“We’re trapped,” Bataa confirmed. He was pacing like a caged animal, testing the barrier, while Koyo sat quietly in a cycling position, her eyes closed.

“Yes, as I said,” Koyo sighed.

Super trapped. Yup, no way you can leave in that direction, Rue provided, unhelpful as always.

“Can someone explain?” Shang asked.

“Sure thing. That,” Bataa pointed at the invisible barrier, “is someone trying very hard to not let anything out of these caves. I would say it’s a Sentient Realm technique at least, which greatly limits the potential culprits. Have any ideas why anyone would do such a thing?” He was pointedly looking at Koyo.

“A few reasons,” Koyo admitted. Her eyes were still closed.

“The most likely?” Bataa urged. Koyo sighed and opened her eyes. Her violet irises reflected the faint light from the gorge opening.

“You probably came to the same conclusion. This whole thing stinks of the Tora clan,” Koyo said. Shang froze at the name, his blood running cold.

“You think you’re the target?” Bataa asked.

“Probably not. I can’t imagine that they could predict where I would be, unless this one here is a spy,” Koyo’s eyes slid toward Shang. “But, I’ve already decided he most likely isn’t a spy. Besides, if they wanted to kill me, they would have used a stronger monster.”

“Maybe, there’s something stronger left in here,” Nio said, wringing his hands as he stared at the surrounding gloom.

“Maybe. But this is a bit too roundabout for an assassination attempt. Too much chance involved. Most likely, it has something to do with the chimera’s appearance. Someone must be tampering with the domain rifts.”

Bataa tilted his head in thought. “You’re probably right. I’ve heard rumors about this in the past, but I thought they were just that. This might be a ploy to harvest beast cores before the other principal families send their disciples. We are a year or two before the peak season. If they did something to strengthen the domain rifts, they would have very little competition from other cultivators for valuable higher realm beast cores.”

“What a mess,” Koyo sighed.

“Can’t your matriarch do something about this?” Bataa asked. His meaty arms were crossed in front of him, making his biceps bulge out even further.

Koyo shot Bataa an annoyed look and shook her head. “Even if she could, I doubt she would. She’s not going to risk a direct action against the Tora patriarch for something so minor.”

“Minor? What about you, Yong-sa? If all this is true, we’ll be overrun with disciples from the Tora family. It wouldn’t be much to cause an unfortunate accident that kills off their biggest competition. Don’t you think she would try to get you out at least?”

Koyo looked away, struggling for an answer. “No, she wouldn’t. Our relationship is…complicated right now.”

“How so? From the way you look and your Path, I figured you were from the inner branch of the family.” Koyo walked away from the entrance, ignoring Bataa’s questions. Shang tried to pay attention. It was hard to focus over the heavy thumping of his heart. He clenched and unclenched his fists reflexively. Tora. Even if he tried, he couldn’t get away. All his worries and woes lead him back to him.

This is bad…You have a bad habit of finding trouble, human.

Me?! What about you? It’s your fault we’re in this place, to begin with. It was your idea to come here. Besides, how bad can it be? Koyo and Bataa seem strong. We just need to survive until this barrier comes down right?

Right, right. Always good to be optimistic. Issue is if you’re stuck here, you can’t advance, not if you don’t want our new friends to see your special cultivation materials.

“Are these caverns connected with the rest of the gorge? Is this barrier only preventing us from leaving or can Tora disciples enter and leave as they wish?” Shang asked.

Bataa considered for a moment. “These caves are a labyrinth. There might be routes that connect to the inner parts of the gorge, but I’ve never used them. As for the barrier, from what I can tell, it’s meant to block anything and everything from passing through in either direction. It’s possible to get through it with the right artifact, but if the Tora are behind this, I doubt the disciples got any,” Bataa explained. “The Patriarch is not known for his gentle training methods. He likely wants to motivate them with the threat of imminent death.”

“Do you think Tora Aran Kei will be here?” Shang’s voice was tight with suppressed emotion.

Bataa paused at the question, looking at Shang, eyes probing. “The Shadow Tiger Sect leader? No, he wouldn’t waste his time here. Only realm four or lower cultivators would think this place is worth the risk. Why do you ask? Do you know him?”

Shang shook his head. “So, we just need to worry about monsters and people sneaking in from the cave systems? We should find a place to camp out and block ourselves in.”

“It’s probably our best bet. With our team gone, whoever we meet will likely vastly outnumber us. The three of us might be able to hold out against a weaker group, but…” Shang had been left out of Bataa’s plan. It was just the three of them. Shang was only a liability.

“Don’t you think we’re thinking too far ahead? This might be nothing. We might not encounter anything at all. This could just be a momentary…inconvenience. A random malfunction with the aura shield,” Nio said weakly.

Koyo scoffed in response. “Old man, seems like you’ve lived a peaceful life.” Koyo approached them with stilettos drawn. “We prepare for the worst. Hopefully, we will only see monsters. The Tora clan would be much more complicated.”

The group spent the next few hours hurriedly preparing their base. There were no standard day cycles in the gorge, but the eerie cries of beaasts were only getting louder. Koyo and Bataa left to scout the area for monsters and other threats. Nio stayed behind for more mundane preparations. He pulled out a belt laden with tools of many shapes and sizes. Some of the tools were similar to the ones Shang knew—hammers, nails, and wrenches—others were wholly foreign. A sharp tool with a thin blade and many spikes looked like a torture device. All the tools were embedded with enhancement gems--some large, while others were tiny and barely noticeable.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

“Are these gems from exalted beasts?” Shang asked.

Nio didn’t respond at first, perhaps wishing that Shang would just disappear. “No, most of these tools are only reinforced with gems that are artificial or from sentient beasts of the Sapphire Plains. Simple artificing tools don’t work well with yin dominant gems,” he said impatiently.

Shang hummed his understanding. Any gems like the ones found today, were more useful for specific and sometimes destructive purposes. These tools required a more balanced enhancement. Shang sat and cycled as he watched Nio work. He did not want to bother the man with any more questions, but he found his actions fascinating. Nio was constructing a structure centered around a large clear flask. Iron pillars marked with various logograms surrounded the flask in a distinct pattern.

Rue?

Yes, my little confused human, you can always count on Rue. My vast library of knowledge is unparalleled. Old man here is creating an artifact. Those are artificing tools.

Yes, I knew that much, Shang thought.

No need for the attitude. I was just covering the basics here. He’s creating a water bearing artifact. Those pillars are imbued with a water aura crystal with the job of distilling water from the air into the flask.

So, it can make unlimited water?

Well, sort of. As long as there is water in the air, and the aura is replenished with water aura. There’s not a lot of water aura in here, but we won’t go thirsty. By we, I mean you humans of course. I’ve transcended the need for such things.

“So awesome!” Shang exclaimed out loud.

Nio turned to look at him, his expression smug. “This here? It’s nothing. My father was the master artificer of my village. He’s the reason I was able to afford a private cultivation tutor. I’m nowhere close to the craftsman he was, but I picked up a few things. Especially things that would be useful as a party leader.”

Shang was thrilled to hear Nio talk. It was the most words the man had said thus far. He was always teetering between jittering panic and frustration, but he seemed like he was finally starting to relax. “It’s amazing, I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Nio, pleased with his praise, ushered him closer. “See these logograms, my father came up with them himself. They increase the efficiency of water aura expenditure by 50%. This thing can run without a water artist for months if fully charged…”

"Your father came up with his own logograms?"

Nio paused, rubbing at his neck. "Yes, well, it's not strictly allowed. The Imperial College banned the creation of new logograms with out a license, but this was just something minor. I trust you'll keep this between us."

"Oh, of course Nio-su, you won't hear a peep from me. I have never heard of someone creating their own logograms."

"The characters we use come from somewhere. The ones we use for writing are simplified for ease of communication, but in their truest form. the symbols reflect a truth about the world." Nio pulled a long metal tool from his pack. The tip of the tool was thin and sharp. A feather embedded with a white gem was carved into its pommel. "See the logogram used here." He indicated to a symbol on the water-bearing artifact. "What does it remind you of."

Though the symbol on the artifact was far more complex than any characters used for writing, Shang could recognize some of its components. "It reminds me the character for lake."

"Good, lake is derived from this symbol for body of water. You'll see this symbol all over the larger cities in wells and aqueducts. When utilized properly, it can alter the flow of qi to promote water collection and retention. When the logogram is changed or paired with a different symbol, the results are slightly different."

Shang nodded along eagarly as he explained. Something about the mechanical preciseness of artificing appealed to him. Unlike cultivation, which often seemed too nebulous to fully comprehend, artificing had a formula. Shang helped set up a fire station under Nio’s instruction. The man was a naturally talented teacher.

“If you’ll forgive me Nio-su. Why did you not pursue artificing like your father? It seems like a noble profession.”

Nio smiled gently. “All young men are cursed with great ambition. I was lured by the promise of greatness. Artificers are heroes in their own right but all these tools here are only necessary for those unable to start a flame or distill their own water through cultivation. These things might fetch a hefty price in the Eastern Continent, but in the major sects and families, they’re practically useless. Master Bataa and Mistress Yong can start fires and draw water without any help from these artifacts. I can too, but it takes time and energy to do so.”

“But isn’t that the most amazing thing? You get to help people that need help the most.” Shang imagined the implications of having such a tool.

“True, that is why my father never sought anything more. He was a truly selfless man, but life is short for men like him. It’s been over a hundred years since his passing, but his artifacts are still being used to this day. I can’t say I was born with the same heart. I wanted a different form of immortality.” A hundred years? Despite his white hair, Nio’s face was unlined. He looked no older than fourty.

“How old are you Nio-su? If you don’t mind me asking,”

Nio rubbed at the back of his neck self-consciously. “I’m just north of two hundred boy. I know I look old for my age, but you have to consider how late I reached the Mortal Realm…”

Shang gulped. Two hundred was many decades beyond the oldest elder in this village. If Nio thought he looked old, Shang couldn’t imagine the life span of higher realm cultivators. It made sense now why Rue was so flippant with his estimation of time. To him, a few years were no different from a few centuries. 300 years. That was Rue’s estimate. If he wasn’t strong enough then, he would cease to exist. The idea troubled him more than death. His body would still remain, but only as a husk for someone else’s soul.

“And you boy? I’m sure you have an interesting story as well.”

“I guess you can say that. I grew up in the drainage basin. Even in my village, I was not a cultivator. So, as you can see, this is all new to me.”

Nio pursed his lips, his brow furrowing as Shang spoke. He did not respond immediately, but Shang could feel he was trying to hold something back. Eventually, his curiosity got the better of him. “But what about your…strange readings?”

Shang shook his head. “I don’t know why my attributes were elevated. You would have a better guess than me.”

Nio pursed his lips considering him. His eyes were squinted in suspicion, perhaps Shang was not as good of a liar as he thought. “Well, if that’s true then you’ve been truly blessed. It must be why Mistress Yong seems so interested in you. The imperium is always looking for new talent. The tensions between the principal households are at an all-time high. Some say the Yong family has been in charge for far too long. Probably why this whole charade is happening. Not to mention there's a rumor that the last cycle of the Imperial Examination is coming to an end. Anything to get their disciples ahead. Trust me boy, you might not know, but the Yong family are as gentle as the powerful get. You would not want to live under the Ming or the Tora dynasty.” Nio visibly shivered.

Shang’s mood darkened. He knew very well how ruthless those families could be. After witnessing Koyo’s fight, he saw how utterly helpless he was by comparison. The gap between him and Tora Aran Kei seemed insurmountable. The difference between the earth and sun. Shang’s fists clenched. He would have to work harder.

Shang knelt facing Nio, his head lowered and resting on the back of his hands. “Apologies for imposing Master Nio, but would you please consider taking me as a humble student?”