Unintended Cultivator-Chapter 6Book 11: : Opportunity

By the time Sen managed to escape the bureaucrats, he was well and truly ready to be done with everything for the day. He stepped outside and grimaced when he saw that the sun was already setting. Despite having accomplished things that day, he didn’t feel like he’d done much of anything. It was frustrating and yet, somehow, it also felt unavoidable. What he really wanted was to leave the capital, but leaving too soon would just create a cascade of future problems. He needed to make sure that things were more or less settled and at least adjacent to stable. That meant enduring the never-ending demands on his time as people loyal to him established their positions in the city.

He knew from his reading of history that this kind of process could take years if not decades, but he didn’t have the kind of time. However, even he knew that expecting anything more than minor, incremental progress over the course of a few weeks was demanding too much. He wasn’t even having to contend with uprisings or open revolt. As such things went, he was having an easy time of it. But every second he spent in the capital was time that the spirit beasts were free to act without fear of his intervention. He didn’t believe for a second that they had abandoned the kingdom altogether.

He’d knocked them off-balance, and his ongoing destruction of the wilds had no doubt become a problem for them. Minimally, there would be no sneaky attack on the capital again. He had overseen the destruction of the wilds for close to a hundred miles in every direction, with one exception. He had left the area controlled by the spirit oxen in pristine condition. He’d also ordered that no one was to enter that area without his express permission and that the spirit oxen were to be left alone. That last order had been met by fierce resistance from the sects. They wanted to hunt down all of the spirit beasts.

“Did you kill a single spirit ox in that battle?” asked Sen.

The question seemed to catch the room full of cultivators off guard, so he continued without waiting for an answer.

“Did any of your juniors kill a spirit ox in all those days of fighting?”

There had been a quiet murmuring at that question.

“Lord Lu,” said Bey Peizhi as he shot a glare around the room that demanded silence. “All of the spirit beasts are dangerous. Is it not folly to leave an enemy so close at hand?”

The Lunar Tiger Sect elder had positioned himself as something of a peacemaker between the more traditionally-minded sects and Sen. It was clear that he was trying to act in that role again. He’d even opened a door for Sen to explain his reasoning. Sen rarely bothered to offer explanations, but he suspected that this was one time that he would have to do at least that much. Otherwise, he might discover that some overambitious sect juniors would “accidentally” find themselves in the spirit oxen’s territory. That they ended up there on orders from a superior would be obvious to everyone.

However, the fighting would have already happened by the time anyone discovered the foolishness. After all, he couldn’t expect those poor foundation formation and early core cultivators not to defend themselves against dangerous, aggressive spirit beasts. Then, Sen would be forced into a confrontation that he didn’t want and that the saner elements in the sects certainly didn’t want. He would have to execute the sect juniors for acting contrary to his orders, but it would also make him seem like a capricious, vindictive leader. The kind who cared more about his orders being followed than people’s lives. Overlooking the incident would be the only other real option, but it would also make him appear weak. No, he thought. It’s simpler to just explain it.

“The reason that the spirit oxen didn’t attack this city was as a courtesy to me. I assure you that battle would have been much harder if they had decided to attack the walls. By making that choice, they have put themselves at risk of being attacked by the rest of the spirit beasts. I will not repay their kindness with violence and death. You will not destroy the relationship I have built with them.”

“What’s to keep them from changing their minds?” demanded someone in the back of the room.

“They said they wouldn’t.”

“And you expect us to just accept that!” shouted someone else.

“No. I accepted it. I expect you to accept my word. Well, that, or you could challenge me.”

The silence that followed that pronouncement was sufficient to tell Sen that no one was going to take him up on the offer. That had been one time where he’d walked away feeling like he’d accomplished anything meaningful. Yet, standing there in the fading light, it seemed as though those moments were coming far too infrequently. Patience, he told himself. Soon enough, you’ll have all the war you can stand and more. Closing his eyes, he withdrew his spiritual sense from the world around him. It was almost always extended as a basic safety precaution, but it left Sen feeling like he was forever surrounded by others and never, ever alone. And he desperately wanted to be alone for a few minutes.

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He’d been alone all the time as a child, and again when he first left the mountain. Those had been hard, dangerous times, but he’d trade a lot to be able to go back to them if only for an hour or two. He’d accumulated people over the years. People who protected him, like Lo Meifeng, and people who relied on him, like Ai. He’d never regret forming those relationships, but they were a responsibility. Now, he had a whole country of people who looked to him. The weight and magnitude of that was slowly becoming clear to him. It was a heavier and vaster load than he’d imagined. So, for a few moments, he just wanted to be alone in the world and with his thoughts.

The normally uncooperative world was, for once, kind enough to allow him those fleeting minutes of peace. He was able to stand, to be still, to be silent, and breathe without the needs of desperate people in a troubled time intruding on him. Yet, as all things must, that brief respite came to an end. Sen heard the quiet steps. He took one final breath before opening his eyes and looking at Lai Dongmai. She stood a little apart from him, apparently content to wait until he was ready to speak.

“I hope you haven’t come to drag me somewhere to talk to more people. I’ve had just about enough talking for one day.”

“I see Wu Da found you,” said Lai Dongmei with a wry smile. “You have that terribly harried look that people always get after speaking to him.”

“Jing assures me that the man is essential to the… Oh, how did he put it?” asked Sen to the air before snapping his fingers. “That’s right. He’s essential to the efficient operation of the kingdom. I’m not even sure I know what that means.”

“Yes. You do,” said the sect matriarch with a sympathetic smile.

“Maybe. I think I’d be a happier and more content person if I didn’t.”

“I’m certain that’s true.”

“You didn’t answer me before, which means that you have come to make me go talk to someone.”

Lai Dongmei grimaced and said, “I haven’t come to make you speak to someone. But there is someone here that I believe you should speak to.”

“I truly don’t have any politics left in me for the day.”

“Then, it’s a good thing this isn’t about politics. It’s about cultivation. You’re cultivation.”

Sen frowned at the woman.

“My cultivation.”

All Sen wanted to do right then was to go have a quiet meal with Grandmother Lu, but Lai Dongmei wouldn’t be suggesting this conversation if she didn’t think it would be worth his time. Just as importantly, the number of people in the world who could talk to him about his cultivation had grown terribly thin. He didn’t think he could afford to ignore an opportunity to glean even a little insight. There was no telling when he’d get another chance.

“Very well,” said Sen. “Lead the way.” fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓

He’d expected her to take him back inside the palace, but she walked out into the grounds instead. He kept pace beside her for a time before posing a question he asked her at least once a week.

“Don’t you have a sect to run?”

“Are you telling me to leave?” she asked in an amused tone.

“I’m not, but I have at least an inkling of what that means. I don’t want your sect to fall to pieces because you’re spending all of your energy helping me.”

“My sect has stood for a very long time. It won’t crumble if I’m not there to be in charge every single day.”

They’d had several variations of that exact conversation, so Sen wasn’t surprised when she changed the subject.

“I’ve heard an interesting rumor,” she said.

“Have you? What rumor would that be?”

“The rumor is that you’ve promised to teach a sword form to that girl I’ve loaned you from my sect.”

Sen snorted and said, “I promised to teach all of them, but only after they’ve mastered the qinggong technique I’ve been trying to teach them.”

“That does make more sense,” she said. “I notice that you never offered to teach me such a thing.”

Sen raised an eyebrow at her and shrugged.

“You never asked.”

“I never—” she started to say before breaking into laughter. “No. I suppose I never did ask, did I?”

“You did not. Besides, I’m not sure my sword style would suit you. It’s too aggressive. Too direct. Too—” Sen trailed off.

“Too Feng Ming,” she filled in. “Yes, it is very much your teacher’s style, even if you’ve made it your own. Still, it would be nice if you offered.”

“I’ll show you if you want me to,” said Sen.

“Good. That will give me an excuse to drag you away from time to time.”

“Do you need an excuse?”

“No. It’s just convenient to have one,” she said while giving him a smile with all kinds of interesting promises in it. “Sadly, we’ll have to discuss that some other time.”

Sen nodded. He’d seen the figure standing near a small pond. The man turned to face them. Sen almost missed a step. He’d heard about what this man had been doing recently, but hadn’t actually seen him in years. The man inclined his head to Sen. It was a calculated gesture. Just deep enough to miss being offensive, but not nearly deep enough to imply subservience. Sen inclined his head just enough so that the movement was visible.

“You’ve grown since we last crossed paths, Judgment’s Gale.”

“I suppose I have, Jin Bohai. As I recall, the last time we saw each other, Feng Bai was trying to threaten secrets out of me.”

“He was. I believe I also suggested that you seek me out after you broke through into the nascent soul stage. I didn’t expect it quite so soon, but it seems you have accomplished the feat all the same.”

“You did suggest that. Although, as I’m sure you’ve gathered, I have not suffered from an overabundance of free time recently.”

“Yes,” said Jin Bohai thoughtfully. “A common problem among tyrants, I understand.”

Sen felt an amused little smile cross his lips.

“So, tell me. What can I do for you, Jin Bohai?”

“Learn. Teach. I think we have much to offer each other.”

Sen remained silent for a few seconds before he asked, “And what makes you think that?”

“Well, you’ve already learned some things from my student. It only stands to reason that you could learn some things from me.”

“Your student?”

Jin Bohai lifted a hand, and Sen tensed as he felt qi moving. Then, he went very still as a complex pattern of shadows manifested around the other cultivator’s hand.

“I mean Fu Ruolan, naturally. Tell me, is she still insane?”