Treasures Of Heaven And Earth

"So, to be clear," Chún asked as evenly as he could manage some unknown amount of time later, "when you said that we needed to train constantly and rest was a waste of time, you were including this activity as training?"

He swept an arm out over the landscape in front of him, which looked to be some tranquil, picture perfect ideal of a Cultivation Paradise taken from an artist's ink painting, down to the peasants made tiny by distance as they bent over in perfectly sculpted rice paddies.

He knew it was not what it seemed - it was merely another of the doors within the North Palace that they had walked through and suddenly found himself 'outside' - but the link to his locus was still muted and he found himself working not to say something foolish, childish or rather - age appropriate, given he was not yet fifteen summers.

He found himself smiling a little at the thought even as an amused snort came from his Teacher beside him.

"Training Martial Dao effectively - not only physical, mental or Cultivation. Growth requires learning new directions, different forms. Otherwise not a True Cultivator," the amus.e.m.e.nt at that last part was clear in her voice as they slowly walked across the top of the ridge, "simply, mindless brute."

"You know…" Chún replied reflectively, "you are not the first person to offer me etiquette training. Dàilán's father has made a similar offer."

He took a deep breath, enjoying the sweet smell of warm air and sweet grass as a gentle breeze ruffled over the hills.

He shook his head at the thoughts, shoving the slight disquiet that what he felt and smelt was likely some sort of elaborate illusion… or perhaps the Palace could connect elsewhere? But then they would lose the time slowing advantage, so probably an illusion.

The Xuánwǔ made a rude noise, "Not etiquette or human politics. Calligraphy perhaps - True Speech, not foolish human languages. Study those on your time."

Chún blinked and turned his head to look at the Dark Lady, "I have free time?"

"Achieve an adequate level of achievement with studying Martial Dao, all things possible." There was a slight, close lipped smile playing around the mouth of the humanoid form of the Guardian Beast.

Chún g.r.o.a.n.e.d audibly. Training tempo had slowed after that first three days of nonstop battle; in exchange, his new teacher had exhaustively quizzed him about everything he had done with his Cultivation and all the decisions he had made up to this point and the reasoning behind all of them - over and over again. Chún found himself taking mental notes for if he ever had to interrogate prisoners. His thoughts rolled back, remembering…

"...Explain clay manipulation which develops Dao patterns within ceramics…"

"...Why choose to develop multiple Essence fire seeds?"

"...plan to involve Consumers to defend your locus…"

"...continued with Alchemy and Essence Forging?"

"...describe formation of your Essence Treasures…"

"Complaining again," the Xuánwǔ's voice interrupted Chún's thoughts, "questions were necessary to establish baseline before continuing with training."

Chún made a face and threw his legs out more forcefully, just to hear the long grass rustle against the fabric of his training robe, "How do you keep doing that?"

"Human expressions - easy to interpret," she answered offhandedly.

Chún tried to keep his expression smooth, then gave it up as a bad job and threw his hands up, "I do not know why I am having trouble controlling my emotions."

"You are young," pointed out his Guardian calmly, "m.a.t.u.r.e behaviour unnatural. Training to conceal thoughts often has - negative effects - on young minds."

"Like Dàilán's strange decision making process after we met," suggested the young teen looking over at his teacher, but the Tortoise-snake shook her head in disagreement, "Heiress' decisions wise. Without your support, she cannot maintain her position or protect her clan. If she returns to her city or travels elsewhere, she would be forced into marriage or worse."

Chún glanced sidelong at his Teacher, "You speak from experience - on both counts?"

"Minor human clans politics - nothing in comparison to intricate and deadly maneuverings of Immortals; a female Xuánwǔ…" she trailed off and Chún grunted in understanding, "you were a sought after bargaining piece," he completed the thought.

She returned only silence and he sighed, "that still does not address why I am struggling. I was not having this trouble before," he ran his hands through the heads of grass in frustration as he walked.

"Likely due to reduced connection with locus. This is fortunate. Chance to develop emotional and mental maturity without dependency," she pointed out.

"You are…" Chún paused and shook his head, "I am not even going to bother discussing the irony of - you - saying that."

Sighing, he frowned as he replied slowly, "given how Tai responded when I stepped out for a minor kè, my locus probably agrees with you. I think…" he trailed off, before resuming his thought, "I think without Tai's help I would never have survived the last couple of months without going crazy, but… I am starting to think my reliance on the link may be causing me problems now."

He looked around and waved his hands, metaphorically brushing off the subject while indicating all around them, "I wonder how all of this is possible - we are still inside the Palace, right?"

"Correct. Essence Treasure Painting created by Immortal Painting Master."

Blinking at the Guardian's succinct response, he pointed at the peasants far below in the distance, "They are not real, then. They were painted there. I suppose that is why they never seem to leave the field. We are inside the Essence Treasure?"

"Yes."

"I have to admit I am confused," he started again when it became clear the Xuánwǔ was not going to answer further, "first you had me practice the same set of martial exercises… the same form," he amended hastily at the glare she leveled at him, "repeatedly, until I collapsed. You complained I was wasting time requesting a break - then you switched to asking me questions for… I do not know how long… and now this…" he waved his hands about again to indicate their relaxed walk through the hills.

"First day of training - always for testing limits. Rare students last past day of breaking, so three was remarkable." His teacher shrugged, following up the faint praise with a sharp gesture, "never had a student that needed more than a day's time to comprehend the First Form or grasp Qi though."

She looked at him with a slight air of apology, "first student not to ask for a break when required. I was unaware you were operating beyond capacity."

"So I am untalented. But stubborn," summarised Chún, with a bitter smile.

"Previous students all had some background in Martial Dao and Cultivation. Also not human. Some things come easier to humans. Other things do not," she huffed, "human's minds are too busy with their own thoughts to listen."

"So I am also uneducated and poorly born," grumbled Chún, then stumbled as he received a sharp crack of something across his b.u.t.t.o.c.k.s.

"Less foolishness," the Xuánwǔ admonished sharply, "more discussion of Dao. Chance for consolidation of Cultivation gains from martial training," she waved her arm around in a broad sweep indicating the entire landscape, "time to comprehend the Dao. The Essence Painting holds insights; listen, look, learn... Find enlightenment. This is training also." She looked at him seriously, "talk less. Pay attention more."

Chún felt his cheeks warm with embarrassment and to hide it he looked around for a distraction. If he was supposed to meditate on the Dao it would better if he could find somewhere to sit…

As if summoned by his thoughts a Pútí Tree appeared in the valley below them as they crested the hill. Since they were in an Essence Treasure and not an actual place it was quite possible that the painting had added an area in response to his thoughts.

Ignoring the clone of Lady Bingqiǎo walking alongside him, Chún walked underneath the fabled tree - that the Buddha was said to have gained enlightenment under - and sat.

For a moment he allowed himself to breathe in the warm air scented with wildflowers and the sweet smell of green grass, relaxing as he let himself reach out and feel his surroundings.

The breeze rushed softly through the leaves of the tree above him in a gentle counterpoint to the happy sounds of songbirds. He let his eyes slip closed and let the peace of his surroundings flow inward through him and then flow outward, carrying his Essence Sense with it.

A breath or two went by and Chún found his eyebrows drawing together in puzzlement despite himself. The Xuánwǔ was correct - the painting did have Dao Patterns woven within it but…

"...These Dao Patterns are incomplete," he realised aloud, "they are not wrong… but they have so much missing…"

There was an odd noise from beside him, presumably where the Xuánwǔ was observing, "The Immortal who painted this Treasure - astonished and offended," she sputtered.

"Well… the pattern is… correct," Chún replied absently still tracing out what he sensed, "which is indeed remarkable - this is the first man-made treasure or technique I have found that does not have a broken or twisted pattern - but…" he paused, trying to decide the best way to explain what he meant, then decided not to bother and went straight to describing what he usually sensed.

"When I normally sense Dao Patterns, it is like listening to the sound of many instruments all playing together to form a harmonious whole. A broken or twisted pattern sounds or feels wrong… grating or painful to listen to."

He smiled slightly, a note of approval entering his voice, "Everything I have heard previously that was made by Cultivators has had a Dao pattern that sounded wrong in some way - missing notes, out of tune, clashing, off tempo... the patterns usually look diseased too."

Chún shook his head slowly, "This Dao Pattern sounds complete and correct… it is just, instead of many instruments together, I only hear a single, lonely instrument. And it is… dim... soft." He paused then pressed his hands to the 'ground' beneath him, "here, let me show you."

A bright pulse of Essence flowed outward from the young True Cultivator, along with a wordless song that seemed to come from everywhere, a joyful crash of Drums and Guanzi flooding across the landscape. A light seemed to simultaneously brighten and sharpen everything around them as the deep tolls of gongs and bells along with a choir of a million voices all shouted out a note that seemed to suddenly give everything an indefinable depth - but it was all simultaneously still the same tune.

Chún opened his eyes, watching as his Teacher turned on the spot - looking around in amazement - at the suddenly much more alive world around them; in the rice paddies below, the peasants had stopped working, straightening up from their planting stoop sand the worried and alarmed calls of their voices could be heard - faint, but sharp and distinct.

The Pútí Tree glowed above him with a Heavenly golden light, the sound of the wind in its leaves echoing the song faintly.

"But... "the Xuánwǔ seemed at a loss for words as she looked around at the undeniable changes to the small world, "what did you do?"

"I added the missing instruments to the tune the single instrument was playing," answered Chún, "the single thread of notes has been joined by many others now - as many as I could imagine. The Pattern is richer - more depth, where before it was a lone voice in an empty space."

He lifted his hands off the ground and spread them out as if releasing something, "I left the Pattern open. Before it was a closed loop - now it will be able to grow and add more instruments if it wants. It can write its own song now - it is a type of alive now. Before it was… a thought? An expression of one person's enlightenment of the Dao. The Immortal who painted it, I suppose."

"If you do this?" the Tortoise-Snake waved her hands around emphatically at the revitalised, breathing, landscape around them, "why issues with Qi?"

"Seeing the Dao Patterns has come naturally to me ever since the old man showed them to me the first time," answered Chún, "instinctively, I suppose. Part of being a True Cultivator…" he shrugged, "Qi? That is something different."

There was a smacking sound as the young lady rubbed her forehead with her palm, "Blood and Stars..." she muttered, before dropping down violently to sit beside Chún, "You are wrong."

Chún blinked and looked over at the Xuánwǔ, who sighed, "Dao Patterns; Essence follows Dao Patterns, but Essence itself has no intelligence - Essence of Air, Water, Fire, Metal, Lightening and Wood. Essence moves, changes and follows Dao Patterns, driven by intent…Qi."

Her speech had lost the clipped and curt staccato she usually used and all the sentences were complete. Evidently she felt strongly about all aspects of the Dao, not just Martial.

"A gross oversimplification, but everything returns to origin, so the simple explanation is often closest to the bone," she moved her hands in a circular motion, "Essence follows intent, intent creates Dao Patterns. And once they grow past a certain level of complexity, Dao Patterns develop intent and generate Essence. All together along with everything," she waved a hand vaguely around her head, "else forms Dao - a virtuous cycle."

Chún's eyes crossed as he tried to make sense of this explanation, "You mean that to do anything, including fighting or pushing my Essence into Dao Patterns, I am using my intent or what you call Qi."

"Yes!"

Chún took a deep breath and tried to remember the feeling of directing Essence into the Dao Patterns of a blade of grass or a leaf, trying to separate it from the act of working with the Essence itself…

...ah. It was the work that was important here. The action, the choice to act. What gave the order, the shape to the Essence, to the foot lifting, the strike, the word…

...something had to order existence from nothing, after all.

There was a sharp feeling that brought Chún back to the present and he opened his eyes to see a barely restrained energy flowing along his muscles and tendons. It was not Essence, though he could see wisps of Essence being attracted to his limbs as he held the Qi.

"Good. Now we can start the training again."

---

The movements of the First Basic Form again, across the smooth grey stone of the training hall. This time it is less instinct and more like breathing; the movements flow into one another with each breath naturally - like walking, talking or brushing away the hair that flops over to obscure one's vision - Chún moves before thinking about it and never even realises he has moved even as he carries on with whatever has moving to intercept the next attack.

Weapons - sword, staff, blades, chain, saber, daggers. Armed or unarmed the Qi compresses and controls his movements and use of Essence, improving and reducing expenditure even as his strikes become more deadly, more accurate.

Yin shadows disperse faster and faster as flashes of Qi touch them, faster and faster with curls and sparks of Essence trailing behind the Elemental Essence burning, slicing, crushing, freezing, shocking and choking the Yin out of existence.

Raise the blade back into the first position and…

"Hold."

Chún was shaken out of the moving meditation to see the Blood Essence Clone nodding approvingly at him, "Now, you understand."

---

Another room in the Palace - endless to Chún's vision and seemingly packed from floor to ceiling with books, jade slips and various forms of recordings of all kinds - all lit in a soft but clear light that reminded him of morning crow-light - perfect for reading, "So all of these are Martial Techniques?" he asked the clone of the Xuánwǔ who had led him to this door.

"Martial Library, so yes," replied the Guardian, "Palace has other Libraries for other subject matter - most compiled before I possessed Palace. I add more to the Martial Library as I travel and discover new martial arts or develop new arts."

Chún ran his hands over a nearby, comfortably padded bench as he winced as he thought of the 'Basic Set'.

"Like the Basic Set," he agreed, "I am not looking forward to seeing what you consider middle rank, let alone high or peak techniques given how hard I am finding the Second Form.

Looking around at the quiet, still air of the vast space absolutely packed with more forms of reading than Chún had ever even considered existing, a question came to mind as his Teacher led him towards a set of scrolls and jade slips lining the walls in small wooden boxes, close to the entrance, "Do you just add every technique you discover or find?"

"If something new and not riddled with errors," answered the God of Martial Arts, "and even those with errors I have a hobby of improving - I keep them separate to work on when I need something to relax me."

"I have some techniques that Tai cleaned up - apparently over the millennia enough Consumers died and left their belongings on his sides to amass a small collection; the first time we practiced making a minor 'fortunate encounter' I used my ability to 'correct' broken or missing parts of the Dao Patterns of the techniques in combination with my locus' own connection to the knowledge of the Land to fix and improve them."

Chún shrugged, "I am sure he could provide copies of the jade slips we created if you wanted. They are probably hardly anything particularly unique, but they are possibly noteworthy for the circ.u.mstances that led to the finished technique…"

"Hmm…" his teacher made a thoughtful noise, "the planet has connection to the land…?

"Everything that has ever touched the ground on Golden Crow, the Land remembers. So…" Chún made an indistinct movement of his arm, "Tai has the memory of every technique performed on its surface - including those performed by masters - and every lesson learnt and taught. So it was easy for him to show me what to do to correct the techniques."

The young teen frowned slightly and asked, "I remember Tai said each Guardian has their own link with Hidden Mountain Planet. You should be able to ask about any Martial techniques that the Land remembers through that link, I think?"

The Guardian's eyes were bright, he speech almost loquacious again - evidently she loved books, "I will do so. Meanwhile," she waved an arm indicating the library, "proper training in the Martial Dao includes study. Training without examining examples and knowledge of past students, is like fighting blindfolded with limbs tied."

Chún flushed, "my reading ability…" He looked down to hide his embarrassment, breathing in the smells of bamboo, parchment and ink.

The Guardian turned a stern look at him, "True Martial master is scholar and tactician as well as warrior. You will learn the True Speech - required for all of the techniques and knowledge in the Library. Do not share the knowledge without good cause."

"Is the - true speech - a secret?" questioned Chún tentatively, looking up from the floor.

"True Speech requires Immortal Cultivation Base to comprehend safely," she looked contemplative, "your nature as True Cultivator with ability to channel vast quantities of Essence and link to powerful locus - should - enable you to bypass requirement."

"What if it does not?" asked Chún carefully.

"Provide a technique to allow reading of True Speech within the Palace, if you cannot comprehend it yourself," the Blood Essence clone answered, "choose a mortal language to learn to write in - I suggest improving your grasp on current language, if True Speech proves beyond you."

"Is there anything I should focus on in particular that would help me with the Martial Dao training? Beyond expanding my ability to read and write in general?" Chún asked, trying to narrow the focus on what seemed an insurmountable amount of work.

The Xuánwǔ fixed him with an intense gaze, "started developing own Martial Technique apart from learning Snake and Tiger styles, correct?"

"Yes… mostly from watching monkeys on the mountain - although there are a few movements I copied from a bear I had to fight once," agreed the teen, "I have been trying to use it to fill in the gaps I have when I cannot match parts of the Snake or Tiger styles, but…"

"Learning true Martial Dao Techniques here," his Teacher told him, "eventually learn how to build true Martial Dao Techniques of your own. Many styles are based on animals in the Library - including Monkey and Bear. Aim to eventually incorporate all knowledge and experiences that you learn here - combine with what you gained from your experiences to create a true style of your own."

"That… sounds like an even bigger job than learning to read all of these," Chún fought to keep his dismay from being obvious.

She gestured at the small stack of shelves near the door they had been standing next to for most of the conversation, "Yes. For now, focus on these shelves - learn to read and write - as well as manuals for Basic Set Techniques. I may also add other scrolls and books on various Martial Technique fundamentals you should learn, before you can," she waved her arm to encompass the rest of the Library, "move onto more advanced knowledge."

She turned back to the door, opening it to reveal the training hall, "Rested enough. Focus on drilling Sets and Forms. Cannot look for answers before knowing the questions."

"Basic Form?" asked Chún in resignation.

"Quiet Standing first, then perform both Sets - half speed," replied the Guardian firmly, lips curling upward slightly at the small groan that escaped her disciple's mouth, "then sparring!" she declared brightly as if she had not noticed his reaction.

"Yes, Teacher." came a properly controlled response and the Guardian nodded in satisfaction, "you will tell me if you need food and sleep," she reminded him as they reached the center of the constantly lit training hall and Chún winced, "Yes, Teacher."

"Very good. Begin."