Ask any budding Martial Warrior which Chi skill they looked forward to learning most, and the vast majority would answer, “Cloud Stepping.”

At least, that’s what Baatar had found from experience, and he understood why well enough, for there was much value to be gained from the skill beyond the battlefield. Outside of combat, Reinforcement and Amplification were a boon for manual labourers, but no Expert worth their salt would debase themselves in such a manner. Soldiers dug ditches and built fortifications when necessary, but to make a career in construction or as a porter would be shameful indeed, not to mention far undervaluing the worth of a Martial Warrior to begin with. Most other skills didn’t even have a use outside of combat, like how Guiding and Honing were limited to Spiritual Weapons, and while familiarity with Lightening was pivotal to the process of Cloud-Stepping, few cared to master this singular skill to the level of Taduk or even Mei Lin, for it offered minimal value in or out of combat.

But Cloud-Stepping was something else entirely, a Martial skill which many argued was most effective outside of combat. While it could most certainly be used to reposition around the battlefield, Cloud-Stepping left one vulnerable to ambush from Wraiths or Peak Experts, since one was moving too quickly to react in any reasonable amount of time. Outside of battle though, it had a variety of uses, but this bland statement failed to capture the true charm of the skill. There was something so liberating about travelling as the bird flies and seeing things from a new perspective. The world seemed to shrink when high up in the clouds, with nothing but empty air beneath you and the vast horizon stretching out in all other directions, a view which never failed to fill him with a sense of awe and appreciation. So many of life’s problems appeared to fade and disappear whenever he took the time to appreciate the beauty of what the Mother created, a natural wonder few could behold from the perspective of a Cloud-Stepping Expert.

He himself possessed many cherished memories related to the skill, like the day he learned Sarnai had successfully Cloud-Stepped through the skies, and so he wilfully leaped off a cliff so as not to be left behind. A small cliff, but the landing broke his ankle nonetheless, though thankfully he’d had the presence of mind to choose somewhere reasonably close to Taduk’s cottage for this very reason. His beloved rose had been more rival than lover back in those days, and she’d teased him mercilessly about it for days after the loose-lipped Healer complained about Baatar waking him up in the middle of the night after trudging for hours through difficult terrain just to Heal a simple break. It wasn’t until recently that Baatar had to wonder if Taduk had shared this information on purpose so others would not be so quick to seek aid at late hours of the night. That wasn’t the first time the hare-brained Medical Saint ‘accidentally’ let slip about some humiliating experience, but he never made the same mistake when it came to Rain’s most embarrassing episodes, of which there were many.

Carrying his daughter while Cloud-Stepping through the mountains was another of Baatar’s cherished memories, and he smiled at the mere thought of the girl’s bright and cheery smile. Much like himself, Alsantset yearned for freedom and adventure, never content to remain in one place for too long. She was a hunter and Warrior born, but as a child, she was difficult to say the least. Even two Peak Experts parents weren’t enough to wear Alsantset down, her boundless energy a Heaven-sent curse when it came time to put her to bed. As a toddler, bringing her around on a quin ride was exciting enough, though Sarnai threw a fit the first time she saw him toss the girl off a cliff and catch her on the way down. Sure, it seemed dangerous, but he and Balor were well-equipped to preserve her life no matter the circumstances, and two or three throws was usually enough to tire little Alsantset out, falling fast asleep in his arms as they rode back home. Then, as she turned five or six and her tiger heritage showed true, Baatar took to Cloud-Stepping through the skies to satisfy his thrill-seeking, death defying daughter.

Supervised trips of course, since his rose no longer trusted him not to drop the girl, even though she’d never once come to harm in all their days together. The time she dislocated her arm didn’t count, as she’d twisted unexpectedly just as he caught her, but harrowing as the experience might have been, at least it taught her not to move about unnecessarily when hurtling through the air, a lesson which served her well once she learned to Cloud-Step herself. That was another cherished memory, holding hands with his beloved wife while watching their grown daughter take to the skies, one which brought a tear to his eye. It seemed like just yesterday when he carried his squirming, shrieking daughter and leapt high into the skies, his heart warmed by her wide-eyed glee and euphoric, gap-toothed smile. Now she was a mother herself, married to a good man with two children of their own and on track to become a young Peak Expert, one who incorporated the best of both her parent’s styles and a daughter to be proud of.

As for Rain, Baatar knew he’d missed out on most of his son’s childhood years, so he’d been looking forward to making some of those same memories later in life, of guiding him through the Cloud-Stepping process and seeing the smile on his face when he finally succeeded, but alas, the Heavens were cruel and blessed little Rain with too much talent. Lost in a fugue of what might well have been Insight, the boy spent weeks in a wooden, half-conscious state, behaving oddly and unable to speak properly after waking from his latest coma. For this and other reasons, when it became clear the boy was capable of Cloud-Stepping and unleashing the Mountain Collapsing Stomp, Baatar’s joy had been muted and overshadowed by fear and concern, for Naaran raised the possibility that the Rain they knew and loved had been replaced by an ancient, eight-hundred year old monster of myth.

Then Rain left for the monastery and Baatar put the boy out of mind, for to do otherwise would hinder his efforts to effectively manage and defend the Western Wall. Baatar’s son would return when he was ready and able, but not a moment before, so there was no point worrying about how he fared or how his condition was progressing. Taduk visited often to reassure himself that the boy was in good hands, but Baatar had faith in his son’s abilities, for he always knew what to do next. A blessing and a curse that, for Rain to be so competent, because it meant he believed it was his fault when matters inevitably didn’t go as planned. All his life, Rain had struggled with depression, and this mindset was largely to blame for it, a burden he bore of his own choosing, for he refused to let go of his pride and arrogance.

Small wonder he blamed himself for falling prey to Zhen Shi’s illusions, because he’d seen through them before and thus believed he should have seen through them again, as if a single victory was all it took to claim superiority over a defeated foe. Most people certainly saw things in the same manner, but in battles between Peak Experts, victory was never guaranteed. Even Mother, powerful as she was, could not defeat Baatar in every single one of their sparring matches, and while she won far more often than she lost, in a true battle to the death, none of those past victories or defeats mattered. Much like gambling, there was no sense speaking about the odds when the dice had already been rolled, because by then, the odds no longer mattered since the outcome had already been decided.

Regardless of the odds however, Rain had returned whole and healthy as could be, and Baatar had been looking forward to a leisurely trip with his son, where they could Cloud-Step together and he would see the look of joy and excitement upon the boy’s youthful features, but alas, reality left him sorely disappointed. After checking to make sure the tiger Rakshasa was following beside him, Rain paid no mind to his surroundings and retreated into his thoughts as he bound through the air like a jaded old man who’d been Cloud-Stepping for decades. There was no sense of child-like wonder or pride of accomplishment in his eyes, no bright smile or exhilarated expression, not even a focused squint or diligent furrow of the brow as he matched pace with Baatar and the other Peak Experts around him, all without breaking a sweat. At most, one could say he appeared neutrally bored, though his Aura showed that he was in fact deep in thought and concerned about what would come next. A shame, but hardly surprising once Baatar thought about it, as the boy was never one to celebrate his accomplishments or take time to enjoy the minor joys in life. In his eyes, the rising moon was no Heavenly object of beauty, but a stark reminder of yet another precious day slipping away. The endless plains were not breathtaking in scope, the blooming flowers not pleasing to the eye, nor were the shifting shadows an enjoyable experience to behold, just passing things to watch out for in case of hidden ambush, but beyond that, mere scenery to be ignored.

It pained Baatar to see his son derive so little joy from life, his happiness always stemming from outside sources rather than from within. Family, wives, friends, and pets, those were the only things Rain held dear, and without them, he would have nothing left. Perhaps he would come to love the world in time, but it was clear he held his life in low esteem. The mere illusion of losing his loved ones was enough to drive him to seek oblivion, not so different from taking his own life, and being the failure of a father and Mentor that he was, Baatar had no idea how to help his troubled son. Others might think Rain needed no help, having come so far on his own, escaping from Zhen Shi’s machinations more than once and progressing so far along the Martial Path that it was difficult to gauge his strength. On the surface, all seemed well, but Baatar knew that these experiences had left a plethora of visible scars on the boy’s psyche, ones he would be long in mending, assuming he ever did.

There were times when nothing seemed amiss as the boy played the part of Legate and young genius with remarkable aplomb, so well-suited to command Baatar found himself falling in line behind his young and talented son and carrying out his orders without question. When the boy first brought up the matter of hunting Huanhuzi and ending his reign of terror out on the Azure Sea, Baatar didn’t even think to ask why before passing along all the information he had on hand, and upon reflection, he realized this was because he’d known that the boy had made the right choice. In order for a counter-offensive to bear fruit, the crusading Imperial Armies would need to be reinforced and resupplied, and the easiest way to do so would be by ship. Caravans travelling by land would not only move slower, but would also require a considerably large escort to protect them from raiding Defiled riders. In contrast, so long as they were able to capture a Western harbour and fortify it accordingly, then the Imperial forces would have a forward base to fall back to and resupply from with relative ease. A fact Baatar understood once he thought about it, but in the moment, the nuances behind little Rain’s decisions had escaped him, and yet he still followed the boy’s lead without question, in this and in so many other endeavours.

Baatar could not be any prouder of his son’s accomplishments in the Martial Path and military command, but he knew these attainments were not without cost. With each subsequent success or victory, the people of the Empire expected more from their miracle child and Legate Falling Rain, except no one cared to remember that he was merely a boy of twenty-two years and still considered a youth by the standards of Martial Warriors. There was too much pressure on the boy now, and when combined with the high standards he held himself to, Baatar feared his son would soon crumble and fall apart at the most inopportune time. After helping to secure a victory here in the Central Citadel, Rain rested for all of five days, during which he carried out his duties as Legate, sparred with Gerel, and discussed the Dao with anyone and everyone who cared to listen, on top of indulging with his two wives until they were all too tired to stand. That was what the boy considered downtime, to merely work two or three times as hard as the average person, but after five days, he declared he was no longer plagued by headaches and would return to training full time.

Were it up to Baatar, he would have forced his son to rest and recuperate for another month, if not an entire year, but alas, time would not permit it, much less Rain himself. A troubling issue, the boy’s mental health, one which needed to be dealt with soon, for it was clear his consistently tenuous grasp of Balance was slipping beyond his control. To hear him tell it, Balance was not necessary for his Dao, but try as he might, Baatar could not be convinced. Balance was more than a mere requirement to access the Energy of the Heavens, it was a mindset to be cultivated in order to weather the trials and tribulations delivered by the Mother Above. Balance in all things would lead to rewards beyond measure, but little Rain was a stubborn and head strong child who preferred to learn things the hard way. The worst part was, the boy found great success with his unique methods and mindset, but Baatar feared the consequences would be harsh and difficult to bear on top of being unnecessary if Rain would just pursue Balance like everyone else.

Lack of balance was largely the reason why Zhen Shi’s methods were so effective against him, for Rain had always been sombre and gloomy in mood. The pets and his wives did much to mitigate his melancholic disposition, but now that he was no longer able to control his expression of Aura, Baatar and the rest of the family were shocked to discover just how oppressive Rain’s inner thoughts truly were. The boy could wake from a mid-day nap cheery and contented, only for his mood to turn foul seconds later when he realized how much time he’d ‘wasted’ with sleep, and that was but one example, of which there were still many more. Any casual remark about casualties incurred would send him spiralling into self-castigation, only for a hug to deflect him back in the other direction as his spirits soared high into the skies, a back and forth that Baatar found utterly exhausting to navigate, even experiencing it second hand as he did.

Then again, this extreme back and forth could also be considered a form of Balance, albeit hardly a healthy approach to the Dao by any measure, and one made all the more disturbing considering Rain was the one who brought the matter up. While it was possible his fluctuating moods helped propel him to never before seen heights, Baatar forbade the boy from sharing this theory with anyone, especially his wives and friends. The last thing anyone wanted was for some promising youth to be ruined by reckless experimentation, or worse, lost to the Father’s foul lies, as few could deal with the highs and lows of emotion without the assistance of an Elemental Spirit.

One which had apparently merged with Rain during his second Awakening, which explained why he experienced a second one in the first place, though the benefits from doing so were difficult to quantify. This went beyond Baatar’s understanding however, so even though he had his doubts as to whether this was correct, he kept them to himself for fear of leading the boy astray. That being said, no one would dare call Rain a mere ‘young talent’ anymore, not after so many soldiers witnessed him exchange blows with the formidable Bai Qi and emerge utterly unscathed save for a few minor injuries which were barely visible from the outside. This was a foe who almost defeated Commander General Shuai Jiao in a single blow, which made the boy’s accomplishment that much more impressive, but now the people and soldiers were talking as if their Legate would defeat the traitorous Colonel General in single combat during their next exchange, a feat Baatar knew would prove impossible.

Those who didn’t understand the intricacies of combat would look only at the results and make their judgments from there. Both Rain and Shuai Jiao exchanged blows with Bai Qi, but the boy came out better than the esteemed Commander General, suffering only a few fractures whereas the older, more experienced, and undoubtedly more powerful Shuai Jiao had his arm broken in the first exchange. This led others to claim Rain was now on the level of a Colonel General, a conclusion which was both ludicrous and erroneous of course, because Rain did everything he could to survive against Bai Qi, whereas Commander General Shuai Jiao rose up to the challenge and tried to defeat him. What’s more, Rain fought alone and was free to avoid Bai Qi’s attacks, an opportunity he took full advantage of, whereas Commander General Shuai Jiao was forced to meet Bai Qi head on lest the traitor aim his attacks at another Peak Expert along the wall.

In the same circumstances, even Mother wasn’t confident she could’ve done better than Shuai Jiao, since she understood the traitor general’s strength better than anyone else. During their exchange, Mother had utilized the freedom of the battlefield to strike at Bai Qi from range, utilizing her favoured Ground-Shrinking Strike to full effect before retreating in the face of his full might. How the Lord of Martial Peace was able to unleash so much power was a secret none were privy to, none besides Bai Qi himself, and even Rain was at a loss to explain it.

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This didn’t mean Bai Qi was unparalleled however, as depending on the circumstances, there were a handful of Warriors who might emerge victorious against the troublesome traitor. Mother, the Commander General, Colonel General Nian Zu, and even Baatar himself belonged on that admittedly short list, and even Rain might manage to defeat Bai Qi if given the perfect opportunity. It was much easier to deliver a killing blow than it was to defend against one, and a timely throw of the sword or well-aimed bullet from his rifle would be all it took to kill a man, no matter how strong or skilled they might be. Granted, Rain’s chances against Bai Qi in close combat were slim to nil, unless he had external help of course, in the form of the menacing and all-powerful Divine Turtle, Pong Pong.

Were it up to Baatar, the boy would never again bring the creature into battle, for they risked much in doing so. Thus far, it appeared as if the Enemy was unaware of the existence of these Divine Beasts, ones on par with Ancestral Beasts and Human Divinities, but if this secret were to be revealed, the Enemy Divinities would likely view any interference from Pong Pong as an excuse to break the Treaty and unleash widespread devastation on a scale few could comprehend. A single exchange between Rain’s Dharmapala and the Bristleboar Divinity resulted in the destruction of a border city and the deaths of all its inhabitants, tens of thousands of lives wiped out in an instant. Were the population any larger, the casualties would still match it, so easy to imagine what would happen if two or more Divinities were to clash over the Citadel proper.

Alas, Baatar had little say about what the Divine Turtle did or didn’t do. Even Rain didn’t have much choice, as he tried to leave Pong Pong behind but the loyal little beast would have none of it, directing his tiger mount to follow Rain wherever he went. At least Ping Ping was easily dealt with, happy to obey and stay with the rest of the family, but Pong Pong only cared about Rain, and thus refused to leave his side for long. Even now, as they rested to gather Chi before resuming their journey, the Divine Turtle stuck close to the boy’s side, a fact Baatar only knew because Rain had fallen fast asleep next to the nervous and miserable tiger, Rakshasa.

Now there was a mount worthy of a hero, though the boy had thus far ignored all suggestions to acclimate the tiger with a saddle. “Rakky is a friend, and not even my pet,” he said, with a wistful expression that made it clear he wished it were otherwise. “I don’t mind if Pong Pong wants to ride on his head, but I don’t want to force them into battle alongside me. I’ll stick to riding Zabu and Mafu thank you very much, and Rakky can do whatever he likes.”

Another lie, for the tiger was clearly at the mercy of the Divine Turtle’s whims, and Baatar had only the deepest sympathies for this powerful and majestic predator. Though tired and resting, the tiger was not one to let his guard down in unfamiliar territory, laying belly down in a field of grass with chest heaving and eyes scanning his surroundings without letting little Rain out of his sight, even though the boy was fast asleep at his side. Only Pong Pong’s Concealed presence kept the tiger from trying to kill any one of them, a fierce, man-eating beast even the monks of the Brotherhood couldn’t wholly control, but the boy was determined to tame the beast the same way he tamed his precious pets, with food and love. Another mistake, in Baatar’s opinion, for most of his pets were caught young, save for Mama Bun and possibly the laughing birds, though the latter might well have all been hatched in captivity as well. Rakshasa, on the other hand, was a wild beast accustomed to dining on human flesh, a formidable predator whose idea of rousing sport was hunting Defiled Champions and stealing away with their corpses to feast. How could such a powerful and majestic creature be content eating dried jerky and chasing feathers for fun? No, better to treat it like a quin and conscript the tiger into service as mount and beast of war. Oh how wondrous it would be to ride into battle atop this massive tiger, one which surpassed even Baatar’s massive warhorse in size and agility, a true Spiritual Beast with decades of experience hunting in one of the most dangerous environments within the borders of the Empire. Were Rain to train the tiger in such a manner, he would truly be a sight to behold, especially if he were to ride into battle along side his lion-mounted Royal Guardians. Alas, the boy refused to even consider the idea, even though he agreed it would be good to give the tiger clear rules to follow and goals to accomplish. Despite having lived with the family for the better part of a month, Rakshasa had yet to truly accept anyone besides little Mei Lin, whose bed he slept beside each and every night. Rain and Song’s best efforts were not enough to win his approval, nor did Alsantset’s shared heritage earn her any favours, and in fact almost set Rakshasa off into a murderous frenzy when the foolish girl tried to assert her dominance over the fearsome, independent predator.

For like the idiom said, one mountain cannot hold two tigers, and Rakshasa would not have gone down without a fight if not for Pong Pong’s overbearing presence.

Fast asleep beside the panting tiger and oblivious to the waking world, the boy slept deeply despite the lack of a tent or bedroll. It wasn’t the journey or Chi expenditure which exhausted him so, nor was it any underlying health issues as far as Taduk could tell, but Rain had been sleeping a lot more of late, rivalling the lethargic Mei Lin for hours spent in bed even after accounting for the extra time accumulated during... recreation. The extra sleep might well be a side-effect of refining his body into a Spiritual Heart, a feat which even now Baatar could not understand. To hear the boy tell it, he cultivated his soul until it was too large to fit inside his Core, which made no sense given how the Core was supposed to be part and parcel of the soul. Better to say that he could not fit his entire Core inside his physical body, though the boy had issues with that interpretation that he could not put into words, or at least not enough words to make sense besides going on about the physical and metaphysical existing side by side. Or rather, occupying the same space without overlapping or interfering with one another, as he most recently theorized, though how that was possible remained a complete mystery, not to mention why interweaving the two was pivotal to the process of refining a Spiritual Heart, the benefits of which were still difficult to quantify.

To call the boy’s Martial Path convoluted was an understatement at best, and Baatar sorely wished he was wise enough to help his son untangle his perplexing trail of steps and be worthy of the title of Mentor.

After a few hours rest, Naaran informed Baatar that they were ready to leave again, but he hesitated to set out as Rain was still sleeping. “The boy himself stressed that speed was of the utmost importance,” Naaran Sent, seeing through Baatar’s thoughts as only an old friend could. “And the sooner we deal with this pirate, the sooner the boy can return to the Citadel for a longer rest.”

For the briefest of moments, Baatar experienced a deep-seated flash of resentment towards his old friend and comrade. Falling Rain was Baatar’s son, and Naaran a mere stranger, so who was he to say what was best for the boy? Where did this newfangled concern even come from? A few weeks back, Naaran was ready to kill the boy for fear of Defilement, so how dare he pretend to have Rain’s best interests in mind?

A sentiment Baatar immediately quashed upon recognizing where it stemmed from.

Not content to weave his lies for little Rain to hear, the hateful Zhen Shi was exerting his subtle influence not only on the people around the boy like Baatar himself, but seemingly on the entirety of the Imperial Army itself. How such a feat could even be possible was a mystery to be sure, but it was clear this eight-hundred year old madman possessed skills beyond all their comprehension. The boy thought their foe might well be using his ‘patented’ Natal Soul technique, though Mother pointed out that Zhen Shi lacked Rain’s ability to replenish his spent soul through Devouring and cleansing Spectres. Regardless of the how, it was clear Zhen Shi was finally taking a personal hand in the war, though his actions were subtle and insidious to the extreme. How were they to counter a foe who could whisper in a Warrior’s ear from thousands of kilometres away? All they could do was hope for the best and prepare for the worst, while doing whatever they could to raise morale and make the people believe that victory was not only possible, but probable.

Which was why they were here on this journey in the first place, so Baatar gave his old friend a grateful nod and marvelled at his resilience. Naaran had gone through much and lost almost everything, yet still he was strong enough to be here and help not only Baatar, but Rain as well, which showed the depths of his character. Leaning forward to gently brush the boy’s head, Baatar Sent, “Time to wake son. We are ready to travel again.”

The response was almost immediate as Rain’s eyes fluttered and blinked, peacefully coming awake with a smile, one that contrasted harshly with the wave of enmity assaulting Baatar’s senses. One that did not originate from his son, as he was soon relieved to discover, only for his relief to turn to cold terror as he identified the Unconcealed Pong Pong as the source of antipathy. “Pong Pong,” the boy began, his tone sharp and displeased, and the Aura turned to one of guilt and repentance as the turtle retreated back into the boy’s hair. “Sorry Dad,” the boy said, sheepishly grinning as he switched to Sending, “Pong Pong and Buddy were having a grand old time swimming around the lake, so he’s a little peeved we had to leave early.”

Ah yes. Buddy. It was one thing to accept that the Divine Turtle visited Rain’s Natal Palace every night, which was absurd enough, but the boy’s Natal Guardian was another thing altogether. Why did he need a guardian, and why was it a dog? The boy explained his reasoning many a time, that he could not always be trusted to make the right decisions when it came to his emotional well being, and the dog was man’s best friend and thus worthy of his trust, but to Baatar’s ears, this logic was so twisted he didn’t know where to start with unravelling it. Putting the matter aside for the sake of his sanity, he patted his son’s shoulder and offered the Divine Turtle a handful of dried berries, a tribute the reticent creature magnanimously accepted. Sitting up to stretch, the boy turned to coo at the tiger who still lay prone and wary, having slept not a wink, but seemed well-rested enough to resume travelling again. “Poor Rakky, so worn out from Cloud-Stepping so much. Maybe we’ll take a boat back instead, or I’ll figure out Domain Plating and use it to carry you comfortably, okay?”

A skill which even Mother had not mastered, much less Baatar, yet Rain spoke of it as if he could pick it up with a few days practice. Monk Happy was the one who offered the name, after the boy would not stop pestering him for answers, and though it sounded simple enough in theory, not a single person in the household had yet to find success. Sarnai’s Mentor was the only one capable of using Domain Plating, and she’d known how to do so before even hearing the name, utilizing this superlative skill to carry a wagon without breaking it by putting all the weight on a single point, namely her hand supporting it in the air. When asked to explain how, the admittedly foolish woman had no words of advice, only an infuriating expression of confusion as if wondering why no one else could understand so simple a concept.

After a quick breakfast, their party Cloud-Stepped away again, and again, the boy travelled in relative silence while engrossed in his thoughts. Being the concerned father he was, Baatar tried to come up with a way to show his son how to appreciate the little things in life, and though he came up short of an answer, he was also the first to notice the change in little Rain’s demeanour. As soon as the Azure Sea came into sight, the boy’s expression visibly brightened and he even let out a tiny burst of anticipation and excitement, happy to be back despite the circumstances. Then, when they landed on the shore some time later, the boy even broke out into a smile as he stood and watched the waves. No, not the waves, but rather the Concealed Divine Turtle, darting back and forth through the water if Rain’s eyes were any indication. Taking a quick glance around, the boy’s eyes stopped to meet Baatar’s, silently asking if he could go play. Unable to refuse, he nodded and waved the boy away, to which he responded with a literal jump of joy and a smile filled with child-like glee as he stripped down and dove into the waters to go swimming with the Divine Turtle.

A sight which warmed Baatar’s heart, despite the grim circumstances surrounding their arrival.

Contrary to the tales he told of his adventures in his Natal Palace, Rain was an adequate swimmer at best, moving his arms in a strange, wind-mill like motion to propel himself through the waters rather than any working of Chi. Others might think he was saving his reserves for the battle ahead, but considering his ability to Devour Heavenly Energy and restore his Core to full in a heartbeat, there must’ve been other reasons he chose to swim mechanically as opposed to utilizing his Insights in the real world.

Unless...

“Boy,” Baatar Sent, praying his guess was wrong but worried he was absolutely on the mark. “Have you tried moving through the water with Chi?”

“Nope,” came the reply, immediately followed by, “How would I do that? Amplified kicks?”

“No.” Suppressing a sigh and telling himself that sometimes, an outsider saw things more clearly than those involved, he explained, “But you yourself should know how, given your stories of chasing the Divine Turtle through the water inside your Natal Palace.”

Even from such a great distance, Baatar could see the shock on the boy’s face, followed by shame and embarrassment for not seeing this sooner. It took a few minutes for him to work everything out, but soon he was zipping through the waters faster than he could run, without need to move his arms or kick his feet, a sight which was impressive to say the least. More importantly, he was laughing up a storm and taking great delight in the game as he chased the turtle about, a memory which more than made up for his lacklustre reaction to Cloud-Stepping through the skies. His laughter redoubled when the tiger joined in soon after, paddling away from shore for a minute before diving under the waters and emerging with a fish clamped between his jaws. A blind fool could see the pride in the tiger’s gait as he sauntered back up the beach, carrying his catch away to eat in smug satisfaction of his successful hunt.

Given how much the boy, the Divine Turtle, and the tiger loved the Azure Sea, perhaps Baatar would look into building a summer home for them on the shore back home in the Northern Province. Something to keep in mind for the future, because it was important to cling to hope, even if the odds seemed stacked against them. While this concerned the boy greatly and he almost seemed resigned to failure, Baatar believed the Imperial Army would undoubtedly emerge victorious, though perhaps not as quickly as Rain would like. No matter though, for whether it took a year, a decade, or even a century to secure victory, Baatar would be here to fight the good fight for as long as it took, and he had no doubt his son intended to do the same.

Leaving the boy to play, Baatar made contact with Gao Changgong and his scouts to take stock of the situation. According to the Western Major General, the trap was set and dangling in the waters, a ship laden with gold headed towards SuiHua habour to the south and west, one disguised as a fishing trawler which had been slowly making it’s way down from the Society Headquarters the last few days. Marshal Yuzhen assured them that word would leak of this delivery, but whether the information would reach Huanhuzi in time was another thing altogether. If the self-proclaimed Bandit King chose to attack, his ships would likely strike somewhere along this stretch of coastline, where Baatar, the boy, and the Azure Ascendants were all ready and waiting to Cloud-Step over and sink the enemy fleet with cannon-fire and possibly even execute the half-badger himself, with help from Gao Changgong’s nearby forces of course.

There were many things that could go wrong with this plan, but there was little to no cost except time and effort. Even if Huanhuzi saw through this trap, it would only be a matter of time before he emerged from hiding to raid another Imperial shipment, at which point the boy would strike without mercy. As luck would have it however, the Bandit King’s fleet was soon sighted and the scouts were even able to confirm Huanhuzi’s presence aboard his flagship, a most fortunate coincidence which had the boy frowning in suspicion, never one to be happy with good luck and always assuming the worst. Regardless of Huanhuzi’s intentions, Baatar saw no reason to change tack, because even if this was a counter-trap to lure Rain in, this was the first time the pirate had been sighted in weeks and Baatar was not about to let this chance pass by without a try.

“Remember,” he Sent, as they Cloud-Stepped out into the Azure Sea in pursuit of Huanhuzi, “I will be nearby, so if you cannot hold out against him, then you only need to call out and survive.”

“Understood,” Rain replied, flashing a tentative grin as he Sent, “I beat Goujian already, and he was something else, so I think I can handle one Bandit King in single combat. Probably. Maybe.”

Taking a deep breath, Baatar convinced himself of the necessity once more, even though he was the one who suggested it and Mother and Rain both agreed. Sparring was a good measure of a Warrior’s strength, but Rain’s true potential always surpassed what he could bring out in a spar, because much of his strength could only be displayed when his life was on the line. Huanhuzi would make for a good whetstone, a middling Peak Expert who survived so long mostly through foresight and cunning. Should the boy stumble and falter, then Baatar was wholly confident he and the various other Peak Experts could easily intervene before too much damage was done.

Such was life, trials and tribulations aplenty, but only little Rain would actively go looking for more instead of saving his strength and waiting for the calamities to come to him. Proud as he was of his diligent son, Baatar prayed the Enemy had no surprises laying in wait, and for this plan to go off without a hitch, a prayer he regretted as soon as he sent it.

For it was widely known that the Mother was a fickle woman indeed, one who did so love to test her favoured sons, of whom none were more favoured than Falling Rain.

Chapter Meme