~~~
In a way, Elder Xue’s punishment ends up helping him. It gives Liu Jin an excuse not to leave the Apothecary until he has decided on his next move. It also allows him to reconnect with people like Khong Hu and Gan Nanfeng, though the latter now treats him with a little too much awe for his comfort. Thankfully, Khong Hu’s attitude remains largely unchanged, but that might just be because the disciple is always exceedingly proper in all things.
Regardless, Liu Jin cannot stay in the safety of the Apothecary forever.
Lord Feng Gui should be the first person Liu Jin visits, but Liu Jin is not sure that is the correct move. If he seeks his favor too eagerly, it will waste the leverage that Lord Feng Shang has given him.
Instead, Liu Jin merely files a request for an audience. If that takes time to be processed, it’s not really his fault. If anything, it is a sign of respect that Liu Jin bothered to go through the proper channels instead of appearing at Lord Feng Gui’s doorstep and demanding to be heard. Lady Ling will be much harder to mollify, but Liu Jin wants to put off meeting her for as long as possible.
For now, his goal is the Division of Exploration.
Though Liu Jin has been a member of the Eternal Flame Clan for a long time, it is his first time visiting it. The main building is cylindrical in shape and only about three stories tall. Around it are large statues of fierce dogs, immovable guardians protecting the treasures within.
The inside is full of explosions.
The building shakes every five seconds or so. People are running all over the place, some of them on fire and yelling in languages that Liu Jin has never heard. Fan Bingbing assures him that this is all normal. Some of the relics they study are very volatile, but there is no reason to worry. Even when a rock monster that Liu Jin is pretty sure is some sort of ancient statue come to life rampages past them, Fan Bingbing’s countenance remains unchanged.
It is only when they reach the top floor that her expression falters.
“Are you sure you wish to continue?” she asks him.
“If I were to turn back now, I’d be throwing away all the work Sister Fan put into arranging this meeting.” Liu Jin smiles. “Besides, I am the one who wanted this.”
Fan Bingbing gives him a small, nearly imperceptible nod.
“Very well. In that case, I wish Brother Jin the best. Elder Ju is a great man, but he can be very trying.”
Liu Jin returns her nod before going ahead. The door to Elder Ju’s office is made of stone full of ancient carvings and encrusted with gems that glow with power. Each one seems to be powering a different mechanism. Most likely, the door used to be part of a ruin before being moved here.
It opens before Liu Jin can study it further.
As soon as Liu Jin crosses the threshold, his eyes and nose begin to sting from all the dust inside. All the illumination in the room is provided by the colored flames in the ceiling. If there are any windows anywhere, Liu Jin cannot see them. The walls are lined with dozens of bookshelves. There are so many of them they’re even stacked on top of each other. Curiously, most of the bookshelves are empty. The books, scrolls, and documents that should be stored in them are instead scattered all over the floor like a rabid carpet.
In the center of the room, seated on a desk balanced on a mountain of old books, is Elder Ju.
Though there is no way he could have missed Liu Jin’s Qi, the Elder does not acknowledge him. He only has eyes for the scroll in his hands. He keeps whispering to himself and taking notes. After several minutes pass, Liu Jin clears his throat, but the man still does not pay attention to him.
“Elder Ju-”
Liu Jin is unable to go further. Elder Ju’s aura spreads out like the very dust that covers his office and falls over Liu Jin. It gets in his eyes, in his ears, and in his mouth. He cannot move. He can barely breathe.
Elder Ju’s ink brush keeps writing in silence.
Nearly an hour passes and Liu Jin can do nothing. Were it not for the complete lack of hostility in the man’s aura, Liu Jin would have already tried to break free. However, there is no need to escalate things just yet.
The Elder might actually grow angry if he destroys his office.
“Sorry,” Elder Ju says after another half an hour has passed. He releases Liu Jin from the force of his aura. “I was struck by a wave of inspiration after opening the door for you. I couldn’t allow you to interrupt me, or I’d have been set back weeks. Maybe months. That would have been terrible.”
“I… see…”
The worst part is that Liu Jin does see. He knows what it feels like when one is taken over by a burst of genius. When that happens, there is no choice but to carry that inspiration to its natural endpoint lest one lose it forever.
Of course, Liu Jin has never immobilized someone for it.
“You can sit down…” Elder Ju looks around and finds no chair. If there are any in the room, they are probably buried under a pile of books. “...Somewhere. Probably the floor.”
Liu Jin looks at the dusty books under his feet.
“I prefer to stand, Elder Ju.”
“Of course, of course,” the man mutters distractedly as he finally puts down his notes. He stretches his arms over his head, craning his neck from side to side until a pop rings out. When his arms come down, the look on his face has changed. “What can I do for you, Emperor Qing?”
It strikes Liu Jin that Elder Ju looks incredibly young for his position. A casual observer would think he is only older than Liu Jin by a few years instead of a few centuries. The effect is enhanced by the relaxed aura around the man.
“I want your support,” Liu Jin says. Fan Bingbing had advised him to be blunt. “The Eternal Flame Clan will eventually discuss my background, my status as Emperor, and my ties to the Divine Frozen Palace. I want to be sure I can count on Elder Ju’s help when that happens.”
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“That’s a big request,” Elder Ju says. He makes a show of thinking it over, leaning back against the mountain of books behind him. “What will you offer me for it?”
“Sister Fan Bingbing should have mentioned it already,” Liu Jin replies. “You supported Lord Feng Gui because your Division has been held back. My Storm Dragon Empire contains several areas that could be of interest to Elder Ju. Support me, and I will facilitate Elder Ju’s access to them.”
“You offer me something I’ll already have,” Elder Ju points out. “Like you said, it’s the reason I supported Lord Feng Gui. Without that damned Feng Shang to interfere, there is nothing holding back my Division anymore.”
“Lord Feng Gui will have to weigh your interests against those of an entire Empire,” Liu Jin counters. “Someone will have to leave dissatisfied.”
“Ah.” Elder Ju smiles. “This is not a bribe. It’s a threat.”
“It can be both,” Liu Jin says. “I do not doubt Lord Feng Gui will eventually give Elder Ju what he wishes, but it might take far longer than you’d prefer. Why waste that time? Besides, I do not come empty-handed.”
Liu Jin takes out a piece of parchment and offers it to Elder Ju. It floats out of his grip and into the Elder’s waiting hand.
“Those are just some of the areas in the Storm Dragon Empire I thought would interest your Division,” Liu Jin says. “The records kept inside the Storm Dragon Palace are very informative. Having access to them would greatly speed up your Division’s job.”
“Interesting.” Elder Ju’s eyes move over the parchment. “You’d really sell access to your country’s past to me?”
“My country has been mismanaged for decades. Many things have been lost. Others have degraded,” Liu Jin replies, narrowing his eyes. “Even if I wanted to, it would be impossible to put too many resources into investigating the ruins. The Division of Exploration has no such problem. We stand to benefit each other.”
“Hmph, you have guts, Emperor Qing. I respect that,” Elder Ju says. “Though some would say trying to extort an Emperor in his domain is a little too reckless.”
“I would agree with those people,” Liu Jin replied. “However, I find myself in similar situations so wearily often that I might have lost sight of proper common sense.”
And yet, Liu Jin is not blind enough to the realities of the situation. Elder Ju is but one Emperor of the Eternal Flame Clan, while the Storm Dragon Empire only has General Nie Dan. Great as the power of the Storm Dragon is, it can only be used within the palace and its surrounding areas.
The balance of power between the two is no balance at all.
“Alright! Let’s do it. You’ll have my support.”
Liu Jin blinks.
“So easily?”
Elder Ju shrugs. “Why not? I have been having a good few months. The investigation of the Dead Plains goes well, and now I am getting my hands on more ruins with minimal effort on my part. It’s great. If that’s all you wanted, you can leave now. I still have more documents to look over.”
The Elder makes a motion with his hand, motioning him to leave. Some would consider it disrespectful.
“There is one more thing,” Liu Jin says. “The ruins in the Dead Plains spoke of Nuwa, didn’t they? Who exactly is she?”
The Elder, who had begun frowning when Liu Jin refused to leave, suddenly smiles. His eyes are alight with interest.
“Oh? Are you interested in history? Good! Young people nowadays have no respect for where they come from.” Elder Ju shifts in his precariously balanced desk. “Nuwa is a creator deity, often credited with the creation of humanity. During the war between humans and demons, worship of Nuwa increased. It’s why she’s often mentioned in ruins from that period.”
Liu Jin supposes that makes sense. During the war, the people probably became more conscious of their identity as humans and sought that which more strongly resonated with that identity.
“However, the first mentions of Nuwa predate the war,” Elder Ju adds. “Information from before the war is scarce, but Nuwa’s name appears across several cultures. She probably existed at some point, though whether she was a powerful cultivator or even someone in the Divine Realm is up to speculation.”
Liu Jin nods. All of that makes sense. However, if Nuwa was only a powerful cultivator who lived a long time ago…
Why would the Curse of the Earth Realm care about whether someone was her child or not?
~~~
After Elder Ju, Elder Xun is next.
It is already dark by the time Liu Jin visits the Technique Hall. Elder Ju kept talking about Nuwa for hours. Still, even in the dark, Liu Jin can see the Technique Hall has gone through a few changes. There is no pile of gifts burning outside this time. There are also significantly fewer disciples taking the entrance exam. With things settled between Lord Feng Shang and Lord Feng Gui, people no longer seek refuge here.
Mud is not there to escort him. He seems to have gone into isolation, but Liu Jin knows the way well enough. He walks with confidence through the labyrinth made of bookshelves, stairs, and never-ending rooms.
The techniques are louder than before.
Their whispers resonate with different parts of him. The snake. The dragon. It seems the changes he has undergone have made him more suitable for certain techniques.
However, that is not what he is here for.
“You have gone through much since we last saw each other.”
Elder Xun looks unchanged. The aged Elder smokes from his pipe and breathes out smoke of different colors into the room.
“It is good to see you again, Elder Xun,” Liu Jin says, bowing his head respectfully.
“Have you come to bribe me like you did Elder Ju?”
Liu Jin shakes his head.
“The first time I came here, I was told to throw all gifts I might have to the pyre,” Liu Jin replies. “Even if I had something to offer, I would not attempt to bribe you, Elder Xun. Your impartiality and strength of character are respected by all. That includes this disciple. I am only here to seek your guidance.”
Elder Xun takes a long drag from his pipe. “I feared that would be the case. What do you wish to ask this old man?”
“Elder Xun, we once talked about Dao. You told me your grandson’s Dao leads him to seek Destruction. It is why the Elders imprisoned him. You told me my Dao would not earn me better treatment,” Liu Jin recounts. “Elder, I have taken a few more steps into my Dao.”
“I can tell,” Elder Xun says. “I can see the evolution of your soul. However, you have yet to complete it. It is only a silhouette in the dark. Still, you have an inkling. Name it without fear. Nothing you say here will be overheard.”
Liu Jin closes his eyes. He speaks the word that keeps echoing inside him.
“Hollow.”
The lights dim. The air vibrates. The smoke loses its color.
Elder Xun sets his pipe down.
“I hoped my worries were for nothing, but you have birthed something quite troublesome,” Elder Xun says with a deep frown on his face. “You are a very dangerous child.”
“Elder Xun, I do not seek to be dangerous.”
“That is part of the problem,” Elder Xun replies. “You acquire the tools you deem necessary for your goals, and that has turned you into what you are. You move like an assassin but do not wish to kill. Your Qi drips with poison, but you do not wish to poison. You probe people for weaknesses, yet you do not wish to harm. You are not even two decades old and already hold more power than entire clans. And yet, that is not what you want, is it? None of those things are what you wish for.”
Liu Jin takes a deep breath.
“They are not.”
“Cases like yours are not unheard of, people whose Dao is a mirror pointed outward,” Elder Xun says. “However, you chose to reflect the entire world. That discontent has given you great power and will continue to do so. However, it is a dangerous thing. When you have achieved what you wish, will that give you what you want?”
Liu Jin blinks.
“What?”
“Fulfillment, child. Fulfillment,” Elder Xun says. “If all else is hollow, are you full? Consider what you have filled yourself with so far. They are things you need but do not want. All things you would discard if you could. When all is done, what do you wish to have?”
“I…” Liu Jin struggles to think. What he wants. What he needs to do. Are they truly so far apart? “I... am not sure…”
“Figure it out,” Elder Xun tells him. “Fill your cup lest someone else do it for you.”
~~~