Over a dozen dishes covered the table, ranging from Prickle-Back Boar meat said to improve a person’s constitution to Tri-Colored Wind Pheasant meant to revitalize and cleanse a cultivators organs. The restaurant was the fanciest place Liang had ever been and he was shocked the miserly old man was willing to spend so much on food.
Famed throughout the entirety of Xiamen City, The Crested Phoenix restaurant catered almost exclusively to the large sects and clans. However, somehow the old man was able to convince the waiter to provide them with a private room on the second floor, even skipping ahead of the large line that formed outside.
As he stuffed the food in his mouth rapidly, Liang thought about the torturous training from the night before. The old man attacked him with wind, fire, and stone elemental techniques from nearly 50 meters away and forced Liang to block while manifesting his own qi. There were almost no breaks and not a single part of his body was uninjured, but it was not without gain.
After nearly eight hours of constant battle, he was finally able to manifest qi attacks outside of his body. Although it was difficult at first, before the sun rose, his attacks were easily able to span the 50-meter distance between them. After he mastered qi blades sufficiently, the old man showed Liang how to create qi bursts, mines, and flashes. Each was more difficult than the last was but before they left the forest, Liang understood the basics and the old man handed him a rejuvenation pendant to wear.
It was a simple wooden disk connected to a leather rope, no different from the cheap necklaces worn by kids in the slums, but as the old man explained its purpose, Liang understood it was a treasure. The small pendant was a lifesaving device that once activated would heal any injuries on the body of the person bound to it. After he placed a drop of his blood in the center of the pendant, Liang was able to sense its bond to him and activating it was as simple as thinking of the injury he wanted healed.
The old man told him it was nothing more than a cheap workaround with limitations, but until he connected his cores, he would need to rely on external aids. With his near impenetrable armor and the pendant, Liang wondered if there was anyone capable of harming him in the tournament, but the old man told him a block of steel could not defeat an armed opponent. He was here to practice techniques, not die to the blade of a low-level disciple.
Injuries were common in tournaments, and in rare cases, death was possible. Every fighter who stepped on stage understood the risks but the old man said only idiots go into a fight without fully preparing for everything. Tournaments were tests of skill, not life and death battles. Though the old man’s words made sense, he still felt it took the suspense out of the fight, but he did not question him any further.
While he ruminated over his new skills, a knock came from the door to their room and the waiter announced that a Miss Xu was here to see them. The old man placed his teacup down and Liang swallowed the piece of Boar lodged in his throat before they both stood up.
After telling the waiter to let her in, Fairy Xu entered the room after a courteous bow and walked towards the seat opposite of Liang and the old man. However, when her two guards tried to enter the old man waved his right hand in their direction saying, “Excuse me, this is a private meeting between Fairy Xu and I, please wait outside.”
The guards protested claiming to be there for her safety but after rubbing his ring, he convinced the two she was safe with him and asked the waiter to bring them to a separate table to eat. When the two left without arguing any further, Fairy Xu’s eyes widened in surprise but Liang understood the old man somehow manipulated them using his ring.
With the waiter and the guards gone, the old man smiled briefly then asked, “Tell me Fairy Xu, why did you wish to meet with this old man? It cannot be that you are here to help me with my dilemma. I’ve already paid a widow but still haven’t cured the boy’s impotence. I couldn’t possibly ask the savior of my family to sacrifice further by bearing the children of my grandson.”
Liang started choking violently on his own saliva after hearing the old man’s words and he saw Fairy Xu’s eyes begin to twitch rapidly before she recovered. Once again, the old man stabbed him by calling him impotent in front of her, but now he was even floating the idea of her bearing his children once he cured him. The old man’s words were too much for him to handle and he wanted to run out of the room immediately and hide his face in shame.
However, Fairy Xu quickly recovered and replied, “Old man surely you jest. This fairy has taken a vow of celibacy and only wishes to follow the arts and learn of cultivation.” With a charming smile that would win over any man, she eased the tension and Liang felt his face turning back to its original color. He thanked her inwardly for being so open-minded but cursed the old man in his heart.
The old man loved to embarrass him and never missed an opportunity to dig his blade a little deeper. Thankfully, the awkward air did not linger for long and the old man continued asking her questions. “Then tell me Fairy Xu, why are you meeting with us here? It wouldn’t happen to be because of your guardian friends is it? You’re not in any trouble are you?”
Lifting his eyes from the pheasant on the table, Liang could tell the old man’s words landed hard but Fairy Xu denied it. “Of course this Fairy has always been surrounded by men who are too overprotective, but she has never found herself in a situation she could not get out of. I’m here for one reason old man; I want to know how you cured your grandson. He is your grandson correct?”
After taking another sip of tea, Liang could see the old man grew tired and broke free from the earlier pretenses. The fake smile on his face disappeared along with his polite words. Looking directly into her eyes the old man took a deep breath and lowered his voice saying, “Enough games little girl. What is it that you’re after? Are you asking if I healed the boy? Yes, I healed him, he was crippled and now he’s not. What’s it matter to you? Tell me the truth; are you just looking for a way out of a mess you made?”
Fairy Xu was motionless, but a wide grin slowly spread across her face at the old man’s words. Liang could tell the her mood completely changed and she playfully batted her eyes before asking, “Old man, this Fairy is indeed in quite a bit of trouble, would you please take pity and help your savior by defeating the bad men holding her captive?”
The old man erupted in laughter at her performance and responded to her act saying, “Little girl, you are far too young to seduce this old man. Over my life, I’ve plucked enough fairy wings to populate a forest. This old man would rather waste his days in the brothels than be caught up in fairy traps.”
Liang was surprised to see she was not angered and instead she only chuckled while serving herself some rice and a few pieces of pheasant meat. After taking a few bites she wiped her plump pink lips using a napkin and told the old man, “I don’t need your help, but I want to know how you cured him. Are you an alchemist? What type of pills did you create? What level are you?”
Unwittingly, Fairy Xu touched the old man’s reverse scale and the temperature in the room dropped instantly at her words. Liang understood it was not her fault, but she even asked the old man if he was an alchemist, causing his face to darken so much Liang thought it would suck the light from the room. He wanted to interrupt, but before he could say anything, the old man stood up and began to speak.
“Alchemist? Little girl, did you just call the great I an alchemist? A bunch of charlatans who run around selling dirt pills made from bad practices and misguided teachings. Did you just call this old man some street performer begging for scrap coins and rotten meat? Alchemist? Such a trash profession you fools look up to, I’ll tell you who’s an alchemist!”
Sighing deeply to himself, Liang stuffed a piece of fried Spotted Salamander in his mouth while the old man carried on. He spouted off names of fallen sects, heroes that took bad pills, and alchemists executed in imperial courts for treason and treachery. The list of names seemed endless and Liang started to tune him out.
Since joining with the old man he had heard numerous stories of alchemy failures and he never bothered saying anything back, however, Fairy Xu was different. Liang knew very little about alchemy but she had studied it for many years. Instead of a one sided beating, it became an argument over merits, processes, and resources.
For the time it takes to eat a meal neither one stopped but finally Fairy Xu grew tired and sat down. Liang saw her defeated posture and instantly felt sorry for her. In his opinion, it was not a fair fight. The old man was far more energetic than he looked and had built up a deep hatred of alchemists over thousands of years.
When the old man was satisfied he finished by saying, “And that’s why alchemists are nothing but a bunch of scam artists” before stuffing a steamed bun in his mouth. Fairy Xu’s face was flush from exhaustion and her once perfect hair tied in a bun had become frazzled and loose.
As she tided her appearance, the old man swallowed his food and asked why she was not with Wang Zi or wearing her robes. When they met her at the auction she walked with pride and displayed the Warring Crane crest for all to see, but now, she wore simple black robes better suited for hiding than standing out. They were both curious when they met at the arena, but neither had asked her.
After taking out a small mirror to check her appearance, she told them about the three-sect competition, the Warring Crane Sect’s plans to pair her with Wang Zi, and her escape that led to her current situation. Her answers to some of his questions seemed vague but the old man did not press deeper, instead turning his attention towards the future.
“So what’s your plan little girl? How are you going to escape from this mess you’ve made?” Liang wondered the same but she did not look very concerned. After checking in the mirror that her hair was back in place, she patted the napkin on her neck and laughed asking if the old man planned to inform her guards, to which he simply shook his head and chuckled.
Pouring herself another cup of tea she told him, “I’m trying to contact a rival sect elder and become their disciple. Once I join a sect, I won’t need to worry about the Huang Clan or Young Master Yun. The two sects I’m interested in have grandmaster alchemists, so I’m hoping to connect with one of their disciples. Huang Yun may be interested in me, but his clan won’t start a war over some girl he met on the road.”
The old man nodded with a smile on his face but Liang was unable to tell what he was thinking. After a few more pleasantries, Fairy Xu stood to leave but the old man told her to sit down and removed an ancient looking manual from his ring. The book was close to 50 pages long and had a dark brown leather cover that was beaten and worn with symbols Liang did not recognize on the front.
Taking the manual and opening it up to the first page, Fairy Xu’s eyes widened in shock and she bowed sincerely in the old man’s direction. He told her that if she could not join a sect but was able to escape her situation, she could find him after the tournament. Thanking him one more time before she left the room, her two guards greeted her at the door and led her out of the restaurant.
Liang asked the old man what the manual was for, but he only told him that it was just a few theories he came up with when he was young on pill formation and alchemy’s inadequacies. They had already been in the restaurant for nearly two hours, but before leaving to the arena Liang wanted to know the old man’s opinion on Fairy Xu’s plan.
“Master, do you think Fairy Xu’s plan will work? Will she join another sect?” She seemed confident, but Liang had mixed feelings on her methods. After a few moments, the old man stood up and said, “No. Her plan is no different from sticking opium in a pipe and smoking it. She’s valuing herself too much as an alchemist and disregarding her worth as a cultivation partner.”
“One of alchemy’s biggest flaws is cultivation boy. A person’s alchemy is restricted by their cultivation level. She cannot become a grandmaster alchemist before she reaches the Dao Connection realm, and I tell you, there is not a single Dao level cultivator in this world under 500 years old.”
“She has good talent, and good potential, but only one out of 10,000 alchemists with her talent will become a grandmaster. In this world, those worthless bastards are as rare as Qilin horns. But even if she was able to become one, it would not be for hundreds of years.”
“There’s nobody able to do it earlier, and it’s because of Soul Nourishing. Someone like her might break through the Nascent realm and reach the Soul Nourishing realm before she’s 50, but I’ve never heard of anyone taking less than four hundred years to raise an infant soul to adulthood. It took me nearly 500 and I was in no way less talented.”
“Sects and clans have to look at long term and short term gains boy. There’s a one in 10,000 chance that girl becomes a grandmaster in some sect 400 years from now. Not very good odds and those old crooks sitting in their caves are not going to fight a major rival over those odds.”
“Her plan won’t work. But I gave her that manual cause she’s smart. If she can understand my notes and escape from her problem on her own, she might be useful. At the very least, she’s interesting. Alright boy, we’ve wasted enough time. The first round should be over soon and you’ll be placed in a new group, let’s go.”
After the old man forced Liang to pay the absurd bill, they left the restaurant and rushed towards the arena. The elders would group the remaining 100 fighters into sets of 10 and the next round would begin. The bottom 200 hundred were filler according to the old man and from the second round on, Liang would be facing sect elites with years of training. Every match would test him in different ways and the old man looked even more excited than he did.
