There was a chorus of agreements. Some begrudging, some quick, some muttered.
But they all agreed.
“I’ll claim your position,” Tala growled ominously in the sudden silence.
“You’re welcome to try, Tala. I invite you to it,” Mei said with absolute sweetness in her voice. “Ah, there’s home. I’m glad to be back, Ashley. Let’s take a bath together, then plan dinner. Everyone else can take the day off for themselves. If you do drop by, Tala, please be sure to knock with a bit of force. We sleep rather deeply after we’re done.”
Not waiting for a response from anyone, Mei pulled Ash ahead a little quicker, moving straight toward his home.
“Have fun. I’m going to go see if I can’t bait these two together.”
***
Much to Mei’s word, the evening had gone exactly as she’d stated. Even to the part about falling asleep and not waking for anything.
If it hadn’t been for Locke shouting inside of his mind that there was a guest out behind the house, Ash’d likely still be asleep. Curled up in Mei’s arms and legs.
Shivering as he stepped out into the chill pre-dawn air, Ash looked around the area that would be his backyard.
“Not far off from the corner. Where the wheelbarrow is. Fairly certain it’s Master Li-Yong,” Locke prompted. “And I almost got them to pair up. Almost. The Dokkalfar backed out at the last second. I get the impression she hadn’t expected Tai to suddenly agree.”
Right, great. Go-go-matchmaker.
Blearily staring at the spot Locke had indicated, Ash stumbled over in that direction. He felt drained and exhausted and he definitely needed more sleep, but he needed information more right now.
He had no idea what was going on with the Sect. The idea of going to Gen had crossed his mind, but given that it sounded like Gen was also a target, Ash had decided it was best to lay low until contacted.
As he got closer, Master Li-Yong suddenly appeared. He was standing perfectly still. More or less exactly where Locke had said he would be.
“Master Li-Yong,” Ash said, putting his hands together and then bowing his head fractionally. “What can I do for you?”
Hesitating for a moment, the older master eventually put his hands together and bowed his head in return to Ash.
He looked like he wanted to ask a question, then he suddenly shook his head once.
“Master Gen is injured. We have him hidden away. He is safe, though he’ll be unable to assist with anything other than advising you through an intermediary,” Master Li-Yong said.
Ash froze, then shook his head briefly.
He must be in the hidden room in the library. I could always sneak over to see him.
“What can I prepare for him? List any medicine or artifact or—”
“He needs for nothing,” Li-Yong said with a soft chuckle. A smile spread across his face. “He used a number of medicines and ointments to cure the poison and close the wounds he received. And apparently all of those items he received from you. Which is directly responsible for saving his life. I was instructed to tell you that he needs nothing else at this time because your preparation has already saved him.”
“Oh. Alright. Good. Good,” said Ash, feeling like he was somehow not doing enough, however. “Uhm, what happened?”
“Exactly what you think happened, I imagine,” Li-Yong said with a shake of his head. “A number of masters spent a great deal of stones and gold to purchase thugs, poisons, and wandering cultivators to attack him.
“It is his determination and your medicine that kept him upright when by all accounts he should have fallen. Those who opposed him are all dead. The Inner Sect is already working to rapidly cut off any branches that could lead back to the trunk of their poisonous tree.”
“I understand. What am I expected to do in the meantime?” Ash asked. He was fairly certain, however, that the only instructions he’d be given would be to lay low, keep his head down, and work on his cultivation.
“Do nothing. This situation will correct itself once Master Gen recovers,” Master Li-Yong growled. “And then we’ll return to them tenfold what they’ve done.”
“I can do that. But I don’t—”
Ash froze mid-sentence. A strange feeling had overtaken him.
The only way his brain could perceive the feeling was as if a large rock had been over his head this entire time, and someone had just pulled it away. That blinding hot sunlight was now beaming down around him and he had nowhere to hide and nowhere to go.
There was a fleeting moment where he wondered if this might be how a bug feels, but the thought was lost in a flash as he distinctly felt a presence put its attention on him.
And it was a lot of attention. So much, in fact, that he really wanted to go inside his home, crawl under his bed, and simply hide.
Holding his head up, Ash somehow managed to keep his knees from buckling. There was a definite desire to lay down on the ground right there.
“Oh. Well, that’s going to complicate matters I imagine,” said Master Li-Yong. “It feels like a very strong one, too.”
“What-is-it?” Ash asked through clenched teeth. He was keeping himself upright through determination alone at this point, even as his body began to shake and tremble.
“Your tribulation. You’re on the cusp of becoming a Mortal Refiner,” explained the master. “Your body can no longer hold any more Qi, nor can your Dantian. Your Meridians are as expanded as they can be and you have nothing left to fill or refine. Your time to move to the next level is coming.”
“It-feels-alive,” said Ash, hoping the master would understand it was a question. Talking made it almost impossible to not bend over.
“I suppose in a way, it is,” murmured Li-Yong, coming over to stand near Ash. “It lives only to end your existence. A cultivator’s life threatens the very heavens. Should one reach high enough, they could become a one and true deity.”
Lifting his chin, Ash leaned into his Qi Sea and his Dantians, pulling on them to strengthen his resolve and his body.
There was a brief feeling of a struggling back and forth, between his desire and power to stay upright, and the demand of the tribulation for him to kneel.
With a sudden and sharp pop, the feeling went away, and Ash finally felt like he didn’t have the weight of the world bearing down on him.
Focusing on the situation around him, he found Master Li-Yong standing before him. He had one hand out above Ash’s head.
Panting, he tried to get his pounding heart under control. Ash felt as if his head was swimming.
“Do forgive me. Your tribulation wasn’t playing very fair. In fact, I’d almost wonder if someone hadn’t added power to it,” said the master with a grin. Then he lightly shook out his hand and let it fall to his side. Bits and fragments of what looked like shattered Qi fell away as he did so. “As your temporary master, I shall endeavor to make sure the playing field is level. I cannot solve your tribulation for you, however. You wouldn’t grow very well if I did.”
“Someone… added… power?” Ash got out in a couple of puffs.
“Well… I thought so at first, but… now that I felt it—” Master Li-Yong paused to look at his hand and ran his fingers back and forth across one another. “Maybe it was truly just that powerful. Maybe your tribulation is just that strong.”
“It is. You were warned not to go searching into your middle Dantian, yet you did anyway,” Locke muttered. “Now you’re just going to get hit by a lightning bolt and fall over, Chosen One.”
“I think that’s just its power, Master Li-Yong,” Ash mumbled, no longer feeling quite out of breath. “I’m afraid my middle Dantian is open and I’ve been exploring it.”
“Ahhhh. I see. It would appear we will need to begin training immediately while Gen recovers,” Master Li-Yong said with a slightly annoyed tone. “But this is fine. I believe I am more than up to the challenge of preparing you. After all, the only thing you have to do is survive. So… we will tra
in with the idea of me trying to kill you.”
“Ha… hahahahaha. Well, this should be interesting. Best of luck, Chosen One. I’m going to go back to my dolls,” Locke said with a dark chuckle.
“I… I see. Alright. I… yes. Training,” Ash said, looking at the older man.
“We’ll begin immediately,” Li-Yong said with a wide smile.
Then he promptly flashed a hand out and ran it home into the space directly in front of Ash’s stomach. Stopping only inches from actually striking him.
“First lesson, the tribulation will come quickly. You can expect to know when it will generally come, but not the precise moment,” Master Li-Yong said. Then he lightly pushed on Ash’s stomach with the flat of his palm. “I shall now attempt to strike you with what I believe to be the force of the tribulation. Prepare yourself.”
Moving into an offensive stance that made the hair on Ash’s neck stand on end, Master Li-Yong gave him a wide smile.
There was no malice to it. In fact, Ash would actually swear it had the edge of looking eager.
Locke!? Should I be worried?
“Hm? Oh, no. I imagine he’s never had an apprentice. Want to bet he’s looking forward to teaching you and—”
Li-Yong’s fist came out quickly, giving Ash only a second to deflect it away.
Twenty-Eight
Opening his eyes, Ash felt groggy but better.
After training with Li-Yong for the better part of the pre-dawn hours until the sun began to rise, he’d been left feeling drained and winded.
The master had forced several pills on him, told him to rest, and left with the sun’s rising. Ash had promptly sat down on the grass in front of his home and closed his eyes.
“Before you ask, it’s been about thirty minutes. A few people checked on you but realized you were just dozing. Mei already left, but she did give you a cute kiss on the temple,” Locke said. “I’m certain it didn’t start with love for her, but I’d say it definitely has gone there, Chosen One.”
Love.
Blinking slowly, Ash didn’t recoil at the thought of that word as he might have only a few months ago.
“I would say she’s quite fond of you, yes. Then again, you’re considerably different than what most cultivators would be,” Locke murmured. “You do have your own streak of violence and vindictiveness, but even then, it’s considerably less than others.”
Yeah, yeah.
I’m not vicious enough. Not talented enough. I’m a frog at the bottom of a well.
“It may be true that your talent isn’t top-notch compared to Chunhua, but that doesn’t mean anything,” Locke argued. “Talent only affects how long it’ll take someone to reach a point with a finite amount of training. Past a certain point, it’s no different than anyone else. There are those with amazing talent who will never amount to anything simply due to their own mindset.”
I mean… that makes sense.
“Even in your own alliance, there are those who have needs to be met before they can develop further, despite having amazing talent,” continued Locke. “You’ve provided them with a great deal, but that was only the beginning. They’re going to need more, and often, to keep pace with what they could be, rather than what they are.”
Wait, I do? Really?
“Of course. Did you think that giving them everything once was all they would need? They’re more like children or pets than a rock. They require continual assistance, not to simply be carved into shape once and then ignored,” Locke chided him.
Ash felt rather stupid all of a sudden. Locke’s commentary was accurate and on point. It wasn’t as if they would simply no longer need anything from him.
Frowning, he realized his rear end was somewhat numb. Shifting to one side he tried to get comfortable as he considered the situation.
“And speaking of things that you’ve overlooked, Moi—”
Moira landed with a soft pat directly in front of him.
She tilted her head to one side, then gave him a wide smile.
“Moira has been waiting for you to wake up,” Locke finished.
“Good morning,” Moira said in a soft voice, her wings shifting around on her back. Then she stood up and slowly strolled over to him.
“Morning, Moira,” Ash said, smiling up at her.
She hadn’t complained that Mei took up half of Ash’s nights as of late. In fact, she’d almost seemed rather satisfied with the situation.
A second later and Tala wandered out from around the corner of his home, looking as if she’d been dozing nearby herself.
“And Tala, of course. Na is just inside the house and will likely join you as soon as you leave,” Locke explained. “Those three are more or less your bodyguards at this point, it would seem. Though Chunhua does often add herself as well, I suppose.”
Turning his head, he looked at Tala.
“Good morning to your elegant self,” Ash said with a smirk.
Tala’s eyes focused on him as she closed in, then she snorted.
“Yes. You will assist my elegant self with a bath tonight. Then we shall discuss me being ready to move forward,” Tala said, coming to a stop in front of him and putting her hands on her hips. “Moira has chastised me enough for not fulfilling my role as her partner and your should-be lover.”
Raising his eyebrows at that, Ash decided he wasn’t going to comment on it.
“When I collect you t—”
The front door to his home was opened fast and with some force. Na stood in the doorway.
“That isn’t possible,” Na said simply. “Ash has other commitments this evening that he’ll need to take care of. Mistress Sheng has requested that he host a celebratory feast in honor of our victory.”
The argument that had formed on Tala’s lips the moment Na had disagreed seemed to evaporate after she heard the full explanation.
“That is… that is a fair and right expectation. Then it’ll be tomorrow, Ashley Sheng, that I’ll collect you,” Tala said, once more addressing Ash. “And we shall enjoy one another, and you will know just how rare my elegant self is.”
“Ah… tomorrow he’s likely going to be interviewing inductees. I would expect there to be a great many more who wish to join,” countered Na, “given that we returned with extremely few casualties. I’ve heard the other groups did not fare even a sixth as well as we did.”
“Know your place, Handmaiden,” Tala said with a chuckle. “I will—”
“Stop, Tala,” Ash said firmly, getting to his feet. “You will stop. You and Na may remain here to discuss the matter at length. You may both rejoin me later.”
Moving away from his home, Ash got onto Sheng Street proper and started to head down it. Away from the problem that he was the cause of.
Moira joined him a second after he made it to the road, her hopping gait matching him stride for stride without a word.
Seconds passed before he realized she wasn’t going to say anything. She’d let him be the one to broach the subject.
“I know,” Ash said finally.
Passing by what had once been the original intersection onto Sheng Street, he gave it a once-over.
The road was gone. Now it was just a wall that was as high as the buildings on either side of it. That meant the new road was finished and entering or exiting Sheng Street could only happen in one location.
“I need to make choices or the fighting will continue,” finished Ash. He knew that was the absolute truth of the situation. They were acting the way they were because they believed everything was still up for grabs. Until he finalized things, that’s how it would remain.
“That’s not quite true,” Moira murmured. “I myself care not for their squabbles because what we have is far beyond what they will ever understand.
“Tala will likely be the same given time. She has yet to comprehend it, however.”
Letting out a soft sigh, he couldn’t deny the validity of her statement. Moira, Tala, and he were bound for all time.
&nb
sp; “I can’t keep pushing Tala away, can I,” said Ash. It wasn’t so much of a question as it was a statement.
“Not really. She’s now determined that she wants more from you. You know she won’t stop, and it will only infuriate her if you reject her further,” Moira offered. Then her wing extended and curled around his shoulder and arm. “Don’t fret. We’ll always have one another, and I know you. Know your inner desires. That you just want to lead a simple life. To maybe be taken care of and to relax. To enjoy the world as it is and not push, and push, and push.”
Ash almost missed a step at those words.
She was right. He didn’t want to do what everyone else did.
What all the other cultivators wanted.
They wished to see themselves at the pinnacle and look down at everyone else.
He just wanted to live safely and quietly. Bothering no one and enjoying his life.
“Yeah,” Ash muttered.
“I’m afraid that really isn’t an option anymore. But I do promise you that you’ll at least enjoy your life, my Chosen One,” Locke commented. There was an odd pitch to his voice that caught Ash’s attention.
“Allow Tala her mental victory, have sex with her, and then come back to me,” Moira said, pulling at him with her wing and easing him closer to her side, throwing his thoughts right back into herself. Then she leaned down to lightly nibble at his ear and just behind it. She’d taken to grooming him like this at odd moments. A lot like how a bird would. “I’ll ease your burdens and your mind. Even if all it must be is talking.”
“Thanks, Moira,” Ash got out in a wheeze. It seemed at least one person understood him, even if everyone else around him thought him a Chosen One.
Sniffing once, Moira pushed her forehead against his jaw, then stood upright, her wing falling away from him.
“I’m sorry, Ashley,” Locke said in the quiet that followed. “I know you didn’t ask for this. And while I may not be the best companion, I do think you’re the best possible choice for what you must do. The Veils themselves will depend on us.”
Mentally wincing at that, Ash really wanted to go crawl into a ditch and sleep for a while. None of this was anything he wanted.
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