Blood Moon

by Patrick Laplante

  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 goin
g 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.

  Chapter 6: The Power of Creation

  The scenery inside the Clear Sky Brush was the same as before: a misty white color. There was no up or down, but he could walk up or down as he willed it. He enjoyed this sensation, the sensation of pure control over his surroundings. In this space, physics meant nothing. Imagination was everything.

  A literal bucket of cold water was poured over his head as he realized that he was falling out of control. He tried to imagine various solutions, like flight, a parachute, or even falling on a soft memory-foam surface. His control over the environment had been obliterated by someone else. That person was the bearded man.

  As he continued falling, he started to notice some changes in the surrounding environment. Some plumes of mist shaped themselves into large trees, the likes of which he had never seen before. Each tree was over two hundred feet tall, and he could see large bunches of fruit on each tree. He quickly identified these fruits as a sort of giant red banana.

  Farther off into the distance, he could see four large stone monkeys. The first monkey statue covered his eyes, the second covered his ears, and the third covered his mouth. This was a common arrangement, signifying see no evil, hear no evil, and speak no evil. The third statue, however, made him raise an eyebrow. The monkey held its large stone hands guardingly over its large stone crotch.

  Do no evil, perhaps? Cha Ming chuckled inwardly at the bearded man’s sense of humor.

  Finally, his descent slowed, and he landed softly on a grassy field. The grassy field was adorned with various unique terrains, such as a small desert, some wooded areas, and even a large lake. Everything was enclosed in an impressive ring wall filled with circular stands. The building was very reminiscent of the Coliseum in ancient Rome.

  “So you think you’ve had it hard for the past month, eh? Whacking that mannequin over and over? Well, the hell training is about to begin!”

  The bearded man now wore a set of crimson combat robes, and the gray staff he typically wielded was now as large as Cha Ming’s. He could only hope that it also weighed the same, lest he be blown to bits in a single strike.

  If you die in a dream, do you die for real? he pondered.

  “All right, first things first. You’ve learned six staff arts so far: Foundation Staff Art, Flaming Wheel Defense, Wading Through the Reeds, Quake Staff, Sword Staff, and Trapping Staff. The Foundation Staff Art is very solid, giving you something firm to build on. It covers the basic staff moves: blocks, strikes, sweeps, and entrapments. As you learned, there are many variations of these moves.

  “Flaming Wheel Defense taught you a very superficial defense, which involves spinning the staff in circles and using flame qi to create a flaming shield. It’s very effective against projectiles and qi attacks, but very weak against direct strikes. Despite being very superficial, it has its place in your staff martial art.

  “Wading Through the Reeds is a staff art where the defensive capabilities of the staff are maximized. While the movements themselves are very effective at redirecting an opponent’s physical strikes, adding an extra layer of water qi maximizes the effectiveness of the technique. Mastering this technique in turn provides the user with a very good defense against physical attacks. It does nothing at all against special attacks like a burst of flame or frost.

  “Quake Staff is the most offensive move of the bunch and is my personal favorite. It concentrates brute physical strength with localized vibrations formed with earth qi. However, to execute these techniques, one needs to grasp the staff near its end and sacrifice mobility, technique, and defense. Nevertheless, any sweep, downward strike, or spear strike will achieve devastating levels of power.”

  The bearded man suddenly grabbed his stone staff and lifted it over his head. To Cha Ming’s surprise, as he struck downward toward the arena floor, the staff extended by several hundred feet and came crashing down with devastating impact. The staff had been swung down so hard that it had curved into a half-moon shape before slapping down onto the ground.

  As the dust settled, Cha Ming could see a large trench had been carved along the length of the staff. The trench was very narrow at the starting point but fifty feet wide where the strike ended. The strike ended even further than the staff physically reached. Cha Ming had no choice but to confess himself impressed.

  “That, my boy, is why you need to get yourself a soul-alloy staff as soon as possible. As part of my strike, I not only extended the strike zone by extending the staff, but I also increased the weight of the staff by a hundred times. This let me do two things: First, I was able to start swinging quickly while the staff was still short and light. Next, the longer staff can achieve a much higher velocity closer to the tip. You’ll notice that the trench is much, much larger near the end of the strike. In this case, the tip of my staff reached a speed a hundred times greater than its original length was capable of.

  “Additionally, just before the impact, I greatly increased the weight of the staff. Combined with the increased speed, my strike was over ten thousand times more powerful than it could have been originally.” The bearded man gave Cha Ming a hundred breaths or so to have the lesson sink in.

  “Continuing with your remaining staff arts, the Sword Staff Art is very nice. It increases the striking power of your staff by sharpening it with metal qi. While not strictly a blade, this gives the staff a much smaller area over which to apply force whenever you strike. Combined with the staff’s heavy characteristics, it’s akin to fighting with a dull heavy sword. Like sword techniques, the Sword Staff makes it easy to parry blows and attack swiftly. The creator of the technique really didn’t hesitate to go against the grain on this one.

  “Last but not least, you have the Trapping Staff Art. This art is unique because it emphasizes jamming techniques, tripping techniques, disarming, and all sorts of underhanded moves. In addition, the wood qi used can add sticky properties to your staff or to the ground it immediately touches, making it possible to jam your opponent’s footwork.

  “Overall, combining these various staff arts with your Foundation Staff Art is very beneficial because it allows you to easily amplify and better use its specific abilities. In addition, these abilities can be strengthened by using a very small amount of elemental qi. This allows you to keep your qi to operate your soul pearls while concentrating on fighting physically.

  “Do you have any questions so far?” the bearded man asked. After thinking for a while, Cha Ming shook his head and continued to listen to the lecture.

  “All right kid, the next part of the plan is to properly teach you the remaining movement arts. White Willow Shade, Three-Layered Burst Step, and Skating in Paradise are all mediocre movement arts on their own. They each have their benefits, however. White Willow Shade is very good for concealed and sneaky movements, like your atrocious Ghost Steps. It combines best with the Trapping Staff Art, Wading Through the Reeds, and the Sword Staff. Three-Layered Burst Steps is useful for instantaneous movements, and it is good with the Sword Staff and the Quake Staff. It is also good for evasive maneuvers in combination with the Flame Wheel Defense.

  “Mountain Stance is best combined with Sword Staff and Quake Staff as well, as its purpose is to increase your weight and root you to the ground. Otherwise, wiel
ding a heavy staff would throw you away or take away your center of gravity. Finally, Skating in Paradise is very beautiful and exquisite. I can’t wait to see you practice it while wearing the little dress I prepared for you.”

  A cold look appeared on Cha Ming’s face when he heard this, and he prepared to leave the white brush immediately. Who would have known that the bearded man had such a weird fetish? Before he was able to leave, however, he saw that the bearded man had fallen on the floor, laughing while clutching his gut.

  “You should have seen that look on your face! Seriously, it’s like you thought I was a sexual predator or something!” After continuing his laughter for several breaths, he finally calmed down. “In all seriousness, this technique is very useful when combined with Wading Through the Reeds, and it’s also very useful in pinch situations. Sometimes you get hit so hard that you’re sliding around. This movement art lets you control those situations instead of getting beaten around like a ball. In addition, if you ever need to impress the nobles, you’ll be able to show off your perfect figure skating technique!”

  Cha Ming rolled is eyes at the continuous prodding. The bearded man would likely never let it go.

  “Teacher, what about the two wind-element techniques, the Shearing Staff Art and the Seven Cloud Steps? I presume you have a workaround for my lack of wind qi?”

  “Right, the wind-element techniques! The Shearing Staff Art, on its own, is not very powerful. It’s necessary to combine it with a corresponding movement art. Both techniques place heavy emphasis on a single thing: speed. Seven Cloud Steps was designed to emphasize instantaneous acceleration and speed above all else, utilizing a film of wind qi to cut through the viscous air. The Shearing Staff Art, on the other hand, has three main techniques: Wind Wheel Repulsion, which is similar to the Flaming Wheel Defense; Cyclone Strike, which is used to sweep away all surrounding enemies; and Wind Cutting Strike, which uses pure speed and wind qi to create an extremely sharp blade of wind.