- "It is so."

While Chiasa had been cleaning her needles, she had positioned herself in such a way that she could keep an eye on the injured stranger and, as such, had seen his eyes flutter and open, so she had not been surprised to hear him wake.

- "The two of you shouted loudly enough for half the forest to hear, though i was careful not to approach and risk getting caught in the fight. You were fortunate in that the blast threw you close to me."

She motioned at his bandages before picking up the next needle to clean.

- "I have used acupuncture to reroute the flow of chi around your wounds to reduce leakage and allowing your body to heal naturally without stressing it further. Some of your abilities may be lessened until your chi flow returns to its normal state through meditation, but it is what it is. You are a cultivator, yes?"

She looked at him, not pausing her cleaning -- that she could do blindfolded by now -- as she paused for him to answer. She already knew he was a cultivator -- no one else would have survived the blast and the severity of the man's wounds -- but it gave him an opening to introduce himself, after which she could respond in kind.
This message was last edited by the player at 11:35, Thu 02 Dec 2021.

The injured man spent a few breaths trying to assess the innocent-looking girl. The more he looked at her blue eyes and practiced movements, the more his thoughts wandered off the initial instinct he had. While not bewitchingly beautiful, Chiasa had enough mystery to turn the heads of most male cultivators, and this one was no exception. But this was expected, probably. The man probably wasn't a fool, and was deeply acquainted with the fact that there was no free lunch in this world. The expression in his eyes became more complicated by the second as calculations filled his mind, before he decided to end his ruminations with a deep sigh.

"I'm Eastern Thunder Palace's Yin Lei. Yin as in abundant, and Lei as in thunder. I... needed this cultivation core to advance in my skill. That man was a Corrupt path expert anyways, and a deadly fight was unavoidable."

Was it an excuse, a justification, or an act? Chiasa found it impossible to decide for now. He had a reputation for ruthlessness, but there were people praising his high morel character and adherence to his word. Perhaps, this was one of those people who inherited the worst of what the Righteous path had to offer - self-deception and cruelty.

"Thank you for saving my life. You may ask of me anything you need. If it's in my power I'll do my best to help you."

Then again, perhaps the rumors are all wrong. He refrained from asking anything, and didn't even mention the elephant in the room - what exactly had she been doing here, so far from anything?

His injuries were serious enough to keep him from standing for a day or two more, while a full recovery even with medical attention was a week or two away. The nearest village was about two days' walk away.

Chiasa gave a calm nod in response to the information, making no indication about her opinion on how Yin had gone about retrieving the artifact.

- "Very well. I too am a cultivator, of the Outer Disciple rank. My Sect is one of healing, and has tasked me with building my own Foundation, relying on nothing but the flow of Karma to provide the opportunity to. While this Test is ongoing, i am forbidden from speaking the names of the Sect as well as my own, but for the purposes of introductions, this one has been given the name of Inari."

She gave him a polite bow, followed by a reassuring smile.

- "I am however allowed to say that my Test was not imparted upon me as a means of punishment. Rest assured, it is not my place to judge your actions. Please understand however that we are to trust in the flow of Karma fully in providing the means to build our Foundation: Had it been the cultivator of the Corrupt Path that would have ended up at my feet, i would have been equally obligated to heal him, as i would have been to heal the victims of poisoning in his former village. Instead, Karma brought me to you, and as such that was the path provided to me."

She looked at Yin Lei.

- "So with any potential misunderstandings out of the way... While i am not allowed to ask recompense for my services, should your Karma insist upon a reward, i am confident there are certain... conclusions that could be made based on what i have been allowed to speak of."

She finished with an apologetic smile. Hopefully Yin would be part of a decently sized Sect, given that it sent out its members to collect powerful artifacts, and she would be able to use the richness of the area to advance her own cultivation. She motioned at Yin.

- "On a different note, i estimate it will take about two more days for you to be able to stand without aggravating your injuries, though it will take at least several weeks for you to be fully healed. The nearest village is two days away -- if you wish it, once you are able to stand and care for yourself i could carry a letter to this village for you to contact the Eastern Thunder Palace to inform them of your success and send someone to collect you, though it would take several days for me to return. Alternatively, i could continue your treatment here until you are healed enough to travel, or healed entirely. Which would you prefer?"

With the girl's explanation being almost unreasonably roundabout and obtuse, it would be unreasonable to expect Yin Lei to simply accept it at face value. Her techniques and needlework seemed slightly heretical, but he was far from an expert in that area. Off the top of his head, no sect or family with that kind of custom or technique came to mind, either. However, she did save him from death, and he was hardly the type of person that couldn't differentiate grudges from gratitude. Not the mention that the girl had an allure that was difficult to resist, and certain potential future prospects made his mouth dry. With an inward sigh, and after again checking himself for signs that she might have poisoned him, he offered a slight nod.

"Then, I shall refer to your honored self by that name, and burn incense for karma that allowed me to continue cultivating."

Her politeness changed the way he addressed her as well - from the curt "you girl" to this "honored self".

Chiasa was aware of the Eastern Thunder Palace and how it held dominion over several small sects on the coastline and the immediate interior. Its headquarters was on one of the four holy mountains, and a place of legend to the common folk. Yin Lei could be expected to have a middle post-heaven cultivation base.

"As for the opportunities Karma might bring your was, please consider accepting my help in reaching the next stage of your cultivation. There are a number of techniques I acquired over the years that could be useful to you. After all, helping a virtuous younger sister grow is a reward into itself."

Despite these almost warm words, his eyes were still very much alive with caution. His uncertainty reflects in the changing mode of address he uses for Chiasa.

"I would prefer to continue the treatment here. I can get to know younger sister better during this time, and make plans to build little sister's Foundation. If my offer is agreeable, of course."

He made a slight open-handed gesture with both hands to indicate an honest offer, as was custom in these lands. It looked a bit silly as he was still lying down, but the spirit of the offer was clear enough.

What was Chiasa's answer? If she did accept this relationship, what cultivation area would she have emphasized? More importantly, what direction would she have steered their relationship in?
This message was last edited by the GM at 11:19, Wed 02 Feb 2022.

Chiasa gave a respectful seated bow in reply. She didn't quite know how best to address Yin Lei, and so she went with the latter of 'little sister' he had called her, given that she could make a fairly accurate estimate that his level of cultivation was above her own.

- "As older brother wishes, so shall it be. This one will remain to tend to your wounds, and listen to the wisdom he deems fit to share."

She rose again, smiling as she placed her needles down again. Her voice was calm and gentle, choosing to ignore the uncertainty Yin Lei was feeling in favor of his actions.

- "This one would advise older brother against standing or exerting himself over the next two days to hasten recovery, so i cannot show you the degree of my cultivation yet. Are there any questions you wish me to answer?"

Yin Lei seemed to flush slightly with the closeness of her address. After all, she calling him big brother was making it seem as if she was very familiar with him already - even close. Then again, she had performed needlework on him and seen most of his body. From this angle, she somehow looked almost demonically attractive, her restrained smile and calm voice combined with her foreign beauty making his head spin. Not the mention how the bowing motion made her clothes shift in just the right way to offer a glimpse... Or was that just an illusion caused blood loss?

Uh-oh. How did I get muddle-headed like that? I have to calm down, before it becomes too obvious. That foreign demoness... Well, perhaps later... no, I shouldn't think of that... Disconnected thoughts flashed behind his eyes as he tried te re-establish some sort of equilibrium. Dead fish. Dead fish. Granny in the old pond. Manure. Better. Hopefully she didn't notice anything. So embarrassing. She'd laugh her head off if she knew what I was thinking. Turning his head the other way, he closed his eyes to rest.

"I'll rely on younger sister, then. I'll meditate for a while now."

A couple of days went by in a flash. Yin Lei recovered extremely quickly once his meridians recovered. His back was ramrod-straight as he meditated in a lotus position, hands fixed in one mudra or the other. There was an obsessive, obstinate air to his cultivation technique, as if he wanted to claw every little bit of power in the vicinity for himself. One could only guess at what kind of past made him this way. Chiasa also caught other glances of his landing on her - almost lewd flashes in his eyes, always followed by intense guilt and stiffening lips.

Finally, he looked up at Chiasa.

"So, little sister, please show off your skills for older brother. If you have any questions or anything in particular you'd like to develop, I'll try to accommodate you. We'll decide how to progress with your foundation building after I get a clear sense of where you are now."

How much of her cultivation and her secrets did she show? What did she say she wanted to learn?
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:30, Mon 14 Feb 2022.

Yin Lei felt much like an open book, and one Chiasa found to be a great read. She noticed the occasional glance in her direction and decided to pretend not to notice them, remaining perfectly respectful towards 'older brother' and keeping up the appearance of blissful ignorance of what the gazes told her he was feeling, along with the polite optimism of a healer. A little bit of ankle here, half the back of a shoulder when washing her face in the morning... But nothing too obvious, of course, so nothing that could not happen out of simple carelessness when living under the same roof. If she could fit it into casual conversation, maybe she could even place an offhand, almost jokingly comment of her having washed his clothes to get the blood out of them when he had still been unconscious? Hmm, that would get a rise out of him, she almost chuckled when imagining what the look on his face would be.

When he was well enough to have her show him her level of cultivation, she did so. First, she meditated, which was then followed by a series of techniques that her own Sect had marked as what she would be allowed to show outsiders. No killing techniques, and nothing even resembling her own power would be allowed to come even close to the surface, merely a number of techniques that an Outer Disciple would be expected to have. That was then followed by an example of her combat style, where with a flick of her wrist she sent three of her acupuncture needles into a board propped against a tree, embedding them deep enough that they did not fall off on their own. She then went to retrieve them, before turning to Yin Lei again, giving another respectful bow -- this time without showing anything as locks of her undone hair fell over her collar.

- "And that is the gist of it. This one mostly meditates in the very early morning before sunrise, as during the day she may be busy with patients. This way, she is also fully awake by the time those under her care wake up."

It's not that her new teacher had low self-control. On the contrary, he kept his hands to himself and any obvious action was with complete politeness and decorum. However, Chiasa clearly saw the conflicting emotions within his eyes. On one hand he felt more and more attracted to her, to the point of taking her forcefully. On the other, his sense of personal honor didn't permit him that course of action, not with her having saved his life and accepting him as a teacher. So, he ended up more and more miserable, his urges and reason in constant conflict. Fortunately, he was a cultivator with a strong will. And he'll need that with her constant teasing.

Her demonstration left him with a quirked eyebrow. he could clearly sense that she was holding back and not displaying the techniques involving qi manipulation. Her skill in meridians was clearly visible, however, as was her lightness technique.

He tapped his chin with finger, humming as he looked at her thoughtfully.

She'd make a perfect cultivation cauldron. No, what am I thinking, I can't do that. But her meridians are overflowing with yin energy, and with a few adjustments... no, that'd damage her cultivation irreversibly. I can't do that. The heavens are playing me now with this witch! I need to seriously think about her... uhh. Her cultivation. At least that penetrating technique seems to be workable and well rounded. With a bit of work... No, what am I thinking again.

With a furrowed brow, he took a brush and some paper to write mnemonics for Chiasa to practice.

Damnit, I never noticed how lewd that sounds! Uhh. But I can't change the ancient mnemonic. Even if it does sound like an invitation for dual cultivation, somehow. That ancestor must have had a... great sense of humor. Perhaps that's how he picked up cultivation partners.

A pained smile cracked Yin Lei's lips, the mnemonics sounding more and more like a love manual to him. In reality, the verse were obtuse enough to be interpreted either way, but these were the words passed down from the ancestor as training techniques, so changing even a word would change the meaning of following verse. He could just grit his teeth and go through writing the training method down. Finally, after quite a bit of effort (most of which had no connection with actually writing this down) he produced a sixteen page booklet.

"Here, younger sister. The Thunder Palace Vessel Penetrating Canon is a high-class manual suitable for foundation building, passed down from a sect ancestor. See if you can make sense of it on your own. If not, older brother will help."

Most of the manual was useless to Chiasa, as her Conception and Governing meridians along with the rest of her extraordinary energy channels were already open due to her inheritance.   Yin lei wasn't aware of that because he didn't examine her thoroughly, and she didn't reveal her true techniques to him. Leafing through the Canon a few times, it somehow did seem like a thinly veiled dual cultivation manual... Still, The last few pages had interesting mnemonics that opened her eyes to certain aspects of her skills. Not to mention that some of the mnemonics really appeared to be meant for dual cultivation, but only if used in non-obvious ways; without her Yin inheritance these passages would have seemed completely innocuous. There seemed to be much more depth to this text than Yin Lei thought.

Spending the next week practicing the Canon, Chiasa could choose one of:
1. Work on her Meridians skill
2. Work on her Lightness skill
3. Improve her needle-throwing using the tendon twisting techniques in the Canon
4. Explore the hidden meanings in the Canon

Where does she want to take her teacher during that time?

With a bow, Chiasa accepted the manual with both hands before taking a step back with it.

- "This one thanks older brother for his time and effort. She hopes her performance will be satisfactory."

She couldn't resist just slipping in a seemingly unintended tease given the conflict he was in. Over the past couple of days she had a decent grip on the heights of Yin Fei's willpower, so as long as she made sure not to push those limits she should be able to keep things completely innocuous.

Sitting down, she began reading through the document. Most of it were things she already knew, or at least a variation of them that she had been taught with, and would not have much trouble applying some new concepts into: Given that her Sect traditionally sent Disciples out for training, their cultivation methods were highly adaptable to make the best use of what was around them at that time, rather than a more traditional Sect taking root in a specific high Qi area.

For the next week, she decided to explore the Canon's hidden meanings. It was clear Yin Fei did not fully understand, or perhaps misinterpret them, and given that he was beyond her in his level of cultivation, that opened up interesting possibilities of potentially surpassing him in his understanding of the Canon. Not to mention, the fact that this cultivation method was not obvious appealed to her as well.

The forest became completely silent. The wind dared not make the slightest noise. Even the sun shone less brightly, allowing the temperature to drop a few degrees. In the center of the disturbance, Chiasa meditated on the Thunder Palace Vessel Penetrating Canon, oblivious to the changes around her. In her dantian, the phoenix-shaped seed of elemental Yin thrummed with a clear sound, resonating with the verse of the Canon. Her first and second impressions of the art were wrong, as if its creator had woven multiple layers of deception to prevent anyone from realizing what the art really entailed. With her Yin affinity and fortune she acquired by virtue of her birth, Chiasa was able to just glimpse the edges of the secret within.

The crystal-clear sound produced by the phoenix Yin seed sounded like a prayer bell in her soul, making the words of the Thunder Palace Vessel Penetrating Canon shimmer and rearrange themselves imperceptibly.

This was not a thunder art, although its surface layer was modified to act as such.

It was not a dual cultivation art, though its deeper layer had this function.

The truth was ironic in more than one way. The name of the art itself contained the key to its malicious, demonic essence. The "vessel penetrating" didn't refer to thunder penetrating qi channels and energizing the user, nor did this refer to dual cultivation. Instead, the art focused on forcing explosive energy (the "cannon" part of the formula) through a victim's blood vessels, boiling blood off and potentially exploding the victim from within. Worse still, the resulting energy-rich blood had a tendency to affect anyone it came in contact with in the same way, potentially causing a chain reaction. In this way, the art might wipe out entire cities in one use if the practitioner was powerful enough.

The wording of the formula was marvelous, allowing the complex art to be condensed onto these few pages of text beneath the double meaning of the shallower layers of the art. There was no word without triple meanings, no wasted stroke of brush, no opportunity to condense intent unused. Even after taking the better part of a week to meditate on its secrets, only the edges of the real technique revealed themselves to Chiasa.

How had a treasure such as this remained hidden in plain sight for so long?

Was there a hidden danger woven into practice of this art?

Was this art part of a web meant to catch someone?

An irrational unease writhed in her thoughts. Yin Lei noticed her increasingly souring mood, but long experience taught him to not pry and prod. Instead, he worked on his own recovery. From time to time, he wondered at the silence and the signs of plants withering wherever Chiasa had meditated...

What now?

• stay here and explore the Canon further?
• travel to the nearby village for supplies?
• explore the increasing feeling of unease?

Chiasa considered the implications of the secrets she had grasped. She had memorized the words, making sure to produce a copy for herself while Yin Fei slept, and when she had meditated enough to confirm her suspicions she waited for him to wake. While she was working on her daily acupuncture treatment, she brought it up.

- "Concerning the manual you have written for me, there is something this one would like to discuss with older brother. Would you make some time after meditation? I shall make tea."

As someone experienced in working her charms, she had noticed her mood deteriorating as she meditated, and with Yin Fei under her constant care she could not alternate between locations as she normally would, so the effects of her meditation were starting to become clearer on the surrounding area, and the studying of the secrets within the manual were not exactly helping her focus on mitigating the effects somewhat.

Later, when they were both seated near a fire she had used to boil the water for the tea, she poured him a cup, then filled her own, before taking a sip with an elegant motion. Satisfied that the tea had a charming fragrance and pleasing temperature, she turned to Yin Fei.

- "I have analyzed the manual intently. Were you aware that the technique described within is of the demonic?"

To her credit, she did wait with the revelation until after Yin Fei had taken a sip of tea and swallowed it -- The tea was hot, after all, and the stains were difficult to get out of clothing.
This message was last edited by the player at 11:31, Fri 11 Mar 2022.

"What?"

To his credit, Yin Lei didn't explode at this provocation. In his mind, there was no more righteous sect than his, and no more righteous path than the one he trod. While he might have occasionally bent the rules a little to force demonic cultivators into a bad position, his conduct was impeccably, shiny and undeniably righteous.

And now this girl accuses his sect's prized cultivation method as demonic.

"WHAT?"

Even without realizing, he stood up, forefinger pointing towards Chiasa menacingly, righteous fire burning in his eyes. Fine tea flew through the air, the forgotten cup shattering against a tree. Yin Lei's finger trembled, slightly at first, then more and more. For a second there seemed to be a very real possibility of him losing his temper completely. But he managed to just clench his hand into a tight fist and sit down instead, a cold harrumph the only sound from him for a minute.

"You should never... ever. Even hint at that. If little sister hadn't saved this  Yin's little life..." He waved his hand around in an agitated manner, apparently having a hard time deciding what to do. "Especially not when we get closer to the main sect. Such words would bring swift reprimand, perhaps even a public punishment. Really... some things... ought not be said. Not about the core method of a righteous sect."

His anger melted into a helpless smile. Inwardly, he rationalized Chiasa words away, not assigning them any weight at all. After all, how could they even hold an ounce of truth?

The Thunder Palace Vessel Penetrating Canon... demonic?

Preposterous.

"Little sister." He was considerably more calm by now. "Please, please weigh your words carefully among my cultivation brothers and sisters."

The irrational itch Chiasa felt ever since starting with the Canon increased ever so slightly.

Her three options were essentially unchanged - or perhaps she had an entirely new idea...?

Chiasa watched Yin's reaction silently, and when he seemed to have calmed down somewhat she closed her eyes, taking a deep breath before releasing it as a sigh.

- "Yes, i had feared this would be the case. It is this one's humble belief that when the sect came into contact with this technique, it was judged to be righteous based on an incomplete understanding, thus allowing it to spread into the sect's core routines. I had... hoped that this was intended a test of sorts, but your reaction tells me that this is not the case."

She looked at Yin Lei.

- "I could explain in detail should you wish me to, but this i swear to be truth: According to what i have found, i am certain beyond all doubt that a strong enough practitioner could with but a single casting destroy every living thing within an entire village or town."

She took another deep breath, and nodded.

- "Older brother's concern for this one's safety is appreciated, and she shall bring this up no more given the pain it has caused. However, once we arrive, i will be duty bound to inform the Elders of this oversight, though this could be done in a private meeting if one could be arranged."

Taking another sip of tea, she silently lamented the loss of one of her favorite cups as she waited for Yin to reply. She knew he would understand her need to bring it up -- one could not be righteous and remain quiet of what she had just unveiled -- and acting in this manner might even end up with favors owed of a sect Elder or two. And that was something that could always come in useful, especially one as well connected as the Eastern Thunder Palace. There were risks involved with such a play, certainly, but righteous clans were generally more predictable due to the code of honor they upheld, and much less likely to kill for secrecy when pointing out the facts in her favor.

In the meantime, she decided to explore the sense of unease she had been feeling from the technique, as well as delve into the Canon further. Though exploring the sense of unease took priority, she would need every scrap of information she could get her hands on if she were to bring her findings before an Elder within the next week or two.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:27, Thu 31 Mar 2022.

For a second, Yin Lei didn't know whether to laugh or weep. Despite such clear words from him, the girl insisted on spreading such obvious falsehoods. Didn't she understand that the elders in any sect were severely lacking in tolerance? Not to mention the bad-tempered old farts that were his seniors.

He wouldn't have had to seek out fortune in a far-off forsaken bug-infasted forest otherwise, no? He harrumphed again.

"Look, the seniors in my sect are less than forgiving when it comes to this kind of thing. Please, little sister, please don't ever mention this again. Just consider it a favor to an older brother, okay?"

His eyes rested on her, his gaze flickering, showing slightly inappropriate thoughts as well as deep worry for what an irrational foreigner might do. Perhaps that was the crux of this problem? Perhaps she just didn't understand civilized values and rules of conduct?

"You see... here, it's highly inadvisable to bring out disreputable rumor against anyone. Unless you have the strength to ride out their reprisals."

Uh. Would a foreign girl understand such convoluted sentences?

"So please just... don't mention this again. Anywhere. To anyone. Even if you mention it to someone not of my sect, they could still use the rumor against you."

A helpless smile twisted his lips.

The next week was spent with Yin Lei trying to "educate" Chiasa about the essence of propriety, decorum, and keeping one's mouth shut. In sharp contrast, he was unable to stop speaking, as if fearing that she'd commit some grave social mistake. The truth is not something to be spoken lightly, even if it by some wonder didn't offend anyone. He put such effort into this that Chiasa began to wonder about the "honor" of this righteous clan...

To make things more difficult, he seemed to focus on "educating" the girl instead of focusing on his own recovery. In this, he really did seem like an older brother... or a lecher unwilling to lose a future toy.

[New ability: "Are you sure?" Will save Chiasa from obvious social blunders when dealing with the Thunder Palace]

On the other front, exploring the Thunder Palace Vessel Penetrating Canon bore fruit as well. Despite her increasing sense of unease, she continued looking into the hidden techniques. Day after day, the mnemonics resonated with her own meridians, allowing the verse to reveal more meanings and the meridians to widen. The efficiency of the art was shocking - in just a week of following the formula her abilities nearly doubled. Were it not for the unease she felt, she might have gone even faster...

...and have fallen into a trap. Cultivating the third layer of the Canon resulted in a soft wisp of qi emanating from her dantian. It felt like a beacon, about to summon someone's attention. The feeling of unease that had hounded her increased a thousandfold in that moment, transforming into a sensation of deadly crisis. Fortunately, due to her caution, sensitivity and heritage, Chiasa managed to contain the wisp in a shell of Yin qi after just a second or two, the resulting black sphere throbbing dangerously in the dark space of her dantian. The sensation of imminent danger receded back into unease; as though a gaze of someone incredibly powerful had passed over her but failed to focus.

This takes a while to describe, but really took no more time than a spark flying off flint. Opening her eyes, Chiasa realized that she was soaked in cold sweat. Her fingers trembled uncontrollably for a moment or two. Yin Lei stared at her, wide-eyed, unsure of what to make of all this.

[New stats - External: 10 Internal: 40 Lightness: 30 Meridians: 60
Gain "Beacon"]

What now? Try to expel the changes the Canon had wrought? Continue cultivating the Canon while controlling the beacon? Explore the beacon more closely? Let it lie for now and focus on more mundane affairs?
This message was last edited by the GM at 11:34, Thu 21 Apr 2022.

It took Chiasa a moment to collect herself, but once she did she looked straight at Yin Fei.

- "Brother... We need to talk."

Closing her eyes for a moment to evaluate the manner in which she had sealed off the beacon to confirm it stood no risk of breaking, she used the same seconds to gain Fei's full attention.

- "I have deeply studied the technique, you yourself have borne witness to my progress over the past couple of days. I have, however, employed strict caution in exploring it, and it was only because of this that i managed to catch a wisp of qi emanating from my dantien to act as a beacon of sorts. I have crafted a shell of Yin qi around it to isolate it, and while i cannot confirm you felt the passing gaze of a powerful being as i have, you have seen the effects of it upon me."

She looked at Yin Fei.

- "I felt a strong sense of imminent danger when this gaze passed over me. I managed to isolate it fast enough that the owner of this gaze failed to focus upon our precise location, though i would not doubt they are at least aware of us, and a general area in which to search in. For this, i would STRONGLY urge older brother reconsider their stance on not informing the Elders. This was a beacon. A technique specifically intended to summon someone's attention, and i have no doubt that this was deliberately incorporated."

She placed the tips of her fingers upon the manuscript Yin Fei had written -- the existence of her own copy still carefully hidden -- while maintaining eye contact with Fei.

- "To stress: This is a technique that is widespread among the Thunder Palace. If, out of all its students, even a single one reached the same revelation i had had, and is less careful than i have been whilst exploring it, it will call the attention of a powerful entity directly down upon the Sect, with no way for them to know of it and prepare accordingly. And this entity is demonic, brother, i can feel the darkness pulsing within its beacon."

While she did not add a conclusion, she did her best to paint an image that this was a threat too great to ignore. If possible, she would guide him into sensing the shell and the beacon trapped within it for himself, though she did silently hope he too had felt the gaze pass over him as it did her.

She would spend time to examine the beacon as well, trying to find whom it was supposed to call upon. She would also continue her cultivating of the Canon, because she did respect the rapid development it had brought, though she added an additional layer of carefulness when doing so -- her efforts would primarily be focused upon the beacon, and other unknown techniques that might have been added as failsafes in case the beacon itself did not succeed in calling its master.

Time seemed to slow down for Chiasa as she immersed herself into study. The Canon gave away more mysteries every time she read through it.

Her sense of unease increased with time.

The beacon inside her trembled and pulsed. the soft vibrations it emitted rebounded against the Yin barrier she erected around it. In time, the vibrations became frequent, then rhythmical, finally settling into a heartbeat-like pulsing. Chiasa felt as if the rhythm of the beacon slowly became closer and closer to her own heartbeat, as if trying to match it. The yin barrier around it, however, was impervious to its current pressures. Despite that, Chiasa kept reinforcing the thin barrier, adding layer after layer of contingencies and backups.

The more she studied the Canon, the more power poured into her and the beacon's "heartbeat".

Eventually, the beacon's "heartbeat" became intense enough that Yin Lei could feel it by simply placing his hand against her lower abdomen. His initial unwillingness was swept away by astonishment.

"You are saying... this beacon is the result of practicing the Canon? How come I've never heard of..." his voice trailed off. Dots connected in his mind, and the inevitable conclusion made him frown. He was disturbed enough that he didn't even try to leave his hand in contact with Chiasa's bare skin for longer than necessary.

The next days saw him become significantly quieter, dispiritedly pacing between trees and muttering to himself.

Meanwhile, Chiasa had memorized the words of the Canon, sparing her of needing to open her eyes to study is meaning. She could see the characters floating in the darkness whenever her eyes were closed. The brush strokes formed layers within layers of meanings, twisting and turning lazily.

Outside, Yin Lei stopped and looked at her. A soft light emanated from her closed eyes.

"Uh... little sister?" he said, stepping closer.

Then everything filled with intense white light, a silent explosion throwing him back a dozen zhang, right through a tree. When he stood up, aching and with blood oozing from his mouth, he saw Chiasa still quietly sitting cross-legged. Every tree within nine zhang had been snapped like a twig, as if by an explosion, with Chiasa being the epicenter.

Slowly, she opened her eyes, destructive light slowly fading from them. The sensation of danger she felt far surpassed mere cold sweat and trembling fingers this time. The Yellow Springs had been much closer to her than ever before.

The Canon had surprised her yet again. Another layer of meaning appeared in the moment before explosion. Only her effort on reinforcing the Yin barrier stopped the beacon from absorbing the energy to break out of its prison. The other half of the sudden energy screamed through her meridians, stuffing them with qi. The excess was what caused the explosion, and injured Yin Lei.

She was the vessel, and the Canon was meant to hollow her out. It was like a tool that penetrated into an apple to get the core out, because nobody liked bitter apple-seeds in a pie. Also, the Canon strengthened her meridians because a vessel would need to be prepared for whatever one poured into it next. A discarnate soul, a clone consciousness, or something even worse. As for where her soul was destined to end up after the Canon did its work, she had no way to tell.

There was an angry roar from the beacon within her dantian, but the now reinforced barrier easily held it in place. What little energy the beacon managed to absorb didn't seem to be enough to let it break out.

(New stats: External: 10 Internal: 80 Lightness: 30 Meridians: 100)

What now? Would she ride the tiger and continue with the Canon? Or was self-preservation still something she valued?

Chiasa opened her eyes, and was about to speak when she noticed the devastation around her. This caused her to take a brief moment to assess the situation, before turning to Yin Fei.

- "Got it."

She took a deep breath to center herself, and felt the flow of qi through her meridians as she inspected it for signs of tampering -- an infection, more or less. Satisfied that the seal had held, she turned to Fei.

- "I have unlocked the final layer. This..."

She motioned around her.

- "...was an effect that had been intended to fuel the beacon, a flood to drive out everything that is me and leave behind an empty Vessel for this... thing to occupy. Had i not doubled the layers of protection around the beacon, then doubled them again, you would have been speaking to something demonic wearing my flesh. I am now more certain than ever that the Canon's strengthening effects were designed solely to provide it with an adequate Vessel. Whether it is a discarnate soul, a clone consciousness or something much worse i do not know, but going by the Beacon it is rather angry that its attempt to possess me has been thwarted."

She slowly got up, inspecting her surroundings for any residue that might have been left behind.

- "If older brother wishes an estimate of the strength of this being, the amount of qi involved in what was to be its awakening surged through this one's meridians, the explosion was simply the excess being expelled. An unintentional side effect, if you will."

She looked at Yin Fei again, trying to sense his meridians to get an indication of the damage the explosion had done to him. It was a good thing that he had learned to sense the Beacon, it meant that others could as well and that would provide the Elders with irrefutable proof of the truth of her claims. And now, a firsthand witness, himself of the Thunder Palace, to have at her side. She took a deep breath.

- "Regardless, we need to move. A qi expulsion of this strength and nature is akin to lighting a signal fire, and i had mentioned feeling a gaze upon me when the beacon had first formed. If this being employs or is controlling others, they will be heading here: We can no longer afford to remain in this place -- are you fit for travel?"

She would stop practicing the Canon for now. She had all the information she needed to present to Yin's Elders, and while she wanted to get rid of the beacon she considered it unwise to do so without anything less than a strong sealing barrier and experienced Sword Formation having been set up beforehand, because there was no doubt in her mind that there would be a fight coming if she did. Instead, she went back to her own teachings, all the while keeping an eye on the Beacon and reinforcing the protections on it again in case there would be future attempts on the road -- an effect of this nature was NOT something she wanted to happen while in a town.

Yin Fei hadn't been injured seriously. It was more his pride that suffered - that, and his reserve set of clothes. With Chiasa abandoning further cultivation of the Canon, the next day saw the pair collect what important belongings they had and go towards the nearby village. leaving the area produced a significant drop in Chiasa's premonition of danger, but she couldn't quite return to her previous level of calm no matter how far she escaped. As if some sort of gaze was still following her. Then again, perhaps it was only her paranoid upbringing, right? No? Yes, the danger was probably lurking just beyond the visible surroundings.

The new meridians carved out by the Canon were wide enough to let her qualify as taking half a step into the Post-heaven realm. Her sensitivity increased by leaps and bounds, allowing her to see the swirls and wisps of qi around her without even having to concentrate. Refined qi wreathed around Yin Fei was clearly visible to her, as was the bluish, throbbing glow from the Lightning Essence Crystal.

Whenever she closed her eyes, the verse she memorized appeared in front of her eyes, as if daring her to continue cultivating the Canon.

Travel was uneventful, and in a few days the unequal pair arrived at the Green Mire village. A slow moving, murky stream formed a meander the dozen or so houses of the village were on, the surrounding lands mostly turned to growing crops. An orchard perked on a nearby hill. Such communities were freely strewn about the countryside this far out from the cities and bustle. A pair of travelers wouldn't raise any eyebrows, even if the village elders were more than likely to demand high price for any service or supplies.

Fortunately, Yin Fei had passed through before, so he was received with a familiarity beyond that offered to non-villagers. Chiasa was mostly ignored, both because being a foreigner and her apparent status of servant. They ended up staying the night in the guest house, a tiny and usually unused hut, with amenities such as a roof over the head and a clean space protected from forest vermin. Truly, a level of comfort unmatched.

The night outside was quiet, the villagers having long since retired to their houses. A burner in the hut kept the room warm and provided a place to brew tea and heat wine. Two mats and bedding were prepared, and after weeks of sleeping on the ground these seemed extremely inviting. The food had been simple but filling, leaving the two seated on opposite sides of a small table that was little more than a roughly worked tree stump.

Yin Fei had been taciturn and gloomy ever since she made the accusation of the Canon being demonic, and eve more so after the explosion. Now, he turned to Chiasa and sighed, conflicting emotions in his eyes.

"I planned to return to my sect after getting the crystal, but now... Well, I can't very well leave you on your own, but I could request a leave of absence to help you get set up somewhere, perhaps in a minor sect. That is, if little sister hasn't given up on immediately informing the elders of my sect about your... err... suspicions."

A nervous grunt served as punctuation to his sentences. Chiasa got the feeling he suspected quite a bit more than he was willing to share - not to mention how uncomfortable the whole business seemed to make him. After all, her revelation shook the foundation of his beliefs about his sect and its elders. While he was initially drawn to her due to desire, now there was a trace of something different in his eyes when he looked at her. If anything, he seemed even less willing to part with her now.

"Then again, if little sister promises not to bring this up until big brother says it is safe to do so, then we can return to the sect. I'll arrange training and resources for you among the outdoors disciples, and I'll give you a little extra help as well."

Chiasa, to her credit, stepped into the role of apparent servant flawlessly, though she did not mention whether this was due to her training or something she was simply used at doing given the foreign traits in her appearance. She was however glad that Yin Fei was no stranger to the village, as the unexpected luxury of having a mat to sleep on was a more than welcome change from the routine of hard ground and a sincere hope the makeshift shelter would hold up under the weather at night. After finishing their meal, she listened to what he had to say, and gave a small bow in response.

- "Little sister remembers your initial reaction well, older brother shall have the time to prepare the Elders for the news. As long as it does happen, the gaze may have weakened considerably since our departure, but it has yet to disappear."

In the meantime, she would continue along her own cultivation rather than the Canon, though she would also inspect her meridians and compare them to the state they were in prior to the explosion to determine whether they had been modified in ways other than capacity.

That first night felt abnormally long. After a short talk in the evening, the two retired to their mattresses on the opposite sides of the small hut. Darkness engulfed the room, punched through by moonlight that managed to squeeze in through the small windows.

Chiasa sat cross-legged on her mattress, bringing her thoughts and qi circulation in order, adding layer after layer of contingencies to the beacon inside her. Engrossed in her task, she almost failed to notice her benefactor not sleeping. His eyes were firmly focused on her form, a wolfish hunger fighting to break free from chains of self-control. Chiasa's regular, deep breathing slowed down as she continued meditating, reaching a breath every minute; in contrast, his breathing varied between long deep breaths and irregular, barely controlled exhalations. Thick beads of sweat glistened on Yin Lei's face in the darkness of the small hut. The scent of his distress became thick almost to the point that it might have disturbed someone not used to manipulating men...

At some point, when he felt his self-control slipping, he stood up and walked outside. The cold night air was refreshing, and looking up at the moon and the stars helped to focus his thoughts.

Meanwhile, Chiasa carefully examined her meridians. These were now broader, and her former emphasis on yin energy was somehow fixed by the Canon. Examining the changes further, it seemed as if the intended possessor was male, causing her meridians to be shifted slightly out of place. Then again, this could be seen as good fortune, as it fixed her over-reliance on yin qi, bringing her more towards a balanced state, and forming a more stable foundation for future growth. Now, she felt her external skill and lightness were hopelessly underwhelming compared to her inner power and meridians skill.

Did she decide to continue on such a severely unbalanced path? Improving her meridians and inner power would yield greater results in the short term, at the expense of stunting the growth of the other skills. Fixing the imbalance might require her "big brother's" help.

What did she decide to do with poor Yin Lei?
This message was last updated by the GM at 11:15, Mon 16 May 2022.

As she studied her meridians, Chiasa reached a conclusion. As much as the Canon had improved one area of her foundation, she felt that ultimately she had no plans to share her body with a possessing spirit. What was most important was the reason she had given Yin Fei, that she wished to work on her own foundation in order to provide a long term solid base to build upon, and as such she would need to work on the areas the Canon had neglected. For this, Yin Fei's assistance would be required. She had known of her rapid -- if singular -- growth before, of course, but much like what had been made clear to her when the beacon had attempted to drive out what was her, she needed her body to actually be able to process the amount of qi the Canon wanted her to be able to control, without ejecting the excess like before. That meant focusing on the external and lightness. She opened her eyes to find Yin Fei gone, having felt his gaze on her earlier but decided she was capable enough to deflect his attention should it come to that. She found him outside, following the flow of cooler air from when he had left.

- "Older brother, i have finished my examination. From the way this one's meridians have shifted slightly, it can be deduced that the intended possessor is most likely male, though its strong focus on the internal and the meridians have left her development somewhat... slanted. Would you have a technique to share to offset this, one that focuses on strengthening the external, and fluidity of movement? This one feels that at the current rate, her internal qi will soon surpass her body's ability to handle such flows of energy."

She tilted her head at him. Her occasional teasing aside, she knew she was attractive -- it was something she had used to good effect in the past -- and noble intentions aside, she knew Yin Fei was aware that they had been sharing a roof for weeks now, and had seen him naked on numerous occasions as she changed his bandages. It would have been wearing away at his spirit, more so after it had been shaken by news that a core technique of his Sect was demonic, the evidence irrefutable by his own admission.

"Of course there is such a method. The Plum Blossom Fist is just what you need - swift, light, continuous, and accurate. I've trained more than a few disciples in it. It'll serve you well as a base for further external techniques. Its basic actions are swing, retreat and pierce. The elders say that this kind of fist technique is a fragment of the ancient Kunlun arts."

The glow of obsession was red-hot in Yin Lei's eyes, and only by talking was he able to move his thoughts away from the object of his desire. She didn't even give him time to cool down before coming after him and confronting him... Night breezes carried her scent around and moonlight softly wrapped around her bewitching form. Truly, it was enough to drive a lesser man insane.

Yin Lei chose to ward off insanity by immediately building the practice area for Chiasa's training. Nine stakes were procured form the forest, then driven into the ground by a frenzied Yin Lei with a sharp palm strike each, forming a three by three rectangular "nine palaces" pattern. The tops of the stakes were barely a foot off the ground, just big enough for Chiasa to stand on, and now each adorned with his palm print. A few bleary-eyed villages looked out of their huts, not overly pleased at the booming sounds of the stakes being hit - but as the sounds died down, they wet to sleep as well.

He hopped on top of the stakes and demonstrated the basic stepping pattern, then the intermediate and advanced stages. His movements were swift and soundless. After a few minutes, he hopped down on the opposite side of the stakes.

"Try it. It isn't as difficult as it seems. It should take about two weeks to get the basics, and two months to practice the rote parts in."

- "A worthy technique to master, certainly."

Chiasa paid close attention to Yin Fei's movements, and then, as a good student, she would try to mimic them as closely as possible. From what he would be able to see, she was giving her full attention to learning the technique in order to be able to practice it on her own in the future, and balancing out her foundation more in order to make her training in the Eastern Thunder Palace more effective. She knew of the importance of one's Golden Core in their cultivation, and she would need to do all she could in order to secure a prosperous progression later on. And should she be turned away after her revelation, having more options at her disposal should only widen her possibilities.

She would continue to practice the technique to the fullest, though she would still reserve some time for perfecting her own acupuncture based techniques. While she did not believe there would be a demonic trick to the Plum Blossom one like the Thundering Cannon held hidden within it, she nevertheless found herself taking enough care to ensure there was not while reviewing the failsafes that kept the beacon within her sealed away in relative safety.

Chiasa's caution in learning the new method slowed her progress down - at least in the beginning. With her deep understanding of her body's meridians and ways of moving internal power, it was a simple thing to absorb the movement patterns. Her teacher realized that no one had ever learned the Plum flower fist in this way, after already being extremely skilled with internal skills. Nor will something like that happen in the future - an expert learning a beginner's art? None would waste their time.

However, she experienced rapid breakthroughs, faster and faster, each day bringing an improvement. Her movements acquired the quality of springiness, reminiscent of a thin, flexible and sharp sword.

Yin Lei, for his part, sat to the side and corrected her form from time to time - at least at first. When she instinctively started combining movements from the otherwise familiar sets with internal skill he grew silent, thinking about the whole training regimen in his sect, and what was accepted truth about progress and enlightenment. His traditionalist views were being dismantled by example right here, by this young girl. He began to perceive another opportunity here, and not just the one born from his base desire. A shaky equilibrium of forces formed, and he ended up being held at distance from the attractive young woman by his sense of propriety, but unable to wander far because of his obsession. The villagers found his behavior funny, but wrote it off to some obscure social rule they were unaware of. Any straightforward and honest man would have done something about this by now, right?

A week later, Chiasa felt her meteoric progress slow down to a crawl, as if she reached the limits of such a comparatively simple art. There were probably further stages that her "big brother" didn't study, or wasn't ready to share with her yet.

New stats: External: 30 Internal: 88 Lightness: 61 Meridians: 102

Any plans he might have laid came to nought, however. During a practice session he perked up, head tilted to one side as if listening carefully. With the sun overhead and almost complete calm air, the faintest of sounds attracted his attention.

"It seems we have remained in one place for too long. We need to pack and disappear. There are four horses approaching, and I sense bad intent."

Annoyance and relief were audible in equal measure in his voice. It took most of five minutes before the pair gathered those meager belongings they had and disappeared into the orchard on the hill. From there, they could just about glimpse the four riders coming up to the village. There was a glint of sunlight reflected from a weapon, then the faint sound of a body collapsing.

Yin Lei's jaw tightened, eyes cold.

Did Chiasa suggest going back to the village, or was she in favor of a more careful approach - or even outright flight?

Chiasa was happy with the progress she was making in adding more techniques to her growing repertoire, and balancing out the internal and the external like she had wished to. She found herself faster now, feeling much lighter on her feet and steadier in her footing, which would come in useful under any circumstance. She was about to ask Yin Fei if she was ready to move on to the next technique, when he mentioned riders approaching.

When she could a glimpse of a weapon in the sunlight, and the sound of a body collapsing, she turned to Yin Fei.

- "These attackers did not come here looking for you or i, They are mere bandits, shall we remove them? The village has been welcoming, shared what they had: Karma has offered us a means to repay their kindness."

She turned to look in the direction of the riders in the distance.

- "I do not believe their cultivation is strong, if any -- None i know of would rely on a horse over their own legs in combat. This one shall defer to you."