By the time we return from the Heron Hunt - or rather, by the time we are politely but steadfastly fenced out by the more senior Disciples who come to claim the rest of the bounty as their own - we manage to slay several more of the birds. In the interests of fairness, I end up refining them for everyone as best I can, although none are as efficacious as the one I created for Zhou Cheng.
It is enough that everyone manages to take that next Step, myself included. Fifth Step of Qi Condensation positions me fairly well for my age as an Outer Disciple, but I'm still far from being able to challenge the top ranked contenders - I may be close to them in power, but without matching technique and skill, I'd only make a fool of myself.
Admittedly, the difference between myself and those Junior Outer Disciples most likely to fight and enter are still nowhere near as vast as the difference between Zhou Cheng and Zhao Huangjun. The difference between them is 'only' two Steps, but it is two Steps within Foundation Establishment. When I think of it like that, the odds of me winning the Junior Outer Disciple Tournament seem likelier than Zhou Cheng's odds of winning his.
Then I remember that Zhou Cheng is Zhou Cheng, and remind myself to place a bet on him not only because I intend to show solidarity and support to my Senior Brother but because there's a good chance he will win.
The most dangerous part about returning of course is that the dramatic shift in our group's power has not been unnoticed. Rumours and whispers of Zhou Cheng's heaven-blessed talent and gift are circulating before we even finish coming through the gates. The other contenders will surely notice. That they might try something is not out of the question.
Most concerning for me is whether or not people will realise the role I played in our ascension. As someone who only climbed a single stage of Qi Condensation, I am sure to be dismissed by most as someone who is just riding their coattails.
The wiser, sharper Disciples will begin to ask why anyone is being allowed to ride on Zhou Cheng's coattails at all, and what potential I might possess. Of course, it is known that I cook for Zhou Cheng, and so many still will likely dismiss me as a favoured servant. Few will begin to realise that I am the Alchemist providing them with pills.
But even then, few have to. Being Zhou Cheng's favoured servant already puts me in a position of risk. There is no shortage of Outer Disciples who envy a position like mine, attached to a stronger Inner Disciple. More than that, Zhou Cheng's enemies will rightly see me as the weak link, the one who can be turned or attacked to get at him. They may not realise I will not turn against him, but that they will realise I can be attacked.
Zhou Cheng cannot watch over me forever, nor can the others. They have their own training and preparations as the Tournament nears closer. I try to keep to the more public, populated areas as best I can, hoping that this will deny anyone the opportunity to target me blatantly.
It is a naive thought, quickly dispelled when someone bumps into me during the queues for morning breakfast.
"Ah?! You dare?!" declares a brash, arrogant voice belonging to an Outer Disciple several years my senior. He has spilled his bowl of gruel across the ground - presumably by just dropping it, given I didn't have an appreciable impact on him. Especially given his bump had gotten me to drop mine.
"Ah, forgive this clumsy one, Senior," I offer placatingly, already bowing as my mind races. He's stronger than I am… but not by much. Sixth Step of Qi Condensation, I'd peg him. It's not a difference that's insurmountable by any means, but I know basically nothing about fighting beyond the basics. My real concern is how to defuse this situation.
"Forgive?! Junior, you have ruined my meal! Am I to eat your apologies then?" He gives me a hard shove, chest puffed up and swaggering. Definitely making a show and posturing. A scuffle between Outer Disciples would see us both punished but not particularly heavily. More concerning is the matter of face.
If I, as Zhou Cheng's companion and Junior, were to be bullied like this, then Zhou Cheng must answer it or lose face. I would rather he didn't, but he is not without pride. He will retaliate. An Inner Disciple striking out against an Outer Disciple over something as 'petty' as a scuffle will see him punished harshly, and the Tournament is only a month away. Even if he seems like he might be fine in time, if the Outer Disciple has a backer, they can retaliate in turn. It does not matter that the Senior Outer Disciple is one bullying the Junior if he muddies the waters enough.
By continuing to focus on 'how I have spilled his food' it makes it seem like I am at fault and he's just going a little too far. I do not know if this is the plan, or whether he's just looking to bully me or maybe just try to prove that he is stronger than me - despite the fact that I have basically no reputation for strength or fighting. There are myriad reasons he could be doing this.
"Ha?! Have you no words for your Senior?!"
In the end, the reasons don't matter. Whatever he is planning, it likely hinges on fighting me and there is a simple way to make that an unfeasible choice for him. Zhou Cheng has his pride.
I do not.
But the Bully has made one simple mistake. He's gone for me over food.
I bow deeper. "Senior, allow this foolish Junior to make you a proper meal to atone for ruining your breakfast!"
That catches him off guard. I don't really know why it does, because 'Hei Lian and his Food' is a staple of Outer Disciple Gossip now. Did he seriously not know? Was he too caught up in his scheme to realise the obvious answer?
Sinking to my knees, I already have the utensils and ingredients out. Surrounded by everyone, I start a small fire and rest a wok over it, drizzling in some oil. Thin slices of Cloudfisher Heron I was hoping to save for later go straight in, already marinated and seasoned. Alas, lunch, you will be missed - but your sacrifice is noble and not in vain. I chop a number of vegetables to go in, moving rapidly. Moaning Mushrooms from the Forest with their awful, creepy human faces, Whispering Bamboo shoots, Nine-Tailed Radish - it's a hit to my ingredient stockpile and a dent in my points budget to replace, but right now, I don't care.
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
All together in the wok, fire going, sizzling hot!
I have a pot of rice made earlier in my qiankun pouch as well. It keeps well enough that if I make one, it lasts for a few days in the pouch. Fresh is best, of course, but if you stay ready, you don't have to get ready.
And in a handful of minutes, I have Stir Fried Cloudfisher served up to my would-be bully. "Please accept this as reparations for my earlier clumsiness, Senior!"
A part of me is a little surprised he just stood there and let me finish - but I think he realised if he stopped me, then it stopped being about the food and clearly started being about him bullying me. It's hard to complain that I ruined his breakfast when I was in the middle of making a better replacement. I was going to add those things to my own gruel, but you know. I have more.
Finally, he snatches the bowl out of my hands. "J-just don't do it again…!" he snaps, stalking off as I fight to keep a smile spreading across my face.
I glance around me at the gathered crowd, and just hum to myself as I pack away everything. There's murmurs and whispers, but that's easy enough to ignore. I'll have to make my own breakfast now. Is it odd that I was looking forward to the morning bowl of gruel? It's rather boring on its own, but with the right additions, it's a very hearty breakfast…
Still, I have other things to worry about now. This little incident has made it clear that I won't be able to rely on Zhou Cheng for protection all the time - as time goes on, more and more people will get bolder and try to jostle for position or reputation, and so long as I don't fight back, I'm an easy target.
I have to train properly. I'm fortunate that Ao Long has already pointed me in the right direction. I've been putting it off as of late, but I cannot keep this up - I need to find a proper cultivation style that suits me, and a proper way of fighting to back it up. I don't need weapons, per se, but I do need something that will let me fight back or I'm just going to get pushed around even more.
That was fine, when I was content to just amble my way along, but so long as Zhou Cheng is intent on dragging me up the mountain, I have to be able to defend myself.
Ah, Senior, why must you bring so much trouble to this poor Hei Lian?
----------------------------------------
Another trip to the Library Pavilion proves fruitful enough. There is in fact a copy of one of the methods Ao Long suggested.
'Yin Vessel Cauldron Technique' is a bit of a wordy name, but the manual we have on hand looks like it hasn't been used in a while. It's quite an informative text though, with detailed instructions and even a number of techniques laid out, albeit rather basic ones and with only passing instruction.The core concept of the technique is… well, in its name. The Cauldron had me vaguely concerned I was going to be the cauldron, because that has some connotations I'd like to avoid, but that's something that only really happens in later stages. I'd have to reach Core Formation or Nascent Soul before I start using my body as the cauldron for energies - no, the original point of the technique is to cultivate with a literal cauldron as an aid.
It's sort of a weird, proto-alchemy in sense I guess - rather than refining things into a pill using a traditional pill furnace, you refine Yin energy via the cauldron, and then draw it from there into the body. Later on, you don't need the cauldron, but it's still useful to have one as you can use it as a spiritual tool.
The usual mental image people have of cultivators flying about is them using a sword, but frankly, if the cauldron's big enough, I'd rather that. Why balance on a sword when you can sit down?
With a mix of the Wyvern scales and Steel Armour Fish, I get a pretty decently strong one made - the most expensive part was easily getting a spatial formula engraved into the base so I can use it to store liquids for easy cleaning/removal. It earns me more looks, but I'm pretty sure they're getting used to my weird requests now. I have the Heron bones and beaks turned into kitchen utensils as well, and make one last 'purchase'. It's technically more of a rental, but I get one of the Compass Flags.
They're fairly simple 'treasures' - basically a strip of cloth hanging from a small rod, with a small spell formation woven in, keyed to a larger formation in the Sect itself. The cloth would always blow, even without wind, in the direction of the 'main' formation, hence the name 'Compass Flag'. They were incredibly simple as far as treasures went, and their only real purpose was basically a navigational aid, and given the Forest of Wandering Phantoms was right there on our doorstep, the Sect had a large bundle of them ready to go at any one time.
Actually buying one was kind of a waste, at least for the moment. Renting one was more efficient until I was sure I was going to spend much longer in the Forest.
The Forest is much the same as I remember it, and just a few steps in, the mist rolls through once again and I wonder if it that's some kind of deliberate reaction. Is something deliberately trying to make you lost the moment you step in? It's a question worth asking, I think, but not really something that I can affect at my level.
I keep wandering through, no real direction in mind. It's interesting watching how the flag changes direction, and how I think it should be changing. I wonder if with enough training, I can begin to sense this kind of illusionary fuckery… but I came here to refine Qi, not learn to truly see.
So I keep wandering until I find the river again - or a river. There's Steel Armour Fish here, but a few other varieties I don't quite recognise, and there's even a bush with some large fruit on it. I'm not sure I want to eat the fruit though, given the berries all look disturbingly like eyes. They don't move or blink or anything, and as far as I can tell its just colouration that makes them look like that, but you know, still pretty disturbing.
It's something to snack on at least, as I gather materials to begin refining. I take water from the river, mindful of the fish, and add as many Ghost Tree Nuts as I can forage in a short while. Ideally I'd hunt something down and add it to the cauldron as well, but for a start, this is fine for me to just practice with. I don't want to waste anything that might be more valuable than this, after all.
The basic method is to get everything simmering with a gentle Yin flame, and focus on refining the materials within into pure Yin. Simple enough in theory and in practice, as all I'm doing is breaking everything down and with a slow, gradual process and constantly siphoning the Yin Qi away, I don't have to worry about explosive reactions or trying to condense anything.
My main concern is making sure I don't imbalance myself too much. Leaning one way or the other isn't bad on its own, but if you go too far in one direction, you'll cause yourself problems. Overabundance of Yin strengthens the soul but weakens the body - worst case scenario, you can literally become a ghost, but there's a number of other afflictions you can end up with that can be difficult to cure, and the main thread through all of them is that you have to seek out a source of Yang energy just to stay alive.
A Yang imbalance is arguably not as bad, because Yang is the element of Life and the Body. You don't turn into a vampire or anything, but it's still not good given your mind and soul are weakening, which risks turning you into an animal… or well, animalistic. You could lose your sentience entirely, and become a creature of pure instinct, or just become a hollow husk.
About… two thirds I think, was the cut off point. You could go further, but it got risky, and it was very much dependent on your specific constitution. I wasn't going to risk it, although I'm told there were advantages to doing it, if you knew what you were doing and were willing to accept them, but I wasn't about that kind of life.
But that's all things I can worry about later. Right now, I had soup to make.