The group enjoyed a leisurely morning with a simple breakfast, sharing dumplings and sharing moments of peace. Afterward, they embarked on a tour of the Dueling Peaks, starting with the massive levitation shaft, witnessing the ongoing repairs and discussing its history and future use. They then explored other facilities, including a museum and administrative halls, where Xiulan received abundant respect from the younger cultivators. The tour concluded in Xiulan's office, where she passionately detailed her current project: integrating independent cultivators and newly-ignited individuals by offering them foundational techniques and a stake in the future, ensuring they don't turn to banditry.
A little more time was spent within Xiulan's office, absorbing her future strategies. Teacher and Xue Ji lent their assistance, navigating some of her logistical hurdles. Though these were minor concerns, Xiulan appeared considerably relieved.
Following this, we exited the mountain, proceeding towards the training grounds.
What had once been a collection of villas, largely ruined by Zang Li's fiery assault, was now thoroughly restored. Everything gleamed with newness, and a multitude of cultivators bustled about with evident purpose. Similar to the mountain, the younger disciples halted their movements to offer greetings to Xiulan—though, in contrast to the serenity within, this place was anything but quiet. The air resonated with shouts reaching our ears from afar, the clang of gongs signaling bouts, and the general sounds of strenuous activity. The familiar atmosphere of training cultivators, reminiscent of my time in the Cloudy Sword Sect, was palpable.
Recalling my promise to Yin to examine the Spirit Beasts she had eliminated, we altered our course toward the red banners adorned with a wheel of flaming swords, meticulously arranged to resemble a sunburst or an unfolding flower.
We soon arrived at a vast arena teeming with people. Pairs of individuals were engaged in spirited, full-contact sparring. Yin was among them, her form encased in solar armor, currently locked in an intense, focused duel against another cultivator. Her opponent was clearly outmatched, yet when Yin's fist found an opening, it was a mere tap rather than a strike capable of shattering walls. She addressed the other person, who paused, considered her words, and then nodded. Yin moved to stand beside them, demonstrating a sequence of movements. Her sparring partner nodded once more before attempting the very techniques Yin had just shown.
Yin gave a nod, but as she was about to resume, she spotted us.
"Grand Marshal! Big Br—er, Master Rou!" she called out, waving. The sparring immediately ceased, and all present turned to bow in our direction.
"I had heard that you and your Blazing Swords had vanquished some formidable adversaries," I remarked. "I’ve come to view the spoils."
The assembled members of the Blazing Swords instantly assumed a more upright posture, their faces alight with pride.
"Indeed, Master Rou! Prior to our training here, we would have surely met our demise!" one of the cultivators declared.
"They were savage beings—incredibly destructive. They even made Wreckerballs seem tame!" another chimed in, their words laced with clear boastfulness.
"Yes, one adversary was at the Fourth Stage of the Initiate's Realm—an absolute monster!" the last cultivator exclaimed, shaking their head in disbelief.
"A truly mighty foe," I concurred. In the Azure Hills region, reaching the Fourth Stage signified the making of a legendary powerhouse.
"I shall take over here, Captain Yin. Kindly attend to Master Rou," Xiulan offered.
"We're receiving pointers from the Grand Marshal!" someone whispered, their voice quivering with anticipation.
"We'll remain and observe," Teacher stated. Both Washy and Babe also seemed intrigued by the unfolding events. Ultimately, only Meiling and I accompanied Yin as she led us into a nearby administrative building.
"I’ve already retrieved them all," Yin announced, referring to the mutated Spirit Beasts. The moment my eyes fell upon them, I understood why she had described them as peculiar. "One encounter was this creature… and the other was this."
They were merely the preserved skins, yet their appearance was unsettling. The first specimen she indicated had once been a bison.
Had been. It now stood twice the size of its natural counterpart. Its once-normal fur had transformed into a vibrant crimson hue. Its horns had become antlers of transparent ruby. Its forelegs had elongated to an abnormal degree, and its mouth was entirely devoid of fur, revealing only cracked and scorched lips.
"I can still detect the scent of fire emanating from it," Meiling observed with a frown.
"It was at the Fourth Stage of the Initiate's Realm; it appeared four months after the Solstice. Flames erupted with each breath it took. It incinerated twenty Li of grassland, and we were fortunate that it was raining. Its blood was molten fire; the initial group who struck it nearly perished. I attempted communication, but alas… it only shrieked about its intense suffering," Yin recounted, her gaze fixed sorrowfully on the Spirit Beast. "This one… did not deserve its fate. It was merely thrashing and burning, already succumbing… I merely ended its torment, you understand? It was the least I could do for something that nearly shared my own doom," Yin sighed.
Tianlan had previously mentioned her assistance to Yin in reconciling her conflicting natures. I placed a hand on Yin's shoulder.
"It was straying from its path. It would have perished regardless of Yin's intervention," Tianlan imparted, and I felt a resonance of Yin's sorrow. "An excessive amount of Qi is never beneficial."
I exhaled slowly, shaking my head at the mental image. Yin was correct; the creature truly had not deserved its agonizing end.
"And the other one?" I inquired after a brief pause.
Her gaze shifted to the next… Spirit Beast. "This darned thing, it showed up three weeks ago," she stated.
It resembled a groundhog, yet it was adorned with numerous golden, crystalline spines protruding from its back.
"What mischief did it get up to?" I asked, finding myself amused by Yin's evident irritation towards the small creature. It was no bigger than a football.
"Observe those spines? It could detach them, impaling its own kind, and subsequently exert control and channel techniques through them," Yin explained with clear disdain. "It was exceedingly cunning, too. Initially, it manifested as a peculiar earthen construct, reminiscent of those tentacled creatures Seiyu once described." She wiggled her arms like appendages. "It would materialize and assault villages, appearing directly within their walls. Multiple teams engaged it, believing they had vanquished it—it was so devious that it presented these constructs with what appeared to be a core, while it maintained command from beneath the earth via its proxy. Another would then emerge days later. When we finally managed to capture one and extract it, all it did was shriek about our inferiority as beings, branded us slaves of the Under Empire, and proclaimed that he, the 'Emperor', would subjugate the entirety of the 'Great Green.'"
"It sounds like a truly delightful entity," Meimei remarked dryly.
"You haven't even heard the worst of it. We infiltrated the heartland of its domain and confronted a colossal earthen monstrosity." She gestured towards the groundhog pelt. "Our little Emperor spent the entirety of the battle spewing threats about how he intended to capture and ravish me."
"He… what?" Meiling questioned, her faintly amused expression vanishing instantaneously. Her eyes fixed intently on the skin. I felt my own fists clench.
"Indeed, so I pummeled him," Yin replied with a nonchalant shrug. "But right before its demise, it shrieked about how this outcome was impossible, that it was divinely favored and 'anointed by the very essence of gold.'"
"If they were altered to such an extent… they must have absorbed a significant quantity of my blood," Tianlan commented, and I could sense her discomfort.
"…Well, it's fortunate we are rectifying this situation," I stated to Yin after a moment of reflection. "Where precisely did you encounter them?"
"Both originated from the northeast, in proximity to Ash Forest," Yin informed me. "Frankly, there haven't been any noteworthy reports from this particular region of the province, even subsequent to your mention of that major conflict. We've all been maintaining a vigilant watch."
"We cannot precisely sense the Ash Forest either," I communicated my thoughts to Tianlan. It represented one of Tianlan's primary blind spots, so to speak. Big D hadn't dedicated much attention to it, and the thread Tianlan had used to follow him had essentially frayed at the conclusion of the Solstice. Her perceptions of the area were merely vague impressions. "Should we perhaps alter our course in that direction?"
"Only if you deem it necessary. It's highly probable they absorbed everything on the surface if they exhibited such… characteristics," Tianlan mused. "The Ash Forest doesn't feel like it possesses any significant breaches in its spiritual fabric, making it peculiar that two entities emerged from that vicinity."
Two incidents within a six-month span. An additional couple of days wouldn't significantly impact the overall situation. The bison had, in reality, done nothing beyond instilling fear—a lamentable creature—and its reportage was likely solely due to the enhanced information dissemination network. The groundhog, conversely, had been responsible for eight fatalities and considerable destruction of property.
"I have faith in you and Rags to remain observant," I conveyed to Yin, nodding in her direction. "However, we might also take a slight detour once we depart from the mountain peaks. Just you and I, Meimei. A brief excursion to resolve the issue swiftly, followed by a more extended stay here in the Grass Sea."
Meimei appeared taken aback by my suggestion, but then a smile graced her lips. "Oh? A solo adventure for just the two of us?"
"Precisely, only us," I affirmed. "But for the present moment, I entrust its oversight to the Azure Alliance."
Yin responded with a solemn nod.
"It is our duty—to safeguard the Azure Hills," Yin vowed. "We shall manage it!"
Her voice resonated with unwavering confidence and resolute conviction. Not merely self-assurance… but a profound trust in everyone present.
==============================
We departed from the domain of the Blazing Swords after observing their training regimen for a period. They were all engaged in rigorous practice, and it was rather amusing to witness individuals undergoing workouts and employing implements familiar from our own past training. Yin had firmly embedded a set of kung-fu poles into a water-filled pool, with participants attempting to maintain their balance atop them while evading hurled projectiles.
From that location, we proceeded to observe the Tiger-Leopard Outriders, under the command of Loud Boy. Their designated training grounds were considerably less crowded, yet a substantial number of individuals were continuously entering and exiting the compound. To my considerable amusement, they were all attired in gear that bore an extremely familiar resemblance.
"I mean, you designed it for carrying mail, Lord Magistrate, but with a few tweaks it works really well for carrying everything an Outrider needs!" Loud Boy declared. "Also, we do end up having to carry a lot of messages…"
Teacher looked most amused by the fact—even Shaggy Two had one, sized just for him. The big, fluffy, white dog seemed to be something of a mascot, drifting between sections with the Torrent Rider, who was still learning from everyone.
Finally, we came to the White Tigers. And there Tigu stood, her hands on her hips, and a big smile on her face.
Before her were not warriors, but scholars, instead.
Some of whom were looking quite frustrated.
"The new recruits are currently taking their preliminary ethics test," Tigu said with obvious pride.
I nodded sagely, managing to keep the smile from my face. "A wondrous idea—ethics are often overlooked, but an integral part of synthesizing one's world view," I said, laying on the Old Master wisdom. I let my voice carry so everyone taking the test could hear it.
A bunch of people suddenly looked a lot more eager to be taking the test. Tigu beamed, and Xiulan shook her head with a smile.
It was just past midday when our tour of the grounds finished. The Lord Magistrate and Lady Wu begged off, the lack of sleep finally catching up with them, and Xue Ji went with them back to the mountain.
They went back to the room, and we continued on into the town around the Dueling Peaks.
I was looking forward to seeing how it had changed… and seeing how the little shopkeeper, Ning, was doing.
