Interlude 1: Ming Lin

A/N: I wanted to foreshadow some stuff, so I decided to try my hand at an interlude. Let me know what you think about it. We'll be back with Lan in the next chapter.

Also, writing is still going well. I'm able to develop a bit of a backlog, and will be putting out three chapters this week including this one. So things are looking good.

Anyway, hope you enjoy the chapter.

Interlude 1:

At the start of dawn, in a private residence in the Sun Compound, Ming Lin sat in a bath. Her face was impassive, and if anyone else saw just that, they might think that she was relaxed. But the white knuckled grip she had on the edges of the metal cauldron told the truth.

If Ming Lin weren’t so good at controlling herself, and if she didn’t have so much practice with this, she would have been screaming. That was how much pain she was in at the moment in her near boiling bath.

The pain wasn’t coming from the heat of the waters. No, at her level of cultivation, she was able to handle that fine. It would have been perhaps a bit uncomfortable, especially if she had been in too long, but that was it. Instead, the pain came from the medicine in the waters.

They seeped into her body, invading every pore. It was like a thousand knives cutting to her very core. Granny had once compared it to body cultivation in terms of pain, but only the most expensive and powerful kind. Ironic then that these baths did the opposite of making her stronger.

Instead, they weakened her, in a way, to ensure her constitution killed her slower.

“Just a bit more,” Granny said softly, fanning the flames heating her bath. “And you’ll be done for another two weeks.”

Lin grunted in reply, too focused on keeping her composure to really speak. It was good practice, after all. If she could maintain this level of calm through this pain, then she could keep herself neutral and unreacting whenever she was out in the city and saw a member of the Shen clan. It was also good to be able to ignore pain in a fight.

“Okay, that’s enough,” Granny said after a few more long agonizing moments. “Get out of there, child.”

Lin nodded and pulled herself from the green waters, calmly and slowly. But despite her efforts, she couldn’t completely stop the slight tremors that ran across her body. The pain wouldn’t stop so quickly after leaving the bath. It would take several more minutes for the worst of it to pass.

Silently, Granny held out a towel for her, and Lin took it. Drying herself off, she moved with practiced ease, her face still impassive. Next, she went to her folded robes and slowly put them on. She started with her chest wrapping, tying them tight before putting on the rest.

When she was done, she closed her eyes for a moment and activated the technique to alter her appearance. It made her look like a boy, if an effeminate one. Once it had been an annoyance. But she was used to it now. Even if it was another indignity forced upon her by the Shen Clan. A minor one, all things considered. But a consistent one.

“You should rest,” Granny said once she was done. “It’s not like seeing those boys off will make much of a difference for their chances. And it's just a trial. If they fail, at worst, they will just have to take it again.”

Lin shook her head. “I am fine. You said that resting isn’t needed after these baths.“

“I said that it won’t cause long-term harm if you don’t rest,” Granny snapped. “Not that it is a good idea. There’s no point in suffering needlessly.”

“I don’t want to let this control how I live my life,” Lin said simply, turning to look at her Granny. 

She met a stern pair of eyes set in a wrinkled and withered face. As she did, she fought down the flames of anger in her chest whenever she saw how old her Granny looked. Given her age and level of cultivation, she shouldn’t have looked like that. Her hair should not be so white. She was not nearly so old.

But just like so many other things, the Shen clan had taken the vitality that Granny should have had from them.

“Oh, don’t look at me like that, child,” Granny said, easily able to discern her thoughts. “Do you think I need a reminder of my age?”

Lin grimaced and bowed her head. “Sorry, Granny.”

The old woman sighed and shook her head. Gently, she pulled Lin by her arm over to a wooden seat and pushed her to sit. Reluctantly, she did and resisted the urge to sigh in relief as she no longer had to force herself to stand upright.

“At the very least, sit here until you are no longer shaking,” Granny said before puttering off to a table nearby. 

She started grinding something in a mortar—Sky-Blessed Grass, probably, given the smell. Now that she was sitting down, she felt too tired to crane her head to check. But given how much herb lore and medicine knowledge Granny had forced into her head, she was pretty sure she was right.

Granny continued to work as Lin sat there, the pain receding bit by bit. As it did, her head started to lull for a moment, and she was tempted to just sleep—probably what her Granny wanted. But she forced herself to stay upright. And, when she felt like she could stand without too much pain, she moved to stand up.

“You should just forget about the Shen Clan,” Granny said when she moved to stand up.

Lin froze for a moment, her hands not clenching into fists despite how much she wanted to. Slowly, she took a breath, then straightened her robes as she stood upright. “You know I can’t do that, Granny.”

“Anger—” Granny started to say, but Lin cut her off.

“It’s not my anger saying that,” Lin said calmly. “It’s my practicality. And my desire to live. They still have the blossoms. Your medicine can only do so much. If I want to live. If I want to thrive, then conflict is inevitable."

“There are other ways,” Granny said, her voice harsh. “Even under the aegis of the Young Miss, the Shen clan cannot be trifled with. Cultivation is not—”

“No,” Lin said, her voice firm. “For me, there is no other way. I refuse to be weak ever again.”

With that said, she turned and walked off. She did not feel good disrespecting her Granny like this. But she would not be dissuaded. She refused to live her life weak or meek. And she refused the most to let the Shen clan to be the ones to force her to be like that.

Her father was said to have been strong. Powerful. A titan amongst his jealous peers. She refused to let that legacy fall into disgrace.

She would find a way to get what she needed. If that meant fighting the Shen clan one day, then so be it. She owed them a world of pain anyway.

And it wasn’t like she didn’t have other resources outside of the Young Miss. Like a certain boy with startling potential.

—line break—

Late in the morning, after eating and the last of the pains left her body, Ming Lin left the Sun Compound with her closest friends to send off Lan and Pan Song to the Starguard Trials. 

As usual, Feifei and Yun were quietly feuding over Jianfeng. Feifei had the advantage at the moment, clinging to an embarrassed Jianfeng’s arm. Since they were all out in public, Yun could not do the same, which left her sending the pair annoyed looks when she could get away with it.

Lin walked with Little Tao’s hand in hers, while the young boy looked around eagerly as they made their way through the city. Being cooped up in the compound so much, he was eager to see anything new and exciting. She had to keep a firm hold on him, lest he run off.

On Little Tao’s other side was Big Chui, who was supposed to help make sure Little Tao didn’t run off. But the older boy clearly had other things on his mind. Having been cooped up in the compound as well, needing to focus on his cultivation and taking the final steps into becoming a Qi-Gatherer, he couldn’t keep his eyes from wandering either. But unlike Little Tao, who would look at everything and anything, Big Chui only had eyes for the various restaurants or food stalls they passed. 

Ming Lin smiled slightly at the sight, basking in the peaceful atmosphere for a moment. She cherished moments like these, surrounded by her chosen family. If she could, she would rather live in peace with them for the rest of her life. But the world was not so kind, and she knew she would need strength to keep this peaceful life.

At that dark thought, Ming Lin couldn’t help but glance toward Lan and Pan Song, who walked slightly ahead. The two were casually chatting, but it was easy to see that the two were already a bit tense. They were both strong enough to do fine in the trial, but it was only natural for them to still be a bit nervous.

Ming Lin’s eye honed in on Lan, and a myriad of thoughts passed through her mind. Her opinions on the young man had changed a lot since the two had first met. At first, she’d thought him to be either a fool or a bandit in disguise. Afterwards, she thought of him as a helpless sap that Jianfeng couldn’t help but bond with and would be a burden, dragging them down. Then, a delusional person with a minor ability.

And yet in the end, he was not only the reason they got to safety and back to their family, but also played a pivotal part in saving one of her other friends. He hadn’t needed to do that last part. Hadn’t needed to risk himself for people he didn’t know. 

But he’d done it anyway. He knew he would be rewarded for it, but that didn’t make Lin any less grateful. As unexpected as it was, he’d end up being someone she could respect and call a friend.

Which made things a bit worse now that she’s seen just how much potential he has with that ability of his.

Being able to learn any technique just by killing something or someone and taking it from them was already amazing. The kind of thing that clans or even sects would kill for. Heck, even the empire itself might not be able to resist such a thing. Combined with the speed of his cultivation—something else he can take—and it was clear that Lan’s elevation to a powerhouse was only a matter of time.

As long as he didn’t get himself killed doing something stupid. Like helping a stubborn girl take on one of the most powerful clans in the city, so her body doesn’t make her choose between being strong and living a long life.

Lin took a soft, measured breath to center herself, her grip on Little Tao’s hand unchanging as they started nearing the Starguard Hall. She buried the guilt she felt at what she knew she would ask of her new friend one day. The same guilt kept her from telling any of her family about her condition. Only Jianfeng knew, and she only told the truth because of how much he pried.

But unlike the rest of her friends, Lan really might be able to help her. And she knew that he would likely say yes to her request if it came from a friend. Even if there were untold dangers.

She would just have to accept being selfish in this regard. And do her best to make it up to him whenever she could. Because she wasn’t willing to lose what she had with her family. Not again.

Their group finally stopped when they reached the front of the Starguard hall. Lan found his way close by, along with Sun Yun, who wanted to distract herself. Lan asked something, and Lin responded almost automatically, getting Sun Yun involved in the conversation as well since she knew the topic best.

They discussed the trial and the recent news about the Three Great Clans, and the bit of tension happening between the Shen Clan and the Imperial Governor's family. And despite the topic being about her most hated enemy, Lin kept herself completely normal. As if the Shen clan had no special interest in her heart.

After that, the time for departure came. Lan and Pan Song went off with the rest of the trial takers. Some members of the Shen clan remained, but Lin didn’t spare them a second glance as the remainder of their group left. 

Little Tao was eager for a day out in the city, and Lin and the rest were happy to indulge him. They couldn’t spend the whole day out, but at the very least, they would explore until lunch and eat something delicious before going back.

—Line break—

Lin let out a soft sigh of relief when they finally got back to the Sun Compound in the afternoon. While it had been fun just spending time with those she cherished most, that didn’t stop the busy and bustling city from seemingly draining her of energy. 

She was happy to be back in the much more serene Sun Compound. A much more relaxed and quiet place.

“So, what’s bothering you?”

Lin sighed again, this time much less calmly. Separating from everyone else for a bit, she’d gone back to her residence she shared with Granny, and gone to sit in the courtyard there. She’d just planned to drink some tea before cultivating.

But of course, her closest friend would have noticed her mood.

“Nothing,” Lin said, not wanting to explain and closing her eyes. That was supposed to indicate she wanted to be alone.

So, of course, instead of walking away, she heard Jianfeng sit down right beside her.

Lin opened her eyes and gave her friend an unamused look. Jianfeng just grinned and grabbed himself a cup and poured himself some tea.

“So…?” He asked, taking a sip and letting out a contented sigh.

Lin just rolled her eyes and closed them again. She was not going to give in so easily. Instead, she started to cultivate, willing to wait him out.

The two sat in silence like that for a long time. From the Qi around her, she could tell Jianfeng wasn’t cultivating. Just sitting and waiting for her. How annoying.

“I’m not going to start talking just because you're sitting there,” Lin said after another long period of peace.

She didn’t need to open her eyes to know Jianfeng was grinning at her again.

“This doesn’t count,” She said quickly.

“Of course,” Jianfeng said, the smug tone obvious in his voice. “Then I suppose—”

Jianfeng's words were cut by the sound of rush footsteps. That wouldn’t normally be any cause for alarm. But with their cultivator senses, they could also pick up the slight panic breathing of the one coming towards them. So the two of them turned to face the new arrival just as they entered the courtyard.

It was Feifei. And she had a panicked look on her face.

“What is it?” Jianfeng said, getting up and rushing over to the girl.

“The forest!” Feifei said, still catching her breath from running. “The monsters.”

“What about them?” Lin asked, making her way over to her friend. “Take a moment to breathe, Feifei.”

Feifei nodded and took several calming breaths. When she spoke again, she was much more coherent. “Young Miss said that there’s been a disaster. The spirit beasts in the Great Southern Forest are rushing out of the forest. There have already been attacks on the closest settlements!”

“They’ve defeated the Imperial Army?” Jianfeng asked, confusion evident in his voice.

Which was fair, as while the Imperial Army wasn’t perfect, they shouldn’t have lost so badly to spirit beasts like this. And just what would have provoked them to go beyond the forest and actually attack settlements?

“I don’t know,” Feifei said, shaking her head. “But the Young Miss said that you two should get ready. She said that all major factions will be expected to send people to assist. And she will need to contribute from her household as well.”

Feifei looked between Lin and Jianfeng worriedly at those last words. 

Jianfeng, of course, did his best to soothe her. He held her by the arms and grinned at her. “Feifei, there’s no need to worry. Lin and I will be fine. We’ll beat up a bunch of spirit beasts, and everything will be fine. Don’t worry about a thing. Just wait for us and we will be back soon.”

Feifei smiled hesitantly at Jianfeng's words and hugged him. Lin rolled her eyes at her dramatic friend, but didn’t complain when Feifei hugged her as well.

“Stay safe,” Feifei said, clasping her hands together and looking at them both meaningfully.

“We will,” Lin said, hugging her friend one more time. Then she nodded at Jianfeng before walking into her residence. “We’ll meet at the gate.”

—line break—

Things became quite a bit more hectic after that. Despite Jianfeng’s words to Feifei, the situation was worse than they thought. The spirit beasts didn’t just attack the outlying settlements near the Great Southern Forest. They surged in such numbers that the people out there had to be evacuated completely.

The imperial army is fighting a retreating action to keep the evacuees safe, but the spirit beasts did not seem content to take over or destroy the settlements they’ve already overrun. They were chasing the whole way, and if things continued, the spirit beasts would likely reach the city.

People were calling it a beast surge. And that had the imperial army, all the major factions, and the Starguard hall acting. 

Still, despite how terrible it was for those evacuees, the feeling on the matter for those in the city was quite a bit different. While there was a lot of danger, there were also opportunities. To both earn merits from various organizations, and to have the chance of harvesting rare and seldom-seen spirit beasts while fighting alongside others.

Which is why Lin, Jianfeng, Yun, Sun Xia, and Zhao Wei left the Sun Compound not long after they got the news. They then joined up with a contingent of the Alchemy Guard that would be participating before, as a group, they left the city.

And just like that, Lin’s relaxing day truly came to an end. A bit disappointing, but at least there would be an opportunity to gain some resources. It was just too bad that Lan was taking the trial now, as this could have been a great opportunity for him.

Well, at least he gets to stay safe at the trial and not deal with a beast surge like this.