“Depends on their training and their Finesse score, I’m sure,” Alex quipped.
She solemnly shook her head. “No, Alex. Trust me. I would know.” She blushed fiercely, lowering her head, overcome by sudden shyness. “Maybe we shouldn’t practice together after all.”
Alex blinked, stunned. “I thought you wanted me to teach you a bit of Golden Realms?” He couldn’t hold back a mischievous grin. “And since I now find myself short a training dummy…”
She chuckled throatily in return. “If I wasn’t worried about picking up slivers of forbidden techniques along with whatever else you had to teach, I would gladly join you. But as it stands?” She winked. “I quite enjoy happy endings myself, so yours is one story I had best pass on, unless I want my own end to be a cautionary tale.”
“Fair enough,” Alex said with a smile. “And thank you, Liqin.”
Her eyes widened. “For what?”
“For giving me a moment’s reverie; for making me your exquisite shark fin stew.” He winked. “For keeping your friend’s secrets close.”
She grinned, soft lips caressing his own so fast, it was over in an eyeblink, just a memory of cherries and lemon mint tea. “Thank you for trusting me enough to share.” She swallowed, lowering her gaze. “And never judging me for my needs.”
He gave her shoulder a friendly squeeze. “I think most people have those needs. Folk around here just repress it, and it leaves them so bitter that their faces shrivel up like prunes. I mean, just look at all the self-important popinjays out there, scowling at the world as they try to move up the ranks, when what they really need to do is win the heart of a beautiful young woman like yourself.”
She grinned at that. “I think you’re right. Now I just have to find a man just like you who wants to win my heart and hasn’t lost themselves to a forbidden art.”
And then she was gone, between one eyeblink and the next, her wistful smile the last thing Alex recalled.
He chuckled softly at her departure and shook his head, sighing at the mess he had made as he sat himself down to an exquisite meal which thankfully had remained free of wooden splinters. And somehow, he was not surprised to see the mannequin beginning to reform itself by the time he had finished his meal, quite happily disobeying the laws of entropy as the splinters slid across the ground to exactly where they needed to be in order to reconstruct the mannequin, like a million interlocking wooden blocks snapping together under the light of the noonday sun spearing through the crystalline windows.
He sighed and shook his head. Maybe he had been a fool to reveal as much as he had, his only excuse being that there had been a purpose behind it, originally. He had come so close to asking her to dare the forbidden on his behalf, just knowing by the smitten look in her eyes—and perhaps thanks to a touch of Spirit Qi as well—that she would have said yes. Especially if he had gone so far as to imply that mastery of a certain forbidden tome hidden in the inner sanctum was all that was needed to break the bonds that demanded his abstinence. He had already gathered that Liqin was pretty much everyone’s friend, and if there was one girl that could wheedle, steal, or coax such a volume from normally stone-face sentinels, maybe promising them their favorite meals for a month, it would be her.
But one wrong move, a single misstep, and it could cost Liqin her life.
And that was one price Alex refused to pay.
He had always hated manipulative bastards in his previous life. He couldn’t stand the thought of becoming one now.
39
You have successfully Pierced Bronze-ranked Steel Ward! Cupped spear hand suffers 2 damage and no significant injury from hardwood mannequin.
You have successfully synergized internal technique with White Crane insights! Piercing Strike is now Rank 2!
Alex felt a fierce surge of exultation as his hardened fingertips struck wood at just the right angle to avoid injury, though they still stung with the force of his blow. Because the sheer rush of feeling his hand slip effortlessly past the mannequin’s wards was just as exhilarating as it had been when he had first blossomed as a cultivator. A far less powerful spear hand strike had pierced Master Liu Jian’s wards once, and only once, in all the time he had practiced, and only rarely in the time since, which meant he had never been able to get it past rank one, and had rarely dared use it at all when his life was on the line.
But now, finally, he understood what his former mentor had overlooked, as brilliant as he had been with so many other things; or perhaps Alex himself just hadn’t been ready to understand.
Piercing strike was more than a simple internal technique, though it relied on that as well. It was more than merely finding a way to slip through a barrier of Qi. It was about having the ability to shift aside those elemental currents by mastering Qi as a whole, embracing techniques that only a practitioner of White Crane or a similar martial discipline would know.
And after what had felt like hundreds of hours reliving the hard-fought struggles and brilliant triumphs of the author, his deadly techniques taken from the most brutal training grounds to the blood-soaked battlefields of five hundred years ago, Alex felt a profound connection to that ancient cultivator, a man who had hammered his philosophical meanderings into practical applications that only the most focused and well-rounded of warriors would ever attempt to master.
The warrior-sage never did find answers to the questions of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy that had so puzzled him, but he did manage to develop lethal techniques capable of piercing even a wujen’s wards. Techniques that Alex was more than happy to make his own.
Piercing Strike! Piercing Strike!
Over and over again, Alex sought to capture that moment of transcendent clarity his ancient teacher had embraced when fighting the deadliest of foes, subsuming the pain of throbbing, bloody fingertips as he continued to pummel the mannequin throughout the remainder of the day and deep into the wee hours of the night, reveling in those flashes of insight, fiercely determined to claim them as his own.
After so many months of frustrating struggle under his former beloved master, after so long being stonewalled from any advancement in any number of directions, Alex had finally torn free a desperately desired bit of knowledge from the bulwark of obstacles somehow always put before him, and he was determined to devour every scrap of insight that he could.
He did not sleep until he got the message that filled him with a fierce sense of vindication while pausing to allow his bloody fingers to heal yet again.
Congratulations! You have gained additional insights into the flow of Qi and how best to manipulate it for your own ends.
Piercing Strike is now Rank 3!
When Alex heard the faint tinkling of a bell pulling him from the next chapter of his reading, it was all he could do to hold back a surge of frustration, yanked from what had felt like yet another breakthrough. His eyes had widened as the second half of the tome began to explain the art of coaxing spiritual energy to flow around oneself, hinting at techniques that Alex and Liu Jian had both thought utterly beyond him.
But it seemed that at least some of what he had struggled so hard to master using internal spiritual energy alone needed the flow of external Qi as a whole to truly accomplish, almost impossible without at least being a Bronze-ranked cultivator.
Which he now finally was.
The bell rang a second time.
Alex clenched his jaw, took a deep breath, and effortlessly slipped into the role of frustrated, impatient scholar. “Yes, what is it? I’m in the middle of important research!”
“Forgive me, honored scholar,” said a smarmy voice that hardly sounded apologetic at all. “This humble librarian merely wanted to know if there was anything we could provide to make your studies that much easier?”
“No. Nothing except a single bowl of stew.”
“Morning stew is, of course, complimentary for someone of your rank. Now, are there any additional tomes, writing utensils, or cultivation pills we could provide for you? Ma
yhap your studies are at an impasse, and you require assistance of a… different sort? If a headache, sore back, or general malaise troubles you, I know a number of masseuses who would be grateful for the chance to assist the needs of someone as important as yourself. Just say the word, and for a modest gratuity…”
“I said, I’m fine!” Alex snapped as harshly as he dared, groaning inside as he recognized the arrogant huff of the man on the other side of the door.
“Very well, then. If you change your mind...”
“I won’t!”
“I am but a bellpull away.”
“Not nearly far enough!” Alex snapped, flashing a dark smile when he heard Guan’s harsh, bitter mumbling under his breath when he thought himself a safe distance from the door.
“Well, fuck, my least favorite person is babysitting me today.” Alex chuckled softly to himself, having lost absolutely all interest in returning the books he had no intention of reading, despite the added cost, eager only to avoid interacting with the staff as much as possible, so Guan wouldn’t even know he was there.
With a final shake of his head, Alex went back to his reading, for a time palpably recalling the sensation of streams of fire and daggers of ice missing him by inches as he forced the flow of Qi to part on either side of his person, those deadly attacks flowing right along with it, allowing him to escape certain death unscathed.
Before suddenly being wrenched free once more. He stifled an irritated sigh as yet another soft ring could be heard, instead carefully modulating his voice… “Yes?”
“It’s me,” Liqin stage-whisperd. “Open up, I have your food!”
A bemused Alex did just that, sensing no one but his friend beyond his door. His eyes widened with surprise at the veritable mountain of food she offered him.
“But this…”
She furrowed her pretty brows. “When I received neither breakfast nor lunch order from the Deep Silver Wing, I was concerned, since you’re the only person on this level right now. And since Guan is servicing all three Silver floors today, with occupancy being so light, I thought I should come check up on you.”
Alex smiled, more than a bit impressed. “Alright, now you’ve thrown me for a loop. How could you possibly know that…”
“That Guan despises you?” She chuckled softly. “Word gets around. Well, word that he got the best of a Ruidian the other day, and the only Ruidian so new to the school that he might fall for the tricks of an ass like him is you. Peng Jin already told me how much he despises Ruidians when she was venting about him weeks ago, so it all sort of clicked.”
Alex blinked. “You know Peng Jin?” He winced. Of course she did. She knew everyone.
She gave a mock pout. “Of course I do. I know everyone!” She chuckled softly. “And you wouldn’t believe the gossip I hear, being everyone’s friend.” She sighed heavily. “It’s a shame about Peng Jin, though.”
Alex felt a cold knot in the pit of his stomach. “What happened to Peng Jin?”
“She left,” Liqin said with a sad little shrug. “I overheard it when I was hand-delivering the head librarian his favorite breakfast. She was actually in tears, saying she had to take an extended leave for the sake of a daughter too long neglected, and she begged the head librarian to release her from her vows and declare her leaving in good standing.”
Alex swallowed. “I see. Is she… okay?”
“Oh, of course. He made her give an oath never to reveal the secrets she learned within these halls, but he assured her that her reputation and standing were intact. Between you and me? I don’t think he had any rebuttal the minute Peng Jin pulled the daughter-in-need card. I mean, how could you, without looking like the bad guy in any tale? And the way she sobbed and thanked him, he really didn’t have any choice but to give a grandfatherly nod and say that all was well. Then she left and he muttered something about flighty girls, then smiled and said “Not you, Liqin,” so naturally I joked and declared myself the flightiest of all, which made him laugh, which of course made that the perfect moment to leave, so I did.”
Alex chuckled at that. “Are you sure you don’t have any kitsune blood in your veins?”
She flashed a wicked smile. “I could tell you, but then I’d have to kiss you.”
“Fair enough.” His smile turned serious. “Liqin? I have a favor to ask you.”
“Ask away.”
Intent eyes peered into her own. As sweet as the satisfaction he felt after mastering at least a few of White Crane's deepest secrets, he was ready to take full advantage of his private study chambers.
It was finally time for him to ascend.
He glanced down at his tarnished brass ring, taking comfort in the refuge it promised, should it prove necessary. He just hoped it wouldn't. Not when this school still had so many secrets which he was desperate to unravel, prizes he was eager to claim, and a trial with a potential boon that included what might perhaps be the greatest gift Long Wang had ever given his son.
No. As desperate as he was to finally ascend one or more ranks, he'd be a fool to open any gates that an enemy might detect. Not unless it was absolutely necessary.
He smiled instead, gently clasping Liqin's hand, pretending he didn't sense her soft gasp and the fluttering of her heart. "I feel like I'm on the cusp of a breakthrough, beyond anything I’ve experienced so far. But to truly ascend, I fear I will need to rest and meditate without distraction for what might be days on end. Is there any way I can make sure no one disturbs me during that time?"
Liqin's soft brown eyes widened, though she chuckled softly. "Is that really all you need?"
Alex blinked. "Well... yes?"
A happily humming Liqin immediately rose, showcasing her sleek, athletic build in ways Alex knew were no accident as she flipped a silver lever to the right of his door. "This is a feature you'll only find on the Silver floors. When this is flipped, the red sigil makes it clear that the cultivator is not to be disturbed under any circumstances, unless the headmaster himself declares otherwise."
Alex whistled, surprised and pleased. "That's incredibly convenient. I wonder why no one explained it to me before. And Golds don't have the like?
Liqin favored him with an arch look. "Golds have personal attendants always at their beck and call. If their master wishes for absolute privacy, believe me, we will know. And on the off chance a royal or even imperial summons beckons them... a servant intimately connected to his or her master can best judge to what extent it's safe to interrupt. Their lives quite literally depend upon it. And that's something no red sigil can account for. As for the lever? No doubt they thought you already knew. And since you're playing the role of a researcher more than an aspirant seeking a breakthrough..."
Alex winced. "Yeah, you're right. I didn't even know enough to ask the question, and the librarians must have assumed I already knew the answer." He bowed his head. "Thank you, Liqin. Seriously. That helps a lot."
She positively beamed with the praise. "I'm always happy to help a friend. But before you lose yourself meditating for your breakthrough, how about I bring you up a few days’ worth of dried rations?"
Alex grinned. "That would be lovely."
And as good as her word, Liqin brought not just a couple days’ but a couple weeks’ worth of dried and salted beef, fish, and herb encrusted rice cakes, as well as having a couple rather large servants lug in several water barrels. Alex carefully said nothing, certain it must be unusual, but none of them acted like it was anything out of the ordinary.
Still, Alex made sure to slip them each a few credits with parting handclasps, earning several pleased smiles, most of all from Liqin.
"Thank you, Alex. A girl always likes knowing she's appreciated. And don't worry about the food. No one's going to miss those rations, so consider them on the house." She whispered the last, making him gasp when she nipped his ear right before disappearing in a cloud of jasmine perfume and mischievous laughter.
Alex couldn't help but grin fondly at the space where s
he had been standing just a heartbeat before, more certain than ever that there must be at least a trace of kitsune blood flowing through her veins.
Pushing all such thoughts out of mind, he finally embraced that which he had both hungered for and dreaded, lest a single mistake jeopardize absolutely everything he was working so hard to achieve.
A slow, deep breath, then another, filled his lungs as he made himself let go of the desperate pace with which he had been forced to live his life, embracing insight after insight, revelation after revelation, gaining desperately needed skills he had done his utmost to master.
All of that frenetic madness, he put aside, focusing only on the brilliant image of his own divine cords, now shimmering so brightly in his mind's eye. 1728 fibers of spiritual energy intertwined into cords so vast, only a cultivator with meridians the size of WiFu’s own could hope to encompass them, flashing with what could only be described as the brilliant fires of exploding supernovae and the absolute blackness of the void.
Tri-state cords encompassing all the potential of chaos and change in its most primal form.
Cords he felt himself sink into, understanding the pulse and flow of the nine elements they were comprised of, in addition to three more placeholders formed of the wild storm of Dark and Light Qi in constant flux, swirling together in perfect harmony, absolute creation and destruction conjoined in one terrible, absolute union.
A storm that only deepened as his mind delved ever further into the tri-state cords that now comprised his very soul. The four cords would eventually form a Divine Tier configuration, requiring only three more cords before his first Silver Cable could be formed.
Even as Alex watched as an observer, he simultaneously felt as if he was within each and every one of the countless fibers winding into the threads and strands that made up each of those degenerate matter cords.
Silver Fox & The Western Hero: Warrior’s Path Page 55