The Fourth Stage - Chapter 20 preview (Patreon)

“Correct.”

Ya Zhu grinned as Wu Ying confirmed her guess at the properties of the Thrice Dawn Spotted Iron Mushroom. At his nod, she removed the copper harvesting knife and parted the stem of the mushroom. She infused a touch of chi into the harvesting knife to make her job easier, grimacing a little as she did so. Whilst her wood element would only mildly mar the mushroom’s efficiacy, it was still not the best method.

If only she had the Elder’s skill with the sword or his ability to conjure blade intent. She could then sharpen the blade with the borrowed dao of sharpness and cut the iron-reinforced body without using chi at all.

But she was no martial cultivator. She had barely managed to make a showing of herself at the ambush, though she liked to think that her early warning had provided her some points. She hoped the Elder was using a scored system and not just going off his feelings.

She never scored well when feelings were involved.

Her hands never stopped moving as she sliced and stored the mushrooms, leaving the body of the mushrooms in place so that it could grow back another year. No reason to damage the plant and since she had no World Spirit Ring or the appropriate resources to bring it back, Also because the Thrice Dawn Spotted Iron Mushrooms were known to draw in iron and yang chi at dawn in significant amounts, hindering the growth of the various flora around it.

One of the major reasons sects didn’t grow the plant, even if it was in demand.

“Well done, Ya Zhu.” Wu Ying turned to regard the other cultivators who had all either been watching her or scanning the surroundings. After an ambush by a jumping black spider that had nearly taken down Bu Er during another harvesting session, the cultivators had grown even more wary.

“Who’s next?” Elder Long asked.

Ya Zhu, having finished storing away the mushrooms in her pack which she slung back over her shoulder, started looking around as well. The only other herb she had spotted had been called out by Xia Hui already, which did not mean there were no other spirit herbs that could be gathered here.

Of course, it could mean there weren’t any either. The Elder was tricky that way. He had them looking for nearly the length of an incense stick the last time before they had given up. Not, of course, before Ya Ting had mistakenly named a plain wood creeping vine a spirit herb.

Hesitantly, Ma Jie raised a hand. Elder Long raised an eyebrow, but rather than back down, her friend stepped closer to the Elder.

“If the Elder would step aside…?” Ma Jie said, hesitantly.

“Oh?” A small smile crossed his face, quickly suppressed before he took a half dozen steps away. Ya Zhu frowned, concentrating on the space around the pair but still, she could not sense anything. That, of course, troubled her. She prided herself on her senses.

Free to walk to where the Elder had been, Ma Jie went down on her knees. A moment later, she had plunged her hands straight into the ground, wielding her mastery of the earth to pull soil away even as her fingers burrowed deep within.

Hushed voices wondered what she was doing, especially when she grunted and started scooping earth up with her hand. However, no one raised their voice too loud, wary of the Elder who watched it all. Ya Zhu had her own senses tuned to the ground now, and something at the edges of her perception kept flickering, though it was gone so fast she almost felt she was imagining it. If not for the way her friend kept digging and Xia Hui looked increasingly upset.

“You think he knows what’s going on?” Zhe Lan asked, quietly.

“Probably.” Ya Zhu pursed her lips. “You need to speed up collecting too. You’ve only gotten one herb so far.”

“Everyone’s faster than me,” Zhe Lan said.

“I’m sorry.” Ya Zhu whispered, ducking her head low. She wanted to help her friend but the Elder had warned them against doing so the moment they’d reached the deeper wilds. He had been quite firm about that, and Ya Zhu dared not gainsay him.

If nothing else, he had shown a frightening ability to notice everything around them.

It didn’t help, of course, that the other cultivators were calling out any herbs they found immediately in a rush to gain favour. The Thrice Dawn Spotted Iron Mushroom were only the third herb she had collected, and the one Ma Jie was grabbing her second. Zhe Lan only had one, the least among them all except for the Body Cultivator.

“Got you!” Ma Jie crowed, pulling her hands out from the dirt. To everyone surprise, what she gripped was a tiny, squirming root. It kept shifting in her grip, trying to prise itself out of her hands. Each time it moved, Ya Zhu felt the flare of wood chi; though otherwise it muted itself once more.

“Well done. The Slumbering Huang Qi(9) is extremely difficult to support. The longer it sleeps, the stronger it grows. This one could be utilized by someone near the Peak of Energy Storage to clear their final meridian, depending on their cultivation practice of course.” Elder Long lectured as he wandered back. He plucked the root out from Ma Jie’s hand much to her relief, as he continued. “Now, can anyone tell me why Cultivator Ma should have left the root alone.”

Ya Zhu watched as Xia Hui opened his mouth to answer, only for the Elder to shake his head slightly. The other cultivator clamped his mouth shut, even as Lu Er spoke up confidently. “If she left it longer, it would have grown strong enough to aid a Core Formation cultivator.”

“Incorrect,” Elder Long replied. “Next?”

Lu Er flushed, upset. Ya Zhu watched as she forced herself to keep quiet, unused to being so summarily dismissed.

Eyes locked on the plant, Rou Ping was the next to speak. “She has no way to contain the plant, Elder. The normal herb storage boxes we have will not contain the plant. We-”

“I have a storage box!” Ma Jie said, conjuring an enchanted wooden storage box from her hand and waving it before her. “See!”

“Go on. What do we need to store it?” Elder Long said.

“I’m sorry Senior Ma. But you’re wrong. A metal storage box with a containment formation enscribed on it is required to stop the root’s escape.”

“And do we know why?”

No answers this time, not even from Rou Ping. No one knew if the Elder was taking away points if one was wrong, and the fear of looking foolish – of getting something wrong at all – had the cultivators silent. He Elder began to look disappointed, until Zhe Lan spoke up.

“It’s the nature of the Slumbering Huang Qi. It draws wood and earth chi from the surroundings, and so a wood enscribed storage box would break down, won’t it?” Zhe Lan said. “It can’t be stored in anything but metal, because the metal chi is anathema to the huang qi’s ability.”

“Yes. Well done.” Wu Ying waggled the root in his hand, holding it casually even though it kept attempting to escape. “Final question. What do we do with it now?” This question, he directed at Ma Jie.

Ma Jie looked mulish, but eventually, she made the box she was holding disappear. “I will return it to the earth, Cultivator Long.”

“Wrong again.” Now, Ya Zhu could see the glimmer of humor in his gaze as he added. “You should just have asked me to keep it.” So speaking, he conjured a metal storage box and slipped the root in. He blocked the root from leaping out of the box with an extended finger before closing the box and handing it to Ma Jie.

“Elder?”

“I expect you to return the box,” Elder Long said.

“Of course!” She bowed low and gripped the box tight before slipping the contents into her ring looking visibly pleased.

So she should. Ya Zhu knew that the amount of contribution points she just gained from just that single herb would exceed all three of the ones Ya Zhu had acquired thus far. More than one sect member was staring at the cultivator rather jealously, though none, of course were taking action.

“Good. Now, where to next?” Elder Long exclaimed, clapping his hands together.

His words shocked the group into silence. He had never asked their opinion before. All through the day, they had tramped after him, following as he wandered from clearing to clearing. All through the day… Eyes widening a little, Ya Zhu looked up, searching the sky to ascertain the time, certain she understood the trap.

Before she could warn her friends though, Zhe Lan spoke. “A lake. Or river. I’d prefer a lake though.”

“A lake.” Elder Long drew the last word out. “An interesting choice.”

“Yes.” Zhe Lan bowed low. “If the Elder pleases.”

He tapped his lips, sweeping his gaze over the group. Then, nodding he gestured for the group to follow him as he set off once again at speed. Ya Zhu could only hope that her friend knew what she was doing.

***

Elder Long was not what he had expected. Xia Hui remembered the boy that had been introduced to Elder Li so long ago, the way he had looked around with wide eyed wonder, naked uncertainty and thinly veiled ambition. Even if he had not noticed it himself, his discipline, his drive to keep growing had threatened others – most especially, the indulgent nobles who felt they were owed success just by existing.

Most of those had been driven out by Elder Li. She had little use for such individuals. Most of the Elders who were still focused on growing the Sect or their own cultivation had little use for simpering fools, though a few made it their lives point to make use of the m. Much like Elder Kim did these days.

But the boy – no, man – that strode before him was neither uncertain nor naïve. There was, ironically, a solidity to Elder Long, a certainty of himself and his place in the world driven by the depth of his understanding of the Dao. A deeply rooted tree in the landscape of reality.

He kept his hand on the pivot, though his spiritual sense did the majority of the work. Not that he trusted just in that, instead listening intently. His secondary sensing technique was marred somewhat by the presence of the other cultivators, many of whom Xia Hui could swear had never learnt how to travel through a forest silently.

Even if, he’d admit, he was being a little petty. They were not bad, just not good.

It didn’t take them long before he noticed the first signs of their destination, the gurgle of rushing brooks, the lapping of waves from the lake and the occassional splash of leaping fish. They exited the undergrowth near the lake, a short distance from the rivers that fed it.

The sight that they beheld was breathtaking, untouched with lily pads and blooming lilies, croaking frogs and stalking cranes. It could have been painted by a master artist and still not been captured in its full beauty, for no painting could capture the ripple of water, the breeze that played across their skin, the smell of fresh air.

Well, no painting without the use of chi and embedded dao at least.

For all that beauty, Xia Hui was not distracted enough to miss the leaping bulbous toad that shot its sticky tongue out from the muddy ground, slicing the tongue apart before he leapt forward and cutting the creature apart. Even as he did so, another pair of toads attacked the cultivators, the strongest one – its cultivation fully revealed as it attacked – foolish enough to provoke the Elder.

The toad, it’s densely packed core leveled spirit stone blazing never managed to land its attack. A slight sway of the body meant its tongue was missed. Then a gust of wind picked it up, spun it around and the creature was thrown into the deep water, the wind cultivator never even bothering to look over.

Jealousy flickered through Xia Hui, as he finished cleaning his blade. How much power did the man have, to so casually deal with a creature like that? What kind of fortuitous encounter had he achieved, what form of training and enlightenment had he found?

He squashed that feeling as quickly as he rose. No telling how sensitive the Elder was about such feelings or thoughts directed at him. While he had seemed quite equinamable, even pleasant to work with after the initial period of harsh testing, you never knew. Especially for Elders newly risen to their position, some were extremely sensitive to the respect and honor one should receive.

Though if Elder Long was that kind, Xia Hui was not certain he would last long either way. Certainly it would be less than pleasant to work with him.

No. Study. He was the student here, even if the boy was younger than he was.

“Well?” Elder Long asked, hands back behind his back. The Elder had chosen to float out over the water, casually displaying his strength and control of the wind as he did so.

Xia Hui kept his mouth shut. Even if he had spotted something here – and, truth be told, he had not; not with having only now finished extracting the stone from his opponent and removing its guts before wrapping the entire thing for storage and eating later – he had been warned to allow others to speak.

A good thing, probably, that he no longer needed to prove his own skills.

Zhe Lan was biting her lips, looking for once hesitant. Xia Hui had never liked the brash woman, but seeing her hesitant, he found he liked it even less. As she opened her outh to speak, Gui Ting cut her off and pointed.

“The muddy pondweed. It’s low grade, but can be used as a replacement for spirit grass.” The man spoke snootily, even a little sneer crossing his face as he indicated it. “It’s not even worth collecting, but it is there and useful if there’s specific demand for it.”

“Yes, it does have better compatibility for certain kinds of pills.” Elder Long nodded amicably. He didn’t say anything about the second portion, since he had drilled through them that not everything should be gathered. “Next?”

“Water Chestnut.” Zhe Lan burst out, the moment he was finished speaking. She pointed in the distance, a half li away from their position as she spoke. A series of straight, green leaves stood out near the shore, vibrant in their colour. “That patch there, they’re a rare element. Not water fully, but… mud?... , yes mud. It’s a mud element, which is strange; but I know that Elder Chan is actually a mud Earth-element variant. So this would be good for him.”

“Good.” Wu Ying gestured for her to go, but she hesitated. “Well?”

“There’s…” she pointed into the lake. “The watercress, it’s part of the environment. I’m worried taking it will disrupt things.”

“Disrupt what?” Gui Ting said, angrily. “It’s one of a dozen lakes. It’ll sort itself out in a few months. Just don’t take all the water chestnuts and it’ll be fine.”

“You don’t sense it, do you?” Zhe Lan said, then waggled her finger that was still pointed into the lake. “There are catfish in there. I think, a mud variant one and his family. In fact, I think they all are.” She gestured down to the splashes of blood and the viscera from the toads they had slain. “Such a place, tuned to a certain element, it’s a rare resource. I don’t want to just destroy it because I’m greedy and in haste.”

“So what would you prefer to do?” Elder Long asked, curiously. “Especially considering that Core level muddy catfish within is waiting for you to wade in?”

Gui Ting paled, and Zhe Lan smiled grimly. Even Xia Hui was surprised, for her had not sensed the creature’s strength within the water. Then again, catfish were well known for their ability to camouflage their presence, and while it had not hidden entirely, it had been enough.

“Mark it on the map and return later to study it properly,” Zhe Lan said firmly. “If I can chart out what created this elemental resource, then I can take what I need to carefully.” She paused, then added. “After I acquire enough contribution points for a trapping or slaughter formation for the catfish, of course.”

“Very well. Then do so,” Elder Long swept his gaze over the group, adding. “This is Cultivator Geng’s resource to study then. I do not want anyone speaking of it to others or poaching the resources within. Have I made myself clear?”

Xia Hui nodded along with the rest of the cultivators. No one was going to gainsay the Elder to his face of course, though he wondered about Gui Ting. He would not be surprised if he informed Elder Kim about the location in short order, to allow his Master to gain even further advantage with Elder Chan.

“Now, let us return.” A head raised, noting the final light of the sun fading away and a wide smile appeared on his face. “It seems you’ll get a chance to show me how well you all do at night as well.”

More than a few cultivators shuddered and Rou Gang shifted into the center of the group. The boy still had not released his cultivation, making him feel no stronger than a base mortal. An astounding showing for someone so young.

Now, though, when the nocturnal predators were out, it just might be his death.

Footnote:

9 - Huang Qi (Yellow Chi / Life Energy) is also known as astragalus and is a medicinal plant used for immune support, heart disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.