- Ava -

She was minding her own business, cultivating in her room when Senior Hall disturbed her peace. Since those twin cultivating boys left on their vision journey, she had been reflecting on her foundation ritual. It had been two years ago, close to her tenth birthday. Linda, the hall monitor for the girls' wing of the dorm, had gathered her and a few other girls who had recently had their first menses. They went out into the forest together, where they prepared a bunch of food. Linda explained to them what they could expect from their bodies in the coming years. Then they stayed up all night eating, singing, and dancing.

Personally, Ava had felt betrayed by her body. The growing pains as her hips started to widen, the pains in her abdomen as her body rejected itself, and the growths on her chest that foreshadowed horrible back pain. It was all pain. Not that she would let it show. She had to stay strong. Circulating chi helped some, but due to her True Yin constitution, her body would exemplify femininity, which meant that much of the process could not be avoided with chi. She had come to accept it over the last two years. She used the pain to grow stronger. The weak would perish, so she could never be weak.

After the night of the feast, the girls were sent out on their own. It turned out Ava's foundation technique was not so different from anyone else's. They would not eat or drink for four days and nights. They would find a mountain, where they would dance and sing for those four days and nights. Ava did not know how the rest went for the other girls, but just before dawn on her final night, an old woman suddenly appeared on the mountain with her. The old woman danced and sang, joining her in the foundation ritual. Ava's dance began with her in the West, moving toward the East, but the old woman began her dance in the East, moving toward the west. They danced together until the sun rose. When they stopped, Ava noticed that the old woman had become a beautiful young woman. She looked very similar to Ava, only a few years older, with skin and hair as white as snow. Even her eyes did not have any color. She had broad hips, and an ample chest which were covered gracefully by a blue leather sash. She was like the personification of the True Yin constitution.

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"What is your name?" the woman asked her.

"Ava," she answered.

"Ava, I am Changing Woman. You have completed the rites, and you have reached the peak of Chi Condensation. First, I will answer any questions you might have, then if you are ready, I will start your Foundation Establishment."

"I am ready, Changing Woman."

They had talked for some time. It was the first and only time that Ava had been able to speak openly with anyone about where she was from, who she was, and what she had been through. Changing Woman would not involve herself in inter-sect conflicts. Changing Woman told her much about her constitution, and how best to cultivate it. None of Changing Woman's advice conflicted with the Yin Demon cultivation manual. If anything, the two techniques seemed to harmonize well, so she intended to practice both.

Ava hadn't paid much attention to the darkening skies while the two spoke, so it came as a literal shock when the conversation ended, and she was struck by lightning. She then had to return to the mountain on every full moon for thirteen moons. The lightning struck her every time, and it felt like the lightning was growing stronger every time. After the final time, Changing Woman told her that she would go through the rest of the Foundation Establishment on her own.

Of course, she was never truly alone any more. Koa was with her the whole time. When she had fasted, he fasted with her, not that she would have stopped him from eating. When she had danced on the mountain, he had trotted along in-step beside her. When she sang, he sang a "woo woo woooo" in tune. When the lightning struck... well, he did not join her for that, but she could not hold it against him.

Even now, Koa sat behind her as she cultivated, and she enjoyed the peace, and the sense of harmony his company brought her. Senior Hall's interruption was not welcome, but she could hardly tell him so. When he offered to make her his disciple, she knew he had intended to make her suffer. Four years was more than enough time to get to know the sadistic instructor. In a way she was fond of him, as he reminded her of the Seniors from her Demonic Desert Cult. What she had originally thought of as weakness, she now considered to be a form of torture. While he grinned at their suffering, he never allowed true harm to come to them. Why would he? She had realized that if they were to die, he would lose his play-things. Then who would he attack with that stick, or send off into the wilderness to hunt the wild spirit beasts? She admired him.

So of course, she accepted his offer. Then he told her she would be doing his paperwork! She knew what this was. It was an opportunity! Only a fool would turn down such a generous offer, and she was no fool.