Wang sat on the mat, cultivating like the rat king taught him. Taking the silky strands out of the air and weaving it into his dantian. When he first saw his dantian, it was like a glowing grain of sand within him, a tiny piece that was glowing hard within the darkness of his body.
Now it was like a walnut, made out of threads that were spun around the grain into a spherical shape yarn ball-ish thing. The surroundings were also slightly lit as opposed to the dark silhouette from before, like there were rays coming out of his dantian and made the outline of himself more… colored in.
The cultivation technique already helped him against the bullying attacks of Xiu. He did not even feel the press of his punches against his skin, and it wasn’t only because of the iron body. The process of filling his dantian with the purer chi made the technique more effective, but also made his own body stronger, more capable of handling this.
There was only one thing bothering him about his dantian.
This yarn ball shape, so much unlike the crystalline shape of the grain that he had at the beginning. That one felt more… right. More himself. This yarn ball? Not so much.
He did not want to look a gift horse in the mouth, but he might need to make a trip to the forest and try to find the rat king and ask about this.
Wang huffed and stood up, moving his muscles and cracking tight joints before he spared a glance at the corner where the ring was hidden.
“Here he is,” Chu appeared, with the other two. “The talk of the town, the man of the hour, the newest blooming cultivator,” he did exaggerated movements, most likely mocking him. “The guy who fought with Xiu and did not get beaten to a bulb, that time.”
“I wasn’t serious,” Xiu objected, “If I was-”
“Silence, loser,” Chu hissed. “You could not defeat someone who just took his very first step into the cultivation world, and not only that, you were cowardly enough to come running to us for help.”
“But there was a scary aura-”
Chu raised his hand, silencing Xiu. Len kept sniggering throughout the entire interaction. “I want to see you two fight,” Chu said, addressing Wang.
“I don’t want to fight you guys,” Wang said. He truly didn’t want to do it, but he felt confident enough that he could defend himself now, so he stood tall. “Can’t we just be friends again?”
“Ah,” Chu smiled. “Feeling strong now that you broke into the first step, are you?”
“I’m not-”
“It is okay, I understand that feeling,” Chu interrupted. “That initial surge of strength, the clear sightedness and the healthier feel.”
Everyone was silent as Chu started to flare his aura out, gradually.
Wang was confident about taking out Xiu, he was confident about taking out Len, and was Confident about defending against Chu.
He wasn’t confident anymore.
“What do you think?” He grinned, looking at them, one after the other. “I broke to the third step, rather impressive, is it not?”
The third step? That was an absurd cultivation speed, beyond heavens and earths level of genius compared to himself and the others.
“Third step!?” Len watched with wide eyes, “we just broke to the second step together.”
“I found some pills,” Chu’s eyes narrowed while the plastered smile remained there, “thanks to our friendly local beauty’s affiliation with the apothecary, and the secret scrolls of cultivation medicine she kept in there.”
“Many congratulations, senior brother,” Xiu quickly bowed, fist in palm.
“Truly,” Len followed, “your genius is truly a marvel of the cultivation world.”
Wang felt eyes turning towards him and quickly joined the bow. “Many congratulations, senior brother.”
“Yes, yes,” Chu waved. “We don’t want to be interrupted, so you will meet us in the forest in two incense sticks of time, you will fight Xiu,” he moved to leave, “I’m sure there is no need to add ‘or else’,” He said, adding an ‘or else’.
Wang gave a tight nod as they left.
Xiu was shooting him with such hateful glares.
Wang remembered to breathe as the trio left.
-
Wang arrived at the forest earlier than the designated time. He knew the exact spot to meet the trio. They always played there, near the mountain’s spring. There was a rock that he liked sitting on, but did not get the chance of doing so as much, lately.
He took a moment to sit there and try to think of a way out of this, to calm how rattled he felt himself.
Was the rat king around? Maybe it could save him again. He shook his head, removing the thought. What kind of a cultivator would think about who could save him from a fight? That would be a disgrace upon him throughout the incarnations.
“Ah, he is here,” Chu said, “and early, too.”
Wang took one more deep breath and stood up, facing Xiu as he broke from the other two and stood before him.
“First one down,” Chu said, establishing the rules.
“Should I hold back?” Xiu grumbled, cracking his knuckles.
“No need, go all out,” Chu looked at Wang, “both of you. I’ll intervene before a killing blow lands.”
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Wang blinked. He did not even consider the possibility of death in a fight against these guys, not until now. They bullied him, they bullied him a lot, but never tried to outright murder him, even if it felt like it at some points.
“Take your stances,” Chu said, raising his arm then dropping it.
The fight began as soon as the arm dropped.
The blow came straight for his face, and he saw it clearly. He moved his head to the side and struck back. Xiu dodged his attack, too.
Then began his signature attacks, the flurry…
Wang thought about how to counter such an unmerciful onslaught of punches. He thought about being fast, dodging every blow. He thought about countering every blow, meeting the technique with a matching one.
Now?
He let the blows land as they simply did not hurt and prepared the new attack that he learned.
“The Legendary Twin Tailed Rat King’s Maw,” he whispered before he struck at an incoming blow.
The fighting stopped after the attack landed, as the surroundings shuddered faintly. Xiu who had his hand extended stared with wide eyes, clearly surprised. He watched for a moment before he tried to attack again.
Then he dropped on the ground, butt bouncing off the dirt.
“What in the hells?” Xiu swore as he tried to stand again. He dropped halfway up. He tried again and had the same result. “You cheated!”
“That’s enough,” Chu called out. “You lost, Xiu. You disgraced yourself, this fight is over.”
Chu turned and watched Wang for a long moment that felt like hours for Wang, instead.
“You passed,” Chu eventually smiled.
“Passed?” Wang blinked.
Chu nodded. “As you know, I broke into the third step, and once that happens…”
Wang frowned.
“Tribulations,” Len said, clearly annoyed. “The tribulations start to come.”
The tribulations, the mandate of heaven that tries to break down those who defy its laws. “What does that have to do with me?”
“I would need help, passing the tribulations,” Chu said. “I am confident that I can resist the might of heavens but…”
“The tribulation will attract other cultivators,” Len filled in, “some might try to meddle with Chu’s attempt to break through the Iron Gates dao.”
Wang hummed. “And you want me to… help deter these hostile cultivators?”
“Precisely,” Chu smiled. “The tribulations will happen tonight, I will expect you to come and help, as the newest member to re-enter our group.”
Wang stared at Chu’s eyes. “You expect me to join you guys,” he finally blurted, “after all the grief and harm you’ve caused me?”
“It would be an honor to a thieving cur like you,” Xiu snarled, still plastered on the floor.
Chu raised a palm, silencing Xiu. “Yes, I expect exactly that,” he said, “There has been bad blood between us, ever since master Fu Kung vanished, and his… keepsakes vanished.”
‘Stolen’ by him, Wang snorted.
“But,” Chu narrowed his eyes. “As I reached this third step, I have come to think more and more about our lives. We were lucky, to meet master Fu kung, to be with each other, for us to join the cultivation world together, against all odds.”
He spoke with passion that began to touch on Wang, and from what he saw, the others too.
“I want to cultivate,” Chu marched towards the spring and looked at the water. “I want my best friends to be alongside me on this trip towards the unknown. The trip to defy heavens and unravel their mysteries.”
He turned.
“I am sorry that I hurt you, all of you,” he turned towards them and bowed.
Wang stared, probably with the same surprised expression as the other two. The Chu he knew would never bow down in apology.
“I would be grateful if you guys decided to join me on this journey.”
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Medical Observations: Josh (501)
David watched as Josh returned to his meditation. He wondered if it was a habit from before he went… cuckoo, or something he figured out kept him calm. Whatever it was, it worked in keeping him relaxed.
Until the other three arrived.
David’s hand instinctively went to the phone, ready to call Olga.
To his surprise, they were having a discussion, and it was low enough that he couldn’t hear it from where he sat.
A surprise, for sure.
They never talked this low voiced before, settling for loud boasting voices and violence. Their body language conveyed nothing hostile, aside from William. He kept his hand on the phone for a bit, then decided to move closer as they did not seem to moving to attack one another.
James raised his hand, interrupting something Josh said.
“- initial surge of strength, the clear sightedness and the healthier feel.”
They all stared with looks of disbelief at James. Who stood there making a face like he was trying hard to battle constipation. David noticed their hands shiver.
“What do you think?” James grinned. “I broke to the third step, rather impressive, is it not?”
Ah, the third step of the mental program. He did not realize things were degrading this bad for James.
“Third step!?” Daniel blurted out, “we just broke to the second step together.”
“I found some pills, thanks to our friendly local beauty’s affiliation with the apothecary, and the secret scrolls of cultivation medicine she kept in there.”
David frowned. Did nurse Olga forget to lock the pharmacy’s door again? He would have to report this to Peter, later.
“Many congratulations, senior brother.”
“Truly, your genius is truly a marvel of the cultivation world.”
“Many congratulations, senior brother.”
The others bowe with fists in their palms, some sort of southeast asian gesture of respect?
“Yes, yes,” James waved. “We don’t want to be interrupted, so you will meet us in the forest in two incense sticks of time, you will fight Xiu,” he moved to leave, “I’m sure there is no need to add ‘or else’.”
David scratched his beard as he watched the trio leave, and as Josh began to panic.
Such an interesting conversation.
-
David followed Josh as he went outside, for the first time in years, according to his file. There was a small enclosed garden that the Bedlam allowed the patients to roam in as long as they weren’t a risk or of a risk.
It had a bunch of small trees, bushes, and flowers. It also had a small fountain at the center of the garden. It wasn’t anything fancy, the fountain, just some carved slate that spouted out water into a shallow bowl. Some sort of a bigger bird wash basin.
Josh went and sat on one of the small benches that surrounded the fountain and began meditating again.
David took a bench under an oak tree that provided nice shade for his pale skin. Shame it was faraway from where the group was now meeting.
They seemed to be talking, again, with James having most of the words in. Then William and Josh stood in front of one another.
David’s hand went to a nonexistent phone on a nonexistent table. Habits, he nearly laughed.
The duo began striking the air, doing strange poses and shouting with every air blow. Wwere they shown some of those old Kungfu movies at one point, and then they decided to mimic them? Is this why the television was removed from the activities room? It was all too amusing to speculate about this, and to watch, too, until Josh leaned in and screamed.
A shrill, sharp scream that was so much like a man trying to mimic a squirrel’s scream. A scream so sharp and shrill that William fell to the ground, and the other two backed away.
David blinked.
The fight stopped, James began to talk, walking towards the fountain, turning, getting some words back from the others. He started to do a speech kind of thing, and the others started weeping when he ended.
David wanted to kick himself for not moving closer.