The Fourth Stage - Chapter 17 preview (Patreon)

He was not there to watch the notice go up in-person. He did not need to be. The wind spoke to him, telling Wu Ying of what occurred far beneath him, as he took breakfast with Tou He. His friend was silent, though he looked better than he had before, having had time to rest and recuperate. He still fumbled at times, moving to grab cups and plates with his left hand and forgetting he was missing his last two fingers there.

Far below in the inner sect assignment hall, amongst boards that were put up to inform the populace of general sect news and provided in individual scrolls to Elder Kim and Ru Ping, the news was spread. Elder Long Wu Ying, Head of the Wandering Gatherers would hold a trial for all who wished to join his new department.

Tomorrow, at first light of dawn, at the bottom of the mountain.

All may test, but only a few would be taken.

No surprise that the conversations rose, the gossip spreading like a purifying fire through the sect. Concentrated mostly among the outer sect and the poor, those who looked for hope in the darkest of corners – and the gatherers.

He even sensed the flicker of an aura exploding unrestrained and then leashed again within moments from Elder Kim’s residence and Guardian Pang’s when news reached them. It seemed that his declaration had shaken things up, once again.

Good.

“You know, your eyes turn a little grey and white when you do that?” Tou He said.

“What?” Wu Ying said, startled.

“Your eyes. Like clouds or mist flowing past. Or perhaps the clearness of air.” The ex-monk waved his injured hand through the air, then catching glimpse of it recoiled a little. Only to stop and continue to wave his hand.

Wu Ying ignored that motion, knowing better than to bring it up. Anyway… “My pupils change? Really?”

“Yes. Very strange. Unusual, even among those who are powerfully aspected to their elements.” Tou He touched his own face, just under his eyes.

“Maybe I’m just closer to it.”

“Maybe. Or you’ve given up too much of your mortality.” A slight pause, then he added. “Or it’s a side effect of your Body Cultivation.”

“That’s a good point.” Wu Ying cast his mind back, trying to remember if any of the numerous Body Cultivation techniques he had collected mentioned such a change. Maybe once or twice, but not common enough to be called a trend at all. Then again, most of the works he acquired were low grade, never meant to sustain one beyond the lower realms and changes. Relating as much to his friend had the monk nodding.

“So, what were you hearing?”

“Reactions to my announcement.”

“And?”

“It is about as expected.” Wu Ying sighed. “I expect further obstacles, but bureaucratic ones.”

“Good.” Tou He hesitated, then chose to keep silent.

“What?”

“It…” Tou He clenched his injured hand, before resolving himself. “I might need to leave.”

“Where?” the wind cultivator leaned forward. “They cannot be sending you out again already!”

“No, not the sect,” Tou He said. “My own choice. In consultation with my Master.” He smiled a little. It’s time for me to undertake some closed door cultivation. Much has changed, both with the flame I carry and the battle. Enlightenment and injury to be considered.”

“Oh…” Wu Ying hesitated but then nodded. It made sense. Such a difficult journey brought with it significant new experiences, new experiences that could be plumbed for wisdom. On top of that, the battle and heavenly chi had strengthened Tou He’s core, allowing him to build another layer but he had not had sufficient time to reinforce it.

Neither had Wu Ying his own, but he could do so while he built his own department thank to the Dragon’s Breath technique. Slower, of course, and dangerous if he expected to be pushed hard. But for now, beyond battles via ink brush and paper, he expected few calamities to arise.

“I know that the Heavens pushed you hard on the expedition, but…” Wu Ying looked at his friend’s chest and then down to his hand, where the scar from striking him had not faded. He was still in the process of reinforcing the flesh, making it part of the wind body once again. It was like a pebble in his shoe, an irritation that reminded him of its presence every time he activated his qinggong methods or tried to fly. “Will you be okay?”

“Of course. I just have to consider my relation to both my dao and my element.” Tou He sighed. “And also, my own karma. What happened during the battles, I would not have happen again.”

“Your lost of control?”

“The loss of lives. Demon or spirit beast, it matters not. All creatures are part of the firament of reality, all equally unimportant.”

“I am certain you meant important.”

“Did I?” A single arched eyebrow on shaved head challenged the wind cultivator.

Wu Ying waved the words away, knowing better than to argue philosophy with his friend. They were both from different traditions, and as such, in the details they could never find common ground. Reality to the Buddhist, to Tou He, could neither be defined, end or begin. All creatures were part of the karmic cycle, and as such; all creatures deserved as deep consideration as another – even if they might be shadow puppets cast upon the wall of reality.

“How long?” Wu Ying asked instead.

Tou He could only shrug. “A few months to start. I’ll have a better idea after I spend some time contemplating it.” He frowned. “I could make the bloodline within me weaker. But the change in my dao understanding, in the way my element and my bloodline and my path all work together, that will be harder to change.”

“And you intend to change it?”

“Come to a different balance at least,” Tou He said. “Purifying the world, cleansing the way is not wrong. Fire is not evil, though it can injure and destroy or clean and cook.”

“Of course you’d think of cooking.”

Tou He smirked, even as he picked up a cup and turned it, watching the tea begin to steam as he brought his flame to bear on it. “But too much, or too little applied can be just as dangerous. In control, I can do good. Bring enlightenment, help others, clear land and forest and destroy demonic beasts. But I must be in control.”

“Aye…” Wu Ying closed his eyes, feeling the brush of wind on his skin. Heavenly wind had grown quiet for a while, but as they spoke of those above and their rules, it caressed his skin. Whispering secrets of the world above and around, of rules being broken and corrupt officials. Of lies spoken and secrets divulged. It told the wind cultivator of these things and nudged him to act upon the knowledge, to impose sanctions and punishments alike. “The heavens demand greatly from us.”

“And I’m not opposed to listening to them. But mercy is something I fear my flames and their commands are ill-situated to apply, not without a firmer guiding hand.”

“It seems you know what you need to do.”

“Yes.” Tou He bowed his head. “I just do not know if I can do it.”

“If someone can, it will be you,” Wu Ying said firmly.

Tou He grinned, sipping on the steaming tea in reply.

It would hurt to have his best friend inaccessible. Once a cultivator entered close door cultivation, it was dangerous for others to bother them. Cultivation and deep meditation could be dangerous to interrupt, depending on what portion of the cycle the individual was within.

But he had survived years without him. And Tou He was not his only source of aid. No matter what kind of ruckus was occurring below.

***

“Are you insane?” Ma Jie waved her hands around briskly as she spoke to her friends. Each of her movements flapped the tightly wrapped sleeves that she wore, tied carefully so that it did not stain. Or should have, for her own sleeves had come unbound, a breeze forming with every movement of hers. The wind laughed, playing against her sleeves though neither she nor her companions heard it.

The trio were gathered in the far corner of the spirit grass fields, weeding out daffodils and other weeds to ensure the purity of the unaspected spirit grass. Too often, other plants stained the elemental purity of the spirit grass if they were allowed to sprout beside them, thus lowering the quality of the resultant plant.

“No. I’d rather take the chance, than spend the next dozen years working these fields,” Geng Zhe Lan replied. Unlike her friend, Ma Jie of statuesque and broad body, Zhe Lan like her friend Ya Zhu were of slighter build and petite; barely crossing the five foot threshold either of them. It amused Zhe Lan that standing beside Ma Jie, the pair often looked like children being brought along by their parents.

“You heard the stories, right? He surrounds himself with pretty women and eunuchs. What kind of man does that?” Ma Jie said.

“Elder Liu is not a eunuch. He’s just an ascetic,” Cao Ya Zhu said, protesting immediately. She was similar in looks to her best friend, Zhe Lan, though her fingers were as often stained with alchemical remainders as dirt.

“We all know you have a crush on Elder Liu,” Ma Jie teased. “Not that he’d ever pay any attention to you, being a eunuch.”

“He’s not…!” Ya Zhu hissed.

Before the teasing could continue, Zhe Lan cut in. “You might be content to pull weeds in fields all your life, but I’m not. He’s offering a chance to any who will take it. Anyway, he already has both his martial sister and that Honored Elder. I doubt he’d even give me a second look.”

Ma Jie snorted, her gaze sweeping over the pretty Zhe Lan with her plucked eyebrows, jade shaped frace and rosy cheeks. Pretty – but nothing outstanding. Much like the Honored Elder, though Ma Jie privately though that Elder Yang was a little prettier. Certainly more stylish, having made sure her robes were trimmed and – more importantly – not stained with dirt. Of course, she’d never admit either to her friends.

“Men like that, they gather women because they can,” Ma Jie said. “Anyway, have you considered what would happen if he fails to choose you? What Elder Kim will do to you?”

“What can he do?” Zhe Lan said, gesturing at the field they stood in. “We’re at the bottommost field of the sect, working the jobs that no one else will work because we dared question him two years ago.”

“You questioned him,” Ya Zhu corrected, gently.

Zhe Lan did not take offense. They had known each other long enough to know that Ya Zhu’s correction was to set the facts straight, not a challenge. It was just the way she was, with needing to correct the facts. Anyway, they all knew that if Zhe Lan had not spoken first, Ya Zhu would have. She would not have been able to help herself.

Just like now.

“Whatever. And here we are. We should be working the inner sect fields, learning how to care for better plants. But here we are, no better than them,” Zhe Lan gestured. Down and away, separated from the trio were other cultivators, most of them from the outer sect. Body Cleansing cultivators one and all, unlike the trio.

Ma Jie raised her chin. “If we take this test, we’ll never get a chance to learn from Elder Kim. You know Elder Kim will not look favorably on anyone abandoning the rooted Gatherer path.”

“Not as though we’re learning anything now,” Zhe Lan said.

She shook her head. “Fine. Setting aside Elder Long’s unsavoury predilections, are you even willing to become an actual wandering gatherer? It’s not the life most would choose. No field of your own, constantly traveling. Constantly putting yourself in danger.”

“Exciting, isn’t it?” Zhe Lan said, eyes glinting with amusement.

“No, it isn’t.” Ya Zhu intoned easily. Then, she added, almost dreamily. “But have you not heard about the scrolls and the manuals Elder Long has brought back? The herbs he has found? I’m sure you’ve heard the rumors about what those who join him will have access to.”

“And what happens when you’re done reading it all?” Ma Jie said.

“Why, I’ll go out and do what he did. I’ll find more manuals, more notes, more plants,” Ya Zhu said.

“You’re insane. Both of you.”

“Maybe, but I’ still going,” Zhe Lan replied.

And to that, all Ma Jie could do was sigh.

***

In another corner of the sect, another conversation was being held. This time, between Goh Ru Ping and his closest confidante, another cultivator of the Gathering form. They were – ostensibly – working on the formation plans for the next month, but ever since the arrival of Wu Ying’s message, the conversation had diverted.

“You won’t try out?” said to his friend, frowning.

“No. You should though,” Ru Ping said, firmly.

“And make a fool of myself?” Xia Hui said. “I was never as learned as you.”

“But you were more adventurous. If he hadn’t come along, I think Master Li would have chosen you to take on the wandering gatherer role.”

“You’ve always been more forgiving for our Master. She had the chance to choose me then, she didn’t. She could have trained me at the same time, but when I failed her…” Xia Hui let out a long breath. “You know she always wanted the proteges. The blazing comets in the sky rather than the slow tortoise.”

“But this tortoise has continued plodding. And this is the time for you to shine. You’ve learnt everything you needed to.” Ru Ping sighed. “And you know you won’t progress further. Elder Kim won’t pick you either.”

“I know. But join me. You have no future working for Elder Kim either.”

“This isn’t my path. Leaving the sect, wandering from place to place.” His hand thumped the map of the fields laid out on the wooden table before him. “This is what I love. Carefully cultivating each field, deciding on what formations to make, how best to eke out the highest grade plant each time. Cultivating new plants, new strains, balancing the needs of a sect. This is what I have always wanted.”

“But you do all the work and receive none of the credit,” Xia Hui said softly. “You’re the one who speaks to the apothecarists, who plans what needs to be grown from season to season and forecasts the needs of the sect and makes the list to purchase from the merchants when there’s a shortfall. It’s only the Elders who Elder Kim personally supervises.”

“Exactly.” And now Ru Ping had a small smile on his lips. “I get to do all that, but it is the Elder who is blamed if there is a problem.” He chuckled. “And yes, he might shout at me, but he cannot dismiss me. Who else would do it?” He lifted his chin a little, as he added, proudly. “Nor have there been reasons for his displeasure in the last few years.”

“No. You’ve done a good job, Ah Ping.” Xia Hui looked down, staring at his hands. Like most of the other Gatherers, he bore the tanned skin of a farmer. Nowhere near as dark as a true mortal, but it was a noticeable contrast compared to the lighter skinned nobles. Only the blacksmiths were known to have darker skin, and many managed to avoid such effects through the careful application of formations that preserved moisture and their flesh. Such formations were impossible in the outdoors of course, for they also blocked the growth of the very plants there were meant to tend. “So you truly aren’t jealous about your junior?”

“Jealous?” Ru Ping shook his head. “Not any longer. I worked those feelings out many years ago. His path was never mine and mine is much safer and less dangerous.” Then he leaned forward and added, even as he lowered his voice. “If I have a complaint, it’s how he managed to pick up all the pretty women.”

“And men.”

“He’s an ascetic.”

“Doesn’t mean a man can’t look.”

The wind, blowing through an open window, passed on, ruffling documents on its way. Ru Ping frowned at the breeze, but then ignored it after a moment. They lived on a mountain – open windows and strong breezes were a part of life.

It drifted higher, the thread of wind joining others. Each carried conversations and impressions, indications of the changes coming, hopeful voices and derisive laughter as Wu Ying’s announcement played out across the sect.

For some, it would be a chance at a new life. For others, a chance to watch hated opposition fall.