III

Mediator

The survivors removed the beast-essences from the corpses of bladehides. It was a great choice. Unfortunately, not enough of the essences had made it through unscathed. The negotiations that followed ended amiable, much to my surprise.

Both brothers had chosen to withdraw, tearing a piece of paper to light a beacon of Qi that would signal the overseer. Han Long, the leader of the group with the largest contribution, chose to decline his rights to the essences. As had I, which left enough for the rest to build their foundations.

“What do you plan to do now?” I asked Han Long. He looked more than twice my age and reminded me of Grey with his burly stature. If he’d changed his mind, he ought to leave with the brothers. There might not be another chance to withdraw.

“Continue,” he said undeterred.

“In that case, you can stick with me if you want. I can offer a hand, at least.”

His eyes widened. “I won’t forget this generosity you’ve shown me today, benefactor,” he bowed deeply, clasping his hands. I extended my offer to Li Zhun when I returned his sword. He accepted it with a relieved smile, standing on less ceremony which I appreciated. Together, we waited with the two brothers until the cultivator appeared on a chunk of earth that he manipulated to soar through the sky. Before they left, one of the brothers, Hung Dan, made me promise him that I’d come visit him in Shanaan one day, so he could properly repay me.

***

“Uncle Han, why did you decline the essence?” Li Zhun asked as I led us through the forest. “You deserved it the most after killing a bladehide entirely on your own! Everyone would have agreed.”

“Uncle Han, is it?” Han Long smiled painfully. “Age has taken me. It seems I can’t deny it any longer.”

“Oh, m-my apologies, Elder Brother,” Li Zhun fumbled his words, embarrassed, “it’s the darkness. Yes, I can’t see my hands before my eyes much less your youthful splendor, Elder Brother Han.”

“Is that so?” His laughter traveled deep into the shadows before he remembered where he was. “Forgive me, benefactor. I’ve forgotten myself.”

“Don’t worry,” I said, frowning as I adjusted our path. “I will tell you in time if you ought to remain quiet. Aside from that, leave it at calling me, Shin. I haven’t done anything to earn that much of your respect, Elder Brother.”

“You must be jesting, benefactor,” Han Long lowered himself when he spoke, keeping a hand behind his head. “I owe you my life,” he said before reconsidering his words, “but I will comply with your wishes, of course, Brother Shin.”

“Thank you,” I said, nodding toward Li Zhun. “I’m interested in the answer as well. You won’t find many mutant beasts offering a better foundation than a bladehide.”

“That is true, but with too few essences to go around, I had little choice,” he said, shaking his head, “Brother Shin, you were truly impressive. You fended for your life and still avoided damaging any of the beast-essences. The rest of us were too incompetent to manage such a feat. With the few essences we had left, it was only right to give them to my brothers.”

“I was told groups are forbidden from joining the same trial as one,” Li Zhun said before I could.

“No one said you couldn’t form the group after the trial begins,” Han Long wagged his finger. “The two brothers are an exception, however. I don’t know how they did it.”

“You gave them up to strangers, then?” Li Zhun asked astonished.

“Strangers for years, but brother-in-arms for a day make them my brothers for life.”

“You leave me ashamed, Elder Brother,” I said, changing our direction again, “I was convinced your group would succumb to infighting.”

“Thanks to you, Brother Shin, that did not come to pass."

I felt like he was giving me too much credit. As we headed further in the direction of the natural spirit essence, I kept changing our direction, confused as the whirl of Qi grew more chaotic. The fire attuned Qi seemed to move in several directions instead of centering on one place. It was likely on the move.

“Brother Shin, what essence are you looking for? Is it a specific one?” Han Long eventually asked me.

“I’m thinking about taking a look at the natural spirit essence before deciding any further.”

“You know where it is?” He quickly recovered from his surprise, nodding to himself repeatedly, “I can see you acquiring it. Personally, I’ve already given up on the notion. The pack of bladehides was a mortifying experience, indeed. If possible, a fire-essence from a mutant beast would suit my taste the most. Praise the heavens that I won’t choke on my hubris for making such a daring request,” he laughed but his hands were clasped in sincere prayer. “What about you, Brother Li?"

“Fire-essence, also,” his eyes glimmered, “the same as my brother’s if I could.”

The fire element was a popular choice for beast-essences. It simply appeared to be the most formidable since anyone could imagine the devastating might of a fire, razing an entire city to ash.

“If that’s the case, we have a problem,” I said, stopping. “We won’t find the essences you want going any further down here.”

“Why is that?” Han Long asked curiously.

“The natural spirit essence is born of fire Qi.” Li Zhun appeared confused, but Han Long understood.

“Are you sure?” The latter asked somewhat nervous. “Are you sure… that it is fire?”

“Absolutely.”

“Why is that a problem?” Li Zhun asked.

“It means that the closer we get to it, the fewer beasts we’ll find attuned to fire. The natural spirit essence has either fed on its lesser already or they fled to a different part of the valley. We should head the other way to find your essences first.”

When Li Zhun understood the two looked at each other in silence.

“I can’t ask that of you,” Han Long said after a brief moment. “My essence can wait. We won’t run out of beasts and if Brother Shin will find the true essence gone because of me, I could never forgive myself. I don’t know about Brother Li, but accompanying you is the least I could do to repay you.”

“That’s right,” Li Zhun said, “we will have a lot of time left for our essences later. I’m… probably acting too spoiled, asking for a specific essence anyway. I’m sure any other element would suit me just fine.”

“Are you certain?” I hesitated before adding, “I do not require help and you can never have enough time.”

“I certainly do not doubt that,” Han Long laughed,” but even a mighty general has a use for his soldiers. That is if you will have me, of course.”

“What about you Brother Li?” I asked. “You don’t owe anything but a meal.”

“After witnessing your fight,” he said with his face cast down, “I know I won’t be able to fell a mutant beast myself. I’d have to settle for a common beast-essence without you. Brother Shin, if you’re still willing to offer me your aid, I will humbly accept it, no matter the time it may take.”

After some contemplation, I accepted their company. They were correct that the natural spirit essence should take priority, but I made the promise to myself to give them the best possible result afterward. We settled down to get some rest and I kept a lookout until dawn broke. Han Long awoke as I lit another fire, watching it disappear into the sky. He hit his head, laughing. How simple a method it was.

“Get your hands off it, I killed it!” We were about to continue onward when the wind carried over the outcry.

“Because I injured it!” Another voice made it to our ears and I decided to head in the direction of it. The other two followed me, shrugging their shoulders at each other. We found a woman and a man in a standoff, both holding onto knives. They glared at each other like beasts would bare their fangs.

“My father is a merchant, trading inside the inner circles of the capital,” the young man said and his appearance underlined his words. The knife in his hand was needlessly shaped for elegance and an outlining of his name was embedded into its hilt in jade. Meying, I’d heard of the name before. He even wore a cultivator’s robe that offered decent protection. The blood that had stained it was already pearling off without leaving any traces behind.

“If you know what’s good for you, leave the essence alone", he said, "I may even reimburse you for your aid in slaying it.”

“How about you piss off instead?” The young woman, her hands stained in fresh blood, didn’t back down. She reminded me of the beggars in Zhanhai, making up for her lack of resources with stubborn grit.

“You will regret this,” he tightened his grip around his knife.

“Try me, daddy boy!”

“My father will-!”

“This blade doesn’t give a shit about who sired your ugly face,” she waved her blade menacingly towards him, “you’re going to do this, or what? Let’s go, come on, fight me for it you coward!”

At their feet lay a blue-scaled snake I didn’t recognize, exuding a cool air. Its corpse was wrecked with knife cuts. An arrow stuck inside its body and a bite-wound had left two gaping holes behind.

“Maybe I can help,” I said and the two shot around, startled. Neither had noticed us approaching them.

“Stay out of this,” their voices united into one, a short-lived agreement between them before they got back to glaring at each other.

“And watch you two slaughter each other over a beast-essence?” I shook my head, “I think not.”

My words filled them with dread. The girl was biting her lip, her eyes switching between all of us and the snake essence. She sunk her arm that held the knife, feigning surrender as she inched closer to the corpse. Her back was slightly hunched and her legs as tight as a drawn bow. The young merchant was less subtle, displaying his seething anger. I spoke before either got the chance to do or say anything stupid.

“Decide however you want who takes the snake, but without shedding blood. I will offer the other a beast-essence of at least the same quality if you settle this peacefully.”

“I think you should take him up on his proposal,” the girl scoffed, clearly unimpressed. She sneaked half a footstep closer to the snake when she thought I didn’t notice her.

“Didn’t you hear him? I’m willing to take a step back and grant you the chance for an essence of at least the same quality," his words oozed with ridicule. "He’ll find something amazing for you, I'm sure of it, after all, didn't he come all this way to save the poor maiden? Look at him, he can’t even bear to tear his eyes away from you, aren't you a lucky girl? You won't find many taking a fancy to a street rat like you.”

I cringed horribly hearing him talk. The tone in his voice, how he talked down on us, and the way he carried himself with his raised chin; it was like looking at a mirror that showed the past.

“You shouldn’t offend the Meying if you can afford it,” I turned to the girl, deciding to hasten this before I died of shame. Her eyes widened, quivering at this sudden turn in her situation. My words soothed the one I considered more problematic, but it left her overflowing with disgust. From her perspective, she would now have to fight four people for the essence, which meant she undoubtedly lost. Her body relaxed in defeat.

“I’m giving you a way out, and I promise that you won’t lose out on this deal.”

“Why don't you go kiss his daddy's ass, jackass,” she spat with a dangerous glimmer in her eyes, "isn't that what you're looking for?" Nothing good was on her mind of that much I was certain. I sighed heavily. What else had I expected? Words on their own had always held little weight.

I placed my hand against a nearby tree and drew on the Qi within my core, using the movements of the martial arts technique in my mind. I condensed the Qi before releasing it through my palm. The tree shattered in half, sending splitters flying around us as I grimaced from the painful spasms in my arm. Its two halves fell to the ground with a tremor, startling the surrounding beasts into hiding.

“My apologies about that,” including Han Long and Li Zhun, they all stared at me aghast. “I thought I noticed it moving. I must be getting paranoid with all those damn trees falling on me lately. Anyway, I stand by my word, sister.”

Her face carried many questions and her unwillingness remained, but as I’d expected, a quick display of power was the best way to convince her. With one last look at the broken tree she backed down and we left the young merchant alone to go about our way. Her name was Lei Yun. Li Zhun made an effort at talking to her, trying to cheer her up by telling her about our encounter with the bladehides. She wasn’t in the mood for it, but his bloated story had relieved some of her nerves. It didn’t erase her suspicion, however, as she inquired about my ulterior motives. Not wanting to see bloodshed when it could be prevented apparently wasn’t a good enough reason for her. I was starting to understand how Huo Lan must’ve felt.

We kept note of any interesting beast until we found a nyrkarian-born, frostbite leopard. It’d been hauled here all the way from the north. I went against it alone, refusing their aid. The slightest injury would wreak havoc inside their bodies as its water attuned Qi could spread like poison. Borrowing Li Zhun’s sword again, I took care of it. Lei Yun was delighted with her new essence; her mood somersaulting.

She thanked me bashfully, apologizing for her rude tongue. It supposedly ran in her family and there was nothing she could do about it. She lit the beacon, declaring her success to the overseer and we parted ways. If I ever got the time, I’d be more than welcome to drop by her father’s bakery in Ulong.

Her case wasn't a rarity. We met a few more people as I searched for the natural spirit essence. All of them waged a battle of witty words and arguments about who had seen what first, standing on the verge of bloodshed. With the opportunity to gain their long-desired power in front of them, it was as if they’d lost something. Many who had never killed before would suddenly grab their steel with boundless determination.

It was that hunger, that urge, that drove them, which was present in any cultivator worth talking about. It was essential. Those either unwilling or unable to do that much might have no place in this part of the world, since struggles of this kind were all that would await them in the future. Be it in the wild or among fellow sect members, it was all the same. The trial was a rite of passage for their will to clash with their peers.

I mediated all of the disputes I came across, but I wasn’t caught in any delusions. It worked because I was strong, arguably the strongest in there and because there was a favorable solution for all involved. The circumstances that had led me to be able to do this were an exception, but there was no reason not to help if I could.

Huo Lan - that hateful dog - had taught me that, hadn’t he? Act, if I thought it right to do so and that was the crux of it all.

Was I right in doing any of this?