Chapter 112: This Young Master Isn't 'Friends'
That got attention. The air shifted with the sudden flaring of qi as the warriors pulled out their weapons. The black-eyed warrior locked onto Chen Haoran and finally revealed his cultivation level. Liquid Meridian Realm Third-Layer. Just as suddenly as it shifted, the air unnaturally stilled. A deadly tension hung over their heads.
"Please stay calm," Jiang Lei said to the warriors, as he raised his hands placatingly. He and Wang Xiao took several steps back. He shot Chen Haoran a consternated look. "Chen Haoran, what are you saying?"
He could hear the faint outrage in Jiang Lei's voice. Chen Haoran had to admire Jiang Lei's composure. It was what made him reliable in times of danger and, at the same time, so difficult to read. Wang Xiao was far beneath his Senior Brother in this regard, visibly purpling with anger. He had enough sense not to speak, at least. Had their positions been reversed, Wang Xiao would have no doubt let the situation come to blows immediately. Though, violence wasn't completely out of the equation just yet.
"Chen Haoran," Jiang Lei said. "I'm not sure what you're misunderstanding here, but it's not helping."
"Misunderstand what? That you wanted me to bring you to the Basin and use my friendship with Xie Jin to bring you inside?"
"That's not—"
"I'm sure you would have convinced me to come here eventually after you lowered my guard," Chen Haoran interrupted. He sighed. "If you didn't get greedy and rush me here, I might have even believed in you."
Jiang Lei pursed his lips and fell silent. It was all the confirmation Chen Haoran needed. He sighed again. He didn't even have the heart to enjoy being right.
Jiang Lei's talk of wanting to study his Harmonization had always been a crock of shit. A powerful Harmonization alone wasn't enough to want to become friends with someone you just met. It didn't warrant giving them valuable spirit stones on their first meeting. It wasn't more valuable than the wealth Chen Haoran carried on his body and openly showed. It certainly wasn't enough to make a Liquid Meridian Realm want to ingratiate a Qi Realm to them. Chen Haoran had done nothing and shown nothing to Jiang Lei during their first meeting to warrant a reaction like that. Jiang Lei didn't do it because of the Chen Family either. It was clear that Jiang Lei knew nothing about Chen Haoran, yet he wanted to be connected to him. There was only one possible answer.
Xie Jin.
Chen Haoran wasn't special, but he was traveling with someone who was. Shamans were a special existence in Zumulu, both valued and treated warily by the locals and the Empire. The abilities their Gu possessed made them dangerous and hard to deal with for the average cultivator. Xie Jin was not just a shaman; however, he was a Black Bone Shaman. Chen Haoran still wasn't sure what that distinction meant, but it was clear that the label was a significant one. If it was for his friendship with Xie Jin, then Jiang Lei's actions began to make sense.
Still, all that had just been a suspicion until Jiang Lei and Wang Xiao convinced him to seek safety in the Basin. Chen Haoran could recognize a good cop bad cop routine when he saw it. Jiang Lei and Wang Xiao wanted an in with the Black Bone tribe. They wanted Xie Jin to be that in, and Chen Haoran would be the bridge that connected them.
"Bastards," Xie Jin growled. His Gu dripped purple miasma that withered the ground where it fell. The Black Bone warriors were poised with promised violence.
"We do not mean any harm," Jiang Lei said. "I assure you we did not come here with ill intent."
"They're Peach River Swordsmen, apparently," Chen Haoran said.
It was like he threw a boulder into still water. The Black Bone warriors carefully controlled qi fluctuated in surprise. The black-eyed warrior stepped around Xie Jin and stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Chen Haoran.
"Impossible," Xie Jin whispered, wide-eyed.
Wang Xiao could hold it in no more. "Chen Haoran, you dare!" He pulled out his sword.
There was a screeching of steel as the warriors drew their weapons as one. The black-eyed warrior unsheathed a wicked-looking obsidian blade. Xie Jin's sleeves glowed purple. Phelps hissed.
Jiang reacted instantly and firmly pressed Wang Xiao's hand down. "Stop, you fool. You'll only make this worse."
"Don't stop me," Wang Xiao roared. "This bastard doesn't know the meaning of gratitude." He glared murder at Chen Haoran. "How dare you. How many times has my Senior Brother saved your life? Is this how you repay him, Chen Haoran!?"
Xie Jin lunged forward. "Bastard! See if I don't rip your mouth off!"
Chen Haoran's arm came up and blocked Xie Jin short at the same time Jiang Lei pulled Wang Xiao further back.
"Answer me! Chen Haoran!"
"Jiang Lei saved my life. I owe him," Chen Haoran answered. It was the simple truth. No matter what, without Jiang Lei, he would have died when the Shaman ambushed them. Maybe even died in the auction hall before that. Even so. He locked eyes with Jiang Lei. "It's a debt that I will repay, but it's mine alone. It's not for Xie Jin to be involved with. I won't let you do that."
Jiang Lei somberly stared back. "Chen Haoran, are we not friends? Will you not trust me?"
Connection: Negative
It was pointless to check. It wouldn't say Valid even if they were friends. Still, it was poetic, if nothing else. Chen Haoran slowly shook his head. "We were friends when I was weak. We're equals now. Don't speak of things that were never there."
Jiang Le's face fell, and a long, sad sigh escaped him. "Alas."
"I owe you a debt, Jiang Lei," Chen Haoran said. "Whatever it is you want to do here. Please turn back. I don't want to fight."
"That is not your decision to make, outsider," the black-eyed warrior spoke. "They bear the name of a dead sect and come with suspicious intentions. They must be detained."
"Let them leave, please. Fighting here will do no one good."
"This is our territory. Respectfully, we will be the one's deciding."
"Cousin Ren—" Xie Jin started to speak but hesitated.
Chen Haoran frowned. He didn't want to fight, in all honesty. Jiang Lei's peach blossom storm was still vivid in his mind. Should it come to a battle, then even nine against one Chen Haoran wouldn't expect it to be easy. Not just that… even if it was specifically to ingratiate himself to him, Jiang Lei still helped Chen Haoran quite a bit. Training with him, saving him from the Empire's sneak attack, putting out the fire burning him even while he was fighting. Chen Haoran hadn't been lying earlier when he said he would have believed in Jiang Lei if he just waited.
…no. He was already burned once being friends with a Liquid Meridian Realm. No reason to repeat that mistake. He pulled out a sliver of his sword, and white energy began to scratch the earth. Jiang Lei placed a hand on the pommel of his sword. Wang Xiao pulled out his own sword with a shriek of qi on metal.
"Let this matter end here," spoke a voice that came from every direction at once.
Chen Haoran felt his skin crawl as he wildly cast his sense out to find the source of the voice. Nothing. From where, then?
Phelps squealed.
Slowly, he raised his head and looked up. A man stood there, standing in the air unsupported as if it were ground. He was tanned, with short black hair and a large beard streaked with white and braided with small black bone ornaments. Over his black robes was a mantle of colorful bird feathers that shifted colors like a dozen chameleons. On both arms were black bone rings.
"Grandfather," Xie Jin called out in surprise.
Xie Jin's cousin Ren and the other warriors bowed their heads. "Grand Elder."
Chen Haoran reached out with his sense and couldn't feel any qi from the man. Despite that, by his casual appearance in the air, his realm was obvious.
Crystal Transformation.
Xie Jin's grandfather nodded at them and looked at Jiang Lei and Wang Xiao. "Peach River Swordsmen. To think it's been 400 years since I last saw your kind." He stroked his beard as he mused. "That old bat Xi Wangmu has worked hard, it seems."
Jiang Lei's composure slipped, and Chen Haoran, for once, saw him genuinely flustered. He and Wang Xiao quickly clasped their hands and bowed to Xie Jin's Grandfather. "I have seen Senior Xie Ling. Disciple Jiang Lei pays his respects."
"Disciple Wang Xiao pays his respects."
Chen Haoran quickly found himself to be the odd one out. Did he bow as well? Would it be awkward if he did? Xie Jin's grandfather was floating directly above him. Would it be a bad look if he got into a better position to bow?
"I wonder what brings you little ones to this old man's home."
Jiang Lei hesitated. "This… Senior…."
Xie Ling sighed. "Well, since it's been so long since an honorable sword of the Peach River has visited, I will hear you out."
Jiang Lei immediately brightened. "Thank you, Senior," he excitedly said.
"Not today, however," Xie Ling said. "Ren'er. Take these two and give them lodgings for the night."
"Yes, Grand Elder."
Chen Haoran relaxed now that the situation seemed to be settled. Whatever happened from this point on was out of his hands. His relaxation was short-lived, however, when Xie Ling's eyes drifted over to him.
Chen Haoran floundered for a moment before clasping his hands together and bowing. "Hello—" He quickly coughed. "This… junior has seen the Senior."
Xie Ling observed Chen Haoran for a single uncomfortable moment that felt like an eternity. Chen Haoran shivered. It was not pleasant to know you were under the eyes of someone stronger than you.
Finally satisfied with whatever he'd seen. Xie Ling nodded.
"You, come with me."
Chapter 113: This Young Master Gains Sanctuary
Xie Jin's home could be considered the end of the rainbow. End in the sense that the rainbows scattered by the last light of sunset died when they fell within the boundary of the village. Here alone the light separated by the prism-like leaves became whole once more. It was a startling bleak contrast compared to the colorful jungle surrounding it.
The village itself was a compact affair. Blocky houses of oily black stone pressed right against each other and ringed around the tall trees whose canopy obscured the village from above. It was the black stone that seemed responsible for the village's lack of rainbows. Chen Haoran could just barely make out a seven-colored outline dusting the corners and edges of the homes before disappearing. The houses lacked any sort of doors, looking more like little ring forts protecting the trees than a place people lived. Villagers climbed ladders to access the roofs and then disappeared down holes leading inside. Other villagers set up small fires on their roofs to cook, and more than once, an adult or child walked across the roofs with a basket of food to offer down to their neighbors.
These ring houses could be found around every tree. Jiang Lei and Wang Xiao were taken to one by Xie Jin's cousin Ren. Jiang Lei met Chen Haoran's gaze one final time before leaving. It was said that the eyes were the windows to the soul. If that were the case, then Jiang Lei's may as well have been tinted. He turned away, expressionless. It left Chen Haoran feeling complicated. He truly wouldn't have minded being friends with Jiang Lei if it weren't for the clear ulterior motives the man had. Perhaps he wasn't the only one?
"I still can't believe you're here," Xie Jin said, stirring him from his thoughts.
"You make it sound like I would never come here. What? Didn't want to give me a tour?"
An indescribable emotion flashed on Xie Jin's face and disappeared just as quickly. "I just didn't expect it to happen so soon."
"You should have brought him with you when you came back," Xie Jin's grandfather spoke.
Xie Ling had descended from the air and led the way. As they passed various homes, the people atop the roofs would stop what they were doing and pay their respects. Xie Ling smiled and waved, occasionally stopping and having a short conversation about foraging grounds and hunting with the cultivators.
"Easy for you to say," Xie Jin muttered. Before he could even finish the sentence, his sleeve bulged, and his arm, under a force not his own, rose to slap him in the head.
"Thank you," Xie Ling spoke without turning around.
"Whatever," Xie Jin said, rubbing his head. "Still to think those guys were Peach River Swordsmen, of all things."
"Can you explain what that is?" Chen Haoran asked. "I only know the name and that they're apparently extinct."
Xie Jin narrowed his eyes in the direction Jiang Lei went. "They should have been. They're a legend."
"Don't make things up just because you're too young to have experienced it," Xie Ling interrupted. "I've met plenty of Peach River Swordsmen in my day. If they're a legend, then what does that make me?"
"A fossil," Xie Jin quipped. His sleeve bulged, but this time he was ready and held it down with one hand. What he wasn't ready for was for his grandfather to turn around and slap him upside the head instead. "Damn geezer," he hissed through gritted teeth.
Chen Haoran smiled awkwardly at the by-play. It was tough to be relaxed in the presence of a stronger cultivator. Much less when you were reminded that they were over 400 years old. It was a mind-boggling number to ascribe to a single person. There were countries on Earth that weren't that old. Whole generations would be born, grow up, and pass in that time. Of course, the White Tyrant was even older, but seeing as how he was a ghost and, well… himself, it was easy to overlook.
"To answer your question," Xie Ling continued. "The Peach River Swordsmen represent the Peach River Sword Sect. It is a famous institution in Zumulu's history, and many of its students became notable figures in their own right."
"Not just notable," Xie Jin excitedly took over. "Peach River Swordsmen are a byword for honor and justice. Anywhere the Peachwine flowed was within their swords' reach. If a warrior proved himself, then he'd be allowed a sacred peach from their grove." He paused, then scowled. "I can't believe those bastards are Peach River Swordsmen, though."
"The Peach River Sword Sect is just another power like any other," Xie Ling gently chided. "They had their own goals that happened to help people, and it became such that continuing to do so was beneficial for them."
Xie Jin grunted. "Whatever. It didn't matter in the end. The Empire did the same to them as they did to all our pillars. I'm surprised there's enough inheritance left to train those posers."
"Oh, I'm sure it's a fascinating story," Xie Ling said. He brought them to the only building in the village that stood alone, built into the largest tree rather than around it. It was still constructed of the same oily black stone, but where the other homes were blocky, this one was rounded with flaring arches and wide steps leading to a simple reddish-brown door.
Xie Ling placed a hand on the door and looked back at Chen Haoran. "As I'm sure yours is."
He opened the door. What he thought was a home proved to be a temple of some sort. Or a throne room? Green silk patterned with silkworms and dragonflies hung from the ceiling. Smoke lazily drifted from two incense burners placed in the corners, filling the air with a deep, warm scent of amber and wood. At the end of the hall was a raised dais with two cushions set before it.
Atop the dais sat another Xie Ling.
Chen Haoran paused at the entryway and stared at both Xie Lings in confusion. The one waiting for them inside was a carbon copy of the one that led them here but had an unhealthy pallor to him. Even so, the more Chen Haoran looked at him, the more lifelike he seemed. The Xie Ling that they had been following, however, look more and more uncanny, like a perfect doppelganger that only revealed its imperfections when directly compared to the original. His thought was proven accurate when the Xie Ling he'd been speaking to melted into purple miasma. A small black snake slithered over to the seated Xie Ling and disappeared into his sleeve.
Xie Jin bumped his shoulder as he passed. "What are you waiting for?"
"I thought Gu had to be insects," Chen Haoran blurted out.
Xie Ling smiled. "Gu indeed have their origin in the unique insects of Zumulu. They can take many forms, however."
Xie Ling's voice had a noticeable rasp to it that hadn't been present in his avatar. Despite that there was a warmth to it that was completely lacking in his copy, no matter how kindly it spoke. It was… comforting.
Chen Haoran slowly walked up to the elder cultivator and clasped his hands in a bow. "Hello, sir."
Xie Ling nodded and motioned him to sit. "I am Xie Ling. Chief Shaman of the Onyx Arms and grandfather to that unruly whelp."
Xie Jin sneered.
Chen Haoran huffed a laugh. "My name is Chen Haoran. I was lucky enough to meet Xie Jin and become friends with him."
Xie Ling stroked his beard. "Chen? Like the pirates?"
"No sir, not like the pirates."
"Shame." Xie Ling even looked regretful as he said that. "Regardless, welcome to our humble home. While I have an idea as to why the Peach River children are here, I'd like to hear yours."
"Right," Xie Jin echoed. "What happened to settling in Daqing?"
Chen Haoran sheepishly smiled.
"How?" Xie Jin asked.
"Like I said, it was a series of unfortunate events."
"I was gone for a month."
"A lot can happen in a month."
"You—" Xie Jin massaged the bridge of his nose and sighed.
Admittedly, even over the course of a month, it was quite a lot.
He looked toward Xie Ling, who had remained silent throughout his entire recounting, and clasped his hands again. "I'd like to ask if you had any advice, sir."
Xie Ling stroked his beard in thought. Finally, he sighed. "It's a heavy request to shelter you here. While it is true the Empire doesn't approach the Basin lightly, it is not for lack of ability. Simply desire. Should those commanders decide it is worth the risk, then they will pursue you no matter what."
Chen Haoran's heart fell. Even though he only came here because of Jiang Lei, he still had some hope that Xie Jin's home would provide a solution to his issue. It was understandable, though. Who'd be willing to offend the Empire for someone they barely knew?
Xie Jin immediately threw himself to the floor. "Grandfather, please."
Chen Haoran was startled. "Xie Jin?"
Xie Ling watched his grandson but said nothing.
"Chen Haoran is a good man and a good friend. I beg of you, let him stay."
Xie Ling hummed. "So you say, but you are the only one who knows him, and not for very long at that. Compared to your friend, I consider the Peach River Swordsmen more trustworthy."
"I will take full responsibility," Xie Jin said, his head still bowed.
"There's no need to go this far," Chen Haoran said, placing a hand on Xie Jin's shoulder. "If you could just point me to a way to leave the region, I would be grateful."
Xie Ling waved him off. "If my grandson is asking me so earnestly, how could I, his grandfather, deny him?"
Chen Haoran and Xie Jin looked up in shock. Xie Ling smiled. "I do not know you, Chen Haoran, but from what I have seen, you are not someone who forgets his relationships. In troubled times a loyal man is worth more than a mountain of gold. You may stay here until your trouble has passed."
Chen Haoran held in his relieved sigh. "Thank you."
"Thank you, grandfather," Xie Jin excitedly said.
Xie Ling snorted. "Don't look too excited. You said you would take responsibility. Take Ren and Bao Si and go erase their tracks. No reason to let the jungle do all the work."
Xie Jin's face fell, but he still nodded. "Understood."
"So long as you do," Xie Ling said. "Go situate your friend and head out at first light."
Chen Haoran and Xie Jin rose and bowed to Xie Ling again before leaving the hall. Chen Haoran sighed in relief after the doors closed.
Xie Jin shook his head. "You better appreciate this, Brother Chen. I'm going to be doing a lot of extra work now with the last people I want to be around."
Chen Haoran clapped Xie Jin around the shoulders. "Brother Jin, you have no idea how grateful I am."
Xie Jin laughed. "I accept good alcohol as payment."
"I'll buy enough for you to swim in."
"Good. Much better than those other bastards." Xie Jin twisted his lips in distaste. "Who knows what they're up to by coming here?"
"Your grandfather seems to have an idea"
Xie Jin scoffed. "That geezer likes to pretend he knows everything just because he's old. He'll spit blood before he admits he doesn't know something."
Well, it wasn't like Chen Haoran didn't have his own ideas as to Jiang Lei's and Wang Xiao's purpose. "Well, I—"
"Some thoughts are best kept to oneself, child."
Chen Haoran shuddered as Xie Ling's voice seemed to whisper directly in his ear. When he turned around, however, the doors were still shut. Xie Jin continued speaking, heedless of the warning Chen Haoran just received.
He nodded for lack of any better response.
"Were you saying something, Brother Chen?"
"I think I need a drink."
Interlude: The Silkworm II
The first principle of a shaman is responsibility. Their duty is sacred, and their roles are many, from serving as the spiritual guides of the tribes and bringing prosperity to expelling poisonous insects from homes. A shaman is responsible for all that and more. The act of rearing and controlling Gu demanded no less.
Xie Jin kept reminding himself of this principle as he trawled through the jungle with Ren and Bao Si. He knew why his grandfather had assigned him to this task with these people, but that didn't mean he was pleased with it.
Chen Haoran had been left back at the village. While Xie Jin would have enjoyed his company, his presence would have just created more traces they'd have to erase. Xie Jin wasn't quite comfortable with leaving Chen Haoran alone while those Peach River bastards were still there, but there was no helping it. Grandfather wouldn't let anything happen anyway.
Xie Jin abruptly shook his head. Why did he have to worry about Brother Chen? He was a Liquid Meridian Realm now, while Xie Jin was still only on the Eighth-Layer of the Qi Realm. He knew Brother Chen had been near the peak of the Ninth-Layer before, but he'd only been in Zumulu for barely two months. What had he missed while he was gone? While Brother Chen had explained it, he wasn't a very good storyteller, and Xie Jin mourned the lack of details.
"Jin," Bao Si's melodic, poisonous voice drifted to his ears. "Why did you have to pull me away so quickly? I didn't even have the time to greet Chen Haoran."
"Grandfathers orders," Xie Jin tersely replied.
"Oh well. I'll meet him when we return. I have to repay him for the Moon Moth Silk after all."
"Don't play any tricks," Xie Jin warned.
Bao Si's infuriating giggle was the only answer he received.
Ren, who had been silently trailing behind them, suddenly spoke. "Cousin, what is the background of your friend?"
Xie Jin very nearly stumbled over a tree root. His relationship with Ren was, in some ways, an even more complicated issue than Bao Si's. Even so, he knew his taciturn cousin well enough to recognize how out of character such a question was for him. Ren didn't take interest in people. Period.
"He's from the Chen Family. He was living on his own when I first met him, though."
"Like the pirates?" Ren asked.
"I don't think so. I met him in Clearsprings, after all." Xie Jin narrowed his eyes. "You don't still think he's suspicious, do you?" A note of warning came into his tone. He'd vouched for Brother Chen. To doubt him was to doubt Xie Jin.
Ren shook his head. "When I sensed him, there was something staring back."
What? Xie Jin quickly recalled their meeting. Brother Chen's qi was vast and filled with vitality to his sense like he'd taken a piece of the Machu River and replaced his qi with it. His Gu felt it even more finely. Its instincts warning Xie Jin of the threatening aura lurking within the depths of his qi. He couldn't recall any sort of feeling of being watched, however. He didn't discount Ren's words; however, whatever his opinions, his cousin was a responsible and dutiful warrior. Perhaps it was something only a Liquid Meridian Realm could observe. While a Gu was finely tuned for tracking even the barest of traces, it did not mean their sensory abilities were superior overall to a cultivator's.
"How interesting," Bao Si cut in, her voice dripping with curiosity. "Your trip to Clearsprings seems to have been worth it since you came back with such a friend, Jin. We'd all dearly like to know how your trip around Zumulu turned into an adventure abroad. Tell us the story sometime."
Xie Jin grimaced. "Pick up the pace. We need to get this done before more scouts are sent."
His Beetle Gu and Bao Si's Centipede Gu quickly picked up on the path Brother Chen and the Peach River Bastards took. From there, it was simple to retrace their steps and erase all the tracks they left as they traveled. Not that there were that many left. For better or for worse, Xie Jin had to admit those Peach River bastards were pretty good at erasing their tracks. Just because there weren't many, however, didn't mean there were none. While the jungle did its part in obscuring the remainder, that only meant their Gu had to spend a moment to find traces rather than an instant.
Scent was the obvious one. Among all the beings between Heaven and Earth, it would be easier to list ones that didn't have some kind of smell. In this, a cultivator and a non-cultivator had no differences. One didn't even need a Gu to track something by smell. While Gu were the best at it, there were other spirit beasts and even cultivators who could do the same. This ubiquity also meant there were just as many ways to obscure those scents. In the spirit of thoroughness, they used both miasma and specially prepared herb satchels to erase and scatter any scent markers left behind.
Less obvious than scent and more damning to any cultivator who trying to flee from a shaman were the imprints of qi left in the wake of a cultivators passing. It wasn't an intentional thing a cultivator did. Qi was just such an omnipresent part of a cultivator's life that it was inevitable they'd release minuscule amounts of it as they went about their business. This qi would be absorbed back into the environment eventually, but until then, it would retain the unique identity of the cultivator. The means to track by way of qi imprints was rare, a skill belonging to special organisms and powerful techniques. Methods to avoid leaving those imprints were even rarer, belonging to the most advanced levels of stealth techniques. Gu possessed both.
The qi imprints left behind by Brother Chen and his group were already in the process of being absorbed into the environment. That bastard Wang Xiao's was already so faint that it was covered by Brother Chen's and Jiang Lei's imprints. As Liquid Meridians, they were greater in every way compared to a Qi Realm. This included the traces they left behind. For these traces, no amount of herb satchels would obscure them. Instead, as their Gu identified their locations, they would flash purple and devour the remnant qi on the spot.
In this way, they destroyed all the evidence of the direction Brother Chen escaped in until they finally reached the site where the Garrison ambushed Brother Chen. Xie Jin frowned as his Gu flew around and fed back what it observed. Fighting had a way of leaving echoes that existed for long after the battle itself was over, and that fact was in full force here. An atmosphere of peaches, dragons, and death pervaded. Fallen trees were cleanly cut and covered with a fine layer of sawdust. Gouges in the earth, no doubt left by Chen Haoran, were already sprouting with green plants. Xie Jin frowned as his Gu hovered over a spot dense with qi. He stood atop the yellow-bright spot that was clearly Brother Chen's. Around it was a peach-pink one that was clearly Jiang Lei. Around even that was death.
Xie Jin closed his eyes and sorted the information his Gu sent him. Thirteen Qi Realms, one Liquid Meridian, and one shaman. There was the spot Jiang Lei fought the shaman and Liquid Meridian. Over to the right, Wang Xiao's qi was heavily mixed with the enemies. Over to the left was Brother Chen's. Almost everywhere was a sharp white energy, Brother Chen's Harmonization. Comparing the intensity of qi made clear that Xie Jin was standing on the spot where Brother Chen became a Liquid Meridian Realm. Advancement in battle, even children's stories were careful about making up such a thing. It was insane by any standard, and yet he called the living proof of it, brother.
And I wasn't there to see it happen.
"I can't find any corpses, not even blood spatter," Bao Si said, wrinkling her nose. "Corpse Dissolving Solution."
Xie Jin frowned. Corpse Dissolving Solution wasn't easy to make or acquire. Merchants tended not to advertise that sort of thing. Using it effectively enough to obstruct a Gu also required experience. It wasn't something a person did first try.
"Those bastards get more and more suspicious," Xie Jin said.
"A Peach River Swordsmen using a murderer's methods." Bao Si smiled. "How ironic."
Xie Jin sneered. "I told you they weren't real swordsmen."
"Grandpa thinks they are," Bao Si said.
Xie Jin shook his head. Whatever they were, Jiang Lei and Wang Xiao were far from the Peach River Swordsmen of the stories. They weren't the noble swords that brought criminals to justice and defended the people from monsters and evil spirits. He couldn't find in their tricks the stalwart guardians that rallied to Princess Cicada's cause as she sang the song of revolution. Whatever remnant legacy of the Peach River Sword School that managed to escape the Empire's purge failed to preserve the spirit of their honored predecessors.
"It makes you think, though," Bao Si continued. "Even if they are a remnant. How could they cultivate? The Empire wouldn't allow their revival. I wonder who's supporting them."
A surge of wariness rose in Xie Jin's chest and gripped his heart. He pulled out a low-grade spirit stone from his bag. "When I first met them, they gave me a spirit stone."
Ren was by his side in a flash, and Xie Jin handed the stone to him. He turned it over in his hands and closely observed it. He handed it back to Xie Jin with a frown.
"This isn't cut to Imperial standards."
Bao Si's nonchalance faded away. "If they didn't get it through Imperial channels, then…"
She didn't finish. It wasn't necessary. The first thing the Empire had done after conquering Zumulu was appropriate every spirit stone mine in the region. Their monopoly over spirit stones was ironclad; violating it was one of the few things that would truly rouse the ire of the Emperor.
A solemn air shrouded them, and Xie Jin bit his lip. Illegal spirit stones. Peach River Swordsmen reappearing from the dust of history and seeking audience with his grandfather. It spelled trouble, and yet none of them could muster the courage to speak their thoughts aloud.
It was Ren who broke the silence. "Whatever happens, Elder Xie will be there to calm the waters. Let us finish our work here."
With that said Ren placed his hand on the ground, and the earth turned liquid. The gouges and overt damages quickly smoothed out and became natural. Bao Si directed her Centipede Gu to begin absorbing the qi imprints around them. Xie Jin sighed, cast aside his useless thoughts, and ordered his Gu to follow suit. The work proceeded without disruption until his Gu tried to devour the white metal qi of Chen Haoran's Harmonization.
Xie Jin frowned as he watched his Gu spit out the energy and transmit a feeling of rejection. Before he could do anything, the white qi folded over, cut itself in half, and disappeared. As if by some cue, the rest of the white qi did the same and vanished entirely to his Gu's senses.
"Brother Chen, what the fuck."
Xie Jin was finally struck with the realization that he knew far less about Chen Haoran than he would have perhaps liked. Just as soon as the thought came, he squashed it. Some things a Qi Realm couldn't ask, even if they were friends.
First Ren, then Bao Si, now Brother Chen. Xie Jin balled his hands into fists.
He was being left behind.
Thankfully an outlet to vent his frustration revealed itself. A Dragonfly Gu awkwardly flew into view. Or rather, two halves of it did. Seeing such a sight wasn't strange to Xie Jin. A Gu's unique physiology let them survive such extreme damage. The strange thing was why it hadn't healed.
His Gu passed on a feeling of familiar sharp qi.
"I've never seen such wounds on a Gu before," Ren noted.
"It must have lingered in the area after it realized it couldn't heal," Bao Si said. "How interesting. I really must lay down and speak with Chen Haoran."
"Get in line," Xie Jin said.
Bao Si smiled sweetly. "Go suck a snake's fangs, Jin."
Xie Jin snorted. "I'll take the left half. You take the right."
"What a gentleman."
As one, their Gu shot out. The Dragonfly Gu burst out with green miasma, but even if it were whole, it paled compared to true hunters. The Centipede Gu unnaturally extended and pierced through the miasma, clenched its mandibles through the right half's thorax, and ripped it away. The left half stumbled at the sudden separation and was brought to the ground by the Beetle Gu. A thick purple miasma quickly overwhelmed the Dragonfly Gu, and it released an unnatural scream as it was consumed.
The purple miasma collapsed and was absorbed by his Beetle Gu. A purple aurora flashed across its black carapace, and Xie Jin could feel thrumming satisfaction through their bond. His Gu slowly flew back over and spat a dense cloud of miasma over him. Xie Jin closed his eyes and breathed in. The miasma seeped through his skin and entered his meridians, where it was seamlessly absorbed by more gaseous purple qi. A storm was set off within his meridians as his qi expanded and touched an invisible ceiling.
Xie Jin breathed out.
The ceiling broke, and his qi spiked as it spilled over its prior limits.
Qi Realm Ninth-Layer.
Quiet clapping accompanied his rise. He opened his eyes and saw Bao Si had roped Ren into joining her clapping. Her Centipede Gu was draped over her shoulders, flashing purple.
Xie Jin rolled his eyes and raised his middle finger. "Back to work, you bastards."
Chapter 114: This Young Master And The Heaven-Rank
Chen Haoran stepped and paused. He stepped again and paused again. He waited.
And waited.
He began anew.
Step. Pause. Step. Pause. Wait.
Nothing.
Chen Haoran sighed. Back to the books it was. He had asked if there was a place to practice in privacy and was shown a place he was told Xie Jin personally used. Here the trees grew far enough apart to create a spacious clearing while their canopies grew wide enough to still cover the ground from view. He paced over to the light-dappled rock on which he'd set the Seven-Colored Steps of the Rainbow Stairs. Heaven-Rank was an apt name because trying to learn the technique was like staring into Heaven and hoping to spot an answer among the stars. He had initially thought he'd have an advantage in learning within the Basin. The whole place was covered with shifting rainbows, after all. Surely this place would be the ideal environment for visualizing rainbow-based movement.
Naturally, it was not that easy. Whatever he had done to comprehend the Scattering Petal Palm just wasn't clicking the same now that he was practicing a technique two whole levels above it. He re-read the relevant passage and turned back to the rainbows scattered across the ground. The sunlight dimmed, a passing cloud briefly obscuring the sun above, and the rainbows receded. Chen Haoran followed them.
Red Step of Good Fortune.
Nothing.
Chen Haoran sighed.
The First Step alone was already so difficult, and according to the book, each consecutive step would only add more complexity. It had been an ugly shock to realize just how beyond other techniques the Rainbow Stairs were. Unlike the Canyon Carving Sword and the Scattering Petal Palms, which were singular methods of attack, the Rainbow Stairs were best described as several interrelated techniques combined into one book. While they shared the same base, each Step held its own twist that was unlike any of the other seven.
At this time, he missed Lan Fen. In such a short period of time, she mastered three Heaven-Rank techniques. Given the White Tyrant's ego and power, there was no doubt they were top-of-the-line Heaven-Ranks as well. Now that he had one himself, he could appreciate just how monstrous her talent was to accomplish such a feat. If she were here, he had no doubt she'd get to the crux of the issue in an instant. She wasn't here, though. He was. By choice, at that. He would do this. He could do this. Come hell or high water. He would learn this technique.
Not that any of that mattered if he couldn't get over the hurdle of the First Step. He slowly breathed in and centered himself. The cloud passed, and the jungle bloomed with light once more. A wave of rainbows raced up one side of Chen Haoran and down the other in a long memorized pattern—Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Cyan, Blue, and Violet. Although, to be perfectly honest, the cyan looked more like indigo to him. He wasn't quite why the book called it cyan. Perhaps it was a local perspective? Either way, if the book called it cyan, then Chen Haoran would too if that made it easier to learn; and if it didn't, well… he'd cross that bridge later. For now, he just focused on the pattern.
Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Cyan, Blue, Violet.
Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Cyan, Blue, Violet.
Red—
Amorphous qi lunged toward Chen Haoran, and his liquid qi reflexively flooded out his body and covered him. He wasn't the target, however. He quickly leaped away and looked behind him. Xie Jin's Beetle Gu was there, sinking its mandibles into the air. Then the red spot of light moved, and a flat red bug was revealed where Chen Haoran's leg had been. The bug struggled desperately, but a quick burst of miasma saw it devoured.
"A Red Light Assassin bug," Xie Jin said as he stepped into the clearing. "It's a species unique to the Basin. If it's in red light, it might as well not exist, and its poison strips away all color from a person's eyes but red. It's one of the deadlier killers here."
"First, thank you," Chen Haoran calmly said. "Second, what the fuck."
Xie Jin shook his head. "No need to thank me. There are other protections that would have stopped it anyway once it got close. I just did it a bit earlier."
"Xie Jin, that thing was right next to my heel."
"As I was saying."
Chen Haoran shook his head in exasperation. Xie Jin was deliberately being a bastard, but he could appreciate him trying to divert his attention. The Red Light Assassin bug didn't appear that strong to his sense. The issue was it didn't appear to his sense at all. He cast his sense suspiciously across every single patch of red in the clearing, any number of them potentially containing another lurking predator.
"Don't worry too much about it. You won't find that many of them. Outside of red light, they're so fragile a stiff breeze could knock them over."
"I'm not worrying about them. I'm worrying about the crazy bastards who live next to them."
Xie Jin showed a toothy smile. "Would you believe me if I said the Basin is the safest it's ever been?"
"Not at all."
Xie Jin laughed, and Chen Haoran fought to keep the smile off his face.
"It's true, though," Xie Jin continued after. "What you see now is the result of generations of work to make the Basin a safer place. Back in the old days, people never came back out after entering."
"And your tribe figured that murder nest was free real estate?"
Xie Jin tilted his head in confusion. "Well, it wasn't a fake estate."
"That's not—" Chen Haoran sighed. "Oh, never mind. How did your trip go?"
Xie Jin waved his hand. "Without a hitch. Anyone trying to find you now won't, and anyone who tries will find themselves hunting for ghosts in the jungle." He frowned. "I heard those Peach River bastards left before I returned?"
Chen Haoran awkwardly smiled. Jiang Lei and Wang Xiao were brought to meet Xie Ling the same day Xie Jin left. Whatever was said in that meeting, he didn't know, but Jiang Lei and Wang Xiao didn't stay in the Basin after it ended and immediately left. It was the last Chen Haoran had seen of them. Jiang Lei, in the end, didn't speak to Chen Haoran or seek him out. It was comforting in a way. Worrying in another.
"They met your grandfather and left the same day," Chen Haoran said. "I don't suppose he's told what they wanted?"
Xie Jin scowled. "That geezer never tells me anything. Even Si can't get it from him."
Chen Haoran shrugged. "I guess we'll never know."
Xie Jin looked like he was about to say something but hesitated. Out of some reflex, he looked behind him as if to check for eavesdroppers and then leaned forward. "It was a good thing you got rid of the spirit stone they gave you."
A cold, creeping feeling of fear grasped Chen Haoran by the neck. He had fed the spirit stone to Phelps. He couldn't help but feel cold terror that he had given the sloth something dangerous. Reason quickly reasserted itself and slammed that fear back, however. If the spirit stone were bad, then Phelps would have already shown side effects. Moreover, while he didn't know him for long, he at least knew Jiang Lei well enough that he wouldn't have given them something faulty like that.
"What was wrong with it?" Chen Haoran whispered.
Xie Jin grimaced. "It's just suspicious. I'm sorry. I can't say more here."
Chen Haoran remembered Xie Ling's warning. He could commiserate.
"Well, enough about that," he said, forcing a smile to his face. He waved Xie Jin over to the book. "I've been trying to learn this technique, but I've been having trouble. Help me figure it out."
"And what if I learn it too?" Xie Jin puffed out his chest with pride as he walked over to the book. "I'm quite the genius, you know."
"Be my guest. Just make sure to teach me too."
Connection: Negative
Xie Jin picked up the book and lazily scanned it. "You'll have to kowtow nine times and call me master then— Chen Haoran!" Xie Jin's voice pitched so high it was like a squeal. "This is Heaven-Rank!"
"Yeah, so make like a genius and figure it out."
Two heads had to be better than one. Right?
Wrong. Two heads were not better than one. In fact, the addition of Xie Jin's head made it worse. If learning this technique was an equation, then Xie Jin's genius was an imaginary number. It just made things complex. No amount of exuberance on Xie Jin's part that Chen Haoran would so readily share with him a Heaven-Rank technique would change that fact. Though as Xie Jin ran off to get his books and theory scrolls to cross reference, he swore to figure it out. In the end, Chen Haoran gave it up as a bad deal and called it a day. He still had other things to train, like basic combat.
Having combat experience in the Qi Realm did not prepare a person to fight in the Liquid Meridian Realm. While Jiang Lei had been an asshole about it when he stalked him that night, he was right when he said that rising in strength opened up a world of advantages. Now Chen Haoran had to train to make use of the new advantages that came with being a Liquid Meridian Realm. If he still thought and fought like a Qi Realm, then someone as talented as Jiang Lei or Lan Fen would inevitably capitalize on that.
That meant he had to control the flood.
Song Yuelin hadn't been euphemistic when he called the Liquid Meridian Realm a walking flood. Liquid Qi surged through his meridians as if they'd sprung from a dam. It did this constantly, relentlessly. It pressed his meridians and expanded them to their fullest, enhanced them, then expanded them again. The only thing separating all this qi from rushing out and destroying everything in the surroundings at any given moment was a wall of meat and skin and an iron control imposed by his will. Even so, accidents could happen if he wasn't careful. For a Liquid Meridian alone, there was no doubt they'd have an accident eventually as their control slipped.
Good thing Chen Haoran wasn't alone.
The Yellow Dragon roared, and yellow liquid qi erupted from Chen Haoran before immediately condensing and surrounding him like armor. He tried moving, and the armor of liquid qi slipped from his grasp and expanded into a bubble. Chen Haoran transmitted his intentions to the Yellow Dragon and received a roar of agreement. The liquid qi condensed again. Chen Haoran brought his arm up and punched. The armor broke. Chen Haoran quickly slammed shut metaphorical flood barriers and cut off any more liquid qi from escaping. The remaining liquid qi outside his body spread out in all directions and scraped a layer of earth off the clearing before dissipating into the air.
The Yellow Dragon roared its grievance.
"There there," Chen Haoran soothed it. "Practice makes perfect."
If he needed evidence that the Yellow Dragon wasn't the spirit of the Machu River in full, then this would serve. He had a feeling if it was actually the Machu, it would have no trouble controlling his liquid qi. While it may have been born of the Machu, it wasn't the same. Still, the fact it was effectively another Liquid Meridian Realm within him was a gift so precious he didn't know how to ever repay it.
Gift….
He turned his gaze inward and looked at the Yellow Dragon.
Connection: Valid
He wasn't surprised, and yet at the same time, a surge of giddiness rose within him from seeing a Valid connection once again. Two slots. He had given up trying to figure out how to expand his Connections as fruitless. Now he knew how. So long as it wasn't a one-time fluke, then Chen Haoran could expect to get a new Connection slot with every major Realm he advanced. That was far in the future, however. Now he had to decide his next Connection.
"So this is where you'd hid yourself," a teasing voice called out.
Despite himself, Chen Haoran gulped.
"Hello, Bao Si."
Chapter 115: This Young Master and the Centipede Princess
Bao Si languidly waltzed into the clearing. She traded in her tight-fitting dress for a looser one of mossy green silk. A slit on one side revealed a toned and powerful leg. His Liquid Meridian enhanced sense of smell treacherously had him notice she smelled of flowers. Chen Haoran's eyes weren't deceived, however. Her gait was effortless, all liquid predator. So tightly controlled that it looped right back around into looking relaxed. Most people would see her and be fooled. Not him.
He knew a girl who moved the same way.
Chen Haoran nodded in greeting. "Good afternoon."
Bao Si smiled back. "Good afternoon, Chen Haoran."
Phelps squealed at her.
"Good afternoon to you, too," she said.
Her eyes raked over him, and Chen Haoran became uncomfortably aware of the fact that he was all sweaty and dirty from training. Even a Liquid Meridian Realm wasn't spared from Zumulu's humidity. Let alone the Basin's.
"Sorry, I'm a bit of a mess," he hurriedly said as he pulled out a towel from his storage bag.
"Don't apologize," Bao Si said. "So many cultivators decide to coast on their success once they enter the Liquid Meridian Realm and ruin their future. I admire how hardworking you are."
Chen Haoran blinked. "Oh, uh… thank you."
"Congratulations on your ascension to the Liquid Meridian Realm, by the way. Achieving it at such a young age is to be commended."
"Right. I, uh, appreciate it."
Chen Haoran wasn't ashamed to say Bao Si caught him flat-footed. He had an idea why she was here. In the end, the only interesting thing about him in Zumulu was Xie Jin. He couldn't exactly treat her like he did Jiang Lei, though. In fact, he didn't know how to treat her at all. Whatever was going on between her and Xie Jin was their business. He could only hope she wouldn't drag him into it.
He mentally apologized to Xie Jin for what he was about to do. "Brother Jin isn't here right now. I think he said he was going home."
Bao Si sniffed disdainfully. "He can do what he wants." She brushed her hair away, revealing the centipede tattoo crawling up her neck. "I'm here for you."
"Can I help you?"
"On the contrary. I'm here to help you."
"Excuse me?"
"You've yet to be given a tour of the village, no? As a shaman and representative of the tribe, it's my duty to guide you."
"You don't need to go that far. I can get Xie Jin to do it."
Bao Si raised a delicate eyebrow. "If Jin were going to do it, he wouldn't have left you here alone now, would he? How many days have you been here now? It's irresponsible that it's been put off this long."
Chen Haoran struggled to find a reply, and Bao Si capitalized on his moment of hesitation and threaded her arm through his.
"Allow me the honor? My home is beautiful." She fluttered her eyelashes. "It's people even more so. I want to show you everything."
In the end, Chen Haoran had nothing to say.
"Okay."
Just a tour should be fine.
It was not fine.
He had at least been able to beg for a quick stop at the lodgings he shared with Xie Jin to clean up and change clothes. Unfortunately, Xie Jin was nowhere to be found in his time of need. And so, Chen Haoran found himself given a tour of the village arm in arm with Bao Si.
At least Phelps seemed to be having a good time.
"The style of these homes is a holdover from the tribe's early days in the Basin," she said. "Extended families all live around the same tree. We've even given them names. The one you're living next to right now is called Proudtree."
"Any reason for the entrance being on the roof?" he asked.
"It's not an uncommon feature in Zumulu," Bao Si explained as they approached a ring house. "Particularly in tribes located in the Deep Jungle. The added difficulty helps keep out pests and predators. My people carried the tradition with them when they migrated to the Basin."
Bao Si grabbed the ladder and slowly climbed up. Chen Haoran quickly averted his eyes as he waited out the agonizing seconds.
"What are you waiting for," she called, her voice playful. "Come on up."
Chen Haoran bent his knees to jump but paused. It hadn't been that long since he advanced. He was 50/50 on whether this simple jump would either take him to the roof or the air. Out of a desire to minimize embarrassment, he chose the ladder. Despite this, Bao Si had a knowing smile on her face.
"Come here," she beckoned and brought him over to an open trap door.
Inside was a world of swirling fabric and wooden looms. Men and women fed bundles of gossamer silk in a variety of off-white and natural colors through looms and gossiped while creating fine threads out of it. When Chen Haoran leaned over, they looked up and sent a wave of greetings to Bao Si without pausing their work.
She waved back. Her shoulder bumped his. "In terms of insect products, Zumulu has no peer, especially silk. While we can't compare to the Central Region in output pound for pound, our quality is superior. The jungle raises fiercely proud silkworms on its leaves."
"Do you use Gu to help with this too?" Chen Haoran recalled the scene of the Dragonfly Gu commanding hundreds of thousands of insects to die. A few silkworms would be simple compared to that.
Bao Si's face lit up. "We do. When a shaman is involved, the silk is even better." She waved a hand over her dress. "I made this myself."
"It looks very good," Chen Haoran politely said.
"Thank you," Bao Si beamed. "Wild silk is my favorite material. Its softness is without equal. Here, feel it." Then, instead of doing something reasonable like offering him her sleeve, she lifted the hem of her dress and placed it in his hands, exposing her legs in the process. Chen Haoran's eyes fell on her black bone ankle bangle, then drifted up. The tail of her centipede tattoo ended at her knee.
"What do you think?" she asked.
Chen Haoran flinched and met Bao Si's eyes. She was smiling. He flushed at being caught staring. It was a careless mistake.
"It's nice," he awkwardly said, dropping her hem like it burned. "Soft."
"I had to gather the silkworms for this dress outside the Basin. While I love the silk we make, the leaves here make the worms' silk transparent. I only use it for my nightgown."
Chen Haoran felt his mouth dry. Nightgown?
"I plan to use the Moon Moth Silk to make a dress as well. I can't thank you enough for that. It's so beautiful. I'm not sure what to make, though. What do you think, Chen Haoran? Should I make a nightgown or a cheongsam?
What did he think? Nightgown or cheongsam?
"I think you have a better eye for this stuff than I would," he answered. "This silk is really good. I should get some robes made with it."
Chen Haoran knew he had made a mistake as soon as he saw the glint in Bao Si's eyes.
"Of course, you should get some!" She cheered and wrapped her arm around his, dragging him through the trap door. "Come on. I'll measure you myself."
"Wait, I'll just make an appointment!"
Chen Haoran had been fortunate enough since he arrived in this world that while he may not have been the strongest, strong people had his back. Now he found himself on the other side of that equation. Xie Jin had vouched for him to stay in the Basin. Chen Haoran wasn't going to make him look bad by being rude. At the same time, Bao Si was also a shaman and an important character in the village, and Xie Ling was standing behind her. As a guest in her home, Chen Haoran couldn't easily refuse her as she dragged him around the village.
The worst part was that she was fun. It would be a lie to say he wasn't enjoying her company. Even Phelps was won over with a shower of treats and head scratches. She was informative too. Like Xie Jin, she had an expansive knowledge of Zumulu's and the Basin's history. Still, she had approached him with an agenda in mind. Chen Haoran was glad when Xie Jin finally found them by the tallest tree in the village and the only one with no house or building of any kind around it.
"There you are," Xie Jin said. "I've been looking everywhere for you."
"It took you long enough," Bao Si airily replied.
Xie Jin gave her a stern glare. "No thanks to you. Was it really necessary to erase his tracks?"
What? Cold shock ran down Chen Haoran's spine like ice water. When had she done that? He cast his sense out but found no sign of any Gu.
Bao Si smiled sweetly. "How could Chen Haoran ever get a proper look at our home with you and your boastful mouth around? I simply wanted him to have a complete experience."
Dangerous. His initial read of her hadn't been wrong. A Qi Realm to his Liquid Meridian, and she did that without him noticing.
"Complete experience, my foot," Xie Jin groused. He shooed her away. "Begone with you."
"Now, now, Jin," she chided. "I'm showing Chen Haoran around. You have other duties."
"Chen Haoran is my guest. Showing him around is my job."
Chen Haoran gently tugged his arm away. "Thank you for today, Bao Si. I won't take any more of your time."
Bao Si didn't let go. "Jin here doesn't have any time either. He has to go to the Healing Hall."
Xie Jin frowned. "Since when?"
"Since this morning. Grandpa is the one who ordered it. He should be there right now, in fact. You shouldn't keep him waiting any longer. I imagine he's already quite cross with you.
Xie Jin paled. "And you're only telling me this now?"
It was Bao Si's turn to narrow her eyes. "I am not a messenger. Nor do I exist to make things convenient for you. The duties are posted right there in the temple. You would have known had you decided to show up for the morning report."
"Si—"
"Don't you Si me. It's not my fault you didn't go. Nor is it my fault you didn't think to check on your own. I brought you your tasks because I wanted to, not because I needed to. My kindness is not a job."
Xie Jin gritted his teeth and looked as if he were about to say something until he glanced at Chen Haoran. Xie Jin held back his words and pointed at Bao Si. "We will have words about this. Brother Chen, I'll see you later." With that, he ran off before Chen Haoran could even say bye.
Bao Si smiled at him. "Shall we continue?"
Chen Haoran gently but firmly pushed her arm away. "Thank you, but I have to go now."
Bao Si smirked. "Because of Xie Jin? How loyal."
Chen Haoran did not frown, but he couldn't hide his disapproval. "Whatever it is you want from Xie Jin, you won't get it through me. Please stop now."
Bao Si laughed. It was a sharp but pleasant sound. "Wanting something from Jin requires him to possess something worth having. I had hoped his travels had changed something, but alas." She sighed long and heavily. "I've given up on him a long time ago. The only one who expects anything of Jin anymore is Grandpa Ling."
Now Chen Haoran frowned. "What do you want from me then?"
"Would you like to know?" Bao Si asked, sing-songed. She pointed up toward the top of the tree. "Shall we discuss it up there? It's the last place I wanted to show you today."
Chen Haoran briefly considered rejecting. A cursedly familiar mantra echoed in his mind. If not, this. Something else. Better to try and get a straight answer now when he could. He was getting tired of the vagueness surrounding him.
"Okay," he said.
"Excellent!" Bao Si said. She held out her arms. "Up we go then."
Chen Haoran looked at her. Phelps yawned over his shoulder. Bao Si stood perfectly still like a marble statue or a snake in ambush, a small smile playing across her face. If she felt any awkwardness, it didn't show.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
She cutely tilted her head to the side. "How else am I going to get up there? You're faster than me. You wouldn't rush ahead of a lady like that now, would you? Or do you want to climb behind me instead?"
Inside Chen Haoran's soul, there was a thirsty, dog-like portion of him that would have been perfectly quenched by either carrying her or having her climb ahead of him. Fortunately, Chen Haoran was human and not a dog. He only sometimes let his baser instincts get the best of him.
Bao Si wanted Chen Haoran to take her into his arms. What she got instead was a sloth. She looked down at Phelps. Phelps looked up at her and squealed. Her ever-confident composure finally broke, replaced with open confusion.
"You have to earn my arms," Chen Haoran said.
Then he cycled qi to his legs and leapt into the air.
Chapter 116: The Young Master And A Gu Primer
Chen Haoran had tried to use the bare minimum he thought he needed to reach the top of the tree. As it turned out, he still underestimated how much power his advancement brought. His leap brought him high into the air and almost through the canopy entirely. Fortunately, he reacted quickly and grabbed a branch before he flew too high and swung himself onto the tree.
At the very top was an open space, enough for two people to sit in. The branches and leaves grew up and away from this space, covering it from view from both above and below save for one side that opened up directly facing the center of the Basin and its impaling mountain.
Bao Si took her time in climbing after him, giving Chen Haoran enough time to bury his face in his hands and cringe. 'Earn his arms.' Did he really say that? Why? There wasn't enough water in Zumulu to drown him as badly as he wanted to right now.
Chen Haoran schooled his face back into indifferent calm when Bao Si finally arrived, Phelps floating them both to the top. She alighted onto the tree and took Phelps in hand off her back, giving him a few chin scratches as she did. Phelps squealed and allowed it before shrugging her off and floating to Chen Haoran, settling on his back as was his proper place.
"You've tamed quite the beast," Bao Si said. "I've never seen its like before. Where did you find him?"
Something about her had changed in the time it took for her to climb the tree. There was something different about her features. Something predatory. Chen Haoran felt like a slab of meat being stared at.
"It was a bit of an adventure. What did you want to show me up here?"
Bao Si pointed toward the mountain and its impaled skeleton. "That, of course. Sit. This tree has the best view of the sunset."
They shuffled around a bit. Two people and a sloth made for crowded company up here. Eventually, Chen Haoran settled Phelps into his lap and sat side by side with Bao Si to watch the evening light fade. A cool breeze brushed across his face. The humidity of the Basin lost some of its strength as high up as they were.
"What is it you want from me?" he finally asked.
"Simple curiosity, really," Bao Si said. She was flush against his side, and he could feel every small movement she made as she made herself comfortable. "We found the Gu you fought. It still hadn't recovered from the injuries you gave it. Given their powerful vitality, it's rare for them to suffer such lasting injuries. It was a first for me."
Was that it? If so, then Chen Haoran was relieved. This, at least, was easy to deal with. He wasn't surprised to hear the Gu was still injured. Compared to what the White Tyrant could do, it was child's play. "It's because of my Harmonization. It's a bit special."
Bao Si's interest was piqued. "It must be quite the technique if the Harmonization alone is so powerful."
To be perfectly honest, Chen Haoran didn't know if the Canyon Carving Sword even was a technique anymore. It certainly had never been the same since the White Tyrant's image basically infected it. If he didn't know any better, he would have considered them two different techniques.
"You can see it for yourself," he said. "I just need a place to practice it. I don't think people will be too happy if I start cutting down trees."
"That's no issue. Just go to the lake. Plenty of the tribes' cultivators practice their more destructive techniques there."
"Right the…. lake. I don't suppose you know anything about that giant skeleton."
"As much as anyone else does about Zumulu's bones. Some theorize there was once an ancient battle here and that these skeletons fell during it. The Screaming Giant is considered as the obvious evidence."
Screaming Giant. What an appropriate name.
Bao Si seemed to read his thoughts and chuckled. "To answer your actual question, every bone on that skeleton matches a human one. The only difference is in scale."
"Somehow, that's even scarier than the Snake's Mouth," he said.
If it looked human, did it think like a human? Something that big with a fully sapient mind was disquieting. Whatever killed something like that, even more so.
"Jin took you through the Snake's Mouth, did he? Why am I not surprised? That's so like him." Bao Si quietly laughed under her breath, faint as it was though it sounded clear as day to his ears. However, this was less due to his enhanced senses and more to just how close she was to him. "The Screaming Giant isn't the only one of its kind. There are other bones across Zumulu identified as human. The Screaming Giant is the most complete skeleton, however."
The sun began its descent over the horizon, and the jungle canopy was bathed red and gold. Bao Si curled up to his side and rested her knee on his thigh. Chen Haoran locked eyes with her. Bao Si's black eyes were the type to draw one in. If he were poetic, he'd say they were limpid pools. Chen Haoran wasn't a good poet. Her eyes were attractive, the same way an abyss was. He placed a hand on her knee…
…and pushed it off.
"What do you want now?" he asked.
Bao Si huffed indignantly, but a small smile played across her face. "I'd like to hear how Jin met you."
"I bought him a meal."
She waited for him to continue and puffed her cheeks when he didn't. She grabbed his sleeve. "I need details Chen Haoran."
"I've answered your questions. Answer mine now."
Bao Si poked his shoulder. "I've answered your questions too."
"A host should be gracious."
She rolled her eyes. "Ask away then."
"What, specifically, is a Gu capable of?"
"Oh?" Bao Si looked surprised before morphing into a cat-like grin. "Jin didn't tell you. He probably spent more time talking about famous cultivators and battles and perhaps a dash of hating the Empire to keep things interesting.
Chen Haoran grimaced. She'd hit the nail on the head.
"That's normal for him," Bao Si continued. "However he might act, at the end of the day he hates Zu—"
"Stop."
Bao Si blinked.
Chen Haoran gave her a flat look. "I didn't ask you that."
"Are you not curious?" Bao Si asked. It was the most genuine he'd heard her be all day.
"Whatever his business is, I'll hear it from Xie Jin. Not you."
Bao Si's eyebrows rose before she suddenly sighed. "If there's anything I envy about Jin, it would be his luck. He's so lucky it's absurd. It's a good thing I'm amazing. If I were any less myself, I would feel bad."
"So about Gu—"
She slapped his shoulder. "I'm getting there." She paused to collect her thoughts. "You've been in Zumulu for some time now. Have you seen the insects?"
No, he conveniently didn't see any bugs in a place full of them. Chen Haoran tamped down his urge to say something sarcastic. It was obvious Bao Si was talking about a specific kind.
He nodded. "Some of them have the same amorphous qi that Gu do. I killed a giant beetle like that when I was with Xie Jin." Among the others he had seen while on his way to the Basin.
"We call those insects Hell Bugs. They are completely unique to Zumulu and the reason why we have Gu while other, stronger, insect environments do not."
Hell. It wasn't the first time he'd heard that word come up. "Do they have anything to do with the Tenth Green Hell?" he asked.
Bao Si smiled indulgently as if Chen Haoran scored well on a test and was due a reward. "Correct. The Tenth Green Hell is the source of the energies that mutate insects into Hell Bugs and the place all Gu return to after their contract is dissolved."
"Dare I ask what hells One through Nine are?"
Bao Si shrugged. "That's a question for the monks. In the south, though, we have a saying: There are nine hells, and the Green Hell is the tenth. It's the most forbidden zone of Zumulu and filled with poisonous fog and wild Gu. The monsters that have crawled out from that place have made for themselves a bloody page of destruction in Zumulu's history. Only the strongest and most experienced warriors and shamans enter the Green Hell, and only the lucky come back out alive. Even the Sunset Emperor was forced out when he tried exploring it, and he lost a whole detachment of his Royal Guard doing so. It was the only loss he ever suffered in Zumulu."
The Sunset Emperor. It was a name he'd read about in his history books back in Clearsprings—the Founder of the Empire and, to date, its greatest ruler. The man who singlehandedly conquered the entire continent and painted it his color. From the tone of his books, the following rulers only managed what the Sunset Emperor built and could never add to it. It was surprising to read something so critical of the highest authority in a land that didn't seem to brook any disrespect but given that it was comparing them to their exalted ancestor, maybe that sort of rhetoric was given a pass. The Sunset Emperor ruled for a hundred years, then abdicated the throne to his son and vanished one day. It wasn't said what happened to him, but considering that Xie Jin's grandfather was over 400 years old and still kicking, the Sunset Emperor should be alive too.
Chen Haoran paused. Xie Jin's grandfather was 400 years old. Obviously, this was the result of his Crystal Transformation Realm cultivation. The act of cultivating was a comprehensive improvement of a person; of course, the lifespan would be included. Chen Haoran had just never given it much thought, however. It was just one of those details that fell to the side while he focused on the strength of the realms. But if a Crystal Transformation Realm could live for at least a hundred years….
Chen Haoran looked down at his hand and flexed his fingers. "How long does a Liquid Meridian Realm live for?"
Bao Si stopped and looked at him in disbelief. "Are you serious?"
"Pretend that I am."
"I thought you wanted to know about Gu."
"I can learn more than one thing at once."
"Well, I can't teach more than one thing at once." Bao Si placed the back of her hand on her forehead and mimed fainting, leaning heavily into Chen Haoran as she did. "Not unless you can do something for me. I've been talking a lot. I deserve a reward."
Chen Haoran sighed. "What do you want?"
Bao Si's eyes slowly fell down his body and below his belt. His heart did not skip a beat as she did. It was just the Yellow Dragon that passed too close to it while it cycled. Phelps blearily looked up from atop his lap and sleepily burbled at Bao Si before curling up
"I'd like a place to rest my tired head as well," she said. "Surely I've earned your lap if not your arms."
It was his lap. Chen Haoran would have breathed relief if Bao Si wouldn't have immediately noticed it and no doubt teased him more for it.
"No," came his instant response.
"Please?" Bao Si tilted her head down and batted her eyes at him.
"Phelps is trying to sleep. Don't disturb him."
"Is there no more room in your heart for one more?"
"No. I can just ask Xie Jin."
Bao Si clicked her tongue. "You're no fun. It's 200 years, barring any accidents."
The number hit him like a truck. Double a human lifespan. Even if he didn't reach the maximum, he'd still be living well beyond even the oldest human back on Earth.
"To finish answering your question," Bao Si said, stirring him from his thoughts. "A Gu can be considered a living cultivation technique. Their miasma is their most used weapon, but many cultivators have died for thinking it's their only one."
Chen Haoran scratched his chest where there was once burned skin. "The Gu I fought stole the armor off my body and dropped a horde of insects on my head."
"Gu are the embodiment of greed." Bao Si curled a strand of her hair around her finger as she spoke. "Their special qi is used to power arcane and hard-to-resist abilities. They can steal the clothes off your back with a thought, the weapons out of your hands, even your cultivation if you allow yourself to be overwhelmed. Their miasma is one of the most poisonous substances in Zumulu and can be used in every way poison can be used. They can enslave and seduce people. Turn them into evil spirits and control them. Sense wealth and draw it toward their owner. Their vitality makes them incredibly difficult to kill by anything short of total annihilation. Their qi makes them harder to detect. And, of course, they can command other insects."
Chen Haoran's heart fell more and more as Bao Si listed one power after another. More than ever now, he was beginning to regret coming to Zumulu. How the hell did he survive fighting one? Knowing what he did now, he couldn't believe he actually won that fight.
"A Gu is versatile, but it's not all-powerful," Bao Si said. She yawned and stretched her back, a motion that did very interesting things to her front, particularly with her being as close as she was to him. "Their means of direct attack are weak, and the majority of their abilities require preparation to be used effectively. You can consider a Gu to be another type of poison; they both share the same limitations. On top of that, while their vitality is strong, doing enough damage to them will have them exact a greater price from their shaman in return. In addition, every Gu is vulnerable to fire, boiling water, and lightning, as well as just being overwhelmed by power in general. Even a Gu is helpless in the face of someone who can destroy them in one blow." Bao Si waved a hand over herself. "And, as always, the shaman is the weak link. If you kill the shaman, then while the Gu will still be a problem, it will act far more instinctually and lack the same deadly precision they do while controlled."
It was still a lot to take in. Even if he could beat a Gu in a direct fight, there was no telling what would happen to him if he was caught unawares. He was lucky the shaman he fought had been so crudely forward with his Gu. That fight could have gone so much more differently if he hadn't been. Chen Haoran pushed those thoughts away and distracted himself by watching the sun disappear from view. Bao Si, in the meantime, twisted so that her legs lay across his shins. Her dress rode up a bit while she moved and exposed the centipede tail on her knee once more.
"Hey," Chen Haoran said, resolutely ignoring her antics. "Everything you said is about normal, Gu. What makes a Black Bone Shaman so special?"
Bao Si laughed."Isn't that obvious?" A slow, superior smile grew on her face, and Chen Haoran was struck by just how much it looked like the one Xie Jin so often sported. "We're the best."
Pride was universal to a Black Bone Shaman, it seemed.
"Do you have any more questions to ask?" The last light of the sun covered Bao Si's face in a golden glow. Only her eyes remained dark.
"Just one." The most important one.
"How do friends become official?"