I find myself in the bazaar where all sorts of items can be found.

One dealer in particular stands out. Several pamphlets can be seen. I approach and note the woman who minds this shop watching me. I look at my clothes and can see why.

I find a tome on the stars that appeals to me. But I'm conscious of my lack of finances.

How can I get coin to purchase the expensive item?

I think of my experience as an herbalist. My familiarity with the local area is lacking. But, I trust my ability to harvest from the forest and mountains that enclose Callo City.

With my lack of need for food, I should be able to buy my desired tome in a few weeks.

The city is full of people, and I find relief in the solitude of my occupation.

These hills and mountains are rich in medicinal herbs I'm familiar with.

I pass my first day steadily harvesting peace blooms and earth root lotuses. Added in comes a wide variety of herbs I know to be in demand.

My harvest will be sizeable by the end of the day, and I postpone bringing my haul to market as I settle for the night.

Meditation serves me better than sleep. The chi of the heavens fuels my internal energies.

I watch the knight and the wanderer approach life in significantly different ways. Another figure shows prominently in the sky. The crone.

The story of the crone is fascinating. At one point, the crone was a beautiful and vital young woman.

She pined for the knight in her youth. But, she never found his eye.

Her love grew cold, and as she withered, she came to hate the object of her affection.

The crone is an aggressive character in the story that the stars tell. She becomes one of the actors in the shadows that snares the wanderer and causes the knight to be wary.

I focus on my breathing as I feel my soul stone. It's small, yet must be refined for me to manifest the true powers of the immortals.

But, my herbalism grounds me in the world I come from—earning my daily income.

I note one benefit in particular, my back doesn't ache as I spend long hours bending over to pick the low-lying herbs.

Meditating under the moon's light, I envision myself breathing in the sky.

The stars are charging my energetic core. The depths of my soul grow illuminated by the chi that fills the hole in my soul.

This is a peaceful communion with the world.

Immortals live on this plane of existence, where the air is filled with energy.

The immortals claim divinity and demand worship from the masses.

I can't help but wonder why immortals demand so much. I may only be in the formative stages of my development. But I can't help but wonder how something as sublime as cultivation demands so many resources.

They take the farmers' food as tax when they don't even eat.

I let out a sigh. I feel my ignorance only grows with each passing day.

At one time, all I could think about was the daily hunt for herbs. My life was one of laboring for my mouth.

It occurs to me that my mother and father lack my income with my disappearance.

Without me, they have my brother. He found good work with the local butcher. It's not the most glamorous of professions. But he earned more than I did with my herbs.

The night passes under my gaze.

With dawn's light, I gather my spoils and trek back to Callo's marketplace.

As I find a spot in the marketplace, a pair of city guards stand before me.

"I don't recognize you," comes a burly guard's voice.

"You don't have a permit to trade in Callo?"

I look up with pleading eyes.

A sneer takes one of the guards' faces.

"There's a fifty percent tax on unlicensed merchants."

The two men waste no time in ransacking my herbs.

I am surprised by how my herbs disappear before my eyes. I don't even comprehend what's happening as the men loot over half of my bounty.

"Get a license," says the guard.

I wonder if he gave this advice out of kindness or just wanted to bring order to his streets.

The pair swagger off, leaving me with my ravaged trade goods.

It's my first time in a big city, and I'm only learning the art of business in the big city now.

I resign myself to the need for a permit.

The morning goes slowly, but I find a buyer for my herbs around noon.

The man who buys my herbs runs the local apothecary shop.

"There aren't too many herbalists in Callo City. So, most of the herbs I use come from the trade caravans.

"It's expensive. So, if you can keep me stocked, I'll do business with you at my shop.

"Newcomers to the market are easy marks for scammers."

I think about how easily I lost my hoard. Fortunately, I don't feel dependent on making enough to eat for the day.

"Come by around noon if you have something to sell," the man says as he parts from me.

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I feel the weight of coin in my hands, a few pieces of copper.

I am accustomed to this as my income for a day's work.

Usually, I would have earned less for such a small harvest. But the city seems more prosperous than my small hometown.

With my stock handled, I turn to the hills and woods again. The book on the stars is far from my reach. But, I can steadily progress towards buying it if I am patient.

I find relief from the stress of the city when I come out into the wilderness.

The air is crisper and less polluted by the smoke in the city streets.

Peacebloom and earth root lotus are but two of the herbs the apothecary mentioned for me to harvest. Sage leaf, nightshade, and golden crown have become more important in my search. I still collect miscellaneous herbs in my search.

I can harvest more tomorrow morning. For now, as night falls, I focus on cultivating my dao.

I look to the stars to seek my lessons.

There is a force with evil intent that stalks through the shadows, the abomination.

While the crone's sinister nature comes from her innocent youth, the abomination hunts for prey to devour and expand himself. The abomination is cruel, gobbling up the stars in its surroundings.

I think that immortals are like abominations, only seeking more growth and eating those who can't defend themselves.

My breathing activates my energetic core and fills my body with energy. The need for food and drink that consumed me only days ago evaporates with the abundance of chi that exists in this world.

The stories tell me of the different aspects of my soul. How greedy hunger lead to a destructive path that ruins those around me.

The crone and knight teach the lesson of duty and the consequences of too narrow a focus.

And the wanderer teaches me the most about who I am—a man who walks undeterred into the life that awaits him.

My thoughts turn to the Divided Fates sect. Had I stayed with them, could I have learned so much from the stars? Would I even be allowed to live?

I put thoughts of my abductors behind me as I come back to the present.

The night sky grows warm, and I renew my search for herbs.

In the mid-morning, I break from my labor. I'm surprised by how bountiful my harvest is.

I feel that I've grown more capable of seeing the faint signs of what I seek, and my speed between harvests exceeds all levels I could have achieved before my abduction.

My spoils lead me to the apothecary.

"Wow. Young man, how could you get so much in a day?"

I give the man a wry smile as I accept the coin for my labors.

"I think our partnership will be exceedingly lucrative."

The man rubs his hands together and licks his lips.

"My name is Sebastian Grey of, as you've seen on the window, 'Grey's Pharmaceuticals.' And, you are?"

"Rook, sir."

The older man looks me over, "Glad to meet you."

"And you, sir."

I leave with my pay and consider how to spend my earnings. Should I wait till I can buy the book? Or, I can focus on the here and now.

I find my path to the bazaar.

My desires are practical, and I seek tools that will be helpful in my occupation.

I find sacks and gloves suitable to my task.

It's relatively cheap, and I return to my hillsides and forested locales.

The flowering herbs are easy to notice in the spring blossoming.

I'm careful not to scavenge over territory I've previously gleaned from.

Even in the task of herbalism, I absorb the chi of heaven and earth.

It strikes me that my soul stone is tremendously damaged.

I know very little about this stage. My studies have only looked at my immediate circumstances.

While still with the Divided Fates sect, my hunger drove me to focus on forming my soul stone.

The urgency made my vision narrow. And now, my soul stone grows in size and density. But, the fissures that pervade it seem no closer to mending than when it first manifested.

Still, I feel more vital than at any other moment of my life.

I find a rhythm to harvesting and selling to Sebastian over the next few days. He's pretty personable and gives me pointers on the uses for my assortment of plant materials.

The stars, as ever, are full of lessons.

I find my knowledge of the stars needing improvement and hang out at the book vendor in the bazaar. The woman who runs it gives me dirty looks when I loiter nearby.

But, I am steadily working towards my objective.

Days continued passing until, at last, I've saved up enough for my first astrology book.

This is different from a cultivation guide. Rather, it tells the stories of the heavens.

The woman looks like she will send me away until I pull out a bag of coins. The woman's hawkish features mellow.

Most buyers would haggle for a reduced price. But I've never bought anything of value before. I need to learn how to negotiate the best price.

The woman smiles contentedly as she counts out my coin.

With this business finished, I returned to my solitary life, picking flowers and selling them to a man I'm starting to view as a friend.

"The roots of the cascade lily can be brewed into a tea that aids with digestive health," Sebastian comments while cataloging the herbs at today's meeting.

I nod as I absorb the information he decides to share with me.

"What do you do in your free time, Rook? You can't always be hunting down herbs."

I'm embarrassed to talk about myself, but I squeak out, "...stars."

Sebastian looks confused, "What was that?"

"I watch the stars."

The older man smiles. "Good for you. Most young men these days are off drinking their money away. Try not to fall into the habit as you grow older."

I nod my head. I've never drunk alcohol before. It's a luxury that those in the depths of poverty can't indulge in. Not that that stops everyone from the habit.

"Alright, here you are. Thank you for your continuing service. I'm grateful that you do business with me. Herbalists are a scarce resource in Callo."

I feel a sense of pride at the man's statement. Even back home, my skills in identifying medicinal herbs exceeded those of my peers.

I part with my business partner and think about what I could do with my newfound riches.

My shabby clothes stand out. I haven't had a change of clothes since before the sect took me.

I don't have any pressing need, so I buy a set of common clothes far and away superior to my sackcloth garb. It strikes me that these are the finest clothes I've ever had.

My time in the city for the day is over, so I return to the wilds.

With my new clothes, I feel like a different man. Like someone with a purpose.

Day passes into night, and I read the stories that have been told since the world's foundation.

I remind myself that I have a family to find. I shouldn't fall into complacency. I have to remember that they need my contribution.

But, then my thoughts turn. My world is not the same as it once was.

I have begun the climb into immortality.

I clear my mind of the growing thoughts as I give them my attention.

My night vision is growing more pronounced with each passing night.

I sit consulting my astrology tome. I learn the stories incrementally.

Tonight, I learn the tale of the slave.

The slave is a tragic character. He was too weak to fight the shadows like the knight. , his path led him astray until he became bound by the machinations of entities like the abomination.

It is a story like my time with the Divided Fates. I think all the men and women in the sect turn into slave labor to fuel the avarice of those with too much already.

My sympathy is with those too weak to climb out of bondage. But, I am aware of how dangerous it would be for the sect to learn of my survival.

They'd hunt me down to harvest my core.

I let thoughts of times passed escape me, returning to the mantra I learned.

My thoughts are clear as I recite.

"When days are won by those of might. Glory to the sun, there is none like the knight."

I find myself wanting to be like the knight—a stalwart warrior. But I know that I'm not. And I will not be like the slave again.

I breathe in the chi of heaven and out my pollution.

It's weird to be conscious of the waste in one's body.

Emaciated as I was at the time of my core formation, I was already in a cleansed state. But, I realize that pollution is more than a physical aspect. There is the pollution of the soul.

When the physical body is impure, so too is the spiritual body.

From what I read in my brief time with the texts, the spiritual body is tied to karma.

In a way, the path of immortality is the transcending of karma.

For the non-cultivator, one's karma will not exceed certain limits. But cultivators and immortals break the threshold.

In a way, the soul reaping at death is the release from karma. Those who do not find this release can become slaves to karma if they allow it.

Much as I might like a clean karmic slate, that is not the nature of life.

As I become snared by my thoughts, I fail to notice the coming of dawn.

Recognizing it as a time to work, I stand and turn to the task that occupies my days.

The herbs are growing scarcer in the fields I've been harvesting, so I turn to a wider search.

My days and nights pass, and I steadily save money for my wants. So long as I have the sky above me opened with its heavenly chi, I have all that I need.

With money, I find my thoughts turned to other purchases.

"You should consider a cosmos ring. Would help you significantly with your harvests."

"Cosmos ring?" This is the first I've heard of such an item.

"They're convenient. They create a pocket dimension where you can store your belongings."

Sebastian pointedly looks at the ring on his finger. With a flick of his wrist, the man pulls a potion out of thin air.

My counterpart smiles at my surprise.

"I will warn you, they are rather spendy. I know a good shop you can buy one from."

I get the information and turn to my affairs.

Before I leave to continue my harvest, I swing by the store for a quote on how much the ring would put me back.

It's worth the price. But, I find the amount of labor it would take me to buy it daunting.

Whatever else, it would be a good investment for my everyday needs.

I resolve myself to earn one.

Before that though, what I need is a map.

I return to the vendor I got my book from and seek out my prize, a map of the surrounding territory.

"For you, good customer, I can give you ten percent off," comes the woman's voice.

I can't help but feel that she's still gouging me. But I have come to terms with the expense.

Finally, I find myself with the means to find my home.

As I depart, I unfurl the map. I can use it for names or landmarks that I can recognize.

Despite my optimism, nothing looks familiar on the map. My village was so small it didn't even have a name.

And the only town I knew of isn't shown on this map.

I let out a sigh as I return to the wilderness.

Nights and days pass as I work to earn my very own cosmos ring.

The book on the stars proves worth its cost as I find myself absorbed in the study of the heavens every night.

I happen to overhear an argument in my daily traffic to the apothecary.

"You Divided Fates don't run Callo city! Get the hell out of here."

A man lets out a throaty laugh.

"Serpant's Tail sect. More like Serpant's Ass. Learn your place. Divided Fates may not own the city today. But, I'll be dammed if I run from a runt like you."

The two men and their respective groups face off.

The air is tense when the Serpent's Tail leader cries, "You'll be dammed then!"

Cultivators begin to fight openly in the streets.

The common folk, who weren't already edging their way out of the conflict zone, begin running for their lives.

The air exploding rattles my ears as I watch the two leaders exchange blows.

The rest of the dozen or so men join the melee.

Blood sheds as a man coughs up a mouthful of it and grips a bloody hole in his chest.

Rather than slowing the violence, the man's death only serves to polarize the fighting more.

When cultivators fight, the fighting has an added dimension beyond the physical.

Pockets of air explode under the manipulation of chi.

One man uses ki to enhance the edge of his palm. The man brings down his hand on another man who shields his face with an arm.

Blood flows freely as the defending man loses a hand.

Cries of anger and pain resonate through the city streets.

An air burst catches one civilian that starts hemorrhaging blood.

I put distance between myself and the battle.

The conflict climaxes as the battle between the two leaders involves the rest of the gangs. It becomes apparent who the less powerful combatants are on both sides as men die in a matter of seconds.

Finally, the Divided Fates leader cries, "Enough!" before falling back with his gang.

Both sides are breathing heavily.

A mutual understanding comes over the survivors as they stare one another down.

Both leaders flick their wrists, and their men collect the dead.

"You will regret this."

"Shove it up your ass."

With their battle a draw, the men leave.

The odd body part lies on the ground. And blood covers several surfaces.

With the gangs gone, an eerie silence comes over the street.

Vendors fled with no regard for their property.

A lone corpse can be found on the battle's perimeter—a civilian with no stakes in the dominance play that unfolded.

I stand firmly in my place, thinking about these cultivators' atrocious behavior.

For now, I can do nothing to stop these giants from stepping on those beneath them.

With a last look at the scene, I find my way out of the city and into the wilds.