The Third Cut - Chapter 1 preview (Patreon)

What Happened Before

Long Wu Ying has come far since his first days at the Verdant Green Waters sect. Banished for the sect for defying the sect elders, Wu Ying journeyed through the kingdom of Shen at first before continual attacks by the dark sect drove him out.

Forced to continue his travels, Wu Ying made his way through numerous kingdoms, spending time with the Pan sisters in their village and the sword prodigy Pan Chen. Studying with the boy, he achieves the Heart of the Sword before they enter the Pan’s mystic kingdom to fight a Nascent Soul snake.

Listening to the western wind that was part of his Body Cultivation technique, Wu Ying followed its own path into a land of sand and sun. In the west, he walked the desert sands and spent time training a child with the skill at the sword to deal with his own problems.

Heading north, he ran into tribes of nomads and was captured by one. Spending a year with them, he learnt of new cultivation methods, those different from the soul and body cleansing methods he used. The spirit cultivation techniques he studied expanded his knowledge of the world, if not his own techniques. Eventually, having reinforced his growing core, Wu Ying took a trip further north.

In time, he crossed the boundaries of greenery into a land of continual snow and ice. Drawn by the whispering northern wind, of secrets and a chill that once ruled all, Wu Ying found himself stumbling upon a place he should never have been.

The Dragon King of the North’s palace.

Before he could enter the palace and disturb the dragon king’s rest, he was intercepted by another dragon. Forced to acknowledge the dragon’s presence and his own bloodline, Wu Ying found a moment of greater enlightenment.

Fleeing the dragon guard’s presence, he spent a time cultivating on the moment of enlightenment and understanding of the northern wind. Leaving his encampment of snow and ice behind along with a legend, Wu Ying fled south and to the east, searching for further understanding of the eastern wind.

There, he met families and kingdoms, some of whom ruled the cultivators of their kingdoms like sects did the Shen. Others who integrated into the kingdoms themselves, becoming the ruling force. In one such kingdom, he was taught new techniques in Gathering, focusing entirely on the underwater worlds below.

Finally, he travelled further, searching for additional techniques in gathering, to expand his knowledge in his profession. His trip was interrupted by a coming typhoon. Informing the villagers across the seaside, Wu Ying was caught in the hurricane itself and carried on the winds. There he once more encountered the lords of the air, wind and water dragons who welcomed him into their sport as they rode the hurricane inland.

Eventually, Wu Ying was deposited deep inland, only to take shelter in a nearby cave to cultivate on on the experience. When he emerged later, he would find his place in the world changed, his core reinforced and Energy and Body cultivators feasting on the changed environment.

After spreading some knowledge amongst them, Wu Ying traveled onwards, finding himself at a strange restaurant where he resupplied himself with equipment befitting his new strength. There, whispers of a growing darkness in the south reached him, and charged with looking into the matter, Wu Ying leaves the restaurant and trading post and the trio of Nascent Soul cultivators and their idyllic lifestyle.

Over a decade has passed since he has been banished from the Verdant Green Waters sect, and Long Wu Ying has grown strong. He has achieve the Heart of the Sword, layered his Core multiple times and furthered his understanding of the Seven Winds body cultivating technique.

Now, he faces a new world, one that he has never experienced before and a new darkness that stains beasts and spirits alike.

Chapter 1

Long Wu Ying, the famed Verdant Gatherer. member of the illustrious Verdant Green Waters sect of the Shen kingdom, Core Formation cultivator and prodigy of the jian who wielded the Heart of the Sword stood before his greatest trial thus far since leaving his sect to wander the Middle Kingdom and find enlightenment. Greater than the guard of the northern dragon king’s palace, greater than the Nascent Soul spirit snake in the mystic realm, greater even than the swarm of wind and water dragons that coaxed him into a night long dance amidst a typhoon.

Long Wu Ying, scourge of the dark sect in the states of Shen and Wei faced his greatest trial and failed.

“Fine!” He threw his hands up, long sleeves on his green robes slipping down his tanned arms. So close to civilization, he still wore the formal clothing of his sect. Unlike the peasant robes – the shuhe – that he preferred to wear, these robes with their long sleeves and multiple layers made movement through the forest more difficult.

Not that a cultivator at his level found such concerns more than a trivial annoyance, what with the almost supernatural level of control over his body he had gained along with strength and speed that defied mortal limits. But strong as he was, able to layer his aura over his clothing and self as he could, over the course of weeks; even the greatest care could not stop staining and dirtying when traipsing through the wilds of the world.

Another fact that the woman he had been speaking to would be wise to understand. Not that she was listening. Hadn’t listened at all, in the last three hours of arguing.

“You’ll let me come then, Honored Cultivator Long?” Impish glint of humour in her eyes, as she put her hands together and asked, ever so politely on what she had won through argument and sheer stubbornness.

“I won’t be responsible for your life though! And I will be journeying through the wilds, Cultivator Yang?” Wu Ying snarled.

Her eyes glinted with repressed mirth – and was that anger there too – as she answered, just before she sketched a bow. “I would not think of putting such an illustrious Elder out of his important work.”

“I’m not much older than you,” Wu Ying said, grumpily. Elder! Hah. He might be in his mid-thirties now, but he still felt like a twenty year old. Maybe even younger. One of the side effects of cultivation, that it extended the youth – and sometimes, he felt, the temperament – of youth.

“Of course not, Honored Long.” Even if her tone and words were polite, Wu Ying doubted that was the true intention of her words. “Shall we continue our journey then?”

Wu Ying shook his head. “Before we do, and I need to know this. How much danger am I in from your parents? Two Nascent Soul cultivators angry at me for stealing away their daughter is more trouble than it’s worth. If necessary, I’ll travel right back to their inn!”

“You would not dare…” Yang Mu trailed off, seeing the firm look in Wu Ying’s eyes. “I left a note, explaining my leaving. And anyway, did you think they did not notice my departure from their domain? What kind of fools did you think my parents are?”

Wu Ying sighed. “My apologies, to your parents.” Definitely not to the infuriating woman. She was so much more polite when he had stayed as a guest in their inn. Much less aggravating for sure. “But you understand my concerns, yes?”

“That you fear my parents?” She shrugged. “Of course. Cowardly, but wise.”

“Are you choosing to aggravate me on purpose, or are you just this blunt when your parents are not around?” he said.

“I speak the truth where I see it.”

“Then try speaking less. Your parents are not here to protect you, and if you try the patience of someone stronger than you, your head might just roll.” He shook his head. “Courtesy is important, out here.”

She smirked, and he found himself gritting his teeth. Once again, he considered just sitting here, cultivating. He had another layer of his core to build after all, so why not? Well, beyond the fact that he was missing any form of enlightenment to feed the Nascent Soul within him, that the Core he formed without such enlightenment would be fragile and that his journey to understanding the southern wind and the wind of heaven and hell itself required him to travel, that is.

Beyond any of those minor considerations, annoying her would be satisfying.

But he was an adult, unlike the petty child. And if she thought she could keep up with him in the wilds, then so be it.

“Very well.” He strode off into the undergrowth, wending his way between trees and bushes with easy familiarity. He managed a dozen steps before she caught up.

“The way south is that way.” A finger raised, pointing about thirty degree further east than his current path.

“I know,” Wu Ying replied, gritting his teeth. He did not stop moving or change direction though.

“So are you going to change direction?”

“No.”

“Ah. You’re one of those.”

“You know that speaking can draw unwanted attention, yes?” Wu Ying snapped.

“I sense nothing.”

“That’s the point.”

Silence greeted his final sentence and for a few minutes, he managed to stride along in peace, heading for his goal. Maybe, just maybe, she could be taught.

***

Wu Ying bent down low, running a hand along the ground. He brushed the garlic shoots with his fingers, running a hand along the leaves before ripping a small portion of a leaf off with his fingers. He sniffed at the leaf itself, his sense technique working at full strength as he judged the texture and nature of the herb. The Hundred Delights and a Thousand Miseries sensory technique was a strange one that his Master had owned, but it was perfect for a Gatherer like himself.

Seven Chives Rainbow Garlic. A rare plant that he had only sensed by exerting the full force of the sensory technique. He had almost missed it, around the light floral perfume that his new companion wore which was highly disturbing. The scented water she carried inside her storage ring and a jade bottle was quite noticeable, mixing with her natural feminine scent in ways that attracted his attention out here in the wilds. It was unnatural, unusual and distracting.

“Are you gathering?” Yang Mu’s voice rose, slightly incredulous as she stood behind him.

“Yes. That is my profession after all,” Wu Ying said. “Now, quiet please. If you must do something, watch for potential threats.”

Again, his fingers brushed over the shoots, counting the number in his mind. He mentally mapped the garlic bulbs under the ground, noting placement and sending a small surge of unaspected chi into the ground. It took a little bit more work to change his chi from the natural wind chi that permeated his body and dantian, but he managed to get it done eventually. He had noticed, in the last few years that as his Body Cultivation progressed, shifting more and more of his chi from wind chi to another form grew more difficult.

A negative of growing stronger and deeper into his cultivation practices.

He breathed deep, let it out. Fingers dug into the ground, pushing aside earth gently as he dug into the earth. Using just a trace of his chi and his strength, he pierced the earth easily to pluck the garlic bulb out. He repeated the process, taking only a third of the total number of bulbs before placing them in a white jade box that he extracted from his storage ring.

Once he was done, he patted the earth down gently, making sure not to compress the earth too much. Then, eyeing the woman beside him, he carefully extracted and deposited some of the compost from his World Spirit Ring as was his habit, offering a small bounty to the remaining garlic shoots.

“Are you done yet?” Yang Mu said, impatiently. “Can we go?”

“Not yet,” Wu Ying said. He moved away from the newly tamped down ground and took a seat, withdrawing a scroll and unrolling it. He quickly marked down their location, drawing on the map to add in more details as he did so before setting the map aside to extract a notebook. He wrote in that notebook too observations about the plant that he had found, drawing even a tiny sketch of the garlic itself and its surroundings. Finally, when he was done there, he extracted a third book.

That was when Yang Mu lost all patience. “What are you doing now? Noting the time and day that we picked it out? The colour of the birds feasting on the plant? Or are you recording a personal journal and how many times you’ve shat yourself?”

Wu Ying stared at Yang Mu in silence, brush hovering over the notebook. A tiny drop almost dripped down, and he caught it with his other hand. Whilst speaking to her, he wrote a few lines on the book before setting the entire thing aside to dry.

“I’m adding to my inventory list,” Wu Ying tapped the still open book. He noted how her gaze sharpened, reading over the lines of text that he had left open. It was no concern to him, since the open pages were mostly filled with notations of what items had been traded to her very own mother. “I thought a shopkeeper like yourself would understand such matters.”

“I…” Yang Mu hesitated before nodding firmly. “It’s a good habit. But I’m no shopkeeper!”

“My apologies. Shopkeeper’s daughter.”

She glared, a lip curling up in disdain as he needled her.

Before she could answer, he continued. “If you wish to continue this journey and follow me, you should resign yourself to such instances. And being quieter. We are still in the outskirts of the wild. Such outbursts are harmless, mostly.

“Deeper within, you could attract attention that neither of us desires.”

“You act as though I don’t know something so simple!” Yang Mu’s chin lifted. “You’re not the only Core cultivator here. I can sense up to ten li around us, and I can tell you, there is nothing for us to fear.”

Wu Ying blinked slowly. A spiritual sense that could extend ten li around her was staggering. Especially when he was certain she was not telling the full truth. No cultivator at the Core Formation stage would inform a potential opponent of their full strength. In that sense, she likely had a much larger sensing range. One that overshadowed his own five or six li. Admittedly, he also supplemented his spiritual sense with the Thousand Miseries sensing technique, which allowed him to pick out monsters who were able to hide their presence but…

“Impressive. But can your techniques pierce the shroud utilized by Nascent Soul monsters? There are spirit beasts of shadow, darkness and nature that roam the deep wilds, whose very nature allows them to blend within.” Wu Ying held a hand up before she could answer. “And though they rarely come out of the deep wilds, for there is little sustenance for them in these forests, rare is not never.”

“Is this how you live your life out here? Gathering herbs, hiding yourself from those creatures above you and only seeing other cultivators when your storage rings are full?” she said scornfully. “I would have thought, with all the stories of the Verdant Gatherer that abound, that your existence was more exciting.”

“Exciting?” Wu Ying frowned at the girl. “Is that what you are searching for? Excitement? The thrill of the outside world, now that you have escaped your parents?”

“Is there anything wrong with that?” she sighed, mournfully. “I have spent most of my life with family, having them watch over me. Hearing about stories of far away lands, of exciting battles and interesting events from the travellers who visited. And not once have I experienced it myself.

“How am I to grow? Stifled and hidden away in a cave?”

“Not all plants needs direct sunlight to grow. Some do better shaded. Others, like mushrooms thrive in the gloom.” He could have added the other things mushrooms required but Yang Mu was already glowering at him.

“Are you comparing me to a mushroom!” she thundered.

“No. Just expanding upon your farming knowledge.”

“You… you…” A vein began to pulse on her forehead.

“Also, I warned you to keep your voice down.” Wu Ying gestured upwards, even as he began to collect the maps and documents that he had laid out to dry. He could have sprinkled sand or sesame seeds on them to speed up the process but had chosen to wait. After all, their new visitors were a good lesson to wield against his unexpected companion.

Yang Mu looked upwards, eyes widening a little as she spotted the creatures waiting above. Four shadow leopards that had snuck their way over, each of them having blended in so well with the shadows of the undergrowth they had bypassed her sensory ability. Wu Ying himself would have missed them if not for the wind having brought their scent to him, alerting him enough to narrow his own focus down till he located the group.

That they had been stalking them for the last hour was something he had silently noted, as was the fact that her continual shouts had provoked the creatures. Now, it was unlikely that they would just allow them to move on.

“You take the two on the left, I’ll deal with the two on the right.” Yang Mu said.

Then, looking backwards, she blinked. For in the moment while she had been looking at the quartet, Wu Ying had suppressed his aura further, such that he disappeared from all their senses before using his wind technique to shift him away.

The cats looked a little non-plussed to have one of their targets disappear on them, but then turned their full attention on the cultivator still around.

“Damn you, Cultivator Long!” she cursed, moments before the spirit beasts attacked.