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Chapter 64: "Perpetual Reflections."
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The medical texts were of no particular interest to Shae, but the titles themselves were each a little puzzle. For most, she couldn't even start to understand them properly. The technical language was as difficult to make any sense of as any of Earth's scientific naming schemes.
Perhaps one in twenty was fully in natural language, and as many could be puzzled out completely. The later group she looked for, then paused to work through each unusual combination of characters to try to determine their meaning. She tried with all of them, but the completely obfuscated titles were a lost cause without some context to work from.
It was this slow working out that let her spend quite some time reading over the titles. When she reached the end she turned around and was frozen still as she spotted Doctor Cho standing across the room, a curious smirk on his lips.
"Find anything interesting, Wise Shae? You certainly seemed interested in a few titles."
"Ah, Doctor Cho." She bowed stiffly. "I hope this isn't an intrusion." He remained impassive, and she remembered his question. "Ah, yes, the titles. Most are illegible to me, but a few I can make sense of if I puzzle them out."
"Anything in particular catch your eye?"
"Uhm, the introduction to calcified meridians. Mainly because it is an introduction, and thin enough that it's probably not that technical."
"Ahh, yes." He walked across the room and took only a heartbeat of searching to find the thin book. He flipped it open to reveal a tightly packed script with few line breaks. "It starts out simple enough, but the size is deceiving. No diagrams or charts, just a continuous diatribe that grows far too technical very quickly, even for me." He continued flipping the pages, demonstrating that the thin book was more like a compact encyclopedia. "You'd need a fairly good understanding of meridians just to get past the introduction."
"Ugh." Shae grimaced.
"Hah, Ugh, indeed." He returned the book to the shelf. "I'm surprised to find you here, most don't make it past the threshold."
"Uhm, why is that, Doctor?"
He tilted his head to the side. "You don't feel it?"
The same glass-grinding click came from the terrarium, and Shae glanced over in time to see the chameleon's coloration had changed.
"Heh, very unusual," Cho said.
Shae glanced back at Cho, but he was watching the chameleon. "Uhm, Seniors, if I may, is Senior's coloration a form of language?"
Cho raised an eyebrow. "In a way, yes. And I'm glad to see you recognized our Brother of Perpetual Reflections." He gestured with an open palm to the chameleon. "He seems to find you a curious case, especially since you don't seem to notice his spiritual pressure."
Shae's eyes went wide, both from the beast's name and the reveal that she was under his qi pressure. Now that she knew to look for it, she could clearly feel it. "My apologies Senior Brother of Perpetual Reflections, I didn't mean to disregard you so." She bowed low and found her mouth still talking when she rose, "I noticed something when I entered but mistook it for the change in aesthetics from the stark white clinic area."
"Hmm, the sect Elder that brought you did mention you underwent tempering, I thought she just meant the standard fare the recruits get at the Jian Quan."
"Yes, I've had much more than that, Doctor. I stayed on Pilgrim's Rest Mountain for several months and completed directed tempering, as performed by Elder Ghon of the sect."
"Aaahhh, now that does explain a few things." Cho nodded. "I wouldn't have been so surprised by your quick recovery if I'd known that. Are you satisfied?" He asked the chameleon.
A brief flash of teal lit up the tank and part of the wall, yet Shae didn't catch enough to see a shape or pattern.
"Hmm, he's mollified, at least for now." Cho nodded with a smirk. "Were you interested in a particular topic of medicine? Medians perhaps?" He gestured at the lower bookshelves. "This side probably has much more approachable information."
"Ah, so it is a public library space?"
"Hah! Not in the slightest. It's my personal library and the waiting room before my office." He pointed at the closed door. "Which is usually just used by colleagues and other high stage cultivators because mortals can't step into this level of spiritual pressure."
"Oh! Ah, sorry for intruding-"
He raised a hand to stop her. "The door is open, it is public in that sense. This is a good lesson for when you are at the sect, actually. Most spaces are not guarded or protected directly, but using spiritual pressure. If your stage is high enough to withstand the pressure and density then you are probably allowed to be there."
He smirked when she showed recognition that she was an exception to this security measure. He continued, "Full tempering throws that out the window, but that doesn't mean you are trespassing. Between the Jian Quan and the initial instruction in pressure slipping, most cultivators can handle one stage above their own. At least for a short while. They can use this to fetch a book from deeper in the library, for example. This is generally overlooked as it's quite hard to police. For your case, remember to pay attention to the pressure and density around yourself, a very good practice anyway, and don't push propriety too hard."
Shae grimaced slightly at propriety. "I'll try to be more aware, thank you for the lesson." She dipped her head.
He nodded then gestured to the book shelves.
"Ah, yes, hmm. I do have some interest in meridians because of my cleansing technique. Err, it's not a proper technique yet, the monks in Minlin helped me develop it. My qi has lightning in it, and-"
He raised a hand and a curious eyebrow, "Should you be sharing this with strangers?"
She paused for a beat, then nodded. "It's not something private or handed down from the monks. I don't mind sharing it, especially if you have additional insights."
"I can't say I'll have any insights, yet you have my curiosity." He waved her to continue.
She gave him a brief overview of how she used her qi to cleanse and the changes she developed with Wise Yungfan. "... All that is sped up when using my hairpins..." She checked her ears to find she was still wearing two as earrings. Removing one she straightened it out with a quick pulse of qi. "These are spiritual tools that work as acupuncture pins capable of easily channeling lightning qi. So... Ah! Shit-fuck!" She swore in English then felt the spiritual pressure in the room change slightly, a hint of annoyance arising as the chameleon focused its attention on her.
"Hmm?" Cho hummed.
"Very sorry, Seniors." She bowed. "I just remembered I left a third one of these at the battle, probably inside the giant pangodile. I very much hope someone recovered it." She rubbed her face and sighed heavily.
Doctor Cho looked over at Brother of Perpetual Reflections for a breath and then shrugged at it before turning back. "It wouldn't be the first time someone lost a spiritual tool during a battle. Do you need at least three, and can you get more?"
Shae cringed and shook her head. "It's just slower with only two. As for getting more... I don't think that's reasonable right now. I'll be able to try eventually, or with some help, but they were created in a very particular way." She sighed. "Something to worry about later."
"Remember to ask Guard Hon about it, he may be able to look into it for you. At least until the elders get back, they took the corpse."
"Ah! So it is Guard Hon! I do recall meeting him. Are spirit beast corpses usually recovered in that way?" She glanced at the terrarium. "Err, apologies for the topic, Senior Brother."
"Not a problem, but you do need to say his whole name."
"Hmm? Senior Brother of Perpetual Reflections." She had to control her tone to not end the name as a question, and dipped her head to hopefully cover her expression.
"Good. He really insists if you do not, yet is fine with just Senior, anyway." Cho rolled his eyes while looking away from the terrarium. "So, your cleansing technique. Are you aware of what type of meridian points you are using and why?"
"Mmm, yes, I don't recall the full list, but I was told they are all sub-points. As to why... I can only guess."
"Please do."
"Uhm, alright. The monks were unsure if I should use the technique for meridian cleansing. I assume that would use the primary meridian points." Shae clearly displayed her uncertainty about her assumptions with her body language. "So, avoiding them now prevents accidental cleansing?"
"Heh. A reasonable assumption. Though, it isn't strictly why you should avoid them."
"Uhmm." She rubbed the side of her neck as she awkwardly tried to answer the question. "It's wasteful?"
Cho nodded. "How so?"
"Ugh. I guess, if the qi purges some of the meridian's impurities, they could return before the meridian is fully cleansed. Thus wasting the qi's effort."
"Good. An acceptable answer for one at your stage. Better than most, I'd think. The full answer is more complex, as they usually are, and I'm sure if you research the topic you will discover more of it. Unfortunately, I don't have the free time to really go over it with you personally." He shrugged and tapped his robes over the doctor's emblem over his heart. "The work calls. You seem to have some knowledge of meridians already, which is good. Would you like to stay here and read some of the more approachable texts?"
"Ah, yes!" She stepped forwards then caught herself and dropped into a bow. "Yes, please, Senior."
"Heh. These should be available at the sect, so remember their titles. ..." Doctor Cho picked out three medical texts starting with one that sounded like an introduction to anatomy. The third was the first to mention meridians and also sounded like an introductory text.
"Ah, Doctor Cho. How do these compare to Advanced Meridian Meta-Triangulation?" The name of Elder Ghon's book felt awkward in her mouth.
Stolen story; please report.
He raised an eyebrow, then the second followed briefly. "You've read that?"
"Err, tried to read would be more accurate. It was one of very few texts available while I was enduring my qi tempering with Elder Ghon."
"You did mention that earlier, didn't you. Hmm. Curious." He stepped across the room, took a breath to find the book and pluck it off the shelf. Shae recognized its cover as the same book, except that this one seemed newer, the inks were more saturated and colorful.
He skimmed a few pages and nodded, but didn't look up. "The introduction seems to be quite readable. Putting it into your own words, briefly, what is it about?"
She took a deep breath, then slowly let it out while she recalled the book. She found herself a little bit annoyed that he was testing her, but at least it's obvious, unlike Long's tests. She took a second deep breath, "As far as I can recall-"
"Briefly," he warned.
She nodded. "It presents an alternate method for mapping the meridian connections. Specifically how they spill impurities into one another. It suggests the alternate method could be used to bypass any damaged meridians causing cultivation blockages. The exact method was completely opaque to me, but the diagrams were nice. There's a second introduction in the latter half of the book detailing how to use the method to find the most efficient cleansing route."
"Humhh!" He grunted in approval and flipped to the section in question. A dozen pages later he asked, "Do you recall the primary source of difficulty in finding a new route?"
"I don't recall it being stated out-right. Though I did start skimming once the jargon became too technical. Uhmm..." She shifted nervously.
"Go on."
"Based on what looked like complex mathematical calculations, I would assume the difficulty is related to that. There must be a lot of- uh- I guess I could describe it as math that feeds back into itself. Although. Now that I know the sect has Analysts and math experts, surely the problem could be solved."
"Heh, probably. The issue with many similar problems is that those that solve them are rarely rewarded."
"Eh? Why not?"
He lifted the book. "This primarily affects the meridian cleansing stage, most that have learned enough math to help will have no need for it. And money isn't generally a strong motivating factor for cultivators, especially when it comes from lower stage cultivators." He shrugged and returned the book to the shelf. "Just part of how the world works." He crossed the room again.
"Huh. That's kind of unfortunate."
Cho pulled a few more books out from the shorter shelf. "Some see it that way. Most are too focused on their own path to care. Luckily we do have the Empire and its noble houses. Some will fund that kind of research, usually for their own long-term gain, but the Empire does have programs that aim to assist everyone. That particular meridian research and mathematics are unlikely to see further research, however. The overall benefits are rather minor, a few percentage points here or there." He paused at the last book, weighing it as he made a decision. He nodded. "This last one you shouldn't start reading today. Remember its title, however, and find it when you've understood and mastered the others. Understand?"
"Ah, yes, Doctor Cho. Thank you for the assistance."
He waved a dismissive hand. "Thank me when you make real progress. I'd like to see that cleansing in action, but I'm afraid I'll likely have very little to say about it. Still, I'll see if I can clear some of my schedule. For now, I have to get back to my rounds. The nurses will come find you when it's time for dinner, you probably only have an hour or two."
Shae frowned, "Could it be delayed, Doctor? I did have a late lunch."
"Hmm. Perhaps, but you're young, and you were unconscious for a while, your stomach might catch up faster than you think. Heh heh." He turned as he chuckled and left the room with a wave.
She watched him leave, then bowed slightly to the chameleon and went right for the last book. The cover was an inscrutable and wispy gesture drawing. The title read 'The Pale Lily and the Fallen Immortal: a Tale of Divine Flesh.'
She blinked at it half a dozen times before her mind understood the implication. The realisation allowed the cover drawing to coalesce into more recognizable shapes. The curved lines hinted at two bodies intertwined in a sensual embrace. She gawked and shifted the cover, light played off the silver and gold inks, changing the scene like a holographic set of images. The bodies moved and shifted slightly in a dance, if you were being generous, or particularly timid.
She flipped it open with the intent to verify that it was a trashy romance novel, but the qi in the room flared as she did so. She instantly felt the chameleon's gaze upon her, his disappointment palpable. She snapped the book shut without even a glance at the pages beyond seeing that there was text inside. Her eyes landed on the terrarium and she felt herself flush with embarrassment.
"Senior, I- I was..." She swallowed and cleared her throat to the side. "Thank you for the correction. I only meant to verify that the text was what the title implied." She cleared her throat again and tried with all her willpower to flush the hot blood out of her cheeks. "It seemed like a rather surprising suggestion from Doctor Cho." She awkwardly returned the book to its position on the shelf, while occasionally glancing back at the chameleon.
Brother of Perpetual Reflections still hadn't returned his qi pressure to normal.
She shifted awkwardly and glanced at the book again. Her mind rushed over her past few sentences to find her mistake. "Err, of course Doctor Cho wouldn't have suggested this book for lurid reasons. Uh, a-hem, I'm sure that once I've read and understood all his existing suggestions, the reason for this one will become clear." Still no change. "And it will be a completely reasonable and medically sound reason." She nodded to herself, then switched to a slight bow. "Thank you for your guidance, Senior."
The tension in the room began to ease. Shae relaxed and quickly moved towards the small pile of books.
The chameleon wasn't done with her, however. As she reached the pile his qi pressure returned. It was missing the clear disappointment it held before, though she couldn't quite understand the beast's intent this time. She grunted at the pressure, "Ugh, Senior?"
The same glass grinding *clink* sounded as he shone a colored light upon the book stack, then on Doctor Cho's medical degree.
She was caught off-guard by the similarity in the visual design. It looked like it could have been mounted on a doctor's wall on Earth. Maybe there's only so many ways to make a fancy piece of paper?
The next thing she noticed was that the spirit beast had pointed his finger forward, to the right of his terrarium, even though the books and degree were stacked behind him, to the left of his glass tank. The mirrored inside of the tank made the explanation clear. It wouldn't be difficult to bounce the light, yet she felt surprised that she hadn't given the reflective glass much consideration until now.
The rear wall of the tank was mirrored, making the tank look deeper, and the sides extended that illusion. Yet, somehow he shines light through the sides, and can hit specific locations like it can see them, she thought as she stepped to the side to view more angles of the tank. Finally, she dipped her head low to see that the rear wall reflected the front of the tank, which was also mirrored, creating a hall of mirrors effect. "Ahh!" She gasped. "An infinity mirror!" She spoke the English term automatically, not knowing the local equivalent.
The chameleon pulsed his qi pressure making her stagger slightly and snapping her out of the distraction.
"Ugh! Ah- my apologies, Senior." She looked away, back towards the stack of books. Hmm, the books and the degree... Err, what had Cho said?
She tilted her head in thought as she recalled his words. "Ah! Of course! I'll endeavour to Master the material here before moving forwards to that book or others." She bowed to him again. "Thank you for the correction, Senior Brother of Perpetual Reflections." She smirked at the name.
The spirit beast let out a hint of pleasure as he retracted his qi pressure. Then a stronger pulse of grinding glass sounded as his coloration shifted and he vanished from sight.
Shae couldn't help but step forward, sticking her face rudely close to the glass. She shifted her perspective by moving her head side to side, looking for the edges of the chameleon's technique.
Unable to spot anything, she began checking the reflections. Then froze suddenly when she spotted something different. A dozen or more reflections behind the tank, a vibrant green chameleon sat on a stick. She could even tell that the forest around it was slightly different from that of the terrarium.
Shae shifted her footing ever so slightly, aiming for a more comfortable stance but not wanting to lose track of the specific reflection. "Amazing work, Senior," she spoke as quietly as she could then held her breath, afraid that either might disturb the beast's concentration.
As she watched, the chameleon began to move. It looked back at Shae, then walked slowly along its branch and out of sight. A branch that shouldn't have extended that far if it was a reflection of the terrarium.
Her held breath burned and she slowly exhaled. It fogged the glass slightly and she flinched away. Taking two large steps back she bowed to the terrarium. "Thank you, Senior Brother of Perpetual Reflections. That demonstration was breathtaking."
The terrarium did not respond.
Two breaths later, Shae felt awkward, dipped her head again, and grabbed the first book from the recommended pile. Then she sat in one of the large padded chairs, the one facing away from the terrarium.
It was a simple anatomy textbook. Something she felt she had a good grasp of already, but it is good to verify one's knowledge, instead of assuming.
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The anatomy text had a few interesting revelations for her. She skimmed it quickly, and found curious discrepancies between her Earth knowledge and this world's facts, if this textbook can be trusted. She shook off her doubt, acknowledging that she had no reason to be so cynical, yet.
It seemed that evolution had taken slightly different turns over the millennia. The body described in the text had fewer vestigial organs, and the redundant organs were smaller. For example, the appendix was nowhere to be found. Presumably having become unnecessary when humans stopped eating so much raw red meat. Organs such as the kidneys were mismatched, one being half the size of the other.
She recognized that this would mean the torso had more vacant space in it for other things. Yet the text made no mention of what this could be. Of course, it wouldn't. They wouldn't think that this is different.
She made a mental note to check the sect's library for an Earth to cultivation-world adaptation primer. Then she sighed as she realized that would require someone who wanted to help other lost souls that would come after them. Doctor Cho's earlier comments indicated that was rather unlikely. Cultivation is such a selfish selfish practice.
Looking back at the anatomy textbook, she wondered if this extra space was where the Dantian was, or if this simply let the population at large appear thinner. She shrugged and moved on.
Another half hour of skimming and she returned the book to the shelves and tried to memorize the title. It was infinitely less memorable than the romance novel.
The second book expanded on the first, filling in the details of basic cultivation like qi channels and the Dantian. It regularly mentioned that all qi organs, channels, Dantian, and meridians were metaphysical. Because of this, their exact location would vary and could shift over time.
That book also spoke of cleansing flesh with qi. Not the specific methods to do so, as that varied with each cultivation manual, yet it discussed the signs and benefits of doing so. More specifically detailing how a doctor should treat cleansed flesh differently from regular.
In general, cleansed flesh was much more resilient to damage, and more capable of recovery. Thus it could be left in a patient even when it appeared to be rotting and decayed. The normal practice of removing mortal flesh that was likely to gangrene simply wasn't a risk with cleansed flesh. It did mention that the patient should be alerted of the damage; some would be able to use their qi to hasten recovery.
She was just starting the third book when a nurse arrived to pull her away for a meal. She sighed, quickly tried to memorize the remaining titles and return them to the shelves.
"Don't worry about that, Dear." The nurse began, "I think you'll be able to return this evening."
She slowed and hummed to herself. "I need to memorize these titles anyway. This will help with that." She placed another in its proper place, the gap where a book should be making the work easier. "I believe I know the way back; if you have other duties."
"Hmm, I do, but could I get a promise you will go now, and not get distracted reading as soon as I leave?" She stood in the doorway, clearly uncomfortable with the idea of entering the room.
Shae took a breath to consider her hunger. She wasn't quite hungry: just at the corner of 'i could eat' and 'a little bit peckish'. She hummed then spoke, "If I'm here much longer my hunger will arrive to make sure I leave. If not, our Senior here will probably ensure the same." She gestured to the terrarium.
The nurse's face went pale. Well, it was already pale, but her expression showed shock and dread, "Ah, ah, no- no reason to involve Senior. I'm sure he has much better things to do. Ah- hmm. I'll just wait for you to be done, out here."
Shae paused and tilted her head as the woman stepped away from the doorway. Then she looked at the terrarium and raised an eyebrow. No response came, of course, so she shrugged and continued returning the books.
Once complete, she followed her memory of the titles, and not their locations, to find them again. Upon finding each she nudged them off the shelf by just a finger width, making them easy to find again. She paused at the romance novel and did not pull it out, then left the room with one last bow to the terrarium.
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