Beware Of Chicken v7c43: A Tao Tale

Tao the Traveller, a man of refined tastes regarding tournaments and a globetrotter who certainly did not exaggerate—he merely polished the duller segments—lingered inside a Chao Baozi booth located in Dueling Town, Azure Hills. His gaze swept across the bustling eatery. Every table featured intricate carvings of cultivators displaying immense power, while the room itself was packed with individuals from various Sects, all mingling and chatting.

Ordinarily, this location would hum with suppressed aggression. Various Sects would glare daggers at one another, where a single ill-chosen remark might ignite a conflict that could escalate rapidly.

Such moments made for legendary tales. The ebb and flow of animosity, the clandestine skirmishes overshadowed by the influence of an Elder—this was the crucible where the legends of the younger generation were forged or shattered! These were the sagas he would weave to hold a tavern captive, his voice the only sound heard until his dramatic climax.

Yet, here, total serenity reigned. There was no volatility, no feuds ready to burst into the inferno of warfare. Only peace.

And even that, to his mind, was a story waiting to be told.

He had always harbored a deeper fascination for the lower-ranked cultivators. Unlike those battles involving blinding flashes seen only through recording crystals, here you could actually track their movements with your own eyes. It rendered the tournaments far more engaging when he could truly witness the techniques in play.

Likewise, he appreciated observing their strategic efforts. While a grand masterstroke spanning five centuries is impressive, there is a certain charm to being at the center of the action. Weak cultivators operated on a mortal timescale, making their maneuvers easy to follow, predict, and ultimately chronicle into a fascinating narrative.

Hence his return to the Azure Hills. Things were shifting here. Many had anticipated an outright war once the Sects began congregating.

Instead, he found only tranquility. A quietude whose origins were largely masked, though Tao was privy to the secret. Under the guidance of Cai Xiulan, the Sects had united into a collaborative force.

Cultivators often form temporary alliances, particularly in the shadow of events like the Shrouded Mountain Sect crisis, but such bonds typically dissolve quickly due to petty factional disputes.

Yet, this alliance had thrived well beyond its inaugural year. In truth, their connections were deepening. Their patrols synchronized like a young performer who, having shed their stage fright, finally dances in perfect harmony with a partner.

There was something genuinely touching about their growing confidence, and the results were indisputable. Every individual Tao encountered offered the same report: Azure Hills had never been more secure.

Had that been the extent of it, the story would merely be one of 'righteous cultivators aiding the commoners.' However, something far more intriguing was afoot.

At first, Tao had dismissed it. In wealthier provinces, celebratory parties for a disciple’s breakthrough were routine. Then he reminded himself that he was currently in the Azure Hills, a place so weak that some Sects counted house cats as disciples. A breakthrough was an event typically requiring the entire Sect's participation. Last time he toured here, he had heard whispers of only three such celebrations.

Returning six months later, he had already caught wind of nearly twenty such events. While most shifts were merely from the First Stage to the Second Stage of the Initiate’s Realm, the fact that they were occurring at all within this Qi-depleted region was unheard of.

It certainly smelled like a truly momentous story. Through his typical contacts, Tao caught rumors of demonic incursions and the intervention of not merely the Cloudy Sword Sect, but even more legendary figures!

It was utterly fantastic! Had anyone else spun such a yarn, he would have called them insane. But every indication suggested it was the truth. Rumors persisted even now of an Elder from the Cloudy Sword Sect visiting the Dueling Peaks. Tao would have dismissed such claims as nonsense, yet the inhabitants of Azure Hills were clearly preparing for a high-profile guest. It was a veritable parade of the influential.

Tao could hardly contain his excitement. What an extraordinary and delightful era this was.

A voice disrupted his inner musings. "Apologies! I hope the wait wasn't too long, Tao!" He peered up with a grin at his contact—or, in truth, his friend.

“It is no hardship, Gou Ren! Sitting and enjoying a fine bao is hardly a burden,” he stated, waving the younger man into the seat beside him. The monkeys accompanying the youth trotted to the counter to place an order. The proprietor, now accustomed to the peculiar tastes of the monkeys, promptly prepared their favorite vegetarian buns.

“It helps that I’m paying the tab, at least,” the younger man quipped amiably.

Tao chuckled, lifting a meat bun in a gesture of salute. “Has payment ever been an issue?” he countered.

“Not that I’ve seen,” Gou Ren remarked, grabbing a few buns for himself. They exchanged casual pleasantries before the youth produced a journal, shifting the subject to the reason for their meeting.

Tournaments.

Or, more accurately, tournament logistics.

Tao had first encountered Gou Ren during a tournament two years prior, a time when the lad possessed absolutely zero knowledge of the Realms of Cultivation!

He had remained a polite and courteous youth throughout, and his brother famously owned a fascinating recording crystal that displayed only static images. Tao had purchased one later, but he considered it nothing more than a casual encounter—the sort that happens often in his line of work.

However, upon returning to the Dueling Peaks, they bumped into each other again in the streets. The youth, now visibly taller and more robust, insisted on dinner as a gesture of gratitude for Tao's past explanations.

Tao accepted, and they conversed on various topics, with Gou Ren listening with rapt attention to Tao’s analysis of tournaments across other provinces.

It was a pleasant enough dinner, followed by another, and another, with Gou Ren perpetually eager for Tao’s expertise on foreign provinces—not just concerning grand combat, but the nuances of the spectator experience.

Initially, Tao believed he was simply mentoring an enthusiastic hobbyist—until Gou Ren arrived at a meeting with Tie Delun, the Ironskin. Only then did Tao realize Gou Ren was a member of the Dueling Peaks Restoration Commission and the husband of Liu Xianghua, the Master of the Misty Lake Sect.

What an absurd ascension! To go from a man ignorant of cultivation to a Sect Master's husband was a monumental leap.

Even more shocking, the architects behind the restoration of the Dueling Peaks were now seeking *his* opinion on their construction efforts.

What a triumph for his career! He, Tao the Traveller, was helping refine the tournament experience in the Azure Hills as a consultant. A consultant to cultivators! How marvelous!

To think, his obsession with low-tier tournaments would yield such a reward. Naturally, Tao was forbidden from entering the mountain's core, but through Gou Ren, he gained access to juicy fragments of information about the developments in the Dueling Peaks. Mostly minor details—fortifications being erected or repairs necessitated by a Qi Anomaly—but today, Tao intended to test his luck.

“And then, they channel the feeds from the recording crystals to remote locations outside the arena. It’s immensely popular, though the crystal screens and formations required are rather costly,” Tao noted.

Gou Ren nodded with gravity. “Yeah, we suspected those lines served that purpose, but it's good to have it verified,” he muttered before shaking his head. “Thanks again, Tao.”

“Anytime, friend,” Tao replied. “Though… I must confess, the tension permeating the air has me uneasy. Something concerning an important visitor?”

Gou Ren hesitated. “Oh, right. Jin is passing through. Almost here, actually.”

Tao’s heart pounded. That name again—the man who halted the Shrouded Mountain Sect! The mystery surrounding the Plum Blossom’s Shadow! Could this Hidden Master truly be associated with the Cloudy Sword Sect?

“Ah, I presume we outsiders should vacate the town? He seems like a solitary individual…” Tao speculated.

Gou Ren mused on the question. “Probably not, honestly. He dislikes upending people’s ordinary lives. If he had his way, he’d arrive totally unannounced… but Xiulan insisted that a minimum level of ceremony was necessary.”

“It sounds like a historic event!” Tao exclaimed. A potent cultivator visiting these sects? Was *he* the catalyst for their burgeoning vitality?! Oh, what an enthralling mystery!

“You think so?” Gou Ren asked, amused. “Well, you’re welcome to watch if you like. Your advice regarding the latrines saved us an immense amount of trouble…”

Tao flashed a wide grin.

Truly, the most valuable asset one can possess is simple luck.

==================================

And thus, the following day, Tao found himself packed into the crowd within the Earthly Arena. Members of the Framed Sun Sect had arrived at dawn with one message: “He approaches.”

Huge, sweeping banners inscribed with the character for 'Great' were unveiled, cascading down the slopes of the Dueling Peaks and across the interior of the Earthly Arena.

The western thoroughfare was cleared, and warriors from every Sect stood vigil, hands clasped behind their backs, awaiting his arrival.

The arena was bursting at the seams. It seemed everyone was in attendance. Disciples, members of the Spiritual Ascension Affairs, and even the Elders from every Sect, all formed a united front before their awaited guest. And at the helm, Cai Xiulan, the Grand Marshal herself.

The wait was brief.

A long, graceful silhouette descended from the heavens, leaving Tao wide-eyed and paralyzed by the sight.

A dragon! A dragon, in the Azure Hills! Its scales were a royal, deep blue; four toes graced each foot, a clear sign of its sovereign lineage. The arena erupted in collective gasps as cultivators stared on in pure reverence.

Tao had witnessed three dragons in his long life. This was the smallest, yet seeing a creature of legend so close, outside the chaos of a storm, was a profound spiritual experience.

The dragon alighted with effortless precision, his mastery over the skies undeniable. His regal gaze zeroed in on Cai Xiulan, his whiskers drifting through the air.

“I bring a missive from my Master to the Sects of the Azure Hills. He requests entry to your mountains.”

His voice rippled through the arena, yet he did not shout.

“He is cordially invited. Block not his path,” Cai Xiulan declared. The dragon offered a nod movement as noble as his flight. “Would the Master Dragon care for refreshments? We have wine and water, though the main feast must await the arrival of all guests.”

The dragon, initially enthusiastic, now appeared… somewhat disappointed? Tao frowned, sensing a flicker of worry, yet Cai Xiulan remained composed. In fact, her lips twitched as if she were battling a smile at the sight of the sulking dragon. Only a brief, whispered comment from her seemed to lift his spirits—if only slightly.

The wait was short but suffocatingly tense. The atmosphere was charged. Tao wondered how the master would make his entrance. From the clouds? On a surge of Qi?

It was neither.

A shape emerged down the road. It was a carriage. A grand, sturdy thing pulled by an ox of exceptional physique, yet it seemed modest compared to the celestial mounts typical of wealthy provinces. No flying swords or spectral entities accompanied him.

Musicians raised their instruments. Lady Xinling of the White Water Sect initiated the melody on her guzheng, with flutes and drums joining in a masterful composition.

Tao felt a flicker of disappointment at the fanfare accompanying such a pedestrian arrival. The man sat casually on the driver's bench, looking like a simple mortal. Had the dragon not heralded him, he would have seemed perfectly common.

That impression vanished the moment the carriage crossed the threshold of the Earthly Arena.

The entire structure groaned. Ancient glyphs on the arena walls flared with their own internal light, the stones glowing as if a second sun had appeared. Elemental lights ignited along the arena walls, pulsing with growing intensity.

Every eye was locked onto him. Every soul focused on a man who seemed so unassuming at first glimpse.

He stepped down from his carriage and observed the gathered cultivators of the Azure Hills.

The great gong, struck by the collective Elders, resonated across the venue. But the sound was different than he had ever experienced. It was deeper, richer, infusing his spirit with a quiet, absolute strength that made Tao feel as if he could vanquish any foe.

The very floor of the arena shifted. Solid flagstones melted into rich soil—and from that earth, grass took root and flowers bloomed in an instant. Tao could not see Bao Wen using his control rods to manifest these changes. How was this possible?

Several Elders appeared utterly shell-shocked. The Master of the Grand Ravine Sect looked on the verge of collapsing until his son and grandson offered their support.

Cai Xiulan remained poised and steady.

The carriage door swung open. A woman took the Master’s hand. A delicate, small woman… whose eyes were sharp and piercing. A second woman followed, sporting fox ears and a tail, cradling an infant. Three others exited—a man dressed as a Lord Magistrate and two additional fox-kin women, while the ox unhitched itself to stand faithfully at the Great Expert's side.

For a heartbeat, absolute silence seized the crowd.

Then, every cultivator present lowered their heads in unison.

“We pay our respects to Master Rou!” They roared, a simultaneous declaration from every faction in the Hills.

The Great Expert offered a small acknowledgement.

“Grand Marshal, Esteemed Elders of the Azure Hills. I thank you for this gracious welcome. It is fortunate we meet under such pleasant terms, unlike our previous encounter.”

His voice filled the arena, warm and resonant. His words were light, lifting the tension and drawing quiet chuckles from the crowd. Their previous meeting had occurred when the Shrouded Mountain Sect nearly initiated a war; this was a much more favorable occasion.

The man possessed unfathomable depth. To be expected from an ancient and fearsome Expert!

Tao cataloged every detail in his memory. It was heavy with gravitas, utterly profound… truly, this was the stuff of legends.

The only tragic part was that nobody back home would ever believe his account.