~~~
Liu Jin walks and walks and walks.
The sun falls and rises and then falls and rises twice more. Throughout it all, Lei Kong trails behind him. He does not say anything, and neither does Liu Jin. In fact, Liu Jin does not even seem to acknowledge Lei Kong’s presence, nor does he seem to acknowledge the world around him.
It is only when they come across a large rock formation that Liu Jin finally comes to a stop. He walks over to it, sits under its shade, and closes his eyes to the world.
Hours pass.
Hours pass and Lei Kong remains there, watching in silence. He waits and waits. He does so until he can’t do it anymore.
“Master—”
“I do not recall giving you permission to address me in such a way.”
The words are delivered tonelessly. Liu Jin’s expression does not change even for an instant. He does not even bother opening his eyes.
However, there is no mistaking the sharp rebuke in Liu Jin’s words.
Faced with this negativity, Lei Kong nods—though Liu Jin cannot see him—and opens his mouth to try again.
“Bos—”
Lei Kong stops, his words caught in his throat.
Lei Kong is in the late stages of the True Realm. By no means can he be called weak. He is a soldier with plenty of combat experience. If he has ever been looked down on in the past, it is because of the sorry state of his meridians. Lei Kong is definitely not someone who can be taken lightly. In matters of martial might, he is far superior to Liu Jin.
And yet, when faced with the angry glare on Liu Jin’s face, when faced with the violence radiating from such a young child, Lei Kong cannot help but feel like a mouse in front of a snake.
“Do. Not.” Liu Jin hisses. “Call me that.”
Lei Kong closes his mouth, his teeth making an audible click as he does, and nods, unable to tear his gaze away from the cold red eyes peering into his soul.
The eyes close once more, and Lei Kong cannot help but breathe a sigh of relief. Those eyes do not belong to a child, and they certainly do not belong to a healer. They unnerve Lei Kong, and that, in and of itself, is worrisome. No matter how he looks at it, the one before him is a child, a very gifted one considering how he fought the soldiers in Eastern Port City but still a child.
And yet…
Lei Kong shakes his head and tries to put the matter behind him. It would not do to bother his mind with needless things. Such is not his duty. His duty is to serve the child before him. Lei Kong waits until the sun has started to sink into the horizon and tries again.
“If I may be so bold as to ask, what seems to be the problem?”
“I wonder. Is there any point in starting a question with ‘if I may be so bold’ if you do not even wait for permission before continuing?”
Liu Jin’s tone is not friendly in the slightest, yet Lei Kong considers it a victory that Liu Jin’s eyes remain closed.
“Oh, well. No matter. Quirks of verbiage aside, do you not find your question rather pointless? You know full well what the problem is. You had a hand in creating it, after all.”
More words. It is the most Liu Jin has spoken in days. Lei Kong steels himself and pushes on.
“What I mean to say is…” Lei Kong frowns, trying to figure out how to best phrase his thoughts. “I can see my lord is meditating.”
Lei Kong flinches in preparation for the inevitable outburst and is pleased when it does not come. My lord, it seems, is an acceptable mode of address.
“I can see that you have eyes. What of it?”
“My lord is meditating. That much is true, but… I do not think my lord is cultivating.”
It isn’t rare for some cultivators to find places in the middle of nowhere and stay there for years, cultivating. However, that does not seem to be the case with Liu Jin. Lei Kong can barely feel him taking in any ambient Qi.
“This rock formation provides a pleasant shade, but that is all it offers. If cultivation was my lord’s intent, then we could have kept walking until we found a suitable Dragon Vein. Similarly, if physical comfort was what my lord was after, we could have kept walking until we found a forest or town. Why did my lord deem it fit to stop here to meditate?”
“Because I am angry.”
Lei Kong stares.
He stares for a while, waiting for Liu Jin to explain himself further, but he never does.
“My lord, I beg your pardon, but it is only natural for you to be angry after everything that has happened. It would be cause for much concern if you were not angry at all.”
“And that would seem to be the problem.”
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Liu Jin opens eyes and looks at Lei Kong with complete detachment, so much that Lei Kong could almost convince himself that he has become invisible. It is as if Liu Jin is looking through him rather than at him.
“I am angry,” Liu Jin states without any real emotion. “I am angry at a great many people, and I am angry at you. I should be screaming, raging, or fruitlessly trying to hurt you. To be honest, the thought of hurting you does have some appeal to me. I do not think there has been a time where I have felt more rage, yet this rage feels far beyond my reach except for the times when it overflows.”
Liu Jin cocks his head to the side.
“Under different circumstances, I’d say this is an interesting experience. Right now, it just causes me to worry. No matter how much time passes, I cannot seem to control myself. I’d hoped meditation would help me, but that seems to have been a fool’s hope.”
Liu Jin explains this all with a detached monotone voice.
It’s unnerving.
The current Liu Jin is decidedly unnerving. Those are Lei Kong’s most sincere thoughts.
“My lord, I believe I might have some idea as to what ails you,” Lei Kong nevertheless says, doing his best to meet Liu Jin’s eyes.
Liu Jin raises an eyebrow. His head tilts from left to right.
“Go on.”
“Based on what you describe, it is my belief that your soul and body are in disarray, my lord. Unless my senses lie to me, my lord is already in the Nascent Realm. Perhaps only in the first level of it, but it is the Nascent Realm all the same.”
“What of it?”
“Once a cultivator reaches the Nascent Realm, he starts to become more aware of his soul. On the road of cultivation, it is, without a doubt, an important step. However, like all steps, it is not without its risks. Your soul is no longer merely housed within your body. It is now something you can control. Much like a newborn discovering his legs, my lord may have kicked without meaning to.”
Faced with this explanation, Liu Jin closes his eyes once more. There is no denying a strong sense of dislike rises within him whenever Lei Kong speaks. By closing his eyes, Liu Jin seeks to judge Lei Kong’s words by their own merit instead of clouding his perspective by associating them with Lei Kong’s face.
He is only half-successful at this.
“You are saying that because of… what happened in Eastern Port City I have… moved my soul? And now, it is out of alignment with my body?”
“In a manner of speaking, yes,” Lei Kong says, bowing his head.
Liu Jin opens his eyes and frowns. The expression feels appropriate in this situation.
“If such a thing were possible, why haven’t I heard of it before?”
Liu Jin is not being entirely truthful. He recalls Xiao Nan mentioning something about the soul and the Nascent Realm a long time ago. However, there is a big leap between that and what is happening to him right now.
Surely, this is something either Old Jiang or his father would have mentioned after he reached the Nascent Realm?
“It is not usually done, my lord. You must understand that the soul is not an easy subject to explain. Imagine, for example, if you had to teach someone how to wiggle their ears. It is hard to explain how to move muscles most people do not realize they have. Something similar can be said of the soul. It is better to wait until the cultivator becomes aware of his soul at his own pace and through his own merits. Otherwise, it is possible to create a situation where the cultivator goes out of his way to try to manipulate his soul out of curiosity or misunderstands the new sensations he is now capable of.”
Lei Kong pauses and looks away.
“Of course, my lord’s case is certainly an extreme one. It is not something I have seen with my own eyes before, though I have heard of similar things. The shock of what happened in Eastern Port City was simply too much. There is no shame in it. Even hardened warriors would find it hard to deal with such a tragedy. My lord’s soul simply… flinched away.”
Liu Jin stays silent for a moment.
“Let’s assume I believe you,” Liu Jin speaks at last. “My soul and body are now in disarray. How should I fix it? How can I return my soul to its proper alignment?”
“Unfortunately, my lord, I do not think I can be of much help. The manipulation of souls is not something I have ever dared to try. Even if I had some skill in that area, I do not believe my lord would trust me enough to allow me to help him.”
“That is true.”
“In that case, all my lord can do is wait. As you grow in skill, you will be able to properly align your body and soul. Additionally, as time passes, my lord will be able to naturally process his emotions. This will help as well.”
Liu Jin pinches the bridge of his nose.
“In other words, you are telling me I cannot do anything right now. My only option is to wait until this situation sorts itself out.”
“... that is one way to interpret my words, my lord.”
Liu Jin snorts as he reaches into his robes.
“In that case, I seem to have wasted my time. Although perhaps that was for the best. I do not think I can call my current thoughts clear, but they are certainly clearer than when I woke up.”
Lei Kong’s eyes grow as Liu Jin pulls out a pouch and reaches into it. His whole arm disappears inside of it.
“A spatial pouch!”
“That is so. It is fairly valuable. Will you kill me and steal its contents?”
Liu Jin asks the question with complete indifference. He does not even look at Lei Kong. However, the effect the question has on Lei Kong cannot be more different. The young man recoils from Liu Jin as if struck.
“Never!” He shouts, bowing. “My lord, I could never do something like that.”
“I see.”
Completely unmoved by Lei Kong’s words, Liu Jin pulls out a map and opens it on his lap. Liu Jin traces it with his finger, his lips pressed against each other.
“I don’t suppose you remember in which direction you ran when you left Eastern Port City?”
“South,” Lei Kong answers. “Hiding inside the Storm Dragon Empire did not seem wise.”
“I see,” Liu Jin says, this time looking at Lei Kong, his eyes rather curious. Still, it does not last. His attention soon goes back to the map. “We walked for quite a few days after that. Considering the position of the stars, we must be in this area.”
Liu Jin taps a spot on the map.
“Where should we go from here, my lord?
“Where should we go?” Liu Jin chuckles. “I wonder.”
Liu Jin looks up at the sky, but it is not the moon or the stars he is looking at. All his attention is focused inward.
Where should he go?
No, perhaps that is the wrong question. Rather than asking where he should go, he should be asking himself what is it that he needs to do and what is it that he wants to do.
What does he want to do?
Rest for a hundred years.
What does he need to do?
…
Liu Jin sighs. The map is stored, and the pouch secured around his waist before he stands.
“I have decided.”
“Where to, my lord?”
“Five Bats City. I am going to Five Bats City.”
The sky is dark, and the dawn is still far away.
Liu Jin takes the first step.
~~~