Chapter 56

The four previous spirit animals of the farm were conferring on the matter of the recent arrival of a freshly awakened predator. Clover was, understandably, not terribly happy at the development. She hadn’t been terribly hurt by the attack, but she still had scratches on her back that would have left a scar were it not for Wensho’s miraculous healing abilities.

The other animals were less wary of the new addition and were trying to reassure her that now that the Shens were involved in the matter, they would see to it that Freedom didn’t attack her or any of the other sentient animals of the farm again.

It was during this debate near the pond, where such debates almost always took place due to Elder Pike’s inability to walk on land while not in human form, that a rustling was heard. The animals turned, and a large boar stepped out of the bush and walked forward.

“Thume, here you are,” the voice said, it’s voice slow and methodical. “I was wondering where you went to.”

“Oh. Oh, hi Tremble,” The monkey said, scratching itself. “I sort of forgot you existed. Hey everyone, this is Tremble. We used to be neighbors. What are you doing this far away from your den?”

“I abandoned it,” Tremble said. “I am at a roadblock in my elevation of my self, ever since the bratty little children appeared and stole my sacred stone. I do not know how to surpass myself to reach the next level, and so I have decided to go on a journey. This journey led me here, to the center of the power that has been infusing the land.”

“Oh. Oh that’s right, I remember hearing you squealing as you chased those kids. You sort of got me into trouble you know. I was looking for the stone they stole from you when I drew their attention, and then they stole all of my stones as well,” Thume said.

“Dirty little brats,” the boar said. “Taking what isn’t theirs. Their parents should teach them a lesson.”

“Well, actually, they sort of were teaching them a lesson when they sent them to gather spirit stones,” Clover explained. “It’s a long story. But the kids probably didn’t realize that you were awakened or they might have acted differently. The Shen family has a lot of respect for spirit animals like us.”

“Is that what we are?” Tremble asked. “I was wondering why I was different from my mother and my siblings. But ever since I awakened, I have sought to better myself by reaching a higher understanding of the Earth. I do not know what drives this obsession.”

“Oh, you poor dear,” Elder Pike said. “I remember that confusion myself. But don’t worry, you get better with age. How old are you?”

“I do not understand. What do you mean?”

“How many years has it been since you awakened, and do you remember how many years old you were when that happened?” the fish clarified. “How many winters do you remember?”

The boar thought for a moment. “I have been awakened for three years now. I awoke as a piglet, I think. That is how I know I was different from my siblings. But my memories of my youth are fuzzy and indistinct.”

“That’s okay,” the fish said. He paused to consider, then said “You should speak with Master Shen. He might help you break through the bottleneck you’re experiencing in your cultivation. He cultivates the Earth like you do, and is perhaps one of the strongest cultivators in the world.”

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

“Will he not roast me on top of a fire if I approach him?” Tremble asked.

“I assure you he will not. Not if you approach him and reveal your nature,” Pike said confidently. “I had the same concern when I approached him through his son.”

“I see. I do not think I will approach him as a boar, however. Thume, might you do me a favor and steal me a pair of pants?”

“Yeah, sure Tremble,” the monkey said, and he flew off to his tree house, where he’d stashed his winter clothes. When he came back, the boar Popped and turned into a middle aged man with a blunt, somewhat ugly face and mismatched eyes. He dressed and walked towards the farm.

A little girl was in the yard and saw him coming. She turned and ran into the house screaming “Mom, mom, there’s a walking pig-man without a shirt! He’s ugly!”

Wensho appeared a moment later, took in the situation, and greeted the guest with a polite nod. “I suppose you’ve come for lessons as well?” she asked. “There seems to be a lot of that going around lately.”

“Actually, I am here to speak with you about the spirit stone your children stole from me last year,” the boar-man said.

“Oh,” Wensho said. She blinked in surprise. “I guess that wasn’t very neighborly of us, was it? Come inside. We’ll see if I can’t find something that will fit you better than those pants you’re wearing, and maybe give you a shirt to wear as well. Once my husband comes in from the field, we’ll have a mature discussion over what happened, if that’s agreeable.”

Tremble nodded, and he stepped inside the manor, where he was given better clothes to wear and ate a bit of cabbage stew. When Tren arrived, he explained in detail how the children had stolen the spirit stone from him during their quest the previous year and requested to be compensated for the loss.

Tren scratched the back of his head. “Yeah, I guess that I can see why you’d be upset. Would you accept a replacement stone in its place?”

“The loss of the stone has also crippled my cultivation,” Tremble said. “I understand that you are a very wise man who is much further down the path that I wish to follow. I would take a stone and some guidance from you as recompense for the theft. If that is agreeable, then I will be satisfied.”

Tren considered the matter for a moment, then nodded. “Alright. Follow me.”

He brought Tremble out to the spirit-stone shed, where Tremble just about fell over at the wealth contained within. He shot the father of the thieves an amazed look, but the man just shrugged.

“I’m a collector, of sorts,” Tren said. “You can pick any one you like. But only one, I think. One was stolen and one was returned, with the lessons in the way of the earth as compensation for lost time. That is the bargain.”

Tremble trembled, and stepped into the shed. He took forty minutes in his selection, emerging with a small stone that gave off intense spiritual energy despite being no larger than his palm. Tren nodded at the selection.

“You may sleep in the guest house if you like, or make your own arrangements. Keep the clothes and keep them clean if you can. Come to me tomorrow and we’ll begin your lessons in cultivating the earth.”

Tremble nodded in thanks and walked back out into the forest.

He returned the next day, when he was given a hoe and set to work in the fields. He grumbled at the work at first, but got into the swing of things after an hour or two as he listened to the wisdom that Tren so casually dished out as they worked side by side.

And that is how the Shen farm got another farmhand.

‎