, after all. Perhaps he could eventually learn some elementary alchemy and be able to blend the herbs himself.


    --


    Cha Ming was in quite a good mood after having gained 50,000 contribution points. He calmly walked down the streets and looked at the beautiful scenery. He was imagining what kind of fierce battle techniques he could obtain. The last time he was at the library, he only had a pittance. Surely 50,000 contribution points would get him something good.


    His heart bled when he recalled his initial 1,000 contribution points and remembered that he would once again have to split his points for each element. Specializing definitely had its advantages. As he approached, he noticed a long line and queued up.


    The wait seemed a lot longer than it actually was. After an hour, he finally made it into the library. On the first floor, he was greeted by Elder Xiao, who was quite happy to see him. He didn''t get to go out too often, and a friendly face was always welcome. After explaining his thoughts, Elder Xiao thought for a moment. 50,000 contribution points, while not normally a small number, was indeed quite limiting for Cha Ming.


    After a few minutes of thinking, Elder Xiao decided to bring Cha Ming to the second floor. "The first floor doesn''t have a lot to offer you," said Elder Xiao. "The most expensive technique there is 5,000 contribution points. One the second floor, the cheapest technique is 2,000 contribution points, while the most expensive is 50,000."


    Upon hearing this, Cha Ming realized that he was a lot less rich than he thought he was. He could blow his whole fortune on a single technique!


    "There are quite a few bronze and silver techniques on the second floor, but the amount of merit required to enter higher floors is very astronomical," explained Elder Xiao. "That being said, you''ve somehow earned 50,000 contribution points in a couple of months. This amount is truly staggering. Did you pick up a lucrative profession?"


    "I''ve begun learning the art of talisman crafting from Elder Ling," Cha Ming said. While this made sense, Cha Ming could tell by the expression on Elder Xiao''s face that he was still quite surprised that someone could make so much in a year, much less a couple of months. His curiosity piqued, Elder Xiao continued.


    "If your earning power is so high, I believe I have something that''s suitable for you. You could consider it a very strong foundation technique. It takes a while to master, but when it is mastered, it can be used to build up other techniques.


    "These techniques are not very strong on their own, as they are single-element techniques," said Elder Xiao. There is one for each element, and they are collectively called the Soul Pearl manifestation techniques. It seems like the technique was made for dual-element cultivators. At its strongest, it can use about eighty percent of a dual-element cultivators'' qi for a single element."


    Eighty percent? That seemed a little too coincidental. The technique was clearly made for perfect five-element cultivation. No one would know, but that was exactly 100% of Cha Ming''s qi pool. Seeing Cha Ming''s excitement, he continued.


    "The advantage of the technique is that with spiritual force, you can control many types of qi at the same time. The qi is focused into soul pearls and kept separate, so they don''t interfere with one another. Initial mastery of the technique controls twelve pearls, mid-level mastery controls up to thirty-six pearls, high-level mastery controls seventy-two pearls, and perfection of the technique controls a hundred and eight. You can also mix and match the different levels. Once one has attained mid-level mastery, there is the option to learn combination techniques. These are quite expensive, and we keep them on the third floor. In the future, I am sure you will be able to afford them.


    "The combination technique forms the pearls into more complicated arrays, which augments its power. This augmentation is not additive, it is multiplicative. Thirty-six pearls would then have the power of a hundred and eight pearls. This is why these gold-level techniques are on the third floor. A dual-element cultivator can explode with 160% of the power that a normal gold-level single-element technique could. There are ten possible combinations for the technique."


    Cha Ming was very intrigued by this. "How much is it for a single technique?" he asked.


    "Twelve thousand!" replied the elder.


    Cha Ming paled¡ªhe couldn''t afford that! He would need to go back and sell his talismans, and then he would be broke. Seeing Cha Ming''s resigned look, the Elder chuckled.


    "That is the normal price of the technique. It can also be sold as a set for 50,000 contribution points. Also, since the scrolls take a while to master, they can be kept for six months."


    Cha Ming''s face regained a bit of color. While it was still very expensive, he could at least afford it. It was almost as if the technique was tailor-made for him.


    Finally, Cha Ming nodded, and the Elder obtained illusory scrolls of the technique. Fifty thousand contribution points gone, just like that! Elder Xiao consoled him, saying it was all worth it in the long run. That led Cha Ming to thinking: How much were the combination techniques? Once he got the door, he finally mustered up the courage to ask.


    "Elder Xiao¡­ please don''t tease this young one, how many contribution points do the combination techniques cost?"


    As the door was shutting Elder Xiao yelled, "Nothing much, just fifty million! You can do it. I believe in you!"


    Cha Ming fainted on the spot.


    --


    Two hours later, Cha Ming woke up to the sound of an ink brush. The brushing stopped, and Wang Jun muttered softly, "You''re awake."


    Cha Ming rubbed his eyes and was surprised to find that he was in his bed. Looking over to the desks, he saw Wang Jun working away. He continued for five minutes, after which he stacked a pile of papers together neatly, looking rather satisfied. By then Cha Ming was sitting on the bed, making sure he hadn''t suffered any internal injuries due to the shock of fainting. He figured he was fortunate not to have suffered any lasting damage.


    "I heard from Elder Xiao, who brought you here, that you''d literally fainted after hearing the contribution point requirement for the combination Soul Pearl manifestation techniques. I''ve never laughed so hard in my life. It''s the first time I''ve heard of such a thing happening. Relax, my friend. It''s really not a lot of money." Wang Jun was smiling lightly. Somehow in the time that he was finishing his paperwork, he had made tea for both of them. They sat down on the floor outside the room, breathing in the fresh evening air.


    "You need to realize that these fifty million contribution points only amount to ten million spirit stones. These are lesser-quality spirit stones that we currently use to trade. Ten thousand low-quality spirit stones can be traded in for a single mid-quality spirit stone, and ten thousand of these can be traded for high-quality spirit stones. So these five techniques are only worth a tenth of a high-quality spirit stone. You''ll soon find that this is no great fortune.


    "There''s no point in me elaborating on the total income of the kingdom; you will have no reference point, and this point is a bit far removed from your current situation. Really, you also need to take into account that it''s very difficult to gain these types of skills anywhere else. Schools, sects, and kingdoms guard skills like hawks and accumulate them over many generations. It''s actually very convenient that the schools make it so easy to obtain them. I estimate that by the time you get to the ninth level of qi condensation, you will be able to afford the techniques."


    They continued to drink their tea, admiring the frosty leaves on the trees. The cold could easily be dispelled by cultivators, and there was no need for additional clothes as it was an automatic function provided by the body of any cultivator. It was the same for avoiding the rain, drying off, and avoiding the heat¡ªall very useful things for an adventuring cultivator. This was, of course, unless you voluntarily wanted to feel these sensations.


    "Brother Jun, I''ve been assigned to a task by Elder Ling to gather medicinal herbs in the forest. He suggested it would be good experience to wander out and adventure, and we could cobble together some contribution points. I understand that you''re quite wealthy, but it would be nice to have you along." Cha Ming looked at Wang Jun hopefully.


    After thinking for a bit, Wang Jun said that he would need two weeks to settle some things before heading out, and he could leave for two weeks at most due to the ongoing negotiation of several business deals. Cha Ming was overjoyed.


    Just as he was about to rush out of the room to recruit his other friends, Wang Jun called him back and handed him a bright green jade card. The card was etched in darker green with a bamboo forest.


    "I had Auction Master Xie draft up this simple trade contract. You don''t even need to bind it, as it is an offer from the Jade Bamboo Auction House itself. It simply states that you can trade in any number of talismans with a minimum total value of 5,000 spirit stones for eighty-five percent of the retail price.


    "Of course, this offer is a little disproportionate to the usual value of the talismans, but consider this a future investment on their part due to my recommendation. If you can trade in 50,000 points'' worth in one transaction, you can get ninety percent. If you can trade 500,000 points'' worth you can obtain ninety-five percent value. This is because of three reasons: first, the cost of the transaction will reduce relative to the sale price above 50,000. Above 500,000, they can be sold at auction for slightly higher than retail price due to shortages in supply. Last, the auction house values friendship and hopes you remember the favor when you have large value items to transact or when they are looking to commission work.


    "In addition, I made them add a clause which states that you can buy raw ingredients from them at a twenty percent discount. This way your margins on making talismans will increase significantly." Wang Jun patted his shoulder and went back to working at his desk. His pace seemed to have increased compared to before.


    Wang Jun is very thoughtful, thought Cha Ming. The matter had just been brought up that morning, and as soon as he came back he had a no-strings-attached trade contract ready for him. Wasn''t Brother Jun a little too proactive? Of course, Cha Ming was one who valued friendship greatly, and the thoughtfulness of the gesture was not something he''d soon forget.


    Over the course of the next day, he sought out Hong Xun, Hong Xin, Gong Lan, and Feng Ming. Hong Xun wasn''t very interested in going since he''d already been out for several weeks. Hong Xin, however, was very enthusiastic. She''d never left the city, after all, and she was very excited to see the outside world. They had a whole two weeks to prepare, so her brother assured Cha Ming that he would make sure she prepared for the trip properly. As her elder brother, he was very worried for his sister and would likely spend the next two weeks telling stories about his previous adventures.


    Gong Lan had been out adventuring a few times in the past several weeks. She was always out adventuring due to her idolization of her brother, and she just happened to be back. Still, she jumped on the opportunity right away. Feng Ming hadn''t been out yet, and he''d gotten similar advice from his family on adventuring.


    Now that the group had been assembled, they started to prepare for the adventure. There were too many things to do, now that he thought about it. He would need supplies for traveling, food, and water. While he had his staff, he would feel a lot more comfortable after he achieved a certain level of mastery over his Soul Pearl manifestation technique. Above all else, he needed information.


    Information was quite crucial to adventuring. In addition to knowing which herbs to gather, they would need to know about the various animals, the different regions in the forest that were safe for them to explore at their level, and any prohibited zones in the forest. This sort of information was not difficult to find. After all, adventuring was the lifeblood of the city. He was able to find this information and obtain a map of the least dangerous areas of the forest for ninety spirit stones. Realizing that he was broke again, he then proceeded to the Jade Bamboo Auction House.


    The Jade Bamboo Auction House was located in the commercial district. It occupied a central position among the nearby shops and sported the same Jade Bamboo Forest signature at the front. Unlike the entertainment district, the commercial district was a lot more pragmatic. The entertainment district was built to keep people inside the entertainment district. The commercial district decorated their shops individually to attract attention, and the publicly owned streets were left clean but very plain. Businesses that performed well could afford a central location and a beautiful shop, while those who did poorly were shoved to the outskirts and alleys.


    The Jade Bamboo Auction House was built out of stone, using its signature jade bamboo garden to advertise. They were very well reputed and offered a guarantee of quality on anything they auctioned. Some auction houses would offer speculative treasures, leaving it up to the customer to sift through the trash. The Jade Bamboo emphasized trust and quality. Higher-quality items had pedigrees, while items that were not normally valuable as a single unit could only be found in larger quantities.


    As a result, the various guilds, schools, aristocratic families, etc. would shop there, as they would need to expend a lot of effort to gather large quantities of items otherwise. It was more worthwhile to have the auction house gather them and sell them at a premium every week or so. These were not commodity goods, after all, and they were difficult to acquire in numbers, even with a storefront. Every once in a while, the auction house would have items shipped in and auctioned off to the various families that did not have good connections in larger cities.


    As it was his first time at such an establishment, Cha Ming built up his courage and headed toward the entrance.

 16 The Bloody Rosary

    As Cha Ming walked into the building, he was taken in by the elegance of the Jade Bamboo Auction House. The interior was tiled in white marble, with black tiles making runic patterns across the expansive floor. There were various desks that performed daily business and took bids for long-term auctions. This was a popular method of selling things like property, large amounts of ore, herbs, and beasts. These desks were made of white wood with a green jade countertop. Here and there were small bamboo forests that concealed tables for conducting business. These were for either VIPs or customers that needed the auction house to act as a guarantor, insurer, or witness.


    Truly a license to print money, he thought.


    The auction house was the hub of the Jade Bamboo businesses in the city. Anything could be transferred from the other core businesses in other cities, even information. He secretly wondered if one could hire assassins there. Everything else seemed available, so it was not a small possibility. Of course, it was not something they would advertise.


    After waiting in line for some time, he approached one of the jade desks, where a beautiful attendant stood. She seemed very aloof and immediately judged Cha Ming by his age and simple clothes. He assumed her pay was heavily based on commission, and so she likely thought he was wasting her time. It didn''t help that he seemed extremely uncertain, as if he didn''t belong there.


    "What do you want?" she asked gruffly.


    Cha Ming was a little taken aback. He didn''t offend her in any way. But he also didn''t want to wait in line once again, so he stated his purpose. "I have some items that I need to sell. Would you be able to help me?"


    "You can sell your junk at any common shop," she said haughtily. "This is the Jade Bamboo Auction House, and we only do quality business here. Go somewhere else. You''re wasting my time."


    She then looked to the next customer to have them come up. Cha Ming frowned. He thought for a bit and realized that if he had brought up his sales contract, he might have received a different reaction.


    The world is unfair to the poor, he thought with a sigh. He brought out the green jade that Wang Jun had given him.


    As soon as the green jade landed on the desk, the attendant paled. A door opened behind the desks, after which a friendly man with black hair and a black beard walked out. He was wearing green robes very similar to those Wang Jun wore.


    "Distinguished guest, my apologies for the misunderstanding. I am Manager Li. Miss Su here will be suspended for a week in order to apologize to you. Miss Su, please bow to our guest in apology." The softly spoken middle-aged man stood with his hands behind his back. Miss Su trembled and bowed in apology.


    As she was about to leave, Cha Ming spoke. "That is unnecessary, Manager Li. I am sure she has learned not to judge youngsters by their appearance."


    It wasn''t that he didn''t think she deserved it; he simply wanted to cause as little trouble as possible for Wang Jun. After all, he was here on Brother Jun''s recommendation, and he didn''t know how much authority his friend had.


    "Since our guest has requested it, you are excused from this punishment. Miss Su, please remember his magnanimity. Mister Du, please come this way to one of our bamboo tea gardens where we can discuss your business."


    Cha Ming was quite surprised that the manager knew his name. He was not a famous figure, after all.


    After they walked into one of the secluded bamboo groves, he noticed that the inside appeared much larger than the outside. Inside the garden there were flowers, birds chirping, and jade-colored bamboo as far as the eyes could see. If he were to guess, he could see about 500 feet off into the distance. Yet he knew that he had just stepped into a twenty-square-foot garden.


    "I understand that it is your first time here, Mr. Du. Earlier today we received instructions from Auction Master Xie to treat you as a distinguished guest. As to how I recognized you, I believe you are the only sixteen-year-old youngster in the city with brown hair and hazel eyes that could procure a jade sales contract. There are perhaps three of these contracts in the city, the others being white, bronze, silver, and gold contracts."


    Cha Ming had truly underestimated Wang Jun''s status in this city. To be able to convince the auction manager to give out such a rare contract in this city to such a lowly figure as himself proved that his friend simply had too much influence in this city. In fact, how was he even qualified to be Wang Jun''s classmate? The more he thought about it, the more he suspected Wang Jun''s presence at the academy was a front or a ruse.


    Noticing his surprise, Manager Li continued. "A jade contract is actually not built on the premise of making money but on the premise of establishing friendship. Typically, it is reserved for high-level political interactions, so the amounts are limited. I am not sure what your relationship to Master Xie is, but I assure you that you will get the best of care. In addition, you can expect the same treatment at any of our Jade Bamboo establishments. In addition, the card itself contains your picture and description, therefore none of the establishments will dare doubt its authenticity or think you stole it."


    As he spoke, he continued to pour tea on the wet tea table. He used the traditional way of brewing the tea, making only one small cup at a time for each of them from the fresh leaves.


    "This bamboo forest is isolated from the rest of the rest of the auction house, using a spatial formation. As such, you can feel comfortable revealing any business you might have."


    The middle-aged man smiled and waited patiently while pouring tea. Cha Ming had already separated a number of talismans that he wished to keep. After receiving the large stack of talismans, Manager Li flipped through them and took a look at the jade contract. He then withdrew a pile of spirit stones from his bag and stored the talismans in his own bag.


    He then gestured to the pile. "As per the contract, you are entitled to 5,500 spirit stones. While we don''t store any materials here, I noticed that your contract mentions talisman-crafting materials. If you specify what you need, we can have them gathered and sent to your place within twenty-four hours."


    Now that Manager Li mentioned it, Cha Ming would need a special kind of inscription ink that could be used to manufacture the soul pearls he would use for his Soul Pearl manifestation technique. While he wouldn''t be able to afford a full set of top-quality pearls, he could at least ensure that he had enough to make a full low-grade set.


    "Manager Li, if you would be so kind, I would like to purchase two hundred portions each of low-grade emerald regeneration inscription ink, low-grade cinnabar blaze inscription ink, low-grade silver piercing inscription ink, and low-grade earth pulse inscription ink, and low-grade Frost Mist inscription ink. Are 4,500 spirit stones sufficient?"


    After receiving a nod and a smile from Li, he swept away the remaining 1,000 spirit stones. Their business concluded, he exited the auction house in search of the remaining components: soul pearls.


    --


    Soul pearls were not a common commodity, but neither were they rare. The people who usually used them were people who practiced monastic arts, like Daoist priests, Buddhist monks, or exorcists. The usual function of these pearls was to bind and restrict, though many of the professions used them to train their soul power.


    Cha Ming''s nose wrinkled as he walked slowly through a run-down shop, where a heavy scent of incense floated in the air. He had never liked incense. Perhaps it was because it was usually accompanied by pompous priests when lecturing the masses. Alas, when one hated something, one often forgot the original reason for hating it in the first place.


    As he walked through the shop, he ran his fingers across various baubles and merchandise crammed on small wooden shelves. Here and there, small statues of the Buddha or various famous Daoist figures could be seen, their specially crafted eyes seeming to bore into his soul. There were also small packages of talismans, both fake and magical, strung across the walls. Over ninety percent were fake, and he could tell at first glance which were real and which were imitations.


    One talisman seemed to stand out to him. Although it clearly looked like a fake and was built on what seemed to be the worst of papers, he was overcome with a violent impulse to grab the talisman and run out of the store with it.


    Strange, he thought. He rarely had impulses like that. The run-down talisman was marked at fifty spirit stones for the one talisman and the forty-nine in the bundle. It was also marked with three characters, the characters for good luck (ÐÒÔË) and the number four (ËÄ), a rather unlucky number often associated with death . Clearly, the person who made these forgeries had extremely poor taste.


    After a few moments of hesitation, he finally managed to focus his attention on what was more important: procuring a set of soul pearls. Unfortunately, he was a little out of luck. The cheapest set of 108 was selling for 5,000 spirit stones, meaning that to purchase it, he would need to liquidate more of his talismans.


    Sighing, he started wandering out of the shop. Just as he was about to walk out of the front door, he heard a high-pitched voice call out, "Wait, my friend! Wait!"


    He turned around to the surprising view of a bald man with a thin beard and particularly bad teeth. Bad teeth may have been a bit of an understatement; the man had a total of five teeth remaining in his mouth, which seemed to be barely hanging on for dear life. The ancient-looking man had an extremely hunched back, and he was leaning on his cane as though a slight breeze could push him over.


    "My dearest friend, it''s truly good luck that we''ve met! I haven''t had business all day, and I''m definitely willing to give you the cheapest price!" The old man shot him a crooked smile that reminded Cha Ming of a used-car salesman.


    It never hurt to hear a person out, so he stepped back into the shop and walked back to the counter, where various rosaries of soul pearls hung on the wall.


    "I don''t know if you can help me, sir. What I''m looking for is much more expensive that I can afford," Cha Ming stated. It''s not that he wanted to lower expectations, but he truly couldn''t afford what was displayed in front of him.


    "Pfft. Everything is negotiable, and you can find some amazing deals that you might have never dreamed of in this simple shop of mine." The shifty old man still had a wide grin plastered on his face. "Now tell me, my lucky young friend, what exactly are you looking for?"


    "I''m looking for a set of soul pearls. Unfortunately, it seems like your cheapest set of a hundred and eight are five thousand spirit stones. I only have a thousand spirit stones with me, and unfortunately, I can''t afford more. That''s why I was stepping out of the store just now. It''s simply too much to bargain for." Cha Ming knew that bargaining was very common in these stores, but the price would usually only be reduced by thirty percent. An eighty-percent reduction in price was asking for too much.


    Contrary to his expectations, the man at the counter frowned. "Hm, that is truly difficult. Normally I wouldn''t be able to help you out on such a large discount, but luckily you''ve found the right man!"


    With an excited look, the man in front of him disappeared and returned with a small wooden chest. He quickly opened the wooden chest and withdrew a set of one hundred and eight bloodied pearls. The pearls seemed cracked and cut, and the blood sprinkled over a third of them made Cha Ming think that perhaps this necklace had been bloodied as they were hacked off a poor monk''s neck. A look of revulsion flashed across his face as he fought the urge to vomit.


    "Look, son, these are perfectly serviceable soul pearls. In fact, I think they were probably the best-quality pearls back in the day. I got these pearls for a few thousand pearls some decades ago, but for some reason no one ever wants to buy them. I''m just trying to cut my losses. Tell you what, I''ll sell you these pearls for a thousand spirit stones. Brand new, you probably couldn''t get these for fifty thousand! That''s a hell of a deal!"


    Cha Ming hesitated. Perhaps it was a very good deal, and he could take a chance on these pearls and experiment for a bit. Worst case, he would spend a couple of weeks making talismans, sell them, and come back and get a new set later.


    "Look, that''s taking a huge chance. What if these are cursed? I''d take them for three hundred, but that''s truly the highest I''d pay for these. I''m taking on a big risk!"


    The old man''s eyes flashed with joy as he realized that he might have a taker. He didn''t want to seem too eager, though, so he continued to haggle. "That''s outrageous! I''d only sell them for seven hundred at the very least!"


    "Five hundred, then, take it or leave it." Cha Ming didn''t want to spend too much on a gamble. Finally, after a few minutes of pondering, the old man gave him an aggrieved look as he nodded his head.


    "Fine, I''ll sell them for five hundred spirit stones. It''s a deal." He held out his aged, clawlike hand to close the deal. Cha Ming took his hand and shook it. After he dropped 500 spirit stones on the desk, the man took the pearls out of the box and tossed them over. "But I''m keeping this nice box!"


    Cha Ming laughed as he walked out of the store and grabbed a wad of fake talismans that included the "lucky" talisman. "Fine, then, I''m also taking this wad of fake talismans. Keep your box!" The gleeful shop owner didn''t seem to care and held his breath as Cha Ming walked out of the store.


    --


    "Phew, I thought he''d never fall for it. This is simply my lucky day, I''ve been trying to pawn off that cursed object for years! I never should have killed that monk decades ago."


    As he spoke, his features began to regain vitality. What was once old and wrinkled skin was becoming soft and pink. His teeth seemed to grow back, and so did his hair. The hair continued to grow until it stopped just past his shoulder blades. The man now looked middle-aged and quite handsome.


    "I tried to give those pearls to so many people. I tried to abandon them, destroy them, or slip them into people''s bags as they made purchases. I tried everything! After years of research, I found out that the only way to lift the curse was to get someone to willingly buy the item. After displaying it for decades, no one would buy it! Finally, after having given up on ever recovering from the curse, I put these pearls away only to have this youngster looking for a set of cheap soul pearls.


    "It''s not that I hate you, kid, it''s just that I like my life a lot more than yours. It just wasn''t your lucky day." The old shop that had been in this very alleyway for countless decades closed early that day. Within two hours, the shop had been cleared of all valuables and the building abandoned. Half a day later, the middle-aged man was over a thousand li away, gliding merrily among the clouds.


    --


    Meanwhile, Cha Ming was ignorant about this whole affair. Unbeknownst to him, two strange things were happening inside his storage bag. First, the "lucky talisman" had suddenly vanished. It turned into a white mist that floated out of the bag and crawled up Cha Ming''s shirt and onto his back, between his shoulder blades. A white tattoo of the character for luck (ÐÒÔË) and the number four (ËÄ) appeared on his back and quickly faded away. Shortly after, a bloody aura left the broken rosary in his bag, pouncing on its new owner to continue the curse. The curse transformed into a red mist, which formed a vicious-looking dagger, threatening to stab into his spine.


    As the red mist was about to drill into the unsuspecting Cha Ming, what appeared to be a white claw jumped out from his shoulder blades and grabbed the red mist, crushing it before it even had a chance to escape. Unknowingly, the curse which he had just purchased had been dispelled by the good luck he had just accumulated. The "luck" tattoo on his back glowed white once more. Where there used to be a four (ËÄ), there was now a three (Èý).

 17 Visions in the Dark

    A man was walking in the darkness. He had been walking in this straight line for as long as he could remember. He sometimes ventured to the left and to the right as the need arose, but he was sure that his line was straight, while everything else weaved around him. He had a direction, so he was always in the right place. He had guidance, so he was always on the right side. He had the Sight, so he was always on time. What more could he ask for?


    The darkness slowly faded as he walked through what seemed to be a picture frame formed purely from golden runes. The darkness was slowly painted a dark blue hue and speckled with bright white spots shining in the distance. Stars, stars he recognized. The shining white specks formed constellations in what seemed to be a clear blue sky. Familiar constellations appeared in the sky: the Warrior, signaling that war was on the horizon; the Serpent, signaling that evil was on the rise and would be victorious; and finally, his own personal star, the Seer, nestled closely to another constellation, the King. This was not all he could see, of course. The Sight was a wonderful thing, and these dreams that other people might ignore gave him countless insights on the path that he should take.


    Soon the starry skies became a backdrop for the plentiful forest that surrounded him. The forest was teeming with life, and various creatures wandered around in the distance. They didn''t dare get close to the man or anywhere near his path. This was his world, and it was suicide to obstruct him.


    The man was soon walking along a raging river, his black eyes focusing on a sturdy wooden bridge erected across rusty-looking red cliffs. It was a long way down to the river below, and not many people could survive a fall from such a height.


    The man continued walking until the surrounding forest lost its lustre, its vitality. The lush woods became dry and gnarled, their twisted figures seeming as though they were wailing in despair and bemoaning their cruel fate. The padded forest floor, which had previously been covered in layers of leaves and mulch, was now dusted with a black powder; this black powder was constantly swept around by winds, and these winds could not seem to find their way. As he tried to peer farther into the woods, his penetrating bright red pupils were obstructed by a thick layer of white mist.


    The man frowned. He could not see further. Neither could he walk farther, or at least, his footsteps would not take him farther down the path. Strange. This rarely happened. There were not many things in this world that could obscure the Sight.


    The man shrugged as he stepped off in a different direction. This time, he stepped straight out of the current picture frame and into another. This picture frame was very familiar to him, and he could always come here if he needed more clarity. This was his very own painting, his own space.


    He walked through a familiar room and passed a desk he often frequented. He could always tell when something was his, as it carried a special aura that belonged only to him. The aura on these objects was connected to him through tiny white strings that ran back toward him through any obstacle. Only those with the Sight could see these strings.


    He continued through the room until he reached a long hallway. The hallway followed a much larger white string and opened into a large, dimly lit room. He walked toward the center of the room and stopped just shy of the middle. With a wave of his hand, a line seemed to tear through space. This line expanded into a twenty-foot-wide silver circle that floated in the air. The silver circle was blank and did not reflect anything else in the room.


    "Mirror Spirit, show me what I need to know," the man muttered softly. He then sat down cross-legged and peered into the large mirror, which was now covered in darkness. Two stars appeared, and they grew brighter and brighter with every moment. Then several other stars appeared in the sky. He could tell at a glance that these stars only appeared under the support of the two main stars. If these stars disappeared, these other, minor stars would fade away into the darkness. Above them, a constellation manifested itself in all its bright glory and formed a crow, which flew away as it sensed trouble off in the distance. Crows were attracted to danger. They were also attracted to opportunity.


    The two stars continued to grow brighter, and soon they seemed like a brilliant sun, giving life to everything in the cold, dark world. These suns soon solidified and became silver coins. The coin on the left had a bright white rim that shimmered with five colors. In the middle, he could make out a bright pentagram. The pentagram was darker than emptiness itself.


    The coin on the right, on the other hand, was marked with the symbol for yin and yang. Eight trigrams surrounded this symbol, forming every combination of three broken and unbroken. As he saw this dazzling coin, he knew that if he simply picked it up and put it in his pocket, he would gain an unimaginable fortune. However, there were also thin razor edges on the sides of the coin, threatening to bite into anyone who dared to snatch it.


    Suddenly, a large crack appeared on the coin, and it expanded until the coin seemed as though it could shatter at any moment. As the coin started to shatter, its companion coin began to shine brightly as it moved to stabilize the breaking coin. The man frowned as he saw these coins come together, threatening to merge and become one. He could tell that if they fused together, he would never be able to obtain the lucky coin on the right. If he did not grasp the breaking coin, however, it would be lost forever. If he tried to grasp it, he had to be careful not to cut himself on its sharp edges.


    As he reached out for the coin, a white mist appeared and obstructed his hand. He could no longer see it or the other coin or the crow or any of the other stars in the sky. All he could see now was a clear blue sky on silver mirror. The sky was free from any contamination, like a fresh empty canvas just waiting to be painted.


    --


    A man wearing bright white robes suddenly awoke from his meditative trance. He was not shocked by the sudden vision, as these visions had come and gone frequently ever since he had obtained the Sight. Unfortunately, this vision had come at a very bad time. Several plans were currently in motion, and he didn''t have many available pawns he could dispatch to take advantage of this potential opportunity. Or prevent this potential danger.


    After a few minutes of pondering, the man got up and walked over to his desk. There was an inconspicuous black notebook on his desk. He sat down and opened the notebook, flipping through the pages until he found a specific blank page. He then picked up a writing brush and wrote a message.


    "My dearest brother, something has come up. A great danger, but a great opportunity. There''s no one else I trust for this. Can you gather a sizeable force of trusted men and head to these coordinates? I''ll fill you in on the details as you journey. Time is precious."


    After waiting for several minutes, a reply appeared right below his original writing. The writing was sharp, incisive, and clearly not written by someone gifted in calligraphy.


    "I''m tied up now. I can be ready in two weeks. Will that work?"


    The man in white gnashed his teeth as he read the reply. This was too important! Unfortunately, his brother had always been liked this, detached and aloof. There was also no one else to use. After pondering for a moment, he wrote his reply.


    "That works perfectly. Remember, only use people you can trust. Please keep me posted on your progress. I''ll be performing auguries daily to guide your actions. Fate is uncertain."


    After writing the message, he closed the book and slipped it into his bag of holding. He had so little time, and so many things to do. Perfect planning required great effort, after all. What would he ever do without the Sight? What would he ever do without his straight path? The vision was now forced to the back of his mind as various calculations ran through his mind. The mesh of perfect plans tightened and solidified. The great web that he had been weaving for the past few weeks was almost flawless. All he needed now was time.


    --


    Cha Ming was currently seated in a dimly lit cultivation room. He occupied a slightly deeper room in the cultivation pavilion than before, thanks to his recent increase in cultivation. This cultivation room was a little bigger than his previous one; it came complete with a training dummy, which he assumed would be able to handle the maximum output of any student at the third level of qi condensation.


    He had been sitting in his room only a few hours ago, practicing talismans as usual. The delivery he had been expecting from the auction house had come a lot sooner than expected, just six hours after he placed his order. The delivery boy was extremely nervous, to the point that he had almost dropped the package from his shaking hands. Cha Ming managed to calm him down and secure the package, after which the trembling boy bowed deeply and ran off into the distance. Most likely the boy had been warned that he was a VIP. Unfortunately, the warning had the opposite effect, almost leading to the destruction of the package. After the boy had finally left, Cha Ming inspected the contents of the package and swiftly made his way over to the cultivation pavilion. He was very excited to start training his new technique.


    Cha Ming first sat on the training mat and circulated his qi for half a day, until he felt no further progress in his cultivation. Once he achieved his peak condition, he retrieved the five scrolls for each of the Soul Pearl manifestation techniques. All five techniques were quite similar and involved a soul pearl refinement process, a control technique, and advanced control techniques for each level of mastery.


    The refinement of the soul pearls was not a necessary component for the technique. If someone lacked these skills, they would be able to have them refined by someone else. However, the crafting process itself imbued the pearls with a portion of the crafter''s spiritual energy. Refining one''s own pearls would ensure that they were fully compatible, and cultivating the technique afterward would reap twice the rewards for half the effort.


    While Cha Ming had never inscribed an item before, he found that the process was almost identical to crafting talismans. The only difference between the two was that he was now painting a three-dimensional item. The special ink applied, while it would not burst out with the strength of a proper talisman, would permanently strengthen the item and provide a conduit for any qi imbued within the pearls. Soul pearls were far too fragile. Fully refining the soul pearls would ensure that they could not be damaged through normal means. They would gain the defensive power of a mortal-ranked magic item.


    There were a few options available for each element. For example, water could heal, make defensive barriers, harness cold, etc. He split them up into offensive, defensive, and auxiliary functions that made sense according to each element.


    The first inscription talisman he started with was the Frost Mist inscription. A general Frost Mist inscription was too powerful for his level and too expensive, so he had to lessen the inscription by adding low-grade characters. The grade-three inscription was much more affordable. Cha Ming had been surprised to find out that any failed inscriptions would simply vanish from the pearls, saving him the grief of trying to recover a failed component.


    Any ink used could not be recovered and simply vanished into thin air. He failed his first ten attempts but succeeded on the eleventh. The final refined pearl had a chilly metallic sheen to it. It had taken on a baby blue color and was covered in a white frost. After examining the pearl for a few moments, he threw it into the practice dummy. As soon as it landed, an extremely cold mist spread out from the area around the dummy, covering the room in frost. It was his qi, of course. He could choose who it affected.


    Pleased with his success, he retrieved the pearl and stored it in his bag of holding. He then continued his momentum and made eleven more of the same pearls, exhausting half his supply of inscription ink. After he finished the Frost Mist pearls, he moved on to the low-grade silver piercing pearls. These pearls looked metallic. The pearl penetrated deep into the dummy after he threw it. Fortunately, these dummies were made user-friendly and eventually spat out the pearl it had absorbed.


    The mid-grade earth pulse pearl was quite different from the first two. It took on an earthy yellow color, and it did not pierce through the target as efficiently as the silver pearl. Instead it stopped at the surface, after which a vibrational pulse traveled through the whole dummy. This pearl was designed to generate a shock wave that penetrated armor and damaged the internal organs of the target.


    The cinnabar blaze pearls were red and produced a small explosion of flame roughly one meter in diameter upon impact. The emerald regeneration pearls were a little trickier to test. He finally resolved to tear a gash in his arm, after which he gently applied the pearl to his arm and directed wood qi into it. The skin around the pearl took on an emerald hue as the wound on his arm started to close at a rapid pace. As soon as his wounds were completely healed up, the pearl fell off on its own. The process was completely painless.


    Cha Ming now possessed a full set of sixty pearls. He would refine the other ones later as he made progress with the technique. With a wave of his hand, the sixty pearls he had just refined floated into the air and joined the other forty-eight white pearls. The pearls joined together into a rosary, as though they were connected by an invisible thread. Cha Ming wrapped the rosary around his arm and sat down to recover his qi and spiritual energy.


    The next step in the process was training his spiritual control. At last, he would finally learn to apply his spiritual energy outside of talisman crafting!

 18 Learning to Pain

    Cha Ming was sitting inside a meditation chamber in Green Leaf Academy. The young man''s eyes gleamed with excitement, as he had just finished poring over five scrolls of a complicated technique. He had spent the last few hours fantasizing about this very technique, imagining himself executing it at its fullest potential and power. He soon woke up from this fantasy after he tried pouring his spiritual sense into one of the pearls and accidentally shot himself in the foot. Reality was very unforgiving.


    Fortunately, Cha Ming had his set of healing pearls. He imbued the green pearl with wooden qi until it glowed emerald and placed it on his foot. Slowly, his foot started to mend, and within a minute a circular scar appeared where the wound had been. Apparently it was very difficult to bypass the scarring process. Everything healed with time, and the healing pearl simply accelerated the process.


    After this event, he realized two important lessons. The first lesson was that healing skills seemed a lot more effective than they actually were. He had to be careful not to injure any vital points or bones in the future, because who knew what kind of trauma would remain after treatment. The second lesson he learned was that, like learning an instrument, he would probably need to practice.


    The technique scrolls for each element contained drills for controlling each type of pearl. The more he read, the more he realized how fortunate he was for buying the full set of techniques. Each technique was very different and would allow him to practice using his soul power.


    The metal pearl drill was very plain. He first practiced by willing the pearl to move from side to side, from left to right. He would then move it forward and backward, and finally in a triangular, square, and star-shaped pattern. Sharpness and swiftness was key. However, if he moved too swiftly, it would be easy to lose control of the pearl, so it was vitally important to restrain the strength of the pearl so it didn''t travel too far. Once he had fully mastered these movements, he injected metal qi into the sphere, which was akin to adding weight to the small object. What had weighed as much as a coin now weighed several jin, and controlling its rapid speed became very taxing on Cha Ming''s soul.


    Controlling the fire pearl was very different. After injecting fire qi, he used his spiritual force to slowly draw a foot-wide circle with the pearl. Soon, he managed draw the circle quickly enough to make it appear like a small wheel of flame. This wheel of flame reinforced itself and made maintaining the circular path much easier. Once the flame wheel was created, he practiced juggling it between both hands, first in a circular motion and then in a figure eight. After eight revolutions, he would send the pearl out to the dummy, causing a burst of flame; the pearl would then move back in to a circle, and then a figure eight, accumulating energy for its next outburst.


    The next drill was the ice pearl drill. He would make the frosty pearl circle around himself, taking great care in predicting the circular motion without looking. This circle would move around his head, around his waist, and around his legs. He practiced making the circle larger and smaller. Finally, he made the pearl dart out and orbit around the dummy, coating it in a thick layer of white frost. No contact was required.


    The quake drill was very unique. For the first part of the drill, he would drop a pearl straight down, bouncing it off the stony floor to bring it back up to head level. Once it reached its peak, Cha Ming would bring the pearl straight back down with increased force, repeating the process over and over. The process was very similar to how a modern pile driver operated, detonating a charge once it hit the metal pile and using the shock to propel itself upward, only to land back down due to the force of gravity. Once Cha Ming got used to the motion, he practiced increasing the distance between himself and the pearl. Once this aspect was mastered, he practiced increasing the frequency, slamming the yellow sphere down into the ground in a pulsating manner.


    Manipulating the healing pearl required a lot of subtlety. Cha Ming had to practice throwing the pearl and making it stick onto the dummy. Unfortunately, even a healing pearl thrown too roughly could kill or injure someone. He had to use the least amount of force possible to deliver it swiftly to his target.


    Each drill needed to be practiced at least a thousand times to attain perfection, and it was very taxing on both the mind and soul. At first Cha Ming could only control a pearl for five minutes at a time. Eventually he was able to control a single pearl for an hour. Once his stamina reached an hour, he started jogging while performing the drills. Once he mastered them while jogging, he would perform them while doing footwork drills, and finally while attacking the dummy with his staff.


    --


    Seven days later, Cha Ming was covered in sweat from head to toe. He had not changed robes; he hadn''t slept. All he did for these seven days was cultivate and practice his soul pearl techniques. He had just broken through to the fifth level of qi condensation. The strenuous practice had caused his qi quality to improve by leaps and bounds. Every time he exhausted each of his five qi pools, he would meditate to replenish it. Each time, it became a little bit purer. Cha Ming wondered if perhaps the first cultivators began to practice martial arts purely for self-improvement; this was very similar to the way that Shaolin monks and Zen monks practiced martial arts for centuries on Earth, despite being very peace-loving organizations.


    After meditating for half a day and restoring his stamina, he realized that he still had a few days left but had already mastered the first manifestation for each element. He would need more than monotonous practice to be able to control more than the first manifestation. The scrolls had been very vague about the process. Looking at the desk in his room, he realized that he still had over a hundred portions of each type of inscription ink. Why let it go to waste?


    Sitting at the desk, he took out his fire element brush and one of his unpainted pearls. Just as he reached out to dip the brush in ink, he wondered just what kind of talisman brush the white brush was. He had used talisman brushes for long enough to tell that it was indeed one, but in his limited experience, talisman brushes were split up into different elements. While you could use an off-element brush to make talismans, the results would be substandard and prone to failure. Using opposing elements could directly reduce a brush to ashes and cause backlash to the user. Cha Ming''s face was lit up with a thoughtful expression. What if this brush could paint multiple elements? After all, the brush was adorned with the five elements and was covered in elemental runic patterns.


    Picking up the white brush, he moved to the wood-element pot of ink¡ªthat was safest. Wood-element talismans would rarely cause explosions if something went wrong. After a moment of hesitation, he lowered the brush into the pot of ink.


    So far so good, he thought, recalling the first time he had suffered backlash from a brush. The pot of ink had exploded, coating his robes bright crimson and causing them to disintegrate.


    Suppressing this thought in his mind, he drew the ink into his brush. A whole portion of ink was absorbed into the bristles, after which the tip glowed emerald green. On the white brush, runes representing wood glowed softly. This surprised Cha Ming. His experience was shallow after all, and he had never seen a brush have this sort of reaction to ink. Finally, he drew the low-grade emerald healing inscription on a blank pearl. Success! The glow faded from the brush as soon as the inscription was painted.


    Next, he decided to try the Frost Mist inscription. After all, allied elements were fairly compatible. Once again, the brush lit up with a frosty-blue hue, which faded away once the inscription was complete. Before long he had cycled through the silver, quake, and blaze inscriptions. A five-element brush! Not having done a lot of research, he wasn''t sure exactly how rare a five-element brush was. He assumed it was just as rare as people having all five-element combinations. After all, why make a brush for five elements when you could make five specialized ones at a hundredth of the cost? He then realized that he had painted five inscriptions in five tries. Five third-grade talismans. He frowned. His success rate for grade-three talismans used to be 33%. Was it just a coincidence that he had just had a 100% success rate, or was it due to his breakthrough in cultivation?


    Cha Ming loved puzzles. He could spend entire days solving puzzles without pausing to sleep. He was extremely dirty and disheveled after his week-long practice, but he didn''t care. All that mattered was solving this mystery!


    After a full day passed, he had inscribed all forty-eight remaining pearls in the rosary with a single element. He had done this with ninety-percent success! Eventually, his curiosity got the best of him and he exchanged some of his third-grade talismans for twenty portions of fourth-grade talisman ink¡ªhe didn''t have enough time to try more. The result was that he could make fourth-grade talismans with a fifty-percent success rate! At this point he had only expected to be able to make second-grade talismans with a ninety-percent success rate, and third-level talismans with a fifty percent success rate. With the help of the brush, his talisman-crafting rate had become a whole level higher!


    While he was extremely elated with his good fortune, he once again started to ponder. The Clear Sky Brush was a very useful five-element brush. If it was possible for it to contain all five elements, was it possible for soul pearls to do the same? After all, soul pearls did not have a specific elemental alignment. In addition, while the bloody rosary was cracked due to external damage, the pearls themselves seemed to be a much higher quality than the lowest-quality pearls in the store. What would he care if he lost a few pearls while experimenting with such a cheap set? He only needed a set of sixty to execute the first manifestation of the technique, and the remaining pearls were just for backup or in case he was able to master a second manifestation of some other elements.


    After making his decision, he carefully picked up a frosty-blue pearl from the rosary on his wrist. He chose a higher-quality pearl that was free of cracks and chips. If he chose a broken pearl to experiment with, he would never be able to tell. The pearl no longer had an inscription pattern, as the pattern had previously melted into the pearl once the refinement was successful.


    After soaking the brush in green ink, he carefully applied the leafy inscription pattern onto the frosty-blue pearl. The process was a lot more taxing than the original inscription, and while he didn''t make a mistake, the process took twice as long as usual.


    As he completed the last stroke of the emerald healing inscription, the pearl let out a soft glow of acceptance as the rune soaked into the pearl. The pearl had now taken on a teal hue. Success! He then tested the pearl against the dummy and against himself. The pearl now required two kinds of qi to utilize, but the healing effect of the pearl had doubled. The frost effect remained the same.


    Building off his previous success, he added a fire inscription to the pearl. The pearl took four times as long to inscribe as the originals, and it required three types of qi to activate. The healing function was still twice as powerful, and the blaze and frost functions were the same power as they had been originally.


    Cha Ming frowned. The rewards were not worth the effort. Two-element pearls were worthwhile to refine, but the three-element pearls were a bit of a waste. Nevertheless, he continued to experiment to determine the limits of soul pearls. After all, his cultivation technique was a five-element technique, and he did not feel disadvantaged in the least.


    By now the pearl had transformed into an olive-colored pearl. With the addition of a fourth inscription, the color lightened by one level. Only one last inscription was missing. Four elements seemed to be the limits of the pearl, as this pearl had cracked under the pressure after the last one. The inscription had also taken eight times as much time as the original.


    Cha Ming hesitated as he pondered whether to continue his experiment. If the pearl exploded after adding the fifth inscription, he could get injured by the resulting blast. However, he had an inkling that drawing the fifth inscription would give him a pleasant surprise. Steeling his resolve, he began painting the final one¡ªthe metallic rune. This inscription took him eighteen times as long as the original inscription. As he finished his last stroke, the pearl pulsated as though it was about to release an explosion. Cha Ming quickly ducked for cover, awaiting the inevitable burst of power and shrapnel.


    The explosion never came. After the time it took for an incense stick to burn, he finally crawled out from behind the worn-out practice dummy. He carefully approached the pearl on the desk, eagerly anticipating the result of fusing all five elements into a single vessel.


    The first change he noticed was that, despite having been inscribed with five runes, the pearl was now a misty white color, which gleamed with the alternating colors of the five elements. The color reminded him of the white circle that connected his five qi pools. The pearl was neither hot nor cold, nor was it heavy. When he reached out with his spiritual sense, the pearl floated swiftly in whichever pattern he chose. He no longer needed all five elements to activate it, and it was perfectly capable of accommodating qi from any of the five elements.


    With but a thought, the pearl quickly alternated between a frosty blue, an emerald green, a crimson red, an earthy yellow, and a silvery metallic color. He also tested its effect on the practice dummy and determined that the pearl had the same effects as any one of the originally refined pearls. Basically, this soul pearl could give him full versatility! He once again plucked the pearl out of the air and examined it closely. To his surprise, the original damage that had been dealt to the pearl due to stacking inscriptions had now completely disappeared.


    Inspired by his sudden windfall, he continued to inscribe an additional four elements on each and every pearl. After a few days, he was rewarded with a misty white rosary, unblemished by the original damage that had been dealt to it. A full set of 108pearls at this grade would be worth well over fifty thousand spirit stones. In addition, it gave him full versatility in his techniques and could support his Soul Pearl manifestation technique through the second, third, and fourth transformations. In addition, the technique scrolls he had read stated that high-grade pearls could have their original runes removed and replaced with more adequate runes as time went on. Effectively, this was a treasure that could grow with him throughout the whole qi condensation realm.


    Having finished refining the bloody rosary, Cha Ming was overwhelmed with fatigue. He had trained for two straight weeks, and it was time to shower and have a proper meal with his friends before they left for Green Leaf Forest the next morning.

 19 The Burning House

    The sounds of shattering ice resounded as Cha Ming walked over a frozen puddle. This frozen puddle was surrounded by many others, forming the outline of deep tracks along a clay road. The crackling sound was a rare occurrence, an occurrence that could only happen in early spring or late fall, when the days were rainy, and the nights were frigid, leaving only the largest puddles unfrozen. He missed that pleasant sound, a sound he had heard on many mornings in what now seemed to be a dream.


    He realized that this was in fact a dream, yet he took great pleasure in this childhood vice. He would walk left and right down the frozen clay road, leaving no puddle unbroken as he made his way to a house at the end of the road. He suddenly fell into a choking fit as thick gray smoke floated in the frigid spring air.


    A scorching wind blew across his face before he even had time to question the presence of the smoke. He had seen this situation many times before, in this very same dream. As he focused his burning eyes, he quickly made out a burning house only tens of feet away from him. The house was in the early stages of burning. Only a few flames flickered out of the thick cloud of smoke, which was the result of incomplete burning. Eventually the fire would burn hot enough, quickly consuming the lone house in a blistering inferno.


    The temperature had not yet reached its critical point, and the house could still be approached. He broke into a run, and the burning in his lungs disappeared with the rush of adrenaline that accompanied his instinctive reaction.


    After a few short breaths, he arrived at the front door of the small, lonely house. He quickly touched the back of the doorknob with the back of his hand. While the doorknob was very warm, it was cool enough to confirm that the door could be opened without provoking a violent burst of flames. After quickly wrapping his hand in his long-sleeved garment, he slowly opened the door, allowing the pressure between the hot and cold air to equalize.


    A sharp whistling sounded through the small crack in the door as the air-deprived flame took in a breath of fresh air. He only had a few minutes at best before he succumbed to the ash-filled, oxygen-deprived air. It was dark out, but he quickly made his way around the many rooms in the house. He was very familiar with the house; he knew that he could find his way around with his eyes closed if he had to. He used this familiarity to his advantage as he used up precious seconds, eventually making his way up a narrow flight of carpeted stairs.


    The smoke was thickest on the second floor of the house, forcing him to reassess the amount of time he had left before he had to make his escape. He could spend at most thirty breaths before he would begin to lose consciousness. The smoke was so thick that he didn''t dare breathe.


    Amidst the sounds of crackling and roaring flames, he could barely make out two sets of sounds. To his left, he heard a dog barking, probably trying to exit the burning room it was trapped in. To his right came the wailing sounds of a screaming child. Knowing that every second was precious, he quickly moved to his right. The narrow hallway led him to a small bedroom. This bedroom was occupied by a wailing three-year-old boy.


    Twenty breaths remained. As he moved to grab the child from his fenced-off bed, he realized that the child''s leg was caught. Refusing to panic, he moved his hands around the leg, quickly maneuvering it out from the gap in the bed''s fence. Finally, he grabbed the kicking and screaming child, holding it close to his body as he felt his way out of the small room and back to the staircase.


    As he scrambled down the staircase, he could still hear the whining sounds of the trapped dog. Unfortunately, he couldn''t take a chance. He only had ten breaths remaining, and he was likely to pass out while taking a detour to the other bedroom. Risking his own life was fine; unfortunately, he now had the responsibility of saving the child in his arms.


    A tear ran down his cheek as he struggled to carry the screaming child out of the smoking house. A shrill scream sounded out as he collapsed on the ground, a clear sign that the friendly dog was now burning alive in the intense fire. He had made his choice, and this was the price he had to pay.


    --


    Cha Ming woke up in a cold sweat, remembering that it was all just that same, familiar dream. In this dream, he had a choice: save the child or the dog. The choice was simple, but the inability to save both still caused him intense sadness. If it was just the dog, he would have risked his life to save it. Dog was man''s best friend, after all; many firefighters had died in similar situations.


    There had been many schools of thought on morality over the ages. Many religions had focused on virtue, encouraging their followers to show kindness and mercy while shunning all evil. Many free thinkers had emphasized freedom of choice; whatever people wanted to do was right and whatever they didn''t want to do was wrong. Of course, this argument had taken away the very meaning of right and wrong. In the end, people did whatever they felt they should, and the discussion of good and evil stayed forever fresh in the minds of scholars and priests alike.


    A common question had often been posed to non-violent schools of thought: If a child and a dog were both drowning, and you could only save one of them, which one would you save? The question was usually asked as a strawman argument, and any questions about the specifics of the situation were used to condemn very caring individuals. Fortunately, fate was rarely so cruel; in most cases, it was possible to save both the child and the dog.


    These thoughts had been troubling Cha Ming lately; after all, they were about to enter the forest to gather herbs. Inevitably, they would attract magical beasts that lived in the forest. These beasts were known to attack everyone who intruded on their territory. Unfortunately, that was the history of human development. As people tried to gather resources to improve their lives, they would encroach upon the pristine wilderness. Once the nearby wilderness was occupied, they would eventually turn on the neighbors, invading nearby kingdoms with a variety of excuses. Thus was the cycle of human nature, and the inevitable consequence of mankind''s desire to improve and pursue happiness.


    Their small group met for an early breakfast. The cooks were not up yet, but the baker had been working for several hours, filling the dining hall with the pleasant smell of fresh bread. Everyone had packed everything they needed for their trip over the past few days, so they enjoyed the opportunity to nibble away at the pieces of fresh fruit that were always available for the students. Fresh fruit was a luxury they would not be able to enjoy for the next two weeks, as the frosty weather had frozen the last of the apples and berries over a month ago.


    "The winter in the southern Song Kingdom is known throughout the entire continent for its beauty," said Wang Jun, twirling a leaf in his hands as their group slowly made their way to the entrance to the woods. "You might not know this, but it''s nearly impossible to find leaves like these outsides of Green Leaf City."


    "You''re just making all of this up," said Hong Xin, running her hand through her long black hair. While her tone of voice made it sound like she wanted Wang Jun to stop, her dark eyes sparkled, encouraging him to continue.


    "It''s true. How could I ever lie to a pretty young lady like you!" Wang Jun suddenly let out a gasp as he caught a falling leaf, sheltering it gently in his hands as if protecting it from the rest of the group. Eventually, curiosity got the best of the girls, and soon enough they were begging Wang Jun to see the leaf in his hands. Finally, he gave in and opened up his hands just wide enough for them to see.


    "You see, there is a ranking in Gold Leaf City that evaluates every major scenery on the continent. Winter in Green Leaf City is ranked seventh, just behind the legendary Fire Mountains in Huo ShanCountry. The mountains there are constantly spewing out red-hot molten magma, which forms rivers that are very pleasing to the eyes. Due to popular demand, they even built bridges that cross these burning streams. Regrettably, only cultivators above the eighth level of qi condensation can venture on these bridges due to the intense heat.


    "What makes the winter here so beautiful is the rare occurrence of these five-colored leaves. The leaves stay alive all year round, maintaining their green pigment. They do this despite gaining their red, gold, and brown colorings. When it gets cold enough, they are coated with a light frost that gives them their fifth color. It''s a pity that the country''s governor is short-sighted and has refused to invest in the infrastructure required to make Green Leaf City a first-tier tourist destination."


    He sighed as he gently passed off the leaf to the two girls who were still admiring it, shaking his head self-deprecatingly. The girls and Feng Ming were now under the impression that Wang Jun was quite the sentimentalist. Only Cha Ming could guess that, rather than intentionally making small talk with the girls, he was actually moaning about a failed business venture.


    "Halt! Access to this area is restricted." They were stopped abruptly by youngsters who were a few years older than them. They wore the official green school garb, complete with its tiny green hat. "Please produce your mission token for entry into the woods."


    The students were clearly bored, as this was one of the easier mission postings which they could use to scrape by with little to no risk. Cha Ming clasped his hands together and produced a jade slip, which had been provided by Elder Ling when he was assigned the mission.


    "Very well. You may pass." The two cultivators stepped out of the way of a bronze gate, revealing ornate bronze-and-copper leaves. The copper leaves had long since intentionally gained a blue-green coating, making the gate seem much like the green, gold, and red leaves that grew on the nearby trees.


    The gate was not connected to any obvious fence, which made the group question why it was there in the first place. But as they walked through it, a subtle feeling washed over him, as if probing for specific criteria. Soon the feeling faded, and he continued walking through the gate. Just as he decided that he must have been imagining things, Wang Jun walked up beside him.


    "You felt that, right?" he said, prompting curious glances from the rest of the group. Cha Ming nodded. Wang Jun continued, "Only those with a high soul force can sense this gate''s probing. It''s a defense measure set up by the school. You are the only other one in the group that could sense the probing. This gate is actually a formation treasure, which is used in combination with various formation flags spread along the border of the forest. The gate has two purposes:


    "First, it is a defensive formation, which prevents any first-level spirit beasts from wandering near the academy and the city. The formation creates an illusion that unwittingly redirects its victims away from the wall. It also works in the reverse direction. Any humans, whether mortals or cultivators, below the peak of qi condensation, will be repelled away from the forest.


    "This is both to protect the public and to protect the school''s interests. The school controls a quarter of the city''s entry border to Green Leaf Forest. It prevents weak humans from entering the border, but it also prevents non-students from entering the woods. Entry is only possible through this bronze gate. That way, there is a zone at the entrance to the woods where only students can gain entry, thereby protecting the weaker students and protecting the school''s industry from the remainder of the city."


    Cha Ming thought for a moment before asking, "Will this gate prevent students from exiting the woods through the formation boundary?"


    Wang Jun shook his head. "No, the gate identifies students that enter through the bronze gate. They can then freely pass the boundary to travel to the city from the woods. This also prevents students from bringing back live spirit beasts. Any live spirit beasts must be properly secured and approved by the school prior to being allowed through the gates. There is only one exception, and that is if the spirit beast in question has formed a soul contract with a student who has passed through the gates, in which case the student becomes responsible for the behavior of the spirit beast while it is in the city."


    Their group continued their journey at a steady pace, sometimes meeting small groups of students who were also wandering in the woods. Here and there were small plots of land being guarded by small groups of students. One such plot was being tended by a young lady with glowing green hands. Her crop of purple grass was growing quickly enough to be spotted by the naked eye. After a few minutes of tending the crops, she finally collapsed and wiped sweat from her brow. She then quickly sat down with her legs crossed in meditation to recover her qi.


    This young lady was clearly an arborist, who cultivated crops of herbs in the woods. While these crops could be grown in the city, land in the city was very expensive. Additionally, the life force in the woods was much better for the nurturing of herbs, leading to increased yields outside the city. This was a low-risk and stable occupation, and at least fifteen percent of the students at Green Leaf Academy accepted these sorts of missions.


    Soon enough, the sun began to set, and their group set up camp. There hadn''t been any small fields in several hours, which indicated that they were near the end of the student-friendly zone. This trip would take them along the very edge of the outer region of the forest, right on the border with the middle region. The last part of the forest was the inner region, which housed the dreaded Lords of the Forest. These Lords of the Forest were dreaded demon beasts, who fiercely protected their territory against any human invasions.


    While Cha Ming did not want to take too many risks, the best locations for gathering herbs happened to be located in the middle and inner regions. Some of these locations overlapped with the edge of the outer region; there, their rewards could be maximized at a lower risk level. This fact was well-known, and they were likely to encounter other parties of adventurers. Unfortunately, by the time Cha Ming had finished shopping, he did not have the funds to buy any premium information. While he could have asked Wang Jun for help in gathering information, he wanted to rely on himself as much as possible. Relationships were reciprocal in nature.


    The journey to the edge of the outer region took them three days. At first they encountered only the lowest of the low spirit beasts: spirit hogs. These hogs were foragers and scavengers and would run as soon as they saw the group. They had brown fur and looked very similar to wild boars. Compared to wild boars they were twice as big and had several rows of tusks. Groups of spirit boars would wander to a foraging area and split up to forage. While large numbers of these first-level spirit beasts could surely overwhelm them, they tended to stay in groups of six or seven at most.


    On the second day of their travels, they began to encounter spirit deer. While they were not very strong, they were adorned with sets of beautiful antlers and were much faster than spirit boars. They would usually run as soon as anyone got too close. At some point they encountered a group of four deer, two parents with two children. Hong Xin, who was quite tired due to not being able to sleep properly, tried to run toward the baby deer, only to be stopped by a smiling Wang Jun. She felt quite grieved, and Wang Jun had to spend the next hour coaxing her and convincing her that she was in fact being mean to the little deer by scaring them off, and their parents might attack her to protect their children.


    Meanwhile, Cha Ming spent a good deal of time convincing Feng Ming and Gong Lan not to hunt the spirit deer. The smell of blood would surely attract spirit wolves, spirit hounds, and other fearsome creatures. That would slow down their progress. He also reassured them that there would be ample numbers of spirit beasts that would attack them of their own volition once they arrived at the edges of the outer forest.


    It was a situation that he was dreading. Would he have the heart to fight them off? Would he be able to scare them and avoid dangerous situations? Cha Ming hated violence and would do what he could to avoid it. Unfortunately, even eating rice would surely result in the death of mice.

 20 Blood and Ashes

    The group''s journey thus far had been very uneventful. The lack of excitement didn''t last long, however. Around noon on the third day, they encountered a group of twenty spirit wolves. These wolves appeared famished, like no amount of meat could let them eat their fill. They swiftly encircled their small group, taking advantage of their large numbers.


    "Keep close together, and watch out for combination attacks!" Cha Ming shouted, moving into a back-to-back circle with the rest of the group. He held his heavy staff near the end, using it to keep the circling pack at a distance. Spirit wolves had a habit of biting their opponents and tripping them, creating opportunities for the rest of the pack to attack. These spirit wolves were second-grade spirit beasts, and their leader appeared to be a fifth-grade spirit beast.


    The alpha wolf was easily identified among the group of silver wolves. He was roughly twice as large as the other wolves and over twelve feet long. His ferocious eyes contained a tinge of glowing red. Streaks of red were threaded through its silver coat of fur. The red streaks were formed with "dire qi," which wolves accumulated by eating enough spirit beasts, cultivators, and medicinal herbs. Once this alpha spirit wolf built up enough dire qi, he would evolve into a dire wolf, a sixth-grade spirit beast. Judging from the gaunt appearance of the other spirit wolves, they had been intentionally starving themselves to nourish their pack leader. Once their pack leader became a dire wolf, the entire pack''s safety would improve dramatically.


    While the other wolves surrounded them, the alpha wolf circled from the back, ready to take any opportunity that presented itself. If an alpha wolf died, its whole pack would likely perish. Without its protection, any spirit wolves that managed to flee would eventually be picked off by other predators.


    The encirclement continued for half the time it takes an incense stick to burn; the wolves would occasionally snap at the group to probe their reactions. Not wanting to be caught making the first mistake, Cha Ming used his spiritual force to break off a dozen red beads from his bracelet.


    First Manifestation, Fire Bolt!


    The twelve pearls twirled together in a circle that quickly compressed over the next two breaths. He then flung out the pearls toward a group of three nearby spirit wolves. As soon as the ball of fire made contact, the concentrated fire qi contained in the pearls caused them to burst outward in a ball of raging flame, striking the wolves like pieces of burning shrapnel. The wolves whimpered as a third of their silver fur burst into flames.


    The three injured wolves let out howls of rage, gathering their nearby pack members to fiercely attack Cha Ming. Cha Ming used his staff to beat back two wolves, but the remaining four darted past his staff''s reach, viciously biting at Cha Ming''s legs. To their surprise, Cha Ming had already anticipated their maneuver, and twelve earthy pearls slammed down from above.


    First Manifestation, Tremor!


    The group of twelve pearls slammed down onto the four wolves, hitting their thick hides and causing them to cough out blood.


    Things were progressing very differently on Wang Jun''s side. As soon as Cha Ming''s attack broke out, Wang Jun waved out a pitch-black three-foot sword. Black mist shot out of the sword, spreading out toward half the wolves. The black mist was quickly absorbed into the eyes, ears, noses, and mouths of the snarling wolves. They immediately began stumbling, tripping on roots, and misplacing their paws. Their biting attacks were no longer as accurate, sometimes missing by an entire foot. Occasionally, Wang Jun would stab forward with his black sword. While at first it didn''t seem like his sword would hit anything, the wolves seemed to almost throw themselves onto his sword, impaling themselves.


    Not wanting to be outdone, Feng Ming darted out and surrounded himself with a blistering sandstorm. As soon as the wolves saw Feng Ming move out, four surrounding wolves and the pack leader darted out to attack him. As soon as they entered his attack range, he pulled out his sword with a sword-drawing attack.


    "Xing!" An unlucky wolf was quickly cut in half by Feng Ming''s burning red spirit sword, which he had been gifted before leaving the city. The remaining wolves attacking him found themselves closing their eyes. The burning sand made it impossible for them to use their superior sense of smell, and the weaker wolves let out dry coughs as they struggled to breathe in the sandy hot air.


    Meanwhile, Hong Xin had been so badly frightened by the attack that she could hardly move. She finally managed to start moving her shaking legs just as two wolves lunged at her. Frightened, she let out a fiery punch and struck toward one of the wolves. The second wolf darted underneath her first and viciously bit her leg. She let out a shrill scream as pain shot up her leg, and she was pulled down by the large wolf. The first wolf that she had knocked back had already recovered and was darting toward her throat.


    Cha Ming and Wang Jun both reacted to her bad situation. Wang Jun moved in to physically block off some the remaining wolves, and black mist drifted out, affecting all remaining wolves on the battlefield. Cha Ming was forced to split his attention and exhausted over half his metal qi to launch the most powerful attack he knew: First Manifestation: Silver Dagger. Twelve metallic pearls fiercely shot out in the shape of a sword, forming a precise blade of metallic energy that impaled the wolf biting at her throat.


    Seeing that Hong Xin was protected, he shot twelve white pearls from his hand, and they immediately glowed green.


    First Manifestation, Healing Hand!


    The hand reached out and softly grasped her leg. Her bleeding leg immediately started to heal. He didn''t have time to retract them, as he quickly darted out to join Feng Ming and Gong Lan. Gong Lan was at Feng Ming''s side, and she was surrounded by a freezing cloud. Inside the freezing cloud, her twin Taichi swords struck out in a soft and gentle manner, like a drizzle of rain.


    Upon realizing that half his pack was dead, the alpha wolf let out a howl of pure rage. The red streaks on his silver fur suddenly started glowing with an ominous light as he activated his only spirit skill: Battle Form. Instantly the alpha wolf''s size increased by fifty percent. The alpha wolf then darted out twice as fast as any of them were capable of, knocking Feng Ming to the ground and dispersing the blistering sandstorm.


    Cha Ming had been waiting for the alpha wolf''s attack. He fended off a couple of the remaining wolves with his staff and shot out another Silver Dagger. This time, he reinforced the Silver Dagger with earth qi, making it twice as powerful as his previous attack. The yellow-tinged Silver Dagger hit the alpha wolf on its rib cage, knocking it off Feng Ming.


    Gong Lan, having dispatched a nearby spirit wolf, jumped over Feng Ming and started striking the alpha wolf with her twin swords. While these swords did not deal much damage, the alpha wolf was clearly affected by the strikes. Each cut left a white mark on the wolf, causing cold qi to sink into the wounds and restrain its movements. Inspired, Cha Ming unleashed another twelve white pearls, which glowed blue and swirled around him, forming a Frost Mist cloud. The nearby wolves'' reactions were slowed down just long enough for him to strike out with his staff, breaking three of their backs consecutively with a sickening crunch.


    Finally, all the other wolves were dispatched, and only the alpha wolf remained. It howled in grief, swinging out with its powerful paws to kill at least one of them before it collapsed. At Wang Jun''s signal, black mist wandered over from the nearby wolf corpses and darted into the alpha wolf. The black mist, combined with the cold, completely restricted its movements. Cha Ming, who had hurried over after fighting the remaining wolves, jumped up and brought his staff down, delivering a crushing blow on the alpha wolf''s skull. They heard a sickening crunch and blood poured out of its ears and mouth and it fell over, dead.


    Realizing that the fight was over, the adrenaline quickly faded, and Cha Ming''s body sagged, overcome with nausea, and he threw up what remained of his breakfast. Hong Xin, Gong Lan, and Feng Ming followed suit, leaving only the ever-calm Wang Jun with a full stomach. Cha Ming''s body was shivering and his mind shuddering. That had been his first time ending a life, and the smell of smoldering fur and beast blood overwhelmed him with revulsion.


    As his nausea faded, he was overwhelmed with thoughts of regret and pity. Why was the world made this way? Cha Ming had always tried to cause as little harm as possible, but this time he had ventured into the woods to gather herbs with his friends. He had entirely avoided the issue of hunting spirit beasts, and the two dozen bloodied and burnt corpses awoke him to a harsh reality: not only had he killed these wolves, if he hadn''t ventured out into the woods, the fight could have been completely avoided.


    The first to recover in the trio was Feng Ming. Killing spirit beasts did not cause him any psychological trauma, and he had just been affected by the harsh smells of fire and blood. While Cha Ming, Gong Lan, and Hong Xin sat down and recovered, Wang Jun and Feng Ming tended to the corpses of the wolves. The furs of most of the wolves were mangled and burnt and had no resale value. At Wang Jun''s direction, they quickly cut out the wolves'' fangs. The alpha wolf''s corpse was stored whole in Wang Jun''s storage bag.


    Finally, they swiftly cut an incision on every wolf''s head, withdrawing a valuable beast core. The cores contained thick demonic qi. The alpha wolf''s beast core also contained a line of concentrated dire qi.


    Once their grisly task was completed, their group swiftly ran away from the wolf corpses to avoid any spirit beasts that would inevitably be attracted by the smell of blood and burnt flesh. After a few hours, they silently set up camp and started a fire. Cha Ming was still shivering and had no appetite. Eventually, his brooding mood was interrupted by Gong Lan, who created a cloud of thick mist and used it to clean herself and Hong Xin. Cha Ming followed suit and created his own misty cloud, washing away the fur and blood from his skin and clothes. Wang Jun and Feng Ming were self-sufficient in this regard; their clothes were magical tools that repelled blood and dirt, keeping them clean at all times. Now the only smell that remained was that of wood smoke from their fire.


    --


    A few hours later, Wang Jun interrupted their silence. "Do you all feel like you''ve done a wretched thing?"


    Cha Ming averted his gaze while Hong Xin started bawling. She had a naturally kind disposition, and the fight had taken a lot out of her.


    Seeing their expressions, Wang Jun continued. "The path of cultivation is very brutal, and this is nothing. Even before I started cultivating, simply being close to powerful cultivators ensured that I was surrounded by death and carnage from a young age. Aside from a few specific trades, cultivation is centered around violence. Even supporting occupations can''t remain untainted!"


    Wang Jun then focused on Cha Ming. "Cha Ming, you have crafted and sold talismans, correct?"


    Cha Ming nodded as he finally realized the implications of his trade.


    "Every single talisman crafted contributes to taking lives," said Wang Jun. "Whether the lives of spirit beasts, demons, devils, or humans. Even a defensive talisman will be used to avoid the repercussions of fighting with someone in the first place. Usually if the defensive talisman does its job properly, the person that was saved will turn around and kill their opponent! Countless humans and beasts die this way every single day!


    "Even alchemists and spirit doctors have blood on their hands. Every pill they make that ensures a breakthrough will lead to the death of another, weaker cultivator. Their pills cause fighting wherever they go. Spirit doctors heal many people every day and save many lives. However, their patients will often take their new lease on life and continue fighting and killing!


    "Ultimately, there are only two ways to avoid fighting and killing. The first way: Give up all choices and don''t achieve anything. In this way, you can lead a pitiful but peaceful life. You can''t avoid every conflict, but you can minimize your impact.


    "The other way is to become stronger! Only the strong can show mercy, or they prevent those around them from fighting in the first place. This is a path paved in blood, and by the end of the journey, you will find that while you have a lot of impact, there is only so much that you can do."


    After making his speech, Wang Jun got up and walked out toward the woods. "I suggest you all get some sleep. I''ll take the first watch for the night."


    Cha Ming continued observing the fire until it finally burned out. Once the last ember faded into darkness, exhaustion took over. He quickly grabbed a blanket from his bag of holding and rested on the soft forest floor.


    His nightmares were filled with blood and ashes.


    --


    A few days later, Cha Ming and the rest of the group were walking merrily along a path in the forest. It was a chilly morning, and the gold and red leaves, which never fell, were coated in their usual frost. In Green Leaf Forest, there was neither rain nor snow in the winter.


    The yellow grass was also frosted, and it seemed like tens of thousands of yellow and white daggers were piercing out from the frozen ground. These stalks of grass did not stay frosted all day, as the heat of the earth would thaw them out by noon. Winter was actually a very good time to be hunting for medicinal herbs, as medicinal herbs would rarely turn yellow with the cold; their bright colors would appear in sharp contrast to the surrounding dry, yellow grass.


    Cha Ming, who had been keeping his sharp eyes constantly alert, spotted a blue glint in the distance. Their group approached what seemed to be a plant covered in bluebells. This bluebell frost flower was an herb that flowered only in the winter. In most other countries, it would be difficult to find, as the ground was covered in snow. This forest was the perfect place to look for the frost flower, and groups of adventurers would often get into fights over them. Although their group had had a fair number of fights with both spirit beasts and humans, they had not encountered any particularly strong groups. The groups that could pose a problem to them were mostly in the middle region of the forest.


    Cha Ming carefully bent down to pick the delicate bluebell flowers. He was careful not to touch the flowers directly. After carefully clearing the nearby plants, he withdrew a small clear sickle that had been provided by his teacher. This clear sickle was made of a mysterious precious material called soul alloy. Soul alloy was a mysterious material that was not formed from the five elements and was especially sensitive to soul force. This same material was used to forge soul pearls and other soul-force-related objects.


    Shortly after plucking the bluebells, he used his soul force to carefully transport them to a small opaque box; the bells would only keep their freshness for twelve hours after picked, unless they were stored with special means. The box was made from a special material called soul jade. Soul jade was much more affordable than soul alloy but very brittle. Fortunately, his teacher had lent him many such boxes and a bag of holding to store the many herbs that they had been tasked to gather.


    While Cha Ming was hard at work, Wang Jun seemed more like he was on a vacation. He seemed to dote on Hong Xin, giving her advice on things they came across or picking particularly beautiful flowers and leaves to show her. While most people would just assume that he was showing a romantic interest, things seemed a little more complicated to Cha Ming. Often, when Wang Jun was looking at Hong Xin while she ran around playfully, Cha Ming could see a tinge of sadness and nostalgia in his eyes. He didn''t ask why; he would wait until Wang Jun was ready to share his secrets.


    After cutting off and storing the last of the nine tiny bluebells, Cha Ming frowned and stood up and looked off in the distance. They were fairly close to the middle forest region, and the possibility of a group of powerful beasts was constantly on his mind. Off in the distance, he could barely make out the figure of a large black hound.


    Their small party had fought off many groups of spirit beasts over the past few days, and Cha Ming and the rest were finally accustomed to the smell of blood and fire. Cha Ming had experienced a drastic change in temperament. Perhaps, deep down inside, a rage that he had kept hidden away deep down inside had started to surface. When he fought, his eyes would take on a baleful, reddish glow.


    Their group often didn''t need to fight at all, as Cha Ming''s newly found baleful aura inspired fear in man and beast alike. Even the girls were afraid of Cha Ming when he started fighting. Was this one of these legendary cases where a kind Buddha became a vicious demon? Only time would tell. It was apparent that Cha Ming himself didn''t notice this change.


    Seeing that only a single black hound was running toward them, their group drew out their weapons. It was not the first time that they had fought a lone midnight spirit hound in these woods. Their enthusiasm was short-lived, however. Shortly after the first wolf came a second, and after the second came a third.


    Before they knew it, over fifty midnight spirit hounds were charging in their direction.

 21 The Black Dog

    The fifty black midnight spirit hounds were rushing madly toward them, threatening to overtake them in less than a hundred breaths. A black miasma surrounded these hounds, spreading outward and causing the red and gold tinged leaves to crumble into dust.


    "Run to the east!" shouted Cha Ming.


    The group of black hounds was heading from the south, and he did not want to run north in case they accidentally intruded on a larger beast''s territory. He was also hoping that the hounds were not targeting them. Such a large group of hounds could not possibly have them, a small group of cultivators as their target! Although each hound was only a second-level spirit beast, a few pack leaders could be seen among them. These pack leaders were probably fifth- or sixth-grade spirit beasts.


    After only a few minutes of running, they noticed that another group of hounds was heading toward them from the south. They hastened their pace toward the east, only to find yet another group of fifty hounds. They quickly set off toward the northeast, hoping to evade both groups. Finally, after a few minutes, they encountered yet another group heading north. A hundred and fifty midnight spirit hounds! They had no choice but to begin fleeing toward the north.


    Although Cha Ming had a variety of talismans at his disposal, he was at a loss on how they would be able to avoid a hundred and fifty midnight spirit hounds. He could do nothing but direct their fleeing group in such a way that they would be surrounded.


    Seeing that their situation was quite dire, Wang Jun withdrew a sheet of paper from his bag of holding. It was a talisman! In this case the talisman only had two characters, which together symbolized "obscure." There was no "lesser" or "mid-level" before the characters. Given the power undulations from the talisman, Cha Ming was fairly sure this talisman was a high-grade talisman. The power level of such a talisman couldn''t be questioned.


    "Everyone, keep running!" yelled Wang Jun. "This is an obscurity talisman with a duration of one hour. It will shield us from being seen, smelled, or heard for a total of one hour. However, it has a major weakness: if we make physical contact with any of these spirit hounds, the spell will instantly fade!"


    The group paled as they kept running through the tall yellow grass. Although their group wasn''t particularly physically fit, the threat of death kept them pushing their limits.


    They continued running north, and while the gap between them and the hounds was closing slowly, the trailing beasts had slowed their pace significantly and were tracking them using only visible imprints in the yellow grass. After a full hour, they had still not lost the group of hounds.


    Suddenly, when it seemed like the hounds were about to catch up, they heard a loud crash as the leading hounds crumpled to the ground. The group of chasing hounds suddenly stopped. It was as though they had hit a wall, and the hounds spread out to the east and the west like a river hitting a dam. They weren''t sure what caused this to happen, but one thing was certain: If it wasn''t for this strange barrier, all that would have awaited them was death.


    --


    Their party collapsed several hours later, gasping for breath. The woods here were no longer the same vibrant woods with green, gold, and red leaves. Instead, they were surrounded by white, gray, and black tree trunks that were fully devoid of life. They would not have picked this desolate land, but they had no choice. They felt guided by an invisible hand, unable to go to the east or the west. Was it fear that guided them, or was it fate? Regardless of what it was, they were incapable of resisting the urge to continue north and fought through their exhaustion.


    The obscurity talisman had faded long ago. A side effect of it was that the world took on a grayish hue. They had thought their desolated surroundings were due to this modified perception, but they quickly realized that all the trees in this area were truly dead. In other parts of the forest, they saw shrubs and leaves on the ground. All they could see now was a thin dust that swept across the forest floor in seemingly random patterns.


    Any attempts at seeing farther into the woods were impeded by a white mist spanning in all directions. Before long, Cha Ming realized they were lost. Wang Jun, who normally had an impeccable sense of direction, also felt completely lost and disoriented. After some exploring, they realized that they could still proceed through the desolate woods, but only on the winding path that the mists allowed.


    Time lost all meaning. When they felt tired, they would pitch camp and rest. They continued until about a day had passed, then they set up camp and rested again. There was no sun; there was no moon. There was neither light nor darkness, only desolation and the white mist.


    After what they thought might have been three or four days, their group finally began to see color. The color was a red-and-black liquid that didn''t seem to follow the laws of nature. Instead of pooling into low-lying areas, the red-and-black liquid flowed uphill and accumulated on small hills and protrusions. The soil here did not seem to show any interest in soaking up the liquid, leaving it to aggregate in small puddles.


    At one point, Cha Ming reached out toward the bloody stream to confirm its contents. He was stopped by Wang Jun just in time for them to see a lonely bird come down for a drink of "water." As soon as the bird contacted the puddle, it melted and burned, letting out a sharp cry in stark contrast to the silent woods. Their group never tried touching the mysterious liquid again.


    As they traveled further, a small hill was growing in their line of sight. The hill was black, but the details were obscured by the mist pervading their surroundings. This hill was surrounded by many black rocks. This was the first change in scenery that they had seen in the past few days. Excited, they sprinted toward the hill and reached it in only a few breaths.


    Once they reached the hill, they realized that it was not a hill at all¡ªit was a fifty-meter-long black dog! The many black rocks surrounding it were larger midnight spirit hounds. Compared to the pack leaders they had previously encountered, these beasts were clearly twice as big. The five of them stood before the large dog in somber silence. Wang Jun was the first to break the silence.


    "Cha Ming, these midnight spirit hounds all seem dead, and what you see in front of us appears to be a mid-foundation-establishment midnight spirit hound. Such a beast is very rare and very useful to my clan. Could I perhaps take it? I would split any profit with the group¡­"


    Take it? If their entire group combined their storage, perhaps they could take away their claws and teeth. How could they take away an entire gigantic beast like that?


    Cha Ming shook his head. "Wang Jun, if you can take away this beast, I don''t think any of us will argue with you. But we don''t have the ability to take away something so large. Besides, you''ve incurred a great expense using the obscurity talisman. If you want to let your clan know about the location, perhaps they could come by and pick it up later¡­"


    Cha Ming then went over to a few smaller beasts, storing five beasts in the bag of holding he had borrowed from his teacher. "This is all I can hold¡­" He shook his head helplessly. He and Feng Ming then proceeded to cut out beast cores and teeth. Meanwhile, Wang Jun continued to stare at the large corpse as if he was trying to think of a way to move it.


    After a short while of pondering, Wang Jun threw up a group of nine oddly shaped black coins. Instead of the usual round coins, these were shaped like rectangles pierced with a square hole. These coins floated for a few breaths, and as Wang Jun pulled away the power supporting them, they fell to the dusty forest floor. After observing the coins for a few moments, Wang Jun brightened and picked up the coins.


    He first made his way to the remaining fifty smaller beasts that had had their beast cores extracted. They disappeared one by one, until every one of them had disappeared. Feng Ming, Gong Lan, and Hong Xin, who knew nothing of his origins, shot him a shocked look. Not even their clan patriarch had such a large storage treasure! Their shock didn''t last long, because Wang Jun did something even more astonishing.


    He slowly walked up toward the mouth of the foundation-establishment beast. As he approached, he was buffeted by the foundation-establishment strength pressure that billowed out from the corpse. When it didn''t seem like he could continue, he spit out a mouthful of blood, which immediately blacked and turned into a mist. This mist surrounded him, and his figure turned dark and blurry. He then continued to walk nonchalantly; the pressure that had previously caused so much trouble seemed to ignore him, as if he didn''t exist. He then made his way to the dead hound until he was less than a foot away.


    Just when Cha Ming thought he would try cutting off a tooth or claw, Wang Jun instead took out a small chest. He opened the chest, and the large beast disappeared into the chest, leaving behind a bloody lake. Then the lake disappeared, and the forest floor returned to its original dusty gray color. The blood could no longer stand the desolation in the forest once the supporting power of the large hound disappeared.


    Their whole group was stunned. While Hong Xin didn''t realize it, Feng Ming, Gong Lan, and Cha Ming were much more experienced than her. To take all of the objects in, he needed at least five hundred cubic meters of storage space. The bag that was lent to Cha Ming by his teacher had a tenth of that amount of space. Such a storage space was something that perhaps only foundation-establishment elders would have, and it would be one of their most precious treasures. The value of a portable storage device increased exponentially with the available space. It was no exaggeration to say that the city lord''s estate might not be worth as much as Wang Jun''s small chest.


    Looking back to his friends, Wang Jun let out an embarrassed cough. He was not one who liked exposing his wealth. He whisked away the small chest into one of his sleeves and said, "Should we get going?"


    Not wanting to make things difficult for his friend, Cha Ming charged ahead in front of the group, nodding and patting him on the back.


    --


    The sounds of shattering ice sounded once more as Cha Ming walked over a frozen puddle. The frozen puddle was surrounded by many others, forming the outline of deep tracks along a clay road. He knew this was a dream, yet he made sure to break every puddle as he wandered down the frozen clay road. He did not get to indulge in this innocent pleasure for long. In the distance, he saw that familiar gray smoke rising from a small burning house.


    Time was of the essence. Cha Ming quickly ran toward the familiar house and the familiar fire. As he focused his burning eyes, he noticed that this fire was a little different. The fire seemed concentrated on a single side of the house, and it burned with a lower intensity than in prior dreams. He didn''t ponder on this fact for very long. The temperature was still within reasonable limits, and the house could still be approached.


    He quickly touched the doorknob with the back of his hand. After confirming that the door could be opened without provoking a violent burst of flames, he wrapped his hand in his long-sleeved garment and slowly opened the door, just like he always did. A violent cloud of smoke billowed out as the hot and cold air equalized.


    Not wanting to waste any time, he opened the door the rest of the way and ran inside the house, looking through his familiar surroundings and checking for any casualties. It was dark, but he quickly made his way around the many rooms in the house. His familiarity became his advantage as he used up precious seconds, eventually making his way up a narrow flight of carpeted stairs.


    He didn''t think twice, relying on his sense of hearing to barely make out two sets of sounds. To his left were the sounds of the barking dog, and on the right, the screaming child. The sounds pierced through his soul as he made a quick decision, heading toward the right to grab the screaming child out of his fenced bed. By now, his eyes had turned completely red, and tears were screaming down his cheeks. It was difficult to say if his eyes were red because of the heat and smoke or if he was overwhelmed by the sadness of the situation.


    After maneuvering the child, he was able to pry the child''s trapped leg from out of the bed. He held the kicking and screaming child, holding it close to his body as he felt his way out of the small room and back to the staircase. As he ran down, the whining sounds of the trapped dog reached his ears. Yet again, he couldn''t take a chance. But for some reason, he felt like he had much more time than usual, and the hot, smoky air didn''t seem to obstruct his breathing as much. But the child had been in the smoke for too long.


    He ran down the hot stairs and finally found his way outside, where he was greeted by the child''s mother, who embraced her poor child while crying at her ineptitude. She was surrounded by two other young children.


    As he panted with his hands on both knees, he once again heard the barking sound. Was there enough time? The house fire was now much more intense, and he would truly be risking his life if he went inside. He could at least try. If he didn''t, he would regret it for the rest of his life. The dog wasn''t unknown to him, even though it wasn''t his dog. He had played with the dog many times before.


    Despite the cries of the young mother, Cha Ming sprinted toward the open door of the house. Growing flames reached through the door now. The smoke had started to clear up a little, a sign that the remaining moisture in the wooden house had already evaporated. Nevertheless, he darted up the stairs. He could feel his shoes melting as he quickly ran up the stairs, making each step precarious and slippery.


    This time, he turned left at the top of the staircase. After a quick check on the doorknob, he slowly opened the door, and smoke blew out into his face. A quick gust of wind blew past him, and as he looked back, he noticed that the flight of stairs had now burst into flames. There was no turning back.


    His hands darted out as he felt along the floor for any signs of his hairy friend. His eyes were even more bloodshot than before, and tears were no longer streaming out of his eyes. After searching for a few breaths of time, he finally located the large fifty-pound dog. It had passed out because of the smoke, and Cha Ming was forced to hoist the fifty pounds of dead weight on his shoulder.


    Since the stairs were aflame, he had no choice but to use the window. He dragged the golden dog up to the large window. It had a modern design, which meant that it was difficult to fully open in the first place. He didn''t hesitate to grab a nearby chair, using it to shatter the window and force the broken pieces of metal framing outward.


    Luckily, inside the room there were two twin-sized beds. Even in his best shape he would never have been able to properly handle an awkwardly large king-sized bed. It only took him forty-five seconds to throw the mattresses out of the window. He then hoisted the large dog to the side of the house, carefully throwing it onto the farther mattress. Bright red lights flashed outside the house. The fire department had arrived, and if he managed to even step outside, he would surely be saved.


    But luck was not on his side today. As he prepared to jump out of the window, the window frame he was holding collapsed along with the wall, which fell due to the burden of his weight and the loss of support underneath. He fell directly through the crumbling floor, only to be devoured by the raging inferno on the first floor. His consciousness faded as he was burned bit by bit. His sight faded to black, and soon the black faded to white.


    Cha Ming opened his eyes to the usual bleak scenery. He was surrounded by dead trees and white mist. He thought about his dream. Why had the dream changed? Why was he not too exhausted to rescue the dog this time around? Why was there now an extra choice: Should I risk my life to save a dog?


    Many firefighters had asked themselves the same question in recent times. Newspapers published mountains of stories about brave firefighters who traveled through harm''s way to save a furry family friend. Sadly, these stories accompanied the fewer articles that memorialized the firefighters who died trying.


    It was in their bones to save those that had a chance, and they took that chance to fight against the odds. It was no one''s right to deny them that privilege.

 22 Do Not Let Worry Color the Landscape

    Cha Ming''s group continued through the misty, desolate forest for what seemed like days. They would never truly know how much time had passed. Their perception of time had been affected, and their bodies seemed to assimilate into the endless, gloomy forest.


    Eventually, a hundred-foot-long shadow appeared off in the distance. Unlike the large hound, it was not surrounded by many of its brood, and it lay down like a solitary mountain. Everyone in the group was overcome with a sudden urge to turn back. Unfortunately, their direction was no longer up to them. The path they had traveled to come to this place was covered in the thick mist, and it felt like an invisible force was pressing them forward, not allowing them to deviate from their current path. They also realized that this force was familiar¡ªit was the same subtle force that had guided them since they''d breached the invisible barrier and escaped the horde of spirit hounds.


    They approached the towering figure cautiously, and the figure became clearer and clearer with every step. First, bright orange patches of fur appeared. A few steps later, white patches appeared. These white patches were stained red and covered with dry, crusted blood. Finally, the patches of white and red fur merged into the imagine of a large fox.


    It was not a typical fox, of course. For one, the pressure emanating from the fox was no less than that of the black hound. That indicated that it was at least as strong as a mid-level foundation-establishment expert. Ordinary spirit beasts could only reach the peak of the spirit level. Any higher and they would evolve and become a fierce demon beast.


    While there were many demon beasts in the inner forest, it was quite surprising to see one so far out from the center of the forest. The center of the forest was where the natural energy of Heaven and Earth was densest. As such, more precious treasures grew there, and the growth of spirit beasts in the area was much more rapid. It was only natural that the demon beasts monopolized the area.


    After approaching another twenty steps, the shape of the red fox grew more distinct. They immediately noticed that the red fox had more than one tail¡ªthree tails, to be exact. There were legends that spoke of demon foxes with as many as nine tails. Their powers defied the heavens, which exacted terrible tribulations on their kind. As such, the number of many-tailed demon foxes were very low compared to the rest of foxkind.


    As their group approached the fox, its chest moved up and down, ever so slowly. The fox was not dead! It was clear that it was on its last legs, with blood trickling down a gaping wound on its hip in a steady stream. There was no way to tell exactly how much blood had flowed out of the wound, but it was clear that it was dying. Demon beasts possessed a frighteningly strong blood vitality, and their bodies could produce substantial amounts of blood in a short amount of time. Seeing that the fox was still alive, Cha Ming once again tried to break free from the hypnotic mists that pulled them forward, to no avail.


    "If it''s a blessing, it''s not a calamity. If it''s a calamity, it can''t be avoided," Cha Ming muttered softly. He stopped resisting and continued on.


    --


    Cha Ming suddenly jolted back to his senses. He was on his usual walk in the woods. He smelled the frost on the trees, and green-and-gold leaves swirled around as they were picked up by the wind. He was alone, here in these woods. He had been for years. One of his favorite hobbies was hiking around in the mountains, among the trees and rivers. The scenery was perfect, and he could see himself living out the rest of his life there.


    He continued walking toward a nearby stream. Every day, he would come down to the stream a few times a day to drink water. After drinking, he washed his clothes and bathed while his clothes dried on a nearby tree branch. It was a very relaxing, peaceful life. He had no goals, and he lived day by day. Once he finished his bathing, he walked back to his small wooden shack. He had built the shack many years ago when he first came to these peaceful woods. He didn''t remember how he got there, but did that matter?


    The door to his shack let out a loud creak as he opened it. It was fastened together with branches and makeshift rope woven together with sturdy plants. As he stepped inside, a familiar cold sensation caused by the stony floor tickled his feet. These stones had been collected over many years, slowly covering the original dirt floor.


    His meal today consisted of spirit fruits that he had gathered in the woods. He took the large wooden pot that he had carved out of a particularly large tree and boiled some water for rice. The rice was from last year''s harvest, which he grew in a small flooded plot beside his shack when the weather was warmer.


    After finishing his simple meal of rice porridge and spirit fruits, he sat down in front of a plain white canvas fastened to a crude wooden frame. He had a brush and black ink, but it was his only brush and his only pot of ink. He had brought them with him when he first moved into the woods, and if he used them up, who knew how he would obtain more? He was never sure what to paint, and so he just sat there calmly, pondering over his creation. It had been years since he had used the brush to make a painting, but he didn''t mind waiting for the right moment.


    After hours of waiting, the sun finally set, plunging the woods into darkness. He put away the brush and the ink after deciding that today was not the right day to paint. He then lit a lamp, which never seemed to need oil for fuel. He only had one lamp, but it had lasted him many years without ever losing its effectiveness. He brought the lamp over to a small table with two chairs. There was a black-and-white Weiqi board on the table, complete with two bowls of black and white stones. The black bowl was adorned with the character "devil," while the white bowl was adorned with the character "angel." In this world, the game was called Angels and Devils.


    Before sitting down, he placed the first black stone in the middle. The middle star point on the board was his favorite. He gave up the fringes to fight for the center whenever he did that, and it was difficult to play with this move. He sat down and continued placing stones until he finished playing a full game against himself.


    Finally, he wandered over to his bed and climbed in under a heavily worn blanket. It had been a peaceful day; he fell into a dreamless sleep, only to wake up the next morning and repeat his routine. This routine continued for many months.


    One day, as he was walking toward the stream where he bathed every morning, he saw a figure in the distance. It was a beautiful young lady. She exuded a bewitching charm, the likes that could cause the downfall of a nation. Cha Ming walked toward her on his way to the stream; her fiery dress was in stark contrast to the nearby woods. As they passed each other, she shot him a bewitching glance, which was accentuated by her tight-fitting traditional dress. She kept walking, and he kept walking. He continued with his daily routine. This time, he fell asleep only after placing his first black piece on the center of the board. The canvas in the room was still pristine and unpainted.


    The next morning, he noticed that another stone had been placed on the board. Thinking for a bit, he took out another black stone, this time occupying a corner from an outward position. He didn''t continue the game; perhaps his mysterious visitor would come again and continue to play. The morning was the same as the previous day. The same girl in the fiery red dress shot him her seductive smile, he went to the river to bathe, he stared at the blank canvas, and he sat in front of the board, which now had three pieces.


    He thought for three hours before making his next move.


    --


    This routine continued for one hundred and eight days. By the end of the last day, the game had plunged into a close endgame. They were fighting for a single point in a situation called "ko" in Weiqi. Cha Ming had counted the difference many times, and this single point would decide the game.


    But the girl in the fiery dress didn''t come. Cha Ming continued his routine and eventually found himself staring at the empty canvas.


    "Why don''t you ever paint anything?" asked a soft voice behind him.


    Although he had never heard her speak before, he knew it was the lady in red. She walked out from behind him with soft, alluring steps. When she reached the canvas, she reached out and stroked its side. Her look was practically screaming "Paint me!" She looked deeply into his eyes as her hand moved down the canvas. Cha Ming continued to look at the canvas, pondering.


    "Why have you dragged me into this peaceful illusion for so much time? Was it all to see what I would paint?"


    The woman shot him a surprised look. She walked up to him until her lips were a few inches from his mouth. The smell of her fragrant breath caressed him, and her pouting lips were begging to be kissed.


    "I just wanted to see what you would paint. Who would have thought that you''d see through my illusions? I''m not asking for too much, am I?"


    Walking to the side of the Weiqi board, she reached for the white pieces, took a stone, and threatened one of his precarious territories. She then sat down in front of the board, motioning to him.


    "Would you like to play a game?" she asked him with an innocent smile on her face.


    He looked at her quizzically. "Haven''t we been playing all this time?" He then walked up to the board, looked at it for a few minutes, and placed a stone down to defend. His position was indeed a little precarious here, and he could not afford to take the extra point.


    "My dear friend, we have been playing this very entertaining game inside your memories. But that sort of game is not that interesting¡­" She shot him a coy look and licked her cherry lips. She then returned ko to him, picking up his black stone from the board and putting it into her "captured" pile. He would not be able to take it back for another turn. In the game of Weiqi, just like life, he was not allowed to repeat the same situation twice, and he was never able to come back to the same moment in time.


    But he was able to continue with his life and eventually come back to the same problem; likewise, he was able to attack the other person''s weaknesses in Weiqi and continue that fight for the same stone next turn. He had identified some weaknesses earlier, and so he played on one of these weaknesses, buying himself another precious turn.


    "What is really interesting is that you and your friends are in a very perilous situation. I am in a position to save you and your friends. However, I really like to play games, so I think I''ll get you to play with me for a bit¡­"


    Her soft, yet firm voice immediately brought back his recent memories. Cha Ming''s mind became unstable for a few seconds, but he instantly recovered. Right, he had friends with him. They were deep in the forest. There were no lush trees, only desolation.


    "What sort of game would you like to play, miss?" Despite the tense situation, he continued playing. He really didn''t like losing a game due to his lack of concentration.


    She thought for a while and then asked, "Have you ever played One Hundred Questions?"


    He shook his head.


    "It''s a very simple game. To play, you need to enter a contract with me. I will ask you a hundred questions, and if you lie, you die. If you answer truthfully, and you continue until the end, I will give you and your friends a way out of your predicament. With the correct decisions, you will be able to escape back to the city. Unfortunately, I can''t give you a full guarantee. Who knows if you''re a coward that clings to life and fears death.


    "If you lie, I will take your soul. Also, I swear on my true name that if you do not accept, at least three of your friends will never be able to escape those hounds alive. If I have uttered a single lie, may I be struck to death by lightning from the nine heavens!"


    This was indeed a heavy oath, and a binding one. At some point she had taken out a simple-looking contract. After reviewing it, Cha Ming bit his thumb until blood leaked down and signed his name on the contract with blood.


    "Very well, I accept! Ask your questions." Instantly, the world around him merged with the shadows in the room. He made a move in the game and then found himself in front of a burning house. Inside it, there was an unfamiliar child. A voice sounded in his mind.


    "Which one will you save?" said the soft woman''s voice.


    He had faced this question countless times. He rushed into the burning house and saved the child. As soon as he came out, he heard the soft whimpering of the dog, whom he could not save. The parents were very grateful. They thanked him profusely, and he became a hero in the town. He bore this memory into his heart until his dying days, and although he did not regret his choice, the whimpering from the burning house haunted his dreams until the day he died. As he faded into nothingness, he awoke from his dream, shocked by his experience. Not only did he have to face the questions, he would need to face the repercussions of his actions.


    "Ninety-nine questions left. Do you give up?" She smiled and bit her lower lip, as if she wanted to take a bite out of him.


    "Of course not," he answered. "Next!"


    Ninety-eight questions remained.


    This time he faced the same burning house, with an unknown child and his own child. This question was a little harder.


    "Which do you choose?" she asked again.


    He darted into the burning house and saved his own child. Despite knowing that he had made the right decision, he felt guilty inside, and his neighbors scorned him. Their child was also in the house, and they cursed him for not saving theirs. How dare he pick his own child! This guilt and scorn continued throughout his whole life.


    Many scenarios popped into his mind. One time he had the choice between his child and his nephew''s child. Other times it was his own two children. Sometimes it was two unknown children. Other times, it was his child and three children. Sometimes ten. No one would ever know which choices he made with bloodshot eyes and tears streaming down his cheeks. He was forced to live out the full repercussions of his actions one by one. Sometimes he faced parents with tear-filled faces, and other times he was attacked and killed. Once, he was called to trial, where he was denounced by dozens of grieving people. He was then sent to prison for life, where he was assaulted by various criminals.


    With every answer, the questions got harder. Would you kill every mosquito on Earth to save a little girl? This question was a lot more difficult than people gave it credit for, even if they did not like mosquitos and hated them with a passion. After all, the consequences of killing all the mosquitos in the world were very far reaching. If he had picked this option, billions of birds in the world would have died, and many people would have starved to death. However, less people would be killed by malaria and other diseases caused by mosquitos.


    Nevertheless, as the questions got harder and harder, he felt his resolution soar. After all, not everyone got to ask themselves these questions honestly. They were very hypothetical, and people would never truly face the consequences of their actions.


    At some point, he reached his limit and finally attacked the lady in red.


    "You want me to answer your question? Fine, my answer is that I will fight you! In this case, many thousands of children, adults, and grandparents alike died. The question was ridiculous and not even worth considering. If it came down to it, I would rather just fight the one who gave me the choice, and worst case, I die!"


    After coming to this realization, he died many times, a total of twelve. Some questions were simply too hard to answer honestly. What was the point in even thinking about the question? He followed his heart and fought against the situation as best he could.


    Finally, one last question remained. He found himself in the room in front of the blank canvas. He was very mentally fatigued and felt as though he had lived through ninety-nine lifetimes. Yet now he was sitting in front of the blank canvas, a brush in his hand.


    "Why don''t you paint my picture?" said the lady in red. She walked up beside him and gently blew in his ear, bringing heat to his whole body. After all these difficult questions, it would truly be too easy to pick up his brush and paint. As his paintbrush was about to reach the painting, he paused and looked firmly at the lady in red.


    "Nice try. A question that implies an action! Truly admirable. The answer to your question is this: I''ve wanted to paint you many times over the past few months, but whenever I tried to picture you in my mind, I felt something was wrong."


    Hearing the firmness in his voice, the lady walked up softly until she was once again inches from his face.


    "Why did you feel something was wrong?" she asked.


    "Very well, I''ll give you the hundred and first answer for free. I felt something was wrong because the beautiful lady in red was more than she seemed to be. At the same time, she was still the lady in red."


    A smile crept on her face. "You win!" she said. She then walked over to the board and played a white stone. The game had unknowingly continued to this point. While the stone seemed like it could destroy his defense, he saw past the subtle ploy. He played his black stone and finished up their drawn-out fight over the single stone, knowing that her play did not truly strike at any of his weaknesses. He no longer had weaknesses. The board turned black and the room faded. All that was remaining was the canvas. He mused to himself at a sudden inspiration and picked up his white brush.


    After dipping the brush in black ink, he drew a picture of the pretty lady in the fiery dress by the stream. The picture was black and white, and while it did not reflect the vibrant colors, it reflected the girl''s character, arrogant and playful.


    He paused for a moment and proceeded to paint a faint shadow behind her. The shadow was in the shape of a two-tailed fox. After completing the fox, he painted several words on the right side of the black-and-white painting:


    Do not let worry color the landscape.


    Why not paint the heavens?


    With this Clear Sky Brush.


    The canvas then faded into the shadows. The shadows became mists, and Cha Ming found himself in the woods. The step he had started taking toward the red fox only a second ago landed on the dusty forest floor.

 23 Obscuring Fate

    This single step by Cha Ming took only a single second, but that second felt like several lifetimes. From the start of his step to the moment it landed, Cha Ming seemed to have become a completely different person. His eyes now contained a certain charm, one that contained the vicissitudes of life. Wang Jun noticed the change but decided to put it aside for now. After all, they were in front of a legendary beast, and any loss in focus could result in their death.


    After walking forward a few dozen steps, Cha Ming noticed a small figure moving around near the fox''s belly. This small black figure looked around, scared, and darted to a nearby protrusion. It latched on to the protrusion with its little teeth for thirty seconds, after which it fell to the ground along with a drop of white liquid. The small black figure quickly lapped up the white puddle. The fox was clearly a mother. The little critter did indeed resemble a fox. Unlike its mother, however, it only had a single tail. It was black and white in seemingly equal proportions.


    The little baby fox didn''t seem to realize what was going on; it continued lapping up the same puddle of milk joyfully, oblivious to its surroundings. It only stopped when it heard Cha Ming''s steps, and it looked at him cautiously. After all, his mother had not prevented him from coming, so he must not be a threat. Perhaps a new friend? He immediately started dancing around Cha Ming, as if trying to play.


    Cha Ming finally realized that he was alone. His friends had not been allowed through and had been forced to stay behind. He frowned but couldn''t resist the temptation to kneel down and pet the baby fox. It playfully nipped at his hand while Cha Ming wrestled it and rubbed its stomach. The little fox was a lot like a playful dog, and he had played with many dogs as a child.


    After a few moments of playing with the baby fox, Cha Ming suddenly realized that he was, in fact, in paw''s reach of a giant three-tailed fox. In this moment of distraction, the baby fox pounced on him, knocking him down. He shot the baby fox a surprised look. The level of power it demonstrated was that of a second-level spirit beast. While he greatly outstripped the fox in power, the fox was merely a newborn! Demon beasts typically took a long time to mature, with some taking several tens of years to reach this level.


    Finally, he sat down and kept the baby fox busy with his hand. He then looked at the giant three-tailed fox''s eyes, which were almost closed. He could tell she was dying. This mighty demon beast''s breathing had become shallower and shallower. While the beast could speak, he already knew what the fox wanted to convey. It was as though they had spent a long time together and had a tacit understanding.


    She had been mortally wounded by that hound, and she was reaching out to him to take away her baby. She was not sure what would happen, but if the baby fox stayed in the forest without her protection, it would surely die. Other demon beasts would hunt it down for nourishment. Out of the group of five humans, the mother fox had the best impression of Cha Ming. This was why only Cha Ming was able to move forward and approach her young cub.


    After giving Cha Ming an imploring look, she closed her eyes. He noticed a bit of a bewitching smile on the fox''s face. Her red coat reminded him of the young lady in his dream. They were clearly one and the same. Finally, she let out her last breath, and the suppressing mists surrounding them started to fade. The baby fox was none the wiser and fast asleep. He had fallen into a deep sleep right before his mother''s death. The mother fox had purposefully put him asleep to spare him the memory of her death.


    Once he picked up the little baby fox, he noticed that the large red figure of the fox started shimmering. After a few breaths of shimmering, the powerful beast completely transformed into a red mist, which then floated out and rushed into the baby fox''s forehead. The fog formed a faint red imprint on the baby fox''s head. Looking closer, he noticed that the imprint formed a few characters:


    Do not let worry


    color the landscape


    His instinct had been right all along. The large fox and the girl in red was the same creature. He pondered for a bit. Why did she ask to play that game? Could she have been testing him in some way? He shrugged and made his way toward the group. Initially, they seemed shocked that the fox had disappeared. A few seconds later, a glazed look appeared in their eyes, and they seemed to have forgotten the three-tailed fox. Clearly there had only been a baby fox lying on the ground. There had been no blood stains or pools of blood, only mist.


    --


    Women were always attracted to small baby pets, and Hong Xin and Gong Lan were no exception. Cha Ming didn''t let go of the fox as they petted him while walking away. They were now unrestricted and could move anywhere they wanted. They decided to move away swiftly, as there were many hounds at the perimeter nearby, and there was no telling when the hounds would manage to get past the suppression that held them at bay.


    Their group was finally able to move about freely, so they fled toward the east. They traveled twenty li before finally stopping at an abandoned cave, where they lit a fire. They then ate from their stockpiled rations, and soon enough, Feng Ming, Gong Lan, and Hong Xin were sound asleep in the back of the cave. Seeing that they were asleep, Wang Jun made a few gestures with his hands to indicate he wanted to talk. Outside, their surroundings were fully obscured, and Cha Ming could no longer make out the sleeping bodies of their three companions.


    "That giant fox was a three-tailed fox. I''m sure you have heard the legends. However, I am sure that you have not heard the details behind these special foxes."


    Cha Ming looked at Wang Jun, surprised. None of the other three had remembered the giant fox. Why was Wang Jun the exception? Wang Jun noticed his surprise and chuckled.


    "Small tricks like this can''t affect me. Only I can affect my own karma. Only I can even see my own karma. That fox was not a foundation-establishment demon beast. It was a pseudo-core-formation-stage demon beast."


    Cha Ming gasped at the revelation. Core formation was beyond the foundation-establishment stage. To his knowledge, there were no core-formation experts in Green Leaf City.


    "The reason I can conclude that this mother fox was a pseudo-core stage beast is that it was fatally wounded by the mid-foundation-establishment spirit hound and its brood. A core-formation beast would have surely been too powerful for the hound to fight against in any circumstance. However, a demon fox can only have three tails in the core-formation stage. There is only one exception: A demon fox will not truly step into the core-formation stage until it withstands heavenly tribulation. It would only undergo the tribulation after it grew its third tail, as every additional fox tail arouses the jealousy of the heavens.


    "The black hound must have found the fox after it was weakened by the tribulation lightning but before it formed its beast core. This beast core is fundamentally different from the beast crystals that you often call a beast core, and only core-formation spirit beasts have such a beast core."


    Wang Jun had at some point taken out a pot of tea. He poured Cha Ming a cup while explaining. Wang Jun, who would normally drink tea several dozen times a day, had not made a pot in several days. As usual, the tea that Wang Jun brewed was the best tea.


    "Cha Ming, I will be blunt with you. This little fox, while a worthy companion, is doomed to die."


    Cha Ming frowned.


    Seeing his concern, Wang Jun sighed and continued. "I will explain to you why, and you can decide what to do. It is only fair that you understand the situation."


    Cha Ming nodded, letting Wang Jun continue.


    "There are some secrets that you surely are not aware of yet. It is complicated, but I will do my best to explain." Wang Jun then made a waving motion toward their sleeping friends, who were slightly visible through their obscured surroundings. To Cha Ming''s surprise, some faded characters made of shadows appeared above Feng Ming''s head. "My cultivation method is a little unique. I cultivate two elements. One is darkness, which you are aware of. What you are not aware of is that I also cultivate fate. I dual cultivate in shadow and fate, a very rare combination. It would be easier to find a kilin horn or a phoenix feather than someone with these affinities. Not even one person might be born with this combination on this continent in a hundred years. People like you who cultivate five elements are as common as grass in comparison."


    This revelation surprised Cha Ming quite a bit. After all, a talented individual such as Zhou Li, who cultivated fire and fate, had been handpicked by the imperial family. Such a person would eventually be able to overturn the kingdom with a few words. Ignoring his shock, Wang Jun continued.


    "What you see floating above Feng Ming is his name. This is his true name. It is obscured, but people with a certain cultivation level would be able to see it. As you know, names hold a great deal of power. What you might not know is that every person, every living thing, and every non-living thing, has a story that accompanies their name. Every true name is unique. His true name is not Feng Ming, because many people cannot have the same true name. If another person were to share his true name, he would also have the exact same story. However, how would it be possible for two of the same individual to exist in the same time, the same place, and with the same story? This would be a contradiction. Therefore, it is impossible for anyone else to have the same true name."


    Wang Jun waved his hand again. This time, several other characters appeared beside Feng Ming''s name. Some characters appeared blurry, and others seemed crystal clear. Despite their clarity, he could not read them.


    "Much of Feng Ming''s story has already been written. As you can see, many characters are written very clearly. This only happens when someone''s fate is stable. On the bright side, while I will not reveal everything that I can see, I can assure you that Feng Ming will not die in these woods. For that matter, neither will Gong Lan or Hong Xin. However, certain people''s stories are not easy to read, and not easily determined. For example, my own fate is obscure by nature, as is my true name. My apologies, Cha Ming, but due to my skill level I am unable to read your fate." He shot Cha Ming a meaningful glance. Clearly, this was a rare result.


    Finally, Wang Jun waved at the fox. While a lot of things were obscure, a character appeared after the first few sentences. This character was crystal clear. The story below was blurred, and the characters almost seemed to crumble. He paused for a while, after which he pointed to the only clear character.


    "This character has a name. Its name is Death."


    --


    Cha Ming was lying down, trying to sleep. His mind was racing. He kept repeating what Wang Jun said. This character has a name. Its name is Death. It was difficult to accept such a thing. The fox was still sleeping soundly, and it was helpless and innocent. He was sure that it would wake up given enough time. Until then, at least, he had a responsibility to take care of the baby fox. How could he simply abandon it?


    As he looked out of the cave entrance, he could make out Wang Jun''s silhouette. He, too, couldn''t sleep, and he chose to stand outside near a dead tree, looking at the moonlight peeking through the trees. Sighing, Cha Ming took the fox into his arms and softly made his way out of the cave. Wang Jun did not turn toward him and kept staring out at the full moon, sipping tea. Quietly, he poured a second cup and held it out. Cha Ming accepted it and stood beside Wang Jun, drinking it quietly. An hour passed, after which Wang Jun spoke up.


    "Your fate is strange, Cha Ming. While I can see many people''s stories, I cannot see yours at all. This is a very rare thing. My fate is obscure because of what I cultivate. Yours is obscure for different reasons, which I do not know."


    Cha Ming pondered for a bit, unsure of what to say. He was usually a quiet person.


    "My friend," said Cha Ming, "you are very mysterious, and don''t know what to say. I have had certain lucky encounters in my life, but I don''t feel I will ever be able to share these secrets with anyone in my life." Cha Ming paused. "However, have you ever asked yourself if you would risk your life for someone else? I felt a deep sense of mourning in the mother fox''s eyes. I felt that I somehow owed that fox. I owed it to take its child out of these woods. Is that a strange thing? I clearly never knew this fox, nor had I ever dealt with it. How can it be that I feel that I owe the fox?


    "Perhaps¡­ this is something that I can''t explain. However, I have a feeling in my heart that I will regret it forever if I do not try to save this fox. As such, I can only try, even if you say that the fox is fated to die. This fox''s fate changes nothing. I have a choice to make, and I would rather try and fail than never try, even if that means risking my life."


    They continued drinking tea quietly, and the chilly wind swept across the desolate forest. A layer of frost was beginning to accumulate on the dead branches. This would continue until sunrise.


    Unbeknownst to Cha Ming, Wang Jun''s eyes were a little misty. He thought of a smiling, young girl''s pretty face. She was happy, even though she had been wounded and blood was sleeping on the floor. She had tried to save a mother and her baby and had been mortally wounded in the process. Yet she had no regrets. Shaking his head, he turned toward Cha Ming.


    "I can give the fox a way out. Heaven never seals off all exits. However, I must warn you. This is his fate, it''s his story. I have a way to obscure this fox''s fate, but there is no telling what the consequences are. After all, something must change in order for this fox to survive. Perhaps you are meant to live, and letting the fox live could cost you your life. If you are lucky, nothing special will happen, like a pebble in a steady stream. I truly don''t know what the consequences will be.


    "At a great cost to myself, however, I can make sure that this fox is not fated to die. In fact, this is the greatest secret of our family. Whenever our family members have encountered a certain and ill fate, those fated individuals in the family have interfered at key moments to give us a turning point. Every time our family is fated to fall, we obscure fate and use our wisdom to reverse an unfavorable situation.


    "However, I have my own difficulties. I can''t use this ability very often. In exchange, I want you to promise me a favor. You don''t have the power to accomplish this now, but I am making a bet for the future. Can you owe me such a heavy favor for this fox?" Wang Jun looked at Cha Ming sternly.


    "I promise you, Wang Jun. You are my friend. How can I not help?"


    Looking at Cha Ming profoundly, Wang Jun closed his eyes. After a few breaths, he opened his eyes wide; his eyes were black, blacker than the deepest shadows. He then held out his hand, and the blackness in his eyes slowly traveled like tears down his face, eventually accumulating on his open palm.


    After about an hour, the trace of shadow in his palm had grown into a ball of darkness the size of his fist. Finally, the last of the darkness in his eyes drained away. Following this last trace of darkness, all the color in the world seem to drain way. His golden hair, which had been shining in the light of the full moon, started losing its color. Wisps of white could now be seen in his hair, as if his very life itself was draining away! The ball on his palm started compressing with a golden hue. As Wang Jun continued to compress it, he continued to grow paler and paler. When he seemed like he could no longer endure, the ball condensed into a single, three-dimensional character¡ªObscure!


    Once this character was formed, Wang Jun collapsed from exhaustion. Cha Ming rushed over to help him. As he stood up with Cha Ming''s help, Wang Jun waved out his hand and exposed the fox''s story. He then threw the solidified character at the character for death. As Death faded, so did the story. The story was now unknown to anyone. Wang Jun panted for a while, and finally his face regained some color. His golden hair, however, remained white.


    "Obscuring fate for this fox has cost me ten years of my life, Cha Ming. Although in the long run it''s not that much, depending on how much I achieve in my cultivation, that could be as little as one percent, but as much as ten!"


    Cha Ming was shocked. When Wang Jun had told him he needed to pay a heavy price, he never imagined that the price would be so great.


    "I hope you now appreciate how big of a favor this is. But what I will ask you to do in the future is worth so much more to me. I would give up on my life to accomplish this goal." He looked out at the moon, glaring. "But," he continued, "you are my friend, Cha Ming. I will not put you in any danger. To do this favor for me, you will need to be much stronger. You will need to be at least in the rune carving realm to help me, the realm above core formation!"


    Finally, Wang Jun walked back toward the cave. "You should get some sleep, Cha Ming. We need to leave early tomorrow morning. This place will get very dangerous. Once the suppression of the three-tailed fox completely fades, the hounds will be back. They will chase us as long as they have to. Their true goal this whole time was that baby fox in your hands."


    Despite Wang Jun''s warning, Cha Ming did not sleep that night. He kept wondering what price he would need to pay for having Wang Jun change the fox''s fate.

 24 The Battle on Greatwood Bridge

    Deep in the woods, at the border between the middle and outer forest, Cha Ming and his group, along with the baby fox, were running. They were running as fast as they could without rest, for if they stopped for more than a half hour, the hounds would surely catch up. The forest surrounding them was a mixture between the previous dead woods and the beautiful, lush outer forest. Green-and-gold leaves had fallen here and there on the desolate, dusty soil, creating a medley of creation and destruction.


    Sometime in the last two days, the baby fox had finally awoken. It was quite energetic and playful, and it treated their act of running for their lives like a pleasant game. For fear of having to deal with a panicked baby fox, they did nothing to rectify the situation. After all, what they had least of was time. Their group stopped for five minutes to catch their breath. Wang Jun quickly took out a high-quality map.


    "Everyone, the situation is looking very dire. The hounds are somehow able to track us even at this distance. There is only one terrain feature that we can use to obstruct them: the Greatwood Bridge. This bridge is a long, narrow bridge that crosses the Misty River. It is impossible to cross at this point of the river without using the bridge; as such, the bridge is a natural choke point for the large pack of hounds.


    "Further, this is the worst-case scenario. I have a pair of obscurity talismans which we can use to try and shake them off. Let''s travel in this path, and I will use the talismans here"¡ªWang Jun pointed at two locations on the map¡ª"and here."


    Cha Ming was not nearly as intelligent as Wang Jun, therefore he left these matters to him.


    Howls sounded in the distance, and they were getting closer. It was time to leave before the midnight spirit hounds caught up. They broke into a light run, just fast enough to be able to continue indefinitely. Fortunately, qi condensation experts had a stronger physical body than normal humans. Unfortunately, everyone had different constitutions. Cha Ming had religiously practiced jogging to bolster his stamina, as had Feng Ming. Wang Jun and Gong Lan seemed to never tire either. However, Hong Xin''s endurance was extremely pathetic.


    Fortunately, after careful experiments, Cha Ming discovered that his Healing Hand manifestation could be used to recover stamina at the expense of his wood qi. Using his ability, they had managed to run continuously for the past two days. Whenever any member''s exhaustion reached a certain level, Cha Ming would cast his Healing Hand. His qi would fully recover before the next person required a boost. The only drawback was that this technique was mentally taxing, causing Cha Ming''s exhaustion to mount with every passing day.


    The hounds had already almost caught up and were only five minutes of running behind them. They had been heading to the northeast, the first point of their plan. Wang Jun took out the first obscurity talisman. The talisman burst into a cloud of shadows, sticking to the closely packed group. Their group blended into the shadows, and they arced back toward the east and south. They now had an hour to shake the large group off.


    Things seemed to be going rather well. For the first half day, the howling of the hounds faded. However, after another half day had passed, they realized that the hounds were on their trail once again.


    "I thought you said the obscurity talisman would cover up our sounds and smells? How did they find us again?" asked Cha Ming worriedly.


    Wang Jun frowned. "The hounds should not have found our trail so easily." After thinking for a while, he directed the group back toward the northeast under the effects of the second obscurity talisman. This did not seem to help the situation, as the hounds continued approaching closer and closer. They would be able to catch up in half a day, and their group was still a half day away from the bridge. They had originally been hoping to use the talisman to cross the bridge, but unfortunately this plan had gone out the window.


    Their group paused quickly to catch a breather while Wang Jun tossed his seven black coins into the air. The black coins floated briefly and scattered on the forest floor. After two minutes of observing the stones, his expression turned ugly.


    "Shit, they aren''t tracking us by smell. When they chased us last time, one of them cast a blood-tracking spell on us! I couldn''t sense it earlier because it was cast by that foundation-establishment demon beast. If we keep going, the hounds will definitely catch up."


    Cha Ming paled at the revelation but steadied his mind. A quick decision was required. "Since we can''t escape, we''ll have to fight at the bridge," Cha Ming said. "If we allow ourselves to be surrounded, we don''t stand half a chance. If we can''t hold them off¡­ we''ll need to jump into the river."


    Their group gasped. The Misty River was 1,500 feet below the Greatwood Bridge. Rivers were typically littered with large rocks, and their odds of survival after jumping off such a large bridge were very slim.


    "We''re dead if we don''t try," said Wang Jun, shaking his head with regret.


    --


    Their journey continued for the next half day, with the hounds slowly but surely catching up to their position. Every once in a while, they encountered advanced scouts, which they dispatched in short order. Two weeks ago, fights like these would have taken a long time and wasted a lot of their qi. Not only had Xin Er, Feng Ming, and Gong Lan''s strength increased by a whole level, their whole team had also experienced life-and-death combat on multiple occasions. Unknowingly, the whole team had also developed a tacit understanding, minimizing their weaknesses and maximizing their strengths.


    After an arduous half day of constant running, they finally arrived at the Greatwood Bridge. It was three meters wide, allowing for two people to maneuver while fighting in cramped conditions. This feature aside, the bridge was run down; several wooden planks were missing here and there, and the railings were only three or four feet high. What made the bridge "great" was its length and height. The bridge spanned across a mighty 3,000-foot chasm. The river down below was flanked by two tall red cliffs that accentuated the 1,500-foot drop.


    Wang Jun had told them a bit of history about the bridge. The base of the bridge was woven from extremely long interlinked vines. The vines were bright green and nearly indestructible. Many human cultivators and demon beasts had attempted to destroy the living bridge, but all had failed. Eventually, human cultivators had taken the initiative and invited a master spiritual blacksmith to construct golden metal railings to prevent people from falling. These railings were built to the same standard as the bridge; they were quite sturdy, and even hurricane force gales would have trouble pushing them down. The wooden portions of the bridge had been maintained by the city lord of Green Leaf City for the past several centuries.


    The best place to hold off the hounds was at the other end of the bridge, where they could defend a narrow pass. They quickly made their way across the bridge in pairs, with Cha Ming taking up the rear. Once they had safely crossed the bridge, they rested for the time it takes for two incense sticks to burn, just enough time to replenish their qi and assume their positions for the final battle.


    --


    Meanwhile, back in Green Leaf City, a man and his cat were sitting together in a small wooden shack to the south. The shack was located in a small alley near the market district. Its walls and doors were plastered with various talismans, giving the impression that if the entire city were to be destroyed, at least this small shack would survive. While this was a popular rumor that circulated around town, people knew better than to discuss it in front of the more powerful individuals, such as the dean of Green Leaf Academy or the city lord. Whenever they heard this claim, the countenance of these mighty figures would instantly turn ugly. Most people attributed their unsightly expression to the challenge to their authority. The reality was quite different; these prominent figures knew their place, and if push came to shove, that little shack would remain standing even if the lord''s mansion and the dean''s school were reduced to rubble.


    Elder Ling was currently deep in thought. He stared at the Angels and Devils board in front of him, pondering various possible moves that he could make in the tense middle game. After a few moments, he exhaled and finally placed a black stone to assist his central group of stones in a difficult position. After placing the stone, he continued staring at the board while chewing his nails and shaking his leg. Old habits were very difficult to correct, and he had been scolded countless times in the past.


    The cat sat placidly on the opposite chair. Mr. Mao Mao was currently chewing a bouquet of flowers given to him by Cha Ming several weeks ago. The bouquet pleased Mr. Mao Mao greatly, and he made sure to chew a few flowers whenever he was bored. Contrary to his usual aggressive demeanor, his small cat face was very relaxed. The cat lazily lifted a paw, reaching into the bowl and somehow withdrawing a white stone. Finally, he placed it down near the center of black''s stones, letting out a smug purr and walking away from the board to continue his nap.


    Elder Ling looked at the board in shock. His group was dead, and he had no way to save it. "You damn cat! Can''t you let your owner win every once in a while? Can''t you just lose by a slim margin instead of embarrassing me every time? That''s it. I''m never playing with you again." He quickly put away the stones and the board while moping.


    "I treat you like my little ancestor, yet you''re always so ruthless," Elder Ling said quietly. He then looked at Mr. Mao Mao with red eyes and tears streaming down like tiny waterfalls. Mr. Mao Mao, unimpressed, closed his eyes and continued sleeping. Elder Ling let out a loud snort and instantly cheered up, his false tears quickly evaporating in the dry winter air. He was now drinking a cup of tea. It was a good afternoon.


    Suddenly, Elder Ling frowned. He withdrew a black brush from his sleeve, and quickly drew out a black circle in the air. He then wrote out the character for "Long Range Divination," and after thinking for a few moments, he wrote the name "Cha Ming." The character faded and was instantly replaced by a two-dimensional image. The image contained five small moving figures running swiftly across a long wooden bridge.


    "Hm¡­ The kid''s in trouble. Should we help him?" He looked over at Mr. Mao Mao while scratching his scraggly beard. Mr. Mao Mao hopped onto the floor and leapt onto Elder Ling''s shoulder, looking at the mirror curiously. After sniffing at the mirror a few times, he let out a loud purr and shook his head, heading back to his bed to continue his nap.


    Elder Ling frowned and retrieved a pair of spectacles, focusing on Cha Ming''s figure. Finally, he nodded his head and waved his hand. The image quickly faded away like a cloud of smoke.


    "You''re right as always, my dear Mr. Mao Mao. He does indeed have a bit of luck he can rely on. Besides, he''s only fighting a couple hundred puppies with a few slightly stronger puppies. He should be able to handle them. Maybe I worry too much." After Elder Ling finished speaking, Mr. Mao Mao continued his nap while Elder Ling continued drinking his tea. It was a good afternoon.


    --


    Cha Ming was breathing heavily, his body covered in a thick layer of sweat. He and his companions were exhausted. They had been fighting as efficiently as possible, not wanting to waste a single drop of qi while facing the vicious horde. If the opponent was weak enough, they would quickly beat it down with sword, staff, and saber strikes. The group of five rotated every few dozen breaths, switching out whenever the fatigue grew too intense to handle.


    It was Cha Ming''s turn again, and he quickly advanced to replace Gong Lan beside Feng Ming. A snarling black figure pounced at him from two feet away, jumping over the corpse of one of its pack members. Cha Ming quickly evaluated the strength of the hound as a second-level spirit beast¡ªno need to waste qi. Stepping forward, he swung his heavy staff and batted the hound''s large body, delivering just enough force to send the hound over the edge of the bridge. The black hound howled in grief as it plunged to its death at the bottom of the cliff.


    Before Cha Ming had a chance to catch his breath, another five hounds stepped up to take advantage of his vulnerable position.


    "Tch." Cha Ming quickly pulled out a mid-grade flame talisman, throwing it sideways at the group of hounds. A trail of flame quickly engulfed a few dozen feet of bridge. The hounds wailed as their fur caught fire, and many of them panicked and jumped to the river below, hoping that either the cold water would put out the flames or the sharp rocks would end their suffering. The burst earned their group a small reprieve of a few dozen breaths. They had repeated this process many times, whittling away fifty of the two hundred and fifty wolves on the bridge. Unfortunately, he only had three talismans remaining.


    The five continued to rotate and allow each other to rest, as though they were part of a rehearsed performance. Every so often, a stronger hound popped up, prompting either a sandstorm from Feng Ming, a burst of shadow curses from Wang Jun, or one of Cha Ming''s many manifestations. Finally, they were faced with the last fifty wolves.


    The five of them prepared for the final bout, staring at their opponents while panting. Each member of the team had a solemn look as they gauged the strength of their final opponents. Each of the opponents were third-level spirit beasts at the very minimum. Ten of the hounds were fifth-level spirit beasts, and finally, each of them experienced an overbearing pressure from a much larger hound in the middle of the remaining pack. Cha Ming''s eyes narrowed. While he was certain that this hound was not at the foundation-establishment stage, it was at least in the late stages of qi condensation.


    It was time to go all out. Little did he know that the sheen of red in his eyes had grown deeper. He knew that their chances of surviving were slim, so why not kill as many of the damn beasts as possible? After these thoughts ran through Cha Ming''s mind, all that was left was a desire to kill. The chattering stopped, and the twelve strings of spiritual energy he had been controlling previously suddenly split into thirty-six. He instantly realized that he could now execute the second spiritual pearl manifestations!


    Cha Ming let out a loud roar as he charged toward the remaining fifty hounds. He quickly unleashed the second manifestation with thirty-six spirit pearls to cast fire wall. The string of twelve pearls was thrown downward like a vertical whip strike, thirty-six feet long. The force of impact even knocked hounds off the bridge. Feng Ming and Wang Jun followed closely behind him. Most of their qi was exhausted, but they could still lash out with their swords. Gong Lan and Hong Xin followed behind them, finishing off any stragglers as the trio flung themselves deep into the pack of hounds.


    Enraged, the leaders of the pack howled and pushed their way forward, hoping to eliminate their prey as quickly as possible and minimize the pack''s losses.


    Cha Ming was encouraged by their frantic behavior. "Second Manifestation: Frost Nova!"


    A white-and-blue light spread out from Cha Ming, guided by the thirty-six pearls on his wrist. Unfortunately for the hounds, he was positioned right beside the group. Instantly, each hound''s speed was reduced by fifty percent. They could no longer dodge the many staff and sword strikes, and hound after hound fell to the terrifying onslaught. The pack leader''s rage intensified as it rushed even faster, causing several small hounds to accidentally get knocked off the bridge. But Cha Ming wasn''t done.


    "Second Manifestation: Epicenter!" A cluster of thirty-six pearls jumped up all at once, forming a small character, "earth," and suddenly slammed down a dozen feet ahead of him. A concussive blast rang out, rattling the group of hounds and shaking their internal organs. The group continued to move their slaughter forward. Finally, a large growl sounded out as the largest hound pounced over the others directly at Cha Ming.


    It''s time, he thought.


    "Second Manifestation: Sword!" He quickly emptied his remaining metal qi, filling all thirty-six white pearls to the brim. They came together in the shape of a sword, and a sharp sensation erupted from him as he launched his strongest attack against the pack leader. Cha Ming collapsed as the sword struck the large black hound backward. It did a full backflip before landing; the only evidence that it had been hit was a small trickle of blood dripping down from its large maw.


    The strike had been ineffective. The beast was too strong! The reality of the situation finally sank in, and their group of five finally collapsed under the pressure and exhaustion. None of them could lift a finger. The large hound triumphantly started advancing once more, ready to deliver the final blow.


    "Yip, yip!" Suddenly, a black figure darted out from behind the group and started growling at the hound. It was the little baby fox! It might only be a second-level spirit beast, but it couldn''t just do nothing. The fox quickly started glowing with a gray light.


    Poof! The baby fox split into two¡ªone white fox and one black fox. These foxes quickly ran together and simultaneously rammed the large hound.


    Unfortunately, despite its good intentions, the tiny foxes bounced back after causing absolutely no damage. The leader of the hounds let out a mocking howl and continued its advance. The air between the two foxes shuddered as the baby fox merged back into its original black-and-white form.


    "Yip yip!" It darted out again. This time a glowing red light shone out of its forehead. A dreadful pressure weighed down on both the group and the hounds. The lead hound whined and crouched down in submission. It was too late, however. Fire burst out from the small fox like an exploding sun.


    Reflexively, Cha Ming quickly took out his last three talismans and threw them on the ground. Three earthen walls sprung up to shield their group from the raging ball of flame. As the ball expanded, the first wall crumbled, followed by the second. Finally, the ball stopped expanding and burst outward. The last earthen barrier was barely breached and crumbled into dust. If they had been just a few feet closer to the front, the ball of flame would have immediately penetrated all three barriers and reduced the five companions to ashes.


    Only the pack leader remained, collapsed in a burning heap of blood and fur. The small baby fox, the source of the giant explosion, was unconscious on the shattered remnants of the bridge. Cha Ming struggled to his feet and slowly walked over to the baby fox that had saved their lives. The remnants of a red character were quickly fading from its slightly charred forehead.


    Suddenly, a loud creaking noise sounded out, forcing everyone to cover their ears. As Cha Ming looked around for the source of the sound, he saw that the ground around him had started breaking into pieces. The unbreakable Greatwood Bridge had been damaged by the massive attack. Ignoring the danger, Cha Ming quickly bent down to pick up the fox. As he took his last step forward, a large, twenty-foot-long piece of bridge suddenly gave way and started a freefall.


    With his last remaining energy, Cha Ming grabbed the small fox and pushed himself off a large piece of bridge. They only way they stood a chance of surviving was if they fell directly in the water. He continued his fall, and the last sounds he remembered hearing were the screams of his friends who had barely escaped this disaster.


    Would he ever meet them again? Who knew. He quickly fell through the white mist covering the river at the bottom of the cliff. The white faded to a deep blue, and as his body hit the raging waters, everything finally faded to black.

 25 The Silver Lining

    Cha Ming was walking down to the woods for his usual walk. Instead of choosing to take his morning bath, Cha Ming noticed a fork in the road. The new path was beaten down and seemed to lead uphill. He followed this forest trail for the full morning until he came to the edge of a cliff. Both sides of the cliff were made of red rock, and a river raged loudly beyond the edge. He couldn''t see the bottom of the river, as it was obscured in a thick white mist. Surprisingly, there was a large vine strung out across the deep river chasm. The vine had been fashioned into a simple bridge, and it spanned for what seemed like two to four thousand feet before making it to the other side.


    Looking to the center of the bridge, he saw a familiar figure. An alluring lady in red was standing there looking out into the mists. Her lips formed a hint of a smile as Cha Ming walked toward her.


    They stood together for about an hour, not saying anything. Finally, the lady in red let out a deep sigh. "I couldn''t let my son be taken away by a bad person. If he were to be taken away by a selfish human, I might as well have killed him myself. The world has never been kind to us demon beasts." She continued to gaze out at the mists while Cha Ming looked at her pensively.


    "Likewise, I would rather let my son die than have him be ungrateful and cowardly. I''m glad he rushed back to save you when he saw you were in danger. He was never meant to be mediocre. It''s in his blood¡­" She bit her lip as she hesitated. After making up her mind, she rushed up to Cha Ming and held his head in her hands.


    "His name is Ba Huxian. He is not an ordinary fox; he is something called a yin-yang bagua fox. I''m sure he will make the best of companions."


    A complicated expression flashed across her face as she ran her finger to his lips, pressing him into silence. She didn''t want to hear his answer, as a no would only break her heart. This was her gamble. She had bet everything on Cha Ming, and who knew if that gamble would pay off. She walked off toward the other side of the cliff and disappeared in the mist.


    --


    Cha Ming awoke to sounds akin to a high-pitched snore. It was the only sound he could hear aside from his breathing. Each breath he took came with a sharp pain, the tell-tale sign of a broken rib. As he opened his eyes, all he could see was a pure and endless darkness. He shivered as he became aware of his wet clothes, as well as various cuts and bruises that peppered his body. He felt sharp pains at various key points in his body.


    I must have broken several bones after falling into the river, he thought.


    Despite the cold, a little bundle of warmth radiated from his chest. It was Huxian, cuddled up to his abdomen, trying frantically to warm him up. Huxian suddenly stopped shivering and let out a yip of joy as he heard Cha Ming groan in pain. He started dutifully licking his face, bringing Cha Ming back to full alert.


    A light glow quickly surrounded the baby fox, enveloping a thirty-foot radius around them. They were currently in a large cave. There was a small pool in the ground not far from where he was. He guessed that they had somehow tumbled through an underground river as they were washed toward the bottom of the main river. They had somehow surfaced in this underground cave, and it was clear that Huxian had dragged him away from the pool of water so that he didn''t drown or freeze to death.


    What a strong little bugger, he thought.


    The small cave led to a ten-foot-wide passageway. A faint blue glow originated from deep in the tunnel; regrettably, he didn''t have the strength to investigate. Gritting his teeth, Cha Ming sat himself up painfully. One of his legs was fractured in two places, and so were three of his ribs. Fortunately, he had avoided permanent damage to his organs.


    The most important thing now was to recover his energy so that he could start healing. Everything else was out of the question until he could heal his wounds. He sat himself up against the cave wall, and Huxian cuddled up beside him, exhausted. Entering a meditative state was quite difficult, as Cha Ming was in extreme pain. Despite the pain, he persevered and managed to recover a bit of his qi. As soon as sufficient qi had formed, a dozen pearls from the rosary on his wrist floated up to his torso, forming a light green palm imprint, which regenerated any damaged tissues. His first priority was to heal any internal injuries before taking care of other things like his broken bones. He had fortunately avoided fracturing his femur.


    After a half day, the pain from his ribs finally receded. He petted the sleeping fox lightly. "Good boy, Huxian. You really saved us back there."


    Hearing his name, Huxian quickly woke up and started licking Cha Ming''s face. He laughed softly, realizing that healing his broken ribs had indeed been the correct decision.


    The healing process continued for three days. Over these three days, both Cha Ming and Huxian ate dry rations. Eventually Cha Ming had to cope with the fact that his leg would heal improperly if he left it alone. To solve this problem, he first manifested the second form of the healing pearl manifestation, Healing Bandage.


    Thirty-six beads spread out in a long rectangle, which he quickly wrapped along the injured leg. Then, mustering most of his strength, he used his fist to forcibly break his leg. The pain was so great that he passed out. He awoke a few hours later, very weak from the blood loss. He then made himself a makeshift splint out of beast bones and sinew he extracted from hound corpses in his bag of holding. Huxian ate up the freshly cut meat greedily, as he''d not had a decent meal in days. Cha Ming stuck to his dry fruit and nut rations. He wasn''t desperate yet.


    The healing process dragged out for another week. Such large bones were very difficult to heal at Cha Ming''s current skill level. After quite a bit of effort, Cha Ming was finally able to move about freely. He would be able to fight at about eighty-percent strength if he had to, though this would worsen his injuries. Huxian scampered along playfully. He''d wanted to explore the cave for a long time, but he was very worried about Cha Ming and hadn''t gone ahead to explore.


    As they wandered through the caves, Cha Ming realized that the glow came from many different caves. One cave became two, two became three, and three became too many to count. He soon found that they were lost. He frowned for a bit, but then he realized that Huxian was sniffing the air and heading in a specific direction.


    Oh? Does he have a special sense for these kinds of situations? Having nothing better to do, he followed Huxian''s lead down the network of tunnels.


    After several hours, Cha Ming noticed that the blue glow became stronger, and the caves grew brighter. Finally, they entered a very large cave. In the middle of the cave there was a small silver-blue pool. The pool had clearly been formed by a large dripping stalactite. Huxian excitedly walked up to the pool, sniffed it, and greedily started lapping up the contents. Cha Ming cursed inwardly because he hadn''t warned Huxian to be careful. He was just a baby, after all. To his surprise, Huxian finished quickly and darted up the sleeve of his robe, falling asleep on his shoulders. At least the liquid wasn''t poisonous; spirit beasts and demon beasts had strong survival instincts.


    As he approached the small pool, he noticed a humming sound coming out from his personal bag of holding. Frowning, he looked through his bag to find the source of the humming¡ªthe white brush! He took out the brush cautiously to examine it. To his surprise, the brush darted out of his hands and dove down deep inside the pool. After a minute, the pool had drained a whole foot. After fifteen minutes, the pool was completely drained and dry, after which the brush darted back to his hands as if satisfied.


    Cha Ming was quite puzzled. He knew this was a talisman brush, but he''d never realized that it might need to be fed these types natural treasures to function, like how it needed to "drink" ink before writing out talismans.


    Are all magic treasures this way? He didn''t even know what the liquid was, and it was already gone. He held the brush in his hands and observed it in detail. The dark lines showing all five elements were no longer black; green, red, yellow, silver, and blue lights now danced about the brush. As he stared at the brush, a golden light flashed, and he could make out a line of words on it.


    Why not paint the heavens with this Clear Sky Brush?


    Suddenly, a white mist shot out from the brush and darted into his forehead. Cha Ming sat down quickly as he struggled against the mist to no avail, eventually losing consciousness.


    --


    Cha Ming took a few steps forward, the sound of dull footsteps echoing through the vast emptiness. He was surprised, because below his feet he could not see anything. Or rather, his surroundings were pure and white. The air around him was indistinguishable from the floor. Was there a difference between walking on the floor or the ceiling? As soon as the thought ran through his head, he became aware that he was now walking upside-down. His point of view changed, and upside-down became right-side-up. Regardless of his orientation, his footsteps kept echoing throughout the vast emptiness.


    True to his nature, he decided to experiment. He thought of stairs, and soon he was "climbing" stairs and "descending." He thought of skating, and soon he was gliding down a slippery white "rink," with no end in sight. Unfortunately, he eventually thought of running face-first into a white "wall," and his light frame came to a screeching halt, nearly breaking his nose in the process.


    Okay, time to stop experimenting before things get out of hand. Cha Ming had a very vivid imagination, and sometimes it got the better of him, much like when a friend tells you not to think of an awful thing only to put a picture of said awful thing stuck in your head.


    "Are you done having fun?" asked a calm voice behind him.


    Cha Ming immediately regained his senses and turned around and saw an impish man with reddish brown hair. The man had a very plentiful red beard with prominent sideburns. He also held a gray staff in one hand, which he didn''t seem to need for support.


    "Confused? I would be." The man continued to stare at him with an impish smile, with one hand stroking his beard and the other twirling his staff. At some point, he threw the staff up into the air, only to have it balance on his finger. After a while, the staff started to shrink, and it continued to shrink until it was the size of a toothpick. He then put the toothpick in his mouth, using it to pick his sharp, pointy teeth. The man stared at Cha Ming, and the look in his eyes indicated that he was taking pleasure in the young man''s confusion.


    "Sit down, son. Let''s have a chat. I haven''t been on the outside in a thousand cosmic cycles. Don''t even try to think about what that means; it''s much too long for a youngster like yourself to imagine."


    Just as Cha Ming was thinking about where to sit down, the man waved his hand, and a set of stone benches appeared. The man''s bench was significantly taller, and he smirked while waiting for Cha Ming to take a seat.


    Is he a man or is he a teenager? Cha Ming thought. There was no point in overthinking it, really. He didn''t know where he was, and perhaps by giving this man a modicum of satisfaction, he could gain information on where he was. He sat down obediently and waited for the man to sit down, much like a child would wait for an elder. Satisfied, the man put his hands inside his gray robe''s sleeves and sat down after him, as if enjoying the feeling of belittling everyone around him.


    "Look around you. What do you see, son? Don''t think about it too hard." The man waved around him, and an invisible wind seemed to pick up and travel out into the white expanse. Cha Ming frowned at the open-ended question but threw out a guess nonetheless.


    "I don''t see anything. It''s a blank slate with no form. It''s just pure and white nothingness."


    The man gave him a surprised look and scratched his messy red hair.


    "That''s right, it''s nothing! Likewise, it''s also everything. Most people would give me a random bullshit guess to try to impress me. I''m glad you didn''t do that¡ªthat kind of person disgusts me the most. I don''t need sweet talk, and I don''t need anyone to give me any fake surprise.


    "Anyhow, like I said. It''s nothing, and it''s everything! It''s basically the start of all things, including myself. That''s saying something for someone as great as me, the Great Sage, Equal of Heaven, the Mightiest of the Strong, the Undying Holy One. Oh, I know! You can call me Almighty Heavenly Teacher. Say it! Say it!" As the man''s excited voice sounded out, black lines started appearing on Cha Ming''s brow. This guy is a little too full of himself, he thought.


    Biting back his embarrassment, he thickened his skin and clasped his hands while bowing to the man. "I was blind and failed to see Mount Tai . A beautiful lark sang a song to me this morning, and I was sure an important figure would appear soon. Surprisingly, it''s the Almighty Heavenly Teacher! I''m pleased to finally be blessed enough to have to opportunity to greet you."


    A pleased smile appeared on the man''s face as he shut his eyes and nodded his head. "What a proper member of the younger generation. Honest, and full of sincerity, not embellishing anything in the slightest. I''m not surprised you''ve heard of me." As he was nodding, a thought seemed to pop into his head. "Oh, I know! As a prestigious figure, it''s only right that I give you a gift on first meeting. Come, come, I''ll show you something."


    The impish man got up quickly and scampered off while dragging Cha Ming behind him with gusts of wind. The man was shameless, but he didn''t seem to mean any harm. In what seemed to be the blink of an eye, they appeared beside a set of clear steps. There were a total of five steps arranged in a circle, and the circle stepped down toward a light blue pool. The light blue pool was the same one that the brush had just absorbed.


    "Almighty Heavenly Teacher, are we inside the white brush?" Cha Ming exclaimed. He really had not considered that this was a possibility. The man with the red eyes nodded, still playing with the toothpick in his mouth and fondling his beard.


    "Yes, kid, we''re precisely inside of the Clear Sky Brush. I''ve been sleeping for a long time, and as the brush''s treasure spirit, I couldn''t wake up until you sucked up that pool of elemental essence. Truly, at my level, it''s way too hard to recover once someone kicks you down. Although this elemental essence is cheap garbage, it does have its usefulness. You''ll notice that it''s a little lighter than it was before. That''s because I took the good part that you can''t use to wake up." Taking out the toothpick, he extended it to its original size, two inches in diameter and seventy-two inches long. He then continued explaining.


    "Now that you''ve sucked up this elemental essence, you''ve probably noticed that there are five characters on the brush that are shining pretty brightly. You''re the only one that can see these characters, since you''re the owner of the brush." He then waved his stick in a circle, and a cyclone of wind appeared, seeming to drag everything in from a distance. The pool of elemental essence didn''t show a single ripple. After a few moments, five characters appeared, dancing in the air. These characters were two-dimensional and would always face Cha Ming no matter how hard he tried to look around them. The man in gray took out his stick and tapped the nearest character for "wood."


    "Normally, when people make stuff like Daoist talismans at your level, they try not to infuse these basic characters with essence without anything accompanying them. There''s a reason behind that. The reason is that a two-dimensional character is too deep. It''s infinitely deep, and it can hold infinite power. You can''t underestimate the five basic elements. Every material thing in the universe is made from at least one of them. Myself, I was born from a piece of primordial rock. It took far too many cosmic cycles until I finally gained consciousness, and subsequently, through my great efforts, I achieved immortality, surpassing most people in the universe. But back to the main point, the true name of the basic elements is represented in these characters, and they can''t be underestimated.


    "Now, that begs the question. What if we gave the characters depth?"


    His hand made a spinning motion, and the previously two-dimensional characters became three-dimensional, rotating slowly so that Cha Ming could comprehend their basic structure. His original thought was that these three-dimensional characters would just continue in straight lines for a finite distance. Nothing could have been further from the truth. Each character''s continuation was drastically different, as if representing some subtle truth contained within each element. Despite these differences, they all seemed the same from a two-dimensional vantage point.


    The character for wood seemed to grow a teeming forest out of its back. The forest was only a foot wide and a foot deep, but the amount of detail in the character would be enough to write the character a thousand times over on a sheet of paper. Likewise, the character for fire was written like foot-long dancing flames; the character for earth was composed of multiple shifting and cracked plates; the character for metal was composed of hundreds of blades and spikes; the character for water was made up from hundreds of waves.


    While Cha Ming was still marveling at the mysteries of these characters, the man coughed lightly to grab his attention. "Youth is truly a wonderful thing. You''re already distracted at such a simple picture. The truth of these characters is much too profound. You can stay here for as long as you like. You''re not technically here, you see; only your mental projection is here.


    "Once you think you can draw the characters, try starting with the character for wood. It''ll be useful for when you try to escape this hole in the ground. You can use the elemental essence to draw the characters out in the real world. Anyhow, feel free to come and visit me often; it''s very lonely here."


    The man then walked away, disappearing in the pure white surroundings.


    After pondering for half a day, Cha Ming finally figured out the answer to the question that had been nagging at his mind since he''d first laid eyes on the intricate characters.

 26 Painting the Heavens

    The world surrounding Cha Ming disappeared into the void just as it had come. He opened his eyes to the familiar scene of the light blue glow of the surrounding cave. The light blue glow was no longer originating from the pool but rather from hundreds of stones left behind in the pool. He was in no hurry to retrieve them, therefore he focused on the answer to his question.


    Huxian was still sleeping soundly on his shoulders. What he was about to attempt was potentially very dangerous, so he picked up Huxian and set him down to the side of the large cavern. He had looked at their food stores previously¡ªthey had enough to last a few weeks in the cave, but afterward they would need to exit the caves and attempt to travel to the city. He hoped Wang Jun had accomplished his mission and pulled out Feng Ming, Gong Lan, and of course, Hong Xin. Wang Jun seemed to dote on her a little more, so she was probably fine.


    Before leaving Huxian in his corner, he gave him a few pats and hummed a lullaby he had heard in his childhood. He moved back to where the pool used to be and took out the Clear Sky Brush. With a thought, a green glow appeared on the tip of the brush. Carefully, yet precisely, he moved his brush in a familiar pattern. Compared to the past, however, there was a huge difference. Now he was painting the air, painting the heavens!


    Since this was his first try, he decided to start with something small, a small leaf that he had seen on the character for wood. As the elemental essence poured out of the brush, he imbued it with his spiritual sense, which seemed to suspend the ink in the air and prevent it from falling. Soon enough, twelve fine strokes were completed, and the previously inanimate leaf seemed to come to life as thought it was a true and natural leaf. Success!


    After his first successful leaf, he continued to paint more of them until he completed the basic outline of twelve leaves. These twelve leaves would form the basis of the wood character. It was the final point of the character, the ending. As the red-bearded man had told him earlier, it was all about depth. If a person started from the beginning without specifying the end, the resulting failed character might draw too much out of the person drawing it. Starting with the end in mind gave the character a definite purpose, and as such it would never suck him dry like he had been warned by his teacher.


    As this thought ran through his mind, he realized that he''d lost his focus. His initial success was short-lived, and the flourishing leaves withered into yellow as they fell to the ground and turned to dust. He didn''t dwell on this failure, as he''d experienced it far too many times before when crafting talismans. Compared to his previous works, this three-dimensional character was vastly more complicated. He could tell that this character was at the very limits of his current cultivation level, and he would need to achieve a breakthrough in his spiritual sense to complete it.


    Day after day, his practice continued. Twelve leaves turned to twenty-four, and twenty-four leaves turned to thirty-six. After a full week, he was finally able to draw out a full sixty leaves, which were joined together in groups of five. These groups of five appeared much like young bean stalks that were just a foot long each, ones that had not yet sprouted flowers. Nevertheless, they exuded a sense of overwhelming vitality. Without any warning, Cha Ming knew that his spiritual sense was completely dried up, and the five stalks withered away into dust once more.


    Huxian had awoken a few days prior. He woke up in a rather cheerful but hungry mood, licking Cha Ming''s hand and begging for food. It didn''t take long for Cha Ming to realize that the dried fruits and nuts he had prepared for himself would never satisfy the pleading fox, and after some contemplation, he took out the corpse of one of the lower-level spirit hounds he had picked up earlier. Huxian looked at him with a confused expression, but before long he was munching away merrily. Cha Ming sighed. Once again, it was his responsibility to look after a carnivorous pet. It wasn''t his favorite arrangement, but the alternative had been letting the poor baby fox starve to death.


    --


    A nearly complete character for wood was currently floating in the air. Cha Ming was sweating profusely as he struggled to draw the second to the last stroke in the character. It was probably the thousandth time he had attempted to draw it. He had stopped keeping track after the hundredth time. Every time he attempted to draw the three-dimensional wood character, he started with the smallest leaf, eventually combining multiple leaves into a stalk. The twelve stalks would connect to the key nodes in the character, such as key points and intersections.


    Whether it was a general feature of the brush or because he was using the skies as his paper, the elemental essence used on a failed character would automatically retract into his brush. It seemed like the brush itself refused a mediocre outcome, allowing only a finished product to come into existence.


    Cha Ming really didn''t have any idea if this was a normal phenomenon or if regular brushes could even perform such a feat as painting the heavens themselves. In the future, he would have to experiment and determine the limits and value of this ability. Perhaps some foundation-establishment-ranked talisman brushes also had this miraculous ability.


    The speed at which Cha Ming could draw leaves was staggering compared to his initial attempts. At first, he needed to focus on every single vein in the leaf to form a perfect one. Later, after practicing over ten thousand leaves, he could form a perfect leaf with a single stroke of his brush and very little effort. This method was much less exhausting than his previous attempts, and it saved him a lot of stamina for the remainder of the character. It was as though an unfathomable mystery could be imbued in his brush, willing the ink to shape the fully formed leaf on its own.


    Upon further reflection, he found that this process was very similar to how one could plant a seed and expect a plant to grow with sufficient water and sunlight. The seed was "coded" with instructions, which it would then use to grow out a new plant. The sixty "seeds" he painted were then drawn together into twelve key nodes using the wood (ľ) character base, for a total of seventy-two key points.


    Before long, Cha Ming completed the twelve stalks containing five leaves each. He was nearing the point of exhaustion and paused briefly to take a breath. First stroke, horizontal. Second stroke, vertical. Left side, right side. The completed character joined together, and the leafy stalks writhed as though they were letting out shouts of joy. Much to his surprise, the character shrunk down to the size of a fist. As he was admiring his first stable creation, the Clear Sky Brush let out a commanding ohm.


    As if shivering in fear, the wooden character rushed toward Cha Ming''s chest at a frightening speed. He didn''t have a chance to react. The character struck him at the very top and center of his ribcage. He was instantly flooded with a soothing feeling as energy started pouring into him from the surrounding area, forming a maelstrom with him at the center. This was Heaven and Earth energy in its purest form!


    Off in a corner of the room, Huxian, who had been quite bored, looked over at him curiously. His newfound caregiver didn''t seem to be in trouble or in pain, but neither did he seem able to do anything. Now was the chance he had been waiting for. The black-and-white fox darted out toward the middle of the previously filled pool and immediately bit down on one of the many stones with an audible chomp.


    After successfully eating the first stone, he proceeded to eat a second, then a third. Despite being incapacitated, Cha Ming could see all of this. He decided that he would need to properly discipline the fox if they survived their ordeal. The little critter was basically gluttony incarnate. Huxian, sensing Cha Ming''s unhappiness, cowered back toward a corner with his ears lowered, after which he fell asleep once again.


    --


    The energy maelstrom lasted a full sixty hours before it finally dissipated. The green character had long since branded itself onto Cha Ming''s chest. After sixty hours of continuously staying still, Cha Ming was finally able to move. He got up slowly and cracked his joints. He felt like his fleshly body had been reborn, and he could feel his muscles brimming with energy. After stretching his stiff muscles, he took out the Clear Sky Brush. It looked much like before, but now the character for wood was no longer shining green. To his relief, he could still cause wood elemental essence to gather on the tip of the brush.


    "Try lifting something, you dummy!" a familiar voice sounded in his head.


    Black lines formed on his forehead as he sighed. It appeared that the shameless elder could talk to him whenever he wanted. Life was about to get a lot more interesting and infinitely more frustrating. Given his limited exposure to the red-bearded man, he decided to play along, walking toward a stone that likely weighed a hundred jin. This was the very limit he was able to lift previously.


    "Too small, dummy! Try that one!"


    He could tell which direction the red-bearded elder was guiding him in. "What the hell, old man. Are you trying to get me to pull a muscle?" exclaimed Cha Ming. The stone was clearly three times as big as the previous one.


    "Entertain me. You''ll surprise yourself!"


    Cha Ming rolled his eyes and decided that he would give it a half-hearted attempt at most. He lightly gripped the stone, after which he tried lifting it at about sixty-percent strength. The stone didn''t put up any resistance, and he lifted it with ease. Then the stone was crumbling in his hands, unable to bear the gripping force from his bare fingers. He dropped the stone back to the ground with a shocked expression.


    The voice chuckled. "Kid, this is your good fortune! What you''ve just completed is the first little piece of the Seventy-Two Earthly Transformations technique. Back in my prime I used this technique to become virtually indestructible! Gods couldn''t kill me! Buddha couldn''t trap me! I trampled the gates of Heaven with this technique, and I overthrew the armies of Hell! As you practice it, all sorts of changes will happen to your body. You''ll eventually be able to transform into any shape, and every hair on your bald-ass body will become a fearsome weapon!


    "The first stage of seventy-two transformations remolded a single yin and a single yang organ, bringing you onto the path of body cultivation. This is equivalent to two transformations. For the following ten other transformations in the first stage, you''ll slowly remold your body and purify it, setting your foundation for godhood."


    Cha Ming felt a chill run down his spine. Godhood? Regular people couldn''t become gods, could they?


    "That little fox of yours, he''s not ordinary, either. He''s going to keep sleeping for the next week, and when he wakes up, he''s going to be even stronger than you. What a lucky little shit you are. If I had half your luck, I''d never have been trapped in this stupid brush. Anyway, there''s a ton of rocks around here; try lifting and breaking rocks to your limit for the next little while as you get used to your strength. Once he wakes up, you shouldn''t have any problems getting out of these woods alive."


    Despite the minor annoyance of having to listen to the man''s rants, Cha Ming appreciated his helpfulness. Without him, he would never have been able to solve the mystery of the brush on his own. In time he would be able to draw out all five characters, but he sensed that the demands on his spiritual strength would increase with each character. He would need to first increase his cultivation to make any progress in the body transformation technique.


    --


    Feng Ming was standing in line at a large mansion to the south of the city. No one would have blamed him if he skipped straight to the front of the line. It was his father''s mansion, after all, and his old residence. Unfortunately, his old man prided himself on propriety and right conduct, insisting that anyone who wanted to see him would first have to wait in line. There were few exceptions to this rule, the first exception being life-or-death emergencies. The second exception had never been used; it was reserved for when the king himself appeared and requested an audience.


    Time trickled by, and soon an entire four hours had passed. He was finally allowed to enter with two sturdy guards stationed in front of his father''s study. It was just as he remembered it: neat, orderly, and plain. The only adornments that could be seen in the wood-finished office were war medals, mementos from his father''s various exploits.


    A dark-haired, middle-aged man in military uniform was currently working away at military paperwork. He didn''t bother to stop writing or look up as he finished yet another form and placed it at the top of the stack of completed paperwork.


    "What do you want? I''m very busy, and I don''t have time to deal with any of your childish requests," he replied coldly.


    Thud.


    Feng Chuan looked down to the floor, only to see his son kneeling while hanging his head in shame. This was the first time he had ever seen his son express any kind of remorse.


    "Father, due to my negligence and lack of effort, I''ve let my friends down. More likely than not, my friend Cha Ming is now dead. I beg of you to grant me a request." His head remained down; Feng Ming did not dare look his father in the face.


    "What exactly do you want? Do you expect me to give you a reward now that your friend has died? Get the hell out of my study!" His father''s voice was filled with rage, as if wondering how his son could use his friend''s death to ask for something.


    "Father, I beg you, please let me join the army. I''ll be an ordinary foot solider if I have to!"


    "How dare you not leave when I tell you to lea¡ª What?" A look of shock appeared on Feng Chuan''s face as his son finally raised his head with a determined look in his eyes. "You would like to ¡­ join the military?"


    "Yes, Father, please accommodate your son''s selfish request!"


    Feng Chuan put down his pen, putting his hands together as he continued looking at his son.


    "Why do you want to join the army? There will be no comforts, no women, no gambling dens. There will be nothing but the strictest discipline. And since you are my son, I will be especially hard on you. I will only assign you to the strictest sergeant under my command."


    Feng Ming didn''t falter when hearing his father''s warning. He had already expected this.


    "Father, I wish to join the army to learn discipline. I now know that it was my lack of discipline that contributed to my friend''s death. If I had only worked slightly harder, with our family''s resources, I could have cultivated to a whole level higher! I truly don''t know if this would have made a difference, but right now I hate myself for not having given my all. This is what I need. Please don''t refuse me."


    Feng Chuan continued looking at his son for the entire time it takes for an incense stick to burn, and Feng Ming did not get up, continuing to kneel in the same position. "Very well. You are to report to the west barracks at dawn tomorrow, fully packed and ready to leave. Understood?"


    "Yes, Father. I won''t disappoint you!" Feng Ming stood up, bowed, and walked out of his father''s study.

 27 The Deal

    Cha Ming followed the bearded man''s advice and spent the next week getting used to his body''s condition. For ordinary people, it would have been difficult to tell time without seeing the cycles of the sun, but cultivators were a special breed of people who were naturally in tune with the heavens and the earth. This feeling only grew stronger once Cha Ming merged with the elaborate wood character he had painted.


    The first day, he performed all sorts of bodyweight exercises and stretches that he had learned in the past, continuing for a full twenty-four hours. The largest benefit that he had experienced from this transformation was an increase in his vitality and endurance. While he hadn''t pushed himself to his limits, he projected that it would be any easy feat to perform bodyweight exercises for a whole week.


    The next twenty-four hours, he tried exhausting himself by running at full speed in the small circular room. Twenty-four hours of running hardly drained his stamina; this was quite fortunate, since he and Huxian would need to escape through the woods back to Green Leaf City. While his maximum speed had only seen a marginal increase, his endurance would allow him to cover four times the distance in a single day.


    The next two days were used to discover the limits of his strength. He used his vine creation skill to tie stones and bones together and create a variety of heavy objects to test himself. The results were shocking. He could now lift five hundred jin over his head when using one hundred percent of his strength. Each of his arms could lift two hundred and fifty jin, and he could squat and deadlift one thousand jin.


    Using a strength testing pillar was the most common way to measure the strength of a body cultivator. It would record the maximum amount of force delivered to the pillar and display it. This device could be used to measure fist strength and kicking strength. Weapons were typically not allowed on these models since sharp objects could deal serious damage to the device. Technique, force utilization, and the weapon used all had large impacts on the power of a combat technique. Therefore, fist strength was used as the universal standard for body strength, since it was a measure of force applied by the simplest unaltered battle technique.


    Cha Ming did not have access to one of these force-testing stones, and so he picked one of the longer tunnels in underground tunnel system to run an experiment. First, Cha Ming would take a hundred-jin stone and throw it in the air to a predetermined height. Then, in the middle of the stone''s downward trajectory, he used his fist and punched the stone in midair. The distance it traveled before hitting the ground was then used to estimate the amount of force delivered to the stone. Cha Ming''s fist strength was approximately five hundred jin.


    In the process of measuring his fist strength, he discovered a second marvelous benefit from the wood body refining. Aside from the obvious benefits to the durability of his body, any injuries he sustained would heal at roughly ten times their normal rate, and with minimal scarring. This improved rate of healing did not stack with the Healing Hand or Healing Bandage manifestations, but any wounds healed with these techniques left minimal scarring.


    It was as though his body, in addition to strengthening, changed on a fundamental level to more closely resemble the wood element. Vitality, endurance, and regeneration were all aspects for which the wood element was famous for. Since his chances of getting permanently injured had greatly decreased, Cha Ming had spent the last two days punching and kicking the stone walls, getting used to controlling his force and getting used to the recoil and pain that came hand in hand with delivering physical blows to his enemies. He also practiced his staff art, getting used to the recoil and impact associated with using the weapon.


    Huxian woke up after a week, just as the bearded man had predicted. As he woke up, he glanced around to see if there were any remaining stones on the ground that could be eaten. Cha Ming had predicted this and had stored away all of these special glowing stones. While improving Huxian''s strength was very important for their survival, they needed to leave as soon as possible before their food supplies ran out.


    Recalling what the bearded man had said, Cha Ming convinced Huxian to spar with him. The results left him very shocked. Huxian was twice as fast as him and twice as strong. Of course, this only referred to physical speed and physical strength. The pressure exuded by Huxian told Cha Ming that he was a sixth-level spirit beast, a top-quality one at that!


    "You little bugger, you''d better not bully me now that you''re so strong," said Cha Ming, sighing softly while rubbing Huxian''s black head. While he was happy that Huxian''s strength had increased, it remained that he was still just a naughty baby. Keeping him out of trouble would become increasingly difficult. Huxian was now so fast that he could run circles around Cha Ming.


    After resting a full day, the duo finally began wandering through the many caves in the hopes of finding an exit.


    --


    Tick¡­ tick¡­ tick¡­ tick¡­


    In a quiet wooden room with a large wooden desk, four people were seated and having a meeting. One elderly man with green robes and flowing white hair was seated at the side of the desk, taking notes. The desk was built out of a dark, patterned wood. The surface was finished with a glossy varnish that emphasized the beautiful runic patterns decorating the entire desk. These runic patterns were beige in color, and while they seemed like they might have been inscribed by a master artisan, they were in fact a natural property of the wood used to carve out the desk. They grew as the tree aged, and a single line of runic patterns formed every sixty years, a testament to the age of the magic wood used to make the desk.


    The two men opposite the desk wore black cultivator robes. The man sitting to the side was young, perhaps in his midtwenties. He was also in charge of notetaking and had tagged along to gain experience. The three men were seated in silence as they waited for a reply from the young man in green robes seated behind the desk. The handsome man had his eyes closed as he listened to the ticking of the clock in the quiet room.


    Tick¡­ tick¡­ tick¡­ tick¡­


    After three hundred ticks of silence, the young man opened his eyes. There was a wisp of white hair dangling from the side of his head. He only had one such wisp of white hair adorning his perfect, straight head of blond hair. White hair was a very unusual feature to see on a sixteen-year-old man. The man was Wang Jun.


    Wang Jun had intentionally waited for three hundred ticks of his clock in order to make the two guests sweat. These two were very powerful men in Green Leaf City. One was the president of the Spiritual Blacksmiths Association, Chen Hou, and the other was the young master from the Chen family, Chen Ling Tian. The Chen family was one of the three major families that controlled Green Leaf City''s commerce. The president of the association was Ling Tian''s uncle and the most prestigious spiritual blacksmith in the surrounding hundred cities. He had come all the way to Green Leaf City to wrap up the details of a business deal that would have a huge impact on the trade of weapons and armor in the nearest twenty cities.


    "I refuse," said Wang Jun. "These conditions are far too important to the trade contract, and the Wang Family would rather not engage in this business than to remove them. If you have nothing further to add, you may leave."


    He moved a stack of papers to a corner of his desk¡ªcontracts he''d carefully reviewed and signed. After reviewing and signing ten contracts, he noticed that Chen Hou still hadn''t left. His face was red, and a very prominent vein protruded from his forehead as if ready to burst at any moment.


    Wang Jun didn''t seem to care, and looking over to his left, he instructed his assistant, "Elder Bai, please see these two guests outside. The documents I am working on are confidential and shouldn''t be seen by their wandering eyes."


    The old man got up and bowed. "As you command, young master." He looked toward the two gentlemen, who had expressions of pure rage. One of the arms on Chen Hou''s chair suddenly let out a creaking sound as the solid wood was crushed in his firm grasp. The graying man was a spiritual blacksmith, after all, and his physical prowess could not be denied.


    "This is outrageous!" he bellowed. "How can a young man like you make such an important decision? I refuse to believe that you have this authority!"


    Wang Jun''s expression showed no fluctuations as Chen Hou let out his aura. He was a Xiantian life-form, someone who had fully purified his body after reaching the peak of mortal body refining. His physical body strength was comparable to that of an early foundation-establishment cultivator.


    In response to his outburst, Elder Bai, who had been sitting meekly beside Wang Jun, let out an aura of thick suppression that forced Chen Hou to stagger and cough up blood. The young man beside him fainted directly, as he had not yet established his foundation. Elder Bai looked at the miserable Chen Hou coldly.


    "Young Master Wang is not someone who you can try to bully with force." He let out a cold snort. Yet another burst of raw power forced Chen Hou to cough up an additional mouthful of blood. The blood seeped onto the reddish wooden floor, which drank up the bloody puddle in the fraction of a second. The floors were clearly made to clean up these kinds of messes, which commonly occurred in "aggressive negotiations."


    Wang Jun, who had not participated in the scuffle, had his elbows on the table with his fingers interlocked in front of the lower half of his face. His cold, penetrating gaze made the struggling Chen Hou shiver.


    "Chen Hou, I am fully authorized by the Wang Family to make any and all decisions relating to business dealings in the Song Kingdom. If you want to complete this deal, you must go through me, as no one in the surrounding kingdoms would dare go over my head for such a small deal." One word could be used to describe Wang Jun''s behavior right now¡ªdomineering.


    "You might be thinking," said Wang Jun, "how can this be a small deal? Since I''m feeling generous today, let me elaborate."


    He paused a bit before continuing, taking a sip out of a hot cup of tea that had appeared in front of him. Somehow, Elder Bai had found time during this commotion to brew a cup of tea for the young master. Wang Jun smiled appreciatively at Elder Bai and gave him an approving nod. The warm look on his face instantly disappeared as he turned back to the two miserable men. Chen Ling Tian had just regained consciousness. His face was pale as a sheet, and the previous angry look on his face had disappeared and had now been replaced with an expression of fear.


    "Gentlemen, the agreement in question is a sole-sourcing agreement between Jade Bamboo and the Song Kingdom Spiritual Blacksmith''s Association. We are looking to purchase all of our new higher-end merchandise for the nearest twenty cities from your association at the cost of sixty percent of list price, delivered. We want these goods delivered within three days and all accounts payable within thirty days of placing the order. Your organization is asking for seventy percent, a two-week delivery time on any orders, and all accounts being payable up front. Now let me elaborate on why this is a laughable proposition.


    "There is a kingdom ten thousand li to the west that is governed by the Qin Dynasty. We have an agreement with this kingdom to supply these same goods at fifty-five percent of the list price with certain volume guarantees. Any order produced in this kingdom can easily be shipped here for three percent of the list price in two weeks'' time. If we pay seven percent, we can have the order delivered in a week, and if we pay ten percent, we can have any order delivered in three days using aerial beasts. All accounts to them are payable in thirty days.


    "We are asking for sixty percent and a three-day delivery time to reduce our cost base and working capital. There are almost no cost savings involved. This deal will allow us to save five percentage points on three-day deliveries, two percentage points on one-week deliveries, and it actually costs us two percentage points for longer lead time orders, the bulk of the business. So, tell me, is this really a bad proposition?"


    By this point, Chen Hou was sweating profusely. He was clearly not aware that Jade Bamboo already had such business relationships. If the Wang Family set their mind to it, they could run them out of business. Both men knew this.


    "The pricing part of this business deal is not the main point," Wang Jun continued. "From a purely profit-based approach, this deal makes no sense, and we should run you out of business. However, our current supplier will tie up our working capital for two weeks during the delivery time. There is also the small risk of force-majeure events, which might interrupt deliveries, as well as the burden of dealing with officials to import goods.


    "The Wang Family hopes to gain from this deal by reducing relative risk and reducing working capital, which we can then invest elsewhere. Therefore, the price, delivery time, and accounts payable portion of the deal are all essential. I''ve effectively given you the best deal possible under the circumstances."


    Wang Jun paused for another minute, the clock ticking as Chen Hou sat lost in thought.


    "I take it you will need a small amount of time to convene with your business group and reach a final decision?" Wang Jun inquired.


    "Our business group will require a week to decide on this matter," Chen Hou said hesitantly. One week was really cutting it close.


    "You have three days," replied Wang Jun. "Elder Bai, please see our guests out."


    --


    Three days later, a graying middle-aged man and a strong young man walked out of Wang Jun''s office, smiling. Wang Jun nodded in a satisfied manner as he straightened out the pile of documents that had been signed by himself and Chen Hou. The contract was stamped with a seal in green ink, which featured the prominent character "Wang" surrounded with a light jade bamboo background.


    While contracts could be stored and recorded on jade slips, Wang Jun liked the legitimacy of using a paper copy. Of course, the signatures would need to be imbued with the signer''s aura to prevent forgery. Elder Bai wandered back into the room after he finished escorting out their guests.


    "Congratulations, Young Master, on another successful deal," Elder Wang said, giving him a light bow.


    Wang Jun smiled and shook his head. He had asked Elder Bai multiple times to be less formal in private. They were all part of the same family, after all. Unfortunately, Elder Bai would have none of it, continuing to show respect to him as though he were a lowly butler.


    "Please, Elder Bai, you''re stifling me." Wang Jun pondered for a moment before asking, "Is there any news I should be aware of?"


    "For the most part, nothing out of the ordinary." Elder Wang finally showed some lapse in decorum as he sat in the chair in front of Wang Jun''s desk, giving his tired old bones a small amount of rest. "The Zhou family is acting more and more unbridled and domineering. The Qian family, which controls the city guard, has pledged allegiance to them. As you know, that genius Zhou Li''s elder sister has recently been accepted as the crown prince''s chief consort, giving their family much more influence in the capital city.


    "There is also¡­ some disturbing news."


    Wang Jun shot a surprised look at Elder Bai. Elder Bai had lived a long time and had seen many things. Something that qualified as "disturbing" was definitely out of the ordinary.


    "Young master, there have recently been many occurrences of so-called ''rebellion'' in the kingdom. These rebellions are short-lived and usually involve the following characteristics. First, a local band of ruffians announce that they have had enough with the royal family. They then gather up local warriors and go on a killing spree, not only targeting the local aristocrats but slaughtering women, children, and the elderly.


    "The youths who are spared from slaughter are usually boys aged between thirteen and sixteen, and beautiful young girls who are old enough to bear children. These ''rebels'' then move on to the next town and repeat the process. Before long, they are put down by local task forces appointed by the kingdom or by a nearby branch of the king''s army. These events have been occurring over the last three months with increased frequency."


    Wang Jun pondered for a few minutes while looking through his memory. He had an eidetic memory, and even obscure tidbits of information could be found within minutes. After a few minutes, he opened his eyes with a puzzled look.


    "Elder Bai, I can''t find anything in my memories. You know yourself how much of this continent''s history I''ve memorized over the years. Is there something that I''m missing?"

 28 Dark Memories, Cruel Fate

    Elder Bai sighed as he recalled something. The memory was clearly extremely painful, and he seemed to age ten years as his eyes turned red and teary. "A similar event happened one hundred and fifty-seven years ago. My dear sister lived in a small farming village just five hundred li to the south. She had a husband and six children. One day, I happened to have the urge to visit her, so I jumped on my flying steed and flew down to visit her.


    "As I approached the village, I noticed smoke on the horizon. In a panic, I urged my steed on, only to realize that the source of the smoke was the village itself. The village had been set ablaze, and the streets were littered with corpses. My sister and her entire family were violated and slaughtered in the most painful ways. I later found the group of savages and slaughtered the entire bunch of them before the king''s army had a chance to respond.


    "In my grief, I wandered from village to village for the next few days, drinking away my sorrows. When I finally sobered up, I thought to check the few storage rings that I had retrieved from the bandits in the hopes of finding out any clues about what happened. In this ring, I found something exceptional, something that even kings might have trouble procuring. It was an Edict of Yama, signed with the blood of the chief oracle of the Song Kingdom at the time. Come to think of it, one hundred and fifty-seven years ago was when the last chief oracle came into power." Elder Bai wiped away his tears as he finished. This memory had been supressed for quite some time.


    "Did you pursue the matter with the King of Song?" inquired Wang Jun.


    "Yes, I did. And when I brought this evidence to the minister of justice, I was told that the edict in question had been issued fourteen years prior for meritorious service to the Empire. I was also reminded that I had another two sisters and should learn to appreciate them. After understanding the subtle threat, I gathered my two sisters and their families and took shelter with the Wang Family, where I have been ever since."


    Wang Jun let out a deep sigh, and in a reversal of roles, he made tea for Elder Bai. Elder Bai, who was still quite traumatized after telling the story, accepted the hot drink and calmed himself down. After a half hour of drinking tea, he got up to take care of his other duties. Wang Jun''s consoling had worked its charm.


    "Elder Bai," Wang Jun called out, just as the man was about to walk out the door.


    "Yes, young master?" replied Elder Bai.


    "Do you have any news about Cha Ming from the mission office?" Wang Jun had not been idle this entire time. Although he had many responsibilities to take care of, he always made time for the things close to his heart. After bringing Feng Ming, Gong Lan, and Hong Xin back to the city, he made sure he spent a lot of time comforting and reassuring Xin Er. He would go have supper with her at least three times a week and accompanied her for walks outside. Spending time with her soothed his nerves and healed the wretched wounds in his heart.


    The first thing he''d done was post several missions through the mission office. These missions were issued through Green Leaf Academy, through the Jade Bamboo Auction House, through the Foragers Association, and finally through the Mercenary Alliance. The mission was a particularly lucrative one that requested all sorts of herbs, fruits, spirit beast materials, etc. There was an especially high compensation rate for midnight spirit hound pelts. The offered price was at least forty percent higher than the market rate, but the condition was that the materials would need to be gathered within a twenty li radius of the Greatwood Bridge, and up to thirty li downstream of the river. There were tens of gathering points in the area where adventurers could directly turn in their goods for money or spirit stones.


    In bold letters near the end of the mission there was a note announcing a reward of 50,000 spirit stones for anyone who could find Du Cha Ming, who had disappeared in the spirit woods. Any information that eventually led to his rescue would be rewarded with 5,000 spirit stones. The description included a vivid picture of Cha Ming and a brief description of his abilities.


    Many people had ventured into the woods for this mission in the first week. The traffic of adventurers slowed down shortly afterward because of the eventual depletion of natural resources in the woods. Many beasts were hunted to extinction, and the area within a fifty li radius of the bridge had been completely hunted free of midnight spirit hounds. The officers in charge of gathering these hound corpses had been instructed to not spare a single one, no matter where it was gathered from. Some adventurers still frequented that area of the woods, but only a tenth as many as the original flood. While the area had been ravaged like a field of wheat by a swarm of locusts, it was much safer than other areas in the woods with higher rewards. In this way, Wang Jun would always have eyes in the area on the lookout for Cha Ming.


    "Young master, I think you should give up. Even if you did give up ten years of your life for him, you should know better than to take sunk costs into account for an investment."


    "Elder Bai, he''s more than an investment to me, he''s my friend. Besides, my auguries are never incorrect. He is alive, even if I don''t know where he is yet. Look at my spirit compass!" He took out an ornate copper compass with a gold needle. The compass would never point north but in the direction of the person or thing it was tracking. The compass had been spinning in a circle ever since he used it to try and find Cha Ming. Something was obscuring his location for the time being, but Wang Jun was patient.


    "Young master, I know that you place a lot of importance on this young man, but we can''t maintain this degree of expenditure for very long before the family notices. We should¡ª"


    Elder Bai stopped talking. The spinning gold needle, which had continued spinning nonstop for the last few weeks, was finally locked in place. It was pointing toward the spirit woods.


    --


    Cha Ming and Huxian were running side by side in the woods. They had been running joyfully for the past few hours, trying to make up for the time they lost while they slowly wandered in the dark underground tunnels. They had encountered many dangers on the way out, including dire badgers, large venomous spiders, and various types of rodents.


    The duo was now well practiced at evading obstacles in the treacherous terrain. Here and there, spirit monkeys had laid traps to protect their territories. Other places were filled with poisonous asps that laid in wait for their unsuspecting prey. Fortunately, they had exited the tunnels on the south side of the river, the side closest to Green Leaf City. They now wandered south, hoping to either find a familiar landmark to help guide their way, or eventually, the forest exit.


    Their traveling speed was greatly hampered by ferocious beasts who accosted them at every turn. The beasts were no serious threat to them, but since there were only two of them, the beasts took them for easy prey.


    After a few more hours of running at a brisk pace, they arrived at a group of moss-covered trees. Cha Ming had seen these types of trees before; the trees were gnarled and covered in jade-green moss that covered over nine-tenths of every trunk. The duo slowed down the pace, after which Cha Ming sent out a brief hand signal to Huxian.


    As expected, a group of large snakes jumped out of the trees with their mouths opened wide, their glistening fangs coated with deadly poison. Cha Ming used his Ghost Steps to evade the snakes and sent out a group of thirty-six spirit pearls in a wide arc. The beads resonated with the infused fire qi and turned the surrounding woods into a blistering inferno. This curved firewall was Cha Ming''s latest invention. Naturally, the flames were completely under Cha Ming''s control, and the area around Huxian was unaffected.


    The extreme positive energy of the flames roasted away the thick yin poison coating the snakes'' fangs. The serpents let out an anguished cry as they lost their potent poison. In response, one of the snakes lashed out his tail at Cha Ming. This was a fifth-grade spirit python that was thirty feet long. Cha Ming responded by unleashing a vicious fist strike, which matched the massive beast''s strength pound for pound. As the beast and Cha Ming forcefully separated, Huxian darted around like a beam of light, immediately taking a big bite out of the giant serpent six inches below its head. The snake dropped dead, and the surrounding ball of pythons writhed in anger while darting in for revenge from all sides.


    In response to their entrapment, Cha Ming instantly changed the surrounding circle of beads to quake in a rhythmic fashion. The tiny quaking vibrations, which would normally knock vicious beasts off balance and stun them, had a devastating effect against the group of pythons. Snakes were a species that relied heavily on sound to roam around the earth. They were very sensitive to every vibration surrounding them.


    The effect of the quaking pearl manifestation rendered them incapable of "seeing." Cha Ming quickly brandished his heavy staff, crushing four snakes in quick succession with his impressive physical strength. Meanwhile, Huxian blended into the surrounding shadows, frequently darting out and taking a quick bite out of a vulnerable snake. In the time that it took Cha Ming to kill four snakes, Huxian had killed another six.


    After a few breaths'' time, Cha Ming''s quake formation lost its power, after which he quickly imbued frost qi into the rosary. The beads swirled around, covering everything in a fifty-foot radius in a thick layer of frost. This was especially effective against cold-blooded animals, and they slowed down to a crawl. The remaining amount of time was enough to finish all of the smaller snakes, leaving only the remaining forty-foot snake wailing in despair. This snake was a seventh-level spirit beast and couldn''t be underestimated. Cha Ming kept it busy with his ghostly footwork and heavy staff, occasionally throwing sword fingers and entrapping him in vines while Huxian viciously bit into its thick, scaly hide.


    Finally, the enraged python lost all reason and went for broke, attempting to take down Huxian with it. It quickly utilized its natural ability, Shadow Bind, which froze Huxian in place while it bit down with its two-foot-long fangs. Huxian''s eyes showed no fear. He knew that Cha Ming had been saving one of his trump cards.


    Fifty feet up in the air, the thirty-six prayer beads revolved in the shape of a sword. He poured all of his remaining qi into the sword formation, and it plunged down at the back of the snake''s extended neck. For good measure, he had also injected his remaining earth qi to strengthen the sword. The sword dissipated just after it decapitated the python''s head, returning to Cha Ming''s wrist in the form of a 108-bead rosary.


    As Cha Ming sat down in meditation to recover his energy, Huxian dutifully carried out his favorite part of the fight¡ªscavenging. He first ripped out all the fangs from the snakes, gathering them into a neat pile while being careful not to be poisoned. He then ripped out the eyes from the three largest snakes. These eyes had formed yin-energy pearls, which were very useful for certain cultivators. These beasts wouldn''t have a beast core, as they had focused all their demonic energies into their eyes.


    After removing the eyes and placing them beside the fangs, he dutifully dug out the beast cores from each of the small snakes'' heads. His powerful jaws were not obstructed by their dense, bony skulls. Once these were all in a pile, he let out a gleeful yip. Time to eat!


    As he opened his mouth, a massive devouring force reached out and grasped the surrounding demonic snake corpses. As the last tail disappeared in his massive maw, he let out a cute, satisfied burp. His aura seemed substantially stronger than just a few seconds ago. This was one of his innate abilities: devouring. As long as he had sufficiently strong spirit beast corpses, he would never need spirit stones to supplement his cultivation.


    Demonic cores were much more nutritious, of course, but Cha Ming had scolded him severely on an earlier occasion. These beast cores were valuable, and they could be used to buy all sorts of delicious things. Seeing the skeptical look in Huxian''s eyes, Cha Ming went on to describe that enough beast cores could be traded for precious herbs, stones, and medicinal pills. Huxian seemed strangely familiar with these things and agreed to delay their consumption. In his opinion, the worst-case scenario was that he could always eat these beast cores if they didn''t find anything good. Besides, he was already satisfied with the large amount of spirit beasts that had attacked them every day.


    --


    Cha Ming had fully recovered after the time it took an incense stick to burn. He let out a turbid breath as he once again suppressed the qi that was threatening to break through at any moment. If possible, he wanted to break through in a safer environment. Being interrupted in the process of breaking through could lead to severe residual damage and impact his cultivation.


    After wandering for another half day, they finally found signs of human activity. The sounds of metal on metal were echoing throughout the woods, and with Huxian''s precise hearing they were able to find the source in the amount of time it takes an incense stick to burn.


    In the distance, they noticed a black-garbed man with long black hair. His gaunt face was in stark contrast with the powerful blows he was currently exchanging with an extremely fast spirit beast. The man seemed very familiar, but he couldn''t quite put his finger on where they might have met in the past.


    The man continued exchanging blows with the leopard''s swift claw strikes, dancing about in a circular pattern and diverting the beast''s blows defensively. Cha Ming''s eyes narrowed as he noticed that the man had a deep gash on his leg, preventing him from being able to fully reveal his battle prowess. Being a cautious individual, he continued observing the battle from a safe distance. After all, it was much too common in the spirit woods for adventurers to fish in troubled waters, and a misunderstanding could cause a needless battle.


    Suddenly the leopard let out a loud roar, causing its initially fast speed to instantly double. Shocked, the gaunt man fell backward and tripped, barely defending the increasingly savage claw strikes. Cha Ming looked down to Huxian, who was waiting for instructions.


    "Let''s help him. Let me take the initiative. Hide your abilities. I''ve heard that you''re a very rare spirit beast, and I don''t want anyone to recognize you." Huxian gave a nod of understanding, and to Cha Ming''s surprise, his black-and-white coat suddenly took on a reddish hue until he looked just like a normal red fox.


    "You know how to disguise yourself with illusions?" Cha Ming was floored once again. The little fox never ceased to amaze him. Since the cave, he had quickly grown into a sixth-level spirit beast, far outpacing Cha Ming''s growth. This disparity couldn''t be helped¡ªCha Ming only had above-average talent while Huxian had talent that caused the heavens themselves to be jealous. In addition, Huxian had a Heaven-defying auxiliary devouring technique which caused him to grow stronger and stronger as time went by.


    "Let''s go!"


    They quickly darted out from the woods into the small clearing where the two were fighting. Cha Ming first used a frost manifestation to constrict the leopard''s swift speed. This took the leopard by surprise, which the gaunt man quickly took advantage of and hacked away at the leopard''s leg, further hampering its movements. The leopard growled in anger as it backed up and turned its attention to the two newcomers.


    Seeing that one of the two newcomers was quite weak, it quickly launched a claw strike at Cha Ming. Cha Ming responded by sending a "sword" flying straight at the leopard. The leopard quickly batted away the sword formed from spirit pearls and quickly advanced at Cha Ming, who swung his staff with all his strength to meet the leopard head on.


    Cha Ming coughed up blood as he was viciously forced back by the blow. The spirit beast must be at least an eighth-level beast and was likely stronger than Huxian. Just as he was about to instruct Huxian to no longer hide his abilities, a shadow quickly appeared behind the leopard, piercing its sword straight into the leopard''s spine. The leopard let out one last howl of grief as it collapsed. The young man, who had previously been wounded, was unable to suppress his pain any longer and dropped his sword, then fell to the ground unconscious.

 29 School Mates

    A fire was crackling in the dark woods. The bright red embers of the fire would occasionally burst, causing sparks to float around like fireflies for a single breath. This was Cha Ming and Huxian''s first night outdoors since exiting the tunnels. They would never have dared light a fire in the tunnels; they had always been worried about the accumulation of smoke and burning any of the stagnant air in the tunnels. They took full advantage of the opportunity to warm their cold bones for the first time in weeks.


    The young man that they had dragged away after killing the leopard finally awoke with a loud gasp. At first he was confused, then he finally realized that Cha Ming had rescued him. He winced in pain as he struggled to sit up. The gash on his leg didn''t seem quite as bad as before, and thankfully there was no sign of infection.


    "Thank you for saving me. I thought I was truly a goner after fighting that snow leopard pride. You came at just the right time, and I doubt that I would have lasted more than a few breaths. My name is Zhou Xian, and I''ll definitely remember the favor I owe you."


    Cha Ming now recalled where he had seen the man previously. He and Feng Ming had almost bumped into him on campus, and he was one of the few fifth-grade talents in the academy. Despite being in his second year, he had already reached the eighth level of qi condensation.


    "Ah, I had wondered how you could possibly have gotten injured fighting against a single snow leopard," said Cha Ming. "When did you leave the academy?"


    "Oh? You are also a student at the academy? What a great coincidence. Are you planning on returning soon?" Zhou Xian inquired.


    Cha Ming nodded. "Yes, we were just heading back. Unfortunately, I got lost a few weeks ago, and I''ve finally found another fellow student. Do you know the way back?"


    "Of course I know the way back! If we stick together, we would be much safer on our return to the academy. I''ve accomplished the mission that I had accepted before setting out, and besides which, I have a serious injury. If I don''t get it treated in time, I''m afraid that my leg might be crippled for good." Zhou Xian seemed relieved. Then he frowned.


    "Junior brother, would you perhaps be called Cha Ming?"


    Cha Ming was perplexed. How could such a prominent and aloof figure like Zhou Xian possibly know his name?


    Zhou Xian laughed. "Don''t be surprised. A few weeks ago, a high-priority mission was posted through the Jade Bamboo Auction House. Specifically, it was a resource-gathering mission with disproportionately high rewards. The mission specified that all the resources must be gathered in a specific area surrounding Greatwood Bridge, and the reward offered for each item was very high.


    "There was also an important note at the end of the mission posting: a vivid picture that looks exactly like you, albeit cleaner, instructing that if anyone could locate Du Cha Ming, they would be entitled to a reward of 50,000 spirit stones from the Jade Bamboo Auction House."


    Warmth spread through Cha Ming''s body as understanding came to him. Clearly Wang Jun had spent a lot of resources trying to find him. The expense of such a grand mission posting was clearly not limited to the 50,000 spirit stones.


    Seeing Cha Ming''s reaction, Zhou Xian laughed again and slapped the ground. "My luck is pretty good, it seems. I may have been injured, but as a result, I ended up finding you. Let''s head out tomorrow morning. Our journey back will be a lot easier since we can proceed directly to a Jade Bamboo exchange point. They will be able to escort us out of the woods with mounts, and we''ll be back in the city in less than a day.


    "Unfortunately, my leg is injured, and it might take us the whole day to get there." Zhou Xian sighed at his misfortune.


    "I think I can help you with that," said Cha Ming, smiling. He quickly used his wood qi supported by his water qi to manifest a spiritual bandage, which quickly healed the gash on Zhou Xian''s leg. Afterward, they decided to split the night watch, with Cha Ming taking the first watch since Zhou Xian was injured and required immediate rest. Zhou Xian only stayed up for another half hour after eating his rations. Before going to sleep, he quickly recorded his day in a little black notebook.


    --


    It was currently two hours before dawn. The fire was still crackling merrily, casting shadows away from their campsite. Cha Ming and Huxian were sleeping soundly beside each other. Zhou Xian was walking around the campsite for the twentieth time of the night. He paused right before Cha Ming and Huxian for a hundred breaths, like he had the time before, with a complicated expression on his face.


    Zhou Xian continued patrolling and completed another four rounds around their campsite, keeping a vigilant eye out for potential wild beasts. He didn''t hide his aura, because his aura would serve to scare away any weaker beasts in the woods. The odds of suffering attacks from stronger beasts in the nearby woods were miniscule, unless an enemy took the trouble of luring the beast to this specific location. Besides, he was now in full fighting form thanks to Cha Ming''s healing.


    He walked once more to where Cha Ming and Huxian were sleeping, pausing just like before. This time, however, he heard a sound. Slowly, he pulled out his black sword from his soft leather belt. He didn''t keep a scabbard, which would cause noise every time he drew his sword. Silent and deadly, that was how he preferred to fight. If possible, he would rather kill an enemy in his sleep.


    While that thought ran through his mind, he looked down once again at the sleeping duo. Yes, it was time. Without any warning, his blade plunged down toward Huxian''s hip. He had evaluated that, while Huxian hadn''t displayed any of his strength during the previous fight, such a precious prize couldn''t possibly be weak. Cha Ming could be dispatched at his leisure once Huxian was crippled. Any damage caused to Huxian could be mended with extravagant medicinal pills. His brother would take care of these minor details.


    Sensing no reaction from the sleeping duo, a look of glee flashed across his otherwise calm face. Success! However, just as his blade was about to reach Huxian, the air distorted, and Huxian disappeared.


    Shit, an illusion?


    As he thought of the possible reasons for Huxian''s appearance, he was surprised by a wide strike from below by Cha Ming''s heavy staff. He had clearly been ready for his attack.


    Zhou Xian quickly jumped up to avoid the blow, but to his surprise, two figures darted toward him from opposite directions. One was a white fox, while the other was a black fox. He quickly stretched out his right hand, causing a blue shield to shoot toward the black fox, forcing him backward. Simultaneously, he struck out with the sword in his right hand, slashing across the white fox''s head.


    Clang! The sounds of metal on metal rang out. Zhou Xian grunted in surprise as he almost dropped his sword. The white Huxian was not completely uninjured. A shallow red line ran across his face, though such a small mark would hardly affect Huxian''s ability to fight.


    "How did you know?" he asked, calmly facing his two opponents. He had now given up the initiative, and according to his evaluation, their combat prowess was approximately equal. He needed to think of another way to take them by surprise.


    "It''s simple," said Cha Ming. "Such a cold and lonely figure like you, instantly becoming our best friend over the course of a few hours? We just had to give you an opportunity to strike. All I did was superficially heal your wound and give you a false sense of security."


    Zhou Xian''s face turned ugly once he saw that the "healed" wound on his leg had resumed bleeding. Gritting his teeth, a few hand seals flashed as a green-and-blue glow surrounded him, and the bleeding wound on his leg started closing.


    "What are you after? Why did you suddenly attack us, and why did you take the trouble to lure a snow spirit leopard from the middle of the spirit woods just to set up this ambush?"


    While Cha Ming didn''t want to negotiate with such a despicable fellow, they were currently outmatched. Huxian could defend himself with ease, but Cha Ming would not be able to resist for long if Zhou Xian launched an all-out attack.


    Zhou Xian laughed. "So I was found out since the beginning? Interesting. All right, let''s negotiate. I want that fox of yours to follow me obediently. Otherwise, I''ll kill you and take him anyway. He can''t escape, and I''ve already placed a tracking mark on him. At least this way, both you and the fox will be able to survive." Zhou Xian grinned smugly while retrieving a scroll from his bag of holding.


    "This is as beast-taming contract I''ve prepared just for it. It only requires that he serve me for five hundred years, and then he will regain his freedom. Pretty good deal, no?"


    Cha Ming frowned, wracking his brain to find a way out of this predicament. Just as he was about to continue the discussion, he heard a fuzzy voice in his head.


    "Coming ¡­ soon ¡­ Wang ¡­ 500 ¡­ breaths."


    Cha Ming was startled by the faint voice, which was clearly not coming from the Clear Sky Brush. Was it Wang Jun? Did this mean that he would be here in 500 breaths? He wasn''t sure how Wang Jun was able to find him, but he was more surprised by the voice transmission inside his mind. This was something that only foundation-establishment cultivators were capable of using. If a foundation-establishment cultivator was on his way, it was very possible that they would survive.


    "What are the exact terms of the contract? I can''t make any decisions for Huxian, and I know that it will be very difficult for you to catch him. Also, he is just a little beast and can''t understand these things. I can ask questions and clarify on his behalf, what do you think?" Cha Ming asked this calmly, hoping that he could continue to stall for time.


    Zhou Xian appeared to be in no hurry. Cha Ming guessed that he was stalling for time in an attempt to heal his leg. Zhou Xian waited for a dozen breaths before responding.


    "Oh, so you''re saying that if the terms are favorable, you''ll convince the little fox to be obedient?" Zhou Xian asked.


    "Yes, if its not too unfavorable, I would advise him to accept the contract. How about you read the contract line for line?"


    Zhou Xian, complied happily and read the contents of the contract out loud.


    Once Zhou Xian finished stating the terms of the contract, Cha Ming brought forth several conditions he wanted included. He argued that 300 years was more realistic, and that the contract should immediately cancel in case of gross mistreatment. In addition, the owner of the contract could not order Huxian to perform activities that would surely lead to Huxian''s death. Further, the owner of the contract could not change unless approved by Huxian. He went on into detail about ideal remuneration for services, while Zhou Xian continued looking at them with a fake smile plastered on his face.


    Eventually, they came to an agreement, and Zhou Xian swept his finger across many portions of the contract, changing them to the new terms. The contract was now twice its original length.


    "What do you think now? Would you advise the little fox to comply?" Suddenly, Zhou Xian frowned. "Oh wait, I''ve remembered a very key condition that I''ve forgotten to include. How negligent of me, it can''t be left out!"


    "Oh? What''s that?" said Cha Ming, his grip on his staff tightening as a terrible feeling of dread crept through him.


    "Oh, it''s very simple. I just need you to die!" Zhou Xian instantly darted out in a straight line, aiming straight for Cha Ming''s heart. Just before the sword landed, however, Huxian darted forward, knocking the sword back with his black clone and attacking Zhou Xian with his white clone. Zhou Xian landed safely with both feet on the ground, and his leg was now fully healed.


    Huxian bared his teeth and growled. Just as he was about to charge forward, Cha Ming collapsed, clutching his chest. Huxian looked at Cha Ming. Black veins were creeping up from underneath his shirt. Poison!


    "This sword is very useful, no? This kind of trick won''t work on a Godbeast of your level, but on someone like him, who is multiple levels weaker than I am? Very effective. Even if he does have an abnormally strong body, he can''t resist this ultimate move of mine. Now then, be obedient and submit, otherwise I''ll have to use force!" Zhou Xian pulled out a thick wad of talismans from his bag of holding; they were all high-level talismans.


    Huxian let out a howl of rage. He attacked without reservation, his two true bodies darting around at a much faster speed than before.


    --


    The white Huxian was blinding and aggressive; Zhou Xian lost track of Huxian''s second self, which had blended into the shadows. He didn''t have time to worry about this, however, as the white Huxian suddenly started to glow brightly with an oppressive light. Zhou Xian was shocked¡ªhis qi was eroding. He quickly dodged out of the way, repelling Huxian with a shield of poisonous water. As the shield dissipated under the purifying light, Zhou Xian quickly threw out one fire talisman after another. Whenever a talisman approached Huxian, it would crumble into dust before materializing the stored Daoist magic. He was practically invulnerable.


    Zhou Xian cursed his luck and began stalling for time. There was no way a spirit beast one whole level weaker than himself could sustain such a powerful ability indefinitely. There had to be a time limit. As these thoughts ran through his mind, he paled. A large, shadowy maw was creeping up behind him. He dodged backward, but not quickly enough. After all, the shadow had not been attacking him but his shadow. He cried out in pain as bite marks appeared on his shoulder. This ability couldn''t be dodged, because these injuries had already been inflicted to his shadow.


    Gasping for breath, he made a swift decision and popped a pill in his mouth. As soon as he swallowed the pill, his aura grew until it reached the ninth level of qi condensation. With renewed strength, he took his black sword and plunged it into the ground. A blue-and-green mist burst outward from the sword.


    "Poison Swamp Realm!" Zhou Xian exclaimed, leaving his sword firmly planted in the ground. The blue-and-green mist now occupied a radius of one hundred feet.


    The brilliant light surrounding Huxian shrank down significantly, as the purifying effect could only erode the nearest foot of poisonous qi. The white light was also diminishing at a rapid rate. The black Huxian was in a pitiful state. He had been forced out of the shadows and was paralyzed by the poisonous miasma. Zhou Xian quickly picked up helpless Huxian by the throat.


    "Do you yield?" he said viciously.


    A whistle shrilled in the distance. His eyes narrowed, and he quickly let go of Huxian, just in time to see a dagger slicing through the air where his wrist had previously been. Zhou Xian jumped back quickly and withdrew his sword from the ground, causing the Poison Swamp Realm to recede. An elderly man in green robes with pure white hair was floating on a flying sword just a few feet away. The man quickly stepped down from the flying sword to allow a smaller, blond-haired figure to step off after him.


    "Zhou Xian, are you looking to die?" the young man asked.


    Huxian let out yips of excitement. Wang Jun had arrived!

 30 Brotherhood

    "Didn''t you hear me? Are you looking to die, Zhou Xian?" repeated Wang Jun in a cold voice.


    Zhou Xian laughed nervously. "I''m not sure what you mean, Wang Jun. I''m just robbing a pair of adventurers. What does that have to do with you? You''ve never gone out of your way to stop me in the past." Zhou Xian smirked, not giving an inch.


    Meanwhile, Wang Jun noticed Huxian pulling at the hem of his robe. His face turned ugly when he noticed Cha Ming lying on the ground, severely poisoned.


    "Where''s the antidote? Give me the antidote, and I''ll spare your life and let you leave. Otherwise, you''re dead. You have five seconds to decide." Wang Jun had no time to bicker, or else it would be too late to save Cha Ming.


    He laughed again. "An antidote? You wouldn''t think that I''d be so foolish as to make an antidote for my finishing move, would you? More to the point, you wouldn''t dare make a move on me. You know who my backing is."


    "Elder Bai, kill him," barked Wang Jun.


    "Yes, young master!" The green-robed elder quickly darted out toward Zhou Xian, who looked at Wang Jun incredulously. He instantly stepped back, withdrawing a silver talisman from his bag of holding.


    "You''ll regret this! I''ll make sure your stay in Green Leaf City is miserable and unprofitable. You''ll have no choice but to leave!"


    Just as Elder Bai closed in on Zhou Xian, an intense fluctuation emanated from the silver talisman. Before anyone knew what to do, Zhou Xian had disappeared. Elder Bai looked back at Wang Jun regrettably.


    "Young master, there was nothing I could do. Who would have thought that a junior like him would have a teleportation talisman? Even core-formation experts wouldn''t easily get their hands on one."


    Wang Jun shook his head and immediately kneeled in front of Cha Ming, ripping open his shirt. A black spot the size of a fist was spreading from the center of his chest, with poisonous tendrils spreading outward toward his entire body. Right above the black spot, a green wood rune was glowing, preventing the spread of the poison as much as possible.


    "Tch, even with a wood-element body-refining technique, which provides the strongest self-healing properties, he won''t last more than five minutes. We have no way to get him back to town for treatment. Little fox, I''m afraid Cha Ming is doomed to die, and there''s nothing I can do to stop it." Wang Jun shook his head self-deprecatingly, while Huxian continued to nudge Cha Ming mournfully with his wet nose.


    Huxian inched close to Cha Ming and hid behind his leg. Tainted blood began pooling below Cha Ming from his leg.


    "You little animal! Now that your friend is dead, you''re going to eat him?" Elder Bai was outraged, but as he moved forward to swat Huxian, Wang Jun put his arm on his shoulder and stopped him.


    "Just wait and see." Wang Jun observed Huxian as he speculated what he might be trying.


    As the blood slowly trickled on the ground, Huxian reached down to his paw and bit himself hard with his sharp fangs. His normally impenetrable skin was pierced, trickling blood to the ground, which mingled with Cha Ming''s blood, which was laced with the black poison.


    Time seemed to pause as Cha Ming and Huxian were surrounded in gray light. In that gray light there was a large circle. Cha Ming was like a white spot in a swirl of darkness, while Huxian was spot of darkness in a swirl of light. They formed a yin-yang symbol inside the circle. Extending into their gray and endless surroundings were eight trigrams, all combinations of three broken and unbroken lines. This was the bagua symbol, and it was the symbol of the yin-yang bagua fox!


    The spectating Wang Jun and Elder Bai were slowly forced away until they could no longer make out what was happening. They were prevented from interfering by a force beyond their comprehension. Only Wang Jun could gain an inkling, as blurry characters surrounded the immediate area of the circle.


    "Elder Bai, it seems like he''s going all out to save Cha Ming. I knew the beast wasn''t normal, but I didn''t expect that it was on this level. To be able to initiate a contract of equals that summons the natural laws as protection, the little runt is at least on the level of a Godbeast. Furthermore, he should only be able to initiate one such contract in his entire life. This is a huge lucky chance for Cha Ming if he survives. However, I''m not sure how this will help him. Unless he is choosing to share life and death?"


    As Wang Jun finished his explanation, Elder Bai''s expression became one of pure shock. Sharing life and death¡ªthat meant that the little fox was now sharing half his lifespan with Cha Ming. Further, if one of them died, they would both die. However, they would both be able to draw on each other''s vitality in the future.


    --


    Cha Ming awoke from his deep sleep to the sight of Huxian and a small golden sheet of paper. He looked down at his physical body, which was incapacitated and poisoned. He could no longer see the surrounding woods, as the natural laws had descended and surrounded them, isolating their immediate vicinity from their surroundings.


    As he looked toward the glowing sheet, he noticed it was written in characters that Cha Ming could see but not read. It seemed to be written in the same language as the characters on the Clear Sky Brush. As he looked at them, a booming voice resounded inside his soul.


    "Bagua Huxian has invoked the contract of brotherhood, swearing to always protect you, care for you, and be there when you need him the most. Brothers accompany each other in life and death. While one lives the other cannot truly die; when one dies, the other cannot truly live.


    "The terms of the contract are as follows:


    1. Half of each of the participants total lifespan will be shared with the other.


    a. This will be effective immediately, and any damages to one party will be divided into two portions, affecting both participants.


    b. Any gains or losses in longevity will be divided equally between participants.


    c. In the event of the death of one of the participants, the other participant will immediately die.


    d. In the event of the dispersion of one participant''s soul, the other participant''s soul will immediately be dispersed.


    2. Mental communication will always be possible, the limit being a distance proportional to the participant''s cultivation level.


    a.This is heart communication on a fundamental level, and no lie can be spoken.


    b.This ability cannot be prevented by any means, magical or otherwise, unless the means supersede the laws of Heaven and Earth.


    3. All tribulations will be shared equally between participants.


    a.In the event of a tribulation, the total tribulation will be multiplied by two and shared equally between participants. The penalty for failure will be jointly divided between both parties.


    b.Each participant will be liable for the other''s karma, and vice versa.


    c.Both weal and woe will be immediately divided, and in the future, be divided equally upon receipt.


    d. Both merit and sin will be immediately divided, and in the future, be divided equally upon receipt.


    4. Betrayal is unacceptable. Any betrayal of one participant to another will lead to immediate extinguishment of the participant''s soul and immediate cancellation of the contract.


    5. The contract is irreversible, except for termination via Clause 4.


    "Do you accept?"


    This was all very sudden for Cha Ming. He was just following his moral code and couldn''t abandon Huxian in his moment of plight. Unknowingly, at some point they had formed a deep bond. Could a human truly be brothers with a beast? Could he refuse this gesture? Cha Ming was currently unware of the situation outside. For all he knew, Zhou Xian was about to kill both of them.


    "Screw it, we''re probably going to die anyway. Fine, I''ll call you brother. I, Cha Ming, accept you as a brother. I''ll care for you, protect you, and be there when you need it the most. And if we get out of here, I''ll help you fight the heavens every time you get a new tail. If the heavens are jealous of your talent, who needs the heavens?"


    As he spoke these words, a thick golden thread of karma immediately formed between the two of them. In addition, a portion of Cha Ming''s true spirit and Huxian''s true spirit separated from their respective spiritual bodies. The true spirit energy seemed to come to life as it formed a few characters. These characters were Cha Ming''s true name and Huxian''s true name.


    The characters flew to the golden contract, forming a soul-binding signature. When both signatures appeared on the contract, the contract immediately burst into two motes of golden light that rushed toward both their foreheads. The light sent searing pain through their bodies and through their souls. Where the light touched their foreheads, a golden character appeared, the character meaning "brother."


    As the gray light faded away, they both came back to reality. Cha Ming was still on the ground, but the effect of the poison had lessened greatly. Huxian, however, was now collapsed on the ground next to Cha Ming. He was currently very weak and fighting off the poison, but they looked stable enough to move.


    Wasting no time, Elder Bai and Wang Jun snatched the disabled pair and darted off to Green Leaf City.


    --


    Cha Ming awoke to soft snoring sounds on his stomach. The crisp morning air, which was blowing through a slightly opened window, was a refreshing contrast to the soft, warm bedsheets he was lying in. His lips were dry, and he was immediately overwhelmed with the desire to drink a whole bucketful of water.


    "There now, there''s no rush," said the soft voice of an elderly man. "You''re allowed to drink a half cup of water, and nothing more!" the voice instructed sternly. Cha Ming slowly opened his eyes, which were terribly dry, and cautiously observed his surroundings. An elderly man with graying hair and gray robes was preparing something in a corner of the room. There were vibrant green bamboos adorning the room, which instantly reassured Cha Ming.


    He pushed himself up weakly, only to notice the soft sleeping ball of fur on his stomach, lying there to keep him warm.


    Huxian, he thought.


    Hearing his name, the baby fox quickly woke up with an expression of pure joy on his face. Brother, you''re up!


    That''s right, brother. Huxian and Cha Ming were now life-and-death brothers. He smiled and gently rubbed the top of Huxian''s head. He then noticed that a half cup of water was waiting for him on the bedside table. He quickly finished the cup, which barely wet the dryness in his parched throat.


    "You''re thirsty because all of your blood was poisoned, and I had to replace it with new blood. This thirst will pass in a few days. Synthesized blood is not as effective as the real thing." The gray-robed elder finally walked over from the corner holding a fuming, opaque flask.


    "Relax, young Master Wang hired me to treat your wounds. You were dreadfully poisoned by the time they woke me in the middle of the night; if they hadn''t found me within the hour, I''m afraid that it would have been impossible for any other spirit doctor in Green Leaf City to save you." His voice was laced with a gentle hint of pride. He was no doubt happy whenever he managed to save a poor soul from the brink of death.


    "By the way, drink this."


    Cha Ming didn''t have a chance to refuse before a bony hand pushed back his forehead and forced a foul-tasting concoction down his throat.


    "Relax, it''s purely herbal."


    Cha Ming relaxed significantly, as he was afraid he had unknowingly been fed snake bile or something equally vile. He wiped a brown residue from his mouth with a grimace.


    Despite the horrendous taste, a hint of reddish color appeared on Cha Ming''s gaunt cheeks. His thin frame spread out, and he felt that if he had not fully recovered, he had at least recovered to 95%. The spirit doctor nodded in satisfaction.


    "You will feel thirsty for the next few days. You''ve only been in bed for five days, and if you didn''t have such a strong physique, you would have died before making it back to the city. If, by chance, you had managed to come back in time, your recovery would have taken at least three months.


    "Your little friend, on the other hand, was almost fully recovered by the time you arrived in the city. He only took one additional day to recover to peak strength. Even among spirit beasts, your contracted beast has the best constitution I''ve ever seen." With that, he packed up his things, put away his glassware, and walked out of the room.


    A few moments later, Cha Ming heard some quick steps walking back toward the door. The spirit doctor poked his head in and said, "Oh, I forgot to mention. I can tell you''re on the verge of a breakthrough. You should suppress it until your thirst fades in a few days. Otherwise, you might be left with residual harm." He then quickly shut the door and walked off.


    Spirit doctors are a wonderful occupation! Cha Ming said telepathically. He could tell I was about to break through and saved me from the brink of death by replacing my blood. Of course, I wouldn''t be here without you, Huxian!


    He''s wonderful, Huxian replied. He could even tell that I''m an awesome spirit beast! He''s definitely got an eye for talent.


    Cha Ming rolled his eyes as he stood up, knocking Huxian off the bed. Huxian scowled and bared his teeth jokingly.


    "Let''s find Wang Jun and see how everyone is."


    --


    Wang Jun was relieved when he saw the duo coming downstairs. He quickly ordered many dishes through the maid, who had been standing to the side. She gave a deep bow and trotted off quickly, not delaying a single second. Cha Ming thanked him for saving his life.


    Wang Jun nodded. "I''m very relieved that we were able to make it on time. Both Elder Bai and I just happened to be looking at my divination compass, which I had been using to try locating you for an entire two weeks. We rushed over at Elder Bai''s full speed, but unfortunately, we didn''t arrive before you''d been poisoned. Fortunately, your little friend''s timely intervention saved your life. It''s extremely uncommon for such a young spirit beast to be able to establish such a strong contract of equals." Wang Jun gave Huxian a meaningful glance.


    "We''re life-and-death brothers now. I would do the same for him if I were in his position. I will also do my all to help you, too, Wang Jun. Just let me know if you ever need any help, and I''ll come help you through hell or high water." Cha Ming smiled as he pulled Wang Jun in and gave him a hug. "Thank you for all your effort, my friend. Are the other three safe?"


    Wang Jun, embarrassed, quickly pushed Cha Ming off and motioned for them to sit down. He''d even prepared a raised stool for Huxian to sit down at the table next to Cha Ming. Before they could continue the conversation, a host of maids quickly laid plate after plate of food down in front of them. They had specially set many exquisite vegetable and tofu dishes in front of Cha Ming, while they laid down large amounts of roasted meat in front of Huxian.


    The famished duo didn''t stand on ceremony and began to eat right away.

 31 Book 1 Epilogue

    Wang Jun continued the conversation after they had taken a few bites. "Everyone is fine, but they took your fall from Greatwood Bridge very personally. They don''t know you''re back yet, because I wanted you to be in full health before breaking the news to them." Shaking his head, he continued, "Feng Ming was very shaken and ashamed, and he felt like he could have put a lot more effort into cultivation. In his opinion, he might have been able to help a lot more if only he had taken advantage of the cultivation resources he had access to.


    "As a result, he asked his father for permission to join the army as penance. He has been assigned to one of the strictest commanders in the army, and Heaven only knows what kind of man he will be by the time he obtains permission to return. My informants in the military say that, in all likelihood, he will either come back a brave, responsible person or die trying.


    "Gong Lan disappeared shortly after our return, along with her brother and many members of their mercenary company. She also blames her gentle behavior and seems intent on following in her brother''s footsteps. Hong Xin, on the other hand¡­" Wang Jun was suddenly interrupted by the sound of swift footsteps rushing down the hallway.


    A teary-eyed Hong Xin ran into the room and aggressively hugged Cha Ming while sobbing.


    Wang Jun coughed lightly. "I invited her for breakfast this morning since the doctor said you would be up soon. I thought it would be a nice surprise." He gently rubbed the top of Hong Xin''s head, who blushed and smiled.


    "Brother Jun definitely treats me the best. I''m so glad you''re back! We''ve all missed you terribly, and I was so sad! But Brother Jun kept me company very often, and he took me for walks, and he always treats me to supper."


    Wang Jun spurted out tea and rubbed his head awkwardly, which made Cha Ming laugh. Huxian laughed telepathically.


    "Yes, he is the best," said Cha Ming. "Did you know that he rushed out with Elder Bai to save me in the spirit woods? He even took me to the best doctor in the city, which is why I could get well so fast. Huxian and I would have died if it wasn''t for him!"


    Wang Jun shot him a thankful look. He had been worried that Cha Ming might be interested in Xin Er, and he''d been hesitant to be too forward before obtaining Cha Ming''s approval.


    "Wait, how long have you known he was back?" Hong Xin said, her hands suddenly on her hips. "Why didn''t you tell me?" Her imposing manner had reached sky-high levels, and neither of them could properly think or put sentences together. Cha Ming and Wang Jun both shuddered and explained hastily.


    "I just got back last night," Cha Ming exclaimed. "And that spirit doctor was really good! Wang Jun didn''t want you worrying!"


    "Didn''t want me worried? You mean you hid it from me?" Hong Xin looked aggrieved.


    Panicking, Wang Jun looked around and found the wandering Elder Bai. His eyes lit up instantly.


    "Elder Bai, didn''t I tell you yesterday afternoon to inform Xin Er that Cha Ming had returned? Why didn''t you tell her?"


    Hearing Wang Jun''s scolding, he paled but quickly picked up the hint.


    "Aiya, in my old age, I made the judgment that the young miss loved surprises, and so I sent the courier with a letter to invite her for breakfast ¡­ This old man knows his mistake. I will punish myself. Please continue with your breakfast, I will take my leave."


    Hearing that Elder Bai was about to go inflict punishment on himself, Hong Xin''s eyes widened. "It''s not his fault, Elder Brother Jun. Please don''t let Elder Bai punish himself!" She looked at Wang Jun imploringly.


    Wang Jun shook his head self-deprecatingly. "No, the fault is all mine. I should have been more explicit in my instructions. It''s my fault, Elder Bai. Relax and continue with your activities. What''s important is that Cha Ming is safe and sound at last." Wang Jun clasped his hands together and gave Elder Bai a short bow of apology. Elder Bai nodded his head.


    Meanwhile, Cha Ming decided that one day, he would also do his all to obtain such a loyal assistant.


    --


    It was now late afternoon, and Cha Ming and Wang Jun were seated at an ornate wooden table, drinking tea. Elder Bai was out running errands, Hong Xin had returned home, and Huxian was sleeping lazily by a warmly lit fireplace. Oddly enough, the fireplace and chimney matched the rest of the building, being completely wooden in composition. The bark covering the wood had a reddish hue, and as far as Cha Ming could tell, it was impervious to the weak fire used to warm the living room. It did, however, give off a smoky cinnamon smell whenever the heat of the fire reached a certain intensity.


    "You definitely know how to enjoy the small things in life," said Cha Ming, sipping on his cup of tea. "This fireplace and chimney must be worth a fortune."


    Wang Jun made a gesture, indicating that Cha Ming should put his cup down to be refilled with freshly brewed tea.


    "My father always said that one can enjoy these simple comforts privately but must never show them off in public. By appearing humble, your friends appreciate your modesty. Conversely, your enemies will underestimate you, and neutral people will find it difficult to resent you. Therefore, I always dress simply, but the tea I brew is always top quality. The outside of my home is simple, but my desk and fireplace are worth more than the entire house combined. As an added benefit, I don''t need to spend excessive money on impressing others. In some matters, my father is truly wise."


    After taking a sip of the freshly poured tea, he continued. "Speaking of which, I sense some interesting things in you. First, your body is a lot stronger than it was before you fell. Like before, I can tell that you''re now practicing a very high-level body-refinement technique. You must have encountered unimaginable good fortune after you fell in the river. Secondly, I can tell that you have an impressive treasure aura. It seems like you found something good?"


    "My luck was not bad. I encountered a body-refinement technique and everything necessary to cultivate it until becoming a Xiantian life-form. I can''t share it with you, but the technique seems to be imparted as a legacy; I have a feeling that the future cultivation methods will be revealed once I am ready for them.


    "As for the treasure, I discovered a large amount of elemental essence that is useful to me for talisman crafting. However, in the same location, I found these pieces of ore, which I can''t identify." Cha Ming produced a piece of stone he had found in the bottom of the liquified elemental essence lake¡ªit was one of the stone Huxian had eaten a few to increase his strength by many levels.


    Wang Jun gleefully grabbed the stone and inspected it from every angle. He then took out an expensive-looking soul-alloy knife and gently cut the rock into two pieces. The outside of the stone was emanating a light blue glow, but the center of each stone was crystal clear. Wang Jun nodded. "How many of these stones did you find?"


    Cha Ming responded by dumping several hundred stones on the living room floor. The room quickly lit up with a blue glow. As soon as the stones hit the floor, Wang Jun cried out and pulled out a small jade chest, which quickly sucked up the rocks from the floor. He then handed the chest over to Cha Ming.


    "These stones contain two precious things. The first, as you''ve likely guessed, is pure crystalized elemental essence. It''s a very good cultivation material, but it''s difficult to absorb without a formation to channel it into a useable form. That''s not a problem, however; I can easily sell you two such formations for a couple of the stones. The second treasure contained within is a high-quality soul-alloy ore. This is a very valuable material, and a small amount of refinement and reprocessing will produce slightly more than eighty percent of the original volume as pure soul alloy. In other words, you''re rich now!


    "I suggest selling me the crystalized elemental essence for a more convenient, processed form. I can give you 90% of the volume in exchange, since the impurity content of this crystalized elemental essence is very low. Meanwhile, I can also arrange for the remaining soul-alloy ore to be reprocessed into useable soul alloy. This is a premium material for weapons and defensive treasures for those who use soul power. Not only are you able to control them like your own hands, but you can inscribe runes on it that suit you best. These runes can be removed at any time. In addition, the weapons forged from soul alloy will change properties when imbued with soul power. They can be made heavier or lighter, larger or smaller. They can also change shapes, though without spirit power they will be restored to their original forged shape."


    In the end, Cha Ming took up Wang Jun on his offer, and he trusted that Wang Jun had offered him a fair deal. He only accepted one formation plate, however. When Wang Jun learned that Huxian could actually eat the ore, he became very excited.


    "Can Huxian eat other things? Like beast cores, spirit stones, spirit beasts, etc.?" Wang Jun asked curiously.


    "Yes," said Cha Ming while slapping his forehead. "He is basically gluttony incarnate. He can eat nigh unlimited amounts of spirit beasts and beast cores."


    Wang Jun laughed heartily. "You''re quite fortunate to have such a companion. This type of devouring ability stems from an affinity to darkness, and its very rare among spirit beasts. My guess is that he is using the crystalized elemental essence to increase his demonic cultivation while using the soul-alloy ore to reinforce his body." After pondering for a bit, he took out fifty stones from the original few hundred.


    "You should keep these for Huxian. I doubt that you can find a more efficient means for him to train."


    Soon after, Cha Ming left the Jade Bamboo Auction House and made his way to Elder Ling''s residence.


    --


    Cha Ming walked down the narrow alley from the marketplace to his teacher''s residence, the talisman shop. As usual, the small cabin was plastered with a variety of talismans, and Mr. Mao Mao was relaxing in the shade. Mr. Mao Mao stood up to greet Cha Ming this time, looking at him expectantly. Cha Ming didn''t disappoint him and pulled out several bundles of dried flowers, which the cat dutifully brought into the house while leading the way.


    Their furry friend led them into an empty living room, indicating that Elder Ling was still out for the day. A short while later, the cat came back with a placid and pleased expression. Just as he was about to move toward his usual perch, he noticed it was already occupied by a strange creature. The black-and-white Huxian was already curled up in a ball and napping.


    Huxian, get down from there. That''s Mr. Mao Mao''s spot, and you don''t want to get him angry! Cha Ming hurriedly sent a mental message, but it was too late. Mr. Mao Mao''s hair was erect and his claws protruding. He let out a loud hiss and started advancing aggressively. Huxian''s face wore a complacent smile. It was a true case of the young not fearing the strong.


    A short while later, Cha Ming returned from the kitchen with a kettle of tea and three cups. The hissing, howling, and whining had faded, and Huxian stood whimpering in a corner with a bright scratch mark on his face. Cha Ming first served tea to Mr. Mao Mao, who accepted the tribute. He then proceeded to pour the teary-eyed Huxian a cup.


    Elder brother, Mr. Mao Mao is so powerful! I was wrong, I''ll behave in the future. But¡­ Mr. Mao Mao told me I had to kowtow every time I see him. Isn''t that going too far? Huxian looked very aggrieved, and all Cha Ming could do was pet and reassure him. The rules were made by the strong, after all.


    An hour passed by in silence while Cha Ming focused on recuperating while sitting on his chair in front of the Angels and Devils board. When he opened his eyes, he was surprised to see that Elder Ling had silently entered and sat himself down on the opposite side of the table. Knowing Cha Ming''s habits, he had placed a central black stone on the board and responded with his one move using white stones. Cha Ming smiled as he continued the game.


    "Teacher, did you just come back?" Cha Ming inquired.


    "Only a half hour ago. I didn''t want to interrupt your recovery. You got a pretty nasty injury, so it''s a good thing luck was on your side. It seems you''ve used up quite a bit of your luck on this trip. Your rewards must have been staggering." Elder Ling pondered for a moment and finally decided to place a white stone offensively.


    "Teacher, what do you mean by using up most of my luck?"


    The elder gave him a surprised look. "Oh, you didn''t know? Quick, take off your shirt!"


    Cha Ming frowned but still complied with the request. While Elder Ling was very eccentric, everything he did had a purpose. Elder Ling guided him to a mirror, where Cha Ming noticed a tattoo between his shoulder blades. There was a character for "luck," accompanied by the character "one."


    "This is a luck talisman from the late Good Fortune Sect. Back when they were still around, they used to make a few of them every year. To make them, however, they needed to infuse the talisman with a bit of their own good fortune, thereby decreasing it. Quite frankly, I have no idea how you lucked out so well and got one. They are basically extinct!


    "Anyhow, the talisman usually has four uses. You had three when you left, so you must have used two instances of good luck on your little excursion."


    Cha Ming now realized that he''d obtained the talisman in the same shop where he got his rosary. "How did a sect that focused on good luck disappear?" he inquired.


    "Well," said Elder Ling, "that''s a bit of an unfortunate story. The sect existed for many thousands of years, and the main qualification of being a core disciple of the sect was to cultivate the sect''s Good Fortune cultivation technique. Anyone else in the sect could at most become an outer- or inner-sect disciple or an outer- or inner-sect elder.


    "Now, in this sect, there was a golden rule: Everything that one did had to increase karmic merit. Their cultivation method relied on accumulating karmic merit, and as a result, their disciples were famous for traveling the continent, performing good deeds, and punishing sinful acts. A sect like this should have flourished for tens of thousands of years.


    "Regrettably, their Grand Elder, who had established the sect, had been using the sect to increase his own karmic virtue in preparation for achieving immortality. When the time came to overcome his tribulation, he discovered that his accumulated luck was insufficient. Therefore, he overdrew the sect''s karmic merit reserve into a deficit to tackle his tribulation.


    "Ultimately, he still failed. After he passed away, their sect patriarch attempted to recover their sect''s karmic merit reserve and erase the deficit. One day, however, an outer sect disciple caught a simple cold, which, by a freakish series of unfortunate events, mutated into an epidemic that wiped out their sect, not to mention half the population of the continent."


    Cha Ming shivered as he realized just how great of an effect karmic merit had. Those who went against the will of the heavens were punished, while those who supported the will of the heavens were rewarded.


    They finished their game over the next two hours, while their two animal companions continued napping. Finally, Cha Ming got down to business and inquired about his recent discoveries in making talismans. He mentioned painting the heavens, as well as three-dimensional characters. Much to his surprise, Elder Ling became excited and started an impromptu lesson.


    "My boy, I was going to wait longer before teaching you this, but it looks like you''re already ready. And you haven''t yet broken through to the fifth level of qi condensation! Your progress leaves me envious." He scratched his scraggly beard while thinking of how to proceed. Suddenly, his eyes brightened as he took out his own personal brush. It was a black brush, covered in runic engravings. He waved it around, and a two-dimensional image was projected.


    "First things first, the brush. Mortal-grade talisman brushes are very dismal, and their only feature is improving the success rate of talisman crafting."


    A picture of a man appeared, holding a mundane brush. The man, surprisingly, was Cha Ming! He was sitting at his dormitory desk.


    Has Elder Ling been spying on me? Cha Ming thought, aghast at the implications.


    As if reading his thoughts, Elder Ling coughed lightly and waved his hand. Suddenly, the brush changed. This one was made with finer materials and had simple runic engravings.


    "Magic-grade brushes can have some additional effects. They can be designed to accommodate several elements, and sometimes they can directly enhance the success rate of the craftsman by a whole level." Elder Ling waved his hand once more, and this time the brush started shimmering.


    "This is a core-grade brush. Brushes at this level no longer consume ink to craft talismans but directly use liquified elemental essence. Furthermore, any ink used on a failed talisman will not dissipate but will be recycled by the brush. Further, talismans can now be produced by painting the air. Some more complex talismans are actually three-dimensional and can be imbued into talisman paper after they are fully formed. Likewise, they can also be imbued into other objects.


    "This rendition of you painting in your study is generated using the Dao of karma, time, and illusion. This stuff is way above your head, so I won''t even bother explaining it. Oh, and about that brush. You shouldn''t tell anyone else about its abilities. Something that''s at least a core-grade treasure but useable by a young man in the qi condensation stage would make people very jealous."


    Cha Ming bowed and thanked Elder Ling for the advice. He had once again dodged a bullet.


    Before he left, Elder Ling gifted him a book containing instructions on crafting various mid-grade and high-grade talismans. He also gave Huxian a present, a silver collar. Huxian was originally going to refuse it because he disdained wearing something like a collar. He was finally convinced by the glaring Mr. Mao Mao, who was wearing a similar collar.


    The collar instantly became a status symbol in Huxian''s eyes, and he quickly donned the collar. As soon as he equipped it, his fur turned red and white until he appeared no different than a normal fox. Cha Ming and Huxian left the little shack together, cheerfully discussing how impressive Mr. Mao Mao''s true form might be.


    As they walked back to their dormitory, Cha Ming hummed in satisfaction as he walked down the gray stone street. Passing through the campus, he soaked in the wonderful architecture, the red, gold, and green leaves covered in white frost, and more importantly, the laughing voices of students in the academy.


    That night, Cha Ming had a dream. The sounds of shattering ice resounded one last time as Cha Ming walked over a frozen puddle. Many more crackles livened up the cold, dark night as Huxian walked by his side. He knew it was a dream, yet he made sure to break every puddle as he wandered down the frozen clay road one last time. He would not be able to in the future. In the distance, the small house was burning as usual.


    Knowing what to expect, Cha Ming and Huxian darted toward the house without any hesitation. Once again, he noticed that the fire was different than last time. The flames burned less intensely than before, likely due to the speed at which he and the baby fox arrived. Despite his knowledge of the situation, he quickly touched the doorknob with the back of his hand. To his surprise, it was hot, meaning that he could not get inside the house the way he normally did. This wasn''t a problem. On his signal, he and Huxian leapt up directly to the second floor, breaking a large window in the process.


    In this room, he saw the family''s dog, which had passed out. He quickly instructed Huxian to grab the dog by the neck and drag him out as he ran down the hallway into the opposite room. This time, he didn''t have to rely on his sense of hearing. Using his strong eyesight, he quickly located the screaming child. The heat and smoke didn''t affect him; he quickly broke apart the bed trapping the child''s arm.


    Just like last time, he was able to travel down the stairs and exit out the front door. He met up with Huxian and the collapsed dog. Both it and the child were breathing. The child''s mother quickly joined them and thanked them while crying. Her two other young children were also crying.


    There was no need to enter the house a second time. He would never enter this house or this dream again.


    Cha Ming woke up at dawn to the feeling of a wet tongue licking his cheek. Huxian was relaxing on his chest. Cha Ming smiled and pet his newfound friend for a good half hour while staring at the beautiful morning sky.


    The dream was largely symbolic, but the perfect ending finally reminded Cha Ming of an undeniable truth: People were responsible proportionate to their means. He had not made the wrong choice the first or second time he had the dream since arriving at Green Leaf Academy. The first time, he was not strong enough in the dream, so he made the decision to save the child. The second time, he had enough power to try and save the dog, and that was enough. This last time, his strength and Huxian''s had finally reached a level where he could do both.


    Having resolved the dream, he now knew that it was very important to raise his capacity to act. Without strength, he would never have the ability to choose. And he now had a good brother whom he could rely on. This was also part of his capacity, part of his strength.


    Fate was a funny thing. Despite all the misfortunes that he had suffered during the school year, Cha Ming was laughing inside. The good fortune that he had received in return was incalculable. He was alive, he had Huxian, and his friends were healthy. He also had a bright future to look forward to, a limitless future full of choice and fulfillment.


    His future was like a blank canvas. A pure, clear sky.


    -- End of Book 1 --

 32 Prologue - Blood Moon

    Dedication:


    To all the good people in the world.


    May they be blessed for all the sacrifices they willingly make.


    Author''s Note:


    Thank you all for your support as I continue to write the


    story of my dreams. As I write this note, I''m a half dozen


    chapters into Book 3, which will be roughly the same length as


    this book. I wrote all of Book 2 with Book 3 on my mind. As


    such, this second book has been written with special care, and


    it is crucial in the development of all my key characters.


    As the title suggests, Blood Moon is a key turning point


    in all the point-of-view characters'' otherwise peaceful lives.


    Violence and heinous deeds take their toll on the victims, the


    perpetrators, and the heroes who fight against them. It isn''t


    easy being good. Many choices and sacrifices must be made to


    help others, and it is rarely as simple as lending a cup of sugar


    to a neighbor in need.


    As you read this book, I would like you to focus on a key


    question. What is choice? And what is destiny? Most people


    simply go with the flow, and they don''t truly choose anything.


    Choice entails freedom, and every choice has a consequence.


    Cha Ming and his friends have been living sheltered lives all


    this time.


    And now, the gloves come off.


    Prologue:


    A black-robed stranger urged his horse forward along a clay trail. The clay was dried and cracked, likely due to the lack of rain in recent months. It was winter, though winter in this part of the continent did not necessarily mean snow. Instead of snow, the trees and yellow-green grass were all covered in frost every morning, which would dissipate once the sun came out. While the scenery was beautiful, it went by unappreciated. The black-robed stranger didn''t bother to look anywhere but forward as he continued urging his horse toward the village.


    Of course, he had enjoyed sightseeing at some point in his life. In fact, he had once traveled throughout the four neighboring kingdoms with great gusto, sampling the various delicacies and painting the beautiful sceneries. There was no greater joy in life than perfectly capturing a moment on a canvas.


    Unfortunately, that was all in the past. His greatest joy now was surviving yet another day and seeing his daughter once a month. And that didn''t happen unless he stayed focused on his work. Therefore, the beautiful scenery went by unnoticed by this man who would have loved to appreciate it.


    As the man traveled, he took note of bleating sheep, which were somewhat agitated at being gathered. They were pasture animals, used to wandering around and eating grass all year round. Such a large gathering only happened twice per year¡ªduring shearing and during culling. It was currently only midway through winter, therefore it was not yet time for shearing.


    The man quickly put such things out of his thoughts and focused instead on the road ahead. Those who didn''t focus on the road ahead made mistakes, like urging their horse to step into a deep puddle and thereby breaking their ankle. That would lead to costly delays and could ultimately cost him his job. Without his job, how would he and his daughter survive?


    Soon the man arrived at a small town. He passed by many people, and while it was not as bustling as a larger city, everyone here was in a hurry. Not a single person could be seen walking slowly. As if to emphasize his thoughts, an agitated clerk ran out of the building he had halted in front of. He quickly collected the purse of gold the man passed him, as well as the ledger which accompanied the bag. The clerk exchanged these with another ledger containing the man''s next mission. They didn''t greet each other, since it was a waste of time. Their business completed, the man proceeded to a small inn. Tomorrow was the day that he had custody of his daughter, so he wanted to be fully refreshed for their meeting.


    The town never used to be so busy. That was, until the Merchant came. He brought with him great opportunity and great hardship. The rider was an example of a man whose family had been torn apart by the Merchant''s arrival. The clerk, on the other hand, was one of the few examples of those who saw great success with the Merchant''s coming.


    The Merchant had always been a calculating man. Back when he was a store owner in the capital, he had always been exact and fair. Further, he had always been rigorous in his accounting. Whenever his customers tried to cheat him, he supressed them. Whenever thieves stole his goods, he always demanded the maximum punishment allowed by the law, even if the price of prosecuting the thief exceeded the damage to his property.


    Likewise, he had always been particularly strict with his employees. The many checks and audits he had incorporated over the years had kept embezzlements to a limit. His rates of embezzlement were the lowest in the entire country for the volume of business he dealt with.


    Occasionally, he caught a schemer who tried to line his pockets with his rightly earned gold. He was always sure to make the strictest examples of these people. It was a matter of principle, after all, the cost be damned.


    This was all in the past, however. He spotted several examples of corruption as he pored over a paper copy of his current accounts. They were blatant and unhidden, as though they were advertising their "good" behavior. All that mattered to him now was the ever-increasing amount of gold that filled his vast pockets. Consequences be damned! He was especially delighted whenever one of his minions managed to cheat one of his many customers.


    After confirming that his accounts were still aggressively growing, he walked downstairs and grabbed a bite to eat from a nearby employee''s lunch. The pitiful employee didn''t dare protest, lest the Merchant take more from the meager fare he had prepared for the day. In fact, he was currently worried that the food might displease the skinny man, propelling him into a fit of uncontrollable rage. The Merchant never bought food, relying on his fearful subordinates to fill his stomach. Even then, he ate very little, as though frugality was part of his very being.


    After finishing his brief meal, the Merchant walked outside onto a poorly maintained street in the small town he currently occupied. All those who saw him gave him a wide berth, granting him a twenty-foot kill zone in every direction.


    His current destination was the pleasure house, where they trained some of their more profitable merchandise. The door was quickly opened for him as soon as he arrived. The doorman sweated profusely as he chastised himself for almost being late in opening the door. He was paid handsomely for his services, as the owner of the establishment knew that the Merchant especially valued his time. Time was money, after all.


    After walking through a few more promptly opened doors, the Merchant arrived in front of the latest group of fresh "recruits." The selection process was quite simple. Every time they took a village, they first separated the men and the women. The women would then be separated into two categories: the chaste and the beautiful. Those who were both chaste and beautiful were especially prized. The ugly were not even considered, and their fate could only be imagined.


    Innocence was of primary importance to the process. Virtues like kindness, purity, and humility would be transformed in unimaginable ways, until a final product was produced. Slaves produced in this fashion possessed many advantages, undying loyalty being only one of them. To the Merchant, their resulting depravity was only a meaningless consequence of his end goal: profit.


    After completing his business in the pleasure house, the Merchant continued his daily inspection. A small group of skinny monks and boys were chained to a wall. For the next month, they were to be fed increasingly large amounts of food, building the appetite of these formerly small eaters. The remainder of the process was a secret, but the result was not. Those who survived would be trained as the toughest slave warriors.


    Finally, the Merchant arrived at the last training house, the house of choice. The training program in the house of choice was different from the others. The facility was also much larger than the other training houses, since many "assistants" were required for every candidate.


    There was no age limitation for a candidate; the only requirement was that the candidate be patient and kind. Each candidate was accompanied by all their friends, family members, and loved ones. The more loved ones they had, the better. Every day, the trainees were presented with a choice.


    The choices would become increasingly difficult, and suffice to say, not many people survived the process. Ultimately, the experience culminated in vengeance, resulting in a slave warrior full of viciousness and rage. They were the fiercest killers and yielded the highest profit.


    The Merchant chuckled as he checked the rosters: fifty kind men, and eight hundred friends and family members. With so many helpers, it would be easy to generate many fine slaves. This training camp would be his most profitable one yet.


    ***


    Far away in a distant place, a fisherman was slowly pushing his boat forward with a long pole, propelling himself against a vicious current. The river was the largest he''d seen in a long time. When King Yama said "a long time," no one dared refute him.


    After pushing himself along the river for many centuries, he finally stopped, anchoring himself to the river bottom with a small tethered anchor. Centuries meant nothing, and time flowed differently in Diyu than in the material planes. Yama creased his brow as he observed the raging Yellow River. His black eyes glazed over as he recalled events from countless eons ago. A wave of sadness overwhelmed him as he recalled the events he had buried in the recesses of his memory. He was destined to be an observer for all eternity.


    A fierce wave buffeted his small boat, threatening to capsize it should he be the least bit negligent. The flow of souls was strong and overwhelming, over ten times its previous rate. Such a fierce tide of souls could only be the result of countless deaths throughout millions of mortal realms in the cosmos.


    The fierce torrent was also much lighter than normal, indicating that many innocents had died, and that many people had died prematurely. Yama sweated as he pondered the implications of such a flood. It seemed that the Ten Courts of Hell would have to do the unthinkable, something no one would ever dare to suggest to him ever since he''d implemented his foolproof system: They would need to hire contractors.


    Contractors made the worst employees and were very bad for morale. If his business had been profit oriented, he would have questioned whether hiring contractors was even worth the effort. Unfortunately, his business affected the very underpinnings of the universe. Despite being immortal, his staff was physically incapable of working more than triple overtime. He gnashed his teeth once again. He would have to hire contractors!


    Worse yet, to hire so many contractors on such short notice made it necessary to involve the various recruitment companies throughout the Underworld. These companies hired the worst scum, and as soon as they managed to find someone half decent for you, that recruit would soon find a better-paying job with another employer. All the efforts made in training their recruits would be wasted, leaving him with a rabble of inefficient trash that performed at forty percent or less efficiency. This fact alone was infuriating to Yama. The Yellow River System had long been performing at 98.5% efficiency for billions of Underworld years.


    He sighed as he pulled up his anchor, letting the raging river entrain his little boat all the way down the river. The river flowed five times as fast as it had during his previous, fruitless excursion. He quickly arrived at his office near the Bridge of Forgetfulness. The office was located on premium real estate, but his time was very valuable.


    Over the next year, he placed orders for vast amounts of ingredients to shore up his stock of Aunty Meng''s tea. Meanwhile, his research and development team were hard at work, searching for ways to optimize the usage of their precious tea stores. Perhaps they could produce an additive that increased the contacting efficiency between the tea and the souls¡­ Or perhaps they could design a better mixing system than passing them underneath a bridge? As he pondered the possibilities, he regretted his decision of not hiring more engineers during his tenure in Diyu.


    A soft knocking sound interrupted his train of thought. It was his assistant. The pretty lass was very tired, as she had hardly gotten a wink of sleep over the last decade. Nothing but sheer resolve and willpower saw her through these trying times. He was very impressed with her performance. Perhaps he should give her a raise soon. It was outside of the regular performance review cycle, but exceptions could be made for trying circumstances.


    "Sir, Potential Vendor 1008796 is waiting in the lobby for his scheduled appointment. He''s due in ten minutes." She placed a stack of papers in front of him, which contained information on the prospect. The information included the vendor''s response to the request for qualifications (RFQ), complete with a resume of the CEO and a company audit. "I''ve included the necessary company evaluation sheet for when he gives his presentation. Please let me know if you need anything else. I need to go pick up my son from his spiritball practice. I''ll be back shortly after."


    Yama gave her a smile of appreciation. "My dear, you should take the rest of the day off. This past decade has been very trying, and you need to take care of yourself."


    In response, the pretty assistant shot him a coy smile. "We''re in this together, boss. I''ll come back after I drop my son off. I can''t slack off, after all. How about a raise instead?"


    Yama choked on his hot cup of tea. He''d been trapped! After assuring her that she was indeed due for a raise soon, he stressed the need for strict adherence to the performance evaluations. He then quickly skimmed the tea-contaminated vendor application, careful to avoid tearing the wet pages.


    Thank Pangu I requested a soft copy on a jade slip, he thought.


    A short while later, a man with a fashionable hairstyle and a prominent beard confidently walked into his office. The man wore dark-bordered glasses and a very professional suit. Yama was a collector of suits, and he noticed that this man was wearing a limited-edition suit crafted by the most popular tailor in the Underworld, Hades. The crimson suit accented his dark, handcrafted leather shoes. The man gave him a very good impression.


    "Sir Yama, my name is Usama the Lion, and I''m the CEO of Spiritas Staffing Solutions. I''ll be very brief today, as I''m sure your time is very valuable." The man was charming but reserved. Yama motioned for him to continue.


    "The soul industry, as you know, has been booming of late. Everyone has been scrambling to snatch talents everywhere, unfortunately leaving nothing but the chaff from otherwise full fields of wheat," Usama said with a grave voice.


    Yama''s heart palpitated slightly. None of the previous staffing agencies had mentioned this! Was this really true?


    Observing the slight reaction, Usama continued. "Regrettably, the Yellow River is flowing at record speeds, and the industry has been flooded with various natural resources¡ªlike soul fragments, excess spiritual force, and spirit floss. Many industries that might not otherwise be possible have been flourishing! Premium talents have been requesting outrageous salaries. In turn, the entire consumer goods and services sector has experienced a huge influx in demand, propagating an ever-increasing shortage of competent labor.


    "The consequences of such a shortage are quite clear. If you aren''t able to incorporate competent labor into your organization quickly, the entire system that you''ve worked hard for, and for countless billions of years, will collapse, leaving you to pick up the broken pieces. Conversely, if you can grasp this opportunity, you will be able to bring your organization to new heights!"


    Yama was intrigued. How was this an opportunity? Worse yet, his friend was the CEO of Soul Power Ltd., and he knew for a fact that the great dam was operating at excess capacity, producing soul stones like they''d been going out of style. This required vast amounts of experienced personnel.


    As if reading his thoughts, Usama projected an image on the wall, which reinforced his carefully chosen words. He showed an example of several successful companies that had collapsed over a few short nights. Finally, he showed several examples of recent successful staffing events, in which crunch labor was required. These companies, instead of collapsing, acquired several high performing talents over the course of their stay in the company.


    When it came time to lay off these excess employees, several key talents were integrated into the company. The new blood stimulated change, challenged the status quo, and finally, the efficiency of the company soared from 95% to 111%. In other words, the introduction of new blood revolutionized the industry and enhanced the output of each employee to the point that the previous efficiency metric was rendered obsolete.


    The gentleman in the red suit finished with a call to action. "Here at Spiritas, we turn nobodies into somebodies. At the end of this ordeal, we guarantee key talents that you will be begging to recruit into your organization. All we ask is a generous finder''s fee. If we can''t boost your efficiency by at least five points, we''ll give you your money back!"


    A few minutes later, Yama was filling out the rest of the evaluation form on his desk. This young man was quite the talent. To think that he had only been in the Underworld for a few millennia. Previously, he had been a mortal on a small world called "Earth" on one of the many material planes. He frowned as he recalled his last adventure up the Yellow River. Wasn''t that small trickle he had been observing for many years from Earth as well?


    Shaking his head self-deprecatingly, he continued poring through the large amount of paperwork on his desk. Even in the Underworld, there was no rest for the weary.

 33 Full Recovery

    A young man currently occupied a fourth-grade chamber in the cultivation pavilion. The dull glow of his Green Leaf jade was shining softly on the outside of the chamber, both locking the door and indicating that he should not be disturbed.


    It had been a full week since Cha Ming returned from the spirit woods, and the fatigue accumulated during the journey had long since faded away, leaving him with a healthy complexion. Huxian was also in the chamber. Regrettably, he couldn''t do much in these cramped conditions. The practice dummies were far too fragile, and they had already gotten three replaced. The latest replacement was accompanied with a firm warning, threatening to ban them from the cultivation pavilion if it happened again.


    As a result, all Huxian could do was lounge, sleep, and eat. He showed no interest in reading, leaving only one other activity available: bothering Cha Ming. Unfortunately, Cha Ming was hard at work and couldn''t be disturbed. Sighing, the small fox withdrew a large haunch of roasted meat from his collar. In addition to concealing his identity, the collar conveniently included a hundred-cubic-meter storage space.


    Huxian''s storage space also contained a useful feature: a large refrigerator that encompassed half the space. Any food preserved in the refrigerator would maintain its freshness for ten times as long as storage in a normal refrigerator. Huxian speculated that the powerful Mr. Mao Mao also had a ravenous appetite and carried all sorts of delicacies with him whenever he traveled.


    After finishing his delicious supper, Huxian decided to eat another one of the tasty ore rocks, the ones containing the interesting crunchy gray chunks. Whenever he ate one, he would always fall fast asleep for at least a day. With every one he ate, he felt his beast crystal growing steadily. The rapid growth would always be followed by a cycle of compression, increasing the density of his beast crystal.


    The small crunchy chunks were very delicious, like a dessert at the end of a large meal. He always needed to chew them down to a sandy grit, lest he be left with a stomachache that lasted for days. In addition to the taste, he always felt his fur grow smoother and his skin grow tougher. Lady foxes liked smooth fur and thick skin, right?


    Meanwhile, Cha Ming was carefully drawing out a new talisman. This talisman was a defensive talisman called Iron Skin. After using the talisman, the user''s defense would increase drastically, as though he were wearing iron armor on his whole body. Surprisingly, this did not come with any weight impediments and lasted one minute per level of qi condensation of the maker.


    To draw the talisman, he was using the Clear Sky Brush. He was also utilizing a higher quality parchment paper, which was waterproof and fireproof and increased the lifespan of the talisman significantly. He intended to sell a good portion of these if he was successful, and there was no poorer marketing strategy than making a product with an inferior appearance. The paper he used was thick and tinged with yellow, like the material used to print hardcover books.


    The ink he was using this time was much different from before. The liquid silver ink was heavy like mercury, and it was an all-purpose ink used for pure metal element talismans. The ink was called liquified metal essence. Cha Ming''s talisman crafting skills had reached a point where he could use this kind of high-quality ink freely. In addition, his Clear Sky Brush would never waste any ink, making this slightly more expensive crafting medium a hassle-free choice.


    Elemental essence could be obtained at half the price of liquified elemental essence. Besides, he didn''t want to use the liquified elemental essence stored in the Clear Sky Brush. He didn''t even know how much elemental essence he had left, or if there would be any surplus. This essence was crucial in Painting the Skies, an essential component to the Seventy-Two Earthly Transformations Technique.


    A large amount of sweat was beading on Cha Ming''s forehead, proving that the complexity of this talisman was much greater than the others he had tried previously. Of course, this didn''t include painting the three-dimensional wood-element rune. After a few more breaths, he finally completed the final stroke of the Iron Skin talisman, after which he collapsed with a smile on his face in exhaustion. The experiment was a success!


    Iron Skin was a fifth-grade talisman, a mid-grade talisman one level higher than his current cultivation base. He had previously been unsure if it was possible to complete this grade of talisman, but after departing the forest, he noticed that his level of crafting had once again improved. He had evaluated his level of crafting, using success rates for the various grades of talismans as a benchmark.


    He speculated that the increase in skill had something to do with experiencing various lifetimes in his game with Huxian''s mother. The experience had strengthened his soul by a full level, which now exceeded his qi condensation level. He also speculated that the wood body-refining talisman was in essence a fifth-grade talisman as well.


    After recovering for some time, Cha Ming exhaled a breath of turbid air. He was now fully recovered, thanks to his strenuous efforts in talisman crafting over the past week. All that remained now was breaking through to the next level.


    Cha Ming quickly entered a meditative state, entering his sea of consciousness while observing his dantian from afar. His dantian contained five small lakes of qi, each constrained by thin, invisible membranes. This membrane was a natural restriction that prevented the lake from expanding past its pre-defined borders. A cultivator would need to break past it to increase his level of qi condensation.


    Connecting the different lakes together in a circle was a narrow white river. It flowed in a clockwise motion, maintaining the balance between the five lakes. Conversely, five interconnecting black rivers linked the five small lakes from the center. Oddly enough, one of the five rivers was always dry, as though they were taking turns.


    Taking a deep breath, he pulled out the crystal essence conversion formation he had bought from Wang Jun, in which he placed a refined crystal essence gem. The gem contained far greater and far purer energy than even mid-grade spirit stones could provide. He drew energy through the formation, which suddenly flooded his dantian with newly created qi. The qi divided itself naturally into five different streams and jointly impacted against the invisible membranes in all five lakes. They did not budge, not even a little.


    He wasn''t dejected and continued the process, impacting the five membranes over and over. He knew this restriction was due to his poor talent. Each subsequent breakthrough required more and more effort to materialize. This restriction would continue past qi condensation¡ªestablishing his foundation would be a monumental undertaking, and he would have no choice other than to resort to pills to aid him in the future.


    Cha Ming continued this process for a full week, finally succeeding on the seventh day. As soon as the five membranes were breached, the room available to fill each lake doubled. They didn''t instantly fill up¡ªthat would take some time. Cha Ming also noticed that the room available in both the black and white rivers also doubled, steadily growing along with the five qi pools in his dantian.


    Elated with his success, Cha Ming stood up and exhaled a turbid breath full of impurities. He then proceeded to find a new cultivation room, since he had finally reached the fifth level of qi condensation. The living and cultivation conditions in each chamber were not substantially different. However, there were vast differences in the durability of training mannequins. In addition, the cultivation rooms at the fifth level had a strength-recording pillar, which the students could use to test their improvement in the techniques they trained.


    Cha Ming spent the remainder of the day testing various techniques on the mannequin to stabilize his cultivation. If he neglected this, his body may not grow fully used to his increase in cultivation, causing infrequently used meridians to get damaged with the sudden introduction of vigorous qi.


    Finally, after he was satisfied with the results, he continued practicing fifth-grade talismans for a week and proceeded to sixth-level talismans. All this practice was in preparation for his next goal, the second part of the Seventy-Two Earthly Transformations Technique: Fire Body Refining!


    ***


    Hong Xin was in a very good mood. Tonight, she was going to see a famous play with Elder Brother Jun, The Prince''s Shadow. The play had been around for two weeks and had received rave reviews. Normally such a play was reserved for the nobility. She had just mentioned the play yesterday in a casual conversation, but the next thing she knew, Elder Brother Jun had procured a pair of tickets!


    As such, it was only natural that she spend a whole half day getting ready for their date. She took a scented bath around noon to give enough time for her long black hair to dry. While she could easily dry it with flames, she had heard somewhere that this could damage her hair in the long term. Women valued their appearance immensely, and so she didn''t want to take a chance.


    After taking her bath, she went through her dresses and tried to pick something suitable for the occasion. She only had a half dozen pretty dresses, and she was afraid of making Elder Brother Jun lose face. Finally, she settled on a slim green dress covered in vines and beautiful mauve blossoms. The dress was soon matched with a mauve hair clip and earrings.


    Naturally, Hong Xin lost track of time. She didn''t notice the soft knocking from downstairs signifying Wang Jun''s arrival.


    ***


    The door was answered by a smiling Madame Xu. While her daughter had never told her anything, she had long since observed her daughter''s strange behavior: her long absences, her increased attention to her looks, and the light blushing every time she lied to her father when asked why she had gotten home so late.


    Today Xin Er had locked herself up in her room for a good half day. Was she possibly getting ready for a formal date? Her mother wondered which young man had taken a fancy to her precious daughter. The names of the various sons around the same age flashed through her mind.


    Was it perhaps the master tailor''s son, Ling Tai? No, his temperament didn''t suit her; he wasn''t patient enough to handle her moody daughter. Perhaps Cha Ming? No, she had long seen that they only saw each other as brother and sister. One of his friends would be fine, of course. He was a good boy, and she refused to believe that he would tolerate any bad people in his company.


    If this boy Xin Er was interested in ended up being a bad egg, perhaps she could ask Cha Ming to scare him off. Hadn''t Xin Er mentioned that he had gotten very strong since his return from their last trip?


    She opened the door quickly and found a handsome young man waiting respectfully at the door with a pleasant smile on his face. Unlike most people in Green Leaf City, the young man had long blond hair with a thin streak of white dangling down from his temple. He was dressed in a simple green robe. A foreigner, perhaps?


    He also seems modest, she thought.


    "Greetings, you must be Xin Er''s mother, Madame Xu," said Wang Jun, clasping his hands together and bowing lightly in respect. "My name is Wang Jun, and I''m pleased to make your acquaintance. Is Xin Er ready? We''d agreed to head out at this time."


    Madame Xu smiled at the na?ve young boy. He would learn in time.


    "She isn''t ready yet," Madame Xu replied sweetly. "Would you like to come in for a cup of tea while you wait?"


    "I would be happy to. Thank you for taking care of me," Wang Jun replied, following her into the house.


    ***


    Wang Jun was sitting patiently in front of a small table in the living room. Madame Xu, who was currently pouring tea for herself and the young man, began inquiring about his background.


    "So, your name is Wang Jun. I can''t recall there being a Wang family in Green Leaf City. Did you come from abroad?"


    "Yes," said Wang Jun, "I was born in Gold Leaf City, but for business and family reasons I needed to move to Green Leaf City. I consider myself very fortunate, since winter in Green Leaf City is ranked as the seventh most beautiful tourist destination by the Jade Bamboo Conglomerate." He then took a sip of the tea Madame Xu had poured for him.


    "Good tea!" Wang Jun said with a surprised and pleased expression. "This is Pu''er tea from the Jade Magnolia Kingdom. From what I know, it is in very short supply in this city. It warms my heart that you''ve picked out such a precious tea just for me."


    Madame Xu, who had been listening to Wang Jun speaking, suddenly blushed at the compliment. "You''re very knowledgeable about such things despite your young age. Does your family deal in tea trade?"


    Wang Jun laughed. "You flatter me. Tea is a hobby of mine, and I take it very seriously. But yes, my family does deal in tea trade, among other things." He didn''t take the initiative to refill their cups, instead waiting for Madame Xu to do so as the host.


    Suddenly, loud footsteps could be heard coming from outside the door. The door was flung open unceremoniously, and a large man in full guard uniform entered the house. He rapidly closed the door behind him, preventing the warm air from leaving the fire-warmed living room.


    "Husband, you''re early! Why don''t you have a seat while I serve tea? This young man is taking Xin Er out tonight, and he''s waiting for her to get ready."


    A surprised expression flashed across Hong Jin''s face as his gaze focused on the handsome man in green robes. It was then followed by a look of understanding.


    "Give me ten minutes. I''ll go change out of this sweaty uniform." Hong Jin quickly climbed upstairs and returned quickly. He was wearing maroon robes, and his shoulder-length hair had even been washed and dried. Wang Jun took note that he was either a fire- or water-element cultivator. Judging by Xin Er''s proficiencies, he was likely the former.


    Wang Jun, who had only been planning on picking up Xin Er to go to a play, was now sitting in front of both her parents and drinking tea with them. Such a cross examination was a nightmare for any man.


    "So, you look young," Hong Jin said a bit aggressively. "Are you a student?"


    "Yes, I am a student at Green Leaf Academy," Wang Jun replied dutifully. "I also work part-time at the Jade Bamboo Auction House. However, my focus is still on my cultivation and studies."


    "Oh, the Jade Bamboo Auction House? Our eldest son, Hong Ling, works there. Perhaps you know him?" Hong Jin asked.


    He''s likely thinking how he can use his son to get more information about me, Wang Jun thought. Hong Ling was becoming increasingly influential in the auction house. He was currently an assistant to one of the managers and was being groomed to take over his position as manager once his boss was promoted.


    "Oh, Hong Ling? Yes, I work with him quite frequently. He''s hardworking and very easy to work with," Wang Jun replied. Meanwhile, like Hong Jin, he was also formulating a strategy. This is the best news I''ve heard all night! he thought. All I need to do is treat Hong Ling very well, and he''ll naturally put in a good word for me. I just need to make sure I get in touch with him before he gives away my position in the company. It wouldn''t do to show off too much; he needed to be modest and introduce himself a bit at a time.


    Madame Xu felt very helpless, as she sensed sparks flying between the two clashing individuals. They continued their discussion in a civil manner while repeatedly probing each other for more information.


    Suddenly, the front door opened once more, letting in the subject of their current discussion, Hong Ling. He had a smile plastered on his face, as though an event worthy of celebration had occurred.


    As he took off his coat, he noticed an unusual and tense atmosphere in the living room. His father was currently beaming at him, while Young Master Wang was looking at him with a warning gaze. Wait, what was Young Master Wang doing in his house? Panicking, he looked to his mother, who had an imploring look.


    After taking off his coat, Hong Ling bowed. "Father, Mother, I''m back from work! Young Ma¡ªManager, what might you be doing here?" Wang Jun relaxed at the introduction. It looked like his insistence on low-key addresses at work was paying off.


    "Manager? Didn''t you say you only worked part-time?" asked Hong Jin, taking the opportunity to dig a little deeper.


    "My father is a little influential in the company, and I was given a strict business education in my youth. Therefore, I have been taking on managerial duties for the past two years. My coworkers endearingly call me Young Manager," Wang Jun said, scrambling to make up an excuse on the spot. This information was mostly correct.


    "Young Manager is too humble," Hong Ling chimed in. "Father, Young Manager is very talented and has been at the forefront of many large business deals."


    "No need to exaggerate," Wang Jun said humbly. "Most of these decisions come from the upper echelons of the company, and I''m only implementing the decisions." He shot a warning glance at Hong Ling, who seemed like he was going to spurt blood at his shamelessness. After all, he was technically correct. It was just that as the one representing the upper echelons of the company, he was both making decisions and implementing them. He was confident that Hong Ling knew that saying anything right now would be a career-limiting move.


    Just as Hong Jin was about to probe deeper, they all heard frantic steps running down the wooden stairs. Both Wang Jun and the rest of the family almost dropped their teacups as they saw the stunning Hong Xin. Her green dress with mauve flowers was accented by her green slippers, mauve earrings, and the mauve hair clip fastening her lustrous black hair behind her head.


    She had put a great deal effort into her makeup; her white skin was highlighted with light rouge on her pretty cheeks, and her phoenix eyes were accented with black paint. She was now the spitting image of a beautiful immortal fairy.


    "We''re late, we''re late, let''s go!" She quickly rushed up and pulled Wang Jun toward the door, and he didn''t resist. "Father, Mother, I''ll be back later tonight. I love you both!"


    Not giving them a chance to reply, she pulled Elder Brother Jun out the door while blushing furiously.


    "I''m sorry about that, Elder Brother Jun. This is the first time I''ve ever brought a man home. They are just curious." Her face was beet red.


    Wang Jun chuckled amicably. "No worries. It went all right. I didn''t know Hong Ling was your brother. Fortunately, he put in a good word for me."


    Hearing Wang Jun''s assurances, Hong Xin sighed with relief. Wang Jun smiled. They could finally focus on enjoying a wonderful evening together.

 34 Fire Body Refining

    A faint red light was flickering in a dark chamber. Cha Ming was hard at work, attempting to draw the "fire" character while painting the skies. Over the past few days, he had relentlessly drawn the character, one stroke at a time. With every failed attempt, his spirit strengthened ever so slightly, ensuring that his next attempt would progress a tiny bit further.


    The fire£¨»ð£©character was just as complicated as the wood£¨Ä¾£© character he had drawn previously. It was shaped like dancing flames. Groups of five flames were joined together at twelve major points, which would eventually be connected to form the two-dimensional fire£¨»ð£©character upon completion.


    The process of drawing this character made him sweat. The character, while not complete, released small amounts of heat to the surrounding air. Regrettably, Cha Ming was working in an enclosed room. The temperature had slowly built up over time, until the room was finally as hot as a steam bath.


    The red runes floating in the air rapidly drew back to the Clear Sky Brush as Cha Ming failed one more time. Without pausing to rest, he quickly got up and opened the door to his cultivation chamber. The hot air was quickly replaced with a fresh, cool draft, which Cha Ming breathed in greedily. Once the exchange was completed, he sat down again in the chamber, replenishing his qi and spiritual force.


    He was almost there. In his latest attempt, he had drawn everything but the last two strokes. With luck, he would be successful in his next one to ten attempts. Taking in a deep breath, he raised the white brush to start once more. The black brush tip glowed with a vivid red color.


    Huxian had been sleeping in a corner of the room, recuperating from his lazy cultivation method. He was now wide awake, hoping that Cha Ming would complete his training soon. He longed to exit the training room and find a decent meal. He was almost out of his rationed roast meat, which he now ate sparingly.


    Cha Ming didn''t notice Huxian''s gaze and focused on painting with smooth and efficient brush strokes. He no longer needed to draw the details in his carefully drawn flames. Every two strokes would draw a small candlelike flame, complete with the tiny chaotic whips inherent to a naturally lit fire.


    Finally, the twelve groups of five flames were joined together in twelve main points. Only four strokes remained! Taking a deep breath, he drew the two larger strokes first, squeezing ninety percent of the remaining energy from his exhausted mind. After resting for five breaths, he drew the second to the last stroke, bringing him to the brink of failure. Instead of resting, he continued with the final stroke, which completed the three-dimensional character. Its completion brought about a fierce wave of heat, which surprised the attentive Huxian. The roaring character writhed in the darkness, flickering with red, yellow, and white light.


    "Ohm!"


    The Clear Sky Brush let out a commanding hum. Cha Ming was prepared this time; he had put away anything Huxian could use to create trouble. The newly formed character quickly rushed to his chest, imprinting itself like a red brand. This time, pain flooded every part of Cha Ming''s body as the fiery energy rampaged.


    Unfortunately, the soothing wood energy could do nothing to help him; whenever it traveled to soothe the pain, it provided fuel for the fire and intensified the burning. Cha Ming could do nothing but grit his teeth as he struggled to remain conscious. His attempts were futile, however, and the world was soon covered in darkness. The fire continued burning as he slept, transforming his physique one cell at a time.


    ***


    Paff! Paff!


    Cha Ming''s robes made crisp snapping sounds as he practiced his fist techniques in the air. He had measured his fist strength just prior to leaving the cultivation chamber. His powerful physical body now boasted a fist strength of 648 jin!


    Once he was comfortable with his control over simple punches, he spent time familiarizing himself with his Ghost Steps Technique. As he practiced the steps, he noticed a drastic increase in speed. This caused his Ghost Steps to be clumsy; he would need some time to accommodate the increase. After practicing his staff arts, he confirmed his guess: the Fire Body Refining had increased his speed.


    This increase in speed did not affect his overall strength delivery. He guessed that his current speed was a full level higher than other body cultivators at the sixth level.


    "All right, Huxian, come at me, bro!" They were in a secluded training courtyard. The courtyard was built for sparring and could be reserved for two hours at a time.


    All right, I''m coming! Don''t worry, I''m much stronger than you, so I''ll only use sixty percent of my strength. Huxian''s sharp teeth were revealed as he shot Cha Ming a condescending grin. The duo sparred for the next two hours without using any qi or special abilities. Naturally, Cha Ming was trounced thoroughly. Nevertheless, he had achieved his goal of familiarizing himself with his full strength.


    Looking at a flashing lamp near the entrance, he realized that his time was up, and another group was waiting to enter. He and Huxian quickly gathered up wood and metal splinters from the ground¡ªall that remained of his staff. His strength had surpassed the limitations of what the staff could handle.


    He wasn''t too upset, however. Their trip to the underground caves had provided him with the perfect material for forging a new weapon. He only needed to find a spiritual blacksmith willing to accept the work. Money wasn''t an issue¡ªhe now had a small stockpile of crystalized elemental essence and refined soul alloy just begging to be used. Strengthening himself was also a priority. Who knew when Zhou Xian would show up for revenge?


    Cha Ming and Huxian quickly exited the training room and were quickly replaced by an impatient pair of students.


    "Boy, your fighting skills are garbage," a rough voice sounded out from inside his mind. Cha Ming slapped his forehead. He had forgotten about the red-bearded man inside the Clear Sky Brush, who had been quiet for a long time.


    "Aren''t I pretty good for my age?" Cha Ming exclaimed defensively.


    "Sure, you''re so-so. You''re okay. In my language, that means you''re garbage. I''ve seen a five-year-old chimpanzee fight better than you," the man said dryly. Knowing that arguing wouldn''t get him anywhere, he decided to go for Plan B: boot licking.


    "Of course, your perspective is a lot higher than mine. I haven''t yet received your guidance on this. As my teacher, you should have a solution to this problem since you brought it up, correct?"


    Silence ensued. Cha Ming didn''t press the issue and went out to a decent restaurant. He and Huxian were famished. They ordered several tasty dishes. Cha Ming slowly ate his vegetable dishes while Huxian ate a variety of barbecued meat.


    "There is a way to fix up your fighting," the man said eventually. "I''ll be honest with you, I''ve never taught anyone at such a pitifully low level before, so I don''t have any garbage techniques to teach you. Here''s what we can do: if you go to your school library, we could browse through a variety of techniques, and I can pick some that I think are suitable. Then we can make you a whole new fighting style, which you can come practice with me at any time. How about it?"


    Cha Ming was surprised at the red-bearded man''s solution. That was very practical!


    "All right, we''ll do what you say. We''ll finish eating first, though. By the way, can I bring food into the brush? Can you eat?" Cha Ming felt very guilty about eating in front of the bearded man.


    "You''ve got to be kidding me! I''m trying to help you, and here you go attacking my sorest spot? Of course I can''t eat! The Clear Sky Brush can''t take in any food, and further, I''m just a spiritual body! I''d need to somehow get a new body before being able to eat anything." His aggressive, berating voice now sounded extremely sad. Little did Cha Ming know that the red-bearded man appreciated his concern.


    "If I get strong enough, can I free you and make you a new body?" Cha Ming inquired. He felt very sorry for the bearded man, who had been a prisoner for countless years. The man gave no reply, and so they finished eating.


    ***


    Soft sounds of booted feet and the pitter-pattering of clawed paws could be heard as Cha Ming walked toward campus from the merchant district. It was late in the afternoon, and he had made trips to both the Jade Bamboo Auction House and Elder Ling''s house. He had spent two days making talismans, yielding a total of twenty-two sixth-grade talismans. These talismans were the ever-popular fireball talismans, which had the power to decimate many foes at the fifth level of qi condensation and lower. Of course, this was quite literally burning money, so most people kept these as insurance.


    The economics of crafting talismans had changed drastically for Cha Ming. There were three reasons for the change. The first most important change was that he no longer wasted ink thanks to the Clear Sky Brush. Even while using the more expensive inks like fire elemental essence, it was most economical to craft the highest level of talismans available. This was because although the crafting rate would drop by half for every level, the price would quadruple for every level.


    In addition, the Clear Sky Brush had increased his success rate by a full level, and his soul force was a full level higher than his cultivation base at the fifth level of qi condensation. Setting aside ten talismans to replenish his materials, he was left with a tidy profit of about 60,000 spirit stones. He used 50,000 of these to exchange with Elder Ling for 250,000 contribution points. Elder Ling was very pleased about the progress of his student and encouraged him to work hard.


    Cha Ming''s ability to create wealth was now much greater than before his trip to the spirit woods. He was now beginning to realize that he was much like a frog in a well. With every hop, he could barely catch a glimmer of the clear sky above. He used the remaining 10,000 spirit stones with confidence, purchasing a heavy but durable staff as a replacement for the one he had just broken. Tragically, he had a load of quality materials that could be used to craft a much better staff, but Wang Jun had informed him that he would need to travel to another city to have it made. The new staff weighed thirty jin, which was the limit of what he could wield comfortably.


    Coupled with the thick and heavy staff on his back, Cha Ming cut an imposing figure. Every step he took was bold and powerful. Many female students shot him curious glances as approached the bright red library with his bronze medallion engraved with a large "five." The medallion had automatically updated his cultivation level the moment he broke through. He suspected that the academy used these medallions to track and monitor the students on campus.


    After a short half-hour wait, Cha Ming was greeted at the entrance of the library by the short Elder Xiao. "Cha Ming, my young friend, you''ve finally come to visit me again! Don''t tell me you''re here for business again? It really breaks my heart, you know." Elder Xiao''s face was plastered with toothy grin, making it apparent that he wasn''t sad in the slightest.


    "Elder Xiao, you know that I''d come here to visit you more often. Alas, I was out of town for a month, and I''ve been recuperating for two weeks. You can hardly hold that against me, right?" A hurt look appeared on the younger man''s face. It was mirrored by a similar expression on Huxian''s face.


    "Sure, sure, I believe you. With weak muscles like these, I can see how it would take you a while to recover." Elder Xiao pinched his thigh hard. A stinging pain ran throughout Cha Ming''s entire body.


    What the hell! He''s a body refiner? Cha Ming vowed never to underestimate any of the elders or instructors ever again.


    Elder Xiao gave him a meaningful look. "I had expected that your thin frame would be physically weak. It looks like you''ve started cultivating your body, just like I did. You might not know this, but the Xiao clan''s small bodies are tailor-made for body cultivation.


    "Speaking of which, who even gave you that body cultivation technique? We don''t have all that many on campus." He then glanced at the bronze medallion on Cha Ming''s chest. "Are you sure you''re just a third-grade talent, you monster?"


    Cha Ming shrugged shyly. The truth was that since practicing the Seventy-Two Transformations Technique, his talent had begun to improve. A second yin and a second yang organ had been strengthened. When combined with his two previously strengthened organs, he now possessed a rough talent rating of three and four tenths.


    "I''m going to start calling you little monster from now on," said Elder Xiao, shaking his head. "By the way, little monster, since you''ve practiced body refining to the sixth grade, you can go to the administration building and have your medallion changed manually to reflect your actual strength. While the school doesn''t discriminate against body refiners, the medallions aren''t programmed to measure anything other than qi condensation level."


    "Is there an advantage to being a sixth-grade student?" Cha Ming inquired.


    "Sure, there are a few. The most important benefit is that you can enter the Alchemists Association and commission work. Students below your level are assumed to be too poor, and those below your level that are rich enough definitely have other connections. In addition, using pills to propel your cultivation at lower grades, while possible, is quite harmful to your foundation.


    "The second benefit is that each grade six and higher student obtains a personal courtyard, which possesses a cultivation array, a training mannequin, and a sparring chamber in the backyard. Of course, all these functions require spirit stones, which you will need to provide. That''s why you never see anyone at that level in the cultivation pavilion. Students who are too strong get fined whenever they break a mannequin. Cultivating without an array is also very inefficient. The cultivation pavilion is really for beginners and untalented students."


    As Elder Xiao concluded his explanation, the three of them proceeded up to an observation room on the second floor. He walked over to a stone on the side of the wall and pressed a button. With a helpless expression, he explained to Cha Ming, "Computer needed to be shut down for maintenance just yesterday. It will take a good ten minutes until it''s active again. Meanwhile, you can explain to me what you need."


    "It''s like this, Elder Xiao: I''m looking for a movement technique and a staff technique that are well suited for me to use. I practice five-element qi refining and five-element body refining. Do you happen to have anything that suits me? I have 250,000 contribution points to spend," Cha Ming said sheepishly.


    "Five-element body cultivation! Are you nuts? First you decide to practice five-element qi refining, the hardest of all of them, and now you try five-element body refining? You''re a monster! A little monster!" Elder Xiao wracked his brain for fifteen minutes. The computer had long since activated and was awaiting Elder Xiao''s instructions.


    "Sorry, I can''t help you this time. I''ve got nothing like that. I suggest that you pick a silver staff art and a silver movement technique and make do with what you have," Elder Xiao advised, looking up location codes for various techniques.


    Cha Ming frowned slightly, but he had anticipated this problem before arriving. "Would it be possible to see an abridged version of all the bronze and silver staff techniques and movement techniques? I can''t make up my mind just by looking at the title."


    "Way ahead of you!" The small elder quickly stepped out of the room and motioned with his hand. Two hundred scrolls flew out from the various shelves and piled up on the small table in the room. "Knock yourself out. You have until sunset to read through these. You can come back tomorrow and continue if you aren''t done by then."

 35 An Ambitious Goal

    Cha Ming stared at the pile of scrolls. Looking through these hundreds of scrolls was a daunting task. Thankfully, he could rely on the red-bearded elder to provide him guidance. Otherwise, he would be here for days before deciding on a rudimentary plan.


    Each bronze and silver scroll could be opened one to two feet, which contained an abridged version of the technique. Accessing the full techniques could only be done via an illusory scroll. Each scroll was affixed with a seal to prevent tampering.


    First technique: Guardian Staff. Earth-attribute staff technique, requires small amounts of qi for support but relies on physical body strength. This technique is heavy and emphasizes brute force and reach to repel enemies. The technique was created by Tu Yan, a personal guard of the late King Song Liufeng.


    Second technique: Shearing Staff Art. Wind-attribute staff technique. Used to repel foes as well as attack foes from a distance with shearing blades of wind. Formidable for group battles. The technique is rumored to have been developed by a monk, emphasizing the importance being merciful to the weak but fierce against evildoers.


    Cha Ming tossed the second scroll into a reject pile after reading the introduction. He did not practice the wind element.


    "Dummy, pick that one up, it''s not total garbage." Unable to refute the bearded man, he dutifully picked up the technique with a puzzled expression.


    "Exalted Teacher, I don''t understand. How can I use this technique if I don''t cultivate wind?" It made no sense to Cha Ming.


    "Let your teacher worry about that. For now, keep reading these techniques, and I''ll tell you what to keep and what to throw away."


    Cha Ming continued sifting through the pile of scrolls.


    Overbearing Staff Art¡ªTrash


    Lotus Staff Art¡ªTrash


    He barely opened a scroll called Spring Leaf Staff Art before it was deemed as trash. To his surprise, the least expensive scroll available, the Foundation Staff Art, made it into the keep pile after barely any consideration at all.


    The same rigorous selection process was implemented for all the movement arts. In the end, Cha Ming was instructed to purchase twelve scrolls:


    Shearing Staff Art¡ªBronze Level, Wind Element Staff Art


    Foundation Staff Art¡ªBronze Level, Unattributed Staff Art


    Flaming Wheel Defense¡ªSilver Level, Fire Element Staff Art


    Wading Through the Reeds¡ªSilver Level, Water Element Staff Art


    Quake Staff¡ªSilver Level, Earth Element Staff Art


    Sword Staff¡ªBronze Level, Metal Element Staff Art (very rare, disproportionately expensive)


    Trapping Staff¡ªBronze Level, Wood Element Staff Art


    Seven Cloud Steps¡ªSilver Level, Wind Movement Art


    White Willow Shade¡ªSilver Level, Wood Element Movement Art


    Three-Layered Burst Step¡ªBronze Level, Fire Element Movement Art


    Mountain Stance¡ªSilver Level, Earth Element Movement Art


    Skating in Paradise¡ªBronze Level, Water Element Movement Art


    The last item on the list made Cha Ming especially confused and frustrated. The introductory scroll indicated that it was made for fun by a core formation cultivator in the northern provinces. It had been made specifically for his female disciples to show off at parties on arenas made of ice! Despite his reservations, he accepted it without complaint. Prior experience indicated that it was no use fighting the bearded man.


    It was nearing sunset now, and Elder Xiao was patiently waiting at the library checkout for Cha Ming to come down. If he needed an hour or two more, Elder Xiao didn''t mind. He was the guardian of the library, in charge of making sure that no one broke in and stole any techniques. As such, he was required to stay on the library premises for long periods of time.


    Cha Ming approached the checkout desk and put down the twelve scrolls. "Elder Xiao, if you''d be so kind, I''d like to purchase these twelve scrolls."


    Elder Xiao almost fell to the floor in anger. "Little Monster, I know you''re confused about what you want to practice, but please be a little more reasonable. It''s not too late to come back after you''ve tried one of them¡­" By this point, the short man was massaging his brow with one hand.


    "No need. I want to practice all of them and decide which one is best after successfully cultivating them."


    "I see, I see¡­" Elder Xiao nodded. An enraged look suddenly appeared on his face. "Practice all of them? Are you a pig? Do you think these techniques are all snacks that you can eat casually? I should report you for such behavior!"


    Cha Ming spent some time reassuring Elder Xiao, and finally, his rage subsided. There was no rule on how many techniques could be taken out, after all. Depressed, Elder Xiao produced illusory scrolls for each of the twelve techniques and sent the young man on his way.


    ***


    "Gah!"


    A maid flinched as her young master woke up suddenly in the middle of the night. He looked confused and exhausted. Eventually, he was doused with a cold shower of realization, and his gaze instantly became cold and aloof. He stared at the wall, brooding as he recalled the events that had led up to his incapacitation.


    He had been chasing a prey out in the woods for his younger brother. At the last minute, the small fox had released a large amount of power, which forced him to take a forbidden medicine to temporarily raise his cultivation.


    Just as he was about to succeed, the young whelp from the Wang family and his chaperone had interfered, and he was forced to flee for his life with a teleportation talisman gifted to him by his brother. It would have been fine if he had either taken the medicine or used the talisman, but the combination had caused great damage to his body. Shortly after arriving back at the Zhou family mansion, he passed out and was transported to his bedchambers. One of the best spirit doctors in the city had presided over his recuperation, ensuring that no substantial damage had been done to his foundation.


    "How long have I been sleeping?" he asked the maid.


    "Young Master, you''ve been sleeping for two months," she replied meekly, her voice laced with fear. The Young Master was notorious for mistreating his servants and shooting the messenger. It was her lucky day, though; Zhou Xian was too focused on his recovery and immediately ordered her to fetch food and pour him a hot bath.


    At the crack of dawn, the fully recovered Zhou Xian walked to the other end of their massive mansion. The guard on duty swiftly opened a door and let him into a cozy office. His father, Zhou Tian, was a strict man. He always started his work at dawn. This was when his mood was at its best; naturally, this was why Zhou Xian chose to visit him at this hour.


    Upon entering, he did not bow or seat himself, but instead stood just inside the door, awaiting further instruction. His balding father continued poring over documents, signing them as required. After a half hour, he finally looked up at his son.


    "So, I see that you managed to wake up after your miserable failure?"


    Zhou Xian kneeled in apology. "Father, I have failed you. Please punish me."


    His father didn''t pay any attention to the gesture and turned his attention back to the documents on his desk.


    "I don''t have time to punish you. Please report what happened."


    "Father, I entered the woods with twelve friends from school. We journeyed quickly toward the location provided by Brother Li, where we encountered a strange force field. We were unable to penetrate it. Further, soon after we reached the force field, a large group of hounds, including two ninth-level spirit beasts, surrounded us. I was lucky to escape and awaited further instruction from Brother Li. My twelve friends all perished.


    "After two weeks of waiting, I was instructed to pose as a wounded student for help at certain coordinates. I lured a snow leopard to the location at the appropriate time, baiting a man and a fox into saving me. The man was Du Cha Ming, who had recently disappeared in the spirit woods. A hefty bounty of 50,000 spirit stones had been offered for his retrieval. The fox was black and white in color.


    "We returned to the campsite where they treated me. Since I had told Du Cha Ming of the ransom, it was going to be difficult to ambush him at any other time. Further, if we met any other groups in the forest, he would have quickly been alerted and suspicious. He would also have been suspicious if we avoided everyone. In the middle of the night, at the time that he should have been the most sound asleep, I attempted to stab the fox, which I perceived as the greater threat.


    "The fox was expecting me, however, and so was the youngster. While I managed to kill the fox with a poisonous strike near his heart, it displayed extraordinary racial abilities, splitting into two clones. One of his clones was pure white and emanated a terrifying purifying power. The other was pure black and could hide in shadows. The black clone had terrifying devouring powers and could attack my shadow directly, which inflicted wounds on my physical body.


    "Having been pushed into a desperate situation, I quickly took a forbidden medicine to forcibly raise my cultivation level, lest the target escape. I quickly overcame the fox, but before I could do anything, Wang Jun and Elder Bai from the Jade Bamboo Conglomerate interfered. They were unimpressed by any threats, and Elder Bai quickly attacked me with his mid-foundation establishment cultivation.


    "In desperation, I used the teleportation talisman provided by Brother Li to escape. Unfortunately, I was not in the best shape, and the rigors of teleportation forced me to severely deplete my strength while still under the effects of the forbidden medicine. As a result, I passed out, and I am currently reporting to you two months later." Zhou Xian stood silently while his father digested the report.


    "You made three mistakes," he replied after pondering.


    "Your humble son begs for instruction."


    "The first mistake was the choice of a snow leopard. Not only was it very foreign to the area, but it was too weak to injure you. A peak ninth-level dire wolf would have been a much more appropriate and less obvious opponent. There was also a chance that your targets could have expended some energy or exposed their strength when saving you.


    "The second mistake was when you threatened the Wang family. They would never have given in to your petty threats, since their influence in the continent is far reaching. You should have immediately retreated when they gave you the chance and informed myself and your younger brother.


    "The third mistake: Du Cha Ming isn''t dead."


    "Impossible! I hit him with my poisonous sword at point blank range right beside his heart! How could he possibly survive?" Zhou Xian was livid. How was this twerp so lucky?


    "He is in very good health," his father replied. "He was treated by the best spirit doctor in town and was observed walking around the streets in the city one week after your arrival. He is also accompanied by a small ordinary-looking fox. You should never assume your opponent is dead until you cut off his head. Dismissed."


    ***


    An angry Zhou Xian walked out of his father''s office. Just as he was exiting, he passed by a beautiful lady, his older sister. She was nineteen years old this year and was currently betrothed to the crown prince.


    "You got beat up again, I see," she said, ridiculing him. "Why don''t you ever measure up to our little brother? At least he can get things done properly."


    "At least I can do something other than whoring around. How''s that working out for you, seducing men for a living?"


    "Oh, it''s going very well! Seduction is an art that requires a lot of practice and a lot of¡­ innate talent." She leaned forward coquettishly while exposing her cleavage. "Would you like a lesson, dear Eldest Brother? You might not be the most attractive man I''ve ever seen, but a little makeup can definitely make you more successful than you currently are. After all, there are a lot of plump noble ladies that need loving, too."


    Zhou Xian pushed her away and started walking toward his room. "I''ll show you what success is, and when I do, I''ll have you indecently moaning underneath me, begging me to please you."


    Zhou Jia shrugged and proceeded to the door to their father''s study. Meanwhile, a slightly less enraged Zhou Xian went back to his room. The verbal jousting had let him forget his bitter hatred for Cha Ming for a few moments.


    Upon returning to his room, he sat down in front of his brightly lit desk. He then removed a small black book from his bag of holding and prepared to write a message. Just as he was about to write, a message appeared.


    "Are you awake now?"


    Zhou Xian shifted his pen down to reply.


    "Yes, I''m up and about, and I''ve just reported to Father."


    Zhou Xian then reported what had happened in detail. Shortly after, a message appeared.


    "Thanks for the hard work. I''ll tell Father that the information you obtained was worth the price paid. I now know what type of spirit beast the fox is. I also speculate that they formed a life-and-death contract, which allowed this Du Cha Ming to survive the initial poison, in conjunction with his strong mortal body."


    "How is this good news?"


    "My dear elder brother, it''s good news because we now have access to potential leverage for the fox. If we capture Cha Ming as a slave, the fox will have no choice but to obey our commands, lest he and his owner die."


    "I see. You''re smart as ever, brother."


    He was tired and wanted to continue resting. His fully hale appearance in front of his father was just for show.


    "Do you want revenge?"


    Zhou Xian''s heart palpitated. His hand trembled as he wrote out a reply.


    "I would die for revenge, what do I need to do?"


    "I''ll coordinate with you, Father, and Sister for a three-pronged approach. What I need your help with will raise your power by a large margin, giving you the opportunity to defeat Cha Ming. Remember, I say defeat because we can''t have him die. However, that doesn''t mean that he can''t suffer a fate worse than death."


    ***


    Wang Jun was busy looking over documents in his courtyard on campus. It was much easier to work in the courtyard, where he was able to have Elder Bai and two other assistants aid him while removing himself from everyday business. His presence at the school was partial ruse and partial utility. Since a young age, he had been a perfectionist and obsessed with getting involved in everything, from management to day-to-day tasks.


    On campus, he was not directly confronted with business-related activities and could dedicate more time to cultivation. A dull bronze badge was affixed to his chest. However, no one would accuse him of being untalented. He had been attending the school for less than six months and was already a seventh-grade student.


    His desk and fireplace had been moved to this new courtyard, of course. He had also replaced the cultivation array with a much higher class array. The crumbling walls surrounding his cottage had also been reinforced with a defensive array, ensuring that no one below core formation would be able to force their way in or eavesdrop.


    While Wang Jun was in the middle of signing an important document, Elder Bai swiftly entered and delivered a report.


    "What''s this?" Wang Jun inquired.


    "The Alchemists Association in Green Leaf City has officially informed us that they are terminating the existing pill supply contract, effective thirty days from now," replied Elder Bai.


    "Have they indicated that they are open to negotiations?"


    "Yes, they also supplied this letter that states that the current contract price of seventy-five percent of market value is too low, that their alchemists are overworked and require two weeks to supply any orders instead of the current three days, and that they need to be paid on delivery." Elder Bai was not new to these business dealings. He understood that the proposed conditions were not only unfair but completely counter to what Wang Jun had been attempting to accomplish.


    "Elder Bai, let''s pause for tea." The news was not unexpected to Wang Jun, but he had not been expecting it so soon. The duo sat down in front of the cinnamon-scented fireplace, listening to the merry crackling of slow-burning cedar logs.


    "Elder Bai, it seems like Zhou Xian has woken up. We should both get used to sleepless nights¡ªthe Zhou family''s revenge has finally begun."

 36 The Arena

    In a nearby city called Clearwood, a loud cheer erupted in a large, crowded room. Officially, this place was a bar. They served drinks and hired entertainment from all around the Song Kingdom. In truth, the bar was just a front for a much larger industry: an underground gambling arena.


    The arena was built below ground. The excavation was an impressive feat, and many powerful geomancers had been hired to ensure its stability. Geomancers combined their earth affinity with spirit power. Their understanding of the earth and its composition was much deeper than a normal earth-element cultivator, and they were highly sought after in any kingdom.


    "Blood Queen, Blood Queen! Victory! I bet everything on the Blood Queen!"


    Drunk patrons were throwing money around like it was out of style. The Blood Queen had been there for the past two months. That was a long time for a prize fighter, especially someone like her, who only accepted death matches.


    In the caged arena, a lithe young lady dressed in tight-fitting red leather wielded two vicious sabers. The sabers were also red; despite having been forged from iron, these sabers had been soaked in the blood of countless men and beasts alike.


    Her opponent this time was an extremely large man, who was confident in his strength. He wielded a huge sledgehammer. A single strike from that hammer would definitely kill the young lady on contact.


    "Does anyone want to make any other bets? The betting will close in one minute, assuming one of the contestants isn''t defeated first!" A glamorously dressed lady was the head bookie for the gambling arena.


    "Fifty mid-grade spirit stones on the Blood Queen."


    An expected customer in a dark cloak arrived, as expected. He was the main reason why she''d lowered the odds in the first place. She had proactively reduced the odds for the Blood Queen, ensuring that they still earned money from every fight. Call it women''s intuition.


    "Sir Gong, your business is truly eating us out of house and home. Won''t you consider betting on the other side?" the head bookkeeper suggested.


    "Stop looking so innocent. You lowered the odds so much only three days after she showed up! There''s no way you''re not swimming in spirit stones after these past two months," Sir Gong replied.


    "But it''s not the same," she replied softly. "I want to swim in your spirit stones. I want them all over me. You''d like that, wouldn''t you?" As she leaned forward, her ample cleavage became partially uncovered in the process.


    "Let me get that for you," Sir Gong said, leaning in and fixing her problem. The woman blushed. She wasn''t there for touching, but he was a rich man. She had no choice but to smile at his cheeky grin.


    "You know, Yi Bing, we did compromise this time. Her current opponent is at the sixth level of qi condensation, a whole level higher! I''m sure a lot more people will bet on him this time. And if they don''t, you''ll be swimming in my spirit stones. You''d like that, wouldn''t you?"


    After their teasing exchange, Sir Gong went to take his seat near the front of the cage arena. A few high rollers were there as well. They had personal boxes, and topless women sat on their laps as they spectated, satisfying their every need.


    He disliked places like the arena. Especially the smoky, unventilated air. He was used to it, of course. Back when he fought here, he was known as the Blood King. It was where he made a name for himself and where he''d built up enough funds to bankroll his mercenary group in Green Leaf City.


    The reason he had returned was for his sister''s sake. She had finally grown up and had a desire to get stronger. Her original half-hearted, squeamish attitude was why he''d previously been reluctant to include her in the mercenary business. The last two months had completely obliterated his previous assumptions. She would do just fine out in the real world now.


    The two fighters in the cage were currently walking in circles, occasionally making probing moves. Of course, the Blood Queen did most of the probing. She was nimble and could quickly recover from any mistakes. The large hammer-wielding brute did not have that luxury. While he was a whole level stronger than her, he had personally witnessed her vicious techniques and strong killing intent.


    After probing for a hundred breaths, the Blood Queen finally started her dance, quickly building momentum with her twin blood-red sabers. She spun in rapid circles like a dervish, striking with a steady rhythm that contained very few gaps. As her dance intensified, so did her strikes.


    The brute''s defenses were very hard, however. He was what they called a "buffer". In addition to some level of body refining, the brute utilized his qi to cover himself in an iron skin. He didn''t use any qi at all for attacks. As a result, he was able to avoid taking damage from the attacks that snuck through.


    Every once in a while, when he saw an opening, he would lash out with all his power, swinging out in large arcs at the agile demoness. Every time he lashed out, however, she would leap over each strike, taking advantage of his momentum to land some heavy blows. While she hadn''t injured him yet, his qi was rapidly depleting. If things continued this way, his iron skin would be as effective as wet paper and he''d truly be in trouble.


    There were only two ways out of this death match¡ªwinners got to live, and the losers would die. No mercy was allowed. The rewards for these fights were very steep, and the admission fees were correspondingly high. The arena guaranteed at least three of these battles. If no fighters were available, they kept a large stock of demonic beasts that could take the place of human contestants. Of course, the arena preferred people fighting¡ªpeople didn''t cost them anything.


    The Blood Queen''s attacking frequency had now reached its peak, putting the brute in a tricky position. It was now or never! He had kept a trump card this whole time, but he was experienced and had patiently waited for the time to strike.


    Clank, clank, clank, clank, clank, clank.


    After six strikes, the brute stepped in quickly, using his hammer to deflect the blows. The blow occurred at a moment where there was a very slight pause in her movements. The pause only lasted for a fraction of a second, but for the experienced brute, it was enough.


    ***


    The charge surprised the Blood Queen, who couldn''t help but interrupt her rhythm and step back. She had lost the initiative, which was very dangerous due to the large gap in cultivation level. As she twisted to attack at the large man''s waist and regain the initiative, she shivered slightly as a tremor traveled up her leg through her foot.


    Shit, she thought, he''s not a pure buffer! The brute had used a stomping battle technique, which utilized earth qi to create tremors and paralyze his opponents. Unfortunately, this was the Blood Queen''s Achilles heel. If her dance was interrupted, she would be nothing but a sitting duck.


    A feeling of pure dread invaded her subconscious as she eyed the large hammer, which swung downward toward her exposed shoulder. That single strike would surely kill her if it landed.


    I can''t let my brother down! I can''t let him down like I did Cha Ming!


    These thoughts instantly converted to courage. To survive, she would have to break her limits. With a roar, her dantian trembled, and she angrily slashed at an invisible membrane using her qi pool. She channeled her anger¡ªat the situation that led to Cha Ming''s death; at her brother for getting her into this cage match; and most importantly, at herself for failing them both.


    Her righteous anger made her qi lake shudder, but to no avail.


    Again! Another fierce impact on her dantian had her coughing out blood.


    Again! Finally, the third attempt managed to crash the invisible membrane that had caused her to be caught in a bottleneck. Instantly, qi at the sixth level of qi condensation rushed toward her and cleared her mind.


    She quickly exercised her movement technique, which had improved after her breakthrough. The tremors in her legs were quickly neutralized by the surging qi. Having shaken off the tremor, she quickly danced forward toward the brute, using one of her sabers to slightly shift the smashing hammer. The hammer barely avoided her, but she took advantage of her closed-in position to swing both sabers upward toward the brute''s neck.


    Blood Saber Art¡ªTwin Decapitation!


    The vicious blow, powered by her increased cultivation, smashed through the remainder of the brute''s iron skin. His previous attacks had exhausted most of his remaining qi, leaving him open to an attack. The crowd cheered as the underdog of the fight, the reigning champion, Blood Queen, lifted both of her blood-red sabers above her head to announce her victory.


    Blood dripped from the sabers onto her sexy, slender figure.


    ***


    As the reigning champion, the Blood Queen had her own changing room. The changing room was filled with three baths. The first bath was to rinse her swords and leather outfit. She unceremoniously dumped them into the tub and jumped into the second one, the pre-bath wash. The water instantly turned crimson as the dried blood was rinsed off her perfect slender frame. She also gave her hair a quick wash, as it had been doused with a couple cups of hot blood as she decapitated her opponent.


    After the initial rinse was completed, she dunked herself into a scented bath. It had been treated with various perfumes ideal for countering the bloody smell. Initially, the smell had disgusted her. The more she fought, however, the more she yearned for that smell. Was she perhaps changing too much?


    As she relaxed in the bath, a familiar figure walked in.


    "Elder Brother, you know it''s inappropriate to enter a girl''s room while she''s taking a bath, right?"


    The man shrugged as he heard the comment.


    "It''s not like I haven''t seen it all. Plus, you''re my younger sister. I used to give you baths when you were little, and I''ve already seen you naked countless times."


    "That''s different!" she said, blushing and sinking deeper into the bath, ensuring that the foaming soap properly covered anything inappropriate. He took the hint and sat down, facing away from the bathtub.


    "Congratulations on your breakthrough. It''s been a hard two months, but you''ve already broken through two whole levels. If I didn''t know any better, I would have guessed that you were a fourth-grade talent!" He was truly happy at her sister''s progress. This was much faster than his initial training. Perhaps she was better to suited to the Blood World Scripture than he was?


    "It''s all thanks to the Blood World Scripture. What an amazing cultivation method! It channels killing intent into offensive power, killing intent into cultivation, and life-and-death struggles into breakthrough opportunities. There''s also no chance of having an unstable foundation, since the user''s qi is constantly stabilized through combat."


    "Lan Er, I think it''s more to do with your compatibility with the technique," Sir Gong said blandly. "If I didn''t know any better, I would think you were a sadist."


    "Wuling, you know better than I do that that''s not the case. I''m just much too disappointed in myself. Cha Ming died because of me, and I never want the same situation to repeat itself."


    She wore a cold expression. The sweet Gong Lan no longer existed. Only by being cold to herself would she never let down anyone ever again. This saddened her brother greatly.


    "Speaking of which, a messenger from the Jade Bamboo Conglomerate came by this afternoon. I didn''t want to interrupt your focus before the match. Do you want me to read the message to you now, or do you want to wait until after your bath?"


    Gong Lan perked up when she heard the words Jade Bamboo. What could Brother Jun possibly need?


    "Open it now and read it to me!" Gong Lan instructed.


    Gong Wuling chuckled as he ripped open the letter. After opening it, he read it out loud using a sensual voice.


    "My Dearest Lan Er, I can''t hold it in any longer. I''ve decided that it''s now or never, and that I need to confess my love for you. I¡ª"


    "The hell? Read the real letter!" she shouted, lashing out furiously, throwing a bar of soap at her brother''s head.


    "If you keep throwing things, I''ll have to turn around and teach you a lesson," he teased. "Ahem, where was I? Gong Lan, I''m happy to inform you that one month ago, Cha Ming returned from the spirit woods safe and sound. I''m sorry I didn''t inform you earlier, however, it took a while for our intelligence agency to track you down. The underground gambling arena is not strictly legal, so information on it is quite hard to come by. I hope you''re well, and that you''ll come for a visit soon. Xin Er misses you dearly, and Cha Ming inquires about your whereabouts every few days. Sincerely, Your Dearest Brother Wang."


    Wuling lifted his eyebrows as he recalled the tragic story of the young man falling off Greatwood Bridge after an explosion destroyed it. Their portion of the group had only survived since it was close to the edge. They had managed to keep hold of the bridge because the portion supporting them slammed against the cliff wall.


    This guy Cha Ming has some dogshit good luck, he thought.


    "Elder Brother, you''re not joking, are you?"


    He looked back at his teary-eyed sister and handed her the letter. The paper quickly started falling apart as she held it in her soapy wet hands.


    "Let''s go back to Green Leaf City, brother. We''ll keep training after I go for a visit, okay?"


    Wuling chuckled as he stood up and ruffled her wet hair. "Anything for you, little sister. You know that."

 37 Murder Most Fowl

    In a courtyard within Green Leaf Academy, the constant sound of metal on wood echoed throughout the entire residential district. Birds avoided this courtyard like the plague. There were two reasons for this, the first one being the constant hammering noises that started at dawn and ended at sunset. At least the person who caused the disturbance had a minimum level of decency, the nearby residents said. This was reassuring small talk, of course. These were trying times, and they wanted nothing more than to rip the perpetrator apart limb by limb.


    The second reason caused the birds to shiver in fear. Noise they could deal with; death they could not. A vicious predator had appeared near the student courtyards. A strange demonic fox now lurked between the stone houses. It took great pleasure in capturing the birds that wandered around the premises.


    In a courtyard ten rows away from Cha Ming''s, a cultivator was indulging in his favorite hobby: feeding his chickens and collecting their eggs. The cultivator had previously been a commoner, one who had expected to spend the rest of his life raising farm animals. Little did he know that he would have talent in cultivation. As a fourth-grade talent, his rate of growth was very rapid. After a mere three years, he was now an eighth-level student.


    Despite being a cultivator, he was still very fond of his farming lifestyle. In his courtyard, he had several plots of land, which he used to grow various medicinal herbs. In addition, he also had a chicken coop and a few milk cows. This young man was very particular about the quality of his milk and eggs. As such, he always fed the chickens and cows special spirit grain, which he also cultivated within his courtyard.


    While he might have been indulging in his favorite hobby, his demeanor was not in the least bit relaxed. He had a dreadful problem he needed to resolve¡ªthe looming threat of the chicken thief. At present, he only had fifteen chickens, two less than the original number. Another kindred spirit within Green Leaf Academy had reported a similar matter. In this case, the poor student had lost one of his geese, two of his ducks, and three of his carrier pigeons!


    In addition, they had both noticed a peculiar lack of wild birds in the surrounding area. The only logical conclusion was that a voracious predator had started living in the area. Despite their suspicions, they had no hard evidence or eye-witness testimony on the matter. Even if they wanted to find the thief, they didn''t know what it looked like.


    Sighing heavily, the cultivator continued feeding his chickens spirit grain and collected their eggs. He then started installing various upgrades to fortify the chicken coop. The first thing he did was replace the wire around the chicken coop; the old wire did not provide adequate protection against predators and had only been useful in preventing the chickens themselves from escaping. The predator had changed everything. In addition to replacing the wire, he also ensured that it completely enclosed the pen. This rendered it impossible for a predator to approach from above.


    Protecting the coop from an underground assault was also a tricky task. What if the thief was a ferret or a fox? He dug up all the soil inside the chicken coop to install a deep brick foundation, which connected to the fence wire. He covered up the foundation with soil, something the chickens enjoyed while they walked outdoors.


    Following this major renovation, he then focused on the building itself. The windows were potential points of entry, so he installed iron bars on each one. He also installed locks on all the doors for good measure. Perhaps this chicken thief was a student?


    This massive project took three days. Fortunately, he finished the project before any of his chickens were stolen. Despite the greatly strengthened chicken coop, he was still a little nervous. During the entire construction, he experienced a tingling in the back of his neck, the kind that only happened when one was being watched. As a martial cultivator, he had developed a sixth sense for things like these. It was hardly ever wrong. Or perhaps the hammering noises from the nearby courtyard had unnerved him, causing him to imagine enemies that didn''t exist.


    ***


    It was now late at night. The consistent pounding of metal on metal had stopped, as it always did at sunset. This granted the occupants of nearby courtyards a temporary reprieve and ideally a good night''s sleep. Despite the absence of the rhythmic clanking, some of the residents were still profoundly affected. They now heard these sounds in their dreams. Hammering aside, the night was very quiet, almost too quiet. If one observed carefully, they might have noticed a large absence of birds or other small animals near a specific courtyard.


    The owner of the courtyard was fast asleep, and so were his chickens. Huxian had been observing them for the past few days. Despite his ability to steal the chickens over the past three days, the actions of the cultivator in this courtyard had intrigued him. It was as though the cultivator thought he could prevent Huxian from taking the chickens that rightfully belonged to him!


    His curiosity piqued, Huxian''s observations had continued for three days. When the cultivator finally finished, the renovated chicken coop emanated a special aura, an aura of challenge toward the chicken thief.


    Challenge accepted, Huxian decided.


    His small and agile figure vanished as he jumped over the courtyard wall, careful not to make any noises that might alert the cultivator or the chickens. Once inside the courtyard, Huxian merged with the shadows near the edge of the wall. While the entire courtyard was well lit, it was impossible for there to be a complete absence of shadows. The shadows were his home.


    After observing the front of the chicken coop for a short while, Huxian decided to give up on sneaking through the metal wires or digging through the brick. While this was a simple task for the baby fox demon, it didn''t suit his style; he wanted the cultivator to be completely baffled by the theft!


    Since accessing through the front of the coop was physically impossible, he opted for the next option¡ªthe back. The back of the coop was now only twelve inches away from the courtyard wall, enough to allow air circulation through the tightly barred window. Huxian ignored the small gap and also ignored the bars for good measure. He blended into the shadows and immediately found himself inside the chicken coop.


    The chickens were sleeping soundly and hadn''t noticed his approach. The juvenile fox sneakily approached a chicken''s bed, but just before approaching, his instincts told him something was off. After observing carefully, he noticed that there were several snares set up. He quickly bypassed these snares and approached the sleeping chicken from the side. He made short work of it.


    After dispatching his unfortunate victim, he decided to make his exit and call it quits. Stealing a single chicken without leaving a trace or clue was much more fun than outright plundering. After licking his lips, he vaulted himself outside the coop through the shadows. He didn''t notice the fluorescent trail he left behind, his little pawprints lighting up his journey from the chicken coop to the top of the wall and finally to Cha Ming''s courtyard.


    ***


    The next morning, Cha Ming was forced to host a guest in his courtyard. The guest was an angry-looking cultivator, evidently the man who took great care in raising his chickens. Cha Ming massaged his brow as he listened intently and wracked his brain for a solution.


    "What were you thinking, keeping a fox as a pet?" the man said, livid. "Don''t you know that they''re vile creatures that eat every bird in sight?" Like all angry people, it was best to first let them vent while showing sympathy.


    "I understand sir," Cha Ming replied.


    "No, you don''t understand. These are my prize chickens, and I''ve spent many months raising them and feeding them expensive spirit grain. Heck, I wouldn''t even eat any of them myself! I keep them around, I care for them, and in return they lay the most delicious eggs available in the country. These chickens are the culmination of my life''s work," the man explained. His anger had lessened somewhat, and he now looked distraught and sad.


    "So you''re saying that these chickens are very expensive to raise, almost priceless?" Cha Ming inquired.


    "Yes, exactly. In fact, I often deprive myself of cultivation resources to nourish them adequately. I grow the spirit grain myself, at the expense of raising less medicinal herbs. Raising medicinal herbs is my main source of income!"


    "So if I reimbursed you a sufficient amount, you would forgive me? Huxian''s behavior is, of course, unacceptable. However, he is a little difficult to control sometimes. I humbly apologize on his behalf. What sort of compensation would make up for your loss?" Cha Ming started to relax, as they were finally getting somewhere. It was impossible to reason with an angry man.


    The chicken farmer was at a loss. He had mostly come to yell at the new, irresponsible owner. Unfortunately, there was really nothing he could do. It was difficult to prove the value of his chickens, and making a formal complaint would have been very difficult. Therefore, the best he was able to do was attempt to intimidate the fox''s owner.


    "This¡­ well, it''s really difficult to estimate the total cost. To make a rough estimate, it could be anywhere between three hundred and five hundred spirit stones to raise a single chicken. However, this doesn''t factor in the amount of labor required, the three months where I don''t have a chicken¡­" The farmer really didn''t have a good case to make, and so he left the specifics ambiguous. In fact, he didn''t expect to get anything at all in compensation.


    "Unfortunately, I''m really short on cash right now," Cha Ming said apologetically.


    The chicken farmer was livid again. Just as the chicken farmer was about to speak up, Cha Ming withdrew a silver talisman from his bag of holding.


    "I have this Iron Skin talisman that I crafted not too long ago. The retail value for one of these talismans is 1,280 spirit stones. Is this sufficient to cover your losses?"


    Cha Ming''s question fell onto deaf ears, as the man was now observing the exquisite penmanship used to craft the talisman.


    "My apologies," the man asked nervously. "What did you say? Are you offering this to me as compensation?"


    "Of course. Even if I don''t have spirit stones on me, this talisman should have a certain amount of resale value if you don''t want it. If it''s useful to you, however, you''ve even made yourself a hefty profit! What do you say?"


    Cha Ming was hoping the man would accept; he really didn''t have anything else on his person right now. Perhaps it was time to craft a few more to fill his pockets, especially with the gluttonous Huxian around.


    "Of course it''s sufficient! More than sufficient! You said you made this?" The man''s expression subtly changed. The man now seemed grateful that Huxian had eaten his chickens.


    "Might I ask, what kind of talismans are you able to craft? I have a need for them, from time to time. There are also many residents in the courtyard who would be very interested in purchasing them." The man was no longer livid. In fact, he was now quite polite.


    "There is demand within the residences? Well, I can craft most readily available fifth- and sixth-grade talismans, in each of the five elements. I''m not better in any one of the elements, so I can accommodate a large variety of requests. If anyone has any specific requests that I am not familiar with, and the talisman is within my artistic capabilities, I can also give it a try. Since we are all fellow students here, I can also craft them at ninety-five percent of the list price," Cha Ming explained while musing to himself, How did getting scolded suddenly turn into a business relationship?


    "Sixth-grade talismans! You can craft sixth-grade talismans? At ninety-five percent of list price? Whatever element we want?" The chicken farmer was now very excited. There were very few people in the city who were willing to craft sixth-grade talismans. Most of the people that were able to do so economically were at the ninth level of qi condensation, or even foundation-establishment elders!


    "Yes, I do have a knack for crafting them. I can at least break even at ninety-five percent of the list price, and it will be good to practice my crafting skills."


    Technically, none of what Cha Ming said was a lie, but he didn''t want to reveal the secret of the Clear Sky Brush. Crafting talismans for practice to break even, however, was something a student would consider doing.


    "It''s been a pleasure meeting with you, sir! If you don''t mind, I would like to place an order. It''s fine if you finish them whenever is convenient. Do you have a pen?"


    Somehow, Cha Ming had now become a "sir." He had also secured some orders at profits higher than he could normally accomplish. Little did he know that many orders would soon come his way from the surrounding courtyards, and the goodwill he earned would far outstrip the amount of annoyance caused by Huxian or Cha Ming''s incessant beating of his mannequin.


    The chicken farmer was in a very pleasant mood on his way out of the courtyard. Just as he was about to leave, he remembered that he had forgotten to do something important.


    "Sir, what''s your name?"


    "It''s Cha Ming. You''re welcome anytime!"


    ***


    Cha Ming retreated into his courtyard after the surprisingly profitable scolding he''d received. He took a seat cross-legged in front of Huxian. Huxian''s eyes were downcast. He knew he had messed up.


    How can I stay mad at you? Cha Ming thought while massaging his brow.


    "Can you not eat other cultivators'' pets? It''s very troublesome to deal with them. I know you eat meat, but you need to show some restraint," Cha Ming scolded.


    But, big brother, they are so tasty! I didn''t eat a lot of them¡­ Huxian had ditched the dejected look and opted for showing puppy dog eyes.


    "Come on, there''s no way they can be tastier than the roast spirit beast meat you get from the restaurant every few days. Also, you wouldn''t be having this problem if you hadn''t hunted down a hundred wild birds as soon as we arrived in this courtyard. You need to show moderation." Cha Ming didn''t give in to Huxian''s cute act. If he wasn''t firm with him as a baby, who knew what kind of trouble he would cause once he got older.


    "Fine, fine. I will be good," Huxian said. He slowly walked over to Cha Ming and rubbed his head against Cha Ming''s thigh. "Can I have pets?"


    Cha Ming shook his head and scolded Huxian once more. "Only good foxes get pets. Maybe tomorrow if you behave."


    Soon after Huxian left the room to go outside, Cha Ming got up and grabbed his heavy staff to continue his practice. Before he could go out to practice, however, he heard a familiar voice calling out to him.


    "Kid, that''s as far as you''re going to get by whacking that mannequin. Come inside the brush and I''ll teach you how to fight!"


    It was the bearded man, of course. Cha Ming hadn''t heard from him for a while. The last time they had spoken, he had been instructed to practice his footwork and staff techniques against the mannequin. The constant beating had destroyed the mannequin countless times, and Cha Ming had been forced to supplement its energy with spirit stones.


    Cha Ming''s excitement at the prospect of practicing in a way that didn''t involve beating a piece of living metal was evident. He even used his newly learned movement techniques as he retreated to his bedroom and sat down cross-legged. His body stood still, but his soul did not.


    His soul had now entered the space inside the Clear Sky Brush.

 38 War on the Horizon

    An eerie quiet presided over a valley near the town of Crystal Meadows. The trees here were different than those near Green Leaf City. While both cities were situated in the Song Kingdom, they were separated by several hundred li. Here, the trees were conifers. Their thin green needles were frosted despite the absence of snow on the ground. The morning frost would last for another two months, until the end of winter.


    Crystal Meadows had two main industries. The first main industry was livestock. Specifically, they raised sheep for wool and meat, since eighty percent of the surrounding land was only suitable for grazing. The remaining twenty percent near the river was used to grow vegetables and potatoes. Any grain required by the residents was imported.


    The second industry was the crystal glass industry. While the town was not very large, it had a deep artistic tradition that produced many famous crystal glass artisans. They produced a variety of decorative objects such as cups, vases, and stained-glass windows. These goods were sold across the continent for considerable prices.


    Within the valley, a squad of lightly armored men was traveling by horse along the main road. The road was made of clay. It weaved through the grazing pastures, which the local farmers would use as feed for the sheep. It was also more or less dry, since there wasn''t much rain in the winter.


    Every so often, a crackling sound broke out, indicating that one of the men had guided his horse to break one of the few shallow puddles that froze over every morning. Every time this happened, the guilty soldier was chastised by a fierce gaze from the squad leader. He was a short, well-built man, the graying hair at his temples a testament to his experience in battle. Being a forty-year-old army veteran, Captain Chou Tai was strict and did not allow for carelessness.


    After traveling on this road for a few hours, the captain held up a closed fist. The well-disciplined squad instantly came to a halt. Once everyone had stopped, he lowered his hand closer to the ground, indicating that everyone should quiet their horses. The older man frowned; something didn''t feel right, but he couldn''t put his finger on it.


    "Sergeant," he said to the young beside him, "what do you make of the situation?"


    The young man was his second in command, and while he rode beside the captain, he always made sure to stay a foot or two behind to indicate their difference in rank.


    Unsurprisingly, the young man was also concerned. "Captain, it doesn''t feel right. No birds are flying or chirping, and I''ve seen no squirrels, mice, or foxes. There''s only an eerie quiet. Also, isn''t Crystal Meadows known to have many sheep? Where are the sheep?"


    The older man nodded. "Yes, Sergeant Feng, you are correct. The lack of sheep is concerning. While they could easily be pastured elsewhere, how could the grass get so tall?"


    The grass by the road had grown to a foot in height, which was abnormal for any pasture. The farmers should have relocated the flock to take advantage of the surplus grass, which was always in short supply on these infertile plains.


    Feng Ming nodded. "Captain, perhaps we should inquire with the villagers? They might be able to clarify this strange situation. In addition, they may have also have first-hand news regarding the rebels."


    "Yes," the captain replied. "However, we must be quick about it. We are a scouting squad, and this intelligence is of utmost importance to the kingdom. It is always best for a scouting squad to return safely, even without new information, so that the commander can have confirmation either way. Even a single missing squad can jeopardize the fate of the entire army."


    "Yes, sir!" Feng Ming saluted. He deeply admired the captain''s strict disposition and his dedication to his duty.


    "Move out!" the captain instructed. The six dozen men followed behind him as he led the way. Eventually, they arrived at a small town. The village was surrounded by short stone walls. It didn''t even have a main gate at the entrance, nor did it have guards monitoring entry into the village. Surprisingly, they discovered a small flock of sheep just outside the city gate. They were locked in a pen, their fearful bleating mixing in with the sounds of the frigid wind.


    Strange, the captain thought. Are they locked up in this pen for slaughter? How wasteful. Normally this would not happen until after shearing season.


    The squad proceeded into the small village through a gap in the stone wall. The clay road continued through the village. Clearly the traffic did not warrant stone or gravel roads. As they continued, they observed that the streets were not very busy. This was expected; it was winter, after all. A plume of smoke could be observed coming from each chimney. Some select buildings, supposedly the crystal glass shops, had much larger plumes. This was due to the intensity of fire required to produce the crystal glass. This normal occurrence reassured the captain.


    "Sirs, are you perhaps from the army?" A pleasant voice sounded out from behind them, revealing a beautiful lady and one of the town''s guards. It was not a festival day, but nonetheless, the lady was well dressed and dolled up.


    "Yes, madam. Who might you be?" The captain''s voice had softened considerably. He was harsh to his men but was impeccably polite to the fairer sex. The woman smiled at his polite response.


    "My name is Li Piao . I am the owner of the Clearglass Inn, and I double up as the mayor in town. Our town is so small that a normal lord wouldn''t be bothered with it. Nevertheless, the revenue here is plentiful thanks to the crystal glass industry. Therefore I manage the town while reporting directly to the Fairweather County lord," she explained dutifully.


    This was surprising, as the captain had expected to be escorted to the local mayor or lord''s house. Female leaders were extremely rare.


    "Then you''re just the person we''re looking for. Do you have an office where we can discuss some official business in private?" While the captain didn''t think the conversation would lead anywhere, due diligence saved lives.


    "Yes, of course. I''ll lead you back to the inn where we can discuss things in my office. I assume you''ll want to stay the night?"


    "Let''s go back to the inn and discuss first. We''ll make a decision on staying the night once we''re done there." Although the captain hadn''t stayed in a decent inn in days, he didn''t want to waste time staying in this small town. However, it would have been rude to decline directly, even though Li Piao did not seem to care either way.


    The squad followed the beautiful lady and her guard back to the inn. They saw many cheerful faces along the way, all of whom waved at the squad and Li Piao. It seemed she was quite popular in town. These were not the faces of rebels, and these people certainly didn''t look mistreated. If anyone in the squad had turned around and looked back, however, they would have come to a different conclusion. As soon as each villager passed the guard squad, their cheerful expressions instantly disappeared. They had been replaced with expressions of suspicion, caution, and fear.


    Chou Tai and Feng Ming were seated at a small wooden tea table just outside Li Piao''s office. Li Piao was at the host''s seat, pouring herself and Chou Tai a cup of tea. Feng Ming had refused a cup. Ever since he was young, he had despised hot drinks, only drinking them when formalities required it. Of course, he still had an inkling that something wasn''t quite right about this town, further cementing his refusal.


    After taking a few sips, Li Piao started off the conversation. "Captain Chou, you mentioned that you wanted to discuss official business. Is anything the matter?"


    "There may or there may not be, Madame Li," he said. "Have there been any major problems around here lately? Any unusual circumstances?"


    "This¡­ well, there was one unusual thing that happened recently." Chou Tai and Feng Ming edged forward to listen. "You see, two weeks ago, there were a few reports of missing sheep. Originally, we didn''t make a big deal of the matter, thinking that it was just hungry wolves in the middle of winter." Madame Li took a sip of her tea and refilled the captain''s cup and her own.


    "Unfortunately, we were wrong. We soon discovered that they had been stolen by a new bandit group, ten strong in total. They are based a half day''s ride toward the west, where they have established a small camp. Unfortunately, the county lord has been unresponsive to our request to drive away these bandits. We have been forced to bow our heads down in fear, lest they attack our small town. We only have five guards here, and we are very reliant on the county lord''s guards for our security." She appeared demoralized, and her fatigue was evident despite her best efforts to cover the bags under her eyes.


    Chou Tai frowned. This was indeed strange. While they shouldn''t go investigate directly, perhaps they should go pay a visit to the Fairweather County lord prior to reporting in.


    "Is there anything we can do to help?" he involuntarily blurted out.


    That''s strange, he thought. Why would I try to help them so easily? We''re on duty and can''t get sidetracked. But she seemed very helpless and alone, as if there was no one else in the world she could rely on. How could he abandon her in her time of need?


    Madame Li''s expression lit up when she heard this. "How generous of you, Captain. However, I''m sure you have important work to attend to," she said, reluctantly declining. Nevertheless, she continued pouring tea for herself and the captain. Her expression indicated that she had accepted their fate.


    The captain felt guilty now. If he declined to help, wouldn''t that make him heartless? "It''s decided," he said. "We''ll go in the morning and investigate. However, I can make no promises. If they are normal rabble, we can take care of them. However, if the group is larger or well armed, we can''t jeopardize our mission. We can, however, confirm our findings with the county lord and instruct him to dispatch guards. I do have a certain amount of authority in the army."


    Despite his words, the captain was confused. Why do I care so much about this? And why am I trying to impress her? This isn''t like me.


    "Thank you ever so much," Madame Li said while standing up. She was glowing with joy, to the point where she seemed like she could cry at any moment. "I''ll go arrange for a feast tonight to celebrate! Please make yourselves comfortable for a quarter hour while I make the necessary arrangements." She left the two of them alone in the tea room and began to run around, busily giving out orders.


    "Captain Chou, why did you agree to help her?" Feng Ming asked. "This isn''t like you. You always say that it''s best to be cautious, lest we endanger the mission. Any delay in providing information can lead to the loss of many lives."


    "You''re right. I understand your concern. However, I''ve already agreed, and she is already preparing a feast. It would be a little awkward to refuse now, wouldn''t it? I don''t want to tarnish the Royal Army''s reputation." Chou Tai knew he had made a mistake. Feng Ming sighed as well.


    "Besides, these bandits could be affiliated with the rebels. Even if we don''t fight them, we can at least confirm their location and attempt to extract information from them. Failing that, we could possibly obtain information on rebel banners." While the older man justified himself calmly, he knew that he was only making excuses.


    "What''s done is done. However, we need to agree that there can be no drinking at the feast, and no overeating. We''re on duty, and it''s best to be cautious," Feng Ming warned the captain once more.


    "Right, right," the captain said tiredly. "Tell the men. We need to make sure everyone stays sober and is ready to leave first thing in the morning."


    "And they need to stay away from pretty girls. Something doesn''t feel right." Feng Ming insisted on this. Chou Tai''s reaction to the innkeeper seemed unnatural.


    Chou Tai hesitated for a bit, then nodded. "Yes, please let the squad know on my behalf. Your caution is admirable, Sergeant." He didn''t notice his own hesitation.


    The feast began four hours later. It was already dark outside, as the winter days were much shorter than in the summer. Feng Ming looked around the inn, admiring the decorations that had been hastily set up. If he didn''t know any better, he would have sworn that they had spent days preparing. Not only was the place impeccably clean, rare pieces of art were prominently displayed on the walls. The chairs were all covered in bright, decorative fabric. Unsurprisingly, the plates, bowls, and utensils were all crafted out of beautiful pieces of crystal glass. The crystal glass had been shaped and carved to resemble mythical creatures, like dragons and phoenixes. Not a single piece was the same.


    The captain sat at the seat of honor, while Li Piao sat in the host''s seat. She had changed for the occasion. Her beautiful, lithe figure was showcased by a form-fitting, low-cut reddress. Her curves were accentuated by carefully placed slits along her legs, back, and upper chest. Although Feng Ming would have thought it impossible, she was even more dolled up than previously. Among other things, she had painted her eyelids with a light coat of red glitter, which matched her cherry-red lips and her red dress. A passerby would think they were attending a traditional wedding ceremony.


    The only other guests called to the feast were three of the town''s five guards. Due to their large frames, they looked quite menacing. They did, however, express their gratefulness to the captain for helping them deal with the bandits. Clearly the presence of the bandits had placed a significant amount of pressure on these guards.


    Once all the guests were seated, Li Piao stood up and lifted her cup, which was filled with tea. The captain had insisted that tea be served instead of liquor to maintain compliance with military regulations.


    "Thank you all for attending this feast that we''ve prepared for you. You''ll have to forgive me for the meager fare, but all of this was prepared on very short notice. Now, I would like to join our guards in a toast to these brave soldiers who will go out to investigate the bandits tomorrow." She quickly downed her cup of tea, regretting that it was not wine. The guards and soldiers joined in as well. "Let the feast begin!" she yelled. This was followed by a cheer from the soldiers and guards.


    Immediately after her announcement, a half dozen maids flooded into the room bearing large dishes and serving tea. There were several vegetable dishes, most of them involving local produce that could last the winter, such as onions, carrots, potatoes, taro, and the like. The meat dishes mostly featured sheep and goat meat, likely obtained from the pen outside. Given only four hours of preparation, such a grand spread was very impressive.


    The soldiers and guards chatted and ate, and while they didn''t drink, they became intoxicated with the atmosphere. The cautious Feng Ming sniffed at his tea cup. He also lightly rolled some of the liquid around his tongue. It didn''t seem poisoned, which reassured him. The guards had cultivations no higher than the fourth level of qi condensation, which reassured him as well. What didn''t reassure him was how friendly Captain Chou was getting with Li Piao, and how forward she was being with him. Neither was he reassured with the half dozen maids'' overly friendly behavior, and their too-perfect appearances. How could so many pretty maids appear in such a small town? Why hadn''t they been snatched up by some local lord? Heck, with so much local talent, the town could support a professional matchmaking agency.


    He also didn''t like the way the guards looked. He occasionally spotted vicious glints in their eyes, which leaked through their friendly fa?ade. Some looked hungry while others looked angry, but invariably these emotions were quickly suppressed by another before they continued chatting and joking. Was it¡­ fear? Unfortunately, it was difficult to come to any conclusions, as guards were fighting men and could easily have their own traumas.


    The feast continued for two hours. At some point, one of the maids took out a guqin, a pleasant stringed instrument. She was quite skilled, and she immediately became popular with the men and guards alike.


    "I didn''t know she knew how to play! What a surprise!" one of the taller, lanky guards said.


    Before long, the soldiers and guards were singing along. Even the captain couldn''t help himself. Eventually, one of the guards brought out a flute, which he used to accompany the maid. Seeing the joy in the room, Feng Ming had second thoughts. Perhaps he had been overthinking things.

 39 A Clue

    Feng Ming was sitting in a corner of the banquet room, looking sullen. One of the maids came by to take a seat beside him.


    "Why are you sitting here looking all grumpy while everyone else is out there having fun?" she asked. Feng Ming massaged himself between his eyes with one hand.


    "I''m just tired," he lied. "It''s been a long trip, and I''ve never been one to celebrate."


    Anyone who knew Feng Ming would know that this couldn''t be any further from the truth. Fortunately, they weren''t acquainted.


    "I know what you mean," the maid said, sighing. "There''s always so much noise at events like these. I would never stay in a small town like this if my family didn''t live here."


    "Your father?" asked Feng Ming.


    "Yes, my father is a famous crystal glass artisan. It''s the same with the rest of these maids. My father used to live in a large city in the north of the continent. He met my mother there. After living in the north for twenty years, he reached the peak of glass artisanship in his kingdom, making a great name for himself. Unfortunately, he felt that he had reached a bottleneck of sorts in his art. Crystal Meadows is well known in the world of glass artisans, so he brought our family here to live a peaceful life while he learned to better his craft.


    "Honestly, none of us daughters need to work a day in our lives. We wouldn''t even need to get married¡ªthe fortune that our fathers have earned is more than enough for us to live a pleasant life in a large city. There used to be more of us, granted. Those of us that remain are here to take care of our aging fathers."


    It was truly a touching story, and it addressed his previous concerns. Was he being too cautious?


    After another two hours, they finally stopped the celebration. The captain instructed the men to get to bed. Military protocol dictated that they must be ready for departure at dawn. Feng Ming was glad to see that the captain had delivered on his promise.


    ***


    A half hour after the feast, Captain Chou was busy writing his log. It was a habit that he''d maintained in his childhood, and it had accompanied him throughout his military career. He attributed much of his success as a military captain to this simple habit.


    He heard a soft knock on the door and sighed. He knew what Li Piao was up to, but duty dictated that he''d have to turn her down. He opened the door softly, only to find the beautifully dressed woman with red eyes full of tears. Her makeup, which had been impeccable earlier, was now smudged. Seeing the distraught lady, the captain invited her in and sat her down on the bed.


    "What''s wrong, my dear? What happened?"


    She took a while to calm down. Seeing her red eyes and blotched makeup, the caring captain brought out a handkerchief, which she used to wipe her eyes and blow her nose.


    "I''m sorry. I shouldn''t have come here." Just as she was getting up to leave, a large hand pressed down on her shoulder.


    "Come now, something is clearly bothering you. How about you tell your story?"


    Li Piao hesitated slightly and nodded. "I didn''t tell you the whole truth this afternoon. It''s not just bandits that are troubling us. There are rumors that they are backed by a rebel army, which is why the lord of Fairweather has been reluctant to interfere in our affairs. I''ve been hesitant to share this because¡­ I am afraid that you''ll do the same." As she began crying again, he hugged her close.


    "There, there now." The older man stroked her beautiful black hair. "You don''t need to worry. In fact, this makes it a lot easier. The goal of our squad is to retrieve information about the rebel army, so now that we know, we can''t leave without verifying."


    The small figure stopped shivering. "Really?" she said, looking up with her tear-stained face.


    "Yes, really. You don''t need to worry about it anymore."


    "But¡­ I don''t know how to thank you for this¡­" she said shyly.


    The older man chuckled and shook his head. "It''s all a part of my duty. You don''t need to worry about a thin¡ª"


    He was interrupted by a fiery sensation invading his entire body as her tongue wandered into his mouth. For a moment, he lost his ability to think. A few minutes later, he regained his clear mind, only to realize that he was lying on his bed, and she was straddled on top of him. Somehow they had shed their outer garments, leaving them both with few remaining clothes.


    Just as he was about to say that they should stop, a soft, slender finger pressed against his lips.


    "Please don''t say anything. I just want this so much¡­" She began shifting her hips back and forth, and although they still had their undergarments on, he knew that it wouldn''t last much longer. It felt like pure heavenly torture.


    As she continued her sensual movements, her loose hair fell across her bountiful bare chest. Her hair tickled Chou Tai''s face as she leaned forward to kiss him gently. It was an electrifying sensation. He hardly noticed her devious smile, as the world suddenly went blank. Her silver hairpin, which she had carefully removed earlier, was now lodged deep inside his neck. His shocked expression seemed to ask her, Why?


    She didn''t answer as she quietly observed his body spasming as the last of his life left him.


    ***


    Feng Ming was nervous. He wasn''t sure why. The men had returned to their beds without drinking, as he had planned. He had seen the pretty ladies exit the inn, as planned. The vixen Li Piao didn''t even accompany the captain to his room, as he''d thought she would. He sat down on his bed for a half hour in silence. The heavy silence that pervaded the inn unsettled him.


    In his nervousness, he had decided to don his armor, his boots, and his sword for good measure. While it might be overkill, the cured leather and cold steel reassured his restless feelings.


    Perhaps I should check with the captain again, he thought. He hoped he was being overly imaginative. He couldn''t be reprimanded for visiting his captain in full uniform, could he?


    After mustering his courage, he walked out of his room into the hallway. It was far from quiet, as the sounds of moaning men and women filled the inn.


    So much for no women tonight.


    Ignoring the other men, he stepped up to the captain''s doorway, which was silent.


    He knocked softly on the door and waited for a response. The captain was normally very aware of his surroundings, and even a quiet knock would immediately wake him up. The door opened a few seconds later. To his surprise, the person answering the door wasn''t the captain. It was Li Piao.


    "The captain is sleeping now. Can''t it wait until morning?" Her ample figure was partially covered with hastily gathered clothes.


    Feng Ming frowned. The captain seemed like he had a lot of self control near the end of the night. How did it turn out like this? He wouldn''t waste his time on this vulgar woman, though. He would ask the captain himself.


    "No, it can''t wait. Open the door, I''m coming in." Without waiting for a response, he shoved the door inward. Li Piao was thrown to the ground, her naked figure fully revealed. Feng Ming was overcome with an overwhelming urge to pounce on her, to violate her. He started walking toward her, and she tightened her hand around her silver hairpin, waiting for an opportunity to strike.


    Without any warning, a war started raging inside the young man''s mind.


    Yes, I haven''t had any action in ages! Maybe I can get some now!


    But where is the captain? Isn''t he asleep?


    But she''s right here, I could take her back to my room and the captain wouldn''t notice!


    Is he asleep? Why haven''t I seen him?


    Who cares? She must be telling the truth.


    These questions bombarded his mind in the time it takes for a spark to fly off a piece of flint. During this exchange, his eyes finally managed to flicker to the captain, who was lying on his bed. His formerly white bedsheets were red.


    Is that blood?


    The sight of the blood jerked Feng Ming back to reality. He regained his lucidity just in time to notice the beautiful naked woman pouncing toward him. Instinctively, he drew out his sword using his quick-drawing sword technique. The draw and the strike were completed in a single, swift motion. The last of the bewitching presence quickly faded as Li Piao''s body was cut in two and hit the floor. She was clearly not a cultivator. Yet she had almost killed him by beguiling him. Just like she had killed the captain.


    The naked corpse''s eyes flashed red and finally faded to white. A red mist quickly left her body, unbeknownst to Feng Ming. Even if he had seen the mist, he wouldn''t have been able to stop it. As he stared down at the woman and the captain''s corpse, the gravity of the situation dawned on him. What about the rest of the soldiers?


    Feng Ming quickly grabbed the captain''s bag of holding as he left the room. He rushed toward the next room, worried that he might be too late. He kicked open the first room, only to find a similar scene. The soldier in the room was lying on a bloody bed. Instead of looking at him, the woman in this room appeared to be crying, regretting what she had done. His eyes turned cold as he hacked the beautiful naked body in half before continuing. He continued knocking down door after door, until he finally reached the last door. Inside the last door, a soldier sat down on his bed, shaking. A beautiful naked body lay crumpled on the floor, devoid of life.


    "Li Hao, wake up!" Feng Ming barked. The man finally awoke from his daze and immediately started throwing up.


    "I didn''t mean to, Sergeant!" he said, trying to explain.


    "No need to explain. The captain and the others are dead, and it''s only you and me! Gear up, soldier!"


    Li Hao''s eyes went wide as he digested what Feng Ming had said. He then immediately went about obeying his orders. The soldier dressed himself up for battle more quickly than he had ever thought possible. He and Feng Ming crawled out from the window. He knew it was only a matter of time until the guards wandered upstairs. Li Hao''s hands were shaking, barely able to keep a grip on the sword.


    The duo rushed behind the inn toward the stables. As Feng Ming quietly opened the stable door, he was overwhelmed with the stench of blood. He looked into the dimly lit stable¡ªfour of the six horses had been decapitated, and the ground was strewn with blood and gore. Two of the horses were still tied up, but instead of whinnying loudly, they were paralyzed with fear, the hay beneath them covered in excrement.


    Just as they were about to bolt for the two horses, they were startled by a strange chewing sound. They looked downward, only to find a gruesome figure staring at them. It was one of the guards, the largest one. In his hands, he was holding a large piece of bloody horse flesh, which he had just carved out from a dead horse''s stomach.


    Enraged and horrified, Feng Ming and Li Hao charged forward with their swords. What used to be a guard yelled, his body swelling by thirty percent. His mouth was four times as large as what should normally be possible, and it could now barely be called a human.


    Feng Ming, being at the fifth level of qi condensation, used his footwork technique, Three-Layered Burst Steps. He swung out with his sword, which glowed red like a brand, ready to slice through anything in its path. He swung the sword toward the monstrosity''s head, attempting to decapitate it.


    To his surprise, the monstrosity that used to be a guard quickly moved his head, interrupting the trajectory of the blade. The hideous creature bit down on it with all its power, causing Feng Ming''s spirit weapon to crack.


    What the hell? What kind of infernal beast is this?


    The blade snapped. However, just as the beast prepared to pounce on Feng Ming and give him the same treatment, Li Hao snuck up behind it and decapitated it.


    The creature fell to the ground, twitching. The duo didn''t wait to confirm it was dead and quickly hopped on their horses, who gratefully led them out of the stable at a breakneck pace. As they passed the inn, they noticed two angry men charging out. One bore a large great sword, and the other held a large spear. They both burst forth with unreasonable speed. While Feng Ming was able to dodge the great-sword-wielding fiend''s blow, Li Hao wasn''t so lucky. He was struck in the chest with a spear. The horse continued to run beside Feng Ming. Li Hao was gone.


    As Feng Ming and the two horses ran toward the edge of the village on the main street, he spotted a glint of metal in the light of the moon. He quickly jumped off his horse, stumbling to the ground just in time to see a large figure with red eyes holding a great sword, swinging through the air above the horse. Judging by its uniform, it also used to be a guard.


    "What are you?" he whispered. "Desert Sandstorm!" he roared as the monster charged forward, and a thirty-meter cyclone of heated sand surrounded him. The beast roared in rage, its sight blinded by the burning sand. Its agility was frightening, and the abilities it displayed far exceeded what was capable of a cultivator at the fourth level of qi condensation.


    Feng Ming took advantage of its obscured vision to attack its side, his blade glowing red at the last second and cutting deeply into its thigh. Despite the vicious blow, the monster roared as it struck out with a palm. The palm, which was covered in a black energy, struck Feng Ming several meters away, breaking several ribs in the process.


    Coughing up blood, Feng Ming got up as fast as he could. He noticed that his sword was still embedded in the monster''s thigh. Hopefully its mobility had been affected.


    Seeing that he had been disarmed, he pulled out a spare sword from his bag of holding. It wasn''t magical, but it was better than nothing. He darted toward the monster, which was busy removing the sword from its thigh.


    Just as he was about to reach the monster, he changed his direction, quickly darting toward another nearby monster, which was hacking about wildly in the sandstorm.


    Three-Layered Burst Steps!


    He took advantage of the large gaps in its swordsmanship, thrusting his glowing red sword into the creature''s abdomen. He felt the sword slide into the strange humanoid creature. Having learned from his previous experience, he quickly let it go, darting off to the side toward the last remaining horse in the distance. The other horse had already been cleaved in two.


    Darting away had been the right decision. Just as he left the space he had previously occupied, a great sword hacked down with tremendous force. Feng Ming''s ability, Desert Sandstorm, finally expired. The two monsters noticed him running toward his horse, but the grievous wounds Feng Ming had inflicted were sufficient to slow down their otherwise swift movements.


    Feng Ming didn''t hesitate and quickly hopped onto the fearful horse, which darted toward the nearby woods. He didn''t trust the roads anymore.


    What were those creatures? he thought. Were they devils, the creatures that my nanny told me about to scare me into behaving?


    While he didn''t know the answer, he knew what he had to do next. He had to get back alive, and he couldn''t go missing. Even the slightest delay in information could prove fatal to the king''s army.


    ***


    Clink. Clink. Clink.


    One gold coin after another fell onto a heavily used desk, joining the rest of its shining brethren in neatly piled stacks of ten. A pair of bony white hands inspected each of them carefully, evaluating their weight by touch alone. This was an impressive skill, one that had taken the Merchant many months to learn. At first he had weighed piles of fifty coins on a merchant''s balance, verifying the gold content in batches. However, the cool feeling of gold on his hands brought warmth to his entire body. It was the only thing that could excite him.


    Suddenly, a sound that only he could hear rang through his head. It sounded like a page tearing. Only important and urgent things would accompany this sound. Sighing, he carefully put away his gold coins. They vanished in his hands, leaving behind only a trace of gold gas, as though they had disappeared from the material plane into another dimension. The feeling was exquisite, second only to the aforementioned feeling he experienced when touching the gold.


    Now that his previous earnings had been properly stored, he retrieved a black notebook from his bag of holding. It was vibrating intensely, threatening to break free of its bindings if it was not opened soon. This method of communication, while convenient, was extremely annoying to the Merchant. Whatever happened to the good old days? People used to take the time to see each other in person or via astral projection. Now everyone insisted on sending each other bits and pieces of text every few minutes.


    Opening the black book, he saw a piece of writing in red. In the convention of the black notebook, this meant the message was extremely urgent. He started with the less urgent messages immediately before it and then proceeded to the urgent message. It contained troublesome news.


    The skinny man pondered for a bit. He couldn''t let the man escape, but he also didn''t want to endanger his assets. In addition, Crystal Meadows was short on manpower and would now have to evacuate the artisans. The profit they brought in with their crystal glass pieces was nothing to sneeze at, especially since he had increased their work hours to sixteen hours per day. After thinking up a solution, he sent a message with further instructions.


    After this brief exchange, the Merchant put down his pen and proceeded downstairs. He was feeling a little faint, as he hadn''t eaten all day. As he walked downstairs, he pondered what delicious meals his underlings had brought today.


    After all, he never brought his own lunch.

 40 Guidance

    Meanwhile, in Green Leaf City, Cha Ming was oblivious to the dangers befalling his friend Feng Ming. He continued to train hard. During the day, he crafted talismans, kept Huxian company, and cultivated. At night, he alternated between sparring with the red-bearded man in the Clear Sky Brush and carving out his qi pathways. After a whole month had passed, he finally completed the full qi pathway, which fully connected his limbs, organs, and dantian.


    Once this was completed, he redoubled his efforts in sparring to master the final two techniques: Shearing Staff and Seven Cloud Steps. Eventually, they were integrated into his fighting style as much as humanly possible¡ªthat is, without going through life-and-death battles. Only an epiphany would enable him to further comprehend these techniques.


    "Tsk. Huxian, it seems like we''ll have to go on another adventure soon. Are you getting bored yet?" Cha Ming asked the fox that was currently resting on the sunlit grass in his courtyard.


    These long breaks are unbearable, Elder Brother. Plus, all of this restaurant meat is getting really boring. I want to eat spirit beasts. High-level spirit beasts!


    Huxian got up lazily and stretched before running up to his brother''s leg. A hand gently reached down to scratch around his ears.


    Cha Ming''s cultivation had once again reached a bottleneck. And if previous experience was any indicator, he would require a full month to push through the bottleneck this time. The young man''s head ached as he struggled to determine exactly how he would find an adventure, a proper weapon, and medicinal pills.


    Two of these three things required a large amounts of spirit stones. Therefore, he began to fully pursue talisman crafting, churning out one sixth-grade talisman after another. This trend continued for a full month, until he was left with a full 206 talismans after trading for materials. Their face value was 105 mid-grade spirit stones and change. He wasn''t sure if this was enough, but it was a start, at least. With Huxian in tow, he walked across many courtyards on his way to Wang Jun''s new abode.


    What he needed now was advice.


    ***


    Wang Jun was currently seated at his desk, reviewing pile after pile of documents. Unfortunately, his work hadn''t progressed as quickly as he would have liked. He was distracted, and he knew the reason. The cause of his confusion was the pretty girl named Hong Xin. In just a few short weeks, the new couple had grown much closer. He enjoyed spending time with her, and he enjoyed making her happy. But was there any way this blissful situation would last?


    Every time he asked himself this question, the clear image of a bloody-faced little girl appeared in his mind. His sister had been very beautiful but very na?ve. Talent without wisdom eventually led her to an early grave.


    He had never envied her talent. Quite the opposite¡ªhe had always encouraged her and played with her. He had fought for her interests in the family countless times. This caused his older brother to feel insecure with his position in the family. To further his own ambitions, his brother had schemed and arranged an "accident." While Wang Jun knew the cause of his sister''s death, his elder brother had meticulously planned everything, leaving not a single shred of evidence behind.


    Thus his dilemma. Hong Xin tugged at his heart strings. She was beautiful, kind, and passionate. And she reminded him of his little sister, the one he hadn''t been able to protect. He wanted to spend time with her and take care of her. Was it for love or for atonement? Wang Xia had been his only ray of hope in a dark, cruel world.


    He knew that his indulgence with Hong Xin was extremely irresponsible. The ongoing dispute with the Zhou family was bound to be violent and treacherous. Hong Xin was one of his weaknesses, a weakness that grew greater with each passing day. Ignoring the damage this might cause him, it would place Hong Xin in a great deal of danger.


    Even without external enemies, the Wang family''s internal politics were cruel and unforgiving. Hong Xin herself was not a major threat to family interests, but their relationship would prevent potential marriage alliances. His family had often utilized marriages to secure new allies and to appease existing ones. In theory, his influence in the family was considerable. But there was always room for treachery, either through threats, coercion, or outright elimination.


    Wang Jun sighed. He put down his pen and walked over to his small cultivation room. He sat down cross-legged on a large and brilliant array formation. Several light-blue stones littered the floor beside the formation. A few of them had crumbled into piles of gray dust¡ªtheir power had been completely sapped by the large array and converted to qi for his cultivation.


    As he cultivated, he regained his calm and focus. His determination was best expressed by the maxim shared by countless cultivators: Fate blesses the strong.


    ***


    Cha Ming and Huxian''s journey to Wang Jun''s courtyard took much longer than expected. On the way, Cha Ming was stopped and greeted by every cultivator he met on the streets. His status as a talisman artist had cemented his position in the community, as his goods were welcomed by all. Even the pretentious junior alchemists treated him politely. They were not afraid of his status, but the goods talismans artists produced were always in high demand and commanded an exaggerated premium. A high price for service was the telltale sign of a prestigious occupation.


    While Cha Ming proceeded at a snail''s pace, Huxian entertained himself by running around and chasing birds. His reputation was less than stellar, and his current actions provoked many glares from the nearby cultivators. Although they wouldn''t assault Huxian in front of his master, all options were on the table if they happened to encounter each other in a dark alley. Which, to Huxian, was just fine.


    Two hours passed by quickly and they soon found themselves in front of another student''s courtyard. On the surface, it looked identical to any other courtyard in the neighborhood. Only Cha Ming and a few others were aware of the truth. He braced himself as he and Huxian forced their way through an invisible defensive barrier. They were greeted at the door by Wang Jun''s assistant, who led them to a cozy living room much larger than the external appearance of the courtyard. Wang Jun''s cinnamon-scented fireplace had been brought to this new residence.


    They did not wait long. After an incense time , Wang Jun walked out from a small door looking refreshed. Cha Ming''s eyes narrowed as he was overwhelmed with a dense cloud of qi, which wafted over from Wang Jun''s cultivation room.


    "I see that you have quite an energy-gathering formation in there. What grade?" Cha Ming was very curious¡ªhis portable energy-gathering formation was only a second-grade formation plate, a mortal-grade treasure.


    Wang Jun laughed. "Nothing too fancy. It''s only a mid-grade magic treasure."


    Once again, Wang Jun''s wealth and connections never ceased to amaze Cha Ming. Magic treasures were goods created by professionals in the Foundation Establishment realm. Even a low-grade magic sword was many times more expensive than a ninth-grade sword¡ªthat is, if you could find someone to make it for you.


    According to what Cha Ming had read, mortal-grade treasures were classified by grades one through nine, while magic treasures were ranked as low grade, mid grade, high grade, and top grade. Most magic treasures could not be activated without the use of foundation qi. It was likely the case that this mid-grade magic formation¡ªwhich was useable in the Qi Condensation realm¡ªwas worth as much as a top-grade magic treasure.


    "Then how about your current cultivation? I refuse to believe it''s only at the sixth rank, despite your identity medallion." After all, Wang Jun had nearly unlimited wealth at his disposal.


    "Oh, I''m not doing too badly. I''m at the eighth level of qi condensation. If everything goes properly, I''ll be able to break through to foundation establishment within the year."


    Wang Jun carefully sat down and started pouring tea for the three of them, ignoring the duo''s shocked expression. He only noticed their slack-jawed expression once he finished serving them.


    "Don''t look at me that way. It''s not like this medallion means anything." He removed his bronze identity medallion and flicked it through his fingers. "I worked hard to mask my talent, you know. It''s often best to remain unnoticed until an opportune moment. Besides, as a fifth-grade talent from a rich family, this level of growth is rather mediocre."


    This information caused Cha Ming to question his will to live. The difference was too extreme, and he needed to work extra hard for every breakthrough. Huxian, on the other hand, simply expressed his sympathy. As a god-beast, his talent far eclipsed these so-called geniuses.


    Seeing his friend''s dour expression, Wang Jun cleared his throat and spoke first. "To what do I owe the pleasure today, Brother Cha Ming?"


    Hearing his name, Cha Ming snapped back to reality and scolded himself for moping.


    "Brother Jun, I''ve come to a bottleneck in my training, and I''ve realized there are a few things I need to do. After all, I can''t just stay cooped up in my cottage and train all the time. I''ve decided I need to do three things. First, I need to purchase some medicinal pills to aid me in breaking through bottlenecks in my cultivation. This latest breakthrough has made me realize that it takes me four times as long to break through each cultivation level than it takes to fill my qi lakes!"


    "Right," confirmed Wang Jun. "This is normal. While you require increasing amounts of energy to break through, your cultivation speed can be increased using an energy-gathering formation and qi supplements. However, the amount of time required for you to break through will increase exponentially with each level of qi condensation.


    "Fortunately, your talent grade is at the third grade. For every talent grade increase, the time to break through typically doubles. You''re still not doing too bad on average.


    "There are two main ways to remedy the problem: the first way is to take medicinal pills that weaken the barrier in your qi lakes, making it much easier to charge through. The second way is to take medicines that increase your natural talent. Medicines that increase natural talent are extremely rare, to the point that they can''t be purchased. The only way our Wang family can even obtain a few of these medicines is by finding them ourselves or through our subsidiary families.


    "Therefore, only the first option remains. You must hire an alchemist to concoct pills for you."


    Cha Ming nodded. He had managed to gather this much information by rummaging through the library, but it was helpful to have this knowledge confirmed by a trusted and well-informed source.


    "Yes, I gathered as much. The second issue I need to resolve is the issue of my weapon. I have all the necessary materials to construct a spirit alloy weapon, however, I don''t have any way of forging it myself. Lastly, I''ll need to go around and adventure. I have been training my staff and movement arts, and the only way I can make any progress is to experience some hardships," Cha Ming concluded.


    "So you''re asking if I have any advice on where you should go next?" Wang Jun smiled as he poured them another round of tea. He then took out two objects from his bag of holding. He rolled out one of these items onto a small side table. It was an aged leather map of the surrounding area. He then withdrew a couple dozen oddly shaped coins from a used leather pouch. They were irregularly shaped but resembled rectangles more than anything else.


    Wang Jun swept all two dozen coins into the air above the map, where they floated as though unaffected by gravity. Each individual coin spun around in a haphazard manner.


    "All right," Wang Jun exclaimed. "Wishful Coins, what are the best places for Cha Ming to forge a soul-alloy staff?" He quickly followed up by forming over a hundred hand seals. These movements were completed in less than thirty breaths.


    As soon as he completed the last hand seal, the coins stopped twirling and fell onto the map. They tumbled around in a random fashion, but to Cha Ming''s surprise, they were all oriented toward three separate points. Wang Jun quickly touched each of these points, leaving behind a glowing yellow light.


    After marking each point, Wang Jun swept the coins up once more. He formed another hundred or so hand seals, instructing the coins to find locations where Cha Ming could obtain medicinal pills. The coins fell, and he marked five cities with glowing red marks.


    Finally, Wang Jun swept up the two dozen coins and added another seven dozen. These coins were not plain like the original ones but were covered in strange runic characters. Some were colored, and others were marked in white. Many seemed plain, but Cha Ming could vaguely make out obsidian marks that slightly contrasted the other shade of black.


    Wang Jun inhaled deeply and formed another set of hand seals. He continued forming them until he completed a total of 1,080 hand seals. This time, the coins fell down on the map violently. The results left the three of them deeply shocked. Instead of spreading all over the map like the last two times, the coins had somehow bounced around and piled up just north of Fairweather City, near a small mountain range. Every single one of the 108 coins had landed deeply in that pile. Many obscure characters could be seen on the mountain of Wishful Coins.


    Wang Jun frowned. "My friend, this is something they call fate. While we don''t know the reason, destiny requires you in Fairweather City. The runes on the outside of the mountain reveal a few clues. For one, this adventure is extremely dangerous. Further, it involves the fate of many suffering innocents. I also see an old acquaintance¡­ and a bloody moon.


    "Destiny?" Cha Ming wasn''t convinced. Previously, Wang Jun had told him that he was unable to foretell his destiny. Why had this changed suddenly? He voiced his concern to his friend, who laughed.


    "Cha Ming, there is a big difference between reading your personal story and performing minor divinations. I''ll give you an example to explain. Let''s say that I ask an information agency two questions. The first question is: Can you please give me a book compiling Cha Ming''s past, present, and future actions in exact detail? The agency would answer no, we cannot. Not for any price. It is because either your future or your past is too difficult to decipher. The same thing would happen with me¡ªsuch a book would be impossible to compile as my fate is obscured.


    "Now say you ask them another question: Where was Du Cha Ming, a student of Green Leaf Academy, last spotted? The intelligence agency could likely be able to find this information in a few hours. The information has a timeframe, and it is definite and specific.


    "The same applies to divinations. I simply ask which direction you should go in immediately, and for a definite purpose. Granted, your result is a little unusual. A typical result would indicate many choices. In this case, the stones are dictating that you don''t have a choice in the matter. Simply put, if you don''t go, destiny will find a way to make it happen. Perhaps you could be framed for a crime, for which you need to go to Fairweather City for trial. Or you could get kidnapped and sent there as a slave. Worse yet, a close friend could die a tragic death there, forcing you to travel there for vengeance. This kind of result¡­. I hate to say it, but you can''t fight it."


    This greatly displeased Cha Ming. Since coming to Green Leaf City, he felt that his ability to chose had become restricted. Every time, it seemed like his decisions were made for him. Wasn''t he supposed to have free will? One thing was certain, however: whatever hand was guiding him, he would work his hardest to stop it. He didn''t want to be controlled by destiny, even if it was for his own benefit.


    Unfortunately, Cha Ming was extremely weak. The weak didn''t get to make choices.


    "The good news is that you can procure a staff and medicinal pills in this town. Give me a second to grab some information," Wang Jun said.


    In a matter of minutes, he had his assistant bring a pile of documents labeled "Fairweather County." After flicking through a few pages, he withdrew two documents.


    "For weapon crafting, I recommend seeking the services of Han Jinlong. He is one of the top three spiritual blacksmiths in the Song Kingdom. The only reason he stays in Fairweather County is because this city is the closest to his family. They currently live in a town called Crystal Meadows, which is famous for its crystal glass artisans. When you see him, make sure that he observes you sparring and unleashing your techniques. He will be able to implement what he observes in customizing your weapon. This is common practice, but people often forget.


    "For medicinal pills, I recommend Zhang Yifeng. Coincidentally, he is also one of the top three alchemists in the Song Kingdom, and he also has family in Crystal Meadows. I recommend commissioning Zhang Yifeng to specially concoct pills using your blood and spiritual imprint as a medium. This will allow him to perfectly tailor the pills to your constitution. Alchemists are typically very proud and unapproachable, however, so your chances of meeting him are very low. You may have to settle for a lesser alchemist.


    "Additionally, you should be aware of a famous custom for alchemists. They normally require the one requesting their services to supply medicinal ingredients, in addition to a fee. At least three sets of ingredients are required, depending on the difficulty of producing the pill in question. The fee is payable upon successful completion of a batch of pills, but the ingredients are non-refundable. This provides additional incentive for the alchemists to succeed, but it is often viewed as an avaricious custom by the masses as the alchemist is rarely responsible for failed ingredients.


    "Therefore, the reputation of an alchemist is very important when commissioning pills. Alternatively, you can save yourself time and money by buying completed pills, but in this case, there is no ability to customize the pills to your constitution. Tailor-made pills are important because generic pills have reduced effectiveness and leave a greater amount of pill toxins in the user''s body. These toxins greatly diminish the effectiveness of taking medicinal pills in the future and increase the difficulty in making breakthroughs." Wang Jun stopped, done with his impromptu lesson.


    "Your information gathering ability is impeccable as always, Brother Jun. Would you happen to be free for this upcoming adventure?" Cha Ming had noticed large stacks of papers piled up on his desk. He had only asked to be polite.


    "Alas, I can''t separate myself from my work. Things will be very busy in the near future. Although I can''t come, you might want to wait a while before leaving." Wang Jun picked up one of the black coins from the small mountain on Fairweather City. The black coin had a blood-red rune on it.


    "A mutual friend of ours will be arriving soon. My divination indicates that her presence will be very beneficial on this adventure."

 41 Gong Lan Returns

    Cha Ming didn''t need to wait very long. As he returned to his courtyard, he was welcomed by a pretty girl dressed in red leather armor. The dark red armor complemented her short black hair perfectly, and her exposed legs and midriff caused impure thoughts to surface in Cha Ming''s mind.


    He stopped ten feet away from the entrance to his courtyard, where Gong Lan was napping while leaning on the front door. His placid smile turned into an impish grin at the thought of scaring her awake. That thought quickly disappeared as he was instantly overwhelmed by a baleful aura.


    "Aiya! Sorry about that Cha Ming!" Gong Lan got up and patted the dust from her armor and bare skin. The air in the student residence was quite dusty, and a light film of fine powder had accumulated on her red outfit during her nap. "You surprised me, so I lashed out instinctively."


    Clearly, the baleful aura had emanated from the formerly gentle girl, Gong Lan. As he looked at her, he observed a stark change in her demeanor. Her previous kind and courageous aura had transformed. She now seemed aggressive and incisive. Wang Jun had told him that she''d taken the news of his disappearance very badly, but wasn''t this a little too badly?


    Cha Ming quickly regained his composure and invited her in for tea. He received an awkward look from her as he walked into the house. Only when he went to boil water did he realize that he was still maintaining a white-knuckled grip on his staff with both hands. Huxian, observing Cha Ming put away his weapon, relaxed his bristled fur and started prancing around to obtain pats from the pretty girl he''d met before.


    A short while later, Cha Ming and Huxian were seated in a small living room. He didn''t have much. He did, however, keep stock of a few good teas and some dried fruits, which he occasionally took out to serve guests. Gong Lan returned from a small guest room a short while later. She had used a small side room to wash off the dust and grime that had accumulated on her figure during her travels. Such a thing was child''s play for a water cultivator, but it would have been improper to wash herself out in the open.


    "So," said Cha Ming while pouring two cups and a bowl of tea, "it''s been far too long. I heard that you''ve been traveling for the past couple of months?" He was very curious as to what could have changed her so much in a short period of time.


    "Yes, I traveled with my brother to a city called Clearwood. I asked him to help me train, so he taught me a¡­ unique cultivation technique that he was familiar with. He had used this cultivation technique in the past to make a name for himself over a decade ago," she replied.


    "Oh? You changed your cultivation method? Such a thing is very risky, to say the least," Cha Ming said.


    "Yes, normally it would be. However, the prerequisite for this technique is an existing water-cultivation technique to use as a foundation. Therefore, there was no conflict," Gong Lan explained.


    "What''s the name of the technique?" asked Cha Ming curiously.


    "Blood World Scripture," she replied in a soft whisper, sending shivers down Cha Ming''s spine.


    "Blood is mostly water," she continued. "As a result, there is a high compatibility with water-cultivation techniques. The technique is used to refine my control over my own¡ªand my opponent''s¡ªblood. However, it can only be cultivated during life-and-death battles. As such, I went to Clearwood''s underground arena to fight many matches. Because of this intense training regimen, I''ve now reached the sixth level of qi condensation. This is all without using any medicinal pills."


    Cha Ming lifted an eyebrow in surprise. They were both third-grade talents. In truth, Cha Ming was a grade 3.4 talent. Why would there be such a huge disparity? His blood began to rush with excitement as he realized that she would be the perfect sparring partner for his new staff and movement arts. Then he remembered that he was also a body cultivator at the 6th level and let out a depressed sigh. Defeating her should be quite easy now that he thought about it.


    "We should definitely take the time to spar sometime," Cha Ming said. "While I''m only at the fifth level of qi condensation, I''ve made quite a bit of progress. The only thing I''m missing is a test dummy."


    Gong Lan''s eyes instantly lit up. Her dormant fighting spirit was kindled, and Cha Ming could sense a disturbing amount of bloodlust seeping out from her. He shivered involuntarily while instantly regretting his decision.


    "Let''s go now!" she yelled. She literally dragged Cha Ming out of the courtyard. Huxian followed behind them dutifully, looking unconcerned.


    A short while later, Cha Ming followed Gong Lan and Huxian into an empty arena. Huxian scampered off to the side as a spectator. Once the path was clear, Cha Ming turned and readied his heavy staff.


    He laughed. "I haven''t had a fight in days! It''ll be nice to finally¡­ blow off some steam." This was the wrong thing to say, because she immediately took out her blood-colored sabers and licked one of their edges.


    Oh shit. Why does she keep giving me the willies? thought Cha Ming.


    "All right, I''m ready!" he called out. She instantly charged toward him, launching out a surprise attack. One of her blades aggressively slashed toward his chest, forcing him to step back quickly with Burst Step. She continued to press the advantage and chased after him. Her movements were unusual and quick. Cha Ming suspected that she had a gold or silver movement technique. She closed the gap in an instant, threatening to decapitate him with a twin-bladed strike.


    "Tch." He chose to respond to her onslaught with a flawless defense. He instantly combined Wading Through the Reeds with White Willow Shade, deflecting her blades to the side and stepping around her with ease. This was just a warm-up, of course. Gong Lan quickly used the momentum from her missed strikes to spin in a half circle, jumping up to deliver a diagonal strike with both blades.


    He continued to evade her, deflecting her increasingly aggressive attacks with his staff. He couldn''t keep this up for long, though, as her rhythmic strikes were speeding up.


    Fine, if you''re going to play this way, I''ll just have to jam you up! He quickly changed his strategy and quickly switched to using the Trapping Staff Art.


    He immediately regretted his decision. The vicious strikes contained far more power than he originally expected, and they knocked him off balance. He took advantage of her fierce blows to slide backward. A thin ice blade had formed beneath his feet. He used them to redirect his backward momentum and swung around toward Gong Lan. Seven Cloud Steps! Shearing Staff Art! He quickly pushed himself forward, using the burst of speed to unleash a violent blade of wind.


    Much to his surprise, she easily chopped the blade of wind in two with one of her sabers.


    "Looks like I have to get serious!" he yelled.


    Instantly, the white rosary on his wrist burst into pieces as sixty motes of light flew out to surround them. Unfortunately, he didn''t have a wood-based manifestation with offensive capabilities. However, he knew that earth had a destructive interaction with water. Thirty-six of the pearls he unleashed formed a quaking circle, which he reinforced using both fire qi and wood qi thanks to his high-grade cultivation technique.


    The quaking power rattled Gong Lan''s rhythm, but she gritted her teeth and charged nonetheless. While charging, she cried out and unleashed six consecutive strikes with her blades. Six bloody blades of qi burst out from her swords and attacked Cha Ming from afar. He was forced to dodge these sharp qi-blades, granting her precious time to close in on his position. Her charge was perfectly timed, and she caught him in a precarious position.


    Not wanting to be outdone, he quickly used his Shearing Staff Art to push down against the floor, launching himself fifty feet up into the air. While Gong Lan was surprised that he could use wind qi, she had seen the move before and remained unperturbed.


    His maneuver didn''t end there, however. As he reached the peak of his trajectory, he quickly jumped in midair using Seven Cloud Steps. He took advantage of gravity to gain momentum, which he was preparing to unleash in a single blow.


    ***


    Gong Lan''s expression turned grim. Seeing his vicious approach, she quickly stepped back to ruin his approach angle. In response to her movements, however, she noticed that the quaking pearls, which had constantly been hampering her movements, suddenly began glowing with a frosty light-blue color. To her horror, she was frozen to the floor by the element she was most comfortable with¡ªwater, in the shape of ice!


    Normally such a crude ice field wouldn''t pose a problem. However, she currently had less than half a second to react before his staff came crashing down. She gritted her teeth and decided to unleash her most powerful attack: Blood Saber Art¡ªTwin Decapitation!


    This was a technique that she would normally only unleash when she intended to kill her victim. However, the old her was no more. She was now relentless, unyielding. She braced herself as she poured blood-red qi and killing intent into her twin blades, accumulating her full power to unleash in a single strike.


    ***


    Cha Ming, who was swiftly plunging down toward her, felt his blood run cold as a vicious killing intent swept through his flesh and blood, paralyzing him momentarily. This greatly reduced the momentum he had struggled to build for this single strike. Unfortunately, he was committed to the attack. Therefore, he gripped his staff on its end with both hands, sending the remaining five feet crashing down with unparalleled might.


    Quake Staff!


    His most powerful strike collided with hers, forcing them both back like kites with their strings cut. Both he and Gong Lan coughed up blood as they stared at each other, both of them weakly climbing up on one knee. Cha Ming was shocked by her ferocity and killing intent. Clearly she had not just fought normal battles over the last two months. No, she had been fighting death matches!


    The thought overwhelmed him with sorrow. Why had such a pure and innocent girl transformed into a such a berserker for his sake? While it was her decision to make, he found it to be a huge shame. He had liked the gentle side of her, but it now seemed remote or nonexistent. It was like the old Gong Lan was dead.


    No words were spoken as they sat down cross-legged to recover. Cha Ming revolved his Healing Circle manifestation, which quickly improved their rate of recovery.


    Once they had completely recovered, Cha Ming let out a reluctant laugh. "You''re pretty tough! At this fifth level of qi condensation, I have a ludicrously high soul force, and I''ve trained my body to the sixth level, yet we''re evenly matched! I''m impressed!"


    Her expression turned gloomy as she responded, "All I had to do was lose myself. That''s the price I paid." She then averted her gaze as though ashamed of what she had become.


    As Cha Ming wracked his brain to recover from the awkward conversation, their silence was interrupted by loud yipping noises from Huxian. Cha Ming also received a mental message. He laughed wryly as he lifted his staff over his shoulder. He sighed. "Huxian is so impressed that he wants to fight a two-on-one now."


    "Oh, a two-on-one? I guess I can fight the both of you if you like," she replied. Her doting expression implied that she would go easy on him.


    "You misunderstand. He''d like to fight us. Unfortunately, he''s much stronger than me," Cha Ming said.


    "How is this possible? He''s only a three-month-old spirit beast!" Gong Lan asked in disbelief.


    Cha Ming walked beside her and took out his staff.


    "You''d better be ready, Gong Lan. Since it''s two of us, he might actually take us seriously."


    Cha Ming gulped as he manifested a metal-reinforced freezing circle targeting only Huxian, as well as two preemptive healing hands. After all, this was really going to hurt.


    ***


    A while later, the three of them met Wang Jun and Hong Xin at a nearby restaurant. Hong Xin had not seen Gong Lan in ages, so they chatted about all sorts of things while Cha Ming and Wang Jun spoke for the second time that day.


    "You really weren''t kidding when you said a mutual friend would be coming by soon. She''s seriously strong, so much so that we''re evenly matched," Cha Ming said quietly.


    Wang Jun lifted one eyebrow as he digested this piece of information. "So, she beat you up?"


    "I said evenly matched! But then again, Huxian beat us in a two-on-one afterward. Still, she''s seriously strong."


    "Are you talking about this big sister?" Gong Lan interrupted with a proud air.


    "Big sister, my ass! Huxian beat up the both of us, and I''m his older brother. You''re definitely the little sister in the pecking order," Cha Ming snapped back.


    As if wanting to confirm Cha Ming''s words, Huxian dutifully jumped up on his lap and started licking his hand, causing the whole table to burst into a fit of laughter.


    "So does this mean our dear little sister is going to accompany Cha Ming on his trip?" asked Wang Jun.


    "What trip? Cha Ming never told me about a trip," Gong Lan said while shooting Cha Ming an evil glare.


    In response, he coughed lightly before replying. "I never got a chance to bring it up. This bloodthirsty little sister dragged me to the arena five minutes into afternoon tea. Then she decided to try skewering me with her sabers. Finally, we fought Huxian, and we''ve been recovering from his ''beating of love'' ever since.


    "Anyhow, like Wang Jun was saying, Huxian and I are going to Fairweather County for an adventure. There''s apparently some excitement there, and while I''m at it, I need to go commission some medicinal pills and get a staff forged. Unfortunately, Wang Jun can''t come along this time because he needs to take care of some family business."


    He didn''t mention Hong Xin. From what he could gather, she''d been so emotionally scarred by the event in the woods that she had given up all attempts at cultivation. Now she cultivated with minimum effort, barely driven by the fact that cultivating would help her maintain her youthful looks.


    "How convenient!" Gong Lan exclaimed. "I heard that there''s a lucrative mission happening in Fairweather. Many mercenaries in my brother''s company will be traveling there in three days. We can just join their group to travel there."


    It was too convenient, in fact. If Wang Jun hadn''t explained how fate was basically begging him to travel there, he would have suspected a conspiracy. From the sounds of it, this "lucrative mission" was exactly why he had to travel there.


    The matter was quickly settled. He spent the last three days visiting with friends and saying farewells. He made sure to visit the Hong family for supper one night, where he was pestered with questions about the mysterious Wang Jun that Hong Xin had started dating.


    For some reason, Cha Ming couldn''t help but feel he might never return to Green Leaf City again. This feeling was reinforced when he visited Elder Ling. Elder Ling essentially trapped him, forcing him to play several games of Angels and Devils while concurrently lecturing him on talisman crafting. Before parting, Elder Ling gave him a strange object. It was a glowing ball containing swirls of black and white. He was instructed to open it only once he reached foundation establishment.


    When Cha Ming asked why he was giving him such a precious gift now, Elder Ling only replied that it was destiny, and that he would know the reason in the future. At this point, Cha Ming was fed up with destiny. However, he obediently accepted the gift and kowtowed three times to his teacher. Would they ever meet again?


    The next morning, Cha Ming, Huxian, and Gong Lan walked out of Green Leaf City with ten Fierce Blood mercenaries. It was time for another dangerous adventure, one that would change their lives forever.

 42 Fairweather City

    The pungent smell of iron and oil assaulted Cha Ming''s senses as he waited at a table with Huxian for Gong Lan and the mercenaries to finish a pile of paperwork. They were seated at a small table in the corner of a larger hall, which was crowded with rowdy mercenaries. Many of them were waiting, carefully sharpening their swords. Others were oiling their armor, their knives, and various metal instruments susceptible to rust. After all, mortal-grade weapons were expensive, and not everyone could afford them.


    The mercenary hall in Fairweather City doubled as a lounge. A few tables closer to the bar, six mercenaries were busy drinking their fill. It was noon, and it was clear that many people had revised their definition of "too early to start drinking." Drinking was an occupational hazard for most mercenaries.


    The large hall was spacious enough to accommodate up to two hundred rowdy men. Certain missions had very large manpower requirements. The innkeepers, while relishing the mercenaries'' business, were less than happy to have a few dozen of them scaring away their regular alcoholic customers. Therefore the large mess hall and bar was a necessity, even in this small city.


    Located near the slums, the mercenary hall wasn''t exactly built on prime real estate. Many places found mercenaries to be an unsavory bunch that should be kept away from the general population. The aged wooden bar tables reeked of ale. Cha Ming put up with the pungent smell, however. He was here on a mission. While they continued waiting for Gong Lan and her group to finish, a nearby mercenary began yelling loudly.


    "Are you serious, Brother Hou? That sounds way too good to be true!"


    This loud outburst was accompanied by the sound of a mug slamming down on a creaky wooden table. The burly man speaking was clearly drunk.


    "Of course I''m serious. It''s listed on the mission wall." The lanky mercenary pointed to the other side of the tavern, where various pieces of parchment and paper were nailed to a wall made of soft wood. "The two professionals in town are the ones funding this mission, after all. As such, they''ve decided to auction off a variety of premade goods in this restricted auction. This includes pills, spirit weapons, etc.


    "In addition, everyone will be able to put any surplus goods up for auction prior to the main auction, so that everyone can liquidate their assets. Anything that isn''t bought by others in the auction will be bought by the auction house for 70% of list price."


    "This is great!" said another one of the mercenaries. "People rarely get the opportunity to buy Master Han''s spirit weapons and Master Zhang''s pills. They''re very particular about picking their clients, and they usually refuse to mass produce lesser-grade goods. Why have they made an exception this time?"


    He chuckled. "You might not know this, but it seems that Han Jinlong and Zhang Yifeng both have family in the surrounding towns. They have not received any news from these towns, and the county lord refuses to investigate. Therefore, they had a falling out and are currently recruiting us mercenaries. Better yet, aside from mass producing these lesser-grade spirit weapons, they''re also auctioning out ten slots each. These slots are opportunities to have spirit weapons and medicinal pills custom-made prior to heading out. At cost!"


    A fourth mercenary chimed in, scoffing. "At cost. It''s not like they''re actually supplying these services at cost. After all, they are auctioning out the slots! They''re bound to make a killing, even if the auction is restricted to participants in this mercenary mission. I''ve also heard that they''ve sworn not to sell any weapons to anyone for the next year, with the exception of those who participate in the mission! This will surely drive up the price."


    "Look, they''re using both the carrot-and-stick approach. While they are going to make money at this auction, there''s no way it will be enough to offset the bite of refusing business to non-participants for a full year. Besides which, auctioning these weapons out is a clever move on their part," the lanky man replied.


    "Oh? How so?"


    "Do I have to explain everything, you stupid fatty? Obviously, there are two types of people that can win in the auction. First, there are powerful and rich adventurers. Making these people even stronger before the outing is a perfect way to ensure better success for the mission.


    "The only other people that can participate in such an auction are influential people. These people are most likely to bring followers along. In addition, to prevent people from participating just to buy things, they have restricted the auction for these custom slots to sixth level and higher cultivators. Any family who sends someone of that level will feel the bite if they lose him, therefore, they are more likely to send additional support."


    "I see. That''s very clever. But how will they control the qualifications for the auction?"


    "Through a testing stone, of course. A qi testing stone will be used for qi condensation cultivators, and a strength testing pillar will be used to test body cultivators. Use your head."


    The remainder of the conversation was no longer interesting, so Cha Ming and Huxian stopped listening. Gong Lan just happened to return from the mission desk at this point in time.


    Most of the details were identical to what they had just heard. Apparently there had been many attacks on neighboring villages. The wealthy individuals in town, worried about the lack of news in the surrounding regions, posted an investigation and rescue mission.


    The mission stated that they were disappointed with the support they received from the Fairweather County lord and had taken matters into their own hands. Over the next week, they would recruit a large force to investigate five nearby towns and escort the residents back to Fairweather City. If they found those responsible for the recent attacks on the neighboring villages, the mercenary force was to invade the attackers in the hopes of rescuing any prisoners taken.


    The compensation was indeed very generous:


    First Level Cultivators¡ª100 spirit stones


    Second Level Cultivators¡ª500 spirit stones


    Third Level Cultivators¡ª1,000 spirit stones


    Fourth Level Cultivators¡ª5,000 spirit stones


    Fifth Level Cultivators¡ª10,000 spirit stones


    Sixth Level Cultivators¡ª50,000 spirit stones


    Seventh Level Cultivators¡ª100,000 spirit stones


    ¡­ and so on.


    The reward for foundation-establishment cultivators was a whopping 1,000 mid-grade spirit stones, in addition to a custom weapon forging slot with Han Jinlong. For every cultivator, a quarter of the reward was payable up front, and the remaining three quarters was payable upon completion of service.


    The auction details were the same as explained previously, with one major difference: Instead of a large auction to liquidate assets, the auction house would allow cultivators to set up their own market stalls in a large hall the day before the auction. In addition, the auction house would purchase goods worth more than a certain amount at 75% of the list price. Cha Ming had had his doubts about the veracity of holding an auction for trinkets from various cultivators, but if the auction house truly decided to auction off these various trinkets, this auction alone would last weeks. By then, the mission would already be completed. Setting up an easy trade location was a pragmatic solution.


    Yet a final piece of information shocked their small group thoroughly. The two leading craftsmen in the city, Han Jinlong and Zhang Yifeng, would be spearheading the search and rescue mission! Given this detail, Cha Ming concluded that the situation was very dire. He suspected that they had some sensitive information that indicated the need for immediate action. With or without the king''s army.


    Since the auction would take place on the next day, the three of them registered for the mission and found a nice inn to occupy. The ten mercenaries that had accompanied Gong Lan proceeded to a less savory establishment. Another "occupational hazard" in the mercenary world.


    ***


    Later that evening, with nothing better to do, the group decided to wander around the merchant district. While Fairweather City was not a large city, it was still about the same size as Green Leaf City. Instead of being known to produce medicinal herbs, Fairweather City was known for its artisans.


    Every street corner was graced with beautiful sculptures¡ªa rare display of wealth in public areas. The various shops¡ªat least, the ones lucky enough to own their own buildings¡ªhad hired master artisans to carve and paint the outside of their stores. The philosophy behind this was quite simple. Standing out from the crowd with a beautiful shop would undoubtedly lead to people heading inside out of sheer curiosity or appreciation. The competition in Fairweather was fierce, leading to a luxurious merchant quarter that overshadowed the entertainment district.


    All sorts of craftsmen flourished in this city. Unlike in Green Leaf City, the craftsmen of Fairweather looked beyond function. For example, even the lowliest starting weapon on sale was a work of art. Anything less than beautiful was considered trash, something the weapon artisan wouldn''t dare sign his name to.


    Even something like medicinal pills were artistic creations, decorated with beautiful patterns or shaped like sparkling gems. Further, the bottles containing them were art products made of crystal. These decorations complemented the function of the medicinal pill. One that was meant to improve vitality, for example, would be decorated with patterns of vines or even be contained in a bottle shaped like a dragon. Some alchemists even housed their wares in stained-glass bottles, using color combinations to hint at their effect. In one shop, Cha Ming had seen a healing pill that was deep purple. It had been stored in an azure heart-shaped bottle.


    These factors led to an amazing pricing phenomenon¡ªhuge price disparities could be seen for any and all goods. The same grade of spirit weapon, made of the same materials and supplying the same benefit in combat, could be worth anywhere between 80 and 150% of the usual list price.


    Many thoughts went through Cha Ming''s mind as he picked up an intricately carved soul-alloy dagger. The weapon was a third-grade spirit weapon, hardly worth any mention. Normally a weapon like it would be worth eight hundred spirit stones, more than double the amount of a dagger made with normal materials.


    However, this weapon was worth fifteen hundred spirit stones. The abnormally inflated price was due to the high level of skill required to craft such unforgiving material. Each of the craftsmen qualified to forge such weapons were well known, and their prices were sky high. Even a blind man would be forced to admit that it was truly a beautiful dagger. It was clear as the purest ice, from tip to hilt. The handle had been engraved with a textured pattern. This decorative artwork, which featured beautiful leaves, vines, and flowers, rendered the handle non-slip.


    On another shelf, Cha Ming spotted a beautiful spirit sword. The runes engraved on it were written in flowing script, much like an exercise in calligraphy. Strictly speaking, crafting weapon runes was akin to painting talismans. Runic characters had very specific shapes. Any deviations, while they could enhance the beauty of the resulting talisman or engraved weapon rune, ran the risk of ruining the character itself.


    Cha Ming thanked his lucky stars that Elder Ling had been strict in this regard, forcing him to practice calligraphy while crafting his talismans. While the process of beautifying characters was initially risky, an artisan with sufficient skill would eventually learn that there were certain rules to beautifying a character, much like regular calligraphy. Only rules that didn''t conflict with function could be used in runic calligraphy. Due to his various experiences, Cha Ming''s talismans were much better looking than the average textbook talisman.


    In the end, Cha Ming bought the dagger he had been admiring. He was currently lacking such a dagger, which was useful for things like gathering herbs and cutting ropes and bonds. Soul-alloy weapons were much sharper than their steel counterparts, albeit quite brittle. Such a dagger was useless in actual combat.


    After purchasing the weapon, Cha Ming cheerfully walked over to the next stall, where Gong Lan was admiring a defensive brooch shaped like a blooming red lotus. The lotus was a full two inches in diameter and contained nine ruby-red petals. These petals were made from a glassy material. Each of the curved petals was engraved with a protective rune. It was the first time Cha Ming had ever seen such an item.


    "Forty-five hundred spirit stones is way too much for such a trinket! Are you trying to rob me?" Gong Lan fumed, lashing out at the attendant with her incisive tongue.


    "Miss," the attendant calmly replied, "this exquisite lotus brooch was crafted by Hong Lai, the nineteenth-ranked weapon artisan in this city. You would struggle to find something so beautiful given its form and function, and that''s why it commands a fifty-percent premium above other lesser works.


    "If you don''t like this specific brooch, could I possibly interest you in this jade lily hairclip? It contains very similar enchanted properties compared to the lotus brooch. However, the price tag is only twenty percent higher than list price." The lady clearly had no intent to negotiate.


    "May I take a look at that red lotus brooch?" Cha Ming said as he appeared behind Gong Lan. The attendant handed the brooch to him, and he observed it for a while before shaking his head. "I wouldn''t buy this one, Gong Lan. While it seems very pretty, it''s a flawed product. I would only pay 75% of the market price myself, but only because it truly is very beautiful."


    The attendant seemed quite incensed, no doubt wondering how dare a country bumpkin besmirch her products. Cha Ming and Gong Lan moved to leave.


    "Stop!" the attendant shouted, drawing the attention of nearby shoppers. This included some customers who had just looked over to the stall due to Cha Ming''s comments about a flawed product. Reputation was everything in Fairweather.


    "Young bumpkin, you can''t besmirch Hong Lai''s work at will. I demand either an explanation for your criticism of his work or an apology!"


    The competition in Fairweather City was extremely fickle compared to that in other cities. Fashion was subjective, after all, and an unjust accusation might quickly lead to a ruined reputation and subsequent closure.


    "Are you sure that you want to be having this conversation?" Cha Ming asked. "I really don''t want to disparage such a beautiful work further. The reason that I haven''t made a big deal about it is that, while it is a failed product, it still has much of its functionality intact."


    Criticizing another''s work was a very unprofessional practice and should only be conducted in extreme cases of negligence or willful misconduct. Judging by the artisan''s current standing, it was likely a small, albeit noticeable, error.


    "Hong Lai only crafts beautiful products of the highest quality," the attending lady insisted. "I''ll have to ask you to either elaborate on your complaint or apologize." While it was a risky move, she might be fired if she didn''t respond to the accusation.


    "Very well." Cha Ming picked up the red lotus brooch, which glittered in his palm. "I am no expert on jewelry or weapon crafting, so I can''t comment on the materials. Indeed, to my untrained eye, it seems like this decorative brooch was carefully shaped with soul alloy before being cut with glittering facets. Further, the vivid red color and sparkles make me think that this charming flower was infused with ruby dust during the molding process.


    "Therefore, my complaint has nothing to do with the materials or forging of the brooch but rather the engravings. While this defensive spirit weapon is only a consumable, it is surely at least a fifth-grade spirit weapon. Therefore, it should be worth at least half as much as a non-consumable fifth-grade spirit weapon.


    "The reason that I take issue with the engravings is that each engraving, while beautiful, does not follow convention for calligraphy when writing or engraving runic characters. This flaw diminishes the effectiveness of each runic character by one ninth. Unfortunately, this is only something that can be verified after the item is used, and it is difficult to spot. Only a sixth-grade or higher talisman artist could spot this mistake, and only if he was trained in proper runic calligraphy."


    The attendant could not refute him, as she did not know that much about the occupations. Therefore, if he was qualified to make these comments, she had no choice but to accept the judgment.


    "Might I ask if you are a sixth-grade talisman artist?" she asked begrudgingly.


    "Yes, that is the case."


    Everyone nearby was astonished that such a young man was such an accomplished talisman artist.

 43 An Introduction to Weapon Crafting

    The jewelry shop''s attendant was in an awkward position. If she could not protect the reputation of her goods, she needed to secure some official proof to present to the store''s manager and avoid blame.


    "Sir, if you''ll please present your qualification jade, I will apologize and remove this product from our stock for inspection and verification."


    This was standard practice in any city. The professions were self-regulated, therefore anyone making a complaint would need standing. Otherwise, someone who wanted to make a complaint had to seek the assistance of a qualified individual.


    "I¡­ don''t have a qualification jade," Cha Ming replied shyly.


    This response shocked the attendant. How could someone be so daring to make such an accusation without a qualifying document? This sort of behavior was extremely frowned upon by all professionals, who mandated the registration of each of their members. Someone like Cha Ming, who dared to disparage the work of a registered professional, could easily be sued for unqualified slander.


    "Then I''m afraid that I will be requiring your apology or the backing of someone qualified to make such an accusation," the attendant replied coldly. Her expression had lost every ounce of respect that she had previously displayed when she was under the impression that Cha Ming was a qualified expert.


    "That won''t be necessary!" the voice of a young man sounded out from the crowd.


    The crowd parted to reveal a well-dressed individual. His frame was small and skinny. However, the presence he exuded caused Cha Ming to shudder. He could feel it¡ªthis man was strong! Not just in terms of qi condensation; the man''s presence was oppressive, both in terms of physical body strength and spiritual force.


    Without explaining anything, the man picked up the brooch and briefly inspected it. He then nodded and dropped a pouch full of spirit stones on the attendant''s booth. "My apologies, this pouch contains five thousand spirit stones. I''ll be buying my failed product from your stall. Such things are unworthy of making it to market, and I''m ashamed to have put my name to it."


    This man was clearly Hong Lai, the famous artisan who had crafted the brooch. He didn''t seem flustered or angry at being exposed, however. If anything, he seemed genuinely grateful. The man turned to Cha Ming''s group, smiling.


    "Might I ask if you are both available for supper tonight? I would like to compensate you for your bad experience. In addition, I''ll craft a complimentary custom gift for the both of you. How does that sound?"


    This¡­ is a little overboard, no? I basically slapped him in the face, but now he wants to buy me supper and compensate me? Seeing his befuddled expression, the young man laughed.


    "My friend, judging by your clothes, you are new to the city. This is an old tradition that has been around for hundreds of years, so you''ll need to indulge me. In return, since you were able to spot the flaws in my work, you''ll need to compensate me in a different way. I''ll be asking for your guidance on how to improve the final design."


    Now Cha Ming understood the man''s intentions. He only sought to improve his work! In fact, he could tell from this brief interaction that this man did not pursue popularity but perfection; his ranking was a mere consequence of this pursuit.


    "Then I''ll be asking you to take care of us," said Cha Ming while clasping his hands and bowing. Gong Lan followed suit.


    And so, three people and one fox traveled to a nearby restaurant. This was, coincidentally, the most famous and expensive restaurant in the city, Phoenix Cry Pavilion.


    ***


    A short while later, Cha Ming, Gong Lan, and Hong Lai were sitting at a medium-sized table. It was covered with a mauve tablecloth carefully embroidered in green and red floral patterns. A beautiful woman wearing a form-fitting black dress came in through a sliding door, which was expertly carved with depictions of various spirit beasts. The woman politely bowed to Hong Lai.


    "Master Hong, what will you and your guests be having today?" she asked. Her red lipstick accentuated her beautiful smile. The pay at such an establishment was based on commission, so the waitresses would do everything in their power to impress their guests and cause them to loosen their belt pouches.


    "Do either of you drink?" Hong Lai asked both his guests. They shook their heads in response. "A pity. The Phoenix Cry Pavilion has an exquisite wine called Fireblood wine. It''s not actually made with blood. It''s a clever mixture of herbs and fruit, fermented to create a wine that makes your blood boil from its spicy flavor.


    "Speaking of which," he said, turning to the waitress, "please bring me a bottle of wine for myself, and your best tea for these two guests. And, er¡­" He looked toward Huxian.


    "He''ll take water," said Cha Ming. "He likes to eat roast meat, but he''s never developed an appetite for any kind of drink. With respect to meat, I''m afraid to say that he prefers quantity over quality and is effectively a bottomless pit. No need to worry about that, however. I''ll get him a snack later."


    "Nonsense! I insist that he eat his fill here. Now then, any dietary restrictions?" Hong Lai asked.


    "I''m a vegetarian, but she seems to be carnivorous," said Cha Ming. Gong Lan scrunched her face together, pouting, but she didn''t correct him.


    "Right, if you would be so kind, miss, please bring us a feast as they''ve specified, and I''ll just eat whatever they''re having. And make sure that you bring out a roast pheasant!" Hong Lai said, sending off the beautiful waitress.


    "Thankfully you youngsters aren''t the only picky eaters in the city. It''s become a hobby of sorts, especially amongst renowned artisans. This city is all about fashion, you see, and that involves standing out and being different in various aspects. Now, I know you are both foreigners, but where are you both from exactly?" Hong Lai asked curiously.


    Gong Lan was the first to reply. "I live in Green Leaf City with my brother, but I was born in Clearwood."


    "Clearwood, eh? Rough crowd over there. Quite the gambling industry. I haven''t been there myself, but my esteemed master has been there in the past. How about yourself, young friend?" He sounded more curious about Cha Ming''s background.


    "I''ve lived in Green Leaf City for the past half year while attending Green Leaf Academy. That is where I learned to craft talismans. My teacher is Elder Ling."


    "Elder Ling¡­ I''m not in the field, so I can''t say I''ve heard of him. Perhaps I should ask my cousin. He''s also a talisman artist, though he''s only a fifth-grade artist. Like any craft, the difficulty mounts exponentially."


    "Right," Cha Ming replied. "It applies to all crafts and arts. A fifth-grade artist is quite something. Does he have a master in the city?"


    "No, he doesn''t. Unfortunately, there aren''t many talisman artists in this city. My cousin is the highest-ranking talisman artist in the city. He travels to the capital city every year for instruction, and sometimes he''ll make a lucky breakthrough. Still, his progress hasn''t been very good compared to his cultivation. He''s at the seventh level of qi condensation!"


    "Oh? What is your rank as a spiritual blacksmith?" Cha Ming asked.


    "Regrettably, I''m only seventh grade. It''s very difficult to train as a spiritual blacksmith, you know. Not only do I need to train my qi, but I also need to train my soul and my body. Fortunately, the requirements for soul cultivation are not very harsh. Therefore, I''m at the seventh level of both qi condensation and body refinement," the man said proudly.


    Cha Ming was impressed. Although the man was only in his midtwenties, he had pursued not only body cultivation, qi cultivation, and weaponsmithing, but he had also pursued the pinnacle of arts. Dividing one''s attention was extremely taxing. The only reason that Cha Ming had found it easy was because he had obtained so many fortuitous encounters in the last six months in addition to his slightly elevated talent and peak soul force. Comprehension abilities were extremely dependent on soul force, so Cha Ming was particularly blessed in this aspect.


    Their food arrived a short while later. Each dish was a work of art and extremely delicious. Cha Ming especially enjoyed the mushroom dish, which contained a combination of softer mushrooms and chewy mushrooms. With each bite he took, Cha Ming felt a warm sensation course through him that seemed to replenish his qi, body, and soul.


    "I can tell from your expression that you''ve never had food like this before," said Hong Lai. Cha Ming shook his head, prompting Hong Lai to continue his explanation. "This type of food is called spirit food. Spirit food can only be prepared by spiritual chefs, which are very rare due to the requirements of their occupation. This is because they require triple affinity to water, wood, and fire. Most people would rather pursue alchemy or medicine. It takes someone who is truly in love with food to pursue this path.


    "The chef at the Phoenix Cry Pavilion has pursued the culinary arts to the extreme, mixing in precious herbs, roots, and spirit-animal flesh to produce something both tasty and extremely nutritious. You likely felt like your cultivation was improving with every bite. That''s because spirit food is much like a mild medicinal pill. Properly prepared spirit food comes from all-natural sources with minimal processing, and therefore their nutritional effect is weaker, but there is no chance of side effects. Plus, the taste is amazing. By the way, try this steamed taro dish," Hong Lai said, pointing to a white-and-purple dish. "It''s amazing." Hong Lai helped himself to a generous portion, which was lightly sprinkled with what looked like onions and an unknown blue herb.


    The food was so effective that Cha Ming felt the boundary holding back his qi lake weaken. Unfortunately, they were in the middle of a meal. It would be terrible etiquette to break through while eating dinner with someone.


    After they finished their meal, Cha Ming and Hong Lai got to the heart of the matter¡ªhow to improve the runic engravings on the red lotus brooch. While Cha Ming was not familiar with the Shield Guard inscription, such a grouping of characters was well within his capabilities. He estimated that such an inscription could also be painted as a fourth-grade talisman. With Cha Ming''s capabilities, his chances of success were one in two. He used gold elemental essence to paint the character two times. He didn''t retract any spent ink, however. Only magic treasures could accomplish this, and revealing such an expensive treasure was tantamount to suicide in the cultivation world. No matter how genial Hong Lai seemed, he might be tempted by the appeal of a valuable treasure.


    After two attempts, the base talisman succeeded. Hong Lai nodded approvingly.


    "Yes, this is most definitely the basic form of the inscription rune. However, as I was carving the character, I naturally wanted to beautify it. That is why I carved it as it is now. I didn''t notice anything wrong until you pointed it out, but now I can truly feel that the runes have each lost some of their functionality over the original I had carved into the prototype."


    Cha Ming nodded. "Yes, your representation of the runic character is very beautiful, if judged by calligraphy''s standards. However, there are certain conventions to runic calligraphy."


    Cha Ming spent a good hour explaining a few standard conventions that would beautify characters yet not reduce their functionality. He also painted a much more beautiful representation of the runic character so that Hong Lai could use it for reference, which made him ecstatic. Having a simple diagram was very different from having an actual drawn character, where he could sense the thickness of the energy lines and essence.


    During their conversation, Cha Ming learned many things about weaponsmithing. Spiritual blacksmiths were required to triple-cultivate body, qi, and soul. In addition, they needed to cultivate both fire and metal, a destructive combination. The combination was useful for their body cultivation, but more importantly, it facilitated the use of their primary crafting tools.


    Blacksmiths needed to control fire to melt and purify the metals they used in their creation. Precise temperature control was necessary for melting, tempering, and quenching weapons. Fortunately, their creations could be reformed in the case of failure, unlike an alchemist''s ingredients, where medicinal herbs could be burnt to ashes by excessive temperatures. This was why alchemy had such stringent requirements on innate soul force.


    The control over metal was also a requirement, largely due to the need to condense their very own spiritual hammer. This spiritual hammer had to be imbued with rare metals and other materials, and a spiritual weapon could not be created without a hammer of the appropriate grade. This hammer was not restricted to a large smithing hammer; it could change shapes, becoming larger or smaller as required. In addition, it could be fashioned with a sharp end to inscribe runes onto weapons. These runes did not require any elemental essence while crafting but had to be energized with the appropriate elemental essence after the fact.


    Weapon crafting, while expensive to practice, was not as prohibitive as Cha Ming had originally thought. Talisman crafting without high-level tools had extremely high rates of failure. Any ink used would be lost with a failed talisman. Spiritual blacksmiths, on the other hand, didn''t need to worry about wasted material. Material could be recycled indefinitely, with some exceptions. Once a spiritual blacksmith failed an engraving, he had the option to melt down and reforge the item. Elemental essence would be used as a finishing touch to complete runes, and much less essence was required for a weapon than for a talisman.


    Another key difference lay in the runes they used. Weaponsmithing runes were much simpler than talisman runes for the same grade of weapon. In addition, as they didn''t have to handle liquid ink to paint the characters, they had no requirement to use qi as a guide for the inscriptions. As such, weaponsmiths were not restricted to crafting weapons of a particular element. This was an advantage in versatility over talisman artists.


    The red lotus brooch, a fifth-grade weapon, only used a fourth-grade talisman rune. Cha Ming speculated that this was due to the materials used, which could support the runic inscription. Further, aside from some consumable items like the brooch, spirit weapons would be imbued with spirit-gathering inscriptions, enabling the weapon to borrow the qi of Heaven and Earth. For some reusable ignition-type inscriptions, the user''s qi was often required to activate the rune and create a special effect.


    While Gong Lan was bored, Cha Ming felt like he had discovered a whole new world. Gong Lan returned to the inn after the first hour, and Cha Ming and Hong Lai continued to discuss their respective crafts until four hours after sunset. If he had a chance in the future, Cha Ming decided he wouldn''t mind settling down in a city like Fairweather.


    ***


    The trio made their way to the auction hall the next morning. They were not accompanied by any of the ten mercenaries, as these men were technically one group of four and two groups of three. The mercenary company was a place to meet colleagues and obtain missions and news. Gong Lan''s brother, the Blood King, took a small cut on every deal they were involved in.


    Today''s event, the trade meet, started early in the morning. The reason for the early start was because participants had to register their goods and verify their identities. Each participant had to be registered for the upcoming mission¡ªno exceptions.


    Cha Ming had full confidence that talismans would be in short supply. This was doubly so since his conversation with Hong Lai. He thanked his foresight for not selling them to the Jade Bamboo Conglomerate before leaving Green Leaf City.


    After waiting their turn in line for a half hour, Cha Ming and Gong Lan proceeded to the registration counter with Huxian at their heels. They were greeted by a cultivator in his twenties with short black hair. He wore simple clothes. The man looked studious more than anything, though Cha Ming felt a shiver run down his spine as he was looked over by the young man, who greeted them with a smile on his face.


    "Will you both be participating in the primary auction, the secondary auction, or both?" Following his question, Cha Ming felt an intrusive scan of spiritual energy wash over the three of them. He furrowed his brow in response to the rude behavior.


    The young man quickly noticed his expression. "My apologies, dear guest. Due to the nature of the auction, my employer has instructed me to verify every guest in attendance. My profession is that of an inquisitor. Of course, you are both qualified to attend the primary and secondary auction." He quickly gave them both a bidding paddle, which was affixed with a number. The paddle was fashioned out of simple wood but inscribed with silver ink.


    The man also brought out two contracts for both Cha Ming and Gong Lan. "As part of registering for the auction, you must sign this employment contract for the mission. You will find that the contract is quite fair. I have already filled out your names and cultivation level," the man politely explained.


    Cha Ming was extremely surprised at this revelation. How did the man know his name and cultivation level? More importantly, his cultivation level had been filled out correctly at the sixth level, his body refinement level. Noticing Gong Lan''s unsurprised expression, however, he hid his shock and proceeded to review the contract.


    The terms of the contract were straightforward. They simply stated that to participate in the auction, the cultivator would need to participate in the search and rescue mission. The duration of the contract was one month from the start of the mission, and the cultivators would be compensated in full regardless of the result of the mission. The cultivator need only participate to the best of his ability, without being obligated to utilize costly consumables, though the use of such items was encouraged, as they increased the survivability of the cultivator.


    Should the cultivator encounter life-threatening danger beyond their capability, they could withdraw from the mission and cancel their contract with no penalty, only keeping the 25% advance for the mission.


    The contract also specified compensation levels for each cultivation level at registration, in addition to basic indemnity language for both parties. Overall, the contract was indeed fair. The penalty for unlawful termination of the contract was a Heart Demon Enforcement, which would hamper the cultivator''s ability to advance and break through.


    Just as Cha Ming was about to sign his contract, he was interrupted by the young man. "Might I give you some advice? I am unable to evaluate the strength of your contract beast, which means it must be rather strong, among other things. With an appropriate subcontract, the contract beast can be included as part of your strength. Would you like to consider this?"


    After pondering for a few moments, Cha Ming shook his head and signed the contract. He instantly became aware of a karmic obligation in the back of his mind.


    What a mysterious contract, he thought.


    "I prefer to register with my own strength for personal reasons," he replied.


    The man shrugged and ushered him into the auction house.

 44 Trade Mee

    Cha Ming and company proceeded into the auction house after their registration. Once they were out of earshot, Cha Ming asked Gong Lan about the young man at the entrance.


    "Oh, him?" she said. "He is a professional inquisitor. They appear frequently in large cities, and their profession does not require any complicated materials or training. All inquisitors are required to cultivate light and have innate spiritual force.


    "From what I understand, their profession allows them a few minor abilities that are quite useful. They can determine the strength of cultivators or demon beasts within about three levels of their own cultivation. In addition, they can determine the veracity or falsehood of spoken statements. It is rumored that they can manifest additional abilities, depending on their talents. I heard my brother say that some inquisitors can ''see'' the merit or sin of a person, and that some legendary inquisitors can also identify disguises and break illusions.


    "Overall, they are commonly employed as investigators, prosecutors in court, and police officers. They all have one thing in common¡ªthey abhor lies and deceit and are all morally upright. Deceit is the antithesis of their profession. In fact, excessive lying¡ªeven by omission¡ªcan lead to the deterioration of their profession and cultivation. As such, their statements are universally trusted."


    "But why would an inquisitor need to verify entry into an auction house of all things?" Cha Ming asked as they headed toward a marble service desk.


    "Beats me," she replied. "It''s not unheard of, but it seems unnecessary. That is, unless there are hidden details pertaining to the mission that we are not aware of. In addition, the organizers of this event incurred great expense in hiring a scribe to create the contracts."


    "A scribe?" asked Cha Ming.


    "Yes, scribes are professionals that cultivate fate," Gong Lan explained. "They use spiritual force to create contracts that are binding through karma. The stronger the scribe, the stronger the contract they can enforce. I would imagine that they prepared many tiers of contracts, as the cost of a contract is proportionate to the strength of the enforcement. In fact, these contracts are very similar to talismans and could be considered a subset of the talisman artist profession."


    At this point, Cha Ming felt overwhelmed by the massive amount of information he''d been exposed to since his arrival in the city. "There are too many professions. I naively thought there were only a dozen different occupations," Cha Ming thought out loud, sighing. Huxian nudged his leg in agreement, which reminded Cha Ming of a question that had been pushed to the back of his mind.


    Huxian, why couldn''t that man sense your strength? He should have been strong enough to detect your cultivation. I also don''t remember you having strong spiritual force, Cha Ming asked mentally.


    Oh. Well, at first, his spiritual force washed over me, and my bloodline power burnt it. Then he got a little aggressive and increased the strength of his probing. It was annoying, so I ate it, the little fox explained nonchalantly.


    You¡­ ate it? You mean, you ate his spiritual force? Cha Ming asked.


    Yeah, it was tasty. I wanted to eat more, but he stopped. Huxian''s mental voice was tinged with disappointment.


    ***


    At the service desk, a beautiful female attendant in a red dress was stationed. Judging by her expression, she was tired of the less-than-savory company in attendance that morning. Cha Ming couldn''t blame her. Mercenaries didn''t know how to dress, they didn''t wash or clean up frequently, and they often made crass and rude remarks. Seeing that she was distracted, he lightly cleared his throat. The attendant quickly snapped back to reality and shot them an overexaggerated smile.


    "My dear guests, I assume you wish to set up a stall for the trade meet?" the beautiful woman asked politely. The phrase seemed well-rehearsed. It was likely a canned expression she''d been using to save energy and avoid much conversation.


    "Yes, I would like to set up a talisman shop," Cha Ming replied. This seemed to pique the interest of the lady in red. She straightened up a little and pushed a loose lock of hair back before continuing.


    "May I see the goods in question? Also, may I know what grade of talismans you will be selling? We are required to register the approximate value of goods, for tax purposes. Of course, the hosts will be covering the tax for this exchange, so you need not worry about paying a commission."


    He neatly placed all the talismans he had produced on the desk. According to the Swiftwind Intelligence Agency, his talismans had a list price of 105 mid-grade spirit stones.


    "Two hundred and five sixth-grade talismans," he declared.


    The lady in red''s face flushed as she heard his declaration. She then picked up one of the papers, which had been intricately decorated at the borders with ink matching the key character. While she had no idea what the talisman was used for, she couldn''t help but admire the exquisite calligraphy. The elegance in the brushstrokes could easily match the exquisite runes she had seen on goods produced by top-tier weaponsmiths.


    "Young master, may I ask if you absolutely insist on selling these at the trade meet?" Her form of address quickly adjusted itself to his perceived station; high-level artisans were practically worshiped in Fairweather.


    "Oh? Should I be selling these elsewhere?" Cha Ming inquired after understanding her meaning.


    "I believe there is the possibility of including your goods in the auction itself. Would you be available for a short meeting with my manager?" the lady asked in a hopeful tone. After all, there was actual commission at stake here.


    A quarter hour later, they were seated in a luxurious office in front of a man with long black hair. Wisps of silver flowed down his head onto his shoulders, giving the impression that it was intentionally dyed this way for decorative purposes. He wore a silk cultivation robe, which was dark blue and decorated with silver runic patterns.


    The office seemed more like a showroom than a place to fill out paperwork, due to the dozens of collectible items adorning the walls. Beautifully crafted weapons, armor, clothes, sculptures, and jewelry pieces had been carefully laid out, often inside clear glass cases. Not a speck of dust could be seen.


    The man in question was the manager of the auction house. He was currently observing the talismans Cha Ming had crafted one by one, nodding his head in appreciation.


    "Where did you learn your craft?" the man asked softly.


    "In Green Leaf City, sir. I was taught by Elder Ling, the best talisman artist in the city," Cha Ming replied.


    The man continued nodding his head. "I''ll be honest, I''ve never heard of Elder Ling. However, I have frequented many auction houses and spoken to many craftsmen. Regrettably, calligraphy is seldom used by talisman artists, as it substantially increases the difficulty. There are maybe one or two talisman artists in the kingdom that would bother, and they are both foundation-establishment elders. They usually wouldn''t bother themselves with mid-grade talismans like these.


    "That being said, I''m not mocking your talismans. Quite the contrary, your attention to detail and exquisite penmanship is exactly what people look for around here, particularly in noble and craftsman families. Coincidentally, we expect at least half of the guests at this auction with higher-level cultivations to be in this demographic.


    "Here is what I propose. I can give you a base price of twenty-five percent over list price. In addition, if this is insufficient, I offer to add these goods to tomorrow''s auction. If they don''t sell as I predict, I will buy them from you at said price, because I can eventually sell them at a hefty profit. The starting price at the auction will be a twenty-five percent premium, and I am confident in our ability to fetch a thirty to fifty percent premium. These goods are in short supply, especially just before the rescue mission. Combined with their artistic value, I think this is a fair estimate.


    "Normally, we would ask for a five percent commission on anything that we auction. In this case, I propose zero commission for the base price but a twenty-five percent commission on anything over and above the base price. This will give us plenty of incentive to fetch you the best price possible. What do you think of my proposal?"


    "How about twenty percent?" he countered. "In addition, I want a letter of credit for 125% of their face value so that I can shop around during the trade meet and at earlier stages of the auction."


    "Deal," the manager replied. They shook hands, and the trio walked out of the office with a stack of bills of credit. Each bill was redeemable for ten thousand spirit stones at the auction house.


    ***


    Lively. That was the only way to describe the trade meet. A total of three hundred mercenaries consisting of foreign and local cultivators had chosen to participate in the mission. Truth be told, half of them were little more than cannon fodder. Alas, their situation was akin to the employees of pleasure houses. Mercenaries usually chose the profession out of desperation. And just like their sister occupation, they did not live long.


    Of course, that did not stop them from somehow accumulating odd treasures from time to time. Three quarters of the stalls dealt with low-quality goods or unknown goods. These rubbish treasures were of little or no use to these cultivators. That or they were saving up for something important like a life-saving treasure or a better spirit weapon. While everyone had heard that there would be plenty of spirit weapons at the auction, no one knew the exact number. Many of the warriors did not possess even the lowest grade of precious weapons, not to mention their upgraded versions.


    Therefore, a young man, a young lady, and a baby fox decided to take advantage of the fire sale. Most of the goods were displayed on simple tables covered in black fabric, lest the tables draw attention from their glittering wares. What Cha Ming and company were doing now was akin to junk diving¡ªsifting through the rubble in the hopes of finding a precious treasure.


    A few hours passed, after which they stopped at an interesting stall, where a grizzled veteran''s deep voice caught their attention. His hefty mane was draped across a set of burly shoulders. A suit of black armor covered his torso, his upper arms, and his thighs. Such a suit of armor was commonly used by cultivators since it did not restrict mobility. Cha Ming evaluated that it was a mid-grade spirit armor, given the runes that were inscribed. Spirit armor came with a substantially higher price tag than spirit weapons. The man had a dozen items laid out in front of him.


    "This bottle of pills was obtained from an expert''s tomb. I lost five brothers to obtain it, but alas, I am unsure of its contents. Breaking open the seal on this glass bottle will cause the medicine to quickly lose its efficacy. Therefore, I haven''t had the heart to take the risk and open it."


    Seeing Cha Ming was about to turn and leave, he tried again. "Young man, I''m quite desperate to obtain a mid-grade spirit weapon in this upcoming auction. Therefore I''m willing to part with this precious bottle for three mid-grade spirit stones." The man looked deeply aggrieved, as though he was selling his firstborn son. Given the man''s professional-grade acting talent, Cha Ming would not have been surprised if he''d shed a tear.


    Gong Lan, being the hot-tempered one, scolded him immediately. "How could anyone ever buy this bottle of pills from you for three mid-grade spirit stones? That''s a small fortune! In addition, the pills in this bottle would need to be at least eighth or ninth grade for me to make a profit! Have you no shame?"


    This was the third stall they had stopped at. Try as he might, Cha Ming had been unable to convince Gong Lan to stop buying things. Her demeanor made her easy prey for the various shady characters who had set up their stalls. This battle-hardened veteran was more cunning than the last two, however, and he immediately laid out some bait, which she bit into with gusto. It was only a matter of time until she obtained her "victory."


    He sighed. "But how am I to afford a sixth-grade spirit weapon at this auction unless I sell these possessions of mine for a hefty profit? Without a good weapon, I might very well die!" the man replied in a saddened voice.


    "That''s not my problem! You can''t rip people off just because you need more money. Five thousand spirit stones is a much more reasonable price." Unknowingly, Gong Lan had started to haggle with the grizzled veteran.


    "Come on now, lass, that price is outrageous! Clearly fifteen thousand spirit stones is a much more reasonable price." The man looked quite heated now, but it was clearly all an act. Everyone but the young lady arguing with him saw it clearly.


    "Well, you deserve it! You''re the one who highballed us in the first place! Fine, since you''re willing to be reasonable, lets settle this in the middle. One mid-grade spirit stone!"


    Cha Ming coughed a couple of times to get her attention. "Are you sure you want to get this bottle of pills? You would have to go get them appraised later, and who knows exactly what''s inside the bottle?"


    In all fairness, the bottle seemed positively ancient. The seals placed on pill bottles had a convenient function that identified the date of sealing. Such a time-keeping function was difficult to tamper with, and the person who had established this specific seal was definitely an impressive elder. The bottle''s seal was one hundred and six years old.


    While the probability of there being at least a seventh-grade pill inside was very high, there was always a chance that the pills had been damaged despite the seal. In addition, the pills in the bottle might not be very useful for Gong Lan. Therefore, a price of ten thousand spirit stones was not unreasonable, given the potential risks and rewards.


    The man was not one to give up, however. He immediately agreed to one mid-grade spirit stone in order to minimize the chance that Cha Ming would be able to convince her otherwise.


    "Yeah! Here you go, sir! And remember to be more honest in the future!" Gong Lan laid down a mid-grade spirit stone and picked up the pill bottle, humming joyfully. Just as she was about to depart, she paused after noticing that Cha Ming was still observing an item on the table.


    "Where did you get this?" Cha Ming asked the man, who was currently in a good mood. The object in question was an old and crumpled talisman. It had clearly been through many hardships. The edges were worn, and the paper was torn in many places. Despite its wretched appearance, Cha Ming could sense a mysterious power fluctuation.


    Despite Cha Ming''s proficiency in runic characters, he could not decipher the meaning behind the script. Not only was this script much longer than normal, but the characters were nonsensical. It was as though there was a mysterious veil that had been placed over them, making it impossible for him to clearly interpret their meaning.


    Brother, that''s space power! It''s definitely a spatial transmission talisman, the usually silent Huxian chimed in.


    Oh? How are you so sure? I''ve never sensed such power before, but I can tell that it''s at least a magic-grade talisman, Cha Ming replied. The little fox was full of secrets, which he''d only discovered with the passage of time. Huxian had once called them inherited memories, and they only surfaced by chance or whenever they were useful.


    My kind has a very strong affinity to space. I''ll gain the ability to perform short-distance teleportation much earlier than most cultivators or spirit beasts. I can tell that this talisman is a damaged spatial transmission talisman. Unfortunately, the talisman is severely damaged. There is a ninety-eight percent chance that it will outright fail, while there is a one percent chance that it will work as intended and teleport the user and up to five people to a random destination within ten thousand li, the fox replied proudly.


    What about the other one percent? Cha Ming asked.


    I''m not too sure. Given the nature of spatial powers, my guess is that the user will get torn to pieces under the ravages of space and time, Huxian replied in a jovial tone.


    That''s¡­ encouraging.


    "Sir, did you hear me?" The man looked concerned, as Cha Ming had spaced out for a good sixty breaths.


    Having regained his focus, Cha Ming looked a little embarrassed. "My apologies, could you repeat what you just said?"


    "Yes, of course." The man was a little embarrassed but continued to explain. "This talisman was found in the same tomb as the bottle of pills. While it''s clearly a high-level talisman, its ability to function is¡­ questionable at best. I once sought out an expert, who took great interest in this talisman. In exchange for a few days time to study it, he reported that it was likely a minor teleportation talisman capable of traveling one thousand li in a chosen direction. In addition, the damage meant that there was less than a one-in-a-thousand chance of activation, but a ten percent chance of activating a less-than-pleasant function."


    "I happen to find this trinket a little interesting. That and the eighth-level beast core on the table. Would five thousand spirit stones be sufficient?" Of course, the beast core had been identified by Huxian as a tasty morsel. Strictly speaking, the price of an eighth-level beast core was ten thousand spirit stones, but this was a fire sale, not an auction.


    "The talisman is nothing. If you buy the beast core, I''ll throw it in for free. However, the going rate for these is ten thousand spirit stones. But I can bring it down to nine thousand, since the auction is tomorrow¡­" the man said hesitantly.


    "Eight thousand, take it or leave it," Cha Ming replied. After all, Huxian was easily capable of harvesting such items himself.


    The trio soon left the merchant stall in a happy mood. They continued to peruse through the remainder of the stalls for the rest of the day, and Cha Ming made sure to pick up a few necessities at a cheap price. Fasting pills, while not particularly tasty, enabled one to continue for days without a meal. He also purchased low-level healing pills, which were useful in emergencies when his wood qi was depleted.


    Their business finished, they spent the rest of the day in leisure at their new favorite restaurant, the Phoenix Cry Pavilion.

 45 The Auction

    Cha Ming and company returned to the auction house after noon the next day. The street leading to the auction house was much busier than the previous day. Instead of trickling in to set up their stalls, everyone arrived together just before the start of the auction. Most people had been registered the previous day, and as a result the traffic flowed much more smoothly.


    After a short wait, Cha Ming and company arrived at the entrance of the beautifully decorated auction house. He had failed to notice its beauty the first time he came, as he had been preoccupied with selling his wares. Unlike most buildings in town, which were made from carved stone, the auction hall was fabricated with expensive wood.


    The wood had been carved with intricate patterns, both decorative and runic, and they meshed together seamlessly. While the wood was dark, the carved runes had been stained a bright purple to complement golden fixtures. The building could only be described as majestic.


    To gain entrance this time, all Cha Ming did was flash his bidding paddle, which identified him as a silver-level bidder in the upcoming auction. After entering, they proceeded to the seating area. It was entirely different than the cheap, undecorated hall in which the trade meet was held.


    The rows up front were reserved for those with silver bidding paddles. Those with silver paddles had a proven level of strength, and their seating area was much less crowded than those used by the less powerful mercenaries. This was not their destination, however. They ignored the lower seating area and proceeded to the private booths. Given how well he and Hong Lai had hit it off, Cha Ming saw no reason to turn down his invitation.


    After inquiring with one of the attendants, they soon arrived at a wooden door carved with a ferocious mastiff. There were only twelve booths in the auction house, one for each of the twelve guardian animals. Each year was named after one of the animals, and each one was featured five times in a sixty-year cycle. The five rotations had something to do with the five elements.


    The attendant knocked on the large wooden door, and it was immediately opened by Hong Lai, who greeted them with a cheerful smile. "Cha Ming, Gong Lan, it''s so good to see you!"


    Cha Ming clasped his hands and bowed respectfully. "The pleasure is all ours. How could we refuse your gracious invitation?"


    After exchanging pleasantries, Hong Lai quickly ushered them in and served them tea. They drank in silence for a quarter hour, then another soft knock sounded on the door. Two unfamiliar young men were ushered in by their host.


    The duo clasped their hands in greeting to Hong Lai. "Greetings, Master Uncle Hong," they said in unison.


    Hong Lai waved his hand in response. "No need for formalities. Let me introduce you to two new friends." He motioned toward Cha Ming and Gong Lan.


    "This is Cha Ming and Gong Lan. They''ve come from Green Leaf City to join the rescue mission. We met when Cha Ming gave me some advice on calligraphy while crafting a fifth-grade protective treasure." He then motioned toward the two youngsters.


    "Cha Ming, Gong Lan, these two are my apprentice-nephews. My master had five students, and although he has retired, his legacy lives on with me, my apprentice-brothers, and my apprentices and apprentice-nephews.


    "The one on the left with the longer hair is Sima Qian, and the aggressive-looking one on the right is Wu Jin. They have both volunteered to participate in this expedition. As such, they are also your competitors in this auction."


    The short-haired Wu Jin was expressionless. Sima Qian, however, laughed modestly and said, "Uncle Master, I would hardly call us competitors. Spiritual blacksmiths burn spirit stones to learn their craft. Truth be told, Wu Jin already has everything he needs and is participating out of curiosity. On the other hand, I only wish to participate and obtain a seventh-grade spirit weapon at less than market price."


    The pair of apprentice-brothers seated themselves opposite Gong Lan and Cha Ming. The booth''s seating was semicircular. This way, they would always be facing the auction stage. An ornate semicircular table was located in front of them. Hong Lai had already served tea on this table, and various snack dishes had been placed there for the booth''s occupants. While Huxian had wanted to gorge himself as soon as they entered, he was scolded by Cha Ming and forced to withdraw rations from his collar.


    Wu Jin, despite his simple-minded appearance, was extremely observant. "Your pet fox is quite extraordinary!" he said in admiration. "While I''m not very proficient at crafting artifacts, combat is my true passion. I can tell that I surely wouldn''t last more than three rounds against it! Furthermore, it''s just a baby!"


    His comments prompted looks of admiration from Hong Lai, Sima Qian, and Wu Jin. The baby fox, unware of what was happening, looked at them with a puzzled expression.


    Cha Ming laughed. "I assure you, he''s only a regular spirit fox. He did, however, experience a fortuitous encounter. While wandering the spirit woods near Green Leaf Academy, we happened to discover a demon blood ginseng. Huxian almost died after consuming it! He survived out of sheer luck. Afterward, he experienced a period of rapid growth. Perhaps he will be lucky enough to evolve into a demon beast when he grows up."


    This lie had been rehearsed many times in the past. After all, not many baby spirit beasts were born with so much innate strength and potential. Revealing Huxian''s identity might rouse jealousy in even the most honest cultivators.


    Fortunately, before anyone had a chance to question his lie, the rowdy auction hall suddenly quieted down. They were silenced by an extremely beautiful woman wearing a red dress. The dress was tight-fitting, accentuating her generous proportions and well-toned figure. The woman''s long black hair was fastened behind her head with a jade pin. Her cherry-red lips had been painted to match her dress.


    After entering the stage, she spoke out in a magically amplified yet melodious voice.


    "My fellow adventurers, welcome to today''s special pre-mission auction. This auction has been sponsored jointly by our very own Han Jinlong and Zhang Yifeng, who will also be participating in the upcoming mission.


    "As all of you may know, this auction has been launched by our leading artisans to rescue their dear family members, whom they have not heard from in many weeks. In order to increase the chances of success, they have spared no expense in hosting this auction. As such, except for the final two items in this auction, any weapons or pills that are sold will not be identified by their craftsmen. Unlike the shops in this city, these exquisitely crafted products will be auctioned off at a starting price of eighty-five percent of their list price.


    "If this isn''t enough, I have received a guarantee from our two hosts that within each grade, at least ten percent of the items have been crafted by them personally! After the expedition, they will be more than happy to identify these personally crafted weapons. Such a memorable item would be a priceless addition to anyone''s collection!


    "Regarding all other weapons, each of these are guaranteed to be crafted by one of the top twenty weapon craftsmen in the city. It is impossible to see these as normal weapons, however, because these limited-edition items, while beautiful, are also inscribed with a commemorative decoration. The resale value of these items cannot be doubted!


    "The following items will be auctioned off in this special batch:


    Third-grade medicinal pills¡ªone hundred bottles


    Fourth-grade medicinal pills¡ªfifty bottles


    Fifth-grade medicinal pills¡ªten bottles


    Sixth-grade medicinal pills¡ªfive bottles


    "Specialized pill-crafting session with Zhang Yifeng¡ªten units. Please note, this includes labor but does not include materials, which can either be supplied or bought at cost. One crafting session includes the creation of three cauldrons of medicinal pills.


    Third-grade spirit weapon¡ªone hundred units


    Fourth-grade spirit weapon¡ªfifty units


    Fifth-grade spirit weapon¡ªten units


    Sixth-grade spirit weapon¡ªfive units


    "Specialized weapon crafting session with Han Jinlong¡ªten units. Please note, this includes labor but does not include materials, which can either be supplied by the cultivator or bought at cost.


    "Without further ado, we''ll begin this auction with the first item¡ªone bottle of twenty lesser healing pills. These pills are ideal for treating injuries such as large lacerations and small fractures. They can effectively treat anything short of a severed limb, internal organ damage, or meridian trauma. Don''t risk your life without sufficient insurance¡ªbuy some healing pills!"


    With a wave of her hand, a small ornately crafted bottle was launched onto a pedestal. The mysterious device, sensing the presence of an item, projected an enlarged three-dimensional image of the bottle and its contents. The green pills were shaped like dodecahedrons. Decorative flower patterns were carved into the surface of each pill. These served no function, though. Unlike spirit weapons, spirit pills could not be reforged after their creation.


    "Sixty-eight spirit stones!"


    "Seventy spirit stones!"


    "Seventy-five spirit stones!"


    Multiple bids were made instantly. Unfortunately for the bidders, it was difficult to find cheaply-made medicinal pills in town. The stock of practically every shop had been completely exhausted due to the recent influx of mercenaries. After multiple rounds of bidding, the price finally settled at one hundred and five spirit stones, roughly thirty percent higher than the list price.


    "It''s not a bad way to make money. With so much excitement, these prices are going through the roof," Cha Ming commented. He was also regretting his prior purchases. The small amount of spirit stones he spent previously might have been enough to tip the scales for customized services in his favor.


    "You can''t say that. In reality, this auction won''t even cover fifty percent of the costs," said Hong Lai.


    "Oh? How so?" asked Cha Ming.


    "Well, think about it this way," Hong Lai continued. "You''re a sixth-grade talisman artist. If someone asked you to craft a bunch of first-grade talismans, would you do it? Perhaps for a friend or relative. However, your time is better spent crafting higher-level talismans. Even crafting items at a loss for practice is a better use of your time.


    "In fact, my retired teacher has incurred a substantial loss for this auction. He crafted two of the sixth-grade spirit weapons, which might fetch two or three mid-grade spirit stones. The weapons he crafts normally sell for tens, even hundreds of mid-grade spirit stones. He only made these because the craftsmen in Fairweather consider themselves to be one big family. They made these weapons to encourage more participation."


    "I see what you mean. Perhaps I would make low-level talismans as a favor, nothing more." Cha Ming was solemn for the remainder of the pre-auction. The price of the sixth-grade spirit weapons reached thirty to forty thousand spirit stones. This made Cha Ming very nervous¡ªwould he need to liquidate some soul alloy or crystalized elemental essence to cover the price of his bid? After all, the amount in question didn''t even include materials! Perhaps he had been too na?ve in assuming he could successfully purchase one of the ten slots.


    Once the pre-auction came to an end, there was a one-hour intermission. The regular guests were invited for a buffet-style meal in an event hall within the auction house. A special meal was served in each of the twelve VIP booths. Everyone enjoyed their meal with great gusto.


    "Brother Lai, might you know where I can find an appraiser in this auction hall?" Cha Ming asked while retrieving a green bean with his chopsticks.


    "Oh? What would you like appraised? I''m very curious, since most people would have registered goods they want to liquidate with the auction house," Hong Lai said while grabbing a piece of beef and stuffing it in his mouth.


    "Well, I''ve been told by a friend of mine that an item I possess has a cash equivalent," Cha Ming said. "He''s usually pretty good with these things, but he failed to mention the exchange rate." He was truly confused by Wang Jun''s attitude toward his crystalized elemental essence. However, Cha Ming had never inquired about it because it was an ideal cultivation resource when used with an energy-gathering formation.


    "Let''s see it, then. There are no strangers here," Hong Lai said.


    Cha Ming nodded and produced a light-blue stone. Hong Lai shot him a surprised look and shook his head.


    "There is no need for an appraiser. This is a common cash currency," Hong Lai replied. "Crystalized elemental essence is worth roughly ten mid-grade spirit stones per refined stone that size. It''s priced by weight, since there is no standard cut."


    The hell? Why didn''t Wang Jun tell me such an important detail? He would never have sold those talismans if he''d known he had such a large amount of cash! He would have also bought tons of pills at the auction. With no legitimate route to vent his anger, he had inadvertently yelled at Huxian via voice transmission. Huxian wasn''t amused at the outburst and began to sulk.


    "Are you okay there?" Hong Lai asked. "You spaced out all of a sudden."


    "Nothing, nothing. I was just surprised. I have a few of them, and I didn''t realize they were worth so much," Cha Ming replied. No one asked how many "a few" was, as prying into someone''s wealth was considered rude.


    Following the intermission, the second part of the auction began. This session featured a variety of rare treasures and higher-level wares.


    Gong Lan, who wasn''t looking for anything in particular, took a fancy to a pair of sabers called the Blood Drinking Blades. The auctioneer had introduced the weapons as a top-grade spirit weapon, which suffered from a serious drawback: amplified baleful aura. Many users of the blades had gone insane from bloodlust. For Gong Lan, however, it was a perfect fit. She purchased them for the very low price of eighty-eight mid-grade spirit stones.


    Cha Ming''s talismans were popular, as predicted. On average, they fetched 145% of list price, or 152 mid-grade spirit stones. While it pleased him that these goods were popular, his newfound fortune caused him to regret selling these life-saving treasures. Unfortunately, he had already commissioned their sale. As the seller, he was not qualified to buy back his item.


    To his surprise, the stoic Wu Jin purchased three such talismans. When Cha Ming inquired about it, he sighed and shook his head before replying. "My younger sister is at the third level of qi condensation, but she insisted on participating in this rescue mission. I''ve been told that the mission is extremely dangerous. However, she says she won''t stay close to me on the battlefield, as it will stunt her growth in the long term.


    "Moreover, I''ve tried to give her protective treasures countless times in the past, but she is very picky. Perhaps only Master Uncle Hong Lai''s goods stand a chance at passing her evaluation, but they are always expensive and in very short supply. In addition, too many single-use protective treasures start interfering with each other. I''m hoping that these talismans you made obtain her approval.


    "At the very least, these wind-affinity talismans are very useful, and very rare. An instant increase in movement speed is very hard to come by. Where did you ever learn to craft these Cloud Step talismans?" Wu Jin inquired.


    "They are something I made on a whim, based on a movement technique I practice. You praise me far too much," Cha Ming said while chuckling wryly. It had been an accidental creation from one of his practice sessions, and the Cloud Step runes he used to practice his calligraphy happened to produce a useful talisman.


    "It looks like you lucked out, Wu Jin," Hong Lai chimed in. "If the auctioneers had known that this was an original and unique creation, the price would have doubled! Make sure you tell your sister this detail. She always loves purchasing my newest works."


    They continued to discuss things in a relaxed manner for quite some time, and no longer paid attention to the ongoing auction. Suddenly, however, Cha Ming''s attention was roused by the voice inside his head. It was the red-bearded man who lived inside the Clear Sky Brush.


    "Cha Ming, make sure you get your hands on the treasure being auctioned in lot 76, no matter the price!" The excitement in the man''s voice startled Cha Ming, as this was the first time he had ever heard him so agitated.


    "No matter the price?" Cha Ming asked. "You mean that this treasure is more valuable than getting medicinal pills to aid my breakthrough or forging a soul-alloy staff?"


    "Much more than that," he replied. "You might not know it, but you''re currently a dead man walking. You''ve agreed to share tribulations with your fox friend, but you haven''t made any plans on how to face it! He''s already so much stronger than you. Has it ever occurred to you that by the time he faces his tribulation, Huxian will be a peak god-level spirit beast with the power of his second tail, while you might only be at the sixth or seventh level of qi condensation?


    "Without sufficient preparation, you''re going to get blown to bits! This treasure can help you through this first tribulation. Unfortunately, it can''t do everything for you. It''s a priority to get your cultivation up as fast as possible, in addition to the Seventy-Two Transformations Technique. The weapon can wait."


    Cha Ming paled at the revelation. "Can Huxian not delay his breakthrough?"


    "What do you mean, delay? That kid, even if all he does at this point is sleep and breathe, he''ll naturally break through with ease. For a spirit beast at his level, there''s no such thing as holding back. This is just a part of him naturally growing up. If you don''t keep up, you''ll both end up dead."


    As if emphasizing his point, the auctioneer''s melodious voice sounded out. "One hundred and ten mid-grade spirit stones going once. One hundred and ten mid-grade spirit stones going twice."


    "One hundred and thirty mid-grade spirit stones!" Cha Ming shouted out in a hurry, to the surprise of everyone sharing his booth.


    "Are you sure you want to buy this treasure?" asked Hong Lai. "It has been around the auction block a few times. Every time, someone ''borrows'' the item for a few months only to return it in frustration. I dare say that I''ve personally seen it auctioned off twelve times!"


    There was no use regretting, however. His sharp increase in price had dissuaded the single bidder, who was purely interested in seeing the famous item up close.


    "Lot number seventy-six, sold to the man in the private booth!" the auctioneer announced. Just like that, Cha Ming''s small fortune in mid-grade spirit stones had been viciously decimated. And he hadn''t even seen the treasure that he bid on!


    To succeed in any future auctions, Cha Ming would need to spend his crystalized elemental essence, which was extremely useful in his cultivation.

 46 Main Auction

    During the next intermission, Cha Ming and Gong Lan went to the auction desk to pay their bills and collect the items they had purchased. In Cha Ming''s case, he exchanged most of his remaining bills of credit for the mystery treasure in lot number 76.


    To his surprise, the treasure appeared to be a bundle of metal stakes joined together by a long, thin chain. The stakes resembled throwing daggers decorated with elaborate runic patterns. He still had no idea how to use this treasure, but he was sure that his friend in the brush would explain everything when the time came. Given how important the treasure was to his survival, he carefully placed it in an empty corner of his bag of holding.


    After storing the treasure, he turned around just in time to see a blood-red blade slash down toward his face. It stopped right on his nose before he even had a chance to scream. Satisfied with its performance, Gong Lan withdrew the other saber from its sheath and began admiring the pair. They looked very similar to a pair of oversized, black iron kukris . The crude iron was rusted to the point that it was unfit for duty, yet the stench of blood permeating from the blades spoke volumes of its ability to perform its basic function.


    As Gong Lan hefted the two cruel blades, her demeanor instantly changed. Her abnormal levels of bloodlust increased threefold in an instant, causing some nearby cultivators to wet themselves.


    "Gong Lan!" Cha Ming yelled, calling his friend back to her senses.


    "Perfect," she whispered softly, sending a chill down Cha Ming''s spine. After a few moments, she came to and realized that she had caused a scene and shot everyone a bashful look as she sheathed the blades and fastened them to her back.


    After returning to their private booth, Cha Ming performed some quick mental calculations. He estimated that he had 2,000 mid-grade spirit stones'' worth of crystalized elemental essence to liquidate. That was the equivalent of twenty million low-grade spirit stones.


    "Brother Hong," Cha Ming asked, "how much do you think those custom crafting slots will auction for?"


    Hong Lai thought for a moment before replying. "Three million spirit stones."


    "That much? Why would it be so high?" Cha Ming complained. His nouveau riche mentality quickly faded as he realized that he was only wealthy for a qi condensation cultivator.


    "Well, it''s because these famous artisans are foundation-establishment elders," Hong Lai replied. "Their level in their craft enables them to make magic treasures. Many of the people participating in the auction will, in fact, be asking them to create their future weapons. These people are geniuses within their families, and their elders are willing to bet a significant fortune on their future, as it is closely tied to the destiny of their family."


    Cha Ming sighed. "It looks like I''ll have to go for a pill-crafting slot and ignore my weapon for now. Alas, Brother Hong, I''m still too poor."


    "Oh? What kind of weapon were you looking to have crafted?" Hong Lai asked with interest. He was a spiritual blacksmith, after all.


    "I''d like Han Jinlong to craft a soul-alloy staff. The staff must be six feet long and two inches wide. The problem is, I''ve heard that soul alloy is an extremely difficult material to craft, and I dare not trust anyone but Han Jinlong for this matter." Cha Ming''s eyes were downcast. As the bearded man in the Clear Sky Brush had said, life before weapon.


    "That¡­ that is a huge amount of soul alloy. Are you sure you don''t want it made with another material?" Hong Lai asked.


    "Yes, and I understand that most soul-alloy weapons are small or thin. However, I really need the weight-increasing and length-manipulation properties intrinsic to soul alloy for my staff arts. I also practice five-element cultivation, and any other material will skew my fighting style. Besides, I already have enough soul alloy, and I only need to contract a spiritual blacksmith that can work with it."


    "You already have such a huge amount of soul alloy?" Hong Lai asked, amazed. "Well, you''re in luck. Don''t bother with this auction. I''ll simply ask for a favor from my master, Bei Ling. While he is not the best spiritual blacksmith in the city, Han Jinlong himself would not dare say he is my master''s match at crafting soul-alloy weapons!"


    Cha Ming was elated. Hong Lai''s offer was like receiving coal in the winter. He graciously accepted.


    Now that his most pressing problem was solved, he waited leisurely for the auction to begin once more. This time, an old man with white hair walked confidently out on stage, and the noisy crowd quieted. Though he wore a set of plain blue robes and his appearance was unremarkable, the man''s presence was stifling¡ªthe mark of a foundation-establishment elder.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Li Taihou, the president of the Fairweather City auction house. The contents of this auction have already been explained, so without further ado, I will proceed to the main event." Even without a voice amplification device, Li Taihou''s voice resonated throughout the entire auction house.


    "I would like to remind you before continuing, however, that only those with silver voting paddles can participate. The rest of you may continue to watch at your leisure. The first item up for auction is the first custom pill-concoction slot. The winner will be entitled to three batches of custom pill concoction from Master Zhang Yifeng.


    "Please note that while this price includes labor, it does not include the cost of materials. Success is guaranteed with three batches of materials, as long as the grade of pills requested does not exceed low-grade magic pills. Master Zhang has guaranteed that he will make an attempt to concoct pills with each batch of materials provided, to a maximum of three. Additionally, I would like to note that this is very unusual¡ªalchemists will usually keep excess materials when they guarantee success.


    "The starting price is one hundred mid-grade spirit stones. Each subsequent bid must raise the price by one mid-grade spirit stone. To place a bid, please yell out your offer and reveal your bidding paddle."


    Despite his permission to begin, the people in the auction house were strangely quiet. A lone woman''s voice broke the silence, yelling out, "One hundred spirit stones." This voice came from the sheep booth.


    The voice was answered by that of a young man, who was seated in the ox booth. "I can''t let you take a slot so cheaply. That would be an insult to Master Zhang''s skill. One hundred and ten spirit stones."


    A third voice rang out from the white tiger booth, that of a middle-aged man. "You youngsters think you can get everything for cheap. One hundred and twenty spirit stones!"


    The trio continued bidding, and no one dared interrupt them. "Who are these three, and why does no one else bid?" Cha Ming inquired.


    "Ah, they are from the younger generation from each of the three prominent families in Fairweather City," Hong Lai said. "While I wouldn''t go so far as to say that no one dares offend them, I think that everyone here is grateful that they are participating in the mission. As a token of respect, they will naturally let these three fight over the first three slots. Even a foreign influence wouldn''t haggle over these slots with them unless they are exceptionally arrogant. Conversely, they won''t fight over the remaining slots as a reciprocation of their goodwill. The rest of the slots are fair game."


    Cha Ming wasn''t one to rock the boat unless someone greatly offended him. If this was the custom here, so be it. True to Hong Lai''s words, they won the first three batches with no competition. Surprisingly, they did not pursue rock-bottom prices. Instead, they kept each other in check and ensured that the item did not go for below 210 spirit stones.


    Hong Lai explained the phenomenon. "Cha Ming, you''ll notice that the minimum bid was 210 mid-grade spirit stones. This serves as a signal to the other competitors. Two hundred ten mid-grade spirit stones is the minimum acceptable price in this auction, and they will snatch away slots if this minimum price isn''t offered."


    The auction was a lot tamer than Cha Ming imagined it would be.


    Then the fourth auction started at a record price. "Two hundred forty spirit stones!" a man shouted out passionately from the general seating area. He was a fat, middle-aged man.


    "Two hundred forty-five spirit stones!" a much younger man yelled out.


    Cha Ming knew that the prices could only increase as the quantity decreased. "Two hundred eighty spirit stones!" he increased the price sharply to deter other bidders. The auction hall was quiet for a brief moment, until the fat man bid once more.


    "Two hundred eighty-five spirit stones!" he yelled out nervously.


    "Three hundred twenty!" Cha Ming yelled out immediately. Silence ensued. After thirty breaths had passed, the auctioneer yelled out.


    "Three hundred twenty, going once! Three hundred twenty, going twice! Sold, to the man in the mastiff booth!" The elder proceeded with the remainder of the auction, but no one else in his booth participated.


    The final prices ended up ranging between 280 spirit stones and 380 spirit stones. While Cha Ming didn''t get the lowest price, he also avoided competing at the tail end of the auction, when the prices were sky high.


    With nothing better to do, their group stuck around for the final auction, the weapon auction. These slots fetched up to 400 mid-grade spirit stones, slightly higher than the pill-concoction slots. Instead of bidding, they enjoyed chatting about weaponsmithing, talisman crafting, and other things. At one point, Wu Jin recounted the story of how he had accidentally been betrothed to a fey creature.


    "I was walking by myself in the Lonely Woods, a spirit wood not far from here. It was a lucrative mission, one where we had to search for a mobile target that had been terrorizing local adventurers. At one point, I desperately needed to relieve myself. Naturally, I found a nearby tree to ''water.''


    "Little did I know, the tree I chose was a dryad! She mistook my urination for a courting ritual, after which she became completely infatuated with me. It was impossible to separate myself from her, and I could hardly go back to town with such an innocent, untamed fey. After much effort, I was able to convince her that it would be best if I meet her elders. They were very understanding of my plight, as this sort of thing had happened to younger fey many times. It took many days, but they finally convinced the young dryad that it was a misunderstanding, and I was finally able to return to town. I had trouble peeing for a week!" Wu Jin''s story provoked a storm of laughter.


    Two hours after the auction ended, Cha Ming proceeded to the auction desk and paid with thirty-two pieces of crystalized elemental essence. While the attendant was surprised at seeing this unusual currency, she had dealt with it before and didn''t need to call the manager. Cha Ming was then led to a small room where the nine other winners of the pill-concoction slots were waiting.


    ***


    Cha Ming was the fourth to be called in, and he was ushered into a quiet room, where an older man with white hair was seated. In addition to the usual pressure he felt from foundation-establishment experts, Cha Ming felt a little something extra, like a soft pressure on his spirit. Reflexively, he released his spiritual force to counteract this intrusion.


    "Oh." The man raised an eyebrow. Simultaneously, Cha Ming felt the pressure undulate, and he was forced to constantly adjust the pressure he felt from the experienced alchemist. After thirty breaths, he was finally unable to endure the fierce wrestling match, and his spiritual force collapsed. The man''s spiritual force did not continue its assault, however. Instead, the alchemist clapped and smiled.


    "It''s so rare to see someone with such a strong spiritual force for his cultivation level, and with such exquisite control. What profession do you practice, young man?" Zhang Yifeng asked.


    Cha Ming clasped his hands together and gave him a short bow. "Master Zhang, I''m a mildly proficient talisman artist. My achievements aren''t anything worth mentioning."


    The old man laughed. "How modest. The talismans for the auction must have come from you, then. They are sixth-grade talismans, so it''s very impressive that you were able to craft them at the fifth level of qi condensation. Were you assessed with very high innate soul force?"


    "I was fortunate to be assessed with full innate soul force," Cha Ming replied.


    Zhang Yifeng nodded. "Very good. I confess myself impressed. What can I help you with today? I owe you three instances of pill concoction, as stated by the auctioneers."


    "Master Zhang, I would like to request one batch of a high-level spirit pill that can aid me in making cultivation breakthroughs in qi condensation. I also expect that establishing my foundation will be very challenging. As such, I would like to request two batches of foundation-establishment pills tailored to my qi method."


    "Establishing your foundation will be challenging, as you say. As for the high-level spirit pill, it sounds like you are looking for Barrier Breaker pills. What is your talent grade, young man?" the alchemist asked.


    "Alas, my talent is only third grade," Cha Ming answered. "I find myself taking more and more time to break through each level of qi condensation. If I can get the batch of Barrier Breaker pills tomorrow, I am confident I can break through to the sixth level of qi condensation prior to our departure. I am also fifty percent confident in breaking through to the seventh level of body cultivation."


    "Interesting. Fifty percent success, you say?" Zhang Yifeng said. "Training the body is much more difficult than training qi. You must have a special method. Very well, what you are requesting will cost twelve hundred mid-grade spirit stones. Can you afford it?"


    Cha Ming gritted his teeth and withdrew a small mountain of crystalized elemental essence. "Will this be sufficient?" he asked.


    The older man chuckled. "So rich at such a young age. Come, stand in front of me, and don''t resist. I''m going to take an imprint of the qi in your dantian. I''ll be using it to tailor the composition of your pills to your cultivation method."


    Cha Ming nodded and immediately stood in front of the experienced alchemist.


    Instead of forming some complicated hand seals, the older man took out a plain bronze mirror, which he held in front of Cha Ming''s dantian. Of course, the mirror was anything but ordinary. As soon as the older man began pouring qi into it, the plate emitted a sucking sound and began consuming his qi. Cha Ming moved instinctively to resist it.


    "Don''t resist!" the man yelled, reminding him. Cha Ming relaxed as the plate slowly absorbed increasing amounts of qi. Engravings, which had previously been hidden on the mirror''s surface, began to light up one by one. They lit up at five points in five different colors, and the points eventually expanded. After the five glowing engravings ceased their growth, a white circle and a black star had imprinted itself onto the bronze mirror.


    "Done!" the man said, breathing quickly. The sweat on his brow indicated that this was no simple process, even for a foundation-establishment expert. "You can go on home now. I''ve decided to have your first batch of pills ready for tomorrow afternoon. Don''t disappoint me, young man."


    Cha Ming bowed and quickly exited the room.


    ***


    Seeing the young man scamper off, Zhang Yifeng looked at the imprinted mirror once more. "Five-element cultivation?" he thought out loud. It had been many years since he''d prepared custom pills for someone who cultivated this method.


    It seemed that things would be tricky for this batch of foundation-establishment pills, to the extent that he might even have to take a loss. Unfortunately, he''d already quoted a price. He quietly berated himself for this foolish mistake.


    Fine, fine, he thought. It''s not every day that I get to help out such a promising youngster. If only the situation wasn''t so dire¡­ I don''t want to throw so many talented youths to the wolves, but it seems I have no choice.


    Looking at the plate again, he finally noticed the white circle and the black star. Is this creation qi and destruction qi? Shit. He was definitely going to take a loss on this one. Who the hell even gave that boy that cultivation method? He''d never heard of a cultivation method that could generate seven types of qi in one body, much less creation qi and destruction qi!


    Sighing, he called out to the next person on his list. This time, it was a young lady. Water and wood element cultivation. And a spirit doctor apprentice. Another good seedling who probably wouldn''t get to see the next month.


    But what choice did he have?

 47 Master Smith Bei Ling

    A group of two youngsters, a young man, and a fox were walking along a shabby road in an otherwise resplendent city. In the merchant district, the philosophy of fashion over function had prevailed. Here, only function existed.


    On the right, they observed a billowing forge out in the open air. A spiritual blacksmith pounded a piece of heated metal continuously, not stopping for a single breath. His apprentices were both channeling flames into the furnace, struggling to keep the metal at a consistently high temperature. Everyone was sweating profusely.


    The smith used a spiritual hammer to forge the piece of metal. It was clear and fragile-looking yet harder than any metal Cha Ming had ever heard of. It shone with a bright white glow. Hong Lai had instructed Cha Ming on the subject previously. The clear hammer was condensed with pure spiritual force, which meant that it was also free from any material imperfections. It was the perfect instrument for forging an enchanted weapon.


    Soon their group had passed the forge and stumbled upon an open-doored shop. Hong Lai motioned for the group to follow him inside, where they were greeted with a dazzling spectacle. To one side, a pile of roughly cut colored stones was stuffed in a corner. The odd loose stone had found its way to the path that ran through the middle of the store.


    On the other side, there was a clear display case. Bright and colorful gems and intricate carvings had been mounted inside. One of the carvings, a life-sized statue of a fierce rabbit, had been carved out of pure emerald and covered in glittering runes. Its eyes were made of rubies, which appeared to be naturally embedded in the giant emerald gemstone. But could such a coincidence really occur in nature? The rubies glittered fiercely, and somehow Cha Ming could sense a baleful aura emanating from the carving.


    In another corner of the workshop, a cluttered work desk was covered in glittering piles of dust. These were evidently precious gem shavings, which had been chipped off with specialized carving tools. Hong Lai explained that these tools were all composed of soul alloy and were inscribed with runes that increased hardness and sharpness. A middle-aged man was using one such carving tool to carve a small dragon out of a piece of purple jade. His motions were fluid and well practiced, a testament to the many years he had spent perfecting his craft.


    Hong Lai was here for a few specific pieces. He paid an unknown amount of spirit stones to obtain eighteen uncut and unpolished red stones. They were covered in a familiar metallic sheen. Clearly Hong Lai was planning on crafting them each into a protective lotus brooch to fulfill his prior promise.


    "Brother Hong," Cha Ming said, "with everything that you''ve done for us so far, there''s really no need to compensate us for the brooch any longer." The recommendation he was about to receive was worth much more than these minor trinkets.


    "Nonsense!" the man replied with full gusto. "It''s not only to compensate you. Rather, I want to see the result of the final product after modifications. I also want you to evaluate the final product. It''s something you owe me, after all."


    Cha Ming was unable to deny the man''s request. After the purchase was completed, they continued onward down the same ill-maintained street. As they walked, the buildings became more and more decrepit. There were even several abandoned buildings with for-sale signs attached to them.


    Finally, at the end of the road, they saw a small wooden shack. It was covered in holes and seemed like it could barely stand up to the light morning breeze. Hong Lai didn''t stand on ceremony and directly entered the building. Cha Ming and the others followed suit. The inside of the building was completely different than what they had imagined.


    They were now standing in a warmly lit brick house draped in luxurious velvet carpets. Several pillars supported the ceiling on this single-floored abode. They were decorated with simple yet beautiful carvings, which infused the mansion with a lively and playful atmosphere.


    A few loud footsteps were heard as a wiry old man of average height walked out of a room off to the side. A pair of goggles was hanging around his neck, and his toned body was covered in a layer of sweat. He had clearly been busy in his workshop until just a few moments ago. Retirement was obviously a relative term in the weaponsmithing world.


    "Welcome to my humble abode," said the white-haired old man. "I hear one of you wants me to craft them an obscenely large weapon out of pure soul alloy." Not waiting for them to speak, the man grabbed a towel from a nearby shelf and wiped the grime from his face and arms. The blue towel was covered in a thin white powder.


    Cha Ming stepped forward and greeted the elder. "Master Bei, Brother Hong has informed me you are the best spiritual blacksmith for forging soul-alloy weapons in the city. I''ll be heading out on the rescue mission in one week, and I was hoping to have you craft me a new battle staff by the time I set out."


    "All right," the man said. "Exactly how much soul alloy do you have on you? You might not know this, but looks can be very deceiving with this material. It''s also surprisingly heavy. People just don''t know about this little detail because they are used to dealing with small, thin objects like carving knives or herb-gathering knives."


    Rather than explaining in words, Cha Ming dumped out a small pile of refined soul alloy onto the floor. There were 240 chunks in total. Without standing on ceremony, Master Bei walked up to the pile and brought up one of the soul chunks to his eye. He then took out a vicious-looking knife from his tool belt and chopped the ball in half. He observed the insides carefully and even licked the freshly cut surface.


    "Not bad," Master Bei said, nodding. "This will be enough. How much do you weigh? And how long do you want the staff?"


    "I weigh about 190 jin. Ideally, the staff would be seventy-two inches long and two inches thick," Cha Ming replied.


    "Fair enough. The primary consideration for building the staff is its unmodified weight relative to yours and its length. The thickness can be adjusted accordingly. Let''s step outside for a bit," the old man said. He led them to a brightly lit courtyard. His "humble abode" was obviously a spatial treasure, as the shack they had seen previously most certainly could not accommodate such a large mansion. The man brought them to a small dueling pad, which the man stepped onto.


    "Show me what you got, boy! Don''t hold anything back!" the man yelled as a clear sledgehammer materialized in his hands. Though he was a foundation-establishment expert, he had restricted his cultivation to the sixth level of qi condensation. Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do to restrict his fleshly body strength; the pressure of a dual body and qi refiner flooded out from him like a breached dam.


    Cha Ming didn''t hesitate and took out his staff. Simultaneously, a group of seventy-two white soul pearls spread out to restrict the man''s movements. They moved into a complex formation whose basic shape was akin to the simplest snowflake. As a result, the cold-based suppression on the man''s movement reached an all-time high. As Cha Ming moved, the snowflake formation followed with Cha Ming as its center.


    Since this was a demonstration and not an all-out battle to the death, Cha Ming displayed every movement he could. He zipped around with his Shearing Staff Art and Seven Cloud Steps, utilizing his advantage in movement speed. Despite his best attempts, Bei Ling''s physical body was much too strong, and the slight cuts he managed to inflict on the older man''s fierce body healed almost instantly.


    Cha Ming attempted a different approach. If physical strikes didn''t work, he would try energy attacks. Instantly, the snowflake formation surrounding him formed a vivid forest. The forest quickly burst into flames, surrounding the man in a blazing inferno.


    "Hah!" the older man yelled, holding out his arms arrogantly. "You dare to use fire against me, a person who plays with fire during his every waking hour?"


    The smug look was replaced with a look of shock as the flaming power was quickly converted into a formation that looked like several overlapping circles. The wood-and-fire-fueled quaking formation concentrated all its powers of vibration on a single point, greatly weakening the man''s defense and stability. Cha Ming took advantage of his surprise to increase his weight using Mountain Stance, and he smashed downward with a vicious Quake Staff.


    For the first time, the older man was forced to block. Unsurprisingly, Cha Ming was forced backward due to the recoil of his technique. Yet he pressed forward quickly with Burst Steps and used Sword Staff to leave a few nicks on the man''s torso.


    "My turn!" the man exclaimed. He grabbed his war hammer with both hands, lunging forward with incredible speed. Cha Ming was forced to cancel his quake formation and rematerialize the frost formation. With Bei Ling''s speed decreased, he managed to deflect a few fierce blows with his Wading Through the Reeds Staff Art, complementing it with his White Willow Shade movement technique. His deceptive movements were used to walk around the fierce man''s relentless assault.


    After a few breaths, the man''s attack pattern changed. He was now anticipating Cha Ming''s movements. He was clearly an experienced fighter. Accordingly, Cha Ming decided to prevent the man''s assault with his Trapping Staff Art. Sometimes he interrupted the man''s footwork for fractions of a second, buying himself time to outmaneuver him. Other times he proactively struck the man''s hammer at the beginning of its movement arc, nullifying the attack entirely and disrupting his rhythm.


    Frustrated, the man flung himself backward. "Let''s see how you receive this technique!" Suddenly, the clear hammer he was holding started glowing with a metallic sheen. He then blew out a burst of roaring flames, which were also infused into the hammer. He raised the hammer up above his head and unleashed a fast and powerful strike. Seeing that he couldn''t dodge this blow, Cha Ming could only block.


    Cha Ming''s heart palpitated as he reacted quickly. His pearls underwent three transformations. An inferno was infused into the quaking formation, which then infused itself into a peerless blade. The blade struck out, splitting apart the oncoming wave of power with pure sharpness.


    The response was very effective, greatly diminishing the man''s attack power. To confront the remaining power of the attack, Cha Ming held out his staff and executed the rarely used Flaming Wheel Defense Technique, which specialized in absorbing energy and projectile attacks. This managed to cancel out most of it, but the remaining power struck Cha Ming straight in the chest. Instead of taking it directly, however, he used the force to propel himself backward and skated into the direction of the force. The remainder was dissipated over a short amount of time, and Cha Ming finally came to a halt at the edge of the dueling platform.


    A trickle of blood ran down Cha Ming''s mouth, an indication of internal wounds. The original blow to his chest had still hit him, despite his best efforts at negating it. In response, he quickly formed a healing formation, completely restoring the damage he had just sustained.


    "Now that was the best fight I''ve had in ages! I barely ever get to fight anyone nowadays, and my old bones can''t stand traveling like they used to." Bei Ling''s hammer dissipated, revealing his joyful expression. He wasn''t even breathing hard.


    With a wave of his hand, the man brought out a copper mirror. "Have you ever taken a qi imprint before?" Seeing Cha Ming nod, the man repeated the process that Cha Ming had undergone previously with Zhang Yifeng.


    After retrieving the plate, the man walked off toward his workshop. "I''ve gotten some inspiration for your weapon, so I''m starting right now. I won''t be seeing you off. Come back in six days to collect your staff, and I''ll keep the rest of the soul alloy as my fee." With those words, he shut the door to his workshop. A click indicated that he locked the door from the inside.


    "How was my teacher, Cha Ming?" Hong Lai asked when Cha Ming emerged. He had an expectant look laced with a slight bit of concern.


    "Your teacher seems to be in excellent health, Hong Lai. If I were to describe his fighting style in any way, it would be: tyrannical, vigorous, and domineering!" Hearing Cha Ming''s words, Hong Lai let out a sigh of relief.


    "That''s good," Hong Lai said. "Master is pushing one hundred and seventy years. You should know that foundation-establishment experts have a maximum lifespan of 200 years. However, that''s in an ideal case. Every injury sustained can reduce this substantially, and my teacher is no stranger to battle and hardship."


    Cha Ming, Gong Lan, and Huxian left Hong Lai at his master''s abode. They left the shabby shack and the rundown street and made their way to the middle of town, where Zhang Yifeng resided. They were greeted at the door of an opulent house by a neatly dressed butler. He escorted them to a well-furnished lounging area, where they didn''t wait long before the aged alchemist walked in.


    Zhang Yifeng didn''t betray Cha Ming''s expectations. "You''re in luck, young man. I succeeded in concocting two out of three stoves for these Barrier Breaker pills. The ingredients that I chose to complement your cultivation method also interacted beneficially with each other, creating pills of a higher quality than usual. Please use these pills to further strengthen yourself before we leave."


    After Cha Ming bowed in thanks, the man quickly left to continue his pill concoction. Cha Ming imagined that preparing thirty stoves of high-quality pills was very taxing. Zhang Yifeng would likely get very little sleep in the upcoming week. And Cha Ming as well, as he immediately secluded himself to break through, with Huxian standing guard. Gong Lan went to the local arena to spar with the various mercenaries and nobles that were participating in the upcoming mission. It had been many days since she''d drawn blood.


    ***


    Feng Ming urged his horse forward through a wide stream. He was careful not to guide it through any rocky areas for fear of the spraining the beast''s ankle. The horse had accompanied him on their desperate week-long journey. The first few days had been uneventful, but the remaining days had brought rider after rider in hot pursuit.


    He thanked the army''s survival and anti-tracking training, which had enabled him to survive so long. Three quarters of the journey to Fairweather City was complete, but this last quarter would be the most challenging.


    He had found it increasingly difficult to proceed. Not only had his wounds worsened, but they refused to heal despite the copious amounts of medicinal ointments he had applied or the pills he had taken. If that wasn''t enough, he continued to stumble upon one misfortune after another.


    For example, on the third day of his journey, the small lean-to he had erected for shelter from the rain was struck by lightning. The next day, he realized that the "grass" his horse was nibbling was actually an irritating weed that looked similar to grass. This caused the horse a significant amount of discomfort and diarrhea, which slowed their progress. Finally, they accidentally stumbled upon a small field of poisonous nettles, which covered them in a fierce rash from head to toe.


    Despite these inconveniences, he and the horse carried on. If he didn''t deliver the news, the whole army could suffer. He didn''t want his carelessness to lead to the death of any more good men or innocent civilians.


    Then yesterday, the riders had come. There were three in total, and their dogged pursuit left him no room to breathe and no room to sleep. They each had an extra horse, which meant that¡ªat the very least¡ªtheir horses were getting rest while his could not. The men were lightly armored but carried deadly weapons. Feng Ming didn''t feel that he was a match for any of them, even if they weren''t monsters. He still hadn''t confirmed this fact.


    Run around in circles to confuse your enemy, he recited his instructor''s teachings mentally. Use rivers as natural covers to mask your movements. Cover your tracks while exiting the river to ensure you maximize your enemy''s lost time. Counter tracking isn''t necessarily about completely evading your enemy''s tracking method; rather, it''s about rendering it cost-ineffective. In this way, even an injured man can buy himself time to escape multiple pursuers.


    He didn''t dare slack off as they exited the stream several hundred feet away from where he had entered. He had covered their tracks as they entered, and now he hopped off his horse to cover their tracks while exiting. Once again, his bad luck resurfaced as he tripped in a well-concealed hole and twisted his ankle. Thankfully, it wasn''t broken.


    Ignoring the pain, he continued his meticulous work. The tracks were soon well covered, and he urged his exhausted horse to continue moving forward.


    ***


    The brigand leader, Zi Shen, was carefully following concealed tracks in the woods. It was his third time going over this specific set, as he had been led in circles by deceptive movements two consecutive times. Thankfully only three circles overlapped this time, and he was eventually able to continue following the correct path.


    Soon the tracks became increasingly obvious. He thanked his luck only for a short while¡ªthe tracks he had been following had split into three once more. He observed the three different paths for a long while before picking a path to follow at random. Just as he was about to head down that path, he noticed a trace of red a small distance down another path.


    Oh? His wounds happened to reopen again? The last time this had happened, Zi Shen had gotten lucky and found the correct path on the first try.


    One hour later, he stumbled again upon his most hated obstacle¡ªa stream. Shit. Finding tracks after an enemy crossed a stream was a daunting task. Sometimes his quarry had moved upstream for a thousand feet before finally heading out again. At other times, the victim darted back in the opposite direction. Therefore, it was vital to first check upstream and downstream on this side of the river before proceeding to the next. It turned out to be a phenomenal waste of time.


    The river cost him several hours before he finally found the correct path. This time, the hidden tracks had been revealed by an overturned stone next to a small concealed hole. He hoped that his prey had twisted his ankle or something. While he enjoyed the hunt, this prey was too tricky for his liking.


    He preferred easy prey, the type that he could toy around with for a while, like fish in a barrel.

 48 Planning

    In the dark world, a white-robed figure was walking through the dusty, desolate woods. He had done this several times over the past few weeks, hoping to glean some insights on why things had gone so poorly. The Sight was never wrong, after all, but he himself was only human. Besides, he had been warned. Those sharp edges on the bagua coin had been a clear indication of the potential consequences.


    The trees that adorned the twisted landscape were wreathed in white mist. They didn''t obscure his vision but provided an accurate depiction of that day''s events. The man in white briefly witnessed the appearance of a black dog''s corpse. It disappeared momentarily. Just the same way, the corpse of a three-tailed fox also appeared briefly before disappearing. Strangely enough, the brief appearance of the fox''s corpse felt like a hundred days. That surely meant something. The Sight was never wrong.


    After the three-tailed fox disappeared, five figures fled away from the dangerous area. No wait, it was six figures. They were being pursued. Of course, they appeared differently than they would in the real world. One figure appeared as a pure, bloodied snowflake. Another was a gentle flame. Not the powerful type, but rather the kind that could kindle people''s hearts in the darkest moments. The third figure appeared as armor made of silk and gilded with gold¡ªhardly the most effective armor one could find.


    Zhou Li had seen these figures before. They didn''t concern him. He was here to see the last three figures, because they were familiar figures that he had seen in the mirror. One figure was coin-imprinted with a bagua. Its sharp edges were stained in blood. Zhou Li''s blood. Another coin floated beside it. It was white-rimmed and imprinted with a black pentagram. It also glowed with five colors. There was now fate connecting these two coins, and the line was growing thicker and thicker with each passing moment.


    The sixth figure was very mysterious. He had not seen this figure in the mirror per se, but its actions confirmed its presence. This figure could evade the Sight. Such cases were rare¡ªeven the most influential figures, whose fates could not be read, would still reveal some clues under the Sight''s close scrutiny. Thinking back to the prior scene with the black hound, he had noticed long ago that it hadn''t simply disappeared¡ªrather, it had been whisked away by the mysterious figure.


    Unfortunately for Zhou Li, this meant three figures whom he only had vague clues about. One figure who he couldn''t see, one that would cut him if he drew near, and finally, a figure that was obscured with white mist. He wouldn''t have known anything about these figures if it wasn''t for his brother''s timely report. He had used the first-hand information to deduct that one of them was a spirit beast, a fox. Also, this spirit beast was powerful enough to forge a contract of equals at a young age. Regrettably, he had no access to information on its specific species.


    The coin with the circle and the star, according to the ties of karma, was definitely its contractor. Du Cha Ming, according to the report, had suffered a lethal attack from his brother Zhou Xian and survived. This was also why Zhou Li concluded that the man and the fox had formed a contract of equals. From what he''d gathered, Cha Ming was a dual body and qi cultivator who was apprenticed under Elder Ling to learn to craft talismans. Yet why the white circle and the black star? And why did the white mist obscure his Sight? Despite ample information, he still had many questions.


    The final figure was the obscured figure he couldn''t see in the slightest. Such an unknown variable was far too dangerous. The web he had weaved over several months was spread very thin, and the slightest tug in the wrong place would cause it to unravel.


    As this latest perusal in the bleak woods did not yield any benefits, the dejected Zhou Li moved his attention to matters he could affect, such as the ongoing plan in Fairweather County. There were some embarrassing failures there of late, a matter that he didn''t want repeated. A tearing sound rang out as he grabbed the surrounding air, which ripped under his influence. This was his painting, one that he could create and tear at will. The rip gradually widened into a makeshift doorway, allowing him to step out into the darkness.


    After a few quick steps, he arrived at a large table bathed in light. A large map was spread across it, and various miniatures indicated stationed forces¡ªthe empire''s and his own, among others. The future was like a game of chess. As much as he could see the future, it was akin to looking several moves ahead. Most people were pawns and were ultimately controlled by a "player." Only players could move pieces and make decisions.


    On the map, he noticed his various forces, which had automatically adjusted due to a powerful Dao enchantment. There were forces spread out amongst various small villages, while others had been assigned to guard key areas.


    One of the smaller groups on the map was chasing a soldier of the empire, who was clearly heading toward Fairweather City. Unfortunately, they had not seen him in a full day. It was likely that he would escape, though the advantage that this would provide Fairweather City''s expeditionary force was negligible. For a moment, he cursed the Merchant. His greed had gotten the better of him, and he had made the wrong decision. The Merchant was the type of person that would choose wealth over security. It was his nature.


    Since the soldier was escaping, he decided to cut his losses. The soldier was represented on the board by gilded iron armor. For a moment, Zhou Li remembered the gilded silk armor from his painting.


    Is it the same armor? He rejected the thought, however. A person of that soldier''s caliber could not change so profoundly in such a short time.


    Sighing, Zhou Li removed a small crystal from the pouch at his waist. The stone glowed with an ominous red light, and a small film of black flames flickered on its surface. Any mortal who saw this crystal would find it repulsive. To Zhou Li, however, this crystal was incomparably precious. He would not use it under normal circumstances. However, it was his nature to choose security over wealth.


    With but a thought, the crystal diminished in volume by fifty percent, producing a small quantity of pure black flames. They danced about joyfully in Zhou Li''s hand. After completing this simple yet exhausting task, Zhou Li focused his red pupils on the small figurine with the gilded armor. They were instantly connected with a small thread of karma. The thread was golden and inconspicuous. But not for long.


    The black flame underwent some subtle changes as Zhou Li formed some complex hand seals. A thin thread separated from the main body of the flame and slowly imbued itself into the fragile karma thread. The thread slowly siphoned away the black flame over the next quarter hour, until it was finally depleted. The golden karma thread was now tainted with black and red spots that slowly migrated toward the suit of armor.


    Satisfied, Zhou Li put away the half-consumed crystal. He then took out his notebook and quickly jotted down some instructions for his father and sister. Fortunately, that plan was proceeding quite nicely. After taking a moment to compose his thoughts, he moved on to the most important task of the day.


    Brother, how are the preparations going in Fairweather County? he wrote.


    Soon after, a reply appeared on the mostly filled page. Elder Brother, everything is on schedule. Our allies are cooperating, and it seems that the "rescue mission" will be starting in one week''s time. On another note, I''ve noticed the presence of two old friends, a man and his fox. Can I eliminate him yet?


    Negative, Zhou Li replied. I guarantee your revenge, but only after the plan is completed. Moreover, your power will increase drastically, making revenge a walk in the park. After all, the blood moon draws near.


    Affirmative. I will update on progress in twelve hours, as usual, replied Zhou Xian.


    After completing this portion of the conversation, he wrote to the Merchant. The man was very enthusiastic about completing his portion of the plan. Zhou Li had used the simplest method to motivate the greedy individual¡ªmoney.


    More than he had ever earned in his short lifetime.


    ***


    Tick... tick¡­ tick¡­


    The clock in Wang Jun''s office repeatedly broke the silence as he read the latest report. It described the unrest near Fairweather City. There were also sections on recent trade disruptions, both within the country and outside the border. A rebellion in the kingdom to the east had caused a sharp increase in prices for food, metals, and medicinal herbs.


    For a moment, he paused as he sensed a foreign presence. This had occurred thirty-seven times these past few weeks, much more often than usual. As was his common practice, he wrapped the thread of fate with obscurity. He knew who the intruder was, of course, and there was no way he would let that guy spy on him. It was a momentary distraction, a welcome respite from his intense workload. Wang Jun brought his attention back to the report and finished reading it.


    A few minutes later, Wang Jun sipped a cup of tea and hummed in appreciation. "Delicious as usual, Elder Bai. Where is this tea from? I can''t say I''ve tasted anything quite like it before."


    "Right, this tea is rather special," Elder Bai replied. "It''s from a small town in the Xia Empire. They grow this type of tea by splicing half the branches with a complementary tea. Not only does it provide the combined flavor of two different teas, but the fact that they grow together on one plant subtly changes the flavor of each component tea. It is a unique creation and always in short supply."


    Nodding his head while licking his lips, Wang Jun proceeded to discuss the business at hand. "Elder Bai, did Elder Jin respond to our request for support these upcoming days?"


    "Yes, Young Master. The family also supports your decision to establish the Wang family''s economic dominance by any means possible. If the trifling Zhou family wants to push us around because they have the support of the Song Kingdom''s royal family and advisor, they are in for a rude awakening. We''ll teach them what it means to throw money at problems."


    "Excellent. Then let''s proceed to the next step of the plan. Please have our contacts begin importing medicines and placing orders from our preferred suppliers in both the Xia Empire and the Ming Empire. Use expedited shipping. I want the products at the border in three days.


    "Further, please send word to Lijiang City''s weaponsmithing guild that I will be making a trip there in three days for a one-day negotiation on a sole-source purchasing contract that includes the remaining thirty cities in the Song Kingdom. I want to completely crush the Zhou family in this market.


    "Also, please begin spreading propaganda vilifying the Alchemists Association and their disdain for the poor. Go into detail about how their monopolistic tendencies are increasing costs for middle-class consumers.


    "Finally, please proceed with triggering an election in the Song Kingdom Medical Association and run our candidate on a platform supporting affordable medical care and pharmaceutical reform. Simultaneously begin a conversation in the Song Kingdom Chamber of Commerce about the benefits of free trade and the limits of isolationism.


    "Meanwhile, we will also move our agenda forward to standardize apprenticeships and institute craftsmanship standards for weaponsmithing¡ªthis will greatly increase the barrier for the Zhou family to enter in this field and increase our profitability. All in the name of consumer protection, of course."


    Elder Bai nodded and took away a stack of papers from Wang Jun''s desk. What had been said was simply a summary. The sheets of paper included detailed instructions and contingency plans.


    Once Elder Bai left his office, Wang Jun took a deep breath and exhaled slowly to calm himself. His green robes were changed out for slightly more fashionable ones. He took a scented bath and put on cologne, something he rarely did.


    After a half hour of preparation, he went to Hong Xin''s residence and led her to the Jade Bamboo Restaurant, where they occupied a private room. After a sumptuous banquet, Wang Jun began the conversation.


    "Xin Er," he started. He felt uncertain about how to proceed, despite rehearsing this moment many times. "I think that we should stop dating."


    Hong Xin''s pleasant smile suddenly disappeared. Tears began running down from her red eyes. "Didn''t you say that you love me?" Her tears broke Wang Jun''s heart. But this was something he had to do for her own good.


    "Yes, I love you," he replied. "That''s why I need to let you go. Even though you''re the best thing that''s ever happened to me, we''re unsuited for each other. You need to move on and find someone else, someone better."


    "But I don''t want anyone else¡­" she said in a weak, quivering voice.


    "I''m sorry. This is goodbye." With these words, he left the poor girl sitting by herself in the private dining room, her face covered in tears. As he shut the door to the room, he heard her uncontrolled sobbing. He shuddered slightly before continuing down the hallway. A drop of salty liquid traveled from his right eye to his mouth, which he quickly wiped away. This single tear was all he could afford.


    Uncle Bai was right, he thought. It was unfair for me to lead her along. Ending it now is for the best. One day she''ll find someone much better than me. Someone who can care for her properly and keep her out of danger. Someone who won''t let her die like I did my sister.


    He didn''t return to his courtyard immediately. Instead he went for a walk to calm his nerves. Sadness was a luxury he couldn''t afford yet a tax he couldn''t avoid paying. It was snowing outside, a rare occurrence this time of year so far south. Hundreds of snowflakes pelted his face and wreathed his blond and white hair. While he could have made the snowflakes melt away, he chose to let them remain.


    As the snow accumulated, he walked on the wooden floor of the entertainment district, leaving distinct footprints wherever he went. They would soon be filled in with fresh snow, leaving no trace of his passage. As he walked, he focused his attention on the snowflakes on his face. They had melted and subsequently soaked his green robes.


    The melting snowflakes reminded him that he and Xin Er belonged to two different worlds. She was a precious snowflake, one that would surely melt into a liquid droplet if she touched him. The heat he emanated would change her into something she wasn''t. It would sap away her innocence. And as much as he wanted to be with her, he could never forgive himself if he destroyed such a precious snowflake.

 49 Legacy Weapon

    It was now dusk, and a slight chill pervaded the room where Cha Ming sat in meditation. He took a deep breath and circulated his cultivation for a full two hours before opening his eyes and withdrawing a sealed glass bottle from within his bag of holding.


    After popping open the lid, a thick medicinal aroma filled the room. Just breathing in the pills'' residue caused the barriers surrounding his five qi lakes to shudder slightly. Without any hesitation, he popped a pill into his mouth. It burned as it traveled down his throat and settled into his stomach. There, the pill separated into five streams of elemental energy, which impacted the barriers restraining his qi lakes.


    Since the barriers had been weakened, he quickly took out a crystalized elemental essence stone and placed it on the portable energy-gathering plate. The rich qi assaulted the weakened membrane causing it to crack slightly.


    Once more!


    After a second assault, the cracks spread outward in the shape of a spiderweb. A third rush of energy finally dissolved the weakened membrane. The borders of his qi lakes expanded, signifying that he had finally reached the sixth level of qi condensation.


    Following his breakthrough, he instantly felt his soul being invigorated. It was time for the next step¡ªearth body refining. He took the Clear Sky Brush out from his bag of holding and carefully started drawing out the next pattern.


    Each pattern thus far had been created based on each elemental character. He only had a pitiful amount of information on each three-dimensional character and could only paint each one by trial and error. Fortunately, they seemed to follow three distinct rules: the base units were formed from the "essence" of the character, the connecting base was formed from the base character, and each "branch" in the character was formed by five subgroups of base units on each of twelve branches. In total, there were seventy-two key points to each character. Further, the character as a whole resembled the nature of the base character, such as flickering flames or growing trees.


    This time, Cha Ming was going to attempt to build a character from jade bricks . Earth was a stable element, and it was used to build foundations for roads and cities. As a result, Cha Ming guessed that the correct way to arrange it was in a similar fashion.


    Whether he succeeded or not would depend on his luck and his efforts in the following week.


    ***


    Nightfall.


    An aged but muscular figure was seated in a plain brick room. He didn''t like keeping any useless things around, as most would simply disintegrate when subjected to extreme temperatures. The only things that Bei Ling kept in the room was a stone bed made of obsidian and covered in a thick, fire-resistant cloth, as well as a large worktable forged with soul alloy and reinforced with trace amounts of star steel. Nothing short of a meteor crashing down on his dimensional abode stood a chance a damaging these prized possessions. Which, coincidentally, greatly resembled his own forging process.


    He had stared at the pile of soul alloy for quite some time before finalizing the plan that had jumped in his mind when he watched the young whelp spar. Visions like this didn''t come often. Inevitably, each weapon he forged after having a vision became a masterpiece. He couldn''t let the opportunity go to waste.


    His muscular figure inhaled deeply, imbuing the incoming air with burning hot foundation-establishment qi before breathing it out toward the materials. The pile of soul alloy didn''t even react. He knew from experience, of course, that pure soul alloy would only melt at a temperature five times higher than necessary for steel. This was one of the reasons it was so difficult to work with and why so few craftsmen bothered working with this particular material.


    After breathing fire on the soul alloy for the better part of an hour, the hundreds of stones quickly melted into a puddle, which he kept suspended in midair. The white-hot metal radiated with a soul-searing heat.


    Not quite enough yet. He increased the temperature twice more. At this point, the white-hot metal began bubbling as impure black smoke left it.


    The process continued for twelve hours. Each time he increased the temperature, even more impurities were burned away. The resulting blob of soul alloy was seventy percent of the original mass. Without this extra purification process, soul-alloy weapons would never exhibit peak performance.


    After exhausting himself thoroughly during the purification process, he rested while allowing the metal to cool naturally. Just before it solidified, he used his soul force to mold it into a rough cylindrical shape¡ªseventy-two inches long and two inches thick as specified.


    Now for the hard part. He gritted his teeth as he conjured a massive spiritual hammer, the same hammer that he had used while fighting Cha Ming.


    He began pounding on the white cylinder as soon as the soul alloy solidified. Each strike released shockwaves due to his terrifying fleshly body power, which had reached the early stages of the Bone Forging realm. The pounding ensured that the very last impurities were expelled, all the while forming the material into its final shape. Keeping the temperature high was vital, since any significant drop in temperature would render the material too brittle to work with. Periodically, he let out a hot breath to increase the metal''s temperature back to its melting point.


    After pounding out impurities for a full day, he began the next step of the process¡ªshaping. For this task, he split his hammer into two pieces. One piece resembled an extension of his hand, which he used to steady the hot, glowing metal. This hand was forged from pure soul force and was immune to the scalding temperatures. He could also control it with the same dexterity as his left hand¡ªmultiple tendrils connected his palms and fingers to the ethereal glove to enable such fine control.


    The hammer in his right hand reduced to half its original size. In addition, the surface was concave. It was the perfect shape to slowly hammer the cylindrical weapon to perfection. He hammered at the rod of metal while holding it against his soul-alloy workbench, using a thin film of soul force to cushion the impact.


    His brow was thick with sweat from the two days of heating and hammering. Fortunately the high temperature in the room evaporated any sweat before it had a chance to fall on and ruin the weapon he was creating. In fact, the heat would have also burned any normal possessions he was wearing. As a result, he only wore a pair of thick heat-resistant pants, goggles, and a simple hair tie.


    The shaping work continued for two full days before he was satisfied with the initial state of the weapon.


    Now, what runes to inscribe¡­ This was what he had spent the initial day visualizing. His hammer quickly shrank in size until it was half a foot long with a chiseled end. This was the most precise part of the work, and the most mentally taxing. Any mistakes here would ultimately ruin the final product, and he would need to start over.


    He started with the core of the design¡ªfive elemental patterns, which were carefully engraved onto the staff with extreme precision. He then started engraving supporting runes near the five patterns in a seemingly random order. As he inscribed, his demeanor turned feverish, and he soon abandoned his initial plan entirely. This was inspiration. It could never be sought, only found.


    With every strike, a new runic line was formed. Had he been in his right mind, he could never have imagined making these lines¡ªthey just didn''t make sense to him. They were far too mysterious and vastly exceeded his current realm of comprehension. With every strike, the pattern expanded from the center of the staff and proceeded to the edges. After reaching the edges, however, he did the unthinkable. Starting from five points, each five inches from the end of the staff, he carved out a spiral pattern that connected at the end of the staff. There, he inscribed a star.


    This was something only weaponsmiths and talisman craftsmen knew¡ªa star inscription or talisman would surely lead to the immediate destruction of the end product. However, this effect was delayed for a weapon inscription, as the inscription was only filled in at the end of the process.


    He didn''t stop there. He inscribed the other side of the staff in the same haphazard fashion, forging a mirror pattern at the end of the staff with an additional star. "Not strong enough," he muttered under his breath. "I need to strengthen the materials."


    Without thinking much, he wandered over to a small cabinet on one side of the room. The cabinet was built out of the finest jade, the ideal material for preserving medicinal properties. He quickly grabbed eight small boxes from the cabinet, not bothering to close it afterward. The materials inside were priceless, but to the expert craftsman in an enlightened state, cost was irrelevant.


    First, he crumbled a few jade leaves in his hands, sprinkling the crushed powder over the staff. The fine dust settled into a few of the inscriptions, after which he temporarily raised the temperature, allowing the material to infuse itself into the runes, which immediately shone with a green hue. He repeated the process four more times with crimson firestone, brown jadeite, cold iron, and eversnow. On a whim, he took out a glass vial from a special chest. After opening the stopper, a thick cloud wandered over to the staff and was quickly absorbed. This also caused the existing colors on the staff to smudge and merge.


    Without waiting for the merging process to complete, he took out a second bottle and removed its stopper. A second cloud formed, but this one was dark and ominous. Nine fearsome strikes of lightning rained down on the merging colors, causing them to fragment and reassemble into new shapes. By the time the process was completed, the staff had become a translucent white color with shifting colored runes.


    Finally, the man sprinkled the contents of the last box onto both ends. It was starsteel, the same material he had imbued into his workbench. This material was priceless, worth far more than the materials used in crafting the staff thus far. Nevertheless, he would not allow this to become a failed product. He couldn''t stand to see such a masterpiece ruined!


    Soon enough, the starsteel was absorbed into both ends, which would suffer the most intense destructive forces once the runes were activated. He nodded while admiring the nearly finished product. Who knew if his inspiration was going to pay off? He didn''t understand half of what he had inscribed and had relied on pure instinct.


    With a somber look on his face, he walked over to a nearby vat of glowing blue liquid. The liquid flew up at his command, forming a cylindrical pool. He threw the staff into said pool. Most products he normally forged were quenched in water, mercury, or oil. This time, however, he was quenching it in pure liquified elemental essence, which would conveniently activate the runes in the process.


    The staff began to vibrate as it cooled. The runes on its body began to glow, starting with the five central runic patterns. They first glowed in five colors, after which the remaining runes followed them and flashed in five colors as well. The translucent body of the staff began to glow intensely. The original glow of the heated metal was like a candle compared to the shining sun!


    Finally, the ends began glowing black as the final star-shaped runes lit up. An intense burst of energy made it difficult to approach the staff, but he gritted his teeth and continued observing the process. The tendrils of black snaked across the staff, threatening to destroy it. Fortunately, they seemed to be restrained by the glowing white energy in the staff.


    They were neutralizing each other.


    As he continued observing, however, he noticed that the balance was continuously being upset in favor of the destructive black energy.


    Shit! He gritted his teeth as he poured his spiritual strength into the staff, attempting to fight back against the destructive energy. This did little to stop it, however.


    Taking in a deep breath, he bit his tongue and spat out a globe of dark red blood onto the staff. This was his life''s blood! Instantly, the man aged ten years.


    This better work. This is all I can afford. As he observed closely, he noticed that the white strength in the staff finally balanced the black. They continuously faded until the ends of the staff resembled obsidian. The body had become a translucent white color. The runes, however, had faded. They were now nothing more than thin lines decorating the most beautiful weapon he had ever laid eyes on.


    His lips formed a weak smile as he laid the finished product on his workbench. He was then overwhelmed with exhaustion and collapsed onto the hot brick floor.


    ***


    The sound of bones cracking broke the silence in Cha Ming''s room at dusk on the sixth day. After hundreds of attempts and repeated failures, his earth body refining had finally succeeded. Now he was at the seventh level of body refinement. As predicted, his fist strength had raised to 756 jin. As an added benefit, the earth body refining increased his defense by one level. With his defense, speed, and regenerative capabilities all being one level higher than normal, coupled with his cultivation at the sixth level of qi condensation, he could now match normal eighth-level cultivators in a head-on battle.


    He let out a satisfied moan as he stretched his stiff limbs; sitting in a meditative posture for a full week was extremely uncomfortable. As he opened his eyes, he observed beautiful red-tinted clouds through an open window. They stretched across the horizon in a chaotic fashion, giving the rising half-moon a reddish hue.


    This moment of calm was harshly interrupted by Huxian''s whining and yipping. Cha Ming sighed. From the looks of the abnormally clean floor, the poor fellow had already run out of food. He did not know for how long he had gone hungry; all he knew was that every moment of hunger was a moment of agony for the rapidly growing fox.


    Speaking of rapid growth, Cha Ming''s eyes narrowed as he noticed that the baby fox looked substantially stronger than before.


    You broke through again? he asked Huxian mentally.


    Yes, I broke through yesterday. I''m now a ninth-level spirit beast, Huxian replied with a worried voice. I''m sorry, I can''t help it. There''s nothing I can do to stop myself. I even eat as little as possible!


    For the growing fox, Cha Ming understood that this was the biggest sacrifice possible.


    There''s nothing that can be done about it. At least both our strengths increased before this outing. I have a feeling that things won''t be as simple as they seem. The effort surrounding this "mission" is too great given the information we have access to, Cha Ming said, patting Huxian on the head.


    After exiting the quiet hotel room, they quickly paid a visit to a nearby restaurant. Cha Ming was hungry due to the rapid growth in his body. Huxian was just his normal hungry self. After consuming a full two tables of food, the young fox affirmed that while he was not yet full, he was no longer famished. They put in a large order for roast spirit beast meat for the next morning, which they would collect prior to leaving Fairweather City.


    Huxian, lets go see if Master Bei has completed the weapon yet, Cha Ming said.


    The man and the fox traveled at a leisurely pace to the rundown industrial district. After entering Bei Ling''s small shack, they were directly teleported to the furnished living room. To their surprise, they were greeted by Hong Lai. The grim-faced man was serving a bowl of soup to Master Bei, who was resting in an armchair.


    Cha Ming immediately noticed a conflicted mood in the room. Master Bei, the vigorous older man who had undertaken the creation of his staff, was now pale and gaunt. The master weaponsmith seemed like half the man he was six days ago. His wiry frame had thinned significantly, and a bald patch had now appeared on his previously full head of white hair; it was as though the man had aged a full decade.


    Despite this clear reduction in the man''s physical prowess, an energetic glint could be seen in his eyes, a look of intense satisfaction. Hong Lai was at a loss on what to do for his master, so he poured them all a cup of tea and they sat in silence. Bei Ling was the first to speak.


    "You''re a lucky young lad, you know," he said. "Your staff is the finest weapon I''ve ever made. While crafting it, I was inspired to try things I''d never dreamed possible. I used countless treasures that I had been reserving to create my legacy weapon, my final work. Yet before I knew it, I had already created it.


    "I will never make another weapon again. I don''t have the heart to forge again. Spiritual blacksmiths are inspired by their pursuit of perfection. This staff is the final product in this journey. I call it the Clear Sky Staff." Bei Ling then withdrew the staff from the bag of holding at his waist.


    Cha Ming shivered when he heard these words. He almost burst into tears when he saw the staff¡ªhis staff. The one he had seen plunged into the ground all those years ago on the planet Earth. The staff that had caused his rebirth.


    It trembled as he slowly walked over. It sensed his presence as its owner. He could barely control his shaking hands as he grasped the Clear Sky Staff. As soon as his hands made contact, he felt a brief shock as it pulsed¡ªthe Clear Sky Brush, which was stored in his bag of holding, traveled through his body, into his hand, and finally, into the staff.


    It was now the true Clear Sky Staff, soul and all.


    The sickly man, who had spent ten years of his life completing the weapon, was carefully observing this process. When the staff gained life, he sensed it immediately. He could tell that the man and the staff were destined to be together. It would be nothing in the hands of anyone else.


    "Thank you for finding it for me. I thought I''d lost it," Cha Ming whispered. Hong Lai''s expression was puzzled, but Master Bei Ling''s face was full of understanding.


    "You''re welcome. Seeing you hold it reminds me that making it was worth the effort. Although I still have a decade or so left in my life, I feel like I can finally die a happy man," Master Bei replied.


    "Master Bei, would you like to accompany me to the arena to see it in action?" Cha Ming asked.


    The man immediately got up to leave, his eyes gleaming with impatience.


    "Master, it''s cold out," Hong Lai said with a concerned voice. "Why don''t we wait until morning?"


    "No need! I''ve never felt better in my life!" The old smith quickly led them outside his shack toward the sparring arena.

 50 The Wounded Soldier

    The rhythmic beating of hooves on grassy soil broke the awkward silence in the hour just after sunset. This time was usually a lively one, where authority abruptly transferred from the day-roaming animals to the creatures of the night. Normally, travelers in these plains would be greeted with the chirping of thousands upon thousands of crickets and the occasional hoot of an owl. Now these creatures avoided the area. They specifically avoided the lone traveler slowly trotting forward on his lame horse.


    Feng Ming was exhausted. The past week and a half of desperate fleeing had drained him in every way. Somehow he had managed to stick to his training and evade his pursuers. The gates of Fairweather were in his sights. They were closed, but that could be changed with a few convincing words. His only worry was that he had enemies inside the city. But there was nothing he could do about that.


    The young man was covered in various wounds¡ªknife wounds from a few close encounters with his pursuers, various rashes due to brushes with poisonous plants, and insect bites. He also had a single arrowhead stuck in his right arm. Luckily it had not struck a main artery. This stroke of luck had been his only respite during the entire chase. He was able to break away the main arrow shaft, leaving behind only a barbed metal head that could only be surgically removed.


    Feng Ming''s eyes carefully scanned the ground. He kept his eyes peeled for any pits or rocks. The past two days had proved especially challenging, and tripping and falling were not uncommon occurrences. Quite frankly, it was a miracle that his horse''s leg wasn''t broken after all these close encounters.


    But speak of the devil, and he shall appear. After narrowly avoiding a gopher hole, the horse''s hoof plunged into the tunnel network itself, which happened to be situated in unusually weak soil. His horse''s screams echoed in the night, threatening to attract unwanted attention from the pursuers he assumed hadn''t given up.


    Feng Ming decisively cut the horse''s throat, relieving it from its pain and exhaustion. They had been through much together, and under normal circumstances he would have sought out a healer. Unfortunately, he had to be careful. Who knew if his pursuers were nearby?


    After accomplishing the grisly deed, he didn''t have the strength to sheathe the bloodied sword. Instead, he opted to deposit it directly into his bag of holding, where it stained various other objects stowed there. There were far fewer objects than when he had set out from Crystal Meadows.


    Any pills, food, and bandages had already been consumed or used. The few useful possessions he had remaining were a spare suit of armor, a couple of spare swords, and random tenting equipment¡ªall standard issue in the army. He also had the remnants of an emergency kit, including a blanket and a flare. He had been hesitant to use it, fearing it would attract his pursuers.


    The city wall was now two thousand feet away. He had no energy, but he forced his feet to keep moving forward.


    Only two thousand steps. I can make it.


    At least, that''s what he thought before he realized that the wound on his abdomen had reopened during the fall from his horse. The wound had festered due to lack of treatment. The emergency ointment, which should have been able to ward off the usual infections, had failed to show any useful effects.


    The sudden blood loss was the straw that broke the camel''s back. Feng Ming collapsed to the ground, where an unfortunately placed sharp rock left a second deep gash in his side. He used his remaining moments of consciousness to take out the single precious flare from his storage. Most people would have struggled to light the flare¡ªfortunately, Feng Ming dual cultivated fire and earth and quickly managed to light the fuse. The bright red flare flew into the air, where it quickly caught the attention of the guards on the city wall. Then, darkness took him.


    ***


    Cha Ming, Bei Ling, Huxian, and Hong Lai arrived at the arena, where various adventurers in the city had been idle the entire week. These people liked fighting, whether to sharpen their skills or blow off steam. Watching exciting fights were a close second, since they could not get injured in the process.


    The group of four bypassed the larger open-aired stadium where the masses gathered for entertainment. Instead, they proceeded to a brightly lit lounge where warriors were resting. As they walked, they heard enthusiastic voices praising the many prominent fighters that had appeared this past week.


    "The Blood Queen is still my favorite," one man said. "Most people can''t even look her straight in the eye without wetting themselves. The rest of them usually only last ten exchanges. Even then, it almost looks like she uses them for practice and toys around with them before finally putting them out of their misery. I hear that she defeated a seventh-level cultivator just two hours ago!"


    Cha Ming had to admit that he was surprised at her rapid progress. To advance to his current realm, he had spent a small fortune on pills, consumed crystalized elemental essence through an expensive formation plate, and cultivated a variety of unusual techniques. Yet here she was, keeping up with his advancement step by step. Technically, Cha Ming''s current talent level was a step higher than Gong Lan''s, but this Blood World Scripture impacted more than just her combat prowess. It allowed her cultivation to progress rapidly despite the use of limited cultivation resources.


    A beautiful woman dressed in a red leather outfit called out to him from the other side of the room. "Cha Ming, what brings you here?" Two large bloody sabers were strapped to her back. Gong Lan''s greeting caused many people to glare at him enviously. If looks could kill, he would have died a dozen times right then.


    Cha Ming chuckled as he and his three companions approached her. "A trial run," he said. "Master Bei has just completed my weapon, so I was looking for an opponent to test it out on. I heard your strength has increased once more. Care for a rematch?"


    Gong Lan didn''t need to be asked twice. She sped over to the registration desk and rented a private arena. This was disappointing for her growing fan group. Usually she opened a public arena, where people could watch from the sidelines after paying an admission fee. Every time she fought, they cheered for her while secretly hoping that she would be knocked into them, giving them an excuse to feel her tender skin under the guise of helping her up.


    Before long, Cha Ming and Gong Lan were facing off against each other. They held their weapons out toward each other and saluted by touching weapons. Just like before, Gong Lan darted straight toward him. As a staff wielder, he needed distance from his opponents to properly execute his techniques. Infightingagainst someone like Gong Lan was only the natural thing to do.


    Cha Ming didn''t choose to avoid her aggressive charge. Instead, he used it as an opportunity to try out some select techniques with his new staff. He started off with Sword Staff, carefully parrying every blow from the heavy sabers. Gong Lan''s expression changed with each blow¡ªa forceful recoil hit her every time she parried an attack. Unlike last time, the staff delivered sharp, forceful blows to counter her aggressive technique. Silver patterns appeared on the staff, slightly amplifying his metal-aligned staff arts as he executed them.


    "Tch. Fine, let''s see how you handle this style," she muttered as her aggressive blows became soft and subdued. Her movements became gentle, and her steps flowed as she walked in circles around Cha Ming, slashing gently instead of aggressively like before.


    It took Cha Ming a few moments to adjust to this new rhythm. In the process of adjusting, he was nicked five times. Fortunately his skin was very tough, and these superficial cuts healed almost instantly. His movements and staff arts soon adjusted, fusing the Wading Through the Reeds and Trapping Staff Arts, and fusing White Willow Shade with the Skating in Paradise Movement Techniques.


    In one incense time, the wood and water techniques slowly fused together until their battle resembled a gentle dance. Only Cha Ming and Gong Lan could feel the intensity of the battle. Light, fleeting steps eventually merged with circular and sliding steps, to the point that Cha Ming could no longer tell where one movement art ended and the other began. His staff techniques now combined redirection with constriction, pushing with pulling.


    Bursts of wood qi occasionally manipulated the friction of the floor, which in turn affected both his and her movements. Sometimes he used his staff to redirect blows. At other times, he redirected himself by combining his staff and movement techniques. Two movement techniques and two staff techniques had now combined into a seamless whole.


    I''ll call this combined martial art Gentle Staff Art, he decided in his heart. He had finally developed the embryonic form of his own martial art, one that perfectly suited him.


    ***


    In the Clear Sky World, the red-bearded man observed the fight closely. He nodded as his student finally transcended rote-learning and repetition, fusing them together with his own understanding. The boy had a long way to go, but it was a good start. This first transformation was very important. It would grow Cha Ming''s confidence, enabling him to realize that he could create something new for himself if he set his mind to it.


    Quite frankly, it would have been a miracle if something like this hadn''t happened eventually. The man had stacked eleven techniques on the poor boy at once, which was overwhelming for any one person to use in battle. He would naturally realize which ones flowed together and which ones didn''t and naturally discard the rest. The fusion of these techniques would come with time. It was why he''d picked those techniques in the first place.


    It was a pity that his opponent, the pretty lass, wasn''t learning this valuable lesson. Cha Ming was adapting his techniques to himself while the girl was instead losing herself to her techniques. Bit by bit, he saw her innocence consumed by killing intent. Like a pure white snowflake painted red with blood.


    Such a pity.


    ***


    They walked out of the arena complex one hour later. Bei Ling was all smiles after finally witnessing the opening performance of his masterpiece. Hong Lai relaxed visibly when he saw his master''s face finally regain color and vitality. He took the opportunity to gift the two revised defensive brooches to both Cha Ming and Gong Lan. While they weren''t much, they might be some help in their upcoming adventures.


    As they were walking down the dark streets, a crimson light suddenly flashed across the sky.


    "Is that a rescue flare?" Cha Ming asked.


    The more experienced member of the group, Bei Ling, nodded gravely before replying. "Let''s go to the front gate and check it out. The timing is too much of a coincidence."


    Their group arrived at the front gates in one incense time. Just in time to see a bloodied figure being transported through the front gates on a stretcher. Cha Ming and Gong Lan recognized that figure.


    "Feng Ming?" they cried out in unison and darted out toward their unconscious friend.


    "Halt!" One of the guards stopped them from approaching Feng Ming''s unconscious body.


    "We know that man," Cha Ming replied. "He is our friend and is part of the Royal Army. He is Feng Ming, son of Feng Chuan."


    The guard looked at him dubiously. "As per policy, we must bring him back to the army barracks, investigate his background, and question him. He must also receive immediate medical care. Please return to your accommodations for the night."


    "We will accompany him to the army barracks, then," said Cha Ming. "I can''t rest easy knowing that my friend is injured." He also immediately released a spirit pearl manifestation¡ªHealing Array¡ªwhich quickly began mending Feng Ming''s external wounds.


    The guard''s face flushed red. "What do you think you''re doing? Stop it this instant! This is an important witness, and we can''t have anyone poisoning him."


    A few surrounding guards drew their swords as they approached Cha Ming. Cha Ming''s expression became cold, and a clear staff suddenly materialized in his hands.


    "How dare you accuse me of poisoning my friend and thinking you can do whatever you want with him. Who the hell do you think you are?" he shouted angrily at the guard. He did not retract the healing array. In response, the guards started closing in, prompting Gong Lan to draw her twin sabers.


    The guard didn''t back down. "I''m a captain of the guard in Fairweather City. I represent the lord here, and my word is law. Don''t make me arrest you for disturbing the peace."


    "Is there a problem here, gentlemen?" Bei Ling suddenly asked, causing the guard captain to freeze. The older man walked out from behind the others toward the soldiers, and his sudden appearance took the guards by surprise.


    "Elder Bei," the lead soldier replied nervously, "the county lord instructed us to bring the one who shot the flare in for interrogation, as it might have a huge bearing on the local security of Fairweather City. We can''t let anyone interfere in this matter."


    "Well, these people aren''t just anyone, and I will vouch for them. I also find it curious that the county lord has given such instructions, given his indifference to the security of Fairweather County recently," Bei Ling replied. Then, he turned to Hong Lai.


    "Little Lai, kindly fetch Hai Tuo. This young man is badly wounded, and Hai Tuo is the best doctor in town. After that, please fetch Han Jinlong and Zhang Yifeng and bring them to the barracks. I''m sure they would be most interested in why a member of the Royal Army has been found just outside the city and badly wounded, especially since the rescue mission is heading out tomorrow. This man might have vital information for them."


    Hong Lai quickly bowed before scampering off toward the center of town. Meanwhile, the guards had a sour expression on their faces. They quickly transported Feng Ming to the barracks under Cha Ming and company''s close supervision.


    ***


    A half dozen people were gathered around a bed in the barracks. They closely observed the gentle movements of an aged figure as he surveyed the unconscious young man on the bed. Occasionally, he prodded Feng Ming, prompting a soft groan from the unconscious patient.


    After a half hour of observation, the man drew out a set of transparent needles. The 108 needles were clear and seemed to be crafted out of soul alloy. They quickly floated over Feng Ming''s mostly naked body at the doctor''s direction. The aged man then formed thirty-six hand seals, causing the 108 needles to gently stab into the wounded body at various key points.


    Half of the needles glowed green, while the other half glowed blue. While this seemed like a simple process, beads of sweat had accumulated on the aged man''s forehead. Yet he didn''t let up his efforts. The needles continued to glow, and the man continued to concentrate.


    After a half hour, the aged man suddenly grunted and stopped channeling his qi. Shaking his head, he looked back at the crowd of concerned people. "I''m sorry," he said. "I need to rest a short while before trying again. His wounds are very unfortunate. I have no idea how he survived so long given the circumstances."


    "What exactly is wrong with him?" Cha Ming asked hurriedly.


    "It''s complicated, young man. Your friend has been poisoned with thirteen minor poisons, all of which are usually harmless. However, when combined in a very exact ratio, they produced a poison that rendered him comatose and began shutting down his organs.


    "This normally wouldn''t be problematic for me. However, using a treatment that should have a ninety-nine percent chance of success in normal cases didn''t work. After probing his body once more, I observed that he has somehow awakened a special constitution. This would normally be a cause for great celebration, however it just happened to render the only method I had to counter it meaningless.


    "Therefore, I tried to supplement his qi to take advantage of his awakened constitution''s strength against poisons. To my surprise, the small amount of qi somehow caused him to reach a breakthrough in his cultivation. Which, in this specific situation, is disastrous! His body has entered a qi-deficient state, and due to some freak interaction, his body is rejecting any external qi.


    "Simply put, this whole situation is a freakish accident. Your friend''s heart could give out at any second."


    Cha Ming and Gong Lan were devastated. How could such a thing happen to their friend? And who had pursued him so savagely, driving him into his current condition?


    "That brown-haired kid probably made things worse with his ''healing,''" a hoarse voice said behind them. "Congratulations on killing your friend, kid. And who knows how many people." The man in question wore light-blue robes. The hem of his robes was embroidered with the characters for Fairweather. It was the county lord.


    Cha Ming flushed red again. "Who the hell are you? You''re not welcome here!" he snapped.


    Hearing Cha Ming''s words, the man''s eyes narrowed, and a formless pressure suddenly weighed down on Cha Ming. It was the pressure of foundation establishment, which could cause any qi condensation cultivator''s energy to lose control.


    The pressure bearing down on him aimed to push him down to kneel. Since coming to this world, Cha Ming had never seen such an unreasonable and tyrannical person. Did he not see him as a person? Bei Ling frowned as he released his own power to counter the suppression. While the pressure eased up, Bei Ling was unable to completely remove the suppression.


    Cha Ming gritted his teeth as he summoned forth his Clear Sky Staff and struggled to move forward. He was angry at being powerless, angry at the county lord''s attitude, and more importantly, angry at his friend''s treatment. He began to lose his usual clear-headedness, and his eyes turned red with rage. Huxian pounced forward to join Cha Ming, prompting Cha Ming to shout at him mentally.


    Get back! I''ll do it myself!


    Huxian withdrew with a hurt look.


    A little bit more, Cha Ming thought. He circulated his cultivation a little faster, and the suppressive power shuddered, allowing him to take a step forward. He then used the momentum to bring out his staff and strike out at the county lord with Quake Staff. As he was a little too far away, he extended his staff to double its usual length and increased its weight to four times its original weight.


    "Humph. Little ant. Know your place." The county lord lifted his hand to intercept the staff strike. It halted in midair before even reaching the man''s palm, prompting Cha Ming to collapse and cough out blood. Bei Ling stood in front of him.


    "That''s enough," Bei Ling said coldly. The county lord snorted and kept advancing without withdrawing his power.


    "Overbearing as usual, I see," a voice boomed. They looked to the back of the room, where two men were standing with an extremely displeased look on their faces. These men were Han Jinlong and Zhang Yifeng. With the combined presence of these three individuals, the county lord withdrew his foundation-establishment pressure, and Cha Ming was finally able to breathe properly. He was quickly supported by Gong Lan, who had been just outside the effective range of the county lord''s pressure.


    As the two walked over, they suddenly realized that the old doctor had walked over to Feng Ming and felt his pulse. "You bloody idiot!" he shouted at the county lord. "Your stupid peacock posturing stopped his heart!"

 51 Soldier of Fortune

    Cha Ming''s face paled, and he quickly ran to his friend''s side. He was subsequently swatted away by the agitated doctor.


    "Get back! All of you! I need as much space as possible to have any chance at saving the poor boy," the doctor exclaimed.


    His fierce demeanor frightened everyone in the room. They quietly backed off to the side, vacating the side of the room that contained the bed. But that apparently wasn''t enough.


    "Get the hell back to the entrance, you little runts!" the doctor snapped. "And don''t you dare step more than ten feet into this room without my permission!"


    Everyone shuffled once more, at a loss for why the doctor needed so much space. Their confusion was soon cleared, however, when the old man manifested several strands of what appeared to be flat wet rope. The rope wrapped around Feng Ming, causing him to levitate off the bed and over the infirmary''s floor. The makeshift ropes then disappeared without a trace. Without pausing, the doctor summoned his 108 needles once more, this time distributing them among various acupoints not located on his chest.


    He followed up by manifesting a huge azure hand, which traveled to Feng Ming''s chest. It pressed down on his chest thirty times at a moderate pace. With every compression, azure energy flowed into his chest, complementing the hand''s motions.


    After thirty compressions were completed, the man manifested another object, a small bellow, which he used to inject air into Feng Ming, causing his chest to rise and fall ever so slightly. At the doctor''s instruction, the hand continued its compressions. He alternated thirty compressions to two breaths in a seamless fashion. Cha Ming recognized these motions¡ªit was much like CPR in his previous life, though it was obviously an improved version that used qi to enhance the chances of resuscitation.


    Three minutes later, the old man''s robes were drenched in sweat. He was clearly exhausted. Cha Ming wasn''t sure if it would help, but he tentatively extended two strands of qi, one for wood and one for water. The man looked toward him in surprise but didn''t hesitate. He quickly made use of the qi that Cha Ming provided and continued for another minute.


    Just as he was about to quit once more, Zhang Yifeng fed him another two strands of qi. He was clearly a triple cultivator in water, wood, and fire; only this combination would enable him to have water qi as an alchemist.


    Unfortunately, transferring qi was not a highly efficient process. This was especially so for Zhang Yifeng, as his foundation establishment qi was too strong for Hai Tuo to handle. The doctor was only able to sustain his motions for another two minutes.


    Seeing that no one was going to step up, Cha Ming created a white thread of creation qi. He was not experienced in converting his creation qi to water and wood, but he tried his best. The resulting qi enabled the man to last another thirty seconds, after which he collapsed to the floor, completely spent.


    "This is all I can do. I''m sorry, everyone," the doctor said.


    Cha Ming wasn''t ready to give up on Feng Ming just yet. He quickly ran over to Feng Ming''s side and started conducting manual CPR. While imperfect, the crude method might just give him a fighting chance. He completed thirty compressions and then tilted his friend''s chin back and blew two breaths in through his mouth.


    "Young man¡­ it''s admirable that you want to try saving him with this crude technique, but I''m sorry to say that your friend is dead." The old man shook his head. He got up and brushed his robes off. Cha Ming ignored him and continued compressing his friend''s chest. He couldn''t give up, no matter what!


    If only Feng Ming had my last portion of luck, he thought. I haven''t prayed in this new life, but if there is a God, please help me save my friend. I beg you!


    As he thought this, he continued his compressions. The dozen people present were enthralled by his perseverance. Even the county lord, who had previously tried to trample him like the ant he thought he was, couldn''t help but look at him in admiration.


    Come on. Come on! I just need to get lucky!


    Suddenly, Cha Ming felt a hot sensation travel from his upper back. It continued down his arms as he executed his compressions. He didn''t dare stop now to give Feng Ming a breath. A miracle was about to occur.


    The warmth continued to travel down his forearms and onto his hands, which were pressed on Feng Ming''s chest. A bright white ''ÐÒÔË'' character appeared, which could only be seen by Cha Ming. This encouraged him to continue his efforts.


    As his compressions continued, the character flickered repeatedly. It followed a rhythm that Cha Ming couldn''t understand, as though it was looking for the right moment to intervene. And intervene it did. After five minutes of compressions, the mark on Cha Ming''s hands disappeared and flowed into Feng Ming''s heart. He immediately removed his hands as Feng Ming gasped deeply for breath. Everyone in the room, including the old doctor, was shocked at this sudden miracle.


    The doctor had wasted no time in recovering a small amount of his qi and spirit. "Be quiet and let me treat you, you lucky son of a goat," he said as he began healing Feng Ming, whose eyes were still wide with shock. The old man''s eyes continued to light up as he checked one thing after another. He was unable to contain his shock.


    "Incredible," he whispered. "When his heart stopped, the qi deficiency in his body was regulated by my original chest compressions. Since his blood had stopped flowing, the azure healing qi that I injected also neutralized the various poisons in his body. He is now recovering at an astonishing pace!"


    Everyone in the room let out a sigh of relief, and they patiently waited for the doctor to complete his treatment. No one noticed the brooding expression in Feng Ming''s eyes.


    ***


    Previously


    Feng Meng was delirious. He didn''t know what was happening; he only knew that misfortune after misfortune happened to befall him. But he didn''t give up. He continued to linger on the border of consciousness. After an indeterminate amount of time, he heard voices from the darkness.


    "Holy hell, is this a sergeant from the royal army?" the voice said. "Quick, assemble the stretcher. Let''s get him back to the city for treatment."


    "We need to bring him back to the barracks directly first. County''s lord''s orders," a cold voice said.


    "But he''s dying!" another voice said.


    "Don''t forget your place," the cold voice replied. "We''ll bring him back to the barracks and let the lord decide. Do I make myself clear?"


    ***


    Feng Ming was now floating in a white space. It surrounded him, enveloped him, and embraced him. He felt comfortable in this space.


    Am I going to the underworld now? Am I off to the Yellow River? He also noticed that his "body" was wreathed in a light layer of black flames. Is this my sin? Why the hell am I carrying so much sin?


    "You idiot!Your stupid peacock posturing stopped his heart!" the voice of an old man yelled. The voice was faint, but it confirmed Feng Ming''s guess. He was dying.


    He sighed inwardly. It''s not so bad. I tried my best. Maybe my death will warn Fairweather City that something dangerous is out there. At least this time I made a difference, he thought.


    His mind drifted back to his reliance on Cha Ming and Wang Jun back in the spirit woods. He had gone to the army to make up for his failure. As far as he was concerned, he''d succeeded.


    As he reflected on his waste of a life, the white light surrounding him began take on a grayish hue. It began shrinking, and soon Feng Ming could "see" darkness in the distance.


    And here comes death. These past few weeks have left me with no regrets.


    ***


    "How can you give up so easily?" a pleasant voice said from the darkness. "Your luck hasn''t run out yet."


    The darkness began to recede as a white glow spread out from Feng Ming''s spiritual body. Before long, the black shadows that had previously overtaken him completely disappeared.


    "This is¡­" Feng Ming said uncertainly.


    "This is your spiritual sea. Myself, I''m nothing more than a remnant. It''s a miracle that I survived for so long. Some people call me Good Fortune, but that was long in the past." An old man in a purple robe appeared in front of Feng Ming''s spirit body.


    "You don''t have a lot of time. Only an hour in relative terms, since time passes by very quickly in this space. Use this time wisely and try to comprehend this inheritance, which I left behind just in case."


    The man waved his hand, and glowing purple scripture appeared in front of Feng Ming. He couldn''t understand the words, but as he concentrated on it, he felt like he was becoming aware of a universal truth, something that transcended language. The purple robed man didn''t interrupt his concentration.


    As Feng Ming''s eyes wandered across the scripture in a haphazard manner, the characters he gained enlightenment on disappeared one by one, only to reappear on his spirit body. He felt a wonderful energy course into his soul with every character he gained. Accordingly, his speed at reading the characters increased drastically for each one absorbed. It was like a virtuous cycle.


    Coincidentally, this was exactly what these characters were all about. Before long, he had completely absorbed the scripture. The old man dressed in purple had disappeared, and in the man''s place, he found a poem.


    Good fortune.


    A virtuous cycle that is never ending.


    Selfless deeds lead to true happiness.


    A pure heart never dies.


    Before awakening, he noticed that his spirit body was no longer wreathed in black flames. He had also gained an initial understanding of the vast amount of information branded into his soul. Inside his mind, he found a book. It read: Good Fortune Scripture Volume One: Soldier of Fortune .


    ***


    Under Hai Tuo''s intensive care, Feng Ming soon recovered his presence of mind and managed to muster up enough energy to speak.


    "Who is everyone? Is this Fairweather City?" he asked, then looked toward Cha Ming for answers. He had known for some time that Cha Ming was still alive; Wang Jun''s messengers had somehow found him in the middle of a field operation. The man''s efficiency frightened him.


    "Feng Ming, you are currently inside Fairweather City''s guard barracks. Aside from Gong Lan and Huxian, whom you already know, the spirit doctor who treated you is named Hai Tuo. These men are Bei Ling, Han Jinlong, Zhang Yifeng, and the county lord. They are all foundation establishment elders. Wait, I never got the county lord''s name." Cha Ming looked toward the county lord with a cold expression. "What''s your name again?"


    The county lord snorted. "You may call me Lord Sun Chuan. Now then, care to explain how you arrived in front of my city in such a miserable shape?"


    A displeased expression appeared on Feng Ming''s face, but he steeled his heart and began his tale.


    "It all began when we were scouting Crystal Meadows¡­"


    Feng Ming described the murder of his captain and companions, his escape, and his journey to Fairweather City without any interruption. As he spoke, Han Jinlong and Zhang Yifeng''s eyes reddened and tears ran down their face. Cha Ming and Gong Lan were shocked by the revelations, and at his description of those evil beings that ate steel and were immune to pain.


    Han Jinlong sighed. "It is as Yifeng and I suspected. We had tried to investigate the area previously, but these rebels possessed sufficient strength to repel us. However, no one would believe us, and we were forced to recruit mercenaries for this rescue mission. Unfortunately, we haven''t been able to reveal these details to the mercenaries because they might refuse to participate.


    "While we were out scouting, we noticed a thick stench of blood and several sites where devilish rituals had been conducted. However, these aberrations you described didn''t make any appearances; we only had our suspicions. Now, however, we can strongly assert that these ''rebels'' are in fact a devil-worshiping cult. Are you happy now, Sun Chuan? Will you send out your troops to support us now?"


    "Based on a lone sergeant''s words?" Sun Chuan retorted. "I am responsible for maintaining peace in this county, not fighting a war. This is clearly beyond the scope of my responsibilities. If I lend my troops to help you, the city will remain undefended. I can only stand by and send this sergeant and one of my trusted messengers to Green Leaf City, where they can inform the General. Only he can make a decision like this, and I stand by all my previous decisions on this matter."


    "Have you lost your mind?" Han Jinlong yelled. "The evidence is right here, and the people out there can''t wait for someone else to make a decision. We need to act now!"


    "My word is final until it is overturned by someone with greater authority. You may do as you wish," Sun Chuan replied and walked out of the room toward the exit. Han Jinlong and Zhang Yifeng were seething with rage. Then they looked at Cha Ming and Gong Lan.


    "I''m sorry for not telling you the truth, my young friends. You don''t have to participate in this matter, and I will relieve you of your contractual obligations," said Zhang Yifeng.


    Cha Ming shook his head. His blood was boiling after everything he had heard. There was no way he could back out now, not without getting revenge for his friend''s injuries! Gong Lan seemed to share the same opinion. Her killing intent had peaked in the middle of Feng Ming''s explanation, frightening their old friend. Feng Ming might have stopped speaking if not for the fact that he had just escaped these devilish cultivators, experienced extreme hardship, and briefly come into contact with death''s door.


    "There''s no need, Elder Zhang," said Cha Ming. "It wouldn''t feel right leaving any of these rebels alive. They can''t even be considered as people anymore, only devils."


    Han Jinlong and Zhang Yifeng both looked at him gratefully and bowed in thanks. They then left the room, leaving only Feng Ming, Cha Ming, Gong Lan, and Hai Tuo. The latter was currently meditating, recovering his energy for the next round of treatment.


    "What are your plans now?" asked Cha Ming. While he wanted his friend to tag along on the rescue mission, he knew that he had other obligations.


    Feng Ming shook his head. "I need to recover quickly and set out to deliver a message to my father as soon as possible. Normally, I would need to report in to my commander. However, the situation is very urgent, and the closest general is in Green Leaf City. Besides, my father and my current commander are good friends, so this move won''t ruffle any feathers and will allow the king''s army to react as efficiently as possible."


    They sat quietly for a few moments, not sure what to say. Finally, it was Feng Ming who broke the awkward silence. "Cha Ming, Gong Lan, there''s more to this than meets the eye. Aside from those devilish cultivators that ate metal and ignored pain, I''m even more concerned about that Li Piao. Why was she able to bewitch my captain so easily? It''s easy to brush it off, but the captain definitely wasn''t acting like himself. Further, most of our men were assassinated in the same manner without putting up a fight. I can''t help but think that the enemy has the ability to bewitch people, making them experts at assassination and espionage.


    "If that''s the case, then what other devilish abilities are they hiding? And are they limited to this immediate area? Also, there is something else that I didn''t tell the others. When I finally felt that I had escaped my pursuers, my luck suddenly turned for the worse. I tripped where I shouldn''t have. I was poisoned accidentally by countless plants. My wounds worsened instead of healing. Further, when I was at death''s door, I managed to see my spiritual body. It was lightly covered by black flames. They felt despicable, evil. Where did these flames come from, and how did they affect my soul?"


    Cha Ming and Gong Lan were at a loss.


    Hey, Exalted Teacher, do you know what could have caused this? Cha Ming asked mentally to the bearded man.


    After a few breaths, the bearded man replied. It seems to me like your friend was cursed when he escaped. Those flames sound like the flames of sin. It is very difficult to curse your friend with sin, and unless he has a dark past he didn''t mention, it should be impossible for him to have accumulated enough sin to lightly coat his soul in black flames.


    Unfortunately, Cha Ming didn''t know how to explain this concept to his friends. He could only remain silent. It was then that the spirit doctor opened his eyes.


    "Young man, if I''ve guessed correctly, you were cursed in some fashion. With misfortune. This is why the freakish series of events made it so difficult for me to heal you and revive you. It is a miracle that you survived, and that your friend Cha Ming was able to revitalize you with his crude technique."


    "Crude technique? What crude technique did he use?" Feng Ming asked curiously. He also wondered how he had acquired the Good Fortune Scripture.


    "Well, you see¡­" When the old doctor finished describing the sequence of events, Gong Lan blushed furiously, while Cha Ming considered himself fortunate that his friend was injured and in no shape to fight. He had a feeling that this inside joke would never die, and that he would always be remembered as the man who stole Feng Ming''s first kiss.

 52 Setting Ou

    A shade of red appeared on the skyline as the first light of the sun descended on the tranquil landscape near Fairweather. It was a beautiful scene, like a fresh panting that would only last a few moments. Many of the artisans in Fairweather City had risen with the sun, hoping to find inspiration in the dawn''s natural beauty.


    Lin Fan was one such person, a painter. He was seated in front of a large canvas, with a brush in one hand and a paint palette in the other. Off to the side, a rag and an assortment of brushes laid in wait for their turn to shine. They were separated by color, as the oily medium he used could only be wiped off but not rinsed.


    After firmly visualizing the scenery within his mind, he started his painting with the sky. It was a peculiar shade of blue, one that only lasted a quarter hour each morning. He didn''t stop there¡ªafter finishing the initial shade, a light red flame appeared before the painting to accelerate the drying process. Next, he painted the red sun. It was currently one-fifth exposed on the horizon.


    Before long the canvas was filled with red-tinted clouds, hills, and conifers. Next came a deer, which just happened to cross his line of sight. The painting was like a half-hour recording, all captured as a single moment. Lin Fan wasn''t satisfied with his latest work. He wiped sweat from his brow. This work had required much more effort than usual. It wasn''t easy attempting to paint a masterpiece when three hundred rowdy mercenaries were assembled just a hundred paces away.


    Unfortunately, there was little he could do. He recognized many of the people assembled. Some were even his neighbors. More importantly, he recognized Han Jinlong and Zhang Yifeng. It wasn''t worth offending them over such a trifling matter. After all, the perfect sunset he had waited twelve years for could come by once again in his lifetime.


    ***


    "You would think that a group of mercenaries would be much more energetic, even if it is early in the morning," Cha Ming said between mouthfuls of his breakfast. He had managed, with great difficulty, to locate a bakery that made steamed red-bean buns. It was one of his favorite breakfasts, though he still preferred rice porridge and pickles. Alas, such a meal could not be eaten while walking.


    Gong Lan, on the other hand, was snacking on a strip of beef jerky. "Only half of these people are actual mercenaries. The rest are local recruits from Fairweather. Many of them are only coming along because they have family in the surrounding villages that were attacked. These people know nothing of living out in the wilderness or getting by without sleep."


    Huxian was having the time of his life. While contract beasts were rare, there were seven of them in this small group of mercenaries. Whenever he encountered one, he made sure to thoroughly oppress it and gloat to Cha Ming about his superiority over his lesser brethren. One of the contract beasts was a rarely seen bobcat. In its pride, it refused to yield to the younger fox¡ªfor about fifteen seconds. Huxian forced it to kowtow for its defiance. The large feline''s master could only suffer in silence, as she herself was no stronger than her companion beast.


    Their small group wandered toward the front, where many of the stronger individuals were located. This included Master Han and Master Zhang. The mercenaries had been instructed to gather one hour before dawn, and only a quarter hour remained. At the front, they met Sima Qian and Wu Jin, whom they had met at the auction house a week ago. They spoke for a short while before a booming voice resounded across the large crowd of cultivators.


    "On behalf of everyone with relatives near Fairweather, I thank you all for accepting this mission," said Han Jinlong. "I won''t lie to you, the information we''ve received indicates that this will be a dangerous outing. But I''m sure most of you have guessed this, given the ample rewards for successfully completing the mission. Rest assured¡ªif you fall in battle, we are contractually obligated to pay the full amount for the mission to your designated beneficiary. However, I would like each one of you to know that we want you to return home safely.


    "Master Zhang has prepared a welcome gift for everyone." Several green specks flew out toward the various cultivators. Each of them caught a clear crystal bottle containing three green pills. "These green pills are emerald healing pills concocted by Master Zhang and his apprentices. These pills will heal many grievous injuries within minutes. This way, you can all rest assured as we venture forward to rescue our relatives and friends.


    "Now, I will split everyone into three groups. I will lead the first group, Master Zhang will lead the second group, and the Ling brothers¡ªthree experts at the peak of qi condensation¡ªwill lead the third group.


    "First group, Jin Lihai.


    "Second group, Bai Liangtao.


    "Third¡­"


    Han Jinlong continued to list off names one by one until everyone was sorted. Cha Ming and Huxian were in Group Two, while Gong Lan was in Group One. Wu Jin and Sima Qian were both in Group Three.


    "Each of the three groups will head out in separate directions toward the three nearest villages, where we will begin our investigation. We will then proceed through several checkpoints before finally meeting at a town called Jade Spring, where we suspect that rebels are keeping nearby residents as prisoners.


    "Everyone¡­ stay strong."


    With that, Han Jinlong set out toward the northwest. He ran at a moderate pace easily achievable by the various cultivators. Zhang Yifeng ran toward the south, while the Ling brothers led their group toward the southwest. Cha Ming gave Gong Lan, Wu Jin, and Sima Qian a wave before following along.


    Everyone¡­ stay strong.


    ***


    Crackle. Crackle.


    The sounds of breaking ice could barely be heard amongst the dull footsteps of the hundred cultivators in Zhang Yifeng''s group. They were walking along a clay road just outside Crystal Meadows, their first stop on this journey.


    Cha Ming was fiddling with a pine cone he had picked from a nearby tree. There weren''t many trees in this barren land, which was barely suitable for pasture. Though, judging by the length of the grass, the land had not been used for this purpose recently. Cha Ming didn''t think too much on this point and tossed the pine cone to Huxian, who quickly bounced it off his nose back to Cha Ming in an improvised game of catch.


    Before long, the group arrived at the entrance to Crystal Meadows. The first sight that greeted them was a broken-down pen. It didn''t contain any livestock, however, as they had all been removed in a very violent manner. Here and there, they saw clumps of wool coated in blood. The ground was covered in small pools of putrid, rotting blood, a sign of a rough and hurried slaughter.


    They didn''t dwell too long on this sight but turned their attention toward the village itself. Cha Ming and Huxian were near the front of the group, along with some stronger mercenaries. Together with Zhang Yifeng, they were the vanguard of this expeditionary force.


    Under Master Zhang''s guidance, they first headed toward the inn, which according to Feng Ming had doubled up as a mayoral office for Li Piao. They found nothing but a smoldering wreck. The building had clearly been burned down to destroy all evidence of the scuffle with the royal army. This result was disappointing, but not unexpected.


    Not wanting to waste any time, Zhang Yifeng had the group of one hundred people split up into pairs. The weaker ones were paired with the stronger ones. Of course, Cha Ming and Huxian counted as one person. They were accompanied by a lucky female cultivator at the third level of qi condensation. Unlike most cultivators, her looks were only average. She kept short hair, and her left shoulder bore the insignia of the Black Eagle Mercenary Company.


    On a whim, Cha Ming led his group to a nearby workshop. The outside of the large building was in good repair. He opened the door slowly, and Huxian and the female mercenary stood ready in case of an attack. Only a light creak sounded out, indicating that the door had been oiled on a regular basis.


    The inside of the building was dark, as few windows had been built into the building in the first place. Perhaps this had something to do with the crystal glass artisans'' preferences. Cha Ming knew that if he tried working with glass, he would want as little external light as possible. Glass was prone to refracting and reflecting light, potentially leading to errors in the crafting process.


    "Huxian, light, please," Cha Ming said softly to his companion. At Cha Ming''s instruction, Huxian''s fur started to shimmer. The shimmering grew brighter and brighter, until finally all the specks of light that had accumulated on his fur gathered up into a small globe, which floated in front of them. It cast light in all directions in a thirty-foot radius. Yet the light did not seem to follow the normal rules. Within those thirty feet, everything was bright as day. Outside of that distance, everything abruptly reverted to the original darkness in the room.


    "Good Huxian," Cha Ming said while petting his ears. Their third wheel didn''t say much, though her gaze softened whenever she looked at the playful little fox. "Stay within ten feet of the light, Xiaobei. Huxian and I will stay on the periphery in case anything unexpected comes out from the darkness. Keep your eyes peeled for anything unusual, especially any writing or runes."


    The girl was used to taking instruction from superior cultivators and did as she was told. They slowly but surely observed every nook and cranny. Unfortunately, the building was unusually barren. It seemed like all the crafting equipment except for the large furnaces had been removed from the building.


    Maybe they also took the craftsmen away? After all, this equipment is useless without craftsmen.


    Soon their group stumbled upon a desk in the workshop. The desk seemed to have been carved out of a single piece of stone and was covered in exquisite designs. Cha Ming let his hand wander along the cool surface of the desk, looking for any clues or hidden compartments. It was then that he noticed a rune cleverly disguised as another decoration. Upon further observation, he noticed that it was paired with another rune. These were characters for "open" and "conceal."


    He activated the "open" rune by pouring in some of his qi. A drawer opened on a previously flush surface, revealing a notebook, a pen, a picture, some jewelry, and some spirit stones. He quickly scooped up the contents into his bag of holding. Surely Master Zhang would want to see these items. After carefully inspecting the rest of the desk, he found nothing else of importance and proceeded to inspect the chair.


    "Cha Ming, come see this," Xiaobei said. She was crouched down on the floor looking at a strange symbol. Cha Ming walked over and saw a rune painted on the floor with black and green ink. He frowned when he saw this character, however. "Tinder" wasn''t a character that could be utilized on its own. However, it was surrounded by geometric shapes, as well as slightly curved and straight lines that headed outward from the symbol. One such line headed toward the center of town.


    I should go there as soon as possible. It looks like a talisman, but it''s not painted on paper. Perhaps it''s part of a formation?


    Just as he was about to pull their trio out of the building, Huxian started whining softly. Big Brother, I hear someone crying and whimpering. And I smell fear. Quick, follow me! The little fox darted off to a far corner of the workshop. The floor there was covered in stone slates. Cha Ming instantly recognized the same pattern he had just seen on the desk. He quickly poured qi into the "open" character, which opened a three-foot-by-three-foot entrance.


    Huxian, being the most durable member of their group, darted in first. Come in, brother. You need to see this.


    As Cha Ming climbed down, the light source followed him at Huxian''s command. The small room appeared to be a cellar, and it reeked of alcohol. In a corner of the room, a little girl was trembling, trying to remain as quiet as possible.


    "You need to be quiet, Mimi, you need to be quiet. If you''re not quiet, those monsters will take you and eat you. You need to be quiet, Mimi¡­" she mumbled repeatedly.


    Cha Ming approached her quietly and crouched down in front of her. "Hello, little one. It''s going to be okay."


    Her eyes quickly shot upward toward his voice, and she immediately started backing away on her hands and feet. "Monster, you''re a monster! Get away from me!" she yelled.


    Her voice was hoarse, as though she hadn''t had any water in days. This caused Cha Ming to look toward the opened barrels and bottles of alcohol. Clearly she had been drinking it to stay hydrated, which may or may not have been a wise decision, depending on the contents of the barrels.


    "It''s going to be okay, little one," Cha Ming said, crouching down in front of her once more. "Do you know Master Zhang Yifeng or Han Jinlong?" At the mention of these two names, her eyes became a little more focused.


    "You know Uncle Zhang?" she said nervously.


    Cha Ming nodded. "Yes, your Uncle Zhang has come here to save you. He is outside looking for others right now. Do you want to come with me to come see him?"


    She nodded slowly and tried to get up, only to stumble. Her frame was extremely skinny, and he suspected that she was starved, dehydrated, and drunk from living down here.


    "Can you take little brothers Tao and Yong too?" she mumbled.


    Cha Ming looked toward Huxian, who had been exploring another corner. The little fox shook his head. The two little boys who were down here with her had died a few days ago.


    "They are sleeping, little one. We''ll come get them when they wake up, okay?" he said reassuringly. He then put away his staff and picked her up in his arms, then carried her up the stairs.


    Xiaobei was very surprised to see a living girl come out from the cellar but took it in stride. They soon exited the workshop and headed toward the center of the town.


    There were only a dozen or so people out on the streets, as the mercenaries were busy searching for clues. They shot Cha Ming a surprised look as they saw the little girl in his arms.


    Soon enough, Cha Ming arrived at the center of the town, where a statue had been erected. He was mesmerized by its beauty and soon realized that it was a decorative spirit treasure. Here and there, he could see some lightly engraved runes, some for strengthening, and some for beauty and charm. He continued observing these runes, starting from the face of the statue and working his way downward. He frowned once he got to the base of the twenty-foot statue.


    There he saw some dark runes engraved on a plaque. There was one large rune surrounded by twenty smaller ones. Twelve of these runes were lit with a dull red light. Unfortunately, Cha Ming had never studied formations. He did, however, know that the smaller runic characters meant "trigger." These twenty runes were surrounded by an outer circle and an inner circle. Twenty lines came out from the outer circle and left the statue, while thirteen lines led toward the inner rune.


    Twelve of them are lit, he thought, frowning. Does this mean thirteen runes must be lit to trigger the central rune?


    His face turned pale when he saw the central rune, "Inferno."


    "Master Zhang!" he yelled out with all his might. "We need to get out now!"


    Suddenly a hole blew out from a nearby building, and Master Zhang ran out toward him at a speed not possible for qi condensation cultivators.


    "What''s the matter, Cha Ming?" Master Zhang asked.


    "It''s a trap, Master Zhang. If one more trigger is activated¡ª" Cha Ming''s explanation was interrupted as a light hum sounded out. Thirteen lines were now lit, and the central rune was glowing bright red. "No time now. We triggered a trap, and this whole town is going to burn. Get everyone out of here immediately."


    With that, he held the little girl tightly with his right arm and, using a movement technique and his high physical strength, he grabbed Xiaobei with his left. She tried to free herself from his grip, only to realize that her struggles meant nothing to Cha Ming. As soon as he grabbed the two, seventy-two pearls burst out from his wrist, and he was surrounded with a blue snowflake. Mere moments after he reacted, the entire town burst into flames.


    It wasn''t just the buildings that caught fire; even the air began burning violently. Fortunately, Cha Ming was able to shield the ones near him. Zhang Yifeng wasted no time and darted out toward other nearby mercenaries. He used his precise control over flames to disperse the inferno near them, and these adventurers gathered around him to save others.


    Cha Ming immediately followed his example and began gathering nearby mercenaries. Fortunately, some of them cultivated water and earth arts and were able to protect themselves independently. Cha Ming ignored these people and let them flee alone.


    After running for a dozen breaths, he found three cultivators who were huddled together around a single water element cultivator, who was using her qi to protect them. Her qi was wavering, and it was clear that she wouldn''t be able to hold out for long. Cha Ming quickly expanded the scope of his frozen domain and signaled for them to follow him. They all looked at him gratefully and accompanied him to collect other such groups.


    Unfortunately, he couldn''t save everyone. Several times, he saw screaming cultivators that had been lit up like torches. They ran for a few brief moments before collapsing to the ground. He didn''t have time to save these people. Other times they encountered badly burned individuals that couldn''t walk anymore. These cultivators were carried off by those in the group that still had a bit of strength remaining.


    Finally, they managed to escape the formation, which was a large circle that completely encapsulated the town. Their group was soon joined by Zhang Yifeng, who had rescued thirty-five cultivators. With Cha Ming''s twenty-four cultivators and the few odd people who had managed to escape on their own, a total of seventy-three cultivators had survived the trap.


    The survivors looked at the burning town in silence while nursing their wounds, hoping that even one more of their companions would escape. No one did.

 53 The Girls Story

    The flames died down the next morning. Though the air was still hot and smoky, at least it was bearable. Several dozen mercenaries set out to find if there were any lucky survivors. In the end, all they could do was bury partially burned corpses.


    Meanwhile, Cha Ming assisted Master Zhang in his treatment of the little girl from the workshop cellar. Because of Cha Ming''s protection, she had not suffered any burns. However, she was severely malnourished, dehydrated, and dependent on alcohol. The last issue was not overly concerning, as Zhang Yifeng happened to have some detoxifying pills. He also fed her some nutrition pills, which quickly satiated her hunger and thirst.


    "What''s your name, little girl? And why do you look so familiar? Have we met before?" the kindly man asked. The little girl was currently hugging a gourd of water. As soon as she had taken the detoxifying pill, she began crying as she recalled recent events.


    "My name is Meng Xiaomei, Mimi for short. We met when I was very little. You came to visit Aunty Zhang, my father''s sister," she replied.


    The older man looked both surprised at the coincidence but glad that he had finally found one of his relatives.


    "I''m sorry I couldn''t come earlier," Zhang Yifeng said, his voice laced with regret. Han Jinlong and I have gathered a small army to rescue everyone. Can you tell me what happened?"


    The little girl''s eyes were downcast as she recalled what had happened. "It all started with the bandit leader. One day, a group of twenty bandits appeared in our village without warning. Normally, in such a situation, we would hand over all of our wealth. Papa told me that it would be fine if we gave them everything, and that the lord of Fairweather County would compensate us, like always.


    "Just to be safe, two other boys and I headed down to an emergency cellar. It wasn''t long before we heard screams outside. I¡­ I don''t know what happened to them," the little girl said while doing her best to hold back her tears.


    Master Zhang wiped the tears off her cheeks and reassured her. She continued talking after taking a small gulp of water.


    "We were underground for who knows how long. There was food and water there in case of an emergency, but there was only so much. We lost track of time. All I know is that the work upstairs never stopped.


    "Usually my father and the other uncles in the workshop would only work ten hours a day, and they would never work at night. But while we were in the cellar, the roaring of the furnace never stopped. Every once in a while, an argument would break out.


    "One day, one of the uncles had enough and started arguing and yelling. Some unfamiliar voices yelled back, and I heard a crash and the sound of breaking glass upstairs." The little girl shivered a little before continuing. "''You monster!'', Uncle said. And then I heard his screams. Then the man told my father and the other uncles to get back to work.


    "Some time later, I woke up and heard some shouting. There were sounds of furniture, equipment, and crates being moved. The sounds lasted for what I think was a half day, and then everything was quiet. After waiting for a long time, we tried to get out, but we couldn''t figure out how to open the cellar. We had already run out of food. Soon, we ran out of water. That''s when we started drinking the alcohol in the cellar. I don''t remember much after that¡­" By the time she had finished recounting the story, her eyes were red, and her face was covered in tears.


    "It''s going to be all right, Mimi. We''re going to save your parents," Master Zhang said. He then turned around and addressed the female mercenary. "Xiaobei, can you please take Mimi to get cleaned up? Take her back to my tent afterward so she can get some rest." She nodded and led Mimi away.


    After the little girl left, the older man sighed and looked over to Cha Ming. "Are you a formation master?" he asked Cha Ming, his eyes full of expectation.


    The younger man shook his head. "Sadly, I know nothing about formations. This is my first time seeing one. I was only able to guess what was going to happen because I recognized some runic characters that are often used when making talismans. There was a "tinder" character connected with lines in the building that I was exploring, and a line that led to the center of town. When I looked at the statue, I recognized twenty "trigger" characters and a large "inferno" character. It wasn''t difficult to guess what was going to happen," Cha Ming finished.


    The older man nodded. "A reasonable deduction. Unfortunately, alchemy is not one of the runic arts, like weaponsmithing, talisman artistry, or formation masters. I am useless in this regard, and it seems like the enemy has laid down several traps for us. Please keep your eyes peeled for any runic characters as we continue onward.


    "Further, this behavior makes me uneasy. The trap killed thirty weaker cultivators and injured twenty other low-level cultivators. Why go through all this trouble only to kill a few lesser cultivators? It would have been much more effective to set a trap that could injure higher-level cultivators, or even Han Jinlong or myself. All they did was delay us while we bury people and recuperate."


    Cha Ming shook his head. "I don''t know, either. However, perhaps this book will give us some clues on what they did while they were here?" Cha Ming pulled out the items that he had collected earlier¡ªthe notebook, the pen, the picture, the spirit stones, and some jewelry.


    The older man accepted it and opened the front cover. He then sighed. "As I suspected. This is that girl''s father''s notebook. My brother-in-law''s. Let''s read through this together and see what we can find out."


    ***


    Fairweather City


    It didn''t take long for Feng Ming to get fed up with his accommodations in the barracks. By the end of the first day, he had already taken the initiative and asked Master Bei if he could stay with him. Bei Ling was happy to receive him, so he continued his medical treatments under his and Hong Lai''s care.


    The physician was astounded by Feng Ming''s rate of recovery; every medicinal supplement he fed him performed to more than full effect. This was especially surprising considering the repeated failures beforehand. If it weren''t for Master Bei''s presence, Feng Ming was sure the physician would have detained him as a medical research subject.


    "One more day and you''ll be fully healed," the doctor Hai Tuo said after his latest visit. Feng Ming was ecstatic. While staying at Master Bei''s residence was much better than staying at the city guard''s barracks, it wasn''t any less awkward. He couldn''t complain too much, though. He kept getting the willies whenever he turned his back to anyone. Here, he just existed in perpetual boredom.


    Feng Ming had been mentored from a young age and was an expert in holding conversations and socializing. However, all this training meant nothing to Bei Ling and Hong Lai, who were both helpless crafting addicts. Even meaningless conversations about the newly budding spring flowers would somehow become a discussion about crafting a brooch.


    After a few hours of meandering conversations, he asked the two weaponsmiths for permission to wander around the very spacious abode. They granted him permission immediately but barred him from the workshop.


    As if I''d want to wander around a stinking workshop, he thought.


    Before long, he discovered that describing the abode as very spacious was an understatement. The main hallway he was currently exploring was a great example. It was long and wide and contained several dozen doors. By trial and error, he discovered that these doors often led to other hallways, which were also full of other doors. It was like a maze. Regrettably, he had always hated mazes as a child. Therefore, instead of figuring out the maze by brute force, he decided to test out his newly found strength¡ªluck.


    That was how he found himself in the middle of the hallway playing Spin the Dagger, which was not to be confused with a popular game amongst youngsters, Spin the Flask, where the one spinning the flask would need to kiss the one it pointed to. In this game, Feng Ming spun a dagger to discover which door he should open. He figured the maze was a defense mechanism inherent to this mysterious abode, which was likely the reason why he was allowed to wander around in the first place.


    After three consecutive doors, he began to doubt the effectiveness of his method. The ornate dagger, an old heirloom he had taken from home before leaving, gradually came to a stop after his latest spin.


    Last try, he thought. After this one, I''m just going back to the living room and resting. This time he didn''t find a hallway on the other side. Instead he found what looked a lot like a cross between a museum and a storage room.


    In this room, weapons of all kinds were strewn about on display racks. Most of the weapons were swords, sabers, and daggers. There were also a few suits of ornate armor. He disdained these, however. They seemed bulky and clumsy, and he would never allow armor to interfere with his swift and graceful fighting style. Light armor was best.


    He was very interested when it came to the weapons. He picked them up one by one, testing their balance and compatibility with his fighting style. One of them was a greatsword that looked like it weighed twice as much as him. To his surprise, it was light as a feather in his hands. "Overlord Sword, Grade Eight Spirit Weapon, Lightness in Heaviness Runic Ability" was written on its display case.


    Well, that explains it. After a few more swings, he placed the weapon back on its shelf¡ªgreatswords just didn''t suit his style.


    He''d already made up his mind to shamelessly request one of the weapons. He no longer had a suitable weapon after his last battle, and he really didn''t feel comfortable at the thought of being accompanied home by the county lord''s men. Money wasn''t an issue for him¡ªit was whether or not the picky spiritual blacksmiths would be willing to sell.


    After searching for the better part of an hour, he shook his head in disappointment. Alas, none of the weapons truly suited him. This made him doubt his good fortune. Wasn''t he supposed to find good things everywhere now that he was cultivating the Good Fortune Scripture? Or did he still need to accumulate a lot more merit to make this luck materialize?


    Sighing, he picked up one of the plain swords on a shelf. It wasn''t a special weapon, but it was a fifth-grade sword that was suited to his fighting style. Before making his decision, he ran a few tests, expertly using his sword to execute one of his various sword techniques. Unfortunately, the storage room was not very suitable for practicing. He soon tripped backward on a crate and bumped into a shelf. A rolling sound alerted him, prompting him to roll away from the shelf. He looked back just in time to see a black spear falling down tip-first where he had previously been.


    Spear, huh? I''ve never tried a spear before. Feng Ming picked it up and tried swinging it around. He had always liked the thought of wielding a spear, but his father had always said that a general''s weapon was a sword. Spears were for soldiers. But wasn''t he supposed to be a Soldier of Fortune? Trying never hurt anyone.


    But how do I even use a spear? I wish I had some basic technique. Shrugging, he continued his footwork drills and decided to infuse some qi into the newfound weapon to see if he might gain any inspiration. To his surprise, the black spear began glowing with white runes, and information instantly rushed into his mind.


    Nine Lives Lucky Spear. Magic weapon. Can only be wielded by the fated, ignores cultivation realm restrictions.


    Lucky Spear Art. A spear and footwork art specifically designed for reckless, lucky individuals.


    The weapon and spear art seemed tailor-made for him.


    I''ll be damned, this whole Soldier of Fortune thing is legitimate, he thought. To his surprise, the spear art didn''t even need to be learned. It had imbued itself into his muscles and nerves, granting him muscle memory and reflexes consistent with the spear art!


    He practiced for a short while before taking the spear out of storage and meeting with Bei Ling and Hong Lai. He gave them a short demonstration of his skills with the spear and requested the spear, since they were clearly fated.


    "Take it. It''s yours," Bei Ling said. "Take the second left, third right, and second left again to get to the training room."


    Feng Ming was surprised at Bei Ling''s easygoing nature. He quickly excused himself before the master smith changed his mind.


    ***


    Hong Lai had observed the whole process in a daze. He came back to his senses and asked, "Master Bei, isn''t that the cursed spear that the supposed ''Lucky General'' used in the past? The one that caused the death of twelve cultivators before someone finally gave us the spear for safekeeping?"


    "Yep, that''s the one," Bei Ling replied dryly.


    "Is it¡­ appropriate to gift it to this little friend?"


    "Yep, totally appropriate. Like the man said, he''s fated with it," Bei Ling replied without any hesitation.


    "How do you know he''s fated with it?" Hong Lai asked.


    "Well, for starters, he actually found the room it was stored in. Then he somehow found it despite it being hidden on the top shelf. Meanwhile, he hasn''t stabbed himself in the foot yet, nor has he broken any of my furniture. I''d say that''s a good start," Bei Ling concluded. Hong Lai couldn''t refute him.


    After a good night''s sleep, Feng Ming was declared fully recovered by the doctor. He bade farewell to Bei Ling and Hong Lai before finally heading out to the barracks. There, he met his road companion, Sergeant Gou Dan. The man had brought four horses with him, so that they had two each to maximize their speed. Feng Ming approved, and they set off immediately. Getting the message to his father was of paramount importance. His friends'' lives were at stake.


    ***


    Wang Jun was sitting at his desk in front of a mountain of paperwork. Despite the enormous workload, he remained unphased. His exquisite penmanship was utilized for signatures when needed, and he quickly memorized every document he read.


    Elder Bai entered the room just as Wang Jun finished reading a thick dossier titled "Politics, Law, and Trade in the Song Kingdom." The information had been compiled by the best intelligence agents in the dynasty for his perusal.


    "Young Master, we''ve received the reply from the Song Kingdom''s medical association. The election for a new chairman has been triggered and will take place in four days. Our candidate will be promoting free trade in alchemical products, for the betterment of the Song Kingdom''s health and the goodwill of the people.


    "Meanwhile, the propaganda campaign vilifying the Alchemists Association is fully underway. We''ve added inflammatory remarks and directed mudslinging to Zhou Li''s uncle, the prominent alchemist in Green Leaf City," Elder Bai said, concluding his report. Dark circles could be seen around his eyes, an unusual phenomenon for foundation establishment elders.


    "Very good, Elder Bai. Let''s start the second phase of the plan. Please have Elder Chong sue the Alchemists Association for illegal trade infringement. Simultaneously, have him sue Zhou Li''s uncle for contract infringement and conflict of interest, effectively resulting in price fixing. We also need to begin slinging some mud at Zhou Jia, Zhou Li''s sister. Please skew the mudslinging toward her personally, making the crown prince a victim. Actually¡­"


    A devilish grin suddenly appeared on the young man''s face. "Have the rumors discuss Zhou Jia''s illicit relations with her brother Zhou Li. Make sure it is heavily publicized. Concurrently promote the opinion that the crown prince is much too noble to be interacting with scum like her, and that she should be set out onto the streets. Meanwhile, coordinate with the others in his harem to try shaking up her position."


    Wang Jun always treated his friends with utmost kindness. But he would never show a shred of mercy to his enemies. Nor to himself. He didn''t pause to rest after the conversation and continued poring over the documents on his desk. As he was reading one of the documents, Wang Jun lifted his eyes to Elder Bai and asked, "By the way, how is the other matter coming along?"


    A twinkle appeared in Elder Bai''s eye. "Swimmingly," he replied.

 54 Unforgiveable

    It was one of the last remaining days of winter, and the smell of fresh grass and budding leaves permeated the air. Birds and squirrels who had remained hidden all winter peeked their small heads out, chirping to announce their imminent return. In the distance, a "V" of ducks was flying at a steady pace, returning to the lush lands it remembered.


    A younger, curious duck decided to split off from the flock, landing in a small pond near the side of the road. A poor decision, to be sure, as it was instantly pierced in the neck by an arrow. The flock scattered as the duck squawked just prior to its untimely demise. Its corpse was retrieved by an enthusiastic man in his early twenties, who brought it back to a group of one hundred mercenaries plodding along at a steady pace.


    "Look, Sister Gong. I caught us supper!" the young man exclaimed enthusiastically, causing Gong Lan to massage her temple for the sixth time that day. While she found the man insufferable, she couldn''t fault his honesty and kind demeanor. She just preferred cold men. Manly men like her brother. Regrettably, he didn''t have any good mercenary friends, so she had to find someone the hard way.


    She had originally thought Cha Ming would be a good guy to chase, but it turned out that he was too nice. Manly, but nice. Definitely friend-zone material. She didn''t need to be babied or pampered; she just need someone with a sultry sense of humor, veins of steel, and chiseled features. Someone who looked like he was sculpted out of granite, inside and out. She didn''t think this was asking for too much.


    The young man continued talking, so she tuned him out, occasionally smiling at something he said just to be polite. Fortunately, this was only a temporary arrangement. He had been pestering her ever since Han Jinlong''s group set out. She figured he took her to be a weak and lone adventurer, one who should be protected. Little did he know that he was the one who needed protecting.


    Occasionally, she pictured herself decapitating the man for his annoying behavior, only to remind herself that decapitating friends was not very polite. A strange thought, certainly, but not uncommon. Over the past two months, thoughts like these had often visited her dreams both in the day and at night. It was much worse when she saw blood. Even more so under the full moon.


    Their group continued marching until they arrived at the entrance of a small village. Hundreds of crows surrounded the village; it was clear that Brother Death had paid a visit recently. Gong Lan looked toward Han Jinlong, who dismounted his flying sword. The ugly expression on his face became extremely apparent when he looked toward the hundred mercenaries and motioned for them to quiet down.


    "Everyone, separate into pairs and look around. See what you can find. Also, keep your eyes peeled for runic symbols. Zhang Yifeng''s group recently encountered a trap array formation in Crystal Meadows, so we need to be extremely cautious," Han Jinlong said.


    This caused much discussion among the many mercenaries, which was likely why he had waited until now to share the news.


    How does he know this happened? Does he have some sort of tool that he can use to communicate with the squad leaders? Gong Lan wondered. Like clockwork, her annoying "friend" chimed in with words of reassurance.


    "Luckily, I''m a third-grade spiritual blacksmith," he said. "While I''m not very gifted in runes, I should at least be able to spot unusual ones if I get close to them. Don''t worry, Sister Gong, you''re safe with Brother An Hao." The man beat his chest, and Gong Lan had to resist rolling her eyes. Clearly this man overestimated himself. Cha Ming was a seventh-grade talisman artist, and even he wasn''t able to stop them from triggering the trap. An Hao didn''t stand a chance.


    Hopefully he''s okay, she thought. And Huxian, too, that cute little fox. That cute but freakishly strong fox. She still hadn''t gotten over the consecutive defeats she had suffered at the baby spirit beast''s hands, especially the ones where she had teamed up with Cha Ming for good measure.


    Since they had to pair up, she decided to team up with An Hao. She couldn''t let such a nice guy die young. Besides, she could use it as an opportunity to give him a sober awakening and show him that she really didn''t need to be taken care of.


    She had prepared herself mentally before entering the village, but nothing could have prepared her for the sight that greeted her. Hundreds of crows flew away as they walked in, revealing a sight that caused the entire group to hesitate. Even Han Jinlong could barely maintain his composure. Over three quarters of the mercenaries gagged and threw up, including the experienced ones.


    Corpses littered the ground as far as the eyes could see. Most of them were either dismembered, partially eaten, or both. If Gong Lan had not experienced these past two months of merciless slaughter, she too would have vomited at such a sight, like her friend An Hao. Now, she did not feel any revulsion, only anger.


    She took a few moments to calm down, then gritted her teeth before heading toward the front, where Han Jinlong was standing. She saw that his eyes were red and moist. She was sure he only held back his tears for the sake of the men behind him.


    "Spread out and search for survivors," he said amidst the sounds of retching men. Gong Lan dutifully walked toward one of the houses.


    An Hao, who was still feeling queasy, dutifully stayed beside her. In fact, he still remembered to try opening the door for her, only to jump back in surprise as she kicked it open to vent her temper.


    "Light a torch," she grunted as she pulled out her twin sabers. Her intimidating demeanor prompted immediate compliance. The man quickly produced a spirit lamp, which could burn for hours without being extinguished. He also held a three-foot sword in his right hand, ready to fend off any potential assailants.


    The inside of the house was no different than the outside. The walls were painted in blood, and the putrid stench of rotting flesh nauseated them as they made their way through. They found nothing of importance. There were no records of the incident, indicating that it was likely a sudden invasion.


    The duo continued looking through several more houses, finding roughly eight bodies in the process. It was only an estimate, however, as very few of the bodies were intact. In the fourth house they looked through, they found a secret compartment behind a bookshelf. The books had all been cleared and were spread out across the floor. Only now did Gong Lan realize that she hadn''t found a single valuable thing, which was common behavior for bandits. Yet she knew in her heart that these were not mere bandits; slaves were worth money, and they would never allow such wanton slaughter.


    Her feeling was confirmed as she opened the hidden compartment behind the bookcase. There she found four whole corpses huddling together. They had clearly been trapped there for at least a few days.


    Why would bandits spend several days in a village? The thought quickly sparked her temper once more as she recalled the corpses of naked women and prepubescent girls, women and girls who had clearly been disrespected thoroughly before their death. The thought caused her to lash out with one of her sabers, taking out a chunk from a nearby wall. An Hao quickly jumped back in fright, thanking his lucky stars that he hadn''t been standing beside her.


    Putting away her sabers, she quickly patted down the rotting bodies, looking for any signs of identification. She soon found a notebook inside a man''s bag of holding. After flipping through this booklet, she concluded that the man''s name was Han Wenqing.


    "Is he related to Han Jinlong?" she wondered aloud.


    Just as she was about to leave the hidden compartment, she spotted some unusual red characters. These characters weren''t runic characters, but ordinary writing. They were written in blood, likely from the man''s bloody finger. The message was clear: "Beware the Blood Moon." Gong Lan shivered involuntarily before making her way back to the center of town.


    Han Jinlong nodded as he heard her findings and accepted the small notebook solemnly. He then took out a black notebook and jotted down some details. Seeing that most mercenaries had returned, he yelled out in a booming voice, "Everyone, we''ll stay a day here and bury the dead. We owe them that much."


    With these words, a large shovel quickly materialized in his hands. He dug the shovel into the ground, setting the example for the rest of the mercenary team.


    At least when he worked, the sweat would hide his tears.


    ***


    Gong Lan was running. It was a dream, the same dream that she''d had for the past month. She was running because she had slaughtered someone influential. He had committed atrocious deeds, and she had punished him for them. Yet to her surprise, dozens of cultivators chased her down to bring her to justice. Why was the world so unfair?


    A soldier jumped out at her as she rounded a corner. She quickly dispatched him with one of her twin sabers. His blood splashed onto her, adding to the bloody film on her skin. In the dream, she always smelled blood. She always felt anger. Why? Why? Why?


    The dream was always the same. She always killed someone with just cause, yet the world punished her for it. It made her angry, and it made her curse the world.


    She continued to run about in the dream for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, she saw the familiar apparition of her twin sabers. They were red and pulsating with blood.


    Why don''t you just give in to your anger? they asked. Why do you run away? Things will be so much better if you just give in and kill them all. It doesn''t matter if they condemn you, because dead men can''t judge. She ignored the tempting voices in her head. She was afraid that if she gave in, she would lose herself.


    The sabers continued asking over and over, nearly driving her to madness. Finally, after they saw that she would not submit, they flew up in the air and put her out of her misery. They allowed her to leave the terrible dream.


    ***


    Gong Lan gasped as she woke up with a start. She was holding one of her sabers, and that saber had just torn a hole in her tent. She thanked the heavens that she had a tent to herself, as her slashing motion would likely have decapitating anyone sleeping beside her.


    These dreams came to her every night, and she knew instinctively that no matter what, she couldn''t give in to those bloody sabers. She wished she could throw them away, but she relied on them. How many of her friends would die if she didn''t? Everything good thing in the world had a price.


    After getting up, she showered with water qi. The filth and sweat left her body, but she could never wash away the smell of blood, which seeped into her very core. One day she would throw away these wretched sabers. But not today.


    Her brother had once told her to see him if she ever felt strange, like all the killing was too much for her. He had succumbed to bloodlust in the past, and it had taken him a year to recover. However, that was after he had bathed in the blood of his enemies for half a decade. She had only started two months ago. How could she face her brother when she was so weak? She needed to be strong. For her brother and her friends, personal safety be damned.


    As she walked out of her tent, she was greeted by the smell of roasting meat. An Hao was cooking the duck he''d caught yesterday.


    "Breakfast is almost ready, Sister Gong."


    She wasn''t in the mood to complain now and thanked him gently for the breakfast. He then joyfully rambled on for a good half hour. She didn''t interrupt him and gracefully nibbled on her half of the duck.


    There was one more stop before Jade Spring¡ªthe nearby spirit woods. Normally, these woods were off-limits to cultivators. However, the brutality in the village reminded them that people could be even more vicious than animals, and what better place for them to hide than the spirit woods?


    This time they fanned out within earshot of each other. Han Jinlong had specially prepared some whistles for the excursion. They had two settings¡ªfive-hundred-foot routine whistle, and ten-thousand-foot emergency whistle. Anyone with a matching whistle would be able to hear them, as well as the general direction it came from.


    Gong Lan and An Hao paired up once more. After walking a hundred paces forward, she blew a short-range whistle, confirming that everything was safe. They continued for four hours before finally taking a break.


    Their lunch consisted of rations of dried meat, stale bread, and dried fruit. It was during their quiet lunch that Gong Lan noticed something strange.


    "An Hao, have you heard any birds or squirrels since we came into the woods?" she asked.


    The man paused and listened. He then frowned and shook his head. "I can''t say I remember hearing them." He looked more than a little worried. Yesterday''s events had been traumatizing.


    After completing their break, they continued their exploration, and the sounds of whistles continued. This time they tried to keep as quiet as possible, to make out the sounds of local wildlife. All they heard was the gentle rustling of tree branches and some overgrown grass.


    What they saw wasn''t any more reassuring. The trees here were strange. Red sap leaked from their thin bark, making it seem like the trees were crying tears of blood.


    "Is it just me, or does it smell like blood?" An Hao said softly.


    Gong Lan looked at him helplessly. She always smelled blood. She put her hand to her lips, indicating that he should be quiet. She then held the whistle to her lips and drew out her saber.


    ***


    Gong Lan''s group wasn''t the only suspicious one. Han Jinlong was on high alert. Since the warning from Brother Zhang, he was constantly probing outward with his spiritual force, looking for any arrays that might potentially detonate or trap them.


    The sudden smell of blood worried him. Is it the trees? he thought. No, he was familiar with the red sap from these trees. The smell wasn''t coming from them. Four hours later, they still hadn''t found any sign of anyone. They were now in the middle of the woods. The smell of blood intensified with every step, and he hoped they wouldn''t find them remnants of yet another massacre.


    After all, he hadn''t had time to properly grieve for his nieces and nephews, whose corpses he''d found in the village. He still held on to some faint hope that his eldest niece and sister were still alive. Their corpses hadn''t been found in the village, but he wasn''t sure whether this was a fortune or a curse. However, hope was all he had. His own wife had passed away long ago, and he had no children of his own.


    His thoughts were interrupted by a loud whistle coming from the west. He dashed in the direction of the whistling without any hesitation, only to find a large pool of blood. It was fresh human blood, spilled less than a half day ago, judging by the smell of it.


    Han Jinlong saw Gong Lan out of the corner of his eyes. She was clearly seething with rage.


    I need to keep an eye on that firecracker. Who knows when she''ll lose it.


    ***


    Only one thought ran through Gong Lan''s mind. Just how many innocent people died to fill such a large pool of blood?


    Her hands gripped her sabers tightly as her blood boiled. She slashed her arm out of reflex with one of her sabers. The pain brought her back to her senses, and she started assessing the situation.


    They were situated in a circular clearing surrounded by pine trees. The various holes in the ground indicated that the clearing had been prepared specially for the occasion. But why would the rebels go through all that effort?


    It was then that she noticed several trails of blood that ran from the central pool. She traced the lines to smaller pools, where stones could barely be seen on the surface. The strange markings on these stones that caught her attention. Were those¡­ runes?


    "Master Han!" she yelled out hurriedly. The man jumped over to her in an instant.


    "What is it, little one?" he asked.


    She answered by pointing to a small pool right beside them. His eyes narrowed as he realized what was happening. Just as he was about to give the order to evacuate everyone from the vicinity, the eerie quietness was interrupted by vicious howls and growls. The man''s keen eyesight focused toward the outside of the clearing, where he saw hundreds of shaded figures in every direction.


    "Shit. Everyone, group together and prepare to defend our position!"


    Chaos ensued as the hundred mercenaries scrambled toward him. They were so scared that he had to physically push himself out toward the edge of the group. "We need to make a circle! I want half of all able-bodied cultivators on the outside, and half on the inside. This is going to be a long fight, and we need to preserve as much energy as possible. When you get tired, step back inside the circle, and someone will relieve you. Be strong, and we''ll somehow survive!"


    Within a few breaths, their hastily assembled formation was attacked from all sides by hundreds of weak first-level spirit wolves.

 55 Breaking the Formation

    Slash. Hack. Slash.


    Gong Lan was numb to killing, and she used the rhythm of slaughter to keep focused on the task at hand. With every beast she decapitated, her bloody aura grew stronger and stronger. It had been a few hours since they had started fighting, and only three quarters of their group remained. Yet the tide of beasts seemed endless. She wanted nothing more than to jump out and kill every single beast out there, but she forced herself to keep in formation.


    Just a little more. She continued hacking away, her killing intent growing stronger and stronger. Break! A sudden surge of energy flooded her meridians as her bloody qi forced open the barrier in her dantian, expanding her qi lake into an ocean. The bloody water qi seethed in excitement as she advanced to the seventh level of qi condensation. She began slashing even more wildly, occasionally throwing out blades of bloody saber qi toward ferocious spirit swine.


    The wolves had died long ago thanks to their firm combat formation. The normally docile spirit deer had attacked after them, attempting to pierce them with their antlers and trample them with their hooves. Countless demonic birds followed, and finally, the spirit swine.


    She let out a shout as she spotted one of their leaders, quickly darting out of the protective formation and closing in for a kill. The leader swine had eight horns instead of four. She heard Han Jinlong curse as she left the formation, but she knew that he was too preoccupied with protecting the weaker cultivators huddled behind him.


    Her blades danced and drew blood with every swing. The spirit swine tore open her tender skin with its tusks several times, yet she was unconcerned. She felt boundless strength flow through her each time her blades drew blood. This was one of the many advantages of the Blood World Scripture. Every time she drew blood, her wounds would heal. Yet forsaking her defenses meant that if she didn''t kill, she wouldn''t survive.


    Many of the swine retreated in fear as they saw her approaching. That was fine by her. She simply dispatched a few unfortunate swine in passing and continued to head toward her main objective¡ªthe leader. The dire swine was a sixth-level spirit beast, yet it trembled in fear as she approached it. It fought back tooth and nail, deflecting one blow after another with its tough skin and sharp horns. Eventually it succumbed to exhaustion. Its fall weakened the other nearby spirit swine, relieving the pressure on the remainder of the group.


    How in the heavens are we going to survive this? she thought as she danced about and decapitated a few more swine, moving back to the group. She wasn''t silly enough to stay exposed on the outside now that the leader was gone. After all, the next wave of spirit beasts was coming soon.


    ***


    We can''t keep going on like this.


    Han Jinlong hadn''t been relaxing this whole time. Given the situation, he truly wished that he hadn''t cheated to pass formation array class. Despite his numerous attempts at damaging the formation that seemed to be summoning the unreasonable amount of spirit beasts, he hadn''t managed to dent it. Each character on the stones bathed in blood appeared to be indestructible, despite his foundation-establishment cultivation base.


    He could easily escape by himself, but that would mean abandoning everyone else. He would have ordered them to flee, but the repeated waves showed no openings. He would rather die than abandon his comrades. His hammer flew out once more toward a nearby rune, just in case the formation had weakened over time. This was wishful thinking¡ªhe could tell that the formation had only strengthened due to the accumulation of blood in the clearing.


    We need to do something soon. Before it''s too late.


    ***


    Gong Lan was now at peak exhaustion. Even her Blood World Scripture could no longer support her consumption of qi and vitality. The tenth wave consisted of spirit snakes. These beasts were tricky to handle, since their small forms were difficult to target without area of effect techniques. If I had enough blood, I would bathe the battlefield in a thousand sabers.


    She cleaved two snakes in half before they had a chance to bite her pretty face. Their blood splashed into her eyes, painting her field of vision in red. As she looked up in the sky, she saw a moon that was almost full. The moon was red because of the film of blood in her eyes.


    Is this the blood moon? She laughed wildly at the sudden enlightenment. Why does it need to be my own blood? I have tons right here!


    With that thought, she became a maelstrom of death. With each strike, she whipped up a huge amount of blood that was pooled at their heels, forming vicious red saber light in the process. It swept outward and hacked fifty spirit snakes apart.


    She laughed wildly at the revelation and ran toward the center of the lake of blood, which went halfway up her thighs. "Take this, you bloody snakes!"


    She continued sweeping out her sabers, throwing larger and larger blades of blood into the distance. Each blade sliced dozens of snakes into ribbons. After all the snakes around her were cleared, she didn''t stop. She kept sweeping out larger and larger blades, until a literal storm of bloody blades rained down on the army of countless snakes outside the clearing.


    ***


    Each wave Gong Lan dispatched held only one one-thousandth of the total count, but the defenders noticed a substantial decrease in the pressure they were withstanding.


    "Get out of the way, quickly!" Han Jinlong shouted. The cultivators realized that the only snakes remaining were behind Gong Lan, who was madly swinging away with her eyes closed. They ran away just in time, dodging one of her many attacks that tore apart the remaining legion.


    Han Jinlong was sweating profusely. He was tired. Most of the men and women had taken rests, but he hadn''t dared to. Any sign of weakness might cause their formation to collapse. Off in the distance, he finally saw a ray of hope.


    Is the formation weakening? Is the pool''s volume going down because she''s throwing the blood out from the clearing?


    At first, he was very enthusiastic. Until he realized that their enemies had thinned considerably. He quickly made the decision to relocate their squad, lest they be caught in the crossfire. Soon enough, the snakes were gone. But Gong Lan didn''t stop. She turned her dreadful gaze toward the remaining cultivators with a cruel smile on her face.


    Shit, has she gone crazy now? Just like my old friend¡­


    But he didn''t want to her to stop just yet. He was more than capable of knocking her out, but he could feel the formation weakening with every swing.


    What to do. He made the decision to use himself as bait. "Everyone, run south three hundred paces! I''ll hold her back!"


    At this point, the entire group was filled with dread. Their goddess of battle had turned against them! At Han Jinlong''s instruction, they darted south. Han Jinlong kept fifty paces away, ducking and weaving to avoid her bloody saber light. He didn''t deflect them; he expertly maneuvered between them.


    "Why doesn''t he knock her out?" one cultivator asked. "He''s a foundation establishment elder, so he has to be able to do it."


    "Just trust Master Han. He knows what he''s doing," a nearby cultivator rebuked. The dissidents went quiet, and the remaining half of the mercenaries just stood there and enjoyed the show.


    Just a little more, thought Han Jinlong. Fortunately, he had cultivated both his body and qi. His endurance was unmatched, and he could simply shrug off the few hits that struck him.


    Before long, the last of the blood left the pool, causing the formation to dim and lose its power. Han Jinlong immediately darted out and hit each point of the formation with his spirit hammer. The rocks used as formation points crumbled to dust within a dozen breaths.


    Gong Lan, as though realizing that no more blood was available, let out a fierce yell and darted toward Han Jinlong. Fortunately, he was experienced in this type of thing. He darted behind her and quickly chopped at a pressure point on her neck, causing her to crumple to the bloody forest floor.


    ***


    Hong Xin was lying in her bed, flipping through one of her favorite books. It was a book about romance, where a rich man found a poor girl and showered her with love and affection. His family, upset at the disruption to their plans, threatened to kill the girl''s family unless she left him voluntarily. After agonizing over her choice, she decided to do what was best for her family and cut off all contact with him.


    Yet she soon discovered that she had a secret admirer. He sent her flowers and love letters, and she finally decided that maybe life isn''t so unfair, and that there was someone out there for her after all. She secretly met with the man under cover of darkness, only to discover the rich man. He had stolen his family fortune and ran away with her and her family. They lived happily ever after.


    I wish I was in that fairy tale. I wish Wang Jun would run away with me. She''d thought this every day for the past few days, but reality was cold and cruel. After he cut off relations with her, she had never heard from him again. Whenever she asked her brother, Hong Ling, he simply shook his head and said she shouldn''t ask such questions. When did my own brother become so cruel to me?


    She heard creaking downstairs, indicating that someone had just arrived. Likely Hong Ling, given the sounds of his footsteps. She imagined him moving through the living room to the kitchen. Judging by the sounds of cutlery and the warm welcome, dinner was about to begin.


    Soon she heard footsteps heading up the stairs. Three soft knocks were followed by the sweet sound of her mother''s voice. "May I come in?" she said.


    "Fine," Hong Xin replied. Her mother came in with a bowl of food.


    "Why don''t you come downstairs for supper?" she asked sweetly. "Your father misses you terribly."


    "I don''t want to go. He''s downstairs." She ignored her mother and continued reading her book. Her mother shook her head and walked back downstairs, where the rest of the family continued their meal. After some time, she heard her father''s voice.


    "You''re heading out for weeks? Why the hell do you work yourself to the bone for this young master? He was so cruel to your sister!" Hong Jin was clearly upset. She heard the sound of utensils being set down, after which she heard her brother''s faint voice. To better hear the conversation, she gently opened her door and tiptoed out of her room toward the flight of stairs.


    "It''s a lot more complicated than you can imagine. Do you have any idea what''s going on?" he said coldly to his father.


    "Do I need to know what''s going on? He hurt my daughter, and I don''t want you working for him!" he retorted.


    "Did he really hurt her?" Hong Ling replied. "Well, let me tell you a little bit about my upcoming business trip, and maybe you''ll change your mind. This time, we''re going to the capital to pursue two people in court. The first one is Zhou Li, the oracle''s apprentice, and his uncle, the head of the Song Kingdom Alchemists Association. We''ll be accompanied by three foundation-establishment elders in case the Zhou family attempts to assassinate us.


    "Meanwhile, we''ll also be facing off against the crown prince and his chief consort, Zhou Jia. This will be extremely dangerous, and I''m frightened at the potential repercussions. Yet the young master needs me and every able-bodied assistant he has. It''s a good opportunity for promotion, and I''m going to take it.


    "Now, given the danger, do you think he''s being considerate or inconsiderate to Xin Er? Can she even defend herself? She knows nothing about politics, nothing about intrigue. Her cultivation is worthless in the capital. Meanwhile, he''ll be fighting with his life on the line, to the point where he needs three elders to defend him. Have you thought that maybe he is distancing himself to protect her?"


    She heard the sounds of a chair being pulled out, and her brother''s footsteps heading toward the front entrance. "I''m sorry for yelling, Father," said Hong Ling. "I''ll ask him to personally come here and apologize after this matter is over. That, or he can take my resignation."


    The door closed. She now realized where the problem lay. She just wasn''t good enough for him. It wasn''t that she was poor, but that she was weak. She couldn''t defend herself, and she knew nothing of politics and finance. In short, she was useless to him. This harsh revelation caused her to burst into tears.


    That night, she cried herself to sleep. Only this time it was for a different reason.


    ***


    Gong Lan woke to the sound of running water. The smell of blood hadn''t faded, but she could tell from the absence of sticky blood on her skin that someone had washed her. She winced as she finally sat herself up and looked around. It was just as she imagined¡ªshe had been laid down on the rocky shore by a creek in the forest. Someone had left a blanket on her as she slept.


    "How are you feeling, little girl?" a deep voice sounded out from above. She looked up to see Han Jinlong sitting leisurely on a tree branch. It was one of the few deciduous trees in the forest, as only the rich soil and ample water in the area could support them over conifers.


    Gong Lan struggled to stand up and stretch her lithe waist. She felt stinging pain all over her body, likely from the cuts that covered her fair skin from the neck down. Shaking her head, she popped one of the three healing pills that Zhang Yifeng had given them at the start of their journey. A warm current of energy suffused her body, and the cuts on her arms, legs, and torso began healing rapidly.


    Good pill.


    After her quick stretch, she looked back up to the fatherly figure in the tree. "I''ve felt worse. What happened in the fight? I must have passed out from blood loss." Her cheeks flushed red with embarrassment as she imagined her moment of weakness.


    "I didn''t figure you''d remember," Han Jinlong said wryly. "After the swine and just as the snakes began attacking, you started laughing madly. You rushed out toward the pool of blood and began unleashing a blood-related technique. It was extremely powerful and dispatched countless low-level enemies. You seemed to have limitless energy as you drew from the blood in the pool.


    "It was very effective, in fact, that you single-handedly dispatched all of the snakes. Then I evacuated everyone just in time for them to dodge your blood technique and avoid any fatalities. Afterward, I had to dance around you for a quarter hour until you fully depleted the blood pool.


    "Coincidentally, this was the weakness of the formation. Once you depleted the blood, I was able to destroy the formation eyes and deactivate the formation. In the eyes of many, you''re a hero," the man concluded gravely.


    Gong Lan''s face flushed again. This time, it was due to shame. What if Han Jinlong hadn''t been there? Would I have killed everyone in the group? I don''t remember anything past those spirit swine.


    Seeing that she was deep in thought, Han Jinlong didn''t say anything. He continued to look at the river, watching it flow by. Every so often, the current carried a small piece of wood, which eventually got trapped by a beaver dam downstream.


    "I''m a monster," she whispered. Tears streaked down face, because she knew that she had done this to herself. She had been the one who asked her brother for help, and then followed his advice. Han Jinlong''s hard expression softened as he observed her self-deprecating behavior.


    "You''re not a monster. Yet," he said. "But you can''t keep treading down this path. Let me tell you a story. I once had a good friend, you see. He was just like you¡ªsomeone who followed an unconventional path. His path was one of slaughter, and he lived to drink the blood of his enemies. He began following that path because when he was young, his village was attacked by bandits. They killed his parents and the other villagers, and he was only able to escape with a girl his age. After that, he dreamed of vengeance every night.


    "He eventually married the girl, and for decades, she kept urging him to reconsider the path he''d chosen. However, I need to give credit where it''s due¡ªhis path was effective. He saved me three times, and many of my close friends owe their lives to him. He was able to continue this way for three decades."


    "And then he died," Han Jinlong whispered softly.


    Gong Lan had stopped crying and was paying close attention. "How did he die?" she asked.


    Han Jinlong paused for a few moments before continuing. "He died in my arms. We were on a mission together, and this one was his breaking point. His wife was with us as well. She was a healer, you see, because she was always concerned for his safety. First, he hacked down his best friend. Then he hacked down another, and finally, he killed his wife as she jumped on him to stop him from hurting anyone else. I was left with no other choice. I killed him.


    "As he laid in my arms, he regained a brief moment of clarity. He confessed that he always regretted taking that road. But the further he went, the harder it was to stop." After finishing, Han Jinlong hopped down from the tree and began walking toward the village.


    "It''s not too late for you," he said while walking. "You''re not suited for this path. If you already can''t take it at your age, it''s time you stop. For the sake of everyone you hold dear. And especially for yourself."

 56 Caravan

    Noon.


    Cha Ming''s group, under the direction of Zhang Yifeng, was currently stationed behind a grassy hill. The few stronger individuals, Cha Ming included, were crouched down at the top of the hill. They were observing a peculiar situation. A caravan full of prisoners was currently headed toward Jade Spring. The large carts laden with cages were being escorted by dozens of burly men bearing leather armor and cruel-looking sabers.


    The situation wasn''t peculiar because of the caravan¡ªhuman trafficking was the least of the rebels'' crimes. Rather, it was the timing of the caravan that had them on edge. What were the odds that a caravan happened to be waiting for them so close to Jade Spring, given their recent activities and the meticulous traps they had encountered?


    It was clearly a trap, no one disputed this. Yet Zhang Yifeng and half of the stronger individuals looked torn about the situation. The other half were mercenaries who did not have strong attachments to any potential prisoners.


    "To attack or not to attack¡­" Master Zhang muttered. His words made the mercenaries ashamed, because he was clearly considering their welfare. Cha Ming could understand their uneasiness, but the events of the past few days had left his heart seething with rage. He couldn''t stop himself from speaking out.


    "Master Zhang, even though this is clearly a trap, I believe that your participation assures success," Cha Ming said. "What I''m worried about is that all the traps we''ve collectively encountered have something in common¡ªthey are delaying us. However, there are some traps that a cultivator must walk into knowingly, lest they regret it for the rest of their lives.


    "Why don''t we try this? Our small group of elite cultivators could rush out to fight them, while the rest of the cultivators wait behind this hill. That way we wouldn''t expose those with lower cultivation bases to the trap. In addition, I am willing to supply these eight Cloud Step talismans to those of us who haven''t reached foundation establishment. I have specially prepared them during our downtime, and these sixth-grade talismans offer a sharp increase in speed for a short time. They are ideal single-use items for fleeing if we encounter danger. In the event that nothing happens, you can all return these to me."


    Zhang Yifeng shot Cha Ming a grateful look and then looked at the wider group. "Very well. I will compensate our young friend for his efforts. Additionally, I will also supply you with a seventh-grade healing pill, which you can use to restore yourself from serious injuries, including some internal organ damage. They will even allow a severed limb to be reattached if the limb is still intact. If you don''t need to use them, you can keep them as additional compensation."


    With these words, ten bottles of pills flew out toward them. Three of them went to Cha Ming. Two of the bottles were clearly meant as compensation for his talismans. None of the cultivators shot him any jealous looks, however, as his actions had just increased their chances of survival and had netted them a tidy profit. He even suspected that, before this moment, many of the mercenaries had considered cancelling their contract and forfeiting 75% of the compensation.


    After a few quick instructions, the small group of nine cultivators broke off from the main group and stealthily approached the caravan.


    ***


    "Number Three, why did we suddenly need to move the merchandise today? And in broad daylight, at that? Don''t you know that we are on high alert against potential intruders?" one large man asked another.


    "You''d best learn to shut up, Number Six," Number Three said, berating his slightly smaller companion. "The master''s orders are never to be questioned. If he wants us to move merchandise in the desert and wearing nothing but our underwear, that''s what we''ll do."


    A small child began crying in the back of one of the cages. "Mommy, what''s going to happen to us? I don''t want to stay in this cage. I want to run around and play. And I''m soooo thirsty." A woman quickly reached out to him and covered his mouth.


    "Stop complaining, Xiaohong, or they''ll beat you too," she whispered. "You saw what happened to the little girl yesterday, right? They kicked her until she stopped moving. You need to be a good boy and behave."


    But the feared beating didn''t come. Instead, they heard breaking bones and clashing blades.


    ***


    After days of traps and no enemies to speak of, the elite cultivators were finally able to let loose and blow off some steam. Cha Ming was like a god of war, breaking several bones with each strike of his staff. He used Mountain Stance to root himself to the ground and increased the weight of his staff by fivefold. Each strike took a life.


    As expected, roars of rage thundered as a hundred figures rushed out from the woods in ambush. Seeing this, Zhang Yifeng took the initiative and broke away from the remainder of the group to stop the assault. Cha Ming and Huxian followed suit while the others continued clearing away the caravan guards.


    While Cha Ming and Huxian were good in one-on-one combat, their supplemental skills made them extremely effective in dealing with large groups of enemies. The former surrounded himself in a snowflake formation, slowing down his opponent''s responses while he beat away at them with his heavy, elongated staff. Sometimes he was even able to mow down several enemies with a single blow.


    Meanwhile, Huxian showed off his abilities by activating his purification skill. The light emanating from him was particularly effective against this group of bloodthirsty individuals. In fact, several bandits roared and transformed in response. Their figures grew, and an evil aura shot out of one in ten bandits. They let out howls of rage, cursing Huxian as though he was their natural enemy.


    Huxian seemed unconcerned with their reaction. For each monstrosity that came, he struck one down. Missing limbs were not enough to deter their assault, and some even went so far as to self-detonate to eliminate Huxian. These explosions barely scratched him, as his aura of light was able to restrain the savage qi that burst out from each figure.


    The battle ended after an incense time. There was no suspense, and they had not lost any of their cultivators. Had they overestimated these enemies due to the multiple traps they had encountered? Or was there more to this ambush than met the eye?


    The eight cultivators circled the area before confirming that there were indeed no enemy cultivators present in the vicinity. Only then did they join Zhang Yifeng and unlock the prisoners. They ushered them back to the hill where the other troops were stationed, because they feared that their most vulnerable members might have been attacked from the rear while they were preoccupied. These worries were unfounded, however. Everyone was safe.


    Yet Cha Ming could not shake an uneasy feeling in the back of his mind. Something is wrong. Is it the prisoners? The prisoners were currently surrounded by the weaker mercenaries, their wounds were being tended, and they were being given hot meals. Each of the freed prisoners looked extremely grateful, and he could see no menacing expressions on any of them.


    "Could it really be so simple?" Cha Ming asked Zhang Yifeng.


    "That seems to be the case," Zhang Yifeng replied. "However, I can''t help but feel uneasy. If the enemy set a trap for us, they should have prepared better. Are they just trying to buy time by slowing us down with all of these prisoners?"


    Cha Ming wasn''t sure, so he went back to talk with the various prisoners. A grateful little boy was running around without a shirt. He was clearly injured, as his chest was fully bandaged. Another young man was seated at the fire and eating stew. His abdomen was also freshly bandaged, which made him applaud the efforts of the healers in the group.


    "I didn''t realize that we''d brought so many fresh bandages with us on this expedition," he said to a nearby spirit doctor. "The healers were quite thoughtful." The man shook his head self-deprecatingly.


    "Actually, we forgot to bring any at all. Most wounds can be cured with potions and pills, so we didn''t think to bring anything for so many injured people. Thankfully, their jailors were not as cruel as we had imagined. They made sure to bandage their prisoners'' wounds for fear of losing any of their ''merchandise,''" the man elaborated with disgust.


    Cha Ming frowned. "Did you remove the bandages to inspect and treat their injuries?" he said.


    "No need. We just gave them some healing pills, which is enough to heal any of their wounds within the hour. They''ll naturally take them off themselves," the spirit doctor said. He sounded as if this was common sense, and the look he gave Cha Ming said he was puzzled at Cha Ming''s concern.


    Nearby, the young boy was scratching at his chest. "Momma, it itches so much. Can I take them off?" the boy said.


    The lady, presumably his mother, reprimanded him. "You can take them off after one hour. The doctor said that the wound will heal faster if you don''t take them off. You need to be a good boy and not cause any trouble."


    Cha Ming approached the little boy, and his mother and greeted them with a smile. They recognized him as one of their nine saviors, so they quickly bowed in thanks. "Do you mind if I look at your boy''s wound? I happen to be a healer, so I might be able to help him get better quicker. Besides, it''s safest to look if the bandages are uncomfortable. The woman begrudgingly nodded and gave Cha Ming permission to peel the bandage off the little boy''s chest.


    As he unwrapped the bandage, a cruel, blood-red cut was revealed on his chest.


    What kind of monsters are these bandits to scar a little child like this? It was apparent that the healing potion was having little effect, as the skin hadn''t even started closing over. Instead, it continuously poured out small amounts of fresh blood.


    It was only after unwrapping the fifth pass of bandages that Cha Ming''s heart skipped a beat. The cut looked familiar. He hastened the process of removing the bandages. His expression turned ugly as he saw a blood-red runic character beginning to glow. There were four characters on his chest that said: "flesh" and "explosion." It was surrounded by an array containing four bloody runes representing "healing trigger." The healing medicines had been effective, but they also meant they''d killed these poor people. The pills had activated the runes on the little boy''s chest.


    "Everyone, it''s a trap! Get out now! Leave the prisoners!" Cha Ming yelled and darted away with Huxian. Everyone was confused, as he had been the greatest advocate for rescuing the imprisoned villagers. They hesitated, but not for long. The strongest among them were overcome with a feeling of crisis, a sixth sense accumulated over multiple life and death experiences. Zhang Yifeng never felt any such crisis, however. This trap was no threat to him, after all.


    Less than half of the cultivators managed to escape before multiple prisoners exploded. Their bodies burst into pieces like cheap pottery. Limbs and blood sprayed everywhere, and the weaker cultivators who were a tad too slow were caught up in the deadly blast.


    The sudden impact caused Cha Ming to close his eyes and cover his ears. He came to his senses just in time to hear the wailing of injured and dying mercenaries, many of whom were missing limbs. The lucky ones had been killed in the blast.


    It was a trap after all, a trap that they couldn''t help but walk into. It had been perfectly planned, and perfectly executed. If not for Cha Ming''s last-minute warning, most of the remaining group would have perished in the explosion. Instead, a quarter of them had died and a quarter had been wounded beyond recognition. None of the prisoners survived.


    ***


    "I can''t stand any of those pompous asses in the city," Gou Dan complained for the twentieth time. "They always say they''re pursuing the pinnacle of their craft. Meanwhile, they sell off their ''exquisite goods'' for one and a half times the market price in other cities. It''s just a scheme for making money. It''s a conspiracy, and they''re all behind it."


    Feng Ming massaged his temple as he fought back the urge to beat some sense into his annoying road companion. "Why don''t you just go to another city and buy weapons there?" he asked. He immediately regretted speaking, as these words only served to agitate the ugly man.


    "That''s what I''m talking about. It''s extortion! The nearest city is three days away, and no one can get that much time off. They''re taking advantage of their location, which is unethical. Further, everyone looks down on you in town if you have an ugly weapon. I was forced to fork over a fortune for this high-grade longsword," Gou Dan said as he unsheathed his blade. He looked at it in disgust.


    Feng Ming shook his head. "Just keep your complaints to yourself. The horses are traveling slowly because of the bad atmosphere." He nudged his horse forward in response.


    "Wait up!" the man called out from behind him. Feng Ming heard his horse trotting to catch up. Just as he was about to look over, however, his horse caught its foot in a gopher hole. He heard a sickening crack as he started falling with the horse.


    I thought I was only supposed to have good luck now, he thought. That is, until he felt a small chunk of his hair go missing as Gou Dan''s longsword missed his neck.


    Feng Ming reacted quickly. He pounced off the back of the falling horse and landed on his feet. He then took out his spear, which he held out menacingly to face off against his mounted opponent.


    "You lucky sonofabitch. You''d be dead if it wasn''t for that gopher hole. Oh well, I can always kill you the old-fashioned way. Lord''s orders, after all." With that, the man wasted no time and charged toward Feng Ming. Feng Ming couldn''t find any openings, so he dodged to the side, barely avoiding the horse''s hooves.


    Gou Dan snorted and readied his mount for another charge. Just as the horse approached, Feng Ming decided to change tactics. A hot sandstorm surrounded him, causing the horse to suddenly raise its front hooves and neigh. Gou Dan barely managed to hold on.


    This was the opening Feng Ming needed. His lightly armored figure suddenly emerged from the cloud of sand, his spear sweeping out in a wide arc. It gracefully avoided the man''s shoulder armor and helmet, slashing the man''s tender neck. The horse ran away in a panic. It was then that Feng Ming realized that all the remaining horses had either been killed or had run away. Gou Dan had left nothing to chance.


    What shitty luck, Feng Ming thought. What am I supposed to do now? Then he saw a small farm in the distance. It was a typical farm with pigs, chickens, and a few cows. And horses.


    "I guess I am lucky," he thought out loud. He strapped his spear to his back and started running toward the little farm. In no time at all, he explained the situation and quickly bought the man''s fastest horse at ten times the market price. Now he had a choice to make.


    The county lord clearly doesn''t want me to deliver this news to my father. It''s like he''s trying to buy time. Will it be too late if I head over to Green Leaf City now? Is Fairweather in danger?


    He pondered this for a quarter hour before deciding to flip a coin. "I''ll just trust my luck," he mumbled. With that thought, he flipped a golden coin in the air.


    The result caused him to question whether he was lucky or cursed.

 57 Jade Spring

    It took the better part of a day to clean up the aftermath of the exploding slaves. The mercenaries who''d survived consumed healing pills, and Zhang Yifeng treated as many as he could. Even though Cha Ming expected to be blamed for the incident, no one dared say a single word. After all, who among them could have imagined that the enemy was so heartless?


    After tending to the wounded, they gathered what remained of their companions and the innocent slaves and buried them all communally in a pit, as it was impossible to match the pieces together for a proper burial. It was all they could do to prevent wild beasts from defiling their bodies.


    That evening, no one was in the mood to eat anything. They set up camp near the location of the explosion. Fortunately, a geomancer had joined their group, and they were able to set up crude earthen barriers to strengthen their camp''s defenses. Twenty percent of the group was out on patrol, and the rest hovered around a crackling fire. Even the most helpless souls could find comfort in flickering flames.


    Cha Ming returned to his camp early after obtaining an exemption from Master Zhang. Instead of keeping watch, he spent all his remaining time crafting low-level talismans, which might come in handy in the upcoming battle. He had until the remaining troops arrived from their patrol to complete his work.


    He exhausted himself after only three hours of crafting. Fortunately, he had obtained pills from Master Zhang to replenish his spiritual strength. Recovering qi was much easier, especially when he had the assistance of his formation plate. The night passed by uneventfully. He continued throughout the morning and was only interrupted when Gong Lan''s group and the Ling brothers arrived. At noon, one of the mercenaries came to summon Cha Ming to Master Zhang''s tent to discuss tactics for storming Jade Spring.


    ***


    Only fourteen people were present in the meeting room, including Cha Ming, Gong Lan, Master Zhang, Master Han, two of the Ling brothers, and eight others. Huxian wasn''t included in the count. Not that he had anything to contribute besides guarding the entrance to the tent.


    "It''s got to be a trap. Given everything that we''ve seen, how can it not be?" Han Jinlong said in a loud voice. He was very imposing, and none of the qi-condensation cultivators dared speak up.


    "What if they''re just on their last legs with no remaining options? None of the traps they laid before managed to completely stop us. This could just be their last-ditch effort to frighten us off," Zhang Yifeng said.


    "And why would they keep all of the captured civilians in a pen in the middle of town? Have you forgotten the exploding slaves already?" Han Jinlong pressed on.


    "How dare you?" Zhang Yifeng exploded in rage. The argument continued, and Cha Ming had no choice but to find Gong Lan to fill him in on the details.


    Apparently a scouting party had investigated Jade Spring, and they discovered the city wide open, with the prisoners in plain sight. No guards could be seen on the walls; it was as though the city was declaring their surrender. The situation reminded Cha Ming of Zhuge Liang''s empty cityploy, which allowed him to hold off Sima Yi''s advance.


    Still, he couldn''t argue against the effectiveness of such a tactic. There were many traps that could be used after baiting an enemy behind a city''s walls. While Jade Spring''s walls were made of wood, scaling them was no easy task for lesser cultivators. If they encountered something like the inferno trap in Crystal Meadows, most of their members and the prisoners would be roasted alive.


    "How about destroying the possibility of a trap?" Cha Ming said suddenly. His weak voice attracted the attention of the nearby cultivators, who felt oppressed by the might of two foundation-establishment cultivators.


    "Can you please elaborate, young friend Cha Ming?" Zhou Yifeng asked. Cha Ming figured that his contributions earlier in their adventure had earned their admiration, despite the setback with the exploding prisoners.


    "Well, it''s clearly easier to defend a city while taking advantage of the walls. This tactic is effective even against cultivators. Even foundation-establishment cultivators like Master Zhang and Master Han cannot fly; they can only rely on magic swords to hover up to ten feet above the ground. Meanwhile, any archers or cultivators with long-distance techniques could attack us with impunity as we gradually scale the walls.


    "Now, it''s tempting to directly enter the city since the gate is open¡ªafter all, it would save us a lot of trouble. However, if the gates shut after we enter, or if they want to forcibly hold us inside, we will be surrounded, and it will be difficult for us to escape. That is why I propose that we¡­ break down the walls!"


    Everyone nodded as they heard the suggestion. Cha Ming continued, seeing the acknowledgment from the group.


    "Completely destroying the walls is difficult. In addition, giving them too much time to respond may endanger the prisoners. However, destroying three sections of the wall to simplify escape is quite feasible. Instead of charging through the gates, we could have Master Zhang and Master Yifeng burst in through the walls on the sides," he explained. "After all, they are experts in playing with fire, and their foundation-establishment experts would not have time to react to the sudden assault from two sides. Meanwhile, I could also create another hole in the back of the city."


    The two Ling brothers frowned before the eldest asked, "How exactly are you going to create a hole in those wooden walls? They may be made of wood, but they are quite thick."


    In response to this question, Cha Ming smiled and took out a thick wad of talismans.


    The Ling brothers looked confused, but Zhang Yifeng and Han Jinlong were experienced and recognized them in an instant. Zhang Yifeng nodded and said, "You do indeed possess that ability. I am in support of this plan. What do you think, Brother Han?"


    Han Jinlong looked a little reluctant. He looked toward Cha Ming and asked, "What if this is what they expect, and they ambush a single group with their full force?" he asked.


    "That isn''t a problem," Cha Ming said. "Regardless of our success, we will retreat immediately after damaging the walls, and we will enter together through the entrance at the back of the city. This way, they will be unable to divide and conquer our forces."


    Han Jinlong accepted this explanation.


    The following discussion proceeded smoothly, and the forces were divided according to their remaining composition. Cha Ming and Gong Lan ended up in the same group as the Ling brothers this time. Due to the absence of a foundation-establishment elder, their team was stacked with many high-level qi condensation experts.


    ***


    Did you find anything? Cha Ming asked Huxian mentally. The little fox shook his head as he exited the shadows. They had chosen nighttime to invade to avoid detection near the city walls.


    I didn''t see anyone on top of the walls, and I didn''t find anyone outside the buildings, either. Except for those prisoners. It''s much too quiet. Is there really no one in this city?


    We can''t relax, Cha Ming replied. Each group has been ambushed twice, and the Ling brothers suffered the greatest loss. Only two of the three brothers survived, and they only managed to come back with three other cultivators, one of whom was crippled. Both Wu Jin and Sima Qian are dead. Now, are you sure you didn''t see any symbols, flags, or impressions in the ground? Anything that feels or smells like a talisman, formation, or trap?


    I''m sure I didn''t see anything like that. The one who made the formation would need to be much stronger than me if I can''t detect anything, Huxian replied smugly.


    That''s exactly what I''m afraid of, Cha Ming replied.


    After finishing their conversation, Cha Ming walked up to the two remaining Ling brothers. "Huxian didn''t seen anything suspicious, which worries me. But it doesn''t look like there are guards outside the buildings or on the wall. Still, it''s best to be cautious and follow the plan."


    The Ling brothers nodded. The older one motioned for everyone to come together. "All right everyone, just follow the plan. Everyone needs to stay beside Cha Ming and cover him until we get to the wall. Scatter when he says scatter, or else I won''t give a rat''s ass if anyone''s ears are blown off. Move!"


    They arrived beside the wall without any problems. Cha Ming withdrew the wad of talismans from his bag of holding and started slapping them onto the wall one by one. Each of these talismans was a third-level Lesser Fire Blast talisman that Cha Ming had prepared in case anything needed to be demolished, or if many weaker assailants became a problem. Soon over fifty talismans covered a ten-foot-by-ten-foot square on the wall. Not a single square inch remained uncovered.


    "All right, only one incense time, and we can blow this wall up." Their group waited, worrying, hoping that the enemy wouldn''t spot them. No one came, and to everyone''s relief, the eldest Ling brother, whose name was Ling Tong, nodded to Cha Ming.


    "Scatter!" Cha Ming shouted before slapping another talisman on the wall. This was a time-delayed talisman. When he''d originally made the blast talismans, he hadn''t expected to detonate fifty at once. The time-delayed activation talisman was effectively a three-second timer that he''d made immediately after the meeting.


    Not wanting to get caught up in the blast, the group of thirty cultivators quickly retreated toward the back of the wall, where Han Jinlong would blast open a hole. They would all charge into the city as one group, lest the enemy attempt to divide and conquer them. Only Huxian stayed behind, hiding in the shadows.


    Boom!


    A large explosion sounded by the retreating group. Cha Ming and the rest ran toward another similar blast, and they were quickly joined by Huxian. Huxian seemed extremely excited as he reported the blast to Cha Ming.


    Brother Cha Ming, that was amazing! There''s like a twenty-foot piece of wall missing now, and some of the houses inside the city even collapsed because of the explosion!


    "No need to worry, there''s a twenty-foot gap in the wall. Things went as planned," Cha Ming relayed to the Ling brothers. The eldest brother let out a sigh of relief as he led the cultivators to join Han Jinlong''s group. The three groups met without any suspense. What surprised everyone was the total lack of response from the city, except for crying children and wailing mothers from the pen of prisoners in the middle of town.


    Though everything had gone according to plan, Cha Ming once again felt a sense of foreboding. Instinctively, he looked up at the moon in the sky. It was only missing a sliver. Tomorrow, a full moon would appear to bid farewell to the winter. He pushed the thought out of his mind just in time to hear Han Jinlong''s booming voice.


    "Charge inside, everyone. First we''ll secure the prisoners. We''ll retreat immediately after checking their bodies for traps." He was the first to run toward the center of town. There, one hundred prisoners were huddled in a cramped cage.


    One man in the cage looked at the approaching group. "What are you doing? Get away! You shouldn''t have come here," the man said in a panic.


    "Is that you, Uncle?" Han Jinlong asked in a quivering voice.


    "Little dragon , you need to get back to Fairweather right away! The higher-ups in the village all left at noon, but that doesn''t mean the guys left behind are weak. They''re literally monsters!"


    Before the rescue party had any time to react, the ground beneath the cage suddenly began to glow red.


    "No. It''s too late! Run aw¡ª" His voice was abruptly cut off as he burst into a bloody mess. The blood didn''t burst outward, but instead gathered toward the center of the pen, where it was absorbed by a bloody rune floating in the air. Cha Ming had never seen such a rune before.


    Instead of remaining, the bloody rune shattered into three pieces and darted out toward Han Jinlong, Zhang Yifeng, and Huxian! The three strongest individuals on their team were suddenly surrounded by a transparent crystal enclosure. Each of them tried to strike at the crystal from the inside, but to no avail.


    Brother Cha Ming, I can''t escape this! It''s such a strong spatial isolation that I''m helpless. There''s no way something like this can exist without external support. You''ve got to break us out!


    Cha Ming''s face paled as he heard this. If Huxian couldn''t escape a spatial constraint, the two masters didn''t stand a chance. Just to be sure, he struck Huxian''s prison with his strongest staff blow, but nothing happened.


    "Someone''s coming!" Gong Lan suddenly yelled, drawing her sabers. As Cha Ming moved to join up with her, he felt a sharp stabbing sensation in his shoulder blade. He jumped away from his current position and saw the eldest Ling brother holding a bloody dagger.


    "Why?" he said as he fell to one knee. "You''re from Fairweather. You should care about this rescue." Cha Ming coughed out a mouthful of blood as he said these words. Fortunately, his strong physical body enabled him to endure and not immediately collapse. The dagger had barely missed his lung and heart, but his left arm was now hanging limply by his side.


    "Yes, I care about them deeply. But I care about my brothers more! My brother was captured on our way here, so we have no choice but to join them." His young brother nodded and unsheathed his sword. While their words were harsh, Cha Ming could tell that betraying their comrades was a heart-wrenching experience for them. The hands of both Ling brothers were shaking, and they could barely hold their swords.


    "You guys are scum," Cha Ming said. "We all have choices to make, but you chose to betray. The deepest hells are reserved for traitors." He then withdrew three bottles from his bag of holding. They were the three pills that he had received from Zhang Yifeng earlier. He removed their lids and gulped all three pills without any hesitation. Such a bad injury would be difficult to recover from.


    The rosary on his right arm then glowed green, and seventy-two pearls floated out around him, forming a green formation in the shape of a flower. Coupled with the medicinal pills, his wounds began recovering at a visible pace. After only a few breaths, he was able to use the strength of his muscles to hold his staff despite the injury to his ligaments.


    "Let''s take these guys down," he called out to Gong Lan and the other mercenaries. If looks could kill, they would have already torn these superior cultivators at the great circle of qi condensation to pieces.


    But before they could do anything, the air around them shimmered. Suddenly the square in the center of town wasn''t so empty. Three women and thirteen men appeared, each with vicious glints in their eyes. Eight of the men wielded large axes and were twice the size of regular men. The five other men wielded cruel sabers, and their eyes glowed red with rage. The group of newcomers didn''t stand on ceremony and immediately charged at them. The square was suddenly plunged into chaos, leaving only Gong Lan, Cha Ming, and three other eighth-level cultivators to take care of the Ling brothers.


    Using the support of his Healing Flower manifestation, Cha Ming charged up to the Ling brothers with Gong Lan. Gong Lan''s battle proficiency was extremely high, enabling her to expertly dodge their sword strikes despite the difference in their cultivation levels.


    Cha Ming wasn''t as proficient, but he made up for his lack of agility by taking hits with his durable body. Thanks to the earth body refining and the wood body refining, his defensive and regenerative abilities were very impressive. Every few breaths, he got slashed by one of the brothers'' swords, only to have the shallow wound rapidly heal again. He relied on his Gentle Staff Art to avoid as many blows as possible, but the brothers were very coordinated, using their cultivation bases to their fullest. If not for the support of the three eighth-level cultivators, Cha Ming and Gong Lan would already be dead.


    This can''t keep going on.


    While Cha Ming knew that it was unwise to get distracted in such a heated battle, he glanced over to the other mercenaries to evaluate their condition. The battle between the mercenaries and the devilish cultivators was not going favorably for the mercenaries. Over ten cultivators had already been killed, while one of the red-eyed devils, despite being pierced through the torso with five different weapons, continued to fight on.


    "Try cutting off their heads and see what happens!" he shouted. Unfortunately, when he did this, he revealed an opening and was quickly punished for his mistake. He retreated backward and held his chest, where a sword had slashed a deep wound.


    "We need to finish these two off as soon as possible. You two, use your talismans. Gong Lan, retreat to me, quickly!" Fortunately, two of the fighters happened to be part of Cha Ming''s original group. They nodded and pulled out their Cloud Step talismans, which led to a sharp increase in their movement speed.


    Cha Ming plastered two other talismans on himself. One of them was a Cloud Step talisman, while the other one was an Iron Skin talisman, which would greatly increase his defense. He threw two similar talismans to the retreating Gong Lan and yelled, "Don''t defend, just attack with me!"


    She nodded and charged with Cha Ming. Her attacks became violent and overbearing, a maelstrom of bloody sabers.

 58 Escaping the Trap

    To complement Gong Lan''s offensive, Cha Ming abandoned his Gentle Staff Art. Instead, he took advantage of his increased speed to outmaneuver his opponents using Ghost Steps and strike them fiercely with Sword Staff. Every few exchanges, he increased the weight of his staff by several times and used Quake Staff to disrupt their rhythm. His Mountain Stance Technique enabled him to fully concentrate his weight during these important strikes.


    He took several strikes to his torso in exchange for his offensive. They whittled away at his Iron Skin, and it ultimately resulted in a deep gash across his leg. He ignored the pain, however, and yelled out toward his allies as his opponents reeled under the aggressive blows of his Quake Staff. "Now!"


    Despite being injured, he changed the healing formation into a snowflake formation, which suddenly restricted the Ling brothers'' ability to dodge. The two mercenaries with enhanced speed took this opportunity and slashed at the younger brother''s legs. He couldn''t block because he was busy defending against Gong Lan, who had leapt up into the air and executed Blood Saber Art¡ªTwin Decapitation. The younger brother was forced to his knees, and Cha Ming struck once more with Quake Staff, smashing his skull.


    "Brother!" The elder brother''s eyes became bloodshot, and he withdrew a black pill from his bag of holding and swallowed it. Cha Ming''s eyes narrowed as he saw the eldest Ling brother''s aura increase sharply, reaching a level that caused their group to tremble¡ªhalf-step foundation establishment! Evidently, the man had used a forbidden medicine to force up his strength, just like Zhou Xian had in the past. He followed up by immediately lashing out at Gong Lan with his most powerful blow yet. A crimson light flashed as she was pushed back without injury, and Cha Ming saw the crimson lotus brooch she had been wearing crumble into dust.


    Only desperate cultivators used such medicines, as the side effects included prolonged weakness and sometimes crippled a cultivator''s foundation. Cha Ming could understand this act of madness. He''d betrayed his companions to save his brother, only to lose another. He had nowhere to run, and he could only try his best to kill Cha Ming and his companions. Although Cha Ming understood him, he still couldn''t forgive the man. Betrayal was unforgiveable.


    Meanwhile, the battle between the weaker mercenaries and the devil cultivators had taken a turn for the worse. Another ten had fallen, giving them the opportunity to surround their targets.


    "Zen, Xiong, go help them. Leave him to the three of us!" Cha Ming yelled. The two nodded and filled in the gaps, preventing the devil cultivators from flanking the weaker mercenaries. The presence of the two greater cultivators reversed the tide, instantly leading to the decapitation of one of the wounded devil cultivators and the suppression of another.


    Just as things seemed to be improving, however, the three women who had been resting nearby suddenly opened their eyes. They began singing a macabre tune, which caused the mercenaries to turn sluggish. Even the two stronger cultivators were affected, albeit to a lesser extent.


    "Fan, quickly. Go kill those three and come back!"


    Their last helper, who was still under the effect of the Cloud Step talisman, quickly darted out toward the trio. Two devil cultivators broke off from the main group to intercept him, but Cha Ming had anticipated this. He threw out three Stone Wall talismans, which instantly blocked off their path and gave Fan a straight line to the three women.


    He was unable to keep paying attention to Fan''s actions, however, as the eldest Ling brother''s aggression skyrocketed.


    "I''ll kill you!" he said and started attacking Cha Ming without reservation.


    Cha Ming could only grit his teeth and increase the weight of his staff to minimize the recoil from each blow he defended against. He used his most skillful technique, Sword Staff, to repeatedly parry the other man''s blows. Unfortunately, the difference between half-step foundation establishment and qi condensation was substantial. Each strike blocked caused Cha Ming to cough up blood.


    Gong Lan didn''t give up, however. The bloody tempest, which Ling Tong had been able to keep at bay with his superior qi, weapon, and techniques, suddenly erupted with furious killing intent. This caused him to back up, granting Cha Ming a breath of respite. He used this opportunity to pop another lesser healing pill from his bag of holding. He also slapped out two healing talismans for good measure, one for himself and one for Gong Lan. He then charged to support her offensive, manifesting a lethal sword with his spirit pearls and slashing at Ling Tong from behind.


    The man snorted and activated a movement technique, which brought him right beside Gong Lan. She let out a vicious yell, causing her killing intent to skyrocket once more. She deflected three consecutive blows, and on the third, her baleful aura increased once more, followed by a familiar crack. It was a sound that all qi condensation cultivators would recognize: Gong Lan had broken through to the eighth level of qi condensation!


    Cha Ming finally caught up to them using Burst Steps and began assisting Gong Lan once more. Yet despite their progress, the eldest Ling Brother''s defense was ironclad. It was time for desperate measures.


    "Gong Lan, get ready!" he yelled, activating the Healing Flower manifestation once more. He gave up on parrying and instead struck out with one Quake Staff after another.


    He was full of openings, which his opponent took advantage of immediately. Cha Ming cringed as the expected counterattack came slashing toward his arm. But instead of blocking, he jumped into the blow, using his Gentle Staff Art to offset the blow slightly and avoid damage to his internal organs. The sword bit down hard into his left bicep, almost shearing his arm in half. He ignored the pain and held on to the sword with all his might, causing it to dig deeper into his bloodied arm. Fortunately, the flow of blood had been slightly stemmed by the residual medicinal strength in his body and the Healing Flower manifestation.


    Gong Lan didn''t need to be told twice. She sidestepped the man, first cleaving off his trapped arm and following up with a lethal strike to his neck. He didn''t have time to scream before she unceremoniously lopped off his head, showering both Cha Ming and herself in blood. She didn''t pause to help Cha Ming after their hard-earned victory. Instead, she plunged into the nearby carnage and began dispatching the remaining devils. They weren''t faring so well after the three bewitching women had been slain by Fan and their mental effects were removed.


    As the battle raged on, Cha Ming kneeled and struggled to stay conscious despite the pain and the blood loss. He didn''t dare remove the sword from his bleeding bicep without any assistance, so he simply endured the pain and sat cross-legged in meditation. He kept himself conscious by mumbling to himself over and over, "I need to free Huxian, and we need to save Fairweather City."


    The battle was over after roughly an incense time. Only half of the original mercenaries that charged in remained, though this time, the casualties affected the weak and the strong alike. Everyone was exhausted and collapsed, popping healing pills and circulating their cultivation bases to recover. Several people were missing limbs¡ªwithout any precious medicines, they would never be able to fight at the same level ever again.


    Fortunately for Cha Ming, his arm was only mostly severed. After taking two minutes to recover her state of mind, Gong Lan and Fan wandered over. Fan had not been gravely injured in the battle, so he pulled out the healing pill that Zhang Yifeng had given him and handed it to Cha Ming.


    Cha Ming didn''t stand on ceremony and nodded to Gong Lan. She swiftly pulled out the saber lodged in his bicep, almost causing Cha Ming to pass out from the pain and immediate blood loss. He popped the pill in his mouth and continued pouring qi into his Healing Flower manifestation. After a half hour of recovery, his arm was whole and functional once more. All that remained was a thin scar where the saber had been lodged.


    The aftermath of the carnage was no laughing matter. Several people had been crippled, but most of the remaining mercenaries had used spirit medicines to fully recover. Seeing that the situation was under control, Cha Ming walked over to Huxian''s crystal prison to inspect it. Huxian looked at Cha Ming with a worried expression. After all, he had seen everything that had transpired. He had kept silent throughout the battle to avoid breaking Cha Ming''s concentration.


    As Cha Ming''s hands ran over the crystal surface, he heard the voice of the red-bearded man from inside the Clear Sky world.


    That''s a type of stasis formation, and the one who set it was at least a foundation establishment expert. This formation should have six "formation eyes" set up inside the village. That''s why the formation isn''t inscribed into the ground, like the ones in the last village. Find them, then follow my instructions. A strong lock is worthless when someone has the key.


    Cha Ming gave the man a mental nod, then quickly gathered Gong Lan and the four strongest remaining mercenaries. Soon enough, they found a glowing red rune in one of the shacks in the village. From what they could tell, there were no remaining rebels or devil cultivators in the village. The rest had evacuated prior to their attack, if Han Jinlong''s uncle''s words were to be believed.


    What do I do now? Cha Ming asked the man mentally.


    Paint this pattern on the floor with the Clear Sky Brush, surrounding the rune. Use earth qi, as it''s the antithesis of blood and water. Cha Ming instantly became aware of a runic pattern. It wasn''t like any talisman he''d painted before. It consisted of four runic symbols, joined together by geometric shapes and lines.


    Is this a formation? Cha Ming asked.


    Yes, dummy, it''s a formation. Just paint it the same way you would a talisman. Talismans and formations come from the same source, after all.


    Cha Ming followed his instruction and took out the Clear Sky Brush and a pot of liquified earth essence, absorbing some of it into the brush. He then began carefully tracing out the pattern in his mind. The process was ten times slower than if he needed to draw a talisman of the same grade. He might be great at painting runic characters, but drawing straight and circular lines was a skill that had always eluded him. After a quarter hour, the last line was drawn, and the blood-red rune suddenly sank into the floor and was absorbed into the counter rune. One formation eye down, five to go.


    After two hours, Cha Ming returned to the center of the square and laid down the last counter rune, dissipating the stasis trap. Huxian jumped out while yipping, and Han Jinlong and Zhang Yifeng stood from their meditative postures. While they appeared calm on the outside, Cha Ming could sense they were boiling over with murderous intent.


    "I think it''s clear to everyone that their plan was to kill the weakest of us and stall the strongest of us," Han Jinlong said. "They even dared to turn the Ling brothers against us. That means that their strongest members are on their way to Fairweather now. We will take the strongest four with us and set out on flying swords immediately. Everyone else, please follow at your own pace. I only pray we''ll make it there on time."


    With these words, Cha Ming hopped onto Zhang Yifeng''s sword, while Gong Lan jumped on Han Jinlong''s sword. Two other cultivators accompanied them, and Huxian simply hitched a ride on Cha Ming''s shoulders. Fortunately, the little fox was still a baby.


    They left the remaining forty-odd mercenaries in Jade Spring and vanished into the night.


    ***


    A flock of geese took flight as the sounds of crashing hooves interrupted their mid-morning bath. These were some of the first geese of spring. They migrated as soon as ponds no longer froze over in the Song Kingdom. A carriage rolled past them as they flew away to another nearby pond. It was pulled by a dozen fierce-looking horses. Their red manes were draped across large black bodies, a testament to their demonic heritage.


    The carriage plowed through what most would consider obstacles in the road, like puddles and rocks. It didn''t slow down in the slightest. If one looked closely, they would see that the wheels skimmed the water and shattered stones in such a way that the carriage''s motion remained undisturbed.


    Inside the carriage, Wang Jun and Elder Bai sat in meditation while Hong Lin and two others sifted through a large pile of documents, taking advantage of every waking moment to submerge themselves in vital information. Unlike Wang Jun and Elder Bai, these three were not cultivators. They had no natural advantage in absorbing information, making perseverance and hard work even more important.


    Wang Jun slowly opened his eyes to the sight of these three hardworking individuals. He secretly praised them inwardly. He didn''t require mediocre cultivators who happened to be business people; rather, he required only the best business minds. Cultivators were usually too preoccupied with meditation or fighting, not bothering themselves with what they saw as trifling activities like business and law. For a clan to survive, both supreme experts and sharp business minds were necessary.


    As per his usual custom on this three-day trek, he wandered over to the front of the carriage, where the coachman Ren Wufa was seated. The middle-aged man had his eyes closed, but Wang Jun knew that he was fully aware of his surroundings. Wang Jun respectfully sat beside him and waited for him to speak.


    "It seems like this latest session was very productive for you. You''ve improved once more, and your cultivation is at the peak of qi condensation," the man said as he opened his eyes. "When will you stop supressing your advancement and make your breakthrough?"


    Wang Jun smiled and replied politely. "Protector Ren, I can''t hide anything from you. I intend to break through in a few days. However, I have something very important to accomplish in the capital, and my breakthrough will have to wait until the matter is finished."


    His reply prompted a snort from his protector. "I can only see your cultivation if you let me. Anyhow, what could be so important as to delay your cultivation? Strength is everything in the cultivation world."


    "A few days won''t matter much," Wang Jun replied. "However, the events in the next few days will affect the whole Song Kingdom. Trifling as it is, the Song Kingdom is critical to my plans. You wouldn''t understand. Besides which, this task will also help a very important friend."


    The man shrugged and handed a bag of holding to Wang Jun, who peeked inside before asking, "How many last night?"


    "Just seven," Wufa replied casually. "Five feelers at peak qi condensation, one distraction at early foundation establishment, and an actual assassin at mid-foundation establishment. I just can''t understand why you would leak your involvement in the rumors behind the princess and subsequently announce your intent to personally attend the trial. It''s obvious that they would send assassins after you, but killing these small fries isn''t worth giving up the element of surprise."


    Wang Jun shrugged. "You''re right, they aren''t worth it. But the resulting chaos is worth it. I am also baiting an opponent to remain in the city for the next few days. I''m naturally not concerned about these minions while you''re around."


    The man sighed. "But I won''t always be around¡­" They both sat in silence as they approached the gates of the Song Kingdom''s capital, Songjing City. Their demonic horses neighed loudly as they came to a sudden halt before the city''s drawbridge. The guards at the gate were not accustomed to such mounts, and they quickly made arrangements for them to enter the city, lest they provoke some unreasonable young master by delaying him.


    Soon, they arrived at the Songjing Jade Bamboo Auction House. The familiar d¨¦cor incorporating carefully cultivated bamboo was a sight for sore eyes for those who had been trapped in the carriage these last three days. The carriage was naturally taken care of by a group of attendants, and the six of them walked into the building.


    After walking for only a few breaths, they were greeted by a squeaky voice. "Young Master Wang, welcome to the Songjing branch. Everyone and everything here is at your disposal." A five-foot-tall man in purple robes trotted hurriedly toward them and bowed slightly. Wang Jun nodded slightly in response to the bow.


    "Elder Jin, you know I hate all the pomp and fanfare." Wang Jun said. "Please take us to the meeting room to review the situation. Also, I''m parched. Please arrange for snacks and tea for me and my companions. White Celadon tea is well suited to the local cuisine''s flavor, am I right?"


    "Of course, Young Master. We bought several limited-edition packages specifically for your arrival. If this tea was ranked second in the dynasty, no one would dare claim first," he said in a humble tone.


    After a quarter hour, the tea and refreshments had been delivered to the meeting room, and everyone took a moment to relax. Everyone except Wang Jun, who reviewed the latest information at lightning speed. Their future plans would be determined by this carefully collected information.


    As he reviewed the information, a smirk appeared on Wang Jun''s handsome face. The smirk soon turned into a chuckle once he reached the last page.


    "Elder Jin, please go ahead and send out the messenger falcon, instructing our partners outside the city to proceed as planned. Meanwhile, everyone else should review the case once more and see if they can determine any additional variables. Meanwhile¡­ Xiao Li?"


    "Yes, Young Master?" Xiao Li was one of the young attendants who had accompanied them on the journey. Besides her sharp, business-oriented mind, her looks were also top notch.


    "You and I are going on a date tonight. I hear the Radiant Dynasty Pavilion''s pheasant dish is to die for."

 59 The End Goal

    The sound of clinking dishes could barely be heard amidst the murmuring and gentle zither music in the Radiant Dynasty Pavilion. She was the best zither player in the entire kingdom, and this famous restaurant had spared no expense in roping her in. Her music ran like water and soothed the soul, calming even the most agitated and stressed individuals. As such, the people that came to this pavilion invariably came out with straightened backs and lightened shoulders.


    The seating arrangement in this establishment was quite peculiar. There were no such thing as private booths. Instead, there was only a single floor with no differentiation in status. Attendance was a clear indication of social class, as both status and wealth were required to enter in the first place. Any attendants, Dao protectors, or chaperones were strictly prohibited. They were hosted in an adjacent building, where they waited for their charges to leave the premises.


    Wang Jun and Xiao Li were seated at a table for two, one of twelve such tables surrounding three larger tables in the center. All tables were occupied, as this restaurant never lacked a waiting list. In fact, Elder Jin had pulled several dozen strings to arrange for this "date." Xiao Li clearly relished the opportunity, and she had spent the whole afternoon dressing up for the occasion. She wore a slim green dress covered in vines and beautiful mauve blossoms. Unfortunately, she lacked matching earrings, but settled for a mauve hairclip that fastened her long jet-black hair.


    Wang Jun was dazzled for a moment when he first saw the dress. It made him recall his first date with Hong Xin. After the pain in his heart subsided, he brought her over to the restaurant with a fake smile plastered on his face.


    "The Song Kingdom boasts some of the best spiritual blacksmiths. It''s a pity that their alchemists are so lacking," Wang Jun said casually to Xiao Li, who agreed with him profusely. They both ignored cold stares from multiple directions.


    "Of course, dearest," Xiao Li said. "Everyone outside the kingdom knows the alchemists here are garbage. They even have to hide behind trade barriers to make a living. You''ll teach them a lesson in court tomorrow though, won''t you?" Wang Jun was amazed to hear such vicious words coming from the sweet woman''s mouth. Should I get her a raise? he wondered.


    "Of course I will. I just hope that Zhou Li is man enough to attend. Maybe he''ll be too busy making love to his sister. Have you heard the latest rumor?" Wang Jun''s latest comment was followed by a loud crash. Several attendants rushed over to another table in a panic, picking up pieces of broken glass and sweeping away spilled wine with their qi.


    Wang Jun continued as though nothing had happened. "I heard that he and his sister make love every three nights, the same schedule as she''s together with the crown prince. It''s amazing that he hasn''t clued in yet. I guess that makes it exciting. The mere thought of getting caught in the¡ª"


    "You dare?" an angry voice shouted. A man and a woman, both with long black hair and dressed in purple robes, walked out from the rubble that was once their table. The scent of fire and sulfur was thick in the air as the man walked toward them with a murderous aura.


    "How dare you slander me in this city. You might talk big to impress women, but I dare you to leave your name." As the man spoke, the woman beside him gave both Wang Jun and Xiao Li a blood-chilling glare.


    Wang Jun finished eating a few bites before looking up, unperturbed. "And who might you be?" he said nonchalantly. "Oh, you said I was slandering you. Well, I didn''t slander anyone that I know of; I just stated facts. Speaking lies and deceit is morally reprehensible. In fact, we were only discussing the cuckold crown prince and his incestuous consort. Now, where was I?"


    The young man, who was clearly Zhou Li, couldn''t take it anymore, and black flames began to accumulate in his open palm. The woman beside him glanced at the fistful of flames nervously and whispered to him, "Brother dearest, you know we can''t act as we wish here. Just let it go, and we''ll keep tabs on him later."


    "You should listen to your sister. She clearly cares a lot about you. If my eyes don''t deceive me, she might just be willing to bear your children. Now, I''m not one to stand against forbidden love, but the citizens in the Song Kingdom¡ª"


    Crash.


    The table in front of Wang Jun was smashed to bits. None of the food flew out, however, as it was instantly incinerated by the strange black flames. The pale-faced Xiao Li was breathing quickly, while Wang Jun was still holding a cup full of tea. He drank a few sips, then looked up to a set of stairs leading to the establishment''s second level.


    "Manager," Wang Jun said, "is this how you allow guests to treat each other in your establishment?"


    A cold voice snorted, and a blur of a figure shot out, placing himself between Wang Jun and Zhou Li. The black flame summoned by Zhou Li was quickly extinguished by a mysterious force.


    "Of course not. I''ll be seeing these two out shortly," said an aged man with short-cropped hair. Many of the people in the group gasped audibly when they saw the figure. Few people dared to disturb the peace in this restaurant, as it was backed by a higher power than the Song Kingdom''s royal family.


    "That''s quite all right. We were just leaving anyway. I''m not sure if this guest can afford it, so here is a little extra for the damages."


    A small bright crystal shot out from his hand, and the old man pocketed it before anyone could see it. Wang Jun was sure the man knew what exactly had transpired and didn''t want to leave a bad impression. Problems that money could solve weren''t real problems.


    As Wang Jun and Xiao Li were leaving the establishment, Wang Jun turned around and looked Zhou Li straight in the eyes. "You have such a childish temper. You really need to learn to control it, or you''ll never be worthy to touch the hems of my robes. By the way, my name is Wang Jun. I''ll see you in court tomorrow, if you dare."


    ***


    Crash.


    Zhou Li smashed a piece of furniture to vent his frustration at his failed divination. His divinations should yield information on anyone below core formation. Yet here he was, surrounded by broken chairs and shattered pottery. He could not help but think of the shadowy figure in the painting.


    Is there really such a coincidence? The Wang family is reputed to be very rich and overbearing. However, they wouldn''t send anyone important to this backwater kingdom. No, they must have just supplied Wang Jun with a shielding treasure, one that can protect him from my immature seer''s eyes.


    His red pupils glowed slightly as he changed his focus. He needed to monitor a key operation tonight, and it would begin any moment. He took out an ornate mirror from his bag of holding and muttered an incantation that caused it to darken. In that darkness, figures in white began to materialize, followed by the contours of a city. It soon revealed a perfect aerial picture of Fairweather City.


    "Good," he muttered. "At least some plans are going well. Mirror, please focus on my brother." At his command, the mirror shimmered, revealing a hooded figure. Zhou Xian was currently busy painting an elaborate, blood-red rune on a stone floor. He wasn''t painting the full rune, of course. Such a rune was beyond him¡ªhe was simply performing some finishing touches on a product at 90% completion.


    It was then that he noticed an inky substance seeping from the side of the mirror. Zhou Li frowned and tried to dispel it, but to no avail. "Mirror, show me the Merchant," he said. By the time the image changed, half the mirror was covered by darkness, but he could barely make out the contours of a golden formation, which was almost complete. This was the last thing he saw in the mirror before it became completely coated in what seemed like black ink.


    Zhou Li cautiously touched the surface of the mirror and pulled away his finger. It was coated in a thick, shadowy layer, which attempted to dive into his skin. He quickly burnt it away with his qi, and seeing that fire was effective on the ink covering his finger, he tried the same on the mirror without any results. He massaged his temples in frustration, taking a deep breath before realizing that he had another means of communication.


    He picked up his black notebook to write a message. Magical treasures were very difficult to tamper with, after all. When he opened it, however, he saw that the pages were illegible. They were similarly coated in black. Seeing this, he tossed the small black book against a far wall, causing a precious painting to fall to the floor.


    Could it really be him? Is Wang Jun the shadow? he pondered. Since he couldn''t scry and couldn''t communicate, he sat down in meditation. I''ll try again in an hour. Let''s see if whoever is blocking me is willing to do it all night.


    ***


    Feng Ming arrived at Fairweather City just in time to see the sun setting beyond the horizon. His pace had been agonizingly slow, but he could hardly blame the horse. It was born and bred for the plow, and a full day''s trot had completely exhausted it. He shook his head as he realized that he could now walk faster than the horse could move, so he found a lone tree and tied it off. The horse didn''t eat the nearby grass or drink from the nearby puddle. Instead, it collapsed from fatigue.


    Feng Ming wasted no time and ran toward Fairweather on foot. As he approached the city, he noticed that the gates were closed.


    Strange, he thought, the gates don''t usually close until one hour after sundown. Fortunately, he hadn''t planned to waltz through the front gate in the first place. He approached the city from the river, which ran right through the city wall. The setting sun screened him as he darted out from the trees and plunged into the cold river near the wall. He swam underwater for twenty meters before surfacing just before the grate, where water passed into the city.


    After observing the thick grate for a while, he retrieved his lucky spear from his back of holding. He used it to cut away at the pieces of metal holding the grate to the city wall. He replaced the grate after pulling himself through. The process was very loud, so he thanked his luck there were no guards on patrol nearby.


    Quick as a viper, he snuck through the various alleyways, past beggars and orphans. He followed the winding alleys to the workshop district, where he had no choice but to run out in the open toward Bei Ling''s rundown shack. He was surprised to see that there was no one walking on the empty streets, and there were no guards patrolling either. This was uncharacteristic for such a busy town.


    Regardless, he let himself into the shack, lest he be discovered. A pleasant smell made his mouth water as he walked through the door to the dimensional abode. After all, he hadn''t had a proper meal in two days. He walked into the dining room, where four dishes and two sets of cutlery had been laid out. Hong Lai and Bei Ling were just about to eat supper when Feng Ming appeared out of nowhere.


    "Didn''t you set out toward Green Leaf City two days ago?" Bei Ling asked, frowning. The younger man nodded his head in response.


    "Yes, I did. I didn''t make it, unfortunately. After a day''s travel, I was attacked from behind by the man the county lord sent to accompany me. The horses were all killed or escaped, so I came back as fast as I could with a farmer''s plow horse. Something fishy is going on with the county lord, and I had a hunch that I didn''t have time to ride for reinforcements."


    "Hong Lai, have you noticed anything unusual lately?" asked Bei Ling.


    "Well," Hong Lai replied, "the guards have been very active lately. However, everything calmed down today. For some reason, the gate closed early, and they called a curfew. I didn''t know what was going on, but it didn''t seem like something worth fighting over. Maybe they just have something to do tonight, and they don''t want to deal with manning the gate for the extra hour or two."


    Bei Ling pondered for a moment before grabbing his coat off a rack. "I have a bad feeling. I''m going to go pay a visit to the county lord. You guys stay put."


    Hong Lai looked at the abandoned supper and back to Feng Ming, who seemed positively exhausted. "Well, are you hungry?" he asked.


    "Starving," Feng Ming replied.


    ***


    A half hour later, a soldier and a blacksmith were sneaking through the alleys toward a nearby guard house.Because of the curfew, no one was walking on the open streets. Instead, the undesirables in the city had all huddled into the concealed alleys, where the guards wouldn''t cause them any grief.


    "Master Bei said to stay out of trouble," the blacksmith whispered angrily to his lightly armored companion.


    Feng Ming chuckled and said, "I wanted to, but I got an itch. I want to go check out what those guards are so busy with. Don''t worry, we''ll be back in a jiffy. Besides, I can hardly cause trouble with you around, right?"


    He ignored Hong Lai''s whining and darted into another alley. They arrived at a dead end. Ignoring Hong Lai''s puzzled expression, Feng Ming used his Burst Steps Technique to scale a small wall, propelling himself to the roof of a secluded shop. "Are you coming?" he whispered. Hong Lai sighed as he also executed a movement technique and landed beside Feng Ming.


    "Do you do this a lot where you come from?" Hong Lai whispered as they walked on the rooftops while crouching.


    "Not really. Only when I go peek at the bathhouse. I''m a master at sneaking and hiding, you know. I never get caught," Feng Ming replied, silencing the curious Hong Lai.


    Soon they reached the other side of the rooftop adjacent to the guard shack. Feng Ming looked down and saw multiple guards stationed at the entrance, looking out at the street vigilantly. Of course, they never thought to look at the rooftops. Feng Ming took advantage of this blind spot and leapt across the gap. Hong Lai shook his head and followed, but his less than nimble movements caused a tile to fall from the roof and onto the street near the guard shack.


    One of the guards walked to check the source of the ruckus, only to find a few broken tiles. "I told them to fix the roof last summer," he muttered. He looked up, barely missing Feng Ming and Hong Lai''s shadows as they ducked into a half-open window.


    "I really wonder who hired these guards," Feng Ming whispered. "They left a window open in an empty room. It doesn''t get any more unprofessional than this."


    Hong Lai glared at him, but just as he was about to speak, Feng Ming held up his hand to silence him.


    "What''s the lord thinking with this sudden curfew? And what''s with those people downstairs? They give me the creeps," they heard a muffled voice say from behind the wooden wall.


    "I heard that it''s some kind of auspicious ceremony. That''s why they''re painting runes down there," another voice said.


    "But those runes give me the creeps. And so do those people. I don''t trust them one bit," a third voice said. He didn''t continue speaking, however, as a man with a heavy set of footsteps walked down the hallway and opened the door.


    "Ceremony''s almost done," a grating voice said. "This day will be a turning point for Fairweather City." The voice then continued to elaborate in a loud voice. Feng Ming had heard enough. This distraction was a golden opportunity, and he signaled Hong Lai to follow him as he stepped out toward the hallway.


    The wooden floor didn''t creak as they walked, despite its aged condition. And neither did the stairs as they walked to the halfway point, where they crouched down to observe what was happening on the first floor. There, a few robed figures were busy chanting in the center of the room. They were surrounded by blood-red runes, which pulsed with light as the chanting progressed. The chanting and the bloody runes gave Feng Ming the willies. It was like a voice inside his head was yelling at him to immediately charge down there and stop them, yet he held himself back and continued to observe.


    Right beside the chanting figures, a glowing golden rune hovered in midair, and many golden lines intersected that same rune. The runic characters were all gibberish to Feng Ming, so he focused on the other figures in the room. There were no guards here, only five men. Three of them were large men, while the others were lanky. His eyes narrowed as he focused on one man whom he''d seen before. He''d caught a glimpse of his face just before he cut down his fellow soldier as they tried to escape Crystal Meadows.


    Hong Lai tensed as he saw Feng Ming''s grip tighten on his spear. "Are you going to start a fight with those people?" he whispered.


    "Those aren''t people," Feng Ming replied, then he darted out with his spear and slashed the lanky man in half. He had avenged his friend, but it was far from enough. As this thought ran through his head, he felt a tingling sensation and decided to lean backward, causing a heavy blade to barely miss him. The blade came from one of the larger men, who had now doubled in girth.


    "Complete the ceremony, quickly!" one of the lanky men with red eyes yelled angrily. In response, the hooded figure''s chanting sped up. Feng Ming tried to break away toward the hooded figures, only to be intercepted by yet another large figure, who tried to grab him with his meaty hands.


    "Tch." Feng Ming darted between them quickly and slashed at the large man''s stomach. It felt like he was cutting through mud, and he realized immediately that the abomination was unharmed. They surrounded him once again, attacking him from three sides. He deflected some blows with his spear, dodging others. He followed his heart as he slashed out at random, and his spear always seemed to hit its mark. Before long, he had decapitated another two of the creatures.


    "Hong Lai, stop them!" Feng Ming bellowed. Hong Lai, who hadn''t moved since the fight started, suddenly pulled out his own weapon, an intricate longsword. He darted toward the three figures, two of which continued chanting as he hacked down one of them. Seeing that this hadn''t stopped them, Hong Lai decapitated a second hooded figure, then stabbed the last one through the heart. This last figure chuckled as blood oozed out of his mouth.


    "You''re too late," the figure said hoarsely as he coughed out blood. "This town is ours now." With these words, he muttered one last syllable, and the red array lit up, concentrating its light into a glowing red rune that floated out from the floor.


    The entire room was bathed in an eerie red light. Feng Ming, who had just decapitated the last creature, suddenly saw Hong Lai collapse to the floor. As he ran up to support him, he saw the strong man was resisting something with all his might. His eyes were bloodshot.


    Just beneath Hong Lai, Feng Ming saw a slender red thread connecting him to the nearby rune. There were countless red threads leading out from blood red rune at the center of the room. With every breath that passed by, the rune pulsed. And with every pulse, it grew a little bit brighter.

 60 Blood and Gold

    Several deer darted to the side, barely avoiding a group of six cultivators balancing themselves on flying swords. They flew a few feet off the ground, avoiding obstacles that mere mortals would have to bypass or trod through with great frustration. The six cultivators were clearly separated into two groups of three. They were each led by older men, whose intimidating presence had caused the deer to flee in the first place.


    Three of the four other cultivators were trembling. Balancing on a flying sword was very tiring for a qi-condensation cultivator since the sword itself was controlled by the foundation establishment elders nearby. The lack of synchronization caused balancing on the sword to be taxing on both the mind and body.


    Only Cha Ming seemed immune, as his strong body and spiritual force kept him perfectly balanced. There was no way to shield himself from the strong winds that buffeted their group, however. Therefore, he occasionally circulated his fire qi to fight the cold, bringing warmth to the tips of his fingers and toes. Spring had barely started, and the winter chill still hung thick in the air.


    Their group had been traveling since well before sunrise, not wasting a single moment in the hopes of overtaking the masterminds from Jade Spring. Every time they felt tired, the fresh memories of what had transpired over the past few days forced them to press on despite their fatigue.


    Cha Ming flexed his bicep and rotated his arm as he continued balancing on the flying sword. Master Zhang had passed him a strong healing medicine, which ensured that his arm had healed with few side effects. He thanked his lucky stars that he had trained both his body and mind. His body cultivation had increased his defense and regenerative abilities, while the Creation Qi Manipulation Technique had tempered his tolerance to pain. Compared to the searing pain required to establish new qi pathways, having one''s arm almost completely severed was nothing.


    "We''re only a half hour away," Zhang Yifeng mumbled. "I hope we''re not too late. Given what we''ve experienced thus far, there will definitely be formations in Fairweather. That means that the enemy could have been in Fairweather even before we departed." Cha Ming nodded in response.


    Soon enough, Fairweather City appeared on the horizon. Many lights were lit, hinting that things were not so bad as they imagined. Yet as they sighed in relief, an ominous red light appeared near the city gate. It was soon accompanied by three others, casting the entire city in an eerie red fog.


    "What sorcery is this¡­" Master Zhang whispered. Yet the spectacle didn''t finish there. Soon, a golden spot lit up near the city gate and was accompanied by three others. A gold mist spread out over the whole city and melded with the red. It resembled an unholy medley of blood and gold.


    "We''re a hair too late. Hold on, everyone, we need to speed up," Han Jinlong said. Both masters circulated their cultivation bases, causing the swords that supported their group to speed up threefold. They dashed toward the city from the side while leaving behind a trail of stars.


    They didn''t slow down as they approached the thick stone walls. Instead, Han Jinlong drew out a one-handed hammer, concentrating his qi onto its flat head. Meanwhile, Zhang Yifeng held a spear in both hands. A tricolored glow appeared on the tip of the spear. The blue, green, and red lights resonated with a runic pattern on the sphere, causing it to give off a dreadful pressure.


    "Hang on, kids!" Han Jinlong shouted. Both his and Yifeng''s swords continued while the four other swords stopped abruptly midflight. The four cultivators landed fifty feet away from the wall, and the two foundation establishment elders flew forward, each striking the city wall with a vicious blow.


    Their strikes instantly pierced two significant holes through five meters of stone. Cha Ming and company didn''t hesitate to jump through and join their two elders on the other side. The instant Cha Ming stepped through to the other side, he felt his blood reel, almost causing him to lose consciousness. After stabilizing his breathing, he realized that he was weakening; his blood vitality seeming to seep out into four different directions, the ones where the red lights had originated from.


    "We need to head to the center of the city. Once we find out what kind of formation this is, we''ll act accordingly," Master Zhang instructed. The others nodded and followed his lead.


    While Cha Ming felt a little weaker, he noticed that two individuals in their group seemed unaffected. The first was Gong Lan, which was unsurprising given her cultivation method. Huxian also seemed unaffected.


    Let me guess. You ate it? Cha Ming asked mentally.


    That''s right. I''m eating it as we speak! Huxian replied cheerfully.


    Cha Ming could only shake his head in response. Oh well, it''s a good thing.


    They soon arrived at the center of town. The square at the center of the city had been razed; the statues and the fountain, renowned works of art and the symbol of Fairweather, had been reduced to rubble. In their place stood two glowing formations, one gold and one red. The gold formation was occupied by a skinny man with golden skin. He sat there cross-legged in meditation, and golden energy flowed through the formation and directly into his body with every passing second.


    The second figure in the blood-red formation was Cha Ming''s old friend.


    "Zhou Xian!" he yelled. The younger man didn''t react. Instead, he sat cross-legged in meditation while he focused on absorbing the incoming bloody energy.


    Han Jinlong held his hand up, preventing them from approaching the two solitary figures at the center of Fairweather. His eyes narrowed as he observed the runes one by one. "Everyone, it seems that there are two energy gathering formations at the center of town. One gathers the energy of blood, while the other gathers the energy of gold.


    "With every second that passes, these two will grow increasingly powerful. This will continue until the formation depletes¡­ all the blood and all the wealth in the city!"


    Cha Ming trembled involuntarily before asking, "Do you mean¡­ the red formation is absorbing power from the blood of the citizens of Fairweather, and it will only stop after killing every single person here?"


    "I''m afraid so. Not just that, the process is occurring extremely quickly. Yifeng!" Han Jinlong shouted. Master Zhang nodded and they both attacked the two meditating figures with their full strength. Their attacks stopped abruptly at the contours of the formation. Despite their inability to penetrate the formation, the younger man''s eyes opened. He frowned as he looked out at the group of cultivators outside the formation.


    "Your turn will come. Why must you rush me?" he asked in a sinister voice.


    Master Zhang and Master Han attacked once more in response. This caused the man to flinch slightly, and the bloody glow, which had been flowing toward him, was briefly interrupted. The two men nodded to each other and stood on opposite sides of Zhou Xian. They began pressing down against the bloody formation, supressing it.


    "Cha Ming, Gong Lan, Xing Tong, Liu Fei," Han Jinlong barked. "Each of you must set out to the north, south, east, and west sides of the city and find a formation eye. I don''t know if it''s possible, but you must try to stop it by any means possible. Don''t bother with the gold formation¡ªyou must stop the blood formation. If you don''t, the fifty thousand people in the city will all die. Yifeng and I will try to disrupt the formation as much as possible."


    The four of them nodded and headed out separately.


    Huxian, can you head out with Xing Tong and see if you can help him disrupt his formation eye? The small fox nodded obediently and began tailing the female cultivator.


    Would their abilities be enough to stop the formation? Cha Ming wasn''t sure. He had the bearded man''s instructions, and Huxian would likely figure out a way to eat his. Would Gong Lan, who seemed immune to the formation''s draining power, be able to stop a formation eye with her limited power?


    ***


    "What have you done, you bastard son of a goat!" Bei Ling said as he recovered from the shock caused to his aging body. The blood red mist that had sprung up suddenly in the county lord''s residence immediately took its toll on the master smith. Several maids and guards collapsed to the floor, yet the county lord and two of his guards remained unaffected. The mist avoided them, preferring to direct its attention to juicier targets like Bei Ling and the others.


    Bei Ling clutched his arm as a sharp pain ran through his chest.


    My heart. I can''t take much more of this godforsaken mist. Just what evil thing has he done? The curfew, the way his guard had attacked Feng Ming, and the county lord''s recent behavior¡ªBei Ling no longer had any doubts. They had been betrayed.


    "I''m just looking out for the country''s best interests. We can''t fight them, so why not join them?" Sun Chuan smirked as he confessed.


    He''s just trying to stall for time. He can see how badly this mist is affecting me.


    "There''s no use talking, then. I could beat your late father with one hand tied behind my back. I don''t know what you''ve done, but it''s about time you got the beating your father should have given you all those years ago." Bei Ling breathed in deeply, circulating his early foundation-establishment qi and his four-thousand-jin fist strength. As a spiritual blacksmith, his body forging had attained an impressive boundary. His many years of training had brought him to early-stage bone forging. He condensed his soul force into a massive warhammer, which materialized in his hands.


    "Tch. So troublesome. You two, stall for time as I activate my secret art," Sun Chuan instructed. The two to his side nodded obediently and advanced. They both roared as they let loose their power. Surprisingly, they were both half-step foundation establishment.


    "I''ll polish you whelps off in less than ten breaths. One!" Bei Ling charged toward the one on the right, swinging out fiercely with his hammer. The guard quickly crossed his hands in front of himself, and a brown Earthen Tower Shield instantly materialized in front of him. It broke apart as Bei Ling''s hammer smashed against it, forcing the man back with the residual fiery shockwave from his martial technique.


    Bei Ling was not a fool. He took advantage of the opening to charge toward Sun Chuan, who had his eyes closed while rapidly forming hand seals. The cultivator he had just smashed away coughed out blood and formed hand seals as well. The earth in front of Sun Chuan suddenly trembled, and five sharp spikes shot out toward the charging Bei Ling, forcing him to change directions toward the cultivator on the left.


    This cultivator had anticipated Bei Ling''s movement, and his hands shot out toward the charging Bei Ling and unleashed a frozen dragon from his open palms. The dragon roared, causing Bei Ling to pause for a fraction of a breath before charging onward. This time, he used a clever movement technique and appeared right beside the ice cultivator. He didn''t get a chance to scream before his head was blown off by Bei Ling.


    Bei Ling then followed by breathing in deeply and exhaling toward his two remaining opponents. Like a dragon, flames rolled out of his mouth and enveloped them. He heard only one scream before the flames faded away, revealing the charred corpse of a guard and Sun Chuan holding out a saber. Sun Chuan was surrounded by an eerie black-and-red glow. His aura had improved significantly and broken into mid-foundation establishment.


    "I may have executed a forbidden technique, but it''s more than enough to handle an old geezer like you!" Sun Chuan yelled and darted out toward Bei Ling. He didn''t let the older man breathe as he relentlessly attacked him with his magic saber, which was fueled by the power of his mid-level foundation establishment.


    Bei Ling grunted as he received each blow, quickly maneuvering himself to avoid critical damage. Thankfully, he cultivated both body and qi, and while he might be at a disadvantage against mid-level foundation establishment, it wasn''t an insurmountable gap. However, he was aware of his body''s limitations. With each blow he took, he felt his heart shudder.


    He had heard once that each heart only had a finite number of beats. An increase in cultivation realm reforged the heart, increasing the cultivator''s lifespan in the process. He wasn''t sure if he believed this, but one thing was certain¡ªhe didn''t have much time left. Now it was time to make a choice. Should he take the gamble?


    "It''s only a matter of time before you die. How about you surrender, and I''ll grant you death with an intact corpse?"Sun Chuan said between attacks. His saber was covered in a metallic sheen, greatly increasing its sharpness and range. Simultaneously, forty-eight daggers flew up from various positions in his body, attacking Bei Ling in tandem.


    "Dream on," Bei Ling shouted as he fended off the daggers with an equal number of golden ball bearings. They clashed in the air as Bei Ling continued to fend off each saber strike, calming his mind in preparation for his last-ditch effort. An intact corpse was the least of his problems.


    First Rune. He gathered qi and spiritual force to a tattoo on his chest over his heart. It was an intricate rune, and its activation caused Bei Ling''s power to surge. He took advantage of the increased power and started mounting his own offensive. Both his warhammer and the golden ball bearings surrounding him increased in power. For good measure, he also added a fifty-foot-wide inferno, forcing Sun Chuan to divert his attention.


    "So what if you also have a forbidden technique? How long can you possibly last?" the county lord yelled. Yet he was now in a passive position, and he could only deflect the incoming hammer blows. He summoned a cloud of mist to surround himself, countering the flames attacking him.


    "Longer than you," Bei Ling said in response. Second Rune. An intricate silver pattern appeared on Bei Ling''s exposed left arm, causing his power to surge once more. The first rune overdrew on Bei Ling''s vitality while the second overdrew on his left arm. This meant that regardless of success or failure, his left arm would be crippled and unusable for the rest of his life. However, Bei Ling didn''t care. He coughed out blood and felt his old wounds opening within his body.


    Sun Chuan desperately defended each blow with great difficulty. It was impossible to block them all, and a few hammer strikes smashed against his qi armor, severely depleting his remaining power. Things didn''t stop there.


    Third Rune. Fourth Rune. Fifth Rune! This was Bei Ling''s last-ditch effort. He would likely die today, no matter the outcome. If he somehow survived, he would be a useless cripple for the rest of his life. Blood began to drip out of his pores as his arms and legs inflated. His skin turned red and his veins turned purple as he gripped his warhammer in two meaty fists.


    Now I only have three breaths. One!


    He struck out with his hammer, crushing downward and forcing Sun Chuan to block. Sun Chuan sent out his forty-eight daggers first, but they were instantly reduced in power by Bei Ling''s overwhelming strength. He then took out his magic saber and deflected three times before it too crumbled to pieces. Two.


    As he smashed downward, Sun Chuan threw out three talismans, which transformed into a bright blue shield of qi. But these three shields lasted only one strike each before collapsing. Three.


    Bei Ling took what remained of his strength, infusing it in his hammer. First he struck Sun Chuan''s chest. The blow made his armor creak, and it finally gave way, causing blood to spurt out of his mouth and onto Bei Ling. But the older man didn''t care. He swiftly rotated his hammer, bringing it up while smacking Sun Chuan''s chin with the handle, knocking him to the floor.


    Finally, he poured in the last of his power, the last of his strength, and the last of his life, into the last strike he would ever make. A sickening thud brought complete silence to what remained of the county lord''s manor.

 61 Coordinated Strike

    It was dark out. Strangely, all the lights in Fairweather had been extinguished. The only source of illumination in the empty city streets was the full moon shining in all its glory. Its white light was filtered through the red mist covering the entire city, making it appear like a giant bloody moon. But the darkness didn''t bother Huxian. The darkness was his home.


    He expertly darted between buildings, hiding in one alley after another. Occasionally, he encountered people who had not been lucky enough to find shelter for the night. They sat outside, weakly clinging to their remaining vitality. Some of the older homeless individuals had collapsed after losing consciousness. The unhealthy ones had already moved on.


    To Huxian, life and death were both necessary. There couldn''t be life without death, just like there couldn''t be good without evil. The death of these poor people meant nothing to him¡ªwhat bothered him was that they were hurting those select few that he considered friends: the restaurant owner, the cook, and the little girl who petted him every time he walked by. Those who dared hurt them deserved to die, plain and simple. He was only too happy to assist Cha Ming.


    He wasn''t overly worried about breaking the formation¡ªthat much was simple. The only thing that concerned him was the questioned that had haunted generations of his ancestors: Are formations tasty? His inherited memories were vague on the subject. Many formations were edible, but whether they were tasty was a controversial subject. His ancestors had deemed the topic worthy enough to pass on to their progeny, so the least he could do was to contribute empirical evidence.


    She''s so slow. Is she really an eighth-level cultivator? he asked himself as he stalked Xing Tong from the darkness. Unfortunately, he didn''t know the way to the guard house and could only follow her helplessly. To kill time, he ducked into a nearby residence. There he found a small family with two children sitting at a kitchen table. His beady eyes narrowed as he realized that one of the children was the little girl who always fed him scraps whenever he brushed past her legs. Rage bubbled up in him when he saw her vitality getting syphoned away.


    These beasts have gone too far!


    While he didn''t have time to stay here and help her weather the crisis, he could help her in passing. Huxian''s small figure blurred as his shadow darted out and expanded itself tenfold. He activated a technique, and the few lights in the room were swallowed by the shadow, plunging it into darkness. The red mist in the room was sucked up along with the light, as were the red threads that connected the two children and their parents to the formation.


    As he prepared to leave, he shot a worried look at the table full of food. What would happen to the poor family if they woke up and ate the food that had been out all night? Would they become sick or get food poisoning? He wasn''t sure, but it would be unethical to allow them to take that risk, so he walked up to the table and ate everything in a single gulp. His duty accomplished, he darted out of the house and caught up to Xing Tong.


    It took them an incense time to arrive at a small stone building that protruded from the city wall.


    This must be the guard house they spoke of. Well, I shouldn''t let such a pretty lady face danger on her own.


    Huxian jumped into a nearby shadow. His immaterial form passed through the barred windows and into a dimly lit room. There he saw five individuals. Two skinny men were sitting down, sharpening deadly spirit sabers. One larger man was chewing on a large haunch of meat, his large truncheon leaning against the table.


    How impolite. They clearly aren''t ready for company. The two other individuals were cloaked men. They were chanting, and with each syllable, the two runes in the room glowed brighter.


    Huxian took advantage of his shadow form and edged along the wall toward one of the bite-sized figures. His shadow expanded, but this time its gaping maw protruded from the wall and bit down viciously. The skinny man didn''t have time to scream before half his body disappeared. The other half tumbled on the floor, spurting blood. The other two guards swiftly grabbed their weapons and faced the wall. Uncertainty flashed in their eyes as the shadow disappeared and a small figure walked out of the darkness.


    "Yip!"


    Huxian darted at the larger one, who had his mouth wide open. The mouth was like a dark abyss, and it quickly expanded to two three times the size of the small fox. Several rows of dagger-like teeth lined the horrendous mouth.


    Playing with a knife in front of an expert swordsman?Huxian thought. The mark on his forehead began glowing, and his shadow, which had disappeared previously, turned into the vivid projection of large black fox.


    One of the saber wielders reacted quickly and attempted to attack the shadowy projection. His spirit saber bounced off the lifelike projection with no noticeable effect. The massive fox bit down on the large man, devouring him in a single gulp. The remaining saber wielder didn''t hesitate and attempted to escape the building. He only made it three steps before being eaten just like his comrade.


    As Huxian approached the glowing formations, he noticed a few red threads separating from the formation and attempting to latch on to him. A bright white glow appeared around him, and the bloody threads evaporated into thin air. With a thought, Huxian expanded the white glow, encompassing the chanting figures. They howled in agony as the purifying white aura ate away at the unholy power they controlled. Soon, only their cloaks remained.


    Now to answer the question¡ªfor posterity. Huxian glowed once more, but this time two projections appeared behind him. One was a large black fox, and the other was a large white fox. The moment the white fox appeared, both formation eyes and their supporting formations creaked under the strain and began crumbling bit by bit. The large black fox ate each piece as it broke away. It took less than ten breaths before the two formation eyes were fully dismantled.


    His two projections disappeared just before Xing Tong walked in. She found the cute baby fox sitting among the remnants of the ruined formation. The only evidence that people were once present was the half-eaten corpse of a devilish cultivator and two empty cloaks. Huxian involuntarily let out a cute, satisfied burp. Huxian had determined that formations were tasty. But he was in no hurry to submit his verdict, as there would be many more to sample in the future. Meanwhile, he felt the blood and gold energy he gathered strengthen his body and toughen his skin.


    "What are you doing here? Cha Ming will be upset if he knows you ran away," she said cheerfully while petting him. Huxian indulged her for a few moments before letting out a shrill wail of agony. The sudden shriek forced Xing Tong to the floor with blood seeping out of her ears.


    Uh oh. He felt a sharp, burning sensation as an object sprouted from his backside. It was a second tail. Huxian was now halfway to becoming a demon beast. He then became instantly aware of a frightening fact: His tribulation would arrive in three days.


    ***


    Cha Ming''s footsteps echoed through a lonely street near the eastern guard house. He was distracted by what he had just witnessed in a nearby shop. He hadn''t intended to step into the shop, but a large crashing sound changed his mind. It was caused by the owner of the shop, who had collapsed on a display case. The room was covered in shattered glass splattered with blood.


    As he rushed over to help the man, he quickly discovered that he wasn''t simply unconscious. The elderly man''s fires of life had been burning low even before tonight''s events. The blood-gathering formation was just the last nail in his coffin. The cruel reality of the situation pressed the urgency of the situation: Many young children and the elderly would be the first to die if the blood formation wasn''t stopped.


    He glanced over the empty shelves in the shop before leaving. What should have been a thriving jewelry shop full of expensive merchandise had been thoroughly looted. He would have suspected looters if not for his timely arrival. The store''s owner had just died, and he watched as the golden watch on the old man''s wrist suddenly evaporated into a gold mist and wandered toward the nearby guard house.


    Cha Ming understood that the priority was to stop the blood formation. But what if all the wealth in this rich city was used to strengthen the second individual? He resolved to destroy the gold formation eye after the blood formation eye.


    He readied the Clear Sky Staff in his hands as he approached the guard house. Using his Mountain Stance, he rooted himself to the stone pavement as he heaved the elongated and weight-enhanced staff. It was now eighteen feet long and weighed 200 jin.


    His bones creaked as he used the entire strength of his physical body while simultaneously channeling earth qi into the staff. The staff bent as he wielded it and performed a pure vertical strike toward the center of the guard house. The vibrations Cha Ming had imbued ensured that any stone encountered would crumble to dust.


    A deafening boom broke the silence in the empty city streets. Without any warning, two saber-wielding individuals burst out from the newly formed entrance and lunged at Cha Ming, who wasted no time and counter-charged them. He put down each one with a single strike of his Sword Staff Art, and his precise blows crushed their necks and smashed their spinal cords. He felt no pity for them, however. These devil cultivators couldn''t be considered human.


    Cha Ming jumped over the rubble and noticed that a large figure had been crushed to a pulp, then saw two hooded figures at the back of the room, dead. Seemingly, the impact of the blow had thrown them into the wall and killed them. He left nothing to chance as he approached the formation, sending out a Flame Manifestation with his rosary. The two figures were reduced to ashes in mere moments.


    "So, what next, great teacher?" he asked. His dependence on the red-bearded man grew more obvious with each passing day. I should really learn formation arts once everything is said and done.


    A surge of information rushed to Cha Ming''s head. For the blood formation, paint these seven formations at these key points and then connect them accordingly.


    Cha Ming asked in an embarrassed voice, "The formation is a bit large. How am I supposed to paint it with this tiny brush?"


    You have rocks for brains, the man replied. Can''t you see that the Clear Sky Brush and Clear Sky Staff are one and the same? Just get the brush to grow bigger and you won''t have a problem!


    Cha Ming blushed as he realized his mistake. The Clear Sky Brush appeared in his hand at his command. With but a thought, it grew to the size of the Clear Sky Staff.


    Don''t waste time. Every second you waste means one more soul sent to Diyu. Cha Ming nodded and willed earth qi and liquified earth essence to the tip of his brush, which he used to draw a complex symbol he had never seen before. He then drew a symbol with water-aligned material, then earth again, then fire. As he continued to paint everything, Cha Ming shook his head self deprecatingly. He was like a fake artist, copying original works for a living.


    After a half incense time, the formation he drew on the ground lit up, causing the bloody mist in the vicinity to halt all movement. The bloody mist flowed back from where it had come, unravelling the bloody formation eye in the process.


    This will send as much blood energy as possible to the remaining victims. I can''t do anything for the dead, the red-bearded man said with regret.


    They wasted no time and proceeded to the gold formation. The formation for this one took much less time, as they were unconcerned with sending the residual energy back where it came from. Once the formation eye was destroyed, the gold mist in the room converged together to form three golden crystals, which Cha Ming collected. But the instant he collected them, he heard a deep voice resounding in his mind.


    Bagua Huxian will be undergoing heavenly tribulation in three days'' time. As per the Contract of Equals, you are obligated to share all trials and tribulations.


    Cha Ming massaged his brow once he heard this piece of information, wondering why his advancement had happened so soon. Then it dawned on him. The glutton had probably eaten the formation eyes.


    ***


    Gong Lan was vigilant as she walked down the cobblestone street toward the third guard house, her twin sabers ready in case of an ambush. A blood-red moon was shining in the sky, illuminating the city with its eerie light. It reminded Gong Lan of the writing she''d found in the village which read "Beware the Blood Moon."


    Were they warning us about this? Did they know what would happen? She shuddered at the revelation.


    She waltzed into the guard house, decapitating five figures with a few swift strikes. She knew from experience that the most effective way to deal with them was to lop off their heads. Hacking away a limb meant nothing to those crazed devil cultivators. It made her wonder if they were still human.


    Unlike the others, she had no way to deal with formations. Therefore, she decided to try doing things the good old-fashioned way¡ªby smashing and cutting them to tiny bits. It only took her a few strikes to notice that striking the formation eye was completely ineffective, so she turned her attention to the wooden planks below. Her heavy sabers smashed the wooden planks, destroying the runic patterns below the floating runes. Unfortunately, the formation eyes didn''t weaken, and she could only sigh in dejection.


    As she continued observing the formation eyes, she realized the red rune felt familiar. She reached out and traced the runic patterns on the formation eye in the hopes of gleaning some insight. After an incense time, she noticed that the aura of the bloody formation matched her cultivation technique, the Blood World Scripture.


    Time was of the essence, so she didn''t hesitate to drive her cultivation base and begin absorbing ambient qi. As predicted, the bloody rune shook, and the red mist in the room wandered toward Gong Lan. But in the midst of absorbing the blood energy, her heart began to pound uncontrollably. Tears welled in her eyes as she suffered the resentment of those who were harmed or killed by the formation.


    I''m not the one who did this, she pleaded. But no one could hear her.


    Despite being heavily affected, she didn''t stop absorbing. Rather, seeing that her rate of absorption was having little or no effect, she increased the absorption rate tenfold. The frequency of voices she heard and resentment she felt increased proportionately, yet she gritted her teeth and cried as she continued the forceful absorption. Within sixty breaths, she noticed that she''d broken through to the ninth level of qi condensation. With her breakthrough, she was able to increase the rate of absorption to thirty times. This caused the formation eye to shudder and crack, breaking off pieces to be absorbed by the Blood World Scripture.


    It cracked little by little, until finally, several large pieces broke off together, and the formation eye was destroyed. Only Gong Lan and the golden formation eye remained in the room. The golden formation eye continued humming as though nothing had happened, leaving Gong Lan kneeling with her hands on the floor. She cried tears of blood, and her arms shook as she supressed the aura of resentment that came with the blood energy. A powerful aura surrounded her as she wept. It was the aura of half-step foundation establishment.


    ***


    Meanwhile, Feng Ming and Hong Lai were wracking their brains trying to figure out how to break the formation in the remaining guard house. If Feng Ming had his way, he would just keep hitting it with his spear.Unfortunately, Hong Lai pointed out that there might be grave repercussions if they didn''t break the formation properly. So Feng Ming waited as Hong Lai weakened with every passing moment. It was only a matter of time before he lost consciousness, as the blood red thread was continually sapping away his vitality.


    While Hong Lai was busy studying the formation, Feng Ming noticed a distortion in the formation.


    "Did you see that?" he asked Hong Lai.


    "See what? Quit distracting me while I''m breaking the formation." Hong Lai was currently crouched down, weakly using his spiritual hammer to attack key points near the formation eye.


    Feng Ming shook his head and continued observing. A half incense time passed before he saw another two consecutive flickers. To Feng Ming, who was completely untrained in formations, the rune seemed dull and lifeless compared to its original state. He glanced down at Hong Lai, who was completely focused on his work.


    "I''ve had enough of this," Feng Ming said, brandishing his spear. "I''m going to try breaking it."


    "You can''t do that!" Hong Lai yelled. His warning fell on deaf ears. Feng Ming stabbed the formation eye where he''d observed a slight distortion. His spear glowed red as he poured all his strength into that single strike, digging his feet into the ground with earthen power. A small crack appeared in the formation eye. Retracting his spear, he struck again and again.


    Soon enough, the rune crumbled away, and the bloody mist in the room dissipated. Hong Lai, who had previously been struggling to remain conscious, looked at the spear in Feng Ming''s hand in awe. Feng Ming wasn''t paying attention, however. As soon as the rune crumbled, he was enveloped with a mysterious golden glow. It wasn''t the same ominous glow that came from the gold formation; rather, it was the light of providence. He had performed great merit by destroying the formation and saving many lives, and that merit was being channeled through Feng Ming''s soul through the Good Fortune Scripture.


    "Yep," Feng Ming said. "With a single strike of my lucky spear, I send formations crumbling into dust." He didn''t wait for Hong Lai''s reply. The key to acting cool was to know when to leave.

 62 Fated Battle

    The Fairweather Auction House was a shadow of its former glory. Its intricately carved walls, gildings, and decorations had lost their luster or had disappeared under the gold-plundering formation. Entire rooms had crumbled due to structural weakening.


    While most of the employees in the auction house had returned to their dwellings, there was one man who remained in the building every night. The auction house was his home, and he viewed the wealth it generated as his personal collection. He wore an unsightly expression as he struggled to use his aura to save his most valuable treasures. However, there was only so much the power of Foundation Establishment could do to stave away the plundering gold mist. Even bags of holding couldn''t stop the elusive thief. Little by little, his treasures crumbled to dust and evaporated before his very eyes. The only ones that didn''t disappear were those that were bonded to him, like his flying sword and a few life-saving treasures.


    "You all may as well come out," he said with a grunt. A few short moments of silence were broken by the sounds of swishing blades as three cultivators flew in on magic swords. Each of them radiated the power of foundation establishment.


    "Your senses are still sharp for such an old man," a masked figure commented as he jumped off his flying perch. The flying sword began spinning around him in a haphazard fashion when he landed. The other two masked men beside him followed suit, surrounding the white-haired auctioneer.


    "I see that the three of you have come to court death," he said while brushing off his blue robes. Three silver-blue lights flashed as they darted out from the man''s mouth and flew toward the three assailants. The three masked men deflected them with great difficulty. Surprisingly, the auctioneer could control three flying swords at once.


    "Very impressive," the lead masked man said. "Flying swords are much harder to control than small daggers, pins, pearls, and other such objects. Moreover, these are high-level flying swords. It''s no wonder that our master sent three of us to deal with you."


    "You think you three alone are enough? Na?ve." The three swords hummed, and an icy pattern resembling a snowflake spread out from each of them. The three patterns continued expanding and connected, forming a much larger pattern that surrounded him.


    "No, you misunderstand. Our job is simply to stall you, so why don''t you make this easy for yourself and stay put?" the masked man said while forming hand seals. His sword began to burn with a red flame. Meanwhile, his two assistants performed similar actions. Their swords turned green and yellow-brown respectively.


    "The Earth, Wind, and Fire formation, how amusing." The auctioneer formed a dozen hand seals and threw a bag of silver dust in the air. It absorbed into his skin, giving him the appearance of a man made of pure quicksilver. "Let us fight!"


    ***


    Cha Ming felt the pressure on his vital force ease up with the disappearance of the red mist. Looking outside the guard shack, he realized that somehow, all four formation eyes had been destroyed.


    I wonder who handled the fourth eye? he thought. He wasted no time and ran back toward the center of town, where he met Gong Lan and Huxian.


    The blood moon in the sky had faded, and it now resembled a moon made of pure gold. The whole city became a dazzling sight to behold. He followed a yellow brick road to the city center, where both a red and gold formation still glowed brightly. The scope of the red formation was much smaller than before, however. Both Han Jinlong and Zhang Yifeng were using their power to supress Zhou Xian. He grimaced as he was forced to stand up from his meditative posture.


    ***


    Zhou Xian looked at his skinny companion. "How much time do you need so you can supress these two, Merchant?"


    The skinny man''s eyes opened, and he looked at the two master artisans with disinterest. "I still require an incense time to obtain seventy percent assurance. I''d ask for more time, but it seems you''ll have your hands full."


    Zhou Xian took a deep breath before withdrawing two scrolls from his bag of holding. The residual blood formation prevented Han Jinlong and Zhang Yifeng from interfering.


    He flung the two scrolls into the air, where they unfurled into two golden contracts. He bit his thumb and swiped it across the first scroll. The golden contract''s black writing glowed red before falling to the ground. The writing separated itself from the parchment and spread out in a circular formation while Zhou Xian signed the second contract in blood.


    This time, the writing peeled off from the contract midair and created a formation in the shape of a gate. Within a few breaths'' time, two powerful creatures emerged from their respective portals. One was a black hound with a sickly green mane while the other was a lithe beauty wearing barely anything. She appeared human, yet her entire form was red like blood.


    "According to the contract, you may command us for half an incense time. What do you require, master?" the red creature inquired.


    "Delay these two men for the duration of the contract," he instructed.


    "Understood," the succubus responded. Both her and the hellhound darted out from the blood-red formation, shattering it. They immediately engaged Han Jinlong and Zhang Yifeng, leaving Zhou Xian to face Cha Ming, Gong Lan, and Huxian. The presence of foundation establishment oozed out from him.


    ***


    Zhou Xian looked at Cha Ming and Huxian with a friendly smile. "My dear friends, it been so long. It''s so nice to see you both. Alive." He glanced at Cha Ming with these words, and Zhou Xian''s presence transformed.


    Cha Ming had never fought against anyone at Foundation Establishment, so the initial aura was already imposing. Now that it had transformed, it no longer felt like suppression from a higher power. Rather, it was now a filthy feeling that aimed to corrupt his flesh, essence, and soul. The sickening feeling made it impossible for him to display his full strength.


    Seeing Cha Ming''s predicament, Huxian''s figure blurred as he split into a black and a white fox, both with two tails. The white fox emanated a purifying aura, which neutralized part of Zhou Xian''s evil presence. However, the disparity between realms was apparent. Huxian was only a half step into foundation establishment, after all.


    Zhou Xiang clicked his tongue derisively at the expected intrusion. "So predictable, little fox. You stay put for a while." He formed a dozen hand seals and lifted his right hand up to the sky. A dark statuette appeared and subsequently scattered into thousands of black particles.


    "Poison Suppression Idol!" he yelled. The figurine suddenly materialized above Huxian''s white clone, and four characters surrounded him. They began emitting a frightening pressure that ate away at the purifying aura until it receded to one foot around the white Huxian.


    Cha Ming and Gong Lan didn''t waste any time, and neither did the black Huxian, who turned into a black pool of shadows at the base of Zhou Xian''s feet. Hundreds of mouths rushed out from the pool, threatening to devour Zhou Xian, starting with his legs.


    Cha Ming knew that his power was much weaker than everyone else''s, but he could still play a significant assisting role. He launched seventy-two pearls toward Zhou Xian, and they formed a Snowflake Manifestation, plunging the temperature well below freezing. He then rushed out toward the white Huxian and began analyzing the supressing runes.


    Gong Lan used both Huxian''s devouring pool and Cha Ming''s freezing manifestation to full effect, slashing at Zhou Xian with seven blades of blood. They froze as they entered the snowflake formation, becoming physical blades of bloody ice that threatened to eviscerate him. Zhou Xian grunted and spit out a dark-green flying sword. It zipped around him and parried each of the bloody blades in succession. Only bits and pieces of sharp ice hit him, leaving shallow flesh wounds on his arms and chest.


    After dispatching the blades, Zhou Xian ignored both Cha Ming and Gong Lan, directing his attention to the ground below. He paused for a few moments before sending his flying sword plunging down into the dark abyss beneath him. It didn''t shatter the black pool, rather, it dove down inside it and began dispatching many of the toothy maws that threatened to devour him. He was not wounded thus far, but the devouring power beneath him was sapping away at his qi reserves.


    As Gong Lan continued to launch more blades from a distance, Cha Ming transformed his Clear Sky Staff into a large Clear Sky Brush. He quickly painted a character in the air, which then shot out toward one of the characters supressing Huxian. Zhou Xian''s eyes narrowed when saw this, and he chose to send his flying sword out from the darkness to finish off Cha Ming, whom he saw as a weak fly.


    Cha Ming was forced to retreat from the sudden assault, barely deflecting the sword with the Clear Sky Brush. He instantly changed his tactics to defense, using his Seven Cloud Steps to dart away and his Shearing Staff Art to deflect the incoming sword. It continued to harass him, and occasionally, it found openings in his imperfect defense. Fortunately, his earth and wood body refining had improved his defense and regeneration. However, with every shallow slash he took, he noticed an inky black substance seeping into his veins. It was clearly poison.


    Seeing that Zhou Xian was focusing on Cha Ming, Gong Lan erupted with killing intent and charged at the restrained Zhou Xian. Zhou Xian drew another sword from his bag of holding, which he used to parry Gong Lan''s dual saber assault. He confidently deflected her first few attacks, but she was building momentum. Soon, each blow made Zhou Xian''s blood roil, and he was forced to divert attention from his flying sword to take care of the immediate threat. Meanwhile, Huxian''s black clone continued assaulting Zhou Xian, devouring the power of his shield.


    The lack of finely tuned control of the flying sword became quickly apparent to Cha Ming, who began using Burst Steps to instantaneously change directions and throw off the flying sword. After throwing it off for the fraction of a breath, he used Seven Cloud Steps to quickly move toward the white Huxian, using the opening to paint a single line in the air.


    He didn''t stop there, however. He made use of his extreme speed to slowly accumulate several lines in succession while simultaneously dodging the flying sword. After fifteen strokes, a character took shape and instantly flew out toward the second restraining character. The white Huxian roared and began assaulting the statuette with waves of purifying power.


    As Cha Ming continued his combined evasion and painting motions, he felt something click. His darting motions, his instantaneous shifting, his quick parrying blows, and his quick brushing motions fused together. Before he knew it, the embryonic form of his second staff art took shape.


    I''ll call it the Swift Staff Art.


    He immediately used his newly minted technique to good effect, completing a third rune in a few breaths'' time. Zhou Xian, despite having broken through to early foundation establishment, was unable to endure and shouted, "Merchant, you need to come out now!"


    "Useless," the Merchant said coldly. However, he followed Zhou Xian''s request, and the golden formation around the merchant was quickly absorbed through his skin. He now looked like a man made of pure gold. The golden mist above the city disappeared with the formation, revealing a starry sky and a full moon.


    Since the Merchant was no longer retracting his aura, the restraining effect of his qi on Cha Ming and the others was much higher than Zhou Xian''s. Moreover, Cha Ming felt an additional form of suppression. His body trembled, and he felt as though his bones desired to prostrate themselves in worship.


    Is this the power of Bone Forging, the equivalent of the Foundation Establishment Realm in body cultivation? He gulped at this revelation.


    Fortunately, Han Jinlong and Zhang Yifeng appeared between them and the Merchant. They were panting heavily, and it was clear that the battle against the summoned devils had been extremely taxing. However, the summoned creatures had suddenly disappeared, and they were now available to face the Merchant with them.


    The Merchant had no chance to prepare himself before Han Jinlong threw his hammer. The Merchant received it with his body, sliding back fifty feet before finally stopping. He remained unwounded and casually tossed the hammer aside. Han Jinlong grunted, and the hammer rematerialized in his hands.


    "This is going to be a tough fight, kids," Han Jinlong said. "You need to hold back the small fry until we finish with this ''Merchant.'' Neither myself nor Yifeng can hold him back by ourselves." Both he and Master Zhang darted out and began to attack the golden man with full force.


    Zhou Xian''s expression darkened when he saw he would be getting no reprieve. "You leave me no choice!" he bellowed. A dark green pill appeared in his hand. He crushed it in his hand and inhaled the resulting green dust. His aura soared instantly. Although this forbidden medicine didn''t increase his strength by a full level, both Cha Ming and Gong Lan were now firmly supressed, and Cha Ming could no longer continue freeing the white Huxian as he was now busy avoiding the flying sword''s skewering flight pattern. Without a turning point, it would be impossible to reverse the situation.


    ***


    Han Jinlong deflected a punch from the golden man with his hammer. Despite being forced back three feet, he barely left a mark on the man''s fist. It was tougher than any metal he had forged to date. In addition to the Merchant''s mid-level bone-forging body, he had also cultivated his skin, rendering it difficult to pierce or dent with metallic weapons.


    Just how did he do it? Han Jinlong wondered. His skin should not be so tough at his realm.


    The golden man was overthrowing everything Han Jinlong knew about body cultivation. He himself was a low-level bone-forging cultivator. He had been taught that body cultivators first strengthened and purified their bodies, bringing it to its most natural base state. Then came the forging of the bones and the strengthening of the tendons. This was the basis for bone-forging cultivators, and only those who completed these steps could begin cultivating their skin.


    Still, the heavens were fair. Everything under the heavens had a weakness, and Han Jinlong and Zhang Yifeng only needed to find it. What worried him most was that, while the Merchant had a cultivation base at mid-level foundation establishment, he had yet to use any qi techniques. Just what kind of trump cards did he have? And was his whole body really like a human weapon?


    Wait, a weapon! His skin is golden. Does this mean his body is like metal? To test his theory, he breathed out a plume of blue and bathed the golden man''s body in flames. This time, he didn''t shrug off the blow. A shield of qi materialized around him, resisting the scorching flames in his body''s stead.


    Yifeng, use your alchemist''s flames to attack him. He''s susceptible to fire, and he''s been reserving his qi to counter it! Han Jinlong said mentally. His partner nodded and formed many intricate hand seals. Two red flame dragons shot out from his hands and began attacking the skinny man in tandem with Zhang Yifeng and his spear.


    Zhang Yifeng''s arms tingled with every strike of his spear. The spear was an unusual weapon choice for an alchemist, and he usually used the spear defensively to keep his opponent at bay.


    Only when you keep your opponent away will your techniques truly shine. Instead of relying on the raw strength of his body, Zhang Yifeng imbued his weapon with qi. This made the long-ranged weapon a deadly threat to just about anyone. However, the golden man was an exception.


    They were evenly matched in qi cultivation, but the Merchant had an equivalent body cultivation to complement it. His spear strikes had little to no effect. Zhang Yifeng wondered why the man kept defending instead of attacking. With such a strong defense, he could afford to ignore whatever they threw at him. Yet, the Merchant continued to defend against the alchemist''s spear, his two meticulously controlled fire dragons, and Han Jinlong''s relentless assault with both hammer and flames.


    This really isn''t easy. I feel like my weapon is about to break from all the strain, he thought. That was when he noticed the first crack on his weapon. It had grown dull compared to its usual magnificence. This treasured spear, a precious gift from Han Jinlong, was now on the verge of shattering.


    So that''s his game, he thought. After communicating his findings to Han Jinlong, he gritted his teeth and continued attacking. Regrettably, he had expended all his wealth on the expedition and no longer had any major life-saving treasures or extra weapons. He could only endure and continue attacking the Merchant, hoping that his spear would last until the end of the battle.

 63 Mutual Destruction

    Cha Ming was in dire straits. The sharp increase in Zhou Xian''s power had forced him to devote all his power to fleeing. Not only was he using his newly created Swift Staff Art to constantly evade and deflect the dark-green flying sword, he had also been forced to withdraw the Snowflake Manifestation for personal protection.


    He darted to the side, only to find a flying sword charging toward him. Seeing that his speed was insufficient to avoid it at close range, he conjured a Sword Manifestation to deflect it before fleeing once more.


    At this rate, I''ll never be able to free Huxian. And now that my Snowflake Manifestation is absent, Gong Lan can no longer fight toe-to-toe with Zhou Xian.


    All he needed was a few breaths to add the finishing touches to the counter-formation, then White Huxian would be free to continue his assault. Then he was caught mid-thought by a familiar green glimmer. Shit, I can''t take much more of this, he thought. Yet, to his surprise, the sword was deflected by a metallic weapon. It was a long black spear wielded by a familiar figure.


    "Feng Ming!" Cha Ming shouted. His friend didn''t answer but coughed up blood instead. Cha Ming didn''t hesitate to send his Healing Flower Manifestation to Feng Ming before darting off toward White Huxian. "Buy me three breaths," he shouted to Feng Ming.


    The sword tried to evade Feng Ming, but the latter''s spear technique was unfathomable and unpredictable. He moved between Cha Ming and the sword, using his spear''s reach to smash it away. While his cultivation base was much lower than Cha Ming''s, his weapon was much stronger than Zhou Xian''s.


    Cha Ming wasted no time and arrived beside Huxian to paint the remaining lines. The flying sword tried to fly around Feng Ming, but to no avail. It started attacking Feng Ming directly.


    Clang. Clang. Clang. Every strike from the sword knocked Feng Ming back a few feet. The first few times caused him to cough up blood. This was due to a disparity between realms, and it was a miracle that he wasn''t instantly killed. The fourth strike caused his hands to bleed. Finally, the sword knocked his spear two dozen feet away. But it did not kill Feng Ming. Instead, it slashed his arm in passing and traveled at lightning speed toward its true goal: Cha Ming.


    However, the flying sword was too late. Cha Ming finished the last stroke of his brush when the sword was merely three feet away. Huxian, who had been attentive this entire time, jumped out in front of the flying sword, shielding Cha Ming with his body. The sword bounced off his fur with a loud clang, and Huxian''s aura of purification burst out, relieving everyone from the weakening effects of Zhou Xian''s aura.


    Feng Ming was kneeling on the floor, shaking. He had taken far too much damage in the exchange and couldn''t even stand properly, much less retrieve his spear. Furthermore, the poison had begun spreading from the wound on his arm, forcing him to circulate his cultivation base to keep it at bay. He had a satisfied smile on his face. After all, they had lost his support in exchange for Huxian''s¡ªa worthy trade!


    Huxian''s aura continued to soar as he joined his black clone in attacking Zhou Xian. Unfortunately, he was a tad too late, and Gong Lan was struck by a poison dragon. She was forced to kneel as she grasped the right side of her chest where the poison dragon had struck her. Black lines were snaking up her right arm and neck from the exposed region. Seeing that support had arrived, she sat down in meditation and began expelling the poison from her blood with the Blood World Scripture.


    Huxian howled as he attacked Zhou Xian with both clones simultaneously. Brother, he sent mentally, I can''t defeat him, he''s much too strong. I need your help.


    How? Cha Ming responded while rushing toward him. He had absolute trust in his brother. Fortunately, Zhou Xian''s attention had been diverted and he could no longer control the flying sword.


    Stand beside my white clone and put your arm on it.


    Cha Ming complied, only to see the pool of darkness below Zhou Xian travel back toward the white clone. The two clones were superimposed momentarily, and Cha Ming felt a surge of energy pass through his hand and into his body and dantian.


    What''s this? he asked in amazement.


    That is the qi that I''ve been plundering from Zhou Xian since the beginning of the fight, Huxian replied. I absorbed it with my black clone and purified it with my white clone. You can temporarily use it as qi or to enhance your physical prowess. It will only last for the next thirty breaths. Let''s use it to gain the advantage!


    Cha Ming didn''t need to be told twice¡ªhe quickly used a Flame Manifestation, enhancing it with both wood and water qi. He needed to use these thirty seconds to deal as much damage as possible. He didn''t have time to defend.


    ***


    Blood gushed out of a wound on Zhang Yifeng''s chest as the Merchant tore through his qi defense with his bare hands. The man''s hands resembled golden claws more than anything else. They had ignored Yifeng''s defensive magic robes, which hadn''t been breached in a full decade. The older man gnashed his teeth and continued dousing the Merchant in his alchemist flames.


    The flames an alchemist could conjure far exceeded those of normal cultivators. They could achieve much higher temperatures than even blacksmiths, fueling their fires with wood qi. Further, Zhang Yifeng didn''t hesitate to use various medicinal powders, all of which enhanced the already elevated temperature of his crimson flames.


    The Merchant shrieked as a powder-enhanced burst singed his arm. For the first time in the battle, the alchemist''s flames had bypassed the golden man''s qi barrier. A thin layer of his skin melted, but it recovered soon after.


    "I hate spending more than anything else in the world, but you''ve forced me to do this!" The Merchant was livid, his face rife with madness. He brought his left hand to his mouth and bit down on his little finger. He didn''t wail as the finger was removed, and no blood leaked out from the fresh wound. It was as though the finger was never flesh to begin with, and no bone could be seen where it had previously been connected to his hand.


    The Merchant chewed loudly, and his mastication sounded like metal on metal. He quickly followed up with an incantation in a dark language. Despite not speaking the language, everyone nearby could hear the meaning in their hearts.


    "The price is paid. Almighty Greed, lend me your strength!" With these words, the Merchant''s aura soared a small step higher.


    With his newfound strength, he charged toward Zhang Yifeng and slashed at him with his right claw. The claw no longer resembled anything like a human hand. Instead, two-inch-long silvery nails now tipped each finger.


    No! I won''t be able to avoid this! Yifeng closed his eyes and gritted his teeth in preparation for the incoming blow, which would likely kill him. However, it never came. He opened his eyes slightly, only to see Han Jinlong standing in front of him. A golden hand protruded from his back.


    Han Jinlong coughed weakly. "You need to finish him after this, Yifeng. Save this town. Save our people." Each word was uttered with great difficulty, and Zhang Yifeng couldn''t stop tears from streaming down his cheeks.


    "Jinlong, you fool!" he whispered. The Merchant grunted in response to the interference and flung his arm out to throw away the smith''s corpse. But the smith remained firmly attached. A panicked expression covered the Merchant''s face as Zhang Yifeng noticed a frightening energy quickly rising. Han Jinlong had chosen to sacrifice himself via self-detonation!


    Yifeng was able to retreat fifty feet before a massive explosion buffeted him. His qi shield soaked up the shock wave. He had no attention to spare for the fighting children and could only wish them the best. The only thought on his mind was to avenge his dear friend, to avenge his friends and family and the countless villagers who had perished at the Merchant''s hands.


    No pieces of Han Jinlong could be found amid the wreckage near the middle of the explosion. Only the Merchant stood there, or what was left of him. Half his torso and a full arm were missing. Yifeng no longer wondered how that thing was still standing. He could see no organs, or bones, or blood. The Merchant was only bleeding one thing, and that was gold.


    Yifeng didn''t hesitate to swallow a magic qi recovery pill and throw out a large packet of green powder. He channeled his wood-fueled fire qi to ignite the powder, which created a vivid green flame. This flame was double the temperature of anything he had used previously. The Merchant shrieked as his skin and extremities melted. The alchemist wasn''t sure if it was due to pain or due to the realization that its demise was imminent.


    He didn''t let up the attack and continued pressing on. He used priceless pills and reagents to continuously boost the temperature of his flame. It might be overkill, but he knew one thing for certain: The least he owed his friend was the best funeral pyre Fairweather had ever seen.


    ***


    Earlier


    Cha Ming focused his newfound strength, channeling it to temporarily strengthen his body. His qi techniques were lackluster compared to his physical strength and combat techniques, after all. To complement his fist strength of 1,080 jin, he increased the weight of his staff to 200 jin.


    He used Burst Steps to charge at Zhou Xian while Huxian flanked him on two other sides. White Huxian''s purifying power was used at full force, negating Zhou Xian''s poisonous aura while forcing him to maintain it, lest the purifying aura suppress him. Black Huxian gave up his previous trick of attacking Zhou Xian''s body from the shadows. Instead, he turned his sights to Zhou Xian''s shadow. Thus, Zhou Xian was forced to defend on three fronts. Meanwhile, the Flame Manifestation grinded away at his armor of qi, depleting it bit by bit.


    Cha Ming focused his weight by using Mountain Stance and struck out using combinations of Sword Staff and Quake Staff. Horizontal, vertical, and diagonal strikes combined into a seamless whole, while his weight control and Burst Steps combined into a whole new form of movement. He varied the weight and length of his staff in an unpredictable but aggressive fashion. With each passing moment, he became aware that he''d created the embryonic form of his third combat style¡ªHard Staff Art.


    While he was hardly Zhou Xian''s match one-on-one, that didn''t matter. After all, he wasn''t alone. With Huxian''s help, they began beating Zhou Xian into submission. Yet Cha Ming knew that time was limited. He only had ten seconds left with this borrowed strength.


    Huxian, lend me a hand and pin him down, Cha Ming sent mentally.


    Huxian''s two clones ran around Zhou Xian with lightning speed. Everywhere they passed, they left a ribbon of light and darkness. These ribbons seemed like solidified light and shadow. Zhou Xian was unable to react before the two clones darted in opposite directions, tightening the ribbons around the dark-robed man. Although the ribbons didn''t make contact, Zhou Xian was immobile.


    Cha Ming didn''t require a prompt. He swiftly increased the weight of his staff once more to 500 jin and rooted himself to the ground. He pounded at Zhou Xian''s head with one strike after another. Each strike threatened the integrity of his qi shield, yet nothing managed to damage the foundation-establishment cultivator. With every strike, he felt a vicious counter-force that made his blood roil.


    Three seconds left. He hacked away with strike after strike, using his Hard Staff Art. After two more seconds, he was rewarded for his efforts when a trickle of blood appeared on Zhou Xian''s face. But blood was rushing out of Cha Ming''s mouth ten times as fast.


    This is my last strike, Huxian! Cha Ming jumped back and pulled his staff all the way behind him. He used every last bit of his strength to both elongate the staff to triple its length, smashing downward at ten times the speed originally possible with a regular six-foot staff. In addition, he used Quake Staff, imbuing it with the power of vibration!


    This last strike completely depleted Cha Ming''s energy. A look of horror appeared on Zhou Xian''s face as he realized he couldn''t defend against it. He tried once more to free himself, but to no avail. Finally, he let out an angry shriek as a frightening fluctuation emitted from his body, engulfing both Cha Ming and the two Huxians in a dreadful explosion. After the first explosion, Cha Ming heard a second explosion from a hundred feet away.


    Who self-detonated? Are both Master Zhang and Master Han all right? This was the last thought that flashed through his mind before he lost consciousness.


    ***


    Two consecutive blasts made the windows and doors of the auction house shudder. The auctioneer was breathing deeply, and he was bleeding from several deep cuts. His opponents weren''t faring any better. They were littered with cuts, and one of the men''s arms was hanging limp by his side.


    "Would you care to find out who those people were?" he asked.


    The three men and the auctioneer rushed out of the building in tacit agreement. Soon, they witnessed a horrifying sight. The crumbling remnants of what used to be opulent buildings littered the streets. Yet the buildings with the simplest construction remained untouched. It was a very bizarre sight.


    Two large craters occupied a large area at the center of town. Three cultivators and a spirit beast were still standing, while one cultivator was passed out. It was clear who the two craters belonged to.


    "Flee!" yelled the three cultivators. The auctioneer snorted and sent all three swords at one of the cultivators. He tumbled to the ground with three swords lodged in his back. The other two managed to escape. It wasn''t possible for all three of them to retreat against such a superior cultivator.


    The auctioneer flew over to Zhang Yifeng, who stood near a puddle of gold, mourning. "Did Jinlong¡­" he started. Zhang Yifeng nodded his head in sorrow. The auctioneer shook his head and flew over to the three youngsters and the fox. Three of them were in bad condition, and one of them had already passed out. The auctioneer tossed two pellets to Gong Lan and Feng Ming, who swallowed them without hesitation. Their wounds began healing at a rate visible to the naked eye.


    He then tossed another bottle to Gong Lan. "Feed this to that kid. He''ll recover soon. I''m going to the county lord''s manor to investigate the situation," he said before flying off.


    When he arrived, he found a house full of fainted maids, two dead guards, one dead county lord, and Bei Ling.


    "Oh, my dear old friend¡­" the auctioneer muttered softly. "At least you died with a smile on your face. Not many people in this city can say the same." With these words, he flew off to find several trusted individuals, waking them one by one.


    There was much work to be done.


    ***


    Zhou Li suddenly awoke from his cultivation session. It was the middle of the night, and he hadn''t heard any word from Fairweather. Despite his multiple attempts, he had not managed to divine the situation. Therefore, he could only hope for the best and make the meddler pay the highest price possible for his actions.


    "Protector Song, did you find the rat yet?" Zhou Li asked the empty room. A golden-armored figure appeared in front of him, kneeling.


    "Young Master, my apologies for my incompetence. I still can''t find any trace of anyone. Are you sure this isn''t a long-distance curse?" he asked doubtfully.


    "Yes, I''m sure," Zhou Li responded. "It''s not possible for someone to interfere at a long range, not unless the one interfering is a Transcendent. However, the price a Transcendent would pay is much too large for this trifling matter. He must be nearby."


    The armored man nodded slowly.


    Suddenly, Zhou Li grimaced as he realized a very important thread of karma had been severed. Another even more important thread was severed shortly after. There was only one explanation for this¡ªboth his brother and the Merchant had fallen.


    "Who dares!" he yelled out. Seething with rage, he withdrew a small black pouch from his belt and took out six crystals. They emanated a sensation of pure evil, as though they were sin incarnate. Zhou Li slammed his chest with his fist and spat a mouthful of heart blood on the crystals, then immediately burned away the offering with obsidian flames. His aura surged as he yelled, "You will not hamper me. Not this time!"


    The man in the golden armor stood by with a serious expression as Zhou Li took out a small mirror from his pouch. The mirror was covered with an inky film. He expanded it to ten times its size in the span of a few breaths. Then he flung out his hands, incinerating the black film with his obsidian flames. Unlike the previous times, the black film melted away with no resistance.


    The mirror quickly portrayed a bird''s-eye view of Fairweather City. There, he saw several symbols. There were two bloodied sabers, a black armor with white runes, and an alchemist''s flame. Two other symbols were there, but their symbols were blurred.


    "You will show me!" he yelled fiercely, coughing up blood in the process. The fog obscuring one of the symbols was lifted, showing a coin engraved with a white circle and a black star, as well as five colored points. A golden tether connected it to the other blurred figure.


    It''s you! he thought. He knew that this figure had killed his brother¡ªthey were connected by a blood-red thread of karma, a blood debt. A sinister grin appeared on Zhou Li''s face as he withdrew six more crystals.


    Anything I do to you will affect the other. You''ve both been a thorn in my side¡ªthat will end today. All for the small price of twelve Sin Crystals.


    He coughed up his heart blood once more, using his blood and the six crystals to fuel the obsidian flame again. The flame traveled along the blood-red karma thread at a slow pace. Once the last bit of black flame was sent down, he grasped the red thread and gathered a portion of it into a small pearl in his hand. He then flicked the pearl into a fengxue compass , which immediately began pointing in Fairweather''s direction.


    "Protector Song," he said, "take this compass and hunt down the man named Du Cha Ming. Kill both him and the fox. This compass will point to him until he dies. I won''t be able to accompany you¡ªI have a troublesome opponent to meet in court in a few hours. Return to me once the task is completed."


    The man bowed and immediately flew out of the room. He didn''t use a flying sword. No, he flew unassisted! He passed over the guards and the city''s people without being noticed. Except by one man. The man had been sitting cross-legged beneath the window Protector Song had just left from. He was wreathed in shadows and couldn''t be discovered by anyone.


    A smile appeared on Wang Jun''s face as he saw the man fly off. He formed several dozen hand seals, which manifested a needle that flew out toward Protector Song. It completely avoided him but settled down on the Fengxue compass he was carrying. Wang Jun let out a sigh as he felt another ten years of his life flow out from between his fingers. Cha Ming was the biggest bet in his life, and his only friend.


    In for a penny, in for a pound.

 64 Calamity

    Cha Ming awoke to the scent of jasmine and a soft pillow. It took him a few moments to realize that the "pillow" was a human one, and the jasmine he smelled was Gong Lan''s perfume. He looked up to see her smiling face. Yet he could see grief behind her imperfect fa?ade. That was when he smelled ashes and molten metal.


    He sat up quickly, only to discover that he was perfectly fine. The internal injuries he had sustained from the fight had healed, and the poison had subsided. "Did we win?" he asked.


    "At a cost," she explained while nodding. "Han Jinlong sacrificed himself, and the so-called Merchant was killed by Zhang Yifeng. The auction master was attacked by three foundation-establishment cultivators. He killed one, the other two escaped. Finally¡­"


    She hesitated to finish.


    "Who else died?" Cha Ming asked.


    She sighed. "Bei Ling died while killing the county lord. It seems he was involved in the entire plot. Feng Ming and Hong Lai managed to destroy one of the formation eyes, so they were lucky to avoid the bulk of the effects. They are currently out searching for survivors and finding who needs immediate treatment. So many babies and children, so many elderly¡­" She burst into tears as she finished.


    Cha Ming understood that the blood formation had drained vital energy from the whole city. Those with the least vitality, children and the elderly, would be the most heavily affected. Even if they hadn''t died, the effect of losing so much vitality would likely cripple their growth and greatly shorten their lifespan. Such was the cruelty of these devil cultivators.


    I should go help them, he thought helplessly.


    You will do no such thing! yelled an angry voice inside his head. It was the red-bearded man, and the tone of his voice was particularly grave. While you were asleep, someone cast a terrible curse on you from afar. Not only will it give you terrible luck, but it shows that whoever did this knew where you were at the time of casting. While I can no longer sense the thread of karma, someone is bound to come here soon. You need to flee as far as possible, lest you burden everyone around you with this curse.


    In addition, you and your fox friend must undergo a Heavenly Tribulation in less than three days. We need to be far away from anyone, and we need ample time to prepare. Otherwise, both you and the fox will become piles of smoldering meat!


    Just how bad is this tribulation? Cha Ming asked Huxian.


    Brother, it''s worse than you could ever imagine. Normally it wouldn''t be a problem for me. However, I sense that the tribulation this time will be much worse than normal. You need to remember, you''re not even at half-step foundation establishment. You''re at best a seventh-level cultivator with a few fortunate encounters. Even foundation-establishment experts would need to be wary of this tribulation.


    Although the fox didn''t say it directly, Cha Ming could tell from his body movements that he was eager to leave.


    Cha Ming sighed. So much effort, so much fighting, just to run away. Cha Ming shook his head. "Gong Lan, I need to leave now."


    She looked confused and bewildered at his sudden change in demeanor. "What you do you mean leave?"


    "I mean that me and Huxian need to go. A disaster is about to strike us, and if we stay, it will involve the whole city. Stay in Fairweather for a few days. We''re leaving now." With these words, Cha Ming began running toward the hole in the city wall where they had entered. Huxian thought this was too slow, so he grew a few sizes larger, and Cha Ming jumped on his back.


    The painter and the fox ran off toward the north. They did not turn back, so they never saw the beautiful girl with short-cropped hair crying as she stared out at the skyline.


    ***


    Protector Song heaved a sigh of relief as he flew toward Fairweather. Accompanying the Young Master always gave him the creeps. Not that he had much of a choice in the matter. He had sold his life the moment he''d set foot in the castle. He''d soon found out that he was worth nothing to them. Someone to be trampled on and ridiculed. It wasn''t until he was accepted into the Old Master''s service that he gained great power. But was it worth it? The price was his soul.


    Still, there was no arguing that he felt great satisfaction when he trampled all those who had put him down over the years. Sure, he had to follow orders. But when he was unoccupied, he could do whatever he liked. The young and old masters thought he was stupid, and he didn''t try to correct them, lest they get him to take on additional responsibilities. At least this way he could get a game or two in every week.


    The breeze this morning was quite refreshing, and the dawn was one of the most beautiful he''d seen in many years. The feeling of flying without a sword was exhilarating, and he took advantage of it whenever he could.


    Out in the distance, he saw what remained of Fairweather. Several ant-like figures scurried about, bringing people out of houses on stretchers. Healers were administrating medicine, and doctors were curing the more difficult cases. At the same time, he saw a much larger pile of corpses. They were being collected onto funeral pyres, as there were too many to bury outside the city.


    He sat above the city, floating while meditating. His senses reached out, and he picked up pieces of information.


    "Why did Cha Ming leave suddenly? That isn''t like him," a young man said.


    "I don''t know," a sobbing voice replied. "All he said was that a disaster was about to strike him and Huxian, so they left. They rode off to the north."


    The man listened for a few more moments before heading north, toward the mountains. He wasn''t concerned with these small fries. He had things to do, people to kill. Unfortunately, the fengxue compass he had been given to track said people was defective. No matter how hard he tried, the needle refused to budge.


    He sped off into the distance, passing by meadows, forests, and all sorts of wonderful land features. There were mountains up ahead. And beneath him, he saw the most beautiful lake he had ever laid eyes on. He tried to ignore it, yet he was attracted to a beautiful weeping willow.


    The tree was covered in small buds, which was surprising given how spring had only just started. Despite his urgency, he felt compelled to walk beneath it and appreciate the scenery. The water beside the tree was calm, and the grass was emerald green. If he were a painter, he would have tried to capture the moment.


    Suddenly he heard the familiar sound of shaking stones behind him. He was surprised to see that an old man with unruly short hair was sitting beneath a tree in meditation. The white-haired man was sitting down in front of an Angels and Devils board. He was holding a cat, who was sleeping on his lap, purring. Normally, he would have asked the man to play a game. He had a mission to complete, however, so he turned around to leave.


    "Just where do you think you''re going, Song Qing Rou?"


    Protector Song was startled. How does he know my name? he wondered. He turned around and noticed that the man was smiling. He didn''t sense a wisp of cultivation from him. That meant one of two things: Either the man was not a cultivator, or he was a supreme cultivator. However, it was very difficult for an ordinary man to appear so far out in the wilderness. He decided to play it safe and replied, "Does Senior require something?"


    "Yes, I just happen to need your help with something," the man replied. "I''ll be going away for a long time, and I''ve long wanted to challenge the regional Angels and Devils champion. I would be extremely honored to play a game with you before I leave."


    Protector Song faltered when he heard the man''s request. How in the world did he know I would come here, and how the hell does he know I''m the regional champion? Even my mother doesn''t know! He composed himself before answering, "My apologies, Senior, but I''m off to accomplish an important mission. Could you perhaps wait for half a day before I return? I would be willing to play to your heart''s content."


    The older man frowned. "I''m afraid I can''t wait that long. How about we play a game, and then I''ll let you go?"


    Suddenly Protector Song felt a stifling pressure bearing down on him. It was complete suppression, and he felt that he barely had the strength to kill a chicken. Meanwhile, the cat sitting on the man''s lap got up and stretched. It walked out, step by step, growing with each passing breath. It grew until it became one hundred feet long. It no longer resembled a housecat¡ªrather, it now looked like an impressive demon bobcat.


    Protector Song shivered when he saw this and breathed out a sigh of relief when the "cat" stretched out and laid down lazily. "Now, now, Mr. Mao Mao, no need to act so intimidating," the older man said, his eyes shining mischievously. "I''m sure that this man will be very reasonable and play a game with me. Besides, we can''t slaughter mere mortals without incurring great karma. That is, unless they insult us. But I''m sure that ''Protector Song'' wouldn''t be so foolish as to insult us by refusing a game, right?"


    The armored man gulped as he heard their conversation. He wasn''t sure exactly how the Heavenly Dao operated, but he wasn''t about to gamble with his life. I''ve heard that it''s forbidden for Transcendents to murder mortals. But what are their limitations? What rotten luck. He sat down in front of the elder with great humility and placed the first black stone. The devils had made their move, and it was the angels'' turn to play.


    ***


    "I object, Your Honor," Wang Jun said, his voice full of confidence. He was standing amidst a dozen seated people, a combination of the best minds available to him and a few select guardians. Protector Ren Wufa was seated near the rear of their group. He appeared to be on full alert, but in reality, he was napping. His alert disposition was just a cheap illusion, barely enough to fool the judge and supervising guards. After all, only a madman would attack them within the courthouse.


    "Based on what grounds, Mr. Wang?" the judge asked while calmly adjusting his spectacles.


    "On the grounds that this is no longer a matter of private contracts," Wang Jun replied. "Zhou Li and Zhou Jia''s manipulation of the country''s officials have restricted access to alchemical products from other countries. As a result, they have created a monopoly that greatly inflates prices for the common people. Their breaking of the contract prematurely is not just an inter-company dispute, but rather a precursor to a larger merger, a conspiracy to line their pockets at the expense of the kingdom''s welfare. This even extends to the spirit-doctor community, who only has the best interests of the people in mind.


    "While this does not infringe on current trade laws, I argue that it will affect the trade relationship between countries and infringes upon the kingdom''s Declaration on the Welfare of Citizens, which states that monopolies that threaten the welfare of the people are prohibited.


    "There are notable exceptions that have proven a monopoly to be beneficial¡ªboth Sijun Iron Refining and Wailin Coal Corporation have proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that their monopoly of the market reduced costs to their end consumers. They continue filing reports to prove things as such. However, what we have seen from the Alchemist''s Association is a steep inflation in pricing.Therefore, I ask the court to either break up this newly formed monopoly, heavily regulate it, or open the border to free trade."


    The judge massaged his brow as he sat, deep in thought. Then, looking to Zhou Li, he asked, "Does the defendant have a statement before we adjourn for the day?


    "Yes, your honor," Zhou Li replied. "This decision to cancel the trade agreement is well within our rights. This is clearly stated in the contract. As for the other considerations, I ask that these be dismissed by the court, as they are superfluous to the current case."


    The judge nodded. "Very well, we will reconvene again tomorrow morning. Please stay posted for the exact time. You will be notified one hour prior to court convening." With this, the judge hammered the desk with his wooden mallet.


    Zhou Li and Wang Jun met outside the courtroom. "You must be kidding with this joke of a lawsuit," said Zhou Li. "You don''t have a case to make. Give it a few days, and it will be thrown out of court. I''ll make sure to send you our bill for legal services."


    Wang Jun shrugged. "We will see. The Wang family never gives up without a fight. You think you can take our share of the pie without getting your wrist slapped? By the way, you look awfully tired and pale. Have you been sick lately? Or perhaps you haven''t been getting enough sleep? No, wait, you were with your sister last night¡ªit all makes sense now!"


    He walked away nonchalantly, his entourage in tow. Zhou Li was left seething with rage.


    ***


    Two days passed by in a flash. Huxian and Cha Ming hadn''t stopped to rest on their trek toward the mountains. They ignored all sorts of spirit beasts on their way, only stopping when Huxian needed to eat to replenish his energy stores. Neither did they bother to stop for the medicinal ingredients they encountered on the way. Every second counted.


    At last, they arrived on a flat surface at the top of a mountain. The sun was just setting in the distance. He could see the wilderness stretching out in each of the four cardinal directions. There were plains to the north, a forest to the south, and a mountain chain to the east and the west. The mountain chain was a natural border to the north of the Song Kingdom. Numerous armies had attempted to flood through its passes over the years, though few had succeeded in the end.


    It''s time, Cha Ming, said the red-bearded man. I can help you with this tribulation, but it will take a lot out of me. You''ll be on your own for the next long while. Remember, though, due to the curse on your body, this tribulation will be much stronger than usual. On the plus side, the curse will not survive the tribulation. Lightning is the nemesis of curses, the enemy of evil.


    The last glimmer of sunshine disappeared on the horizon as he finished these words. Cha Ming became solemn but didn''t speak. A sigh traveled outward from the Clear Sky Staff in Cha Ming''s hands. He was alarmed when he realized that another hand was also gripping it beside him. It was the red-bearded man. He was much taller in reality than inside the Clear Sky World. He wasn''t wearing a shirt, only red pants that matched his impressive beard and unruly red hair.


    He looked toward Cha Ming with his crimson irises and put out his hand. "I need the Clear Sky Staff and your bag of holding. Then get to the edge of the mountain."


    Cha Ming bowed deeply and gave him both items. His bag of holding held all his life savings, and the Clear Sky Staff was his fated treasure. Yet he trusted the mysterious man with his life.


    Cha Ming and Huxian sat near the side of the flat mountaintop as they observed the red-bearded man. He clasped his hands in meditation and sat still for a half hour before finally opening his eyes. His aura surged as he lifted the Clear Sky Staff. It transformed into the Clear Sky Brush, its tip glowing with pure white light.


    He jumped up in the air and hovered there as he slashed outward with the brush. Wherever he slashed, white ink splashed out and formed rune marks on the mountaintop. There were all sorts of complicated runes and geometric symbols. This continued for two hours, and during this time, Cha Ming saw over ten thousand perfect white runes get laid down one after another, yet he could barely understand one percent of them. They formed a large white circle, which encompassed most of the mountaintop.


    "Get in, kids," the man said. Cha Ming and Huxian immediately complied and traveled to the center of the circle. The man flung out his hand, and dozens of purple stones traveled from his hand to various points in the formation. These were all bits of crystalized elemental essence from Cha Ming''s bag of holding. His heart ached, yet he didn''t speak out. After all, his life was much more important than his wealth.


    The red-bearded man formed a thousand hand seals before yelling out, "Circle of Protection¡ªLightning!" The white formation began to glow even more intensely. The night was now pitch black, and the circle stood out like a beacon.


    Following this, he pulled out the bundle of metal stakes tied with a chain. He held them out before his face and breathed into them. As he breathed, the stakes began to glow. Several white runes lit up on each dagger-like object, as well as the chain itself. As they began to glow, he began to fade. He was now a transparent version of his former self. Then, using the last of his strength, he threw the daggers into the air.


    They traveled upward for a few dozen feet before finally setting themselves in place. They didn''t stop¡ªno, they pierced the sky. The chains connecting all the spikes had formed a complex formation above them.


    Cha Ming looked at the red-bearded man worriedly. "You''re fading¡­ What''s going on?"


    "This is all I can do for you kids," said the red-bearded man. "I won''t be able to help you with the next one. Now I''ll fall into a deep sleep. Make sure you find something to bring me back in the future, okay? I have something important I want you to do."


    Cha Ming, who wasn''t sure how to react, bowed deeply in thanks.


    He hesitated before finally asking a question that had lingered on his mind since they first met. "What''s your name?"


    The fading man looked reluctant to share this information. After all, he was in such an embarrassing situation, and the loss of face wasn''t small.


    "My name is Sun Wukong. Remember it well!" With these words, the man faded into mist and traveled back inside the Clear Sky Brush. It was as Cha Ming thought. The red-bearded man was the legendary Monkey King.


    "We''ll get you back. Don''t you worry," Cha Ming whispered. Yet he didn''t have time to relax. The moment Sun Wukong vanished, dark clouds began to gather above them and obscure the starry sky. Thunder roared in the skies as these clouds prepared to unleash Heaven''s wrath on them.


    Brother, let''s split up on each side of the circle. Although we are undergoing a split tribulation, we still need to fight it alone. It will be divided into nine strikes of lightning, each one stronger than the last. Fortunately, this is only the first tribulation. Only white lightning will rain down from the sky. You can resist with your weapons and techniques, but items like talismans and formations are forbidden unless they were personally created. I have no idea where Sun Wukong discovered this heaven-defying formation.


    The lightning crackled in a threatening manner, warning them that it was about to begin. Cha Ming readied his staff and his rosary. He knew running wouldn''t help. Only when he withstood the full might of Heaven''s punishment would he be allowed to continue living. Huxian howled at the stormy sky in defiance.


    Begin!

 65 Survival

    Protector Song sweated profusely as he made a move. It was the most difficult game he had ever played in his life and made him wonder if Transcendents had an unfair advantage in the game.


    Can he read my mind? he wondered. No, that''s impossible. There''s no way a Transcendent who can read minds would be stuck in a backwater place like this.


    Mind reading or not, the entire game hinged on this final point. It was a Ko fight , a stage of the game where they sought out each other''s weaknesses. Protector Song wasn''t bothered by such a close game. After all, he had gone through many grueling games such as this in the past. What bothered him was that he had precisely thirteen weaknesses left while his opponent had forty-seven. He was clearly slow rolling him! Yet the man was unfathomably powerful, and he could only play along.


    Truth be told, the endgame had been ongoing for the past twelve hours. With every move, his frightening opponent took an unreasonable amount of time.


    Is he trying to delay me? No, that can''t be. How would that whelp know someone so unreasonably powerful? The only reasonable explanation is that he''s an eccentric master that passionately loves this game.


    Despite the eighty or so remaining moves, the game continued until well after sunset. Protector Song wore a long face as he made each of his moves with lightning speed, only to be chastised by the older man for being too impatient. Impatient, my ass! You''re just making this difficult for no reason. Resign!


    Finally, only three moves were left. The older man finally let out a long sigh and voiced a silent resignation. Tears were practically streaming down Protector Song''s cheeks. He swiftly got up and bowed to the superior cultivator. "Thank you for the game!" he shouted.


    "Off you go, you little runt." Protector Song darted off, flying toward the nearby mountain range, where ominous clouds were gathering. "The younger generation is so impolite nowadays," the older man muttered.


    ***


    Elder Ling let out a long sigh as he looked toward the weeping willow behind him. "You may as well come out. I know you''re here." A few breaths of silence followed. Elder Ling grunted and threw a talisman toward the tree. The projection of massive fangs appeared in front of the tree and bit down on the tough bark. Splinters flew out everywhere until the tree completely disappeared. A beautiful woman with long black hair and black robes now stood in its place.


    "If you can hide for fifty years, why can''t I hide for a few moments?" the woman spat back, her voice full of venom.


    "My dear wife, you sure know how to jest. It''s so boring in the sect, and I knew that it was fine in your perfectly capable hands," Elder Ling said with a smile on his face.


    "Shameless!" she yelled. Thousands of pitch black chains appeared in front of her. They darted out and surrounded Elder Ling, who didn''t resist in the slightest. Mr. Mao Mao got up and howled in rage at the treatment. The woman frowned.


    She snorted. "The third wheel. Well, I have an old friend here to keep you company." A tiny little white kitten stepped out from behind the woman. While it looked defenseless, Mao Mao''s pupils narrowed as he backed away shivering.


    "Damn you, you vicious witch!" Mao Mao roared. "How dare you bring that thing here?" Mao Mao''s intimidating aura faded little by little as he gradually shrunk in size. Yet he still stood in front of Elder Ling, protecting him.


    "Get him, Miu Miu!" she said. The baby kitten nodded and disappeared before suddenly reappearing beside Mao Mao. She extended her baby kitten claws and shot out a white web, trapping Mao Mao. He was now a little helpless cat ball, and Miu Miu began playing him with an expression of pure joy.


    "I''m taking you back to the sect," she said. "You''re grounded for a hundred years."


    Elder Ling teared up when he heard this. "Can I just do one small thing before going? I only need a couple of hours. It''s very important this time, I swear!"


    "What could possibly be important in this backwater place?" She sniffed before flying out into the sky at ten times the speed of lightning. Both the frightening Elder Ling and the imposing Mr. Mao Mao were nothing in front of that woman and the kitten. This wasn''t the first time they''d escaped, however. They knew resistance was futile.


    ***


    Protector Song kept his perception expanded in every direction, searching for signs of the two convicts. They weren''t even at foundation establishment, so he figured there was only so far they could travel. Meanwhile, the ominous black cloud had precipitated its first bolt of lightning. It would shoot out any minute.


    Calamity Lightning? There shouldn''t be anyone transcending here in the middle of nowhere. Just what is going on? Of course, it wasn''t possible for him to interfere with Heaven''s judgment. As long as he didn''t enter the lightning''s deadly range, no harm would come to him.


    His eyes narrowed when he finally saw the area where the lightning would strike. A young man and his pet fox where sitting in the middle of a strange formation. A white circle surrounded them, and a web protected them from above.


    How is this possible? he thought. Even a Godbeast wouldn''t have to overcome a Calamity Lightning to enter Foundation Establishment.


    Still, he had found his quarry. He sat cross-legged in midair just outside the range of the Heavenly Tribulation, waiting for it to end. When he noticed the lightning splitting into two portions, he shook his head derisively.


    Alas, I might not even need to act. They''ll need a miracle to survive.


    ***


    Cha Ming gripped his staff tightly as he gazed up at the sinister clouds. They crackled in rage as they prepared to smite down those who dared defy the heavens. The first bolt struck down suddenly, giving Cha Ming barely any time to react before striking the shield of knives. Much of its power dissipated, and the remaining strength of the bolt, which was as thick as a needle, dissipated as soon as it struck the white bubble generated by the circle of protection. He still felt his skin tingle as some residual lightning bathed his body and soul.


    He had overcome the first strike without needing to lift a finger, but he knew it wouldn''t be so easy from now on. A second bolt of lightning flew down from the heavens. This time, it was two fingers thick. It weakened considerably as it crossed both shields. Cha Ming was ready for this one and struck out at the bolt with his staff. It was an ordinary strike with his Hard Staff Art, but it dissipated a good deal of the lightning''s energy. Cha Ming lost all feeling in his body as the lightning traveled through his head and down to his toes. He felt great exhaustion from the bolt, both physically and spiritually.


    Still, he readied himself to receive the third bolt. This time, he didn''t fool around and increased the weight of his staff to 100 jin. The first part of the test was a battle of endurance, and he needed to waste as little energy as possible. The heavens rumbled for an incense time before accumulating into a lightning bolt as thick as a fist. It was weakened two times consecutively, and Cha Ming used a Quake Staff strike to dissipate the majority of it. This time, however, it took him several breaths to recover his motor functions.


    How frightening, he thought. And Huxian and I will have to fight nine of these? This part could be considered a warmup. He looked over at Huxian curiously, only to see him yawn as he waited for the next bolt. Alas, not everyone is created equal.


    The next bolt gathered for a quarter hour before crashing down. It was as thick as a leg, and it caused the formations to tremble as it traveled through them. Cha Ming increased the weight of his staff to 500 jin. He coughed out blood as the bolt struck him, searing several portions of his flesh. He instantly activated Healing Flower Manifestation with his rosary, recovering from the serious wounds. Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do about the charred flesh.


    However, he didn''t have as much time to recover as he expected. The next bolt came down after a single incense time. This one was as thick as a human body. The air screamed as the lightning passed and struck the shield with full force. Cha Ming manifested a fiery shield atop of himself before barely defending with his staff. The might of the impact finally made him realize the severity of the situation. If the red-bearded man hadn''t made these formations, he would have died by now.


    One incense time later, the sixth bolt rushed down from the heavens. It roared as it descended, taking the shape of a flood dragon. The lightning flood dragon''s power and speed were frighteningly stronger than the last two bolts, and Cha Ming was forced to defend once more. This time, he felt his insides sear as the lightning traveled through him. The formation above them cracked slightly with the latest blow.


    Brother, this is bad, Huxian warned. This was as strong as the final bolt of a Calamity Lightning, and this is only the sixth bolt! I don''t think the formations will be able to last for very long. Use everything you have and hang in there.


    Cha Ming focused his eyes on the sky above. His pupils contracted when he saw that the lightning in the sky was no longer white, but red instead. The sky rumbled for three quarters of an hour before a single, finger-thick peal of red lightning struck down four times as fast as the previous one. Cha Ming felt death approach with this bolt of lightning. He didn''t hesitate to pour wood qi and fire qi into an Earth Shield Manifestation above him. He increased the weight of his staff to 756 jin and increased the length to double its original. This small bolt of red lightning shattered the top formation as it passed through. It weakened while passing through the circle of protection, but it took Cha Ming''s full strength to ward it off. Despite this, he suffered grievous injuries in the process.


    Cha Ming gritted his teeth as he noticed that a second peal of red lightning rained down on them half an incense time later. He didn''t hesitate to send out 36 pearls in advance as a giant sword. The lightning impacted the circle of protection, shattering it. The sword slightly weakened the lightning before it hit on Cha Ming''s earth shield once more, breaking it apart like crumbly bread. Cha Ming used his strongest physical strike to resist once more. He felt his heart stop for a full three breaths before starting up again.


    How on earth am I going to resist it? He looked over to Huxian, whose fur was singed. The fox was otherwise all right. He looked toward Cha Ming worriedly.


    Don''t worry about me, brother, Huxian said. This last lightning bolt is the least threatening for me. I''ll use my powers as a Bagua Fox to first purify then swallow the bolt of lightning. The energy will form the basis of my advancement as a demon beast. Just focus on yourself, and don''t hold anything back!


    The last bolt of lightning accumulated for a full hour before coming down. It was a red bolt as thick as a fist. Cha Ming gulped as he saw it rushing down. He was practically helpless without the aid of the formations. Yet he didn''t give up. First, he imbued twelve pearls with all five types of qi. They glowed with a white light as they flew into the sky. As the bolt of lightning flew toward him, Cha Ming decisively clenched his fist and detonated the pearls, slightly weakening the bolt in the process. He then threw up thirty-six pearls. They hovered together in a circular formation. As the bolt approached it, he detonated them as well.


    Finally, he threw up the last seventy-two pearls. They flew to the sky in a formation that looked very similar to the circle Sun Wukong had drawn. This was a last-ditch effort by Cha Ming, an imitation of the Circle of Protection formation. He had no idea if it would work, but it was worth trying!


    The seventy-two pearls glowed brightly as they came together, forming an intricate circle with complex geometric symbols. Cha Ming had imbued them with all his remaining five-element qi, in addition to all of his creation qi. They shuddered as the lightning tore through them, though it had clearly weakened in the process. It only took an instant for them to crack and finally shatter from the power of the red lightning bolt.


    Cha Ming looked at the bolt with determination as it came down. He took his 756 jin, 18-foot-long staff and swung it out with perfect timing. The staff struck the bolt with the most power Cha Ming had ever imbued in it. It shook slightly but did not shatter. Instead, it winked out of existence and flew into Cha Ming''s body.


    Cha Ming stayed calm as the lightning approached. A red lotus brooch on his shirt glowed slightly as it activated its one-time defensive function. This was the brooch that Hong Lai had crafted for Cha Ming as compensation for pointing out a flaw in his craftmanship. It didn''t do much to weaken the lightning, but mosquito meat is still meat . The lightning struck Cha Ming square in the chest. He felt intense pain as the lightning devastated his body. His internal organs cooked, and his meridians began burning and tearing.


    Blood burst out of his mouth, and he was forced to kneel and catch his breath. Simply existing at this point was pure agony. By his side, he saw Huxian turn into two gigantic foxes, one black and one white. They calmly swallowed the lightning just as he had said. The calamity was now over. The clouds quickly dispersed, and Huxian trotted over to Cha Ming and began licking his wounds. His brother had survived. Barely.


    Then there was the sound of clapping.


    Both Cha Ming and Huxian looked up to see a floating armored figure.


    "Congratulations, my friends," the figure said. It''s not every day you see someone passing a tribulation prior to entering Foundation Establishment." The figure floated down to the top of the mountain. Cha Ming forced himself to stand up, despite his grievous wounds.


    "Does Senior require anything from us?" Cha Ming asked. He understood that people could barely manage to fly at the foundation-establishment realm. But even then they had to use flying swords. This figure didn''t use any such treasure.


    "Ah, thank you for asking, young friend," the man replied amicably. "You see, Cha Ming, I am here for your life."


    Cha Ming paled when he heard this. They were clearly not this man''s match, so he struggled to find an answer that could buy them time. It was so unfair. They had survived Heaven''s wrath only to be killed by a cultivator.


    "Why might you be needing my life, sir? I can''t say that I''m acquainted with you," Cha Ming said.


    "No, you aren''t. But you see, my Young Master Zhou Li''s older brother perished recently. The Young Master has determined that you are the culprit. So guilty or not, I must kill you. Any last words?" The armored man drew his sword as he spoke and pointed it toward Cha Ming.


    Cha Ming held out his injured left hand and put it on Huxian''s head. Then he reached inside his bag of holding and retrieved a badly damaged piece of paper. It was the ruined talisman that he had purchased at the trade meet. After Sun Wukong had laid out the protection formation, Cha Ming was destitute. All his spirit stones, crystalized elemental essence, and ink had been utilized. After using the brooch to defend against the Calamity Lightning, all he had left was this worn-out piece of paper.


    Where''s all my good luck when I need it? he said to Huxian mentally. I gave the last of it to Feng Ming, so I can only trust fate will get us through this. Get ready. I''m going to use the talisman. We have a ninety-eight percent chance it''s a dud, and a one percent chance of success. If it''s the other one percent¡­ at least we''ll have a great way to commit suicide.


    The armored man frowned when he saw the talisman but didn''t stop them once he saw it in its wretched state. "Are you sure you want to risk using such a wasted object? How about you just give up, and I''ll leave you a complete corpse?"


    Cha Ming smiled at the man before pouring what remained of his qi and spiritual force into the talisman. "Tell Zhou Li I''ll come back to collect our debts."


    Protector Song grunted and sent his sword flying toward Cha Ming, aiming to impale him.


    Cha Ming felt a small prick on his chest as the sword stabbed into him. But it didn''t continue. It was as though time and space had frozen. He tried to communicate with Huxian, but to no avail. Then he noticed the space around him breaking up, piece by piece. A storm of mysterious black energy was heading toward them like a whirlwind.


    Cha Ming looked down toward Huxian, who now had an expression of fear in his eyes. The storm of black energy blew them apart, and they flew off into the distance. Cha Ming felt his body being torn apart by the strain. His damaged meridians were being chopped into tiny pieces. He felt his bones shatter and his skin break.


    And then his mind went blank.

 66 Epilogue

    Zhou Li frowned as he saw the latest note in his little black book. Many messages had popped up over the last few hours since morning. They arrived once the ink on his notebook had faded. He saw many notes about updates to the plan, warnings about potential intruders, and finally, some notes about the failure of the operation in Fairweather.


    The latest note he received was the most infuriating. Protector Song had located Du Cha Ming and the little fox. They had just survived a calamity, but they somehow escaped using a heavily damaged spatial-transmission talisman. Who knew if they were dead or alive? Unfortunately, he discovered a few short minutes later that the thread of karma between him and Cha Ming had vanished.


    Lightning, the nemesis of karma and evil. What rotten luck I have. What''s worse, this confirms my guess. That the little fox is a Godbeast descendent. It now has a second tail, and its growth rate is astonishing. Well, on the bright side, this court case is going well.


    Zhou Li continued his plotting and planning as he waited for the court procedures to wrap up.


    ***


    "Wang Jun, I regret to inform you that your case has been rejected from the highest court with no chance for appeal. The trade laws and regulations in the Song Kingdom are not for you to question, and the termination of the contract was perfectly legitimate." The old judge''s announcement didn''t surprise Wang Jun.


    He calmly looked over to the other side of the room with a pleasant smile on his face. Zhou Li was smirking while engaging in what Wang Jun could only assume was congratulatory small talk.


    Smug bastard. He doesn''t even know he lost yet.


    "However," continued the judge, "I advise the plaintiff and the defendant to note the recent trade agreement and its impacts on matters discussed in court these past few days. Of course, this has no bearing on the current case, as the case was filed before the agreement was made. Court is adjourned."


    Wang Jun and his group calmly walked out of the courthouse, past the frowning Zhou Li and his entourage.


    "Congratulations on your monumental victory, Zhou Li," Wang Jun said before exiting. He didn''t walk for long before he heard a yell from the courthouse.


    "Why do you look so happy, Wang Jun? You just lost. Do you know something I don''t?" Zhou Li had walked ahead of his entourage and stopped only a few feet from Wang Jun. Protector Ren began stepping up, but Wang Jun held him back.


    "Of course I do," Wang Jun said, still smiling. "You didn''t really think I cared about this court case, did you? It was all just a smokescreen to eat up your time. A black cover on a window, or ink on a notebook. Whatever way you want to put it. But since I''m in a charitable mood today, I''ll share a bit of information.


    "A trilateral trade agreement was just ratified last night by the Song Kingdom''s ambassador between the Song Kingdom, the Xia Empire, and the Ming Empire. The Song Kingdom has just agreed to eliminate trade barriers for alchemical products in exchange for the unrestricted trade access to products containing significant portions of soul alloy, blue gold, cold iron, and elemental dust. Therefore, the court results were meaningless. The Song Kingdom Alchemist''s Association is now a sinking ship, and you''re the captain. Congratulations!"


    "Bullshit," Zhou Li spat. "There isn''t a vein for any of these products in the kingdom, and these are all highly restricted trade products. The Song Kingdom might have the skill to forge these, but we have no access to raw materials. I refuse to believe that the king would authorize this. I''ll make sure the Crown Prince tears this agreement apart."


    "Go ahead," Wang Jun said. "Coincidentally, it''s no great secret that the Wang family has begun developing a mine for these very products in conjunction with the third prince. We''re very happy to be conducting business jointly with the royal family. The mine is located near Greatwood Bridge. But you should already be very familiar with that area, shouldn''t you?"


    Wang Jun walked away calmly after saying these words. He was in a very good mood. His obstruction had been successful, his trade deals had been established, and Zhou Li was now extremely upset. This was all small news, of course. After all, he had just divined the fate of his dear friend before arriving at court.


    Cha Ming was alive.


    ***


    Gong Lan dragged her feet as she hopped off a wagon and entered Green Leaf City. She felt so tired, so empty. Something was missing from her life, but she just couldn''t put her finger on it.


    Oh well, she thought. I''ll go see Brother. He always knows how to cheer me up.


    Feng Ming had entered the city at the same time. Apparently, he needed to report to his father as quickly as possible. It was understandable but tedious. She sighed as she realized that there were many tedious things she should do soon. Like eating and showering. She didn''t like showering. It washed away her natural fragrance, covering it with smelly perfumes and herbs.


    She continued walking lifelessly down the street. A few blocks down the road, she bumped into a young street urchin, who was sent flying a few feet backward as a result of their collision.


    Whatever, that''s his problem. He should look where he''s going.


    Suddenly she realized that her belt pouch was missing. In a flash, she appeared beside the young street urchin and pressed her saber to his cheek. A dribble of blood leaked out from the small cut.


    "You should watch where you''re going!" she said in a heated manner. The street urchin gulped and kowtowed in apology. "All right, all right. Leave the belt pouch, stop robbing, and scram!" she said. After dropping the pouch, the little boy scampered off in the distance and didn''t look back.


    All of a sudden, she felt refreshed. She began running off toward her brother''s place. Several people on the streets gave her a quick nod as she flashed past. Life was wonderful. Or was it?


    Fatigue hit her once again like a sack of bricks. Is it excitement that''s missing from my life? She limped a few more blocks before sitting down on a bench to rest. Just in front of her, she saw several people moving barrels of wine into a bar nearby.


    "Liu Bai, make sure you get me the thirty-year barrel next. I need to stick it in the back of the cellar," an older man said from behind a large cart.


    "Are you sure? It''s a little awkward to get to you. How about you wait until we get a few barrels out?" a younger man asked.


    "No need. Just pass it over the rest. I''ll catch it," the old man replied. The younger man complied and began rolling the barrel.


    Gong Lan rolled her eyes as she saw the scene. They were practically begging to get hurt.


    Predictably, the young man tumbled as he struggled to push the barrel over a few others. The barrel clanked down the ramp, and the old man screamed as he was pinned between the barrel of wine and the earth. The momentum ensured that it rolled over his face, leaving him with a crushed, bloody nose.


    Gong Lan''s heart thumped when she saw the scene. She felt her emotions stirring, like life was worth living. She looked at the scene painted in red. It was beautiful.


    That was when she realized why she was down. It''s not excitement I''m missing, she thought. It''s blood. She had chased after power and lost herself in the process.


    ***


    Feng Ming was standing at attention in front of his father. The latter was massaging his temples as he read the report. It only took him an incense time to finish.


    "In short, you discovered a sinister plot and escaped miraculously. Then, instead of reporting to your commanding officer, you ignored the chain of command and fled to Green Leaf City to report to me, your father. Then, when you were ambushed halfway, you didn''t even bother to finish your report and rushed back to the city. According to the report, you saved the situation. You even brought a letter of recommendation from Zhang Yifeng, the master alchemist in Fairweather, or what''s left of it." Feng Ming''s father paused for a moment before affirming the obvious.


    "You''re a terrible scout," he concluded.


    "I realize that, but¡ª" Feng Ming started, only to be interrupted by his father.


    "No buts! You should have done your duty. It''s not like you''re a commando or anything. You''re just a soldier, and soldiers follow orders. Now, how to deal with reporting this to your commander¡­"


    Feng Ming sweated while he waited for his father''s decision. By all rights, he should be court martialed for his insubordination. However, he had performed great merit and should be rewarded. All he could hope for was that these canceled each other out.


    "I''ve got it!" his father suddenly exclaimed. "The perfect reward, and the perfect punishment. I''m going to recommend to your commander that, in light of the circumstances, you decided to do what''s best for the kingdom. However, since you did break military protocol, the merit for this will cancel itself out. Now, the problem is that the general is a stickler for order in his army. You can''t stay there. So I''ll request that you be transferred to a good friend of mine. He loves crazy people like you."


    Feng Ming trembled when he heard this. "Which good friend might you be talking about?" he asked.


    "Colonel Long Ping," he replied. "Commanding officer of the Special Forces."


    ***


    A young girl wearing a large cloak was trotting down the road at night on an old brown horse. It was exhausted, but so was she. Besides, where would they stop to rest if they had no money? Running away was hardly the smartest thing Hong Xin had ever done. However, anything was better than facing her friends and family.


    "Little brown," she whispered, "it looks like I''m going to have to sell you. Otherwise we''ll both starve." The horse couldn''t understand, of course. It was just a regular farm horse.


    "I wish I wasn''t so useless," she said aloud. "I wish I was brave like Gong Lan, smart like Wang Jun, and strong like Cha Ming." Unfortunately, this didn''t seem to be her lot in life. Being abandoned by Wang Jun had been a crushing blow to her self esteem.


    She looked into her purse and noted the contents: twenty pieces of silver, her purple hair clip, and a few days'' worth of dried rations. A night''s stay at an inn would cost her five pieces of silver, but then she wouldn''t be able to keep running for very long.


    Perhaps I''ll find a stack of hay we can rest on. She didn''t know where she was going, but one thing was certain: She would find her place in life or die trying.


    ***


    Dawn.


    A small fox licked his lips as he saw a nearby spirit wolf walking toward his small cave dwelling with a dead spirit rabbit in its jaws. It was Huxian''s first day in the area, and he had luckily stumbled upon the perfect temporary dwelling as he recovered from his wounds. Heck, it even came with servants!


    The wolf placed the fresh prey in front of Huxian and then backed away with his head down. It didn''t turn around until it left Huxian''s line of sight.


    The nice thing about these servants is that I only had to beat up one of them and they all came begging to serve. So what if that wolf was a little bigger than the rest? He sighed and shook his head in contempt. Spirit beasts nowadays have no self respect.


    He bit down on the chunk of raw meat while wagging his two tails. It wasn''t very filling, but it was better than nothing. Besides, he wasn''t in peak shape. The space storm had broken several of his bones and cut up his flesh quite badly. He figured it would take a few months until he fully recovered.


    I wonder how Cha Ming is doing? he wondered. I know he''s still alive, but he was almost dead even before he used the talisman. The transmission function didn''t even activate. Rather, the talisman created a spatial storm and sent us both god knows where. If only I wasn''t so weak.


    Unfortunately, there was nothing that could be done besides recovering and finding out where he was. And what that dreadful presence was at the peak of the mountain.


    Yep, it''s better to lay low for now.


    ***


    It was a beautiful, sunny day in the Ming Empire. The fertile plains at the base of the mountains were filled with droves of farmers and oxen. It was the fourth day of spring, and according to local tradition, this was the best time to plant crops. The poor farmers would spend the next week planting like their lives depended on it. Farming had always been an unforgiving occupation, and everyone whose livelihood depended on it scrambled to obtain all the luck they could get.


    The children were tasked with drawing water from the village, loading it onto oxen so that it could be delivered and poured on the freshly planted seeds. Hundreds of children traveled to and from the nearby river. This large river came from a nearby mountain chain. It passed by the smaller mountains and gathered water from tributary rivers. Given it massive size, it was no wonder that they didn''t see the figure of a naked man as he was washed downstream.


    The young man was somehow holding onto a large log, despite being unconscious. He was riddled with cuts and covered in black burns. It was a miracle he was still alive. Despite his injuries, he continued floating past one village after another. Every so often, his eye would twitch.


    Like this, Cha Ming continued to flow downstream toward an unknown destination. As he traveled, he dreamed of friendship and adventure, of a journey in the spirit woods. He dreamed of finding the Clear Sky Brush and sparring with the Monkey King.


    Eventually he fell down a steep waterfall. He surfaced soon after, somehow having survived the fall and the rocks below. He washed up on shore where he was discovered by a few young children. They tried to wake him, but they couldn''t. He was having a nightmare, one that wouldn''t let him escape. In the nightmare, there were devils and angels. There was a final battle, and jade eyes with orange pupils.


    There were mountains of jade and a throne of bones, and finally, a blood-red moon.


    -- End Book 2 --

 67 Prologue - Light in the Darkness

    Dedication:


    To those who have lost hope.


    May you find the light that guides your way


    Author''s Note:


    Thank you, everyone, for your continued readership.


    As usual, it is a pleasure to continue writing for you all.


    Your compliments inspire me, and your feedback is much


    appreciated.


    This time, I''ll make it a short note. As you read this book I


    want you to consider how state of mind can affect the choices


    people make. For example, say a small child decides to run


    away from home. He is fed up with his parents who love


    him dearly and have only his best interest in mind. From an


    outsider''s perspective, the child is irrational. In truth, the child


    is emotional, a flesh and blood human like the rest of us that


    makes mistakes.


    This book, as the title suggests, is about finding light in the


    darkness. It is about finding hope amidst suffering. It is about


    overcoming depression, anxiety, and fear. And finally, it is


    about responsibility and belonging.


    Prologue:


    The darkness was suffocating. A man was floating alone in an endless ocean, and he had been there for God knew how long. Countless years had passed since his last human interaction. In fact, he no longer remembered his name. He simply¡­ existed.


    The only variance to the man''s existence was an occasional wave or gentle murmur. Yet try as he might, he could never reach those voices, and he could never break free from the water that contained him. He used to fear the darkness, the unknown, but now it had become a part of him. He was one with the darkness, and one with the water surrounding him.


    One day, he became aware of another existence. It, too, was trapped in the darkness. He couldn''t see anything, so he assumed it was a serpent. After all, he could think of no other creatures that were so long and thin. Normally, such a beast would strangle him alive and swallow him. Yet he felt kinship with it, a connection of sorts. They were companions in the darkness, inseparable friends. Even the cruelest devil would never kill the only other creature in existence, lest madness take him and drive him to ruin.


    Humans couldn''t live alone. That was what made the darkness so unbearable for the man. He faintly remembered the last breath he had taken, in the outside. His water-filled lungs longed for fresh air. With air, he could speak. The more he thought of it, the more he wished he could befriend that coiling snake.


    Time passed by, day by day. Each moment was torture for the man, but he endured until the day that he finally saw it¡ªthe light. At first it was only a single sliver, a ray of light shining upon his gloomy surroundings.


    Light. I had forgotten what it looked like. After all these years, I can''t bear to look at it and can only keep my eyes closed in fear. And yet he could feel the light on his skin. He needed it.


    He forced himself to swim toward that sliver, which pulsated and grew with each passing moment. He swam with arms that had weakened with time. The strength of a grown man eluded him, and he felt as weak as an infant. But he didn''t give up. No man who had ever seen the light could return to the darkness. As the man struggled, he felt the coiling snake tighten up around him, holding him back.


    Come with me, he thought. The light is so much better than this emptiness. Hold on to me, and I''ll take you out to see the world in all its glory.


    The coiling snake seemed to hesitate before finally loosening up and letting him swim once more. It didn''t let go, however. It simply clung to the man and waited for him to lead the way out.


    After what seemed like an eternity, he finally felt himself making progress toward the ever-widening rift. Now it seemed to attract him. The rift was there just for him, waiting for him to crawl through to a better world. He exerted all his strength to finally pull himself against the opening, only to find out that it was too small for him.


    I will not let this stop me. I will pull through this rift that I''ve waited for all these years. Since he couldn''t pull himself through, he would simply squeeze through. And he would bring that snake along with him. He first pushed his hand through the rift, and he felt nothing but cold beyond it. But if there was light, he could stand a little cold. Anything was better than the darkness. So he shoved his arm in deeper until he finally had his elbow through.


    That was when he felt the "others." He felt the hands of giants guiding him. He heard the soft murmurs that he''d heard all this time.


    Have they been calling to me? Have they been trying to find me? He wasn''t sure, but even if they were enemies, he''d still charge through that portal and out into the sunlit world.


    The giant hands latched on to his arm, gently guiding him out. He cooperated with them, forcing his head through the tiny crack. Even if my skull shatters, I''ll force my way through! He felt immense pain as his head began squeezing through the portal. Surprisingly, it didn''t resist him; instead, it began expanding, accommodating him. It pulsed as it seemed to try to pull him through. Both the portal and the man were working in tandem, matching their rhythm to pull him through to the other side.


    With great effort, he finally pushed his head through the opening. His mind shook as a massive headache overwhelmed his every sense. The pain was soon relieved as he and the snake were pulled through the portal into a mysterious, cold world. Despite the cold, and despite his closed eyes, he felt that he was in the right place. This was the world of light, the world where he belonged.


    He clutched the snake and shivered as a large cloth dropped down on him, drying off the water that had drenched him in the darkness. The water was finally gone, so he opened his mouth and breathed in with all his strength. That first breath was painful, and he let out a shrill roar as he swiftly exhaled.


    Right, I''ve forgotten how to breathe. Time has atrophied my lungs, so I need to take things step by step. He instantly recovered and began taking in fast, shallow breaths. Each one spread warmth throughout his body to his weak limbs.


    "Let me give you a hand," he heard a loud booming voice say. He didn''t have the strength to resist as a giant hand patted him down and helped him wipe himself off. "Finally, he''s here after all this time."


    "He''s beautiful," the quivering voice of a woman said. He felt two large hands firmly grip him in the towel, and the giant lady took him to her chest. For the first time in what seemed like an eternity, he felt warmth. Perhaps getting treated like an infant wasn''t so bad.


    "What should we call him?" the man''s voice asked.


    "Let''s call him Cha Ming," she replied weakly.


    ***


    It was raining outside. While Diyu was hardly a humid place, its proximity to the Yellow River ensured a dense miasma of soul vapor constantly rising to the clouds above. It accumulated day by day, eventually materializing as a soul monsoon. The plant life in Diyu welcomed this refreshing downpour, which revitalized many soul life-forms and brought color to their ethereal limbs.


    Every soul monsoon brought about the birth of many spiritual life-forms all over the city. Countless creatures used the energy to break through to the next level. Yama would have done the same if he hadn''t reached the limits of this realm. As much as he yearned to leave, he was bound by duty to serve for all eternity. The universe depended on his unrelenting efforts and impeccable work ethic, which was why he found himself outside his office tower in such wretched rain in the first place.


    Yama was elegantly dressed and carried a magnificently crafted umbrella. Not only was its handle carved from jade, but the various runes on the both the handle and the fabric made sure that not a single speck of rain could land on his carefully crafted suit. It was a Hades Limited Edition suit from a few aeons ago. Collecting suits and drinking tea were two of his few hobbies. Fishing was the other.


    He hailed a taxi that just happened to pass by the building, only to have it splash a puddle of soul water off the street and directly onto Yama''s umbrella shield. He smoldered in rage but held himself back, lest he destroy the entire city block. That would be a public-relations nightmare, and their department was already working triple overtime.


    A few moments later, another taxi stopped and ushered him inside. It sped off at ten times the speed of light toward the center of the massive city. Yama didn''t often go downtown. Everyone kept telling him that it was the best location for an office, but he''d never seen the appeal. There was nothing to do downtown, and it was easy enough to host a half dozen coffee shops and a few premium restaurants inside the office building. Besides, the commute downtown during rush hour was atrocious.


    For now, however, the car plowed ahead at full speed, dodging thousands of cars to save precious minutes. Driving a taxi like a stolen vehicle was a time-honored tradition throughout the universe. Yama didn''t mind, of course. If he''d wanted a reasonable driver, he would have hired a rideshare driver. That sort of company was all the rage in Diyu nowadays. He couldn''t be bothered trying out the service, however. He questioned whether they had the proper insurance and training.


    Traffic soon slowed to a crawl, and the skyscrapers of Diyu''s downtown core shone brightly in their magnificence. This was the true city that never slept. Each high-rise building was over ten li tall, and some even pushed a hundred. Thankfully, slowing to a crawl was a relative term. In gridlock here, cars still managed to travel at half the speed of light.


    I hope I won''t be late.


    Yama took out his communicator when he felt a vibration affect his true soul. It was a soul message from Usama, the man he was meeting.


    Where are you? it read.


    He deftly typed in a few words in reply. Be there soon. Traffic is backed up, but I should be there in about thirty minutes.


    Time flowed differently in Diyu. Thirty Diyu minutes was akin to several years in some mortal realms, but only a passing second in others. Even Yama wasn''t sure why this happened, but he knew that the brightest minds in the Underworld were studying the subject with utmost vigor.


    Soon, the taxi broke through the gridlock and dropped Yama off in front of a posh-looking establishment. Usama stood there waiting for him, wearing a familiar red Hades suit. Also limited edition, if he wasn''t mistaken. The shorter, bearded man handed him a cigar as they walked past two large bouncers and made their way into a large banquet hall. They passed by several thousand tables before finally arriving at a small one reasonably close to the stage, where speeches would be given.


    Another short man with curly hair stood up to greet him and shook his hand. "Usama''s said so much about you. It''s great to finally meet the legend in person. My name is Judah, at your service," the man said jovially. Yama nodded, and they sat down, enjoying complimentary spirit wine as they waited for the event to begin.


    "Good wine," Yama commented. "Desolate Steps vintage, forty-sixth great kalpa , if I''m not mistaken?" he said while savoring its full body. Such exquisite wines not only calmed the mind but soothed the soul. This bottle was extremely expensive, capable of funding a thousand of his employees for ten Underworld years.


    "I never thought you''d be such a wine connoisseur," Judah said.


    "Well, it comes with age, I suppose. You have no idea how many hobbies I''ve gotten to try since the beginning of time." Yama sighed self-deprecatingly. He wasn''t sure why, but he instantly had a good impression of the man. He had a pleasant demeanor, obviously the type of man people flocked to. In Yama''s experience, this type of person would easily become the core of his group of friends. He was slightly envious. Despite having lived for aeons, Yama''s friends didn''t number more than a few dozen.


    "Judah, Usama said that you know a way to help alleviate my staffing problems," Yama said, cutting to the chase. "I must admit, Usama has done a great job filtering through the billions of potential contractors, and I''ve already reached out to several who are clearly deserving of full-time, permanent employment. But I''m curious¡ªbeyond temporary workers, what help could you possibly provide?"


    The short, curly-haired man nodded understandingly. "I understand. Being lord of the Underworld and all, you certainly have a very high-level perspective. However, I think that is exactly the problem."


    Before he could continue, the clear sound of a bell rang out, and tens of thousands of servants flocked out to the various tables. The bustle continued for a few minutes before they finally disappeared, leaving only the finest dishes for the guests to enjoy. Broiled Star Anemone, Poisoned Dragon''s Liver, and all sorts of exotic delicacies were included in what Yama could only assume was an extremely expensive meal.


    Despite priding himself on his Spartan lifestyle, Yama filled his plate with gusto. The first few bites he ate were heavenly, so much so that he almost cried. The others at the table looked on with shock as the man single-handedly polished off a quarter of the dishes on the table. They didn''t dare complain, of course. The man could technically reincarnate them, mere spirits, with a single thought.


    After finally sating his demonic food lust, he looked around and realized his impropriety. He put away his cutlery and cleared his throat before speaking. "My friend, what exactly do you mean that my perspective is too high level? After all, I''m extremely familiar with the inner workings of my company, and anything my employees can do, I can do better."


    "Right," Judah admitted. "You''re so capable that you often do not realize the problems of lesser souls. But that isn''t what I meant. Your status is so lofty that you''ve ignored the governance of the Underworld, letting the free market decide what''s best and only interfering in extreme cases."


    "That''s right," Yama said proudly. "The free-market system is well known throughout the universe as the best way to allocate scarce resources with alternative uses . Literally billions of kingdoms and countries of the past seventy-two great kalpas have failed due to inappropriate government intervention, and a smart man learns from the mistakes of others."


    "Rightly so, Your Highness, rightly so," Judah praised. "Of course, there are exceptions, as you know. Things like primary roadways are best done by the government, as are a few other select activities like law enforcement and the military. But have you ever thought of the structure of government? More importantly, have you thought of the way taxes are structured, specifically?"


    "What do taxes have to do with anything? It''s common sense that everyone should pay into the system. However, successful people have benefited more from the system and should be taxed at higher rates." The lord of the Underworld had given much thought to this in the past.


    "In principle, you''re correct," Judah acquiesced. "Heaven shares the same opinion. As does the demon world. But did you know that Helland the Immortal Realm have recently introduced tax reform which has greatly affected the Underworld?"


    Yama frowned when he heard this. After all, he didn''t meddle much in foreign affairs, and the Underworld had always been a strictly neutral party. He hadn''t even interfered in the Twenty-Seven Universe Wars that had devastated the entire cosmos. In some, the devils attacked Heaven, and in others, the angels attacked Hell. Sometimes, the demons decided that they were the rightful rulers of the universe and staged a large-scale rebellion. Throughout all these genocides and righteous crusades, the Underworld had kept its neutrality.


    How dare they hurt Diyu.


    Seeing the man''s agitation, Judah acted quickly to defuse the situation. "It''s not as bad as I made it out to be. You see, your current taxation system consists of a five-percent flat tax and a progressive tax that can reach as high as fifty percent. Meanwhile, you''ve also eliminated corporate taxes, which is a good move with respect to attracting businesses and having your economy prosper. Meanwhile, you also have a hefty consumption tax of ten percent, and it''s impossible to avoid ever since you digitized currency several aeons ago.


    "What Hell and the Immortal Realm have done is to cap the progressive tax at twenty percent. And because of this, their economy has thrived."


    The lord of the Underworld pondered in silence before giving the short, blue-eyed man the okay to continue. "You see, this has enabled them to retain top talents in Hell and the Immortal Realm. In addition, many souls have flocked away from Diyu to take advantage of the favorable tax treatment. If that wasn''t enough, these are all your most capable people. They''re leaving, and only the unambitious and the unskilled are left behind."


    "How do you propose we counter this?" Yama asked in a worried voice.


    "I ask that, in your capacity as lord of the Underworld, you support me for mayor in the upcoming election. My platform is very simple: cut spending and cap the progressive tax at ten percent. We''ll then increase the consumption tax to twenty percent to make up for lost revenue. The people in Diyu will be discouraged to consume and waste resources, but they''ll be able to save beyond their wildest dreams.


    "Ambitious souls would flock from everywhere, knowing that after slaving away for a few millennia, they''ll be able to retire peacefully in the Blessed Isles in Heaven, among other various exotic locations. With the Diyu advantage, skilled workers will flock to the Underworld. Then, attracting talented individuals will become much more manageable."


    The lord of the Underworld nodded seriously, but he wasn''t born yesterday. Politicians liked to meddle in all sorts of things, and he was sure that this man was no exception. "What other pieces of the platform should I know about?" he said shrewdly.


    "Oh, nothing major. I want to remove the following pieces of art in the city. They''re atrocious, and whoever made them should be ashamed of themselves." Judah passed him a list of the supposed "art" objects that City Hall had approved as a part of mandatory art spending. Fortunately, Yama agreed. They were terrible, and the person who''d approved them needed to be fired.


    "Anything else?" the ancient man asked.


    "Yes, I want to regulate the movie industry. And the book industry. Nothing too major¡ªI just want to ban the use of time travel as a literary tool. Same with dream worlds," Judah replied between bites.


    "What''s wrong with those? It''s not like it affects children''s morals, and it doesn''t really affect anyone negatively¡­" Yama replied hesitantly. Truth be told, he had a friend in show business that did these things quite often. He was a terrible writer but an excellent friend.


    "Let me ask you something," Judah pressed on. "Have you ever, in the countless aeons you''ve lived in this universe, seen good usage of time travel or dream worlds in movies? I mean, when used seriously. When used ironically as a literary trope, it doesn''t really matter."


    "You do have a point," he admitted begrudgingly. The only good ones he''d seen were parodies of the genre. "Fine. It''s a deal."

 68 Washed Up

    Cha Ming woke to the sounds of chirping birds and crowing roosters. He heard children playing and dogs barking just outside his window. He opened his eyes to see a single ray of sunlight illuminating the otherwise dark room.


    Where am I? he thought. He tried to get out of the small bed, only to realize that he was utterly incapable of moving.


    Why can''t I move? he thought in a panic. The feeling of being completely helpless was overwhelming. While the first part of his life was one filled with sadness, this past year had been full of freedom and adventure. In that world, the helpless were often preyed on by powerful cultivators.


    The panic lessened when he realized that he was lying in a warm bed in a wooden house, not a cell. Despite being unable to move his limbs, he didn''t discover any restraining devices.


    Perhaps I can use qi to invigorate my body and get out of bed, he thought. He then tried to circulate his cultivation base. This simple act felt like thousands of tiny daggers cutting through his entire body. His screams quickly attracted footsteps to his bedroom door, which was opened without ceremony. He immediately hoped for some answer, but as soon as the person entered, Cha Ming fainted.


    Consciousness returned to Cha Ming some time later.


    "Don''t try to move," an authoritative voice said, "and don''t circulate your qi." Cha Ming opened his eyes to see a middle-aged man with short-cropped black hair. The few streaks of silver and his wrinkled features was a testament to the many hardships he''d suffered in his lifetime.


    Cha Ming caught a faint whiff of medicinal herbs coming from the man. However, the man wasn''t wearing a traditional cultivation robe, nor was he wearing a spirit-doctor uniform.


    Is he just a common man who practices medicine? Cha Ming wondered. To his knowledge, medical doctors who didn''t cultivate were rarer than a phoenix feather or a qilin''s horn. After all, even the most novice apothecaries could prepare medicines that were much more effective than a mortal doctor.


    Before Cha Ming could say anything, the man handed him a bowl of what appeared to be medicinal tea. The pungent liquid was light green, and it smelled so foul that he wondered whether the man had poisoned it.


    "Relax," the doctor said. "It''s just a simple medicinal liquid that eases irritation in the throat and soothes the symptoms of dehydration. You''ve been unconscious for a full month, after all."


    A month. Cha Ming took the bowl and drank it instinctively. He only realized what he''d done when he felt a burning sensation as the liquid wandered down his throat and into his stomach. It felt like hot needles had pierced his entire esophagus. Just as he began to curse the man silently, he noticed that the burning was becoming a cooling sensation. More importantly, his parched throat felt moist and painless. "Good medicine!" he said.


    "It''s just a simple concoction," the man said self-deprecatingly. "You can find much better medicine at an apothecary''s if you can afford it. Unfortunately, not everyone in this world can afford the best medicine. Or practice it."


    "Eh? The paralysis is gone?" Cha Ming lifted his arms and wiggled his legs. He sighed in relief at the knowledge that he wasn''t paralyzed from the neck down. Such a fate would have been worse than death.


    "Yes, I stopped administering the paralytic after you woke up last time," the man replied. "I don''t often treat cultivators, so I wasn''t sure how you would react when you woke up in a strange place. A mere mortal like myself could be killed in the blink of an eye.


    "It didn''t occur to me, however, that you would try to circulate your qi right away. I''ll need to make a note that a qi-restraining concoction is recommended when treating such patients. I trust that you''ve noticed circulating your qi is extremely counterproductive for someone in your state. Please don''t try it again in the future, as I can''t afford to treat you in perpetuity."


    Cha Ming was puzzled. "In the future? You mean for the next short while, correct? How much longer must I wait before my qi pathways and meridians heal?"


    The man''s pitying look spoke volumes. "I''m afraid that, to my knowledge, it''s impossible for you to heal your qi pathways," the man said slowly. "Your qi pathways are a complete mess, and even the finest doctor wouldn''t be able to fix them. Fortunately, your dantian¡ªand as such, your cultivation¡ªis intact. Regrettably, you have no way to deliver the qi in your dantian to the rest of your body. While you might be able to soak up a bit of qi while cultivating, your efficiency wouldn''t even be a tenth of the usual. Besides, accumulating qi without being able to spend it is a pointless endeavor."


    Cha Ming wasn''t sure how to react. The cultivation world was one where the strong flourished and the weak were trampled on. He had begun a whole new life full of possibilities. Had this new road finally come to an end?


    "I understand that this is difficult to accept," the man continued. "I also know you likely won''t give up so easily. Please wait a few days and get used to your body''s condition before attempting to cultivate, that''s all I ask.


    "You must practice some sort of body-refining technique, or it would have been impossible for you to heal to such an extent in only a month. You washed up on the shore near the village. Some kids found you, and a few adults in the village carried you to my office. You had fifty-seventy fractures, thirteen torn ligaments, and you were covered in cuts and bruises from head to toe. Many of your muscles were torn, and your internal organs were a mess."


    Seeing the doctor''s hesitant expression, Cha Ming closed his eyes. "Please continue. I can take it."


    "Your organs are failing," the doctor said in a grave voice. "While I may not be very good at treating injuries, I pride myself on my diagnosing skills. While inspecting your body, I noticed that most of your organs have suffered severe burns. The damage to your qi pathways has made it difficult for them to recover. The only reason you''re still alive is because of your unreasonably sturdy body. I''m not sure how long you''ll be able to last. Days¡­ weeks¡­ months¡­"


    Cha Ming understood what wasn''t spoken. Years were not an option. "Can I have some time alone, please?"


    The older man nodded before walking toward the door. "Come find me if you need anything," he said. "Lunch is at noon."


    As soon as the door closed, Cha Ming began weeping. Not only had he lost his ability to cultivate, but he could die at any moment. Both he and Huxian were doomed. While he wasn''t sure where the baby fox was, he was certainly alive. Cha Ming lay in his bed, dejected. Myriad memories, thoughts, and dreams passed through his head, and he unknowingly fell asleep.


    ***


    A six-year-old boy with brown hair and hazel eyes opened the door to a small wooden shack. The door creaked as it opened.


    I''d better find some grease before the hinges rust over, the young boy thought. He was carrying a pouch of rice, cabbage, and some tofu. It was all he could afford to buy for the time being.


    As he entered the shack, he heard the usual snoring sounds coming from the single bedroom in the house. It wasn''t his, of course. His father slept in the bedroom while he slept on a thin mat in the living room. The boy sighed and got to work. He started a cooking fire and took water from a bucket and mixed it in with rice in a pot.


    He then chopped up the cabbage and the onions. By the time he finished, the blazing fire had died down somewhat, and it was now at the ideal temperature to cook. He hung the small pot up above the fire and installed a cooking plate above it. He placed a large wok above the cooking plate and began putting in the few ingredients he had available.


    He poured in oil, and then dropped in the onions and cabbage. These were best added first, as they required much time to get tender. Frying them lightly helped. He added in a small amount of soy sauce to the dish, as well as cooking wine, before adding in the tofu and letting it simmer. After a half hour, he placed the dish and the rice in two large bowls on the table and placed two smaller bowls with chopsticks on placemats. He also set two small cups near the bowls and poured boiling water in each of the cups. They were too poor to afford tea.


    The boy then mustered up his courage and slowly opened the door to his father''s room. The smell of liquor assaulted his nostrils, but he crinkled his nose and continued crawling through the litter-covered room. Tattered robes, used undergarments, and a multitude of empty bottles made it difficult to maneuver to the small mat in a corner of the room. His father lay there sleeping. He reeked of wine, the only thing he found solace with in their wretched world. His left hand clutched the stump that remained of his right arm. His father was a cripple.


    "Father, dinner is ready," the boy said. He waited a few moments before repeating himself, but to no avail, so he walked up to the larger man and began shaking him. The man only grunted and turned over. He sighed and prepared himself mentally before crawling over his large body and doing the only thing that would surely wake him up¡ªhe touched the man''s stump.


    As expected, the man swept out with his right arm. He was prepared, crossing his arms in front of his chest and dissipating much of the blow. Despite this precaution, however, he was still knocked onto the floor. Fortunately, he''d taken note of every bottle in the room and managed to position his limbs so that bottles didn''t shatter as he tumbled.


    He looked toward his father, who had woken up from his daze. "Is that you, Cha Ming?" the man said. His face was tinged with regret and shame at what he''d just done.


    "Dinner is ready," the boy said. The man nodded, waving him off. Cha Ming returned to the kitchen and began cleaning dishes. He heard the sounds of splashing water and the clinking of bottles as his father fished around for an acceptable set of clothes.


    He hadn''t always been this way. Before Cha Ming was three, he hadn''t touched a drop of wine, making sure to carefully feed the growing boy three times a day. However, everything changed after Cha Ming''s first birthday. He got fired because his disability caused him to drop an important order he was carrying. It was the last place in town that was willing to employ him. Ever since then, he''d been drinking. Whenever Cha Ming asked where he got the money, he just mumbled something about a military pension.


    Still, it was his father, and he would take care of him. They ate dinner together but didn''t say much. He knew how much Cha Ming did. After their short meal, he took out a few silver coins from inside his room and placed it on the dinner table. Money for groceries for the next week. Cha Ming swept them up as he cleaned the table and washed the dishes. The crash of bottles from the bedroom let Cha Ming know that his father had resumed drinking.


    That night, like the many nights before, he brought out his mat to the living room along with two thin blankets. Despite the loud snoring coming from the adjacent bedroom, the exhaustion of his days of work overcame him, and he finally fell asleep.


    ***


    It was dusk when Cha Ming woke up again. He looked around and saw a set of simple clothes and sandals. He also noticed his bag of holding had been placed on the table beside him. It was damaged, ripped in three separate places. Using his soul force, he opened the bag with great difficulty. A quick account made him realize that he was both grievously wounded and broke.


    All that remained in the bag were three golden crystals from the gold formation eye, a few Barrier Breaker pills, three Foundation Establishment pills, and the black-and-white orb Elder Ling had left for him. Every bit of crystalized elemental essence and every spirit stone, and every last drop of ink had been used by the Monkey King when he made the formation. Cha Ming had also used all his talismans in the final battle in Fairweather.


    He sighed, then willed the Clear Sky Brush to appear. Unsurprisingly, the elemental characters on the brush were dull. He peered inside the Clear Sky World and discovered that none of the liquified elemental essence remained. Not that it mattered¡ªpainting talismans and his Seventy-Two Earthly Transformations Technique required qi as a guide. Without qi, he had lost his profession.


    He looked at his ruined bag of holding regretfully. It was a very useful item, and he wasn''t sure where to store his items.


    Wait a minute, he thought, can the Clear Sky World hold these items just like it did the liquified elemental essence?


    He used one of the gold crystals to test out his theory. To his surprise, it disappeared when he willed it to, storing it safely in the Clear Sky World. He sighed in relief and collected the remaining items. He also made a note to buy a new bag so he could camouflage his Clear Sky Brush''s storage capability.


    A short while later, Cha Ming walked into a narrow wooden hallway. It was a short hallway that led to four rooms. Six pieces of art decorated the walls. They were beautifully framed, even if the contents were not particularly impressive. The paintings had clearly been made by children. Despite the lack of skill displayed, Cha Ming felt a little warmer when he looked at them.


    He continued down the hallway into a living room, which doubled as a dining room. Wonderful smells emanated from the kitchen, and he could hear clanging pans and sizzling food. He was about to go in and greet the doctor when that same middle-aged man walked out into the dining room from the opposite direction. He was accompanied by a little girl. She seemed a little pale, and Cha Ming confirmed that she was sick when she let out a light cough.


    A few sharp sounds came from the kitchen, and a middle-aged woman walked out. The little girl darted out and hugged her.


    "How is she?" the woman asked the doctor.


    He shook his head and smiled. "No need to worry, my dear, she just has an infection in her lungs. Feed her one of these pills every day for the next two weeks, and she''ll get better." He handed her a bottle of pills before continuing. "Make sure to feed her lots of soup and tea. Avoid cold drinks. She should also get at least twelve hours of sleep every day."


    The woman seemed relieved. "I made supper while you were treating her. I''ll bring it out shortly."


    The doctor nodded in appreciation. After an incense time, the mother, her daughter, the doctor, and Cha Ming were all seated at the table.


    "This young lady is called Jin Xia, and this is her daughter WangYi," the doctor explained. "Jin Xia''s husband is Wang Cai, a carpenter in the village." He thought for a bit before shaking his head in embarrassment. "My apologies, you just woke up today. My name is Li Yin. What''s your name, young man?"


    "My name is Du Cha Ming. Many thanks for saving my life," he said, smiling. The young girl was hiding behind her mother''s sleeve shyly while the rest ate. Cha Ming guessed she was around six or seven years old.


    "I''m sorry, she''s a little shy," Jin Xia said. "Please forgive her." The little girl continued to shyly observe him as he ate from several vegetable dishes and ignored the meat dishes. The doctor and the mother saw this but said nothing.


    "Little Yi was one of the kids who found you," Li Yin said between mouthfuls of food. "She and three of her friends were playing by the shore when they found you washed up. They tried to carry you to my office but had to stop after a dozen feet. That''s when they gave up and ran to me for help."


    Thinking of the river, Cha Ming''s thoughts wandered. He thought of the dark waters, and he thought of his friends. He thought of Wang Jun and the promise he could no longer fulfill. The man had given up ten years of his life for nothing. Finally, he thought of Huxian. If there was a way to cancel their contract of brotherhood, he would do it. Now, he could only implicate his friend. After all, they both shared a life, and if one died, the other would as well. That, and it was very unlikely that he would survive his next shared tribulation with Huxian.


    The rest of their dinner passed in awkward silence, and the mother and her child left soon after. Cha Ming recovered his faculties shortly after they left. He saw that Li Yin was busy looking through a book, so he picked up the dishes and took them over to the kitchen. Fortunately, a pot of boiling water had been prepared in advance. He used a brush and soap to scrub away at the pots, pans, and bowls before setting them out to dry. Then, seeing as the older man was busy, he went back to bed and rested.


    The next morning, he woke up at dawn. He looked around and confirmed that it hadn''t been a dream. He was injured, and his future was ruined. Still, he felt hungry, so he walked out of his room and saw that Li Yin had yet to awaken. Since the man was taking care of him, he prepared a breakfast consisting of rice porridge and some vegetables he saw lying around. He also found some pickles and prepared them as well. Li Yin arrived just in time to see him setting the table.


    "Thank you, my boy," the older man said before sitting down. They ate breakfast in silence. Once breakfast was over, Li Yin retrieved a teapot and served a cup to each of them. Cha Ming drank in silence, but his despondency was very apparent.


    Li Yin hesitated before speaking. "You looked happy when you were cooking breakfast and cleaning the dishes. People need to keep busy, or their inner demons will keep gnawing away at them. This is a hard time in your life, but you can''t let yourself get lost in thought."


    Cha Ming didn''t respond, so the man left him to his brooding.

 69 Crystal Falls

    The air was chilly in the small village where Cha Ming had washed up. It was noticeably colder than Green Leaf City or Fairweather City, indicating that he had teleported far north. When he had asked Li Yin where the village was located, he simply replied that it was a secret. All he could let Cha Ming know was that the town was called Crystal Falls. It was named after the gigantic waterfall beside the village, which shrouded it in mist and humidified the air. It sparkled in the sun, often manifesting rainbows when the light passed through.


    The village was in an isolated valley, and strangers were rarely permitted inside, while very few who left could ever come back. This was a strange policy for any village, as isolationism would make trade and exchange of knowledge extremely difficult. Still, he didn''t bother pressing the issue. After all, he didn''t have long to live. Besides, the people were very friendly. Children ran around and played, and everyone walked with smiles on their faces.


    Cha Ming asked a stranger for directions, and they kindly directed him to an indoor shop in their small merchant district. No one answered when he knocked on the door, so he let himself in. The soft sound of ringing bells served as both a gentle warning and a greeting, a promise that someone would be there soon.


    The jewelry store was unlike any he had ever seen. Typically, goods would be on display behind glass cases to prevent theft. The people in this town clearly trusted each other, as pieces of jewelry were left out in the open for anyone to touch. While there was jade and silver, he noticed a distinct lack of gold and other precious stones. What he did find, however, was a multitude of bright, clear stones fashioned into jewelry and ornaments.


    There were earrings fashioned from long crystals the size of his fingers. There were statuettes carved from that same clear stone. He also saw several timepieces and necklaces, but strangely very few rings. The ones he did see were fashioned with plain silver and completely unadorned with decorative stones.


    "Can I help you?" said a wizened old man who walked up to the counter. He seemed to have just woken from a nap, given his disheveled appearance. As Cha Ming walked over to the counter, the man placed a pair of spectacles on his wrinkled face. Cha Ming took out three gold crystals the size of a fist and gently placed them on the counter.


    The man gave him an excited grin before picking up one of the crystals. He observed it keenly with a large magnifying lens, then he used a metal instrument and easily dented the crystal''s soft surface and nodded in appreciation. "You''re looking the sell these?" he asked Cha Ming, who nodded in response.


    The man thought for a while before taking out a notepad and scribbling on it unintelligibly. Then he frowned. "You''re not very familiar. Are you new around here?" he asked.


    "I''m afraid I washed up on shore a month ago," Cha Ming said wryly. "My name is Cha Ming, and I''ve been staying at Doctor Li Yin''s residence for the past month."


    "Right, right," the man replied while nodding. "Little Chin told me about that. It''s nice to see you''ve made a good recovery. My name is Xu Peng." He continued scribbling on his piece of paper before making an offer.


    "You''re in luck, young lad," the man finally said. "We don''t get a lot of gold around here, so anything I fashion with them will sell like hotcakes. The last time I got my hands on any gold was five years ago. For Li Yin''s sake, I''ll give you a good price. Five stones and twenty shards apiece." Cha Ming looked puzzled when he saw the fifteen stones a quarter the size of a fist, followed by sixty shards as big as the tip of his pinky. They weren''t clear or lustrous like the stones on display, but they were obviously made from the same material. Moreover, the material looked familiar.


    "Spirit stones?" Cha Ming gasped in shock. This was the first time he''d seen spirit stones so strangely cut. There was a continent-wide standard on cut and quality, so the irregular shape surprised him. He could also feel a gentle warmth emanating from the stones. If he hadn''t been injured, he would have tried absorbing the qi trapped in it to test the quality. Simply by judging by the intensity of their aura, these stones were not low-grade stones. Rather, they appeared to be mid-grade spirit stones. He had never seen high-grade stones before, so he couldn''t discount the possibility.


    "I''m not sure what they''re called," the man said. "We''ve used these as currency for over two hundred years without any issue." He didn''t seem to want to talk more on the subject. Cha Ming was happy to exchange the gold crystals for something with actual value, so he quickly agreed to the exchange.


    If I''m not mistaken, three shards are equal to a mid-sized spirit stone, Cha Ming thought, then quickly turned glum once more. It was a very ironic situation; the town had excess spirit stones, but he had no ability to use them.


    A quarter hour later, he walked down the street and went into another shop. There were no outdoor stalls in this town, at least not yet. The winter cold had not yet subsided, and any perishable goods would freeze out in the open. He wandered through the small store with a basket in hand and picked up some onions, some cabbage, and some tofu¡ªthe ingredients for a dish he had made far too often in the past.


    A pleasant young lady met him at the till, where she tallied up the total cost of his order. "That will be five specks," she said.


    "Specks?" Cha Ming asked, confused.


    The woman frowned slightly before a look of enlightenment flashed in her eyes. "Ah! You''re the new guy in town who''s staying at Li Yin''s!" she said, her face flushed with excitement. "How is the world outside? Have you been on any adventures? Are you single?"


    A veritable barrage of questions assaulted Cha Ming, who stood there not knowing how to respond. Thankfully, a middle-aged lady sensed his plight.


    "Go to the back, little girl," the woman said. "It''s not good to scare away customers." She shooed her off before continuing with the transaction. "I''ve heard that you''re new in town. I don''t suppose you have any money on you?" she asked.


    Cha Ming looked at her helplessly and placed a pile of shards in front of her.


    "Oh? So you do have money." The woman snatched up one of the shards and took out forty-five diamond-like crystals and placed them back in front of Cha Ming. "There are fifty specks to a shard, and fifty shards to a stone."


    "Thank you very much for the explanation. I feel relieved now," Cha Ming said. Not only could he now purchase food, but it seemed that the goldsmith had also been very generous with him. He packed up the food and headed toward the entrance.


    Just as he was about to exit, the middle-aged lady yelled out. "Make sure to take care of Li Yin while you get better. He''s good at treating people, but he never watches out for his own health!"


    Cha Ming turned around and nodded before heading back toward the doctor''s residence.


    ***


    Cha Ming and the doctor sat in silence as they ate. Li Yin had a dull look, though Cha Ming didn''t feel slighted. He had seen that same expression when the doctor ate the day prior, and in his humble opinion, he was a better cook than he was. Not that he would ever say such a thing. What concerned him more was whether he would appreciate the lighter fare.


    "I see that you don''t eat meat," the man said suddenly.


    Cha Ming nodded.


    "Why?" he continued.


    "Because I don''t want to hurt animals, and I''m perfectly capable of surviving otherwise," Cha Ming replied.


    "You''ve done this all your life?" the man asked. Seeing Cha Ming nod, he continued eating. "I''ll be sure to add a note in my dietary research. If you don''t mind, I''ll have you fill in a questionnaire later so that I can tabulate data on your eating habits, history, when you started cultivating, etc."


    The man''s comments brought a rarely seen light to Cha Ming''s eyes. "What other research do you conduct aside from dietary research?"


    "All sorts of research: anatomical, diseases and their prevention and cures, infection, psychology, herbology, surgery, and anything else that can help mankind flourish."


    "Surgery? You perform surgery as well?" Cha Ming asked.


    The doctor nodded. "Yes, surgery is very important for medicine for the masses. Specifically, severe trauma might require an amputation, and severe bone fractures have trouble healing without surgery. I sometimes do some operations on internal tissue damage, but these are very tricky, and the risk of infection is very high."


    Cha Ming marveled at the man''s dedication. Spirit doctors made the need for invasive surgery irrelevant. Moreover, invasive surgeries were extremely risky. Even back on Earth, surgeries had only been successful for the past two centuries. Infection had killed over ninety percent of amputation patients, something which was only alleviated with proper sterilization and cauterization.


    "Do you wash your hands and wash the patient before performing surgery?" Cha Ming asked.


    "Before and after each one," Li Yin replied. "In the course of my research, I''ve discovered that agents of disease propagate through filth on human hands and bodies. I educate every patient I treat on this aspect. My data indicates that constant hand washing has greatly reduced the incidence of disease in town. Fortunately, it''s only a small town of 10,000 people. A larger data set would be unmanageable by me alone."


    "Do you sterilize the metal instruments you use and the string you stitch with?" Cha Ming pressed.


    The doctor thought for a bit. "Yes, it makes no sense that only human touch would transfer¡­" he muttered. "But how to clean effectively. I could use soap, but is this treatment harsh enough? If I use boiling water, perhaps¡­" Without saying goodbye, he returned to his office and shut the door.


    Such dedication and open-mindedness, Cha Ming thought. The doctors on Earth, in their arrogance, refused to accept the possibility that doctors could spread disease. In fact, when hospitals began to deliver babies, the death toll greatly increased since doctors refused to wash their hands even after surgeries and autopsies. The first man who brought up this concept was shunned by the entire medical community just for implying that doctors should wash their hands between patients.


    A warm feeling suffused Cha Ming as he realized that these simple words he said might bring relief to countless mortals in the future. It was like a small speck of light in the darkness that was his current life.


    Even if I can''t fight, and I won''t live for very long, maybe I can put some of my limited knowledge to good use in this small village, he thought. At least it''s better than doing nothing for the last few weeks or months in my life.


    Unbeknownst to Cha Ming, the concept of surviving for only days had been pushed to the back of his mind.


    After the doctor''s abrupt departure, Cha Ming cleaned the dishes and went back to his room. It was time to attempt circulating his qi a second time. This time, he didn''t circulate it at maximum capacity. Instead, he sat in meditation and guided his soul force to his dantian, where he could observe the situation. His dantian was intact, just as the doctor said. It was covered in multiple seals that traveled to and from each organ in a loop.


    As he looked through the qi pathways leading outside of his dantian, his expression turned grim. Aside from the first half inch leading from his dantian, the remaining ones were a mess. They were covered in cuts and lesions, and sometimes entire sections were missing. And regardless of whether the qi pathways were whole or damaged, they were all covered in black burns, which limited their flexibility and caused them to be full of tiny holes.


    When he arrived at his organs, his expression became ugly. His kidney, bladder, lungs, and large intestine were the most damaged. That explained why he was only able to take short breaths and was feeling increasingly lethargic. Conversely, his heart, small intestine, spleen, stomach, liver, and gallbladder were functioning at only a little over half capacity. These functioning organs were the yin and yang organs that he had refined via Seventy-Two Transformations. They were mostly whole and only slight burnt.


    The more damaged organs were a different matter. They were charred black, and in some cases, up to thirty percent of the organ had turned to brittle coal. He felt his kidney barely keeping up, the consequences of its inactivity very clear to Cha Ming. Over time, his blood would become full of impurities, and he would eventually be poisoned to death.


    Closer to his extremities, his meridians and qi pathways had suffered less severe damage. However, they were still burned beyond recognition. Using them to deliver qi to his extremities for techniques would be impossible. These pathways were extremely important for cultivation speed. Even if he did manage to cultivate, he would be limited to around ten percent of his original capacity.


    Still, he had to try. He gritted his teeth and attempted to circulate the tiniest amount of qi possible. A searing pain shot all over his body, but it was still bearable. He continued this way for a quarter hour before increasing the flow of qi slightly. Pain ravaged his body for what seemed like an eternity. He saw several of his brittle meridians burst, causing qi to assault his muscles, which spasmed in response. Cracks appeared on several of his organs. Finally, an immense amount of pain in his lungs caused him to cough up blood.


    Following his futile attempt, Cha Ming collapsed in bed. The pain was tolerable, but the dejection he felt was not. Was there truly no hope?


    ***


    He woke up the next morning to the sound of crowing roosters.


    "You look pale," Li Yin remarked as they ate breakfast. "Did you try circulating your qi again?" he asked.


    Cha Ming nodded, ashamed of his disregard for the doctor''s instructions.


    "It''s difficult to let go of what you''ve lost," Li Yin said. "Try not to coop yourself up in here. It''s bad for your mental health. It will do you some good to walk around a little. Personally, I enjoy going near the woods and watching the kids play."


    Cha Ming accepted the advice in silence.


    Seeing his dour mood, Li Yin fetched a kettle of boiling water and poured tea for two. It wasn''t the best tea, nor was it the best tea set. However, it did remind Cha Ming that things weren''t so bad. There had been a point in his life where he''d had no teapot and no tea to brew.


    "Now that you''ve finally evaluated your body''s condition, I have a few other recommendations for you," Li Yin said between sips. "First, don''t run. While your mind can take it, your heart cannot. Second, don''t drink. Your liver is damaged, and you will poison yourself to death. Third, don''t eat too much salt, because your kidneys are now functioning below their necessary capacity. Finally, talk to people."


    The last comment surprised Cha Ming. He looked up at the doctor, who smiled before continuing. "People are social creatures. Without interacting with anyone, they will lose all hope. It is better to live in the company of a devil than to live alone for all eternity."


    With these words, the doctor put his dish down and closed himself up in his office once more.


    Cha Ming went out for a walk later that afternoon and followed Li Yin''s advice. As he walked, he saw a man through a window. He was sitting at a bar and drinking away his sorrows. Unfortunately, Cha Ming already knew what this would do to a man. He had sworn never to drink, and he wasn''t about to start such a terrible habit now.


    He continued walking until he reached the edge of the woods, where he saw a group of six children playing. They were playing a game called Swords, something he was very familiar with. Each child would take a long branch, and they would attack each other just like they would with swords. Cuts and bruises were inevitable.


    The exchange between these children made him smile. Kids were a loveable bunch¡ªquick to anger but quick to please. The sight made him mourn his lack of a childhood. Yet he didn''t look away. Before long, he realized that there was a smile on his previously bitter face.


    Good doctor, he thought. He watched them for an hour. Only in his dreams could he have such a childhood.

 70 Bloody Mary

    Clip. Clop. Clip. Clop.


    The sounds of hooves and turning chariot wheels broke the peaceful silence in the forest. It wasn''t an absolute silence. Rather, gentle chirping, cawing, and slithering sounds could be heard if one was attentive, as could the rustling leaves and blowing wind. A convoy was traveling through these woods on a soft clay road. It consisted of three wagons and six guards on horseback. Each wagon had one driver and two cloaked figures riding at the front. The front wagon was led by a man with long silver hair, who was also the leader of the convoy.


    "So you see, Miss Lan, that is how I established my empire," the man said. "It was difficult, of course, but thirty years of hard work have enabled me to retire in luxury and leave the family with my eldest."


    "Fascinating," she said dispassionately. She wished she didn''t need to talk to the old man, but unfortunately, it was part of the job description. Not every mercenary mission was a harrowing adventure. Most were like this one¡ªuneventful. It was the intimidation of having a mercenary in the first place that brought the profession value. Their ability to defend the convoy if things went south was a form of insurance.


    Where''s a good fight when you need one? she thought.


    She heard a twanging bow, and an arrow lodged itself directly between the lead driver''s legs, pinning his clothes to the carriage.


    Ask for the Devil, and he shall appear.


    The convoy didn''t react as expected to the sudden act of aggression.


    "Ah, I was wondering when you would come," the convoy leader said, unperturbed.


    The nearby bushes rustled, and six young men holding bows with nocked arrows walked onto the clay road.


    "You know the drill, old man," one of them said. "Just put fifty spirit stones in a bag and toss it over. We don''t want to hurt anyone, but everyone who crosses the bridge must pay the toll."


    The older man nodded. He took out a small sack, which had evidently been prepared for this event, and tossed it over. "Off you go, boys. Go enjoy yourselves."


    The young men walked off cheerfully. After they had gone a fair distance, the older man urged the horses forward. Then, everyone in the caravan heard a bloodcurdling scream.


    "Have mercy!" a young man shouted when he saw his brother''s arm fly off.


    Gong Lan walked toward him. She had pulled back the hood of her cloak, and a spray of blood drenched her face. The young man paled as he tried to escape.


    The other four reacted quickly and shot Gong Lan with an arrow apiece. She quickly dodged two of them and cut the other two in midair with her sabers. She then charged forward like a bloody whirlwind and rapidly decapitated two of them. The others dropped their bows and attempted to run. In response, she unleashed two beams of bloody blade qi that felled them from behind. There was no remorse or anxiety on her face after killing the six men, only excitement.


    "Why did you have to kill them like that?" an angry voice said. It was the old man, the caravan leader. He was livid, which Gong Lan found terribly ironic given that he''d just been robbed.


    She frowned before replying. "I''ve been charged with protecting your convoy. They robbed you, so I retrieved your possessions," she explained before tossing a bloody bag of spirit stones to the older man.


    His eyes narrowed. "You''re here to follow my orders. I did not ask you to act, and the situation was under control. These thugs have been here for years, but they''ve never charged an exorbitant amount. All their gang does is occasionally enforce a toll so they can drink and have fun. I''ve seen much worse in my days. Besides, they''ve always kept the area clean of actual brigands. Not only have you brutally killed some petty thieves, but now they''re going to come at us for revenge. You''ve killed us all!"


    Gong Lan was about to retort, but she suddenly heard the sounds of several swift footsteps. In the distance, she saw a few dozen angry cultivators charging with weapons and howling at the top of their lungs.


    "Avenge our brothers!" they yelled.


    Finally, Gong Lan thought. A good fight. She ignored the merchant and licked one of her blades before leaping into the fray.


    Not one of the brigands lived to tell the tale.


    ***


    Gong Lan sat in front of an oak desk, sulking. The ticking sounds of an exquisitely crafted timepiece exacerbated her boredom. She didn''t want to be trapped in this little room, but her brother had insisted. From the other side of the thin wall, she heard one party shouting and arguing and another party firmly trying to calm him. She heard "psycho" and "devil" mentioned more than a few times by the angry party.


    After a half hour, the conversation ended. The calm voice agreed to a full refund and a guarantee that she would never be assigned to the angry client again. The other side snorted loudly before storming out of the building.


    The door creaked softly as her brother opened it shortly after. Her face flushed red with shame as she reflected on the trouble she had just caused him. While she wanted to fight for a living, she didn''t want to ruin her brother''s company in the process.


    Maybe I should find a different way to adventure and make money, she thought.


    Her brother didn''t walk to his desk as expected. Instead, he dragged a small wooden chair over and sat down in front of her. "Little sister," he said, "what''s come over you?"


    She didn''t reply and kept her eyes downcast. They''d had this conversation many times before.


    "Look at me when I''m talking," he said softly.


    Her eyes darted up and looked at him. He had a calm and assuring demeanor. He didn''t look angry, only concerned.


    "Do you remember that I said to come look for me if things become overwhelming?" he asked.


    She nodded in response but did not reply.


    "If there''s something bothering you, you need to tell me," he continued. This is the fifth customer you''ve frightened away since you came back from Fairweather. I''ve heard people describe you as psycho, crazy, insane, bloodthirsty¡­ anything you can think of. They all say the same thing¡ªthat you''re out of your mind and you need to be locked up.


    "Be honest with me, Lan Er. Are you in control, or have you lost it? This is serious." Her brother was usually kind and comforting. Now, he was stern and rebuking.


    This is why I don''t want to say anything, she thought. I know you''ll be disappointed and yell at me when I finally screw up. Just like Dad used to.


    The former Blood King realized that he''d raised his voice and took the time to calm down. "Gong Lan," he said, "even I''m not immune to fits of rage. Didn''t I tell you? Back in my youth, I lost control and ended up killing several of my friends. I can never forgive myself for that. I need you to tell me when you can''t handle things anymore. I know where to get help. Just trust me, okay?"


    He didn''t wait for her answer before getting up and leaving the room. Gong Lan continued staring bleakly at the floor.


    "You went crazy after a decade of slaughter," she mumbled. "Compared to you, I''m just a weak failure." She sat there moping for a half hour before finally getting up and going to the only place that could help her forget her shortcomings: the tavern.


    ***


    Somewhere in Green Leaf City, three mercenaries walked into a bar. The loud crash resulting from their collision alerted all the patrons, who shook their heads in disdain. The three mercenaries cursed loudly as they walked around the building to find the entrance. The instant the trio entered, they were greeted with glares and silence.


    "Nope. Not this one. I must have the wrong bar," said the leader of the group, who broke into a cold sweat from the concentrated killing intent directed their way. "Come along with me now, boys. We''re going to the other bar now."


    One of his drunken companions began speaking in protest, but the leader hurriedly shushed him and escorted the trio outside. Once they''d left, the bar patrons returned to their conversations.


    "Have you heard about the Blood Queen''s latest exploits?" a man asked his companions. They were seated at a small, elevated table. The four of them nursed large mugs of ale. They weren''t particularly inebriated. The night was young, and only those with serious drinking problems were already out for the count.


    "What did she do this time?" another man asked.


    "Well," the original man replied, "she killed six young boys near Meadowlark Bridge. You know, the ones who hardly cause trouble. Her employer was pissed. If that wasn''t enough, the remaining thirty-four in the gang attacked in anger. She slaughtered them all without any hesitation."


    "But those men weren''t proper thugs," the third one said. "Heck, I don''t think they''ve killed or raped anyone. The worst thing they ever did was beat a few men to a pulp. Plus, it''s not like their toll is that high. I''ve been on that route a few dozen times and they only asked for fifty spirit stones each time. That''s ridiculously cheap."


    "Right," the original continued. "Otherwise, why would I have mentioned it? The Blood Queen always kills at the drop of a pin. If it wasn''t for her brother, she''d be damn-near unemployable. Over the last month, she''s killed a hundred and forty people. None of them were honest folks, to be sure, but only two or three of them deserved death."


    The man sighed. "She should just go back to doing what she''s good at: the arena battles. Then she''d only be killing two or three people every few days instead of massacring a small thieves'' village like she did last week. The pay''s got to be better in the arena as well. Plus, I really miss¡ª"


    The man suddenly stopped speaking as a young woman dressed in red leather walked in. She walked through the crowd and sat at the bar. Her twin sabers gave off an ominous vibe, abruptly cutting off all conversation people were having about her. This was, coincidentally, eighty percent of the conversations being held at the time.


    "One Bloody Mary," she said. The bartender was used to this order, so he fixed one up right away. Of course, he made it just the way she liked it. He mixed in various herbs, giving it a rich metallic flavor. He didn''t pause after making the first one, which she downed instantly. It was only after giving her the fourth consecutive one that her face became flushed, and she finally slowed down.


    The mercenaries who had just been discussing her finally built up the courage to talk in whispers again.


    "I wonder if she''ll start another fight tonight?" the second mercenary said. "Does anyone want to bet? Twenty spirit stones says she will."


    The first mercenary rubbed his brow. "You know it''s just charity if I take that bet. Give me twenty-to-one odds and you''re on."


    The second man begrudgingly accepted. He''d be crazy not to take free money.


    The third mercenary sighed and got up from his chair. "Looks like it''s my turn again. I''ll go get Sergeant Feng. Be back in a jiffy."


    The other two men nodded. The first week, the bar hadn''t had a clue about how to stop the Blood Queen every time a fight broke out. Then one day, Sergeant Feng came out and drank with her. She started a fight, as usual, but the results weren''t nearly as devastating.


    Ever since then, they''d come up with a schedule where different regulars would go fetch Sergeant Feng as soon as she came in. His drinks were on the house, courtesy of the incredibly nervous bar owner.


    Still, he couldn''t complain. Her usual rabble-rousing had done wonders for attracting clientele. The trick was to get her to start a fight to keep the customers happy, while somehow minimizing damage.


    Sergeant Feng fit the bill just right.


    "I heard about your latest ''exploits,''" Feng Ming said as he hunched over the oak bar. He held a glass of baiju , which he drank hot. It was the way noblemen drank, and while Feng Ming didn''t exactly strike others as nobility, some things just couldn''t be hidden. It was in his bones.


    Gong Lan was nursing her ninth Bloody Mary of the night. Unlike most nights, she wasn''t energetic and rowdy. Rather, she was lethargic. She laid on the bar, cradling her head with her left arm. "You''re not here to judge me, too, are you?" she said, looking like she could break into tears at any moment.


    "You can drop the act," he said. "I know you don''t care what they think. But I think you do care what some people think. What did your brother say this time?" He''d just finished his baiju, so he hollered for another one.


    "I don''t know what it is," Feng Ming said after taking a sip of his new drink, "but I could never get around to liking cocktails or beer. It''s like my stomach can''t tolerate anything more than the more concentrated liquor. I have no idea how you can tolerate so many of those god-awful concoctions." He pointed to the Bloody Mary in her hands. Having had a sip before, he knew full well how that blood-flavored drink tasted. Even describing it as an acquired taste would be a bit of a stretch.


    Gong Lan sighed. "I''m always disappointing him. I always cause trouble for him, but I can''t help it. Not everyone can be as strong as him, you know. I just feel like, compared to him, I''ll never achieve anything in my life." With that thought, she chugged the rest of her Bloody Mary and ordered another one.


    Feng Ming looked at her flushed face with amusement. "All right, that''s what you think he thinks. But what did he actually say this time?" He chugged the remainder of his baiju and ordered yet another. It seemed like since his trip to Fairweather, his resistance to alcohol had shot through the roof. He vaguely remembered someone speaking about a special constitution and resistance to poisons.


    Gong Lan sighed once more. "He talked about how he''d gone crazy before and killed a bunch of his friends. Then he had to get help." She then looked at Feng Ming intently. "He asked if I needed help, but it''s only been a couple months. He took the same path for a decade before it was too much for him. If that''s not calling me out as weak, what is?" Her voice was now tinged in anger.


    "Calm down, calm down," Feng Ming said. "I think he truly cares about you. Besides, not every martial art suits everyone. You used to be so kind to everyone. I''m worried about you, Gong Lan. Your brother cares about you deeply, and so do I."


    "Oh?" she said with a coy smile. "So you care about this pretty lady, do you? How about you take up my offer this time? We''ll walk on upstairs, and I''ll give you a night you can never forget." She bit her lips when she said this, and a surge of warmth spread down to Feng Ming''s lower abdomen.


    "Do we really need to go through this every time?" he said while rolling his eyes. She got off the bar stool and stood up beside him, putting her arm on his chest and looking up into his eyes. Her coquettish actions almost caused him to lose control.


    "Why don''t you just accept? Just this once. It''s so boring here, and I could use a little¡­ excitement." Her choice of words caused him to shudder uncontrollably.


    "I think I''ll pass again," he said. "You''ll be the first to know if I change my mind." He called for another drink, and the bartender came by with yet another steaming hot cup. He didn''t bat an eye when he saw Gong Lan''s behavior. He''d seen it too many times before.


    There were two main reasons why Feng Ming had always refused her advances. The first one being that her brother was a monster, and he''d rather fight five devils than the Blood King. The second and more important reason, was that he had a feeling that their definitions of "fun" and "excitement" might be vastly different. She was much stronger than him¡ªhow could he possibly resist if she decided to kick things up a notch? No, it was best to stay friends with someone like her.


    Gong Lan pouted in disappointment as she got back to her drink. Feng Ming noticed a flurry of spirit stones exchanging hands after she got back to her seat. She had clearly become the most popular betting attraction in the city. It didn''t help that Feng Ming still carried his past reputation as a popinjay. His current military exploits were a state secret, and bragging about them was prohibited.


    "You should really take your brother up on his offer," he said seriously. "He has experience in these matters. Just give it a try. There''s no way he''d ever do anything to hurt you."


    She sighed at these words and lay back down on the bar. Her face was extremely flushed, and her eyes fluttered as she fell asleep.


    Well, its about time I take her home, he thought.


    He quickly settled Gong Lan''s tab with the bartender and threw her over his shoulder. Now the only tricky part was how to handle her antics when she suddenly "woke up" when he laid her down in her bed. She''d undoubtedly try to pull him in, as she always did.


    ***


    The bar was quiet as Feng Ming carried Gong Lan out of the bar. The door closed, and hundreds of voices shouted out at the same time. A few people cheered loudly, while the majority groaned.


    "Your free ride ends here!" the first mercenary said to his colleague.


    The second begrudgingly put his twenty spirit stones on the table, while the first was elated. After so many losses, he''d finally won something.


    Across the bar, several such exchanges took place. Some shouted "retribution!" Others shouted "I win, finally!"


    Everyone then looked at the barkeep, who was on his knees, thanking the heavens for their mercy.

 71 The Bar Maid and the Lord

    A young lady was serving drinks to customers in a bar. She wore a mauve hairclip to complement the mauve dress she wore. This was the best way to make tips, she''d discovered. Unfortunately, it came with many undesirable side effects.


    She heard whistling and catcalling as she walked past a table of rowdy men. They were all residents of Stonefell, a remote outpost near the spirit woods. Naturally, there was only so much to do in a town of 1,000 people, so most mercenaries flocked to the only bar in town.


    Hong Xin had fled as far as she could before she finally ran out of food and money. She''d sold her horse to stay the night, not knowing what do next. Fortunately, the owner of the bar happened to be looking for a tavern wench. She was hired straightaway.


    Serving as bar maid had not seemed like a bad idea. As far as she knew, one only had to serve food and drinks, make pleasant conversation, and look pretty. Yet she had gravely underestimated the gall of drunken men. Every night, she returned to her room in tears, covered in slap marks and overwhelmed with all the unsavory attention she''d gotten that night. That wasn''t counting the bruises that she obtained every time one of her customers grabbed her wrists or fondled her.


    Why did I have to run away? she thought. Should I call it quits and go back home?


    A sharp slap to her buttocks ended her train of thought and caused her to drop a tray full of drinks as she fell backward. She got up carefully to avoid cutting herself on the broken glass, but to the pleasure of the various men in the establishment, her clothes were soaked. She could only blush in shame as her now transparent clothes stuck to her body, accentuating her generous curves and ample bosom.


    She ran to a small closet and retrieved a broom, mop, and pail. She tried to hide her embarrassment as she cleaned the mess up in her revealing attire. Once she finished, she headed over to the owner, who ogled her while crossing his arms in displeasure.


    "That''s getting deducted from your pay," he said. She nodded silently, not daring to make eye contact.


    "Can I go dry myself off now?" she asked. Her face flushed red with shame.


    "No, I don''t think so," he replied. His face was covered in a lascivious grin. "You''re still on the clock, and your break isn''t for another forty-five minutes. Just bear with it for now."


    She gritted her teeth but continued her work. It would have been rather simple to dry herself off using her fire qi. She wasn''t completely useless, having reached the fifth stage of qi condensation a short while ago. At least, that''s what she kept repeating to herself. She knew that she''d been far outstripped by her friends at school. Still, there was no use wishing in life. That had gotten her nowhere, and she knew better now than to rely on the sympathy of others.


    The last time she''d dried herself off like that in front of customers, she was reprimanded and fined for "scaring" the clientele. Another time, she''d ducked into a room before drying herself off. She was only away for five minutes, but she was fined for taking a break before her allotted time. Her boss''s behavior was getting increasingly unreasonable, but there was nothing she could do. She was poor and miserable, trapped in this small town in the middle of nowhere.


    So she continued serving the customers their drinks in her wet attire. The orders were far more frequent than usual, and they likely had bought extra drinks to stare at her lecherously as she served them. Despite the large number of orders, she was careful to avoid the various feet that tried to trip her or the occasional spill on the uneven wooden floor.


    Another slap to her soaked bottom came out of nowhere, causing her to yelp in surprise. Her eyes were red, and she was on the verge of tears, but she held them back. She didn''t spill her drinks this time. At this point, butt slapping was the least of her worries. When a customer got drunk enough, she''d sometimes be grabbed from behind and fondled in all sorts of inappropriate ways. At most, these customers only got a slap on the wrist.


    This world is so unfair, she moaned inwardly.


    Later that night, the customers had gone. Her dress was dried, and she sat at a small wooden table, eating her meal for the night. The sound of clinking coins made her eyes dart up to the owner, who held them in his meaty fist.


    "That''s five silvers for the night, and three silvers from tips from our generous patrons," he said while smiling. She knew it was a lie, of course. She''d noticed how many silvers had been placed on the table after customers departed. However, she knew arguing wouldn''t do her any good.


    "Unfortunately, you broke some expensive mugs and spilled some drinks," he continued. "Not only that, several clients complained, and I had to refund them their money. I''ll take away six silver, so that leaves you with two. No complaints, right?"


    She looked to the side and avoided eye contact. She was used to it.


    The man then walked up behind her and placed his large hands on her tense shoulders. He dug his thumbs into her muscles as if he were giving her a massage, but she found his actions revolting and not relaxing in the slightest.


    "Xin Er," he said, "I know a much better way for you to make money. You could make ten silver an hour, and I wouldn''t even care if you took long breaks between¡­ sessions. If you''re scared because you''re inexperienced, you don''t need to worry. I''ll train you free of cost."


    She shuddered when she heard these words and felt his breath beside her ear. Her heart palpitated, and her whole body tightened as she forced herself away from him.


    "Fine, have it your way." Her boss walked off unhappily.


    She looked longingly at the two silver coins on the table, which she took to the bartender when she finished her meal. He handed her the usual and shot her a sympathetic look. Although he was a healthy young man, he was the only one in the establishment who didn''t look at her in a perverse manner.


    "It''ll only get worse," he said, sighing.


    She knew what he was implying. However, as an employee, he couldn''t tell her to quit directly. She thanked him and took the two flasks of wine up to her room. That night, like every night, she drank herself to sleep.


    ***


    Huxian lifted his small head up when a pack of wolves brought him yet another beast carcass. Like most times, it was a small one. However, beggars couldn''t be choosers. He munched in satisfaction as the wolf pack looked at him, salivating.


    "When are you guys going to catch something bigger?" he asked coldly. He''d perused his inherited memories intensely these past few weeks, and his predecessors agreed on one thing: Spirit beasts and demon beasts respected power. Being nice with them never got you anywhere. He used beast language when he spoke now, something that all spirit beasts understood innately.


    The wolves shuddered in fear before their pack leader gulped and spoke up. "Lord, there is nothing bigger to hunt within the limits of our territory. We don''t dare hunt outside it, for fear of attracting retribution from the other lords."


    The wolves cowered. These words had to be said, but the consequences of uttering them could be disastrous. They could only hope that this young lord kept his temper under control.


    Huxian grunted when he heard this. "What''s the weakest lord''s strength? Where can I find him?" he said while stretching out his limbs.


    The wolves shuddered when they heard the cracking of his bones. In front of Huxian, they couldn''t help but prostrate themselves in fear and awe. It was a complete suppression that stemmed from their very blood.


    "Lord, I''ll explain to you right away," the leader said excitedly. "The weakest nearby lord is a demon ferret. He is a first-level demon beast that controls a territory twice the size of our current territory. Regrettably, this means that us canines have been reduced to beggars in that same territory. Instead of being their natural predators, we''ve been reduced to second-class existences there."


    This didn''t surprise Huxian. This was what every spirit beast did when they took over a new territory. They elevated the status of their subservient beasts, enslaved the rest, and monopolized the resources. Every legendary herb or mushroom growing in the territory would be reserved for their use alone. This way, the strong thrived and the weak faded.


    Huxian''s presence increased as he began to walk out of the shadows. This was the first time he was revealing his full form to the wolf pack. Now that his wounds were ninety percent healed, he could afford to head out. The wolves gasped and whined when they saw his two dazzling tails. He had kept them hidden, so they''d assumed that he was an ordinary demon fox.


    But he didn''t show his true appearance to others quite yet. Instead, he camouflaged himself as a normal two-tailed demon fox. He walked forward proudly, and his orange and white fur was a sharp contrast to the motley gray colors of the wolf pack. The wolves cowered as he released his aura, an aura five times more powerful than he had let on before.


    "Great Lord!" one wolf gasped. "With a two-tailed demon fox leading our territory, there''s no way that those stupid ferrets can continue monopolizing this area."


    Huxian ignored their comments and walked out of the cave, and the pack of wolves followed him proudly. He was now six feet long and carried the aura of a conqueror.


    The forest seemed to come to life as he walked through it. Various spirit beasts came out of hiding and prostrated themselves before him. He didn''t deign to look at them but continued walking. These spirit beasts didn''t feel slighted in the least; they might have died of fright if he''d paid attention to such lowly servants.


    Soon, their group arrived at the border. The demarcation of land was clear as day, as both sides had urinated to indicate their respective territories.


    "Come out and meet your maker, you stupid ferret!" Huxian growled. The forest before him became a flurry of activity, as dozens of spirit ferrets charged out and looked toward him with murderous glares. They didn''t dare charge, however. This was clearly the lord of another territory, and only their own lord would stand a chance against him.


    "You dare!" a squeaky voice sounded out from behind the woods. Soon, a large ferret appeared. It stood four feet tall on its hind legs, and its massive teeth were over six inches long. The wolves near Huxian paled when they saw those glistening teeth but didn''t dare cower and stood firmly behind their lord. This was their chance for success, their chance for revolution!


    "Here''s how this is going to work," Huxian growled. "Immediately hand three quarters of your territory to your fatherand scram!"


    His intimidating aura surged, and the dozens of ferrets cowered behind their leader, who was slightly affected by the bloodline suppression. They cast fearful glances at his two wagging tails, an unusual sight in these woods.


    "Come now, give me some face ," the demon ferret said. "I can tell that this esteemed sir is a powerful demon beast that deserves a much larger territory than he currently has. How about I give you half of my territory, and we call it quits?"


    The lesser ferrets whispered amongst themselves in surprise. This kind of compromise would only happen when one lord felt disadvantaged against the other.


    "I''ve changed my mind," Huxian replied. "You can scram the hell out of your territory with the rest of your weasels, and I''m taking the whole thing!"


    The demon ferret''s face contorted in rage. "You''re going too far," he snarled. "How could this lordbe left without a territory? You can clearly snatch some territory from the other lords. If you keep pushing, I''ll fight you, and we''ll be mutually wounded. How will you hold on to your territory then?"


    "You overestimate yourself," Huxian replied in a grave voice. "Very well. If you want to fight, let''s fight!"


    The demon ferret''s eyes narrowed as he ordered his minions to fall back. The dozens of wolves that had followed to witness this battle retreated as well. The surrounding circle became a holy dueling arena where their leaders would decide the fate of their respective species. Squeals, squeaks, growls, and howls filled the air, and the tension was palpable.


    The demon ferret was the first to make his move. Ferrets were creatures of the forest, with tenacious vitality. They were naturally attuned to earth and wood. Their skin was thick, their bones were hard, and their regenerative capabilities were nothing to shake a stick at. The demon ferret''s squeaky howls pierced the air, and energy from the earth glowed as it seeped into his skin like a raging river.


    Huxian saw this happening but didn''t stop it. He was here to show his dominance and expand his territory. He wanted to grind that ferret''s face into the ground and bite through its skinny neck when it was at its strongest. As he waited, the earth transformed into a yellow armor on the surface of the demon ferret''s fur. Its sharp claws and fangs had increased in length by fifty percent, and the ferret had grown to twice its original size. It now looked like an enormous badger lord, a king of the weasel family.


    Despite his increased stature, the armored demon ferret didn''t slow down in the slightest. It darted out toward Huxian, using extreme speed to take a quick swipe at the fox''s neck. A look of glee appeared on its face when its claw made contact. However, it was replaced with disappointment when it realized that it had just struck an afterimage. Huxian had swiftly moved out of the way and placed himself behind the ferret. He still didn''t attack; he simply yawned.


    "Are you sure you want to do this?" Huxian asked provocatively. "Your father could beat you even without racial abilities. Why don''t you bite off your left leg, kowtow three times, and scram? At least this way I won''t be forced to kill you."


    This further enraged the demon ferret, who immediately burned his blood essence while charging toward Huxian. His speed increased by fifty percent, and he slashed out with both his claws and his impressive fangs. However, he was suddenly stopped by an overbearing pressure.


    "Burning your blood essence isn''t very sportsmanlike." Huxian growled. He was now surrounded by an aura of pure white light, and his two tails fluttered in the wind.


    The aura ate away at the ferret''s armor, causing it to break down piece by piece. When the armor disappeared, his fur began burning soon after.


    "Mercy, my lord. I''ll be your servant!" the demon ferret shouted. It wasn''t that the demon ferret didn''t want to move¡ªrather, he couldn''t. The suppression ate away his demonic qi and pierced his defenses.


    Huxian ignored his pleading. He revealed his fangs and approached the demon ferret at a steady pace. Saliva dripped from his mouth; after all, demon-beast flesh cores were nutritious supplements.


    The demon ferret cowered as he approached him, not daring to say another word. It was then that Huxian heard a loud voice.


    "Stop," the voice said. "As per the rules of this mountain, the demon ferret''s territory is yours. However, you may not kill another lord in my territory in ordinary circumstances. Do I make myself clear?"


    Huxian frowned as he pondered. The voice was coming from the peak of the mountain, and the aura that accompanied it was far more powerful than he was. Clearly another demon beast had taken residence on the mountain, one that was much stronger than him.


    Things being as they were, Huxian grunted and dispelled his Aura of Purification. The demon ferret gasped and kowtowed three times in succession. The spirit ferrets accompanied him and kowtowed three times as well.


    "Take your brood and get the hell out of Lord Two Tails''s territory," Huxian said. He was in an extremely bad mood. Just as the ferrets were about to take off, he yelled, "Wait!" The ferrets turned around. "Leave six corpses of peak ninth-level ferrets. The rest of you may leave."


    The demon ferret looked at his brethren with an expression of anguish, but his claws slashed out and killed six of his closest brothers. In the wild, anything could be done for survival.


    Huxian looked up to the peak of the mountain, and the lack of response confirmed that this was allowed. "Take these corpses back to my cave," he growled. The spirit wolves were happy to comply. From now on, wolves and foxes would rule over this expanded territory.


    As the wolves reveled, the spirit deer and other larger animals mourned. The ferrets had never bothered them, preferring to feast on spirit fowl and other small critters. Wolves and foxes would have no such appetites.


    That night, Huxian ate the six spirit ferret corpses, bones and all. He let out of sigh of relief as his wounds fully healed and his power edged a little closer to the early stages of the Purification Realm. Demonic qi surged throughout his body, strengthening his bones, flesh, and blood. His core also grew a tiny bit.


    As Huxian strengthened himself, he thought about the mysterious entity at the peak of the mountain.


    It''s a good thing I kept all my aces up my sleeve, he thought. Who knows if I''ll have to fight that guy in the future.

 72 Fracture

    Sweat dripped down Cha Ming''s chest as he trembled in pain. He was completely focused on his latest idea: healing his meridians with the Creation Qi Manipulation Technique. He gritted his teeth as he extracted a wisp of white qi from his dantian and directed it to a creation seal that led to the outside. Slowly but surely, it wandered through the opening and to the undamaged inch or so of the qi pathway.


    It was difficult to force the qi through the charred black tunnel. To his surprise, the charred surface quickly became coated with a new layer of qi-pathway material. However, the pathway was much smaller than before. It could be rebuilt, but the technique could not remove any damaged materials.


    Still, something was better than nothing. The qi continued traveling down the pathway, depleting itself as it created. In some cases, entire holes were patched. In others, the pathway was entirely missing, so the technique was able to create a brand-new pathway. However, his joy was short-lived. He soon arrived at a location where the channel was ragged and torn beyond recognition. It was also filled with charred debris.


    As the qi swept across these remnants, a thick coating appeared on the surface of each piece. Cha Ming grimaced when he realized that the pathway he had worked so hard to repair was completely blocked off.


    This was the straw that broke the camel''s back. His technique clearly mentioned that the human body could at most accommodate six sets of meridians. Therefore, he couldn''t create a new pathway.


    Depressed and dejected, he laid in his bed, staring at the ceiling. Before long, he drifted into a deep sleep.


    ***


    Cha Ming panted heavily as he struggled against a large ball of wool. It was shearing season, and this sheep was still covered in its thick wool coat. It had fallen into a shallow ditch and couldn''t get out unassisted. As a helper to a local farmer, it was Cha Ming''s duty to rescue any sheep that were lost or in precarious situations.


    Sweat ran down his brow as he inched his way forward, pushing his stubborn charge up the steep slope little by little. Finally, a half hour later, Cha Ming laid down on the pasture grass. His shirt was drenched in sweat, and all his muscles burned intensely. The sheep he had rescued, seeing Cha Ming completely covered in a salty liquid, proceeded to lick his arms and bare chest.


    This isn''t the first time, nor will it be the last, he thought. After catching his breath, he continued to guard the sheep as they grazed. They were close to the woods, and it would only be too easy for wolves or foxes to prey on the unsuspecting herd. That was why he always brought a long wooden staff with him wherever he went. Fortunately, these predators feared humans instinctively. As such, he could easily fight them off with a few wide swings.


    Time flowed by quickly, and the clouds were tinged in red as dusk settled. It was time to bring the sheep back to their resting place, so Cha Ming patiently herded them away from the woods. As he walked past them, he noticed an unusual silence.


    Must be wolves again, he thought. The smaller animals in the forest always shied away from their natural predators. Just like he expected, four silhouettes darted out from the woods toward one of the weaker sheep in the flock. Cha Ming grasped his staff firmly and sprinted toward them, hollering. He wasn''t trying to kill them, only scare them. It was much too difficult for a lone boy to accomplish.


    As he approached, the wolves growled at him and didn''t move back. This was unusual behavior but understandable given their mangy appearances. They were skin and bones, and desperation flickered in their fierce eyes. Unfortunately, desperate wolves were the trickiest. Cha Ming swung his long staff and hit a wolf''s head, and it whined but still stood firm.


    He heard a sharp bleating noise as one of the younger sheep was bitten in the neck. He watched on helplessly as they dragged its corpse off. The two wolves facing him slowly backed away, their fangs bared. Cha Ming could only sigh and continue herding the agitated sheep back to their resting place.


    He traveled back to the village after sunset. It was dark out, but a few people hung lanterns up to illuminate the communal street. He carried two large pails of water from the well with great difficulty. As he made his way toward their small shack, he noticed a few silhouettes. Frowning, he continued toward the house. He was greeted by the older farmer who employed him, the village mayor, and a friendly neighbor. They didn''t appear very happy.


    "Cha Ming, we have something important to tell you," the mayor said gravely. Seeing Cha Ming''s confused expression, he sighed and continued. "It''s not easy to say this, but it needs to be done. Your father passed away this morning."


    Cha Ming dropped both pails in shock. His strength left him, and his legs buckled. His eyes were red and tearing up. "What happened?" he asked in a quavering voice.


    The mayor sighed once more. "Fisherman Zhu found him downstream from the bridge, floating in the river. It was clear that he''d fallen to his death. We weren''t sure if it was accidental or not, but then we found a note in your home. I''m afraid your father ended his own life."


    Hearing this, Cha Ming sobbed uncontrollably.


    Why did you have to do this? he thought. I was working so hard to support us both. It would have been no problem for us to survive. Since there is such a thing as filial piety, don''t you owe it to me, your son, to continue living?


    As such thoughts ran through his mind, the three adults waited for him to recover. Eventually, Cha Ming stood up and wiped away his tears.


    "Can I see my father''s body?" he asked.


    The mayor nodded. "I''ll take you there very soon. Come look at the letter before we go." His voice was soothing and reassuring. He had no doubt gone through this process many times before.


    Cha Ming followed them in and saw a note on the kitchen table, along with a pouch. Tears streamed down his face as he read the note.


    Dearest Cha Ming,


    I''m sorry I was never a good father.


    Life has been difficult for me, but it''s no excuse. My memories cause me great misery, and I can''t help but drown my sorrows in liquor every day. These days, I''ve been thinking about what to do. I have little money left, and you won''t be able to support us both adequately. Besides, I''m tired and lonely. It''s time I move on and meet your mother.


    Here is the rest of my life savings. It''s not much, but it can get you somewhere far away if you so choose. Your mother and I were both cultivators. Unfortunately, we were both crippled in the war. It was those injuries that caused her death shortly after you were born, but she never regretted having you. And neither have I.


    I tested your aptitude long ago, and it wouldn''t be a problem for you to attend a publicly funded cultivation school. Alternatively, you can stay here and enjoy a peaceful life, away from war and its atrocities. The cultivation world is a brutal place, full of schemes and greed. I''m sure you can handle it. You are much stronger than I was at your age.


    This meager amount of money should get you to the nearest city. Or it should be enough to buy a farm. It''s up to you. Whatever you choose, I wish you a happy life. Once again, I''m sorry, but I miss her so much. I hope you can understand.


    With love,


    Du Xie Ming


    Cha Ming was inconsolable over the next few weeks. He buried his father next to his mother and mourned for three days and nights at their graves. Then, he continued herding sheep for another two weeks. After getting paid for his services, he resigned and began planning his journey to Green Leaf City. The dangers of the cultivation world might be plenty, but he couldn''t bear to stay in his small town, despite the kindness of its residents.


    He had chosen to become a cultivator. It was the very first real choice he''d made in this life.


    ***


    Cha Ming woke the next morning and prepared breakfast for himself and Li Yin. It was a daily habit for him, one of the few useful things he could do to help the generous doctor. It gratified him to see that, at the very least, he could take care of the man who saw dozens of mortal patients every day. He didn''t ask for any payment, but the villagers helped where they could. Every day, they received various baskets of food, bandages, and herbs.


    "Have you thought about what you''re going to do?" Li Yin asked as they ate.


    Cha Ming laughed helplessly. "What can I do? I''m a cripple, and I don''t have long to live. If I didn''t have someone who depended on me, I''d consider throwing myself off a bridge."


    He kept his eyes down, ashamed of what he''d just said. Just admitting that he would consider suicide seemed to push him into a deep pool of cold water, a darkness he couldn''t escape from.


    "I was like you once," Li Yin said softly, seeing Cha Ming''s discouraged expression. "My father was a spirit doctor. One of the best in his clan. He tested me when I was young, you see, and I was evaluated as a third-grade talent with full innate soul force and dual water and wood affinity. It was like a dream come true.


    "My father was equally excited. Not every spirit doctor has the good fortune to teach his profession to his child. As a result, I was fed countless medicines in my youth. My father made me study anatomy and spirit-doctor theory. Because I was young, I didn''t train my qi or body. Instead, my father made me perform several drills to increase my soul force. He was so excited¡­"


    Li Yin looked up and stared into Cha Ming''s eyes. "And then I tried cultivating. I successfully formed a qi cyclone on my first try. What great fortune! But I was happy too soon." He paused and sighed.


    "The instant I attempted to circulate the newly condensed qi, my meridians were overwhelmed. They shattered and were torn to bits. Fortunately, the remainder of my body didn''t suffer much damage. Yet I was destined to be a cripple for the rest of my life.


    "Later, my father discovered that I had a rare innate disorder that caused the walls of my meridians to be weak and brittle. I noticed as he explained this that his countenance had turned cold. He stopped speaking to me soon after. I lost all status in the clan, and all I could do was maintain a feeble existence. Only my mother still showed affection to me, but her expression of disappointment was unbearable.


    "Angry and disheartened, I ran away from the clan. No one stopped me, of course. It was still my dream to become a doctor. If I couldn''t become a spirit doctor, then I would become a mortal doctor!


    "I pestered countless academies for admittance, but reality has always been the harshest teacher. I was laughed out of many establishments, and they always informed me mockingly that those who couldn''t cultivate couldn''t practice medicine. Eventually, my funds ran dry, so I became a clerical assistant for a lowly apothecary.


    "I continued studying, as I was determined that it was possible to heal the sick without qi or spirit medicine. Soon I saved up enough silver to open a practice in a small shack in the slums of the city. I treated many commoners who were sick and injured using common herbs, acupuncture, and joint-manipulation techniques. I used the results of these early treatments to modify what I had learned from my early education, and after twenty years, I created a book containing all the knowledge I''d gleaned.


    "I was convinced that the spirit doctors would be pleased. After all, my medicine was very effective, but I was only practicing on commoners. Not only would this not infringe on their lucrative market, it would relieve them from the pain of having to deal with the world''s common people."


    He sighed. "I was na?ve. They said that I was dirtying the name of doctor. Spirit doctors hold themselves to a high standard¡ªhow could they allow someone like me, who did not meet these standards, to practice? Therefore, they burned my book and banned me from practicing medicine. If I were caught practicing, they would imprison me, all in the name of preventing harm to innocents. The very same innocents they refused to treat themselves.


    "I could only run away and practice in seclusion. As a cripple, I may not be able to do as much as a cultivator. But that doesn''t make my life worthless. There''s always something that can be done. Even if you have a week left in your life, you can still use that strong body to build a house. You can still find something you can help the world with."


    Finishing his cup of tea, Li Yin stood up from his chair and went to treat his next patient.


    ***


    Weeks flew by. The sun was shining brightly as farmers tended to their fields and sheepherders tended their flocks. Cha Ming saw children playing in the fine summer weather as he walked. They did the usual things that young children did: running through the woods, jumping off tall things, and beating each other with sticks. These children had yet to learn caution and considered themselves invincible.


    Cha Ming was carrying a large stack of wood for Li Yin when he saw their na?ve horseplay. He was carrying a 200-jin bundle, much more than most men could carry. His current limit was about one quarter of his former strength. Any more and he would begin to feel pain.


    I guess it isn''t so bad to live out the rest of my days like this, he thought.


    He performed many menial chores every day, helping villagers. With each day that passed, Cha Ming continued coughing up blood and feeling more and more lethargic. It would only be a matter of time before he kicked the bucket. He hadn''t tried recreating his qi pathways since the last incident. He did, however, continue cultivating passively for eight hours every night. It was something he could do instead of sleeping, and the process comforted him.


    After arriving at the doctor''s house, he stacked the wood underneath a thick canvas awning that protected it from the rain. These mundane tasks were therapeutic. There was much need for such help in the village, so he hustled to pick up his next batch of wood. This one was for Grandma Li.


    He walked back to the forest and hefted a large axe that had been specially crafted for him. A few vicious chops were all it took for him to fell a tree that was two feet thick in diameter. He cut it into smaller pieces, then split and bundled the freshly cut wood. The entire process took less than an hour, which was much faster than what a mere mortal could accomplish.


    As he carried the bundle back, he observed the young children and their horseplay. This time, they were playing on the rooftops.


    Maybe I should tell them to stop, he thought.


    Suddenly, he heard a cracking sound followed by a scream. He quickly dropped his bundle of wood and ran over to the other side of the house, where he saw a boy bawling in pain. His leg was deformed due to the fall and clearly broken.


    "There now," Cha Ming said in a soothing voice. "I''ll take you to see the doctor. He''ll fix you up, don''t you worry." The boy tried his best to put on a brave face but ultimately couldn''t stop himself from crying. As Cha Ming picked up the young boy, he saw a few kids walking up to him with guilty looks plastered on their faces.


    "And that''s why you don''t play around on rooftops, kids," he said. "Learn your lesson before you break your leg like little Bing here."


    After the quick scolding, he walked toward Li Yin''s house at a brisk pace. Fortunately, only the boy''s shin bone was broken. This sort of break wasn''t life threatening.


    A short while later, Cha Ming was sitting on a chair looking at the boy while the doctor made his assessment. He saw him touch several spots on the boy''s leg and ask about pain. He knew from Li Yin''s explanations that he was verifying circulation.


    The doctor''s scientific mind amazed Cha Ming. He had dropped several hints over the past two months, superficial information that he had gleaned over his lifetime on Earth about the circulatory system, immunity, and the like. Li Yin quickly took inspiration from the slightest hints and implemented them within a few days of study. In fact, he had devised all sorts of potential experiments he could use to verify each theory.


    "Cha Ming, I''ll need your help for this," Li Yin said.


    Cha Ming nodded. It was the reason he''d stuck around for so long. At first he wanted to continue fetching firewood, but Li Yin said he needed a pair of strong arms.


    "All right, little man, just sit still and be brave. Can you do that for me?" the doctor asked. "This will hurt a little, but not much. You can take a little bit of pain, right?"


    The boy nodded and put on a brave face. "All right, Cha Ming, I need you to force these two bones apart and realign them as I guide. Are you ready?"


    Cha Ming nodded, and at the doctor''s signal, he used a fraction of his strength to adjust as the doctor indicated. The boy screamed and struggled, but fortunately, Li Yin had anticipated this and kept him still. He continued to guide Cha Ming with one hand until the bone was finally set in place. He then created a splint with wood and cloth.


    "Remember, this will swell a lot and hurt a lot, but you must not remove this splint until I tell you to. Is that clear?"


    The boy nodded miserably.


    "Now that that problem is fixed, how did you break your finger?" the doctor asked.


    "This?" the boy asked, perplexed. He held up a finger, which was quite red in the middle. The finger was clearly crooked and aching. "This happened last week. We were playing sword fighting with sticks, and I got hit on the finger. It hurt pretty bad, but it''s getting better."


    "I see," Li Yin said. "You''ve broken your finger, and it''s already started healing. If it continues healing, that finger will cause you problems for the rest of your life. You should let me fix it."


    The boy hesitated, but he ultimately nodded in acquiescence. He had seen the doctor many times before and trusted him unconditionally.


    "That''s a brave boy," Li Yin continued. "Now, I''m sorry to say that this is going to hurt as well, though not as much as the other bone because it''s smaller. You''re brave enough to handle that, aren''t you?"


    The boy winced but didn''t protest.


    "Cha Ming, when a bone is broken, it sometimes comes together at a strange angle and heals together. Unfortunately, when you heal this way, it will lead to deformities in the bones. His finger won''t function properly, and it will hamper his progress in life. I need you to break his finger again, at this point here." He pointed to the finger.


    Cha Ming frowned, but at the doctor''s orders, he snapped the boy''s finger like a chicken bone.

 73 Hope

    The boy howled in pain but quickly calmed down. Cha Ming worked with the doctor to set the bone in the right position, and Li Yin made another splint for the finger to heal properly.


    In the end, they took the boy back to his mother, who was waiting in the dining area. She had prepared a lunch for them in her restlessness, so they ate together before the mother and child finally left. Cha Ming returned to carrying wood, but the vivid scenes he''d experienced kept playing through his mind as he worked.


    Do I need to destroy my qi pathways before rebuilding them again? he thought. Do I need to clear the rubble before building new supports for the collapsed tunnel? He recalled how missing sections of qi pathways had been quickly replaced by brand-new material. However, even lightly burned walls would lead to new meridians, which were much thinner than before.


    He had a theory, but how he could accomplish it was a different matter. Unfortunately, his qi channels could not be destroyed by regular means. He could break them down forcefully by circulating his qi, but it was far too painful, and the debris left behind wouldn''t be removed. Besides, he couldn''t circulate his qi for more than three seconds before passing out.


    Then, a crazy idea popped into his head. What if I try using my destruction qi to clear away the rubble? I could first coat my meridians in creation qi to shield them, and slowly work my way forward. I would destroy a little bit, then create more as soon as it''s destroyed.


    His mind continued to race for the remainder of the day. He worked quickly to finish all his duties before returning to his room. He shivered with excitement at the prospect of recovery.


    Cha Ming rested his mind for an hour before projecting his spiritual force inward. He focused on his dantian and the several severed and damaged qi pathways. This time, he paid extremely close attention to the seals on his dantian, which enabled qi to flow to and from his qi pathways.


    There were many pathways leading from his dantian to his kidney, so he chose a badly damaged one he had not experimented with yet as a starting point. Taking a deep breath, he gently gathered a wisp of the dark, destructive qi that inhabited the star between his qi lakes. It cycled continuously between the elements in a destructive fashion¡ªwood destroyed earth, earth imbibed water, water doused fire, fire melted steel, and steel cut wood. It struggled fiercely as he pulled it out from its natural resting place.


    Fortunately, the calamity lightning had done more than just injure Cha Ming. The baptism of lightning had greatly strengthened his soul, and he was now at half-step foundation establishment. Therefore, he used brute force to stabilize the struggling qi, which upon sensing the presence of absolute power, became gentle as a kitten.


    The first step is establishing a qi seal. Everything he was trying was purely experimental. The Creation Qi Manipulation Technique was not designed to handle destruction qi, after all. Therefore, Cha Ming had to make many of his own inferences. The first inference was how to create a qi seal with destructive qi. Judging from the form of all other qi seals in his dantian, he decided that it should take the shape of a black star.


    The qi seal for wood, for example, was created using the character for wood. It was the same for all the elements, but the creation qi seal was not a character. It simply existed as a white circle, as though any attempt to represent it as a character would be considered blasphemy.


    He first grabbed a wisp of creation qi and gathered it on the circular seal, acting as a buffer between his dantian and his destruction qi. He was performing a dangerous experiment, and any slight mishap could pierce his dantian, leading to the complete ruination of his cultivation. At that point, recovery would be truly impossible.


    Seeing that his buffer was established, he carefully guided the black wisp to the white circle and used it to draw a black line on the circle. He sighed in relief when he saw that his dantian was not pierced by the qi''s destructive power. Following the first stroke, he quickly drew four more. To his surprise, the instant he completed the star, it flashed briefly before glowing with eight colors. There were five colors representing the five elements, a white circle, and a black star. The eighth color was ash gray, and he wasn''t sure what this signified. However, he was quite pleased to see that the experimental qi seal had been completed successfully.


    The second step, destruction before creation. Cha Ming gritted his teeth as he slowly urged the small wisp of black qi through the newly established qi seal. The instant it touched the badly mangled qi pathway, extreme pain made Cha Ming convulse slightly. Compared to creating qi pathways, destroying them was unimaginably more painful. Fortunately, his soul was formidable. This allowed his mental state to bear the extreme pain and force the black wisp a little further down.


    Cha Ming felt like countless razor blades were ravaging his insides as he continued to direct the wisp of destructive qi toward his kidney. Still, he pressed on. This was the last straw he could grasp, and if he was successful, he might be able to save his life. With luck, he could restore his ability to cultivate.


    Worst case, I drop dead, he thought. It''s better to die trying than to give up hope.


    This single thought guided him through the process like a light in the darkness. He continued inching farther and farther until he reached his kidney. When he arrived at the kidney, he didn''t stop. Instead, he used the black wisp to destroy the surface where a ruined qi seal lay. He wiped this qi seal out of existence, then carefully traced a black star where the seal had previously been. After the last stroke was completed, he finally ran out of destruction qi.


    Fortunately, I managed to finish clearing a single pathway, he thought before retracting what remained of his inky black qi. After it returned to his qi pool, he directed the misty white qi to the same qi seal. It passed through effortlessly, and as he directed it, he witnessed the creation of the most beautiful qi pathway he had ever seen. It was flawless, a much better product than his original creation. Better yet, he felt that this new qi pathway was far more flexible and durable this the ones he had been born with.


    Compared to the pain he''d suffered while clearing the rubble, the pain of creating a new pathway was like scratching an itch. In a way, the pain felt comfortable. It took him less than a tenth of the time to completely empty out his creation qi and form a complete qi pathway. As soon as he formed the circular seal, the same eight-colored mutation as before led to the creation of a hybrid qi seal.


    He breathed a sigh of relief as soon as the deed was done. After retracting the white qi, he was about to begin cultivating to recover his qi when a thought struck him: Could he use this hybrid qi seal with all the elements? His dantian was brimming full with five different qi lakes. He didn''t hesitate to grab a wisp of green wood qi and force it through the hybrid qi seal. As expected, it passed through without a hitch.


    As it passed through, he noticed the qi pathway strengthen, and the dematerialized flesh beside where the destruction qi had passed began to heal over. It continued until finally pouring into his badly damaged kidney. He gasped in shock as the damaged organ sprang to life. While he couldn''t heal the charred remains of the organ, its function had increased significantly.


    Once the wood qi was completely exhausted, he switched to water qi. The instant the water qi poured in, he felt the fluids in the organ regenerate. It began functioning at a much higher capacity. Next, as he poured metal qi in, he felt the blood in his organ increase. Then, earth qi stabilized its structure, and finally, fire qi catalyzed the whole process. Although he wasn''t sure exactly how well it was functioning, his rapidly decreasing lethargy was a good indication.


    He sighed in relief when the process was completed. As he withdrew his consciousness from his body, he realized that it was already late in the evening. He felt a stabbing pain in his bladder as the urge to relieve himself struck without warning. He hobbled over to a small bucket in his room and sighed in relief as he filled it with hot urine. The process brought him great pain.


    Am I passing a kidney stone or something? he thought. And what''s that smell?


    It took him a quarter hour to painfully finish the process before he retrieved a small lamp. He lit it, only to discover that the bucket was filled with a blackish red fluid. He swirled it around slightly, hearing a noise akin to sand in the bottom.


    He wrinkled his nose and stuffed the bucket in a corner of the room. He planned to show it to the doctor in the morning.


    Finally, after wandering back to his bed, exhaustion hit him like a sack of bricks. Sleep took him instantly.


    ***


    Cha Ming woke up the next morning to the wonderful smell of breakfast food. His stomach grumbled intensely, so he immediately obeyed it and sprang out of bed. After washing his face, he proceeded to the dining room, where he saw a large breakfast laid out on the table. He heard the doctor in his office, patiently discussing medical matters with his patient.


    Not wanting to disturb him, he walked over to the table and ravenously ate whatever was in front of him. He hadn''t felt so hungry in a long time. Even spending a month unconscious hadn''t made him so famished.


    Li Yin walked in just as he was finishing his meal. "You finally decided to come out of your room after three days, I see." The man grunted. Seeing the look of confusion on Cha Ming''s face, he continued. "I checked up on you several times over the last few days. For three days, you were sitting in a meditative posture, and I didn''t want to disturb you. This morning, I saw that you were sleeping, so I made you breakfast. Given that you can''t cultivate, I''m surprised you could stay in a meditative state for so long."


    Embarrassed, Cha Ming explained his recent experience with the clever doctor, who listened attentively. After their discussion, Cha Ming also fetched the bucket of foul urine he''d excreted when he woke up from his session.


    "Fascinating!" Li Yin exclaimed. "It appears to me that, since you''ve managed to restore some level of qi flow to your kidney, it has cleared the debris that had been accumulating over time and was slowly poisoning you. If what you say is true, then the immediate threat to your life from kidney failure has disappeared. I''m happy for you. Truly." The older man''s eyes sparkled for a moment, but an expression of loneliness quickly replaced his previous excitement. This too vanished swiftly and was quickly replaced with his usual calm demeanor. Then, a bell rang from his office.


    "Take your time today and rest, my boy," Li Yin said before heading toward his office. "I need to go see another patient."


    ***


    It took Cha Ming three more days to recover his qi, and ten shards had been ground to dust in the process. The damage to his meridians and qi pathways made it very difficult to absorb ambient qi, so the concentrated essence in mid-grade spirit stones was ideal for his recovery. He considered himself extremely fortunate to have washed up in a place where spirit stones were so abundant.


    He soon realized that the process of healing his qi pathways would take far longer than he originally estimated. The process could even take two years, depending on the circumstances. Further, at least half of this time would be spent resting and recuperating.


    These three days, he had done a considerable amount of thinking. He was currently useless in battle, and his injuries could only be aggravated if he was exposed to any violence or dangerous situations. This meant that, ideally, he should stay within the village the whole time. These thoughts continued to linger when he successfully cleared and rebuilt another two pathways. With each qi pathway he unblocked, he felt one step closer to gaining his life back.


    It was now summer, and the scorching heat had forced many people back indoors for shelter. Cha Ming was no exception. His bedroom was rather small, so after purchasing the supplies he required, he sat at a small desk in the living room and began practicing his calligraphy.


    He wrote whatever came to mind as his paintbrush flowed. There was no qi involved, but he kept his spiritual force active at all times, striving for perfection with every brush stroke. As he wrote, he thought of his kind teacher, Elder Ling, who had kindly taught him without asking for anything in return. So many coincidences had shaped his life in the past year. In addition, he''d had many instances of luck, such as finding the Clear Sky Brush, his cultivation technique, meeting Huxian, and meeting the man in the brush. Yet he had suffered no true hardships.


    Now it was his turn to suffer. And this penance would last many years. Here he was, lost and friendless. He could only carry on and make the best of the situation.


    "That''s very good penmanship you have there," a voice said from behind him.


    Cha Ming turned around and saw Li Yin, who nodded appreciatively. "You write quite fast as well."


    Cha Ming sighed and continued writing. "I learned calligraphy when I became a talisman artist. Although I can''t currently use qi, I can still continue practicing this skill. Besides, it focuses my mind and soothes the soul."


    "Quite right," Li Yin said. "I have a job for you if you''re interested."


    "Oh?" Cha Ming asked. "Whatever it is that you need me to do, I''ll be happy to oblige." This was the first time the doctor had ever asked him to do anything directly. He owed the man his life, so he would never hesitate to help him with something.


    "Come with me," he said. "I''ll show you something."


    Cha Ming followed Li Yin into his office. There, he noticed a messy desk and a few bookshelves. The doctor walked past these and proceeded to a large wooden closet. He opened the lock on the handle and opened it, revealing a dozen large bound books. There were also over a hundred scrolls that lay bundled in a pile.


    "I must confess, I haven''t been the best at taking notes all these years," the doctor said. "I have so much research, and so many patients, but very little time."


    He then walked up to one of the large bound books and opened it for Cha Ming to see. Every word written within it was hastily scrawled in what could only be described as "doctor''s script." In other words, the contents were nearly illegible.


    "These are my life''s work," Li Yin continued. "They contain all my accumulated knowledge on medicine, and every book contains general groupings in each subject. For example, this book is about the human skeletal system. There''s another book on organs, and another one on qi pathways, meridians, and acupuncture. There is also a large book on disease.


    "What I''d like you to do is read through these, condense and amalgamate the content, and write it legibly so that new doctors can easily learn the content. Can you do it?"


    Cha Ming gulped but eventually nodded. It was a very tedious task, but at this point he had a very substantial amount of downtime. Further, if he started with the book on meridians and qi pathways, then followed up with the book on organs, he would stand a much better chance in succeeding in his experimental recovery process.


    "I''ll start tonight," Cha Ming said, grabbing the large book on qi pathways. He didn''t dare idle for a single moment. His life and his future were at stake.

 74 Arres

    Gong Lan shivered as she woke. It was dark, and a musty smell assaulted her nostrils when she breathed. It was cold and damp where she lay, rough even. Definitely not a bed. Moving her legs, she heard the rattling of chains being dragged across a hard surface. Stone, if she wasn''t mistaken. Her eyelashes fluttered as she finally looked around what appeared to be a dark cell.


    She winced in pain as she sat up on her stone bed. Her ankles were bloodied and covered in sharp lines, a cruel reminder that at some point, she''d tried to force her way out of the iron fetters.


    How did I get here? Why am I in a cell?


    Blurry memories surfaced as she searched for the answer. She recalled a pickpocket taking an elder man''s pouch. There was a chase. A group of hoodlums who were harassing a young woman. She remembered flashes of steel and a spray of blood. And then¡­ nothing. She couldn''t remember anything after that.


    Despite the blood on her ankles, her usual despondency over the past months remained. After much trial and error, she''d discovered that it was other people''s blood that she craved. She had thrown herself into many dangerous missions but had also botched many peaceful ones. After many months, her brother couldn''t take it anymore and refused to give her further assignments. She couldn''t blame him, of course. Her lust for blood was rapidly eroding his loyal client base. However, he had yet to realize the consequences of his actions.


    At first, there were only a few extra brawls in the tavern she frequented. After a few weeks of collateral damage, she was banned from every tavern and bar in the city. As such, she was forced to drink alone. No one wanted to be around her when she was inebriated. After her only outlet was snatched away, her temper became increasingly volatile. Only Feng Ming and her brother could stand to visit her. Even then, they only came by once a week. After all, they were both busy men with full-time jobs.


    Now she''d hit rock bottom. She had killed a few hooligans for pickpocketing. The punishment clearly didn''t suit the crime, something she only realized in retrospect.


    What do I do now? Do I wait here and rot in prison?


    Her train of thought was derailed when she heard footsteps in the hallway. Keys jingled as the lock to her door clicked open.


    "Visitor for prisoner Gong Lan," a dull voice intoned.


    She couldn''t see who it was, as the torchlight from the hallway was the first light she had seen since waking. A familiar-looking figure walked in, and the door closed behind him.


    "You''re a really impressive prisoner," the man said. "You''ve just gotten here and you''re already in solitary confinement. Your reputation precedes you, Blood Queen."


    Some blood queen, she thought. She was clothed in rags; her signature red leather armor had been stripped off by God knew who. Her treasured sabers were missing as well. Maybe that''s for the best.


    "You look dashing as always, Feng Ming," she said. "Have you come to grant me my last wish before they execute me?"


    Feng Ming chuckled wryly. "That depends on the request. What would you have me do?"


    "Me," she replied. Sadly, he had fought off all her attempts to date.


    He chuckled again. "I''m afraid I can''t help you there. Not only would your brother kill me, but those chains and the stone bed would make things very uncomfortable."


    "You mean exciting?" she replied.


    "And that is the third reason, the reason I''ve always turned you down in the first place," he said. "I think our definitions of excitement are very different. Anyway, I don''t think they''ll execute you. They''ll likely keep you detained for many years. Your brother''s too damn powerful, after all, so the city lord has no choice but to accommodate him. However, accommodation and capitulation are two completely different things."


    In other words, he could reduce the punishment, but the punishment had to be severe enough to appease the masses. Anything less than her current punishment would greatly weaken the city lord''s authority. Sparing her life was already giving her brother a lot of face.


    "You need to take care of yourself," Feng Ming said. "I''m going on a mission in a couple days. It''ll be a long one. Take this time away from killing to reflect on why it was that you got into this mess in the first place. What were you fighting for? I refuse to believe that the kind-hearted Gong Lan I first met would strive for power only to mindlessly slaughter innocents."


    They sat in silence for a while, after which Feng Ming walked over to the steel door and knocked. He glanced at her once more before walking out.


    I walked down this path to protect my friends. I tried my hardest not to be a failure, but now I''ve become the biggest of burdens. Father was right¡ªI''ll never amount to anything.


    Thinking of her friends and family didn''t help. It only made the thick walls and steel door that much more alienating. She felt so lonely suddenly, yet all she could do was suffer in silence.


    ***


    A week passed. It was difficult to tell time in the dark cell, so instead she counted the meals she ate. Despite everything she''d heard about people getting themselves thrown in jail to get three square meals a day, the truth was disappointing. Every evening, the jailor would bring by a small chunk of meat, a pitcher of water, and a loaf of bread. To many people, this chunk of meat would be a godsend. However, that single meal was barely enough to sustain her. She wasn''t used to starving like this, but she supposed she didn''t deserve better.


    Gong Lan had done much thinking over the past week. Memories constantly flashed before her eyes, memories that she''d forgotten. Sometimes they were about her father and the various beatings she''d received. Other times, she actually remembered the brutal scenes when she blacked out and went berserk, killing people with wild abandon. Every time a memory flashed by, her self-esteem plummeted.


    What made things worse was that her brother had yet to visit. She hadn''t seen anyone since Feng Ming last came. Such treatment only reaffirmed her initial conviction: that she was a dreadful failure, no matter what cultivation base she had.


    She hadn''t cultivated all this time. The Blood World Scripture might be powerful, but it had a dreadful side effect: Advancement could only be gained through slaughter and blood. Her next hurdle, establishing her foundation, would either require an unprecedented threat to her life or a special pill concocted from the blood of people and demon beasts alike. The process of consuming the pill would be no less dangerous than breaking through mid-battle. Either way, she would establish a perfect foundation.


    A grating sound alerted her as a thin plate of food and a small bowl of water was slipped through an opening at the bottom of her door. The guard shut the opening as quickly as it had opened. This wasn''t surprising, now that she remembered how she''d gotten put in solitary confinement in the first place. A few of the male prisoners had been harassing her, so she''d killed all of them with a teacup.


    Death by teacup. A terrible way to go. Her solitary confinement was both for her own protection and for the other prisoners. More importantly, it was to protect the jailors. In the process of capturing her, she''d injured three guards and permanently maimed two others. Coincidentally, one of those two happened to be the guard who supervised solitary prisoners. She suspected that one meal a day was an exception rather than the rule, a punishment for her bad behavior.


    Hours passed. She hadn''t yet fallen asleep when she heard a loud crashing sound from above the ceiling, followed by shouting. Sounds of fighting ensued, and soon the door leading to the basement where she was located blew open. She heard a thump and the sound of a body crumpling, likely the maimed guard.


    Who could be breaking into prison at this hour?


    To her surprise, she heard the jingle of keys right outside her cell, and the steel door opened. A tall cloaked figure was looking down at her.


    "Have you done enough thinking this past week?" a voice asked.


    She recognized that voice. Her brother had come to break her out of prison! The very thought brought tears to her eyes. It seemed like her brother hadn''t abandoned her after all.


    "Let me see your fetters," Gong Wuling said softly. She obediently stretched out her legs, and her brother swiftly unlocked them.


    "Come," he said. She followed after him as they traveled through the guardhouse, past twenty crumpled figures. They passed some prisoners on the way, but they didn''t dare ask for rescue once they saw Gong Wuling''s sharp gaze.


    Soon, they were out of the city. Two horses were nicely tied up, their saddles full of provisions for what she could only assume was a long journey. A sudden bout of anxiety struck her as she looked everywhere but didn''t see the familiar gleam of her sabers.


    "Brother, my sabers are still in the city," she said worriedly.


    "I have them with me, but you won''t need them where we''re going," he said calmly.


    "Where are we going?" she asked nervously. Did they have to flee the country because of this prison break?


    "To get you help," he said softly. "I know a man who works miracles. However, he lives in the mountains. Our journey will take many months, but I refuse to have you continue down this path of slaughter. So, while I''m bringing your sabers, I''m afraid you will never use them again."


    ***


    Hong Xin hated her life. Months had passed, and she still hadn''t managed to save up more than fifty silvers. She knew it was intentional, of course, a prolonged effort by the owner of the establishment to convince her to sell more than just her waitressing services.


    It was not that she didn''t make money. Rather, the misery of her situation caused her to drink it all away. She was now completely dependent on these few bottles every night, to the point that the friendly bartender now refused to serve her. As a result, she had no choice but to beg the owner, who would smile viciously and sell it to her at twice the price.


    The customers today were rowdy and perverted, but she had long gotten used to their touchy behavior and their explicit words. She simply wore a fake smile as she walked around delivering orders. It had been over a month since she had tripped, not that the pay had gotten any better. The owner always found a way to grind her pay down to the bare minimum.


    As the night passed by, she kept feeling that there was something missing.


    Where is the usual harassment from the owner? she wondered. Has he finally dropped dead, or did he have a change of heart?


    This was wishful thinking, of course. Later that evening, she finished cleaning up all the tables and sat down and started eating her meal. She waited for the owner to show up, since it was possible that he might confiscate her pay if she didn''t wait for him. Soon, she heard the door to the kitchen open and saw the owner stumbling toward her. He was drunk. He pulled up a chair and sat beside her, staring at her in his usual disgusting manner.


    "Did you bring my pay for the day?" she said crisply.


    The man looked confused, then finally mumbled, "Why do you have to be that way? Aren''t we friends? Can''t we just chat?"


    She looked at him warily. "We aren''t friends, and no, I don''t want to chat. I just want to get paid," she replied.


    "Have you thought about my offer yet? I''ll pay you double!" he said hoarsely.


    Disgusted, she turned around to walk upstairs to her room. She wouldn''t stay around and get treated like this, pay or no pay.


    "I''ll bring it up to you in a bit," he yelled.


    A half hour passed by before she heard a loud knock on her door. As she opened it, the man forced himself inside the room and handed her a small pouch.


    She poured out the contents of the pouch, only to discover thirty pieces of silver. She frowned before asking, "What is all this for? Why am I getting so much all of a sudden?"


    The owner burped. "It''s advance payment for tonight," he said. His face was flushed. His red eyes kept wandering around her beautiful figure, as though taking in a precious work of art.


    She frowned. "I''ve already told you, I''m not having anything to do with your offer. Go to bed, you''re being loathsome." She tried pushing him out, only to realize that he wouldn''t budge. Instead, he forced her back against a wall.


    "Why do you have to be so mean?" he muttered drunkenly. She wrinkled her nose as the smell of alcohol assaulted her senses. However, before she could push him away, she felt a hand pulling at the edges of her robe.


    "What are you doing?" she yelled angrily. She moved to try and stop him, only to have his thick, meaty hand grab her wrist and force it against the wall. She paled as she realized she couldn''t free herself of his grip.


    He wouldn''t dare force me to do anything, would he?


    Yet before she knew it, both her wrists were caught up in his one meaty hand. He began grasping at her robe impatiently. It tore under his forceful approach, exposing her fair skin and one of her twin peaks. Her mind blanked. She couldn''t think, and to make matters worse, she felt his meaty hand fondle her bare chest, which no one had touched before other than her mother.


    Her legs were shaking. How can this be happening to me? She tried to scream, only to have a rag shoved into her mouth. He began unbuckling his pants with his free hand.


    What do I do? What do I do? she thought frantically. She would rather die than experience this.


    It was then that she remembered that she was a cultivator.


    She gathered her burning qi and directed it to her raised hands, and a burning dragon shot out from them and hit the ceiling. The owner scrambled back quickly to avoid the falling debris. His previous lusty expression was replaced with fear.


    "Spare me, spare me!" he yelled. He was now covered in sweat, but he hadn''t had time to pull up his pants, which were down around his ankles.


    She summoned a ball of flame into her hand as she looked down at him with a cold expression. "You deserve death," she said in a deadpan voice. First, she burned his little brother until it was nothing but a black pile of charcoal. His screams rang throughout the bar and into the night sky through the hole in the ceiling.


    "You wanted to take me?" she said, her voice full of venom.


    The owner''s complexion was pale, but he could hardly speak from the shock of his burned extremity.


    "Then let''s see how you enjoy having someone else having their way with your body." She reduced her flames to the lowest possible intensity, and his skin bubbled as she roasted him alive, one limb at a time.


    "I beg you! Please just kill me!" he yelled. She ignored his wailing and continued her grisly task. Soon he resembled a hog roasted on a spit.


    "Kill me¡­" he croaked. Somehow, he hadn''t lost consciousness. She ignored his plight and walked out of the room and grabbed the bag of coins on the way out. The corridor was filled with smoke. Her earlier attacks had lit the bar on fire, so time was not on her side.


    She crossed the hallway into the owner''s bedroom, where she found various pieces of jewelry, some banknotes , and a first-level spirit sword. She proceeded to the ground floor, which was completely deserted. Everyone had gone home for the night, and only the wifeless owner remained. She ran down the hall to where his office was and blasted the door inward. She then hastily gathered all the coins and banknotes she saw into a bag and tied it around her belt.


    The creaking beams reminded her that the building could collapse at any moment. She ran out of the building, only to see several villagers gathered outside. They were the last people she wanted to face after killing a man. Some people moved to stop her and question her, but they stopped when they saw her torn robe and the tears streaming down her face.


    So she ran out from the small town unimpeded, leaving thirty pieces of silver for a horse she stole before going on her way. She galloped out into the night, unsure of where to go.


    Should I go back home? she thought. No, I''m nothing but a bother. I refuse the think the whole world is like this. I''ll find a nice town that treats me with respect, where I can settle down and live my life in peace.

 75 Regre

    Dense crowds parted as a luxurious carriage moved through Songjing City. Many people glanced at the carriage in amazement as it proceeded on the tightly fitted mosaic that led all the way to the palace. After all, even a single piece of the golden carriage would enable a commoner to retire in peace and luxury.


    Songjing was the capital of the Song Kingdom, and thus the hustle and bustle of regular cities couldn''t hold a candle to it. The streets were clean, and the bricks that made it were unbroken and multicolored. Yet this wasn''t the city''s most remarkable feature. After the carriage passed a few commercial buildings, lush greenery appeared on every side. Luxurious trees and flowers adorned the picturesque street, on which only a few select businesses could set up shop.


    "The heat here is truly unbearable in the summer," said Wang Jun as he sipped tea with Elder Bai. They were both riding in the carriage that was driven by Protector Ren. Such a duty was above his station, of course, but one did not simply deny a core-formation expert''s request.


    "Young Master," Elder Bai replied, "I''ve heard that this is in part due to the peculiar formation that encompasses the whole city and allows the greenery to prosper year-round. Think of it as a trade-off for maintaining the city''s trademark d¨¦cor. Besides, I myself prefer excessive heat to intolerable cold. Any slight chill makes these old bones ache."


    Wang Jun rolled his eyes. "The weather doesn''t annoy me that much. I just hate having to ride around in such an opulent carriage. Isn''t being low-key the best policy?"


    "Normally you would be correct," Elder Bai said. "However, this carriage has been arranged specifically by the third prince, and we must ride in it to show our continued and official support. This is all because we agreed to play the part as supporters in the light while he garners support from the shadows."


    Their conversation was cut short as they entered the palace''s front gates. They were soon greeted by a pair of plainly dressed guards, who proceeded to escort them toward the third prince''s residence. While their appearance was nondescript, Wang Jun knew that they were experts at half-step foundation establishment. Such soldiers were rare in a national military, so their standing was undoubtedly quite high.


    As they proceeded through the palace, Wang Jun took note of the carefully crafted marble pillars that he had seen multiple times to date. They were made entirely with tropical-blue marble, a rare variety that contained both blue and green patches. He figured that they were worth more than their weight in gold, an obvious display of opulence by the Song family, who had ruled the kingdom for the past thousand years.


    "Our guests have finally arrived," a high-pitched voice said. "Please get back to the gate. I''ll take them from here."


    The guards grunted and headed back, leaving the three guests in the hands of an overly enthusiastic man. He was a chubby man, and clearly very jovial. However, Wang Jun knew that that this eunuch, the right-hand man of the third prince, was not as simple as he appeared to be.


    "Both of your guardians may stay in this room here while we visit the prince," the eunuch said. "Our maids will ensure that their every need is taken care of."


    "This Wanghumbly thanks the third prince for his hospitality," Wang Jun said. "Everyone, please abide by Eunuch Tie''s arrangements."


    This came as no surprise to his experienced assistants, who immediately darted to the generous refreshments provided. Wang Jun chuckled at the spectacle.


    "This way, if you please," said Eunuch Tie, who in the absence of others, became as silent as a mouse. They soon arrived at an ornate door carved from cinnabar oak and gilded with gold. The eunuch led him in directly and seated him on a blue couch near a curious stone fireplace, in which a blue flame flickered.


    "Second Young Master Wang, I''m so pleased to see you again," said a man in his early twenties as he strolled into the room.


    Wang Jun stood up and gave a curt bow, only seating himself once the third prince gestured for him to go ahead. Eunuch Tie approached them and poured what appeared to be an extremely expensive tea, something that Wang Jun confirmed once he took his first sip.


    "Royal Reserve Pu''er tea from the 972nd year of the Song Kingdom''s rule. How extravagant, Your Highness," Wang Jun said. "Nearly as extravagant as the Spring Chill Flame in the fireplace."


    The third prince, who wore his jet-black hair tied behind his head with a golden clasp, chuckled self-deprecatingly. "There is no need to feign surprise. I''m sure Second Master Wang has seen much more lavish indulgences in his lifetime. Still, I can''t deny that my budget can barely tolerate my liberal use of Spring Chill Flame, which emanates the scent and temperature of a cool spring day. However, I can''t help but use it during these scorching summer days. As for the tea, I wouldn''t dare serve any lesser tea to a connoisseur such as yourself."


    Wang Jun chuckled. "Straining the budget. I suppose this is the case, for now. However, the first shipment of weapon exports is set to take place in two days. This kind of expenditure will be nothing more than a drop in a very large bucket."


    The prince nodded but couldn''t help but frown before looking at Wang Jun with a dour expression. "My father is weakening. I don''t know how long he has left, but it can''t be more than a few years. He''s still fifty this year, however. I refuse to believe that this isn''t some scheme by the crown prince and his treacherous oracle, Zhou Li. I know that you advocate caution, but we don''t have much time. I fear that he has been poisoned."


    Wang Jun nodded. "Relax. Everything is going according to plan. We have chosen the path of superior economy and weapons, while the crown prince has chosen the path of alchemy and the nobility. To our knowledge, he only has a slight military advantage.


    "Rest assured that we have chosen the correct path. The nobles are too self-interested to be willing to pay any sort of price, while merchants understand that a proper price must be paid for a proper investment. All you must do is continue drumming up support from the shadows, while we create fanfare and take care of the money aspect of the situation. I guarantee you, no one on the continent is better at generating wealth than our Wang family."


    "If you say so," the third prince grumbled. "Has the Zhou family continued to cause trouble?"


    Wang Jun shook his head. "They have been very quiet and reserved since their successive defeats. They are currently biding their time, waiting for an opportunity. Which is why I have come today. I have some personal business that I must take care of over the next few days. Please do take care."


    Saying this, he took out a carefully wrapped package from his bag of holding. He then carefully unwrapped it under the watchful eye of Eunuch Tie. Soon, a fierce chill spread through the room. A sword was finally revealed from inside the cloth package. The weapon was three feet long and made from a silver-blue metal, while the handle was wrapped in insulating leather. The hilt and the guard were gilded with a sky-blue material, while the blade just above the guard was etched with an exquisite black runic pattern.


    "This sword was crafted from cold iron embedded with elemental dust," Wang Jun explained. "The pommel and hilt are adorned with blue gold, and the sword was engraved with a royal frost inscription. Finally, the grip was wrapped with demon-caribou leather to protect the user from the cold. This sword is a mid-grade magic weapon and happens to suit your cultivation method perfectly. Please accept this humble gift."


    The third prince looked uncertainly at Eunuch Tie before finally reaching out and grasping the weapon.


    "Good sword," he whispered. "Many thanks for this kind gift. Please make sure to take care on your trip and return safely."


    "Of course, Your Highness," Wang Jun replied with a smile. "I always take care."


    ***


    A short while later, a different but much less conspicuous carriage left Songjing and headed to the south. Elder Bai had remained in Songjing. He had been replaced by Hong Ling, who sat in the carriage while performing his work. Protector Ren still vigilantly guarded and guided the carriage as it plowed down the rough road. Fortunately, the road had dried off since their last foray.


    "Don''t worry, Manager Ling," Wang Jun said. "I''ll properly apologize to Xin Er and your parents. It was my fault for naively leading her on."


    Hong Ling sighed but did not reply.


    It would be a long, grueling trip, but Wang Jun had no choice but to try and ease the knot in his heart. He couldn''t sleep as well as he used to, and he had little appetite. The image of that pretty girl with her mauve hairclip haunted his thoughts several times a day. He figured he needed closure, and for that, he needed to give her some sort of explanation. Unfortunately, despite his intelligence and foresight, he was nothing but a child when it came to matters of the heart.


    He sighed once more as the carriage continued and finally decided to sit down and cultivate. He didn''t bother to set up any precautions, as Hong Ling knew better than to interrupt him, and Protector Ren would keep him safe. As he cultivated, mid-grade spirit stones were consumed one by one as they entered a formation plate, which converted them into a dense fog.


    Inside his dantian stood nine short pillars that floated on the surface of his qi sea. The pillars were pitch black at first glance. Only if one looked closely would one see golden runes decorating their exterior. They danced around the black pillars that absorbed the incoming spiritual qi, lengthening little by little, establishing his perfect foundation.


    ***


    Three wolves looked around nervously as they approached Lord Two Tails''s cave dwelling. It appeared like a nondescript cave, but any beast who knew anything in these woods could tell you that entering the cave meant certain death. Two of the wolves dragged over a large spirit deer carcass to the entrance of the cave, where they dropped it and retreated with their heads bowed down. They shuddered as a large paw came out of the darkness and patted down on the corpse and dragged it inside.


    After an incense time, the sounds of crunching and chewing stopped, and a whole deer skeleton was ejected out of the cave. It landed neatly on a pile of bleached bones, as though the skeleton was a prized possession on exhibition. The wolves knew, however, that it was a clear message. They would be next if they didn''t pull their weight.


    "Is that all?" a loud voice boomed from the cave. The third wolf, the leader, approached the cave with his head hung low. He gently placed a blood-red root down on the floor in front of the cave and retreated like the others.


    They heard loud sniffing sounds from inside the cave. "A blood ginseng, twenty years old. Not bad, LangYi. You have my permission to consume three stalks of crimson dire grass. Keep up the good work."


    Despite the mild annoyance with Lord Two Tails forgetting his name, he was suddenly overcome with pure joy. Three stalks of crimson dire grass was more than enough for him to break through and become a dire wolf. As a dire wolf, the future of his pack would be ensured, and the offspring he sired would be much more powerful than a run-of-the-mill spirit wolf.


    Tears flowed down the eyes of the wolf as he prostrated himself toward his lord. "Sire, many thanks for your generosity. This subordinate will remember your benevolence for his entire lifetime." Meanwhile, his companions looked at him enviously.


    "This is only a matter of course for those who follow me faithfully," the voice said. "Continue your good work, and it won''t be out of the question for you to break into the Purification Realm in this lifetime."


    The wolf''s heart palpitated. The Purification Realm was something a lowly spirit beast like him could only dream of. His bloodline was the lowest of the low, and the only way he could ever hope to break through was by riding the coattails of his betters.


    "Yes, my lord. We will continue to work hard!" With these words, the three wolves left the entrance of the cave. They cleared the area, making way for a group of wild spirit tail chickens.


    ***


    "Oh, great lord," a spirit tail chicken yelled. "In your mercy, you have declared that these lowly sinners are not beyond absolution and can redeem our entire race by making offerings to your greatness."


    The spirit tail chicken motioned with his wing, and a much larger chicken with luxurious feathers walked forward from the crowd. Its face was covered in a transparent white veil.


    "As our lord has decreed," he continued, "we have taken the most tender chick of our clutch and fattened her with the finest grains. She has feasted on marbling grass every day after singing hymns to our lord. She has not moved from her perch except to come to offer herself as a trivial sacrifice for the absolution of our infinite sins. She has come to present herself before the first laying, so that her purity may please our lord."


    The chickens all bowed simultaneously, waiting in their prostrated position for an incense time before a grave voice announced, "Come hither, my child."


    The young chicken, unsure of what to do, walked toward the cave at the urging of her elders.


    "Come closer, my child," the voice repeated when the chicken arrived at the entrance of the cave. She carried her overweight body with grace as she walked into the darkness. A loud chomping noise caused the spirit tail chickens to cringe. It was followed by sounds that resembled the smacking of lips and the licking of fingers.


    "Your offering has pleased me," the voice intoned. "Although you are sinners, as my chosen people, you deserve respect."


    A wooden token flew out from the cave and landed in front of the clutch of chickens.


    "Take this token and claim for your tribe a square half mile of meadow anywhere of your choosing. This shall be your chosen land. On it, you shall build me a temple¡­" The voice droned on for the better part of an hour with specific instructions, and the spirit tail chicken elders fervently wrote down instructions pertaining to their worship and sacrifice.


    Their business accomplished, they walked out proudly toward their chosen land, not making way for the wolves and the foxes, the ferrets and the stoats. From now on, their people could walk with their heads held up high. They would be the true people of their lord.


    ***


    Where did all of these gullible spirit beasts come from? Huxian grumbled. I mean, I shouldn''t complain, but where did their dignity go? Those wolves were practically begging to serve me, and they do all this legwork just for the permission to eat a few stalks of crimson dire grass.


    The first wolf had practically cried at his generosity. How badly did they get treated for them to pander to such an extent? And finally, those spirit tail chickens. He just didn''t know what to say. He''d clearly been playing a prank on them the other day, but they took him seriously and began worshiping him.


    The little fox let out a soft burp. He could manipulate his size at will, and whenever no one was around, he shrunk down to the size of a baby fox. In this form, he remembered all the pets and the attention Cha Ming gave him.


    I need to get stronger. The annual beast summit is in a few days, and the territory in this forest will be redistributed then.


    He looked down at a small blood ginseng, whose wonderful odor filled his cave. With his business completed, he could take his time and savor it.


    He nibbled away at it bit by bit, chewing its mushy red flesh and licking up any liquid that dropped to the stone floor of his cave. As he ate, a torrent of demonic energy filled him and remolded his body. It wasn''t painful. Rather, it was a very comfortable experience. He felt his joints pop and his bones creak until finally, he felt a soft pop inside his head. As he focused inwardly, he saw that his tiny beast core had finally reached a bottleneck in its growth.


    I''ve finally reached the early Purification Realm.


    Beasts that had just formed their cores were quite vulnerable. Upgrading to the early stage had doubled his power. According to his memories, it was similar to the progress that cultivators made. Of course, his personal combat prowess could not be evaluated by this measure alone. As a Godbeast, he had a distinct advantage in combat prowess compared to others at the same level.


    Those lesser demon beasts wouldn''t stand a chance.

 76 Dominion

    Huxian stretched and yawned before peering outside his cave. He let his eyes rest on his latest skeleton display, the bleached white bones forming a perfect contrast to the forest landscape. He found it hilarious that the beasts outside thought it was for intimidation purposes. After all, it was clearly there for people to see and enjoy, a work of art he prided himself on. He lamented that his fellow beasts just didn''t have a proper sense of aesthetics.


    It didn''t take him long to feel bored again. Waiting was a chore, and he needed to get stronger before the summit. Fortunately, night was coming. The night was his home.


    His shadow ran through the woods unimpeded. No one noticed when he crossed the newly established spirit tail chicken sanctuary¡ªthough to Huxian it was simply a chicken farm¡ªdarted through the grass, and finally crossed the border into a neighboring territory. This was but one of many trips, and he had taken special note of the various grasses, herbs, roots, and fruits that would benefit his own purification or his minions.


    Regrettably, these natural treasures all had lengthy incubation periods. For example, there were several that wouldn''t be ready for another ten years¡ªhe left those to the others. By the time they matured, he would no longer have a use for them.


    As Huxian slinked through the shadows, he chanced upon a miserable family of stoats. They looked half starved and completely exhausted. The power shift in his territory had affected even neighboring ones. These stoats were the weakest in their group and simply couldn''t afford to migrate to another, stronger territory. Not wanting to be cannon fodder, they had no choice but to accept a diminutive existence in this territory.


    Everything is as it should be.


    He continued sprinting through the shadows until he arrived at a clearing, which contained a single yellow flower. It would mature tonight after a full sixty-year cycle, in precisely a half hour. He didn''t dare consume it before then, as its effectiveness would instead be detrimental to his growth. Of course, the plant wasn''t technically in his territory, so he would have to rely on subterfuge to steal it, so he remained in the shadows and waited.


    ***


    Time trickled by, and soon an unreasonably large boar and his entourage gathered near the flower. The smaller boars fanned out in a protective circle while the demon boar waited patiently in front of the flower. Regrettably, even normal demon beasts could sense when natural treasures were about to mature. They knew it instinctively, no hereditary memories required.


    "It''s been fifty years since I found this glade," the boar said, sighing as he looked at the plant. "Fifty long years of waiting, and I''ll finally obtain the last boost I require to propel me into the middle stage of purification.


    "Our great lord is the most intelligent, the most patient," a nearby boar declared. This was followed by a wave of compliments as they sought to outdo each other.


    "Your enthusiasm and devotion are duly noted," he said gently. "You will not be forgotten. Now I will consume this flower that has just ripened and usher in a new era for boarkind in this forest!" As he spoke, he opened his mouth and lowered it to bite the flower, whose scent was now ten times as alluring.


    Unfortunately, he only bit empty air. A swift streak of lightning had brushed past his face and swiped the yellow flower from under his nose!


    ***


    What the hell is that thing? Huxian wondered. Just as he was about to steal the flower, an unreasonably fast spirit beast plucked it before he had a chance to react. So, you think you can best me in terms of speed? I''ll show you what professional stalking is all about.


    He rushed out to tail the small ball of lightning. Fortunately, his shadow form could avoid any obstacles and traveled much faster than even his original form could. The little ball of lightning flickered and changed directions occasionally to confuse anyone who might be following.


    Finally, it arrived at a secluded hovel. Huxian didn''t immediately charge in, rather, he followed the shadows and moved in soundlessly. Inside the hovel, he saw a small yellow flower, and beside it, he saw a little gray mouse.


    Why does this mouse seem so familiar? he wondered. Its gray color was unremarkable, but it had a small mark on its forehead. Huxian''s eyes narrowed when the mouse turned his head, and he finally saw the mark in detail. It resembled a jagged, circular lightning bolt that bit its own tail like an ouroboros.


    A Calamity-Swallowing Mouse? This is definitely my lucky mountain. Calamity-Swallowing Mice weren''t Godbeasts, but they weren''t far off. They were special mutated beasts that fed on lightning storms and calamity lightning. As mutated beasts, they couldn''t produce another one of their species. Instead, their descendants would all be lesser kings among mice.


    Swift, agile, and an insane complementary ability. This Calamity-Swallowing Mouse would make the best spy, a wonderful addition to my team. He pondered for a few more moments before deciding to act. His figure blurred, and he appeared in front of the mouse, who was just about to consume the yellow flower.


    For the first time since he''d arrived at the mountain, he released his aura as a Godbeast. The little mouse, who was only at the seventh level of spiritization, trembled in fear as it prostrated itself. It was a dual suppression of cultivation and bloodline.


    "Henceforth, you shall serve me, Bagua Huxian," the fox declared. One of his two tails glowed, and a character appeared and branded itself on the tail. It was one of the eight trigrams (?) that represented lightning. "Greet your master, Lightning General."


    A glazed look appeared on the little mouse''s eyes. It only a few seconds for them to clear, and finally, the mouse looked at him excitedly and bowed down. "Master, it is this lowly general''s pleasure to serve," it squeaked and danced around.


    Huxian grunted and then looked at the yellow flower. It was a yellow lightning chrysanthemum, and while it would be beneficial to him, feeding it to the small fellow would garner him a demon-beast servant.


    "Hide in my fur. We''re returning to my cave," Huxian said. "Consume this flower once we return and break through to the Purification Realm."


    The mouse shook with excitement and immediately complied. He dived into the same tail where the mark had appeared and slipped into the mark without a trace. Then, Huxian grabbed the yellow flower and scampered off toward his cave. It was a very productive night, and he was very pleased with himself.


    One general down, seven to go.


    ***


    A few days later, Huxian was lying down in his cave, watching the evolution of his newest minion. The Calamity-Swallowing Mouse, Lei Jiang, had devoured the yellow lightning chrysanthemum only two days prior. Due to the compatibility between the flower and the mouse, Lei Jiang had advanced by leaps and bounds.


    Huxian watched the little speed demon, who was breaking through to the Purification Realm. The process left the small mouse contorting in pain as purple lightning enveloped it periodically, remolding its physique to prepare it for the purification process. The little fox wasn''t too concerned about success or failure, as a beast of this level would undoubtedly break through without a hitch.


    Just then, he heard a rustle outside his cave. Sighing, he grew back to his larger size and peered outside to see two wolves prostrating themselves outside.


    "Speak," Huxian growled.


    "Mighty lord," one of the wolves stuttered. "The summit is about to begin. The appointed time was a half hour ago. Are you not attending?" He then cowered with his paws over his head.


    "This lord''s attendance is not any of your concern. Dismissed," Huxian said coldly. The wolves scampered off like their lives depended on it.


    Drat, I forgot about the summit, Huxian thought self-deprecatingly. Oh well, it''s best for kings to show up a little late, but I don''t want to overdo it in this situation. I''d better take off now.


    He let out a soft roar as he transformed once more, expanding his size to twelve feet in length. This was approximately the proportion of a two-tailed demon fox that didn''t possess a special lineage. He then trotted out of his cave, proudly walking toward the peak of the mountain. The location was obvious, for where else would beasts hold a summit save for the peak of a mountain?


    During his journey, he passed through many other demon-beast territories. However, none of the lords remained. Their helpless minions could only make way for the ferocious demon beast. As he passed through one territory in specific, he noticed an abundance of weasels.


    This must be where the demon ferret migrated to after his expulsion. He thinks he can escape my wrath by traveling toward the peak of the mountain? In his dreams.


    Soon, he was greeted by the sight of over a hundred beasts. Some were small, a tiny lightning cat being a prime example. Its tiny white frame resembled that of a normal infant housecat, but its demonic heritage was betrayed by its purple eyes. The largest animal he saw on the peak was a geomantic boa, whose large body was three feet thick and several hundred feet long. He took note of this cunning adversary, who was innately gifted with earth-manipulation abilities. These beasts loved nothing more than setting up traps and labyrinths in their territory.


    Huxian was not the least bit uncomfortable as he made his way to the middle of the crowd, where the early-purification beasts were waiting attentively.


    "You sure took your sweet time," a panther growled derisively as he approached. "You''re lucky the full-moon demon bear always arrives an hour late, or he''d be chewing you up for breakfast. Not that you would make a very big breakfast." The panther was three times Huxian''s size.


    Huxian snorted. "Order of arrival is based on status. A lowly beast like you is already at the peak of its growth, while I am a king among spirit beasts. Therefore, I showed up later. You would do well to respect your betters, lest they fail to give you face in the future."


    The panther''s face contorted in anger, but he did not reply. Hierarchy among beasts was extremely strict, dependent on both absolute strength and bloodline. The larger feline had clearly lost out on both counts. Another beast in their grouping chuckled. It was a wolf, whose fur was a mix between blue and silver. His golden eyes shone like full moons on a dark night.


    "You would do well to listen to your betters, you stupid cat," the wolf said. "If this younger friend here grows to the next step and becomes a king of the forest, I volunteer to be one of his first subordinates."


    Huxian gave him a toothy grin. "In the future, it will be my honor to welcome a moonlight frost wolf as a vassal. You will not be treated poorly."


    The bickering continued for some time, until a large pressure emanated from the peak of the mountain. None of the beasts, including Huxian, dared to utter a single sound. As they waited, a large shadow appeared in the mists as loud steps made nearby puddles of water ripple. The figure revealed itself gradually until its hundred-foot-long body was completely uncovered.


    It was a large black bear, its fur covered in various silver runes that oozed an aura of strength and suppression. It roared with an intensity that made all the beasts cower in submission. Huxian, who wasn''t scared, was forced to feign surrender. He kept the day''s memory in his heart, vowing to force the bear to prostrate itself in apology for the humiliation.


    "Today''s beast summit has officially commenced," the bear growled. "The first item to address is the distribution of territory. Three new lords of the forest have appeared, each with varying levels of power. This means that three older lords have been displaced. Lord Earth Ferret has already offered himself as a vassal to Lord Sky Stoat, so only the three-eyed demon bullfrog and the yin-yang python are without a territory. According to the rules, each lord of the forest must have a territory.


    "Do any of the kings of the forest volunteer to take either one as vassals and reallocate their territory?"


    The question sparked an outbreak of murmurs and discussions.


    "I will take the yin-yang python under my command and reallocate accordingly," a voice slithered. The geomantic boa had volunteered, which came as no surprise to Huxian. Like species tended to flock together, gathering up strength to assimilate territory from other species. He watched on as the yin-yang python slithered over to his new faction. Huxian could tell there were many dissatisfied faces in the group, but as the weakest ones, they didn''t dare protest.


    "No one will take this three-eyed bullfrog?" the bear asked. Silence ensued. "Very well, then we will go according to the old rules. Old One-Eyed, do you have any objections?" He looked toward an ancient-looking badger. This badger''s black fur had faded to gray, and a large scar ran down one side of its face. Huxian estimated that this beast was 500 years old.


    "No problems, Your Grace," the badger said. "Your rules have protected this old one for so long. I will give the three-eyed frog a third of my territory. Anything higher than that, he will have to earn."


    The bear nodded. "Now that this is settled, is there anyone who wishes to officially challenge another to increase their territory? If so, state who you are challenging and your request for territory."


    Many beasts spoke up and issued challenges. A demon hedgehog challenged a small adder for a third of his territory. He was victorious but suffered serious injuries in the process. Fortunately for him, an official challenge had benefits. Each beast was allowed one challenge, and issuing a challenge granted them six months'' immunity from other challengers to heal their wounds.


    "Anyone else?" the bear asked.


    "I will challenge the midnight panther," Huxian shouted. "I want two thirds of his territory."


    This was the highest possible stake in these official challenges. Likewise, if he lost the challenge, two thirds of his territory would go to his opponent.


    The bear looked at him and casually glanced at the midnight panther. "Do you wish to fight, or do you concede?"


    There was a hidden message in this statement¡ªthat according to the bear''s judgement, the panther was not the fox''s match.


    "I¡­" the panther stuttered. "I concede. As this is a peaceful surrender, please grant my pack two hours after this summit to relocate."


    Huxian nodded nonchalantly and granted him his request.


    "All right," the bear said, cutting the tension. "Territory has been allocated. Does anyone wish to challenge a king for dominion?"


    The ten beasts near the front all shook their heads.


    "Good," the bear continued. "Let''s discuss the upcoming human tide. These vicious creatures come every year, killing our kin for our beast cores and stealing various lesser herbs in the forest. Sometimes they even manage to pilfer some natural treasures.


    "As most of you know, there is a barrier surrounding this mountain. We are at their mercy, as we cannot relocate. Fortunately, the power of our forces is not insignificant. As per our treaty with the cultivators, they will not send out cultivators with cultivation bases greater than early foundation establishment, while we will not send any combatants above lord level to do battle.


    "Similarly, lords may only fight foundation-establishment cultivators, while their foundation-establishment cultivators may not fight against our spirit beasts. Anything else is allowed. Be sure to plan accordingly, as the human tide will arrive in six months."


    Many of the beasts grumbled in annoyance, while Huxian was perplexed. He had spent much time on the mountain but had not bothered to look at the outskirts. The news that he was trapped here came as a big surprise. He had also never heard of such a "human tide" before. Shouldn''t the opposite situation be happening?


    Typically, humans settled while spirit beasts procreated rapidly. At some point, there would be too many spirit beasts, so the lords of the forest would send a significant portion of them out to their deaths to fight against the humans who constantly aggravated them. A victory would lead to an increase in beast territory.


    Still, he didn''t mull over the details. As per their agreement, he accompanied the panther to his territory, who quickly relocated all the felines to the shrunken territory. Of course, Huxian only got the least-productive portion of the territory. After reviewing the territory, he gathered the existing beasts and issued orders benefiting canines and repressing other subservient and opposing species. The felines had mostly disappeared, so there was no need to single them out.


    After completing the allocation of resources and laying out his laws, Huxian visited a nearby lord. Unfortunately, the panther''s territory was separated from his by a neighboring territory. Therefore, he gritted his teeth and approached the territory lord, Old One-Eyed. The shrewd old fellow knew of the fox''s dilemma, so he offered him a strip of land in exchange for one twice as big. Huxian haggled with all his might but only managed to whittle it down to fifty percent more.


    Within an hour of the allocation, the badger''s minions had migrated, and Huxian''s territory was fully joined. He called out a team of his best markers, who subsequently traveled around the territory and urinated with great gusto. Huxian left them to their business and continued to babysit the Calamity-Swallowing Mouse.


    The little critter would make substantial contributions to his future plans.

 77 Path to Life

    Five months passed by in a flash.


    Cha Ming concentrated as he swiftly covered a blank page with over a thousand brush strokes, filling it with condensed medical knowledge that he''d gleaned over the past six months. Once the page was completely filled, he set it aside to dry and quickly scanned the next portion he needed to copy.


    This book was on contagion and the spread of disease. He couldn''t help but nod his head in amazement as he reviewed the contents. The doctor had speculated that disease was not a mystical phenomenon but a physical one, and that many steps could be taken to prevent its spread. The same applied to infection. Various procedures for disinfection of tools had been identified, such as washing with distilled alcohol, burning, and immersing in boiling water. The latest one was only a new addition; the doctor had somehow taken the time to evaluate the effects of disinfecting metal via boiling by collecting infection statistics after minor surgeries.


    Cha Ming''s condition improved with each passing day. Every week, he destroyed and rebuilt a qi pathway. Soon enough, qi flow had been fully restored to the organs that had been most severely damaged. He felt gratified that he hadn''t given up hope.


    His brush paused momentarily as Li Yin walked up behind him to inspect his work. Then, he dipped the brush in ink and continued to write. His writing hand was a blur as intricate strokes covered three quarters of the page. He breathed out with relief, then put away the brush and set the page out to dry.


    "Not bad," the kind doctor said. "It only took you six months to take in, comprehend, and write out my life''s work. I confess myself impressed."


    Cha Ming chuckled. "My body was ravaged and my meridians ruined. Fortunately, my soul force remained intact. My comprehension and memorization abilities are far greater than the average person. In addition, my dexterity allows me to write three times faster than a normal person. You say you are impressed with my work, but I''m impressed that you were able to accumulate so much knowledge over the past three decades. The breadth and depth of this work is simply staggering."


    "If only they hadn''t burned my book," the doctor said mournfully. "It took me a long time to dredge up most of this content from memory. I even had to repeat several key experiments to confirm certain claims. Still, I am proud of what I''ve achieved over my lifetime." He walked over to the desk and picked up the last two pages, placing them on the stack that would soon be bound together as a single book.


    "How is your condition coming along?" Li Yin asked.


    "I''m much healthier than before," he replied. "I''ve restored qi flow to my most damaged organs, so my life is no longer at risk. In addition, I can now exert four tenths of my original strength. I believe things will improve, in time. However, it will still take around a half year to completely connect the remaining organs. Healing the qi pathways in my limbs will come next."


    At Li Yin''s insistence, Cha Ming followed him into the kitchen. Fortunately, the doctor prioritized Cha Ming''s transcription and had taken over cooking for the past half year. They began eating their supper quietly. Li Yin nibbled away at a piece of fish while Cha Ming ate tofu and vegetables.


    "So, it seems that you have nothing to keep yourself occupied with for the next half year," the doctor said, smiling. "I have another job for you, if you''re interested."


    Cha Ming smiled. "I''m eternally in your debt. How can I refuse?"


    "This isn''t something I can force on you," the man said with a chuckle. "If you don''t want to, feel free to do your own thing. I''m looking for an assistant in my clinic. I want to spend time conducting personal health sessions with the town''s residents, but I find myself short-handed. I can hardly find a better candidate, given that you''ve already internalized my life''s work."


    Cha Ming hesitated. "You know I''ll leave after another year and a half or so," he said softly.


    "That doesn''t matter," Li Yin said, smiling. "You can practice medicine anywhere in the world, not just here. Everything you learn here will be useful to you after your recovery. All you need to do is remember to help those in need whenever you see them. Besides, none of those in the village are keen enough to learn from me yet. There are a few youngsters I have my eyes on, but it will still be five years before I can recruit them."


    All I need to remember is to help those in need whenever I see them. Cha Ming had been thrown into the cultivation world so swiftly that he''d forgotten that cultivators could do more than just fight. They could help people.


    "Thank you reminding me," he said quietly. "I accept. I''ll be your assistant from now on. Though bear in mind that I''ll need to commit three days every week to my recovery."


    "Good, good," Li Yin said. "You start tomorrow."


    ***


    "What''s your name, little one?" Cha Ming asked a girl who couldn''t be more than eight years old. She was much taller than boys her age and had broken her arm while falling down the stairs. As usual, horseplay was involved.


    "My name is Luo Xin," she replied. "Are you a doctor?" Her eyes were laced with suspicion. This didn''t surprise Cha Ming, as he was considerably younger than Dr. Li.


    Cha Ming chuckled. "No, I''m not a doctor. I''m Dr. Li''s assistant, which is why he''s keeping an eye on me as I treat you. He''s always busy, so he''s asked me to help him for a while."


    The little girl nodded.


    "Fortunately, your bone isn''t broken very badly," Cha Ming said as he ran his fingers around the blue spot on her arm. "There are no pieces of bone floating around, and your arm hasn''t broken in many places. Your circulation is fine as well. All we need to do is put your arm in a splint for two months, and it will be good as new."


    To make such an accurate judgement, he relied on his spiritual force. He used a technique that Dr. Li had taught him for scanning injuries, and while his technique was not as sophisticated as the old doctor''s, his stronger spiritual force more than made up for it.


    "Two months?" she said with wide eyes. "That''s way too long. I don''t want to." Fortunately, her mother was there with her. A sharp, rebuking stare from the woman quieted her down instantly.


    "Don''t worry. It won''t hurt at all. It will just itch occasionally," he explained. He turned to the mother. "I''ll have to trouble Miss Luo to wash her wrappings every few days.


    "Of course," the middle-aged woman replied.


    He then took a piece of wood from a corner of the room and whipped out a carving knife. He whittled away at it proficiently, shaping it in a way that would accommodate her little arm perfectly. He then carved an opposite piece and placed it around her arm with padding and bandages and wrapped it with cloth and hung it off her neck as a sling.


    "You''ll need to come back in two weeks for me to check how the bone is healing," he instructed. "Now, let''s take a look at that cut on your forehead." He spent a short while applying a salve to various cuts on her body. Fortunately, the gash on her forehead didn''t warrant stitches. After the treatment, he placed a glob of salve in a container and instructed her mother on its use.


    "You''ll need to apply this twice per day for the next three days," he said."The cuts should heal well on their own. If the area around them gets very red or white, bring her back, as the wound may have gotten infected."


    The mother and child soon left, leaving a basket full of freshly baked bread and another basket full of bandages. Her husband was a baker, while she herself weaved cloth. Cha Ming collected the cloth, and after inspecting it, put it in a pile which would be laundered with chemicals for disinfection.


    "Good job, young lad," Li Yin said from behind his desk. He was currently writing a program for his upcoming educational sessions. "In a few more weeks, the villagers will begin to trust you, and I''ll be able to leave you to treat them on your own while I''m out of the office."


    Cha Ming nodded and began cleaning up the area. Shortly after he finished, the door burst open, and a young boy ran in, gasping for breath.


    "Doctor!" the boy said. "You need to hurry. Mother is having her baby, and it''s not going well!"


    Li Yin frowned. "Isn''t the midwife there? She''s much more experienced than I am in these matters."


    "She is," the boy replied. "But she told me to come get you as soon as possible."


    The doctor nodded and got up quickly, grabbing a portable medical kit before heading toward the door.


    "Come along, Cha Ming," he said. "Things aren''t so simple if Madame Su can''t handle it."


    They followed the boy for a half mile before arriving at a newly built house. The boy''s father was a carpenter, and he''d just built the house to accommodate their growing family.


    Two little girls greeted them when they arrived, along with a man who was extremely worried and panicking.


    "Where is Madame Liao?" Li Yin asked. His authoritative voice snapped the man back to reality. He quickly led them to a small room on the ground floor.


    They heard weak panting as they walked in. An older woman frowned when she saw Cha Ming. "Should he be here?"


    The doctor nodded. "He is my assistant, and I may require him during the process. You know I won''t always be around to take care of everything." The woman relented and allowed Cha Ming near the bed.


    "What seems to be the problem?" he asked while touching the woman''s belly.


    "She''s been in labor for eight hours, and she hasn''t progressed much," she replied softly, clearly to avoid alarming the mother. "She''s almost out of energy, and I don''t know what to do anymore. When I feel where the baby is, I can only feel his shoulder. If that was all, I wouldn''t have called you. However, this labor is unreasonably difficult. If it lasts any longer, neither she nor the baby will make it."


    The doctor frowned when he directed his spiritual force toward the woman''s stomach. He continued examining for just over sixty breaths before stopping. His complexion was pale, and his forehead was covered in beads of sweat.


    "Cha Ming, get over here and take a look," he said to Cha Ming, who walked past the older woman. "I need to you to examine the position of the baby, his size, and the position of the umbilical cord. I can''t make out these details exactly with my weak spiritual force, so I need your help."


    Cha Ming didn''t waste time and immediately projected his spiritual force into the woman''s body. He felt a small resistance, a person''s natural spiritual defenses, but pushed through regardless. Inside the woman''s womb, he saw a small, curled-up baby. His shoulder was impinging at an awkward angle, making it difficult for the baby to come through. It seemed like forcing it through would break its neck in the process.


    "The baby is at an awkward angle; his shoulder is coming out first," he reported to the doctor. "He won''t be able to come out unless this is readjusted. Furthermore, his size is approximately twelve and a half jin, much larger than average. To make matters worse, his umbilical cord is bundled up in such a position that makes readjusting the baby''s position extremely difficult. I can sense that her energy stores are only sufficient for fifteen more minutes of active labor."


    The doctor shook his head. "Too tricky. I''m not sure what to do, Cha Ming. This is beyond my current knowledge."


    Seeing the doctor''s mournful expression, Cha Ming recalled a procedure from back on Earth.


    "Can we talk in another room?" Cha Ming asked the doctor, who could only shake his head and follow.


    Once they were outside the room, Cha Ming asked, "Have you ever removed a baby from a mother by cutting her open ?"


    The doctor looked thoughtful for a moment. "I''ve heard of this procedure being utilized before. However, it is almost always performed as a last-ditch effort. I''ve gathered some oral case histories that show that in nine tenths of cases, the mother dies. Even then, the baby''s life is not guaranteed. It''s unfortunate that we don''t have a healer, because with a healer, the odds would be reversed to a nine-tenths success rate. I have also never performed such a surgery personally."


    "Don''t you think that we''ve gained sufficient ground in sterilization and disinfection to make it possible?" Cha Ming pressed. "If we don''t do something, the mother will die very soon. Furthermore, if we''re performing the procedure on purpose, she won''t be completely exhausted and will have a better chance of surviving the procedure."


    The doctor looked in the direction of the other room and sighed. "We can try. Have them prepare a constant supply of boiling water for disinfection, wash your hands, and prepare to assist me."


    Soon enough, with the help of the midwife, they cleaned the woman''s belly. She was delirious as they had fed her general anesthetic herbs and numbed the area where they planned to operate with a local anesthetic paste.


    Cha Ming carefully poured boiling water over the freshly polished steel instruments. He then stood to the side and awaited Dr. Li''s instructions.


    "Scalpel," Dr. Li said. Cha Ming handed him the sharp instrument. Li Yin, using a combination of his knowledge of anatomy and his weak spiritual force, carefully cut a curved flap.


    "Pincers," he commanded. Cha Ming immediately used these pincers to pull the flap back, exposing a bloodied placenta within her womb. A baby was struggling inside and trying to squirm his way out with no success.


    Cha Ming watched as Li Yin carefully cut a thin incision on the placenta, then using his carefully shaved bare hands, pulled out a baby, who immediately started crying. The midwife rapidly wrapped the crying baby in a warm blanket, but Li Yin paid no attention to this. Instead, he quickly scooped up the remaining placenta and laid it out on an empty pan. Then, Cha Ming closed the flap at his instruction.


    While one hand kept the flap closed, he used another to grab a second set of pliers, which he used to pinch one end of the cut closed. Li Yin moved quickly as he sewed the wound shut with a freshly sterilized needle and clean silk thread. Finally, after fifteen minutes, their gruesome task was complete. They carefully washed the wound with cloths dipped in boiling water, and Cha Ming fetched an ointment that prevented bleeding and disinfected wounds. He then took out a clean dressing, which he used to cover her wound.


    "What now?" Cha Ming asked.


    "Now?" the doctor mused. "Now we pray." He then handed a bottle of pills to the midwife to feed to the mother at four-hour intervals to help with the pain.


    ***


    Six weeks flew by.


    Cha Ming walked into a bedroom, where he was greeted by the cries of an angry baby. He was hungry, which was understandable, given the mother''s unfortunate condition.


    For some reason, her milk had given out a few days prior. Aside from that, she was perfectly healthy. The wound on her stomach had healed over properly, and she was now the proud mother of four children.


    Cha Ming had followed up on the procedure all that time, inspecting the wound and changing the dressings. Naturally, the whole town knew that performing the surgery was his idea. The old doctor held nothing but praise for him, and he rapidly gained the trust of the people in the village. They no longer looked at him as an outsider; rather, he was now an integral part of their small town.


    As usual, the mother handed him the child as she went to warm some goat''s milk for the baby. Warmth filled him as he played with the infant, who smiled whenever he saw him. Soon enough, the mother returned with a small cup that facilitated dropping milk into the baby''s mouth. Cha Ming inspected her wound as she laid down and fed the baby.


    "The wound has completely healed," Cha Ming said, smiling. "I won''t need to come check up on it any longer, but you should take it easy for the next few weeks as you adapt to moving around. Bed rest is no longer required."


    Madame Liao smiled as she continued feeding her baby. "You''ll come visit Lin Ming every once in a while, won''t you?"


    "Of course," he replied with a grin on his face. "Besides, you should bring him in every two months or so for a checkup. We''ll be seeing each other often."

 78 A Kinder Way

    A fresh breeze swept through the air, blowing leaves across the rocky ground in the middle of a mountain valley. It was fall, and while not much vegetation grew on the desolate mountain trail, there was still enough grass to feed Gong Lan''s and Gong Wuling''s horses as they advanced.


    Gong Lan''s hair had grown several inches since they''d left. Their moderate pace was only interrupted for meals and rest. It was difficult to sleep, however. The wind raged frequently in this mountain valley, and the changing seasons did little to alleviate this.


    Her brother seemed unfazed by the wind. He always led the way and often used his qi to dispel intense blasts that swept against them. The mountain pass was narrow, and any slight misstep would spell certain doom.


    They continued for several hours that day, only stopping once night fell. Fortunately, they found a cave in the side of the mountain where they could take shelter. A group of adventurers had left a pile of wood there. This was a common act of goodwill. Those who arrived with extra firewood would leave some, and those who were short would thankfully burn what others had left. Life as an adventurer was difficult enough without people being at odds with one another.


    Soon enough, a fire was crackling. Gong Wuling always carried a special spirit weapon: a small piece of wood that absorbed fire and released it when required. This piece of wood would never burn; rather, it could be used to modify the intensity of a fire. It could even extinguish it on command.


    Gong Lan sat in silence as she munched on a strip of dried meat and drank some water they had collected from a stream a few days back. She looked at her brother, who meditated in silence while recuperating his energy. He didn''t eat; advancing from Qi Condensation to Foundation Establishment was a qualitative change. Those who advanced would notice their need to eat plummet, as the energy of heaven and earth they absorbed left them satiated with little need for external sustenance.


    After a few hours, Gong Wuling opened his eyes and glanced at Gong Lan, who had yet to fall asleep.


    "We''ll arrive at our destination tomorrow morning," he whispered. "I''m confident that you''ll find the help you need there."


    While Gong Lan was skeptical, she noticed that he began fiddling around with a locket hanging from his neck. The locket was golden and shaped like a buddha. She had never noticed it until now.


    "Where did you get that locket?" Gong Lan asked.


    Her brother chuckled. "I got it here, many years ago. It''s what keeps my heart calm and allows me to make good decisions. Without it, I would likely have lost myself to bloodlust. Perhaps you will get one at the peak of the mountain. Or perhaps Teacher will have something else in mind."


    Gong Lan was surprised. This was the first time her brother had ever mentioned a teacher to her. In addition, she had never expected that her brother relied on external means in the form of a locket. She had always assumed that he endured through sheer willpower.


    "Not everyone is strong enough to handle things by themselves," he said quietly. "Most people can''t, in fact. Humans are social creatures. They rely on friends, family, teachers, and even adversaries to maintain their mental state. There is no need to feel ashamed in seeking help. I did it before, and now you will do the same."


    Gong Lan thought deeply as she observed the flickering flames of their dying fire. Every person in existence relied on someone else to get to where they are. Even the most primitive savage relied on his parents and his tribe for food before becoming independent. No matter how self-sufficient he was later on, the initial help he received was what determined his life, his fate.


    In a sense, those who accomplished great things received more help than anyone else. They were the children of destiny, and the gifts they received were simply advance payment for everything they would accomplish in their lifetime.


    How great it would be to be one of those helpers, to enable others to accomplish great things. Not everyone desired to be a hero. Some people, like Gong Lan, just want to help.


    ***


    The last leg of their journey proved to be the most difficult. Not only was the trail steep and unforgiving, but a thin layer of snow had fallen the night before. It might have been the first snow of the season, yet it continued to fall as they followed the trail, like a final trial set for them before they reached their destination.


    Gong Lan shivered as she rode her horse, following her brother''s lead. They stopped every few hundred feet in order to let their horses recover to peak condition before continuing. This continued for a few hours of travel until they reached a flat plot of land, where two buildings stood. Gong Lan hopped off her horse at her brother''s insistence, and they both approached the smaller shack.


    Before they had a chance to knock on the door, it opened and revealed a young boy that couldn''t be older than ten years old. He smiled before holding his hands together in prayer, bowing. "This lowly one greets you, benefactors. Are you here to worship at the temple?"


    Temple? Gong Lan thought.


    "Yes, we''re here to see the master," Gong Wuling said after bowing in return. "Is it all right if we leave these horses under your care?"


    The monk walked out with a smile on his face and ignored the reins being passed to him. "There is no need for these things," the boy said gently. "These horses will follow me because they enjoy my company and know that I only want to help them and feed them. Any restraining devices are unnecessary."


    As though to confirm his words, the horses trotted along and followed him into a barn, where hay and grain was laid out for them. They drank deeply from a small well in the barn, and to Gong Lan''s amazement, the water in the well never seemed to diminish.


    "Many thanks," Wuling said and bowed in appreciation.


    "No thanks necessary," the young monk said. He then sat down beside the horses and began chanting soothing mantras.


    They left the monk and the horses behind them and began climbing the largest flight of stars Gong Lan had ever seen. The steps were twenty feet wide, and they seemed to continue without end.


    Just how tall is this mountain? she thought.


    "The mountain isn''t as tall as you think," her brother said cheerfully. "These steps are called the Stairway to Heaven. For those with little hope and faith in their hearts, they appear to stretch out to infinity. For those who believe, they seem rather short. Regardless of what you see, the number of steps has already been determined. Why don''t you count them and see for yourself?"


    Gong Lan was startled, but fortunately, she had already begun counting them to relieve her boredom. Thirty-three steps. How could these steps possibly work like he says? Is it all just an illusion?


    She gritted her teeth as she counted and climbed. If she was on her own, she would already have turned back. Was it a defense mechanism or merely a reflection of her heart? Was it to protect this temple from her, or was it simply for her own sake that she experienced this long climb?


    586, 587, 588¡­


    She counted as she climbed, and soon she forgot where she was. It was simply a counting game, and she moved her feet to help her count. Darkness surrounded her, and still she counted, a light in the distance growing closer and closer.


    877, 888, 889¡­


    Soon, the light became blinding. However, she couldn''t help but continue counting. And as she counted, the light began to envelop her. It warmed her and comforted her.


    1079, 1080, 1081 .


    As soon as she took the 1081st step, the light and the darkness disappeared. They were replaced by her brother, who was looking at her curiously. He was seated on a bench at the peak of the mountain.


    Instead of the bleak plateau that she expected, she was greeted by a lush tropical monastery. The main temple was small and unadorned, built purely out of white stone. Several smaller buildings accompanied it, and many jungle trees grew everywhere around the plateau. Birds flew around as though unaffected by the impending winter. Gong Lan wondered if winter would even touch such a paradise.


    What truly stood out, however, was a large tree that stood tall at the back of the plateau. Its gnarled branches spread out in every direction, granting shade to many creatures that gathered beneath it. Despite being far way, she noticed several monks in orange robes meditating beneath the tree. They were accompanied by lions, tigers, deer, and pigeons. All sorts of animals that could not coexist in nature lay down peacefully, as though soaking in the subtle energy that the tree emanated.


    Beside the tree, there was a small lake. Just like on land, fish crowded near the edge of the lake to get closer to the tree. Many predatory creatures, like herons and crocodiles, stood by the edge of the water, but they didn''t bother troubling the ample fish. What amazed Gong Lan more was when a deer got up from under the tree and wandered to the edge of the lake where the crocodiles were gathered. Instead of attacking it viciously, they simply lounged in the sun, allowing the deer to drink its fill before it left and resumed its peaceful session beneath the tree.


    "The tree prohibits violence," her brother said softly. "This is an inviolable rule, one that transcends nature. All those who bask in the shadow of the bodhi tree will find their sorrows soothed and peace with themselves. Many who frequent the tree cannot bear to part with it and spend the rest of their lives here."


    They continued their journey through the lush greenery. Wherever they traveled, young and old monks alike smiled and bowed to them. They all wore an orange kasaya, a simple garment consisting of a single long piece of saffron cloth. Everyone''s head was shaved. To Gong Lan''s surprise, she noticed a half dozen women walking by as they carried water. They too had shorn their heads, and several of them had nine burn marks adorning their hairless scalps.


    Soon, they arrived at the main temple. Its white walls reflected off a still moat surrounding it. It was all ornamental, of course. The bridge leading to the temple was a permanent fixture. Several orange fish jumped across the bridge as they traveled; they knew that they were not in danger, for no one would dare to harm a living creature in this harmonious paradise.


    A young acolyte greeted them at the entrance of the temple. "Teacher will meet you soon," he said knowingly.


    Gong Lan was shocked at the man''s foresight, but Gong Wuling was unperturbed. They followed the acolyte as he led them deeper into the temple. Soon, they arrived in a well-lit hall. There, a thin figure was seated on a cushion, chanting mantras toward a large golden statue. The golden buddha sat cross-legged with his right hand facing outward, his thumb and index finger pressed together in a circle and forming a teaching mudra .


    The acolyte seated them on cushions behind the meditating man. Gong Lan felt her mind wandering as she sat down. Much of the tension that had accumulated in her body began to dissipate. Her eyelids began to droop, and before she knew it, she had fallen asleep.


    ***


    She awakened to the sight of a kindly old man, who was facing them. Like all the other monks, his expression was benevolent and full of compassion.


    "I know why you''ve come, Wuling," the monk said gently. "Is this your little sister?"


    "Yes, she''s my little sister," Wuling replied. "She''s¡­ been through some hard times. Although I promised not to spread the Blood World Scripture, she needed help. But things have gotten out of hand¡­"


    "I see that your solution to everything hasn''t changed," the monk said sternly. His smile had faded. "I told you before that the path of slaughter will only hurt the user and those around them. But you didn''t listen, and you''ve even involved your sister. Judging by the aura of sin surrounding her, I can see that she''s slaughtered the equivalent of hundreds of men and thousands of beasts. Why on earth would you think this was a good idea?"


    "Those were bad men!" Wuling exclaimed. "She''s been slaying evildoers. Wasn''t it you who told me that slaying those who deserved it was not sin, but merit?"


    "That really depends on a few things," the monk replied. "It depends on the state of mind of the person accomplishing things. What is their intent? Is their intent to save, or is it their intent to punish? Are they doing it to protect others, or are they doing it for revenge? All these things factor in. The sin of killing an evil man could be greater than the merit of killing him, if done for the wrong reasons.


    "You helped her increase her cultivation and combat prowess, but it did not make her stronger. The Blood World Scripture helped her confront her fears, but she has not resolved them."


    "Look, she just needs a calming locket, the same kind you made for me way back then," Wuling implored.


    Gong Lan had never seen her older brother ask for something so nicely in her whole life.


    "What worked for you will not work for her, I''m afraid," the monk said gravely. "When you quit fighting in the arena, you did it because you were sick of bloodshed. I helped you find a way to be at peace with yourself. I understand that you''ve started a mercenary company. However, aren''t you quite strict on the work you accept? You only protect people. You defend. This is an admirable cause.


    "Your little sister, however, had a very pure soul to begin with. You took her grief, and with that, you''ve turned her into a vicious killer! A single step closer, and she''d become a true devil!" the monk sternly berated Wuling, who was now rather pale.


    "A true devil? What do you mean by that?" Gong Lan shot back. Unknowingly, she had released a suffocating murderous intent.


    Before she could react further, however, the monk had already appeared right in front of her. He smiled as he took a single finger and tapped her on the forehead. "Calm down," he said pleasantly.


    Her murderous intent instantly dissipated. Now she only felt shame. Why had she reacted so violently to the man? Was there really something wrong with her?


    "Let me explain, my child," the monk said softly. "Everyone is born with a pure soul, and over time, it gets corrupted by outside influences. Some souls are strong, while others are weak. Those who retain their purity as they age are very kind souls, like you once were. Here, I''ll show you." The monk held out his hand, and a soft ball of light slowly materialized.


    "Souls are corrupted by sin, which they build up a tolerance to over time. The sins can directly attack the unresisting soul, and a truly kind soul, who is hardly contaminated by anger, greed, envy, sloth, gluttony, pride, or lust, has no resistance to these things whatsoever. Such souls are the bane of these sins, and very effective in overcoming them.


    "However, pure souls have a chance to devilize or fall into depravity if exposed to these things too suddenly. Someone who devilizes is not truly human anymore. They lose their empathy and get lost in their sins. For example, had you continued your current path, your anger at yourself and the world would have consumed you, transforming you into a killing machine with no remorse. If that happened, would you be in any position to help or protect anyone?"


    The white ball of light was now tainted with red specks. They accumulated little by little, until finally, the ball of light mutated and became a heinous mass of black and red.


    Gong Lan shook her head, crying. "No. I guess I couldn''t." Now that she thought about it, she was a complete and utter joke.


    "That''s right, my child," the monk said. "You are very well suited to the path of slaughter, but that is because you''re also inherently suited for the path of peace. Would you allow me to show you a kinder way? A way in which you can help your friends without losing yourself?" The monk smiled and held out his hand.


    Gong Lan took it without any hesitation.

 79 Lost in Obscurity

    Wang Jun chewed on bitter tea leaves as he waited for news in a tavern. He wasn''t used to such rough accommodations, but it couldn''t be helped. Stonefell was truly a godforsaken place, one where only seasoned adventurers stayed. According to his previous inquiries, it used to be a thriving village. No more.


    Several decades ago, a rare species of spirit beasts had mobilized the entire cultivation world into action. They had banded together and hunted it to extinction, and in the process, the spirit woods and the other creatures it contained had been damaged beyond recovery. Such a story reminded Wang Jun of overfished oceans and lakes and overcultivated fields. Mankind was truly incorrigible in its ways.


    "Another pot of tea?" a young man asked.


    Wang Jun nodded, and the man returned shortly with a freshly brewed pot. The tavern was the only bar in town, the last one having burned down six months ago. His auguries had at last yielded him limited information on her possible position, so he''d sent out his men to investigate. Meanwhile, he continued his own futile attempts to find her.


    For what seemed like the thousandth time, he picked up a fistful of black coins etched with silver runes. He then imbued them with his full soul force and his fate qi. They spun in the air as they collected information that was beyond the grasp of mere mortals, before finally collapsing on the table in a meaningless jumble.


    Despite the lack of content, the message was clear: Wang Jun was not privy to the information he sought. Fate was funny that way. Every man had a story to his name, but seers and diviners were helpless when divining their own fate. To make matters worse, Wang Jun was an anomaly. Information on his fate was very difficult to obtain; he was like a shadow that evaded the scrutiny of the most skilled pair of eyes.


    This didn''t trouble him much. What bothered him was Hong Xin''s fate. A year ago, she was simple and predictable. He could have divined her location with his eyes closed. However, none of these thousand auguries had found any hints of her these past six months. Either she had obtained some fortuitous encounter that shrouded her destiny or fate was playing a cruel joke on him, preventing him from seeing her story out of spite or malice.


    Or has our short involvement completely merged our stories to the point that hers has become indecipherable like mine?


    Such a possibility caused him even greater worry, and it was all the more reason to continue his search. Until he found her, the knot in his heart would to eat away at him little by little. His patience would become increasingly thin.


    He recalled a moment that caused him to shudder, the heart-stopping moment when he''d visited her parents with Hong Ling. Madame Xu had burst into tears, and Xin Er''s father had given him the earful he deserved. Afterward, he''d sought any piece of information that might lead to her discovery. Yet for some unknown reason, information that should be easily accessible just didn''t reach him. It was as though she were a ghost. Fortunately, he knew she was alive. His auguries let him know that much.


    "Xin Er, where have you gone?" he wondered aloud. As soon as he uttered those words, he heard a crashing noise from behind the bar. Something nagged at his mind, and Wang Jun sized the young man up before asking, "Did you work at the original bar?"


    The man nodded. "Yes, I was a bartender there. That is, until it burned down with the owner still in it."


    Wang Jun directed his piercing gaze at the man, who gulped and continued. "I heard you mention the name Xin Er. Are you perhaps acquainted with Gong Xin?"


    Wang Jun frowned. "I know a Hong Xin. Was this lady you speak of this tall, with long black hair?" He held up his hand. "While she wasn''t so pretty as to cause the downfall of a nation, she was quite charming with a warm demeanor."


    The man at the bar hesitated. "Some of what you describe matches up, but many women fall under that category. Can you show me anything more precise?"


    Wang Jun nodded and withdrew a jade slip from his bag of holding. He poured some qi into it until a transparent image of Hong Xin floated out from it and began spinning in circles. She was wearing her mauve dress with green vines, as well as the mauve hairclip that she''d taken with her when she ran away from home.


    "Right, that''s her," the young man said, his face lighting up with recognition. "She worked with us for a while. Unfortunately, the owner seemed to have ulterior motives for her. I kept telling her to quit and leave town, but she stubbornly refused. All she would do was drink away what she saved as though she''d never known a happy day in her life.


    "After I left work that night, the bar caught on fire. One of my friends told me that Gong Xin had escaped the flaming building. However, her eyes were red, and her face was covered in tears. Her robe had been torn in many places. I really can''t help but think that the owner had assaulted her and gotten what he deserved."


    Wang Jun''s teacup shattered in his hands as he heard the man''s story. He looked at his palm and saw that his fingers were coated in blood, jagged pieces of porcelain protruding from them. Yet he felt more alive now than he had these past six months. He ignored the young bartender''s panicked expression and began pulling out shards of glass bit by bit, as though reveling in the pain they caused him. Finally, once the last piece had been removed, he withdrew a pill from his bag of holding and ate it. The wound on his hand disappeared without a trace.


    "Do you know which direction she left in?" Wang Jun asked in a hoarse voice.


    The young man shivered before answering. "She left through the north of town. She stole a horse from a farmer on the way out, though she left him a hefty payment in silver." The young bartender was now sweating profusely.


    This didn''t surprise Wang Jun, whose aura was now completely unrestrained. He stood up and flicked a pouch over to the young man. The boy didn''t know it yet, but he wouldn''t have to work for the rest of his life.


    As Wang Jun walked out of the bar, he saw Protector Ren and another Wang family guard approaching him.


    "I''ve found out all we need to know. Let''s move," Wang Jun said.


    His protectors said nothing, and the trio flew out of the village on flying swords, leaving behind many villagers gasping in awe at the spectacle.


    ***


    The villagers greeted Cha Ming as he walked through the merchant district. He entered a familiar store, the grocer''s, where he picked up the provisions he required for their meals. When he arrived at the clerk to pay for the goods he''d gathered, he was waved through with a cheerful smile. He tried to protest and pay anyway¡ªafter all, many villagers had left them shards as payment¡ªbut then the owner stepped out personally and told him they wouldn''t accept his money.


    This was a testament to the impact he and Li Yin had on the people''s lives. He had treated many diseases, fractures, and vicious cuts. He had also personally performed surgeries, including those used to deliver babies. He had named the surgery a Caesarian section, and although the name had puzzled Li Yin, he couldn''t back out on his offer to allow Cha Ming to name it.


    With Cha Ming''s help, the old doctor had managed to perform many more experiments, as well as hold educational seminars and meetings for the residents. He had spoken on things like hygiene, nutrition, and first-response activities such as bandaging basic wounds and splinting fractures before patients were brought to him.


    Cha Ming''s only regret was that he couldn''t stay for longer. His cultivation was slowly recuperating. As of today, all his organs'' qi pathways had been completely reconnected. In fact, they functioned better than before he had been injured. Currently, he could circulate qi through these pathways to achieve one third of his original cultivation rate. In addition, his useable physical strength had skyrocketed, and he could now utilize nine tenths of his original strength.


    Still, he planned to stay until he made a full recovery. The cultivation world was dangerous, and he saw no reason not to enjoy the pleasant atmosphere while he could. As he returned to the doctor''s house, he noticed a crowd of people surrounding it. Frowning, he walked through the crowd, and after putting away the groceries, he proceeded to the doctor''s office.


    Li Yin was busy staring at a badly wounded man who lay on the examination table. Seeing the doctor pondering, Cha Ming went ahead and pressed his hand on the man to observe his condition.


    Three arm fractures, head trauma, arrow wound to the shoulder¡­ That last one made him raise his eyebrows. Fortunately, the man was not beyond saving.


    "What are you thinking?" Cha Ming asked.


    It seemed like a clear-cut case. The doctor shook his head and walked up to the injured man. He pulled back the man''s shirt, revealing his forearm. There, Cha Ming saw a black mark. It was a tattoo that resembled a serpent woven around a sword. The sword was stained in blood.


    "This mark is worn by all members of the Serpentine Sword bandit group," Li Yin explained. "They are a bunch of vicious killers who kidnap, ****, and pillage. I have nothing but utter contempt for them." The doctor then looked at Cha Ming. "I refuse to save this man."


    Cha Ming was conflicted. "Why did you save me when I washed up on the river?" After all, it was difficult to judge a book by its cover.


    "You want the truth?" the doctor asked. "Very well. I saved you because you didn''t have any such markings, and you seemed young and impressionable. Furthermore, it didn''t look like you had very long to live anyway. You wouldn''t be a threat to this peaceful community. This man, however, is an entirely different case."


    The truth hit Cha Ming like a sack of bricks. He had always been taught that doctors should be benevolent and help everyone. He had often heard tales of pure-hearted doctors who treated allies and enemies alike. Yet this old doctor he admired most refused to do the same.


    "I believe everyone deserves a chance," Cha Ming said softly. "I will save him."


    The doctor shrugged. "I think that''s foolish, but I won''t stop you. It''s your right to choose to save a life. However, you must be willing to shoulder the consequences of your actions." Then the doctor stepped out of the clinic and began to disperse the crowd.


    Cha Ming first cut out the barbed arrow that was protruding from the man''s shoulder. Then he adjusted the man''s bones and set them in place with splints. Afterward, he stitched up several larger gashes, cleaned him, and set him up in the room next to his.


    With any luck, he would recover.


    ***


    A few days passed by before Cha Ming woke up to a crash in the room next door. He yawned and put on his robes. The man''s reaction was expected. After all, he''d restrained him, confiscated his weapons and bag of holding, and drugged him so he couldn''t harness his qi.


    Cha Ming knocked on the door before opening it. He was greeted by an attempted back kick to the mid-section. Snorting, he dove past the kick, grabbing the man by the neck in an instant. Then he squeezed slightly, showing the man that if he wished to, he could kill him in an instant.


    "Where am I? Why did you lock me up? What happened to my cultivation?" the man asked ferociously.


    "We found you washed up on shore, and I saved you and treated your wounds," Cha Ming replied. "If you don''t want me to create new ones, I suggest you get back in your bed and cooperate."


    The man hesitated but ultimately agreed to sit on his bed. After waiting for a minute, Cha Ming came back with a flask containing a putrid-smelling potion.


    "Drink this," Cha Ming instructed. "You''re extremely dehydrated. This will help alleviate the symptoms. Besides, even if your qi was unsealed, a measly sixth level of qi condensation wouldn''t pose the slightest threat to me."


    The man sighed and drank the potion in a single gulp. He grimaced, but his countenance instantly improved. "I don''t suppose I need to drink something like this every day?" he asked.


    Cha Ming chuckled. "Only if you misbehave. I''ve confiscated your weapons and your bag of holding. I''ll give them back to you when you leave. In the meantime, recovering your qi isn''t out of the question if you behave." He approached the man and directed his spiritual force to the man''s arms. The bones had already begun mending.


    "What realm of body refinement have you achieved?" Cha Ming asked.


    The man shrugged. "I cultivated to the fifth level many decades ago, but I wasn''t able to improve any more. It''s a hard life out there, and a man needs all the advantages he can get."


    "Fair enough," Cha Ming said. "It seems to me like you''ll recover within three weeks'' time. I''m afraid to say that due to your questionable background, you''re under house arrest. I hope that won''t pose a problem for you."


    The man nodded. "That''s very reasonable. I would do the same thing. Very well, I''ll stay in this room and won''t complain. Besides, if I cause any trouble, it seems like you''re more than capable of chasing me down and handling me."


    Cha Ming''s heart softened slightly at the man''s understanding attitude. "It won''t be necessary for you to stay in this room. I''ll call you out when breakfast is ready."


    Weeks passed by uneventfully. Cha Ming continued to care for his lone patient while Li Yin treated the residents in their homes. This was all to maintain secrecy. The less the man knew, the less reason he would have to return to this village after he left.


    Cha Ming had even delayed his recovery to ensure that the man, Lei Dong, didn''t cause trouble. Fortunately, he had been quite cooperative. Cha Ming eventually allowed him to regain control over his qi so that he could at least cultivate to pass the time.


    Finally, the time came to send the patient on his way. While Lei Dong seemed full of gratitude, Cha Ming still didn''t dare expose the rest of the village to him. He had Li Yin alert the villagers, who were instructed that everyone should stay in their houses for two hours around lunchtime.


    ***


    "Is it really necessary to keep me blindfolded?" Lei Dong asked Cha Ming. They were both treading on a barely used path, the only way out of the village. The smell of roses invaded their nostrils as they proceeded. "The degree of secrecy you''ve treated me with is unusual."


    "We just like our privacy," Cha Ming responded. "Outsiders aren''t welcome, and while I''m not so black hearted as to leave you to die, I don''t want to put our isolation at risk. Outsiders mean trouble, and I don''t want you finding your way back."


    Lei Dong shrugged. "Quite frankly, I would only need to follow the scent of roses to find this place if I really wanted to. Still, I''m very thankful you''ve treated me, and letting you keep your secret is the least I can do." Cha Ming wasn''t sure how to react to his sarcastic tone of voice, so he kept silent as they walked.


    They continued walking for an hour before Cha Ming heard some branches breaking. Sighing, he cast out his spiritual force and located two small silhouettes.


    "You can come out now," he yelled.


    Two shy children, Yi Qiao and Ling Shen, emerged from the bushes beside them.


    "Didn''t your parents tell you not to come out?" Cha Ming asked.


    "They told us, but we really wanted to see the outsider," Yi Qiao said. "It''s been over a year since we last saw one. Ever since you came¡ª"


    "That''s enough," Cha Ming said, cutting her off. "You''ve seen him, now hurry back to the village."


    Both children looked aggrieved but scampered off nonetheless. Cha Ming''s authority in the village was quite high now that he had taken over as the doctor''s assistant.


    He continued guarding the man as he led him farther and farther away from the village, winding in circular paths to confuse him. Eventually, he took the man to a boat and brought him down the river. After another few hours of travel, they arrived at a small village, where he released him and returned his possessions.


    Cha Ming didn''t stick around. Instead, he took the long way around and returned to his boat, which he led down the river through an alternate path. He kept a careful eye out for the brigand he had saved, ensuring that there was no chance he was being followed. He had done his best to preserve the village''s secret.


    If it were to be exposed, disaster could befall them.


    ***


    Lei Dong was seated at the bar of a tavern. He ordered an ale; it had been far too long since he''d had a proper drink. A pleasant-looking tavern wench brought the drink over and insinuated that she had other services she offered. For a price.


    He shooed her off. He normally wouldn''t have refused, but his mind kept racing whenever he remembered one of the few scenes he had seen from the village. He had caught a glimpse of those two children while his caretaker, Cha Ming, shooed them away. In the short instance when he shifted his blindfold, he saw a little boy and a little girl.


    The two were both unremarkable. They had a different accent than Cha Ming, so it was just like they said¡ªhe was a foreigner as well. That meant that there was something in the village that Cha Ming knew would tempt him, thus the isolation. He wouldn''t have bothered to speculate what it was, and he had been prepared to never return to the village again.


    Until he saw those two children.


    The boy and the girl wore ragged clothes, clearly of crude construction. However, they had one thing in common. They each wore a bracelet, and the little girl wore a necklace. They were made of simple rope and clear crystals. But as a cultivator, how could he not recognize those crystals?


    It''s my lucky day today. If those children could afford to wear spirit stones like jewelry, there had to be plenty more where that came from. Sorry, kid. You might have saved me, but I''d sell my own mother if enough profit was involved.


    The young healer had thought he was being very clever, leading him in circles like he did. However, there were still a few hints that the experienced bandit could follow. For one, the village was within two hours of a river. Most villages would be built very close to one, so he might have led him the long way for the sake of deception. The second clue was the steep drop in humidity after he left the village. It was as though the village was covered in a perpetual fog. Very few places would have such high humidity in the area. Therefore, he speculated the village was near a waterfall.


    The only tricky detail was that the healer was a powerful body cultivator. Fortunately, Lei Dong could feel that as powerful as he was, he wasn''t a foundation-establishment cultivator. Therefore, his strength wasn''t insurmountable.


    He mused at how his failed mission had instead changed into his greatest fortune. "The world of cultivation isn''t for the kind-hearted," he muttered. "I''ll plead for them to spare you when the time comes."


    After finishing his drink, he set off immediately. It would still take a few weeks to track down his leader and gather the bandits for an outing.

 80 Human Tide

    A fifteen-foot two-tailed fox leaped off a cliff, narrowly avoiding a flaming arrow. This arrow was naturally not shot by a beast, but rather a foundation-establishment cultivator. It was a very vexing experience to be chased by such lowlifes. Unfortunately, out of the eighty foundation-establishment cultivators who had come to the mountain, twenty were chasing him. How was such a coincidence possible in this world?


    The mountain leader had instructed all the beasts to defend their hovels and abandon those who fell to these early foundation-establishment cultivators¡ªthe exact opposite of what they should be doing. Huxian felt a conspiracy was afoot, but unfortunately, he had no proof.


    Three flying swords zoomed past his head, which he barely avoided. They shaved off three strands of his precious hair. As he dodged, he carefully avoided the various beasts that lived in his territory. Surprisingly, the qi-condensation cultivators had not assaulted these lesser beasts in his territory. It was as though they were avoiding the area on purpose, knowing that there would be much collateral damage from a major fight.


    Fine, then. If you want to play, let''s play rough. Huxian increased his speed by one tenth, forcing the cultivators behind him to use various exhausting techniques to keep up with him. At the same time, two saber-wielding cultivators flew out in front of him in an attempt to slow him down.


    Pitiful fools.


    His two tails glowed, summoning the image of a thirty-foot bagua, which imprinted itself on the leafy ground. The ones following him had no time to swerve away. As they passed over the bagua with their flying swords, all eight trigrams and the yin-yang rotated in a hazy swirl. The six cultivators slowed to a crawl as a result, and it seemed like time itself was affected.


    Huxian howled and increased his speed by a third yet again, surprising the two saber-wielding cultivators. He didn''t dodge them, however. Instead, he rushed at them, biting both their necks in quick succession. Their sabers bounced off his lustrous fur coat, leaving it completely undamaged.


    Meanwhile, the six pursuing cultivators regained their initial momentum and resumed their chase. The trap had only delayed them by two seconds, but in such a high-level fight, two seconds was a vital difference.


    "Water team. Go!" one of them hollered. Up ahead, he saw another five cultivators coming in from both sides. They formed numerous hand seals, which summoned five icy dragons. The dragons were linked together by a thin thread, and the circular formation condensed into a viscous liquid in the space around Huxian. He grunted and glowed white, his purifying aura forming a film around him and preventing him from being affected.


    Instead of trying to flee, he dashed over to one of the ice-dragon controllers. With a determined look, the man took out a complex-looking talisman, which he slapped on his chest before drawing two flying swords from his bag of holding. They quickly slashed at Huxian, who was unable to react in time. The cultivator let out a roar of triumph, as it appeared his swords made contact. He died with a grin on his face as Huxian''s mirror image disappeared. The crafty fox had used a decoy to slip behind him, after which he bit off half his body. The protective talisman served as little more than a condiment to the ravenous fox.


    "Get together! Don''t let him attack us individually," one of the cultivators yelled. The confused cultivators quickly assembled into groups of five. They had clearly rehearsed these actions, and judging by their uniform robes, Huxian figured they were part of a sect and not just lone cultivators.


    Fortunately for Huxian, their assembly into groups lost them a few precious seconds, which he used to dart farther up the mountain toward his old friend, Lord Earth Ferret. His fifteen-foot form shrank as he ducked into the lord''s burrow.


    "What are you doing here?" the ferret yelled. "Get out of my hole, or I''ll tear you to pieces!"


    However, before he had a chance to act upon his threat, the burrow was torn apart by a large blast. Both Huxian and Lord Earth Ferret burst out of the burrow, their coats singed and full of dirt. Four cultivators floated above them on flying swords. Given their pale complexions, it was clear they had just exhausted themselves to destroy the burrow.


    "Fight with me or die," Huxian growled at the ferret. His aura surged as he flew toward the four cultivators. They attempted to block him with great difficulty, but the little fox moved so fast he seemed to have an illusory double. They didn''t know he was constantly splitting and recombining himself in order to confuse them and hide his cloning abilities.


    "Activate the trap!" the leader of the four shouted. Four more figures appeared, forming rapid hand seals. Multiple earth spikes jutted out from the ground, piercing toward Huxian at a speed much faster than he should have been capable of dodging, but he rapidly shifted back and forth, avoiding forty-eight spikes in total.


    As his figure ducked and weaved between the spikes, he saw light at the end of the tunnel. Unfortunately, that light was yellow lightning. An impressive-looking cultivator looked down at him, smirking. He held a totem in his hand, and given its treasure aura, Huxian estimated that it was a high-grade treasure.


    I was baited! Lei Jiang, come out! Huxian ordered his general mentally. The small mouse burst out from the rune on Huxian''s tail, opening his mouth and forming a vortex. He swallowed the lightning like a light snack. Like Huxian, the Calamity-Swallowing Mouse was now an early-purification demon beast, more than capable of becoming a lord on this small mountain. He sped toward the lightning cultivator as though it were the most delicious prey in existence.


    Meanwhile, the ferret had not escaped. Although his rage toward Huxian had not diminished, he was utterly enraged that his entire brood had been annihilated by these damned cultivators. Like badgers, ferrets were not the calmest of creatures. His earth armor manifested, and he flew toward the water cultivators like a natural predator. They only managed to defend a few claws before being torn to shreds. After all, demons were much stronger than cultivators of the same level.


    While the ferret engaged in his bloody rampage, Huxian darted past the Calamity-Devouring Mouse and landed in the middle of the four cultivators who had destroyed the ferret''s burrow. Seeing that he only had half a second to dispatch them, he unleashed another black-and-white bagua beneath the four cultivators.


    This time, however, it spun in reverse. From his perspective, everything outside slowed down to a crawl. In reality, time inside had increased by a factor of four, and he used these seconds to devour the cultivators one bite after another. Those outside could only stare in abject horror at the gruesome spectacle.


    ***


    What kind of hellish two-tailed fox is this? the leader wondered. He only had around ten cultivators left with him, though another twenty were rapidly approaching.


    Our forces should have been sufficient for a simple two-tailed fox. Either they had been lied to or this was new information their informant wasn''t privy to. Either way, they could only win by pooling their powers into their sect''s battle formation. The situation was quite depressing for Zhong Fa. After all, he was risking his poor life to complete this operation, and he would only receive a few paltry merit points as compensation.


    This is all because of the sect leader''s stupid agreement and his immediate need for a two-tailed fox''s beast core.


    Regrettably, any higher-level cultivators were strictly forbidden in this exercise. He could only wait for their forces to assemble before attacking once more.


    ***


    "Follow me, Lord Earth Ferret!" Huxian shouted. He instilled his words with the bloodline pressure of a Godbeast. Hearing his words, the enraged ferret regained a modicum of sanity and obeyed his command without question. A small mouse wreathed in lightning joined them a few breaths later.


    Master, what would you have me do? the Calamity-Swallowing Mouse asked.


    Break off from our group and head to the peak of the mountain, Huxian replied. Stay undetected. I want to know if the sovereign of the mountain is up to anything. If things are as I suspect, he''s colluding with the cultivators.


    The mouse''s expression contorted in rage at the news. Colluding with the humans? That''s despicable!


    Huxian nodded. Yes, it''s fine for the humans to vie for more territory, but that old bear is too despicable. He is far too worried about controlling the other beasts on the mountain, so much that he''s forgotten about his heritage and the nobility of us beasts. I suspect he has been supressing any ambitious spirit beasts with potential. In fact, he will do the same to you, should he discover your identity. This is how the humans have been able to slaughter us year after year with impunity.


    Master is wise, the mouse replied. If you don''t require anything further, I''ll be leaving now.


    The mouse vanished, and flickering lightning was the only hint that he had ever been present. Even though they were both early-purification demons, and Huxian was one tier higher, the mouse''s maximum speed was still twice that of Huxian''s. He was glad to have enslaved the little mouse early, because it would have been impossible to capture it if their cultivation levels were equal.


    Now to bait the fish. Huxian and the ferret hurried off at a leisurely pace. The cultivators behind them didn''t dare speed up, as both beasts were more than enough to eradicate them. Instead, they lingered behind while reinforcements gathered. Huxian chuckled before leading the ferret into another territory. This time, he didn''t instigate by jumping into the wolf''s cave like he had with Lord Earth Ferret.


    "Lord Frost Wolf, get out here and help me!" Huxian''s roar caused the nearby spirit wolves to cower in fear. The birds in the forest all flew away for fear of being drawn into combat by this terrifying lord.


    Less than two seconds later, a silver blur caught up to them and ran to his side. "What''s going on, little one?" the old wolf asked. "Surely a lord with your vast power wouldn''t have any problems handling two or three humans?"


    Huxian clicked his tongue. "Try twenty. We''ve already killed ten, but ten more are chasing. I''m sure reinforcements are coming as well."


    The old wolf''s eyes narrowed. "So many? What did you do to attract them?"


    "Nothing," Huxian replied. "That''s what''s strange. They attacked my territory as though they knew I was there. There''s definitely a traitor in our midst."


    "How dare they," the wolf replied while baring his fangs. "I assume my lord wishes to rout them. How can I help?"


    "First, we''ll gather a few friends," Huxian said. "Then, we''ll pick a battleground that''s to our advantage."


    They continued to flee, picking up a boar, a heron, and three snakes in the process. Meanwhile, the cultivators amassed another twenty Daoists.


    We have enough now. Time to turn the tables.


    ***


    The leader of the cultivators sighed in relief when the reinforcements arrived. They bowed as they reported in, making it evident that his status in the sect was secure. Seeing that they all submitted to his authority, he wasted no time before announcing his plan.


    "We now have enough members to use the sect''s battle formation. Myself and twenty-three others will join in the formation as the vanguard. The remaining six will stand by to replace any fallen cultivators should the worst happen.


    "Before we head out, I want to remind you all that this fox is not only cunning, but his power far exceeds our imaginations. Regardless, while they have nine demon beasts, we have our sect formation. We also have three high-level magic treasures. Moreover, their kings and their sovereign are unable to join the battle. We should have no problem trampling them with impunity."


    The team of thirty cultivators advanced through beast territory in a domineering fashion. They didn''t bother keeping their auras in check. The various spirit beasts who saw them dodged, ducked, and weaved out of the way. Although these cultivators weren''t allowed to attack them directly, it was a different story if the beasts stood in the way and courted death.


    After chasing for an incense time, the leader noticed the beasts slowing down. "This terrain must be to their advantage," the lead cultivator announced. "Be careful, everyone. Let''s link up to be safe."


    The other twenty-three cultivators nodded, and each focused their qi on a silver flying sword. Each sword glowed blue before sending out glowing tethers to neighboring swords. They could now redirect and consolidate their power at will.


    With their formation activated, they confidently flew into the canyon the spirit beasts had entered. The sandy pathways were thick and one hundred feet in diameter. Here and there, they saw large scales that seemed to have shed off a large snake.


    Is this the geomantic boa''s territory? This might get tricky. What a sly fox, finding a loophole in the agreement. A previously established maze that can tell friend from foe did not count as direct engagement by the geomantic boa.


    ***


    Huxian heard a loud hissing sound as he led the group through the canyon.


    What are you doing, young one? the geomantic boa asked. How dare you bring this fight into my territory.


    Huxian snorted. Relax, old snake. I won''t make things difficult for you. In fact, I''d like to offer you a trade.


    What could you possibly have that would interest me? the snake whispered in doubt.


    I have a greater-demon-tier purification technique that I can pass on to you if you cooperate, Huxian sent back mentally. A few moments of silence ensued. You can pass this on to your direct descendants as well. Take this as a token of good will on my part.


    How can you possibly know such a technique? the snake replied, his voice laced in suspicion. I demand to have it first. Aside from that, I will only activate the Thousand Illusions Trap and grant immunity to your group. Beyond that, you''re on your own.


    Deal, Huxian replied. With but a thought, he transmitted the promised technique to the geomantic boa. This was also a clever ploy by Huxian. By divulging the technique, he was revealing his identity as a Godbeast. Only Godbeasts had inherited memories. By making this deal, his standing in geomantic boa''s eyes would increase drastically.


    Very well. The maze will activate now. This time, the snake''s voice was directed to all the demon beasts in their group, who looked at Huxian in surprise.


    The small fox ordered them to turn around, and they were greeted by an enraged group of cultivators attacking the air like madmen. They would be trapped in the illusion until they were attacked.


    "Very impressive," Huxian said. "All right, everyone, activate beast mode. We''ll attack them all at once before the illusion wears off. We only have three seconds."


    The ferret growled as his earth aura intensified and his armor and claws grew. Lord Frost Wolf''s fur shimmered as the projection of a full moon appeared behind him, shining down on him and imbuing him with great strength. He grew three times larger under the freezing moon''s influence. Then the full moon appeared in the center of his forehead, like a third eye that was constantly open.


    The boar also doubled in size. His tusks elongated, and he was filled with a massive amount of vitality that funneled into him from the forest. Brambles grew on his fur, threatening to eviscerate anyone who touched him. Meanwhile, his friend the heron harnessed the power of wind. The projection of a great roc appeared behind him. Evidently, this humble heron held a trace of the great roc''s bloodline. The projection''s power poured into its wings, strengthening them and elongating them until its wingspan was the width of the canyon.


    The three snakes, not wanting to be outdone, coiled together to form a much larger snake. It was a projection of a geomantic boa, like their mother. However, instead of disappearing, it condensed into a physical apparition. The eldest of the three sibling snakes gained control over the large avatar.


    Finally, Huxian split into two foxes, one black and one white. The time had come to show his true power. Both foxes were thirty feet long, twice as big as the original size he''d displayed. The other beasts gasped in amazement when they saw this transformation. Their bloodlines thrummed as they sensed the aura of a king among demons. They felt invigorated to be with him, honored to fight with him.


    "Now!" Huxian roared. The spirit beasts attacked in tandem. The large snake attacked their feet, launching a corrosive pool of venom at the group of cultivators and breaking the illusion. The cultivators were all alarmed, but the training the sect offered was cold and brutal. They quickly adapted and used their power to fly up in the air to resist the venom. However, as soon as they flew up, they were quickly attacked from three sides by a boar, a wolf, and a ferret. Six of the cultivators in their formation coughed blood from the shock of their charge but still held strong.


    They paled when they saw a rapidly approaching figure. The heron flew toward them with its long, sharp wings, threatening to decapitate every one of them.


    "Everyone, burn your blood essence, or we''ll all die!" cried the leader.


    The twenty-four cultivators coughed up blood simultaneously. This wasn''t from injury, rather, it was their heart-blood, which was infused with their vital qi. It would take them each a few years to recover from such a large sacrifice.


    Their qi gathered together, and their twenty-four blades glowed, forming a giant frosty sword that struck out toward the heron, who wailed in agony. They reveled in their victory, only to realize that they''d celebrated too soon. In the middle of their formation, a large white fox had appeared. A white aura oozed out from it, and the surroundings lost their color. Their blue robes, their frosty swords, and their black hair quickly faded to white and gray. They panicked when they realized that their strength had been supressed, and they could only fight at fifty-percent efficiency.


    Their horror only intensified when Huxian acted once more. The white light forced them to project long shadows. However, they saw that the shadow cast by the fox wasn''t stationary, like theirs. It was alive. It leapt from one shadow to another, devouring one shadow after another. Each shadow it ate caused the corresponding cultivator to drop to the ground, dead.


    The formation crumbled in an instant, and the weakened cultivators quickly fell to the various demon beasts who assaulted them. As they died, Huxian''s purifying power turned their corpses into condensed vitality, which he fed into the grievously injured heron. Its wounds healed at a visible pace.


    Finally, the white aura faded. Only the brave spirit beasts remained. They feasted together on the corpses of the cultivators, not wasting a single bite from this nutritious meal. After all, while cultivators hunted them for their beast cores, the flesh of cultivators was also full of heaven and earth qi. This was doubly so for body cultivators. This was why spirit beasts and humans hunted each other with great fervor.


    The beasts stopped after eating the cultivators they killed, reserving the other half for their battle leader, Huxian. Both his clones recombined into his original thirty-foot-long appearance. He had no need to hide his appearance any longer. Under the beasts'' reverent gazes, he consumed the remaining half of the cultivators'' bodies in a single gulp.


    Afterward, he gathered their treasures and swallowed them as well. Such things weren''t useful to normal spirit beasts, but to him, they were of substantial assistance to refining and strengthening his body. His fur grew more rigid, and his skin toughened immediately after consuming them.


    Soon he would be immune to even the attacks of a mid-stage foundation-establishment cultivator.


    ***


    An old cultivator with white hair and a blue robe gritted his teeth when he saw the fight below concluding.


    "You told me that he was a two-tailed fox!" he yelled. "That beast''s abilities are clearly much greater than you reported. Now I''ve lost a good tenth of my sect''s foundation-establishment disciples."


    The large bear grunted in response. "You can''t blame me. Your sect members underestimated the enemy. If all fifty of the cultivators you sent had attacked him in tandem, this never would have happened. Of course, this would have exposed me. Still, with twice as many cultivators, you could have made up for quality with quantity."


    The older cultivator looked at the bear coldly. "You need to compensate me for this. I want that fox dead and his core in my possession. During the next ''human tide,'' you will deliver him to me on a silver platter. Otherwise, our relationship can''t continue. I''ll find another demon beast to replace you, and we will continue harvesting you like the farm animals you truly are."


    With these words, the cultivator flicked his sleeve and vanished. The old bear sighed and closed his eyes. They both didn''t notice the small mouse hiding in small hole twenty feet away.


    The little rodent had heard every single word of their conversation.

 81 A Debt Reneged

    Cha Ming woke to the smell of smoke. The suffocating cloud permeated the entire room. Fortunately, his constitution was strong enough for him to handle this little bit of inconvenience. He quickly donned his robe and warily felt the door handle. It was cold.


    Opening the door, he kept low and rushed over to the doctor''s room, where he saw the old man asleep at his desk. This was a common occurrence¡ªthe man was committed to his work and sacrificed his sleep far too often. Looking around, he grabbed the doctor, who was unconscious due to the smoke, and threw him over his shoulder, then proceeded to the doctor''s office. Using a burst of his strength, he broke open the locked shelf and willed all the books into his Clear Sky World. Then he opened the door to the clinic and exited.


    As soon as he stepped out, a carpet of ten nets flew out, forming an inescapable enclosure. In his prime, it would not have been a problem. Without his qi, however, he had no movement techniques that could help him escape. In addition, he was burdened with the old doctor, who he would never abandon.


    The nets struck Cha Ming, and his knees weakened. He crumpled under his own weight, taking Li Yin down with him.


    "How do you like our body-restraining nets?" a voice asked. "We prepared these just for you, the only threat in this village."


    Cha Ming''s eyes narrowed when he heard the voice. It was the member of the Serpentine Sword bandits he had released the other day, Lei Dong.


    "Why did you come back?" Cha Ming asked bitterly, already knowing the answer. "What could you possibly have seen to make you want to come back?"


    "Normally, I wouldn''t tell you," the man responded. "However, you are my savior. It was the two kids that gave it away. They wore those spirit stones casually, like they were as plentiful as cabbages. If it weren''t for them and your overly protective attitude, I wouldn''t have given it a second thought."


    Cha Ming''s glared at the man. This was the first time he''d encountered such a hateful person in this world. Someone who would betray their savior for material gain.


    "You have no one to blame but yourself and your naivete," Lei Dong continued. "If you were smart, you would have cut my throat without another thought." He looked at his companions. "Wrap them up and send them to the cage."


    Cha Ming looked around as he was transported by four men. Their house wasn''t on fire, and neither was any other house in the village. There were only burned packages that had been set out around the house to lure him out. In the distance, he saw hundreds of people being herded toward the center of town like cattle. There, the bandits were assembling an intricate cage with practiced grace. They had evidently done this many times before.


    Cha Ming didn''t dare look at his fellow villagers as they were transported away from their homes. He felt immense guilt about what was transpiring. The doctor had been right¡ªhe shouldn''t have saved the man. Soon, he found himself shackled in a separate cell from the others, who he could still see through wooden bars. Beside him was a group of five men whose wrists were bound with qi-restraining manacles. They were the only cultivators in the village, the ones who kept them safe from spirit beasts.


    They looked at him with complicated expressions. It wasn''t scorn or loathing. Rather, it was a mixture of disappointment and understanding. After all, he was a healer. It was difficult for him to resist healing a stray cultivator who washed up on their shore, just like he had.


    "Everyone listen to what I have to say," one of the bandits said. He exuded a familiar but powerful presence, the aura of foundation establishment. Even in his peak shape, Cha Ming would not be his match. "I, Wei Chen, have captured this village in order to obtain these crystal stones." The man held out a fistful of shards for the thousands of villagers to see.


    "You are all worthless as slaves, and we are only interested in harvesting these stones," he continued. "If you provide us information on where to obtain them, we will simply take them and leave. All your houses and storefronts have already been pillaged. However, these stones are far from enough. We are searching for the source. What is useless to you is extremely useful to us. Don''t force us to act recklessly for something of so little value to you."


    He motioned to one of the guards, who brought a little girl out. It was the one who had unknowingly revealed the village''s wealth, Yi Qiao. She no longer wore her bracelet and necklace. Her arms were covered with bruises. Seeing the villagers break out in hushed whispers, he brought a dagger out and nicked her throat slightly. A small stream of blood trickled down her tender skin.


    "We will tell you everything," a calm voice said. "After all, these stones are worthless, and our children''s lives are priceless. Mr. Zhou, Mr. Xing, Mr. Chen, please step out and help me hold a conversation with these gentlemen." These people were the elders in charge of the village, while the voice that called out was that of the mayor.


    "Excellent!" Wei Chen exclaimed. "I knew you would be reasonable people. Men, please gather these four and bring them to my tent."


    ***


    A tall, slender cultivator in a black robe sat on a large chair inside his makeshift tent. He held a bronze sword covered in intricate blue runes at his waist. Known in his group as "Archaic Sword," Wei Chen was a legend among bandits, and the amount of loot he''d pilfered over the years could allow him to retire several times over.


    Still, he didn''t stop. People speculated that he robbed and murdered for pleasure. Regardless of their conclusions, they all they knew it was foolish to oppose the Archaic Sword, the vice leader of the Serpentine Swords.


    Soon, four older figures were ushered in. They were all mere mortals with not hint of cultivation in their weak bodies. They sat down meekly, fully aware that their lives were in his merciless hands. Still, to rub the impression in, he let them wait for a quarter hour without saying anything. They sat in silence while Wei Chen stared at them, and they did not dare look up. After enough time had passed, he took out a large chest and set it on the ground. After opening it, he picked up a handful of shards and let them drop back down into the chest.


    "So many mid-grade spirit stones," Wei Chen said softly. "It''s truly a waste of nature''s wonders to leave them rotting in this village. With these stones, a cultivator''s power can increase tremendously. I would truly be a sinner if I left them in the hands of you mere mortals."


    The elders said nothing in response.


    "Tell me where I can find the source of these stones," Wei Chen continued. "And don''t tell me they just washed up on shore. It''s impossible for such a large quantity of spirit stones to appear out of nowhere. There must be a geological feature where they were extracted."


    The mayor, who had been silent this whole time, finally spoke up. "We know where the source is. We can even tell you, as these stones are useless to us and merely used as currency and decoration. However, before we tell you, we want you to make an oath on the heavenly Dao. An oath that your bandits won''t kill or harm our villagers, and that you will release us once you are done extracting the stones."


    The bandit leader frowned. "You''re hardly in a good position to negotiate. I''ll have you know that I can simply torture you all to extract the answers. It would be better if you just told me, or this Buddha-like demeanor of mine will vanish and be replaced by a bloodthirsty devil that will destroy the villagers you hold dear."


    "The people in the village are all we have," the old man said with a sigh. "Further, I''ve only brought these three men to confirm the truth of my words. Only the current and past mayors know where the source of the crystals is located, and the past mayor has already passed on. Generations ago, a mayor discovered the value of these stones and made these arrangements. It would be better if the crystals were lost than to make their location known to all."


    Wei Chen chuckled. "Such foresight. Very well. I can''t confirm the veracity of your words, so we''ll continue our search for now. I''ll let you know if you''re truly in a position to bargain."


    ***


    Every day that passed by was agonizing. Even though a small stream passed through the village, each prisoner was only allowed a cup of water per day to parch their thirst. Food was completely out of the question.


    Cha Ming looked on at the destruction he''d sown. The bandits systematically destroyed their village, dismantling everything bit by bit in their search for the source. All this had started as soon as the leaders returned. They refused to discuss the contents of their meeting, but fortunately, the villagers trusted their elders unconditionally.


    All Cha Ming could do during this time was continually destroy and replace old qi pathways. While it was difficult to concentrate with the body-restraining shackles, he was in a far better position than the qi cultivators who had their cultivation sealed. It seemed that the bandits had evaluated his condition and deemed it unnecessary to deal with a cultivator having crippled qi pathways.


    Fair enough.


    At some point, the old doctor had wandered over near his cell. The cell where he had been placed was a communal one that took up over 95% of the allocated space. He sat beside Cha Ming''s cell until the young man opened his eyes. Cha Ming looked away when he saw Li Yin. The old man had been right.


    "Let me tell you another story, young man," Li Yin said, sighing. He then looked to the side so Cha Ming could look up as he expounded his wisdom. "After the Spirit Doctor Association banned me from practicing medicine, I didn''t listen to them. I gathered a group of young men like you who were eager to learn my craft, and I taught them without reservation. I did this for five years, and we continued treating patients throughout the city.


    "Despite their previous judgement, the association didn''t really want to bother with us. No one raised a stink, and we were able to continue practicing. One day, however, an up-and-coming spirit doctor came around looking for trouble. He was a noble, and he was keen on proving the superiority of his craft. He came swaggering into my establishment carrying two very badly beaten men. They were clearly on the verge of death, and I strongly suspected that this man had inflicted their wounds himself.


    "Then he said, ''One of these men is wealthy and worthy of my care. He''s a cultivator, and he''s useful to society. The other, however, is a mortal. He is also a thief, so he deserves to die. I will save the wealthy man; save the poor thief if you can with your meager abilities.'' After saying these words, he left. It was clearly a provocation, but I couldn''t help myself. Even though the man was a thief, he didn''t deserve to die.


    "I spent the next three months nursing him back to health. I exhausted all my skills, and in the end, the thief''s health was restored to seven tenths of his original capacity. He still had some crippling disabilities that I couldn''t cure. Once he was healed, I released him. Little did I know that he was a plant by that young master, a pawn for him to squash my budding practice.


    "I was arrested two days later on the charge of illegally practicing medicine. My apprentices were incarcerated as well. The thief who I saved, instead of being grateful, complained to the Spirit Doctor Association and said that my care had crippled him. Meanwhile, the young master that had brought him over that day said that while he had offered to treat the man, I had refused to let him treat him and had arrogantly insisted that my medicine was more than adequate.


    "Of course, they believed his words over mine. My five apprentices were heavily fined, to the extent that they would need to submit themselves into indentured slavery just to live. Meanwhile, due to my previous offense, I was banished from every major city in the country.


    "My actions ruined the lives of five promising young men and affected the many poor residents I normally treated. I was forced away from civilization. I traveled for many years until I finally encountered the current Crystal Falls mayor, who was out to do business. He noticed that I was a doctor but not a cultivator. After all, given the abundance of spirit stones in the village, he dared not invite spirit doctors for fear that greed might corrupt their hearts. He invited me to Crystal Falls, and I have been here ever since, tending to the village in peace.


    "In case you didn''t pick up on the moral of my story, I''ll spell it out for you. I felt guilty for involving those around me, but I don''t regret my actions. It''s in a doctor''s blood to save people, even the guilty. A doctor cannot betray his own consciousness. He can only do what he thinks is right and bear the consequences, just like I did. Just like I hope you will do now."


    The doctor left shortly after, leaving Cha Ming in deep contemplation.


    ***


    Another week passed, and the residents of the village were weakening, and the frequent outbursts of rage from Wei Chen''s tent indicated that things weren''t going as the bandits had hoped.


    Finally, Wei Chen couldn''t take it anymore and ordered the three elders and the mayor be brought to his tent. After six hours, a peal of thunder traveled across the clear sky, and indication that an oath to the heavenly Dao had been made. The mayor was dragged back to his cage, bloodied and with broken fingers but with a smile on his face. The three village elders didn''t make it back, and Cha Ming soon saw their corpses being dragged out of Wei Chen''s tent.


    Over the next week, life improved for the villagers. The bandits began bringing them water and food, and they finally regained some strength. They were still weak, but they were no longer on the verge of death.


    But the following week, things took a turn for the worse. One by one, the villagers were filed out and separated into three groups: women, children, and men. It didn''t matter how old each man or woman was or what their occupations were, they were separated this way regardless. The village got busy as people were organized into construction groups and ordered to build joint accommodations to replace the ruins that were once their homes.


    Then increasingly large numbers of young men were led away from the village toward the large waterfall nearby.These men were taken for a full ten days before they came back, filthy and utterly exhausted.


    Cha Ming and the cultivators were not part of this group. They remained shackled as things progressed. The once peaceful village had been transformed into a work camp. With every day that passed, Cha Ming''s heart ached at the sight of the villagers and their suffering. Fortunately, he saw no deaths. After the first three elders died, not a single villager was killed.


    Still, Cha Ming was left with the realization that some fates were worse than death.


    ***


    Cha Ming woke to the rare sound of his cage door being opened. He looked up to see three burly bandits, who picked him up unceremoniously and dragged him with them. He saw the pitying looks of many villagers as he passed by. Their eyes didn''t linger. The bloody lash marks on their arms and backs made it clear that the fear of their captors was being etched into their very bones.


    He sighed when he saw a cage full of children; only a handful of mothers were supervising and comforting them, while a handful of men were looking at them from the outside. Off to the side, he saw a group of women performing mundane tasks like preparing food and stitching and washing clothes.


    As he walked, he saw a bandit groping one of the women. The others were too fearful to respond, but fortunately, a bandit captain walked up to the offending man and slapped him in the back of the head.


    "Use your brain, you idiot," he said. "How do you expect the men to work properly if they see us violating their women? I don''t know about you, but I don''t want to spend any longer in this shit hole than I have to."


    Cha Ming was relieved that things weren''t as bad as they could be. At the very least, it seemed like these bandits weren''t just another group of devilish cultivators. They were just bad men trying to make a living. Perhaps that was something he could exploit.


    Before long, he was led to a small tent. Inside, he was shoved down next to the other five cultivators in the village. He saw Wei Chen, the leader of the bandits, and two of his personal guards. The vicious man looked over at them, smiling.


    "Welcome, everyone," he said. "As many of you have speculated, we''re looking forward to utilizing your skills to mine spirit stones like the other villagers. However, as cultivators, you are all uniquely useful to us. However, before we do that, we''ll need to make you more docile than you currently are."


    At these words, another man walked into the room. He was pale and sickly looking, but his vast spiritual force made Cha Ming feel oppressed. There was a clear difference between a soul at half-step foundation establishment and actual foundation establishment, and this man was clearly in the latter realm.


    He felt the man''s soul force oozing over him, probing him. He resisted it with all his might, but he was unable to stop the man from inspecting every nook and cranny of his soul. The man grinned when he felt his resistance.


    "Interesting. You have someone here with a strong soul, and it will take more than just a small effort on my part to tame him." He looked over to the other five. "Let''s get these appetizers over with before we start the main course."

 82 Slave

    A look of excitement flashed across Wei Chen''s eyes when the heard the pale man''s words. "As you wish, Sigil Master Guo."


    Cha Ming had never heard of the sigil master occupation, but judging by Wei Chen''s humble tone, they were not to be trifled with. He looked on with both frustration and curiosity as the man approached the five other prisoners. When pale man placed his hand on the first captive''s head, Cha Ming felt the man''s spiritual force inundating the man''s entire being.


    "Sixth-stage qi condensation, second-stage body transformation," the man intoned. "I can control him with a Servant Sigil, and he will be amenable to most instructions and perform them without question. I can also forcefully uplift his body cultivation to the fifth stage within three days. This will cost you fifteen mid-grade spirit stones. Do you accept?"


    The commander''s lips twitched at the cost but nodded nonetheless. Sigil Master Guo smiled and took out a black pen. He then began painting an intricate rune in midair with black ink.


    He''s a talisman artist? Cha Ming thought, frowning. He continued to observe as the rune in front of the man became increasingly complicated and three dimensional. The main character was for "servant," but it contained profound mysteries that Cha Ming couldn''t understand.


    As it continued to expand in scope, the character was complemented by several sub-characters that were joined to it with geometric symbols. Once the complex character was complete, the man painted three other characters beside the existing ones, along with their own three-dimensional supports. These three symbols were the two characters for "master" and "great master."


    Finally, after a full one-hour drawing process, the rune was completed. The black symbol gleamed before rapidly condensing and landing in the man''s palm. He grabbed the rune and pressed it onto the cultivator''s forehead. Cha Ming''s eyes narrowed as the man screamed intensely. It was like a dying man''s wail, a roar of defiance. Sigil Master Guo ignored these screams and pressed harder, and soon the screams subsided. The cultivator''s face was no longer flushed red from exertion, but his eyes were now glazed over. The pale man ignored him and broke off one of the master characters and placed it on his forearm, where Cha Ming noticed hundreds of similar characters were already imprinted.


    Then he pressed the other master sigil onto a silver medallion and handed it and the great-master sigil over to Wei Chen. The bandit leader quickly imprinted the great-master character on his forearm, where it joined three others. After this, Sigil Master Guo tossed a bottle of pills to the newly converted servant.


    "Take one of these pills every day for the next three days," the pale man said. "No matter how great the pain, you are not allowed to die."


    "Yes, master," the cultivator said in a dull voice. All traces of joy or anger had disappeared from the man''s eyes, and the complete lack of emotion made it extremely obvious that he could no longer exercise his free will.


    The entire proceeding left Cha Ming feeling like he had been plunged into icy water.


    Is the same thing going to happen to me? Have I worked so hard to find meaning in my life and restore my vital functions only to be turned into a slave with no choice whatsoever?


    Cha Ming had been excited about his new life because of the ample choices it brought him, but now it seemed like these choices would be taken away.


    He stirred from his despondent state as the screams of the next cultivator pierced the air. Before long, he too was reduced to a shell of what he once was.


    Should I bite my tongue and commit suicide? He quickly banished that thought. Where there was life, there was hope. Things could potentially improve. He need only look within to know that.


    The process continued, and soon the five cultivators had each been given medicinal pills and ordered back to their cells. The guards no longer supervised them, telling Cha Ming that they were used to this form of control. The cultivators were easily identified by the black "servant" character on their foreheads. As long as this character remained, the guards knew they were being controlled.


    After finishing with the five men, the sigil master walked up to Cha Ming, who was still restrained by the body-restraining shackles. He shuddered when the man ran his finger along his chin, then placed a hand on his forehead. He gritted his teeth and stared at the man in defiance, his eyes bloodshot.


    "I have good news, and I have bad news," the man said, looking back toward Wei Chen.


    "Start with the good news," the man replied drily.


    "The good news is that this man is already very strong," the pale man replied merrily. "I, Guo Jia, do not see such an excellent specimen very often. His base physical strength is 784 jin, as he''s a body cultivator of the seventh rank. In addition, his body-cultivation technique is strange. His body has been strengthened by wood, fire, and earth qi and is also imbued with additional regenerative, defensive, and dextrous capabilities.


    "In these areas, he can be considered one grade higher. That means that his physical endurance is monstrous, and his working speed will be extremely fast. What''s more, it seems that this has been achieved through pure addition of attributes, meaning that his body has not yet been refined. If I refine his body using metal-qi, water-qi, and wood-qi pills, I can bring him up to the ninth stage of body cultivation with the defensive capabilities of a bone-forging cultivator!"


    Wei Chen frowned. "What''s the catch?"


    "Well, there are two issues, one minor and one major," Guo Jia continued. "The first issue is that his tissues are badly damaged from an injury. His cultivation is stalled, and his qi-directing meridians and qi pathways are badly damaged. Qi pathways aside, I will need to use medicinal pills to bring back his base strength and heal the injuries to his muscles and bones.


    "The more difficult issue is that his soul is at half-step foundation establishment. This means that I will need to use a more advanced sigil, a Lesser Slave Sigil. This sigil is sufficient for controlling someone up to Foundation Establishment. It is, however, quite expensive, and it comes with a minor degree of personal risk to me. All in all, the process will cost you 500 mid-grade spirit stones."


    "Five hundred?" Wei Chen bellowed. "You may as well rob me! Forget it. I''ll just kill the boy and be done with it. It''s not worth it."


    "Come now," Guo Jia said. "A foundation-establishment slave is normally worth 5,000 mid-grade stones. You''d be getting him at quite a bargain. Also, he isn''t just good for mining. You can bring him with you afterwards and have a strong bodyguard who doesn''t fear death. On account of our long-term friendship, I can knock the price down to 450 spirit stones."


    Wei Chen hesitated. "Three hundred fifty, and not a single stone more."


    "Let''s split the difference at 400 and both leave happy," Guo Jia said, smiling. Wei Chen grunted and tossed him a jingling purse.


    "Great! I can''t wait to get started. I''m going to enjoy him thoroughly."


    Wei Chen grimaced in disgust when he heard this, but he didn''t leave, lest his merchandise be sullied.


    All this time, Cha Ming had remained silent. He knew that his words would change nothing, and he didn''t want to give them the satisfaction. He only glared at the both of them, burning their images into his memory. One day, he would have his vengeance.


    He looked on as the man took out his pen once more, tracing out a sigil that seemed ten times more complicated. It wasn''t any larger, but the fine details it contained were much more extensive. The single character contained twenty to fifty sub-characters that he couldn''t comprehend. He also noticed that, unlike the previous effortless exercise in penmanship, the man was panting and sweating profusely.


    The process continued for eight hours, until finally the Lesser Slave Sigil and its master components were fully completed. Cha Ming braced himself for the inevitable fight against the sigil, but to his surprise, the man held it in his hand and sat cross-legged in front of him. He stabilized his condition for four hours before opening his eyes once more.


    Wei Chen had not left the tent. He merely sat down and cultivated in peace, occasionally sending out his spiritual force to probe. Time flowed differently for those in the Foundation Establishment realm. They could go for weeks without eating or sleeping, using the energy of heaven and earth to sustain them.


    Guo Jia, who had just awoken, stood up and looked down at Cha Ming, who was still firmly restrained. He should have been exhausted, but the strength of his body and soul enabled him to be fully lucid throughout the whole experience.


    "You don''t like to talk a lot, do you?" the pale man said. "Well, that won''t change much by the time I''m through with you." He then took out the complicated Lesser Slave Sigil and pressed it onto Cha Ming''s forehead. He immediately began screaming.


    It felt like a burning hot iron had been pressed on his forehead, branding into his flesh, his bones, and his very soul. He tried to fight back, but the barrier surrounding his mind was quickly torn open by the sigil.


    Suddenly, he found himself standing in a white space that expanded in all directions. Looking down at his hand, he saw that it was slightly transparent. He walked, and his footsteps echoed through the space as though he were wearing dance shoes on a wooden dance floor. The space reminded him of the Clear Sky World, where anything could be shaped according to his imagination.


    "Nice mental space you have here," a voice said from behind him. He turned around to see the pale man with shoulder-length black hair. His black robes rustled as though a wind was blowing, despite its clear absence. He held his hands behind his back, and he walked slowly with an aloof expression.


    "White is such a pure color, a blank slate," the man continued. "With such a powerful soul, no doubt you would have achieved very much in this life. Unfortunately, you met me. And I very much enjoy destroying such budding geniuses.


    "Now, I don''t have to do this, but I''m going to explain what''s going to happen. I do this solely for my own enjoyment. I will use this piece of my soul to invade yours and force you to submit. The sigil is my weapon. To make things interesting, I''ll let you make the first move."


    Guo Jia then took out his hands from behind him. In his right hand, he held a writhing black sigil, the one he had drawn earlier. In the outside world, it had seemed tame and docile. Here, in his mental space, nothing could be further from the truth. To make matters worse, Cha Ming could sense that his own soul was very ethereal, while the other man''s soul seemed almost palpable.


    Cha Ming didn''t need to be told twice. It was clearly a hopeless battle, but even if it gave the other man pleasure, he would fight to his last breath. He looked around at the white space and reached out with his spiritual force to see if it behaved in the same way as the Clear Sky World. He imagined four metal walls, and they instantly appeared and enclosed the pale man. Then he imagined a spiked stone, sending it down toward the man to crush him.


    However, he didn''t relax after this. Sensing an impending threat, he dodged out of the way just in time, and he saw several chains shatter the white "floor" of his mental space. The black chains dragged out Guo Jia, who was still holding the black sigil.


    "Interesting," Guo Jia said, smiling and cracking his neck. "It seems you''re already a little experienced in the world of mental spaces. Unfortunately, you''re far too weak. You don''t truly know what a mental battle entails."


    The sigil in Guo Jia''s hand glowed, and several chains sprouted out of it, forming itself into what resembled a chain devil. It creaked as it moved. Cha Ming, knowing that fire was the enemy of metal, summoned a sea of flames, bathing the intruder and the devil inside it. To his surprise, the chain devil was unaffected, and it walked out with two more companions. The surface of each chain devil was covered in frost.


    What sort of metal is this that it can resist such hot flames?


    He didn''t think for long and willed his Clear Sky Staff to appear. It felt much more solid than his previous manifestations, and the familiar feeling it emanated proved that it was the Clear Sky Staff itself that had been summoned, and not just a representation.


    I can win this, he thought. It looks like Guo Jia has no ability to manipulate my mental space and can only draw power from the sigil he''s holding. If I can outlast its power, I''ll stand half a chance. Maybe I can even take him down with me. He held no illusions of living past the battle.


    He wielded the Clear Sky Staff as he would normally, drawing imaginary qi through his spiritual body. Fortunately, in his mental space, his cultivation was intact. In fact, it was much more powerful than usual. He remembered the feeling of half-step foundation establishment that Huxian had granted him before, and that was all he needed. Here, his memories mattered more than his actual power.


    Not wanting to remain passive, he rushed toward the chain devils with his Swift Staff Art, striking them many times successively. They wailed as the staff struck them, as though they had met their mortal enemy. Guo Jia frowned when he saw this, and his disposition swiftly changed from that of a cat chasing a mouse to that of a tiger using all its power to catch a rabbit.


    The sigil erupted with fierce power, and soon Cha Ming found himself surrounded in thick black chains. Seeing this, he willed a set of soul pearls into existence, which instantly surrounded him, glowing red.


    Cataclysm Manifestation!


    This was the highest manifestation possible, using 108 different pearls. Although they were brought together into a basic flame formation, several pearls flew around violently, incinerating everything they touched.


    This time, the flames were hot enough to restrain the chains, and they began to melt. Guo Jia roared angrily as he poured even more power into the chains, manifesting hundreds more from above and below. His soul dimmed noticeably as he activated this function, and so did the sigil.


    "You can''t run from me!" he yelled. "Even if this is your mental space, there''s no way you can resist the overwhelming difference in power."


    Cha Ming continued dodging chain after chain, but he soon began weakening. His soul was also thinning, just like Guo Jia''s. Unfortunately, his power was also finite in this mental space, even though he had more tools at his disposal.


    Still, he didn''t give up. He smashed chain after chain thrown at him. They kept breaking apart and reforming in a split second, continuing their dogged pursuit. Soon he was no longer able to dodge them all, and black wounds appeared on his soul. He gritted his teeth and detonated another Cataclysm Manifestation, destroying one tenth of the chains in the process.


    Unfortunately, this was the last of his energy. The chains finally caught up and wrapped themselves around his arms and legs until he was no longer able to move, just like in the outside world.


    "I told you resistance was futile," Guo Jia said. "But you didn''t listen. No one ever listens. Then again, that''s what makes it fun." He then pressed the writhing black sigil onto Cha Ming''s forehead, and several chains dug into his soul''s "brain."


    The world went black, and when he recovered, he was sitting in front of Guo Jia. This was the real world, and they were still in the tent. Guo Jia was even paler than he was before, and sweat covered his forehead. However, he wore a euphoric expression as he reveled in his latest conquest.


    Cha Ming noticed that the chains that had held him back had been removed, so he instinctively attempted to lash out and smash Guo Jia''s face in. Guo Jia did nothing to stop him, and he soon realized that he hadn''t moved, despite his intent to do so. It was as though thick invisible chains restrained his motions as he tried to fight against them. The thought that this person was his "master" surfaced, and that attempting to harm the master was forbidden.


    Confused, he walked several steps. Before he could get very far, Guo Jia''s voice sounded out.


    "Stop!" The chains appeared once more, this time preventing him from walking and moving in general. "Breathe," the man said.


    Cha Ming was forced to breathe once more.

 83 The Mines

    "You''ll have to be careful when controlling him," Guo Jia said to Wei Chen. "He is enslaved, but his soul is still quite powerful. He still has the power to interpret every order given within reason."


    Wei Chen nodded understandingly when he heard this.


    "Do you mind if I give him some basic instructions to prevent any mishaps?" Guo Jia asked the vice leader, who waved his hand to grant permission. Guo Jia turned to Cha Ming.


    "Cha Ming, you are prohibited from harming any Serpentine Sword bandits. You are prohibited from harming the people of this village. You are prohibited from harming yourself. You are forbidden from cultivating. You must sustain your life¡­" The list continued until Guo Jia was satisfied with the set of instructions.


    "Why the prohibition on cultivation?" Wei Chen asked. "He''s a cripple, so it''s not like he can do anything with the qi."


    "Normally, this wouldn''t be an issue," Guo Jia replied. "However, you need to realize that cultivating the soul is different from cultivating the body or qi. This sigil is sufficient to control someone at foundation establishment. But the development of a soul varies between cultivators and is based on their innate soul force. For this man to have such a high soul force with his current cultivation base, he must have had many fortuitous encounters, in addition to full innate soul force.


    "His soul is currently at half-step foundation establishment. Everyone who reaches foundation establishment finds themselves able to use soul force, but you might be wondering, if that''s the case, then what is the benefit of full innate soul force, or any talent in soul force?


    "The truth of the matter is that once a soul breaks through to the next realm, it will immediately grow by leaps and bounds. Depending on talent, fortuitous encounters, and practice in manipulating soul force, the soul will quickly grow to an appropriate level. My dear Wei Chen, you didn''t practice soul force, so as soon as you broke through, your soul only broke through to the foundation-establishment equivalent. Therefore, you only had the barest incandescent soul.


    "However, when I broke through with an innate soul force of eight, I had a mid-grade incandescent soul. This doesn''t mean a lot to you, since you don''t practice a profession. However, the ability of every professional is dependent on their soul force. Furthermore, one''s future development will forever be determined by their soul force, or so my teacher says."


    Guo Jia sighed. "Now back to the initial topic. If he breaks through, his soul will likely jump straight to the late incandescent phase and tear through the control of the Lesser Slave Sigil. Then he might be a substantial risk to your operations."


    Wei Chen nodded. "That makes sense. Thank you very much for your consideration and instruction, Sigil Master Guo Jia. We''ll be sure to do business with you in the future."


    "It''s always a pleasure," Guo Jia said, smiling. "By the way Cha Ming¡ªcatch." Guo Jia tossed Cha Ming a bottle of pills. "You must first take the healing pill, then after you have recovered, take one of these pills once per day for the next three days. Grow stronger so that you can be useful to your master. Don''t forget to be a good dog while I''m gone."


    "Yes, Master," Cha Ming replied through gritted teeth.


    Guo Jia then left with a smirk on his face. Wei Chen did not treat Cha Ming like the other cultivators and had him escorted back to his cell. He no longer bore any physical chains, but his mental chains were far harsher.


    Once they reached the cell, the guard held one of the command medallions and issued his first order: He was not allowed to speak to others unless it was specifically required for performing his duties. After obtaining Cha Ming''s nod, the guard pulled up a chair and lazily guarded his "prisoner."


    Just as Cha Ming was about to take the healing pill, he heard a voice from behind him.


    "Cha Ming, my boy. Are you all right?" It was the doctor''s voice. Although he yearned to reply, he felt as though his mouth were sewn shut. He was forced to ignore the doctor and pull the stopper on the bottle of medicinal pills.


    "Cha Ming, what''s wrong?" Li Yin said a little louder, prompting the ire of Cha Ming''s guard. He smirked before walking up to the large cage.


    "He''s not the one you know anymore," the guard said. "He''s not your friend, either. Cha Ming, tell the man he''s not your friend. Look him in the eyes when you say it."


    Cha Ming struggled for the fraction of a moment before slowly standing up as though he were a puppet dancing at someone else''s whim. He turned around, exposing his cold face with dead eyes to the doctor. A large black character for "slave" burned on his forehead.


    "I''m not your friend," his body said to the doctor. Inside, his heart was breaking. Using the last vestiges of his willpower, he wrested a slight amount of control from the sigil and shed a single tear. When the doctor saw it, he sighed in relief. Cha Ming could still see the sorrow that filled his eyes.


    "Get back to recovering and strengthening yourself," the guard said harshly. "And you are no longer allowed to speak to this man unless authorized in the future."


    "Yes, Master," Cha Ming''s body said obediently. Then he sat down and consumed the first pill that would heal the injuries his body had sustained from the tribulation lightning. As the pill entered his lips, he felt a stream of warmth enter his body that rapidly healed his arms and legs while pushing out the debris that had accumulated. It took him a day to recover.


    Immediately after his recovery, he took the first body-refining pill. A violent, metallic force flowed through his body and sliced away at the wood energy that had accumulated. Little by little, he felt the wood energy growing purer and purer, like a forest whose old wood was being removed to make way for new life. A half day later, the force of the pill was completely expended. However, Cha Ming felt the strength of his body increase as the purified wood essence recovered to its original volume.


    Ka-cha!


    His bones crackled as the strength of his body increased to the eighth level of body refinement. After completing his recovery, he looked at his skin and noticed it was full of impurities. He then looked at the guard, who wrinkled his nose but did not say anything.


    Well, if he doesn''t instruct me to wash, I won''t.


    It was the first bit of freedom he had exercised since his enslavement, and he found that even wallowing in his own filth would be a wonderful experience as a free man.


    Seeing that the guard would not interfere, he ingested the next pill in the sequence. An icy cold sensation raced through his body as destructive water energy rampaged through his veins. The natural heat that was generated from the fire energy accumulated in his body rapidly decreased, to the point where he felt like a block of ice. Not all heat was lost, however. A much more concentrated fire still remained, and he felt his strength increase greatly as the fire qi in his body recovered. Soon enough, he was able to move once more.


    Finally, he popped the last pill, which was full of destructive wood energy. It bored through his body, attacking the frail defenses set up by the original earth qi that strengthened his skin and bones. His skin and bones cracked, but in the process, their structures changed. They were no longer smooth like before. These localized fractures caused the earth qi in his bones to change on a fundamental level. It became more crystalline, and as a result it became far firmer than before.


    As he recovered from this last treatment, he felt power welling up in him as his physical strength broke through to the next level, the ninth level of body cultivation. His work complete, he stood up and stretched his joints, which had stiffened over the past three days of cultivation.


    "All done?" the new guard on duty asked.


    "Yes, my body refinement is complete, and I am currently at the ninth level of body cultivation," Cha Ming replied mechanically. He was then escorted to Wei Chen''s tent. Wei Chen was a powerful foundation-establishment cultivator and could see the changes in Cha Ming''s body almost instantly.


    "Good," Wei Chen said. "Guo Jia didn''t lie to us. This man will be a solid addition to our workforce. He''ll be able to do the work of five men, but he will be able to continue around the clock. And he won''t take up as much space as five men, freeing up four additional slots in the mine. Take him up to the mine and put him to work right way."


    The guard saluted, but just as they were leaving, he heard Wei Chen''s rebuking voice. "And get him to take a bath, for heaven''s sake. Just because you''re a pig doesn''t mean everyone else can tolerate that stench."


    ***


    The journey to the mines was far less dreadful than Cha Ming imagined. On the way there, they encountered several worn-out and dirty villagers, but no one on the verge of death. It seemed that the bandits cared about their productivity, so everyone was moderately well fed. As they walked, Cha Ming saw parts of the forest he never knew existed. After all, when he was weak and recovering, he didn''t dare to venture out into the woods. Later, he had been far too busy to bother.


    Occasionally, a small spirit beast crossed their path. They were harmless ones, like spirit rabbits and spirit cats. All of them shared a common feature¡ªthey were far too small to be worth the effort of catching. Cha Ming speculated that the bandits had grossly overhunted the spirit deer and other larger animals during their stay.


    Soon, they arrived at a wide river. The readjusted their path and traveled toward the large misty waterfall that gave the town its name. Droplets of water formed as the waterfall crashed down into the water below, resembling small crystals that shone in the sun and refracted daylight. The entire area near the base of the waterfall was covered in a thick, rainbow-colored mist.


    Just outside the misty area, Cha Ming saw several silhouettes carrying pails of water up a hill, where the work camp was located.


    Must be some of the village women, he thought. The bandits get them to carry the water to preserve the men''s energy, but more importantly, to show them that their wives are safe.


    They plowed on ahead until they arrived at a large shack at the top of the hill. It was surrounded by forty guards, making it obvious that everything valuable in the work camp was located in this building. The guards at the entrance of the shack hesitated when they saw Cha Ming. That is, until they saw the slave mark on his forehead. Then they started jeering.


    "I see you have a fresh fish there," one guard said.


    "He looks big and strong, just the way I like them," another commented.


    The guard escorting Cha Ming snorted derisively. "Cha Ming is the personal property of Vice Leader Wei. You''re not allowed to damage him." Then, looking at Cha Ming, he added, "If these men try to defile you or beat you, and it''s unwarranted, you have my permission to break a bone in a non-lethal manner."


    "Yes, Master," Cha Ming replied dully. However, he grinned inwardly. Perhaps he could use these words to his advantage.


    Before long, they entered the secure shack and arrived at a desk. Behind the desk, Cha Ming noticed several pieces of equipment¡ªbuckets, large containers, pickaxes, and shovels. He whistled inwardly when he noticed that several of them were spirit weapons, specially crafted for extra durability to withstand the mining process.


    Behind these was a door leading to a small room. Judging by the density of spiritual energy in the area, it was undoubtedly full of spirit stones.


    That is the least-safe storage method I''ve ever seen, Cha Ming mused. Why wouldn''t they just use bags of holding?


    Still, he said nothing. He wanted nothing more than their plans to crumble due to their lack of foresight.


    "Quartermaster!" the guard beside him shouted. A short, stocky fellow quickly ran from one of the back rooms and bowed to the guard. They were clearly not of equal standing. "I need four of your best pickaxes and a tool belt for this man. The most durable you can find."


    "Of course," the quartermaster said, then he broke into a run to retrieve them.


    "We found this runt in a small village," the guard smugly said. "Not a shred of cultivation in him, but we heard he was a good accountant. We convinced him to come along with us. See how he''s moved up in the world?"


    Cha Ming didn''t bother to reply. At least for now, he had the freedom not to talk and entertain this annoying fellow.


    The quartermaster came back quickly, holding four pickaxes that were much larger than most Cha Ming had seen on the wall. "I-I-I hope that this is what you''re looking for," the short man said, quivering.


    "Yes," the guard replied, admiring the large durable spirit pickaxes. "For once, you''re actually using your brain and following instructions. Good job." He then instructed Cha Ming to don the belt and tools.


    After gearing up, they continued climbing until they reached the base of the cliff, where the waterfall originated. Cha Ming noted a newly built stone pathway that led to the back of the waterfall.


    No wonder they couldn''t find the source, he mused. The mine was hidden behind the waterfall. How could the bandits possibly imagine that a mortal villager would have the courage to wander behind such a powerful force of nature?


    Cha Ming walked carefully, making sure not to slip on the wet stones and gravel that littered the path. He used various handholds that had been pierced into the side of the cliff, easing his way along the slippery path just behind the soldier. Several others were climbing behind him, impatient with his slow pace. However, he couldn''t be bothered to accommodate them. After all, his orders were to ensure his own safety.


    As they climbed, the line behind them became increasingly long, but Cha Ming didn''t heed their insults or demands to speed up, and the bandit that led him didn''t ask him to speed up either. At one point, he even stopped abruptly, causing the people behind him to lose their balance. One of them plunged down to the rocky waters below with a loud scream.


    The guard looked back and glared at Cha Ming. He wasn''t sure if he''d done it on purpose, but just to be safe, he issued a new order. "You may not stop if it endangers the lives of any bandits or villagers," the guard said sternly.


    Cha Ming smiled, which looked awfully eerie given the gray shade of his eyes. "To clarify, Master, if I find myself in danger, I must stop to reduce the risk to my personal health. Those traveling behind me are impatient and putting themselves at risk. Should I slow down in consideration for their reckless behavior and endanger myself? If so, what degree of risk is acceptable for myself as opposed to others? Could you please supply me with an exact formula?"


    The guard was stumped. It was a very ambiguous case, and Cha Ming was well aware that the guard knew he could not intentionally murder one of their members. However, such an ambiguous situation, combined with the death-seeking behavior from the other bandits, had given rise to a perfect storm.


    "You must behave yourself with utmost loyalty to your great master, Wei Chen," the guard said sternly.


    "Of course, Master," Cha Ming replied eloquently. "But as far as I know, I am a precious asset that has been purchased for 400 mid-grade spirit stones. Furthermore, I am a perfectly obedient ninth-level slave. I am inclined to believe that I am worth far more to Commander Wei Chen than these trashy fifth-level cultivators behind me. So forgive me if I cannot endanger my own precious life for their worthless ones."


    This reply caused the guard''s face to blacken like a kettle.


    "Of course," Cha Ming continued, "if it was Master who was in danger, I would sacrifice my life in a heartbeat."


    The guard''s complexion recovered slightly after regaining this small amount of face. He then looked at the ones behind Cha Ming angrily.


    "Stop seeking death, and stay far behind!" he bellowed.


    The bandits indignantly backed away slowly, allowing Cha Ming and the guard to continue their ascent in peace. After a quarter hour of travel, they finally arrived at the entrance of a cave. It was one and a half times Cha Ming''s height, and as they entered, Cha Ming saw a security checkpoint.


    He and the guard proceeded directly through the checkpoint, as their loyalty was assured. The miners were not so lucky. He spotted several of them being strip-searched, with the bandits going so far as to search their rectal cavities for smuggled spirit stones. Cha Ming knew that the villagers wouldn''t bother with such a futile act, but the bandits were suspicious by nature.


    Cha Ming and the guard continued walking for another half hour, passing light after light in a large tunnel, which eventually widened into six different directions. The walls were bare and dirty and littered with exploratory holes that sought to discover errant parts of the mineral vein. Before long, they arrived at a group of villagers under careful scrutiny of six nearby guards.


    "Cha Ming!" one of the villagers yelled, looking at him with a bright face. But Cha Ming was under strict orders, and he could not talk to the villagers unless it was necessary for his work. Under the direction of the supervising bandits, he took one pickaxe in each hand and began tearing away at the wall in front of him. He had been instructed to work at optimal speed, balancing recovery and digging speed to maximize his efficiency.


    For once in his life, Cha Ming cursed himself for being good at math. Or being a good engineer, for that matter.

 84 Improvemen

    Sweat dripped down Gong Lan''s brow as she swept the stairs to the temple for the hundredth time. She remembered every crack and every plant that grew beside the massive Stairway to Heaven. She even remembered each rodent that passed through and shot them a menacing glare every time they crawled onto the stairway with their dirty paws.


    Her gaze held no killing intent. Rather, it threatened to punt them all the way back down, causing them to restart their climb from scratch. Not long after, the rodents chose to stay off the stairway. For now.


    Satisfied, she swung her broom over her shoulder and ran a hand over her now-bald head. Regrettably, it was a rule in the monastery. All those residing here, whether male or female, monk or not, needed to shave their heads. Her teacher said hair encouraged vanity, and shaving it built character. However, so far her rehabilitation had her questioning whether this was a legitimate reason or if the old monk was just a neat freak, cloaking his personal, albeit overly neat agenda in a mantle of righteousness.


    Regardless, the months of toiling, cleaning, and manual labor had reduced her anxiety significantly. She felt her worries surfacing from time to time, but instead of beating them back like she usually did, she let her mind wander. Her teacher had told her that much of her mental suffering was from unprocessed trauma . She had kept it bottled up all this time.


    Unlike much of what she had been told in the past, the answer to her problems was not to unleash her bottled-up anger. This didn''t solve the problem. There were many triggers that interrupted her way of thinking and prevented her from behaving rationally. This had served to protect her mentally in her most vulnerable moments.


    The only way to deal with these triggers was to process the very thoughts that caused them in the first place. When she had asked how to process them, her teacher had handed her a broom and instructed her to sweep every tile in the monastery and every step on the large flight of stairs. This was to be her task every day. He also said that whenever the thoughts that bothered her surfaced, she shouldn''t fight against them. Instead, she should let her mind wander as she continued sweeping, carefully moving her broom left and right, moving her eyes left and right as she swept.


    She had been very skeptical at first; the more she swept, the more thoughts resurfaced, and only scenes of bloody carnage came up. But as she swept and focused on her broom, the scenes bothered her less and less. They were still horrifying, but they didn''t make her tense up like they used to. Her blood no longer boiled when she thought of battle.


    The afternoon sun beat down on her as she traveled back to the Bridge of Redemption, a large stone pathway that traveled from the monastery to the bodhi tree. Crossing this bridge was the only way to travel to the other side without swimming or flying. Legend had it that the founding monk of the temple had achieved Buddhahood beneath its branches.


    She observed these branches as she swept, and her mind wandered once more. She thought of a scene of bloody carnage, which caused her to instinctively focus on the broom and her sweeping motions. A few moments later, she thought of her brother smiling at her. Then she thought of a scene in her childhood where her father had told her he was disappointed. She thought of the smiling face of a woman who she did not remember. She thought of Cha Ming and his little fox. There was no rhyme or reason to her train of thought that she was aware of. She followed the monk''s advice and let her mind do what it had to.


    After a half hour of sweeping and dreaming, she suddenly felt a strong urge to cry. She dropped her broom and knelt in her orange kasaya, shivering, allowing tears to flow down onto the Bridge of Redemption. She wasn''t sure why the bridge was called that, but she often felt these sorts of emotions whenever she swept it. And no matter how hard she tried, she couldn''t sweep to the end of it.


    After crying for an incense time, she felt much more clearheaded than before. Her taut muscles crackled as she stretched out her limbs in satisfaction. Regardless of whether or not the monk''s method was correct, one thing was certain: She had never felt so relaxed in her life.


    ***


    A cart struggled along a worn-out clay road, bringing root vegetables to town for sale at the market. A man was driving it, his long gray hair tied behind his head in a messy topknot. His shirt was cut from coarse cloth, and it had obviously not been washed in many weeks. There was a simply dressed but beautiful lady beside him. Her black hair ran all the way down to her shoulder blades, and it was fastened in place with a beautiful mauve hairclip. The piece of purple jewelry had seen better days. Despite this, she wore it proudly. It was her only hairclip, and she treasured it.


    Hong Xin was feeling considerably better than she had months ago after her time at the inn. Fearing she''d get caught by the authorities for murder, she ran until she couldn''t anymore and found refuge with an old farmer and his lovely wife. Seeing her pitiable and frightened appearance, they had taken her in. It wasn''t purely for charity, however.


    She soon became aware that the couple was aging and having trouble making ends meet. It wasn''t due to the quality of their land, but rather that their poor, aging bodies were falling apart. Before they could even ask her, she immediately volunteered to help with the fields. She tilled, planted, and hoed the cracked ground. She weeded an extensive garden as an eruption of foreign plants threatened to choke out their crops. Finally, she harvested said crop, the same one they were now bringing to the market. The experience was life changing.


    Being raised in a city, her life thus far had been completely devoid of hard labor. Now she had the calluses to prove she was more than just a pretty face. Her beautiful skin, which she had carefully kept out of the sun for so many years, was now weather-worn and tanned. And unlike many months ago, she now wore a gentle smile on her face.


    Nevertheless, it was time for her to leave. She had stayed long enough, and she aimed to improve her lot in life. She missed the city life and its conveniences, as well as its magical appliances and accessories. The couple she had dwelt with offered to recommend her to a local inn, an offer which she gratefully accepted. Birds of a feather flocked together, and she was sure that anyone the old man recommended would be a nice person.


    I hope they manage to find someone to help them out with the fields, she thought. Old Gui could barely kneel, and his wife didn''t have the endurance she used to. They needed a strong pair of arms to help them. When I find a job, I''ll be sure to write to them often, and if they don''t find anyone, I''ll see who I can convince in town.


    Soon, they arrived at the gates of Castle Town, a medium-sized village completely enclosed within stone walls. It was a refuge for the local residents, who would otherwise live in fear due to their proximity to the spirit woods. After arriving at the gates, the old farmer paid their communal toll of three coppers, and they entered the village with no issues.


    Hong Xin accompanied the old farmer all day, using her natural charm to coax buyers from the busy streets. For the first time in a long time, the man sold his entire load at a reasonable price. Normally he would have sold at least half his crop to a bulk buyer, who would take on the trouble of redistributing it over a longer period. The profits greatly reassured the old man, who wasn''t healthy by any means.


    After having sold the lot, Old Gui led Hong Xin to the inn he had mentioned. It only took a half hour before her employment was finalized, and she soon had a full belly, a warm bed, and a new set of clothes to wear for her first day at work the next day. Unlike last time, this new boss was an older gentleman, and his smile radiated kindness. She could not sense any wicked or covetous intent in his expression.


    Life is taking a turn for the better, she thought. Then, for the first night in a long time, she cultivated.


    ***


    "Go!" Feng Ming said to his squadmates, who immediately pounced toward a nearby group of dark-robed cultivators. They screamed as the soldiers'' spears found their marks and ended their pitiful lives. Feng Ming looked up when he heard a chiming bell, an alarm of sorts to warn the remaining cult members of an attack.


    He snorted and pulled out a bow from his bag of holding. An arrow quickly left his bow and was followed by an agonizing scream. He didn''t aim as he shot, simply letting loose one arrow after another, and they somehow found their marks. The ringing stopped.


    His team assembled and began charging toward a group of fifty cultivators. Twenty of them had bows, and the remaining members held swords in hand, ready to fight. Behind them, a significantly larger cultivator stared at them with red eyes. He emanated a baleful aura, and Feng Ming could practically taste the sin oozing out of him.


    "Loose!" the large man, who was clearly the leader, yelled. A flurry of arrows rained down on Feng Ming''s squad, but they remained expressionless and didn''t even bother raising their shields. To the surprise of their opponents, the arrows either bounced harmlessly off their armor or fell to the ground, barely missing the soldiers as they advanced.


    "Charge!" Feng Ming yelled. He released his foundation-establishment aura, causing the opposing troops to cower. Half of them recovered after a small amount of effort, their bodies transforming. Some grew larger, and others sprouted weapons on their limbs, but all of them shared a similar feature¡ªthey were all inhuman and pure evil.


    "I thought so," Feng Ming said. "Tonight, drinks are on me, boys!"


    The troops cheered.


    "Captain is definitely the luckiest son of a goat I''ve ever met," one soldier said. "Every mission he picks ends up successful with no casualties, and the high-priority targets are always there when we need them to be. He''s like our guardian angel, always looking out for us."


    "Shut your trap and deal with these buggers first," a sergeant snapped. "If I didn''t know any better, I''d think you''d taken a fancy to our dear captain."


    The remainder of the troops snickered before focusing on their enemies, who were less than fifty paces away.


    "You guys take care of the small fries," Feng Ming yelled. "I''ll take care of the big one." As they approached, the opposing forces held out long spears in an effort to impale them mid-charge. A veritable wall of shields came up behind them, and they were all covered in vicious spikes.


    Feng Ming snorted and stomped his foot, which caused a large pillar of earth to come out from beneath him, propelling him upward and over the shield line. Archers tried to stop him mid-flight, but all arrows missed him due to a strong breeze that happened to blow at the right moment. A few threw spears, but those that hit him broke due to faulty construction. As Feng Ming landed, he grabbed his spear and began attacking the leader wantonly. The large creature could only grit his teeth and unleash one saber art after another.


    On the battlefield, several other freakish strokes of luck occurred. The soldiers accompanying Feng Ming noticed their armor shifting unusually, avoiding lethal strikes one after another. Their enemies'' blades shattered on first contact, clearly a manufacturing defect that had not been corrected through proper tempering of their blades. Sometimes the soldiers even slipped in pools of blood, only to find out that they had avoided a lethal blow, which was then absorbed by another enemy fighter.


    "It''s better to be lucky than good," Feng Ming always told his soldiers. And he was right. Unlike the rest of the army, the special forces operated on a contract basis. Often, there were optional objectives to be completed that were more lucrative than the original mission posting. Their team always completed these. As such, their cultivation bases advanced by leaps and bounds.


    This was the biggest reason for Feng Ming''s current early foundation-establishment cultivation base. As the group leader, he obtained half the spoils. The sheer amount of resources he consumed, combined with a good dose of luck, enabled him to easily break through to foundation establishment with a nine-pillared foundation. A foundation with nine pillars was flawless, something that only one in a thousand cultivators could hope to obtain.


    He used this power to his advantage, oppressing his opponent, who was at middle foundation establishment but had unfortunately established a low-grade foundation with four pillars. This was his lot in life, and he could only be trampled underfoot by Feng Ming''s better foundation, equipment, and luck.


    The battle was over after sixty breaths. Feng Ming let out a sigh of relief as the golden glow that surrounded him condensed into a golden rune. It floated around him like a guardian spirit, a reward for all his virtuous behavior. Two other runes floated around his head.


    Three down, six to go, he thought. The first volume of the Good Fortune Scripture had nine treasures that could be obtained. Only then would he be able to proceed to the next step.


    ***


    A loud yawn broke the silence in Wang Jun''s office. His eyes were rimmed with black due to severe sleep deprivation. Unfortunately, he had no choice in the matter. Business deals that should have gone through didn''t, and the market wasn''t responding as he''d planned. He was sure that, in addition to Zhou Li''s interference, another figure was manipulating the scenes from the shadows.


    There was nothing he could do about that. All he could do was work as hard as he could with every waking hour to compensate for it. On the bright side, his increase in cultivation base had made it far easier to concentrate and sustain himself without eating or sleeping. Exhausted, he wrote another letter to the third prince, informing him of his successes and failures.


    Elder Bai entered the room with a pot of tea and quietly poured a cup for his young master, who sipped it with closed eyes. "It''s nice to see that you still have the sense to treat yourself to a cup of tea. You know, there was a study a few years back that proved that those who drank one to three cups of tea lived up to five years longer than those who didn''t."


    Wang Jun smiled. He''d read that report and knew that it was utter hogwash. Still, he appreciated the older man''s humor in such trying times. He needed all the help he could get.


    "Remind me again where we are with our targets," Wang Jun asked while massaging his temples.


    "Well," Elder Bai said after clearing his throat, "we''ve fallen behind schedule, and our total revenue thus far is less than 500,000 high-grade spirit stones. We still have a long way to go to achieve the family''s goal of three million. Aside from this, our operating margin targets are slightly lower than required, mostly due to the loans we''ve had to take to prioritize growth. In addition, our market share in key sectors is way off track. We''d need a miracle to get things in order by the deadline."


    "Or a war," Wang Jun retorted.


    The older man raised an eyebrow. "Duly noted, Young Master." He then continued listing off various key items. Wang Jun found himself uncharacteristically nodding off in the process. He asked the ever-patient Elder Bai to repeat said information whenever he caught himself in the act.


    "Where are we at in the search?" Wang Jun asked.


    Elder Bai sighed before setting down a stack of papers and seating himself in front of the young man.


    "Young Master," he said gently, "you need to let her go. You''re spending an unhealthy amount of time on this matter, and you''re letting it eat you up from the inside out."


    Wang Jun simply continued staring blankly.


    Elder Bai sighed. "How will you get your revenge if you don''t complete the family''s task?" he asked.


    Wang Jun''s eyes narrowed when he heard this, and the exhaustion he felt instantly dissipated.


    "Quite right, Elder Bai. Please keep up the good work, and let me know if you catch a whiff of something big."


    "As you wish, Young Master," Elder Bai said. He then picked up the teapot and retreated from the room, leaving Wang Jun to his brooding.

 85 Rebellion

    Huxian hopped over a small and fearful family of spirit mice as he wandered through the mountain woods. Using his natural control over darkness, he slinked through the shadows, cleverly bypassing a demon bear''s territory. The bear was weak, but he was one of the mountain sovereign''s staunchest followers. Alerting him wouldn''t be wise at this juncture.


    He had less than half a year remaining before the next summit. As the mountain''s official method to distribute power, it was the only place he could publicly accuse the bear of colluding with the humans. Before that, he needed supporters. More importantly, he needed strength.


    Strength was everything on this mountain, and without it, the mountain sovereign would simply laugh away his accusation. If the strength of his follows didn''t make the cut, they would simply be slaughtered under the sovereign''s orders. With strength, he could talk on an even footing with the despicable bear.


    Huxian checked over his back before entering a small tunnel hidden under a rock near the river. It was barely large enough for his reduced form to navigate, but he didn''t care. Discretion was key in this operation. Soon the tunnel expanded by connecting into a larger one. There, he met the demon ferret he had tamed a short while ago. Technically, the beast was a follower of Lord Sky Stoat, but Huxian''s strength made it impossible for the lesser demon to refuse his orders.


    They continued traveling together for some time before the tunnels enlarged yet again. This time, the walls were made of stone, and the tunnels were a hundred feet in diameter. This allowed them both to assume their original forms. Naturally, Huxian no longer hid his original black-and-white form. Instead, he used it to cow and intimidate his growing circle of influence.


    They were soon joined by three herons, one badger, four wolves, and a mastiff. One of the wolves was the moonlight frost wolf who had pledged his support during the last summit. By the looks of it, he''d found a few friends who were also ready to throw their lot in with him.


    Eventually they arrived in a large underground cavern. Three other large tunnels led into the massive chamber. A mid-sized group emerged from the one to Huxian''s left. There were two deer, one moose, a boar, and three owls. The owls were predatory and nocturnal animals, so there were no conflicts of interest between them and most of the other beasts present. They competed fiercely with the cats, who were followers of the bear sovereign.


    The deer, moose, and boar, on the other hand, were preyed upon by many of the animals. Their lot in life wasn''t so great, given the great power held by the bears and the cats, and so they were willing to entrust their fates with Huxian for amnesty and better living conditions. The ancient moose was a king-level beast, and very few who had accumulated in this tunnel would dare tangle with him.


    From another tunnel, Huxian saw many insects. Two twenty-foot-long Hercules termites spearheaded the group, which also contained a massive praying mantis and a swarm of bees, though the swarm could be considered a singular entity rather than a group. The worker bees couldn''t think for themselves, and only the queen bee counted as a person. It was no wonder that such a prideful demon beast had shown up¡ªthe bears had stolen her honey for far too long. Despite her small size, she was a king-level demon beast and commanded enormous respect.


    Finally, a symphony of slithering sounds echoed through the fourth tunnel. A dozen snakes emerged first, all lord-level existences. Then three small boas entered the large cavern. They were followed by their mother, the geomantic boa, who had created this network of tunnels. In addition to being very powerful, this king-level beast was the most cunning demon beast on the mountain. Her faction was the most powerful king-level influence on the mountain, and her territory was a natural fortress.


    The beasts gathered at the center of the cavern in front of an elevated platform. Then, at the geomantic boa''s insistence, Huxian moved to stand at the top of the platform. As was customary, he first released his bloodline pressure, causing many of the beasts present to cower. The only ones who didn''t were the moose, the boa, the queen bee, and strangely enough, one of the owls. This caused Huxian to reevaluate this cryptic figure, and it also simplified his plan.


    "Everyone, I have an important announcement to make," Huxian said. "My follower, Lei Jiang the Calamity-Swallowing Mouse, overheard an important conversation a few weeks ago. It was a conversation between the mountain sovereign and a human cultivator."


    Murmuring, bleating, and chirping ensued. Many voiced outrage while others voiced skepticism.


    "May we see this Calamity-Swallowing Mouse?" the geomantic boa slithered.


    Huxian obliged and sent a mental command to the small mouse, who erupted from a rune on one of his two tails. The many beasts gasped when they saw this early-purification demon beast. Most of them felt a bloodline suppression. Just like Huxian, this mouse was many levels above them.


    "It''s true," the mouse said. "I overheard them talking after we noticed the strange behavior of the cultivators during the last human tide. They seemed to have information that only insiders would have, and they sent twenty cultivators in a direct attempt to overwhelm my master. It was only with the help of many of the noble beasts here that we managed to stop them."


    "You overpraise us," Lord Frost Wolf said. "It is our responsibility to fight against the humans, for the benefit of all beasts."


    "Nonsense," a badger yelled. "The law of the jungle is sacrosanct. We should all fight for ourselves. When has there been a need for beasts to stay united?"


    "And that," Huxian said, "is the problem." The whole crowd hushed in response. "The orders of the sovereign make no sense. Instead of fighting the humans as a team, we''ve become a farm to be harvested every year. Furthermore, I suspect that he has been using this to exterminate budding threats. I trust that the current kings in attendance have noticed something."


    The geomantic boa hesitated before speaking. "It''s true that many promising beasts have died mysteriously. And often, they have been killed by cultivators during a human tide. Still, that''s not enough reason to prove the charge you''ve brought forth."


    "I, for one, have always been suppressed," the queen bee replied. "My species is a higher tier than most here¡ªI am a Celestial Rainbow Queen Bee, and my advancement is heavily based on my stored honey. Unfortunately, the sovereign always comes to bully me by taking my honey, making it impossible for me to advance."


    "It is true that there is something suspicious going on," the great owl hooted. "As a True Seer Great Owl, I have also suppressed my advancement. My prophetic abilities have sensed that I will be eliminated should I proceed one step further."


    His words made Huxian grin from ear to ear. "As a True Seer beast, you should be able to validate the truth of what happened that day, should you not?"


    The owl hesitated. "I can. However, to validate the truth, the recipient of my inquiry must be willing to open up his mind and soul to me. Any resistance will cause the recipient to sustain damage to his true soul. In my opinion, it is hardly appropriate to subject a beast of Lei Jiang''s caliber to this technique. It is a great loss of face to bare one''s soul."


    "Loss of face isn''t an issue," Huxian said with a snort. "Lei Jiang, prepare yourself to be examined."


    "Yes, Master," the Calamity-Swallowing Mouse said obediently.


    Under the stares of the many spirit beasts, the owl fluttered up to the top of the platform. Then, after bowing to Huxian, he hopped over to the small mouse, who sat docilely on the ground despite facing its natural predator.


    With a sudden motion, the owl grabbed the mouse with a claw, and the claw began glowing like a full moon. A beam of light shot out from the mouse''s head and traveled to the top of the cave, expanding into a two-hundred-foot-wide viewing screen.


    There they saw things not from Lei Jiang''s perspective but from an omniscient one. Everything within two hundred feet of Lei Jiang was revealed. In the projection, Lei Jiang was cowering in a small crevice on a cliff. Above him, they saw a large bear speaking quietly with a white-haired cultivator wearing a Daoist robe. They could see their lips moving but couldn''t hear any sound.


    Huxian cleared his throat. "Your ability is indeed amazing, and I wasn''t wrong to have you come up here. However, would it be possible to hear what they''re saying?"


    The owl''s feathers shook nervously as the True Seer Great Owl realized the problem.


    "My apologies, Great King," the owl said, stammering. He then made a gesture with his claw, and five small gray demon energy cables appeared. They were accompanied by three smaller cables: one white, one red, and one yellow. The owl began fiddling around with the cables, and the screen above sometimes blacked out and sometimes became a blue screen. At some point, they heard the rustle of the wind clearly, as the conversation in the memory was already over.


    Huxian massaged his brow with his paw. Unfortunately, setting up audio and video at the same time was a huge problem for spirit beasts, and despite the many instruction manuals that had been released over many aeons, the problem never seemed to go away.


    After a quarter hour, the issue was finally resolved. Just as the owl was about to resume the movie, Huxian cleared his throat once more. "Can we get subtitles, please? Many of us are hard of hearing."


    The owl shivered and resumed his work. A half hour later, the issue with the subtitles was finally resolved. The owl then brought the film back to its original starting point, and the recording started again.


    "You told me that he was a two-tailed fox!" the white robed Daoist yelled. "That beast''s abilities are clearly much greater than you reported. Now I''ve lost a good tenth of my sect''s foundation-establishment disciples."


    The large bear grunted in response. "You can''t blame me. Your sect members underestimated the enemy. If all fifty of the cultivators you sent had attacked him in tandem, this never would have happened. Of course, this would have exposed me. Still, with twice as many cultivators, you could have made up for quality with quantity."


    The older cultivator looked at the bear coldly. "You need to compensate me for this. I want that fox dead and his core in my possession. During the next ''human tide,'' you will deliver him to me on a silver platter. Otherwise, our relationship can''t continue. I''ll find another demon beast to replace you, and we will continue harvesting you like the farm animals you truly are."


    With these words, the cultivator flicked his sleeve and vanished. The old bear sighed and closed his eyes. Lei Jiang kept deathly silent before finally finding an opportunity to slip out.


    On the way down, the mouse encountered some seeds, which he ate. Then he proceeded to the True Seer Great Owl''s territory and urinated on his tree, snickering. Then he went to Lord Sky Stoat''s territory and impregnated one of his concubines. Then¡ª


    "I think that''s enough, Lord Great Owl," Huxian said, coughing. He shot a reprimanding look at the mouse, whose consciousness had finally returned.


    "Lei Jiang''s antics aside," Huxian said in an authoritative voice, "it''s clear that the old bear is colluding with the humans. The situation is downright deplorable. We should be the ones unleashing a beast tide every few years, not the other way around. While personal territory and food-chain order is important, it''s equally important to band together against the humans that want to invade our territory. There shall be no more cowering, no more giving in. I won''t have it!"


    He nodded toward the screen. "This is why we need to rebel. Only once we overthrow the old bear and start a cooperative relationship can we shake these despicable humans off. This isn''t a human city, this is the forest. The forest belongs to us beasts, just like it always has. But let me clarify: I don''t hate the humans. They are just fighting for more territory like the rest of us. What I won''t stand for is treachery. That old bear has been lining his pockets and preserving his power long enough. Who''s with me?"


    The beasts all looked at each other hesitantly. Only the wolves gave their immediate approval.


    "Regrettably," the geomantic boa slithered, "this force is not sufficient. Our kings are fewer, but we are more powerful. Our lords are sorely lacking. The only way that we can make up for this is by having a strong enough leader. And I regret to say that you are not strong enough yet."


    The fox smirked. "I can be strong enough. I need a drop of each of your purified essence blood. With that, I''ll break through to middle Purification Realm, and I''ll be a cut stronger than that old bear."


    The beasts murmured in dissent.


    "The price is high," the geomantic boa said. "What do we get in return?"


    "Of course, I wouldn''t ask you to do this for free," Huxian said. "This loss of essence blood will weaken you slightly and delay your purification by five years. In exchange, I''ll gift each of you with a beastly purification technique suited to your species. This will allow you to easily recover the lost essence. Some of you may even break through to king level."


    Immediately, every beast but the snakes were enthusiastic about the idea.


    "And for us?" the geomantic boa asked. After all, she had previously been gifted with such a scripture before, and it had been more than adequate for her and her children.


    "Seeing as you are a long-term business partner," Huxian replied, "I will pass on to you the Triple Lotus Venom Strengthening technique."


    "Trip-Triple Lotus Venom?" the geomantic boa exclaimed. "Very well, My Sovereign. This humble one subjects herself to your authority."


    After their meeting, the beasts all returned to their homes and began training intensely. The upcoming summit would be the deadliest in the history of their small mountain. They would either overpower their opponents or perish.


    Inside Huxian''s cave, Lei Jiang served as a scout while Huxian purified the blood essence he''d collected and began devouring it through his laws of darkness. They were converted to pure demonic energy, which he used to purify his bloodline, which in turn strengthened his muscles and bones.


    After a few days, he heard a snap, and the energy surrounding his cave traveled toward him in vast amounts. He''d broken through to middle Purification Realm, and now there was only one being on the whole mountain who stood a chance against him.


    ***


    At the peak of the mountain, a large bear was eating honey from a pot. It was the honey that he''d been extorting from the queen bee for years. He was sure she resented it, but he couldn''t resist. The honey was great sustenance for him, and he was sure that in a year, he would be able to break through to the upper Purification Realm. By then, he wouldn''t even need to rely on those humans to reign unhindered.


    But as he ate, he noticed a vacuum in the mountain''s ample demonic energy.


    A breakthrough? He narrowed his eyes when he noticed that the commotion was coming from Lord Two Tails''s cave. He''s getting far too strong. I need to take him down soon, otherwise I won''t stand a chance.


    Regrettably, he couldn''t do that on his own, so he resigned himself to the fact that Lord Two Tails would become a king of the forest, wrecking the precious balance that he''d carefully crafted over the years.

 86 Incandescence

    The rhythmic beating of a pair of hammers caused Cha Ming''s bones to shake with every blow. Every strike caused large chunks of ore to crumble from the wall into large carts that were parked near him.


    He had been hammering away for the past five days, a new personal record. His endurance grew with every passing day, but he also felt an external strength seeping into him. It was an ever-present energy that continuously refreshed his aching muscles and gave him sufficient energy to keep mining. It wasn''t that he wanted to work; a very specific set of orders kept him working as long as he possibly could.


    Thus far, Cha Ming had caused twenty-seven non-lethal fracture injuries to the bandits and had indirectly caused the death of seven others. He was able to accomplish this due to loopholes in the rules, contradictions between his well-being, production capacity, and the safety of the bandits. This had prompted Wei Chen to fetch a lawyer and contract specialist, who investigated the case data and patched any loopholes. After three repetitions of this grueling process, Cha Ming found himself unable to act directly or indirectly against the guards.


    Now all he could do was work until his bones ached. But there was a silver lining to his current predicament. The incessant pounding and hard work had made him completely comfortable with his 1,080 jin of physical strength.


    Like that''s any use, Cha Ming thought. I can only continue mining until I encounter a stroke of luck and break free from this mental prison.


    His hammering continued, and he took one slow step at a time, synchronizing his movements with the swinging weapons and splashing debris. Moving forward was difficult because his entire body was covered with pieces of gold-weighted clothing while he wore gold boots on his feet. After all, exerting one''s full strength was very difficult without a sufficient counterweight. His suit enabled him to exert his full fist strength with every blow without a hint of recoil. While it increased the vibrations and the pain he felt, he couldn''t question the efficiency of this method. In fact, it was very similar to what he did using his Mountain Stance or his Hard Staff Art.


    Months passed this way, until he had spent a total of six months in the mine. His endurance grew with time, and eventually he was able to continue mining for ten days without rest. His good behavior and insane productivity made it so that his jailers no longer supervised him. They would only come to check up on him every hour and deliver meals, which he wolfed down in as short a time as humanly possible.


    One day, he was pounding away and mining like he had been for the past week. No guards were around, only workers who rapidly removed the debris and spirit stones that he''d smashed away with his vicious hammer strikes.


    Suddenly he heard a loud crack throughout his entire body. His mind shuddered, and he almost lost consciousness. The nearby miners were completely stunned when he paused his mining for a few breaths. It was the first "break" that they had seen this monstrously strong man take in months.


    Cha Ming resumed mining shortly after, careful to conceal any signs of what had occurred. Fortunately, the miners beside him were all normal mortals, and they didn''t recognize the sharp sound that come from Cha Ming.


    The sound of him breaking through to the next level of qi condensation.


    ***


    Wei Chen sighed with boredom as he reviewed the notes on the progress of the mining operation. They had only mined a third of the mine''s total reserves. At least, that was the current estimate based on their exploration and calculations.


    This worried the normally calm and calculating man. The movements of his bandit group had not gone unnoticed, and their absence even more so. It wouldn''t be long until the leader came looking for them. If they were found with such a large amount of unreported wealth, the fate of Wei Chen and his group of loyal bandits would be sealed. As the weakest of the three vice leaders, it was difficult for him to compete for benefits.


    Will I need to abandon part of the mine and flee with the profits?


    In his greed, he quickly shoved this thought out of his head. Nothing could make him abandon a sliver of these generous profits. They were his ticket to absolute domination, and he wished for nothing more than to move unhindered in these lands. He wanted freedom from oppression and the ability to protect those he loved. Or what was left of them. He also wanted the ability to avenge those who had moved on.


    This was why, despite his vast wealth, he kept pushing himself to perform increasingly atrocious acts. His bar was lowered further and further, and it wouldn''t be long before he felt that killing for intimidation and devil sacrifices were completely acceptable practices. His present morals were willing to excuse the wanton murder of innocents with sufficient reason. What that sufficient reason was, only he knew.


    Suddenly he felt a jolt on his forearm where his slave sealing marks were located. He quickly bared his arm and discovered that all the symbols were intact and functioning properly. Frowning, he looked suspiciously at Cha Ming''s slave mark.


    That man has been nothing but trouble. In fact, he''s completely unusable as anything but a miner. Should I send someone to observe him again? Cha Ming had been obedient for months, but he sorely remembered the effort it had taken to completely tame him.


    Eventually he gave way to his worries and sent out a message. He would no longer take chances with that unpredictable slave, and once the mining project was over, he would silence him. After all, he wasn''t one of the villagers, he was just an outsider who had taken refuge there for some time.


    The heavenly oath did not prevent the shrewd bandit leader from killing him once his usefulness had run out.


    ***


    Cha Ming continued mining as he observed the changes occurring inside his dantian. The membrane surrounding his qi lakes had been breached, like a dam after a reservoir had exceeded its capacity. He looked on as the five qi lakes in his dantian, joined by five white and five black rivers, began growing into qi seas. A massive amount of qi suddenly rushed in from his surroundings, reducing many spirit stones he had mined to rubble.


    How the hell am I going to hide this? Cha Ming thought worriedly.


    Under the assistance of the surrounding spirit stones, it only took an incense time for his dantian to fill to the brim. His new qi seas were many times vaster than the original qi lakes, and it was obvious that this was an important watershed in the cultivation process. Regrettably, he still couldn''t cultivate normally, but he was sure that the process of restoring his meridians would be much smoother from now on. That was, if he survived that long.


    Still mining, he looked inward into his spiritual sea. It was white, just like when he had fought Guo Jia. But now, instead of seeing his chained, nearly transparent body, he saw that his body was glowing ever so slightly. He also discovered that a new piece of information had appeared in his mind: He had cultivated his soul into the Incandescence Realm. He also noticed that his soul was growing increasingly bright. He felt his soul pulling from a mysterious force in his surroundings to strengthen itself.


    The glowing eventually reached a bottleneck, where it stopped briefly before pushing through to the next level. His soul continued its accelerated growth, until it glowed like a dim lightbulb. There it stopped once more before a popping sound signaled yet another breakthrough. His soul continued to grow stronger until the glowing resembled a bright lightbulb.


    Crack.


    A shattering sound ensued, and the glow from his soul became so bright he couldn''t bear looking at it. His soul now glowed as bright as the sun. After a short while more, the growth of his soul halted.


    The upper level of the Incandescence Realm. It was not the peak, but controlling his qi and spiritual force was much easier than it was before.


    Upon closer examination, the glow gave his soul great strength. The slave sigil chaining his soul was now offering nothing more than a light resistance. It was like a garment that he could tear off at his leisure. He knew that as long as he willed it, the slave sigil would shatter, severing his connection with the other master sigils. He was now halfway to freedom.


    Suddenly the sound of footsteps and weapons being drawn caused his perception to be drawn back to the outside world. He had received no orders to stop, so he resumed mining as quickly as possible. The guards tentatively approached him with spears, but he ignored them.


    Soon a guard holding a master sigil approached him. "Halt!" the man said.


    Cha Ming, who was mid-swing, instantly halted his motion in midair.


    "Attention," the guard instructed.


    Cha Ming instantly turned around, standing straight as a rod with his hammers crossed in front of him subserviently. After a subsequent command, he dropped the hammers and kept his hands firmly by his side.


    "What happened here?" the guard asked.


    Cha Ming kept a straight face that didn''t betray his newfound freedom.


    "Reporting to Master," Cha Ming replied docilely. "This slave has broken through to the seventh level of qi condensation due to the ambient spiritual force in the air. It was a natural breakthrough, but it caused this slave to pause for three breaths before this slave was able to continue mining." He said no more or less than was expected.


    The guard turned pale when he heard this but quickly regained his composure and instructed Cha Ming. "We will be taking you to see the leader now. Submit yourself to the application of body-restraining and qi-restraining manacles."


    Cha Ming did not put up any shred of resistance. As they put on the manacles, he became weak as a kitten while simultaneously controlling his soul force and suppressed his apparent soul cultivation base until it resembled half-step incandescent realm. Only those with a higher soul force than he had would be able to tell the difference. He was sure Wei Chen wasn''t one of those people.


    The journey out of the falls was uneventful, and soon Cha Ming found himself standing face to face with Wei Chen. They were alone in his private quarters. He waited patiently as Wei Chen walked around him and observed him. He didn''t react when the man reached out with the great-master sigil''s powers, checking the link between them. He also didn''t react when Wei Chen uncomfortably walked up to him and gently touched the mark on his forehead.


    Walking behind him, Wei Chen asked, "What happened?"


    "Please clarify, Great Master," Cha Ming replied dutifully.


    "Did you break through to the seventh level of qi condensation?" Wei Chen asked.


    "This slave broke through to the seventh level of qi condensation."


    "Did your body break through?" Wei Chen pressed.


    "It did not," Cha Ming replied.


    "Then why did you pause for three breaths after breaking through?" Wei Chen asked.


    "The immediate breakthrough caused this slave''s body to lose all energy before it was finally stabilized by external heaven and earth qi," Cha Ming answered.


    "Why would your body enter a state of energy deprivation?" Wei Chen asked. "Usually, there is sufficient qi throughout the whole body to stop an interim interruption. Breakthroughs mid-combat are not unheard of."


    This was a tricky question. Truthfully, it had occurred because of his shock at his newfound freedom. Thankfully, Cha Ming had anticipated this question and come up with a conceivable answer. "This slave''s body is crippled. This slave''s non-core meridians and qi pathways are broken and barren, causing there to be a qi deficiency in this slave''s body as a whole. Therefore, this slave''s body''s qi was overdrawn. Had it been mid-combat, this slave would have died."


    Wei Chen looked pensive as he walked out from behind Cha Ming. Pensive, but doubtful. As Wei Chen walked behind him once more, he sensed a fist approaching his vitals. He avoided the fist ever so slightly but didn''t retaliate.


    "Why did you dodge?" Wei Chen growled.


    "Master has ordered that this slave preserve his body''s functions unless directly ordered by a master or great master to do so," Cha Ming replied calmly.


    "Was my fist approaching you not a direct order?" Wei Chen asked.


    "No, it was not," Cha Ming replied.


    This was obviously a trick question and a trick action. Should Cha Ming have taken the fist on purpose, he would have been obeying an implicit order but not his explicit orders. Wei Chen was simply a cunning old fox, and it was no wonder that he had become a vice leader of this bandit group.


    "Allow me to attack you," Wei Chen said.


    Before Cha Ming could reply, a rapid boot strike approached the side of his head. It was a near-lethal blow, one that he could just barely react to in time if he so chose. Of course, he did nothing of the sort. He was knocked down to the ground with a severe concussion, and his strong constitution barely stopped him from passing out or throwing up. He stayed there, not getting up until ordered.


    "Get up!" the leader yelled.


    Cha Ming attempted to stand up but was prevented by a boot. While his cultivation was no longer restricted, the leader had reinforced himself with qi, making it impossible to resist. Still, Cha Ming didn''t give up and attempted to squirm out of the way of the foot. He struggled for an incense time and was beaten bloody in the process.


    Finally, Wei Chen allowed him to stand up. As he did so, Wei Chen handed him a short sword. It was a third-grade spirit sword.


    "Cut your arm off with this sword," Wei Chen growled.


    What a vicious man.


    Cha Ming quickly grabbed the sword and hacked into his arm. A splash of blood sprayed onto himself and the leader, but he didn''t stop after just hitting bone. He struck it over and over again, and cracks started to form on his bone. The strength of his body caused cracks to appear on the spirit sword as well. Fortunately, Cha Ming''s soul was extremely strong, and he could withstand the pain. In fact, it had been strong enough at half-step incandescence, so regardless, he did not have to fake any screams. Cha Ming figured this was yet another ploy to get him to commit a mistake.


    "Stop!" Wei Chen yelled just as Cha Ming''s arm bone was about to be severed in two.


    Cha Ming halted the blade an inch from his arm, which was now a bloody mess. Without any kind of medicine, it would be two weeks before he could use this arm properly again. As he stood there in pain, Wei Chen walked out of the tent and came back with another two men, who immediately began to clean the floor and his arm.


    "Take this pill and eat it," the leader said.


    Cha Ming complied, and he felt a surge of vital energy transferring to his arm. It began knitting together the ravaged flesh and chipped bone. "Rest for six hours before continuing your work at maximum efficiency."


    A half day passed by before Cha Ming was finally back into the full swing of things. This was, of course, the final test by the shrewd man. The medicinal efficiency could not fully heal his arm in six hours, so he could only start mining with a damaged arm. After some quick calculations, he adjusted the rate of mining between his arms, ensuring that he could heal adequately while mining at the maximum average rate. After twelve hours, his arm was fully healed, so he resumed his mining at peak efficiency.


    Over the next two weeks, the guards became increasingly complacent and began leaving him alone again. In their absence, Cha Ming began doing two things. First, he began embezzling spirit stones, keeping them inside his Clear Sky World. Second, he began using his superior spiritual force to guide qi down his ruined pathways, destroying them and rebuilding them as time passed. It was much easier than before, and the pain was much easier to bear. It was a risky process, but he had to do it. Besides, he was sure that Wei Chen was untrained in spiritual detection abilities and would have trouble inspecting his meridians and qi pathways without outside help.


    And so, Cha Ming bided his time and waited for an opportunity to escape. He could not train his body-transformation technique, and making another breakthrough in qi condensation was not an option.


    However, he was sure his chance would come. It always did.

 87 Escape

    A cloud of dust burst out of one of the mining tunnels, forcing out the majority of the miners. Amidst the sounds of coughing and wheezing, a muscular figure waited for the cloud to settle before deciding how to proceed. This was a reasonable course of action, and well within the confines of his instructions. At this stage of the mining process, proceeding without care was tantamount to suicide.


    This was the fourth tunnel that Cha Ming had almost mined to completion. They liked to use him for these final excavations because his resiliency didn''t lose out to a demon beast''s. He was a veritable human cockroach, and ideal for surviving potentially fatal cave-ins.


    As the dust started to clear, Cha Ming walked forward and stealthily stole several large spirit stones, placing them in his Clear Sky World. Inside this spatial dimension lay a small mountain of spirit stones. Failing anything else, it was a piece of fortune that would never land in the bandits'' hands. They were also the resources he would rely on to break through after making his escape.


    Over the past several months, Cha Ming had completely remade his qi pathways and meridians. His new set could accommodate eight types of qi, seven of which he had at his disposal. He had undergone several additional inspections by Wei Chen. Fortunately, Wei Chen''s plots were no match for Cha Ming''s cunning. The vice leader had no way of confirming the truth of Cha Ming''s statements with inquisitors, as they abhorred injustice and would never stoop so low as to aid a bandit group. As such, Cha Ming continued to mine while Wei Chen''s suspicions eased up little by little.


    One of the bandits assigned to guard him approached. "What do you see, Cha Ming?"


    Cha Ming could tell where the guard was both by sound and through his superior soul. He noted that the guard did not have his weapons drawn as he once used to, as it had been nine months since Cha Ming''s last outburst. They now assumed that he was tamer than a farm animal. The guards walked past him leisurely and began inspecting the surrounding passageway.


    In this latest collapse, it appeared that a large cavern had been cleared out in the tunnel. It was roughly a hundred feet wide and tall, and it led to eight other passageways. These were existing pathways that they had not excavated.


    Could this be my chance? Cha Ming''s heart jumped. He was under no illusions that he would be kept alive. The bandits had hinted as much in the many conversations they held near him. They assumed that he was only a workhorse, one that they could slaughter at their leisure. In order to gain an opportunity to escape, he had played the part of the grunt to perfection.


    It''s time, Cha Ming thought.


    In Cha Ming''s mental space, his incandescent soul opened its eyes. It looked down at the slave sigil and grinned as its hand grasped it, shattering it like a porcelain vase. In the outside world, the black slave sigil on his forehead also disappeared. He willed the Clear Sky Staff into his hands, and before any of his guards realized what was happening, he used his Swift Staff Art and immediately appeared beside one of them.


    Crash.


    Bones broke as he unleashed months of pent-up fury, smashing the man''s neck with 1080 jin of brute force. Then, using the recoil from his blow, he struck another guard in the face. A sickening crunch rang out as he crushed the man''s skull. Then he channeled the power of wind to rapidly strike the remaining four bandits in succession. It only took two breaths'' time. All the bandits guarding him were crumpled on the ground, dead.


    ***


    Wei Chen was cultivating in his tent when a dull throbbing on his arm caused him to focus on it in annoyance. He lifted his sleeve to check what was happening, and he only just caught the disappearing traces of Cha Ming''s slave brand.


    "I was right all along," he whispered, feeling vindicated. He had always suspected the shrewd boy despite his numerous examinations. He sighed and exited his tent, preparing to head into the mines to execute Cha Ming, the misbehaving animal. He only hoped the damage Cha Ming had caused wasn''t too extreme.


    "Vice leader, the life slips for six of our group have crumbled!" a bandit yelled from a few tents down. The man was in charge of supervising a room filled with jade slips that contained a trace of each bandit''s soul. These slips would shatter upon the death of their owners.


    "Stop panicking already," said Wei Chen authoritatively. "It''s just that vicious slave again. It''s time to put that suffering dog out of his misery."


    With these words, he summoned his archaic sword from his bag of holding and quickly flew up to the mines behind the waterfall.


    ***


    Cha Ming wasted no time after his brief fight, not even bothering to loot the guards'' bodies. He knew that Wei Chen would be arriving soon, and his only chance was to make a run for it. He looked at the eight different passageways, approached one of them, and using earth qi, caused a thick wall of earth to rise from the ground and block it off. It wasn''t perfect or flush, but breaking it down would cause debris to cover his tracks.


    Such a technique was completely unsuitable for battle, as each wall took five breaths to erect. After setting the first, Cha Ming sealed off six other passageways before heading down the eighth remaining one. He turned around to seal this entrance as well, using ten breaths this time in an effort to mimic those formed from the outside. Thankfully, his incandescent soul was strong enough to penetrate the earthen barrier he erected, and the task was completed without a problem.


    After finishing his hasty work, Cha Ming gripped his staff and ran down the passageway at full speed. He didn''t know what he would encounter, but it was far better than staying behind and awaiting his death. His tunnel branched multiple times, all while leading him in a downward direction before finally leveling off.


    That was when he heard a blast from behind him.


    Shit, they''ve found the right tunnel this time. He used his Seven Cloud Steps to move at maximum speed.


    "You think a pitiful worm like you can escape me?" Wei Chen yelled, not far behind him.


    Unfortunately, Cha Ming could only continue advancing along the straight pathway. Soon, a flying sword came hurtling at him, forcing Cha Ming to defend blow after blow while retreating.


    It looks like this might be the end of the road. Dodging another sword blow, Cha Ming continued down the pathway, which finally opened up into a large black cave. Even while using light crystals, he could barely see the end of it. The small ledge leading into the cave ended in a sharp precipice, revealing a world of darkness below.


    Gritting his teeth, Cha Ming threw down three of the light crystals he''d salvaged from the mine. They fell rapidly, shrinking as they went, before finally vanishing. The pit was clearly too deep for light to escape.


    "So you''ve finally met a dead end, my little dog," Wei Chen said, his voice echoing in the tunnel. He appeared fifty feet away from Cha Ming, floating on an ancient-looking flying sword. As Wei Chen stepped off it and onto the ground, the sword danced around the man''s body before aggressively pointing itself at Cha Ming.


    "I admire your tenacity," the vice leader said. "If you surrender now, I can make this quick and painless. I''m a man of principles, after all."


    "What principles?" Cha Ming replied coldly. "You''re just as bad as that turncoat subordinate of yours, enslaving an entire village just because you can. How could this possibly be the actions of a principled person?"


    "Well, I obviously can''t let them go until I''m ready to leave," Wei Chen replied. "Otherwise they would expose this place''s secret. It''s already extremely benevolent that I didn''t slaughter the lot. I had sufficient reason to do it, but I didn''t."


    "Didn''t, or couldn''t?" Cha Ming retorted. "I saw the lightning in the sky. You swore a heavenly oath, and since then, not a single villager has died. I''d wager you made an oath to spare the villagers. Do you dare kill me?"


    Wei Chen chuckled. "Yes, I did swear a heavenly oath not to kill the villagers, and to leave them here once I''m done retrieving the minerals. In fact, it was the mayor''s negligence that enabled me to enslave them in the first place. I would have agreed to not enslave them and to bring in external labor. Everything was on the table, if only I could obtain the location of the mineral vein.


    "However, you seem to be mistaken about something. You and I both know that you aren''t one of these villagers. You''re just a man who washed up here and is staying temporarily. So I can kill you without violating the oath."


    Cha Ming chuckled dryly. "I figured you''d say that."


    "Any last words before I kill you?" Wei Chen asked.


    Cha Ming pondered for a moment, thinking of the black abyss below. Suddenly, the fall into the unknown didn''t seem so bad.


    "You better hope the fall kills me," Cha Ming said coldly before flinging himself backward.


    But Wei Chen had noticed Cha Ming''s intent, and he sent his ancient sword out at lightning speed. Cha Ming had barely left the ground when the sword came piercing toward his heart. Unfortunately, he had no time to block, and evasion was impossible mid-jump. Or was it? Cha Ming''s mind quickly determined the best course of action before he poured his incandescent force into the Clear Sky Staff. It elongated rapidly and struck a wall in the cave, causing him to swerve and barely avoid the flying sword in the process.


    The rapid acceleration caused Cha Ming to plummet into the darkness. The flying sword, seemingly unsatisfied with his retreat, adjusted its trajectory. It entered his shoulder, barely avoiding key organs as Cha Ming plunged into the darkness. Wei Chen had no choice but to retrieve his sword and could only glare at Cha Ming''s falling figure.


    Darkness enveloped Cha Ming as he fell into the unknown. Before long, he saw a pale blue light approaching him rapidly from below. It was a relief to see that the chasm had an end to it, but he wasn''t very optimistic about his chances of surviving the fall.


    He waited for the impact for a hundred breaths, the blue speck growing as he fell. Unfortunately, the glow was too far away, and he could no longer adjust his trajectory. Seconds trickled by, and just when he thought he would impact the ground, his body swiftly decelerated. To his surprise, his fall was cushioned by what appeared like a soft cloud of intangible energy. Then, due to the blood flowing out of the vicious wound on his shoulder, he fainted.


    ***


    Cha Ming woke up some time later. His wound had partially healed over, and the blood no longer flowed like a small river. In the center of the massive black pit, he saw a tall building made with light blue stones that emanated soft light. They were the same ones he''d seen while falling. There was flat ground beneath him, so he stepped off the soft material that had cushioned his fall. It dissipated as soon as he set foot on the cold, hard ground.


    Having nowhere else to go, Cha Ming approached the blue building. The massive structure was a strange sight compared to the traditional Chinese architecture of this world. It looked futuristic, even by Earth''s standards. Despite its advanced appearance, Cha Ming could instinctively tell it was positively ancient. It emanated an archaic aura that spoke of a time far removed from the current age.


    The details of construction slowly grew clearer as he approached. Before long, he was able to see the individual blue stones in detail. Each one was engraved with a complex runic pattern. To his surprise, he didn''t recognize more than one in a thousand. Those few he did were written in the same runic script that he had learned while crafting talismans.


    Seeing no exits in the cave, and bedazzled by the building before him, Cha Ming continued advancing. He walked forward carefully, his staff in hand, admiring the building as he circled it. It took three hours to fully travel its perimeter, and to his surprise, there was no entrance to be found. He returned from the place he''d started, which he assumed was the front of the building. Where a door should have been, there was only a large blue wall that, unlike the rest of the building, was empty of runes.


    Perplexed by the peculiar construction of the building, Cha Ming approached the stone wall until he was only two feet away and could make out the characters more clearly. They were pure white, much like the creation qi in his dantian and the characters that Sun Wukong had painted to craft the circle of protection. Each rune emanated a profound sense of meaning. One character in particular caught his attention. When he saw it, he immediately felt refreshed, as though he had just finished cultivating beside a mountain stream.


    He reached out to touch this character, and when he did, it felt like cool spring water. Images flashed through his mind, as though the rune yearned to convey its name to him. It seemed to contain some sort of spirit or truth.


    "Amazing," Cha Ming whispered.


    Only a single character on a single stone in this massive building gave him this feeling. He felt that by comprehending this character, his water techniques would improve by leaps and bounds, and so would the water-related talismans he drew. He sat down in meditation before the building and pictured the character in his mind. To his surprise, he couldn''t imagine the shape he''d clearly seen on the wall. Instead, he only saw a blurry image in his mind''s eye.


    What if I try picturing a small part? he thought. The character seemed to be separated into four distinct pieces, so he focused on the first piece, which gave him a massive solid feeling. An image came to mind as he imagined one piece of the character, that of a small forested mountain in the wilderness. The more he focused on this image in his mind, the clearer the piece became.


    He continued to study it until he could no longer bring further clarity to the individual piece, which was still slightly blurred. Then, moving to the next one, he was overcome with a strong sense of tranquility and focus. In his mind''s eye, he pictured himself in meditation. His soul couldn''t help but sit cross-legged in his mental space and imitate what he saw.


    This piece must symbolize meditation.


    This realization brought instant clarity to the second piece of the character. Further, his understanding of the first piece increased as well, clearing it up even more. He realized that it wasn''t just the pieces that held meaning but their combinations. Following this epiphany, he quickly moved to the next part of the character, where the picture of a stream appeared in his mind. Specifically, it was a mid-sized mountain stream, filled with fish struggling against the current in an effort to reach the pool of water that bred them. As his understanding deepened, the first, second, and third pieces of the character materialized even further.


    Finally, he looked at the last piece. Instead of a picture, a feeling came to mind. He felt thoroughly refreshed, as though new life had been breathed into him. It was the refreshing feeling one felt in the spring, just after winter, when a draft of wind rapidly cooled the new warm weather.


    It''s a cool spring breeze. The combined character represents that feeling you get when a cool spring breeze brushes past you as you meditate near a mid-sized mountain stream. What a profound character!


    As soon as he finished this thought, he noticed that his mental image of the character was now clear and substantial. Then, looking into his mental space, he also noticed a character hovering around. It was simply there, waiting for him to use it. He felt completely comfortable with the character, to the extent that even painting it with only his qi would have some sort of effect.


    He yearned to try out this hypothesis, but before he had a chance, the wall before him began glowing brightly. He stepped back cautiously, only to see that many runes had lit up on the blue stone wall. They traveled upward and downward, forming a straight line.


    Twenty feet away from him, another character began glowing, and another line parallel to the first began appearing. Finally, a much thicker line of characters began glowing up above. It lit up brightly, forming the outline of a doorway. And then, the blue stones in the middle of the doorway vanished as though they had never been there in the first place.


    At the top, he saw characters that he could instinctively read in his native tongue.


    "Fuxi''s Library," he whispered in awe.

 88 Fuxis Library

    A soft blue glow accompanied Cha Ming as he walked through a hallway in Fuxi''s Library. The illumination wasn''t all encompassing. Rather, it seemed that the walls "knew" where he was and lit up just enough to accommodate him. Such a design reminded Cha Ming of modern technology that had begun appearing before he left Earth.


    The temperature was no longer cool like before. It was now just the right temperature. The humidity dipped as well, mimicking the dry sensation that made him most comfortable. He was an inhabitant of the plains, after all, and he had found the high-moisture environment in Crystal Falls somewhat suffocating.


    Before long, he arrived in a dimly lit room furnished with a couch, a small table, and a lamp. On the table, there was a small bowl filled with white pellets that smelled wonderful and another one filled with water. His stomach grumbled when he realized he was indeed quite famished.


    "The food is suitable for human consumption," a pleasant voice said behind him.


    He turned around rapidly and saw the semi-transparent figure of a middle-aged man. His hair wasn''t dark like those outside, rather, it was brown and cropped short. He also wore a full beard on his face, and his clothes were very unusual. The man reminded Cha Ming of his own unusual appearance. However, he was a foreigner in this world. Was this man one as well?


    "Greetings, Elder," Cha Ming said, clasping his hands together and bowing. "My name is Du Cha Ming. How might I address you?"


    The middle-aged man looked at him quizzically, a bemused expression on his face. "Is this the current form of greeting?" the man asked, mimicking Cha Ming''s movements awkwardly. "It has been far too long since I have received visitors. Regrettably, I hate to inform you that I don''t have a name. You may call me Custodian, as I am the perpetual keeper of this library."


    "Why wouldn''t you have a name?" Cha Ming asked curiously.


    The man smiled before gesturing to the chair, urging Cha Ming to sit down. He materialized another one and sat down as well. "I don''t have a name because only those with souls may have names. I am a soulless entity, so I have no name, no story."


    "A soulless entity?" Cha Ming breathed in sharply. "Then you are not a ghost? Are you just a projection, then?"


    "A projection¡­" the man mused. "Yes, I am a projection of a program, entrusted with a mission. It would be more accurate to call me a construct, a servant of my master, Fuxi. I am curious, are there such constructs in your world? Aeons have past since I last saw a living person."


    Cha Ming hesitated before replying. "This world does not have such things, but in my memories, I am aware of another world. There, no one cultivated. Rather, they aimed to develop technology to the pinnacle, and were on the cusp of designing something called artificial intelligence."


    "Oh, so you''re a reincarnator?" the man replied in surprise. "That makes things much easier. Yes, it is as you said. I am an artificial intelligence, and I have been programmed with a mission: to preserve knowledge in case this material plane falls to the devils. The hope was to grant a small advantage to the local righteous cultivators.


    "I was never found since the library was established. Aeons passed, and the world switched quietly to the control of the devils. Then, many aeons ago, the control switched back to the angels. A switch in control leads to a change in the laws of this material plane, so it is quite easy for me to determine this despite the library''s seclusion."


    Seeing Cha Ming''s confused expression, the Custodian looked at him apologetically. "Relax and eat while I tell you a very condensed history of my purpose, and the lucky chances that are available for you here today."


    Cha Ming glanced at the bowl of white pellets. His guards had never fed him adequately, so he wasn''t sure how long he would last against politeness. As a compromise, he picked up the bowl and drank, then popped a white pellet in his mouth. His body was instantly filled with vitality, and he felt as though he''d just eaten a full, nutritious meal.


    "Amazing!" he exclaimed.


    The Custodian simply smiled and continued his story. "Each material plane was created inherently good. The laws of the world rewarded acts of kindness and mercy while punishing those who performed evil. However, the universe was created fair. It left a path of survival open to evil and its devilish souls, enabling them to convert worlds to suit their own kind. Since the beginning of the universe, the custody of many worlds has changed multiple times.


    "The war in which my master participated was particularly intense. Therefore, he created libraries throughout the many material planes, where he stored the knowledge he prized the most: the power of words and names.


    "Here you may take a single opportunity to learn various words, many of which may have been lost to the passage of time. Words contain power, as I''m sure you realize, since you were able to enter the library in the first place. Only those who practice runic arts may enter. In addition, only those with positive karma on their bodies may enter as well. This is to prevent the devils from learning these runic arts for themselves.


    "In this library, there are three smelting trials in which you will gain the opportunity to gain knowledge. Your performance during these trials will earn you rewards, which will scale based on your cultivation level. Each level in cultivation comes with certain expectations, so as a qi-condensation cultivator, you cannot be blamed for performing poorly. After attempting these tests, you may stay here to digest your learnings, but you may never enter the library again.


    "Do you understand?" he asked.


    "I think so?" Cha Ming said hesitantly.


    "Relax and recover," the Custodian said, smiling. "There is no rush. Once you are ready to challenge the library, simply shout out for me and let me know." With these words, the Custodian left Cha Ming in the comfortable room.


    Cha Ming noticed that the room not only contained a couch, but also a bed. Since he was dirty from his work in the mines, he was pleased to find a small room that contained washing facilities, where he cleaned himself up before collapsing in exhaustion. It was his first time sleeping in months.


    ***


    Cha Ming calmly cultivated and adjusted his state of mind for the next few days. After almost a year in slavery, he took pleasure in exploring his newfound freedom. His mindset had transformed greatly. Before, he took cultivating for granted. Now he saw it as something that he did willingly and proactively. It was a privilege to improve himself.


    After finishing his cultivation session, he drank water from a bowl that always refilled itself and ate a single white pellet. It melted in his mouth like mana from the heavens, and the energy that traveled to his limbs when he ate reassured him that it wasn''t just empty calories.


    It took a week for Cha Ming to finally relax and relieve the tension in his sore body. After recovering to his peak condition, he didn''t dare delay for too long. After all, the villagers were still mining up above, and who knew what kind of tricks Wei Chen would pull once the harvesting was completed. Moreover, he was concerned about the latter''s status as vice leader. Who was the leader? Could the activities of the bandit leader be restrained by the oaths of his subordinate?


    So Cha Ming had to use every shred of available time to increase his strength. The reason the village was in such a situation was due to his carelessness and compassion. But as the doctor had said, it was his responsibility to make up for his actions and save the villagers.


    "Custodian, I''m ready," Cha Ming said to the empty room.


    The middle-aged man instantly appeared. Surprisingly, he now wore cultivator robes. Seeing Cha Ming''s surprised expression, the Custodian chuckled.


    "No need to worry," he said. "I simply surveyed the outside world and studied the culture while you rested. It''s interesting to see a world so primitive yet so advanced in the Dao. Often, cultures first discover technology before cultivation."


    Then, as though realizing something, the man motioned to the sofa in the common room, and a set of light blue robes appeared. "After looking around, I realized that you were dressed much like a beggar, so I used up a little energy from this facility to craft these new robes for you. They should be a lot more durable than the rags you are wearing, and they will always stay clean. Further, they will provide you some level of defense against the elements and various weapons.


    "Everyone out there is so violent nowadays. You could hardly tell this is an angel-controlled material plane. I mean, isn''t the whole point of cultivating to seek peace and live forever?"


    Cha Ming wasn''t sure how to respond, so he took the opportunity to change robes. The fabric felt soft and pleasantly cool. The robes were weaved with a sky-blue material he had never seen before. Even using his full strength, he wasn''t able to tear the fabric. The robes were covered in various white and dark blue runes, which made it clear to Cha Ming that the garment was at least a magic treasure.


    "There," the Custodian said when Cha Ming walked out of the room. "Now you look like a proper cultivator. These robes should last you during your stay in this material plane. You can change their appearance at will."


    "During my stay here?" Cha Ming questioned.


    "Oops, I said too much," the Custodian said. "Still, you have karmic threads linking you to individuals outside this material plane. Given your current foundation, I see no reason why you wouldn''t surpass the limitations of this realm. In any case, you''re as weak as an ant, and there are tens of thousands of existences in this realm that can trample you with impunity. Work hard."


    Cha Ming followed the Custodian down a wide hallway that eventually led into a large room containing three large obsidian steles. They were covered in white characters, which he figured were instructions. Beside each stele, he saw a bowl filled with blue liquid and a brush. The stele on the left had the smallest bowl, and the stele on the right had the largest bowl.


    "Each stele contains a trial," the man explained. "As part of each trial, you will receive the opportunity to absorb knowledge related to words. Each stele has its own rules. You must past the first stele to proceed to the second, and so on."


    Cha Ming nodded and chose the stele on the left. He sat on the meditation cushion provided. As soon as he sat down, he saw the world around him fade, and soon he was surrounded by darkness. The only things he could see were the obsidian stele, the bowl, and the brush.


    "First trial, the trial of words," a voice said inside his head. "Words are the basic building block of civilization. Each word provides insight into the Dao and contains a trace of the true nature of heaven and earth. Without words, no one can speak, write, read, or listen. Conversations cannot be held, poetry cannot be created, and stories cannot be read or written. As such, it is necessary to have a sufficient understanding of words for civilization to flourish.


    "As part of this trial, you will be shown increasingly complicated runic characters. You may study them as long as required, but you will only have five chances to write out the character. Use the liquified elemental essence in the bowl. You may use the brush provided or your own brush. The pass rate is determined based on the percentage of characters completed. Only basic material plane characters will be tested."


    Suddenly, a character appeared in front of him. It was a character he recognized, one that he had used to craft multiple frost talismans with in the past. He summoned the Clear Sky Brush and withdrew all the elemental essence from the bowl, pulling it into the white brush. With the infusion of liquified elemental essence, the two remaining characters of his body-cultivation technique lit up. He was sorely tempted to give up on the test right then and attempt to break through to the Bone Forging Realm.


    However, he pushed the thought out of his mind and focused on the task at hand. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Liquified elemental essence could be found, but such a chance would disappear forever. He used his brush and quickly painted the familiar character on the obsidian stele.


    "First attempt, failure," the voice said coldly. "Four attempts remaining."


    Cha Ming frowned, confused. Wasn''t this the character that he had painted so many times in the past? This caused him to be very doubtful about the legitimacy of the exam.


    No, there must be a reason. Maybe I need to sense the character like I did before.


    Cha Ming sent his incandescent force into the lightly glowing character in front of him. His mind focused on the different pieces of the character. As he gleaned insights from it, the character became increasingly clear in his mind''s eye.


    After half an incense time, when he felt that he sufficiently understood the character, he tried to paint it once more. His strokes were exactly the same, but this time he attempted to use his soul to imbue the various insights he had gleaned from studying it. The character on the stele glowed brightly, then peeled off the stele and plunged into his mental space, where it hovered joyfully and awaited his whims and wishes.


    "Character is satisfactory," the voice intoned. "Proceeding to the next character in sequence." A new character now appeared on the stele, this one relating to fire.


    It seems I never truly understood frost after all. Cha Ming sighed inwardly. But why do I feel like I''ve only scratched the surface? Why is it that, despite obtaining a satisfactory grade, I feel like there''s so much that I didn''t understand about it?


    It was clear as day what the library was trying to convey: You can only properly use words you understand. Simply copying them will only produce a weak shadow.


    The trial continued, and days passed. Every morning, Cha Ming saw a bowl of water and three white pellets appear in front of him to meet his basic nutritional needs. In the beginning, he could understand and copy 500 characters per day. After the first 5,000, however, the characters became much more obscure, and the time he used increased. The failures increased as well.


    Soon enough, three weeks had passed. He sat down calmly, observing the 10,000th character in succession. The past nine characters had required five attempts before he obtained one success. He sweated profusely as he attempted to draw the next character, aware that he was reaching his limits. This would be his last attempt.


    He painted the last character as though in a trance, reflecting on the meaning hidden within. The character was one related to a gentle wind. He held his paintbrush and traced the character with gentleness and care. It took fifteen strokes, but these were filled with the various insights he had gleaned over the last three weeks.


    With the last stroke, the character glowed brightly like the others before it. Success! It peeled off from the stele and dove into his mental space, joining the 9,999 others before it. The instant it joined the others, each of the ten thousand danced with joy, as though the presence of this last character brought them additional meaning.


    Soon, the blackness faded, and he found himself in the room with the three steles. Ten pieces of jade appeared before him. A quick scan of the pieces of jade confirmed their contents: all 10,000 characters he had just learned.


    Cha Ming suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to cough. He did so, and ten drops of blood flew out of his mouth and imprinted themselves on the pieces of jade, like a forcefully acquired signature. He now intuitively felt a golden thread of karma connecting him to the building. An obligation of sorts.


    "Congratulations on perfectly completing the first trial," the Custodian said. "As a reward for a perfect pass, you may choose one of the following items."


    Suddenly, a multitude of items were floating in the trial room. Each item had a description floating beneath them. Cha Ming, who had now memorized 10,000 characters, could easily decipher the descriptions. There were various peak-magic weapons, talismans, and formation plates. He even saw several crafting-related items, such as talisman brushes, carving knives, pill cauldrons, and spiritual hammer cores.


    Yet Cha Ming was hesitant to pick.


    "Is that all?" he asked the Custodian.


    The Custodian frowned. "Yes, that is all. Are none of these treasures pleasing to your eyes? They are all peak-magic treasures, and more than a few are well suited to you."


    "Would it be possible to obtain liquified elemental essence?" Cha Ming asked shyly. "My cultivation method requires it, and I am currently impoverished. I am a talisman artist with no crafting materials. I have a brush, but no ink or paper. Furthermore, I''ve noticed that there seems to be an adequate amount in this building."


    "Ah!" the Custodian exclaimed. "This is actually very easy to resolve. This library has an elemental-essence-gathering formation. As for paper, I can find a way to make you some. In fact, this is much more convenient for me. I only have a set amount of treasures to give out, and I have no way to replace them. Meanwhile, elemental essence is a renewable resource.


    "Just wait until the three trials are over, and I will make sure you are well stocked. I''ll reward you based on your performance in all three trials."


    Cha Ming was overjoyed. He could now relax and complete the trials without worry.


    "Oh, one more thing," the Custodian said. "Since you have perfectly passed the trial, you have been given jade slips containing a record of all you have learned. Since the trial has been of special benefit to you, your obligation is greater than others. Before breaking through to transcendence, you have a karmic obligation to teach ten others the content of these slips. Further, they must all be morally upright individuals. The slips are there to aid you in your teaching endeavors. Once this is accomplished, you will owe Master Fuxi nothing.


    "You may now rest before attempting the second trial," the Custodian said before disappearing. The entrance to the hallway appeared once more, allowing Cha Ming to catch up on the sleep he had missed for three weeks.

 89 Yu Wen

    The next day, Cha Ming returned, fully refreshed. He calmly sat in front of the second obsidian stele, fully prepared to tackle the next challenge. As before, his surroundings faded. However, he was not greeted by pitch blackness. Instead, he found himself at a desk.


    Cha Ming was now in a small room. A dozen young men and women were also seated at strange desks. Their hairstyles were very different from what he was used to¡ªsome even had blue or green hair. In addition, they wore clothes similar to what the Custodian had initially worn.


    A sliding sound instantly brought perfect silence to the room of chattering young adults. A middle-aged woman had just entered the classroom. She wore a pair of spectacles, which he found strange considering none of the children wore them. Her clothes were simple but well maintained, and her tidy, militaristic hair hinted at a rigid personality.


    "Welcome to the first lecture on compositions," the woman said. "You have all achieved outstanding grades on the vocabulary unit. As you now know, words hold deep meaning that allows us to harness the secrets of the universe."


    It seemed he''d been sent to a classroom for this trial. Would he only have this one chance to learn everything? Also, why would the Custodian send him to learn with a bunch of other constructs? Wouldn''t it be easier to teach him the same way as before?


    "I would like to take this chance to introduce a temporary transfer student," the instructor said, giving Cha Ming a meaningful look. "He will only be here for one month. Please do your best to help him learn while he''s here."


    "Yes, teacher!" the students intoned.


    "Very well," she continued. "First, I will teach you about addition. Different words bear different meanings in combination with one another. Some words combine easily, while others do not. Can anyone tell me why that is?"


    A pretty girl with lightly curled black hair held her hand up to answer.


    "Yes, Yu Wen?"


    "Word compatibility depends on many factors," the young lady said cheerfully. "First, fueling relationships between elements tend to add better than destructive relationships. In addition, some words are simply well related in an abstract sense. For example, the ''mountain'' and ''stream'' characters seem incompatible based on elements, but their underlying concepts are not.


    "Second, it depends on the user. A user must be compatible with the words used, and different words are compatible with each other because they are compatible within the user. What is possible for one might not be possible for another.


    "Third, it depends on intent. Deep emotions can make certain words compatible with one another. Although this seems closely related to the second principle, it is separate. The second principle involves physical compatibility, while the third principle depends on the individual''s will."


    "Very good," the teacher said. "Continuing¡­"


    The girl who had just finished speaking, Yu Wen, was seated right beside Cha Ming. Her black curls were in sharp contrast with her pale, jade-like skin .


    Such a pretty student, he thought. If she wasn''t a construct, I might try befriending her.


    As though sensing his gaze, she looked at him, winked, and motioned her head toward the three-dimensional equivalent of a whiteboard. There, the teacher was writing out the lesson in midair with a brush containing gray ink. It was a similar gray to what he''d seen before on his qi pathways once all the elements were joined.


    And so, he spent the next twelve hours participating in an extremely long lesson. Fortunately, it wasn''t just a lecture. Sometimes, he participated in group activities. At other times, there was self study. When divided in pairs, he took the initiative to ask Yu Wen, who smiled shyly and accepted his invitation.


    Soon enough, class was over. Everyone was free to depart to their homes. The students filed out of the classroom, leaving only Cha Ming and Yu Wen. She was no longer studying. Instead, she was reading a book. He wondered at how sophisticated an artificial intelligence would need to be to enjoy simple pleasures like this.


    Unfortunately, time was not Cha Ming''s ally. He only had a month to learn as much as he could, and the first day''s lesson had already been extremely overwhelming. He could only grumble inwardly and dip his Clear Sky Brush in the pot of elemental essence on his desk and participate in the optional assignments that he could access by toggling through several of the desk''s menus.


    The current exercise was a sort of fill-in-the-blanks exercise. He would fill in the words he felt were appropriate in context. A few easier questions passed in succession before he was finally confronted with a difficult problem. He thought for a while before painting in a guess on the screen, which crumbled and counted as a single strike.


    "You should have used the character for ''acting'' instead of ''behaving''," a soft voice said behind him. It was the pretty girl that he had worked with all day, Yu Wen. He couldn''t help but smile when she came over.


    "May I?" she asked. Cha Ming nodded, and to his surprise, she grabbed his Clear Sky Brush before leaning over the top of him and painting the character she''d mentioned. "Acting implies deception, while behaving implies knowledge of what''s proper. Both indicate a method of action, but the context of the sentence mandates the other."


    His face flushed as he looked up at her charming face. She leaned over him, her face turning beet red as she realized the awkward position she was in.


    "Aiya!" she yipped, scrambling away in embarrassment. "I''m sorry I acted inappropriately. I just love to solve puzzles, and everyone else in the class is so boring and caught up in their own lives. Only you would bother to stay at school and do these kinds of exercises."


    Cha Ming found her embarrassed rant amusing. He chuckled. "It''s no problem, no problem at all. May I have my brush back?"


    Yu Wen suddenly noticed the impropriety and handed it back to him hurriedly.


    "I''m so sorry," she said. "I shouldn''t just grab people''s soul-bound treasures like that. It''s the highest form of rudeness."


    "Soul-bound treasure?" Cha Ming asked, perplexed.


    "Aiya, you don''t know?" she asked with a shocked look on her face. An impish smile appeared. "If you forgive me, then I''ll explain it to you." Her coquettish attitude made Cha Ming blush slightly, and he could only nod while massaging his brow.


    Yu Wen ran back to her desk joyfully and pushed it toward Cha Ming. A loud screeching sound like nails on a chalkboard caused him to shiver as it moved. Soon their desks were only a foot apart. She sat down beside him before sighing in satisfaction.


    "That''s much better," she said. "It''s so boring in class with all the desks separated. Now, where was I? Ah, soul-bound treasures. Soul-bound treasures are the rarest of treasures in the universe. They choose their owner, granting him or her many benefits. They tend to grow with their owner as well, provided that they are supplied enough materials.


    "Unfortunately, it''s not easy obtaining one. There are only a handful of them in the universe, and only those with a strong destiny can inherit them. They are called soul-bound because they will shatter when their owner''s soul is destroyed, and their owner''s soul will perish if the item is destroyed. Of course, destroying such an item is an extremely difficult feat. Even the ruler of Heaven might not have such formidable power.


    "In any case, only the soul-bound partner of the treasure can use it. Having one will surely spark jealousy among many people, but fortunately, most people will just assume that yours is an artificial soul-bound treasure, just like this hairclip."


    She pointed to the back of her curly hair, where a green jade hairclip fastened all but her bangs into a loose ponytail.


    "Wait a minute, I''m puzzled," Cha Ming said. "Didn''t you say that only the soul-bound partner could use it? If you''re so certain this is a soul-bound treasure, how could you use mine?"


    "It''s. A. Secret," she said coyly and buried her face back into her book.


    Cha Ming could only sigh.


    What an unusual construct. Since his time was limited, Cha Ming continued to study hard and completed a variety of exercises on his desk. He studied all night, and strangely enough, Yu Wen stayed all night as well. She simply sat beside him, reading her book, occasionally correcting his mistakes.


    ***


    Class resumed the next morning. After receiving several glares from male students in the class and receiving a quizzical look from the teacher due to the proximity of his and Yu Wen''s desk, the teacher launched straight into the concept of subtraction.


    Unlike addition, subtraction was used to eliminate undesired properties from words. This could either weaken the word or refine the word. Cha Ming realized that this was much like the concept of purposefully weakening a talisman beyond one''s reach. It was important to draw the weakening character first so that the intent was known.


    Similarly, refining was much like the body refining he had suffered under Guo Jia''s pills. After consuming metal, water, and wood pills, the wood, fire, and earth energy in his body had been greatly concentrated and strengthened. The principle took advantage of destructive relationships. Like before, the physical capabilities of the individual and their intent influenced the result.


    A week flew by in a flash. Cha Ming spent all his time learning in the classroom during the day and studying at his desk at night. Yu Wen accompanied him and helped him the entire time. No other students in the classroom came to interact with him. He wondered why they were there in the first place. Did it depend on his disposition and preferences? Would they take the initiative to befriend him if it suited his learning style? He had many doubts in his heart, especially after those glares he had received on the second day.


    At the end of a class during the second week, Cha Ming felt exhausted. He held his hands on his head as he tried to digest the latest content¡ªgeometry. The principle was that shapes, lines, and circles could be used to establish relationships and channel the power of words. There was no limit to the size of these lines and shapes¡ªthey could either be the size of insects or span entire cities.


    Yet despite their high potential for application in formation arts, talismans, or weaponsmithing, none of these subjects were ever breached. It was as though they were simply teaching concepts and letting the students'' imaginations run wild. It was much like engineering school teaching calculus or chemistry.


    "You look positively exhausted," a soft voice said. Yu Wen''s familiar voice snapped him back to reality, and he looked down at his desk, which was filled with doodles and notes. "What seems to be causing you problems?"


    Cha Ming sighed self-deprecatingly. "I''m having a lot of issues learning all these concepts. While they feel simple on the surface, every time I apply them, I feel overwhelmed."


    Yu Wen looked at him with pity. "Of course it''s very difficult for you to learn. Your soul is barely in the Incandescence Realm, while everyone else in the classroom is leagues ahead of you. Quite frankly, I don''t know what they were thinking, arranging for you to transfer to this classroom for one month."


    "Still," Cha Ming replied, "I am here and can only learn as much as I can. Even if I can''t learn everything to perfection, I can tell that everything here is useful." An awkward silence followed.


    "How about I be your personal tutor?" Yu Wen suddenly asked.


    "You understand all this?" Cha Ming asked in a surprised manner.


    "Of course," she said proudly. "I learned all these things decades ago. I''m only here for fun and to pass the time."


    Cha Ming hesitated. "What do you want in return?"


    "I just want you to call me Wen Laoshifrom now on," she said with an impish grin on her face. "That''s fair, isn''t it?"


    Cha Ming coughed lightly. "Isn''t that a bit much?"


    Yu Wen said nothing and held her hand in front of her mouth.


    "How about I only call you Wen Laoshi after school hours," said Cha Ming. "This way, I won''t make the teacher feel awkward."


    "It''s a deal!" Yu Wen said. "Now let''s see where you were having problems."


    And that was how Cha Ming managed to power through two more weeks of school.


    ***


    It was the last day of class. Cha Ming wasn''t sure what would happen once class was over, but he had already been told that there would be no final exam. He took advantage of every moment and continued studying what he was taught. Fortunately, he had managed to stay for the whole lesson segment on grammar. The next lesson segment would be sigils, which he unfortunately would not be able to attend.


    Cha Ming regretted not being able to stay to learn more, but he understood that the owner of the library must have had a purpose in limiting class time to only a single month. He guessed that it had to do with testing aptitude or something along those lines.


    At the end of class, Yu Wen accompanied him to study. Unlike before, her expression wasn''t as excited as usual. Rather, she seemed sad. Although she was only a construct, Cha Ming had come to see her as more than that. He felt that she was an actual person. As such, he guessed that her sulky demeanor had a lot to do with this being his last day.


    After studying for a few hours, she let out a deep sigh. "You will be leaving at midnight. That only leaves us a few minutes together. It was very nice studying with you, Cha Ming." A single tear ran down her cheek.


    He smiled and used his finger to catch her tear. "It''ll be all right," he said reassuringly. "I''m sure you''ll find some other good friends after I''m gone." She nodded in response, but it was obvious that she wanted to continue crying.


    "Before you leave," she said in a quavering voice, "I want to play a song for you."


    "Sure," Cha Ming replied. "What do you play?"


    She didn''t reply. Instead, she waved her hand and summoned a guqin . It was carved out of pure jade. Resplendent silver strings that shone like the moon were draped across the majestic instrument.


    Pluck.


    The first note seemed to put him into a trance. He felt as though he was lying by a river in the mountains, beneath a tall oak tree. He quickly realized that he had been dragged into an illusion. He did not struggle. He simply enjoyed this illusion.


    As the music continued, Cha Ming slowly drifted into a deep sleep. When the clock in the room struck midnight, the music stopped.


    ***


    "Congratulations on passing," the excited voice of the Custodian exclaimed. Cha Ming awoke in the usual blue room with a hint of sadness in his eyes.


    "What score did I obtain?" Cha Ming asked blankly.


    The Custodian, not noticing his unusual mood, made a hand gesture. Instead of dozens of items, a long, blue candle in a bronze platter appeared.


    "You scored eighty-two percent," the Custodian explained. "The prize for obtaining this score at your low cultivation base is ten uses of enlightenment incense. You simply need to burn it, and it will help you meditate on the Dao. It is very useful for creating unique techniques, talismans, weapons. You name it!"


    Cha Ming sighed and accepted the candle, drawing it into his Clear Sky World. "Can I ask a question?"


    "Of course," the Custodian replied. "What would you like to ask?"


    "Why was a simulated classroom used this time?" Cha Ming asked. "Why couldn''t I have learned from books? The people there seemed so real, and now that I''ve left, I feel a little lost."


    "It had to be a classroom because some things can''t be taught through books," the Custodian replied awkwardly. "Besides, that wasn''t a simulated classroom. It was a real classroom, with real people."

 90 Truth

    The truth hit Cha Ming like a sack of bricks. He suddenly felt ashamed at his own stupidity.


    All that time that I was in the classroom, all that time I spent with Yu Wen, was real? No wonder she was crying when I left. And all this time, I didn''t know. He didn''t know where she lived or if he''d ever see her again. Then again, it seemed she knew this. She probably knew they could never meet again.


    "The reason you could only stay for one month is because the energy stores in the palace are limited," the Custodian said apologetically. "Your soul was transferred to one of Fuxi School''s classrooms in the celestial realm. If this was a transcendent-grade library, I could have extended the duration. Unfortunately, this library is only in a mortal realm, and the energy available is quite pitiful."


    Cha Ming closed his eyes to calm down before standing up. "Thank you for telling me, Custodian. I need to go rest before the third trial."


    "One moment, young man," the Custodian said. Three jade slips flew out of his hands, and a drop of blood flew from Cha Ming and imprinted on them. "Your score was exceptional, but not top tier. As a result, you are obligated to teach only three students. You are only required to teach the material which you''ve mastered, which is imprinted on these jade slips."


    Cha Ming nodded in acceptance and went to rest.


    Cha Ming''s mood improved considerably by the next day. Unfortunately, there was nothing that could be done¡ªhe could not return to the classroom, so he would only meet Yu Wen if fate willed it. All he could do was continue and take care of the task at hand. Passing the trial and obtaining the knowledge in Fuxi''s Library was of paramount importance in saving the villagers. After all, the better he performed on the third trial, the more liquified elemental essence he could obtain. If he could obtain the capital to complete the first cycle of his Seventy-Two Transformations Technique, the task would no longer be so insurmountable.


    "I''ll give you a fair warning," the voice of the Custodian said from behind him. "This trial is extremely difficult, especially given your cultivation base and the prowess of your soul. Don''t feel too discouraged if you don''t do well."


    "How long will this trial take?" Cha Ming asked. He was getting increasingly worried about the amount of time he was spending away from the villagers.


    "Two months if you are fast, three months if you are slow," the Custodian replied.


    "Very well, please activate the third trial," Cha Ming said, seeing the time was still within reasonable limits.


    Like before, the world around him faded. This time, there was no darkness, there was no classroom. There was only a pure white space.


    ***


    Huxian and three wolves residing in his territory trotted proudly as they scaled the mountain to attend the summit. These ambitious followers had proven themselves multiple times over the past months. As such, he had gifted them with compatible cultivation techniques. They had broken through mere days before the summit, a welcome addition to the meager forces at his disposal.


    Instead of avoiding the other beasts'' territories, he walked through them proudly. In fact, he went out of his way to walk through cat territory and bear territory, wasting no opportunities to upset the bear''s staunch supporters. While they yearned to bite back, what could they do? Even king-level beasts wouldn''t have half the guts required to challenge Lord Two Tails.


    As they climbed, they were joined by multiple other beasts: Demon deer, boars, birds of prey, and insects all gathered under his banner. It was an impressive display, only eclipsed by other king-level figures. In the distance, he saw King Aquatic Moose accompanied by the vast majority of prey-type animals. He also saw Queen Bee leading a veritable army of insects. She had seemingly hidden her strength for a long time. All for this day and her chance for vengeance.


    Huxian saw another familiar figure as he neared the peak. It was the geomantic boa and her brood. Their numbers looked to be three times higher than he remembered previously. He wasn''t surprised, however. Deception came naturally to those belly draggers. An increase in numbers wasn''t the only trump card they had. He noticed a three-colored sheen on the geomantic boa and her three children''s fangs, a clear indication that they had successfully cultivated the Triple Lotus Venom Strengthening technique. With this, their attack prowess had surely doubled, increasing Huxian''s margin of safety considerably.


    Instead of proceeding to the middle of the lord-level beasts, he cut straight to the front. Even the cats, the bears, and the stoats didn''t dare say anything in protest. They could all tell instinctively that he was their superior in every way. In fact, he was only a formality away from becoming a king-level existence.


    Huxian didn''t wait long before a large hundred-foot bear came prowling down from the peak of the mountain where he resided. The bear''s gaze swept across kings and lords like a monarch examining his troops. When the bear looked at Huxian, their eyes locked. The demon bear snorted and projected his killing intent toward Huxian, who didn''t bat an eyelash. Instead, he yawned. The bear sovereign could only contain his fury and ignore him, continuing to inspect the remaining beasts.


    "Welcome, everyone, to this year''s summit," the bear announced. As usual, we''ll start with the division of territory. Are there any new lords that wish to challenge existing ones to capture their territory?"


    The targets of this question were obvious: He was referring to Huxian''s three followers and the latest swarm of insects and snakes.


    "This humble follower of Lord Two Tails challenges Lord Nightmare Forest Leopard for two thirds of his territory!" the eldest of the wolves beside Huxian yelled.


    "This humble follower of Lord Two Tails challenges Lord Swiftwind Jaguar for two thirds of his territory!" the second wolf yelled.


    "This humble follower of Lord Two Tails challenges Lord Midnight Panther for two thirds of his territory!" the youngest wolf yelled. Despite being the youngest, he was the most powerful of the trio. His bloodline was slightly stronger than the other two.


    The Sovereign''s and the savanna lion king''s eyes narrowed at when they heard this. This was an open provocation, a deliberate attempt to shift the balance of power. The savanna lion king shot Huxian a murderous look. "It''s best not to bite off more than you can chew, little runt. You might become a king-level figure today, but you''ll be the lowest of the low."


    "Enough with the posturing," Huxian said aggressively. "Will you scaredy-cats fight or surrender? This king doesn''t have much time to waste today on petty matters."


    "You!" The savanna lion king could barely contain his anger. After all, these three challenges would deprive him of a third of his total territory.


    "Fine, if you want a fight, we''ll give you one."


    ***


    The bear looked at the three wolves beside Huxian worriedly. They didn''t seem exceptional, but the one beside them was an unfathomable wildcard. He had to curb Lord Two Tails''s power, lest the runt overthrow him before they had a chance to kill him during the next human tide.


    King Savanna Lion, have your subordinates go for killing blows. If they kill the wolves, I''ll take the heat. That fox must not be allowed to gain territory during this summit.


    The large feline king had long since thrown his lot in with the Sovereign. Therefore, he complied with great glee. The Sovereign soon received King Savannah Lion''s confirmation. Now, he could rest easy.


    Unlike the usual tradition, the three battles would take place simultaneously. Huxian did not oppose this; he was sure that the Sovereign would try something dirty this time, so he quietly informed his faithful lapdogs of the circumstances.


    "Fight!" the Sovereign bellowed.


    The battle began, and the three wolves, a small jaguar, a pitch-black leopard, and an impressive-looking panther went into their fighting stances. The battle was much more vicious than all the past battles between lords of the forest. It was clear that the three wolves were being supressed and could barely defend. Red claw marks quickly appeared on their muzzles and their gray fur coats. Still, they didn''t give up and kept fighting back with their all.


    "You should call off your little mutts if you don''t want them to die," the lion king said, gloating. "After all, claws and teeth don''t have eyes in the thick of battle. It''s difficult to control one''s attacks when faced with life and death."


    You said it, Huxian said, chuckling inwardly. Then he looked toward the three wolves. Keep up the good work, boys! Keep showing that same opening, right at your jugular. Act on my mark!


    Suddenly, the battle took a turn for the worse. All three cats simultaneously lashed out with vicious claws. Each of them was different¡ªLord Swiftwind Jaguar''s claws were veritable sickles of wind, the sharpest and most vicious of all the elements. Nightmare Forest Lord''s claws shone with a blackish-green tint, clearly poisoned. Meanwhile, Midnight Panther Lord''s claws were more subdued and deceptive. They were laced with the power of darkness, and it was clear that avoiding them was now a matter of life or death.


    "Foul play!" the geomantic boa roared when he saw these three lethal attacks. But the Sovereign pretended he didn''t hear or see anything.


    Huxian grinned when he saw the lethal attacks. Use it now!


    Suddenly, a vicious light appeared in each of the three wolves'' eyes. Their round blue pupils shifted and became dark narrow slits. Their irises took on a yellow hue and now appeared like the eyes of a basilisk. The audience gasped in shock when they saw this development. Were these truly wolves?


    The three cat beasts weren''t amazed, however¡ªthey were petrified. They paused mid-strike due to their crippling fear, and before they knew it, they were paralyzed in this position. The wolves wasted no time and did what wolves did best: They bit at the cats'' necks without any hesitation. Their sharp execution led to a swift reversal of positions. After taking a deep bite, they tossed the three cat corpses on the ground and proceeded to chew on their corpses.


    "Impudent wretches!" the savanna lion king roared, jumping in front of the corpses of his followers, the presence of a king radiating down on the three wolves. They had no choice but to cower in fear. However, they didn''t have to wait long before Lord Two Tails''s radiant aura burst out, and he jumped in front of the savanna lion king.


    "Oh?" Huxian barked. "I''d like to see why you think my subordinates are being impudent."


    "This was a friendly battle for territory, but your lapdogs went for killing blows!" the lion king roared indignantly. "There is a strict rule on this mountain against killing, and your followers have broken it. I demand their deaths."


    Huxian chuckled. "How convenient. You and I both know that your minions simultaneously went for killing blows against these three brave wolves. It was only due to their good luck that I passed them all a skill as a trump card for insurance. They originally didn''t plan on activating it, but seeing as your cats were disregarding the rules, they had no choice but to act. And now you have the face to argue against me?


    "Since all three acted at the same time, it was clearly a premeditated act. As a punishment, I demand that the full territory of these three cats be handed to my wolf lords as compensation."


    "You!" The lion king was boiling over with rage. Fortunately for him, the Sovereign came to his rescue.


    "This is a very serious charge, Lord Two Tails," the Sovereign said solemnly, seemingly impartial. "This Sovereign did not see any such treacherous acts from the cats. Furthermore, it''s the cats that have died. This truly calls into question whose act was premeditated."


    "Shameless!" Huxian roared. "So if this cat''s minions want to kill mine, I should have them wash their necks and prepare for death? I see that there is a severe double standard at work here."


    The Sovereign''s eyes narrowed. "This is a grave accusation, little one. You had better think twice before laying down this kind of challenge."


    "I support this challenge!" the geomantic boa yelled.


    I support this challenge! the Celestial Rainbow Queen Bee said mentally to everyone present.


    The bear sovereign gazed at these beasts coldly, unsurprised by their insubordinate behavior.


    "I support this challenge!" another voice yelled out. It was surprisingly the moose king. The moose king was usually the most passive of the kings. However, this time he stepped out to support the challenge against the cats.


    The surrounding animals weren''t stupid. It was clear that things were not going smoothly for the cats and that a new faction was emerging and challenging the Sovereign''s ruling.


    "Very well," the Sovereign announced. "The challenge will proceed. Do you have any proof to offer?"


    "I saw what happened with my very eyes," the geomantic boa slithered. "In fact, I yelled out about it, but no one took my warning to heart. This queen''s heart feels wounded at this neglect." As the most powerful queen, the geomantic boa''s words held huge sway.


    "This is still all hearsay," the bear said calmly. "Do you have actual proof?"


    "How convenient," Huxian interjected. "If they had killed my wolf brothers, you would have denied any wrongdoing and asked for proof. Now that they are dead, I need proof that the cats tried to kill them first. Truly an impartial sovereign."


    "Impudence!" the savanna lion king, the brown bear king, the panther king, and the stoat king roared. Meanwhile, the turtle king, the eagle king, and the badger king stood by. These were neutral existences that never took sides.


    Suddenly, a soft coughing sound emerged within the minds of all the beasts. Everyone turned to stare at a non-descript owl. "I have a way to shed light on this situation, if these kings wouldn''t mind this humble lord''s interjection."


    "What proof could you possibly offer?" the lion king shouted.


    "Seconded!" Huxian yelled.


    "Seconded!" the geomantic boa slithered.


    "Seconded!" the queen bee buzzed.


    "Seconded!" the moose king roared.


    Seeing this support, the Sovereign had no choice but to concede. He looked at the owl with disdain.


    "This is serious business. If you can''t prove the results beyond a shadow of a doubt, I''ll still give you a chance to withdraw. Otherwise, you won''t be able to escape punishment."


    The owl ruffled his feathers when he heard this. "I''m confident in my abilities!" Then, he bravely hopped up beside the bear sovereign, and a three-dimensional projection of the battle was thrown up into the sky.


    "This is my inherent ability," the owl said proudly. "I can replay any scene that I''ve seen. Notice that until now, no one has truly landed any killing blows, and the battle is one-sided."


    They continued watching the battle, until finally, the three cats launched attacks all at once.


    "Notice how their claw attacks are all swiftly directed at the wolves'' jugulars, and all with precise timing," the owl explained. "The wolves are apparently defenseless. Most abilities would be useless to defend against this. Now, moving along, notice how the wolves activated their abilities in retaliation. The end result is evident given the three corpses beside us. This humble servant will not pass judgement, but the result seems clear." The owl then fluttered away immediately and floated behind Huxian. His stance was clear as well.


    "Stop being shameless and pass the verdict," the geomantic boa slithered. Her brood also began slithering as a group, giving the most powerful queen an ominous backdrop.


    The Sovereign''s expression was one of cold fury. "Very well, the result is clear. All of these three rebellious cats'' territories will go to these noble wolf lords as compensation. Are you satisfied?"


    Huxian nodded and looked tauntingly at the savanna lion king, who could barely contain his temper.


    "Are there any other lords who wish to make a challenge?" the bear sovereign asked, not bothering to hide his imposing presence. Despite his best efforts, several small figures stood up to challenge. Unsurprisingly, it was twelve snakes, followers of the geomantic boa.


    "I challenge Lord Unrivaled Stoat!" one yelled.


    "I challenge Lord Skulking Ferret!" another yelled.


    One by one, they challenged all twelve lords of the stoat family. After the insects and snakes, the stoats were most numerous. Unlike last time, they did not fight all at once, and the stakes were much lower. Each snake only challenged the stoats for one third of their land, the minimum amount.


    It took a good hour for all of the challenges to finish, and by the end of it, half the challengers had won, leading to only a mild exchange in territory. The stoats and ferrets had all been poisoned in their battles.


    "Since this is a friendly match, I will give you all the antidote after the summit ends," the geomantic boa said in a nonchalant voice. Since he had taken the initiative, the stoat king and his minions could only choke back their tears. The poison wasn''t lethal, at least not for the next few hours.


    The Sovereign massaged his temple with his paws. "Does anyone else want to challenge?"


    Fortunately, the swarm of insect lords didn''t issue any challenges. Two bear lords issued challenges to two bee lords, who eventually lost half of their negligible territory.


    "Now then, since all these petty disputes are settled, it''s time to welcome a new king of the forest, King Two Tails!" the Sovereign announced.

 91 Sovereign

    The sea of demonic beasts spoke in hushed whispers as Huxian stepped up. His black-and-white appearance was regal, befitting of a true king of the forest. Even many of the other kings couldn''t help but lower their heads instinctively.


    "King Two Tails, as a king of the forest, you will be allocated a portion of the forest''s territory depending on your rank and merit," the Sovereign said gravely. "In exchange, it''s your responsibility to protect all those beneath you during every human tide. Do you accept?"


    "Of course I accept," Huxian said proudly. "It''s my duty to protect all the spirit beasts on this mountain, even those I dislike. I will even protect the lion king if he''s in a pinch."


    "Your enthusiasm is commendable," the Sovereign said. "We will all count on you to make this mountain stronger. Since you are the most junior member, and your current territory and that of your underlings is sufficient, you will not be gaining any extra territory. Would you like to challenge anyone?"


    Huxian shook his head. "There is no need. I''m satisfied with what I have. I only seek to protect my brother beasts." Mumbles of approval in the sea of beasts ensued.


    "Such a king lacking in ambition is not deserving of his territory," the savanna lion king said, cutting the moment of appreciation short. "I challenge King Two Tails to regain the territory of my subordinates."


    The group of demonic felines behind him hissed, reinforcing his menacing atmosphere.


    "Are you sure you wish to do this?" the Sovereign asked, frowning. "Sometimes it''s best not to let your anger cloud your judgement."


    The lion king shook his head. "I refuse to let him do as he pleases. He is unlawful with no regard to his seniors. Someone has to discipline him, and that someone may as well be me!"


    The bear sighed. "Very well. Do you accept his challenge, King Two Tails?"


    "How can I not accept the challenge of this pompous buffoon?" Huxian said. "Leaving his territory in his incapable hands is a wasteful use of nature''s riches. This territory will be much safer under this king''s supervision."


    "Very well," the Sovereign said. "Proceed to the battle platform to fight."


    Lord-level battles could be performed on the spot, but the potential for collateral damage in king-level battles mounted significantly, so they proceeded to the peak of the mountain. Huxian widened his eyes when he saw that the "battle platform" was an immense slab of jade. It was covered in all sorts of runic lines that he could barely understand. At a glance, he could tell that no matter how hard they fought, the jade slab would remain intact.


    "Are you ready?" the Sovereign asked. Huxian and the lion instantly assumed their combat stances. "Fight!"


    As soon as the words left his mouth, the two king-level figures became a veritable blur. Only the other kings of the forest could see them, and even then it was difficult. After all, cats and foxes were known for their speed. Despite having just broken through to the middle of the Purification Realm, Huxian could still match him blow for blow.


    "How boring!" Huxian said, taunting the savanna lion king.


    Not wanting to be outdone, the lion king drew on the heaven and earth energy of the mountain, causing every strand of fur, his teeth, his claws, and his glorious mane to become coated in a film of gold energy. He then clashed with Huxian with renewed vigor.


    To Huxian''s surprise, his opponent''s speed didn''t drop despite the substantial increase in weight and power. Instead, it increased. The lion king used his increased muscular strength to unleash his power to the max. If he had been a lesser-spirit beast, Huxian would have had a difficult time.


    "Nice one!" Huxian said mid-combat. "Now I''ll need to use a full fifth of my strength to defeat you!"


    The crowd gasped when they heard this arrogant claim.


    "Is he courting death?" a bear asked. "How could he be so bold?"


    "A young cub doesn''t know the immensity of heaven and earth," the stoat king snorted.


    However, the neutral spirit beasts'' well-honed senses noted a sharp increase in Huxian''s speed. In addition, the small fox''s bloodline power erupted with full force, causing most of the kings on the mountain to tremble. Even the Sovereign couldn''t help but shiver.


    Huxian used the impact of his bloodline to dart between the savanna lion king''s paws and appear behind him. He then bit deeply into the back of the cat''s neck and threw him down on the platform like a pathetic kitten being scolded by his mother. The lion collapsed into a mangled heap, barely breathing. The battle was over.


    "You were lucky I showed mercy and only want this mountain to be stronger," Huxian said disdainfully. "However, I''ll gladly accept your tribute of territory. Perhaps the life of a pauper will teach you a well-deserved lesson."


    The entire crowd, including the Sovereign, were greatly shocked by the tremendous display of power. The mountain became so quiet one could hear a leaf drop. Many of the neutral kings, who had been ambivalent about the addition of a new king, started looking favorably on the young pup King Two Tails.


    "Anyone else?" the Sovereign asked. Seeing no response, he continued with the meeting. "The next item on the agenda is the human tide. I have received a message from the humans, where they state that they will be sending out mid-level foundation establishment experts. Therefore, all the kings in the forest will need to be on guard this time around."


    "Why the sudden change?" a timid porcupine lord asked amongst the whispering demon beasts.


    "I do not know the reason," the Sovereign said gravely. "However, this has happened two times in the past. Unfortunately, I am unable to participate. All I can do is warn all the beasts on the mountain to protect themselves and hide to minimize losses. We will move on, and they will leave when they are satisfied with their gains."


    All the kings in the forest grumbled with discontent. However, one voice dared to speak up.


    "What a load of hogwash," Huxian said loudly.


    "Excuse me?" the Sovereign asked menacingly. "Would you care to repeat what you said?"


    "I said it''s a load of hogwash," Huxian said proudly. "Your strategy of dividing us up is deplorable, and tantamount to treachery. We lose countless beasts every year because you instruct us to spinelessly hide and not support each other. Not just that, you are conveniently excused from this scuffle. Have you no shame?"


    The Sovereign''s eyes narrowed. "I have nothing but the best interests at heart for every beast in this mountain. How dare you accuse me of treachery."


    "If only it was just an accusation," Huxian continued, sighing. One of his tails glowed, and a small mouse darted out and landed on his back. "Everyone, I have an announcement to make. My subordinate Lei Jiang overheard a conversation between the bear sovereign and a human cultivator during the last human tide. He colluded with the humans and leaked my existence and location. As a result, they ambushed me immediately after with twenty cultivators. Later, they were joined by twenty more. It was only with the assistance and cooperation of many of the beasts here that I managed to survive!"


    "How dare you!" the bear roared, growling menacingly. "I''ve treated you so well, yet you have the guts to accuse me of treachery? Kings, seize him! We don''t need a beast like him on the mountain."


    The brown bear king and the panther king immediately walked up, and some of the fence-sitters also reacted. The eagle king circled overhead while the badger king stood up on his hind paws, revealing vicious claws.


    "You think you can do anything you want because you are the mountain sovereign?" a voice slithered. The geomantic boa pulled up beside Huxian, glaring at the other four menacingly. "I''ve seen his proof, and it''s beyond a doubt. You are a traitor to this mountain, and we''ve had enough of your ways."


    "Right," the queen bee said, bringing her horde of drones. "You''ve suppressed me by stealing my honey all this time, stopping a sovereign-level beast from maturing. If I had been able to evolve, our mountain''s strength would have increased greatly. You''re just a cowardly bear that relies on the humans to clean up any threats to your rule."


    "I have also seen this proof," the moose king said, walking up beside Huxian. "The Sovereign''s acts are deplorable, and he must be deposed."


    "I will support my master," Lei Jiang yelled while releasing his aura. Surprisingly, despite being a low purification beast, the aura he emanated matched that of a middle purification beast. Their forces were evenly matched.


    The bear king looked around, but unfortunately, the turtle king didn''t move. Meanwhile, the savanna lion king could do nothing to help; he lay prone on the side, licking his wounds. The stoat king looked like he wanted to speak up, but he was immediately shut down by a menacing glare from the geomantic boa. The threat was obvious: If you speak up, I won''t give you the antidote to your minions, and they will all perish. The geomantic boa''s devious ploy had come to fruition.


    "It seems we''re at an impasse," the Sovereign said calmly. "However, who will you nominate as sovereign? There are no upper purification realm beasts aside from myself. It will be difficult for you to protect this mountain without me."


    "You need not concern yourself with this, traitor," Huxian growled. "I challenge you for sovereignty of this mountain in a battle to the death. Our other forces are evenly matched. Whoever wins, the others will follow. This is the ancient law that has been passed down by our ancestors."


    The Sovereign looked at Huxian''s supporters. "Are you agreeable to this condition?"


    One by one, the other beasts nodded.


    "Very well, I shall kill this pup and teach you all humility!"


    It didn''t take long for all the beasts on the mountain to congregate around the giant jade slab. Every beast, whether they were insects, birds, mammals, or reptiles paid close attention. After all, their destiny would be determined by the winner of this single battle.


    "Are you ready?" the Sovereign asked. "When you die, I want to make sure no one thinks I relied on trickery."


    Huxian snorted and split his body into his two black and white clones. "I was born ready. I''ll even give you the chance to attack first."


    The bear sovereign''s eyes narrowed. "You''ve truly hidden yourself deeply. However, I refuse to believe that this sovereign, who has achieved the late purification realm, can be thwarted by a mid-level runt like yourself."


    The black rune-covered bear stood up on its hind paws, its hundred-foot frame looking down on all the beasts present. Like Huxian, it chose not to hide its strength any longer. One by one, the silver runes on its body lit up and glowed in a soft green color, not unlike the jade platform beneath them.


    Huxian gulped. Is he drawing from the jade platform to cause his bloodline to evolve? Does that mean that I''m no longer fighting a normal late-purification beast, but a variant beast instead?


    The demons in the world were known for their adaptability. As such, it wasn''t unusual for variant beasts to rear their ugly heads. However, this meant that the challenge for sovereignty had just become a deadly crisis for Huxian.


    The bear, who had grown to a height of 150 feet, stomped his paw down as soon as the last jade rune on his body lit up. Huxian was suddenly overwhelmed with a gravitational field ten times greater than normal. According to his senses, this field encompassed the entire jade platform, making it impossible for Huxian to ignore this suppression. Huxian''s white clone activated its purification aura, but the gravitational pull was too difficult to ignore. He could only halve its suppression, and only for his white half.


    You say you''re upright, but you play dirty. He gritted his teeth, and both his clones began attacking the bear in tandem, carefully avoiding the vicious swipes of the bear''s paws. Even Huxian''s unreasonably tough body would have trouble defending against such overwhelming strength.


    His two clones expertly dodged the two paws. His white clone, the least affected by the extra gravity, leaped up and tried to bite the bear''s knees. As he bit down, however, his mouth ached as one of his teeth cracked. He swiftly retreated after barely drawing blood.


    I feel like I''ve bitten into a block of immortal jade. This is too unreasonable, too unfair! His white clone could only begin looking for weaknesses on this seemingly invincible bear.


    "Do you now see the gap in power between us?" the bear yelled with glee. "No matter how hard you bite, you''ll never be able to do more than draw a little blood. In fact, I heal faster than you can damage me!"


    Huxian witnessed the truth of his words when the small bite mark he had inflicted swiftly regenerated.


    It''s all up to my shadow form now.


    Unfortunately, his shadow form wasn''t faring much better. Despite being able to directly attack the bear''s shadow, it seemed like the bear had somehow reinforced it. It wasn''t pitch black like most shadows but contained a greenish hue. Meanwhile, it could still be affected by the bear''s attacks. The ten-times increase in gravity affecting his clone was no laughing matter.


    Let''s try my newest abilities, Huxian thought. I sure hope this works. His shadow form instantly dissolved, covering the jade platform in an inky substance. From this substance, shadowy awls suddenly darted out, threatening to pierce the bear.


    The bear sovereign swung his paws fiercely to try and deflect them, to no avail. Unfortunately, they bounced off his skin harmlessly. Then, they snaked around his arms and legs and restrained his movements. The bear sovereign roared as he used his entire strength to attempt to free himself.


    Meanwhile, Huxian was feeling the impact from every jerk of the bear''s massive body. He couldn''t hold on for very long under the strain. After all, both his clones were part of his true self, and injuring one was the same as injuring the other.


    Seeing that the bear was trapped for the time being, Huxian''s white clone began shining like the sun. Around him, eight glowing sigils sprang to life and began absorbing all light in the surrounding area. He was clearly charging up for a fierce attack.


    ***


    The bear''s eyes narrowed when he saw the bright glow, and he redoubled his efforts. His every attempt to move resulted in cracks forming on the black chains.


    I can''t let this attack hit me or I''m done for!


    Seeing that the situation wasn''t looking good, he initiated a technique that was taboo for all demon beasts: burning his blood essence.


    Blood essence was far more precious for a demon beast than a human. Every amount lost not only decreased one''s power, but also lowered the strength of one''s bloodline. He had struggled for many centuries to upgrade his previously pitiful bloodline of a silver-runed black bear. It was all thanks to the insights he''d gleaned from the jade platform that his bloodline was able to undergo a quantitative leap.


    Burning his blood essence would mean that after this fight, he would require many natural treasures and dozens of years to recover his power. Yet, if he didn''t do it, death awaited him.


    With his newfound strength, his muscles bulged, and one of the chains holding him down shattered into motes of shadow. Three more chains followed, and finally, he roared and unleashed his power to the maximum. The chains shattered and agglomerated into a pitiful black fox coughing blood.


    However, he didn''t have time to deal with the shadow clone. Instead, he began building up energy to resist the incoming blow. Light was too difficult to dodge for him. He was a slow but powerful demon beast, and he knew to play to his strengths. With but a thought, his front paws glowed jade green in preparation for executing his trump card¡ªJade Executioner!


    ***


    Huxian coughed out a mouthful of blood as his shadow clone was forced to revert to its original form.


    Not good. I''m not sure if I can take this guy if he can defend himself. He had thought about unleashing his beam prematurely, but before he knew it, a jade glow appeared on the bear''s front paws. Huxian scoured his genetic memories but could find nothing like this ability.


    It must be a self-created ability. That bear is a lot shrewder than I gave him credit for. Two more tense breaths passed as both beasts built up power to unleash a devastating strike. The surrounding beasts held their breath. They knew that this attack would surely decide the victor.


    Suddenly, the eight sigils surrounding Huxian congregated near his mouth and fused together into a tiny point. The bear''s eyes narrowed. He brought his claws out to defend with all his might.


    Eight-Sigil Light Beam!


    Jade Executioner!


    The explosion of white and green pushed back all the nearby beasts. They had wished to see the final outcome, but their vision was obscured by clouds of dust. Then, little by little, the clouds faded. Both the white and the black Huxian had blood leaking from their five orifices .


    The bear sovereign was breathing raggedly, and various cuts could be found covering his entire body. Three of his claws had broken in the process of blocking Huxian''s monstrous attack. In addition, it seemed like his regenerative abilities were having difficulty healing him. Yet, upon closer observation, the bear''s vital areas were all intact.


    "You lose, little fox," the bear sovereign exclaimed. "Now be a nice pup and go to sleep."


    As the bear approached, many of the beasts allied with Huxian offered to help bail him out. Lei Jiang was poised to evacuate his master at a moment''s notice. However, Huxian swiftly sent a mental message to all of them. As injured as he was, he still had one last resort he would use. He was just hesitant to use it, since it would delay his progress for over a year.


    Oh well, no sense in moaning about it. On the bright side, it''ll give Cha Ming a chance to catch up. That guy''s talent is so terrible it''s not even funny.


    This thought removed the last bit of hesitation from Huxian''s mind. He gazed upward, looking at the bear''s menacing jade paws, which were about to crash down on him.


    Unfortunately, this ability of his couldn''t be used for very long. If his timing was slightly off, he would perish instead. So he waited until an ominous glint appeared in the bear''s eyes and his paws came crashing down. In only a tenth of a breath, he would be smashed into a meat patty.


    Now!


    Both of Huxian''s clones suddenly disappeared, and the jade platform was cloaked in pitch-black darkness. No one could see anything, and it was like a tank of water had suddenly been filled with a giant glob of ink.


    After a breath of time had passed, however, everyone became aware of a faint glow where Huxian''s body had once been. It didn''t look anything like a fox, but rather like a small bead of concentrated sunlight.


    A loud shout alerted everyone to the name of this technique: Light in the Darkness. The ball of light flashed toward the bear sovereign, who didn''t have a chance to defend. It dove into one of his eye sockets and came out the back of his head.


    As suddenly as the darkness had appeared, it disappeared entirely, leaving behind a single black-and-white fox. Huxian, exhausted from the fierce battle, collapsed on the stage. The winner was clear. The large black bear, who now had a hole passing through his head where his beast crystal would normally reside, fell to the ground in a dead heap of demon-beast meat.


    ***


    Lei Jiang darted to the side of his master protectively. "Step out of the way," a slithering voice said coldly.


    "I refuse," Lei Jiang shouted. You can get my master over my dead body!"


    A puzzled look suddenly appeared on the geomantic boa''s face. "Oh, you misunderstand, little one. We were going to bow to our new sovereign, but there''s no way we can stand by bowing to a little shrimp like you."


    The small mouse looked around and saw earnest expressions on all the nearby beasts. All beasts, no matter if they were demon beasts, spirit beasts, or god beasts, obeyed the strong. Lei Jiang let out a sheepish laugh and scampered off to the side. Then he joined all the nearby beasts in bowing to their new sovereign.


    A new sovereign who would lead them against the human cultivators and would help these beasts defend what was rightfully theirs: their home on the mountain.

 92 Sigil

    Gong Lan wiped the sweat off her brow as she admired the freshly swept bridge behind her. It was white like alabaster, a clear contrast to the lush greenery and the clear blue sky up above. She was proud at having managed to sweep the bridge in its entirety.


    Turning around, she took her first step onto the emerald-green grass. When her bare feet touched the grassy carpet, a cooling sensation ran up her legs and released all the tension that had accumulated during her full day of sweeping.


    She took another step, plunging her entire body into the calming shadow beneath the bodhi tree. The few worries that remained in her mind after sweeping the bridge vanished instantly. They were replaced by clarity, and her self-criticism transformed to thoughts of self-reflection.


    She continued walking for a short time before arriving near the front of the crowd, where several monks and animals peacefully sat in meditation. There, even lions and antelopes could sit together in peace, so she followed suit and sat cross-legged as well. As soon as she shut her eyes, the soft sound of mantras that emanated from the wind whispered to her through the leaves of the bodhi tree.


    You''ve finally resolved the memories that cause you the most problems, a small voice said inside her head. What will you do now?


    Oddly enough, the voice didn''t trouble her. It simply triggered peaceful self-reflection.


    I''m not sure what I should do, she thought. It seems that whenever I do things, I cause people to suffer. I also cause myself to suffer as well.


    That''s right, the voice replied. Whatever you do, you will cause suffering for someone or something. More importantly, you will cause suffering for yourself. You have accumulated far too much negative karma in this life. Your actions cannot help but reap it. As you are now, you would cause more harm than good regardless of your intentions.


    Gong Lan paused as she contemplated this notion. At the same time, it made her feel rather helpless. Was there no way for her to interact with the world without causing one death after another? Would she simply have to hide herself away from the world and do nothing?


    There is a way, if you are willing, the voice said. The problem is due to the karma you''ve accumulated. Since that''s the case, if you are willing, you can suffer your karma here, little by little, under my protective shadow. It will be painful, but it will soothe your soul.


    Gong Lan hesitated. Are you the bodhi tree?


    I have been called this by some, the voice replied.


    How long will this process take? she asked.


    It could take a day, or it could take a lifetime, the voice replied. Your progress will only depend on yourself. First, it will depend on your willingness to face your past misdeeds, whether intentional or unintentional. Then it will depend on your willingness to admit your wrongs and beg forgiveness. Finally, it will depend on your willingness to change.


    She thought about her current counterproductive state before making a swift decision. "I accept," she said softly, breaking the silence surrounding her. The ones around her didn''t hear it, however, as they were all entranced and in deep contemplation. Only one being heard her, and that was the spirit of the tree.


    Bear with it, my child, the tree whispered to Gong Lan. Then, the inside of Gong Lan''s mental space was covered in a soft yellow light. Her soul let out an agonizing wail that no one could hear. She could only sit under the shadow of the bodhi tree and suffer in silence.


    ***


    The familiar atmosphere in the world of white was very comforting to Cha Ming. It gave him a feeling of control, a certain confidence in his abilities. He waited patiently in the world of white for what seemed like hours.


    Finally, he heard footsteps in the distance. He looked over and was surprised to see an old man with gray hair wearing a green Daoist robe. The man carried himself with grace, giving the impression that he was a natural-born sovereign. Yet despite this innate mightiness, Cha Ming felt no pressure from the man. Instead he found only gentleness and care.


    The man walked over to where Cha Ming was seated, leaving him no choice but to stand up and bow in greeting. The old man smiled at the polite gesture.


    "Have a seat, my young friend," the man said while waving his hand. A surge of white mist traveled from his fingers, and a short table with two cushions appeared. This greatly surprised Cha Ming, who thought that he alone could manipulate his mental space. "I don''t often get to meet people from the younger generation. Welcome to my library, young man. I am Fuxi."


    The revelation left Cha Ming in a daze. After all, Fuxi was a legendary figure, an emperor credited with creating humanity along with Nuwa. He seated himself but couldn''t help but doubt the man''s identity.


    "No doubt you are confused about why someone so prominent as myself would come meet you in person," the old man said understandingly. Then, seeing Cha Ming nod, the old man chuckled. "Your honesty is appreciated. I am, in fact, only a fragment of Fuxi''s soul. Each of these libraries that I established throughout the universe carry a small fragment. A conservative estimate is that I have millions of such avatars. Fragments like myself exist solely to educate and test those who come into the library and will continue to do so as long as my main body lives."


    "My apologies for doubting you, Senior," Cha Ming said. "Please allow me to pour you tea to repent." With but a thought, a steaming pot of water appeared in front of Cha Ming. He then imagined the best tea he had ever tasted¡ªcoincidentally one that Wang Jun had poured for him¡ªand prepared two small cups using a gaiwan . He did this over a wet tea table that he summoned in conjunction with the tea set.


    Fuxi waited patiently for him to serve the tea before knocking his index and middle finger twiceon the table and receiving his cup. He inhaled deeply, savoring the smell, and then drank a small sip.


    "It''s been so long since I''ve drank tea from a material plane," Fuxi said appreciatively. "These leaves are definitely some of the better ones among those I''ve tasted across the aeons. Tell me, do you like music, young man?"


    "All kinds," Cha Ming replied.


    "Good, then I''ll summon some ambiance music for us," Fuxi said. He then snapped his fingers, and a single blue guqin appeared beside them and began playing itself. It was as though a phantom master musician had appeared and began playing for them. Cha Ming soon found himself lost in the process of brewing and drinking tea and enjoying the music. He had no idea know how much time passed.


    "Cha Ming, it''s good to take time to calm down every once in a while," Fuxi said softly. "Otherwise, you will burn yourself out."


    Cha Ming didn''t find it odd in the slightest that the man knew his name.


    "It''s not like I''ve been left with much of a choice," Cha Ming said helplessly. "There are people relying on me, and I must learn all I can before going to help them." The villagers up above needed his help, and if he didn''t hurry, he could only imagine their fate.


    "You misunderstand me, Cha Ming," Fuxi said. "Right now, you rested while drinking tea and listening to music. Much of the tension you''ve accumulated over these past months has dissipated. You''re sure to be of much better help to them now that you''ve rested.


    "Sometimes it only takes an incense time or an hour to show sufficient care for yourself. But many people still don''t bother. So no matter what anyone says, that is a choice that you can make, regardless of what''s happening around you. It''s a matter of attitude."


    Cha Ming took in a deep breath and pondered these words as he continued brewing and drinking.


    "Now then, for the last trial," Fuxi said suddenly.


    Cha Ming put his cup down, and the table and tea disappeared. The calming guqin music stayed, however.


    "As I''m sure you''ve guessed by now, the first step to language is the use of words. Words describe many things, and we abbreviate them with runes. We then use our knowledge of their relationships and relate them through grammar and geometry. However, it is still an abbreviation. It is far from the truth.


    "The meaning of words is best expressed through sigils. These are three-dimensional constructs, much like the three engraved in your chest. However, the requirements for crafting them is very strict. Like runes, a cultivator can only write what he knows. It is very taxing on the soul and qi to trace out sigils, which is why this exercise is taking place in your mental space. It will allow you to partially exceed the limits of your qi.


    "Unfortunately, nothing I do can make you surpass the limits of your soul. As such, this trial will be immensely difficult, but the benefits to your future cultivation will be staggering." Fuxi then materialized a gray brush in his hands. It was plain and unadorned, but Cha Ming could sense that it was a frighteningly powerful artifact.


    "Try to follow my motions," Fuxi said.


    A small stream of liquified elemental essence poured out from the brush as Fuxi slowly painted a sigil. As Cha Ming observed, he noticed that it was a very familiar character. It gave the impression of a solid tree and fluttering leaves and exuded an aura of rich vitality despite being incomplete. It only took the man an incense time to complete the full sigil. Its base form seemed to be the character for wood, however, it was a hundred times more complex than the simplified sigil he''d drawn before. Once the sigil was complete, it began glowing with a vivid green color.


    "Now it''s your turn," he said, motioning to Cha Ming. "We will repeat this process three times for each of the characters being tested. At your level, I suggest not pushing yourself to complete it. Instead, focus on gaining insights from the sigils you draw."


    Cha Ming gulped but soon took out his Clear Sky Brush. Noticing that it was missing liquified elemental essence, he dipped the brush in the bowl that appeared beside him. Real or false, he would use this essence to complete the trial.


    Instead of striving for perfection, Cha Ming decided to start off improving on what he had imagined previously as a suitable base for the wood sigil. He began drawing leaves, but now he combined them with vines and bark. Even so, there were many pieces of the sigil that he couldn''t fathom and thus couldn''t draw. For example, on one part of Fuxi''s sigil, he sensed an aura of death and decay. How could these abstract concepts be painted so easily? Before long, he finished a simplified but slightly improved version of the wood sigil he had drawn as part of the Seventy-Two Transformations Technique.


    "Not bad!" Fuxi said. "Let''s try again."


    They repeated the process twice, and Cha Ming''s wood sigil grew increasingly complex. They then moved on through the other four material elements¡ªwind and lightning and through a multitude of other sigils.


    Weeks passed, and soon the number of tiny, incomplete sigils he''d painted numbered almost a thousand. He began realizing that many of them could be joined together if he so chose, like pieces of a great puzzle. When he explained this epiphany to Fuxi, the older man simply laughed and told him he wasn''t wrong.


    Finally, after many months, Cha Ming began his last feeble attempt at the 10,000th sigil. It didn''t even materialize. Instead it crumbled, as Cha Ming''s understanding could not support even the most rudimentary form of the character.


    "Don''t be discouraged," Fuxi said, seeing Cha Ming''s sad expression. "It''s only natural that you can''t complete it. Truth be told, it would take someone at the peak of core formation to even stand a chance. Their soul would need to be a single step away from breaking through transcendence."


    Fuxi then stood up, and Cha Ming anxiously rose with him. It was about time for Cha Ming to leave, and who knew if he would be able to meet the legendary man again. He clasped his hands together and bowed deeply in thanks.


    But when he rose up, Fuxi was gone. His white mental space was completely blank, like it had originally been. The message the man was trying to convey was clear: There was no need for thanks. The man was simply doing what he felt was right¡ªspreading his knowledge throughout humanity. He was just like the legends described, selflessly teaching mankind the tools it needed to survive.


    ***


    Cha Ming awoke shortly after Fuxi left. After traveling back to his body from his mental space, he realized he was famished. His body was also stiff, as though he hadn''t moved in months. Had it been months? The only way to be certain would be to ask the Custodian.


    "Congratulations on completing the trial," a pleasant voice said from behind him. The Custodian soon walked around him at a leisurely pace and set down a bowl full of white pellets. Cha Ming swiftly picked up a few and ate them, instantly relieving the extreme hunger he felt.


    "It''s normal to be hungry like this," the Custodian explained in a friendly manner, placing a bowl of water in front of him. "You were in the trial for three months. During that time, you lost about twenty pounds. I suggest resting and stretching for the next few days while you eat these nutritional supplements. They are very good, and you''ll gain the weight back in no time."


    The duration didn''t surprise Cha Ming, as this was well within his expectations. He was more impressed to find out that he could now meditate for so long.


    "You wouldn''t mind giving me a bag of those before I leave, would you?" Cha Ming asked jokingly.


    "I certainly can," the Custodian said. "However, they have a shelf life of one hour. I can teach you how to make them if you like. You can use creation qi, right?"


    It hadn''t occurred to Cha Ming that they were being made on demand. However, given that he had been gifted a set of custom-made cultivation robes, this wasn''t too surprising.


    "Deal," Cha Ming replied.


    "Now, where was I," the Custodian said, pondering. "Ah yes, it''s time to finalize your prize for completing the trial. Your completion rate was frankly abysmal¡ªonly sixteen percent. As a result, you aren''t required to teach anything. In fact, you''re strongly advised against it."


    "I''m flattered," Cha Ming said dryly.


    "In any case," the Custodian continued, "you accomplished sixteen percent despite being at a harsh disadvantage in terms of soul and cultivation level. Due to this, you will be rewarded with a prize one tier higher than your first prize."


    With a wave of the man''s hand, ten items floated around Cha Ming. They appeared much more powerful than the last set he had witnessed.


    "Are those¡­ peak-magic treasures?" Cha Ming asked.


    "Of course they are," the construct said. "Besides, you should be able to advance your realm rather quickly, so these items will be immensely useful to you. Strictly speaking, I wouldn''t have offered these specific ones, but someone put in a good word for you. So here we are."


    Knowing that his time was limited, Cha Ming began sifting through the items. He instantly disqualified three of the prizes, as they were weapons that he was not proficient with: a sword, a saber, and a spear. The staff was also redundant, as his Clear Sky Staff was a superior weapon. Another four magic treasures were tempting but didn''t suit his current needs. They were a magic pill cauldron, a magic hammer focus, a set of formation flags, and a magic carving knife.


    The final four items would all be extremely beneficial to him. The first was a cloak that could hide his appearance and obscure his presence. It would be incredibly useful if he wanted to ambush the bandits one by one. Another item was a pair of bracers. According to their description, anyone wearing the bracers would gain resistance to the five elements. He wasn''t sure what element Wei Chen practiced, but it would likely be incredibly useful to be prepared for so many.


    The third item was a mysterious-looking silver plate. It had an intricate runic design carved into it and exuded an otherworldly charm. After reading the description, Cha Ming realized that it was a peak-magic treasure, a cultivation formation plate. With this plate, he could greatly increase his cultivation rate. Unfortunately, he didn''t have the luxury of time. Otherwise he would have picked this item in a heartbeat.


    The fourth and final item was a wispy piece of cloud. To Cha Ming''s surprise, the item''s description didn''t match the item at all.


    Stormchaser Boots? Looking at it again, he saw lightning crackling within the cloud.


    "Sir Custodian," Cha Ming asked, "are these really boots?"


    "Yes, these are fine boots," the Custodian replied. "You just can''t see them in their current form." He then proceeded to slap the cloud a few times. "Get back into your original form this instant!"


    The cloud shuddered for a bit, looking aggrieved, before condensing into a pair of white boots.


    "They are very stylish, albeit temperamental boots. You can even wear them to upscale events, as their color will shift to match anything you wear."


    "What do they do exactly?" Cha Ming asked hesitantly. He didn''t want to waste his pick on a fashion item.


    "Ah, these boots allow you to run with the wind," the Custodian replied. "They are imbued with the powers of wind and lightning, the fastest of the natural elements aside from maybe light. While they won''t increase your movement speed by a full sub-realm, they are equivalent to having a top-tier movement technique. With a complimentary technique, they could very well increase your speed to the next sub-realm.


    "In addition, they allow you to run in the air. It''s very similar to a flying sword, but it''s decidedly slower. However, you can run at a higher altitude than a flying sword, which is very convenient in many situations."


    "I''ll take the boots, then," Cha Ming said. The increase in movement speed was already enough to sell him on the item, but this last function cinched the deal.


    The Custodian nodded understandingly. "He thought you would like them. Now then, here is the other prize that I promised you. Due to your excellent overall score, I''ll reward you with ten jin of liquified elemental essence. Also, I took the liberty of making you 1,000 slips of talisman paper. Do let me know if you need more paper before you leave."


    Two items floated out from his sleeves: one small bundle and a large crystal bottle.


    Hearing he would be receiving a whole ten jin of liquified elemental essence, Cha Ming''s eyes sparkled. If he wasn''t wrong, he had enough to write out the next two sigils of the Seventy-Two Transformations Technique!


    "Many thanks for fulfilling this request," Cha Ming said. "You''ve saved many lives."


    Over the next few days, Cha Ming ate, slept, and stretched his limbs as he recovered from his extended meditation session. He also performed some simple calisthenics and bodyweight exercises to circulate the blood in his body.


    Finally, after sufficiently resting, he secluded himself in a small room to execute what he had been planning over the past few days: a breakthrough unlike any other he had ever attempted.

 93 First Cycle

    Taking in a deep breath, Cha Ming summoned the Clear Sky Brush and began painting the next sigil in succession for the Seventy-Two Transformations Technique: the gold sigil. He started at the end of the character as always, this time starting with the elementary shape of a blade. He painted these blades together in a crystalline fashion and with practiced ease. After all, his soul was much stronger than it had been when he painted the first three. In addition, he''d practiced 10,000 sigils during the third trial. Although he was hardly proficient in painting complete sigils, he was experienced in painting parts of them.


    The crystals formed with blades were clustered around a sharp main spike, just like he had done for the wood sigil and the groupings like trees. He carefully painted eleven other identical spikes before finishing by painting the gold (½ð) character as per his usual convention. It wasn''t much different from the first three. While he could have painted a much more powerful gold character filled with myriad profound truths, he knew instinctively that balancing the five elements was paramount. Therefore, he could only draw up the simplest version possible.


    The silver-gold character suddenly shimmered upon completion and shot itself into Cha Ming''s chest, just like the last three. The energy from his surroundings surged into him, augmenting the element of metal in his body and strengthening it little by little. The sigil completed, he patiently waited for the strengthening process to take effect. Unlike before, he was barely phased by the pain that wracked his body. After all, he had been through too much over these past months, and his soul was far stronger than it used to be.


    Days passed before the process was completed. A resounding crack ran through his body as he got up, wielding the power of half-step bone-forging realm. His physical strength had increased by a large amount. It was now on par with his defensive abilities at initial bone-forging realm. The metal had reinforced his tendons and muscles, transforming them into wires that could handle far more weight than they initially could.


    Cha Ming didn''t waste any time getting used to his new abilities, however. He immediately used another dose of liquified elemental essence to draw the water sigil. This time, he joined up several tiny droplets into groups, which were breaking off from the main droplet, which served as a stem of sorts. Then he painted eleven more of these and joined them with the final water (Ë®) character.


    His body was once more encapsulated in heaven and earth energy, which transformed him. Little by little, all the water in his body was being strengthened. His blood became more concentrated but somehow less viscous. It was an extremely mysterious process. Once the transformation finished progressing, he knew all his senses had increased by a step. His hearing, sense of smell, taste, sight, and sense of touch had sharpened. His control over these senses also increased. For example, he could now choose to reduce them significantly¡ªbut not eliminate them¡ªat his leisure.


    The strength of his body increased until it arrived at a bottleneck. The strength stored within his body surged, but it had nowhere to go. Unfortunately, he knew the method but not the theory behind pushing through to the next realm. And try as he might, he couldn''t push the strength into his bones as was suggested by the description of the bone-forging realm. He could only passively wait and observe as the technique executed itself.


    Days passed, and he still struggled at the bottleneck. His strength didn''t budge an inch despite the flood of power summoned by the water sigil. Finally, the sigil dimmed and faded, blending with his skin just like the other four. The process was completed.


    Just as he was about to get up, however, all five symbols began to glow at once. They were surrounded by a white circle that had not been there before. A large suction force emanated from the white circle, demanding sustenance from Heaven and Earth. It trickled in slowly, and to Cha Ming''s surprise, the creation qi accumulated in his dantian migrated to the surface of his chest via an obscure route through his body. It didn''t use his existing meridians; rather, it permeated through his cells without triggering creation or growth.


    The wisp of qi traveled from his dantian to his chest, and after it made contact with the circle, the five elements and the white circle began to grow increasingly bright. The process continued until all the creation qi in his dantian was depleted, and the growth of the white circle slowed to a crawl.


    Cha Ming was surprised at the development, but fortunately he could still move his body and react to the situation. He quickly retrieved the mortal-grade formation plate from the Clear Sky World and placed it in front of him, tossing a pile of mid-grade spirit-stone ores he had accumulated while mining. He then circulated his cultivation base, replenishing his creation qi little by little. Meanwhile, he used the excess five-element qi in his dantian to repeatedly attack the barriers in his qi seas. He held no illusions of breaking through during this process, but even mosquito meat was still meat¡ªit would save him much trouble later.


    He continued to cultivate this way for a week. A small pile of dust accumulated before him from the residues and impurities in the raw ore from which he absorbed qi. In truth, he could only absorb thirty percent at best from these unrefined ores and the remaining energy that had dissipated into his surroundings. Fortunately, the lost energy was quickly absorbed from his surroundings through the Seventy-Two Transformations Technique, strengthening the white circle in the process.


    By the end of the week, the forces of the five elements in his body had changed substantially. They had all increased to their maximum volume. Even his organs were completely full of energy that patched up various injuries that had accumulated over more than a year of mining. However, he noticed a sharp imbalance between the first three elements and the last two. He knew the reason for this¡ªthe body-refining pills that Guo Jia had forced him to consume had increased the purity of these three elements. There was nothing he could do about this.


    Soon enough, yet another change occurred to the white circle with five colors. The thin outline of a black star suddenly appeared. Like before, the suction force increased, drawing the energies of Heaven and Earth. In addition, all the destruction qi in his dantian began mystically migrating to the formation on his chest. To his relief, it also passed through his dantian and cells unhindered, feeding the black star on his chest.


    Unlike the previous time, the appearance of the black star brought Cha Ming great pain. While it was still bearable, he dumped all of the spirit stones he had accumulated onto the formation plate and focused his efforts purely on absorbing and refining qi.


    The process was akin to what he''d suffered with Guo Jia''s body-refining pills, only this was ten times worse. Pain ravaged his bones, his marrow, his organs, and his muscles. Even his skin and nerves weren''t spared, which made the process all the more unbearable.


    Hours turned into days and days turned into weeks as his body was simultaneously destroyed by the black star and recreated with the white circle. With each cycle, the impurities that had accumulated in his body since his birth were eliminated. Even the large portions of his organs that were damaged beyond repair swiftly regained their original functionality. The only things that were not created and destroyed in this process were the new qi pathways and the meridians he''d created. These were already perfect, having been baptized through creation, destruction, and the five elements.


    Time passed by slowly. Every time he thought the pain had reached a peak and his body''s impurities had been completely eliminated, the pain increased by a single step. The formation was testing the limits of his soul and his ability to tolerate the pain. It would seemingly continue until he could bear it no longer.


    Finally, when he''d reached his limit and felt his mind would break from the endless pain and solitude, the technique stopped. The absence of pain left him at a loss, and his enhanced senses wandered around his pure body in search of¡­ something. His senses wandered through his meridians, which were now perfectly elastic and much larger than when he''d started cultivating. They then wandered through his organs, whose functionalities had all greatly increased during the process.


    Cha Ming was no longer sure what his current talent level was, but he knew one thing for certain: It definitely wasn''t at the fourth grade like he''d originally speculated. This had to have something to do with remaking his qi pathways, qi seals, and meridians. The calamity that had crippled him was now a blessing in disguise.


    After marveling over his increased talent, his soul force wandered over to his bones¡ªthe source of his increased curiosity. To his surprise, small crystalline seedlings had appeared, covering the entirety of his bones. He instinctively thought that they had always been there. That the conditions hadn''t been right for them to make an appearance before. Only by achieving a basic level of body refining and purification would they appear.


    He counted them one by one and concluded that there were seven sets of seventy-two crystal seedlings, for a total of 504. Their distribution didn''t seem random; rather, they resembled the outlines of some sort of formation.


    With the appearance of these seeds, the Clear Sky Brush trembled, and a piece of information rushed into his mental space. It took the form of an ancient scroll. A look of shock and surprise appeared on his face as he read through the contents.


    Seventy-Two Transformations 12/72: First Cycle Complete


    First Reward: Physical capabilities increased one sub-realm.


    Second Reward: Talent increased according to body''s circumstances.


    Third Reward: Limited Transformation


    As he focused on the third reward, his eyes widened. He quickly became aware that he could change his appearance and aura to that of another being within his species¡ªsomeone that he''d seen in the past. Unfortunately, it wouldn''t allow him to vary his height by more than one foot taller or one foot shorter.


    Despite this limitation, the value of this skill was evident. It would be very useful in his upcoming battle against the bandits. In addition, he would even be able to avoid the detection by experts that were specifically trying to chase him using his aura as a guide. This was not an illusion technique but rather a physical change resulting from readjusting his skin, hair, and bones.


    After reviewing this technique, he moved on to a second scroll that appeared in his mental space. Unlike last time, this was a complete set of instructions on the next cycle of the Seventy-Two Transformations Technique. He frowned when he saw that there were many ways of completing the technique, many paths to choose from. However, the instructions stated that choosing one would set the path for future advancements in the technique:


    Seventy-Two Transformations: Second Cycle Instructions¡ªBone Forging


    Nature Path: A morally neutral method of forging the bones. Using this technique, the bones will be forged and refined like green jade. It is neither the weakest nor the strongest path, relying purely on natural treasures to strengthen the body. The materials required are:


    Immortal Wood Jade: 1 jin


    Immortal Fire Jade: 1 jin


    Immortal Earth Jade: 1 jin


    Immortal Gold Jade: 1 jin


    Immortal Water Jade: 1 jin


    Immortal Jade Core: 1 jin


    The list was followed by instructions on the applications of the materials. The five-element jades could be used in any order, but the Immortal Jade Core could only be used as the finishing touch. After noting the materials, he proceeded to the next path.


    Malevolent Path: Use the power of sin to forge the bones. Using this technique, the bones will be forged and refined like black obsidian. It is the strongest path, relying on the bone essence of the masses to forge the bones. No sin is incurred in using the technique, but gathering the materials will automatically incur sin. Materials can only be gathered by the user. The materials required are:


    Bones of 4 bone-forging experts with a merit halo, alchemically imbued with wood


    Bones of 4 bone-forging experts with a merit halo, alchemically imbued with fire


    Bones of 4 bone-forging experts with a merit halo, alchemically imbued with earth


    Bones of 4 bone-forging experts with a merit halo, alchemically imbued with gold


    Bones of 4 bone-forging experts with a merit halo, alchemically imbued with water


    Bone essence of 4,444 qi-condensation cultivators with a merit halo


    This morally repugnant method forced Cha Ming to reevaluate the Clear Sky Brush. It was no righteous tool that could only be used by the pure. Rather, it allowed complete freedom in one''s actions. If the user wanted to use it peacefully, it would allow it. If the user wanted to take an easy path, that was also fine. It would simply obey the whims of its master.


    After overcoming the revulsion in his heart, he read the third entry:


    Exalted Path: Use the power of Heaven to forge the bones. Using this technique, the bones will be forged and refined like purple dragon bones. It is not as strong as the Malevolent Path but incurs no sin in the process, relying on the approval of dragons to forge the bones. No merit is gained by executing the technique, but only those with sufficient merit will obtain the approval of dragons. Materials can only be gathered by the user, and they must be willingly given. The materials required are:


    Arm Bone of 1 Transcendent Silver Dragon


    Leg Bone of 1 Transcendent Copper Dragon


    Leg Bone of 1 Transcendent Iron Dragon


    Arm Bone of 1 Transcendent Gold Dragon


    Skull of 1 Transcendent Cobalt Dragon


    Bone fragment of a Five-Clawed Gold Dragon: 1 tael


    Cha Ming couldn''t help but swallow when he saw the list. This path seemed insurmountable to him. For starters, he didn''t even know if dragons existed on the continent. Then, he would somehow need to gain their approval. According to the description, they were a lofty and noble species.


    Among the three methods, there was only one that he could reasonably practice if he could find the materials: The Nature Path. He refused to take the Malevolent Path, and the Exalted Path would depend on his luck in the following years. Unfortunately, he was on a strict timeline, as he was worried about the issues in the Song Kingdom.


    After completing his review of the next cycle, he ended his seclusion, washed himself, and sought out the Custodian. The middle-aged man had a surprised look on his face.


    "Oh, a breakthrough so fast?" the Custodian said. "And in body cultivation no less? It''s too bad that you won''t be able to use magic treasures until you advance your qi cultivation."


    Cha Ming chuckled. "This is merely the first step. I will soon establish my foundation. However, I want to acclimatize myself to this new strength. Is there an exercise facility in this library?"


    "Of course," the middle-aged man said. "Please come this way."


    He followed the Custodian to a significantly larger room. It was completely empty, save for a single pillar in the center of the room. "My apologies, but our limited resources can''t accommodate anything fancy. We only have this empty space and a strength-testing pillar. Don''t worry about breaking it, though. You''d need to transcend to have even the slightest chance."


    Cha Ming''s eyes brightened, and soon he found himself holding the Clear Sky Staff and executing the various techniques that he''d learned over a year ago: Soft Staff Art, Swift Staff Art, and Hard Staff Art. All the subsidiary movement techniques and staff techniques were included in his practice.


    As he moved, he noticed that his increased speed and power caused significant drain on his qi resources, and that he would need to upgrade his capacity as a qi cultivator in order to fully apply his combat techniques. Still, familiarizing himself with these limitations was very useful, so he continued for a full day. At the end of the day, he walked up to the strength pillar and punched it with a single fist.


    Peng!


    A number written in runic characters appeared above the pillar. He rubbed his eyes and re-checked the number before confirming that his physical strength had increased to 4,320 jin and increase of four times compared to a few months ago. This was because he had not only broken through to the Bone Forging Realm, but his strength had increased by a sub-realm thanks to the metal transformation. The normal fist strength of someone who had just broken through to the Bone Forging Realm was 2,160 jin.


    Cha Ming returned to the seclusion chamber immediately after completing his tests. While he was satisfied with the increase, he knew that he had a long way to go if he wanted to stand a chance against Wei Chen.


    It was time to proceed to the next step of his plan: breaking through to Foundation Establishment.

 94 Foundation Establishmen

    A pile of spirit-stone ore crumbled to dust as Cha Ming filled his dantian to the brim. The process was effortless compared to the past, thanks to his increased talent. His qi pathways were thick and flexible while his tempered organs made circulating his qi so much easier than in the past.


    It took less than a day to fill up his nearly full dantian, and his qi seas were at their maximum capacity. A boundary, much thinner than before, prevented the qi from expanding past its natural borders. Without much thought, Cha Ming swallowed a Barrier Breaker pill and urged his qi to burst through the thin and weakened membrane. The membrane shattered effortlessly, allowing the limits of his qi sea to double.


    Having achieved his first objective, he urged his cultivation forward, reducing spirit-stone ores to dust with the formation plate to fill his dantian. A week later, another effortless breakthrough brought him to the peak of qi condensation. Since his soul was already in the Incandescence Realm, it no longer received nourishment from these two breakthroughs.


    Two weeks later, his qi seas were once again filled to the brim. The small room he''d secluded himself in was filthy, but he didn''t care. All he cared about was increasing his cultivation rapidly. It was reckless to do so on his part¡ªafter all, rapidly increasing one''s cultivation could lead to instability and lack of control over one''s qi. But what others worried about, he used the force of his soul to overcome. The control offered by his late-incandescent soul was far greater than most qi-condensation experts could manage.


    Having reached the peak of qi condensation, he now focused on the next task at hand¡ªestablishing his foundation. From what he''d gleaned from his cultivation method, one established a foundation by condensing their qi into one to nine pillars, which started at the base of where the qi seas were located. Establishing a one-pillar foundation was a difficult process for most people but could easily be achieved using pills. Even a pig could be forced into foundation establishment with sufficient spirit medicine.


    The second, third, fifth, and sixth pillars were much easier to condense than the first, but the fourth and seventh pillars were watersheds that were difficult to overcome, save through sufficient talent. The eighth and ninth pillars were more difficult to establish compared to the previous seven combined. Nine pillars signified a perfect foundation.


    Regrettably, Cha Ming wasn''t completely sure how to proceed. His cultivation method highlighted several possibilities, but the specifics had yet to be determined. For example, he could attempt to make nine mixed pillars, but where would he place them? In theory, he could attempt to produce ten pillars, whether mixed or single element. However, ten pillars were much more difficult to produce than nine, and they would be less potent than a perfect nine pillars.


    After exploring these points, his Perfect Five-Element cultivation technique suggested establishing five pillars, then using the creation and destruction qi to establish a supportive matrix that could grow with these five pillars. This way, the five pillars would as effective as a nine-pillar foundation plus a little bit more. The genius of this method was that establishing five pillars was relatively simple, and the process would enable one''s pillars to be much larger than normal foundation-establishment pillars due to the sheer amount of qi available compared to other cultivators.


    As such, Cha Ming directed his consciousness into his dantian, first drawing his wood qi together to form the outline of a pillar. It felt sturdy compared to the liquid qi in his dantian, and it radiated an aura far superior to what normal qi could emanate¡ªthe aura of foundation establishment. Once this outline was completed, he used his incandescent force to direct his qi into the pillar, where it began filling out its empty shape and solidifying little by little.


    A day passed by as he condensed his first pillar, and finally, the entire wood-qi sea was dry. He then moved on to the fire sea, the earth sea, the gold sea, and the water sea in succession, each easily forming a pillar. Then, with slightly more strain, he laid out a white circular foundation that connected the pillars, then did the same with the black star formation. On the whole, the process took a full week.


    Most of the process was finished, and if he wanted to, a single push was all he needed to step into foundation establishment. However, he didn''t do so. With but a thought, these five pillars and their foundations collapsed, melting back into the qi seas they were originally formed with. While he wanted to achieve foundation establishment as soon as possible, he felt that with his powerful soul, he should be able to improve upon the technique.


    He used the next two days to recover before proceeding with the next step. If he failed and his idea couldn''t come to fruition, he could always revert back to establishing a traditional foundation. This time, he withdrew three spirit pills and placed them just within arm''s reach. The spirit-stone ore that he hadn''t used yet for refining his body was still in a dirty pile next to the formation plate, ready to be used at his leisure.


    After breathing in deeply, he began the process once more. This time, however, he did something most people would find unthinkable. First, he used his wood qi and shaped it into a tiny leaf. The process was akin to painting a sigil with his brush. Once the first leaf was formed, he drew five more and joined them with a stem. This process took much longer than when he first made a qi pillar, and the process caused great strain to even his incandescent soul.


    Gritting his teeth, he continued and drew another eleven stems each containing five leaves. Finally, he used another wisp of wood qi to form the character for wood, completing what he saw as the most elementary wood sigil. Once the outline was completed, he rapidly drew in the remaining qi from the wood sea, fully materializing a solid sigil pillar.


    The completed pillar gave off a far different sensation than the original one he''d condensed. It resonated with an aura of truth and subtle mysteries of the universe. In addition, he felt that the power emanating from it was at least fifty percent stronger than the original pillar he''d condensed.


    Elated with his success, he proceeded to the fire pillar, forming it in much the same way as he had when drawing sigils for the Seventy-Two Transformations Technique. This second pillar was formed even more easily than the first, but it still took a considerable amount of mental energy on Cha Ming''s part. To make things worse, there was no stopping the process to rest once he started. He could either establish his foundation or fail.


    The third sigil he crafted was the earth sigil. This time, however, the pillar was formed with much greater difficulty than before. He felt an intense vibration as he built it, and it threatened to crush the foundation he was trying to build. Gritting his teeth, he continued forming the earth sigil brick by brick until he finally managed to solidify his entire earth sea into a pillar. Only once it was complete did the shaking and instability stop.


    Next, he focused on forming the gold pillar. The process was even more difficult than the last. With every blade he formed, it attacked the wood pillar. Meanwhile, it was being strengthened by the earth pillar but melted by the fire pillar. It was a nightmare of unbalanced forces, and this pillar almost collapsed in the process.


    Finally, he started the water pillar. Worse than any of the others, he felt four different forces threatening its stability. The power of the water pillar began leaching into the fully formed wood pillar. Meanwhile, additional energy from the water pillar was diverted to attack the fire pillar, and while it received some support from the gold pillar, the earth pillar constantly sapped away at its strength. After building only half of the water pillar, he was forced to swallow one of his precious foundation-establishment pills.


    The pill provided a much-needed boost to both his mental strength and to the stability of his pillars. Using this window of stability, he finally managed to complete the fifth and final pillar. Unfortunately, only a third of the pill''s medicinal efficacy remained.


    I hope it''s enough, he thought, mobilizing the white creation qi and forming a lattice similar to what he''d done in establishing the original formation. After successfully establishing the circle, he began forming the star line by line. While the first two lines were successfully drawn, he finally noticed some instabilities in the formation as a whole.


    Frowning, he could only continue the process. He didn''t want to waste a foundation-establishment pill simply because he didn''t yet understand the root of the problem. He slowly proceeded in drawing the black star, paying attention to every minor detail. Before long, he''d finished the third stroke.


    Kacha! A cracking sound alerted him that a small piece of one pillar had crumbled. Such a flaw would make it very difficult to complete the process. In fact, his intuition told him it was impossible. He continued to the fourth black stroke, well aware that the process would ultimately end in failure. In the process of failing, he would note where the sigils cracked and how he could improve the process next time.


    Kacha! Kacha! Kacha!


    Several other fragments fell once he completed the fourth stroke, and he finally noticed a pattern in all the defects. He gulped at the implications but still continued. After the fifth and final stroke, the remaining destruction qi was used, and his qi seas were dry. Yet dozens of fragments fell from the sigils, and finally from the black-and-white framework supporting them.


    Still, he decided to proceed with the final step: condensing his foundation. As he concentrated his spiritual force onto the formation, another few dozen cracks formed, and eventually the formation became incapable of supporting itself. It crashed into five mixed pools, and the failure caused Cha Ming to cough up blood as his qi flowed in reverse. He nearly passed out but managed to stabilize his cultivation and ultimately separate the qi into their five distinct qi seas.


    So dangerous. However, it was all worth it. Next time, I''ll be able to do it. If I fail, I''ll just have to fall back to the standard formation.


    During the reconstruction of subsequent destructions of his foundation, he discovered multiple flaws in the process. The first flaw was very similar to when he''d originally condensed qi. That is, he needed to keep his five qi pools in balance at all times. Building a pillar upset the balance. Therefore, he would need to build the pillars simultaneously. Forming the creation qi and destruction qi matrices had similar issues.


    In addition, he realized that while he could use flawed sigils to complete the Seventy-Two Transformations Technique, his foundation would not allow such unbecoming structures. At the very least, he would need the core pieces of each elemental sigil. A full sigil wasn''t necessary, but his most primitive sigils contained far too many imperfections and instabilities. It was precisely these flaws that broke off whenever his foundation crumbled to pieces. He needed to correct them to stand a chance at success.


    As a result, his pillars would need to be much more complex than he''d originally expected. He needed to draw extra support from foundation-establishment pills. In other words, to attempt the process, he would need to use the last two remaining pills. He would only have a single chance to succeed.


    Sighing, he swept the dust off himself and cleaned the mess in his room. Afterward, he spent a week recovering from his injuries and stabilizing his cultivation base. Finally, he sent his spiritual force into his dantian once more and began the process anew.


    This time, he painted the leaves in a livelier fashion and intertwined them with vines. He added more flickering to the fire, and more cracks to the earth. He added crystalline grains to the gold blades and added ripples to the water. All of these might seem unstable, but they were what added life and energy to these sigils. These instabilities in the drawing process would benefit the overall stability of the sigils upon completion.


    And so he painted them despite the great mental strain. After completing fifty percent of the characters, he saw them shaking and was forced to swallow one of the foundation-establishment pills. The characters began to strain once again at ninety percent completion, so he ate the final foundation-establishment pill. If he failed this time, he would need to double back and tread on the path of mediocrity.


    The last ten percent involved drawing the final strokes of these characters. He painted them with great precision and completed all five characters simultaneously. To his delight, they showed no signs of the instabilities from last time. Instead, they let out joyful and lively hums of approval. They had been built in accordance to Heaven''s laws, and he felt that should he choose to do so, he could immediately condense them and achieve a five-pillar foundation. This foundation would be akin to an eight- or nine-pillar foundation due to their special construction.


    Still, he chose to strive for perfection. He took a deep breath and simultaneously began drawing the intricate creation framework and the complex destruction framework, moving from ten separate points at the same time. He had effectively divided his mind into ten parts, each accomplishing a task just as strenuous as building an individual elemental sigil. He knew that he could not continue for long¡ªonly a fifth of the time he''d originally used to build the five pillars in the first place.


    Working quickly, he encountered the first major hurdle in the process: the intersection of the destruction lines. Each line intersected with another once to complete the star, and the interacting energies made it difficult to complete the destruction structure that stabilized the entire formation.


    Cha Ming coughed up blood in the process but managed to overcome this hurdle. Pale faced, he continued and brought the black and white lines to mere millimeters away from their connection points. Then he clenched his teeth and let out a roar as he used the last of his mental strength to force them together.


    The ten connections sent shockwaves through his body. He bled through his five orifices as a power much greater than he should be allowed to wield at his realm surfaced. He didn''t have the mental capacity to continue the process, but to his delight, it didn''t matter. He smiled as he passed out, realizing that his foundation was so perfect that it instantly condensed itself and lay down gently where his qi seas used to be.


    In these last few moments of lucidity, he felt euphoria as heaven and earth qi rapidly rushed into the gaping void, filling his qi seas all the way up to the top of his foundation pillars with a much thicker qi than had previously been present.


    It was foundation qi.


    ***


    Cha Ming woke up a few days later. During his long slumber, the Custodian had thoughtfully tidied up the dirty room and prepared a basin of water. Smelling a fishy scent in the air, Cha Ming disrobed and began washing off a grimy residue from the surface of his skin. These were impurities that were not truly such a thing when he had entered bone forging. They were residues formed by qi from his previous realm, which were completely incompatible with the foundation qi that now resided in his body.


    After washing himself, he directed his consciousness to his dantian, where he saw five stable runic pillars surrounded by vibrant oceans of thick qi. They were joined by thick white rivers of creation qi and separated by raging rivers of black qi. Strangely, these ten rivers didn''t seem complete. Rather, he felt that there were only three much larger rivers of each color, alternating so rapidly between each state that they superimposed, giving the illusion that there were five rivers. It was similar to a situation he had studied on Earth, where a benzene molecule alternated between several resonant structures.


    He inferred from his previous experiences that he could, in theory, ignore two destructive interactions and two creative interactions. Effectively, this meant that he was no longer restricted to using only "allied" elements collectively, such as water, wood, and fire. Instead, he could also mix opposing elements, such as metal, wood, and earth, which contained two destructive interactions. Exact applications would need to be determined, and he would need to evaluate the potential of ignoring creative interactions in depth in the future.


    With but a thought, he summoned the five different types of qi as a barrier. This was an ability that was automatically granted to those having achieved foundation establishment. Unfortunately, he knew no advanced skills that could take advantage of his newly upgraded qi. The only thing he could do was make rudimentary improvements to his staff arts and then use his remaining qi to shield himself against incoming attacks. With any luck, he would be able to contend with Wei Chen.


    After examining his qi for a moment, he moved to the last item that might provide him an additional boost to his power: the black-and-white orb left behind by Elder Ling. Withdrawing it from the Clear Sky World, he filled it with his newly minted foundation-establishment qi. The ball shattered, slowly revealing three items that carried his teacher''s familiar aura.

 95 Life is a Dance

    The golden light embracing Gong Lan''s soul was no longer burning as intensely as before. Instead of a searing light repeatedly piercing her, it now felt like a warm blanket that brought heat to even her coldest extremities.


    The first few weeks had been hellish, and there was no way she could isolate her senses or even pass out. She could only endure. Her soul had been safe the entire time, being nourished under the bodhi tree''s gentle embrace. It was completely voluntary, of course. She could have ended the process at any time. But by doing so, she wouldn''t be able to help her brother, her friends, and herself.


    Throughout the painful process, she was forced to relive the many atrocities and sins she''d committed throughout her lifetime. Fortunately, her soul had been wiped clean during the Yellow River''s cleansing process, meaning that she didn''t need to pay anything for any of her past incarnations.


    Despite the golden light''s warming glow, she still felt a little cold. Her soul curled like an infant to conserve the warmth that permeated it, certain that one day she too could feel a world full of warmth and be free from suffering.


    Weeks passed, and her soul, which was clothed in a cocoon of light, finally showed signs of emerging. A crack appeared on the cocoon, and a flood of information surged into her mind.


    Peak resplendent soul. Only a resplendent soul''s light can banish the darkness in other people''s hearts.


    Using her soul''s strong arms, she ripped open her silky cocoon and emerged into her mental space. To her surprise, the cocoon didn''t disappear. Rather, it shrank and transformed itself into a golden raiment made from the finest soul silk. A wondrous sight greeted her, a world filled with golden light. Animals wandered peacefully as they traveled to and from a golden bodhi tree that had established itself in the middle of her mental space.


    Why did this place change so much? she wondered.


    It changed because of your willingness to change, the voice said in her mind. It is radiant because you allowed the light to burn away your impurities. Is this not what you wanted? Now that your karma has burned away, you no longer need to fear the influence of karma in your everyday life. You can sever your attachments with ease, transcending to the Buddha realm to live a life in peace.


    Gong Lan''s soul frowned. Isn''t that a little too easy? How can I just sever my attachments?


    It is quite easy, the voice assured. I have ensured that you no longer owe karma. You may leave when you wish. Besides, attachments are the source of suffering. Acquaintances lead to conflict and complex feelings; possessions lead to greed; even the simple act of eating leads to gluttony. By ignoring these things, you can maintain your newfound purity and improve yourself in the heavens above. Isn''t this the goal of all martial artists?


    But what about all the people who rely on me? she asked.


    What of them? the tree replied. They care for you, but they can never help you. Wouldn''t it be a great relief to them that you are well off and going to a better place? Those who care about you will be happy for you. Only selfish people would think otherwise. In fact, I challenge you to think of those you care about and their reactions.


    At the bodhi tree''s prompting, she had a vivid dream. In this dream, she visited her brother and told him she was leaving to be happy for all eternity. A great smile appeared on his face, and he told her not to worry about petty things and to move on.


    In another room, she met Cha Ming, who smiled and said he was glad that she had found what she was looking for. They would be fine without her. In one final room, she saw Feng Ming. After hearing her wondrous tale, his eyes widened, and he said, "It''s better to be lucky than good! Good luck on your travels."


    She didn''t think of anyone else. All the other people she really cared about had long since passed away.


    You see? the tree said. Those who truly care about you just want you to be happy and free from suffering. Why don''t you follow my guidance and transcend? Leave this mortal plane and contribute to spreading peace in a transcendent realm.


    Why can''t I do the same in this realm? Gong Lan retorted.


    You can. There''s nothing wrong with it. However, it would be akin to a master physician applying ointment to a stubbed toe. Or an exorcist listening to a confession while devils and ghosts ravage the countryside. The greatest good can be done in the higher realms. As a benefit, you will be able to live much longer and help so many more people. Here, you will only grow old and wither away.


    The tree''s urgings made sense on an intellectual level. However, how could things be so simple? When she''d imagined the conversation with her brother, she didn''t miss the fatigue he tried to hide so carefully. When she imagined Cha Ming, she didn''t miss his disappointment at not being able to fight alongside her. When she thought of Feng Ming, she could see the silent taunting hidden behind his eyes. He was thinking, I thought you were out to get me. Have you given up already?


    More to the point, she still remembered the ghastly memories and the remnants of the massacre she encountered on the way to Jade Spring. The thousands of lives that had been lost in Fairweather. By leaving, she could help those in a realm up above. She would only need to give up on those she had seen and that she knew needed help right now.


    No¡­ I won''t leave, she said. There are far too many things to do, too many people to help, and too many villains preying on the weak. How can I just abandon them?


    Very well, the bodhi tree replied. But how will you stay? Your soul is on the cusp of transcending. If you do not stop it, you will transcend regardless. And then you will not be able to help anyone without karma interfering in your endeavors. You will have no choice but to leave.


    Hearing these words, Gon Lan examined her soul once more, realizing that many invisible shackles that bound it were beginning to break. She didn''t panic, however. Instead, she looked back at the golden tree in her mental space and smiled. Since you asked me all these questions, you must have a way to prevent this.


    I do indeed, the tree replied. However, the price is a very serious obligation. As long as you are within this realm, you must protect me when I am in danger.


    Gong Lan was confused. This is a serious amount of trickery for such a righteous tree. And who would dare to cause you harm while you still cast your shadow? Who could ascend the Stairway to Heaven and pass the monks that guard you?


    The tree was silent for a moment before replying. Desperate times call for desperate measures. And that day will come, my child, it whispered. It will come sooner than you think.


    ***


    Hong Xin danced to the joyful sounds of music and laughter as she served drinks to her cheerful patrons. She skillfully balanced her tray as she twirled through the crowd with a flourish. Unlike her previous job, they didn''t attempt to trip her. Rather, they quickly cleared the way to give sufficient room for her performance.


    Quick as lightning, she placed six drinks in front of her thirsty patrons before holding her hands to her chest. They watched in anticipation as she raised her hands, sending a colorful flicker of flames into their drinks and lighting them on fire.


    Life in Castle Town was much different than life in Stonefell. Here, she could be herself and not be persecuted. The pay was good, and her manager didn''t withhold her tips. Over time, she had managed to save enough resources and push her way to the seventh level of qi condensation. There were few people in town that could contend with her¡ªnot that she had to.


    Hong Xin hated fighting. While there were much more lucrative occupations, such as guards and adventurers, Hong Xin preferred to stay away from these things. Thankfully, the patrons in Castle Town were all decent human beings. Whenever one of the younger men or adventurers acted up and tried to lay their hands on her, a few of the older men would give them a long lecture on human decency. Most people didn''t require a second lecture, which involved a good dose of corporal punishment.


    After delivering the latest batch, she spoke to their guests and ran up to the bar, where the innkeeper spent his day. "Three more flaming reds, three baiju, and a cinnamon ale," Hong Xin said cheerfully.


    The innkeeper chuckled. "Hiring you was the best thing I ever did. Business is booming, and it''s all thanks to you."


    "Nonsense," Hong Xin said bashfully. "It''s because you have such a great atmosphere. Even the most miserable worker or traveler would find a smile by visiting this inn."


    The afternoon passed by joyfully, and soon the people who shouldn''t have been drinking had passed out and returned home. The rest of the patrons were there for the atmosphere and intended to stay well past midnight.


    Suddenly the door to the inn burst open, revealing a figure cloaked in red. The person''s aura was stifling, forcing everyone to stop what they were doing. But the supressing aura left as soon as it arrived, and people went back to drinking as though nothing had happened. Hong Xin looked to the entrance and saw the most beautiful woman she had ever laid eyes on lowering the cowl of her cloak.


    Fortunately, none of the younger folks were present, and the older men had the decency to limit their catcalling and speak about her in whispers. The woman ignored this light conversation and walked up to the bar, where she sat down and placed a large case on the ground beside her.


    "Innkeeper," she said pleasantly, "I''m looking for a place to stay for the night. Do you have a room?"


    The innkeeper gulped. "Yes, ma''am, I have just the room for you. We''re pretty fully right now, so I''ll bump you up to our luxury suite free of charge."


    A young waiter who overhead this began whispering to him, "Sir, one of the other rooms just cleared out. It''s not necessary to¡ª" The man clenched his teeth as he was rudely interrupted by a stomp of the owner''s foot.


    "It will be three silver for the night," the innkeeper said. "Is that all right?"


    The woman, whose lustrous black hair was draped halfway down her back, smiled and replied sheepishly, "Unfortunately, I am a little short on silver right now."


    The innkeeper frowned, which Hong Xin found understandable, given that he''d already given her preferential treatment.


    "However," the woman continued, "I make my living playing music. If you let me play for a few hours tonight, I guarantee your patrons will be happy, and you won''t regret it."


    "Oh, a musician?" he said, his face breaking into a grin. "It''s been a while since we''ve received a traveling musician in this establishment. Don''t worry about the room, or a meal, for that matter. As long as you play some interesting music, the men will surely appreciate it. Hong Xin, please clear some space for our guest."


    "Sure thing, boss," Hong Xin said enthusiastically. She had only ever heard two performances since starting at the inn, and both performances were memorable experiences.


    The woman bowed slightly after seeing Hong Xin. "Thank you very much for your hospitality."


    It only took an incense time to clear a few tables at the back and set up a small platform where she could play. The woman carefully climbed onto the hastily constructed platform, placing the large case on the ground in front of a cushion. Then she opened the case and removed a light seven-stringed instrument from it. The delicate guqin was a fragile instrument, and it complemented the pretty lady perfectly. It was constructed with a blood-red wood, and its strings were made from a deep-red fiber.


    "What''s your name?" Hong Xin asked her while watching her set up.


    "It''s a happy coincidence, but my surname is also Hong," she said. "My name is Hong Yinyue ."


    "Red Music?" Hong Xin said. "How fitting, given that you play a red instrument."


    "More than you know," the woman replied as she finished unpacking her guqin. She seemed calm, but Hong Xin spotted a hint of sorrow that briefly flashed across her eyes, so she remained quiet and asked no more questions. After checking that Yinyue had everything she required, Hong Xin continued serving drinks. Her movements became a blur as she quickly filled one order after another, since the patrons all wanted to drink as they enjoyed the music.


    A half hour passed, and Hong Xin had finally filled every order. Exhausted, she sat down on a stool and made eye contact with the mysterious musician, who had remained silent while she worked. The gentle murmurs in the bar were suddenly silenced with the single pluck of a string.


    Hong Xin felt as though she''d slipped in a trance when the slow, gentle music began. She began to reminisce about her childhood. It was a pleasant, lighthearted tune that spoke of naivety and innocence. As the song progressed, she realized how much she missed her parents and how much suffering she''d likely caused them by running away.


    Soon, the tune changed ever so slightly. The lightly plucked strings spoke of first love and the initial fluttering of a human heart. Hong Xin''s heart began to pound as these memories invaded her consciousness, enabling her to remember those blissful moments. Unconsciously, she touched the used mauve hairclip that she had worn ever since she and Wang Jun had first met.


    The warmth in her heart didn''t last for long, however. The pace became hurried, and she imagined herself fleeing out in the wilderness, running away from home. When she finally found refuge, it was more hellish than she could ever imagine. The rhythmic thrumming of Yinyue''s fingers caused her heart to palpitate when she remembered that awful night when she was forced to burn the bar owner to a crisp.


    Then¡­ silence. From this quiet atmosphere, a gentle melody slowly reached a crescendo, building up momentum. Everything before this had felt like Hong Xin''s life was crashing down on her, but now, she felt only hope and calm. She remembered the kind farmers and helping them plant their fields. She remembered coming to Castle Town and finally enjoying her life like she should. She remembered the invigorating feeling when she had finally started cultivating again.


    Then the music stopped. The song felt unfinished, yet for some reason, no one felt that it was inappropriate. One by one, the patrons began clapping and cheering for the beautiful musician playing her bewitching tune. She no longer wore her red hooded cloak, but rather wore a traditional red qipao. She didn''t seem to pay attention to her audience. Instead, she smiled and looked at Hong Xin, hinting that this song was for her and her alone. Then she turned back to her audience and began strumming some joyful tunes.


    "Are you all right?" the owner asked Hong Xin in a concerned voice. Hong Xin immediately realized that she had been crying this whole time.


    "It was just so beautiful. I just need to go wash my face and I''ll be fine," she replied, running off to her room.


    ***


    The music ended early that night, but everyone was so pleased with the performance that they didn''t complain. Instead, they sat around and drank while talking about Yinyue, the lady in red who was so talented in music.


    Midnight eventually came, and the boss was forced to chase the last of the men out. Finally, Hong Xin was able to eat her meal in peace. She didn''t go straight to bed, however. Instead, she went to the backyard of the inn where she could get a bit of exercise. She wore a set of cultivator robes that she had bought at one of the shops in town.


    Breathing in deeply, she closed her eyes and practiced a fluid punching and kicking routine, using the few techniques that she knew in quick succession. For some reason, the motions came much more naturally than before, and she finished her routine in record time. Still, she felt unsatisfied about her performance. Something was missing.


    She continued practicing, but instead of firing off a predetermined set of punches and kicks, she began to improvise. As she practiced without thinking, she heard a soft piece of music. It was the song she''d heard previously, beginning at the part that represented her arriving at the farm on the road to recovery. Her motions slowed as she recalled the torrent of emotions passing through her after killing the bar owner, yet they gradually improved as the tempo of the music in her head increased.


    Before long, she was moving much faster than before. The tempo of the music increased, reaching a feverish rhythm. Hong Xin felt like a fire was burning in her heart, banishing the cold that had invaded her soul on that fateful day. Sweat dripped down from her brow and soaked her training shirt as she danced, but she didn''t care. She felt like all she wanted to do in her life was dance.


    Finally, the music stopped. She stopped as well. She looked around but found no one. The music had been in her head all along, but it was music she could never forget. It was music that kindled her heart and soothed her soul, and she wished that she could hear it every day.


    After calming her ragged breath, Hong Xin returned to her room and immediately went to bed. It was best sleep she''d had in over a decade.


    ***


    It was past midnight in Castle Town. Yinyue wasn''t sleeping. Rather, she just stood at her window and stared at the moon. It had been a long time since she''d taken up her old profession as a traveling musician. After all, someone of her renowned talent could invite herself at a king''s banquet to give a performance, forget a small town like this.


    Yet a few years back, she''d felt the urge to wander. She didn''t know why, but she followed her heart.


    Life is a dance, and sometimes you need to follow the music life gives you. It was a saying that she''d followed countless times in the past, and it had never led her astray.


    Tonight, like many other nights, she pondered the reason why she traveled.


    Why did I have to come here of all places? Why not a big city or somewhere scenic like the Fire Mountains? She knew the answer would come to her eventually. Every time she asked herself this question, she came a little bit closer to the truth.


    Suddenly she noticed a flickering figure downstairs in the courtyard. It was that little girl that seemed so enamored by her presence. The reason she''d played the first song earlier was because she felt a lingering darkness in her heart, an ache that was difficult to remove. Yinyue''s music art could heal the wounds in a person''s heart and light a blazing fire from a heart''s dying embers. It was a song that she had played for that little girl alone, and the many bystanders could never understand its profundity.


    Yinyue smiled as she looked down at the figure, stiffly executing one stance after another in a rehearsed manner. If only she would learn to let go, I''m sure she''d be a great dancer.


    To her surprise, the forms changed after about an incense time. It was as though the girl had subconsciously taken her advice and began dancing to a tune only she could hear. A surprised expression flickered over Yinyue''s face when she realized that her rhythm and movements were according to the song that she''d performed for the poor girl earlier that day.


    She learns surprisingly fast for having such terrible talent, Yinyue thought. She then continued watching her appreciatively from the window up above, not making a sound. Very few people have what it takes to dig themselves out of a pit of darkness. Only those who have lost all their light can learn to kindle the fire within their hearts.


    Then, it struck her. Perhaps her reason for wandering was related to this girl? The more she thought of it, the more amazed she became. Fate worked in mysterious ways, but she couldn''t fathom what it was thinking by sending her to pick up someone with such trashy talent.


    Oh well, she thought. Life is a dance, and I don''t lead, I only follow. If fate wants me to teach her, teach her I shall.

 96 Beast Tide

    A group of six young qi-condensation cultivators traveled swiftly as they kept their eyes peeled for natural treasures that grew in abundance on the mountains. There were many precious materials that would do wonders for their cultivation; even a six-month-old blood ginseng or a one-year-old qi-gathering berry would go a long way for these youngsters who had barely stepped on the path of cultivation. The probability of finding such things was quite high, however, and spirit beasts would find eating these severely unripe natural treasures an unpardonable crime. To them, it was only appropriate to eat them at the peak of their maturity cycle.


    Or so they thought before they set foot on this dreadful mountain. They were greeted with clear-cut, barren woods. The natural treasures, which should have been abundant, had been picked clean, forcing them even deeper into the beasts'' dangerous territories.


    "I don''t think we should be going in so deep," a young lady that couldn''t be older than eighteen complained to a boy that looked several years older than the rest of the group. She didn''t want to speak to the man initially, but the other four were simply yes men, followers of their elder brother.


    The older man chuckled. "Relax, Fei Er, your elder brother Xiao Jintao is already at the eighth level of qi condensation. And with my superior combat prowess and this peak-spirit weapon, only a lord of the forest would stand a chance against me. And besides, because of that stupid treaty, they wouldn''t dare lay a finger on me."


    "Who allowed you to be so familiar with me?" Li Fei said with a sniff. "You may call me Miss Li or Li Fei at most, but don''t think that your status is sufficient enough to be so intimate with me. If you really want to prove your worth, find me a six-year-old iceflame lingziand break through to mid-foundation establishment. Then my father will likely offer me to you on a silver platter."


    She watched in amusement as the older man seethed with rage and trudged forward. A six-year-old iceflame lingzi was a precious item coveted by the entire sect. Even if he found it, it wouldn''t belong to him. By the time he found one, Li Fei would have been married for many years.


    Suddenly, Xiao Jintao held up his fist and signaled for their group to halt. Li Fei was about to speak up and ask what was happening when the older man shot her down with a rebuking glare. While she was upset and felt mistreated, she decided to bide her time and reprimand him later.


    At Xiao Jintao''s signal, they proceeded at a fifth of their original speed. The short-haired man had drawn the peak spirit-tier saber that he had been awarded by the sect just prior to this mission. Its faint blue glow reassured her that, as he''d boasted, not many creatures could pose a real threat to them in these woods.


    Before long, they heard a rustling noise behind a group of bushes. At Xiao Jintao''s signal, the four men approached from the right while he and Li Fei approached from the left. He held Li Fei back for a few breaths just before they emerged from behind the bushes in order to allow his followers to scout. Soon, they heard some loud chuckles coming from the fattest cultivator in their group, Yuan Tao.


    "I nearly died of a heart attack," Yuan Tao said. "But after all this caution, we only found a cute little spirit rabbit. Look, he''s even carrying a small twig in his mouth."


    Xiao Jintao shot him an angry glare. "Quiet! Even a lion must use their full strength to catch a rabbit." His overreaction over such a small threat was truly a huge loss of face, especially in front of Li Fei.


    "He''s so cute!" Li Fei said, approaching the small white rabbit. The rabbit was now trembling uncontrollably, so much so that it dropped the twig it had been carrying.


    "What''s this?" Li Fei said, picking up the twig. A small round fruit was growing on it. Half of the fruit was a frosty blue color while the other half was crimson red. She clearly felt the concentrated energy it contained. It was marked with six distinct lines that would only grow on such fruits, one for each year it aged.


    "A six-year-old iceflame lingzi?" she said, gasping in surprise. "With this, I''ll be able to break through to foundation establishment in one fell swoop! Such a lucky rabbit. I''ll be keeping you as a pet." She reached down to grab the rabbit, but as she did, she noticed a small black spot on her otherwise flawless white hand.


    Frowning, she used her robe to try to wipe it off, but to no avail. "Senior Brother Jintao, could you please pass me the gourd of spirit water?" she asked, embarrassed. She loathed asking for anything from him. But to her surprise, she heard no reply.


    She turned around with a cold expression, preparing to scold the entire group. To her horror, all five men had collapsed on the ground, their faces full of black spots. Trembling, she looked at the single black spot on her hand and pulled up the sleeve of her robe. Her entire arm was peppered with spots.


    "Poison?" she said hoarsely before she crumbled to the ground.


    How?


    This was the last thought that passed through her mind. Had she been more observant, she would have noticed that strands of a rare herb, pockmark death grass, were growing in the grass where they passed to circle the bush. The herb was quite lethal to low-level human cultivators, but harmless to spirit beasts. They had fallen into a meticulously planned trap.


    The bait was the little white rabbit and the six-year-old iceflame lingzi.


    ***


    "Be careful, men," a cultivator in blue robes said to a group of twenty-nine other cultivators. They were an elite group at middle foundation establishment. "This time, our target is the king-level beast, a variant two-tailed fox. It''s vicious and cunning, and it will require our entire strength to trap him.


    "Fortunately, we know exactly where he is. Our patriarch spared no expense to divine his location just prior to our departure. This fengxue compass will lead us straight to him."


    "Don''t worry Vice Leader Li," a short, stocky cultivator said. "We all know that it''s vitally important to capture him. Our patriarch''s life and the future of our sect is at stake."


    "The sect is grateful to have committed elites like you, Elder Han," Vice Leader Li said emotionally. After all, he was more than just the vice leader¡ªhe was the patriarch''s beloved grandson.


    "In any case," Vice Leader Li said, "we brought the sect''s protective treasure, a peak-level magic spear with us. With this spear, there''s no way that wretched fox will be able to overwhelm us." He said this while holding said spear in his hand. The mighty power emanating from the spear renewed the elite group''s confidence.


    "Thankfully we won''t be going anywhere near the geomantic boa''s territory," one of the younger cultivators in the group said. "That place is a death trap, and I daresay that even the patriarch wouldn''t want to fight that beast in its own territory." The other cultivators all nodded in agreement. In fact, the reason they had been routed so badly the previous year was due to the illusions in the geomantic boa''s terrain.


    And so, the cultivators continued traveling toward the two-tailed fox''s location. They had been going for three hours before their leader frowned and glanced at the fengxue compass that still pointed due east.


    "Strange," Vice Leader Li said. "We should have arrived at his position long ago. Somehow I feel that we''ve been traveling in circles. For example, look at that tree. Brother Meng, didn''t you urinate on it only an hour ago?"


    The older cultivator''s face flushed in embarrassment, but he approached the tree and sniffed. He paled when he realized this was indeed the case. "How is it possible for superior cultivators like us to be trapped so easily?"


    "There''s only one possibility," the vice leader whispered. "The geomantic boa''s territory has changed."


    Suddenly their surroundings shimmered, and the lush forest they had seen previously was now a desolate wasteland. Here and there, they saw geomantic runes that were created using the boa''s natural ability.


    "How perceptive of you," a voice said. Soon after, a forty-foot black-and-white fox walked out from behind a large rock that was situated near them. "Are you confused as to why I''m revealing myself? You see, we had a betting pool going on. We each wagered a drop of blood essence on how long it would take you to realize your predicament. Unfortunately for you, I''m angry now. I bet on six hours, and that tricky geomantic boa bet on three hours. I should have known that she''d rig the game in her favor."


    "Aren''t you looking down on us a little too much by facing us alone?" Vice Leader Li said angrily, hefting his spear. A confused expression appeared on the fox''s face before it realized what had happened.


    "Oh, I get it. You guys are still trapped in a secondary illusion. Bowie, don''t slow-roll them. Dismiss the illusion."


    The illusion faded, and the thirty cultivators were shocked to discover that they were now surrounded by eleven lords of the forest. Furthermore, they seemed to have fully charged their most powerful attacks, which could be unleashed at a moment''s notice.


    "Any last words?" the fox asked calmly.


    "Damn you!" Vice Leader Li said. He didn''t have the chance to say any more. The fox quickly unleashed its purifying and devouring power, while the various beasts unleashed their attacks and decimated the group of cultivators with their most powerful strikes.


    ***


    All around the mountain, similar scenes were occurring. Lords teamed up with lords, using the terrain and their overwhelming physical strength to their advantage. Smaller beasts played tricks. In a funny turn of events, even the spirit-tail chickens were useful. In their devotion to Sovereign Two Tails, they had developed priests that studied Huxian''s natural abilities like scripture. Their faith had somehow allowed them to harness the power of the bagua, enabling them to trap groups of cultivators very efficiently.


    After one long night of cold and merciless slaughter, the humans on the mountain were eliminated. The beasts rejoiced in the knowledge that, at last, they had repelled the human tide.


    Huxian didn''t rest on his laurels, however. He and the geomantic boa were both creatures with inherent knowledge of formations. One by one, they cracked and devoured the various seals that shut them off from the outside world. After two days and three nights, the air above the mountain shimmered and shattered.


    For the first time in decades, the various spirit beasts and demon beasts on the mountains walked out of their caves and admired the beautiful setting sun. It wasn''t optically different than before; rather, they could now feel the warmth more intimately on their furs and feathers.


    "This, my friends, is the feeling of freedom," Huxian said in a loud, booming voice. "No longer will we wait here passively as the humans invade our territory and rob us. It''s time for us to reclaim what''s rightfully ours: the valley at the edge of our mountain.


    "It used to be covered in pristine forests, but the humans chased us out and took our lands. They took our medicinal herbs, roots, and fruits, limiting our population and growth. No more. Stand with me, brothers and sisters, as we assemble our beast tide and show the humans what we''re made of. It''s our turn to rule!"


    The beasts on the mountain, enlivened by their leader''s glorious speech and too frightened to say anything due to bloodline suppression, began their heroic charge toward the human settlement below.


    ***


    Tears appeared in Cha Ming''s eyes when he saw the three items appear before him. They bore his teacher''s aura, a man who had dedicated much energy and attention to his fledgling growth. Even now, when he was no longer there, he had left items to help Cha Ming on his future path of cultivation.


    The first item was a letter, which he read immediately.


    Dear Cha Ming,


    As beautiful as my writing is, I''m really bad at writing letters. However, I''m fully aware that you bear a great destiny on your shoulders, and I''d feel guilty if I didn''t leave you at least something to help you on your way.


    First off, I''ve left you two talismans. They are both mid-grade magic talismans with incredible offensive power. However, there''s a catch. Both talismans have been created differently. One of them was created using mathematical and geometric rules along with advanced symbols. The other was created using an expression of my extreme emotions.


    This is, first and foremost, a demonstration of the field I excel in the most: runic poetry. Each character has its own nature and intent. However, the intent of the writer and their state of mind can greatly affect the power of a talisman. Words from the heart have power, Cha Ming. These two talismans will show you that difference.


    The second item I''ve prepared for you is quite speculative on my part. I performed a few divinations on you and a few items, but due to your inscrutable fate, I couldn''t get an answer that was more than fifty percent accurate. What I''m trying to say is that there''s a fifty-fifty chance that this nifty gadget that I''ve left for you will be very useful on your journey. Worst case, it should be moderately useful in fighting against that twerp, Zhou Li.


    In any case, I''m sure I won''t be able to see you again for quite some time. I''ve been feeling antsy lately, which means that my wife is definitely coming to retrieve me. And let me tell you, she''s not gentle. Be sure to take care while I''m gone, and if you ever get a chance, come visit me at the Inky Sea Sect after you transcend.


    Cheers,


    Elder Ling


    P.S.: I discovered that Zhou Li''s henchman, Protector Song, is the regional Angels and Devils champion. I''m going to wipe the floor with him before I leave. Do be sure to continue sharpening your skills before we meet again.


    P.P.S.: Deep inside, Mao Mao is sorry for being so territorial with Huxian. The little fox has great potential, and he''s a little bit jealous. Tell him not to hold it against him.


    Cha Ming chuckled as he read the letter. It perfectly reflected his eccentric teacher''s character. After reviewing it one more time, he turned his sights toward the two talismans his teacher had left him.


    The first was an elaborate talisman, filled with complex geometric shapes that he could now recognize. It was also written with some fairly impressive characters, like "sovereign king of beasts," "annihilation," and "blood devouring." However, the characters were all centered on two elegantly drawn characters in the center. They were two of a single runic character he had ever seen before, but when he read it, he was overwhelmed with Mr. Mao Mao''s overbearing and haughty attitude. Putting two and two together, he assumed these characters meant Mao Mao.


    Cha Ming rubbed his eyes in disbelief when he saw this but shook his head and moved on. The next talisman left him sweating in embarrassment.


    Instead of being covered with elegant geometric symbols, it was covered in boldly written characters.


    Ode to Mr. Mao Mao


    Mr. Mao Mao, my love for you knows no bounds.


    It is like a tyrannical beast,


    Destroying everything in its path.


    How I envy those who perish under your gentle claws.


    Cha Ming wasn''t sure whether to laugh or cry after reading the talisman. Originally, he''d doubted the authenticity of the first. Now, however, he found the original talisman to be a bastion of knowledge, an elegant and unparalleled creation. In his heart, Cha Ming swore never to use the talisman unless it was a life-or-death situation. Only then could he bear the humiliation it entailed.


    Cha Ming took some time to lower his expectations before moving on to the third item. It was a thin jade slip containing characters he could barely decipher. It read:


    Devil Sealing Scripture


    A single scripture to seal all evils in the realms.


    Can you see what I see with these eyes of pure jade?


    Only those who share my will can understand my resolve.


    As he read it, he felt a sharp pain in his eyes. Aside from this, he was only left with a cryptic lack of understanding concerning what he had just read. He felt there was now knowledge inside his mind that he was not yet privy to. Shaking his head, he stored the two talismans and the Devil Sealing Scripture and began to recover his strength for when he would leave Fuxi''s Library.

 97 Thef

    Cha Ming exhaled a breath of turbid air as he opened his eyes, expelling the last bit of impure qi that had remained in his system after his advancement. The stone walls, sensing his awakening, illuminated the pitch-black room in a soft blue light. Based on his experience, the light would intensify gradually, acclimatizing his eyes to normal illumination.


    He stretched his limbs and back, relieving the tension from sitting in meditation for so long. Then, looking at his palm, a miniature white formation appeared, which absorbed the creation qi in his body and concentrated it into a single white pellet. It was the same as those that the Custodian had made during his time at the library, complete with its dense, easily absorbable calories and perfect nutritional value.


    The pellet melted in his mouth, rejuvenating his slightly weakened body. While a foundation-establishment and bone-forging dual cultivator like himself did not need to eat more than once every two weeks, his advancement had required a great deal of energy. Most of it had come from his surrounding environment and spirit stones, but they could only do so much to supplement his bodily functions.


    He wasn''t creating something from nothing. Every object in the universe was created with the qi of heaven and earth. His cultivation method gathered the qi and converted it into foundation qi in his dantian. A portion of this qi happened to be creation qi, which was ideal for producing such an item. It was also suitable for creating something like physical water, which he did with a simple thought.


    Soon, a clear ball of liquid appeared in his hand, and he took several sips of it before using the remaining amount to wash his hair. Water created from ordinary water qi couldn''t do what he''d just done. It could wash him, certainly. It couldn''t sustain him, however. It was an illusory imitation of the real thing. The same applied to flames, earth, and other such manifestations created with qi. However, those things created with the white qi were all real. He wondered if one day all his qi could behave this way.


    Sighing, he stood up and called out for the Custodian, who appeared immediately.


    "Must you leave so soon?" the Custodian said with a sad expression on his face. "I may be a construct, but I still have feelings. I''ve been lonely for aeons, and your company has been marvelous."


    Cha Ming smiled. "I would stay longer if I could, but I have doubts about the safety of the people up above. I must leave to free them and help them start a new life. Besides, my brother fox Huxian is still out there. I need to find him and make sure he''s safe."


    "Where would you like me to send you?" the Custodian asked. "I can manipulate space to send you anywhere within 100 miles from your point of entry."


    "Oh?" Cha Ming considered that pensively. After thinking for a moment, he decided not to return through the mines. "Can you send me into the forest up above, away from any humans?"


    "Not a problem, young man," the Custodian said, smiling. Then he bowed. "It was nice meeting you, Cha Ming. Don''t forget your promise to teach. In addition, no one will be able to learn from this school for the next twelve years."


    Cha Ming returned his bow. "I understand your intent, Custodian. I''ll be sure to find someone to keep you company after twelve years have passed."


    "Thank you," the Custodian said.


    Then Cha Ming felt a jarring sensation before being overwhelmed with a brightly lit sky he hadn''t seen in months. The sweet smell of leaves, sap, and flowers mixed in with the decaying underbrush assaulted his nostrils. He appeared next to a fourth-level spirit boar, who roared in rage and instantly charged at the threat to its territory.


    Cha Ming exerted a slight amount of spiritual pressure, causing the boar to stop mid-charge and sit down respectfully. He walked over to the trembling boar and petted its head, directing a kind, calming intent to the creature, who became as docile as a pet dog. Then he held his hands out and projected his incandescent force outward.


    He sent out a gentle, non-intrusive projection outward one mile, sensing nothing but spirit beasts in the surrounding area. Sensing no one, he expanded his sense to five miles, spotting a dozen odd bandits scouting the woods and hunting in the process. Then he expanded his incandescent force to his limit of eight miles. An incandescent soul granted the user the ability to project his soul out to sense things in a radius of two miles. Every sub-realm thereafter increased this radius by two miles, to a maximum of ten miles for a peak incandescent soul.


    Found it, he thought. He saw the fuzzy outline of what used to be the village in his mind''s eye. He saw the bandit tents, the cages, and the many prisoners going about their duties. He saw the shack containing tools, spirit stones, and the pitiful accountant going about his duties. He saw groups of exhausted men and crying children, and the downtrodden women who reassured them.


    After confirming the position of the village, Cha Ming sat cross-legged in meditation to formulate a plan. His past experiences in trying to rescue prisoners had scarred him greatly, and he refused to be reckless like before. These bandits may not be devils, but he wouldn''t put anything past these immoral beasts who had enslaved their fellow men. He had to be cautious, and he certainly couldn''t expose his identity to these men, lest they hold the village hostage.


    Thinking of this, he remodeled the bones in his face and took on the appearance of his late nemesis, Zhou Xian. The mystical technique transformed both his appearance and aura, and he complemented this new appearance by transforming his cultivation robes to a set of black robes with a deep cowl. He now had the appearance of a vicious assassin who hid his features.


    There were three problems he needed to consider in rescuing the villagers. The first problem was that he couldn''t kill Wei Chen first. The bandits were currently restrained by Wei Chen''s heavenly oath. If he died, he wouldn''t put it past them to at least attempt to threaten him with hostages, even if he did not let on his relation to the villagers.


    Next, he needed to lure the bandits out of the mine, disrupting their activities and making it difficult to endanger the hostages. He couldn''t expose his appearance or true purpose, so he would need a motive for invading their village in the first place.


    Should I pose as an assassin? A thief? But what could I steal that would cause such a ruckus? The shack containing spirit weapons and spirit stones came to mind. While he doubted that all the spirit stones mined were there, he also didn''t think that Wei Chen would be so concerned about picking them up every day, especially given that his men had the area surrounded.


    However, stealing such a small amount would unlikely achieve the effect he required. He would likely need to repeat the thievery multiple times. In fact, robbing other things from their group might be necessary.


    Lastly, he was likely barely a match for Wei Chen. While his qi cultivation and body cultivation were both equivalent to early-stage foundation establishment, Wei Chen had experience. He also likely had foundation-establishment techniques, and Cha Ming could only use the insights he''d gleaned in Fuxi''s Library and his newly improved qi to enhance his techniques. At the very least, he would have a slightly larger qi pool than an early-foundation-establishment cultivator.


    Either way, this meant that he could not confront them directly. He would need to divide and conquer. His main advantage was his physical body''s endurance, his multiple varieties of qi, and the Stormchaser Boots, whose appearance he had altered to black to match his outfit. He thought briefly of the two mid-grade talismans Elder Ling had gifted him but chose not to account them for now, for fear that they might be ineffective. At the very least, he could use them in a pinch for an unexpected effect.


    He then thought of a glaring flaw in his plans. Why is the Clear Sky Staff so obvious in appearance? Can I change its appearance to something plainer like the rest of the magic items I''m wearing?


    He summoned the staff, which reluctantly altered its appearance. Instead of being crystal clear, it was now a dark brown. For some reason, it refused to turn black, white, or gray. In addition, he was only able to dim the runes to a dull glow. Like before, the staff refused to see them extinguished, as though he were crossing its bottom line.


    Quite picky, are you? he thought. To his surprise, the staff shivered indignantly and began reverting to its previous appearance. Cha Ming panicked and apologized profusely before it finally halted its progress and returned to its dark mahogany color with dull runes. However, he could see that the wood was slightly lighter in color than before and the runes slightly brighter, as though in protest. He didn''t voice his displeasure, however, for fear that the brush would revolt once more.


    His clothes complete, he waited for night to come. To his surprise, a family of a dozen boars arrived just before sunset to offer greetings. The boar he had spared approached and put a root on the ground, as though paying tribute to its king. Cha Ming chuckled when he saw that it was an ocher spirit root, one that had matured at least six years. The family of boars sat obediently, waiting for him to devour it.


    And people use the saying "worse than a beast" to insult others, Cha Ming mused. Truly, these boars have enlightened me. While I cowed them previously, the boar didn''t have to come back. However, it acknowledged its defeat and now seeks to give me the honor it thinks I deserve. Many humans aren''t so thoughtful.


    Then, chuckling, he held out his hand and sent a surge of qi into his closed palm. He opened it up and dropped twenty nutrition pellets that he had just created. Seeing the boar''s confused expression, he moved away rapidly, giving the impression that he had disappeared. In the distance, he used his incandescent force to see their reactions.


    After a while, the lead boar walked up to the root Cha Ming left behind and ate it, then after sniffing the white pellets, it ate one as a test. Then, noticing that these were good nutritious things, it invited each of the boars in its family to eat as well.


    ***


    Cha Ming''s figure fluttered in the darkness. His footsteps made no sound as he walked in the air using his Stormchaser Boots and his Seven Cloud Steps technique. Fortunately, using this basic technique was very economical for him now. His foundation-establishment qi allowed it to be used far longer than before. He estimated that it was to the extent that he could use the movement technique for a half day.


    He used his incandescent force to avoid the many patrols around the camp. There were many more bandits than in the day, likely due to Wei Chen''s vast experience as a bandit. Bandits and thieves came at night, not during the day. Still, avoiding them and remaining in the darkness was easy to accomplish. As one sentry walked passed him, he quickly zipped through the camp, avoiding the notice of the many bandits that were huddled around a fire. He flew through the darkness until he arrived at a second well-lit and heavily guarded area: the storage shack.


    He walked around the perimeter carefully, probing for any potential weaknesses. He could only sigh in disappointment and proceed to his backup plan, which involved using brute force. Then, summoning his Clear Sky Staff, he ran toward the bandits like a gale force wind. They barely had the chance to react before Cha Ming''s staff hit six of them in quick succession. His footwork was fleeting and the motions of his staff eccentric. Despite the staff''s lightness, its quick movements and Cha Ming''s great strength were enough to pulverize their bones and internal organs, killing the six bandits instantly. He wasted no time with the others and kicked the door in.


    He ignored the quivering accountant, who he had just woken with his brusque entry, and proceeded to the back of the shack, where he felt the densest energy of heaven and earth. Opening the door, he saw various locked chests. He wasted no time and broke them open with fierce blows of his staff. The crystal ore they contained scattered all over the floor, but he instantly whipped them up into his Clear Sky World. Then he proceeded to another four rooms and repeated the process.


    As soon as he had finished looting, he felt a powerful spiritual force projecting outward and focusing on the shack.


    Time to go, he thought. He used his spiritual force to avoid the probing and rapidly burst out of the back wall of the shack, where various bandits welcomed him with weapons drawn. He snorted and stepped down onto the ground heavily, increasing his weight using Mountain Stance. Then he extended his Clear Sky Staff to fifty feet in length, using his entire strength to smash across a dozen of them with Sword Staff.


    Previously, his Sword Staff would only glow with a silver sheen. Now, however, he could see the blurry outlines of various runes in the staff art, complementing the blade-like qi projection that made the technique effective and increasing the density and sharpness of the blade. As a result, the Sword Staff cut through them like butter, bisecting them before he withdrew his staff and ran like the wind.


    He didn''t pause for even a moment and flew away, well aware that a frightening presence was approaching from behind: Wei Chen and two others he had not noticed previously were approaching on flying swords, tailing him in hot pursuit. Wei Chen led the pack, but before long Cha Ming noticed the man break away from the pack and begin catching up with frightening efficiency.


    Cha Ming clicked his tongue and tried using his Seven Cloud Steps to increase his speed, but to no avail. He then remembered what the Custodian had said¡ªthat the boots were good for fighting and flying but weren''t great for absolute speed compared to a flying sword.


    Do I have no choice but to fight?


    He wasn''t very confident in his odds of winning against the three experts pursuing him, so instead he focused on his previous experience with the Sword Staff Art. Somehow, some blurry runes had appeared that supplemented its functions. Could he do the same for the Seven Cloud Steps technique? While using the technique, he felt the wind qi beneath his feet and the path it traveled, combining awkwardly with the functions of his Stormchaser Boots.


    What runes would truly be useful right now? He instantly though of the Seven Cloud Steps talismans he had crafted for the auction in Fairweather. To his surprise, the qi beneath his feet became more tangible, and some blurry runes formed of qi appeared. His speed increased substantially. However, Wei Chen was still closing in on him. He was only a few hundred meters behind, almost in range to lash out with a flying sword.


    Cha Ming''s mind rapidly sifted through the many characters he had learned in Fuxi''s Library. Whenever he found a character related to wind or speed, he willed it to appear, and it materialized beneath his boots. Sometimes, his speed increased. Other times, it decreased due to incompatibility.


    "You can''t escape!" Wei Chen shouted as he closed the distance. "Surrender and return what you stole, cut off your right arm, and we''ll let bygones be bygones."


    Cha Ming ignored him and continued focusing on gaining insight with compatible characters. Unfortunately, things became much more difficult once he sensed a sharp sensation from behind. He used his boots to sharply change directions in midair, barely avoiding a flying sword. It turned around to head back toward him, but its efficiency was much lower. Cha Ming thanked his lucky stars and no longer regretted the choice he made in choosing the boots. While they were slower than a flying sword, their ability to change trajectories on demand was invaluable.


    "You might be able to avoid a single flying sword, but how about three?" Wei Chen yelled, taunting him. Cha Ming was well aware of the other two cultivators who would soon close in on him. He continued thinking as he evaded, and soon he found three runes that seemed to complement his movement technique perfectly. Unsurprisingly, they were all runes that represented different types of clouds.


    Perhaps seven clouds are optimal. He poured through his memories, and before long, he found four additional ones. The seven runes represented "cirrostratus," "altostratus," "stratus," "nimbostratus," "noctilucent," "polar stratospheric," and "cirrus". These were all clouds that didn''t move much, and the logic behind his deductions were that they would enable him to push off with greater force. In addition, he was strapped for time and had already determined the first three.


    Sharply evading another sword, he began tracing geometric lines between the fuzzy qi runes between his boots. At this time, the other two foundation-establishment experts had arrived and sent their flying swords out to intercept him. He dodged the various flying-sword techniques, barely avoiding death multiple times before finishing the formation of foundation-establishment qi.


    As soon as the final line connected, establishing a firm relationship between the characters, the blurry characters condensed and cleared. His footsteps quickened and his instantaneous acceleration increased dramatically.


    "It was nice spending time with you," Cha Ming said with Zhou Xian''s voice. "However, I don''t have a lot of time to waste. I have things to do, things to steal. See you around."


    Then, using his newly created technique, he darted off into the distance. He heard loud cursing as the three fell further and further behind before finally giving up.


    Cha Ming continued for an hour before stopping to catch his breath and count his gains. Overall, he''d stolen the equivalent of 30,000 mid-grade spirit stones. Regrettably, he estimated that this was only two weeks'' of total output from the mine.


    Still, it was a start. He refused to believe that they wouldn''t react after he repeated the theft several times. It was a game of patience, and he was sure theirs would give out first.

 98 Luring the Tiger from the Mountain

    Cha Ming looked on grimly from his vantage point in the trees, carefully watching for any openings. He had fully restrained his incandescent force since discovering that, while he had a stronger soul than the other foundation-establishment experts, they could still sense him when their incandescent force intersected.


    Keeping it withdrawn and concentrated enabled him to both avoid detection and overpower the senses of others that came nearby. Regrettably, he could now only rely on his normal, albeit greatly improved, eyesight. His eyes were as sharp as an eagle''s, enabling him to identify complex details a few hundred meters away.


    Over the past week, Wei Chen had visited the small shack every day to collect the stones obtained from the mine. Cha Ming''s plan to rob them several times evaporated into thin air, and he had no choice but to reevaluate his options.


    Now that Wei Chen and the other two had been alerted to his presence, he didn''t have a large window in which to act. In addition, the many patrols in the woods had been withdraw. Everyone ate dry rations, and the mining operations had intensified. Based on the conversations he overheard, the mine would be completely excavated within two months. If he tarried too long, they might just cut their losses and abandon the remaining amount.


    However, there was no such thing as a perfect defense. After many days of observation, he finally saw a crack in their patrols. Swift as the wind, he used his Seven Cloud Steps to descend on the bandits like a god of death, instantly killing six men with his Swift Staff Art. Then, noticing the three strong experts moving out toward him, he retreated back into the woods.


    ***


    Wei Chen cursed as he looked at the six bodies. They had arrived just a moment too late, enabling the thief to escape with no consequences.


    "Just what is his game?" one of them said. "What grudge does he have against us?"


    "It''s likely not a grudge," Wei Chen said after examining the wounds that were the result of blunt trauma. Although he had not fought with the thief directly, he could now assume that the man''s weapon was a staff or a cudgel, much different from the sword they had originally assumed given the metal qi and the sharp wounds that had bisected the bandits guarding the shack previously. "The thief is probably trying to lure the tiger from the mountain, hoping that we''ll chase him so he can obtain another small fortune. His speed is his advantage, but have you all noticed that his cultivation is no greater than someone who has just broken through to foundation establishment? He''s not a match for any of us, so he can''t help but resort to these means."


    "Even if he was a match, he wouldn''t be able to defeat either of us in less than a few minutes," Xue Shen said with a snort. He was a promising youth, one that focused on cultivating water and practiced ice techniques. "Why did you keep us all together? If we were spread out, we could defend the entire camp, and he wouldn''t stand a chance against us. You''re much too cautious."


    "Caution keeps a man alive," Wei Chen said calmly. "However, caution won''t catch this one. He''ll keep nibbling away at us, and it will wear down the morale of our group. The mining efficiency will drop, and I''m afraid of staying much longer. If we dally too long, the leader will come to inspect. We won''t be able to hide the evidence of such a great find. We need to finish mining as soon as possible and run away before it''s too late.


    "Can''t we just abandon the rest of the mine?" another young man asked.


    "You want to abandon nearly 200,000 mid-grade spirit stones?" Wei Chen asked incredulously. "I thought you were poor, but I must have been mistaken. If you''re so rich, Fang Yao, why don''t you give me a hundred thousand as a small gift."


    The young man kept silent. As bandits, they were all greedy. Such a fortune would enable them to escape and live their lives in luxury without risking their necks.


    "But you have a point, Xue Shen," Wei Chen continued. "We don''t have to kill him immediately, just stall him. Let''s all separate and stay at key points of the camp. Whoever encounters him will need to restrain him until the others arrive. You two will stay on the outskirts while I will guard the mineral shack itself."


    "How nice of you, boss," Xue Shen said in a disgruntled voice. "We''ll be risking our necks while you get to relax."


    Wei Chen shrugged. "The guy is sneaky. Who knows if he''ll circle around to the shack if we''re all on the perimeter. Someone has to do it, and I''m stronger than you guys. Besides, I''m the boss. I deserve preferential treatment."


    ***


    Looks like things are getting increasingly difficult, Cha Ming thought as he observed the movements in the camp. The two experts on the perimeter made it impossible to sneak up on them, even when trying to conceal his presence. They had completely retracted their incandescent force, focusing on covering only the nearest 500 meters they each covered.


    This meant that he now had to pick a fight with them directly if he wanted to get anywhere. Over the past few days, he had observed the mannerisms of the two experts on the perimeter. Eventually, he settled on the best target, Fang Yao. The man used a spear as a weapon, which Cha Ming saw as an aggressive but slow weapon. At the very least, this man would not be as difficult to escape from if push came to shove.


    The plan this time was risky, and for it to succeed, he needed to kill or severely maim one of them before retreating. If not, he wasn''t sure he could survive their combined onslaught.


    Cha Ming summoned his darkened Clear Sky Staff, gathering his power before bursting out with explosive speed. He flew swiftly and silently, striking out with the swiftest staff strike he had ever executed. The staff shimmered with blurry runes that Cha Ming could not decipher, but fortunately, he felt their intent. The incisiveness of the blow was far greater than the original staff art he had modified to form his own Swift Staff Art. He called this new technique Gale Strike.


    As he approached, Fang Yao''s head turned rapidly and faced him. While Cha Ming had not made a sound, the sixth sense of a cultivator was extremely efficient.


    "I knew you''d pick me!" the man said with an excited smile on his face. His muscular body flexed, and he swung his spear out to deflect Cha Ming''s blow. The haft of his spear collided with Cha Ming''s staff, sending waves of recoil back to both fighters.


    He''s a dual body and qi cultivator? Cha Ming was surprised, as this was an uncommon path. This meant that he''d accidentally picked the second strongest in the group, assuming Xue Shen was only a qi cultivator.


    Cha Ming smirked as Fang Yao''s smile disappeared and his expression turned grave. The fierce man coughed up blood as a force of 4,320 jin, combined with Cha Ming''s Gale Strike technique, completely overpowered the strong man almost twofold. Still, the man was experienced and didn''t lose his calm. A defensive talisman flew out from his bag of holding, covering him in a translucent jade armor. Then he poured his foundation-establishment qi into his spear, holding the point toward Cha Ming, who had been pushed back ten feet due to the recoil.


    Fortunately, this was exactly what Cha Ming wanted. He could deal with increased defenses but couldn''t hope to contend against a fleeing opponent or an opponent that could restrict his movements. Cha Ming ran toward Fang Yao on the ground this time, his feet leaving deep impressions as his weight increased along with the weight of his staff.


    The Clear Sky Staff was now shaking madly with the earthly power of vibrations. Fang Yao could only grit his teeth and hold his ground as Cha Ming''s staff bore down on him, strike after strike. Each strike caused his bones to crack and his ligaments to tear. The most frustrating part was that, as a spear wielder, he was outranged by Cha Ming''s elongated staff. It was now fifteen feet long, more than enough to contend against the man''s ten-foot spear.


    ***


    I won''t be able to hold out if I let him continue, Fang Yao thought. His initial impression that he was unmatched by those in the same realm had completely vanished. This mysterious thief was not only a dual cultivator as well, but his strength was more than double his, despite being of the same cultivation realm.


    I have to take the initiative, he thought while carefully evaluating the thief''s aggressive blows. Fortunately, the attacks were clumsy and predictable, likely the reason that the man was able to strike with such vicious and numbing blows in the first place. It struck him as odd that a thief would use such techniques, but he didn''t have the luxury to figure out why.


    After twelve strikes passed, Fang Yao finally saw an opening. He charged forward, his spear like a raging earth dragon as he channeled all his foundation qi into his strongest killing blow, Earth Dragon''s Raging Spear. He took a blow to the shoulder as he struck out, not caring for his personal safety. It was all or nothing, and he could only bet his life to delay the thief while he waited for reinforcements.


    ***


    Cha Ming''s incandescent soul focused on the man as he stabbed with his spear. He felt suffocated by an overwhelming presence, and it felt like his chest was slowly being drawn toward the tip of the spear.


    Fortunately, Cha Ming was prepared for this sort of retaliation. He swiftly manipulated his weight and shifted into a stance of his Soft Staff Art, White Willow Shade, and executed Wading Through the Reeds. His body was rapidly pulled toward the spear''s head as the transparent figure of an earth dragon appeared behind Fang Yao. Cha Ming softly held out his staff, brushing past the tip of the spear and then using it to roll himself slightly to the side. He coughed up blood as a fifth of the spear''s potential was absorbed by his torso, but using his forward momentum, he used his Soft Staff Art to throw Fang Yao forward in the direction of his spear strike while tripping him at the knees.


    The man plunged into the earth, but Cha Ming was ready, manipulating his weight and landing firmly on the ground. He poured his incandescent force into the Clear Sky Staff, aiming to land a finishing blow. Using all his strength, he smashed his staff, which was now thirty feet long, straight into the helpless man, whose exhausted qi shield shattered instantaneously.


    As he crushed Fang Yao, he felt a jolting sensation that caused him to direct his incandescent force backward. There, he noticed two swords flying toward him. One emanated an aura of frost, while the other emanated an aura of decay. Unfortunately, he had no choice but to get hit by one of them.


    Cha Ming clenched his teeth and chose the frost sword, manipulating his body slightly as he dove toward Fang Yao''s corpse, grabbing his bag of holding and the man''s spear in the process. The instant he grabbed the bag of holding, a sharp pain pierced through his side, followed by a numbing sensation. He had positioned himself to avoid any organ damage, but the pain from the blow forced him to scream.


    He saw Wei Chen''s archaic sword up ahead, readjusting its trajectory. Knowing that the frost sword was impeding his movements, he gritted his teeth and pulled the sword out the way it came. A stream of blood flowed onto the ground. Fortunately, he was a bone-forging cultivator, and such a small amount of blood loss wouldn''t cause him to faint.


    The archaic sword was in close proximity, so he immediately activated his Seven Cloud Steps, and seven green runes appeared beneath his feet. He quickly dodged out of the way and disappeared into the woods.


    ***


    "Don''t let him get away," Wei Chen yelled as he hopped onto his sword and flew off after the thief. "He''s injured, so there''s no way he''ll be able to continue for very long after such a fierce struggle."


    Xue Shen shot him a skeptical look but followed anyway. "You heard Fang Yao. It seems he''s a body cultivator, and somehow his combat prowess is an entire realm higher than he lets on. He''ll likely heal within a short period of time."


    "You fool," Wei Chen said. "That''s exactly why we can''t let him escape. If we let him heal and ambush us again, he''ll be able to nibble away at the entire camp with impunity. If Fang Yao died so easily, that means he and I are likely evenly matched. What if he ambushes us the next time and finishes you off? Wouldn''t that mean the rest of us will be ripe peaches ready for him to pluck?"


    Seeing Xue Shen''s expression turn somber, Wei Chen spoke some reassuring words. "Look, he used to be able to run away at his leisure, but now he can barely keep ahead of us. We can easily follow the trail left behind by his blood. I refuse to believe that he can withstand this sort of blood loss indefinitely."


    ***


    Two hours later, Cha Ming was exhausted. It wasn''t because of his consumption¡ªfortunately, Fang Yao''s bag of holding had several qi-recovering pellets. It was because of the repeated blood loss over the course of the chase. Even a bone-forging cultivator could not sustain losing blood for so long.


    He looked grimly at the wound on his side that was just healing over. Then he heartlessly grabbed a knife from his Clear Sky World and cut it open once more.


    This last time should be enough. Any more, and they''ll begin to suspect. Cha Ming continued running in the air for another fifteen minutes before finally darting to the side, using his superior agility to outmaneuver his pursuers and disappear.


    Then he flew back the way he came, running like the wind at a pace that was fifty percent faster than the pace he''d used to bait them away in the first place.


    ***


    Wei Chen stopped where the trail of blood ended, looking around and sending out his incandescent force to sense the thief''s location. The man had disappeared, much like the morning mist in the head of the summer sun.


    "Where could he have gone to?" Wei Chen pondered out loud. Then he looked up at Xue Shen, who had just returned from investigating the surroundings. "Have you found anything?"


    "Yes and no," Xue Shen replied. "I didn''t see anything, but his sudden disappearance makes me believe that he wasn''t that wounded in the first place."


    "What are you saying?" Wei Chen asked, furrowing his brows.


    Xue Shen shook his head. "I''m saying that he brought us out here on purpose. The both of us at once. I suspect that stealing spirit stones was not his goal all along. I believe he actually wants to help those villagers."


    Wei Chen''s eyes narrowed. "If that''s the case, we need to rush back immediately. My life depends on it." He didn''t doubt the truth of Xue Shen''s deduction. However, if the thief wasn''t stopped and the bandits got desperate, who knew if they would try to execute villagers to threaten them? By then, Wei Chen''s life would be forfeit. As their superior, he was directly responsible for their actions.


    Xue Shen snorted. "You can go ahead, but I''m not going to go commit suicide along with you. It''s your fault you made that oath in the first place. We could have safely waited for the leader to come and have him interrogated. Instead, you chose to get greedy," the frosty man said.


    He turned around to leave, only to find a dreadful sword pointing straight at his forehead, the aura of decay rapidly corroding the barrier of qi protecting him.


    "I don''t think I asked for your opinion," Wei Chen said icily. "You will come with me and fight him. We''re in this boat together, dead or alive."


    Xue Shen gulped before nodding and hopping on his flying sword, flying back toward the village alongside Wei Chen.

 99 Freedom

    Cha Ming had fully healed by the time he returned to the village. Unsurprisingly, the rest of the bandits were still going about their business. The guards were guarding, the miners were mining, and those with special functions were performing them at peak efficiency, lest they get caught for slacking by the tyrannical Wei Chen.


    Here and there, he heard whispers and musings. Some people questioned whether the thief would be caught, while others berated them for lack of faith. Cha Ming used the many things he heard to organize his thoughts and formulate a plan.


    The first thing he did was sneak past the many tents, rushing next to Wei Chen''s tent and swiftly killing the six guards in the vicinity. He dragged them into the captain''s tent as soon as he realized that the Clear Sky Brush refused to take in the corpses. It did not appreciate being a corpse repository, and Cha Ming didn''t have time to burn them.


    After dumping the corpses, he entered the tent that held the life slips of the various cultivators, just in time to see a bandit with a panicked expression rushing out toward him. The reason for his panic was obvious¡ªsix life slips had suddenly shattered, and the leader was nowhere to be found. Cha Ming didn''t think twice before clutching the man''s throat and snapping his neck, tossing him aside unceremoniously. He didn''t bother to pick up his belongings, as his time was limited.


    Cha Ming rushed out of the tent soon after, looking like the bandit that he''d just killed. The man''s weapon, a large saber, was strapped on his back. Many of the bandits greeted him as he passed by, but unfortunately Cha Ming didn''t know the man''s voice. He waved curtly and ignored them, heading out toward the caves. He wanted to settle the caves first, lest the bandits hole up there after he defeated the rest. That would make rescuing the villagers extremely difficult. While he wasn''t aware of the exact terms of the oath Wei Chen made, he wasn''t willing to risk a single life on its efficacy.


    Soon, Cha Ming finished mounting the steps to the waterfall, where he was greeted by four guards.


    "Xing Bao, what are you doing here?" one of them asked. "Shouldn''t you be guarding the life-slip tent? Did something happen?"


    Cha Ming didn''t reply, instead choosing to summon the Clear Sky Staff and dispatch the four guards in quick succession. He then ran into the nearest tunnel after taking on the appearance of one of the guards.


    "What are you doing down here? Did something happen?" one of the mine guards in the tunnel asked, worried.


    Cha Ming nodded gravely and replied using the voice of the guard. "The camp has been invaded many times recently, so we need to escort the prisoners back to their cages. Come help me gather them."


    The guard looked uncertain, but seeing Cha Ming''s authoritative demeanor, he followed his lead. Soon they encountered three more guards who were supervising a dozen hardworking men. Cha Ming recognized every single one of them. He''d treated some of them, treated some of their wives and children, and had helped them with miscellaneous tasks. He was relieved that while they had been mistreated, that glow in their eyes from when they''d lived freely had not yet faded.


    "Shackle these prisoners and lead them back to the cages," the guard he accompanied said.


    "That won''t be necessary," Cha Ming said. Then, quick as lightning, he took out his staff and instantly dispatched the four guards as easily as cutting grass. The miners looked at the corpses in horror, not daring to speak. Cha Ming then swiped his hand over his face, revealing himself to the prisoners.


    "Stay here calmly and don''t cause trouble," Cha Ming said in his soft, kind voice. "You will all be free soon, mark my words."


    Seeing Cha Ming''s face, the villagers were overcome with joy. After all, they had heard he was dead, but now their assistant physician was here in the flesh and saving them.


    Cha Ming then reverted back to the form of the previous guard and calmly walked into another tunnel, repeating the process. This time, one of the village cultivators was there, mining with peak efficiency. After gathering the guards, Cha Ming dispatched them all quickly. The enslaved cultivator, who had previously been mining mindlessly, suddenly turned around and rushed toward Cha Ming, who he now identified as an invader.


    Cha Ming sighed and gripped the man, pinning him against the wall. He ignored the screams of the nearby miners and their pickaxes, shrugging off the slight cuts they gave him, which quickly regenerated. The cultivator''s strong physical blows also couldn''t do a thing to Cha Ming''s sturdy body. After observing the servant character on the man''s forehead, Cha Min materialized the Clear Sky Brush and began drawing four intricate characters and geometric shapes, linking them to the sigil imprinted on the man''s forehead.


    The characters he drew were those of freedom and breaking shackles. He linked them together with the sigil in a subtractive sense, using them to weaken the cultivator''s mental restraints. Soon, the cultivator stopped struggling and regained clarity in his eyes.


    "Stop!" the man yelled. The villagers looked at him in astonishment, as this was the first word the man had said in over a year. The servant character was still there but seemed slightly faded. "Who are you?" the man whispered.


    Cha Ming smiled and revealed his face to the cultivator and the rest of the villagers, prompting shock and happiness. "I need to go save the rest. You are not free yet, but it should be no problem to maintain your consciousness and control over your movements for the time being. Once this is all over, I''ll free you once and for all." After seeing the man nod, Cha Ming rushed off and killed all the guards and set the other four cultivators free.


    Having saved the most difficult cases, he looked down toward the village and assumed the appearance of the life-slip guard. The man''s position was clearly very influential, and Wei Chen trusted him greatly. He descended the slippery stone steps behind the waterfall, and after walking past the guards at the spirit-stone shack, he proceeded to the area where the cages were.


    Cha Ming walked over to the few guards surrounding the cage and yelled in an authoritative voice. "Gather together. On Vice Leader Wei Chen''s orders, we are to gather and resist the thief, who is on his way. We must hold out together until the vice leader arrives.


    "What about the prisoners?" a guard asked suspiciously.


    "You stupid oaf, what''s more important?" Cha Ming scolded. "Do you like your life so little? Come now, if you refuse to follow orders, I''ll just kill you myself."


    In this way, Cha Ming gathered the bandits little by little and led them to the center of the camp, where their tents were erected.


    "What is this all about?" one of the men grunted. "Wei Chen doesn''t usually use you to give orders."


    "Oh, it''s quite simple, really," Cha Ming said, suddenly transforming to Zhou Xian''s appearance and changing his clothes back to a black cloak. "It''s time for you all to die."


    Cha Ming suddenly whipped his staff out, striking guard after guard like a tempest.


    "Run away!" a remaining bandit yelled, fully aware that they weren''t his match. The bandits were the cowardly type to begin with, fearing the strong and bullying the weak. They would have abandoned their fellow bandits countless times to save their own skins. Only a charismatic and powerful figure like Wei Chen could keep them in line, and only barely at that.


    Cha Ming slaughtered them as efficiently as possible, using the Swift Staff Art to leap between targets. Despite being his weakest strikes, they were already far too much for the bandits to bear, and before long, one hundred of them were lying on the ground, dead.


    After slaying the closest batch, he rushed toward the group that was moving toward the prisoners'' cages, slaying them before they had a chance to use them as hostages. He slew them one by one, and finally, none of the bandits below foundation establishment remained. The camp was now deathly silent, and the only noises he could hear were the sounds of wailing children. Even the man who had betrayed him earlier, Lei Dong, lay dead with the others. Gloating wasn''t Cha Ming''s style, and he had not had the luxury of confronting the man. No matter. In his opinion, all the bandits received a quicker death than they deserved.


    Cha Ming chose not to free the villagers just yet, sitting down in meditation to recover his strength instead. He took out the well-used energy-gathering formation plate, using it to quickly convert spirit stones into useable energy. It cracked under the strain of the increased volume of energy he pumped through it. But he didn''t care and continued to turn a frightening amount of spirit stones to dust. He continued until the formation plate finally shattered. He had managed to recover nine tenths of his qi. It felt like a huge waste, but he didn''t have the luxury of time. He opened his eyes and materialized his staff just in time to see Wei Chen and Xue Shen approaching with murderous looks.


    "Who are you?" Wei Chen said, nearly erupting with anger. Seeing the vice leader''s livid expression, Cha Ming chose to stoke the flames.


    "I''m just a dog," Cha Ming said, regaining his original appearance. "A dog you would eventually put down, but a loyal dog all the same. Yet I''m this village''s dog through and through. I will protect them with my life."


    Wei Chen became red as a tomato when he saw Cha Ming''s appearance. "I knew you were no good. I should have killed you when I had the chance."


    Cha Ming smiled calmly. "And now you do. I''m not going anywhere." Both men looked at each other briefly before rushing him, unleashing a multitude of techniques. Clearly they had recovered their energy with pills before arriving.


    Cha Ming rushed to meet them and clashed intensely with their flying swords in a frontal confrontation. His qi weakened as the corrosive power of Wei Chen''s sword enveloped him, while his movements slowed as his staff clashed with Xue Shen''s frost sword.


    Xue Shen, who was not a frontal combatant, formed multiple hand seals that summoned nine swords of ice. They began attacking Cha Ming in tandem, restraining his movements. Cha Ming could only evade with great difficulty, using Flaming Wheel Defense to cover the area where his staff traveled with red runic characters that fended off the nine icy swords. Most of his attention was centered on Wei Chen, who grabbed his sword and dove toward Cha Ming, causing its aura to surge. The vice leader rapidly formed hand seals with a single hand, and vines shot up from below and attempted to entangle Cha Ming. He quickly evaded them using his Seven Cloud Steps and Stormchaser Boots.


    Cha Ming felt greatly pressured by both cultivators, and realizing he would surely fall by fighting them both at once, he focused his attention on Xue Shen. He ducked and weaved, deflecting various blows with heavy metallic staff strikes as he moved elusively toward Xue Shen. The blue-robed man, realizing Cha Ming''s intent, began retreating in a circular fashion, trying to move himself behind Wei Chen. Cha Ming tried to chase after him but realized that frost lotuses had bloomed behind Xue Shen and were invaded the surrounding air with a frosty aura.


    Cha Ming, seeing that it would be difficult to eliminate this man, clenched his teeth and withdrew one of the talismans from his Clear Sky World. It was the Mao Mao talisman covered in geometric shapes, the one that looked the least dubious between them.


    Here goes nothing, Cha Ming thought while throwing the talisman at Xue Shen. The man snorted and sent out one of the nine flying swords toward the talisman, hoping to cut it down before it activated.


    Much to Cha Ming''s dismay, the sword reached the talisman before anything happened. To his surprise, however, the sword of ice shattered on contact. Xue Shen paled as the massive apparition of a bobcat appeared and fiercely charged toward him like a vicious beast from the depths of hell. Cha Ming was equally shocked at both the apparition and its presence. He noticed that it shared many features with Elder Ling''s territorial cat, Mr. Mao Mao.


    Is that his true form?


    Still, he was overjoyed to see such a powerful ally. Wei Chen diverted his assault on Cha Ming to attempt to deal with the summoned animal, striking at it with his Archaic Sword. Cha Ming snorted and used Seven Cloud Steps to jump in front of the middle-aged cultivator, deflecting blow after blow with great difficulty. Fortunately, he used his Sword Staff Art, which seemed to have a restraining effect on the wood-based power of corrosion.


    Xue Shen let out an agonizing wail as a large chunk of his body disappeared, leaving behind a gaping wound. His lifeblood quickly left him, and soon after, the apparition of Mr. Mao Mao disappeared along with the last vestiges of the man''s life.


    "I refuse to believe that you have more than one of those," Wei Chem shrieked, increasing his rate of assault. They exchanged multiple blows, but unfortunately, Cha Ming wasn''t able to dodge all of the sneaky man''s cuts. They were soon both covered in wounds, but Cha Ming''s wounds seemed worse than Wei Chen''s. This was because the man continuously restored the various bruises and breaks with a powerful wood-qi healing technique.


    "You''re much too young if you think you can defeat me so easily," the man said, cutting Cha Ming for the seventy-second time. This strike felt different than the others that came before, and he noticed that the vast majority of the qi in his body had disappeared. Even the creation qi he used had eroded to nothing.


    "What have you done?" Cha Ming said, shocked.


    "You should feel honored to fall victim to this technique," Wei Chen said, chuckling. "Only three people have seen it, and they are all dead now. I am named Archaic Sword because I control the power of corrosion."


    Wei Chen swiftly attacked Cha Ming with his sword after saying these words, forcing Cha Ming to block with impaired technique and only his physical body strength. The staff was knocked out of his hands, and he felt a wave of enfeeblement hit him.


    Cha Ming''s mind raced as he saw the looming specter of death. What can I do? he thought. All of my qi has disappeared, so I can''t activate any talismans. I don''t have any qi-recovering pellets either.


    He looked into his dantian, noticing that the thick qi surrounding his five qi pillars had completely vanished. The creation-qi matrix was no long brimming with the usual white fluid that he could use interchangeably with all of the other types of qi. He focused on the black star at the center. To his surprise, the destruction qi inside the matrix was still flowing freely, unaffected by what Wei Chen had done to him.


    Can I somehow use this destruction qi? he wondered. Unfortunately, none of the runes or sigils he''d learned contained any elements of destruction. It was as though a character formed of destruction qi or energy couldn''t exist, not without the support of anything else.


    I''ll have to take a chance, he thought, directing it toward both his hands. The violent black qi struggled as he urged it down his qi pathways, forcing it through the meridians that had been formed after he cleared the rubble.


    ***


    Wei Chen''s eyes narrowed as a black film formed on Cha Ming''s hands and began wearing away at his skin. His heartbeat sped up. An overwhelming and threatening sensation was coming from the black substance on the younger man''s hands.


    He was a master of the power of corrosion. However, he felt like an ant struggling before a mountain when he saw the corrosive qi that was eating at away at the man''s hands. It only took a single breath for Cha Ming''s bones to become exposed. Wei Chen wasted no time and rushed in for the kill.


    ***


    Cha Ming''s hands ached like they had never ached before. He knew he didn''t have much time, so he rushed toward Wei Chen, who was doing the same. This was the final clash, and the victor would be determined in mere moments. As Wei Chen''s sword bore down, Cha Ming chose to dodge only slightly, allowing it to pierce a nonlethal part of his abdomen. He howled as a searing, corrosive pain lanced through his blood vessels near the deadly wound. However, the pain wasn''t anything compared to what he felt in his rapidly withering hands.


    Cha Ming pulled himself closer to Wei Chen, using the man''s forward moment against him. The older man panicked and tried to move away, but it was too late. Cha Ming reached out and grasped the man''s head with both his hands, and they penetrated his flesh like a hot knife through butter. After all, Cha Ming''s body had been tempered by destruction, but Wei Chen''s had not.


    Wei Chen crumpled to the ground, and Cha Ming collapsed, unable to remain conscious much longer. He looked at his ruined hands but didn''t despair. He had been through an extensive recovery process before, so he was confident in his odds of success.

 100 Epilogue

    Hong Xin looked on sadly as the woman in red walked out through the village gates after a long stay. She had truly enjoyed the nights when the woman played her songs, allowing Hong Xin to dance to her tunes. In fact, it was only a few days after Hong Yinyue''s arrival that the woman had requested she join her act, dancing to her graceful music.


    The act had been a success; working-class men and nobles alike had frequented the tavern to watch the graceful show. Hong Xin had lost count of the marriage proposals that flew her way. She had refused them, of course, following a script that the experienced performer shared with her to minimize hard feelings.


    And now, it seemed like all of it would disappear and vanish into thin air. Hong Yinyue had long since told her that she disliked staying in one place for very long. She simply followed where fate pulled her, going with the flow. And now fate was pulling her back toward her home city. Life is a dance, she always said.


    Hong Xin sighed as she thought of the wonderful weeks that had passed by so swiftly. Not only had her mood fully recovered to her usually cheerful disposition, her cultivation had also advanced by leaps and bounds. "It''s natural for a dancer to progress when there is music," Yinyue had told her. "Everyone needs music in their life, and some more than others."


    "Why don''t you just ask her if you can tag along?" the innkeeper said an hour later while chopping and preparing vegetables for the upcoming night. He didn''t make as much as usual, as business was sure to slow down with Hong Yinyue having departed.


    "Wouldn''t that be rude of me?" Hong Xin said, thought she was seriously considering the matter.


    "I don''t see why it would be," he said. "You guys get along great. I don''t think she''d refuse."


    By the time he looked up, Hong Xin was gone, running upstairs to her room and hastily gathering her possessions. She had learned her lesson last time and was always ready to leave at a moment''s notice.


    "Thank you for everything!" she yelled before darting out the door.


    "Don''t forget to come back if she says no!" the man yelled back, smiling and shaking his head.


    Hong Xin ran through the city streets, running into various patrons that she had met over the past few months. They looked at her with knowing smiles. The guards waved as she passed through, and they pointed her in Yinyue''s direction.


    It took a few hours for Hong Xin to catch up. As she approached, an overwhelming feeling of nervousness invaded her thoughts.


    What if she says no? What if I need to go back? Can I really ask her?


    As she was pondering these things, Yinyue stopped. "Is it really so hard to ask?" she said, turning around. Her alluring, bright red cloak was in stark contrast to the flat fields that surrounded them.


    "Can I?" Hong Xin said, her eyes tearing up.


    "Of course," the woman said dotingly. "But you can''t slow me down, and you need to listen to me in all things. Otherwise, things might get dangerous."


    "Of course!" Hong Xin said, running over. "Where are we off to?"


    "We''re going back to my home town," Yinyue said, grim faced. "It''s a long way back, especially when walking. However, I think you''ll like the city I''m from."


    "What''s its name?" Hong Xin said curiously.


    "Perhaps you''ve heard of it before," she said. "Gold Leaf City."


    ***


    "Finally, fresh meat after so long," a skinny, greasy-haired man said to his eleven companions. "It''s tough being a bandit when there''s no one to rob."


    The others chuckled as they looked at the approaching figure. They couldn''t make out the figure''s features, as the sunlight was shining from their direction.


    "Let''s play it safe and wait until he gets close," the leader said, his hand quivering in anticipation. It had been so long since he''d drawn blood. Unfortunately, he was different than his companions. They could survive with nothing but gold and food to fill their bellies. He needed to kill to survive, to sate his inner rage.


    Soon enough, the figure in the distance became clearer. "It''s a monk!" one of the bandits whispered. "Awful bad luck to rob a monk. Plus, they''re always poor. We should just let this one run along."


    "Nonsense," another bandit said. "Don''t you know that they take offerings all the time? Their temples are gilded in gold and filled with jade. Of course he''ll have something on him." This was also one of the more eager members of the group, one that the leader appreciated greatly.


    "I don''t think that''s a he," another said, shaking his head. "She might be bald, but I can tell a woman from a mile away. It''s bad enough luck to attack a monk, much less a helpless woman monk. Let''s let her pass, boss."


    "Do I pay you all to think?" the leader snapped, holding his saber. He could barely control it, and killing a monk would go a long way to sate his thirst for blood. If he killed her, he might be able to go for a month without killing again. At his signal, the bandits readied themselves to jump out for an ambush. The bald woman wore an orange kasaya, and she walked without a care in the world.


    Suddenly, only a few feet from the ambush point, the figure stopped. Her eyes seemed bright like diamonds as she looked toward their hiding place. "Come out," she said, smiling, "there is no need to hide. I''m sure we can talk this through."


    The leader cursed as his eleven companions sheepishly stepped out from the bushes. He could only follow suit. One of his companions mumbled apologetically, "I''m sorry, my lady. It''s really bad luck to try robbing a monk. You may pass."


    "It''s no problem," she said. "Here, take these few gold pieces so that you may fill your bellies. There is no need to kill or rob innocents to make a living."


    All of the bandits, including the bandit leader, were all filled with a sense of deep shame. Three of them even collapsed on their knees, unable to restrain their sorrow.


    "I''m so sorry," the fattest bandit said, weeping. "I killed a man once. I deserve death."


    "I can''t continue living," another man said, his eyes red. "How can I stand myself after all the harm I''ve done?"


    The leader shivered when he saw this monk''s charisma. He also felt a sense of crisis. As he thought this, the monk simply smiled and walked up to them, placing a gold piece in each of his eleven companion''s hands.


    "I''m sure you have learned your lesson," she said. "Repent and help others. Protect them. And if you can''t do that, lay down your weapons and become farmers or pick up a craft. Use your good deeds to atone for your sins."


    The bandits nodded and wept.


    Then she looked over in the leader''s direction. Her blue eyes felt like vast oceans filled with light. "Show yourself," she said gently.


    Shivering at her command, the bandit had no choice but to show his true form. His red eyes glowed like blood, and his veins bulged as he held his saber firmly.


    "Don''t you feel ashamed at what you''ve become?" she continued.


    The other bandits paled when they saw this. Only now did they realize they had been in the presence of a monster.


    "I do," he said, shivering. "However, there is no repentance for me. I can only continue this way. In my next life, I will surely be reborn in Hell."


    The monk smiled and walked up to him slowly, ignoring the saber in his hands. She stopped only two feet away from him. "There is repentance for everyone," she said. "Allow me to relieve you of your burden." She laid her hand on his forehead. A red projection appeared behind him, wailing in agony as it was pierced by multiple beams of bright light. Wherever they pierced, whiteness spread. It only took thirty seconds for the red soul projection behind him to turn completely white.


    Then it disappeared into the distance, and the man collapsed, dead.


    ***


    "Was it necessary to save that man?" Gong Lan said as she walked along the dirt road. All of the bandits had chosen to renounce their former identities and spread out in every direction. Some said they would become farmers, others decided to become guards. This she understood. These men were not beyond saving, just like her.


    "It is most difficult to show mercy to your enemy, but in this case, it was necessary," a childish voice said to her. Green tendrils spread out from a locket on her neck that was made with an exceptionally large bodhi seed. "You saved a man''s soul, and while he is not deserving, this is one soul deprived from the devils, one less soul they can use to turn this plane against us. You have weakened the devils in Hell by depriving them of fresh blood. Saving this man hurt the real enemy."


    Gong Lan sighed. "Very well. We will continue doing such things. When must we return?"


    "I''m not sure," the seed replied. "It could be years or decades. Less than a century. However, rest assured that the time will come. When this is all over, you can transcend without worries."


    Gong Lan nodded, and they continued on.


    ***


    Huxian lay at the peak of the mountain, licking his wounds as he listened to the spirit-tail chicken choir. They sang hymns of praise for him, and before long, they brought forth their latest sacrifice. Soon the chickens left with solemn appearances. The offering was no more.


    Huxian sighed, depressed at the failure of their expedition. The beast tide he had been so confident in had ended up floundering at the last moment. The reason behind it was quite simple: walls.


    Walls had been an enemy of spirit beasts since ancient times. Despite understanding their construction, and despite having the strength to tear them down stone by stone, every spirit beast held an instinctual fear of walls. Only kings amongst them could urge the lesser beasts forward, and only barely. This crushing blow to their morale had caused countless spirit beasts to fall like flies, and Huxian had no choice but to call them back to the mountain.


    Unfortunately, he was now too weak to do much. His fight with the bear sovereign had cost him precious blood essence, and he would need to recover it before making his next move. He glared at the mountain beside them. It had its own sovereign, comparable in strength to the previous sovereign. If he couldn''t invade the humans and their walls successfully, so be it. He would go for the next best thing: annexing the nearby beast territories. He was a king after all, and he deserved his own dominion.


    ***


    "Are you sure you want to do this?" Cha Ming asked the village mayor.


    "Yes, I''m confident," the mayor replied. Cha Ming nodded and activated a line that he''d drawn. It glowed brightly as it traveled up the stone trail, into the waterfall, and through the tunnels. An incense time passed before a sudden explosion shook the land nearby. Rubble flowed from behind the waterfall in great quantities before finally stopping.


    Cha Ming probed the collapsed tunnel before turning to the mayor. "It''s all done. The cave is collapsed, and it shouldn''t be obvious that it''s a spirit-stone vein unless they do significant digging. Not that it matters, since over nine tenths of the mine has already been excavated."


    The mayor nodded. "Make sure you take all of the stones with you. We want nothing to do with them."


    Cha Ming smiled and tossed a medium-sized bag to the man. It jingled loudly. "Here are five thousand low-grade spirit stones. It''s not a vast sum of money, but it should be enough to purchase a currency that the village can use."


    The man was hesitant but accepted it nonetheless. Then he looked at the buildings that were quickly rising from the ashes. The entire town had come together, and soon it would be fully rebuilt. "Thank you. It will be difficult to survive the winter without purchasing provisions."


    "From now on, you won''t have to hide anymore," Cha Ming said before leaving.


    Before long, he arrived at Li Yin''s tent. It was Wei Chen''s old tent, and it had been serving as a temporary hospital. The man smiled when Cha Ming came in. "Is it done?"


    "Yes, it''s done," Cha Ming replied. "Soon the village will be back to normal."


    "As normal as it can be," Li Yin said. "Mental scars like this stay with people for a long time. We were fortunate, however. It could have been a lot worse. We were enslaved, but our women and children maintained their dignity. By the way, how are your hands?"


    Cha Ming revealed a nimble set of pure white fingers that were covered in freshly grown skin. It had been an easy but excruciating process to regrow the lost flesh.


    The doctor sighed. "My greatest regret is that my life''s work was lost. How will I be able to teach without those books? It will be very difficult."


    Cha Ming chuckled before sweeping out his hand. A dozen large books appeared on the table. Li Yin looked shocked for a moment but instantly recovered. "I saved them just before the bandits came," Cha Ming said. "I didn''t think you would want your life''s work burnt to the ground."


    The doctor, who had lost all hope earlier, was now grinning ear to ear. Cha Ming left him to flip through the pages and returned to his own tent. After closing the flap to ensure he wouldn''t be disturbed, he took out a gray candle in a bronze holder. He needed to gain strength as quickly as possible. After all, he had discovered much information relating to the bandit leader from Wei Chen''s bag of holding, and one thing was certain: The leader would come soon, and he would come with a vengeance.


    This small village had finally found their light in the darkness. And he would protect it with everything he had.


    --


    Book 3 End.

 101 Prologue - Pure Jade

    Dedication:


    To those who feel guilty: Trust in your conscience; the rest will solve itself.


    Author''s Note:


    Wow. Time flies.


    It''s been eleven months since I started writing casually, and Book 4 is undergoing final touches before being published as an eBook. At the time of writing this note, I''ve already written the outline for Book 5. Further, I wrote four chapters of Book 5, scrapped the outline, and started over again.


    For the first time since writing Book 1, I''ve finally taken the opportunity to slow down and write at a comfortable pace and with a comfortable process. It has made a world of difference, and I hope it comes across to you as you read this book.


    Those of you who read the eBooks might not have noticed, but I paused online releases for over a month to make this happen. I expected loads of backlash¡ªafter all, web serial readers are notorious for their impatience. Yet to my surprise, not a single follower on Royal Road has complained this entire time. For that I thank you.


    Before we head into Book 4, entitled Pure Jade, I would like to direct your attention to two things: confidence and conscience. In life, people have many possible choices that they can make. Therefore, it is natural to doubt and to regret. Sometimes people instinctively know they have made the wrong decisions. They know this because of their conscience, and their guilt helps determine their choices later in life.


    Values take a lifetime to figure out. No one is perfect, and each bad decision adds guilt to a person''s heart. Each misstep adds a layer of polish to the rough stone that is a person''s soul. Given enough time, it isn''t long before the soul becomes resplendent.


    Like pure jade.


    Prologue:


    It was a cold autumn day in the Silverwing Mountain Range. The fresh breeze caused Xi Ling to shiver as she ran through the wilderness. She was careful to avoid poisonous plants, disgruntled beasts, and annoying insects. Her cultivation robe stubbornly clung to her body as she weaved through the cluttered trees. She didn''t have the luxury of caring.


    Out of five companions, only three remained. A chance encounter with an early-purification demon beast had devastated their small group. Frightened and bleeding, the human cultivators had been a very attractive target.


    A piercing shriek caused Xi Ling to look back reflexively. She saw Meng Huan, her Dao companion , collapse to the ground after being struck down by a demon bear''s mighty claws. Her heart clenched when she saw the last of his life drain away. She bit back her tears and forced herself to remember Meng Huan''s last words: If I die, live on.


    Yet the love of her life had just died, and she longed to join him.


    She and Meng Ruxing, her last remaining companion, quickly retreated to a small abandoned cave. The younger man dutifully started a hidden fire, bringing much-needed warmth to their shivering bodies. He said nothing. She knew he liked her, but he had reined himself in once her relationship with Meng Huan had solidified. He was Meng Huan''s elder brother, and she trusted him with her life.


    Her fingers soon thawed. As did her bottled-up feelings. She cried like she''d never cried before, so Meng Ruxing erected a qi barrier to prevent the nearby demon beasts from hearing. She soon fell asleep.


    The next day, they found themselves wandering through a cold, dark tunnel. Neither of them bothered to use a light source, as their incandescent force provided them with basic visibility. Besides, using light in dark places could attract ground-dwelling demons. Their last encounter had crushed any hopes they had in escaping a second time.


    "Why are we wandering down here again?" Xi Ling asked, her voice hoarse from all the crying the previous night.


    "To find a safe place to heal our wounds," Meng Ruxing replied softly. "It''s hardly safe to stay near the entrance of the cave, and it''s equally unsafe to stay in a cave without knowing what''s in it. We need to scout this place out to make sure it''s suitable for us to rest and recover. We''ll make a break for it when we''re ready."


    What he said made sense. It was just that Xi Ling didn''t want to do anything. She just wanted to lie down and die and join Meng Huan in the afterlife.


    Unfortunately, she had no choice but to go along with the young man. Whenever she felt like stopping, she heard that delicate voice telling her to live on.


    Meng Huan, my love, she thought. She fingered the jade ring on the fourth finger of her left hand. Meng Huan had a matching one. He had said it bound them by karma, so that they would be together in this life and the next.


    An hour later, the tunnel widened, and the darkness lifted. It opened into a glowing room filled with various crystals. Purple, clear, and green. And blue. Blue had been Meng Huan''s favorite color. She sobbed softly as she walked but was soon silenced by Meng Ruxing''s outstretched hand tapping her with alarm.


    We''re not alone, he said to her mentally. They both pulled their weapons. His was a dagger, an unusual weapon for a man. It suited his rare wind attribute. She had lost track of the amount of times he had stealthily stabbed stronger opponents in the back. At least thirty.


    Xi Ling used a pair of elegant swords. One was green while the other was blue. She was a healer, dually proficient in wood and water. Wood and water cultivators were known for their superior defense, one of the reasons she''d managed to survive their deadly encounter.


    Scratch. Scratch. Scratch.


    Xi Ling paused. It was the terrible sound of claw on stone. She steeled herself and struck out first, her twin swords aiming to restrain the fierce beast and buy enough time for Meng Ruxing to land a killing blow. The beast roared and lashed out with claws the size of her face and teeth the size of her forearms. She prepared herself for the inevitable backlash of crashing against the powerful demon beast.


    To her surprise, her swords slashed through the teeth and claws with ease, instantly slaying the beast. It was just a low-level badger, working diligently to expand its cave dwelling. Meng Ruxing hadn''t even rushed forward.


    What''s wrong with you? he sent mentally. For some reason, she felt sick to her stomach. Killing demon beasts would have never caused such a reaction in the past, but her emotions were unstable due to the death of her lover. She started dry heaving, and Meng Ruxing ignored her as he gutted its corpse.


    He still wasn''t done by the time she recovered, so she took the chance to explore the room where the badger had been digging. She focused her incandescent force but noticed that it stopped suddenly near where the badger was digging. The dark space that was only dimly illuminated by the crystals in the other room. She frowned and took out an illumination stone to better observe. The walls were covered in gray, brown, and green stone. The bulk of the brown and gray stone had been scratched off by the innocent badger, leaving the hard green stone untouched.


    She couldn''t help but reach out and touch it. A warm feeling shot through her arm when she did. Is it something valuable? she wondered.


    Her instincts as a cultivator kicked in. She scratched away the remainder of the brown and gray rock. Afterward, she used her sword and began cutting out large chunks of the green stone. It seemed like some sort of jade, a worthless material used for mortal jewelry. The same material her ring was made of.


    Meng Ruxing approached her as she continued to cut out chunks, some measuring a cubic foot. She ignored him as she worked, cutting block after block. And then her blade stopped. She frowned. Magic weapons could cut through ordinary stones like butter. Therefore, she had widened the excavation and began removing larger and larger segments to reach the impenetrable obstacle. Meng Ruxing soon began to help her. He stabbed away quickly and efficiently, storing brick after brick of pure jade.


    He''s always been miserly, even with family, she thought.


    It wasn''t long before the jade was completely removed. What they discovered shocked them. The wall, which had previously been solid green, now glowed with resplendent green, white, and yellow colors. There was even a spot of purple and a spot of blue. The color was creamy and opaque, much like the stone before it. However, it seemed purer. More substantial.


    "What do you think it is?" Xi Ling whispered.


    "I think¡­" Meng Ruxing said hesitantly. "I think it''s immortal jade."


    She furrowed her brow. "Why have I never heard of such a thing? Is it a treasure?"


    "More than that," Meng Ruxing replied. "It''s a treasure so valuable it could cause a civil war."


    She gasped. "What is it used for?"


    "It''s used for advancing past core formation," he explained while walking up beside her. "It''s also used to make top-grade core-formation equipment and alchemical products. It''s not something we can dig out and sell ourselves. We must find someone with sufficient political clout and negotiate a payout."


    She nodded and touched the stone wall, admiring its multicolored surface. "It''s too bad the others aren''t here. We came here to find our fortune, and now they are gone forever. With this, we wouldn''t have had to worry about riches for a lifetime. Meng Huan and I could have moved to the south, where it''s always summer and never winter. We could have lived the rest of our lives in peace."


    Meng Ruxing paused. "Do you miss him?"


    "More than anything," she whispered, still staring at the wall. "I wish I could join him in the otherworld. We could reincarnate together and find each other again in the next life."


    There was naught but silence. Silence followed by a sharp pain between her shoulder blades. She sank down to her knees, unable to move any of her limbs.


    "Why?" she asked as her vision blurred.


    "I think you know why," he said. "It''s nothing personal. I wouldn''t even trust my own brother with this secret, much less his Dao companion. Besides, didn''t you say you wanted to join him?"


    Xi Ling was angry and shocked, but as her lifeblood left her, she took solace in the fact that she would soon be reunited with her lover. She had tried to fulfill her promise to live on but had failed.


    Knowing that his brother did this to me would devastate him, she thought. I shall not tell him. What use is there in telling him if we''ll forget everything when we drink Aunty Meng''s tea?


    Her life faded as her soul was pulled toward the unknown. She didn''t resist, and when she opened her eyes once more, she saw a desolate shore near a small yellow creek. There stood the soul of her lover Meng Huan. He was handsome and well kept, his eyes bright and full of intelligence.


    "See? I told you she''d be here soon," a cloaked figure said. He smiled as the two lovers reunited.


    They hugged each other tightly before looking at the cloaked man, who hadn''t moved since she had arrived. "Must we step into the Yellow River?" Xi Ling asked.


    "Alas, this is the law of the universe. Your souls must be cleansed before being sent into the cycle of reincarnation. You will forget everything after you drink Aunty Meng''s tea."


    Tears flowed down Xi Ling''s translucent face. "Do you mean we won''t find each other in the next life?"


    "There are no absolutes," the cloaked figure said. "Luckily, you purchased these jade wedding bands. Wonderful things. I have a friend who makes a killing selling them."


    Xi Ling glanced at her finger where she saw a faint jade glow where the ring had been. She also felt a soft line connecting her to Meng Huan. "The rings have bound you by karma. You will meet in your next life, for better or for worse. The rest is up to you."


    The couple''s worries evaporated. They nodded to each other before stepping into the yellow stream, hand in hand. Their souls transformed into white balls slightly tinged with yellow. They were connected by a jade tether, entangled and inseparable.


    ***


    "Mortals lead such beautiful lives," Yama said, sighing. "It''s a pity they are so short, like flowers that bloom only to wilt the next day."


    Unlike those two youngsters, he was aeons old. He was destined to be forever alone as he watched the streams of reincarnation. No one would ever want to share his immense burden.


    Besides, the Underworld was filled with a bunch of gold diggers. Sifting through the crowds of women that fawned over him every single day was a near-impossible task. Even the most sophisticated dating apps in the universe hadn''t yielded him any convincing results, causing him to completely give up on finding a Dao companion.


    Yama teleported back to his office after finishing the round of inspections. His assistant appeared shortly after. As the ruler of the Underworld, he had a special exemption to the strict no-teleportation law that applied to the entire city. However, he could only teleport to his office from outside the city and vice-versa. Failure to adhere to this rule would result in fines. Fines that would impact his operating budget.


    It is as I feared, he thought. A new universe war is coming, and there is nothing I can do to stop it.


    The Underworld had always been neutral. They treated souls of mortals, angels, devils, and demons. Only buddhas and evil spirits were outside his control. They were a bunch of cheaters that didn''t play fair.


    "Have you booked today''s appointment?" Yama asked his secretary. She wore a designer suit-top with a tight skirt that rested just above her knees, her blonde hair kept in a tight bun.


    She wore red glasses today, he thought. She must be in a good mood. No way she''ll ask for a raise again.


    "Of course, Your Excellency," the secretary replied dutifully. "I''ve taken the trouble to compile an update to his file since his latest promotion."


    Subtle hint drop, Yama thought. Very subtle. "We''re old friends. Why would I need an update?" Yama said while batting away the file.


    "But you know that he is rather pedantic," she said. "This promotion is quite substantial."


    "Nonsense," Yama said with an air of finality. "I''ll have none of it."


    He ran down the stairs in a fashionable jogging suit. The elevator was the fastest way down the 666 flights of stairs, but he was in dire need of exercise. His aging limbs were stiffening. He panted as he ran toward his dear friend''s residence, which was fortunately quite close. The tall tower, his destination, was made of pure obsidian. The eye-shaped fire atop it was wedged between four angled stones for dramatic effect.


    Large guardians appeared as he approached the massive black gates. They recognized his aged figure and began pushing large steel wheels. The doors opened at a slow, calculated pace. His friend had always loved drama, which was why his recent foray into show business was quite successful.


    All to stoke his gigantic ego, Yama thought.


    He arrived in the courtyard a short while later, and seeing that his friend had not yet arrived, he dematerialized his sweaty jogging suit and resummoned his traditional black robe and cloak.


    An Underworld hour of jogging is surely sufficient for the remainder of the week, he thought.


    "My friend, you made it!" a joyful voice called out. A tall figure wearing an imposing-looking black helmet was walking toward him. The impressive piece of headgear incorporated many spiky bits and deep eye sockets for extra effect.


    "Cut with the theatricals, my dear lord¡ª" Yama started.


    "It''s marquis now," the tall figure cloaked in black interjected.


    "Oh, I''m sorry, Marquis of the Rings," Yama said in an annoyed voice. "Does this mean that your father¡ª"


    "No, no, he''s quite all right," the man said while removing his spiky helmet. His figure looked boyish and immature. His thick square glasses didn''t make things better.


    Yama had always encouraged his mysterious dressing habits, as they made him look less like some dweeb who got stuffed in lockers. Layers of armor soon disappeared, revealing a skeletal frame. A single golden ring covered in runic characters glowed brightly on his middle finger. It was the one wedding ring that he''d forged for himself many aeons ago.


    "I just recently married into a noble family, so I''m a marquis now. I was never satisfied as a lord. Now I can flaunt it like I always dreamed of."


    "Fair enough," Yama said, chuckling. "You are the best jewelsmith in the Underworld. And here I was, wondering what you would do with all the money you earned by marketing those fancy limited-edition wedding rings of yours. It turns out you were amassing a dowry. Remind me, there were nine for mankind?"


    "And some of the elves and the dwarves," he replied. "And for some reason they all ended up killing each other over them. I just don''t get it. Regardless, it made for a very good story. I made a killing off the movie and merchandising. I have no regrets."


    "I don''t suppose you have a bit of that fortune left?" Yama asked. That was why he was here, after all.


    "Money is a bit tight, I must admit," the Marquis of the Rings said. "But I can always spare something for an old friend. What do you need it for?"


    "I''m promoting a candidate for mayor," he said. "I need him and his policies to get more workers to manage the upcoming flood of souls. Can you do it?"


    The Marquis of the Rings hesitated. "I can contribute a little, I suppose¡­ with a sponsorship ad of course. Does ten billion work for you?"


    "Ten billion?" Yama snorted. "More like ten trillion. Elections aren''t cheap nowadays, you know. It''s money that wins elections now, not the platform."


    "You may as well bleed me dry," the man said with an aggrieved expression. "That''s my entire life savings. I''d be a pauper!"


    "You know that''s not true, you big whiner," Yama said. "Besides, I have some good news. This mayor, he really hates many of the pieces of bad art in the city."


    A gleam appeared in the man''s eyes. "Do continue, my dear friend."


    "Well," Yama said, "it just happens that we need to nominate ten million pieces of terrible art for destruction. Now as you know, terrible is a very subjective term. If I were to have your competitor''s advertising statues destroyed¡­"


    The Marquis of the Rings fell silent, pensive. "Fine. I''ll do it. But I have one more condition."


    "Oh?" Yama said. "Pray tell."


    His friend had always been this way, trying to milk the most out of the situation with the least amount of effort. It was no wonder a few halflings he had short-changed had melted down his wedding ring once. That practical joke had stung his friend deeply.


    "I want the statue of the white wizard gone," he said gravely. "I''ve always hated that jerk, ever since he humiliated me in school."


    "But it''s a work of art!" Yama protested. "It''s truly a beautiful statue."


    "I don''t care!" the man yelled back. "This is personal. It''s this or no deal. I want to be able to talk about his destroyed statue at all the balls and parties."


    "Just because you''re not man enough to fight him yourself, doesn''t mean I need to indulge your petty grudges," Yama said sternly.


    "It''s not petty and you know it!" he said. "Do you have any idea how many of my shadowfire demons he''s killed? Do you have any idea how many orcs he''s slain, just because he feels like it? And he cloaks it all in a mantle of righteousness. I really can''t stand that prick."


    "Can''t you think of anything else you want?" Yama said. "How about I arrange a date with the elf queen. You''ve always wanted to¡ª"


    "I''m married now!" the Marquis of the Rings exploded. "Do you have any idea what it''s like to have to put up with that she-devil? All for the sake of this title? She doesn''t even let me go to bed late. Lately, she put me on a stupid diet. Don''t you dare bring up the elf queen again."


    A moment of silence ensued. "Fine," Yama admitted. "I stepped over the line there." He walked toward the man''s beautiful flower bed, the one he personally grew, watered, and weeded. Despite his despotic reputation, the man was truly a kind and caring fellow. "Is there truly nothing else you want?"


    "None," the Marquis of the Rings said with his arms crossed. He wasn''t budging.


    "Fine," Yama said. "It''s a deal."

 102 Crumbling and Hardening

    Cha Ming carefully adjusted his position while he sat cross-legged in his temporary accommodation. He held three things in front of him: the Clear Sky Brush, a stack of talisman papers, and a tall gray candle. The gray candle was inscribed with incomprehensible runes and was mounted on a bronze platter. Its wick was whiter than alabaster and gave off a relaxing fragrance. It was the same comprehension candle he had received in Fuxi''s Library. He would soon light it for the first time.


    His cultivation was advancing far too slowly for his liking. The difference in cultivation time between half-step foundation establishment and initial foundation establishment was vast. It was unlikely that he would progress soon.


    He had one last way of strengthening himself before trouble came knocking: creating magic talismans. However, he had no formulas; the knowledge gleaned from Fuxi''s Library could only take him so far.


    What he needed now was inspiration. Inspiration in the form of a gray, runed candle. He lit its white wick, watching it burn with a black flame. The candle vaporized as the heat of the flame ate away at it. The resulting gray smoke invaded his nose, eyes, ears, and mouth, but he felt no urge to cough or wheeze. His surroundings faded as he entered a deep trance.


    ***


    Cha Ming was dreaming. His surroundings were lifelike and vivid, to the point where he could see and feel everything around him. At the same time, he maintained his lucidity. He was experiencing the best of both worlds: the boundless imagination of the sleeping world and the mindfulness of the waking world.


    It took him some time to realize that he was now standing in an open field. A circle of large giants held up a massive sphere. It was as large as a planet, and it was held up with the communal efforts of the entire group.


    The large men all sat cross-legged, their dreams projecting a massive hand above them. Some hands were filled with visions of conquest while others were filled with hopes of a peaceful life. Others dreamed of their children growing strong, living a fulfilling life, and supporting their parents. All of these were fantasies, as unreal as the lifelike vision he was currently witnessing.


    Time passed, little by little. After what seemed like a lifetime, he noticed a single crack appearing on one of the hands. It was miniscule and seemed inconsequential, but it was there. Another lifetime passed before the strain of the world it supported took its toll, forcing the crack to widen.


    Another lifetime passed. One crack became two, and two became three. Before long, the hand was covered in countless cracks. The fragile hand was only held together by the giant''s iron will.


    However, this was far from enough. In his effort to maintain the hand, cracks appeared on his body in the same way. The thought of his dreams disappearing brought tears of magma to the stone giant''s eyes. He gritted his mountainous teeth as he mustered every fiber of his being to contain the damage. But the weight of the world was merciless. The cracks continued to multiply, and as the cracks propagated, the stone giant let out a mournful howl. Finally, both his body and his dreams crumbled away into nothing more than the finest dust. The giant and his dreams were no more.


    With the disappearance of this one stone giant, each of the other giants'' burdens increased by a small and almost unnoticeable amount. Yet just like the one before them, two giants began to weaken. They struggled heroically, but soon enough, they too crumbled under the weight of the world. What seemed like years passed by. Every few months, the number of falling giants doubled.


    Finally, the last giant shattered, and the world fell into the void. Their task seemed impossible to begin with. Cha Ming, in his lucidity, observed that all the giants that had cracked and broken had one thing in common: Their foundations were too weak to support their dreams. Each foundation had a fatal flaw, and once enough pressure was applied, the giant would inevitably crumble.


    Do you understand? a voice asked.


    Cha Ming woke from his deep meditation with a start. Suddenly, he remembered the heavy burdens that had weighed him down over the years.


    He was burdened with Huxian''s fate¡ªif he died, the baby fox would as well. He had been burdened with disability, which had caused him to lose all hope for a short time. Finally, he had been burdened with slavery, and with the fate of the people in Crystal Falls. All these burdens were very real, and their weight exceeded the strength of his foundation. Given enough time, his will would have shattered just like these stone giants.


    Hands shaking from this sudden feeling of fragility, Cha Ming took up his brush and began writing. Dark brown ink flowed across the sheet of paper as he poured his feelings of vulnerability and near-collapse.


    The weight of the world crumbles countless dreams;


    Man''s foundation is ever brittle.


    To Cha Ming, these verses seemed like a universal truth. He decided to call it a Crumbling Talisman. It was a poetic talisman, just like Elder Ling''s Ode to Mr. Mao Mao. As such, he had no idea what power it might hold, but he was sure that it far exceeded that of an ordinary mortal-grade talisman.


    Having finished his new creation, he collapsed in the tent, shivering. He wasn''t sick, nor was he physically injured in any way. However, he couldn''t shake that feeling of helplessness, that feeling of almost failing. He could feel his own cracks widening.


    ***


    "Your hands are shaking," Li Yin said to Cha Ming as the younger man tried to steady his needle.


    Cha Ming was currently stitching a cut on one of the many carpenters who was new to the village.


    "It''s nothing," Cha Ming said, preparing to insert the shaky needle into the man''s arm. Just as he was about to proceed, he felt an old worn hand grasping his arm. There was no power behind Li Yin''s grip, only undeniable firmness.


    "Let me take care of this one," the doctor said authoritatively. He proceeded to stitch the wound in only a few minutes and sent the carpenter on his way. Then he closed the door to their shack, one of the few wooden buildings in town.


    "What happened?" Li Yin asked.


    Cha Ming sighed and sat down on one of the three chairs in the room. "It just seems like I was so close to failing, so close to crumbling in the mines. Dr. Li, it was my mistake that caused so many people to suffer. And if a lucky chance hadn''t come about, I wouldn''t have been able to escape and kill the bandits. Everyone here would have eventually suffered a miserable fate." He looked up at Li Yin with red eyes. "How can people still trust me?"


    The doctor looked at him compassionately. "I''ll admit that many don''t," the doctor said. "But many also realize that people make mistakes. You could have run away after escaping, but you didn''t. You owned up to your mistakes. And tell me, will you make that mistake again?"


    Cha Ming shook his head.


    "Then quit worrying about it."


    Li Yin placed a hand on Cha Ming''s shoulder. "You''re strong, Cha Ming. You''ve withstood what many people can''t. Yet you overcame all that. Are you really going to forget this and crumble now that the pressure is gone? How laughable would that be?"


    Cha Ming couldn''t bear to look at the doctor.


    "Today is not your day, it seems," Li Yin said. "You''re useless to me here when your hands are shaking. Go outside and get some sunshine. Don''t come back here until you''ve straightened yourself out. You''re better than this. I know you are."


    Cha Ming spent the rest of his day performing manual labor. Nothing skilled, just brainless hauling of wood and stone. Many people gave him odd looks as he trudged on like an ox, but he took pleasure in being able to perform these simple tasks.


    If I have the strength of an ox, he thought, I may as well use it. Meanwhile, he agonized over his failure in raising Huxian. He hadn''t even tried looking for him, and the poor little fox was all alone in the wilderness. Was he all right?


    Cha Ming wiped the sweat off his brow as he pulled a load of stone to the newly built frame of the future inn. It was a priority building, as it would accommodate the many workers they had brought in from neighboring villages. After a bit of looking, he spotted the chief mason.


    "Where do you want this load?" he asked as he pulled the wagon up to the middle-aged man.


    "Just over there," the man said, pointing. "Are you free right now? We could use a hand setting up some large beams. They are heavy as all hell, and without you, we''ll have to set up a pulley and waste a few days."


    "My hands are a little shaky today," Cha Ming said hesitantly.


    "It doesn''t matter," the mason said dismissively. "All we need is someone who can hold the weight up. We''ll take care of the shaking. If you can pull a cart, you can hold up a beam."


    Cha Ming helplessly followed the chief mason, who continued to give orders as they walked. The workers moved quickly as he barked out directions. Soon they arrived at a large pile of thick tree trunks. They were spirit trees, judging by their size. Each trunk had been shaved of bark and branches.


    "Each trunk weighs three thousand jin," the man explained. "I want you to pick one up and walk up the stairs we built, then down the central beam. You can lay it down at the other end. Once you get there, do your best to hold it in place, and my men will fasten it down. Piece of cake."


    "It''s no problem as long as you keep people out of the building in case I fall," Cha Ming said. "No need to worry about me. I''m sturdy."


    "Done," the man said. He took a minute to shout a few dozen offensive words at the workers. They hustled out of the building like their life depended on it. He then looked to Cha Ming. "It''s all clear."


    Cha Ming nodded, grasping the first beam, using a sling. It creaked and strained as he lifted the beam off the ground, and the soil sank as he walked with it. After carefully checking his balance, he walked up the makeshift steps that led to the top of the building.


    The massive central beam creaked only slightly as he traversed it, carefully standing firm despite the blowing wind. It was a strong beam, worthy of being this large building''s foundation. It would last at least a hundred years if properly maintained.


    Sweating, he walked steadily until he arrived at the predetermined location. To his surprise, the large beam wasn''t shaking. It was likely due to its massive weight.


    For some people, he thought, a larger load is best. A king can easily bring ruin to a small household. However, he works best under the pressure of a nation.


    At his signal, a pair of men scrambled onto the roof and fastened the large log. He helped them with the next nine, successfully aiding them in installing the roof''s foundation. He ended the day tired but satisfied. However, once he got to his tent and saw the gray candle, he couldn''t help but shiver and recall the emotions he had poured into the talisman.


    Surely there is a balancing concept, Cha Ming thought. He hesitated slightly before shutting the flap of his tent and taking out talisman writing materials. Then, wincing, he lit the wick on the gray candle once more. The black flame roared to life.


    This time, Cha Ming saw an entirely different scene. He saw a young boy whose family''s finances were crumbling. His father and mother could no longer take the pressure, and it was evident that they would lose their home and be forced to live on the streets.


    The boy had many younger siblings. He couldn''t bear to see his parents in such a state, and he could only imagine what would happen to his siblings should he hesitate. Therefore, he decided to leave school to support his family. He became a carpenter, and he toiled away day after day, barely making enough to feed them.


    Unfortunately, it wasn''t enough. His third brother was rather intelligent, and only with proper schooling and private tutoring would he be able to bring out his full potential and become a government official. So the carpenter badgered his boss repeatedly, and eventually he was appointed as assistant manager. After one year of stellar performance, he was promoted to manager. Then, using his influence and his newly improved finances, he managed to put his brothers and sisters through school.


    Unfortunately, his success was short-lived. The kingdom was thrust into a war that he knew nothing about. They conscripted him into the military, and he was forced to kill men on the battlefield to survive. Many of his brothers in arms fell before he eventually became a captain. Even as a captain, there was little he could do to alleviate the suffering.


    Decades passed. After much hard work and determination, he became a general. He defeated the kingdom''s enemies, earning much praise and riches from the king upon his retirement. But unlike many of his contemporaries, he didn''t move to the capital or take many wives to start a large family. Instead he returned to the small town where he grew up.


    The town had been stricken with poverty and drought ever since his departure. His parents had long since passed away, but many of his brothers and sisters remained. After seeing their plight, he used everything he had earned in the military to purchase food and building supplies. He poured his sweat, blood, and tears into improving the village, and soon, it was prosperous again.


    He spent the rest of his days with his friends and family, and when he finally died, the entire village mourned. It was the story of a man who, despite having been through so many things in life, just wanted to feed his family. And that''s what he did until he breathed his last.


    Do you understand?


    Cha Ming awoke to tears of joy and satisfaction. He recalled the misfortunes he had overcome. He recalled fighting against the heavenly tribulation with Huxian and becoming crippled in the process. Despite the setbacks and subsequent depression, he discovered a way to save his life and recover his cultivation. Eventually, Li Yin took him on as an apprentice.


    Later, an impulsive decision brought the bandits to the village. He was enslaved, and he lost his mind to the vicious chains that imprisoned him. After escaping, he strengthened himself and came back to eliminate Wei Chen and his lackeys, freeing the villagers.


    With these thoughts in mind, he painted the next talisman with light-brown ink. His stone-like will was infused into the paper through the following verse:


    Hardening through countless ages;


    Never questioning his resolve.


    He called it the Hardening Talisman. It was an obvious continuation of the first two verses, juxtaposing two opposite phenomena, crumbling and hardening. Hardening was defensive while crumbling was offensive. The verses belonged together, but he did not have the strength to combine them.


    Looking down at his hands, he found that they had stopped shaking. His emotions were no longer unstable. However, as he tried to paint another Hardening Talisman, he discovered that it wasn''t possible. The same applied to the Crumbling Talisman. He had poured his emotions into these talismans, and his heart had yet to recover.


    He slept peacefully that night. His dreams were filled with a field of rocks. Some were solid, while others were feeble. Some were cracked, others unbreakable. He woke to a funny thought: In more ways than one, people resembled stones.

 103 Resistance

    In Quicksilver City, a large figure wearing a black cloak walked down the elegantly crafted streets of Central Square. Men and women alike practically dove out of his way, his baleful aura causing them to avoid him instinctively. Even the city guards shivered as they walked past him, maintaining as much berth as their dignity allowed them.


    Xiao Heilong, the mountain of a man who led the Serpentine Sword bandits, didn''t wear cultivator robes. Instead he wore a suit of black armor with a matte finish. Two weapons were sheathed at his side, large black daggers tinged with red. His black hair was trimmed short, emphasizing the man''s practical nature.


    He soon reached a tall black building standing opposite another equally large building made of white stone. The arrangement was obviously a deliberate show of their intense rivalry. Not that he cared. All he knew was there was someone in the black building who would take his money to perform simple services, regardless of their dubious nature.


    A beautiful lady dressed in an elegant but revealing black robe welcomed him at a black-marble desk. Her mannerisms and appearance gave the impression that, like all the services offered in the building, she was also for sale. Not that he was interested. He wouldn''t be caught dead frequenting a viper like her. He calmly ignored her coy behavior and tempting gestures while following her to a room upstairs, where a decrepit old man was waiting.


    "What can I do for you today, little snake ?" the old man asked in a pleasant voice. He wore unkempt black robes that matched his unkempt hair. His large, greedy grin exposed a set of rotting yellow teeth.


    A large purse plopped onto the old man''s desk with the clink of coin. "I need you to find someone who killed a member of my group," Xiao Heilong said, ignoring the diminutive nickname.


    "Excellent," the old man replied. "Do you have something that bears his presence, or the presence of your group member?"


    "Of course," Xiao Heilong said while retrieving a jade slip. It was Wei Chen''s life slip, and it was broken in half. "I need to find the one who killed him while the trail is still fresh."


    The older man picked up the purse, his eyes glittering when he saw the amount inside. "How very wise of you to seek me out as soon as possible. The trail of vengeance fades with every passing day. Wait one moment while I perform some auguries. Do you want the location of the murder, or the location of the man?"


    "I don''t give a damn about the location of the murder," Xiao Heilong said. "I just want to actively track the one who killed him. He likely took my man''s possessions after the fact."


    The old man pulled out a dousing pendulum and walked over to a map of the Quicksilver Empire. After making a few arcane gestures, the silver pendulum darted out and landed on a point on the map. "That''s not so bad. Only a few days away."


    "I need to be able to track him long term," Xiao Heilong said blankly. "I don''t know when my next mission will come, so it needs to be a semi-permanent solution. At least one year."


    "Patience is a virtue, my friend," the old man said. He took the jade slip and carried it to an altar. There, he lit some incense and muttered unintelligible words. The air seemed to shiver as the man opened his eyes and shouted, "Evil spirits, heed my call, reveal the crimson thread of vengeful karma!" Several illusory threads, most of them black and white, appeared in the air. The man sifted through them before eventually finding the crimson thread he was looking for.


    The old man reached out to pluck the string, but as he did, his hand jerked back. After looking at the thread fearfully, he turned back to Xiao Heilong with a frown. "Grasping this thread is far more dangerous than normal. I have no idea why. I will need double your original payment to do this. Alternatively, I can give you your money back, and whatever information you''ve gained thus far will be free of charge."


    Heilong grunted and tossed yet another purse on the desk. "Old crook," he muttered.


    The man ignored him. A look of resolve appeared on his face as he aggressively shot his hand out toward the thread. The air cracked and distorted as he fought against a massive pressure. The man coughed blood as his hand grasped the crimson thread. He wrenched it free and wrapped it around a needle, which he then installed on a fengxue compass.


    Pale, the man handed the fengxue compass to Xiao Heilong, who stowed it away unceremoniously.


    "Not worth it," the old man said while shaking his head self-deprecatingly. He crawled over to a bed in a corner of the room. "You may leave now," he said, waving his hand.


    Xiao Heilong shrugged and left the black building and Central Square. He didn''t particularly care about avenging Wei Chen. However, the man had told him that he had found something big, and that he would take care of it personally. Knowing Wei Chen''s character, that meant that he had found something massive and wanted to keep it to himself. Just when Xiao Heilong had decided to go extort the small fortune Wei Chen had earned, the man''s life slip had broken.


    Having exited Central Square, he pulled out the fengxue compass, noting that it pointed eastward. He was about to head in the general direction when he felt a vibration from his bag of holding. Sighing, he withdrew a little black notebook through which he received his missions.


    Just my luck, he thought. It was an urgent mission, one that he couldn''t ignore for contractual reasons. Vengeance will need to wait.


    ***


    Weeks passed. Cha Ming continued his routine of cultivating during the evening and helping the villagers during the day. Over the past week, he had used his ridiculous strength to clear large swaths of land to develop fields for the village. He had removed the large trees with his bare hands while they cleared the brush and dug out the roots. Now it was the oxen''s turn. They plowed the barren fields in preparation for the farmers who had yet to arrive. Meanwhile, the wood he had gathered was used to construct houses.


    Whether the land would be able to produce next year would depend on their upcoming outing. They lacked seeds and farmers. Seeds could be bought with money, but farmers could not. He would accompany the mayor across the river tomorrow to recruit ambitious young families looking to build a new future.


    Cha Ming worked hard and ended the day exhausted and satisfied. As with most nights, he meditated and attempted to draw the Crumbling Talisman and Hardening Talisman, to no avail. These emotions, while powerful, were elusive to him now. They came and went as they pleased, like naughty children playing pranks on him.


    Cha Ming sighed. It was the fourteenth time he had tried and failed. He still needed to increase his strength, and his cultivation was coming along far too slowly. It was time to seek new inspiration. He lit the gray candle once more after a moment of hesitation.


    ***


    Cha Ming saw an ocean in the distance. It was neighbored by a sandy beach, where many people were swimming. Waves gently crashed against the shore while children and their parents played in the gentle waters. He smiled softly as he remembered such an innocent life. Their screams of joy were intoxicating.


    Realizing that this scene was there for a reason, he indulged in it and walked down to observe the people more closely. The children were young. He guessed the youngest was around five and the oldest twelve. While some mothers were out playing, most of them sat on the beach with their fathers, enjoying a moment of intimacy while their children were distracted.


    Suddenly, a crackle sounded from above. He saw a peal of lightning, and the winds began blowing more aggressively. His instinct told him that the calm-looking ocean would not stay this way for very long. To his surprise, however, the parents didn''t notice, and neither did the children. The children only experienced greater enjoyment as the waves grew increasingly tall.


    It didn''t take long for the situation to run out of control. Two or three children were pulled beneath the waters by the waves. The other children''s screams alerted their parents, who rushed out to the waters to save them.


    The scene bothered Cha Ming greatly, but as he moved to save the children, an unknown force prevented him from approaching. It was only a dream, but the thought of doing nothing distressed him. He felt helpless.


    He watched on in horror as the mighty waves pulled down twenty children in total. Only six of these were saved by their fathers, and the rest were lost forever. He saw grown men struggling, continuously diving in a futile attempt to save those who had disappeared. They knew it was meaningless to try, but they couldn''t help themselves.


    Finally, exhausted by their search, they swam back to shore. He saw the grown men weep, collapsing in tears of grief. Their spouses joined them in their sorrows. They could do nothing else, for this was their fate.


    Do you understand?


    Cha Ming woke from the vision with sweat beading on his forehead. The dream had been so lifelike that his heart was still crying. He could feel their pain. He picked up his talisman brush despite the tears in his eyes and slowly spelled out his emotions. He wrote the words in dark-blue ink, pouring his feelings of helplessness into the talisman paper through his ink and brush.


    The ocean cares not for drowning children;


    Man is a slave to the sea of fate.


    He called it the Resistance Talisman, for obvious reasons. The words reminded him of a cruel reality, the helpless nature of mankind. So many unavoidable disasters wore away people''s wills. Before long, they would feel helpless, incapable of changing their circumstances. It was the same for impoverished people. Hope became an unaffordable luxury. The resistance posed by the outside world and their inner thoughts were far too high.


    Cha Ming felt something was missing when he finished the last stroke. It was as though the two verses were incomplete, missing their second half. However, he felt helpless to finish it. Could he really make the next talisman? More to the point, was he truly helping the villagers?


    He questioned his actions over the past several weeks as he drifted off to sleep.


    ***


    "You can''t be serious," Li Yin said with disbelief. Cha Ming''s eyes avoided the older man''s as he felt judgment wash over him. "If I understand correctly, you feel helpless and unable to change anything. You feel this despite having just decimated a group of bandits, escaped slavery, and having literally rebuilt half the village. On top of that, you''ve done nine-tenths of the work to open up new farmlands."


    Cha Ming''s face flushed red as he was berated by his teacher, who sighed and shook his head. "You really need to stop getting yourself distracted like this. Just keep yourself busy, and you''ll recover. Eventually."


    "Shouldn''t I stay and help you in the hospital?" Cha Ming asked. The hospital was largely empty nowadays, so there was little damage he could do.


    "Absolutely not!" Li Yin snapped. "I will have nothing less than fully confident hands on my patients. It''s not just your manual dexterity that''s important. Doctors play a very important psychological role, and I will not have you discouraging recovering patients."


    Helpless, Cha Ming proceeded to the dock, where three men were waiting. One was the mayor, and two were newly appointed elders.


    "Where have you been?" the mayor asked. "We were about to leave without you."


    Cha Ming bowed in apology. "It won''t happen again."


    These submissive gestures caused bewildered expressions to flicker across their face, but only for a moment. Their experience and demeanor were why they had been chosen as elders in the first place.


    ***


    A few hours later, they set up a booth in the largest nearby town called Jinyang.


    "Free land for young couples in Crystal Falls. We purchase your starting seed, you farm without worries!" The elders hawked like merchants at every young man and woman who passed them. They continued for hours without success, as most people eyed their stall with suspicion. Cha Ming simply sat down and waited, ready for any trouble that might occur.


    The day passed by uneventfully, so they stayed the night at an inn. Everyone but Cha Ming ate and enjoyed the local music while he sat in his room, half meditating and half brooding. He no longer needed to eat very often. Instead he spent his time attempting to replicate the Crumbling, Hardening, and Resistance talismans.


    The elemental essence returned to his brush every time he failed, and after an hour, he gave up and began cultivating. He had no pills or supplements and could only cultivate slowly but surely while draining away the energy from mid-grade spirit stone ore. The ambient qi of heaven and earth was insufficient for cultivation at the foundation-establishment level.


    Morning arrived. They set up their booth, and like the day before, no one came. The looks became increasingly suspicious, causing Cha Ming and the others to ponder what they had done wrong. Was there perhaps a local custom they were breaking?


    "Did we step in cow excrement?" one of the elders asked. "Or did we somehow offend someone powerful? I just don''t know why we would be ignored like this."


    "Who knows?" the mayor replied. "We''re not just getting ignored. People are looking at us as though we are thieves or murderers. We''ll have to move on to the next town if we don''t find anyone today."


    Noon arrived when they finally received their first visitor. It wasn''t a young man or woman like they expected, but a guard. He was dressed in leather armor and wore an exquisite sword. To Cha Ming''s surprise, his cultivation was at initial foundation establishment.


    Cha Ming rose to greet the guard. "Greetings, fellow Daoist," he said while clasping his hands together and bowing slightly.


    "Greetings, fellow Daoist," the guard said, bowing back. "I see that the four of you are recruiting farmers for newly cultivated lands in a place called Crystal Falls. However, I have never heard of this village. Would you care to tell me where it is?"


    "This¡­" the mayor said. "You have probably never heard of it as we have been quite isolated in the past. Our village is hidden in the woods across the river, near the largest waterfall. It is perpetually covered in fog. If you have a map, I would be happy to show you the location."


    The guard nodded and continued his questioning. "Then why is it that you have a sudden need for farmers? Surely there are sufficient people in your village who could manage these lands."


    The mayor shrugged. "In the past, we haven''t done much farming. Recently, however, a disaster struck our village, and we felt the need to come out of isolation. We have never dared exploit the lands in the woods, but due some recent events, the spirit-beast population has decreased substantially. Now we have much land available but no one to cultivate it."


    Cha Ming thought on this with sadness. The spirit-beast population had been decimated by the bandits when they had patrolled and foraged for food.


    The guard looked doubtful. "Would you mind coming with me to confirm some things, then? My name is Captain Bao Tiehu, and I oversee the security of this village and the surrounding ones for the emperor. Circumstances as they are, we must ensure the legitimacy of your recruitment."


    "Yes, we can do that," the mayor replied.


    "Excellent," Bao Tiehu said. "Please come this way to meet the mayor." He immediately led them down the main street to a large manor. Cha Ming was surprised to spot two half-step foundation-establishment guards at the gate. They immediately joined their group at the captain''s signal. They were taken to a study and brought tea and snacks.


    "What do you think the matter is?" Cha Ming asked his companions. "Is it illegal to recruit workers in the empire?"


    "I''m truly not sure," the mayor replied. "It has never been a problem to recruit workers in the past. There was no issue when we recruited the carpenters. I''ve also never had problems buying or selling in towns as long as I paid the appropriate duties and taxes." The mayor paused thoughtfully. "Something unusual must have happened recently to make them suspicious. And it must have been a high-profile occurrence given that even normal people refused to speak to us."


    A quarter hour passed before the captain of the guard entered with another middle-aged man. A younger initial foundation-establishment cultivator wearing religious robes followed them inside. Cha Ming knew that two half-step foundation-establishment cultivators as well as many peak-qi-condensation cultivators were present outside.


    "Please forgive my caution, friends," the middle-aged man said. "My name is Li Tai, and as the mayor of this area, I take the security of my residents very seriously." He motioned to the young man beside him. "This young man is an inquisitor from the Church of Justice, and he will validate the truth of your words. Will that be a problem?"


    Cha Ming recalled the time in Fairweather when the issuers of the rescue mission had hired an inquisitor to verify the truth of their statements. According to Gong Lan, this was common practice with important transactions. It made sense that this also extended to security duties.


    The three men shook their heads, and Cha Ming followed suit but added, "It''s fine as long as the questions aren''t too personal."


    "Naturally," Li Tai replied. "Lai Zhi, will this be a problem?"


    The young inquisitor''s gaze rested on Cha Ming, and he shook his head self-deprecatingly. "This man''s soul is two levels higher than mine. I will need him to slightly lower his soul defenses." He lifted his hands apologetically. "Please understand that I mean no harm to those who do no evil. However, some recent occurrences have rendered these precautions necessary. I will by no means take advantage of your lowered defenses."


    Cha Ming relaxed upon hearing these words. "Since these are the words of an inquisitor, I am reassured that you aren''t lying. I will cooperate." Cha Ming immediately lowered his soul''s natural defenses by one level. "Is this sufficient?"


    The young man nodded in response.


    "Excellent," Li Tai said jovially. "My first question is this: Does the town called Crystal Falls really exist, and where is it located? You may use the large map on the wall to point it out."


    Zheng Fang, the mayor of Crystal Falls, walked up to the map. "Crystal Falls exists, though it is currently being rebuilt after recent catastrophic events. It is located here, right beside the large waterfall where the clouds accumulate. It is surrounded by woods, and we have been secluded and difficult to find for many decades."


    "Why was the town secluded for so long?" Li Tai asked.


    "These are personal reasons. Please forgive me for not answering," Zheng Fang said.


    Li Tai frowned but didn''t press him. "Very well, that isn''t relevant. I take it that the town''s secrecy is no longer required?"


    "That is correct," Zheng Fang said.


    "Why are you in sudden need of farmers?" Li Tai asked.


    "A disaster struck our village, which coincidentally decimated the local spirit-beast population. As such, we were able to open large tracts of land, for which we don''t have enough population to farm. The trees are already removed and the ground tilled. We only need seeds and farmers to have a successful harvest next year."


    Li Tai looked to the young man, who nodded. "Interesting. And you have no ulterior motives for these farmers?"


    "Pardon me?" Zheng Fang asked, offended.


    "Please entertain me and answer the question," Li Tai said. "Then I will explain everything."


    "We have no ulterior motives for these farmers," Zheng Fang said. The mayor''s gaze traveled to the other three, and they all replied in the same way. Li Tai visibly relaxed after hearing their answers.


    "I apologize," the mayor said. "Please join me for lunch and an explanation, after which I believe I can help you get what you need."


    They left the room and followed Li Tai. As they departed, Lai Zhi bowed and left in another direction. As he left, he sent a mental message to Cha Ming.


    It''s a good thing you weren''t lying. Otherwise at least half of us would need to die to apprehend you."


    Cha Ming chuckled inwardly but didn''t correct the man. Indeed, if they had tried to apprehend him, Cha Ming could have slain them without breaking a sweat.

 104 Momentum

    Li Tai''s house was large, and the banquet he served extravagant. Fine wine, a delicacy from a kingdom to the north, was served along with the dozens of dishes. It was the finest meal Cha Ming or the elders had seen for over two years. He took a respectable helping of two vegetable dishes and ate as the mayor spoke.


    "We never used to interrogate people," Li Tai said once they had finished eating. "One year ago, however, pockets of unrest appeared throughout the empire. Bandit groups multiplied, and devil cults began appearing everywhere. It was only with the help of the Church of Justice and the Imperial Army that many of the small towns survived.


    "Many innocents mortals have been captured since then. What you were doing, offering free land with relocation, was one of the many schemes they used to entrap mortals. This specific scheme happened to be used here exactly one year ago. Over one hundred residents from this town were captured and brutally killed in devilish sacrifices, thus my caution. It is also why so many residents were suspicious of your motives."


    Li Tai''s eyes teared up. "Even my own daughter was captured. She disobeyed my wishes and married a farmer. It was difficult for them to make ends meet, so I tried to help, but they refused. They left for more prosperous, undeveloped lands, the same hoax I spoke of. The next time I saw her, she was dead."


    The maids served tea once the meal was over. No one ate much after the mayor shared his story. The men from Crystal Falls only understood half his pain. They had been enslaved, yes, but their children hadn''t been killed. They didn''t even have the heart to ask about recruiting farmers for fear of upsetting the distraught father.


    "Now then," Li Tai said, "there remains the issue of finding farmers. Truth be told, this isn''t a problem. I own all the lands here, and there is a large surplus of farmers. They will flock over in droves as long as I give the word. However, nothing is free in this world."


    Zheng Fang frowned. "What did you have in mind?"


    "Nothing major," Li Tai said. "In fact, it will help you. You are an unregistered village. As such, you have not been paying taxes. You cannot remain this way, as the empire will eventually discover you, enforce the law, and appoint a manager. However, I have an alternative." The man''s eyes glowed as he spoke. "Many of the towns around here have their own mayors but report to me. I take care of processing paperwork and taxes, and at the same time, I arrange regular patrols from the Imperial Army to deter crime. In addition, my people build and maintain roads to facilitate commerce.


    "I propose that you become one such village. You would maintain your autonomy but will need to pay me taxes. In turn, I will register your village. Since taxes are based on a percentage of revenue, I will do my utmost to help you develop the village''s economy. What do you think?"


    The mayor of Crystal Falls hesitated. "Can we think on it?"


    "Most certainly," Li Tai said. "No pressure, but I will need to report this matter to my superiors. I''m sure they won''t penalize you, but as a bare minimum you will need to register your village independently. I''m just offering you a hassle-free way of resolving this issue."


    They left Li Tai''s house after lunch, and after two days of negotiations, the matter was settled. They left for the village with boats full of young families and bags of seeds. The young families didn''t remain idle once they arrived at the village. They built houses next to their new plots of land and made preparations for the winter. It didn''t take long for them to fully integrate. Cha Ming helped where he could, but eventually he became fully redundant. He could only retreat to his tent and cultivate when the hospital wasn''t busy.


    The village had developed its own momentum. Given that his cultivation wasn''t advancing very quickly, he was sure that it was time to leave. But before that, he had one last thing to do. He needed to learn the next talisman in the set, and he already had a good idea of its nature. He lit the gray candle once more.


    ***


    Cha Ming was standing at the peak of a mountain. It was a wonderful spring day. The mountain glacier beside him was melting at a steady pace and trickling into a stream. He followed it as it traveled down the steep incline.


    Eventually it was joined by another stream from higher up. Others joined in until it was no longer a stream but a raging river. He continued to follow it until it became a tall waterfall. The water stopped in a stagnant lake.


    The lake filled in slowly, and what seemed like months passed. One day, Cha Ming noticed the reason for the stagnant nature of the lake: The exit of the river was blocked by a beaver''s dam. Having nowhere to go, the water accumulated. Finally, the pressure exceeded the dam''s limit and rushed out all at once, washing away everything in its path in its pursuit for equilibrium. It passed through various rivers and lakes before finally arriving at the sea''s shore. There, it blended into the ocean and achieved its dream of eternal stability. Or did it? Little did it know that after mingling with the ocean, it would soon evaporate and condense back into rain and repeat the journey once more.


    Do you understand?


    Cha Ming was reminded of his past and current life. It seemed that fate was always dragging him forward, but he realized his mistake. It wasn''t that fate was dragging him but his momentum that kept him going. Just like the momentum the village had established. Without hesitation, he started a new talisman. His brush flowed smoothly as he painted light-blue characters on the sheet of paper. The words he wrote resonated with his heart.


    Flowing down from high to low;


    Never questioning his direction.


    This was the Momentum Talisman, and it was a continuation of the first two verses. It juxtaposed two opposite phenomena: resistance and momentum. Momentum represented the tendency of things to move and flow, while resistance opposed it. Their nature was complementary. He wasn''t sure what the talismans did, but as he completed the Momentum Talisman, the feeling of despondency and depression he had been brooding over disappeared along with the ink in his brush.


    ***


    Cha Ming contemplated for days. He had crafted four talismans¡ªresistance, momentum, crumbling, and hardening¡ªonly to realize how deeply the emotions affected him. They reminded him that his entire cultivation journey had consisted of lucky chances and being led around by the nose.


    His decision to cultivate was a choice, but at the same time, he felt such a choice was mandatory. Later, he fled through the woods and accepted the task to save Huxian. This was also a choice, but it seemed like a false one. He couldn''t have chosen otherwise without betraying his morals.


    The concepts of momentum and resistance danced around him. He felt trapped in an inescapable web. When the events in Fairweather unfolded, Wang Jun had said he was pulled there by fate. But after discovering the atrocities committed, he had no choice but to act. He still worried about the fate of the Song Kingdom. Protector Song had been sent by Zhou Li, whose influence was far-reaching.


    Perhaps this is my next task, Cha Ming thought. I can''t abandon the Song Kingdom without going against my conscience.


    He needed to contact Wang Jun as soon as he entered a city. He also needed to find Huxian. Was he okay on his own? What if he''d been captured? He was just a baby, and the decisions he made were impulsive and conceited.


    Going back to his previous mental exercise, he remembered his choice to recover. It wasn''t truly a choice¡ªhe knew that if he died, Huxian would as well. Besides, there was no reason for him not to try recovering. After that, helping Dr. Li was just a matter of course. He wasn''t so selfish as to turn the man down after all the help he''d received.


    Later, he had helped the thief Lei Dong. It was a foolish but necessary decision on his part. That wasn''t to say that he would do it again¡ªhe wouldn''t. But the him before didn''t understand his current reasoning. The subsequent invasion and his enslavement forced him to harden his resolve to resist crumbling under the pressure. He had to. For the villagers'' sake. For Huxian''s sake.


    Now he waited for the bandit leader to come, to eliminate the last threat to the village''s safety. The documents in Wei Chen''s bag of holding held a dossier on Xiao Heilong''s mannerisms, deeds, and strength. Given the man''s temperament, he should have come for Cha Ming by now.


    Cha Ming sighed once more. What is my goal in life? What is the reason I cultivate? Will I keep floating around in life without choosing anything like in my last life? He had many short-term goals: finding Huxian, saving the Song Kingdom, protecting the villagers, getting Li Yin a medical license, and finally, fulfilling his favor to Wang Jun. The more he thought about it, the more depressed he became. All these goals revolved around others and not around himself.


    Dejected, Cha Ming walked around the camp and observed the villagers who were busy rebuilding the village. He looked at the children who happily helped their parents. He saw groups of women preparing food and anything else the village required. Watching their smiles cheered him up somewhat.


    "Something seems to be bothering you again, boy," said an older man behind him. Cha Ming looked back and saw Li Yin, who was walking toward the hospital with his portable medical kit.


    Cha Ming joined him. "I''m just wondering about life and life goals. I''m not sure about my reason for existing. I just feel like I''m going with the flow, getting dragged along by a sea of fate. I never seem to have a choice in anything that happens."


    "Oh?" Li Yin said, raising an eyebrow. "For a man so good at attracting trouble like yourself, I find this very unlikely. What particular event is bothering you?"


    Cha Ming sighed and told the story of his current life and his perspective on it. It took him took until supper to finish the telling.


    "I honestly don''t see your problem," the older man said between mouthfuls of food. "It seems to me that you''re leading an exciting and fulfilling life. You''ve made plenty of decisions, plenty of choices. But maybe it''s easier to see it from the outside. Let me give you an example. In my life, I''ve become a doctor despite being crippled. I saved a man despite knowing it was a trap. I continued my practice despite a ban by the medical association. Do you think I''ve made many choices in life?"


    "Absolutely," Cha Ming replied. "You didn''t have to do any of these things, but you did. I admire you greatly."


    "But it''s rather funny, now that you mention it," Li Yin said. "I really don''t feel that I had any choice in the matter. Becoming a doctor and helping people was my dream. I would not be Li Yin if I had made different decisions. Every choice I made didn''t feel like a choice. Each one felt natural and unchangeable."


    Cha Ming was silent for a moment. If he had not made those choices, he would not be Li Yin, he thought. Was he misunderstanding the nature of choice?


    "You need to change your perspective, Cha Ming," Li Yin continued. "You need to realize that all this time, you have been making choices. For example, you could have chosen not to cultivate. For the you right now, it doesn''t make much sense as a decision, but many people appreciate a peaceful and normal life. The decision made you who you are. It seems like you didn''t have a choice, but I assure you that if you had made the other choice, you would feel the same way. But you wouldn''t have been Cha Ming.


    "The same applies to your decision to fight devils in Fairweather, the decision to save your fox friend, the decision to save the bandit, and finally, your decision to return to the village when you could have easily left it. Instead, you came back to save us.


    "You seem to be upset because of a lack of choice that could go either way. Well, I hate to break it to you, but such choices don''t exist. The makeup of a person will make them tend to choose certain things. It takes a person without morals or values to decide everything at the toss of a coin. Since you have morals and values, things aren''t so simple. You weigh everything, and the math isn''t exact. You make choices that only seem predetermined.


    "Give up on the idea of having a life goal if you don''t have one already. Let nature take its course. Settle for small-scale goals. Do whatever you feel you should in the moment. Who cares if you don''t have substantial ambitions and run around helping everyone for the rest of your life? That''s what I''ve done all my life. All my decisions were made not because I selfishly wanted to become a doctor. Rather, I did these things to help people in the way I knew best. And I have no regrets in my life. None."


    Cha Ming spent the rest of the night watching the flickering flames where the villagers were gathered. It was true. He didn''t need a long-term goal. He had five smaller goals, and his actions in the near term would be decided by them. To contribute to the Song Kingdom, he would need to contact Wang Jun. To do this, he would need to go to a city. And to succeed in anything else, whether it be Wang Jun''s favor or protecting the Song Kingdom, he would need power and wealth. Therefore, he would need to pursue the next level in his craft. Pieces were moving, and that was good enough.


    He slowly realized that this was, in fact, another form of momentum. It wasn''t that he was being dragged along by the river of fate, but rather, his goals were causing him to willfully move forward with purpose. It was all a matter of perspective. Each poetic talisman he made was also a matter of perspective. The Resistance Talisman could either slow down his opponent or stabilize his body for defense. The Momentum Talisman could either make it difficult for his opponents to control their movements or grant his staff arts unprecedented strength.


    Even the Crumbling Talisman could either be used to break his opponent''s defenses or to crumble his inhibitions. The Hardening Talisman could be used to bolster his defense and courage or to solidify his opponent''s perspective and make their movements rigid. It was all a matter of perspective.


    That was what made emotions so frightening. He could either ride them to great heights or let them break his will and shatter his resolve.


    He aimed to do the former.

 105 Cash Cow

    Tick. Tick. Tick.


    Wang Jun''s face was haggard and pale. He was tired past the point of exhaustion, trying to salvage his disadvantaged position. His family had given him an impossible task, one which he had no choice but to complete. His alternative was to give up his bid for the family''s leadership, something his brother would relish greatly.


    Brother¡­ Wang Jun clenched his fists as he thought of that despicable excuse for a human being. Originally, he''d had no intent on competing with him. And neither did his sister, despite being much more talented than he was. Yet his cruel brother had felt the need to nip the threat she posed in the bud. That had changed everything. Unfortunately, Wang Jun had started too late. He did not yet have the power to contend with his elder brother. Only by risking his wealth and health could he make up for the deficiency.


    This assignment was clear evidence of his lack of support in the family. The mission had originated from the council of elders and had been approved by the current patriarch, then ultimately reviewed by the grand elder. Those same people had said nothing about his sister''s murder.


    If they condone such cruel competition, then he isn''t fit to oversee the family, Wang Jun thought. My brother, the patriarch, and the grand elder¡­ they must all be purged.


    Elder Bai entered the study at the hour he always did. However, he paused just after entering, giving time for Wang Jun to adjust his mental state. Wang Jun waved him in.


    "Young Master," Elder Bai said, "are you sure you don''t want me to come back later?" The fatigue on the old man''s wrinkled face was evident.


    "No need," Wang Jun said wearily. "What''s our current status?"


    "Our total profit to date is six hundred thousand," Elder Bai said. "However, our total liquid assets continue to dwindle. We have less than a quarter of this amount to invest due to our forceful acquisition of seventy-five percent of the weaponsmithing assets and half the mining capacity in the Song Kingdom.


    "Even though we have some influence in the alchemical market, the nationalism in the Song Kingdom is apparent in their purchasing decisions. Therefore, we aren''t making sufficient headway in this market. The crown prince and the Zhou family use their market share in alchemy as a continuous supply of working capital. The competition becomes stiffer with each passing day."


    "What about the real-estate market?" Wang Jun asked.


    "We''ve made no ground in real estate. The prices are currently over-inflated. That, and the third prince''s influence is extremely shaky. If anything should happen to the king before the deadline, we will be forced to take heavy losses when pulling out of the market. I suggest we wait."


    Wang Jun massaged his brow. The only thing that could save him now was war. In fact, most of the decisions he made counted on an inevitable conflict. The king''s sickness was far too coincidental, and his condition would undoubtedly worsen in the near future.


    "Continue as before," Wang Jun said with a sigh. "Continue purchasing our competitors'' weapons and spirit medicine through intermediaries in as much discounted bulk as you can manage. Right now they are trying to starve out our businesses. They are willing to off-load their stored products on the market at a low price to choke us out.


    "However, they do not yet know that this is a mistake. We will punish their shortsighted behavior. Meanwhile, we must focus on producing premium spirit weapons and magic weapons from our unique alloy blends and sell them at a premium to non-affiliated countries. We must ensure that we have a stock of high-quality weapons for immediate sale when the time comes."


    "Isn''t tying up so much working capital wasteful?" Elder Bai asked hesitantly.


    "It seems wasteful," Wang Jun said. "However, my strategy is far-reaching. It is a high-risk but high-reward strategy. If things unfold like I believe they will, then we will have the advantage. We will have hope." He looked at Elder Bai. "Continue doing this, and I will ask the crown prince for yet another large loan."


    "How much this time?" Elder Bai asked.


    "One hundred thousand," Wang Jun replied. "However, we won''t spend this capital. We will need it in the future, but we must borrow it now. Even if the interest costs us greatly, we must have this money available. There will soon come a time when it will be impossible to borrow, and cash will be king. This will be our turning point.


    "Besides, there are people in the shadows who are preventing us from achieving our full potential. The rising nationalism interfering with the alchemical business, the pressure on our prices for exports, the difficulties in securing import partners. The king''s poisoning. I believe a third party is meddling."


    "You mean¡­" Elder Bai started.


    Wang Jun nodded in response. The elder sighed but proceeded to pour tea for two. He then presented a second dossier. Wang Jun looked at him quizzically as he picked up the document. "You''ve been so stressed lately," Elder Bai said. "I kept the good news for last."


    "Oh?" Wang Jun said while opening the package. It was a thick report, but he read through it with practiced ease. His eyes gleamed as he read. "Interesting. Such a cash cow truly exists in this small kingdom? Ah, but it is in the middle of demon-beast territory. The Silverwing Mountain Range is no pushover. I dare say that even the royal army would have trouble facilitating such a mining expedition."


    "The difficulty is what presents the opportunity, Young Master," the older man said.


    Wang Jun nodded. "What are the terms to purchase the information?"


    "Instead of antagonizing one party or another, the seller of the information has offered it for fifty thousand high-grade spirit stones," Elder Bai said. "More than one party can purchase the information, which the seller has guaranteed by death vow and through verification with a high inquisitor. He swears it is enough for applying for a mining permit. However, we must move quickly. If we don''t apply for the permit soon, the crown prince''s group will automatically gain the rights to this lucrative find."


    "Elder Bai, please purchase the information on credit using this seal," he said, tossing him a green jade slip. "In the meantime, I''ll go to the third prince''s residence to secure funding. No doubt he''ll want a cut of the mine as well, but I can live with that. This mine is sufficient to solve at least half of our problems, assuming the information is correct."


    ***


    Huxian yawned as he lounged in the sun on his mountain peak. He was bored. A few months prior, he had seen a glimpse of the beast called Silverwing for the first time. The beasts on the mountain said it was a regular occurrence. Every three lunar cycles, the large bird would fly from its mountain to feed. He was determined to catch it.


    Like Huxian, no one had seen the bird''s true form. At most, they had caught a silver gleam as its shadow rapidly flitted across the sun. It was a majestic sight. It made Huxian fearful but expectant. He smelled an opportunity.


    A full boring day passed before Huxian began doubting the accuracy of the bird''s schedule. As he waited, he wondered about Cha Ming and how he was doing.


    I can''t wait to show him how much I''ve grown, Huxian thought. He''s going to be very impressed. Though I hope he finds me before I become the monarch of the entire mountain range.


    It was noon again, and the sun had reached its zenith. Its rays rained down on the parched mountaintop, roasting away at any who dared stay exposed. Even Huxian, a mid-purification Godbeast, felt the urge to take shelter from the sun''s rays.


    This was exactly why he didn''t. The timing was far too coincidental, so he figured Silverwing had waited for this very moment to make his exit, away from the watchful eyes of the beasts that hid away from the blistering sun.


    As expected, a sharp cry cut through the air like a sword through silk fabric. It made Huxian''s blood boil, something only possible with a higher-level demon beast. Not long after, a silvery glint flew from the nearest mountain and headed skyward before flying toward the next mountain over. A large gust of wind swept up the dust beside the small fox, cleaning the mountaintop in a single pass.


    Huxian''s interest was piqued. Using his superior movement speed, he dashed off toward the flying demon he could barely see. He was nowhere near as fast as it was and could only catch up because the bird was hovering around the mountain looking for prey. If he wanted to see it, he would either need to bait it or go visit it on its own mountain.


    Huxian enjoyed a challenge, so baiting was the preferred method. He stealthily stalked the various beasts on the neighboring mountain, carefully analyzing each potential prey using his knowledge of such birds. Despite its impressive cries and the massive gusts of wind, his instincts told him that the bird was rather small. Therefore, he narrowed his search to demon beasts no larger than a small spirit wolf or spirit hog.


    The mountain''s construction was peculiar, with one side ending in a sharp cliff that prevented its inhabitants from taking shelter. The only suitable prey was roaming on the second quartile from the bottom of the mountain. While the lowest quartile met the size requirements, these beasts were much too weak to provide suitable nourishment for the powerful avian creature.


    Huxian lurked near a pack of spirit hogs. Plump, small, and powerful, they were the most likely targets. The skies showed no indication of the avian demon. The sky was its servant, shielding its sovereign from the fox''s prying eyes.


    Suddenly he felt turbulence in the wind that caused his hairs to stand on end. A sharp sensation of crisis forced him to dodge into a nearby shadow, just in time to miss three dozen trees tumbling to the ground after being chopped at their base.


    So fast! Huxian thought. So sharp!


    He panicked. Never in a million years would he have thought that the prey the bird would choose was none other than himself. He looked to the ground, where a small silver feather had dropped. It was only six inches long. He smelled the feather, smelled the presence of the feather, which enabled him to instantly lock on to the bird in the skies. He couldn''t see it, but he could now sense its presence enough to track it.


    A loud cry pierced the skies as the bird dove down once more. This time, Huxian was ready. The black and white markings on his fur blended with his surroundings, forming a fifty-foot bagua around him. As the bird descended, Huxian feigned being paralyzed with fear. The surrounding winds slashed at his black and white fur. He held strong as his hunter swooped in for the kill.


    It arrived in the blink of an eye. Then it stopped. The formation took effect, granting him a precious three breaths to do whatever he wanted. But he didn''t pounce on the sovereign mountain beast. Instead he carefully observed it. The bird''s wings spanned only twenty feet in width, making it impressively tiny for a peak-purification demon beast. Its brown body was highlighted with a slim row of silver feathers, the very same feathers that reflected the sunlight as it flew.


    The feathers were sharp. Huxian sensed that even coming into light contact with them at the edge of its wings would split his tough skin open like paper. The feathers triggered a distant memory. He remembered an absurdly large bird that could fly ten thousand li in a single breath. Its massive silver wings could split mountains and cut apart seas. It was a Godbeast, the original Silver-Winged Roc.


    The falcon, which was still frozen in midair, possessed a trace of its imperial bloodline. In this single breath that passed, Huxian firmly decided that he must possess it. The bird would become his general of wind.


    But it''s so powerful, he thought, sighing. I can''t forcibly convert him into a general like I did Lei Jiang. I need to deceive him to recruit him into my service. But how do I defuse this awkward situation?


    Another breath passed while he deliberated. Huxian decided to take a gamble. He swiftly grew to his original forty-foot-long size and pounced on the helpless bird. His attack broke the eight trigrams that bound it, and the bird''s eyes widened in surprise.


    Both figures tumbled as Huxian''s claws gripped the falcon''s small body, his teeth attempting to draw blood through feathers hard as steel. The falcon''s talons repeatedly scratched his tough fur, but they weren''t nearly as sharp as its wings, which were thoroughly restrained by Huxian''s wrestling. It attempted to flee but was repeatedly pulled back into the fox''s embrace.


    "I surrender!" the falcon suddenly shouted.


    Huxian, bewildered by the sudden reversal, swiftly freed the tiny bird. The both stood apart, viciously glaring at each other and projecting the strength of their bloodlines. They were equally matched. Huxian''s bloodline was originally much purer than the falcon''s, but the small winged beast was a peak-purification demon beast. Each step in the purification realm greatly condensed the strength of one''s bloodline.


    Seeing that their posturing was having no effect, both Huxian and the falcon suppressed their auras in tacit agreement. Huxian looked at the feathered beast curiously. A hint of frustration surfaced in the falcon''s eyes.


    "How dare you shrink your form," the falcon suddenly shouted. "Have you no shame?"


    Huxian furrowed his brow in confusion, but the falcon continued berating him.


    "It''s so difficult to find sufficiently small high-level prey; how could I possibly resist attacking you? If you had taken on your original form, I would have completely avoided you. What? Speechless?"


    Huxian was indeed speechless, but before he could reply, the falcon''s tirade continued. "Not just that, but don''t you appreciate your massive form? Did you shrink yourself just to mock me and my tiny stature? How dare you mock this sovereign!"


    Black lines started to form on Huxian''s forehead. "I wasn''t mocking your stature. I just feel more comfortable in my reduced form," he said with a sigh.


    The falcon''s initially fierce expression suddenly transformed to one of excitement. "So, you agree that a small form is the best form too? How fascinating. Most of the brutes out there like to show off their massive build. That insufferable bear on the neighboring peak liked to flaunt his hundred-foot stature all the time. But he was unaware that I am proud of my small form. Smallest is most comfortable. Smallest beast is best beast."


    Huxian shrugged helplessly. How could this bird possibly know that he was only a baby? He liked his smaller form because of his precious memories, the memories of Cha Ming holding and petting him. "Yes, this is truly the case," Huxian said in a calculated manner. "Smallest beast is best beast." To accentuate this point, he shrunk his size all the way down to the appearance of a month-old fox.


    "So adorable!" the bird said. "I''m jealous. Here, look at my smallest form." The bird rapidly shrunk until its wingspan was only two feet wide. It was much smaller than before, but not as small as Huxian. "Aren''t I cute? Aren''t I handsome?" The bird adopted several poses to make itself look regal.


    Huxian no longer knew how to reply, so he only shook his head and walked away.


    "Wait, wait," the falcon yelled, flapping over. "Where do you live? Can I come see?"


    Huxian shrugged. "Suit yourself. I live right next door, and I''m heading back now."


    The bird nodded and began flying softly overhead. His words were mentally projected to the fox as he walked. "How impressive to be so strong at mid purification. It''s too bad I have such a diluted bloodline, or I''d be much stronger than you are." The pride the falcon felt for his heritage was very apparent.


    "Do your inherited memories not contain a blood-purification technique?" Huxian asked curiously. This was standard issue in any Godbeast''s inheritance.


    "Inherited memories?" the falcon said, blinking. "What are those? Are they tasty?"


    The falcon''s queries overwhelmed Huxian with two emotions. He was shocked and confused. It appeared that the beast''s bloodline was not sufficiently dense for it to awaken the inherited memories hidden in its blood. This was both a tragedy and an opportunity for Huxian. After all, due to the bagua fox''s general system, he had a vast multitude of suitable techniques to pass on to whomever he pleased. Perhaps he could convince the bird to become his general in exchange for the techniques.


    The second emotion was appreciation. The falcon had a similar liking for tasty things.


    "Yes," he said cheerfully. "They are very tasty."


    As they walked back toward the peak of Huxian''s mountain, they began exchanging names of delicious things and the ways to obtain them. For gourmets like them, this was the highest pursuit of a beast''s life. There was no such thing as too much tasty talk.

 106 Departure

    Two months passed uneventfully. The swift vengeance Cha Ming had expected from Xiao Heilong never came, and he began to grow nervous. During his idle time, he helped the village with its construction. When it seemed like houses wouldn''t be built in time for the winter, he accompanied the mayor and a few others on a mission to recruit additional carpenters. He also bought food, clothing, and other provisions, enough to last them a year if need be.


    After the first snow fell, Cha Ming knew that it was time to go. He had no way of helping the villagers further, and no way of increasing his strength if he stayed in this remote location. It would be better to go to a major city, both to find ways to surpass his limits and to find information on Xiao Heilong''s whereabouts.


    The next day, Cha Ming stood at the edge of the village. He wished goodbye to the many people he had befriended, hurt, and helped during his extended stay. Although he would miss the village''s calm atmosphere and Li Yin''s wise words, there were many things he needed to do.


    "Are you sure you don''t want to stay a little while longer?" Li Yin asked him. The fatigue that had accumulated over the years had finally faded from his aging face. He was no longer overburdened with injured and malnourished villagers.


    "It''s time for me to go, teacher," Cha Ming said. "I know there is a place for me in this village, but there''s so much more that I can do outside. If I stay any longer, it will be to the detriment of my friends."


    He didn''t tell the whole truth about Xiao Heilong. It was best if he quietly found the man and defeated him without their knowledge.


    Though sad, he found he was excited at the prospect of seeing and experiencing new things. Momentum was like that. Now that he had started moving, he didn''t want to stop, lest resistance grasp him with its sharp claws.


    Li Yin nodded. "It''s good that you know this, and that you know your direction. You''ve grown up, Cha Ming. Before, you were in a pit of despair and self-blame. Now you''ve learned to take responsibility for your actions, and you know what it is you should do." Li Yin''s eyes turned red as he began tearing up. He hugged Cha Ming tightly and whispered to him, "Take care of yourself out there. It can be a cruel world, but never give up hope."


    Cha Ming couldn''t help but shed a tear as well. He looked at all the villagers that had gathered, all the children who were sad to see him leave. He had treated half of them in his time as Li Yin''s apprentice. He still felt a lot of guilt over the pains they had suffered these past years, but they seemed to have forgiven him. Over half the village had shown up to wish him safe travels.


    After saying a few more goodbyes, he turned around and walked through the well-worn path that now led to and from the village. The path was both familiar and unfamiliar. It was lightly covered in snow, but he could see firmly pressed stones beneath the light dusting. It was the same path he had led Lei Dong through, the same path the bandits had taken on their way to the village. Yet as he walked through the woods, he passed three wagons and four horses. Such traffic would have been unimaginable only three years prior.


    After leaving the woods, Cha Ming let out a deep sigh and summoned a flying sword, which he used to fly over the river to the next village on his way to the nearest city.


    ***


    A few days later, Cha Ming was already halfway to Quicksilver City. He rested in inns as he traveled and ate meals at dozens of villages, enjoying himself immensely. After all, he had spent three years cooped up a small town and a mine. He yearned for discovery and variety.


    He ate today''s meal at a quaint inn, whose walls were built with a peculiar but fragrant wood. It also sported a large bar, which was currently occupied by a very large man.


    "It''s the twentieth time this week, I tell you," the burly man said softly. If Cha Ming didn''t have incandescent force, he would have struggled to hear it. "Merchants don''t want to come down here any longer. Whenever the Imperial Army makes the rounds to clear them out, they end up settling everything with just a few words." The bartender shrugged to avoid the conversation, but the man continued regardless. "This thieving can''t go on. Otherwise, how will I continue my trade? I may as well pack up and leave!"


    "Why do you stay around here, anyway?" the bartender said. "A spiritual blacksmith such as yourself doesn''t need to live so far away from Quicksilver. Besides, the thieving isn''t so bad. No one dies in these exchanges. It''s just simple robberies, that''s all. And they don''t even take everything. They wouldn''t even touch your iron."


    "But I can''t ship my weapons off to other villages," the blacksmith complained. "And what do you mean spiritual blacksmith? I''m just a failure, a second-grade spiritual blacksmith. I''m not worth anything near the capital, so I have no choice but to stay out here to scrape out a living."


    The man took a long pull from his mug of ale. "Back to thievery, though. It''s not enough that people don''t die during the robberies. The merchants are never the same after they get robbed. It''s like they lose their will to live. They return to the city, and their businesses go under. Most of them hang themselves afterward. No one wants to make the trip anymore because they fear for their very souls."


    The bartender scrunched his brows but didn''t reply.


    Cha Ming, who had heard everything, sat down at the bar beside the man. He slapped twenty spirit stones on the counter. "Please buy this friend a drink," Cha Ming said.


    Seeing the glittering stones, the bartender nodded and placed a pot of wine on the bar. "For yourself?" he asked.


    "I don''t drink wine," Cha Ming replied. "Tea will do. The best you have." He then turned to the blacksmith. The man looked confused. "No need to be alarmed, friend. I heard the conversation you were having just now, and I''ve encountered something similar in a faraway place. There was once a village where individuals bewitched soldiers. Have you heard descriptions of the thieves?"


    The man hesitated, then nodded.


    "Could you please describe them in detail?"


    He nodded once more. After taking a swift drink, he spoke in a hushed voice. "It''s no secret, and nothing I haven''t told half the village," the blacksmith said. "There was once a merchant who was robbed, but instead of heading back, he came to this village. His face was pale. His hands shaking. It was as though he''d seen a ghost. So I asked him, ''What happened to make you look pale as a sheet?'' To which he replied, ''I saw the devil. At the bridge crossing Salmon Creek. She was a bewitching beauty, her hair long and black as night, her skin pale as white jade. And her eyes¡ªwhen I looked into her eyes, I lost a piece of my soul. Barely enough was left over, as though she fed on the feelings of despair that shook me.''


    "Then he went on to describe the bandits. They were all women, and they only stole precious metals and spirit stones. The rest they left in the wagon, all packed up and pretty. The merchant and his guards didn''t stand a chance. As they rode off, he was left with the great urge to return home and liquidate his assets, then send them to an account in the city. He was overwhelmed, so he stopped in the village for a drink.


    "The man stayed for a few days, after which he hung himself in despair," the blacksmith finished.


    Cha Ming frowned as he assembled the pieces of the puzzle. He had never encountered a creature that could devour souls, but he had fought some that could bewitch them. Then again, he''d only fought against devil cultivators below foundation establishment. Did their abilities change at higher levels?


    He also remembered the gold-gathering formation in Fairweather. Stealing precious metals and spirit stones was something a creature like the Merchant would do. That being the case, it was highly possible that two devils were acting together.


    "Do you know anything about the Imperial Army patrol that went out?" Cha Ming asked. "Like the strength of their leader?"


    "I''m not sure about that," the blacksmith replied, "but I know that most patrols are headed by someone between initial and middle-foundation establishment. It''s the requirement to become a captain in the Quicksilver Empire."


    Cha Ming recalled the guard captain in the small village and his impressive cultivation. It seemed that he''d only been a frog in the well. From the maps that he''d seen, the Quicksilver Empire was several times the size of the tiny Song Kingdom. In addition, it was much wealthier. It made sense that the qualifications to be considered powerful here were much higher than his home kingdom.


    "Many thanks," Cha Ming said. He drank his tea in a single gulp. He then walked out of the bar and took off on his flying sword toward the east. He didn''t want to rush into their dwelling on the mountains, as that would be very dangerous. Instead, he opted for the safer approach.


    And for that, he needed bait.


    ***


    A merchant''s wagon was racing swiftly toward the west, its horses sweating from exhaustion. They could sense the driver''s fear as he whipped them, trying to speed them across the dangerous stretch of road. His friend, a spice merchant, had been accosted near that damnable bridge. Word had spread quickly, and the steady flow of merchants to the eastern parts of the dynasty had dried up.


    In other words, demand had peaked while supply remained desperately low. Liu Hao sensed an opportunity, and a merchant so poor as himself couldn''t turn down such a potential windfall. He figured he was smarter than the rest of them. He had bought the swiftest horses available and picked up several mercenaries before leaving. Heck, he''d picked up an extra one in the town just before the bridge to be sure.


    The special enchanted cloth covering the wagon could resist fire and arrows. The wagon contained chests of holding to maximize its carrying capacity. He brought with him both expensive goods and bulk goods in large quantities. Even simple commodities had sky-high prices due to the decrease in shipments. Liu Hao figured he could earn three times his initial investment on this trip. He would also get to keep the horses, the carriages, and the chests to boot.


    Suddenly his horses neighed. The wagon slowed to a crawl. Panicking, he whipped the horses bloody to get them moving, but they refused to budge. They stood there placidly like they were enjoying a good brushing. He had never seen anything so strange in his life.


    In the distance, a dozen people approached from the side on horses.


    "Dammit," he cursed softly. "You better all be ready to defend the wagon. If you don''t, I''ll report you to the mercenary association."


    The men in the wagon shifted uncomfortably. Ultimately, they drew their weapons. Failing to accomplish a mission had dire repercussions in their line of work, where reputation was everything.


    The opposing horses stopped fifty feet away. The merchant looked at their leader nervously; he had heard far too many rumors about what happened to the people they caught. The common consensus was that anyone who met them would go mad. Still, as he looked at her, he realized that things couldn''t be further from the truth. A fair-skinned lady such as herself must be in dire straits to resort to a robbery. Perhaps it would be best to just give her his wares and be done with it. He could recoup his losses on the bulk goods he brought. Yes, that would be best.


    As he continued looking, her charming blue eyes, deep like endless oceans, met his. He wished for nothing more than to lose himself in them, so he let himself go. He let himself float in the ocean in his dreams, only to realize that it wasn''t such a calm ocean as he had imagined. Rather, it was an ocean filled with sharks and other dangerous creatures.


    He felt a sharp stab of pain as something bit his foot off. A hideous aquatic creature surfaced and shot him a toothy grin as it munched on his flesh. Unsatisfied, it bit off his other leg and followed up with his arm. He could barely stand the pain. Unfortunately, he didn''t faint. It was as though his only path of retreat¡ªlosing consciousness¡ªhad been cut off. He could only look on in despair as he was eaten alive.


    Suddenly he felt a stirring in the ocean. The aquatic creature roared as it abandoned its attempt to devour him and plunged back into the waters. Relieved, he continued floating until he finally drifted off to sleep.

 107 Eyes of Pure Jade

    Cha Ming was surrounded by an endless ocean. He floated there, seemingly helpless. He knew what lurked beneath the sea. The tentacled monstrosity''s maw was wide open and ready to tear into his incandescent soul. That is, if it could get its tentacles on him in the first place.


    This was a dream. To be more precise, it was a forced mental projection, a hybrid of his mind and another. The skies were white, unnaturally so. He wasn''t worried, however. The white sky was his domain, and it shone much brighter than the ocean below. He harnessed the power of the sky and sunk down into the ocean, breathing it in as he would air. The pupils of the large creature below dilated as it saw his fearless approach. It struck at him with its large tentacles.


    He could tell instinctively that these two worlds were a representation of their souls. His soul was much stronger. He imagined his surroundings covered in a black mist, and it was so. The water around him evaporated to nothing as it contacted the barrier of pure destruction that surrounded him. As the tentacles whipped toward him, they too were burned and disintegrated after striking the impenetrable shield.


    The creature below roared in anger. He smirked at the evil monster, summoning the Clear Sky Brush and hefting it with two hands like a spear. He focused the power of his soul into it, elongating it forward a full mile and piercing the ocean-dwelling creature in the eye. It let out an aggrieved howl before the reality around him shimmered, then collapsed into nothingness.


    ***


    Cha Ming woke to a woman''s scream. He looked around himself calmly, only to see that the mercenaries in the wagon had all fainted. This was normal, of course. They were foolish in thinking that their cultivations, which were only at the peak of qi condensation, could allow them to withstand these "thieves."


    As he walked out, he saw several women huddled around their beautiful leader, who had fallen from her horse. She glared at Cha Ming venomously, her right eye bleeding profusely. This development was intriguing to Cha Ming. After all, he hadn''t expected the results of their mental battle to transfer so well to the physical world.


    Seeing his nonchalant expression, she stood up and glared at him. "Surely there is a misunderstanding," she said in a high-pitched voice like that of a songbird. He swooned slightly when he heard it. "If sir would take the time to discuss, I''m sure we can come to an agreement."


    His blood raced as he heard her voice. His heartbeat quickened. The thought of doing anything possible to please her flirted with his mind.


    "No," Cha Ming said, thoroughly suppressing his urges. "I don''t believe this is a misunderstanding. I know who I came to find." Then he materialized his Clear Sky Staff and pounced toward them. He headed toward the injured one, who was coincidentally the biggest source of trouble.


    "Kill him!" the woman yelled.


    As he closed in on her, his movements faltered as his mind was assaulted by ten others simultaneously. They were all top-class beauties, and the movements they made while approaching him with daggers drawn entranced him. Each step was seductive, and even the way they wielded their daggers seemed to have certain unwholesome implications. He almost didn''t notice a tomboyish-looking figure that snuck behind him, threatening to tear him apart from behind. Almost.


    His staff swung backward, smashing against the tender girl who thought she had caught him unaware. A soft ping sounded as a large amount of recoil shot up his arm. Dodging to the side, he saw that the girl''s skin had turned golden, just like the Merchant in Fairweather. Her feet sunk into the soft ground below her.


    "Support me!" she yelled. The ten others nodded, focusing their attention on Cha Ming as the girl rushed toward him with fists bared.


    He clicked his tongue but didn''t fight her head on. Instead, he bashed her with his lengthened staff from the side and used his Soft Staff Art to dive behind her toward his initial target, the mastermind behind the thefts. The beauty''s face turned pale as a sheet as a quake staff crashed down and shattered her skull and spine. As soon as he struck her down, however, a searing pain blinded him, causing him to take a blow from behind his head.


    The world was a blur. He couldn''t see, and he could barely stand. The pain faded quickly, just in time for him to block a kick to his face that surely would have killed him. As he stood up, still dizzy from the trauma to his head, he saw an entirely different world.


    All around him, he could only see various shades of gray. Curious, he looked at his own hand. It was covered in a slight shade of green.


    An aged voice whispered through the wind. Can you see what I see with these eyes of pure jade?


    Cha Ming saw ten yellow silhouettes and one shining with a malevolent ochre glow. It was the girl with the golden body.


    Is she different from the others in some way aside from her golden body? he wondered. The ten others had similar abilities to the one he had just killed. No, that isn''t true. Their combined assault isn''t even a fifth of her initial assault. It was as though their technique was an empty shell, a piece of glass posing as precious porcelain.


    Their pressure was still present, so he resolved to rid himself of it as soon as possible. After exchanging six rapid but jarring blows with the gold-bodied girl, he broke away from the ochre figure and instantly killed one of her bewitching assistants, who had clearly not broken through to foundation establishment or its equivalent.


    She paused her assault, so he continued mowing them down one by one. But when he finally turned around to meet her in combat, he was horrified by what he saw. The pretty, tomboyish girl from before was now missing her entire hand. Golden blood oozed from the bones where the hand had been previously. She held the severed appendage as she chewed on its golden finger bones. Her aura climbed at a frightening pace as she devoured the golden flesh.


    Cha Ming wasn''t so foolish as to let her increase her fighting strength, so he rushed toward her with his staff, attacking her remaining arm with the strongest blows possible. Despite being made of metal, it bent unnaturally with every blow.


    At this moment, he wished that he had a reliable fire technique. Fire was the nemesis of gold, so he suspected it would have a pronounced effect against her. Even water would have some effect, since metal fed water. Her resistance to physical blows was astonishing. Only his sword staff and plain physical attacks had much of an effect on her. Barely.


    They continued fighting blow for blow, but despite his best efforts, Cha Ming was unable to obtain an advantage in their confrontation. His energy reserves were dwindling, and he had difficulty evaluating his opponent. She clearly didn''t have the same limitations as a human. He began panicking, unsure if he could sustain his continuous assault. His clothes were drenched in sweat, his arms burned, and his hands were numb from the continuous recoil of his constant attacks.


    The golden creature''s speed and strength increased drastically. He smelled burning metal as its arm burnt away to its elbow.


    Shit, Cha Ming thought. He quickly pasted one of his trump cards, the Hardening Talisman, to his chest. His skin turned hard and brittle, and his muscles and bones did the same. Just in time for him to receive a kick to the stomach that sent him tumbling backward. If it weren''t for the talisman, he would have died from that blow.


    Fine, I may as well go all out. Three talismans flew out at once and struck the golden monstrosity simultaneously. Her movements faltered as if unable to overcome her resistance. He could see the struggle in her eyes as she feebly raised her arm to deflect his staff as it bore down on her head.


    Her arm barely deflected the strength of his heavy blow before shattering. Her body was now brittle due to the strength of the Crumbling Talisman. She screamed as what was left of her arms burned up to her shoulder, increasing her strength by another level. This time, she didn''t attack. She darted off with greatly increased speed, and he was barely able to keep up with both his movement technique and Stormchaser Boots. To his dismay, he saw her inching away. His energy reserves were insufficient to keep chasing her.


    Shit, it''s now or never, he thought. If I want to stop her, I need to use it. He didn''t think twice before throwing out the final talisman in his possession, Ode to Mr. Mao Mao. Like the non-poetic talisman from his fight with the bandits, it transformed into the stable phantom of a demon bobcat. This time, it was only a single foot long, just like the original Mr. Mao Mao he had met in Elder Ling''s shack. He nearly puked blood after seeing the phantom''s appearance.


    What the hell? he thought. You wanted to highlight the might of your feelings for Mr. Mao Mao, and you gave me this? What use is a kitten?


    To his surprise, however, the girl shivered and stopped escaping. A look of incredulity spread across her face as she began shaking and quivering. Cha Ming felt a mounting presence in front of him. He identified with the presence as "cuteness," but unbeknownst to him, the girl was experiencing something entirely different: suppression.


    She backed away from the projection fearfully as the cat advanced in a lofty, imperial manner. The small bobcat was an incredibly cute sovereign that looked upon the world with disdain. Seeing his chance, Cha Ming rushed to the petrified golden girl, who now lacked two arms.


    As he struck down, the phantom kitten let out a cute "meow" and set himself upon the helpless girl, who screamed as its claws tore through her golden flesh. Golden blood poured out only to be absorbed by the vicious kitten. At the same time, Cha Ming''s staff came crashing down on her skull. Golden blood and brain matter sprayed about. That, too, was devoured by Mr. Mao Mao''s phantom. It continued to eat away at the golden girl, and once the grisly task was accomplished, it let out a pleased mewl and disappeared. Nothing was left behind.


    So this is the power of emotions you wanted to show me, Cha Ming thought. The talisman was significantly stronger than the last. If he hadn''t been told they used the same amount of qi and ink, he wouldn''t have believed it.


    He was also pleased with the power of his four poetic talismans. One had protected him while the other three had rendered her helpless, unable to defend herself. The tough arms that he couldn''t affect with his strongest blows easily shattered after she was affected by the Crumbling Talisman.


    If only I could make them again, he thought.


    Sighing, he sat beside the wagon to meditate as he waited for the mercenaries and the merchant to recover. When they came to, they ran off to the next village at Cha Ming''s insistence. He wasn''t sure if they had been inflicted with lasting damage, as he knew precious little about matters of the soul. He could only pray for their recovery.


    The battle just now had also reminded him that he was still weak. He required better talismans and battle techniques to fight effectively. In addition, his cultivation was far too low. He also resolved to find out more about these monstrosities. If an eye technique from the Devil Sealing Scripture identified these creatures with a malevolent ochre glow, they must surely be devils.


    Cha Ming left shortly after they departed. Unbeknownst to him, his eyes had transformed. His irises were now green like the purest jade. And on his irises, two runes had also appeared¡ªone golden and one blue.


    ***


    Intense pain shot through Huxian''s eyes as he trotted through a forested mountain valley. After moments of debilitating pain, he opened his eyes to discover a world tinged in gray. It only lasted for a short moment, but he knew what it was.


    Eyes of pure jade, huh? Huxian thought. It looks like Cha Ming is getting closer and ran into a good bit of fortune. I''ll need to find something for him as well.


    Their bond may have had its advantages, but there were a few disadvantages as well. Now he needed to watch out for how much sin he accumulated, otherwise they''d both lose their wonderful eyes. Demon beasts like himself usually didn''t have to care about merit and sin. The moral obligations for demons differed greatly from that of humans.


    After recovering his eyesight, Huxian carefully observed local fauna. He wanted something small, but it needed to be sufficiently nutritious as well. As he roamed, he emanated the pressure of his bloodline and forced the beings on the mountain to show themselves.


    Too small. Too big. Too bony. He looked through the swarm of beasts like he would produce at a grocery store. Finally, his eyes settled on a grouse. It was a tier-two beast, a tier above most of the beasts on the mountain. Further, it was a seventh-grade spirit beast. Most importantly, it was small. Barely two feet in length. Perfect.


    He exerted a tiny bit of his bloodline pressure, and the beast instantly committed suicide, leaving not a single trace of fear in its marbled flesh. He picked it up in his mouth and sprinted toward the peak of the neighboring mountain.


    This mountain was strange compared to his. The woods ended a full mile from the peak. In addition, a spire jutted from the mountain, forming an obelisklike structure that overlooked the adjacent peaks. If he could choose any of the mountains, he would choose that one without a doubt. The overbearingly tall tower pleased him. Unfortunately, it was taken.


    Before long, Huxian arrived at the base of the spire. A sharp screech sounded out from nearby as Silverwing flew out from his cave on the cliffside. His small body landed near Huxian, and he looked at the prey curiously.


    "Is this for me?" he asked in beast language.


    "I happened to encounter it while I was eating breakfast and thought you would appreciate it," Huxian said with his honeyed tongue. "Besides, I have a larger appetite than a taotie , and such a small, cute, delicious grouse would barely fill a small corner in my stomach."


    "Quite right," Silvering said, salivating. "Such small delicacies should be reserved for little old me." The falcon immediately devoured the tiny beast. This decisive behavior caused Huxian to roll his eyes.


    Like feeding candy to a baby, he thought. Convincing him to become my general is going to be much easier than expected.


    The falcon finished his appetizer quickly and let out a loud burp that made the mountain tremble. "What are we doing for fun today?" he asked the small fox, who shrugged.


    "We explored my mountain last time," Huxian said. "How about we see yours?"


    The falcon''s feathers ruffled in excitement. The small bird clearly liked showing off. "I have something great to show you, and it only appeared recently," the bird said excitedly. Huxian lazily followed him down to the base of the mountain and into a network of tunnels. As they dove deeper, a multicolored glow appeared. They were soon surrounded by glistening crystals.


    "Truly pretty," Huxian commented, "but useless. I sure hope this isn''t what you brought me here to see."


    "Of course not!" the falcon said indignantly. "My friend the badger used to live here, but one day he was killed by a human. I never found him, but in the process of looking for him, I found this multicolored stone wall."


    They rounded the corner and arrived at a partially excavated wall. A small chunk was missing from it, but otherwise it was a perfectly smooth multicolored mosaic. Further, he recognized the substance. "Isn''t this immortal jade?" he wondered aloud. "How can there be such a large amount here?"


    The falcon bounced excitedly. "Did I do good? Did I do good?"


    "Yes," Huxian said, frowning. "You did good, but I''m worried. This was clearly excavated by a human. Immortal jade means nothing to us, but it is very valuable to them. If they come back, it will cause us endless problems."


    "Can''t we just kill them as they come?" the falcon questioned.


    The fox shook his head. "This is much too valuable. We might be able to defeat them a few times, but you underestimate their need for it. It will only be a matter of time until core-formation cultivators arrive." Then he sighed. "What a headache. I sure hope they don''t come for a few more years. Though that''s likely wishful thinking on my part."


    "What do we do, then?" the falcon asked.


    Huxian was pleased with the bird''s increasing dependence on him. "We wait," Huxian replied. "We get stronger. While we can''t use this immortal jade, it might be useful depending on who comes to claim it. This can either be a calamity or an opportunity. Only time will tell."


    A tense silence followed.


    "Have I introduced you to my follower, Lei Jiang?" Huxian asked.


    "Follower?" the falcon asked, perplexed. "You have a follower?" His eyes bulged out when he saw the small mid-purification mouse appear atop Huxian. "So cute! Can I pet him?"


    Huxian rolled his eyes. "How could you pet such a noble spirit beast? Lei Jiang might be my follower, but he''s still a fifth-tier variation beast. His talent is even a step above yours. Of course, it''s partially because I gave him a technique when he became my follower, but he''s pleasant company."


    "I''m Lei Jiang. Pleased to meet you!" the little mouse said. "Are you a friend of the boss too?" His glittering eyes would melt the hearts of most women, and his purple fur was equally adorable.


    "Yes, of course I''m your boss''s friend," the falcon replied. "A good friend, in fact. May I touch you?"


    "This¡­" The mouse hesitated. "You promise you won''t eat me, right? I''m a very important member of the boss''s team, and he''s taught me many things and fed me many precious herbs. He even taught me a technique to increase the purity of my bloodline. Therefore, I don''t want to get hurt. I owe him everything."


    The falcon''s eyes narrowed, and his feathers ruffled in excitement when he heard those words. "Of course not. I wouldn''t dare hurt Huxian''s follower. But you mentioned bloodline purification?"


    "It''s boss''s secret ability," the mouse said. "He has countless techniques at his disposal. Of course, the best ones are only available for his generals."


    "Stop tempting him," Huxian said. "He is my friend. I can share a lesser refinement technique with him. Alas, I can only share the best techniques with my generals, but that is a heavy oath, and I can''t make that decision for him."


    The little mouse seemed aggrieved at the rebuke but nodded nonetheless. "My apologies, boss. I''ll let him pet me to atone." Then he rapidly appeared beside the falcon''s talon. The falcon pet the mouse''s purple fur slowly. He was clearly deep in thought.


    "Where are my manners?" Huxian said. "Since I''ve offered, I can''t take it back. Here is a minor technique for you to use. I can''t promise it will help you break through to the next realm, but you can still try."


    A small black-and-white sphere came out from Huxian''s glabella and floated up to the falcon''s beak. The bird of prey chomped down on it and instantly became enlightened.


    "How convenient!" Silverwing exclaimed. "And you even gave me a few combat techniques! I don''t know how I''ll ever repay you."


    "No thanks needed," Huxian said. "You''re my friend, so I''ll naturally do my best to help you. I hope you''ll understand that I''m helpless for other matters."


    "Of course," Silverwing replied. A pondering expression remained on his face. Huxian observed him intently. The bait had been set, and it was only a matter of time until this proud bird submitted and became his general.

 108 Interlude - Buddhas and Evil Spirits

    A golden gleam lit up the sky as a female monk in a kasaya banished yet another spectre. It was the fortieth this month, and the third graveyard she had visited.


    "Tell me again why we need to kill these ghosts?" Gong Lan asked, then uttered another mantra. The words flowed from her lips with great ease, combining with the thin light qi in her body. Her cultivation realm was far, far lower than the realm of her soul. However, that didn''t matter. Buddhist arts didn''t care much for the body or qi, only for the soul. It was a qualitative transformation. Few could match the might of a buddha''s soul.


    "I would hardly call these ghosts, little girl," the bodhi seed said to her. It appeared as a small projection on her shoulder. "They are evil spirits. Creatures that have accumulated far too much karma in their past life and thus remain bound to this plane. They are the exact opposite of buddhas, they who have shed their physical bodies and have rid themselves of all earthly karma. They linger. For that reason, they are a plague on this world."


    "Are all spirits stuck in the mortal realm truly evil?" Gong Lan asked in a soft voice.


    "Of course not," the seed replied. "Some especially strong souls stay with the intent to protect. If they have kept true to their vows and have not needlessly meddled in earthly affairs, they will remain pure. We call these holy spirits. Still, they are few and far between. Holy spirits can be corrupted. You need to consider that it may be worthwhile to banish a spirit that has not committed heinous deeds, because it will prevent them from harming others. We are only sending them back to the circle of reincarnation, after all, not destroying them."


    Gong Lan suddenly focused on an oncoming swarm of ghosts up ahead. "Grant me blades of light with the strength to banish these evil spirits and return them to Samsara," she uttered. Her resplendent force combined with the light qi within her and formed two sabers, not unlike those she had wielded in the past. Only, these sabers could not harm the living, only the dead.


    She spun around in circles, much like she had in the past, dispatching one evil spirit after another. Each one she cleaved transformed into motes of light that were welcomed back into the Yellow River by the laws of the universe. As she banished them, rage flickered across her otherwise peaceful face. It wasn''t uncontrolled rage. Rather, it was calculated rage toward these evil spirits that had tormented the residents nearby, feeding on their fears and sorrows and sometimes driving them to suicide. It was righteous indignation.


    These emotions further fueled the power of her blades, increasing their length and width while making them lighter and easier to wield. Before long, one hundred evil spirits had been dispatched.


    "You are learning well, child," the bodhi seed said. "It is not wrong to lash out against the evils in the world, to resent them. This resentment will give you strength, but you must be careful. You must keep yourself balanced, or your soul will lose its purity. Much like angels can swiftly become devils, buddhas can also become evil spirits. It is a dangerous path to tread, though sometimes necessary."


    "Where to next?" Gong Lan said, seemingly ignoring him. Then, after looking at the tree''s indignant expression, she chuckled. "I''m just teasing you. Of course I heard. I''ll be sure to keep myself balanced."


    The bodhi seed sighed in relief. "We have another hundred and five spirit accumulation points to visit before worrying about anything else. Whoever has been plotting in the Song Kingdom has been at it for over a thousand years. It''s hardly feasible to crumble everything they''ve established in a single night."


    Gong Lan sighed. "Very well. Let''s keep traveling. The night is still young." With a resplendent soul, she no longer needed sleep and no longer needed sustenance. She could devote her full attention to her goals and never falter. She finally felt like she was making a difference.


    I wonder how the others are doing, she thought before walking into the night.

 109 Quicksilver City

    Veritable mountains and seas of people flooded the busy streets of Quicksilver City . As the capital of the Quicksilver Empire, people traveled here to trade from across the continent. At a glance, its reputation as the city of engineering marvels was well deserved. Both the city walls and several buildings inside it were around two hundred feet tall. Running water was available to every building in the city.


    Cha Ming had also seen several water wheels, irrigation pipes, and pump wells in small villages outside the city. It seemed the life of common people was much better in this nation compared to the Song Kingdom. It was little wonder that Li Yin''s medical innovations had frightened the Spirit Doctor Association to the point of banishing him. They had likely seen shifts in the balance of power with each new emerging technology. Even simple technologies could undermine the utility of lower-tier members of any organization, thus reducing the influx of new members and their total revenue.


    One day, your medicine will change the face of this continent, Cha Ming thought as he passed a spirit doctor hospital. The building was opulently decorated. Its ostentatious construction was a clear indicator of overabundant pride. Which was ironic, given that of all organizations, the Spirit Doctor Association should have stood for the benefit of the common people. As he directed his senses to the line in front of the building, he confirmed that the only people being treated here were cultivators, despite its location in the poor outskirts in the city, where many mortals lived.


    Flight was prohibited within the city. There was also a clear limitation on physical traveling speed inside the city without relying on an approved means of transportation. According to the guard at the entrance, the penalty for breaking this rule was six months of imprisonment. That is, unless one''s station was high enough to grant one an exemption from the rules. Over the course of his journey in the city, he saw only two figures traveling on flying swords or flying boats, indicating that such a privilege was indeed rare.


    As he walked through the streets, a conspicuous set of tracks caught his attention, tracks that seemed to run all the way down the main street.


    Surely they haven''t already discovered the power of steam and steam engines? Such technology, especially when used as a common means of transportation, was incongruent with the rest of what he''d seen.


    His curiosity was sated once he saw a large set of joined "wagons" skimming along the tracks at a swift pace. For the low fee of five low-grade spirit stones, he boarded the marvelous contraption at one of its many stops. Then, he extended his incandescent force, probing the various pieces of machinery within the vehicle.


    To his surprise, there was no engine to drive the locomotive. Instead, a team of ten cultivators were taking turns operating a strange mechanism. It consisted of a set of gearlike contraptions that converted the power of a rotating device to the wheels below. They used only the naturally recovered powers of these metal-aligned cultivators.


    The device spun, and the train carried thousands of people from the edge of the city to the center at a speed of fifty li per hour. Considering the many stops it made, it only took an hour for Cha Ming to reach the center of the city.


    Central Square was a marvel to behold. The buildings were all at least four stories tall to accommodate the sky-high real-estate prices. To his surprise, only a few supporting pillars were engraved with runes. The remainder of the structures, while likely assembled by a geomancer, were all self-supporting, showing that the understanding of physics and construction in the Quicksilver Empire had reached an extremely high level. The building was a prime example of how cooperation between mortals and cultivators could allow society to flourish and propel itself to new heights.


    "Step right up, step right up," a peddler said. "New from the revered alchemist''s workshop, a pill that has a ten-percent chance of imbuing an untalented youth with first-grade talent. One child below ten years old can attempt to digest this pill up to three times, effectively giving your child a twenty-seven out of a hundred chance of developing cultivation talent. This is a large increase compared to version seven, which only granted an eight-percent chance.


    "Come up now and purchase this life-changing pill! The revered alchemist wants nothing more than to see civilization flourish. The introductory price will be three gold per pill as version seven is eased out of production. Soon, version eight will be available for the low price of ninety silvers, once it reaches mass production. This amount barely covers the raw materials and the wages of the low-grade alchemists in the workshop.


    "As if that weren''t enough, this pill is still able to give a three-percent chance for anyone above ten years of age to develop cultivation talent. While it is very unlikely for you to break through to foundation establishment, think of your children! Everyone knows that cultivators have a higher chance of giving birth to children who cultivate. What we are doing now is setting up a firm foundation for their future. So think not only for yourself, but for your children and the empire. Come purchase this limited stock now while it''s still available. Only ten thousand doses are available in this introductory batch!"


    A crowd of well-dressed mortals instantly flooded the stall, which sold out in a hurry. Through his enhanced senses, he could hear that even though more gold was offered to cut the line or for purchasing in bulk, none of which was tolerated. Only those who lined up properly were given a pill at the cost announced. And only three pills were allowed per person.


    Such a sight left Cha Ming astonished. What he had seen in other cities prior had not reassured him about the morality of the cultivation world. It was a relieving eye-opener to see such philanthropic deeds. Developing cultivation talent in even the lowest citizens of the empire would bring unprecedented prosperity to the entire city. It was like full child literacy. By increasing the education in the bottom rungs of society, the quality of the labor would be increased. As such, many prohibitively expensive projects would become reasonably priced. He longed to see the result of this social experiment.


    Soon, the shock of the massive city wore away, and Cha Ming made his way toward one of the central buildings in the city: the Jade Bamboo Auction House. Like the one in Green Leaf City, it was of plain construction, adorned with nothing more than a green bamboo garden at the entrance. He noticed many guests entering and exiting, most of them higher-level cultivators. Foundation-establishment cultivators were not uncommon. Even the greeters at the entrance, who were effectively guards dressed in pleasant clothing, were initial-foundation-establishment experts. If even guards had this level of power, it was little wonder that this was also the minimum cultivation requirement for a captain in the army.


    As he approached, the guards bowed with pleasant smiles on their faces, allowing him inside. While his strength was higher than theirs, it still wasn''t enough for him to obtain preferential treatment. He walked in nonchalantly and lined up behind four others at a service desk reserved for foundation-establishment cultivators.


    Time trickled by, and soon he was greeted by a beautiful lady with blonde hair, a very unusual color in the continent. It reminded Cha Ming of Wang Jun, who also had blond hair, albeit with some white streaks due to the time he helped out Huxian.


    "How can I, Wang Bing, help you today?" she asked with a pleasant smile.


    As I suspected, Cha Ming thought. She really is from the Wang family. "I would like to send a message to the Song Kingdom. The recipient is named Wang Jun. Could you help me with that?" He placed a jade slip on the desk, having learned what to do from his prior experience.


    As she picked up the plate and scanned it, an awkward look flashed across her eyes. It was only for a moment, then her expression reverted to normal. "Please allow me to go to my manager to discuss."


    She returned shortly with a middle-aged man who also had blond hair. But instead of greeting Cha Ming, he rudely used the strength of his soul to scan him. Cha Ming''s incandescent force was helpless against this man''s soul.


    Is he a core-formation cultivator?


    Then, the man picked up the jade slip and handed it back to Cha Ming while smiling. "I''m afraid this contract is not valid here. It is only valid within the Song Kingdom."


    Cha Ming frowned after hearing this, as the terms of the contract stipulated that it was valid everywhere on the continent.


    "I see," Cha Ming said. "Can I trouble you to send a message to Young Master Wang Jun? Surely that is something that the Jade Bamboo Conglomerate can accomplish."


    "Of course," the man said with a grin on his face. "Sending a message to a high-ranking member of our clan is absolutely free and will be completed within the hour. However, please remember that his form of address is Second Young Master, and referring to him otherwise is disrespectful to his superiors."


    Looking at the man''s twitchy smile, Cha Ming finally realized what the problem was. There was in-fighting within the Wang family. This was likely the reason that Wang Jun had ended up in Green Leaf City to begin with.


    "What is your message?" the man asked, still pleasant as before.


    "Please inform him that I will be residing in Quicksilver City for a short while and that I would like to ask him how he is doing," Cha Ming instructed. "Also, please ask him if he has heard any news of Huxian."


    The man nodded. "Should I leave a name or perhaps some other details that he should be aware of? It seems like precious little to go on."


    "I''m confident he will understand," Cha Ming replied. After confirming the contents, the man issued him a receipt, which Cha Ming verified in detail.


    "You marked down the wrong date," Cha Ming said after looking at the paper. "It''s dated three days from now."


    "Is it?" the man replied. "My apologies, I was just negotiating a large contract due on that date. Please let me rewrite it."


    This time, the receipt was correct. Cha Ming walked off without saying anything more.


    ***


    The blonde-haired beauty, Wang Bing, walked swiftly beside the middle-aged man as they proceeded to the message terminal. She wore a doubtful expression, which the man picked up on instantly.


    "Do you disapprove of my actions, Bing Er?" he asked. Then, seeing her nervous expression, he added, "No need to reserve yourself so much. This is as much of a learning assignment as anything else for someone with your potential."


    "I think we might be causing a little too much trouble for our dear cousin," she admitted. "After all, while he is in a disadvantaged position, he is still that man''s apprentice. It would not be wise to make a long-term enemy out of him."


    "True," the man said. "It does come with its disadvantages. But little do you know that I''ve already committed far greater crimes against him, so this is like adding a drop to a lake. Besides, every opportunity I have to meddle with the second young master is an additional opportunity to ingratiate myself with the future leader of the family. Despite being that man''s apprentice, he still needs to obey the family leader and the council of elders. I need to do as much as I can to push my station up. The young master''s position isn''t yet solidified."


    "I understand," she said. "But wouldn''t it have been wiser not to antagonize him and give the illusion of friendliness? If you had honored his contract and not attempted to delay his message or pry? He may have given us additional information to work with. At least until Second Young Master informed him not to trust us."


    That comment caused the older man to pause for a moment. He shook his head self-deprecatingly. "Truly, the young will exceed the old with every generation. I''m glad the Wang family''s education hasn''t declined over the years but has instead improved. You will do well in the future."


    They proceeded down a dark hallway to a stone room seemingly constructed from a single piece of marble. They passed by many shelves containing transmission jades before arriving at a much larger one that seemed more like a book than anything else. Then, after waiting till precisely the end of the hour, the middle-aged man transmitted the message.


    Not orally, of course. That would have been much too quick. Instead he wrote it in the jade-covered notebook. There was no urgent marking or anything of the sort, and it was written exactly as the young man had said. He changed nothing¡ªafter all, this was according to the terms of the contract, and the Wang family paid great attention to fulfilling all contracts with care. Not that the young man''s contract earlier was invalid. Rather, it hadn''t been ratified by a core-formation cultivator, a requirement for continent-wide contracts. He was under no obligation to honor it.


    Suddenly, Wang Bing felt a vibrating sensation from her bag of holding. She withdrew a black notebook, which she read immediately. "Uncle, it seems that he''s taken residence just a few blocks away at the Quicksilver Hotel. Coincidentally, this is where we have the least influence in the city. He is registered under the name Du Cha Ming but left shortly after asking about the Talisman Artist Guild."


    "Good work," the middle-aged man said. "Don''t forget to fish for information on the man from our branch in the Song Kingdom."


    "Already done," she said. She had always been systematic and professional about her work.


    "All right, let''s take off," the man said. "It should take a while for him to get the message, and if we aren''t in this room for the reply, we can wait until the next routine check."


    Just as they were about to exit the room, however, the clear sound of a bell caused them both to frown. They had no choice but to turn around and answer it, as doing otherwise was would have been a breach of their duties.


    They walked back to the jade book, and after pressing a runic character, a jade-colored hologram popped up. It was a miniature image of the second young master, Wang Jun.


    "How lucky to catch you both," the small illusory man said with a chuckle. "I just happened to be checking over our transmission book when I saw your message. Could you believe my surprise when you coincidentally sent a message that interested me?"


    "Indeed, what a coincidence," the uncle said. Wang Bing knew, of course, that these were all pleasantries. The second young master''s near-prophetic abilities were well-known. "Do you have any instructions?"


    "Of course," Wang Jun said with a smile on his face. "First off, I wanted to pleasantly ask you to stop meddling in my affairs south of the border. It''s against the family rules, and the moment I find concrete evidence, I will have you expelled from the family.


    "Second, I am ordering you to deliver a core-transmission jade to Du Cha Ming, whom you have undoubtedly investigated. You likely know exactly where he lives and where he is heading. It''s not that I trust in your abilities, old man. I trust in Bing Er''s abilities."


    The older man''s face twitched. "A core-transmission jade is a precious family asset that you can''t just give out at will. You will need approval to¡ª" His voice was interrupted by a vibrating sensation from his bag of holding.


    "Please check your transmission book, Wang Chen," Wang Jun said. "I''ve already troubled my teacher for permission, so I doubt that you''ll have trouble following my instructions."


    Wang Chen grimaced after checking his book. "You know, Jun Er, you should really address me as uncle given our gap in age and cultivation. Since you have secured permission, giving him a core-transmission jade is not a problem. We will deliver it as soon as someone becomes available."


    "You''ll do it directly after this conversation, and you''ll do it personally," Wang Jun retorted. "It is, after all, an important family asset, and we can''t have just anyone delivering it. You will also inscribe my contact information on the jade prior to delivering it. Also, please don''t call me Jun Er, as we are not so familiar, despite being family. It would be best if you remembered your station. Despite being a core-formation expert, you are still required to call me Second Young Master at my insistence, according to the family rules.


    "Third, Bing Er, could you please check the message that just appeared in your transmission book?"


    Hearing the sudden address in conjunction with a vibrating sensation, she immediately pulled it out and checked, causing her to groan softly at the troublesome nature of her opponent.


    "I''ve taken the trouble of having all information on Du Cha Ming erased in both our files and other information networks," Wang Jun said pleasantly. "Please don''t waste any more of our family''s funds or time investigating him."


    Then, as abruptly as the projection had appeared, it vanished.


    Wang Chen shook his head but quickly retrieved a small jade orb covered with exquisite runes from the shelf. "I''ll be off," Wang Chen said.


    Wang Bing nodded in understanding. Orders from a superior in the family, when within the family rules, were absolute. Wang Chen couldn''t delay the delivery without being punished.


    The recent exchange with Wang Jun also made her aware of how frightening Wang Jun''s abilities were. While they had been in the same class, Wang Jun had always been low key. The results of his examinations had never been publicized due to a request of that man, his teacher.


    As she walked back to the desk she should have been manning, she began doubting the wisdom of her uncle''s decision to oppose him.

 110 Status

    "What a pain," Wang Jun said as he exited the small room and met up with Elder Bai. "Did you catch all of that?"


    "Most certainly," the white-haired man said. "It''s too bad we don''t have any concrete proof of their meddling. The mastermind¡ªwho is surely not Wang Chen¡ªis far too skilled and leaves not a shred of evidence behind."


    "We should be thankful he is so careful," Wang Jun said. "Otherwise, his actions would be so aggressive that all our attempts to profit in this city would collapse instantly. Even if the failure could be justified, it would be difficult for me to secure my position as a contender for the family''s leadership. The only reason that he hasn''t interfered enough is due to fear of me and my teacher, and I need to make sure that fear remains. The message today finally gave me an opportunity to show off."


    "How did you manage to get the information destroyed so quickly?" Elder Bai asked Wang Jun. They were now back at his office and brewing tea.


    "Simple," Wang Jun said. "Cha Ming and Huxian disappeared almost three years ago, and I was convinced foul play was involved. I was also convinced that they hadn''t died. In the event that they had survived, to reduce their likelihood of being found, I commissioned the destruction of their information. When my cousin went digging, I didn''t have to do anything."


    Elder Bai chuckled at the revelation, and they moved on to proper business. "How is the permitting process proceeding?" Wang Jun asked.


    "With great difficulty," the older man said. "Despite all our best efforts, I can''t put our chances higher than fifty-fifty. The crown prince is highly favored by the king, but fortunately the third prince cares deeply about his father. The king is hesitant in showing favoritism. This gives us an intangible edge. The administrative staff in the palace doesn''t dare take sides too heavily."


    Wang Jun sighed. "Fifty-fifty is still acceptable. If we don''t win, it just means that fate is a treacherous lady who likes to string along every good-looking man that comes her way. Now, what about our purchasing plan? How is it going?"


    "It seems they haven''t noticed yet," Elder Bai said. "We''ve been able to secure a twenty-percent discount on our purchases. However, I suspect it''s only a matter of time until they uncover the truth. What price are we willing to tolerate?"


    "Five percent above market price," Wang Jun replied. "Higher than that, and our finances can''t take the hit. Let''s hope that they don''t spot us for some time."


    They drank tea for another half hour. Wang Jun looked askance at Elder Bai, who sighed and shook his head.


    "There is no need to look into her whereabouts further," Wang Jun said with a tinge of sadness in his voice. "If she''s truly part of my story, then I will see her again one day. If not, consider it my loss in life."


    ***


    "Cha Ming," a voice yelled out from behind a crowd in Central Square. Cha Ming recognized it as the voice of the middle-aged manager who he met at the Jade Bamboo Auction House. The man he didn''t leave his name with.


    That was fast, he thought. He wouldn''t be here to cause trouble for me, would he?


    Understanding that the man was much more powerful than him, he stopped and turned toward him. He clasped his palms together in greeting. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" Cha Ming asked. "It''s barely been an hour and a half since we last met."


    "To make a delivery, of course," the man said. "The value of the package is substantial, so I must hand deliver it. It is a gift from the second young master. Take care not to lose it." He handed over a small wooden chest.


    "What''s this?" Cha Ming asked.


    It''s a core-transmission jade, the man sent to him mentally. Don''t open to box here, or you''ll invite trouble. To use it, pour your incandescent force into it and focus on the single mark, which is Second Young Master''s. The object will take care of the rest. Do make sure you use it in private, as it would be a shame to have such a precious treasure stolen.


    After saying these words, the man immediately left. Cha Ming put the box in his Clear Sky World, which was still under the guise of a bag of holding. He didn''t return to the hotel immediately and instead continued to the Talisman Artist Guild. It was a relatively small building compared to many of the other guilds near Central Square. It wasn''t as opulently decorated as the Spirit Doctor Association, nor as exquisitely crafted as the Spiritual Blacksmiths Association. It couldn''t hold a candle to the Geomancer Guild, which obviously subscribed to the philosophy of building things that lasted millennia.


    The only building that was comparable to the Talisman Artist Guild was the alchemy workshop. This was very surprising to Cha Ming, who had been told that most alchemists were insufferable and ostentatious. However, it meshed well with the philanthropic display he had seen when he entered Central Square. This was a good sign¡ªit likely wouldn''t be too difficult to secure medicinal pills.


    Medicinal pills, wealth, and techniques, Cha Ming thought. I need all of these to get more powerful. And to get these, I need status. Getting my talisman artist qualification should allow me to build sufficient status.


    While he had a small fortune in spirit-stone ore, he was reluctant to spend too much of it, lest he arouse suspicion. The preferred way was for him to generate as much of his own wealth as possible.


    With this thought, he pushed open the door to the Talisman Artist Guild. The entrance of the small building was a storefront which displayed a large variety of wares. Hundreds of talismans were stored behind glass cases. They were separated by both element and grade, and anyone could walk around and inspect them freely¡ªwithout touching, of course. Activating a talisman would not only lead to the loss of the product but could also cause significant damage to the storefront.


    As he walked to the serving desk, the grade of talismans on display increased. As such, the amount of display space allocated to each individual talisman increased as well. Near the desk, he saw a display which contained twenty magic talismans. Twelve were least-grade talismans, six were low grade, and two were mid grade. There were no high-grade talismans. He wasn''t sure if this was due to the lack of artists at a sufficient grade or if these items were too precious to display.


    Curious, Cha Ming extended his incandescent force to the glass case, only to discover that it was being repelled. The clear material encasing the talismans was rejecting spiritual force like oil did water. Which was unfortunate, because without accessing the case, he would not be able to survey the talismans with great enough accuracy. As such, he could only commit the superficial lines and characters to memory for the Inferno Talisman, the Respite Talisman, the Earth Dragon Talisman, the Frost Dragon Talisman, and the Hundred-Blade Talisman. It was only a cursory examination; he knew that it would be difficult to replicate them without further study.


    The other talismans were far too intricate to study on such a basic level, with intertwined lines and circular relationships that could not be represented in two dimensions. The characters posed no problems, of course, but even the simplest least-grade talismans took advantage of an array embedded within the sheet of paper that regulated the usage of the runic characters. Which, he noticed, were drawn with poor quality in all twenty talismans he observed.


    "What can I do for you today?" a young man who had just ended a calligraphy exercise asked from the counter. He was about the same age as Cha Ming. A bronze badge with the number six was situated on his chest. The badge was inscribed with a variety of runic characters that said "Certified by the Quicksilver Talisman Association."


    "I''d like to apply to join the association," Cha Ming said.


    "Of course," the man said. "Please give me your qualification jade, and I will proceed with the application."


    Cha Ming blushed slightly. "I''m afraid I don''t have a qualification jade."


    The man raised his eyebrows. "Have you never taken an exam before?" Cha Ming shook his head. "Are you knowledgeable in talisman arts?"


    "Somewhat," Cha Ming said. "Is there a way to take exams here?"


    "Of course," the man replied. "However, you will need to start from the first level examination. Exams up to sixth grade are conducted in groups, while the higher examinations are conducted on an individual basis. The fee for the first-grade examination is one mid-grade spirit stone, and you must supply your own materials."


    Cha Ming thought the price rather high but was unable to determine if things were simply more expensive in this kingdom or if the occupation was simply lucrative.


    Should I really be wasting my time like this? he thought. Taking exams one by one at his level was far too troublesome. He spread out his incandescent force softly and non-intrusively, sensing seven other people with incandescent force on the premises. One small location was completely isolated from his intrusion. Judging by the furniture outside, it was the office of the guild leader.


    "Song Bao, I''ll be taking care of this fellow Daoist," said a voice from a room in the back. It was transmitted using incandescent force, one of the seven Cha Ming had sensed. Before long, a man wearing red robes and long silver hair appeared. He wore a silver badge on his chest with the character for "middle" on it, symbolizing his status as a mid-grade talisman master. The man clasped his hands together and bowed slightly. "Greetings, fellow Daoist, what can I do for you today?"


    Cha Ming bowed back. "My name is Du Cha Ming, and I would like to join the association as a talisman artist, but I have never taken an examination. Will this be possible?"


    "It''s definitely possible, fellow Daoist," the man said. "My name is Feng Huoshan. I can directly assess your capabilities all the way to ninth-grade artist. Is this sufficient for you, or will you be applying for another rank?"


    "I believe I might be able to apply for master qualification, but I am unsure what an examination for this would entail," Cha Ming said.


    "Very well. Explaining it to you is not a problem," Feng Huoshan said. "In order to gain your qualification, you must simply participate in an exam that takes place twice per year. The next exam is in two months. Within the span of three days, those testees must produce ten different magic talismans of, at minimum, least grade. The exam tests both one''s versatility and one''s ability to achieve a thirty-three-percent success rate while crafting."


    Cha Ming scratched his head, embarrassed. "Unfortunately, I only know four types. Is there a place where I can learn additional talisman formulas?"


    "Most certainly," the man replied. "However, you must complete a ninth-grade artist examination, and you must then buy a library card and library credit. If you have money, you can study in the library."


    So straightforward, Cha Ming thought. He had expected the association to hoard its knowledge.


    "I''ll have to trouble you, then," Cha Ming said. "Do you sell liquified elemental essence here? If so, how much does ten taels cost?"


    While he wanted to buy more, he only had a limited amount of mid-grade spirit stones left from the bandits'' belongings. He also wasn''t sure if exchanging ore was possible like it would be at the Jade Bamboo Auction House. That is, if he were inclined to trade it there.


    "That would be 125 mid-grade spirit stones," Feng Huoshan said. Then, seeing Cha Ming place 125 mid-grade spirit stones on the table, he quickly pulled a vial out from his robes. "It''s troublesome to get it from the back, so this is from my personal stock. Please, follow me to a room in the back where we won''t be interrupted."


    They passed a library, a common room, a brush maker, and what looked a board that listed assignments. Soon they arrived in a room containing a writing desk and a mannequin of sorts.


    "You would normally need to take the exams one by one," Huoshan explained. "But we make an exception for foundation-establishment cultivators, as their strong souls allow them to master mortal-grade talismans very quickly." He motioned to the seat. "The exam is quite simple. You have one hour to craft ten different ninth-grade talismans. If you can complete these at greater than 60% peak effectiveness, you pass."


    Cha Ming scrunched his brows when he heard this. He had never drawn ninth-grade talismans. Mortal-grade talismans normally contained between one and three complementary characters. While he knew a wide array of characters, he had never drawn them as talismans before.


    Cha Ming sat down on the chair and soaked up liquified elemental essence into his brush. It drank greedily until there was nothing left in the large vial. It looked rather small for something containing ten taels, but liquified elemental essence was quite heavy for a liquid.


    After filling his brush, he rummaged through his mental space, summoning the various characters he''d mastered in Fuxi''s Library. With a wave of his hand, the weakest nine thousand disappeared. Then, the weakest nine hundred of these remaining ones vanished. Soon, he selected what he saw as the most powerful basic characters that could be imprinted onto a talisman. After all, not all runes could be used on their own for a desired effect. The word "massive" was hardly useable on its own, and neither was "miniscule."


    He settled on characters like "absolute zero" and "sublimation," extreme characters that denoted powerful, high-energy changes. They were the most complex to paint, but they had the highest chance of qualifying as ninth-grade talismans.


    ***


    Feng Huoshan was bored. He had brought this fellow Daoist here out of respect for his cultivation base, but now the young man had chosen to sit still for fifteen minutes, wasting his valuable time. Still, it was impolite to do anything else but wait, so wait he did.


    Suddenly the young man moved. His brush flowed with elegant grace, painting a marvelous blue pattern onto the provided talisman papers. The character resembled calligraphy. Unusual calligraphy, because he did not recognize the character.


    Is it truly a ninth-grade talisman that he is painting? Time would tell. The testing mannequins were very accurate, and regardless of the effect, they would assess it accordingly. Even something subtle like healing or weakening could be assessed.


    A few minutes passed, and the obscure character was completed. The talisman paper turned a light shade of blue, complementing the mixture of blue and white that composed the talisman. The temperature of the room quickly plunged.


    Natural phenomena on creation? he thought. This shouldn''t be possible before magic grade.


    The young man didn''t pause and moved on to the next talisman, swiftly taking advantage of every moment. Huoshan didn''t understand this character, either, but he knew it had something to do with earth. Many characters had commonalities, radicals that combined into characters. Just like before, the character solidified. The cold in the room was soaked up into the yellowish-brown talisman. The humidity in the air was absorbed as well.


    Talisman after talisman produced their own phenomena. It wasn''t until the sixth that the man realized two frightening things. First, the young man could paint in five elements. This was a rare but prestigious thing in Quicksilver City. Second, he hadn''t failed a single time in their production. This meant that his skill level was definitely at least master level. That is, as far as runes were concerned.


    Cha Ming finished fifteen minutes before the time ran out, despite having taken fifteen minutes to do what Huoshan could only assume was adjust his frame of mind. "Congratulations, you''ve finished the first part. However, we must still test these talismans on the testing mannequin to validate the result."


    "Must we?" the boy asked. He seemed pained at the thought of using these talismans.


    He''s a foundation-establishment expert for heaven''s sake, Huoshan thought. Why is he such a miser?


    "Yes, it''s a necessity," Huoshan replied. Normally he could have used his spiritual force and knowledge of characters to determine the result. Unfortunately, he didn''t know a single one of these characters. He was truly curious to see their effect. "You may begin."


    ***


    Cha Ming was nervous. It wasn''t that he was worried about money, but rather that he wasn''t entirely sure what constituted a ninth-grade talisman. His education with Elder Ling had been cut short, and he was sorely lacking in what should be basic knowledge. Besides, even if these were legitimate talismans, he wasn''t sure what the man meant by sixty-percent efficiency. Was there such a thing as efficiency? Why hadn''t he heard about this before?


    Gritting his teeth, he threw the first light-blue talisman out at the mannequin. The room was suddenly transformed into a freezing icebox. The mannequin was frozen solid, but a display at the back of the room showed measurements.


    Half-Step Magic Talisman. Efficiency¡ª97%.


    Cha Ming was pleasantly surprised. He had indeed made a mistake¡ªthe characters he had chosen were too powerful. What a mannequin, he thought. I wish I had one.


    One after another, he threw the talismans out. One absorbed moisture and power, another poisoned the mannequin. Another sliced it in half, and another burned it to ashes. The mannequin recovered quickly every time. Naturally, these talismans would not have such a pronounced effect against him personally, but he would still need to divert some qi to defend against them. He decided then and there that he would make a large number of basic talismans in his spare time, as their effects in large amounts could be devastating.


    Finally, the last talisman was expended. Each talisman he painted had been a half-step magic talisman with an efficiency ranging between ninety-five and one hundred percent. Only one, an Inferno Talisman, had achieved a perfect score.


    "Congratulations!" Huoshan said. Then he handed him a bronze medal with a nine on it. "Here is your qualification. With this, you can go get a library card and will have access to all our facilities."


    "Excellent," Cha Ming said. "Thanks for the trouble."


    "Not at all, the pleasure is mine," Huoshan said. "In the future, I wouldn''t mind buying some of these talismans off you. Perhaps I could glean some insights from them."


    Cha Ming instantly realized that the characters he used might not have been familiar to the man.


    "Naturally," Cha Ming said. "Can I trouble you with something, however? I am looking to exchange spirit-stone ore for spirit stones. Is there a place I should visit?"


    "Spirit-stone ore, you say?" The man contemplated for a while before replying. "With small amounts, you can go to auction houses. For quantities greater than one thousand jin, you can go to the commodity exchange in Central Square.


    "Much obliged," Cha Ming said. "Then if you''ll excuse me, I''ll be back tomorrow."

 111 Catching Up

    Cha Ming poured his qi into the single mark on the core-transmission jade. The green sphere glowed with a soft light, pulsing repeatedly as it sent a request into the void. After half an incense time, a jade-green hologram appeared inside Cha Ming''s well-lit hotel room.


    "My friend, it''s been so long," the tiny transparent Wang Jun said.


    "It certainly has, Brother Jun," Cha Ming replied. "Sorry to keep you waiting. I went to get my talisman-artist certification, and I only just returned."


    "Not a problem, my friend," Wang Jun assured him. "What grade did you secure?"


    "Only ninth grade," Cha Ming said. "I''m not far from master level, but I need some time to study."


    "Not bad, not bad," Wang Jun said. "It''s useful to have a profession, especially in major cities. From what I understand, you are allowed to fly in Quicksilver if you are a master in any profession. The savings on travel time alone are worth it. What have you been up to these past few years?"


    Cha Ming proceeded to narrate his story, starting with overcoming the calamity, the interception by Protector Song, and the spatial transmission to Crystal Falls. He told him about his recovery, his enslavement, and the Serpentine Sword bandit group. And finally, he finished off with his journey to Quicksilver City.


    Wang Jun listened intently, his face alternating between concern and anger. His face softened by the end of Cha Ming''s tale. "I''ll be sure to send someone to look over these villagers that took care of you. In addition, I''ll look into these Serpentine Sword bandits to make sure they''ve been fully uprooted. We don''t want them causing problems again."


    "Much obliged," Cha Ming said. "Have you heard anything of Huxian''s whereabouts? We were separated, and I can''t sense him anywhere."


    Wang Jun shook his head. "I haven''t heard anything. Since I now know the range of the talisman, I''ll dig more deeply into areas that fall inside its transmission circle. To be honest, it''s amazing that both of you didn''t die from the spatial storms."


    Cha Ming nodded. "By the way, how is everyone else faring? How are things on your end?"


    A complicated expression appeared on Wang Jun''s face. "Feng Ming is doing better than ever. He keeps climbing up the ranks, and it won''t be long before he becomes a general. Every operation he commands ends beautifully with minimal losses. He''s quite favored in the capital.


    "Gong Lan¡­ I have not seen her since her brother took her away. She wasn''t doing well, Cha Ming. Her bloodlust got a hold of her, and she ended up in jail. Her brother busted her out, though. Hopefully he found her help. I haven''t seen them since.


    "Hong Xin¡­ I just don''t know." Wang Jun''s expression turned gloomy once he mentioned her name. "While you were gone, I broke up with her. She took it very hard, my friend. She ran away from home, and I haven''t been able to find her. My divinations can''t sense anything. I¡­ I realized my mistake after we started dating. As you might have realized, the situation in my family is extremely complicated. I would hate myself if anything happened to her in the struggle for power. I was foolish to fall in love. I don''t deserve such a thing."


    Silence. Cha Ming wasn''t sure how to console the man, and he also felt quite sad for Hong Xin. He was indebted to their whole family, but it seemed that he had brought them only pain. "Everything will be all right, my friend," he said, sighing. Hope was a luxury everyone could afford.


    "As for myself, things are not going so well," Wang Jun continued. "As I said previously, I''m currently performing a task for the family, which is why I was in Green Leaf City to begin with. It''s very important that I complete it, but it involves making an unfathomable amount of profit and gaining a large market share in key sectors. At this point, I''m basically counting on that bastard Zhou Li plunging the kingdom into a war to take advantage of the chaos.


    "Fortunately, an opportunity has arrived in the form of a newly discovered immortal-jade mine. The profits would go a long way in meeting profit targets, and the capital obtained can be quickly reinvested. We''re currently fighting over the mining rights. It could go either way, so Elder Bai and I are working night and day to make it happen."


    Cha Ming finally noticed his friend''s gaunt and fatigued expression. "You need to take care of yourself. Sleep is a key part of your foundation, even if you only need to sleep once a week. Even the strongest building will crumble with cracks in its foundation."


    Wang Jun chuckled. "It seems you''ve grown a little wiser in the time we''ve been separated. But no need to worry. This brother is a late-foundation-establishment expert now. I do not tire so easily."


    "I''ll take your word for it," Cha Ming said. "By the way, you mentioned immortal jade. Does the deposit contain jade for each of the five elements and immortal jade core?"


    "It will most definitely contain the first five," Wang Jun replied. "As for the jade core, it all depends on luck. There is a one in ten chance, given the information we''ve gathered. Why? Do you need some?"


    "I need a jin of each of these for my body-transformation technique," Cha Ming said. Seeing the agitation on his friend''s face, he added, "Relax, I''ll pay for it. I won''t let you suffer a loss."


    Wang Jun''s expression relaxed considerably. Cha Ming could only imagine the type of pressure his friend was facing, given his usual generosity. "Brother Jun, do you need me to return the core-transmission jade? It''s a priceless treasure, and I''d hate to have reduced your working capital."


    "It''s not a problem," Wang Jun said. "It is not assigned a monetary value. Rather, it is counted as a key family asset. It is a core treasure. As such, its value is difficult to measure by normal financial means." Cha Ming nodded in thanks. "One last thing, Cha Ming. You need to be careful. Many people in my family hate me down to their bones. I''ve painted a target on your robes by sending you this jade."


    Cha Ming shrugged. "They seemed to paint a target on me as soon as I said your name. It makes little difference."


    Wang Jun shook his head. "You don''t understand what I''ve gotten you into. Make sure you tell me if anything happens, especially with regards to purchasing magic weapons and magic pills. The branch in Quicksilver is strongest in these sectors, but I''ll do my best to pull some strings and help you out."


    "Noted," Cha Ming said, frowning.


    A door opened in Wang Jun''s hologram. "I need to go now, my friend. Do take care of yourself. I may also need you to do some things for me in Quicksilver if the most unlikely scenario occurs in the mining-rights negotiation."


    The hologram disappeared.


    ***


    After disconnecting from the call, Cha Ming stretched his limbs and willed his body to undergo a transformation. The bones in his face expanded, and his height shrunk. His arms widened, and his cultivator robes became mediocre clothes that fit him poorly. He quickly exited the inn under the suspicious stares of the staff and blended into the crowd. Little by little, he changed his features as he weaved through it. Sometimes, his nose would shrink. At other times, his chin would change.


    He ducked in an alley some time later and walked out a completely different person. It wasn''t a man he had seen before. Rather, it was an amalgamation of many different people. His clothes transformed to plain black cultivation robes, complete with a deep, hooded cloak that hid half his face. After this substantial change in appearance, Cha Ming walked out of the alley and calmly strolled through the large doors of the commodity exchange.


    The exchange was noisy. People clustered together in groups around the well-dressed men who announced commodity lots and the asking prices. The asking price could either be the market price or some set minimum with a specific selling timeframe. Many things were traded. Rice was traded in tens of tons while herbs were sold in hundred-jin packages. Lower-grade spirit weapons and medicinal pills were sold by the hundreds, as were large quantities of iron ore or other crafting materials. Even liquified elemental essence was sold, but only in increments of 1,000 jin.


    He absorbed this information as he walked up to a desk in the corner. "Greetings, esteemed guest," a young man said, bowing. He was at the peak of qi condensation, and his demeanor was impeccable. "What would you be putting up for sale today?"


    Cha Ming looked around with an emotionless expression. "Is it possible to meet someone to have a private conversation?" he asked in a gravelly voice that was far removed from his own.


    "Of course, sir," the young man replied. "Right this way."


    He escorted Cha Ming through exquisitely crafted wooden doors. They traveled through a hallway built with seamlessly connected marble blocks. After a short walk, they arrived in a small room.


    "Could the room be bigger?" Cha Ming asked.


    The man''s eyes widened, and he took Cha Ming to a room that could easily accommodate a thousand people. They were clearly ready for a transaction of any physical size.


    "Please wait here one moment, and I will have my manager come in right away," the young man said.


    Cha Ming sat calmly in meditation. His new face was gaunt and bald, but he kept it carefully hidden by his hood to maintain an air of secrecy. Before long, a graying man in a fine suit of silk clothes walked in.


    "My apologies for the long wait," the man said. "My name is Xu Zhong, and I am the branch manager for this commodity exchange. Might I know your esteemed name?"


    "You can call me Wen Ning," Cha Ming said. "It is not my real name, so don''t bother looking into it. I am looking to make this transaction as anonymously as possible."


    "Of course," Xu Zhong said. "Many clients opt for this, but please be aware that anything you present will count as newly produced and be subject to the kingdom''s tax on whatever category of goods it belongs to. You will not be able to count these as imported goods, where you could pay duties instead of the tax with a proper certificate. Is this acceptable?"


    Cha Ming, who didn''t have such a certificate in the first place, nodded. Then he grasped his bag of holding under his cloak and poured pile after pile of spirit-stone ore onto the floor. Once the work was complete, he sat down in meditation, and Xu Zhong quickly gathered a few appraisers and began sifting through the goods.


    A whole twelve hours passed, but to cultivators, this was nothing. Cha Ming''s incandescent force strictly monitored the appraisers and their conversations.


    "This lot is different than the rest," he heard a man say. "Is this a test?"


    "It must be," another man said. "Sometimes our business partners do this to validate our appraisal services. Let''s just make sure to note down this batch correctly and highlight it in our report."


    "This is so much high-grade spirit-stone ore," the first man exclaimed. "It''s worth far more than the rest of the ore in this room put together." His companion berated him for being a country bumpkin.


    A light smile appeared on Cha Ming''s lips. The year and a half of mining had yielded what he thought was 1.5 million unrefined mid-grade spirit stones. Now it seemed the amount was closer to 1.4 million mid-grade and over 100,000 high-grade spirit stones. One high-grade spirit stone was worth 10,000 mid-grade spirit stones. He thanked his lucky stars that he''d had the common sense to come to the building anonymously. Otherwise this fortune would have been far too large for him to swallow, as it exceeded the net worth of many core-formation cultivators.


    Twelve more hours passed before the manager presented the final report. "As you might know, there are two things to consider when setting a selling price for these ores. First, the ore needs to be refined and cut into an optimal form. This leads to a loss of ten percent with mid-grade spirit stones, half of which is salvageable as spirit-stone dust. For high-grade spirit stones, this is reduced to five-percent loss, some of which is salvageable as spirit-stone dust. Overall, you can expect eighty to eighty-five-percent conversion on the mid-grade spirit stones and eighty-five to ninety-percent conversion on the high-grade spirit stones. This is naturally due to the need for buyers to turn a profit during the ore-refining process.


    "Given that this is a cash-equivalent commodity, we recommend an asking price of 1,100,000 mid-grade spirit stones for the mid-grade ore, and 102,000 high-grade spirit stones for the high-grade ore. We would separate these into five batches to be auctioned over a week''s time. The kingdom''s tax will be five percent of the sale value, as this is a cash-equivalent commodity, while our transaction fee will be two percent. Is this convenient for you?"


    Cha Ming nodded. "Yes, but I would like an advance."


    Xu Zhong looked to be in an awkward position. "How much of an advance are you looking for?"


    "Only twenty percent," Cha Ming said with a chuckle. The man''s expression softened considerably.


    Perhaps I should have asked for a little more, Cha Ming thought.


    "Give me some time, and I will return with a contract and the advance," Xu Zhong said. Minutes later, he returned with a piece of paper, a jade stamp, two crystal cards, and a ring. "Here are two crystal cards worth 10,000 high-grade spirit stones and a complimentary low-grade storage ring filled with 22,000 mid-grade spirit stones. The cards can be exchange for the spirit-stone equivalents at charge with any currency exchange or bank on the continent.


    "The contract is an anonymous sale contract. Given that you will not be signing with your name or blood, this stamp will be used to validate your identity after signing. It is a single-use item uniquely wrought with fate techniques beyond my understanding. You will need to present the stamp to receive your payment."


    Cha Ming reviewed the contract. Upon seeing everything was in order, he pressed the jade stamp onto the contract paper, which left a jade mark on the document. The stamp in Cha Ming''s possession immediately lost its luster, but he could detect a weak thread connecting it to the mark on the contract.


    "I will return in one week," Cha Ming said in his gruff voice. He was escorted back to the exchange floor, which was just as rowdy as before. He didn''t hurry to leave. Instead he sent his incandescent force out to listen to the various announcements by the auctioneers. After a few moments, he found what he was looking for.


    "Bulk liquified elemental essence, 10,000 jin! Asking price is 160 high-grade spirit stones," someone announced in a corner of the room. He was surrounded by several other individuals that immediately began placing bids. Among them, he noticed someone with a silver talisman-artist badge.


    "One sixty-three!" one shouted.


    "One sixty-five!" another shouted.


    The price eventually closed at 182 high-grade spirit stones, an eighteen-stone discount compared to the retail price. He continued to watch as several lots were sold for a similar price. After ten lots passed, a lot came up for 50,000 jin. This time, however, it auctioned for 880 high-grade spirit stones.


    It seems that fewer people can bid for the larger lots, so the price is slightly lower, he thought. But not too low; it''s a cash commodity, after all.


    Using his incandescent force, he scanned the register until he found the largest lot to be auctioned: a 100,000-jin lot. The asking price was set for 1,600 high-grade spirit stones. He waited patiently for one hour until the lot finally came out.


    "Bulk liquified elemental essence, 100,000 jin! Asking price is 1,600 high-grade spirit stones!"


    "One thousand six hundred twenty!" one man shouted.


    "One thousand six hundred forty!" another shouted.


    "One thousand six hundred forty-five!"


    The numbers continued to rise slowly until they reached 1,685. Given the previous bidding, Cha Ming guessed that a fifteen-percent bulk discount was the most they were willing to tolerate for such a large amount.


    "Seventeen hundred!" Cha Ming shouted. No one added on to the total.


    "Seventeen hundred going once! Seventeen hundred going twice! Sold! Please proceed to the desk with this jade slip to complete the transaction."


    Cha Ming retrieved the slip from the man and proceeded to the exchange desk. He broke one of his crystal cards worth 10,000 high-grade spirit stones with the banker and received eight small crystal cards worth 1,000 each and 300 high-grade spirit stones in change.


    After completing the transaction, Cha Ming walked out of the exchange. Sensing some cultivators tailing him, he shielded his presence using his incandescent force and disappeared into the crowd. He changed his appearance many times, causing people to look over their shoulders only to realize that they must have been imagining things. Eventually, he changed back to his original appearance, clothed in hooded blue robes. The hotel attendants looked at him in surprise as they wracked their brains to remember when he''d left his room.


    Cha Ming collapsed on his bed with a smile on his face. The money problem had been resolved. All he needed now was status. The rest would take care of itself.

 112 Adventure

    Huxian woke from his pleasant dream of massive riches and a human city. In this dream, he wasn''t a beast, he was a man. These dreams had been getting more frequent of late. With a yawn, Huxian lazily stretched out and wandered out of his cave on the mountain peak. He saw Silverwing and Lei Jiang enjoying a bout of light sparring on the jade platform. Silverwing dominated, of course. They stopped just before he arrived and greeted him warmly.


    "Congratulations on your breakthrough to late purification, Lei Jiang!" Huxian said to the small purple mouse who stood proudly beside his winged sparring companion. Silverwing looked at the small mouse with a longing expression.


    "It''s all thanks to the purification technique that Master gifted me," he said humbly.


    "Nonsense," Huxian rebuked. "Your natural talent is quite high. If I gave this technique to just anyone, they would never be able to use it to full effect. Give it a few years, and I guarantee you''ll be able to step into core formation."


    Lei Jiang continued showing off for a bit longer before scampering off.


    "I''m sorry you had to see that, my friend," Huxian said, shaking his head. "He might be inconsiderate at times, but he means well. I truly wish I could help you, but my hands are tied. Still, the technique I gave you is much better than nothing. You''ll surely break through to core formation in five decades or so. That''s nothing to demons like us."


    Silverwing sighed. "What''s the use? Even if I break through to core formation, what comes next? I won''t have a formula to continue my advancement. I can''t keep begging for techniques like this."


    "Come now, Silverwing," Huxian said. "You''re my friend, so you''re not begging. I''m giving them to you because I can." Then, noticing the falcon wasn''t convinced, he glanced at the jade plate behind him. "Maybe you can make up for it by trading information."


    "Information?" the falcon asked.


    "That''s right," Huxian said. "For example, I was wondering what the story is about this jade plate. Do you know what it does, or its origins?"


    The falcon nodded. "Its origins are linked to my ancestor. He was good friends with the monarch at the time. In fact, these mountains were named after my ancestor. Every generation in my family takes on the name Silverwing to honor him.


    "I''m not too sure what the jade plate is for. No one is. Except maybe the monarch. All I know is that there are nine mountains, and each mountain peak holds a jade plate. It is rumored that there is a tenth plate in the valley between the mountains, but no one dares to go."


    "Why not?" Huxian asked.


    "It is a valley of death," Silverwing replied. "Only the monarch and his inheritor dares to go there. I''m surprised you don''t know all this, though. The current inheritor is on your mountain peak. It''s that True Seer Great Owl. The reason the old sovereign never touched him was because he''s the progeny of the monarch."


    "That''s very interesting," Huxian said. "See? That information was totally worth those useless techniques. By the way, do you want to go have some fun today?"


    "What kind of fun?" the bird asked suspiciously.


    "I want to go tease the tiger," Huxian said. "I heard that he''s guarding a yin-yang dragon fruit. It''s been maturing for almost 108 years, the perfect maturity for such a fruit."


    Silverwing hesitated. "I suppose this fruit is for you to break through to late purification?"


    "That''s right," Huxian admitted. "I''m worried that the humans will come here to make trouble, so I need to be as strong as possible before they arrive. Otherwise they''ll end up taking over your mountain. I think we both don''t want to see that happen."


    "All right," Silverwing said. "But we need to be careful. He''s a half-step core-formation demon beast. I have a very high defense, so I don''t have much to worry about. He could kill you in a single strike, however. And by the way, he''s actually a lion. There''s a big difference."


    "Don''t worry, I''m very fast," Huxian said, rolling his eyes. He was touched by Silverwing''s concern. "Lei Jiang, you run ahead to scout."


    The three small beasts quickly moved through the forest that encompassed the nine mountains. The scenery changed drastically once they arrived at their final destination: Reptilian Mountain. The forest quickly turned hot and dry and the trees increasingly sparse. It became just like a savannah, a habitat filled with tall grass. It was ideal for hiding predators.


    "Do you have any idea how he managed to terraform the forest?" Huxian asked Silverwing.


    "It''s a very impressive feat, but it makes sense given the lion''s mixed bloodline," Silverwing replied. "What other animal can you think of that can change the terrain so easily?"


    "A geomantic boa?" Huxian guessed.


    "Wrong!" Silverwing said, chuckling. "It was a geomantic python, a much higher tier demon beast. He bragged about it just a few years ago. While he doesn''t have the ability to lay traps, and his ability to terraform is mediocre at best, he was still able to change the terrain on this mountain to the most suitable climate for him and his pride.


    "He''s much stronger than a normal half-step core-formation beast, and his claws and fangs are naturally coated with a strong venom. His defenses are also absurd, so he can attack without worry."


    "Then we should make sure we don''t bother him," Huxian said.


    "And how will we do that, given that we want to take the fruit he''s been guarding for the last hundred years?" Silverwing asked.


    Huxian was at a loss for what to say. If this lion was as strong as Silverwing said, they were courting death by stealing from him.


    They soon arrived in a wide clearing surrounded by many feline creatures. Most of them were lions, all female, of course. A male lion would never tolerate other males in its den unless it was looking for an heir. They all sat patiently, awaiting the arrival of their king.


    "How much longer until the fruit ripens?" a young cub asked.


    "It will ripen when it ripens!" a lion that Huxian could only presume was its mother rebuked.


    "No need to be so harsh on the little cub," an older female lion, presumably the mother of the entire pride, said. "The yin-yang dragon fruit is a fruit of balance. It will ripen today halfway between high noon and midnight. We are here both to guard it and to congratulate your father on his upcoming breakthrough to core formation. He will enter seclusion after retrieving the fruit. Then we will begin raising your younger brother to become his successor."


    Huxian and his friends were hidden in a small shadow. Huxian''s shadow abilities were very useful for clandestine operations. "How can we steal the fruit in such open terrain filled with lions?" Lei Jiang said. "It''s basically impossible."


    "It''s better to turn back," the falcon said, nodding. "Our lives are more important."


    Huxian shook his head. "We have to risk it. This is too good of an opportunity. Lei Jiang will run a distraction while I dive in to grab the fruit. What are your thoughts?"


    "That''s suicide!" the falcon cried. "I''m all for helping you, but I''m not for losing my life. Besides, I don''t have a bad relationship with the old lion. Why antagonize him needlessly?"


    Huxian sighed. "I see how it is. Very well, you can just stay back, and we''ll try our best."


    The falcon looked at him with a hurt expression but said nothing. Instead, Silverwing flew up and perched himself on a nearby tree, observing everything.


    Hours passed while Huxian and Lei Jiang waited patiently.


    I can''t believe he''s not helping you, Lei Jiang said. What an ungrateful bird!


    He''s not ungrateful, Huxian said. He is being cautious, and the technique I gave him isn''t worth his risking his life. This is perfectly reasonable of him. I don''t want you causing trouble for him and ruining my plans.


    Lei Jiang wore a resentful expression. Fine. I know I can get that fruit for you.


    Don''t focus on getting the fruit, Huxian said. I need you to be an annoying and flashy distraction. Even if you must die, I need him distracted until I get the fruit. If you''re still alive by the time I get the fruit, try your best to escape.


    A look of determination flashed in Lei Jiang''s eyes. I am willing to die for you, Master.


    Huxian did not reply but instead continued to observe the pride of lions. The hour was drawing near.


    A frightening pressure appeared in the sky a quarter hour later. A large scaly lion walked in the air from afar. He ignored all the nearby beasts as he gloriously pranced over to the maturing fruit. Purification-realm demon beasts could not walk in the air in this way; only core-formation beasts could. This was a small advantage the Reptilian Lion Sovereign had gained when forming his false core, a faint imitation of the true core he would condense to enter core formation.


    "My pride," he roared, "it is good for you to be here during this glorious moment."


    "We are joyful in being able to take part in my lord''sglory," the oldest lioness replied submissively.


    "After I retrieve the fruit, I will retire into seclusion," the Reptilian Lion Sovereign said. "Pick a newborn male cub of your choosing and raise him as you see fit during my absence. You will naturally be in charge and may kill anyone who displeases you."


    "As you wish, my lord," the lioness replied humbly. The nearby lionesses trembled in fear.


    "Beautiful," the Reptilian Lion Sovereign whispered while watching the fruit mature. It was like a normal fire dragon fruit, but the fruit''s flowerlike husk was white and black, infused with the powers of light and darkness.


    As far as Huxian was concerned, it was a waste for this lion to consume it. Huxian''s attributes perfectly matched the fruit, while the lion''s attributes did not.


    An incense time passed, and the sun began setting on the horizon. "Almost there," the Reptilian Lion Sovereign whispered.


    Now! Huxian yelled mentally. He slithered into the long shadows created by the setting sun while Lei Jiang transformed into a purple bolt of lightning that darted toward the fruit.


    "What gall!" the Reptilian Lion Sovereign roared as he swiped at the Calamity-Swallowing Mouse. Lei Jiang didn''t reply. Instead, the sky turned dark as he summoned purple lightning in the shape of a storm. It rained down and formed an offensive shield around him, which spread out and began attacking the scaly lion.


    "That hurts!" the lion shouted in surprise. The lionesses nearby could only watch in fear and awe. They would be burnt to a crisp the moment they so much as touched the purple lightning shield.


    Only a few more moments, Huxian said as he waited beside the fruit. It had almost reached its peak of maturity.


    Not a problem, boss. I can handle him, Lei Jiang said. But he spoke too soon. Suddenly the pressure given off by the lion skyrocketed, and Lei Jiang found himself suppressed on a fundamental level. It was the power of the lion''s false core that restricted him. The solidified bloodline present in a demon core was much more concentrated than a purification beast''s bloodline.


    "I will devour you for sustenance before eating the yin-yang dragon fruit," the lion said. "This way, my odds of success in core formation will double. Did you really think that your pathetic speed could contend with my false core?"


    Lei Jiang, clearly suppressed by the lion''s solidified bloodline, attempted to run away. However, the speed it was most proud of didn''t matter in front of the gigantic lion, who swatted him aside with ease. Huxian heard breaking bones, but he steeled himself. Getting the fruit was most important. If one of his generals died, he could always replace him.


    As the lion pounced on Lei Jiang, Huxian jumped from the shadows and swallowed the fruit whole. Its powerful energies did not immediately dissolve into his bloodstream but were stored away for a later date.


    "How dare you deceive this sovereign!" the lion roared, appearing directly beside Huxian.


    What shocking speed, he thought. He mustered every ounce of his power but soon discovered that the gravity around him had been amplified a hundredfold. An enormous, venomous claw came crashing down on him. He braced himself for his inevitable demise.


    I''m sorry, Cha Ming, Huxian thought. I tried. He closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable 20,000-jin paw strike.


    Peng!


    The paw didn''t land. He opened his eyes and saw brown and silver feathers. "Silverwing!" Huxian shouted.


    "You dare meddle in my affairs and help these thieves, Silverwing?" the lion roared. "Do you think I would hesitate to annihilate every bird on your mountain in retaliation?"


    "You can say whatever you wish," Silverwing said. "But if you dare do such a thing, I will eliminate every cat in the mountain range. We both know you can''t kill me. Both because you don''t dare and because you''re physically incapable."


    The lion hesitated, then looked to the side at the crumpled Lei Jiang. "Fine. But this one stays with me as an apology."


    Seeing the blood running down Silverwing''s beak, Huxian was ready to make this concession. However, before he had a chance, the large falcon spread its wings. "I''m taking the mouse with me, and you can''t stop me. However, we are indeed in the wrong. In the future, I owe you an equivalent herb or fruit, and it will be much more suitable to your constitution. This will happen within the next ten years."


    The Reptilian Lion Sovereign''s eyes narrowed. He seemed about to yell out in indignation but suddenly held himself back. "Very well. You may take the mouse, then. I''ll give you face for the sake of your ancestors."


    Silverwing bowed his head slightly and calmly picked up both Huxian and Lei Jiang in his talons and flew off. They retreated until they arrived at Huxian''s mountain, where Silverwing dropped them unceremoniously. Huxian, seeing Lei Jiang''s dire state, coughed up a tiny bit of blood essence and fed it to his follower, whose erratic breath quickly recovered.


    "Many thanks, Silverwing," Huxian said. "If you hadn''t¡ª"


    Paff.


    A wing struck Huxian across the face, sending blood flowing out of his mouth. "What''s your problem?" Huxian asked, growling.


    "What''s your problem?" the falcon asked with a menacing glare in his eyes. "I warned you he was powerful, and you wouldn''t listen. Not just that, you used your slave as bait. I saw it clearly. You were willing to sacrifice him for that fruit. I thought I knew you, but I was wrong."


    Huxian gulped and was immediately filled with something he had never felt before: regret.


    Seeing Huxian''s expression change, the falcon shook its head. "You''re just a kid. You know nothing. But you should appreciate friendship, Huxian. I saved you today because you are my friend. I risked my life today because you are my friend. And I saved Lei Jiang''s life because he is my friend, too.


    "I didn''t have to save you two, but I did. You need to appreciate what you have. Otherwise you might lose it all one day. If you don''t care for the people around you, even your closest friends and brothers will abandon you." Silverwing looked up toward his mountain peak. "I''m entering seclusion now to recover from my wounds. I don''t want to see your face for a week. But when I do, I hope you''ll have reflected on your mistakes."


    Silverwing disappeared in a flash of silver, and Huxian was left alone on his mountaintop. He was dejected and confused. He felt regret. From what he understood, his ancestors had always treated his generals as disposable commodities. However, the more he thought about Lei Jiang, another new emotion surfaced.


    Guilt.


    Can I really recruit Silverwing as my general? he thought. No. I could never do that to Silverwing. What a terrible thing to do to a friend.


    ***


    The Reptilian Lion Sovereign lounged next to the giant jade plate on his mountain. He was moping, and for a good reason. A large shadow approached him from afar before landing beside him.


    "Why couldn''t I just kill the mouse?" the Reptilian Lion Sovereign said. "Is it really so important?"


    "The mouse is irrelevant," the figure said. "But it''s Silverwing''s friend. That alone should be enough."


    "I know how you operate," the Reptilian Lion Sovereign said. "You wouldn''t save the mouse just for Silverwing''s sake."


    A pause ensued. "You''re right. I wouldn''t," the figure said. Then, without further explanation, he vanished.

 113 Brush Maker

    "Cha Ming, it''s so good to see you again!" Feng Huoshan said warmly. The attendant, who had paid little attention to him the first time he visited, now clasped his hands and bowed in greeting.


    "My apologies on not making it sooner," Cha Ming said. "I needed to take care of some matters and wasn''t able to come back until now." Dark circles surrounded his eyes, as his sleep had been restless. He had strange dreams where he was the sovereign of a mountain, overseeing the life and death of countless beasts.


    Last night, he''d fought a frightening adversary¡ªan incomparably powerful lion covered in scales. Only with the help of a silver-winged falcon did he survive. While the dream was very interesting, it made him long for the companionship of his little brother, Huxian.


    "Not a problem," Feng Huoshan said. "Would you like me to show you around?"


    "I would be in your debt," Cha Ming replied, smiling. He followed the older talisman master through the same hallway as before. But this time, instead of bypassing the different rooms, they stopped for a tour and an introduction. Their first destination was the mission board. It was in a large stone room and consisted of four large jade plaques that constantly displayed internal and external requests. The writing on the plaques continually shifted in a futile attempt to display all the information contained within.


    "You can check the details of any posting by inserting your incandescent force," Feng Huoshan explained. "The majority of the postings are internal. The guild has several long-term contracts and also requires a minimum stock of mortal-grade talismans for the storefront. We supply various sects and clans, and we even supply a set number of talismans to the royal family every month. Members can complete these tasks either for internal credit or cash renumeration."


    "Senior Brother Huoshan, what can the credit be used for?" Cha Ming asked.


    "They can be used to purchase guild materials at cheaper prices," Huoshan said. "Various inks and brushes can be purchased. Or you can pay for private lessons or tutoring from senior artists. For the most part, however, people use their credits to browse the library."


    "Makes sense," Cha Ming said. "What about the external postings?"


    "External postings are a little more complex," Huoshan said. "The simplest sort is when a sect requires a large batch of talismans over and above the regular contract. The rewards are more lucrative, but the timelines are usually extremely tight. This usually happens before large expeditions, smelting trials, or fights between sects.


    "Next, there are consulting jobs. They mostly have to do with appraisals or miscellaneous advice. Lastly, there are custom jobs. Typically, these are either requests for specific magic-grade talismans or the customer has a need to fill, and they aren''t exactly sure if talismans are the way to go. Let me give you an example. Let''s say the mayor''s son wants to go on an expedition, and the mayor wants a life-saving treasure. He isn''t too sure what he wants, but he''s sure that he wants an item that gives his son unparalleled speed for at least an incense time so that he has time to reach his Dao protectors . Or perhaps he believes that running away is cowardly and wants a powerful offensive talisman that can slay his enemies. We let him know which talismans are available and at what cost and effect. He will then decide whether to proceed with an order."


    "Are we reimbursed for the consulting time involved for these postings?" Cha Ming asked.


    "If only," Huoshan grunted. "It''s just a cost of doing business, but it''s often the only way we can sell our higher-end products. Those on display might sit there for a long time before getting sold. Magic talismans are sold on consignment. A custom job, however, has a guaranteed sale if you win the contract."


    "Then do you compete internally for each contract?" Cha Ming asked.


    Feng Huoshan shook his head. "We all have our strengths. For example, my offensive earth and fire talismans are the best in our group. Luo Ming''s defensive talismans are unparalleled. Hua Dong''s healing talismans are the best. Granted, it''s difficult for him to get work because medicinal pills are so much more effective. The only advantage talismans hold over pills is a complete lack of side effects and the potential for healing multiple targets."


    "I think I get the general picture," Cha Ming said. Over the course of their conversation, he saw several qi-condensation cultivators move back and forth from the four jade slabs and using their medallions to authenticate and accept missions. "One last question. What if someone fails in delivering their mission?"


    Feng Huoshan''s expression darkened. "It''s rare, but the consequences are quite severe. For mortal-grade missions, there is a large point penalty for failing to meet a deadline, as well as a warning. Every year, a member is allowed one warning. After a second offense, they may not accept missions for three years. These types of situations cost the guild greatly. Every time, the guild must hire a higher-ranking member to make up the difference so that the end delivery is not delayed.


    "For master artists on the other hand, there is no penalty. The master artist''s reputation suffers, and that is punishment enough. There are so few of us that a bad reputation will get noticed very quickly. This will directly affect his ability to sell high-level talismans. Therefore, master artists who fail to meet deadlines or fail to produce a product will usually perform remedial work for their client to smooth things over. Free of charge."


    Huoshan led him to the next department, the storeroom. It was filled with bottles of ink, many types of which he had never heard of. "Is there really a point to having so many types of ink?" Cha Ming asked.


    "There is," Huoshan replied. "You are a skilled artist, so you use liquified elemental essence because you value your time. However, some people are far less skilled and can''t afford good brushes. They make do and use inks that, while terrible for any other talisman, increase either the efficiency or the success rate of that specific one. Some materials conform better to certain characters. In fact, I''ll bet that if you used different ink, you could increase the quality of several talismans you crafted in your examination all the way to one hundred percent." While Cha Ming agreed this might be a possibility, it simply wasn''t worth his time.


    "There are also premium inks," Huoshan continued as they reached the back counter. The attendant there opened a cupboard in the back. It contained seven small flasks that emanated vibrant colors. "May I have the flask of fire evanescence?" he asked the attendant, who glared at him.


    "You break it, you pay for it," the attendant said, scowling. He handed him a glowing red flask.


    Feng Huoshan quickly opened the stopper. With a wave of his hand, a blazing hot river shot out from the flask. It floated around for a moment before Feng Huoshan waved it back. The flask was graduated, allowing Cha Ming to see that the amount returned equaled the amount withdrawn.


    "By using elemental evanescence to create talismans, there is a one in three chance of forcibly upgrading it upon completion. A least-grade talisman would become a lesser-grade talisman, and so on. However, this ink is prohibitively expensive."


    Cha Ming gulped. "How expensive?"


    "One hundred times more expensive," Huoshan replied, causing Cha Ming to hiss between his teeth. "Assuming someone had a ten out of ten chance of succeeding in his crafting, a magic talisman would grant a tenfold return on investment. If elemental evanescence was used, the maker would break even. The success rate for most people is between one in three and one in two, making it a financial loss. Most people wouldn''t bother unless they were crafting a life-saving talisman. I personally do not recommend trying it. You can''t use pure elemental evanescence for your examination."


    After exploring the remainder of the storeroom, they proceeded to the last location before the library¡ªthe brush maker''s room. Before they headed into the quiet room, however, Feng Huoshan pulled Cha Ming over to warn him. "You must, in all cases, be extremely respectful to the brush maker. Brush making is a very rare craft, and we are lucky to have him. Please indulge any reasonable questions he might have of you. In terms of standing, the brush maker stands only below the branch leader."


    With Cha Ming''s nod of confirmation, they entered.


    The room was nothing like Cha Ming expected. He thought the walls would be built of marble or stone. Instead, they were made of plain wood. Rather than having rack upon rack of brushes, he saw sixty white brushes near a desk on the side. On the desk sat a pile of paper and pot of normal ink.


    In the center of the room was a clear wheel filled with various runic patterns. It seemed to be made from the purest glass. Upon further inspection, however, Cha Ming could see that it was made of a metal that resonated with his soul¡ªsoul steel. Soul steel was one material grade higher than soul alloy.


    The remaining side of the room was a wall full of closets with unknown contents. Before he had a chance to ask Huoshan, a short balding man walked out from a room in the back.


    "Greetings, Master Brush Maker," Huoshan said, bowing. Cha Ming followed his lead and greeted him in a similar fashion.


    "Enough with the honorifics, they bore me," the older man said.


    "Nonsense, Master Li, these are the honorifics you deserve," Huoshan said courteously. Seeing the smirk on the older man''s face, Cha Ming realized that this was exactly what the man liked¡ªto be complimented, but to reject the compliments and have them insist on them. However, flattery was an art, and Cha Ming wasn''t sure how to join in.


    "Who have we here, Huoshan?" the brush maker said. "Seems like a new face. Young, too."


    "Cha Ming has recently passed his ninth-grade examination," Huoshan explained. "If I''m not mistaken, he will either pass this master examination or the next one."


    "Very good, very good," Master Li said. "And at such a young age too. Crouch down now and let me look at you."


    Cha Ming awkwardly got down on one knee to lower himself down to the man''s four-foot height. The man didn''t hold on ceremony and grasped his face with both hands, looking him straight in the eyes. Cha Ming averted his gaze, as staring into someone''s eyes was considered disrespectful.


    "Look at me straight ahead," the man said in a commanding voice.


    To Cha Ming''s surprise, he unconsciously listened to the command and peered into the man''s nondescript black eyes.


    "You practice an eye technique," the man said. "Your irises are special, and you weren''t born with them. They resemble plates of pure green jade, inlaid with runes. What do you see that others can''t see?"


    Cha Ming''s eyes flicked awkwardly toward Feng Huoshan.


    What do you see that others can''t see? the brush maker asked again mentally.


    Shades of yellow, Cha Ming said hesitantly. And auras of malevolent ochre, he added.


    What do you think they are? the man asked curiously.


    Hesitating again, Cha Ming opted to respond with the truth. Devils, he replied.


    Right. A useful ability, for some more than others. The older man nodded and released his head. "A fine young boy," he said. "I suppose you''ve come to beg me to make him a brush. What a coincidence; I happen to be free."


    "You are? Wonderful!" Feng Huoshan said joyfully.


    "I don''t know if that''s nece¡ª" Cha Ming started.


    "He would love for you to craft him a brush," Feng Huoshan cut in. Then he spoke mentally to Cha Ming. Don''t you dare refuse him. Not many people catch him in such a good mood. You have no idea how many times the other masters and I had to beg him to make our brushes.


    Cha Ming could only swallow down his words. Then he noticed the old brush maker''s gaze fixed on him. "You know my rules," Master Li said. "Only the customer and I are allowed in the room."


    "Of course," Feng Huoshan said. On his way out, he flipped the sign to mark the shop as closed and shut the door behind him. Cha Ming was left with the older man. He wasn''t sure what to say. He didn''t speak, but neither did the old man. Instead Master Li walked around Cha Ming with his hand to his chin, looking him up and down. Finally, he stood in front of Cha Ming.


    "Now, why exactly is it that you don''t wish for me to craft you a brush?" Master Li asked. He didn''t seem the slightest bit upset, only curious. "It''s always better to have a superior partner when crafting talismans. That means that you either already have a very good brush or you have one you are so attached to that you don''t wish to part with. Which one is it?" Cha Ming noted that Master Li used the word "partner." He didn''t see a brush as merely a tool.


    "With all due respect, sir, it''s both," Cha Ming said. He was very confident in the prowess of the Clear Sky Brush. Besides, how could he bear to part with it? It had accompanied him since before he began cultivating.


    Instead of seeming offended, the older man chuckled. "Let''s see it, then. Let me see this treasured partner that''s so important to you."


    Once again, Cha Ming hesitated. The Clear Sky Brush was a precious soul-bound treasure. Would he incur jealousy from the brush maker if he realized the truth? But he had come this far, so he ultimately decided to show him. The Clear Sky Brush, a perfectly cylindrical white brush with a white tip, appeared on the palm of his hand.


    "Don''t you worry, my boy, I won''t hurt it," Master Li said. Then he waved at the brush like someone might do to get the attention of a dog. To Cha Ming''s surprise, the brush shivered and flew up toward the man, curiously floating around his outstretched palm. Then it floated above it but didn''t land. Master Li reached out to pet it, but it playfully avoided him.


    "Curious," Master Li said. "A brush that refuses to be touched by anyone but its owner. How very curious. I can sense the presence of five elements on it. And something I can''t quite put my finger on. Something ever changing, all encompassing."


    "It''s creation qi," Cha Ming explained.


    "That would do it," Master Li said. "I''m not sure what I find more exciting¡ªthe fact that you can use creation qi or the fact that this brush can accommodate it. It is certainly not something I''m capable of. Five elements, not a problem. Creation qi, well, that''s something you might only see in a transcendent realm." As he spoke, the brush continued dancing around his hand as though it were a game. And the man continued to observe it just the same.


    "I''m not sure how to break this to you, but I''m afraid that your brush is incomplete," Master Li said.


    "Incomplete?" Cha Ming asked. "I''m not sure how that''s possible." As far as Cha Ming was concerned, the brush was a divine item. How could it possibly be incomplete?


    "You don''t believe me?" The old man chuckled. "Not to worry. I''ll prove it to you. But first, do me a favor and pour your qi, every last drop, into the qi-sensing plate in the middle of the room."


    Cha Ming obeyed his commands and moved over to the clear glass plate. He grasped it with both hands as he poured forth his foundation qi into the plate. As soon as it entered, it split off into seven different directions. Upon closer inspection, his qi wasn''t a dense liquid like he was used to seeing in his dantian. Instead it took the shape of the sigils he crafted to establish his foundation.


    "A sigil foundation, very impressive," the old man said. "I''ve only seen that once before. The man told me he took inspiration from the sigils he''d studied. However, he only made them with a single type of sigil, a frost sigil. And his foundation was very incomplete, only five pillars. A pity." He shook his head but continued observing the plate. All five points began glowing with increased intensity, while the white and the black runes floated in the center, forming a yin-yang symbol.


    Soon the brightness reached its peak, and Cha Ming''s qi was totally exhausted. As soon as the last of his qi poured in, a change occurred in the center of the plate. The white floated to the edges, forming a circle, while the black migrated to the center and formed a black star.


    "Curious¡­" Master Li said. He left Cha Ming in front of the plate and went into the back, leaving the Clear Sky Brush floating playfully around Cha Ming.


    Moments later, Master Li returned with a black box. He opened it, revealing a pile of clear dust. "This is the first test," the brush maker explained. "In order to accommodate so many elements, the brush should have a clear foundation, untainted by other elements. I predict it will consume about ten percent of this soul steel."


    "Consume?" Cha Ming asked.


    "Just watch," the man said, shushing him. He brought the chest up to the floating brush, which, as though finding its favorite snack, dove into the clear pile. Ten percent of the pile immediately disappeared.


    The old man nodded. It was as he predicted. But after a moment, his expression paled. The brush continued to devour another tenth. He looked on nervously as one-tenth after another was absorbed by the brush until finally, only a single tenth remained in the chest.


    Master Li looked at the pitiful pile remaining. "Why don''t you just eat it all, you glutton," he said in an aggrieved tone. The brush, clearly energized by his words, ate up the remaining tenth.


    Cha Ming was supremely embarrassed, but he didn''t say anything because he was distracted by the huge difference he observed in the brush. Its body was now crystal clear, a stark contrast to its previous milky-white color. Further, he could sense the Clear Sky Staff had also strengthened. Its main body was no longer made of pure soul alloy but rather reinforced with soul steel.


    The transformation seemed to invigorate the brush maker, who disappeared in the back once more and brought out five more boxes. One held a red lotus, another a blue lily. There was an emerald succulent, a bunch of golden grass, and something that resembled a yellow, daisy-shaped diamond. Each of these flowers seemed less botanical and more like precious gems. Cha Ming could sense high concentrations of heaven and earth qi stored within these treasures.


    "Go ahead," the man said. The brush, sensing his approval, dove in without restraint. It crashed into the yellow diamond daisy, absorbing the fragments within itself, causing yellow-brown runes to appear on its clear surface. It crashed into the red lotus, drinking in concentrated fire that appeared in the form of red runic lines. The same happened for the blue lily, the bunch of golden grass, and the green succulent. Soon, all five colors were dancing around the brush. After finishing its feast, the brush floated around lethargically, as though trying to show that it was full.


    "That should do for the main course," Master Li said. "Let''s see if it takes a liking to any of the bristle materials." The master motioned for the brush and Cha Ming to follow. The latter could only helplessly tag along as the Clear Sky Brush followed its new best friend.


    As they walked past closets, the man seemed to ask with his body language, "Do you want something here?" The brush vibrated intensely once they reached the third closet. The brush maker opened the closet and pulled out a long rack with fur, hair, and plants hanging from it.


    The Clear Sky Brush wandered through the many items before finally resting its "gaze" on a pure white strand.


    "You''ve got to be kidding me!" Master Li shouted, startling Cha Ming. "The hair of a qilin? Why don''t you just kill me now!"


    The brush shook indignantly. Cha Ming could sense its frustration, as if it were saying, You''re the one who told me to look for something I liked. How dare you say what I like is too expensive?


    "Fine!" Master Li said, his face red with rage. "Just take it! Go on!" The brush floated and attacked the entire group of white hair. Its bristle color transformed to a glowing white reminiscent of creation qi. "Are you full now?" the brush maker asked.


    The brush shook. Cha Ming understood that as a no.


    With an aggrieved expression, the brush maker continued to show it various closets, and to his relief, the brush sniffed in disdain at all of them. The brush maker was elated. "It seems that it''s not full, but it doesn''t want anything else," Master Li said.


    "What is it doing floating over there?" Cha Ming asked, pointing. The brush had floated a little farther to what seemed less like a closet and more like a drawer.


    "No, you will not!" the brush maker yelled. The Clear Sky Brush, aggrieved, floated in front of the drawer in protest. It refused to budge. After a brief struggle, the brush maker asked it, "Is this going to be the last thing?" The brush nodded. "Do you promise?" It nodded again. "Fine."


    Master Li pulled opened the drawer and revealed a small bunch of long hairs that looked similar to the qilin hair, except these gave off a destructive sensation. As it ate a hair, half the brush turned black as the deepest night.


    "It''s the hair of a nightmare," Master Li explained. "Very difficult to find, and typically not used to make brushes. Brushes are used to create, not destroy."


    After a few moments, the brush finished its feast and retreated back to Cha Ming. If it had a stomach, he was sure it would have let out a satisfied burp.


    "Spoiled," Cha Ming scolded. The brush disappeared into the Clear Sky World. "How much do I owe you for all of this?" Cha Ming asked.


    "Don''t bother; it''s a gift," the man said glumly.


    Normally Cha Ming would have taken this at face value. However, he had seen the man''s interaction with Feng Huoshan before.


    "I insist. It''s only right to compensate you," Cha Ming said. "At least let me make up your losses."


    Master Li relented. "Fine. You can make up my losses. My profits will be the novel experience of dealing with a sentient brush. However, the cost of these materials is considered astronomical to most."


    "Try me," Cha Ming said, feeling fairly confident. He couldn''t imagine a brush costing more than five hundred or so high-grade spirit stones. And that would be for a peak-foundation-establishment treasure.


    "The cost of the raw materials is ten thousand and eight high-grade spirit stones," the man said. "Let''s make it a round ten thousand. How does that sound?"


    For the first time since their fated encounter, Cha Ming lost his temper and began yelling mentally at the Clear Sky Brush.


    Why don''t you just kill me and take everything I own? he yelled at it while simultaneously handing the man a full crystal card. He suddenly empathized with the brush maker. It had been reasonable for him to get angry.

 114 Colleague

    Cha Ming returned to the guild the next day, both exhausted and depressed. He forced on a smile as he met Feng Huoshan once more.


    "So," Feng Huoshan asked, "how did it go?"


    Seeing the man''s expectant look, Cha Ming could only sigh and summon the brush. It was now clear and inlaid with multicolored runes. The bristles were now black and white.


    "Isn''t that the same brush as before?" Huoshan asked.


    "It is," Cha Ming admitted. "But seeing how attached to it I was, Master Brush Maker improved it for me. His skill is far greater than I ever imagined." He was careful to conceal its nature as an upgradeable, seemingly sentient treasure. He was sure the brush maker wouldn''t disclose such crucial information.


    "It''s good that you followed my advice and met with him," Huoshan said. "Now that you''ve seen everything else, it''s time for me to show you the library."


    Cha Ming followed him excitedly. He could do without the other departments, but not the library. Huoshan quickly led him to a large room that seemed to encompass a quarter of the building. It only had a single floor, but the shelves were extremely tall.


    "Guardian Treasure, I need you for a moment," Feng Huoshan yelled. A golden blur shot out from between two bookshelves and ran straight up to the middle-aged man''s face.


    "Master Feng," the object said. It was a golden ruler that positively gushed over with spiritual force. "As much as I respect you for your attainments, you would do well to remember that THIS IS MY LIBRARY, AND YOU WILL BE QUIET IN IT!" This sentence was twice as loud as Feng Huoshan''s original words.


    What a hypocrite, Cha Ming thought. As though seeing the doubt in his eyes, the ruler floated up to his face.


    "Do you have a problem?" the ruler asked.


    "No, sir," Cha Ming replied respectfully.


    "That''s good," the ruler said. "Seeing as you''re new here, I will issue you a library card. How much credit do you wish to purchase?" Cha Ming looked askance at Feng Huoshan. The man sent him a mental reply.


    "Can I please have ten thousand credits to start off with?" Cha Ming asked, placing a high-grade spirit stone in front of the golden ruler.


    "Certainly," the ruler said. It used its spiritual force to move the crystal to a box behind the desk and withdrew a card with ten golden marks. "Access to the outer library costs five hundred credits per month, and it will be deducted from your card automatically. Access to the inner library costs five thousand credits per month; access to the outer library is included. Now, before you proceed, are you aware of the rules of the library?"


    Cha Ming fished through his mind before giving a tentative reply. "Don''t eat, drink, or speak loudly?"


    "Close, close," the ruler said approvingly. "There is only one rule, the golden rule: Don''t damage my books, or I will burn you to ashes! The acceptable noise levels just depend on my mood and the person talking."


    Cha Ming shivered as the ruler floated away. Perhaps it''s best to communicate mentally here, Cha Ming said to Feng Huoshan.


    That is indeed the case, Feng Huoshan replied. Now that you have access to the library, feel free to browse around. Come see me if you run into any issues. I do some tutoring in my spare time.


    Master Feng left, and Cha Ming began browsing through the outer library. He heard a mental chime as five hundred points were automatically deducted from his card. In this library, there was a large collection of jade slips, tomes, and scrolls, grouped together by theme or character. For example, there were two full shelves containing over five thousand scrolls with titles like "Calligraphy Exercises for Beginner Talisman Artists" and "Circle Drills¡ªUsing the Perfect Shape to Perfect Your Characters."


    A little further on, he saw many hundreds of books for one of the simplest talismans, the Blaze Talisman. There were fifty or so how-to books and a few dozen books on increasing success rates. Some books were about specific ink usage. And this was only for a first-grade talisman.


    Cha Ming moved on to the next row of shelves. This time, the shelves were occupied by materials on second-grade talismans. It contained double the information for every talisman compared to the first row. Seeing nothing useful, he continued to the third row, where the content doubled once more. In fact, it continued doubling until the seventh grade, where the number of books for each character dropped by a factor of four.


    The shelf for the eighth and ninth grades similarly dropped in volume. In fact, the ninth row only contained information on thirty different talismans. Each talisman only had ten books or slips accompanying it.


    After having recognized each talisman and being proficient in them, Cha Ming proceeded to a short wall with an open entrance. He could faintly feel a force field permeating the air. After bracing himself, he pushed himself through the intangible wall, and a mental chime informed him that another 4,500 credits had been deducted from his library card. He could also tell that if he had not had sufficient credits, the force field would have rejected him and denied him entry.


    The room he entered was not physically isolated from the other library. Rather, it was incorporated into the middle of its circular design. The circular inner wall had four entrances, and like the one he entered, neither of them had doors. The short walls extended up to an invisible force field which both isolated the inner library and kept them joined in such a way that they shared the same roof. The roof was filled with beautiful frescos. In them, he could sense profound meaning represented in the paintings, resonating with his knowledge of runes.


    As he wandered farther into the central library, he saw a green pillar in the center. It was covered in myriad runes, some of which he could understand, some of which he could not. This could only mean one thing: They were transcendent runes, runes he wasn''t yet qualified to understand, though he could understand some key characters. On all four sides, a plaque was affixed, which translated these characters into the common language.


    Library Rules:


    1. Willful destruction of library property will result in destruction of the guilty cultivator. To be verified by Inquisitor.


    2. Willful damage of library property will result in crippling of the guilty cultivator. To be verified by Inquisitor.


    3. Books can be signed out for one week''s duration at most. All books must be signed out under oath, with a penalty of 1 high-grade spirit stone per additional day''s absence.


    The list continued. There was also a waiting list for books that were in short supply. Given his low skill level, Cha Ming proceeded to one of the four shelves where information on least-level talismans was located. To his surprise, there were only fifty or so different books for each element, albeit with several copies each. Three dozen of them outlined least-grade talismans, while a dozen were introductory manuals to magic talismans of a specific element. The five elements as well as wind, lightning, light, and darkness were represented.


    He also saw one book entitled Five-Element Talisman Artistry¡ªA Primer. However, he noticed that there were no other books on multiple-element talismans. Each one was for a singular element.


    Seeing that this book suited his cultivation technique, Cha Ming opened the book and read the opening lines.


    Talisman artistry seeks to encompass the nature of the universe itself, imbue it into ink, and bind it with paper. As such, it is reasonable that the five elements, which compose all matter and energy, are best suited to approximating this nature.


    The following text hopes to make complex matters simple and draw inspiration from nature to describe the perfect talisman-creation technique.


    The lofty introduction was imbued with the presence of an expert, so even reading these short two paragraphs put immense strain on Cha Ming''s mind and soul. Even with his superior memory as a high-level cultivator, he could barely remember the sentences he''d just read.


    So powerful, so profound, Cha Ming thought before putting the book away. After a quick browse through the book, he saw that it did not contain any talisman formulas, so he continued to search. After looking through several categories, he remembered his confrontation with the golden devil on the way to Quicksilver. He currently lacked offensive fire techniques, so he settled on the simplest least-grade fire talisman, Five-Fire Cremation Talisman.


    The talisman joined five different fire runes into a matrix that amplified them and focused them on a single animate target. It was much weaker than its sister talisman, Five-Fire Conflagration Talisman, which focused on collateral and structural damage. To Cha Ming, this was a good thing. It was also a much simpler talisman to paint. The book was annotated with a sheet of paper that marked it as suggested for the master examination.


    After obtaining the book, he continued browsing but saw nothing of interest. He took two items to the central pillar: Five-Fire Cremation, A Detailed Guide for Beginners, and Five-Element Talisman Artistry¡ªA Primer.


    To sign them out, he followed the instructions and imbued a trace of his incandescent force into two drops of blood, one for each book, and sent them toward the jade obelisk. It glowed slightly after contacting both books, but as soon as the glow receded, Cha Ming felt an invisible binding on the books loosen while a different binding constricted around his soul. It didn''t damage him. It bound him firmly to an oath to protect the books and to pay a penalty for late return.


    The consequences of failing to adhere to these oaths were quite dire.


    ***


    Three days later, Cha Ming was painting a talisman in a guild practice room. Sweat accumulated on his brow as he painted the intricate red lines that connected the five runic characters that he had previously painted on the talisman paper. He followed the method described in Five-Element Talisman Artistry¡ªA Primer, drawing inspiration from the nature of fire. He incorporated flickering motions as he painted. As a reference, he kept a small, ever-burning fire beside him in the practice room.


    The line he drew was much more than a line. It contained meaning, depth, thickness, and power. And like the many times before, the line was trembling as he painted it. Before long, the first line connected. But the second line he drew immediately afterward began to collapse. Cha Ming focused every fiber of his being on controlling the wild energy. But like the many times before, he ultimately lost control.


    The ink did not return to his brush like it used to. Rather, it spiraled out of control, igniting the five flames that were imprinted on the talisman paper and enveloping him in a five-colored wreath of flames.


    Cha Ming didn''t panic. He threw up a water-based qi shield with practiced ease, dousing the five fires before they consumed him. His lightly burned skin healed in a few breaths, leaving behind only the smell of roast pork to assault his nostrils. His clothes were fine. The gifts he had received from Fuxi''s Library were both powerful and durable. Half his hair had burned away, but it regrew in mere moments.


    "Why can''t I make this work?" he said out loud. He had less than two months to prepare for the examination, and he had barely made any progress. A single line out of fifty was hardly anything to be proud of. The most he had accomplished was setting himself on fire.


    As he cleaned the soot and ash off his face, he heard a soft knock on the door. He frowned, wondering what anyone could need him for. It was considered rude to bother someone in seclusion. He opened the door and saw Feng Huoshan.


    "That''s the fiftieth explosion in three days," Huoshan said with a smile on his face. "Care to take me up on that offer?"


    Cha Ming sighed but nodded, letting the man in. "What did you have in mind? I''ve been trying for days but with no progress."


    The most frustrating part was that all the theoretical knowledge on geometric relations from Fuxi''s Library wasn''t helping him in the slightest. They were theory, and he was dealing with real-world applications. It reminded him of why construction workers mocked engineers, who in turn mocked scientists, who then mocked mathematicians. Each step down the chain was one step further removed from reality.


    Feng Huoshan pulled a chair up and sat down beside Cha Ming. "This is quite normal in the beginning. Fortunately, you chose to start with fire, so I will be able to help you."


    "What''s the price for your tutoring lessons?" Cha Ming asked.


    "Price?" Huoshan said, surprised. "I had something rather different in mind. You see, I might be superior to you in some ways, but in other ways I''m lacking. Therefore, I was thinking we could have more of a collegial relationship."


    "I excel more than you in some ways?" Cha Ming questioned. "You mean¡­"


    "Runes," Huoshan stated. "Your knowledge of runes far exceeds mine. I confess, during your ninth-grade examination, I couldn''t comprehend a single character. Therefore, I propose to help you with this first fire-based talisman in exchange for tutoring on the earth characters you drew that day. To be clear, we will tutor each other until our comprehensions have reached sixty-percent efficiency, the requirements for the examination. What are your thoughts?"


    Cha Ming considered for a while before nodding. After all, Feng Huoshan seemed like a nice enough person. He saw no issue in sharing knowledge with him. Of course, he wouldn''t teach him the entire knowledge of Fuxi''s Library. That was something reserved for fated individuals with merit halos.


    "All right, since I offered, let''s start by fulfilling my end of the bargain," Huoshan said. "Start painting the Five-Fire Cremation Talisman without worrying for my safety. I can take care of myself."


    At his insistence, Cha Ming began crafting the talisman once more. His brush moved swiftly as he imbued the five characters into the paper, just like before. Then he began tracing the first line, which trembled as he painted. He was concentrating far too hard to notice Feng Huoshan''s frown over his shoulder.


    After the first line was completed, he continued on to the second, which immediately began collapsing. Cha Ming focused his qi and spiritual force to restrain the explosion, only to notice that Feng Huoshan did the same. Together, they suppressed the fire, saving Cha Ming the trouble of dousing himself and regrowing burnt flesh and hair.


    Seeing Feng Huoshan''s brooding expression, Cha Ming explained. "I fail at this step every time. Believe it or not, this is an improvement over yesterday."


    The man sat in silence for a while before speaking up. "I have no idea where you learned what you did," Huoshan said, "but I suggest you unlearn it as quickly as possible."

 115 State of Mind

    "What?" Cha Ming asked, perplexed.


    "The quivering, the flickering. It''s unnecessary and destabilizes everything. Your brush strokes should be smooth, like gentle burning flames. You''re adding too much wildness into the character. I confess, if you could ever condense the talisman, its destructive might would far exceed that of anything I could draw up. However, I have never seen anyone succeed with this method. Now that I think about it, where is your copy of Elementary Fire-Element Magic Talismans: The Burning Brush Method?"


    Cha Ming frowned. "I didn''t take it out. I took the book on five-element crafting instead."


    Feng Huoshan''s expression darkened. "I suggest you stop reading it. It is a flawed text, and you won''t gain anything good from it."


    "But I sensed great power from it," Cha Ming protested. "How could it possibly be flawed with such an overbearing presence?"


    Feng Huoshan shook his head. "You don''t understand. The one who wrote it, Mei Guo, was quite eccentric. He was a senior master here when I began my apprenticeship. Obsessed with creating his own path. Every day, countless explosions would happen in his workshop. Everyone had doubts, but given his rank, he was given much leeway.


    "Unfortunately, things did not end well for him. You see, he died at seventy-five years of age, which is quite young for a foundation-establishment elder, whose lifespans can reach two hundred years. He died in an explosion in his laboratory while crafting a talisman. This book is the sole record of his research, but it is very frowned upon to learn from it. Fortunately, those who''ve stumbled upon it simply make no progress, and no major explosions occur. Therefore, it hasn''t been taken off the shelves."


    "Then what do you suggest I do, Brother Huoshan?" Cha Ming asked.


    "For starters, return the book and take out the introductory book I mentioned," Huoshan said. "While I do not suggest studying it, if you are truly curious, wait until you gain more experience. I once heard our guild master say that there are many paths to success, and that everything converges upon a single point. Perhaps there is merit to his research, but it is better to read this book as an informed individual."


    Cha Ming had a fair bit to digest, so he decided to first instruct Huoshan on a single fire rune and a single earth rune to start. He painted them in midair at a slow, deliberate pace, letting him absorb the essence of each rune as he painted it. After each rune was completed, he imprinted it on a sheet of talisman paper, which Huoshan could use for future study.


    Huoshan attempted to paint each talisman three times before Cha Ming stopped him. "Technically you are performing every motion correctly," Cha Ming said. "But you''re lacking the meaning and intent behind the character."


    "Meaning and intent?" Huoshan asked in a confused tone.


    "Don''t you infuse meaning and intent into your talismans?" Cha Ming asked.


    "No," Huoshan confessed, "the orthodox school of thought is that as long as one''s technical skill is correct, the talisman will be successfully created."


    "Then what is the highest level of efficiency you have ever achieved?" Cha Ming questioned.


    "Perhaps eighty percent?" Huoshan replied.


    "Then this is likely your problem," Cha Ming said. "It is less of an issue for the least complex characters. However, powerful characters require deep comprehension. According to what I have been taught, each character represents a truth of the universe. It is a name that holds power, and the name means something."


    Seeing the man''s confused look, he decided to try another approach. He took out his brush and began drawing a different rune, a basic rune at the fifth level. A glimmer of recognition flickered across Feng Huoshan''s eyes.


    "Look on as I draw the rune and reach out with your incandescent force. Try to feel the rune. Try to understand it." Cha Ming continued to draw slowly while Huoshan tried to perceive it from every angle. Once the talisman was completed, Huoshan looked even more confused.


    "I didn''t feel anything like what you just said," Huoshan said. "That felt like pure technical skill."


    "That''s because it was," Cha Ming said. "Now take a look at this one and observe it just the same." Cha Ming drew the rune once more. This time, he poured in his entire comprehension of the character, his feelings about it, and his knowledge of its purpose. Every stroke had depth. As he drew, he saw Huoshan''s initial confused look begin to fade, slowly being replaced with a pensive one. "Do you understand now?"


    "Only somewhat," Huoshan admitted.


    "I would be surprised if you fully understood the first time," Cha Ming said. "I have never taught this subject before. You are the first. I learned this character under very different circumstances."


    When Cha Ming had learned, the character had been presented on a different material, a material that made it easy for Cha Ming to isolate the intent and study it. It wasn''t surprising that he couldn''t mimic it exactly. Those same conditions would only be present for those who studied the jade slips he had been given. "Now, take a look at the power of these two talismans."


    Cha Ming threw the first purely technical talisman at the dummy in the room. It was engulfed in mild flames, and the dummy reported its rating.


    Fifth-Grade Mortal Talisman, Efficiency¡ª72%.


    Huoshan nodded appreciatively. Cha Ming then threw out the second one. The flame was noticeably more intense and burned much longer.


    Half Sixth-Grade Mortal Talisman, Efficiency¡ª98%.


    Huoshan''s eyes widened. "You mean to say that not only can you increase the efficiency to the high nineties, but you can increase the grade by a half step?"


    "I''m not exactly sure of the specifics," Cha Ming admitted. "To be honest, I''ve never performed this type of testing before I came here. The half-step ratings during my exam surprised me as well, and I had assumed it was due to the power of the rune alone. Now that I think about it, I was indeed mistaken.


    "I speculate that there are two components that are contributing. First, I have already explained that your understanding of the character impacts the character drawn. However, there is another component."


    "Which is¡­?" Huoshan said.


    "Intent," Cha Ming replied. "Your intent and feelings toward the talisman contribute to its power. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to separate your feelings and your comprehension. I''ll hazard a guess that one-hundred-percent efficiency pertains purely to comprehension of the runic character, while the upgrade in quality is due to the intent projected. Unfortunately, I have no way to verify this."


    Huoshan was silent for a moment, after which he picked up his brush and ink to go practice on his own. "Do come find me if you have any questions about magic talismans," Huoshan said. "I''ll have to trouble you as I study."


    "Naturally," Cha Ming said.


    ***


    Weeks flew by as Cha Ming continued studying talismans under Feng Huoshan''s guidance. In return, he taught the man many new characters. While they weren''t immensely useful for higher-level talismans on their own, they gave him a foundation with which to research new magic talismans. They were both quite pleased with the arrangement.


    Unfortunately, Huoshan''s tutoring had its limits. With his help, Cha Ming progressed very quickly in fire and earth talismans, but that was his limit. Cha Ming eventually had to find different teachers for different elements. Feng Huoshan was happy to arrange such meetings. With Huoshan''s help, he learned the Five-Fire Cremation Talisman.


    He also took advantage of the man''s proficiency in the earth element to learn the Lone Mountain Suppression Talisman. The center of this talisman was naturally a single mountain character. It was linked to several other characters¡ªpeople, land, structures, and weapons. The link expressed a suppressive relationship.


    Through Luo Ming, he learned the Myriad Ice Shield Talisman. From Hua Dong, he surprisingly learned two talismans. The first was the Eight Treasures Healing Talisman, while the second was of much darker origins. It was named the Five Poisons Talisman, and it contained six characters. The central character was that of a man, while the five surrounding characters represented the five poisons¡ªsnake, scorpion, centipede, toad, and spider. The relationship between these six characters was self-explanatory.


    Unfortunately, Huoshan was unable to find Cha Ming a teacher for metal-type talismans. Moreover, the other least-grade talismans they had knowledge of would take Cha Ming longer to master due to their high count of runic lines. Therefore, in the three weeks he had remaining, Cha Ming focused on two things.


    Firstly, he independently studied a metal talisman, the Nine Blades, One Dao Talisman. It was an offensive single-target talisman. In addition, he continued to frantically study the four poetic talismans. Unfortunately, out of fifty attempts, he only succeeded in creating a single Crumbling Talisman. This only made matters worse, as the emotional backlash made him feel as though the sky was falling.


    Despite his poor chances of success, he decided he would still participate in the examination. It didn''t hurt to gain experience on the proceedings. There was also little cost to the examination. He would only need to supply his own ink and pay a nominal fee. With this relaxed attitude, he rested on the last day. On Feng Huoshan''s advice, he went to admire a famous tourist attraction, the Quicksilver Art Gallery.


    Cha Ming had always admired artwork in any form, whether it be music, calligraphy, or paintings. He appreciated the construction of beautiful buildings and even well-done flower arrangements. This applied to both his previous life and his current life. After all, people only had one life. Why not enjoy the beautiful things while they lasted?


    Like everyone else, he lined up to enter the museum bright and early in the morning. It was a national holiday, so many people were taking advantage of the free admission. He smiled as he saw kids bouncing in and out of the line, impatient and wondering what their parents wanted to see. They wouldn''t appreciate moments like these until they were older.


    Like everyone else, he walked around the art gallery as he pleased. He saw the works of many local artists. There were also guest pieces. They rotated between the art galleries in several kingdoms and empires.


    Like everyone else, he saw things superficially with just a glimmer of understanding. That didn''t take away from his enjoyment; quite the opposite¡ªit made him realize the true level of skill involved in portraying things in such a thought-provoking way. No one would ever truly understand these famous pieces of art.


    And for Cha Ming, that was half the pleasure.


    ***


    The art gallery was large, so it took him the whole day to file through the building at a leisurely pace. It was near the exit that he spotted an intriguing exhibit. It was a closed-door exhibit, meaning that an additional fee was required to enter the separate room. He entered despite the extravagant price of five mid-grade spirit stones, and that made all the difference.


    As soon as he entered the room, he felt incomparably relaxed. The scent of fresh roses gently kissed his nostrils. The humidity in the air peaked, as though there was a pool of hot water in his surroundings constantly giving off steam. To his surprise, that was indeed the case. In the center of the room there sat a large copper basin filled to the brim with hot water and rose petals. Four gorgeous maidens took turns filling the tub, but as they poured, the water level never changed.


    There were also four large trees that dropped cherry blossoms on the floor of the room. This was all despite it being the middle of winter. The entire scene struck Cha Ming as surreal. His eyes flickered to the plaque beside a tree. It read, Relaxing Spring of Youth by Jun Xiezi. It was then that he realized that the tub, the maidens, and the trees weren''t real. They were only part of the painting. Even the vivid scent of roses and the humid air he felt were also part of the painting.


    "You seem troubled, young man," an aged voice said from behind. A silver-haired man walked up beside him.


    "A little," Cha Ming said. "I have a troublesome examination tomorrow. To pass it, I need to make things that have eluded me for months. I made them once, my masterpieces. But I have never been able to replicate them."


    This wasn''t the only thing weighing down on him. He had visited the Alchemists Association a month prior and obtained less-than-consoling news. His status wasn''t high enough to catch the senior alchemists'' attention. Meanwhile, the junior alchemists were helpless to provide the pills he needed due to his unique cultivation method. As a result, his cultivation had practically halted in its tracks.


    "Ah," the man said understandingly. "This happens to me as well from time to time. I''m a painter, you see. Before I paint a masterpiece, not only do I need inspiration, but my mind and soul must be relaxed and at peace. I cannot create a masterpiece without pouring everything I am into it. But how can I do that if my soul and my emotions aren''t in tip-top shape?


    "In addition, I''ve noticed that I can never truly replicate a masterpiece. Even if I try to paint the same thing, it will always be slightly different. That is because I''ve changed as a person. I see it through a different lens than before, so my inspiration has changed.


    "I often come to the art gallery, both for inspiration and for relaxation. Or I go to music concerts. On occasion, I play Angels and Devils. Meditation is too dry and dull, and even though it seems like my mind is relaxing, it isn''t. It''s working hard at calming down, which is ironic given my intent."


    The man said nothing more, and both he and Cha Ming took a seat in front of the painting. Cha Ming let everything go as he immersed himself in the image. He imagined himself bathing in that hot tub. He let the smell of cherry blossoms permeate and purify him. And out of the corner of his eye, he could barely see an intricate component of the painting he had never seen before. Yet as he focused on it, it disappeared.


    Was I mistaken? Cha Ming thought, only to see the flicker once more. After the second time, he was convinced: This was no mere painting. It was that and so much more. It was a runic diagram that drew on the energy of heaven and earth and gave it that surreal, calming quality. But the painting wasn''t made of runes. The painting gave birth to them.


    An hour passed before Cha Ming stood up and prepared to leave. "Many thanks, senior," he said, bowing. The old man simply smiled at him and continued relaxing. Cha Ming returned to his residence near the guild that night and didn''t practice his talismans. He was free of care and tension and filled with the realization that tomorrow would either work out for him or it wouldn''t. It truly didn''t matter.


    For the first night in three years, he had a good night''s sleep.

 116 Examination

    Cha Ming woke up feeling relaxed and refreshed. His mixed emotions, the ones he didn''t know existed, had sorted themselves out subconsciously. Strangely, despite his repeated failures over the past few months, he felt quite confident in being able to pass the upcoming examination.


    After washing his face, Cha Ming ate a large breakfast of rice porridge, vegetables, and pickles¡ªone of the reasons he had picked this hotel in the first place. He especially enjoyed the hotel''s bamboo dish. It was difficult to combine its texture and taste in just the right proportions; the chef here had done it by adding a complementary mushroom.


    A brief walk followed breakfast. He took in the city''s sights and enjoyed watching the people''s routine walk to work. The examination''s start time coincided with the standard work start time, one hour after dawn. He arrived just five minutes before the cut-off time.


    "Cha Ming, you made it," Feng Huoshan said as he walked to the registration desk.


    "Wouldn''t miss it for the world," Cha Ming replied in a cheerful tone, a stark contrast to his stressed disposition the day prior. He signed up at the registration desk by presenting his bronze ninth-grade emblem. It contained all the pertinent information required. "Brother Huoshan, who will be conducting the examination?"


    "A grand master artist," Feng Huoshan said, shaking his head. "He is sent by headquarters to ensure impartiality."


    Cha Ming nodded and waited with the other thirteen examination candidates. Judging by their expressions, they were not confident in their abilities in the slightest. Many were pale and sweaty, unable to contain their anxiety. This was all despite having cultivations in the foundation-establishment realm, a minimum requirement to even attempt creating magic talismans in the first place.


    There was one lone exception to this general trend. A girl stood apart from the rest. She wore a blank expression, and her eyes were closed. And despite her gorgeous looks, no one made a move to speak to her. She had silver hair that sunk down to her waist, and her skin was pale as fresh winter snow.


    "Are you not nervous about the examination?" Cha Ming asked, hoping to liven the atmosphere.


    "No need," she said softly. She didn''t bother explaining herself, so Cha Ming could only shrug helplessly. He wasn''t sure whether it was arrogance or general unfriendliness.


    "So you''ve practiced sufficiently, then?" Cha Ming prodded. The woman frowned, and suddenly he felt like he had just plunged into a murderously frigid pool. His strong soul allowed him to recover quickly. By reflex, he activated Eyes of Pure Jade and peered at her figure. What he saw surprised him.


    Instead of the yellow tinge or ochre coloring he had expected when exposed to her murderous aura, he instead saw a halo of resplendent jade light. It hugged her body, spreading out two inches from her skin and hair. The color felt kindly and pure.


    Is this a merit halo? he thought. He immediately reevaluated the young woman.


    "Oh?" she said, looking toward him. Her eyes still hadn''t opened, but he felt a piercing gaze examining his very soul. "My apologies, kind sir, I just don''t take kindly to casual conversation. I find it flippant and irrelevant. But I feel comfortable around you, so I will make an exception."


    Cha Ming shot her a nervous smile. "I take it that your reputation precedes you. Were you standing alone on purpose?"


    "Yes," the girl said, blushing. "My name is Luo Xuehua . Like the snowflake."


    "Mine is Du Cha Ming. The same Cha Ming as investigating ," Cha Ming said.


    "How accurate," Xuehua said. "What did you discover with your investigation?" Cha Ming was caught off guard by the question but immediately recovered. After all, her disposition had changed after he observed her with Eyes of Pure Jade. It shouldn''t be surprising that she had noticed his probing.


    "I discovered that you are surely a righteous person," Cha Ming replied. "That you have done much good in this world."


    The girl smiled bitterly. "If you could see what I see, you would not feel the same way."


    Seeing that Xuehua had not opened her eyes yet, Cha Ming''s curiosity got the better of him. "What do you see?"


    "Darkness and shadows," she replied softly. "And blood, fire, and gold. Families torn apart and kingdoms crumbling. An hourglass with not much time remaining."


    Cha Ming shivered. Not knowing how to react to these dark words, he could only remain silent and focus on the upcoming exam.


    A middle-aged figure in gray robes appeared a half hour later. He looked over the fourteen candidates and motioned for them to follow. To Cha Ming''s surprise, his body moved without his consent. He continued moving along in this fashion until they arrived at a large stone room where fourteen mannequins and fourteen desks stood ready. Each desk and mannequin were separated from the others by intricate formations that Cha Ming assumed would prevent explosions from spreading. They would only need to concentrate on the examination candidate.


    "Well?" the man barked. "What are you all waiting for? Take a seat."


    Cha Ming and the thirteen others scrambled to find a desk. Cha Ming ended up second from the end, right beside Luo Xuehua. She still hadn''t opened her eyes. He wondered whether it had to do with a special technique she cultivated.


    "Here are the rules," the examiner said abruptly. "Firstly, you will have seventy-two hours to draw ten unique magic-grade talismans. Their efficiencies must exceed sixty percent. You will use your own ink, brush, and paper. Using pure elemental evanescence is forbidden for the purposes of achieving a higher rank via augmentation. However, although it is rather wasteful, you can use it as you would normal ink or as a blend.


    "Do not worry about the safety of the other examination candidates, as they will be shielded from any ill effects of your talismans. However, your eyes will not be shielded, so it is your responsibility not to lose concentration in the case of a distracting explosion. Any and all attempts to willfully distract other examinees is strictly forbidden. It will not only disqualify you from the exam, but your current qualifications will be revoked, and you will be banned from the association. Any questions?" Cha Ming and the others shook their heads. "Good. Begin!"


    Cha Ming immediately began painting his first talisman, the Five-Fire Cremation Talisman. He began by expertly drawing the five fires and embedding them into the paper. He then proceeded to draw the first, the second, and the third line in expert fashion.


    As he drew, each line required increasing amounts of focus and control, greatly slowing down his progress. The five symbols and ten lines took him a mere ten minutes, but the next thirty took him the remainder of an hour. The next ten lines, the most difficult and least stable of the set, would take him an entire hour to paint.


    Time ticked by, and soon he only had five lines remaining. Sweat dripped from his brow as he struggled to contain the liquified elemental essence with his qi and incandescent force. The line trembled, wanting to rampage and break free, incinerating not only himself but his entire surroundings.


    Suddenly he saw a flicker of light from a failed talisman nearby. His concentration broke, and the talisman unraveled and began the inevitable explosion.


    ***


    "Damn, it looks like he failed his first attempt," Feng Huoshan said from an observation balcony.


    "That''s normal," another master artist said beside him. "Though I still don''t know why you pay so much attention to the boy."


    "He''s young, and he knows things," Huoshan replied. "And he''s a fair bit kinder than some old geezers I know. In short, he''s worth befriending. Someone like you wouldn''t understand."


    The fat man beside him shrugged. "That may be. Let''s see how he deals with this disastrous failure. It takes a lot of qi and spiritual force to stop an explosion. That will mean more recovery time and fewer chances to paint talismans in the long run."


    "Who knows," Huoshan said. "But I have faith in my little friend. Eh? What is he doing?" Feng Huoshan looked on in amazement as Cha Ming did nothing to prevent the explosion. He didn''t even raise a simple qi shield to defend himself. "Is he suicidal?"


    A fierce explosion, much larger than the previous failures, expanded and threatened to break the formations surrounding Cha Ming. Huoshan was surprised to see the examiner flash across the room to reinforce the formation. As the cloud of smoke dissipated, they saw the semblance of a man sitting cross-legged with unharmed blue robes. The desk had been smashed to smithereens, but the dummy itself had recovered. Cha Ming now looked more like a burned corpse than anything else.


    "Cha Ming!" Feng Huoshan yelled and jumped out toward the young man''s examination enclosure. However, as he drew nearer, the examiner looked at him coldly and motioned for him to stop.


    "Watch," the middle-aged man said, releasing his intangible grasp on Feng Huoshan. Taking in a deep breath, Huoshan realized that the burned skin and hair on Cha Ming''s "corpse" was rapidly regenerating. It only took a few minutes for his hair and skin to regrow. Only ashes remained of his previously burned skin. After recovering physically, Cha Ming only took an incense time to recover his incandescent force and qi before starting once more. This time, he painted from the floor, not bothering to ask for another desk and chair.


    "A body cultivator?" Feng Huoshan asked.


    "Obviously," the examiner said, his voice thick with disdain. "Now get back upstairs and don''t utter a peep. He obviously let the explosion hit him to conserve his qi and mental strength, bearing with the pain to gain additional chances for success."


    Having been thoroughly reprimanded, Feng Huoshan flew back up to the observation deck.


    "What a freak," the fat man said. "How can he stand to get hurt like that, and on purpose to boot. One''s body is a temple, and one shouldn''t let it be harmed for any reason.


    "And this is why your defensive talismans are the best, Brother Luo Ming," Feng Huoshan said. "And it is also why you have the largest temple among the masters. By the way, shouldn''t you at least show a modicum of support? He will be painting the talisman you taught him. It''s a pity you don''t value him more. I''m sure he could help you out in the future."


    "What''s the point?" Luo Ming said, pulling out a bucket of fried chicken. "I have no patience for research, so what''s a few extra runes? My curiosity was piqued. Nothing more."


    ***


    Cha Ming''s confidence wasn''t shaken in the slightest as he painted the talisman a second time. He simply continued as if nothing had happened. What did shake him was the glimpse he caught of Luo Xuehua. She had been calmly painting her talisman with her eyes closed. He began to wonder whether she could open them in the first place.


    He pushed this thought out of his mind and pondered it no further. After ten lines, he''d gotten to the difficult part. He kept focused as he painted red line after red line. This time, there was no quivering until he got to the third to the last line. It was his best attempt at creating this talisman yet. With a look of joy on his face, he finished the least-grade magic talisman. The paper turned five shades of red as it resonated with the energy of heaven and earth.


    Your completion is noted, a voice spoke to him mentally. He looked toward the examiner, who nodded. Throw your talisman at the dummy for evaluation. Cha Ming didn''t hesitate and threw it at the fragile-looking wooden dummy. Five fires burst out and raged around it, concentrating their efforts in cremating its wooden body until nothing remained. Naturally, they failed miserably in their attempts. The only remaining trace of its power was a sign on the dummy.


    Least-Grade Talisman, 71% efficiency.


    Cha Ming had succeeded, but he was a long way from finishing the examination. This happened to be his most proficient talisman, and the next five wouldn''t be a walk in the park. Not to mention the final four he would need to complete. Since he had finished a fire-based talisman, he proceeded to begin drawing an earth-based talisman. Fire fed earth, so his previous actions would interfere the least with the Lone Mountain Suppression Talisman.


    Contrary to the burning brush motions from before, his pose was stoic and sturdy, his brush strokes stable and certain. He was a living mountain. This talisman had ten characters but still only fifty connecting lines. It was only slightly more complicated than the Five-Fire Cremation Talisman. However, he had much less practice with it and could only trust in luck for success.


    As Cha Ming and Xuehua painted, the other examinees struggled to produce anything of substance. It took a full ten hours for the first to produce something passable. It was a simple wood healing talisman with an efficiency of six tenths¡ªa bare pass. Other successful products trickled in soon after, but it was clear that this rate of completion wouldn''t bring them a passing mark. On average, each talisman could only take seven hours. They would be hard-pressed to complete the examination and could only trust their fates to chance.


    On the fourteen-hour mark, Cha Ming successfully created a talisman that summoned an illusory mountain, which bore down on the practice mannequin and crushed it with impunity. After recovering, a score of 73% efficiency was recorded, and Cha Ming moved on to the next one. Shortly after, Luo Xuehua finished her third talisman, once again an ice-element talisman. It summoned a thousand silver snowflakes to strike various vital points on the mannequin. Its efficiency was frightening¡ª93%! This was the highest recorded efficiency yet during the examination. In fact, it seemed like an insurmountable record. Cha Ming suspected that the ice element resonated with her icy demeanor.


    Another sixteen hours passed, and by the thirty-hour mark, Cha Ming finally managed to produce the Nine Blades, One Dao Talisman, the self-taught talisman which gave him the most difficult time. He barely passed with a mark of sixty percent. Unfortunately, almost half of his time had elapsed. It would be difficult to make up the lost time. He maintained his calm composure and proceeded to the Myriad Ice Shield Talisman.


    ***


    "There it is, the Myriad Ice Shield Talisman!" Luo Ming exclaimed.


    "Aren''t you a little too excited?" Feng Huoshan teased. He had remained seated the entire time, unlike a certain slovenly friend who left periodically for meals.


    "I can''t help it, it''s truly my favorite talisman," Luo Ming said, licking the grease from his fingers. "It captures the very essence of cultivation. Evolution, strength, and absolute defense. It has no undesirable qualities. With enough Myriad Ice Shield Talismans, one would never get injured."


    Feng Huoshan rolled his eyes at his friend''s usual banter. Fortunately, Cha Ming didn''t disappoint. After two tries and four hours, he managed to complete the talisman. However, only thirty-eight hours remained for the final six talismans, so Huoshan couldn''t help but feel nervous for his young friend.


    "Hua Dong, how proficient is he in the Eight Treasures Healing Talisman and the Five Poisons Talisman?" Huoshan asked. The man had just joined them in the spectator stands.


    "He''s terrible," Hua Dong replied. "Cha Ming''s success rate doesn''t exceed 25% for both. It will be difficult for him to finish. Speaking of which, does anyone know which other four talismans he has under his belt?" The other two shook their heads and looked on with rapt attention.


    ***


    Condense! Cha Ming yelled mentally, forcing the Eight Treasures Healing Talisman into submission. Then, after receiving his instructions, he threw it at the mannequin. It glowed green, and a value of sixty-five percent floated up. Unfortunately, generating the talisman had taken him six hours. This was better than average but left him with very little time. Forty hours out of seventy-two had elapsed. Painting talismans was getting increasingly difficult. Recovering mental energy became more strenuous as time passed.


    With hands shaking from unpleasant memories, he began painting the Five Poisons Talisman. The backlash on the Five Poisons Talisman was much more brutal than the others, but he didn''t have the qi or mental energy to divert in the case of a failure.


    Two hours passed before he failed his first attempt. The runic lines collapsed, and a five-colored fog invaded his body. Excruciating pain shot through his limbs as he exerted the power of bone forging to force the poison out of his pores while simultaneously recovering his mental energy and qi. This process alone took another two hours to complete.


    The next three attempts resulted in failure as well. Fifty-six out of seventy-two hours had passed. Gritting his teeth, he attempted once more. After so many consecutive failures, he noticed that the poison had a sensitizing effect. Each subsequent poisoning made the pain increasingly unbearable. To have any chance in completing the examination, he needed to finish this next one. Therefore, he took extra care and painted at half pace. Before long, four hours had passed. It was the sixtieth hour, and only three lines remained.


    It was then that a blinding flash of light emanated from the shield next to his. The man had been attempting a dangerous lightning-based talisman, and the recoil of the failure was especially intense. The examiner was forced to disperse the shield and save him, but not before his right hand was scorched black. While it wasn''t impossible to heal it via expensive spirit medicines, his ability to paint might be impaired for the rest of his life.


    This shocking sight caused Cha Ming''s poison talisman to destabilize ever so slightly. Unfortunately, he knew full well that it was the beginning of the end. After painting two more lines, the talisman began to shake uncontrollably.


    I can''t fail here, Cha Ming thought. The poisonous thread unraveled before his eyes, threatening to destroy the talisman. I can''t fail here, he repeated. He sent out his incandescent force and qi, firmly grasping the shuddering thread. Its wild nature made Cha Ming cough up blood. Fortunately, he avoided spraying it all over the talisman and ruining it.


    Submit! he yelled mentally. That was when he heard a snap. It wasn''t the string that broke, but the invisible bindings on his soul. As soon as the binding was broken, he felt an even purer incandescent force pouring toward the talisman and preventing it from collapsing. His soul had advanced to the peak of the incandescent soul realm. Without hesitating, he used his qi and soul to guide the ink and draw the remaining lines. They fell into place, and the talisman shimmered after completion.


    Cha Ming let out a sigh of relief as he threw the Five Poisons Talisman at the dummy, and its external coating dissolved while assessing it.


    Least-Grade Magic Talisman. Efficiency¡ª61%. A bare pass.

 117 The Final Hurdle

    Cha Ming sat down and healed his wounds. He didn''t open his eyes until four hours had passed. There were now only eight hours remaining to complete the examination. Four talismans in eight hours might seem like an impossible feat for most, but for Cha Ming it could happen. He just needed the stars to align.


    Cha Ming did not immediately proceed to drawing the next talisman. Instead he withdrew a piece of paper and began adjusting his mental state. Due to his realization the night before, he knew that this period of adjustment was critical before drawing a poetic talisman. He needed to reinvent his original realizations.


    This time, Cha Ming thought not only of his experience in the mines, but of his subsequent recovery. It was a story of breaking and healing. He relived this journey in vivid detail and lost track of time. After experiencing his previous epiphany, he remembered his struggles to get this far, his feeling of helplessness before the examination. Then he recalled the advice he''d received from the mysterious painter and the subsequent feeling of calmness and comfort.


    Cha Ming alternated between desperation and comfort, emulating these emotions over and over. It was a tiring process, a time-consuming one. Three and a half hours passed before he regained his lucidity, and to the surprise of the master artists, he went straight to work. His brush flowed with a trembling hand as he poured out his emotions into the Crumbling Talisman. It took only an incense time before the words were fully written.


    The weight of the world crumbles countless dreams;


    Man''s foundation is ever brittle.


    He didn''t stop there, immediately proceeding to the next talisman, the Hardening Talisman. His pose firmed up as he painted it with a steady hand.


    Hardening through countless ages;


    Never questioning his resolve.


    As soon as he finished this second talisman, he felt his emotions destabilize ever so slightly. He would need to recover before painting these two talismans again. But that was a problem for another time.


    Cha Ming immediately began attuning his emotions once more while simultaneously recovering his mental energy and qi. He didn''t test the talismans for now, as this would only distract him. Testing them could wait. After all, the examination only required him to craft the talismans within the time limit.


    Once more, Cha Ming remembered floating through life and his lack of ambition. He focused on the feelings of resistance and helplessness to fight against the current. At the same time, he recalled the feeling of momentum he''d been feeling since Fuxi''s Library. One success leading to another. Even his current success as a talisman artist was due to this unstoppable momentum. Resistance and momentum were opposites, and they were both separated by a calm and relaxed disposition, the same one he had experienced in the art gallery.


    Time continued to pass by, and before he knew it, only a quarter hour remained. His eyes opened. They were somehow simultaneously filled with both apathy and relentless momentum.


    The ocean cares not for drowning children;


    Man is a slave to the sea of fate.


    He only took a brief pause before beginning the next talisman.


    Flowing down from high to low;


    Never questioning his direction.


    It only took him two-thirds of his remaining time to paint both talismans, but it took him the remainder of the allotment to organize his turbulent emotions enough to control them. He was sure that any attempts to paint these four talismans would fail immediately and disastrously, and it would take a long time to recover his mental state like it had the previous day.


    "The examination has ended," the examiner''s voice called out. The shields immediately dispersed. "Luo Xuehua, Lin Dongming, congratulations on passing this examination. Xuehua will be awarded a lesser-grade master medal, while Dongming will be awarded a least-grade medal. The rest of you, don''t forget to practice hard. Cha Ming, please go ahead and throw your talismans at the dummy. Your test results will be determined by their ratings."


    Cha Ming nodded and stood up to throw them. He held the first talisman, the Crumbling Talisman, between two fingers, but just as he was about to fling it, an intangible force stopped his arm mid-throw. He looked over to the examiner with a perplexed look on his face.


    "My apologies, everyone," the examiner said calmly. "The branch leader has requested that these talismans be tested via emulation formation. Everyone please take a seat while I set this up. It won''t take more than a half hour." The man immediately proceeded to the center of the room, sweeping away the mannequins and formations as he walked. He then threw out several flags with written characters and began painting thick runic lines on the floor with a giant paintbrush.


    "Brother Cha Ming, what an impressive display," a voice said from above. Feng Huoshan and his two friends flew down from the seats above. "Four talismans in a little more than five hours. We would be hard-pressed to do the same."


    Cha Ming shook his head. "Brother Huoshan overpraises. The three hours of preparation beforehand were very important. It took me eight hours in reality. Besides, the talismans aren''t yet evaluated."


    "It''s still an impressive feat," Huoshan said. "And the evaluation is just a formality. Setting up this formation comes at great expense. One only uses such a formation to appraise talismans without destroying them. The formation''s value isn''t less than a mid-grade talisman. Do you think they would waste so much effort on a failed product? At their realm, they already know the result but need proof to placate the audience."


    True to his words, the examiner finished the formation in exactly half an hour. It was built with water and earth element components, many of which Cha Ming didn''t recognize. He handed the talismans to the examiner while bowing courteously. The examiner proceeded to place the first talisman, the Crumbling Talisman, in the center of the formation.


    As soon as the man stepped out, the crystals and lines in formation began to dim, and a projection lit up the room. Cha Ming saw two earth golems appear and begin fighting. They fought for an incense time with no result, showing that they were evenly matched. They continued fighting with increasing intensity and increasingly powerful blows until rocks began to fall off their freshly constructed bodies. A light flashed, and a brown talisman suddenly struck one of the golems. He let out a loud roar. To the audience''s surprise, the next fist strike from the opposing golem shattered its chest. The next blow shattered its hip. A final strike demolished the golem''s head. It was a clean victory.


    Crumbling Talisman (Poetic Talisman¡ªDu Cha Ming) Lesser-Grade Magic Talisman. Efficiency¡ª100%. The display appeared briefly before fading.


    The examiner then walked up once more, retrieving the used talisman and replacing it with the Hardening Talisman. Fist strikes rained down from both golems until they became powerful enough to damage each other. This time, a light flashed and struck the same golem. But instead of shattering, its rocky skin glistened like a freshly polished gem. It struck the other golem without fear, breaking off small pieces one at a time. After thirty breaths, the effects wore off, and the other golem''s blows began taking their toll, and the lead he had developed granted an easy victory.


    Hardening Talisman (Poetic Talisman¡ªDu Cha Ming) Lesser-Grade Magic Talisman. Efficiency¡ª100%.


    Its effects weren''t as surprising as the first, but plenty of talk ensued. The examiner ignored them and tested both remaining talismans sequentially. This time, the results were a lot closer. The Resistance Talisman caused the reaction speed of one golem to slow, but its attacks were difficult to interrupt. Ultimately, the affected golem succumbed.


    The Momentum Talisman, on the other hand, caused the golem to deal much more damage, but its motions became awkward and difficult to control. Despite this handicap, it still won the exchange.


    Resistance Talisman (Poetic Talisman¡ªDu Cha Ming) Lesser-Grade Magic Talisman. Efficiency¡ª100%.


    Momentum Talisman (Poetic Talisman¡ªDu Cha Ming) Lesser-Grade Magic Talisman. Efficiency¡ª100%.


    Four talismans at one-hundred-percent efficiency appeared simultaneously, and they were all original creations. Cha Ming was quite curious as to how the formation was able to determine he was the original creator. It also knew the original name he''d given it.


    "Congratulations, Cha Ming, on achieving the rank of lesser-grade master artist," the examiner said, flicking his sleeve. A silver medal was quickly engraved with Cha Ming''s credentials, and the examiner pinned it directly to his robes. "Do make sure to visit the guild leader once these formalities are over. And bring those talismans." The man''s cold demeanor had softened considerably after Cha Ming''s success.


    "Congratulations, Brother Cha Ming," Feng Huoshan, Luo Ming, and Hua Dong said while clasping their fists and bowing.


    "You are too kind, seniors," Cha Ming replied and returned the gesture. The master artists then made various excuses to depart.


    "Congratulations to you, Brother Cha Ming," Luo Xuehua said sweetly. "It''s impressive that you were able to not only pass but obtain your lesser-master qualification."


    "The same goes to you, Sister Xuehua," Cha Ming said. "I just barely passed. You, however, did so with your eyes closed." He instantly regretted his poor choice of words, as the young lady with silver hair smiled bitterly.


    "You should go ahead and see the branch leader," Xuehua said, walking away. Once again, she was surrounded by an aura of unapproachable loneliness.


    ***


    Cha Ming proceeded to the branch leader''s office immediately after the examination ended. He quickly used his water qi to freshen up, removing most of the dirt, blood, and grime that had accumulated over the course of the test. He then dried himself off using fire qi.


    It was a short walk to the branch leader''s office. He needed no one to guide him, as this was the only place in the guild that his incandescent force couldn''t invade. As far as he knew, there were only two possible reasons for this. The first involved a large quantity of very expensive spirit-repelling materials to perfectly insulate the room. The second and most likely reason was that the branch leader was a core-formation cultivator. A core-formation cultivator''s soul was qualitatively different compared to his incandescent soul.


    Cha Ming soon arrived at a luxurious waiting room. The door to the branch leader''s office was shut, so Cha Ming could only wait. He had no doubt that the branch leader already knew he had arrived; therefore he took his time admiring the four exquisite paintings situated on each of the four walls. They each represented a season, and by looking at them, Cha Ming could feel the temperature in the room change to match the season he looked at. The paintings felt familiar, so he looked for a signature. He soon found it hidden in a corner¡ªJun Xiezi. All four were Jun Xiezi''s works.


    An hour passed before the door opened and the examiner, after bowing toward the inside of the room, flew out of a side window without glancing at him. "Come in," a pleasant but strangely familiar voice called out.


    Cha Ming walked into a room illuminated by a large window. The sun happened to be shining in his eyes and obscuring the man''s figure. He could only look toward the side as he walked forward.


    The room smelled of rose petals and morning dew, and to his surprise, the moment he entered, the residual blood and soot that he''d missed in his hasty cleaning had disappeared. In addition, he felt hidden wounds that hadn''t yet regenerated heal instantly.


    This room also had paintings on all four walls, but instead of four separate paintings, a continuous fresco traveled just below the ceiling. The two-foot-wide painting displayed scenes and people frolicking in a spring. The rose petals were being spread out by servants who waited on the young lords and ladies. He recognized the style, of course. It was Jun Xiezi''s style.


    "Art is a wonderful thing," a soft voice said. "Without it, life is emotionless and stale, a race for survival. A competition. People become so entangled in everyday life that they forget to appreciate what is around them, to sit down and smell the roses."


    The speaker was a silver-haired old man. He was unfathomable, both in cultivation and soul. Considering the man''s cultivation and apparent age, Cha Ming wouldn''t be surprised if he had lived over four hundred years. Moreover, his identity was surprising. It was the man from the art gallery.


    "Greetings, senior," Cha Ming said, bowing deeply. "Never could I have imagined that the branch leader was enjoying the paintings in the gallery like everyone else."


    The man smiled. "Why shouldn''t I? Not only do I get to enjoy the paintings, but I get a constant flow of appreciative company. Like yourself, for example."


    "I see that you''re very enamored with Jun Xiezi''s paintings," Cha Ming said, observing the intricate artwork on the walls with appreciation.


    "I should be," the man said. "A man should always enjoy his own work."


    "You mean¡­ you are Jun Xiezi?" Cha Ming asked, his eyes wide.


    "Naturally," Jun Xiezi said. "How else would I have more of Jun Xiezi''s artwork in my office than the rest of the city combined? Now tell me, what do you think of art?"


    The question caught Cha Ming by surprise. It was an especially meaningful question, given that it came from such a prestigious painter.


    Cha Ming hesitated. "Branch Leader, my knowledge of art is very shallow. Therefore, I believe my answer might lack depth."


    "Entertain me," the man said, smiling. "And do away with the honorifics, as I really can''t stand them. Please call me Jun Xiezi. Senior, if you must."


    "Of course, Senior Xiezi," Cha Ming said. "Since you would like to hear it, I will share my meager thoughts on the matter. But for that, I will need to start at the beginning."


    "Oh?" Jun Xiezi said. "Please go ahead, I''m curious to hear it. Meanwhile, let us have some of this herbal tea. I was brewing it before you came in, so I hope you enjoy it."


    A clear teapot was sitting on the man''s wooden desk, revealing a beautiful flower arrangement floating within its heated waters. Jun Xiezi''s bony and wrinkled hand firmly grasped the teapot, pouring it into two small transparent cups. The tea was light and aromatic, as many herbal teas were. Cha Ming tapped both his fingers on the table after sitting down, then smelled the tea for a while before taking a sip.


    "I can''t say I''ve ever tasted anything quite like this," Cha Ming said. The tea tasted both hot and refreshing at the same time. If he were to describe its nature, it would be "pure," just like the sensation he felt as he walked into the room.


    "I would be surprised if you had," the man said, smiling again. "These flowers come from a transcendent realm, and they are difficult for most people to procure. Fortunately I''ve taken to growing them in my garden." He motioned to a painting beside him depicting thorny rose bushes. "Please continue with your explanation."


    "Right," Cha Ming said. "In the beginning, people were concerned with survival. They struggled every day. Their lives were full of suffering but full of purpose. They lived in caves. Despite this hard life, they still discovered that one could leave marks on a wall with coal, and they began recording stories. They did this both to remember and to facilitate the telling of stories orally. These stories were a respite from the monotony, something they chose to do, despite their struggle for survival.


    "With time, society evolved. People gained additional free time, and their choices grew exponentially. Their stories grew, and their styles evolved. So too did the styles, the quality, and the quantity of paintings. The same applied to clothing. Art evolved with mankind and evolved with their prosperity.


    "I dare to speculate that eventually, everyone will become so completely secure that their lives will seem meaningless and without purpose. This world has not yet reached that point, but I believe it will. Yet regardless of how meaningless life seems, people will never fail to appreciate the art they resonate with.


    "Art is both a distraction from reality and an extension of it. During times of war, people wish they could be at home singing songs, telling stories, or participating in various art forms. During times of peace, people flock to art in droves.


    "Art is wonderful because it''s an expression of choice, something people historically have very little of. People can choose to make it, choose to enjoy it. It is an expression of the most powerful emotions mankind can produce. As such, humans will make art for as long as humanity exists."


    Xiezi looked at him pensively, his eyes piercing into his soul. "It is very interesting for someone of this plane to have such a point of view," he said, sighing. "It is indeed as you say. Society will flourish to the point that people will lose motivation. This is what my teacher has told me. He is from a transcendent plane, you see; his perspective much vaster than you can imagine.


    "Since you have been kind enough to give me an answer, I will now give you mine. Art, my friend, is the ultimate expression of emotions," the man said. "To the point that nature itself will resonate with art once it reaches a certain level. Moreover, art at a high enough level will birth runes intrinsically. Take a closer look at the painting you were just looking at."


    Curious, Cha Ming gazed at the fresco. He didn''t blink, lest he miss something.


    "You are focusing too hard," the man said. "Don''t focus."


    Cha Ming blinked his eyes, letting them wander as they chose. Before long, his eyesight blurred, but something he saw became clearer. Shifting, glowing lines began to appear. They floated around the painting, dancing with joy. He could vaguely perceive them as runes, but he didn''t have sufficient insight to truly see them.


    "Only those who have gained inspiration on the true meaning of the painting will be able to see them," the man said, chuckling. "However, you have experienced their effect. As soon as you entered the room, they freshened and revitalized you. This is my understanding and my manifestation of art. The proof is in what you see around you.


    "My paintings are infused with my desire to relax, travel, and appreciate the world''s beauty. Every painting I make is infused with a wonderful scene that I''ve personally witnessed. This specific moment was decades ago, when I visited the decadent Sui Kingdom. This was one of their famous parties, one held by a royal prince. It was one of the most relaxing and invigorating experiences in my life."


    They sat for a few moments, contemplating each other''s answers while sipping tea. After a while, Cha Ming recalled where he was and looked up to see the man peering at him from his chair. "Senior Xiezi, the examiner told me you wanted to see me. I presume it has something to do with the talismans I painted?"


    The man nodded. "Indeed. I had them test them differently because I would like to trade for your talismans."


    Cha Ming had expected this answer, but he was quite reluctant. These talismans were a very personal production, with much emotional investment. No one else in the world could make them.


    "I understand your reluctance," the man said, sighing. Then he motioned to the various paintings and the fresco in the room. "These paintings are my life''s work, and it would pain me to part with any of them. In fact, the only reason some of my art is in the gallery is because I owed a friend a favor. I have never sold a painting, only gifted them. And while I like traveling, I owed another favor to the Northern Talisman Artist Guild''s leader, who happens to be a master sculptor and gifted me one of his famous works. So here I am, shackled to this desk for ten more years.


    "I propose a trade," Jun Xiezi said, his eyes glittering. "After you painted the first two talismans, I had an epiphany. I''ve created a polarized painting that I believe could be very useful to you. I hope you''ll consider trading your talismans for it." The silver-haired man waved his sleeve. A six-foot-by-six-foot painting appeared in the room.


    Cha Ming inhaled sharply as he stared at the painting, which looked a lot more like two individual creations. On the lower-right corner was vivid greenery, flowers, and vitality. He felt his emotions recover just by looking at it, and he could faintly sense that if he looked at it long enough, his emotional state would recover enough to be able to paint his four poetic talismans once more. However, looking at the upper-left corner, he saw dried-out trunks devoid of life and a poisonous miasma. It eroded at his soul and worsened his emotions.


    Looking at the middle of the painting, this destruction and nurturing reached an equilibrium. He felt that during this cycle, his soul was slowly strengthening, wearing away at the bottleneck into the next realm.


    "I was inspired by the polarized nature of your talismans," Jun Xiezi said. "When you came to the art gallery yesterday, you seemed confused and distraught. However, I noticed that my painting stabilized you and your emotions. This painting was made for you and is my gift to you, should you choose to accept it. It will help refine your soul, and perhaps in the long term, you can gain inspiration from it."


    Cha Ming gulped as he inspected the painting a little more closely. It emanated a substantial pressure that far exceeded his Clear Sky Staff or Stormchaser Boots. "This is a core-formation treasure?"


    "That''s right, it''s a core treasure," the man said. "But it''s the least of core treasures, so don''t bother yourself with that."


    "This is much too valuable," Cha Ming said, shaking his head.


    "Then trade me a promise as well," the man said. "When you make new poetic talismans, I want one of each of them. That way you don''t have to feel guilty, and I can study your four talismans and look for inspiration with a clear conscience."


    Cha Ming nodded. "Very well, it''s a deal." Cha Ming took out his four talismans and placed them on the desk, and at Jun Xiezi''s insistence, he stowed away the painting in his Clear Sky World.


    "Fascinating," Xiezi said, examining one of the talismans. "You made your talismans using runic poetry. If I am not mistaken, you''ve infused emotions of resistance and momentum into the water talismans, while infusing crumbling and hardening into the earth talismans. How very interesting. My master once told me of a sect in the transcendent realm closest to this mortal plane called the Inky Sea Sect. They do something similar there."


    Cha Ming chuckled. "You are certainly very well educated. I was taught talisman arts by a member of the Inky Sea Sect." Of course, Cha Ming had not known this at the time. It was only after he read Elder Ling''s letter that he knew this.


    "As I suspected," the man said, nodding. "Thank you very much for sharing these insights with me. "


    Seeing that Xiezi''s gaze lingered on the talismans on the table, Cha Ming took the hint and stood up. "It''s been a pleasure, senior. I''m very tired and should be heading back to my accommodations."


    The silver-haired man nodded slightly, and Cha Ming left him to his contemplation.

 118 Interlude - A Meeting on the Mountain

    Huxian was deep in thought over the issue of Silverwing, whom he hadn''t seen since their adventure. He was resting on the jade plate at the peak of the mountain, enjoying its cool, mystical feeling. Its surface, which was covered in runes he couldn''t understand, had a mystical charm to it. It mesmerized him and helped him focus. Just like it did in his dreams, where he painted talismans.


    He was also thinking about Lei Jiang. The guilt he felt every time he saw the small mouse was unbearable. He knew he''d done wrong, but he wasn''t sure what to do about it.


    The sound of flapping wings awoke him from his stupor. Is it Silverwing? he thought. No. Silverwing flaps much faster than that.


    The sound came every few breaths. And as the sound drew closer, the wind generated became increasingly difficult to bear.


    A large brown owl landed near the jade plate where Huxian lay. It looked at him with its head twisted sideways. Huxian could tell at a glance that he would be unable to resist if it decided to eat him. "Are you the monarch?" he asked fearfully.


    "Correct," the owl said. It hopped over and took a few sniffs at Huxian, who was too petrified to move. "You smell of humans," the monarch said. "Do you have a relationship with the humans? This is a very important matter, so answer truthfully."


    Shit, he''s caught me, Huxian thought. "So what if I do?" he cried. "It''s not like I''d be the first beast to have a human as a friend." He held his ground against the overwhelming pressure, using every fiber of his Godbeast being to fight against it.


    The owl snorted coldly. "How dare you talk to your superior this way." The monarch''s pressure intensified, forcing Huxian down to his belly. Huxian bared his teeth but could do nothing to fight it.


    "If you''re going to eat me, just do it already," Huxian said through gritted teeth.


    "Eat you?" the monarch asked. The pressure that had borne down on Huxian suddenly vanished. "Yes, eating you would be a very good course of action. Your delicious Godbeast blood would provide me the greatest nourishment."


    Huxian gulped. He saw the owl walking toward him with its two large talons. He felt their sharpness despite their distance. He closed his eyes and awaited his inevitable demise. Instead, a fresh breeze buffeted his body.


    Huxian opened his eyes and realized the owl was no longer there. The monarch had left as quickly as he had come. He left Huxian with his guilt and sorrow on the mountaintop.


    He also left him with a new emotion: fear.

 119 Competition

    Wang Jun yawned. An entire day''s worth of proceedings had worn him down once more with nothing to show for it. They were at an impasse, and there was little he could do to resolve it.


    "I just don''t see why the third prince should have the right to extract such a valuable resource," an old advisor, Sima Liang, said toward the throne. The king was seated, as usual. If he had been in any reasonable shape, the dispute would have ended quickly. Unfortunately, time had taken its toll on the old king. He was on his last legs, and everyone knew it.


    "The crown prince might be the designated successor, but does this give him a right to everything under the sun?" another advisor said. "If he wanted your wife, old Sima, would you wrap her up and deliver her for his pleasure?" He was Prince Lei''s mentor, Hao Bodong. While he wasn''t the most powerful man, his incisive tongue was an extremely valuable asset in the court.


    Sure as rain, Sima Liang seethed with rage. "How dare a miscreant like you bring my wife into this! I recommend that he be suspended for his insolence."


    "Then I am to suppose that you highly value your wife?" Hao Bodong continued. "Many people would pay a lot less for her than an immortal jade mine. Yet she is out of the question because you feel so strongly. Well, that''s how it is with most things, isn''t it? People feel strongly about the jade mine, so that is why we are meeting to discuss. And just like the crown prince can''t take your wife whenever he pleases, neither can he take this jade mine just because he fancies it."


    Sima Liang didn''t know how to retort.


    Such meetings had gone on for weeks with little progress. Yet progress was necessary. Otherwise the crown prince''s advantage would continue unimpeded and his rule uncontested.


    Contest, he thought. Not a bad idea. Perhaps¡­


    The wheels in Wang Jun''s mind began turning. While the older men bickered, he calculated. It wasn''t long before he stood up swiftly, looking at the throne for permission to speak. Master Bei, the king''s long-time servant and most loyal supporter, waved his hand for Wang Jun to speak.


    "It seems to me that this court is at an unresolvable impasse," Wang Jun said. "Yet I''m sure that everyone agrees that a resource in the ground is of no benefit to the country. A resource is best utilized, and its taxes are better in the coffers sooner rather than later. Is this a correct assumption?"


    The various voices in the royal court murmured in assent.


    "Then I propose the following motion," Wang Jun continued. "A competition, whose winner will decide the mining rights."


    "That''s irresponsible," a minister yelled. "How can such an important matter be decided with an irrelevant contest?" Many other voices agreed, but surprisingly, neither faction applying for the rights voiced their opposition.


    "The contest I am speaking of is extremely relevant, gracious minister," Wang Jun said. "Will you allow me to elaborate?"


    "Very well," the minister said. "But let it be known that I will not support any decision that is not beneficial to the kingdom. I don''t give a damn about politics or political maneuverings."


    "Thank you, minister," Wang Jun said, bowing deeply. Then, looking around the room, he began explaining his idea. "The competition that I propose will, in fact, take us closer to securing the jade mine. This will happen regardless of who gains the mining rights. The Silverwing Mountain Range is far too dangerous for either the third prince''s or the crown prince''s forces to take individually. The cost would be too great. This means that the kingdom would need to bear the burden of clearing the beasts to secure its tax revenue, greatly reducing the kingdom''s return on investment.


    "I propose that each party send over forces below core formation, with each party bearing their respective expenses. The party with the most substantial contributions to securing the mountain range will gain the mining rights, while the one with the least substantial contributions will gain nothing."


    The minister, Rong Bai, looked pensive. "This is indeed a good proposition. However, I do have some concerns that must be addressed. For one, it is not beneficial for the kingdom if the competing forces fight each other. This must be prevented at all costs. That aside, how are we to decide the results of the competition?"


    "I have given this a great deal of thought, Prime Minister Rong," Wang Jun said. "And I fully agree with you that our forces must not fight each other and should direct their attention on the demonic beasts within the mountain range. To mitigate the chances of such treachery, I propose that a core-formation arbiter be sent to oversee the competition. Should one side willfully cause damage to the other, the offending party would be disqualified from the competition.


    "At the same time, the supervisor shall keep a tally of accomplishments. I understand that it is difficult to be exact when judging contributions. If one side kills three-quarters of the beasts but loses nine-tenths of their forces, while the other kills one quarter of the beasts but loses one-tenth, it is clear which side has achieved an excellent result and which one has suffered disastrous losses.


    "Further, killing beasts may not be the only way of resolving this issue. There are countless stratagems that can achieve a similar result, and I do not dare claim to be all-knowing. That is why I suggest the supervisor also be the judge of the competition, responsible for choosing the winner. If the result is a tie, we can only see this as the heavens themselves being undecided, and at that point we can simply decide the result by drawing lots. What are your thoughts, Prime Minister Rong?"


    The older man pondered for a moment before nodding. "This is a good suggestion. But who do you propose be the judge? Among all present, I daresay that I would only trust the king''s judgment. However, he is much needed in the kingdom at this time¡­"


    This was a diplomatic way of addressing the king''s current ill health without degrading his dignity. The man was impeccable to a fault, and practically an embodiment of justice. As a result, he had maintained his post as the prime minister for the past twenty years.


    "Why, I am surprised that you should ask," Wang Jun said, raising his eyebrow. "After all, I think the only man aside from the king whose judgment all ministers trust unconditionally is your esteemed self. In fact, I believe both the crown prince and the third prince would testify to this point. Isn''t that right, my princes?"


    The third prince nodded in assent, forcing the crown prince to do the same.


    "Very well, I accept this proposition," Prime Minister Rong said. "Who is in favor?"


    One by one, the ministers forming the king''s government stood up in unanimous support. The two princes, the only others with any authority on the matter, stood up as well. Wang Jun''s eyes flickered when he also saw the king''s hand tremble and lift ever so slightly.


    "The matter is finalized. The competition will start in one week''s time at the outskirts of the Silverwing Mountain Range. Spend your time wisely."


    ***


    "How could you propose such a competition without at least warning me?" Prince Lei said angrily. Wang Jun smiled wryly at the uncharacteristic outburst from the usually calm man.


    "Your Highness, you trust me, don''t you?" Wang Jun said deferentially. The prince''s agitation lessened somewhat. Wang Jun sat down and began brewing tea, giving the man more time to calm his rage.


    "A stalemate was not advantageous to us," Wang Jun explained. "If the situation had continued, we would have been at a disadvantage in the eventual power struggle.


    "My actions today used the practical nature of our prime minister to our advantage, breaking the stalemate. Make no mistake, it comes at great risk. Not only are we competing for the mining rights, but we risk severe casualties in the process. However, I still believe that such a competition is to our advantage."


    "And why would that be?" Prince Lei asked.


    "Prince Lei, let us examine our respective advantages," Wang Jun said. "Firstly, we have superior weaponry. We control the majority of weaponsmithing in the kingdom, and we have ample resources with which to arm our forces. Speaking of forces, most of ours are private forces while the crown prince controls much of the military. However, the military also belongs to the country¡­"


    "Therefore, the crown prince cannot use them in this struggle," Prince Lei said, nodding. "I understand now. We have more investors on our side with which to hire more private forces. Meanwhile, the crown prince will need to beg and exchange favors with the nobility, a much more difficult task. However, they do have their advantages."


    "Nothing is perfect, my prince," Wang Jun said. "They have an advantage in life-savings pills. They also have better relationships with veterans and retired generals, courageous people with iron veins. Also, the nobility''s forces tend to be one step stronger and more loyal than hired hands. Still, I believe our odds of prevailing in this conflict are greater than eighty percent. That is, unless¡­"


    Prince Lei frowned. "Unless what?"


    "Your Highness, there may be some external interference in this competition," Wang Jun said. "If other kingdoms meddle and contribute forces or funds in secret, our advantage will be reduced. Therefore we must muster our forces and end this conflict quickly. The longer it drags out, the less advantageous the situation becomes."


    ***


    Wang Jun returned to the Jade Bamboo Auction House after his conversation with the third prince. After giving several instructions to Elder Bai and Protector Ren, he retreated to his room and retrieved his core-transmission jade.


    Ring. Ring. Ring.


    One hundred breaths passed before Cha Ming''s image appeared. "My friend, it''s been a few weeks since we last spoke," Cha Ming said with a smile.


    "I''ll admit, I''ve been busy," Wang Jun said. "How did it go?"


    "Passed with flying colors, of course," Cha Ming said. "You''re looking at a genuine lesser-grade talisman master."


    "Skipped over least-grade, I see," Wang Jun said, relaxing a little. With his status, Cha Ming would be able to lend him a hand in the upcoming conflict. "That''s wonderful news. What do you plan to do next?"


    Cha Ming pondered for a moment before answering. "There are two things I must do. First, I must secure medicinal pills and break through to at least mid-foundation establishment. Unfortunately, I am greatly lacking in battle techniques. In addition, I am concerned with the large amount of formations that appeared in the Song Kingdom during the Fairweather incident. I wish to find a formation master and learn to break formations. Otherwise we may be at a great disadvantage."


    "You''ve matured," Wang Jun said with a smile. "In the past, you would always ask me for direction and advice. Now you know how to make your own decisions."


    Cha Ming shrugged. "What can I say, I''ve been through a lot."


    "Fair enough," Wang Jun said. "If you''re going to study formations, you''ll need to find yourself a teacher. Unfortunately, the occupation is rather rare. There is no formation master guild in Quicksilver, so I can only recommend you try and join the Alabaster Group or the Obsidian Syndicate. Coincidentally, I have a matter there that requires your aid."


    "Do tell," Cha Ming said.


    "It''s like this," Wang Jun said. "Do you remember the jade mine I mentioned? It''s located in the Silverwing Mountain Range."


    "Silverwing?" A perplexed look appeared on Cha Ming''s apparition. "Does it have nine mountain peaks, each with a mysterious jade plate? One of the mountains has a tall spire that rises up above the others?"


    "You''re familiar with it, then?" Wang Jun asked, surprised.


    Cha Ming shook his head. "I had a dream about it. I saw a bird called Silverwing and a mouse that devoured purple lightning. I saw a lion with brown scales overseeing an unnatural plain."


    "You mean the silver creature that no one can identify? And the Reptilian Lion Sovereign?" Wang Jun said, shocked. "If I didn''t know you better, I would guess you were a seer. But no, there must be a reason for your dreams." Wang Jun then explained the details of the competition.


    "I need your help in securing superior cultivators for the expedition," Wang Jun concluded. "And to do that, you need to join either of the groups I mentioned. This will give you the ability to issue missions and more easily recruit their upper-tier forces if needed. I''m not sure if we''ll need them in the end, but I need options."


    "I heard these organizations are only open to those who receive invitations," Cha Ming said.


    "You should receive an invitation from the Obsidian Syndicate shortly," Wang Jun said. "They have very loose rules and sell their services to the highest bidder. They believe in making money over anything. However, they aren''t exactly a savory bunch. If possible, it would be best if you can join the Alabaster Group. Their members are of higher quality and of better moral standing. Hiring the Obsidian Syndicate would have me walking on eggshells."


    Cha Ming nodded. "Not a problem. I''ve heard of both organizations, of course. I intended to pay them both a visit. I heard it''s possible to purchase advanced techniques there. The only problem is securing an invitation to the Alabaster Group."


    Wang Jun nodded. "Only the Obsidian Syndicate would sell its techniques. The Alabaster Group is much stricter, and money doesn''t get you far in their organization. I must warn you that you probably won''t like the Obsidian Syndicate. I finally finished my research on the man named Xiao Heilong."


    Cha Ming frowned.


    "He is a member their organization, though they don''t really care if their members kill each other. Regardless, I discovered that he paid a member of his organization to divine your location and lock it into a compass. He has been absent for many months on an unknown assignment. He could return at any time."


    "How did you obtain this news?" Cha Ming asked.


    "I bought it from the Obsidian Syndicate, of course," Wang Jun replied dryly.


    Cha Ming wrinkled his nose. "I hate them already."

 120 Obstruction

    Wang Jun''s projection winked out, leaving Cha Ming in his personal residence at the Talisman Artist Guild. The large apartment, one of the many perks of being a master member, was filled with various pieces of spirit-wood furniture. Each piece contributed to the ambiance in the room and increased Cha Ming''s energy and revitalized his mental strength, albeit slowly.


    Since the call was over, Cha Ming turned his attention to his previous activity, pondering the mysteries of the painting. It was unnamed when he received it, so Cha Ming decided to call it Samsara . It was a fitting name, given that the painting embodied life and death as well as the mysterious realm in between.


    As Cha Ming observed the painting, his soul was continually broken down by the poisonous energy and revitalized by the ample life energy. Even though his soul was at the peak of incandescence, it was becoming more tangible and stable. The process also allowed him to sort out the various confused emotions in his psyche. The painting was essentially an automated psychologist, a sounding board to help propel and reorganize his thoughts. He estimated that in one week''s time he would be calm enough to paint his four poetic talismans once more.


    Half an hour passed before Cha Ming ended his meditation session. He returned the painting into his Clear Sky World, instantly eliminating the chaotic vitality in the room. Various plants had withered while others had grown significantly, due to the painting''s energy.


    I''ll need to get rid of all these plants at some point, he thought. Wait. I''ll just replace them with succulents. Those things take forever to grow and are practically impossible to kill.


    Cha Ming exited the guild premises, nodding slightly to everyone he passed. Now that he was a master artist, those of lower rank were expected to bow in greeting. Not that he cared much for this sort of formality, but he accepted their gestures nonetheless. Doing otherwise would have been disrespectful and boastful.


    It was the second day of the week, a busy day in Quicksilver. The first day of the week was quiet and reserved, usually due to the vast number of meetings that took place. Today was when people did work instead of just talking about it. Delivery carts traveled from business to business, restocking and resupplying them. Various temporary stalls had been erected with people hawking various wares. Cleaners cleaned, and craftsmen crafted.


    Naturally, it wasn''t the best day to visit the alchemists. They would have already booked orders for the week. However, this was beyond Cha Ming''s ability to control. The test had occupied him until today, and he could hardly visit the Alchemists Association again without a better bargaining position.


    Cha Ming only had to walk for an incense time before reaching the large yet plain building. He walked through those familiar doors before arriving at the secretary''s desk. She was the gatekeeper, the person who decided whether one could meet with the alchemists in the first place. They had chosen the right person for the role. She scorned gifts and bribes and was known as an iron lady. Fortunately for Cha Ming, this meant she would respect his status and at least provide the opportunity for a meeting.


    "Hello, my dear," Cha Ming said in a flattering voice. The secretary, used to this fawning treatment, grunted and looked at Cha Ming from top to bottom.


    "You''re back," she said. "And with a shiny silver badge. I suppose you''d like to meet those alchemists I said you couldn''t meet before?"


    "You''ve read my mind, of course," Cha Ming said. "By the way, you''re looking particularly beautiful today."


    It was a bald-faced lie of course. The secretary was hideous by any person''s standards. However, this didn''t stop the lady from blushing slightly before regaining her composure.


    "I only obey the rules, you know," the woman said. "Please wait here while I go ask them. There are six master alchemists you are now qualified to meet with."


    Cha Ming sat and prepared tea for himself by using a complimentary teapot and boiling water from a limitless pitcher. He had his own tea leaves, obtained from a fine merchant stall in Central Square. Wang Jun''s tea habit had rubbed off on him, and he now had great difficulty drinking lower-quality teas.


    Half an hour passed, and the secretary returned with an awkward expression. "My apologies, but they have all stated that they are otherwise preoccupied this week."


    Cha Ming frowned. "Could you please ask them what their availability is in the next month?"


    "Of course," the secretary said. "Please wait, and I''ll be right back." This time, she returned in less than fifteen minutes with a flustered expression. "My apologies, but they have said that they are otherwise occupied for the next half year. They said that you are welcome to come back at that time to discuss."


    Cha Ming sighed. He suspected the Wang family had a lot to do with it. Unfortunately, he wasn''t sure where else in the city he could find an alchemist. While Cha Ming thought hard to find a solution, the secretary fumed.


    "Those good-for-nothing geezers," she muttered under her breath. "Give me a moment. I''ll get to the bottom of this. Do they really think they can keep something from me, the guild leader''s sister?" Stomping sounds ensued as she traveled upstairs toward the guild leader''s office.


    "How frightening," he said, whistling through his teeth. "If anyone upset her, they would basically have to accept a life without medicinal pills." He was suddenly very glad for his not-so-subtle but effective flattery. As far as he knew, no person was completely immune to it.


    An hour passed. The secretary had been gone the entire time, leaving Cha Ming to drink tea in peace. The silence was only broken when a client came to pick up orders. A small number of people also lined up at the secretary''s desk, patiently waiting their turn with not a hint of anger. Clearly the fact that she was the guild leader''s sister wasn''t a well hidden one.


    An incense time passed again before the door behind the secretary''s desk creaked open. The ugly secretary crawled out with a smile plastered on her face. "The guild leader will see you now," she said.


    Cha Ming raised his eyebrow and followed obediently. Apparently, flattery went very far with this particular woman.


    He followed her up a plain flight of stairs built from a reddish wood. She led him down a plain wooden hallway made from the same material. "This red wood is from our hometown," she said proudly. "Everyone in the city fancies stone and metal, but that''s just too cold for my taste. A proper building is made of wood." A little further down, Cha Ming saw a modestly sized painting. He immediately recognized the work as Jun Xiezi''s work.


    "Did Grandmaster Xiezi visit your hometown as well?" Cha Ming asked. The painting contained a multitude of trees whose colors were the same shade of red as the hallway.


    "Naturally," she said. "He painted this after visiting Redwood Forest. Redwood Forest in the summer is ranked the third most beautiful natural attraction by the Gold Leaf Association. It''s not uncommon for well-known artists to visit. My brother once made Grandmaster Xiezi a pill to help him break through to the peak of core formation. He created this painting of our hometown in return."


    "This is a town?" Cha Ming asked, looking at the painting more closely. To him, it looked like nothing more than a forest with gigantic trees. Naturally, the painting contained chirping birds and fluttering leaves. He even saw tiny people wandering at the bases of the massive trees.


    "You won''t be able to see it in this painting," she said. "There are stairs at the roots that travel within the tree trunks. They lead all the way to the canopy, where the village is built."


    Cha Ming whistled in amazement. One day he would travel the continent, and Redwood Forest was definitely a must-see location.


    After walking a little further, they passed through two large wooden doors the width of the hallway. It led to a waiting room, which the secretary bypassed directly to take him to a much smaller door that led to the guild leader''s office.


    "Thank you for everything," Cha Ming said. "However, I don''t even know your name."


    "Yao Ling," she said shyly. "Do make sure to visit often."


    Seeing her blushing expression, Cha Ming was forced to suppress a shudder. He had been friendly and charming, but surely she didn''t think he had been hitting on her. His emotions suppressed, he steeled himself and entered the office. It was far different than what he imagined.


    It didn''t have the cozy feeling of an office. Instead it was filled with marble benches and glassware as well as various herbs and concoctions. It was an accident waiting to happen.


    "Come in, come in," a voice yelled near the back. A short, balding man was busy performing what looked like a titration. The stirred flask below the titration apparatus was bubbling and hissing as the liquid dripped down.


    Cha Ming''s curiosity was piqued. As the clear liquid dripped one drop at a time, the bubbling liquid below began to turn purple for a fraction of a second. With each drop, the duration increased. It wasn''t long before the solution stayed purple and the titration was completed.


    "What can I do for you today?" the guild leader said, taking off his gloves and goggles. Afterward, he grabbed a clear bottle and took a draw from it. Cha Ming''s face twitched when he saw the unlabeled bottle.


    "Are you sure it''s wise for you to be drinking in the lab?" he blurted reflexively.


    The guild leader scowled and took another drink in protest. "My lab, my rules. You sound just like Ling Er." He then put the beaker down and motioned for Cha Ming to take a seat in one of the two chairs in the lab.


    "Naturally I have a good reason to come see you," Cha Ming said. "But before that, I have a question for you. Why are you performing a titration? Doesn''t alchemy specialize in using flames to manipulate herbs and their properties?"


    The guild leader''s eyes lit up. "It''s because of the Royal Proclamation of Science and Engineering," the guild leader said. "There are physical principles in this world that can be measured and evaluated. Alchemy is not the only way to obtain results¡ªchemistry is one such method that doesn''t use qi. What I''m trying to do is incorporate chemistry into alchemy in order to reduce the amount of low-level labor. I mean, why should we waste half our time doing something just anyone could do?"


    "Quite right," Cha Ming said. "Though it seems that not everyone agrees with this approach."


    "Backwards people with no vision," the guild leader said. "Take the Spirit Doctor Association, for example. They don''t even treat the common people, but every year they prevent countless commoners from practicing a lesser version of their craft. All in the interest of the ''common good.''" The guild leader basically spat these words. "Fortunately, the blacksmiths and alchemists are fairly reasonable. And so are the geomancers. The blacksmiths, despite their reputation, aren''t very fond of pounding iron and other metals all day. The alchemists hate processing herbs they don''t have to, and the geomancers are just sick and tired of arguing with the architects. With more engineers among the commoners to argue on their behalf, their life has become much less stressful."


    Cha Ming nodded. "Fair enough. It''s great to see progress. The reason I am here is because I''m looking for people to craft medicinal pills for me. I cultivate five elements with traces of creation and destruction qi. The last time I came, the lower-tier alchemists said they couldn''t help me. Even though I''ve obtained my talisman-master qualification, the upper-tier alchemists still refuse to help. They say they are otherwise preoccupied for the next half year. Forgive me for being blunt, but that seems very unlikely."


    The guild leader shook his head and fished out a letter from a messy pile on his desk. "Here. Read this," he said. Cha Ming scanned through the contents of the letter written by the Jade Bamboo Conglomerate. It was signed by the branch leader and stated that if a member of the Alchemists Association sold alchemical products to a man called Du Cha Ming, there would be severe consequences. It then reminded the association that eighty-five percent of all their business was conducted through the Jade Bamboo Conglomerate.


    "There you have it," the guild leader said. "There''s someone in their group who hates you, and I''m helpless against them. Not just that, they''ve threatened the individual alchemists. If they don''t obey, it will be very difficult for them to sell their products regardless of whether they do so through the association or individually."


    "Is there any other way for me to obtain the pills I need?" Cha Ming asked.


    "There are three options," the guild leader said. "The first option, but the least likely, is to have a royal alchemist make something for you. They are beyond reproach by the Jade Bamboo Conglomerate. Unfortunately, many of these alchemists are in their pocket as well. It is also difficult to secure their services, as you would need a royal sponsor to make it happen.


    "The second and third options are to contact the Obsidian Syndicate or the Alabaster Group respectively. Both organizations have transcendent cultivators as senior partners, so they don''t care what the Jade Bamboo Conglomerate wants. The Obsidian Syndicate has two alchemists of sufficient tier, and they will help anyone with money. Unfortunately, this also means that you must be wary of their products. There is a chance that the Wang family has paid them to poison you if you purchase their pills. The price for guaranteeing no poison may be prohibitive.


    "The Alabaster Group, on the other hand, only has one alchemist who can help you. As long as you are vetted as a well-meaning person, you can request his services. Unfortunately, he is always very busy with his research. He is the revered alchemist, Mo Tianshen, and he is constantly researching low-tier pills for the good of the common people. To secure a meeting, you would need to be a member of their organization. Even then it might be difficult. I should know; I am his student. I only get to see him every three years or so."


    Cha Ming''s head began to ache. "I don''t suppose it''s easy to get into the Alabaster Group?"


    "It''s very difficult," the guild leader said. "It''s by invitation only, but they do gather evidence in the form of introductory letters. I can write you a letter of recommendation, but I must warn you¡ªif the Wang family has gone through all this trouble, they have likely secured letters of scorn, which will make it very difficult for you to be selected. The Wang family definitely has members in the Alabaster Group who will try to keep you out."


    "Thank you very much for telling me this," Cha Ming said. "I would be in your debt if you wrote me a letter of recommendation."


    "No problem at all," the guild leader said, shrugging. "This is a partial apology at best."


    Despite not having achieved his goals, the day wasn''t a complete loss. Cha Ming was able to secure a letter of recommendation and further evidence of the Wang family''s interference. After returning to the Talisman Artist Guild, he immediately asked the branch leader to write a letter of recommendation. Afterward, he continued producing least-grade talismans, both to improve his success rate and to arm himself in the event of a battle.


    The sun set quietly that night, and just as quietly, an envelope was slipped beneath Cha Ming''s door. It was pitch black, and when he opened it, he was greeted with polite words.


    Dear Du Cha Ming,


    You are hereby invited to join the Obsidian Syndicate as a junior member. Your skills in talisman crafting are highly valued. In the Obsidian Syndicate, we believe in capitalizing on value above all else.


    As I understand it, you are currently looking for medicinal pills. Should you join us, we would be happy to arrange such transactions with a guarantee on quality. You will find that no other organization is as far-reaching as ours in the continent. Our vision is mighty, and our resources are limitless.


    This is naturally an important decision in a cultivator''s life. Therefore, I invite you to come to our association for a tour two hours after dawn. I am certain that you will find our facilities to your liking.


    Sincerely,


    Yang Mubai, Senior Partne

 121 A Familiar Face

    It was a cloudy day in Quicksilver. The sun was completely obscured by the thick cloud cover, causing the city''s appearance to change drastically. The colors, which were usually accentuated by the persistent sunshine, were now drab and faded. Metallic decorations lost their luster, and the public fountains no longer glittered with iridescent tones.


    Cha Ming normally wouldn''t have noticed this, if not for his destination. The Obsidian Syndicate''s building was black as sin¡ªno, that wasn''t accurate. Cha Ming knew now that sin was yellow, and evil was ochre. However, he couldn''t help but shiver when he saw the obsidian building and its black spires. In the sunlight, it would have been glasslike in appearance. But beneath the cloud-covered sky, it was blacker than the deepest shadows. An oppressive feeling of unease washed over him as he walked to the doors.


    "May I help you?" a beautiful attendant in a black dress asked in a suggestive manner. Her tone implied that she would help him in any way he wished. Not wanting to get caught up in anything unnecessary, he presented his invitation. The woman looked it over while huffing in disappointment.


    "Right this way, Master Du," she said, walking through the ebony doors. Her hips swayed as they entered an entrance hall as massive as the exterior suggested. A mosaic of black and white granite covered the walls. The white was there to accentuate the black¡ªafter all, the existence of light is what made the darkness so frightening.


    They passed a dozen black-marble desks, each accompanied by an equally beautiful attendant. Each desk had a different symbol adorning it. One had an alchemical cauldron and another a talisman. One had a formation and another a hammer. These were clearly for requesting services from professions. There were many other symbols like pills, herbs, and ores. One was in the shape of a sword, likely for hiring mercenaries. The last one had a question mark.


    Is it for miscellaneous services or for more questionable services? Cha Ming felt an itch, so he rubbed his eyes. Is there such a thing as allergies for cultivators?


    They left the entrance hall through a pair of ebony doors. There, Cha Ming saw what looked like many storefronts. Various attendants waited on customers and fetched goods as requested. Others operated more like workshops, proudly displaying men forging weapons, painting talismans, or preparing pills. Of course, these things took place behind thick panes of protective glass. Any disruptions could ruin a creation. They sought to strike a balance between displaying skill and exercising practicality. His vision blurred as he looked on, which was curious given he had entered the bone-forging realm.


    "Is everything all right?" the guide asked.


    "It''s nothing," Cha Ming said. "I finished my examination yesterday, and I''m likely just tired." He couldn''t focus. It was as though he''d spent weeks awake and couldn''t make out finer details.


    "Very well," the guide said. "Each craftsman is provided with a storefront and assistants. They may also hire others to assist them, but naturally our businesses thrive on premium services. We have very few customers, but they are all very rich. Only those with sufficient means are allowed inside."


    Cha Ming noticed that she didn''t say status. As far as they were concerned, money equaled status.


    "Right this way," she said once more, curling her finger for him to follow.


    The thick feeling of unease from outside the building returned. As he passed a smith who was beating away recklessly at a sword, his eyes itched more than ever. It was as though they were closed and wanted to open. So open them he did. His Eyes of Pure Jade activated on reflex, revealing a much different scenery than he was used to. The blacksmith he had been looking at shone deep yellow, even deeper than other cultivators he had seen before. The woman who accompanied him, however, was not tainted with any specific hue.


    Perhaps this is an outlier? Cha Ming thought. He had wandered the city quite extensively over the past two months, and this was the first time he had felt such an intense reaction from his Eyes of Pure Jade. His eyes darted back to the other shops, verifying their employees. Everyone was normal, save for a few customers with light yellow coloring.


    "Is everything all right?" the guide asked once more.


    Seeing Cha Ming nod, they proceeded to the next room. It was filled with various small courtyards. Cha Ming''s incandescent force could not penetrate their doors. "This is our information center. You can purchase almost any kind of information there."


    "What if I wanted information on one of your customers?" Cha Ming asked.


    She looked at him quizzically. "That depends on a few factors. We will never report on matters of senior members, but junior members are fair game. For regular customers, it depends if they''ve purchased anonymity. Contracts are very important to us, so we will respect purchased anonymity. But you must understand that information is worth quite a bit of money. Purchasing anonymity comes at a cost that often exceeds the revenue we can generate from the information. Surely you understand this principle."


    Cha Ming only vaguely listened. He spent his time looking for unusual signs. He found none, but the ominous feeling was still increasing.


    "Here is Sigil Master Guo Jia''s office," she continued. "He is in high demand; therefore, he is often out of office."


    Cha Ming''s attention snapped back to reality.


    "What did you say the sigil master''s name was?" he asked, trying his utmost to mask his facial expression.


    "Guo Jia," she said. "Are you already acquaintances?"


    "No," Cha Ming said, shaking his head. "I misheard." He rubbed a spot on his forehead that still stung from his enslavement. "Please continue."


    They proceeded through the residential quarter where many members stayed. The d¨¦cor was top notch, a few tiers higher than Cha Ming''s accommodations at the Talisman Artist Guild. The guide continued to explain the several benefits he would receive should he choose to join the Obsidian Syndicate. Cha Ming had to ask her to repeat herself more than once, as he was distracted by the eerie yellow-and-ochre glow peeking out from many of the residence doors. He decided that this was likely the cause of his agitation. This place had at least a dozen devils and devil cultivators.


    "Is there anything else I should see?" Cha Ming asked.


    "Of course," she replied. "If you ever need hired muscle, you can always come to the Mercenary Pavilion for top-tier fighters." She led him to a stone building with a sign at the entrance. The sign only had a single sword drawn in bloody ink. It gave Cha Ming the willies.


    "After you, sir," she said, holding the door open.


    Cha Ming walked in cautiously. He heard raucous laughter and breaking glass. He smelled iron and blood. He saw a sea of orange, at least fifty foundation-establishment devils biding their time. He finally realized the Obsidian Syndicate''s true colors, and the reason why his eyes itched so badly. His eyes had tried to warn him, but he hadn''t listened.


    The Obsidian Syndicate was a den of devils, and he had walked right into it.


    ***


    "You seem uncomfortable," a grave voice said. Cha Ming looked up at the somber silhouette in black cultivator''s robes.


    "Not at all, Senior Partner Yang," Cha Ming said.


    "You''re lying," the man stated with a deadpan expression. "I hate it when people lie to me."


    Cha Ming gulped. His incandescent force was useless in evaluating the man before him. Which made sense given that he was a transcendent cultivator. "I admit that I am uncomfortable. Not only have I never seen a transcendent cultivator before, but it''s my first time seeing so many foundation-establishment and core-formation cultivators in one location. I confess myself impressed at the Obsidian Syndicate''s foundation."


    The answer seemed to satisfy the man, who leaned forward and spoke in a gentler voice. "It''s natural that you feel this way. After all, you are young and inexperienced. But you are a talented man, and we greatly value talent. I promise you that if you join us, you will have substantial freedom, and your monthly stipend will be exorbitant. This has nothing to do with your current accomplishments but my estimate of your future achievements.


    "Cultivation techniques, battle techniques, talisman formulas¡­ these can all be yours at the snap of my finger. You will grow stronger at an unimaginable pace. And as a member, you will enjoy access to many of our restricted goods and services."


    While it did sound tempting, Cha Ming was nervous for several other reasons. His greatest worry was the man before him. He knew that his true shape was much different than what the naked eye could see. Behind the mask of skin and bones was a monster through and through, an ochre giant with deadly horns that could crush him at any moment.


    "I need some time to consider," Cha Ming said. "I imagine that these benefits come with obligations?


    "Naturally," the man said. "Nothing in this world is free of charge."


    "May I have a copy of the contract to review?" Cha Ming asked. "This is a very important decision."


    The man chuckled. "Of course you can. But be warned that the document is cursed. It is linked to your presence, and should other eyes see it, we will know. If you choose to accept, sign it in blood. If you choose to reject it, burn it and we will be informed accordingly. However, if you should wish to lose your life¡­ then by all means, let others see it. Do you understand?"


    Cha Ming paled. "I understand."


    "Great," the man said. "I like straightforward people. You have great talent. Make sure to take advantage of this important growth period, when your ambition is at its fullest. Don''t be foolish and squander it like many idealists out there."


    Cha Ming stored the contract inside a normal bag of holding. He didn''t dare show off the Clear Sky World in front of a transcendent cultivator. Then he hid his agitation and proceeded outside the building under the supervision of his eye-catching guide. It was only once he left through those ebony doors that he dared breathe normally.


    Using his incandescent force, he hid away from the throng of people on the streets and disappeared. A half hour later, he reappeared inside his residence at the Talisman Artist Guild. Then, locking himself away, he withdrew the black package containing the employment contract. He burned it without looking. There was no sense in dealing with devils. He would rather die a thousand deaths than chance corrupting his soul.


    ***


    A week passed, and Cha Ming entered a period of seclusion. He took full advantage of Jun Xiezi''s painting, Samsara, to practice the talismans he had already learned. By the end of the week, his success rate in painting these talismans exceeded fifty percent. He knew that it would be impossible to improve them without substantially improving his crafting skills, so he decided to diversify his attention to other least-grade talismans. It didn''t take long for him to master a wind talisman, Void Rend Talisman, and a lightning talisman, Nine Heavens Lightning Talisman.


    Eventually, Cha Ming''s emotional stability recovered, and he created another batch of poetic talismans. These were his trump cards, key items that would preserve his life in times of danger.


    Talisman crafting aside, Cha Ming continued his usual efforts at cultivation. He advanced slowly but surely, gaining steady ground at a rate that would make many envious. Still, he knew it wasn''t enough. A storm was brewing in the Song Kingdom, and it was only a matter of time until it erupted.


    ***


    A storm raged in the Silverwing Mountain Range. The thunder woke Huxian from a deep and pleasant dream. In this dream, he was a master talisman artist. Many people respected him, and he developed his craft at a frightening pace. In fact, his works had gained the attention of the branch guild leader, a powerful figure who could kill mostly anyone in the city without fear of repercussions.


    Why do I keep dreaming I''m human? he thought. Isn''t it best to be a demon beast? Besides, when I transcend, I''ll be able to take on human form. There will be no disadvantages and only advantages to being a demon beast then.


    "Master, you''ve awakened," Lei Jiang said dutifully. His surroundings were filled with static that caused Huxian''s fur to stand on end. Which he was fine with him. Spiked hair was in fashion nowadays.


    "Have you seen Silverwing?" Huxian asked the purple mouse. As usual, the tiny mouse shook its tiny head. "He''ll come and see us when he''s ready. There''s no rushing someone when they''re upset."


    Who''s upset? a voice yelled out to them mentally. The proud Silverwing was flying overhead, clearly showing off his glittering wings under the sunlight.


    "You look different today," Huxian said.


    The falcon swooped down toward the ground in an exaggerated fashion, stopping mere inches from the rocky peak of the mountain. As Huxian looked him over, he felt a faint presence that hadn''t been there before. He also noticed Silverwing''s silver feathers had doubled in number.


    "You''ve made a breakthrough in the blood-concentrating technique?" Huxian said with a bewildered expression.


    "That''s right," Silverwing said. "This elder brother is a talent among talents. Naturally, a silly blood-concentration technique is nothing for me. It''s only a matter of time until I break through the second, third, and fourth stages."


    "You have no idea how talented you are," Huxian said. By all rights, it should have been impossible. He''d specifically chosen the least effective technique to gift the bird in the hopes of having it surrender to his will. But Silverwing had defied all expectations and succeeded where tens of thousands had failed. "Will you be breaking through to core formation soon, then?"


    The bird shook his head. "I''m in no rush. Besides, I can vaguely feel that concentrating my bloodline before forming my core will give me many advantages later on. Also, I want to find out what these tasty inherited memories are."


    "That''s easier said than done," Huxian said, shaking his head. "You''ll need to concentrate your blood to the fifth stage of your current technique to stand a chance. However, if you had a stronger technique¡­"


    Huxian''s voice trailed off when he saw the bird''s angry glare. This was unfortunate, because he had been about to offer a stronger one with no strings attached. He''d lost far too much face, it seemed. How would his friend react if he knew that he''d been tricked the entire time? "¡­but it shouldn''t be necessary. With your natural talent, it''s not impossible. You need to make sure that you concentrate your bloodline to the point where you gain inherited memories before forming your core. Otherwise you''ll never gain them in your entire life."


    The bird snorted. "This bird naturally knows what''s best. Just watch and learn. Either way, that''s not the reason I came here. How could I possibly be so bored as to come show off to you guys?"


    "Did something happen?" Huxian asked.


    "The humans have come," the bird whispered.


    Huxian''s expression became somber. "How many, and how strong?


    "A hundred in each of two groups, all foundation-establishment cultivators," Silverwing replied. "Some are the lowest of the low, while others are peak-foundation-establishment cultivators. There is also an existence at core formation. I''m too weak to evaluate him."


    Huxian clicked his tongue. "How troublesome. Between our two peaks, we only have two hundred or so demon beasts. However, the humans are crafty. They have weapons, formations, talismans, and medicinal pills. We only have our claws and our bloodlines to rely on." He looked at Silverwing. "Would any of the sovereigns help us?"


    "Unlikely," the falcon said. "Perhaps I can convince one or two if worse comes to worst. Fortunately, we have the advantage in terrain, especially with your mountain''s geomantic boa."


    "What about the monarch?" Huxian asked. The mystical owl was the mountain range''s true hidden reserve. Sadly, he was unlikely to act just to save one mountain and some immortal jade.


    "You know as well as I that he loves honor and face entirely too much," Silverwing said. "Unless a core-formation cultivator participates, he''ll just shut himself away and watch us die."


    "A pity," Huxian said. "What did their leaders look like?"


    The falcon sniffed. "They are both disgusting characters. They make me shiver. One of them has black hair and red pupils. He looked at me once, and it burned me. The other one is a young man dressed in green who loves drinking tea. His hair is gold like the sun, with a few stripes of white. But even with my keen eyesight I had trouble seeing him. He''s constantly surrounded in shadows."


    Hearing this familiar description, Huxian''s foxy muzzle opened into a grin. "Blond hair with white stripes, you say? What a coincidence, a friend of a friend of mine looks exactly like that."

 122 Blowing Off Steam

    Cha Ming was restless. He had spent the past two weeks practicing his talismans and cultivating, but unfortunately, increasing his strength in this method would take time, time he didn''t have. After mastering the most basic least-grade talismans, he knew that the limitations in his qi cultivation would make mastering others an arduous process that would take months or years.


    Cultivation, Cha Ming thought. It''s all about increasing my cultivation base. If I don''t increase it, I can''t progress in talisman crafting, and my fighting prowess won''t grow. Typically, cultivators would temper themselves with endless fighting. But he didn''t have a cause to fight for; he wasn''t one to fight for no reason.


    This was why Cha Ming was currently walking down a seedy street. It was a fine spring day, but he barely noticed the chilly wind. His resistance to the elements had skyrocketed with his cultivation realm. He was now immune to normal weather temperatures and day-to-day fatigue. As he walked, he saw several shivering figures¡ªbeggars. The type that couldn''t support themselves.


    I should really do something about this, he thought. He had given money away money to beggars in the past, only to see it stolen away by organized crime within minutes. If I want to help these people, I first need to protect them.


    He entered a run-down restaurant that was suffering from lack of business, the type that most people wouldn''t want to frequent. The moment he entered, the owner was fawning over him like no one ever had¡ªthis was the discrepancy in their status. After a quarter hour of negotiations, his bag of holding became a few spirit stones lighter.


    Their arrangement was simple: He would feed the homeless people outside for the next month. The funds Cha Ming provided included enough to hire extra staff and mercenaries to keep the peace. Cha Ming would return in one month, and if he saw that the money was being wisely spent, he would keep the restaurant perpetually occupied. The only cost was that the inn had to cast away what little reputation it had. The inn''s owner was in dire financial straits and couldn''t help but agree to his proposal. And while Cha Ming knew that a certain amount would be embezzled, his status as a master artist would limit this expenditure through fear.


    This small business settled, he entered the Mercenary Guild beside it. It was filled with honorable and unsavory characters alike, most of which were huddled around tables over drinks. They were discussing their upcoming missions.


    "May I help you?" a large mountain of a man asked Cha Ming as he approached the wooden desk.


    "Where can I find mission postings?" Cha Ming asked.


    The man pointed him to a large jade tablet that contained various shifting lines of text. "Just project your incandescent force into the mission wall, and you will be able to view all available postings," the man said.


    Cha Ming nodded and did just that, quickly browsing through the hundreds of missions.


    There were many types available. Some involved killing beasts that had been causing issues; others involved clearing out bandit dens or bringing murderers and thieves to justice. Other postings requested guards for merchant caravans or temporary guards for businesses. Virtually any type of posting was available.


    But what Cha Ming was looking for was rather specific. In his limited experience, it seemed that the devils were unlikely to be handled by the army, which meant that such cases could only be handled by the Mercenary Guild.


    Mission #4950671: Eliminate the Silver Mountain Thieves. One early-foundation-establishment cultivator, eight ninth-grade qi-condensation cultivators, and other miscellaneous troops. Robbed a merchant caravan carrying important medicinal herbs. Reward: 1,000 mid-grade spirit stones. Will pay for recovered medicinal herbs at wholesale price.


    Mission #4950679: Rescue Baron Ling''s Daughter. Baron Ling''s daughter was abducted shortly after her engagement ceremony. Reward: 20,000 mid-grade spirit stones for successful rescue. Additional reward of 10,000 mid-grade spirit stones if culprits are captured.


    He sifted through these various missions. Most of them seemed like virtuous outings, but his eyes couldn''t help but flicker toward the small percentage of yellow-stained cultivators in the room. There were also cultivators who emanated a light jade glow.


    Mission #4950684: Eliminate the Swiftwind Bandits. These bandits have been plaguing Goldbar County, plundering farmers in unprotected areas. Strength is unknown. Reward: Can only offer either 10,000 mid-grade spirits stones or equivalent wholesale value in local ore production.


    Note: While strength has not been determined, these cultivators are unusual. They have extremely strong bodies, some of which shine like jewelry-grade gold.


    It was no mystery to Cha Ming what these bandits were. He had fought with gold-based devil cultivators on two occasions now. Reward or not, this was exactly the type of mission he was looking for. It was an opportunity to strengthen himself while fighting for a just cause.


    "I''ll take Mission #4950684," Cha Ming said to the man at the mission desk. The man nodded and retrieved the mission jade Cha Ming would return to the issuer upon completion of the mission.


    "Are you sure you want to accept this mission?" the man asked. "Two early-foundation-establishment cultivators accepted this mission as a team. They have a very high completion rate, so I''m not certain if the mission will still be open by the time you arrive."


    "I''m sure," Cha Ming replied. The man shrugged and passed him the jade. The Mercenary Guild did not require membership and made its money by taking a commission for completed missions.


    Cha Ming exited the Mercenary Guild. On his way to the city gates he passed the restaurant where he''d left funds. It was packed full of local homeless people enjoying their first hot meal in who knew how long. While there wasn''t much Cha Ming could do to help them, these meals would present them hope and an opportunity.


    As for how many would grasp it, he hadn''t the slightest idea.


    ***


    Cha Ming''s fleeting form dashed across fields of melting snow. Every footstep he took left cloudlike runes instead of footprints, which vanished after only a few breaths. He only traveled for one day before reaching the destination indicated on the map¡ªa small mountain with caves where the bandits resided. His incandescent force constantly probed his surroundings. It wasn''t long before he located two other strong souls, one of which noticed him and probed back. Feeling a familiar sensation, he approached the two souls, who kept together in one group, hidden away in the woods nearby.


    His figure flew into a cluster of trees. He made no effort to conceal his presence, revealing himself to the two souls, and they stepped out of the shadows to meet him. One figure was a foot taller than Cha Ming and wore a six-foot blade on his back. The other cultivator, who bore a familiar aura, had a much smaller frame. Both were wrapped in black cloth as though fearing their identities might be exposed.


    "Fancy seeing you here, Xuehua," he said to the smaller figure.


    "We meet again, Brother Cha Ming," she said with a gentle laugh. "I take it that you''ve somehow accepted the same mission as us?"


    Her companion was expressionless, but Cha Ming could sense hostility in his eyes. The man''s aura was not unlike Xuehua''s. In fact, the layer of green jade that enveloped him was three inches thick, a whole inch thicker than his fellow talisman master.


    "I have," Cha Ming said. "After seeing the details of the mission, I couldn''t feel at ease leaving it alone."


    "Don''t you know common etiquette?" the man interjected. "One should typically accept missions that have not been claimed already. Besides, you don''t know what you''re getting yourself into. I suggest you leave, lest you get injured." His voice was harsh but laced with concern, as though the talk of etiquette was just to chase him away.


    He might be harsh, but he means well, Luo Xuehua said. Besides, I agree it would be best if you left. Things will get very dangerous here shortly.


    "I know something about this situation," Cha Ming said to the tall man. "You need not worry about my safety. But I understand your wanting to complete the mission without interference. How about this: I will tag along, but I won''t interfere unless you need help. We can worry about the division of the reward after the fact."


    "This¡­" The tall mercenary hesitated. Cha Ming naturally knew the source of his hesitation. How could one trust their back to a stranger?


    "No need to worry, Senior Brother Hao," Xuehua said. "I trust his character. You trust my instincts, don''t you?" She kept her eyes closed the entire time, just as she had during her talisman-master exam.


    The larger man sighed. "In that case, you can call me Dongfang Hao. Pleasure to meet you." Luo Xuehua''s words had mollified his attitude substantially.


    The two cultivators didn''t wait for night, approaching the caves through the shadows in the daylight. Cha Ming followed them from behind and observed their professional approach. Unlike what he expected, it wasn''t the senior brother that led the way but Xuehua. The reason soon became apparent.


    Every few dozen steps she would throw out a talisman that disintegrated on impact. The talisman revealed green lines and symbols that surrounded the area and subsequently disabled them. Cha Ming took note of their steps as he wandered through the disabled formations.


    Talismans can be used in this way as well? he wondered.


    Before long the trees parted, revealing a cave that was only a few hundred feet deep. It smelled a bit like smoke, and a faint light spilled out from the otherwise nondescript entrance. They had obviously intended to disguise it as an unused cavern, and they had done an impeccable job.


    As Cha Ming spread his incandescent force inside the cave, he detected several hundred souls. Most of them were crammed inside a cage, but inside he saw two early bone-forging cultivators. A few half-step bone-forging cultivators, and a mixed bag of eighth- and ninth-level body cultivators were busy roasting food, sharpening blades, and doing physical-training exercises.


    They should be able to handle these forces, he thought. He hid inside a shadow at the entrance.


    Under the supervision of his soul force, the duo barged in. Luo Xuehua''s talismans struck the walls, disabling their protective formation. Then her bulky companion charged at them, lashing out with his gigantic blade. He cleaved apart a half-step bone-forging cultivator in a single strike.


    The two bone-forging cultivators transformed upon seeing the duo. Their skins hardened, and they charged toward the two cultivators separately. One of them blocked the massive blade with his bare hands, barely taking any damage. However, Xuehua''s senior brother chuckled and broke his blade into hundreds of tiny swords that all began attacking the golden man ferociously. He could only fend off some of the various blades while defending against Dongfang Hao''s knuckles, which were now coated with a silvery film. Cha Ming''s eyes widened in surprise when he saw that the man was a dual bone-forging, foundation-establishment cultivator. It was this strength that granted him the confidence to face one of the bone-forging cultivators alone.


    Meanwhile, Xuehua danced lithely amongst the dozens of other body cultivators. Talismans flew out from her hands at a steady pace, each of them striking and disabling one of the weaker cultivators. Once all the lesser cultivators were frozen solid by her icy talismans¡ªwhich Cha Ming recognized as the least-grade Ice Cage Talisman¡ªshe threw three other talismans at the bone-forging cultivator assigned to her. The instant they struck him, his golden skin corroded. This was a lesser-grade talisman called Instant Rust Talisman. It transformed the man''s skin into a powdery white substance that shed away as he moved.


    It seems like they truly don''t need my help, he thought. It looks like they really don''t care about the reward. Xuehua used about 40,000 mid-grade spirit stones'' worth of talismans to take care of all these opponents. Are they like me, people who can''t stand these devil cultivators?


    As Cha Ming was deep in thought, he barely noticed as a fierce, brawny figure darted into the cave. He was twice as large as a normal man, and his ochre aura was overwhelming.


    Middle-foundation establishment!


    "It''s a trap!" Cha Ming heard Xuehua shout as he automatically moved to intercept the creature. It didn''t take long for him to arrive inside the cave. Xuehua and her senior brother were currently being beaten back by the middle-foundation-establishment creature. Xuehua tried her best to fight back using a silver sword to complement her talismans. However, each talisman that she sent disappeared as it struck the abomination''s enormous body. Its skin seemed to be covered in a layer of bark, which easily absorbed the water and frost energy that the talisman delivered to it.


    Cha Ming, run! The mental projection came from two voices simultaneously.


    No need, Cha Ming sent back. I can hold back this strange devil for thirty breaths. Can you eliminate the others in this time?


    They nodded in response. They were in dire straits, and if nothing changed, this place would be their grave.


    Cha Ming used his enhanced Seven Cloud Steps and his Stormchaser Boots to dart across the open chamber. He slapped a Hardening Talisman on his chest as he drew his staff out and used it to block a meaty fist. Ligaments tore as his muscles fought to hold on to his Clear Sky Staff.


    So powerful.


    He threw a Resistance Talisman at the abomination, slowing it down barely enough for him to avoid the next block and interrupt its movements. Unfortunately, the effect lasted only for two breaths.


    Is it an elemental-restraining effect? he wondered. Then, looking at the place where the creature''s fist struck him, he noticed the shield covering his skin in this area had disappeared.


    The golden men are aligned with the gold element, Cha Ming thought. This wooden man, for lack of a better word, is aligned with wood. In that case¡­


    Cha Ming''s eyes gleamed as he threw a Five-Fire Cremation Talisman at the monstrosity. It roared as its skin, which Xuehua''s saber couldn''t pierce, began burning layer after layer.


    Furious, it glared at Cha Ming, spreading out a green aura from where it stood. The aura turned into a maelstrom, which instantly began weakening Cha Ming. As he weakened, he felt his opponent grow stronger.


    Dongfang Hao, this creature has a wood-based affinity. Use your sword, and we''ll attack it together!


    The large man, who had been attacking the others in conjunction with Xuehua, threw out his sword and began attacking the large creature. Countless blades ripped apart the creature''s skin and muscles, directing the creature''s ire to the much larger opponent.


    "Your opponent is me!" Cha Ming yelled. He threw out two talismans. The first was another Five-Fire Cremation Talisman, which covered the creature in five layers of flames, while the other was the Nine Blades, One Dao Talisman. It pierced deep into the creature''s body at nine different points as Cha Ming willed.


    He didn''t stop there. In an effort to further split the monstrosity''s attention, Cha Ming lashed out with his Sword Staff Art. It wasn''t as incisive as Dongfang Hao''s hundreds of blades, but it added to the constant sapping of the monster''s vitality.


    "Now you''ve done it!" the monster roared in a voice that seemed entirely too human. "I hate giving up my food more than anything!"


    Cha Ming stared in horror as a giant mouth appeared on the creature''s stomach and began spewing out a corrosive dark green liquid. Dongfang Hao seemed to see this coming and darted out while maintaining his assault with the hundreds of flying swords. Cha Ming jumped away as well, using his Stormchaser Boots to hover off the ground. As a result, he was only affected by the corrosive fumes that fled from the acid pool.


    Unfortunately, the pool was directed at Xuehua, who had been systematically destroying the wood devil''s golden allies. Cha Ming swiftly used Seven Cloud Steps to jump around the wood devil and produced two Five-Fire Cremation Talismans, throwing them into the rapidly expanding acid pool. They weren''t as effective as when attacking its body, but the two talismans set the acid pool ablaze, causing it to halt its advance.


    Xuehua, seeing that the threat was nullified, used her flying sword to swiftly decapitate the two remaining gold devils. Their heads and bodies shattered with her icy strike and crumbled into piles of gold dust.


    Can you buy me a two-breath opening? Cha Ming shouted mentally.


    Dongfang Hao, who now had much greater respect for Cha Ming''s capabilities, nodded in acknowledgment and threw out eight golden pillars. They crashed into the ground, forming a barrier around the wood devil.


    "Eight Sealing Pillars," Dongfang Hao shouted. "First seal, silver!" One of the pillars glowed with silver runes. "Second seal, copper!" Reddish lines covered the next pillar. "Third seal, cobalt!" Blue runes activated. With every additional pillar activation, Cha Ming saw the wood devil shivering under their suppressive powers.


    Looks like it''s my turn, Cha Ming thought. He quickly used his boots to push off into the air above the wood devil. He threw out his remaining three Nine Swords, One Dao Talismans. Twenty-seven blades transformed into three, plunging quickly toward the wood devil. Cha Ming simultaneously threw a Crumbling Talisman at the devil. He knew that, as a wood element being, it would naturally suppress the earth-based poetic talisman.


    Cha Ming didn''t pause as the talismans traveled. He quickly pushed himself back to the ground. Using his powerful body strength to swing the Clear Sky Staff, which was now twenty feet long and a foot thick, he executed the largest Sword Staff Art he had ever attempted. The large staff was coated in a silver sheen as it bore down on the wood devil, whose pupils narrowed.


    "Fourth seal, iron! Fifth seal, aluminum!" Dongfang Hao shouted. Two more pillars lit up, forcing the wood devil''s arms to remain still rather than defend its vulnerable head.


    Cha Ming exerted all his strength to take advantage of the opening. As his staff traveled, three swords struck the wood devil''s thick skin consecutively, shattering eleven barky layers.


    His five-thousand-jin staff bent as it struck the monster''s head. Its edge was sharp and thick. It used the momentum generated by its wide arc and its absurd weight to lodge itself into the monster''s thick skull. Then it proceeded through the skull and through the chest until it hit something hard in its stomach. Despite not having reacted when struck on the head, it howled in pain as its stomach was breached.


    Dongfang Hao, attack its stomach! Cha Ming sent, abandoning his staff and jumping into the air. He threw his last Five-Fire Cremation Talisman into the gaping wound.


    Simultaneously, Dongfang Hao gathered the hundreds of blade pieces into one and charged with all his strength. His blade turned golden as he stabbed toward the singular point that Cha Ming had indicated.


    With one last howl, the monstrosity collapsed, leaving the three cultivators alone with piles of gold dust, sawdust, and over a hundred prisoners.

 123 A Devils Alignmen

    The prisoners shivered as they looked at the powdery remains of their captors. If the bandits had been human, only enslavement awaited them. But what would such monstrosities have done with them? Fortunately, these were questions that would never be answered.


    Cha Ming ignored his wounds and fatigue as he opened the cages, allowing the prisoners to wander around as they pleased. Then, seeing that they were extremely malnourished, he used his creation qi to make over a hundred food pellets. This naturally depleted all his creation qi, but to him it was well worth it. His actions naturally caused the duo to reevaluate him.


    "Thank you, sir," a small child said. "You''re so powerful! Can you teach me?"


    Cha Ming looked at the small child strangely. "I''m not sure if it''s possible to teach you. How about we discuss this later?"


    The child cast his eyes down in disappointment. Cha Ming shook his head. He was helpless in this matter.


    "Not only is your skill in talisman crafting amazing, but your battle prowess is as well," the mountain of a man said, approaching him. "Allow me reintroduce myself. I would be proud if you called me Brother Hao."


    "Please call me Brother Cha Ming," he responded, bowing slightly.


    "Brother Cha Ming, without your timely help, we would have fallen for their trap," Dongfang Hao said. "It''s clear that they were baiting us, which isn''t surprising given how many of their kind that we''ve killed."


    "Oh?" Cha Ming said. "What''s your count so far?"


    "We''ve killed twenty-one devils and hundreds of devil cultivators," the man said proudly.


    "As you may have noticed, we hunt them regardless of cost," Luo Xuehua added. She had been tending to the prisoners they had just freed.


    "Including these three, I''m on five myself," Cha Ming said. "These devils, can you tell me about them?"


    "Certainly," Dongfang Hao replied. "We encountered two types of devils today, two greed devils and one gluttony devil."


    "Greed and gluttony?" Cha Ming said. "I thought they were based on the five elements, so I called them gold and wood devils. I''ve encountered a water devil as well."


    "Oh?" Dongfang Hao said. "What characteristics did it have?"


    "Illusions," Cha Ming replied. "It underwent no physical transformations but had a powerful mental attack that could devour souls."


    Dongfang Hao nodded. "We call them lust devils. I personally have a very hard time dealing with them, so Sister Xuehua must do it. Only those with a strong soul can resist them, and I have nothing but brute strength.


    "Greed devils cultivate using gold to strengthen their bodies. They also have an ability called Spending, where they willingly sacrifice a piece of their body in exchange for strength, but this is an ability used in desperation, and their greedy nature despises using it. Likewise, a gluttony devil can ''regurgitate'' their food. They cultivate using life force, and their ability drains the life and vitality of nearby living beings. For example, these prisoners would have been its food."


    Gasps ensued.


    "Elder Brother, stop scaring them!" Xuehua scolded.


    The large man shrugged. "Regardless, I haven''t seen many other types of devils, so I''m not familiar with their abilities. Lust devils devour souls and emotions, but I''m not too familiar with wrath devils and sloth devils. I only know that they are fire- and earth-based beings."


    "Are there other types?" Cha Ming asked, his eyes flickering.


    "Yes, the more mysterious ones are pride devils and envy devils," Dongfang Hao replied. "Pride devils are lightning based, while envy devils are wind based. I''m not too familiar with their abilities, but all I know is that they are immensely difficult to kill using physical means."


    "What is most effective against them?" Cha Ming asked.


    "It seems energy-based attacks work best," Dongfang Hao said. Lightning, fire, and wind work best. Ice to some extent. Earth, metal, and wood attacks are useless against them, as are physical blows."


    "Many thanks," Cha Ming said. Then, without any warning, he used his movement technique to strike at a small figure in the room. It was the child who had asked Cha Ming if he could become a cultivator. He struck quickly, leaving no time for Dongfang Hao and Xuehua to react. As his staff struck down, the figure of the small child vanished into the wind.


    "You are certainly cunning, envy devil," Cha Ming said aloud.


    "How impressive that you spotted me," a voice said from inside the cave. "May I ask how you did it?"


    Cha Ming chuckled. "I see no reason to share this secret with a devil that''s about to die."


    Swift as the wind, he darted toward an empty spot in the room. It was empty to everyone but him, whose Eyes of Pure Jade could detect the invisible devil. It resembled an ochre mist. It wasn''t surprising that it couldn''t be harmed with physical damage. Fortunately, Cha Ming had a plan.


    He threw a Nine Heavens Lightning Talisman at the seemingly invulnerable figure. Nine colored bolts shot out and caused the ochre figure to wail in pain.


    "How is it that you thought to bring lightning talismans?" the figure shouted.


    Cha Ming, seeing that it could still hold out, threw another. He only had three of these talismans left, and after them, none of his techniques would have any effect.


    "Lightning is the bane of devils and evil spirits," Cha Ming said. "It was naturally important that I create these." Then, seeing that the lightning was losing its potency, he threw yet another talisman.


    The nine colors of lightning grew in quantity and intensity. As the envy devil tried to escape, Cha Ming used his powerful incandescent force to form a cage around it. The disparity in their souls was quite large, and the devil was injured. Cha Ming wasn''t worried about it escaping in the short term.


    "You have no idea what you''re dealing with!" the devil said in desperation.


    Cha Ming, seeing that three talismans weren''t enough, threw out yet another Nine Heavens Lightning Talisman. This time the ochre mist started to shrink.


    Almost there, he thought.


    "How about I teach you how to make a contract?" the devil implored. "You''re a kind soul, and I can tell that the power you would gain is unimaginable. In fact, I don''t see why you couldn''t devilize more than once! You could become a greater devil beyond compare!"


    What useful information, Cha Ming thought. However, I can''t leave him any breathing space. I need to eliminate him for good. "I''ll consider it," Cha Ming said.


    "Truly?" the devil asked.


    "Yes, I''ve considered it," Cha Ming said. "You can go back to hell where you belong." He threw out his remaining Nine Heavens Lightning Talisman.


    The devil, of whom only a tiny wisp remained, evaporated into nothingness. The last vestiges of its ochre glow vanished. Unknowingly, two additional runes had now appeared in Cha Ming''s eyes, one green and one azure.


    "Impressive," Luo Xuehua said. "I never would have thought that an envy devil was hidden among the captives. How did you discover him?"


    "I have an eye technique that can see devils," Cha Ming said. "Devils appear ochre while devil cultivators appear yellow. As an added benefit, I can also see that you both have jade merit halos. Therefore, I was able to trust you immediately."


    "What a useful technique," Dongfang Hao said. "If I might be so bold, is this something you can share with us? I can see that you are one who abhors these creatures."


    "If only I could," Cha Ming said, shaking his head. "I once gained an inheritance called the Devil Sealing Scripture. Unfortunately, the jade slip I learned it from has already lost its power."


    "A pity," the man said. "Well, we should find a way to return these people right away. Now that they are fed, it''s only right that we return them to their homes."


    Cha Ming agreed, and they got to work right away.


    It took three days to migrate everyone to Goldbar City for processing. They were greeted at the city gates by the city lord and the family members of those who had disappeared. They were invited to a congratulatory feast, which Cha Ming accepted, but the other two rejected graciously. They did, however, accept their portion of the reward to recover some of their losses.


    The feast was extravagant, but Cha Ming was more concerned about networking with the local lord. It never hurt to have more connections. Once his status as a talisman master was revealed, the lord opened up and discussed their local mining business.


    "This city is called Goldbar due to the presence of a gold mine," the city lord said while eating a large piece of chicken. The decorations in the dining hall were heavily laden with gold. This reflected their pride in their mining business. "But few people know that it was named for other reasons."


    "Are there other gold-related resources here?" Cha Ming asked.


    "Naturally," the city lord replied. "A thousand years ago, immortal gold jade was our primary export. Unfortunately, this has all been exhausted. Now we mostly extract varieties of gold and liquified elemental essence. However, there is one product that has been kept secret. We mostly sell it to the royal family and to the Talisman Artist Guild." The man approached a wall in the dining room, and after prodding certain locations, it opened a secret compartment. He entered some sort of combination before withdrawing a tiny vial. It contained perhaps a jin of a golden liquid.


    "Gold evanescence," Cha Ming whispered.


    "Exactly," the city lord said. "It''s a precious resource that is generated deep in the mines using an extraction formation. This is also where we gather liquified elemental essence. As an additional token of our thanks, and as a selfish gift to forge better ties between us, I would like to offer you this small vial."


    It was a heavy gift, one which Cha Ming would normally reject. But at that instant, he felt the Clear Sky Brush vibrate, indicating it wanted him to accept it. "This¡­ I won''t deny that I need this vial," Cha Ming said. "However, the value is far too great. Could I perhaps purchase it from you?"


    The city lord frowned at the refusal. "It is meant as a gift, and I insist that you accept it."


    "How about I purchase it from you at the same price that you would sell it to the royal family or the Talisman Artist Guild?" Cha Ming suggested.


    "Fine, we can do that," the city lord said. "We sell it to them at half the retail value. This small bottle would sell for ten high-grade spirit stones."


    Though it caused his heart to ache, Cha Ming took out ten spirit stones in exchange for the vial. The favor was still worth ten high-grade spirit stones, which was ten times the value of the reward they had received.


    "I owe you a favor, then," Cha Ming said.


    The city lord shrugged. "Just come by whenever you are free in the future. I always need talismans, but the city would benefit the most if you could offer pointers to our talented youths."


    "Then it''s settled," Cha Ming said. "I am not free now, but I will return in the future."


    Their conversation continued for a short while before Cha Ming finally left for Quicksilver City.


    ***


    The wind fluttered through Cha Ming''s loose hair as he ran above the ground.


    Traveling is much more convenient as a foundation-establishment cultivator, Cha Ming thought. It was a moonless night with not a cloud in the sky, a night with an overbearing silence that forbade even the nightly creatures from coming out to announce their presence.


    Cha Ming''s mind shook as his core-transmission jade vibrated. He established a link with the jade to allow for audible communication only. "Brother Jun, what''s bothering you so late at night?"


    "Where are you?" Wang Jun asked. "Are you in the city yet?"


    Cha Ming frowned. "No, not yet. Should I be?"


    "Get to the city as soon as possible!" Wang Jun said. "Xiao Heilong has returned from his mission, and his cultivation has increased to upper foundation establishment. My sources say he just left the city."


    "So fast?" Cha Ming increased his pace. "But he''s got a compass to track me. What do I do?"


    "You need to somehow evade him and get inside the city," Wang Jun said. "He wouldn''t dare cause trouble within city limits. There are dozens of core-formation cultivators in the city that won''t tolerate a ruckus."


    "Many thanks," Cha Ming said. "How are things¡ª"


    His sixth sense alerted him to a sharp dagger flying toward him. He swiftly cut off the connection and used Seven Cloud Steps to evade, but three more daggers had already arrived at his destination, and he was forced to summon his Clear Sky Staff to bat them away. The daggers burned with a crimson glow.


    "Why does it have to be this way?" Cha Ming shouted. "Can''t we discuss?"


    A large figure appeared in front of him. He wielded two daggers and wore obsidian-colored armor. "What is there to discuss?" he said. "You killed my subordinate, and I will kill you in revenge. Even better, you rejected the Obsidian Syndicate''s invitation. There''s no one who can save you." The man was surrounded by an ochre flame.


    Wrath devil.


    Cha Ming quickly used his core-transmission jade to send a brief message. He couldn''t stay distracted for long. The man seemed to notice his intent and quickly appeared in front of him, his curved daggers slashing down at his chest.


    So fast! Cha Ming thought. He pushed himself away in midair and used his Flaming Wheel Defense to guard. His staff deflected a dozen blows, but one managed to sneak past his guard. Intense pain shot through his shoulder, and skin, muscles, and nerves melted away like butter. Fortunately, his bones were hard like magic treasures and didn''t shatter.


    "There''s no use running," the man said. "How about you save us both some trouble and give up. Then I won''t have to use your friends and family to quench my anger."


    Cha Ming ignored his taunting and activated a Myriad Ice Shield Talisman. A shifting crystalline shield enveloped him, absorbing another two blows that threatened to pierce his heart. He used this moment of respite to dash away at his fastest speed, forsaking defense in favor of distance.


    "You think your pathetic speed and defenses can stop me?" Xiao Heilong said. His figure transformed into a blur, appearing in front of Cha Ming and threatening to decapitate him.


    Cha Ming quickly zigzagged around him, using his Gentle Staff Art to deflect the six blows that threatened to kill him. Only one came through, but it was absorbed by the myriad ice shield.


    I need to get to the city quickly, he thought.


    The city was only twenty miles away, which was nothing for a foundation-establishment cultivator. But under the threat of Xiao Heilong''s vicious blades, he could only take the least efficient route. Blow after blow weakened his shield, which finally shattered a quarter of the way in. Cha Ming promptly activated yet another talisman. Then a second, a third, and a fourth. They were still five miles away when Cha Ming heard a cold voice whisper in his ears.


    "I hate it when I lose my temper," it said. A cold shudder ran through Cha Ming''s body as Xiao Heilong appeared in front of him.


    Contrary to what his words hinted at, his devilish figure wasn''t bursting with anger. Instead he was cold and calm like the night. His flaming daggers had changed as well. They no longer raged with blazing flames but burned coldly with icy black flames.


    Along with this transformation, the surrounding temperature dipped to that of a cold winter day. The little humidity in the air changed to frost on the grassy ground, and Cha Ming felt his limbs numbing and slowing.


    Just five more miles, he thought. He didn''t notice the dagger approaching him from behind until his ice shield began cracking. Xiao Heilong''s presence was now undetectable, as though the dissipation of his anger was shielding him.


    Cha Ming could only dash away in a straight line was quickly as possible. Two stabs. Four miles. Three stabs. Three miles. Two stabs. His shield broke at the two-mile mark.


    This is bad! Cha Ming thought. He was forced to slow down, taking his staff out to probe his surroundings as he moved. There. A slight shudder in the air. Cha Ming struck out in its direction with his Hard Staff Art. Unfortunately, this left his arms numb.


    Are you almost here? he sent via core-transmission jade.


    No one answered. The surrounding temperature dipped even further. A blue light shot out and struck an inconspicuous area, which burst into a blue ice lotus. It broke immediately, revealing Xiao Heilong.


    Quick, we need to run to the city, Xuehua''s voice said. He''s much stronger than us.


    Luo Xuehua and Dongfang Hao appeared beside him. Fortunately, Xuehua had water-based Daoist spells that surrounded them, keeping them from being surprised by Xiao Heilong. As a result, they were able to advance while defending. What didn''t get detected by her spells was discovered by Dongfang Hao. His hundreds of swords orbited around them, and they detected Xiao Heilong''s presence whenever one of them disintegrated or shattered.


    As they approached, the city gates became visible. Surprisingly, they were wide open and waiting to welcome them.


    We used our connections to have them open the gates, Xuehua explained as they dove into them.


    Xiao Heilong naturally didn''t follow. Since he had come out in the middle of the night, he clearly had his own connections to let him in and out of the city.


    It didn''t take long for them to arrive at the Talisman Artist Guild.


    "I''m in both your debts," Cha Ming said, thanking them profusely.


    "Not at all," Dongfang Hao said. "You saved us previously. Besides, when fighting devils, we''re always willing to go the extra mile."


    "Regardless, feel free to come by the guild anytime," Cha Ming said.


    "We won''t hold back," Dongfang Hao said. "Those lightning talismans are awfully handy, and so are additional elemental talismans for different opponents."


    "If that''s the case, I''ll give you a discount," Cha Ming said.


    "Then I''ll be impolite," Dongfang Hao said. Then he and Xuehua took off to a different part of the city. After briefly contacting Wang Jun, Cha Ming collapsed on his bed.


    He was far too exhausted for cultivation.

 124 Interlude - Filial Piety

    A large fire illuminated the night sky above a small army encampment. It only held fifty or so men, but anyone who knew anything about their recent military exploits would rather face an army of a thousand than these elite troops. Ten thousand, even.


    Ten soldiers in fifty kept careful guard as their companions slept. They did this even though no unlucky encounters had happened for years under their colonel''s watch. "Prepared men make their own luck," the man had once said. And these soldiers listened to his words like they would a royal decree. They were always prepared.


    In the distance, a white figure grew larger as it approached. It was a white-clothed messenger riding a white horse. If it were war times, such clothing would be frowned upon. However, in the current peaceful times, it was customary for a messenger to wear white to alert allies before arriving.


    "Greetings, messenger," one of the soldiers said.


    The young man riding the horsed hurriedly hopped off and bowed as he delivered the letter.


    "For Colonel Feng," the man said. The soldier that received him summoned his partner and sent him off with the letter. He invited the young man to sit by the fire.


    "Will you be leaving shortly?" he asked, serving the man a bowl of stew. He looked exhausted, as though he''d been riding for days on end.


    The young man shook his head. "I must return with Colonel Feng''s reply as soon as possible. A meal and a bed for the night would be nice."


    "We''ll take care of that, don''t you worry," the soldier said. "Corporal Liu!" he barked.


    One of the patrol members ran over and stood at attention. "Set up a tent for this fellow."


    The soldier bowed and went straight to work, quickly setting up the tent with military precision. It only took him a quarter hour.


    Just as the tent was completed, a tall figure in black armor could be seen walking from across the camp.


    "Colonel Feng!" the soldiers and the messenger said, standing at attention.


    "At ease," Feng Ming said. His men relaxed but didn''t reduce their vigilance against the things that might be lurking in the darkness. With these men, he could brave hell or high water. They protected him, and he protected them in return.


    "Have you prepared a reply, Colonel Feng?" the young messenger asked expectantly.


    Feng Ming shook his head. "No need. Please tell my father that I won''t be returning. I am accomplishing many important things, and I won''t get involved in political squabbles."


    The messenger paled. "Could you please write something short for my sake?" he implored. "I have a pen and paper ready for you to use."


    "Fine," Feng Ming said. "For your sake." He wrote a short hundred-character message and sealed it with wax and the ring on his finger. "Stay the night before you leave," he said. "This message isn''t so urgent that you shouldn''t rest." The messenger hesitated but nodded, visibly relaxing. "As for all of you, I don''t want to hear any rumors about this conversation. Is that clear?"


    "Yes, Colonel!" they shouted.


    Feng Ming didn''t join them by the fire. Instead, he sat in his tent and pondered. His father had sent him a letter, asking him to return home due to the current political instability. For the sake of the family, he said. But to Feng Ming, filial piety only went so far. While he was out here leading his men, he prevented much suffering and chaos in the kingdom. Could he really abandon these people just to please his father?


    He only hoped his decision wouldn''t affect too many things in his family. As the only son, his input and contributions were important.


    They should be all right, he thought. Father never listens to me anyway. I just hope he stays neutral and doesn''t get involved in petty squabbles for the throne.


    The night passed quickly, and before he knew it, dawn had arrived. Fortunately, sleep didn''t matter much for someone in his realm. Eight golden runes floated in his mental space. They embodied all the merit he had accumulated through his daring deeds. To condense them, he had slaughtered countless bandits, rebels, and vicious monsters. Now, he was only missing a little more.


    In just a few more months, he would condense the next rune and cultivate the next stage of the Good Fortune Scripture¡ªLucky General.

 125 Invitation

    A man walked through the forest at a tranquil pace. All around him, spirit beasts either prowled or slept, depending on their roles in the blackness of the night. They didn''t see him. Not many could see this man who was wreathed in shadows.


    He walked calmly and without fear. With every footstep, twigs almost broke and leaves almost bent. Shadows merged with his own, covering his body like a cloak, warding him from the most damaging element: light.


    It wasn''t long before he reached the peak of the mountain where the sovereign was located. He sent his incandescent force into a small cave situated near a jade plate. It was there because of the abundance of demonic qi, and it was a perfect place for a beast sovereign to cultivate. To his surprise, however, he found nothing.


    "You came," a voice said behind him. He turned around in time to see a large black-and-white fox. He was surrounded by an aura of light and shadows that emanated from his two tails.


    "Sovereign Two Tails, I presume?" the man asked.


    "That''s right," he said. "You do know the consequences of infringing on a beast sovereign''s territory, don''t you?"


    "I suppose you''ll want to fight me to assert your dominance," the man said nonchalantly. "If so, you may as well get it out of the way."


    The two-tailed fox growled and split into two clones, one black and one white. The white clone sent out an aura of suppression as it attacked. The man made not a sound, choosing to immediately form hand seals. His shadow elongated, taking advantage of the purifying aura of light to lengthen itself. Then it split into a thousand hands that reached out and grabbed the black fox. The black fox would have none of it, however. It plunged into the black hands and began absorbing them.


    "Shadows of fate, heed my call," the man said. "My shadow is yours, your shadow is mine." Instantly, black threads of karma shot out from the shadow hands and bound themselves to the black fox. It continued to try absorbing the hands that gripped it, but the hands absorbed back whatever they lost. The shadow could only remain trapped.


    "You like to play dirty, huh?" the fox said. "Light in the darkness!" Its shadowy form spread out to cover the entire area. The clone of light transformed into a shining sphere and shot toward the man. The man grunted and simply walked forward, through the ball of light, distorting as though he didn''t truly exist.


    "You can''t hurt me, Huxian," the man said. "Perhaps if you broke through to peak purification, it would be a different story, but for now you''re helpless."


    "Isn''t it the same with you, Wang Jun?" Huxian replied. "You couldn''t hurt me even if you wanted to. You can stall me, but that hardly counts as a victory."


    "Fair enough," Wang Jun said. "You''ve grown up. Cha Ming will be quite happy to see you''re safe and sound."


    "You spoke to Cha Ming?" Huxian said, instantly shrinking to his baby form.


    Wang Jun smiled. "Regrettably, only recently. He disappeared for years and was only able to contact me a few months ago. He''s making quite a name for himself in the north."


    Huxian remained silent for a few moments. "What have you come here for?"


    "I''m sure you know what I came here for," Wang Jun replied. "I''m hoping we can negotiate something peaceful that''s advantageous to the both of us. The others won''t give you that. Besides, do you know the name of the leader of the other group?" Huxian didn''t reply. "His name is Zhou Li."


    Huxian pulled his ears back and bared his teeth. "Do you know what he did?" the fox said in a hoarse voice.


    "I do," Wang Jun said. "And I intend to get revenge. But for that, I need your help. I need the immortal jade to gain an economic advantage over him in the Song Kingdom."


    "I suppose you can''t back out from this joint attack?" Huxian asked.


    "You''re very clever for a baby fox," Wang Jun said. "Yes, we''re financially invested in the attack. Not just that, but if we give up, the kingdom will support Zhou Li''s faction. Core-formation cultivators will come. You and I both know that while the outcome would be bloody, it''s a price they are willing to pay. And once they obtain the jade, Zhou Li''s faction will gain the economic advantage."


    "And what do you propose?" Huxian asked.


    "I propose that we trade," Wang Jun said. "The immortal jade is useless to you but very valuable to us. Fortunately, our mission here is not to decimate the beasts on the mountain. That''s just one possible solution. I believe that it''s most reasonable for us to trade resources that you beasts require most."


    Huxian looked pensive. "I want resources, seeds, and something else. I want a peace treaty with the Silverwing Mountain Range. We will not send beast tides to human lands to the south or to the northern pass so long as the humans do not invade our lands. We will expand north and east, into other beast territories. In exchange, we will trade with you."


    "That''s a little beyond my ability to negotiate," Wang Jun said.


    "It isn''t, and I''ll tell you why," Huxian said. "The formation contains immortal jade core. And it''s in a well-hidden area. You wouldn''t be able to find it without a competent earth-aligned beast."


    "Such as a geomantic boa¡­" Wang Jun said softly. "How much are we talking? We only have estimates."


    "The original formation has three thousand jin of elemental immortal jade," Huxian replied. "But the hidden formation has six hundred jin of immortal jade core."


    Wang Jun''s eyes widened when he heard the number. The immortal jade was already double what they had originally expected, with a value of about 450,000 high-grade spirit stones. However, the immortal jade core was worth twice that much, even with such a small quantity.


    "What do you want, exactly?" Wang Jun asked. Huxian sent him a list mentally that almost caused Wang Jun to cough up blood. "Trying to rob me into an early grave? You know I''m desperate, but this is extortion."


    Huxian shrugged. "Think about the military cost savings alone. If the Song Kingdom doesn''t have to defend against the beast tides at the mountain range, not only will military costs be reduced, but the villages will be able to grow crops and mine in peace."


    "And how will we guarantee this treaty?" Wang Jun said. It was a tolerable deal. Not only did the materials he requested cost less than 100,000 high-grade spirit stones, he would avoid serious losses in human life, which would increase the third prince''s reputation. Meanwhile, the Song Kingdom would take thirty percent of the jade as a tax, nearly three times as much as the beasts would net. This advantage would enable them to grow troops faster than the beasts could. In fact, they could hire many masters to improve the local professions and start a virtuous cycle.


    "That part is easy," Huxian said. "If you can guarantee me the resources, I can convince all the other sovereigns and the monarch. However, we will have to perform these trades in installments. I can exchange for twenty percent in the first month and ten percent every six months thereafter."


    Wang Jun frowned. "Thirty percent up front, and ten percent every three months thereafter. This concerns my own family matters, so I can''t budge on this. But there''s still the problem of guaranteeing the peace treaty."


    "Look at the top ten items on the list," Huxian said.


    "What about them?" Wang Jun said, raising an eyebrow.


    "With these, every beast sovereign will be able to break through to core formation," Huxian said. "Beasts rely only to the carrot and the stick. What beast doesn''t want to improve their strength?


    "Besides, I won''t be staying around the mountain for very long. To guarantee the contract, we will form a blood pact with the sovereigns of each mountain and with¡­ hm, let''s say that nice minister down there. The one with the core-formation cultivation base. He seems like a loyal enough fellow. I''ll also take a blood oath from this third prince you support. And yourself."


    Wang Jun raised an eyebrow at this condition. "I can''t sign blood oaths," Wang Jun said.


    "You and I both know that this restriction doesn''t apply when you willingly sign with source blood," Huxian said.


    "I need to consider," Wang Jun said, shaking his head. "There are too many parties, and I doubt they or you would sign an agreement without the initial trade materials. I need to see when I can secure them. Also, we need to start attacking you to keep up appearances. I''m sure that we can work something out that minimizes casualties¡­"


    "That can be arranged," Huxian said. "I''ll instruct my subordinates to play gently with yours, and I trust you''ll do the same. This way, I can divert more forces to Zhou Li''s side and minimize our casualties by killing more of his." Huxian looked toward the bottom of the mountain with a murderous expression.


    "Oh, one more thing," Wang Jun said. "While core-formation experts won''t come due to the presence of the owl monarch, I expect reinforcements to trickle in on Zhou Li''s end. You need to convince the other beasts as soon as possible."


    "Fair enough," Huxian said. "I do need one last thing from you before you leave. I want to talk to Cha Ming."


    "Of course," Wang Jun said before taking out his core-transmission jade.


    ***


    The next morning, Cha Ming woke to the delivery of a white envelope beneath his door. The sun had just risen. He donned his blue robes and tore open the letter. It was written with exquisite penmanship. Cha Ming had no doubt that the writer was very experienced in the runic arts.


    Dear Cha Ming,


    It is my great pleasure to invite you for an interview for admission into the Alabaster Group. We believe that you possess qualities that will be of great benefit to our organization.


    Should you choose to accept this interview, please report to our office in Quicksilver City within the next three days. I won''t lie¡ªthe examination will be difficult. We take the recruitment of members very seriously, and we do not extend an invitation to just anyone.


    I look forward to your kind response.


    Sincerely,


    Lu Tianhao


    Cha Ming was overjoyed at the unexpected invitation. To his knowledge, securing an invitation was very difficult, and he''d expected it to take an astronomical amount of time.


    The timing was wonderful. He was trapped in the city until his strength increased enough to fight Xiao Heilong, an insurmountable task without medicinal pills and foundation-establishment battle techniques. Not only was his qi cultivation stalled, his body cultivation was as well. Immortal jade was impossible to purchase due to its small quantities and wondrous effects. There were many buyers but no supply.


    He was about to walk straight to the Alabaster Group when his core-transmission jade vibrated. He activated the voice-only function. "Brother Wang, it''s only been a short while. What''s the occasion?"


    "Can you activate the video function?" Wang Jun''s voice asked.


    "Sure," Cha Ming said. He sat cross-legged on his bed before activating a green hologram.


    "Brother!" a voice shouted. Cha Ming broke into a grin when he saw the tiny fox beside Wang Jun.


    "Huxian, I''ve missed you greatly," Cha Ming said warmly. "I''m glad to see you''re doing well. Did Brother Jun just find you?"


    "We talked business for a bit first," Huxian said. "That aside, what realm have you reached?"


    Cha Ming shook his head. "I haven''t advanced much. I reached initial foundation establishment and initial bone forging a short while ago. Many experiences¡­ delayed my advancement."


    "Oh," Huxian said. "Well, it shouldn''t be a problem for me to delay advancement now. "I''m a late-purification demon beast, so you need to work hard to catch up."


    "I promise I will," Cha Ming said. "What have you been doing?"


    "Small things," Huxian said. "I conquered a mountain and befriended the boss of another mountain. Oh, and let me show you my soul slave, Lei Jiang!" A small purple mouse appeared.


    Cha Ming''s eyes narrowed when Huxian mentioned the words "soul slave."


    "He''ll do anything I want him to, even if I tell him to kill himself," Huxian said. "Look. Lei Jiang, run in a circle." The little mouse only ran a half circle before Cha Ming couldn''t take it anymore and cut the transmission.


    A single tear ran down his reddened eyes. He clenched and opened his fists for an incense time before finally calming down.


    He''s only a kid and doesn''t know any better, Cha Ming thought. He''s only a kid and doesn''t know any better. Cha Ming repeated this mantra many times. I can tell him that slavery is wrong, but will he listen to me?


    ***


    Wang Jun looked at Huxian awkwardly as the transmission cut out.


    "What happened?" Huxian asked. "Is this thing broken?" He sniffed at the core-transmission jade.


    "It''s not broken," Wang Jun said, sighing. "He''s just very disappointed in you. So much so that he couldn''t continue the conversation."


    Huxian was hurt and confused. "What did I do? I just showed him all the awesome things I did."


    "That''s the problem," Wang Jun said. "Cha Ming has been through much these past few years, and it is why he''s only just stepped into initial foundation establishment and initial bone forging." Wang Jun''s eyes darted to Lei Jiang. "Send him away first, just seeing him makes me angry."


    Huxian scrunched his foxy eyebrows but did as he was told. He wanted to get to the bottom of this.


    "You see, Cha Ming just barely survived the tribulation. He was crippled. He slowly recovered his cultivation, only to¡­"


    As Wang Jun recited Cha Ming''s story step by step, realization dawned on Huxian. He was saddened when he heard of Cha Ming''s injury and recovery, but his anger flared when he heard of Cha Ming''s enslavement and the one year he spent in the mines.


    "We need to kill that man Wei Chen!" he shouted.


    "Why should we kill him?" Wang Jun said. "Is slavery a big deal?"


    "Well, no," Huxian replied, clearly having missed Wang Jun''s sarcasm. "But this is Cha Ming we''re talking about. We need to get revenge."


    "The perpetrator is already dead," Wang Jun said. "But the concept of slavery hurts Cha Ming greatly. He can''t bear to see that you have a soul slave. You need to understand that Cha Ming feels sad for anyone who is enslaved. He may even feel ashamed to call you brother. The act of enslavement is heartless, and Cha Ming has a big heart."


    Huxian remained silent, thinking of everything he knew about Cha Ming. "Is this kind of like the not-eating-meat thing?"


    Wang Jun nodded. "It''s exactly like the not-eating-meat thing. In fact, he feels hurt every time he sees you eating meat because he feels for the animals. But he doesn''t say anything because he knows you need to eat. Likewise, he feels very strongly about slavery. He doesn''t feel slavery is justified in any situation. He will feel upset whenever he sees a creature like Lei Jiang. In his eyes, what you are doing is very wrong. He probably hung up because he was angry but didn''t want to yell at you and hurt you."


    Huxian wasn''t sure how to react to this information. It had never occurred to him that the things he enjoyed doing could upset his brother. Then, thinking back, he also thought of Silverwing''s reaction when he almost sacrificed Lei Jiang. Silverwing had been very upset when Huxian didn''t treat Lei Jiang as a friend. Was it possible that both man and beast saw things this way?


    "I''m upset as well," Wang Jun said. "I''m upset that you hurt my brother. If you don''t change your ways, you''ll soon find yourself without friends."


    Wang Jun left as silently as he had arrived. Huxian whined softly at the peak of the mountain. And for the second time in his life, the baby fox felt guilt. The feeling had a bitter taste. A taste he would never be able to wash away.

 126 Interview

    Cha Ming pushed his way through waves of people in Central Square. Today was the one day in seven when people rested, and the city''s residents especially liked enjoying Central Square''s decorative fountains. He saw children playing in the waters. It was against the rules, but it was a rule that was hardly enforced by the easygoing guards. There were much worse crimes for them to prevent, like pickpocketing and rabble-rousing.


    Cha Ming eventually found his way to the large white building that stood opposite the Obsidian Syndicate. Instead of feeling uneasy beneath its shadow, he felt reassured.


    Perhaps my speculation on the two organizations is correct. Perhaps there are also angels in this city full of devils.


    As he walked into the large building, he noticed substantially fewer desks than in the Obsidian Syndicate. Instead of gorgeous ladies manning the desks, there were three middle-aged men. The desks were made of white stone that he was sure was alabaster.


    "Greetings, fellow Daoist," one of the men said warmly. "What brings you here today?"


    Cha Ming handed them the white envelope. "I''ve come to see Lu Tianhao."


    The man nodded. "You may call this servant Kang Zexi," the man said, stepping out from behind the desk. "Please follow me. I will lead you to Senior Partner Lu." As Kang Zexi led Cha Ming through the white wooden doors, he was amazed at the similarity between this building and the Obsidian Syndicate. They had a similar layout and organizational structure. The various workshops and storefronts appeared much the same, albeit with fewer artisans than the former.


    "Honesty is a pillar of business," the man explained. "And so is reputation. Our customers may observe our artisans crafting their wares whenever they wish."


    "Aren''t you worried about espionage?" Cha Ming asked.


    "Not so much," Kang Zexi said. "For one, our members are at the pinnacle of their craft, so it is difficult to steal their secrets through imitation. Second, the honesty brings us extra business. Another organization has storefronts to put up a show, but we do not. It''s a quality check. We recruit craftsmen, not actors and prostitutes. At the same time, we do not welcome everyone to be our clients. We refuse to do business with unsavory individuals and with those who have unverified reputations. The customers we approve are very unlikely to do things like espionage."


    As they continued, Cha Ming was led through wonderful gardens and accommodations. "These are the standard accommodations for our members," he said simply. He didn''t elaborate, didn''t embellish. As they traveled, they passed several other offices and residences. Cha Ming could faintly see a jade glow beneath the crack of each door.


    When they passed the library, Kang Zexi explained that members could study certain books depending on price and achievements. He was ambiguous on what these achievements or prices were. When Cha Ming asked if spirit stones were required, the man simply shook his head and laughed.


    It wasn''t long before they arrived at one of the many offices. "Senior Partner Lu will see you now," he said before leaving Cha Ming outside the door.


    Remembering his previous experience with a transcendent devil at the Obsidian Syndicate, Cha Ming gulped and pushed the door open.


    He was greeted with a large, simply built office. The floor tiles were made of marble, but they were inscribed with various formations he didn''t recognize. On the walls were several bookshelves made of mortal oak, also reinforced with formations. In fact, as Cha Ming looked around, he didn''t see any extravagant materials. Everything was plain but reinforced with a formation of some kind.


    Peering inside the room, he saw no one. The office contained an empty desk. On the desk was a small turtle shell inscribed with a talisman beyond his comprehension. There was also a stack of paper, various crystals, and a small doll. The doll, like the many other things in the room, was made from ordinary materials. But unlike the others, it wasn''t inscribed with any protective formations.


    Cha Ming was very curious about the contents of the shelves but kept his hands to himself. Instead, he sat down in front of the desk and waited. Time passed slowly as he sat, but still he waited in silence, for fear of offending a transcendent existence. It wasn''t until half an hour passed that he heard soft footsteps walking through the entrance.


    "What a patient young man," a voice said. Cha Ming turned around and saw a man with long white hair. He wore plain white robes, the type that one would wear in mourning at a funeral. Cha Ming couldn''t see his realm, but neither could he feel a stifling pressure from the man. There was a vivid green jade aura surrounding him. It was nine inches thick but unlike the ones he had seen before, converging at the man''s back, where it shaped itself into wings.


    "An angel," Cha Ming whispered.


    The man chuckled softly. "Only of the lowest tier, young friend. No need to pay attention to these wings of mine. My name is Lu Tianhao. Please call me Senior Lu for now."


    Cha Ming clasped his hands and bowed. "Senior Lu, please call this junior Cha Ming."


    "Very well," Lu Tianhao said. "Now then, let me review this trusty checklist my administrator provided." He took out a creased sheet of regular paper.


    "Soul Level: Peak Incandescent Realm¡ªSuperior compared to cultivation level.


    "Cultivation Technique: Perfect Five Elements Cultivation Technique¡ªSuperior.


    "Cultivation Level: Initial Foundation Establishment¡ªUnsatisfactory.


    "Body Cultivation Technique: Unknown, suspected to be a five-element technique.¡ªAbove average until confirmed.


    "Body Cultivation Level: Initial Bone Forging¡ªUnsatisfactory.


    "Combat Prowess: Low-Tier Mid-Foundation Establishment¡ªSuperior. Verified by members Luo Xuehua and Dongfang Hao."


    The mystery behind the sudden letter of invitation was now solved. He had received two internal recommendations from members he''d fought with.


    "Profession: Talisman Master, Lesser Grade. Capable of poetic talismans. Verified by Luo Xuehua.


    "Verified Special Abilities: Eye technique that identifies devils and devil cultivators, verified by Luo Xuehua and Dongfang Hao. Technique also identifies merit halos and angelic endowment, verified by Lu Tianhao. Evaluated as a superior-grade ability due to its ability to transcend cultivation realms.


    "Now then," the kindly man said. "Are there any special abilities you would like to add?"


    Cha Ming thought for a while before nodding. Revealing personal information to a literal angel probably wouldn''t backfire on him.


    "One more," Cha Ming replied. "Minor shapeshifting. I can transform my appearance into any other human''s that I have seen, as well as an amalgamation of their features." To elaborate, he transformed his appearance to mimic Lu Tianhao''s, then immediately reverted.


    "A very useful ability," Lu Tianhao said cheerfully. "Now that the useless paperwork is done, we can start the real interview." He crumpled the sheet of paper and tossed it into a nearby wastebin. "Are you relaxed yet?"


    Cha Ming felt the bit of the tension that had accumulated dissipate with this question. "I suppose I am," he replied, chuckling. Going through the motions of a regular interview had stressed him a little, but he realized the familiar process had helped ground him.


    "Excellent," Lu Tianhao said. "Why do you wish to join the Alabaster Group?"


    Cha Ming was surprised by the question. He had not been asked such things when offered a position at the Obsidian Syndicate. "I wish to ask Mo Tianshen to concoct pills for me. I realize this is difficult, but I am currently embargoed by the Wang family''s Jade Bamboo Conglomerate in Quicksilver."


    "Why is that?" the man asked.


    "Due to their family politics," Cha Ming said helplessly. "Their second young master is my friend, so I have been blacklisted by association."


    "No, not that," Lu Tianhao said gently. "I don''t care about the reason for your embargo. What I''m asking for is your reason for wanting alchemical pills."


    Cha Ming answered in a confused voice, "To increase my realm quickly, I need alchemical pills. It is very difficult to find someone able to craft pills for my unique constitution."


    "Once again, that''s not what I meant," Lu Tianshen said. "Let me rephrase: Why do you wish to improve your strength quickly?"


    "Does it matter?" Cha Ming asked.


    "It makes all the difference," the man replied seriously.


    "There is trouble in the Song Kingdom where I come from," Cha Ming said. "I need to gain strength quickly to help them."


    "What kind of trouble is it?" the man probed again.


    Cha Ming stayed silent for a moment before responding. "There have been devil attacks, attacks which involve the royal family. I have seen the consequences of their actions, and I need to help the people in my country."


    The man nodded understandingly. "That wasn''t so difficult, was it? Now that you know what I''m looking for, please answer my next question. Why did you reject the Obsidian Syndicate?"


    "Because it''s a den of evil," Cha Ming said curtly.


    "Explain," Lu Tianhao said.


    "When I was introduced to their facility, I saw no less than fifty devils within their barracks," Cha Ming said. "In addition, I have been under the effects of a slave sigil before, which was inscribed on me by their sigil master, Guo Jia. Finally, when I met their transcendent senior partner, he too was a devil. Isn''t that a good enough reason on its own?"


    The man nodded. "That''s a very good reason! Most people don''t know that the Obsidian Syndicate originated from the Alabaster Group. One of our senior partners fell into depravity and became a devil. However, I never imagined that they would blatantly recruit devils in such large numbers." He looked down at his feet wistfully. The silence that followed seemed inappropriate to interrupt. "Are there any other reasons you want to join the Alabaster Group?"


    Since Cha Ming had already divulged so much information, he decided to stick to the complete truth. "I have two more reasons. Firstly, I may need to recruit forces at the request of my friend Wang Jun if a conflict in the Song Kingdom escalates."


    Lu Tianhao frowned a little but remained silent. He clearly wasn''t pleased with this reason.


    "As for the second one, I''m looking to learn battle techniques and formation arts. If I could pick one, I would pick formation arts. My opponents in the Song Kingdom used formations extensively." Cha Ming quickly described the sequence of events in Fairweather.


    "Guo Jia," Lu Tianhao said.


    "Pardon?" Cha Ming replied.


    "Guo Jia is one of the three mortal formation masters in the city," Lu Tianhao said. "We hold one of them as well, and the royal family has the last one. The Quicksilver Kingdom is nearest to the Song Kingdom, so the probability of Guo Jia laying those formations is rather high. In addition, the Obsidian Syndicate is the only group that would accept such a mission."


    Cha Ming frowned. "But isn''t Guo Jia''s skill level too high to lay down those basic formations?"


    "Not at all," Lu Tianhao said, chuckling. "He was likely there for a larger formation and laid the others down in passing. He is a very frugal individual and will never make something of higher quality unless he is asked to do it. As for what that other formation was¡­ who knows?"


    Cha Ming sensed an impending headache coming. "What''s the next question?" he asked.


    "That''s it," Lu Tianhao said nonchalantly. "You''re in."


    "Just like that?" Cha Ming asked incredulously.


    "Just like that," Lu Tianhao said. "Now for proper business. I can help you out with battle techniques and formations simultaneously. However, there is a price to pay for everything."


    "What''s the price?" Cha Ming asked nervously. What could a transcendent being possibly want?


    "All I want is confirmed devil kills," the man in white said. "I''ll give you twenty-four hours of instruction per confirmed devil kill. For now, I''ll credit you seventy-two hours. In addition, I can lend you books."


    "That''s it?" Cha Ming asked.


    "That''s it," the older man said. "I''m a rich man, but unfortunately I am a transcendent being. I can''t directly harm all the mortal devils on this plane due to karmic restrictions. All I can do now is recruit likeminded people and teach them."


    "Why isn''t hiring people to kill devils restricted by karma?" Cha Ming asked, curious.


    "It''s due to the plane''s interference," Lu Tianhao explained. "Basically, my power is too great for this world, and it wants me out. It doesn''t want me acting directly, because every move I make can potentially destabilize the plane. Therefore direct hostile actions by me are strictly forbidden. If I dare kill a mortal directly, the heavenly tribulation resulting from it could damn near kill me."


    "What about fighting other transcendent beings?" Cha Ming asked.


    "Still forbidden," Lu Tianhao said. "And very deadly if a tribulation strikes us in mid-combat. We wouldn''t dare to do such things. In any case, I know that you are still weak, but I see great potential in you. If you sign a contract with us, I can secure you a meeting with Mo Tianshen. No guarantees on whether he will help you, though. If he can''t, your only alternative will be to cultivate using energy-gathering formations. I can teach you those as well. You''ll burn through money like it''s going out of style, but there''s nothing that can be done. As a member, you will not be allowed to frequent the Obsidian Syndicate and their pill-making resources."


    Cha Ming though for a moment. "I can''t leave the city currently. Xiao Heilong has me locked in. He is tracking me with a fengxue compass locked on to me using karma."


    "That is troublesome," Lu Tianhao said. "I don''t have anyone available to deal with him quite yet, but I do hope that you can kill him eventually. For now, all I can do is help you learn a movement technique with which to outrun him once you get to early foundation establishment. Is that fair?"


    "Very fair," Cha Ming said. "Where do I sign?"

 127 Formations

    The formalities were completed a short while later, and Lu Tianhao immediately dove into a mini lecture on formations. "Cha Ming, what do you know of formations?"


    Cha Ming hesitated before responding. "They are like talismans in that they incorporate runes and runic lines?"


    Lu Tianhao nodded. "That is correct, but not completely correct." Lu Tianhao waved his hand, and twelve blue stones appeared on his desk. With a second wave, the stones organized themselves in a peculiar pattern. With a third wave, qi poured into the twelve stones. Simple runes that Cha Ming immediately recognized lit up, and roughly fifty lines appeared. They were immediately followed by a shifting ice shield. The room''s temperature immediately plunged.


    "When you were outside the city, I noticed that you used the Myriad Ice Shield Talisman," Lu Tianhao said. "This uses the same base but different methods. What differences have you noticed?"


    Cha Ming, who had been observing it with his incandescent force the entire time, replied in an uncertain tone. "From what I can gather, the runes have been prepared into these stones. However, they are not finalized and require soul energy and qi to activate. The second difference is that the lines have not been predrawn; they are drawn with qi and regulated with soul force. A talisman is static, and a formation is dynamic. However, a talisman is built to expend itself on use. But from what I can see, this formation will continue indefinitely."


    "That''s right," the old man said. "Not only can I supply it energy, but it plunders energy from its surroundings. That is why larger formations are so effective¡ªthey use their large size to draw on a greater amount of energy. In fact, many formations use auxiliary energy-gathering formations that have no other effects than to support the original."


    Cha Ming thought of the blood-gathering formation and the gold-gathering formation he had seen in Fairweather City. He nodded solemnly once he understood the implications. Any energy could be used.


    "The disadvantages are also obvious," Lu Tianhao continued. "They take more time to prepare. Also, since it''s a dynamic process, it can be interrupted and countered after activation. A talisman cannot." Lu Tianhao threw out five brown stones from his sleeve. They fell into position outside the shield, and five brown runes and ten brown lines simultaneously shot out. They shattered the blue shield and its lines, stopping the process entirely.


    "What are some other advantages and disadvantages you can think of?" Lu Tianhao asked.


    "It seems that the capital cost of setting up a formation is higher," Cha Ming answered. "But at the same time, the components can be reused. Another advantage is that you can supply external energy. I am extrapolating here, but I assume spirit stones and liquified elemental essence and the like can be used. But the energy consumption is far greater than the one-time effect of a talisman."


    "All these claims are accurate," Lu Tianhao said. "Another advantage is that, after initial setup, the formation self-regulates because it is in harmony with heaven and earth. Therefore, less precise control is required over a greater quantity of energy. Formations are more tolerant of mistakes, leading to a higher success rate."


    "How does one break formations?" Cha Ming asked.


    "Through knowledge, power, and preparation," Lu Tianhao answered. "Let me ask you, how many runes do you know, and to what efficiency?"


    "Ten thousand," Cha Ming replied. "To above ninety-five percent."


    "What do you know of runic lines and logic?" Lu Tianhao asked.


    "I know the basics of addition, subtraction, and grammar, but not perfectly," Cha Ming said. "If I were to give myself a score, it would be eighty-two out of a hundred."


    "And what of sigils?" Lu Tianhao continued.


    "A smattering," Cha Ming said. "I know the very minimal core of the five elements, thunder, and lightning, but my knowledge is far from complete."


    "Great, great," Lu Tianhao said, eyes shining. "You''ve been to Fuxi''s Library."


    Cha Ming was shocked at the man''s inference.


    "No need to be surprised. I come from a transcendent plane and have been to many mortal planes. While I have never been to a library, I know that they are closely guarded resources by major sects. They send their heaven-chosen there every year in the hopes of perfecting their Dao foundations. Although I would appreciate knowing the location, I would never force you."


    Cha Ming relaxed after this explanation.


    The man then stood up and grabbed a thick book, laying it on the desk. "This book summarizes the creation of formation stones and formation flags. Before you come back, I want you to create twelve formation stones for each rune you know." He continued along the bookshelf and picked out twelve or so thick books. "Before you come back, you need to have memorized and successfully formed all first- through ninth-grade formations. We won''t bother with any exams, as I have the authority to grant you a formation-master certification of the appropriate grade."


    While the books were being laid out in front of him, Cha Ming was performing quick mental arithmetic.


    "Relax, you''ll find that time flies once you get started," Lu Tianhao said. "I also suggest that you continue studying talismans, as your experiences in creating formations will benefit you. Truth be told, ninth-grade formations are equivalent to least-grade talismans in terms of complexity."


    ***


    Cha Ming took up residence at the Alabaster Group in order to use the formation practice room at his leisure. For identification purposes, he was supplied with an Alabaster medallion that displayed his rank¡ªjunior member.


    Later, he found Luo Xuehua and Dongfang Hao in the communal courtyard. They congratulated Cha Ming on his admittance and decided to collaborate on further devil hunting missions. Apparently, they had a similar arrangement with Luo Tianhao. Despite the split in credit from collaborating, Cha Ming''s ability to identify devils and see them even when invisible was invaluable, and his combat prowess was nothing to sneeze at.


    The next day, Cha Ming procured 120,000 elemental stones. They were priced like mid-grade spirit stones and could be used to cultivate at greater efficiencies for specific elements. The stones were called Vital Emeralds, Fiery Rubies, Foundation Granite, Gold Essence, and Eternal Ice Rock for the five elements. The two other elements Cha Ming was proficient in, wind and lightning, used more expensive stones as focuses. Azure Wind Stones and Iridescent Lightning Stones were the gems of choice. Given the large quantities, Cha Ming acquired them at the commodity exchange. He didn''t change his identity like last time, so the creation of a different account was necessary.


    Finally, Cha Ming began an arduous one-month seclusion. The process of programing a rune into an elemental stone was extremely straightforward¡ªhe needed only to paint it like a talisman onto the stone and watch it sink inside. Still, at fifteen breaths per rune, painting twelve each of the ten thousand runes he required for the first through ninth-grade formations took roughly twenty-five days of his seclusion.


    The rest of his time was spent practicing formations. He also continued tempering his soul and mental state, successfully completing several sets of his poetic talismans.


    ***


    Katcha!


    Cha Ming''s awareness spiked as his soul broke through a part of its invisible shackles. Instead of a transparent white-colored soul, his soul began to show traces of a transparent green-jade-colored vestment. He knew intuitively that he had achieved half-step resplendent soul realm. His soul force was still incandescent in nature, but his spiritual awareness and control had increased by a factor of five.


    He faintly became aware of a tether that connected him to someone in the distance. It was a black-and-white dot he immediately recognized as Huxian.


    Huxian, can you hear me?


    Only a faint reply returned. It resembled a message: affirmative.


    I take it that your soul isn''t strong enough to converse with me? Affirmative.


    I''m sorry for getting angry at you the other day, Cha Ming said. I don''t know if you know this, but I was a slave only a short time ago. It pains me to see anyone enslaved. It''s just wrong, and I can''t accept it, Huxian. No matter how much power it gets you, it''s not worth it if you need to destroy someone''s will. I hope you can understand that. Grief and sadness came back.


    In any case, let''s talk about this when we can have a proper discussion. Agreement.


    Having finished this important discussion, Cha Ming expanded his incandescent force until he covered the entire city. Based on his prior experience, he assumed it had a range of twenty miles. There was no way to be sure, as the city walls isolated soul force. Transmission jades were required to communicate outside the city. After flexing his proverbial soul muscles, he retracted his incandescent force, dusted off his clothes, and headed toward Lu Tianhao''s office.


    He knocked softly, and the door opened invitingly. Lu Tianhao was at his desk, holding on to an ordinary doll. Cha Ming sat down respectfully and allowed him to finish what he was doing.


    "Do you know why I have this doll?" Lu Tianhao asked.


    Cha Ming shook his head.


    "It was my daughter''s. My daughter and my wife were killed by devils while I was out tempering myself. It''s ironic that I never deigned to take care of their menacing presence before then. And by the time I started caring, it was too late. I had already lost everything." The older man sighed. "That''s why I spend my life fighting against devils and doing all I can against them." He put the doll down gently, then focused on Cha Ming. "Have you accomplished everything?"


    Cha Ming nodded. "I''ve infused twelve of each rune I know into elemental stones, and I''ve memorized every formation in these books."


    "Very well," the man said. "Show me." The office suddenly disappeared. It was as though they were in a different dimension. "This is my domain," Lu Tianhao''s voice said, echoing in the darkness. "I am in complete control here. You don''t need to care about damaging things."


    The man waved his hand, forming one of the most elementary first-grade formations with twelve brown stones. Twelve stones were usually the minimum requirement for a formation, and there were few exceptions. "Break it."


    Cha Ming thought for ten breaths before thinking of the optimal counter formation. He laid it down and poured a minutia of energy required to activate it.


    "Too slow!" Lu Tianhao yelled. He threw out yet another twelve brown stones in a different arrangement. "Break it!"


    Cha Ming thought once more before taking out the optimal counter. "Too slow again!"


    They continued the process for six hours, shifting between various formations. Every time, Cha Ming was berated for being too slow.


    "Let''s take a break," Lu Tianhao said. "We''ll start again shortly, but this time I want you to use the first formation you think of that could possibly counter my formation, even if it''s not optimal. In a battle of formations, breaths matter. Think about it: I wasn''t reacting at all while you were breaking my formation. How many more formations could I lay down? Ten? Twenty? Any response that takes more than one breath is garbage unless you have a huge advantage."


    A few minutes later, Cha Ming stood up once more to resume. Twelve blue stones flew out. They made a completely different formation than the ones he was familiar with. However, it looked like one of them. Without thinking, he threw out twelve brown stones and activated a formation. The blue formation broke in less than a second.


    "Good. Next."


    Twelve green stones flew out, forming another unknown formation. Cha Ming threw out his first guess. It didn''t break the formation, but this time Cha Ming was prepared for such a result. He threw out his next best guess, which shattered the formation.


    "Good response. Keep it up," Lu Tianhao yelled.


    Whenever he threw a formation out, Cha Ming would break it in one or two attempts. Some would take three. As time passed, the number of attempts required shrank. Cha Ming gained an understanding of what generally worked and what didn''t. Some formations were effective at breaking dozens of others, while some failed repeatedly or only broke one or two formations. He was quick to discard these as useless for breaking formations, and instead focused on the more effective ones.


    Before long, one thousand formations became two hundred, and two hundred became fifty. Out of these fifty, he used thirty or so the most but used the remainder in a variety of special cases. It dawned on Cha Ming that breaking formations was not as difficult as laying them down, and that precision wasn''t as important. Instead, power and general effectiveness were the key. The flexibility of specific runes was another key component. For example, out of the thirty-six formations, many of the runes were transferable. Out of the remaining fifty, all the runes were recycled. Cha Ming quickly became aware of the core-breaking runes.


    "We''ll stop here for the day," Lu Tianhao said.


    The last minute of Cha Ming''s first twenty-four hours of instruction had passed. Lu Tianhao waved his hand, and four thick books flew from the shelf and landed in front of Cha Ming.


    "Learn as many of these least-grade formations as you can before returning," he instructed. Then he retrieved another book. "To form them, you''ll need to either condense sigil focuses or infuse formations into formation flags, depending on your preference. As for the stones you just produced, you can just use them to cultivate or something. They are garbage now."


    Cha Ming''s face twitched, but Lu Tianhao ignored him. "It''s your choice whether to condense sigils or produce flags. Sigils are more flexible but less effective. They rely on your comprehension to substitute for prepared formations. Flags, however, are more precise but far less flexible."


    Another book landed in front of Cha Ming. "Since you will likely try to condense at least a few sigils, here are some elementary combat formations. This will fulfill my first promise to you about a movement technique. There are a few combat formations in this book that you can use to greatly increase your movement speed."


    Cha Ming bowed respectfully before exiting Lu Tianhao''s office. He didn''t return to his residence right away but proceeded to a different part of the residence courtyard.


    It was time to meet Mo Tianshen, the reason that Cha Ming had come to the Alabaster Group in the first place.

 128 Mo Tianshen

    The sun was shining brightly through a large open window in the Alabaster Group''s residential quarters. This was also where the Grandmaster Alchemist Mo Tianshen spent most of his time, as the sunlit area was the only convenient place for him to grow most medicinal herbs. A good twenty-five percent of the courtyard was off-limits for just this reason. It wasn''t a physical demarcation, but rather an understanding that cultivation could cause the medicinal herbs to wither. Angering a core-formation alchemist was considered a career-limiting move.


    Cha Ming was seated outside the alchemist''s office, waiting for him to finish whatever work he was doing. There was a convenient button just outside the door that allowed Cha Ming to leave a message without causing any noise or disruption. The alchemist would let him in once he read it.


    He waited for an hour before an explosion echoed across the courtyard. Black smoke puffed out from the office, which doubled up as a workshop. After a few breaths'' time, an alchemist walked out, coughing and wheezing. He was a graying man with long hair tied in a topknot. His green alchemist robes were covered in thick soot.


    Cha Ming looked down awkwardly, avoiding any eye contact with the obviously embarrassed alchemist. Patting sounds ensued, and so did the sound of a bucket of water being poured. A roaring flame indicated that it was safe. Cha Ming finally looked up to see the grandmaster alchemist in tip-top shape.


    "I presume you are Cha Ming?" Mo Tianshen asked. Cha Ming nodded. "Come on in then."


    They walked into a workshop, which was filled with various beakers, vials, powders, and tiny balls Cha Ming could only assume were medicinal pills. Some medicinal herbs were growing on a shelf, while others were either drying or soaking. The place smelled like a cross between a botanical garden and a funeral home.


    "What can I do for you today?" the alchemist said, picking up a tiny brown sphere from the table. He also picked up a green vial and a dropper, which he used to douse the small sphere with varying amounts of the green liquid. With every drop, the brown sphere glowed brighter. A glistening secondary coating appeared, but it ultimately crumbled. The alchemist shook his head in dismay and moved on to the next sphere. "Well? I don''t have all day."


    "Grandmaster, I''m looking for someone to make me medicinal pills to advance my cultivation," Cha Ming said. "I''ve been embargoed by the Alchemists Guild due to my participation in the internal politics of the Jade Bamboo Conglomerate. In addition, my element configuration is special, making it difficult to find a sufficiently skilled freelance alchemist."


    "I see," the alchemist said, proceeding to the next batch of spheres. "Why don''t you go to the Obsidian Syndicate?"


    Cha Ming frowned. "Not only is it against the rules, but I don''t think it''s worth it to do business with them."


    "Excellent," the alchemist said. "So, you agree that some things are more important than advancing your cultivation." Various drops of a red viscous liquid fell on some metallic spheres. "Do you know what I''m doing with these experiments?" he asked.


    Cha Ming shook his head.


    "I''m creating hope," the alchemist continued. "These pills are all extremely low-leveled pills. Quite frankly, I could be making a fortune making core pills. However, I''ve determined that the worth of what I''m doing here is far greater than anything I could accomplish in the upper echelons of society.


    "My current talent-infusion pill is at its eighth iteration. It costs me ninety silvers to produce it, yet it only gives a ten-percent chance to infuse one with first-grade cultivation talent. Many people think this is already pretty good, but I know for a fact that this price point is too high for ninety-eight percent of the population. If that''s the case, no amount of time will make it so that cultivation talent is widespread enough for the mass-scale projects envisioned by the king.


    "For that, I need at least twenty-percent success and a material cost of only ten silvers. To do this, I need to be very selective about using low-grade medicinal herbs. I need to involve mortal chemists in the eventual mass production, and it needs to have very minimal involvement with traditional professions. No one with a qualification of third-grade alchemist or higher will ever want to produce this pill, because it simply doesn''t pay enough."


    The alchemist then looked Cha Ming in the eyes. "Which leads me to my next question. Is your cultivation speed more important, or is the improved livelihood and prosperity of fifty million citizens in this empire more important?"


    Cha Ming wasn''t sure how to answer this question. He knew that his struggle was important, but it implicated five million people at most. "There are people dying," Cha Ming said. "I need to get stronger to help them."


    "That is admirable," the alchemist said gently. "Therefore, you can understand why I don''t want to divert time away from my experiments. No one else wants to do what must be done, and only my apprentice and I bother with it. Without widescale prosperity, the citizens are helpless against the upcoming turbulent times. Even if they survive, the empire will take centuries to recover." Mo Tianshen continued to perform his experiments as Cha Ming sat down, brooding. It was quite difficult to make a selfish case in the face of that reasoning.


    After thinking hard and not finding a solution, Cha Ming decided to observe Mo Tianshen''s experiments. He had always been a problem solver, and this puzzle could potentially change the fate of an entire nation. He felt an itch that he needed to scratch.


    "Are you trying to solidify a coating atop an existing pill?" Cha Ming asked casually.


    "Something like that," the alchemist said while dripping another solution. "These aren''t exactly pills; they''re compressed powder pellets that are easily generated by apprentice alchemists or apothecaries. It contains all the active ingredients required in an effective medicine, but these ingredients are not available enough for human absorption. In addition, there are various pill toxins that make it so that one cannot take it more than three times. With this coating, I am hoping to provide a compound that can dissolve the active ingredient while also destroying the pill toxins."


    As he said this, the last batch of pills was coated. The alchemist took out a press and began manually pressing batches of various powders.


    "Why does it need to be a coating?" Cha Ming asked.


    The alchemist continued to work while patiently answering his question. "It needs to be a coating because both the activating ingredient and the counter ingredient to the toxins will ruin the pill if exposed for too long. In fact, the ingredients were originally part of version three, which had four-percent efficiency and could be used four times. I speculate that if the pellet, the activating ingredient, and the counter ingredient are introduced at exactly the same time, the efficacy will be much higher."


    "Why can''t the liquid be taken separately?" Cha Ming asked.


    "You really like to ask questions, don''t you¡­" the alchemist said, not slowing his pace in the slightest. "Well, I could perform these experiments with my eyes closed, so no harm in explaining. You see, if the liquid is taken at the same time, it will react quickly, but the solid pill will dissolve slowly in the stomach. Thus, only three percent or so of the pill is enhanced by drinking the liquid, and the rest is not. I need a coating that dissolves at the same rate as the pill."


    Tricky problem, Cha Ming thought. Would a textured coating work? No, it seems that it''s a stability problem. The coating reacts with the pill. It needs to be applied in a dissolvable, stable way. However, this would also affect the chemical makeup. Is there a way to affect the physical properties without affecting the chemical makeup?


    A half hour passed as Cha Ming thought through various scenarios. During this time, Mo Tianshen was able to complete his next batch of pellets. He also continued the process of applying different drops from different vials.


    "May I try something?" Cha Ming said after a sudden epiphany.


    "What do you wish to try?" the alchemist asked.


    "I wish to try applying the coating in the shape of a rune," Cha Ming said.


    The alchemist''s hands paused. "I tried one hundred first-grade runes in the past," the alchemist said, sighing. "It didn''t work."


    "Then it''s convenient that there are another nine hundred runes of the same level remaining," Cha Ming stated.


    Frowning, the alchemist placed a vial in front of Cha Ming. "How many runes could you form that are compatible with this liquid?"


    Cha Ming sifted through the thousand runes in his mind. "Without experiments, I can think of sixty-four that could be compatible. Seventeen would have characteristics of stability. In fact, it could also be possible to paint several different runes simultaneously to obtain a combined effect."


    "Hm¡­" the alchemist said, stroking his beard. "Let''s try it, then. Do you have everything you need?"


    "Yes," Cha Ming said, taking out the Clear Sky Brush. At the alchemist''s direction, he tried all seventeen runes with varying dosages and concentrations of medicinal "ink." He performed two hundred and forty-six trials, of which forty-two formed a stable runic coating, conveniently leaving most of the surface area of the pill exposed for simultaneous dissolution.


    "How many elements can you paint?" Mo Tianshen asked, looking at the forty-two potential successes.


    "Wood, fire, earth, metal, water, wind, lightning, creation, destruction," Cha Ming said. Mo Tianshen raised an eyebrow. "Strictly speaking, I can''t paint in pure creation or destruction," Cha Ming added.


    "Well, regardless of your skill, that''s the perfect mix for experimentation," Mo Tianshen said. He returned his gaze to the forty-two stabilized pills. "I don''t dare divert too much time away from my experiments, but I''ll tell you what. How about you help me make nine more duplicates of these forty-two. Then I''ll perform trials in the upcoming week. If the results look promising, I''ll make pills for you. At cost. However, you must continue to help me with my experiments in the future."


    Cha Ming stayed for another two hours before finally returning to practice formations. His future cultivation speed would depend on the success of the upcoming experiments.


    ***


    Cha Ming walked down a deserted street in the wee hours of the night. He wore white robes and sported long black hair. His face was pale and skinny but had an overall cheerful disposition. He was also six inches taller than normal due to the size-manipulating abilities of the Seventy-Two Transformations Technique.


    As he walked, various beggars, thieves, and prostitutes made way for him. The city guards watched him with suspicion but didn''t dare say anything. Cha Ming constantly emanated the pressure of his half-step resplendent soul. Such a pressure was suffocating to anyone under middle-foundation establishment.


    The reason he walked in the middle of the night was to procure sigil focuses. Sigil focuses were made of soul steel and other expensive ingredients. They were always made to order, as the cost of each set was astronomical. Unfortunately, the only spiritual blacksmith in the Alabaster Group didn''t have enough skill to craft them. This left only one blacksmith in the city capable of crafting them, and he belonged to a shop that was under the influence of the Wang family.


    Cha Ming walked slowly for a full hour before arriving at the blacksmith in question. The main storefront''s lights were off, but Cha Ming could hear a beating hammer and a roaring furnace in the back of the shop.


    Cha Ming didn''t knock. Instead he gently reached out with his incandescent force, making the blacksmith instantly aware of his presence. The spiritual blacksmith didn''t acknowledge him but continued hammering away at a searing-hot, sword-shaped chunk of metal. The strange material glowed white as he beat it hundreds of times. Sparks showered onto the heat-resistant surroundings. The smith wore no shirt, but his skin was hard like steel and yet also supple like copper. The white-hot sparks didn''t leave a single mark.


    You can let yourself in, the man sent as he worked. Cha Ming did as he was told and walked through the unlocked front door. He headed to the back of the store where the forge was located and sat on a small wooden bench. He watched in rapt attention as the smith worked. The man''s skin glistened in the firelight.


    The smith''s pounding hammer was music to Cha Ming''s ears. Every strike seemed in tune with heaven and earth. The symphony of metal and flame eventually ended with a sharp quenching sound, accompanied by a sharp rise in heaven and earth qi. He had no idea what the quenching medium was, but it wasn''t water.


    "How can I help you this fine evening?" the smith said as he walked over. His eyes flickered briefly to the white medallion pinned on Cha Ming''s white robes.


    "I require a full set of sigil focuses," Cha Ming said. "One hundred and eight in total."


    "What kind?" the smith asked, grabbing a towel to wipe off the sweat and grime.


    "Unaligned," Cha Ming specified.


    The smith nodded. "And you''re aware that unaligned sigil focuses are twice as expensive as normal ones?"


    "Of course," Cha Ming replied. Unaligned focuses were versatile and could be changed from one alignment to another on demand. It was an uncommon choice, but not unheard of. He was wary of revealing his five-element alignment in a place owned by the Wang family.


    "I have work lined up for the week," the spiritual blacksmith said. "Please come back then."


    "I need these within forty-eight hours," Cha Ming said. "Will this be possible?"


    The blacksmith shrugged. "The base price is four thousand high-grade spirit stones. If you can give me five thousand, I can push off my other projects for a couple of days."


    "Then it''s settled," Cha Ming said, placing a crystal card on the table. "Do you mind if I wait here until it''s complete?"


    "Not at all," the blacksmith said. "What can I call you?"


    "Lin Mu," Cha Ming said.


    The blacksmith nodded before sitting down to recuperate his energy.

 129 Sigilcraf

    Lao Mo, the grandmaster smith, exhaled deeply, removing the remaining tension from his taut muscles. He was tired due to having forged all day. In his youth, he could have forged for weeks without fatiguing. But hundreds of years had taken their toll on the aging blacksmith. Now, he constantly struggled to make enough money for his arthritis medication.


    Fortunately, a rich customer had requested a rush job. The nice thing about rush jobs for non-contracted customers was that he didn''t need to sell below market price. An item like a set of sigil focuses normally sold at a market price of four thousand high-grade spirit stones. This specific transaction would net him two thousand spirit stones.


    Heavens, I hate arthritis, he thought, flexing his strong but stiff fingers. By all rights, a marrow-refining cultivator like himself shouldn''t be affected by such a base affliction. The entire situation had baffled the local medical community, and his special treatment required a small fortune every month.


    Lao Mo retrieved a heavy box from under his workbench. It was chock full of thick standardized rods made of pure soul steel, the only material that could be used for making unaligned focuses. He had used the same material to make his magic-grade hammer focus many centuries ago. He had only worked with the material five times since then.


    The aged blacksmith took the heavy rods and brought them over to the workbench for pretreatment. He then took out a vat of universal solvent, an alchemical substance that dissolved just about anything given enough time. Anything but soul steel. He isolated his mouth and nose as he dumped a bundle of rods into the vat. It hissed and sizzled, a clear indication of the impurities remaining on the outside of the rods. These impurities were the result of the imperfect manufacturing process. Lao Mo had always wondered how they could be so thoughtless as to leave impurities on such an expensive metal.


    The pretreatment was quick, lasting only a single hour, after which Lao Mo removed the rods and drip-dried them. He then evaporated the remainder of the solvent with a burst of fire qi and placed the purified rods on a tray made of refractory, a stone material that was extremely resistant to high temperatures. They quickly heated up to the melting point of steel. Once they were cooking nicely, he doubled the temperature of the furnace using his core qi, then doubled it again for good measure.


    Soul steel was undoubtedly one of the most difficult materials to work with. Fortunately, he didn''t need to hammer it. Hammering didn''t create very nice sigil focuses, whose base forms were polished spheres. No, they needed an entirely different process. While he didn''t need to melt the metal, he still needed to soften it until it was as malleable as stainless steel.


    After properly heating them, he carefully placed one of the rods through a hole in a black device he''d taken out while they heated. It was made from the purest void steel, an unaligned material that was unfathomably hard and resistant to heat. Lao Mo materialized his spiritual hammer and smashed down onto the rod, forcing it through a smaller opening on the other side. To make the sigil focuses the proper size, he needed to extrude the rod and make it thinner. This was the very reason why he said it was too big in the first place.


    After completely extruding one rod, he processed the remaining eight. One rod made twelve focuses, and the rods were reheated after extrusion. He increased the temperature by another fifty percent to further increase the malleability of the material. He then took out two more pieces of void steel as they heated. One was a cylindrical base meant to hold the rod in place, while the other was an interlocking piece with a sharp void-steel blade. Lao Mo grasped a clear rod with a pair of black tongs and placed it between both pieces. Then, with a loud smack of his spiritual hammer, he cut a twelfth of the rod off. He repeated the process ninety-nine times to produce a hundred and eight bits, which were kept in the hot furnace after being severed.


    Once again, he increased the heat by fifty percent. The rod pieces began glowing with a soft white light, standing in sharp contrast to the dark-blue flames used to heat them to this temperature. Blue flames were something only a master smith could produce. Green flames came next, and he had no idea what came after. Not that he would live to see the next grade. He blamed arthritis.


    Another black box was placed on the bench. This time, it contained two spherical halves. He placed a bit of soul steel, flat tip downward, into the spherical template. After placing the other half over the top of the rod bit, he smacked his hammer onto the top plate. This resulted in a ball of soul steel with a circular ring called a "flash," which he would remove in the next step. He kept the newly formed sphere in the furnace as he finished making the others.


    After completing all hundred and eight preliminary spheres, Lao Mo retrieved the first one with a pair of short tongs and gloved hands and took out a sharp void-steel carving knife. He used it to expertly shave off the unnecessary layer of flash. Only a small amount of residual soul steel was left on the otherwise perfect sphere. He processed them one at a time, carefully removing as much flash as possible. Too much excess flash would make the next step extremely difficult. Hours passed as Lao Mo methodically scraped. Every time the temperature dipped too low, he exchanged the cool sphere with a hot one and continued shaving away.


    Lao Mo soon finished removing the flash from the last sphere. After carefully removing all of them from the furnace, he formed one hundred and eight hand seals, and a black cloud made from void-steel dust formed in front of him. He threw the spheres inside it and tediously controlled the black dust, using it to wear away at the tiny imperfections remaining on each clear ball. This step alone took half a day. Had he left any more flash, the processing time would have doubled or tripled.


    He was halfway done. Stoking the flames of the furnace, he brought the spheres to an extreme temperature where the balls burned with a blinding white color. Lao Mo took out a small barrel of liquified elemental essence and a small case. From the case, he withdrew five vials of elemental evanescence, which he used to carefully dope the liquified elemental essence.


    Truth be told, all the previous steps were cosmetic. The spherical shape somewhat helped when forming the sigils, but the reason that soul steel could be shaped in the first place was due to this imbuement with elemental essence and evanescence. Lao Mo carefully gathered all hundred and eight spheres in a black basket and immersed them in the quenching bath all at once. It boiled, but he used his careful control over heat to drive excess energy into a black box in a corner of the room. The item was called a heat sink, and he could store heat in it as he pleased.


    An hour later, the spheres were fully quenched. The quenching was necessary for imbuing them, but it had made them hard and brittle. One additional step was required to complete the sigil focus: tempering. Lao Mo placed the balls into a red fire, which he carefully supervised for six hours. The properties of the soul steel slowly changed over this period of time. The hardness created by the quenching process slowly melted away. He continued until he saw a qualitative change in the metal. Then he withdrew the crystal spheres from the fire and let them cool down to room temperature.


    Now for the final test, he thought. He carefully guided a wisp of his resplendent force into each of the metal orbs. They squirmed like blobs of quicksilver as he willed them to take whatever shape he desired. This property was what allowed a sigil to be imbued and runic lines to be drawn using nothing but qi.


    His task completed, he placed the quarter-inch balls of malleable metal into a low-level bag of holding and handed it to his client, who hadn''t moved the entire time. Then he retrieved the man''s change from the cash register. "Thank you for your swift services," the man said before leaving the premises.


    "What a mysterious fellow," the blacksmith muttered. He wanted to lie down and rest, but he had a huge backlog of paperwork to take care of since his assistant had resigned. With a sigh, he retreated to his office to tackle anything important that might have come up. His desk was piled with letters and reports. Most of them were bills.


    He started with the topmost letter, the one delivered most recently. It contained various orders, the same as always. A few of the next ones were junk mail, which he burnt to a crisp without looking. He sifted through the long pile before reaching a red letter. Red letters were urgent, so he opened it right away.


    The letter spoke of the current embargo list. Several criminals and competitors were listed, but most of them had been on the list for decades. Soon, he saw the picture of a young man. Foundation establishment, five-element cultivation, bone-forging cultivator. Recently joined the Alabaster Group and was studying formations. Penalty for procuring goods was one thousand high-grade spirit stones. Due to his presence, the entire Alabaster Group was also on the embargo list.


    "God dammit," Lao Mo yelled, smashing his fist onto the desk. He winced as pain ran through his joints.


    Well, what''s done is done, he thought. I never liked those embargos anyway. After thinking for a short while, he decided on a viable course of action.


    How do I explain the theft of my valuable stock of soul steel? Perhaps a vacation was in order. People got robbed while on vacation all the time. He figured the insurance should cover it.


    ***


    Cha Ming reverted to his original form after arriving at the Alabaster Group residence. His long black hair changed to wavy brown, and his black eyes turned jade. He also shrank six inches, making his movements considerably more comfortable. The world was built for short people. He''d lost count of the times he''d hit his head on low-hanging objects.


    His bones crunched as his frame transformed, becoming slightly more compact and a bit more heavyset. His gaunt face filled out, and his skin returned to its usual light-bronze coloring.


    "I didn''t know you had a shape-changing technique," a gentle voice said from behind him.


    Cha Ming turned around, smiling. "I usually keep it a secret, but you''re a trustworthy person."


    Luo Xuehua was once again wearing blue. Under the morning sunlight he could see a faint coloring around her eyes that seemed out of place.


    "Then it''s fair that I also share a secret with you," she said, leading Cha Ming to a nearby bench. They watched rainbow-colored fish as they swam through a lily-laden pond. There was an artificial breeze in the residence that caused the water to ripple.


    "I lost my eyes when I was three years old," Xuehua said, fiddling with a white lotus she had picked from the lake. "My town was attacked by devil cultivators, and many of us were killed in the process. Thankfully, we were lucky enough to have a formidable expert in the village that fought them off.


    "It was Master Lu who took me in when I was seven. I was begging on the streets of Quicksilver when he found me. It was a hard life, and there was no lack of lascivious people trying to take advantage of me. I was helpless. He took me in and trained me to use my soul to see instead of my eyes. He calls it the "mind''s eye." Cultivators cannot cultivate qi until they are sixteen, but there is no such restriction on the soul.


    "Ever since then, I have dedicated my life to following Master and hunting devils. Master teaches me without reservation, and in turn, I go out and hunt whenever I''ve improved."


    Luo Xuehua said nothing more, so they sat in silence, looking at the fish and feeling the morning breeze.


    "Thank you for sharing," Cha Ming said quietly. Then he took out the bag of sigil focuses and began using his qi to shape the clear, malleable spheres.


    "Sigil focuses?" Xuehua asked.


    "Yes, unaligned ones," Cha Ming replied.


    "They must have cost you a fortune," Xuehua said. "To this date, I have only accumulated twenty-four. They are all water-aligned focuses based on ice." She swept out her sleeve, revealing twenty-four light-blue sigils. There were many multiples among them, but for the most part, they incorporated features of ice. He saw them change shapes into characters like black ice, blue ice, heavy ice. It was this mutable feature that made sigils so valuable. They were much more flexible than formation flags.


    "It seems like I have a lot of work to do to catch up, then," Cha Ming said, chuckling. He retrieved his sigil focuses and stood up to leave.


    "I heard a rumor," Xuehua said. "Mo Tianshen has been performing some experiments. The results have been promising. Expect good news in a few days."


    The corner of Cha Ming''s mouth curved into a smile as he walked back to his residence.


    ***


    A clear, mutable sphere floated before Cha Ming as he contemplated the sigil he was about to draw. It only took the most miniscule amount of soul energy to manipulate it, but he found the motions comforting. He had only pondered for a short time before deciding to procure these focuses.


    Magic formations, as a rule, had at least twelve major elements that composed their runic structures, and these elements were reuseable. The supporting formations could be inscribed on formation flags or other items like formation stones. They also required a large amount of liquified elemental essence and spirit stones to supply the required energy in the case of larger formations. This did not apply to combat formations, which were quick, economical formations that relied purely on prepared sigils and the user''s qi.


    There were far fewer combat formations than normal formations. Looking at the manufacturing process, he had also observed similarities between combat formations and his previous soul-pearl manifestations. Sigil focuses needed to be imbued with sigils like soul pearls needed to be imbued with runes. The major difference between the two techniques, however, was that combat formations were real formations while the manifestations were just pale imitations. Combat formations were very flexible in their effects.


    The first step involved painting the base sigil. Cha Ming poured his foundation qi and liquified elemental essence into the Clear Sky Brush and produced a green thread. Green threads piled together into a three-dimensional rune that encompassed all of life and death, growth and decay. It was the same wood sigil he had used to form his foundation. As he painted, he faintly saw shapes that somewhat resembled the least-grade talismans he had created thus far.


    Are talismans just derivatives of the original sigil? he wondered. He finished the last three strokes, causing the sigil to snap together due to its balanced nature. It was like a formation in a sense that it supported itself dynamically and was intrinsically stable.


    The next step was fusion. Cha Ming gently brought the clear sigil focus and merged it gradually with the green sigil he had just painted. The process was much like encapsulating an object in a drop of water. Too fast, and it would cause the drop to split. It needed to be done slowly to allow the sigil focus time to adapt to the sigil''s shape.


    The fusion progressed quickly, imbuing the clear sphere with a dark shade of green. The next part was supplementation. Cha Ming quickly painted over a thousand runes onto the sphere. Every time, it glowed with a different shade of green as it "memorized" the rune and incorporated it into the sphere. The sigil could now replicate the rune and combine it with others by using the core sigil as a template.


    This ability to utilize different runes enabled the sigil focus to form different formations on demand. However, the derivative characters that could be absorbed depended on their compatibility with the focus. Luo Xuehua''s base sigil was ice. As a result, she could only incorporate the different derivatives of ice in her sigil focuses. Cha Ming, on the other hand, could incorporate all wood-related characters into this sigil, which gave him far more options.


    The resulting sigil was a small emerald pearl. Not wanting to waste any time, Cha Ming repeated the process with eleven more pearls. He followed up with twelve ruby-colored pearls, twelve brown pearls, twelve gold pearls, and twelve light-blue pearls. Then he created twenty-four purple lightning pearls and twenty-four azure wind pearls, for a total of 108 pearls, which he joined together in a rosary that he wrapped around his right wrist.


    The process took three days. Once he finished, he noticed a soft blue light at the door of his residence. He walked over to the blue light and touched it.


    "Come see me when you have time," Mo Tianshen''s recorded voice said.

 130 Stormchaser

    The scent of medicinal powders and fragrant herbs assaulted Cha Ming''s nostrils, and the floorboards creaked as he walked into Mo Tianshen''s laboratory. The man in question was standing at a workbench, pressing out what must have been the hundredth pill pellet of the batch.


    "The results of the experiment were interesting," Mo Tianshen said as he pressed the powder. "The medicinal efficacy was only five percent, a far cry from the current ten percent."


    Cha Ming didn''t bat an eye. He would have been very surprised if so few experiments would produce an optimal result.


    "However, these pills could be used five times instead of the original three times for the current version."


    "I''m sorry, but I''m a little confused about something," Cha Ming said. "How exactly did you obtain such accurate statistics with only ten of every pill?" It should have been impossible to obtain anything more than a pass or fail, and that was being generous.


    "I used an Illusory Pill-Testing Formation supplied by Partner Lu," he said. "This way, it was possible to test the effects roughly a hundred times for every pill. However, the pills slightly degraded in quality with successive repetitions of the trial, something which must be adjusted for when tabulating the data. Besides, what did you expect me to do? Conduct live trials with untested medicine? Animal trials that don''t relate to our body chemistry in the slightest?"


    Cha Ming did, in fact, consider that the man may have tried these unsavory methods. He just hadn''t expected the man to spend so much wealth on a high-level formation to test low-level pills. He had underestimated his dedication.


    "Human life is precious," the alchemist said. "Even animal life is, to a lesser extent. It is best to spend more money to avoid such suffering if possible."


    "Will we be continuing with experiments, then?" Cha Ming asked.


    "Of course," Mo Tianshen said. "However, it won''t be easy. This successful research has sparked many new ideas with many element combinations. As such, I''ve already generated one thousand powder formulas with which we''ll need to test ten thousand liquids. At ten samples apiece, I can''t see us getting by without at least ten million pill combination tests."


    Cha Ming nearly puked blood. How can he be so advanced in some subjects but so backward in others? Hasn''t he heard of experimental design? Where am I to find time to practice formations, create talismans, and cultivate? Where will he find time to make me pills?


    "It''s very important to remember that this work will establish the foundation of an empire¡ªno, the foundation of the continent," Mo Tianshen said. "It could take a decade or so to sort everything out. And that''s being optimistic."


    Who has a decade to waste on this? Cha Ming thought. More to the point, it''s completely unnecessary.


    Recalling that he was in the presence of a core-formation cultivator, Cha Ming composed himself before edging his seat forward. "Grandmaster Mo?" Cha Ming asked. "Have you ever heard of designing experiments to reduce experimental effort?"


    The grandmaster alchemist paused his mechanical movements. "What''s that?"


    "Well, let''s take this as an example," Cha Ming explained. "Let''s say you have one thousand trials. Nine hundred of them simply use various doses of different medicinal ingredients, correct?"


    "This is so," Mo Tianshen admitted.


    "And with the liquids, could you possibly be thinking of trying out ten or so dosages for each liquid?" Cha Ming pressed.


    "Twelve, to be exact," Mo Tianshen replied.


    "Now, for all of these, you must have some sort of best guess on what dosages work best," Cha Ming continued. "For example, you must have a low and a high dosage in mind that might obtain optimal effects. In fact, somewhere in the middle of those two doses might be best. Is that right?" The alchemist nodded. "Then I will suggest a different approach to these experiments," Cha Ming continued. "Can you please write down which medicinal ingredients you will be trialing, which liquids, and at what dosage ranges?"


    "I can, but certain ingredients interact too strongly," the alchemist said. "That''s why it''s so important to do so many experiments." He started writing down the list regardless of his argument.


    "Don''t worry about that," Cha Ming said. "It''s not like you''re using live subjects to begin with. Besides, the first step is reducing the ten million experiments to one thousand. By using them to evaluate various effects, we''ll notice trends. We''ll then take the best results and study them in detail. This way, we can get preliminary results in one month and much more detailed results one month later."


    He then began creating an optimization plan. He also wrote down his reasoning in terms that could be understood by the senior alchemist. After all, mathematics and statistics weren''t unknown in this world; only their practical application was lacking.


    Soon enough, the alchemist''s eyes brightened as he came to understand the logic behind the method. "Brilliant!" he shouted. "Let''s give it a try on my most optimistic variations, then." He immediately summoned a few dozen powders, and his soul force mixed them in midair with great precision. In his excitement, he didn''t waste time with the manual press but directly formed pellets. Then he motioned with his hands, drawing out dozens of different liquids. They were mixed in various doses and poured into vials. The man was a quick study, so this new experiment had been designed exactly as it should be.


    Seeing that the experiments had all been laid in front of him, Cha Ming got to work. He only used the best guess rune for each mixture. Determining more specific runes would happen later in the process. He spent the entire afternoon like this, painting alchemical runes, and he didn''t stop until the initial batch of experiments was completed.


    As Cha Ming worked, Mo Tianshen was quite idle, secluding himself to the back and using his alchemical flame and various medicinal ingredients to forge pills for Cha Ming.


    Cha Ming slumped down in his chair once he''d completed his work. His qi and mental energy were exhausted due to the exaggerated work pace.


    "Good timing," Mo Tianshen said while walking out from the back. "I just finished the first batch of pills. This first bottle contains ten least-grade Pillar Expanding Pills, while the second bottle contains three least-grade Pillar Eruption Pills."


    Cha Ming''s face twitched a little when he heard the pill''s names, but it couldn''t be helped. This guy''s naming sense is something else. You''d think he was giving me aphrodisiac pills with names like those.


    "Take the pills in the first vial one at a time until you reach a bottleneck. When charging through the bottleneck, consume the three Pillar Eruption Pills simultaneously. You need that extra boost since, for some reason, you have three times as much qi as a cultivator should have at your cultivation realm."


    "Many thanks," Cha Ming said while receiving the vials.


    "No, it is you I must thank," Mo Tianshen said. "You''ve saved me decades of effort. This is the least I can do."


    Cha Ming shook his head. "It''s still too early to judge the results. One mustn''t be too biased while conducting experiments."


    Mo Tianshen snorted. "If one didn''t expect results, why would they waste their time on experimenting?"


    Cha Ming didn''t disagree. He didn''t stay long and quickly left the laboratory to cultivate.


    ***


    Cha Ming allowed his mental energy and qi to fully recover before ingesting one of the Pillar Expanding Pills. The pill immediately dissolved upon entering his mouth, feeding concentrated five-element qi and creation and destruction qi into his dantian. The destruction qi didn''t harm him; neither did the others, for that matter. They directly bypassed any obstructions and proceeded to their ultimate destination: his qi pillars.


    Cha Ming felt his sigil-shaped pillars expand at a noticeable pace. In fact, the first pill alone increased the volume of each of his pillars and their supporting black-and-white grid by twenty percent. He estimated that this one pill had saved him an entire month of arduous cultivation. It had taken him only one hour to fully dissolve its energy.


    Seeing such a great effect encouraged Cha Ming, who proceeded to ingest them one after another. With every pill, the effectiveness shrank. The second grew his pillars as much as ninety-nine percent of the first one, then ninety-eight percent, and so on. The last pill only increased the length of his pillars a tiny bit before abruptly stopping as though they had hit a wall.


    Cha Ming didn''t immediately try to break through. Instead, he cultivated to expand the volume of foundation qi inside the foundation seas surrounding his qi pillars. It didn''t take long for the calm qi seas to reach the same heights as the pillars in question, threatening to flood over them at any moment.


    It was at this moment that Cha Ming ate the three Pillar Eruption Pills simultaneously. A surge of potent energy rushed into his five pillars. There were also traces of something else¡ªa corroding power that affected the stability of each sigil. Each pillar creaked, ready to burst from the massive influx of energy. It only took one final push from Cha Ming''s soul to crack through an invisible barrier, causing the pillars to abruptly expand. As they did, the foundation seas drained to supply the energy needed for the transformation.


    The process continued until his seas were completely empty, and the growth abruptly stopped. Cha Ming then spent hours refilling the empty qi reservoirs. As he did, he noticed that not only had the quantity of his qi increased, but the purity had as well. The seas contained foundation qi that was much more viscous than normal.


    I always thought the difference between realms in foundation establishment was a matter of accumulation, he thought. It seems that I was wrong.


    His breakthrough complete, Cha Ming focused his attention on the next important matter¡ªcombat sigils. Formations were generally very complicated, much more so than single-use talismans, but that didn''t mean that all formations were this way. Combat formations were a specialized set. They only used sigils for execution, and they were streamlined in such a way that greatly increased personal qi consumption and eliminated other ways of compensating, like supplying energy through spirit stones. They were also considerably weaker than other formations of the same tier, and their rankings were based on their difficulty and their required cultivation realm. He opened one of the many books Lu Tianhao had lent him.


    Combat Formations


    Introduction


    Congratulations on condensing the necessary sigils to practice combat formations. Combat formations are an essential part of a formation master''s strength. Not only do they provide unsurpassed flexibility, but when used correctly, they are superior in quality to combat techniques.


    Warning: Before proceeding to the next page, it is strongly recommended that you practice condensing formations from first grade through ninth with your condensed sigils. One''s foundation is very important. If it takes longer than a single breath for the reader to condense a ninth-grade formation using a single sigil, the remainder of this book will be a waste of time. Combat formations are useless if the user is slain before activating them.


    This was the reason behind Lu Tianhao''s drills. He had been preparing Cha Ming for combat formations all along. To test his hypothesis, Cha Ming recalled the first-grade blaze formation. A ruby sigil shot out, and using his qi and incandescent force, he expanded it into twelve runes joined by various runic lines. A small blaze took shape above the formation. It was the simplest formation he knew, and it had taken him less than a breath. The uniform nature of the sigil made the formation he conjured stable throughout the process.


    Cha Ming felt a sense of nostalgia as he thought of the soul-pearl manifestations once more. He withdrew his qi from the sigil, and the formation collapsed. Nine-tenths of the qi originally used returned to his foundation sea, while one-tenth of it vanished.


    What a huge advantage, Cha Ming thought. While it seemed like the formations summoned used a lot of energy, the energy was recycled.


    As a test, he summoned the blaze formation again. This time, however, he substituted a few runes and changed some lines, transforming it into a burning formation. Only a little additional qi was required, and it wasn''t until he needed to retract the energy that he noticed a ten-percent loss in qi.


    The second advantage of sigil formations was very clear¡ªcomponents were interchangeable, so formations were mutable and interchangeable so long as certain rules were followed.


    ***


    A week passed quietly as he tried out different combinations, quickly familiarizing himself with the sigils. At the end of the week, he could easily summon a ninth-grade formation on a whim. He then moved on to combat formations proper. He had his eyes on a lesser-grade combat formation, which was the fusion of two least-grade combat formations.


    Ten percent of Cha Ming''s creation qi left his body as he used twelve wind-element sigils to form twelve different ninth-grade formations simultaneously. He used his qi to expand connecting lines between the sigils in order to join them into an organic whole. The process was considerably easier than drawing a least-grade talisman, but he still failed on his first attempt, losing thirty percent of the energy he had invested. Still, he didn''t despair. Practice made perfect, and he refused to give up until he could summon the combat formation without any problems in less than a breath ten times out of ten.


    One day later, he finally completed the Heavenly Cloud Steps combat formation. He summoned it under his Stormchaser Boots, making his feet feel especially light. To test the new technique, he rushed out of his residence and began running in the air and along the walls. His feet didn''t touch anything solid, simply walking on the air itself.


    Twice as fast as before, he thought. And my ability to walk in the air has greatly improved. I can now walk a hundred feet above any surface. Satisfied, he retracted the formation and resummoned it continuously until he could do it ten times out of ten.


    The second combat formation he mastered was the Heavenly Lightning Steps Formation. It was composed of twelve iridescent lightning runes joined in a seemingly haphazard manner. Given his previous experience with the Heavenly Cloud Steps Formation, condensing this least-grade formation didn''t take long. He continuously practiced it until mastery. Not only did it boost his movement speed by a half time more than the Heavenly Cloud Steps Formation, but its ability to instantaneously change directions was also much better.


    Now comes the difficult part, he thought, calming his breath. He summoned twenty-four sigils at once. It takes wind and lightning to form a storm. Thunder and clouds strike quickly and mightily.


    Twelve lightning sigils floated out, forming the framework of Heavenly Lightning Steps, while twelve wind sigils formed the framework for Heavenly Cloud Steps. They meshed together with additional formation lines that completely changed the energy flow.


    Sweat beaded on Cha Ming''s forehead as he used his strong soul to guide the formation lines. Fifty lines became sixty, and sixty became seventy. Before he knew it, ninety-five lines had been formed. The last lines were the most difficult.


    Ninety-six¡­ Ninety-seven¡­ Ninety-eight¡­ Ninety-nine¡­ One hundred!


    On his first attempt, the lesser-grade combat formation Stormchaser Steps fell into place beneath his feet. He felt the lightning crackle beneath him and the wind blow around his legs. The Stormchaser Boots pulsed after he summoned the formation, and they instantly transformed into gray clouds that complemented the wind and lightning, as though they were made for each other.


    Did Fuxi predict this? Cha Ming wondered.


    He ran through the courtyard, his feet bare covered in crackling clouds. His speed was five times what it had been when he first modified the Seven Cloud Steps technique.


    Enough to completely outrank Xiao Heilong if I encounter him again, Cha Ming thought.


    "Have you had enough fun yet?" a cold voice asked behind him.


    Cha Ming looked back at Lu Tianhao''s figure. His eyes were red and covered in dark circles.


    "What might be the problem?" Cha Ming asked, gulping.


    "Oh, I don''t know," Lu Tianhao said. "It''s just that I like coming to my quarters to catch some sleep every decade or so, and some inconsiderate bastard decided to use the courtyard instead of his training room to practice. Not just that, but he''s woken me three times. You wouldn''t happen to know where I can find this miscreant, would you?"


    Not only had Lu Tianhao exited his chambers, but dozens of other members were glaring at him from below. The oppressive sensation forced him to the ground, where his technique instantly dissipated.


    "It won''t happen again, I swear," Cha Ming said weakly.


    "Damn right it won''t!" Lu Tianhao yelled.


    The dozens of cultivators all came at him together and beat him black and blue. Despite his bone-forging body cultivation and some newly learned healing formations, it took him an entire day to recover.

 131 Hidden Agenda

    Huxian was in pain. Not physical pain, but mental pain. For starters, he had nasty dream where he was beaten half to death by a few dozen cultivators. He now realized it was the result of his connection with Cha Ming. Thankfully, the cultivators didn''t seem to have any ill intent. It only resulted in temporary pain on his part.


    It was only superficial mental pain. His true anguish stemmed from his feelings of guilt, which had left him bedridden. He felt pain in his heart whenever he saw Lei Jiang, who was constantly out on patrols near the cultivator encampment.


    The thought of the mouse seemed to summon him. Purple lightning crackled across the sky before the small mouse appeared in front of Huxian.


    "Permission to speak freely, Master," the mouse yelled.


    Huxian sighed. "Granted."


    "Two skirmishes have occurred in the past week, one with the blond-haired one and one with the dark-haired devil. Our losses were greatest against the devil, exchanging two of our purification demons with two of their foundation-establishment cultivators. Our beasts fought valiantly with the terrain advantage, but their tactics were cunning and vicious. On the other hand, not much happened when we fought the blond-haired tea drinker. A few bones were broken, and a few cultivators were grievously injured, but nothing worth mentioning."


    "Is that all?" Huxian asked dispassionately.


    "Yes, Master," the mouse replied.


    "Lei Jiang, do you hate me?" Huxian asked.


    The small mouse stared at him with wide eyes as though incapable of understanding the question. "How could I possibly hate the master? Master is most benevolent, most magnificent. The stars would lose their luster without Mast¡ª"


    "What I mean," Huxian said, cutting him off, "is would you hate me if you didn''t have a slave mark and weren''t my general."


    Lei Jiang stared at him blankly. "I can''t imagine such an existence. I can only think that it would be a very lowly existence, not worth living at all."


    Huxian knew he wouldn''t get anywhere. He had asked these questions many times and had gained no ground. No matter how he tried, whether it was ordering him to act normally or using a bunch of qualifying statements, he couldn''t pry a single bit of personality out of the mouse. He wasn''t like Silverwing, who would get mad at him or speak what was on his mind. It was like Lei Jiang''s entire world revolved around Huxian.


    Huxian sighed once more. "Come here, Lei Jiang," he said. The mouse swiftly ran in front of Huxian. "Closer," Huxian said. The mouse approached until he was just before the fox''s head. Huxian began to glow brightly, surrounding them both with a black-and-white bagua. The bagua symbol on Huxian''s head glowed, and so did one of trigrams on his tail, the trigram for lightning.


    Simultaneously, the "general" character on Lei Jiang''s head also glowed a soft purple color that faded into the mouse''s tough fur.


    "Lei Jiang," Huxian barked authoritatively, "I pronounce you free!" The instant he spoke these words, the character on Lei Jiang''s forehead shattered. The normal expression of adoration slowly turned to that of fear and panic. "Go!" Huxian barked, exerting his Godbeast presence on the pitiful creature at peak purification. The bagua faded, and the mouse disappeared in a flash of purple.


    "I hope you do well," Huxian whispered, a tear trickling from his jade eyes. He lay there for an entire day and spoke to no one. No, that wasn''t it. Rather, no one dared to come speak to him. It wasn''t until noon the next day that he heard a familiar fluttering sound. Depressed, he forced himself to exit his cave.


    "I''m proud of you," Silverwing said. He was perched on a tree just outside the cave.


    "How is he?" Huxian asked.


    "Scared out of his wits," Silverwing replied. "He doesn''t know who he is. But one thing is certain¡ªhe''s not the Lei Jiang you once knew.


    "I could tell the moment his eyes changed," Huxian said. "By the way, I have something for you, Silverwing." The black and white colors on Huxian''s fur suddenly faded to gray, converging into a black-and-white ball. The fox looked exhausted, but his black and white coloring returned shortly.


    "What''s this?" the falcon asked, pecking at the small ball.


    "Just eat it," Huxian said in irritation. The falcon didn''t think twice before gulping it down. Enlightenment flashed through his eyes.


    "This is¡­" the falcon said unbelievingly.


    "I lied to you," Huxian said. "I''m a terrible friend, and I regret it. I''ve been keeping this peak-level-purification technique from you. What''s worse is that it''s specifically suited for those with roc bloodlines. It''s useless to me, but it means the world to you. Yet I kept it away from you, wanting to trick you into becoming my general.


    "I''m a failure as a friend, and I don''t deserve to know someone like you." Huxian turned around and headed back into the darkness of his cave and continued to mope. He was alone now, with no one to rely on. Except perhaps Cha Ming, if they met again one day and he wasn''t mad at him.


    An incense time passed before he heard Silverwing''s familiar flapping. It was likely the last time he would hear it. After all, it wouldn''t take much time for him to gain his ancestral memories and break through to core formation. Why would he bother sticking around these desolate mountains once he advanced? He would be free to fly through the skies, a single flap of his wings enough to take him across the whole continent.


    He wished for nothing more than a good life for him.


    ***


    "You really don''t like battle achievements, do you?" Zhou Li said mockingly. "It''s no wonder you''re the second young master and not the first. I wouldn''t pin the hopes of my family on a turtle like you either."


    Wang Jun shrugged. He was seated in front of an ornate tent, sipping tea as usual. There was no flicker in his expression, no anger or irritation. Just like he practiced day in and day out. "I am very calculative in my actions," he said. "And I don''t like to kill off good men when there simply isn''t a reason to."


    "No reason?" Zhou Li said incredulously. Smirking, he added, "Yes, that''s true. There isn''t any reason for you to compete with me. After all, how could you possibly compete with an oracle in strategy?"


    "Quite right," Wang Jun said. "I suppose you''ve divined the outcome of our battle?"


    Zhou Li''s expression darkened at these words. Wang Jun knew full well that the only thing Zhou Li could divine was darkness. He divined the same thing every day. The future was shrouded to him, which was why Wang Jun dared to engaged in subterfuge with him in the first place.


    "Tell me," Wang Jun continued. "How many more sin flames must you accumulate to break through to core formation? You mustn''t need much more, considering the chaos you''ve been causing outside the cities. Perhaps a few thousand more dead children and tens of thousands of innocent virgins will do the trick?"


    Zhou Li''s eyes narrowed. "I don''t see why you would accuse me of all these things," he said. "The black flames I cultivate do not require sin. In fact, they require the opposite¡ªpreventing national disasters, preventing war. It''s quite tiring to prop up a nation when there is chaos everywhere.


    "Meanwhile I need to deal with entitled brats who don''t know their place. There is one I have to deal with on a daily basis that is particularly annoying. He''s useless even amongst useless men. In fact, I received a juicy bit of information the other day about him. I heard that when he was young, he let his sister die." The sounds of a shattering porcelain attracted glances from the minister''s camp. Zhou Li smirked. "What I spent to find that out wasn''t wasted in the slightest."


    Wang Jun regained his composure swiftly and chuckled before taking out a second teacup and continuing his lounging. "If you paid money for that information, I can only shake my head at your idiocy. There are many people who would have happily told you for free."


    At that moment, the tent flap opened beside them. "Are you two bantering again?" a voice said.


    "Esteemed minister, we wouldn''t dare," Zhou Li said.


    "It was innocent verbal jousting, Your Grace," Wang Jun replied.


    "I can tell," Minister Rong said. "If the broken porcelain is any indication, you both have razor blades for tongues and the cunning of a fox. Now then, what''s the tally for the day?"


    Zhou Li was the first to reply. "Reporting to Minister Rong, this week we killed one mid-purification demon beast and one early-purification beast. However, we lost two foundation-establishment experts in the process due to a disadvantage in terrain."


    "And you?" Minister Rong asked Wang Jun.


    "A few broken bones and a few serious injuries," Wang Jun replied. "No kills, but no significant losses."


    "Sometimes you must risk a little to gain a little," Minister Rong said, looking at Wang Jun meaningfully.


    "Naturally," Wang Jun said. "On that note, I wonder if we might meet in private after this report?"


    "We can," the minister said. "But if any attempts to sway me personally are made, I can assure you that this competition will be over before the hour is up."


    "I understand," Wang Jun said. He waited with clasped hands for Zhou Li to finish. The latter smirked at him before bowing and leaving them behind.


    "This way," the minister said, opening his tent flap. They entered a space much larger than its external appearance would suggest. "Speak. No sound can travel inside or outside this tent."


    "Very well," Wang Jun said. "Do you mind if I make you tea while we chat?"


    "That is¡­ acceptable," Minister Rong said. This was the only luxury he afforded himself. Good tea relaxed the mind and strengthened the soul, enabling him to do his utmost for the country. Wang Jun didn''t take long to set up a tea table, boil water, and begin pouring tea for two with a practiced hand. Each cup only contained only a single draught, but this was the best way to enjoy this particular blend.


    "Before we begin, I wish to confirm something with Minister Rong," Wang Jun said. "It was agreed previously that the one with the most merit in obtaining the immortal jade would be given the rights to the jade. What would you define as merit?"


    "As I explained before, it is a balance between cost and results toward obtaining the jade," Minister Rong said.


    "And if we stole it with minimal loss, this would be considered a positive result and count as merit?" Wang Jun asked.


    "Any result," the minister reiterated.


    "Excellent," Wang Jun said. "Some time ago, I met secretly with the sovereign of a nearby peak, who happens to be contracted to a friend of mine. I asked for access to the jade, and he agreed that the beasts of all nine peaks would agree to trading it."


    "They would simply trade it?" the minister asked incredulously.


    "It''s useless to them, and it''s a hot potato in their hands. However, what they want isn''t limited to a trade. The goods they require for trade only amount to a hundred thousand high-grade spirit stones, and I''ve already determined that they can be made available in a few months. What they really want is a peace treaty for the next five hundred years."


    Minister Rong frowned. "How could we sign a peace treaty so easily? The lords of the forest rotate every few decades. The only stable existences are the sovereigns on each mountain, as well as their reclusive monarch, and he would never let himself be beholden to such a contract."


    "I''ve confirmed that the sovereigns of the forest are all willing to sign a blood oath on it," Wang Jun replied. "They would limit their expansion efforts to the north and east, other beast territories that we are not concerned with. It''s a win-win. Not only would they get resources to develop, but they could use the peace to expand their territories. Meanwhile, we wouldn''t have to spend so much on military expenditures."


    Minister Rong seemed deep in thought. "Who do they want as signatories on our end?"


    "They want you, the third prince, and me, the second young master of the Wang family," Wang Jun said.


    "That''s all?" Minister Rong asked. Seeing Wang Jun nod, the minister''s silence continued. "What do you know about the southern border?" he asked after an incense time. It was an unexpected question. The southern border seemed completely unrelated to the current conflict.


    "Nothing much," Wang Jun answered honestly. "I come from a merchant family, and we are most concerned with profit. I can somewhat understand how a nation works, but only as a business."


    "Well, then," Minister Rong said, "as you might know, we do not have any kingdoms on our western border due to the mountains. We only have a great wall that separates us from the beasts, which has proven to be strangely effective in containing them. There are opposing kingdoms to the north, the east, and the south. We are on very friendly terms with the north and the east. The north doesn''t mind us because there is a mountain pass we can defend with ease and vice-versa. To the east, we have an alliance through marriage that has lasted generations. To the south, however, we are always waging war. And for many years, we have been losing ground.


    "Regrettably, we haven''t been able to redirect troops due to the ample number of beast tides to the north and the west. Both are important, and if we allowed the beasts into our territory, it would be very difficult to reclaim it. The fertile plains would grow over with forests, and the qi would turn demonic.


    "Therefore, we have lost ground many times over the past decade."


    "I assume this is relevant to the potential peace treaty?" Wang Jun asked.


    "Of course," Minister Rong said enthusiastically. "If we can secure a peace treaty, we could use our freed-up troops to reclaim lost land and resources. There''s no telling how much we could expand toward the south in five hundred years. In fact, it may be possible to retake South Hope Fortress. In that case, we wouldn''t have to worry about attacks from the south for centuries!" Minister Rong frowned. "Though, you said they wanted one hundred thousand high-grade spirit stones'' worth of trade goods. What is their estimate on the jade reserves?"


    "There''s good news on this front as well, Minister," Wang Jun said. "Not only is there three thousand jin of immortal jade, but there is also a hundred jin of immortal-jade core."


    The minister''s eyes widened at these numbers. "If you can close this deal, I will sign the blood oath and appoint you as the winner," the minister said. "However, you must get Prince Lei''s agreement. In addition, we need forty percent of the resources traded on signing of the contract."


    "I negotiated thirty," Wang Jun said. "I can''t go any higher than that."


    There was a slight paused. "Fine," Minister Rong said at last. "How long will this trade take to execute?"


    "Three months," Wang Jun replied.


    Minister Rong nodded. "Then you''d better hope that Zhou Li doesn''t take over the mountain in the next three months. And I don''t want to be seeing any funny business."


    "Yes, sir," Wang Jun said with a solemn face. He was laughing inwardly. After all, no one else needed to know about the additional five hundred jin of immortal-jade core.


    ***


    "You did what?" Prince Lei was fuming. Wang Jun understood why, of course. This entire time he had been telling the prince to be patient while his opponent''s forces claimed battle merit. Now he was suggesting the riskiest play of all.


    "Calm yourself, Your Highness," Wang Jun said. "I''ve already discussed it with the minister. In three months, if everything goes well, we''ll be the ones in control of the mountain range while the crown prince''s forces will have weakened. It''s a double win."


    "But what if things don''t go well?" Prince Lei said through gritted teeth.


    "May I be brutally honest?" Wang Jun said. The prince waved his hand to grant permission. "We grossly underestimated the crown prince''s forces. By a factor of three. They hired people from outside the kingdom to grant them an advantage by using foreign money. They''ve been trickling them into the kingdom this entire time. How can we possibly win against them using conventional means?"


    The third prince massaged his brow. "Can we sign right now?"


    "We can''t, because we need the initial trade to kick off the contract," Wang Jun replied. "The prime minister is too much of a stickler for the rules to bend on this. The beasts won''t bend because they need the resources to strengthen themselves. And if they lose a few demons, so what? They will simply split the resources amongst a much smaller population. It''s the way demon beasts operate."


    "Can we sign before they take the mountain range?" Prince Lei asked.


    "Yes," Wang Jun said. "We have an eighty-percent chance, assuming they don''t get additional reinforcements. Plus, we can increase those odds with a bit of subterfuge."


    Prince Lei shook his head. "The minister will be watching for that."


    "My dear prince," Wang Jun said, walking up to him. His figure shimmered slightly before blending into the shadows. His body disappeared entirely. "There is no one in this camp who can stop me from walking where I please. No one."

 132 Formation Battles

    Cha Ming dodged using Stormchaser Steps, barely avoiding a literal inferno that had materialized beneath him. Least-Grade Conflagration Formation, he determined. Fortunately, it was much easier to take down such a formation than to set it up. He rapidly threw out twelve water sigils around two key nodes, pouring qi into them to sprout a combat formation. The formation condensed in half a breath, forming a vortex of water that doused the two formation eyes. The fiery formation flickered before destabilizing and collapsing. Cha Ming wasted no time in collecting his hasty combat formation and recovering his precious water qi.


    He didn''t linger. Staying in one location was a bad idea in a formation battle. Gold lights flashed as twelve formation flags flew into the ground, and the white-haired, white-robed Lu Tianhao took out a gray brush. Cha Ming recognized the placements of these formation flags and the formations spreading out from them. A combat formation wouldn''t be enough. Therefore, he quickly decided on a counter formation, the Least-Grade Smelting Formation. It was especially good at destroying metals, metallic techniques, and weapons. And it was obviously a lethal formation given its high temperatures.


    Cha Ming quickly threw out seven ruby sigils and five formation flags with specialized formations. He used combat sigils whenever possible to save time and energy, but he had accumulated many specialized formation flags over the last month of practice. With but a thought, his Clear Sky Brush expanded into a large formation brush. He quickly painted the most key connections while using the sigils to set up the lesser ones. It was a slightly lower-tier formation than the one Lu Tianhao used, but it countered his perfectly. They finished their formations at the exact same time. Cha Ming''s red elemental essence clashed with the gold elemental essence from Lu Tianhao''s brush. They began collapsing simultaneously.


    Cha Ming didn''t relax, however. Instead he quickly formed another combat formation. This one was small, but it was the fastest one he knew. It was a metal-based formation, Least-Grade Spike Bomb. Meanwhile, he spread out his incandescent force to detect the next formation being laid. This one was an Ice Lotus Garden Formation, a formation with tiers ranging from least grade to top grade.


    This formation also couldn''t be countered with a combat formation, so Cha Ming threw out eight earth sigils, transforming them into eight Mount Tai Formations of the ninth grade. He linked them together with another four unique formation flags that revolved around absorption. Twelve swift brushstrokes with brown ink complemented the tendrils from the eight Mount Tai Formations. His formation completed slightly before the Ice Lotus Garden Formation, so he quickly used Stormchaser Steps to dart through the disrupted formation nodes toward his teacher.


    The man grunted as he immediately laid down a Lightning Dragon combat formation. Cha Ming responded with a Wind Blades combat formation. It was hardly a proper counter, as both formations would bypass each other and aim for mutual destruction.


    Lu Tianhao, unconcerned, forged ahead with the Lightning Dragon. Cha Ming, on the other hand, quickly dodged it and threw his formation to the opposite side of Lu Tianhao. He avoided the lightning dragon by a hair''s breadth, but it swiftly turned around to chase him as though smelling blood. That was when Cha Ming revealed his Least-Grade Spike Bomb. He threw it past the lightning dragon, activating it. The lightning dragon reacted to it as though it was the most delectable snack. The current followed the spikes all the way to the ground.


    Meanwhile, Cha Ming activated the Wind Bladed combat formation, buffeting his teacher with seven sharp blades of wind. He gathered back the formation and threw out twelve flags. It was his most powerful least-grade formation, Blistering Inferno. Unfortunately, he couldn''t use sigils to make it, as it was too complex. Lu Tianhao, who had just been pushed back, took out his paintbrush to counterattack Cha Ming. But Cha Ming knew he wouldn''t be successful. The man had fallen into his trap.


    While Cha Ming''s movements were swift and graceful like an artist''s, Lu Tianhao''s were heavy. This was normal, given that he was fighting the pressure of the full Larger Than Mount Tai Formation that Cha Ming had laid to counter the previous ice formation. Cha Ming''s formation was powerful and accurately placed, ensuring the formation''s survival at the end of their conflict.


    Cha Ming finished his Blistering Inferno formation a half breath before Lu Tianhao could finish his counter. Roaring flame dragons rotated and attacked Lu Tianhao, making it impossible for him to complete the formation.


    "Your win this time," Lu Tianhao said. "Good job. Now try this one."


    Twenty-four blue lights shot out instantly, outlining a formation with over a hundred lines. One hundred lines was a demarcation, the hundredth line being much more difficult to draw than the previous ones. It was also the threshold which separated lesser-grade and least-grade formations.


    Cha Ming did not recognize the lesser-grade combat formation. But he didn''t hesitate. He encapsulated three of the nodes with an earthen formation, which served no other purpose but to disrupt. Meanwhile, he sent another wood-based combat formation to disrupt four other nodes.


    The blue combat formation trembled under the combined assault. Unfortunately, Cha Ming knew full well that it wouldn''t stop at that. He looked up to see a golden light flashing. A sharp sword tore through the air toward his heart. It stopped a bare millimeter away from his chest.


    Clap. Clap. Clap.


    "Congratulations," Lu Tianhao said. "You''re a fast study, and I can''t teach you anything more about least-grade formations. To beat me, you''ll need to learn lesser-grade ones."


    Cha Ming clasped his fists together and bowed. "Thank you for your guidance."


    "Not a problem," the white-haired man said. "If my calculations are correct, you''ve run out of credit and need to go hunting devils again if you want another lesson."


    He tossed a spatial ring to Cha Ming. "I went through the trouble of retrieving books on lesser-grade formations," he said. "Don''t lose them. Also, you can keep the spatial ring. I noticed that you don''t have a suitable disguise for your spatial artifact. Some higher-tier core-formation experts may be able to detect it. We don''t want you attracting unwanted trouble, do we?"


    In the blink of an eye, Cha Ming appeared outside the man''s office. He bowed to the closed door in thanks.


    After returning, he cultivated normally for a half day. His qi was no longer turbulent like it was when he first broke through to early foundation establishment. The day after he broke through, he was told not to use medicinal pills until his foundation stabilized into clear qi seas without ripples. Only a few ripples formed when he cultivated now. According to Lu Tianhao, the only way to stabilize one''s foundation was to constantly deplete and replenish qi, effectively scrubbing away any residual, lower-quality qi from the last level. Most people did this by practicing a profession or through combat. Cultivating in silence wouldn''t be as effective as these two options.


    I really should go out and hunt devils, he thought. Time to contact Luo Xuehua and see what they are up to. He took out his core-transmission jade and activated their imprints. Two jade projections appeared in front of him a few breaths later.


    "Look who decided to finally call us," Dongfang Hao said in a cheerful voice.


    "I was learning," Cha Ming said, shrugging. "Formations are hard work, and I''m not very useful in combat unless I learn more combat formations. Which is why I called you guys. I''m planning on going on another hunting mission. Are you interested?"


    The duo looked at each other awkwardly. "I''m afraid we can''t," Luo Xuehua said. "We''re on a mission one week away. You won''t arrive before we finish it, so you''re on your own for now."


    "Fair enough," Cha Ming said. "Do let me know when you''re back." The call disconnected, leaving Cha Ming to his own devices. His first stop was the Alabaster mission board, where a middle-aged lady tended to the postings.


    "Hi, Yueming," Cha Ming said in greeting as he looked over the postings. "Are there any postings for Senior Partner Lu here?" All postings where devils were confirmed were automatically assigned to Lu Tianhao.


    "Nothing," she said, shaking her head. "The last mission was taken by Senior Member Xuehua and Junior Member Hao."


    Cha Ming nodded as he continued looking through each individual posting for suspicious signs. There were many cases of villains, murders, and nobles looking for protection. But nothing stood out among them.


    I can only look elsewhere. He thanked Yueming and walked outside.


    Cha Ming flew on a flying sword outside the Alabaster building. On his chest, he wore two silver medallions. One was his lesser-grade talisman-master medallion, while the other was a least-grade formation-master medallion. One qualification was uncommon but not unheard of. People with two qualifications were extremely rare.


    On his way to the Mercenary Guild, he checked in with the restaurant he had commissioned to feed people. One month had passed, and he reviewed the ledgers to see how many homeless people were served. He also looked at the people frequenting the establishment. He noticed they were less gaunt, a little less miserable, and more importantly, he saw something that wasn''t there before: hope. He concluded that it was money well spent and decided to continue a one-year contract. The restaurant''s owner was overjoyed.


    He then headed straight for the Mercenary Guild and reviewed various mission postings. These weren''t organized in the same way as the Alabaster Group''s were, so it was like sifting through sand to find gold. There wasn''t any gold to be found that day. Cha Ming left after having gained nothing.


    Curious. From what I know, there have been devil-cultivator attacks everywhere, Cha Ming thought. I might be catching the stupid ones by looking for mission postings, but what about the smart and careful ones? And what about the ones that leave no survivors?


    Realization dawned on him that devil sightings likely wouldn''t land on his lap. Fortunately, he had the perfect skill to find them¡ªhis Eyes of Pure Jade. Even a whiff of a yellow aura could detect the presence of a devil cultivator.


    Having made his decision, Cha Ming directed his flying sword to the west entrance of the city. He passed by many people on his way out. They looked up as they rode on the light rail the same way he had when he first arrived in the city. It was a new rail line, and due to the proper management of cultivators and mortals, the rail line had been installed in two short months. Each additional line increased the prosperity of the outer city by making it possible to operate businesses in cheaper locations.


    How long before it becomes too expensive for the common person to live inside the city? he wondered.


    Cha Ming dismounted his flying sword at the gate. The guard waved him through without an inspection, which he gathered was due to his two qualification badges. Then, hopping onto his flying sword, he traveled five miles out of the city. It wasn''t long before he noticed a presence behind him.


    "It took you long enough," Cha Ming said, looking back at Xiao Heilong.


    The man looked at him coldly. "You only increased your qi cultivation by one sub-realm, and you''re already back to court death? Fine by me. Why don''t you stick around this time instead of running with your tail between your legs? You could get lucky and win."


    "Now why would I do that?" Cha Ming said, and twenty-four sigils flew out beneath his feet. Forty percent of his creation qi drained away as he activated Stormchaser Steps. The sudden appearance of wind and lightning beneath his feet caused his boots to dematerialize into black clouds. He flashed away from Xiao Heilong instantly, evading a dagger strike that was meant for his heart.


    Xiao Heilong wasted no time and activated his consumption ability, rapidly dropping the temperature around him and increasing his speed substantially. However, Cha Ming chuckled when he saw this and increased his own pace. He was slightly faster, and there was nothing Xiao Heilong could do about it.


    I wonder if I can kite him? Cha Ming thought. He threw a least-grade combat formation behind him. Xiao Heilong simply grunted and smashed through it using the force of his body and his daggers. Not one to give up easily, Cha Ming flew back toward him, evading the many slashes that came his way. With every dodge, he threw out one flag until twelve flags were in position. Then he threw out twelve sigils to create an overlaying formation. While he wasn''t very fast at making them, he had a few lesser formations up his sleeve.


    Cha Ming took out the Clear Sky Brush and continuously evaded while painting line after line, dancing with death. Blue brushstrokes covered the ground with frosty lines while dozens of lines shot out from the well-placed sigils.


    Xiao Heilong''s eyes narrowed as the final lines connected. Cha Ming felt the pressure on him dissipate as the man disappeared from the formation''s limits, just in time for it to activate. Countless icy shards began to circulate as the formation drew from the energy of heaven and earth.


    "It seems we''re at an impasse," Cha Ming said calmly. Setting up the array had been exhausting, but it was now impossible for Xiao Heilong to attack him. He immediately began to circulate his cultivation to recover his qi. The formation would continue until it was interrupted or stopped.


    "You might be quick, and you might be crafty," Xiao Heilong said, "but don''t fall asleep. It might not be worth my time to hunt you down, but I know people who could make you disappear in the blink of an eye."


    "If you could hire them, you already would have," Cha Ming shot back. "I know your kind. You would never do anything for free."


    The man grunted before vanishing. Cha Ming''s gamble had paid off. Unless someone else interfered, he didn''t need to worry about Xiao Heilong for the time being. That is, until he decided to kill him.


    Now where to go, Cha Ming thought. There are dozens of small towns before the nearest city. I''ll start there.


    ***


    A large man let out a loud burp after downing a mug of ale. "Now this is what I''ve been missing out on," the man said. "I''ll take two more of those, innkeeper, and a nice bowl of stew."


    "Can you pay?" the innkeeper said, looking at the man dubiously.


    "Of course," the man said, slapping some silver on the table. "I don''t stay out in the woods all year for nothing, you know. There''s money to be made out there if you know what to look for. How else do you think I could come here every month to stock up on provisions?"


    "Fair enough," the innkeeper grumbled. "Just don''t cause a ruckus like you did last time."


    "Sure, sure," the large man said. "Is Li''er still around?"


    The innkeeper shook his head. "She''s not into that line of work anymore. She''s got a respectable job now at the tailor''s, so I don''t want you causing trouble for her."


    "I was just asking¡­" the large man said, downing another mug. "I don''t suppose anyone else took her place?"


    "Xie''er is who you''re looking for," the innkeeper said in a half contemptuous, half amused voice. "I can call for her if you like, but her price is a silver more an hour than Li''er was."


    "A full silver?" the man exclaimed. "She''d better be worth it."


    "Worth it or not, I don''t want you bruising her up," the innkeeper cautioned. "If you do, I''ll call the town watch on you." The innkeeper retired for a while, leaving the man to his drink and his stew.


    "I heard you say there''s good work in the woods?" a man in a black cloak said, pulling back his hood. He looked young, around seventeen. He had long black hair and normal features, save for a pair of piercing jade-green eyes. He wore a sword by his side, a peak-mortal-grade treasure. He also wore a large gold chain. The type that nobles would wear.


    "There is, for those who are willing to work hard," the larger man said. Despite his pot belly, his muscles rippled with strength.


    "That''s not a problem," the young man said. "I''m at the sixth level of qi condensation and the sixth level of body cultivation. Whether it''s killing spirit beasts or heavy lifting, I''m quite confident. By the way, my name is Li Hou."


    "Man Tou," the man said, clasping his fists and bowing. Seeing the young man''s smirk, he continued with a deadpan voice. "Yes, like the steamed bun. I didn''t choose my name, but I can''t very well change it now." Man Tou took a long draw of beer. "You''re not from around here, are you?"


    "Of course not," Li Hou said disdainfully. "The noble Li family would never have members in such a small town. But I''m still young and growing, so I''ve decided to go out for an adventure. If you can give me an experience worth remembering, I definitely won''t forget our friendship."


    Man Tou hesitated. "Fine, you can come into the woods with me. I''ll introduce you to our team. If you want an unforgettable experience, I can definitely arrange that. However, I need a hundred gold up front."


    "Gold?" Li Hou asked, clueless. "Does gold hold such value? I''ll tell you what, I can give you ten high-grade spirit stones if you make it worth my while." Ten glittering stones appeared in his hand.


    Man Tou gulped. "It''s not wise to throw your wealth around like that. People might cause you trouble."


    "And who would cause trouble for the Li family around here?" Li Hou said arrogantly.


    "Fair enough," Man Tou said.


    At that moment, the innkeeper arrived with a petite young lady. She looked well worth the additional silver for the extra-special experience. Man Tou licked his lips. "We''ll take off in two hours then, young friend." Then he disappeared up the stairs with the young lady.

 133 Hunting

    Cha Ming¡ªor Li Hou, as he was currently called¡ªwalked alongside Man Tou with a serious expression. It wasn''t so much the nature of their conversation that caused Cha Ming''s stone-faced disposition. Rather, it was the act of constantly suppressing his soul, body, and qi cultivation. It had taken him days to find someone with a thick enough yellow aura. He had discovered on this trip that the yellow aura didn''t necessarily mean the man was a devil cultivator. No, it represented sin, just like the jade aura represented merit.


    Fortunately, these things usually came hand in hand. With a thick enough yellow aura, the probability of dealings with devils increased substantially. It wasn''t long before they were joined by many other individuals in the qi-condensation realm. Each of them also had a thick yellow presence, largely increasing the possibility of a devil cult. Regardless, they were up to no good. His fa?ade was a trap, and his attitude toward them would depend on their actions and behavior.


    "I see that you''ve found us a new companion, old bun," a graying, skinny man said jovially. Cha Ming could sense that his cultivation was at half-step foundation establishment.


    "Who are you calling an old bun?" Man Tou said. "I''m much younger than you. Call me a fresh bun at the very least."


    Many of the men chuckled. Cha Ming would have chuckled too if he hadn''t seen the murderous glints in their eyes.


    "You all stay here in the woods?" Cha Ming asked.


    "Yes, young lord Li," Man Tou replied. "We have a camp in a clearing. It''s very safe, and no one can find it unless we bring them there."


    "That secretive?" Cha Ming said. "What could make it unfindable?"


    "We have a mystic formation," Man Tou said proudly. "Anyone who looks for it will simply see a normal forest. In fact, you''ll experience it yourself just up ahead. It''s only a mile away."


    A gust of wind caused a bloody scent to assault Cha Ming''s nostrils as they neared the clearing. He could see the runic lines of a formation. Three flags were visible from his viewpoint, and while he could easily break it, what fun would that be? The element of surprise was much too valuable to squander.


    "Brace yourself," Man Tou said. "We''ll be crossing the boundary shortly. I''ll hold on to your shoulder so you don''t lose your sense of direction." The man''s large, meaty palm clapped down on his shoulder, and Cha Ming was forced to sag down in discomfort lest he expose himself.


    Cha Ming''s vision distorted, and his sense of direction became chaotic. It only lasted for the fraction of a breath before he became aware of his surroundings once more. But instead of the camp he expected, a large ritual formation painted with blood materialized. Desiccated husks that used to be living men were piled up beside it. Off to the side, Cha Ming saw cowering mortals awaiting their fates.


    "Is it to your liking, young lord?" Man Tou said harshly.


    "Yes, it''s exactly what I was looking for," Cha Ming said, looking around calmly. His composure evidently startled the men who had accompanied them. They wouldn''t be startled much longer. Cha Ming calculated their positions and threw out twelve ruby sigils. Fifty tendrils shot out as they formed a basic least-grade combat formation. The motley crew, who hadn''t even reached foundation establishment, didn''t stand a chance. Only ashes remained.


    "Who dares?" a voice yelled. Instantly, five figures appeared in front of Cha Ming. Two were early-foundation-establishment experts, while the others had barely broken through. Invariably, they all possessed ochre phantoms.


    Clouds and crackling lightning instantly appeared beneath Cha Ming''s feet as he dashed over to the five cultivators. He swung out his staff, bashing against them with quaking power. Two of them backed away, coughing blood, while three others with stronger bodies transformed and grasped at his staff. They wrenched it out of his grip, but Cha Ming was unconcerned.


    Three charged at him, while two others shrank back, sending waves of soul attacks at him. Cha Ming released the full pressure of his soul, refusing to get entrained into their illusory world. They coughed out blood once more due to backlash, but instead of red blood, it was blue.


    "We''re no match for him," the lust devil with the highest cultivation said. "Activate the defensive formations!"


    Cha Ming''s pupils constricted when he felt five terrifying formations activate around him.


    Shit, he thought. They may not have a formation master, but they had someone lay down so many defensive formations. Heavens damn you, Guo Jia.


    Each formation complemented the element of the user. The two lust devils activated two illusory formations, causing Cha Ming''s eyesight to become useless. Even his Eyes of Pure Jade were obscured. Meanwhile, countless blades cut him and tongues of flame licked him. His body''s vitality began to sap away.


    Cha Ming wasted no time. He slapped out three talismans. They were shielding talismans in water, earth, and metal elements. He darted around randomly, hoping to distract them as he focused on the most important task¡ªrestoring his vision.


    Cha Ming sent out twelve earth sigils, setting up a twenty-foot-wide absorption combat formation. He felt the illusory formation strain slightly as the local moisture was sucked into it. He also felt his outermost shield break and felt his body shift as three attacks landed on his temporarily stationary body.


    Cha Ming clicked his tongue. He threw out a Nine Heavens Lightning Talisman, a Five-Fire Cremation Talisman, and a Nine Blades, One Dao Talisman at the intruders. They instantly backed away, leaving him alone in his private space. At the same time, they continued raining attacks from afar. Ice shards, sapping vines, and tongues of flame impacted his shields one after another.


    To buy himself time, he laid out twelve blue formation flags and twelve water sigils. They formed a mirrorlike shield around him, intercepting all of the incoming attacks.


    First step accomplished. The defensive formation, while small, was just there to buy him time. He extended his soul outward, probing the limits of the illusory formation while his shield weakened little by little. One¡­ Five¡­ Twelve¡­ Seventeen¡­ Twenty-four! All twenty-four nodes appeared in his mind''s eye, along with the formation lines. Circulation of water energy between these eight points is vital¡­ Now to make it circulate even more.


    He threw out twelve rarely used green flags, followed by twelve green sigils. His qi surged as he poured eight percent of his wood qi into the combat sigils. Meanwhile, he summoned his Clear Sky Brush from thin air and sent out brushstroke after brushstroke of green liquified elemental essence.


    Three more breaths¡­


    Unfortunately, it was then that he heard fierce roars as his opponents activated their consumption abilities. Their powers increased by an entire sub-realm. The shield began to crack and break before shattering into a thousand shards of blue qi.


    "You''re mine!" a voice yelled.


    Cha Ming swiftly used Stormchaser Steps to move around them, turning lethal stabs and bashes into cuts only inches deep. Meanwhile, he continued painting the remaining formation lines.


    Three¡­ Two¡­ One¡­ Done. As the last green brushstroke landed, the formation consolidated. The moisture in the environment instantly disappeared, and the five devils finally appeared in plain sight as massive vines wriggled out of the forest floor.


    "What have you done?" the most powerful lust devil yelled. Evidently she was distraught by the illusory formation''s disappearance. Their energy had been drained to supplement the formation that Cha Ming had laid down, the Lesser Thousand Vines Formation.


    It was peculiar in that it was a constricting formation that devoured energy. Often they were laid down with supportive water formations that were sacrificed to feed the vines. In this case, Cha Ming used the opponent''s water formation as the sacrifice.


    Cha Ming didn''t bother to discuss it with them. He immediately set half the vines on the two lust devils, who could only cry out as their water-based vitality was sapped away. Meanwhile, the other vines intercepted the other three devils, who began fleeing.


    Cha Ming darted out, abandoning the formation he had laid to catch the fastest of the devils, the wrath devil. He sent out an ice-based talisman to trap the devil in an icy prison and then laid down a combat formation to finish him off with deadly spikes.


    Two more to go. The next fastest, the early-foundation-establishment greed devil, was already ten miles away. Cha Ming slapped out a talisman to further increase his speed by fifty percent. Soon, the greed devil appeared in his line of sight.


    "Why do you bother with us?" the devil said in a panicked voice. "We clearly wouldn''t have picked on you if you hadn''t invited yourself in."


    "I''m afraid that I don''t need a reason to hunt creatures like you," Cha Ming said. He summoned a flaming combat formation around the devil, who could only wail in agony but couldn''t escape. Cha Ming was simply too fast. He could move the formation and kite him at his leisure.


    "You won''t escape our master," the devil howled. "I''ll be back, and we''ll see who has the last laugh in the end."


    The devil soon melted into a puddle of gold, which Cha Ming retrieved along with the devil''s bag of holding. Then he disappeared in the direction of the gluttony devil. It was a creature of the forest, surrounded by living trees and animals. There was no way it could escape Cha Ming''s twenty-mile detection radius.


    Cha Ming rushed through the trees for a half hour before finally catching up to the large creature with barklike skin. It was surrounded by an acidic pond.


    "Just give up and accept your fate," Cha Ming said. "I''ll grant you a quick death."


    The devil hesitated. "Fine," it said, throwing up its arms. In response, Cha Ming summoned twelve gold sigils, covering the area around the monster with thousands of golden blades. It quickly hacked him apart until only a solid green core was left.


    Suddenly, Cha Ming eyesight went blurry, then black. Pain overwhelmed him as power seared his eyes with the appearance of a ninth rune. An ancient voice sounded out within his mind, granting him inspiration on a new source of power.


    Only those who share my will can understand my resolve.


    Information surged into Cha Ming''s mind. He quickly became aware of an intangible will that had been building up inside him as he slew devils one after another. It was the power of devil sealing, Devil-Sealing Intent. He instantly knew that from now on, whatever talismans he crafted and whatever formations or battle techniques he executed, would contain this special power. Even simple fist strikes would now be imbued with the power of devil sealing, naturally restraining the devils. And while the power was quite weak now, it would grow stronger with his increasing kill count.


    Time to free those prisoners, Cha Ming thought. Unfortunately, a third of them had died due to the aftershocks of the battle. He fed and healed the ones that remained and escorted them to a nearby city, where they were sorted out by the local lord. There was no reward, but that didn''t matter. He had tempered himself and steadied his cultivation, and he had developed Devil-Sealing Intent.


    Besides, he had also earned five devil kills, enough to earn him more much-needed lessons from Lu Tianhao. There wasn''t much time remaining, and Cha Ming had to make the best use of these quiet days.


    ***


    "I wonder who leaked the information," Prince Lei grumbled.


    "It''s difficult to say," Wang Jun said. "Someone may have intercepted the minister''s correspondence. They may have also connected the dots when they saw the vast amount of demon-beast materials being bought out by the Jade Bamboo Conglomerate and your residence. Either way, things aren''t looking good."


    "Do you think they''ll be able to hold out until the materials arrive?" Prince Lei asked. They were both drinking tea in Wang Jun''s tent, the most spy-proof tent in their camp.


    Wang Jun shook his head. "Not with their current strength, even with the information I send. However, there is a way to make things happen. I''ll need to sneak out again."


    Prince Lei frowned. "What could possibly sway the odds in our favor?"


    "You''re better off not knowing," Wang Jun replied.


    ***


    A figure appeared from the shadows in front of Huxian''s cave. "Still feeling depressed?" he asked. There was silence for a few moments before the sound of dragging paws, followed by Huxian''s pathetic figure appeared. He was both depressed and wounded.


    "What do you want?" Huxian asked.


    "You''re losing this war," Wang Jun pointed out.


    "You''re not wrong, but it''s not like I can''t escape at the last minute," Huxian said. He was right of course, but Wang Jun could tell that he wouldn''t. His character was too proud. But if things dragged on, he would die. And so would Cha Ming.


    "I''ve come with a gift," Wang Jun explained, retrieving a jade box from his robes. He opened the box and revealed three treasures.


    Huxian''s eyes glittered. "One five-hundred-year-old flood-dragon heart fungus, one thousand-year-old silver jasmine root, and one earth-demon core crystal. What''s the catch?"


    "You remember those six hundred jin of immortal-jade core?" Wang Jun said. "I want five hundred of it to be handed off to me secretly when we conduct the initial trade. I don''t want the others to know."


    Huxian nodded. "Definitely worth it. You have yourself a deal."


    Wang Jun placed the box on the ground without another word and walked back into the shadows.


    ***


    Huxian left his mountain after handing the earth-demon core crystal to the geomantic boa. It wouldn''t be an issue for her to break through to peak purification with it, greatly increasing their terrain advantage. He naturally had another candidate for the silver jasmine root. It was just a matter of whether he would accept it.


    "Silverwing, do you have a bit?" Huxian yelled to the tall spire where Silverwing''s cave was. He was greeted by an empty silence. Shaking his head, he tossed the jasmine root onto the ground. It emitted a smell that most demon beasts found irresistible.


    "The war is going terribly down there," Huxian said. "I have a treasure here that will help you break through. It''s strictly business, so no need to thank me." Then, seeing that Silverwing wouldn''t come out easily, he ran back to his own mountain peak. He wasn''t there when a silver bird swooped down and grabbed the root, taking it back to its cave at the peak of the spire.

 134 Parallel Arts

    A complex combat formation lit up in front of Cha Ming, an array of green complementing an array of red. It conjured a living green flame that sought to consume and grow. This was a new type of formation to Cha Ming, one that he''d learned out of necessity. Learning formations was draining his ample coffers much more quickly than he found comfortable. He simply couldn''t afford an extra set or two of sigil focuses, though this didn''t really matter because no one would sell them to him. The only solution was to use two-element formations.


    They had their advantages and disadvantages, of course. A Living Flame Combat Formation could not be countered with water or metal, since water fed the flame and metal was weakened by it. The downside was that it became somewhat vulnerable to flame, and its effectiveness against metal was decreased. Earth, however, could no longer absorb the heat that shattered through it using the wood element, so the flame was no longer at half strength but rather fifty percent more effective than a neutral formation. Everything was balanced.


    Cha Ming withdrew the formation as quickly as he had formed it. In order to finance his increasing collection of formation flags and formation crystals, he had started painting talismans again. He was pleased to discover that the occupations were complementary. What would have taken a month before now took less than a week to learn, so Cha Ming was quickly able to paint lesser-grade talismans on a regular basis.


    Meanwhile, the amount of emotional depth he could infuse into his talismans increased with his qi capacity. His poetic talismans were now mid-grade ones. In addition, he was surprised to discover that any he had created previously could be augmented a single grade. They were unlike any other talisman he had ever seen. They grew with him.


    Cha Ming''s soul developed as he studied Jun Xiezi''s painting. His knowledge of dual-element combat formations and both single- and dual-element standard formations grew exponentially. He started to sell lesser-grade talismans through the Alabaster Group to vetted buyers, funding his increasingly large collection of formation flags and formation stones.


    One day as he was meditating, he recalled his first excursion outside the city. A small vial appeared in his hand with but a thought. It contained the golden liquid that resonated with the Clear Sky Brush. The resonating feeling appeared once more as he withdrew the vial.


    What use could you have? he thought. People sometimes use evanescence to increase talisman grades, but the cost to benefit ratio is atrocious.


    Sighing, he uncorked the cap and sucked it into the Clear Sky Brush. The brush passed emotions on to Cha Ming¡ªpleasure and satisfaction. He sent his awareness into the Clear Sky Space and noticed that one-tenth of a jin evaporated into nothing. One-ninth, however, was deposited into its own small pool beside the pool of liquified elemental essence.


    Things didn''t stop there. Out of nowhere, a small channel appeared in the liquified elemental essence lake, leading it to the small pool of gold evanescence. Cha Ming didn''t stop it, figuring that there must be a reason for this behavior.


    Cha Ming looked on as the pool of evanescence diluted again and again. A ninth of a jin of evanescence was diluted into one hundred, then a thousand, then nine thousand jin of liquified elemental essence. The normally blue liquid was now light gold in color.


    Is it just normal ink? he thought, summoning the light gold liquid to his brush. He infused gold qi into it and guided it with spiritual force. He tried it on a least-grade talisman. Unfortunately, something went wrong, and the talisman crumbled into nothing.


    The ink is very different, he thought. It''s like it has a completely different nature, and it''s not compatible with my current painting technique. Then it dawned on him. He recalled the book he had studied previously, Five-Element Talisman Artistry¡ªA Primer.


    That''s right, he thought. The light gold ink seems more aligned with nature. If that''s the case, I should use a technique that''s more in line with nature as well.


    Cha Ming tried again. This time, instead of light slashes, he made bold, incisive strokes. At the same time, they were soft and malleable. It was a mystical brush technique, one that Cha Ming had greatly admired when he first read about it.


    One by one, the brushstrokes laid runes and lines down onto the sheet of paper. It wasn''t long before the paper turned light gold. Amazed at the success, he tried ten more times. One success piled up after another. Intrigued by this result, he moved onto a lesser-grade talisman of gold alignment. Here too, he met with great success. He didn''t fail a single time as long as he utilized the Five-Element Talisman Artistry method, but he would invariably fail miserably if he used his previous method.


    In fact, this familiar feeling reminded Cha Ming of formations. Formations naturally stabilized together because they were in harmony, both with themselves and with heaven and earth. His previous talismans had not been made using proper materials and the proper form, so they felt unnatural. Now that he had corrected his mistake, his talismans were automatically coming together without much strain on his part.


    This was great news for the current Cha Ming, since he was low on funds. One more day generated enough income to buy the next set of evanescence. He returned to the Talisman Artist Guild and sold the talismans at nine-tenths their face value, a privilege that only master artists enjoyed. After eight more days, he had completed the cycle and purchased one jin of each element. He had even made a small profit.


    The only thing that concerned Cha Ming now was how to remedy his problem with combat formations since he couldn''t purchase more sigil focuses. That and stabilizing his cultivation. He could get the pills whenever he wanted, since his regular work with Mo Tianshen was proceeding smoothly, and the experiments were promising. Over the course of the past month, they had narrowed down the number of powder compounds to five and the number of rune materials to ten. The remaining experiments revolved around optimizing rune structure, dosages, and powder balance.


    How to optimize my base sigils, Cha Ming thought. Sigil focuses were reusable, but he had tried to stick two different elements into a single sigil focus in the past. The results had been disastrous.


    All I can do is upgrade them for the time being.


    Unlike his foundation-establishment pillars, which only contained the barest stable sigil for each element, he could continue building onto the foundation of his sigil focuses. In fact, he didn''t even have to completely reprogram the focus. Withdrawing one from the rosary on his wrist, he made a gesture that ripped out the existing sigil base. The multiple characters imbued inside the malleable blob remained, and they were still linked to the base sigil. Cha Ming opened his mind''s eye as he used his newfound comprehension in talisman artistry to imagine the remaining structure. The outline of the full sigil of water became clear to him.


    Cha Ming breathed deeply and summoned the dark-blue ink that had appeared when he mixed water evanescence with liquified elemental essence. His strokes were fluid but turbulent, showing resistance and momentum simultaneously. It wasn''t long before the perfect water sigil snapped into place. After sending it back into the sigil focus, its effectiveness had increased by thirty percent. Further, retracting energy from the sigil focus led to a very minor loss in qi. Only a single point out of one hundred was lost. Having met with success, he repeated the same process for all hundred and eight sigils.


    All in all, it was a very eventful week and a half. He had made great progress in terms of talisman arts, sigils, and formations. All he was missing now was time. And a solution to his combat-formation problem.


    ***


    Boom.


    Cha Ming was thrown back into a wall. For the twentieth time today, he had lost his formation battles against Lu Tianhao. "Let''s stop here," the white-haired man said. "Do you know why you keep losing?"


    "Because of the combat sigils," Cha Ming said.


    "That''s right," Lu Tianhao said. "While the dual-element formations have their advantages, it''s simply impossible to fight me adequately with them. They aren''t strong enough to take advantages of those instances where double effectiveness is desired instead of fifty percent greater. You''ve capped the power of your formations."


    Cha Ming knew he was right, but he was helpless. "If I could get additional sigil focuses, I would. However, the embargo by the Wang family caught me where I''m weakest. I can buy formation flags just fine, but procuring focuses would take a three-week journey to another kingdom."


    "It''s only three weeks," Lu Tianhao said.


    "To you it''s only three weeks, but I have less than six weeks left," Cha Ming said. "I just don''t have the time or the funds. I''m better off cultivating and learning more lesser-grade formations. Maybe I''ll be able to scrounge enough funds to make more formation flags at the mid-grade level."


    Lu Tianhao sighed. "I have a spare set of combat sigils, but you can''t even use them. And I can''t send someone in the Alabaster Group to purchase them on your behalf, because all of us have been embargoed."


    "Sorry," Cha Ming said sheepishly.


    "They''ll get what''s coming to them, don''t you worry about that," Lu Tianhao replied. A cold gleam appeared in his eyes. "If I hadn''t transcended, this would already be resolved. I absolutely hate it when people make good men suffer for the sake of petty political squabbles."


    "I''ll figure something out," Cha Ming said.


    ***


    That night, Cha Ming sat on the cold stone floor of a practice room. It was a durable one, as Cha Ming wasn''t sure what would happen when he tried his crazy idea. It would stretch the very limits of his capabilities. He summoned a water sigil like before, separating the sigil from the focus. It was in its perfect, upgraded form.


    Instead of painting directly on it, he started creating another sigil. This time, he painted the full form of the wood sigil. Once this was complete, he followed up with the fire sigil, the earth sigil, and the gold sigil. All five floated before him in a neat circle. After resting, he continued by drawing the outer ring and inner star. He did this with pure liquified elemental essence, untainted by any elements. He didn''t even use creation or destruction qi, as neither could be imbued into the liquified elemental essence.


    The sigils snapped together into a stable formation once the last line was drawn. The liquified elemental essence turned white and black.


    "Excellent," Cha Ming whispered. "Now fuse!" He motioned for the mutable sigil focus to combine with the five-sigil ring. Its liquidlike form began encapsulating the symbols, incorporating a quarter, then one half of it. But that was all.


    Cha Ming frowned. Is it too large to fit into the sigil focus? Using his half-step resplendent soul, he began compressing the sigil. It shrunk by twenty percent, allowing the blob to incorporate slightly more of the combined matrix. A little more.


    The formation began to shiver slightly as he compressed it further. The instability grew significantly, but the volume integrated into the blob only increased slightly.


    Just a little more, he thought. He pressed the formation further and heard a loud snap. Suddenly, great destructive power rampaged through the room. Even the five sigils that made the formation were disrupted, resulting in an explosion of all five elements. Cha Ming quickly slapped an ice shield talisman on himself and protected his vitals with his qi.


    The smoke cleared, and Cha Ming discovered that, aside from slight damage to his body, nothing else had happened. The room was very durable. What left him most surprised was that the sigil focus was unharmed save for the loss of the many runes that swam within it. It was now pure and unaligned.


    The result, while devastating, was quite encouraging to Cha Ming. Although he had lost some elemental essence and a bit of time, he had proven that it was possible to link the sigils together, much like the foundation-establishment matrix in his dantian. Whether or not he could compress them enough was a different matter.


    Perhaps it''s a matter of luck.


    Over the next week, there were many explosions in that same practice room. But there were no successes, only failures.


    ***


    The deadline was approaching, and Cha Ming was beyond stressed. He had wasted an entire week. He would have been better off traveling to another kingdom, politics be damned.


    Naturally, he decided to visit the art gallery for inspiration. The last time he had visited, he met Jun Xiezi, who had resolved his problem.


    Who knows, Cha Ming thought. Maybe I''ll meet another mystical character who can help me.


    Instead of looking through paintings, Cha Ming decided to look at sculptures. He had always admired sculptors. The precision and the visualization in their work was mind-boggling. He had always wondered how someone could lay eyes on a piece of marble and say: This is definitely a man and a woman frolicking in the wilderness.


    There were nude statues and clothed statues, statues of landscapes and statues of cities. Like the art gallery before, he started by looking at amateur works and proceeded to look at the works of great artists. There was something to appreciate in every piece.


    After spending the whole day in the main gallery, he stopped by the premium sculpture exhibition. He walked in, and to his surprise, he saw Jun Xiezi once more. No one else was there, so he cracked a joke. "I don''t suppose you sculpted this one as well?"


    "Cha Ming?" Jun Xiezi said. "Gods no. It''s hard enough to push your limits as a painter. How could I possibly think of taking up another equally difficult art form?"


    "Equally difficult?" Cha Ming said. "But in art, there is so much depth of color. It is something statues can''t hope to achieve."


    "But what they lose in color, sculptures make up in their three-dimensional shape," Jun Xiezi replied. "Just think about it. Could you possibly imagine creating such a vivid sculpture?" he said, motioning to the large exposition in front of them. It was a single giant sculpture made of marble. There were twelve characters in the sculpture, all equally flawless and expressive.


    "The hardest thing about sculpting," Jun Xiezi said, "is that you need to work with the material you''re given. You can''t just take a big block of marble and do whatever you like with it. A single wrong move and you could shatter the piece in half. You need to work with its nature, drawing out its potential into a sort of compromise between your will and the stone''s. When I paint, I don''t need to worry about all this."


    Cha Ming nodded. "You mentioned before that you go look at paintings to relax. Why do you come look at sculptures?"


    "For inspiration," Jun Xiezi replied. "Sometimes when you paint, you imitate three dimensions using two dimensions, shading, and color. It''s very difficult, and sometimes looking at something in the proper three dimensions can help. I mean, look at this." He waved at the sculpture. "You have twelve people, but they aren''t standing beside each other. Some are leaning over each other, while others are sleeping on one another. That lady there is seated on her husband while holding a baby. It''s not just a matter of fitting twelve people together; it''s a matter of meshing them together in a way that works for everyone while still maintaining the nature of the marble. It''s a fascinating piece of work."


    "You see here," Jun Xiezi started as he looked behind him. But Cha Ming had already disappeared. He had gotten the inspiration he needed, and he didn''t want to let it slip through his fingers.

 135 Tooth and Nail

    Cha Ming was excited, a stark contrast to his stressed and fatigued demeanor less than an hour ago, rushing back after hearing Jun Xiezi''s words. The sigils were like pieces of granite. They couldn''t be forced together however he wanted. They needed to be placed in accordance with their nature.


    He secluded himself in the stone room once more. Once again, he painted the five sigils he wished to join, along with the supporting black-and-white framework.


    If I can''t compress them together on the same plane, what if I twist them?


    He carefully used his incandescent force to twist both the water sigil and the earth sigil clockwise. As they twisted, so did the framework. The sigils realigned themselves accordingly. To Cha Ming''s surprise, however, they didn''t simply move rigidly with the frame. Rather, the frame slid alongside the sigils to keep them facing outward.


    It seems they have a preferred orientation, Cha Ming thought. I need to work with this. At no point can I have them facing anywhere but outward.


    As he continued twisting, he pressed them toward each other. As expected, there was much less resistance to this movement. He continued to twist and compress, twist and compress. The white circle was now a white spiral, and the black star no longer looked so starlike. In fact, both the white spiral and the black "helix," for lack of a better word, got thicker as the length between each point reduced.


    Cha Ming began to worry that it was going too well. The sigils had smoothly collapsed to half of their original volume, and it still continued. Since things were going so well, he was hesitant to try incorporating the twisting formation into the sigil focus.


    I''ll wait until I hit a barrier or limit. One half soon became four tenths, and four tenths became three. The sphere was an optimal three-dimensional shape. It minimized volume for any specific radius.


    To Cha Ming''s amazement, as he pressed them together, the sigils themselves began to change. It started with a subtle shifting in their runic structure. The inner side became thinner, and the outside became bulkier. The original black and white lines had also quadrupled in thickness. In fact, Cha Ming felt as though they were almost touching.


    A little more, he thought. And then he heard a pop. The formation in his hands had stabilized in the three-dimensional shape. It was now in the form of a perfect sphere. And in between each gap of five colors and black and white, a cloudy gray substance had filled in. The same gray he had seen in his meridians.


    He didn''t hesitate to fuse the sigil with the sigil focus, merging them together like drops of water, and the sigil focus''s color changed from clear to the same gray that filled the spaces. The same gray as Fuxi''s brush. And the same gray as the qi seals connecting his qi pathways. At that moment, Cha Ming felt like he had discovered a universal truth.


    He didn''t notice as the qi of heaven and earth rushed into him, replenishing his dantian, his body, and his soul. He didn''t notice as one after another, he summoned sigils into existence with a few swishes of his brush. He didn''t notice as his whole rosary turned gray.


    Nor did he notice when every stroke of his brush brought hundreds of runes into existence, which rushed into the gray sigil focuses. He was a heavenly painter, bringing something very natural into the world.


    ***


    Lu Tianhao sat at his desk, gently holding his late daughter''s doll. Oh, how he missed her. But there was no bringing her back. Even the few immortals he had asked were helpless. A person would always be reincarnated, but they wouldn''t be the same person as before. By the time he had found his daughter, she was already living a happy life with her new family. His own daughter was dead, and someone else''s daughter was born. How could he take her away from them?


    That was how his hunt for devils began. Since his strength was feeble in a transcendent realm, he headed for the lower realms, where he would be at the peak of power. His actions would be limited, yes, but he could guide others onto the correct path. Like he did his brother for a time. It ended badly, but for hundreds of years they accomplished great deeds together.


    Treachery, Lu Tianhao thought. I have experienced treachery far too often in this life. First one, then the other.


    Suddenly, he felt all the energy in the city moving toward him.


    No, he thought, to somewhere else in the building. It moved toward a remote corner in the Alabaster Group, the practice room that Cha Ming had rented. The disturbance was far too great for him to ignore. In a flash, he appeared beside Cha Ming. He watched as the young man painted with blank eyes and created sigils as though they were nothing. He fused them into forms Tianhao couldn''t understand, and he painted runes by the hundreds.


    Is this enlightenment on the Dao? Such an experience could never be sought, only found by chance. And as his teacher, it was his duty to be his Dao protector.


    Lu Tianhao''s eyes flickered as he sensed an approaching transcendent. The man wore a black cloak and emanated a deadly baleful aura. Tianhao flashed in front of him, blocking his path. "What are you doing in my territory, pray tell? Do you think I''m afraid of you?"


    The black-cloaked figure''s eyes looked toward the practice room where Cha Ming was located. "Enlightenment on the Dao? Such a precious moment. Surely you don''t think you can prevent me from disrupting him?"


    "I''m afraid normal distractions won''t cause him to bat an eyelash," Tianhao said calmly. "But if you actually harm him, I''m sure you know the consequences. Do you think it''s worth it?"


    The man swished his sleeve, sending howling winds toward the Alabaster Group''s building. Everything shook, causing much noise to permeate the entire complex. This included Cha Ming''s chamber. Naturally, he didn''t wake.


    The cloaked man shook his head. "Not worth it, then. Protect away." He disappeared in a puff of smoke.


    "What about you all?" Tianhao said, projecting his voice across the city. Many figures in Daoist robes came out of hiding and bowed. They were all core-formation ants, and they knew better than to barge into the Alabaster Group''s territory. After all, there was a bit of a workaround to transcendent interference. He had installed a Five-Element Purple Helios Formation in the building but had granted the control to others in the group. If they acted, using the formation and spirit stones, they could decimate anyone at core formation or below. It wouldn''t incur too much karma for him either. It was all about intent, after all. Making a shield to defend someone didn''t upset the plane''s will so badly, but attacking could damn near kill you.


    I wonder how long it will last, he thought before sitting cross-legged in meditation. A single glare of his was enough to frighten just about anyone away.


    ***


    "Rise and shine," a gentle voice said, waking Cha Ming from his sleep. He felt the stone floor beneath him as well as a sticky puddle. It was blood.


    "What happened?" Cha Ming asked, groaning.


    "You gained enlightenment on the Dao, creating some very mysterious sigils in the process," the voice said. Cha Ming now recognized it as Lu Tianhao. "I was negligent. At the end of the enlightenment session, you collapsed while at your weakest. You bumped your head very hard, and you know how scalp wounds are. They bleed like an open faucet. Doubly so for someone with such powerful vitality, since you regenerate your blood faster than it bleeds out."


    Cha Ming opened his eyes and saw his white-haired, white-robed teacher seated in front of him. Off to the side were the hundred and eight sigil focuses. He willed them to his wrist and finally noticed that they were gray.


    "Gray¡­" Cha Ming said. "That''s right. I found a way to fuse the five elemental sigils. I condensed them into an eight-colored sphere. Everything merged into gray."


    "I should add that you somehow added around ten thousand runes to each sigil focus within twenty-four hours," Lu Tianhao said. "I''m not entirely sure which feat is most impressive. Regardless, you should probably come up with a name for these sigils. They are entirely new, and I can''t promise you I won''t copy them."


    "The five elements came from destruction and creation," Cha Ming said while standing up, "and this gray feels like the fusion between creation and destruction. But the Dao created two, and two created many. Then is this gray the Dao?"


    "A bold assumption to say the least," Lu Tianhao huffed.


    "Then it''s settled," Cha Ming said. "I''ll be bold for once. I''ll call these Dao sigils." He heard the older man chuckle. "Now then, let''s have a rematch."


    ***


    "Are you ready?" Tianhao asked. Cha Ming nodded and bowed. "Begin!"


    The white-robed man cast out twenty-four flaming sigils that turned into twenty-four formations. One hundred and fifty thin threads shot out from the twenty-four sigils, threatening to form a Lesser-Grade Burning Dragon Combat Formation. In response, Cha Ming shot out twenty-four Dao sigils that morphed into blue formations. He laid them down so that they blocked the red lines being formed. Blue tendrils shot out to form a Lesser-Grade Ice Dragon Combat Formation.


    To his surprise, however, Lu Tianhao retrieved these sigils and cast out twenty-four earth sigils. In turn, Cha Ming retrieved his and cast out twenty-four more Dao sigils. They continued this dance for many cycles as Cha Ming wondered as to the point of it all. The result of such a cycle was a draw. Or was it?


    It got Cha Ming thinking. Why was he spending so much time retrieving the sigils? Why didn''t he keep them out and exchange the qi after taking it back?


    Cha Ming decided to try it. He changed his earth formation to a metal formation, then swiftly withdrew the wood qi and inserted fire qi. He also slightly changed their positions to accommodate a new combat formation as quickly as possible.


    To his surprise, Lu Tianhao kept the pace. The speed he used was clearly not the fastest he was capable of. Despite Cha Ming''s increased speed, the cycle continued. After many cycles, Cha Ming finally began to wonder¡ªwhy was there a need to withdraw and insert qi in the first place? He could convert qi by two steps if he so chose. That is, his wood qi could either become fire qi or earth qi. This was one of the wonders of his Perfect Five Elements cultivation technique.


    Once again, Cha Ming''s pace increased. He didn''t withdraw his qi. Rather, he simply willed it to become the next element in sequence, and it was so. His gold formation became a water formation directly in response to Lu Tianhao''s shift from a wood formation to a fire formation.


    After a few more cycles, he didn''t even withdraw the qi tendrils. Instead he shifted the sigil formations from one position to the next while changing the runes and the qi element in the formation lines simultaneously. Then when Tianhao''s pace increased once more, he thought about how else he could save time. Why did he need to completely shift the formations? Could he perhaps shift to two-element formations? Then he would only need to change twelve runes out of twenty-four. The new runic lines would be substantially reduced as well.


    As Tianhao''s gold formation shifted to water to counter Cha Ming''s shift from wood to fire, Cha Ming instead chose to transform half his formation. Instead of changing to an earth formation, the counter to water, he only shifted half of the fire to earth. He used his spare soul force to rapidly condense them, finally creating the first formation of their match, the Lesser Magma Formation. Tianhao could only grit his teeth and activate his combat formation, which could only show three-fourths of its prowess as opposed to Cha Ming''s, which could show one and a half.


    "Impressive," Lu Tianhao said. "But how will you deal with this?" He threw out another twelve sigils. Runic lines shot from these sigils and joined his existing formation. A mid-grade combat formation activated, and Cha Ming''s magma formation was immediately overwhelmed by their difference in rank.


    "I can''t beat a mid-grade formation," Cha Ming said, shaking his head.


    "Who knows," Lu Tianhao said, shrugging. "If you only use formations, you''re completely correct. However, I''ve seen people break formations with their fists. This entire time, I''ve never prevented you from using all means at your disposal.


    "In any case, let''s stop here for the day. You''re qualified as a lesser-grade formation master now. And now that your cultivation is stable, you should consider breaking through to the next level. You have nothing to gain by remaining in early foundation establishment."


    Cha Ming inspected his qi seas and saw that they were now like still mirrors without any hint of turbidity. His teacher was right. It was time.

 136 Interlude - Fanning the Flames

    The soft spring dirt cushioned Hong Xin''s footsteps as she and Hong Yinyue walked to their next destination. Wherever they went, they would stop at an inn to play. The room and board was free, and whatever tips they made over and above that was theirs to keep.


    It took some time to get used to such favorable treatment. She barely remembered the days when she was a mistreated tavern wench. The only memories that remained were those of a burning man and running in the dead of night. But now she was focused on the road. She loved the road and loved music and loved dancing. She wouldn''t trade them for the world.


    "You have a little hop in your step today," Hong Yinyue said. "What has you so excited all of a sudden?"


    "It will be my first time inside a big city," Hong Xin said. "I''m very excited. Tell me again how many residents Quicksilver has?"


    "Around ten million," Hong Yinyue said calmly. "But that is a conservative estimate. Their domestic policies have greatly increased the wealth and livelihood of their residents. In fact, they have a saying in some political circles. ''Always Be Constructing.'' Whenever they need to make some tough choices, they remind themselves to always choose growth over other minor matters."


    "Ten million," Hong Xin whispered. "That''s an awful lot of people. I could know a dozen people in the city and never see them. Even our performances wouldn''t change that fact."


    It was hot out, so Hong Xin took out one of her red fans to cool down. They called their group the Hong Sisters. It wasn''t her idea, of course. Hong Xin found this title very embarrassing due to Yinyue''s age. She herself was just a woman in her early twenties, but Yinyue had lived for several centuries¡ªor so she said, though she still maintained the appearance of a young woman in her midtwenties.


    "You should focus on the road," Yinyue said, projecting her voice so that only she could hear. Hong Xin''s eyes darted around as she maintained her calm demeanor. Her "elder sister" would only say such things if there was trouble. And trouble meant that Hong Xin would have to take care of it all by herself. Yinyue always refused to act.


    "Could the gentlemen in the woods be so kind as to greet us in person?" Hong Xin asked in a sweet voice that pierced through the hearts of men. A dozen men stumbled out awkwardly, weapons in hand. They all looked at each other in confusion, which made sense, given that her suggestion had changed their original intent to catch them by surprise.


    A person that seemed to be their leader stood forward. "You both know what we want," the man said. "These are hard times, so we need to spread the wealth. Understand?"


    "But we''re just innocent travelers," Hong Xin said, waving her fan in a way that caused the bandits'' hearts to throb. "Surely you wouldn''t harm beautiful ladies such as ourselves."


    The man looked confused but quickly regained his composure. "We won''t hurt you if you give us your money, your instruments, and your fans. We''ve heard the rumors. You Hong sisters get lords and kings begging for your favor and showering you with gifts."


    "So you''ll let us go if we give you our money?" Hong Xin asked with a flutter of her hand, a sway of her hips, and a voice that could compel any man to answer.


    "Y-yes, of course," the man said nervously.


    Lies. She had gotten very good at spotting them. It came from having to put up with all the flattery and the promises. It obviously didn''t help the man''s case that the dozens of men behind him were releasing enough murderous intent for a thousand men.


    "Elder Sister Yinyue," Hong Xin said gently, "could I please get some music?"


    "Of course," Yinyue replied, chuckling. Before anyone knew it, a jade zither had appeared before her. Her fingers plucked some introductory notes, setting the stage for Hong Xin. Hong Xin knew that Yinyue could decimate the group if she wanted to with those same notes, but she intentionally kept the music normal. It was an accompaniment, nothing more.


    The temporary confusion subsided as the bandits realized what was happening. They began to organize themselves in a formation. Hong Xin would have none of that. Her body twirled as she made eye contact with them. Their hearts melted, and they couldn''t help but let their weapons fall. A swish of her fan brought blazing flames to scorch them. It was only then that they realized they were completely helpless.


    "Mercy!" the leader said. He tried to pick up his weapon, but the burning metal singed his hand. His arms were blistering under the intense whirlwind of flame conjured by the single fan.


    "I don''t show mercy to creatures such as you," Hong Xin whispered. Then, with a murderous look, she swung both her fans and intensified the flames fourfold. And inside the flames she saw three figures growing and mutating. One had gold skin, and another''s was barky. Yet another had fiery eyes, but his fire was nothing in front of her flames. In fact, an inner fire could be seen burning out of control from inside him. His pent-up anger came to a head and cracked through his skin, destroying him from the inside out.


    Soon, nothing remained but ashes. Hong Xin swept both her fans, and the ashes blew into the nearby woods. Then, the last note sounded.


    "Your dance is getting better," Yinyue noted.


    "It''s because I get so much practice," Hong Xin replied. "Who would have thought that so many of these creatures were plaguing the countryside."


    "It will only get worse," Yinyue said, sighing. She stowed away her zither, and they continued their journey.


    That day, the Hong Sisters played in the northern side of Quicksilver. They passed by the Alabaster Group and proceeded without stopping. After all, the city was huge. Even if they knew a dozen people in the city, it wasn''t likely they would spot each other.


    And in this city, Hong Xin only knew one person.

 137 Beast Tamer

    Huxian overlooked the battle at the base of the mountain with a worried expression. He was busy conserving his energy for his breakthrough and couldn''t spare any to help the beasts getting slaughtered by the dozens. It didn''t help that the geomantic boa was undergoing her breakthrough either. And Silverwing¡­ well, he wasn''t sure what Silverwing was up to. He hadn''t seen Silverwing in a long while.


    Down below, beasts from all nine peaks were clashing with cultivators sent by Zhou Li and the crown prince. Kings were mingled in with lords while mid-foundation-establishment cultivators were mixed in with initial- and early-foundation-establishment experts. The lesser beasts weren''t qualified to mingle. It was a meat grinder.


    The seven remaining sovereigns, on the other hand, held back. They were the reserve force that kept the late- and peak-foundation-establishment cultivators in check. The core-formation cultivator on the human side didn''t participate at all, and neither did the owl monarch, but Huxian could constantly feel their senses assessing the situation, ready to jump in at any moment.


    The natural defenses were breaking down. Trenches and walls that had been erected by the geomantic boa before her seclusion were collapsing. There were traps in random places throughout the mountain that the beasts used to their advantage. However, they were outnumbered and outclassed. The reinforcements brought over by the humans had greatly changed the tides, and their battles became increasingly savage. The last few days had been loss after loss for the Silverwing beasts.


    Down below, a ferret lord summoned the power of earth to fight against a water cultivator, but he was firmly suppressed by a nearby wood cultivator. Wood cultivators that focused on battle were rare but not unheard of. It didn''t take long for the ferret lord to be felled by the human tide as they rushed to take over Silverwing''s mountain. They were like a knife cutting through the butterlike battle formation the beasts had erected. Tactics were never their strong suit, and the absence of the geomantic boa aggravated that weakness.


    Huxian saw the sovereigns looking on nervously as the file of human cultivators began encircling them from the high ground. It was a turning point in the battle. Five of the seven launched into battle, intending to eliminate the threat, but they were quickly intercepted by five cultivators on flying swords.


    "Are you sure you want to be interfering in the matters of juniors?" an old man said.


    The Reptilian Lion Sovereign roared and pounced on that same cultivator. His strength was overbearing, to the point that three human cultivators were forced to step in to restrain him. Meanwhile, four other sovereigns joined the fray. There was a small pink bird, a massive wolf that blended in with the shadows, and a lanky monkey that controlled the nearby greenery. And surprisingly, a massive panda.


    The cultivators were at the peak of foundation establishment but couldn''t obtain any advantage from the beasts. It was a well-known fact that beasts on the same tier were invincible. The heavens, in their fairness, made their advancement incomparably difficult in exchange.


    Seeing that the lesser beasts would be routed, the two other sovereigns dove toward the spear of cultivators, intending to decimate them. These were the sovereigns with the fiercest attack power, Mantis Sovereign and Eagle Sovereign. They were also the fastest.


    Unfortunately, it seemed the humans were prepared for this. Six cultivators dove in to intercept them, rendering their efforts to join the battle useless.


    "How could we possibly let you take away this victory from us?" one of the cultivators said while exerting himself to block the two incoming sovereigns. "This battle will end in a landslide victory!"


    Huxian, who was overseeing the battle from his cave, was tempted to halt his breakthrough to interfere. With his help, the situation would easily be defused. But then he wouldn''t be prepared for their last wave and the inevitable reinforcements.


    But I can''t just let them die like this, he thought. They won''t last much longer.


    It was then that he felt demonic energy pervading the mountain range, rushing toward a single point in the middle ranges of his mountain.


    Great! he thought. The geomantic boa broke through!


    It took no time at all for it to complete the absorption and erupt with sovereign-level power. The mountain ranged shuddered as the boa tunneled through the rocky ground. Then, the shuddering subsided. The humans didn''t notice the commotion, but the beasts did and fought with increased fervor.


    Suddenly a mile of earthen spikes shot out of the mountain, impaling several dozen cultivators at once. The nearby beasts took advantage of the opening and began slaughtering the cultivators with impunity. One spike after another appeared, completely negating the humans'' advantageous combat formation.


    "Come out, you silly snake," a human with an authoritative voice shouted. He wore brown robes that flapped in the wind as he flew north of the latest spike with his flying sword and plunged down to the ground. As he dove, he withdrew a much larger sword. The earthen qi that poured into it was blinding.


    "Not you again," a feminine voice slithered. A giant wall of earth was summoned from the ground to intercept the man. His blade plunged through it, but his momentum was greatly weakened. Just as he was about to hit the ground, his eyes narrowed, and he retrieved his sword just in time to avoid a lashing tail.


    The man snorted. "Don''t think you can act up with me around," the man said.


    "Oh?" the geomantic boa replied. "You think you can stop me?"


    "Just try and do something," the man said solemnly, holding his sword in front of him. He seemed like an unmovable fortress, a single soldier to guard the mountain pass.


    "But I already have," the snake said, flicking her tongue. She began attacking the confused man, but Huxian knew exactly what she was talking about.


    The previous spear of cultivators had been completely cut off from their support due to the volley of spikes that had appeared earlier. A substantial portion of the human forces were decimated, and the humans were being forced to retreat. That and the landslide she had started devoured one human cultivator after another. Huxian chuckled. The cultivator who''d used the words "landslide victory" was probably puking blood by now in embarrassment.


    The spear of human cultivators was now more like an arrow at the end of its flight, its momentum spent and unable to cause any further damage. The cultivators were mauled and bitten until they no longer moved.


    "This isn''t over," the man said coldly to the geomantic boa. "Retreat!"


    The cultivators fled toward their camp at once. The beasts chased for a short while before also retreating. Huxian knew full well that this wasn''t the end. There were more and more new arrivals every day, one of which worried Huxian greatly.


    Thinking of that man, he turned his eyes hatefully toward another camp in the mountains. It was a secluded camp with many cages. He watched on as the pale, black-cloaked man worked his vicious magic.


    ***


    The man stared curiously at his next victim. This one was some kind of cross between a bear and a cat. Beasts were so amazing, and their ability to create new species as though it was nothing intrigued him.


    He liked amazing things. They made the best of projects.


    "Open the cage," Guo Jia said. The burly man beside him went to work, lifting a heavy iron grate with the strength of his fleshly body. Guo Jia ducked under the small opening and entered the large cage containing the forty-foot beast. Its paws and neck were chained and anchored to the rocky ground below. "What a fantastic specimen," he whispered, causing the other few people in his camp to shudder.


    Guo Jia withdrew a black pen and began tracing a complicated sigil with black ink. Truth be told, the money he gained by taming beasts or humans wasn''t worth the time or effort. But it was an enjoyable hobby, so tame them he did. His brush painted with fluid motions, forming a complex black sigil. It was different than the slave sigil, as beasts were fundamentally different in nature. Human souls needed to be chained and restrained. With beasts, there was a much more effective method.


    It didn''t take long for him to complete the sigil. He didn''t make any subsidiary master sigils. His own sigil was that of a monarch, while the recipient''s sigil was that of a subject. It burned into the beast''s forehead, and instead of penetrating its soul, it seeped into its blood. After a few breaths'' time, it shuddered in fear as it saw Guo Jia''s overwhelming pressure.


    "Monarch," the beast said, bowing. Guo Jia knew that it recognized his monarch sigil as the bloodline pressure of a true monarch. This was what beasts were weakest to. It was the foundation of their society but a fatal flaw in their organizational structure.


    "Release him," Guo Jia said. His attendants, who were used to these methods, unlatched the chains from their anchors and retrieved them. The bear-cat didn''t dare move in the presence of its monarch. Guo Jia addressed his new servant. "You will now respond to Bear-Cat One."


    "Yes, Master," Bear-Cat One said. He left the cage shortly after and joined the other tamed beasts. They were a growing reserve force that would play an important role at a critical moment.


    Guo Jia looked toward a large cloaked man standing beside him. "Xiao Heilong, how have you been?"


    "Not bad," the man replied. "Some small fry got a good movement technique and managed to give me the slip. Not a big deal."


    Guo Jia snickered. "I always find it strange how calm you are given your nature."


    "And I always find it strange that you don''t frequent brothels, given your nature," Xiao Heilong said. "Instead you have these twisted, perverted pleasures."


    "These are my sweet dreams," Guo Jia said. "Everyone has them. You dream of slaughter and hatred, despite your calm exterior."


    The man grunted. "Whatever. In any case, I brought you a present. Take it as a favor and help me out with that brat later."


    "A present?" Guo Jia said, excited. "For me?" He took a bag from the man. Inside was a slumbering, purple mouse. He used his incandescent force to probe it. To his surprise, it was a peak-purification demon beast.


    "Deal," he said. He took his black brush out once more and started painting.


    ***


    Lei Jiang? Huxian thought, trembling.


    He had been observing Guo Jia''s actions the entire time, but it was the first time he had acted on someone directly related to Huxian. Roaring, he leapt out of his cave and expanded to his forty-foot form. The pressure he emanated, the pressure of a peak-purification Godbeast, was dreadful. He had only used a small part of the herb to break through to this level, and the rest was directed toward his advancement to half-step core formation.


    Huxian''s eyes were murderous as he charged forward. But to his surprise, a shadow dashed in front of him. "Stop," Wang Jun said, materializing from the darkness.


    "I won''t," Huxian shouted. "He''s taking Lei Jiang." He moved to bypass Wang Jun again but noticed that thick shadowy lines were currently entangling him.


    "That''s the same man who enslaved Cha Ming," Wang Jun noted.


    "Then all the more reason to kill him," Huxian snarled, struggling against the tendrils.


    "You''ll die if you go there," Wang Jun said calmly. "Another one of Cha Ming''s enemies is down there, Xiao Heilong. I also want them dead more than anything, but to do that, you need to break through. I''ll let Cha Ming know about the situation and get him to recruit some help for us. It will be expensive, but it will work out for the best. I can spare one hundred thousand high-grade spirit stones. What can you contribute?"


    Huxian hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Very well. I can contribute six stalks of core-stabilization grass. They are the most expensive component for core-formation pills."


    "Good," Wang Jun said. "Those six alone should net us the help of six half-step core-formation cultivators. The other spirit stones should fetch us a few core-formation cultivators as a contingency and a small army of foundation-establishment experts."


    Huxian relaxed substantially. "Fine. I''ll be entering seclusion now. I assume that we still need to survive Zhou Li''s attack before we even consider eliminating that Guo Jia bastard."


    "That''s right," Wang Jun said. "Right now, it''s a national matter. I can''t interfere. But once Zhou Li and the crown prince are gone, there will be nothing stopping us from crushing those from the Obsidian Syndicate and rescuing your pet mouse."


    "He''s not my pet," Huxian snapped.


    He''s my friend, he thought, sighing inwardly.


    ***


    Ring, ring, ring.


    Cha Ming had just finished recovering from his match against Lu Tianhao. He used his qi to activate Wang Jun''s symbol on the core-transmission jade. Wang Jun''s spectre and a giant Huxian appeared.


    "You''ve grown quite a bit since we last spoke," Cha Ming said, raising his eyebrow. The fox immediately shrank in size.


    "You have to help me, Brother," Huxian said.


    Wang Jun raised his hand to cut him off.


    "Brother Cha Ming, we''ll need your help soon," Wang Jun said. "We''ll need you in one month. Huxian and I have amassed a small fortune, and we need you to post a mission in the Alabaster Group."


    Cha Ming hesitated. "What''s the background of the enemies they''ll be facing? I hate to be blunt, but the Alabaster Group is very selective in which missions they accept. Then they need to do background checks. Besides, it likely won''t sit well amongst many of them to fight alongside demon beasts. Beasts have a reputation of slaughtering innocent mortals."


    "That won''t be a problem," Wang Jun replied. "We won''t be attacking anyone from the Song Kingdom directly. This is an operation that will take place after the main battle."


    "Can you elaborate?" Cha Ming asked.


    "The Song Kingdom has been recruiting mercenaries from many organizations. One of these organizations is the Obsidian Syndicate," Wang Jun said. "In fact, your old friends, Xiao Heilong and Guo Jia, are already here. Guo Jia is here taming beasts, and he tamed Huxian''s friend. That''s why he''s so incensed."


    "By taming, you mean enslaving?" Cha Ming asked, his fury mounting.


    "Quite right," Wang Jun said. "The mechanics are different, but the end result is the same."


    "There are also a bunch of weird figures down there. Xiao Heilong and that Guo Jia are only two of them," Huxian cut in. Wang Jun was about to silence him, but Cha Ming thought of something.


    "What did you see?" Cha Ming asked Huxian.


    "Malevolent ochre auras, the sign of devils," Huxian said. "And yellow auras surrounding many cultivators. These mercenaries have spilled much blood and committed many sins."


    "You also obtained the Eyes of Pure Jade?" Cha Ming asked, surprised.


    "We share weal and woe, Brother," Huxian said. "In the future, I will also share such good fortune with you."


    "Good, then it''s decided," Cha Ming said. "Please deliver the funds to me as soon as possible and send me a list after our conversation. I know a senior partner who would be very interested in topping up the reward since devils and the Obsidian Syndicate are involved."


    The call ended, and Cha Ming swiftly made his way to Lu Tianhao''s office.


    ***


    "Are you certain that devils are involved?" Lu Tianhao asked Cha Ming after reviewing the mission briefing.


    "One hundred percent," Cha Ming said. "Not only were Xiao Heilong and Guo Jia from the Obsidian Syndicate spotted, but I know for a fact that Xiao Heilong is a devil. I saw it myself, and I fought against him. So did both of your apprentices, I might add."


    "He is hardly enough of a reason for me to issue additional rewards," Lu Tianhao replied calmly. Cha Ming knew that the man was in a high position and needed to consider the overall situation.


    "The total reward offered by the Wang family is 100,000 high-grade spirit stones," Cha Ming explained. "And the Silverwing Mountain Range offers six stalks of core-stabilizing grass. That aside, there is some information that I didn''t disclose to you previously."


    "Oh?" Lu Tianhao said, raising an eyebrow.


    "When I was still in the qi-condensation realm, I had the good fortune of forming a contract of brotherhood with a talented many-tailed fox," Cha Ming explained. "He is currently one of the sovereigns of the Silverwing Mountain Range. We share weal and woe together, if you understand my implications."


    Lu Tianhao paused for a moment before asking, "How many devils did he confirm are participating?"


    "I''m glad you understand," Cha Ming said, smiling. "He has confirmed that thirty-seven devils have already arrived at the mountain range, with more coming every day."


    Lu Tianhao tapped his fingers as he fiddled with his white hair. He was looking at the small doll on his desk. "Very well," he said. "I will personally sponsor this mission. This is a great opportunity to kill a large number of devils. And we can take a chunk out of the Obsidian Syndicate while we''re at it. I''ll give you a final roster twenty-five days from now."

 138 Fusion

    Cha Ming opened the door to Mo Tianshen''s laboratory. He was a regular now and had a pretty good idea of when it was safe to enter. Today was a scheduled powder-pressing day, which happened concurrently with symbol experiments. Cha Ming could enter at his leisure.


    "Good timing," Mo Tianshen said from the back. As usual, he was pressing powders like a lowly apprentice alchemist. The goal wasn''t speed; it was a matter of replication and whether a dummy could perform the many of the sub-steps to save costs. "The next batch is over there, and I have a good feeling about this one. With any luck, we''ll have a ninth version that''s almost twice as good as the eighth, and at half the price to boot.


    "That''s great news," Cha Ming replied. "However, I''m afraid I''ll have to go abroad in one month''s time. I''m not sure when I''ll be back." He noticed the older man''s expression droop. "How about I find you a bunch of low-leveled talisman artists and teach them the necessary talismans for producing this batch? I don''t believe that even senior alchemists know a good half of these symbols."


    The older man nodded. "Very well. But you need to come back and help me. By then, I''ll have a rather large stockpile for you to process."


    "Deal," Cha Ming said. He got to work immediately, painting one pressed pellet after another. They had gotten to the point where the runes painted no longer cracked. Each pill was effective to lesser or greater extent, and the pill poisons were neutralized to a lesser or greater extent. For this batch, however, he needed to produce one thousand of each pill, as they would be used for human trials.


    The day passed swiftly. While Cha Ming was busy producing the prototype pills, Mo Tianshen was busy in the back. The man was likely producing the next batch of pills required for his breakthrough.


    He finished at sunset. Mo Tianshen walked out from the back at the same time with a look of exhaustion on his face. "You''ll kill me with these pills of yours," the man grumbled, handing two large bottles and two small ones to Cha Ming.


    "These are¡­?" Cha Ming asked.


    "Can''t you read labels?" he said gruffly. "You said you''d be gone for a long time, so I made you both the lesser-grade and mid-grade pills." Cha Ming''s heart warmed when he heard this. "You need to wait until your cultivation stabilizes before using the next batch. Take them the same way as before. And by the way, your pills are killing me. They''re bleeding me dry. I''ll need you to hunt for some materials for the next batch. I''ll need a Nine-Petaled Creation Lotus, a Crimson Annihilation Fruit¡­." The list grew, and Cha Ming took note of each ingredient.


    The alchemist waved his hand, and dozens of jade boxes appeared. So did a jade sickle. "Use the jade sickle to pick them and store them inside these jade boxes. Only pure jade can fight the world''s corruption and impurities after harvesting, allowing them to maintain their freshness and vigor."


    Cha Ming gave the alchemist a heartfelt bow. "I won''t let you down."


    "I don''t actually care if you find the ingredients," the alchemist said nonchalantly. "You''ll have to help me with my experiments regardless, pills or no pills. I''ll beat you to death if you don''t."


    They smiled at each other with amusement.


    ***


    After securing the pills, Cha Ming proceeded to the Talisman Artist Guild and went straight to Jun Xiezi''s office. The man received him warmly. "Have you made another talisman for me yet?" he asked jokingly.


    "Almost," Cha Ming replied. "I have some thoughts on the next one. It relates to ''sharpness.'' I''ll let you know soon. I leave in one month."


    "For?" Jun Xiezi asked.


    "I''m just going on a trip," Cha Ming said. "I''ll be sure to return when it''s done."


    "Make sure you do," Jun Xiezi said sternly. "You owe me, and don''t you forget it. Now then, what brings you to my office today?"


    "Straight to the point, I see," Cha Ming said. "Can we at least chat business over tea?"


    "Ah, so it''s a business matter," Jun Xiezi replied. "I always brew tea over business, and I happen to have a flower tea that just finished growing." The man took out a green ball and threw it into a large pot of hot water. It unfurled into what looked like a rainbow peony. "It''s such a beautiful flower. Simple, but sweet tasting."


    They both merrily sipped tea in the branch leader''s office. "So. Business," Jun Xiezi said.


    "Yes," Cha Ming said. "I need to recruit assistants for Mo Tianshen''s research and for pill production for the upcoming ninth iteration of the cultivation-instillation pill."


    Jun Xiezi raised his eyebrow. "That hardly seems like something I can help you with. Have you tried the Alchemists Association?"


    "You misunderstand me," Cha Ming said, smiling. He then took out his brush and painted dozens of characters in midair. For each character, he withdrew a vial of liquid. "I had an epiphany some time ago. Mo Tianshen and I have been cooperating on a concept called runic alchemy. By using runes, we can enhance medicinal efficacy and manipulate physical properties for application." He motioned to the runes floating in the air. "These runes are all first-grade runes. They can be made with this medicinal ink or with other normal inks."


    "Amazing," Jun Xiezi said. "But I''m afraid that none of our talisman artists know these runes. Even I don''t, somehow, and I''m a grandmaster talisman artist. The heritage I have is incomplete, and my master was unable to pass on more knowledge to me."


    "Thus, my offer," Cha Ming said. "I want you to offer the services of low-level talisman artists, at cost, to Mo Tianshen''s efforts on this project. In return, I will teach the knowledge of all first-grade runes I know to the Talisman Artist Guild."


    Jun Xiezi licked his lips. "All the way up to fifth grade," he said.


    "Come now, second grade is really the best I can do," Cha Ming said.


    "This is an indefinite agreement," Jun Xiezi said, shrugging. "The cost is astronomical, and the benefit of these low-level runes is limited. Fourth grade."


    "You know full well that this will greatly expand the capabilities of the guild as a whole," Cha Ming said. "But you are right that low-level runes won''t have such a big effect. Let''s meet halfway at third grade. I truly can''t pass on much more than this. I''m already stretching the limits of my oath. My students, for the full heritage I possess, must have condensed merit halos. By the way, do keep an eye out for people with thick accumulation of merit. As a favor to me."


    Jun Xiezi''s eye twitched at the mention of merit halos. "Fine. But I want them imprinted on knowledge-transmission jades. That way I won''t need to fetch you to teach students all the time."


    "How does that work?" Cha Ming asked.


    Jun Xiezi pulled out ten jade plates, which Cha Ming saw were similar teaching jades he already had.


    "Pour your qi and incandescent force into these plates," Jun Xiezi said. "Then pour your whole knowledge of these characters and paint them with your mind. The jade slip will preserve the knowledge, and the ones learning will see you ''painting'' them and hear your words as they study the slip."


    "So, I''ll be a teacher to most of the guild," Cha Ming mused.


    "As much of a teacher as someone who writes a textbook," Jun Xiezi said dryly. He watched as Cha Ming poured his knowledge into the slips. "Anything else?" he asked after Cha Ming completed his task.


    "I have one last thing," Cha Ming said. "I always repay kindness, and you''ve given me so much advice free of charge. I felt I should share a discovery I made. But to do that, I need to ask¡ªdo you have a bottle of evanescence? Any kind will do."


    Jun Xiezi pulled out a small golden vial with barely ten drops in it. Cha Ming waved his hand, pulling the stopper from the bottle and retrieving a single drop. Then he waved his brush and sprinkled ten thousand drops of liquified elemental essence into the air. One by one, they fused with the liquified gold evanescence until only a pale golden blob remained.


    "I call this gold essence," Cha Ming said. "Likewise, there exists fire essence, water essence, earth essence, and wood essence."


    "And what is it used for?" Jun Xiezi asked.


    "Well," Cha Ming said, drawing a small portion of the blob into his brush. "If you use the classical techniques for creating talismans, it''s beyond useless. The nature of the talisman will be unstable, as though the ink and the technique were incompatible. In fact, the rune might explode due to the instability." He began to paint a lesser-grade talisman on a slip of paper. "But if the technique conforms with the nature of the ink, the talisman creation will proceed smoothly, almost as smoothly as laying a formation."


    Jun Xiezi watched as Cha Ming painted the talisman from start to finish. A look of enlightenment appeared on his face as Cha Ming placed the last stroke. "This is the technique described in Five-Element Talisman Artistry¡ªA Primer!"


    "That''s right," Cha Ming said, smiling. "By using gold essence to paint talismans, their nature is aligned with heaven and earth. By using a technique that is also aligned with heaven and earth, an artist''s success rate when drawing talismans will increase greatly.


    "I don''t know the exact reason, but I have a theory. You see, gold evanescence and liquified elemental essence come from the same source. The same applies to other forms of evanescence. But this is seen as a valuable impurity. The two components are separated on extraction and sold separately. As a result, the liquified elemental essence becomes purer, but it is farther removed from nature. Therefore, the technique required to draw talismans must also be adjusted.


    "Formations are more aligned with heaven and earth in the first place. Which means the effect of using liquified elemental essence is less pronounced and almost nonexistent. But for talismans, it has a huge impact. Senior Xiezi, my success rate for lesser-grade talismans is above nine out of ten since I changed my methods."


    Nine out of ten was actually an understatement, but Cha Ming wasn''t one hundred percent sure of the success rate with a normal talisman brush.


    After a while, Jun Xiezi broke the silence. "I''ll have to study this further. You need to account for the brush type in addition to those things you just mentioned. Your brush is quite expensive, from what I gather. The composition of the brushes used may need to be changed. But that''s fine¡ªthe brush maker enjoys a challenge."


    Cha Ming nodded. "I''ll be off, then," Cha Ming said. "I have much to do before leaving."


    ***


    Cha Ming''s five qi pillars creaked and crackled as they broke past their limits with the help of the improved medicinal pills. Each pill contained double the energy they had previously, swiftly growing his pillars to the next bottleneck and subsequently crushing it.


    As the pillars broke past their limitations, his qi seas drained to accommodate their growth. And once they dried up completely, Cha Ming replenished them with a much thicker foundation qi. The seas were turbid and wavy, filled with impurities from his last sub-realm.


    Immediately after recovering, Cha Ming summoned thirty-six Dao sigils and practiced many combat formations that he''d read about. He planned to take full advantage of the next three weeks. As he practiced, he also thought about his next poetic talisman. Over the past several months, he had come to a realization.


    It wasn''t long before he lit the gray candle and settled into a meditative trance. The talisman he produced, if any, would tell him whether his insights were correct.


    ***


    Cha Ming was in a dream. This time, he saw two giant blades in the sky. They were wielded by two giant gladiators, gods if their sizes were any indication. As they fought, the heavens trembled. Each strike of their swords brought waves of destruction to the world down below.


    As they fought, their swords were covered in nicks. They lost their effectiveness. But one of the gladiators was determined. With every strike of his sword, he improved. And as he improved, the sword grew sharper.


    His speed quickened and began outpacing his opponent. Finally, he cut off the giant''s head. Throngs of people came out to greet him, but he wasn''t satisfied. Instead of celebrating, he returned home and focused on his mistakes. He practiced the sword for years before returning to the arena for his next challenge.


    Giant after giant was felled by his blade. As his skilled improved, his sword grew increasingly overbearing. It soon reached the point where all he needed was a single strike to cleave through his opponent''s sword and armor.


    But many people began to grumble. They said his sword was too powerful, that his position as the number-one gladiator wasn''t deserved. So they challenged him to fight the second-best gladiator with a normal iron sword. They told him they would only acknowledge him as the best if he won under these conditions.


    Instead of the indignant reply they expected, the gladiator did something unthinkable. He threw his sharp sword at a nearby mountain, where it shattered into 10,008 pieces. Then he picked up a dull iron ruler, an ancient weapon that resembled an edgeless sword, built to incapacitate instead of wound.


    The surrounding people laughed at his arrogance. How could one possibly beat an iron sword with an iron ruler? The second-ranked gladiator also laughed. He took up his own iron sword and charged forward, confident in his victory. Seeing this, the lead gladiator arrogantly lashed out with the iron ruler. His opponent slashed out to defend with his sword, aiming to cut the ruler in half. But to his surprise, it was his own sword that was cut in half. And his armor. And his body. And his soul.


    The crowd gasped. The gladiator had relied on pure skill. His blade was sharp because his skill was high, and not the other way around.


    Do you understand? the voice asked.


    Cha Ming woke. He drew out the next talisman with a practiced hand.


    Honing his worth through endless practice;


    Never questioning his skill.


    He called it the Sharp Talisman. The key defining characteristic of metal was shape, and humans shaped themselves through endless practice. That was the epiphany he had gained after practicing talismans and formations for so many months.


    ***


    "So," Lu Tianhao said. He held his arms behind his back. "I suppose this will be your last lesson before you leave in three days?"


    "I hope I won''t disappoint you," Cha Ming said, bowing before they began their sparring match.


    "Unlikely," the white-haired, white-clothed man said. "You''re always full of surprises."


    As usual, he made the first move. He sent out thirty-six blue sigils, creating a complex shape filled in with runic lines. Cha Ming countered with an earthen combat formation, soaking up some of the qi used to create them.


    "Plundering my qi now, are you?" Lu Tianhao said, chuckling. He instantly summoned three lesser formations that struck Cha Ming''s at key points in the creation process. Cha Ming''s qi was in turn absorbed by these formations.


    "Fair is fair," Cha Ming said, shrugging. He activated Stormchaser Steps and ran toward his opponent. As the man cast out another combat formation, Cha Ming threw out his own, but he also bashed with his staff, slightly disrupting some lines as they extended. They shivered, but the process was far from interrupted.


    "You''re learning," Lu Tianhao said. "You can''t break my formations with your weak fist strength, but you can slow it ever so slightly with no disadvantage to yourself."


    "You told me to use everything I have," Cha Ming said, throwing out a proper lesser-grade formation. He threw out twelve formation flags and twelve combat formations.


    "Competing with speed against power?" Lu Tianhao said, summoning a thirty-six-symbol combat formation.


    Cha Ming, seeing the element used, threw out twelve more formation flags. This second formation meshed perfectly with his existing formation, creating a bi-element mid-grade formation. Their formations were completed simultaneously. Cha Ming''s formation was slightly superior, but ultimately, they were mutually destroyed.


    Cha Ming didn''t stop. Having just gained the initiative, he continued to throw out one combat formation after another, using his staff to disturb runic lines whenever he could. His advantage grew greater and greater, and finally he created a gold formation that cut down Lu Tianhao''s incomplete wood formation and slammed toward him.


    "Fine," Lu Tianhao said. "Try this!"


    As expected, seventy-two water sigils shot out. The difficulty of this next level was a watershed, using twice the number of symbols and double the runic lines. Least-grade formations required up to ninety-nine runic lines, lesser-grade up to 199, and mid-grade up to 299. High-grade formations required up to six hundred runic lines. The power of heaven and earth rippled as the high-grade formation began to take shape.


    I need to stop it! Cha Ming thought. He repeatedly hit the formation with his staff while summoning his own earthen formation. Lu Tianhao didn''t stop his, clearly indicating that Cha Ming''s own formation was insufficient.


    If only I had more disruption, Cha Ming thought. But have I really used everything? His trained eyes could see several weaknesses and vulnerabilities in Lu Tianhao''s arrangement, but he had no way to attack them. Or did he?


    Cha Ming thought fast. He took out seven least-grade talismans from the Clear Sky Space. They were one of his favorites, Lesser Mount Tai talismans. The illusory mountains crushed down on seven of the key weaknesses. The rapidly growing formation shuddered before shattering. The seventy-two sigils flew outward.


    "Well done," Lu Tianhao said in congratulations. "You''re not a high-grade formation master by any stretch of the imagination, but now you know what to do if you need to break formations beyond your level. It''s not always about matching a master''s level against another, it''s about using your knowledge of formations to break them and defeat your opponent."


    Cha Ming bowed. "Thank you for your instruction, teacher," he said.


    "It''s nothing," Lu Tianhao said. "Now go and prepare yourself. Paint some talismans or something before you leave. And when you do, kill me some devils. And most importantly, don''t forget to come back alive."


    The scenery around Cha Ming faded, and he discovered that he was no longer in the man''s office or inside his domain. He was back inside his own bedroom. And on his desk, he saw twelve thick books from Lu Tianshen''s personal library on high-grade and peak-grade formations. And beside them was a ring. He used his incandescent force to probe the ring and discovered several large stacks of unmarked formation flags. It was the best gift Cha Ming could ask for.

 139 Friendship

    Claws and teeth collided with swords and sabers. Daoist spells clashed with demonic abilities. It was an all-out fight, a battle for survival. The beasts on the mountain could only rely on themselves, as the shipment of resources had not yet arrived, and the contract could not be finalized. This was their final stand.


    Even the weakest beasts took part in this struggle. The humans reaped them like wheat on harvest day, but it wasn''t without impact. One by one they piled onto the cultivators, slowing down their blades and delivering potent poisons. They were glad to sacrifice their lives for their sovereigns. Such was the nature of beasts.


    The geomantic boa helmed the beast forces, using its superior intelligence and terrain manipulation abilities to trap, surround, and stall enemies where required. Its children assisted on a smaller scale, using their weaker geomantic skills and their poisons to cripple mighty foes. Meanwhile, seven sovereigns were fighting tooth and nail. They held back nothing, and neither did Zhou Li''s forces.


    Zhou Li stood at the back and threw curses down on the beasts like they were nothing. Some were blinding curses, while others cursed their luck. Others still cursed the durability of their claws and hides, revealing fatal weaknesses for the humans to take advantage of.


    Then there were the tamed beasts. Guo Jia, Xiao Heilong, and various others participated in the battle. Guo Jia controlled his tamed minions to take the Silverwing beasts by surprise. The humans rejoiced, but the beasts wept. They were losing.


    But they were buying important time for the eighth sovereign, Sovereign Two Tails. His seclusion was set to end soon, and when he exited, he would martial them and turn the tides in their favor.


    "Loose!" a cultivator yelled. His group unleashed Daoist spells in groups, pelting the massive army of beasts with deadly flaming dragons and earthen spikes.


    "Hold!" the geomantic boa slithered. A giant earthen shield flew up, blocking over half of the incoming projectiles. Many kings of the forest used their massive bodies and innate abilities to tank the spells, freeing up the lesser creatures, which charged to the front lines.


    "Collapse!" the geomantic boa roared. An entire ridge crumbled, a gravity trap dragging hundreds of cultivators down. Beasts jumped down as well, using their massive frames to their advantage as they dropped down to crush those cultivators.


    "Flames!" Another squad of humans blew fire into the pit the beasts had dropped into.


    "Wind!" A massive flock of birds flapped their wings in unison, blowing the flames back into the human cultivators, who used earthen shields to block this counter in turn.


    Things changed fast on the battlefield, but the beasts were still getting pushed back little by little. Before long, their eastern flank collapsed, resulting in the rout of their sturdy ferret battalion, and the beasts were forced into disarray. In the middle of the chaotic group, thirty-six blue formation flags pressed down. The surrounding area was covered in a blooming lotus composed of thousands of icicles. They were bloody due to the thousands of beasts they crushed.


    "It''s over," the geomantic boa said, sighing. She was exhausted, and she had done all she could. If their sovereign didn''t come out soon, their forces would collapse within the hour.


    "Who said it''s over?" a loud voice said. It projected across the whole battlefield, causing the humans to shudder and the beasts to tremble in excitement.


    "Sovereign Two Tails!" the beasts roared in unison. They fought with renewed fervor, ignoring their fatal wounds to deliver one last blow for their sovereign. In the distance, a giant fox with two tails appeared. He was only one hundred feet long, but the mountain trembled as he ran.


    ***


    "Slay the humans!" Huxian shouted, his eyes bloodshot. A white healing light shot out around him. It suppressed his enemies but healed and invigorated his own forces. Many beasts, who had been on their last legs, took comfort in that healing light. They managed to kill a few more humans before falling.


    Meanwhile, a black clone shot out from Huxian''s figure. It dove into the ground, merging with the countless beast shadows that littered the bloody forest floor. Whenever a beast approached a human, its shadow would also attack. Each blow it landed damaged the humans directly.


    Huxian wasn''t satisfied with these meager results, however. He looked toward Guo Jia and Xiao Heilong and charged at them with his white clone.


    "You''re courting death," Guo Jia snarled. He pulled back his ice formation and laid down thirty-six green flags in addition to thirty-six green sigils. Hundreds of lines spread throughout the area.


    Huxian didn''t care. Even if it was a high-grade formation, he would still tear it apart with impunity. He was a noble half-step core-formation Godbeast. Even initial core-formation experts would be hard-pressed to resist him.


    "Xiao Heilong, head back here this instant," Guo Jia shouted. Xiao Heilong, who had been fighting a sovereign earlier, retreated toward the pale, black-robed man. In addition, a purple blur of lightning shot in front of Huxian.


    "Lei Jiang!" Huxian shouted. He was infuriated. He tried to sidestep Lei Jiang, but the small critter was much faster than he was. He couldn''t avoid its attacks. Purple lightning rained down from the skies. Lei Jiang, his former subordinate, hissed wildly as he attacked his former master with wild abandon.


    It''s all that Guo Jia''s fault, Huxian thought. If I don''t kill him, I don''t deserve to be called a Godbeast. Huxian recalled his purifying aura from the battlefield and directed it to the much smaller space in front of him, which was covered with a formation. Massive vines flew out toward Huxian, who was forced to bite and claw them away. Meanwhile, Xiao Heilong arrived.


    He and Lei Jiang attacked in tandem, forcing Huxian to defend himself and take significant blows from both parties.


    Didn''t Cha Ming say he''d run away from that guy? How did he get so strong and so fast? That''s when he noticed an additional mental attack from Guo Jia''s direction. In his peak condition, it would have been like scratching an itch. However, in this heated battle, it forced him to make mistake after mistake. Cuts began to accumulate on his body, poisonous cuts that sapped away at his strength.


    I can only buy time, Huxian thought. Perhaps an opportunity will come.


    ***


    Meanwhile, the tides of battle had shifted in favor of the beasts. The fast infusion of energy and their soaring morale caused them to unleash far more of their potential than they thought possible. The geomantic boa, in turn, used this to her full advantage. She exhausted herself, abusing every opportunity, every crack in her opponent''s strategy.


    It was only a matter of time before they won the battle and the humans were forced to retreat.


    ***


    If looks could kill, Zhou Li''s would slaughter. He was so close to securing a victory. Unfortunately, he knew the trade goods would arrive today, and there was nothing he could do about it.


    If only I hadn''t gotten greedy, Zhou Li thought. If only I''d given them a larger piece of the pie.


    It wasn''t that he was incapable of mounting a larger force; it was that he had taken a calculated risk by bringing the right amount of forces. His calculations had shown that they had an eighty-percent chance of success. But to boost their chances by an additional ten percent, he would have needed to spend 100,000 high-grade spirit stones on additional forces.


    Now he would have to spend 300,000 additional spirit stones to capture the mine. Not to mention all the forces he''d already lost in the struggle thus far. But on the bright side, they could extract the ore very quickly, and illegally. They wouldn''t need to pay taxes. It just wouldn''t count as merit for the crown prince, which was a shame but still a tolerable outcome.


    Wars are fought with money, Zhou Li thought. Money, money, always money. If I had as much wealth as the Wang family, this war would already be over. Money bought weapons, medicines, and fighters. It bought political influence. Which was why he was hesitant to spend the extra 100,000 high-grade spirit stones in the first place.


    He used his core-transmission jade to connect to a contact in another country.


    Ring. Ring. Ring.


    Young Master Zhou, I''m so pleased to hear back from you, a voice transmitted from the other side. What can I do for you today?


    I need those forces we spoke of, Zhou Li transmitted. I need them here as soon as possible.


    A pause ensued before the voice replied. They can be there in three days, and not a moment sooner. I trust you''ll have our payment delivered before the forces arrive?


    I will, Zhou Li said. I always do.


    Zhou Li finally turned his attention back to the battlefield. They were losing, and it was time to cut his losses.


    "Retreat!" he yelled. Failure had a bitter taste. Fortunately, the bitterness would soon be soothed by the sweetness of success.


    ***


    Huxian was struggling. He was at the end of his rope, despite having retrieved his second clone. Both were fiercely struggling against the vines, against Xiao Heilong, and against Lei Jiang. It came as a huge relief when he suddenly heard the call for retreat from the human encampment.


    We made it, he thought. The vines continued entangling him, but the three figures he had been fighting with previously began running away.


    "Not so fast!" he yelled. He gathered the power of light to flash through the formation with ease. His target was Guo Jia. If he could kill him, Lei Jiang would be set free.


    Unfortunately, a purple flash appeared in front of him, blocking off his approach to the dreadful sigil master. The very creature he was trying to save was giving his all to fight him.


    Very well, Huxian thought. If I can''t kill him, I''ll collect a consolation prize. His jaws snapped on Lei Jiang''s struggling body as Guo Jia and Xiao Heilong escaped. He used his powers of light and shadow to restrain the small creature.


    First, I''ll free you, he said. Then we''ll get your revenge.


    ***


    "Second Young Master," said voices from above. Two blond-haired men, core-formation experts, landed inside Wang Jun''s encampment.


    "Uncles," Wang Jun replied while traveling from his tent. "I trust everything is in order?"


    "Of course," one of the two said. "We wouldn''t dare neglect our duties. The funds have already been transferred from your account in Songjing." The other threw out a ring, which Wang Jun caught and placed on his finger.


    "Everything is in order," Wang Jun said. "You may leave." Then he sped off toward the minister''s tent.


    "The goods have arrived," he yelled. Soon, Prime Minister Rong sped out and joined him. They went out to the battlefield, where only beasts remained.


    "Huxian!" Wang Jun yelled out. A black-and-white fox immediately descended from the mountain. "We''ve come with the trade goods and the contract."


    "About time," the fox grunted. "Sovereigns, to me!" he yelled. The mountain trembled as the seven sovereigns that had participated in the battle arrived.


    "Here is the contract and peace treaty," Wang Jun said. "Pre-signed by myself, the third prince, and the prime minister." He then emptied out the storage ring. "The first delivery of goods, as promised."


    Huxian looked them over before declaring that everything was in order. Then, a drop of his blood shot out from his glabella and imprinted itself onto the contract. The other seven sovereigns followed suit. Shortly after, the geomantic boa arrived, dragging a pile of glittering jade. She then spat out a tiny drop of blood, imprinting it on the contract.


    "Silverwing!" Huxian bellowed. An incense time passed before a tiny drop of blood flew from the mountain, ratifying the contract.


    "On behalf of the Song Kingdom, I welcome an era of peace between the beasts of Silverwing and our kingdom," the prime minister said joyfully.


    "I also look forward to five hundred years of peace," Huxian said. However, it was evident that he was less than pleased by the carnage that had ravaged his people.


    "Prime Minister," Wang Jun said, "please excuse me while I discuss with Sovereign Two Tails. Meanwhile, can you please order the soldiers away? We have a peace treaty now, and it''s important to show our good faith."


    "They''ll be gone by the end of the day," the prime minister promised.


    ***


    Wang Jun followed Huxian''s gloomy figure to the peak of the mountain.


    "Speak. What is it you want?" Huxian asked. He was tired of this war, tired of all the death and carnage. When he was younger, he thought little of death and destruction. Now he was filled with regret. He could have simply excavated the jade and dumped it beside the mountain. Maybe that would have spared them much heartache.


    "Two things," Wang Jun said. "First, I''d like to warn you. Don''t let your guard down. I have a hunch that Zhou Li won''t let this defeat lie, so I invited Cha Ming and some of his associates to come. They''ll be here in three days.


    "Second, I''d like to complete our private deal."


    "Inside my cave," Huxian said dismissively. "That can wait, though. I won''t give it to you unless you help me with something." He spat out a small, unconscious ball of fur. "I need your help breaking his slave sigil."


    Wang Jun raised his eyebrow. "And what makes you think I''m capable of that?"


    "My intuition," Huxian said. "Besides, I don''t need you to break it. I can take care of that myself. What I need you to do is reveal the flaws in the sigil to me."


    Wang Jun rubbed his chin. "Let me give it a try." He flicked his sleeve, revealing a large mural of shadowy text. Then he pulled out a particular piece of text. It closely resembled the sigil on the small mouse''s forehead.


    "This is the ''subject'' portion of the monarch/subject sigil," Wang Jun said. "You have two options. You can either destroy it by attacking its weaknesses here, here, and here¡­ Or I could obscure the formation, transforming it into something else."


    "Transforming it into something else?" Huxian said. "What would it transform into?"


    "It wouldn''t be a big change," Wang Jun answered. "I know nothing of sigil arts, but I am confident I could obscure the perception of who the monarch is. If I make you the monarch, Lei Jiang would serve you as his monarch, a very normal behavior for a beast. It will be like nothing happened to him."


    "Absolutely not," Huxian said without hesitation. "I''ll take my chances on breaking the sigil."


    "But you''ll be risking his life," Wang Jun said. "Sure, it will influence his way of thinking, but it won''t be that different from the normal beast hierarchy."


    Huxian closed his eyes. "He''s my friend. I saw him when I removed his soul seal. I saw the fear in his eyes. I can''t let him remain a slave. He doesn''t want such a fate."


    When Huxian''s eyes opened, a majestic aura burst out from him. Eight trigrams spread out from his fur, surrounding the small purple mouse. His fur lost its color and faded to gray. But he didn''t care.


    Bagua Fox Technique¡ªEight Trigrams Rune Extraction!


    The eight trigrams spun around the small creature''s forehead, peeling the sigil from it. Eight Trigrams Rune Extraction was a powerful formation-breaking technique developed by his ancestor. At its peak, it could pull millions of runes from their origin for him to devour.


    Unfortunately, he was still weak. With his half-step core-formation cultivation, he could barely execute the technique. All he could do now was peel it off, but he couldn''t eliminate the connection to Lei Jiang.


    "The flaws," Huxian said in a weak voice.


    "Here, here, then here," Wang Jun said confidently.


    Huxian nodded and summoned three sharp gray needles. He coughed up blood as he summoned them, overdrawing his strength. This was the second part of the technique, Rune-Breaking Needles. Extracted runes could not be eaten directly. They often needed to be broken before consumption, like chewing food. Unfortunately, summoning these rune-breaking needles exceeded the limits of his purification-realm body.


    "Break!" Huxian yelled. The runes pierced the sigil in these three locations in order, and the sigil crumbled. Huxian lost consciousness soon after.


    ***


    "Boss, boss!" a high-pitched voice yelled. "Wake up, boss!"


    "Who''s your boss?" Huxian said groggily.


    "Boss is boss of course," the high-pitched voice yelled.


    "Lei Jiang?" Huxian muttered, opening his eyes. He was exhausted. His eyesight was blurry, but soon he was able to make out the small shape of a purple mouse.


    "Of course it''s me," the mouse said.


    "Don''t call me boss," Huxian said. "I''m not your boss."


    The mouse looked hurt. "You''re my boss if I say you are."


    Huxian sighed. "How could I possibly be my friend''s boss?" he said, smiling with his foxy muzzle.


    The mouse looked at a loss. "Why can''t you be both?" the mouse asked, confused.


    "This¡­" Huxian wasn''t sure how to answer that. He''d always taken their boss-minion relationship as a one-way street. But then he thought more about it and realized that he was slightly subservient to Cha Ming. Cha Ming and he were brothers, but Cha Ming was the elder brother.


    "I suppose you''re right," Huxian said. "You admit that I''m your friend, even if a bad one?"


    "You''re the best of friends," Lei Jiang said. "When you took away my soul seal, I was scared. My thoughts became confused. I had a lot of time to think before they finally caught me. That second time, I thought I would never escape." The little mouse sniffed. "But who would have thought that when I woke up, I would see the boss? Not only that, you were wounded. Your blond-haired friend said you spent a lot of strength to save me. How could anyone but the best of friends do that?"


    "I guess we''re friends," Huxian muttered. "Well, as the older brother in this relationship, you need to listen to what I say." The mouse nodded. "However, I promise to always protect you. I should protect my friends. You''ll support me, and I''ll protect you. Deal?"


    "Deal!" Lei Jiang said.


    Suddenly, the trigram on Huxian''s tail lit up. It was the same lightning trigram as before, and a character appeared on it. On Lei Jiang, a symbol appeared on his forehead. It wasn''t the character for "general." Rather, it was the character for "friend."


    And to Huxian''s surprise, they had the same abilities as when Lei Jiang was his thunder general. Except now, he had an obligation. But he also had a friend.


    To Huxian, that made a world of difference.

 140 Alabaster Corps

    Cha Ming''s awareness returned to his surroundings after briefly cultivating. He retrieved a set of freshly painted talismans from his desk before heading out to the Alabaster Group courtyard. It was dark out. The first rays of sunshine had yet to illuminate the night sky. In the courtyard, several figures sat cross-legged in meditation, improving their conditions one last time before the upcoming battle. They all wore white, making the entire group seem like a funeral gathering.


    I suppose it is a funeral gathering, Cha Ming thought. Many of those who would accept the mission have lost family members and friends to devils. These people accept missions every day to defend the helpless and destroy those who persecute the innocent.


    After further reflection, he changed his clothes to the same alabaster white. He had lost acquaintances as well. The deaths of Han Jinlong, Bei Ling, and those many people near Fairweather were reason enough.


    "You''re finally here," a familiar voice called out to Cha Ming. It was Luo Xuehua. Her silver hair and permanently closed eyes did not take away from her smile.


    "How many people are participating?" Cha Ming asked.


    "Forty foundation-establishment cultivators, including us," Xuehua replied. "And six half-step foundation-establishment cultivators, as well as seven core-formation protectors."


    Cha Ming raised an eyebrow.


    Xuehua chuckled. "Surely you don''t expect the Obsidian Syndicate to remain honest, do you? These core-formation cultivators are there both as insurance and to cash in on this chance to clash with the Obsidian Syndicate. It''s not beneath them to kill a few foundation-establishment juniors if we are outnumbered, but this is also considered a tempering exercise to us juniors."


    "Fair enough," Cha Ming said while surveying the blanket of cultivators. "Who is in charge?"


    "As Lu Tianhao''s apprentice, yours truly fills that role," Luo Xuehua replied. Now that Cha Ming looked around, he noticed many looks of admiration directed toward her.


    Cha Ming faintly heard something in the distance. It was the sound of the wind. Xuehua clearly heard it as well. A white shadow flashed and landed before Xuehua, briefly bowing before reporting.


    "I''ve been keeping watch on the Obsidian Syndicate," he said, panting. "However, everything was strangely quiet. To be certain, I checked the city gates, and sure enough, a large group of them left the city a few hours ago."


    Xuehua''s look hardened. "They want to play such tricks." Then, amplifying her voice, she spoke to everyone present. "The Obsidian Syndicate has already departed. We are leaving now." All white-clothed figures present stood in attention, while several people flew out of their residences. Then, turning to Cha Ming, she asked, "Did you learn the Wind Walk Formation?"


    "Only to lesser grade," Cha Ming replied. "But I can do you one better. If I consume high-grade spirit stones to keep up the energy, that is."


    Xuehua tossed him a few dozen high-grade spirit stones, which Cha Ming shamelessly accepted. He was far too broke to afford the steep transit cost.


    Cha Ming breathed deeply before floating up above the courtyard. He threw out eighteen Dao sigils, nine purple crystals, and nine azure stones. He poured his personal qi into the gray sigils, transforming half into lightning sigils and half into wind sigils. Then he took out the Clear Sky Brush. It glowed light purple as he painted large connecting lines with the lightning essence he had recently prepared. Just like the five-element evanescence, wind and lightning evanescence could also be mixed in with liquified elemental essence. Unfortunately, it was much rarer and could only be harvested in the high mountains. The price was exorbitant.


    The purple brush quickly changed color, and azure lines floated into place just above the ground, meshing with the complementary combat-formation lines. Azure and purple alternated until he finally threw out ten high-grade spirit stones, bringing the formation to life.


    The formation was called Stormwalker Formation. The Stormchaser Steps he used was a simplified derivative of this large one. He discovered by accident that, while he couldn''t improve his success rate by using wind and lightning essence when painting formations, he could increase their stability. As a result, he could increase the scope of the formation. This naturally applied to all formations he knew, increasing his formation abilities by a half step.


    Purple lightning and azure winds billowed in the hundred-foot range of the formation. His Stormchaser Boots disappeared and became dark clouds that integrated with the formation.


    "I need ten high-grade spirit stones per hour to maintain this formation," Cha Ming said. "But it increases the speed of our group by several times."


    Xuehua nodded. "Everyone, step into the range of the formation. We''re moving out!"


    They left the city like the wind, and the guards didn''t dare inspect them. When the Alabaster Group was out for blood, no one could prevent it.


    ***


    Wang Jun sat at the peak of the mountain brewing tea. He very much enjoyed watching the jade platform there. It was very mysterious, to the extent that he couldn''t read its story, though judging from the runes on it, it was surely a formation plate.


    I need to get Cha Ming to look at this, he thought. According to Huxian, there''s a plate on each of the nine mountains.


    A yawn suddenly came from the cave. Huxian, who had just finished recovering from his wounds, walked out. The mouse, Lei Jiang, quickly darted to the peak of the mountain.


    "Now that we''re fully recovered, let''s storm those humans remaining at the base of the mountain," Huxian said. "Over two-thirds of the humans left with that prime minister of yours, so we should be able to defeat them easily."


    "About that," Wang Jun said with an awkward look on his face. "Some company arrived. I''m afraid it''s not us who will be attacking, but the other way around."


    Huxian''s eyes narrowed as he looked at the previously tiny camp. It had grown to over double its previous size. In addition, he sensed a dozen terrifying auras.


    Core-formation cultivators, he thought.


    "Will the monarch help us if they meddle?" Wang Jun asked softly.


    Huxian shook his head. "Although he will¡­ I don''t think he can handle those twelve on his own."


    "Then let''s hope they''re here just to enjoy the show," Wang Jun said. "Cha Ming and the Alabaster Group are coming soon, but we need to hold out for a few hours."


    Huxian nodded. "Geomantic boa!" he yelled. The mountain quaked before the gigantic snake poked out.


    "I would appreciate it if you used my new title," she said arrogantly.


    Huxian rolled his eyes. "Geomantic Sovereign, would you be so kind as to do something for me before I beat the venom out of you and have you begging to this father for mercy?" The giant snake''s throat shivered. "I need you to lay down as many traps as possible to delay those cultivators down there."


    "This¡­" Geomantic Sovereign looked at him awkwardly.


    "What''s the matter? Can''t do it?" Huxian yelled aggressively.


    "It''s not that I can''t do it¡­" Geomantic Sovereign said, frightened.


    "Let me summarize," Wang Jun said, walking between them. "She thinks you''re stupid and have no strategic sense, but she''s too afraid to disobey your direct orders."


    "How dare you!" Huxian said, looking wounded. He''s right, intelligence really isn''t my strong suit, Huxian thought. I''ll have to use all available resources. "Fine. You and she can plan, just keep me posted."


    "Thank you, Sovereign Two Tails," Wang Jun said mockingly. "For the sake of education, I''ll summarize. During the last few battles, the traps you set were effective because all forces were evenly matched. The weak forces that couldn''t help but fight near the ground were hampered by these weak walls of earth, spikes, etc. It was very effective.


    "This situation is different entirely," he continued. "Their high-end forces outnumber ours four to one, but our low-level forces outnumber theirs. Therefore they will only use their lower-level forces to distract ours. What we really need to delay is them rushing in to slaughter our leaders. The previous formations won''t be effective against top-tier forces, as they can just shatter these walls and traps at will.


    "That''s why the Geomantic Sovereign and I will collaborate to build illusory and concealment formations. She will set the base using terrain features as natural formation eyes, while I will supplement them with the power of shadow. The only downside is that we won''t be able to fight in this battle. I will be the strategist, and the Geomantic Sovereign and I will constantly change and manipulate the formations to our greatest advantage."


    "Is there anything I can do?" Huxian asked.


    "Sure," Wang Jun said. "When the battle starts, look for their tactician and try to kill him. We will try to find him as well. Zhou Li will not participate in this battle because it will break the terms of the treaty, which will weaken the crown prince''s grip on the throne.


    "I speculate that he used his fate powers to manipulate karma, which is why he was able to hire these forces in the first place. He would have had to first do business through a variety of intermediaries using ambiguous promises. Then he would have needed to burn any remaining karmic threads using fire and fate. Fortunately, he must stay out of a direct confrontation, or the karma will be reestablished.


    "Does this mean they don''t have a strategist?" Huxian asked.


    "I refuse to believe that Zhou Li won''t find a replacement for himself," Wang Jun said. "There will be a tactician. The second priority target is Guo Jia. He will be well defended, as he is the key to dismantling our defensive formations. They won''t be able to advance without breaking them, so your beasts will need to distract him as much as possible. In turn, I''ll be able to use their movements to potentially determine the location of their strategist."


    Huxian sighed. "Do you think we can hold out for three hours?"


    "It will be one hour before both sides are ready," Wang Jun said. "Holding out for two hours against this lineup, however? We can only try."


    ***


    Zhou Li walked toward a skinny, black-robed cultivator. He was one of the twelve core-formation cultivators that had just arrived. The ones he hadn''t ordered. "I don''t suppose you''re here just for sightseeing?" he asked.


    "We''re here as insurance," the man said in a relaxed manner. "For an extra 200,000, we will participate in the battle. I''ll note that our spies indicate that the Alabaster Group will be here in less than three hours. This information is free of charge."


    Zhou Li gritted his teeth. "You''re basically taking out all the profits from this operation."


    "That''s only because you''ve been so stingy," the man retorted coldly. "We do fair business. If you had paid us earlier, we could have helped you conquer the mountain range before the treaty took place. I''ll note that we are the ones who provided you the information on the treaty in the first place.


    "Now I''ll kindly warn you that if you that if you hire us now, we can end this battle quickly before they arrive. Ten of us will hold off the monarch while the others reap lives on the battlefield with impunity. What say you?"


    Zhou Li hesitated. "What are your calculated odds of success?"


    "Eighty percent," another man said. His realm was far below core formation. In fact, Zhou Li wouldn''t be surprised if his cultivation was lower than early foundation establishment. "But only based on the information provided. External factors that you have not reported may significantly affect the odds."


    "And who is this?" Zhou Li asked the core-formation expert.


    "His name is Zhong Fa," he replied. "This is the master tactician you paid for. He''s the best we have, and I will never question his judgment."


    Zhou Li held his chin and pondered for a while before shaking his head. "I''ll take eighty-percent odds for now. You and your men can enjoy the show."


    ***


    Black-robed armies flooded the battlefield in unison.


    "Kill!" they shouted, spreading their baleful aura toward the opposing beasts. Now that the Song Kingdom''s forces had retreated, many of them revealed their true forms. A full half of them were devils with fighting prowess above their realms.


    They advanced slowly up the mountain with Guo Jia at their center. According to Wang Jun, their directions were impaired and required formation eyes to be broken as they advanced. The concealment formations made it difficult for Guo Jia to break the formation eyes and prevented the humans from detecting the beasts in the first place.


    The invaders halted. They stood by at attention as Guo Jia spread out sigils and flags. Huxian saw several formation eyes erupt one after another before their group packed up and advanced another hundred feet in their direction. It was impossible to replenish the broken formation eyes. The Geomantic Sovereign and Wang Jun could only divert their energies to prevent him breaking them in the first place.


    One more stop, Wang Jun sent to Huxian mentally. Huxian had half the upper echelons of the beast forces with him. The lower-tier forces and the other half were on the opposite side, awaiting their signals. Guo Jia broke yet another few formation eyes and stopped again a hundred feet later. Just as they moved once more, Huxian signaled his beast forces to attack. They caught the human forces by surprise.


    The beasts had activated their abilities before charging in, taking full advantage of the concealment formation. The first layer of humans fell to their attacks, but the upper-level human forces immediately adjusted and countered their battle formations.


    Retreat, Wang Jun''s voice sounded.


    Huxian relayed the command, pulling everyone back. He glared hatefully at the ochre figures and the ochre mist spread across the black-robed group.


    Did you find their tactician? Huxian asked.


    Negative, Wang Jun replied. None of their movements revealed any such weakness. However, we did obtain some information. They''ve slowly been edging toward Silverwing''s mountain. If I''m not mistaken, they are heading toward the ore deposit. They will likely try to excavate it, which means they likely have a hidden geomancer in their midst. They are planning on excavating everything quickly, so they won''t need to fight us under these circumstances. They want to force the issue, so we must face them at a disadvantage.


    What can we do? Huxian asked.


    We can only delay as much as possible and chip away as many of their forces as we can, Wang Jun said. That way we can study the opponent and weaken them before the final confrontation. If they were just wandering aimlessly, we would have the terrain advantage. They clearly have the intent of eliminating that advantage and forcing us to respond. What a great tactician. It''s open intrigue at its finest.


    Suddenly, Huxian heard a voice transmission. Huxian, we''re getting closer, a voice said. How are things looking on your end?


    Cha Ming! Huxian replied. You''re in range. Things aren''t looking good. Wang Jun said you''ll be here in one and a half hours, but by then they''ll already have won.


    Pass this information along to Wang Jun, Cha Ming instructed. We intentionally delayed as we exited the city in case spies took note of us. We have kept this hidden for half the trip: We''re speeding up now. We''ll be there in a half hour.


    Huxian quickly passed on the information, and after a short while he heard Wang Jun''s reply. We''ll begin a large-scale battle in a quarter hour. They shouldn''t expect it, and by then it will be too late to adjust their plans.


    Huxian martialed his troops and brought the various sovereigns, kings, and lords into position.


    ***


    We need to change plans, Zhou Li heard via voice transmission. I just heard from our spies that the Alabaster Group is only a half hour away. I suspect a surprise attack from the beasts soon to take advantage of oncoming reinforcements. I now put our odds at fifty percent at best.


    How exactly were we informed so late of their impending arrival? Zhou Li asked.


    It was deception, the voice replied. They must have intentionally traveled slowly. Fortunately, we have spies in the Alabaster Group itself. I suggest that we hire the core-formation experts to try taking out priority targets in advance. But if and only if they attack us.


    They''re bleeding me dry, Zhou Li thought. His heart ached. His precious war funds were falling through his fingers. Very well. I authorize it, but if and only if we get attacked. Also, I want a fifty-percent discount.


    A moment of silence ensued, followed by a response. Thirty percent.


    Fine, Zhou Li said.


    Pleasure doing business with you, the voice answered.

 141 Monarch

    The opposing forces suffered substantial damage as Huxian''s group crashed into them. There was a quarter hour left before reinforcements were to arrive, and their job was to buy as much time as possible. He couldn''t worry about the fates of the low-level soldiers. His job was to fight against six half-step core-formation cultivators. It wasn''t going well. Every one of those that faced him specialized on restraining techniques and defense, effectively locking him out of the battle.


    Meanwhile, the other sovereigns were suffering greatly. Each was confronted with multiple stronger opponents, unable to break free. It wasn''t long before the first one fell. The Reptilian Lion Sovereign, with his iron-hard defense and poisonous claws, was subdued by three other cultivators just as strong as the ones restraining Huxian. Only one of the three cultivators perished in the process.


    Things weren''t going much better in the middle of the battlefield. Now that Guo Jia was no longer concerned with breaking formation eyes, he brought out the best out of his high-grade formations, incinerating low-level demon beasts by the score. Their advantage on that front was dwindling.


    Two incense time left, Huxian thought. He didn''t use his most powerful abilities, as they left large openings that could be exploited by his opponents. Hurry up, Brother, he sent mentally to Cha Ming.


    The battlefield was a meat grinder, even considering the Geomantic Sovereign and Wang Jun''s efforts in erecting random walls, spike traps, and timely concealing formations. By the time an incense time remained, a quarter of the beast forces had been decimated.


    Why did we have to intercept them again? Huxian asked Wang Jun.


    Because we didn''t want to allow them time to set up a defense, Wang Jun said. Someone tipped them off on Cha Ming''s arrival, so they had started setting up permanent defensive formations. Formation masters are especially frightening when given enough time to prepare, and the losses would have been staggering if we attacked them later. Once Cha Ming''s forces arrive, we''ll be able to fight them on even terms. Before then, however, we can only distract them and sacrifice forces.


    I get that, Huxian said. But couldn''t we have¡ª


    Run! Wang Jun sent mentally. Huxian looked toward the sky and spotted the twelve core-formation cultivators, who had suddenly jumped into action.


    They must be suicidal, Huxian thought. Unless they know something that I don''t. He felt a massive pressure on his bloodline as a giant owl suddenly appeared on the battlefield. Despite his size, he was several times faster than Huxian was.


    "You dare interfere in this battle between juniors?" the owl shouted, flying toward the core-formation cultivators and baring its talons. Ten of the cultivators attacked it with their weapons and various Daoist techniques, barely managing to hold it back. Two of the core-formations cultivators avoided its talons and dashed at unreasonable speeds. Straight toward the retreating Huxian.


    Shit, he thought. He combined his two clones into one body and laid a bagua trap behind himself. Eight trigrams imprisoned the two pursuers, but only temporarily. The trap only bought him five breaths. How in the nine heavens am I supposed to survive this?


    One the cultivators, a gray-haired old man, formed ten thousand hand seals in the blink of an eye. A giant two-hundred-foot-wide frost lotus sprouted beneath Huxian''s paws. They tore through his fur as he struggled to dodge. From above, ten thousand swords rained down on him. His fur was tough, but not tough enough to completely negate techniques from core-formation cultivators. Over twenty of them cut deeply into his black and white fur, leaving patches of red.


    Brother Cha Ming, Huxian sent. It looks like I won''t be able to hold out. I''m sorry. As he darted between the forest of ice and steel blades, he saw Lei Jiang''s familiar purple glow.


    Run away! Huxian sent to him. You can''t fight them! The purple mouse ignored his words, summoning nine purple lightning dragons to attack the two core-formation cultivators. They simply snorted, and with a wave of their sleeves, Lei Jiang was thrown onto the side of the mountain coughing blood. His lightning dragons dissipated into nothingness. This was a suppression of realms.


    With Lei Jiang disposed of, the two stone-faced cultivators formed hand seals once more. This time, two giant spears appeared above Huxian. One was gold, the other was crystalline. He roared in defiance at the spears as they came plunging down toward him. His surroundings went dark, and he simultaneously transformed into a sphere of light that pushed back against the spears. Cracks appeared on that sphere as the core-formation cultivators exerted their powers.


    This is the end, Huxian thought as the cracks expanded.


    Suddenly, a sharp cry pierced the cool mountain air. The winds shifted suddenly, and a silver glint broke through the darkness that surrounded them. The streak of silver dove down from above the clouds and cut a sharp arc in its descent, suddenly smashing into the two spears that were attacking Huxian. The silver streak was like a sharp blade tearing through wet paper. The two core-formation cultivators coughed up blood as their techniques were destroyed.


    Silverwing! Huxian shouted. He didn''t waste the hard-won opportunity and continued fleeing. The core-formation cultivators struggled to chase after him, but they were pelted with swipe after swipe of deadly silver wings. You came back, my friend.


    What else was I supposed to do? the falcon cooed.


    You didn''t lock yourself up because you were mad at me? Huxian asked.


    How could this noble friend of yours be so selfish? he said indignantly. I locked myself up to upgrade my bloodline and retrieve my inherited memories. Then when you dropped off that delicious silver root, I immediately used it to break through to core formation. I just didn''t expect it to take so long. I could barely move, and sending out that drop of blood took more power than you can even imagine. It delayed my breakthrough by several days.


    Huxian''s heart warmed. Thank you for coming back, my friend, he sent. The two core-formation experts had quit pursuing him. Instead, they took the opportunity to slay two more sovereigns before finally retreating. The other core-formation cultivators, Guo Jia, and the other foundation-establishment experts retreated as well, just in time for Huxian to see a large group of men in white cloaks on the horizon with the rising sun.


    He looked at the battlefield mournfully. One-third of all the beasts and sovereigns had been slain in this crucial battle. Was it worth it?


    ***


    The leaders of the beast and human forces stood at odds at the peak of Silverwing''s mountain. Wang Jun, as the only human among the beasts, was in an awkward position. The owl monarch stood proudly, watching the newly arrived core-formation cultivators with a guarded expression. The sovereigns glared at them. They had suffered too much bloodshed at the hands of the humans lately.


    The leader of the humans looked around awkwardly, obviously unsure of what to do.


    "Huxian!" Cha Ming yelled, flying out toward the group of beasts. The black-and-white fox jumped out and shrank in size substantially.


    "Brother!" the small fox yipped, jumping into his arms. Cha Ming pet his head, and Huxian licked Cha Ming''s face. The awkward tension that had built up between both groups diminished substantially. Both humans and beasts watched on with incredulous expressions.


    "I''m sorry for being late," Cha Ming said. "The Obsidian Syndicate snuck out of the city, so we had to rush to get here on time."


    "As long as you''re here," Huxian said.


    Then, as if realizing that he was surrounded by what was essentially the royalty of the Silverwing Mountain Range, he coughed and reverted to his normal size. "This is my brother, Cha Ming," Huxian said in a much more authoritative voice. "I have signed a contract of brotherhood with him. You must treat him as you treat me." The expressions of the sovereigns and even the monarch softened substantially when they heard this. Likewise, the Alabaster Group''s vigilance lessened as well. After all, all the beasts but the monarch seemed submissive to the black-and-white fox. If he was one of their members'' contracted beasts, it wasn''t impossible to work together.


    After briefly discussing with Huxian, Cha Ming withdrew thirty-six formation flags. Using his Clear Sky Brush, he set up large-scale healing formation, the Mid-Grade Respite Formation. The beasts, who had been severely wounded in the battle, began recovering at a visible pace.


    "I hate to interrupt this teary reunion, but we don''t have much time," Wang Jun said suddenly, stepping toward Cha Ming and Huxian. "I''m not sure if you all realize that our forces are currently at a disadvantage should the Obsidian Syndicate attack."


    "How are we at a disadvantage?" Flaming Eagle Sovereign questioned. "With the monarch on our side, we will surely defeat them."


    "I''m afraid that he''s right," the monarch said. "But I''m not comfortable talking about the reasons behind this in front of everyone. I would like Huxian, Cha Ming, Wang Jun, Silverwing, Flaming Eagle Sovereign, and two representatives from the Alabaster Group to follow me to discuss. I will tell you everything. Does that sound reasonable?"


    After looking at the eldest and most powerful core-formation cultivator, Luo Xuehua nodded. "I, Luo Xuehua, and Protector Meng will represent those from the Alabaster Group."


    "Excellent," the large gray owl said. "Follow me."


    They followed the large owl down the mountain toward the valley below. The valley was known as Owl Monarch Gorge, and it was off-limits to man and beast alike, save those the monarch approved of. The nine mountains came together like an ellipse with the valley at its center. The mountains were prosperous and full of life, while the valley was full of death and decay. Wherever they looked, they saw withered trees that had long been broken apart by the wind.


    "This is far enough," the owl said. Then, to everyone''s surprise, it slumped to the ground. A large red stain trickled out from beneath its left wing for all to see. Looking closer, they saw three swords had pierced its side where its heart should be. "The reason we are at a disadvantage, as our very observant friend put it, is because I am dying. I am on my last legs, a lamp on its last few drops of oil."


    The owl didn''t react as Cha Ming threw out a healing combat formation near the wound, which refused to close. The owl shook its head. "It''s no use. You would need a core-level formation to make any difference. The vitality of a core-formation spirit beast is far too high, and your formation is just a drop in the bucket. Now then, Wang Jun, how could you tell?"


    "Everyone has a story," Wang Jun said wistfully. "Unfortunately, yours is far too easy for me to see. There is only one ending for you, and that is your death."


    The owl sighed. "I have a few days at most, and that''s if I don''t fight. Therefore, our alliance against this band of devils is much weaker than you might think. If we fought against them, we would last at most a week."


    Wang Jun shook his head. "Not even that. They clearly have a spy in the Alabaster Group." Luo Xuehua glared at him, but he continued. "They couldn''t have known when we would be arriving and have arranged a counter ploy if they didn''t. They clearly knew when we would attack them."


    He looked at Cha Ming. "That means they also know that Cha Ming is a formation master. Given enough time and resources, Cha Ming could make this battle very difficult for them, despite Guo Jia''s presence. After all, formation masters are best defensively. That means that they will attack within the hour to not give him that chance. We need to be ready to use everything we have at our disposal."


    "Everyone from the Alabaster Group is ready to lay their lives down to kill devils," Luo Xuehua said. The elder beside her nodded. "I can also call the Alabaster Group to send additional forces. They won''t stand by idly as we''re slaughtered by those from the Obsidian Syndicate. Give us twenty-four hours, and we''ll have more core-formation reinforcements."


    "This the other reason they will attack sooner," Wang Jun said.


    "We beasts always get the short end of the stick," the owl said weakly. "We do not care about these petty battles between angels and devils. We care not for karma. We have always been neutral. But why do we always get caught in the crossfire?"


    "It''s because demons always populate areas with natural riches," Wang Jun explained. "How could greedy humans possibly stay away from them?"


    "You are right of course," the owl sovereign said. "Core-formation demon beasts can live five thousand years, which is ten times as long as a human. I have seen many wars and many struggles for riches. As such, our land has dwindled steadily. Now all that is left of my great-grandfather''s domain is the Silverwing Mountain Range, named after his friend Silverwing. Your ancestor," he said, shooting a meaningful look to Silverwing.


    "In any case, aside from discussing the reality of the situation, I came to bring you hope," the owl said. "I see things sometimes. Things that help us beasts navigate the difficult currents of each age. This time, I saw a man wielding a black and white brush, activating Silverwing''s Pure Jade Defensive Formation."


    The group looked to Cha Ming, the sole formation master. "What grade of formation is it?" Cha Ming asked.


    "Throughout the mountain range, there are nine jade formation plates," the owl explained. "In the center, there is a control plate. The formation is a core-level formation, but the foundation is already set. In addition, the energy is supplied by the mountain."


    Cha Ming shook his head. "I''m afraid that''s far beyond my ability."


    "It isn''t," the owl said. "Not this one. I can feel it. But it will take you and your fox brother to accomplish it. Do you dare trust me?"


    Then the owl''s eyes changed. When Cha Ming looked at them, he felt as though he could see through the mysteries of the Dao, as though he were lost in a sea of mysteries.


    You can see things that others can''t, the owl said mentally. It is in your destiny to activate the formation. The Dao will make everything possible.


    ***


    "Impossible," Zhou Li said. "We clearly have the advantage. Why should we rush and attack now?"


    "Because they''ve just gained a substantial advantage," the voice whispered. "A formation master named Du Cha Ming."


    Hearing this familiar name, Zhou Li grimaced.


    "It is also very likely that the Alabaster Group will send reinforcements. Are you able to pay more for additional services? Besides, it''s not like you are losing anything. We''ve already been paid, and you only stand to lose if you don''t act now."


    Zhou Li thought for a while before nodding. This was the last chance they would get, and if they didn''t succeed, he would be up to his elbows in debt. He hated debt.


    ***


    Cha Ming and Huxian followed the owl monarch as it hopped with small flaps of its wings. Each flap sprayed copious amounts of blood onto the dusty forest floor. The land here seemed to be dying. And according to what Huxian said, it was also absent of demonic qi, something unusual so far into beast territory.


    "Why is the land so gray here?" Cha Ming asked.


    "It is as it looks," the monarch replied. "It has been dying ever since the formation was put into place. It was set up as a potent defense, but the price was half the energy the land had to offer. It will never recover so long as the formation stays."


    "But why set it up in the first place?" Cha Ming questioned.


    "My ancestor had a dream," the owl said. "The True Seer bloodline is powerful, allowing its descendants to see what others can''t. He saw the destruction of our people, and he knew that the only way to prevent it was through this formation."


    They continued advancing through the broken, desolate forest. Even the waters seemed strange. They were clear like the purest streams, yet lifeless. Not even swamp creatures that feasted on death dared occupy them.


    Before long, they reached a large clearing where Cha Ming and Huxian finally saw a large jade plate, much like the one he had seen on Huxian''s mountain peak. This one was circular instead of rectangular, with lines heading in nine different directions. It too was covered in runes. Although he was able to read them, Cha Ming could tell what was required of him was far beyond his capacity.


    "I can''t do this," Cha Ming said, shaking his head. "I can''t even grasp a tenth of this formation."


    "You can," the owl said. "It''s just that there are some things you still don''t see. The formation was made to be easy to use, assuming one meets certain prerequisites."


    "And what prerequisites are those?" Cha Ming wondered aloud.


    "A key. And a technique," the owl replied. "If you have the key, the technique will appear."


    "And what is this key you speak of? Where can we find it?" Cha Ming asked.


    "I already mentioned it," the owl said. "My ancestor dreamed of a disaster and built this formation. He was inspired to build a testing stele, so that the destined one might gain us a slim chance for survival. I, on the other hand, had a different dream. I dreamed of a man who wielded a brush and a black-and-white fox with two tails. The brush was the same as you were wielding when you arrived."


    It dawned on Cha Ming then. The key was the Clear Sky Brush.

 142 Between Light and Darkness

    "You will soon understand everything," the owl said. "Huxian, when I asked you if you had a close human friend, I was asking to confirm my dream. I heard your lie, so I''ve been keeping an eye on you. Otherwise, how could the Reptilian Lion Sovereign possibly give in to Silverwing''s demands?"


    Huxian transmitted a brief account of what had happened to Cha Ming.


    Destiny is a strange thing, Cha Ming thought. But this time, I wasn''t pulled along helplessly. I chose to learn talisman and formation arts. And even if I was given the Eyes of Pure Jade, I chose to use them. And finally, I chose to learn formations and help Mo Tianshen with his pills. Is everything truly predestined? Or are there many potential destinies, and my choices have led me to this one? Are there other similar destinies out there that I have abandoned?


    He thought of the dual nature of the Clear Sky Brush. It didn''t favor light over darkness. He could have easily chosen the devil path. It was a choice he''d made, regardless of what he might have thought at the time.


    As Cha Ming thought this, the owl led them to a stone stele near the jade plate. It looked positively ancient, and it was covered in myriad runic lines. To Cha Ming''s surprise, he did not understand a single character. At least with the jade plate he understood everything. This was why he was so certain he couldn''t use it. These runes were completely different.


    "I recognize those," Huxian suddenly said. He walked up to the stone stele, sniffing. "These are runes of light and darkness. I am no formation master or talisman artist, but I remember them. If you can master them, they will be very useful for me in the future."


    Cha Ming shook his head. "How could I possibly learn them? I can''t manipulate light or darkness qi, so I couldn''t even begin to comprehend them. Learning runes starts with imitation. Without imitation there is no understanding." As he said these words, he traced the shallow grooves on the stone stele with his finger. They called to him.


    "Don''t you have that creation qi technique or whatnot?" Huxian asked, confused.


    "It''s not so simple," Cha Ming said, smiling. "The five elements, wind, and lightning are encompassed in creation. The same elements are a part of destruction, or so I understand thus far. But certain attributes cannot be created or destroyed. They are a resulting law, a consequence of everything else.


    "Light and darkness are opposite forces of consequence. If I light a fire, I will create light. If I manipulate earth, I can block out light and create darkness. I can''t manipulate them directly like you do. The same applies to the power of fate, merit, and sin, and their category, karma. It is the same for space and time."


    "Then if you had access to light and darkness qi, it would solve your problems?" Huxian asked.


    "Indeed, it would," Cha Ming answered. "If only gaining access to light and darkness qi were so easy."


    "Not a problem," Huxian said joyfully, sitting on Cha Ming''s lap. "With my help, you will be able to use light and darkness qi. Of course, it''s demonic qi, but shouldn''t that work just the same?"


    Cha Ming felt the link between Huxian and himself deepen. He understood that, at least in a range of one hundred feet, he could draw on Huxian''s qi. Meanwhile, Huxian could do the same to him.


    "Nice!" the young fox said, summoning a ball of flame. "I''ve always wanted to summon flame. It''s really cool, but every bagua fox only gets one contractor in their lifetime. That''s why our knowledge on techniques for these elements are so limited. I can only adapt from the techniques meant for my beastly generals. Beastly friends. Whatever they are."


    "Speaking of which," Cha Ming said awkwardly, "how come I haven''t seen your minion, Lei Jiang?"


    Huxian shook his head self-deprecatingly. "He''s not my minion anymore. He''s my friend. I released his soul seal, but he ran away¡­" Huxian narrated the sequence of events while looking away, not daring to meet Cha Ming''s eyes. Cha Ming couldn''t help but scratch his ears.


    "You did well, my friend, you did well," Cha Ming said. "Now tell me, what do you know about the nature of light and darkness?" Cha Ming summoned two balls of qi, which he controlled using his incandescent force. One was pure white, one was pure black, just like his creation and destruction qi.


    "Not much, I''m afraid," Huxian said. "We''re in tune with nature from our birth. We don''t need to understand its nature¡ªwe are its nature. Whatever element we cultivate, we are its embodiment. What I can tell you is this¡ªlight is inseparable from darkness. They only show their true nature when they are together."


    Cha Ming pondered deeply as he summoned the Clear Sky Brush. He imbued liquified elemental essence and tried to guide it just like with any other qi. To his surprise, the liquified elemental essence and the demonic qi merged slightly. The liquified elemental essence began to glow, as though it was returning to its original nature. It reminded Cha Ming of the process of creating gold essence and the others.


    He tried the same thing with the darkness qi. The liquified elemental essence took on a slightly obscure shade. "Light essence and dark essence," Cha Ming whispered. He couldn''t help but think that, if demonic beasts had the capacity for learning that humans did, they would surely be the best talisman artists. And blacksmiths. And anything else he could think of.


    After having confirmed the usage of the demonic light and darkness qi, he walked over to the ancient stone stele. He looked at one of the least complicated runes and sent his incandescent force into it.


    This character reminds me of the dim illumination of an overcast morning, Cha Ming thought. He tried painting the character he sensed, only to have it dim immediately afterward. He frowned. No, that''s not it. It''s the dim illumination on an overcast morning before dawn.


    On this second try, the character didn''t fade; it stayed illuminated.


    Cha Ming didn''t switch to darkness characters right away. He continued painting character after character, knowing full well that on the mountain range, an intense war was being waged.


    ***


    Luo Xuehua, Wang Jun sent mentally, three hundred feet to the left, throw an Ice Grave Talisman and slow their pincer. Flaming Eagle Sovereign, fly overhead and intercept their supporting cultivators with flying swords. Boar lords one through seven, charge through the opening created and attack the three mid-foundation-establishment cultivators there.


    Wang Jun shouted orders incessantly while also manipulating a grand formation with the Geomantic Sovereign. Not only did he have to control the flow of battle, he had to counter whatever tricks Guo Jia was up to. Meanwhile, the opponent''s commander was elusive. He could not find him anywhere, and whenever he thought he spotted him, he vanished like the wind.


    Half of the Obsidian Syndicate has assumed a devilish form, Wang Jun thought. Why wouldn''t the commander? He directed a message to Luo Xuehua. Xuehua, do you know of any devilish creatures that have non-physical transformations? Ones that are good at hiding?


    There are two, in fact, she replied while fighting a burly, bark-covered man that was suppressing her. Envy devils can disguise themselves as any person and can transform into wind, becoming immune to all physical attacks. I killed one once with Cha Ming, but that''s only because his eye technique can see them in their unsubstantial form.


    The Eyes of Pure Jade? Wang Jun asked.


    That''s right, she said. I also noticed that his fox friend has those very same eyes.


    Then it''s very unfortunate that they''re both gone, Wang Jun said. He turned his attention back to the battle. In this case, he wouldn''t bother trying to find their commander. He would wait until Cha Ming and Huxian came back and destroy him in one fell swoop.


    ***


    It looks like I''ve reached a bottleneck, Cha Ming thought. He had tried the remaining light characters many times, but he was unable to gain any further comprehension. Huxian was off to the side, playing with a blob of lightning. He was learning qi manipulation like a child learned languages.


    "Any advice on how to proceed?" Cha Ming asked.


    Huxian appeared beside him immediately. He looked at the lit-up characters.


    "Hm¡­" Huxian said. "I suggest you start with darkness runes now. Light and darkness are not as far removed as you think. Maybe you''ll gain inspirations as you paint." He then went off to the side and began summoning a small sphere of darkness.


    Cha Ming''s eyes narrowed, and he yelled out instinctively, "Huxian, stop playing with the destruction qi!" Huxian cast his eyes down and scampered off to the woods. Immediately after his disappearance, Cha Ming could feel his destruction qi being drained once more. He shook his head helplessly. Kids.


    Two hours passed before Cha Ming once again got to another bottleneck. He was left with an equal amount of uncompleted darkness characters.


    Just what am I missing? he thought. He had been through dozens of descriptions on each side of the spectrum, and yet he couldn''t understand any of these other runes.


    One rune in particular baffled him. The feeling he got from it was one of light and darkness duality, but he knew it could only be drawn with one kind of ink.


    I get the feeling that this is candlelight. But what am I missing? How many ways can you interpret candlelight?


    As though he was trying to prove a point, he summoned a large sphere of darkness qi, which blotted out his surroundings. Then he summoned a small flame. It flickered, creating light as a consequence. And wherever it went, the darkness receded ever so slightly. It suddenly dawned on Cha Ming that he had been thinking about it backward.


    Light is not just light, he thought. Light is also receding darkness. Likewise, darkness is also receding light.


    He looked back to the light-based character and pictured something else in his mind entirely. He didn''t focus on the candle, he focused on the area surrounding the candle where the darkness retreated. Then he infused his insights into the rune he''d painted with light essence. The completed character glowed and remained, not fading away.


    Cha Ming, excited by his new epiphany, began interpreting the different characters in different ways. It wasn''t long before every character on the stone stele glowed white or black. Once the last character was drawn, it immediately began to crumble. Huxian, having heard the commotion, appeared beside Cha Ming. The dust settled and revealed a small purple jade slip. It had a title: Demon-Subduing Eyes.


    Cha Ming summoned the slip with his incandescent force and immersed his mind into the technique. Images, feelings, and scenes flooded his mind. He imagined he was a monarch, a sovereign. Thousands of beasts groveled before him. He was forced to abruptly cut the connection. He looked at the jade slip with a strange expression.


    "How would anyone ever be able to cultivate this?" he thought.


    "Let me try," Huxian said. He placed his paw on the jade slip. It glowed with an intense light. Three breaths later, the jade slip shattered into a small pile of gray dust. He then looked at Cha Ming, who shivered when he saw Huxian''s eyes. They were the same jade color as his eyes, except for a conspicuous purple ring on the outside.


    Cha Ming doubled over in pain as a similar ring etched itself into both his eyes. He immediately realized why he couldn''t cultivate the Demon-Subduing Eyes it in the first place: It was a demonic technique. As such, only a demon could cultivate it. Cha Ming learned it only because Huxian did. The same applied to using light and darkness qi. He shivered as he recalled the owl saying it dreamt of a black-and-white fox and Cha Ming activating the formation. Had the owl predicted them using their link to make the impossible possible? Had the original owl monarch done the same?


    When Cha Ming looked at Huxian, the fox appeared different than before. He saw a light green halo but also a purple one. Then Cha Ming looked around the clearing. He saw intense purple lines around the jade plate as well as many colored lines shooting off in different directions. Then, focusing on the mountains, he saw towering purple auras that blotted out the skies. The dead forest beside him was conspicuously empty of the purple qi that Cha Ming now recognized as demonic qi.


    "Now do you believe you can activate the formation?" the owl monarch asked. He had been absent until this moment, but now he''d fluttering back over.


    "I think I can," Cha Ming replied. "But it will take a few hours. Do we even have that much time?"


    "I''ll make us time," the owl monarch said. "Do you need Huxian? He''s needed in the battlefield."


    Cha Ming stared at the massive array of runic lines. "Please buy me as much time as you can."


    ***


    Wang Jun, I''m back, Huxian sent mentally. And so is the owl monarch.


    What about Cha Ming? Wang Jun asked.


    He''s busy activating the formation, Huxian replied. We''re here to help buy you time.


    I see, Wang Jun said. What about the owl monarch?


    We''re here to buy you time, Huxian replied. Whatever the cost.


    Wang Jun stared out at the battlefield. It was ever changing, twisting according to both tacticians'' desires. It was a dance, a very dangerous one at that. Any slight misstep would mean the loss of many lives. The allied beasts and humans were at a disadvantage. Fortunately, they were on the defensive, and they were able to keep their losses at a minimum. However, the losses they were sustaining were beginning to take their toll. It wouldn''t be long before their forces crumbled.


    How long does he need? Wang Jun asked.


    A few hours, Huxian replied. As much time as you can get him, he added.


    Wang Jun closed his eyes to think of various countermeasures. He opened them after a few moments, his eyes flashing with resolve. To buy that much time, we need to take out their hidden tactician. Huxian, can you see anything unusual with your Eyes of Pure Jade? A hidden enemy that blends into the wind?


    A moment later, he received a reply. There is an ochre mist pervading the whole battlefield. It''s difficult to make out anything specific.


    Wang Jun nearly killed himself in shame. Of course he couldn''t spot their commander. It was because he wasn''t in any specific location, he was everywhere at once.


    Does the orange mist retreat quickly whenever any fire, lightning, or wind techniques are used? The techniques were few and far between, with fire being the most prevalent, but they were still being used periodically.


    Yes, now that you mention it, it does, Huxian said. After confirming his suspicions, Wang Jun formulated a bold and daring plan.


    Geomantic Sovereign, Wang Jun sent, I''ll need you to¡­


    ***


    Cha Ming wasn''t sure where to begin, so he started from the most distant line leading away from the plate. He hovered in the air and wielded his Clear Sky Brush, painting a wide blue line as he went. The amount of ink he used was staggering, but he didn''t have much choice in the matter. Fortunately, a foundation had already been established. Each line stabilized immediately on completion.


    As he approached the faraway mountain, he spotted several minor formations. He used his ink and brush to trace over their outlines, which appeared in either purple or elemental colors. The formations became more and more complex before finally arriving at the mountain. It split off into several lines that snaked up the mountain before finally merging into a jade plate at the peak.


    Cha Ming carefully painted these lines, and as soon as he finished, the jade plate glowed with multicolored characters.


    One formation plate down, he thought, wiping the sweat from his brow. Eight to go.

 143 Gambi

    Wang Jun looked at the battlefield dispassionately. Ever since his instructions to the Geomantic Sovereign, the casualties had skyrocketed. She no longer focused on defense. Rather, she focused on setting up a small formation in the center of the battlefield. Meanwhile, Wang Jun could not divert as much attention to obscuring vulnerable parties as before. He focused on obscuring the formation being erected stealthily beneath the battlefield.


    I still don''t understand why you''re doing this, the Geomantic Sovereign sent mentally. People are dying up there in droves. Don''t you care at all?


    Wang Jun remained stone-faced. Ironically, he was the only one not in danger during these encounters. He''d looked so hard to find the opposing tactician; conversely, the other tactician had given up on finding Wang Jun right away. Which wasn''t surprising. Wang Jun was located in a remote location underground, and beside him was the True Seer Owl. He constantly displayed a video projection of the battlefield, zooming in and out as Wang Jun pleased.


    I care very much, Wang Jun said sternly. This is all a ploy to capture their commander, and these deaths are necessary. When you command a battlefield, you need to make difficult decisions. It''s not just beast lives that I''m throwing away, it''s human lives as well. All to save so many more. I''d sacrifice you just the same if it was worth it. Silence ensued. How long until the formation is complete? he asked.


    An incense time, the boa replied.


    Good, Wang Jun said. Now to start the most dangerous part.


    ***


    Huxian fought tooth and nail while constantly monitoring the ochre mist, ensuring it didn''t escape. He didn''t use many special abilities. Wang Jun had specifically requested that he conserve his energy. Everywhere around him, his fellow beasts died. Many humans were dying as well. Wang Jun did not differentiate between man and beast with his decisions. He was cold, mechanical, and ruthless.


    He would make a great demon beast, Huxian thought.


    Suddenly, instructions flooded into his mind. You want me to do what? He didn''t hear a reply. He could only grit his teeth and execute. This was war, and second-guessing the commander was tantamount to suicide. Therefore, Huxian followed his instructions to a tee and dived straight into the melee, where it was least safe. At the same time, everyone else on their side pressed inward, pushing everyone further into a more confined space. Wounds and casualties mounted instantly. Huxian even felt a sharp blade leave a deep slash in his shoulder blade.


    Huxian didn''t question Wang Jun. He was Cha Ming''s friend, and that was a good enough reason to trust him. He just hoped that he remembered their friendship and didn''t sacrifice them both as well. Just like he had so many men and beasts.


    ***


    Something''s wrong, Guo Jia said, laying down formation after formation. He was exhausted. The only thing that kept him going was an ample supply of pills, but even that was dwindling rapidly.


    Nothing''s wrong, the voice said. This commander is far too young to be facing off against me. He''s finally made a mistake, thinking he can surprise me. Look at what they''re doing¡ªthey''re using larger amounts of area-of-effect attacks. But he forgot to account for your formations, which will show their greatest potency in a small area.


    It''s best to be cautious, Guo Jia said. There''s a reason why we accepted coming here for such a low price. The Wang family subsidized this expedition, all to take out this Second Young Master. If the first young master of the Wang family feels threatened by him, should we not treat him with some level of caution?


    Fair enough, the voice replied. Suddenly, everything changed. Man and beast alike instantly charged out from the tight battlefield and began retreating instantly. There, I told you he made a mistake. And now he realizes it. All we need to do now is butcher them as they retreat. What a¡ª Oh. Oh dear. Guo Jia, defend me!


    That was when fire, lightning, and wind rained down from the heavens, blocking Guo Jia''s line of sight. He quickly set up the best defensive combat formations he knew, hoping he would survive the assault.


    ***


    Now! Wang Jun yelled. The many beasts that had rushed in before retreated all at once. In the confusion, the enemies chased after them in an expanding circle. All but one enemy. After all, they had painfully set up a restraining formation earlier at the cost of many lives. Rushing in seemed like a mistake, but it was a ploy used to set up this very moment.


    On Wang Jun''s cue, the large owl monarch floated up in the sky. He flapped his wings many times, flooding the area inside the formation with a devastating wind. It also pushed downward, keeping the wind devil''s intangible form pressed to the ground.


    Fire rained down from the heavens as dozens of cultivators unleashed techniques. Lei Jiang, who had been saving his power the entire time, burned his blood essence to unleash a lightning storm unlike any Wang Jun had ever seen. Meanwhile, Huxian sent out his aura of suppression into the formation. It was laced with the feeble Devil-Sealing Intent he had accumulated. Silverwing, who had also been holding back, unleashed thousands of windy blades into the formation.


    It was just a bonus that Guo Jia and a few other cultivators were stuck in the area. They were the strongest and therefore the least watchful. This combined attack couldn''t hurt them, but it could drain their energy.


    The dust soon settled, and on the surface, the losses did not seem to outweigh the gains. But Wang Jun knew better. The roar of defiance yelled out by Guo Jia after the attacks faded confirmed the death of their tactician. So did Huxian''s Eyes of Pure Jade.


    Now they would have no problem holding out defensively until Cha Ming arrived.


    ***


    "One more," Cha Ming muttered to himself in exhaustion. His brush felt heavy, his soul force overtaxed. He took a quick break to recover his soul''s energy. The painting Jun Xiezi gave him filled and nourished his soul.


    The dual life-and-death theme didn''t seem so awkward to him this time. Life and death were much like light and darkness. Resistance and momentum. Crumbling and hardening. These opposites only existed relative to each other. Warmth suffused Cha Ming''s soul as it greedily drank from his surroundings.


    Kacha!


    He felt a slight shattering sensation within his soul. The remainder of an invisible shackle crumbled away, and the incandescence in his soul reached a peak. But to his surprise, it didn''t continue to another level of resplendence, as he had expected would happen with a resplendent soul. Instead the incandescence in his limbs concentrated onto the cloth on his torso. It became tangible and bright. The resplendent garment draped his soul. At that moment, he felt his soul sense expand five times to one hundred miles. The quality of his soul force¡ªwhich was now called resplendent force¡ªwas far easier to manipulate and control than before.


    His mental exhaustion immediately vanished. He picked up his painting and took out his brush once more and began completing the formation more rapidly than ever. The speed at which he painted doubled. And while he wasn''t confident in his ability to condense higher-level formations, he felt the increased speed would make up for it.


    He painted as he ran up the mountain with Stormchaser Steps. The last mountain lit up with colors that complemented the natural flow of energy. Soon, he arrived at the peak of the mountain, where he was greeted with a corpse-littered battlefield. Man and beast alike had killed each other in cold blood.


    I can stop this, he thought. I can make the difference. He took his brush and began painting the last formation.


    ***


    The loss of his tactician frustrated Guo Jia. With his disappearance, Guo Jia had no choice but to divert some of his attention to commanding instead of laying down formations. It was this increased perspective of the battlefield that alerted him to the figure at the peak of the mountain. He was painting a large formation, but from what Guo Jia could see, it was only a piece of a much greater whole.


    His eyes narrowed.


    Help me break through to the peak of the mountain no matter the cost, he yelled. If that man finishes the formation, we''re done for!


    The battlefield erupted around him. Core-formation cultivators increased their efforts and pushed the defenders aside. One by one, the many forces in Guo Jia''s way fell apart.


    I can make it!


    Suddenly a young woman appeared in front of him. She kept her eyes closed, but she seemed familiar to him. He smirked. "So, the little girl Master picked up has become such a beautiful young woman," he said. "Move aside. I''m not interested in you. Just that man behind you."


    "I don''t care to move aside for the man who betrayed Master," she said. "His heart was broken when you went to the Obsidian Syndicate. Just like his brother before him did."


    "He just didn''t understand that life isn''t worth living if you don''t pursue the peak of power and wealth," Guo Jia said. "Now stand aside, or I''ll be forced to kill you." A seventy-two-sigil combat formation manifested in front of him. It was an earth sigil, perfectly countering Xuehua''s strengths.


    "Then it''s time that I use a few trump cards Master gave me," she said coldly.


    Guo Jia shivered as dozens of talismans flew out toward him, each with increasing levels of power. He was forced to retract his combat formation. He then threw down seven successive lower-level defensive formations. Then, seeing that the rain of talismans would breach his defenses, he threw out three talismans of his own. These had been provided by his master. His new master. At a cost, of course. Everything had a price.


    Ice was shattered apart by mountainous spikes, causing Xuehua, who was caught in the aftershocks, to cough up blood as she was thrown aside. Guo Jia didn''t focus on her. Instead he rushed to stop the young man who was painting at the peak of the mountain.


    As the man painted, the mountain began glowing with a pure jade luster. It hurt Guo Jia''s eyes, but he couldn''t help but press forward. Soon, he arrived before the man, who was holding his brush and staring at him.


    "So we meet again," the young man said.


    Guo Jia''s eyes were still adjusting, so he couldn''t make out his features.


    "What do you mean, meet again?" Guo Jia asked. He rushed forward to stop the man as he painted the last formation line. The entire mountain took on a jade luster as a large dome suddenly appeared over the Silverwing Mountain Range. At this moment, he finally saw the features of the man who had activated the grand formation. He was a young man with unusual brown hair and jade and purple eyes. His facial structure was also unusual, that of a foreigner. He gasped when he remembered the face, his eyes flickering to the man''s forehead. He remembered that forehead.


    He had placed a slave rune there a few years ago.


    ***


    Cha Ming gazed at Guo Jia intently. His hands clenched in rage as he recalled the degrading treatment he had endured at Wei Chen''s hands. Guo Jia, Wei Chen, and Xiao Heilong. One had died, and the others would soon follow. He would start with Guo Jia.


    "So what if you''ve set up this formation?" Guo Jia said, bringing out dozens of formation flags. "Do you think you can win against me? I can tell at a glance that you merely completed an existing formation and aren''t the original builder."


    Cha Ming shrugged and quickly cast a Stormchaser Steps combat formation beneath his feet. He then charged at Guo Jia, who was in the process of materializing a fire-based high-grade formation. While his tone was aggressive, Cha Ming could see that he was just putting on a strong front. The ochre aura oozing out of Guo Jia was rapidly being eaten away by the defensive formation. After all, Cha Ming was the one who had activated it. He had taken special care to imbue it with his Devil-Sealing Intent.


    "Too slow," Cha Ming said, throwing out thirty-six ice sigils. He quickly laid a combat formation down, its energy lines clashing with Guo Jia''s. It ended in mutual annihilation. A look of shock appeared on Guo Jia''s face as he saw his formation disappear, but it didn''t last for long. He shot out seventy-two earth-type sigils. Cha Ming''s Dao sigils rapidly changed to a wood formation, but he saw it would be a tad too slow. Therefore, while attacking Guo Jia with his Clear Sky Staff, he quickly shot out dozens of mortal-grade talismans, which landed at key points. Both formations were destroyed.


    "Interesting," Guo Jia said, quickly dodging Cha Ming''s staff while making another formation. It was a close matchup. Cha Ming had his speed and talismans, and Guo Jia had higher-leveled abilities. Cha Ming had a limited number of talismans, but Guo Jia''s aura was slowly being eroded by the grand formation. The first to falter would perish.


    ***


    Great power suffused Huxian''s fur and bones, granting him an aura one sub-realm higher than before.


    What a powerful formation, Huxian thought in amazement. Not only he, but Silverwing, Lei Jiang, and many others were propelled one level higher. Huxian and Silverwing joined the other remaining sovereigns to fight the core-formation cultivators in the high-level battles. Meanwhile, the kings and many lords began attacking stronger opponents, rapidly changing the flow of battle.


    The human cultivators had not received any augmentations, but the increase in the demon beasts'' battle prowess rapidly reduced the pressure they felt. At the same time, Huxian could see the ochre auras being suppressed by the jade shield. The devils should have retreated, but their commander was currently battling Cha Ming. They were like puppets with no one to pull the strings.


    Huxian turned his attention to one of the core-formation cultivators who had killed the Reptilian Lion Sovereign.


    Silverwing, cover me! he yelled.


    Silverwing, who was nearby, flapped his silver wings and forced Huxian''s opponent to deflect the blades of wind. Huxian took advantage of the opening and swiped out with a white claw in a sea of darkness. It cut through armor and qi shields like wet paper, instantly destroying the initial core-formation cultivator.


    He surveyed the battlefield, looking for his next target. That was when he saw Xiao Heilong, a mountain of a man, sneakily escaping the battlefield. He didn''t have a chance to intercept him, though. Yet another core-formation cultivator, more powerful than the last, engaged him in close combat.


    Wang Jun, Huxian sent, Xiao Heilong is trying to escape.


    Already on it, he heard back. He dodged one blade after another and continued looking for an opening. Time was on their side, and they had the initiative.


    ***


    Xiao Heilong snuck out like a thief. Regardless of how this started or how he got involved, he could tell one thing for certain: They were losing. Badly. And he wanted nothing to do with it. Sure, he would get punished lightly for escaping, but that was the least of his concerns. It was nothing killing a few people couldn''t solve. It never was.


    Almost out, he thought, looking at the edge of the shield just outside the mountain. He activated his best movement technique and carefully slid through, breathing in the fresh air that didn''t corrode his devilish powers.


    Clap. Clap. Clap.


    A figure walked out of the shadows behind a large rock. It was a young boy with blond hair. Wang Jun, the second young master of the Wang clan. The bounty on his head was extremely high, which made tussling with him an enticing but fearful proposition. Targets that were easy to kill never had high bounties, no matter what anyone told him.


    "I suppose you''ve come here to fight me?" Xiao Heilong said, drawing his daggers. Now that he was outside the jade shield, he no longer had to fear exposing his devilish form. The air turned cold around him as he lost his temper. The rage he normally held within him disappeared, eaten away to be converted into pure strength. He fed off rage. It made him grow stronger. But one always had to pay a price for power. Especially if the power was instantaneous and so useful.


    "Heavens no, I think you''ve got the wrong impression," Wang Jun said, chuckling. "I''m here to kill you. Which is quite different, you see? One implies the ability to resist." Suddenly, Xiao Heilong realized that he couldn''t move a muscle. He was surrounded by shadowy strings that had clearly been laid out beforehand. The young man walked toward him. His gaze caused him to shiver.


    "Do you know why cultivating fate is so difficult?" Wang Jun asked. He now stood two feet away from Xiao Heilong. "It''s because it''s so hard to find proper cultivation subjects. You see, to cultivate the fate aspect, I need to establish karma and sever karma. The stronger the karma, the more benefit I gain. For example, establishing a trade contract would generate a small amount of karma, but karma of a blood debt¡­ well, that''s much stronger. Do you understand?" The young man pulled at the air, and soon he revealed a red thread. Xiao Heilong recognized it. It was the thread of vengeance.


    "You tried to kill my brother Cha Ming," Wang Jun said. "Twice. And your men caused him untold anguish, both to him and the people close to him. The organization you belong to has caused a war against my brother''s brother. That''s why the string is so thick, you see."


    A black sword pierced through Xiao Heilong''s chest. His knees sagged as the last of his life left him. The last thing he saw was a shadow with a gaping maw. It slurped up the thread of karma like a tasty snack before Wang Jun sent him on his way.


    ***


    "You''re losing this war," Cha Ming remarked, "and you have no one to blame but yourself." He was panting, exhausted, and he was running low on talismans. Another formation sprang up, causing Cha Ming to set up his own quick formation and throw out some lightning talismans to complement.


    "Fire with lightning?" Guo Jia yelled. "Seriously? I would have thought that Master would have trained you better. Or are you out of your precious talismans finally?"


    "Master?" Cha Ming asked, concentrating more on undoing the next formation. It was getting increasingly difficult to maintain his lead. It was slipping, and soon Guo Jia''s formations would get through.


    "Of course," Guo Jia said, panting. "There are only three other mortal formation artists in the city. Someone in the Alabaster Group, some guy in the royal family, and me. Who do you think taught all of us in the first place?"


    Rage boiled in Cha Ming''s stomach, and his expression turned cold. "No wonder he''s so strict on recruiting students. Scum like you somehow managed to sneak through."


    "I was his pride and joy," Guo Jia said. "But I definitely see his mark in your fighting style. He taught you well, but unfortunately, you''re just too young."


    "I highly doubt he''s very proud of you," Cha Ming said with his teeth clenched as he countered yet another formation. "When I mentioned blood formations in the Song Kingdom, he immediately thought of you. The disappointment he has for you probably tops anything else in his life."


    He used his staff to bat aside another formation line, causing it to deviate slightly. Another line quickly took its place.


    "You know nothing of the disappointments he''s faced," Guo Jia said. "I think his brother founding the Obsidian Syndicate was definitely his crowning shame. But regardless, it doesn''t matter much. Because I now have the advantage, and you''re dead."


    A bright array of blue lights materialized around Cha Ming, trapping him. Cha Ming summoned an earthen formation, but unfortunately it couldn''t cause enough damage to shatter it. Thousands of icicles pierced from the ground, slicing apart his strong flesh. Fortunately, his bones were as hard as magic treasures, and they didn''t break like the rest of his body did.


    He rapidly activated his last remaining Hardening Talisman and Resistance Talisman, both toughening his skin and preventing himself from getting trapped. Then he threw his last remaining Crumbling Talisman at Guo Jia''s body. Finally, he threw out his single Sharp Talisman.


    Unlike the others, which were buffing and supportive talismans, the Sharp Talisman attacked directly. He also followed up with his last remaining Nine Heavens Lightning Talisman, the last one he had in stock. Unfortunately, Guo Jia suddenly transformed. The most highly concentrated ochre aura Cha Ming had ever seen appeared. It was rapidly being eroded by the Devil-Sealing Intent in the protective formation. Guo Jia grimaced as he appeared in front of Cha Ming, slamming down his boot on Cha Ming''s head.


    "It''s such a shame," Guo Jia said with a distorted voice. "You would have made an excellent greater devil with your mastery over the five elements. But you''ve used everything you have. And I don''t like competitors."


    I''ve used everything I have, Cha Ming thought. No, that wasn''t accurate. He still had one trump card, but it was very risky, very damaging. Also, he had never tried it out of fear of destroying his sigils. It''s now or never.


    He couldn''t look up due to Guo Jia''s heavy boot, but he sent his resplendent force out to guide five sigils, substantially less than normal. Instead of transforming them into formations, however, he quickly expanded them to a larger version of their original shape. Five elemental sigils shone brightly around Guo Jia.


    Cha Ming felt the pain in his skull intensify as the boot shoved him further down. He poured his foundation qi into the sigils despite his debilitating condition. He didn''t use five-element qi. Only black qi poured in. The five elements created, but they also destroyed. He was gambling that five sigils could make a complete formation and support the destructive black star that linked them. At the center of the black, starry matrix was where Guo Jia was currently standing.


    Guo Jia grunted and threw out thirty-six sigils to ward away Cha Ming''s seemingly pathetic attempt, but the runic lines fizzled when they met the five sigils. This caused Guo Jia to force down with all his might, trying as hard as possible to crush Cha Ming''s unreasonably hard skull.


    Seventy-two flags flew out, and Guo Jia rapidly attempted to consolidate a high-grade formation. It was a gold formation, best for slicing. Five giant swords appeared beside him, striking down where the black connecting lines were forming. The gold swords shattered when they hit those black lines, unable to resist their suppression.


    Guo Jia lifted his foot to flee, but it was too late. Cha Ming rapidly poured in the rest of his qi, instantly completing the formation.


    "No!" Guo Jia shouted in agony as his body was bisected by the black star. His body collapsed, and so did Cha Ming. The mental energy he had consumed was staggering. He could tell that if he hadn''t broken through to the resplendent soul realm, he could have easily ended up as a vegetable after activating the formation.


    Huxian, Wang Jun, Cha Ming sent. I''m out. Make sure you win.

 144 Epilogue

    The battle''s outcome was as expected. The Silverwing beasts and the Alabaster Group won, but at a terrible cost. Over half of the members sent by the Alabaster Group had perished, including their higher-level forces. Only a third of the allied beast forces remained.


    There was a silver lining, however. The Pure Jade Defensive Formation had been activated, and it would remain activated for the foreseeable future. The price to maintain the formation was steep but worthwhile for the Silverwing beasts.


    After the battle was completed, the Alabaster Group conducted an investigation and found the traitor. It was an inconspicuous member who wasn''t around too often. They weren''t sure how he got past their screening process. Unsurprisingly, the punishment for treachery was death.


    Unfortunately, the owl monarch perished from his wounds shortly after the battle. Before dying, he passed on his inheritance to the last True Seer Owl on the mountain, the one Wang Jun had effectively used as a monitor to manage the battle. Then, seeing that the owl was clearly not leadership material, the owl monarch appointed Huxian as leader.


    Huxian, not wanting to disappoint the monarch, accepted, but he abdicated shortly after the monarch''s death and nominated Silverwing, who bluntly rejected. Eventually, the Geomantic Sovereign took on the role as monarch. As a formation expert, she was best suited to controlling the defensive formation. In addition, her contributions to the war and to their survival far eclipsed that of any other beast. Everyone unanimously approved her appointment.


    Two weeks passed before Cha Ming, Huxian, and Wang Jun took their leave. They were sent off with a celebration and a large gift of medicinal herbs¡ªuseless for the beasts but useful for Cha Ming. Coincidentally, all the ingredients required for his next two pills had been gathered. After one day, they finally departed and left the Silverwing Mountain Range behind them.


    ***


    "We really made off like bandits," Huxian said, merrily skipping along. Lei Jiang sat on his head, keeping his paws to himself, lest Cha Ming and Wang Jun scold him once more.


    And I thought Huxian was a handful, Cha Ming thought. And he says he''s going to recruit seven more friends? What am I, a zookeeper?


    Worse, Huxian had no way to earn income. Therefore, Cha Ming gained an extra mouth to feed with every new companion Huxian gained. He only hoped that their appetites wouldn''t be as overwhelming as the little fox''s.


    Suddenly, Huxian''s ears pulled back. "Someone''s coming!" he yelled. Cha Ming, who had known this long before, held his hand out and motioned for Huxian to stop.


    "He''s a messenger from the Song Kingdom," Cha Ming said. "Likely here for Wang Jun."


    Sure enough, the man who came was a soldier. He immediately bowed to Wang Jun before delivering a letter. The latter grimaced after reading the contents.


    "It seems my absence had some consequences," Wang Jun said. "We secured funding on this expedition and weakened the crown prince. However, a major event happened while we were gone. The king, who has been in poor health of late, collapsed."


    "What coincidental timing," Cha Ming said.


    "Indeed," Wang Jun replied. "And naturally, the doctors all think nothing is wrong with him."


    Cha Ming held his hand to his chin. "Is it possible for me to take a look at the king?"


    Wang Jun raised his eyebrow. "You''re a spirit doctor now? There are human limits to success, you know."


    Cha Ming flushed in embarrassment. "By no means am I a spirit doctor, but I studied under a mortal doctor for some time, so I am familiar with human physiology." He looked back toward the Quicksilver Empire, recalling the lavish buildings the spirit doctors occupied. "Besides, I don''t think I trust spirit doctors anymore. They are conceited and think themselves infallible."


    "Very well," Wang Jun replied. "A small matter. I''ll make it happen." He looked at Huxian and Lei Jiang. "What about you two?"


    "We''re following Brother Cha Ming, of course," Huxian said.


    "I''m following Brother Huxian," Lei Jiang replied.


    Wang Jun massaged his forehead. "Fine. I''ll arrange something for you to appear like Cha Ming''s tamed beasts." Cha Ming frowned when he heard this. "It''s just the way of the world, my friend," Wang Jun said. "Every human empire has a rule¡ªall beasts, if not imprisoned, must be tamed. Otherwise, they are to be killed on sight."


    "It''s fine," Huxian said. "It''s far better than being separated again."


    Cha Ming''s expression softened after getting Huxian''s approval.


    A day passed, and they finally exited the forest and saw their first glimpse of civilization. There were villages and a large city nearby. Farmers were tilling their fields and sowing seeds during these first few days of spring. Just as they were leaving the forest, a silver glint appeared overhead. Soon, a tiny bird was perched on Huxian''s now enlarged form.


    "Are you tagging along too?" Huxian asked.


    "Of course," Silverwing replied. "What kind of friend would I be if I stayed behind?"


    Cha Ming could barely discern a softly glowing "friend" character on his forehead.


    Make that three mouths to feed, he thought. Then he looked to Wang Jun, who chuckled. "Three fake beast-taming collars won''t cost much more than two," he said lightly. The remainder of their trip was naturally spent housebreaking Silverwing, who was just as bad as Huxian and Lei Jiang.


    ***


    Feng Ming was annoyed. All he wanted was to kill devils while leading the army. And now he was confined to barracks until his father arrived. Naturally, there was nowhere to run. He was surrounded by good men, and he didn''t want them to suffer if he escaped.


    Just what could make my father act like this? he thought. His father had given him free rein until recently. Now he had chosen to swiftly retract Feng Ming''s leash. As a senior general in the army, his father''s orders weren''t questioned.


    He slept on his flat bed, not touching any food or drink as he waited miserably for his father to arrive. While waiting, he heard some interesting rumors. Was the king dead? No, he had only collapsed. He had been sick for a long time. But who would take over as king now that he was incapacitated? The crown prince? The third prince?


    He heard conversations and questions from every angle. Apparently, troops were getting pulled back from all corners of the Song Kingdom. All the great generals were convening their colonels and stationing their troops in ways that indicated their political position.


    So that''s what it is, Feng Ming thought. Political games while the kingdom is falling apart. In his opinion, politicians and devils were of the same breed. They spoke sweet words but veiled their true intentions. They deceived the world while accomplishing their greedy goals.


    Well, he thought, I won''t have it. I refuse to participate in these lousy games. There was a war to be fought, and people had forgotten it far too soon.


    ***


    The final ghost dissipated as Gong Lan decapitated it with a blade of light. The surrounding air was purified. With time, the trees would grow near the decrepit graveyard. Just like it would with the 107 others.


    "Where do we go next, Bodhi?" Gong Lan asked, wiping the sweat from her brow.


    "Next, we go to the most central location in the kingdom," the bodhi seed said. It appeared on her shoulder. This time, its expression was serious.


    "You mean the capital city?" Gong Lan asked.


    "Heavens, no," the bodhi seed replied. "The capital is relatively new. We must go somewhere older. Somewhere ancient. We must go where the destiny of the nation accumulates, where the spirits of its kings are buried. We must follow the path of corrupting crimson and stop the enemy where the evil spirits gather.


    "But what are they after?" Gong Lan wondered.


    The bodhi seed sighed. "The Ancient Emperor''s Seal of Pure Jade."


    -- End Book 4 --

 145 Prologue - Corrupted Crimson

    Dedication:


    To those who forgive.


    Author''s Note:


    At the time of writing this note, there are five hours remaining until


    the new year. I can''t help but look back at the past year in satisfaction.


    With the release of my books Clear Sky through Pure Jade, readership


    for Painting the Mists has soared. My writing skills have improved, and


    everyone''s impatience for the next book lets me go to bed with a smile


    every night. You, the readers, are what makes this all worthwhile.


    But enough of that¡ªlet''s talk about Corrupted Crimson. As the


    tittle suggests, nothing can remain the same forever. Slowly but surely,


    even the most resplendent gold will become tarnished. The sharpest


    blade will dull, and the brightest silver will tarnish.


    The same applies to people, to groups, and to nations. Chains of


    karma hold us down one by one, until choice is nothing more than an


    illusion. Can anyone be truly unfettered, a golden soul with freedom


    of choice? Or will everyone be forever tainted with a modicum of


    corruption, a crimson stain that will forever mar an otherwise perfect


    existence?


    Most of us will never know, but one thing is certain: Nothing can


    remain unchanged. Time affects all things, and even the purest gold


    must be dusted and polished.


    Prologue:


    The way forward was dark. The ever-present blackness sought to devour the small group of adventurers as they wandered through the underground tomb. A sphere of light traveled in front of them. It was a warm, soothing brightness that banished away the cold shadows that bit them. The artifact shone with unfettered gold, banishing the traces of corruption wherever they passed.


    "Why would they build such an extensive labyrinth?" a man said. He was bald and wore an orange kasaya. Unlike Master Zhen, he looked to be in his midtwenties. His qi cultivation was practically nonexistent, but his soul shone brightly, banishing the mortal world''s corruption wherever he walked.


    The middle-aged Master Zhen had spent fifty years establishing his resplendent soul. He was now one hundred years old, the oldest of the World Tree Master''s direct disciples.


    "Patience is a virtue, Sibi," Master Zhen said. "The battle we Buddhists fight is an eternal one, and impatience invites corruption and fetters one''s heart."


    "My apologies, Master," Sibi said, regaining his usual composure. "It has been so long since we''ve seen the sun, and the shadows eat away at one''s very soul."


    "You are right," Master Zhen said. "These shadows aren''t natural. They are the reason we''ve wandered so far and so long. Our order was wrong to ignore this tomb until now." He caught a glint of gold at the end of the dark corridor. Seeing this speck of brightness, the impatient monk beside him quickened his steps. "Hold your ground, Sibi," Master Zhen said, stopping him with a gentle palm. "You must not let temptation corrupt your innocent heart."


    "But I''m not tempted by worldly possessions," Sibi protested. "This gold means nothing to me." Nevertheless, he slowed down and allowed his teacher to take the lead.


    "You were not tempted by gold, but by time," Master Zhen said. "You were tempted by hope, by an end to the dreary scenery. But you must remember that these are all illusions that shackle us to the mortal realm. Only by shedding these attachments can we transcend and become a buddha. The only surefire way to Buddhahood is diligence, perseverance, and purposeful avoidance of these temptations. If you do not shield your heart¡­"


    "¡­ it will be corrupted by karma and sow seeds of evil in your spirit," Sibi finished. "Don''t worry, I always remember your teachings."


    Master Zhen smiled at his disciple''s quick response and continued his slow pace toward what was now a golden glow. The rough stone walls eventually transitioned to marble inlaid with golden runes. They preserved the resting souls of the ancient emperors so they could guard the dynasty for all eternity.


    "What a foolish ancient practice," Master Zhen muttered, shaking his head. The bodies of the ancient kings rested on marble slabs, which were adorned with a golden plate inscribed with protective runes.


    "Why foolish?" Sibi said. "Do the Bodhisattvas not teach to protect those who cannot fend for themselves? In my opinion, these are honorable men. Despite their empire fading into ruins, they still protect their descendants without fail."


    Master Zhen shook his head and walked over to one of the marble slabs. A gentle wind blew the dust off the gold formation plate, revealing a blurry name he couldn''t quite make out.


    "It isn''t their purpose that is foolish, Sibi, but their methods. Souls who transcend using the Buddhist path and the Evil Spirit path are expelled from the plane because their transcendent souls are eternal. Even without transcending, a soul will survive for fifty thousand years. Mortals, on the other hand, have a much shorter lifespan. A mortal human can live for up to one hundred years, while a demon monarch can live for five thousand. This is the natural order of things."


    "That is naturally why they sought this path, Master," Sibi said. "It is the only way in which they could extend their protection through the generations."


    Master Zhen sighed. "How long have you been alive, Sibi?"


    "Twenty-five years," Sibi said.


    "And how has age affected your perception of the world and your perception of time?" Master Zhen asked him.


    "I can barely remember my younger years," Sibi replied. "They are gone like a ripple in the water. I can only live in the present, for fear of being confused by the dull image of a once-sharp past."


    "And that is the problem," Master Zhen said, gesturing to the corpse. "This man died ten thousand years ago. How does his spirit see the world now? Does it still see the nation as something to protect? You need to realize that we Buddhists do not become spirit entities until we transcend to a higher plane, where we can continue our good work. That is because a mortal soul is far too vulnerable to outside influences. It is better that we enter the cycle of reincarnation rather than bare our souls to the material plane''s corruption.


    "Conversely, these kings have mimicked the path of evil spirits. They have bound themselves to their nation''s karma and the will of their people. They will remain as spirit protectors for 50,000 years. Will they remain unaffected by the ravages of time?"


    Sibi nodded slowly as he absorbed this useful knowledge.


    The pair soon left the protector''s marble slab behind and continued deeper into the mausoleum. The narrow hallway opened up into a large gold-covered room. In the center stood a gold dais which held a small jade object surrounded by twelve golden sarcophaguses.


    Master Zhen gestured for them to halt and took out his exorcist''s staff, which he waved back and forth while chanting mantras. His resplendent soul shone with a golden light that resonated with the runes on the walls. The dais and the walls shattered like a thin sheet of glass, dispersing the wondrous illusion and showing the tomb''s true colors.


    What remained was a scene from a nightmare. Crimson lines covered the once-pure golden walls like spider webs. On the broken dais lay a crimson seal. Only a single speck of green jade remained on its corrupted surface.


    "And that is why this method is foolish, Sibi," Master Zhen said gravely. "The emperors bound their souls to the karma of the nation using their imperial jade seal. They thought that by doing so, they could protect the destiny of their nation for eternity.


    "But look at it now. The descendants of their once-prosperous nation have been through multiple civil wars, plagues, and famines. Devil cults sow chaos and panic, and civil strife is rampant through the competing kingdoms that once formed their empire. The nation''s destiny is corrupted, and as a result, their holy spirits have now become evil spirits.


    "They now haunt and curse the nation in their bitterness, the opposite of what they had hoped to achieve." He sighed, shaking his head. "Only the Grand Master can take care of this. It will cost him dearly, but he will do it for the sake of mankind. The corrupted artifact will soon sow discord throughout the empire, causing friends to kill each over paltry matters and children to turn on their parents. Millions will die in the process."


    "Is there truly nothing we can do?" Sibi asked, his eyes downcast. "There is still a speck of purity on the crimson seal. If we act quickly, we can propagate it."


    Master Zhen patted Sibi on the shoulder. The boy was far too young, and this was only the first of many setbacks he would encounter.


    "We are helpless," Master Zhen said. "If we approach the seal, the brightness within our souls will conflict with the corrupting aura within it. Either the seal will be unfettered, or we will be corrupted."


    "So it''s possible?" Sibi asked.


    "For me, there is a one in three chance of purifying it," Master Zhen replied. "For you, it''s a one in five chance. You must consider that losing one of us will grant the evil spirits a powerful new recruit. We would turn against mankind and sow misery amongst the countless mortals. The damage we cause could be much worse than the corruption of the seal itself."


    "But if we do nothing, millions will suffer," Sibi said. "I became a monk to save the innocent. How can I possibly give up on my calling?" He moved toward the seal.


    "Stop!" Master Zhen yelled.


    As he spoke, the golden characters of the Mantra of Restraint surrounded the young monk and pushed him backward. Sibi remained calm. His resplendent soul shot out and expanded around his body. It glowed golden, and the vestment was covered in Buddhist scriptures. The Mantra of Restraint could only bow in obedience and shoot back to their originator. Master Zhen was now the one bound by his own mantra.


    "When did you achieve the Soul-Like Scripture Realm?" he asked in shock. Only the Masters had achieved such a thing.


    "I''m sorry, Master," Sibi said. "This is something that I must do. If there is a chance to alleviate the people''s suffering, I will do my utmost to help them. Even at the cost of my soul."


    Master Zhen could no longer stop him. Therefore he silently supported Sibi and hoped for his success. Sibi grasped the seal, and the battle between buddhas and evil spirits began¡ªunfettered gold and corrupted crimson ate away at each other like swarms of ravenous insects. Slowly but surely, the seal''s crimson aura receded. The small speck of jade became one percent of the seal and soon expanded to thirty percent.


    Since he achieved the Soul-Like Scripture Realm, he still has a chance, Master Zhen thought.


    He calmed his mind and held out his exorcist''s staff. He chanted the Mantra of Support as he poured out his soul energy into the struggling youth. Little by little, the crimson aura receded to fifty percent. It continued slowly until it ultimately reached seventy percent before stopping. At this point, Sibi''s golden soul suddenly underwent a drastic change.


    The corruption in the seal shot out and sent eighty-one crimson chains that began digging into his spiritual flesh. Master Zhen looked on tensely as one by one, these chains were unfettered. They poured into Sibi''s soul, brightening its golden color as they disappeared. This continued until only a single chain remained. This chain was far thicker than the rest.


    Seeing the young man''s struggle, Master Zhen ignited his remaining vitality to aid the young monk. He burned away his life and soul until only ten years of life remained. To his relief, a light golden glow returned to Sibi''s rapidly fading soul. The last chain disappeared and fused to his body.


    Master Zhen sighed in relief. "Are you all right?" he asked.


    "I''m fine," Sibi said.


    Master Zhen realized with a cold shudder that the young monk''s voice seemed off.


    "Turn around and greet your master," Master Zhen said. His sweat-covered body barely had any strength remaining. He could only despair as little by little, Sibi turned around and revealed a drastically changed appearance. His golden face was covered with crimson veins of corruption that crawled across his body like evil runic lines.


    "Greetings, Master," Sibi said, giving the older man an awkward bow.


    Master Zhen sighed. "Why did you fail? How could you fail when you''d clearly resolved the corruption?"


    Sibi shook his head. "If only the final trial were so easy. But it wasn''t a complete loss¡ªby fighting against the corruption, I realized the truth."


    "And what truth was that?" Master Zhen asked as he ignited a tattoo that rapidly replenished his soul. It was a gift from the World Tree, a blessing only given to potential World Tree Master candidates.


    "That this country is terrible, and it must be annihilated," Sibi explained. "They ignored their origins and murdered their countrymen for the sake of profits. Tens of millions have died in the process. The only way to resolve the karma of this nation is to destroy it." The man''s gentleness and compassion were gone. They had been replaced by the malice and resentment of the Song Empire.


    "Hate only begets hate," Master Zhen said firmly. "With mercy, even an evil spirit can be saved and reenter the cycle of reincarnation. Will you follow your master to obtain the World Tree''s blessing and unfetter your soul?"


    He didn''t know if this was possible, but it was worth a try.


    "I''m sorry, Master," Sibi said. "You monks show no mercy toward evil spirits, so I dare not follow. I cannot obtain vengeance for the Song Empire if I die."


    The man''s hands came together in a teaching pose. A crimson glow appeared around Sibi as he uttered corrupted Buddhist mantras. They shot out from his mouth and struck the aged monk one after another.


    Master Zhen shot out 108 talismans, which turned into 108 golden lights. They purified the corrupted runes, buying him time to jump back and evade a hidden assault. Having avoided the lethal strike, he pulled out a large rosary. Ten thousand and eighty golden pearls shone with unfettered gold light as they came together in an exquisite formation that banished Sibi''s crimson light.


    But Sibi''s glow fought back. It intensified as his scripture-covered vestment unraveled and shot out toward the 10,080 rosary. They clashed together, granting Sibi an opening to charge at Master Zhen. The old and young monks exchanged gentle fist strikes in the monastery''s traditional style as their artifacts fought in midair. As they fought, Sibi''s style changed little by little. He shed his gentle fighting style and transformed it into an insidious and tricky one. Soon, Sibi found an opening. He struck Master Zhen in the chest and threw the older man into a crimson-colored wall.


    "It pains me to do this," Master Zhen said, tears flowing down his cheeks. He had severed most attachments, and his apprentice was one of the few that remained. "Ten Thousand and Eighty Spirit-Banishing Pearls," Master Zhen said in a commanding voice. "Using my life force as a selfless medium, grant me the power to banish evil spirits from the realm. Grant me the strength to fight corruption and cleanse this man''s soul. Ignite my own soul to grant him eternal peace."


    Master Zhen''s golden soul dulled, and with this sacrifice, the golden glow inside the pearls grew in power and tore apart Sibi''s scripture-like vestment. Sibi howled in anguish as he quickened his offensive. He slashed at Master Zhen''s weak body with claws coated in crimson corruption. It invaded the older man''s soul and eroded it one piece at a time.


    "Ksitigarbha, grant me your blessing," Master Zhen intoned as he ignored the pain. "Let your unfettered goodness send this evil spirit back to the cycle of reincarnation where it belongs." The 10,080 pearls flew out toward Sibi''s crimson body and burned into his corrupted flesh. Sibi could only stop his offensive to defend against the golden rosary.


    Master Zhen coughed up a mouthful of blood and tightened his fist, causing the pearls to dig into Sibi''s crimson skin. They ate away at his body until all that remained was a golden skeleton and a weak crimson soul.


    "Congratulations on destroying this useless body," the crimson soul said. It sounded nothing like Sibi. "Your lifespan has been significantly weakened. Meanwhile, I will enjoy the next fifty thousand years of existence. If I accumulate enough karma, I could even transcend and enjoy eternity."


    "You won''t live that long," Master Zhen said weakly. "The World Tree Master won''t let you live."


    "That old fart?" the evil spirit said. "By the time he gets here, I''ll be long gone. Any last words?" The golden skeleton''s fist clenched. Sibi''s evil spirit could control the remnant body like a corpse puppet.


    "One of us will kill you," Master Zhen said. "If not me, then someone else will take up the mantle."


    Crimson tendrils shot out toward the older monk, who activated the teleportation sigil that had been branded onto his inner arm. The evil spirit, sensing the fluctuations in the surrounding space, rushed out to land a killing blow. A crimson talon slashed out toward Master Zhen, leaving a deep gash on his chest as space lurched and brought him back to the temple.


    ***


    Master Zhen woke up in a cold sweat. It''s all in the past, he thought, reaching out to the 10,080 beads around his neck. The lustrous golden pearls were blessed by the will of his predecessors. He too would bless it before reentering the cycle of reincarnation.


    He rose from his bed and walked outside. It was hours before dawn, but most of the monks had already woken to perform their daily tasks. Both monks and animals bowed their heads in respect as he walked across the bridge and arrived at the Bodhi Tree.


    "My old friend," Master Zhen muttered to the ancient tree. "It''s time."


    ***


    Yama, the Lord of the Underworld, was seated at a small golden table in the middle of a large temple. He didn''t like it here¡ªthe monks were preachy and insufferable. Which was why, a few aeons ago, he''d placed a ban on door-to-door preaching. Ksitigarbha had been less than pleased, but his ire was a small price to pay for never having to hear the famous words, "May I please come in to discuss our lord and savior, Ksitigarbha?"


    Speaking of which, this particular buddha was seated before him serving tea. He poured gently and without a word, using tea grown in his own backyard. Yama recognized this as a recent fad¡ªmeditation through tea drinking. They had been at it for ten Underworld days, and even Yama was beginning to lose patience.


    As though sensing the man''s volcanic temper, Ksitigarbha banished the tea set. "How do you feel? Are you one step closer to enlightenment? Has a small bit of karma faded?"


    "My karma binds me to the universe for all eternity," Yama said wryly. "I doubt a few cups of tea will make a difference. Besides, you''re making us sound estranged, like a preacher and his clergy. Why, it only seems like yesterday that we last spoke."


    Ksitigarbha raised his eyebrow. "We haven''t spoken in aeons."


    "Which passed by in the blink of an eye," Yama said. "Surely you can forgive a man for his moment of foolishness?"


    Ksitigarbha sighed. "What do you want? You are never this pleasant unless you want something."


    "Well, you see, I''m in a very difficult position," Yama explained. "The Yellow River is overflowing, and I''m very shorthanded. Heaven and hell have been poaching my talent, and I''ve been left scrambling as I try to salvage the cycle of reincarnation. Therefore, I am supporting a candidate for mayor to push for tax reforms."


    "You know I don''t involve myself in politics," Ksitigarbha said dismissively. "Politics breed more attachment than sweets and loving promises. Political discussions have ruined more friendships than all other causes combined."


    "I understand that," Yama said. "However, I have no choice. I need supporters, and the monks in your church live forever. You have so many of them."


    "And why would I have them perform such senseless actions like voting?" Ksitigarbha said. "We all know it''s a money game in the end."


    "I¡­" Yama said, gritting his teeth, almost vomiting in the process. "I can end the ban." The ancient man''s croak was barely audible in the quiet monastery.


    "What?" Ksitigarbha said, his face finally showing a trace of emotion. "The ban that you should never have instated in the first place? The ban that us benevolent monks could only passively accept? Meanwhile, you allowed those petty door-to-door preachers with pocket scriptures to move unhindered in the Underworld, converting countless souls in the process."


    "That''s different!" Yama said. "All they''re trying to do is tell people to be nice to each other so that they go to Heaven when they pass away. It''s rather harmless if you think about it."


    "And how exactly is it different?" Ksitigarbha asked. "We tell our people to be nice, and they actually do it with no karma attached."


    "It''s very different," Yama said solemnly. "Your followers were swelling out of control. Their preaching was emptying out the Underworld. Every soul that comes here is precious and rare. They stay for as long as their destiny allows it. However, you were convincing them to forcibly sever their karma with the Underworld and reincarnate. My workforce was getting decimated, and I was at my wit''s end!"


    "And now you''re willing to reconsider," Ksitigarbha said. "All for the sake of winning an election."


    "All for the sake of the cycle of reincarnation!" Yama yelled. "I do what must be done for our universe, without fail. In return for the votes of your clergy, I will allow you to preach door to door once more. However, it must be within reason. I won''t have preachers visiting the same door dozens of times every day like last time. In addition, your clergy cannot exceed more than ten percent of the Underworld''s population at any point in time."


    "It''s a start," Ksitigarbha said. "I imagine you''ll have to allow evil spirits to start preaching again as well?"


    "Don''t remind me," Yama said, massaging his temples. "Truth be told, I would decimate the lot of them if I could do it without being punished by the cosmos."


    "Might I make a suggestion?" Ksitigarbha said. "Now, I would never encourage you to do something dishonest, but I recall the Underworld''s bureaucracy being notoriously slow. If their application for a preaching permit was to be delayed by ten thousand Underworld years, it would save us both quite a few headaches."


    Yama''s eyes lit up. "In fact, I''ve heard that some permits require up to 100,000 or a million years to get approved. Applications get lost, and trivial paperwork errors get made. Better yet, there is nothing they can do about it."


    "Then we are in agreement," Ksitigarbha said while escorting Yama out of the premises. The faces of his followers were burning with fervent passion¡ªit was obvious that Ksitigarbha had already informed them of the deal. Seeing that unmistakable gleam in their eyes, Yama secretly contacted Cerberus and sent him an employment offer. If there was anything a preacher hated, it was a vicious guard dog standing between him and a heathen''s door.


    "By the way, I''ve noticed some strange movements in the mortal realms," Ksitigarbha said. "It seems the evil spirits are making a play. Meanwhile, there have been some anomalies in your cycle of reincarnation. You should look into the reincarnation edicts you''ve issued recently."


    Yama paused thoughtfully. "I think I''ll do just that."


    Then, eyeing the leaflet that had suddenly appeared in his pushy friend''s hands, he promptly vanished.

 146 Value

    Songjing City''s walls cast a large shadow outside the gates. For centuries, these walls had defended the city from enemy invasions and beast tides. Although their robust military and well-placed fortresses had rendered these walls useless, their symbolism remained. The kingdom would never fall so long as they stood strong.


    To Cha Ming, it was a godsend, but for a different reason than fortification. His furred and feathered companions now spoke in hushed whispers. They couldn''t help but occasionally glance at the large structure and quiet down whenever they got too loud.


    "Why are you so afraid of walls?" Cha Ming asked as they waited for Wang Jun to return.


    "We do not speak their names aloud," Huxian whispered. "They are only mentioned in bedtime stories to scare newborn cubs. Every beast inherits memories of these atrocities. We remember millions of corpses and rivers of blood. Hordes of beasts collapsing under a flood of arrows as they pawed helplessly against unbreachable structures." Huxian shook his head mournfully. "We are fully aware that we have the strength to break them, but when we attempt to do so, we can''t help but be paralyzed with fear. We are helpless against them."


    Cha Ming looked up at the gate thoughtfully. "Will you be all right?


    "We''ll stomach it," Huxian said. "It''s not so bad in smaller courtyards and buildings. It only gets out of hand with the more massive structures." He eyed the gatehouse cautiously.


    Cha Ming scratched the tiny fox''s ears to alleviate his worries. They spotted a blond-haired figure walking out of the city gates.


    "They are so well behaved compared to the journey over," Wang Jun said cheerfully as he approached them. He handed Cha Ming three golden collars covered in black runes. "They shouldn''t feel like anything more than regular collars," Wang Jun said. "They are purely cosmetic, with functions that falsely identify the wearer as a tamed beast."


    Huxian walked up and stuck his head inside the first collar, which shrunk until the runes turned crimson. "Any change?" Cha Ming asked.


    "Nope," Huxian replied. "And it comes with a built-in portable meat locker. Come on, guys, put these on so we can get out of this atrocious shadow."


    His companions followed with uncharacteristic haste. They led the way toward the gates, making Cha Ming wonder if they knew even what tamed beasts were.


    "The collars can grow up to a width of fifty feet if required," Wang Jun said as they walked. "Any bigger, and they''ll fall off. The cost was outrageous since they had to mimic core treasures."


    "Add it to my tab," Cha Ming said. "I''ll find a way to earn money quickly."


    "Ah, what''s money between us?" Wang Jun said. "Besides, you don''t need to worry about finding odd jobs. I already have a list of formations I need you to build. Soon, I''ll be the one owing you money."


    The registration process went smoothly. The guards collected a qi imprint and registered the beast''s abilities¡ªthe ones they chose to reveal, at least¡ªbefore sending them on their way. Cha Ming would be liable for any damages they caused in the city. His heart cringed in anticipation of a gigantic bill.


    "It''s been a long time since we''ve had a decent meal," Wang Jun said as he led them to the center of the city. "Let''s make our first stop the Dragon''s Claws. It''s the best restaurant with private rooms in the city."


    The oppressive heat baked the four road-weary travelers as they passed unfamiliar buildings. There were similarities between Songjing and Quicksilver¡ªthe Jade Bamboo Auction House kept its plain decoration and bamboo garden while the commodity exchange maintained its massive stone construction. The Blacksmith Association and the Alchemists Association shared a common look with their Quicksilver counterparts, though unlike Quicksilver, the stores here were unusually cluttered with high- and low-leveled cultivators alike.


    There was no Geomancer Guild. The Spirit Doctor Association was also very different than Cha Ming remembered from his short stay in Quicksilver. A small group of commoners were lined up to receive treatment along with the cultivators. The building was also far less opulent than Quicksilver''s.


    "There''s no Talisman Artist Guild?" Cha Ming asked.


    "There is, but they aren''t located in Central Square," Wang Jun replied. "They are too small, and their members are lacking. Plus they don''t have any qualified instructors, which greatly limits their potential. I''ve always wondered what the Talisman Artist Guild''s top brass is thinking by allowing it to exist."


    After passing a few more buildings, they entered a large marble building where they were greeted by a gust of cool air.


    "A legitimate use of refrigeration runes," Cha Ming commented. "The heat out there is unbearable."


    "Air cooling is a must in this city," Wang Jun said. "The weather here makes me wonder whether the royal family descended from dragons."


    "The royalty is naturally descended from dragons," a soft voice said. The speaker was a pale, skinny man in black robes with a cheerful demeanor. He accompanied a well-dressed man wearing black armor and a black-and-gold cape. Dozens of figures in red-and-gold cloaks were also present.


    Both Zhou Li''s and the black-and-gold-caped man''s souls were excessively strong; they repelled the light probing from Cha Ming''s resplendent soul, something only possible if they were core-formation cultivators.


    "The royal family''s crest is that of a five-clawed dragon," Zhou Li continued. "The national history books teach that the Song Dynasty''s first emperor, Song Di, could partially transform his body and manifest claws and scales."


    Wang Jun stepped up and bowed at the man beside Zhou Li. Cha Ming followed his lead.


    "Crown Prince," Wang Jun said. "It is always a pleasure meeting you. How fares His Majesty? And has your favorite dog, Zhou Li, been behaving?" He had completely ignored Zhou Li''s presence and chosen to address the more important person in the room.


    The crown prince''s face twitched. "Unfortunately, my royal father''s condition worsens with each passing day. As his health declines, I find myself increasingly busy. I imagine it''s only a matter of time until I''m no longer allowed to leave the palace."


    "I wish His Majesty all the best," Wang Jun replied. "Both for the kingdom and your quality of life."


    "My freedom and quality of life come secondary," the crown prince said. "Both the kingdom and I would be overjoyed if my father''s condition improved." He then glanced at Cha Ming and gave him a short nod. "I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Master Du. Your reputation as the youngest mid-grade formation master on the continent precedes you."


    Cha Ming bowed to the prince with clasped hands. "This one''s talents are not worth mentioning. I can only affect a few people, while your own work impacts the lives of everyone in the Song Kingdom."


    "If I become half the man my father has been, the kingdom will be in good hands," the crown prince said. "Now if you will excuse me, we must head back to attend an important council meeting."


    As his group moved to leave, Zhou Li walked up to Huxian. The black-and-white fox bared his teeth and held his ears back, the universal sign of displeasure among animals.


    "Be a good dog and eat this," Zhou Li said as he suddenly tossed a small string of gristly meat." Before Cha Ming could warn him, Huxian ate it on reflex. Zhou Li smirked. "I might be a dog, but at least I behave myself in front of my master. This one just does whatever he wants."


    Cha Ming glared at Zhou Li''s retreating figure and walked up to Huxian; he looked at him worriedly for any abnormal signs.


    You can''t just eat anything he gives you, Cha Ming said. What if it''s poison?


    Relax, Huxian sent back. I can eat anything under the sun. What''s a little poison to a Godbeast like me? Even the Geomantic Boa couldn''t poison me if it tried.


    Cha Ming sighed in relief. "It should be fine," he said to Wang Jun, who nodded and led them to a private room.


    ***


    A short while later, Huxian and Silverwing were fighting over large pieces of meat while Lei Jiang ate seeds and magical herbs. Cha Ming ate his vegetables while Wang Jun ate a bit of everything. Cha Ming let out a satisfied burp at the end of the meal. It had been weeks since he''d last eaten, and while eating was optional at this point, it had psychological benefits to a cultivator who had once required three meals a day.


    Following their meal, Wang Jun had the restaurant staff bring a tea set and three large bowls. He poured three small pouches of red powder inside each bowl before the waitstaff poured buckets of hot water inside them.


    "These small pouches contain an herbal blend that demon beasts appreciate in the same way humans appreciate tea," Wang Jun explained. "I call it Demon Soothing Tea." True to its name, Huxian and his two friends mellowed down considerably as they lapped it up.


    "Just this peace and quiet is worth it," Cha Ming said with a sigh. "Please order some for me in bulk once you get a chance."


    "Not a problem," Wang Jun said. "You might not know this, but formation masters are a hot commodity in large cities. It''s a rare occupation, and unlike talismans, formations have prolonged effects that can affect an entire clan''s prosperity."


    "Regrettably, I only studied offensive formations in Quicksilver," Cha Ming said. "Permanent formations aren''t my forte."


    "That''s easy to resolve," Wang Jun said. "A few days ago, I had Elder Bai procure some single-use formation scrolls and mid-grade formation flags."


    Cha Ming nodded. "That would be the cheapest way of obtaining the techniques. With any luck, I''ll find duplicates when I return to Quicksilver."


    "I''ll give them to you back at the auction house," Wang Jun said. "For now, I have a promise to fulfill." He placed six small jade boxes on the table. "The immortal jade must be sealed like medicinal ingredients. Otherwise the energy contained within them will dissipate with time."


    Cha Ming let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you. I need these ingredients to cultivate my body."


    "Then you have an extremely overbearing body-cultivation art," Wang Jun said. "Even demon beasts wouldn''t need such expensive natural treasures to break through to core formation."


    "Except for dragons," Huxian said between sips of Demon Soothing Tea. "Those guys could eat a kingdom out of house and home."


    ***


    One hour later, they entered the Jade Bamboo Auction House. Dozens of staff members were busy selling weapons to hurried customers while clerks were running around with thick stacks of paper. "I noticed the alchemists and blacksmiths associations were very busy," Cha Ming said. "Much busier than Quicksilver."


    "It''s because of the political unrest," Wang Jun explained. "Everything is now thirty percent more expensive than it was a week prior. It won''t be long before there aren''t any weapons or pills to buy. The blacksmiths and alchemists don''t even bother with custom jobs anymore since it''s so profitable to pump out large quantities of generic wares."


    "Would it be the same for talismans?" Cha Ming asked, the wheels in his mind turning.


    "Now you''re starting to think like a businessman," Wang Jun said. "But that can wait until you''ve laid down enough formations for me."


    For some reason, a twinge of irritation crossed Cha Ming''s usually calm mind.


    They walked through a few doors that led to a veritable war room. Maps were laid out everywhere and peppered with colored figurines. There were maps of the Song Kingdom, maps of the individual cities that composed it, and several maps of Songjing City. Some displayed economic influence and others market share or political influence. Each map had three colors¡ªgreen, red, and blue.


    "We are the green faction, and the crown prince''s faction is blue," Wang Jun explained. "The red faction, which is rapidly dwindling, are loyalists or those who haven''t yet chosen a side."


    A door opened softly, and Elder Bai walked in with an armful of golden scrolls.


    Wang Jun frowned. "Elder Bai, you could have put them in a storage ring or something."


    The older man shrugged as he placed them on the table. "Money is tight, and I''ve sold our extra storage rings. You said it yourself that cash is king in these turbulent times."


    "Fair enough," Wang Jun said, seating himself at the large wooden desk beside a fireplace. It was the same desk as in Green Leaf City, and the same fireplace. Elder Bai sat down and poured tea for three. Then, glancing at the three nervous beasts, he let out a sharp whistle. A small white cat dashed into the room.


    "You called?" the small cat asked. It was an early-purification demon beast.


    "Can you take these three friends to the gardens?" Elder Bai asked kindly while scratching his ears. "The war room is no place for them."


    The cat''s ears perked up when it saw Huxian and his two friends. "This way, esteemed sovereigns," it said, cheerfully guiding them out a door to the side.


    Cha Ming let out a sigh of relief. "I didn''t know what to do with them," he said. "A city isn''t exactly the best place for a beast."


    "The gardens have been beastproofed," Elder Bai said. He then gestured to the pile of scrolls. "As instructed by the young master, I''ve purchased a standard mid-grade energy-gathering formation package as well as a few defensive formations."


    Cha Ming picked up one of the golden scrolls and inspected the writing on the carefully inscribed runic seal. It was a Mid-Grade Flame-Gathering Formation. He thumbed through the other scrolls and found that all five elements as well as wind and lightning were included. There was also a scroll for light- and shadow-gathering formations.


    "A full set of energy-gathering scrolls costs about the same as five scrolls," Wang Jun said. "It made sense to buy the bundle, even though you can''t set up light and shadow formations. I plan on selling them."


    "No need," Cha Ming said. "I''ve recently discovered a way to make light-based and shadow-based formations. I am new at them, but it shouldn''t be an issue given enough time."


    Wang Jun grinned. "Then I''ll add them to the list. Elder Bai, why don''t you give us the rundown?"


    "The capital is in turmoil, and so are the major cities," Elder Bai began. "The price of food has shot up by fifty percent, weapons by thirty percent, and pills by thirty-five percent. This is due to the shortage of these resources and the increased use of spirit stones as cultivation resources. Everyone is using every means possible to increase their strength during these turbulent times.


    "Meanwhile, real-estate prices are at their lowest in fifty years. Many smaller noble families are looking to liquidate their assets, as they are reluctant to involve themselves in the struggle for power."


    Wang Jun nodded. "This is only the beginning. It might seem like a good idea to dump our inventory of weapons, but the time is not yet ripe. Wait one week to begin trickling the weapons into the market. Sell to allied forces when considering equal offers. I don''t want you selling all of them, however. Leave me ten percent to play with. And for heaven''s sake, don''t give in to the temptation and buy real estate. The prices have yet to hit rock bottom, mark my words."


    Elder Bai bowed. "I''ll get right on it." He then left the war room to give out multiple orders.


    "Being the boss is that easy?" Cha Ming said.


    "You''ve only seen the results of thousands of calculations based on tens of thousands of pages of information," Wang Jun said. "Being the boss is very troublesome and very risky. I''m afraid I won''t be getting much sleep now that I''m back in the city."


    "Neither will I," Cha Ming said while standing up to leave. "There are far too many formations to learn. Which should I prioritize?"


    "Prioritize the Mid-Grade Flame-Gathering Formation," Wang Jun said. "There are five noble families whose descendants cultivate fire qi and body refining in the city. They don''t like the Zhou family or the crown prince very much but are still sitting on the fence."


    "I''ll get right to it," Cha Ming said before heading to the residential quarters. As he walked, he couldn''t help but feel annoyed at his recent orders.

 147 Gold Bone Forging

    Cha Ming sat cross-legged in his residence, which was situated near the gardens where Huxian, his friends, and the small white cat were playing. His generous accommodations were much like the auction house itself¡ªplain and simple on the outside with a pleasant-looking bamboo garden.


    The luxury was in the details. There was hot and cold running water, an imported technology from Quicksilver. The heating and cooling elements were powered by runes, but the pump was mechanical. A tube in the washroom contained luxury scented soaps from a faraway kingdom. Finally, an exquisite tea set was carefully stowed in a cupboard, along with an unlimited pitcher of boiling water and dozens of high-quality teas.


    Cha Ming hesitated as he pondered his next course of action. While he knew he should get to work straightaway, a nagging thought distracted him as soon as he got to work.


    What''s a few days? he thought. Surely Wang Jun can wait a bit while I start my bone forging. After all, personal strength is paramount.


    After a half hour of indecision, he opted to follow the voice in his mind. He set aside the formation scrolls and withdrew a one-jin chunk of gold immortal jade; it emanated a sharp and incisive aura. He chose gold bone forging because it focused on the spine, the basis of the entire skeleton. The tricky part was using the solid immortal jade as ink, something he couldn''t quite fathom.


    As though answering his doubts, the Clear Sky Brush darted out without Cha Ming''s consent and devoured the large chunk of immortal jade. The gold character on the brush lit up brightly, and inside the Clear Sky World he saw a small golden puddle of melted jade. It reminded Cha Ming of gold evanescence, but in a much stronger and purer form. He observed it more closely and noticed that it was laced with black and white threads. The Clear Sky Brush had likely infused it with creation and destruction qi.


    He took a deep breath and visualized the pattern etched in his mind. There were 206 bones in an adult body, and the Seventy-Two Transformations Technique had a runic pattern for each one. Cha Ming drew thin runic lines in the air like he would a sigil. Unlike previous times, they didn''t shake or quiver. It was as though they were inherently stable and at no risk of collapsing or self-destructing. He painted until his gold qi was exhausted, leaving the faint outline of his forearm bone floating in midair. He exhausted his qi one more time before completing the bone-forging sigil, which instantly burst apart upon completion and darted into his forearm.


    He screamed in pain as the runes burned through his nerves, his muscles, and his tendons on their way to the smaller bone. But this pain was only an appetizer¡ªhe nearly blacked out when the runes entered the bone itself.


    Gold energy poured into the bone while simultaneously breaking and rearranging its structure. He felt the pounding of ten thousand golden hammers as it was deformed tens of thousands of times. With each strike, the structure of the bone shifted increasingly closer to perfection. The process felt like it took hours, but only an incense time had passed.


    When the pain ended, he noticed that the burned muscles, tendons, and nerves had completely recovered. They were much stronger and more sensitive than before.


    He adjusted his condition before continuing. He forged his left arm and hand in half a day, and his right arm and hand in the other half. His legs came next, followed by the peripheral bones in his torso and chest. The skull came next. Each individual bone had its own unique pattern that linked it back toward the key bone in the gold-aligned bone forging: the spine.


    Cha Ming began forging his spine on the fourth day; its runic diagram was much more complicated than any of the other bone-forging sigils. Gold bone forging placed great emphasis on the spine, where the force in the body was originally generated. His brush poured out the remainder of the gold immortal jade as he started from the bottom, incorporating intricate runes into each spine bone. He painted it in thirty-three installments, one for each bone in his body.


    The spine sigil took an entire day to paint, and once the last rune was completed, it burst apart and seared its way into his spine. The transformation was ten times more painful than with the other bones. He twitched involuntarily as pain suffused his entire body. He remained lucid, for it was a requirement of the technique that he remain aware of the changes taking place.


    A hundred thousand golden hammers beat down on his spine, shattering it and remaking it. Cha Ming was paralyzed during this process; his resplendent soul could only look on in amazement as the tiny imperfections and fractures that had accumulated during his martial journey were removed one at a time. The structure of his bones was rearranged into a three-dimensional runic array. In the gaps within the array, he noticed a peculiar phenomenon: the appearance of tiny gray dots.


    The miniscule dots materialized at key points in Cha Ming''s bones. At first, they appeared like nothing more than imperfections marring an otherwise perfect rune. He soon realized that they were much more than that. Tiny eddies formed around each dot and greedily sucked in the ambient energy. They were like voids, and the world itself fed them with a portion of its essence. The more they drank, the more Cha Ming felt his body crush down on the floor below. He realized that as they drank in energy, they used it to manipulate his weight. His body became increasingly heavy and only halted once it matched his current fist strength: 6,480 jin.


    Not only were his bones forged, but so were the nerves, muscles, and ligaments supporting his skeletal structure. Those in the spine were evidently stronger than those in his arms and legs. Unlike the gold-wrought ligaments that now linked his bones together, his spine was joined together with titanium. The nerves were platinum, the best metal for conducting electrical signals.


    Finally, the hammers stopped pounding. The eddies in his bones ceased drinking one after another, and as they did, his weight decreased. With but a thought, Cha Ming activated these voids and summoned their weight once more; his bones creaked but didn''t break, as his entire skeleton was akin to a magic treasure.


    His ligaments and muscles had perfectly adapted to his new weight during their reconstruction in the bone-forging process.


    ***


    A carriage rolled up to the palace gates, revealing Wang Jun''s humbly dressed figure. He was welcomed by green-clothed guards, who ushered him into the third prince''s study. The prince was already waiting before the fireplace. He looked gaunt and weary.


    Wang Jun, noting his condition, sat in front of him quietly. "It''s about time you came to see me," Prince Lei said. He looked less than pleased.


    His father is dying, Wang Jun reminded himself. It is best to be forbearing and compassionate.


    "My apologies for not coming sooner," Wang Jun said. "There were some important matters to deal with, and I wasn''t able to extricate myself until now. I arrived in the city only yesterday."


    "What could possibly be more important than my father''s condition?" the third prince said sharply, lashing out. His angry expression was immediately replaced with an apologetic one. "I''m sorry. It''s been a very stressful situation. My sister and I have been taking turns watching over my royal father. The only one who isn''t affected by all of this is my second brother."


    "I understand your suspicions," Wang Jun said, "but the crown prince can always make up excuses like needing to be strong for the country. You know that."


    Lei shook his head. "He''s always been like this. I have no idea why Father favored him in the first place. He''s an unfilial prick, and there''s nothing I can do about it."


    "Perhaps there is," Wang Jun said. "If the crown prince is responsible, he will leave traces. We need to be patient and expose him when he makes a mistake."


    The third prince nodded. He picked up a jug of wine from the shelf. "Would you care for a drink?"


    Wang Jun shook his head. "I don''t drink. It affects my state of mind, so I''ll make tea instead. You would do well to note that your brother is clever enough to poison your father, he''s also clever enough to frame you."


    Prince Lei hesitated before setting down the flask. His eyes were bloodshot.


    "What was it that kept you preoccupied?" Prince Lei asked. He sat down and accepted a cup of freshly brewed tea. It was a recovery tonic, and color instantly returned to the man''s pale face.


    "A friend of mine, a citizen of the Song Kingdom, accompanied me back to the city," Wang Jun said. "He''s a mid-grade formation master, one who is capable of setting up all nine energy-gathering formations."


    "Is that even possible?" the third prince asked doubtfully. "Not that I''m complaining, but I thought the human body was limited to five elements."


    Wang Jun shrugged. "That doesn''t really matter, does it? Formation masters are extremely difficult to recruit, and many noble families in the city can''t afford such an extravagance. With his help, we can recruit many undecided members."


    Prince Lei visibly relaxed. "The sooner we rope them in, the better. That way, Prince Tian won''t be able to sleep comfortably, either."


    "On another note, we''ll be trickling our large stockpile of weapons into the market shortly," Wang Jun said. "This will net us a tidy sum, and we''ll sell to allies where possible."


    "And the properties of the nobles who wish to escape the city?" Prince Lei asked.


    "Hold off from purchasing real estate," Wang Jun said decisively. "The prices are low, but not as low as they could be. Our allies and enemies have large cash reserves, and it''s important to deplete them. We''ll swoop in and snatch choice properties when the time is ripe."


    The third prince nodded. "Anything else?"


    "There''s one more thing," Wang Jun said. "The friend I invited has dabbled in medicine. Although he is not a spirit doctor, he is a formation and talisman master. He might be able to see something the others couldn''t."


    "I''m not against such a thing, but my sister listens to the spirit doctors unfailingly," Prince Lei said. "She cares about Father just as much as I do. She almost never leaves his side. It will take some time to arrange for your friend to examine my father in secret."


    "Please look into it," Wang Jun said. "Every day matters."


    ***


    The door to Feng Ming''s dark cell opened, revealing his father''s burly figure. As a one of the Song Kingdom''s four marshals, both his cultivation and presence were imposing. Decades of fighting in the southern battlefield had tempered his will to the point that he could make the average man faint with a single glance.


    Despite his overpowering status, the large man walked over calmly, sitting on the wooden bench located in front of Feng Ming''s bed. "Why did you refuse to come back when I summoned you?" Feng Chuan asked. His face contained no anger, only concern.


    Feng Ming, who was seated on the ground, looked up to his father''s figure. "I finally found something worth fighting for out there, and now you want to pull me away due to petty politics. How could I leave my life-and-death brothers behind for the protection of Songjing''s walls?"


    Feng Chuan sighed. "Civil war is a frightening thing. You weren''t there during the last king''s passing, but I was. The streets flowed with blood, and the poor starved. Fathers were forced to push their own parents out onto the streets to save their children. Your perspective is limited, my son."


    "Why can''t people set aside their differences and fight for the good of the country?" Feng Ming asked, his voice laced with anger.


    Feng Chuan sighed once more. "This is something I''ve wondered my entire life," he said. "But my thoughts can''t change human nature. There is a struggle for the throne, and we must take sides. I''ve taken the crown prince''s side because his claim to the throne is the most legitimate. He also has a higher chance of winning a civil war, should such a thing occur."


    Feng Ming remained silent for a moment. "If you want me to come to Songjing, you''ll have to tie me up and carry me over like a sack of rice." He looked at his father with a firm gaze and a tempered will. Despite his father''s abundant experience, Feng Ming''s resolve didn''t waver in the slightest.


    Feng Chuan chuckled. "That''s my boy," he said. Then he struck his son across the face with a gauntleted fist.


    He picked up the unconscious Feng Ming and slung him across his shoulder. He took off his black-and-gold marshal''s cape and used it to cover his son''s body.


    "It''s a long flight to Songjing. Can''t have you catching a cold."

 148 Fire Gathering

    Dazzling red lights flickered out as Cha Ming failed to properly connect the fire sigils. While the Dao sigils weren''t suitable for establishing a permanent formation, they were ideal for practice. The only alternative would be to waste countless precious resources as he scrambled to improve his technique a little at a time.


    Despite his recent failure, Cha Ming sent out tendrils from the thirty-six sigils once more. This time, the 200 lines connected without any issues. The formation hummed to life and hovered above his hands in the shape of a two-dimensional disc. The energy in his surroundings gravitated toward the formation, which converted and purified it.


    As an experiment, he threw a mid-grade spirit stone into the prototype. It was slowly converted to the purest fire energy, which he directed toward his Dantian and incorporated into one of his qi pillars. The instant he did so, however, he felt a rumbling sound that threatened to tear his foundation apart.


    This development wasn''t unexpected. He converted the dense fire energy to the other four elements until they reached a fragile equilibrium. While converting the energy caused substantial losses, it was far better than the alternative. Unfortunately, this also meant that using raw ore to cultivate was just as effective as using a single energy-gathering formation for Cha Ming.


    Cha Ming willed the small formation to break apart, retrieving his qi and thirty-six gray sigils in the process. The Dao sigils reminded him that perhaps it would be possible to make a multi-element formation that could accommodate his unique cultivation needs.


    He dusted himself off before walking to Wang Jun''s office. The young master was busy poring over documents while discussing something with Elder Bai. "I miscalculated the market''s appetite for weapons," Wang Jun said. "You can start reselling them as soon as it''s convenient."


    Elder Bai bowed and retreated from the room, nodding to Cha Ming on his way out.


    "How is it going?" Wang Jun asked. "Can you succeed in forming a Mid-Grade Flame-Gathering Formation?"


    "I can form a preliminary version using sigils," Cha Ming said. "Given the formation''s grade, I give myself fifty-fifty odds of success."


    "Fifty-fifty odds are pretty good," Wang Jun said, his expression brightening. "And it only took you a week and a half to learn it."


    "Thanks for the sarcasm," Cha Ming snapped, rolling his eyes.


    Wang Jun frowned. "I know you spent some time cultivating, but your personal strength is very important. It didn''t mean what I said sarcastically. Is everything all right, Cha Ming? You seem more irritable than usual."


    "Sorry," Cha Ming said. The guilty feeling that should have come didn''t make even a slight appearance. "Regardless, by the time I''ve made ten, my odds should increase to nine tenths, if not ten tenths. I suggest we make some permanent formations in this building so I can practice making them using focus crystals. I''ve used flags and sigils before, but both materials are inappropriate for permanent installations."


    Wang Jun nodded. He rang a bell, and one of the managers ran in and greeted Cha Ming. To his surprise, it was Hong Ling. The silence between them was palpable as they walked.


    "How are your parents?" Cha Ming asked.


    "I''m¡­ not sure," Hong Ling answered as they walked. "I haven''t seen them in years. Not since Xin Er ran away."


    They passed by dozens of sealed cultivation rooms until they arrived at one of the larger premium cultivation rooms. It was a ten-by-ten-foot room built with an insulating material that could withstand the self-detonation of a peak foundation-establishment cultivator.


    "Why are you still here, then?" Cha Ming asked Hong Ling.


    "I''m still here because I''ve seen a side of the young master that they haven''t," Hong Ling said. "I saw him lose weight when Xin Er disappeared. I saw him waste his precious time to look high and low for her. I''ve counted every penny he''s spent to find information on her¡ªa king wouldn''t spend as much to find their only child. How can I hold a grudge against the man after all that?" He shook his head and left Cha Ming alone inside the cultivation room.


    Is he really doing it for Xin Er, or is he doing it to recruit loyal subordinates? a voice whispered in Cha Ming''s mind. Cha Ming rapidly pushed this preposterous thought out of his mind. What''s wrong with me lately? Why am I putting such a negative spin on everything?


    He sat down in meditation to calm himself before proceeding. Then he took out a ruby-colored crystal, which he painted with an exquisite formation using flame essence. It flashed and glowed with a warm light upon completion. Satisfied, he moved onto the next one. He continued until twenty-four crystal focuses were completed. Two of the focuses he attempted shattered due to slight mistakes in his brushwork.


    Next, he took out twelve clear focuses. He used pure liquified elemental essence this time. He painted them with gathering and conversion formations¡ªutility formations that were useless on their own. His success rate for these was abysmal. He broke half of them in the process, as he didn''t have a suitable technique for using a sterilized ink like liquified elemental essence.


    After recuperating his mental energy and fire qi, he proceeded to the next step. He summoned the Clear Sky Brush in its large form and threw out the thirty-six crystals simultaneously, and they floated in place with the aid of his resplendent force. He painted thick red lines on the floor between the crystals.


    He didn''t paint as quickly as he would mid-combat. Instead he took his time and paid great attention to detail. The types of lines used in utility formations varied greatly in both thickness and curvature. Thanks to his prior practice, he finished each one with ease, the lines snapping together once the last one was drawn, and the formation rapidly began absorbing the ambient energy and converting it to concentrated flame energy. Even if no one cultivated here, the formation would constantly create flame-energy crystals that a fire cultivator could use to cultivate for twice the result with half the effort.


    Satisfied with his work, Cha Ming approached each formation eye one after another. He laid down a least-grade protective formation to prevent tampering and disruption by the formation''s users. They weren''t strong enough to prevent malicious actions but would still protect cultivators from their own stupidity. He nodded in satisfaction after inspecting his work one final time and headed upstairs. Only an hour had passed.


    "You succeeded?" Wang Jun asked in surprise.


    "I got lucky," Cha Ming said. "Though I''m apparently terrible at programming unaligned focus crystals. You''ll need to order more."


    "A small thing," Wang Jun said. "Ling Shao!" he called out.


    A lanky cultivator in green robes walked in. He was one of the foundation-establishment guards at the Jade Bamboo Auction House. Wang Jun tossed him one hundred mid-grade spirit stones. "Go to practice room seven and test out the new energy-gathering formation. It should be quite effective. Make sure to note down the amount of time it takes you to fully process these stones. Use a standardized time-measuring incense."


    Cha Ming sat down in meditation as Wang Jun worked. However, he couldn''t focus on cultivation. He couldn''t help but mull over negative thoughts in his mind.


    Why couldn''t he take the time to inspect the work himself? Is his time so precious? Besides, what''s a man like Wang Jun doing in a small city like Songjing? What''s his real purpose? And what''s this favor I owe him?


    His train of thought was interrupted by the man''s return. "The hundred stones took one and a quarter hour to process," he reported.


    "Excellent," Wang Jun said, dismissing the man. "That means the formation is operating at eighty-percent efficiency."


    "Sorry," Cha Ming said.


    "No, that''s quite good," Wang Jun said. "A run-of-the-mill flame-gathering formation operates between sixty to seventy-percent efficiency, which means I can rent out the formation for a higher rate. It also increases my bargaining position with the noble families. I think I can rent out the formation you made for ten mid-grade spirit stones per hour due to the time savings. I expect I can rent it out at least twenty hours per day, so we''re bound to make a tidy profit."


    "Should I make another one?" Cha Ming asked.


    Wang Jun pondered for a moment and nodded. "The market can take four more without a reduction in price. I want to keep the prices high to exaggerate the benefit of having a clan formation. Once you''re done, we''ll head straight to the Huang family."


    "I''m starting to feel like a servant," Cha Ming said bitterly.


    "Are you sure everything is all right?" Wang Jun asked with concern. "Maybe you should have a rest and relax a little."


    "I''m fine," Cha Ming said as he shut the door just a little bit too hard.


    ***


    The Huang family''s residence was much larger than the Jade Bamboo Auction House. The architectural style reminded Cha Ming of Earth''s Tang Dynasty. Its brick and stone buildings sported curved rooftops while golden decorations and paintings of landscapes adorned the walls. He recognized one of landscapes as the Silverwing Mountain Range.


    A servant ushered both Cha Ming and Wang Jun through a quiet garden. They soon arrived at a small pavilion surrounded by a shallow lake. Red fish swam within it, giving life to the dark colors reflected off its surface.


    "Have these young friends come see me?" an aged voice said from the pavilion.


    Cha Ming followed Wang Jun across a thin bridge. They were greeted by two old men seated before an Angels and Devils board. One of the older men shook his head. "I concede, old friend. After all these years, I still can''t match you."


    "It''s only two and a half points," the other man pointed out. "Why don''t you try again next week?" The loser of the match bowed to the other and left without greeting Wang Jun and Cha Ming.


    That''s one of the ministers allied to the crown prince, Wang Jun explained mentally. He''s been trying to rally the old man to his faction for weeks with little to no success.


    "To what do I owe the pleasure, Second Young Master Jun?" the old man asked. With a swish of his sleeve, he sorted out the black and white stones to their appropriate containers beside the kaya-wood board.


    "I''ve naturally come to continue our conversation," Wang Jun said pleasantly. "Would you care for another game?"


    "I don''t dare," the old man said, shaking his head. "I know my limits, and I don''t like embarrassing myself."


    "How about I play?" Cha Ming interjected. The man looked him up and down before glancing at Wang Jun.


    "This is my friend Du Cha Ming," Wang Jun explained. "No relation to the Du Clan. Cha Ming, this is Huang Taishan, the grand elder of the Huang aristocratic clan. All decisions must pass through him."


    "You''re exaggerating things a bit," Huang Taishan said, motioning toward the mat in front of him. "I only advise, and my advice is highly respected. Young man, would you like a teaching game or a competitive match?"


    "A teaching game, please," Cha Ming said. "The board position from your previous game was extremely complex. My skill is obviously lacking."


    "Honesty is a good trait," the man said, nodding. Cha Ming played his first stone, and the man casually responded to his opening. "Second Young Master Wang, it''s not that I want to rebuff your every advance, but I am truly helpless. I may seem like I have all the power, but I need sufficient benefits to convince the council of elders to take any action."


    As they spoke, Cha Ming frowned, realizing that he''d already fallen into a disadvantageous position. The man was playing with the intent of forcing out everything he had. If he played too aggressively, he would be slaughtered, and if he was too passive, he would constantly lose ground. He chose to play an intermediate position, regaining a little of what he had lost.


    "I have come today to offer you these benefits," Wang Jun said. "You are already aware that joining our faction will give you a steep discount when purchasing weapons. I know that you''ve been unable to adequately arm your promising juniors."


    "But if we remain neutral, we can preserve much of what we have," Huang Taishan said, playing another aggressive move against Cha Ming.


    Cha Ming sensed an opportunity and pounced on it. He was rewarded for his efforts by Huang Taishan''s retreat. It was all for show, of course. This was an opening intentionally left by the older, more experienced man. It was a dance, and there would be no winner or loser in this game.


    "Have you considered our proposition on guaranteed slots for spiritual blacksmith and spirit-doctor apprenticeships?" Wang Jun asked.


    "The Zhou family has offered an equivalent guarantee on slots for alchemist apprenticeships and foreign spiritual-blacksmith apprenticeships," the man countered.


    "You and I both know that you don''t want those juniors leaving the city," Wang Jun said.


    "And you and I both know that I have alternatives," Huang Taishan said.


    Sparks flew as the young master and the grand elder faced off. The old man was a tough nut to crack, as Cha Ming could tell by the man''s robust teaching game.


    "I''ve come to sweeten up the deal," Wang Jun said.


    "Do tell," the old man said casually. The intense conversation hadn''t affected his game in the slightest.


    "My friend here is a mid-grade formation master," Wang Jun said. "Just recently, he set up a few Mid-Grade Flame-Gathering Formations at eighty-percent efficiency."


    "Then I''ll be glad to have my family''s juniors pay your auction house a visit," the man said. "You wouldn''t let the allegiance of a neutral party stand in the way of making money, would you?"


    "Naturally," Wang Jun said. "But I''m offering to have him build you one in your estate. This is all in addition to the previous promises."


    The man''s bony fingers paused as he was placing a stone. It was clear that he was performing some intense mental arithmetic.


    "I doubt that you would allow us to be competitors," the shrewd man said, finally playing the stone.


    "There would naturally be usage restrictions," Wang Jun said. "Only your family and sworn retainers could use it, not just anyone you hire off the streets."


    "I must admit that your offer is very tempting," Huang Taishan said. "But I could also pay the Obsidian Syndicate 200 high-grade spirit stones and set myself up as a competitor."


    "You can''t," Wang Jun said, shaking his head. "Guo Jia is dead, so they are down a formation master. Cha Ming killed him in a formation battle."


    Cha Ming could now feel the man''s resplendent force lightly probing his cultivation base. He condensed his own resplendent force and easily repelled the older man''s aura, causing the latter''s eyes to narrow.


    "Besides," said Wang Jun, "if you had this sort of cash available, you would have done so already. You know far better than me that raising a family''s juniors isn''t cheap. Only the Obsidian Syndicate would bother coming to this backwater country to set up a few formations. Now that they no longer have this ability, good luck securing an alternate supplier."


    The man thought for a bit before placing an inconspicuous white stone. Cha Ming blinked a few times before realizing that this stone had completely crushed him.


    "Thank you very much for the teaching game," Cha Ming said, bowing his head slightly.


    "You need to remember that there are two parts to the game of Angels and Devils," Huang Taishan said. "There is a momentum you must follow to win, but your opponent will resist this momentum. You like to switch between attack and defense, but you must remember that Angels and Devils is more than just that. You need to combine momentum and resistance and develop your own flow in each game."


    Something about these wise words resonated with Cha Ming''s soul. As he was deep in thought, Huang Taishan turned to Wang Jun. "Three of them, and you''ve got yourself a deal. Bring me a contract when you have time."


    "What about the council of elders?" Wang Jun asked.


    "You and I both know I was lying through my teeth," Huang Taishan said.


    Wang Jun smiled. "And I''ve taken the liberty of preparing a contract for you in advance," Wang Jun said, handing the man a golden scroll.


    The older man read the document, which contained exactly what they had agreed to. He signed it with a drop of his blood infused with his resplendent force. Wang Jun did the same.


    "Out of curiosity, how many of those documents did you prepare?" Huang Taishan asked.


    "Just three," Wang Jun said. "You''re harder to read than most people."


    ***


    The duo left the Huang residence a half day later. Cha Ming had failed in creating the formation twice but succeeded the next three times. As soon as the first formation was active, one of the clan''s juniors entered it with mid-grade spirit stones and began cultivating. He looked to be around eighteen years old, but he already had a cultivation base at initial foundation establishment.


    "How many of the families do you expect to accept?" Cha Ming asked Wang Jun as they walked to their next destination.


    "Only two or three, including the one we just visited," Wang Jun replied. "The ones that reject our offer, however, will have substantially elevated expectations. They will think twice before accepting an offer from the Zhou Clan and the crown prince."


    "Then is it even worth the effort?" Cha Ming asked bitterly.


    "Seriously, what''s gotten into you?" Wang Jun said, stopping. "And Huxian as well. He''s been causing much more trouble than he did on the way to Songjing."


    "Maybe he just feels constricted in this city," Cha Ming said. "Have you thought about asking him what he wants?"


    He continued to their destination while Wang Jun followed, brooding.

 149 Meeting a Friend

    "I already broke through!" an overjoyed young man said as he exited the newly installed gold-gathering formation. The boy, Cha Ming observed, was barely twenty years old, a prodigy in his family. Unfortunately, they had not been able to provide for him as well as they had liked. The gold-gathering formation would allow him and his talented cousins to reach unprecedented heights.


    Cha Ming gently probed his cultivation. His foundation was solid, which was impressive given his cultivation speed. "By the looks of it, you''ll only need a few days before your qi sea clears up and you can begin cultivating once more," Cha Ming said. "I confess myself impressed."


    "It''s not surprising," the boy''s father said. "He''s been trapped at initial foundation establishment for two years. Unfortunately, our family offended the Zhou family long ago. We been unable to provide him with as many medicinal pills as we''d like. This gold-gathering formation is a godsend."


    "I''m glad I could help," Cha Ming said. Then he pulled out three mid-grade talismans from his spatial ring. "Here are the three Mid-Grade Gold-Rending Talismans, as promised in your agreement with the Wang family."


    "So fast," the man said. "We have three promising juniors that are the hope of our family. These lifesaving treasures will greatly reduce my worries. I, Jin Hao, owe you a favor."


    Cha Ming shook his head. "It will only even up the odds for them if they encounter someone at early foundation establishment. These won''t help them much against stronger opponents."


    "That''s enough for me feel relieved, and yet not enough for them to grow arrogant," Jin Hao said. "Don''t be a stranger."


    At least they know how to show appreciation, Cha Ming thought. Unlike Wang Jun.


    Just as he was about to leave the Jin Clan, he spotted a green glow out of the corner of his eye. To his surprise, it was a fifteen-year-old boy.


    So young to have condensed a merit halo, Cha Ming thought. "Who is that?" he asked Jin Hao.


    "He is my adopted son," Jin Hao said. "There are so many orphans out there, but for some reason, I felt compelled to take him in as my own. He is a kind soul, and he has been a wonderful addition to our family."


    "Have you evaluated his talent?" Cha Ming asked.


    "He''s a lucky one," Jin Hao said. "Jin Huang is a grade-four talent with an innate soul force of seven. What''s most amazing is that he has an affinity for all five elements. Unfortunately, our family only has gold-element cultivation methods and dual-element cultivation methods related to gold." He shook his head self-deprecatingly.


    "A pity," Cha Ming muttered. "It would be a pity for such a kind young man to have his options limited." He looked at Jin Hao. "Once he turns sixteen, if he is interested, I can teach him five-element cultivation. If he is willing, I can also teach him talisman arts. He is qualified."


    Jin Hao''s eyes widened. "Would you?"


    "Only if he wants to," Cha Ming said. "There is still one year until he reaches the proper age for cultivation. I suggest letting him do whatever he likes."


    Cha Ming left the Jin Clan shortly after. He was joined by Wang Jun, who appeared out of the shadows. Huxian trotted out beside him.


    "How did it go?" Wang Jun asked.


    "Very well," Cha Ming said. "And there was a pleasant surprise. I want you to keep an eye out for a young boy named Jin Huang. He''s a talent with much potential. More importantly, he has already condensed a merit halo at his young age."


    "You want me to recruit him?" Wang Jun asked. "Fifteen is a little young, but the good fortune provided by merit is nothing to scoff at."


    "No, I just want you to have someone keeping tabs on him," Cha Ming said. "I''ll be looking for students one day. This one is a perfect match."


    Wang Jun nodded.


    "Where to now?" Cha Ming asked. Although it was gratifying to see many neutral families flock over to the third prince''s side, he was getting tired of the ceaseless running about.


    "I''ve booked a great restaurant," Wang Jun said. "You''ve been working hard. Let''s have a little fun."


    Cha Ming eyed Wang Jun suspiciously and looked at Huxian, who was grinning ear to ear.


    No wonder you came, Cha Ming sent mentally. The only thing that interests you is food.


    He never lets me out, Huxian said. So what if I broke a few things? So what if I ate a few rare plants and hurt Elder Bai''s cat? Besides, isn''t it about time he shows you some appreciation?


    Cha Ming rolled his eyes.


    "Why are we walking so slowly?" Huxian asked a half hour later. "We could have gotten there a quarter hour ago."


    "Patience, young friend," Wang Jun said. "A special guest will be joining us, but he hasn''t arrived yet."


    Huxian looked to Cha Ming for clarity, but he just shrugged in response. The guest''s identity was a mystery to him.


    They entered the restaurant and were immediately escorted to a private room. Wang Jun waited calmly for a few moments before forming multiple hand seals. His shadow stretched out toward the wall and formed a shadowy door.


    "Shadow Road," he whispered.


    Cha Ming''s resplendent force noticed a long shade pulling away from the building and toward a black-armored soldier with a red cloak.


    ***


    "Heavens, I''m bored," Feng Ming mumbled as he wandered aimlessly through the back alleys. He was hoping he''d find someone getting mugged to rescue so that he could lighten up his day, but luck wasn''t on his side. Although he had money to spend¡ªhis stipend as a colonel¡ªhe wasn''t in the mood for shopping.


    Maybe I can go gambling, he thought. Yeah, criminals and thieves hang out at casinos all the time.


    Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a black door that was cleverly concealed in the shade of a building. A black figure with familiar features stood next to the door¡ªit was a friend he hadn''t seen in a long time. Feng Ming didn''t hesitate to walk through the door. His surroundings turned black for a moment before he walked into a room filled with familiar faces.


    "Cha Ming, Wang Jun, Huxian!" he said before walking over and giving Cha Ming a firm hug. They hadn''t spoken since his disappearance, and Feng Ming had only heard about his survival from Wang Jun a short while ago.


    "It''s good to see you, my friend," Cha Ming said. His features had filled out considerably since the last time Feng Ming saw him. Looks aside, he could tell that his friend''s cultivation had improved substantially. His incandescent force couldn''t pierce his friend''s passive defense.


    "Resplendent soul?" Feng Ming asked casually.


    "Yes," Cha Ming replied. "Though by the looks of it, you''re much stronger than me."


    Feng Ming''s cultivation level was at the peak of foundation establishment.


    Feng Ming shrugged. "I got lucky. It''s what I do."


    ***


    The waiters brought in tray upon tray of dishes into their private room. Huxian and his two friends were busy gorging themselves like their lives depended on it. Meanwhile, the human trio drank tea as they waited for their dishes.


    "I heard a funny story the other day," Wang Jun said. "It was about a witless colonel who told his father he''d have to tie him up to bring him to the capital. They say half the country saw him by the time he was tossed through the city gates and prohibited from leaving the city."


    "Who knew Father would take my words so literally," Feng Ming lamented. "Especially after all the military merit I''ve accrued. You''d think he''d be proud or something."


    "I think it might have something to do with you being his only son," Cha Ming noted. "Plus, there''s no rule saying overprotective fathers can''t discipline their sons. You''re lucky he didn''t beat you black and blue before dumping you into the street naked."


    Feng Ming sighed. "I just wish I had something to do. While I''m technically here on a military assignment, I don''t have any actual duties to speak of. All I have is my rank and people occasionally saluting me."


    "Then it''s not much different than many of the noble clans I''ve visited," Cha Ming said. "Many of their descendants get honorary military positions and the like, and all they do is go to some training and then lounge around for the rest of their days, telling each other stories. Speaking of which, they tell a lot of stories about you."


    A waitress arrived with six dishes balanced precariously in her arms. She accidentally tripped, but the dishes flew perfectly on the table in front of their intended recipients. Feng Ming didn''t miss a beat. "What''s your favorite one so far?" he asked after swallowing down a few mouthfuls.


    "Definitely the one about the Yin Gathering Cult," Cha Ming said. Feng Ming''s face darkened at the mention. "I heard you and twelve of your best dressed up as freshly trained courtesans on their way to a brothel. Fortunately, it was a dark night, and the cultists who found you were as blind as bats. That or they had atrocious taste. After leading you straight to their base, you caught them just as they were starting a ceremony that prohibited weapons from being carried on their persons due to an odd quirk from their leader."


    "It''s not that they were blind as bats," Wang Jun chimed in, "but rather that they were far too stupid to attend the ceremony in the first place. He just happened to be in the right place at the right time."


    "Look, it''s not the most honorable idea I''ve had, but it worked," Feng Ming said indignantly. "Besides, I think they had good taste. Who could resist a dashing man like me in a pretty dress?"


    Cha Ming erupted in violent fit of coughing. "My apologies, tea ran down the wrong hole. Either way, I''m relieved to see that you haven''t sworn yourself to the crown prince like your father. Filial piety doesn''t extend to damning yourself for all eternity."


    "He can''t be that bad," Feng Ming said. "The crown prince seems genial and hardworking. I''m sure my father wouldn''t swear his loyalty to a bad man."


    "Then you haven''t met Zhou Li yet," Wang Jun said.


    Huxian, who was eating off to the side, scowled at the name drop.


    "I haven''t, but I''ve heard a few scattered rumors. They all seemed baseless," Feng Ming said.


    "I can confirm that he has consorted with devils. And that his brother was responsible for the Fairweather incident," Cha Ming said. He also tried to have me and Huxian killed shortly afterward. Finally, either he or the crown prince hired around fifty devil cultivators from the Obsidian Syndicate to participate in the struggle for the Silverwing Mountain Range. Wang Jun, Huxian, and I directly participated in that battle."


    Feng Ming frowned. "Do you have any proof of the crown prince''s involvement?"


    Cha Ming shook his head. "I only know about Zhou Li being involved. While it''s possible that this is Zhou Li''s independent scheme, I find it highly unlikely. Especially given the coincidental timing of the king''s collapse and the benefit that his father''s death would grant him."


    "Unfortunately, Zhou Li is good at erasing his tracks," Wang Jun added as he poured tea. "He is an expert in burning karma¡ªeven an inquisitor would have trouble pinning anything on him."


    Feng Ming shook his head. "I can only continue to remain neutral until I have something solid. One''s first duty is to their parents. It would take some pretty damning evidence to make me move against my own father."


    "It''s your life," Cha Ming said.


    "It will all work out fine," Feng Ming said. "I''m lucky, remember?"


    "Do let us know if you happen to luckily stumble across some of that damning evidence," Wang Jun said. "Anyway, that''s enough dark talk for the day." He held up a small glass of hot baiju, which had just been delivered. "I never drink, but today I''ll make an exception. I propose a toast to friendship. Don''t be a stranger."


    "To friendship," Cha Ming said, downing his own glass.


    "To friendship," Feng Ming repeated. Both he and Wang Jun gulped it simultaneously.


    A few rounds later, Wang Jun had tapped out, leaving only Feng Ming, who was used to such drinks, and Cha Ming, whose body refining made him almost immune to mortal liquor.


    "So what will you do with all this free time on your hands?" Cha Ming asked.


    Feng Ming shrugged. "Maybe I''ll pay those nobles a visit and have a drink or two. For some reason, I feel like going gambling, of all things. Do you want to tag along?


    "I''m game," Cha Ming said immediately. He was a notoriously unlucky gambler, which was why he usually avoided it. However, a lucky star had just offered his services free of charge. How could he refuse?


    "Good," Feng Ming said. "I''ll let you know when."


    Their feast continued for an hour, after which they parted ways.


    ***


    As Cha Ming returned home with Huxian and Wang Jun in tow, his jovial mood rapidly dissipated. He became sullen once more, and so did Huxian. It was as though Feng Ming was a bright light that banished the gloomy atmosphere that surrounded them lately. The negative thoughts returned with his absence.


    "So much for pulling him to our side," Wang Jun said as they walked back to the Jade Bamboo Auction House.


    "What is it with all the sides and fighting?" Cha Ming said. "There''s no need to pull him to our side. He''s got a merit halo a mile wide. With his luck, a warning is enough. I''m actually looking forward to what kind of chaos he''ll cause in the city."


    Wang Jun chuckled uncomfortably. "I suppose you''re right. I bet you one hundred high-grade spirit stones he''ll get kicked out of the city within a month."


    "Why is it always about money with you?" Cha Ming said. "And have you scheduled an appointment with the king yet?"


    "What''s gotten into you?" Wang Jun said.


    As he reached out to Cha Ming''s shoulder, Huxian growled and darted between them. His pseudo-core-formation cultivation immediately repelled Wang Jun, who could only back away in disbelief. The usually kind fox''s teeth were bared and his ears pulled back.


    "Soon," Wang Jun said coldly. "The king''s condition is degrading very slowly as the spirit doctors are doing a good job keeping him alive. I hear the crown prince is holding a banquet sometime soon. The princess should be distracted for the entire evening. Although, I really wonder if you''re fit to examine anyone in this state."


    Wang Jun frowned and pulled a jade orb from his robes. Elder Bai''s jade projection immediately appeared. "What''s the urgent matter?" he asked the older man.


    "Regulatory problems," Elder Bai said seriously. "The crown prince is using his position as intermittent leader to push forward price controls and choke out our potential profits."


    Wang Jun''s expression turned grim. "I''ll be right there." The usually calm man walked toward a shadowy door that appeared on the wall. "Would you like to come along, or will you be heading back yourself?"


    Cha Ming waved him off. "We''ll take a walk and enjoy the scenery."


    Wang Jun departed immediately, leaving Cha Ming and Huxian with two innocent-looking small animals. Huxian looked up at Cha Ming with teary eyes.


    "You guys are still hungry?" Cha Ming asked incredulously. "Fine, but I''d like to visit the Talisman Artist Guild before they close."


    ***


    A few hours later, Cha Ming and Huxian walked out of a shabby-looking building, their faces full of disappointment. Instead of a guild, it was better to call it a personal workshop for a single talisman artist. The lone man wasn''t even a master artist, and the few students he kept were disappointing at best.


    When asked where the branch leader was, the man said there wasn''t one and shooed them off.


    "It''s too bad I don''t have time to take over," Cha Ming said to Huxian. "This place is terrible. Do you think Feng Huoshan would even be interested?"


    The "guild" was in a run-down alley where various shops were located. Cha Ming saw a pawn shop, a moneylender, and other less-savory businesses. Here and there, he saw red lights beckoning to their depraved customers."


    "What''s that?" Huxian said, perking up his ears.


    A hooded figure stood in the distance, its black garment blending in with the nearby shadows.


    Huxian sniffed. "That person smells familiar." He sniffed once more, and his eyes turned crimson. Shadows surrounded Huxian as he disappeared.


    Cha Ming followed suit, wreathing himself in shadows and entering a surreal dimension. They were now walking in a space that seemed to defy physical laws. Pieces of ground and buildings littered this new landscape, which was divided by a sea of bright light.


    Just jump from shadow to shadow like I do, Huxian said, darting from one piece of "land" to another.


    You mean these are shadows? Cha Ming asked, looking at the perfectly visible pieces of road and building. He now realized they were a partial picture of their surroundings, the pieces that were originally obscured by darkness.


    Of course, Huxian replied. Those who dwell in the shadows see things differently.


    Cha suspended his disbelief and followed the small fox from one landmass to the next. In the distance, he saw a cloaked figure growing clearer and clearer in the ocean of light. He was walking at a leisurely pace, changing directions every so often. The process of tailing someone in the shadows was disorienting.


    Why would he go there? Huxian sent mentally.


    Before Cha Ming could wonder where "there" was, he noticed that they''d arrived in an alley. It was perfectly lit in their world of shadows, meaning that it was completely obscured in reality. However, the figure wasn''t there. Instead, they saw a few inconspicuous scraps of meat.


    They both emerged in the alley, and Cha Ming looked away with disinterest as Huxian ate up the scraps of meat.


    "Who was that?" Cha Ming asked.


    "Beats me," Huxian said.


    "Should you really be eating something if you don''t know where it comes from?" Cha Ming said.


    "Who made you my boss?" Huxian growled. His pressure sent Cha Ming back a few feet, but he ultimately remained unharmed.


    "Fine," Cha Ming said. "Have it your way."


    They hid their bitterness in their hearts as they headed back to the Jade Bamboo Auction House.

 150 Regulation

    A flash of light blinded Cha Ming as the Lightning-Gathering Formation collapsed. It was his fourth failure today, which was surprising given that he''d successfully built the formation five times over the past week. He couldn''t help but stress over the mounting costs of production.


    It''s just money, Cha Ming thought. The only one who''ll worry about it is Wang Jun.


    Yeah, who asked him to be so cheap? a voice said in his mind.


    "Another failure?" a worried elder said as he walked in. "Perhaps it would be best if you came back tomorrow?"


    Cha Ming nodded. "Tomorrow would be best. Luck just isn''t with me today." As he walked away, he couldn''t help but complain inwardly about the extra stress he''d been feeling these days.


    I''d feel a lot better if he shared more with me, Cha Ming thought. He won''t even tell me why he''s in Songjing to begin with. Shouldn''t a bigshot like him be lording it over in Gold Leaf City?


    What else isn''t he telling you? the same voice whispered.


    He was joined by Huxian as he exited the Lei family premises. "How was your day?" he asked Huxian.


    "It would have been a lot better if Wang Jun didn''t freak out when I broke a few things," Huxian said. "Why does he have to be so stingy? It''s like he doesn''t trust us."


    Cha Ming couldn''t help but be indignant at his brother''s treatment.


    Who does he think he is, treating you both like that? the voice whispered. Isn''t it just money?


    A soft pulsing alerted him of an incoming call, which he promptly ignored. It was likely Wang Jun and his usual demands.


    Cha Ming and Huxian wandered aimlessly for a few hours before returning. He was greeted at the front door by none other than the second young master of the Wang family.


    "We need to talk," Wang Jun said.


    "We don''t," Cha Ming replied, making his way toward the guest quarters.


    An invisible force reached out and restrained both him and Huxian. "I''m afraid I have to insist," Wang Jun said.


    Cha Ming rolled his eyes. "If it pleases His Royal Highness."


    Wang Jun frowned but released his bindings. He brought both Cha Ming and Huxian to his office, where he looked at them with concern.


    "Did anything happen to you since we came to Songjing?" Wang Jun asked.


    "How is it any of your business?" Cha Ming snapped.


    "With how much your personalities have changed, how can it not be my business?" Wang Jun said. "Your performance has been slipping with each formation you make. That''s not like you. Your material costs are rising exponentially."


    "So it''s all about money." Cha Ming smirked. "The mighty Wang Jun, pinching every penny."


    "You know that''s not it," Wang Jun said.


    "Do I?" Cha Ming asked. "What''s the real reason you''re in this backwater country? It can''t be about money. You and your bigshot family have more than enough of it."


    "It''s complicated," Wang Jun said. "But I''ll explain it to you once we figure out what''s wrong with you."


    "Always orders and never answers," Cha Ming barked. His temper was soaring, and so was Huxian''s.


    "Protector Ren, please restrain them," Wang Jun said. At his command, a cloaked figure appeared out of nowhere. Dozens of gold chains shot out and entangled both Cha Ming and Huxian, sealing their qi and physical strength.


    Cha Ming panicked as his strength left him, and so did Huxian. Countless thoughts flitted through their minds as they tried to process what was happening. It wasn''t long before they were both overwhelmed with anxiety and fear and could hear nothing but constant whispers that brought them closer and closer to the edge of their sanity.


    Wang Jun is greedy. Why should you trust him? You need to relax. It''s okay to make mistakes. Everything would be fine if it wasn''t for that greedy fool. What are his goals?


    The voices echoed endlessly as they entered a semi-conscious state.


    "Protector Ren¡­ Church of Justice¡­" said a voice that sounded like Wang Jun''s. "I''m not welcome¡­ Only you..."


    Cha Ming felt a faint wind rustle his robes as the blurry scenery around him changed.


    "Who¡­?" he heard. The voice was distorted and barely intelligible.


    "Protector Ren¡­ Conglomerate," another voice said. "¡­ Inflicted¡­ treated¡­ possible."


    Cha Ming felt weightless as he was carried through a massive opening in the blurry building.


    "¡­ beyond my ability," another voice said. "¡­ chaplain."


    "¡­ hurry," the first voice urged.


    Cha Ming fell onto a soft surface. Huxian, who was shivering, was nuzzled up against him and whimpering. He was the only other creature that Cha Ming could still make out clearly. Suddenly, a small light appeared up above. It looked like a lantern, but it was bright like the sun.


    "¡­ state of mind," a gentle voice said. "¡­ confuses karma¡­ drive a person to madness."


    Cha Ming shivered at these words, recalling the seeds of doubt that had been growing inside him since they''d arrived in the city. His surroundings grew colder with each passing second.


    With a gesture from a blurry figure, the warm light enveloped him. His mind relaxed as invisible threads collapsed and burned away. Slowly, his obscured surroundings became clearer. He and Huxian were lying on a bed in a small room, and a man with golden robes and a golden lantern appeared before them. He was a core-formation cultivator, and the lamp was a core treasure. Little by little, the voices in their minds faded away into nothing.


    The golden-robed man''s realm was much higher than his. He didn''t even have to probe out with his resplendent soul¡ªit was as though the man wanted to announce his late-core-formation cultivation to the world. A thick jade merit halo surrounded him, one that that was several times thicker than most in the Alabaster Group.


    "How are you feeling?" the man asked gently. He wore his black hair in a topknot and bore the appearance of a Confucian scholar.


    "Much better now," Cha Ming said, orienting himself. "Many thanks. I''ve not been myself lately."


    "It''s not a problem," the man said. "As a chaplain of the Church of Justice, it is my duty to fight against these spiteful things that should not exist in this world."


    Cha Ming sat up and adjusted his robes. "My name is Du Cha Ming, and this is my brother, Huxian," he said, motioning to the sleeping fox. "How many I address you?"


    "Just call me Chaplain Chen," the man said. "Would you mind telling me how you landed in such a miserable state?"


    Cha Ming thought for a while as he processed his memories over the past week. "This is just speculation, but Huxian ate some scraps of meat dropped by Zhou Li, and our behavior gradually worsened over a period of two weeks. Our condition deteriorated once Huxian ate some more of this meat in an alley. What happened to us?"


    "A curse," Chaplain Chen said. "This Zhou Li is the crown prince''s advisor?"


    Cha Ming nodded, causing the man''s frown to deepen.


    "As an oracle, he should know better than to dabble in such dark arts. I''ll have to look into this."


    "I doubt it''s dabbling, and it''s not like he hasn''t done worse things," Cha Ming said. "It''s a known fact that either he or the crown prince hired forces from the Obsidian Syndicate to fight in the north."


    The chaplain grimaced. "I sense your words are true. The Obsidian Syndicate is a vile group. It''s filled with evil creatures that think wrong is right and the heavens are hell."


    "I''ve seen these devils myself," Cha Ming said, pointing toward his own eyes, which glowed with a faint jade light.


    "Interesting," Chaplain Chen whispered. "Please follow me. I wish to verify something."


    Cha Ming grabbed the unconscious Huxian and followed the man as they wandered through a hall filled with pews. Commoners and cultivators alike kneeled in prayer to the tall statue of a goddess. The smell of incense wafted through the large building, which was filled with tinted windows and glass art. Each piece was manipulated and refracted light, making the church a symphony of iridescent lighting.


    "To which god do you pray?" Cha Ming asked as they walked.


    "We worship Goddess Xihe, the ancient mother of the ten suns," the man explained. "She bathes the world in her protective light, and through her illumination, we see the truth and banish darkness."


    They passed by a smaller chapel where armored men were kneeling in adoration before the statue of a woman surrounded by ten globes of light.


    "This way," Chaplain Chen said as he led them through a door to the side. They entered a small library, which was filled to the brim with books. A middle-aged librarian woke up with a start as they walked to his desk.


    "Exalted Chaplain, how may I be of service?" the librarian asked with a guilty expression.


    "Where can I find the book on unconventional eye techniques?" the chaplain asked.


    The librarian thought for a moment before leading them to a dusty corner of the library. He pulled out a thick book with tattered pages and handed it to the chaplain.


    "That will be all," the chaplain said. The man bowed and retreated.


    The chaplain flipped through many pages before arriving at an entry entitled "Eyes of Pure Jade."


    "A technique created by the Jade Emperor, who fought valiantly against the devils. He created 108,000,000 inheritances, ten for each lesser realm. They can detect both merit and sin, angelic and devil characteristics. They can also develop Devil-Sealing Intent and awaken a deeper inheritance. A pity."


    "A pity?" Cha Ming asked.


    "Your eyes have share traits with our inquisitor abilities, but they aren''t what I''m looking for," the chaplain explained.


    "Which is?" Cha Ming said.


    "I am looking for spirit detection abilities," the chaplain said. "Inquisitors can detect aggregate sin and differentiate truth and lies. Given sufficient talent, they can detect devilized humans and angelic endowment. However, this only applies to living beings. Evil spirits are exempt.


    "Unfortunately, there have been strange happenings in the city that can only be caused by ghosts and their impure ilk. Things like hauntings or possessions have become commonplace. If we were on good terms with the Buddhists, we could ask for their help. Alas, we were estranged centuries ago, and we rarely collaborate. We foolishly decimated nine tenths of their numbers a few decades ago for the sake of the ''common good.''"


    The chaplain shook his head and led them back to a room where Protector Ren stood.


    "I owe you two favors," Cha Ming said to the chaplain, "one for saving my life, and another for saving my brother''s."


    "You owe me nothing," Chaplain Chen said. "I was doing my duty."


    "Regardless, if you find yourself in need of formations or talismans, you can find me at the Jade Bamboo Auction House," Cha Ming said.


    Huxian followed him, still trembling slightly from the experience. Protector Ren escorted them back to the auction house and immediately left for the palace.


    ***


    How did it go? Wang Jun sent to Protector Ren mentally. The man had just walked into the assembly hall where the ministers were currently deliberating.


    Full recovery, he said. And it seems like Cha Ming and the Church of Justice hit it off well.


    Wang Jun nodded. Good. They aren''t people that can be drawn in with money alone. They want truth and trust. Unfortunately, the questions they ask are insensitive. It''s like they believe they are entitled to complete and unfalsified information.


    In all fairness, they aren''t hypocrites, Protector Ren said. They don''t lock their doors, and they answer any question asked, even if they are uncomfortable with the answer. They''ll even talk about the inquisition a few centuries ago. They will tell you the whole, unabridged truth and express their sincere regrets about their order''s actions.


    Wang Jun sighed. The complete truth doesn''t belong in polite society. Few people have the mental fortitude to handle it. They are fickle and prefer to remain ignorant.


    And what about your friend Cha Ming? Protector Ren asked. Can he handle it?


    Wang Jun pondered how to bring up the sensitive topic. The cat was out of the bag, and even if his friend wasn''t himself, everything had a source. Wang Jun''s goals in the Song Kingdom were definitely in the back of Cha Ming''s mind.


    Sighing, he turned his attention back to the proceedings. They began the final hearing on an issue that had been beaten to death over the past week.


    "I would like to call forward Minister Gong to offer testimony," Sima Liang said toward the throne.


    The king was conspicuously absent, and so was his loyal servant. The crown prince sat on a small chair beside the throne.


    "Minister Gong, if you please." The crown prince motioned.


    The middle-aged minister bowed before speaking. He was a foundation-establishment cultivator, and his voice easily projected across the entire court.


    "My prince, the people are suffering," Minister Gong said. "They feel unsafe in these turbulent times. Despite your best efforts to stabilize the nation during your father''s ill health, the people cannot understand how hard you toil. Therefore, they seek to arm themselves to prepare for the unlikely event of a conflict. They seek lifesaving medicines and treasures to protect their family members.


    "Unfortunately, the price of food and weapons has become increasingly steep. At first, it was only a premium of thirty percent over the list price, a reasonable number when facing uncertain times. However, supply has dwindled. Greedy merchants have been trickling their wares into overcrowded shops. They are taking advantage of the common people. Now only the rich can afford to protect their families. I beseech the crown prince to take charge of the situation for the good of the nation."


    The crown prince, who was seated on the throne, frowned. "I have stated before that this is a very serious issue. Prices increases are normal, but there are limits. What are the latest figures?"


    "Sometimes double the list price!" Minister Gong said in an exaggerated tone.


    Wang Jun rolled his eyes. This price was likely obtained from one of the minister''s own shops. He knew for a fact that they hadn''t grown to that extent."


    "That''s very serious," the crown prince said gravely. "Is there anyone else who would like to testify on this matter?"


    As though by prior agreement, half the ministers looked toward Wang Jun.


    "Since the aim is to target me, I will naturally give my opinion," Wang Jun said.


    "Our aim is not to target, only to protect the people," one of the ministers said indignantly.


    "Yes, I''m sure that is your aim," Wang Jun said. "This is why you have all unloaded your personal holdings at an average of 1.45 times the market price before trying to institute a price ceiling at 1.3 times. Oh wait, in your case it was 1.67 times, Minister Bing. Am I mistaken?"


    The minister blushed, not knowing how to reply.


    "Need I also remind the ministers that those purchasing weapons so readily are those with the least faith in the kingdom''s stability? Why should you enable these troublemakers? My humble Wang family only seeks to make profit by supplying what the people demand at a reasonable price. Right now, the reasonable price is much higher than historical figures. I am sure that most of the ministers here can attest to this."


    The crown prince frowned. "I do not wish for the common people to become implicated in your money-making schemes. Is there anything else you would like to add?"


    "Certainly, Your Highness," Wang Jun said. "But to do this I need to tell you a story. Have you ever heard of the Huangfu Kingdom?"


    "Of course," the crown prince said. "It was a kingdom that suffered economic collapse 265 years ago. To my knowledge, their political situation was entirely different from ours. How is this case relevant?"


    "Our Wang family has found this case to be useful when educating our family members," Wang Jun said. "I will share our family''s analysis with you, as it may shed some light on the current situation."


    He looked over all the ministers in attendance, evaluating their expressions before continuing. "The Huangfu Kingdom was peaceful and widespread. It occupied a fifth of the continent, and its ruler was benevolent but forceful. One day, he decided that he''d had enough of unstable prices. After all, his kingdom was ordained by the heavens; shouldn''t everyone be happy under his reign?


    "Therefore, the king stated that no goods could sell at what he called usurious prices. He capped maximum prices at 1.2 times their historical average, which became known as the list price. The merchants readily agreed¡ªafter all, such a move would choke out their smaller competitors. It was very favorable for large-scale sellers who could purchase goods more cheaply than their competitors."


    Wang Jun sighed. "The peaceful times didn''t last. One year, there was a drought. Food became extremely scarce. To balance supply and demand and line their pockets in the process, the merchants applied for an exemption to the price sealings. But the king was steadfast. He prevented them from selling at greater than 1.2 times the list price. In response, many merchants turned to the black market to offload their dwindling stockpiles. The king had these merchants executed as an example and distributed their goods amongst the people.


    "The famine intensified. People were starving, despite there being enough food to go around. The king, in his benevolence, imported massive quantities of food, which he distributed throughout the nation. Yet despite these efforts, people still starved. As a side note, the merchants who''d had enough with the situation left the kingdom for better pastures. They went to the other four fifths of the continent. Due to this, the empire was faced with a distribution problem."


    One of the ministers let out a loud snort.


    "Is there something you would like to add, Minister Sima?" Wang Jun asked.


    "I just find it amusing that you are threatening to pull the Wang family out of the Song Kingdom," Sima Jiang said. "I suggest you just get on with it and save us all from this boring speech."


    "You misunderstand," Wang Jun said. "The issue with the merchants is hardly worth mentioning, which is why I mentioned it as a side issue. Would you please allow me to continue?"


    The crown prince nodded.


    "After the merchants left, there was naturally a distribution issue. But it wasn''t something the nation couldn''t remedy. The greater problem was that, at one point, there was ten years'' worth of food stockpiled while half the kingdom went to bed hungry.


    "The king wasn''t sure what to do, but he remained adamant about pricing. He investigated and discovered that due to the price ceilings, the black market had grown so large that it eclipsed the normal market. Tax revenues plummeted as people began trading food and other resources using unofficial channels. The issue had nothing to do with merchants. Instead, it was the people themselves that were selling their food at three times the list price. Eventually, food got so expensive that people were forced to shoulder usurious loans for the sake of feeding their children.


    "Meanwhile, the ministers and nobles hoarded food. Once they had ten times the food they needed, they began using it to control their subjects. Prices spiraled upward as people starved. Food became the new currency, rendering the kingdom''s fiat money system worthless.


    "Soon, influential noble clans used their stockpiles to purchase entire cities. Before the king knew it, his kingdom had been taken over by a handful of noble houses. His coffers were full of worthless money, and he was helpless to prevent the black-market transactions. Eventually, the noble houses banded together and overthrew him. They used their chokehold over the food supplies to continue extorting the people.


    "The situation continued for a full year. As the famine passed, the people remained hungry. Eventually, the peasants had enough, and they rebelled against their rulers. The noble families were overthrown, and the kingdom shattered into thirteen pieces, which are now known as the Desperate Lands, the most impoverished places on the continent. They are devoid of morality and think little of laws. Naturally, my Wang family was one of the early merchants that sold their stock and left before the true crisis began."


    The court was silent. Wang Jun could hear the heavy breathing of the officials as they pondered their future actions. The crown prince''s expression was cold. A man of his intelligence understood that Wang Jun had just sown mutinous seeds among his loyal ministers.


    "Things as they are," the crown prince said, "I still move to instate a price ceiling at 1.3 times the list price. Are there any objections?"


    "I naturally object, Your Highness," Wang Jun said. "If the price cap is any lower than 1.7 times the list price, I will refuse to sell. I would rather use them to recruit able-bodied men into our Wang family. In this way, I can better protect our assets in the Song Kingdom."


    "Anyone else?" the crown prince said coldly.


    "If I might add," said Prime Minister Rong, who had remained silent this whole time. "I believe that Second Young Master Wang''s story is worth considering. But I understand that you wish to comfort the people in these trying times. Why do we do things this way? Let''s meet halfway at 1.5 times the market price. At the same time, let us exempt magic and core treasures, which are only important to noble families. If they want to arm themselves to the teeth, they should pay a sufficient price.


    "At the same time, let us also institute gruel stations in the various prefectures to maintain public order and prevent the common people from starving. This benevolence will be well remembered by the masses. What are your thoughts, Second Young Master Wang?"


    Wang Jun hesitated before nodding. "That is marginally acceptable. I would continue selling lower-level weapons and other commodities at this price."


    The crown prince visibly relaxed with this suggestion. It wasn''t for nothing that the prime minister had kept his role for twenty years.


    "Then it''s settled," the crown prince said. "Please ensure that these controls are implemented as soon as possible, and make sure that no one goes hungry. A kingdom must serve its people before anything else."

 151 Hidden Opponents

    "What are your thoughts, Elder Bai?" Wang Jun asked as they sipped tea.


    The years had not been kind to the older man, and fatigue wore away at him like rust did an iron bar¡ªslowly, surely, and irreparably.


    "My thoughts?" Elder Bai said. "Surely you know more about the situation than I do. I just find it odd that, despite the obvious machinations of the court, and despite your persuasive arguments against the price ceilings, he would still insist on them. He is affecting his own power in the long run."


    Wang Jun nodded. "This play is far too incisive and targeted against me. He is minimizing our gains at the cost of consolidating his power. This behavior is at odds with his play for the throne. Therefore, I think there is someone in the shadows guiding his actions. That person is pushing the crown prince to act against me."


    Elder Bai nodded but didn''t add anything. There was only one possibility¡ªthe first young master''s agent was now making bolder moves, hiding his true motives by using the political struggle.


    "It looks like there won''t be as great of a windfall as you predicted," Elder Bai observed.


    "That''s fine," Wang Jun said. "We will recover our capital and consolidate our profits much faster this way. In addition, we''ll make the crown prince realize the unintended consequences of his actions."


    "Which are?" Elder Bai said.


    "If the price is capped, then I no longer have to sell to the highest bidder," Wang Jun replied. "Since a higher bid is impossible, I will only sell to our faction. I will milk their coffers dry while simultaneously bolstering their forces for the upcoming struggle. Meanwhile, the crown prince''s forces will have much unsatiated demand for weapons. They will offer exorbitant prices on the black market."


    "Isn''t that against the Wang family rules?" Elder Bai asked, raising an eyebrow.


    "Please quote the rule for me," Wang Jun said.


    "Being caught committing a criminal commercial act is a punishable offense in the Wang family," Elder Bai said. Then, as though just realizing the implications, he rolled his eyes. "I''m sure you have a way of hiding your traces."


    "Always," Wang Jun replied.


    Suddenly, the door opened. A middle-aged man walked in unbidden.


    Wang Jun frowned. "This had better be important," he said coldly.


    "Of course," the middle-aged man said without batting an eyelash. "Though I suggest that the young master should lock the door and use a dampening device in the future when discussing such conversations. Otherwise you might find yourself suffering a loss."


    "I''ll take that into consideration," Wang Jun said. "What news have you brought us?" He observed the black-cloaked man carefully. While he couldn''t tell what it was, something felt out of place about him.


    "This servant has just made preliminary contact with some hidden forces in the city," the man said. "I thought it would be best to inform you immediately."


    The man handed him a folio, which Wang Jun carefully opened. He nodded as he looked through the information. Looking up, he saw that the man hadn''t left yet. "You are dismissed," he said. The man bowed and exited the room.


    "Who is that man?" Wang Jun asked to Elder Bai.


    "His name is Hei Ling, and he joined us two months ago," Elder Bai said. "He''s been vetted by the family and specializes in dealing with more¡­ unsavory businesses."


    "If only I could trust the family," Wang Jun said. "Please find someone within the group who has been with us at least two years. And have Hei Ling tailed. There is something off about him, something I can''t put my finger on."


    "I''ll put Li Ming on the job," Elder Bai said. "He''s been excellent at covert operations like tracking people and remaining unseen. Truth be told, I once offered him a job as an assassin. He refused and said that it was a troublesome profession."


    Wang Jun grimaced as he drank some tea, only to realize that it had grown cold. He chucked it out and brewed a new pot. While he might be busy, he wasn''t that busy.


    ***


    Cha Ming slept deeply that night and woke with Huxian still snoozing on his belly. The small fox was no longer shivering, and on his foxy muzzle was a contented smile. He carefully moved Huxian to the bed.


    The Jade Bamboo''s staff greeted him as he walked past. He nodded to them apologetically as he made his way to Wang Jun''s office. The door opened automatically, revealing Wang Jun and a pot of tea. A larger bowl of Demon Soothing Tea was waiting off to the side.


    "How are you feeling?" Wang Jun said as he gestured to the tea set.


    "Much better," Cha Ming said. "I''m sorry for all the harsh words and the terrible attitude."


    "I know that wasn''t the real you," Wang Jun said, sighing. "I speculate it had something to do with Zhou Li. His curses are difficult for me to detect, let alone unravel."


    They drank in silence for a half hour, with Wang Jun pouring. During this time, Cha Ming mulled over the many questions he had for his friend.


    "Why are you here in the Song Kingdom?" Cha Ming finally asked. Wang Jun poured another cup and reached out to a device on his desk. He activated the opaque orb, and an invisible field permeated the room. It isolated Cha Ming''s spiritual force and any sounds they made; no one outside would be able to hear them.


    "I''m here because of a mission issued by my family," Wang Jun said. "It''s an enormously difficult mission that''s meant to test my ability to compete for the family''s leadership. The other runner-up is my eldest brother, Wang Ling."


    Cha Ming thought for a moment before asking his next question. "Why do you want to compete against you brother?"


    "Because he killed my sister," Wang Jun said softly as his hands clenched around his delicate teacup, threatening to shatter it with the slightest additional pressure. "It''s something I can''t forgive him for. She was just an innocent, talented girl who wanted nothing to do with the leadership. She wouldn''t have bothered to compete with him, but he saw her as a threat. My goal is to take over as the Wang family patriarch and kill him."


    "And is the favor I owe you related to that?" Cha Ming asked. He felt his heart clench as he awaited the dreaded answer.


    "Yes and no," Wang Jun said. "Wang Ling is backed by my family''s transcendent. I see great potential in you, and I want you to block him when I make a move against my brother."


    Cha Ming shut his eyes. "You know that''s basically the same thing as killing him. I''ll kill evildoers from time to time, but I''m not an assassin."


    Wang Jun sighed. "I won''t force you to do anything you''re not comfortable with. Just relax and help me out however you can. If push comes to shove, I''ll just change the favor."


    It was a simple exchange, but it resolved the growing knot in Cha Ming''s heart. He now felt much more relaxed about helping his friend''s business in Songjing.


    A soft knock on the door interrupted their conversation. Wang Jun disabled the device on his desk and walked over to open the door. A man clothed in a golden robe walked inside.


    "We meet again," Cha Ming said, recognizing Chaplain Chen.


    The man smiled. "I received an invitation from the second young master as soon as you left. The contents of his letter were intriguing, so I thought I''d pay a visit."


    "I''m sure Brother Jun will help you out if it''s within his capacity," Cha Ming said.


    "I''m not happy to see you, but we both have things each other needs," the chaplain said, nodding curtly to Wang Jun.


    "You know full well that I can''t help my own physical situation," Wang Jun said awkwardly. He summoned a teapot, and he dropped ten golden leaves in. The gold in the leaves infused with the water, which soon glowed with a golden light. Wang Jun poured it into three cups. To Cha Ming''s surprise, Wang Jun''s own cup was considerably larger, something that would normally be considered rude.


    "How luxurious," Chaplain Chen said. "Luminescent Sunflower Tea. Its brewing process was dictated by the Holy Mother aeons ago. I am surprised that you know of it, given your condition. Do you understand its uses?"


    "I study all tea traditions and customs," Wang Jun said. "This is a tea of cooperation. It is meant to be served as an expression of good will and honesty." He took a large gulp from his own cup. "It is also a truth serum. Those who drink it cannot utter a lie."


    Cha Ming followed his lead and took a sip, along with Chaplain Chen.


    "I must confess that I would like nothing more than to win your support, Chaplain Chen," Wang Jun said. "But I understand how the Church of Justice operates. You will not change the way you behave for the sake of money.


    "I''m happy that you understand," Chaplain Chen said. "I confess: I believe that your physique and shadow cultivation are an aberration. A man should not be able to hide from the light as you do. The powers of an inquisitor are useless against you. However, if I''m not mistaken, willingly drinking this tea means that your ability to lie has been inhibited. You drank this tea to reassure me. Am I right?"


    "Quite right," Wang Jun said. "I have the larger cup because of my constitution, but for the next hour, I can tell no lies. Feel free to ask away."


    "Very well, I confess myself intrigued," Chaplain Chen said. "You have offered me the services of a formation master who can set up a light-gathering formation. However, according to my assessment of this young man, I only see five-element cultivation. How is this possible?"


    "I can best answer this question," Cha Ming said. He summoned five balls of colored light, one for each of the five elements. "The five elements are linked to creation and destruction."


    A thick black star appeared, and so did a white circle, then another white stream flowed out. It turned azure and iridescent. Lightning crackled and wind blew.


    "As a result, I can also control wind and lightning."


    "This alone cannot create light," the chaplain said firmly.


    "Quite right," Cha Ming said. "However, you saw my brother the other day. Huxian controls light and shadow simultaneously. Through our bond of brotherhood, I can make use of his demonic qi." Two additional balls appeared, one a glowing white and another a subdued black. They were very different from the black star and the white circle. They fed off themselves as soon as they appeared.


    "Impressive," the chaplain said. "While others might think that the simultaneous presence of light and shadow is heresy, I know better. Nothing that bears the power of light can stray too far into the shadows, and only those who have touched the shadows can truly see the splendor of light. This is clear in the goddess''s teachings: ''For no one who walks in the light will ever be alone in the darkness. The slightest speck will always be his guide.''"


    "I think you''re taking things a little too literally," Cha Ming blurted unintentionally. However, instead of getting offended, the chaplain simply smiled.


    "Honesty is a virtue, so there is no need to be offended," the chaplain said as if reading Cha Ming''s thoughts. "You are skeptical, but I believe this scripture from the bottom of my heart. Therefore your words can never lead me astray."


    Wang Jun, who had kept silent during their exchange, finally butted into the conversation. "I take it that you wish to have a light-gathering formation?"


    "I want three, and I will pay for them at the fair market price, adjusted for the remoteness of our location," the chaplain said firmly. "I will not owe you for it. However, what intrigues me more is his ability to create other light formations. There are two specific formations that I would like him to install. I will provide him single-use scrolls on both formations, and in exchange for their installation, I will gift your friend single-use scrolls on five light-based talismans and five light-based formations. What are your thoughts?"


    "This seems overly generous," Wang Jun said. "The market value of these items far exceeds the value of two mid-grade formations."


    "One of them is a grand formation," the chaplain explained. "It is extremely difficult to set up, and the material cost for it is much higher than for a normal project. However, desperate times call for desperate measures."


    "What kind of formation are we talking about?" Cha Ming asked.


    "The first is a Mid-Grade Spiritual-Detection Grand Formation," the chaplain explained. "It needs to encompass the entire church grounds. With it, we will be able to passively detect evil spirits. In addition, I need you to set up a Mid-Grade Exorcist Formation. Both would best be installed by a Buddhist monk, but no thanks to our order, they are in very short supply on the continent."


    Cha Ming looked to Wang Jun, who nodded.


    "Very well," said Wang Jun. "Cha Ming will first set up a light-gathering formation and then help you with both other formations. However, you will supply spirit stones for the activation and maintenance of each project."


    "And you have no problem with me not owing you anything?" the chaplain asked doubtfully.


    "The church being prolific in the Song Kingdom is to our advantage," Wang Jun said. "As Cha Ming has explained to you previously, devils are running rampant in the Song Kingdom. This must stop, or my businesses will suffer. The enemy of my enemy is my friend."


    ***


    A few days later, Huxian was lazily lounging in the Church of Justice. He felt drained, and reasonably so. In a corner of the church, Cha Ming was steadily syphoning out his light qi into complex sub-formations. They were fixed to the floor via formation crystals, which had been secretly installed behind screens of light energy.


    Huxian, please go get the chaplain and tell him the preparations are ready, Cha Ming said.


    Huxian yawned and stretched out and trotted through the church unimpeded. The inquisitors and guards on duty had all come to know him. In fact, the pastors had preached the lesson of light and darkness, causing much of their initial apprehension to fade away. Now, only three of them disliked Huxian. They had told him straight to his face and then refused to speak with him further.


    Huxian walked up to the chaplain''s prayer room and scratched on the door with his tiny paw. The door soon opened and allowed him inside.


    "Brother Cha Ming''s preparations are ready," he said. "The formation needs one thousand high-grade spirit stones to activate. You should all get into position prior to its activation."


    "Excellent," the chaplain said cheerfully while handing Huxian a bag of holding. "Please give these high-grade spirit stones to your brother and tell him to await the signal for activation."


    As Huxian walked toward Cha Ming''s location, he noticed many inquisitors swarming to the entrance and channeling their qi into shields of light. Many parishioners, who were kneeling at pews, began muttering amongst themselves.


    "Do not panic," the pastor said in a soothing voice. "The chaplain will be holding a demonstration soon. It will be very beneficial to our church if you stay." The parishioners began speaking in excited whispers.


    Huxian walked through a door toward the screen of light where Cha Ming was located. He dropped the bag of holding to the floor and cuddled up to his brother''s leg for petting. Cha Ming scratched the back of his ears as they waited. The pleasant sound of a gong prompted him into action, and he immediately directed the high-grade spirit-stone energy through the nearby light-gathering formation. The formation roared to life and sent out beams of light as thick as an arm through the walls.


    One by one, the pieces of the complex formation lit up. The light-gathering formation creaked and groaned under the strain of converting all thousand high-grade spirit stones in a short instant. It was a sacrificial formation, and it would break apart after the initial activation of the grand formation. By the time the last spirit stone was consumed, it collapsed into motes of light that were also absorbed by the larger one. Each node thrummed, and a light golden sheen spread out throughout the church.


    A bloodcurdling scream caused Cha Ming to dart out into the hallway. An old servant who had been cleaning nearby was surprised by the sudden appearance of a ghostly figure. It was transparent, and its pitch-black eyes were filled with malice. Crimson veins completely covered the apparition.


    Cha Ming sent out a lightning-based combat formation, instantly disintegrating the evil spirit. He continued along the outskirts with Huxian in tow. Nearby, a group of inquisitors brandished blades of light to banish the apparitions as they found them. They moved in a sweeping pattern that led them to the center of the church, where the pews were located.


    "Reporting to the chaplain: We''ve slain three evil spirits!" an inquisitor yelled.


    "Reporting to the chaplain: We''ve slain two evil spirits!" another yelled.


    The reporting continued. When the chaplain looked to Cha Ming, the latter only held up a single finger. The man nodded and continued the tallying. It wasn''t long before another scream sounded out. This time, it came from the pews.


    "What is happening to you, honey?" a woman yelled.


    Cha Ming looked toward an aged man who was covered in crimson veins from head to toe.


    "It will be all right," the chaplain said reassuringly. He walked toward the man, who was struggling to free himself. The chaplain summoned the man against his will. "Miss Ji, your husband will return safe and sound. I promise."


    Red-eyed, the woman nodded and bit back her tears.


    After a full hour, the reports ceased to trickle in after six possessed individuals had been apprehended. The chaplain looked over to Cha Ming.


    "You may begin," he said.


    Cha Ming nodded and withdrew thirty-six white crystals, which he placed on the floor inside a nine-foot circle. He leafed through his memories and reviewed the information one last time before summoning the Clear Sky Brush.


    The brush glowed with white demonic light as he painted two hundred complex lines with light essence. Painting the lines took a full incense time, and as soon as the last one was completed, the formation glowed as a single unit and rumbled to life.


    Cha Ming bowed to the chaplain. "The Mid-Grade Exorcism Formation is ready."


    The chaplain nodded. "Master inquisitors, with me," he said.


    Nine figures in golden armor walked up to nine key points in a rehearsed manner. The men followed his instructions and began pouring qi into the formation. The chaplain waved his hand and summoned the older man he had captured before. He placed him in the center of the circle and bound him with his resplendent force.


    "And the Blessed Mother did say, do not suffer the presence of remnants," the chaplain intoned. "For they are children of the shadows, and they do not belong in this world.


    "Let not karma bind you with vengeance. Pass into the light and leave behind no regrets, for I am the light and will guide you to justice.


    "Do not be tempted by corruption, whose crimson color blinds your eyes and binds your soul. Keep free from fetters that incite you to stray, for I am the sight that will lead you to glory.


    "Do not doubt in your fellow man. If they be wrong, I will judge them accordingly. Trust in me, for I am the truth and will lead you to salvation."


    The evil spirit screamed as the chaplain''s incisive words wore away at its corrupting influence. Once the final word was completed, the crimson on the old man''s body vanished. He prostrated himself weakly before the golden-robed man.


    "Thank you, Chaplain," he said tearfully.


    "Do not thank me," the chaplain said. "The goddess, in her mysterious ways, has saved you."


    It didn''t take long for the six possessed victims to undergo the same treatment. The chaplain allowed everyone to leave after their exorcism was completed. As they departed, the chaplain instructed them to guide their friends to the church for protection.


    It was night by the time Cha Ming left with the payment of ten scrolls. To his surprise, it wasn''t ten least-grade scrolls but one for each grade. He guessed that in the chaplain''s opinion, having more light-based formations and talismans in the world could only be a good thing.


    "Huxian, can I get a little light?" Cha Ming asked.


    The fox cast a small white globe, which floated above them and illuminated the streets. They had stayed in the brightly lit church for three days. After so much time in the light, it was difficult to adjust to the darkness.

 152 Gambling

    "So why exactly is now the best time to gamble?" Cha Ming said as they walked toward the entertainment district. The morning sun had just crept over the horizon. Its soothing light seeped into the cold paving stones that could only be found in this remote part of Songjing City.


    "I''m not sure," Feng Ming said. "I just woke up at an ungodly hour with an itch to go gambling. You can''t just ignore feelings like that¡ªyou need to go with the flow. Unless you had something better to do?"


    Cha Ming thought of his gigantic backlog of formations but pushed them to the back of his mind¡ªa single day of gambling would greatly improve his dire financial situation. More to the point, Feng Ming attracted trouble like honey did flies. Cha Ming needed to blow off some steam, and now was the perfect chance to do it.


    Ten paces away from them, a restaurant was preparing for the busy day. Men and women folded dough and created tiny dumplings and buns for steaming. A little farther on, kitchen staff members were busy preparing ingredients: They precut vegetables and deboned meat while the chefs busily organized the menu for the morning rush. There were no customers to be seen, and most establishments were closed.


    They traveled a little further before arriving near the inns and taverns. These, too, were closed. The tavern staff had not yet begun preparing like the restaurants, while the hotels ran on skeleton crews that awaited any impromptu orders from needy clients. This was also where Feng Ming veered them off to a nearby alley. The dim morning sunlight didn''t reach these narrow streets; instead, they were brightly lit with spirit lamps.


    Everywhere they looked, taverns were still brimming with rowdy customers. Pawn shops, money lenders, and other unsavory establishments waited for the constant trickle of desperate customers that came their way. They were situated right by the casinos, which rapidly gobbled up the small fortunes their clients accrued. The brothels were also there; their red spirit lamps beckoned invitingly to both the lonely and the depraved.


    They soon entered a seedy tavern, which was brimming with customers despite the early hour. Dozens of sweaty gamblers were busy tossing away their fortunes while barmaids served them one drink after another. A customer would occasionally grope one of the barmaids, and her response to this lewd behavior depended less on the quality of the groper and more on the size of their wallet.


    "Not again!" a man shouted. He and three men stood opposite a dealer. The pale man looked to the side of the room nervously. A cloaked figure beckoned, and the man hobbled to the table and began explaining himself in hushed whispers.


    "I can win it back, I swear!" the man said. "Just give me another loan. I''m good for it. I still have my house and my business."


    "And a wife and kids, and a healthy young body," the man said calmly. "I know your entire financial situation. I can give you a loan, but this time the interest will be double. You need to give me fifty percent every week, or I''ll take you to the cleaners. Even your wife and two children won''t be able to escape." A menacing light flickered from the man''s eyes.


    "Thank you," the pale man said, accepting a small pouch.


    Cha Ming wasn''t sure how much it contained, but it was likely enough to push the man to the brink.


    "Let''s go play Dragons," Feng Ming suddenly said, pulling Cha Ming''s attention to a long table in the back. The table''s dealer tossed him a chit, on which he placed a mid-grade spirit stone. Cha Ming followed his lead.


    "In this game, you hope the guy keeps rolling the same numbers," Feng Ming explained. "If he rolls dragons, they eat up everything on the table."


    "Shut up," an aged man said. He was half bald, and a long, thin scar ran down the side of his face. Despite his unkempt appearance, Cha Ming determined that the man had reached the peak of qi condensation and was only a single step away from establishing his foundation. This single step was also a monumental one that the man wouldn''t take for the rest of his life.


    "My apologies," Feng Ming said. It''s rude to explain the rules at the table, Feng Ming sent. It''s considered bad luck.


    The same man tossed two dice that bounced off a soft board at the back of the table. They landed on a pair of threes. Their bet was shifted by the dealer, and while Feng Ming seemed to know what was going on, Cha Ming was completely lost. Spirit stones trickled to their side of the table as he placed the same bets as Feng Ming did. It wasn''t long before everyone started copying Feng Ming.


    "All right, time to switch tables," Feng Ming said when the dealer glared at them. They picked up their money and moved on to another game. It was a simple card game that reminded Cha Ming of blackjack. Like the dice before, the cards were built from a material that repelled soul force and qi.


    Excited murmurs surrounded their table as their bets doubled continuously. Soon they were the only active table in the tavern, and some of the dealers stood nearby with their arms crossed while others were busy chatting with the moneylender.


    This one''s less a game of chance and more a game of strategy, Feng Ming sent as they approached a table with twelve players. The crowd followed them and sat down to join the excitement.


    Each man had three hidden cards, and four additional cards were exposed in the middle over time. The game was remarkably like poker, and Cha Ming used his strong soul and sharp mind to quickly adapt what he knew to this new game. He used these superior skills in combination with Feng Ming''s freakish luck to quintuple his holdings.


    At first, the dealers didn''t make a big deal when they moved over since they made money on the rake. Unfortunately, many dissatisfied customers left the tavern with accusations of cheating. Before long, a well-dressed foundation-establishment cultivator headed their way.


    "Gentlemen, my name is Hu Fa," the man said. "Senior Ba wishes to meet with you. Would you be so kind as to follow?"


    Seeing that the hand had just finished, Cha Ming shrugged. Feng Ming nodded, and they followed Hu Fa to a small table in the back. It was none other than the moneylender''s table.


    "Let me introduce myself," the black-robed man at the table said. "You may call me Senior Ba, and I am the manager of this establishment."


    The fact that the moneylender was also the owner was very telling.


    "Can we help you with something?" Cha Ming said.


    "Most certainly," Senior Ba said. "It''s a pleasure to meet both Master Du and Colonel Feng. I must say that the rumors of Colonel Feng''s good luck aren''t the least bit exaggerated. Therefore, I''ll have to remind you both that there are limits on how lucky one can get in my tavern. Do you understand?"


    "Perfectly," Feng Ming said.


    "Excellent," Senior Ba said. "Then please continue enjoying the free refreshments. Do let me know if there''s anything else you need."


    They soon left the premises with their winnings. "Well, that ended fast," Cha Ming said. "Thanks for the quick cash."


    Feng Ming chuckled. "You thought I brought you here to make a small amount of money? Surely you know me better than that."


    Cha Ming pondered for a bit before taking a stab at it. "Who''s the owner of the casino?"


    "Smart," Feng Ming said. "The owner, at least indirectly, is the crown prince. I trust my instincts, so if fate is willing to let me bleed him dry, he mustn''t be up to any good."


    "Then what next?" Cha Ming said.


    "You''ll see," Feng Ming replied with an impish smile. They soon arrived at another casino. This one was significantly better furnished than the last one, and each of the tables was managed by a beautiful female dealer. The drinks here were served by gorgeous foundation-establishment cultivators with low-cut dresses. They spoke with the customers and laughed at their jokes, all for the sake of keeping them and their money in the building for a few more guests.


    We had to stop by the other casino because here, there is a minimum bet of fifty high-grade spirit stones, Feng Ming explained.


    Cha Ming''s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. Exactly how much money does this place make in a year?


    Now that he looked at them, the walls were adorned with exquisite paintings that resonated with the heaven and earth qi in the room. Each one was worth thousands of mid-grade spirit stones and served to stabilize one''s cultivation and temper one''s soul.


    It''s difficult to say, Feng Ming said. It depends on foot traffic, and the casino''s edge is small. This makes them especially susceptible to losses, thus the man''s reaction in the other tavern.


    Cha Ming nodded as Feng Ming guided him through another cycle of games. They never stayed at a single table for too long, but regardless of the game, their funds increased by leaps and bounds. They''d made a combined total of 10,000 high-grade spirit stones before getting kicked out.


    "Now what?" Cha Ming asked, addicted to the feeling of ripping off casinos.


    "Now we head to the arenas," Feng Ming said.


    ***


    Intense yelling drowned out vicious roars as a large crowd of cultivators rooted for their favorite sprit beasts. In the arena, a large dire wolf was fighting against a slightly larger spirit bear. The odds in this fight were three to one in favor of the larger bear. The were both covered in deadly gashes, but it was clear that the bear''s endurance was winning out. The spirit wolf would soon join the pile of corpses at the base of the arena.


    Cha Ming''s stomach churned as he made his way to a desk at the back. He''d originally refused to place bets, but Feng Ming convinced him that the best way to stop such places was to shut them down. Cha Ming jumped at the chance.


    "Can I help you?" a clerk said from behind the desk. He was busy scribbling in a black ledger. Some words he wrote, but others appeared on their own.


    "I''d like to take out a loan," Cha Ming said. "As big as you can give me." The mere thought of borrowing money from such an establishment had Cha Ming sweating bullets.


    The man adjusted his spectacles and looked him up and down. "Master Du, Dual Formation and Talisman Master. Age: Early twenties. Suddenly appeared out of nowhere in Quicksilver City and arrived in Songjing only recently. Has connections with the Wang family." The man paused for a moment. "You''re good for 10,000 high-grade spirit stones at a twenty-five-percent interest rate due every week. You''re also not allowed to bring your friend Feng Ming on the premises¡ªthat guy was banned three days ago. If you want the loan, you can sign here." He handed Cha Ming a black paper with golden writing. It was a certificate of debt with extremely harsh repayment clauses. He sighed before ultimately signing it.


    The man reviewed the document before stowing it in a spatial ring and placing a crystal card on the table. Cha Ming inspected it before proceeding to a second desk. He looked at the next three fights¡ªa seventh-level spirit fox against a seventh-level soul-screeching owl. The payout was 5:1 if the fox won, so Cha Ming placed a 20,000-stone bet on it. Then he placed a linked bet on the next fight. He would receive a 2:1 payout if a seventh-level dire badger won out against an eighth-level spirit wolf.


    Finally, he placed a third linked bet. It was a preposterous round with a 10:1 payout. In this round, a sixth-level spirit bat would face off against a seventh-level dire badger.


    "Are you sure you wish to place these three bets?" the attendant confirmed. Although such large bets were quite common, it was rare to see one linked to so many outcomes. "Please sign this contract if you accept."


    Another black-and-gold document was placed in front of him. Unlike the last one, this one placed a large obligation on the upper echelons of the arena to pay him should he win. After reviewing it, Cha Ming signed and forked over his 20,000 high-grade spirit stones.


    Are you sure this is a good idea? Cha Ming asked Feng Ming through his core-transmission jade.


    Mostly, Feng Ming replied. Win or lose, it''ll all work out in the end. Just trust me.


    Cha Ming groaned. Could losing on borrowed money really be considered good luck? Unable to calm his nerves, he took a seat near the arena. An ordinary orange spirit fox was forced into the caged grounds where a fierce-looking owl was already waiting.


    A gong sounded. The owl flapped its small wings and hovered midair while the cautious fox circled him from the outside. It mixed in feints with actual swipes as it tried to wear down its heavily armored foe. Small lacerations appeared on the owl''s metallic wings as the fox''s attacks became increasingly frantic.


    Soon the orange beast''s stamina gave out, leaving an opening for its feathered opponent. The owl let out a piercing screech that hit the fox point blank. It faltered as it let out a plume of fox-fire to escape.


    The fox''s movements became clumsy and lethargic. The owl flapped its tiny wings and raked the fox''s exposed back with its glistening talons. Blood sprayed as the fox howled in pain. The crowd cheered at the sight of fresh blood while Cha Ming winced at the exchange. He hoped the little fox would win and live a little longer. Unfortunately, the odds didn''t seem to be in its favor. The owl repeatedly used the same tactic, adding one wound after another to the fox''s back.


    Just let it end, Cha Ming thought. At that moment, a small fluctuation appeared in the arena. The fox gained a second wind as the energy of heaven and earth rushed into him from all sides. He howled fiercely at the owl, who suddenly shook in fear. Out of nowhere, a second tail popped out beside the first one. Everyone''s eyes practically popped out of their sockets¡ªthe odds of something like a bloodline evolution happening mid-match were less than one in a million.


    The owl retreated in a panic as the fox slashed away with its deadly paws. Two hurried swipes caused it to bleed while a third one pushed it to the arena''s cage. It roared before finally biting down on the spirit screeching owl''s tiny body, leaving nothing but a tiny puddle of blood where the spirit beast used to lay.


    "And we have a winner!" the announcer yelled. The tired two-tailed fox was ushered off the stage by an excited tamer. A many-tailed fox was a rare existence, and he would likely get a hefty bonus for managing to raise it to this level. The fox was now in no danger of being killed in the arena¡ªrather, it would be sold to the highest bidder.


    "Next up, we have a neck-and-neck match between a seventh-level dire badger and an eighth-level spirit wolf!" the announcer said. "Don''t let their level disparity deceive you¡ªbadgers are known for their tremendous endurance and their rage-based techniques."


    A large wolf was released into the arena simultaneously with a much larger badger. Crimson streaks highlighted the dire badger''s black-and-white fur. It held its hands defensively as the wolf circled around its weaker prey. From the stands, Cha Ming could see a green aura of vitality surrounding the badger while a frosty aura surrounded the fire spirit wolf and restrained the badger''s movements.


    Slash.


    A bloody gash appeared in the badger''s thick fur. The crowd roared in excitement as their favored spirit beast took the initiative. Their excitement increased as this gash was followed up with a dozen others. The dire badger was a bloody mess, but Cha Ming could tell that the fight had just begun.


    The wolf darted in for another quick strike, only to be interrupted by the dire badger''s sharp claws. It struggled to break lose as the badger closed in with its sharp teeth and began mauling the agile creature. The badger''s wounds healed before the crowd''s eyes as the wolf howled in pain. The previously subdued crowd erupted in cheers as the underdog bled the wolf dry.


    Cha Ming loathed these people, but he wondered if he was any better. He, too, had bet money on this fight and made it happen. He could only hope that his swipe at the arena would make a difference. Although his earnings had increased to 200,000 spirit stones, the large amount of money felt hollow in comparison to the suffering in the arena.


    ***


    "We have a problem," a man said as he approached a masked figure. "A 20,000-spirit-stone bet has gotten through two successive fights and has now been placed on a fight with 10:1 payout."


    "And why is that a problem?" the owner asked. "Aren''t the odds stacked against him?"


    "Normally I wouldn''t worry about it and let the odds take care of everything," the man said. "However, after doing a little digging, I realized that he''s friends with that guy we kicked out a few days ago."


    "You mean Colonel Feng, the welp who won ten straight bets and walked out of here with 200,000?" the owner exclaimed.


    "That''s the one," the man said. "While we can''t detect his presence, who knows if that guy''s freakish good luck will affect his friends. It''s better to be safe than sorry."


    The masked man pondered for a moment before issuing a rare order. "Poison the bat and try to make it as discreet as possible. I''ll handle the negative karma from violating the bet contracts. Since we''re at, increase the odds to 20:1 to try and rope in any stragglers and hedge bets."


    The man bowed and disappeared, leaving the masked owner to watch from his elevated platform as red threads of karma trickled into him.


    "Now let''s hope this karma doesn''t come back to bite me all at once," he mumbled.


    ***


    Cha Ming paced nervously as a short intermission was called just before the remaining match. An ordinary spirit bat wouldn''t stand a chance against a higher-level dire badger. The 10:1 odds were actually quite generous toward the larger animal, making it a terrible bet to take. Sure as rain, the large black board by the betting tables flickered. The odds flashed to 20:1 in favor of the spirit bat in a last-ditch attempt to capture more wagers. Unfortunately, his bet was already locked in.


    The crowd calmed after a half hour as they waited patiently for the fight that shouldn''t have held much suspense. When the gates opened, a fierce-looking dire badger charged out and let out loud roar.


    On the other side, a sluggish-looking bat exited a small pen. Cha Ming frowned when he saw its lethargic state. Spirit bats were usually energetic beasts and fought using their superior speed.


    They wouldn''t do anything to rig the match, would they? Cha Ming thought. Although his resplendent force couldn''t pierce the match''s cage, his sharp eyesight inspected every inch of the bat. He saw a green liquid dripping out of the corner of its mouth. It had clearly been poisoned.


    The dire badger charged out immediately after the gong sounded. The dire badger looked at the bat with disdain as it lazily swiped its paw. To the crowd''s surprise, it missed!


    The distance between both creatures rapidly closed, allowing the bat to somehow latch on to its neck. Surprisingly, the dire badger did something unexpected; it didn''t swat the bat but merely sat down subserviently, allowing it to drain its blood one liter at a time. The more blood it drank, the less lethargic it became.


    The bat grew to twice its size before the weak badger finally managed to throw it off. It swiped defensively as the bat began its usual attack pattern. It attacked with its razor-sharp wings in the badger''s blind spots. The enraged badger could do nothing but passively accept its defeat as cuts accumulated over his weakened body.


    The crowds booed as the badger finally collapsed. The crowd was shocked, and so were the match organizers. The only one who wasn''t surprised was Cha Ming, whose eyes were shining with a purple light. He''d activated the main ability of his Demon-Subduing Eyes to force the badger into submission.


    Although he loathed what he had done, he reminded himself that a loss of two million high-grade spirit stones could very well shut down the arena and deter future investment. This thought did little to ease the pain in his heart.

 153 Lucky General

    Feng Ming hated the darkness. It was an irrational fear, one that he often ignored. But every so often, he couldn''t help but glance into the empty nothingness to see if it would glance back. This time, it did. The glance was a prerecorded signal from Cha Ming through the arena walls via transmission jade.


    Feng Ming pushed off the wall, making his way to the rooftop in a single bound. The light of the moon reflected off his obsidian armor; he wasn''t wearing his red colonel''s cape, which was far too flashy for a covert operation. His feet bounced lightly off the stone roof tiles as he executed his movement technique, Fire General''s Steps. It wasn''t ideal for sneaking around, but it was much better than nothing.


    Forty more rooftops, Feng Ming thought. If I''m lucky, we''ll snag a big fish. He felt a little guilty about using Cha Ming as bait, but sometimes you had to gamble big to win big.


    As he ran, his foot caught on a poorly placed roof tile, which caused him to tumble down to the ground below. He watched it fall with concern, only to see it land on a thief''s head. The man, who was just about to steal a woman''s purse, was knocked out cold. Meanwhile, this movement distracted the nearby guards as he passed overhead.


    It wasn''t long before he arrived at his destination: an inconspicuous alley in the eastern quarter of the city. The shadows loomed over a group of men who escorted a blue-robed cultivator. He resembled a na?ve nouveau riche following the butchers to his own slaughter. He chuckled as his friend inconspicuously dropped a formation he''d prepared beforehand.


    In an incense time, Feng Ming would have the opening he needed.


    ***


    "I don''t understand why all these precautions are necessary," Cha Ming said as they walked into a run-down entrance. "Couldn''t you have just paid me in the arena?"


    "While we would have liked to, the amount you bet was far too large for us to disburse on the premises," a well-dressed man said. "The maximum bet for any single round is capped at 20,000, and the odds are typically balanced in such a way that we make a small profit. We aim to even out the odds so that all we collect is one to ten percent of all wagers.


    "Unfortunately for us, your bet was able to bypass our bet limitations as it was chained bet. We don''t carry two million high-grade spirit stones on hand for fear of being robbed. Therefore, any large winnings must be awarded off-premises. It was the same for your friend Colonel Feng."


    The explanation was obviously full of holes, but Cha Ming didn''t bother to argue against it. He only nodded in muted acceptance as they took him deeper and deeper into their lair. Taverns and whorehouses sprouted everywhere while the more sinister establishments in the city came into view. Cha Ming saw a building with a bloody knife welcoming discreet customers; it stood side by side with a hole in the wall that sold weapons and pills in small quantities at prices far exceeding the current market price.


    The farther they moved the worse it got. Knife fights weren''t uncommon, and neither was the sight of people making love out in the open. The place became a den of hedonism, but fortunately there were limits. He hadn''t yet seen anything that crossed the Song Kingdom''s bottom line like human trafficking or murder in the streets.


    They soon approached a large three-story building. It was noticeably better built than the buildings surrounding it and was defended by guards that were armed to the teeth. As they passed through the black doors at the entrance, Cha Ming''s resplendent force was cut off from the outside world. The only person he could communicate with now was Huxian. As his last avenues of communication had seemingly disappeared, his escort''s reserved nature finally disappeared. They violently shoved him up the stairs and through a door that was twice as tall as a grown man.


    Cha Ming tumbled to the floor in front of a large chair where an abnormally large man was seated. He wore a mask, and unlike the cultivators beside him, his body was bursting with energy. His arms were the size of a large man''s legs, while his legs were the size of a normal man''s body. An ochre aura with a familiar tinge of vitality identified the man as a wood-aligned devil.


    To Cha Ming''s surprise, the man tossed a bag of holding to him. He rapidly scanned the contents and discovered 199 crystal cards and a small pile of high-grade spirit stones.


    "After your loan is repaid, we owe you two million, less twenty thousand spirit stones," the large man said. "The karma is settled, and I owe you nothing."


    Cha Ming felt an invisible thread evaporating as two of his existing contracts were resolved simultaneously.


    "How did you do it?" the masked man said. "Was it that damnable man''s luck again, or is it some other ability? There''s no way that dire badger would just stand by and wait for the bat to bleed him to death."


    Cha Ming stood up and dusted off his blue robes. "I wouldn''t have needed to do anything if you hadn''t poisoned it."


    "So you admit that you cheated?" the man said.


    "Is there a need to play these games?" Cha Ming retorted. The two stood at an awkward stalemate. Cha Ming waited for a few breaths before continuing. "I came to propose a trade. I''ll let you know about my ability, which is very useful for match rigging, and you will let me live and keep the two million. We''ll consider it a deposit for future business."


    The large man looked toward a smaller man seated beside him. "How do the numbers work out?"


    "If he can succeed 100% of the time, we can rake in an extra 50,000 high-grade spirit stones per day," an older man said. "It''s worth looking into. You know my cultivation eats up money like nobody''s business. As do both of yours, for that matter. However, I think that giving someone two million spirit stones up front is ludicrous and risky. We''d need a life-binding oath to facilitate an agreement."


    "What are your thoughts, my dear?" the large man said to a woman by his side.


    "I think he''s lying, my dear," she said with a voice that was soft as silk. "He can hide his soul fluctuations, so I can''t trust him. I also don''t like his eyes. I feel like he''s stripping me naked, and not in an enjoyable way."


    The woman was beautiful beyond all reason. Her long blue hair was soothing, like a trickling spring, while her soft white skin would put alabaster to shame. Like the large man, she, too, had a strong ochre coloring.


    The older man shrugged. "The financial risks of cooperation are high, while simply taking the two million from him along with all his possessions is an extremely profitable move. I''m all right with it either way."


    This older man''s ochre aura was tinged with gold, and he possessed the distinguished poise of a scholar. As far as Cha Ming could see, all three of them were initial core-formation experts. He didn''t regret his choice to call for backup just before entering.


    "Then it''s settled," the large man said. "I''ll take his strong body, while you''ll respectively take his money and his soul." He turned to Cha Ming. "Any last words, little mortal?"


    "I hope you like fireworks," Cha Ming said.


    They hadn''t noticed that nine golden globes had dropped from his robes and tumbled to the ground in front of them. Their intricate runic patterns lit up, and the single-use formations flooded the entire room with a blinding light. Then the window shattered. The explosive formation he''d laid out earlier finally burst. The three devils, who had been distracted by the combined assault of the nine least-grade blinding formations, were caught flat-footed by the sudden turn of events.


    Cha Ming slapped a Hardening Talisman and over a dozen myriad ice-shield talismans on his body as the aged golden man dashed toward him and struck him with a single fist. It tore through the many ice shields and caused him to fly back through five walls before being stopped by one of the pillars stabilizing the building.


    I''m all right, he sent to Huxian. Take out the water devil first.


    ***


    Feng Ming, who had been waiting patiently on the roof just above, summoned a fiery whip, which he fastened to a small chimney.


    Three, two, one, go!


    The blast destroyed the entire wall but stopped short at the roof. Feng Ming jumped off the building and swung in a short arc. Although a blinding light made it unclear who he would be striking, he thrust out with his strongest move: Ash Annihilation. It was an attack that consumed six tenths of his entire qi reserve.


    His blind fighting was rewarded with a shrieking howl. A beautiful woman with blue hair appeared before him; his spear had created a foot-wide hole just beneath her collar bone. She didn''t have a chance to send out the slightest attack before dissolving into a puddle of water. A rush of merit confirmed her demise.


    At the same time, a bird''s cry rang through the skies above. A vicious blade of wind slammed into the room, cutting half the men apart and slightly injuring the rest.


    "The cavalry has arrived!" a small voice yipped.


    A two-tailed fox, a small bird, and a tiny mouse appeared where the blade of wind had landed. The mighty Silverwing directed his attention to the large wood devil while the weaker two-tailed fox and Lei Jiang jointly attacked the gold devil in a burst of light, shadow, and iridescent lightning.


    Feng Ming quickly joined them and ignored the small fries escaping the shock waves of their battle. Someone else would handle them.


    ***


    Cha Ming woke with a splitting headache. He winced as he moved the various muscles in his body. Torn ligaments rapidly regenerated around his unharmed bones.


    "I never would have thought they''d have three core-formation cultivators in the same place," he muttered. He''d only seen a few dozen core-formation cultivators to date, and their increasing numbers made him realize he was just a frog in a well.


    Thirty-six green sigils appeared around Cha Ming. The combat formation solidified around him, causing his wounds to heal even faster. Meanwhile, he sent out his resplendent force and located twenty smaller targets. Thirty-six sigils formed a cloud around his feet while the thirty-six remaining Dao sigils glowed golden and formed a long needle. It quickly shot through a nearby cultivator, leaving only a tiny hole behind as evidence.


    Cha Ming slapped another three Myriad Ice Shield Talismans on his robe and followed up with a Sharp Talisman and a Quickening Talisman, which drastically increased his speed for thirty breaths. He rushed from room to room, swinging his Clear Sky Staff in a wide arc. It grew to twenty feet in length as Cha Ming struck out with all his strength. Plumes of fire and ice rained down on him, burning the exposed skin on his arms and face. The Clear Sky Staff, whose offensive powers were greatly boosted by the Sharp Talisman, cut through five men before returning to its normal length.


    The floors creaked as Cha Ming rushed toward his next target. He reduced his weight and jumped at another group of three. Dozens of blades shot up toward him. He quickly manipulated the gold needle to deflect them and swung out toward a body-cultivating devil. The large abomination grasped his Clear Sky Staff while the others closed in on him. Cha Ming swiftly increased his weight and smashed both his feet down onto the two other devilish cultivators, shattering their ribcages. The golden needle finished them before taking care of the one holding his staff.


    Seeing that he was fully healed, he retrieved his thirty-six Dao sigils and cast out a Mid-Grade Conflagration Combat Formation, which exploded around the next three targets and caused massive collateral damage to the building. He also threw out one Mid-Grade Conflagration Talisman after another, each of which struck supporting pillars in the building and caused it to collapse. The ceiling crushed down on the remaining cultivators in all three floors, leaving only the core-formation cultivators fighting in midair.


    The battle above was progressing smoothly, so he summoned thirty-six of his Dao sigils into an icy shield. Then he cleared away rubble using his Clear Sky Staff and exposed a camouflaged stairwell. At the bottom of the stairwell was a small wooden door covered in mysterious devilish runes he couldn''t understand. After a moment of hesitation, he pushed it open. It slammed shut behind him as he entered the basement, where dozens of cultivators were trapped. Their souls and vital energies were being syphoned off into strange devices.


    His blood boiled when he saw these humans being treated like cattle. In his rage, he walked forward and tripped a silver thread that lay across the entrance. A small click sounded, barely discernable, and a feeling of panic flared in him.


    ***


    "Quick, we need to use our consumption ability before it''s too late," a wood devil roared as the devouring pool beside him expanded by ten times.


    Feng Ming didn''t panic. Huxian''s devouring ability quickly grew to the same size and counterdevoured it, leaving the strengthened but still-pitiable devil to fight against the early-core-formation falcon. His entire body was covered in lacerations despite his insane regenerative abilities.


    While the others were fighting, Feng Ming sent his lucky aura out to support them. His spear strikes focused on defense and entanglement while Huxian''s impressive physical strength and Lei Jiang''s terrifying lightning strikes whittled down the gold devil''s body. Black runes lit up on the thinner devil, and as they appeared, a frightening power surged out from his body.


    "It won''t last long," Feng Ming said to the others. "The black runes are shrinking."


    Feng Ming observed the gold devil carefully as Huxian and Lei Jiang continued their assault. He popped a pill that rapidly regenerated his depleted qi as he waited for the right moment. Under the pressure of the strong, half-step core-formation demon beasts, the gold devil unwillingly twitched its hand in an involuntary tell.


    Now! Feng Ming shouted mentally.


    The gold devil, who had been biding its time earlier, burnt a quarter of its body as it struggled to escape its encirclement. Under Feng Ming''s direction, Huxian''s devouring and purifying power retreated and formed a bagua symbol around the golden man. Time stood still within the eight trigrams. Lei Jiang, who had been waiting for this very moment, unleashed nine-colored lightning from the exposed sky while Feng Ming struck out with yet another Ash Annihilation. Huxian''s spacetime trap broke down as the two techniques struck the golden devil within. It burst into gold dust as it was overwhelmed by their dual attack and its own self-ignition.


    The wood devil let out an angry roar as it transformed into a bundle of vines. "You think you can escape after the trouble you''ve caused?" it said. "You''re all doomed to die!"


    The vines wrapped around the three small animals and Feng Ming, who didn''t panic in the slightest.


    "It''ll be all right, guys," he said to the struggling demons. The earth shook as a large explosion came from beneath the building, sending large chunks of rock up toward their small group. "Just relax and move around a little," Feng Ming said. Boulders and shrapnel that should have struck them bounced off each other. The three panicking demon beasts looked on in awe as every last piece of rock that could have damaged them struck the large vines instead. After being propelled upward by the shock wave, they fell onto unusually soft ground that cushioned their fall.


    Powerful cultivators swarmed around them as they found their footing. Feng Ming spotted several generals and his father approaching from the surrounding alleyways.


    "You are under arrest for causing havoc in the city of Songjing," a nervous-looking captain yelled through a voice-amplifying device. "Stand down and surrender yourself for investigation, or we will be forced to use lethal countermeasures."


    Feng Ming calmly stowed his spear and put his hands behind his head. He knew the drill. Meanwhile, the three beasts ignored the forces surrounding them. They began digging like their life depended on it.


    "Just a second," Huxian yelled. "My boss is down there. I need to dig him up!"


    Feng Ming rolled his eyes as a large crater rapidly formed beneath the building''s remnants. Soon, it uncovered a thirty-foot, three-colored dome. The lights comprising the dome faded, revealing Cha Ming and eighty people who were little more than skin and bones.


    ***


    A half hour later, Cha Ming and his three companions lay shackled in four separate cells. They were to remain captive until the city guards completed their investigation and determined their level of responsibility in the entire debacle. Fortunately, half of the rescued captives were able to testify against their jailors. Regrettably, the other half had already lost significant portions of their souls and would remain in comas indefinitely.


    "How nice. You even have your own personal cell," Cha Ming said as he looked to Feng Ming''s velvet-draped accommodations.


    Feng Ming, who was sitting cross-legged, ignored him. Seeing that his friend''s aura was unstable, Cha Ming felt around with his resplendent force before his jaw slacked. After all they''d been through, Feng Ming was finally breaking through.


    ***


    As Feng Ming sat in meditation, he noticed a new rune in his spiritual sea. Like the other eight, it hummed with one of the runes on his qi pillars and caused them to grow while his qi sea thickened. The process was smooth and effortless. Meanwhile, the nine golden runes scrunched together like a crumpled sheet of golden paper.


    Feng Ming braced himself for his imminent breakthrough. The crumpled runes morphed and transformed before condensing into an entirely new rune. It was a jade rune, and it was the first of nine steps in cultivating the second volume of the Good Fortune Scripture, Lucky General.


    His earthen-fire foundation seas surged into his nine qi pillars, providing them with a final nourishment before their combination into a core. They grew unstable as they drank in the liquid qi, but with this instability came an opportunity for change.


    The nine pillars floated to the middle of his Dantian and aligned themselves perpendicularly to the center. Little by little, they melted into a reddish-brown substance that pooled into the singular point. Drop by drop, it accumulated in the center like a mass of molten lava. The nine runes which were previously imprinted on his pillars floated together and merged into the same jade symbol he had just condensed in his mental space.


    The rune''s appearance was followed by the appearance of a jade runic line. They covered the surface of the spherical blob and tightened around it like a net. Feng Ming shuddered as the lines compressed and condensed the liquid, causing it to shrink to one tenth of its original size. Then, it shrank once more for good measure. The only thing that remained was a tiny reddish-brown core that contained the entirety of the qi he''d accumulated in his lifetime. It was made of a solid that was much harder and more stable than his foundation pillars.


    He felt the qi of heaven and earth rush into the small core in his Dantian, nourishing it until it was filled with a thick mist. It was purer and more condensed than the viscous liquid that had previously occupied his qi seas. Feng Ming finally opened his eyes and gazed around they jail where he''d begun his cultivation. He unintentionally released his core-formation pressure, causing the many soldiers in their prison to collapse. He looked around to his devastated surroundings¡ªthe furniture in the prison had clearly not been built to withstand the might of a formation cultivator.


    "Sergeant Zhou?" Feng Ming said to one of the few remaining officers. The middle-foundation-establishment cultivator was shaking uncontrollably. "Please send a message to my father and inform him that I''ve broken through."

 154 Interlude - Ten Thousand and Eighty

    Gong Lan ascended the steps to the monastery with a calm and steady poise. She did not see visions, nor did she misjudge the number of steps. She saw things exactly as they were, a stark contrast to years ago when she had first arrived.


    Monks went about their daily chores in their orange kasayas. They dutifully fulfilled their mundane tasks like sweeping and fetching water. In the distance, she saw the Bodhi Tree. Dozens of cultivators, animals, and monks sat in meditation beneath its enormous branches. All creatures in the world could find peace within its shadow. Even an evil spirit could find enlightenment and reenter samsara.


    Many monks greeted her as she walked to the temple. She entered her teacher''s sanctum, where the man sat in meditation like he always did; she joined him in reciting mantras. The mantra of peace flowed naturally, calming her weary body and soul. They spoke this mantra 108 times before changing to a complementary mantra, which they recited with alternating rhythms. It was the mantra of cooperation.


    As they chanted, Gong Lan imagined the monks in the World Tree Monastery as they performed chores hand in hand and provided for everyone to the best of their ability. She then imagined the city life, where everyone did their own thing but somehow ended up serving others in some way or another. This too was cooperation, unintentional as it might be. However, within this fragile peace was competition.


    A merchant sold rice for a cheaper price than the others, angering the neighboring businessmen. They argued and fought until one of them was run out of town. Elsewhere, a person with better skills was hired while another was fired. To feed his family, the older man became a beggar and eventually resorted to theft.


    Theft ran rampant throughout the city, and before long, the thefts turned to robberies. Murders followed. The family members of the victims, in their mourning, took up arms against the perpetrators and hunted them down. The images disappeared, and Gong Lan was shocked to discover that they were now reciting the Mantra of Retribution. It reminded her of the concept of righteous indignation, which fueled her Buddhist powers and strengthened them in her fight against evil spirits. It was at odds with the Buddhist path yet somehow existed within it. It was a point that confused her and caused her much anguish.


    The chanting stopped, and the older monk sighed. "My time in this world is drawing to a close, Gong Lan," he said softly. "Today, my body will die, and my soul will move on."


    The news was shocking and unexpected. "Surely you jest, Master Zhen," she said. "Don''t core-formation cultivators live for five hundred years? You are barely three hundred and have two centuries of life ahead of you."


    The man chuckled. "Five hundred years is the maximum allowable by the heavens for a human body in a mortal realm. Unfortunately, my body and soul were both wounded many years ago. It is only with the Bodhi Tree''s help that I''ve managed to live until now."


    Gong Lan frowned but remained silent.


    The older man sighed once more. "Before I pass on, however, I have some unfinished business I must leave to you."


    "Please instruct me, Master," Gong Lan said respectfully.


    "I once had a student named Sibi," Master Zhen said. "He was my brightest student, the kind that only appeared every thousand years. His skill in mantras was unparalleled, and he had reached a higher realm in Buddhist techniques in ten years than I had in ninety. He was the perfect successor.


    "One hundred and sixty years ago, we explored an emperor''s tomb to exorcise evil spirits. Together, we braved many dangers and eventually arrived at the Song Emperor''s Seal of Pure Jade, only to discover that it was too late. The corruption had seeped deep within the seal, and the nation''s destiny was almost entirely corrupted.


    "I told Sibi that it was best to seek out the old master and have him unfetter the seal." He shook his head. "The boy was young and brash. He decided to brave the corruption himself, and I couldn''t react in time to stop him. In the end, he failed. He became an evil spirit, and we fought. I managed to destroy his body but not his soul.


    "What became of him?" Gong Lan asked. A mere evil spirit should have been easy to exterminate for a powerful Buddhist monk like Master Zhen.


    "I couldn''t capture him due to my injuries," Master Zhen said. "I hunted him across the continent and encountered him three times. He used his corrupted Buddhist methods to evade me time and time again. After fifty years, I could no longer find him. Yet I know that he still lurks in the shadows. Once he senses I have died, he will surely try to finish what he started. He will accelerate the corruption of the Song Empire and use this to achieve a higher realm. He must be stopped, but now that my time has come to an end, this duty falls to you."


    The old monk stood up. He didn''t seem feeble in the least, and his nimble movements made Gong Lan doubt his condition. He walked over to the golden statue of Buddha in the room, which held a large rosary in one hand. He lifted it off and reverently walked back to Gong Lan.


    "This is the 10,080 rosary of our monastery," Master Zhen said, emotion filling his eyes. "I had originally meant to pass it on to Sibi, but now I will pass it on to you. Should you accept this duty, you must remain leader of the convent until you find a successor. You must protect these lands against evil, and above all else, you must protect the Bodhi Tree from their influence."


    Gong Lan''s eyes teared up. She bowed deeply to her master, who had shown her nothing but kindness in her darkest days. "I accept. In this lifetime, I will bring Sibi to justice. I will protect the Bodhi Tree, and I will find a successor for the monastery."


    A warm sensation filled her as the rosary was placed around her neck. It was coiled multiple times¡ªuncoiled, it would easily reach the floor and back several times. She looked up to see her master glowing with a golden light.


    "The 10,080 rosary is blessed by all previous masters who have passed away in this mortal plane," Master Zhen said with gentle smile on his face. "My teacher left a mark on this rosary, and I will now join him in helping you carry out your mission. Before I go, I only have one last word of advice: Trust and believe in yourself. The Bodhi Tree will guide you as he has guided me all this time." He glanced at the small seed that floated above her shoulder and nodded.


    Master Zhen''s golden glow intensified, and then his body disintegrated, leaving behind a white soul and 10,080 golden motes of light. Each golden speck floated to one of the 10,080 pearls of the golden rosary and merged with it. The golden sheen on it brightened ever so slightly. As Gong Lan grasped the rosary, she felt the warm presence of her master and the combined resolve of over five hundred senior monks. Her master''s white soul smiled and was quickly whisked away by the illusion of a yellow river.


    Gong Lan wiped away her tears and turned to the bodhi seed with a determined expression. "Where do we go next?"


    "To get reinforcements," the seed said. "Our past failure has highlighted the futility of going to such a place alone. It is important to purify the corruption, but it is far more important to preserve your life. It is worth far more than you know."

 155 The Kings Condition

    "A promotion to general?" Prince Tian yelled as he smashed a small table across the room. "After causing such a ruckus in the city, he gets a slap on the wrist and a promotion?" A large vein on his forehead was bulging as he vented his frustration.


    "The investigation has already shown that he was not at fault," Feng Chuan said calmly. "At most, he caused some chaos in the city that reflects badly on the military. However, his rescue of the civilians has more than made up for this small loss of face. More to the point, it''s a strict military rule that any officer who achieves core formation will be promoted to general, regardless of his achievements. While this has only occurred half a dozen times in the past hundred years, it is a rule that has been in place since the inception of the Song Empire that came before us."


    "Of course, Marshal Feng," Prince Tian said as he regained his composure. "You must pardon me. I was just upset about his recent activities that cleaned out several years of profits from some casinos I own."


    "To be fair, it''s your own fault for engaging in such risky ventures," Feng Chuan said. "The person I really pity is whoever was behind that human trafficking scheme. From the investigation, we''ve determined that the same man owns the underground arena, and he recently suffered a loss of two million high-grade spirit stones. That''s got to sting."


    Feng Chuan noticed a slight twitch on the crown prince''s face. The jab was a probe¡ªhe had strong grounds to believe that Prince Tian was the owner of the establishment.


    "You''re right," Prince Tian said with a chuckle. "There''s always someone in a worse position. Many thanks for reminding me. Since Colonel Feng has reached core formation, please gift him with a red-and-gold cloak and handle his promotion immediately."


    "Good," Feng Chuan said. "Now that the small things have been taken care of, there''s something we need to discuss. The troop movements you''ve arranged recently have been¡­ worrisome."


    "How so?" Prince Tian said.


    "I''ve noticed that they cross all the supply routes in the kingdom," Feng Chuan said. "Meanwhile, we''ve been receiving many complaints of intercepted cargoes and confiscated goods. Most of these complaints come from either neutral members or members from your brother''s faction."


    Prince Tian shrugged. "If there''s something wrong with their shipments, there''s something wrong with their shipments. I''m not my brother''s keeper; I can''t control how he conducts his business."


    "I''ve been through a succession before, and you''re not doing anything I haven''t seen," Feng Chuan said. "However, the economics of a kingdom are in a precarious state. Whatever you do, you must not jeopardize the stability of the nation."


    "I thank Marshal Feng for his kind words of advice," Prince Tian said. "Now if you''ll excuse me, I have much work to do."


    ***


    "It''s not good to keep him around the city," Zhou Li said shortly after Marshal Feng left.


    "I know that, but I''d like to avoid fighting against him if I can avoid it," Prince Tian said. "He has way too much military and political clout. It''s best to keep him on my side, if possible."


    "Not him," Zhou Li said. "His son. General Feng is a wildcard, a variable that has the potential to destroy all our plans. A conflict with Marshal Feng is the least of your worries."


    Prince Tian massaged his brow. "Let''s keep him around for a while longer. I''d need a very good reason to chase him out. His father is extremely overprotective, and he might even rebel if I push him too far." He sighed. "I don''t know what my father was thinking, keeping such a strong adversary within his borders."


    "Marshal Feng fought many battles alongside His Majesty," Zhou Li said. "They trusted each other like brothers. It''s only natural that he supported the brother who helped him solidify his crumbling kingdom."


    The prince nodded and turned his attention to a thick pile of papers on his desk. "It''s getting late, and I have a mountain of paperwork to take care of."


    Zhou Li nodded and walked toward the door. "You know, my sister is excellent in performing clerical duties such as these. It wouldn''t kill you to use her when you''re overwhelmed." The door closed shut, leaving only the crown prince in his study.


    "Like I''ll ever trust that snake," Prince Tian muttered.


    ***


    Cha Ming was waiting in a lobby with Wang Jun when footsteps interrupted their conversation. A young man in green-and-gold robes approached them. The third prince looked amiable and approachable but lacked the powerful demeanor of his older brother.


    "Please follow me inside," the third prince said. "My name is Song Lei, and I''m happy to finally meet you."


    "The pleasure is all mine," Cha Ming replied as they entered his study. It was filled with beautiful paintings and a welcoming fireplace. The room smelled like smoky oak and aged wine.


    "Would you like anything to drink?" Prince Lei asked.


    "Tea would be nice," Cha Ming said.


    "I see you''ve taken up our mutual friend''s habit," Prince Lei said as he brought a gilded green tea set from a cupboard to the marble table. He glanced at a timepiece before pouring them each a cup. "We still have some time before my sister leaves my father''s side. Why don''t you ask me some questions? Brother Wang has told me there are some things troubling you that I might be able to address."


    Cha Ming glanced at Wang Jun, who nodded. "I''m definitely troubled by the matter of the succession war. If I might be so blunt, why are you fighting with your elder brother for the throne? I have my reasons for helping you, but it would reassure me to know your own reasons."


    Prince Lei chuckled. "Until a few years ago, I would have gladly let him take the throne. Such a duty is tiring and thankless¡ªno one truly knows the troubles of a monarch."


    "What sort of earth-shattering news changed your mind?" Cha Ming asked.


    Prince Lei sighed and poured them another cup. "Many people would kill you for knowing such a story, so please don''t share it with others."


    "My lips are sealed," Cha Ming said.


    "The crown prince, Song Tian, was born thirty-six years ago," Prince Lei said. "That same year, my second brother, Song Chuan, was born from a concubine in the king''s harem. He was named after Marshal Feng in honor of his illustrious military service. The two brothers were close in their childhood. That is, until it became apparent that Song Chuan was far more talented than his brother Tian.


    "Not only was Chuan more intelligent, courageous, and benevolent, he also excelled in any topic you could think of. Archery, swordplay, politics, and commerce¡ªhe only had strong points and no weaknesses. He was a veritable genius. Tian, on the other hand, worked harder than any prince in history. He was ruthless to everyone, including himself.


    "Upon reaching sixteen years of age, their cultivation talents were evaluated. Both Tian and Chuan were identified as cultivation geniuses. However, Chuan was ultimately appointed as crown prince due to his diverse skillset and outstanding temperament. From then on, they were kept separate and groomed for different paths. All this was done to prevent them from killing each other and vying for the throne.


    "Therefore, no one suspected a thing when Prince Chuan was killed in the line of duty during their traditional military assignment. He and Tian were both posted in different regiments. They were also low in the military hierarchy, so it was deemed impossible that Tian could have gathered sufficient influence to orchestrate his brother''s demise."


    Prince Lei sighed and poured them another cup. He also pushed a bowl of what looked like a cross between nuts and figs of a magical nature. Thick heaven and earth energy surrounded each of the odd fruits, which Cha Ming nibbled on curiously.


    "The incident was forgotten, and Tian became the new crown prince," Prince Lei continued. "I had been born when he was fourteen, and my fourth brother and fifth sister were born one year after that¡ªfraternal twins. Song Tian was very close to the them. He always spent much time with them and lavished them with gifts. I was the odd one out¡ªI always argued with my brother, so he never paid much attention to me."


    Prince Lei sighed. "One day, a dreadful explosion occurred in the palace. Tian rushed into the smoldering wreck that was the room shared by the twins and discovered my little sister, Song Guo. He saved Guo Guo and looked for Wudi. He never found him, but he returned with severely burned hands. The court physicians healed his right hand, but he refused to remove the scars from the left."


    Cha Ming frowned as he sipped his green tea. "It sounds like your brother is worthy of respect and cares very much for his family. I assume there is more to this story than meets the eye."


    Prince Lei nodded. "Five years ago, a senior minister lay dying. He had served the country faithfully for fifty years. One by one, people filed into his room to pay their respects. As a prince of the Song Kingdom, I did the same.


    "When I stood at his feet, he burst into tears and asked me to come close, so he could share his life''s greatest regret. He told the story of how, twenty-four years ago, he was advised by the late court oracle that Prince Tian was the only suitable ruler for the Song Kingdom, and that he should support him wholeheartedly. He contacted the then-twelve-year-old prince, who was very eager for the additional support.


    "The prince mostly requested introductions in military circles. After all, he was bound to serve there for his princely duties. Connections would pave him a smooth path for advancement within the army. It was only once the prince reached eighteen years of age, and Prince Chuan was murdered, that the minister realized the consequences of his actions. Most of the kingdom thought it was impossible for Prince Tian to engineer Prince Chuan''s death. The minister thought otherwise.


    "He spent the next three years poring over military documents and gathering information before concluding that Prince Tian was responsible for Prince Chuan''s death. The discovery shook him to his very core, and his health began to decline. He continued to serve the kingdom, but one thing still bothered him: Was it just the second prince, or was the fourth prince also a victim of Prince Tian''s machinations?


    "He searched for the answer for the next decade before halting his investigation. Desperate to discover the truth, he consulted with the Obsidian Syndicate."


    Cha Ming hissed between his teeth when he heard the familiar name.


    "He discovered that, a decade prior, a twice-removed subordinate of the crown prince had hired the Obsidian Syndicate to assassinate the fourth prince. But he had not purchased anonymity. The minister speculated that they were assassinated since his own mother had fallen out of favor in the harem, and the king''s new favorite was the fourth prince and the princess''s mother."


    Prince Lei sighed. "This story of a man on his deathbed wasn''t enough to warrant my change of heart. People can talk and instigate, and even a dying man''s words can''t be trusted. It could have been a plot to upset the stability of the kingdom. Therefore I retrieved the information the man entrusted to me and began my own investigation. What I discovered shocked me.


    "Out of seventy-nine men the minister had originally introduced my brother to, sixty-three had already died, and sixteen had left the military. Of those sixteen, seven of them had joined rebel factions that caused unrest in the kingdom. I spent almost all my savings and assets to validate the information. I bought information from four different companies, and I even purchased information from the Obsidian Syndicate. I spent extra to guarantee the information wasn''t tampered with by a third party. The information was delivered under the life oath of a junior partner.


    "I was financially destitute by the time I confirmed everything, but the truth was unsettling. The brother I admired so deeply had caused the death of two of my siblings. I couldn''t live under the same sky as him anymore. That is why I have been contesting the throne, despite the upheaval I have caused in the process."


    Cha Ming, unsure of what to say, could only shake his head in sorrow. He wondered what he would do in a similar situation. Would he drive the kingdom in a civil war and vie for the throne, or would he let his brother take over to preserve peace in the kingdom? Assassinating the crown prince, while the most direct approach, would leave the kingdom heirless.


    An incense time passed before Wang Jun cleared his throat. "It''s time," he said.


    A shadowy door appeared in the room. Wang Jun led the three of them through a shadowy corridor, which led them to a second door. It opened into a large bedroom, where they saw an old man lying in a silk-draped bed. Cha Ming noticed many basic medical instruments. They were all low level, the type that Li Yin would use to treat villagers. Cha Ming was perplexed.


    Why would a spirit doctor need to use such mundane items to treat a king?


    He peered at the king''s body, which was little more than a desiccated husk. Brown blotches covered his yellowish skin, and little hair was left on his head. He was unconscious and barely breathing.


    "How long has he been like this?" Cha Ming asked.


    "Ever since the contest ended," Prince Lei replied. "He had been ill for quite some time, but it came as a surprise when he suddenly collapsed. He hasn''t woken since."


    Cha Ming nodded. "May I please touch your royal father?"


    Seeing Prince Lei nod, Cha Ming walked up to the aged man. Just before reaching him, an unseen pressure stopped his movements.


    "Who is this?" a voice said from above.


    "This is Master Du, a dual formation and talisman master," Prince Lei replied. "I brought him to get a second opinion."


    "There has already been a second opinion, and even a third," the voice said.


    "Then a fourth or fifth won''t hurt," Prince Lei replied.


    The room was quiet for a moment before the figure spoke up once more. "Fine. But if he does anything slightly suspicious, I''ll take his head."


    The pressure on Cha Ming''s body disappeared, but his sensitive resplendent force concluded he was still being closely monitored.


    Cha Ming approached the king and touched his wrist. He sent his resplendent force into the man''s body. "Pulse is weak," he muttered. "Breath shallow. Blood pollution high. Kidneys failing. Liver failing." He frowned. "Despite all these things, everything seems normal. Bone age indicates 160 years of age, still young for a core-formation cultivator." He looked to the third prince. "His condition is completely incongruent with expectations. There should be something wrong with him for such severe symptoms to appear. What has the chief physician said?"


    "He said it makes no sense, of course," the Prince Lei said helplessly. "He and his colleagues have tried all methods at their disposal. They even invited an expert from the Quicksilver Empire for a hefty sum. They consulted with alchemists because they suspected poisoning, but they were unable to conclude anything."


    Cha Ming frowned. He threw out thirty-six blue and green flags around the king''s bed. Then he withdrew his Clear Sky Brush and painted blue and green runic lines to link the flags. They glowed brightly as the ink activated and displayed their inscribed formations.


    Seeing that the formation required more energy, Cha Ming withdrew five hundred mid-grade spirit stones, which crumbled to dust. A green and blue haze filled the area immediately surrounding the king''s bed. Cha Ming guided the formation, which amplified his spiritual force and granted him the power to apply healing runes to anyone within its boundaries.


    Where to start? Cha Ming thought. His blood toxicity is the greatest threat, so the kidneys should be a primary focus.


    Cha Ming''s consciousness traveled to the kidneys, which were barely functioning. He used the formation to channel a large amount of healing qi in a precise fashion. It formed runes of healing that rushed toward key points in the organ. But the moment the runes contacted it, they crumbled and dimmed. The healing energy that should have treated the malfunctioning kidney disappeared as though being sucked inside a black hole. Cha Ming frowned and tried again, but to no avail.


    Seeing this strange situation, Cha Ming looked to the Dantian, where he saw a small core. However, the core was dim; it exchanged no energy with the remainder of the body. Therefore Cha Ming inserted the purest creation qi inside the man''s Dantian. It was violently sucked inside the dim core, which didn''t change in the slightest.


    Cha Ming''s expression turned grim. He probed the man''s heart, liver, and other organs in turn. He probed the man''s bone marrow as well. Each piece of his body caused the healing runes to disintegrate on contact.


    "You said the investigation didn''t detect poison?" Cha Ming asked the third prince.


    "Nothing traditional and nothing alchemical, according to the alchemists," Prince Lei said.


    "Wang Jun," Cha Ming said, "did you try reading his story?"


    "I can''t," Wang Jun said helplessly. "He doesn''t respond to fate qi. Which is curious given that fate qi is impervious to most tampering. I scoured the information networks and the alchemist workshops for an explanation, but to no avail."


    "Hm¡­" Cha Ming examined the king once more. This time, he activated his Eyes of Pure Jade.


    Nothing. Then, to be thorough, he activated his Demon-Subduing Eyes. He felt drained as he activated both eye techniques simultaneously. His gray surroundings instantly lit up with a faint purple light.


    "What in the world," he whispered.


    "What did you find?" Prince Lei asked anxiously. Cha Ming held his hand up and probed the king''s body once more with his resplendent force. He noticed the tissues in the king''s body were suffused with a dull purple glow.


    "I found something, but I need to confirm it with my contracted beast," Cha Ming explained. "I possess an eye technique that can detect demonic energies, and they happen to be present on your royal father''s body. However, I know next to nothing about demons."


    Meanwhile, he reached out to Huxian. I need your help, brother. How soon can you get here?


    I just remembered a transportation technique, so it won''t take long, Huxian replied. Just say the word.


    "May I please invite him over?" Cha Ming said to Prince Lei. The young man hesitated for a while before giving his permission.


    Cha Ming sent a message to Huxian, and to his surprise, his shadow began to grow. Wang Jun looked on with interest as Cha Ming''s shadow transformed to that of a many-tailed beast. Prince Lei gasped. A two-foot-long black-and-white fox suddenly jumped out of the shadow.


    "Man, that was fun," Huxian said. "Can I do it again?"


    "This might not be the best time," Cha Ming said while massaging his temple. "Can you please activate your Demon-Subduing Eyes and examine the king? There is something wrong with him.


    "Sounds good!" Huxian said excitedly. The little fox had been bored out of his mind since they had arrived inside the city. He hopped into Cha Ming''s outstretched arms, and they walked closer to the king, the purple ring around both Cha Ming and Huxian''s jade irises glowed brightly.


    "Oh. Oh. This is bad," Huxian said.


    "It''s of demonic origin, right?" Cha Ming asked Huxian. They spoke openly to avoid any suspicion.


    "Yes, and if my guess is correct, it''s a venom of some kind," Huxian said. "The venom has permeated his flesh. What are the symptoms?"


    "His body is failing," Cha Ming said. "Any qi used to treat his body disintegrates on contact."


    The small fox pondered for a moment before shaking his head. "I''m not sure which beast''s venom it is, but it''s definitely a snake. I suggest we bring back a sample of blood back to the geomantic boa."


    Cha Ming turned to the third prince.


    "This¡­" Prince Lei said. "The physicians often need to draw blood. However, since my father''s body does not heal properly, it is always drawn from the same place on his arm." The prince walked over to the bed and pulled the king''s frail arm from under the blanket. It was tightly wrapped in white bandages stained with blood, which dripped from the king''s exposed arm as soon as the prince unwrapped the bandages.


    "Be quick about it," Prince Lei said.


    Cha Ming withdrew a jade bottle and directed the blood into it. Once it was full, he used his spiritual force to temporarily stem the bleeding and rewrapped the bandage the same way as before.


    "I will leave for the Silverwing Mountain Range tonight to inquire about the venom," Cha Ming said to the third prince. "Huxian is a sovereign of the mountain range and will request the aid of another sovereign who specializes in such matters. In addition, I know someone who can heal people without using qi or traditional spirit-doctor methods. Perhaps he can buy us time."


    "Many thanks for all your efforts," Prince Lei said. "I only have one father. Please save him."

 156 Foreign Aid

    A black door opened inside the Jade Bamboo Auction House. Despite the late hour, Wang Jun''s staff was still hard at work.


    "It looks like you''ll have another sleepless night," Cha Ming said when he saw the papers stacked on his friend''s desk.


    "It never ends," Wang Jun said, shrugging. He passed the desk and retrieved a folder from his cabinet. After leafing through a few pages, he pulled out a small bundle and handed it to Cha Ming. "I need you to deliver these papers to the Alchemists Association in Quicksilver. I''ve obtained permission to set up a competing branch guild in the Song Kingdom due to their lack of performance. I''d like to request Quicksilver''s help in establishing this branch."


    "Won''t Quicksilver be uncooperative, given our past experience with them?" Cha Ming said as he stowed away the envelope.


    Wang Jun shook his head. "Things change quickly in the business world. It wasn''t wise for Wang Chen to antagonize a powerful transcendent being. The connections Lu Tianhao established in his lifetime couldn''t be fathomed by a mere branch manager like him. There should be no problems with the branch under new management."


    Cha Ming whistled through his teeth in amazement. "What a quick response. No wonder Teacher Tianhao told me not to worry about it."


    "Wang Bing is the new manager there," Wang Jun said. "Fortunately for her, she was quite neutral in the whole affair, and punishing her would have been a huge loss to the family. You''ll find her quite helpful should you need anything."


    Cha Ming pondered for a bit. "While I''m at it, the Talisman Artist Guild here is in deplorable condition. I''ll ask the branch leader in Quicksilver if anyone is interested in taking it over. There must be at someone with ambition in Quicksilver."


    "Do what you can, but don''t waste time," Wang Jun said. "The Song Kingdom is considered a backwater location with no potential. People prefer to stay near their homes whenever possible."


    "It doesn''t hurt to ask," Cha Ming said before leaving Wang Jun''s office.


    He quickly exited the city with Huxian in tow. The guards at the gate were already familiar with him, so they didn''t cause any trouble. "Are you sure this will be all right?" Cha Ming asked Huxian after they were a thousand feet out.


    "It should be fine," Huxian said. "Silverwing, can you come out for a bit?" One of his two tails glowed before a small bird flew out from another dimension.


    "What are you bothering this sovereign for?" Silverwing said. "It''s not polite to wake a napping bird."


    "It''s not polite, but we were left with no other options," Huxian replied. "Lives are at stake, and we need to get to the Silverwing Mountain Range as quickly as possible."


    "What does that have to do with me?" the Silverwing asked them suspiciously. Then, noticing Huxian''s pleading expression, he rolled his eyes. "You know that it''s demeaning for this sovereign to serve as a mount."


    Huxian''s eyes began to water when he heard this response. "I see¡­ Yes, you''re right. That''s fine. You can go back now."


    The bird ruffled his feathers. "You''re not going to ask again?"


    "No, you''re completely right," Huxian said. "My brother and I will run as swiftly as we can. I just hope we''re not too late. However, it''s much better than inconveniencing a mighty bird like yourself."


    "It''s really not that inconvenient¡­" Silverwing said hesitantly. "But I don''t want to be seen with a human on my back. Even a nice one like your brother. I would lose a lot of face among the sovereigns."


    Huxian''s ears perked up. "You mean it''s fine as long as no one sees? No problem! Come on, let me see your biggest form!"


    The silver falcon rolled his eyes before growing to a wingspan of eighty feet.


    "I''m a small bird, so this is as big as I get," Silverwing said. Then he glared at Cha Ming. "Don''t you dare ruin my beautiful feathers."


    Cha Ming hopped onto his back while Huxian jumped onto his head.


    "I''ve been wanting to fly for ages!" Huxian said. "But Brother Silverwing is always napping."


    "Be nice to him," Cha Ming said as he shifted on the bird''s back. The metallic feathers were extremely uncomfortable. A stray feather bit deep into his flesh as he moved.


    Silverwing cleared his throat, and on cue, Huxian spewed out a cloud of darkness. It spanned two hundred feet and appeared like a gray storm cloud. Despite its outer appearance, they could see perfectly well from the inside. "Are you sure we won''t be seen?" Silverwing asked.


    "Absolutely sure," Huxian assured him.


    "Then hold on tight!" Silverwing said. He flapped his wings once, instantly bringing them thousands of feet into the air. He flapped them a second time, propelling them a few thousand feet toward the Silverwing Mountain Range.


    Cha Ming screamed as they accelerated. His hands bled as he grabbed fistfuls of metallic feathers to prevent himself from falling.


    "Sorry about that," Silverwing said, creating a bubble of wind qi around Cha Ming. Several strands of wind also materialized and lashed Cha Ming onto the large bird. "I''ve never carried anyone around before, so I never bothered to look into any of these basic techniques."


    Huxian was in a very sorry state. His paws weren''t bleeding, but he''d slipped down from Silverwing''s head and was now gripping his neck tightly. His fur was in disarray, and his tails were flapping uncontrollably behind him.


    "Are you all right?" Cha Ming yelled to the small fox.


    "Better than ever!" Huxian yelled. "This is the way I like it. I love the feeling of the wind on my fur!"


    Silverwing flapped once more, almost throwing him off. Cha Ming could feel emotions of misery and determination through their soul link. He could tell exactly what was going through Huxian''s mind¡ªhe would rather die than lose face to Silverwing.


    Cha Ming chuckled as he saw Silverwing grin. The large bird dove down toward the land below, causing the antlike people and animals to grow at a rapid pace. Now that he didn''t need to worry about holding on, Cha Ming felt at ease as they flew beneath the clear sky. He relished the freedom and the open scenery. Instead of just seeing the edge of forests, he could see it blanket over the entire continent. Instead of seeing a dozen fields in the distance, he could see the entire agricultural area of the Song Kingdom.


    As they flew toward the Silverwing Mountain Range, Cha Ming looked back toward Green Leaf City. It had been so long since he''d visited that small dot in the distance. Would he ever get a chance to return in the future?


    ***


    It only took three hours for them to arrive at the edge of the mountains. Huxian crawled off the mighty falcon looking thoroughly defeated after the harrowing experience. He dispelled the cloud of darkness before collapsing onto the grassy ground.


    "How was it?" Cha Ming asked. "Was it just like you''d hoped?"


    "That and more," Huxian said, his voice filled with pain. He was covered in cuts, and his fur was sheared in many places. Instead of going for a leisurely flight, an external observer might think he''d fought a vicious life-and-death battle. Fortunately, he was a half-step core-formation Godbeast. His wounds regenerated within an incense time, after which he strutted around proud as a peacock.


    "Did you see how this sovereign flew through the clouds?" he asked Silverwing. "Did you see how I didn''t need your help to stay mounted? I''m a natural flyer, a king of the skies."


    "Oh? You want me to fly at my top speed next time, then?" Silverwing asked innocently.


    "Perhaps it''s best that you don''t," Huxian said. "For Cha Ming''s sake. Even with your protection, he wouldn''t be able to hold on."


    "Right." Cha Ming coughed. "For my sake." Both he and Silverwing exchanged a meaningful glance.


    They walked to the jade boundary that separated the mountain range from the Song Kingdom. Cha Ming touched it with his hand, and it responded to its master by forming a door covered in runic lines. Cha Ming, Huxian, and Silverwing walked through together. Lei Jiang appeared out of thin air and bolted out toward a faraway mountain once they crossed the transparent shield.


    "He''s was very bored in the city," Huxian said. "He didn''t like Elder Bai''s cat, and I told him he couldn''t steal cheese from the mousetraps. Then I had to ground him when he tried to set traps for the local cultivators."


    Cha Ming chuckled. They walked at a leisurely pace toward Huxian''s old mountain, where the geomantic boa resided. A multitude of venomous creatures watched them, and poison-related herbs grew out of every nook and cranny. The forest leading to the peak seemed to span endlessly.


    As they walked, a swallow flew past them and rushed into a nearby tree. A snake slithered between their feet as they passed a tiny hole in a rocky mound. One thousand feet turned to three thousand, and three thousand turned to ten thousand. It wasn''t long before they arrived near a peculiar tree. A swallow flew past them and rushed into it. As if to highlight the peculiarity, a snake slithered through their feet and entered a tiny hole in a rocky mound.


    Cha Ming sighed as he activated his Demon-Subduing Eyes. Intricate purple lines displayed clever runic patterns. He activated his resplendent force and probed around his surroundings. He quickly uncovered several formations under their combined inspection.


    "Geomantic Monarch," he shouted, "would you like to dispel your formation, or would you like me to break it?"


    His question was answered by the gentle chirping of a tiny bird. Hearing no reply, he quickly sent out thirty-six sigils to a nearby formation eye, which rapidly broke under their onslaught. Its destruction restored a bit of reality to their illusory surroundings.


    Their group continued forward at a leisurely pace. Whenever they saw a formation eye, Cha Ming broke it. Whenever they encountered beasts, both Huxian and Silverwing scared them away. Little by little, the mountain''s illusion was disrupted. It wasn''t long before they arrived at a barren peak.


    "Who dares intrude on this monarch''s mountain?" a voice said from the mountain itself. They suddenly noticed that a gigantic serpent was coiled around it. Its body surely measured several miles in length.


    Cha Ming sighed. "Would you like to dispel your own illusory formation, or would you like me to do it?"


    The boa''s eyes narrowed. "Whatever do you mean?" Its aura was fierce and imposing, and its gaze mesmerizing. If not for his Demon-Subduing Eyes, Cha Ming would have been fooled by it.


    "Have it your way," he said, sending out thirty-six sigils to key points on the mountain. His qi manifested runic lines, and the illusion shattered like a pane of glass. A forty-foot snake appeared where the giant one once stood, looking shaken and embarrassed.


    "Where''s your mother?" Huxian said, trotting up to the snake. "Does she know what mischief you''ve been up to?" The small snake trembled in fear but didn''t dare move as Huxian walked toward him. The small fox grew with every step until he was eighty feet long.


    "M-m-mother should be near the center of the mountain range," the small snake said. "Please don''t hurt me, Sovereign Two Tails!"


    "Right, near the center of the mountain range," Huxian said. "That makes sense. It''s too bad I''m so hungry. Oh, wait, I have an idea! Why don''t we feast on roast snake before she arrives?"


    Silverwing flapped his wings in anticipation as the fox summoned a plume of fire using Cha Ming''s qi. He bound the small snake in shackles of darkness and held him above the open flame.


    "Mother!" the little snake yelled. A loud snort extinguished the flame as a large snake appeared. It was coiled around the mountain and hidden from even Cha Ming''s superior vision.


    "How did you know I was here?" the geomantic boa slithered.


    "A good guess," Huxian said nonchalantly.


    "You aren''t the type to let your children roam unsupervised," Cha Ming added. He deactivated his Demon-Subduing Eyes and wiped a trickle of blood from the corner of his eyes. His blurry vision focused as the taxing technique returned to its passive state.


    The giant snake nodded. "This is true. They are my three purest offspring, and I never let them out of my sight. Now tell me, what is your purpose here? It isn''t yet time to trade."


    Cha Ming flicked out a jade vial full of blood. "This blood is contaminated with a poison. Huxian swears it''s a snake venom. I was hoping you could identify it."


    "And why should I do that?" the snake said. "I care not for the plight of poisoned humans."


    Cha Min shrugged. "You don''t have to do anything, but it is truly in your best interest to treat the man. He is the king of the Song Kingdom, and he is dying. Delaying his death will have a huge impact on the battle for succession."


    "And the battle for the throne matters to me because¡­?" the boa said.


    "The three signatories on the contract are the third prince, a minister, and my friend Wang Jun. The crown prince will likely have the third prince killed if he takes over the throne¡ªwhich he likely will if the king dies as planned. The crown prince also hates Wang Jun. That means the treaty will be at risk if the crown prince, especially since he is willing to sacrifice a single minister''s life. Wouldn''t it be better to have the signatory take over the throne?"


    The snake frowned. "That means you tricked us."


    "Not at all," Cha Ming said. "Politics shift all the time. It just so happens that the king was poisoned after the treaty was signed. Like it or not, we''re in the same boat."


    The snaked snorted and willed the bottle over. It shattered, and the liquid inside separated into two substances¡ªone small purple drop and one red blob. The snake directed a mass of demonic qi into the small purple blob. It immediately disintegrated on contact. As though expecting this development, the geomantic boa hissed. Hundreds of drops of venom flew out from its fangs. The purple drop split into hundreds of parts and flew into the other small drops. Two hundred drops instantly disintegrated while fifty or so took a little longer to evaporate. Only five venoms managed to coexist for a short while before eventually dissipating.


    "This is a fourth-grade venom," the boa slithered. "And if my guess is correct, it''s qi-binding venom, a rare innate venom obtained from a qi-binding serpent. It will destroy any qi it encounters, and it will seep into the flesh and blood of living organisms. While it won''t waste a person''s cultivation, it will render them incapable of cultivating. The same applies to demonic qi."


    "Is there a cure?" Cha Ming said.


    The boa shook its head. "Not that I''m aware of. The snake is extremely rare. There are perhaps two or three on the entire continent. They don''t reproduce by normal means, and they are reclusive and antisocial." A cunning gleam appeared in its eyes. "However, given enough time, I might be able to duplicate it so that it can be studied. That is, if I could obtain the complete geomantic python inheritance from Lord Two Tails."


    The small fox bared its teeth. "Even if I had it, aren''t you asking for a bit much? These secrets are heavily guarded by the Geomantic Python Clan. Change your request."


    "It''s not that I don''t want to, it''s that I''m truly helpless," the Geomantic Monarch said, moaning like a wounded animal. "I need a higher-tier venom-manufacturing technique to reproduce it."


    "Do you think the geomantic python inheritance is a venom technique I can casually toss out?" Huxian said.


    "I''ll have it, or I''m not budging," the Geomantic Monarch said indignantly.


    "Cha Ming, help me teach this snake a lesson," Huxian said.


    Cha Ming rolled his eyes. He held out his hand and manipulated the Silverwing Mountain Range''s protective formation. Huxian''s power broke through to core formation, while the geomantic boa, who should have been the controller of the formation, was left with nothing.


    "You¡­ you left a back way in!" the Geomantic Monarch yelled. "Fine, I''ll¡ª"


    She was interrupted by Huxian pouncing, biting deep into her scaly neck. She thrashed about in pain as he scratched and bit her. Scales scattered throughout the mountain as she was mauled in the presence of her three children, who cowered in fear as they saw their all-powerful mother being dominated by a small fox.


    Huxian returned a short while later covered in blue serpentine blood. His powers of purification quickly eliminated any venoms that he had contracted in their exchange. The black and white colors drained from his fur and materialized into a black-and-white ball, which he tossed to the agonizing snake.


    "This is a fourth-grade venom technique," Huxian barked at the barely living snake on the mountaintop. "And you''re not getting any more out of me. Act up again, and I''ll find another monarch to replace you."

 157 The Price of Power

    Bang. Crash. Bang.


    Trees fell one after another as Cha Ming brandished his Clear Sky Staff against a king-level frost wolf. Cha Ming didn''t use formations, nor did the frost wolf use its innate abilities. They faced off in a contest of brute force, and there was no clear winner in the process.


    Let''s try this again, Cha Ming thought. He grasped the staff and slammed it down with all his strength, channeling as much earth qi as he could to execute a Quake Staff. His qi spread out into thirty-six qi points to mimic a combat formation. Unfortunately, it didn''t work very well. The part near his hands vibrated slightly, but none of it transferred across to the wolf, who simply shrugged it off as he swung his massive paw at Cha Ming''s small body.


    Cha Ming flew back one hundred feet before crashing into a large rock. Its surface shattered as he plunged two feet into the solid granite. Fortunately, his bones were as strong as magic treasures, and his regenerative abilities quickly healed the lacerations his body had suffered upon impact.


    "Are you sure you want to continue, pitiful human?" the frost wolf said. His voice was laced with disdain.


    "I naturally need to continue," Cha Ming said. His staff lengthened to twelve feet as he lunged toward the wolf. He manipulated his weight and increased the thin staff''s weight drastically while executing another makeshift technique using gold qi. The staff bit into the wolf''s flesh like a dull blade but was ultimately ignored. Cha Ming swiftly manipulated his weight once more, using it and his heavy staff to redirect the wolf''s massive body and push off against it. It was a crude manifestation of his Gentle Staff Art.


    Then his staff expanded until it was twelve feet long and six inches thick. The ground sank under his feet as his weight increased to twelve thousand jin. The added weight enabled him to easily manipulate the 1,080-jin pillar in his arms.


    As the wolf approached, he blocked its movements using the heavy pillar and interrupted its movements. He used wood and water qi to slightly trap and constrict the wolf before swinging it in a horizontal arc that easily struck the wolf''s enormous body. It coughed up blood but stood strong and counterattacked with a vicious bite.


    Cha Ming didn''t panic. He kicked back in midair using his Stormchaser Boots, avoiding the wolf''s bite by a fraction of a second. Then he bounced in midair several times before striking down once more while activating his Demon-Subduing Eyes and freezing the wolf in place. This time, he expanded the Clear Sky Staff to forty feet in length. The 4,000-jin pillar crashed down on the wolf''s head and rendered it unconscious. It woke up after five seconds and lowered its head in shame.


    "Sovereign, I have failed you," the wolf said mournfully.


    Huxian''s tiny frame jumped out of Cha Ming''s shadow and into his arms.


    "It''s only natural that you''d lose against my big brother," Huxian said. "How was it, brother?"


    "This physical strength is far too difficult to handle," Cha Ming said. "I originally thought I could use my old techniques, but I was wrong. I''ve made some embryonic techniques using my old qi-condensation techniques and combat formations as templates, but they are extremely lacking."


    Huxian shrugged. "Worst case, you can use your staff as a big stick and combine it with your combat formations. Your Stormchaser formation is good for close combat, and you can work heavy staff strikes into your combat formation attacks without sacrificing anything. Not just that, you can take hits head-on without affecting your performance. You should be able to hold your own against late-foundation-establishment cultivators."


    Cha Ming agreed with this assessment. He had reached early bone forging as they waited for the Geomantic Monarch.


    "It''s ready," a powerful voice said from the peak of the mountain.


    Cha Ming and Huxian disappeared from the shamed wolf''s side and reappeared on the barren peak. The Geomantic Monarch waved its tail and threw out a large jade bottle.


    "Many thanks," Cha Ming said as he caught the bottle. Huxian frowned and let out a soft cough. The Geomantic Monarch slithered and threw out another two hundred jade vials, which Cha Ming caught with a look of surprise.


    "Who knows, those venoms might come in handy when finding a cure," Huxian said to clear up the confusion. "I convinced the monarch to kindly help us. Silverwing lent a hand to make it happen."


    Only then did Cha Ming see several large scars on the Geomantic Monarch''s body.


    "It''s been hard on you," Cha Ming said apologetically.


    "It has," she said. "In return, I''d appreciate it if you left my mountain as soon as possible."


    Huxian shrugged. "Silverwing!"


    A flash of silver leapt over from a nearby mountain. The large silver falcon impatiently gestured for them to hop on. Cha Ming gave Huxian a perplexed look.


    He got over it, and now he enjoys carrying people around in the skies, Huxian said. A small protective bubble covered them and lashed them to Silverwing''s back before the large bird leaped into the skies.


    "Awwwoooooo," Huxian yelled as they exited the protective dome. "We made off like bandits. She''ll never catch us now!"


    "Boss is definitely the smartest," Silverwing said, chuckling.


    "Is there something I don''t know about?" Cha Ming asked.


    Huxian responded by summoning a large assortment of roots, herbs, and fruits. Cha Ming quickly swept them into his Clear Sky World. "Where did you get these?"


    Huxian chuckled. "While that old snake was busy making venoms, Silverwing and I pilfered the whole mountain range. Specifically, we took a bunch of herbs relating to poisons and the like. It just happens that most of them were on the Geomantic Monarch''s mountain peak."


    "Two Tails!" A loud roar of indignation carried from the mountain range to their small group, which was now dozens of miles away. "I''ll have your hide for this!"


    Cha Ming massaged his brow for what seemed like the thousandth time this week.


    "By the way, where''s Lei Jiang?" Cha Ming asked. As he spoke, an iridescent bolt of lightning darted over to them and landed atop Silverwing''s broad back. He dropped a small bag of holding in front of Cha Ming.


    "Can you keep these for me?" the small mouse said. "I brought some snacks for the trip."


    Cha Ming peeked into the bag and saw dozens of strange objects. Fruits, stones, roots, bamboo shoots, and other lightning-based materials were stored inside.


    "Well, at least they feed themselves," Cha Ming muttered. He set his sights on Quicksilver''s mighty walls, which were rapidly growing in the distance.


    ***


    The large city''s hustle and bustle lightened Cha Ming''s sullen mood as he walked out of the guard office. He''d just signed a guarantee on Huxian, Silverwing, and Lei Jiang''s behavior. Given their prior escapades, it was possible that he''d lose his shirt before their time was up.


    "It''s just three days," Cha Ming said. "You can be a good Huxian during that time, can''t you?"


    "I''m always a good Huxian, even if you don''t always notice," the small fox said, pouting.


    The quartet flew above the rail tracks that led to the center of the city. It wasn''t long before they arrived at Central Square. They passed several buildings before arriving at the northeast corner, where the Obsidian Syndicate and the Alabaster Group stood opposite each other.


    Cha Ming ignored the dark building and made his way to the Alabaster Group''s living quarters. He crossed the large garden of medicinal ingredients before arriving at a wooden door. A muffled boom sounded just as he rapped his knuckles on it.


    "Who''s there?" an aged voice called out.


    "It''s me," Cha Ming said. The door opened after a few moments.


    "Well, you''re back a lot quicker than I imagined," Mo Tianshen said. "Come in, come in. I have some good news to share with you."


    He led Cha Ming to the table and poured him a cup of tea. Thankfully, Mo Tianshen paid more attention to standard laboratory rules than his apprentice, the leader of the Quicksilver Alchemist Guild.


    "Where to begin," Mo Tianshen said, stroking his white beard. "Firstly, there have been some promising trials. I estimate that we can begin mass production of the ninth-generation pills within a half month. Those whelps Jun Xiezi sent have all learned the necessary runes, so we''re only waiting for batches of raw ingredients."


    "Congratulations," Cha Ming said, happy that his efforts had borne fruit. "I''m sure there will soon be a tenth iteration, followed by an eleventh and a twelfth."


    "We''re still a long way off from that," Mo Tianshen said. "Now tell me, boy, why are you here? You usually don''t visit me without a reason."


    Cha Ming looked at him sheepishly. "I want you to make me late-grade and peak-grade pills, as well as core-formation pills," Cha Ming said. With the old alchemist, it was best to be straightforward.


    Mo Tianshen frowned. "I can tell that you haven''t even broken through to late foundation establishment. What''s the rush? Don''t you know that cultivating too quickly will destabilize your foundation? Come back again in three months."


    "I know it''s best to wait to stabilize my foundation," Cha Ming said. "However, there''s a war brewing in the Song Kingdom, where I was born. I want to be prepared in case of any unforeseen circumstances. Surely you can do that for me?"


    He tossed a bag containing a multitude of rare ingredients from the Silverwing Mountain Range. These included the items on the list Mo Tianshen had given him earlier.


    The alchemist briefly glanced inside the bag before giving Cha Ming a concerned look. "I''m very busy, and if I give you more pills, it means you''ll be able to stay away for longer. What if I don''t see you again for half a decade?"


    Cha Ming chuckled. "So that''s what''s worrying you. How about this, I''ll be back within three years, and not a minute later."


    "No longer than a year," Mo Tianshen said. "And when you come back, you''ll have to slave away for me for a whole year before regaining your freedom."


    Cha Ming hesitated for a moment. For all he knew, the conflict could last longer. However, without these pills, he might quickly find himself outmatched.


    "Two years," Cha Ming said. "And I''ll work for you for six months."


    "I''m not budging on the year," Mo Tianshen said.


    Cha Ming hesitating once more before nodding. "Fine. Two years and one year of hard labor." The old alchemist sighed as he grabbed the bag of medicinal ingredients.


    "You really need to be careful with your cultivation," the old alchemist said. "Your qi seas still need a couple more weeks to stabilize. Don''t be in such rush to reach the peak, or you''ll soon find it impossible to reach."


    ***


    After speaking to the old alchemist, Cha Ming walked up the white marble stairs to a plain wooden door. Before he could even knock, he heard a gentle voice whisper for him to enter. He opened the creaking door and entered Lu Tianhao''s library. The man was garbed in white like always, looking pensive as he stared at a doll on his desk.


    "I heard from Xuehua that your trip to the mountain range was successful," Lu Tianhao said with a light smile.


    "We only barely succeeded, despite the seniors you sent," Cha Ming said grimly. "It''s unfortunate that so many of them couldn''t return."


    Lu Tianhao sighed. "It''s always been that way, and it will never stop. The universe was built that way."


    Cha Ming frowned as he sat. "How can you be so sure it was designed?"


    "There is an old story passed down from the realms up above," Lu Tianhao said. "It tells of the first painter, who painted the mists at the dawn of time. He created a world of black and white, good and evil. We don''t know who he is or what his goal was. All we know is that the world was created balanced. Whether it was his mood at the time, or his indecision, we all suffer from this first mistake. Both devils and angels have cursed him since the world''s inception."


    "How are the forces of good and evil balanced?" Cha Ming said. "It seems to me that devilish cultivators are overpowered, and their cultivation progress smooth and unhindered."


    "That''s one way of looking at it," Lu Tianhao said. "But have you ever wondered why the forces of good always happen to stumble upon the forces of evil at the most opportune time? How fortune favors them at the last second, enabling key individuals to undergo breakthroughs at critical moments?


    "The world is balanced. Good fortune favors the benevolent, who thus enjoy better resources that contribute to their growth. That''s why there are so many good-aligned cultivators in this realm. Devil cultivators need to sacrifice thousands of lives to advance, so their numbers are limited. In compensation, they have been granted greater strength. How else would the war between good and evil continue throughout the aeons?


    "Mortal worlds are in a constant state of flux. They change ownership between the forces of good and evil. Devilish cultivators seek to be unrestrained and pursue their personal desires. They believe that the will of this world is unfair. It punishes them for being selfish, and it benefits those with good hearts. They are fighting to reverse the scales. They seek a world where everyone can pursue their desires without fear of repercussion, and if they succeed, cultivating their devilish ways will become much easier. Instead of sacrificing thousands of lives, they will only sacrifice hundreds, and the world will soon be overrun with their devilish ways. Conversely, angelic ways will become much harder to cultivate, and the trials and tribulations of good men will increase exponentially. However, this greater difficulty will better temper their souls, and they will be stronger for it."


    "Why would anyone ever design the world in such a way?" Cha Ming asked.


    "Who knows," Lu Tianhao said. "But enough talk about things we can''t change. How are your formation arts coming along?"


    "They''ve reached a bottleneck," Cha Ming said. "I can''t progress until I increase my cultivation. Sometimes, I think that it''s best to abandon the path of stability and just forge ahead."


    Lu Tianhao nodded. "It''s a difficult decision, one that I also faced in the past. Patience is a virtue, but so is selflessness. No one can make this decision for you." Then he waved his hand, and an image of Huxian appeared. "Is this the beast brother you spoke of? I''ve never seen a fox like this."


    "He''s an enigma," Cha Ming agreed. "Something curious happened between us in the Silverwing Mountain Range. Have you ever heard of people transferring qi through a bond with a demon?"


    "It happens sometimes in transcendent realms," Lu Tianhao said. "The Inky Sea Sect is well known for it. They can channel demonic qi to form new talismans. It''s also useful to paint in elements that wouldn''t normally be available. Tell me, which ones did you gain through your bond?"


    "Light and darkness," Cha Ming replied. "Though I find it difficult to paint with light and dark-demonic qi. My success rate is abysmal."


    "Demonic qi is attuned with nature," Lu Tianhao said. "It resembles a diluted form of elemental evanescence. When it fuses with liquified elemental essence, it becomes useable as a natural ink."


    The man flicked his sleeve, bringing two thin books out from the shelf. "Here are two books on suitable brush techniques for light and dark qi." Then he summoned two thick books. "I''ll also lend these two books to you; they contain dark-aligned formations and talismans. I acquired them by chance, but I''ve never used them. I don''t have any light-aligned manuals, however, so you''re on your own there."


    "Many thanks, Teacher," Cha Ming said. "I''ve already obtained some from the Church of Justice."


    Lu Tianhao wrinkled his nose. "Insufferable fellows, but very honest. Is there anything else causing you doubts?"


    "I was wondering about condensing light and dark sigils," Cha Ming said. "Do you have any books on those?"


    Lu Tianhao shook his head. "I don''t, but weren''t you very confident in those Dao sigils of yours? Why don''t you incorporate runes into them?"


    Cha Ming pondered for a moment before nodding. "I''ll try it," Cha Ming said before standing up. "I''m sorry, Teacher, but I can''t stay and chat for very long. I have a poisoned king to treat and an infestation of devils and evil spirits to deal with."


    "Don''t bother accompanying this old man," Lu Tianhao said. "Just holler if you need any help." He shot Cha Ming a lonely smile as the younger man flew out from his office.

 158 Changes in Quicksilver

    The flicker of a black cloak caught Cha Ming''s eye as he left the Alabaster Group. He normally would have paid it no heed, but its intense ochre coloring was difficult to ignore.


    What is he up to? Cha Ming thought. He probed the man''s cultivation before continuing his pursuit; peak foundation establishment was hardly a threat to Cha Ming''s companions.


    He followed the figure for several blocks before it vanished into a side street filled with various disreputable businesses. Then it ducked into a dark alley.


    Huxian, are you ready? Cha Ming asked as he followed the figure.


    Born ready, his shadow replied. Cha Ming steeled himself and entered the alley. To his surprise, his resplendent force could no longer detect anyone. The alley was completely quiet, save for a few rats that were aggressively nibbling at a large bag of waste. Yet he couldn''t shake the feeling of being watched.


    Dodge! Huxian yelled.


    A sword whizzed past Cha Ming''s chest, cutting a two-inch gash and glancing off his ribcage as he rapidly laid down a Stormwalker Formation. He ran up the alley''s wall as nine figures in black cloaks rushed toward him. He hadn''t realized that the black-cloaked man was bait.


    Is it time yet? Huxian asked.


    Not yet, Cha Ming replied. He winced in pain as the flesh in his chest slowly recovered. Flying swords and sabers left the nine men''s hands and shot toward him. In response, Cha Ming threw down the Clear Sky Staff and poured his resplendent force into it. Instead of becoming longer, it became three feet thick. The swords and sabers bounced off the heavy object as Cha Ming sent out thirty-six blue sigils, encasing the entire alley in a frigid atmosphere.


    "Now!" Cha Ming yelled.


    The three initial-core-formation cultivators and six peak-foundation-establishment cultivators slowed down for a fraction of a second before shattering his rapid combat formation. That partial second was more than enough, however. Huxian appeared from the darkness, and Lei Jiang and Silverwing burst out from his two tails and pounced onto the shocked cultivators. Huxian summoned a bagua to trap them as lightning burned them and sharp blades of wind lacerated them. Nine sizzling corpses soon dropped to the ground.


    Huxian landed on Cha Ming''s shoulder. "Who would have thought they''d underestimate us so much?" Huxian said.


    Cha Ming shrugged. "I don''t think it will work more than once. We''ll have to be careful until I finish forging my bones."


    They quickly made their way to the Talisman Artist Guild. They entered through the back entrance, which was reserved for members to bypass the storefront. Cha Ming immediately proceeded up the stairs to Jun Xiezi''s office, who let him in right away.


    "You''re back so fast," Jun Xiezi said. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"


    "Two reasons," Cha Ming replied. He flicked a golden Sharp Talisman to Jun Xiezi. "First, I owe you a debt. This is the first installment. This talisman contains my insights on the sharpness of gold. People sharpen their skills in much the same way they do swords."


    Jun Xiezi grinned. "Painting is the same way. I''d never thought of creating a painting about painting itself before, but I think I''ll give it a try. What else can I help you with?"


    A flower was already steeping in a clear teapot. He used his mastery over wood and water to accelerate the brewing process and poured the tea into two clear cups.


    "I paid a visit to the Song Kingdom''s Talisman Artist Guild," Cha Ming said as he sipped. "Are you aware of its current state?"


    "A truly deplorable branch guild," Jun Xiezi said, pursing his lips. "The only reason it hasn''t been shut down is because it wasn''t worth the effort to send someone out there to do it. Why? Are you interested in taking it over?"


    "If only I had so much time to spare," Cha Ming said. "There''s a civil war brewing in the kingdom, and you know how these things work."


    "I take it you''ve already picked a side?" Jun Xiezi asked.


    "Yes, I''ve thrown support behind the third prince, who is backed by the Wang family," Cha Ming said.


    Jun Xiezi raised an eyebrow.


    "The second young master of the Wang family."


    "That explains it," Jun Xiezi said. "But why are you talking to me about this? I don''t have the time or energy to oversee yet another branch guild."


    "But what if it was just a subsidiary branch? One that funneled a portion of its profits to the Quicksilver branch?" Cha Ming said. "In return, the Quicksilver branch could provide support through a vice branch head and some teaching support. It would be an easy way to increase your branch''s profitability. You could also satisfy the ambitions of some of your senior members."


    "But setting up distribution channels and a reputation is a huge pain," Jun Xiezi said, massaging his brow. "It''s just not worth it."


    "You do have a point," Cha Ming said. "Give me one second." He withdrew his core-transmission jade and placed it on the table. It pulsed slightly before revealing a miniature jade Wang Jun.


    "Brother Cha Ming, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Wang Jun''s figure asked.


    "It''s like this," Cha Ming replied. "Quicksilver''s Talisman Artist Guild is considering setting up roots in the Song Kingdom, but they don''t want to deal with marketing and establishing distribution channels. Can you deal with this side of the business? Say, in exchange for a sole-sourcing agreement with the Jade Bamboo Conglomerate in the Song Kingdom?"


    Wang Jun thought for a moment before answering. "For a thirty-percent list-price discount on all talismans, we could definitely do this."


    "That''s too much," Jun Xiezi interjected. "No more than ten percent, or it isn''t worth it."


    "Come now, this agreement is worry free," Wang Jun said. "I''ll tell you what, since distribution costs are much lower for magic-grade talismans, I can agree to ten percent on those. However, I''d like to meet in the middle at twenty percent for mortal-grade ones. That way, you can just worry about production and training. What are your thoughts?"


    "That''s reasonable, but I want an additional provision," Jun Xiezi said. "I want to begin negotiating a non-sole-sourced distribution agreement with the Jade Bamboo branch in Quicksilver. I don''t need an agreement now, only an introduction."


    "Done," Wang Jun said. "I''ll have a preliminary contract sent to you in three hours. Cha Ming, you''re familiar with Wang Bing, are you not? Would you mind setting up an appointment?"


    "Not at all," Cha Ming replied.


    Wang Jun''s figure winked out, leaving the two men and their tea.


    "I figured it would be easier if we just skipped the process. Bureaucracies can be excruciatingly slow."


    "Tell me about it," Jun Xiezi said. "My business development team and legal department would take three months trying to resolve a deal before letting me know about it. By then, any potential client would be too annoyed to offer us a favorable deal. All I want to do is relax and paint, but I always spend my precious time cleaning up their messes. I can''t wait until I finish repaying this favor, and then I can continue my permanent vacation. By the way, what are your thoughts on who should take over the Song Kingdom sub-branch?"


    "Let me talk to someone first," Cha Ming said.


    ***


    "The concept is definitely intriguing," Feng Huoshan said as he leafed through a book on high-grade talismans. "But I''m worried about the teaching load and the distribution aspect. I''m all for moving up in the world; if I do well, I might end up in headquarters where I can access the more advanced study materials."


    "You won''t need to worry about distribution," Cha Ming assured. "My friend Wang Jun and the Jade Bamboo Conglomerate will take care of it. As for the teaching load, why don''t you bring a friend along? Perhaps Hua Dong or Luo Ming?"


    "Hua Dong might," Feng Huoshan said. "There are many people who don''t want to be alchemists or glorified gardeners in the Song Kingdom. His brand of talisman artistry might prove to be quite popular. Luo Ming, on the other hand, is far too lazy. I doubt he''d be willing to move his mountainous rump."


    "Who has a mountainous body?" a voice transmitted through the walls. "You''re a mountain. Your whole family are mountains!"


    "My name literally means ''fire mountain,'' so you''re technically correct," Feng Huoshan said.


    "That''s the best kind of correct," the fat Luo Ming said as he barged in and took a seat. "Besides, I''ve been eating Quicksilver''s food for quite a while. A change would be nice."


    Cha Ming laughed. "You can''t all take off at once. Jun Xiezi will have my head."


    Luo Ming shrugged. "What can he say if I leave for a year?"


    "That''s fair," Cha Ming said. "I''d really like to stay for longer, but I must be on my way. Duty calls."


    "Can''t you at least stay for dinner?" Luo Ming asked. The man liked any excuse to go out for an extravagant meal.


    "I still have many stops to make," Cha Ming said helplessly. "We need to leave in three days, and I need to leave town for a while."


    "Go on, then," Feng Huoshan said. "There will be plenty of time to eat together in the Song Kingdom."


    Cha Ming nodded and tossed a pouch on the table. "Can you do me a favor in the meantime? I want to purchase all the excess talismans in the guild. Can you do that for me?"


    After a brief discussion, he flew off to his next destination: the Alchemists Association.


    ***


    "What are your thoughts on the proposed terms, Grandmaster Yao?" Cha Ming asked the short balding man in front of him. The man was drinking a pungent liquid from a laboratory flask on his desk. Cha Ming held a similar flask. He sipped from it gingerly, hoping that his strong constitution would neutralize any laboratory chemicals he might accidentally ingest.


    "The terms are good," the grandmaster Yao said. "My most senior apprentice is looking to move up in the world, and I''m just not ready to give up my spot. This might be just the challenge he''s looking for. When do you need a team by?"


    "We''ll leave in three days," Cha Ming said. "On another note, I have a request of a more¡­ sensitive nature."


    The grandmaster frowned before rotating a device on his desk. An intangible ten-foot-wide barrier formed around them.


    "What''s this?" Cha Ming asked.


    "It''s a nulling device," Grandmaster Yao said. "You might be surprised to hear that there are ears everywhere. I activate this whenever I want to hide specific things."


    "Why not use it all the time?" Cha Ming asked.


    "Because the energy consumption is rather alarming," Grandmaster Yao said. "Now, please hurry up with whatever you want to say. Spirit stones are literally burning away."


    Cha Ming immediately summoned a vial containing a purple liquid and placed it on the alchemist''s desk. "The venom of a qi-binding serpent," he said. "An important figure in the Song Kingdom has been poisoned with this venom. I was only able to identify it by seeking the aid of a serpentine beast monarch."


    Grandmaster Yao frowned. "Does this have anything to do with the recent investigation into the king''s health?"


    "Yes, it''s the same case," Cha Ming said. "The third prince informed me that your association has already performed exhaustive tests."


    "Our poison master did perform some tests, but he was unable to isolate a specific poison," Grandmaster Yao said. "Given the nature of the venom, it''s not surprising that he failed. Most conventional techniques extract poisons using qi. That''s because virtually all alchemical compounds can be extracted in this manner; the same applies to most non-alchemical ones."


    "Do you think he''d be able to determine an antidote with this isolated compound?" Cha Ming asked.


    "It''s difficult to say," Grandmaster Yao said. "Let''s ask him."


    With a wave of his hand, the nulling field retracted, and the orb it came from flew into his empty palm. Cha Ming followed him out of the lab and past the front desk, where Yao Ling stood at her usual post. They entered a large corridor that led to the master-alchemist laboratories.


    Cha Ming recognized the many doors he''d failed to enter during his embargo. They passed these doors and proceeded to the end of the hallway, where a shabby brown door Cha Ming had always assumed was the janitor''s closet was located.


    Grandmaster Yao knocked on the door and sent a message through a jade slip. The door creaked open a few moments later and revealed a spiraling stone staircase. They walked down several floors before entering a dungeonlike room.


    "What brings you here today?" a voice said softly. It came from a man with a young face whose black hair was filled with streaks of white. The unkempt man was manipulating a green ball in the open with his spiritual force. With a wave of his hand, the ball jumped into a bottle, which he rapidly stoppered.


    Grandmaster Yao threw out the small nulling sphere once more. "Do you remember the recent case in the Song Kingdom?"


    The man frowned. "A frustrating case. One of the few failures in my three-hundred-year career."


    "Which is why you didn''t accept payment for performing the work," Grandmaster Yao said. "Have you ever wondered why you failed?"


    "Every day," the man said. "I''ve narrowed it down to three possibilities. The first explanation is that it''s a transcendent poison. I find this unlikely because it would be prohibitively expensive. The second possibility is that it''s not a poison but rather an injury or curse. An injury is unlikely because the medical examination revealed no such trauma. The damage would need to take place on the cellular level. Curses, on the other hand, would be much easier to apply. However, the curse would need to exceed the capabilities of the Church of Justice."


    "And the third one?" Grandmaster Yao asked.


    "The poison would need antidetection properties that exceed the techniques in this realm," the man said. "The world is a vast place. This possibility is the most likely explanation, but I won''t discount the second one. After all, the Church of Justice is not all-knowing in the field of curses."


    Grandmaster Yao nodded. "Take a look at this," he said, placing the vial of violet liquid in front of the man, who opened the vial and dipped his finger inside it.


    "Why would you¡ª" Cha Ming started. He was interrupted by a harsh gesture from Grandmaster Yao.


    He has an innate poison constitution, making him immune to most poisons, Grandmaster Yao explained mentally. He''s able to identify poisons like no one else. His obsession in life is to reach the pinnacle in his craft. He loathes interacting with others and prefers to seclude himself down here, where he runs no risk of accidentally hurting anyone.


    "What''s your name, boy?" the man said as he licked the residual poison from his finger. "And where did you get this venom?"


    Cha Ming noticed that he had a pair of familiar red pupils.


    "Du Cha Ming greets senior," Cha Ming said, bowing lightly. "I had this poison manufactured by the Geomantic Sovereign in the Silverwing Mountain Range. After analyzing the king''s blood sample, she determined that the source of the poison was the venom of a qi-binding serpent, a rare creature in this realm. Fortunately, she was able to duplicate a large quantity of the venom."


    The man sighed. "It will take some time to research an antidote. The venom is far too rare, and natural ingredients must typically be counteracted with other natural ingredients. I''ll need to go traveling."


    Cha Ming waved his hand, depositing a pile of poison-related medicinal ingredients onto the floor. He also placed two hundred vials of various venoms on the table. "Feel free to use any of these in your research."


    The man''s eyes widened. "Then it''s settled. I''ll come find you in the Song Kingdom once I''ve made sufficient headway." He gestured once more, summoning the purple orb of venom and manipulating it in strange ways.


    "May I know how to address senior?" Cha Ming asked before leaving.


    "You may call me Zhou Bei," the man replied. "The traitorous ancestor of the Zhou Clan."


    ***


    It was dusk before Cha Ming finally arrived at the Jade Bamboo Auction House. The moment he entered, he was ushered to a bamboo garden several times larger than the one he''d seen in Green Leaf City. A tea time later, Wang Bing''s familiar figure walked in from the opposite direction.


    "Would you like wine, or has my cousin''s obsession with tea corrupted you as well?" she asked.


    "Tea will be fine," Cha Ming said as he sat before her. "I hear the embargo has been lifted on the Alabaster Group?"


    "My uncle made a silly decision," Wang Bing said, tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. "I advised him against such meddling, but he was too keen on currying favor with the first young master. He didn''t know the second young master like I did."


    "I heard it was Lu Tianhao''s connections that made the difference," Cha Ming said.


    "Is that what he told you?" Wang Bing said, shrugging. "Regardless, I''m happy to assist you in any way possible. I am not like my foolish uncle. As a token of our branch''s apology for the prior matter, I''ve prepared a gift for you."


    "I don''t believe that''s necessary," Cha Ming said. "I came here for a simple matter, nothing more. I don''t care about past grudges."


    "But I care," Wang Bing said. "Bad karma should be cleared as soon as possible. Please indulge me as I bring it out. I''m sure you''ll like it." She withdrew a small bag of holding from within her green cultivation robes and inverted it onto the table. A small pile of crisp white flags with gray poles poured onto the top. In addition, there was a pile of 108 clear blobs¡ªunaligned sigil focuses. "You may not need these now, but I''m sure they''ll be useful in the future."


    Cha Ming was tempted. The pile of unaligned high-grade and top-grade formation flags would be extremely useful in these difficult times. Ultimately, he pushed them back toward her. "This is far too large a gift."


    She pushed them back. "I''ve investigated your purchases and your dealings with Mo Tianshen. I estimate your losses at roughly 20,000 high-grade spirit stones. The number is hardly exact, but I believe that compensating your losses is the best way of settling the karma between us."


    Cha Ming looked long and hard at the pile before drawing it into the Clear Sky World.


    "Fine. We owe each other nothing now, but I''m hoping that you''ll do me a small favor," Cha Ming said. "The branch leader of the Talisman Artist Guild would like to negotiate a nonexclusive supply agreement with the Jade Bamboo Conglomerate in Quicksilver. I''m hoping you''ll treat them fairly."


    "I don''t mind being owed a favor," Wang Bing said. "It''s your karma, not mine."


    Cha Ming shook his head. "I still don''t understand anything about karma. Is it really such a big deal?"


    "More than you know," Wang Bing said. "Second Young Master Jun would be the best person to explain it you. Will you be requiring anything else?"


    "Yes, I''d like your help in completing a large transaction," Cha Ming said, dumping a sack on the table. It contained 800,000 high-grade spirit stones, the remainder of his half of the profits from ripping off the arena. "I need this converted to as many generic pills, weapons, and talismans you can get your hands on. Mortal, magic, and core-grade treasures are all acceptable."


    "Aren''t you a big spender," Wang Bing said. "It seems I''m the one who owes you a favor."


    "Not at all," Cha Ming said. "It''s just business."


    A tea time later, Cha Ming walked out of the Jade Bamboo Auction House with a significantly lighter purse. "See, I told you she wouldn''t cause any problems," he said to the empty air.


    A small figured jumped out from his shadow and onto his shoulder. Huxian licked Cha Ming''s ear as the latter scratched his small head. "It''s better to be safe than sorry," Huxian said.


    Cha Ming smiled. "Thanks for worrying about me. By the way, is Silverwing up for flying again soon?"


    "Where are we headed?" Huxian asked.


    "A small town not far from here called Crystal Falls," Cha Ming replied.


    ***


    The sun was rising in in the small mist-covered village. A reddish-orange glow refracted through thin clouds as they landed nearby. The farmers had just risen with the dawn, and they were feeding and watering their oxen in preparation for a hard day''s work while their children fed the chickens and their wives prepared breakfast.


    Cha Ming hopped off Silverwing''s back and walked toward the village. He took his time as he walked down the well-built path in the woods. Soon he passed a small guard shack where an elderly man was napping.


    "Cha Ming, Cha Ming!" a couple of children yelled and grabbed on to him as soon as he reached the main street.


    "Xiao Bao, Mei Guo, you''ve grown up," he said as he ruffled their hair. "How are your parents?"


    "Tired but happy," Xiao Bao said. "We need to run, or we''ll be late for school!" The two children rushed off and joined their friends, who were filing toward a small building. A young woman he didn''t recognize herded them in and began teaching them to read. Such a thing hadn''t existed back when the village remained in isolation.


    Cha Ming soon found Li Yin''s office. He smiled as he opened the door but was surprised to discover a middle-aged man seated at a desk, waiting for his first patient. A spirit-doctor emblem was pinned to his chest.


    "Can I help you?" the man asked.


    "Where is Dr. Li?" Cha Ming asked. The office looked nothing like the unorganized mess it usually was. There were no bandages or splint materials. Now it only contained an examination bench and a shelf full of herbs and beakers.


    "Ah, you''re looking for Elder Li," the middle-aged man said. "My name is Yong Bai. Pleased to make your acquaintance." He held his hand out in a peculiar fashion. Cha Ming shook it awkwardly.


    "Does the doctor still live here?" Cha Ming asked.


    "Of course, he does," Yong Bai said. "I just help him take care of patients while he conducts his research. It''s fascinating that he''s managed to accomplish so much without being an actual doctor."


    Cha Ming supressed a fit of anger. "I take it this door leads to his house just like before?"


    "Of course," Yong Bai said. He opened the door before yelling out, "Elder Li, you have a visitor." Hearing no response, he waved Cha Ming inside. "Just wander down the hall to his study. He often doesn''t hear me when I holler."


    Cha Ming walked into a newly built dining room, which resembled Li Yin''s old accommodations. The hall contained new pictures; he passed these and lightly pushed open the door to the old man''s study.


    He sighed in relief when he saw Li Yin sleeping on his desk, as he usually did after a night''s hard work.


    ***


    The kitchen was different than Cha Ming remembered. For one, it contained more cooking equipment than it used to. For another, he noticed a lot more vegetables on the man''s shelves. Cha Ming lit a fire before thinly slicing potatoes into tiny sticks. He washed them with water to remove the starch. After this, he heated a wok and added oil, peppers, and leeks to the pan, letting their fragrance seep into the oil. Then he threw in the thin potato sticks and stir-fried them until they became slightly translucent. He added salt and vinegar before throwing the dish onto a plate and moving on to the next one.


    This time, Cha Ming cut tomatoes into chunks and heated them over a low fire. He cooked them until they broke down before throwing in small pieces of cauliflower. He finished this simple dish off with salt and pepper. Then, after washing the wok, he threw in some leftover rice and water, stirring until it formed a thick rice congee.


    "Miss Xiao, why does the food smell different today?" Li Yin called suddenly from the dining room.


    Cha Ming chuckled and brought a tray of dishes out to the dining table to the shocked Li Yin. He set a place for himself and the old doctor while Li Yin rubbed his eyes in disbelief. "Is it really you, my boy?"


    "What, I can''t visit my teacher?" Cha Ming asked.


    The older man smiled and helped himself to the dishes. "You''re always welcome to visit this old man. What brings you in today?"


    Cha Ming looked toward the door to the doctor''s office. "This Yong Bai doesn''t bully you, does he?"


    "Heavens, no," Li Yin said. "I ran into him a month ago. He was a middle-aged man with minor achievements as a spirit doctor. Since he''d reached a dead-end in his career, he was looking to settle down somewhere peaceful with his family. I invited him to stay in the village. He''s been treating people here ever since, and they''ve never been healthier."


    "But what about your medical practice?" Cha Ming asked.


    The man had made phenomenal breakthroughs in mortal medicine. The thought of him being displaced by a lesser man boiled Cha Ming''s blood.


    "My boy, I''ve always known that my greatest contribution to medicine is my research," Li Yin said. "Through that, I can forge a better path for mortal doctors and improve the well-being of millions of people. If this man is more capable than me at treating the people, shouldn''t I let him do it?"


    At these words, Cha Ming calmed down. They ate in silence, and Cha Ming quickly washed the dishes as Li Yin brewed a terrible blend of tea. Cha Ming drank it like it was the best in the world, for the person you drank with mattered far more than the contents of the cup.


    "I need your help with something, Teacher," Cha Ming said as they drank.


    "You always need my help with something," Li Yin said. "What silly thing is it this time? Did you stub your toe and lose your will to live?"


    "I returned to my home in the Song Kingdom," Cha Ming said slowly. "Things are less than peaceful, and the king has fallen ill. The country is on the brink of civil war."


    "Ah," Li Yin said. "Well, I can''t help you much in the field of politics. I''ve always avoided aristocrats like the plague."


    "I need your help with the king''s illness," Cha Ming said. "I''ve discovered that he''s been poisoned with the venom of a qi-binding serpent. Any qi used to treat him breaks down upon entering his body. Spirit-doctor methods are useless to him."


    Li Yin frowned. "What are his symptoms, and at what point does the qi break down?" The focused look of a researcher returned to his eyes.


    "Slow organ failure," Cha Ming said. "Blood poisoning, faint heartbeat, lack of blood coagulation. The brain is fine, but the king is unconscious. His qi pathways are dry, and his core-formation cultivation is restricted but not destroyed. As soon as healing qi symbols contact his organs, they deteriorate. The venom has permeated every bit of his flesh."


    Li Yin shook his head. "I might be all right at preliminary medicine, but I know nothing about poisons. This is a job for an alchemist, not an old man like me."


    "The venom is being analyzed by the best poison master in Quicksilver," Cha Ming said. "We''re just trying to keep him alive for as long as possible. Can you at least help with that?"


    "It''s difficult," Li Yin said, "but I can try. However, I doubt that the spirit doctors there will let me anywhere near him. They disdain people like me, and their words carry much weight."


    "I can help you take care of that," Cha Ming said. "Can you help me? There are many lives on the line, and things will get bad very fast if the king dies."


    Li Yin sighed. "I can try. Truth be told, I''ve always wanted to try my hand at treating a king. Let''s see if he''s any different than the rest of us."

 159 Surprise

    Hundreds of raucous voices filled the shop, inundating Wang Jun''s extraordinary senses with a plethora of information. The torrent of data didn''t faze him. He analyzed as he received it, throwing out the insignificant details before storing the rest for future use.


    Guards inspected jade permission slips as customers filed into the store in an orderly line. The limit of one weapon per customer, while infuriating, was a necessary precaution in dealing with forgeries. Guards were only so effective in such a heated market, and fake permission slips were found every quarter hour. It was foolish to think that they''d caught them all.


    "What''s this?" a man said at the front desk. "Not only did I need the permission slip, but I need to swear an oath not to sell it? What kind of scam is this?"


    "You don''t need to buy it if you aren''t interested," a woman said coldly. She''d seen far too many of these customers today; her answer hadn''t deviated in the slightest. Ultimately, the man chose to swear the oath and buy a grade-eight sword.


    "We''re doing so much, but it''s only a matter of time before they find a way to make these weapons change hands," Wang Jun muttered. His eyes suddenly darted to an inconspicuous man standing in line. He looked closely as the man''s jade slip, which was inspected before he was allowed into the shop.


    "Everyone stop," Wang Jun said in a commanding tone.


    The customers, the attendants, and the guards all paused what they were doing. The young master of the Wang family walked up to the newly admitted customer. "How daring. You forged a jade slip issued by my Wang family. Did you not think about the consequences of your actions before walking through that door? I don''t even need to see the jade slip to verify it."


    He took out a thin jade card from within his robes and poured his core-formation qi into it. It resonated with the authentic jade slips in the room¡ªthe man''s slip was not one of them.


    "Zhao Lishou, subordinate of the Tou family," Wang Jun continued. "I can read you like a book. You came in with this forgery at the command of the Tou family, thinking that at worst, you''d be caught and kicked out of the store. Well, I''m afraid it isn''t that simple."


    "What could you possibly do to me?" the man said, scoffing. "There are laws in this country. You can''t hurt a hair on my head."


    "Oh, I won''t do anything to you," Wang Jun said. "You''re just a grunt, and you''ll surely be punished when you return to the Tou family. They won''t be pleased to hear that from now on, the Tou family and its subordinates will forever be barred from doing business with the Jade Bamboo Conglomerate and its affiliates." The man paled and dropped the jade slip, which shattered on the wooden floor. "Guards, please see this man out. He isn''t welcome here."


    In the distance, Wang Jun saw a fifth of the people in line scramble off to nearby alleys.


    "Killing the chicken to warn the monkey, I see," a man said from behind Wang Jun. To his surprise, it was Hei Ling, his employee with the black-market connection. The man had breached his personal bubble and appeared a single foot away from him. At this range, assassinating him would be a simple matter.


    "You really ought to keep your awareness up at all times," Hei Ling said. "Others might not be as friendly as me. If I were an assassin, wouldn''t you already be dead?"


    "Shouldn''t you be out performing your duties?" Wang Jun asked.


    The man smiled and took one more step forward. He clasped Wang Jun''s hand and passed him a piece of paper.


    It''s done, the man said mentally. Make sure to show up at this address, alone and with no subordinates. The Black King sets the rules in this city''s underground, and he hates it when people break them. Hei Ling then left as though nothing had happened, leaving Wang Jun shivering from the close call.


    Elder Bai, didn''t I ask for Hei Ling to be tailed? Wang Jun sent.


    The one who was dealing with the black market? Elder Bai sent back.


    Exactly, Wang Jun replied. I don''t appreciate it when a man we should be keeping tabs on catches me unaware and makes physical contact with me.


    Are you all right? Elder Bai asked.


    I''m fine, Wang Jun said. But I need to go out on an excursion for the next two hours. Don''t contact me during that period of time, regardless of what happens.


    Aren''t you taking Protector Ren? Elder Bai asked.


    No need, Wang Jun said. I can take care of this myself.


    He walked out from back door and blended into the shadows. The landscape changed to a patchwork of locations in the city, where he could walk at his leisure. Here and there, harmless denizens of the shadows roamed out in the open¡ªonly people like him could see their splendor.


    In a nearby alley, a resplendent white rat walked out. It was the size of a dog, but it was quickly snatched up by the fleeting figure of a crow half its size. The bright shades merged together into a slightly larger crow. It flapped its wings and plunged into a piece of landscape, disappearing forever. Such a scene wasn''t unusual in the world of shadows, where imaginary creatures were birthed every few moments.


    Wang Jun glanced at the piece of paper in his palm, where he saw an address and instructions. The paper burned as soon as he read it. He willed himself toward a shade of darkness near the location and popped back to reality. His protective wreath of shadows blended in with the black alley near an inconspicuous door. He knocked three times.


    "It is a fine day for a parade. What shall we wear?" a voice asked.


    "I don''t know about you, but I will wear the garb of a king," Wang Jun answered. He heard a door bolt unlatch, and a formation sizzled as it was deactivated. A man in a black cloak welcomed him inside and led him down a spiraling staircase. Wang Jun noted when they passed the elevation of the sewers and entered uncharted territory he didn''t know existed. After a quarter hour of walking and several narrow corridors, they arrived in a simple room containing a desk and a man in a black cloak with a deep cowl. A wreath of shadows covered the mysterious man. He also noticed the shimmer of a dampening device, which would protect them from eavesdropping.


    "Second Young Master Wang. How may I be of service today?" the man asked.


    "Black King, it''s so nice to finally meet you," Wang Jun said. "I have some goods I''d like to sell. The price cap on mortal-grade weapons has left me no alternative but to sell a portion of these goods on the black market. Is this a service you can provide?"


    "Naturally," the Black King said. "But the cost isn''t low. I''ll require a commission equal to fifty percent of the markup between the current market price and the final selling price. You can choose to set the selling price yourself or leave this at my discretion."


    "Half of the additional profits seems a bit steep," Wang Jun said. "How about twenty-five percent?"


    The Black King chuckled ominously. Even Wang Jun, with his extraordinary mental resilience, couldn''t help but shiver.


    "There is no negotiating when you sell through me," the Black King said. "By all means, sell them yourself. However, the risks you run may outweigh the rewards. I am aware of your family rules and have plenty of contacts that could inform them."


    Wang Jun''s eyes narrowed. "That sounds like a threat."


    "That''s because it is one," the Black King said. "Do you accept or refuse?"


    Wang Jun thought for a moment before throwing three bags on the table. "These three bags each contain ten thousand high-grade spirit stones'' worth of goods at the current market price. I want you to sell one at two times the list price, and one at 2.25 times the list price. The other bag''s pricing is up to your discretion."


    "How prudent," the Black King said, sweeping them up. A black page materialized on his desk. "Here is the service contract. I trust you''ll find it adequate."


    Wang Jun inspected the sheet, which was written in gold. His eyes widened when he realized the severity of the contract. "No wonder you''ve been able to maintain your secrecy since you started your operations."


    "There is nothing better to maintain secrecy than a life-binding oath of nondisclosure," the Black King said. "Should I ever spill any details of our dealings, I will die. The same applies to you. The only way for either of us to avoid this is to transcend. Even then, the backlash will be quite severe."


    Wang Jun sent a drop of his blood and signed the page. The Black King did the same.


    "Pleasure doing business with you," Wang Jun said.


    "The pleasure is all mine," the Black King replied in a mocking tone. "By the way, as your newest business partner, I''m very interested in your well-being. Therefore, I''ll give you a word of caution and advise you to be careful on your way home. Things are not what they seem, and your intelligence may be your downfall."


    The Black King''s figure shimmered and disappeared, leaving Wang Jun alone in the dark cellar.


    ***


    I''m on my way back, Wang Jun sent to Elder Bai as he exited the meeting place.


    Hearing no response, he tried again, but to no avail. A cold shiver ran down his spine as he sensed life-threatening danger. His figure distorted instinctively as he barely dodged three long needles. He barely noticed five talismans heading toward him through the gaps in the needle''s offense. Four of them bore frightening energies he wasn''t confident in resisting. He shifted his body and collided with the fifth talisman, which covered him in a layer of invisible suppression. It was a dampening talisman, which would render him unable to communicate for a period of time.


    A dagger suddenly burst out from a nearby shadow, threatening to pierce his heart. Wang Jun used his superior control, condensing the shadow into binding chains that bought him the split second he needed to evade. He then entered the shadows, where he was greeted by a white-cloaked man. Wang Jun''s own cloak had turned white and his hair black. In the shadow world, everything was inverted and surreal.


    They exchanged no words. Wang Jun flitted from landmass to landmass, and the assassin did the same. Daggers of light condensed and attacked Wang Jun, and as he dodged, he sent chains of light to bind his faster and more powerful opponent. Wang Jun was surprised at the man''s strength and skill, but his mind was calm. His only option was to bide his time until he could contact Protector Ren.


    Was it Hei Ling who leaked my position? Wang Jun thought. He had no proof, only speculations. The man was suspicious and sneaky, and the more he thought about it, the more he felt the man was hiding deep secrets. It was even possible that Hei Ling himself was the cloaked assassin.


    A blade of light shaved off a strand of Wang Jun''s hair, jolting him back to the present.


    I can''t afford to be distracted, he thought. A door of light appeared in front of him. As he reached out to climb through it, a fiery explosion caused it to collapse. Wang Jun coughed out a mouthful of blood as the backlash ravaged his organs. He wasn''t a body cultivator, so his physical durability was rather low. To make matters worse, his opponent had at least reached the middle of core formation, two subrealms higher than his.


    Wang Jun decisively jumped out from the shadow world beside a guard barracks. Thinking fast, he activated an expensive Flicker-Form Talisman, which allowed him to teleport five hundred meters away in the blink of an eye.


    His timely reaction saved his life¡ªa blade that was meant for his heart only pierced a quarter inch of his skin. Blood blossomed on his black cultivation robes as he continued flickering in a confusing pattern. Once twenty-eight seconds were up, he teleported to a nearby Wang family safe house.


    Wang Jun panted as he tore open his robes to reveal the gash that was spurting blood. While the dagger hadn''t pierced his heart, it had cut some significant blood vessels. He pulled out a pill, which he crushed into a powder and mixed with the blood on his wound. Pain wracked his chest as the flesh knitted and the blood scabbed and peeled away.


    No time to stay put, Wang Jun thought. He stowed away his black robes and changed them out for bright-blue ones. He then retrieved a thin mask from his bag of holding and placed it on his face, which wriggled and contorted as his features became fine and subdued. His skin darkened slightly, as did his hair. His qi fluctuations were hidden to some extent.


    After removing any traces of his short stay, he walked out onto the street and blended in with the crowd.

 160 Concealmen

    In Central Square, a young lady walked through the crowds with a sense of purpose. The people parted slightly as she bravely approached a small establishment with an intricate wood construction. She attracted awkward glances and disdainful stares on her way to the front desk. Pretty girls with bright complexions and refined expressions evaluated her as she walked up to the matron of the establishment.


    "My name is Hong Meigui , and my dream is to become the world''s best tea server!" she said with a determined yet distinctly feminine voice.


    Hong Meigui''s determination and natural good looks quickly won her a position in the reputed establishment. That evening, she was quizzed on her knowledge of various teas and tea-serving etiquette, as well as her skills in holding a pleasant conversation. After assuring herself that the girl''s skill matched her determination, the matron arranged for two senior tea servers to give her a haircut and a makeover.


    Despite their insistence in giving her a bath, Hong Meigui stubbornly refused. It was only once she emerged from the bathroom perfectly washed and scrubbed to their satisfaction that they relented. Instead, they focused on painting her nails and cutting her hair so that it matched the establishment''s standard style. They also arranged for appropriate clothes to be tailored to her supplied dimensions.


    The next morning, they introduced her to their regular clientele. Middle-aged men showed up in droves to greet their newest darling.


    ***


    "Well, have you found him?" Elder Bai asked in a stern and infuriated voice. The older man''s eyes were bloodshot; it was clear he hadn''t rested since the second young master''s disappearance.


    "I''ve looked all night, but I haven''t found the slightest trace," Li Ming replied. "Should we be so hurried, though? I''ve heard the young master''s survival abilities are legendary. More to the point, that man must have given him some sort of protective treasure he could rely on."


    "You will not relax for a single second until he is found," Elder Bai said. "If you''d kept tabs on Hei Ling like you should have, we could ask him where the young master ran off to. If he doesn''t come back, I''ll have your head. Is that clear?"


    "Crystal," Li Ming replied before returning to his search.


    Elder Bai fidgeted as he read through many incoming reports. Unfortunately, quantity did not equal quality. No one had seen a trace of the young master since his disappearance the day before.


    ***


    It had been a busy morning for Hong Meigui. She laughed at her patrons'' not-so-clever jokes and blushed at their insinuations. Thankfully, there was no groping involved, as such behavior would result in their immediate expulsion. It was one of the many reasons she''d chosen the Violet Wind Tea House to begin with.


    "Thank you for coming!" she said as she bowed to the guests she''d just served. She cleaned and stowed away the tea set with refined grace as the two gentlemen concluded their business discussion. She had no doubt that this information was how the teahouse made most of its profits. In the future, she''d consider starting her own teahouse. For now, however, she had much to learn.


    "Your talent is wasted in this establishment," the middle-aged man said. "If you were to serve guests at my estate, the additional business generated would be nothing to sneeze at. Name your conditions, and I''ll take you out of this place."


    "My apologies, sir, but I''ll have to refuse," Hong Meigui said with a sweet smile while covering her cherry lips. "Working here has always been my dream. Now that I''ve finally gotten past the most difficult hurdle, I really want to stay here for as long as possible. I know that I don''t have much time remaining."


    The man sighed. "That''s true. Everyone who works here is at most twenty-seven years old. However, that doesn''t mean that it''s the end of the road for you. If you''re ever looking for employment, remember that this old man will always have a place for you at the Cai estate."


    "I''ll be sure to remember your generosity," Hong Meigui said while bowing deeply. The man nodded and left the room.


    "It''s not often that our ladies refuse such a tempting offer," the matron said with a smile as she walked into the room. "Most take off as soon as a suitable opportunity arises."


    "I was serious when I told you that this is was my dream." Hong Meigui said as she finished cleaning up. "Whom will you be requiring me to serve next? It''s almost closing time, but I''m sure there are many regulars who''ve yet to meet me."


    "Strangely enough, it was a new customer who requested you," the matron said. "Tidy yourself up for an incense time before heading into Room 43."


    Hong Meigui breathed in deeply. She composed herself before donning her usual sweet smile and walking into the last guest room. She was greeted by a cold figure in a black hooded robe. Her smile faded lightly as she gulped, then regained her composure.


    Hong Meigui walked to her seat in front of the mysterious guest and kneeled down on the soft pillow reserved for the second guest. This was the teahouse''s custom when serving lone guests.


    "May I know what tea this esteemed sir would like to drink?" she asked.


    The man paused a while before answering. Hong Meigui could feel his cold gaze scanning her thoroughly, leaving nothing unchecked.


    "Pu''er tea will be fine," he said in a young voice she''d heard once before. It was the voice of the second young master of the Wang family, Wang Jun. She pushed this small detail out of her mind before opening the drawer with unsurpassed grace. She opened the container with her left hand despite being accustomed to using her right. After retrieving a single scoop of the extremely expensive tea, she poured hot water into the small brewing cup and immediately poured it over the lone cup in front of her guest. This first washing step was necessary for bringing up the temperature of the porcelain cup and disinfecting it.


    "Why don''t you keep this lonely man company and drink a few cups?" the man asked.


    "It would be my honor," Hong Meigui said as she skillfully retrieved a second cup. This request wasn''t unusual with single guests. "What might I call this esteemed elder?"


    The man chuckled. "I''m hardly an elder. In fact, I''m barely over twenty. You may call me Young Master Wang."


    "I''m sure that Young Master Wang is a handsome man," Hong Meigui replied. "Would you like me to stow away your cloak?"


    "That won''t be necessary," the man said. "You''re very skillful for someone who just started this morning. Where did you learn to brew tea?"


    "I haven''t told any other guests this story, but for you, I''ll make an exception," Hong Meigui said. "I was born in a small town called Fallowroot City. It''s only a few days'' walk away. My father is Hong Hao, and he used to own a tea shop in the capital. He was a very skilled owner, but unfortunately, he had a terrible mind for business. In fact, you paid a visit to this business once two years ago."


    "I recall this faintly," the man said.


    "Eventually his shop closed," Hong Meigui said. "As his only child, he taught me everything he knew about tea." She let out soft sigh. "It''s a pity that he passed away a year ago. That''s when I decided to become the best tea server in the city and eventually own the best tea shop."


    "So you''ve come to scout out the competition." The man chuckled. "How interesting. We have a need for ambitious minds like you. Would you like to work for the Wang family?"


    Hong Meigui hesitated before ultimately shaking her head. "I still have much to learn. It''s best that I wait until I''m ready before proceeding with this dream of mine."


    "Don''t you know you''re insulting me?" the man said suddenly, releasing a stifling pressure. She hovered on the brink of consciousness before the pressure was immediately released. However, she felt a hand grasp her neck and pin her to the wall. A trickle of blood ran down the corner of her mouth.


    "I don''t like it when little girls disobey me," the man said as he held a black dagger up to her face. "Why don''t you apologize?"


    Hong Meigui could do nothing but helplessly gasp for breath as she struggled against the man''s powerful grip. She tried to scream but to no avail. Her face turned red as she tried to squirm free. A pool of wetness formed at her feet as she slowly lost control of her body and eventually fell unconscious.


    ***


    "Was I wrong?" the man said doubtfully.


    Out of the seventy-six suspicious characters that had suddenly appeared in the city, this Hong Meigui was the most suspicious. The guards had no record of her, but that wasn''t a dead giveaway. Although her technique was different, it was similar in many ways to Wang Jun''s tea-brewing method. What intrigued him the most was that the choice followed Wang Jun''s thought pattern, which he had grown very familiar with in his time at the Jade Bamboo Conglomerate.


    Grimacing in disgust, he tossed her to the ground away from the pool of urine. Just to be sure, he lightly groped the woman''s body, both ensuring that the lady bits weren''t fake and looking for any treasures that might be found on the body.


    "I guess she''s just an unfortunate girl who was in the wrong place at the wrong time," he said, sighing. He might be an assassin, but he wasn''t unscrupulous.


    He stowed his dagger before disappearing from the room. A few screams confirmed that the staff had found the woman''s unconscious body. Hong Meigui would be fine. Wang Jun, on the other hand, wouldn''t be so lucky. He''d left a surprise on his dagger, and even a strong-willed person like the second young master would only be able to resist for a short time before collapsing under the strain.


    ***


    "I''m so sorry, my dear," the matron said soothingly. "We usually don''t get characters like these. I''ll make sure that this despicable Wang Jun fellow gets a lifelong ban for this."


    "Thank you, Matron," Hong Meigui said. Her eyes were red from all the crying she''d done.


    "Make sure you get a good rest tonight, and you''ll get the day off tomorrow," the matron said. "Let me know if you need anything, and I''ll take care of it personally."


    Hong Meigui nodded as the woman retreated from her small bedroom. As soon as the door closed, she scampered to the small board in the floor where she held one of her most precious possessions: a small gold ring.


    ***


    Wang Jun sighed in relief as the talisman finally dissipated.


    Elder Bai, I''m fine, Wang Jun sent mentally once the bubble of interference dissipated. Don''t alert anyone but Protector Ren. I''m situated on the first floor of the Violet Wind Tea House.


    It wasn''t long before Protector Ren arrived. The black-cloaked cultivator raised his eyebrow. Wang Jun rolled his eyes as he dismissed his disguise. He was no longer a woman but a young man with blond hair.


    The next day, operations in the Jade Bamboo Auction House resumed as normal, minus one small detail¡ªthe odd rumor buzzing around the crown prince''s faction that Wang Jun had physically assaulted a new waitress in the Violet Wind Tea House.

 161 Interlude: Violet Wind Master

    Gong Lan''s orange kasaya fluttered as she landed on the aptly named Violet Wind Mountain. Waves of purple gas buffeted her as she walked up the remaining steps leading to the ancient monastery. Three men walked behind her¡ªthey were her senior apprentice-brothers, monks who had been carefully selected and raised by her master. While she''d originally wished to leave them behind, the bodhi seed had convinced her otherwise. The trip was dangerous, and she was here to find out why.


    They remained unfazed as they climbed the enchanted steps one by one. They were different than those protecting the World Tree Monastery. Instead of reflecting one''s innermost heart, they caused the climber to brood on their future. The only way to climb the steps was to focus on the present moment. It was no wonder that the Violet Wind Monastery hadn''t received any visitors other than monks in the past hundred years.


    "Greetings, World Tree Master," a middle-aged monk said as they reached the end of the stairs. "The master predicted your arrival. He awaits you at your earliest convenience."


    "I don''t dare share a title with the Violet Wind Master," Gong Lan said humbly. "I am but a junior who has taken up a heavy mantle. Please call me Gong Lan."


    The man shook his bald head. "Seniority must be respected at all times. It is what keeps us united, no matter what tribulations we face." He led the way through their modestly built cloister, where each building was built from an odd purple stone. The wondrous material naturally repelled spiritual force. The monks in the Violet Wind Monastery were strongest due to the constant polishing their souls received.


    They soon arrived at the Violet Wind Monastery itself. The large purple building had been built tall, and the edge that faced the constant purple wind was sharp as a blade. They climbed 999 steps before reaching the top floor, where an older monk waited. He was accompanied by six men who had all reached the resplendent soul realm, a watershed in the Buddhist soul-cultivation system.


    Gong Lan sat down on the cushion directly in front of the aged master, while her followers obediently sat behind her. "I assume Violet Wind Master knows why I am here?" she said.


    "The World Tree Master is wise," the old man said. "In private, Violet Wind is fine."


    "Then in private, you may call me Gong Lan," she said. "Though I hardly deserve to be called wise. All master''s apprentices know of your prophetic abilities."


    "I call you wise, not because you know of my abilities but because you are not doing this alone," Master Zi said. "Sibi was rash and impetuous. He should have waited for one of the masters to resolve the issue in the Song Kingdom. Unfortunately, he let his pride cloud his judgment. It is good that you have not followed in his footsteps."


    Gong Lan kept her head bowed. "I have come to request two things. First, I wish to borrow the Spirit-Banishing Pagoda and men capable of using it. Second, I wish to request a foretelling."


    "I know of these requests," Master Zi said. He placed a small golden tower in front of Gong Lan. It was a precious core treasure, but he parted with it without batting an eyelash. "These six monks will accompany you. I have briefed them on your journey, and they are aware of the gravity of this situation. Each of them has been studying how to use the Spirit-Banishing Pagoda for the past year, and they are ready to die to fulfill this mission."


    Gong Lan smiled. "Master Zi is indeed worthy of his reputation. I thank you for your timely assistance."


    "As for the foretelling," Master Zi said, "I will do what I can. Unfortunately, the heavens loathe it when I share their secrets. Therefore, I can only impart scant information to you. It comes in the form of three pieces of information. The first is a warning: If you go to the tomb with your current forces, you will certainly die."


    Gong Lan frowned. "You mean to say that even the equivalent of ten core-formation cultivators aren''t enough to ensure success? It''s only one evil spirit!"


    "I can''t say any more on this subject," Master Zi said. "The second piece is that you will find a friend in Songjing City. Should he accompany you to the tomb, you will stand a chance."


    Gong Lan nodded slowly. "Very well, I shall seek out aid in Songjing. What is the third piece of information?"


    "Another warning," Master Zi said. "You are the only one who can resolve the Song Kingdom''s crisis, but you will also be responsible for a much greater battle. It is best that you give up on the Song Kingdom if you cannot salvage the situation. Even the Violet Wind Monastery can fall, but the World Tree Monastery must always remain."


    Over the course of their conversation, Master Zi''s face had paled and was now covered in a sheen of sweat.


    "I thank Master Zi for his guidance," Gong Lan said, bowing. "I will take your words to heart." As she stood from her cushion, she sent a wisp of green qi to the old monk. To her surprise, however, he rebuffed it and sent it back.


    "The bodhi seed''s energy is far too precious," Master Zi said. "It''s a waste to give it to a dying old man like me."


    Gong Lan shot him a concerned look before leaving with the nine other men. Their next stop: Songjing City.

 162 First, Stop the Bleeding

    Feng Ming winced as he held a large chunk of ice against his cheek. The blue blotch was fading quickly due to a healing salve he had applied, but the pain hurt him less than the scolding words his father had said.


    It''s not that I don''t care about the family, Feng Ming thought, it''s that I''m a prisoner in my own home.


    "Do you really think I have enough influence in the military to change your situation?" Wang Jun said. "Your father is in the upper echelons of the military¡ªeither he or the crown prince would have to deploy you. Otherwise you''ll be stuck in this city until you die of old age."


    The five-fire chicken, a delicacy unique to the Song Kingdom, dripped bloody where Wang Jun had cut into it. It was the only fowl in the continent that could be eaten rare with little to no risk.


    "I''m not asking you to get me deployed," Feng Ming said. "I just want you to get Marshal Yong to ask for my assistance in the south. Maybe if I misbehave enough inside the city, my father will be forced to deliver me himself."


    "Fair enough," Wang Jun said. "How has the city been treating you otherwise?"


    "Good enough." Feng Ming shrugged. "I''ve made some friends here and there. Sometimes I drink and gamble with them. Though gambling isn''t exactly possible anymore, not since the underground arena was shut down. By the way, where is Cha Ming? Did you scare him away?"


    "He''s out on a mission," Wang Jun replied. "It''s best if you don''t know what it''s about."


    Feng Ming shrugged. "Do let him know that he has some competition on the way. I heard the crown prince''s men talking about it. All I know is that it''s a professional from Quicksilver."


    Wang Jun frowned. "Did you happen to catch what kind of profession or his grade?" Feng Ming shook his head. "I''ll keep that in mind when negotiating."


    Their meal passed by uneventfully. When every dish was finished, Wang Jun created a portal on the wall. "Would you like a lift anywhere?"


    "No, thanks," Feng Ming said, waving him away. "It''s not like I have anything important to do anyhow."


    Meanwhile, the gears in his mind were turning. How much chaos do I have to cause to get kicked out of the city? he thought.


    Since the events at the arena, he''d conveniently found damning evidence of financial corruption by three of the crown prince''s ministers. In addition, he''d found one of the crown prince''s wives cheating on him. He thought that would be the straw that broke the camel''s back, but instead it came back to hit him in the face. Literally.


    ***


    In his boredom, Feng Ming walked around the city until he got to the palace gates. While the gardens were off-limits, the walkway beside the thin metal fences was not. Their magical formations protected the gardens while leaving the beautiful sight revealed to the public. Walking near the palace walls was the preferred activity of most couples in Songjing.


    As he walked, Feng Ming saw many familiar sights. He saw familiar gardeners tending familiar trees he had climbed as a child, and a familiar pond where he''d gone swimming without permission. By the pond, he saw a familiar princess. She sat there with a dispirited expression that was much more sullen than the pouting he''d seen as a child.


    As he reached the end of the walkway and the entrance to the palace, Feng Ming saw a pale black-clothed man resting by a tree. The man looked at him lazily with piercing red pupils. While most people would give him either a favorable or unfavorable feeling, the man gave off a neutral vibe.


    Is that Zhou Li? Feng Ming thought. Why does he seem so different than how Cha Ming and Wang Jun describe him? Why does he seem so peaceful?


    The man closed his eyes, and Feng Ming continued. He passed the guards and walked down main street and back to Central Square.


    Save for the odd theft or raised voice, the afternoon passed by quietly. Feng Ming spent it sipping hot baiju on an open patio. He sat there until the sun set, and a familiar tingling finally reappeared. His fingers twitched as he looked around for the source of the disturbance. He finally found it in the form of a black cloak, which disappeared around the corner of an alley.


    Feng Ming paid his tab and walked toward the inconspicuous alley. As he walked into the dark passage, he noticed beggars and street urchins going to bed while burglars and thieves exited their familiar hovels. He soon turned a corner in the alley, where he caught yet another flicker of black in the distance.


    Feng Ming and the mysterious individual took many turns as they walked through the winding passageways behind the businesses in Central Square. Before long, they arrived at a small restaurant. Feng Ming walked in and saw a black-cloaked man sitting at one of the six tables. The restaurant was otherwise deserted, save for its owner, who began cooking as soon as he saw them.


    "He only knows how to cook one dish," the mysterious man said. "Stir-fried beef with shredded potato. It gives me a very homely feeling."


    The man then pulled back his cloak, revealing a pale, black-haired man with red pupils. "Are you bored of city life yet?" Zhou Li said.


    The owner arrived at their table and placed two cups in front of them. One contained red wine and the other steaming-hot baiju.


    "I thought my recent activities made that quite clear," Feng Ming said as he examined the mysterious man. "I''m hoping they''ll let me go after I get a few more people arrested."


    "I''m afraid it''s not that simple," Zhou Li said. "Your father is a very powerful figure, and very difficult to ignore. You''d need to cause a devastating amount of trouble for the crown prince for him to even consider sending you out."


    "I suppose you have a suggestion?" Feng Ming said.


    "As a matter a fact, I do," Zhou Li said. "Believe it or not, I want you out of this city as much as you do. You''re killing my family''s businesses, and I want to cut my losses. Though I doubt you would trust me. I''m sure you''ve heard many things about me from your friends."


    "Something along the lines of being evil incarnate," Feng Ming said. "Are you going to tell me it was all a misunderstanding and that I should be careful who I make friends with?"


    "Heavens, no," Zhou Li said. "They know what I did, but my motives are misunderstood. Has it ever occurred to you that I might have legitimate reasons to contract people from the Obsidian Syndicate?"


    "And what might that be?" Feng Ming asked.


    "The prince asked me to," Zhou Li said. "Plain and simple." Feng Ming frowned as he mulled over this statement. A steaming plate of stir-fried beef and shredded potato was placed in front of him. He hesitated slightly before taking a bite.


    "This is very good," Feng Ming said. "It''s much better than all those ''delicacies'' in the city."


    "Those have never suited my palate," Zhou Li said as he ate. "If my health was better, I''d eat here more often. In any case, it was Prince Tian who asked me to hire the Obsidian Syndicate. He''s the one who footed the bill. All I did was place the order and muddle karma. Unfortunately for him, the Alabaster Group interfered once they found out, just like I''d warned him."


    "A plausible explanation, but why should I care?" Feng Ming said. "I have no interest in your games."


    "For your freedom, of course," Zhou Li said. "I''ve come here to share some information with you. If you act on it, it will damage the crown prince enough for him to send you on your way. You''ll even get to choose where you go."


    "Excuse me?" Feng Ming said, aghast.


    "Ironic, isn''t it," Zhou Li said. "To tell you the truth, I''m only supporting the crown prince for my sister. But I don''t approve of his methods. The collusion with devils and evil spirits is more than I can stomach. In four weeks, there will be a secret auction in Songjing. They''ll be selling sin-tainted items, Sin Crystals, and even slaves. I want you to go to the basement of this location and crash their party. If you play your cards right, you''ll be able to catch at least half a dozen generals who report directly to the crown prince." Zhou Li slipped a small piece of paper on the table.


    "And why exactly should I believe you?" Feng Ming asked.


    "You shouldn''t," Zhou Li stated. "You''ll trust in your friend Wang Jun''s abilities. He''ll be able to confirm what I''ve said with his auguries. I have faith in his abilities, despite our various misunderstandings."


    Feng Ming thought for a moment before pocketing the piece of paper. "You''re playing a dangerous game," he said.


    Zhou Li shrugged as he stood up. "And so are you. We do what we must, and the world cares little for our personal wishes. You''re just like me¡ªadrift on the river of fate, trusting that it will take you in the right direction. Unfortunately, fate only cares about the result. It doesn''t care whether ants like us live or die."


    Feng Ming sat at his seat brooding as Zhou Li left through the front door. The man gave off a neutral vibe, which was strange. That meant he wasn''t a saint, but neither was he a devil. Sighing, he crumpled the paper without looking and tossed it at an open fireplace that was crackling by a small bar.


    To his surprise, the crumpled ball shifted strangely in the air and halted just before the fire. Frowning, he picked up the paper and tried tossing it again, this time more slowly. Strangely, his hand twitched as he tried to throw it and it hit the side of the fireplace. It landed on the floor unburnt.


    "Third time''s the charm," he muttered. He tossed it again. This time, it rolled out of the fireplace with several small fires slowly burning the crumpled paper. The flames spread, and before long, over eight tenths of the paper had burned.


    "Let me get that," a voice said beside him. The owner, who had been sitting at the bar, stamped the paper out with his foot. Most of the paper crumbled to ashes, leaving only a small piece unburnt.


    Curious, Feng Ming picked up the small piece of paper. He unfolded it, revealing a small piece of white paper covered in black ink. Four characters were still intact on the sheet of paper, despite the heavy burning. They spelled out the name of an establishment, the Honey Badger Inn.


    ***


    Huxian, Cha Ming, and an old doctor walked off Silverwing''s large body just outside Songjing.


    "Who would have thought that flying could be so fun!" Li Yin exclaimed.


    Cha Ming could only admire the man''s courage. The slightest mistake in the journey could have caused him to drop off the large bird and fall to his doom.


    "We should get going," Cha Ming said to the group. "We lost a lot of time on this trip, and the king could die at any moment." Huxian, Silverwing, and Lei Jiang donned their beast collars while Li Yin prepared himself mentally for entering the city.


    They were greeted politely at the gates. "I hope your trip was fruitful," a guard said. "No need to reregister your contract beasts, Master Du. We already have their information and only require you to update it once their realms change."


    "Much obliged," Cha Ming said, laughing. "This is my senior Li Yin. He''ll be entering the city with me today."


    "Not a problem," the guard said, waving them through. "Any friend of yours is a friend of mine."


    "They seem to respect you an awful lot," Li Yin said after they''d walked a few blocks. "Do you hold some sort of political position in the Song Kingdom?"


    "Nothing so important," Cha Ming said. "I am dual formation and talisman master. It affords me a certain degree of respect. Even spirit doctors need to watch their words around me."


    As they approached Central Square, Li Yin admired the local architecture while Cha Ming observed newly built structures. Several buildings owned by Prince Tian''s faction had been demolished and reconstructed in a very short timeframe. They now bore a semblance to the many large buildings in Quicksilver. The buildings contained earth-based runes to bolster their strength and defense. Each of these storefronts were now veritable fortresses.


    Did a geomancer arrive in the city? Cha Ming thought.


    To test his hypothesis, he walked up to one of these new buildings and placed his hand on it. His resplendent force mixed with his earth qi and examined the building''s structure in finer detail. Smaller runes aside, he detected 108 nodes throughout the building. There was only one possibility for such a configuration: A peak master geomancer had been brought in. This level of craftmanship wasn''t something that Cha Ming could match.


    "Let''s go to the Jade Bamboo Conglomerate first," Cha Ming said to his companions. "Wang Jun will want to hear about this as soon as possible."


    ***


    An incense time later, they were sitting in Wang Jun''s office. Wang Jun and Elder Bai were finishing up some urgent business while employees filed in with many snacks and beverages. No tea was brewed, which was a first, given Wang Jun''s obsession with the beverage.


    "Sorry about that," Wang Jun said, shooing Elder Bai away. "Some complications have popped up. Nothing unexpected, but they required urgent attention. Now, then, I presume that this gentleman is the Dr. Li you spoke so highly of?"


    "Hardly a doctor," Li Yin said. "My license was revoked. Now I consider myself a medical researcher who happens to treat people occasionally. It ruffles less feathers."


    "It''s the results that matter, and conventional medicine is not affecting the king in the slightest," Wang Jun said. "Did Cha Ming brief you on his condition?"


    "He did," Li Yin said. "Having one''s qi restrained will undoubtedly affect health functions. I''m helpless to treat this, but delaying the inevitable¡­ that''s possible. I''ll need Cha Ming''s help, however. He''s the only one I can trust with important matters like these."


    Cha Ming''s heart warmed at the recommendation.


    "The king''s health is a high-priority matter," Wang Jun said. "How soon can you start?"


    "The sooner the better," Li Yin said. "Seconds matter."


    "Unfortunately, we''ll have to wait until a few hours after nightfall," Wang Jun said. "The royal physician will be done with his treatments by then and will leave the king to rest for a few hours."


    "Then I''ll make the necessary preparations," Li Yin said. "Is there anywhere where I can procure herbal or alchemical ingredients? And someone to blend them? Preferably not a physician''s shop."


    "That''s easy to arrange," Wang Jun said. "Cha Ming recently recruited an alchemist. He arrived just yesterday, and he''s located in this building. He brought a very large amount of alchemical supplies with him to kickstart a competing Alchemists Association. He should have what you need." Then he rang one of the many bells on his desk. A younger man entered the room immediately. "Su Ming, please take them to the alchemist and instruct their workshop that I will foot the bill for anything they need."


    "Before we leave, I thought you should know that the crown prince has recruited a geomancer," Cha Ming said.


    "Feng Ming hinted at that, and new buildings have been popping up all over the city," Wang Jun said wryly. "I''d be a fool if I couldn''t connect the dots."


    "Then did you know that it was a peak master geomancer?" Cha Ming asked.


    Wang Jun frowned. "That I didn''t know." He then sighed. "Then there''s nothing we can do about it. We''re outgunned, and it will take you at least a year to reach the peak of foundation establishment. Don''t worry yourself about these things; I''ll find a way to deal with it. I always do."


    ***


    A shadowy door opened in the king''s dimly lit chamber. Cha Ming, Wang Jun, the third prince, and Li Yin walked out from it and toward the king''s bed. The dying man was much thinner than before, and his life force much dimmer.


    "Who is this?" a voice said from above the king''s bed.


    "It''s a fifth opinion," Prince Lei said. "Cha Ming found some help and has someone else working on a cure to the king''s poison."


    "Very well," the king''s protector said. "Same rules as before, but this time, I''ll have your head if anything happens."


    Cha Ming immediately approached the bed and laid down a healing formation. Then he projected the situation to Li Yin. "See here, how the healing runes disintegrate on contact? That''s the effect of the venom. I have someone else working on that issue, so you don''t need to worry about it. However, as you can see, his blood toxicity is extremely high. He''s being poisoned to death, and if his body hadn''t been strengthened by his core-formation cultivation base, he would already be dead."


    "Interesting," Li Yin said. "Can you magnify a cross section of the kidney? I want to inspect the cause of its malfunction."


    Cha Ming shifted the formation''s focus. The many interlinked capillaries and fibrous exchange centers were brought up on the projection screen. To Cha Ming, it looked like a perfectly normal kidney, albeit one that ran much slower than it should. It didn''t appear damaged in any way.


    "There is nothing medically wrong with this kidney," Li Yin concluded. "It''s running slowly, but it must be due to some other reason. The qi-restraining venom you described doesn''t have this power."


    Cha Ming frowned. "Then how can we cure him?"


    "We can only take it one step at a time," Li Yin said. "Once the venom is cured, we can inspect the situation further. For now, we need to reduce the strain on his body so that he can recover some energy." Li Yin then took out a small storage vial from his coat pocket. It was a cooled storage treasure which carried a solution Li Yin had invented, the blood-plasma solution. "Do you remember our discussion about semipermeable membranes? I want you to build one that won''t let blood pass."


    "Of course," Cha Ming said. "Prince Lei, we''ll be purifying the king''s blood, but for this, we need to take it out of his body a little at a time. Would you be so kind as to remove his bandage?"


    Prince Lei frowned but did as he was told. There was no response from the king''s protectors. Soon a small dripping wound appeared. Cha Ming quickly used his resplendent force to quell the bleeding. Then he took out the Clear Sky Brush and began painting a tiny but complex structure. To ensure success, he magnified it with the healing formation and precisely controlled his every brushstroke. A thin, clear membrane began to take shape.


    Cha Ming flicked his finger and willed over a droplet of blood. The cells were misshapen and clearly unhealthy. He pushed it against the membrane, which gave way to it.


    "Too big," he muttered. He willed his qi to contract, and the pores in the tiny matrix tightened. Then he used much broader brushstrokes to expand the existing structure.


    Cha Ming produced a thin, clothlike sheet of unknown materials that spread out for fifty feet before doubling back. He rolled the one-inch sheet into a tube less than an eight of an inch wide. Then he created a much thicker clear sheet. This time, he didn''t bother magnifying it. He wrapped it around the inner tube and filled the gap with baffles to compartmentalize flow.


    "Now fill the membrane with the plasma," Li Yin said. He handed him the vial, which contained a clear fluid. Cha Ming filled both the inner and outer walls with the clear liquid. "You know what to do next," Li Yin said.


    Cha Ming nodded and directed the inner tube, which was now full of fluid, to the tiny wound on the king''s body. He used his qi to form a seal. The king''s blood began displacing the clear fluid, which Cha Ming dumped into an empty vial. This continued until the entire inner tube was filled with blood. "My apologies, Prince Lei, but I''ll need to create another wound on his body."


    Prince Lei sighed but waved for him to continue. With so much blood having left his father''s body, he was committed to this treatment method. Cha Ming went ahead and made a small incision right next to the original one. He used his resplendent force to separate the inflow and outflow of blood. Then he willed the blood in the king''s body to circulate.


    After the first incense time, there was very little change. However, after a half hour, the clear fluid in the outer wall began to change color. It turned more and more yellow as increasing amounts of impurities were ejected from the king''s blood. Cha Ming wondered how it was even possible for Li Yin to think of dialysis, but he had rolled with it and used his own knowledge from his engineering days to suggest the counter-current extraction method.


    Li Yin''s original plan had also involved the use of sheep intestines and the like. Cha Ming, with his handy creation qi, would have none of this. Li Yin had readily agreed to each of his proposed improvements.


    Two hours later, the tube nearest to the incoming blood was filled with yellow and red-colored impurities, while the plasma fluid closest to where the blood returned was slightly yellow.


    "That''s about it for today," Li Yin said. "You can return his blood. We need to clean his blood every three days at the latest. The lack of impurities will allow his body to heal and recover some energy. With any luck, that''s all we''ll need to do."


    Cha Ming finished squeezing the remaining blood back into the king''s body. The man''s unhealthy red blood cells concerned him, but there was nothing they could do for now. He speculated that Li Yin''s next method involved treating the blood. Shaking his head, he used fire qi to burn the contaminated dialysis equipment.


    "I''ll make a few sets in the near future," Cha Ming said. "I''d hate to be responsible for an infection due to improper cleaning."


    Li Yin nodded. He was a big fan of using sterile equipment.


    "We should leave," said Wang Jun, who had been standing to the side. He materialized a shadowy door and ushered the small crowd out of the room. Cha Ming hastily tied the bandage before leaving.


    The king''s chamber door opened just as the shadowy door vanished.


    ***


    Princess Guo quietly entered her father''s chambers like she always did. While her siblings were out fighting each other and politicking, she spent her time keeping her father company. She wrinkled her nose as a light, ashy smell came and went.


    "So strange," she muttered. Her eyes wandered to the hastily tied bandage.


    Song Guo sighed. "Why does he always do such a sloppy job in tying even simple bandages? How can doctors be so lacking when it comes to such simple things?" She unwrapped the bandage and carefully wiped away the blood before refastening it.


    "What''s this?" she whispered as she gently touched a new wound that had appeared on her father''s arm. It hadn''t been there yesterday when she''d replaced the bandage. "Is the royal doctor performing extra treatments without telling me?" She looked at her father doubtfully. He looked just as sickly as before. "Well, it doesn''t matter what he tries, as long as he hasn''t given up."


    She took out a wet cloth and carefully washed her father''s face. As she washed, she couldn''t help but see the shadow of a smile forming on his sickly lips.


    "It must be my imagination again," she muttered.

 163 Progress

    "Well, that went well," Wang Jun said cheerfully. They''d returned to the Jade Bamboo Auction House, where Li Yin locked himself up to continue his research. "What are your plans now that you''re back? I''m afraid there''s not much demand for your energy-gathering formations now that the geomancer has entered the equation."


    "I''m not sure," Cha Ming said, massaging his brow. "I''ll likely pursue body refinement. There''s a fight brewing, and I need to be able to participate."


    Wang Jun frowned. "I''m working on it, give me time," he yelled out suddenly. His eyes glazed over for a moment before returning to normal.


    "Are you all right?" Cha Ming asked.


    "Never been better," Wang Jun said. "Why?"


    "You suddenly yelled ''I''m working on it, give me time,''" Cha Ming said.


    Wang Jun looked at him with a puzzled expression.


    "It must have been my imagination," Cha Ming muttered.


    Wang Jun shrugged and returned to work.


    Hours passed as Cha Ming lounged around, thinking about his next course of action. During that time, he overheard many conversations from the auction house''s customers.


    "I heard the Shen family was won over by the crown prince''s camp this morning," a young man said to his two friends. "Six of their storefronts and their family estate were fortified to the point that even an initial-core-formation expert couldn''t damage them in the slightest. In addition, various traps and functions have been added to each building. If chaos breaks out inside the city, they''ll be able to remain relatively unscathed."


    "Some other families might have gotten a few formations by joining Prince Lei''s camp, but what use are they if their home gets reduced to rubble?" the second man said. "That''s the third family in two days. It looks like the struggle for the throne is settled."


    "That''s nothing to complain about," the third one said. "If both sides are too even, the resulting civil war would devastate us. We''d all be drafted one way or another. Even the commoners would suffer."


    "Right, it''s better to have a clear winner," the first man said.


    Cha Ming pulled away his resplendent force once the conversation was over. Was he really doing all he could? He was deeply worried about the people of the Song Kingdom, and despite their desire for peace, he suspected life under the crown prince would be far from ideal. As he thought, he withdrew a jade bottle from the Clear Sky Space and opened it. A faint medicinal aroma caused his qi pillars to shiver with excitement.


    "They say that haste makes waste," the kindly Elder Bai said as he walked past. "You should make sure to consolidate your foundation before continuing. The young master said it hasn''t been long since you broke through."


    "What''s the worst that could happen?" Cha Ming asked as he stowed away the pill and stood up.


    "In most cases, it delays one''s cultivation progress," Elder Bai explained. "In other cases, it causes irreparable damage to one''s foundation, making cultivation extremely inefficient in the future. Why the rush? Only needing a year to reach the peak of foundation establishment is extremely quick. I''m envious."


    "Don''t worry, Elder Bai, I''m aware of my limits," Cha Ming said. "I feel that my recent experiences have sufficiently stabilized my qi seas. I''ll be attempting my breakthrough tonight, though I''ll be back in time for His Majesty''s treatment. Would you kindly inform Brother Jun when you see him? I want him to procure some late-grade scrolls and flags in the meantime. While a geomancer''s peak-grade buildings are a desired commodity, formations are far more useful for clans and sects. While it won''t win over everyone, it should stop the mass exodus of undecided families to the crown prince''s faction."


    Elder Bai looked at him long and hard before nodding. "Very well. You know your condition best. I''ll inform the young master when it''s convenient."


    Cha Ming proceeded downstairs to his cultivation chamber where he activated a built-in formation to prevent intrusion. Then he directed his attention to his qi seas. Although they were mostly clear, a few dozen specks of unconverted qi remained.


    "What difference will two weeks make?" he muttered. He popped a few pills in his mouth and willed his qi pillars to grow using the excess energy. They grew with little trouble, despite the turbidity that was slowly seeping into the pillars.


    Once they reached their maximum height, he popped three pills into his mouth. A vast energy traveled through his stomach and into his Dantian, causing his qi pillars to creak and groan as they destabilized.


    The Pillar Eruption Pills worked their magic and shattered the bindings that restrained Cha Ming''s foundation. He directed the potent qi to his foundation and willed it to grow. The pillars grew until a quarter of their surface was visible above his qi seas.


    "Consolidate," Cha Ming whispered. A whirlpool formed around each pillar as they rapidly sucked in each of the five viscous qi seas. He squirmed with discomfort as each drop of turbid qi entered his pillars.


    He gritted his teeth as he forced his foundation to absorb every drop. His qi pathways strained under the effort, while the rumbling in his foundation threatened to tear apart the black-and-white matrix that held it together. Finally, as quickly as the rumbling started, it stopped. Every drop of qi had disappeared and was replaced with an even thicker liquid. The degree of turbidity was much greater than last time. The damage to his cultivation seemed hardly irreparable. It would likely only take him a few months reverse the effects of his rash behavior.


    "It''s a small price to pay to prevent the Song Kingdom from being overrun by devils like in Fairweather," Cha Ming mumbled. Although it seemed like just a half hour had passed, two days had already come and gone.


    It was time for the king''s next treatment.


    ***


    With his new and improved cultivation base, Cha Ming continued studying formations with renewed vigor. Every three days, he stopped his studying to administer the king''s treatment. The man''s yellow complexion had improved drastically, and he now looked like a man in his nineties instead of someone at death''s door.


    In order to compete with the geomancer, Cha Ming was studying something far different than he''d experienced thus far. Seventy-two flags fluttered as they drew on the energy of heaven and earth. They were spread to each corner of the room, which was filled with hundreds of lines that moved as he willed them. Within the confines of the formation, he held absolute awareness and could attack enemies as he pleased. It would be difficult for anyone below core formation to survive the onslaught.


    Before long, the formation dimmed as the ambient world energy was exhausted. Cha Ming pulled out a high-grade spirit stone, which the formation plundered mercilessly before activating once more. This time, it lasted for an incense time before dimming again.


    "Can I eat it?" Huxian said as he walked into the room.


    "Eat what?" Cha Ming asked.


    "The formation," Huxian said nonchalantly. "For science." Seeing Cha Ming''s unconvinced expression, Huxian continued with his explanation. "I need data to answer the oldest unresolved question in my inherited memories. My ancestor''s lifelong companion was a great talisman artist and formation master. He could rend the heavens and sunder the earth with his arts. By accompanying him, my great ancestor devoured billions of formations. However, not all of them pleased his palate. He wasn''t sure if it was the essence of formations themselves that weren''t appetizing or if it was their construction that made the difference. For example, excellent ingredients can taste like garbage when prepared by a subpar chef, but a great chef can make a great dish from the most mundane ingredients."


    Cha Ming looked at the small fox in disbelief. "That''s very sensical, but I still don''t understand why you would ever want to do such a thing."


    "Because that''s what being a food enthusiast is all about," Huxian huffed. "Eating isn''t just a hobby; it''s a way of life. It is both my pleasure and honor to uphold the bagua family tradition of eating everything under the sun. And above it. And heck, the sun itself if I get strong enough."


    Cha Ming''s curiosity was piqued. "Can you eat it without eating the flags?"


    "Of course," Huxian said. "My ancestors have determined that sigil focuses and flags are fundamentally untasty. However, the verdict is still out on the formation energies themselves."


    "By all means." Cha Ming gestured. Huxian''s shadow distorted, and with a yip of excitement, it leaped onto the Gold Slaughtering Formation. Hundreds of mouths shot out and nibbled away at the many lines forming it. Eventually, it shattered.


    Cha Ming collected the flags while Huxian''s shadow collected the remaining fragments. "I gather that this one was tasty?"


    "Extremely," Huxian said. "They''re all much tastier than many of the others I''ve sampled in the city."


    "Wait, which formations have you been eating in the city?" Cha Ming said in a panic. He''d hate it if all his hard work had been undermined by his furry friend.


    "Oh, I just started recently," Huxian said. "I''ve been taking bites out of the fortified buildings that have cropped up over the past two days. They were delicious, but nothing special. Don''t worry, I made sure not to destroy them. They''ll work normally¡ªfor the most part. Of course, they''re faring much better than those Lei Jiang has gotten to." Noticeable amounts of drool were pooling on the floor below his mouth.


    Cha Ming massaged his brow. "What damage?"


    "He''s been eating those new buildings like an addict," Huxian complained. "At first it was just holes in the walls. For the sake of verminkind, he said. However, I think he might have started eating into the foundations. Apparently the fancy materials they''re built with are very beneficial for strengthening his body. I''ve been doing my best, but he''s very difficult to rein in."


    "And no one''s caught you both thus far?" Cha Ming asked incredulously. This was his greatest concern. After all, he was liable for all damages they caused within the city.


    "Those slowpokes?" Huxian snorted with contempt. "The city guard is basically useless, and those so-called experts inside those big families can''t even hear us, much less see us."


    Cha Ming pondered for a moment. "Let''s talk to Wang Jun and think of a plan."


    "A plan for what?" Huxian asked.


    "I want you and Lei Jiang to eat your heart''s content," Cha Ming said.


    Huxian eyes brightened instantly.


    ***


    Wang Jun burst out laughing when he heard the news. He rang for Elder Bai, who was brought to tears at the thought of the two little miscreants eating through the crown prince''s hard-earned coin.


    "And here I was wondering which guardian angel was doing my dirty work for me," Wang Jun said. "There''s no need to stop them. Anything is fine if they don''t get caught."


    "I was thinking more in terms of which buildings you wanted to prioritize, and which ones you wanted relatively undamaged," Cha Ming said. "For example, I''d hate to have them eat away the foundations of a building you''re planning on buying."


    "Fair enough," Wang Jun said, quickly scribbling down three lists. "The buildings on the first list should be damaged in any way possible. I want the damage to be so severe so that fixing it will cost the crown prince a fortune.


    "The second list contains buildings that should be damaged superficially but should be fully functioning," Wang Jun said. "I want the damages easy to fix. They are there for the sole purpose of undermining the geomancer''s reputation and reducing the value of the properties in case their owners want to sell them at a discount.


    "Finally, those on the third list should be damaged discreetly. I want their foundations destroyed and their walls weakened. It would be best if we could topple them over with a flick of our wrist. They should sustain some superficial damage to avoid suspicion but nothing serious enough to cause the geomancer to inspect them. These buildings are most likely to be used in city warfare, should the situation devolve to that level."


    "Noted," Cha Ming said as he stowed away the list. "I''ll instruct them as soon as possible."


    "Run, sister, run!" Wang Jun suddenly shouted.


    Both Cha Ming and Elder Bai looked toward him.


    "There''s seriously something wrong with you," Cha Ming said. "That''s the second time I''ve seen you blurt out strange things. This time you said, ''run, sister, run.''"


    "Nonsense," Wang Jun said. "Elder Bai, did I say anything?"


    "I''m afraid you did," Elder Bai said. "And it''s not the first time. I think you should get some sleep."


    Wang Jun frowned. "I''m afraid I can''t. There''s too much going on. Speaking of which, how is your progress on the Gold Slaughtering Formation?" Wang Jun asked.


    "I''ve finished the prototype," Cha Ming said slowly. "As long as I have sufficient materials, I should be able set it up without much difficulty. The formation is eighty-five-percent efficient. I project being able to expand each grand formation to cover a square mile without any loss in efficiency. However, the materials required will scale with the surface area being covered."


    Wang Jun nodded. "I''ll give you supplies and a list tomorrow. Soon I''ll be owing you money instead of the other way around."


    "I''m not doing this for money," Cha Ming said. "I''m doing it so there isn''t another Fairweather."


    A few brief pulses suddenly interrupted their conversation. Wang Jun pulled out a core-formation jade, which he activated. Prince Lei''s projection appeared on the corner of Wang Jun''s desk.


    "To what do I owe the pleasure?" Wang Jun said.


    "There are complications to the original plan," Prince Lei said. "I''m afraid we''ll have to come clean."


    "What for?" Wang Jun asked. "Did the doctors detect something?"


    "It was my sister," Prince Lei said. "I overheard her yelling at the doctors and asking for an explanation on father''s sudden improvement in condition. When the doctor said he hadn''t done anything differently, she brought up the wound you inflicted to circulate the blood. When he said he knew nothing about it, she swore she wouldn''t leave father''s side until she got an explanation from them."


    "So we can''t continue our treatments until we clarify the situation," Wang Jun said.


    "Exactly," Prince Lei said. "But we''re in a much better position than before. The doctors might scoff at Dr. Li''s lack of credentials, but my sister will only care about the results. Therefore, I confessed the situation, and the royal uncles corroborated our story. She wasn''t happy about our taking actions behind her back, and she was quite annoyed at the royal uncles for not telling her, but she said she''d like to meet the doctor who''s succeeded where others have failed."


    "It was bound to happen sooner or later," Wang Jun said. He turned to Cha Ming. "Can you speak with Dr. Li on this matter?"


    "I''ll explain it on the way," Cha Ming replied. "He''s very good with stressful situations, but he''ll lose his mind if anyone interrupts him during his research."


    ***


    Cha Ming, Wang Jun, Li Yin, and Prince Lei walked into the king''s chambers. This time, they walked through the front door. Princess Guo stood beside her father''s bed with an annoyed expression. The chief physician was there as well, and judging by the embarrassed look on his face, the princess had brow-beaten him the entire time they waited.


    "Dearest sister," Prince Lei said, "thank you for taking the time to meet with us. I realize you''ve been terribly busy of late, and¡ª"


    "Cut the crap," Princess Guo said coldly.


    The prince shrank back, leaving Cha Ming, Wang Jun, and Li Yin at her mercy. She turned to them. "I understand that you''ve been treating my father in secret. Normally this would be a grave offense worthy of execution. However, my father''s condition has noticeably improved. Therefore I wish to thank whoever has been treating him and ask him to continue his work under my supervision. I take it that you are Dr. Li?" Princess Guo said with a smile.


    "Doctor is too noble a title for this lowly one," Li Yin replied. "I am just a medical researcher who happens to know quite a bit about treating people without qi. I am unable to cultivate, but I haven''t been able to leave people dying by the wayside. Which is much more than can be said for the people bearing the title of doctor."


    "That''s a little unfair," the chief physician interjected. "We often treat people free of charge, but it''s simply too difficult to balance the needs of the masses with the needs of the rich and affluent."


    "You may speak when you''re spoken to," Princess Guo said to the doctor. "As far as I''m concerned, you''re useless, while this medical researcher isn''t. I hope I won''t have to repeat myself."


    The chief physician gulped. "Understood." He stood at attention next to the king''s bed and awaited his judgment.


    "Please continue with your efforts," Princess Guo said. "All I ask is that I be allowed to stand by while you do your work. I am greatly worried about my father''s health."


    "Very well," Li Yin said. "We''ve just been cleaning his blood while the Quicksilver Alchemists Association tries to find a cure to the qi-binding poison that is restraining his cultivation."


    "A qi-restraining poison?" the chief physician exclaimed. "No wonder none of my healing or analysis techniques worked!"


    "It''s also why Zhou Bei from the Quicksilver Alchemists Association couldn''t identify the poison," Cha Ming said.


    "Wait, how is the Zhou family suddenly involved?" Princess Guo interjected.


    "Zhou Bei is not on friendly terms with the Zhou family, and he is the foremost expert on poisons on the continent," Cha Ming said. "When the chief physician suspected poison, he had initially sent a vial of blood to Zhou Bei. Is that correct?"


    "Exactly so," the chief physician said. "That''s why I concluded it wasn''t poison. If it was a poison, that man would surely have found and identified it."


    "I don''t want to interrupt," Li Yin said. "But we''re already late for the treatment. Would you be so kind?"


    The princess and the physician quickly backed off while Cha Ming and Li Yin performed their treatment.

 164 Complications

    "That was simply amazing!" the chief physician exclaimed as Cha Ming purged the blood cleansing apparatus. "Might I keep it for study?"


    Cha Ming looked to Li Yin, who nodded. He cleansed the apparatus with water qi before offering it to the man.


    "Make sure not to use it on anyone, as it''s not sterile," Cha Ming said.


    "Of course, of course," the chief physician said. "It seems like the king''s blood is now quite clean. What might Dr. Li''s next plan be?"


    The man had given up all pretenses of superiority. Instead, he had relegated himself to the role of an inferior student.


    "This is where it gets tricky," Dr. Li said. The princess and the chief physician were listening in rapt attention. "We''ve cleaned his blood, which has allowed him to regain some vigor. Nutrition is not an issue, since the chief physician has been injecting him with a nutrition serum daily."


    "Please, call me Dr. Dong," the chief physician said.


    "Very well, Dr. Dong," Dr. Li said before continuing. "Then the next logical step is replacing his blood. His Majesty''s blood cells are extremely unhealthy, and it seems like his body is incapable of producing healthy ones."


    Dr. Dong frowned but didn''t interrupt. The princess, seeing his expression, couldn''t help but speak up.


    "Is there are problem with changing out a person''s blood?" Princes Guo asked. "I''ve taken dozens of blood multiplication potions with no ill effect."


    "It''s complicated because we can''t use such potions," Dr. Dong said. "The only way we could proceed is to replace His Majesty''s blood with another person''s. However, this is a taboo in the medical community since we normally possess alternative means. It is forbidden because of the many complications that can arise."


    "Such as?" Princess Guo said.


    "For one, diseases can be passed through blood," Li Yin explained. "Some potentially deadly diseases cannot be passed on any other way. More importantly, there is a phenomenon called the principle of blood rejection."


    "Different people''s blood tends to be rejected by the one receiving the infusion," Dr. Dong clarified. "The medical community studied it at some point but eventually gave up since blood multiplication potions were far too easy and cheap to make."


    "Then how could we possibly risk this with my royal father?" Princess Guo asked.


    "We''ll do it in two steps," Dr. Li said. "I''ve determined through preliminary research that incompatible bloods agglutinate, though I''m not sure of the exact mechanism. Blood tends to be most compatible within a family, so I''ll need a sample of the king''s blood, your blood, and your two brothers'' blood. We can look externally after that."


    The princess instantly retrieved her hair pin and pricked her finger, allowing blood to rapidly trickle into a crystal vial. "Is this amount sufficient?"


    "More than sufficient, but could you please secure the vial, Cha Ming?" Dr. Li asked.


    Cha Ming grabbed the vial and placed a special lid on it. Then he opened a plug and whisked away the remaining air in the vial. "Exposure to air degrades the blood. The blood must also be kept at a low temperature to prevent rotting."


    "Disinfecting the blood shouldn''t be difficult," Dr. Dong said. "It hasn''t been contaminated with qi-binding venom, greatly simplifying the process. My only concern is proof of concept."


    "I''m willing to personally undergo this trial," Li Yin said. "We can start gathering random blood samples in the Jade Bamboo Auction House for compatibility testing. Once I''ve found a suitable blood type, I''ll receive a transfusion for proof of concept."


    No one spoke out against this. The king''s life and the kingdom were at stake. After saying their goodbyes, Cha Ming and company left the palace in high spirits. They had obtained a blood sample from Princess Guo and Prince Lei. Only Prince Tian''s blood sample remained.


    ***


    The wooden door to Prince Tian''s study creaked opened to reveal a court eunuch. He stood as Prince Tian finished a discussion with his guest.


    "What is it?" Prince Tian said, looking over.


    "Your humble servant is here to inform you that Dr. Dong has requested an audience," the eunuch said. "He wishes to secure a vial of your blood to be used in finding a treatment for your royal father. What are your instructions?"


    "Bring him in," Prince Tian said.


    The eunuch scurried out the door, leaving only him and Zhou Li in the study. "Should I tamper with the blood?" he asked.


    Zhou Li snorted. "That seems like a very easy way to expose yourself and your past misdeeds."


    "Misdeeds that were committed under your instruction and coercion," Prince Tian added. "Regardless, I''m committed to this course of action. I must do this for the sake of the kingdom."


    "Removing the king from the equation was the only way to tide us through these difficult times," Zhou Li said. "War will soon envelop the entire continent. Whose side do you wish the kingdom to stand with? The winning one or the losing one? In any case, it doesn''t matter if they treat him. It''s virtually impossible for them to find the true cause of the king''s malaise. By the time they''ve figured it out, it will be too late." Zhou Li moved toward a bookshelf, where he revealed a secret exit.


    "Is it really necessary for my father to suffer so much?" Prince Tian asked before the black-cloaked man slipped away.


    "Timing is everything, my prince," Zhou Li said. "Each and every step of the process is necessary. In a sense, it''s not a bad thing that the third prince is scrambling to treat your father. At least his suffering will be eased considerably before his eventual demise." He then walked out of the room.


    The chief physician appeared shortly after. The prince dutifully gave him a vial of his blood and expressed his best wishes. How could he not hope for their success? The man was his father, and he hated every second of his slow and painful death.


    ***


    Cha Ming returned from an appointment with a smile on his face. The Jing family, one of the most adamant neutral camps in the city, had finally given in for the high price of two mid-grade gold-gathering formations and a Gold Slaughtering Grand Formation. Unlike most families, they did not possess significant assets in the center of the city. Therefore they were less concerned with collateral damage from powerful cultivators; they were more worried about the possibility of ransacking and pillaging by local ruffians.


    A middle-foundation-establishment elder could only do so much to safeguard his family. However, with a Gold Slaughtering Formation, he could easily crush anyone below core formation who dared enter his home. The deterrence alone would provide his family with a substantial degree of protection.


    Cha Ming passed several Jade Bamboo office workers on his way to Li Yin''s study. Each one looked haggard and sleep-deprived. Elder Bai was no different. As a foundation-establishment expert, his ability to keep working through fatigue was surpassed only by the young master himself, who was rumored to never sleep.


    He soon found his way into a stone-walled laboratory, which was situated right next to a budding alchemist workshop. Li Yin was busy examining several blood-filled test tubes with a minor healing formation Cha Ming had set up before leaving. The older man shook his head as he examined each test tube with a grim expression.


    "All failures," Li Yin said. "My own compatibility tests are failures as well."


    "Can you show me?" Cha Ming asked as he walked closer to the magnified projection of one of the vials.


    "You see this blood clumping?" Li Yin asked Cha Ming. "Incompatible blood agglutinates in this fashion. Only in rare cases of compatibility will this not happen."


    "What do you think causes it?" Cha Ming asked, carefully choosing his words. "It must be something outside the blood cells that makes this happen."


    "I speculate it has to do with the plasma fluid," Li Yin said. "However, the blood will be transfused into the recipient''s bloodstream. There is no way to prevent interaction with blood plasma."


    "Could the donor and the recipient''s plasma be different?" Cha Ming asked. "What if they were separated, and we only tested with the donor''s blood cells?"


    "Brilliant!" Li Yin exclaimed. "Quickly, separate a portion of this blood for me."


    Cha Ming hurriedly used his resplendent force to separate the thick red blood cells from the clear plasma. He repeated the process with a portion of blood from Prince Tian and Prince Lei. The doctor then dropped a portion of each blood into samples of the king''s blood. Two vials agglutinated, while another didn''t.


    "Success!" Li Yin exclaimed, barely containing his excitement. He then had Cha Ming repeat the process for the dozens of blood samples on his desk. It was no problem for him to find a few compatible bloods. "I''ll be testing the blood transfusion on myself tonight. With any luck, we''ll be able to proceed with the king''s transfusion tomorrow. Please tell Wang Jun to secure four cups of Prince Tian''s blood. He''s a core-formation cultivator, so he can handle it." The doctor then rushed off to secure his own blood specimens.


    "Should I even tell him about blood types?" Cha Ming muttered. With his intelligence, he''d figure it out in a day or two. Plus, who knew if the blood types here are the same as Earth''s?


    ***


    Wang Jun was hard at work when a soft knocking sound, followed by the click of his door opening, revealed Elder Bai''s reassuring figure. "What is it this time?" he said, sighing as the man walked over with a bundle of paper.


    "Yet another round of loans being called," Elder Bai said. "At this rate, any loan that can be called will be called. Which makes no sense, given our superior financial situation."


    "It''s like they''re out to get us, Brother Jun. What will we do?" his sister asked.


    "What was that?" Wang Jun asked.


    "I said it''s like they''re out to get us," Elder Bai repeated. "Are you sure you''re all right? It seems you''ve been having difficulty hearing lately."


    Wang Jun shook his head. He looked past his sister''s ghostly figure, who was playing on the floor, before continuing. "I''m fine. Now what''s the story with the remainder of that thick pile?"


    "Incident reports," Elder Bai said. "Although the cost of the goods and the trade caravan itself are insured, I''m afraid that exporting anything outside the city will be impossible in the near future. All of these high-grade weapons will need to be sold within the Song Kingdom itself."


    "Were any of those goods Cha Ming''s?" Wang Jun asked. Elder Bai shook his head. "I would ask where the military was when these incidents happened, but I''m sure I know the answer," Wang Jun said. "Prince Tian''s stupidity knows no bounds. It''s not only me that''s suffering, but his kingdom''s international credibility. Anything else?"


    "None," Elder Bai replied.


    "Good. Let''s go get some good news," Wang Jun said as he walked out the door.


    "Don''t forget me!" the ghostly child on the floor said. Wang Jun ignored her like he always did.


    It isn''t a poison, and it isn''t a curse, Wang Jun thought. Just what is it that''s causing me to see and hear these things? The average person would have gone insane by now.


    "Young Master, I have an important message for you," someone said suddenly. Hei Ling appeared out of nowhere and completely caught Wang Jun and Elder Bai unaware. Protector Ren appeared inside the room just in case.


    Hei Ling looked at Protector Ren with what seemed like disappointment. "Here it is," he said, placing a small piece of paper in Wang Jun''s open palm. "If Protector Ren was right beside you, I wouldn''t have been able to breach his defenses," Hei Ling commented before walking out the door.


    Wang Jun shivered but read the message. It lit up in his hands, leaving not a shred of evidence behind.


    "I thought I asked to have him tailed!" Wang Jun yelled. "How the hell can he come and go as he chooses?"


    The Jade Bamboo staff in the vicinity looked at him with shocked expressions. They''d never seen him lose his temper.


    "Elder Bai," said Wang Jun, "I want to speak with Li Ming tonight. Protector Ren, please follow me to the alchemist workshop."


    The man clung to him like his shadow¡ªHei Ling''s breach had reminded him of his own shortcomings.


    They passed through many corridors before arriving at a room bustling with customers. At Wang Jun''s instructions, these customers were all in Prince Lei''s camp. Such an arrangement would only change if the supply produced by this workshop far exceeded his faction''s demand.


    "How can I help you today?" a beautiful attendant in a green cultivation robe said.


    "I need to speak with Master Ling Bai," Wang Jun said.


    "Right this way," the attendant replied. Fortunately, they were inside the Jade Bamboo Auction House. Everyone here would recognize Wang Jun at a glance. He was soon brought into a small office in a remote corner of the workshop.


    "How are things looking these days?" Wang Jun asked Ling Bai, who was just finishing his review of an important document.


    "Things are going very well," Ling Bai replied. "One of our peak-mortal-grade alchemists broke through and became a magic-grade alchemist. Our number of apprentices has doubled, while the number of low-leveled alchemists has also doubled. Many of these people have defected from Master Alchemist Zhou''s workshop. Due to his bad policies, we were able to rope them in without even offering them a pay raise."


    "How about sales?" Wang Jun asked.


    "As you know, it''s difficult to increase margins on mortal-grade pills," Ling Bai said. "However, our market share is sitting at twenty-five percent. It won''t be long before we cannibalize another fifteen percent of the market. Unfortunately, our market share on higher-level goods is quite low. This will take much time to fix. We''ll have to recruit an opposing master alchemist to make any progress on this front."


    "Keep up the good work," Wang Jun said.


    "Thanks, brother!" his little sister''s ghost replied. He ignored her and walked out of the room. His next stop was another secret meeting with the Black King. This time, he brought Protector Ren along as a precaution.


    ***


    "Are you sure you want me to wait here?" Protector Ren asked doubtfully. They were in a quiet wine shop that offered private rooms.


    "I can''t take you with me for reasons I can''t speak of," Wang Jun said. "I should be using a Void Transfer Talisman to arrive at your side directly. I don''t want a repeat of last time."


    "Suit yourself," Protector Ren said. "It won''t be my fault if you die."


    Wang Jun nodded and walked out into a dirty street. The wine shop was quiet because the street was quiet. It was the perfect place for an ambush. Wang Jun gripped the Void Transfer Talisman tightly.


    A few turns later, he entered yet another dark alley. This one contained a similar door to last time. No, that wasn''t it. It was the same door, but in a different location. This time, it opened for him without asking him the security question. Wang Jun proceeded down the staircase before arriving at the same room as before.


    "I''m so glad you could make it here alive," the Black King said. "Was my warning helpful?"


    "It bought me a fraction of a second," Wang Jun said. "I take it you weren''t contractually allowed to tell me anything?"


    "I don''t know what you''re talking about," the Black King said. "Everyone must be self-sufficient in this world, and you must never let your guard down. Now then, here are your profits from our latest transaction."


    He tossed three sacks onto the table. "The first was successfully sold at two times the list price. Your profit is based on selling at 1.75 times the list price, for a total of 11,667 high-grade spirit stones. Similarly, the next batch netted you 12,500 high-grade spirit stones. Finally, I managed to sell the last batch at 2.5 times list price. This netted you 13,333 high-grade spirit stones. Are you satisfied?"


    "Very," Wang Jun said, retrieving the bags and plopping two more on the table. "Please sell these two bags of goods for me. Sell one at 2.25 times market price, and another at your discretion."


    "Why all the caution?" the Black King said.


    How could anyone be anything but cautious around you? Wang Jun thought.


    "How can anyone be anything but cautious around you?" his sister''s apparition pouted. Wang Jun ignored her.


    "Each bag contains 20,000 high-grade spirit stones'' worth of goods," Wang Jun said. "How can I not be cautious?"


    "That''s more like it." The Black King laughed, summoning the usual contracts.


    Wang Jun signed them only after cautiously inspecting them. "Will that be everything today?"


    "There''s one more thing, but I''ll require a confidentially contract," Wang Jun said.


    The Black King shrugged and summoned another piece of black paper.


    "I have a large quantity of immortal-jade core I wish to liquidate."


    "How much are we talking?" the Black King asked with interest.


    "Five hundred jin," Wang Jun said. "The estimated market value on the batch is 750,000. However, it can''t be sold to a buyer from within the Song Kingdom."


    The Black King thought for a while. "I can do it, but it will take some time. The Xia Dynasty has the lowest taxation rate on newly excavated products at ten percent. However, this is a restricted resource that can''t be sold anonymously on normal markets. For such a huge sum, I can sell it for a twenty-percent commission over and above the tax."


    "Ten percent," Wang Jun said.


    "I thought I told you there was no bargaining with me?" the Black King said.


    "And without me you won''t be able to secure such a huge, effortless deal," Wang Jun countered.


    Both sides looked at each other tensely from opposite sides of the table. Meanwhile, his sister''s apparition was running around wildly chasing a rat.


    "Fine," the Black King said. "Ten percent it is, but it will take six weeks to secure a buyer. You''re not holding the immortal-jade core with you personally, are you?"


    "That would be a gross violation of my family''s policies," Wang Jun said. "There is only one place where we can store such precious resources. If you pay me, I''ll even tell you where it is. I''m quite confident in its security."


    The Black King grunted. "No need. Will that be everything for today?" His eyes flickered to the talisman in Wang Jun''s hand. "I see that you''re learning."


    "I never fall for the same trick twice," Wang Jun said. "Though I''d hate to use it. Could I interest you in providing me a secret way out? For a fee, of course."


    The Black King chuckled. He waved his hand, revealing a hidden staircase. "Follow this hallway, and you''ll arrive just outside the wine shop where you left your precious Protector Ren. Speaking of which, it seems that he''s actually taking his job seriously now."


    Wang Jun frowned but moved into the tunnel.


    He passed through many hallways and staircases before finally exiting into the very room where Protector Ren was sipping away at a glass of wine.


    "Let''s go," Wang Jun said to Protector Ren, who dropped his cup in surprise. "We have a lot of work to do."


    ***


    The clock in Wang Jun''s office ticked away, adding pressure to Li Ming, who had just been cross-examined.


    "So you''re saying that he''s managed to evade you seventy-two times, and that even a core-formation cultivator would have trouble doing this?" Wang Jun said. "We''ll have to change our plan of attack. I want you to go on a team mission."


    "With who?" Li Ming asked.


    "With Hei Ling, of course," Wang Jun said. "You''ll both be framing someone, and I want you to use this opportunity to dig into his real identity and his past. Can you do it?"


    "I''ll try my best," Li Ming said. "Many thanks for trusting me with such an important mission."

 165 Possession

    A week passed by swiftly. By the time it was over, Cha Ming had laid thirty-three formations at various locations, securing much-needed allies for the Wang family and Prince Lei. Meanwhile, the king''s condition improved continuously. His bodily functions stabilized, though he remained comatose. The spirit doctors were helpless until the poison was cured. Even Li Yin could do nothing more than tailor nutritional supplements that could be injected directly into his bloodstream.


    "I finally get to finish what I started," Cha Ming said as he isolated himself in a cultivation room below the Jade Bamboo Auction House. He''d put off his personal cultivation for as long as possible, and there was no need to delay any longer.


    His advancement to late-foundation establishment had come with the side benefit of greatly reducing the amount of time required for cultivating the Seventy-Two Transformations Technique. Since he had already completed the gold and earth bone forging, he proceeded directly to fire bone forging.


    Cha Ming''s brush moved fiercely as he painted one bone after another. He started with the bones in his legs and proceeded to his ribcage, his skull, and his spine. One by one, runes of fire shot into his body, overwhelming him with searing pain as the quality of his bones, tendons, and muscles were improved. His golden spine and earthen legs gained complementary red runic lines while his skull and ribs gained a third color.


    After completing the rest of his body, he painted the most complex runes¡ªthe arms. While the spine''s core was gold and the leg''s cores were earth, his arms were aligned with fire. The violent red runes restructured his arm bones, shifting the gold and earth runes slightly to replace them as the core component. Rather than the beating of a thousand hammers, his bones felt as though they were scorched by a thousand flames. The entire process took a single day, a large improvement over the original three.


    After finishing fire bone forging, Cha Ming proceeded to wood bone forging, which focused on the ribcage, where the vital organs were located. He painted the other bones on his body first, adding green runic lines to his arms, legs, and spine, while his skull gained a fourth color. Then he completed the ribcage with calm brushstrokes.


    Wooden runes became the central component of his ribcage. As the last rune entered his bones, they were forged by the whipping of a thousand willows. His ribcage resembled tough, wooden runes. Like the three stages of bone forging before, the voids in his bones drank heaven and earth energy once more, increasing their gravity-manipulating abilities to five times his fist strength. His supporting muscles and ligaments also strengthened to compensate for this ability. The process was once again completed in a single day.


    Finally, Cha Ming began painting the water-bone-forging runes. He first completed the remaining bones in his body before moving on to the most dangerous and painful part of bone forging¡ªforging the skull. The runic bone structure he painted was complex and filled with lines that reached from one part of his skull to the other. Once he completed this rune, he felt the forging of a thousand gentle waves. The most painful migraine in existence caused him to almost lose consciousness as his skull fundamentally transformed into a soft blue rune.


    As the forging proceeded, the power of his senses increased exponentially. His skull, though only being forged by gentle waves, felt like it was being pummelled by one tidal wave after another. The pain only lasted half a day before his bones and joints crackled with newfound power. While he had only reached the peak of bone forging, he could display the strength of a half-step marrow-refining cultivator. The voids in his bones changed structurally once more, making it possible to increase his weight to ten times his fist strength. His supporting muscles and tendons naturally changed accordingly. Now, should he wish to do so, Cha Ming could increase his weight to one hundred thousand jin!


    Three days had passed since he began the process. Only a single step remained to break into the marrow-refining realm. After adjusting his condition, Cha Ming directed his attention to the immortal-jade core in the Clear Sky World. It melted into a puddle like the rest and was rapidly absorbed by the mystical artifact. Gray runes lit up all over the white brush. He got to work quickly, painting one intricate detail after another. The amount of "ink" available for this stage of bone forging was just as much as the previous ones. However, this ink needed to be spread out across a much larger runic diagram.


    He constructed the array piece by piece, bone after bone. He used the gray ink to first paint his spine. The runes were completely different than the ones he had painted previously. Instead of providing a framework, it was filled with thousands of tiny supporting runes. The same was true for the legs, the arms, the ribcage, and the skull.


    Cha Ming rested every few hours to replenish his qi and resplendent force. On the first day, he''d only completed the spine. On the second day, the arms and legs. On the third day, he finished the ribcage and skull. He was covered in sweat by the time he finished the translucent gray skeleton. It was the same gray that connected his qi pathways to his Dantian and organs. Once he drew the last connecting line, the entire gray skeleton burst apart and shot into every single bone in his body. To be more precise, they shot into the voids in his bones.


    There was no pain this time. After all, he''d already completely forged his skeleton. Instead, each rune he painted crawled into a void. His senses followed a gray rune inside a single void, where he saw what seemed like a small five-colored world complete with black-and-white specks. The gray rune floated to the world and gently imprinted itself on it and underwent a fundamental change.


    The moment the gray rune appeared, the world in the void rapidly shrank onto a single point and exploded into a spiraling vortex. It was like the birth of a tiny runic universe that began expanding ever so slowly.


    Cha Ming felt the urge to try something. He willed the vortex to shrink, and in the blink of an eye, he felt his weight lessen. He willed it to expand, and his weight increased.


    He also noticed that he could shift the miniature universe''s orientation. At his command, the universe retracted its energy, and he became weightless. Then he flipped its orientation and allowed a small amount of energy to leak out. To his surprise, he felt his body outside the void float upward. Thousands of voids were operating in tandem, and with but a thought, all of them retracted their energy. He became weightless once more, but this time he was floating in the air. This flotation was fundamentally different than what a foundation-establishment cultivator could accomplish with a magic treasure. Instead it resembled the flight of a core-formation cultivator.


    At the same time, Cha Ming''s bones lit up with a black-and-white light as the five-colored runic diagrams combined with the glowing gray runes in each universe spiral. The runes formed two cycles¡ªone of creation and one of destruction. Pain wracked his body as his bones were tempered by destruction qi and reformed by creation qi. With each step in the forging process, his bones became increasingly milky and translucent. The destruction and creation even seeped down into his marrow. Each wave of creation and destruction lightly brushed the marrow, greatly increasing its quality.


    It wasn''t long before his skeleton was fully comprised of gray jade runes. They contained hints of the original elements and creation qi that forged them as well as traces of the destruction that had tempered them. Cha Ming exhaled a breath of impure air as what used to be his bones became ashes that littered the cultivation chamber''s floor. His body pulsed as his heart spread the blood created by the new marrow into his body. It flowed to his muscles, organs, and skin, nourishing them and vastly improving their functions.


    By the time the process was completed, two weeks had passed. Cha Ming extended his enhanced senses to the lobby just outside the Jade Bamboo Auction House and found Feng Ming waiting there while patiently cultivating.


    How unusual, Cha Ming thought. Something must be wrong.


    As he moved to go greet his friend, he noticed that not only was the room covered in dust, but even the protective formations had been damaged by his breakthrough.


    "Maybe I should clean up a bit before going," he muttered.


    ***


    An hour later, Cha Ming and Feng Ming were seated in a private room at the Laughing Buddha, a famous restaurant in the city. After a brief review of the menu, Cha Ming ordered multiples of each vegetable dish. His breakthrough had left him famished. As Feng Ming slowly ate away at a few of them, Cha Ming gorged himself on whatever he could lay his hands on.


    "You look like you haven''t eaten in a year," Feng Ming said. "Did anything happen?"


    "I broke through to marrow refining just before coming to see you," Cha Ming said before continuing to another dish.


    "So fast?" Feng Ming said. "How could you skip over so many subrealms? Body refining is known to be one of the most difficult and painful cultivation methods. Advancing to marrow refining should take several decades of effort¡ªit''s why grandmaster spiritual blacksmiths and core treasures are so rare."


    Cha Ming shrugged. "My body-cultivation technique requires one to be a talisman master, and it also requires five jin of elemental immortal jade and one jin of immortal-jade core, prepared with special methods to dissolve them. Tell me, is it fair that I broke through so quickly or not?"


    There was a price for everything, and it would be ridiculous if there were no benefits to cultivating the exclusive technique.


    "Hm¡­" Feng Ming said. "Maybe you can help me out with something."


    "What''s this something, and why are you being so secretive about it?" Cha Ming said.


    Feng Ming quickly explained the information Zhou Li had shared.


    "Are you kidding me? You''re going to trust information given by that guy? That''s a terrible idea."


    "But I tried tossing the note in the fire," Feng Ming said. "I know it sounds silly, but do you remember what happened at the arena? If it was a bad idea, something or another would be stopping me from doing it. I''m lucky, remember?"


    Cha Ming hesitated. "Let''s at least ask Wang Jun about it. He''s pretty good at this kind of thing, right?"


    "But he''s too averse to risk," Feng Ming said. "He''ll definitely try to stop us."


    "When did it become ''us''?" Cha Ming said. "Besides, if he agrees, both me, Huxian, and his two friends will come along. In my humble opinion, there aren''t many forces in the city that could stop us."


    He rapidly finished off the remaining dish; a healthy glow had appeared on his previously pale face.


    ***


    "How could we possibly lose this much money over a short period of time?" Wang Jun exclaimed. "And where did these crappy and overvalued real-estate purchase ideas come from?"


    The sudden burst of energy was all he could muster. He began coughing with no end in sight.


    When did my health become so poor? More to the point, there was nothing wrong with him physically according to the best doctors he could get his hands on.


    "They came directly from you," Elder Bai said. "Do you truly not remember?"


    "How could I remember something that didn''t happen?" Wang Jun croaked. "My memory has always been photographic. You know that."


    "That''s why I''m so concerned," Elder Bai said. "We know you can''t be cursed, and the doctors say there is nothing physically ailing you. Having known you for all these years, however, I refuse to believe there is nothing wrong with you."


    "I agree with Elder Bai''s assessment," Protector Ren said. "Although I can''t detect a cultivator''s tampering, there is definitely something amiss. Your odd behavior started as soon as you escaped the assassination attempt. We initially thought you might be an imposter, but you knew far too much for that to be the case."


    Wang Jun collapsed into his chair in a dispirited manner. "Elder Bai, do you remember our conversations from before the attempt on my life?" he said.


    "I took extensive notes," Elder Bai said.


    "Please use these notes and your best judgment and operate the business as per our initial plans and modify accordingly," Wang Jun said bitterly. "We shouldn''t lose too much money if we follow them, but neither will we gain."


    Elder Bai nodded. "I''ll do what I can. Please get well soon." He swiftly exited the office and began issuing a salvo of commands.


    Wang Jun looked to Protector Ren. "Would you mind letting Cha Ming inside?"


    ***


    Cha Ming walked into the office with a frown. "I take it things have gotten worse?" he said to Protector Ren.


    "I can no longer be trusted," Wang Jun said wistfully while throwing his hands up in the air. "At least things aren''t so bad with you, seeing as you broke through to the marrow-refining realm."


    Cha Ming nodded. "I now have a fist strength of 43,200 jin, among other abilities. I might not be stronger than Protector Ren, but I''m at least confident in surviving his attacks.


    "Body refiners are best at survival and stamina," Wang Jun said. "They also have very keen senses. Speaking of which, I take it you are aware of my issues?"


    "I am," Cha Ming said. "I also have a theory. I think you might have been possessed."


    "Possession?" Wang Jun mulled that over for a bit. "Yes, that could be the case. But these cases are so rare. Why would you think evil spirits are involved?"


    "Because the aid I lent to the chaplain of the Church of Justice was related to evil spirits," Cha Ming said. "I covered the entire church in a grand formation that detects evil spirits, and we found multiple cases. The chaplain believes that evil spirits are causing much of the problem in Songjing."


    "The Church of Justice," Wang Jun muttered. "They can''t help me."


    Cha Ming frowned.


    "Don''t get me wrong, it''s not that I''m being obstinate, but their arts are extremely ineffective against me. Not only do I cultivate shadow and fate, but I have something called a Shadow Soul Constitution. I''m practically immune to most of their methods."


    "Why don''t we at least give it a try?" Cha Ming said. "Perhaps the chaplain will take this case seriously in the hopes of converting a heathen."


    Wang Jun chuckled wryly. "Yes, I''m sure he''ll see it that way."


    ***


    "So the heathen finally shows his face within these blessed halls," the chaplain said with a satisfied smile. "What can I do for you today, Second Young Master Wang?"


    The pale-faced Wang Jun was sitting uncomfortably in a wooden chair.


    "My friend seems to be afflicted by¡ª" Cha Ming started.


    "I want to hear it from him," the chaplain cut in. "Only he can ask for his own salvation."


    Cha Ming facepalmed inwardly. It was exactly as they''d predicted.


    "I''m not asking for salvation, I''m just here for an evaluation and potential treatment," Wang Jun said. "We suspect that I''ve been possessed by an evil spirit. However, the light-based grand formation you''ve set up seems to have detected nothing. I''m only speaking with you as a formality."


    "You are a heretic by birth, not by choice," the chaplain said with a compassionate tone. "Therefore, I can forgive your obstinate viewpoint. As for the failure of the formation¡­ Well, this is your unique constitution''s fault. However, Heaven never seals off all exits."


    He walked over to a simple cupboard in his office and withdrew a golden box. He opened the box and revealed a pill that glowed brightly with the warmest and most consoling light Cha Ming had ever seen.


    "This pill is reserved for emergency situations," the chaplain said. "Some vile means are able to resist an inquisitor''s powers of light. This pill completely negates any resistance to light a person has for a full twenty-four hours. It is only effective if willingly ingested.


    "This is an important core-protection treasure reserved for chaplains. If I use this on you, I put my life and the lives of my believers at risk. Therefore, I can only trade it for other means which will increase the church''s ability to protect the people in the upcoming conflict."


    "I hardly see how this petty royal struggle will affect the great Church of Justice," Wang Jun remarked snidely.


    "You know nothing," the chaplain said. "The conflict I am speaking of is much greater than the tiny Song Kingdom. Regardless of whether you understand why, I want 10,000 high-grade spirit stones in mortal-grade weapons and alchemical products and 100,000 high-grade spirit stones in magic-grade weapons and alchemical products. If you can''t produce it right away, I want a certificate of obligation issued on behalf of the Wang family."


    "That''s absurd," Wang Jun said. "What are my other options?"


    "You can find a powerful Buddhist monk," the chaplain said. "One of the three masters will do the trick, and they''ll have a much easier time acting than I will. I can handle a simple possession, but if it''s something else¡­ I might not be able to do more than help you for a single day."


    "Give me a moment," Wang Jun said. He withdrew his core-transmission jade and sent a message to an imprint Cha Ming couldn''t see. Then a shadow appeared above the globe. It was a man or woman with completely obscured features. The words they spoke were completely distorted. Even the chaplain could do nothing but frown as the conversation continued.


    Finally, Wang Jun put away the globe. "It''s no use," he said. "It would take at least a month and a half to secure the Violet Wind Master''s aid, and that''s only if nothing more important crops up. I can''t wait that long." He turned to Chaplain Chen. "You say that even your best efforts might not be able to buy me more than a day?"


    The man nodded.


    "It''s still worth it. I can make new plans in that period of time. Cha Ming, would you mind giving me a loan?"


    Cha Ming smiled and tossed a bag containing many of the weapons, talismans, and pills he''d bought in Quicksilver. He''d already given a portion of them to Wang Jun, but the market hadn''t been able to absorb this remaining amount."


    "Excellent!" the chaplain said. He flicked his sleeve and willed the pill into Wang Jun''s hands. "Consume this pill, and we can begin straightaway."


    Wang Jun ate the pill without any hesitation. As it wormed its way into his stomach, his body began to glow like a lantern from the inside. Meanwhile, the golden light suffused the entire room. It complemented the light of the grand formation and revealed a crimson cloud surrounding Wang Jun.


    "It''s not a possession," the chaplain said. "It''s a haunting."


    "What''s the difference?" Cha Ming asked.


    "A haunting does not directly invade the owner''s body," the chaplain said. "Rather, it bewitches their mind. It will affect their mental health and constantly subject them to illusions. It''s something rarely seen in the cultivation world, and I only know about it because of the sacred writings of our church."


    "Can you do anything about it?" Wang Jun asked worriedly.


    "I can only restrain them for as long as the pill''s effects last. You''ll be able to function in a mostly normal capacity for a duration of twenty-four hours. This is the best I can do for you because of your unique constitution. Evil spirits are like diseases¡ªif they aren''t destroyed, they will build an immunity to whatever ails them."


    Wang Jun nodded. He was prepared for this answer.


    "I think we may have even lost out on this deal," Chaplain Chen said. "Our specialty is in supressing darkness, curses, and devils. Evil spirits are difficult for us and require a tremendous amount of our accumulated faith power. Now, please follow me to the center of the church."


    They followed the chaplain to the main prayer area, where the exorcism circle was still active. The pastors ushered the curious parishioners outside, while the chaplain sent out commands for the inquisitors to gather.


    "Everyone," the chaplain said, "we are gathered here today to bind the evil spirits ailing this heathen. While he might be born of darkness, he has donated sufficiently to our cause to show his support and understanding. Please take your positions."


    Their twelve most powerful members, peak-foundation-establishment inquisitors, assumed the twelve most important positions, while eight dozen other inquisitors took supplementary positions. Cha Ming wasn''t even aware that they had so many forces at their disposal. Had they received reinforcements?


    Chaplain Chen began reading from an ancient golden book. "And the Holy Mother did say, abandon not the children of the shadows, for they are cave dwellers who have not seen the light of day. However, forgive not devils and the unseen, for they have abandoned all righteousness and goodwill. They are a scourge upon this world, which should be uprooted at every opportunity.


    "And if uprooting is ineffective, do not abandon hope. Bind them in shackles of light, lest they cause greater mischief if left unattended."


    Countless light runes began circling around the chaplain as he chanted. Motes of light burst out from the 108 inquisitors. Each of them paled as the light left them; it was clear that the price they paid wasn''t small. The chaplain''s inner glow also diminished.


    "Oh, Holy Mother, please lend us your aid. Transform these runes of faith into holy shackles," the chaplain intoned.


    The motes of light manifested into runes, which linked together into chains. "Bind these evil spirits with your holy presence, lest they ravage your flock. We entrust this matter to you in humble appreciation of your power." The golden chain glowed brightly before shooting out toward the crimson spirits hovering over Wang Jun and wrapping them together in a tight bundle. It hovered near him and turned invisible.


    "Many thanks for your help, my brothers in the light," the chaplain said.


    "Our duty is to serve!" the inquisitors said before dispersing.


    "I suggest you get your affairs in order before your affliction returns," the weak-looking chaplain said before leaving them near the thrumming formation.

 166 Corruption

    Feng Ming took a deep breath as he launched himself off a rooftop, his spear bearing down on a late-foundation-establishment expert. The man didn''t know what hit him. It took a split second for his life to end as the butt of Feng Ming''s spear crashed into the back of his neck. The newly promoted general proceeded to strip the man and confiscate his bag of holding.


    He easily broke the spirit mark on the storage device and scoured the man''s possessions. It wasn''t long before he detected an ominous black card bearing the word "invitation." Luckily, this man had hidden it in an easy-to-find location. After securing it, he donned the man''s black garb and doupeng, which happened to be his size. The last one he''d killed had morphed into his devil form upon death, destroying the uniform clothes these "customers" seemed to wear.


    A hot wind blew over Feng Ming''s obscured features as he made his way to the Honey Badger Inn. Like many of the figures he''d seen, he approached it without making a sound. The bar was empty save for two customers. Like the ones before him, he silently placed his card on the bar, prompting the bartender to pull a hidden lever. A carefully hidden flight of stairs opened to the basement.


    The spiral staircase traveled fifty feet down before splitting up into several corridors, where a beautiful lady wearing black metal collar greeted him with a smile. "Right this way, esteemed lord," she said.


    They walked straight through the intersection into a wide-open hall, where many figures were already seated. Like him, they also wore black garb and doupengs to obscure their features. They didn''t speak or make a sound, which was curious given the voice-concealing features of their magical garb. Feng Ming took the opportunity to spread his resplendent force into the adjacent hallways. He spotted several guards, servants, and prisoners¡ªinformation he rapidly relayed to Cha Ming.


    "If sir could please leave the hundred high-grade-spirit-stone deposit, I will give you your bidding paddle," the servant said.


    Feng Ming grunted and placed the deposit he''d pillaged onto a silver platter she held out. He then retrieved the black paddle with the number "77," his lucky number, and took a seat beside a tall cultivator.


    As a formality, Feng Ming attempted to a relay a message outside to Cha Ming, but to no avail. It seemed that his communication earlier had hit a "sweet spot" in the dampening formation.


    Well, he thought, at least they won''t be able to communicate with each other. I hope.


    A figure walked onto the stage as Feng Ming took a seat. "Welcome, lords and ladies to the thirty-seventh biannual auction," the figure said in a raspy voice. "Today, we offer premium goods in preparation for the upcoming struggle in the capital. Make sure you don''t miss out; failure in this mission will cost you your life and soul. First up today is a devil-barb anemone, perfect for crafting devilish infusion pills. The bidding starts at ten high-grade spirit stones."


    A flurry of rough, scratchy voices laid down one bid after another before the item finally sold at thirty high-grade spirit stones.


    "The second item, ten mid-grade Sin Crystals," the figure intoned. "Ideal for condensing your initial devilish form or upgrading it to foundation-establishment level." Sin Crystals, devilish pills, and devilish-cultivation manuals were snapped up one after another.


    "This item is called a karmic-enhancement flower," the auctioneer said as he procured a crystal globe containing a jade-and-ochre-colored flower.


    Feng Ming''s fingers itched with an urge to grab it.


    "It is especially difficult to procure because it benefits both sin-based and merit-based cultivators. The starting price is ten thousand high-grade spirit stones."


    "Eleven thousand!" a voice shouted.


    "Thirteen thousand!" another shouted.


    The bidding continued before finally stabilizing at 17,000. "Nineteen thousand!" Feng Ming shouted.


    "Twenty thousand!" a new voice joined in.


    "Twenty-five thousand!" Feng Ming yelled. Since the arena incident, he was practically swimming in money.


    "Sold!" the auctioneer yelled after three breaths passed. The crystal ball floated to Feng Ming''s seat. It was quickly followed by a collared servant that walked out with a tray. He placed his bid of twenty-five thousand high-grade spirit stones onto the tray and stowed the crystal ball into his bag of holding.


    "The next item is one that my master personally refined with the anguish of ten thousand souls," the auctioneer said.


    A black flag oozing a malevolent aura appeared on stage. Feng Ming was utterly repulsed by the item. He knew, however, that this was just the beginning. He clenched his teeth as he watched the auction unfold and waited for Cha Ming''s signal.


    ***


    "Finally, one who actually kept his invitation somewhere I could find it," Cha Ming said. He wasn''t upset at having to kill and loot fifteen not-so-innocent people to secure it, but time was of the essence. He rapidly imitated the man''s appearance and shifted his clothes to match the black garb everyone wore. Then he entered the bar and descended the spiraling staircase.


    Right before reaching the bottom, he spotted a shadow just outside a torch''s illumination.


    It''s your turn, Huxian, he sent mentally. Fortunately, their bond could not be disrupted by a petty dampening formation. He wreathed himself in shadows and followed Huxian into the thin world that ran along the hallway.


    We need to be quick, Huxian said. This is very draining. I can give you can hour at most.


    An hour''s all I need, Cha Ming said. He jumped between the sparse islands of shadow separated by a sea of bright light and found what he was looking for: thirty-six obscured locations in the outer ring where the guards and servants walked. He rapidly threw down pairs of formations¡ªthe first was a least-grade obscuring formation, which was there for the sole purpose of hiding the second ice-based formation. Then he hopped over to the other thirty-five spots and placed down similar formations.


    How long do we have left? Cha Ming said after placing the last flag.


    A half hour, Huxian replied.


    Cha Ming quickened his pace. He traveled through the shadows to the inner hall, where the auction was proceeding. In the shadow world, he could only make out partial conversations at best. He carefully avoided the senses of the many cultivators and laid down another thirty-six formation eyes. Many of them had even been erected right beside a foundation-establishment cultivator''s foot!


    Get out quick! Huxian yelled.


    Cha Ming immediately hopped out of the shadows where he''d entered at the foot of the stairwell as Huxian ran out of energy. Then he activated a formation he''d carefully placed near Feng Ming''s foot. Chaos would ensue shortly.


    ***


    Feng Ming waited nervously as the auction proceeded. It was one thing to kill a few people, but it was an entirely different thing to catch a crowd in an inescapable dragnet. For this, they needed a distraction.


    Maybe I should eat that weird flower for now, he thought. Under the curious gazes of the surrounding cultivators, he withdrew the crystal globe from his robes and shattered it. A wonderful fragrance wafted out to them, causing them to twitch nervously. Feng Ming wasn''t sure if it was fear of the unknown or fear of the ten core-formation cultivators outside that kept them in check.


    Ignoring their greedy looks, he popped the delicate ochre-and-jade flower into his mouth. It immediately dissolved and bypassed his body, entering his soul directly. As it did, he instinctively became aware of the function of the flower¡ªto increase merit by twenty-five percent. For most people, this would be a piddling amount, but for Feng Ming, it was an enormous quantity. His soul was immediately surrounded by a thick jade glow, which immediately began syphoning toward his resplendent vestment. Soon, a jade rune just like the first appeared on the white garment.


    Feng Ming''s cultivation automatically began evolving. The qi of heaven and earth rushed toward his body unbidden as it caused his core to increase in diameter. It grew rapidly until it reached a bottleneck at one and a half times its original size.


    But to his surprise, it didn''t stop there. The jade glow, which had previously formed a second rune, had also condensed into a third rune. As soon as this happened, Feng Ming''s Dantian let out a soft pop as it expanded to double its initial size, propelling him to early core formation.


    ***


    Feng Ming''s breakthrough naturally didn''t go unnoticed. At first, the auctioneer was slightly annoyed that the winner of the flower had taken it out, arousing the envy of nearby cultivators. Once the current auction was completed, he walked over to a nearby guard and instructed him to pass on a message to the first through third protectors. They were to evict the man immediately, before any chaos broke out in the auction hall.


    He then continued with the auction. Unfortunately, things didn''t go as smoothly as expected. In the middle of a fierce bout of bidding, the heaven and earth qi in the room suddenly rushed over to the man who had taken out the flower. Who would have thought that someone could immediately break through just by consuming the flower?


    He immediately halted the auction. "Everyone, please bear with me for a moment. First through ninth protectors, seize that man. I sense merit glow on him."


    This was, of course, pure nonsense. He just didn''t have a legitimate reason to kick the man out, so he made one up on the spot.


    Nine core-formation cultivators rushed into the room. Including himself, there were ten core-formation cultivators overseeing the auction. It wasn''t a large force by any means, but rather the minimum allowable for any traveling auction house in their organization.


    The nine black-cloaked protectors very cautiously approached the man who was breaking through. They brandished their weapons, approaching him with a set of black chains.


    But why would he break through now, of all times? the auctioneer wondered. Isn''t that just suicide? Unless¡­ could it be a distraction?


    The auctioneer directed his resplendent force to the entrance of the hall and found it was obstructed. He pushed against the obstruction aggressively until it shattered. To his surprise, he saw a large blue circle containing ten thousand high-grade spirit stones, which were rapidly being ground to dust.


    "Everyone, attack the man at the entrance, or we''re all dead!" the auctioneer suddenly shouted. He pushed open the large black doors leading into the hall, revealing a blue-robed man and three small animals. The man held a pillarlike staff; he stood guard in front of the blue formation. Its energy was rapidly feeding a grid on the floor. The blue lines were so cold that white frost covered the floor beside them.


    The nine protectors immediately pounced toward the door while the other cultivators were finally coming to grips with the situation.


    "I said everyone!" the infuriated auctioneer yelled. The chaotic mass of customers immediately regained their composure and assumed battle positions against the blue-robed man.


    ***


    Earlier, Cha Ming had seen three of the core-formation cultivators patrolling the outside perimeter rushing into the hall. It was less than expected, but he''d have to make do. To his surprise, however, the energies of heaven and earth in his surroundings suddenly thinned and rushed to the auction hall. The six remaining protectors rushed in as well.


    I have no idea what he''s doing, but it''s working, Cha Ming thought. He threw out thirty-six flags and rapidly painted the complex lines of a Water-Gathering Formation. It was a formation he''d grown very comfortable with in his time in Songjing.


    Sixty breaths later, the formation thrummed to life. He then painted a few dozen more lines, connecting the energy-gathering formation to a nearby formation eye. He tossed out ten thousand high-grade spirit stones onto the sacrificial formation. They began crumbling to dust as their energy was rapidly converted to the purest water energy that then seeped into rapidly growing runic lines.


    Cha Ming took a deep breath and summoned Huxian and his two friends. The floor crumbled as he increased his weight to a phenomenal 400,000 jin, and he increased the Clear Sky Staff''s diameter to two feet and its length to twenty-four feet. Its weight grew to 40,000 jin, which was slightly lower than his fist strength.


    Shortly after, the black doors to the auction hall burst open, revealing the auctioneer, nine protectors, and hundreds of enraged cultivators. To his surprise, they ignored Feng Ming, who was calmly breaking through in the center of the room.


    "That lucky bastard," Cha Ming muttered as he braced himself for the onslaught.


    "Go tie a few of them up," Cha Ming said to Huxian and his friends. "I''ll handle whoever gets through."


    "You got it, bro," Huxian said as he split into two and executed his familiar style. A domain of white light expanded from the white fox and began eroding the many cultivators in the auction hall. Unsurprisingly, the light''s purifying powers affected some more than others. Many of them roared as they changed shapes to their devilish forms in a futile attempt to ward off the light''s powers.


    Silverwing let out a piercing cry as he flew out toward two of the nine protectors. His silver wing strikes forced them to direct all their attention on defending. Meanwhile, Lei Jiang burst out with frightening power. Lightning was the bane of evil creatures, and the nine protectors were just that. They transformed to fight off the iridescent lightning and finally supressed Lei Jiang with two of their members.


    "Shoot everything you have at the man with the pillar!" one of the protectors shouted. He raised his sword and accumulated core-formation qi into a malevolent flame. The four others followed suit, activating the black runes on their bodies to push their power up to early core formation. The two hundred cultivators behind them also charged up various attacks.


    Seeing that only half of the grand formation was active, Cha Ming activated two mid-grade ice-shield combat formations. Then he activated a Hardening Talisman and three Myriad Ice Shield Talismans he''d purchased from Luo Ming before swatting at them with what he now called the Clear Sky Pillar.


    Fire and ice burned his body simultaneously as techniques breached his defenses. Metal cut his skin and earthen spikes bruised his muscles as they bypassed the large staff and hammered into him. His strong body ripped away any vines that managed to sneak in and wrap around his arms and legs. The pillar continued through the barrage of blows unimpeded and smashed into two of the core-formation cultivators. The lead cultivator''s body wasn''t weak, so he managed to survive the blow with only a little damage to his internals. The one on his right, however, wasn''t so lucky; he was mostly a qi cultivator that dabbled in devil arts, so he was reduced to nothing more than a meat patty.


    Seventy-five percent of the formation was activated by the time the wave of blows came to an end. Many gouges and burns on Cha Ming''s body were healing rapidly. His marrow worked double time to replenish the flesh and blood required for regeneration.


    "One last wave," the lead cultivator yelled. "We almost have him!"


    Cha Ming gritted his teeth as he prepared to defend against their last stand. His strength was bolstered by what he''d seen as he toured the underground facility¡ªhundreds of trained slaves, to be used as vitality farms, soul farms, and cultivation furnaces by the cultivators who purchased them. What these people did was an abomination, and only by killing them here and now could he stop them from performing more of these atrocities.

 167 Anonymous

    Feng Ming awoke to a scene of chaos. A blue formation was rapidly forming behind Cha Ming as a mass of cultivators began attacking him in tandem. Huxian, Lei Jiang, and Silverwing had flown out to supress some of the core-formation cultivators and divert some attention from Cha Ming.


    Why did they start fighting without me? he thought, only to realize that in retrospect, breaking through in the middle of a covert auction would definitely attract some attention. He sighed inwardly and projected his lucky aura to his companions. The attacks against Cha Ming clustered together at the last second, and his pillar smashed down and fortunately knocked most of them out from the air. Wounds still covered his body from head to toe, but he''d seen Cha Ming in worse shape.


    Meanwhile, Silverwing''s attacks began finding timely gaps in his opponent''s defenses, while their counterattacks kept striking his thickest feathers. As for Lei Jiang, the random lightning bolts surrounding him seemed to grow a sense of purpose; they bypassed his opponents'' defenses while residual sparks landed on large numbers of unfortunate cultivators.


    Seeing that everything was under control, Feng Ming focused his attention on the only person who wasn''t accounted for¡ªthe auctioneer. The man stood calmly, waiting for Feng Ming to attack him.


    "Why didn''t you kill me when I was cultivating?" Feng Ming said.


    "What? And incur the wrath of heaven and get struck by a lightning bolt?" the auctioneer said sarcastically. "I recognize those four. It doesn''t take a genius to figure out who you are. I wouldn''t be caught dead tangling with you."


    "You make a lot of sense, but I don''t think you have any choice in the matter," Feng Ming said. He summoned his lucky spear and activated his Fire General''s Steps. His movements were rapid and crisp, ideal for generating power in his spear strikes.


    The auctioneer grunted and threw out sixteen sabers, which collided against Feng Ming''s spear while the man himself stepped backward. Feng Ming could tell he was a middle-core-formation cultivator, so he was perplexed to see him retreat. The auctioneer withdrew a slip of paper from his robes and poured qi inside it. The man yelped as he dropped the talisman, which burst into a spatial crack.


    "Really?" the man yelled. "A defective talisman? I even made this one myself. The odds aren''t even one in a million, when most talismans won''t even form with defects. This is exactly why I didn''t attack you earlier!"


    The man sent out another sixteen blades to complement those already attacking Feng Ming. They gathered together in a hasty formation, which was promptly pried apart by Feng Ming''s lucky spear. The auctioneer took out one more talisman. This time, the runes seemed to activate properly. However, the man threw it out at the last second, and an even greater spatial crack appeared.


    "Third time''s the charm," the overly talkative auctioneer said. He took out a small core treasure, a brooch that formed a golden shield. It deflected Feng Ming''s spear just in time for him to activate the third talisman. This time the man disappeared without a trace. Moments later, the grand formation activated.


    "What terrible luck," Feng Ming muttered. Unbeknownst to him, the auctioneer lost an arm in the teleportation process and said those exact same words.


    ***


    "I never realized just how potent this luck thing can be," Cha Ming said as he batted away a fourth salvo of joint attacks. Somehow, his formation malfunctioned in just the right way, and the additional burst of energy boosted the completion from ninety-four percent to ninety-nine percent. Then, the Icy Hell Grand Formation glowed light blue. Shards of ice materialized on the edges of the circular shield, which blocked off any escape routes. This included the circular corridor¡ªCha Ming controlled the delicate shards to incapacitate the servants and lesser guards in the perimeter. Then, he methodically impaled one evil cultivator after another.


    His opponents'' movements became sluggish. With the support of the Icy Hell Grand Formation and Huxian''s dual suppression, they quickly gained the upper hand. Cha Ming''s Devil-Sealing Intent was mixed in with the icy formation; some of the weaker devils even perished before the shards of ice touched them.


    A single slap of the Clear Sky Pillar caused dozens of men and women to perish. A single flap of Silverwing''s wings decapitated a core-formation cultivator. The battle was sealed once Feng Ming joined in. His blazing spear joined wind and lightning, light and darkness, and ice and staff to put an end to the evil cultivators. An incense time later, every man and woman who had participated in the auction was dead.


    "What should we do with the bodies?" Feng Ming said as he unmasked one person after another. He recognized many of them¡ªthey were from the upper echelons of society, most of them part of the crown prince''s faction. Meanwhile, Huxian, Lei Jiang, and Silverwing were busy looting the corpses. After all, beast meat and medicinal ingredients were expensive, and beast monarchs had their pride.


    "The bodies of those who''ve undergone a devilish transformation have disappeared," Cha Ming said. "As for the others¡­ I have an idea." He explained his thoughts to Feng Ming.


    "It''s not that I''m against being anonymous, but how am I going to get kicked out of the city if they don''t pin my name on this?" Feng Ming asked.


    "You said one of them escaped?" Cha Ming asked, and Feng Ming nodded. "Then they''ll know. If you take credit for this, Prince Tian won''t be able to justify driving you out. It would look far too suspicious to chase you away after you''ve accomplished such meritorious achievements."


    Feng Ming''s mood brightened. "Who said Brother Jun was the only one with a head on their shoulders? Do you think we could tip the crown prince off while we''re at it?"


    Cha Ming nodded. "That we can."


    ***


    Marshal Feng woke up at dawn like he always did. Although he was a core-formation cultivator who didn''t require sleep, he felt it had some psychological benefits. As a man with substantial military achievements, he didn''t have to argue against anyone about this quirk of his.


    A soft knock sounded on his door as he ritually groomed his healthy beard. "Come in," he said.


    His assistant, General Tang, saluted as he entered and waited beside the marshal until he finished. He was used to the marshal''s morning ritual and knew full well that the man didn''t like to be interrupted.


    "You don''t usually come see me so early in the morning unless something important has happened," Marshal Feng said. "What is it this time?"


    "Reporting to the marshal: A dome of darkness was discovered surrounding a small place called the Honey Badger Inn this morning," General Tang said. "The dome is a full hundred feet in diameter."


    Marshal Feng maintained his composure as he walked over to a small table near the door, where a light breakfast had been left for him. He calmly sat down and had a cup of his favorite tea before continuing their conversation. "Have you sent anyone inside for reconnaissance? And has the Church of Justice dispatched any troops?"


    "We haven''t been able to breach the darkness, and neither have they," General Tang said. "We thought it was a formation, but no flags, focuses, or sigils have been detected. Therefore, we speculate that it is a technique."


    "A domainlike technique¡­" Marshal Feng said. "Very well, let''s take a look." He donned his black-and-gold cape and flew outside his window, his resplendent force carrying General Tang alongside him. As they traveled, he sent his resplendent force out to probe the disturbance. To his surprise, however, it was devoured as soon as it made contact.


    The dome vanished as he landed. In its place was a razed building, a pile of corpses, and several hundred unconscious men and women tied up with hempen ropes. Marshal Feng floated down to the corpses where he found a note stuck to a wall with a mortal-grade dagger. They flew to his hand, and as he read it, a smile appeared on his lips. The note read as follows:


    Dear Marshal Feng,


    This band of evildoers was found frequenting an establishment that bought and sold slaves. According to the laws of the kingdom, this is a capital offense. We have gone through the trouble of executing these criminals.


    Please report this matter to the crown prince at your earliest convenience. I am sure this news will lighten the load on his heavy heart.


    Sincerely yours,


    Anonymous


    "Silly," he muttered as the note burst into flames. "If you want to be anonymous, at least hide your handwriting a little."


    ***


    "This has a huge impact on our plans," Prince Tian said to Zhou Li.


    They were both sitting in his guest chambers drinking wine. The large room was spartan, containing only two couches, a fireplace, and a small table. No paintings adorned the walls, and the curtains and rugs were plain but durable. While the crown prince was austere and hard on his subordinates, he was twice as hard on himself.


    "We''ll have to go with the backup plan, then," Zhou Li said. "It''ll be messy, but I have confidence that we can unite the kingdom starting from the capital." He grimaced as he drank the inexpensive wine in his cup. The prince''s austerity didn''t merely extend to his decorations.


    "There are too many variables," Prince Tian said. "Most importantly, that Feng Ming''s luck is ungodly. How the hell did he even find the auction in the first place?"


    "That is why I told you to send him out of the city," Zhou Li said. "If he stays, your forces won''t even be able to put up a fight. Who knows what will happen¡ªmaybe they''ll contract the plague the night before a decisive battle."


    "And what about his friend, this Du Cha Ming," Prince Tian said. "It seems to me like he and his three beast companions did most of the heavy lifting."


    "I have a plan to get them outside the city as well," Zhou Li replied. "Your coup won''t work without both of them gone."


    "Fine," Prince Tian said. "I''ll find a way to relocate General Feng."


    "I do have some good news, however," Zhou Li said. "Our efforts against Wang Jun are bearing fruit. This will remove the last remaining shred of uncertainty from the equation. The succession will proceed as planned."


    The crown prince walked toward the window and gazed at Central Square, where the Jade Bamboo Auction House was located. Despite the late hour, it was still bustling with activity. "Just why do you pay so much attention to him? Have you ever wondered if your actions are having the opposite effect?"


    "Wang Jun is inscrutable, and I''d rather remove him from the equation," Zhou Li said. "Although he is not like Cha Ming, my inability to read him concerns me. We at the Southern Alliance are trying to change the destiny of the realm. The plane''s will won''t sit back and relax while we go about our business."


    Prince Tian sighed. "If only we weren''t located in such a strategic location. Then our kingdom wouldn''t have to bear the brunt of the suffering that''s about to unfold."


    "People can wish all they like, but they can only play with the hand they''re dealt," Zhou Li said. "I''ve been dealt a poor hand for more lifetimes than I can remember."


    A soft knock interrupted their conversation. "What is it?" Prince Tian asked.


    "Your Highness, Marshal Feng has come to report important events that have transpired this morning," his guard said.


    Prince Tian signaled for Zhou Li to disappear through his secret entrance before replying. "Let him in," Prince Tian said. Marshal Feng walked in with a pleased expression. "What happened?" Prince Tian asked.


    "A large devilish cult was located inside the city, and their members were executed by vigilantes," Marshal Feng replied.


    The crown prince''s heart clenched. "That''s great news," he said with a smile. "Did they leave a name?"


    "It was anonymous," Marshal Feng said. "At first I was unconvinced, but all was made clear once we questioned the slaves that were freed. That is, the ones who didn''t immediately commit suicide."


    "Regardless, we owe this hero a favor," Prince Tian said. "On an entirely unrelated note, I was wondering if I could ask you a favor."


    "Of course, my liege," Marshal Feng said. "What can I do for you?"


    "Your son, Feng Ming," Prince Tian said. "His ungodly luck is a huge asset that shouldn''t be wasted. I was wondering if we could mobilize him to aid Marshal Yong in the south."


    Marshal Feng frowned. "You promised he could stay here in the capital, where it''s safe. You know full well how dangerous it is out there."


    "But it''s like he has a guardian angel protecting him," the prince pleaded. "You know how difficult it is to find good men, and your son happens to be one of them." He softened his voice when he noticed the marshal clenching his fists. "I know it''s difficult for you¡ªhe''s your only son. I''ll tell you what, he can report directly to Marshal Yong, who requested his help recently. You''re both old friends¡ªsurely you can trust him to keep your son safe?"


    Marshal Feng hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Very well. I''ll talk to Marshal Yong to confirm the arrangements."


    "Then it''s settled," Prince Tian said. "Are you still free this afternoon for our weekly meeting?"


    "Of course," Marshal Feng replied.


    ***


    Sending my son away as soon as he destroys a bunch of devil worshippers. Do you take me for a fool? Feng Chuan thought. This is the last straw. You think I''m upset, but I''m happy my son is being sent outside of this devil-infested hellhole.


    He''d thought that the crown prince would win an easy victory. He knew now that he''d placed too much confidence in the normally competent man. Although his military advantage was large, his finances were in shambles. And with his strong reaction to the death of those devil worshippers, he finally figured out where all the mystery money in the prince''s accounts had been coming from.


    Since he''s lost his finances, it''s only a matter of time until he starts the war preemptively, Feng Chuan thought. Otherwise his brother will continue to grow stronger.


    He sighed. He predicted it would happen within a month.

 168 Interlude - Of Mice and Men

    Huxian was in his element. He slithered skillfully through the shadows of the Shen family compound, carefully avoiding the many guards that now patrolled its tall and sturdy walls. He knew they couldn''t find him even if he told them where he was, but he still liked making a game of it. Sometimes, he would scurry past their legs. At other times, he would slightly nip their arms, making them scream out in pain out of nowhere, sparking a search for ghosts or other such creatures. He snickered as he watched the pitiful fools guarding their pitiful dwelling, or what was left of it.


    After traveling through a crack in the wall, he ate his way to one of the few remaining geomantic cores. He carefully peeled away the rocky outer shell and slurped out the purest formation power. It might not be the most delicious one he''d tasted, but it was a cut above most. The key was to eat it in the appropriate fashion; consuming it with the coarse outer shell would leave a bitter aftertaste.


    He shook as the last vestiges of stability left the wall he occupied. As the wall fell, he ate his way down a few floors to a network of tunnels where Lei Jiang was hard at work, gnawing away at the building''s crumbling foundation.


    "How many more tons of demon-bone concrete do you need to eat before your breakthrough?" Huxian asked.


    "It''s hard to say," Lei Jiang said between mouthfuls. "At least a thousand, but it could be as much as ten thousand. Most of what I eat ends up going to waste. All I''m doing is sifting through the debris to find the delicious pieces of demon bone."


    "So that''s why you''re eating it," Huxian said. "And here I thought you were just being a glutton. That''s good thinking on your part. You''ll be able to break through to core formation very soon this way."


    "How about you, boss?" Lei Jiang asked. "When will you be breaking through to core formation?"


    "I''m in no rush," Huxian said as he took a casual bite out of the concrete. He spat it out immediately. "I want to wait until Cha Ming does. Although he should survive with his strong body, I don''t want to take any risks this time."


    "Smart," Lei Jiang said. "That''s why you''re the boss." The ground suddenly quaked when he took a bite that shattered a structural pillar. "Looks likes it''s time to run."


    "Let''s do it," Huxian yelled. His fur suddenly glowed with black-and-white runes that condensed into a suit of armor. He and Lei Jiang tore through space before arriving in the sewers right below their next target. "This battle armor I had Cha Ming paint for us is awesome! We can sneak anywhere we want, and it''ll reduce the damage we take in battle by quite a bit."


    Lei Jiang zipped past him. He was a blur of black, white, and purple. "It also doubles our speed. How did you come up with this great idea?"


    "It was my ancestor''s brother who invented it," Huxian sighed. "He was an unparalleled formation master and talisman artist."


    "Do you think he''s still alive?" Lei Jiang asked as he began his assault on the structural pillars of the Sima family.


    "I don''t know," Huxian said. "My ancestor spun off these memories aeons ago when he had his first child. The trail ends there. The only way to find out is to attain immortality. He could be anywhere in the higher realms."


    "What was his brother''s name?" Lei Jiang asked.


    "I''m not sure," Huxian said. "All I know is that he created the bagua. Before my ancestor met him, he was a normal many-tailed fox. He feared the heavens, which resented his existence. Then the man who became his brother asked him a question that changed his life: If the heavens resent you, why not fight them? Why live under the painter''s rules when we can make our own?


    "The bagua lineage began that day. We would no longer seek to sprout the ninth tail that would spell our demise. Instead we would search for something greater. A bagua fox will only sprout eight tails before he begins his search for perfection. He will remain this way until he finds it.


    "What a deep story," Lei Jiang said. "My father once shared a story with me, and I''ve never told it to anyone. I think it''s time I shared it."


    "What''s that?" Huxian said. "Is it some inherited wisdom for ages past? A forbidden legacy?"


    "It''s something he perfected on his own," Lei Jiang said solemnly. "Listen carefully as I share with you the perfect way to eat a geomantic boa''s egg."

 169 Winds of Change

    Cha Ming stood atop the Jade Bamboo Auction House''s roof and watched his friend exit the city with a team of a hundred soldiers. He wasn''t sure why, but he saw Feng Ming''s departure as a turning point in the struggle for the crown. The Lucky General wasn''t one to stand idle when he was needed somewhere, so there must surely be a reason he wanted to leave.


    "At least he knows what to do," Cha Ming muttered. With the slaughtering formations in place, he didn''t have much left to do but craft talismans in a feeble attempt to restabilize his foundation. Sometimes he would go teach Feng Huoshan''s many students.


    "Big brother, what are you thinking about?" Huxian said. He appeared beside the cross-legged Cha Ming and rubbed his muzzle against his elbow.


    "It''s just too strange," Cha Ming said. "The devils in the city make sense, and so does the king''s poisoning. But what is it with the evil spirits? And why is Zhou Li playing both sides? He just purposefully decimated his own forces without batting an eyelash. I can''t help but think that he wants a civil war in the kingdom, rather than the crown prince''s victory."


    "Isn''t he a pretty despicable person?" Huxian said. "Isn''t wanting many people to die only natural for someone like him?"


    Cha Ming shook his head. "People do things for a reason. Even the most atrocious devil would usually have a motive for the trouble he causes. Living beings are ultimately rational, even the psychopathic ones."


    "So you''re saying he''s benefitting from all this chaos?" Huxian said.


    "Yes, Zhou Li is a very rational person," Cha Ming said. "He''s benefitting some way or another. I suspect that even Wang Jun''s haunting was orchestrated by him and that evil spirits and devils are working together in this plan of his."


    "What can we do, then?" Huxian said.


    "We can only prepare," Cha Ming said. "I''ll focus on making talismans and studying formations. In the meantime, let me know if there''s anything else like the battle armor you want me to make."


    "There is one thing," Huxian said. "You should know that I can break through at any time. The next tribulation is the Swamp Tribulation."


    The colors on his fur faded, and he produced a small pill-like object. Cha Ming popped it in his mouth and became enlightened on a special technique¡ªSwamp Tribulation Totem. They could be used on any creature, man or beast.


    "I''ve been waiting until you broke through," Huxian said. "Lei Jiang is strong, so he shouldn''t have any problems. You, on the other hand¡­ Well, I don''t want to take any chances like last time. But it''s better to be prepared, and these totem markings can reduce the strength of the tribulation by thirty percent."


    Cha Ming''s heart warmed at the consideration. "I didn''t know you''ve been putting off your advancement. Give me a week, and I''ll definitely master these markings and make one for each of us."


    ***


    A man was walking calmly on his way to Songjing. He had a young face, and his long black hair was covered in thin streaks of white. As he walked, all of creation made way for him. Birds flew away, and rodents jumped; even the earthworms struggled to create some distance between them.


    Despite their struggles, the man didn''t harm them. Instead he spent his time enjoying the familiar scenery. "Songjing, how I have missed you," Zhou Bei said. He passed by a familiar stream, where he used to fish before his constitution was activated. He passed a peach orchard that used to produce fruit before he''d accidentally laid waste to the land. It was also where a single unmarked grave was kept. His late wife was buried there. She was the reason why he''d rebelled against the family in the first place.


    "Zhou Fan, why are you here?" he said as he stared at the patch of grass beside the largest peach tree. A pale, black-robed young man with red pupils matching his own walked out.


    "I think you have me mistaken for someone else, Ancestor Bei," the young man said. "My name is Zhou Li, a member of the younger generation."


    Zhou Bei shook his head. "I''d recognize you anywhere. Back then, you were the one who convinced me to have the Zhou Clan defect to the Southern Alliance. And although I finally realized my foolishness with her death, the damage was already done. When I tried to expose the family, you framed me as a traitor and had me chased out of the kingdom. Regardless, you shouldn''t be here, seeing that I killed you."


    "This junior is fortunate enough to know some family history," Zhou Li said. "It''s unfortunate that Ancestor was treated so unfairly. I''m sure that the family would welcome you with open arms."


    Suddenly, Zhou Bei rushed toward Zhou Li and swiped at him with his fingers. A corrosive poison caused the air to sizzle as Zhou Li barely dodged the strike and blocked the poison with a flaming black shield. Zhou Bei twisted in midair and kicked at Zhou Li, releasing a poisonous flood dragon that wormed its way around the black flame shield.


    In response, Zhou Li summoned chains of black fire that bound the poisonous flood dragon, which fell to the ground and dissipated.


    "I hope Ancestor can calm his anger," Zhou Li said.


    Zhou Bei chuckled and shook his head. He walked away from the orchard toward Songjing. "I knew it was you. I''d recognize that honeyed tongue from a mile away. Take care, Zhou Fan. Your plan didn''t work then, and it won''t work now."


    ***


    Come to the main lobby immediately, Elder Bai sent mentally. Cha Ming, who was busy studying the Swamp Tribulation Totems, immediately dropped his brush and made his way over. He passed several guards and attendants with pale complexions. It was only once Cha Ming entered the lobby that he understood what had happened.


    "Grandmaster Bei," Cha Ming greeted. "I take it you''ve made some progress in your research."


    "Yes, I finalized a cure just this morning," Zhou Bei said as he glanced around at the surrounding paintings. "Whoever decorated this hall has good taste. I''ve always enjoyed Bai Suyan''s paintings."


    Cha Ming chuckled. "I''ll show you around later. Let''s go see the king as soon as possible."


    They immediately flew out of the Jade Bamboo Auction House, where relieved customers continued their business. Truthfully, they had no understanding of what had just happened. Their reaction stemmed from their survival instinct, something that only high-leveled cultivators would gain full control over.


    As they traveled through Central Square, the populace scattered in a mad panic. "Is there any way to restrain your aura?" Cha Ming asked.


    "Oh, I forgot again," Zhou Bei said. He retracted his wild spiritual force, instantly calming everyone in the vicinity. "I always work in an isolated basement where I don''t have to worry about this. It''s so troublesome to keep myself in check, day in and day out."


    Bewildered, Cha Ming led the way to the palace gates.


    ***


    A short while later, Cha Ming, Zhou Bei, and Prince Lei were waiting nervously outside the king''s chambers. Of the group, Zhou Bei seemed the most out of place. His clothes were ragged and torn in many places, making him look like he belonged on the street. But the three of them knew better¡ªwith a wave of his hand, he could easily cause the four of them to melt into unrecognizable pools of acid. In fact, the damage to his clothes was anything but ordinary. Cha Ming could sense that the man''s robe was a core treasure, which was the only reason it didn''t dissolve from the constant exposure to his skin.


    The two of them flinched when the man gently lifted his white hand to brush away the white and black hairs that obstructed his black eyes with red pupils. "Must we really wait so long? Can''t we just walk inside? I doubt even those unseen protectors could stop me."


    "Senior Zhou, the king''s situation is no longer life threatening, so there is no need to resort to such extreme measures," Cha Ming said diplomatically. "We are already so fortunate that senior rushed here as quickly as possible."


    "A poison is best treated as quickly as possible," Zhou Bei said softly. "Sometimes powerful poisons are only a cover for other nefarious means. It''s best to know the whole story sooner rather than later."


    The door suddenly opened, revealing an anxious princess. "Is something the matter?" she said. "I expected you tomorrow night. And whom might this other guest be?"


    The prince stood up to respond. "Dear sister, this man is Zhou Bei, the esteemed poison master who has been searching for a cure to the qi-binding poison. He''s come all the way from Quicksilver City to see our father."


    The princess bowed deeply. "Thank you so much for looking into this a second time. We''re eternally indebted to you."


    "I''m only here to correct my previous failure," Zhou Bei said softly. "Let us skip the pleasantries. I wish to see your father."


    "Of course," Princess Guo said. She led them to the king''s chambers, where the chief physician and two others were administering some nutritional supplements. Li Yin was standing off to the side.


    "These are?" Zhou Bei asked as he inspected the physicians from head to toe.


    "They are the royal physicians, who have been doing their utmost to keep my father alive," Princess Guo said.


    "Please dismiss them," Zhou Bei said. "I despise spirit doctors and can''t stand the sight of them."


    "How dare you besmirch our occupation," one of them started, only to be harshly cut off by the chief physician.


    "This humble one will leave the king in Elder Zhou''s care," Dr. Dong said, nodding slightly to Zhou Bei. The dumbfounded doctors quickly filed out from the room.


    "It''s a wonder that Dr. Dong sought me out in the first place, given my dislike for his profession," Zhou Bei whispered as he approached the king.


    "May I ask what happened?" Cha Ming said.


    "The usual," Zhou Bei replied. "They called my work an abomination and sought out an injunction against me." Just as he neared the king, an invisible pressure prevented him from advancing further. Zhou Bei rolled his eyes before saying, "Do you really want to do this? Here? In your king''s chambers?"


    The suppression lifted, and Zhou Bei placed a hand just above the king''s comatose body. "They eventually gave up. Seven of their senior members died suddenly without any traces of foul play. The incident made them distraught, so they choose to drop my matter and focus on restructuring."


    Cha Ming shivered at the implications.


    "The poison has seeped into his bones," Zhou Bei said. "This poison requires me to use my unique constitution to devour it. It will take twenty-four hours. Please ensure that I''m not disturbed during this time."


    "You mean you can cure him?" the princess asked.


    Zhou Bei didn''t reply. A purplish mist began leaving the king''s body and entering the poison master''s outstretched hands. Purplish lines began forming on the man''s skin where his veins ran. They quietly left him to his work as the king''s invisible guardians protected him.


    ***


    Li Yin and Princess Guo chose to stay in the king''s chambers and observe from a distance, leaving Cha Ming and Prince Lei to their own devices. Night soon fell. They had long since run out of things to speak of, so they began playing Angels and Devils. Everyone''s skill level was roughly on par. This was great news for Cha Ming, who had been getting trounced in the complex game ever since his rebirth.


    "It''s time I told you about the second reason for my visit," Cha Ming said to Prince Lei. "Zhou Bei entrusted me with a device before we arrived. My job is to use the device to collect evidence." He revealed a clear stone the size of a thumb. A single purple drop was suspended within the stone.


    "What does it do?" Prince Lei asked.


    "It detects faint traces of qi-binding venom," Cha Ming explained. "It will glow bright and hot when within ten feet of a person or thing affected by the venom. The brighter the glow, the more contamination, and the greater the chances." To demonstrate this, Cha Ming withdrew a small sample of qi-binding venom, which Zhou Bei could now produce on demand. "It isn''t affected by the venom''s qi-binding properties, as it operates according to the laws of karma."


    "Wasn''t my father the only one affected?" Prince Lei asked.


    "Zhou Bei speculates that it is difficult to administer the venom to food or drink without being affected by miniscule amounts of airborne venom," Cha Ming said. "Therefore trace amounts of the venom are an important clue to discovering the perpetrator. We need to bear in mind that whoever poisoned the king was greatly trusted, as he was able to bypass the keen senses of the king''s guardians. The only people whom I do not suspect are Li Yin, the three physicians, the princess, and the both of us. I inspected them within the chamber." Cha Ming grinned. "Why don''t you take me for a tour of the palace?"


    "What an excellent idea," Prince Lei said, catching on right away. "I haven''t gotten a chance to show you around. Why don''t we start in my wing of the palace?"


    It took them a quarter hour to reach the relatively remote wing. As they passed through the rooms, they also went out of their way to speak to any servants, eunuchs, or nobility they encountered. It wasn''t long before they completed their inspection and moved on to Princess Guo''s wing.


    ***


    In Princess Guo''s much more effeminate and well-decorated area of the palace, each room contained a unique artistic flair.


    "This room was renovated by the great painter Fang Yi. It was commissioned by my great grandfather," the prince explained as they inspected the last hall. He looked around. "Could you please give us a more detailed introduction?" The staff in the room immediately fawned over them and explained everything they knew.


    The crystal shows no signs of qi-binding venom, Cha Ming told Prince Lei, who acknowledged his verdict. They patiently waited for the servants to finish their explanation before proceeding to the center of the palace, where the third prince took charge of introducing Cha Ming to the many persons within. Neither the people nor the rooms showed any response to the crystal.


    Their next stop was the harem. While they weren''t allowed within the premises, Cha Ming recruited a tiny friend for the mission. For the small promise of an all-you-can-eat buffet, Lei Jiang readily agreed to scout out the relatively small section. Cha Ming fastened the small stone to the two-inch mouse with a piece of cloth. Before long, he returned to them with a negative.


    "There are only three places left to see," Prince Lei said. "The Crown Prince Palace, the Scholar Palace and the Military Palace." While they were titled as palaces, they were, in fact, mere wings of the greater royal palace complex.


    "The military palace will be tricky," Cha Ming said. "They wouldn''t take too kindly to a small demon beast roaming the premises."


    "Then let''s hope we find the perpetrator in the other two palaces," Prince Lei said as they walked toward the Crown Prince Palace.


    Cha Ming paid special attention as they wandered through it. According to Prince Lei, the decorations were plain and spartan due to his brother''s disciplined temperament. As soon as he became the crown prince, he had emptied it of the lavish decorations and even auctioned off some of them to fill the royal treasury.


    Black curtains were the norm. Here and there, they spotted a servant, but for the most part there was much less hustle and bustle in what should have been the most magnificent of the royal residences.


    "Can I help you?" a voice asked as they approached the crown prince''s chambers. Zhou Jia, Prince Tian''s chief consort, approached them from a side hall where Prince Tian''s other wives resided.


    Prince Lei stepped up to greet her. "I was just taking Cha Ming for a tour of the palace. As I was just explaining, my brother has a spartan temperament, and he removed most of the gaudy decorations the palace had previously used to adorn the residence."


    "Yes, the only luxury he left behind was in the crown prince''s harem," Zhou Jia said pleasantly. "I can''t show you around, but I can definitely introduce you to the various rooms and gardens in the Crown Prince Palace.


    "Then we''ll thank you for your hospitality," Prince Lei said.


    Cha Ming had anticipated that this would happen¡ªthey could only delay a more thorough inspection to another time. Perhaps Brother Jun would be able to make something happen. As expected, their inspection of the many rooms, halls, gardens, and its various inhabitants bore no fruit.


    "Sister dear, I see that we have guests in the palace," a voice said. "They even brought Ancestor Bei to treat the king. With any luck, he''ll make a speedy recovery." The black-robed Zhou Li approached their group from a small hallway off to the side.


    "Yes, with any luck, Royal Father will make a speedy recovery," Zhou Jia said. She was clearly uncomfortable at her brother''s intrusion. "Should we go greet Ancestor Bei?"


    "Only if you want to be killed on sight," Zhou Li said. "You should have paid more attention to our family history. By the way, didn''t you say you had something important to take care of around this time?"


    "Of course, brother," Zhou Jia said, bowing to them and heading off.


    Zhou Li then walked up to them and smiled genially. "You all seem to be looking for something," Zhou Li said. "Perhaps I can help you."


    "You''re awfully brave, appearing before me after what you did," Cha Ming said. He immediately summoned his Clear Sky Staff, whose weight increased to the point that cracks appeared on the marble floor.


    "No harm, no foul, my friend," Zhou Li said. "I just wanted you to get acquainted with the Church of Justice. Besides, I even tipped you off about the Honey Badger Inn. It was all for the greater good. But, if you wish to attack me within the royal palace, be my guest."


    Cha Ming could only grit his teeth and bear with the man''s annoying smile.


    "It''s the results that matter. Regardless of your feelings about me, I feel obligated to tell you that the crown prince is currently holding a special civil meeting. It will end in a tea time within the assembly hall, and many influential characters in our kingdom will be present."


    "Many thanks for the information," the third prince said. "I think we''ll pay them a visit." He grabbed Cha Ming''s robe and pulled him toward the assembly hall with unusual haste.


    "Don''t be late," Zhou Li called out as they walked away. "It''s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

 170 Recovery

    "Why exactly are we listening to him again?" Cha Ming asked as they hurried down the marble hallway.


    "It occurred to me that this is the best way to inspect the high-ranking civil officials in the kingdom," Prince Lei replied. "Anyone with any influence on the king, at least on civil matters, will be present. If we inspect everyone in the meeting, we can skip our inspection of the Scholar Palace."


    Just what game is he playing? Cha Ming wondered. They soon reached the center of the palace, then headed north toward the assembly hall, where the royal court took place every day. The large doors to the hall were shut, and solemn-looking soldiers stood guard at the entrance. In a few breaths, the doors opened, and the many officials who had just been meeting poured out. They were all discussing the results of their meeting.


    Prince Lei quickly grabbed Cha Ming and brought him to the large group of officials, making a careful arc to include as many of them as possible in the crystal''s ten-foot range.


    "Teacher! Teacher!" Prince Lei yelled as he brought him to one of the older men, interrupting their discussion.


    "What can I do for you today, Prince Lei?" Hao Bodong asked. The two other men he had been speaking with stood off to the side, impatiently awaiting the end of this rude interruption.


    "This is Cha Ming, the formation master I spoke of previously," Prince Lei said. "He''s recently advanced to a late-stage master, making his formations a hot commodity in the capital."


    "Yes, I seem to recall that," Hao Bodong said. "However, I was in the middle of an important discussion. If Your Highness could please excuse this old man¡­"


    Prince Lei flushed with embarrassment. "How short-sighted of me. I will accept my punishment when you have more time."


    "As long as you understand your mistake," Hao Bodong said with a gratified smile. He then turned to the two other ministers and completely ignored the two youngsters.


    Did we find any suspects among the ministers we covered? Prince Lei asked.


    We didn''t, Cha Ming said. Is there any way to bring us closer to the remaining ones? He understood that Prince Lei had already lost quite a bit of face to cover so many people at once.


    I have a way, Prince Lei said. He brought Cha Ming through the thick crowd of ministers as they made their way to the hall''s entrance. The crown prince was just exiting the hall. He was engaged in an intense discussion with a cultivator who wore a silver badge on his chest.


    "Second Brother, I''ve finally found you," Prince Lei said as they approached.


    The crown prince frowned. "Whatever matter you have, could it not wait until we''re finished here? The official meeting has ended, but many important discussions will take place immediately after."


    "I just thought I''d introduce Master Du to you, a genius formation master from Quicksilver," Prince Lei said. "Perhaps he can lend you a hand in the future."


    The crown prince''s face twitched, but he nonetheless gestured for Cha Ming to come over.


    A light tingling sensation appeared in Cha Ming''s hand as he approached the duo. The sensation grew stronger and stronger as the crystal in his hand heated. He cursed Zhou Bei for his inaccurate description. The man had told him the crystal would heat up in proximity of the poison, but he hadn''t mentioned that this heat could sear even his ridiculously strong skin.


    "Master Du, I''d like to introduce Master Tu to you," Prince Tian said. "He''s a famous geomancer from Quicksilver who will soon become a grandmaster. It wasn''t cheap to bring him over. Now that he''s here, I plan on comprehensively reinforcing the city''s infrastructure."


    Cha Ming''s supressed the urge to scream and smiled as the stone continued to burn his rapidly regenerating flesh. "It''s a pleasure to finally meet Master Tu in person. I''ve seen many examples of your work in the city these past two days. Geomancer structures are known to last for long periods of time without suffering so much as a crack. It''s a pity that someone felt the need to sabotage your work."


    Meanwhile, he sent a mental message to Prince Lei. Is there a way to pull your brother away for a few seconds?


    Master Tu winced at the comment. "I''ve never had anything so shameful happen to my work in the past. These structures can even stand up to blows from early-core-formation cultivators. Judging by the marks, they were damaged by some sort of powerful demon beast of the rodent variety."


    Meanwhile, Prince Lei pulled an unhappy Prince Tian back into the audience hall. Cha Ming heaved a sigh of relief as the burning sensation left his hand. Having obtained the necessary confirmation, he stowed the detection crystal into his Clear Sky Space.


    "We all have bad days, Master Tu," Cha Ming said. "Perhaps you could inspect the wreckage and gain some inspiration, propelling you to the grandmaster stage in one fell swoop."


    "Many thanks for the best wishes," Master Tu said. "I''ve been stuck at this bottleneck for fifty years, but this is the first time one of my structures has been breached so casually. Perhaps some self-reflection is in order."


    Paff!


    The sound of Prince Lei getting backhanded by Prince Tian and crashing into a wall alerted all the nearby ministers.


    "Go back to your discussions!" Prince Tian yelled. He then picked up Prince Lei, who was now unconscious, and walked over to Cha Ming and Master Tu.


    "Master Du, would you please be some kind as to remove my unruly brother from this meeting area?" Prince Tian said, casually tossing Prince Lei''s unconscious body. Cha Ming caught him single-handed.


    "Not a problem, Your Highness," Cha Ming said. "I''ll make sure he gets medical attention immediately."


    A black eye was rapidly forming, and blood was flowing from Prince Lei''s mouth. Cha Ming channeled healing runes into his body as he carried the prince back to his chambers.


    "What did you tell him to upset him so much?" he asked Prince Lei when he''d regained consciousness.


    "Several things that were a long time coming," Prince Lei said. "What about the test?"


    Cha Ming lifted his right hand, whose palm was adorned with a crystal-shaped burn scar that was rapidly fading away. "It''s as we suspected. Prince Tian is the one who poisoned your father."


    ***


    Cha Ming sat meditating in the small guest room next to the king''s chambers with only Prince Lei to keep him company. Meanwhile, Prince Lei was hard at work, reviewing and completing documents his aides brought to him. His black eye was mostly healed.


    Tick. Tick. Tick.


    They counted the seconds as the twenty-four-hour deadline approached. The door opened like clockwork, allowing them inside the king''s chambers once more. Cha Ming could detect the aura of a cultivator from the king¡ªhis qi was now circulating normally through his qi pathways, nourishing his organs and meridians.


    "It is done," Zhou Bei said weakly. "I have removed all the poison, but I still feel there is something amiss."


    Cha Ming inspected the king''s body with his Demon-Subduing Eyes. The purple traces within the king''s body had disappeared and shifted over to Zhou Bei''s. "I can''t detect any traces, either. We''ll just have to wait and see what happens."


    Zhou Bei nodded. "I''ve done all I can for now. However, I''ve decided to stay within Songjing for a while. Make sure you prepare an isolated cultivation chamber for me."


    The man then walked to a window and jumped through it. A sigh of relief echoed through the king''s bedchamber as his protectors were finally able to relax.


    Li Yin hurried over from the side of the room. His eyes were bloodshot from having not slept for an entire night. "What an interesting method," he said before sending his spiritual force into the king''s body to examine it.


    Dr. Dong and his two assistants soon appeared. They glanced about the room nervously before approaching the king.


    "He''s recovered his cultivation abilities!" one of the doctors exclaimed as the three of them began using spirit-doctor techniques to heal the king''s failing body.


    "His organs are rapidly healing," the other confirmed.


    Only Dr. Dong frowned as the king healed at a rapid pace. "I feel there''s still something amiss. Although he''s recovering quickly, the speed is only a quarter of what it should be."


    "Perhaps it''s due to the extended qi deprivation?" Li Yin pitched in.


    "Perhaps," Dr. Dong said. "We''ll need to continue monitoring him closely during the next week. I hope you''ll stick around to offer your guidance."


    "After some sleep," Li Yin confirmed.


    Cha Ming looked over to Princess Guo, who was softly crying by her father''s side. He wondered how she would take it if she found out about her brother''s treachery. Fortunately, that wasn''t his decision to make.


    Feeling out of place, he slipped out of the king''s chambers and exited the palace grounds.


    ***


    Central Square was far more lively than normal. And with good reason: The seemingly impregnable buildings built by Master Tu had been ravaged by mysterious creatures for the past few nights, causing many gawkers and rubberneckers to come personally inspect the damages. Many others came to enjoy the show. They stayed at various famous restaurants, bars, and teahouses in Central Square, using their enhanced senses to catch every embarrassing conversation that floated around.


    As Cha Ming walked through the throngs of murmuring people, he spotted a crowd of jeering cultivators. They watched on in amusement as Master Tu carefully inspected a scar on his carefully constructed masterpiece, patching it along as he went.


    On a hunch, he activated his Demon-Subduing Eyes and noticed that while Huxian and Lei Jiang had already disappeared, a new threat to the building''s occupants had taken their place. The holes in the building were now chock full of demonic rats, who had already begun terrorizing the neighborhood.


    Cha Ming''s name came hand in hand with Master Tu''s. The city''s inhabitants were all excitedly discussing the two popular professionals and the advantages and disadvantages of each one. Suffice to say, Cha Ming was on the winning side of these discussions. None of his arrays had collapsed while his opponent''s buildings were all in shambles.


    ***


    A curtain of darkness hung over Songjing as two figures jumped from rooftop to rooftop. Their spryness exceeded their apparent cultivation realm: middle foundation establishment. While the qi they consumed for each movement and the pressure they emanated fit the bill, their movements bore a charm that could only be produced by unfathomable experts.


    "You''re awfully swift for a mere foundation-establishment cultivator," Li Ming commented as they landed on the wall surrounding the Sima family. He waited as Hei Ling pulled out a sharp black dagger.


    "Right back at you," Hei Ling said as he twirled the black dagger in his hands. It cut into a translucent membrane a mere foot away from the wall. He moved it in a wide circle, leaving just enough room for a person to fit through. They both jumped through it consecutively, landing on the soft ground below.


    "Do you normally do this sort of work?" Li Ming whispered.


    "I wouldn''t go around announcing it to the world if I did," Hei Ling said, chuckling. They passed three patrolling guards before jumping up to the third floor and carefully opening an unsecured window.


    What did you do before working for the young master? Li Ming asked while they rummaged through the room''s contents. He was the first to locate a pile of sensitive documents, which he carefully scanned with a recording globe before replacing it exactly as he''d found it¡ªwith a few added details.


    I worked for the main branch in Gold Leaf, Hei Ling said. You can tell the young master that if he has any concerns, he can speak to the family head for clarification. Or he can speak to that man. He will tell him everything he needs to know.


    Li Ming''s face flushed. I don''t know what you''re talking about.


    Look, Hei Ling said, walking up to Li Ming, you and I both know that the young master suspects me of foul play. We don''t have to pretend. I''m comfortable with my background. But are you comfortable about yours?


    Li Ming tried to retort, but the words stuck in the back of his throat.


    Hei Ling chuckled. We both know what your background is. So I''ll tell you what: Stop sabotaging my efforts, and I won''t expose you to the young master. I think that''s a more than fair offer given your line of work.


    Li Ming gulped. Fine. You win this one. Now what about the Sin Crystals?


    We''ll walk through the front door, of course, Hei Ling said. A cloak of shadows covered him as his aura rapidly changed to that of a core-formation expert. Li Ming''s cultivation also increased to match his.


    Their combined auras caused everyone in the residence to fall unconscious. They entered Sima Liang''s bedroom without a hitch and walked over to the safe hidden in his wall. Hei Ling withdrew a small black lockpick which immediately transformed into a suitable key for the safe. He opened it and placed a small black bundle into a corner of the vault. Then it disappeared as though it had never been there in the first place.


    That should be damning enough evidence, right? Li Ming said.


    It''s enough to make the Church of Justice suspicious of the crown prince, but not enough to convince them, Hei Ling said. They''re a big fan of the "innocent before proven guilty" rhetoric.


    After securing the room and ensuring everything was undisturbed, they floated out to the window they entered and stepped back onto the wall. This time they didn''t use the black knife to tear open the membrane; they used their qi to directly supress it.


    A few roofs later, their cultivation returned to normal. How about you give that recording crystal to me? Hei Ling said.


    Li Ming chuckled. Only if you give me yours. And your backup.


    Hei Ling shrugged. Only if you give me your backup and your second backup. How about we sign a life-bound oath, and whoever spills the beans dies?


    As if I''d be crazy like you, Li Ming said. They soon negotiated a deal and signed a black contract.

 171 Deterioration

    A week passed by without complications. Aside from the occasional conversation with Prince Lei and his daily visits with Wang Jun, Cha Ming immersed himself in talisman crafting and the mystical Swamp Tribulation Totem. He focused on supplementary or "buffing" talismans to aid his physical prowess but didn''t ignore other utility talismans.


    During the day, he spent some time assisting Feng Huoshan in teaching budding young talents. While Feng Huoshan and his friends were very experienced, they knew far less than Cha Ming did about runic characters. He was very rigorous in his approach. As he taught, he kept an eye out for any talents that might be worthy of accepting Fuxi''s legacy.


    Since Songjing was a large city, there were seven talents that possessed high innate soul force and five-element affinity. However, none of them had accrued a merit halo. He found that three of the seven had a good character. He encouraged them to focus on their heart and good conduct as they cultivated and gave them much more pointers than he did everyone else.


    Among the other students, there were two with an affinity for shadow that came after hearing of his rare ability to teach them. The Church of Justice also sent three talented inquisitors to learn light-based runic arts from him. He wished these peaceful days could continue, but he knew this was only the calm before the storm.


    ***


    A thrumming sound interrupted Cha Ming as he was painting a complex high-grade talisman. He frowned and sent a generic automated message to the recipient, indicating that he was busy. Moments later, however, the ringing resumed. He sighed and reabsorbed the ink from the near-perfect talisman before checking who the message was from.


    "I hope this is important," Cha Ming said to Prince Lei. Their relationship had turned a lot more collegial than before.


    "It''s a matter of life and death," Prince Lei said in a worried voice. "Please come over as quickly as possible."


    Cha Ming dropped what he was doing and hopped out his office''s window. He used the power of the void to quickly fly through the city streets. He ignored the indignant guards at the palace gates and immediately flew to the king''s chambers, where Prince Lei awaited him.


    "It makes no sense at all," Li Yin whispered to the other doctors. "His qi is fine, but his vitals have all given up."


    "I can''t detect any poisons," Zhou Bei said. "No poisons should be able to escape my senses now that the qi-binding venom has been purified."


    Cha Ming swiftly walked into the room. He immediately activated his Eyes of Pure Jade and his Demon-Subduing Eyes but detected nothing out of the ordinary. "Huxian?" he asked. The cute two-tailed fox jumped out of his shadow and awaited instructions. "Please fetch Wang Jun. Perhaps he can shed some light on this situation."


    "But Brother Jun is¡­" Huxian started.


    "This is just a precaution," Cha Ming said. "Please help Protector Ren escort him. I''ll be fine on my own."


    Huxian nodded and disappeared back into the shadows. Through their bond, Cha Ming could tell that he''d immediately arrived at Wang Jun''s bedside.


    Without saying a word to the three doctors, he quickly set down thirty-six array flags. His proficiency had greatly increased, so it only took him thirty breaths to install it. He immediately shared control with the three doctors and Li Yin, who scoured his organs.


    "There are no traces of demonic or devil influences," Cha Ming said.


    "Medically this doesn''t make sense," Dr. Dong said.


    "The timing is also very strange," Li Yin said. "As soon as the clock struck midnight, his condition immediately worsened."


    Cha Ming glanced at the ancient clock in the room and confirmed that it was only an incense time past midnight. "At this rate, he won''t last more than an hour."


    Hurried footsteps sounded from across the door before Princess Guo suddenly rushed in. "What happened?" she asked worriedly.


    "The king''s condition has worsened," Dr. Dong snapped, "and I would greatly appreciate if everyone stopped asking me questions while we''re trying to save him!" The red-faced doctor turned back and continued his conversation with the other medical experts. They were currently employing powerful healing techniques to fight for the king''s rapidly failing body.


    Suddenly, a black door opened into the room. Huxian and Wang Jun suddenly appeared inside the king''s chambers. Wang Jun looked extremely gaunt and fatigued. "What can I do for you today, Brother Cha Ming?"


    "Remember how you said you couldn''t read the king''s story?" Cha Ming asked. "Can you read it now?"


    Wang Jun focused his gaze on the comatose king. He held his hand out and tried to grasp invisible threads, but to no avail. "I still can''t do anything. It seems that the poison wasn''t the only thing afflicting him."


    While Cha Ming wracked his brains for a solution, heavy footsteps sounded outside the king''s chambers. "We need to speak to Prince Lei," a guard said. "It''s urgent!"


    "What is it now?" Prince Lei said as he left and closed the door.


    Cha Ming cocked his ear to the door to catch the gist of the conversation. They''d just received a message from the southern battlefield that the south''s attacks had suddenly intensified. Marshal Yong''s battlefront was faring particularly badly. This was also the battlefield where Feng Ming was headed.


    Suddenly, bells tolled within the palace. Cha Ming walked out and looked to Prince Lei, who frowned. "There''s an intruder in the city," the prince said. "How much more bad luck could we ask for in a single hour?"


    ***


    A figure in an orange kasaya walked through the streets. Wherever she walked, people shied away. Any guards who tried to stop her immediately put down their swords and renounced their violent ways. Occasionally, a foundation-establishment cultivator popped out of the woodwork and attacked her with a qi-based technique. She swiftly spoke a soothing mantra, which formed runic characters that blocked his attack and rendered him unconscious.


    There''s one, Gong Lan thought.


    She pushed off from her location, traveling three hundred feet in the blink of an eye. An old man gasped as a blade of light cut right through him. A dying wail pierced the air as specks of crimson dissolved into nothingness. The old man kneeled with grateful tears. She didn''t stop to accept his thanks, however. Time was limited.


    She repeated this action many times, slaying dozens of evil spirits before arriving at the palace gates, where she was joined by nine other monks in orange kasayas. They had funneled into the city from various directions to catch as many evil spirits as possible in a dragnet.


    "It looks like we have company," she said calmly as they walked toward the small army at the gates.


    "In the name of the king, halt and surrender!" a figure wearing a black-and-gold cape shouted. It was Marshal Feng, and Prince Tian stood beside him. Their overwhelming battle intent combined with the soldiers beside them, forming a repulsive barrier that was impossible to pass. For most people.


    Gong Lan simply sheathed her swords and whispered some reassuring words, which formed protective runes around her body. Her orange kasaya turned golden, and wherever she walked, the small cracks on the road mended and the plants breaking through them receded.


    "I said halt!" Feng Chuan shouted. He waved his spear, sending fire and brimstone raining down on the bald, gold-cloaked woman. Gong Lan and the other nine sped up, expertly dodging the fire and ashes that rained down upon them. Whenever she couldn''t dodge, she waved her hands, sending golden runic patterns out like shields to deflect them.


    Seeing that Feng Chuan couldn''t hold out, Prince Tian and a dozen generals joined him in creating a battle formation. It took the shape of a giant blue flood dragon. Their combined power pushed the dragon''s might into the peak of late core formation. Most experts wouldn''t dare face such a technique head on.


    But Gong Lan and the nine weren''t most experts. She spoke gentle words of gold that rushed toward the flood dragon, imprinting themselves on it. One character after another struck its giant frame until they accumulated into words spoken by the Buddha himself:


    "Hatred will not cease by hatred, but by love alone. This is the ancient law."


    As soon as these words were fully formed, the flood dragon roared and dissipated into a million motes of golden light. They shot back to the soldiers, who had created the dragon in the first place. As soon as it touched them, they dropped their swords, unable to move a single inch toward them. Even Feng Chuan and Prince Tian were affected.


    Gong Lan and the monks walked past them and entered the palace unhindered. They walked through the palace with purpose until they arrived at the door to the king''s chambers.


    "Who are you? What is your purpose here?" a distorted voice yelled out. Three red-cloaked figures suddenly leaped out and blocked off the bedroom door.


    "I am here to treat your king''s affliction," Gong Lan said. "As I come with a peaceful purpose, you cannot stop me."


    She walked toward the three men unperturbed. All three of them tried drawing their swords to act against her, but to no avail. As soon as the very thought of stopping her crossed their minds, a powerful force pressed down and paralyzed them. The nine monks followed.


    Gong Lan pushed open the doors and was greeted by eight shocked humans and a baby fox.


    "The king isn''t poisoned," she said in a deadpan voice. "He is possessed and cursed."


    ***


    After briefly ruffling Huxian''s fur, Gong Lan walked over to the king and placed her hand on his forehead. Those who wanted to speak out against her couldn''t. Cha Ming couldn''t help but gawk at her metamorphosis. He exchanged glances with Wang Jun, who was similarly affected. However, to Cha Ming''s surprise, Wang Jun quickly recovered from his fatigue. In fact, a slight rosy blush blossomed on his face.


    "Don''t think I''ve forgotten about you now that you''re hiding," Gong Lan said as she glanced over to Wang Jun''s position. Two of her fingers shot out, sending blades of light toward the paralyzed Wang Jun. Protector Ren, who was standing right beside him, jumped in front of the blades to shield the young master with his body. However, they pierced through him unimpeded and struck Wang Jun square in the forehead.


    "What have you done to my young master?" Protector Ren yelled, drawing his saber. A sanguine aura of blood and shadow pervaded to the room at this instant. Only the protective Buddhist light around Gong Lan and the nine prevented everyone from being injured.


    "I banished the evil spirits haunting him," Gong Lan said nonchalantly. "He''ll be back to normal in a few breaths."


    Cha Ming looked to Wang Jun, who was rapidly recovering from his fatigue. He looked refreshed, as though he''d woken from a deep sleep.


    "I previously inspected the king but found no indications of a curse," Wang Jun said. He patted Protector Ren on the shoulder as he passed him and joined Gong Lan at the bedside.


    A small clamor was occurring outside the bedchamber.


    "Tell them they may come in but must not disturb us," Gong Lan said.


    Prince Lei, who was shocked by everything that had occurred over the past hour, could only shake his head and open the door. Feng Chuan, Prince Tian, and the three protectors rushed in. As soon as they tried to speak, their mouths snapped shut and refused to open.


    "You inspected him, but you couldn''t find the curse because he was also possessed," Gong Lan said. "He was possessed by many evil spirits simultaneously. They are tainted by corruption and karma, making it difficult for you to read his story."


    Wang Jun sucked in a sharp breath. "That would do it."


    Gong Lan then muttered some mantras and took out a large rosary from her robes. She went through each bead one by one. Each word she spoke lit up one of the 10,080 pearls with a blessed golden light.


    The chant increased in volume as she spoke. The surrounding air congealed, revealing auras around everyone present. Most people were revealed to possess varying degrees of crimson, while Gong Lan glowed with a golden aura. Wang Jun revealed no aura, and neither did Huxian. Cha Ming was covered by a white glow.


    Soon, she spoke the last word. The 10,080 beads burst apart and surrounded the king in a complex formation. Dozens of crimson shadows darted out from his body. They tried to escape but were ultimately destroyed by Gong Lan''s fierce attacks. The single crimson shadow that managed to escape was cut down by a saber of light, which Gong Lan threw at the last moment.


    "Now you can try," Gong Lan said to Wang Jun, who immediately pulled over a wisp of shadow. It formed many blurry words. Cha Ming could make out some but not all of them. He couldn''t make out the king''s true name, nor could he see most of his story. However, he recognized three of the thousands of characters: disease, terminal illness, and death.


    "The story reads as follows," Wang Jun said. "On the second full moon of the year, the king will fall unconscious and gravely but not fatally ill. On the third full moon, his condition will worsen until he dies. As a note, it has been exactly one month since he''s fallen ill. It is also as Gong Lan said¡ªthe king is cursed."


    "I have no idea what''s going on," Prince Tian said, but we''re suddenly supposed to believe the words of this woman? And who are all these people? What are they doing inside my father''s chamber?"


    "These people have been saving your father''s life," Princess Guo said coldly. "We''ve gotten along just fine without you. You should return to your post, or maybe help out the armies that are suddenly falling like flies out in the field."


    Prince Tian flushed crimson. "We''re working on the military situation, but I can''t allow a trespasser to remain in the king''s chambers," Prince Tian said.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll be leaving soon," Gong Lan said. She turned to Wang Jun. "I have a friend who says you have a way to obscure his fate. Can you do it?"


    Wang Jun hesitated. "Can''t we just invite the Church of Justice to break the curse?"


    Gong Lan shook her head. "This curse is far too powerful. It is tied to the destiny of the nation, and the ancient Song Dynasty''s Seal of Pure Jade. We cannot break this curse. We can only buy him time until the other issue is resolved. You know that things won''t go in your favor if he doesn''t survive."


    Wang Jun grimaced before forming multiple hand seals. Yet another strand of gold left his hair and poured into a ball of shadow, which he threw at the wall of characters forming the king''s story. It shot toward the character for death, which instantly blurred. Then the story folded back and returned to the king''s body.


    "There. His death is no longer certain. You''d better make sure my efforts aren''t wasted. I''ve given up ten years of my life for a king I don''t even care about."


    "Don''t worry, I''ll stake my life on it," Gong Lan said with a grim smile. "It''s now time that we leave." She and the nine monks bowed to everyone present and walked out of the king''s chambers. They walked out the front door and dispersed throughout the city and began exorcising evil spirits and feeding the hungry.

 172 The South

    Following the events in the palace, Cha Ming sat in meditation at the Talisman Artist Guild. Huxian slept soundly on his lap as he worked hard to calm himself from the hectic hour he''d just experienced. He thought about his diminishing utility in the city and the war to the south. Should he go south and help Feng Ming fight off the invaders?


    A soft knock on his door interrupted his train of thought. Cha Ming opened it to find the hardworking Feng Huoshan. "What can I do for you today?" he asked.


    "A guest has come to see you," Feng Huoshan said. "I left her in a private room. I was afraid that she''d try and convert customers if left to her own devices."


    Cha Ming nodded and followed the red-robed man to a small room. Gong Lan sat there cross-legged in her orange kasaya with two cups of steaming-hot tea.


    Cha Ming closed the door and approached Gong Lan with Huxian in his arms. The fox yawned and hopped onto Gong Lan''s lap. "You''ve changed a lot," Cha Ming said as he took a seat on a soft cushion. "When did you decide to become a monk?"


    Gong Lan smiled. "My brother took me to a monastery to save me. Little did he know that it would change my destiny forever."


    Cha Ming took a sip of the small cup of tea before placing it down again. Gong Lan immediately refilled it.


    "Back in those days," she said, "I just wanted to help everyone and not be useless. I''ve finally found a way to do it without losing myself. Speaking of which, I''m not the only one who''s changed."


    "I''ve been through a lot," Cha Ming said. "I''ve learned to become a little more proactive, but this sudden change of events has taken me by surprise."


    "It''s not a sudden change," Gong Lan said wistfully. "This started hundreds of years ago with the fall of the Song Empire. It was a thriving kingdom that eventually collapsed. Hundreds of years passed while civil wars were fought. Territory changed hands until only this tiny Song Kingdom remained."


    "I still don''t understand how this could have any bearing on the current situation," Cha Ming said. "To me, it seems that the battle for the throne is a recent concern."


    "Do you know anything about destiny?" Gong Lan said.


    "Only a little," Cha Ming admitted.


    "Let me give you brief explanation, then," Gong Lan said. She took a tea leaf and a bowl of hot water. "Let''s say that this leaf is all the vengeance and resentment that is sown whenever a major conflict arises in a nation." She placed the leaf inside the bowl. A brown cloud immediately surrounded the leaf. However, it eventually diffused outward.


    After several minutes, the bowl of hot water had attained a light brownish coloring. "See how all the resentment spread across the entire teacup? It''s the same in a nation. Therefore, when kings supress rebellions, if each one is not quelled quickly, resentment will spread across the entire country. In turn, more rebellions will sprout all over the kingdom and tear it apart." She dropped three more leaves in, and the water turned increasingly dark. "Just a few events will cause an entire kingdom to be embroiled in perpetual bitterness.


    "The Song Kingdom, however, thought of a solution to this threat long ago. To secure their nation''s destiny, they tied it to the emperor''s Seal of Pure Jade and stored it in the emperor''s tomb, where each successive emperor was buried and subjected to a ritual to protect the nation forever. They encouraged meritorious acts to constantly refill the nation''s destiny.


    "Unfortunately, time has taken its toll, and the seal has accumulated too much corruption. The Song Kingdom is but a small piece of a larger entity. It has been soaked with so much warfare and corruption that the remaining kingdom could collapse at any time."


    Cha Ming frowned. "But the Song Kingdom is no longer a part of the previous empire."


    "That would normally be true," Gong Lan said. "However, the seal is a transcendent treasure that bound the entire empire by karma. The first emperors encouraged and rewarded righteous behavior, so that merit would cleanse the seal and providence would shine upon the kingdom as a whole. However, a scheme caused the chain of emperors to be broken. The kingdom split into twelve pieces that fought many wars over meaningless scraps of territory. But they are still bound by karma, and the hatred between the kingdoms eventually corrupted the original intent of the seal. Its guardian spirit has been convinced that the only way to protect the kingdom''s inhabitants is by destroying the kingdom from the inside."


    "How do you know all this?" Cha Ming asked.


    "Because my teacher fought against this corruption 160 years ago," Gong Lan whispered. "He lost his prized disciple in the process and has requested that I atone for his failure. Coincidentally, the king''s curse originates from the seal. I need someone to help me journey through the emperor''s tomb and reach the emperor''s seal and cleanse it. I need you to help me."


    Cha Ming shook his head. "I need to stay here and do everything I can." Inwardly, he doubted his own words.


    "What can you do here?" Gong Lan asked. "I''ve heard the whispers of your deeds in the city. You''ve strengthened the citizens and reinforced the third prince''s faction, but ultimately a civil war will erupt. Your strength may be great, but it''s a pittance compared to the might of the emperor''s seal. When its corruption is completed, the remnants of the empire will fall no matter how you try to stop it."


    Cha Ming sighed. "What do you need me to do?"


    "I need you to do what you always do," Gong Lan said. "I need you to get to the bottom of things and tip the scales. Haven''t you noticed that despite all the struggles in the city, there''s a strangeness you can''t put your finger on? Something that gnaws you from the inside?"


    Cha Ming nodded.


    "That''s because much of the work is happening behind the scenes. The enemy''s focus is in the emperor''s tomb, which is why the third prince has been able to gain an advantage in Songjing in the first place. This is also why I need your help¡ªus monks might be strong, but we''re not invincible. We need protection, especially in those vulnerable moments when we fight the corruption. Besides, you''re favored by the plane. You can make miracles happen even in hopeless situations."


    "How long will it take?" Cha Ming said, closing his eyes.


    "If my master''s records are correct, it will take a little less than a month to reach the emperor''s seal," Gong Lan said.


    "Can I call a few friends?" Cha Ming asked.


    "You have three days," Gong Lan said. "In the meantime, I''ll join the others in destroying as many evil spirits as we can find in Songjing."


    ***


    Feng Ming looked gravely upon a multitude of campfires blanketing the clear sky in a layer of smoke. They were still fifty miles away from Southhaven Fortress, where Marshal Yong stood as Songjing''s vanguard, along with twenty thousand men, a fifth as many as the invading forces. The large stone castle guarded Southhaven Wall, a remnant of the ancient Song Dynasty that had protected the kingdom until this day. If Southhaven and the three other fortresses didn''t fall, neither would the wall.


    "What a damnable time to attack our kingdom," General Qin said. "What kind of bastards attack a kingdom during their monarch''s succession? They''re despicable, rotten to the core."


    Another eight generals were part their small group. Unfortunately, they were much weaker than their brawny counterpart and could only bite their tongues.


    Feng Ming snorted. "Are you sure you''re not an inquisitor of the Church of Justice? This is war, and it''s the perfect time for them to attack." General Qin was about to retort when Feng Ming cut him off. "Don''t let that muscle you call a brain convince you otherwise. Just listen to the rest of us and charge where we say charge, and when we say charge, and we''ll do just fine."


    He added in a bit of his early-core-formation pressure for good measure. The general''s indignant expression was instantly replaced with one of respect.


    General Qin suddenly burst out laughing. "Who said people promoted to general by reaching core formation are all meatheads like me? You''re right, I''m not a thinker. I wear my heart on my sleeve, and everyone knows it. Just say the word and I''ll charge into a sea of ten thousand men. That''s much more than those eight cowards would be willing to do."


    Seeing the eight other generals'' indignant expressions, Feng Ming couldn''t help but comment to smooth things out. "Truth be told, they''re ten times more useful than you or me when directing our men in the battlefield. I''m like you¡ªI''ll charge when they say charge and retreat when they say retreat. We''ll need to work together to fight those southern devils off."


    They covered the fifty miles within the next hour, where they were greeted by Deputy Marshal Mo just outside the wall. The man was also a core-formation expert, but unlike Feng Ming or General Qin, he had a sharp mind for strategy. Recognizing his talent, Marshal Yong had immediately recruited him to his side.


    "Welcome, Generals," Deputy Marshal Mo said, saluting. "As you can see, the situation is dire, and we need all the men we can muster. Marshal Yong has called an emergency meeting for all generals. Colonels and captains, please report to the barracks for duty. Make sure you familiarize yourself with the fortress''s functions¡ªit''s a very advanced structure imported from a transcendent realm."


    "Sir!" Everyone saluted. Feng Ming and the ten others followed Deputy Marshal Mo through a series of sturdy stone passages to a room at the core of the fortress. There, they saw thirty other generals in their red-and-gold capes surrounding a rectangular war table. Unlike those found in the capital, this one was intrinsic to the fortress¡ªthe adjustable table perfectly reflected the terrain and enemy forces outside each of the three fortresses. To his surprise, all of the enemy''s forces were concentrated outside a single fortress.


    "As you can all see, we''re only fighting on one front, which greatly improves our defensive situation," Marshal Yong said. The grizzling man''s chest was a foot wider than most men''s, and coupled with his black-and-gold marshal''s cape, he struck an imposing figure. "As a result, we have called back five thousand troops from each of the other fortresses. This way, we can man ten more defensive battle formations and keep men in reserve for rotation and special operations.


    "What I need you all to do now is ponder over the situation and discuss the strategic options available. I want no stone left unturned. While thirty thousand men seems like more than enough to fight off these 100,000 men, remember that the Southern Alliance can employ strange means, many of which they have not yet revealed. They are far more advanced in key warfare technologies, weaponry, and alchemy than our troops. Our scouts have also reported that one thousand members of their reclusive Spirit Temple have joined the battlefield. We don''t know anything about their capabilities, and they are a wildcard in this war. Our only advantage is this wall, which our ancestors paid a great price for in the realms up above. Any questions?"


    There were none, and the generals got straight to work.


    Only Feng Ming and General Qin felt strangely out of place. While the generals began evaluating the terrain and stratagems, the two generals began playing cards, only pausing when the occasional general requested a clarification of their combat capabilities. To Feng Ming''s surprise, General Qin was not a qi refiner but a body refiner. He didn''t even use qi to refine his body¡ªinstead he used alchemical assistance and natural sources of heaven and earth energy to temper himself. Thus, while he might not be stronger than Feng Ming, his endurance and survival skills in battle were nothing to scoff at.


    "Are you enjoying your game of cards?" a deep voice said from above them.


    Seeing Marshal Yong, they both scrambled to their feet and saluted. The marshal walked up to the table and picked up Feng Ming''s hand, which was smaller than General Qin''s. "Are you so lucky that you need a two-card handicap in a five-card game?"


    "And he''s still winning," General Qin complained. "When they say he has the luck of a thousand men, they''re not exaggerating."


    Marshal Yong nodded. "Come with me, General Feng."


    Feng Ming waved apologetically to General Qin, who wandered off to his second-favorite pastime: weight training. Surprisingly, he kept an assortment of training equipment in his spatial ring.


    Feng Ming followed the marshal down a few hallways until they reached a secluded room with a stone door. The marshal placed his palm on a square, causing the door to open horizontally with barely a sound. The chamber was plain and simple¡ªit contained a small bed, a desk, and a meditation mat. On the table, Feng Ming spotted an Angels and Devils board.


    "This fortress comes with more conveniences than even a technologically advanced nation like the Quicksilver Empire," Marshal Yong said, motioning for Feng Ming to sit down. "Have you ever played Angels and Devils?"


    "A little," Feng Ming admitted. "My father forced me to learn when I was a boy. I haven''t played in ten years."


    The marshal nodded and placed an open container of black stones in front of him. Then he placed five of the black stones on the board and placed his own white stone. "The average general can only defeat me with a five-stone handicap. I force them to play often¡ªit''s a useful exercise to develop and sharpen their minds."


    "I''ll likely embarrass myself," Feng Ming said. He still placed a stone, however. It was a career-limiting move to disobey a superior officer.


    The marshal replied in turn, and before long, they''d each played twenty stones. As far as Feng Ming could tell, he was getting slaughtered. After peering at the board for a while, he shook his head and laughed inwardly. Since he couldn''t will this battle, why take it seriously? He began to treat it as the game it was, and soon the game reached its middle stages. The marshal''s pace slowed to a crawl while Feng Ming kept placing his stones based on gut instinct.


    ***


    Marshal Yong frowned as he observed Feng Ming''s latest move. Based on how the boy had played for the first twenty stones, his skill level was at least five stones worse than most of his generals. While Feng Ming was being modest when he spoke of his skills, it nevertheless fell short. Everything changed, however, when he placed the twenty-first stone. While it wasn''t enough to turn the game around, it caused Marshal Yong to hesitate.


    Thirty stones later, the marshal was sweating. Judging by Feng Ming''s relaxed demeanor, the boy had stopped playing seriously and was just following his gut. But that alone revealed a frightening fact¡ªwhile Feng Ming wasn''t trying, he was supressing the 300-year-old marshal like it was child''s play. Therefore, what he saw as a hundred-point lead in the beginning shrunk to fifty points, and fifty shrank to twenty. Marshal Yong soon found himself taking a teatime for every move. This lasted until the endgame, where the moves became much simpler. By then, his lead had shrunk to a mere ten points.


    I can''t be careless, Marshal Yong thought. I have to fight for every point, or I might lose. Therefore, he played cautiously, closing the existing gaps on the board and therefore reducing Feng Ming''s opportunity to come back.


    There, he thought as he placed one last stone. That should do it. His brow was covered in sweat.


    Suddenly, General Feng reached over to the other side of the board, which the marshal had overlooked as secure. He placed a single stone in the center of his existing territory, and the seemingly casual move caused the marshal to pale. He played a series of moves in his mind before realizing that he had to respond. They played one after another until neither the marshal nor Feng Ming could play anything in what used to be the marshal''s territory without losing something. It was something called dual life, where a move by either player would cause his own stones to perish.


    After some quick calculations, he sighed in relief when he realized that he still had a single-point lead. The game finished without any more surprises.


    ***


    "Thanks for the game," Feng Ming said as they swept up the stones into their respective cups. "I guess I still fall a little short from a general''s standard. Though in all fairness, I just got lucky."


    His words were relaxed and modest, but his mind was actually working double time as he thought of the implications. Although he didn''t know how he did it, the moment where he stopped thinking was when the losing game turned around. Didn''t that mean that he might have won if he''d played that way since the beginning?


    "In your case, luck is a form of strength," Marshal Yong said. "In the upcoming battle, I want you to listen to my or Deputy Marshal Mo''s direct commands."


    Feng Ming nodded. This was what he expected all along.


    "However, that is only in ordinary circumstances." The man walked over to a drawer and pulled out a red cape covered in black runic symbols. While a general''s cape was an enhanced piece of defensive equipment, it didn''t affect his combat prowess too much.


    However, Feng Ming could tell at a glance that this was a core treasure that would substantially improve his fighting strength.


    "If at any point in the battle you feel there is something you should be doing, I want you to act on your instincts," Marshal Yong said. "I want you to conscript our men into your group and do what you do best¡ªget lucky. I''ve seen your records, and I know how you can turn even hopeless situations into wonderful victories. You''re even better at it than your father was. This is something that we need, but it''s not something I or the other generals can channel. You need to act on your own terms. That is why, from now on, you''re the second Deputy Marshal of the Southhaven Fortress."


    Feng Ming''s jaw dropped as he accepted the black cloak that resonated with his rune-covered black armor and even his lucky spear. He felt his movement speed double and his physical resilience shoot up to the point where only marrow-refining body cultivators could exceed his toughness.


    He felt strong enough to fight against a demon beast monarch.

 173 A Beasts Nightmare

    "This is awesome!" Huxian yipped. "We finally get to go on a trip! We''ve been so bored in this city. The only bit of excitement we''ve had is tearing apart those shabby buildings."


    Three days had passed since Cha Ming sent out the message. After confirming with Wang Jun that his help was no longer required in Songjing, he spent all his time preparing talismans and studying the Swamp Tribulation Totem.


    "They should be here any moment," Cha Ming muttered. Sure enough, he soon sensed four presences approaching from afar. Two were at the peak of foundation establishment, and two were core-formation experts. All four of them wore alabaster-white cloaks.


    "Sister Xuehua, Brother Hao, I''m so glad you could make it," Cha Ming said. "And these are?"


    "Two elders we convinced to come along," Xuehua said. "Teacher decided to allocate some contribution points for participating in this mission. It turns especially lucrative if devils end up being involved, though he was especially intrigued by the cooperation between devils and evil spirits. Such cases are rare, even in transcendent realms."


    "I''m glad he could spare some manpower," Cha Ming said. "Gong Lan should be here any minute."


    "We''re already here," a voice said from beside them. Gong Lan and nine other monks had appeared without anyone noticing. "Greetings to our friends from the Alabaster Group."


    "Teacher Lu sends his regards to your master," Luo Xuehua replied.


    "If only he were still around," Gong Lan said wistfully. "However, I am thankful that the Alabaster Group remembers our long-term friendship. This is an important turning point for this small kingdom, and while the situation isn''t as dire as in the south, the consequences for failure in this mission are far-reaching.


    "Noted," Luo Xuehua said. "I''ve just transmitted this information to Teacher. He''ll be monitoring the situation for external interference."


    No wonder they agreed so quickly, Cha Ming thought. It was just a passing suggestion, but they already have history. He now felt much more confident about this outing. Anything Lu Tianhao was concerned about was worth investigating.


    "Are you sure Silverwing is up for carrying so many people?" Cha Ming asked Huxian.


    "He''s actually getting quite fond of carrying people around now," Huxian said. "It''s a great way to show off."


    A falcon''s cry suddenly pierced the skies, and a small whirlwind formed as Silverwing majestically landed before them.


    "See what I mean?"


    "Everyone hop on," Cha Ming said. He and Huxian jumped on Silverwing''s broad back, which he had padded with a cushion of clouds. Seeing their concerned expressions, he laughed. "Don''t worry, I''ve flown with Silverwing many times before. It''s perfectly safe, and extremely quick."


    "I, for one, can''t wait to experience flying," Luo Xuehua said. It was usually only possible to do so at her level with the help of special artifacts, and just barely at that. After seeing that even a blind woman was willing to hop onto the beast, the remaining members hopped on to save face.


    Only Gong Lan remained. Instead of hopping on, she walked up to Silverwing''s large head. "A friend of mine was good friends with your ancestor, Silverwing," she said. "He asked me to pass on this blessing to you."


    A tiny green bodhi seed appeared in her hand. She crushed it between her thumb and index finger, and the green dust flowed into Silverwing''s open beak. Cha Ming''s eyes widened as Silverwing''s back suddenly doubled in size. His wingspan also doubled to 160 feet.


    This is amazing! Huxian sent. She just fed him super-concentrated life force. The bloodline he painstakingly nurtured suddenly became much stronger. I''ve never heard of such an impressive tonic.


    There''s no point worrying about a good thing, Cha Ming sent back. Who knows, maybe she has something for you.


    Huxian shook his head. I wouldn''t dare take something like that until you break through to core formation. We don''t want a repeat of last time.


    Cha Ming agreed. As they spoke, Silverwing excitedly flew off. Each flap of his wings carried them ten miles. It only took them an incense time to reach their destination.


    "There." Gong Lan pointed to an old forest that didn''t stand out in the least bit. "Once you fly through the barrier, you''ll understand."


    Silverwing nodded and plunged down. Everyone on his back felt an incredible repulsive force before hearing a loud pop. The forest disappeared and was replaced by a large stone city. It was filled with crumbling buildings and covered in rampant greenery. The only undamaged structure was the front gate, where three characters proudly displayed the name of their location: Song Imperial Tomb.


    They circled five times on their way down. Silverwing''s wind gusts cleared the dust and gravel that had accumulated on a large road that led up to the tomb''s opening.


    "This is where the first twelve emperors of the Song Dynasty were buried, along with their famous generals and selfless protectors," Gong Lan said. "Even their first emperor, who transcended, returned to be buried with his people at the end of his lifespan. They served their country well¡ªfor a time. Now, they have been corrupted by time and conflict."


    A golden aura covered Gong Lan and her nine protectors. It spread out one hundred feet before stopping and enveloping the entire group. As they approached the tomb, they became aware of an ominous presence. Crimson veins covered the once-pure pathway that should have lasted for millennia. Meanwhile, crimson spirits hovered around them, wailing in resentment as they approached the entrance. Some told them to go back, while others goaded them to approach. The distance to the tomb seemed to increase one moment and decrease in another. Only one thing remained constant¡ªthe writing on the entrance: Guardian Labyrinth.


    "Brother Cha Ming, what''s a labyrinth?" Huxian asked.


    "I''ll tell you later," Cha Ming said. "Let''s just get inside and discuss once we get there."


    "It''s important to stay together inside the labyrinth," Gong Lan said. "One misstep, and you could be trapped for all eternity. As a precaution, here is the labyrinth''s map, which was discovered by my master 160 years ago."


    A beam of light shot from her forehead and split into each of theirs. A clear golden picture of the maze within was etched into their minds.


    "What are all these lines about?" Huxian said nervously. "And why do I suddenly feel afraid?"


    "Relax," Cha Ming said. "Nothing will hurt you. I''m here."


    "Let''s enter the labyrinth now," Gong Lan said. As they approached the doorway, the lines of corruption grew increasingly dense. Gong Lan crossed the threshold first, while Cha Ming crossed alone. The three beasts followed, and Luo Xuehua, Dongfang Hao, and the two core-formation cultivators passed next. A crimson light shimmered once the last person passed.


    "It''s a spatial fluctuation!" Huxian yelled. He pulled back Silverwing and Lei Jiang and rushed toward Cha Ming. "Stay together!" he yelled.


    Cha Ming rushed toward Huxian, but it was too late. A gray light enveloped him, and the next moment, he was surrounded by tall gray walls.


    Brother¡­ Brother¡­ Where have you taken us? Huxian yelled mentally.


    Cha Ming sighed. He could only hope they''d get over it. He tuned out Huxian''s ranting and focused on his surroundings. The tall stone walls were inlaid with golden runes, but for all he knew, these were illusions just like the outside of the tomb. All around him, voices whispered in his ears.


    He walked a few steps before a voice said, "There''s a trap up ahead!" He pushed the voice out of his mind, but to his surprise, the warning was accurate. The floor crumbled, revealing sharp stakes dripping with deadly poison. He screamed as his body was impaled in three dozen places.


    ***


    "And I thought things wouldn''t get complicated until later," Gong Lan said wryly. "It seems that even the protective labyrinth has been corrupted. The map is now useless."


    "I hope Brother Hao will be fine," Luo Xuehua said. "He''s very strong, but he''s not the sharpest tool in the shed."


    "I believe I saw him teleport together with your two elders," Gong Lan said. "They should be fine. I take it that communication is impossible between our different parties?"


    "Right," Luo Xuehua replied. "The walls seem to be covered in some sort of dampening formation."


    Fortunately, Gong Lan''s aura covered the walls in their vicinity. They could see a plethora of crimson lines along with the authentic appearance of the maze walls.


    "Stop!" Xuehua suddenly yelled as Gong Lan was about to take a step.


    Gong Lan paused in midair and allowed Luo Xuehua to send three dozen blue sigils right below her feet. The tile she was about to step on shimmered before going dull. "There seem to be traps in this labyrinth," Luo Xuehua said. "Please let me scout ahead before we proceed any farther."


    "It''s fortunate that we came here together," Gong Lan said as they walked. "I think Cha Ming will pull through fine, but I''m more worried about those beast friends of his."


    "Why is that?" Luo Xuehua asked as she disabled yet another trap. "Their physical bodies are so strong. How could these traps possibly do anything to them?"


    Gong Lan chuckled. "Beasts have an innate phobia of walls. While I''m not worried that the traps can damage their insanely strong bodies, I''m more worried about them going insane. Think about it, what is a labyrinth made of?"


    "Um¡­ walls?" Luo Xuehua said.


    "Exactly," Gong Lan said. "Endless walls, up, down, and to the sides. It''s literally a beast''s nightmare in here."


    ***


    "Don''t stop running!" Huxian yelled as they stumbled across one trap after another. "It''s the wall''s ploy! If we stop to face the traps, they''ll surround us, and then we''ll be doomed!" A white aura surged around him, crushing arrows and spikes to smithereens. He''d already torn fifteen of these damnable traps to bits, but it wasn''t enough. It was never enough.


    "Boss, I touched one!" Lei Jiang yelled. "Am I going to die?" To avoid one of the poisonous spikes, he''d jumped off one of the tall gray abominations. In his memories, that spelled certain doom.


    "We must never lose hope," Huxian said. "I''ll die before letting any of them get to you."


    Meanwhile, Silverwing was putting on an impressive show of aerial gymnastics. Evidently traps had been laid in such a way that even flight could not avoid them.


    "There''s even a wall above us!" Silverwing yelled. "What sort of damnable place is this? And where is Cha Ming? Did he betray us and abandon us?"


    "I just don''t know," a teary-eyed Huxian said. "I tried to speak to him, but he cut me off. Is he upset with me? Does he want to get rid of me? I swear, if he takes us out of this damnable place, I''ll behave."


    "Incoming!" Lei Jiang yelled. A large marble man detached from the wall and charged at them. "The walls even have servants to do their bidding. What can we do? Boss, I think we''re doomed."


    "Let''s charge this wall servant together," Huxian said grimly.


    Light and darkness overlapped as he used his strongest move to charge at full speed toward the stone monster. Silverwing sent blades of wind at him while Lei Jiang turned into an iridescent ball of lightning. The guardian didn''t stand a chance. It crumbled before it could even swing its mighty hammer.


    "Ha! There''s hope yet," Huxian yelled. "Onward! There''s only one road up ahead¡ªit must lead to the outside."


    They continued for some time before arriving at a fork.


    "Um, it must be the center one," Huxian said confidently. Then they arrived at a second fork. "The center one?" Huxian said in confusion.


    Before long, they arrived at a tall gray blockade. There were now four walls¡ªone above, two to the side, and one ahead.


    "This¡­" Huxian breathed in sharply. "This is worse than I ever imagined."


    For the first time in their lives, they prayed to their ancestors.

 174 Trap

    The labyrinth was eerily silent. Very few traps now sprung as Gong Lan and Luo Xuehua carefully walked from one hallway to another. Despite their superior senses and spiritual perception, the quiet felt like a prelude to a sinister attack.


    Suddenly, a blade sprung out from the wall without warning. It was followed by a crimson stone hand and a muscular statue. Gong Lan''s eyes narrowed as she sensed the immediate threat to her life. Golden sabers materialized and slashed out against the incoming blade. She felt a snag at her feet, however. A hand appeared from the ground below, interrupting her defense. She chanted a mantra just in time to defend herself, but the stone figure swung back again with another strike.


    "Behind you!" Luo Xuehua yelled. She threw out a talisman at Gong Lan''s feet, encapsulating the hand in ice. While Gong Lan defended against the new threat¡ªa sword heading straight for her chest¡ªLuo Xuehua sent 108 sigils out and manifested a Nine Frigid-Ice Shield. Nine lesser ice shields joined and superimposed their defensive capabilities. The blade that struck it froze over and shattered, prompting a roar from the corrupted guardian that held it.


    Gong Lan ignored him and chanted a Mantra of Purification. The golden words struck the lunging guardian''s spirit points, turning it into nothing more than a decrepit statue. As the force that originally propelled it forward disappeared, it crashed to the ground and became pile of rubble.


    Seeing that Gong Lan was safe and sound, Luo Xuehua jumped over the frozen hands and elegantly slashed out twelve times with her two icy sabers. The strikes superimposed into something akin to a formation, amplifying the power of her techniques as they smashed into the stone guardian. The first six strikes peeled off the statue''s outer layer, while the three remaining ones struck spirit points, effectively paralyzing it. She finished it off by piercing her two sabers through the heart and mind spirit points.


    Meanwhile, Gong Lan flipped backward while twisting in midair. She channeled the power of righteous indignation as she summoned six sabers of light to strike down at the frozen hand''s position. Layers of flooring crumbled under the assault and revealed a much smaller guardian, who succumbed to the fifth and sixth blades.


    "It seems they''re getting stronger and stronger," Luo Xuehua said as she wiped the dust off her blades.


    "And yet I don''t think we''re getting closer to the source," Gong Lan said. "I think the labyrinth just requires time to mobilize its guardians."


    "What makes you think that?" Luo Xuehua asked.


    "Because we''ve been here before," Gong Lan said, pointing to a gold speck on the side. "I''ve been leaving markers as we go."


    Luo Xuehua frowned. "Let me take a look at the walls." She cast out her sigils, which danced around the golden runes and crimson veins of corruption. She continued walking while analyzing, with Gong Lan keeping guard. Soon enough, they reached a fork in the road. Luo Xuehua spent a large amount of time inspecting the walls and ceilings.


    "It seems each fork and intersection are shifting points in the maze," Luo Xuehua said. "They use strange principles to swap hallways whenever we pass them. Technically, this intersection could lead to eight different hallways instead of the three we see."


    "How many are new?" Gong Lan asked.


    "Only one this time," Xuehua replied. "We''ll be exploring new ground, likely with traps, but at least we won''t be running in circles."


    Gong Lan nodded. "That''s all we can ask for at this point. No wonder it took Master Zhen and Sibi so long to get through it last time. There''s more to this labyrinth than meets the eye."


    ***


    Cha Ming charged toward a stone guardian. He used his weight manipulation ability to propel himself forward as he swung the Clear Sky Staff in a vertical arc. He poured his resplendent force into it, increasing its weight to 40,000 jin as it became as large as a temple pillar.


    Coincidentally, the floor behind the guardian also collapsed, revealing another painful spike trap that would have caused Cha Ming a great deal of pain.


    "I guess that''s one way to do it," he muttered, massaging the painful wound he''d suffered on his shoulder. Fortunately, his body''s regenerative powers made it so healing such a flesh wound only took a few breaths. It was also impossible for these traps to break his bones. The Seventy-Two Transformations Technique had increased their hardness to the level of a mid-grade core treasure, despite his initial marrow-refining cultivation.


    From then on, Cha Ming walked forward like a blind man. He used the Clear Sky Staff as an extra-long cane to "gently" tap the passageway up ahead. He dismantled one trap after another, making it increasingly easier to handle random guardians that stumbled his way.


    Suddenly, he saw an unfamiliar silhouette up ahead. Is there someone else here in the labyrinth? he wondered. He''d discovered the peculiarity in the intersections some time ago, but he''d never seen another person until now. Cha Ming rushed forward, smashing many traps and crushing guardians as he advanced. The black-robed silhouette grew clearer and clearer in the distance.


    They approached an intersection, where the robed figure turned right. Cha Ming followed, and it wasn''t long before they reached an open room, something that Cha Ming hadn''t seen until now in the labyrinth. Then, the figure turned around, revealing a face that Cha Ming was very familiar with¡ªZhou Li''s.


    Zhou Li sighed. "I knew you''d come here. Which is a shame. We don''t have to stand on opposite ends of the spectrum, you know. That''s why I''ll give you a chance¡ªyou can turn back now before it''s too late. Take it as a token of my good faith."


    "I already experienced your good faith when you cursed me and Huxian," Cha Ming said. He summoned combat sigils in preparation for battle. The stone floor sank slightly under his increased weight but didn''t shatter.


    "I already told you it was a misunderstanding," Zhou Li said, shaking his head. "I was doing you a favor, but you failed to appreciate it."


    "I don''t think talking can resolve this," Cha Ming said. Clouds formed under his bare feet as he summoned a Stormwalker Formation. He struck forward with his Clear Sky Staff at breakneck speed, seemingly too fast for Zhou Li to react. This swift movement was only possible with his gravity-inversion ability and was the embryonic form of his Swift Staff Art. Shattered rocks flew around as Zhou Li''s figure disappeared.


    An illusion, Cha Ming thought.


    Zhou Li immediately appeared in another corridor. Meanwhile, gold and crimson runes activated around Cha Ming in a three-layered shield. "This is a useful trap, though only thirty-three-percent effective against someone like yourself. I won''t tell you how to escape, but make sure you consider all your options. It would be a shame for a talent like you to get ruined for the sake of the Song Kingdom." His figure shimmered, then disappeared.


    What are these three barriers? Cha Ming thought as he inspected them with his resplendent force. He barely probed the first one before it shattered into a million pieces. However, it completely stopped as soon as it reached the second barrier.


    After probing every inch of it, his hands clenched around the Clear Sky Staff, and his feet sank into the ground as his weight increased to 430,000 jin. The Clear Sky Pillar bent as he swung it at the red-and-gold barrier with all his might.


    The second shield shattered on impact, but his staff couldn''t penetrate the third layer. Unconvinced, Cha Ming swung against it again and again. He even crushed the rocky ground beneath him until it was nothing more than dust. Unfortunately, this only exposed the bottommost part of the shield, which formed a perfect sphere. Seeing that it was no use, he stowed the staff.


    Huxian, can you hear me? Cha Ming sent.


    I can hear you, but I don''t have time to talk, Huxian replied. The walls are coming. What have you done to us?


    Just calm down, Cha Ming said. The walls aren''t a big deal. They can''t hurt you.


    Tell that to Lei Jiang and Silverwing, Huxian retorted. They''ve both been wounded by the traps and minions the wall has sent out to attack us.


    Cha Ming sighed. It seemed it would be impossible to clarify the situation. You''re much stronger than the walls, but you just don''t realize it. But enough of that, I need to pick your brains. Have you ever heard of a shield with three layers? One layer crumbles to spiritual force and another to physical force.


    A triple-restraint barrier? Huxian said. They''re common. You can''t escape them unless your cultivation level exceeds the limits of the barrier. This applies to all three levels, and their limits are always the same. If you could break the soul barrier, that means the cultivation barrier will also be at initial core formation.


    Cha Ming''s complexion changed. So that''s what he meant by ruining my future. Is there any other way to break it?


    You can wait, Huxian replied. You can usually tell by the power decay rate in the formation. It could last as little as a day but as long as a year.


    Cha Ming used his spiritual force to probe the barrier, which he now noticed was weakening little by little. It looks like this one will last a month.


    Well, I can''t help you because of this wall business, Huxian said. The barrier can be broken from the outside, but whoever does it would need a higher cultivation base by a level or two. I can''t reach such a high level even if I break through to core formation. You need to make a choice. Either quickly increase your cultivation or sit this one out, brother.


    I understand, Cha Ming said, closing off their connection. He reached out to the barrier with his qi and noticed that unlike with his physical blows, his qi caused some disruption in the red and gold runes that composed the shield. After thinking for a while, he threw out seventy-two flags and summoned a Gold Slaughtering Formation. The energy of heaven and earth mobilized and struck against the barrier. Unlike his qi, however, the Gold Slaughtering Formation didn''t even provoke the slightest change from the red-and-gold bubble.


    Perhaps a combat formation will work, he thought. He mobilized seventy-two sigils and formed a substantially less complex array, which he used to unleash multiple blows against the shield. While these blows caused some distortions, they weren''t enough to break it.


    I have one more thing to try, he thought. He unleashed five groups of twelve sigils, which each formed one of the five elements. He then channeled five-element qi into the formation and poured in his destruction qi. A glistening black blade of qi formed at the center of the five-colored formation. It was an evolution to the previous one that only used five sigils. He breathed in deeply before willing the black blade to slash out against the barrier.


    The slash caused a ripping sound as a tiny hairline crack formed in the red-and-gold shield. He willed it to strike again and again, but the crack only widened slightly. It wasn''t long before his destruction qi was completely exhausted. He crumpled in pain as his body regenerated from the damage caused by the destruction qi. If an enemy were to attack him, he''d be completely helpless. It dawned on him that Huxian was right¡ªthere was no other way to get through without increasing his cultivation.


    Now, he had a difficult choice to make. He knew his cultivation was already unstable due to his rapid ascent to late foundation establishment. Could his foundation bear the strain of breaking through to peak foundation establishment then core formation? He was nervous about risking it. Not only could he damage his Dantian, but if he was forced to recultivate, he wouldn''t know how to incorporate creation and destruction qi into his Dantian as a framework. As far as he knew, it was impossible to do so without external interference. A slight misstep could cause everything he''d built up to crumble to pieces.


    ***


    The stampede had finally ended. Huxian, Silverwing, and Lei Jiang collapsed on the labyrinth''s stone floor, completely devoid of energy. However, they didn''t dare let their guard down. They took turns glaring at the seemingly mundane but obviously murderous structures that surrounded them.


    Brother Cha Ming, your plan worked, Huxian sent. As long as we hold our position, the walls are far too cautious to act out against us. They fear our mighty power as much as we fear them. It''s much like how normal beasts often fear humans due to a misperception of their size.


    Great, Cha Ming replied. Now focus on the wall''s weaknesses. What can you think of?


    Huxian pondered a little. They might be endless, but they are immobile. Also, their attacks don''t seem very strong. They at most cause flesh wounds. We were clearly overreacting earlier.


    Good, Cha Ming sent back. You''ll need to come up with something yourselves, but I believe that you have the power to conquer these walls. There''s nothing to be afraid of. They''re trying to scare you away because they''re nothing more than paper tigers! They''re being aggressive to cover their weaknesses, much like a small dog when facing a larger one.


    All right, Huxian sent back hesitantly.


    A half hour later, the trio had fully recovered. "Everyone, listen up!" Huxian yelled to the other two, who sat up. "Now is not the time to be overwhelmed by fear. The wall might have advantages, but we have some too. What are they?"


    "Our battle armors?" Lei Jiang said. He instantly summoned the black-and-white runic armor that covered him from head to toe.


    "Sure, that''s one," Huxian said. "Another one is our strong bodies. Even if the wall crumbles down on top of us, we''ll barely be hurt. Lei Jiang, I order you to hit the wall with a full-force blow!"


    "Are you sure, boss?" Lei Jiang said nervously. "What if this is just a ploy by the wall king? What if it wants us to attack it?"


    "It''s not a ploy," Huxian said. "Think about it: Has it attacked us yet?"


    "No, but¡ª"


    "Then attack it!" Huxian barked.


    "I refuse!" Lei Jiang squeaked back.


    "Silverwing, hit him for his insolence," Huxian barked again.


    Instinctively, the falcon lashed out lightly, propelling the mouse several hundred feet due to the difference in their realms. The mouse landed on another nearby wall, causing many cracks to propagate from the impact crater.


    "It was a trap after all," Lei Jiang whispered and scampered away in fear. He ran back to the other two, who looked on fearfully as the large cracks made their way toward them.


    A fierce rumbling echoed through the tunnel as it filled with dust. Huxian and Silverwing activated their strongest defenses as the dust billowed lightly against their powerful figures. It soon settled down, revealing another empty corridor. It was on the other side of the wall that had collapsed because of a light blow from Silverwing.


    "Would you look at that," Huxian whispered in awe.

 175 Siege

    "Just what are they doing?" General Wei wondered as they overlooked the giant battle map. Instead of attacking immediately and taking advantage of the element of surprise, the opposing army had stopped and pulled up a large wagon.


    "It must be a siege engine of some kind," Marshal Yong said. "Though I''ve never heard of a siege engine with a ten-mile range before. Is it a new technology?"


    "Even if it''s a new technology, how could it ever eclipse the might of Southhaven Wall?" General Wei scoffed. They looked on as the opposing army joined several dozen pieces into what resembled a finger. Seven other such fingers were attached to a fifty-foot-by-ten-foot platform. Then they mounted an assembly that was just as large as the platform but contained several pistons and strange gems covered in runic designs.


    Finally, they unveiled the last compartment of the massive wagon. Ten core-formation cultivators flew together with thick cables and lifted a large bronze barrel. They placed it gently on the mount that had just been installed. It clicked into place and was connected to a small secondary platform covered in runic designs and connected by a thick cable. They then loaded a large black sphere covered in runic designs into the bronze barrel and dumped tens of thousands of high-grade spirit stones on the platform.


    "First through fifth formations, activate," Marshal Yong commanded through the fortress''s voice transmission system. Five thousand cultivators poured their qi into multiple focus points along the wall. Five shields came together in formation and reinforced each other just in time to meet the cannon''s first blast. The black ball exploded in a rain of shrapnel that was effortlessly repelled by the Southhaven Wall''s intrinsic defenses.


    "If that''s all they have, we can defend against them indefinitely," General Wei remarked.


    They carefully observed the aftermath of the blow and watched on in rapt attention as the opposing forces struggled to reload what Southhaven''s forces now called a spider cannon.


    "That''s because you''re blind, Old Wei," another general said. "I''m sure you noticed the nine other similar carts and the eleven munition carts carrying those large spheres. It won''t be long before our forces are completely tied up by their cannon fire. Who will defend the wall then?"


    "Just how were they made?" another man said. "It seems like they are magic weapons from the outside, but the explosion they create is far too potent."


    "That''s because the inside of the spheres contain an alchemical compound," said a general who wore cultivation robes instead of armor. "Those are alchemical flames. I''d bet my life on it." As the chief military alchemist, no one was qualified to overrule him on this assessment.


    Marshal Yong, who had been listening all this time, finally spoke. "Call another five thousand men from the adjacent fortresses via transport formation while we think of a solution. With these men, we can still defend against their cannon power and stall out for reinforcements from the east. Deputy Marshal Feng?"


    "Yes, sir?" Feng Ming said, standing at attention.


    "You''re the idlest here," the marshal said. "Go to the reception hall and receive our men."


    Feng Ming bowed and scampered off, dragging General Qin along with him. "Where''s the reception hall and what does it do?" he whispered.


    General Qin''s eyes widened. "You don''t even know about the reception hall? It was in our orientation manual, and its location is common knowledge."


    "I may have ignored the manual," Feng Ming muttered. "Regardless, lead me there so I don''t lose face."


    General Qin went out of his way to explain many of the wall''s advanced features as they walked. They crossed many troops on their way who saluted them reverently. After all, these two men were the pinnacle of martial power in the empire, their idols. The stares grew less and less frequent, however. They soon approached the location of the five active combat formations, where tired men and women were rushing in and out of focus chambers. Those rushing in were fully rested individuals while those who came out were completely drained from having powered the formation for an extended period.


    "Why did the marshal assign you as a deputy anyway?" General Qin said. "It''s not like you''re much stronger than me. Besides, we''re both goons. All we can do is fight on the battlefield like they tell us to."


    Feng Ming shrugged. "Not everyone who gets a promotion deserves it. I just got lucky, that''s all. Regardless of my title, I''ll be trading blows in the battlefield alongside you."


    They soon passed the active formations and entered a pathway that ran through a "buffer" courtyard that surrounded the reception hall. A wave of brilliance assaulted their eyes as they approached one of the most mystical buildings in the fortress. Mysterious white glyphs rapidly faded as thousands of men appeared one after another inside it.


    So we can teleport people anywhere on this wall? Feng Ming asked General Qin mentally.


    Not exactly, General Qin answered. We can technically send them anywhere within ten miles, but the wall itself counts as a single entity. As such, we can teleport people safely within the three fortresses. Some time ago, the marshals experimented with teleporting troops outside the walls, but they got extremely mixed results. I''m not sure about the actual details, but a single man could be teleported with 100% success, while ten could be sent with fifty-percent success.


    Feng Ming breathed in sharply. What happened to those who failed?


    General Qin remained silent about the obvious answer: They''d died a terrible death. Still, Feng Ming felt a familiar itchy feeling in his fingers. Oh no you don''t, Feng Ming thought, supressing the tingling. Teleporting was far too risky.


    "Greetings, generals," Feng Ming said as he received the ten thousand men in the abnormally large hall. "Thank you for making it here so quickly. The situation is dire, and we need all the help we can get."


    The general frowned. "And who might you be? Why are you a deputy marshal when I''ve never heard of you?" The middle-aged man was a foundation-establishment cultivator. Judging by his appearance, he was over a hundred years old.


    Feng Ming was a bit embarrassed about his sudden rise through the ranks. "I guess I got lucky and broke through to core formation. The marshal took a liking to me, so here I am."


    The man snorted. "Just a young buck. Make sure you don''t trip on that cape of yours." The man swished his own cape and walked away. In the process, however, it flew back and tangled between his legs. The grumbling general tumbled a few dozen feet before planting himself face-first into the ground.


    A younger general ran up beside the older man and helped him up. He bowed to Feng Ming apologetically. "General Liang has not returned to the capital for some time. As such, he hasn''t heard of the illustrious Lucky General."


    Feng Ming coughed awkwardly because at that moment, another young general, along with a few other colonels and captains, pelted him with voice transmissions requesting an autograph.


    "No offense taken," Feng Ming said. "Please make sure you report to Relief Barracks 11 through 20 for duty. I''ll have to see you all later¡ªwe''re currently taking heavy enemy fire, so you''ll likely be needed to provide immediate relief to those manning our defensive formations."


    Like this, the ten thousand reinforcements trickled out of the reception hall and proceeded to their appointed stations. General Qin left after an hour, while Feng Ming decided to ponder the ten spatial transmission formations in the reception hall.


    ***


    Five days passed. In that time, one cannon after another rose up and joined the offensive. Defending against the spider cannons proved to be more exhausting than they''d anticipated. It wasn''t long before a steady rotation of fifteen thousand men was established to maintain the barriers. These men could only tirelessly cultivate day and night to replenish the energy stolen from them with each successful defense.


    On the surface, it seemed that the 40,000 troops they possessed would be enough to support against the salvo. However, this was not accounting for any other cards the enemy had yet to play. Marshal Yong refused to believe that the enemy was so stupid as to play all their cards from the get-go.


    "Marshal Yong, I have some disappointing news to report," Deputy Marshal Mo said as he approached the grizzled man.


    "Speak," Marshal Yong said.


    "It''s about the reinforcements," Deputy Marshal Mo said hesitantly. "I''m afraid that Marshal Tian has refused our request for reinforcements. Apparently a beast tide has just begun near the eastern wall, and they are already stretched thin as it is. Meanwhile, the rest of our forces are tied up in the capital."


    Marshal Yong briefly sent his resplendent force into a black-and-gold medallion on his chest, confirming this information. While he noticed that Marshal Feng had not been notified, both Marshal Feng and Marshal Tian were in the capital and in constant communication.


    "That damnable fool," Marshal Yong cursed. "What''s more important to him, the throne or his country? If the southern wall falls, we''re all doomed. You know full well how savage those southerners are."


    "In their defense, it''s not like we need any immediate reinforcements," Deputy Marshal Mo said. "Even with all ten cannons fully activated, we can still hold out. Besides, I''ve inspected some residual shrapnel. Do you know what those spheres are made of?"


    Marshal Yong shook his head.


    "They''re made of star steel, and their runes are traced with immortal jade! That means that the cannons must be built from even more impressive materials. I refuse to believe they can take more than a few of them out at a time."


    Marshal Yong sighed. "Fair enough. I just hope I''m not overthinking things." As he said this, the furniture in their small room shook. Marshal Yong immediately summoned a report from the control room and confirmed that the last volley had breached their defenses. He paled as he tallied the casualties caused by the backlash to his troops. "We''ve just lost ten thousand men in one fell swoop."


    "Impossible," Deputy Mo cried. Then he looked at the other generals. "Tell me exactly what happened!"


    A few nervous generals approached. "It seems that they suddenly changed up their munitions, substituting their previous black spheres for clear ones with different runes. We don''t know how many they have, but their striking power is much higher than before. A bit less than double!"


    Marshal Yong''s expression turned grim. "Send out an emergency distress signal to the capital. All generals prepare to subsidize the formation where required. Bring out all our energy reserves and activate the remaining defensive formations. Meanwhile, the deputy and I will stand by and assist where required."


    Various figures hurried off to relay their orders; no mistakes could be tolerated. The sudden changeup meant that the entire fortress''s forces would be mobilized.


    "What about Deputy Marshal Feng?" Deputy Marshal Mo asked. "He''s been in the receiving hall all this time. Isn''t this a waste?"


    "Leave him," Marshal Yong said. "Pretend he doesn''t exist. Just a single Deputy Feng is not enough to turn the tide. Not by supplementing the shields, at least."


    ***


    Feng Ming was in a daze. He wasn''t experiencing sudden enlightenment, nor had he reached a crucial point in his cultivation, but he was paralyzed with indecision.


    "To suggest or not to suggest," Feng Ming mumbled. Fifty-percent odds of death for a group of ten was ridiculously high. "We''d need at least a hundred men to jump out at once to make a difference, including me. How low would the odds get with that many men?"


    Still, his fingers itched, and he couldn''t shake the feeling. It was like he was at a high-stakes table where a single roll stood between him and a massive fortune. But he knew this was fundamentally different. At a high-stakes table, he would only be gambling money. Here, he would be gambling lives.


    "To suggest or not to suggest," he mumbled once more. Suddenly the fortress shook. He immediately ceased his contemplation and rushed out to the focus points, where troops were rapidly rushing to their stations. Corpses littered the floor, and large bags of spirit stones had been split open and poured into the channeling formations.


    "What happened?" he asked a passing soldier.


    "Reporting to Deputy Feng, the enemy''s attacks have grown much stronger," the soldier said. "I can''t stay and talk. The whole fortress, including the generals and the marshal, must man their posts." The man immediately ran off to a nearby focus point and began channeling his energy.


    "Damn it all," Feng Ming yelled. He flew toward the war room. In the process, he crossed General Qin, who was running off to a nearby focus point. "And where are you going?" he asked the burly general.


    "My qi may be weak," General Qin said, "but I can take backlash better than anyone else here. I''ll do what I can to help everyone through this assault."


    "No, you won''t," Feng Ming said. "As a deputy marshal, I''m commandeering you." Then he threw out a red token with black lines. "I need you to find the hundred strongest fighters you know within a quarter hour. I also need you to go to the quartermaster and take all their inferno flasks, fire-based talismans, and as many frost shield or similar talismans as you can find."


    "But¡ª" General Qin started.


    "No buts!" Feng Ming said. "The marshal gave me this cape for a reason, and I''m going to use it."


    General Qin saluted and ran off while Feng Ming continued to the war room. When he entered, he saw that several focus points were hovering before each of the generals, who sat in meditation and channeled their qi to defend the fortress. Only Marshal Yong and Deputy Marshal Mo were still pensively looking at the map while trying to find a way out. Occasionally they would use their qi to send out probing shots at the cannons with some of the fortress''s offensive formations. Unfortunately, each of the cannons was protected by a hemispherical shield that deflected any blows from their direction.


    "Deputy Feng," Marshal Yong said. "Have you thought of something?" An eager glint had appeared in his eyes.


    "Marshal Yong, this deputy requests your permission to mobilize one hundred troops through the teleportation array," Feng Ming said. "Our target is the spider cannons!"


    "That''s madness," Deputy Mo interjected. "Marshal, we''ve only conducted testing up to groups of ten because it was inhumane to send so many good men to their deaths. A group of ten only had fifty-percent odds of success, and it was speculated that a group of a hundred would reduce the odds to one tenth. Failure would mean the death of a hundred of our best combatants!"


    Several generals who were busy funneling their qi in the formations mumbled in agreement.


    Marshal Yong, on the other hand, looked at Feng Ming thoughtfully. "How confident are you in this gamble? And what''s your plan when you get there?"


    "I''d gamble my own life away in a heartbeat," Feng Ming said. "While I''m hesitant to gamble away the lives of our men, I don''t see any better options for us. The reason I stayed at the reception hall was because it gave me a special feeling. I think this is a turning point for the battle. I''ve already sent General Qin to recruit the men and procure as many explosives and defensive items as he can lay his hands on. When we get there, we''ll destroy those cannons and try our hardest to survive."


    Marshal Yong took a deep breath before nodding. "This is why I assigned you as deputy marshal. I approve of this mission."


    "Marshal, please reconsider!" Deputy Marshal Mo said.


    "It''s decided," Marshal Yong said decisively.


    At this moment, General Qin returned with a hundred scar-covered soldiers who had fought in many battles. Many of them weren''t high ranking, but Feng Ming could tell that their levels of qi and physical strength far exceeded even many of the generals here.


    "Captain Tong?" one of the generals in the war room said. "When did you break through?"


    "Just this morning." The man called Captain Tong grinned. "I had a lucky breakthrough. Funny enough, Sergeant Shen broke through as well."


    "Wait, you just broke through this morning as well?" another man in the group of men said. They looked at each other with wide eyes.


    "Can everyone who broke through this morning raise their hand?" All hundred men, and even a surprised General Qin raised his hand.


    "Do you still have any objections, Deputy Mo?" Marshal Yong said dryly. Seeing Deputy Mo''s confused expression, he chuckled. "You don''t need to understand, you just need to obey orders. Please bring Deputy Feng and these men to the departure hall for teleportation. Follow Deputy Feng''s instructions to the letter."

 176 Surprise

    As the hundred men and two generals marched to the departure hall, they set up a rough pecking order and divided the men into ten-man units. The two generals would carry the explosives while the individual men would carry the shielding talismans. They would escort and protect the generals as they did their best to destroy the cannons.


    The technician looked on in confusion when they entered the departure hall. "Send them to these coordinates," Deputy Mo said as he handed the balding man a folded sheet of paper.


    The old man paled when he read the sheet but nodded. "You are aware of the risks involved, correct?"


    "Naturally," Deputy Mo said. "But these are the marshal''s orders and are not to be questioned. I want these men gone as soon as possible."


    "Very well," the technician said. "Have them ready to go. In an incense time, I''ll send them out."


    Meanwhile, the men were all laughing and joking as they awaited their imminent demise. They were under no illusions about their odds of survival, even if they succeeded in their mission. "Who would have thought we''d have the luck to go out on a final desperate charge with the Lucky General. How many do you think we''ll kill?"


    "At least twenty thousand," a man said. "Otherwise we''ll be dragging his reputation through the dirt.


    "That''s fair," another man said. "By the way, what kind of defensive goodies did you get?"


    "Me?" one of them answered. "I got an Earth Shield Talisman. What about you?"


    "An Earth Shield Talisman? What shitty luck, I also got one."


    "Wait, you got a few of those as well? Aren''t those useless in hand-to-hand combat?" Captain Tong said. "Can everyone else who got Earth Shield Talismans raise their hand?"


    Everyone did.


    "I thought I told you to get Ice Shield Talismans or something like that?" Feng Ming said.


    "I''m sorry, I thought that they said ice shield," General Qin said. "If you think about it, both characters look very similar."


    "Similar, my ass!" Feng Ming said angrily. "They look nothing alike! How the hell did someone like you become a general? Deputy Mo? Cancel the teleportation, we need to get something."


    "Right away!" the old technician said. As he reached toward the "abort" formation, however, he accidentally tripped. His hand ran past it and reached another formation, the "launch formation." A white glow rapidly filled the room.


    "Can you stop it?" Deputy Mo asked.


    "I''m afraid not," the technician said as they looked at the expanding white diagram. "In fact, I didn''t get to input all the coordinates. It would be a miracle if they end up where they''re supposed to."


    Deputy Mo sighed. "Godspeed, General Feng!" he yelled.


    Meanwhile, Feng Ming and the others readied their weapons as they prepared for their surprise teleportation. The white glow intensified, and Feng Ming gasped as he was whisked away by gray spatial light along with the 101 others. They screamed in unison as their surroundings jolted before they appeared somewhere to the south.


    They rubbed their eyes as the light faded, only to realize that they were surrounded by men in red armor who looked at them with slacked jaws. Feng Ming was the first to regain his bearings. He realized they''d appeared in an empty parade ground where the opposing army ran drills. He looked around and soon located what they were looking for¡ªthe five cannons and the sixth cannon that had yet to finish being constructed. As soon as it was complete, it would join the others and break through Southhaven Fortress''s defenses.


    "What are you all standing around for?" Feng Ming yelled. "Charge!"


    His yell was echoed by the battle-hardened veterans beside him as they realized that not only had they survived, but they''d caught their enemies flat-footed and unprepared. Feng Ming and General Qin led the charge. Feng Ming''s steps were swift and his spear incisive; he covered their group in a defensive molten cloud. General Qin''s 10,000-jin greatsword, which was twice as tall as him, cleaved through large swaths of men, mounts, and machinery as they advanced.


    In sixty breaths, they had covered half the distance to the cannons. Feng Ming casually tossed out an explosive flask, a single-use alchemical item that would detonate upon impact. It landed on a nearby wagon that carried a spare cannon. Pieces of shrapnel flew out toward nearby enemy troops. Conveniently, the large cannon landed on one of the few obscure black tents belonging to the Spirit Temple.


    "Keep at it, men!" Feng Ming shouted. None of the hundred had fallen yet. They unloaded technique after technique, strike after strike toward the tender opening in their opponents'' formation. Every strike felled three or four elite troops.


    "Deputy, I found a weapons shack!" a man yelled.


    "Stow away any weapons you find, and destroy any combustible goods," Feng Ming shouted, tossing out three other bundles of explosives.


    This time, a large wind swept them up and brought them directly to the Spirit Temple tents. Dark crimson plumes emerged and let out tens of thousands of agonized wails. The screams sent shivers through Feng Ming''s spine. At the same time, he noticed a large amount of merit rushing toward him. The men in the tents were incomparably evil¡ªit was no wonder that fate wanted them dead so badly as to push the explosives in their direction.


    As time passed, however, he grew worried. He and General Qin threw one explosive flask after another, and they all landed on the Spirit Temple''s forces. They soon ran out of them, having only succeeded in destroying the western portion of the Spirit Temple''s camp. Now only explosive talismans remained. Feng Ming had to make a choice¡ªwould they target the munitions tents or the cannons?


    "To the munitions tents," Feng Ming swiftly ordered. Their group, which had just suffered their first casualty, cut a wide arc as it circled around eleven large carts covered in black tarps. Their pace slowed as they approached, and the enemy''s forces mobilized against them.


    "Pick one cart per talisman," Feng Ming said. Both General Qin and Feng Ming threw out one talisman at each of the ten carts simultaneously. They could only hope that they''d gotten the one with special ammunition. Feng Ming directed their forces to the canons to use their shields to defend against the explosion.


    "Charge!" the men yelled. Hundreds of red-armored men roared as they attacked the hundred-man team that was lucky beyond all reason. Blades that should have struck their necks slipped from the southern force''s fingers. Arrows missed their marks and struck their own men. Axes fell off their handles and weapons broke as they tried to stop them. By all rights, all hundred men should have died ten times over, yet only five brave men had fallen. The hundred men were like gods of war who couldn''t be killed no matter what was thrown at them.


    Fifty more feet, Feng Ming thought as he slashed and stabbed through soldier after soldier. The tall spider cannon''s legs were rooted firmly in the ground before them.


    Forty more feet.


    Their pace slowed to a crawl as the enemy successfully surrounded them.


    Twenty more feet.


    "Everyone, jump!" Feng Ming yelled. Each of the men, sensing the desperation in his voice, unleashed their secret techniques one after another. Icy flood dragons and fiery phoenixes cleared swaths of men out of their way. Earthen spikes and poisonous vines batted away enemy forces. General Qin even threw his treasured greatsword, which flew out toward one of the spider cannons and struck its leg.


    The sturdy structure collapsed under the 10,000-jin object and struck three other legs, causing the cannon to fall sideways and backward, crushing a hundred troops in the process. Now the cannon was facing the south.


    The startled southern soldiers collapsed under their fierce assault. As soon as Feng Ming''s group passed the invisible energy shield that had previously been defending the cannon, Feng Ming realized that it wasn''t enough. It couldn''t protect them from the back.


    "Everyone, duck and use your Earth Shield Talismans!"


    It suddenly dawned on the eighty-one remaining soldiers that the resulting explosion could easily take their lives. Fortunately, they weren''t stuck with mediocre Ice Shield Talismans but the extremely useful Earth Shield Talismans. The eighty-one overjoyed men activated them one by one, forming an impromptu convex wall to defend against the imminent explosion.


    ***


    "Will they succeed?" Marshal Yong thought as he looked worriedly at the live battle map. A large earthen shield had appeared just in front of a collapsed cannon. The building rumbled as their men absorbed yet another strike from the four old cannons and the newly installed one. If Deputy Feng''s team hadn''t downed that one piece of equipment, then the marshal and deputy marshal would have been forced to intervene. Even then, many of their men would have perished under the backlash of their formation.


    Deputy Marshal Mo sighed. "The original plan was for them to destroy the cannons, since the possibility of there being extra munitions was very high. But even if they destroy those munitions, can''t they always mobilize more and handle us just the same?"


    "Let''s wait and see," Marshal Yong said. He held high hopes for Brother Feng''s only son. The room was dead silent as they waited for the inevitable detonation. A small glitch appeared on the screen as the talisman went off. One after another, they detonated. Large pieces of shrapnel flew from the munition wagons. However, these pieces of shrapnel were round.


    "Even that failed," Deputy Mo said, shaking his head. "The munitions likely need a large impact to detonate. All they managed to do was scatter them, buying us a few hours at most."


    After inspecting for another moment, he sighed. "They didn''t even get the key munitions wagon. All the spheres they spread out were black, while the last of the eleven wagons contains the clear spheres. It''s over, Marshal."


    Many of the generals in the room''s eyes became bloodshot. They channeled even more of their qi into the formation, preparing themselves for their inevitable demise.


    Marshal Yong, however, stood staring at the battlefield projection. "Deputy Mo?" he asked.


    "What is it?" Deputy Mo grumbled.


    "Did you notice the direction that cannon is pointed in?" Marshal Yong said.


    Before Deputy Mo could comment, a deafening boom sounded. It was followed by hundreds of much smaller booms. The map distorted as the projection recalculated the battlefield. It wasn''t long before a small crater was revealed in the center of the map. It was surrounded by many much smaller craters. In fact, it seemed like at least half of the opposing forces had been destroyed in the explosion, and it was all thanks to the initial spreading out of the other munitions carts.


    "That lucky son of a goat," Marshal Yong whispered as he reviewed the damages. "Without spreading out the munitions carts, we would have only destroyed a tenth of their forces. Even their cannons would have been fine. Now, not only have their munitions been destroyed, but so have the cannons and half their forces. All because the one remaining wagon with potent ammunition happened to be standing in the line of fire of the crippled cannon."


    The other generals had halted channeling their qi. They looked on in awe as a valiant group of eighty-one men continued their charge through enemy forces. Little by little, these forces became aware of the group that was rapidly charging outward and began circling around them. Even with their previous domineering performance, it would be difficult to escape.


    "What are all you dolts waiting for?" Marshal Yong yelled. He walked toward a panel and entered some commands. Then he grabbed his own focus point. "System, activate the Life-Reaping Sword! Everyone, channel as much qi as you can. We''re going to save those men!"


    ***


    "That was the most exciting thing I''ve ever done," General Qin said as he slashed through five men with his recovered greatsword. They could no longer advance, so they huddled together and fought for as much time as they could. The more men they took down, the safer the kingdom would be. "If we die, they''ll sing songs about us for the next decade."


    "The next decade?" Captain Tong said. "More like the next century!"


    Feng Ming chuckled. "I don''t think our time is up yet, boys. We''re just killing time until the cavalry arrives."


    "What cavalry?" General Qin said. "We''re eight miles away from the wall. What could they possibly do to help us?"


    Suddenly a large blue blade appeared in the sky and slashed beside them. A hundred men fell, their bodies completely burned to ashes by its overbearing strength. Feng Ming didn''t bother explaining. He and the men charged forward, but it didn''t take long for their enemies to surround them once more. Three more of their men died before the sword appeared once again and cleared their enemies like wheat on harvest day.


    "Press on, men!" Feng Ming yelled, not daring to be the least bit negligent. He and his men all wore grim expressions. They stood a chance, but how many of their men would die in the process?"


    ***


    Sweat ran down Marshal Yong''s face as he struggled to maintain the offensive formation. The Life-Reaping Sword was initially meant to attack at a mile''s distance, and doubling this distance quadrupled the energy consumption. Even by gathering every last drop of energy in the fortress, half the generals had already collapsed from exhaustion.


    Just two more strikes, Marshal Yong said as he channeled much of his remaining qi. The phantom sword reaped another three hundred lives with this strike, but the cost was staggering. Thousands of high-grade spirit stones were ground to dust while half of the remaining men in the fortress collapsed.


    "Deputy Mo," Marshal Yong said. "We''ll need you to lead the forces for a few days while I recover from this last strike." The deputy bowed and walked over to support the marshal as he popped yet another qi-recovery pill. Marshal Yong ignited his core and channeled the new thread of qi through the formation, finally clearing an exit for the forty-four remaining men. "That''s all I can do for them," Marshal Yong whispered as he panted.


    Suddenly he felt a sharp pain in his back just below a shoulder blade. A look of shock covered the faces of the nearby generals as blood flowed through the marshal''s chest and mouth. His vision blurred as he sank down to the floor. He heard sounds of clashing armor, followed by the footsteps of generals dragging Deputy Mo from behind him.


    "Why?" Marshal Yong croaked as the world turned cold. He looked at the man he''d served with for a hundred years before realizing his eyes were different than usual. Thin crimson lines he''d assumed were fatigue ran across the man''s glazed eyes.


    "Ah," the marshal whispered. "I''m relieved. You weren''t Deputy Mo after all." He lifted his bloody hand to his face and looked out at the blurry battlefield projection. To his relief, Deputy Marshal Feng and his troops had managed to break free.


    ***


    "The Spirit Temple has suffered disastrous losses this time," a man said as he stared into a crystal ball. "Wasn''t this stratagem said to be foolproof? Yet we lost five hundred shamans and half of our cannon fodder in the process. Meanwhile, they destroyed ten cannons that took us five hundred years to save for and a hundred years to manufacture. We could only recover scrap metal from what was left of them. We require an explanation."


    "Relax," said the soothing voice of a youth from the crystal sphere. "We have achieved two of four objectives. The marshal is dead, and one of our secondary objectives was completed. We didn''t take the wall down today, but it won''t last long."


    "It''s easy for you to relax, when your Cult of Enlightenment only lost a few lowly members," the man retorted. "You devils multiply easily, but we shamans might not see more than ten members in a single year. We''ll expect compensation."


    "I''ll inform our lord of your grievances," the youthful voice said. "In the meantime, proceed with the next phase of the plan and let our bosses have a chat about compensation. Though I have no idea why you''d want money of all things."


    "We want money because it hurts you the most," the man said. "You''ve sown karma by making a bad plan, so we shall reap it. We shamans always have our revenge."

 177 Upheaval

    A plain-looking carriage covered in green livery arrived at the Jade Bamboo Auction House at the crack of dawn. Like the many other businesses in Central Square, the auction house was abuzz with activity. The ovens roared as the cooks baked bread. Papers flew as the clerks organized themselves for their busy day. Only two people knew that all preparations were meaningless for what was to come. One of them was inside the auction house, while the other was in the inconspicuous green carriage.


    "Right this way, my friend," Wang Jun said hoarsely. He broke into a fit of coughing, only stopping to wipe away a trickle of blood. He led the man to a room in the middle of the auction house that had been prepared just for the occasion.


    "I really hate wearing these hooded cloaks," the man said.


    "This secrecy is necessary, Your Highness," Wang Jun said as they entered a room at the center of the auction house. As they traveled through layer upon layer of formations, Wang Jun''s complexion quickly recovered. "If Prince Tian knew you were leaving the palace in these delicate times, he would undoubtedly think of a reason to stop you."


    Prince Lei nodded. "It''s ironic being a prisoner in one''s own home. Though, can I still call it my home?"


    "Not after today," Wang Jun said, shaking his head. "It will only become your home again if we win. Only death or exile awaits you if we fail."


    The prince walked over to a strange golden globe in the center of the room. "And what about you?"


    Wang Jun followed him to the orb and began tapping various runic characters. They glowed with golden light that traveled to delicate lines in the floor connected to a mosaic of additional runes. "If we fail, I''ll lose my only chance at revenge. Then I''ll refuse to serve the new family head and live in exile for the rest of my life, living in constant fear of the most powerful financial group on the continent."


    Prince Lei chuckled. "And here I thought you didn''t have enough skin in the game."


    "We''re in this together," Wang Jun said. "Are you ready?"


    "As ready as I''ll ever be," Prince Lei said, slightly adjusting his royal garb. "Let''s begin."


    ***


    "Owner, owner," Tan Zhi yelled. "Two more plates of steamed buns. You know the ones."


    An older man behind the bar nodded and made his way back to the kitchen. Tan Zhi was seated with six friends. They were adventurers, men who risked their lives for fame and fortune.


    "Heavens, I regret coming to this city," Geng Jian said. "Who would have thought it would be so politically complicated to buy things in the capital city? We want to buy weapons, not sell ourselves into indentured servitude." The man was in his midthirties, far older than the average adventurer. Most of them would retire before then, assuming they lived long enough.


    "Would it be so bad to join the Ma family, though?" Tan Zhi asked. "They''re offering a pretty good salary, far more than we can earn in even ten years of adventuring."


    Two heaping plates of steamed buns were plopped onto their table. The six men pounced on them like ravenous lions. It wasn''t until the last one disappeared that they continued their conversation.


    "You can all do what you want," Geng Jian said. "The only reason I''ve adventured until now is because I value my freedom." Seeing their perplexed looks, he elaborated. "Do you think retiring is easy for an adventurer? By fighting with others in the woods, we accumulate both large fortunes and bad blood. The only way to retire properly is to pledge your allegiance to a noble or a merchant, the type that can protect you. They rope you in because they know that soon enough, you''ll find someone to start a family with and be trapped there for life. You give up your freedom for stability and a place to settle down." Geng Jian spat. "I don''t want a life like that. I''ll live free until the day I die."


    Suddenly, the sound of a gong interrupted their conversation. "Greetings, everyone, this is Prince Lei. I have an important announcement to make. It relates to an important event in our kingdom: my father''s illness and the selection of his successor.


    "I regret to inform you that I have recently discovered some startling news. My brother, Prince Tian, has conspired against my royal father by poisoning him with the venom of a qi-binding serpent. As such, my father is close to death, with little hope of recovery. I realize that many of you may doubt this accusation. That is why I demand a trial by inquisitor. Should my words prove to be false, I will commit suicide on the spot.


    "Now that you have been informed, it is time for me to share with you some important details regarding our united resistance against Song Tian."


    The voice continued, but Geng Jian was no longer listening. He thought of multiple scenarios before coming to a reasonable conclusion.


    "We have to get out of here," Geng Jian said. "Now!" He swiftly stood up and threw a pile of silver on the table, not bothering to count it. The five men swiftly followed him out of the restaurant and into a street that was becoming increasingly full. In the middle of their city district, a golden image of Prince Lei was speaking and providing instructions to the populace.


    "Why do we need to get out?" Tan Zhi asked. "Isn''t this a great opportunity? The noble families will be bidding for us like mad."


    "You know nothing," Geng Jian snapped. "If we don''t get out now, we''ll have no choice but to participate in the conflict. Ours services will be steeply discounted, and as common sellswords, we''ll be the first ones to die." Then he noticed that Tan Zhi''s footsteps and three others stopped. Only Liu Cai, the second oldest, was still following him.


    "We''re staying," Tan Zhi said. "This opportunity is exactly what we''ve been looking for. This is where we make our fortune."


    "Suit yourself," Geng Jian said. "I hope things work out for you." Then he sped off with Liu Cai in tow, hoping they weren''t too late.


    ***


    Lian Zexian was sweating. He had opened his store early, just like any other day, but unlike most days, it was unusually busy. He was initially overjoyed and had spent a considerable amount of time fawning over each of his customers. His hopes came crashing down once Prince Lei started his announcement.


    "It is likely that this city will become chaotic, but I urge you to maintain order," Prince Lei''s voice continued. "Our faction headquarters are situated in the Jade Bamboo Pavilion, likely the most secure building in this city. I advise you to join my faction and take shelter there¡­"


    Most of his customers had filed out of the store to witness Prince''s Lei''s golden apparition, but four of them remained. Unlike before, they now carried large bags in which they rapidly stuffed whatever they could lay their hands on. They soon walked up to the counter.


    "That''ll be one thousand mid-grade spirit stones," Lian Zexian said with a shaky voice. The "customer" raised his eyebrow. "I meant five hundred mid-grade spirit stones." Seeing that the cultivator remained unmoved, Lian Zexian finally gave up. "I meant one hundred mid-grade spirit stones."


    "That''s more like it," the man said, grinning. "Make sure you give me a receipt making the discount official."


    The merchant nodded to his clerk, who had no idea what was happening. She swiftly wrote up a bill of sale, which the merchant officiated with his red stamp.


    "Let''s cut the crap," the merchant said after the first one left. "I''ll give you all a ninety-percent discount, but you need to get the hell out of my store within sixty breaths. Do I make myself clear?"


    "Crystal clear," one of the three men said.


    Sixty breaths later, the owner flipped a sign and closed his iron shutters. Then he swept up the remaining items into his bag of holding, emptied the register, and turned to the young clerk. She was a nice girl, but far too pretty for her own good.


    "I''m heading to my house in the Jiangmen district," he said. "This place will soon become lawless and chaotic. I suggest you find your family and come find me to weather the storm."


    "What storm? And what about the shop? Who''ll watch it?" she asked. She usually slept in the shop and opened it first thing in the morning.


    "There may not be a shop tomorrow," Lian Zexian said dryly. "This isn''t my first civil war, and I won''t be caught with my pants down this time."


    ***


    "Your Highness," a soldier said as he walked into the crown prince''s study. "There are no signs of Prince Lei in the palace. However, some servants say they saw an inconspicuous carriage leave in the morning. It went to the Jade Bamboo Auction House."


    "You''re dismissed," Prince Tian said. He turned to Minister Sima. "It seems my dear brother has lit the fuse, and it won''t be long before the city is in chaos. Quickly issue men to send word to the people in our faction¡ªthey are to consolidate their followers in their geographical areas. Anyone who refuses to join our faction is a traitor to the crown and should be treated as such. Also, mobilize the city guard and announce that Song Lei is a traitorous rebel who is slandering the rightful crown prince to obtain personal power."


    "Right away, my prince," Minister Sima said. "And what of his demand for a trial by inquisition?"


    The prince smirked. "Announce that I will not bend to the will of traitors or to the Church of Justice, and that everything will be made clear once we arrest him and obtain his confession. Also, direct our information network to start slandering Prince Lei in taverns and restaurants. My guess is these will be the only places that won''t get ransacked within the day."


    "Right," Minister Sima said. "A stable food supply and shelter is the only bit of freedom the neutral forces will have left once we seal the city. They''ll lay their lives down to defend them. If either you or Prince Lei dare to move against them, they would immediately join the other side out of indignation."


    "Cultivators have a sense of pride that runs deep in their bones," Prince Tian said. "You have your orders."


    "Yes, Your Highness," Minister Sima said. He frowned once he reached the door. "Have you seen Advisor Zhou and Protector Song? I''m afraid I haven''t seen them in court for a full week."


    Prince Tian''s expression turned grim. "They''re out on a special mission. There''s no need to worry about them."


    Minister Sima seemed to accept this explanation and swiftly left to perform his duties. As soon as the door closed, Prince Tian smashed his gauntleted fist into a small marble table.


    "Zhou Li, you bastard," he muttered. "How dare you abandon me when I''m at my weakest."


    For the hundredth time this week, and the twentieth time in the past fifteen minutes, he used his core-transmission jade to try contacting him. As usual, there was no response. "Has he betrayed me, or is he working behind the scenes like he usually does?"


    Zhou Li''s behavior wasn''t anything unusual, but he couldn''t help but worry about the timing. He hoped that Zhou Li would swoop in and save the day. Just like he always did.


    ***


    "As predicted, my brother has begun suppressing dissent and consolidating his forces and resources," Prince Lei said. "They seem to be gathering their strength within the Ma, Bing, and Tian businesses, with subsidiary forces stationed within the Leng and Dong family compounds."


    "Just as planned," Wang Jun said. "Let''s focus on recruiting as many forces and civilians as possible and keeping them where we can defend them. Feed them and maintain some modicum of stability in their daily lives. Give them shelter and give them jobs. Their fear will only subside once they are directly involved in the conflict."


    "Right," Prince Lei said. "We''ll station our forces within the Jin and Huo family businesses, as well as the Jade Bamboo Conglomerate. Subsidiary forces will remain within the Ting, Jian, Meng, and Wei family buildings. Meanwhile, we''ll have the others stand ready with their slaughtering formations. We have the advantage of financial resources and formations while they have stronger fortifications and military forces."


    "About those fortifications," Wang Jun said. "They aren''t nearly as troublesome as you think they are."


    "Oh?" Prince Lei said. "The damage was your doing? I take it you left some hidden surprises?"


    Wang Jun nodded. "Now that the announcement has been made, I need to head off to a meeting." He struck himself on the chest with a closed fist. His face paled as he coughed up blood. His expression also changed. He now looked weary and bedeviled. "How do I look?"


    Prince Lei looked at him quizzically. "Positively deranged and worn out. I take it there''s a reason for keeping up appearances?"


    Wang Jun chuckled. "I''m nothing more than a cursed second young master who''s struggling at death''s door. I don''t even have the strength to truss a chicken, much less control my own family business."


    "If you say so," Prince Lei said. "Enjoy yourself. By the way, I left a folder of evidence with my sister and the Church of Justice. Hopefully they''ll see the light and give us a hand."


    "Only time will tell," Wang Jun said. "I sent the same folder to the last remaining wildcard. We''ll see if he takes the bait."


    Then he summoned a shadowy door and left the well-defended auction house.


    ***


    Wang Jun entered a familiar stone chamber. The Black King was seated at the table as usual, looking patient as always. "I take it you''re responsible for the chaos upstairs?" the dark figure asked.


    Wang Jun erupted into a coughing fit. "How could I possibly manage such a scene when I''m in such a state?"


    "I received the troubling news that you''ve been haunted," the Black King said. "Are you sure you won''t die before we close the deal on the immortal-jade core? I''ve almost secured a buyer."


    "Relax," Wang Jun said, sitting down weakly. "I''m still more than capable. This is a temporary situation, nothing more. I''ve already asked the family to send a monk to cure my affliction. It should take no longer than a month and a half."


    "So long?" the Black King asked.


    "There are only three monks capable enough in the entire continent," Wang Jun said helplessly. "You know how monks are. Regardless, you need not concern yourself. I have an additional business deal I would like to propose."


    The Black King nodded and tossed out two bags. "The profits from our last exchange. There is a ledger in each of the bags. Feel free to inspect them."


    Wang Jun nodded and pulled out the ledgers, which he quickly memorized. Then, after thinking for a while, he pulled out another bag.


    "Five hundred thousand high-grade spirit stones," Wang Jun said. "The fear in this city is at its peak. I want you offer a package deal to the citizens of Songjing: Anyone who wants out of the city can sell you their property at twenty-five percent of the market price one year prior, and you will help them out of the city with their remaining assets. I''ll pay you a two-percent commission for each package deal. Of course, for every two percent you save in buying the properties, I''ll give you an additional one percent in commission. Note that I don''t care about the buildings, only the land they''re built on."


    "Deal," the Black King said, summoning another black contract. This time, he wrote golden words on the blank contract before signing it. Wang Jun followed up with his own signature.


    "By the way," Wang Jun said. "Due to my poor health and the situation outside the city, I feel uncomfortable exchanging the immortal-jade core in these secretive conditions. I want to change the venue."


    "Impossible," the Black King said. "It will be here or nowhere else."


    "It must be at the Jade Bamboo Auction House, with some of my subordinates present," Wang Jun said. "Forgive me for being blunt, but I don''t feel safe completing such a large exchange in your territory, not when I''m affected by this curse."


    "We have a secrecy clause," the Black King said. "And I think you trust your subordinates far more than you should."


    "Then we''ll have to amend it," Wang Jun said. "That, or I''ll pull out of the contract as per Section 4 Clause 12, which states that ''should a party''s health greatly deteriorate to the point where the exchange cannot be completed safely, they may willingly withdraw from the contract with no penalty.''"


    The Black King pondered for a moment before assenting. "Fine. But if you dare pull a fast one on me, remember that I''ve killed far more men than you realize. All of them powerful figures with great backgrounds."


    "Noted," Wang Jun said. Then he pulled out a Spatial Transference Talisman and left the premises.

 178 Choice

    The ever-shifting crimson-and-gold barrier taunted Cha Ming as he pondered his dilemma. He had risked his life for his friends and even strangers, but for the first time, he might have to risk something he prized most: a bright future.


    There were three possible outcomes if he chose to break through to core formation with an unstable foundation. The best-case scenario was that he succeeded but delayed his future cultivation, a small price to pay if the fate of the Song Kingdom was at stake. The worst case was him crippling his ability to cultivate by trying to advance prematurely. In between these two extremes, he could potentially damage his foundation. This wouldn''t affect his strength in the long term but might require him to dissipate his cultivation and restart from scratch. Without the starting point for the Greater Five Elements cultivation technique, he was doomed to mediocre achievements in comparison, and without strength, his choices would be limited.


    The small silhouette of a fox came to mind. First and foremost, he owed Huxian. Any limits on his life and power would ultimately limit Huxian. He then thought of the time where Wang Jun gave up ten years of his life to save the small fox. He still owed his friend a large favor for his sacrifice.


    Then, he thought of Sun Wukong, whose remnant soul still slept in the Clear Sky Brush after protecting him from the heavenly tribulation. It was something he was ashamed to have forgotten; he only remembered it now during this rare moment of clarity.


    "Even if I succeed in breaking through, I still might not be able to affect the overall situation," Cha Ming thought out loud. "Then again, Zhou Li wants me to give up. That must mean he believes I can affect his plans."


    A funny thought occurred to Cha Ming. Hadn''t he wanted these difficult decisions and the choices to begin with? He chuckled mentally at the thought of cowering away from the first one he was offered. If he couldn''t even make this one, how would this life be any different than his previous one?


    Katcha.


    He felt a limit break, and power he didn''t know existed surfaced and brightened the jade garment on his resplendent soul. His sudden insight had allowed him to break through to the early resplendent soul realm.


    Cha Ming hesitated no longer. He immediately circulated his qi to achieve the best possible condition, despite his poor foundation. His qi pillars felt murky, and the countless bubbles that polluted them caused tiny vibrations to propagate as he forced out what little contamination he could.


    Having made up his mind, he popped a mouthful of Pillar Expanding Pills, causing his pillars to grow once more. They creaked and groaned at the influx of impurities, which were swiftly diluted by the large amount of qi flushing through his system. Instead of the smooth growth he''d experienced before, the pillars grew in fits and bursts. He ignored this behavior and kept popping pills until he ran out of those at the appropriate grade. It wasn''t long before his foundation reached a bottleneck and halted its growth. Any additional qi he absorbed polished the tarnished pillars and refilled his qi seas one final time before his breakthrough.


    Once his qi reserves were completely replenished, he immediately proceeded to pop three Pillar Eruption Pills. His murky pillars destabilized, and a large amount of qi forced them to expand past the bottleneck. Instead of the clear sound of crashing glass, this breakthrough into peak foundation establishment sounded like metal scraping on a glass plate. His extremely turbid qi seas rushed into the already murky pillars, causing them to become opaque. Many different inconsistencies could now be found in their marvelous runic structure. They grew until his qi seas were completely depleted.


    Finally, he took the last batch of Pillar Expanding Pills. One by one, they dissolved into viscous qi that dumped into the polluted cesspools that were now his qi seas. He forced the qi into his pillars, growing them little by little toward the invisible barrier in his Dantian. The pillars grew and grew before stopping just shy of the membrane.


    Cha Ming frowned. "There''s not enough energy to reach the limits of foundation establishment. What to do¡­"


    It wasn''t a surprising result. The pills Mo Tianshen had created were tailormade for ideal conditions. How could he possibly have expected Cha Ming to do something so reckless? After pondering for a moment, he recalled the five mid-grade energy-gathering formations he''d memorized.


    Might as well try it out, Cha Ming thought.


    He summoned seventy-two of the unaligned sigils Wang Bing had gifted him in Quicksilver. One by one, he painted five elemental sigils that he immediately condensed into Dao sigils. Creating seventy-two of them took him a full day. Then he took another day to paint a few of the necessary runes he required and incorporated them into the Dao sigils. After that, he used his 180 Dao sigils to summon five energy-gathering formations, one after another.


    The five formations completed, he flicked out a pile of mid-grade spirit stones, which he rapidly converted to pure five-element energy and directly absorbed into his qi seas. As he expected, using five formations simultaneously was the only way to keep his qi in balance while cultivating. He mobilized the steady flow of energy to slowly grow each of his five pillars bit by bit. One day later, a loud thud ended his meditative trance. Just like that, he''d reached the peak of foundation establishment. The only way forward was to break through core formation.


    Cha Ming took a deep breath and adjusted his condition. He reviewed the theory in his mind once more as he flushed out as many impurities as possible from his foundation and qi seas. While he didn''t have the next step of the Greater Five Elements technique, he had casually browsed through other manuals at the Alabaster Group. Regardless of which cultivation method was being used, each one instructed the cultivator to "melt" their qi pillars. In doing so, they could combine each one into a solid core, which they would then repeatedly compress to one ninth of its original size. However, his pillars were sigil pillars¡ªhow could he possibly melt them? This would destroy their inherent runic structure, which was what granted him such potent qi in the foundation-establishment stage in the first place.


    A day passed as he finished his final preparations. Much of the turbidity in his qi seas had faded. Due to the diminishing returns, Cha Ming proceeded to the first step in forming his core: assimilation. He forcibly absorbed the liquid qi in his Dantian into each of his five pillars. They struggled to take in the excess amount, but under his fierce willpower, they remained stable in the arduous process. Then he swallowed three core-formation pills, which not only provided him with great energy and resplendent force, but also slightly destabilized the firm structure of his qi pillars.


    Cha Ming used this change of firmness to slightly modify the runic pillars. He increased their width to roughly double the original while slowly shrinking their length to a quarter of what they had been. He did this slowly, leaving enough time for the runes to shift. Meanwhile, the black-and-white lattice joining the pillars also adjusted. Its thickness doubled while its internal runes condensed into a more energy-efficient form.


    It took a full day to fully adjust the runic structure. Cha Ming let out a sigh of relief.


    The first part of my plan is a success. I did it before, so I can do it again. After checking his foundation once more, he slowly rotated the pillars, shifting them to the side while simultaneously adjusting the black-and-white lattice. It wasn''t long before the five pillars were all pointed toward the center. He then started the next step¡ªtwisting his foundation.


    Using the Dao sigils as his basis, he speculated that it was possible to compress his own foundation into a core in the very same way. As he shifted the pillars and brought them increasingly close together, he made sure to shift the black-and-white lattice while simultaneously thickening it. The originally cylindrical lattice now resembled five white slices of pie and a single black sphere in the center. As they shifted, they became two helixes, a large white one and a smaller black one. Cha Ming continuously shortened and thickened, shortened and thickened.


    Soon, the diameter of his would-be core shrank down a quarter of the width of his Dantian, half of its original size. The originally smooth process became tiring and tedious, and every single compression caused great strain on Cha Ming''s energy and soul. It wasn''t long before Cha Ming realized that his foundation had run out of energy, despite his extremely energy-dense core-formation pills.


    The development wasn''t the least bit surprising to Cha Ming, who calmly threw out the hundred thousand high-grade spirit stones he hadn''t lent to Wang Jun onto the five energy-gathering formations and slowly absorbed them. Three days passed, and slowly but surely, what was originally one half a Dantian in diameter became a quarter, then a fifth, then a tenth. After reaching a tenth, it still hadn''t stabilized. This was expected, since Cha Ming''s Dao sigils only occupied one tenth of their original size. Cha Ming continued. One tenth soon became a twelfth.


    Suddenly, a creaking sound like metal on metal rang through his mind as the shifting runes hit a snag. He used his willpower to shove through the obstruction, and the compression continued. He hit another snag at one fifteenth, and another at one sixteenth. Cha Ming''s expression turned grim as he realized what was happening: The instabilities due to the impurities in his pillars were making it difficult to shift their internal structure as he compressed. It was becoming increasingly difficult to proceed, and the process required more and more energy.


    It took Cha Ming one day to go from one twelfth to one fifteenth, and one more day to go from one fifteenth to one seventeenth. It took three more days before he reached a bottleneck at one nineteenth.


    Cha Ming''s complexion was pale. When he had originally condensed his Dao sigils, they had snapped together smoothly like it was the only natural structure to begin with. But the runes in his Dantian were different¡ªthey were impure and difficult to shift.


    Every single compression now caused great friction in the runic structure of his pseudo-core. He also realized that there was no retreating from the path he had chosen. Should he take away the pressure his resplendent force was exerting on his Dantian, it would quickly unwind, releasing the massive energy he''d absorbed into his Dantian and body. Death would be an ideal case.


    Cha Ming pounded away at the spherical structure that had almost reached completion. Every blow of his resplendent force caused the pseudo-core to creak, while every surge of qi caused it to shudder. He watched as every spirit stone he possessed disappeared, one after another. Once these had vanished, he emptied out most of his liquified elemental essence. Fortunately, he only needed nine tenths of it before his core reached a saturated state.


    Bang. Bang. Bang.


    He continued to impact the pseudo-core with his resplendent force for an entire day. At this point, it had been almost nine days since he began his breakthrough. His mental strength was at its limits¡ªeven converting the last of his liquified elemental essence wouldn''t help. It wasn''t long before his blows weakened. Nine tenths, eight tenths, seven tenths¡­ The strikes weakened gradually until finally, he could barely use one hundredth of his original strength. Despite his exhausted state, he continued giving the pseudo-core one light tap after another. This continued for an hour until he gave it one last desperate blow.


    He heard a soft click. The weak blow was the straw that broke the camel''s back. Cha Ming''s sigil foundation suddenly snapped into place, and the voids within were immediately filled by the sudden surge of energy that accompanied his breakthrough. The five energy-gathering formations shattered as the incoming energy overwhelmed them and directly entered his body. The energy was a gift of heaven and earth for breaking through the next level and wouldn''t stop until his core was formed.


    The voids in his core''s runic structure rapidly filled with a gaseous qi that was completely different from the initial gaseous qi he''d condensed into liquid. Instead, it was a higher-quality core qi. In his joy, he hadn''t realized that his core qi was four times more potent than the average core qi due to his sigil core. As the five-element qi was replenished, so was the peaceful creation-qi helix and the frightening destruction-qi helix. The gas remained within the black-and-white structures without causing a fuss.


    Once the five-element qi, creation qi, and destruction-qi reservoirs were full, Cha Ming looked on with joy as the remaining voids on his core were filled with a grayish substance. It felt soothing and frightening at the same time, and when he probed it with his resplendent force, he detected nothing. Although he couldn''t evaluate its function, his instincts told him that the gray substance stabilized the entire core and was what made it possible in the first place. In fact, it reminded him of the substance in the voids in his bones.


    Gray qi filled the voids in his core little by little. Yet another day passed until finally, his core was fully saturated. At this point, Cha Ming''s expression grew dark as he sensed a calamity approaching him. His core, which was now almost full, suddenly began to shake. The shaking emanated from each of the five elemental sigils that composed his Dao core. It intensified with each wisp of gray qi that entered it. As much as he wished to stop the absorption process, he couldn''t. In fact, the rate of accumulation increased. Before long, it reached a peak that caused crunching and screeching throughout his body and soul. A large amount of stress had accumulated during its formation and had to be relieved.


    Regrettably, Cha Ming''s core had already entered the final polishing stage. While the inside of his core had a runic structure, the outside was becoming more and more like polished jade. The smooth surface contained five colors as well as black, white, and gray. The shaking increased until finally, something gave way. A heartrending snap shook him to the very core. The smooth surface of his core cracked, causing a large amount of the accumulated qi to suddenly dissipate. The cracks crossed each of the five colored surfaces.


    Cha Ming waited as the remnant quakes in his core faded. Once they stabilized, he again began absorbing the energy of heaven and earth through normal cultivation. It entered the small core normally, but he sensed that one third of the qi he absorbed dissipated back into his surroundings. He sighed in relief as he concluded that he was in no danger of dying or being crippled. At worst, he could always dissipate his cultivation and start from scratch.


    After completing his inspection, Cha Ming opened his eyes. His frightening core qi swept across the shifting red-and-gold barrier, which shattered instantly. He then walked forward, his powerful body and surging qi smashing any traps or enemies that stood in his way.


    Not far away, many core-formation devil cultivators and corrupted guardians stood ready to receive him. Cha Ming ignored the swords, sabers, and magical techniques that flew toward him and expanded the Clear Sky Pillar to enormous proportions. His thick qi and powerful body absorbed the blows of dozens of techniques as he smashed into them with raw physical strength. The devils shrank back as his Devil-Sealing Intent ate away at their very souls.


    Soon, the room was deathly quiet. Only the sound of gently settling dust and debris could be heard in the silent labyrinth. That, and a soft rumbling that grew louder and louder as Huxian''s trio smashed their way toward Cha Ming''s position.

 179 Swamp Tribulation

    "Brother succeeded!" Huxian said as he smashed yet another labyrinth guardian. His pseudo-core began rampantly absorbing surrounding energy as it transformed into an actual core instead of just a hollow structure.


    "Does that mean we''ll have to face the tribulation?" Lei Jiang said worriedly as he smashed into a trap.


    "It can''t be avoided," Huxian said. "The plane hates me and resents anyone who helps me. Don''t worry, though. I''ll protect you."


    "These wall creatures are really weak," Silverwing commented as he smashed one after another. "Why were we even scared of this thing in the first place?" He unleashed a gust of wind that crashed through five consecutive walls as they charged over to Cha Ming''s position.


    "Perhaps it''s just a baby," Lei Jiang said as he turned into a ball of lightning and smashed yet another wall. "Maybe it can grow stronger with time."


    "Regardless, it''s helpless against us," Huxian said as he joined his friends in smashing the colossal structure. His true form was now 160 feet in length, but he kept it compact for the sake of convenience. A third tail sprouted near the other two, and the three beasts were struck by a foreboding sensation.


    The Swamp Tribulation would be there soon, and there was no running from it.


    ***


    Cha Ming changed his direction abruptly as the position between him and Huxian became increasingly clear. The rumbling intensified as not only Silverwing but also Cha Ming smashed down wall after all. Corrupted guardians and devil cultivators guarding the maze were caught unaware by Cha Ming''s sudden change in behavior. They didn''t have a chance to react as he smashed through all obstacles to reunite with his brother.


    One last wall finally crumbled to dust before Cha Ming and the three demon beasts stood face to face. The trio wore a victorious expression when they realized that they had triumphed over the wall.


    "You were right, brother," Huxian said. "The wall was just putting on airs¡ªit couldn''t do anything against Silverwing''s mighty strength."


    "Good," Cha Ming said, shrinking the Clear Sky Pillar down to its larger brush form. "Huxian, you first. With my increased strength, drawing out the Swamp Tribulation Totem should be a piece of cake."


    "What''s cake?" Huxian asked curiously.


    "It''s a delicious sweet desert," Cha Ming said as he swiftly painted blue, green, and brown totem lines over the fox''s fur. "They don''t make it in the Song Kingdom or the Quicksilver Empire, but I''ll find some for you one day."


    Huxian''s eyes shone brightly as he patiently waited for Cha Ming to finish. After a few hours, the murky lines on his fur glowed brightly and condensed into a tight runic structure that protected him like an armor.


    Cha Ming proceeded to work on Lei Jiang and Silverwing next. Finally, he shrank the Clear Sky Brush into its talisman brush form. He used it to paint one small rune after another, which shot into various places on his body. Little by little, Cha Ming''s bare skin was covered in so many tattoos that he now resembled a cave-dwelling tribesman.


    "How much longer do we have?" Cha Ming asked.


    "Two days, but I can call it forward," Huxian said.


    Cha Ming nodded, and the surroundings immediately darkened. A peculiar smell filled the air as an ominous presence snuck into the labyrinth completely unimpeded. After all, the labyrinth was a creation of this world¡ªhow could it possibly resist the will of the cosmos?


    "The first stage," Cha Ming whispered. "Corrosion." A swirling maelstrom of viscous heaven and earth energy appeared around them. It attacked their bodies constantly, threatening to burn away their skin and bones with their terrifying power. Cha Ming could have resisted this with a combination of his body and his core-formation qi, but as the greenish-blue energy invaded his body, the Swamp Tribulation Runes on his body activated and reduced its effectiveness by nine tenths. The remainder of the energy was easily handled by his fierce body, and the three demons did the same.


    "You call that a calamity?" Lei Jiang yelled. The small mouse had grown arrogant since its breakthrough to core formation. "That barely tickles. I dare you to do better!"


    The surrounding energy suddenly concentrated on the small rodent. "I apologize, I apologize!" the small purple mouse said, and the tribulation returned to normal.


    Seeing that its corrosive abilities were ineffective, the malestream halted, and the energy in the air thickened. Cha Ming discovered that the armor could only do so much against this second stage, the poison calamity. The mist condensed into a liquid, which then began seeping through the cracks in his armor and slowly but surely dripping onto his skin. At first it felt like nothing but a tickle, but soon it felt like bee stings all over his body.


    Lei Jiang was the first to howl in pain. As the weakest member of the group, and the one with the poorest defenses, small pinholes began to appear all over his hide. The purple fur he prided himself in was quickly dissolving as the green and blue qi pierced his skin like daggers and spread into his bloodstream. Cha Ming succumbed next, followed by Huxian, and finally Silverwing.


    The pain was unbearable. It wormed its way through his blood vessels like liquid lava as Cha Ming mustered his qi and vital energy to fight against it. When the two energies clashed, the pain doubled. This was a small price to pay for halting the damage it caused all over his body. His flesh struggled to regenerate as his refined marrow pumped increasing amounts of blood into his veins. The only part of his body not threatened by the poison were his bones.


    ***


    "Bodhi seed, what''s happening?" Gong Lan asked as a small piece of stone crumbled off the increasingly frail labyrinth walls. "The corruption might have modified the wall''s functioning, but it shouldn''t be so fragile that a few large men with hammers could completely destroy it."


    As she said this, she stretched out her hand and scratched it with her soft fingers. The nearby Luo Xuehua gasped as the wall crumbled to dust under Gong Lan''s weak movement.


    "I''m not sure," the bodhi seed said. "I feel the Plane Will''s wrath. It has unleashed a calamity, but one that is far different than I''ve ever seen in my lifetime. It''s much weaker than a transcendence calamity, and its elemental composition is completely off. A typical tribulation would be composed of wind, fire, and lightning, while this one bears the elements of water, earth, and wood. The name ''Swamp Tribulation'' comes to mind, but I have no idea why it was summoned."


    "Regardless, the walls are weakening," Gong Lan said. "We should use this opportunity to move further into the labyrinth."


    The bodhi seed bobbed up and down. "The tribulation is damaging the labyrinth''s walls, forcing it to divert a large amount of energy to defend and repair itself." It looked toward the center of the labyrinth. "Whatever you do, don''t head in that direction. The calamity is converging there, and anything that walks within its range will experience its wrath."


    ***


    Cha Ming''s mind relaxed as the agony in his body receded. The first two phases of the Swamp Tribulation could not be fought, only passively endured. Having resisted the corrosion and poisoning portions of the calamity, all four of their bodies swiftly recovered as they prepared for the third stage: smothering. The totems on their bodies had completely faded while defending them previously, and they could only depend on their own power to prevail.


    The swamp energy around them thickened once more until it became a slurry that weighed down on them like fifty feet of swampy debris. Cha Ming quickly realized that he couldn''t breathe, and the surrounding bog was now rapidly draining away at both his qi and vitality. The remaining challenge was to escape the swamp. If they didn''t, their bones would remain here for all eternity.


    "I''ll help Lei Jiang," Huxian yelled. The small mouse was not as powerful as the other three, and its impressive speed couldn''t help it. Conversely, Huxian was the least affected. His three tails glowed with three lights that whizzed around him like three shooting stars. One glowed purple like Lei Jiang''s lightning, while another was a dull azure. The third color was a murky greenish blue, much like the swamp they were currently experiencing. While it didn''t glow brightly like the purple star, it wasn''t dull like the azure one. In fact, it seemed to be glowing brighter by the second, as though the tribulation''s energy was slowly seeping into it and reinforcing it.


    A circle of light purification and dark swallowing surrounded Huxian and Lei Jiang. This move by Huxian immediately provoked the tribulation''s energy to double; a tribulation could be transcended with help, but only at a great price. Nevertheless, the purple star strengthened the small mouse, and the black-and-white aura around them weakened the pressure they felt substantially. They inched out toward the outside, leaving Silverwing and Cha Ming to fend for themselves. The fox and the mouse summoned black-and-white battle armors, and Silverwing followed.


    "I''m out," Silverwing said. The falcon activated its roc bloodline and grew until its wingspan reached eighty feet. Its silver wings cut through the Swamp Tribulation as though it was wind. Then Silverwing flapped his mighty wings and flew twenty feet in a single go. After ten more flaps, he forced his way out of the range of the tribulation, which ceased choking him and absorbing his vitality.


    "Looks like I''m the only one left," Cha Ming mumbled. He thought for a bit before summoning his own battle armor. Black-and-white tattoos revealed themselves on his skin and formed a suit of shadow and light. The armor linked up to his five-element qi and functioned as a replacement to his normal qi shields.


    Then Cha Ming summoned a high-grade Blade Barrier combat formation. Seventy-two sigils swirled around him and cut away at the bog, weakening it ever so slightly. On a whim, he summoned thirty-six other sigils and rearranged the combat-formation structure. He used his accumulated knowledge of formations and his extremely dense core qi to force them together into an impromptu peak combat formation. The blades slashed the surrounding bog and eased their pressure. He gritted his teeth and took his first step forward in the swamp''s strangling field.


    He paled as he realized that, despite all his efforts, that single step was more difficult than wielding a 40,000-jin Clear Sky Pillar. After substantial effort, he used his qi and fierce body strength to urge his foot forward. To his amazement, not only was he fighting against the swamp, he was fighting against himself. The voids in his bones had actually activated involuntarily and increased his body''s weight to 430,000 jin. He had no way to retract it.


    "What a frightening swamp tribulation," Cha Ming whispered.


    Both his increased weight and the restrictive energy of the tribulation made each step a ridiculous ordeal. The first step carried him a single foot forward but drained one percent of his total energy. After ten steps, he''d consumed a little more than eleven percent. To his amazement, the energy being consumed increased the farther from the center he was. After fifty steps, he''d consumed sixty percent of his energy reserves, meaning that he couldn''t possibly transcend the tribulation with his current strategy.


    Cha Ming''s eyes flickered to Huxian, who was also at the same distance and panting under the pressure of supporting Lei Jiang. He didn''t dare ask his brother for help¡ªafter all, the small fox couldn''t possibly resist yet another portion of the tribulation. Cha Ming wracked his mind as he thought of every talisman in his possession. The offensive and defensive talismans he possessed would not have much effect, and neither would the shielding ones. This disqualified the standard ones and most of his poetic talismans. Only two talismans came to mind: the Sharp Talisman and the Momentum Talisman.


    He activated the Sharp Talisman without any hesitation. His movements became concise and aggressive, like sharp blades that cut through the bog that surrounded him. It greatly decreased his energy consumption, but he could tell it was hardly enough. Therefore, Cha Ming recalled the many feelings he''d experienced when painting the Momentum Talisman. He dwelled on the unstoppable forward movement he''d experienced since bouncing back in Crystal Falls. His progression as a talisman artist and formation artist had been swift and his cultivation speed even more so.


    My momentum is unstoppable, Cha Ming thought as he activated the Momentum Talisman. His speed increased gradually, and the swamp''s restrictions became increasingly thin against his movements.


    Still not enough. His increased speed caused him to feel the nature of the swamp''s resistance; his every movement caused the bog to shift and create turbulent eddies. Then it hit him¡ªhis poetic talismans were a matter of interpretation.


    He felt a boundary between the two talismans, momentum and resistance, fade. Momentum and resistance were two sides of the same coin, and as something moved faster, its resistance would increase. But the viscosity of the fluid affected its impedance, which was how the Resistance Talisman affected it in the first place. If he could increase it, could he not decrease it? The sudden inspiration struck him like a bolt of lightning. He suddenly stopped traveling through the murky waters and withdrew a sheet of paper and the Clear Sky Brush.


    The drain on his strength decreased substantially, but it didn''t stop. He diverted a portion of his core qi and resplendent force to isolate a small area just in front of him, where he put out a small sheet of talisman paper. He used a little of his remaining water essence to quickly put his epiphany into words.


    The ocean cares not for drowning children;


    Man is a slave to the sea of fate.


    Flowing down from high to low;


    Never questioning his direction.


    Like the resistance in water, life''s many challenges could be faced not only by struggling against them, but by acting upon the resistance itself. Struggling against a thick swamp was difficult, while struggling against a calm pool of water was much less challenging. Air was also a fluid¡ªits resistance was so miniscule that people didn''t even know it existed.


    Conversely, momentum involved not only forward movement but lack thereof. An object at rest was difficult to move, just like a person who''d lost all hope and will to go forward. The lack of movement was another form of resistance, an impedance to both himself and the people around him. This was the nature of flow, and he called the new combined talisman the Flow Talisman. Dark- and light-blue ink swirled as the poetic talisman''s color became uniform. It now looked like the purest water from a pristine glacier.


    Cha Ming activated the newly created paper, which was evidently an early core talisman. The paper didn''t burn but dissolved into his surroundings, thinning the nearby tribulation swamp in the surrounding fifty feet.


    The thinned location intersected with Huxian''s, who was still struggling to exit the swamp. He looked at Cha Ming in shock as the core talisman directly suppressed their three tribulations simultaneously. The swamp struggled to reinforce itself, but Cha Ming, Huxian, and Lei Jiang had already left its sphere of influence. Once they escaped, the Swamp Tribulation disappeared as swiftly as it had come. Heaven and earth energy rushed into them as soon as the tribulation left, like a weak apology after a fierce beating. Their wounds and qi rapidly recovered. They then gazed at their surroundings, which were nothing more than shattered remnants of a once-expansive labyrinth.


    They could now see two locations: the entrance and the exit. Cha Ming saw three groups in the distance: Gong Lan and Luo Xuehua, who were nearest to the exit; Dongfang Hao and the two core-formation protectors from the Alabaster Group; and three monks from Gong Lan''s original entourage.


    The others were nowhere to be found.

 180 Motive

    "Kill!" the Jin family''s leader yelled as he led a large number of allied troops toward exposed Ma family protectors. The useless sellswords broke down as soon as a tenth of them were killed. They swiftly retreated from the gate they were guarding, bypassing the courtyard and running straight back into the Ma family complex.


    "Useless," the Ma family leader muttered. "Remind me again who made the decision to hire these useless thugs?"


    "Your son is incompetent," said Ma Yong, a younger version of the Ma family leader. "Shall we leave them outside to die?"


    "No, we must let them in," the Ma family leader said. "If we don''t shelter them, we''ll affect the morale of all the mercenaries in the crown prince''s faction. We simply can''t bear that responsibility."


    The young master nodded, and they both looked on grimly as their troops retreated and abandoned the outer courtyard. "At least this building has been fortified by the geomancer. It''s one of the few buildings that weren''t damaged during those mysterious attacks."


    Ma Yong chuckled. "It''s a good thing we paid him a bonus to establish a firmer structure. All those fools in the other households are probably pissing their pants worrying about whether their building is defective. We''re the only ones who don''t have such worries."


    "Indeed, with these fortifications, we can hold out until the succession is over," the Ma family leader said. "By then, we''ll either have contributed greatly or we''ll beg for forgiveness. However, with the way things are going, I refuse to believe that we''ll lose."


    Suddenly, the ground shook slightly. "What was that?" Ma Yong asked. The shaking didn''t subside. Instead it was accompanied by a few stronger tremors. A crack appeared on a wall that shouldn''t have broken in a hundred years.


    "What''s going on?" the Ma family leader said. He walked up to the newly formed crack and lightly touched it. It collapsed, and pieces of wall fell down a dark gap that ran down the entire length of the wall. He paled.


    "We''ve been tricked!" the Ma family leader said. "I''ll have that geomancer''s head!"


    He didn''t know the damage had been caused by two little miscreants on their rampage throughout the city. And he never would.


    Soon after, the building crumbled as it was attacked by the Jin family''s troops. Eventually the heavy roof collapsed and killed everyone in the building.


    ***


    "The operation was a success," Prince Lei said to Wang Jun, who was casually leafing through a book he''d read a dozen times. "A third of the crown prince''s forces were annihilated instantly. In addition, several pieces of real estate have become available."


    "Don''t forget your faithful helper when you appropriate them," Wang Jun said, chuckling. "I would buy them, but it seems they no longer have an owner."


    While he looked calm on the surface, he was actually worried. The crown prince had yet to muster the full force of the military against them, and he wasn''t sure how they would withstand it. Without external aid, they had a thirty-percent chance at best to pull through.


    One message after another trickled into their makeshift command room. News of victories and defeats throughout the city were filtered and summarized to Prince Lei, who gave out orders to their field commanders under Wang Jun''s discreet advice.


    A half day later, Prince Lei''s previously relaxed expression had turned grim. "The situation''s turned around. Our attack on the Alchemists Association headquarters has failed. The geomancer, seeing the problems in the other buildings, thoroughly inspected their last few holdouts and fixed and reinforced them. It won''t be easy to take them. Also, there''s another piece of bad news."


    "What''s that?" Wang Jun asked.


    He didn''t have to wonder for long. Their building shook, and screams rang out from outside. His eyes narrowed. "It seems they''ve decided to cut right to the chase. Unfortunately, a substantial portion of our forces are in other districts." Wang Jun struck himself in the chest, regaining his sickly complexion. "Let''s go supervise the situation."


    Prince Lei led Wang Jun out of the room. He was soon joined by Protector Ren, who supported him as they flew to their destination. They soon arrived at a vantage point that overlooked the chaotic city.


    In Central Square, two sides were facing off. Prince Lei''s faction wore green livery and was composed mostly of upper-tier sellswords and Wang family employees. Prince Tian''s forces wore blue. A large number of military troops meshed awkwardly with scattered cultivators and noblemen. They outnumbered Prince Lei''s troops two to one.


    Prince Tian himself took the lead. He flew up with Marshal Feng and twenty-four other core-formation cultivators. In response, Prince Lei jumped off the vantage point and floated out with fourteen core-formation experts. Five were Wang family employees, while the other nine were men from his own faction. They stared daggers at each other from across the battlefield, neither side daring to back down.


    "You should have known your limits before committing treachery," Prince Tian said. "As much as I loathe to kill my own brother, you leave me with very little choice."


    "Cut the crap," Prince Lei said. "You and I both know who''s caused this situation. If you hadn''t poisoned Father, and if you hadn''t killed First Brother and Fourth Brother, I would have gladly let you take the throne."


    Prince Tian''s eyes narrowed as murmurs ran through both sides. These were fresh accusations. "After committing treason, it''s easy to casually slander the other party. I personally won''t bother to respond to such deceitful tricks. I''ll make you submit through force."


    The twenty-four cultivators erupted with core-formation might. Prince Lei''s fourteen experts released theirs in response, but it was clear who was on the losing end.


    "Kill them all!" Prince Tian shouted.


    "Kill!" Prince Tian''s men yelled. Their fighting intent flooded the battlefield, invigorating the forces beneath them, who charged with all they had.


    "Fight to the last!" Prince Lei''s men shouted. Their forces recovered from their opponents'' battle cries just in time to defend themselves against the initial impact.


    Wang Jun, who was watching from the vantage point, held out his hand. He coughed up blood as wave after wave of dark energy weaved through their forces and obscured their movements and attacks. The situation stabilized rapidly, but it was only a matter of time until they lost.


    Blood filled the streets as the masses of cultivators were cut down by blades and spears. After a half hour of fierce fighting, a quarter of Prince Lei''s forces had fallen, as had two of their core-formation cultivators.


    Meanwhile, only one of Prince Tian''s experts had fallen. Sighing, Wang Jun sent a signal to his people inside the auction house. Six slaughtering formations immediately activated and slayed a third of Prince Tian''s unsuspecting men.


    The instant these formations erupted, six core-formation experts broke off from Prince Tian''s battle formation and began taking countermeasures. They directed their attacks to the formations, which could only retreat and match them blow for blow. High-grade spirit stones evaporated by the thousands. Despite the great blow they dealt to the crown prince''s forces, the situation in the battlefield had hardly changed.


    Suddenly a flash of red plunged toward the fierce melee, instantly suppressing both sides. Wang Jun''s eyes narrowed as he recognized the figure¡ªit was one of the king''s guardians, a peak-core-formation cultivator. His lips curved into a smile as he pondered the implications. After all, Princess Guo was one of the people he''d sent a folio to, and the king''s guardians were always in the same room as her. As the battle between the core-formation experts in the air came to a standstill, the battle below also died down.


    Both Prince Tian and Prince Lei floated up to the figure. "Why has Esteemed Uncle interfered in this battle?" Prince Tian said. "Shouldn''t you be guarding the king?"


    "Has Esteemed Father¡­" Prince Lei said, his eyes tearing up.


    "The king is in a dire situation," the red-cloaked figure said. "I have naturally come for an important matter. You are all to cease fighting until this matter is resolved, and I will kill anyone who dares interfere."


    The crown prince''s eyes narrowed. "Everyone, stand down," he shouted.


    Prince Lei did the same to his own forces. Each side separated, leaving a large unoccupied gap stained with blood. A palanquin appeared in the distance just outside the palace, floating freely between two other red-cloaked figures. The palanquin was also red and adorned with a golden dragon with five claws. Everyone bowed when they saw it, for only the emperor could use it.


    As the palanquin approached their groups, Prince Tian was the first to speak. "Why has Royal Father come all this way to the battlefield? Has he awakened?"


    "He hasn''t," the red-cloaked man said coldly. "However, the royal treasury''s medicinal supplies have dried up. We require the services of a high-tiered alchemist to prolong his life."


    Prince Tian''s eyes lit up. "We''ll be happy to provide such services."


    The red-cloaked man snorted and looked up to Wang Jun''s black figure. "Would the Wang family be so kind as to supply an alchemist and the necessary medicinal ingredients? We may also need your vast connections to secure additional rarer materials. I''m sure the crown prince won''t interfere in this matter."


    Wang Jun, who was still feigning illness, bowed weakly. "I''ll be happy to assist in any way possible. Is there anything else I can help you with?"


    "There is," the red-cloaked man said. "The king''s condition is dire, and we wish to save as much time as possible. We understand that you cannot send your alchemists to the palace during this fierce political struggle. We don''t wish to hamper your efforts, so we''ll have to thicken our skin and ask you to provide your best accommodations for the king and us three old geezers. And the princess, of course. She worries deeply for her father and refuses to leave his side."


    The faint silhouette of a woman could be seen through the palanquin''s thin curtains.


    Wang Jun naturally understood the implications of this move: The three "royal uncles" that could cause even Prince Tian to bow down were expressing favor for Prince Lei. They''d even chosen the Wang family''s less-competent alchemist over the Zhou family''s. The princess was also willing to accompany their father to stay in the Wang family''s compound. This meant that even she, who usually sided with her eldest brother, believed Prince Lei''s accusations.


    "We''ll naturally provide our best courtyards," Wang Jun said. "In fact, we''ll demolish some walls and stick accommodations together to make them more comfortable for our five esteemed guests."


    Prince Tian paled as the red palanquin turned and headed straight into the Jade Bamboo Auction House. Now that the king himself was situated there, it would be utterly disrespectful to continue with his attack. This meant that, despite their superior forces, they could no longer take the initiative.


    "Fall back!" Prince Tian said venomously, signaling for his forces to retreat. The large crowd that was initially going to crush the third prince''s rebellion funneled back into the Alchemists Association, their last remaining stronghold.


    That night, word of what had transpired spread throughout the city like a wildfire. Many people who had already joined the crown prince''s faction secretly defected. His troops'' morale reached an all-time low, but fortunately for Prince Tian, he still held the upper hand in official combat prowess.


    And with that, the civil war came to an awkward standstill.


    ***


    Feng Chuan sighed as he looked through the information in the dossier once more, the evidence that incriminated Prince Tian. He''d originally chosen to dismiss it after reading it, but the royal uncles'' decision had caused him to reconsider. These men were the king''s most ardent supporters, brothers who had fought for him during his rise on the battlefield. Naturally this meant that they saw the king''s children much like their own¡ªthey would never choose sides unless they had a legitimate reason.


    As to how they could confirm this information, he guessed it had something to do with their residual marshal''s authority. All three of the powerful protectors had been marshals in the king''s time and had only retired to become his personal guards once the war against the south had calmed down. Feng Chuan had taken up one of their places following their retirement.


    Feng Chuan sat cross-legged and accessed the marshal''s medallion on his chest. It glowed with the same soft light as Southhaven Fortress. As a vestige of the ancient Song Empire obtained from a transcendent realm, it possessed a unique function: It held a detailed record of military activities within the Song Kingdom. This vital tool had been created to prevent treachery. While no direct military evidence could be attributed to the first prince''s death, the many supporting details provided by Prince Lei could be validated.


    Not only was he using it to review the information in the folio, but he was anxiously supervising the battle at Southhaven Fortress. He now realized that he should have fought back and forcibly mobilized troops to the wall. Now it was too late. The hopes of the kingdom now rested on a small squad of a hundred men who had daringly teleported into the core of their opponent''s army. His son was one of them.


    At this moment, a large explosion rattled the battlefield in Southhaven. Deputy Marshal Feng''s military contributions shot through the roof, to the point where the system recommended his promotion to marshal. After pondering for a moment, Feng Chuan suggested Feng Ming''s promotion. One other active marshal would need to support his decision.


    Feng Chuan then moved on to inspect the battlefield, and his heart clenched when he noticed that Feng Ming and a squad of crack troops were struggling to escape the enemy''s surrounding troops. He looked on in awe as Marshal Yong took one swipe after another with Southhaven''s Life-Reaping Blade. The man was the backbone of their country''s defense, and even he himself couldn''t hold a candle to this man''s willpower and cultivation.


    One swipe, two swipes, three swipes. Before long, the enemies were all cleared away, leaving an opening for Feng Ming''s retreat. Just as he sighed in relief, however, the system notified him of an important matter¡ªMarshal Yong had been fatally wounded by Deputy Marshal Mo.


    "I must report this to the crown prince," he muttered.


    Suddenly he felt a sharp pain in his back. He exited the system and noticed a dagger protruding from his heart. He tried to circulate his qi and noticed that it was firmly sealed in place. A purple substance on the blade confirmed his guess.


    "So it''s true," Marshal Feng gasped and spurted out blood. "You used qi-binding venom on your own father, you monstrous son of a bitch."


    "All for the sake of the kingdom," Prince Tian said as he walked away. He wore a mournful, tired expression. "We can''t win against the Southern Alliance. We can only join them. A leader must make difficult choices for the sake of his people."


    Feng Chuan coughed up more blood. "The Southern Alliance is filled with monsters," he said. "Better that every man, woman, and child in this kingdom perish than to let them live under their oppression."


    "A difference in perspective," Prince Tian said. "You choose honor, but I choose life. Everyone in this kingdom deserves a chance at life. The people will realize this in time."


    ***


    In Southhaven Fortress, Marshal Yong lay dying. A system notification appeared in every battle map in the room.


    "Marshal Feng has been mortally wounded by Marshal Tian," the system said. "Would Marshal Yong like to pass a motion to strip Marshal Tian of his authority?"


    "Yes!" Marshal Yong gasped.


    "Marshal Tian has rejected the motion, while Marshal Yong has supported it," the system intoned. "Marshal Feng is incapacitated and is counted as abstaining. The motion has failed."


    "Dammit," Marshal Yong said with bared teeth. "What a great crown prince you are, selling us out to the Southern Alliance like cattle for slaughter."


    The generals in the room were all pale with fright. Who could have possibly expected the simultaneous assassination of two marshals?


    "A matter is pending that Marshal Yong has yet to review," the system said. "Requesting the marshal to approve or reject the system-recommended promotion of Deputy Marshal Feng to marshal."


    "Approve!" Marshal Yong yelled.


    "Motion approved," the system said. "Authority will be transferred to Marshal Feng Ming immediately." Another alarm sounded. "Marshal Feng Chuan has passed away. Marshal Feng Chuan''s status has been toggled to deceased, and his marshal''s authority can no longer be used."


    Looking around at the room of wide-eyed generals, Marshal Yong could only despair. "When Marshal Feng comes in, I''ll already be dead," he said, his eyes red with rage. "You are to follow him without question, defend the wall, and take down that ungrateful bastard that calls himself a prince. Is that clear?"


    "Yes, sir!" the generals in the room acknowledged.


    Satisfied, Marshal Yong closed his eyes and sent a mental message to the system.


    Please send this private message to Marshal Feng along with his marshal''s medallion and my marshal''s cloak. I know we don''t have any more cloaks in storage, but I won''t be needing it where I''m going.

 181 Converging

    Feng Ming knew something was wrong as soon as he stepped into the fortress. The soldiers looked sullen and exhausted, and he was greeted by three pale-faced generals who looked like death itself. The looks everyone gave him were not those of celebration after a hard-earned victory but rather the looks of defeated men on the brink of collapse.


    "What''s the situation, General Tang?" Feng Ming asked the mustached man in the lead. He bore a small black-and-gold bundle in his hands, as well as a black-and-gold medallion.


    "Reporting to Marshal Feng, Deputy Marshal Mo betrayed and killed Marshal Yong," General Tang said.


    The news struck Feng Ming like a bolt of lightning. "Marshal Yong is dead?" Feng Ming said. "How is this possible? Marshal Yong is the strongest in the army. And what''s this about me being a marshal?"


    "Please take things one step at a time, Marshal Feng," General Tang said. "The treacherous Deputy Marshal Mo took advantage of Marshal Yong''s exhausted state when he single-handedly activated the offensive formation to carve out a path for your retreat. Please bind the medallion as soon as possible to receive his dying message."


    Feng Ming frowned when he saw the man avert his eyes and hesitate to say something else. "What else is there that I should know about? Look at me!"


    General Tang swallowed. "Marshal Feng¡­ your father. He''s also dead." The man choked back tears as he said these words. "I served with your father for many decades. I''m sorry, but he was killed¡­ by Prince Tian. Prince Tian has betrayed our kingdom. This has been confirmed by Southhaven Fortress''s system. Please be strong for us."


    Feng Ming''s eyes turned red, but seeing the men around him, he refused to cry. He simply took General Tang''s package and swiftly bound the marshal''s medallion with a drop of blood.


    "Pull yourselves together, men," Feng Ming said, turning around to the soldiers who were all looking at him. "Recover as quickly as possible and ready yourselves to defend the wall. General Tang, take me to Marshal Yong''s body."


    "Yes, sir!" the men said at once. A flurry of emotions vied for supremacy in Feng Ming''s mind as he followed General Tang through the hallways and into the war room. The floor was still slick with blood where Marshal Yong''s cold body lay. Feng Ming realized that the cloak in his arms was none other than the deceased marshal''s.


    Feng Ming kneeled beside the man who had served his country for centuries. He pushed the man''s grizzled hair out of his face and gently wiped the blood out of his beard with a cloth. Despite his demise, the man had the peaceful smile filled with satisfaction.


    When I die, I want to be wearing a smile just like that one, Feng Ming decided.


    "Where is Mo Shen?" Feng Ming asked General Tang. Calling him by a military rank was an insult to the men around him, and an insult to Marshal Yong, so he refused to do so.


    Four generals brought forward a manacled man. They tore off his red, black-runed cloak.


    "Strip his armor as well," Feng Ming said. Feng Ming looked calmly at the man, who looked at him a crazed expression.


    "Why did you do it?" Feng Ming asked.


    "For the kingdom," Mo Shen said.


    Feng Ming struck the man across the face with his qi from thirty feet away. He walked over calmly and asked again.


    "Don''t give me that crap," Feng Ming said. "How could crippling the defensive wall and killing two marshals while starting a civil war possibly be good for the kingdom?" He walked up to the man until they were face to face. "Why did you do it?" he asked again.


    "I did it for the kingd¡ª ARGH!" He screamed as Feng Ming plunged a dagger into his shoulder. He stared at Feng Ming and grinned like a madman. "You don''t have to believe me. I just wanted to tell you personally that you are doomed, and the wall will fall. Without Marshal Yong, you''re nothing. Luck can only get you so far in life."


    Feng Ming sighed before giving instructions to the generals. "Confiscate his treasures, dismember his corpse, and toss it outside the wall. He doesn''t deserve a proper burial."


    "What will be the method of his execution?" General Tang asked.


    "Execution?" Feng Ming said, looking perplexed. "Look at him, General. He''s already dead."


    The man''s maniacal grin was frozen in place, but a trickle of black blood was leaking out of the corner of his mouth.


    "I don''t know what they''re up to, but I refuse to let these savage southerners win. I want a tally of our strategic situation in one hour. Come find me if anything urgent arises."


    Feng Ming walked through a corridor to the marshal''s room, which he entered with no difficulty. The bedding and furniture were all immaculate and tidy, with not a thing out of place. He didn''t touch any of them, however. He simply found a nearby wall and slumped against it in exhaustion. Then he looked at the black cloak the marshal had left him and ran his fingers along its silky surface.


    "System, please retrieve Marshal Yong''s dying words," Feng Ming said.


    "Acknowledged," the system said. "Please approve or reject the pending proposal by Marshal Tian to appoint General Ma as marshal."


    "Denied," Feng Ming said.


    "Very well," the system said. "Replaying the last mental communication by Marshal Yong."


    Feng Ming kept quiet for fear of missing something.


    "Feng Ming," Marshal Yong''s voice said, "I''m dying, and if you''re hearing this, you likely know that your father has also passed on. I''m sorry. He was a good man, and he and I served in the army together for a long time. We were brothers. We saved each other''s lives so many times we stopped keeping track.


    "I don''t have a lot of time left, so I won''t bore you with my speculations on this. Cut and dry, Prince Tian must be stopped. But before that, I''m worried about the wall. A general never relies on a single tactic in war, so I doubt they''ll give up with this defeat. If I were to guess what their next move is, it would likely involve the Spirit Temple. You might not know this, but all our estimates indicate that they have, at most, a few thousand members. For a thousand members to be present here all at once, it must be for something big. You should have seen how happy I was when I saw you blow up half their members. Their leaders must be coughing up blood and losing some serious sleep."


    Marshal Yong paused. "My last bit of advice is to keep an eye on the other two fortresses. I was forced to weaken them, so it stands to reason that their secondary ploy will target them next. Don''t take anything for granted¡ªI want you to personally visit them.


    "Even though I was betrayed, remember to trust your men. That''s the curse of being a leader¡ªyou need to rely on the people around you, and it''s your fault if they let you down. Don''t let what happened to me stop you from having confidence in your people.


    "Lastly, trust in your gut. You''re the luckiest man I''ve ever seen, but as you can see, that won''t necessarily make you happy. What will make you happy is doing your best. I might be dying, but I''m dying a happy man. Your father died happy as well¡ªhe approved your promotion to marshal only a few seconds before he passed away. He knows everything you did out there, and he was proud of you. Remember that."


    Tears ran down Feng Ming''s face as he let his bottled-up emotions pour out. He had less than an hour to grieve, less than an hour to show his respects to the man who had raised him and a marshal who had supported him.


    ***


    Feng Ming walked into the war room at the appointed time. The black-and-gold marshal''s cloak felt heavy on his shoulders, but he wore it all the same. Its coloring was a symbol of hope for the generals around him, an encouragement to the otherwise dispirited men.


    "Reporting to the marshal, the enemy has begun mobilizing its troops," General Tang said. "Shortly after their defeat, they quickly packed up the scraps of their cannons and began collecting corpses and weapons. They should be ready to leave within the day."


    Feng Ming nodded. "Retreat would be wise at this point, but be ready for eventualities and keep an eye on them. Our stores of spirit stones were depleted, so they''ll consider us especially vulnerable to a follow-up attack." He casually tossed out a small mountain of 500,000 high-grade spirit stones he should have given them earlier. "Don''t let that stop us from defending this place. What news is there from Easthaven and Westhaven?"


    "Nothing to report," the general shrugged. "There haven''t been any enemy movements within a hundred miles of their walls."


    "I want you to lead things here while I conduct an inspection at Easthaven," Feng Ming said. "You are now Deputy Marshal of Southhaven." He handed the man a black-and-red cloak along with a black-and-red token. "General Qin!"


    "Sir!" The large man stood up. As a fierce body cultivator, he''d already recovered from their battle.


    "General Qin, you will be the second deputy marshal," Feng Ming said. "I want you to take two generals here and ten of our remaining elites to Westhaven Fortress."


    General Qin saluted him and quickly selected two generals, and Feng Ming was relieved to see that they were two of the more observant and intelligent ones. Feng Ming looked around and chose two others, General Long and General Jin. He immediately recruited ten of their elites, half of which were body cultivators, and proceeded to the departure hall.


    "Please don''t make me do it again," the old technician said. "It''ll stop my heart if I have to send you out like that again."


    "I don''t want you to send us to the battlefield," Feng Ming said. "I want you to send us to Easthaven."


    The technician sighed in relief. It only took a few breaths before the white-and-gray glow of teleportation materialized.


    ***


    "As I said many times, Marshal, there is nothing to report," General Liu said. "Nothing has happened here. In fact, you can take more men if you want. Just be sure to send them back if we need them."


    Feng Ming nodded as he inspected a large screen in the war room. Small red dots were displayed on a map of the fortress. He wasn''t sure why, but something felt off about them. They were too¡­ orderly. Which was ironic, given that order was considered a good thing in military circles.


    "I''m going to go for a walk," Feng Ming said to the two generals and ten elites. "Why don''t the both of you stay here for the time being?" He left them to relax in the room as he randomly roamed about throughout Easthaven Fortress.


    His resplendent force picked up whispers and mental messages as he passed by soldiers who looked at him reverently. Many of them were discussing the events in Southhaven and Feng Ming''s rapid promotion to marshal. Some were envious, but most of them respected him. Only a minority of the men were quiet. Among the five thousand men in the fortress, perhaps one in ten didn''t speak much.


    One in ten, one in ten, Feng Ming thought. Why does that ring a bell? As he thought this, he caught the silhouettes of two sergeants walking down the corridor with serious expressions. They walked with ordered steps toward the north end of the fortress.


    Where could they be going? Feng Ming wondered. And why would they head toward the north? The only thing there is the storeroom.


    Since he needed to stop there anyway to reallocate military supplies, he quietly followed the men, using his resplendent force to probe any potential mental conversations. He was surprised to discover that they weren''t talking. They were part of the one in ten.


    "What can I do for you today?" a man''s voice said from within the store room when the two men arrived.


    "My sword was dented during training," one of the men said. "I need a replacement."


    "I''ve come to collect my monthly spirit-stone quota," the other man said.


    "Just one moment," the man in the storeroom said. "I need to go to the back."


    "Take your time," one of the men said. They began speaking about mundane topics. This concerned Feng Ming¡ªas far as he knew, soldiers gossiped more than any other profession. That was why every general in history emphasized morale. The slightest rumor could decimate an army quicker than any enemy tactic.


    Unusual soldiers and one in ten, Feng Ming thought. Why does that bother me so much? As he thought of this, he made his way to the storeroom, where he planned on retrieving half of their spirit-stone supply.


    Suddenly his hair stood on end. Instead of ducking for cover, he rushed over to the room where the two men had previously been talking and was surprised to see that the door was shut. Unfortunately, it was built from a material that isolated his resplendent force. He moved to open it but discovered that it was not only shut but locked. Frowning, he took two steps back and kicked the door down.


    "What in the world?" he whispered. The two men who had previously been chatting were now standing beside the quartermaster, who had dropped both the sword and the spirit stones. The quartermaster''s eyes were white, while to his side, wisps of crimson gas left the soldiers'' eyes and seeped into the quartermaster''s.


    Feng Ming wasted no time. He quickly summoned his lucky spear and threw it at the nearest man, who dropped dead instantly. He then darted to the next man and slashed with a short sword, swiftly separating his head from his body. To his surprise, the body dropped to the floor, but the head didn''t. It continued emanating the crimson vapor in which he now saw a ghastly face. Feng Ming quickly retrieved his spear and hacked the head in two. The red vapor let out a wail of frustration and vanished into thin air.


    "What happened to me?" the quartermaster said as he suddenly woke from his daze.


    "They were doing something to you," Feng Ming said. "What happened to you? This is important."


    "Marshal!" the quartermaster said, his eyes widening. "Of course. When I''d returned with the sword and spirit stones, those two men dashed right up to me. I thought they were attacking me, but to my surprise, their eyes suddenly turned crimson, and I blacked out. I came to just now."


    Feng Ming frowned. System, he sent mentally, can you identify what happened?


    Reporting to the marshal, the symptoms are consistent with possession, the system said. Recommended countermeasures include inspecting and purifying all soldiers in the fortress using the Unfettered Gold Formation. Would you like me to lock down the fortress?


    Only the main gate, Feng Ming said. Keep this information confidential, and only alert those I brought with me from Southhaven Fortress. Instruct them to keep quiet and watch those generals.


    Affirmative, the system replied.


    He rushed out silently to the most key location in the entire fortress: the gate. As he walked, he noticed that the personnel map had shifted. One in ten men were swiftly walking toward the gate.


    Up ahead, he spotted some soldiers who were calmly walking without talking. He swiftly jabbed with the butt of his spear, instantly rendering both men unconscious. As he approached the gates, he was forced to incapacitate more and more men.


    One in ten, one in ten, Feng Ming thought.


    Suddenly, it clicked. One in ten was five hundred men, the same number of men that remained from the Spirit Temple. He paled when he realized that the five hundred men rushing toward the gates weren''t imposters but their own men, possessed by the five hundred men on the outside.


    System, is there a way to stop these men without killing them? Feng Ming asked.


    Reporting to the marshal, the fortress can use eighty-percent of its current energy reserves to activate the Spiritual Lockdown Formation and the Unfettered Gold Defensive Formations for ten seconds," the system said. This amount of energy will not be sufficient to eliminate the evil spirits. The possessing spirits are unlikely to self-destruct under normal circumstances due to the backlash to the spirit''s controller. However, they may use desperate means to achieve their objectives once the formations are activated.


    Feng Ming rapidly found an energy-transfer point and tossed in a hundred thousand high-grade spirit stones to supplement the fortress before approving the activation of the formations.


    Before he could even sigh in relief, a pulse from his core-formation jade alerted him to a message from Southhaven.


    Marshal Feng, the enemy troops have finished packing up and are headed east toward your position, Deputy Marshal Tang sent. Their advanced forces will arrive in a quarter hour. What are your instructions?


    Have Deputy Marshal Qin keep an eye on Westhaven''s gates, Feng Ming said. Meanwhile, mobilize ten thousand men from Southhaven as soon as possible.


    Feng Ming disconnected and ran down the hall. He incapacitated any soldiers he passed, and as he ran, golden runes activated on the walls and began pouring shimmering light into the hallways. Howls of pain sounded from the gate room up ahead. He breathed deeply and rushed into the room.


    "Quickly, manually open the gates and destroy the locking mechanism," one of the men said. Ten men turned to a crystal on the wall and began channeling their qi. Despite ordering the system to lock down the gates, Feng Ming had forgotten about the manual mechanism. Given enough energy, they could force the gate to open and close, and the process would only take ten breaths.


    "We don''t have much time," one of the crimson-eyed men said. The golden light shining from the walls was causing a red mist to evaporate from him and combust. "Let''s combine our efforts to kill this supposed lucky general. Ignore the backlash¡ªthe lowest ranked novices go first!"


    Fifty apparitions emerged from their respective hosts while the men they had possessed slumped over, unconscious. The fifty spirits ignored the blinding gold light and jumped toward him. They passed through his body and directly entered his spiritual sea. His resplendent soul suddenly became aware of fifty intruders in his mind. They dove toward the miniature version of himself, and just before reaching it, they self-detonated.


    The jade runes on his resplendent garment glowed and deflected the spiritual explosion. He wasn''t harmed in the least. In fact, his soul had grown stronger during the exchange by accumulating merit from defeating evil spirits.


    Although a few breaths had passed in his spiritual sea, three seconds had passed in the outside world. The hundreds of men looked at him in shock.


    "Send out a hundred more," the man ordered calmly. The process repeated itself, and Feng Ming opened his eyes three seconds later.


    "Why don''t you just fight me the old-fashioned way?" Feng Ming said as he rushed at them with his spear. He knew full well that the hundreds of men were no match for him in a frontal battle.


    "I refuse to believe that his soul is strong enough to resist indefinitely," the man said. "The rest of you go at him at once. Some sacrifices are necessary for victory."


    The hundreds of men simultaneously fell unconscious. Feng Ming laughed as he ignored the onslaught of evil spirits and charged forward. As the hundreds of evil spirits invaded his soul, his merit skyrocketed until he formed a fourth jade rune. In fact, he accumulated enough to get him halfway to completing the next one.


    The remaining soldier and the ten behind him paled. "The ten of you adepts will sacrifice yourselves to buy me time to open the gate."


    The ten men stepped up, but unlike before, a dozen souls poured out from each of them. These souls were much larger than the ones before. Feng Ming shuddered as they entered his spiritual sea and surrounded him in a swirling formation of crimson. Their wails caused his soul to shudder, leaving his body to act on instinct. The remaining soldier didn''t dare provoke him in this passive state¡ªinstead he inched the gate up until Feng Ming heard a soft click.


    Get out of here! Feng Ming yelled inside his spiritual sea. The crimson formation of souls instantly collapsed and dissipated, causing his cultivation to shoot up to middle core formation. He ignored the influx of heaven and earth energy and swung his spear at the soldier, who had just pierced through the manual gate mechanism and ruined it.


    The man grinned like a maniac, and a large apparition appeared behind him. Feng Ming stopped his spear barely an inch away from the unconscious man''s head.


    "You sealed this ghost in this fortress, forcing me to either give it up or use it one last time," a voice said inside Feng Ming''s spiritual sea. A black-cloaked man surrounded by a crimson aura appeared before Feng Ming''s resplendent soul. "Unfortunately for you, I''m not one to back down from a challenge. You''ve killed too many of our ghost slaves, and we shamans will always have our revenge."


    The figure released a malevolent presence, and crimson tendrils of corruption expanded from where he stood and traveled through the golden floor in Feng Ming''s spiritual sea.


    Despite the severity of the situation, Feng Ming felt incomparably relaxed. He didn''t reply to the man''s goading but focused in the current problem: sealing the gates. He diverted nine tenths of his attention to his body, which rapidly inspected the gate mechanism. He quickly concluded that the mechanism was irreparable.


    "What to do, what to do," Feng Ming muttered as he wracked his brains for a solution. The system had no suggestions but simply sent him a blueprint of the fortress gate. The massive star-steel gate was two feet thick and supported by a large cable, which was protected from tampering via a large enclosure.


    "You think you can divide your attention?" the ghost in his spiritual sea said mockingly. "Fine, have it your way."


    The growth of the tendrils intensified. Meanwhile, Feng Ming flew up to the cable-guarding mechanism. He struck the cover without a hint of hesitation, but to his dismay, he only created a small dent.


    At this moment, ten thousand soldiers began rushing into the fortress through its reception hall. Five thousand men from Southhaven fortress quickly arranged themselves into groups and activated defensive formations. The generals gave out hasty instructions as the troops readied themselves to welcome the incoming charge of enemy forces.


    As Feng Ming slashed away at the cover, thousands of troops rushed in and clashed with the Song Kingdom''s soldiers. Although they easily repelled this first wave, more and more troops were rushing in with every passing second.


    "Come on!" Feng Ming said as he struck with Ash Annihilation. A small hole appeared in the protective cover, a hole just large enough to accommodate his spear. Despite the opening, the cover cut off his spiritual force. He only had a single chance to sever the cable.


    "You''ve already lost," the ghost in his head taunted. "Just give up and surrender. We could always use the help of a strong soul like you. If you pledge your allegiance, I can promise you a position equal to mine in the Spirit Temple!"


    Feng Ming shook his head. "Sorry, not interested." He held his spear and poured all his remaining fire and earth qi into the lucky spear. He ignored the clashing in the courtyard below as he directed every ounce of his spiritual force into his weapon. White runes lit up on the black spear that clearly exceeded the might of a core treasure.


    "You think I''ll let you do as you like?" the ghost in his spiritual sea said. "Thousand-soul spirit, detonate!"


    The black-robed man suddenly split into a thousand crimson ghosts that shot toward his resplendent soul simultaneously. Feng Ming ignored them as he struck with his spear with all his strength. The ghosts collided with his soul just as the spear left his hand. His consciousness wavered as the powerful ghost in his spiritual sea realized its mistake.


    "Good Fortune Scripture? Wasn''t it lost? Why is it here of all places?"


    Jade runes struck the ghost one after another and caused it to explode into a thousand nourishing motes of merit.


    Simultaneously, the lucky spear pierced through the cable holding up the massive gate, which crashed down onto the few unlucky Southern Alliance troops beneath. The spear then continued and struck the other side of the protective covering, piercing through to the other side of the wall, where it flew across half of the fifty-thousand-man army crushing against the Easthaven Fortress.


    The spear passed over hundreds of generals and thousands of normal troops before finally shooting downward.


    It cleverly bypassed dozens of hastily summoned shields and plunged straight into the enemy marshal''s chest.

 182 Corrupted Crimson

    "Gong Lan!" Cha Ming yelled as his group approached the two women. "It looks like you didn''t even need our help to get through the labyrinth. We''re starting to feel a little useless."


    Gong Lan raised her eyebrow. "If summoning four variant tribulations in the middle of the labyrinth and destroying it counts as useless, I''m not sure what to say."


    Dongfang Hao and the remaining Alabaster Group members caught up. The three remaining monks were slightly slower, their orange kasayas torn, their bodies bleeding from several places. Seeing their bedraggled appearance, Gong Lan sent out a wisp of green energy to the protectors, whose pale complexions immediately flushed with a healthy glow.


    Cha Ming and the three demon beasts led their group through the maze''s exit. The walls were black and covered in golden runes that suppressed an intense crimson glow in the distance. They passed by several dozen broken jade slabs. The corpses that used to lay on them had disappeared without a trace.


    Finally, they entered a black room covered in crimson lines. The golden runes that had once adorned the walls were shattered, and only small pieces remained of them.


    "Why weren''t these corrupted like the rest?" he said while motioning to twelve sarcophaguses surrounding a broken dais holding up a small jade seal. He noticed a golden formation was built into these coffins and joined together with them to suppress the corruption. He frowned when he noticed a crimson formation containing runes he couldn''t identify that overlaid the original gold one. The corruption found in the labyrinth clearly originated from it.


    "I don''t know," Gong Lan said. "Regardless, we must activate the Spirit-Banishing Pagoda and neutralize the corruption as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, six of our monks have perished, and the pagoda won''t be nearly as effective."


    "Can we help in any way?" Cha Ming asked.


    Gong Lan shook her head. "You can only act as protectors for us. Only Buddhist soul energy can be used to activate this holy treasure."


    She led the three other monks to the seal and immediately began chanting. Golden characters imbued themselves into the small glowing pagoda in Gong Lan''s hands, one after the other. Before long, a beautiful golden sphere covered in holy Buddhist scriptures appeared and locked them off from the outside world.


    "Let us begin," Gong Lan said.


    The pagoda''s glow intensified and resonated with the three monks who began chanting incessantly. As they chanted, Cha Ming activated his Eyes of Pure Jade and inspected ochre formations that overlaid the crimson ones. He only stopped once his vision blurred and his eyes began to bleed.


    ***


    A light formation thrummed to life, greedily absorbing a hundred thousand spirit stones in the process. A golden mist filled the room as the spirit stones evaporated. The formation was a peak formation called Evil-Sealing Circle, one of the five formations gifted to him by the Church of Justice. He had used the gray flags gifted by Wang Bing to erect the formation and spirit stones he''d borrowed from Luo Xuehua and the Alabaster Group.


    "The voices are finally gone," the blind Luo Xuehua said as she walked up beside him.


    "The voices?" Cha Ming asked.


    "The humming of the souls of the dead," Luo Xuehua said. "They were calling out to us, warning us. They said we were too late and that we should run away."


    "What else did they say?" Cha Ming said. He hadn''t known that Luo Xuehua possessed such a strange ability. If so, it explained her quiet and reserved demeanor.


    "Their voices changed an hour ago," she said softly. "At first, they were warning us. Then they began saying murderous words. They told us to kill and fight. They told us to slaughter our friends and slay our family members. We''re strong, so it didn''t affect us. But what would it do to weaker souls?"


    A cold shiver ran through Cha Ming''s spine as he glanced to the formation on the floor. He activated his Eyes of Pure Jade once more and inspected the hidden characters under the light of the Evil-Sealing Circle. The golden light of the formation revealed several hidden characters that Cha Ming hadn''t seen before. "Kill," "betray," and "slay" formed twisted lines that weaved in with the formation. Furthermore, he detected twelve more hidden formations he hadn''t seen before. They were written in sinister runes that he couldn''t understand, but they resembled several formations that Cha Ming was very familiar with: energy-gathering formations.


    Suddenly, Cha Ming saw a flash of gray spatial light, and a pile of ochre crystals appeared out of nowhere and fell onto the formations. They roared to life as soon as the crystals landed and instantly began feeding the crimson formation on the floor. Its runes shifted and weaved chaotically as it drank in the negativity. The twelve sarcophaguses vibrated. As a last-ditch effort, Cha Ming summoned the Clear Sky Pillar and smashed down with every once of strength he could muster. He aimed for the weakest point in the newly revealed formation.


    The floor crumbled beneath it, but the formation continued as though nothing had happened. A crimson glow left the twelve golden sarcophaguses, taking the form of twelve howling ghosts that shot into the previously inactive formation. Cha Ming rapidly summoned a peak lightning-based combat formation. The crimson lines distorted under the iridescent lightning but were ultimately unaffected.


    "It won''t work," a voice said from the hallway.


    It was a familiar voice that Cha Ming loathed. Zhou Li walked out from the labyrinth; Protector Song and a dozen core-formation devils marched in behind him while an army of hundreds of foundation-establishment devils followed.


    "The formation uses the corruption in the imperial seal to bewitch those in the kingdom and turn them against one another. The fighting causes the corruption to deepen and increase the bewitchment. It''s an ingenious plan if I do say so myself. Before long, the kingdom will be in shambles and ripe for the taking.


    "But do you know what the best part about all this is? The World Tree Master is here, and you delivered her right to us."


    He flicked out a small needle, which shattered Cha Ming''s Evil-Sealing Circle and struck the Spirit-Sealing Pagoda''s barrier. The bright-red needle slipped through the shield without breaking it, and a crimson gas transformed into a red-clothed monk.


    "Sibi!" Gong Lan shouted.


    "Do you think you brought enough men?" Cha Ming asked as he summoned the massive Clear Sky Pillar and a peak Icy Hell Grand Formation. His Stormchaser Boots dissipated into storm clouds beneath his feet, and an armor of light and darkness covered him. The tomb''s rocky floor crumbled under his bare feet as he increased his weight to ten times his fist strength.


    Huxian''s, Lei Jiang''s, and Silverwing''s forms increased in size. Huxian grew to 160 feet long while Silverwing expanded to 160 feet wide. Only Lei Jiang remained small, his height only reaching Cha Ming''s. They too summoned their black-and-white battle armor. Meanwhile, the Alabaster Group duo each summoned an array of flying swords¡ªone earth aligned and one wind aligned. Luo Xuehua summoned hundreds of talismans, and Dongfang Hao brandished a heavy blade while nine metal pillars floated around him.


    "I brought everyone I could spare," Zhou Li said. "How''s your foundation doing, by the way? Is this second life all that you imagined it would be? Will it be filled with choices like you imagined? Even if we don''t gain anything out of this exchange, I''ve already crippled a game-changing piece like you."


    He then looked to Huxian. "Little fox, did you know that your brother''s core is crippled and can''t reach rune carving? How do you feel, knowing that you''ll die young and never reach the peak like your father?"


    As he spoke, the core-formation and foundation-establishment devils drew their weapons and unleashed their devilish forms. Even Protector Song transformed. They let out a communal roar; their ochre auras combined into a cloud of malevolence that rushed out toward their tight-knit group. Their emotions became chaotic as their bodies lost strength, their souls felt drained, their weapons dulled, and their movements faltered. Even their defenses didn''t feel as strong as before. Although Cha Ming had fought against a few scattered devils before, he had never faced so many at once; their combined auras were a truly frightening phenomenon.


    Cha Ming''s expression turned cold. He widened his combat formation until it encapsulated the crowd of devils. He imbued it with his Devil-Sealing Intent, which rapidly eroded the malevolent aura around them. Meanwhile, Huxian''s aura of purification and devouring superimposed with a new aura released from the three stars shining on each of his three tails. The stars summoned a domain of Judgmental Lightning and Smothering Swamp, which was mediated by a gentle wind.


    As the domains clashed, the devils charged as they used their consumption abilities. The core-formation devils activated black tattoos that burned and propelled their cultivations up to early core formation. They clashed with the demon beasts and the Alabaster Group''s forces. Silverwing, Huxian, and Lei Jiang tied up several core-formation devils each while Luo Xuehua and the Alabaster Group''s forces clashed against the lesser devils.


    Blades of wind and iridescent lightning fought against devouring vortexes and ice lotuses. Earthen spikes assaulted Huxian as he batted away scores of devilish minions. Meanwhile, the Alabaster Group was a flurry of wind, earth, ice, and metal. Their superior strength evenly matched the veritable salvo of devilish attacks.


    "Do you think you can hurt me as you are now?" Zhou Li said as he walked toward Cha Ming. His aura surged, and Cha Ming''s eyes narrowed as he realized that Zhou Li was a middle-core-formation cultivator. In addition, he didn''t reek of evil like the devils did; his Eyes of Pure Jade detected not a trace of merit or sin on the mysterious man''s body.


    Zhou Li suddenly summoned black flames, which formed two black dragons that dove toward Cha Ming. He sent out six flying swords that slashed at Cha Ming as he dodged using his superior speed.


    Cha Ming used his battle armor to avoid the multiple attacks and shrank the Clear Sky Staff as he attacked with his Swift Staff Art. He became a blur of black and white as he struck at Zhou Li with dozens of staff strikes per second. These blows were deflected by seven black flame shields that easily predicted his movements. Before long, Cha Ming was forced to withdraw from the two black flame dragons and the six black flying swords.


    "You''re nothing but a cripple, and you''ll never amount to anything in life," Zhou Li said. "It''s too bad you didn''t take my advice to heart."


    He held his hands out and summoned another four black flame dragons. They charged at Cha Ming, who was already breathing heavily.


    ***


    "Sibi, you dare to throw yourself into the Spirit-Sealing Pagoda?" Gong Lan said as she slashed at the crimson-robed monk with a saber of light.


    Sibi snorted and whispered a distorted mantra. Crimson characters shot out from his lips and instantly destroyed the saber. "I''m honored that the new World Tree Master knows my name," Sibi said.


    He took out a small rosary filled with crimson beads. He muttered in a distorted voice, causing the prayer beads to shoot out and surround Gong Lan, suppressing her Buddhist powers.


    Gong Lan summoned her own rosary. Ten thousand and eighty blessed pearls burst apart and quickly fought back against Sibi''s attack.


    The distracting shower of crimson and gold caused Sibi to disappear. Gong Lan frowned as a shiver ran down her spine. She summoned three blades of light behind her, which warded off a sharp crimson claw that was headed her way. Seeing that his attack was rebuffed, Sibi summoned a long scroll covered in cryptic crimson characters. Gong Lan decisively summoned back the 10,080-pearl rosary, which orbited around her like an impenetrable shield and fought back the crimson scripture.


    "I am indeed no match for you in the outside world," Sibi said, calling back his vestment. "But our true battlefield is different. Our true battlefield is the place where I was born. Do you dare to follow?"


    His figure turned into a crimson mist, which surged toward the jade seal. Although ten percent of the seal had previously been unfettered by the three monks, the ground they had gained began rapidly receding.


    "It''s your move now, World Tree Master," Sibi''s voice said from inside the seal. "You can''t save the Song Kingdom without fighting the corruption. Will you run, like your master wanted to, or will you do what I did and face the corruption head on?"


    Gong Lan gritted her teeth and stepped forward.


    "You can''t!" the bodhi seed said as it appeared in front of her. "It''s exactly what they want you to do. It''s too difficult to kill you in the outside world, but they know I can''t protect you inside the seal."


    "Even if it''s what they want me to do, how can I possibly back down?" Gong Lan argued. She looked over to the three monks, who were doing their best to restrain the expanding corruption. She knew they wouldn''t last long. They had already staked their lives on this mission¡ªshouldn''t she do the same?


    "As this plane''s guardian, you''re much more important than the mortals in this kingdom," the bodhi seed said. "It''s better that ten Song Kingdoms fall instead of you."


    "And why did you choose me in the first place?" Gong Lan shot back.


    "I chose you because of the purity of your soul," the bodhi seed said. "It''s too difficult to find someone with your spirit and character. If you fall, I won''t be able to find anyone else to take your place."


    Gong Lan shook her head. "If I can''t even defend the Song Kingdom, how can I possibly protect the plane? This is part of who I am. Don''t try and stop me."


    She walked over to the crimson-colored seal and whispered the Mantra of Faith. Beautiful golden characters shot out from her mouth and floated in midair. She continued speaking until 108 characters came together like a small rosary. Then she sent out the 10,080 pearls. They joined together with the 108 characters and danced around the seal, whose rate of corruption rapidly slowed.


    Sighing, Gong Lan sat down before the seal. Her golden soul left her body and followed Sibi''s.


    "It''s your move," she whispered. She was surrounded by an endless field of crimson and millions of vengeful souls. They licked their lips and pounced toward her.


    ***


    "Do you know why I do what I do?" Zhou Li said as he threw tendrils of black flame over to Cha Ming. They bypassed his defenses and assaulted the resplendent jade vestment on his soul, which was protected by a white barrier.


    Meanwhile, Cha Ming''s Icy Hell Grand Formation slightly restricted Zhou Li''s movements. He tried to capitalize on this and swung out with alternating Swift Strikes and Heavy Quaking Strikes.


    The superimposed benefits of his Stormchaser formation, his black-and-white armor, and his natural flight abilities as a core-formation cultivator and marrow-refining cultivator gave him unsurpassed speed within his realm. Despite this enormous advantage, Zhou Li still managed to defend against one blow after another. Cha Ming had sorely underestimated the man''s prophetic abilities.


    "It''s all because of revenge, you see," Zhou Li said. "My people lived happy lives on this plane, doing whatever they pleased and working hard to improve their lot in life. The pursuit of happiness was the maxim of the plane, and despite being ruled by devils, the world was a peaceful place filled with millions of good-aligned cultivators."


    His movements were relaxed and exact. Each one of his footsteps carried him out of harm''s way as he predicted Cha Ming''s movements one after another. Where he couldn''t, he swung out a flaming black sword and deflected the Clear Sky Pillar. The half dozen black flame dragons pursued Cha Ming and sealed his movements.


    "It was all destroyed overnight by the jade emperor''s minions," Zhou Li said. His hands rapidly formed seals, and black flames congregated and assembled into a script Cha Ming''s recognized as the fragment of someone''s story. It shot out at him and struck his resplendent soul, which fought hard to defend against what he now recognized as a curse. A soothing white light from the Clear Sky Brush burst out and banished the darkness.


    Cha Ming used the opening granted by his defense to land a direct blow. Zhou Li coughed up blood as the residual force of Cha Ming''s staff bypassed his qi shields and ravaged his internal organs.


    "And now I know why the higher-ups put such a large bounty on you," Zhou Li said. "The destiny surrounding you is ridiculous. You even have a soul-bound treasure? How unfair can fate be?"


    While Cha Ming grew increasingly surprised by what Zhou Li knew, he didn''t speak for fear of getting lured into whatever mental game the man was playing.


    How are things going on your end? Cha Ming asked Huxian.


    It''s going well, Huxian said. Give us an incense time, and we should be able to mop them up. The three-tailed fox and his friend were dominating the battlefield. Huxian''s five suppressions, combined with his and Cha Ming''s Devil-Sealing Intent, had given them an absolute advantage. Scores of lesser devils had already fallen while a few core-formation devils were severely wounded.


    "If you weren''t so lukewarm about everything, if you had passion, you''d probably be able to accomplish something in life," Zhou Li said. "It''s a pity, really." He formed hand seals again, preparing to send another curse.


    Cha Ming ignored his taunts and sent another staff strike at the defenseless Zhou Li.


    The man dodged in his usual pattern. He predicted Cha Ming''s Swift Staff Art, blocking it with a Black Flame Shield. He narrowly avoided a Quake Staff by pushing himself to the side with a black flame dragon. After half the hand seals were formed, he switched up his movements.


    Sensing an opportunity, Cha Ming shrank the Clear Sky Pillar and slashed out with a Rapid Sword Staff. Seven Black Flame Shields superimposed as Zhou Li rushed toward Cha Ming, who was forced to sidestep and bat the pale man toward the crowd of devilish cultivators. Zhou Li grinned as he turned around and unleashed the curse on another target: Huxian.


    Cha Ming felt the effects of the curse almost immediately. His bodily strength lowered by a full sub-realm while his qi began leaking out at a rapid rate and his black-and-white armor crumbled to nothing. Meanwhile, Huxian''s three stars disappeared along with their corresponding suppressions. The large fox shrank down to half his size while his physical strength was cut in half.


    Due to their soul contract, he and Huxian shared karma. He instantly understood that this extended to curses and that Zhou Li had targeted his one weakness¡ªHuxian''s soul. Zhou Li didn''t stand still after landing the curse, and neither did he keep talking. He instantly lunged at Cha Ming with a sword of black flame and began a fierce counterattack. The six black flame dragons joined in a circle and suppressed Cha Ming''s Icy Hell Grand Formation while his Black Flame Shields transformed into chains of black flames.


    "You''re such a nice guy, Cha Ming," Zhou Li said. "It''s a pity you chose the wrong side."


    His biting sword attacks rapidly made progress and finally found a crack in Cha Ming''s defenses. A large black gash appeared on Cha Ming''s chest.

 183 Exposing the Plo

    "Prince Tian, the final preparations have been made," a man said. The vicious-looking man had a hooked nose and short black hair. He wore the black cloak and black medallion of the Obsidian Syndicate. "When will you be requiring our services?"


    "In one hour," Prince Tian said. "Be at your positions by the appointed time. And be sure not to miss."


    The man grunted and disappeared into the shadows. A superior cultivator like him wasn''t cheap¡ªit was fortunate that someone else was footing the bill.


    Prince Tian carefully ran his thumb along the black-and-gold medallion around his chest. The system had notified him that his petition to appoint a marshal had been rejected by Marshal Feng. Seeing as he had killed the original Marshal Feng, there was only one possibility¡ªhis son had somehow become the second marshal, one who could veto all his commands.


    Seeing as it was now impossible to play a safe game, today was the day he would put all his cards on the table. While the new marshal was busy fighting fires in the south, he would consolidate the capital in one fell swoop.


    A soft knocking sound roused him from his thoughts. "Come in," Prince Tian said. Three men wearing red-and-gold cloaks walked in and saluted him. "Has everything been arranged?"


    "Yes," General Zhang said hesitantly. "However, there have been murmurs among the troops. General Tang, Marshal Feng''s second-in-command, has been especially vocal. He claims that his brother was promoted to deputy marshal, and that Marshal Feng was assassinated by none other than yourself. A fifth of our troops have defected and holed themselves up in the north of the city."


    Prince Tian sighed. "Why is the capital filled with traitors and madmen? It''s good that he defected¡ªit saves me the trouble of uprooting him later. The truth of the matter is that I sent Marshal Feng to the southern wall to shore up our defenses. General Tang has simply inverted black and white and hidden his lies in a grain of truth."


    As he spoke, the three generals'' eyes reddened slightly, and they became especially docile and obedient.


    "I knew it was preposterous that General Feng could get promoted to marshal so quickly," General Dong said. "The boy might be good, but not that good."


    "It won''t be long," General Si said. "Thank you for alleviating our concerns, Prince Tian. We''ll disseminate the news momentarily and quell the rumors."


    "Thank you for your hard work, generals," Prince Tian said.


    The generals soon left, leaving Prince Tian to his brooding. The next step was the most important in his quest to conquer the Song Kingdom. It was a gamble that would either make or break his efforts over the past two decades.


    ***


    "Prince Lei, urgent news to report!" a soldier said as he rushed through the battlefield. "Following Marshal Feng''s disappearance, a rumor has spread that his son was promoted to marshal in the south. Furthermore, Marshal Yong''s disappearance was confirmed. In a more recent announcement, the crown prince has declared that he sent Marshal Feng to the south to defend the border, thus the confusion."


    Prince Lei was covered in soot and grime. "What of the recent troop movements?" he said as they repelled the last of an enemy invasion.


    "They are going as planned," the soldier said. "Unfortunately, our movements have become increasingly difficult. Prince Tian has consolidated his power over the military in the city. There is no longer the indecision that was there back when Marshal Feng was in Songjing or Marshal Yong was in the south. Only General Tang''s small group of military troops to the north remain undecided."


    As Prince Lei overlooked the battlefield from above, he noticed large troop movements near Central Square. "Double back!" he yelled.


    Their troops abandoned their pursuit of enemy stragglers and narrowly avoided enemy troop movements, which tried to cut them off from their headquarters. However, this interception was also part of a much larger movement¡ªtheir enemies had bypassed their patrols and completely surrounded the Jade Bamboo Auction House.


    "How is this possible?" Prince Lei exclaimed. "Our royal father and his protectors are here. Attacking the auction house is tantamount to treason." He rushed into the auction house and summoned his generals. "Rally the troops, mercenaries, and nobles," Prince Lei ordered. "Even if this is a false alarm, we can''t risk it. My brother wouldn''t act like this unless he has a plan." He then entered the war room, where Wang Jun sat nursing a cup of hot tea.


    "What are your thoughts?" Prince Lei said to Wang Jun.


    "I''m not sure," Wang Jun said. "It''s better to be safe than sorry, and I have a bad feeling about this. It might be prudent to alert the royal uncles. Unfortunately, I have something to take care of that requires my undivided attention. You may use my forces as you see fit, save for Protector Ren, Elder Bai, Hei Ling, and Li Ming."


    Prince Lei shook his head. "What could possibly be more important than defending our headquarters?"


    "You know me," Wang Jun said, smiling grimly. "If I''m preoccupied, it definitely involves a large amount of money."


    ***


    Core-formation cultivators from both forces met in midair just outside the Jade Bamboo Auction House. The slaughtering formations were fully active, ready to strike at any moment. Meanwhile, the mercenaries and Prince Lei''s allies stood guard just outside the large building.


    "You have a lot of nerve attacking this place when our royal father is sleeping inside," Prince Lei said to his somber-looking brother. "Have you decided to accelerate your succession by killing him as well? Do you think the war to the south is a sufficient justification?"


    "You''ve always had a way with words, brother," Prince Tian said. "Times are turbulent, and we need firm leadership. Your treacherous behavior undermines the stability of the kingdom, and for that, you must die."


    "Attack if you will," Prince Tian shrugged. "I''m sure the royal uncles will make their stances clear once you make your move."


    "As you wish," Prince Tian said. "Soldiers, assemble the formations!"


    "Sir!" the troops replied.


    Several groups of nine hundred men joined together under the guidance of several core-formation generals. Massive red flood dragons appeared above them, ready to strike at Prince Lei''s forces at any moment.


    "Activate the formations!" Prince Lei yelled. The six slaughtering formations in the Jade Bamboo Auction House activated. "Ready your weapons!" he shouted.


    The mercenaries, nobles, and private forces readied their combat techniques.


    "Attack!" Prince Tian yelled. The red flood dragons rushed, crashing into Prince Lei''s forces. Core-formation cultivators defended with the support of hundreds of unorganized foundation-establishment cultivators. Tiny elemental phantoms and weapon projections clashed against the dragons and repelled them.


    "Again!" Prince Tian shouted.


    "Hold your fire," a voice boomed. Three red-cloaked figures appeared in the skies above them. Their peak-core-formation cultivation thoroughly supressed the entire crowd. "We didn''t act against you personally as you are the king''s son, but that doesn''t mean we''ll stand by as you attack the very building he rests in. I suggest you retreat immediately. Once the king passes away, we''ll not care about this petty struggle for power."


    "I''m sorry, uncles, but I can only press onward for the sake of the kingdom," Prince Tian said. "Men, direct your attacks to the royal uncles. Since they choose to interfere, we will fight against them for the sake of the kingdom."


    Many murmurs of dissent ran through the troops. The generals, seeing their morale plummeting, grasped their wild qi and subdued it like a wild horse.


    The three red-cloaked men''s eyes narrowed. "Now that you''ve revealed your true colors, we''ll teach you a lesson you won''t forget," their leader said. Boundless qi surged forth from the three apex cultivators. As Prince Tian''s nine flood dragons joined together into the Nine Dragons Battle Formation, which could only be controlled by a marshal, the three uncles summoned three bloody spears. The spears and dragons collided, throwing clouds of dust into the air in the process. The dust slowly settled, revealing thousands of men kneeling with blood trickling from their mouths.


    "You''re still too young to face off against these uncles," their leader said. "It''s time to teach you a lesson you''ll never forget."


    Suddenly, three clicks sounded from different directions. The three men simultaneously threw up barriers to deflect three ominous black crossbow bolts. To their surprise, however, they continued unimpeded. "Core-breaking crossbows?" The three men gasped.


    The three bolts pierced into each of the men. If one observed closely, they would have seen that the bolts were covered in a purple sheen. The three men fell like flies and were rescued by Prince Lei''s men just moments before they hit the ground.


    "Men," Prince Tian yelled. "Today is our moment of triumph. To victory!"


    ***


    Just outside Songjing, four men were fighting intensely. Two of them were poisoned while a fourth man was bleeding. The bleeding man had a young face and black and white hair.


    "Your poison has improved, Zhou Bei," the unwounded man said. "It''s a pity you betrayed the family. You would have been a great asset."


    "And sell out my country to the southern devils?" Zhou Bei spat. "Not a hope in hell. You and your cronies chose poorly, and you''ll get what''s coming to you in the end."


    "It''s your life." The man shrugged before continuing their intense struggle.


    ***


    Hong Chen let out a puff of smoke as he faced off against his fellow guards. "What''s gotten into you all?" he asked.


    "We''ve had enough of your bullshit," one of the guards said. "You''re too by-the-book, and it''s time for a change. We need a new guard captain."


    They rushed toward him with pathetic qi techniques. Hong Chen summoned smoke around him as he struck one man after another with a thin wooden stick. They slumped to the floor, unconscious. He tied them up and locked them inside the guard shack.


    What in the world is going on? he thought as he made his way back home. The entire city was going mad¡ªthe only thing he could do now was keep his family safe as best he could.


    ***


    In Green Leaf City, the normally peaceful academy was abuzz with activity. Elder Chen, one of Green Leaf Academy''s teachers, was rapidly being overwhelmed by a crowd of angry students. They had lost their sanity after a student was accidentally killed in a teaching match. He wasn''t the only one in such a pitiful situation.


    A few hundred feet away, a similar situation was occurring. A student had killed a teacher in a fit of rage, causing a half dozen teachers to band together to pacify the students. A female teacher unleashed an icy prison to restrain the students. Unfortunately, their response defied all common sense. They rushed toward their teachers with utter disregard for their lives. Dozens of students perished as the teachers watched on mournfully.


    "What''s come over them?" a young female teacher asked.


    In Green Leaf City, cultivators fought with cultivators in the streets while mortals fought mortals. Even domesticated animals fought each other as Green Leaf City descended into madness. Unbeknownst to them, this resentment was rapidly being syphoned away and fed to a crimson formation out in the distance. In turn, it intensified their irrational behavior.


    ***


    "What the hell is going on?" the owner of the auction house mumbled as he surveyed Fairweather from his balcony. The modicum of peace that had returned to their daily lives had disappeared, and people were now fighting in the streets.


    He could only sigh and send out his flying sword to incapacitate a random civilian who was inches away from ending another''s life. As a foundation-establishment cultivator, he could only do so much. It wouldn''t be long before blood filled the city''s streets.


    ***


    "What a disaster," Deputy Marshal Qin muttered as he reviewed the battle reports. Despite his external appearance, he was far more intelligent than he let on. He always reviewed briefings and incorporated them into his brave but reasonable actions.


    "Deputy Marshal, something''s happened," a soldier suddenly said. "The whole fortress is rioting. Something about pensions and salaries being insufficient. At first they were just arguing, but now they''ve taken out their swords!"


    Deputy Marshal Qin frowned. "Order everyone to stand down. And get me the biggest piece of soft wood you can find.


    "What for?" the soldier asked.


    "Well, I can''t be out clubbing people with my greatsword, can I?" Deputy Marshal Qin said.


    If brute force wasn''t solving all your problems, you just weren''t using enough of it.


    ***


    Wang Jun calmly noted the thousands of alerts as they appeared on his core-transmission jade. Chaos had erupted throughout the kingdom for no apparent reason. Unfortunately, he couldn''t pay attention to such things. He had a deal to secure.


    He paced about the chamber nervously, inspecting every nook and cranny to ensure that the necessary precautions were in place.


    "Elder Bai?" Wang Jun said. "Bring me Li Ming. I''d like to have a word with him."


    ***


    Feng Ming flew as quickly as he could. His spear cut through the air but not as much as he''d have liked¡ªhis lucky spear was never recovered from the battlefield. He was now using a shabby magic-grade substitute. As for the black spear, the enemy troops had taken it with them when they''d left. It was a shame, really¡ªthe spear would get to have fun in the south without him.


    "Those guys are crazy if they think my spear will cooperate with them," he muttered.


    Songjing was growing in the distance, and above it, a gray cloud was forming. Smoke, Feng Ming realized.


    Songjing was burning.

 184 The Truth

    Cha Ming felt himself weakening. Every slash of Zhou Li''s sword chipped away at his abundant vitality while leaving an ominous black mark on his body. Each one slowed his movements and ate away at his qi. He had long since banished his combat formations, keeping only a healing formation to sustain him as he looked for an opportunity.


    Huxian wasn''t faring any better. The many-tailed fox''s black-and-white fur was covered in slick blood from heaven knew how many wounds. They knew that if the fox died, Cha Ming would as well. By then, the battle would be sealed. To make matters worse, both Silverwing and Lei Jiang had been hit by weaker curses as well. Their previously dominating performance was being repelled by the devilish generals and their minions. Without Huxian''s support, the Alabaster Group''s forces had also fallen into a disadvantaged position.


    "You might as well just give up," Zhou Li said as he took another vicious hack at him. "How many breaths do you have left in you? Is it worth it to go through all that pain and suffering, only to die in the end?"


    As Zhou Li spoke, Cha Ming had his sights set elsewhere; he was focused on the black threads that bound him and Huxian to Zhou Li.


    Those string are immune to whatever I''ve thrown at them, Cha Ming thought. Even Lei Jiang''s lightning and Huxian''s purification are ineffective. It''s like they operate on an entirely different plane of existence. The five elements and wind, lightning, light, and shadow couldn''t damage them in the slightest.


    Cha Ming knew that nothing in the universe was without weakness. In fact, he had already determined a likely weakness of fate qi, but using it would likely put him out of commission for the remainder of the battle, and he wasn''t keen on reliving the unpleasant experience.


    It''s now or never, Cha Ming thought. He quickly withdrew a hard talisman, which he slapped on his chest while simultaneously directing his qi into sixty sigils. A blade hacked into his shoulder as he formed a fire formation and into his thigh when he formed a gold formation. The pace of Zhou Li''s attacks had increased since he''d begun laying out the formations. He also noticed another peculiarity¡ªZhou Li wasn''t talking.


    Cha Ming blocked with his body as Zhou Li tried to interrupt the next combat formation as it was being formed. After the wood formation came the earth formation.


    Zhou Li sent out sword strikes and flaming black dragons of qi but to no avail. "Stop him!" he yelled anxiously. Protector Song, who had been fighting against Huxian, rapidly darted toward Cha Ming.


    "Too late," Cha Ming whispered. As the water formation formed, he channeled the destruction qi through his qi pathways. They burned as black qi poured into a black star, which shielded him from Protector Song''s attack.


    He increased the flow, forming a thin blade of destruction qi that struck out toward the black threads in the air. They disintegrated as the blade passed through them, instantly relieving their hold on Cha Ming and Huxian. Seeing that it was effective, Cha Ming rushed out and severed more black threads that led to Silverwing and Lei Jiang.


    Having been freed from the curse, Huxian instantly grew to 160 feet in length and released his five auras simultaneously. Cha Ming''s Devil-Sealing Intent suffused the battlefield and killed one devil after another. With every devil that fell, the suppression against them grew. This granted respite to Luo Xuehua and the Alabaster Group, who continued their struggle against the mass of lesser devils.


    Cha Ming''s formation, although effective against the fate qi, shattered under Protector Song and Zhou Li''s combined attacks. He was thrown back as the five formations exploded. As he picked himself up, he realized that the debilitating pain that usually followed the use of destruction qi wasn''t as bad as usual. In fact, the damage to his meridians was very light. His body had become strong enough to bear it, and entering the marrow-refining realm had increased his regenerative capabilities enough to keep up with the destruction qi''s light damage to his body.


    "Yes!" Cha Ming yelled. The Clear Sky Pillar shrank down into its staff form. Then Cha Ming poured his remaining destruction qi into the Clear Sky Staff, which glowed with a frightening black color. Meanwhile, Zhou Li had just finished casting a second curse on Huxian. Cha Ming summoned his Stormwalker Formation and destroyed the black threads before they had a chance to affect the three-tailed fox. Zhou Li paled as the curse was destroyed.


    Cha Ming took advantage of his momentum and smashed into Protector Song, whose shield of qi disintegrated under the assault of his heavy destruction-laced staff. It tore through the man''s armored body. Protector Song burst into flames as his life left him.


    Following the death of Protector Song, the tides of battle shifted. Huxian''s aura grew more and more powerful as he swallowed and burned lesser devil souls one after another. Silverwing flicked around the room and lopped off one head after another¡ªhis victims were unable to resist his attacks because they were restrained by Huxian''s five auras.


    Meanwhile, Lei Jiang bounced from target to target as a ball of iridescent lightning. They couldn''t keep up with his swift movements and couldn''t target his tiny body.


    "Look, we can talk," Zhou Li said.


    Cha Ming ignored him as he had all battle. Cha Ming rushed at Zhou Li with all the speed he could muster and struck him with the Clear Sky Staff. It sheared through Zhou Li''s qi shield and amputated the pale man''s right arm.


    "Save me!" Zhou Li shrieked.


    Cha Ming''s eyes narrowed as an ominous chill ran through his spine. He struck out at the defenseless Zhou Li, but his staff struck an invisible wall. A man in a dark cloak suddenly appeared among them. Lightning crackled in the skies as the plane fought to supress him.


    The man was a transcendent.


    The battlefield fell silent, as everyone couldn''t help but tremble under his imposing presence.


    "Kill him!" Zhou Li yelled. "It''s worth it!"


    The black-robed man glanced at Cha Ming, his eyes boring into his very soul. "Soul-bound treasure?" the man whispered. "You''re right. It is worth it." The man raised his hand slightly, and the void began to shatter around Cha Ming. One lightning bolt after another struck the robed man while Cha Ming felt one piercing pain after another. Countless shards of shattered space sliced through his muscles and bones alike.


    "That''s enough!" a voice said from up above.


    A figure in white robes and jade wings flew down from the skies. It was none other than Lu Tianhao. The space around Cha Ming stopped shattering and returned to its normal state. Meanwhile, lightning crackled in the skies as the heavens roared in anger. Bolt after bolt of lightning struck down on the two men, who didn''t dare resist.


    "I can''t kill him," the black-robed man said. "The plane would destroy us both, and I''m still needed for the final plan."


    Zhou Li shook his head in disappointment. "I suppose it doesn''t matter. His cultivation path has been crippled. He''ll be no threat to the upper realms, which have promised us a great reward for this good deed."


    The black-robed man nodded. Then a gray fluctuation enveloped them. Before Cha Ming knew it, Zhou Li and the black-robed man had disappeared.


    The battle with the remaining devils was finished without any suspense.


    ***


    The golden barrier surrounding Gong Lan and the jade seal dimmed as one of the monks'' energy ran out and his life left him. This was the second one in a single incense time. With his demise, the corruption rate of the seal increased. It wouldn''t be long before it overtook the seal completely.


    "To set up such an elaborate trap to lure in a plane guardian," Lu Tianhao muttered as he inspected the formation. He moved his hands along the pagoda''s barrier as he sought for a way to supplement it.


    "Can I do anything to help?" Luo Xuehua asked.


    "Not yet," Lu Tianhao muttered. "I can''t do anything directly, but I may be able to set the stage for you all to contribute. If only we had a Buddhist monk. That way we could delay the corruption for a little while longer. The one in there won''t last more than ten breaths." Then he looked at Huxian. "Little pup, come over here and help me out."


    Huxian leaped over obediently. Demon beasts respected power, and that man was someone who could tear him apart with a mere thought.


    Lu Tianhao worked feverishly as he laid down hundreds of formation flags. As soon as the last flag dropped into place, the formation thrummed to life and yet another bolt of lightning struck down on him.


    "The punishment of the plane is difficult to resist," he explained. "It despises the actions of transcendents and attacks our very souls. I can only do so much to help you." He swished his sleeve, sweeping Huxian onto the formation he''d just installed. The demonic-light qi within Huxian began to circulate automatically, and the formation converted it into a purer golden light that resembled the light inside the dome. To Cha Ming''s surprise, the energy Huxian supplemented was more effective than the three monks combined.


    "That''s the first step," Lu Tianhao said. "I now need all who are willing to enter the pagoda. I''ll use my limited knowledge to allocate corruption equal to your capacity so that you might support her. I''ll warn you, however, that you will all die if she fails."


    Those from the Alabaster Group immediately stepped up to the barrier.


    "How confident are you in this method?" Cha Ming asked.


    "Without you?" Lu Tianhao asked. "Five percent. With you and your soul-bound treasure, as much as fifty percent."


    "It''s very important that she succeeds," a small voice piped up.


    To Cha Ming''s surprise, it was the small seed that always danced around Gong Lan.


    "I can consume this avatar''s life force to increase your chances to sixty percent."


    "How generous of you, Lord World Tree," Lu Tianhao said subserviently.


    "Huxian," Cha Ming said. "I want to try." He had to ask¡ªit wasn''t only his life.


    "Let''s save Sister Gong Lan," Huxian yipped.


    Cha Ming, Lei Jiang, and Silverwing all walked up to the barrier. Then Lu Tianhao tore a hole in the golden shell surrounding the seal. The four individuals sat cross-legged while the beasts lay down.


    "Sit down and relax," Lu Tianhao said. "Close your eyes. In a moment, you''ll sink into a dream. You''ll experience many people''s lives¡ªboth their joys and sorrows. Attachment to the world is what creates an evil spirit. Only by experiencing it and remembering your own lives in the current moment can you unfetter it."


    After this brief instruction, Lu Tianhao waved his sleeve. Six thin lines of crimson corruption left the seal and entered the four cultivators and two demon beasts. A seventh, thicker line of karma attached itself to Lu Tianhao, who was immediately assaulted by multiple strokes of lightning.


    Finally, a thick line of karma left the seal and attached itself to Cha Ming. He screamed in pain as he was suddenly thrust into a dying man''s worst memories.


    ***


    I am Gong Lan, and I am unfettered, she thought as she ran through the woods. Her limbs moved without her permission as she relived a painful memory. She scampered down a ravine to escape a fierce spirit beast. It had been sent by the man she trusted most.


    Whether I live or die, I''ll live on as a ghost and haunt him, she vowed as the spirit beast pounced on her and devoured her flesh.


    I am Gong Lan, and I am unfettered, she repeated to herself.


    "This is the happiest moment of my life," said the woman whose body she''d inhabited this time, tears in her eyes. She held her newborn baby in her arms and swore, "I might be dying soon, but I swear to keep you safe for the rest of your life."


    I am Gong Lan, and I am unfettered, she repeated. This time, she relived an oath of vengeance. It was memories like these that she understood the most as she stepped closer and closer to her greatest enemy in this endeavor¡ªher previous self.

 185 Fetters

    Wang Jun stared at Li Ming as he drank a cup of medicinal tea. The report the man had written sat on his desk between them. Protector Ren sat beside him.


    "Hei Ling has disappeared for quite some time," Wang Jun said. "Is there something you''d like to share with me? Truth be told, I don''t find your report very convincing. There are far too many holes in your obvious lies."


    The man''s eyes shifted. "Unfortunately, I''m not at liberty to disclose this. The repercussions would be quite severe."


    "If this is a soul contract, I''ll compensate you for the inconvenience," Wang Jun said.


    "I don''t think you can afford it," Li Ming said. "But I''ll do it for fifty thousand high-grade spirit stones."


    "That''s ludicrous," Wang Jun said.


    Li Ming shrugged indifferently.


    "Fine, fifty thousand high-grade spirit stones it is, but if you''ve cheated me, you''re not leaving the room alive." He tossed a small pouch on the desk.


    Li Ming sighed. "Hei Ling is not who you think he is¡ªargh!" The man let out a soul-rending scream that continued for thirty breaths. Neither Protector Ren nor Elder Bai flinched at the expected response. They simply waited for the punishment to end and the pale man to compose himself.


    "Hei Ling is not who you think he is," Li Ming said. "And neither am I. Just now, my realm dropped down to middle core formation. Hei Ling, whom you had me tail, is a late-core-formation expert. Furthermore, he has an additional secret identity¡ªhe is the Black King who you''ve been dealing with all along."


    Wang Jun was stunned. "I haven''t been dealing with any Black King," Wang Jun immediately denied, lest he accidentally trigger their contract. "My family sent Hei Ling because he specializes in certain market connections. And why in the heavens are you, a late-core-formation expert, serving as an office worker in my Jade Bamboo Auction House?"


    "It''s a long story," Li Ming said, sighing. "In brief, I was once an assassin. They called me Three-Strike Killer, after my signature move that killed countless men." He swished out a dagger in a casual fashion, sending out a triple blow that made the three of them shiver.


    "One day, I''d had enough of that life. I wanted to retire, so I faked my cultivation and found myself a cushy position at the Jade Bamboo Conglomerate." He chuckled. "Who could have predicted that during this retirement, I''d meet an old acquaintance of mine, an assassin called Black Death? The man had retired as well, but unlike me, he''d retreated to Songjing''s underground without anyone noticing. We only recognized each other once we went on the joint mission together, and he forced me to sign a confidentiality contract. Fortunately, I was too strong, so he couldn''t force a life-binding oath."


    Wang Jun massaged his brow. "I''m confused. Why would any of this concern me? Isn''t it beneficial to have such a man as my ally?"


    "Would your family really do that?" Li Ming said with a chuckle. "I''d have thought the opposite. From what I gauged back in the Wang family headquarters, they''d rather have him kill you than anything else." Li Ming paused. "I speculate that the only reason you''re still alive is that Black Death is a greedy and risk-averse man. You likely have something he wants, so he''s letting you live for a while longer. But mark my words, that man finishes a job when he accepts it. After all, he has a peculiar habit."


    "Which is?" Wang Jun said.


    "Every commission he takes is sworn to a time limit via life-bound oath," Li Ming explained.


    The gears in Wang Jun''s mind turned as he processed this new information. What Li Ming said was consistent with his own experience. The Black King''s mannerisms, the inconsistences in the report. He made a mental note to confirm all the information Li Ming had disclosed. If the Black King''s strength was as high as Li Ming said, that meant that his original preparations could hardly defend him should the man choose to assassinate him after completing their exchange.


    "Li Ming, I''d like to hire you for a job," Wang Jun said. "It''s a dangerous one, but I''ll make it worth your while."


    "Do tell," Li Ming said.


    "We''ll call it Operation Black Death," Wang Jun said.


    Regardless of whether the Black King was plotting against him, killing the man after completing the exchange would instantly solve his financial problems. As for the life of a wanted assassin? It was an easy decision to make.


    ***


    It was a cool spring day, and the scent of freshly sprouted willows was a soothing complement to the wonderful hot spring bath Bei Guan was currently enjoying. He relaxed as the cold wind danced on his hot skin like soft, painless pinpricks. A splash of warm water reminded him that he was bathing with someone else¡ªthe love of his life, Li Er.


    "What were you thinking about?" she asked him playfully as she advanced toward him with a mischievous expression.


    "I was thinking about how beautiful you are and how perfect life is," Bei Guan said. "Li Er, will you be my Dao companion and stay with me for as long as we both live?"


    The woman''s face flushed deeply before she nodded and floated up to him. Her dry hair clung to his wet face as she rested her head on his chest. A warm feeling appeared in his heart; the warmth spread through his chest to his whole body and triggered something inside Cha Ming. In this moment of clarity, he suddenly remembered Yu Wen, whom he had met in Fuxi''s Library. The memory reminded Cha Ming of who he was.


    That was a close call, he thought. Which memory was this again? The tenth? The hundredth? The thousandth? Each passing memory dragged him deeper and deeper. Gentle memories and innocent promises like these touched him deepest; they reminded him of what he lacked most in life: a loving partner to share his life with.


    As quickly as it had come, the landscape shifted. This time, he was a soldier in the middle of battle. He had lost everything to the invaders and had sworn never to rest until his enemies fell. Coincidentally, these enemies were also part of the dying Song Kingdom, whose unstable borders were shifting violently during the Song Empire''s fall from grace.


    This was one of the more common memories. The resentment from war was both plentiful and intense, and while Cha Ming could most easily separate himself from these feelings, they wore away at him like a millstone. The soldiers who had perished on the battlefield were tiny pieces of grit that scratched away at his soul one small scuff at a time.


    ***


    I am Gong Lan, and I am unfettered, she repeated once more as yet another battlefield appeared before her. This time, she was a conscript. The man cursed both his enemies and his country. He had been a tailor before the war began, and now he was nothing but a common foot soldier, an expendable meat shield for the cultivators behind him.


    If they hadn''t recruited me, I could have owned my own shop and married, the man thought. I could have had children and grown old with a loving wife. The sounds of his dying comrades and the stench of blood was overwhelming. He didn''t have to endure it for long, however. His last thought was the realization that a spear had just pierced him in the chest. In his dying moments, he cursed the enemy and cursed his king.


    I am Gong Lan, and I am unfettered, she said again. This time, she was surprised to see a familiar memory. She slowly entered a burning village in the distance where corpses were piled high and mutilated bodies were strewn everywhere. She faintly remembered finding a bloody doll and a bloody message warning her about a bloody moon.


    Her blood boiled as she recalled the atrocities that she''d vowed to end. She smiled in satisfaction as she recalled each one of the devils and bandits she killed in the subsequent struggle.


    I am Gong Lan, but am I unfettered? she thought. Although the Bodhi Tree had aided her and cleansed her soul, was she truly rid of her previous self?


    She saw one scene after another of her blood-crazed self reveling in the death of her enemies. With every kill, she relived the man''s resentful dying moments. She realized that this Gong Lan was a part of her, and that they were inseparable.


    In the outside world, the crimson tendrils surrounding her grew. They extended into her spiritual sea where the golden resplendent soul defended itself against the intensifying attacks one after another.


    I''ve just been running away, she realized. I''ve cloaked myself in a mantle of righteousness to atone, but in the process, I''ve shackled myself to my own resentment. I am Gong Lan, but I am hardly unfettered.


    Crimson chains burst around the soul in her spiritual sea as the last remaining corruption she''d absorbed attacked her all at once. They formed a total of eighty-one fetters, representing eighty-one major regrets in her life. Seeing this development, she forced herself to calm down. This was her true challenge: facing her past self without the aid of the Bodhi Tree.


    "There''s only one way to save the world," her soul mumbled. "One soul at a time, starting with my own." She stopped resisting the corruption and took the initiative, sending her consciousness into the first of the eighty-one chains. It was the weakest one, but it covered the others in a protective film.


    She found herself in a training yard. It was a hot summer day, and she and her brother were training like their life depended on it. As they performed one grueling exercise after another, a harsh figure reprimanded her.


    "Look at your brother, Gong Lan," her father said. "He''s very talented, but he doesn''t try hard enough. You''re just like me. You need to try harder than anyone else to succeed. But don''t aim to be like him. You need to set your sights farther than that."


    These were words that had shaped her entire personality as a child. Because of her late father''s words, she''d pushed herself harder than anyone else her age. Whenever she failed to catch up, she blamed herself for her failure.


    Surprisingly, however, her new frame of mind gave her a different perspective on the incident.


    He was just telling me not to resent my brother''s talent, Gong Lan thought. He was telling me to aim past him because he didn''t want me to set my brother as a goal in the first place. Instead I ignored his advice. I forged ahead and aimed to surpass him.


    This simple revelation brought her a great amount of relief. She reflected on this memory and many other connected memories and let them wash past her. Little by little, the thread of corruption unraveled. After what could have been seconds, days, or years, the smallest of the eighty-one chains faded away, leaving only eighty attachments.


    I am Gong Lan, she thought. And I am not unfettered. Not yet.


    ***


    "Prince Lei, Song Tian''s forces have breached the defenses of the outer families," a soldier reported. "They are currently grouping their forces for a final push against the Jade Bamboo Auction House."


    Prince Lei''s face was covered in sweat and grime. He was the core of their forces, jumping from fire to fire as Prince Tian consumed them one piece at a time. "What about the royal uncles? How is their condition?"


    "This¡­ it''s better if you see for yourself," the soldier replied hesitantly. Prince Lei nodded and followed the man to the largest courtyard in the Jade Bamboo Auction House. They walked inside the largest accommodation, where they were greeted by three doctors and Li Yin.


    "How fares my royal father?" Prince Lei asked the three doctors who were busy tending to one of four comatose men.


    "He''s still at death''s door," the doctors said. "We''re doing everything in our power to help him. Not that we''re very useful in the other three cases." He shook his head ruefully. "Li Yin is the only one who can help them."


    Prince Lei noticed that Li Yin and three other elderly men were tending to the three royal uncles. Their wounds were covered in bloody bandages, something that was hardly ever seen in treating such high-level cultivators. "It''s a good thing they had the sense to dabble in body refining," Li Yin said as he applied an ointment to one of the men''s crossbow wounds. The shaft had been cut but not removed, indicating that the bleeding couldn''t be stopped.


    "The others say they can''t treat the royal uncles," Prince Lei said. "Does that mean that they were poisoned like my father?"


    "Yes," Li Yin said. "Two of the three are fading fast, and they won''t last another half hour even under my care. The youngest of the bunch might live if Zhou Bei makes an appearance to cure the poison."


    Prince Lei finally noticed the absence of the frightening man. "Where has Zhou Bei gone to?"


    Li Yin shrugged. "He said something about settling a feud outside the city. Who knows when he''ll be back."


    ***


    Zhou Bei panted harshly. His vision was blurry from the amount of blood he had lost. Fortunately, it wasn''t all for naught. The patriarch and an elder of the Zhou family had perished under his poison, and their grand elder would be crippled for the remainder of his short life.


    "Was it worth it?" the man with wispy long gray hair asked. "Was it worth throwing your life away, only to die while I still live?"


    "You won''t live for long," Zhou Bei said in a raspy voice. "You might as well kill me now. I can''t do much to you now that my poison has been depleted."


    "As you wish," the grand elder said coldly. He lifted a gleaming black sword and hacked down with all his might. Zhou Bei closed his eyes as he waited for death.


    However, it didn''t come. Instead, he heard a clank and a stab, and a spay of hot blood splashed all over him as the man he had poisoned collapsed on top of him.


    "What an idiot," a voice said casually from behind the grand elder. "Who wears his family emblem so openly in a civil war? He was asking to be killed."


    Zhou Bei opened his eyes and saw the blurry figure of a young man whose black-and-gold cloak fluttered in the wind. The man held a long gold spear, but most importantly, he had the aura of a core-formation cultivator.


    "My name is Feng Ming," the man said as he tossed a bottle of pills to Zhou Bei, who didn''t hesitate to swallow them. A soothing sensation permeated his body as his wounds rapidly stitched together and his qi quickly replenished itself.


    "My name is Zhou Bei," he replied. Seeing Feng Ming''s eyes flicker to the corpse on the ground, he chuckled. "No relation to the Zhou family. Not anymore." His eyes lingered on the black-and-gold cloak the man was wearing. "Will you be going to the city, Marshal Feng?"


    Feng Ming nodded.


    "Then do you mind doing this old man a favor? I need to get back to the Jade Bamboo Auction House."

 186 Father

    Feng Ming and Zhou Bei entered Songjing through a corroded hole in the city wall. Although he''d only brought along the odd-looking man on a whim, he''d proven to be extremely useful almost immediately. As soon as they got to the other side of the wall, he sent a quick transmission to the forces that were following from Southhaven. With such an opening, they''d have no problem participating in the final battle.


    Looking around, Feng Ming quickly used his spear to carve out a section of a nearby building and place it over the entrance. Such a crude disguise would do for a short period of time, especially given the chaotic situation in the rest of the city. Feng Ming was shocked to discover that not only were the princes warring, but so were the common people. Fist fights and deadly altercations were breaking out over the pettiest things.


    "They can''t all be possessed," Feng Ming said.


    "Agreed," Zhou Bei said. "Perhaps it''s a poison applied on a massive scale." The man swished his sleeve and spread purple dust all over a group of squabbling commoners. They all fell asleep with weapons in hand.


    "Perhaps," Feng Ming said. "I''ve been away from the city for some time. Do you know of anything that would help us cross the forces surrounding the Jade Bamboo Auction House?"


    "There''s one thing," Zhou Bei said. "I''ve heard that since your father''s fall, the troops have been plagued with doubt. Your appearance might devastate their morale to the point that the crown prince will have to retreat."


    Feng Ming contemplated this issue as they approached. He confirmed this information by probing nearby conversations with his resplendent soul. Accordingly, they cut a large arc and headed toward the north of the city.


    "Halt!" a man cried out as they entered a run-down neighborhood. Feng Ming glanced up and saw a soldier in black armor. "Wait, is that Marshal Feng?"


    Dozens of soldiers scrambled to the top of a sturdy building. General Tang, who greatly resembled his twin brother, appeared along with them.


    "Is it true?" General Tang asked. "Was Marshal Feng killed by the crown prince?"


    Feng Ming nodded. "That bastard Song Tian crossed the line. I''m joining Prince Lei''s faction to overthrow him."


    General Tang peered out from his vantage point. "Come up here, Marshal," he said.


    Feng Ming and Zhou Bei flew up and saw a large mass of troops crushing around the Jade Bamboo Auction House. "If you can figure out a way to get through those troops, we''ll come along with you."


    Feng Ming sighed. "It''s possible, but we''d have to kill many good men in the process."


    "Yes," General Tang said. "And that''s why I''m here in the north instead of alongside the third prince."


    "I might have a way," Zhou Bei said. Feng Ming and General Tang glanced at him in surprise. "It''s just tricky¡ªwhoever we bring along would have to go conditioning for at least an hour."


    "What do you mean by conditioning?" Feng Ming asked. Suddenly he felt like a pail of ice water had been poured over him. The nearby men cowered and ran, while one even peed his pants. General Tang could barely hold on. He had drawn his sword, which he held against Zhou Bei in self-defense.


    "I don''t usually let my aura out inside the city," Zhou Bei said. "But most people find it extremely unpleasant. What do you think? Will it work?"


    ***


    "There''s only one last holdout," Prince Tian said as he surveyed the battlefield. "They''ll fall within the hour."


    Red flood dragons traded blows with the cultivators who were now holed up in the Jade Bamboo Auction House. Their forces had completely encircled the structure.


    "Sir, there''s a disturbance among the troops," General Zhang said.


    Prince Tian looked toward where the general pointed and frowned when he saw a man wearing black armor and a black-and-gold cloak. A large group of military forces was following him in a tight, disciplined formation. He recognized the man as the new Marshal Feng, and the other man as Zhou Bei, who he''d seen in his father''s chambers.


    "Cut them down," Prince Tian said.


    "But one of them is a marshal," General Zhang protested.


    "I don''t care," Prince Tian said. "Give the order."


    As General Zhang rapidly gave instructions, Marshal Feng''s small army arrived. To Tian''s surprise, however, the troops beside them parted and ran away as he advanced. "Just what is going on?" he muttered.


    ***


    Feng Ming and Zhou Bei advanced slowly but firmly as their small army struggled along. Only two things kept them moving¡ªfirstly, Feng Ming''s and General Tang''s imposing manner intimidated them. Second, they''d put their strongest men on the outside. The reason for their tight formation was practical¡ªit didn''t allow any of their weaker men in the middle to cower or retreat as they advanced.


    Nine red flood-dragon formations turned toward them as they cut three hundred feet into the enemy lines. Prince Tian flew up beside them. "You have a lot of nerve, coming here after killing your father and stealing his cloak," Prince Tian said.


    The troops around them murmured. Half of them agreed, while half of them doubted.


    "Shut up, you treacherous bastard," Feng Ming said. "First you kill my father, then you kill Marshal Yong, and finally, you have the nerve to accuse me of treachery?"


    His words rattled the heart of Prince Tian''s troops. Three of the red flood dragons disappeared as the generals lost control of their men.


    "How could I kill my own marshals?" Prince Tian retorted. "I served by them in the military for decades. They were like fathers to me."


    "Then let me ask you, how could you poison your own father?" Feng Ming pressed as his troops advanced. As their momentum mounted, Zhou Bei increased his pressure. "You killed your fellow marshals and poisoned your father. And now you want to kill your brother. If you''re not a traitor, who is?" Feng Ming''s words caused three more flood-dragon formations to collapse.


    "Further, I heard that you murdered your younger and older brothers," Feng Ming said. "And while Southhaven Wall was falling to enemy forces, you didn''t send a single man over to reinforce it. Tell me, do the men here even know that we lost over ten thousand good men in the south over the past day?"


    Two more formations faded. For good measure, Zhou Bei completely unleashed his life-threatening aura. Soldiers around them cried and cowered in fear. Even the generals beside Prince Tian could only stand there, shaking uncomfortably.


    Feng Ming walked up to Song Tian, who had landed beside his troops. They stood six feet apart¡ªat this distance, it was possible for either of them to lunge at each other in the hopes of landing a deadly blow.


    "Get the hell out of my face," Feng Ming said. "I''m here to see His Highness. Try and stop me if you dare."


    They stared daggers at each other, but neither man dared to retreat. As Feng Ming gripped his golden spear, Song Tian gripped the handle of the royal treasure, Dragon Claw. It was a peak-core-treasure sword that had been passed down from generation to generation. Feng Ming could hear his heart beating as he waited for the prince''s reply. Feng Ming, despite being a middle-core-formation cultivator, could tell that Song Tian was much stronger than he was. He was also better armed.


    "Like father, like son," Song Tian said. He shot out toward Feng Ming and slashed at him with Dragon Claw. Feng Ming blocked with his spear, barely deflecting the blow; his marshal''s cloak allowed him to survive the impact, but his spear wasn''t so lucky. It had broken in two.


    Prince Tian continued the assault. As a powerful core-formation cultivator, he was immune to Zhou Bei''s aura. The two men flew up into the skies. Feng Ming used his two spear halves to parry Prince Tian''s sword strikes, but it was clear who was on the losing end.


    Is this it? Feng Ming thought. Is this how it ends? He had been hoping that the prince would back down after all the accusations. He didn''t think that Song Tian would abandon all reason and attack him. The troops down below had descended into chaos. They''d split up into squads that fought each other with bare fists, but it was only a matter of time until they decided to use deadly force.


    Suddenly a bright light shone from just outside the military encroachment. The chaotic troops parted as a third force made its way toward the center. One hundred men in shining armor bearing golden blades marched in tandem toward Feng Ming. A man in golden robes flew out beside Feng Ming, who was in a sorry state. A shield of light covered the retreating marshal.


    "I suggest you retreat," Chaplain Chen said to Song Tian.


    "Chaplain Chen," Song Tian said. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"


    "Are you sure you want to be asking me, of all people, that question?" Chaplain Chen said. "I suggest you leave now while I get to the bottom of this matter. I''m still granting you the benefit of the doubt¡ªfor now."


    Prince Tian gritted his teeth. He looked out at his army, which was now in disarray. "Retreat!" he called. Feng Ming looked on in amazement as two thirds of the troops followed Prince Tian, and another third stayed beside him and joined General Tang''s group.


    "The only reason he left was to consolidate their morale," Chaplain Chen said. "He has somehow bewitched these men into following him. I only stopped this battle to save many innocents."


    Feng Ming suddenly noticed that the men who had stayed were all closest to the golden inquisitors. Each of the men held on to a luminescent globe, which caused tiny tendrils of crimson corruption to evaporate from them.


    "Unfortunately, my men can only treat so many people at once. Now tell me, was your father killed by Prince Tian, and do you have good reason to believe that Marshal Yong died for the same reasons?"


    "Yes," Feng Ming said.


    "Good," Chaplain Chen said. "Then we''re temporary allies. The Church of Justice doesn''t care about power struggles, but we care very much about the war against the Southern Alliance."


    ***


    Zhou Bei swiftly pulled his overpowering aura back as they entered the Jade Bamboo Auction House. Prince Lei''s men quickly welcomed them into the compound, and they quickly made way for Feng Ming and Zhou Bei, who directly proceeded to the courtyard where the king and the three uncles were resting.


    "There goes the second uncle," a voice said. "Unless Zhou Bei comes back, the third one is doomed."


    Feng Ming and Zhou Bei hurried inside the room.


    "Zhou Bei, come here quick!" Li Yin said just as they walked through the door. "He wasn''t poisoned so long ago, so you should be able to cure him faster."


    Zhou Bei instantly assumed the role of an expert. "Give me one hour, and I''ll have him cured." He glanced at the three doctors. "No need to see them out. The king needs them."


    Feng Ming knew little of what was going on. He walked over to Prince Lei, an old acquaintance of his. Beside him, a familiar-looking young woman was crying as she looked at the four men''s beds. Two of the men were covered in white cloths.


    "Thank you for coming, Marshal Feng," Prince Lei said. "I heard your announcement outside. How goes the southern wall?"


    "We were able to pull through," Feng Ming said. "The southern wall is safe, and some reinforcements are headed toward the city. They''ll be here within the hour." He glanced at the comatose king. "How long has he been this way?"


    Prince Lei sighed. "My royal father has been unconscious for months. The doctors say it will take a miracle to awaken him." He paused before continuing. "He''d be happy to see how you turned out, you know. You might not remember, but your father used to bring you to the palace when you were a little kid. He and the king were good friends, not just sovereign and subject."


    "I remember a little," Feng Ming chuckled. "I once stole a princess''s toys and got the beating of a lifetime. My father never brought me back after that."


    A teary-eyed Princess Guo sat beside her father''s bed and snickered softly.


    "I told my father I never wanted to see you again," Princess Guo said. "Uncle Feng never had the face to bring you back after that. Ironically, the man I practically banished from the palace is back to save the day."


    "It''s funny how life works," Feng Ming said as he walked up to the king''s side. He remembered the man''s gentle expression from almost twenty years ago. Although his face was gaunt and pale, he''d remember it anywhere.


    As though sensing his approach, the king''s hand stirred. Then his eyes fluttered open. He looked at Feng Ming in confusion. "Brother Chuan?" he mumbled. "How did you get so young again? Are we dead?"


    Feng Ming choked up as he heard these words. This was his father''s friend, a life-and-death brother.


    "And what happened to your spear? Why are you using that piece of scrap metal?"


    Feng Ming composed himself as he thought up a soothing answer. "I lost my spear outside of Southhaven Wall," he said. "I chucked it and was lucky enough to stab an enemy marshal in the chest. I''d call that a fair trade."


    The king chuckled softly. "If only I had half your luck, Brother Chuan. I hope your son inherits that luck of yours." His eyes wandered around the room. "I am having trouble seeing. Who''s there? Is that you, Mei Er?"


    Princess Guo''s eyes teared up as she walked up. "Yes, it''s me," she said.


    "How''s little Guo Er?" he whispered. "Is she growing fast?" Princess Guo nodded. "Good, good. Brother Chuan lost his spear again. Can you lend him my Magma God''s Spear once more?"


    "Of course, dear," Princess Guo said.


    "Thank you. I don''t know why, but I''m tired. Please take care of Brother Chuan. I''m going back to sleep." The king closed his eyes, and Princess Guo burst into tears.


    Prince Lei walked up to them. "Your father was one of his best friends. Mei Er was one of his favorite wives, Princess Guo''s mother. Guo Mei and Feng Chuan were childhood friends, and they would always spend time together.


    "Your father had a knack for battle, but he had a notorious reputation," Prince Lei continued. "He always used to carry a black spear around with him. He called it his lucky spear. Contrary to what you might think, he always lost it when he fought. What made it lucky was that it would always come back to him in the end. Whenever he lost it, he''d go drinking with my father, who would lend him his own spear, the peak core treasure, Magma God''s Spear. He would always ask aunt-mother Mei to go fetch it for him."


    Princess Guo laughed and wiped away her tears before looking at Feng Ming. "Thank you for playing along. At least now if he dies, he''ll die happy."


    Feng Ming shook his head. "I didn''t have the heart to tell him otherwise."


    "Is it true, what you said about your spear?" Princess Guo asked, looking at the flimsy broken spear in his hands.


    "Unfortunately, my lucky spear is indeed on the other side of the wall," Feng Ming said, laughing. "The enemy took it with them, but they''re in for a rude awakening if they think it''ll cooperate."


    All three of them laughed.


    Princess Guo hesitated before taking out a golden ring inlaid with jade. She bit her finger and dribbled a drop of blood on it, which the ring greedily absorbed. After a moment, she took out a red spear, whose presence immediately increased the temperature of the room. "As per father''s wishes, I''ll lend you this spear until you find yours again," she said.


    Feng Ming hesitated before reluctantly accepting it. "I''ll keep it well. I promise not to lose it."


    Song Guo smiled. "That''s what your father always said, too."

 187 Unravelling

    Lin Dong had been an impoverished farmer before the war. He''d heard the army was a great opportunity to enrich himself and save his family from the drought that plagued them. Therefore, he''d signed up without any hesitation. It was only after the death of his many countrymen that he''d realized his folly. The money wasn''t worth it, and neither was the war; there would be no benefit for anyone from all this fighting, not even for the victors.


    Cha Ming regained a modicum of lucidity as he traveled to the next memory. In this moment, he realized a funny fact: that Lin was the most common surname in the Song Dynasty, or at least it had been in recent history.


    Memory after memory, his spirit dulled. Memory after memory, he lost his sense of self. There came a time where the moments between karmic threads were nothing more than a boring interlude between the many exciting lives that came to visit him.


    As he thought this, a soft green glow enveloped his tired soul. He became increasingly aware of his own self as a tiny seed entered his spiritual sea and melted within it. The short burst of life force was enough to make him realize his predicament and the near-corrupted state of his soul.


    The gears in his mind turned slowly but surely as he discovered the crux of the problem¡ªthat compared to these many intense memories, his life was rather dull in comparison. He felt unpracticed and unrehearsed. If he were to fight someone at this moment, he wouldn''t even have the chance to react before losing in a single exchange. If he were to try painting a talisman, he wouldn''t even know where to begin.


    Yet his soul reached out instinctively and summoned a white brush. The slow and steady shielding energy from the brush intensified as it contacted his clumsy fingers.


    How can I paint a talisman if I''ve forgotten everything? he thought as he caressed the familiar object. He felt that his skill had diminished to a nonexistent level. But can I use this? I faintly remember the characters, and I faintly remember a feeling. I can paint talismans with emotions. What better emotion to paint with than this dullness of life?


    The sharp sword that used to be his talisman artistry had grown rusty with time. Yet didn''t this apply to all skills and all metals? Metals could either be sharp or dull. When they were dull, you could sharpen them, and when they were sharp, you would use them and cause them to dull once more. Sharpness and dullness were intertwined, and they came together in metal through something called shape.


    Cha Ming held out his trembling fingers and began painting out these ethereal emotions. His clumsy brushstrokes created what could barely be called characters, but despite his sloppy brushwork, they held profound meaning and power.


    Countless swords leave not a mark;


    Man''s edge is dulled by the passing of ages.


    What he called the Dull Talisman poured into the imaginary ink within his soul, and inside it he poured the fatigue and corruption he had accumulated during the intense session. Little by little, the sharpness within his eyes returned. He regained the sense of self he had lost within the endless memories and karmic attachments. With this sharpness came the awareness of how to fuse the concepts of sharp and dull into shape. He painted out the remaining passages with sharp and incisive brushstrokes.


    Honing his worth through endless practice;


    Never questioning his skill.


    The four lines fused into one, creating the outline of the Shape Talisman within his mind. He felt fully confident in being able to reproduce it in the outside world, even without the gray candle.


    After finishing the talisman, he turned his attention to the last remaining traces of corruption. He snorted and swept them away with a spiritual palm, and in the process of purifying this karma, a great amount of merit imbued itself into his resplendent garment. Meanwhile, the merit halo on his body congealed and liquified, attaining a qualitative transformation. It was a protective layer of good fortune that would aid him in his most troubled times.


    Slowly but surely, he cast his awareness into the outside world, where his friends were impatiently waiting.


    ***


    The meaning of being unfettered became increasingly clear to Gong Lan as each chain of karmic corruption on her soul was resolved. She breathed a sigh of relief as the eightieth chain dissipated, leaving only the last and most difficult chain to take care of. This was the chain that would make it or break it for her, the one that would determine whether she would live out the rest of her life as an evil spirit or as a buddha. She slowly imbued her mind into the chain, but to her surprise, she returned to her current state.


    Confused, she pondered the problem. This last attachment is that of my desire for victory, Gong Lan thought as she inspected her innermost feelings. This feeling is most active in the present. I''ve sworn to resolve this issue for the Song Kingdom, and ironically it has shackled me with massive resentment.


    This philosophical issue was not a new one to Gong Lan, but it was one that she''d never resolved within the depths of her heart. How could one truly be unfettered? Without attachment, wouldn''t a person simply waste away and die? Likewise, how would one ever achieve anything or save anyone without some level of attachment to the result?


    The more she thought about it, the more she felt the chains bite into her soul. The more she struggled against the thought, the deeper it hooked onto her spirit. The pain grew increasingly intense; the contradiction kept echoing through her mind as she struggled to break free.


    Suddenly it struck her. I''m attached to consistency. This shackle isn''t about my desire for victory but rather my struggle with the concept of non-attachment.


    The more she thought about it, the more it made sense. This was only a contradiction if she attached herself too strongly to the concept of non-attachment. It was a concept that should be lightly grasped at best, or it would forever evade her.


    A relaxed feeling ran through her body as she realized that being an unattached monk yet serving the people was a logical contradiction. In the same sense, becoming a buddha or a bodhisattva was also a contradiction. But by following the path of non-attachment, this was a reasonable result if one learned to let go. In this way, people who followed the path of non-violence could continue to live, despite their existence being a detriment to others. It was why tolerance and righteous indignation could coexist, and why her existence was not an inconsistency like she once thought.


    The last chain unraveled, and she opened her eyes. What used to be the emperor''s pure jade seal was now a lifeless green color without a trace of corruption. It shattered into countless grains of dust upon her awakening and released Sibi''s pale figure.


    "How is this possible?" Sibi said hoarsely as his figure distorted and weakened. "How could you have succeeded where I failed?"


    Gong Lan shook her head. "You just cared too much about success, and that was your downfall. Now behave while I send you off."


    Sibi''s ghost was silent as she released the 10,080 prayer beads. They glowed with unfettered gold light as one pearl after another shattered the remnants of corruption surrounding his soul. The remaining phantom smiled and bowed deeply to Gong Lan before being whisked away by the Yellow River.


    "Thank you, my friends," Gong Lan said to her companions before collapsing in exhaustion.


    ***


    A red-robed man walked out of the king''s chamber with a mournful expression. His two brothers hadn''t made it.


    "Let''s go teach those bastards a lesson," he said to Feng Ming, who nodded and hefted his Magma God''s Spear.


    A crowd of troops funneled out and followed Feng Ming as he walked through Central Square toward the Alchemists Association. General Tang led thousands of troops to join them as they walked. Likewise, Chaplain Chen also joined them. His inquisitors all held luminous pearls that banished away the nearby corruption.


    Enemy troops filled with madness launched themselves at them desperately as they approached. They tried their best to incapacitate them, but many good men died as they advanced and entered the Alchemists Association.


    The Magma God''s Spear glowed with a searing light that blinded his enemies and guided his allies forward. Every step he took caused enemy forces to tumble and techniques to fail. Equipment shattered on impact while his own force''s swords and sabers struck non-vital points. Still, it was an imperfect process.


    If only we didn''t have to kill each other like this, Feng Ming thought. If only everyone could come to their senses and end this needless bloodshed. As he thought this, a gentle wind blew across the kingdom. It started from Southhaven Wall, where vicious fighting had broken out. Men who had gone crazy somehow regained their lucidity and surrendered their arms. General Qin clubbed them just to be sure.


    As Feng Ming''s forces breached the Alchemists Association''s walls, the wind swept over Green Leaf City. The fighting amongst teachers and students was rapidly quelled, as was the fighting between the city''s mortal residents.


    As the butt of Feng Ming''s spear struck a general''s head and knocked him unconscious, the wind spread throughout the outskirts of Songjing. People who had been fighting in the streets suddenly realized their mistakes. They knelt on the ground and cried to their ancestors, begging for forgiveness.


    ***


    As Feng Ming''s troops arrived outside the crown prince''s final holdout, the three generals regained their mental clarity.


    "What have we done?" General Zhang whispered. The many details that had eluded them finally snapped into place. They suddenly realized the crown prince''s atrocities and their fervent support.


    "This is the final moment," Prince Tian said with a crazed expression. "If we kill this Marshal Feng, we will win!"


    The three generals looked at the demented crown prince with pity. It was clear to them that they had lost, and that there was no longer a benefit to fighting.


    "My prince, we should surrender," one of the generals suggested.


    "We can never surrender," Prince Tian said. "I''ve seen the future, a future where our people are enslaved and raised like cattle. We must fight for our survival by uniting with the south. It''s the only way for our people to survive!"


    Sighing, the three generals drew their weapons and approached the mad prince. "Then as citizens of the kingdom, we must perform our duty and defend it to the last." They nodded to each other and simultaneously ignited their potential. The energy from their cores suddenly poured into their bodies all at once.


    "It''ll all be over soon, my prince," one of the generals said.


    These three generals, in their delusion, had done unthinkable things. For them, there was no forgiveness.


    "What are you doing?" Prince Tian exclaimed as he noticed their sudden increase in power. He drew his sword and lashed out against them like a cornered badger. They ignored their wounds and joined in a three-man formation to trap and suppress him.


    "There is no future for us, but that doesn''t mean there isn''t one for the kingdom," General Zhang said. "We will atone for our crimes in the next life."


    A massive boom filled the air, destroying the three generals along with Prince Tian. The doors to their room burst outward and allowed the invading troops inside. All that remained of the four were a few high-grade treasures and what remained of Prince Tian¡ªa black-and-gold cloak and a marshal''s medallion.


    ***


    An eerie quiet pervaded the Jade Bamboo Auction House. The fighting had died down within the hour, with Prince Lei''s forces claiming victory. Everyone, including Wang Jun''s own staff, were busy tallying losses and damages while evaluating their path forward. Only the sickly looking Wang Jun, Protector Ren, Elder Bai, and Li Ming were otherwise preoccupied. They waited for a special guest in a building not far from the auction house, where they had agreed to meet.


    As per their contract, Wang Jun had brought only three people, to which he could only disclose minimal information.


    "Do you think he''ll come?" Li Ming asked. He had removed his disguise and revealed his full cultivation base. After all, the Black King already knew who he was.


    "He will," Wang Jun said confidently. "This is a rather large exchange, even for him."


    A half hour trickled by. During this time, Wang Jun performed some routine inspections over their ample preparations. At midnight exactly, a black mist congregated into a lone figure, and the man confidently waltzed into the warehouse with not a care in the world.


    "I see that Li Ming broke his contract," the Black King said nonchalantly. "Did you enjoy his story?"


    "It was an interesting story," Wang Jun said. "Though I was more interested in securing his services for protection. I''m wounded, after all."


    The Black King seemed to smirk from within his cloak. "Of course, of course," he said. "Have you brought the immortal-jade core? I''ve brought the payment." He removed a simple-looking ring from his finger. Wang Jun could tell it was a spatial artifact with a simple glance.


    "I did," Wang Jun said, pulling out a bag of holding. "Pardon my frugality on the bag of holding. Money has been rather tight of late. Let''s get this exchange over with." He began walking forward.


    "You know, it''s too bad you don''t trust me more," the Black King said. "Even Daoist Obscurus places a certain amount of trust in my abilities."


    Wang Jun''s heart skipped a beat when he heard this name. What was his relationship with Daoist Obscurus? How could he possibly know him? His palms began to sweat as he readied himself to activate the formations as per their plan. Both he and the Black King simultaneously flicked their spatial artifacts toward each other. They caught them simultaneously, bringing their contract to an end.


    As soon as their karmic ties dissipated, the Black King released a vast amount of killing intent. Behind Wang Jun, his three protectors unleashed their cultivation bases and killing intent and prepared to act. Wang Jun''s mind was in turmoil, but he activated the many formations Cha Ming had prepared beforehand under his direction. While he might not be able to harm someone like the Black King, he could at least restrain him.


    But what to do? Wang Jun thought. Since he knows that man, it can''t be a coincidence.


    After firming up his resolve, Wang Jun burst out with chains of shadow and fate. They surrounded him, but instead of binding the Black King, they bound Protector Ren, Elder Bai, and Li Ming. Fortunately, this prompting was all his two staunchest allies needed to stand down. Most of the restraining power was directed toward Li Ming, whose cultivation base had increased from what he''d originally revealed. Wang Jun also directed five layers of formations to further hinder Li Ming.


    The Black King, seeing this development, continued rushing toward Wang Jun with his black dagger in hand. The air distorted, and he passed straight through the second young master of the Wang family and directly stabbed at the surprised Li Ming. The black dagger pierced his heart, but to Wang Jun''s surprise, the man was still alive.


    "How did you know?" Li Ming said hoarsely as he tumbled to the ground, mortally wounded. "My planning was flawless, my cover and my ruse without blemishes. You should have believed me and not him!"


    Wang Jun sighed. "I almost didn''t realize it. Not until he mentioned Daoist Obscurus."


    "Who?" Li Ming asked. Black blood was trickling out of his mouth, his eyes begging for one final answer before he stepped into the grave.


    Wang Jun shook his head. "Only those my master trusts can remember his name. It''s wreathed in shadows, unspeakable by those who aren''t his followers. If the Black King knows his name, that meant he was surely a junior brother of mine. Isn''t that right?" He glanced at the cloaked figure.


    The Black King chuckled and pulled down his hood. His hair was black, and his skin was pale. The man looked to be in his fifties. "This lowly one is lucky to be one of your master''s inner disciples. Unfortunately, I am only skilled in shadows. One can only become a core disciple with diligence and luck."


    "I see," Li Ming said, sighing in relief. "So my plan was flawless after all. Now tell me, were you the girl I caught in the teahouse?"


    "The matron, actually," Wang Jun said. "The girl was an excellent smokescreen."


    Li Ming nodded.


    "Black Death has his own quirks, and I have mine," Li Ming said. "Since you''ve defeated me, you deserve a reward."


    "Oh?" Wang Jun said.


    "In my ring, you''ll find some damning evidence," Li Ming said. "It might be useful if you return to the capital."


    "But why would you give it to me?" Wang Jun said.


    "Black Death has his life-bound oaths, and I have my reward," Li Ming said with a light smile on his face. "You don''t reach the top without being a little odd." Then he slumped down as his last breath left him.


    "I take it Master sent you to help me?" Wang Jun said, turning to Hei Ling.


    Hei Ling nodded. "As discreetly as possible. He knew that the first young master had sent Li Ming to kill you, and he didn''t want you to be at a disadvantage. However, he left strict instructions that I couldn''t give you anything for free¡ªonly services."


    Wang Jun looked at the man on the floor. "Do you mind if I confiscate your spoils of war? As a top-ranking assassin, his net worth is nothing to sneeze at."


    "Sure," Hei Ling said. He tossed a silver bracelet onto Li Ming''s corpse. "Who would have thought that his net worth would be so high, though?"


    Wang Jun inspected the silver bracelet and frowned.


    "You don''t need to be worried," Hei Ling said, laughing. "These are the deeds I acquired and the commission I charged for selling your goods on the black market. I was planning on giving them to you later, but this provides me with a convenient excuse. You can use this as an opportunity to launder any money you''ve acquired illegally through me, including that from selling the immortal jade. After all, the family can''t fault you for confiscating the wealth of a high-tier assassin who happened to be dabbling in the black market."


    Wang Jun smiled. "Thank you for everything, Junior Brother Ling. I likely would have died without you."


    "As Master''s only core disciple, we can''t have you losing face." Hei Ling shrugged. "If there isn''t anything else, I''ll be off." Then he disappeared in a puff of smoke.


    Later, Wang Jun discovered that any traces of Hei Ling in the city had disappeared as though he had never existed. Even the records in the Jade Bamboo Auction House had been altered. No one would ever suspect a thing.

 188 Epilogue

    Two weeks later, Cha Ming was seated at a red table near a newly wedded couple.


    "Who would have thought that Feng Ming would get married so quickly," he said to Wang Jun, who was seated in front of him. Huxian, Lei Jiang, and Silverwing were in a secluded area where one roast beast after another was brought to sate their voracious appetites.


    "I suppose that''s one way of getting lucky," Wang Jun said. "Though I heard a funny story." He sipped on a glass of wine, the first one Cha Ming had ever seen him drink. "When the king awoke from his coma, he mildly remembered waking up for a brief moment and exchanging a conversation with Feng Ming and his daughter. In a fit of rage, he beat Feng Ming and told him, ''How dare you impersonate your father! You should be punished!'' Then he turned to his daughter and said, ''Very good, very good. You wanted to help him out so much and lent him my spear? Fine. Only a family member may borrow my spear. If that''s what you want, I''ll act as your matchmaker. You''re getting married in two weeks'' time, grieving period be damned!''"


    Cha Ming burst out laughing. "Is that really true? I heard the king and Marshal Feng were on very good terms."


    "They were like brothers," Wang Jun said. "I figure that, in his grief over Feng Chuan''s passing, he resolved to help out his nephew and arrange a marriage for him. He didn''t even give them time to consider, he just forced it on them and told them to accept."


    "Still, they look happy," Cha Ming said as he looked at the newly married couple. "Someday I''ll find someone that''s right for me." The image of Yu Wen, whom he''d met in Fuxi''s Library, came to mind.


    Wang Jun sighed. "I can''t think of such matters until I get my revenge."


    Cha Ming didn''t press him. He was very aware of his heartache over Hong Xin.


    "Give me a second," Cha Ming said as he saw some familiar figures in the distance. "I need to go say goodbye to some friends." He left Wang Jun to his brooding and greeted Luo Xuehua, Dongfang Hao, and the two core-formation elders at the edge of the celebration grounds. They had mostly recovered from their wounds.


    "Are you sure you don''t want to stay longer?" Cha Ming asked.


    Luo Xuehua shook her head. "Brother Hao and I will be breaking through to core formation soon. After that, we need to rush to the southern frontier. You might not know this, but the Song Kingdom''s civil war was nothing but a petty skirmish. Every day, thousands of cultivators die in the fight against the south''s aggression."


    "I''ll be back in Quicksilver soon," Cha Ming said. "But before then, I''ll be helping out Feng Huoshan for a while by teaching some juniors. Can you do me a favor and deliver this Shape Talisman to Jun Xiezi. I still owe him a favor, and I''m sure he''ll be happy to see that his investment is bearing dividends."


    "Sure," Luo Xuehua said. "It was nice fighting alongside you again, Brother Cha Ming. Don''t be a stranger." The gentle blind woman then flew off with the aid of the two core-formation protectors. She reminded Cha Ming of a fragile snowflake being taken by the wind.


    "We''ll fight together again, Brother Cha Ming." Dongfang Hao laughed and flew off as well.


    Cha Ming sighed and looked over to a nearby tree. "Where will you go now?" he asked Gong Lan, who walked out from behind it. Her bald head and orange kasaya remained unchanged, but her demeanor had improved drastically. She no longer seemed so subdued; a hint of wildness emanated from her relaxed eyes.


    "There''s only one place for the World Tree Master," Gong Lan said. "I will return to the World Tree Monastery and prepare for the upcoming battle. The Southern Alliance''s ambition is far greater than you might realize. A great war will emerge in our lifetime, and it will threaten the very foundation of the plane."


    "Then I''ll work hard and improve as quickly as possible," Cha Ming said.


    "Improvement is important, but remember to stay true to yourself," Gong Lan said. "You made a difficult choice in the labyrinth, and you gained far more than you know in the process. Don''t be dispirited by a simple setback to your cultivation. Heaven never bars all exits."


    "I''ve been through worse," Cha Ming said. Gong Lan smiled and bowed lightly. Then, motes of light left her body one by one until she disappeared along with them. He didn''t know when he would see her again.


    Cha Ming returned to the table where Wang Jun was seated. "How long will you be staying in Songjing?"


    "Two years or so," Wang Jun said. "By then, I''ll have completed my family''s task. After that, I''ll return to Gold Leaf City."


    ***


    The frosty ground crunched beneath Hong Xin''s feet as she approached a red building in the distance. It was surrounded by a forest of golden trees. According to Hong Yinyue, it would only allow those with an invitation to enter.


    "The leaves are strange," Hong Xin whispered as she nabbed one off a nearby tree. Instead of the constant gold coloring that should have persisted across the seasons, it was covered in thin red lines. They increased in number until the trees near the Red Dust Pavilion had completely changed in color.


    "Only two years," Hong Xin said. "After two years in this place, I''ll finally be ready to help him. I won''t be a burden, and I won''t leave his side no matter what happens."


    She strengthened her resolve and walked toward the red building in the woods. She passed by the golden trees before arriving at a small clearing surrounded by red ones. As she stood there, the red leaves fell around her. The wind blew and whipped up thousands of leaves until her figure was completely obscured by corrupted crimson.


    --


    Book 5¡ªEnd.


    Author''s Note:


    Thank you all for catching up to these first five books here on Webnovel. I''m honored that you''ve all chosen to read this book and stuck with it despite the bumpy star to the series. As I''ve mentioned at the end of every chapter, I post this series for free and hope that a percentage of you both enjoy my work enough and have the ability to buy the books on Amazon. Now that everything is caught up with the latest novel, I''ll explain how I release chapters.


    First things first - I don''t write like most web serial authors. I write this series in books, and the pacing and plot is best appreciated when read as an entire book. That being said, I know many people enjoy reading the series as its released chapter by chapter - I read every comment that gets left behind. There are a few reasons behind writing things in books. The first one being quality. Before I release chapters, the book in question has been self-edited multiple times, beta read, as well as edited and proofread by paid professionals. The second reason is that it allows me the luxury of changing things in the book in hindsight if I spot anything glaring prior to publishing; it''s not unusual for me to delete and rewrite up to 10-15% of any book.


    Now these are all the benefits of my writing style - there are also downsides. I publish in spurts, meaning that I publish 5 chapters per week until a book is done and then I go on a temporary hiatus. When I finish publishing a book, there could easily be a month or two until I publish again. Don''t worry though - my Hiatus ends soon. I''ll be releasing Book 6 - Kindling starting on May 15th. I''ll release it 5 chapters a week until completion. Since the book is already complete, it will be available for pre-release when I begin posting, and for purchase on Amazon two weeks after that. That means that anyone who supports my work stays about six weeks ahead of everyone else.


    Anyway, thanks for taking the time to read this note. I can''t wait to start posting chapters on my regular schedule, and I''ll be talking to you all soon :)

 189 Prologue

    Blurb:


    The Southern Alliance''s plot has been foiled, and the Song Kingdom is safe¡ªfor now. As the kingdom recovers from its brutal civil war, Cha Ming sets out to solve his most pressing problem: healing Sun Wukong''s dormant soul. He and Huxian journey to Jade Moon Planet, a smelting trial left behind by an ancient existence.


    Hong Xin, under her teacher''s instruction, enrolls at the mysterious Red Dust Pavilion. On the surface, they are training her to be a successful courtesan. She soon realizes this is nothing more than a fa?ade, and they''ll stop at nothing to douse her newly kindled enthusiasm.


    Dedication:


    To my fianc¨¦, Xing Wen. For saying yes.


    Author''s Note:


    As I write this note, I realize how much time has passed since I started writing Kindling. The book took two and a half months to write and one month to review before it even got to Crystal, my editor. It''s been a difficult book to write for many reasons, but I''m confident that it was worth the wait. This book is a turning point in the series for both Cha Ming and myself.


    The original title was meant to be Bridge of Stars, but after some careful thought, I felt that Kindling better reflected the mood of the book. More to the point, it best reflects the theme of fire that it tries to portray. But what is fire? Is it just a physical process, a chemical reaction that reduces wood to ash? Or is it something more?


    To me, fire is hope on a cold winter day. It''s the joy in all our hearts as we bubble with excitement. Fire is also the warmth in love. Hope, joy, and love¡ªthese are all choices. And these choices are what Kindling is all about.


    Prologue


    A generous portion of black fish simmered as Yu Wen looked on in rapt attention. "The key to proper Devilish Noodles is dipping the freshest fish into boiling broth and letting it cool as the fish cooks," the kindly old man in front of her said. "I know this because it is what my grandfather told me, as did his father before him. People flock from all over Silverstream just to have a bite."


    Yu Wen drooled as her noodles cooked within the steaming broth in the bowl. Her chopsticks were ready to pounce. "So many people come here. Why don''t you raise your prices?" she asked. "I waited outside for three days just to get in."


    "If I raised the prices, then how would the common people eat the continent''s best noodles?" the shop owner said. "Our family came from humble origins. How can we turn our backs on the community after digging ourselves out of poverty?" He sighed. "Though, I won''t have much choice in the matter if things keep going the way they are. Taxes have been going up every year. It''s only a matter of time until I have to raise my prices or close up shop."


    A delicate aroma filled the air as the noodles approached perfection. The owner waited patiently before scooping up the bowl with a practiced hand and deftly placing it before Yu Wen. Her curly locks bounced as she ate the fish and noodles with inhuman speed and drank the steaming broth in a single gulp.


    "These are the best noodles I have ever tasted!" she said, sighing in satisfaction. "The prince who raises your taxes is just a crook who wants to keep them all to himself."


    After she said this, the noisy restaurant quieted substantially. People began speaking in hushed whispers, and many customers around Yu Wen finished their conversations and left the restaurant, leaving their payment and a generous tip on the table.


    "You''d best be careful with your words," the owner said. "The prince has ears everywhere."


    The chatter in the restaurant began picking up where it had left off¡ªsave for two people, who dutifully relayed what they''d heard through their communication devices.


    "Those are the prince''s men," the shop owner whispered, pointing them out with his eyes. "You should leave now while you still can. The prince''s uncle is a mighty martial artist. We lowly commoners can only obey."


    "Let''s see if he dares," Yu Wen said with a sniff. "By the way, I want another ten bowls."


    "Ten?" the owner exclaimed. "A pretty young girl like yourself shouldn''t eat so much."


    A dreadful chill suddenly washed over him.


    Yu Wen looked at him with a pleasant smile that belied her dangerous aura. "Would you care to repeat that?" she said.


    "I mean¡­ you have such a healthy appetite for a young lady," the owner said nervously. "Eat up, eat up, it''s on me!"


    A small white-jade creature popped out of her travel bag as they waited for the next bowl. "You really shouldn''t eat so much," the creature said. "You should also stop causing so much trouble wherever you go."


    "But I can''t help it." Yu Wen pouted. "They''re so delicious. You should try some."


    "A jade rabbit eating meat?" the creature asked. "Maybe when hell freezes over. Speaking of which, we should go. That mighty martial artist isn''t powerful, but he can blow our cover. I don''t mind dying, but I really don''t want to break my moon-cake-eating streak."


    "How many are you on now, Xiao Bai?" Yu Wen asked.


    "This one makes fifty-seven million five thousand and forty-six," Xiao Bai said, popping a yellow cake into her tiny mouth. "Over fifty-seven million days without gaining weight and still perfectly healthy. The moon cake diet is the future, mark my words."


    Yu Wen chuckled as she prepared to dig in. But at that moment, a tall man wearing a white cloak burst in with a half dozen armed guards. The two gentlemen who had been communicating earlier stood up to greet him. The remaining customers in the restaurant ceased eating.


    "Is there anything I can help the crown prince with?" the owner said from behind the bar.


    The prince ignored him while looking Yu Wen up and down. "This is why I keep telling you to restrict your clientele," he said to the owner. "If you did, you wouldn''t have to deal with these pesky unregistered guests."


    I told you we should have registered at the city gates, Xiao Bai said to Yu Wen. But you never listen. All you think about is food.


    He would have caused trouble anyway, Yu Wen said. Look at his eyes. She gestured to the prince, whose faint yellow aura caused both the woman and the rabbit a large amount of discomfort. His eyes were filled with a familiar look of uncontrolled lust and greed. She met people like this wherever she traveled.


    We should run, Xiao Bai sent to Yu Wen as the prince and the guards drew their weapons and rushed toward them.


    Just a minute, Yu Wen said.


    Ripples of gray energy surged around her and encompassed the entire room. They continued until they formed a mile-wide bubble that caused everyone to freeze in place. Only Yu Wen, Xiao Bai, and the noodles were unaffected. The piece of devilfish reached perfection a few breaths later, and Yu Wen rapidly gobbled it down.


    She then looked toward a handsome man she''d been eyeing the whole time. His body was muscular, and his jaw was sharp, like chiseled marble. She ran a finger across his forehead and watched as his life''s memories were displayed in a fast-moving projection.


    "Why do I have such bad luck with handsome men?" she said as she saw the good, the bad, and the ugly. "Most of the ones I meet are terrible, and all the nice ones go away."


    She scooped up the tiny rabbit and disappeared from the restaurant. A few breaths later, the prince and the owner moved again, quickly realizing that the young woman had vanished before their very eyes.


    "I want everyone to fan out and find her!" the crown prince yelled, startling the nearby guards.


    They rushed to obey his commands, but in the process, many of them tripped. Meanwhile, the crown prince didn''t notice the contents of his bag of holding spilling out onto the ground as he ran out of the building. Some customers, who were less than pleased with the prince, rapidly snatched them up. They then approached the owner and placed all the spirit stones in their possession on the bar.


    "Thank you, everyone," the owner said, teary eyed. He knew these customers by name, and they all had one thing in common¡ªthey were the poor who everyone else had forgotten, the downtrodden in this oppressive country. They were the dregs of Silverstream City.


    ***


    "Why is everyone around me so lucky, but I always get discovered?" Yu Wen moaned. "Why is fate so unfair?"


    "Who knows?" Xiao Bai said. "Luck aside, you shouldn''t use your Grandmist powers so often."


    They ran across a ten-mile bridge that connected two giant mountains floating on a sea of mists. Nine gigantic liquid metal rivers ran beneath them; they reflected the light of the planet''s three suns, bringing color to an otherwise drab and uninteresting world.


    "If I hadn''t used them, I couldn''t have eaten the noodles," Yu Wen said. "Besides, it''s not like they can do anything to us anyway. Those slowpokes couldn''t stop me if their lives depended on it."


    The duo leaped over a crowd of guards and rushed over to the second island, where a large platoon stood ready for them.


    "What now?" the Jade Rabbit said nervously.


    "Watch this," Yu Wen said. She grabbed the rabbit and jumped off the bridge. At the same time, she threw out a small jade object that floated in front of her. It returned after letting out a soft click. She looked at the resulting picture in satisfaction. "My camera always takes the best pictures. See how it perfectly caught the reflection of the silver streams on the mist and caught the fear and hesitation in their eyes?"


    "This is the most wasteful use of a soul-bound treasure I''ve ever seen in all my lifetimes," Xiao Bai said dryly.


    "At least you remember your lifetimes," Yu Wen muttered.


    They dodged the spirit ships that chased them and landed on the silver streams. The rivers rippled as they ran, causing the lights they reflected to shimmer and scatter. A large gate appeared in the distance. It was nine miles tall and three miles wide, the large opening in its center filled with a hazy gray substance.


    "You think I''ll let you escape through the planar portal after the ruckus you''ve caused?" a voice called out of nowhere. A man in a golden robe appeared before them. The space around him was filled with sharpness, as though anything that entered this domain would be reduced to mincemeat.


    "You''re awfully brave for a rune-carving cultivator," Yu Wen said as she and Xiao Bai stopped.


    "How can I not be brave with the generous bounty on your head," the man said. "I only need to force you or your rabbit to use your powers, and my soul will be reincarnated into a life of luxury. This is enough to make anyone go crazy. I''m fortunate that my stupid nephew happened to stumble on you."


    This older man was surrounded in a thick ochre glow, and a large apparition with gold-and-ochre wings stood behind him. Its large claws held the man''s domain firmly, reinforcing it with the power of sin.


    "Let''s see if you have the skill," Yu Wen said as she quickly analyzed the route to the planar gate.


    Silver strings burst out around her and shot toward the old man. Meanwhile, the meek Xiao Bai underwent a startling transformation. Her eyes turned red while her two front teeth grew into vicious hooks that could decapitate gods and devour immortals.


    The girl and the rabbit darted out in opposite directions. The golden-robed man grunted and chased after Yu Wen. His devilish speed caused even the Silver Streams to churn. Seeing this, Yu Wen raised her fist and struck out against the man''s domain, which shuddered under the impact.


    The man coughed up blood but cackled as he pulled out a black spike. The sinister object immediately disintegrated and fed the ochre glow in his devilish apparition. The phantom of a second pair of wings appeared behind it, which in turn caused his domain to almost double in size.


    "Damn it all," Yu Wen said as her skin began suffering various cuts and lacerations. Although they were healing rapidly, they were incredibly painful. She tossed out dozens of silver threads to fight against the many blades surrounding her. Unfortunately, they couldn''t stand up to the ruthless assault; the silver threads became silver dust that scattered into the rivers below.


    Just as she was about to activate her own domain to counteract her opponent, she received a mental message from Xiao Bai. The small rabbit appeared behind the ochre avatar and took a large bite out of it. It roared in pain and threw the white animal to the floor. Ochre blood oozed out from the apparition''s strange wound.


    We can''t beat them without unlocking at least a tiny bit of our power, Yu Wen sent. Her eyes turned cold as they locked on the golden-robed man. We might as well make it worthwhile.


    "For your information," she said, "your employer withheld some information from you."


    "And what might that be?" the golden-robed man said, stalling for every scrap of time he could.


    "He might have promised you eternal life, but if your soul is destroyed, then even the supreme ruler of Hell can''t reincarnate it for you," she said.


    A gray cloud oozed out from around Yu Wen and expanded unreasonably quickly. Despite its gaseous appearance, it weighed more than the heaviest metal. Spatial cracks appeared around the oozing fluid, completely shattering the golden domain. It was as though the transcendent plane couldn''t bear the weight of the mysterious substance.


    Bit by bit, the energy that comprised his domain was absorbed into the expanding gray cloud. It formed a domainlike sphere that encapsulated him before he had a chance to resist.


    "No!" he yelled as his body, devilish avatar, and soul were consumed by the gray barrier in a fraction of a moment. Then, the gray cloud vanished as though it had never existed in the first place.


    "Let''s go!" Yu Wen said as she joined up with Xiao Bai, who was completely unharmed by the devilish apparition''s strike. They floated toward the gray gate that hummed after sensing their presence.


    "Where to this time?" Xiao Bai asked.


    Yu Wen thought for a bit before her expression brightened. "The Bridge of Stars will be opening soon," she said. "It''s the perfect place to lay low. Let''s go see if we can make some new friends."


    The portal shimmered slightly as they entered it. Unbeknownst to them, a black-cloaked figure appeared behind them just before they finished passing.


    "I''ve finally found you," the figure said as he raised his hand.


    Time seemed to flow in reverse as the ghostly images of Yu Wen and Xiao Bai appeared just in front of the gate. Their lips moved slightly before the technique collapsed. Several bolts of lightning rained down on the figure, who accepted the plane''s punishment without complaint.


    As the bolts struck him, his barely visible face was revealed. It was gaunt and pale, and his hair was white as fresh winter snow. His eyes were black.


    ***


    "Just what are those devils up to?" Yama muttered as he looked through a literal mountain of ledgers.


    He was currently at a repository company called Iron Planet. According to the Underworld''s accounting regulations, every company operating in Diyu was required to keep a minimum of 10,000 Underworld years'' worth of records. His findings thus far were infuriating.


    "Han Yu, come here," Yama said. His assistant instantly teleported to his side. "I want you to look through this small pile of documents and investigate the individuals who issued them. If you do this well, you''ll get a raise."


    Her bright smile made him immediately regret his brash decision.


    "I think five percent would go a long way," he added.


    The comment instantly doused the fire in her eyes. It was replaced with frustration and indignation, and most importantly, unwillingness and stubbornness.


    A good sign, he thought. You need to keep them hungry or they won''t work hard.


    "Am I looking for anything in particular?" Han Yu asked stiffly.


    "Connections to devils," Yama said. "Investments, relatives, friends, roommates of a third cousin. No matter how obscure they are, I want them found. I don''t particularly care that we sell edicts to devils, but everything must be balanced. We are a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, not a custom reincarnation company that supports the cosmos on the side."


    "Then what about our participation in the election?" Han Yu asked.


    "That''s different!" Yama said. "It affects the very survival of our universe." He looked into the void. "Lily, come join us as well."


    A second woman in a suit appeared beside them. While Han Yu sported a navy outfit, Lily wore a white one, complete with white bordered glasses.


    "What can I help with, Your Eminence?" Lily said. A hint of flirtation appeared on her otherwise deferent expression.


    "For the last time, ''boss'' will do fine," Yama said sternly, hiding his pleasure. "This pile of documents shows that our edict sales have been heavily favoring devils. In passing, I''ve also noticed some disturbing financial details. Our sales group has been booking sales before delivery and has been refusing to write off bad debt. As a result, our numbers have been inflated by thirty percent over the past century. As our company''s controller, I need you to perform a full internal audit and get back to me with suggestions for further accounting regulations."


    Lily''s eyes brightened at the prospect. "I''ll be suggesting the most comprehensive, most ironclad management recommendations possible!"


    Yama massaged his brow. "I just want reasonable, incremental regulations that can prevent this specific problem. Why do all you accountants go on a crusade every time someone steps out of line?"


    "With all due respect, sir," Lily said, "if people can''t do anything, it''s impossible to make mistakes."


    Yama groaned inwardly as he flew off the small storage planet and into the chill of empty space. He didn''t dare admit that she had a point, lest it get to her head.


    By the way, sir, you have a guest waiting in the lobby, Han Yu sent via SpiritChat, a new messaging service that was taking the Underworld by storm. You could do everything with it, including paying, phoning, and messaging. If you paid for the add-on, it could even take your kids to school. It''s the Jade Emperor. He said you didn''t accept his SpiritChat invite.


    "Why does everyone expect me to answer these SpiritChat messages right away?" Yama grumbled. "If it''s really important, can''t they just call me? Or send an email with an urgent tag followed by a second email reminding me to read the first one?"


    He swiftly teleported to his office, the only location he could teleport to within Diyu. After straightening himself out, he walked out to greet the ruler of Heaven.


    "My friend, Yama, it''s been ages!" a graying man with jade robes said as soon as he entered the lobby. He wore a thin jade crown on his head. "I''m here to ask about my¡ª"


    "Your daughter," Yama cut in. "Yes, I know. It was the same last week and the week before that. I still haven''t seen her, and if I did, I''d inform you immediately." Just as the stately king was about to protest, Yama continued his tirade. "You''ve lived for aeons, but you still can''t let her wander off for a millennium without getting antsy about her. Are you a king or a housewife suffering from empty nest syndrome?"


    "This is different," the Jade Emperor said indignantly. "I have a foreboding feeling. I feel like our father-daughter karma is about to expire. And when you didn''t add me to SpiritChat, I started to worry."


    "I just added you, so you can stop worrying," Yama said. He shuddered as he rapidly swept through the man''s profile. It was filled with pictures of him and his daughter, some as much as a million years old. "If you''re so worried about her, why did you lend her your soul-bound treasure, the Jade Moon Cloak? You can''t even keep tabs on her when she wears it. If I were you, I would have placed her under house arrest in the heavenly courts. None of this ''you''re your own person and you can do whatever you want'' nonsense."


    "How could I do that to my own daughter?" the Jade Emperor said, taking a seat. He sniffed the tea Yama offered him, making sure that the man wasn''t drugging him with Meng Po''s tea. "She has such a free spirit, and if I don''t let her wander, the cosmos would have made something happen. Traitors would have appeared within our ranks and would have tried to kill her from within the palace. Flaws would have appeared in our defensive formations. Rebellion would have fermented in the heavens and lured me away." He sighed. "It''s not easy being that girl''s father."


    "If you can''t even bear to put her under house arrest, how will you deal with her two reincarnations from now?" Yama said.


    A pained expression appeared on the Jade Emperor''s face, causing Yama to regret his words.


    "I don''t know," the Jade Emperor said. "I can only live in the present. In this lifetime, she is my daughter, cosmic balance be damned."


    "You know of cosmic balance, yet you''ve spoiled your daughter," Yama said. "It''s brought the heavens untold fortune, but you know full well that when the cosmic scales shift, you''ll reap what you''ve sown. The heavens will experience unprecedented disaster, and countless mortals will get caught up in the resulting storm. Hell, I''m experiencing it right now. The Yellow River is flooding, and Heaven and Hell''s policies are forcing me to get involved in politics again. Meanwhile, I''m pretty sure the devils have been tampering with my edict system."


    The Jade Emperor shook his head. "You know I can''t budge on this. My hands are tied. Not only are Heaven''s policies good for Heaven, but if I don''t do this, my senior statesmen will push for Heaven to go on the ten-thousandth-and-eighty-third crusade against the devils. I absolutely loathe our two-party system sometimes."


    Seeing Yama''s downcast expression, the Jade Emperor''s softened his stance.


    "I can lend you Fuxi for some pro-bono work," the Jade Emperor conceded. "Maybe he can think of something that will increase the efficiency of the Yellow River system as a whole."


    "Thanks for doing what you can," Yama said. "The fate of the universe is at stake. Don''t worry, I''ll let you know as soon as I catch a whiff of your daughter."


    After exchanging a few more pleasantries, the Jade Emperor left. Yama''s gaze wandered over to Iron Planet, where his two assistants were hard at work. He hoped he was reading too much into the situation. As the CEO of Samsara Incorporated, he was karmically responsible for the actions of his employees.