“Just send a trickle of your energy into the circle there,” Phin Orlas indicated the center of the talisman paper before him. “That will capture your unique spirit signet. Unique and unforgeable, thanks to our gifted talisman craftsmen.”
Kai looked at the talisman; he saw a complex circuit of spiritual energy created by runes and lines, artfully surrounding the circle in red, sparkling ink. He shrugged and pressed a finger down on the circle, sending a wisp of energy through.
This was the final part of opening an account at the Gilded Lotus, the largest, most trusted currency service provider on Long Yuan. Kai watched as the circle filled with lines, drawing out a unique signet image based on the properties of his spiritual energy. Orlas claimed it was a signet that only he could create. He watched as the lines filled in. A circle, then an eye, then a curved diamond shape with sharp upturned points, connected to other figures, by more circles, before branching out into rays that seemed to radiate from the central eye to the periphery.
When it was done, Orlas looked down. A brief crease decorated his forehead before he smoothed it, took the talisman paper, and replaced it with another identical piece.
Kai completed the processes again. The signet produced was precisely the same. When finished, Orlas took both papers for processing. Kai and Ai were seated in the small office at a low table. She looked like she wanted to say something but was restraining herself.
“I’ll tell you all about it later,” Kai offered.
Ai, looked up and back down again. Nodding, she sat back on her heels. A moment later, Orlas returned, holding a black circular token.
“This is your Gilded Lotus token,” he began. “Keep it safe. It is proof that you hold an account with us; it has our signet on this side and yours on the other.” He flipped the token over to display both sides. The signets were carved in gold relief. Ai leaned over to look at them.
“Most major trading houses or vendors of quality will accept this token, along with a matching signet confirmation for large purchases,” he handed the token to Kai. It was cold and solid.
“Now that deposit you mentioned, I can take care of that for you,” Orlas' lips quivered as he tried to restrain a smile.
Kai held the token, turned it over, and looked at his signet. Any way he looked at it, it was a crown with three gemstones; the largest central gemstone had an eye in it radiating outward. He nodded at Ai. She picked the chest off the floor and set it on the table before the small man.
He opened the chest and began counting the stones. He created two piles and quickly sorted the chest contents, creating a third pile in the middle of sorting. After double-checking his count, he tallied the total.
“Thirteen heavenly spirit stones, One-hundred forty-five superior spirit stones, and forty-nine rare spirit stones.”
Kai looked over at the three piles with his spiritual energy sight. With the spirit stones sorted, it was easy to see how the three types differed. It was just a matter of energy density. Kai leaned over a slid one stone out of the superior stone pile. Buried under a group of superior stones was a heavenly stone.
“Ah, this one humbly thanks you for your assistance,” Orlas shook as he bowed low, his lips tensed and straight.
“Fourteen heavenly spirit stones, one hundred forty-four superior spirit stones, and forty-nine rare spirit stones.” Orlas recounted them.
Kai looked over the pile again; one mistake was believable, but three mistakes. Was it because he was a child the man thought he could get away with it? He leaned over again and pulled out the other two heavenly stones, pushing them to the correct pile. Blood drained from Orlas's face.
He looked over the piles, saying nothing. He then counted them again.
“Sixteen heavenly spirit stones, one hundred and forty-two superior stones, and forty-nine rare spirit stones.” Sweat pooled on his forehead, and he dabbed it away with a cloth.
Kai nodded. Ai grimaced, her face set in firm lines.
“Converted into common, that is seventeen million, four hundred twenty-four thousand, and nine hundred common spirit stones?” He looked up.
Kai watched as the Lunar Temple cultivator reviewed the conversion. She nodded to Kai. The Gilden Lotus branch manager smiled and completed a deposit slip; Kai signed it once he and Ai checked the totals.
“The Gilden Lotus thanks the honorable young master for his patronage,” Orlas smiled, a genuine smile from what Kai could tell. He nodded to the man. They left the branch office a moment later, returning to the Lotus Pavilion.
The Lotus Pavilion was larger than Kai thought at first. On the inside, the structure was divided into inner and outer establishments. The Golden Lotus Syndicate owned and operated the inner establishments, including the Guilded Lotus offices, the Golden Lotus Auction House, and the Lotus Financial Services Group. These central services were the primary draw to the Gilded Lotus market, but surrounding those buildings and taking up most of the outer rings of each of the five levels of the pagoda were merchants and services of every kind.
When they entered, Kai spotted several exciting vendors, including a clothes vendor. At first, he was anxious about being followed inside by members of the same crew that ambushed them. But a quick look at the cultivation levels of the Gilded Lotus guards eased his concern. The place was full of high-level cultivators. He saw cultivators with energy systems beyond his experience, solid cores, cores with strange shapes, and cores with complex internal systems.
“Do you need help creating an account or making a deposit?” Kai offered.
Ai shook her head. “Bao and I can handle it.”
“Song and Yunfie will go with you to help with any purchases. There’s a restaurant on the third floor. We can meet you there in a couple of hours.” She laid out her plan. It was fine with Kai. He was still bothered over the attack and possible retribution waiting outside, but spending a few hours here would help divert his mind or perhaps allow him to devise a plan.
“See you then,” he nodded before turning and walking toward the clothing store.
“She’s interesting,” the golden fox sleeping around Kai’s neck opened his eyes and yawned. “Belongs to some local group, can’t get much more from here. She seems to be shocked about being, you know, dead.”
Relay had listened to his account of the events in the alley and immediately retreated to the soul space to interview the captured soul. “She asked if you would come to see her,” the golden ferrox shrugged.
“Did you ask her why she killed those three people?” Kai transmitted. That scene would be locked in his memory forever now.
“I asked her. She said, ‘The shortest distance between any two points is a straight line.’” Relay found that response humorous.
Kai stopped and looked at the shop before entering. The outside was simple wooden and paper framed windows, with a robe painted in silhouette; inside the black shape were the words: Daifu, superior clothier. Kai stepped inside.
The store was small and sparse, with only a dozen items displayed for sale. However, that wasn’t what drew Kai’s eye. The store's back wall was covered in a grate of diamond-shaped wooden shelves in which fabric reams were arrayed. There were thousands of them. The materials were displayed in a spectrum of colors making quite a visual impression.
“Young master, welcome.” An elderly cultivator wearing a brown uniform greeted them. He had short black hair that was greying at the temples. His eyes were a sparkling black.
“This one is Master Yang Zhihao,” he bowed.
“This one is Ahja Kai,” Kai looked at the cultivator’s level; he was early core foundation level. He didn’t bow.
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“So pretty,” Yunfie exclaimed as she and Song entered. Her eyes went wide at the selection.
“I see you have quite a selection of textiles,” Kai stepped into the store; Relay looked up at the colorful selection but had little interest in clothes. He settled down and closed his eyes again. Kai struggled to find the right approach to this subject but decided to be straightforward.
“Ever since my recent breakthrough, nothing seems sturdy enough for me; moving quickly, the fabric tears, using energy, and it disintegrates.” He shrugged. “What can be done?”
“That is a common problem with cultivators that complete foundation establishment. You will require a material compatible with your spiritual energy. As you move, your energy is needed to stabilize a garment's structure.” He ducked back behind the counter. He bent to rummage through a drawer, “What kind of energy do you cultivate?”
“High energy,” Kai answered; it was the term they decided upon when they first discussed it.
“High energy?” Zhihao stood up and said to Kai, “Forgive this one; I’m unfamiliar with that type.” The man studied Kai’s appearance. He observed that Kai wore a standard-style robe, though a woman’s version. He could also see the pale-golden glimmer of his thick necklace. “If you’re not from here, we might have a different term for it.”
He ducked out of sight and continued to fish through a drawer, resurfacing with a white palm-sized sphere.
“Have you ever used an Elemental Diviner?” he asked. Kai had, actually. One of the memories he was provided included the memory of his entrance trials. They had used an Elemental Diviner to determine his energy during that trial. That didn’t help him, though. His energy had changed after the soul fusion.
“I have, but the results were inconclusive.”
“Must have been an inferior quality diviner here; try this one.” The man held the sphere out. “Just let a drop of your energy enter, and the diviner will do the rest.”
Kai stepped to the counter and took the cold white orb in hand. He let a wisp of his energy seep into the sphere and waited. The globe repeatedly flashed different colors through a broad spectrum of colors.
Yunfie and Song moved to either side to get a better look and watched the flashing orb. The colors continued to flash before the sphere began displaying multiple colors at once, first two, then three, then five; when it got to twelve, it stopped combining them and just continued cycling through a different twelve colors every second.
Kai shrugged and went to hand the orb back to the man. The man stared intently at the sphere, studying each color; he didn’t notice Kai’s attempt. After a moment, when he was sure the colors were not repeating, he looked up. He was pale.
Kai handed the stone back. The man took it back without comment and put it away. When he stood back up, Kai intentionally looked out at the displayed clothes but kept his awareness of the man. The man scrutinized him, looking him over, his eyes returning to his exposed necklace.
“So, did that help?” Kai asked, turning back to the man.
He watched the man’s expression cycle from confusion to certainty before settling somewhere between.
“This one has never seen this energy type before, but I believe I have read of something similar,” Zhihao turned to a desk and bent to open a drawer; after a moment, he pulled out a book and began flipping through it. Dominions and Dynasties, Kai read the spine. After a moment, he stopped flipping and, pausing briefly to scan the page, turned it around and handed it to Kai, his finger indicating the passage.
Kai took the book and read the passage, Song peering over his shoulder.
> “The mages of the Omnistellaris Ascendancy master complex systems of arcane magic using a primordial form of energy they call omnipotence, or more commonly omni. This energy’s primary quality is its capacity for transmutation to any other energy type as needed. With enough preparation, Ascendent mages are the most troublesome opponents, able to counter any energy or find any exposed weaknesses. The capital of the Omnistellaris….”
Kai looked back at the man and noticed he was looking away. Kai slowed time and flipped through the book. One page at a time. It took him a full second to scan it, being gentle with the pages. Kai turned the book over and looked at it before handing it back.
“So, does that help you find a material that might work?”
“Only in as much as we can rule out all of these,” Zhihao grunted. “I’m afraid no natural material will be compatible,” he looked at the imposing Song, who was intently monitoring the conversation, “with your energy type, you’ll need to refine a material yourself.”
“How about something reinforced like this,” Kai parted his robe to expose his shendyt. The purple fabric glimmered with celesium thread. Zhihao looked down at the material, his brow furrowing, one side of his mouth crooking up. After a moment, he bent over and grabbed the fabric, feeling it.
“Is that,” he asked with doubt, “celesium?”
“Yes. It binds the silk preventing damage during quick movements,” Kai explained. “It also wicks away the spiritual energy the fabric is exposed to. It’s not perfect. I can feel the silk becoming brittle, but it’s greatly improved.”
“That’s. I’ve never seen it. What can spin celesium so fine?” Zhihao was fascinated.
“Do you like it? I know the artisan that crafted it; perhaps I can arrange something,” Kai replied.
“If it can be done with common silk, I suppose it can be done with any elemental-infused textile?”
“That shouldn’t be a problem. The artisan can also reinforce a completed garment, preventing material loss.”
The craftsman nodded. A garment that was as strong as armor but comfortable to wear. That would revolutionize his industry.
“Let me brew some tea,” Zhihao offered. “We should explore this.”
----------------------------------------
Song signed to Bao. The two sat opposite each other at the Golden Blossom. After some time at the textile store, they had finally left. Song wanted to stop him, to suggest she negotiate the business arraignment, but she had no idea how to price the reinforcement service.
Kai had already required the celesium to be provided as a prerequisite. The payment he negotiated seemed very meager: textbooks on tailoring, basic patterns, and a few sewing lessons. He had to convince the man they had no intentions of staying in Arcadia for long to get that much.
Kai and Relay sat at the head of the table, with Ai and Yunfie nearest. They were discussing the appraisal they had gotten on the ores.
“He’s what?” Bao signed back.
“A mage or magi,” Song signed out the letters. “Of the Omnistellaris Ascendancy. Have you heard of it? The tailor pulled out a book after he used an elemental diviner. You should have seen it; the orb flashed different colors forever.”
“It’s not in the Islands, that’s for certain.” Bao signed, “What’s a mage?”
“I don’t know. They do arcane magic?” Song signed back.
Magic could mean many things. But to cultivators, magic was something different. Magic mainly dealt with spirits, ghosts, demons, or other dark forces. But arcane magic, Bao had no reference for that.
“And you said his energy is omni-poten…tial?” Bao struggled with signing the foreign word, shaking her head. She’d never heard of that either.
“This guy keeps getting weirder and weirder,” first, a soulforger, now a mage, with some unheard-of energy. Song’s eyes went wide. Her skin went pale.
“What?” Bao signed. She sighed. I said that out loud, didn’t I? Kai stared back at her, his expression inscrutable.
“Who keeps getting weirder?” Kai asked, his mouth set in a straight line.