Heavenly Shae

Chapter 11: "Stall Tactics."

Shae awoke outside, under the bright warm midday sun. She smiled until a chill breeze broke the peace and reminded her it was autumn.

She examined herself, parts of her were sore, but not overly. Dressed in travel robes, bundled and layered to guard against the wind. Her body felt fresh and well rested. She felt the soreness within her qi channels, especially on her right side.

"Kicking me out already?" She asked the old monster sitting across the campfire.

"Hmff, that obvious, am I?" He grumbled.

"The travel clothes were a dead giveaway. Speaking of, I can't believe you dressed me. Again!"

"Pff." He waved a hand dismissively. "A parent does not think anything of dressing a child."

"So you're my parent now? Surely great-grandparent, at least?"

He scoffed again. "Too many greats for you to acknowledge. Ancient ancestor, if anything, no telling who's gotten my blood by now." A smirk touched his lips, then he shook his head. "And you needed new clothes, that last blast discharged a considerable amount of impurities. You should be thankful I didn't leave you in that soup."

"Bleh, gross." She stuck out her tongue in disgust, then sighed. "Does this mean it's time for the talk?"

"Preferably. If you are ready."

"I thought you were patient?"

"Yes. While I was concerned for a friend's well being, it was quite easy to wait. Now? I'm finding it difficult."

She smiled at 'friend' and chose not to tease him about that. "Hrm, I would have liked to rest in a real bed for a bit longer. I can't believe you had that in there the whole time and never invited me in!" She said in mock outrage, which was fueled by real indignation.

He smirked again, but quickly returned to stoic. "I find it valuable to keep sect affairs and my little mortal dealings separate. Much like how we will now have this discussion outside again."

"Ah yes, this little mortal discussion."

"I do believe you said it yourself that this was mortal knowledge. Though, speaking of sect matters; there are two letters for you to deliver to the sect, on the bench there." He gestured to the workbench. "The first is an introduction and list of what you require in the short term. A recommendation from me for your entrance into the sect. Standard introduction, no strings attached. The second should only be delivered in the event something dramatic happens to me after our talk. Specifically, the non-enlightenment kind of drama."

"Hmmm, details on how best to punish me for my insolence?" Shae joked.

"Heh, no. I truly believe that neither letter will greatly impact your fate. That is why I am freely able to give them to you. Do be cautious of such ties between cultivators. Strings of karma, and what-not." He smiled at the end, enjoying his own flippant tone.

"And your sect, is it a good one?"

"As good as most. But I will not try to sell you on it, ask those you meet in your travels. And feel no requirement to join my sect. Choose another, if you prefer."

"Did, uh, you tell me its name?" She grimaced.

"Bha-ha-ha!" He loudly burst into laughter. "No, I suppose I did not. Hah-ha, or only as part of that grand introductory speech that you were only half conscious of." He gasped one last breath of laughter then calmed himself. "It is the Honorable Dragon's Entreaty sect."

Shae paused schooling her expression. "Oh, that's good that I asked. Best I could remember, it was the Horrible Dragon's Retreat." The sect elder looked horrified. "Or was it the Adorable Dragon's Treat?" She couldn't resist a snicker.

The old man relaxed his horror. "Ah. Yes. haw-haw. Do get it out of your system now. They don't take kindly to such jests within the sect." He shook his head once, hiding a grin.

Shae continued to giggle to herself.

"I am glad to see you in high spirits. I was worried your tribulation had tempered your jovial spirit."

"Hmm, being hostage to a bit of lightning does have that effect, or hostage to anything. And it's nice to be outdoors again." She looked around. "Are you sending me away with just the clothes? Am I to eat and drink your letters?"

He shook his head. "A travel pack is behind the bench. You saw the road ahead too quickly. Mind yourself well out there, you are a cultivator now. While you may not feel it yet, you are much more capable than any mortal. And you represent more than just one young girl. Choose your words wisely, and your wars wisely-er."

Shae paused then burst into laughter. "Whaahahaha! What was that?"

He smiled smugly, "Some wise words strike the soul harder when they are worded unwisely. My mentor told me that one. And I thought you would like it."

"Bahaha! It was great! Thanks." She wiped a tear from an eye. As she calmed down, she started fidgeting with her hands. "Oh, hey, what's with my skin? Why is my nice tan missing?"

"Ah, I was wondering if you would ask. The cleansing process, especially when uncontrolled and fueled by divine qi, removes all defects and stains, in addition to qi impurities. So yes, it has made your skin as clear and white as good jade. So they like to say."

"Melanin is an impurity now? That's weird, are my eyes and hair going to turn white too? Wonder what other natural compounds count." She sarcastically complained.

"Uh, melanin? I'm not familiar with that, but from context, no I think it depends on the natural state of something. Technically, tanning comes about due to skin damage. So, it follows..." He waved a hand in a circle, knowing she could follow the logic.

"Hmmm, very suspicious. Also, that sucks, I wanna be buff and tanned!" She whined with forced petulance. "Can I get tan again, at least?"

The old monster exhaled and rolled his eyes to signal his exhaustion with the subject of conversation.

Shae ignored him. "What about people that just have darker skin? Do they turn white too? Is heaven racist?"

"Do be careful what you say about heaven. While you probably won't summon another tribulation, it might make the next one even more difficult, they tend to do that on their own, but still. As for skin shade, there are many darker cultivators around the world. And even some in unnatural shades. Alchemists have been spending centuries perfecting all kinds of pills and ointments for physical appearance."

"Ooo! Could I get neon pink hair!"

"Not sure what neon means, but yes, probably. However, if vanity is your goal, most young cultivators in this region prize jade white skin and long dark hair. In all genders. A bit bland if you ask me, but these trends come and go... and this conversation has grown very mundane and tedious. Are you stalling?"

"Hwaaaaa," she exhaled. "Yea, I guess I am. But I was also really enjoying the casual conversation. It was a bit stuffy, the last few weeks inside." She paused and hummed. "How long was it anyway? A month like you thought?"

"A little over three weeks, three and a day, I believe. You sped things up quite a bit with your wasteful little trick." He frowned and shook his head in regret.

"Wasteful? How so?"

"That much heavenly lightning qi? You could have cleansed all your skin just with what was in your arm. Your leg could have done most of your muscles or organs." He shook his head, again.

"And you think I wasted it? I still have it, you know? In my Dantian."

"Huh? You're kidding." He stood and walked over to peer at her torso.

She felt a wave of qi pass through her, and flinched away. "Hey, some warning please!"

"Hmm, you still feel hollow as you did before. Do you truly have it? All of it?"

"Well, not all, all. What was left in my arm went into the formations, just into the lines, no symbols formed. That did feel wasteful, and dangerous, so I ate the rest when it arced to my Dantian."

"Ate the rest? Absorbed or embraced would be more correct terms, if you did get it to stay in there. Hm, yes, did you tame it? Are you full of controlled bolts of divine lightning now?"

"Not bolts, no. Last I remember, I changed it somehow, it's all clouds and light now. Calm before the storm maybe?"

"Hmmm... well it will be interesting to see if you can use it. Perhaps, hold off on trying to do too much until you have an advisor, specifically one that knows something of heavenly qi. Until then, get some dirt on you and you could still pass for mortal. Even to early cultivators. That formation must be blocking simple qi scans. Though, I suspect it should be capable of more, given its size."

Shae smiled warmly. "Ahh, that's good to hear, I don't think I could handle all the bowing and scraping from mortals."

"Hah! Listen to you!" He chuckled. "Most will not be so needlessly respectful if you don't have a sect backing you. And probably for the better since your training has been so lax." Shae gave half a frown but didn't refute him. "Oh, but you should spend time getting used to your new body, a great thing to do in your travels. Divine qi is said to do wonders to the physical form."

"New? Oh! Am I going to be super strong and fast."

"Compared to mortals, you already should be, some just from the tempering."

"Huh? I don't feel any different." She frowned.

"Have you had a chance to truly test yourself against anything? Really push yourself?"

"Oh. Right, not at all." She stood up, and hopped a little, amping herself up and shaking out her hands.

"Um-" He hesitated.

Shae crouched and jumped. Not super high, she didn't give it all her strength. Which was good because she didn't jump straight up. Her right leg pushed much harder than she expected. So, she immediately tipped to her left and was almost sideways by the time the old monster caught her.

"As I was about to say, your fully cleansed limbs are likely to be stronger than the others, so be careful."

She coughed, trying to disguise her embarrassment. "Of course."

Seeing an opening, the old monster struck. "So, ready to have that talk?"

"Yes! Whatever gets this conversation far from what just happened, yes!" She fake coughed again. "Right, so, the talk. Well, you see, when young girls and boys grow to a certain age, their bodies begin to change in strange and sometimes uncomfortable ways..." She trailed off, trying to only smirk to cover the overly smug grin she felt trying to show itself.

The old monster's expression went through a rainbow of expressions before settling on disappointment, he rolled his eyes and walked back to his seat by the fire. "Thank you for yet another joke at my expense."

"Awww, come on. I thought of that one like ten minutes ago and just had to use it." Shae walked back to her seat as well. She frowned at him. "Moping? That really doesn't suit you."

He frowned at the fire while poking it with her stick, aimlessly shifting the coals around. Well, at least he learns, she thought, everyone needs a fire poking stick.

He spoke with clear frustration in his voice. "I don't expect you to fully understand, how could you. But, I have been waiting for months. Yes, I am patient, I have been waiting lifetimes for something like this. Yet, it has been months of being drip fed water in a desert. Just waiting for that last piece to bring it all together, to turn it all into gold." He sighed loudly.

Shae frowned intensely at him from across the fire. Enough that he shifted in discomfort without looking at her. After a few breaths of silence, he looked up at her frown, and was taken aback slightly. "Wh- What?"

"Seriously? Drops in the desert? You old fool. I have been pouring liters- pitchers and barrels of water down your dry-assed gullet and you simply refuse to swallow." She stood and sternly yelled at him. "You think this has all just been leading up to one grand enlightenment? You have been discarding everything I throw at you since day one. 'ooh I don't think this fits my Dao, I don't know what to do with this information'-Shut-up! I'm yelling at you now. You didn't tell me what your Dao was, you didn't tell me what you needed. So, I gave you a lake full of water. Pure, clear, and true. All you had to do was drink. Years of biology and natural sciences lectures distilled into the nectar of knowledge because I thought you could handle it. I thought you could keep up. And now this! Now I find out you have been waiting for that one miraculous piece of knowledge that is itself a drop of immortality. This whole time!" She gasped for breath. "Has adaptation, how creatures and plants change over generations, has that been your Dao this whole time?"

As soon as she had stopped him from replying, he had schooled his features back into that stoic emotionless old monster. The one that wouldn't laugh at a joke about his worst enemy. He didn't respond, he didn't have to, the fact he didn't deny it spoke enough.

"It is then." She shook her head then looked off into the forest, she had begun pacing during her rant. "If it was that simple, I could have told you months ago. I could have broken your little hopes and dreams in the middle of the summer and been long gone." She kicked a clump of grass. It fully broke off a fist sized chunk of dirt and went soaring into the forest like she hit it with a golf club. "Oh shit!" She quietly marveled to herself, nearly breaking out of her anger. She had been playing into the drama a bit, so it was easily crumpled.

"Well, do it then. Crush me with your supposed disappointment. Then leave and let me drown in my memories of your magnanimous knowledge." He said grumpily, returning his frown to the fire.

Her rage sparked again, but she looked back at him before opening her mouth to yell. 'Could she do it?' she asked herself, 'Could she ruin this old man, would she? Would her simple explanations backfire somehow, just as she feared?'. She felt silly being so afraid of something when she didn't know if it was even possible.

She inhaled deeply, and exhaled the anger. It didn't quite work. She tried again, but pulled on the comfort of the fire, like she had when cultivating. And pulled on a little bit of the calm divinity within her Dantian. Both came to her, and she was filled with a sense of peace and warmth like none other, just enough to push back the anger. It let her see the situation with a clear mind.

That little pulse of energy got the old monster's attention, too. He raised his head to stare, surprised now, instead of morose and self pitying.

She walked to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Not like this. I don't want to do this angry, with hatred. You were an ass once, a terrible teacher, but you have been much kinder of late. Even if it is for selfish reasons I can't spit in the face of that. Earlier, when I first woke up, you called me a friend, did you mean that?"

His face twitched into a smile briefly. "Of course. It is hard to not think of you as a friend, after sharing so much knowledge, and time caring for you like a student this past month. Regardless of the specific reasons."

"Then let me help you with this. Let me truly help you instead of fighting and making you follow me through the dark." She sat beside him, and when he didn't object, began her lecture. "Adaptation, the absurdly slow change to creatures and plants, to better suit their environment, we call that evolution." And once again, the word thrummed with power. It was trapped just between the two of them, but it was as strong as that first day.