Cultivating Chaos 2

by William D. Arand

  “What do you think, Sect Leader Bao?”

  At that name, the entirety of the arena fell silent. Searching eyes and heads eventually all ended up facing one way. Standing over the corpse of Bartek was Bao Jade.

  Clicking his tongue, Bao looked up from the dead disciple and then slowly walked over to the fallen master.

  “This is the one who failed as a referee?” Bao asked in a soft voice.

  Peng’s face was white, stretched tightly, and appeared to be a forced mask of calm.

  That image was slightly ruined by the sweat popping up at the corners of his temples and trickling down the sides of his face.

  “Yes, Bao,” Gen said with a soft snort, holding out the master’s arm. “I thought about making a cane out of his arm, which is the price he paid for his ineptitude. On second thought, though, I find it to be poor material. Would you like it?”

  “No,” Bao said, looking at the arm. “Hang it as a trophy in the Inner Sect trophy hall. It can be a reminder to them that they should not overstep in places that they do not call home.”

  “Oh? Oh ho. Haha. Yes. I’ll do that, then,” Gen said, whipping the arm up over his shoulder like it was an everyday thing. “Peng here was just telling us that he thinks Ash should pay for his crimes, but he didn’t specify what crimes. I was wondering aloud if—”

  “I heard,” Bao said. His calm interruption of Gen didn’t seem to provoke the old master in the least. “I think Master Peng will be leaving.”

  “Ah… Sect Leader, the tournament is not over,” Peng offered up.

  “I forfeit immediately,” Jia said. “If that will send the Inner Sect home all the sooner, I gladly sacrifice my possibility of a victory in the finals. I forfeit. Here and now.”

  “Ah. So you see, the tournament is over,” said Bao Jade, turning to look toward Peng. Then he leaned in close, pressed his cheek to the other man’s, and whispered something to Peng.

  Nodding his head quickly once Bao Jade had stood back up, Peng turned and marched away. His group of masters fell in behind him.

  “You may all leave,” Bao Jade said, looking around at everyone nearby. Then he turned and looked at Ash. The corner of his mouth moved up slightly. “I think you may need to consider an alternative to moving into the Inner Sect eventually.”

  “No. That’s not a problem,” Gen said before Ash could respond.

  “Oh?” Bao asked, looking at Gen with a wide grin. “And why is that, old friend?”

  “When the time comes, I’ll just kill Peng and take his place as the Inner Sect master,” Gen explained. “Then we’ll just move Ash over. Alright. I’m going to go hang this up.”

  Giving the severed arm a waggle, Gen started to walk away.

  Master Zha looked rather concerned watching Gen as he left.

  Did you think you were bedding a tame old lion?

  You should reconsider your intentions.

  “Well, I suppose that means the tournament is your victory, Ashley Sheng,” Bao said, smiling at Ash. “Congratulations. Your opponent forfeited.”

  “Whatever,” Ash muttered.

  Jia sighed heavily from nearby, Mei still draped over her.

  “I am never going to get a real fight out of you,” Jia grumbled. “Never.”

  Ash shrugged as Rou began pulling at him, leading him away from the arena.

  ***

  Ash spent the next two days recovering in his bed. Rou practically slept in his bed with him, given how often she was there working at healing him.

  It unnerved Ash how dedicated she was to his well-being.

  He heard the door shut behind Rou as she left his home once again. Having come to check on him for the sixth time that day.

  “She’s just very grateful for you discovering her talent. It’s an opportunity for her to show off her progress to you in such a short time, and to also start paying you back,” Locke said. “You’ll remember we found her with very little in her possession, no allies, and likely to be lost to someone else’s desires. This isn’t a kind world, Chosen One.”

  Sighing, Ash could only agree. Sitting up in his bed, he decided he’d laid there long enough.

  Getting to his feet, he stood up.

  And promptly sat back down as the world around him swam.

  “Too quick. Try again in a few seconds. And activate your Battle Cultivation. That’ll help,” Locke offered.

  Ash nodded his head with his eyes closed. He’d felt sick watching the wall spin and try to crawl up into the ceiling.

  Waiting almost a full minute, he stood up again after switching on his Battle Cultivation.

  Leaving his bedroom, he found Moira and Tala sitting at the table. Both were staring at him as he exited.

  Stupid better-than-awesome hearing.

  “What,” Ash said, glaring at both of them.

  “Nothing. Though you stink,” Tala said, her nose scrunching up. “You smell like stale sweat and bedsheets.”

  Looking down at himself, Ash decided she was right.

  “Yeah, bath time. You can bathe me with your elegant self or find me a set of clothes,” Ash said.

  “I’m afraid that isn’t something you can do right now,” Moira said, even as Tala’s ears went stiff and the visible fur on her bristled. “You have a number of people waiting to speak with you outside. You need to see them first before you do anything else.”

  “I do?” Ash asked.

  “You do.”

  “You do,” Moira confirmed.

  Tala lifted her chin up, her teeth bared.

  “I will—”

  “Close your mouth and be gracious,” Moira said to Tala, not even looking at the other woman before returning to her conversation with Ash. “Go outside and speak with them, Ashley. I’ll see about getting a bath and some clothes for you. Send me into the ring. I think I can prepare things easier from there.”

  Oh.

  “Hm. That’s certainly better than what I was thinking. Especially since we know what she’ll want to do right after she’s done b—”

  SHUT UP.

  Not wanting to deal with Tala after Moira was gone, Ash simply reached out to his owner’s brand on both of them and flung them into the ring.

  Walking to the door, Ash opened it.

  Na was standing directly outside in a conversation with Mei. Just beyond the two, were a number of other women standing or sitting in the street. Most were engaged in conversation with those nearby, actively cultivating, or training.

  “Uh…” Ash said intelligently.

  “Master Sheng,” Na said, immediately bending at the waist to him.

  “Stop it. He said don’t do that,” Mei murmured, tapping Na in the chest with the back of her hand. “And hello. It’s the morning of the second day since you returned.”

  “I… I know,” Ash said, frowning. He’d kept track of the days and times.

  “Oh? Good. I’m glad to hear that. Rou wouldn’t say much and Na wasn’t letting anyone in. Not even me, your wife.”

  “You’re not his wife,” Na said, standing upright and looking daggers at Mei.

  “Hmph. How little you know,” Mei said, then closed the gap to Ash and hugged him gently. Returning the embrace, Ash couldn’t help but grin. He was glad to see Mei was up and about. She’d been through quite a bit in a short while and always surprised him with her resilience and determination.

  “I hear you killed him outright. Was it for me? Tell me it was for me,” she whispered into his ear, holding onto him.

  Well… it was and it wasn’t.

  It was more for everyone else.

  But…

  “I killed him for you. For what he did to you. He died in agony,” Ash said into Mei’s ear as quietly as he could, his eyes moving to Na who was standing not far away. Everyone in the line was watching this exchange as well.

  Mei shivered in his arms and then pulled at his tunic.

  Guessing her intention before she could act on it, Ash kissed her. Leaning into her and tilt
ing her head slightly backward.

  Seconds passed before he leaned away, breaking the kiss.

  “There,” he said, smiling at her. “Just like that?”

  Mei’s eyes slid open and she had a strange smile on her face. Her eyes were partly lidded.

  “Just like that, yes,” Mei murmured, one hand resting on his chest. “I’m… going to just go sit down in your house now. You do what you need to do.”

  Patting him lightly, Mei stepped away from him and almost tripped over herself. Walking up to the door, she let herself in and vanished.

  Looking back to Na, Ash took several steps toward her.

  Straightening her shoulders, Na clenched her hands together. Then she smoothed her features into neutrality as he got closer.

  “I… I don’t… I… I could—”

  “Could what? And what’s this line for?” Ash asked, stepping up to her. He gestured at the line with one hand.

  “Oh. Oh! Yes. The line is… this is everyone who wishes to join the Sheng Alliance. Those we captured, or those who are simply interested,” Na said.

  Ash frowned and looked down the line. It vanished at the turn in the road where house ten was, the line continuing.

  “Why are they all women?” Ash asked, looking back to Na.

  “I got rid of everyone who didn’t fit the rules,” Na admitted, nodding her head. “My understanding is Master Sheng only wishes for women to join.”

  There was a never-ending stream of deep guffawing laughter inside of his head.

  Laughter upon laughter upon laughter.

  I’m gonna fuck you over, somehow, someway, Locke. This is your fucking fault. You fucker.

  This is because of all your stupid women-only shenanigans!

  “Well, it’s not entirely me. I think Mei and Na helped. Oh, this is too much. Oh, oh, it’s too much. I can’t wait until Gen hears about this. He’s going to think it’s hilarious,” Locke said, bursting into laughter again.

  All along the line of women, floating just above their heads, were various colored indicators of their talent. The same markers that Ash had once seen for those he’d collected with Rou’s group.

  Almost everyone here had a color above their head. There were very few that weren’t above average in talent.

  There were even a few oranges scattered throughout.

  “I’m going to need more houses,” Ash muttered.

  “I’ve already assumed that would be the case. I’ve systematically challenged everyone up to house one hundred and kicked them out,” Na said. “We have the entirety of those houses ready. I also put in an order with Yue for beds. I think we should put two or three women per home for those not directly in your accepted harem.”

  “Accepted harem?” Ash asked.

  “Yes, Mei went ahead and—”

  “Whatever,” Ash muttered, interrupting her. “Whatever. Just… whatever. Okay. You. Come here.”

  Pointing at the first woman in line, Ash realized it was the one he’d personally beat and forced to naysay Mr. Stupid. She had a blue symbol above her head.

  Which meant she was worth keeping around.

  “I’ll get you a chair,” Na said, scurrying away.

  Sighing, Ash looked at the woman and held up his hands in a gesture of defeat.

  “Well?” he asked.

  “I wish to join the Sheng Alliance,” she said, bowing to him at the waist, then falling down into full prostration on the ground. “I would commit myself into your care, Master Sheng.”

  Fuck.

  Fourteen

  With a heavy angry sigh, Ash flicked a hand at a woman with a blue symbol over her head.

  “Fine, go away. I heard you already,” Ash growled.

  “Yes, but Master Sheng, I’m more than willing to—”

  “Yeah, I heard that part,” Ash said, interrupting her. “Na, take her and go throw her in a house or something. I don’t want to hear her talking about this anymore.”

  “Of course, Master Sheng,” Na murmured.

  Before the prostrated woman could say anything further, Na grabbed her, threw her physically over a shoulder, and began to literally carry her away.

  Leaning back in the chair Na had gotten for him, Ash felt wiped out.

  He’d spent the better part of the day more or less interviewing candidates to join the Sheng Alliance. The line was so long, he’d had to stop for his bath and a quick meal at one point before returning to the interviews.

  Anyone with a drive to prove themselves, who also had a character that’d fit in the alliance, was welcomed.

  Everyone else was sent away.

  Sitting there, Ash contemplated the ground in front of himself. There really wasn’t much more to be said or to do about the situation. It was over and done with, thankfully.

  Yawning, Ash lifted his hands up and ground his palms over his eyes. He still felt incredibly tired.

  “You were far more injured than you think,” Locke said. “Your precious little Healer did more than she will likely admit to, Chosen One. Be sure you reward her appropriately.

  “I would personally suggest spirit stones, pills, or herbs. While her cultivation abilities will always lack—borderline garbage really—there’s no reason to not provide for her.”

  Oh. Yeah.

  That makes sense. I suppose we could do that.

  Was it really that bad, though? I didn’t think it was that bad.

  “You had a leak. In your head. A very slow one but… you’d probably have died if it wasn’t for the pills Rou stuffed in your mouth or the healing she did, Chosen One,” Locke said. “Your little escapade in the adventures of moving faster than your body can handle did you no favors.”

  A leak?

  “A leak. Yes.”

  Uh… what do you mean by “a leak”? That’s vague enough that it’s rather annoying. Like… an aneurysm or something?

  “Don’t worry about it. Rou repaired it. Anyway. Now that you’re done with this, what are you going to do next? I imagine there are people in your inner circle who would like to see you,” Locke said.

  Yeah. I guess. Probably should check in with Master Gen and see what happened.

  He looked like he’d been dealing with something.

  “I would guess a fire—given the soot, damage to his lungs, and general ‘smoky’ smell about him, Chosen One,” Locke said.

  Levering his weary body up out of his chair, Ash let himself have a quiet moment.

  Where he contemplated everything that’d happened, without letting himself worry about the future and where he might be going.

  The thought that he’d likely declared war on the Inner Sect didn’t help his thoughts at all. Nor did it help him get his thoughts to line up in any serviceable way.

  “Gen it is then,” Ash muttered to himself.

  Not bothering to put the chair back, because he knew Na would take care of it on her own, Ash started to slowly walk toward the library.

  Moving at a much slower pace than he normally would, Ash was trying to take it easy. He wasn’t about to doubt Rou regarding the severity of his injuries.

  Nor was he going to doubt what Locke said, either.

  All of which added up to the fact that Ash wasn’t doing so well right now and needed to move a bit slower for a time.

  Walking past the place where he’d put up his “pumpkins”, Ash had to wonder who’d collected them.

  He personally didn’t care about the situation anymore. They’d long since paid their price for crossing his path.

  Moving into the newer section of Sheng Street, Ash was surprised to find that someone was working on what looked like a new road off to one side.

  A number of people were all digging through the grass while another group was stamping down the dirt. A third group, much further behind that, was laying down paving stones.

  The whole thing started from the point of entry and led far away from the original road.

  “Curious,” Ash murmured, watching the work.
/>
  You know anything?

  “No? How would I know anything? I admit I know more than you do. Often. And easily, Chosen One. But I’m afraid I’ve been locked in your bedroom just as you were,” Locke said.

  “Fat lot of good you’re worth then,” Ash mumbled aloud.

  “Master Sheng? Are you alright? Can I help?”

  Looking at the house he was passing, he realized it was one of the young women he’d allowed into the alliance not long ago.

  “Oh, no. Just wondering about the street they’re building,” Ash said, throwing a thumb at it even as he kept going.

  “I can answer that,” said the woman moving away from the front of her home. “Thank you for allowing me to join, by the way. I don’t even mind having roommates. It’s actually rather nice.”

  “Uh-huh,” Ash said, looking ahead again. “The road?”

  “Yes. The road. Mistresses Mei, Jia, and Yue paid to have a new road put in. It will start at the gate to the one hundred and higher homes,” said the woman. “All the land from here to there was purchased from the sect leader, the road paid for privately, and maintained for the next thirty years through private payments.”

  “And… you just happened to know all that?” Ash asked, giving the woman an odd look. That was rather specific knowledge.

  “It was included in the introduction we were given in our group,” said the woman. “Mistress Mei stated that she wanted everyone to know what was going on in the Alliance.”

  Given what happened with the Deng family, I think I can understand her desire there.

  “To put it mildly, Chosen One,” Locke said.

  “She gave introductions to everyone?” Ash asked.

  “Yes, while we were lined up. When we were waiting to speak with you,” explained the woman. “Whether or not we were to be inducted was yet to be seen, but I didn’t get the impression that any of what she said was a secret.”

  And that makes sense, too, given who she is. Keeping it all aboveboard and visible.

  Ash fell silent. He didn’t have anything else to ask or speak to, but he found it odd that they wanted the sect street to bypass them entirely.

  The only thing he could figure was they were trying to turn Sheng Street into a full-blown reality. Where the only people on it were those that were welcomed.