by Wong, Tao
As Wu Ying watched the man walk back to his new friends, he could not help but wonder what kind of ways Yu Kun had. Certainly, he seemed to be a store of interesting information. And watching him leave, Wu Ying could not help but consider that his life as a wandering cultivator seemed so free. And relaxed.
And dangerous.
***
The next morning, the group met at the Sect stables where the promised horses were already saddled for them. The stables were set just off the main roads, in an expansive courtyard settlement that also housed the outer sect members who had been relegated to taking care of this location. The entire thing was built from a mixture of wood, packed earth, and foundational pieces of stone, where the pervasive smell of hay and the stink of the animals permeated the structure.
Additional feed was added to the saddlebags placed across the backs of the horses, while each member of the party took additional food into their spirit rings. It was always better to have more supplies than only what their animals could carry. That was something all the expedition members could agree on—except Yu Kun.
That was because the cultivator had not shown up on time. As Fa Yuan stood around, tapping her foot impatiently, the man appeared, leading a pair of saddled horses. At their surprised looks, he pasted on another cocky grin, running a hand over his central strip of hair.
“I told you I had my ways,” Yu Kun said.
Wu Ying could not help but grin, striding over to the free animal and taking its reins from Yu Kun’s hands. Fa Yuan only glanced at Yu Kun, offering him a single nod of thanks before she gestured for the group to move out. Rather than ride the horses through town, they led them by their reins, the press of bodies on the cobbled streets too great to allow them passage easily.
Like most towns, the city was built along the north-south, east-west axis, with main gates located at each of these compass points. Excluding, of course, the harbor. A simple and slightly taller than head height set of walls contained the bustling civilization within, providing safety from brigands and demonic monsters in equal portion. As a small town, they had no need to raise the twenty-foot-tall walls large cities required.
Even though it was early morning, the residents of the town were awake and bustling from location to location. Housewives carrying baskets of fresh vegetables and meat. Street-side hawkers with their stalls offering fresh-made meals for those laborers in too much of a hurry or lacking wives or kitchens to cook their meals. Farmers arriving from nearby with their vegetables for sale, and fishermen with the rest of their dawn catch, desperate to sell their remnant fish before heading out to acquire more. And of course, alongside the streets were the merchants’ stalls with their front doors thrown open, seeking their first sale of the day.
Wu Ying was tempted, knowing that often, one could get an extremely good deal if one was early enough. No merchant wanted to lose their first potential customer of the day. Many believed that doing so would set their luck for the rest of the day. It was a superstition and religion; one occasionally backed by the showering of godly luck and had thus become entrenched among the populace and the merchants themselves.
Tempted as Wu Ying might be, Fa Yuan was not stopping, pulling her horse along and striding through the gaps in the crowd that were created for her. None dared crowd or hinder the passage of the Sect Elder, her robe announcing her presence. Amusingly, Wu Ying, in his dark brown and black hemp robes at the back of the line was crowded out more often, as the public regarded him as but a servant and treated him accordingly. Seeing Wu Ying’s difficulty, Yu Kun dropped back, striding alongside Wu Ying. Immediately, the crowd parted, giving the pair more space.
“Why not wear your sect robes?” Yu Kun asked.
“These are sturdier and less likely to be damaged, especially where we are going.”
“Did you not purchase the higher-quality robes?” Yu Kun frowned. “Even I have a couple of sets.”
Wu Ying could only shrug, not wanting to explain his current predicament and not knowing how to do so without going into too much detail. While not exactly shameful, it wasn’t exactly the kind of story he wanted to relate. Even after all this time, not having many contribution points seemed a little embarrassing.
Seeing that Wu Ying was not interested in discussing the matter, Yu Kun dropped the topic. Instead, they turned to discussing the passing goods—so much so that Wu Ying eventually made a brief stop to purchase wrapped steamed buns filled with chives, bean sprouts, and fresh onions, all accompanied by a small portion of roasted pork. He distributed the breakfasts among the group, receiving words of thanks, and in Tou Hei’s case, a joking complaint of the lack of significant meat products.
In short order, the expedition left town, only delayed briefly when the magistrate hurried out to greet and provide regrets at the declined invitation to dine with him. On the open road, they clambered onto their horses and rode. It would be at least a few days before it was time for the group to split off from the well-traveled passage between cities, so they made good time on the well-maintained paved road.
Time, on the horses, passed quickly amidst companionable conversations and moving cultivation. Tou Hei and Yu Kun both spoke with Fa Yuan and Wu Ying in great detail as they attempted to achieve the same level of comfort in cultivating on the move as Wu Ying and the Elder.
In the meantime, Lei Hui spent his time reading, going through the numerous books and recipes he had brought with him in his spirit ring. When asked to join the joint moving cultivation lessons, he indicated his lack of interest. He insisted quite sternly that his studies as an apothecarist were more suited to this kind of journey.
Wan Ming also declined, instead spending her time with her pipa, practicing while riding. It was, even to untrained ears, clear that Wan Ming was less conversant with this instrument than she was with the guzheng. The pipa was a four-stringed, pear-shaped wooden instrument with a graceful neck[14] from which Wan Ming would cajole classic and new symphonies to wile away their travel. Only the occasional missed beat or misplucked string marred the beauty of her efforts.
Of course, her playing had the tendency to attract Demon Beasts. Even scared away by Elder Yang’s aura, Wan Ming’s playing and the subtle tendrils of chi she imparted to each tune drew them close and overrode their fear. In this way, the team found themselves able to provide additional demon beast stones and meat for the pot.
As for Wu Ying, he split his attention between his cultivation exercises and the act of cultivation itself. He constantly churned the chi within his dantian, drawing in environmental, unaspected chi while rejecting other forms of chi and extending his own senses. The various animals that lived in the wild provided him with a new, extensive repertoire of smells, allowing him to progress that particular cultivation exercise at speed. In time, he even picked out the demon beasts as they crept close, lured by Wan Ming’s tunes.
All in all, the initial overland journey—stopping at rest houses, occasionally hunting and eating the food they brought or hunted—was idyllic. Until it was time to turn off the road, crossing near a stream that his informants had indicated to Wu Ying as the best location to begin their off-trail journey.
From here onward, as Wu Ying’s horse set foot on the land across the stream, the expedition would enter the wilds, braving the darkness within the untamed forest. No more would civilization be but a short ride away. In the wild, demon beasts and spirit beasts roamed.
Chapter 12
The initial portion of their off-trail journey into the wild was quiet. The forest around them was busy with undergrowth, the older trees killing off any secondary growth, leaving only bushes and low-level vegetation to clog up the ground. It forced their horses to trample through until they found an animal track. Oak, laurel, and schima trees rose from the forest ground, the evergreen vegetation shrouding them in shadows and floral scents.
Yu Kun had taken the lead, staying about twenty to thirty feet ahead of the group, allowing his horse to pick through the undergrowth and
around the dead falls littering the ground. The rest of the group spread out behind him in a roughly straight line, with only Elder Yang choosing to ride away from the main group. In the forest, most of the others had stopped their moving cultivation attempts as they watched for potential threats.
Wu Ying, on the other hand, was able to continue churning his chi, the act of cultivating on the move an almost unconscious action by now. He only stopped when he was actively cultivating, contemplating the Dao, or in the most desperate of fights. On top of all this though, Wu Ying made sure to practice the scent cultivation method passed on to him by Elder Cheng. If nothing else, he needed to gain familiarity with the overflowing scent of wood, earth, and metal chi that pervaded the forest.
As they traveled, no longer did Wang Min play her pipa, nor did the others indulge in casual conversation. While it was unlikely that any demonic beasts would attack a group so large and powerful, one never knew. Unfortunately, while demonic beasts were generally quite dumb and straightforward in their aggression, the spirit beasts that preyed on man often had the intelligence to lay traps. And worse, in the wilds were greater dangers than beasts – for occasionally, demons, true demons, lived.
Knowing that, the expedition members stayed silent and rode on. Under the cover of the looming trees, they listened to the sounds of the forest, the creak of old wood, the chirp of insects, and waited for their next challengers.
Days passed as the group traveled deeper and deeper into the forest. At first, the forest still held minor signs of civilization. The occasional mark of chopped wood, dropped coins, or discarded string and oiled paper. Even the unmistakable stench of human refuse. But soon enough, they left behind all such indicators of humanity as they journeyed deeper into the wilds.
In turn, more signs of wild animals appeared. Few of these signs indicated spirit beasts, most from mundane, unevolved creatures who started at the unexpected presence of humanity. The creatures were all wary, a certain sign that even this deep, the occasional hunter would make his way in.
It was nearly midday on the fourth day since they’d left the road when they met their first spirit beast. There had been indications beforehand that such creatures were within, but most had left long before the group had spotted them. This time, they spotted the creature from a distance through the dense foliage.
“It’s gorgeous,” Wang Min said as she gazed upon the spirit deer.
There was no doubt in any of the cultivators’ eyes that the lone creature was a spirit animal. Even to unaided senses, it blanketed them with a subtle pressure of its chi aura. It was a mixture of wood and earth chi, clearer and cleaner than anything they’d sensed in days.
In addition to its aura, the spirit deer itself was a beautiful specimen, standing five feet tall at its shoulders, with a brilliant white coat that glistened in the sunlight. Its eyes, when it turned to regard them, sparkled with uncommon intelligence, ears flicking as it chewed on a plant.
“I bet it’s good eating,” Yu Kun said.
“Yes…” Tou Hei replied, swallowing around saliva that had erupted from his mouth.
“We will not be hunting in here,” Fa Yuan said firmly. When the pair of cultivators shot her aggrieved looks, she explained. “The scent of newly spilled blood could attract more danger. Can you not sense the increased flow of ambient chi? We are not in civilized lands anymore.”
Her words made the greedy pair pause before reluctantly nodding. The demonic beasts they had met before they’d quickly dealt with, the unrelenting aggression engendered by the corrupted spirit cores leaving no space for peaceful coexistence. However, any demonic beast attracted to their kill this deep into the forest would be much stronger. And while they probably could handle such an attack, there was no reason to risk it.
“Anyway, it would be a shame to kill such a gorgeous creature,” Fa Yuan said.
Wu Ying could only nod in agreement, even if Tou Hei shot him an aggrieved look. After all, Wu Ying was not ruled by his stomach like his friend.
“Let’s get moving,” Wu Ying said. Putting action to words, he kicked his horse forward, continuing to lead the way through the dense undergrowth.
His action made the deer bound off, leaving in a flash of light that made Wu Ying doubt his friend could even kill it if the Elder had allowed him. All the creature left behind was a serene memory and a small tuft of hair that Wang Min plucked from a branch.
***
For all their concern about attack, the group managed to make their way to the marshlands without great difficulty. A few battles were had with roaming demonic beasts, the most notable being a group of mutated yellow hornets the size of a hand. The two score of creatures struck with little warning, coming late in the day as the evening fog rolled in as they neared the marsh. The expedition quickly dealt with the attack, Wang Min sending a burst of air chi through the sky that disrupted the initial attack before Tou Hei’s staff, burning with flames, crisped the wings of the monsters and left them easy prey for the rest of the team.
As the group came to the beginnings of the marsh, where water lapped against soggy ground, the expedition team finally slowed down. In the front, Wu Ying attempted to goad his mare into entering the marshland but found his ride balking.
“Do not bother, Ah Ying[15],” Fa Yuan called as she guided her horse to a drier section of ground. “They will not enter. Especially in such a place.” She leaned down, stroking the neck of her animal as she calmed the nervous stallion. “Though their nervousness likely indicates we might be in luck.”
“But the beasts…” Wu Ying waved his hand toward the marsh.
“We will have to wade in ourselves,” Fa Yuan said, eyes gleaming. “But we should pick a good spot to do so.”
“And the horses?” Tou Hei said with some concern.
“Someone will have to stay behind,” Fa Yuan said.
Lei Hui, who’d looked less than thrilled at the idea of having to wade through the knee-high muddy water, perked up at Fa Yuan’s words.
Wu Ying noticed that and, smiling slightly as he turned the horse about, said, “We should probably leave Lei Hui behind with the horses.”
Fa Yuan raised an elegant eyebrow at his words.
“We’ll not need his services immediately. And the rest of us have martial skills…” Wu Ying said, then winced. “Not that Lei Hui isn’t a fighter. He did well against the suiko.”
Lei Hui’s face grew darker the more Wu Ying tried to cover for his mistake. “I’ll go. I’m a good fighter. You should stay.”
“I didn’t mean it that way,” Wu Ying said.
“I’m sure,” Lei Hui growled.
“No, really, I think you did really well…”
While Wu Ying blathered on, Fa Yuan stared at the marsh. The burgeoning argument ground to a halt as they sensed the change in the ambient chi. A light floral scent drew Wu Ying’s attention to Fa Yuan, the scent growing stronger as her chi permeated the surroundings. Elder Yang pushed against the environment as she stretched her senses to the maximum. The floral, humid scent of fallen rain and fresh springs rose from his martial sister, almost smothering that of the marsh.
“How far is her spiritual sense range?” Tou Hei asked Wu Ying as he edged his horse over.
Wu Ying could only shrug. There were too many variables to know for certain, not unless she told him. And since she hadn’t, he could only use the estimates given by their teachers. At the Core stage, most practitioners could extend their spiritual sense to a few li, giving them an unparalleled ability compared to the almost blind Energy Storage cultivator’s tens of feet.
Then again, that number could change depending not only on the type of sensing exercises one studied, but also the environment. As Fa Yuan was a water practitioner, in the marshlands, she could borrow the ambient water chi to extend her senses even farther than usual.
In silence, the group watched the Core practitioner, trying to learn from her example, from the shifts in energy that surrounded her. Long minutes
passed before she finally turned to the group.
“We need to move farther east, but our prey is here,” she said.
“A Chan Chu?” Yu Kun said.
“Uncertain, but a large amphibious creature in the late Energy Storage stage. Perhaps even Core,” Fa Yuan replied, her brows creasing. “It hides within the mud and earth and shrouds its aura.”
Done with the conversation, she waved the group to follow the edge of the shore farther west, taking them along the marshland. The journey became slower, the horses forced to pick through the brambles and sodden ground, careful in the placement of their feet as Fa Yuan led the way. Occasionally, she sent a pulse of chi out to the surroundings, using her spiritual sense to keep track of where they were.
“Won’t you alert them doing that?” Wu Ying certainly sensed the shift in environmental chi every time she extended her senses, so the animals who had more powerful senses must do so too.
“It already knows we’re here,” Fa Yuan said. “But it will not act so long as we stay outside the marsh. Once we enter, we will have to be more careful.”
Wu Ying nodded, then watched as she glanced at the water again, her brow creasing. “Is there something wrong?”
“Maybe,” Fa Yuan replied truthfully, though she dropped her voice a little. “There’s… something else. Maybe.”
“Maybe?”
She shrugged. Wu Ying frowned, glancing back at his companions, who rode behind, and could not help but sigh. If she did not know—or would not say—there was nothing he could do but keep an eye on the surroundings.
Eventually, they reached a point in the marshlands that satisfied Fa Yuan. She gestured to the group to dismount, taking hold of her animal’s reins and handing them to Lei Hui. The apothecary had calmed down by this point and took the reins without complaint.