Druidic Cultivation | Sixteen

With his locus meridian now opened and connected to his diantan, Feng Jiao was able to increase the speed at which he absorbed the energy of heaven and earth through the acupoints in his legs. He experimentally absorbed the energy through those acupoints and realized that not only was he absorbing faster but he was also refining it to Qi much quicker than before. With his diantan now connected and hungry, he also no longer got that too-full feeling that he’d gotten used to over the last week. 

After feeling it out, he realized that the next membrane that he had to break down was the telum meridian, which ran from fingertip to fingertip across the shoulder blades before traveling down the spine. Unless one had a deviant body, that was often times the second meridian to connect because the membrane there was the next thinnest. Already he could feel the benefits to his jumping height and running speed from awakening his locus meridian which made Feng Jiao excited to open the rest of them.

His last world had magic alongside spells that could temporarily bolster one’s body, but nothing to this level. The body refining arts of this world, the cultivation of Qi, was leaps and bounds beyond anything he’d seen or learned before. Feng Jiao pumped Qi from his diantan back into his legs before leaping from his perch in the middle of the river. The distance he cleared was a dozen times farther than he’d been able to before, easily landing on the shore rather than having to swim. Feng Jiao cracked a wide smile before entering the water to clean off, his original goal in coming out there. From there he cultivated until just before the sun started to set.

A few hours later, Feng Jiao found himself on the way back toward his manor where his parents should be waiting. There was a faint buzzing within his arms, a minute amount of Qi that he’d managed to refine that day, as well as a nice feeling in his diantan, located just behind his navel. He theorized it would likely take him at least two weeks before he had anywhere close to the amount of Qi needed to break down the barrier that separated his telum from his diantan, as the amount of Qi required increased with each meridian. He continued to drain the weeds and grasses of their Qi as he passed them but avoided messing with the trees, they were beyond his reach still.

The manor that Feng Jiao lived in, his father’s home, was a large wooden house built not too far from the forest line. As it came into sight, he could see lanterns in the windows as well as his sisters playing in the front yard. The two of them both wore nice dresses, Chu’er in pastel yellow and Lie’er in a cute pink color, with twin pigtails in their dark black hair. When his cute sisters caught sight of Feng Jiao they shouted and ran over to him, grabbing at his legs.

He allowed himself to be led inside by both of his hands before breaking off and heading upstairs to his room to switch into something more presentable. The outfit he settled on was a dark green tunic with embroidered leaf patterns and brown trousers that did not look too rough. Growing up, Feng Jiao had avoided getting robes and nice clothing as much as possible as it often accentuated his feminine looks and caused him no end of trouble.

By the time he’d finished getting ready, Feng Jiao’s parents had left for the feast with his two sisters and he was free to set off alone. At this point, the sun had set properly, and the moon lit up the night time sky. Jiao followed the lantern-lit cobble path down toward the field that was often used for ceremonies. Small things would be held in town center, like greeting Granny Xiaoke after their return, while larger events were held in a field just outside of the town’s walls.

It was a little dangerous, being outside the walls, but the town guard often attended such events and watched for danger. Combined with the fact that the beasts who inhabited their mountain were not all that powerful, it just made things easier to do such events outside in the field. Unfortunately, that meant that the event was located on nearly the opposite side of the town from where Feng Jiao’s home was. With his locus meridian now open, however, the distance didn’t seem like much of a problem to him.   

Without breaking a sweat, Feng Jiao arrived at the clearing in record times. There was a large fire in the center of the clearing and several bright torches set up around the clearing, mounted on long bamboo poles. Over the fire, or fires it seemed, were several beasts slowly rotating on a rotisserie as well as clay hot pots buried in shallow ashes, simmering vegetables and rices for the feast.

Feng Jiao looked around the clearing until he found who he was looking for, his friend Duan Cao, sitting at a table near the edge of the clearing. Traditionally speaking, Feng Jiao would probably be expected to sit with his family closer to the fire as both a ‘minor noble’ of the town and the ‘guest of honor’, his family ruling the town and his marital spirit having been the best result that year, but Feng Jiao did not pay that any mind. 

“Little-sis Cao! I found you at last!” Feng Jiao shouted over to her as he approached, causing her to jump a bit at his thunderous voice and start turning red. She turned her face toward his approach and sent him a shy smile which, in turn, caused Feng Jiao to smile even wider. A few other tables cast their gaze over toward the two, investigating the antics, but nobody paid them much mind, much more content to enjoy the celebrations together.

The smell of ardor grass, the recreational spirit medicine that the town had been established around, drifted into Feng Jiao’s nose from where it was being smoked in several places. The smell was a little earthy mixed with a citrus-like scent and caused Feng Jiao’s stomach to rumble. The grass itself wasn’t edible but Feng Jiao’s empty stomach paid that no heed as he made his way over to Duan Cao.

“Big Brother Jiao, you’re late,” Duan Cao said teasingly, “Please meet my older sister, Duan Wuyo, and my father, Duan Kei.” Duan Cao gestured to a girl a few years older than herself as well as a burly man that was doing his best not to glare at Feng Jiao. Duan Cao had mentioned Feng Jiao to her father but, before addressing him as Big Brother Jiao just then, failed to mention that he was, in fact, a he. Duan Kei was obviously not against his daughters having male friends, but Duan Cao had mentioned that they slept next to each other and even addressed him so familiarly. Had his surname been anything but Feng, Feng Jiao would likely be having a different conversation at that moment.

The Feng Family was not just limited to the Crouching Grass Village. In fact, the Feng Family of Crouching Grass was just a small branch family of a much larger organization that was spread across Dasenlin, one of the newest offshoots of a massive mercantile faction. A couple generations back, the Feng Family had purchased the mountain they lived upon for the purposes of growing ardor grass for trade and sent Granny Xiaoke’s grandmother out to head up the town. Although they were largely independent from the main family, the Crouching Grass’s Feng family still sent tribute back to the capitol and was developing into a power of their own rapidly. 

“Junior Feng Jiao greets Senior Duan and Big Sister Duan.” Feng Jiao paid his respects, referring to Duan Wuyo as Big Sister as it would be strange to call her otherwise while calling Duan Cao little sister. Of course, her father saw this as taking minor liberties with yet another of his daughters.

“Greetings to you as well, Young Master Feng. I take it you came to gather my little Cao’er? Make sure you don’t leave the firelight.” Duan Kei choose to smile and bear with it, sending his youngest daughter along with the young lord. They seemed to get along well enough and were too young to be doing anything too immodest. Naturally, there was the added effect of separating the charming young man from his first daughter as well. 

“Thank you, Senior Duan. Little Cao, let’s go!” Feng Jiao grabbed Duan Cao’s hand as she started to stand up and immediately hauled her off toward the fires. A few of the hot pots had been shifted out of the fire and onto the tables and Feng Jiao’s post-breakthrough stomach was screaming at him to fill it. Without even a glance backwards, the two children started running over toward the food, oblivious to the squinting eyes of Duan Cao’s fathers.

He watched their backs fade way and shook his head.

“Children will be children, I suppose. As long as they don’t get too attached.”

“It’s okay if they get close, father. Didn’t you hear when little sister was talking? She said that Feng Jiao was the one who scored the outstanding results in his martial awakening. They should both be joining the God Tree together and will have plenty of time to get closer.” Duan Wuyo lectured her father softly. He had, in fact, not been listening to who his daughter said did best as he was busy internally celebrating his daughter’s admittance into the God Tree Grove, a high-mid tier sect in the kingdom. 

Now, however, he knew that the reason his daughter with average talent had been accepted into a rising star was because of this Feng Jiao. The same Feng Jiao who was holding his daughter’s hand, slept next to her on the trip, and spoke to her so similarly, all while they were only ten years of age. 

A heavy sigh escaped from the older man’s lips before he sent Duan Wuyo out to play with her friends as well. He pulled out a pipe from his pocket and started packing it with ardor grass, ready to calm his nerves before seeking out his friends for drink.