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Chapter 24: "Proof of Progress."
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Shae found Master Long nearby and approached. He was talking with someone new. A younger well-dressed boy about Shae's age. Long held up a hand to pause the boy's questions and looked at the young woman stalking directly towards him.
"Long, I need a favor." She called as she approached.
"I heard, Miss Shae." He frowned.
The boy gawked, too surprised and offended to speak immediately.
"Then, quickly, I need an old priest and a young priest!" She smirked.
"What?"
"You dare!" The boy began. "Bow and address Master Long properly you filthy wretch!"
Shae tilted her head at the boy, then looked back at Long. "A joke, yes? Just some mud to deal with, as you heard."
"Indeed." He looked at the boy, who was still in an outrage.
"The only mud is you. How dare you present yourself covered in impurities!? Have you no respect!? Kowtow this instant!" He screeched.
Shae frowned, narrowed her eyes, and pointed a finger at the boy. "Talk to me like that again and I will kick you in the testicles."
He wound himself up for another go until Long raised a hand, palm facing the boy.
"Disciple Zhango, I'd like you to meet the Wise and Heavenly Zhi Shae."
"Her! Ho-w!" he stopped himself when Long switched to a single finger raised.
"She is slightly out of sorts from working all morning to clear the caravan's path. You might find out later why she is choosing to not use my title, and why I am permitting it. In the future, I would recommend against berating individuals you don't know for disrespecting other people." He paused to take an exasperated sigh and glanced back at Shae still giving Zhango a glare. "Finally, her colorful warning was not one of outburst and rage, but a calculated threat. One she is very capable of carrying out against you."
The boy swallowed his complainant with obvious nervousness.
"Miss Shae, even within the rules of a duel, intentional attacks against sensitive organs are heavily frowned upon."
"Frowned upon, but not disallowed?" She asked.
"Technically not. One cannot be allowed to let their guard down. I must ask, why are you covered in impurities?"
She shrugged. "Same reason I told, Mistress Ping." The boy flinched and reapplied his angered expression. "Working hard and channeling qi, guess it forced some out."
He frowned slightly. "It shouldn't. Unless you were stuffing yourself with qi like a swollen..." He waved a hand. "Waterskin?"
She smirked. "You were thinking of something nasty, weren't you?"
"Not at all." He kept his face stoic. "I was going to say cloud."
"Oh." Shae nodded.
"Cloud?" The boy asked.
Long nodded and gestured at Zhango before looking back to the young woman with satisfaction.
"Ah, he's a bit thick, then?" Shae smirked.
"I am- no- such- thing!" He sputtered.
Long sighed. "Miss Shae, is antagonism really necessary?"
Shae opened her mouth then froze, and decided to bite her tongue instead. "As you say, Cultivator Long. We do have roads to build instead of bridges to burn."
He seemed surprised through his stiff stony expression. "Well spoken, Wise Shae." He nodded in thought.
Zhango looked between them, confused and angry in turn.
After a breath of pause, she clarified, "I do mean actual roads to build."
"Ah! Yes." Long coughed into a sleeve. "First, I am interested in how you were cycling qi during your work. For it to cause so much cleansing is... concerning."
Shae shrugged off her bag and untied Marta. Might as well show a full swing, he'll ask anyway.
"Ah, I haven't seen one of those in years. It's a ch'th'knarr, yes?" He rolled the R sounds almost into a pure.
"Uh, if you say so. Its owner, Fedir, said it was hard to pronounce, so named it Marta. A-hem. The qi practice of the day is..." She closed her eyes to focus on correctly circulating Cresting the Hill. "A little bit all the time, then more during recovery." She swirled qi faster and felt Marta's enchantments twitch slightly.
Long's attention snapped back to Marta. "Oh and it's enchanted! With what-? No, let me guess. Hammer side is narrower so probably something like impact there. Something on the blade, sharpness or similar, and is that...? Yes, a gravity based weight enchantment, quite impressive." He looked up to see a surprised Shae. "What? It's an important skill to identify enchantments. Could save your life someday, especially if you intend a martial path, Disciple Zhango." He turned partway through to lecture the boy.
The young cultivator nodded along, then patted his lips like he was about to ask a question.
Long looked away suddenly, back to Marta and his face brightened slightly. "Actually, hold the demonstration, Miss Shae. I'd like the whole group to see this."
Shae groaned, "Get a log or something to cut then!" She yelled after him.
The short time they waited was spent with Zhango glaring menacingly at Shae. She tried not to laugh at the boy. He was mustering a nearly imperceptible flicker of killing intent that wavered as he breathed.
"Students and recruits to the Honorable Dragon's Entreaty Sect." Long bellowed to the group. "We've an interesting demonstration before us from prospect Zhi Shae. Some of you might have seen her last spectacle in Minlin city. This won't be so breathtaking. Yet, I believe you won't regret seeing it."
"Something is taking my breath away!" A voice called just loud enough to be heard.
"Yes! I smell like shit. I've been working my ass off so the caravan can keep moving, get over it." Shae yelled back. Several people that had been smiling or snickering now had the decency to look ashamed. Most did not.
"Indeed." Long added and the crowd silenced. "The tool she is wielding is not a weapon, though it can be used as one. It is called a ch'th'knarr, though most shorten that to knarr modified by the material type. Making this one a sky-steel knarr."
Shae flipped the tool over to look more closely at the head, it seemed the same as any steel. Her budding curiosity was cut off by Long's explanation.
"One side has a hammer face, this one with an impact enchantment, possibly to protect the tool from rebounding. If you would, Miss Shae."
She shrugged and swung the tool overhead without using any qi reinforcement. Though, she did make sure to use her strength and a smidge of focus to ensure the hammer side landed flat on the ground. A satisfying whump sounded with a puff of dust.
She noticed, this time, that the head did not bounce up, rattle, or show any sign of the impact. The same could not be said of the handle, it twitched and vibrated in her grip. Yet, she had swung it many times today and so her right hand kept its firm grip.
The reaction from the crowd was underwhelming. A few mutters and shifting feet.
"Good." Long declared. "A well executed strike using mostly mortal strength. The low weight of the knarr's head allows for an easy swing, but is a detriment to striking power. Against the heavily packed road, it is no surprise the impact seems weak."
Long pointed at one of the observers who threw a piece of firewood in front of Shae. "Miss Shae's underwhelming strike could still break bones, however. Perhaps demonstrated more clearly with the ax side. If you would, same swing." He nodded at her.
She returned the nod, poked the log into place with Marta and swung again. The log was a shade smaller than the thinnest trees she had been cutting through all day. With the expertise she had built up she wagered to herself that she could part it in only two strikes. Though, this weaker swing would take more.
Again the crowd seemed unimpressed, but Shae didn't mind. By appearance, she was just swinging the side of a straight shovel at a log.
"Again, decent form. Though, many of you will not be able to pick out those details for a long time. And, I see it cut into the wood quite well for a mortal blade, perhaps due to a sharpness enchantment?"
Shae coughed. "The owner didn't mention sharpness, just one to prevent binding. Does sky steel hold an edge for long?" She tugged Marta out of the wood, it jumped up and only imparted a small wiggle to the log.
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"Sky steel does hold an edge quite well." Long walked over to take the tool, then inspected the edge and enchantments. "Hmm quite right. It still has most of a good edge. Rather lacking if facing a high grade spirit beast, but excellent for timber."
He got more of a laugh from the crowd than Shae expected, then returned Marta to her.
"Now, what should Miss Shae do if she wanted to land a stronger blow to the road, or cut deeper with the ax?"
A snarky reply came from the crowd. "Get a bigger tool!"
A few people laughed out loud, including Shae, but most kept it to a snicker.
"Excellent suggestion. I would have preferred the adjective heavier, but I'll take an evocative synonym. The third enchantment on this knarr does increase its weight. Miss Shae, just the hammer with weight, keep the swing the same."
She frowned in disappointment at being restricted. So she set it into the ground and threw a lot of qi into increasing the weight. She moved a bit slower when swinging the heavy tool. She guessed it weighed a good fraction of her own weight. Though, whether a tenth or a half, she couldn't say.
The thump and dust cloud were much larger, though not outside expectations. A few people clapped a few times, but Shae heard no gasps or exclamations of surprise. She was busy containing the squirming handle. It pitched and bucked against her grip. She grunted in effort.
"Huh." Long spoke. "A-hem, well." He waved a hand and cleared the dust. "A much heavier tool, but still swung with mortal strength. A very strong mortal, don't let Miss Shae's appearance deceive you, she is quite strong. And a small flaw in the tool is revealed." He raised his voice slightly, "Take this as a prime lesson in testing your spiritual tools before relying on them." He took the tool again, raising an eyebrow as he tested the weight. Nodded then examined the head, and where the handle connected. "Yes, I see. The handle was replaced at some point, and the impact formation is slightly damaged. The handle is no longer included, or perhaps it sends the impact up the handle. I'd wager no mortal could keep grip on this thing at this weight."
Shae smirked. It had been some time since she received such a public acknowledgement of her abilities. Well, maybe not that long. Guess I should count my last day in Minlin too.
"I'd ask her to use more strength but that risks injury so allow me." He swung the hammer side around in a blur and a column of dust shot up from around the impact site.
Shae could swear she felt the ground ripple.
He waved a hand again to clear the dust as the crowd applauded. "While I'm not certain of Miss Shae's true strength, that was not mine." He held Marta up, showing the handle glowing slightly, even in the noon-day sun. "I'd expect if either of us tried that without reinforcing the handle, it would shatter. A skill which Miss Shae lacks, as it requires cleansed meridians. Now the ax side." He pointed down at the log, intent to continue.
"Oi!" Shae said. "I can do that part." She beckoned him to give her Marta. He did with some hesitation. "No qi strength, first." She called out as she swung it around. Her focus let her aim it just to the side of the last strike, and at the opposite angle.
The blade sank twice as deep and she left it in. "Twice as deep, which really means more than twice the power, these things are not always linear," she lectured.
"A-hem." Long interjected. "Linear, in this case, means a one-to-one ratio, and Miss Shae is correct. As the blade sinks into the round log. There is more width of log to cut through, so it requires more force. Now, the qi powered strike. Can you split the log?"
She looked down at what was left, she wasn't sure. Twisting Marta as she pulled it free, the wedge between her cuts chipped free leaving the perfect target. Might as well try. She nodded.
Testing the weight, she considered if it should be heavier. Speed matters too, faster could be better than heavier. She nodded and lined up the strike, shifting her feet and bending her knees. A rush of qi flowed through her, reinforcing the muscles that she had practiced all morning with.
Marta went up, then at the peak of the swing she engaged her focus, and maximized her qi's effects. The day's training stretched the moment, letting her fire off qi movements in practiced symphony. Her eyes were focused on the log, her muscles made minor adjustments to have the blade hit the exact center of the chip. She twisted the blade slightly to correct the angle just before it made contact.
She didn't relax instantly as it bit through the wood. She applied more pressure, maintaining force during the follow through.
She exhaled forcefully after the blade stopped in the packed ground. A third of the shovel head was buried in the road. She returned her qi to her Dantian, making the weight enchantment disappear as well. She released her grip and straightened up without removing Marta from the road.
One half of the log rested less than a hand from the blade, the other had been sent skittering to the side. A few people in the audience cheered, but most simply clapped politely. The spectacle had been tame compared to Long's thunderous dust cloud.
Long stood frozen, staring at Marta's shovel head, and the log beside it.
Shae breathed a few times then decided to address the crowd. "Right. So, that was a very clean strike, I worried I'd need another. I suppose it shows that beyond the quality of a tool, or the strength of the cultivator. Skill is vitally important. I could only get such a clean strike at the center of the wedge because I've been practicing all morning."
A few more people clapped at the pause.
"Long." She hissed at him.
When no response came, she cleared her throat. "Um, any questions?"
The crowd shifted from foot to foot awkwardly. Even here, no one ever had questions. Except... She pointed at someone that looked like they were about to speak up. "Name first, for the crowd."
"Um, I'm Chen. We met in Minlin City."
"Ah yes, I thought that was you, question? Comment?"
"Yeah. Hitting the center of the cut. Was that a fluke, or could you do it again?"
"Sure, I could do it again. Been practicing all morning."
He just pointed at the log.
She nodded and grabbed Marta. Tapping the closer log to line it up better she took a quick half swing, making sure only to have the blade land vertically. "There's a notch." She said, and made Chen look at it to verify it was the only one.
Once he had, she reset her stance and swung again. Just a normal strike, only a trickle of qi in her system. And all her mental focus to hit the cut. It made a slightly different thunk into the wood than her first swing and she leaned side to side to check. "Yep, got it."
He scrambled over to look. Long followed him in a daze.
"Wow, good hit! Glad I didn't bet anything," Chen joked.
"Ah, shit." Shae cursed, then exhaled a short raspberry.
"How- no, who trained you?" She heard the question over the murmurs from the crowd, it seemed they were uncertain how to respond. Yet, the one who asked was Master Long.
She shrugged. "Fairy Yun told me about mental focus yesterday. Meant to practice it with archery, but this worked great too."
His eyebrows shot up. "You're joking, yes? I was sure you only met her yesterday? Did she put you up to this?"
Shae shook her head. "We first met yesterday."
"You're not..." He stopped, his qi swept through her, then again with more force behind it.
"Hey!" She shuddered.
"Had to check. Are you tired? You can't have been doing that all morning?"
"Oh, I have stuff for that. Almost passed out after the first hour straight."
"Stuff?" He said flatly, the questions more in his expression than voice.
"Yeah uh... Well, you know the yellow drops in my qi? That stuff, and uh what I got at Jani's yesterday. You know, stuff."
"Can we be let in on what this stuff is?" Chen asked, eliciting a loud agreement from the crowd.
"Nah, if I wanted everyone to know, I would have said it. Don't get too jealous, though. It's very limited, if it wasn't training my mental focus, I wouldn't have used it for cutting logs."
"That shouldn't be possible." Long said. Then moved to the log, plucked Marta's blade out of the log, with Shae still held onto the handle. He then wedged a gold crown into the cut so that only the edge was visible. "Cut it. Swing as fast as you can." He demanded.
"Can I get a please?" She cycled her qi. Including sending a bit of enlightenment qi up to her head.
Long stared her down while standing directly opposite her, with the log between them. If she swung Marta, the blade would pass a hand's breadth from him. He ground out a word like he was chewing rocks: "Please."
Shae's legs tensed, and the tool blurred into motion. At least she hoped it did. To her it was slow. She was already using all her mental focus to guide Marta around her, pushing her muscles to their qi reinforced limits. As the ax head descended, she pushed harder on her focus, trying to keep up with the blade screaming through the air, without the added weight it could move much faster. She managed one last twitch of movement to her right.
A sharp and short p'tang sounded out, followed by a slight hum. Long's arm shot out low to her left clutching a fist. He pulled it towards himself and looked at it without opening it. "Back up a set of paces." He commanded the young woman.
The audience finally reacted with a controlled applause and one loud whoop of excitement further in the back.
Shae forced more divine qi to her head and tried desperately not to stagger. Shit, I overdid it. She kept her qi moving, lowering the muscle reinforcement, but keeping the excess qi in her channels. She moved slowly and deliberately; checking the cut in the log as cover to lean on Marta, and take more time to recover.
If I did hit the coin, and cut it at all, another piece should have... She looked to her right. Guard Tu was standing right in the line of fire for the gold chip that could have flown off. Wait, gold? Gold is too soft to do that. She checked for a flake or mushed scraping in the wood and on Marta's blade but found nothing.
"Hmm." She took a few slow breaths and began her dozen steps, unsure what to expect. Feels like a shoot out, or... A shoot out. She grinned. Turning at the end she set the shovel into the road and leaned it into the packed dirt.
"Get ready." Long said.
She blinked.
"Again, cut." He said as he threw the gold coin in a slow underhand arc, right at her.
She waited, shifting her footing slightly as she was unable to stay still.
The audience went silent.
The crown reached its apex and she held. It descended towards her and she held. Just before it reached her range she released her grasp on Marta, her right hand shooting out to grab the coin firmly, then quickly tucked it into her robes.
"Alright! Shows over!" She called out and clapped once. "We have a road to fix. I need volunteers, water or earth specialty, experience moving mud is an asset."
The audience was stunned, save for one man. Guard Tu began cackling madly with laughter, clapping and slapping his knee. He walked over to Long, slapping him on the back, "She got you good, Master Long."
With much more reserved actions, the crowd started chuckling and clapping. The organized audience began to brake up, groups forming and some watchers wandering off. Guard Tu left the still stunned Long and disappeared with them.
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