A month passed since the battle for The Purple Mist Valley. The death rate between the Purple Mist Village and the Iron Stone village made the victory hollow, but it was a victory nonetheless.
Despite Xing’s efforts to save the villages. He sensed the villagers reservations regarding Li’er. As much as Patriarch Yu from the Jiang Clan tried to ease his mind. He could feel the coldness, whenever he visited their respective leaders.
Xing wouldn’t have Li’er living amongst people who thought she was an eyesore. Not even amongst his Martial Brothers.
Instead, Xing did the next best thing available. He took control of the cave abode the Stone Bear Band had commandeered for all these years, making it his own.
The cave abode was located within the second mountain range of the valley. The Purple Mist Mountain, which stood above the Purple Mist village.
It was the largest of three mountains and towering the villages like a sentry. The Stone Bear Band had made it its base, but now…Zhao Xing had took control of it and finally accepted Luan as his disciple.
If Li’er were to be safe, it might be best to have more people around here. He thought, I still have to fix my Dantians.
In the years of domineering the valley, the Stone Bear Band had amassed a thirty swords, sixty odd staffs, thirty spears and a varied set of weapons.
Xing saw good use for these weapons, sell them and use the funds for his own gain of peace.
The Main Hall of the Cave was oval-like and had five pillars stretched from the ground right up to the ceiling, giving it the appearance of a ceremonial room. The first time Xing saw it, he swore he was within one because this was the layout of most clans.
Xing roamed around the cave system for a week and quickly realised it was used as weapons supplies in an unknown Kingdom during the Warring States era. An era before the rise of the Shu, Min and Liang Kingdoms.
Li’er rolled around in front of Xing as he sat there, eyes clothes cultivating as peacefully as he could. The girl rolled left and right feeling the rug beneath tickle her skin as she did so.
She giggled incessantly, which distracted Xing each time he thought his Qi was flowing from one dantian to the next, as he tried to repair them.
After five more minutes, Xing finally stopped, scooped up Li’er and left the main hall, heading outside. As Xing made his way, the fluttering grass swayed to his left and a patch of purple bush flowers began to bloom beneath him.
Xing stopped, and looked in the distance, seeing the lights from the villages down below. To his left in the distance down below, the torches of the Hollow Mountain village beamed brightly.
A sour memory of pulsed into Xing’s mind as he thought back to how he was treated by Hodong when he first arrived. The memory sat in my mind for a minute. “Fool,” Xing said aloud.
Li’er grabbed his neck with her small hands and then nestled up to bite him, making him laugh. He pulled her free and shook his head at her. “No.” He said, but Li’er only turned her head and giggled at him.
The second set of torches was located closest to the bottom of the mountain range, but as Luan had pointed out. There was no safe route to reach Domon Peaks from the Purple Mist Village. The safest entries were from The Hollow Mountain Village and the Iron Stone Village.
As Xing turned right, the torches at the Iron Stone Villages were a lot less compared to the two villages. They suffered the most, Xing thought, it’s not fair…but life isn’t.
The view of the cave abode was as beautiful, and Xing appreciated it the more he peered out into the night. The mist began to form the higher the moon rose, and slowly smothered the mountain range.
Purple bush flowers which were prominent throughout the Purple Mist Mountain began to blossom. The colour from the flowers mixed with the mist itself and turned the once translucent mist, into a thick purple mist that enshrouded the valley.
This was Xing’s first time seeing such a phenomona upclose. It explained the name of the valley. ”The Purple Mist Valley,” Xing said.
“Di!” Li’er said in agreement.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
“Pretty isn’t it Li’er”
“Didi!” she responded, slurring the words.
Li’er’s words weren’t perfect, but they made Xing smile broadly as he nestled her in his arms. He kissed her on her head, which made her hug his face. He blow on her stomach which made her giggle. “If this what fatherhood is…I won’t change it for the world.” Xing whispered. “I won’t change it at all.”
◆◆◆
A few days passed with Xing catching a few rabbits that dwelled around the cave abode. Li'er was getting bigger, and so was her appetite as guzzled more milk that he could get from the village down below.
Luckily though, the milk was free, which meant that all the copper, silver and gold nuggets he left Shaanxi with, were still with him.
“Luan’s taking longer than I expected, shouldn’t he be back by now?” Xing said, looking to Li'er for an answer, but she waved her doll swordsman without a care for his problems, as she should.
He puffed his cheeks, stretched his legs and began practicing the second stance from the Star Guiding Fist.
Nebula’s Embrace
Xing planted his feet on the ground, his left foot in front of his right. He filled his Soul Dantian with his Qi, then flooded his Qi into Core and Mind Dantians, feeling his Qi seep through the cracks of both dantians like a river.
He waved his hands in front of him, stepping forward, back and to the side, thrusting his fist back and forth feeling his Qi flow through his fists exploding in the form of wind as it struck the wall.
The candles in the main hall flickered from the force of each fist, As Xing did the exercise for ten minutes without break. Regardless of how hard he tried, the flames from the candle wouldn’t die down which annoyed him, because it was evident not enough Qi was forming within his Dantians to be used through his meridians.
“It seems I’m not as good as I thought I was” Xing grunted, feeling annoyed. “I might have to re-learn everything I was taught.”
The thoughts of his master came to his mind that very moment. He reminisced of the training sessions and how strict Master Chaoxiang was with him. He dallied with Bo Ying and Heng Guo…whilst Su’er got the easy treatment.
He was never bitter about the difference in training that everyone received, but it was frustrating how hard his master pushed him at times.
It could be downright vexing.
After the moment passed, he closed his eyes, reminiscing his master’s smile, then picked up Li’er nestling him in his arms, then returned to the centre of the Main Hall to cultivate.
Li’er of course climbed down the moment he closed his eyes. Not that Xing didn’t know, because that was her knew joy, climbing down the steps, giggling all the way down.
“Master!” Luan shouted.
“Eeehhh” Li’er giggled, as she turned to look at Luan.
Xing opened his eyes and looked down the staircase to 21 men accompanying Luan. I was hoping for thirty, but twenty-one is fine, He thought.
He unlapped his feet, leaving the lotus position and pushed himself up from off the ground, stepping off the podium and sailing down the staircase.
He scooped Li’er in his right hand and walked up to the young men who stood before him, chest puffed, trying to make themselves seem bigger than they really were.
Xing began inspecting them, hitting them in the stomach, shoulders, arms, legs and faces, testing to see if they would cower.
They did because they were scared, but that was alright to Xing, they should be because if they wanted to stay, this introduction was light compared to what he would put them through.
After Xing finished circling them. He turned to Luan, who cupped his fist at him. “Lu’er You didn’t threaten them did you?
“No Master,” Luan answered bowing.
Xing turned, backing the lads and kicked himself back up to his podium, using his Qinggong. He landed on the ground with a tap and spun to face them.
As he sat down, he folded himself back into the Lotus Position and placed Li’er to his right, sitting her upright, as if she were the one judging them as well.
“Lu’er You told them about the ritual Lu’er?” Xing asked.
“Yes, Master.” He answered with a bow.
“Good. please began.”
The first lad approached Xing, stopping at the bottom of the podium. He fell to his knees, landing on a red carpet. “What’s your name?” Xing asked.
“My name is Yao Ting, Master Xing.”
“Don’t call me Master!” Xing barked.
“Yes Sir.” Yao Ying answered nervously.
“Do your parents know you are here?”
“My mother does, yes.”
“Which village are you from?”
“I’m from the Iron Stone Village, Sir.”
“Ah-ha, Why are you here, is there a specific request you have?”
“Yes sir, I would like you to teach me, Sir.”
“Teach you? Why do you need to be taught?”
“I’m weak Sir, I lost my father during the attack by Kai Chen and his men.”
“So you’re here to grow stronger.”
“Only if Master Zhou allows it,” Yao Ting said firmly.
Silence resonated around the room. The only sound that could be heard, was Li’er rolling around the podium, playing with her doll soldier. The heat from the candles forced a bead of sweat from Yao Ting’s face, which made Xing smile.
“Do you think this will be easy Ting’er?”
“No Sir, but I am willing.”
“We’ll see.”
“I will teach you, but you must pass my test first before you can call me Master, is that understood?”
“Yes, Ma…Sir.”
“Rise.”
Xing repeated his questions with the rest of the lads. Each of them responded differently, but all they came seeking the same thing. Strength to protect the valley.
“Master, what do we call our Sect?” Luan said.
“It’s not a Sect yet,” Xing said
“How about Shredding Claw Sect?” Luan said as if he ignored Xing’s words.
Xing chuckled a hearty laugh, hitting his chest, then shook his head. The students didn’t laugh but began laughing nervously one after another. “I’m not that vain…but don’t worry, I have a good name for a sect.”
“What’s that?” Luan asked ecstatically.
“The Purple Mist Sect.” He answered, smiling wryly. The young men looked at each, nodding, appreciating the kind gesture he gave them.
“I like it, Master!” Luan cheered.
“I do to lad,” Xing said cooly. “I do too.”