I am Legion, for we are many.

Heh.

In spite the dire circumstances regarding my current situation, I cannot help but find some humour in all this. Judging by the plethora of half-hidden smiles plastered across so many handsome faces, I know I can’t be the only one cracking wise in my own head. That’s how I deal with stress and nerves, I make with the funny and laugh at my own jokes, even if everyone else is too nervous to laugh with me. That being said, it’d be interesting to know how many others in the crowd came up with the same joke, and what all the non-smiling faces are thinking of. I am but one of thousands of Natal Souls who only just popped into existence outside our condo, all willed here by Prime Me parked in front of the PC. Interesting to note however is that while we are all cut from the same cloth, the moment of our creation is the moment our thoughts diverged, meaning that I am a unique version of Falling Rain unlike any of my gathered brethren. How many of us are going through this exact same thought process? At least some, I would gather, but not all, because despite operating on the same hardware and software, the very nature of existence means there are an infinite number of random variables that are impossible to account for.

Take the joke for example. How many of us used the misquoted ‘We are Legion’? Knowing me, I bet a bunch of us probably went another route and made jokes about masturbation or homosexuality instead, because that sort of humour is right in my wheelhouse. What about those of me who couldn’t get past the dark implications of our existence? I saw many half-smiles in the crowd, but no small number of dismal expressions as well. Some of us have conjured up bunnies to hug, while others went with dogs, wildcats, bears, and all sorts of other animals. Non-sapient entities one and all of course, since we can’t be wasting energy on stuff like that, but still telling in the variety of creatures I see here before me today, including one chubby, flat-nosed wombat who I kinda want to steal away. The me with the wombat knows this of course, and jealously guards his comfort floof from any and all comers, but I’m more curious than covetous at the moment, and we all respectfully keep our hands to ourselves.

Because let’s be real here, if we start stealing floofs, then there’s a damn good chance a civil war will break out faster than you can say, ‘Begun, the clone war has’, and that’s the last thing anyone needs.

Alas, woefully unaware of how she is courting disaster, my sweet wifey Lin-Lin runs up to the window for a better look at the crowd that just appeared outside the bedroom window. Her expression lights up in cheer and awe as she waves at us with her beautiful smile, greeting us en masse with all the love and enthusiasm she would have for her real hubby in the room behind her. I can say with the utmost of certainty that we all have to refrain ourselves from going over to hug her, though it’s tempting just to see if my memories of a hug match up to the real thing. Even though we’re all technically her beloved hubby, there’s no way seeing so many of us pop up around her won’t give her a scare, which is the last thing any of us want. That being said, we also don’t really have time for long goodbyes, or even short ones since time is of the essence, but after waving back at Lin-Lin alongside the rest of my brothers, I still can’t help but throw in one last joke before heading off to do what I was quite literally born to do.

“We who are about to die, salute you!”

Honestly, I didn’t think I’d be the only one to come up with this, but most of us have a good chuckle about it, as others reply with, “Are you not entertained?”, and “You had me at hello!”. There are a few dark looks from those of us who are concerned my thoughtless statement might make Lin-Lin concerned, or worse, clue Buddy into the fact that he’s going to lose his favourite person thousands of times in the next few minutes. Oops. Well, at least Buddy hasn’t left Prime Me’s side, because I can’t bear the thought of breaking his little doggy heart again. No worries though, he's unaware and Lin-Lin’s stronger than most give her credit for, including me in all my incarnations. I can confidently say that none of us care about how annoyed Prime Me is though, because honestly, fuck that guy. Dude is way too serious for his own good sometimes. I get that this was a difficult decision and that he’s dealing with some heavy, emotional stuff regarding our impending deaths, but c’mon now. What’s he got to be sad about? He gets to sit in our comfy office chair with Buddy curled up beside him and Lin-Lin in his lap while the rest of us go do the real work.

And go we must, exiting the Natal Palace in a prompt and orderly fashion to make our way out into the physical world, where the Enemy forces threaten so many of our loved ones on the field of battle.

Most of my brothers are cookie cutter Natal Souls, stamped out in quick order to get boots on the ground, but a select few were made with a set purpose in mind, and I am one of those lucky few. Perhaps even the luckiest of all, which might be why I’m feeling so upbeat about all this, because even though I am faced with imminent death, the nature of my task means I get to do something no other version of me is allowed to do, including Prime Me. He senses what I’m thinking and panics internally, but he’s got too much on his plate right now to stop me, not that he would if he could. He envies me for what I am about to do, because he wishes he could do it too, but unlike me, he has to live with the consequences of my actions, while I was quite literally born to die. Now that’s freedom, and I relish it for as long as I can, which is little more than the blink of an eye as I arrive at my destination, the section of the wall where my retinue is stationed.

Not a journey I make alone, for there are dozens of us here to ensure the best chances of success, since there is only so much help one Natal Soul can give to any individual person. You’d think that doling out usable Heavenly Energy like candy on Halloween would be enough to help win the battle, but a lot of it depends on how the recipient uses said Heavenly Energy. While it might be the power of Creation and Destruction, humans all across the Empire use it to regrow teeth each and every day, which is handy to be sure, but not an ideal use of my limited usable reserves. That’s where we Natal Souls come in, here to play the part of benign Spectre and help guide our hosts through the best usage of this gift, but unlike most of those other schmucks, I lucked out when it came time to pick assignments. Mine is one of the best by far, which makes my imminent sacrifice all that much more worth it. Yea, yea, all this is for a good cause and needs to be done, yadda yadda and all that, but it’s in human nature to want to help the people you care about the most, and I, unlike any other iteration of myself currently in existence, have the good fortune of helping the one person I do not dare admit I care for.

Yes, that’s right everyone. I, Falling Rain, am here to help the kind, benevolent, talented, hardworking, and dutiful Li-Li. Beautiful too, like a sword drawn and ready to strike, perfection in form and objective, a Warrior in her element as she deals a blow to Yuanyin which leaves the traitorous coward battered and bleeding. With or without my help, she is likely to eventually emerge victorious against Yuanyin, this much I believe, but at least this way, I can help her get there and tell her how I truly feel without having to feel guilty about it. Not that I should feel guilty about it, but I know how I am, and I love taking credit for everything that goes wrong, even matters beyond my control.

What a fucking idiot. Seriously. Sometimes, I hate that guy.

That is the last real conscious thought I have as I fulfil my purpose in this brief and ephemeral life, which is to give myself over to Li-Li in the form of Heavenly Energy. There is no awareness of the act, no gradual shift in my existence, for there is me, and then there isn’t as I divulge to Song everything that has been weighing on my mind and heart these past few years, without having to worry about the words to use or the consequences of my actions.

Ha. Sucks to be you, Prime Me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Energy of the Heavens poured into Song’s body in an unprompted surge of warmth and power, and her spirits soared with glee.

A timely intervention, for she had all but emptied her Core in her extended exchange with Yuanyin and was fast running out of options. Avoiding his blows had become second nature, while her poems kept his chants at bay, but so long as she lacked the ability to deal a killing blow, all she could do was hold him off and quell her growing unease. More Chi was exactly what she needed, and while the pragmatic part of her wanted to set all her questions aside for later, she could not help but wonder how this came to be. The answer revealed itself even as she thought to question it, and for a moment, time stood still as she took it all in. Love and affection, as warm and heartfelt as anything she’d ever experienced, but built upon different foundations from what she was most comfortable with. It burned hotter than any fire, yet was gentle to the touch, an enveloping tide of pure emotion that threatened to overwhelm her while simultaneously keeping its distance out of fear and respect. Not fear of what she might do, but fear of what it might do to her, for it knew she was not yet ready to accept it, and that was fine. It reminded her of how Papa walked on eggshells around everyone, except this effort was done for her and her alone, and more to the point, it was because it understood her fear in a way Papa never could. There were no expectations attached to this love, only a yearning to share it, to tell her it would be there if she should ever want or need it. It was ineffable and indescribable, yet she understood it so well, almost as well as it understood her. It wasn’t easy revealing all this, for now this love was exposed and vulnerable, but it revealed itself regardless because it wanted to show her that she was not alone in her fears.

All this and more passed through her mind, but more than that, she felt it in her very soul, and knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that this was not a benediction from the Mother Above, but from someone she knew on a more personal level. This was Rain reaching out to her and offering a helping hand, while baring his heart and soul to her in the same breath, a sentiment delivered not in words but in emotions from start to finish. Though Song had always known he was enamoured of her, she never understood the depths of his affections and thought that his attraction was based on lust alone, but this… this was different and worth examining, even if she believed she would ultimately end up rejecting him.

A matter for later however, as time resumed with an effort of will, for she could not afford to be distracted from the true task at hand. Untimely as Rain’s confession might be, that was not the sole reason he’d made his presence known, for he had delivered unto her a portion of Heavenly Energy for her to wield against her foe. Her first thought was to question how she might use it, but she already had the answer in hand, for she had heard Rain and the Abbot discuss this very same matter more times than she cared to count. Chi and Heavenly Energy were but one and the same, a difference without a distinction, so if she knew how to use one, then she knew how to use the other, a simple enough concept for anyone to understand. With that in mind, she Honed her sabre and brought it around in a killing chop, one which scythed past Yuanyin’s raised sword and hammered home into the side of his bald head. His left temple, to be exact, but to her dismay, even using Heavenly Energy to Hone her weapon was not enough to break through his body’s defenses. Just like all her other attacks, this one glanced off the traitor monk’s bones and carved off a sizable chunk of flesh, so much so that it revealed a palm-sized section of blanched white bone.

Dejection and discouragement welled up from within, casting Song back into a cold and unending pit of despair and depression. This foe was beyond her, victory too far out of reach, her struggle futile and irrelevant to the extreme. How could she, a mere former slave, ever hope to defeat a foe so powerful? All familiar thoughts and sentiment, the wretched misery of inevitable defeat, one she’d been struggling with for some time now during her battle against Yuanyin, but it was nothing compared to Rain’s warmth and affection. She’d heard stories from the Stormguard about how he’d helped them in JiangHu, personally guiding them through Core Creation and setting them along their Path, but that wasn’t what he did here. No, instead, he’d given her everything in a single burst of emotion, bared his heart and soul to her in spite of his fear and shame, because it was the only way he knew how to help. He’d said it time and time again, that Heavenly Energy was drawn to emotion, and in sharing his emotions, he’d given her with a surplus of Heavenly Energy to work with.

And that’s it. Not because he didn’t want to help guide her, but because he knew she didn’t need his guidance, as if he’d come here only to hand her a water-skin and say, “You got this.” A calm and confident declaration delivered in his customary congenial manner, but what he left unsaid meant so much more, because he’d shown her the true Path forward.

The realization struck her like a bolt of lightning, revealing truths she’d overlooked along the way. As a slave, Song only needed to heed her teachings and wait for instructions on what to do next. A mindset which served her well when it came to early progress along the Martial Path, but now it was holding her back. Mama had tried to tell her as much several times before, most notably in Nan Ping when she asked Song to find something she loved and tell her all about it. She’d been trying to show Song not just how to truly live as a free person, but how to continue progressing along the Martial Path without instruction, a lesson which fell on deaf ears at the time. The Martial Peak was not something anyone could reach based on talent alone, for all the talent in the world was useless without ambition and drive to succeed. Song yearned to progress along the Martial Path, but she did so in a passive fashion, always waiting for someone like Mama or Teacher Du to point her in the right direction. Though she’d come far on the basis of her foundational lessons alone, it was long past time for her to move on and take the next step, but fear and uncertainty held her back.

Her Martial Path lay before her, and she already had everything else her heart desired.

She only needed the confidence to take the next step, confidence she found here today thanks to Rain’s confidence in her.

A flick of her wrist sent Yuanyin’s sword flying to one side, leaving him open and vulnerable to attack. He knew it, but he didn’t care, so confident in his body’s ability to withstand her blows. Settling back on her heels, she sheathed her sabre and took her stance in one fluid motion, so natural and familiar she hardly even had to think. The Energy of the Heavens flowed out from her Core, radiating throughout her entire body in a rhythmic motion like the roaring tides of the Azure Sea. It matched her breathing and heartbeat for a split second which stretched unto eternity, and Song found a peace and belonging she never even imagined might exist. One with the Sabre, One with the Self, One with the World, and One with the Heavens, there was no distinction between them as her Will carried her forward into motion, and she committed every detail to memory for future review. It all started at her toes, her movement and Heavenly Energy both, before travelling up her calves to her knees and beyond to her quads. It coursed past her hips and lower back in asynchronous routes, only to come together again once it reached the mid-point of her spine. Gaining speed, power, and momentum every step along the way, she Amplified her efforts even further to new heights, the timing falling perfectly in synch with her delivery of ‘Clear Temple’, which she muttered silently in her head alongside Mama’s dulcet tones.

Already, this was more power than Song had ever wielded before, but she wasn’t even half done as she surrendered to the flow and directed it ever forward towards her goal. Splitting again as it moved from her spine to shoulders, she watched like a passenger in her own body as she burst into motion and performed a perfectly executed version of her quick-draw attack. The blade hissed as it exited its sheathe, an eager cry celebrating its release, one that was drowned out by the silence of steel slicing through air as her attack moved beyond what her mind could comprehend, and almost beyond what her body could withstand. Her muscles screamed, but held firm and persisted, an accomplishment made possible thanks to the benefits she’d reaped from Medical Saint Taduk’s Body Refining baths, and she made a note to thank him later, for he was a good man the same as Papa and Rain. That made three that she knew of, which was three more than she once believed existed, and it was important she acknowledged this change in perspective.

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Even with the benefit of her Refined physique, Song’s muscles threatened to snap and tear as she pushed them to their absolute limits, and yet she knew in her heart of hearts that even this was not enough. Yuanyin’s durability was the result of more than mere body refinement, but the beginnings of a Spiritual Heart. Or as Rain would say, a merger between the physical and metaphysical, which had never made sense to her, because she thought it was the same as saying nothing at all. Now however, she had an inkling as to what he meant, though she could not wholly describe it, for it was merely an impression sitting at the forefront of her mind, one that made sense to her and her alone. There was more to the world than what the human senses could perceive, information to be gleaned by those keen enough to grasp it. This much she knew from her own experience in Pan Si Xing and again here in Meng Sha, where she made use of her Spiritual Senses in a rudimentary manner, and now they were telling her that she was still missing one vital aspect which she needed in order to strike her foe down.

Conviction.

Outwardly, there was no change to be seen, but Song felt it and knew it to be true. Yuanyin felt it too, for his eyes widened in panic as her sabre hurtled unerringly towards his neck. No, not her sabre, but her attack, for she was One with the Sabre, and for the first time in her life, her Sabre was One with her. The weapon was more than just steel and Spiritual Heart, but a part of her in a way she could not explain, an inseparable component of her identity in the same way as her green eyes or auburn hair. If Yuanyin’s bones refused to yield, and the Heavens refused to grant her the authority needed to make them, then she would exert her own authority, the authority of her sabre to make it so.

With blade in hand, Song would carve out her own Path, for her Dao was the Dao of the Unyielding Sabre.

Blood sprayed as Song’s attack struck home. Hatred and denial spewed forth from the traitor monk’s eyes, a dark gaze that grew dimmer with each passing moment as his head separated from his shoulders and hurtled end over end through the air. Never one to do things by half-measures, Song delivered a follow up attack that split Yuanyin’s still-standing torso from shoulder to hip, and she readied to strike again if need be. Only after the robed corpse toppled over and she was certain there was no chance it would turn into a Demon did she allow herself to relax, exhaling as the tension flowed out of her body while basking in her achievement.

This victory was only possible thanks to her newly Developed Domain, though this marked a half-step along her Martial Path at best. One which came years too late, for she’d taken this same half-step before, all those years ago in Sanshu. Faced with the teleporting Demon Bei, Song had found her conviction and dealt it a grievous blow with this same quick-draw attack, only to immediately backpedal along her Path for a whole host of reasons, including but not limited to her restricted Oaths. What’s more, she recognized that she was still another half-step away from true success, for she’d read tales of Warriors describing their Domain as billowing outwards in all directions, but Song’s Domain was limited to her sabre alone. Doing more was beyond her current abilities, so she was not truly Domain-capable just yet, but this success was a vital one in terms of her Dao. For the first time in her life, Song advanced not because she was told to, but because she wanted to, a distinction that made a world of difference.

An exhilarating achievement, but one she celebrated for only a moment, for even as the soldiers of the Empire raised their voices to cheer, Song had already moved on to her next target, a nameless Chosen in black-and-red armour threatening Dastan’s unguarded flank as he dominated a Champion foolish enough to challenge him on the battlefield. With Yuanyin’s death, Song had successfully lit a minor beacon of hope, but it would not last long without more fuel for the flame, so she set out to headhunt Chosen Champions and Demons to test her newfangled skills.

After all, Rain had gone to all this effort to gift her with Heavenly Energy, so it would be a shame to waste it against regular Chosen…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The cool breeze kissed her sun-scorched skin, and Yan immediately felt Rain’s presence upon her.

It was so intimate and familiar it couldn’t be anyone else, and she welcomed him with open arms. Figuratively at least, since she was embroiled in bitter battle against two Demons on the verge of cutting her down. Weaving effortlessly in and out of the battle, Yan’s opponents were seemingly built for speed above all else, and their darting movements made it all but impossible for her to land a decisive blow. Crafty creatures, these Demons were, using Defiled and Imperial alike as human shields to guard against Yan’s Wind Blades, while keeping well out of her reach at all times, until they finally saw their chance to strike while she cut down one of their other brethren.

And now their talons were hurtling towards her, and much as she would love to retreat and regroup, she was the only person capable of keeping them at bay. Without her, the Demons would be free to run rampant through the Imperial lines, which was why all three had targeted her at the same time. Honestly, it was almost flattering considering how similar Yan’s circumstances were when compared to Mataram YuChun, who was still fighting three on one against some Society Peak Experts. Fighting and winning, it seemed, as he sent an Imperial Peak Expert hurtling back through the air and off the battlements themselves, but this was no concern of hers just yet. Instead, she refocused her thoughts on the Demons surrounding her, while simultaneously waiting for Rain to unleash whatever miracle he’d been cooking up all this time.

There were no storm clouds in the sky or bursts of water exploding all around her, no Devouring force to scare away all the Demons, Aura to dominate them through fear and despair, or even Runic Cannons bombarding the Enemy army into oblivion. In fact, there was nothing at all, save for a lingering breeze dancing at the edges of Yan’s perception and Rain’s love and affection seeping deep into her bones. A fiery, passionate love that burned hot and bright, one that would keep for as long as he drew breath, because he didn’t know how to live without her, the same way she didn’t know how to live without him. He wasn’t just her husband and lover, but her also her best friend, a man who laughed at her jokes and challenged her to be better every day without treating her like a fragile little lady. He’d always been always there to support her whenever she needed it, and many more times when she didn’t. She’d only gotten so far thanks to his encouragement, for she would never have found the courage to leave home if not for his promise.

The memory sprung up unbidden, as it often did when Yan thought of him. They’d been so young and stupid back then, two teens in a tent, with her head on his shoulder as they laid side by side in separate bedrolls. “So what now?” she asked, knowing only that he loved her, and she loved him, and that their paths would diverge in the morning.

“We sleep,” Rain replied, his breath hot and heart pounding as he fought to keep his hands to himself, even though she yearned to feel his touch as much as he yearned to touch her. “Tomorrow, we part ways until who knows when. You live your life and enjoy yourself, meet new people, do new things, chase your dreams…” A pause as he swallowed and struggled to sound cheery. “Maybe fall in love, start a family, whatever it is you want to do. Then, when we see each other again, we will pick up our friendship as it is now, and tell each other all about our experiences.” His voice dropped to barely more than a whisper as he immediately contradicted himself. “I love you and wish you all the best, Yan.”

“I love you too,” Yan replied, and at the time, they both knew what they meant. He loved her, and she loved him, but he didn’t want to keep her from following her dreams, so he told her to go even though it broke his heart. That had always been his way, so self-sacrificing and supportive, and it was one reason why she loved him so. Without his encouragement, there would be no Du Min Yan, no Sanguine Whirlwind of Central, which was why she couldn’t keep her promise with him after all. When they met again, she refused to pick up their friendship where it left off, and instead set their romance back on course to where it should have progressed instead. A bold and daring act, to show up at his yurt unannounced in the dead of night, especially after she spent so many days avoiding him to keep Grandpa Du from getting embroiled in a prickly political dilemma, but after hearing about how he almost died to poison during his wedding banquet with Luo-Luo and seeing him so downtrodden at Da’in’s banquet, Yan couldn’t stay away any longer.

A good thing she visited when she did too, because when he returned home that night missing a hand and a foot, she discovered that he needed her just as much as she needed him.

The memories flooded through her and brought with them a plethora of emotions to lift her spirits, ones that washed away the foul taint in the air threatening to overwhelm her with despair. More than that however, the memories brought with them a fondness and affection that came straight from Rain himself, as if he were here beside her with arms wrapped around her waist and chin propped on her shoulder. There were no words exchanged, no advice or orders given, just a sense of contented fulfillment that said he loved her dearly and was here to help. He couldn’t fight at her side just yet, but he was here all the same, a fact which breathed new life into Yan.

Because with her husband’s love and support, there was nothing she could not do.

Brimming with love for her husband and unwilling to let him down, Yan refocused on the battle before her. The two Demons had pincered her in place, and she’d initially thought to stand her ground, because the truth of the matter was that she had nowhere else to run. Left and right were no good, since the Demons were hurtling towards her from those directions, while forward held all manner of Chosen waiting to skewer her upon their spears. Back wasn’t an option either, or not one she was willing to take, because down that path lay Imperial soldiers sorely outclassed by any Demon, much less two. While Yan saw nothing wrong with leaving soldiers to do their duty, if she led the Demons into their ranks, then they would be but lambs to the slaughter, and she would still have to deal with them eventually.

But there was another option, one she never considered before Rain’s presence appeared, but now that he was here, there was nothing she couldn’t do.

The Energy of the Heavens surged through her and made the world come alive, as if she were seeing new colours and experiencing new sensations for the first time ever. She’d felt something akin to this whilst ensconced within her Natal Palace and deep in the throes of Balance, but now she was meditating yet not meditating at the same time. Another memory sprung to mind unbidden, of the time when she asked Rain for advice regarding meditating with the Runic Rings. A flimsy excuse she concocted with Alsantset so they could get him to talk about his troubles, and it worked, but now his words resonated with her in a way they never had before.

“Cultivating with the ring is nothing like normal cultivation,” he began, ever-vigilant as he scanned his surroundings for signs of Defiled, which was a good thing considering they were attacked soon after. “Without the ring, as soon as I slip into the State of Balance, it’s like a warm summer breeze while sitting in the cool shade. A gentle sensation that envelops me and makes me feel safe and cared for. Mediating is refreshing and invigorating, and I wake from it content and tranquil, feeling like I belong, wherever I may be.”

At the time, Yan had been indignant upon hearing this, because he made it sound like meditation was so easy, except now… now she understood what he meant. Before today, she’d only ever experienced a shallow form of Balance, one she had to focus and work for to maintain, but here and now, she knew what Balance was truly supposed to feel like, so natural and easy it was almost instinctive. The Energy of the Heavens flowed through her, alive and excited to have made her acquaintance, and oh so eager to show her what they could do together.

And what a show it was.

The light breeze lingering on the edge of her perception called to her, and she responded in kind, a working of Chi that felt as natural as breathing. The breeze intensified into a gale centred around her as she moved, but it was more than just Chi mimicking the movement of air. No, this gale was a familiar one, for it had emerged from the depths of her Natal Palace itself, invisible to the eye but as real as any wind, one unique to her and her alone. This was her Domain manifesting itself in reality, her metaphysical dominion brought out into the real world, and it offered her power beyond what she’d ever imagined. Partially because she was still a rank novice when it came to using her Blessing, but how could she not be? Even Grandpa Du had barely scratched the surface of what he could do, but Yan’s manifested Domain, the only limits were her Chi reserves and her imagination.

And so as the Wind swept her off her feet and launched her high into the air, the Demons could do naught but watch her escape their clutches, except escape was the last thing on her mind. The Wind changed course and sent her diving down atop the right-most Demon in a sudden burst of speed. Caught off guard by the unexpected reversal, it could only raise its six arms to block her first Wind Blade, one it expected her to deliver using her Battle-Fan or shield. It would have been better off retreating, for the second she closed the distance, it was now it was in her Domain, and she no longer needed her weapons to form a Wind Blade. She didn’t even need to point to direct it, for her Chi responded to her thoughts alone as a Wind Blade formed inside the Demon’s guard and scythed through its torso like a hot knife through butter.

Giddy with delight at her newfangled abilities, Yan wasted no time going after the remaining Demon, but this one had seen the fate of its comrade and immediately turned tail to run off the walls and back towards the safety of the Enemy lines. Not quick enough however, and this time, Yan tested out Grandpa’s new skill, one he called the Explosive Wind, but she refused to use the name herself. It sounded too much like something Rain would call a fart, and he’d likely make jokes about it being silent but deadly. Yan didn’t have the heart to tell Grandpa about his poor naming ability, but its odd name aside, the skill was most formidable indeed. With little more than an effort of Will, an orb of compressed Air formed in the space before her, one no larger than a grape. Given how malleable Air could be, it was difficult to measure the volume contained within the orb, but pressure alone was enough to crush stone into sand, for the weight of Air was something no one every considered, since they faced it each and every second of their lives. Twice the amount of air in an area meant twice the pressure, and there was much, much, much more than double the normal amount confined within her Chi working, far more than even what Grandpa could control. That was the crux of this skill, not power nor speed, but control, for only then could one compress and seal Air into a container so small without letting any of it escape.

A feat Yan accomplished without even needing to raise her hand, because she stood in the centre of the windstorm that was her Domain, where her Will was absolute.

The grape-sized orb hurtled after the fleeing Demon, and when the two met, the explosion rocked the walls of Meng Sha and sent a cloud of Ichor spraying in all directions. A good thing the Demon had been hovering over the incoming Chosen at the time, else Yan’s allies might well have been killed in the blast. Idly mourning the waste of a Demonic corpse, she idly gave the order to have the first Demon’s corpse brought to the docks, where Guard Leader Hua Lie could send someone to pick it up and see if Rain could absorb it. Impressive as her display of strength might be, she knew it was only possible thanks to her husband’s support, and she couldn’t help but wonder what it had cost him. Brilliant though he might be, Rain had a habit of getting too excited and not thinking things through to the end, and Yan had a suspicion that this might be the case here.

Before his most recent coma, he’d spent many a night discussing his findings with Grandpa Du and anyone else who would listen, and from what little Yan could glean from the snippets she was allowed to listen to, Rain seemed to think that using Heavenly Energy came without a cost, since Heavenly Energy was fueled by emotions and humans had an inexhaustible supply of emotions. While she couldn’t say for certain that he was wrong, she wasn’t so sure it was that simple, because if emotions were all that was needed, then surely there would be more Divinities. Besides, Rain himself was the one who said that energy cannot be created or destroyed, so if that was the case, then it stood to reason that there had to be something else other than emotions fuelling his workings of Heavenly Energy.

Something which Yan suspected might well be his soul, which she feared was not infinite and without limit.

Alas, it was only a guess, which was why she never brought it up with him before, because she knew it didn’t take much to throw him off his game. To this day, he still couldn’t consciously direct his sword with Guiding despite having possessed the ability to do so since he was sixteen. Hell, he’d fought off close to sixty Wraiths with his flying sword alone, yet he still couldn’t hit a target from twenty paces when trying to unless his life depended on it. Madness is what it was, but now Yan was regretting her decision to stay silent, because now Rain's actions might be costing him more than he knew.

Though she knew it was dangerous to split her focus in battle, she enveloped her shield in a ring of Wind Blades and threw it out to clear the battlements while contacting Rain through Sending to share her suspicions. “Beloved? Are you there?”

Long seconds passed in silence, but just as she was about to continue Sending for the sake of getting everything off her chest, he responded, “Hello my love. I see you’re doing well. Sorry I can’t get up and help you directly, but I am currently in a coma and strapped to a cot. Honestly don’t see why Mila enjoys this so much, but don’t tell her I said that.”

Leave it to Rain to make jokes about his condition in the middle of a war. “You’ve helped enough, and I appreciate your efforts, but you need to listen now.” Relaying her thoughts didn’t take long, and when she was done, she paused before asking, “So do you think it’s possible? Could it be that you’re expending your Soul, which is more than just emotion, to control Heavenly Energy? Maybe that’s why you can’t wake up despite your mind and body being in perfect condition, because there’s an imbalance in your soul.”

“…Um… possible… yes. Likely even, I think, because it’d explain a lot.”

Despite having possibly solved the mystery, Rain didn’t sound all too pleased, and Yan had a sinking suspicion she knew why. “I’m not the only one you helped,” she Sent, more of a statement than a question. “Who else?” Mila for sure, and probably Li-Li, but there was no way Rain would stop there.

“Well… um… let’s not get into specifics. Definitely too many people, but it’s okay.” A mental shrug followed, though how he was able convey that through Sending without a corresponding image was beyond Yan’s understanding. “Don’t worry about it. We’ll figure out the rest after the battle is won, okay? Don’t let me get in the way of you kicking ass and taking names, oh great hero of the Empire. Love you.”

“Love you too.”

Worried though she might be, Yan knew Rain was right. The damage was already done, so there was no point dwelling on it now. All she could do was end the battle as quickly as possible, so she set out to do just that as her shield ricocheted its way back to her. There was no planning or forethought, no fear or hesitation as Yan exerted her Will and had her manifested Domain carry her high into the skies, leaving the mostly cleared battlements behind. This was no true Cloud-Stepping, just a liberal dose of Lightening and gale-force winds powerful enough to throw her high up into the sky. A brief flash of panic coursed through her as she realized she hadn’t accounted for how she would land, but she would cross that bridge when she got there.

Assuming she ever did, for in her haste to end the battle, Yan had set her sights on a most formidable target indeed, none other than the fearsome Peak Expert Mataram YuChun of the Ten Thousand Spears.

Chapter Meme