Sometimes, the Grandmaster’s impartment was subtle. An undercurrent, dragging his attention along invisibly, towing him out to the sea where answers lay, but letting him dive for them himself.
Other times, it was unmistakable. A fierce, almost violent moment of epiphany, a sudden wave catching his shoulders and forcing him down, down, from top to bottom in an instant, pressure on all sides. Pushing until that collapse, that moment of relief where knowledge broke through the pulped remains of ignorance.
What Lu experienced as he was being examined by a rotating cadre of physicians was somewhere between those extremes. His mind whirled with possibility, anger and any other emotions forced out as the foundations of his consumption changed shape, new bricks being laid down atop old to create an immovable mass sunk deep into the bedrock.
Shivers ran up his spine, bursting in his skull brighter and more intricate than any firework. The name. I need to know the name. Cobo, Stingy, Bo- someone has to know what this is. It isn’t just Comprehension, this is something else.
Even as he lay there, it felt like the thing was resting just under his tongue. It wanted to be said, but he knew that giving in would be a mistake – it was weak, used up. Forcing it again without rest would damage it somehow, in some ephemeral way. And I’m in the medical wing besides. Don’t be silly; this isn’t the time to experiment.
I can do that on the trip.
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“Well, you seem to have only a minor amount of stress on your soul. If anything else was left behind, it is beyond our current ability to detect.”
Aiya Yu’s words were solid and professional, as imposing as the icy colour of her eyes or the perfectly straight scar bisecting her face down the middle.
“Thank you, Head Physician. Should I be worried about anything else?”
Her eyes went down to her notes, her expression sour. “Don’t sleep until Persimmon gets back to you with an updated array. As for the rest…” White irises with lines of palest blue nearer the pupil rose back to his face. “That’s more of a problem for him than you. We’ve hopefully disarmed any traps the divinity left behind.”
Lu’s own eyes went to a small vial, held in an array off on a side counter. It was tiny, no longer than the last knuckle of his little finger and a quarter the width, and was seemingly empty.
But he could feel it, just faintly; a ki that felt exactly like his own, carrying the flavour of space, an energy made to sit, camouflaged inside his body, until whatever sinister purpose Hidden Moon had intended was achieved. Lu had no idea how they had detected it, much less separated it from his body – he had been heavily sedated for the back half of the examination, awake only because they didn’t want to tempt fate by allowing him to lose consciousness.
“I’m grateful.” He bowed, the Elder returning the gesture with a nod of her own. “May I go?” It’s already mid-day. Bull is probably pacing the halls, worrying his head off. Or someone’s head off, at any rate.
Aiya Yu’s expression failed to change as she scrutinised him. “You have somewhere to be?”
Faint heat rising on his cheeks, Lu nonetheless held her gaze. “Gathering cores, Head Physician. It seems prudent to exit the outer realms as quickly as possible.”
A moment passed. The corners of her eyes had faint stress-induced wrinkles, only visible because of the intense lighting of the examination room.
“That might be unwise, but I cannot argue with your statement. I will have someone from special operations tail you.” Her expression softened, almost imperceptibly. “There have been sightings of juveniles along the western coast – don’t spread this information around, but it might be some time until you get another opportunity like this. Use it well.”
Lu bowed a second time, and left the room.
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“Lu, there you are. What happened? Your rooms are all quarantined.”
Ah, I should have looked here first. Obviously he would be looking for me, the same way I’ve been looking for him.
Seeing his friend after the night’s ordeal sent a stab of unease through his heart, but as Lu examined him closer his pulse settled. That’s Bull. The real thing, this time. He had picked up more scars since that ill-fated sparring match, to say nothing of his increase in realm. Even more palpable was the feeling of constrained violence leashed inside his skin; the Bull in the dream had been both less bloodthirsty and less in control of said thirst. It was a good imitation, but only that.
“Bull, good to see you. Is everything ready to depart?”
A flash of teeth as Bull’s mouth opened wider than necessary, his eyes narrowing. “Don’t blow off my concerns. What happened?”
Lu looked past the man. The front door to the tenement was barred, papered over with constricting formations and a thick sign reading ‘SEEK TEMPORARY HOUSING IN THE ADMINISTRATIVE WING IF NECESSARY.’ Beside the door was a hole in the wall, just past where the formations ended, exactly the size one might expect if a sixth realm barbarian had decided to punch through.
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“…Ah, nothing as drastic as what you’re thinking. A telepathic attack from Salt; I drove it off without trouble.” His friend raised a skeptical eyebrow, but Lu waved him off. “No, it really wasn’t a big deal. Nothing was damaged – well, nothing beyond me tearing my sheets a bit – and Elder Persimmon is working on a formation to prevent any further intrusion. I’ve been examined and given the all-clear.” He flashed his most persuasive smile. “I’m ready to go. I feel good about the trip, Bull.”
The short man’s head cocked. He maintained that air of skepticism for a lingering moment, before throwing his hands up, his expression returning to his familiar grin. “Well, who am I to gainsay the doctors? Don’t scare me like that!”
Lu endured a punch to the shoulder. “Ah, don’t act like it was on purpose! Believe me, I’m more cross than you are!”
They turned away from the building, stepping towards the main road. It was crowded, as it always was of late, and Bull’s forceful personality pushed a group of black-robed cultivators to the side as he barrelled through. Lu flashed the affronted group an apologetic smile but didn’t stop. As they approached the gate he scanned for anyone he recognised, but there wasn’t a group of his acquaintances helpfully loitering just inside the gates. “So, who all is joining us?”
As much as handing everything off to Bull was a relief at the time, I’m beginning to pay for it now. What if he just chose a bunch of muscle-headed beasts like himself?
“Well, the three Salt gremlins volunteered instantly.”
Oh, all three of them? I suppose that isn’t too surprising. “I don’t think any of them would appreciate you calling them that. And it isn’t accurate besides; Bo is as large as a carriage, and Stingy not much smaller.”
Bull snorted. “And yet they still act like little children. Anyway, I also managed to bag the scholar and your lady student at the last moment.”
“Lan and..? Bull, Jiendao can’t possibly come with us, she needs to rest off her injury!” And having her near Stingy will- actually no, she probably won’t care. At most it’ll be just slightly awkward.
A shrug. “Send them off, then. More cores for you.” Lu opened his mouth, but no reply came out. Argh, I can’t just turn down the help. And Jiendao will benefit from my attention more than simple bedrest… probably. They passed through the gate, the intricate carvings of thousands of fists casting grasping shadows over them as they went.
“And did you manage to get that core disciple you mentioned?”
Bull’s grin only widened.
I knew it. It’s going to be someone I disapprove of, I can just feel it.
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The area just outside the sect was kept clear for festivals and the like, but as the mountain bottomed out and bled into the surrounding lesser peaks, trees were allowed to encroach. As the path followed the contours of the land, this created an effect where it was much easier to see in one direction than the other. As such, it was fairly easy for Lu to spot the group before they spotted him and Bull – aided, of course, by the extremely conspicuous Bo and Stingy, who remained obviously inhuman even when covered head-to-toe.
When Lu saw the sixth member, casually leaning against a mountain pine, his heart dropped into his stomach, then continued downwards until it landed somewhere comfortably below the soles of his feet.
“Bull, you didn’t.” You fucking- are you stupid? Why him?!
Bull responded with a knowing look. Putting his hands up, he attempted a placating gesture. “I know, but hear me out-”
Four weathered coins flew out from Lu’s purse, the isolation array activating in the middle of the path. Disciples both native and visitor darted in shocked reflex, warily eyeing the array that had sprung up in their midst, but Lu was too angry to care for propriety.
“You’re going to kill him.”
Bull paused. Slowly, his face went blank. “Ah, I didn’t think you’d get it right-”
Again, Lu interrupted. “Of course I got it! Do you think I wouldn’t-?! Bull, obviously you were planning to kill him at some point, you exude hostility thicker than overbearing perfume. But this is stupid. There isn’t even anyone to pin it on – they’ll never believe a mere spirit beast got him. Think, you oaf!”
His stupid stupid idiot best friend could only stare incredulously for a long moment, before a sudden bark of laughter broke the silence. “Lu, I didn’t- I didn’t think this would be how this conversation would go!” Another laugh, sharp and solitary and surprised at its own existence. “I thought you’d say something about how murder was wrong, or..!”
Some of the reflexive anger drained away – but only some. “It’s not like I didn’t think about it, when it was just me and him in Salt. I’ve…” Suddenly his tongue didn’t feel right in his mouth, forcing a brief pause to wrestle the words into order. “I’ve killed men for lesser crimes. But not here, in the sect! Are you trying to get expelled?!”
There was a certain surreal quality to the scene. Cultivators in various styles of robe streamed past, giving them looks that ranged from cross to merely curious. Lu could see them clearly, and while he knew that from outside the array provided both invisibility and a solid barrier, he couldn’t help but feel like their eyes were on him specifically. Ah, it seems I’ve created many times the poor feelings that Bull did simply walking through people. I should probably move things off the road, but…
The surprised look on Bull’s face was replaced by a sort of sheepishness – an expression Lu couldn’t recall seeing him make even once in their many years together. “…It won’t come to that, Lu.”
“How could you know that? I've just got done clearing Stingy of any wrongdoing, and this time we won’t even have the courtesy of actual innocence!” He exhaled heavily. “He’s obviously dying from a Heart Demon anyway. Just watch him fall apart; that’s what I’d do.”
A smile, more subdued than his default expression. “It wasn’t exactly subtle, you know? Hell, even you know about it, and your eye for politics sees about as far as the end of your nose.” He ignored the slap to the face the comment got him, Lu’s hand making a crisp sound in a hit that failed to move the shorter man even slightly. “Braveheart won’t expel me. I don’t think even his master would’ve gone for it.” The smile widened even as his brows came together, apologetic. “And I have to, Lu. I can’t just… wait it out. That isn’t me.”
Lu’s face scrunched. A spell cleared the tears from the corners of his eyes while another took care of the red on his cheeks, and a few seconds later the coins flew back into his purse.
“Fine. Fine! I don’t know why I even tried; it isn’t like I could ever convince you of anything anyway.” The words were clipped, full of contradictory emotions. “…But promise me you’ll win, alright?”
They walked in silence a moment, and as they approached the eclectic group gathered to the side of the road, Lu thought that silence was his answer. But as they were noticed – by Bo, who waved enthusiastically – Bull whispered in a voice almost too low to hear.
“I promise. I swear it on my Path; I won’t lose. I refuse.”