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Chapter 48: "Time With Senior Sister."

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The afternoon progressed quickly with the two women chatting as they walked. A few times another runner caught up to confirm there had been no sightings of spirit beasts. Shae was surprised by the second time, as Apollo reported she had detected one, and it had fled instead of confronting them.

"I think it was a bird, maybe a heron," she said.

"You couldn't tell, Senior?" Shae asked curiously. She found that if she didn't ask follow up questions, the runners definitely wouldn't. She guessed they were intimidated by Apollo, or just by cultivators.

"No, it just brushed the edge of my perception, then fled when it sensed my senses."

She opened her eyes wide. "Does that mean it's strong? To be able to sense you?"

Apollo wobbled a hand. "Its reaction is not a good indicator. It didn't sense me, just my perception. That's more like seeing someone's shadow. Most animals have strong natural instincts for that, even mortal ones. Haven't you ever felt like someone was watching you? Sometimes it could even be the heavens themselves." She leaned in, focusing on Shae and the scout.

The scout paled slightly. Though, he was rather tanned which made it hard to notice.

Shae felt the hairs on the back of her neck tingle, but rolled her eyes.

"But if it did sense more, and made a decision to flee. Then it was probably a stronger spirit beast, at least equal to core, I'd guess." She shrugged.

"Aren't you a stealth specialist, Senior?"

"I'm not sure where you heard that." Said the woman dressed in all black, with a face covering.

"I mean, can't you do something to hide your senses? Uh, Senior?" She gave a slight bow at her title correction. Apollo wasn't strict enough to demand it, but Shae was keeping up appearances for the scout.

"I could, but that restricts the range. If I wanted to fight a spirit beast, that'd be a good way. But, it would also put the scouts at risk, so no-can-do."

"Ah, of course. My apologies for questioning you, Senior." Shae dipped her head and rubbed the back of her neck.

Apollo shook her head. "It's good to be curious. So long as you ask politely." Her eyes showed she was smiling under her mask.

Shae looked at the scout, and smiled. He seemed to have relaxed, somewhat.

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After another hour or two of chatting, Shae was getting anxious to get running again. "Hmgh, I should do a few more laps."

Apollo tilted her head sideways. "What for? The others are doing a good job scouting the forests. Dusting up the road again doesn't do a lot."

"Ah, well, it's this qi exercise I'm supposed to be doing. Pushing against my limits to see where they are."

"Hmm. I've seen your version of running. I don't think it will push you, do you?"

"Ugh, I thought it was working, but you're right that I'm not even getting close. Half my body is too strong to be challenged, the other half can't keep up. Even with the qi exercise balancing it out a little bit."

"Balancing it out? How so?" The woman's eyebrows jumped a little as she asked.

"The exercise seems to add resistance, even while empowering the muscles slightly." She focused on starting the practice, cycling it through her channels. "Like this."

"Hmm. Move around a bit?"

Shae did as requested, hopping in place then dashing across the road.

"Alright." She waved the young woman back. "Could I see the practice's instructions?"

Shae thought for a breath, then nodded and unslung her pack. They had to stop walking down the road so she could find the Manifold Journey manual. "Hmm... It's this one, just those few pages titled Controlled Push."

"Huh." Apollo said and began reading. She looked up at Shae a few times while she read. Then again when she flipped the manual over, reading the cover.

"You got this from the monks? I'm not sure I've heard of it before."

Shae shrugged. "They said it is very rarely used. It's mainly for new disciples at the start of their journey. However, most new disciples don't have the skill or qi reserves to use it properly."

"Yet, you do?"

"Uh, I guess so? I'm not sure they would have given it to me otherwise."

Apollo nodded. "It's good that you're uncertain, because I think you're doing it wrong."

"Huh? How so?" She leaned in excitedly.

"We have a similar training technique at the sect. I don't remember what it's called. Everyone just calls it tar-training, or swimming in tar. This is like a more complex version of that."

"Hah! So I was right, you do have a better resistance training technique." Shae chuckled.

Apollo shrugged. "Better is subjective: it depends what else this is trying to do. If you just want resistance training," she pointed out a section of the text, "this is all you need to do, though be careful with your qi, you can tear muscles with this."

"Um, how careful? My qi does like to move on its own."

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"Hmm, Okay. Just use neutral qi then. Why this includes all these other bits I'm entirely not sure. It's really inefficient, most qi gatherers would still have to run near max speed to get a full workout. And for your..." She shook her head, "I don't think it's going to benefit you at all."

"Awww, that's disappointing." Shae scratched her head. "Although, it's not really a permanent training technique. It's just for one leg of a journey, and one where I'd need to keep moving and not be dead tired a few hours in."

Apollo nodded, "In that light, I can understand it more. May I read more of this?"

"Uhhh... I don't remember them telling me not to share it. Hmm, start with the introduction. If you find anything interesting or concerning let me know. But I think you should get direct permission from the monks to share the whole thing with the sect."

"I may be a-" she forced a cough, "Regardless of my position in the sect. This is yours to share with the sect's library, I'll not take that from you." She then flipped to the front of the manual and started reading.

Shae smiled. It's not like I haven't already shared this with someone. I wonder if she'll say the same things as Fairy Yun.

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Apollo had very little to say regarding the monks practice manual. Mainly giving Shae several scrutinizing looks while she read it over.

"Well!?" Shae finally blurted out after the older cultivator was clearly finished reading and had gone back to start it again.

"Heh, I was wondering how long you could hold out from asking. Heh heh." Apollo chuckled.

The younger cultivator stepped over to shove Apollo and said, "Oh, come on-! Wah!" As soon as she had put her weight into the push, the other woman moved. This left her hand suddenly pushing at empty air and she stumbled forward. Apollo grabbed the back of her shirt before she went careening off the road trying to catch herself. Then right as she had her balance again, Apollo pushed her.

Getting pushed by a significantly stronger cultivator was a rather unpleasant experience. Her feet only caught enough of the road to flip her over, and she tumbled into the longer grass and brush along the roadside.

Shae was speechless for a dozen breaths as her mind caught up to what happened.

Apollo calmly walked over to stand above the toppled young woman. She reached out and snapped her fingers to get Shae's attention. "Don't try to rough-house with your seniors, even playfully. We can't really enjoy it without something like this happening."

"Wha-?"

An outstretched hand was offered and pulled the younger woman up when she accepted it.

"Err, sorr-"

"Don't apologize. It was a lesson, thank me for the lesson."

"Ah. Yes. Thank you for the lesson, Senior." Shae bowed. Then was frowning when she straightened back up.

"Heh. Just realized you thanked me for pushing you over?"

She nodded.

"Is it any better to apologize to me for the same?"

Shae opened her mouth, then snapped it shut and shook her head.

Apollo nodded. "Good. You can thank me for this instead." A gust of steam qi passed over Shae and brushed away all the grass and leaves that had caught in her clothing.

"Ah! Oh!" She gasped and reflexively swatted grass blades away from her face. "Umm. Thank you, Senior. But, could you explain it a bit more? Surely you're capable of controlling your strength through playful physical contact?"

The older woman turned to head back to the road. "Yes, technically speaking. Though, I might have simply matured out of it. More importantly... Have you ever played with a kitten or young child?"

She nodded. "Of course."

"It's more like that. Sure, it's fun for a bit. Yet always you have to hold so much back, you're mostly doing it for their enjoyment not your own."

"Ah. Right." She sighed as she understood. "So, it's too patronizing?"

"Correct. Worse still, we can both develop bad habits from it. You could misunderstand the power dynamic. Think you can get one over on me, or another senior, just because I let you get a few jabs in. For me, I could drop my guard too much. A serious problem in my line of work."

Shae smirked. "And what line of work is that?"

The disguised woman sighed. "And there's my point proven exactly. You've so thoroughly destroyed my disguise I've lost the will to even keep up the pretense."

"Aww, it's okay, I don't mind." She reached out to the woman, but hesitated and dropped it back to her side. "Did you have anything to say about the monk's writing?"

Apollo scanned her up and down, then pulled down her mask to show a melancholy smile. "I think I'll have to leave that to you." She extended her own hand to the young woman. When Shae took it Apollo hooked their arms together and continued walking down the road. "Really, if you're not having any problems with it, then there's not much for me to say. I'm more interested in a talk about it once it's done."

"Hmm. That'd be nice. Are you easy to find at the sect?"

"Ah... No. Not really, I'll have to find you. You'll have a decent break before classes start in the new year, so without a schedule for me to work around..." She shrugged lightly, their hooked arms easily transmitting the body language.

"Oh. Well, I can't imagine I'll be hard to find. Unless I get buried in books at the library."

Apollo sighed. "Wouldn't be the first time."

"Huh?"

"Oh nothing. But yeah, I'll... maybe we can share some tea or something. Might not be right away though, I don't know what my next job will be."

Shae thought for a breath. "Ooo! Should we pick a specific tea? So I know it's you?"

Apollo sighed again and gave the younger cultivator a certain kind of disappointed look.

"Uh oh. I know that look." She took a deep breath. "You can't actually meet me in the sect, can you?"

Apollo bobbed her head to the side. "It's complicated. The rules about that, I mean."

She let her walking unbalance her and she bumped her shoulder into the other's. "Hey. You can drop the disguise now, if you'd like. We can just happen to run into each other and get along well in the sect."

"If only it were that simple, Junior Shae." She bumped the young woman back.

Shae gasped and turned to look up. "You called me Junior!"

"I did, didn't I?" Apollo looked at the younger woman, then pulled down her mask again to smile properly at her. "While it would be inappropriate to take you as a disciple, I'd very much enjoy continuing this Junior-Senior relationship. I rarely get to bond with the younger students like this."

The younger cultivator stopped walking and inhaled suddenly, looking up at the green eyed woman. She was surprised to note the eyes didn't effect her the same way anymore. She still thought they were pretty, yet they didn't elicit any immediate emotions. She reached out with her free hand, pausing part way. "Can I give you a hug?"

Her smile broadened, and looked more genuine as it creased the edges of her eyes. "Only if I can give you one back. And-"

The shorter woman stepped in for a firm hug as soon as she heard the permission to do so.

Apollo briefly looked surprised, then matched the embrace. "And thank you for asking, I don't usually like sudden physical contact, as was just demonstrated."

"Mhmm." She hummed into the woman's shoulder.

"So, I take it that's a yes?"

Shae stilled, realizing she hadn't fully accepted her offer. Then, lifting her face from the woman's shoulder she said, "Yes, I'd like that a lot, Senior Sister."

"Heh." Apollo patted her back. "I'll be glad to have you, Junior Sister." Her voice was firm, her smile pleasant, but her eyes showed a hint of uncertainty, flicking away from meeting Shae's.

The young woman didn't think twice about it as she leaned in and squeezed the hug tighter.

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