v3c52: What Can One Be But Themselves? (Patreon)

It had been a week, since Shen Yu’s arrival at the farm.

Shen Yu sat upon the roof of Jin’s house, staring out at the gentle, rolling hills. He had seen most members of Jin’s household come up here, at one point or another, and he had to admit that it was a good place to sit and meditate. It was at the intersection of the heavens and the Earth, the golden power welling up from below, and touching the air, while the Pure Yang Energy from the sun, and Pure Yin energy from the moon mixed and swirled like the taijitu.

Even now he could feel the pulsing heartbeat below his feet, as Qi began to rise in the air as the world began to exhale. He could almost see the shimmering Qi rising off the land, repairing, and growing in this Qi deprived void.

The little village had been an amusing place. Hong Xian was quite intelligent, for a mortal; he could see where little Meiling had received her wits from. The man knew what politicking was, and drove a hard bargain. A bargain that Shen Yu had only been too happy to accept.

As for the formation… in the end, Shen Yu decided to treat them like a sect. Their secrets were theirs, unless they wished to allow the forces of the Empire to use them freely. In that case… well. Who better to put in good word, to see that the mortals were rewarded properly? Hong Xian had requested leave to think on the matter, and Shen Yu had granted it. In anycase, he would call on Lu Ri to assemble a proper guard detail soon.

But what had been even more fascinating than the formation was that the Mortals had grown Lowly Spiritual Herbs. Mortals! Shen Yu remembered his time growing the damnable things. He had hated how delicate they were. And yet Meiling’s little brother came, and danced for the plants. The boy was still just a mortal with a burgeoning well of Qi, but as he moved, the Qi beneath the earth responded, growing the lowly Spiritual Herbs. They were of poor quality; but they existed. Their healing powers would be enough to cure nearly any mortal wound.

It was a bit strange, though, seeing such hard-earned knowledge spread so easily. Jin gave. He gave without hesitation, and Shen Yu found it slightly foolish. And yet, each and every person who could, gave their Qi to the ground.

Even Shen Yu had attempted to once, out of curiosity. He was met with a half-heard litany of curses and then had his Qi rebound back into his body.

It appeared that there was more to the process than he first thought.

He took a breath of the air, and exhaled it.

A week since his arrival, and three days since Hong Yaowu.

In that time… there had been more surprises.

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Shen Yu took part in what seemed to be a family gathering in the green house, attending to the Spiritual Herbs Jin grew. In comparison to Hong Yaowu, the difference was as vast as the difference between the Azure Hills and Raging Waterfall Gorge.

The Spiritual Herbs were vibrant and healthy, reaching for the sun and potted in soil as black as pitch. The leaves were covered with a thin film, an iridescent film that shone and sparkled like the finest jewels. They released a fine, nearly invisible scent that carried seven soft fragrances.

The finest Seven Fragrance Jewel herbs that Shen Yu had enchanted before this point had only a small sheen, and their fragrances were faint. Here, in the greenhouse it was positively heady, trying to stimulate his salivary glands. Shen Yu allowed a slight lapse in control, as he took a deep breath, remembering the delicious dish Jin had made with them.

“Meimei uses these ones for her medicine, and then Wa Shi gives them a good blast.” Jin explained, as he picked up a watering can, and added his Qi to it. He gestured to the thickest, and most robust leaves, looking more like the petals of succulents than the normally thin sprigs. They were filled with potent Qi, a draconic blessing, and the Qi of Chun Ke, producing a Spirit Herb far more vital than Shen Yu thought possible.

Shen Yu, beside him, concentrated on a plant that he pushed some of his Qi into, using the notes he had found in the library of the Cloudy Sword Sect.

“I never did say this before, but this is quite the technique, Jin.” Shen Yu would not say the formation was perfect, for nothing ever truly was, in his opinion. But it was still a masterpiece. It would, however, require intuition and extensive training for a lesser cultivator to use properly. There were many variables to be accounted for.

Shen Yu, of course, required but two attempts for a success.

“Yeah. it took forever in the library to get it right, and another month to get it actually working. But what can I say. I like gardening.” Jin replied, scratching his cheek, and flushing slightly, still not used to Shen Yu’s praise.

The old man turned his head away, careful not to show his grimace. Instead, he looked back around the room. Meiling sneezed as she worked, her babe tied to her back as she worked. To most cultivator women, their babes would be safely ensconced behind seals, and placed within Qi-rich chambers to hopefully fuel their cultivation.

Yet the air here was equal to those chambers. The child took in pure, sweet air, and the mist off the herbs, assimilating the Qi all around them with every breath.

Shen Yu envied the child, just a bit. The others were tending to their own herbs beside her, their own Qi mixing and blending into an interesting whole. Other herbs too were in here, as well as a gaggle of bees who had flown in through the open door. The little creatures were waggling their rears furiously. Shen Yu considered them. Were they perhaps awake too? Jin hadn’t mentioned anything, so they might not be—

Meiling sneezed again. “Jin! Your weird root thing is getting annoying!” Meiling complained.

Jin turned from his watering can, and sighed. “Sorry love.” Jin sighed, moving over to one of the tubs that Shen Yu hadn’t really considered. It had a bare stem sticking out of the dirt. Shen Yu hadn’t paid it much attention, for there were other, Qi less plants in the room. He focused his senses on it.

Its Qi was potent and fiery. At first he had just thought it residue from the rabbit, but no, its quality was far different.

He idly sorted through his memories for such a plant, then paused.

He didn’t recognise it. He, Shen Yu, did not recognise it.

“Jin. What is that?” Shen Yu demanded.

His grandson paused. “You know, I was actually gonna ask you that. I know it's safe, and fire aspected, but I don’t really get a name.”

Shen Yu stepped closer, examining the woody stem. It looked like a sapling.

“Hmm. we can perform a few tests, to find out how it can be used.” Shen Yu said, quite eager. He had memorized millions of plants, in the libraries of a thousand sects. Something new was always fascinating. It would use quite a bit of the Spirit Herb up, but it could be useful for cultivation—

“If I can find another one, maybe. But for now? I’m just going to let it grow.” Jin replied.

Shen Yu raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

“I’ve been taking care of it for two years now, and I think I’ll continue. If it's a tree, or just a pretty flower… I think I’ll be happy with it all the same.”

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Shen Yu took another breath, and let it out, smiling slightly at the thought of something he hadn’t seen.

He could see the merit in trying to preserve the stem. Honestly, he had let curiosity get the better of himself.

Cultivators lived so long, and yet were so impatient sometimes, and Jin seemed to wish to wait until he had found and grew another specimen, to see if he could get more later.

It was a long view. But Jin had gone into detail about the Spirit Herbs he was breeding and experimenting with.

Jin’s interests were not novel… but they also were not consumed with cultivation.

Very few of those on the farm were consumed with such things.Shen Yu had spoken to the humans, to see what they had desired to do with their lives.

Hong Meiling wished to advance medical knowledge.

Cai Xiulan had mentioned off hand about uniting the sects of the Azure Hills to Xianghua and Tigu.

Gou Ren had scrolls full of architecture.

Yun Ren, wishing to experience the world, and show it to everybody who would care to see it.

Xianghua had proclaimed that she would wipe the dishonour from her family name, which was the most understandable out of all of them.

But it was the mortal who had surprised Shen Yu the most.

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Shen Yu entered into the mortal’s workshop. It was neat and well organized. There were two half assembled seed drills, and a completed pill furnace.

Indeed, Liu Bowu was elbow deep in the guts of another, screwing something in, and turned around as he heard the door open.

The boy seemed surprised, but not fearful.

“Uh… can I help you?” Bowu asked after a moment.

Shen Yu considered the question as he kept looking around the room, approaching a schematic that looked familiar, but different.

“Hmmm. I have seen contraptions similar to these in the heartlands.” Shen Yu said, as he examined the depiction of a pill furnace being used to power a machine of reaping blades. “Of course, such things are normally the treasures of sects or the City’s rulers. How did you come to design such things, Liu Bowu?”

The boy paused at the question, before answering. “Big Bro Jin had some ideas and drawings, and said something about steam being able to move objects…and well, I went from there.” he answered.

Oh? Jin had had the idea? That was quite interesting, but Shen Yu had seen his grandson’s drawings. They were light on detail; these were fully flushed out with notes crammed into the margins.

But these distractions weren’t really his main goal. He turned his eyes back to Bowu.

“I hear that you are the Young Master of the Misty Lake Sect, and yet you are a mortal. Is it common, in these hills?”

The boy’s face tightened.

“No. Not even in the Azure Hills is it common.” Bowu replied. “My meridians are broken.”

“Oh?” Shen Yu stepped forwards, and placed his hand on the boy's shoulder… Before he grimaced at the state of Bowu’s pathways. To be able to improve but unwilling was a sin. To be born willing but unable due to heavens designs was a tragedy. “I’m afraid broken meridians is an understatement.” He said, without any emotion in his voice

Bowu took in a sharp breath. “Auntie Meimei says shes working on it… but the heavens have their plan. Us mortals just have to make the best of it.”

“I suppose that is not a bad way of looking at the world, when you lack the ability to change your circumstances.” Shen Yu mused. The boy knew his place in the world, which was natural, if a bit uninspired. “So, what are your plans for the future, young man.”

Liu Bowu looked at him, and smirked.

“Immortality.”

Shen Yu paused at the audacious statement, before letting off a chuckle. The mortal, out of all of them, saying immortality was his main goal? “Immortality?” he asked, and Liu Bowu shrugged.

“I may not ever be able to ascend to the heavens. I may never be able to live forever; But this?” Bowu tapped his notes and diagrams.“This is my path to immortality. My body may fade. But some things, like the works of the ancients? They last forever.”

Now that… that was interesting. Jade Armors required enormous amounts of resources to run and maintain. The worlds of the ancients were inscrutable.

A Pill Furnace powered harvester.

“The memories of mortals are short, Liu Bowu.” Shen Yu said after a moment.

“Then I just have to make something so amazing that they can’t forget me.” He replied, his mortal eyes were full of defiance.

Shen Yu… couldn’t help but approve.

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They all had their own ambitions; ambitions that they followed with all of their hearts. Even the mortal.

The humans however were only one half of the equation. The other half… had been far more confusing yet equally as intriguing.

When Shen Yu opened his eyes from his meditations, he looked down at the farm. The moon had risen, and he could see Bi De, and the rest of the disciples waiting for him.

“Those who call themselves Disciples of Jin Rou who has named himself Rou Jin.” he greeted.

“Honoured Grandfather.” The rooster replied, and the assembled Spirit Beasts bowed in greeting. Shen Yu had asked for this meeting. He had observed them all enough. Now, it was time to directly question these beasts.

“These past nights, we have spoken of cultivation; of the moon, and of the stars. Of the way you intend to be righteous. But tonight, I would pose a question to all of you. In all my years, I have not seen awakened animals such as yourselves. So I have pondered this question deeply. Bi De. Why do you and your fellows follow my grandson?”

The animals paused at the question, and muttered amongst themselves… but one by one, they went silent. Tigu looked like she wanted to say something, but in the end, she too went silent, and turned her head to Bi De.

The rooster nodded at the question, and stroked his wattles, standing slightly in front of the rest of the Spirit Beasts.

“At first we served him simply because he provided us with our home. We thought of him as a being akin to a god; He was wise beyond my comprehension, and generous with his gifts. We ate Spiritual Herbs, which I called the Heavenly Herbs at that time, and those improved us.” The rooster began slowly. “As we became more and more, he was no longer really a god, but he was still our Great Master. He imparted his wisdom into us. He treated us as if we were valuable, which as I have traveled the world I have come to understand is a rare thing. In other places, we could have been eaten or just killed; harvested for our parts by our ‘Master.’ ”

“But he did not. I do not think it ever occurred to him, even though we have brought him our own troubles. We were mouths to feed. We were students to teach. We caused Chaos and were clumsy beasts, stumbling around in the world. And yet he guided us all the same. He enlightened us. And yet as we were enlightened, as we understood more… we saw that he is not an all powerful, almighty God. He is, in the end, just a man. He has his own weaknesses and doubts. I have seen his anguish and torment over doing right by us, by all of us.”

“And that… that is why we follow. I would speak for each of us. All us beasts, when I say our Master is our father. He does not demand our obedience, or think of us as slaves. We would have accepted that. We all would do it in a moment, if he asked… and yet he never will.”

“That is why we follow him. He does not demand our obedience; we give it freely. We are not his slaves, for he taught us to live as we choose. He may be our God no longer. But he is still worthy of our devotion. This I believe.”

Shen Yu considered the rooster’s words. That, more than anything, proved that Bi De…. Bi De was truly intelligent. Truly… not just a chicken. He looked at the other beasts. All of them nodded their heads at the rooster’s words, as Shen Yu stroked his beard.

“Jin is your master and father. But then, I ask what all are you? What do you believe yourself to be? A son? A disciple? A servant?”

“I do believe that Brother Wa Shi and Sister Tigu say it the best.” the rooster said, turning to smile at his fellow disciples. ”Tigu is a girl, Young Master’s Daughter, a cultivator, and a cat. Wa Shi is a dragon and a carp. I too, am everything you have said I am. I am a son, a disciple, and a servant. We cannot be defined by any one single concept. In the end, all we are— are ourselves.”

Bi De turned back to Shen Yu. The words…. The words resonated with Shen Yu.

Indeed. What could a true man be but himself?

“Does the First Disciple speak for all of them?” Shen Yu asked.

Tigu scoffed. The dragon and boar snorted. The pig harrumphed. The rabbit glared, as the snake rolled his good eye. The Ox nodded his head slowly, and the monkey yawned and crossed his arms.

‘I can get you something, if you can’t hear properly.’ Ri Zu squeaked.

Shen Yu closed his eyes. Out of everything… this was the most novel. A rooster who would challenge the very heavens, for what lived on the earth.

“Bi De. You asked to learn from this Shen Yu, so that you may protect your Master and my Grandson. I shall accept this. You shall forthwith be a disciple of Shen Yu, as your Master before you. You shall see the world, and fight in battles beyond your imagination. You shall challenge heaven. What say you, Bi De?”

The rest of the disciples looked on at the rooster with concern.

“Whatever it takes, to defend my home.”

Shen Yu nodded solemnly.

“Then all your enemies in this world shall learn; Beware of Chicken.”

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Pushing that plot forwards. This one is a little scuffed, and may be revised later.

Sorry for the wait as well! we have now 6 chapters left before I take my break.