Walking the forest had always had a calming effect on me. For most, the uncertainty and fear of beast attacks kept them from enjoying the wonders that could be found. For me, the extra boost of endorphins heightened my senses and allowed me to broaden my perception. The smell of evergreen sap, fresh loam, and the hint of ozone that permeates the air right as a spring rain began allowed me to unconsciously make assumptions about the morning's hunt.
A storm was coming, the sprinkles that were lightly pattering the leaves and ground just a precursor to what would probably be a good thunderstorm. Even the bird signs were ominous, no singing or foraging for the feathered flocks that usually swarmed the branches, gathering the choicest bits of insect and larva that made the branches and leaves of the tree their homes.
Father was right to think that my awakened cultivation abilities would make a difference. The forest was so much more than it had been. Small signs that I would have neglected to notice before almost glaringly obvious. But the most interesting find was my ability to recognize a fluctuation in Qi. Small pockets of increased vitality that when examined bore treasures of herbs or mushrooms that allowed us to more quickly gather and stock up.
My new insights allowed us to harvest more lingzhi than father had gathered in over a year, enough to more than offset the costs of herbs that he had donated for my use as I began my study of Pill formation.
Mother had convinced him that we wouldn’t have time to build a pit trap, not if I was going to report to the Sect by mid-morning. So, we had scrapped the idea of hunting for Entelodonts; they were simply too dangerous to track without more people in our hunting party or the safety of the trap. But sometimes you get what you wish for, not what you plan.
My perception of Qi warned me enough in advance that my father and I managed to take to the branches of neighboring trees. We had developed hand signs, a way to communicate between us while staying silent, so I watched with one eye on father for a decision on how to act when the beast was identified, and one eye on the area of dense Qi that was moving towards us.
She was huge, her teats heavy with milk as she ushered a veritable army of young into the clearing we had vacated. I didn’t need to wait for father’s signal to know that we would be ignoring the Entelodont; he made it a practice to never harvest an animal with young. He thought there was no point in tempting fate, and the negative Karmic balance you would assume from killing an animal with young was compounded because the young would probably die soon after even if you ignored them.
Unfortunately, we weren’t the only hunters in the forest today. The Entelodont’s ears perked up as sounds of crashing and trashing began echoing. The tale-tell sounds of beaters, specialized hunters that used loud sounds to herd animals into blinds, allowing the wholesale slaughter of whatever they could scare into running.
Normally the Entelodont would have followed the same pattern of any other beast of her size and type, turning and running from the sound in an effort to seek safety. But she had dozens of piglets to protect. An entire season of her young, and if she ran, they would almost assuredly die. So instead, she faced the sound of thumping, hooting, and whistling that approached, placing her body between those that approached and her young. Her ears and snot testing the air for scent and sound and waited.
Father’s disbelief was obvious when he first caught sight of the person who had been assigned to the herd. It took a few more seconds before I managed to get a clear line of sight and understood his disbelief.
The young boy, and boy was the only term that could apply, couldn’t be more than twelve or fourteen. His inexperience telegraphed as he blundered into the clearing where the Entelodont waited without pause. He took no time to investigate his surroundings or determine if something too big to tangle with might be in his path. Whoever had set him to his task had simply instructed him to make a lot of noise and move in a certain direction.
I felt sorry for him; he was certainly from the poorest section of town and was probably his family's only means of support. Volunteering for this task as a way to make more money than the pittance he could earn running errands or messages. His age making him ineligible for most tasks that required adult strength and dexterity.
He had probably left school early, his circumstances trapping him in a cycle of poverty that would be impossible to climb out of. Unless this job as a thumper earned him massive gains, even a small share from the meat, organs, bones, skin, and cores from a sizeable haul could cover his family’s expenses for a year.
It was his desperation that was the most struck me as the saddest. He would sacrifice his life here today on the off chance he would earn a large enough sum of funds to stave off starvation. I’m not sure he even noticed the Entelodont before it was charging, head down and tusks protruding.
Father yelled a warning to him at the same time he aimed his bow and released. I had already sent my first and was nocking my second arrow. Taking aim, I followed the first shot with the same precision and focus father had instilled in me over the years. Controlling my breath, drawing the bowstring back to my ear, releasing my breath as I released the arrow.
My first shot had missed the eye I was aiming for and lodged in the animal's neck. Father had tried for one of the legs, hoping to hobble the animal and slow it down enough for the boy to escape.
“Climb a damn tree,” Father screamed when he saw the boy was still in the animal's path, frozen in place. His warning too late as the beast arrived and savaged the boy.
From that point, it was a race, our ability to release arrows and damage the animal faster than it could kill the boy. Shot after shot. My aim laser-focused, each arrow lodging in vital areas of the Entelodont, until I finally managed to pierce and lodge an arrow deeply within one of the animal’s eyes.
Frenzies with foaming blood spluttering from and spraying the area as she squealed, she finally ignored the boy to figure out what was attacking her. Her one eye searching frantically, her nose working to identify the danger, her actions a change in position, and an opening. I had a clear shot and took it, the twang of my bow, the snick of the arrow being released, and the whistling it made as it pierced the air to lodge firmly in the beast’s other eye.
Lodged so deeply that the brain cavity was pierced. She was not dead, but she was gravely wounded. It was only a matter of time now. Still, I wasn’t sure how much time the boy had before he would bleed out if he wasn’t already dead. At a signal from father, and with an eye for the young that had fled in panic, we leaped down from the tree we had used as protection. Removing the half spear, we had slung to our back; we stalked the beast cautiously, making certain that it truly was blind.
Our caution was unfounded, my last shot had been a killing blow, the damage to the brain sufficient that we were able to deliver the coup de grâce and finish the animal. I stayed vigilant, watching the area as my father rushed to check on the boy. Mother was the healer in the family, but we had all assisted her over the years so we were well-versed in medical procedures, at least well enough to give emergency aid.
I withdrew one of my Hanfu from my storage device and donated it so it could be shredded and used to pack the more serious wounds and bind the others. Once the blood flow had been contained, father had me strap the young boy to his back with another donated Hanfu, and the two rushed from the clearing.
Mother could have treated the boy, but father refused to involve her in this, instead, he took him to the public healers. There was no telling who the boy was working for, or how they would react at our interference. They should be thankful, but there was always the possibility that they had meant the boy to die.
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Whatever the truth, his fate was out of our hands, and father hastily transferred the items we had gathered, storing them in backpacks and satchels before hugging me tightly and sending me on my way. He wanted me gone before anyone could link me with these events. I thought him overly cautious, but father had a sixth sense about certain things, and it never paid to ignore his warnings when he became overbearing and determined.
I chewed on my bottom lip the entire walk to the Sect, my mind worrying about what dangers my father might have inferred that I couldn’t connect between the boy and our actions. It wasn’t until I had arrived before the Sect gates that I released a heavy sigh and decided it was best to ignore the morning's hunt, until or unless something happened that affected my father and the family.
Elder Rhys was waiting in the inner quad for the new induction of recruits. Everyone had signed in as they passed through the gates and were directed to the meeting where he would begin assigning mentors. Most new novices would be assigned to an Inner Circle Sect member.
The Sect was organized like most of their kind, Outer Sect, Inner Sect, Core Disciple, Member, Elder, and Patriarch. Gender was not an impediment to a promotion, in fact, Flowing Water’s Patriarch was Elder Amaya, a Core Formation member that was rumored to be close to breaking through to the Immortal Realm.
If she succeeded, she would be only one of a handful to have reached that level from Flowing Water Sect. The larger Sects would consider her efforts pedestrian at best, but those larger sects had access to more advanced resources and techniques. Their success allowed them to claim more resources, and as success compounded and Sects became truly powerful, it would then advance and gain even more resources. Those few that had Immortal Emperor Realm cultivators as members needed a monstrous amount of resources to develop.
Flowing Water was classified as a lower-tier sect. It ranked high among those of the same tier, the location of the sect allowing for ease of cultivation, especially for those with any type of water affinity. To breakthrough into the mid-tier sect division, a second affinity and techniques to promote the growth of that affinity were required.
Flowing Water had been working to add the Air aspect as a secondary specialization, looking for lightning techniques and fighting katas. They had discovered or traded for some movement manuals, but the fighting techniques were of the lowest rank. It would be almost more harmful for anyone to bother with those techniques.
I knew about these issues when I applied; I hadn’t known how directly the dearth of useful cultivation resources would impact me directly. I’d hoped to resonate with water, that I did as well as air, was beyond my expectations.
Still, the Sect had some of the best Water manuals, their knowledge, and resources even considered respectable for higher-mid tier Sects. I wasn’t sure what could be done or where I would look for techniques that trained and employed my air affinity. I was hoping the mentor that I was assigned, or the Sect Resource Elder or Librarian would have suggestions.
If all else failed, I would have to take more Hunting missions to farm spirit stones. The larger cities had frequent auctions where manuals and techniques could often be found. It was also possible that I would meet someone from a rival sect. A battle between Sects were contained to individual jousts, but those skirmishes were encouraged. It was one of the most profitable ways to earn both spirit stones and secret manuals.
“Once you have been assigned to a mentor,” Elder Rhys said gaining our attention and silencing the murmuring that had been taking place as everyone fidgeted and chatted in excitement, “you will incorporate the gems you were instructed to bring and make it part of your Dantian. A crystallized barrier that will house and protect your soul ocean.”
“For those of you that weren’t able to find a suitable gem, your mentor will attempt to find something from Sect resources.
“Be aware these gems will not be free!” He warned us. “You were instructed and expected to procure this tool on your own. The Sect does not reward failure, so the cost for any gem that is provided will be twice what you would pay at any reputable gem merchant.”
“For those taking this route, I do not care if you failed to find a gem because of misfortune, laziness, or apathy, but be warned, continued failure to meet expectations within the Sect will result in expulsion.
“You are adults and Outer Sect members. Your intellect has met the standards we demand. Use the brains you’ve demonstrated you have and work hard.”
A few Inner Sect members and Elder Rhys’ core disciple began to organize those that had gathered. The only way to determine who was who at this point was the clothing each person wore. We had been given Sect uniforms and time to change once we’d arrived at the Sect earlier, each person’s rank was woven into their Hanfu. It was fascinating how the Sect embroidered water in all its form on uniforms as a badge to help others determine Sect rank and position.
As a new inductee, my uniform had a simple band of blue around the end of each sleeve. Outer Sect members that had become novitiates had needlework that resembled meandering streams along the sleeves that flowed into the band of blue.
Elder Rhys uniform was moving weather, patterns morphing and ranging from gentle sprinkles to raging thunderstorms traveled across his garments, the path circuitous. I had yet to meet the Sect Patriarch, but I figured the extravagance of her garments would be as advanced and detailed as the Elders were over ours.
The clothing had some protection enchantment woven into the fabric, as well as spirit metal and gems ground and used as material for the embroidery thread. Even the barebones garments we had been issued had some basic enchantments. Repair was woven in; the weave of the fabric would return to form no matter how much damage the cloth took.
Unless the robes were completely destroyed, bits and pieces of materials would be ‘borrowed’ from the surroundings and remastered into the elements needed. It wasn’t as effective as an artifact or armor, but it helped cool in summer, warm in winter, and was enchanted to remain clean, something that Cultivators that were constantly practicing martial forms or honing bones and organs to expel impurities could certainly use.
The induction process and mentor-mentee assignments went smoothly. This year Flowing Water had only offered membership to thirty new novitiates, twenty-eight of whom had accepted that offer.
The two who declined did so because of elemental affinity, applying to a Sect that would have more effective resources and techniques, one that meshed well with their affinities. Each of them was heavily affiliated with fire type Qi, although Flowing Water had techniques for the most common affinities; fire, earth, water, and air, the manuals and jade slips for fire and earth techniques were basic, at best, air barely rated above that only contains a few low tier techniques.
But the two that had refused the invitation had Tin Realm spirit roots, their potential was too high to not try to recruit them. Even if it meant the Sect would need to duel or buy manuals that would optimize their abilities.
My mentor was a Core disciple, her master an Elder that focused on alchemy. She was in all likelihood chosen after I had sent the documents the Sect required, including the form where I had chosen Pill formation as my secondary profession.
“Introductions first,” Tarrah began after we had been assigned to each other. “As a Core disciple I have access to areas of the library resources, and missions that are not available to outer sect members.
“I can share some of those resources, but only with master’s permission. Elder Tye is a fair master, but he can be distracted by research. The only thing to be aware of is his anger. He can be fearsome if riled, and nothing angers him faster than carelessness. He is adamant that it has no place in pill creation.
“Herbs must be weighed exactly to specification, tools should be pristine in cleanliness and maintenance, and everything should be organized efficiently and consistently. The only time I have ever seen him truly furious was when an inner sect member, too proud of his own abilities, left resources scattered and unlabeled. He had left his mess for an outer sect member to organize, someone that was not well versed in identifying herbs and destroyed other's work by mis-classifying a rare herb as common.
“That error resulted in a cauldron explosion that came close to destroying the protection array. If that had happened, the Sect would have been forced to halt all production until a new cauldron room was constructed.”
“I would guess they punished the Inner Sect member,” I said when Tarrah paused to gauge my reaction, “but was the outer sect member punished too?”
“Both were expelled. All funds that had been earned, all merit saved confiscated,” she assured me.
“It may seem harsh to expel the outer sect member too, he was only acting under orders of a higher-ranked brother, but he could have asked for help or informed an Elder about the situation. Every person who chooses pill formation is informed that there is no penalty for asking for help or clarification.
“He admitted during the investigation that he knew he should have sought help when he was separating herbs before returning them to storage. They were both lucky. If that protection array had shattered and the room had been destroyed their cultivation would have been destroyed before they were cast out.
“But they both were expelled intact and with enough knowledge to join another Sect or set up shop as an apothecary in any mid-size town,” she said.