Volume 2- Chapter 20

Chapter 20

~~~~Tai Su~~~~

Becoming a Second Tier cultivator, or better said Lesser Tempering cultivator, was both what I expected and not. I could feel my body being stronger, the Qi flowing through my meridians being both more potent and more responsive to my commands.

I could also feel how Qi just flowed into my body without me having to do anything and the havoc it caused, because the Qi in the air? It had no mass to speak of, whatever Qi was made out of not operating by any rules I knew of except its own, but at high velocities it could still interact with my body and leave behind trails of burning light as it burned my flesh.

Or at least it tried to.

It took me hours to stop the process , as whatever gains I could make by absorbing the Qi in the air were counteracted by the Qi I expended healing myself, but eventually, under the guidance of sect master Fu Jian, I managed to find a way to make a passive barrier that stopped Qi from invading my body. Then I turned it into a cultivation method that allowed me to draw the Qi into me safely.

“You’ve emptied the Qi in the sky-ship again young man.” The sect master said with a chuckle.

My eyes opened as the sect master was correct. The last dregs of Qi I gathered into the semi-permeable barrier I made to serve as a filter were absorbed and no new Qi flowed into my meridians. This was only the second cycle!

I was surprised that I was able to extend said barrier outside of my body, as I was told my control over Qi would only extend to my body, but apparently that also meant the tiny space around me where the barely visible peach fuzz was. Few people bothered with actually growing their hair, like some in the western parts of the empire did a thousand years ago to gain an extra edge in combat, but cultivators didn’t remove the ‘peach fuzz’ on their skin specifically to assist with cultivation, even as they removed all other hair they could get away with except on their head.

Apparently, a long time ago, not having any hair on you used to be a sign of status and power, and it continued to remain so to a certain extent, even if now people no longer made themselves completely devoid of any and all hair.

I immediately bowed in gratitude to the man that taught me all of this.

“Thank you for teaching me this technique sect master.” I said with my fist inside my arm.

“There’s no need for that, Practitioner Tai Su. I had a feeling you would Advance as soon as you heard the news that you needed to come, so I took the liberty to refresh my memory with a technique you could use for cultivating safely again. You would have been able to recreate it, or something like it in days, like most newly ascended Practitioners normally do.” Sect master Fu Jian said.

I could feel the way he stressed the word Practitioner, as if the concept that I was a Practitioner was amusing to him.

“Days that I do not have to stumble around sect master.” I replied.

We were flying on the sect’s diplomatic sky-ship, one of ten such ships, a thing of redwood and silver and without any sails. It was made for protection and to be visible to all in order to allow any elder or the sect master to go where it needs to in an obvious way and give face to whoever they were traveling to.

There were apparently even warships, but our sect didn’t bother with them, because we didn’t need to deal with frequent spider attacks, and so the maintenance needed to keep them running wasn’t worth it.

“Fair enough young man, now please stop with the bowing, that’s an order. I never liked having people bow to me and I’d rather not have to deal with it when I don’t have to. Now that you’ve become proficient with the Second Skin Technique, we need to discuss the details of your mission.” He ordered me, his voice slightly annoyed.

I sighed but nonetheless obeyed.

What do the people in power here have against propriety? That’s how you prevent people from just throwing slurs at you whenever they feel like or disrespecting you in public. If people do not have a standard to follow in their interactions with one another, then the lowest common denominator, which is slurs and insults, will be what they use.

“What am I to do then sect master? Elder Shen Xifeng told me that I’ll need to befriend or at least learn more about the way the Ya Lu and the Adherents of the Way of The Fist operate and why.” I asked, my focus now solely on the sect master.

The Ya Lu people are the culture that formed around the Stellar Blade Sect. When they were integrated into the Empire of the Blazing Sun, they were one of the few cultures that were left as distinct independent entities inside of the empire. Outside of the Ya Lu and a few small unique cities and the Koji foxes, the only culture the Empire recognized and protected was Imperial Culture, with other cultures simply being called foreigners. The few exceptions were considered Imperial in name only, as their ways were only treated as such inside of their lands.

The sect master nodded at my words as if he agreed with them, but I could feel from the way he frowned that I was missing something.

“Yes, that’s what the sect wants you to do, but you are also here to assist the Half-Moon Sect with patrolling their lands as well. We were told that most of their members will be stuck inside of the sect for whatever it is that their Trial needs them for, so you will need to work with the Golden Apple Banner as a local liaison.” The sect master explained softly.

That made sense, I didn’t have time to think about it properly, I’ve had a single day since I was informed of my mission to reaching here. I doubt the Half Moon Sect would have allowed me to be here if the only reason I had to be here was shadow the representative of the Stellar Blade Sect.

“Where am I being assigned to and it is likely that we will face combat?” I asked pointedly.

The cultivator which has seen centuries of war smiled at my question, a glimmer of pride evident in his eyes.

“Why would you think that you would see fighting Tai Su? Such things rarely happen and you’ve been to other sect’s territories to help with their Trials and have seen none.” He asked me back.

My presence during the other trials was a diplomatic formality, as I wasn't truly needed any of those times.

I merely went two times through empty plains and patrolled the roads for bandits, while the Practitioners and Disciples of the Sect were busy guarding the large population centers and hidden elders used us as bait for any hidden spider Elder or Nascent Soul. Some bannermen could have done the same thing I did.

What couldn’t be called a formality was the presence of our Sect Master.

“You’ve never been to other sect’s territories during their Trials since I joined the sect, and for many years before, according to the rumors in the cantina. Also, our own Prefecture needs protection as well, so you leaving it and doing it so openly as to take your own sky-ship means that you want people to know you are here to dissuade something or someone from attacking.” I answered.

That earned me a chuckle, which means that my explanation was spot on, or at least close enough.

“Indeed, my presence here is meant to dissuade the spiders from attacking, or at least from doing a halfhearted job of it, because I am both a threat and an opportunity to remove a dangerous piece from the board. While it is possible you'll see combat, it's not likely.” He explained.

So I was partially right then. The spiders not attacking and attacking in full were equally beneficial to whatever the Sect Masters, the generals and the Empress were planning for. They weren't expecting an attack, but if it happened? Well that was expected and planned for.

“I am glad I listened to Bao on just rushing forward with advancing then, it would have been foolish to come here with such things going on behind the curtains and not having gotten any advantage I could.” I said with a sigh.

My wife is going to be insufferable for it, it’s rare that she’s actually right and she’ll be holding it against me for months at least.

“Why didn’t you advance sooner, you could have advanced months ago, could you not?” He asked me, curiosity evident in his tone.

I shrugged, the simple answer was that I had a plan and I wanted to stick with it.

“I am in no rush to attain power, I already had more than I need if I am being honest. My family and I had time and a plan to follow, there were no emergencies that required us to change it, so I decided to wait for Bao to advance, help her through her Ascension and once she’s fine, she would help Ya Xue and I if we were unlucky enough to be afflicted by it.” I answered.

Bao’s special cultivation technique ensures that for the cost of a much slower and harder to practice technique she will have a guaranteed shot at advancing to the next tier. Her meridians were naturally strengthened to be able to handle the almost-liquid Qi by default, which meant her body was perfect for one of the rarer cultivation manuals that the sect had.

Her manual required that she push push more and more Qi into her meridians, more than even my own body had even, in a specific configuration that allows the liquid Qi to form smoothly and with little to no issues or rogue Qi running around rupturing her organs. It takes more Qi, more time, more skill and more of your sanity to constantly grinding at it day after day, but it’s a guaranteed success as long as you keep at it.

It still didn’t change the fact that your mind will get slightly loose, something will be lost and that you will need time to recover. Not even being born with Water Meridians is a guarantee against that, which is why Ya Xue and I decided that Bao will be the first to undergo it. The rest of the family can look after her until she is well, but she is the heart of this family, which meant that she is to afforded the best care we can think of.

“More power than you need? For what exactly?" The sect master asked, his expression strangely neutral.

This was a test of some kind, I just knew it, one that would decide if I were to get more opportunity to rise in rank in the future. I’m not sure how the sect master would feel like if he knew I didn’t care if I passed or failed it.

I raised my left hand up and started enumerating all of the ways that I had already gotten more people than I could be bothered with.

“I am a cultivator, there’s few if any people that can order me around, with you chief among them. I am one of those in charge of ensuring that the future industrial center of the southern prefecture and what I assume will be the future of the foxes and the empires integration. I am already well known in certain circles of the empire and even before my ascension I had more personal power than nine in ten of all beings to ever live. More power won’t let me achieve my goals, which are mainly making sure that my family are well looked after, so while it would be pleasant if I were to grow in power, I am not desperate to pursue it.” I answered honestly and put the hand down when I finished enumerating the ways how I already had more power than the vast majority of the Empire.

Sect Master Fu Jian looked surprised at my answer.

“Do you not care for the power to move mountains and immortality?” He asked me, genuinely curious.

“I do, and if it means I can protect those I care for, I’ll even go out of my way to pursue it, but as it is? I would rather focus on my family, than put all of my time into being stronger. What good is power, if all it does is turn you miserable and leaves you alone?” I admitted.

The sect master looked thoughtful at that as he stroked his chin.

“I can’t say I disagree, but it’s not an opinion I hear often. Unfortunately, we no longer have the time to continue this rather interesting conversation, we’ve reached the Half Moon Sect’s Outpost.” The sect master declared and started rising up.

I quickly followed the young looking, centuries old man, but a questioned now gnawed at me.

“Sect Master, what drove you to reach Nascent Soul?” I asked him.

Reaching Nascent Soul was a difficult proposal. It involved great risk and centuries of constant cultivation and fight. The level of determination needed to reach it was not something most people can match, and of those that do, few wish to take the great risks involved. I did not know if I wished to try it and I wanted to know what would lead someone to do something many considered closer to suicide than a path to power.

He did not answer me while we walked through the wooden hallways. We walked silently and then up the redwood stairs until we reached the top of the sky ship.

As we came out I was struck by the sheer size of the black mountains in the distance. They were monumental, so tall and thin I swore they looked more like a spear coming out of the ground, than something carved by nature, but I suppose that they weren’t.

They were grown, and from the looks of it they continue to grow even now.

A rocket barrage met the tip of the growing mountain closest to us just as we disembarked and I saw the mountain taller than everything I’ve ever seen in two lives start to melt. The mountain that once grew for kilometers up into the sky, started to shrink, as whatever the sect threw at it dissolved solid matter at incredible speeds.

More rockets start to fly again, each leaving a green plume from behind them, only for others to come from the mountain to try and intercept them. The rockets traveled through the melting rock most likely, as they came from the peak of it.

This was not what I was expecting to see, I've heard rumors of it, but seeing mountains rise kilometers into the sky only to melt in real time was surreal.

“Each of those rockets represents the work of hundreds of alchemists. Since they have become cultivators your friends: Haoran Lin, Cheng Lin and Yu Zong have, when put together, produced enough reagents to equal the price of one such rocket that we throw in salvos of five of more. Thousands of these rockets are fired yearly Tai Su and most accomplish little.

They represent the productive output of Second, Third and even Fourth Tier alchemists, smiths and more, all of it focused entirely on producing the parts, fuel and ammo necessary to maintain a constant rate of fire for centuries. I have become a cultivator because I wished for a better life and I have pushed through to becoming a Nascent Soul, because I want to one day no longer need to see this waste of time and resources in front of me.” Sect Master Fu Jian declared, his tone more serious than I’ve ever heard from him.

I didn’t know what to say in response to that and so I said nothing. I didn't know what to say, not when that was happening in front of me.

The ship landed in a shallow pool of water, our landing barely even creating a wave. I could see to our side a ship bearing what I knew to be the insignia of the Stellar Blade Sect, it seems that they managed to reach here first.

We silently walked through the dock arranged for us to see numerous bannermen with trees with golden apples emblazoned on their boots. They were patrolling the area and I could see there were even some cultivators with white uniforms and the banner of the Half Moon sect emblazoned on their chest.

The cultivators bowed to us and I made sure to do the same, the sect master giving each saluting cultivator a shallow nod before moving further into the outpost.

It was difficult to tell cultivator ranks apart in the Blazing Fist Sect normally, because our elders wore the same uniform as the disciples to the naked eye eye. It took experience to learn to tell disciples apart from Practitioners, and it was rare to see any elders outside of elder Shen Xifeng, so I still didn’t know what tells were unique to elders and which were unique to her.

The Half Moon sect did not subscribe to my sect’s way of telling rank apart. Disciples had pure white robes, the only splash of color being their sect insignia, Practitioners on the other hand had dark hems to give their uniform some color. If the pattern held then Elders would have even more elaborate uniforms.

In front of me I saw what could only be our destination.

I knew because I saw what could only be an elder of the Half Moon sect. He was dressed in a silver uniform with dark highlights bearing the mark of the Half Moon Sect on his chest and like I guessed his uniform was a bit more elaborate than that that of the Practitioners.

Near him was another man dressed in a pure black Robe with the Insignia of the Stellar Blade Sect and both of them and the woman with the far more elaborate robes behind him bowed deeply to the sect master.

I quickly did the same as them as I bowed to my seniors.

“Greetings, Sect Master Fu Jian.” The two men said as one.

The sect master gave the two men a bow, as opposed to the nod he gave everyone else, which was enough to clue me in that these men stood above everyone else gathered here, but were still below him.

“Rise elders, I don’t think we have the time to bother with such niceties for now. Yao Min, it’s good to see you out of your Ziggurat again old friend. Elder Gao Li, still as formal as ever I see.” The Sect Master greeted the two elders.

“I am glad to see you again Fu Jian, I didn’t think you had it in you to attempt Ascension.” The Stellar Blade Sect Elder replied genially.

He looked to be the same age as sect master Fu Jian, but his voice sounded older and yet it sill flowed smoothly. He gave me the air of a scholar of the blade, someone who has dedicated his life to learning how to kill as opposed to any scholarly subject.

The Half Moon Sect Elder was far more restrained in his reply.

“Someone has to maintain some standards in a social setting sect master.” The elder remarked, something which gained a nod of appreciation from me.

I too could understand the desire to uphold a social standard and the older man presented himself in a similar way to how I wished to present myself. He carried a certain aura of subdued dignity that lead others to believe that he was fount of wisdom and serenity.

Sect Master Fu Jian acted more like a social hurricane when put near others, he didn't so much as exude an aura that demanded obedience as he merely just force pulled you behind him to wherever it is that he was going.

“There is a time and place for such things and fortunately that time is not now. Now is the time for our charges to introduce themselves to one another, while we leave to discuss our plans for the following weeks. Hopefully, nothing serious will happen until your whore of a grandmother finishes her scam of a divination and can join us.” The Nascent Soul replied jovially.

“Sect Master Fu Jian!” Two voices shouted in outrage at his words.

The man snorted at our outrage, before both of us noticed that both of us exclaimed the same thing at the same time. I decided to not think about it for now, a quick glance showed me that my superiors were more amused, than outraged at my breach of decorum.

I bowed deeply to the two elders and introduced myself.

“Greetings Seniors, this one is known as Tai Su, it is an honor to meet you.” I introduced myself with as much respect as I could.

“Well met young man.” The Stellar Blade Sect Elder greeted warmly.

“A pleasure to meet you. It’s heartening to see that the younger generations still possess some decency young man.” The Half Moon Sect Elder replied.

I knew better than to answer that statement. One does not do anything to being shame or disparage their hosts or their superiors.

“As if, I have plenty of respect for actually useful things, I merely don’t believe Divination is such a thing. Let us depart, we have important matters to discuss now and we should leave our juniors to get acquainted.” Sect Master Fu Jian declared and then the next second all three of them were gone.

The only ones left were me and the woman from the Stellar Blade Sect.

Both of us stared at the other as we considered who would go first. Her uniform was far more elaborate than her elder's, which led me to believe that they either had a system similar to my sect's or the exact opposite of the Half Moon sect, where one's robes became simpler the higher their tier.

“I am Rui Min, a Practitioner of the Stellar Blade Sect.” The woman said with a nod.

Well, that was a challenge if I ever saw one. A nod is the least form of respect you give to another, and to cultivators of the same tier it served as an unspoken challenge, especially on a first meeting.

“I am Tai Su a Practitioner of the Blazing Fist Sect, a pleasure to meet you miss.” I replied with a soft smile and a nod.

Both of our smiles now promised pain to their recipient.

It will be so nice to wipe that smile off her face, my fist started tingling just looking at her and not returning a provocation this obvious was not something I could let stand, something that the woman seemed to think as well.

Making a mention of a female cultivator’s age in any way was a provocation, a rather personal one at that too. Call them old and their female side takes offense, but call them young or imply that they are inexperienced and their cultivator does. If one wishes to avoid insulting a female cultivator than avoiding any mention of age is always for the best.

“I’ve seen a small sparring ring we can exchange some pointers at if you are interested. It would be a good way to learn from one another and pass the time until we receive our assignment.” Rui Min said softly, yet her eyes promised pain.

“Please lead the way, exchanging pointers with one’s peers is always a pleasure.” I agreed respectfully.

A provocation is a provocation but that's no reason to be anything but polite.

AN: Ya Lu I’ve taken to mean the Land of Elegance, They are a pre-imperial culture that survived mostly the same as before becoming part of the Empire, because they survived the spider onslaught largely intact, as their sect was already heavily militant and martially effective.

Well... it wasn't technically a sect before the Spiders were brought low, as sects appeared a bit further North and the system hadn't traveled so far south yet.