Blood Moon

by Patrick Laplante

“There are two main ways to remedy the problem: the first way is to take medicinal pills that weaken the barrier in your qi lakes, making it much easier to charge through. The second way is to take medicines that increase your natural talent. Medicines that increase natural talent are extremely rare, to the point that they can’t be purchased. The only way our Wang family can even obtain a few of these medicines is by finding them ourselves or through our subsidiary families.

  “Therefore, only the first option remains. You must hire an alchemist to concoct pills for you.”

  Cha Ming nodded. He had managed to gather this much information by rummaging through the library, but it was helpful to have this knowledge confirmed by a trusted and well-informed source.

  “Yes, I gathered as much. The second issue I need to resolve is the issue of my weapon. I have all the necessary materials to construct a spirit alloy weapon, however, I don’t have any way of forging it myself. Lastly, I’ll need to go around and adventure. I have been training my staff and movement arts, and the only way I can make any progress is to experience some hardships,” Cha Ming concluded.

  “So you’re asking if I have any advice on where you should go next?” Wang Jun smiled as he poured them another round of tea. He then took out two objects from his bag of holding. He rolled out one of these items onto a small side table. It was an aged leather map of the surrounding area. He then withdrew a couple dozen oddly shaped coins from a used leather pouch. They were irregularly shaped but resembled rectangles more than anything else.

  Wang Jun swept all two dozen coins into the air above the map, where they floated as though unaffected by gravity. Each individual coin spun around in a haphazard manner.

  “All right,” Wang Jun exclaimed. “Wishful Coins, what are the best places for Cha Ming to forge a soul-alloy staff?” He quickly followed up by forming over a hundred hand seals. These movements were completed in less than thirty breaths.

  As soon as he completed the last hand seal, the coins stopped twirling and fell onto the map. They tumbled around in a random fashion, but to Cha Ming’s surprise, they were all oriented toward three separate points. Wang Jun quickly touched each of these points, leaving behind a glowing yellow light.

  After marking each point, Wang Jun swept the coins up once more. He formed another hundred or so hand seals, instructing the coins to find locations where Cha Ming could obtain medicinal pills. The coins fell, and he marked five cities with glowing red marks.

  Finally, Wang Jun swept up the two dozen coins and added another seven dozen. These coins were not plain like the original ones but were covered in strange runic characters. Some were colored, and others were marked in white. Many seemed plain, but Cha Ming could vaguely make out obsidian marks that slightly contrasted the other shade of black.

  Wang Jun inhaled deeply and formed another set of hand seals. He continued forming them until he completed a total of 1,080 hand seals. This time, the coins fell down on the map violently. The results left the three of them deeply shocked. Instead of spreading all over the map like the last two times, the coins had somehow bounced around and piled up just north of Fairweather City, near a small mountain range. Every single one of the 108 coins had landed deeply in that pile. Many obscure characters could be seen on the mountain of Wishful Coins.

  Wang Jun frowned. “My friend, this is something they call fate. While we don’t know the reason, destiny requires you in Fairweather City. The runes on the outside of the mountain reveal a few clues. For one, this adventure is extremely dangerous. Further, it involves the fate of many suffering innocents. I also see an old acquaintance… and a bloody moon.

  “Destiny?” Cha Ming wasn’t convinced. Previously, Wang Jun had told him that he was unable to foretell his destiny. Why had this changed suddenly? He voiced his concern to his friend, who laughed.

  “Cha Ming, there is a big difference between reading your personal story and performing minor divinations. I’ll give you an example to explain. Let’s say that I ask an information agency two questions. The first question is: Can you please give me a book compiling Cha Ming’s past, present, and future actions in exact detail? The agency would answer no, we cannot. Not for any price. It is because either your future or your past is too difficult to decipher. The same thing would happen with me—such a book would be impossible to compile as my fate is obscured.

  “Now say you ask them another question: Where was Du Cha Ming, a student of Green Leaf Academy, last spotted? The intelligence agency could likely be able to find this information in a few hours. The information has a timeframe, and it is definite and specific.

  “The same applies to divinations. I simply ask which direction you should go in immediately, and for a definite purpose. Granted, your result is a little unusual. A typical result would indicate many choices. In this case, the stones are dictating that you don’t have a choice in the matter. Simply put, if you don’t go, destiny will find a way to make it happen. Perhaps you could be framed for a crime, for which you need to go to Fairweather City for trial. Or you could get kidnapped and sent there as a slave. Worse yet, a close friend could die a tragic death there, forcing you to travel there for vengeance. This kind of result…. I hate to say it, but you can’t fight it.”

  This greatly displeased Cha Ming. Since coming to Green Leaf City, he felt that his ability to chose had become restricted. Every time, it seemed like his decisions were made for him. Wasn’t he supposed to have free will? One thing was certain, however: whatever hand was guiding him, he would work his hardest to stop it. He didn’t want to be controlled by destiny, even if it was for his own benefit.

  Unfortunately, Cha Ming was extremely weak. The weak didn’t get to make choices.

  “The good news is that you can procure a staff and medicinal pills in this town. Give me a second to grab some information,” Wang Jun said.

  In a matter of minutes, he had his assistant bring a pile of documents labeled “Fairweather County.” After flicking through a few pages, he withdrew two documents.

  “For weapon crafting, I recommend seeking the services of Han Jinlong. He is one of the top three spiritual blacksmiths in the Song Kingdom. The only reason he stays in Fairweather County is because this city is the closest to his family. They currently live in a town called Crystal Meadows, which is famous for its crystal glass artisans. When you see him, make sure that he observes you sparring and unleashing your techniques. He will be able to implement what he observes in customizing your weapon. This is common practice, but people often forget.

  “For medicinal pills, I recommend Zhang Yifeng. Coincidentally, he is also one of the top three alchemists in the Song Kingdom, and he also has family in Crystal Meadows. I recommend commissioning Zhang Yifeng to specially concoct pills using your blood and spiritual imprint as a medium. This will allow him to perfectly tailor the pills to your constitution. Alchemists are typically very proud and unapproachable, however, so your chances of meeting him are very low. You may have to settle for a lesser alchemist.

  “Additionally, you should be aware of a famous custom for alchemists. They normally require the one requesting their services to supply medicinal ingredients, in addition to a fee. At least three sets of ingredients are required, depending on the difficulty of producing the pill in question. The fee is payable upon successful completion of a batch of pills, but the ingredients are non-refundable. This provides additional incentive for the alchemists to succeed, but it is often viewed as an avaricious custom by the masses as the alchemist is rarely responsible for failed ingredients.

  “Therefore, the reputation of an alchemist is very important when commissioning pills. Alternatively, you can save yourself time and money by buying completed pills, but in this case, there is no ability to customize the pills to your constitution. Tailor-made pills are important because generic pills have reduced effectiveness and leave a greater amount of pill toxins in the user’s body. These toxins greatly diminish the effectiveness of taking medicinal pills in the fut
ure and increase the difficulty in making breakthroughs.” Wang Jun stopped, done with his impromptu lesson.

  “Your information gathering ability is impeccable as always, Brother Jun. Would you happen to be free for this upcoming adventure?” Cha Ming had noticed large stacks of papers piled up on his desk. He had only asked to be polite.

  “Alas, I can’t separate myself from my work. Things will be very busy in the near future. Although I can’t come, you might want to wait a while before leaving.” Wang Jun picked up one of the black coins from the small mountain on Fairweather City. The black coin had a blood-red rune on it.

  “A mutual friend of ours will be arriving soon. My divination indicates that her presence will be very beneficial on this adventure.”

  * * *

  1 The time it takes for an incense stick to burn is about five minutes. From now on, it will be stated as an “incense time.”

  Chapter 10: Gong Lan Returns

  Cha Ming didn’t need to wait very long. As he returned to his courtyard, he was welcomed by a pretty girl dressed in red leather armor. The dark red armor complemented her short black hair perfectly, and her exposed legs and midriff caused impure thoughts to surface in Cha Ming’s mind.

  He stopped ten feet away from the entrance to his courtyard, where Gong Lan was napping while leaning on the front door. His placid smile turned into an impish grin at the thought of scaring her awake. That thought quickly disappeared as he was instantly overwhelmed by a baleful aura.

  “Aiya! Sorry about that Cha Ming!” Gong Lan got up and patted the dust from her armor and bare skin. The air in the student residence was quite dusty, and a light film of fine powder had accumulated on her red outfit during her nap. “You surprised me, so I lashed out instinctively.”

  Clearly, the baleful aura had emanated from the formerly gentle girl, Gong Lan. As he looked at her, he observed a stark change in her demeanor. Her previous kind and courageous aura had transformed. She now seemed aggressive and incisive. Wang Jun had told him that she’d taken the news of his disappearance very badly, but wasn’t this a little too badly?

  Cha Ming quickly regained his composure and invited her in for tea. He received an awkward look from her as he walked into the house. Only when he went to boil water did he realize that he was still maintaining a white-knuckled grip on his staff with both hands. Huxian, observing Cha Ming put away his weapon, relaxed his bristled fur and started prancing around to obtain pats from the pretty girl he’d met before.

  A short while later, Cha Ming and Huxian were seated in a small living room. He didn’t have much. He did, however, keep stock of a few good teas and some dried fruits, which he occasionally took out to serve guests. Gong Lan returned from a small guest room a short while later. She had used a small side room to wash off the dust and grime that had accumulated on her figure during her travels. Such a thing was child’s play for a water cultivator, but it would have been improper to wash herself out in the open.

  “So,” said Cha Ming while pouring two cups and a bowl of tea, “it’s been far too long. I heard that you’ve been traveling for the past couple of months?” He was very curious as to what could have changed her so much in a short period of time.

  “Yes, I traveled with my brother to a city called Clearwood. I asked him to help me train, so he taught me a… unique cultivation technique that he was familiar with. He had used this cultivation technique in the past to make a name for himself over a decade ago,” she replied.

  “Oh? You changed your cultivation method? Such a thing is very risky, to say the least,” Cha Ming said.

  “Yes, normally it would be. However, the prerequisite for this technique is an existing water-cultivation technique to use as a foundation. Therefore, there was no conflict,” Gong Lan explained.

  “What’s the name of the technique?” asked Cha Ming curiously.

  “Blood World Scripture,” she replied in a soft whisper, sending shivers down Cha Ming’s spine.

  “Blood is mostly water,” she continued. “As a result, there is a high compatibility with water-cultivation techniques. The technique is used to refine my control over my own—and my opponent’s—blood. However, it can only be cultivated during life-and-death battles. As such, I went to Clearwood’s underground arena to fight many matches. Because of this intense training regimen, I’ve now reached the sixth level of qi condensation. This is all without using any medicinal pills.”

  Cha Ming lifted an eyebrow in surprise. They were both third-grade talents. In truth, Cha Ming was a grade 3.4 talent. Why would there be such a huge disparity? His blood began to rush with excitement as he realized that she would be the perfect sparring partner for his new staff and movement arts. Then he remembered that he was also a body cultivator at the 6th level and let out a depressed sigh. Defeating her should be quite easy now that he thought about it.

  “We should definitely take the time to spar sometime,” Cha Ming said. “While I’m only at the fifth level of qi condensation, I’ve made quite a bit of progress. The only thing I’m missing is a test dummy.”

  Gong Lan’s eyes instantly lit up. Her dormant fighting spirit was kindled, and Cha Ming could sense a disturbing amount of bloodlust seeping out from her. He shivered involuntarily while instantly regretting his decision.

  “Let’s go now!” she yelled. She literally dragged Cha Ming out of the courtyard. Huxian followed behind them dutifully, looking unconcerned.

  A short while later, Cha Ming followed Gong Lan and Huxian into an empty arena. Huxian scampered off to the side as a spectator. Once the path was clear, Cha Ming turned and readied his heavy staff.

  He laughed. “I haven’t had a fight in days! It’ll be nice to finally… blow off some steam.” This was the wrong thing to say, because she immediately took out her blood-colored sabers and licked one of their edges.

  Oh shit. Why does she keep giving me the willies? thought Cha Ming.

  “All right, I’m ready!” he called out. She instantly charged toward him, launching out a surprise attack. One of her blades aggressively slashed toward his chest, forcing him to step back quickly with Burst Step. She continued to press the advantage and chased after him. Her movements were unusual and quick. Cha Ming suspected that she had a gold or silver movement technique. She closed the gap in an instant, threatening to decapitate him with a twin-bladed strike.

  “Tch.” He chose to respond to her onslaught with a flawless defense. He instantly combined Wading Through the Reeds with White Willow Shade, deflecting her blades to the side and stepping around her with ease. This was just a warm-up, of course. Gong Lan quickly used the momentum from her missed strikes to spin in a half circle, jumping up to deliver a diagonal strike with both blades.

  He continued to evade her, deflecting her increasingly aggressive attacks with his staff. He couldn’t keep this up for long, though, as her rhythmic strikes were speeding up.

  Fine, if you’re going to play this way, I’ll just have to jam you up! He quickly changed his strategy and quickly switched to using the Trapping Staff Art.

  He immediately regretted his decision. The vicious strikes contained far more power than he originally expected, and they knocked him off balance. He took advantage of her fierce blows to slide backward. A thin ice blade had formed beneath his feet. He used them to redirect his backward momentum and swung around toward Gong Lan. Seven Cloud Steps! Shearing Staff Art! He quickly pushed himself forward, using the burst of speed to unleash a violent blade of wind.

  Much to his surprise, she easily chopped the blade of wind in two with one of her sabers.

  “Looks like I have to get serious!” he yelled.

  Instantly, the white rosary on his wrist burst into pieces as sixty motes of light flew out to surround them. Unfortunately, he didn’t have a wood-based manifestation with offensive capabilities. However, he knew that earth had a destructive interaction with water. Thirty-six of the pearls he unleashed formed a quaking circle, which he reinforced using both fire qi
and wood qi thanks to his high-grade cultivation technique.

  The quaking power rattled Gong Lan’s rhythm, but she gritted her teeth and charged nonetheless. While charging, she cried out and unleashed six consecutive strikes with her blades. Six bloody blades of qi burst out from her swords and attacked Cha Ming from afar. He was forced to dodge these sharp qi-blades, granting her precious time to close in on his position. Her charge was perfectly timed, and she caught him in a precarious position.

  Not wanting to be outdone, he quickly used his Shearing Staff Art to push down against the floor, launching himself fifty feet up into the air. While Gong Lan was surprised that he could use wind qi, she had seen the move before and remained unperturbed.

  His maneuver didn’t end there, however. As he reached the peak of his trajectory, he quickly jumped in midair using Seven Cloud Steps. He took advantage of gravity to gain momentum, which he was preparing to unleash in a single blow.

  Gong Lan’s expression turned grim. Seeing his vicious approach, she quickly stepped back to ruin his approach angle. In response to her movements, however, she noticed that the quaking pearls, which had constantly been hampering her movements, suddenly began glowing with a frosty light-blue color. To her horror, she was frozen to the floor by the element she was most comfortable with—water, in the shape of ice!

  Normally such a crude ice field wouldn’t pose a problem. However, she currently had less than half a second to react before his staff came crashing down. She gritted her teeth and decided to unleash her most powerful attack: Blood Saber Art—Twin Decapitation!

  This was a technique that she would normally only unleash when she intended to kill her victim. However, the old her was no more. She was now relentless, unyielding. She braced herself as she poured blood-red qi and killing intent into her twin blades, accumulating her full power to unleash in a single strike.