Heavenly Shae

Aside 1: "Numb"

(Chapter 7.9)

The old man stood in the doorway to the small room. A lone bed and nightstand. A sleeping girl, heavily bandaged, lay on the bed. She was probably about 15, just beyond the far too early age where children were considered adults in this empire.

She was fairly average as young peasant girls went, black hair, tanned skin from hours out in the sun all day. Features that another place would call Asian, yet they would be unable to place exactly where, Asia was quite large, their people quite varied. This empire wasn't even remotely theirs, and this empire's people were equally varied.

The old man had been forced to dress the poor girl, her clothes having been burnt along her whole right half, the rest not being particularly useful or sanitary for proper recovery. He didn't find it to be a particular bother, nor did he enjoy it. He was far too old for such simple events to impact him personally. Some would say it reflects on his maturity, he would say he is numb.

Using a large portion of his reserved healing talismans, however, was a bother. They were not notably expensive, but cultivators rarely made them. Pills were more useful for them, of more general use. While healing talismans needed to be applied specifically to the injury. Yet the talismans were much safer for use on mortals. As they could not process pills when unconscious.

Because he had made it a habit to rescue nearby mortals, he had a reserve of the qi infused paper and cloth. He had enough to heal a few more mortals, but many had been gifts, small tokens of sentiment from students in the past. The talismans were an easy training tool for new talisman and formation students. Then they became common gifts from his many descendants, when they learned he could use them. This, of course, only raised their sentimental value.

Thinking of the tribulation. He was certain the first lightning strike, yes even the warning strike, would have been lethal. Yet, the girl was resourceful. Guarding herself with improvised tools and alchemical concoctions. Sure, he understood the theory of what she had done. The fact that it had worked was what surprised him. Heavenly lightning didn't play fair.

He had stabilized her quickly, yet she remained unconscious, teetering on the edge of recovery. Only once during that first day did her breathing stop, her lungs or nerves too shocked to function. Lucky then, that he had caught it in time. He had been in the room for most of the first day, augmenting and fine tuning the formations.

He had been correct in his flippant comment of examining her afterwards. The divine threads of gold lightning were working wonders on her body. They had completed months or years of cleansing in mere days. Yet, there was something off, but not by enough for him to diagnose clearly. He was no physician, especially not of the soul or cultivation. So, he could only guess at what was occurring. He had to be content that he knew enough to help her recover at all.

The quickly modified formations changed the qi pressure of the room. Increasing it to just above the level of the upper mountain. It slowed the divine qi down, forced it to work against the pressure instead of rampaging through her body. Somehow, her tempering had borne surprising fruit, she wasn't being spiritually crushed by the pressure. Perhaps the lightning had pushed that forward as well.

She had briefly woken a few times after the fourth day. Enough for her to cough a bit then drink some water, not nearly enough, but some. Her eyes were clearly unfocused, and she didn't respond to words that day, or the next three times.

He noticed her eyes had changed. Small flecks of gold added to the dark brown. He thought it gave them a fitting depth. Her sharp pupils had always stood out against the dark brown. Now they seemed like pits, hiding depths far beyond what a mortal child should bear. Perhaps they were like that before, and he just hadn't seen it. He thought the gold was an excellent accent, though. Adding something unique to her appearance.

Today was the eighth day. Ninth might have been more auspicious, given the number of strikes, yet eight was still considered a lucky number by most of the empire's mortals.

Her breathing changed, becoming more rapid. Then she coughed and gagged up some phlegm, spitting it over the side of the bed and trying to wipe her mouth with her right sleeve, getting bandages instead.

"Good news, then!" He declared, "You're alive, and finally conscious." He could tell it was more than the usual autonomous actions. A spark of hope flared in his eye.

"Ugh, alive and... hungover?" She tried to say, it was fairly garbled by her dehydrated mouth and throat. "But what's the good news then?"

Chapter 8: "My House, My Rules."

Shae flopped back into her bed and asked, "Whose roof is this?" Her stomach sloshed with enough water to make her queasy.

"My roof." The old monster said. "Technically the sect's roof, the whole inside of the mountain is sect property. Another reason why you haven't been allowed in here."

"Ughhh." She groaned, not from what he said, just in general discomfort.

"Which reminds me. You need to remember our lessons in proper forms of address. On sect grounds I cannot allow your usual disrespect."

"Uuuggghhh."

"Uuuggghhh, who? Title and name if you would, Miss Shae."

"Uhhhggmm, Senior?" She saw him shake his head, "Elder... uh, guy-who-told-me-his-name-once-while-I-was-half-conscious-and-expects-me-to-remember-it?"

He looked a little perturbed by that. "Senior is incorrect because you are not a member of the sect, Elder is appropriate because I am older or because you know my cultivation stage is core or above. For others, Cultivator is fine until they tell you otherwise." He swallowed grimly as he processed the rest of her statement. "To introduce myself properly, I am Sect Elder Ghon Fixiu. Which I expect you will have no problem remembering, now."

"Ugh, still mortal memory up here." She paused for only a blink. "-Elder Fixiu."

"Not anymore, Miss Shae."

"Huh? Oh crap did I die? Is this hell?"

"I think you mean, 'Is this hell, Elder Ghon?' and no, it is not." He corrected. "You have pushed slightly beyond the mortal coil and joined the ranks of cultivators, congratulations. You can expect probably another ten years of lifespan, assuming you stop standing in lightning."

"Huu-ugh. Is it supposed to hurt this much, Elder Fixiu?"

"After a tribulation? Yes. And though we might not have covered it, using family names is more appropriate for respectful address, so Elder Ghon is preferred."

"Huh, right, I forget sometimes, it's kind of backwards back home... way back home. Oh, should you be calling me Shae then? That isn't my family name. Elder Ghon." She lifted her arm from above her eyes to catch his expression, which did not disappoint.

For the first time in many years, Elder Ghon managed a slight blush. "Well, it seems we have both been lacking in propriety. Please forgive my ignorance, miss...?"

"Hmmm, honestly Miss Shae is fine, I kind of like it now." She smirked at his response and dropped her arm back over her eyes, blocking out the migraine inducing lights. "If that is alright with you, Elder Ghon?"

He cleared his throat quietly, "Yes, Miss Shae, I would be comfortable with that at this point. However, I do plan to send a letter with you when you leave for the sect, and will need your full name for that."

"Hmmm-oh! It is Zhi Chen-Ai, but please, Elder, call me Shae, it's much more nostalgic." She groaned again as she realized he might not, and rolled over to escape.

"Well, Junior Zhi, you could take a cultivator name, may I suggest Heavenly Shae?"

"Aagh, why that? Elder Ghon." She groaned into the pillow.

"Because you have been blessed by heavenly lightning, I can't be certain, but I am sure it will come out in your complexion when you process it properly."

"Can I die of embarrassment now instead? Seems quicker."

He chuckled, "Haha, if you prefer, many female cultivators use the title Fairy."

"No. That is definitely worse." Shae declared, and firmly decided not to let anyone ever call her that. "Uh, Elder Ghon. What is this noxious black goo leaking out of my arm?"

"Ah, so it has started again." He stepped over to her right side. "This is the result of qi cleansing, the impurities are being removed from your body and are sweating out from your skin, sort of."

"Um, how? I'm not really doing anything, I think? and what do you mean by sort of? Elder Ghon."

"It is true that you are not doing anything, which I would doubt if not for the fact I know you have not cultivated at all yet. But the divine lightning, the gold sparks during the tribulation, it is acting on its own, coursing through your system and cleansing it for you."

"That, sounds good?"

"Hmm, yes, in a way. It would be a huge boon to any early stage cultivator, moreso since they could direct it and have it flow according to their manual. For you? I am not so sure. Dangerous only describes the beginnings of my worry. Junior Zhi, you will need to learn to cultivate, and quickly. So that you can direct the qi more intentionally, and prevent damage."

"Oh." She said, and stared blankly at her arm. The black goo had seeped through her bandages in a couple spots, mostly near her shoulder.

"By sort of... well, do you recall that book on meridians? The impurities are not always removed directly, they could be flowing out your qi channels, which isn't ideal. I believe it is mostly using your body, however. Due to your tempering being almost complete before the tribulation. The damage from the lightning seems to have pushed you past the need for more tempering, and even moved you into the cleansing stage. This is what I meant when I called you a cultivator. And one of the very few in all history, if not the only, to have completely skipped any form of qi gathering."

"Huh, why do I feel like that is a bad thing?" Shae absently thought out loud.

He wobbled his hand to indicate uncertainty, though she wasn't looking at him. "You will have much more work ahead of you to master control, finesse. Special practice techniques will need to be assigned. Mostly at the sect, though I might have a few here for you. As I said, you need to get a grasp of that divine qi so it doesn't... uh, well I'm not entirely sure what it might do. Let's assume we don't want it doing just anything it likes inside you."

"Ugh, when can we get started?" She groaned sarcastically, then added "Elder Ghon." in a clear and normal tone.

"Heh, you need much more rest for now, Miss Shae. You haven't even asked for any food yet."

"Ugh! Food!" She turned over, but he had already walked out. "Food!" She called. "Elder Ghon, food please!" Then she collapsed back into the bed with a wave of fatigue, nearly falling asleep right then.

Shae slowly drank the thin rice soup that the old monster had served her. He had insisted she couldn't eat anything solid for a day or two because she had been starving the past week. Her hunger disagreed, but the soup was all that was within reach.

"You're going to miss the harvest festival, and thus the spirit root testing." He stated flatly, from a chair at her bedside. He sipped at a minty tea whose aroma filled the air. She really wanted to taste it.

"Oh? You've decided to keep me here longer, Elder?"

"Not my choice. Nothing so selfish, I assure you." He raised a hand to forestall any argument. "The festival itself should be this week, a tight timeline for you to travel directly there. But the testing would take longer, those involved might stay another week. However, You will be here recovering for closer to a month."

Shae grimaced at that, staring at the soup that might torture her for another month. She flexed her bandaged arm, it was a little stiff, but hardly in pain. "I don't feel that bad? Will it really take so long, Elder Ghon?" She tried for an innocent pleading look.

He closed his eyes in response, the strongest defense! "Physically you may be up and about much sooner. I used a number of talismans to heal your injuries, so that is not the issue. Rather your unique cultivation situation will be the major delay. As it stands you are confined to this room-"

"What!" She shouted and he cracked an eyelid open to glare at her. "Err. What, Elder Ghon?"

"-because the formations are keeping you stable. Outside this room, the divine lightning still in your system will run its course in a very painful fashion. It may be the faster option, but I am unsure of the consequences."

"Oh." She simply said and he nodded in agreement.

"With that in mind, we should start your qi control practice as soon as possible."

"Uh, Elder, didn't you- er, weren't there reasons not to?"

"Certainly, and now you don't have the luxury of waiting, so the sooner the better. While you finish the soup I'll walk you through the steps for first making contact with qi. We will have to modify the process to only be on the left side of your body, so you don't accidentally touch the divine qi, of course."

Shae nodded and tipped the soup bowl up to her lips to drink it faster. He quirked an eyebrow. "Ready!" She said, before he had even started explaining the process to her.

"Hrmm. I hope you can keep that down."

"Mhm!" She squirmed and nodded.

Qi control was, as best as Shae could compare it, like riding a bike. In that, if you have never ridden a bike before, it was actually quite difficult. Balancing yourself on the bike, with multiple contact points that can shift and move. Your arms performing a second balancing act, in concert with the first, to steer the bike. While your legs constantly move and apply just enough force to move the pedals without additionally shifting your weight upon the bike and disturbing your balance.

Even once she got some traction moving the qi, the bike metaphor cropped up again within her mind. It wasn't enough to simply move the qi, or pedal the bike. You needed somewhere to go. Someplace to move the qi to, and be aware enough of your surroundings to navigate them without falling off the bike, or losing hold of the qi.

Elder Ghon Fixiu assured her that this process was easier than it could be, because the qi was restricted to her body, to within her qi channels. For now she mostly just needed to slowly push the qi through these channels which would give her a natural understanding of their shape and flow.

"Ugh, this is frustrating, Elder. It's like trying to move a boulder far too large for me. I can tell I am pushing on it but it won't budge. And if I grab at less qi, it is like grasping air, then I slip and fall, unable to tell if I've moved what I grabbed."

"Yes, quite an excellent description. I may have to start journaling your metaphors, with your permission, of course."

She glared at him, but he didn't flinch. Grumbling, she said "Assuming that is not a joke, do as you like, Elder Ghon."

"Thank you. Now, to address your concern. This is likely due to the high qi density in the room. As I said months ago, practicing in this environment can be good for power, moving the large boulder, but is quite detrimental to finesse, grabbing at the air."

"But there's no in between!" She cried in exasperation, "Elder, surely there should be a middle ground, right?"

He wobbled a flat hand back and forth. "Outside the mountain, yes, there would be more gradient. Here, the qi belongs to the mountain, almost all of it. To grab any of it, is to grab all of it. Well, not all." He sketched a square in the air with a finger. "All within a small box, let's say. Most of the qi in the box is the mountain's, so you must grab all of it. The little that is left, the air, only in the corners, or the gaps between the boulders, is the only other option, and is too little for you as of now."

"That..." Shae started, "is actually a very helpful explanation. Thank you, Elder Ghon." She bowed as best she could from her bed.

He waved a dismissive hand, "You started that metaphor, but I will add it to the journal. Honestly it fits distressingly well in this situation as the mountain's qi is earth based, and the opposing element would be air. But try it again, would you?"

"Hmmm." She hummed in thought. "If... if the air is too little for me to grasp, can we add more air?"

"Huh." The elder tilted his head and grew contemplative.

"Err, Elder Ghon, I mean." She added, but the old man didn't seem to register her words.

He raised a hand to his chin and scratched while talking to himself. "Yes, it could work, should really. And with a specific element... but which... not earth of course, metal is too close, and it and water could interact with the lightning... so fire or air.." He looked up at Shae, a spark of something in his eyes. "Well, Miss Shae, your metaphor was almost prophetic, perhaps you should investigate divination in the future."

Feeling the awkward silence, she spoke up "Umm, thanks? Elder?"

"Ah, yes, so more air, more unclaimed qi should be just the thing." He stood and began some busywork around the room. "Neutral qi could work, but the mountain will also try to grab at it, if slowly. The formations should manage the pressure for us, so I will just need to inject more within this room. As I said, air or fire would be the best, your choice."

"Uhh.. would fire, hurt? or just be warm?" Shae asked cautiously.

"Hmmm, sometimes there is a feeling people associate with the elements, so some sensation of warmth is likely if you are expecting it. It may even feel hot or painful depending on your sensitivity." He replied without looking back, he was doing something along the wall, then grabbed something out of seemingly nowhere. Two small green stones appearing.

"Uh, let's go with air, then."

He hummed agreement and moved to sit close on Shae's left side. The two green jade stones in either hand, he placed one on her wrist and the other at her elbow. "Now, I shall attempt to inject air qi with one of these stones. When you sense it, try to move it towards the other stone and push it out. Ready?"

"Eh. Yes."

"Yes, who?"

"Ah! Yes, Elder Ghon, I'm ready."

Technically, she wasn't ready. She needed to meditate to properly sense and interact with the qi, but the old monster remained silent and waited patiently as she calmed her breathing, settling into the bed and relaxing. She allowed the thoughts still stuck in her mind to drift freely, not dwelling on them, and not resisting them. They settled as well, drifting into memory for later, or out of mind completely. As she calmed, she tried to focus her senses on her left side, and her arm specifically.

When she had focused too much on her right side. Small shocks and synesthesia like flashes of light were all she could sense. Whereas her left side was like a dull gray field. Boring, but exactly what she expected it to be.

She felt the cool touch of the two jade stones on her skin, their exact position a blur. One near her elbow and the other near her wrist. No sparkling brilliant white or chill winter wind cut into either joint. She felt very little at both locations.

Eventually, as she drifted deeper into the meditation, and her focus sharpened to just her arm. She felt the old monsters breathing. A light gust across her skin, out from the exhale, then back again for the inhale. Naturally her own breathing shifted to match it, but it wasn't a conscious choice on her part. Slowly the breathing wind intensified, stronger and stronger drafts of air across her skin.

She almost broke from her meditation when she realized it. That wasn't the Elder's breathing, but the qi he was injecting. He must be moving it in and out again for her to feel it easier. She grabbed at it, and nothing happened. That feeling of slipping and falling instead of grabbing onto it. She stopped and waited for another breath, calming down a fraction. As the qi was 'exhaled' from the old man, she grabbed at it, pulling it along, a faint hint, a slight tug back as the old man shifted to 'inhale'. She had felt it.

Then she remembered her qi channels. She couldn't just pull it into her, she had to move it along the channels, to the other stone at her elbow. Ah, yes! It was entering at her wrist. She waited for the next breath, as it came in she moved it along, until... It stopped and was gone. Then his inhale started, she felt some qi move back to her wrist and disappear, and some leaked out her elbow, but less than there should be. She tried again, and again. With the same results. Mixing the timing up only had worse results, if she grabbed at it later it moved less and still stalled at the switch from exhale to inhale. She was growing frustrated.

A tap on her shoulder brought her out. As slow as the meditation was to start, it ended very quickly. Her eyes fluttered open and the old man had a wry smile for her.

"Progress, I think. You were moving some of it. But if I had to guess, you had a certain idea about the qi?"

"Uhmmm... an idea? What do you mean, Elder?"

"Hmmm, you had a certain thought about it. Were treating it a certain way.. ah well, if that doesn't make sense, tell me what it felt like."

"It was... thin.. like there wasn't much to grab," he waved a finger at her, making circular motions, 'Eh? Before? Hmm... well to start. I didn't notice it. There was just a draft, I thought it was your breathing on my arm-"

"Ah! Yes, that is it then. I did notice that your breathing synced up to it, which is when I started moving more qi. Breath, that was the idea you had about it." He nodded to himself, not seeing if she agreed. "All aspected qi, elemental or otherwise, has unique features, small idiosyncrasies in its behavior. Air qi is quite fickle, it must remain in motion, wind qi might be a better name but air is still what we call it. Breath, on the other hand, has two parts, exhale and inhale, between them, nothing. So by treating it that way, there is a gap in your access to it. If you imagine, even accidentally, that the breathing has stopped, or switched, you cannot move the air qi anymore. Yes, this matches exactly what I was sensing from my side. And it is a common early mistake, so nothing to be ashamed of."

Shae frowned and thought. "So, I need to... hmm, not think of it that way?"

He patted her shoulder. "There are many solutions to this kind of problem, as there are many paths to thought. We shall take a break for now, rest and relax. If you are stuck on it, there is probably still some air qi in your arm, I don't think I removed it all while you were moving it around." He stood. "See if you can move it up to your shoulder, then down to your hand. And try to move away from the idea of breath. I'll return later and we can try again." He nodded and turned to leave.

Shae yawned, only now noticing her exhaustion. "Yaaahh-oom. Hmm, Thank you, Elder Ghon." She relaxed to begin her meditation, and fell asleep instead.