Truth be told, he’d almost rather have preferred becoming a citizen, working for a pittance, and trying to find a woman to make his wife.
That sounded considerably easier.
As he continued to walk down the street, he was constantly greeted. Every single person recognized him, called out to him, greeted him, wished him well, or thanked him.
“Ashley Sheng,” called out a clear and firm voice. Turning toward the speaker, much as everyone else did, he found them exiting a home.
Staring at her, he felt that she looked familiar. More so than most of those in his alliance.
Then he realized it was the woman he’d met once in the library when he was looking for Gen.
She was also the same woman he’d saved on the roof of the fort by putting his hands in her chest.
“Ashley Sheng,” said the woman again in a softer tone, moving quickly toward him. “I never had a chance to express my gratitude.”
“As a reminder, she happens to likely be the single best talent we’ve ever seen. You should bed her,” Locke said nonchalantly. “And speaking of bed. I never did ask you. What’d you think of the dead woman I took control over? Was she pretty? Sexy? Did you like that she was even bigger than Mei in the chest?”
Walking right up to him, Ash realized the woman was actually taller than he was as well.
“My gratitude,” the woman repeated softly, staring down into Ash’s face. “I honestly believed I had purchased my ticket to rebirth. That my current path had come to an end.
“And then, you were there. Even as my vision dimmed, my skin grew cold, and I felt the end coming, you appeared. I felt you hold my heart in your hands. You… you rebuilt my Dantian. Rebuilt me. I feel your hands on my heart with every second. I hear you in my Dantian.
“I’m yours, Ashley Sheng. In all ways and for all time, without limits. Yours.”
Before he could respond, the woman placed both her hands to the sides of his face, leaned down, and kissed him hotly.
Once more there was the crack and rumble of a new statue being built.
Even as the woman kissed him, holding him in place by sheer strength alone, Ash could hear more pledges being made all around. And then more people were arriving and doing the same.
Statues were being erected faster and faster inside his Dantian.
“Oh! This is perfect. We really do need a lot more of these pledges. So many more. Hopefully, news of this will spread and more will pledge,” Locke said almost to himself.
Then the woman shoved her tongue in Ash’s mouth, and her hands moved down across his back.
“Well. That’s rather aggressive of her. Hm,” Locke commented. “Kinda nice though. If all your women were like that, all this fighting would be over. Now, about the dead woman. I think she’d look great in skirts and tank-tops. What about you?”
***
Having freed himself from the mob that’d formed around him as he was kissed, Ash finally made his way toward the end of Sheng Street. Only to find another change had occurred.
The large sect testing building that’d had its rear wall to Sheng Street, now had a door and two windows.
Pausing in front of it, Ash peered into one of the windows.
“Training dojo, shop, and general gathering point,” Moira murmured. She’d managed to pry the orange talent off him eventually, but it’d taken her actually using an ability to do so.
I won’t be able to go out by myself like this ever again.
“Unlikely, no,” Locke agreed.
“Mei bought it?” Ash asked, still looking through the window.
Inside were a number of women in sparring matches, resting, or just hanging out. It was exactly as Moira had described.
Almost like a community center or something.
“Or something,” Locke said.
Are… there people in there who need help? Resources, training, or otherwise?
“Quite a few. Why?”
Mark them for me. Leave their talent symbols and colors but give them a numerical designation. One through whatever. One being who needs the most help. Then give me an indicator towards whoever is the most needy inside there.
“I… hmph. I suppose next you’ll want a list of everything they need help with?” Locke grumbled.
Yes. That’d be ideal. If they need abilities, prep that for me as well. But only if they’ve already… sworn themselves to me.
“As you will it, Chosen One,” Locke said.
Moving to the door, Ash pulled it open and went inside.
The air was warm and the sound of grunts, bodies hitting floors, and limbs hitting other people was unending.
Not far away to the left was another door which led somewhere else. Considerably deeper in the open area was yet another door.
“They closed off the other side after the purchase,” Moira said after joining him. “This is a Sheng property. And no, it wasn’t purchased by Mei. It was bought by Yue.”
Yue?
Now that he looked around, he could see there was quite a bit of furniture spread out, as well as refreshment tables, Qi-powered fans, and other amenities.
“She bought it just a day or two before we left on our mission. Had it filled and refit while we were gone. Most everyone discovered it yesterday,” Moira added.
There was a decidedly elegant touch to everything as well. Refined.
With only a touch of femininity throughout it all.
A few people noticed him, but for the most part, everyone seemed to discount him as if he didn’t exist. They were all deeply entrenched in what they were working on.
Which was a much better response than the one he had received earlier in the street, when he was constantly being stopped and spoken to.
Thankfully, none had been as brazen as the orange.
Did… I even get her name?
“Nope. You didn’t. You’re rather clumsy at all this, Chosen One,” Locke said. “And her name was Liu.”
And could I—
A blue arrow appeared in his view. It seemed to be pointing him deeper into the facility, toward a mat near the back.
Ah. Thank you.
There was no response from Locke. His own needs in the situation seemed to lie closer to having people pledge themselves to him, rather than Ash helping them.
Except that was exactly the opposite of what Ash wanted. It felt humanizing to him to help others. To balance things back out and move away from the worship that people were throwing at him.
Sliding through the room quickly, Ash found himself standing at the corner of a mat. Far in the back and likely where fewer people would end up.
Yue was there, struggling through what looked like an entirely martial-arts-based spar.
Huh? Yue needs the most help?
“Yes. She isn’t trained like you or anyone else. She learned everything through what you dumped into her. She doesn’t have the same background and is starting to get things confused,” Locke explained.
Right. And that’s definitely something I can fix.
Is there anyone else that’s suffering in a similar way?
A series of blue arrows began to crop up all around him. Pointing him off in different directions.
“Stay here,” Ash mumbled to Moira and then turned away to track down the closest blue arrow.
If he was going to fix Yue, he might as well try to fix everyone else he could at the same time. There was no reason to not essentially hold a class and give private sparring lessons to each.
After all, martial arts was something he was actually good at.
Walking up to a lovely woman with a blue indicator over her head, Ash eased up next to her casually.
“Would you please come with me? Let’s have some one-on-one time,” Ash asked her with a smile once she looked over at him.
Blinking once, the woman stared at him, then nodded her head slowly.
“Of course, Master Sheng,” she murmured, turning her entire body towards him. “Whatever you w
ish.”
“Great. Let’s go pick up a few more, then,” Ash said, still smiling at her.
“I… of course, Master Sheng. I live to serve,” replied the woman.
Shit. She misunderstood.
Whatever. She’ll figure it out in a moment.
Following the next several arrows, Ash collected everyone who was listed.
He was going to instruct them personally.
I’ll make this part of my daily routine. Come here once a day and help out those that need the guidance and personal assistance.
Nodding his head to himself, Ash led the group of women—who still didn’t know what was going on—back to where he’d left Moira and Yue.
He had work to do if he was going to keep his promise to himself. To not overlook talent when it was there.
However, before he’d crossed the distance back to Yue, there was a rather loud commotion that caught Ash’s attention.
Turning his head, he looked back toward the entryway.
Standing there were two young men who looked annoyed and angry at the same time.
“—to leave. You’re not welcome here,” said a woman stepping closer to the men. She looked like she was about to put violence to her words as well.
“You dare to tell me what to do?” roared the man, turning on the woman.
Not waiting for this to get out of hand any further, Ash simply moved right up to the two men.
“Get out, or be thrown out. This is a private establishment,” Ash said, not allowing anything to be said.
“I’m here to challenge you,” said one of the young men as he stepped toward Ash. “I wi—”
“Be thrown out,” Ash said, shrugging his shoulders. “I don’t accept your challenge. I don’t want it. I don’t even recognize your right to challenge me. You’ve brought me nothing that would even tempt me into considering such a thing.”
Lifting his chin up, the young man’s eyes glittered darkly. It was obvious to Ash no one had ever dared to speak to him in such a way.
“You’re a worthless insignificant ant without value!” shouted the man. “Fight me! You have no honor at all!”
“Throw him out,” Ash said, waving a hand dismissively. “His friend, too.”
Turning on his heel, Ash cared no more for them. He wasn’t going to rise to the simple bait that this world seemed to thrive on.
Because the truth was, he didn’t care about any of it.
Let’s go train our people for today.
Tonight… you can prepare every single martial art ability we have in the Hall, and give them to me. Because I’m willing to bet… that won’t cost me anything at all.
It’s all body mechanics, most of which I likely already know.
“That’s… a valid point, Chosen One. I’ll prepare for that. There are some we can’t add to your knowledge simply because they’re foreign concepts to you, but the vast majority will work.”
Perfect.
Twenty-Nine
For the last three days, Ash had been doing nothing but teaching if he had no alliance duties. From the moment the doors opened until long after the sun had set, he taught.
Every person who came to him, he sparred with in a martial arts style that would be more suitable to them. One that would fit their abilities and limitations.
Thankfully, Locke took care of figuring out what that was, Ash merely became the vessel of instruction.
Panting, the woman across from him slowly let her arms fall to her sides.
“Master Sheng, forgive me. I’m spent,” murmured the woman, looking defeated.
Ash merely smiled at that and let his posture drop as well. With his constant replenishing of Qi at all times, he rarely tired from anything other than strenuous ability usage.
“You did very well,” Ash said, then bowed his head to her, placing one hand in the other. “Practice what we worked on, and go over the diagrams I gave you.”
Nodding her head, the woman smiled back at him, bowed her head and returned the gesture to him. Leaving the mat, she looked pleased with herself.
“To be fair, that’s only the third time you’ve sparred with her. Her improvements each time have been significant. But that’s what you get with someone who is just a smidge away from being an orange talent,” Locke said. “She’s also clearly investing a significant amount of time in it. A pity we couldn’t just give her transference papers.”
Giving her diagrams was a more simple solution that doesn’t involve revealing ourselves.
Looking at the next woman standing nearby, Ash nodded his head to her and then gestured to the mat.
Standing there—looking nervous, excited, and determined—was Yue.
“Yue, would you care to take your turn?” Ash asked.
“Yes, I would. Thank you, Ashley,” Yue said, moving quickly onto the mat. Since he’d taken to training others, she’d embraced every possible opportunity to spar with him.
To the point that he suspected something was wrong. That something was bothering her at a level she couldn’t even put into words.
He hoped she’d be willing to share it with him soon.
Falling into her personal martial arts stance, Yue stared at him, her eyes growing hard and cold.
“When we’re done, you can tell me what’s bothering you,” Ash said softly, deciding to get to the heart of whatever the issue was.
He was coming to the ugly realization that he was struggling against the tide. That not involving himself in the lives of those around him more deeply was foolish at this point. They’d chosen their positions and placements without any interference on his part.
Most of that truth had come about as he accepted more and more young women into his alliance. Women who almost immediately pledged themselves wholly to his cause after joining. Erecting ever more statues.
The literal army of them in his Qi Sea was growing innumerable. To the point that they’d had to shrink so that more could fit in that figurative space.
He would need to lead. Truly lead.
And soon.
“I… okay,” Yue said, the strange and hard feeling in her eyes instantly draining away. “Okay, Ashley. When we’re done.”
Smiling, Ash nodded his head.
He was planning on leading off with the same move that’d allowed him to land a soft strike to Yue’s side earlier in the day.
There was a bang, followed by the sound of shouts coming from the entrance.
Frowning, Ash stood up straight and turned his head to look that way.
The shouting and yells continued, followed by shocked gasps and angry curses.
What’s going on?
“I don’t know, but I’m positive we won’t like it. I’m scanning in that direction and someone is grievously injured,” Locke said.
How grievous…?
Ash had a flashback to what had happened to Yue. When she’d been harmed because of his inaction.
He’d made an example out of Mr. Stupid to demonstrate what an idiotic idea it was to cross him.
“Severed optic nerve, broken collarbone, several broken ribs, slow bleed in the liver, one broken arm, three broken fingers, a shattered jaw, ” Locke recited in an almost dull tone. “Nothing life-threatening but… honestly, her ability to cultivate is likely over. The injuries are simply too much to solve without drastic measures.”
Fine. Tell me what I need to give her. I’m positive we have the medicine or can have it made.
“I mean… well, yes, we do. It’d be one of the thousand-year-old golden ginseng pills that Yue made for you,” Locke murmured. “Those were given to you, though, to save your life, Chosen One.”
And it’ll save a life that’s mine. Because she’s already either pledged to me or she will afterward.
Locke said nothing.
Planning ahead, Ash was already certain of what had happened. Someone had attacked one of his people. Much as Mr. Stupid had.
Which meant the lesson he’d handed out hadn’t been receive
d as well as he’d thought. He’d have to make more examples.
Enough examples that no one would consider such an option again.
Is there a way for me to damage a Dantian without destroying it? So that it’d leak Qi whenever the user started to push harder than normal everyday activities?
“You mean… similar to what the Deng did?” Locke asked.
Yes. Make that ability for me. Now.
“You don’t have—”
Do it. Figure out a way.
“Fine. Fine. I’ll just… modify a few things and—”
I don’t care. Get it done.
The three men pushed their way through the crowd. Two Ash recognized, but the third he did not.
It was the same two who had tried to challenge him previously.
The third came to a stop at the mat and dropped a young woman that he’d been carrying over his shoulder.
“This belongs to you,” said the man. “And now we’ve come with something for you to challenge us over.”
Ignoring all three men, Ash went over to the woman.
“Now wh—”
Using Spring Step, Ash slapped his palm across the face of the man who’d been speaking. The clap of a hand to flesh was like a gunshot. Cracking his head to the side, the man staggered a step away.
“Be silent, dog, or I’ll kill you,” Ash growled. Addressing one of the women nearby, he knelt down next to his injured alliance member. “Go lock the doors. These three aren’t leaving.”
The injured woman’s face was a bloody ruin and it looked as if she’d been beaten black and blue. She was breathing, though it was labored. Her clothes were bloody, but it didn’t appear as if they’d done anything untoward to her honor.
Even just from his casual examination, he could tell she was in very rough shape. It truly would likely end her cultivation career.
“And get me Rou,” Ash muttered.
Reaching into the Hall, he retrieved the golden ginseng pill Locke had mentioned.
Parting the woman’s swollen lips, Ash simply dropped it into her mouth. It’d dissolve just fine like that. He could solve this predicament at the same time.
Taking the woman by the shoulders, Ash gently pulled her off to one side and laid her out to recover.
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