Weeks pass like autumn leaves falling out of the trees. Before I knew it, I went from early stage to just above middle stage Golden core. My weapons were done and the weakness I had in mastering my techniques were trimmed under the help of Captain Scar face and General Zhou.

Yet, I didn’t understand why we gathered outside the ship near the border of Zhang Dynasty.

General Zhou paced back and forth, his lips pursed as he must be thinking something deep.

“I have a mission for you guys and this will count as the trial test to see if you are capable or not of being placed in an outgoing unit or placed in a homebound unit. The treatment of the two is on another level, but I’ll leave that for your seniors to talk about.” He pointed at the border.

“For fifty kilometers that and the same distances behind me, is bandit territory. There are all kinds of trade routes that are being plundered like plucking feathers from birds. Your mission is to infiltrate or find out the location, the numbered, and the power structures of any bandits you can find. Your rewards will be based on your qualifications, if you become overwhelmed, your badges are your lifeline.”

General Zhou pointed at the teams of veterans.

“They will be situated in several outposts within these mountainous areas. Thus they will be able to save you if you come into trouble. Don’t be a hero, your goal is only to gather intel, not wiped out bandits. You may disperse.”

I stood within the crowd and they definitely turned around and ran. Forming teams on the fly as they shot in different directions. I shook my head and turned to Captain Scar Face.

“Sir, can I have a map and see the reports of bandit attacks?” I inquired.

Captain Scarface laughed and threw thick folded parchment at me.

“The red is where bandits attacks happen recently, the green is months ago, the yellow is two months ago, black is three months and longer.”

I cringed but the map wasn’t destroyed by the color scheme as I thought. It just had small X in whatever color at the attack location. It was interesting how everything happened between a major town owned by two competing Giants from the central lands.

I bet their products weren’t touched.

I tapped my chin and began jogging to the southwest. My target was a location twenty miles from the border and from the legend I could bet that the whole distance was approximately two forty-six miles apart. This was only a small selection of mountains that split two dynasties apart. However, it had the most exits and entries.

I flew across the ground alongside a river, my goal was so closed that I could smell the bread being baked.

By night, I slipped into town and sat in an inn that had the most rough looking characters with worn boots and clothes that smelled as if they hadn’t washed them in a few days. I had changed into my former clothes so that I wouldn’t give myself away but the bow and sword behind me might. Which was why I wore a fabric across my face, blocking anyone from identifying me by full facial recognition but it is fine to remember my golden eyes.

I dipped my honey bread that was golden with some kind of flakes on them, into the beef stew. It tasted heavenly. I wanted to cry in joy as I had been eating roasted wildlife and didn’t have many seasons, because I didn’t think ahead enough.

Foresight.

I won’t make the same mistake again though.

I finished eating and went up to my room as not many people were talking about anything important. Besides, bandits wouldn’t just talk about their business anywhere. Not everybody was fools.

Which was fine, I believed that men will act like men and this inn was near three brothels. One was up scaled and only big spenders went there to taste virgins or near virgins. The other two were used by women but the one closest to the river harbor acquired a lot more action.

The one near the poorer district only saw consumers not so often. This was how I was planning to find them. Bandits would sell their trophies after a certain time and then their men would roll over brothels with their fresh dough. I just had to mark regulars and keep an eye on all outsiders.

**

I remember always hearing this stupid phrase, ‘plans are perfect until moment of implementation’. I always thought it was just smart guys lamenting about how other smart guys outsmarted them.

Even so, how could my ideal fall through?

Wait, i didn’t think it through. There are two towns, one in the Zhou Dynasty and one in the Zhang Dynasty. Why would they only go to one if they were close to the other?

I hadn’t used my brain at all, how embarrassing.

I stood up from my bed and headed out of the inn. My first stop was a tailor shop. I wanted to buy silk to form clothes that would better protect my identity and allow me to move around easier.

Plus I had been thinking about all the cool chinese movies, how they had that one long tunic with V cuts on the sides and sweeping sleeves. Bamboo hats to make them look really bad ass as they fought, well thunder guy from mortal kombat is a good example.

I walked up to the counter where a group of women were sewing something on the counter, the store was filled with shelves that had spools of bright color fabric.

“Excuse me, I need black silk, hundred yards.”

One of the clerks ladies looked up and put down her needle and looked me over. It was like she was trying to judge how much money I was capable of paying.

“We only have red silk available at this time.” She said, while moving around the counter to pull down a spool that looked almost exhausted compared to some of the others.

“This has about three hundred yards of fabric left, if you are trying to make clothes for yourself or someone your size, then this will be able to make seven tunics and pants.”

I tapped my chin, I could use multiple sets. Fights might tear them up and then I would be shit out of luck, right?

“I’ll take it, how much.”

``A tale of gold,” she said, like it wasn’t all that much.

I clicked my tongue and pulled out a table.

“I need threads and needles too.”

She nodded and took my money as another girl came from the back carrying a small box. It held gold and black thread and six needles.

I paid for it and hoisted my spool, disappearing from the shop before they could rob more money from me. I went to a leather worker and brought thick leather used for saddles.

I had plans to use it for my shoe soles.

I made it back to my room unravel the fabric. I started with the torso since that was the easy part, I took a string from the box and measured myself, then placed it on the fabric. From neck to ankle, then I used my qi to cut the fabric.

To get my body type just perfect, I laid the cut fabric on the bed and laid on top. I used my qi to cut close to my body outline but left some extra fabric, because I would use that as the parted that folded inward.

Next part was simple, duplicating the first feat. Then making the sleeves, then duplicating it. Then the pants and I were finished and just had to sew them together. The lady was right, even if I double stack the silk to make it thicker. I had enough for five sets with fabric left over.

Giggling, I began the sewing work.

It took me a few hours to do them as I wasn’t all that practiced in the art of the needle. Ha, but a genius is a genius after all. It only took me several tries.. Cough.

I turned my attention to the leather around lunchtime and began cutting them with qi. I folded them around my feet and used qi to sew the top parts together, making a tighter fit. Then I used some of the straps of silk to cover the leather.

I laughed as I stared at my hard work before looking at the leftover scraps of leather. It was enough to make one bamboo hat. Well, it wouldn’t be perfect but it would cover my head. I formed a small dome that looked like a small hill.

If you cup your hand, it would be similar, however, it didn’t stay and I didn’t know how to get it to stay in that form. I’ll just order a set.

I left the room to grab dinner and then headed back to the tailor shop to place the order. The woman was like a fucking car salesmen with the way talked me into buying cotton to lace the inside of my silk clothes. Ha, I didn’t think of that to be honest.

But if it gets cold, I would surely freeze to death if it was just normally speaking. So I lost a couple taels of silver to this woman yet again.

Three days later, I want to register at the Mercenary guild so I could take escort missions. I walked into the rowdy place and flashed my badge from the Dragon unit. The clerk smiled and quickly filled out my paperwork, giving me the name of Fire Lotus, due to the petals drifting from under my feet as I walked.

A habit that I didn’t try to continue but it happened due to practicing it constantly.

Because I was so new, I was giving relatively easier simple reputation building missions. Which was fine, escorting caravan was my goal and it was even better to escort a family group to the other city.

**

Next morning, I bought a mount, a silverback wolf that towered over my tiny frame. The little bastard even had the nerve to growl at me until I flick its snout and flare my aura at it. Now, bish was as obedient as a domesticated cat.

I rode it out to meet the employers. A little old man with a grey beard and two kids that were older than me but look more weak in comparison. They had a convoy of three carriages and two wagons covered with canvas.

They had their own guard routine of about ten men under core formation and three in Golden Core. The old man himself was also a Golden core. The two kids were merely early stage core formation or body tempering.

I didn’t pay much attention to their auras.

The old man walked over to me with his purse in hand.

“This is half up front. We will leave after the next person arrives.” He passed it over and turned and left.

I slipped it into the saddle bag and ran my fingers through the soft black fur around my wolf ears.

I could feel its agitation but I ignored it.

Ten minutes later, a woman came riding on a majestic steed that put mine to shame. Well, it was a very large grey color rhino drake. I think they had drakes in their names because of their ability to breath fire but it looked entirely like a rhino to me, even had the horn on the nose.

The old man passed the purse to the woman who studied everybody. Then he got into one of the carriages and his soldiers lined up on both sides.

We began our journey, to the west, eheh.

My ride was pretty smooth and with nothing to do but keep up a shield to block dust from slapping me in the face, I cultivated.

The sun dipped below the heavens and the convoy pulled off the main road. We had plenty of open country between us and the forest up ahead. I didn’t think these guys would get attacked here but their goal lied in going to beast lands a great distance from here and thus. I expected them to get attacked on the way back when they were loaded with materials and tired.

I quickly sat up my sleeping bag beside the campfire, using my knowledge of preparing non-microwavable dishes to whip up a simple stir-fry dish. I only roasted some meat for my wolf which it was happy to eat.

Like this, my journey to the west took place. Simple walks, simple camps, no drama, no conflict.

I was able to practice and reach eight stages of golden core before we hit the mountainous lands where the beast was so fierce they could gobble a man in one bite before you could blink. Gone the next second as if you just dreamed of having someone there beside you.

I rubbed my palms together, perfect chance to practice my new ability, Ethereal Heart. It would consolidate the heat in your body to form a hand which would grab and crush your heart. Sinister move but it sounds awesome all the same.

First night we camped outside of the region. The old man walked to us two outsiders with friendly smiles.

“If we encounter any fierce beast above our level, I hope you two can assist. You can split the beast between each other.”

The girl nodded and I tilted my bamboo hat, my crimson gold eyes causing the old man to shiver slightly.

I knew from being around General Zhou that I am what he refers to as someone with a special body and bloodline. My technique didn’t change me but awaken my bloodline which was why even with an incomplete demonic scripture I was progressing faster than other commoners.

As long as I had cultivated any fire arts, I would have risen through the ranks like a god. So I had a little understanding of why I was different but I have also seen demonic entities that went from Demon Beast to Demon humans and we look similar. Except the coloring of my skin, we were similar that is.

Next morning, they left a few guards to guard their carriages and wagons.. Well a few being eight out of ten.

The woman left her rhino drake as it could not maneuver through the trees or rocky landscape. My wolf on the other hand, hahaha, didn’t have such a problem. Plus it was merely peak stage core formation, not all that impressive.

The two kids looked eager but I was the same when I did my little one year becoming a man. I guess I couldn’t judge all that much.

The kids fought with the wild beast that attacked in groups and I watched them put up a decent fight. Movements are a little too showy and at moments they overextended for kills but miss due to their prey being smarter.

However, under the old man's guidance, they were dropping a lot of that naivety.

Of course, I gotta practice my Ethereal Heart. Enjoying the moment a beast goes in for the kill but paused in pain. Cough, in pain because I missed the heart and crushed or burnt some other organ.

It’s no surprise that it was hard to put into practical application. There was actually no need for us to really show up, the strongest fierce beast that came was peak stage Golden Core wolf leader, it died to wave a sleeve from the woman.

Under the old man's lead, they witnessed many grueling fights and it was easy to tell that while the two kids were improving, it wasn’t as intimidating as it was for me. Who had no one to rely on at worse, my father might have walked out the shadows to take my corpse home.

For instance, the eldest young man wielded his sword with flaws. His art was flashy but it was only initial mastery. When he attacked a group of wolves split by the old man, he would always attack first with the flashiest move that made him show the most mistakes.

It could be because it was his strongest or best looking move. However, it wasn’t all that impressive to me.

The thing is that he attacked without measuring his qi output, he came close to being off many times if he had not had us to protect him.

The girl.. Well could be a male that looks like a girl, attack using a bow behind a guard. While the guard only blocked and defended, the girl-boy was putting arrows just about anywhere. Not aiming for vitals.

Even though the old man taught them well, by the time we left, they were seeking vital shots after wearing down their opponents. Their skills improved but not enough to say that it is a world of differences.

When we got back to the campsite, the old man turned to me and the woman with a weird look.

“I hope you don’t mind doing me a favor? We need beast cores of late stage golden cores for some of our alchemist pills. Me and my best guards will be going out to seek them out. I wish to ask can one of you assist us with collecting cores? We will pay you extra for it and you can keep the rest of the beast?”

The woman snorted, “I’ll defend the camp. You go help them.”

I wasn’t going to argue, that was my plan all along.