Lying in bed within my Natal Palace, I stare at the carved ceiling and go over everything I’ve learned about my Awakening first-hand, which is precious little.
I received the Blessing of Water. I know this much at least.
I produce Water Chi, which is Chi mimicking water, by inviting the ‘essence’ of water into my Core for my Chi to copy, hence why I can only make Water Chi while sitting in water, or at least I think that’s why. I have separate supplies of Chi and Water Chi, and I cannot use them interchangeably, which is a real hassle considering Water Chi’s limited uses. At most, I can spit a stream of fake water, but it dissipates into Heavenly Energy before hitting the ground, which limits its offensive uses to nil.
More useful is my ability to turn Water Chi into Spiritual Water, which is Water Chi mimicking Heavenly Water. Again, this means I take my Chi which is mimicking water and have it mimic Heavenly Energy mimicking water, which is all sorts of complicated. Spiritual Water cleanses Spectres, destroys Anathema, and presumably neutralizes Ichor, though unlike Blobby, it does not self-replicate. While there’s no discernible difference between Water Chi and Spiritual Water, I can somehow tell them apart as easily as if one were coloured neon pink and the other bright yellow, which is strange.
Lastly, if I inject Chi into real water, I turn it into Chi-Tea, or rather Chi-infused water, which also has no discernible difference from regular water, but while I can’t tell the ingredients apart from the final product, Ping Ping and Pong Pong most certainly can.
And that’s it, the sum total of my knowledge regarding my Awakening. So little information, yet so incredibly complicated. Everything else I ‘know’ comes from other sources, which Guan Suo pointed out weren’t entirely correct. They might have been correct for those who said it, but it’s almost like personal perception and reality are somehow intertwined, as if believing something to be true makes it so. Why though? That makes no sense whatsoever.
...
Or maybe it does.
Yo Ling described Runes as the ‘Language of Energy’, but not a language in the conventional sense, with rules and grammar and whatnot. Taduk creates Runes using music, humming a tune and waving his arms to conduct an unseen orchestra, whereas the Tyrant’s Runes are rooted in symbolism and allusion, but the symbolism is based on her perception of the concept. Her phoenix necklace is a great example of this. Whereas I see phoenixes as creatures of healing or rebirth, the Tyrant’s interpretation is one of unmitigated destruction. Theoretically, if we were to craft the same Rune using the phoenix as our symbol, then we would end up with vastly differing effects.
How did she put it? “The Energy of the Heavens is unwilling to adhere to something so strict and rigid as a language, so Runic Craftsmen must find more creative and intuitive ways to express their desires.” Intuitive, as in based on what one believes to be true. Not what is true, or could reasonably be true, but an instinctively known ‘fact’ that may or may not have any actual basis in truth. In short, the truth is what we make it, or seen from another way, there is no truth.
...
It all comes back to teeth. Kids lose their teeth naturally, but new ones grow in their place, so why shouldn’t adults be the same? Is this why commoners and Martial Warrior alike can regrow teeth? I always thought it might be because humans evolved from monkey/shark hybrids or something, but what if everyone in the world is subconsciously using Heavenly Energy to churn out infinite teeth? Seems like the shittiest superpower ever, but it’s a clue. Does this mean wilful ignorance is the secret to manipulating the Power of Creation?
Don’t get distracted by philosophical musings about things you don’t understand. Runes and stuff might be important later, but you lack the ability to comprehend it for now. Back on topic please. Where was I? Oh right, what I know about my Awakening and what I need to do. After pondering it over, I think I’ve finally figured out what Guan Suo was getting at with all his questions. Water doesn’t jump, swirl, or move about on its own. Water only moves when presented with an external stimulus, whether it be mechanically induced or natural, like shaking a container or gravity. Even if bound by Chi, I can’t make water move by willing it to move, because even if the water wanted to move, it has no innate ability to do so. Rather than commanding water to move through Chi, I need to use my Chi to induce the water to move, turn my Chi into the swirling gourd or dropped stone to get it to do what I want.
Which means if I want to manipulate Chi-infused water, I would have to use external Chi to do so, and since I can’t, then I should stop wasting my time. We’ve done this little dance before, but I wanna be awesomeeeee...
Okay. Let’s put manipulating water aside into the to-do pile, for real this time. Guan Suo said my viewpoint was too narrow, so let’s take another step back and think about External Chi manipulation. No, let’s go further back and look at Internal Chi manipulation again. Baatar and Akanai’s radio silence means I have everything I need to progress along the Martial Path, so I need to take what I already know regarding Internal Chi manipulation, and apply it... externally. Easy, right?
With a blink of my eyes, I’m no longer lying in bed and instead, I stand in the void. My Core, technically, but I’ll ponder the technicalities some other time. I need to focus on the big picture for now which means Chi manipulation. Summoning Water Chi with a thought, I gather it in my hands and send it coursing out into a shimmering shield of water, similar to the ones I saw Pudge and Elder Ming use. The Natal Palace is supposedly a tool for practising Chi manipulation, but I don’t see how. Doing things in here is as easy as imagining it, for as my darling Lin so aptly put it, this is my domain.
Huh... Domain...
Now that I think about it, Lin wasn’t the first person to put that word into my head. The Spectres were. Inside my Natal Palace, they told Baledagh to ‘Kill Brother and become master of your own domain’. Afterwards, I separated Brother and Baledagh into their own separate domains, dividing both personalities so thoroughly that the passive personality couldn’t hear Sendings delivered to the active one. I specifically remember calling them domains, though I never gave the word any thought. Later on, when I was kidnapped by the Shrike and met the not-Baledagh Spectre in my Natal Palace, I tried to dive into its body and Send a message to Baledagh, but not-Baledagh told me I was arrogant to ‘enter (its) domain so willingly’.
So... why does Lin understand Spectre terminology? Or is it standard Martial Warrior terminology which overlaps? Are Domains important somehow? I’ve never heard of them, but I also never heard of Natal Palaces until someone told me I had one. That’s how they do things here. You forge your own path only to discover you’re doing the same thing everyone else does, essentially inventing the wheel once again. It’s weird and unintuitive, but whatever. Does this mean sweet Lin knows more about the Martial Path than I do?
Ha, yea right. I’m overthinking things. Lin was speaking nonsense, a coincidence is all. Back to Chi manipulation.
I use Visualization and Intent to manipulate Chi, but I also use Keystones. Then again, Keystones are pretty much me mentally Visualizing my Intent and giving the resulting mental construct permanent form in the Natal Palace. Hang on... If I use Keystones to convey my Intent to Chi, and Runes are used to convey the craftsman’s desire to Heavenly Energy, then wouldn’t my Keystones technically be internal Runes? While Keystones are powered by and affect Chi, I’ve already established that what works for Chi will work for Heavenly Energy, so why wouldn’t the reverse be true? Like Runes, my Keystones are specific to my interpretation as symbols used to represent complex Chi skills. A first-aid kit Heals, a feather Lightens, a bouncing star Reinforces, and a hammer and anvil Amplifies. These symbols might mean different things to other people, but in my mind, they’re intrinsically linked to their respective Chi skills.
So I guess I can add theoretical Runic Craftsman to my list of accomplishments, though I’m not entirely sure how to take a mental concept and inscribe it onto a physical object...
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Forget crafting. Focus on the problems you already have instead of making more problems to ponder over. We’re talking about Chi control, so stick to the part of Runes which helps, not hinders. I’ve glimpsed bits and pieces of the truth over my years here, but I never put it all together and looked at the big picture. Whether it be Chi or Heavenly Energy, Runes or Keystones, Water Chi or Chi-infused water, the labels aren’t important. I mean, they’re important to me as a person because I need labels to tell things apart, but to the Energy of the Heavens, it’s all the same. It doesn’t matter whether it’s Heavenly Energy or Chi, control hinges upon proper communication, which comes in the form of Visualization, Intent, Keystones, and/or Runes.
Perhaps that’s what differentiates Chi from Heavenly Energy. The latter doesn’t understand human thoughts and intent because it is Divine and Supernatural, so to use it, control it, and direct it, we must first bring it down to our level, so to speak. We gather the Energy of the Heavens into our Cores and it becomes a part of us, an extension of our bodies, the same way we Bind Spiritual Weapons. This bridges the language barrier and allows us to communicate effectively and control Chi, but the problem is, Chi is not its natural state, so once outside the body, it reverts to Heavenly Energy and no longer understands our intent. How am I supposed to keep Chi from doing that? Bind Chi, Bind Spiritual Weapons, Bind Water. I’m seeing a pattern here, but what am I supposed to bind next? One with the Chi, One with the Sword, one with the Water, and one with... What? The World? That’s so fucking stupid. The Heavens? Even dumber. Might as well become one with the fucking galaxy. This is some grade A –
Holy fucking shit!
When Elder Ming said Binding Chi-infused water is similar to Binding a Spiritual Weapon, he wasn’t saying the binding process was the same, but rather that you Bind them for the same reasons! A bound object allows you to use your Chi through it without Chi turning into Heavenly Energy, because the Spiritual Weapon and Chi-infused water become a part of you. Wait, does that make sense? If this is true, then why haven’t I heard of the other elements doing the same? Maybe... Fire by nature is uncontrollable and Wind cannot be contained, whereas Earth... I dunno. I don’t have all the answers. Do Wood-Blessed Martial Warriors bind trees? I’ve only ever met one, and Yong-Jin’s choice of weapons were a reverse-grip short sword and gauntlet, both metal, but he’s also known for having never used his Awakening. What about Lei Gong? Does he have real lightning stored in his cane? For all I know, there’s a super powerful Warrior out there carrying a giant gourd full of sand or something.
Calm your tits, buddy boy. This is a step in the right direction, but you’ve only figured out why Water-Blessed Martial Warriors Bind water, and you might not even be right. This doesn’t tell you how to control it, the same way you can’t control your sword with Chi alone and send it pinballing through the Enemy ranks. Stop speculating and focus on what you know.
Wait. Is it possible to turn Chi-infused water into physical Spiritual Water? That’d be like... counterfeit Heavenly Water, right? I don’t see why it shouldn’t be possible, and if so, then even if I can’t control water with Chi, I could throw containers of counterfeit Heavenly Water at Demons. I’m not thrilled with having yet another variation of water to keep track of, but if this works, then external Chi can wait. The Enemy has Anathema, but we have counterfeit Heavenly Water. No, I should fancy the name up. The Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch! Too impersonal. Falling Rain’s Handheld Pseudo-Heavenly Water Bombs! Too arrogant to put my name on it. Aqua Pura Defiled Purifying Water! Doesn’t even fucking make sense.
Resisting the urge to cackle maniacally, I step out of the void and run to my yurt, where I write another letter to Diyako instructing him to make glass containers. To cover my bases, I also write a letter to Luo-Luo asking if she has a better idea for alternative breakable water containers, but don’t specify why. Then, realizing I’m jumping the gun, I slam the brakes on my brain and try to calm down, tearing the letters into itty bitty pieces to burn later. First off, I don’t know if I can make counterfeit Heavenly Water. Theoretically, I can, but in practice, who knows. Second, I don’t know if it’ll work against Demons, not in the way I think it will. Blobby never outright attacked Demons, he waited until I delivered him into the Demon’s Core or Natal Palace before wrecking shit. Before I set Diyako and Luo-Luo to amassing lightweight and fragile water containers, maybe I should figure out if my idea is viable first.
To this end, I collect a dozen gourds and set to crafting Chi-infused water, falling into a cycle of Devouring Chi, depositing said Chi into water, and keeping Ping Ping and Pong Pong from consuming the fruits of my arduous labour. Emptying my Core feels like taking part in a gruelling mental marathon, albeit one which only lasts five minutes. Still, it’s exhausting, but since it takes me an hour to fill my Core up, I have plenty of time to rest between sets. Even then, it takes thirteen hours to finish filling all the gourds with Chi-infused water and an additional hour of Devouring Chi to make a tub of Chi Tea for the turtles. When all is said and done, for the second night in a row, I slip into bed alone and fall asleep the moment I lie down.
Note to self: remember to steal Mama Bun and Blackjack away from Song before she goes to bed tomorrow. Also, see about getting her a pet mouse or weasel. There’s no accounting for tastes, but if she wants a dirty rodent, then she can have one.
The next morning, I ignore another scolding from Guan Suo about pestering him with my Purity and settle down to experiment. Turning Water Chi into Spiritual Water is more intuitive than deliberate, so I see no reason why it should be different when turning Chi-infused water into counterfeit Heavenly Water. Just do it. Don’t think about. Let it happen. Almost immediately, I stumble across a problem I probably should’ve seen coming. If I can’t tell the difference between water and Chi-infused water, how do I tell the difference between Chi-infused water and counterfeit Heavenly Water?
A quick study of my first gourd of counterfeit Heavenly Water tells me it doesn’t look, feel, smell, sound, or taste any different from the other gourds, or even a gourd of regular water. Marking the container of counterfeit Heavenly Water, I hold it in my right hand and take a gourd of regular Chi-infused water in my left. Holding both out to my sides, I look to Ping Ping and see if she’ll favour one or the other, but her eyes dart between both. Pong Pong is the same, though he’s far less patient than Ping Ping, throwing a tantrum after not getting to drink from either gourd and stalking off to sleep. Giving him a whole tub of Chi Tea to appease his anger, I am then treated to the sight of a pocket-watch sized turtle drinking an entire tub full of water, then refiling said tub with turtle piss.
I don’t understand... Where did he physically store all that water? How is he not dead from pissing out so much fluid? Why did he pee directly into my tub? I suppose it’s better than him pissing in the dirt and flooding the area, but still... that’s my bathtub. Well, at least Ping Ping didn’t try to drink it. To keep things fair, I make a barrel of Chi Tea for the big princess too, who is gracious enough to relieve herself like a proper lady, over by the latrine pits. Pong Pong may be a True Divine Turtle, but Ping Ping has heavenly manners, so I like her more. Taking a break to empty and wash the tub, I set to work scrubbing while my mind muses over what I’ve accomplished, though I continue Devouring Chi as per usual. On the surface, it seems as if I’ve had this great epiphany and am on the cusp of discovering something great, but all I’ve accomplished is wasting an entire day making Chi Tea and letting Pong Pong piss in my bathtub.
This is my problem, lack of focus. I made good progress yesterday, but today I happened across a half-baked idea and here I am wasting my time instead of doing something productive like practising the Forms or Chi skills. Now, I’m not saying this counterfeit Heavenly Water idea won’t bear fruit, but I shouldn’t pin all my hopes and dreams on it either. I know why I’m doing this too, because I’m terrified of Pudge the Water Abomination. Spiritual Guns were supposed to be my secret weapon, but those turned out to be a dud. Unless the Tyrant develops a Runic bullet and sells them to me, or Taduk figures out how to make them himself, then my guns are fucking worthless. None of my soldiers who received one have said anything, but I know they’re upset about being stuck with a sub-par Spiritual Weapon, yet I’ve learned nothing from my mistakes. Here I am, right back at it again, hoping to discover some technological wonder weapon to use against the big scary monsters of the world, when instead I should be hard at work training to become a monster hunter.
...You know, when I say it like that, it sounds really stupid. I doubt I could match Pudge and his brethren even with a hundred years of practice...
After scouring and rinsing my bathtub clean, I head back and make five more gourds of counterfeit Heavenly Water. This leaves me with six gourds of Chi-infused water and six gourds of counterfeit Heavenly Water, and all that’s left is to find a Demon to test them on. Preferably something much, much, much weaker than Pudge, like one of those piddly Demons Gerel kills like cabbage. Do I need a control group with regular water? Yea, I should do that, just to be safe. Shit, I should also test to see if I need an entire Core’s worth of Chi per gourd. I put the same amount of Chi into the bathwater which is at least fifty gourds worth, and Ping Ping doesn’t seem to mind. How am I gonna carry all these gourds? Also... how do I keep all this a secret? I should talk to Lei Gong, he already knows about Blobby so this shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. Maybe he has a few ideas.
With a growing list of things to do, I take a deep breath and decide a floof break is in order. It’s been over twenty-four hours since my last snuggle session, and I’m not sure I can survive much longer. During my search for Song, I see that I’m not the only person on edge, the overall mood one of tension and agitation. It’s nothing as obvious as outright fighting, but I can sense it in the way they sharpen their knives and scowl over their dice, polish their armour and stare west into the distance, the strained silence hanging over the camp like a dark shroud of anxious apprehension.
Seeing this, I switch targets and look for Rustram instead, finding him training in leaden armour outside his yurt. Asking him what’s got the men so riled up earns me a look of surprise. “It’s the Defiled, Boss,” he replies, as if the answer should be obvious. “We haven’t been attacked since we returned to Sinuji, which has everyone on edge.”
“Right.” Totally didn’t notice. “It’s only the second day though, right?” No big deal.
Nodding as he smooths his moustache, Rustram’s eyes dart to the horizon as if searching for hidden enemies. “Today marks the third since we last saw hide or hair of the Enemy. The patrols should be home safe by tonight, but word is Colonel Hongji ordered the next wave of patrols delayed until he hears from High Command.” Seeing my lack of comprehension, he whispers, “There are rumours floating about which say we haven’t seen the Enemy because they’re lying in wait to attack the returning patrols. Hearsay without substantiation, but still possible. Even if they aren’t targeting the patrols, the Enemy could be amassing for one big push on Fort Sinuji, their numbers too great for patrols to punch through, whether they’re going out or coming in.”
Heart skipping a beat, I turn to stare west and hope this isn’t true. Though Zian and Yan are camped on the other side of Sinuji and safe until the next set of patrols, BoShui is out there in the wilds, as are thousands of soldiers of the Empire, warriors we will need in the trying times to come. “Well,” I say, trying to keep my voice light, “I’m feeling a little bored, so I think I’ll pay the good Colonel a visit and ask permission to go out for a ride. Mister Rustram, ready the light cavalry as an escort, if you will.” Remembering Jochi is out of commission, I speak over my shoulder while moving away. “Oh, and find two spare quins for the Lord of Thunder and Lady Tyrant.”
I’ll be damned if I ride out in search for an Enemy army without my Peak Experts in tow.
Chapter Meme