Now that Lu was alerted to it, the feeling of the men hiding amongst the foundations of the village was obvious.
…No, that was a lie. I can barely tell what’s a man and what’s a patch of mud and loam with slightly different consistency. They’re camouflaged exceedingly well. But he could feel something, even without using his sense.
So that must be my Comprehension. The Grandmaster’s impartment, is that also my Comprehension? An entirely separate one? Or something else entirely?
What makes me different from Jiendao and the rest? And, most importantly, how can we get her to wake up?
His not-quite-student was being treated in the new section of the medical wing; when Lu had visited her, he hadn’t detected anything wrong. The sect’s lesser doctors were equally stumped, meanwhile Aiya Yu was off dealing with the aftermath of the battle. Elder Goldenseed was intrigued, but Lu was uncertain if that was a good or bad thing. And she has a dozen other projects besides.
So I have to do my part, no matter how nebulous the future might be. He breathed in the moist air, and willed anxiety to flow out along with his exhale. This is, at least, something I can do. It seemed that he was doomed to be forever over his head; despite his increase in ability, the threats arrayed against him grew at an even faster pace. I just have to keep moving. My visit with Jiendao was brief, but if I take Cobo and compare their internals very closely maybe I can- did something just move?
Like a slow-motion earthquake, the muddy soil making up the path shook and parted. A towering brown golem lifted himself up from the ground, the man covered in a thick enough patina of muck that the actual shape of his body was hidden, much less skin colour or facial features. I can’t see a treasure, so… He cast Lu’s Interpreter, the familiar spellform uncoiling like a viper.
“[Hey Lu. You came to see Stinger-Tail?]”
Ah. “[Hello, Bo. Yes, we had a brief chat – but it seems I’ll have to drag the story out of her in pieces.]”
Bo made a rumble of affirmation. “[I bet. A bunch of strong guys have been coming down every day, so we’re all keyed up.]” The spell was translating his voice differently from how a translation treasure would; the deep bass rumble of Bo’s true voice was still present, and Lu actually felt soothed by the familiarity. “[I figure it won’t turn into a fight, though. Not a real one.]”
“[I hope you’re right, Bo.]” As callous as it is, the reality is that the sect can’t afford to make a fuss over one disciple right now. We just lost so many, so… “[Let’s not talk about that for now, it’s too depressing. How have you been, what with the..?]” He gestured skyward with his chin.
The mud-covered man made another untranslated noise, this one irritated. “[Eh, not great. It’s lookout duty all over again.]”
“[You know, I do have need of a Salt warrior for something. If you want to get away from the village..?]”
Bo’s head tilted. The way the mud clings without drying out or dripping off, he must actually be using a technique to keep it the perfect consistency. “[Yeah, that sounds good. Nobody should give a shit if I’m gone for just a little bit.]” He stepped to the side, and they began walking along, shorter human legs scurrying to keep up with the tree-trunk-like warrior’s limbs. “[Where we going?]”
“[The medical wing. You didn’t happen to see Jiendao as Stingy was sparring with her, by any chance?]”
“[Naw.]” His footsteps were silent, the earth on the bottoms of his feet merging into the ground as he went without so much as a squelch. “[Don’t got the confidence to watch a woman as she goes about her business. How’d you even meet anyway?]” Then his body language shifted, enough to be visible. He hunched down conspiratorially, lowering his voice. “[Wait, are you like an item? I thought she was with that other guy – I guess she has a thing for Lonesomes, huh!]”
Lu snorted. “[No no, not at all. The story is actually quite amusing in hindsight; I was deep underground, in the cramped tunnels of the Junk Pit. I was on this silly self-imposed mission to meet all of the major brotherhoods – for Granny’s request, though it would turn out completely unnecessary – and I’d just come from the Joeist area…]”
----------------------------------------
When Lu had left those few days ago, the sect had been largely silent. Everyone had been cultivating in preparation of conflict, or simply holed up, waiting for something to happen.
Now it positively bustled. Disciples from other sects passed through the gates in a stream, some of them hurried while others walked with stately grace. Beyond the entrance there were groups of outer disciples practising their martial arts on one side, and their spells the other. Lu received nods from the supervisors, though not before they looked twice at Bo’s massive form.
I’m glad I made him swap out the mud for some proper clothing. Though proper was perhaps not the right word; Bo was clad in his remaining tents, cut and stuck together with a quick combination of spells. Does it count as a new spell if all I did was snip some bits off and stick them together? No, probably not. But if I condense it further…
“[This way. You should have been here before, I believe?]”
“[Yeah.]” Bo’s sheer bulk was doing most of the work of keeping them from falling into the streams of disciples; people were giving him a wide berth, preferring to take longer routes rather than step close. Lu would have been offended on his friend’s behalf, if it wasn’t so useful in the crowded courtyard. “[Don’t really remember the way though. I was real sick for the first few days, ‘till they got the village set up.]”
They went through the administrative wing, where Bo was registered as a very important guest, then made their way up the mountain to the outer sect.
“[Hm. More plants than it looks like, from far away.]”
Lu smiled. “[Yes, we do try to keep a touch of nature around. People say it improves qi flow, but I think it’s just aesthetically pleasing.]”
The streets of the sect proper weren’t quite as noisy as the entrance, but they were still busier than Lu had become accustomed to. It feels like when we accept new disciples. Will that still happen next year? I can’t imagine we’d skip it, but at the same time- “[That guy, Cobo. He’s your s- like, student right?]”
The non-sequitur brought Lu’s thoughts up short. “[Yes? He is.]”
“[You sure he’s on our side?]” The last two words were said heavily, the rumble of his speech like a straining engine in the background.
This time, Lu physically halted. A woman with thick black eyeshadow nearly plowed into his black, giving him a pointed look as she stepped around. “[What do you mean? Has he… made any untoward movements?]”
Bo shook his head. “[Naw. Just a feeling. Everybody likes the little guy, but he doesn’t like anybody back, you know?]” A beat. “[Maybe I’m just bein’ suspicious. Been trying to think things through more.]”
We’re blocking the street. Move. Lu took a step, then another. “[Yes, he can be quite surly.]” But that doesn’t mean that- no, I’m not going to assume guilt based on Bo’s intuition alone. “[I’ll talk to him, make sure nothing’s percolating through that head of his.]”
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Jiendao’s resting place did not resemble a hospital room so much as a mad alchemist’s laboratory. Goldenseed wasn’t present, though her cauldron was – a delicate thing of crystal glass, very different from what Lu had seen her use before.
The walls were papered over with formations, as was a circle of floor under her bed. Black ink was joined by reds and blues and yellows to form arrays that, to Lu’s casual inspection, seemed dedicated to quarantine and protection equally. Glassware of various shapes cluttered countertops, and the woman herself had a mask over her face, presumably force-feeding her air or nutrients.
But despite their surroundings, the other people in the room made the atmosphere more than bearable.
“[Lan, Hom How. How is she doing? And you, of course.]”
The scholar with empty spectacles turned. He seemed startled, a testament to how distracted he truly was; even if Lu had been walking softly, there was no way Bo could do the same on the hard floors. Every time the massive warrior moved, the laminated wood creaked ominously.
“Lu, and- [pardon, I don’t think we’re acquainted?]”
Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.
“[This is Bo; you met very briefly when I left to look for Bull.]”
“[Well, good to meet you.]” His eyes went back to the reclining form of his lover. “[She’s stable. No sudden breakthroughs, I’m afraid.]”
Hom How piped up. “Elder Goldenseed was working on something, but left right as I entered. I think it wouldn’t be improper to be optimistic; she’s an incredible alchemist.”
Yes, but I’m not convinced she won’t take Jiendao apart in order to learn something. “[It’s good that multiple people are working on the problem. Hopefully Bo and I can aid as well.]”
Lan’s brows rose a fraction. “[You’ve thought of something?]”
“[Yes. By comparing her Comprehension to Bo’s and mine, I might be able to learn exactly what’s going on. Ah, the operative word being might, as I remain quite ignorant on the finer points of Comprehension.]”
Lan hesitated a moment, then rose from his seat. He gestured, “[Please, go ahead. Don’t let me get in your way.]”
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Things arranged themselves thusly: Lan and Hom How had cleared out from around the bed, with Lu and Bo taking roughly their places – several cabinets had to be moved to make way so that the warrior could sit, but that was only a moment’s work. Bo was directly next to the bed, while Lu sat at the foot of it, with both the human woman and Salt warrior in his field of vision.
Alright, let’s see if I can’t uncover something. Tentatively his sense extended, his Comprehension following like a child riding on the back of his father. The scent-flavour-sensation of ki emanated from both of them, Bo’s watery aura overpowering Jiendao’s more nebulous one. I’m getting better at recognising elements. The ones I’m familiar with, at least.
Beyond the flavours of their consumption, there was a further difference of… weight, would be the term Lu thought of first. Bo is heavier, even more than he was in the swamp. Putting more pressure on his surroundings, when they’re incongruous? That’s why I could kind of sense the warriors in the swamp; the taste was the same, but the density was subtly different. There’s no such thing as perfect stealth.
Lu let his mind wander, almost meditative as his gaze darted between the two. Don’t force it. I don’t know what I’m looking for, so there’s no need to rush. Slowly, he began to look inwards as well. Obviously, my own self is the clearest thing to my eyes – but that isn’t saying much, at the moment.
Unlike the other two, Lu could see his own ki channels, his spiritual stomach, not to mention his dantian and spiritual veins. But I can feel Bo’s stomach, just a little. Like feeling a hard spot inside a ripe fruit. It was hazy and indistinct, but Lu could locate the spiritual organ presumably overlapping his friend’s fleshly counterpart – not where a human had it, but lower down. Conversely, I can feel Jiendao’s dantian quite well but not her stomach. Perhaps Bo was a bad choice for this; his ki reserves are comparatively massive, much larger than mine- eh?
Lu blinked. He had never been able to get a good read on ki capacity before, but sitting where he was now the difference felt obvious. And Jiendao- yes, I can feel it, just a little bit. There was no rush of epiphany, like there sometimes was when he unlocked a section of the Grandmaster’s gift. Am I imagining things? No, I’m definitely not.
“[Bo, could you use a technique for me? Something small, if you would.]”
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Well over an hour passed as Lu strained his senses, his still deeply-wounded spirit beginning to fray as it touched the ki swimming beneath the two figures' skins.
Finally he let out a breath, wiping the sweat from his brow with one limp hand. “[I think I’m done for today.]”
Hom How and Lan turned from where they were sitting, cards dropping from the taller man’s hands.
“[Is She..?]”
“Did you find anything worthwhile, Sir Lu?”
Their voices overlapped, and Lu responded to both simultaneously. “[I think I’ve made some progress. It’s all distressingly suppositional, but I think if I bring Cobo around and keep going… well, I can’t promise anything.]” A tired smile. “[Most likely Goldenseed will crack it long before I do, or Doctor Aiya Yu.]” Or one of the other doctors, even.
“[But you’ve found something?]” The desperation in Lan’s voice moved Lu’s heart, even more so when combined with the hope plainly evident on his face.
“[…Something, yes. I can’t say it’s the key we’re looking for, only that it’s a difference between myself and her.]”
With effort Lan pulled himself together, his back straightening as he adjusted his spectacles. “[Please, tell me everything. I know I can’t help, but having to just sit and watch as others do their work… Please.]”
Lu nodded. “[Of course. Ah, but I should escort Bo back to the village, he’s probably quite bored just sitting here.]”
“[Not too different to what I was doing before,]” Bo replied with a shrug. “[But yeah, I’m starting to feel pretty hungry.]”
Hom How stood, letting his own cards fall. “I can take Sir Bo back, and let you two have your discussion in peace?”
That’s a terrible idea. You can’t even understand each other. But the look in Lan’s eyes forced Lu to acquiesce. “[Ah, I suppose that works. Bo, are you fine making your way back with Sir How?]” Bo gestured, pointing to the child-like mortal with a questioning look. “[Yes, him. Obviously you know where to go, the escort is just so no disciples get the wrong idea,]”
Another shrug, this one accompanied by a yawn. “[Yeah, that works.]” He eyed Hom How speculatively “[So this is a human sharpie? Looks different than I imagined.]”
The two departed. It was a strange scene; Hom How was tiny, reaching only as high as Bo’s mid-thigh. I can’t help but feel that this was an unwise choice. What if some foreign cultivator bumps into them and takes offence? Or the swamp clansmen immediately attack the strange human intruder? Or…
Lu shook off the negative thoughts. No, Hom How is far from defenceless. He may be a mortal, but he was a core disciple at one point. And he has a good head on his shoulders; I’m sure I’m worrying over nothing.
He turned away from the door, putting his attention back on Lan. The man was once again seated at Jiendao’s side, though his expression had evened out some.
“Alright. To begin, I assume you know everything I’ve relayed to the sect about consumption?”
“Everything you wrote down, yes. I memorised it all while preparing for the diplomatic meeting.”
Lu took his own seat on the other side of the bed. “Right. I’ll skip to the new information, then.” A moment of silence as he arranged words in his head. “I’m not sure if what I’m about to say is correct. It’s faint, you understand? I might be jumping at shadows.”
Lan inclined his head. “I understand. Please continue.”
“Based on my observations, I think I’ve begun to understand why Salt elevates a human’s soul through only brief exposure.” Lan leaned forward. “It isn’t the ki, exactly, but it’s related. Some physical law about the way energy compresses… Anyway, that’s its own level of conjecture. But the result is demonstrable; even a mortal grows to the point they can develop a Heart Demon, something that usually only becomes a threat late into the inner realms.”
Lan was silent, listening intensely.
“Consumption isn’t like cultivation- or rather, I should say that warriors aren’t like humans. Their souls don’t start weak and eclipse their bodies as they grow. In fact, I’m not entirely certain Bo has a soul as we would understand it.” I’d be much more certain if we were having this discussion tomorrow, after a round of fact-checking with Cobo.
“You’re saying that the problem is with Jiendao’s soul? I’m not doubting you, but she was examined quite extensively; no problems were found.”
“Not the soul, exactly.” A deep breath. Ah, I’m really not certain about this. “I think that consumption might do the opposite of cultivation. Instead of elevating the three aspects separately, it combines them together – it explains the extreme regeneration that all warriors exhibit, and the way they can transmit emotion through the ambient ki. The mutations, too.”
Lan chewed it over. “You believe her body, mind, and soul are… fusing together?”
“That’s my hypothesis. Now obviously I’ll need to devise some sort of-”
“Fascinating.”
The unexpected voice from out of frame sent a shock through Lu’s nervous system, and he recoiled, nearly bashing his head on the counter beside the bed.
Standing between the doorway and the bed was a person in heavy golden robes, their figure obscured. “Elder! Pardon me, I didn’t see you enter-!”
“Don’t mind me.” She took long but unhurried steps into the room, passing them and making her way to the glass cauldron. “Please, continue. Your words are collaborating some of my own theories.”
Lu swallowed. Ah, it was bad enough with just Lan in the room. Now that Elder Goldenseed is listening in, my confidence has halved! “Yes. As I was saying… Mutations. The amalgamation of the three aspects of life.
“Again, I need to stress that I’m working off of an hour’s work, here… But it fits. I’ve been having trouble with consumption not aligning with my body since the start – but I also have a stacked deck in the form of the Grandmaster’s foundation. It hasn’t seemed very useful for understanding Comprehension, but it’s entirely possible I’ve been stepping over hidden pitfalls by nothing more than subconscious reflex.”
Lan nodded, his face remaining intense and thoughtful. “Do you have any thoughts on how to cure this?”
Lu’s expression soured slightly. “Not right this moment. For all I know, she’ll just wake up on her-”
“She won’t.”
Lu startled again, looking over to the corner. Goldenseed was swirling an intensely green fluid in a flask, adding drops one at a time to her cauldron. She didn’t appear to be paying them any sort of attention.
“…Own. Ah, but I’m sure we can workshop something. The sect has a-” reduced “-Number of great minds; assuming I’m on the right track, finding an avenue to progress should be easy.” He turned again, anticipating another interruption, but the alchemist was silent. “Your thoughts, Elder?”
“It is an interesting idea.” Her cauldron was filled with something the colour and consistency of rising dough, and Lu could see it press against the glass container as it expanded. “Mixing the three aspects. There are unorthodox groups who try that every now and then – they never get far. Living souls aren’t meant to adhere to flesh too strongly.”
“…Does it cause these symptoms?” Lan was leaning even further forward, as if the gold-clad Elder was a magnet pulling at his face.
“No.” A puff of smoke, soft and pink, and the dough rapidly shrank. It became a single small pill, no larger than a peppercorn, which floated into Goldenseed’s outstretched hand. “They simply cease improving their cultivation. If things were that simple, I’d have recognised the symptoms from the first moment.” She turned the pill between two fingers, scrutinising it.
“This will require further concoction.”