Rieren blinked at the newcomers. They blinked right back.
“Why can you not be a normal cat, kitten?” Rieren hissed. “Normal cats bring back dead birds or mice, sometimes bones, perhaps cough out a regular hairball untainted by burning Essence. Not people.”
The newcomers continued staring at Rieren uncertainly. Now that she was beginning to pay closer attention, she did notice how unsure of themselves they were. Like children meeting their new tutor. But these were no mere children. All of them were older than her, in this timeline at least. They were plainly dressed with no signs of ostentatiousness.
“Who are you?” Rieren asked. “Why have you come here?”
Too late, she realized her words had come out a little too gruff. The gaggle of men and women started backwards as though everything Rieren had said had physically rebuffed them. Maybe she could have phrased things a little kindlier.
A woman, who looked the youngest among the gathered lot, though not by much, stepped forward. She swallowed. “Honoured Lady, do you have some time to talk?”
“Depends on what you intend to talk about,” Rieren said. “If you wish to hear about the entire history of the Elderlands, I am afraid I would need a few more lifetimes to get through all that.”
“We, uh, we just wanted to know…” She swallowed again. “Just wondering if you can talk about—”
She spread her hands helplessly, pointing at everything and nothing as though Rieren was supposed to glean some sort of precise information from that mystifying display.
Rieren cocked her head to a side. “I am not sure what you mean.”
“We, uh—”
An older man stepped in front of the younger woman. “Can you teach us about cultivating, Honoured Lady?”
Rieren blinked. For a second, she wondered if she had heard him right through his thick accent. He was clearly not a local, though he fit right in with his disheveled tunic and rough leather shoes. His unshaven look added another air of unkemptness.
But she had heard him right. He—no, all of them here—wanted Rieren of all people to give them cultivation lessons.
“Who in the world are you?” Rieren asked. “And why me?”
Once more, all seven of the ragtag group stepped back as though she had snapped at them. Though, she did notice that they went back a little less this time.
“The Clanmistress assigned us here to cultivate and get to through the Awakened realm, Lady,” the first woman said. “We’ve been trying for a while, but nothing’s really happening, and I thought we should find some guidance on how to get through this… block? Anyway, rumour had it that you had arrived and we thought, well, who better to help than you?”
Ah, right. Now that things were taking a slightly less dangerous turn for the Shatterlands, now that people could spend some time focusing on other things instead of immediate concerns for survival, they had some cultivating to do. In fact, as it was the greatest way to power, Avathene had personally mandated that the clans would assist the general populace to cultivate.
That was why they had set up this tree. Of course, this particular mandate had come from the previous Clanmaster, Merolk. Avathene was simply continuing her husband’s legacy after his passing.
There were other initiatives too. Rieren had advocated for a few as well. These included sharing the clans’ resources as much as could be reasonably spared, doling out the gathered loot from the battlefield so that the general populace could acquire more Credits, and potentially assigning them oversight so that the process could be smoother.
In cultivation, it was rather easy to make mistakes and ruin things permanently. Without the right lessons, anyone attempting cultivation would not only falter, they would be placing themselves and all around them in danger.
One only had to look to the Clanmistress and her failed attempt at reaching the Ascendant realm to find proof of that.
Apparently, assigning guides wasn’t going quite smoothly. That these people had found no one to seek information from said that there had to be at least some who weren’t up to the task.
“I wish we could pack you all off to the Sects, such that there are left,” Rieren muttered.
“Did you say something, Honoured Lady?” the unkempt man asked.
“Yes. I will give you what you need to get started. You must carry on from that point onwards by yourself. Are you amenable to this arrangement?”
In answer, they bowed in unison.
“We’re oh so grateful,” the young woman squeaked. “Thank you so, so much.”
They stepped forward with the same eagerness their words and behaviour so far had painted. Rieren wasn’t going to be taken in so easily, of course. She had stowed her sword away in her storage ring while she had prepared to cultivate, but now she pulled it out and placed it beside her on the ground. A little reminder in case their intentions weren’t truly pure.
The little spike of doubt—not paranoia, Rieren had shoved that down far enough, she was certain—eased up when she noticed how awkwardly they stood. They really were unsure of things.
She smiled. It reminded her a little of the first time she had entered Lionshard Sect, when she had been uncertain of her place, with no clue where to begin. That had been so long ago…
The Rieren back then was nothing like what she was now. As a true child, Rieren had possessed nothing of the confidence and belief that empowered her now. She’d had no idea of what lay out in the greater world, had little to go off of save her ceaseless desire for vengeance against the world that had stolen her father from her.
It had taken time, even with Elder Olg’s guidance, to get to a point where she could feel a sense of belonging among her fellow disciples. Where the Sect had started to feel like a home.
Before it too was torn from her grasp.
“Sit,” Rieren said.
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They sat before her.
“Tell me of your experiences and knowledge of cultivation so far,” she said. “I wish to know where I should start. In teaching you, that is.”
They looked at each other for a moment. Then they explained.
Rieren’s frown had grown heavy enough to leave permanent wrinkles on her forehead. According to these newcomers, their sum total knowledge about cultivation extended to “gathering Essence by concentrating on the world’s natural energy around them” and “sitting in one place”. That was it.
“Who exactly taught you that?” Rieren asked.
They looked a little frightened at her tone.
The young woman eventually gulped and answered, “We were told so by the… Elder we were assigned.”
“An Elder? Of what clan?”
“Well… he called himself an Elder but… he was quite young, truth be told.”
The older man nudged the woman hard in her back, shushing her quickly. “I am certain he is a busy man with many duties to take care of. We cannot expect a vaunted member of the great Stannerig clan to spend time with us.”
“The Stannerig clan, is it?” Rieren considered. It wouldn’t be difficult to procure the information regarding which Stannerig members had been assigned to this specific location. Gorint Malloh would know. “I will take care of him.”
“Please, there is no need,” another woman said. She looked more middle-aged. “We don’t want to cause any trouble.”
“Of course. Do not think I am so scrupulous as to involve you in this.” Rieren narrowed her eyes. “And do not think that anyone would dare harm you under my watch. But let us put that matter aside and begin. Clearly, you lack knowledge of the finer details of the procedure… and it frankly worries me what the state the rest of your fellows are all in.”
They looked a little awed at that statement. Rieren really would have to ensure this Stannerig fool didn’t actually bite back at these hapless citizens once she was eventually done with him. But that matter could be dealt with later. First, she had some cultivating to teach.
It was strange to be going over all the particulars she had learned during her time at Lionshard Sect. So much of it had become integral and instinctive knowledge that she actually struggled at times to express what she was thinking. Thankfully, her students had patience. It just made her aware that she would have made a rather poor teacher for young, unruly disciples.
But it was also a refreshing experience. Explaining the knowledge regarding Aspects, meridians, elixir fields, body reinforcement, and all other related details made her realize just how bountiful her actual reservoir of information was. Rieren was an expert.
It also made her recall the days she had first learned the same herself. So long ago back in Lionshard Sect. She recognized the looks on the men and women before her, reflecting the same eagerness Rieren the orphaned child had felt. Though, for their sake, she certainly hoped they had a little less zeal and a greater appreciation for the life they had. For the world they lived in.
They weren’t lazy students either. At times, they popped up with interesting questions that required Rieren to bring up different topics or think of matters from a new—for the students—perspective.
“If the elixir field can expand,” the young woman, who had turned out to be the most inquisitive of the group, was saying. “And we can make it grow bigger and bigger, can we make it grow smaller too?”
Rieren smiled at the question. “Can you reduce the length of your limbs? Can you decrease the amount you’ve grown?”
One of the larger men patted his rotund belly. “I was hoping I could…”
They laughed. Rieren joined them for a little while.
“What I mean is that the growth of your elixir field is not a reversible process,” she said. “Much like the case for the body’s natural growth. And before you ask, no, there are no drawbacks to having your elixir field as large as you can make it. The more Essence you are able to store, absorb, and channel, the stronger—in general—that you are likely to be.”
They all nodded. That wasn’t the end of their questioning, though.
“If purifying the body is such an important practice,” a man not much older than the young woman said. “Then why isn’t purifying the mind a bigger deal? Cause it sounds like, we need to be pure and all that, right? If we just clean up our bodies but still have impure thoughts, then what’s the point?”
“Purification of the mind is not the same as physically purifying one’s body,” Rieren said. “Think about it. You have a tangible objective when you purify yourself physically. You have objective matter that you need to expel from yourself to ensure that your meridians can carry Essence to the best of their ability.
“In fact, some of the bodily purification involves removing the impurities clogging the physical space occupied by your mind as well. Namely, your brain. But you are speaking of the mind in a more abstract manner. Of thoughts. Impurity of thoughts has far less objectiveness. Even matters that many might consider evil or perverse may simply be a difference in opinion.”
The man wasn’t satisfied. “That can’t be right. You saying that killing someone is fine?”
“We are attempting to become cultivators. Killing is sometimes all in a day’s work for us.”
“Wha—what if… what if a cultivator forced himself upon someone? That’s wrong! No matter what.”
Rieren rubbed her temple. “There are people who prefer… exploring such extremes in a controlled environment and with full consent from all participants. Who are you, or any of us, to tell them what is right or wrong, yes? Who are we to inflict our morals on others when no one is truly being harmed?”
“But… what if they are being harmed and just don’t see it?”
“I think she’s saying it’s the ability to choose that’s…” The young woman’s hands worked on their own as she struggled to find the right word. “That supersedes any judgement we might make on behalf of others?”
Rieren nodded tightly. “Correct. Hypotheticals can become complex, but the point is that we do not need to concern ourselves with others. Cultivation is a journey of one’s own spirit.”
The man finally nodded. He didn’t look fully satisfied with her answer, but the light in his eyes suggested it was more a matter of sitting with it. People’s minds couldn’t be changed in one day.
In the end, she counselled them to reinforce their body properly. Concentrating Essence into their body was their first main task. She even gave them a little demonstration of how to do so effectively with items and resources purchased from the System Shop.
Rieren was overall satisfied by the teaching session. Her would-be disciples were eager students and gave the strong impression that they really did absorb much of what she told them. Not everything, of course. That would be impossible for all but the most brilliant of people. But it was more than good enough.
When they all finally rose to depart and put into practice everything Rieren had taught them, she could no longer hold back her own question.
“What made you decide to come seek me out?” Rieren asked.
She looked between them all, noting the sincerity they continued to display. This interaction had been genuine. They not only had truly learned important things, they intended to remember this lesson and her too.
The young woman smiled at Rieren. “We decided to take a shot.”
“A shot?”
“We’re not the only ones who know you’re here. Well, it’s just rumours, so most everybody else here only suspects. But the point is that everyone else thinks you’re… you’re the same as the man who told us the bare minimum about cultivation before leaving. That we would only be bothering you and would be turned away.”
“Well, I never said you were not bothering me.”
The young woman actually laughed. “But you gave us this lesson all the same!” She bowed, as did the rest of her companions. “We appreciate it.”
Everyone else echoed her sentiment. Rieren nodded back at them, hiding her own smile.
“Farewell for now, then,” she said. “And may fortune favour your steps, wherever they may take you.”
“Yours as well, Honoured Lady,” the older man said.
When they were finally gone, Rieren suddenly felt a little… hollow. The feeling was certainly strange. It reminded her of losing something she wasn’t even aware of.
Batcat meowed and rubbed its furry head against her crossed legs. She looked down at the kitten, which made her suddenly realize what exactly was bothering her. It was something she hadn’t had before but had suddenly found and was feeling satisfied for having discovered and experienced it.
A purpose outside of defeating the gods and fixing the Elderlands.
It reminded her of that little hope she had dared to nurture when she had first come to this timeline. That little flame that had lit a picture of how she could live a life that didn’t need her to constantly put her life on the line, that didn’t require her to climb to the peak of power as fast as he could. Where she could relax and get rid of the ever-present tension in her very soul.
The realization had the potential to make her sad again, since that wasn’t going to be true. But the real truth was that it was a possibility, eventually.
One day, when Rieren had finished dealing with everything that she had to, she could perhaps return and give teaching a proper attempt.