Unintended Cultivator-Chapter 45Book 10: : Supremely Unimpressed

Dragging stone to the surface for the earth cultivators to use did take several hours of focused work on Sen’s part. It also did something that he hadn’t experienced in a while. It left him feeling drained of qi, even if he really wasn’t. There was plenty left in his core. His dantian, on the other hand, was perhaps a quarter full. He definitely felt sluggish mentally. It was nothing a nap couldn’t take care of, but it still worried him. The battle hadn’t even started yet, to say nothing of his own plans to deal with the formation, and he was feeling tired. That was on top of having better than average recuperation when it came to his body and his qi. If that amount of work was enough to leave him feeling this way, he feared that the other cultivators simply weren’t going to be able to stand up to the pressures of a sustained battle.

He'd been aware that this would be a serious problem for the mortals based solely on his own experience training them at the academy. They could fight for a while, but they got very sloppy once fatigue started to set in. That’s why he’d discussed ways to limit the amount of time any one group of soldiers and city guards had to fight. He didn’t know the exact details, but Jing was discussing some manner of rotation with the mortal generals in charge. Sen had wanted to ask about the details, but he knew that his role in all of this wasn’t to worry about the details. It was to direct an overall approach to the battle. The details were the problems of the people in charge at other levels. At least, that was the way he’d read it in all those scrolls. Maybe, if there had been more time, he could have taken a more active interest in the exact way that things got done. That just wasn’t possible with the way that things stood. He needed to wring as much value as he could out of every minute.

However, as much as that was true, there was something else, something personal, that he needed to address. He’d used the excuses of meetings, overseeing things, and even the need for stone to avoid it. It couldn’t be avoided any longer. He would have to go and face Grandmother Lu. He had always intended for her to be his first stop, as was right and proper, but things had slipped out of his control, and one thing led to the next. Now, he would have to accept his punishment like a man. Well, no. He intended to bargain for forgiveness like a market square merchant who was hard up for silver. But, if it was necessary, he’d take his punishment.

It was with that in mind that he landed outside the walls of Lu Manor. He wasn’t worried about landing inside the walls. He was one of the very few people that the defenses would never attack for any reason. Grandmother Lu and Lo Meifeng were on that exceedingly short list. It was one of several small changes he’d made to those hyperviolent formations during his occasional and unannounced visits to the capital. For a while, he’d thought that he’d overdone it with defenses. With so many spirit beasts waiting nearby, he wondered if he’d made them dangerous enough. As for landing outside, he just figured that if he was going to arrive, he should arrive through the front gates like someone vaguely acquainted with civilization. He didn’t immediately recognize the guards at the gate, but they recognized him. They both bowed low.

“We greet Lord Lu,” they said in unison.

Sen wasn’t sure how they timed it so well. Maybe they practice, he thought.

“Thank you,” he said.

He’d learned the hard way that if he didn’t acknowledge their greeting in some way, they’d just keep on bowing. The guards rose to standing positions. While one engaged him with slightly nervous small talk, the other hurried inside. That one had apparently been tasked with announcing the arrival of important people. Sen disliked the idea, but he supposed he fit into the category now inside the kingdom. He played along with the small talk for a few minutes until he heard a snort. He’d felt the woman coming since before she left the manor, but he dutifully turned and bowed.

“Hello, Grandmother,” he said.

As he rose, he got a good look at her face. The only way he could think to describe the expression she wore was supremely unimpressed. That didn’t bode well for the conversation to come, especially since he didn’t have a lot of time for that conversation. The truth was that he didn’t have a lot of time for anything. Smiths were working furiously with what metal they had to supplement the capital’s store of weapons. Parks were being all but stripped of trees to provide any kind of wood for arrows, spears, and staves. Homes were being emptied of any old swords and spears that had been rusting in corners or closets. Some were salvageable, the rest were being sent off to the smiths.

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The sects were arguing about how best to deploy their forces in defense of the city. They were also arguing about who should get first claim on the various pills, elixirs, and natural treasures the sects had hoarded over the centuries. Both were arguments that Sen worried he would ultimately have to settle. There was food distribution to worry about, although the vegetables, rice, and meat he had brought in one of his storage rings had at least helped to alleviate the looming starvation problem for the very immediate future. The list of things went on and on, and there just wasn’t enough time to do it all. Even so, he didn’t let his impatience show through.

“I see you finally found time to come and visit your grandmother,” said Grandmother Lu.

“I was coming straight here, and then there was that strange business with the spikes glowing at the palace. I didn’t make them to do that, so I worried something bad was already happening. It seemed irresponsible and impractical to ignore a potential threat given everything that’s going on at the moment.”

Grandmother Lu’s eyes narrowed in suspicion.

“Is that so?”

“It is,” said Sen with a nod.

“Hmmph,” said Grandmother Lu. “I see you’ve gotten smoother with your excuses.”

“This one would never dare offer you excuses. I only offer you the truest explanations.”

There was a long moment of silence before Grandmother Lu snorted again, this time in amusement.

“Well, there is a war brewing right outside. I suppose I’ll have to extend you a bit of extra tolerance given the circumstances.”

Sen smiled and said, “You are, as always, gracious to your poor, foolish grandson.”

Grandmother Lu turned and started walking back to the manor. Sen fell into step beside her. She eyed him with a vaguely suspicious look on her face.

“Did you get taller again? Put on more muscle?” she asked while poking at his arm.

Sen frowned and then shrugged, “Not that I’m aware of, but I haven’t really been keeping track of it.”

“You seem larger. Maybe I’m just forgetting how big you are between visits. I know I look younger, but I swear that my memory hasn’t improved at all.”

Sen lifted an eyebrow in her direction and said, “I don’t recall that you’ve ever had any difficulties with your memory.”

“Respect your elders, boy,” said Grandmother Lu. “If I say my memory isn’t good, it isn’t good.”

It was Sen’s turn to snort. They passed through the front doors and were confronted with a sizeable gathering of servants and guards who all bowed as soon as they saw Sen.

“We greet Lord Lu,” they intoned.

“Thank you,” he said and, at a nudge from Grandmother Lu, he continued. “I see that everything here is in good order. I appreciate all of the hard work you’ve done.”

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The servants all looked happy with that, so he went to step away with Grandmother Lu. One of them called out to him, though.

“Is there really an army of spirit beasts getting ready to invade the city?”

Sen glanced at the gathered servants. He could see the same fear and uncertainty he’d seen in the crowd outside the palace gates. Those people had received no comfort from him, but he owed these people something more than a curt answer.

“It’s true. However,” said Sen, lifting a hand to silence the small explosion of words that followed, “steps are being taken to protect you all. Right now, cultivators are expanding the walls. Smiths are making weapons. Soldiers and the sects are preparing themselves. If we have anything to say about it, the spirit beasts will regret the day they come here seeking battle.”

It wasn’t much of a rousing speech, but it did seem to help settle everyone’s nerves. Grandmother Lu came to his rescue, since he wasn’t sure how to extricate himself at that point.

“Lord Lu is very busy planning the defense of the capital with the king. We should let him attend to his business here so he can return to that.”

The servants all offered another bow, which let Sen and Grandmother Lu escape up the stairs to her office. Once they were inside, Sen let out a relieved breath.

“I hate that kind of thing,” he said.

“Well, maybe you shouldn’t have declared yourself a dictator,” said Lo Meifeng from a chair where she was sipping on some tea.

“Hey! Let’s be clear here. I didn’t declare myself anything. Master Feng and Uncle Kho declared me a dictator.”

“Do you honestly expect that argument to work on anyone at all?” asked Lo Meifeng.

Sen gave her a sour look and said, “No, but it was worth a try.”