Daoist Wang was kind enough to mention that Heavenly Realm cultivators would periodically gather in towns to organize bartering sessions, and that “Once you have managed to gather a little money,” the largest merchant houses, the ones backed by Heavenly Realm ancestors, did buy and sell goods appropriate to their new realm. Definitely not open to the public, and strictly in the very largest cities or located near prime cultivation grounds, but they did exist and were available. It was part of why Mountain Gate City was so vital. It wasn’t just the improved cultivation environment, it was the single largest commercial hub for Heavenly Realm cultivators in the whole country.
“The waters there run very deep. Very deep indeed. You might think it the safest place to run to, being freshly ascended, but… unless you already have a patron, it might be best to build a little foundation first. Just in case.”
That, they reckoned, was very sensible. They didn’t mention where they were headed, and Daoist Wang didn’t ask. They parted politely, pretending not to feel her thoughtful gaze on their backs as they left.
“Time to test the flying sword?” Tian sent the thought to Liren, the spell still new and fascinating.
“Yes.” Her replies were always choppy. She hadn’t adapted to it as quickly as he had.
Two hours later, Liren was looking bewildered at the immense grievance radiating from Tian.
“A year. A year and a half, really, and I barely mastered the Dragon Suppressing Palms. Mastery is too strong a word. A year and a half to gain basic competence.”
“Well, your yang qi was all messed up, naturally you found it hard.”
“A year and a half though. And it’s not like I was slacking on my practice. At least an hour a day, usually a whole lot more.”
“I mean, effort doesn’t always equal results.”
“That’s true. That’s very true. NINETY DAMN MINUTES TO MASTER A NEW SPELL, THOUGH-”
“Shh! Shhhhh! What’s wrong with you?! Shh!” She waved her hands, pressing towards him like she was trying to push the shouting back inside his lungs.
“Do you know how frustrating it was? I knew every move perfectly, and I still couldn’t make it work.”
“I remember.”
“But the Sword Enthusiasts spend NINETY DAMN MINUTES-”
“Shh! Oh, my ancestors, SHHH!”
“The next sword bum I hear talk about how hard and lonely their path is, about how much dedication the way of the sword needs, will be eating theirs. There will not be so much as a drop of chili sauce provided. These pretentious frauds deserve no mercy, and shall receive none.”
“Yes, yes, they are the worst.” Liren looked torn between laughter and deathly embarrassment, and opted for distraction. “But since you did pick it up so quickly, then we don’t need to hang around here. We can start running south. Though… I’m not sure how we are going to do this. We can’t both balance on a single swordblade.
Tian’s mulish expression transformed into an infernal grin, before ascending to an angelic one. He advanced on Liren, his hands stretching out. She retreated. “What… What do you want to do? What, exactly, do you want to do?!”
Twenty minutes later, and Tian was prepared to admit that, just possibly, the sword lunatics were on to something. This was a remarkably satisfying way to travel.
“I’m going to die. I am actually going to die. First of shame, and then when you drop me. I am going to die twice, and both times it will be your fault.”
Liren was being carried in his arms. It was ungainly. Absurd looking, perhaps. And yet, he was prepared to cherish it. She really was very warm, and holding her like this warmed him all the way through.
“You are really light, actually.”
“Oh go to hell!” Liren squirmed in his arms. But not too much. They were about two hundred feet in the air.
“No, I’m not being polite. You are a whole lot lighter than I would have expected. Less than a hundred pounds, maybe? Which is a hell of a trick for someone who will never have to guess what’s hiding on the top shelf.”
Liren went still. “That can’t be right.”
“Closer to eighty five than ninety five, I’d say.”
“No, that's just… even my bones should weigh more than that, and… and I have some muscle on me.”
“All true. And yet, you really are quite light. Personal guess? All that yang qi in you. Fire rises, resisting the earth element that would make you weigh more. You have the Southern Mountain physique, but fair to say, the fire side is very dominant. Either that, or you inherited the yang aspects of the mountain.”
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It was pretty fun, actually. She really had to curl up to be held comfortably, so she was somewhat leaning against his chest. Liren wasn’t a cuddler, but Tian was really seeing the point of cuddling now. It felt like he had been hungry for something he had never tasted before, and a stray bite brought that flavor to his mouth without a whisper of warning.
The sword cut through the air near-silently. Tian wasn’t pushing the pace, as he didn’t know how long his qi reserves would hold out for. They were still moving fast enough to make the boats on the river look like they were standing still. There was a messenger on a horse, rushing down the road near the river. Tian knew he was probably moving at a brisk canter, but from up here, it looked like he was poking along.
It felt so right to be flying with Liren. It wasn’t as good as flying on the back of Burning Heaven, but it felt very, very right. Something about him lifting her up into the heavens. It certainly made a change from all the times she carried him.
“You are grinning. Stop that.”
“Can’t imagine what you are talking about.” Tian said, grinning even wider.
“You are! Tian Zihao, you put me down right this minute.”
“I can’t possibly. You might float away, and then I’d have to chase after you. Can’t risk it.”
“Zihao… we need to get to the ground. Now. Look!”
Tian frowned and tried to see what Liren was pointing at. They were passing between two tall hills now, still following the course of the river. The trees spread their branches wide on the heights, while thick reeds filled the water margin. There was a small child running through the reeds. Tian couldn’t see what was chasing them. Now that he was focusing, he could hear faint cries for help. The child darted out of sight, seeming to fall into a hole or something. Tian didn’t hesitate.
The sword stooped like a diving bird, plunging towards the spot where the child vanished. “Do you see what was chasing them?”
“No!” Liren raked her eyes back and forth, desperately peering around. “I can feel something twisted, though. Something vile and hungry.”
She could? Tian didn’t. They were on the ground in seconds, both keeping their hands empty. Tain ran the Earth Piercing Eye, their new perception spell flashing through the tall reeds to find the hole in the ground the child had fallen into. It looked like there was a cave stretching into the hill. The boy was crouched on the ground with his hands over his head, mumbling “Stay away, stay away!” over and over.
Liren didn’t hesitate for a moment. There was a bang! And she was in the cave. Tian was barely two seconds behind her.
“I told you to stay away! Why didn’t you listen?” The boy cried out.”
“They never do.” The voice was cruel and happy.
Black flames rushed out of the darkness of the cave. Cold. Bitterly cold. Tian remembered these flames- yin fire. He vividly remembered the way they licked up from the freezing acid in the belly of the demonic bird that swallowed him. The cold froze everything, breaking it down to nothing. He moved to stand in front of Liren, but there was no use. The flames filled the little cave and washed over the two cultivators.
Bitterly cold… but that was all. Tian blinked, then snarled. The Hell Suppressing Sutra was roaring along, happily converting the curse energy and yin qi into nourishment. “I see you now!”
“Too late!” From the darkness of the cave, a tiger leapt. Smoke grey with inky black stripes, yet unquestionably a tiger. It had been invisible, perfectly hidden amongst the shadows. Until it made its move.
Tian could see the muscles bunching and rippling under the beast’s thick fur. He could see the obsidian sheen on the claws, and the aged ivory of the tiger’s long fangs. Tian dashed forward, Moon Crossing the Lake turning him suddenly illusive. With a drifting step, he dodged to the right of the tiger. The tiger wasn’t so easily fooled, twisting in the air and stretching a huge paw towards Tian’s face.
The tiger’s paw descended, and was met with a rising palm.
Thunder Shakes the Earth was the ultimate skill of the Eighteen Palms of Dragon Subduing, the culmination of the art. Tian put the full force of his vital energy and qi into the strike, supported by his deeply refined body. It felt like trying to stop a falling mountain with a single palm. The demonic tiger blew through the strike like it wasn’t even there. Tian desperately shifted out of the way, just barely letting the back of the claws scrape his front.
It wasn’t that he wasn’t strong. It was just that the tiger was much, much stronger, with far more accumulated qi.
“A futile effort. But by all means, keep trying. I do enjoy playing with my prey. And perhaps you will be my new little pet… once I have eaten you.” The tiger purred, sliding into a growl before leaping forward once more.
Tian desperately tried to get a sense of what was happening with Liren, but the tiger took all of his attention. There was just so much of it, and so little of him. Retreat was impossible, especially if Liren was unable to fight. He had to fight, and win. Which meant thinking creatively. And the tiger wasn’t giving him any time!
Paw swipes came from either side, forcing Tian to dodge and glide around the floor. The tiger hadn’t lied. He did enjoy playing with his food. Tian could see the tiger was teasing him. Eventually, the tiger would get bored.
Can’t win attacking the front? Don’t attack the front. Tian crouched down and rushed forward, keeping his body small and mobile. Fast steps, left-right-right-left, zigzagging with constant changes in rhythm. He feinted a lunge for the belly, as though he was going to attack the soft underbelly, but as he gathered his legs under him, he leapt for the tiger’s back!
Time seemed to slow as he flew upward. He hadn’t deceived the tiger’s eyes. Tian watched the huge head turn, and keep turning, and turning, keeping those huge blazing orange eyes on him. The nearest paw rose up too, turning and rising in a way that no tiger’s joints should have permitted.
The tiger was smiling. He could see it clearly. The tiger had been waiting for this moment. The moment the prey thought it had a chance to win. More than Tian’s flesh, or his fear, it was his despair that most satisfied the monster. Tian smiled right back. He had been waiting too. His left hand flashed out, a bag of white powder leaving his storage ring, landing in his hand and then on the tiger’s face. The tiger closed his eyes at once and recoiled with an enormous sneeze.
“What petty trickery-”
Tian’s right hand snapped forward. Again and again and again and again. So fast it was a blur, though nothing seemed to be coming from his hand. There was a wet noise, and a muffled crunch. Then the tiger backhanded the falling Tian hard enough to knock the dust off his robes even before he hit the wall of the cave.
“Not enough. Not nearly enough. I’ll torture you for a thousand years for that. I used to replace my decoys when they bored me. Not you. I’ll keep your soul trapped for an eternity.” The tiger wasn’t smiling any more. Blood poured out of one of his ears. He was staggering. His balance looked shot. But he was still on his feet, and prowling towards Tian.