Mid-morning, Demonic Beast Section, The Black Dragon Sect Information Library:

Fenghuang Yu closed the book, sighed, and leaned back in her chair. She placed it on top of the pile of three other books, picked them up, and walked to the desk. She thanked the shy outer sect disciple who worked there and returned them.

He blushed while stuttering, “G-g-good l-l-luck.”

“Thanks!” Yu said cheerily with a bright smile.

Then she headed at a run to the city market area thinking about the various demonic beasts and environs she had just spent the last two hours researching. Yu was going to go hunting and that meant she needed to know what she could be facing. It turned out that the sect “forest” was actually four different environments that students of different levels could use to experience combat and earn points. The forest was the closest to the volcano and was filled with grade 1 and grade 2 beasts of various types. Further out was a marshy swampy area filled with beasts of mostly grade 2 and grade 3. Beyond that were a few hilly and rocky areas with grades 2 through 4. Then there was a massive jungle with grade 4 and a single grade 5 wolf of some sort that controlled the others and kept the grade 4’s from encroaching too close to the other areas.

According to Yu’s reading, the sect had made something of an agreement with that beast. The sect was allowed to use that area to hunt and train and keep the population from overflowing into a beast horde. In exchange, that mysterious beast set some rules down, laid off the students, and was directly provided a certain amount of resources every month that helped it stay strong and grow.

Yu was pretty excited about going back into the forest for a hunt, but she had a few things to do first. Her immediate concern involved her lack of equipment, thus her approach to the city market. That was where disciples went to spend either silver or contribution points. Yu walked up to a blacksmith shop and entered. A mortal young man, likely an apprentice smith based on how muscular he was, looked up and smiled. “Hello. How can I help you.”

Yu looked around and saw steel everywhere. And not just weapons. This blacksmith made just about everything from tools to weapons to armor. Yu returned his smile and said, “Good morning. I need the right tools for skinning and butchering up to grade 3 beasts.”

His smile fell for a second but it returned quickly and he said with slightly less enthusiasm, “Of course. My master will be right with you. I’ll go fetch him.” Then he disappeared into a back room and Yu decided to look around. She was no expert on metals, but it all looked impressive to her. Remembering what she learned yesterday, Yu wandered around the room, trying to figure out if she felt a pull towards anything. As expected, nothing happened and she decided to just randomly look around for anything that interested her. Before she made a full circuit, the door behind the counter opened again and a muscular man with black but graying hair in a bun and wearing a leather apron stepped out.

Yu stopped wandering and walked up to him. He spoke in a curt tone. “My apprentice tells me you are looking for tools to skin and butcher beasts up to grade 3?”

Yu nodded and said, “Yes, sir. I am heading into the forest today and will again in the future.”

He looked her up and down and gave her a skeptical look. “You realize nothing I make is enchanted, yes? You will have to do all the work yourself.”

“Yes, sir. I expected as much.”

He squinted at her and said, “I can’t be held accountable for your poor attempts at cutting up the beasts. It’s not the fault of the equipment.”

Yu’s silver eyebrows rose at that. It seems she was not the only one with the idea to butcher her own kills. “I understand. I was taught by professional hunters and am looking forward to getting back into dressing my kills. Unfortunately, do not have the proper skinning knife or butchering hatchets, saws, or scoops.”

The smith was surprised by that statement. “Well heat me up and hammer me thin, you even used the proper terms. I think you might even be telling the truth.” Yu giggled at that funny exclamation. He smiled then and said, “I can sell you an entire beast dressing kit but the best I have will struggle with anything higher than low grade 3. I just don’t have the proper steel for anything higher and nobody would buy it anyway because of the cost of the materials.”

“I understand. That’s perfect. How much in silver?”

Once again surprised, the smith put his hands on his hips and said, “4,500 silver.”

Nodding, Yu pointed at a short barrel and said, “Great. Add some of those arrows over there and we’re good. Do you need it in hard coins or can you process a copper card?” The burley’s man’s smile made Yu think she just made his entire week that much better.

***

Yu’s next stop was a general store where she purchased a generic camping kit with cooking gear. She couldn’t stay overnight because of class the following morning but it was cheap and would do fine sitting in her ring. Then Yu purchased some materials for mapping her travels. She would be going out there every fourth and seventh day for at least the next three weeks so making sure she tracked her locations was critical. Additionally, Yu procured some food and teas that would be easy to heat or could be eaten cold in the forest. After that, it was just random items she might have needed like different ropes, shovels, and picks. She ended her shopping at the herbalist store procuring a few decent-sized jade boxes and bottles which would keep something alive inside her ring. Yu winced as those cost more than all the rest of her purchases combined four times over. Then she reminded herself that coin was meant to help her grow and served no purpose sitting in her ring.

After that, she walked over to the Mission Hall and headed to the board. She stared at the middle two rows of missions and read each one as she walked around the building. Yu figured that since she was going into the forest, she might as well see if there are any gathering or beast hunting quests she could complete at the same time as she completed the controversial food gathering one.

Funnily enough, Yu recognized a few of them from her hours categorizing in that very hall. She did manage to found two missions that were new to her but felt appropriate. One was a repeatable quest of low risk to gather particular parts of listed Qi herbs found throughout the forest area. It was low risk because they could be found in the grade 1 beast area. Yu happened to know, thanks to her research, that they could be found in greater quantity in the grade 2 areas of the forest because those beasts tended to eat them in smaller amounts. They would go into a jade bottle if she managed to find any and would be paid out at a value per leaf or stem or whatever it was based on rarity. The second quest was specifically for the poison glands of any venomous creatures. That mission was one of the few permanently repeatable missions the sect offered. Apparently, the alchemists couldn’t get enough poison. That thought caused a quick flash of that boy’s, Xing’s, face to appear in her mind and she shivered. Pushing it aside by force of will, she marched out of the building and towards the air travel area.

Yu had asked the girls if they wanted to join her but they declined, thinking themselves not ready to take on beasts as of yet. Yu was fine with that and they all volunteered to take care of Bai for the day. He was going to be sooo spoiled.

Yu arrived at the flight area and waited for her turn. When she stood before the table she asked, “I need to get to the forest. Can I request Zhao Minge if he’s working today? I think he was number 33 last time but I don’t know if the riders keep the same numbers.”

The same disciple as last time raised an eyebrow at her and asked, “Are you sure?”

She nodded and he called out the number 33.

Yu bowed, said, “Thank you, senior,” and walked towards the bird area.

The familiar young man approached slowly and Yu waved to him but she was surprised to find he didn’t look as she remembered. The left side of his face was bruised and swollen, his left hand was wrapped and he had a limp. Yu asked, “Are you alright? You don’t look so good.”

He was having trouble breathing but he tried to smile through his swollen face and said, “I’m fine. Thanks. Where to today?” Then he turned around and they started walking back to his eagle, Jin Kong.

“I need to get to the grade 1 area of the forest. Have you been to a healer?”

“I can get you there. Can’t afford a healer.”

Yu nearly stumbled at that. “Wait. Pay? You have to pay for a healer?”

He nodded stiffly, clearly in more pain than he wanted to show. “In the inner and core levels, healers charge points for healing outside of injuries earned from a sanctioned arena dual. Or life-threatening injuries that cost something else. Only you outer sect disciples get healing for free.”

Yu said softly, “I had no idea.”

He laughed and then winced. “The kicker is, they can charge or not as they like, although there are ceilings for certain types of wounds. It can be very difficult if you anger the wrong people.” That entire concept seemed like a setup. Then again, having power over another gave you and advantage.

Yu asked, “And the fact that you look as you do means you angered someone you shouldn’t have?”

He nodded. That explained the disciple’s reaction to me asking for him specifically at the assignment table.

Yu coughed and offered, “You know, I am in an initiate healing class. Want me to see what I can do?”

He stumbled to a stop, turned to her, and asked, “Are you serious? Initiate? How old are you?”

Yu blushed and mumbled, “Nine.”

His swollen face gaped and then narrowed. “This is a setup, isn’t it? First, you hire me after I’ve been blacklisted and then you offer to heal? Do you people think I’m stupid? Go back to your noble masters and tell them I won’t apologize.”

Yu held up her hands and said, “Zhao Minge, I swear I’m not setting you up or anything. I don’t even know who you angered. I’m making an honest offer.”

His skepticism was obvious as he said, “I’ll take you because I need the points.”

Yu blushed and said, “I don’t know if it will help you believe me, but my name is Fenghuang Yu.” She hated calling on her name recognition, but he desperately needed help. Some of those wounds looked bad.

He glanced at her and asked, “Why would your name matter?”

“Oh. Umm.” Yu felt her entire body burning and she wondered if she was glowing red. She mumbled, “I thought maybe you heard of me.”

They had just reached Jin Kong who looked at him and chirped in a low tone when he said, “I don’t think so. Are you well known or something?”

Yu covered her face with her hands but pushed through her shame for his sake; he really needed a healer. So she said quietly through her hands, “I’m the sect leader’s direct disciple.” Then she looked down and saw her hands were indeed turning red. Ugh. This was so embarrassing. Why did she wear a ponytail? At least she could cover her face with her hair if it was down like Gui Ai.

She didn’t hear anything for a while and peaked up through her eyelashes.

He was staring at her and gaping again. After a few more breaths of him not saying anything the giant eagle twisted his head around and gave his human partner a shove with its head-sized beak. He grunted as tumbled and was about to fall over due to his injuries so Yu reached forward and grabbed him by the shoulder and chest. As with most of the young cultivators, he was well-muscled and thus heavy. She had to use a good bit of her strength to hold him up.

Yu exclaimed, “Zhao Minge!” After she helped steady him, Yu looked over his shoulder at the eagle and said, “Was that necessary, Jin Kong? He’s hurt you know.”

The bird blinked a huge eye at her and chirped a few times. Yu huffed and said, “I have no idea what you just said, bird brain, but if it’s what I think you better take it back before I pluck one of your tail feathers.”

He let out a cry and shuffled around so his back end was farther out of reach. Turning to the young man, Yu asked, “So? Want healing or what? No’s fine, but then let’s head out. I have hunting to do.”

He blinked his one non-swollen eye at her and exhaled, slumping his whole body. “All right.”

“Good. Sit down and lean on your friend.” Then Yu looked at the bird and said, “Don’t move. He needs support unless he wants to lie down on this filthy ground.” The eagle bobbed its head up and down. Zhao Minge nearly fell trying to sit so Yu helped him down and then helped him shuffle backward to lean against Jin Kong’s massive leg.

Yu’s hands started to glow blue and she reviewed his body’s condition. “You know, you have some internal injuries. In particular, your eye might have never healed right and you would have had to live with impaired vision. Outside of a few cracked bones, you are mostly stuck with severe bruising. You took a good beating. Who was it?”

Not waiting for an answer, Yu first knit up the few external cuts using her standard grade 1 skills. That done, she used her new Wood skill, Nature’s Relief, and very gently explored his eye. It was only one little section that needed help healing in the proper way. Yu watched internally as the tiny torn strings of tissue were, a little a time, reconnected, repaired, and restored to their correct position. The young man hissed in pain but Yu wasn’t strong enough to have three skills going at once so she couldn’t dull his pain.

That done, Yu used Fluid Regeneration to encourage his body to heal on its own. It was a much lower intensity and less Qi-heavy skill than the prior Wood one. It also offered the added benefit of boosting the strength of his blood temporarily allowing it to fight off the infections that were starting to form. She did not heal him all the way, just made sure all the wounds would knit ok and closed any minor internal bleeds.

Yu released her Qi, wobbled, and fell on her butt. “Phew. Those grade 2 skills really take it out of you.” Looking at the young man, she saw a much more normal appearance.

He was smiling at her and she smiled back. She said, “See? Not so bad, right? Sorry I couldn’t stop the pain. I don’t have enough control or Qi to use more than two skills simultaneously.”

His smile only grew and then his eyes started to water a little. He looked down and then back up at her, choking out, “Thank you. You have no idea. . .”

He couldn’t quite complete his sentence but Yu didn’t need to hear it and just patted his shoulder. “Don’t worry about it. Just give me a moment here and then we can head out.” Then Yu raised her voice. “You almost ready, bird brain?”

The eagle’s enormous head appeared upside down and stared at her from between his legs. She said to it, “He’ll be fine now. Just stop dropping him and he might stay that way.” Yu had to cover her ears from the eagle’s indignant screech.