Cultivating Chaos 4 -Ch 21- (Patreon)

Finishing up with the delicate looking fox, Ash Push the incredibly small excuse for a beast core into it’s center. He slid the plate shut and then laid his hand to it’s head. He activated it in the next moment and then set it on the ground.

All around his workshop various golem animals were scampering, crawling, or flying about. He’d manufactured close to a seventy at this point. There would be more than enough for everyone involved to have one.

The stone mouse on his shoulder made a soft grinding noise and lifted up on its back paws. Putting it’s forepaws on Ash’s jaw.

He got the feeling it was reminding him that his time was up. He’d felt it when Locke had opened the gates to the sect and began inviting people inside. The thump and trod of feet followed by the loud chatter of hundreds of people was unmistakable.

“Yeah, I know,” he muttered, reaching up to run a finger along the mouse’s head.

Out of all the golems he’d made, this one had remained with him. The others had all wandered off to inspect the area and other golems.

In the corner of the workshop the other Sect golems were powering up. Standing in several rows and going through the exact same process Luan did.

Sighing, Ash stood up and pushed his chair into his work-desk. All across it were a great many bits, pieces, transference papers, formed solid Qi objects, and beast cores. There was a good bit of wealth strewn about wildly here.

Ash wasn’t concerned with anyone trying to break into this room. There were Brides on duty simply to watch and maintain the perimeter of the Sect buildings. Today they were on high alert.

“Oh dear, oh my, are we all done?” purred Siu from the corner. Her ferret was sprawled out in her lap and gazing up at her. She’d been staring down at the golem with a joy that was surprising to Ash.

She was now looking at him with a wide smile. Her fan resting beside her on a table, the second visibly resting in her armored belt.

“Yeah, I need to go out there,” he mumbled in response. For some reason, Hui, Moira, and Siu, had worked out some sort of bodyguard arrangement. One of them was always with him to watch over him. They worked in three shifts as far as he could tell.

Siu and Hui were going to take turns in the afternoon and morning on shifts. Moira would be almost exclusively his evening defender. Which if he was being honest with himself, that was preferable than having Siu around him at night.

There was an odd magnetic like force that was always around her that drew his eyes to her figure. Which he swore was getting better by the day.

Hui was just as bad though in a different way.

“Understandable. It’s good for you to be present. The whispers, rumors, and belief in Ash Sheng is running at a high level right now,” Siu disclosed and then stood up, gently lifting the ferret up to her shoulder as she did so.

The golem moved across her shoulder and put one half of itself on the other shoulder. It’s body ran behind Siu’s neck. Then it laid down in a way that make it appear to be a round stone scarf somehow.

“Thank you again for Lee here,” Siu redirected, her hand coming up to lightly pet the golem’s head. “She’s exactly what I wanted. I didn’t expect to be able to provide it Qi and bind so directly with it.”

Ash nodded again. It’d been a simple way to make sure the golem obeyed it’s owner. For all the beasts that had lesser beast cores than those used for humans, he’d put a branding in them. That whoever gave them Qi first would be who they were bound to and would serve.

Not wanting to wait any longer, or more accurately be alone with Siu without something to distract himself, he moved to the door and opened it. It led him out to a small antechamber that’d been hurriedly built by the Brides. Inside the small room were two Brides. Both heads were turned toward him long before he’d gotten the door opened fully.

“Leaving,” he said and gestured to the door.

One of the Brides popped up and undid the security bar, then slid the heavy door open. Ash noted there was an odd marking at the collar of her uniform. He’d seen it on a few uniforms. Like Liu and Biyu, in fact.

Pausing, Ash looked from the marking up to the veiled Bride.

As soon as he’d focussed on her, he knew who she was.

After turning the city into a being, Ash was connected with it. Anyone that was part of his momentum, and the city’s momentum, that was in the city he could feel.

Which meant he could feel this Bride standing before him.

He knew beyond a doubt it was the woman who’d been stabbed in the lung. There was a lingering feeling of medicinal use on her that would fade in a day or two, but it was something he could sense.

As well as the recently healed area, which was more of a dead give-away.

Do they get a little collar thing if they get wounded?

“Yes. It’s a different color if you’re the one who healed them, Rou’s the one who healed them, or if both of you did. Hers is white on the left, black on the right. She was healed by both of you,” Locke answered smoothly.

“You’re feeling better?” he asked, peering at the veil.

There was a flinch that almost imperceptible. He almost missed it in fact.

The Bride hesitated.

“The stab wound,” Ash said and reached out to tap the spot her armor had been penetrated. “It’s all better? Went and saw Rou?”

“Yes, Husband. Thank you for the concern. I’m well and recovered now,” she whispered. As soon as he heard the voice he knew it was her.

“Good, I’m glad to hear it. Alright,” Ash confirmed and then stepped out into the yard that surrounded the Sect main building. There were several smaller buildings as well as buildings being put up as well.

The grounds were rapidly changing.

Off to one side Hui, Moira, and Luan were working in groups of three to test would be recruits. They were confirming to see if they had a Dantian, any talent, or a skillset that could be utilized.

A sect needed many people, not just cultivators.

From merchants, to porters, to blacksmiths, to stable-hands. Many hands to make the work of everyone lighter.

Or so Ash believed.

“Look at that. I’ve never seen anything like it,” Siu remarked with a laugh. She was standing directly beside him. Around her was an unmistakable sexual attraction that Ash always felt whenever he got near her. Where Tan felt like magnets in opposition, Siu felt like he was being pulled in.

Into her “pink bubble” as he’d called it in his head.

If he was inside the range of that bubble, it was hard not to look at Siu. He’d caught himself staring at her several times when he’d moved about his workshop to get something from one of the shelves.

“What, people testing?” Ash asked, glancing over at her. He’d resolved himself in advance to make sure to not stare at her. “I mean, we tested at the old sect.”

“You only see this as testing?” Siu questioned with a purr to her voice. He could feel her eyes on him. It felt as if he were standing next to an oven. As if there were heat radiating toward him.

“I mean, that’s what’s happening. Everyone here is testing or watching,” Ash reconfirmed, motioning a hand over toward the audience.

“I think you’ve forgotten how austere testing was in the Jade Fist. That it was all incredibly stuffy, regulated, and put together with an eye to testing people in every way possible. Even how they conduct themselves while waiting,” Siu revealed, forcing Ash to reflect on that. “This is something more akin to some type of… city gathering? A social event? Party? Parade? You allowed vendors to set up and sell food and drink. There are people performing for tips.

“Everyone is casually wandering the Sect grounds, a place where most people would never be allowed to, all for the sake of inviting everyone in to test. You mentioned this would be a yearly thing as well.”

“I mean, yeah? A yearly invitational event would be ideal. That way we’re always bringing in more people,” Ash confirmed.

“A yearly party like event where everyone is given the chance to participate. Even if only as an audience member. Please tell me any sect you’ve ever heard of that behaves like that. Because I know I haven’t,” Siu continued. Then she laughed and Ash felt a delicate set of fingers touch his back. “I should be clear about this. I find it fascinating and delightful that you’re doing this. You’re quite literally doing everything that I had wished for as a young woman in a sect so far. Everything that I wanted my aunt to force upon the Jade Fist. This is wondrous and I’m glad to be a part of it.”

Ash shrugged his shoulders. It didn’t feel like he was doing anything out of the ordinary to him. This felt like a perfectly logical step.

“I’m also glad that you’re having the golems be responsible for enforcing laws and justice. People are far too tempted to not enforce a punishment. The golems seem entirely unwilling to let the codex be bent,” Siu whispered, her words taking on a different meaning for him as he knew her past.

“It’s why I spent so long on punishments. I needed to make sure they all fit the crimes since they’d be adjudicated without mercy,” Ash pitched in then started moving. He wanted to walk around and see what was going on.

Before he’d gotten three steps, he felt Biyu, Shu, and Lifen slide in around him along with Siu. He hadn’t noticed the latter signal the former but it was clear they’d realized he was moving about.

He’d made it all of five or six steps before there was a shifting in the momentum of the city. If this had been his body, he would have taken it as an errant fluctuation of Qi.

Looking to the gates of the sect, which was where he felt the disturbance, Ash saw the reason immediately.

The city-lord had arrived with a group of body guards. With him was his wife, who was being accompanied by Song. The two were in a rather deep discussion it looked like as they walked.

Kyle had the look of a man that was pleased with what he saw and was surprised. His head was turning every which way as he began walking into the sect.

Just as everyone else had.

“Sure as hell didn’t see the sect lord and the city’s governor wandering around during the sect test,” Siu pointed out with a warm and soft chuckle, directly at his side. The Pink Bubble’s influence had seemingly shrunk and wasn’t as strong. It was also seemingly focused around him exclusively.

Kyle spotted Ash, his smile surprisingly grew wider, and he started heading his way.

Ash had barely made it to where Tan was standing in an open area talking about what’d happened to him openly. He’d become an attraction all it’s own.

“Lord Ash!” Kyle said loudly and with actual good-will. “It’s good to see you!”

Everyone nearby had turned around to look as soon as the city-lord had spoken. His volume as well as his words had created an effect like a lightning bolt.

Stares were all directed at Ash now.

Though he did notice a few men had turned their gaze from him to Siu. He was thankful for that. It meant he wasn’t alone in being distracted by her.

“City-lord! Its a pleasant surprise to see you and I’m glad you’re here. I know I sent you an invite, but I wasn’t sure you’d have the ability or time to be able to visit,” Ash said with a smile and offering a citizen’s bow to the city-lord out of respect.

One organ must work in concert with another. That is part and parcel to being part of Wahst. Even if I have more important than his, he also serves a meaningful purpose.

This is no different than what was happening in my own realm. If the realm-lord and the king work in concert, it comes out better for everyone.

Kyle’s smile widened and he closed in on Ash. He performed a cultivator’s salute in return to Ash.

“I’ll be honest. I wasn’t sure I could make it. To my great surprise, my wife had involved herself to such an extent, that my calendar had been forcibly cleared,” Kyle said, coming to stand next to Ash. He then looked to Tan and stared openly.

To be fair, the young man was incredibly eye catching with his hatch-work of scars that had a strange dullness to them. Not to mention he’d grown up to a rather large height, filled out muscularly, and looked as if he could go toe-to-toe with most anyone.

A distant call from the young man running around the Gutter.

“Well, I’m glad you’re here. This’ll be a turning point for the city. You being here helps endorse the changes we’re trying to make,” Ash stated as Kyle came to stand next to him.

“I mean… did I have a choice?” Kyle asked in a subdued voice, glancing over at Ash.

“I… yes? You didn’t object to anything. Nor did you voice any concerns,” Ash replied immediately. He was now concerned Kyle had the wrong idea here.

Kyle watched him for several seconds before snorting and shaking his head.

“Nevermind. I’m just being a paranoid fool. Your predecessor had me running in circles and did his best to gaslight me at every turn. You being as straight with me, as kind as you are, if anything is making it somewhat harder for me to gauge this all,” Kyle confessed with a long sigh. “Don’t change anything you’re doing. I’ll adapt. I just have to… have to unwind my mind first. I’ll get there.”

Great. Another damaged person.

Hopefully he’s less like Hui and can adapt quicker. I don’t need someone clinging on to me for absolute guidance and direction.

“In her defense, she doesn’t actually do that. You just think she does,” Locke replied gruffly. “Hui has come a very long way in a very short time. I expect you to be kind to her when she comes over later. I’m sure she’ll want to spend time with you but won’t know how to go about it. Do you understane me, Ashley Sheng?”

Yes, Locke Sheng. I understand you, my wife. I’ll be nice to Hui.

I’ll even take her to get a golem. Any suggestions?

“Oh. Uhm… ah… I didn’t think you’d agree so easily if I’m being honest.”

You’re my wife. Your input sounds valid and likely has a better view point of Hui than I do. I’m probably too close.

Why wouldn’t I trust you?

Now… golem?

“Anything cute. Or related to life or death. She’s quite enamored with her Qi. Maybe one of the Owls?” Locke answered timidly. “I didn’t… I mean, I know you trust me, I just… you usually resist me.”

No reason to. I know my sweet little honey bunch just wants whats best for us.

Because what’s good for me, is good for you.

That and you say the cutest things during pillow talk.

Locke went silent.

“It’s fine. I get it. I really do mean you no harm. Or the city for that matter. I wouldn’t have done what I have so far if I did, you know,” Ash answered, trying to be direct and forthright. “It would’ve been easier just to take what I wanted, wouldn’t it?”

Kyle blinked, watched Tan without saying anything for several seconds, then took in a short and choppy breath.

“You’re right! You’re right. There really is no reason at all to do anything that you’ve done, just to betray me, unless you were pure evil. From what I’ve seen, you’re the furthest thing from it,” Kyle admitted. “Though I did get a rather heated and nasty letter about what you did to a number of influential people’s children.

“I was rather… pleased… to read the letter, if I’m being honest. Their children had been causing problems for quite a while. I hadn’t been able to act on it as the previous Hand favored their group. Recruited from them. Made it harder to do anything. Then you took care of it.”

“Oh I took care of it. I told them that if anything at all goes sideways with their families in the future, I’d just kill them all,” Ash deadpanned. “They weren’t needed as people in our city. I did my best to encourage them to just… leave.”

“They did. They all left. Packed up and moved off. I received reports that most died though. Between cities. While migrating,” Kyle revealed. “Looks like they ran afoul of the worst of the worst of the ruins. However terrible we might think of our own criminals, there’s a terrifying truth that there are worse in the ruins.”

Ash was surprised to hear that. He hadn’t realized they’d all left, or that they died.

He didn’t care if they died, though he’d had a few concerns about them living. This made things easier for him.

“Along with the reports were messengers. There’s going to be a city-lord meeting. I would very much like for you to be there,” Kyle reported, looking over to Ash. “If we’re going to be treating one another as co-rulers, I’d prefer it if you came with me. Many things are often determined in these discussion. Many things.”

“Oh? Well… thank you for inviting me, I’ll be pleased to come along,” Ash answered. “Any limits on my party size?”

“Five, honestly. Six at most. Being cultivators you’re… different than the regular attendees. When cultivators do attend, thats the numbers they come in,” answered Kyle.

“Six… alright. Six. I can make that work,” Ash confirmed.

Locke, darling?

“Myself, Hui, Moira, Siu, Rou, and you,” Locke rattled off. “And yes, Siu. Don’t argue. She’ll be more useful than anyone else and she can leave the Brides to their duties here under Biyu. It’ll be a good opportunity for her to grow a bit.”

Ash nodded his head and considered that.

He glanced to the chains that led off into the distance beyond the city.

Ever draining Qi from the cultivator he’d run into in the open grass lands.

I wonder if he’ll be there. That’d be interesting.

We’d find out who was more than willing to attack Wahst like that. If they were willing to do it then, then they’d done it before or would do it again.

“How often do hunting teams go missing?” Ash asked, realizing they hadn’t inquired with the city-lord about it yet.

“Far too often,” he muttered with a sigh. “Far far too often. It’s not quite a death sentence to send someone out, but… no one leaves without writing a will.”

And there it is.

Well.

That’s done as far as I’m concerned. Brides and knight trainees will be going out for experience. I’ll have to get a few people trained up in medical and healing arts.

Can’t let Rou go into that sort of a situation.