Claddings of Light : Book 12 of Painting the Mists

by Patrick Laplante

  Iridescent Virtue frowned. He inspected the pill and summoned a few strange devices. One was a scale, another a compass, and another a disc. They each glowed with numbers Cha Ming didn’t understand. “This is a difficult pill to evaluate,” Iridescent Virtue said. “The changes, while substantial, don’t quite qualify it as a unique pill. More a skewed pill variant. That being said, its power is only slightly lacking with respect to top-tier pills. The Grandmist seal makes it very adaptable.” He hesitated. “I think it’s a toss-up. You might qualify for the top ten, or you might not, depending on how the others perform.”

  “How does it compare to something you might craft?” Cha Ming asked.

  Iridescent Virtue coughed in embarrassment. “I’m a bit of an exception, Clear Sky. I’ve been preparing for this competition for years and have long since been able to break through. As a result, I can craft half-step-investiture-realm pills with iridescent seals. My apologies, but the result is just incomparable. Perhaps one or two others are on the same level.”

  Iridescent Virtue wasn’t one to exaggerate, so Cha Ming took him at his word. “A toss-up, then.”

  “You only have three days left,” Iridescent Wonder warned. “In my opinion, it’s best to rest your state of mind and perfect your odds instead of trying to improve the recipe further.”

  Cha Ming nodded. He’d been working relentlessly. His mind, his body, and his soul were exhausted. “I’ll take a rest,” he said, then frowned as he received a rare message. He took out his communication device. Why was Wei Longshen of all people trying to get ahold of him? He’d have to call him later. He had more important things to do than worry about news from the prefecture.

  “Thank you for your guidance, elders,” Cha Ming said. “And your help. And your feathers.”

  “We have plenty of feathers,” Iridescent Wonder assured him, though Cha Ming wasn’t sure if it was as simple as he made it. Every time he plucked one, he looked drained for the better part of a day. Seeing his expression, Iridescent Wonder grinned. “It hurts like you wouldn’t believe when I pull them out. Don’t worry about it.”

  “A coin toss may not seem like much, but it’s far better than I expected after Ashen Sky’s fire essence fruits burned away,” Cha Ming said. “I’ve taken far worse gambles in my life. Besides, I’m lucky.”

  “True,” Iridescent Wonder said. “Few demons have acquired merit like yours. Holy beasts are a rarity. Perhaps it will tilt the competition in your favor.” He scratched his chin. “A pity we weren’t able to figure out how you could bless the pill.”

  “I’m pretty sure that only works with non-consumables,” Iridescent Charity said.

  “I don’t think testing merit imbuements is wise with the amount of time remaining,” Cha Ming said. “Regardless, it’s been a pleasure. Assuming I survive my upcoming trials, I’ll certainly help you further your research in Grandmist and iridescence. My cultivator’s promise on it.”

  “Then I’m relieved,” Iridescent Wonder said. That was when Cha Ming’s communication device went off a second time. Then a third. Then a fourth. There was one from Killjoy, another from Special Night, and even Shneraz. What in the seven hells was going on? Then, to his surprise, Huxian zipped into the room looking like he’d teleported nonstop all the way from the fifth floor.

  “Um, we may have a problem,” Huxian said. He looked to the Phoenix clansmen then back to Cha Ming. “Do you guys have a private room?”

  “Upstairs,” Iridescent Wonder replied. “Is everything all right?”

  “Let’s find out,” Cha Ming said, worried at what he would discover.

  “What is this about?” Cha Ming asked Huxian as they sat down in the small room. “Has someone been hurt?”

  “Let’s just call him,” Huxian said nervously. His uncertainty alone gave Cha Ming pause. They placed the call, and the device hummed only two times before Wei Longshen’s image appeared. He was locking the door in the small room he’d entered and was warding it against spying.

  He continued these preparations for a full minute before turning back to Cha Ming. He looked tired and sleep-deprived.

  “What’s going on?” Cha Ming asked, noting the man had a limp. “Are you wounded?”

  “Mi Fei’s family has decided to engage her with Cao Wenluan,” Wei Longshen said. There was an edge to his voice. “She tried to flee, so they put her under house arrest. Elders from both her family and the Cao Clan are preventing her escape, and neither she nor Xiao Bai can be reached.”

  The new news hit Cha Ming like a brick to the face. “Care to repeat that?”

  “Mi Fei has been locked away by her family,” Wei Longshen said.

  “Why aren’t you breaking her out right now?” Cha Ming asked.

  “If only it were so simple,” Wei Longshen said.

  “It is simple,” Cha Ming said. “You love her, don’t you?”

  “Then it sounds like you haven’t heard the other news,” Wei Longshen said. “One of my family’s elders was assassinated by the Cao Clan. My father recently defended Mi Fei and I from an assassination attempt. He is comatose, and I do not know when he’ll awaken. As such, I don’t have the power or influence to release Mi Fei or even negotiate with the Mi or the Cao Clan. In fact, we already tried storming their manor, which resulted in four severely injured elders.”

  “Unacceptable,” Cha Ming said.

  Wei Longshen frowned. “I called to ask for your help, not your judgment. I understand exactly how deplorable the situation is.”

  Cha Ming took a deep breath. “All right. Give me one or two days to get there. We’ll get her out.”

  “Wait a minute, wait a minute,” Huxian said, cutting in. “This is obviously a trap.”

  Wei Longshen hesitated. “Yes, it does seem like one. Lord Burning Lake may not be able to act against you, but Cao Wenluan would want to minimize your chances of winning your upcoming duels. This is an indirect attack on behalf of the prefecture lords. One they likely will avoid punishment for.”

  “So you’re saying he’s not really trying to marry Mi Fei?” Cha Ming asked.

  “Oh, he definitely is,” Wei Longshen said. “I’ve received confirmation from one of his family members. Cao Wenluan apparently practices dual cultivation to steal concepts and qi essence from the ones he… interacts with.”

  Cha Ming felt cold again. His body tensed. You need to think, he reminded himself, closing his eyes. He breathed in and out deeply a few times, trying his best to push away his desire to fly off and kill the hateful man. It didn’t work. “If he’s dead, that solves all our problems. She can’t marry a dead man.”

  “If you can succeed where the combined might of Black Fish, Dark Requiem, and quite a few elders of the Star-Eye Clan couldn’t, then by all means, do it,” Wei Longshen said. “I would love nothing more than to take his ashes and piss on them. As it stands, however, this is impossible, and I cannot break Mi Fei out. They made it perfectly clear that any more attempts at a rescue will result in the deaths of my clansmen.”

  “All right, I’ll be there soon,” Cha Ming said.

  “Hold on, hold on,” Huxian said. “That seems dumb.”

  “What else can I do, Huxian?” Cha Ming said. “You of all people should know that I need to go.” Wei Longshen didn’t know what his complicated relationship with Mi Fei was, but Huxian did.

  “Hey, I get it,” Huxian said. “I’m also worried about her and Xiao Bai. But you need to stay.”

  “Excuse me?” Cha Ming said.

  “Hey, flute guy, are they getting married right this instant, or is Cao Wenluan going to be fighting against demons for the next month or two?” Huxian asked.

  “He’ll be gone until the demon war is over,” Wei Longshen said. “We project a month.”

  “Then doesn’t that mean that the best way to get an edge is still to kill the prefecture lords and use Cha Ming’s power to try to solve the situation?” Huxian asked.

  “That’s… surprisingly reasonable,” Cha
Ming said. “But I don’t like it. The longer she stays there, the more at risk she is. Besides, I recall her saying she’d rather die than marry the man. Correct me if I’m wrong, but she’s a headstrong girl. She might actually follow through with that line of thought.”

  “That is also my worry,” Wei Longshen admitted. “I have some resources. Some finances. Some agents in the dark. But I’m not able to break in on my own. Ideally, I would rescue Mi Fei get her out of the city and into hiding. Unfortunately, everywhere I look for help, I see tied hands. The Cao Clan’s tendrils run deeper than I ever imagined.”

  “Huxian, I know this blows away any chances I have at beating the prefecture lords,” Cha Ming said. “I’m not just risking my life, but yours. But Mi Fei, and by extension, Xiao Bai, are at risk.”

  “I’ll go,” Huxian said.

  “What?” Cha Ming said.

  “What?” Wei Longshen exclaimed.

  “I’ll go,” Huxian said. “I’ll take, Bifang, Miyue, and Gua. We’ll get this sorted out and bust the princess out of the castle. You can focus on the competition and killing some prefecture lords.”

  “I think our odds would be better if I went as well,” Cha Ming said.

  “Yeah, true,” Huxian said. “But then we’d both probably die when the duel happens. Besides, if you focus on winning against those stinking lords, we won’t just get one chance at solving this, but two. I might succeed, sure, but you could as well. Heck, I could rescue her, and you could become the prefecture lord and scare everyone off.” Then Huxian gave Wei Longshen a look. “You realize we’re not keeping her in the city if we break her out?”

  “I… understand,” Wei Longshen said. “She needs to get out, and fast.”

  Cha Ming wanted to object. He wanted to rush and save her. She’d died for him in her last life. Yet here he was, exhausted before a competition that if he didn’t win, would mean the death of him and his brother. It was too much. His heart couldn’t take it. He thought of Cao Wenluan again, and his blood boiled.

  “I agree with Huxian,” Wei Longshen said. “I understand that you’re worried, but no one cares more about Mi Fei than I do. I expected to marry her, Cha Ming, and now she’s been captured by her family so they can marry her off against her will. I would die to get her out of this, Cha Ming. My cultivator’s oath on it.” Such oaths weren’t lightly sworn, as any lie uttered would certainly be punished.

  “Fine,” Cha Ming said. “I’ll win this stupid competition. I’ll get the phoenix blood. Then I’ll flay those prefecture lords alive. After that’s done, I’m coming for Cao Wenluan, because if I can beat those prefecture lords, you can be damn sure I’ll have no problem destroying him.”

  “Also my thoughts,” Wei Longshen said.

  “And Longshen?” Cha Ming said.

  “What?” Wei Longshen asked.

  “As it stands, I blame you for everything,” Cha Ming said. “I can’t forgive you for letting this happen. So you’d better make damn well sure Mi Fei gets out of that city unharmed.”

  Wei Longshen frowned. “I don’t understand where this is all coming from.”

  “I think you need to calm down,” Huxian agreed.

  “You don’t have to understand,” Cha Ming said. “We’re getting her out of the city, and when this is all over, she’ll be far away from anyone in it. Including Longshen.” He waved his sleeve, and the illusion winked out. Regret began to sink in.

  “Calm down,” Huxian said. “We’ll call him back. We’ll tell him you’re sorry.”

  “I’m very calm,” Cha Ming said. “Murderously calm.” His eyes flickered to the window. “Well? What are you waiting for? You have a princess to rescue.”

  “Don’t you want to call him? Tell him you’re sorry?” Huxian asked.

  “Just go,” Cha Ming said.

  Huxian nodded and teleported out of the room. There was a shattering noise as he broke through some of the building’s wards. Iridescent Wonder ran up the stairs.

  “I heard a commotion,” Iridescent Wonder said. He then frowned when he saw Cha Ming’s ice-cold expression. “Are you all right, boy?”

  “I’m fine,” Cha Ming lied. He swished his sleeve, taking every single pill he’d ever created out of the Clear Sky World. There were some he’d kept, thinking they might be useful, but at this point, he didn’t need them. What he did need was ingredients. Lots of them. If he was going to save Mi Fei, he had to be much more certain of winning the competition.

  “I’ll be experimenting with rare ingredients,” Cha Ming said. “Changing the pill recipe. Please sell these for me. There are a few runic pills, but most of them have Grandmist seals and should sell for a good price. I need as many ingredients as you can get me. Ice base, fire base, soul base, mind base. A variety. I also need many other batches of basic ingredients.” Then he looked around the room. “Can I ward this place and use it?” It was a dusty storage room, and it contained many cloth-covered machines, cauldrons, or pieces of furniture.

  “I suppose,” Iridescent Wonder said, catching the pills inside his own storage ring. “I ask again: Are you all right, boy?”

  “No, I’m not,” Cha Ming admitted. “I’m tired. I’m ragged. But above all else, I’m angry. I’ve got half a mind to fly over to the Burning Lake Prefecture to murder a few important people. It’s not something I can get over in just three days’ time, not with all the alchemical pills in the world.”

  “But the pill—” Iridescent Wonder said.

  “I can’t make the one we settled on anymore,” Cha Ming said. “My mind is not like ice. My soul is burning up. I physically can’t forge that pill no matter how hard I try. So if I’m going to stand half a chance at winning, I need to change the recipe again. I need to make it better. Stronger. Something that reflects my mood. I need to make something hateful and angry.”

  Iridescent Wonder nodded slowly. “Do you need anything else, boy? I’ll get Tempest on it, and I’m sure Charity will pitch in.”

  “Soul-nourishing incense, if you have it,” Cha Ming said. Then he thought a moment. “Divine blood-replenishing pills, as many as possible.” If he was going to use the Crown of the Starry Sky to divine a way forward, he’d need them. His body cultivation was low, and his divine blood stores were almost nonexistent.

  “I’ll make it happen, boy,” Iridescent Wonder said. He walked over to the door, then paused. “You know, I always say to keep calm while forging pills. But do you know what else I say?”

  “What’s that?” Cha Ming asked.

  “If you’ve got a passion for something, go for it,” Iridescent Wonder. “With everything you have. Stake your life on it, boy. That’s the essence of iridescence. Passion. Unwillingness to give in. If you stand any chance at ever forming an iridescent seal, it’s now. Go for it. I believe in you.”

  “I needed to hear that,” Cha Ming said.

  The elder left and closed the door. Cha Ming summoned two pills. The only pills he hadn’t given the man. One was as a high-grade iridescence pill. A runic one. If he wanted to, he could take it and try a burning. Not worth it, he thought. Not because he might die, but because he couldn’t start doubting himself.

  So he walked around the room, placing talismans on the wall in lieu of a proper isolation formation. He sealed away any outside forces and sounds, then fled into the Clear Sky World. Sun Wukong was there waiting for him.

  “Are you all right, boy?” Sun Wukong asked.

  “I know you heard me,” Cha Ming said. “I’m damned angry, Teacher. But it’s fine. it’s exactly what I need.” Rage was rarely the answer, but for this, it was perfect. He summoned the Clear Sky Cauldron and threw in ingredients. He tried making the pill he’d optimized just minutes ago, if only to see what happened. As expected, he didn’t even make it past the initial refinement step. He wasn’t calm enough to even try it.

  “Mind like ice.” Cha Ming laughed. “My mind is far from icy. It’s razor focused, but far from calm. And soul like fire? My soul isn’t a fire.
It’s a damn volcano.”

  I need to think.

  No, you don’t, his inner voice told him. You need to feel. So he embraced the pain and the rage as he took the second pill—the one he’d just crafted. The modified Mind Like Ice, Soul Life Fire. It melted into his mind and infused his soul. He focused on his goal: concocting a pill unlike any other. A rage-inspired, madness-inducing pill that threatened to burn the user alive.

  The epiphany it gives will be like a burning, he thought. It will boil my blood and break my mind. It will burn my soul away.

  He brought up the components of the original Mind Like Ice, Soul Like Fire pill. He immediately discarded half of them. Too stable. Too calming, he decided. I don’t need to soothe my mind; I need to break it. His mind and soul burned with the power of the pill he’d just consumed, plotting many different paths for its development. Droves of compatible runes appeared and were tested. Runes of madness. Runes of rage. Runes he would never have dared to channel otherwise.

  Chapter 28: Rend the Mind, Flay the Spirit

  A knock on the door pulled Cha Ming out of his pill-induced trance. He looked up, red eyed and ragged, wondering what time it was, or how long he’d been at it. The knock came again, this time soft and with a gentle voice.

  “Clear Sky, we need to leave,” Iridescent Tempest said. Gone was the usual edge and irritation.

  “I’m almost finished,” Cha Ming said.

  “You’ll be late,” Iridescent Tempest said. “Iridescent Virtue has already gone, and so have the elders.”

  Cha Ming gently touched the flow of time and saw that she was indeed correct. He was going to be late if he dallied. Almost, he thought. I’m almost there.

  He got up and held out a hand, peeling the reusable talismans from the walls. Then he opened the door, revealing an impatient Iridescent Tempest. “You look terrible,” she said when she saw him.