The Third Cut - Chapter 18 preview (Patreon)

The rest of the day saw Wu Ying browsing the stacks after taking the cutting and placing it within a storage box. When he was certain none were watching, he replanted the cutting in his World Spirit Ring, watering and tamping the ground before turning his attention to the library.

As good as his word, the Principal had been fast to assign Wu Ying a Senior Librarian whose intimate knowledge of the library guided Wu Ying to works and treatises that could supplement his own library. Their concentration broke into a few sections, the first a simple overview of plants and spirit herbs in the surroundings to bolster Wu Ying’s own slowly gained knowledge.

The second, additional works detailing the ecology of neighbouring countries. Works such as these would allow Wu Ying to prepare himself should he choose to travel even further afield – now or in the future.

The third category of work were the notes about blendings, cuttings and other spliced breeds, the various attempts that the school had undertaken. This section took up two entire floors of the massive school library, and only judicious questioning and narrowing of interest to spirit herbs that Wu Ying had access to or could grow further north – or in his own World Spirit Ring – did they sort the massive amount of information available to a manageable workload.

For the first two category of works, Wu Ying was able to outright purchase directly reproduced manuals. This saved reproduction time and would allow him to read the works at his leisure while the enormous amount of information he had requested was recopied by the Senior Librarian.

Reluctant as he might be Wu Ying chose to leave as dusk fell for he had an appointment to make with his companions. Leaving the Senior Librarian to his work, the journey back to town and the restaurant was a simple matter. Only in the distance did Wu Ying see a tainted avian predator, filled with rage and greed, stoop from the skies to dive at a farmer. Too far away to affect matters, neither Wu Ying nor the patrol could save the fallen peasant or avenge him, for the bird fled long before the patrol could reach it.

Under that grim portent, Wu Ying strode into the city to the restaurant they had visited the day before. He found the restaurant owner already awaiting his presence, once more effusively grateful that his establishment had been chosen for such a momentous undertaking. After a series of politely worded thanks, the proprietor shifted from foot-to-foot nervously rather than leading Wu Ying to their private room upstairs.

“Yes, laoban? Is there something else?” Wu Ying asked.

“I said nothing, Honored Cultivator. I told my people not to say anything either but…” he ducked his head low in embarrassment.

“Others have learnt of the feast?” Wu Ying said, already guessing the flow of this conversation.

“Yes, Honored Cultivator. I fear that a number of missives and young lords and ladies have arrived, seeking to umm… introduce themselves to you and your guest.” Head lowered, Wu Ying had a good view of the sweat upon the balding proprietor’s scalp that had collected, the man’s nervousness all too apparent in both his actions and scent.

Wu Ying understood. He was caught between angering a pair of cultivators who had sufficient strength to acquire massive amounts of untainted meat and the powers that resided within the city. Anger one and they might level his establishment – or refuse to pay for the work undertaken. Anger the other, and life in the city would be impossible.

“Show me these missives,” Wu Ying said, curiously. He considered what foods they had left, how much was made. He knew it was too much for the two of them to consume, too much for all three really. Even with Tou He’s massive appetite. Of course, much of the food could have been stored away for a later date, which had been the initial plan. Still… “We have space for how many?”

“Eight others, Honored Cultivator.” Gesturing under his hand, the proprietor called for his servants.

Seven then, since the man knew not of Yang Mu. Moments later, the servants arrived, carrying with them plates of invitations. Wu Ying’s eyebrow twitched, as he stared at the numerous scrolls on them, the simple invitations or declarations of intent.

“How many of those are in the Core Formation stage? Or of equivalent rank within the government or army?” Wu Ying asked.

“Uhh…” The proprietor hesitated, clearly not wanting to answer.

“Let me review that,” Yang Mu’s voice cut in, a fan coming up to push Wu Ying aside gently from behind. He shifted to allow the young lady to approach the documents, the fan snapping shut and disappearing a moment later as she plucked and sorted the scrolls. Seals were glanced at, many set aside with only a few held for further examination.

Wu Ying shook his head at the proprietor who had moved to object to Yang Mu’s actions, the man looking perplexed at her casual actions. Realising that Wu Ying was not objecting to the matter, the man subsided and stepped back, only casting worried glances into his dining room.

Curious, the wind cultivator allowed his spiritual sense to hone in on the room. While he had it running passively in the city, it was entirely defensive. There were no reason to focus that sense upon others, for courtesy’s sake if naught else.

Eight individuals, the good majority women with only two men seated within. They were simple enough to pick out, their perfurmes and clothing sufficiently different enough that his wind sense was able to provide him these details. Furthermore, not a single one of them was above Energy Storage, though most were in the peak or near peak stage.

Before Wu Ying could poke his head in to garner further information, a spiritual whisper slipped through the air from Yang Mu. “What is your goal here?”

Calling forth the wind to hide their words, Wu Ying carried on the conversation. “To have dinner.”

“Well, this is no longer a simple dinner, Cultivator Long. So, what is your goal here?”

He could not help but grimace at that answer.

“Well, we have but one major goal, do we not?” he eventually answered.

At that, Yang Mu broke into a wide smile. Moments later, she had discarded all but four of the scrolls, rolling each of them up and offering them to the proprietor.

“Inform the individuals in this document that we would be pleased to see them in an hour,” she tilted her head upwards, looking through the wooden flooring with her spiritual sense before she added. “I will need that time to adjust the chi in your rooms.”

“Madam Cultivator….”

She turned her gaze on him and the proprietor ended up bobbing low in acquiescence. As she started up the stairs, Wu Ying could not help but speak up.

“We have two more seats and some local prodigies,” Wu Ying said. “What do you wish to do with them?”

“Ask your friend. I care not.” So saying she finished ascending the stairs, the proprietor trailing before her, the scrolls already divied up among his own servants who were busy calling messengers to deliver the invitation.

A slight push of his own spiritual sense and Wu Ying noticed what she had, and so he waited till his friend ascended the stairs. Clapping Tou He on the shoulder, Wu Ying grinned widely, making the ex-monk shrink back.

“Why are you smiling at me like that?”

“Oh, just a small problem. You see…”

***

Wu Ying grinned widely as he strode up the stairs, stopping at the landing where the hapless proprietor stood too, watching Yang Mu. He could see her stalking the edges of the room, a chi compass in hand, taking readings and muttering to herself. Occasionally, she would reach out to shove a chair sideways or move the table an inch one way or the other, using the casual strength of a cultivator to make the adjustments.

Beneath, Wu Ying could sense Tou He being mobbed by the Energy Storage cultivators. More than a few of the ladies were plying their wiles against him and one of the men, much to the horror of the ex-monk. Better him than Wu Ying, the swordsman thought, as he watched Yang Mu finish her initial survey. She paused, slippered foot tapping on the ground in consideration before she pointed to Wu Ying without looking.

“You. Come here and take that sword of yours out. I need you to carve me some formations on the walls.”

“I do not think the proprietor will enjoy you defacing his building,” Wu Ying said as he strode up the stairs.

“He’ll be fine. I’m adding a permanent cleansing formation in here. It’ll keep the air clean, remove the impurities from the air and ensure any that might have seeped into our food since he has begun cooking is dispersed. It’ll make dining in this room – and his establishment in general – much more agreeable for cultivators.”

Even as she spoke, she extracted a series of yellow talisman paper. Using her chi to hold them aloft, and wielding two outstretched fingers like a brush, she burnt words and formations into the paper before flicking her hand sideways, letting the paper plaster themselves to the wall.

“Why not just use the talismans?” Wu Ying said, curiously.

“They would not last our dinner.” She snapped her fingers and pointed. “Well, get to it.”

Wu Ying frowned, but ambled over to the nearest talisman document. He had a lot of questions, like the depth he should carve the formations, the words and orders, but as he stared at the talisman stuck to the wall, he realized most of those questions had been answered. Somehow, Yang Mu had managed to infuse a degree of her own dao understanding of the formations into the talismans, such that the enscribed words were an instruction manual that he needed only follow.

Much like a child might follow an outline on a wooden block to learn to draw.

He marveled at the ability she had so casually demonstrated before another snap of her fingers reminded him that he had his own task to carry out. Drawing his sword, he raised the weapon and standing a short distance away, began to carve into the wooden posts and walls. Sword intent flickered from the tip of his weapon, sharpening and thinning, deepening and twisting as per the talisman.

As he began work, more and more talismans began to flicker through the space, landing all around, sometimes even on top of previously carved locations. Wu Ying carved as directly, the formation worls and words forming all across the room as he traversed the corners and even the ceiling, the wind picking at the falling wood to gather in a corner and lift him into the sky.

The pair took to a delicate dance of chi, sword intent and formation creation. As he worked, flashes of power would spark, swiftly drowned out by the smoothing application of Yang Mu’s own aura. It was a reassuring presence, a scent that reminded him of peaceful glades in the forest and bubbling hot springs amidst lush greenery, of flowering petals and ripe fruit. A heady presence that comforted and invigorated at the same time.

Time became immaterial as did space, only the next formation to be carved, the next talisman that flickered through space. Movements became rote, but as each cut, each flick of his blade required the utmost concentration, Wu Ying found himself fallen into a deceptive trance where time no longer had meaning.

And then, that flow ended.

No more yellow talismans hovered in the air before him, each discarded and cut piece of yellow paper gathered by the winds in a corner beside Yang Mu. Already, the formation master strode over, snatching the papers and wood shavings up and casting them into her storage ring to be dealt with later.

Floating in mid-air, the wind buffeting his robes, Wu Ying slowly returned to himself. He commanded the wind to lower him, floating to the floor even as he tasted the altered chi that surrounded them. He felt the pull of the environmental chi into the runes surrounding them, noticed them pass in intricate patterns and then be deposited into smaller carvings that Yang Mu herself had forged in the floor before being finally released. And finally, the newly cleansed chi spread through the room like a refreshing breeze where before, a slight rancid smell had hung around them all.

“My lady…” The proprietor wrung his hands, staring at the glowing runes, the lady and Wu Ying and ducked his head low. “I cannot pay you for this.”

“Who spoke of payment?” Yang Mu snorted. “I did this myself.”

“But this is too much.”

“It is done, laoban. It is too late to worry about such things.”

The man flinched, lowering his head further. Curiously, Wu Ying walked over, stopping a short distance from the man. Now that he was present once more, he could smell the cold, rank sweat of fear arising from the other.

“What worries you?” Wu Ying said.

At first the man would not speak. Then, he whispered, hesitantly. “I cannot keep this. We do not have the backing to keept his. It will be taken from us. This building, this business. It will be taken from us. It’s too much for, for us.”

Yang Mu frowned at the words, looking puzzled.

“Go on.”

“There is nothing more to say.” The proprietor drew a deep breath, straightened himself. “I apologise. Your gift, it is generous. I shall ensure you have the most magnificent meal tonight.” Then, turning he hurried away, swiping at his eyes as he left.

“I do not understand,” Yang Mu muttered.

Wu Ying could only smile sadly, as he watched the man leave. “I do. I should have thought of it.”

“Then explain it.” Wu Ying turned to the woman, seeing her looked perplexed. “This is a magnificent work.”

“Exactly.”

“He did not object when I told him what I intended!” she said.

“He might not have understood what it meant,” Wu Ying said, then sighed. “I did not till now.”

“Surely the city lord will stop any action against him…”

“The individuals who would take action would likely be friends of the city lord. Or otherwise know him.”

Yang Mu frowned even more. “Then he needs a protector. Someone who will help stop this from happening.”

“I’m sure the proprietor knows that too.” Wu Ying sighed. “However, such connections are not so easily made and always come with a cost.”

Before she could answer, voices came from the staircase, rising up towards them. Tou He led the ones from below, amusingly with two young ladies following him. When he met his friend’s gaze, the ex-monk glared back.

In short order though, both women were introduced and seated while additional guests arrived from below. The group that arrived did not do so alone, though the majority of their entourage were left below, only the principal guest ascending the stairs to join the trio above. As each person came up, the proprietor was sure to announce them to the room.

“Principal Le Khac Duy of the beast rearing school.” Muscular, stocky and a morose visage, the man was clad in dark browns even during this evening festive occasion.

“Nguyen Chi Hieu of the Eight Spiral Arms trading house.” Surprisingly a younger man. Like most of the Nanyue, he forebore wearing his hair long, keeping it close cut with bangs falling over the front of his face. He hunched over a little as he walked, as though attempting to hide his presence.

“Captain Ky Be Long.” The proprietor looked surprise at the appearance of the guardsman, who also looked somewhat bemused to be here.

“Captain Ky, a pleasure to see you here,” Wu Ying said. He did not twitch when Yang Mu sent a missive to him via spiritual talk for his ears alone.

“I invited him direct, since making his acquantince and gaining his support is important.”

“Thank you. I must say, this is an unusual gathering,” Captain Ky said, offering a nod to Wu Ying. “And Lady Yang Mu, it is a pleasure as always.” This time, his smile became more genuine even as he stepped closer to her. “You are as radiant as the sun, as always.”

She smiled at his words, twisting her hand to call forth a fan to cover her lips delicately. “Oh, my. Captain Ky. You’re such a flatterer. Such a change from before.”

“I was on duty before,” Be Long said. “Now, I may pursue my own pleasure and not my lord’s wishes.”

“Pleasure is it…” She fluttered her eyelashes at him.

Wu Ying frowned at the pair, even as Be Long stepped in closer and gently guided Yang Mu backwards towards the table with just his presence. A flash of pain, of annoyance ran through him as she laughed at another sentence, strangely enough. Then, the proprietor was speaking again, making another announcement.

“Abbess Pham Thu Giang.” When he said this, the proprietor dropped into a deep bow for the woman who walked in, flanked by two of her monks. The group were all clad in the typical orange robes of their order, their heads shaved entirely clean. “You honour me by gracing us.”

Wu Ying frowned, then. “I… Abbess. I am uncertain if we have sufficient foodstuff that would suit your palate.”

“I am sure it will be fine, will it not, Laoban Sai?” Thu Giang said with a smile. “My nuns have brought some minor gifts as well, to aid with that.”

The laoban looked stricken, before Wu Ying gestured for him to take care of the matter. Nodding firmly, he scurried off with the two nuns following him, heading down the stairs to the kitchen to deal with the sudden change in dietary restrictions.

“I am surprised to see you here, Abbess,” Wu Ying commented as he gestured for her to follow him. Tou He was casting wide-eyed looks at Wu Ying and the Abbess and taking pity on his friend, guided the Abbess to a seat away from the ex-monk.

Teasing was one thing, but Wu Ying knew – or had known – that his friend still had quiet misgivings about leaving the monastery over something as simple as a disagreement over their diet. Even now, he kept his own head shaved, kept to many of the principles of Buddhism even though he walked a different path.

“I’d heard rumors of a powerful ex-monk from the north arriving in my city, seeking to provide aid with our most recent troubles.” Staring at Tou He, the older lady added. “Regretfully, I have not been able to speak with him.” Though he did not look away from the women chatting with him or even turn a little towards the Abbess, Wu Ying noted a slight flush appearing on his friend’s cheeks. “Now that such a generous and bountiful dinner has arrived, I thought it prudent to come.”

“Ah…” Wu Ying lips pursed. It seemed that his minor dinner had caused more of an occasion than he had expected.

“These formations…” Abbess Pham looked around, peering at the walls and the ceiling. “Freshly carved and empowered. And quite adroitly made. It is like stepping into a spring meadow. Your work, Cultivator Long?”

“No.” Wu Ying said. “Or, I am but the carver. The formation mistress is Lady Yang Mu.” He gestured to where she stood, scandalously close to that oily Captain. “Did you want to speak with her?”

Now, the Abbess had to force her lips still at his tone of voice. He might have sounded a little too eager with that last sentence. “Over dinner, perhaps. But I fear you have another guest. And no one to introduce them.”

Wu Ying took his leave with a smile before he made his way over to the staircase. The woman who was ascending had an aura of power that surrounded her, one that had nothing to do with cultivation but of mortal authority and presence. In fact, she was barely a middling Energy Storage cultivator, but the pair of guards standing behind her spoke of further paranoia and importance.

“Who is this arriving?” Wu Ying muttered, using the wind to send the words to Yang Mu.

“Oh! She did come.” Yang Mu exclaimed, out loud. Ignoring the puzzled look from the Captain, she excused herself to join Wu Ying at the top of the stairs. “Cultivator Long Wu Ying of the Verdant Green Waters Sect, known far and wide as the famed Verdant Gatherer, may I present to you Mistress Quach Thuy Ngan.”

“Mistress Quach,” Wu Ying said, bowing to the woman. He could sense that she was stuck at the peak of Body Cultivation, a deplorable lack of progress considering her age and the resources she likely had. Even looking at the gold and jade that surrounded her fingers and neck spoke of significant wealth, and yet, nothing.

“The Verdant Gatherer.” A finger rose up, tapping her lip in thought. “Prodigy of the sword. Wandering hero of justice at times, a thief at others. Supposedly disgraced and banished from his own sect, and yet he stands here next to an Elder of that very same sect. How interesting.”

“Mistress Quach is too kind in her estimation,” Wu Ying murmured, gesturing for her to come the rest of the way in. Her bodyguards followed along with the woman, moving to stand at the entrance of the stair and behind her chair as she took her seat. “I fear you have me at a disadvantage.”

“Yes. I’ve heard that too. A man who rarely bothers to do his proper research before his travels, instead choosing to let the wind take him where it will.”

“Fate wills us where it will.”

“If I ran my family the way you do your life, it would be a failure within three years,” Thuy Ngan looked at the chairs beside her, placed as she was next to the Abbess and then pointed to the empty seat. “Cultivator Yang, you will sit with me.”

“Of course, Mistress Quach,” Yang Mu said genially, gliding over to take the indicated seat.

That left Wu Ying on the other side of the Abbess, Tou He almost opposite him and the others seating themselves soon after. The Captain, he noticed, had managed to place himself a seat over from Yang Mu, though the merchant – Nguyen Chi Hieu – was between them. That, of course, meant the principal of the beast rearing academy was on Wu Ying’s other side.

“Do not take offense at Mistress Quach. She has always been that way,” the Abbess said, patting Wu Ying’s hand when he took a seat. “She was a horrible student as a child, impatient to forge ahead even when she had not mastered the classics. Too smart, I fear, for her own good.” A small smile. “It is a wonder that she has managed to grow her clan so well, even with her shortcomings.”

“Shortcomings…” Sniffed Mistress Quach. “You are still looking well. Are you eating the herbs I have sent to the monastery?”

“The temple is grateful for the contribution your generosity has offered to our kitchens. Many of my nuns have progressed well because of that generosity.”

“You know I meant it for you.” Thuy Nyan’s eyes narrowed. “Why do you insist on being so troublesome.”

“Amithaba.”

Sniffing, Thuy Nyan turned to Yang Mu. “I have heard much of your recent exploits and the goods you have brought south. Numerous core formation stones, untainted. Do you have more?”

“I do, Mistress,” Yang Mu replied. “Though I’m not surprised that there are not more arriving, the journey south was a little hazardous.”

In short order, the pair began to discuss their trip to Nanyue, Thuy Nyan ignoring the rest. Wu Ying offered the Abbess a grateful nod for eludicating on Mistress Quach’s place in the city before turning to his other companion.

“Principal Le, I have heard that Nanyue takes beast rearing in a somewhat different direction from the kingdoms that I hail from. Both in the kinds of beasts you have and the methodology,” Wu Ying remarked.

“Oh, yes.” The Principal smiled. “We have quite a variety of beasts including some monkey’s and other companions that are not common in your kingdom. In addition, because of our surplus of beast cores, we are able to raise more such creatures than your kingdoms.” A darkness shadowed the man’s face then. “Or it used to be. This new taint has made things difficult for us.”

“How so?”

“We cleanse the cores we receive as best we can, but eventually, for those beasts who we have to feed, some grow tainted.” He let out a long sigh then, looking down. “More than one promising creature has to be put down, as it grew dangerous to keep them.”

“A tragedy.”

“Very much so. We can only hope that the special unit can solve the problem.”

“Mmmm…” Wu Ying hesitated, considering if he should mention his own desires. Before he could resolve his thoughts, the Abbess cut in.

“Cultivator Long, will you join your Elder in the expedition then? I understand you have some skill with your sword. And, of course, as a wild gatherer much knowledge of the wilds,” she said.

“Oh, you’re intending to join the special unit?” the Principal said, surprised.

“If they will allow us.”

“Interesting.” He cocked his head ot the side. “I must admit, I know little of yourself or the Elder,” a nod to where Tou He continued to hold court, even as the servants arrived to place the first of the dishes on the table, a light vegetable dish. “but I wonder what you think you might bring in addition to your martial skills.”

“Well, about that…” Watching as the servants began to parcel out the cold vegetable and rice noodle dish, Wu Ying spoke to the Principal about his and Tou He’s past activities.

It seemed that dinner was going to be less about their meal and more about finding support for the upcoming expedition.