Days Mundane (II)
I must admit, I never expected days within the world of cultivation to be so... mundane. Once I handed the method to Dai Xiu and mostly finished the barebones construction of their home, things just... settled down. Inordinately so.
Long Tao never asked me for the cloaking art again; he did stop cultivating and started hanging around the girl a lot, guiding her quite... earnestly. I don't know what that old monster has planned, but maybe he warmed up to the place? Yeah, right. Ah, who's to know...
Once a month, a cart of resources would be brought up, but, save for that, we had no more visitors.
I'd descend the mountain every couple of weeks and head straight into the library, borrowing more and more books. That's right--I became a bit of a bookworm!
Naturally, I wasn't renting cultivation arts or methods and such, no; I mostly stuck either to histories, folklore, or just 'tales,' as they called the novel-like tomes here.
There were... a lot of them. Histories, alone, filled up a massive bookshelf with eight rows, each holding at least fifty books. To be fair, I'm using the word 'history' quite loosely here; most contained myths of the age that were just that: mythical.
Things like, "There be this God who made this mountain and lived for 8 billion years," or "The Tribe fought the Serpent God for 10,000 years and perished..." Though I would be inclined to believe some of these, as this is a fantasy world, after all, I rejected them all on the basis that hyperbole was the mother of them all.
No, seriously.
Nothing ever happened within either a short distance or a short time; nothing was ever 'normal-sized', either. Kingdoms spanned literal hundreds of thousands of miles, mountains peaked at a million miles, and people themselves were as 'tall as the sky,' which ranged anywhere between a billion miles or some loose, indeterminate number.
However, it was... fun, I have to admit.
Much like my little hideout at the back of the mountain, these books became my anchors; they reinforced, in however small a way, that despite the fact people here could shoot magic from their fingers and do things otherwise impossible, they weren't actually all that different from me me.
They, too, were bewitched by concepts beyond their ken, even if those concepts were slightly more exaggerated. They, too, formed beliefs around the things they could not otherwise explain; while we conjured up gods for environmental hazards, they made up mythical cultivators who 'fought' and 'produced' these catastrophes.
It was... compelling, reading accounts of mythological figures that resonated with something deep inside of me.
But it was also rather frustrating.
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After all, I was mostly interested in real accounts of this world, in a desperate bid to spin a proper framework of it in my mind. However, after reading through nearly 150 books, I can maybe ascertain like 10 true details of the world itself, beyond the grasp of this tiny hamlet.
Perhaps the most revealing was that this corner of the world wasn't even charted on official maps that were present in the books--it was so off the beaten path that nobody even bothered checking if there was anything here.
In fairness, the map itself had a lot of... gaps, let's call them. It's likely that this isn't the only 'missed' portion, but just one of the many. Unlike on Earth, where we felt compelled to document every single tribe we could, here there seemed to be a broader sense of pure apathy towards anything 'below-level'.
Alas, I did learn a few moderately important things and potentially even found a slight clue as to my dear disciple's original identity.
Per the system, Long Tao used to go by 'Divine Blade' back in the day. And though there are no direct references to that name that I could find, there are a few mentions of 'Divine Sword Academy', a supposed hegemon of some or another area just about 10,000 years ago. According to the texts, it eventually won in a war and 'ascended', whatever that meant.
In my learning of truths and myths and trying to distinguish between the two, the remaining four months before competition came and went.
Dai Xiu managed to reach the peak fourth stage of the Qi Condensation Realm, essentially guaranteeing that I will win the bet. Luckily, Long Tao taught her means and ways to hide her cultivation, so, to others, she appeared to be an ordinary first-stage newbie.
Though her realm is impressive, I gotta say... it bled me dry. Of the 1,000 freakin' stones, I had just shy of 200 left. Yes, some of it went into buying supplies, such as small elements for a simple Qi-bounding array that I placed at their 'house', but it was merely a drop in the bucket that was the 'Dai Xiu project'.
The advantage of physiques like hers is that the speed of cultivating was magnificent... but so was the drain on the resources. It's very likely that she'd only need stones for now but also perhaps need completely unique concoctions sometime in the future... and I would have to pay for them.
Just the thought made me shudder; luckily, I have two bets to win that will recoup some of my wealth and make me feel somewhat secure yet again.
"Okay, guys. Today's the day," I greeted them in the morning; while Dai Xiu appeared to have a lot of spunk in her step and was clearly somewhat nervous, Long Tao was bored. I don't blame him--he likely held back from breaking through for me, at least in part, and was probably looking forward to the excursion after the competition. "Don't be nervous--just go out and have fun! Show to everyone what you've learned so far!"
"--Oh? So we can just have fun?" Long Tao immediately said, his smile... strange.
"That only applies to Dai Xiu," I quickly said. "You're not allowed to have fun. Just go out and take care of business."
"Tsk."
"Khm," pretending to not hear the click of the tongue, I continued. "Most importantly, you can never, ever reveal a realm beyond the second stage, no matter what! Even if the other disciples take artifacts that will defeat you, just admit defeat! Promise me!"
"..."
"If you don't promise me, we simply won't go."
"... I promise," Dai Xiu said, seeming unwilling.
"I already said--if the sect learns of your true strengths, they will take you away from me. Now, if you don't want me as your Master anymore, just say so, and I will arrange for the transfer; there is no need to draw attention to us during the competition."
"..." Seeing them (but mostly the girl) remain silent, I nodded and smiled.
I especially bought them a pair of matching robes for today--Long Tao wore gold-embroidered black robes with swirling motifs, while Dai Xiu wore the exact same one, except its stitching was silver instead of gold. Having eaten normally for the past half a year or so, both had put on quite a lot of weight--especially Dai Xiu--and now looked like proper kids, baby fat in cheeks and all.
"Very well," I declared. "Let us go down the mountain."
Thus, my first (not really) true (not really) hurdle (is it?) is about to begin.
Betting & Competing (I)
The excitement is palpable, so much so, in fact, that even I am beginning to be swayed a bit.
I quickly quell that crap down, however, and continue the descent.
As we emerge from the mountain and toward the flattened areas, I notice hundreds upon hundreds of souls converge to the specific area--the central battle arena where all public competitions were held. It was the largest, the safest, and the one with the greatest number of seats.
I was actually a bit worried since I didn't know where the tournament would be held (courtesy of Lu Qi never really giving a rat's ass about it), but even the blind would be able to follow the crowd to the destination.
So, we simply joined the stream.
I also noticed a few Elders leading the groups of disciples. Unlike me, who only had two, others had at least ten to fifteen kids behind them. Even if tempted to use Creator's Eyes, I held back.
Actually, on my way to the library or when I was out buying supplies, I'd randomly use them on the kids to see if there were any more 'hidden' talents. The results were... well, boring for the most part. Talents of most kids peaked at Mortal, and I only stumbled upon one or two with a higher one. There had been no other cases like Long Tao or Dai Xiu (save for that one other disciple whose name I've already forgotten...).
"Remember," I, too, remembered something I forgot to mention, so I quickly added it before we were to go our separate ways; while they'd join the queue of disciples, I'd go upstairs to the Elder seating. Even if I'm the lowest rung of one, I still am an Elder, after all. "Only use the martial art I taught you if your life is in danger! And if anyone asks..."
"--it came to us in a dream," Long Tao interrupted, grabbing Dai Xiu's hand. "Yeah, yeah. Our ears will fall off listening to your warnings. Go and make some more bets with those old stooges; bleed them dry."
"Oh," I did my best to prevent my lips from curling up into an evil grin... but failed. "I fully intend to."
Right, about that defensive art I made--the creation points mostly came from Dai Xiu. She actually managed to completely master the First Form; now, I don't know whether it was actually hard or not (according to her it wasn't), I just went by the amount of Creation Points the Quest gave me--which was a whole 100.
She did have Long Tao assisting her, and with that monster's comprehension abilities, perhaps it wasn't impossible...
Anyway, I had over a hundred banked and spent 80 of them creating a low-tier Earth defensive art that I called 'Turtle's Dominion' because I thought it'd be funny.
They didn't laugh.
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The method itself, like most I create, it seems, relied on Spirit Stones; the more of a 'sacrifice' one made, the stronger of an attack they could block, peaking at, well, the peak of the Foundation Establishment Realm. It did take 50 mid-grade Spirit Stones each, so unless one had a bank behind them, it wasn't sustainable.
But I couldn't set them out there without any trump cards; after all, this wasn't just your everyday 'kids fight and compete' event. A lot hinged on the outcome of today's events, both for disciples and also Elders.
Having more resources to dedicate to the Peak meant rearing stronger kids, which meant gobbling up even more resources… It was a vicious cycle, and accidents always happened (well, Lu Qi heard about them happening; he'd never actually been to one of these things, if you could believe it).
So, even if Long Tao is at the peak of the Qi Condensation Realm and Dai Xiu is at the peak of the fourth stage, that didn't fully guarantee much. What if another insane Elder taught his kids some weird self-harming art that increased their strength? Or what if they gave the kids some weird pills or artifacts?
My future, my life, my everything hinges on these kids. After all, without them, I won't get any quests or any Creation Points, which means I won't be able to purify this body, which means I will never cultivate past this. And though someone at the Spirit Manifestation Realm could live up 'till about 200 years of age if all the stars aligned, I don't know; it'd feel like such a waste if I just doubled the life expectancy in the world of immortals.
No! I'm going for the full bout here--1,000 years at least!
Separating from them, I followed the 'old stooges' to the backside of the arena, where there were sets of winding staircases leading up to the viewing area. As per usual, I was ignored; not even a glance my way, let alone a greeting.
Though Lu Qi's reputation was hell, I must admit... there are benefits to it. For starters, this guy had no close friends--nobody really knew who he was past the boot-licking, tyrant-of-the-weaker shell they saw. He had no friends, no family, nothing.
As such, I didn't really have to pretend much and gauge reactions of others, navigating this new identity. I could just be whoever the hell I wanted.
Plus, peace and calm and being left wholly alone for six months while trying to accept the existential crisis that my life has become... it was nice. Really nice.
Reaching the viewing area, I paused for a moment and eyed the three rows of wooden benches. For all the beauty of magic within this world, the comfort was rock bottom. No, it might even go below that; these didn't even look as comfortable as those park benches, and those were designed for a quick come-and-go so as to not let poor and broke have dreams and such.
Nonetheless, if I was to introduce the concept of 'comfort', it wasn't going to be today; I immediately beelined to the top-left position and sat down. As the lowest-ranked Elder, it was my natural seating area.
The seats alongside me as well as those below me slowly started filling up. Before long, two figures that caused everyone to alight from the bench appeared: Spirit Sage and Elder Qin.
Though I have memories of Spirit Sage, this was my first time viewing the man as me. He was... shorter than I thought, perhaps five-five at best. He had a head full of white hair and piercing, somewhat purple eyes, as well as a wrinkled face to frame it. In human age, he looked to be around fifty-five, perhaps sixty, though, per Lu Qi's memories, the man was nearly four hundred years old.
"Greetings, Sect Master!"
"Greetings, Great Elder!"
The Spirit Sage's eyes, as well as Elder Qin's, found me of all people, curious and faintly bewildered; a knot twisted in my intestines, being scrutinized by the pair. Honestly... I felt anxious. Even afraid. What if Spirit Sage could see through me?
Luckily, whether he could or couldn't, I wouldn't find out right now. Their gazes left me quickly after as they sat to the front, where two chairs magically appeared--chairs with cushioned bottoms!
I winced.
These bastards!
It's not that they didn't know comfort... it's that they freakin' locked it behind seniority!
Betting & Competing (II)
"Hoh? Elder Yao, did you break through?"
"I've had a bit of luck recently."
"Congratulations, congratulations!"
"Ha ha, many thanks, fellow Daoists! But it's a small matter; us old folk breaking through is nothing compared to seeing the young shine."
"You must be confident in your disciples if you're steering a conversation from yourself onto them."
"Ha ha ha."
So, a lot of chatter went sort of like that: the humble brags, fake humility, annoying laughter, stroking of the beard—you get the gist. Old men doing old men things. And I really do mean old men. There wasn't a woman in sight among the Elders.
There actually were female Elders, seven of them in fact, but they got their own special tower to hang out in.
I tried to catch as many conversations as I could since I seldom had a chance to interact with these wrinkled skins, but most of them were so inane that my head started to hurt. Until I was yanked to reality by the mention of my name.
"Elder Lu, I've heard a strange thing recently."
"H-huh?" The speaker was... well, honestly, they all kind of looked alike to be honest with you. Fifty to sixty in appearance, white-haired and bearded, slightly different colors of eyes... one of these days I'll actually have to remember them. Not today.
"That you've made a bet with Daoist Mu."
"Ah," here it is. Tsk. Look at those greedy eyes; it's a wonder they held back for so long. But... why are they going out of their way to instigate a bet with me? For all intents and purposes, and as far as they knew, I pissed dust bunnies with how broke I was. "Yes, indeed. A small bet, a small bet."
"Really? From what I've heard, it is not that small," it was another one who spoke up.
"You must really be confident in your disciples if you agreed."
"..." Look at them, staring, waiting, like circling wolves waiting for their prey to bleed out. Haah.
Okay, fine, maybe Lu Qi deserved some of it; but this was just putrid humanity at its most base.
"Hm, they are good seeds, indeed."
"Oh? So, you think one of them can win?"
"Ah, I just hope they don't embarrass themselves." I, too, have some experience saying a whole lotta nothing using words with triple meanings. These geezers have never engaged in the wars of wits in the 2000s on the WoW forums about whether certain characters had horns in all the places or not. Those days... they change a man.
"Ho ho, indeed, indeed," come on, just get to the point; even the birds are rolling their eyes impatiently. "I wonder if fellow Elder Lu is willing to prove his belief in his disciples to us, too."
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"Hm? What do you mean, Elder?" I would have called him by his name, too... except I didn't know it! Honestly, Lu Qi's memories were so vague I would have been better off just reading a diary he wrote or something...
"A bet. With me, too."
"Ah, Elder. I... I'm rather... poor..." Look, I hate to be acting like this too, okay? But I have to! To reel in the big fish, you gotta be a worm... or something. I went fishing once, and it was with my father-in-law-to-be, and he spent the entire trip bitching about how his daughter knew more about fishing than a grown-ass man...
"I'll cover all Elder Lu's bets," hm? That voice is familiar--hey, Elder Qin, you bastard! What are you doing?!
"Oh? Is Elder Qin also confident in Elder Lu's disciples?"
"No," the old bastard shrugged it off. "But I'm well aware that he is as empty-pursed as you old ones are in love with gambling. So, in the spirit of keeping jubilance high, I'll play the purse."
...hey.
Isn't this... good? Can't I just shit out exuberant numbers and eventually have every single Elder in the Sect owe me not just their lives but their bodies?
... Hey, would you look at that? A bit of evil slipped right in there.
Khm.
"If Elder Qin is willing, indeed, it would be most beautiful, ha ha," tsk. Look at how happy they are. They must be thinking they'll be drinking and fine dining for months just off of me. Tough thorns, bastards! "There you go, Elder Lu. What say you?"
"Ah... if, if Elder Qin says so... then... f-five..."
"Five?" someone frowned. "Hmm, yes, five mid-grade Stones for Elder Lu might indeed be a lot."
"N-no," from the corner, I actually spotted Elder Qin's body strobe for a moment when they said 'five stones'. "I, I meant... five... hundred..." I squeezed out, peeping under my eyelids, judging their reactions.
Well, they were as you'd expect--horror, shock, anger, rage, constipation(maybe?), but as they distilled my words, all of that turned into... joy. Because, I reiterate again, there had never been a singular thought in their heads that my disciples might win. Not one. Whatever else swims in those old heads, the picture of either Long Tao or Dai Xiu winning? Ain't in there.
"Elder Qin--"
"--I said what I said," the old man waved it off.
"Ho ho, five hundred it is! Elder Lu, my disciple Huang is..."
"Me too, me too..."
"My disciples will..."
So, in total, by the end of the slathering, drooling, gamble-addled conversation, the number we've arrived at was a bit staggering, honestly: 10,000 stones, all mid-grade. Towards the end, they had to haggle off some of their possessions to make up the number, but they really seemed desperate to bleed me dry. Well, to bleed Elder Qin dry.
The good news is that Elder Qin's satchel was safe.
The bad news is that he didn't know that.
Even if the man was wealthy, the evidence of anxiety was the fingernails digging into his palms and the occasional twitching of the eyebrows every time that number was raised.
Long Tao did tell me to bleed them dry--and, honestly, I'm pretty sure that if 10,000 mid-grade Spirit Stones isn't a total sum of all their wealth, it's at least half.
Well, maybe less. Old people hide money everywhere. Even I, by the time I was in my mid-thirties, just started stashing away random bundles of cash... for 'when it rains'.
By the time I came over yonder, I had something like $4,000 lying around the house in various action figures, cabinets, drawers, pillows... sometimes I'd forget and accidentally wash something without checking for money, losing a couple hund in the process. Very painful.
They quickly moved on from me, not-so-silently discussing all the shit they were going to buy with their newfound wealth. As they ignored me, I ignored them, looking down over the shoddy railing at the massive set of arenas--there were six in total, each about half the size of a basketball court.
These were kids, after all, only capable of mostly human feats; while they could punch hard and move somewhat quickly, there wasn't much of a difference between them and kids on Earth who practiced martial arts at this age.
Well, there was Long Tao and even Dai Xiu. I'm not quite sure of the extent of their strength; I'd watched them spar a few times, and it honestly kind of scared me.
I mean, they were beating the shit out of each other--Dai Xiu had at least four teeth loosened from taking a knee straight to her jaw, and even Long Tao suffered a bit because he kicked too hard once with his shin into the girl's knee and got a bone bruise.
I really wanted to step in, but... neither complained, especially Dai Xiu. Rather, it felt to be the opposite: she was far more desperate and hungry.
This world is hell, indeed. And, apparently, even I've now become a devil...
Betting & Competing (III)
Kids streamed into various rows and columns, lining up according to their numbers.
There were honestly so many of them, at least a few hundred, a number distinctly larger than the totality of the last batch. It wasn't all that unsurprising; if Elder Qin somehow managed to 'sneak in' Dai Xiu, there was no doubt other Elders were doing the exact same thing.
So long as the kid's strength wasn't something too outrageous, who would really care?
Anyway, the festivities started with a speech--as they all do--and as all speeches like this go... it made me want to jump off the viewing area, plunging headfirst at the ground below.
It was boring.
Oh my God, was it ever boring.
Half-a-freakin' hour rattling on and on about 'sect this' and 'sect that' and 'honor' and 'proper decorum'... I saw so many poor kids stifle a yawn that I want to openly weep for them.
By the end, Elder Qin had to cough lightly just to remind the other guy (Elder Zhang, I think was his name?) to quit it, finally bringing to an end a speech that would be the most effective lullaby known to man had it been recorded.
With the old guy finally being cut off, the actual competition could kick off; what little excitement I had toward it, however, was quickly evaporated as I realized by the end of the first few bouts that these wouldn't be like those karate tournaments our school had when I was a kid.
You know?
A highly regulated bout between kids that was forcibly ended as soon as a singular drop of blood was spilled.
Here? Nope.
Rather, it was kind of the extension of what I saw those kids do to each other in the open Training Hall.
Take the arena closest to me, for example--two boys, neither aged over fourteen, jutting just barely past five feet, if that, walked up on the stage, bowed toward each other, and then proceeded to brutalize not just one another but also themselves.
The hunger, the desperation... it was as though there were howling demons siccing them on each other.
The first to strike was the black-haired boy; he slid just under the punch and delivered a mean uppercut to the jaw. I honestly don't know how that wasn't it--it would have done it for me, certainly--but the other boy endured and proceeded to knee the first straight into the spleen.
That was about where the 'tactics' of the fight ended--from then on, they just randomly splayed their arms about, headbutted, kicked, jumped, wrestled, grabbed, and pulled anything that they could... you know, how kids usually fight. No rhyme or reason, just primal instinct of violence.
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By the end, the black-haired boy was standing while the other wasn't, though, to be honest... there were no winners in my eyes. The 'winner', after all, was bleeding from at least seventeen different wounds, his left eye swollen to the size of a mango, and one of his shoulders was clearly dislocated...
It wasn't a one-off, far from it; rather, it was one of the milder ones, to be honest with you.
There were no separations, either: no girls-only competition or boys-only one. They truly were randomly drawn and pitted together, sometimes with two to three years of difference.
I watched an eleven-year-old girl be beaten an inch away from her death until a referee, or whatever the hell these skin-wearers called themselves, finally stepped in and ended it. I mean, I get it; they probably have 'magic pills' that will heal these kids up in a sec, and, in some sadistic, mean, but well-intentioned way, this was them preparing the kids for the world out there.
But... it was difficult. No, it was impossible for me to reconcile.
Say what you will of life on Earth (and many things can be said), even if things like this existed (and, well, I'm not so much a hopeless optimist to believe they didn't), at least they were condemned and kept in the dark. They weren't put on a public display with a judging audience, like performers on a stage.
Haah.
Am I moralizing? Posturing? Doing what we used to do to the history? Judging it by the context of our times?
I don't know.
Maybe there's some rhyme to this madness; maybe, in the course of the tens of thousands of years that this has been happening, they've recognized it was the only way to truly cultivate and to break the norms.
Maybe, maybe, maybe...
It was about half an hour into it that Long Tao was called up. To my surprise, it was a 'marquee' matchup, held in an arena closest to us (no doubt a behind-the-scenes pull). His opponent was a sixteen-year-old boy, nearly six feet tall, robust, and mean-looking. I mean, it didn't really matter; they could probably send out an Inner Disciple out there and the outcome would still remain the same, but it pissed me off nonetheless.
His opponent was clearly just an inch away from breaking through to the second stage of Qi, but it was... unstable. Rather, it was actually kind of like looking in a mirror--he was me, except just shy of three decades younger.
"Hm? Elder Liang, isn't that the disciple you said was a waste?"
"Ah, he indeed was, but, miraculously, his body seems rather immune to pill toxins. Unlike other kids his age, he can extract up to 30% of medicinal benefits!"
"Oh, wow! That is really amazing!"
"You are so lucky, Elder Liang!"
Tsk.
Look at these bastards.
Playing their game.
I was already bitter and angry over having to watch dozens of kids reenact 'Feral Children o' Mine,' and now they've decided to pile on? Honestly, if I were a smarter man, I'd keep my lips sewn shut, let my disciple win this thing, and then smugly look down on them. But, hey, very few ever called me smart.
"Wow," I joined in from the side. "I've heard it all; I didn't know that ruining someone's future for a temporary gain was now considered noble and lucky. Doesn't that make me the noblest of all creation?"
"... are you implying your future was ruined, Elder Lu?" Someone grunted; honestly, I kind of wanted to run and hide under the impending gazes. They were full of scorn and malice, like a table of adults would look at a kid if the latter interjected unnecessarily.
"No, of course not," I said. "Just thinking out loud, is all."
"Maybe you should think less, then," another said. "Lest the words invite scrutiny, Elder Lu. And if they do, we might find your disciples harmed and led astray, would we not?"
It's suffocating.
Like there are hands binding my throat and legs pressing into my lungs. Honestly, in a way, I'm reminded of when I was fifteen, maybe sixteen? Anyway, I was a bit of a... troubled kid, you could say. There was not much I wouldn't do to grab attention because, well, distant parents, cold household, you get the gist.
There was this one time somebody stole a tournament cup or something from school, and everyone immediately assumed it was me. No matter how much I denied, no matter how much I swore... my parents had to pay $500, I had to write a formal apology, and I realized very early on that the world... didn't give a shit.
I wanted to say something yet stayed my lips; there was no need to. Soon, that old monster will say far more than I ever could.
Betting & Competing (IV)
Long Tao barely stopped himself from yawning as he heard his name being called out. He'd paid some attention at the start, but all of these kids were... well, kids. They didn't know how to fight, they didn't know any special martial arts, and only a few of them were even, technically speaking, cultivators.
Thus, he grew bored and meditated on what the 'Antechamber' was. He presumed it was likely a holy cultivation site, or perhaps a unique array that forcibly inserted Qi into one's meridians, or perhaps a method to enlarge meridians... whatever it was, he was kind of looking forward to it.
This body's talents, after all, were abysmal, and though he did manage to reconstruct them a decent amount, they still weren't even half as good as they were in his previous life. If there was something to accelerate the progress, he wouldn't say no to it.
That was when his name was called out and he lazily walked up to the stage.
Opposite him was a relatively tall kid, about a year or two older than 'him', with an unsurprisingly vicious look on his face. Beyond that, however, lay a ruined foundation of a hapless talent--he seemed purposefully 'bred' for this competition and nothing else, as the furthest he'd ever advance was the second stage of the Qi Condensation.
Perhaps he knew and took the gamble, or perhaps he was blind, truly believing his talents had awakened; regardless, he was a blunt instrument used to try and win this thing.
He glanced over at the viewing area, where he saw his Master engaged in a rather tense conversation. Despite being able to do it, he didn't actually dare listen in on them; for all the shortcomings of this place, they still had a Void Transformation Realm cultivator, someone capable of sensing Qi vibrations in the air.
Whatever the conversation was, it brought up an expression he'd never seen on his Master's face: anger. Pure, unmitigated anger.
He'd seen plenty of frustration and annoyance and even bouts of exasperation, but no matter how much Long Tao pushed, he never actually saw his Master get angry.
Chances were that it had something to do with him, though as for what... well, he could venture a guess or two.
"Hey kid, just surrender quickly," the boy opposite him spoke out. "Hm? Hey, aren't you that moron that chose that stupid cripple as a Master? Ha ha ha, lucky me~ maybe you shouldn't surrender so I can have some fun!"
"..." The conversation at the viewing area stopped, likely because of the stupid kid's words. Even if the words were true, they were not to be spoken by a mere disciple. Not even Core Disciples would utter them publicly, let alone some irrelevant dreg.
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"Are you ignoring me, you bastard? Hah! Some courage you have! That's it! I won't let you surrender! I will break every bone in your body, and I will..."
Long Tao tuned out the voice, shifting his gaze over to the stalwart figure. He'd been pent up for a while now with so many things: the betrayal, the death, the resurrection... He'd remained mostly unmoving the past six months or so of his return and would have ordinarily glided through this tournament without much fanfare.
He'd do what his Master asked him to do--pretend.
But...
His lips curled up into a smile, a strange and curiously childlike smile, as he waited for the judging elder to announce the start of the fight.
**
No!
I heaved onto my feet as quickly as I could, but not quickly enough; before I could shout at Long Tao to quit whatever the hell he was planning, the judge announced the start of the fight.
Well, it wasn't a fight, not really.
If previous ones were brutal, with kids beating each other until black and blue, this one was... special.
The tall, older kid rushed in without a care in the world, thinking the victory was secured. I mean, why wouldn't he? Well, I knew plenty of reasons not to, but he didn't.
Thus, Long Tao remained unmoving until the boy came within a foot or two, which was when the former moved. He easily ducked past the first swing of the fist, precisely kicking out and striking the back of the boy's knee. The tall figure crumbled like a piece of paper, losing his footing immediately, just in time for a roundhouse kick to slather him across the face.
Blood and teeth flew out, but before the body could fully bend backward and roll, Long Tao stepped forward and stopped it, grabbing the boy by the hair and yanking him back.
One fist. Two. Three.
Within five or so seconds, the boy's face was disfigured beyond count, blood pouring out like a river, yet... it wasn't over. As he finally came to and tried swinging back at Long Tao, the latter dodged and moved backward, behind the boy, grabbing him by the neck and quite literally heaving him over his shoulder before slamming him directly into the arena.
The sound was... suffice to say, even the old men around me winced for a moment at the sound of the cracking bones.
But... it wasn't over.
Without giving him a chance to rest, Long Tao did it thrice more, over his shoulder and down, until the boy was whimpering. I noticed that the judge was just about to announce the end, but it was too slow; Long Tao must have seen it as well, which was why he kicked the boy up before delivering the final kick right in the abdomen, sending the tall body flying out of the arena like a cannonball and into a nearby wall.
Yup.
This bastard! I told him, so many times, to just take it easy and milk the victories! If he showed off so much at the start, these old shits won't fall for the bait!
Under the stunning silence and incredulous gazes, Long Tao wiped his hands against the robe and walked to the edge, near us, before looking up at me, a glint flashing through his eyes.
Oh no. I have a bad feeling about this.
"Master," he spoke boldly and loudly. "I have defended your honor!"
"..."
YOU LITTLE SHITHEAD!
Just then, every single head did a full turn from him and onto me. The fixation, the confusion, the anger... they now think I told him to go out and nigh-kill the boy! Shit! This old monster... caused havoc and immediately just faded into the background.
Haaah. I wanted to cry. Truly. I wanted to openly expose my grievances with my disciple. Of course I wouldn't, because even I am not that stupid, but still... haah.
"Good job," I barely squeezed through my teeth, taking on the blame.
Anyway. What's done is done. They'll likely start thinking that I've bared my fangs for a reason, perhaps because I want to increase my position or something. Regardless, at least it helps me with my reputation a bit.
A demented psycho is better than a hedonistic weakling... right?!
Betting & Competing (V)
"... you've hidden well, Elder Lu."
Yeah, I'm Bond in his prime--oh, shut up...
I was already annoyed with these scrooges, and now that guy also decided to do his thing. Haah, at least I still have Dai Xiu on my side--yeah, I just jinxed the shit out of that, didn't I?
If there's one good thing, though, it's that Long Tao didn't reveal high cultivation--just the first stage. His beating of the tall boy wouldn't really rouse any suspicion; at that level, strength between kids could be as minimal as the Sahara's yearly rainfall or as massive as Nashville's.
The rounds continued, and though they eyed me with rage and suspicion... what was I to do? Well, mainly try and make myself as small as possible; prey, when cornered, either exploded in the last hurrah or played dead. I can't do either since I'm not prey, technically, but I can mimic some of the behaviors. Being small, for instance, so they just leave me alone.
It wasn't long before it was Dai Xiu's turn. She seemed nervous as she stepped onto the stage, and all eyes turned toward her. There were other ongoing battles, some that were even quite close, yet none of it seemed to matter. Elders, disciples, deacons... forget it, even critters and bugs hanging around turned toward her.
Her opponent was... a hulking boy standing at six-six.
Hm.
Hmm.
I really need to beat the shit out of these old geezers at least once in my life; otherwise, my heartburn will never settle. It'd be one thing to orchestrate something for Long Tao, but Dai was twelve.
Haah.
Should I say something?
No. Nope. Enough with my bravery.
I'm already being eyed slantingly by these skin-wearers; drawing any more animosity toward me would be far too moronic, even for me. Thus, I stayed silent and watched as the judge announced the start of the battle and prayed Dai would take it easy.
Perhaps inspired by Long Tao, perhaps overcome by her nervousness, Dai Xiu elected to do the opposite of my expectations--she stepped into the tall boy's shadow and did a literal Superman punch... and thus the boy flew back even more aggressively than Long Tao's opponent did, ragdolling across the arena like a combo of bad physics and collisions in a game.
He careened off the arena's edge and stumbled back into unconsciousness as everyone froze, even those still dueling.
She likely realized she screwed up because, by the time she spun her head and faced me, her eyes were already teary. Haah, I mean... isn't this normal? Isn't this how these stories would go?
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Both Long Tao and Dai Xiu exude your everyday protagonist aura--it's practically oozing from every inch of their being. Trying to artificially stifle them is like trying to cool fuel rods in a reactor by blowing on them.
Maybe I'm the idiot for even trying? I mean, yeah, being low-key would be preferable... but didn't I jinx us outright by even thinking that? Haah.
Whatever.
No, seriously, whatever.
Maybe their protag aura shields me? Maybe their plot armor transfers over to me?
Only time will tell, I guess.
Speaking of guessing, it was as I guessed--they seemed... hurt that my disciples won, and there was no way in hell they'd bet any more, not after that display. The means by which they won were so overwhelming that everyone here already knew that the two of them would take first and second place.
Among the many sour and dour expressions, however, there was a joyous one--that of Elder Qin. I mean, technically speaking, he lost too, but it seems he was quite happy to not have to shell out ten thousand stones to the others. Maybe he forgot that he has to pay more than that to me?
Hm.
No, no way. He's 'Just'. Even if he occasionally seems to skirt that line a little bit like a nimble gazelle, he wouldn't just outright renege on the bet.
The tournament continued, though with much less fanfare than before. Both Long Tao and Dai Xiu got challenged once more in the second round, after which their opponents just outright surrendered.
Even if the sect would heal them, nobody wanted to pointlessly get beaten an inch away from death, so they simply resigned.
I was getting a bit embarrassed toward the end, honestly, as the way they looked at me... it evolved. It was clear they were attributing all of this to me, but--okay, fine, some of it was because of me... maybe even most of it, FINE! But--a big BUT!
Tao and Xiu are just... special. I'm 100% sure that even if Long Tao showed up here immediately after entering the sect, he would have easily swept through the entire competition. Dai Xiu wouldn't have, I don't think, but given time, her protag aura would have propelled her into stardom.
Which begged the question--how'd she end up in the slums?
No, no, nope. I don't want to know; I don't need to know until she's strong enough to resolve whatever hell she lived through all by herself, with me being the cheerleader in the background.
"You've indeed hidden yourself deeply, Elder Lu," was the sentiment, apparently. "I've taken notice."
"Hah. A putrid roach dares to dream of becoming a swan," they started getting up, one after another, and leaving. Wow. The weird thing is... Spirit Sage didn't stop them.
"I'll be sure to visit the Lonesome Peak to congratulate you, Elder Lu..."
"I shall see you at the next Elder Council, Elder Lu..."
Yada-yada, you get the gist. They all left behind one or another word of threat or warning or whatever nonsense they thought saved them some face. Because, and I can't stress this enough, they lost all of it today. All of them.
Well, I don't care because my sentence was the same to all of them.
"My payment."
And its variations.
"I appreciate Elder's Spirit Stones to support my weak disciples..."
Okay, yes, I went out of my way just a tad to annoy them, but they deserved it. The bastards jumped on me like hyenas from the onset, and now that I've shorn their faces a bit, they wanna keep some moral high ground? Fat chance, skin-wearers.
By the end, there were only three of us left--no, seriously, every other Elder left. It was kind of... amazing, if you think about it.
"You have an interesting pair of disciples, kid." It was the Spirit Sage who broke the silence, prompting my heart to churn yet again with anxiety; I feared that man the most, as he seemed to know Lu Qi the best and held all authority within the sect.
"Just a pair of rugrats, Sect Master." I quickly said.
"Hm. Elder Qin informed me of your bet with him," the old man said. "Bring them to my peak in two days' time; I'll have the chamber prepared."
"... yes, Sect Master." Lu Qi visited the Sage Peak only once in his life--on the day he was first brought in here.
"You'll get the bulk of the Foundation-level resources this time around," he said. "But you only have two disciples. Do you plan on taking in any more than that?"
Ah.
Right.
My bet with Daoist Mu.
... what the hell should I do about that?
Betting & Competing (VI)
"Ha ha, Sect Master; I can barely keep up with those two..." I tried to squirm my way out of being given more disciples.
I'd already planned on just asking for some resources from Daoist Mu and forgoing a new disciple. Honestly? I can barely keep up with the two I have. Even with the massive windfall of bets, it, at most, buys me a year (if that). I could take in more disciples, but despite the monthly quests, I decided against it, as just having more numbers didn't actually guarantee anything.
If I got Creation Points any time any headway was made by any of my disciples, I might have considered it. But from the looks of it, outside of the system Quest, the only way I can get Creation Points from my Disciples is if they break through a major realm.
And even if the Foundation Establishment Realm wasn't a monumental hurdle or anything, kids still needed some talent for it. Maybe, one day in a distant future when I can create methods and arts that completely ignore talent and work anyway, I'll be able to just take in anyone who comes. Today? Nah.
"Hm," the anxiety born of that gaze grew; it was somewhat odd, the cold kind. Kind of like a mixture of fear and anxiety, sort of like when you're waiting for the exam results that will either make or break your entire year. "I have a hopeless little abandoned ferret; I'll send her to your peak in the coming days. I hope you show her the same generosity as you do your other two disciples."
... Well, that's that, I guess. There's no way I'm saying 'No' to anything the Spirit Sage demands, not when he could kill me with an eyelash.
As the competition came to an end, I descended a level and found Daoist Mu (and many other Deacons and lesser members of the Sect) rather... red-faced, it could be said.
"You hid yourself, Elder Lu," tsk. It's like these guys all get the same script and deliver the lines in the same way. No creativity! Where are the bad guys with cool, damning lines--scratch that; please, I don't need no bad guys--crap, that's a double negative. I meant that I don't need bad guys, yes, that's it. Keep the bad guys far away from me.
"Here is a list, Daoist Mu," I said and tossed him a preprepared parchment; it was made with Long Tao's help. Though the old monster didn't tell me what he needed those things for, I decided to just get them for him. Save me a headache. "Have those things delivered to my peak by the month's end."
"W-what?! Annela Herb? Three blades of Moonflower?! Are you insane?! I'd have to sell everything I own to afford this!"
"..." Yeah, figures. But, strong front. A strong front is all that matters. "Then start selling."
I thus spun and left, somewhat hurried; what if they started seeing red in the moment and just jumped me? Gotta get the hell out of there fast!
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Long Tao and Dai Xiu were waiting for me on the outside; the two didn't fight in the final round, with Xiu surrendering. Her gaze was shifty and evasive, and she seemed worried that I might chastise her, while Long Tao... well, he looked kind of bored.
"Good job, you two," I said. All three of us ignored the gazes of the dozens upon dozens of the passing disciples and servants, all likely wondering where the hell these two came from. "We made a killing today. We could have made more, but some of us decided they're above it."
"I'm so sorry, Master!!" Dai Xiu cried out--both literally and figuratively. "I, I don't know what came over me! Please don't kick me out; I will do anything! I--"
"--no, no, I meant Long Tao," I quickly interrupted. "No, you did amazing, okay? Master is very proud."
"R-really?"
"Yes, yes, very proud."
"... thank you, Master!" She took a step toward me but froze, bowing instead.
Haah.
Kids are... tough. I kind of want to indulge her, but I also kind of don't want to, if that makes sense. Even I'm not dumb enough not to realize that if I just keep it this way, she will not grow up to have a healthy relationship with the world.
But also, I don't really have the heart to be strict with her. And yet I must. Damn.
"Come on, let's go back," Amidst the countless gazes, the three of us left for the central valley and then up the Lonesome Mountain.
On the way, Xiu asked extensively about how she could fight better in the future, but, thankfully, she didn't bother me nearly as much as she did Long Tao. By the time we climbed to the top, the old monster sprinted away and literally locked himself in a room.
I don't blame him 'cause I was tempted to do it too.
"Would you like me to make you some tea, Master?" she asked, and I assented.
Luckily, Hua had stayed behind and kept the doors and windows open, clearing up the air in the house. The boy servant was rather efficient and hardworking, far more than I expected.
Hm.
Wait.
I never did check him out with my Creator's Eyes, did I? I mean, he's probably completely ordinary, but you never know if, like Dai Xiu, he hides some deep talent.
[--Creator's Eyes used]
[Target: Zhuang Hua]
[...]
[--Host realm is insufficient.]
[Spend 30 Creation Points to take a peek at the target]
... what?
No, wait, what?!
What kind of bedeviled devil did I let live with me, man?!! Holy crap! Spend it, spend it immediately!
[--30 Creation Points spent]
[...]
[Target: Zhuang Hua]
[Age: 17(493)]
[Talent: ???]
[Cultivation Realm: Early-stage Demigod]
[Cultivation Method: ???]
[Martial Arts: ???]
[...]
[Traits (Common, Rare, Epic, Legendary, ???)]
[Oathbound (???) -- swore an Oath of Servitude, binding his life and well-being to Dai Xiu. If she dies, so will he; if she's ailing, so is he]
[Mortal Manifestation (Legendary) -- cannot directly interfere in the matters of the Lesser Realm. Can only display the same level of cultivation as the target of his Oath]
[Kinslayer (Epic) -- killed his Master in a bid for power and was excised from the sect. The stain remains with him to this day, disallowing any progress in cultivation]
[???...]
[Assessing suitability...]
[... Host lacks cultivation realm to discern target's special Physique]
[...]
[Recommended: requires specialized heart-cleansing art; recommended that the host pass on the Heart-Stitching Art. Though not perfect, it would allow the target to start cultivating again after they master it]
[...]
[Final assessment: a realized, transcendental talent; due to limited access to information, not much else can be ascertained at the moment]
Right.
Of course.
Haah.
You know, humans are just like this, aren't they? While they don't know something, they are just aggressively desperate to learn it. Would do anything for it. Yet, when they learn, they wanna forget.
'cause boy, do I ever want to forget. I've been making a Demigod sweep and clean and build stuff for me. If it takes courage to stand up for yourself against a bully, what should I call my nonchalance in dealing with a half-god? Herculean ignorance?
Yeah, sounds about right.
Hidden Monsters (I)
It was a lovely day--
Birds were chirping, the sun was burning, and the smell of tea was sweet and inviting... but my heart would not calm. It beat like a drum at a rock concert, and this became the first day I desperately missed being a pharma salesman. Even if not legal, if I started feeling this way, I could always pop a color or two and feel better within minutes.
Now?
It's anxiety city, and I'm taking a scenic route, apparently.
It's been about 13 hours since I inspected the 'mute Hua', and I've been fearing for my life ever since. It doesn't make sense, not really; technically speaking, I'm stronger than everyone currently on this peak.
Yes, even if they are old monsters with the kind of talent I will never have, at this very moment, I could beat all of them. But what of it? That would end any of my future potential, and I would inevitably have to replay this entire saga with some other monsters.
Thus, the fear.
In what, maybe a year? Yeah, a year, if that, all these monsters will be capable of just... well, ending me is a polite way of saying it. I don't think Long Tao has an interest in doing it, and it seems Dai Xiu has taken an above-average liking to me, but the mute boy... no, not a boy. The dude's nearly five centuries old.
Jesus.
Five hundred years. That's the approximate distance between when Shakespeare was writing his magnum opus(es?) and when I was learning to use the big boy toilet.
And yet, here he was, acting like he was a mute teenager in service of Dai Xiu.
I always knew the girl wasn't just your run-of-the-mill hidden talent (these kids seldom are), but what kind of a level are we talking about here if she has a Demigod as a protector?
Yes, I don't exactly know how strong that realm is, true, but I do know that it's at least stronger than the Void Transformation--which means that the mute is stronger than our Sect Master. Well, in theory.
Haah.
All kinds of fates spiral and unravel, it seems. Long Tao was killed and reincarnated, Dai Xiu was poisoned and abandoned here, and Hua somehow found himself Oathbound to a twelve-year-old girl.
And then there's me, with perhaps the oddest fate of them all: an Earthling on the cusp of dying, instead transported over yonder, system in place, no directly stated goal or aspiration.
Maybe I'm just bound by the law of nature to attract monsters like them? Ah, who knows.
Now, the big question is, should I hand over the Heart-Stitching Art to the old servant? Let's look at those vaunted pros and cons.
Pros: bring yet another world-level threat to my side; yet another bus to ride to the glorious tomorrow; a wealth of potential knowledge on secrets.
Cons: I might wake up dead tomorrow 'cause he'd likely be suspicious as all hell about me; he sells me out to some tertiary party, and I get locked up in a basement, tasked with shitting out one art after another into eternity (and, hey, though an introvert I am, I don't wanna live in a basement in a world of immortals. That's beyond depressing).
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
Nope.
Not any closer to making a decision. I could ask Long Tao; there's no doubt in my mind that old monster must have noticed 'something'. It's unlikely that he knew as much as me, but he probably did know that the old mute weakling wasn't either a mute or a weakling. But what would I gain by siccing one monster onto another? Just more headaches.
Forget about it.
I'll just do what I do best: pretend it's not happening. He's a mute, hardworking lad who can wolf three bowls of tasteless rice like it's nobody's business. And it is nobody's business--especially mine.
Speaking of my businesses, the reaping of the rewards came--all the Spirit Stones from the bets were promptly delivered, along with the Stones earned as part of the distribution.
In total, yours truly had:
18,398 mid-grade Spirit Stones and 28,330 low-grade Spirit Stones.
Holy crap.
No, seriously, holy crap. I'm freakin' loaded! It'd be kind of like winning 10 mil in a lottery back on Earth, except I can't really blow through my wealth here by buying boats, cars, and--no, nothing else. Just boats and cars. Just the legal stuff.
Khm.
Strangely, however, that wasn't the most endowing part of my endowment--it was the tiny little device that they were delivered in. That's right, baby, I got myself a spatial treasure!
It's not a ring but a small satchel, leather-made, bound with silver stitching around its edges with dotted, golden lines across its surface forming an array. It was woefully unstable, and I was repeatedly warned that it cannot hold anything living, not even a grain of rice, and it has a shelf life of about 8 months left.
Not even that could depress me, because, boy, let me tell you, the feeling of making something appear out of thin air and then disappearing it the next moment... yeah, it's priceless.
The entire day after the competition felt a bit like a blur, however; I was busy both counting the Spirit Stones and counting on the second old monster not to realize I knew about him, leaving me very little room to breathe.
Low-key. Just be low-key.
The night passed and the dawn came, and with it appeared a child on my peak.
It was a girl, younger than even Dai Xiu. She looked to be about seven, yet, much like most monsters in this cursed house of mine, she did not act like a seven-year-old.
"My name is Light."
"... really?" I asked. She spoke in a wholly apathetic voice, much like Long Tao.
"Why would I lie about my name?"
"Right. Of course. One question."
"What?"
"Why the hell are you here?"
"Young Master sent me."
"... I'm going to need a bit more than that."
"Your Sect Master sent me here," she said. Hm? Is she the kid he told he'd send to me?
... I don't have a good feeling about this.
"Oh. Is that so?"
"Yes."
Please, please, please--just this once, this one tiny little time, just let me be wrong. Let my godforsaken intuition be wrong. Please
[--Creator's Eyes used]
[Target: ???--Light]
[Age: 6(?)]
[... anomaly detected]
[...]
[Talent: ???]
[Cultivation Realm: ???]
[Cultivation Method: Demonic Starsurge (???)]
[Martial Arts: ???]
[...]
[Traits]
[Demonic Inheritor (???) -- inheritor of the Demonic Origin, a direct descendant of the previous Demon God]
[Eyes of the Mind (Legendary) -- transcendental ability of comprehension; can break their mind into a dozen separate entities that work independently]
[Bane of Blood (Legendary) -- old resting Curse from 80,000 years ago cruises through their veins, disallowing cultivation above the Demigod Realm]
[Apathy (Epic) -- special Physique & Bloodline have severely waned the essence of humanity, rendering almost all emotions nearly extinct]
[??? -- anomalous behavior. The host's cultivation realm is insufficient]
[...]
[Special Bloodline and Physique detected: 'Demonic Bloodline' (Ancient) and 'Star Devourer' (Jade) physique]
[Recommended: cannot cultivate common cultivation methods. Requires one capable of converting Origin Qi into Demonic Qi. Due to Host's limited strength, it is currently impossible to create a suitable art. Recommended that the target continue cultivating their current art, supplemented by Spirit Stone Augmentation for a quicker conversion]
[...]
[Final Assessment: an Inheritor-level talent, bound and cursed by the lineage that has struggled to survive for countless millennia. The curse gates what would otherwise be a guaranteed Empress. Only 4 sentients across worlds have knowledge on how to undo the Bane, but it will take many years before the Host can gather the necessary materials]
Huh.
Well... fuck.
Hidden Monsters (II)
Light, or whatever her name is, wasn't much of a talker.
She wasn't much of anything, really; for the remainder of the day, she stayed in the corner, whipping books out one after another (she got that fancy spatial ring, the brat!), and just reading them in silence.
Dai Xiu tried to strike up a conversation only to be met with, well, silence. The three-foot-long devil didn't even 'ignore' her; it was more that she seemed to exist in a different reality, one divorced from our own.
"... Master," Long Tao walked up to me moments after noting the newcomer.
"Don't."
"You pick up the strangest things," he said.
"Goddammit, I didn't even pick up this one!" I vented. "She was forced onto me!"
"Just so you know--"
"--nope. I don't want to know anything," I quickly interrupted; I knew, but I didn't want it known that I know, you know? Aah. "Go, go cultivate or something."
"..." The old monster eyed me with bemusement for a moment before shrugging and walking away.
... I didn't ask for this, okay?
First off, dear, beloved Sect Master--there is no way in all the living hells that you don't know who this girl is. And not only did you take her in, but you now stiffed me with her?
Screw you, okay! I will never say it out loud because I'm extremely terrified of you, but screw you big time.
Demonic Cultivators, as you can imagine, are abhorred in this world. They are considered worse than demonic beasts, even. It's a long-held belief, persisting across countless generations, and a war that continues to this day.
As you can imagine, since their de facto 'princess' is here with me, the Demonic side is very much on the losing end of things. They are struggling mightily, at least in this corner of the world.
This now tells me a few things: that strange anxiety I felt toward the Sect Master? Yeah, that wasn't just your normal anxiety; that was probably that stupid talent or trait of mine reacting to the Demonic Qi or energy or whatever in him.
So, yeah, our vaunted, hallowed, well-respected Spirit Sage is actually a Demonic Cultivator, and he has with him a potential harbinger of doom, and now I'm in charge of raising that harbinger... How does any of this make any sense?!
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Encountering Long Tao just as I came here? Okay, fine, maybe it was just your average roll of a dice--coincidences like that happen. Dai Xiu? Fine, you could say that it was probably the system in some capacity helping me, or maybe it was fate, or, yet again, it was just dumb luck.
But the second old monster and now the demon princess?
Nuh-uh.
This ain't no luck. This is the world slowly cranking its difficulty up from 'Novice' to 'You better lube up, asshat', and, and--haah.
Forget it, forget it.
As far as Lu Qi would know, she's just some random cute (if remarkably cold) girl with even less respect toward Elders than Long Tao.
She was probably sent over to me just to spy on me, anyway, and report to the Spirit Sage if she notices anything strange. So, if I behave super weirdly around her and let them know that I know, then they'd know that I know, and the whole lens of knowing would fall apart, you know?
So, I'll just do what I need to do best now: pretend to be a dumb oaf unaware of anything. Yes, there are now three supreme monsters living here with me and another potential monster, and yes, I am the sun around which they orbit, but--pshaw, these are my buses. Just be dumb, give them arts on occasion, and comply with every damned demand that they will ever have.
Haah.
I've been sighing a lot, I noticed, the last couple of days. It's not good for my heart, I gotta say, and it's not like this body's health was all up there to begin with.
A distraction!
That's right, I need a distraction!
We have a newcomer with nowhere to sleep, no? So, let's go back and start building stuff!
The 'mute' followed me as I went and started taking measurements for the next addition to the humble setup of wooden shacks that I had in front of me.
"I don't know why Sect Master sent that kid here." Look, I gotta went, and it's not like this world has therapists. And, for all intents and purposes, this monster is mute. Of course, I won't say anything too stupid, but I just need to get some things off my chest. Otherwise, I might legit explode. "Does he think that just because I lucked into two amazing kids that mostly just cultivate on their own that I am now somehow amazing at making everyone super strong?
"Did you see her? That attitude! And, if you ask me, I don't see any talent there, nothing! I bet, come in close, yes, closer--I bet, and you can't tell anyone this--I bet she's the Sect Master's, you know, illegitimate daughter. Everyone pans me for going places, but at least I have the brains not to father kids, no? Haah, if you're going to father children, at least be a father to them! Don't offload them on me!"
"... your Sect Master isn't my father." You know that expression? The heart getting stuck in your throat? Yeah, I just lived it out. Not even an expression, not an idiom, not a metaphor--my heart literally heaved out of its chamber and up my larynx and stopped just shy of the back of my tongue. I could practically chew on it a bit if I tried.
"Y-you, I thought... you were reading," sweat started pouring out as I turned around and faced the little stealthy cat. Thankfully, she appeared completely unbothered by my comments; then again, her apathy was at 'Epic' level, according to the system, while Long Tao's was 'only' at 'Common'. Can only imagine how little she feels things.
"I was. Then I got curious about what you were doing out here and came to see."
"Ah. Actually, we are taking measurements for your house."
"Really?"
"Yes," good, good, it looks like she won't get hung up on that--
"It sounded to me like you were badmouthing the Sect Master."
"..." At some point, Hua snuck away--tsk, that old monster also seemed to know this little girl wasn't just a girl, so he bolted, leaving me to dry. Oh, my stupid tongue and me; I just wanted to vent a bit and showcase that I'm quite stupid--no, wait, doesn't this mean she'll probably tell my gaffe to the Spirit Sage, which will confirm that I'm no more than a lucky oaf?
Hurray for my dumb tongue! Twice, even: hurray!
Hidden Monsters (III)
"Uhm," I tried pretending to stutter, but truth be told, I was still properly terrified, so I just... stuttered, no pretending needed. "I'm sorry. That was insensitive of me."
"..." She looked at me oddly for a moment, as though 'updating' the knowledge she had of me. Should I not have apologized? Haah, I can't help it, honest; it's like my second nature. When you're selling people stuff, rather than arguing with them when they get mad, you just sort of make it your habit to keep saying, 'I'm very sorry, Mr./Mrs.,' until they go away. Or ask for your manager.
"Everything okay?" I asked after she remained silent for nearly half a minute.
"Explain to me the measuring."
"Explain... the measuring?"
"Yes."
"... uh. Okay. I'm just taking the length, width, and height of the shack--I mean of the amazing room I plan to build."
"Why?"
"Because I need to know how many materials I'd need and where I'd lay them down."
"Why?"
"... because that's how houses are built."
"Oh." she seemed genuinely curious, which... I don't know what to make of her, actually. Was she truly 6? I mean, yeah, she looked the part, certainly, but she did not behave the part... except for now. With a bit of adult apathy mixed in. "How long will it take you to build it?"
"Uhm, a week, maybe? I'd have it built already, but I didn't expect the Sect Master to send you here so... quickly."
"The Sect Master."
"Yes."
"Whom you insinuated was my father."
"..." gah. Why did I remind her?!
"He's not."
"Khm, yes, I should have known someone as cute as you couldn't be fathered by someone as ugly--" just... what am I doing? Luckily, she didn't seem to care.
"My real father is dead," she skipped over my tiny little insult of the head honcho.
The wind blew as though in concert with her voice, lifting up the strands of her black hair. It was long, almost reaching the back of her knees, swaying ceaselessly.
There was a sudden melancholy to her that was entirely unfitting a child; it was as though a weight beyond my comprehension pressed against her, and she could barely hold herself back from crumbling underneath its stubbornness.
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"He was killed," she added, her eyes locking with mine. Beyond the veil of apathy, beyond the veil of certainly-not-a-young-girl, there was, well, a young girl. Pain, rage, agony... the rods sticking out of her heart, the ones I am intimately familiar with.
"... I'm sorry," I said, temporarily discarding my straying thoughts. Perhaps she was sent here as a spy, or maybe the Spirit Sage did indeed believe I had some magic ability to accelerate her cultivation, but regardless of all that, at the moment she was merely a young kid on the brink of crying. "I had a friend who lost her dad young, too," I said, smiling as kindly as I could. "She always tried to be strong in front of me, but... it ate her up. I've always regretted not being there for her when she needed me. So, if you ever need someone to talk to, or yell at, or cry with... I'll be here."
"..." She fell silent, her oddly colored, partly purple and partly silver eyes examining me. "I can yell at you?"
"As loud as you want," I said.
"And I can say anything I want?"
"Anything you want."
"You're stupid."
"..." Hey. System.
You're messing with me, right? When you put those 'Apathy', and 'Just', and 'Lonely' traits, you're just messing with me, right? 'cause, otherwise, how the hell do you explain that playful grin plastered all over her face?! Epic apathy?! Do you even know what EPIC APATHY even means?!!
"And ugly."
"..."
"And old. And your beard is weird. And you're weak. And…"
"... and what?" Look, it's a 6-year-old girl. Am I going to blow my top off because she insulted me a few times? I mean, yes, but I'm gonna do it like any other self-respecting adult: in the privacy of my own room, when nobody's watching.
It's sort of like that time you finally realize you're getting old, you know? When kids stop saying to you 'Hey dude' and 'What's up, man?' and instead go 'Excuse me, sir'.
Ouch.
That brought back some... pain.
"... nothing. I was just wondering whether I should tell the Sect Master what you think of him."
"I'd rather you didn't."
"Hm. You have to talk with me every day, then."
"Very well, I will talk with you every day," yeah. She very much is a kid, no doubt.
She battled back an encroaching smile, spun around, and left.
I... don't get her.
I'm not even sure whether she's just one person, or perhaps a few lodged inside of her head, and just one of them happens to actually be the age-appropriate girl.
Regardless, it seems par for the course in this world; kids are treated as props, sort of like capital investments back on Earth. She doesn't even have a name and is instead just called 'Light'. Only ever seen as a Demonic Inheritor and not much else.
Haah.
This is the difficulty of this world, and something I'm struggling to adjust to. It's not just cruelty--cruelty exists back on Earth in spades, too. In fact, I'd actually wager that there's just as much if not more cruelty back on Earth, at least within specific spaces.
But it's this divorce-like approach to most things, this staunch belief that the pursuit of immortality offers an excuse to discard all else. Maybe it's just me and my very much alien outlook on this world, but I can't shake the feeling that I don't want to become like them.
I don't want to be a saint, mind you, just taking in strays and giving them everything without asking anything in return. I'm very much banking on my beloved disciples to take me over the finish line, wherever that line may be.
And maybe I'm even reading too much into these things; the kid's been here for, what? A day? Do I really know her well enough to assert her circumstances or the state of her heart?
I barely know myself, spending days re-examining what I thought I knew. Yet, despite being in this world for six months now, I am almost no closer to understanding my role in it than I was on day one.
Maybe it really is to just find random monsters and have them retool me into a monster of my own; maybe emotions are entirely unnecessary, and attachments just an 'extra', and the only thing that matters to them is my ability to create arts and methods, while the only thing that matters to me is their ability to carry me beyond this corner of the world.
Maybe, maybe, maybe...
I stand up and dust off my robes, glancing back down the mountain and at the lining rooftops of the sect. I never thought I'd have to ask myself a question I stopped asking a long time ago: who the hell am I, and what the hell is my purpose in this world?