by Tao Wong
“Starborn Heaven Pears,” Ru Ping answered. “The trees flower every year but produce a very small number of fruits. In most conditions, it takes over seven years for the fruit to ripen. As Elder Li has set up the optimal conditions, we are hoping to increase it to once every five years. Part of my job is to check on them every day.”
Wu Ying looked up, eyeing the pears. He had never even heard of this fruit, but it was not particularly surprising. There were more fruits, herbs, and plants under heaven than there were leaves in the tree above him. As Wu Ying stared at the pears, the glow shifted, the pinpoint of light moving along the edges. Wu Ying opened his mouth to inquire about the phenomena before realizing he might not be allowed here.
“Did you want something?”
“Yes, Senior Goh. I—”
“Ru Ping.”
“My apologies, Ru Ping. I wanted to inform you that I might not be present in the next few days.”
“Oh?” Ru Ping turned his head, raising an eyebrow.
“I will be speaking with Senior Ge later tonight,” Wu Ying said. “He will be assigning me an external assignment which suits my ability.”
“The martial specialist?” When Wu Ying nodded, Ru Ping arched an eyebrow. “I did not realize you’ve chosen to join them.”
“I have not,” Wu Ying said. “But I have been training with them, as you know.”
“Huh.” Ru Ping looked Wu Ying up and down then smiled. “Good.”
“Good?”
“Yes. Do you know why Elder Li chose you?”
“Because I’m a man. And an ex-farmer,” Wu Ying said. They’d already had this conversation.
“You’re no wilting flower.” Ru Ping gestured to the workers in the gardens. “Most of our recruits see our work as gardening. That this is all there is to it. Not acquiring.”
“Acquiring?”
“Think about how you attracted Elder Li’s attention,” Ru Ping commanded.
“I traded the Night Blossoms into the sect.”
“Exactly,” Ru Ping said. “You went out and acquired Night Blossoms, something we do not grow here.”
“You don’t?” Wu Ying said.
“No. They require too much metallic yin chi to properly grow. We can keep them for a short while, but if we tried to cultivate them here, it would require a significant adjustment of the gardens.” Ru Ping gestured around. “These gardens are carefully balanced to ensure we extract and return all the available chi we collect. Any addition or subtraction from the garden has to be carefully weighed.”
“Like crop rotations and fertilizers,” Wu Ying said.
“Exactly,” Ru Ping said, flashing Wu Ying a smile at his fellow ex-farmer’s quick uptake. “Unlike the herb garden cared for by the other sect members, Elder Li’s personal garden is extremely delicate. I have dedicated my life to learning the details of gardening in this format. It will be my dao.”
Wu Ying looked at Ru Ping, who glowed when he talked of the topic. Wu Ying felt himself smiling before he shifted the conversation back to the original topic. “So Elder Li wants people who go out and acquire herbs?”
“The sect wants cultivators who are willing to do so,” Ru Ping corrected. “Few of those we teach are willing. As you can guess, few refiners have the knowledge to care for the plants properly. And even the more adventurous recruits always require guarding, which increases the cost of acquisition. Individuals who can travel, guard themselves, and pick the herbs are rare.”
Wu Ying stroked the hilt of his jian in thought. It made sense. It made a lot of sense. And also explained why he and Tou He had received such a high return on the Night Blossoms. If a gardener had gone out to acquire them, even knowing where the graveyard was, they would have required at least two others. In that case, Tou He and he had received the price meant for at least three, if not four, cultivators. A very decent return. A sudden flash of greed ran through Wu Ying as he considered how profitable it would be if he’d managed to collect it all himself.
“Now, you don’t have your mission yet, do you?”
“No, Senior.”
Ru Ping smacked Wu Ying’s arm for his formality. “Very well. Then you’ll be with me this afternoon. It’s unlikely you’ll go far. And, being winter, what is harvestable will be limited. We will go over the most common and in-demand plants you might encounter near the sect. If you have time, come back and we will narrow it further.”
Wu Ying opened his mouth to protest. He knew how busy Ru Ping was. “But—”
“Just remember to tell them you are a disciple of Elder Li when you turn in the collected herbs. We will gather credit that way too,” Ru Ping said, cutting off Wu Ying.
Wu Ying relaxed as the reasons for Ru Ping’s offer made themselves known. Still, Wu Ying made sure to remember this act. If he did manage to acquire a few useful herbs, he would have to treat his senior.
***
Senior Ge’s mansion was humongous. Unlike Wu Ying’s abode, Senior Ge’s residence was made of five bays in the main building and three in the wings flanking the main courtyard. The main entrance gate was made of cherry wood with stylized gate sculptures and plated with gold and silver. Located at the edge of the border between normal cultivators and the Elders’ residential district, the house gave a clear indication of Senior Ge’s importance to the sect as a Core disciple.
Wu Ying found Senior Ge in the courtyard, standing still in horse stance[50]. The courtyard was so big that Chao Kun only needed half of it for his training grounds. As Wu Ying looked, he spotted the formation flags which marked and reinforced the boundaries of the training area. In the other half of the courtyard, a serene and well-kept garden was carefully tended by the servants.
To Wu Ying’s surprise, others were waiting for Senior Ge to finish his evening practice. Seated at the garden table were Li Yao and two other cultivators Wu Ying was on nodding terms with. Both men had the look of martial specialists, with long, lean bodies and a dangerous air, only differentiated by the crooked nose on one and the closely trimmed beard on the other.
“Senior Lee,” Wu Ying greeted the lady first before bowing to the other two. “Long Wu Ying greets Seniors.”
The pair quickly shared their names, though neither of the cultivators seemed interested in speaking. Even Li Yao was paying attention to Senior Ge’s practice, so Wu Ying turned his attention to Chao Kun’s still form. As Wu Ying watched, Chao Kun broke into action. His hands flickered, moving so fast Wu Ying could not track their motion. The explosive release of strength as the punches flew out blew up clouds of dust that roiled and covered the watching cultivators. The dust and the force of pressured air pushed against Wu Ying’s body for a brief second before it passed. Wu Ying’s eyebrows climbed in surprise. He knew the impact had been significantly reduced by the reinforcement formations around the training grounds.
“Beautiful,” the bearded cultivator whispered.
“Senior Ge’s Star Beating Fist has improved again,” Crooked Nose said, admiration tingeing his voice.
As the dust settled, Senior Ge’s long hair settled around him.
“I could not see him move,” Wu Ying muttered mostly to himself.
“Few can,” Li Yao said. “The Star Beating Fist is a Core-level martial style.”
“Core?” Wu Ying said, surprised.
“Yes. Only someone as talented as Senior Ge could learn a martial style across such a cultivation gap,” Crooked Nose confirmed.
“Don’t talk rubbish,” Chao Kun said, seeming to appear next to the group. Wu Ying and the bearded cultivator jerked, both caught by surprise. “If your chi density and flow is sufficient, most Core martial styles are useable.”
“Sufficient,” Crooked Nose said with a sniff. “You mean having at least half the chi amount of a Core Cultivator. And how many of those are there in the sect?”
Chao Kun considered the number. “Hei Mao. Lu Rong. Fa Yuan, of course, before she became a Core Cultivator in truth. Seven? No. Eight of us present in the sect
right now.”
“Out of two and fifty or so cultivators,” Li Yao said, tapping Chao Kun’s hand. “You’re special. Just admit it.”
Chao Kun laughed before he waved away the topic. “You’re all here because you want an assignment, yes?”
“Yes, Senior!” the group chorused.
“Good. Now, I have quite a few, but you will need to decide if you are working together or in pairs.”
“Not alone?” the bearded cultivator said.
“You’re not ready yet,” Chao Kun said firmly.
“Yes, Senior. I would prefer to work with those I know,” the bearded cultivator replied and indicated his friend.
“Li Yao?” Chao Kun asked.
“I do not care.”
“Very well. Two different teams then.” Chao Kun waved to a servant who trotted over, bearing a tray of scrolls.
Quickly perusing through the documents, Chao Kun retrieved two and handed one to the male cultivator pair and another to Li Yao. Once Chao Kun had distributed the scrolls, he ushered the four out with due haste.
Outside, the pair of male cultivators walked off, leaving Wu Ying looking distastefully at the rude nobles before he turned to Li Yao. “What did we get?”
“Let us talk somewhere more comfortable.” Li Yao frowned, considering, then pointed down the hill. “There should be a tea room open.”
Once the pair were comfortably seated in a semi-private room, in view of servants and attendants but with enough privacy that few would bother them, Li Yao unrolled the mission scroll. Together, the pair perused the details of the mission, inspecting the enclosed map and the sparse information provided by the assignment hall.
“A pack of demon dhole?” Wu Ying’s eyebrows creased together. The dhole was a red, almost dog-like creature that moved in large clans. But the dhole rarely held large territories or moved them. “Why are they a concern now?”
“Probably one of their members is close to a breakthrough. In those cases, the demon dhole widen their territories and search for more chi-intensive resources,” Li Yao said.
“Chi-intensive?”
“Humans. Preferably high-level cultivators.”
“Ah…”
A clan of dhole could be dangerous, since their hunting packs would wait to take down their prey. If the demon beasts were attacking people, they would be smart enough to prey on those at the edges of a village.
“The local lord?” Wu Ying said.
“It’s Lord Chu.” When Wu Ying did not make any acknowledgement of her words, Li Yao sighed. “The old Lord Chu and his two sons died two years ago. The current Lord Chu is six years old. Even their army has been severely reduced.”
“Oh.”
Li Yao shook her head. “This damnable war has seen too many deaths. I know of a few families who have been all but wiped out and forced to marry their daughters away to secure their lands. Not that their families are still existent, but at least they have security.”
“I worry about my parents too,” Wu Ying said softly. “Without my money, they wouldn’t be able to hire additional help. My father has mentioned bandits—peasants thrown off their land because they could not pay the tax—roaming the countryside. And last year, the Wei were within a hundred li of the farm.”
The cultivators fell silent, remembering the pressures the war placed upon the sect and their families. The pair had trained with many who’d proceeded to take the sect’s war missions. Only a portion of those came back. Some because they extended their stay. Others because they would never come back—crippled or dead from the fighting. The drain on personnel was slow but noticeable and would increase when spring arrived and the fighting season came again.
“Dhole,” Wu Ying finally said, drawing their attention back to their mission. “Two-day jog.”
“Jog?” Li Yao said. “Should we not take a horse?”
Wu Ying scratched his head, shame running through him. “I don’t know how to ride one. Or have one.”
“Oh. We can rent one for you,” Li Yao said. “The sect has a few placid horses. You should learn. Spring’s better though.”
“Why?”
“The ground is softer,” Li Yao said, eyes twinkling. Wu Ying stared at the woman before she laughed, waving. “You’ll be fine. You’re not a beginner cultivator anymore. Learning the physical aspects of horse riding will come faster than studying a new martial style. As for care for the animal, we can stop at inns.”
“I know how to care for horses,” Wu Ying said stiffly. His village had had one draft horse and the village children had all been tasked with caring for it at one point or another. However, a draft horse was not a riding horse and no child would have dared the wrath of the village elder by attempting to ride.
“Good. Trust me, I’ll make sure your first time is good!” Li Yao said.
Wu Ying offered her a wan smile before he looked down to hide the slight blush.
Oblivious as usual, Li Yao continued. “We should get bows.”
“And use ourselves as bait for the dhole?”
“Exactly.”
“A good idea,” Wu Ying said, rubbing his chin. “Though actual bait would probably be better.”
“Maybe we could get one of the outer sect members? About Body Cleansing 4 or 5 would be perfect,” Li Yao said agreeably.
“I was thinking a demon beast or a spirit beast,” Wu Ying said.
“Oh, that makes much more sense.” Wu Ying eyed the cheerful female cultivator warily, but Li Yao ignored his looks, tapping a fingernail on her lips. “Can you use a bow?”
“Not well,” Wu Ying said.
“Crossbow then?”
“For the best.”
“Okay. So I’ll use a bow, you a crossbow. We’ll get a demon beast from the kitchen or in town. There are always a few live ones on sale for the kitchens,” Li Yao said.
“Bait, weapons, and horses. And food enough for a week?”
“Sounds about right.”
“Then shall we leave in two days?”
“Two?” Li Yao frowned.
“I want to speak with Senior Goh. He should be able to give me a better idea of what plants to harvest,” Wu Ying said. “I will, of course, share the proceeds with you.”
“Proceeds? Harvest?”
“Spiritual herbs and fruit,” Wu Ying said. “We might not find any, but if we do, it could increase our contribution greatly.”
“Oh, right! Tou He mentioned you got those Dark Flowers.”
“Night Blossoms.”
“Great. You get me flowers, I’ll get the other gear,” Li Yao said.
Wu Ying flushed again but shook his head, pushing aside romantic thoughts. They were about to go out to deal with dangerous, carnivorous animals. This was not the time to be thinking about such things.
Once the pair had cleared out other minor details, they took their leave. Wu Ying watched Li Yao bounce away to her residence. It would be the first time Wu Ying would be out with the cultivator. A female cultivator.
Wu Ying shook his head, pushing aside the thought. Double entendre or not, Li Yao was a friend and fellow cultivator. They were on a sect mission, not a walk along the river.
***
Days later, the pair left the sect town on horses, a hog-tied demon beast piglet strapped to the back of another horse. The piglet was large enough it had made more sense to rent a third horse than carry it on one of theirs. Wu Ying found Li Yao’s earlier comments were correct—finding the rhythm of riding was not as hard as he had thought it would be. He was, at least, competent enough to ride at a canter on the placid beast Li Yao had picked out for him. He was still getting the hang of the trot, much to the dismay of his buttocks. But even so, Wu Ying felt he would soon find that rhythm too. Hour after hour, the pair rode, eating up the distance and passing the few winter travelers on the road. Conversations started and stopped, languid and without purpose.
“Did you get all our stores?” Wu Ying said, glancing at Li Yao, who looked to be rat
her sparsely equipped.
“In my ring,” Li Yao said.
“Oh, right,” Wu Ying said, shaking his head.
Of course she had one and probably a much larger one than his own gifted chest-sized storage ring. Larger, more useful rings were worth tens of thousands of contribution points. Even getting on the list to acquire a larger storage ring required a thousand contribution points. And that was not even a deposit. He was once again grateful for the gift he had received, the tiny chest-sized ring that was enough to carry his basic supplies. When Li Yao indicated for the pair to rest the horses, Wu Ying was grateful to slow his horse, the horse naturally moving up next to the other cultivator.
“Heels down.”
“Thank you, Senior,” Wu Ying said, dropping his heels and clenching his thighs around the horse.
It was lucky timing, as the horse suddenly balked, jerking to a stop shortly before Li Yao’s followed suit, the pair of equines whinnying.
“Trouble,” Li Yao said, making her bow appear in her hand. She held the reins loosely in the same hand that held her bow, her other hand dipping to extract an arrow from the saddle quiver.
Wu Ying debated for a second, but as his horse continued to whinny nervously, he slid off the animal while keeping a hand on the reins.
From the side of the road ahead of them, a group of bandits made their appearance. Unlike Wu Ying’s previous encounter with bandits, this group looked more like a series of bedraggled and hungry farmers than hardened criminals. If not for the crudely made wooden spears and a few rusty swords and poles, Wu Ying would have estimated them to be harmless. Wu Ying’s extended senses told him the group mainly consisted of those at Body Cleansing 2 or 3.
“Bandits,” Li Yao said, her voice unnaturally calm. She was already nocking an arrow, causing the group to ready their weapons and, in one case, draw a bow.
“Stop.” Wu Ying was not sure why he spoke, what instinct prompted him, but his words made Li Yao pause.
He guided his horse forward and to the side, where he looped the reins over a nearby branch, then he walked toward the bandit group.
