Chapter Three: Bai Qiu
The young man in white was still striking a pose...
Before Shi Qi could speak, another arrow shot in from outside the door. This time, however, it seemed to miss its mark; instead of aiming at the young man, it flew straight toward Shi Qi’s face.
Shi Qi, furious, shouted, “Will you ever stop?”
With that, she drew the Jade Cloud Umbrella from her back and deftly deflected the arrow aside. Wind stirred at her feet as she stepped out, striding directly out of the tavern door.
Outside, Shi Qi looked up to see a woman in white standing atop the roof, holding a purple bow, ready to fire again toward the tavern entrance.
Shi Qi pressed her foot to the ground and, in an instant, had reached the woman.
The woman seemed flustered and hurriedly loosed the arrow she held. Shi Qi swung her umbrella to knock it aside once more, used the momentum to flip in the air, and pointed the umbrella directly at the woman's face. The woman, evidently lacking any combat experience, was so panicked she failed to react.
“Impudent wretch!”
Suddenly, an old man appeared at the woman’s side. He shouted loudly and struck at the Jade Cloud Umbrella with his palm.
Shi Qi immediately sensed a powerful force surge into her body; the old man’s blow knocked her from midair. She twisted as she fell, legs bent, and crashed heavily into the ground, leaving two deep craters beneath her feet.
“Ugh.” Shi Qi spat out a mouthful of blood. Her demon core instinctively began to circulate, driving the residual force from her body.
“This old man’s energy is so strong—he must be a Nascent Soul stage expert. Luckily, the Jade Cloud Umbrella absorbed most of the force; otherwise, I’d be much more seriously injured,” Shi Qi thought to herself.
“Who are you, you insolent brat, to dare harm my young lady!” the old man shouted.
Shi Qi said nothing, fixing her gaze upon him.
Just then, the young man in white flew out from the tavern, glanced at Shi Qi, then followed her gaze to the two figures atop the roof. His pupils dilated instantly.
“You…!” The old man pointed toward the young man in white, but before he could finish, the young man retrieved something from his robe and tossed it to the ground. With a loud “bang”, white smoke billowed up around them.
The old man swept his palm, dispelling the smoke, but the two were nowhere to be seen.
“Miles-Escape Smoke,” the old man muttered. “Miss, he…”
“Uncle Mo,” the girl interrupted him. “Say no more. I’ll keep searching for him.”
“Sigh…”
At that moment, Shi Qi was being dragged along at breakneck speed by the young man. He had pasted some sort of talisman to his legs, and was running so swiftly that his legs left blurred afterimages.
Shi Qi cried out, “Stop, stop, stop!”
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The young man replied, “Run, run, run!”
Shi Qi demanded, “Stop!”
The young man insisted, “Keep running!”
A quarter of an hour later, the two had run out of South Sea City, through forests and valleys, covering an unknown distance, until the young man crashed heavily into a stone wall, leaving a human-shaped imprint.
Shi Qi, following behind, collided into him and stumbled back two steps before collapsing to the ground.
“Phew… this speed… phew… I couldn’t even muster my true energy,” Shi Qi gasped for breath.
The young man also slumped to the ground, panting, “Miles… Divine Speed Talisman… now I’m down another one… cough, cough…”
Shi Qi asked, “Hey, who are you, and why did you drag me along?”
The young man replied, “If I hadn’t, you’d be dead back there—Nascent Soul stage, big brother!”
He added, “Right, I haven’t introduced myself. I’m Bai Qiu, from the Hundred Sages.”
Shi Qi retorted, “Your mother’s name is Hundred Sage?”
Bai Qiu said, “Yeah—no, that’s ridiculous. I’m from the Hundred Sages organization. Who are you from? Wait, what’s your name?”
Shi Qi replied, “Shi Qi.”
Bai Qiu asked, “Are you seventeenth in your family?”
Shi Qi: “…”
Bai Qiu apologized, “Sorry for dragging you into this. You seem pretty skilled—what school are you from?”
Shi Qi answered, “I’m a rogue cultivator from the South Sea.”
Bai Qiu perked up, “Is the South Sea fun?”
Shi Qi replied, “Not really. Is Central Continent fun?”
Bai Qiu responded, “Not fun.”
The two fell silent…
Bai Qiu said, “That woman just now is my wife—no, no, my fiancée.”
Shi Qi: “? So this is a domestic dispute. Damn, I’m really unlucky—didn’t even get my meal, nearly got shot, and took a blow for nothing.”
Bai Qiu explained, “I was running away from marriage.”
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Shi Qi: “???”
Bai Qiu lamented, “Don’t even mention it. My journey is across all the women in the world—how could I let myself be tied to a single tree?”
Shi Qi replied, “Then you can take your time with your quest. I’m leaving.” With that, she stood to go.
Bai Qiu stood as well and called after her, “Don’t, brother. I dragged you into this, but I’m not a scoundrel. Here’s the deal: I owe you a favor now. Whatever you want, just ask.”
Shi Qi said, “That’s not necessary… just a bowl of plain noodles.”
Bai Qiu laughed, “When we get to Central Continent, I’ll treat you to ten bowls. Brother Shi, your cultivation is impressive—let’s wander the lands together and find some fun. I’m bored alone.”
Shi Qi considered this for a moment, thinking, “After all, this trip is for training in the north. Bai Qiu may be a bit foolish, but he doesn’t seem evil, and with the Hundred Sages’ intelligence sharing, I could learn more about the Twelve Continents.”
Shi Qi agreed, “Alright, but… do you have many enemies?”
Bai Qiu replied, “Not too many, just a few dozen.”
Shi Qi asked, “Can I back out?”
Bai Qiu threw an arm around Shi Qi’s shoulder, “Come on, brother, let’s go.”
…
Shi Qi asked, “Are the stories of the Eighteen Heroes true?”
The two soared slowly through the sky using Wind Riding Technique. Among the human race, only those who reach the Nascent Soul stage, and among the demon race, only those who reach the Jade Core stage, can truly ride swords in flight. The Hundred Sages possess flying swords, but before Nascent Soul stage, one merely rides the sword, not commands it.
Bai Qiu replied, “To be honest, I don’t know.”
Shi Qi asked, “Hmm?”
Bai Qiu explained, “Nowadays, the peak of North Cloud Mountain is inaccessible, and legends remain just that—legends. I’ve only found a few documents in the Hundred Sages’ archives about the battle ten thousand years ago. The specifics are lost to time; of the eighteen, only the Fire God, Master Xiefeng, and the Water God, Master Yunhai, are recorded. The others’ names and identities are unknown.”
He paused and continued, “Brother Shi, you cultivate water-based dao techniques, right? Have you heard of 'Condensing Water into Spirit'?”
Shi Qi replied, “My master mentioned it. Only those who reach communion with water dao can achieve it—gathering water’s essence, with boundless applications.”
Bai Qiu said, “The records state that among the five elements, water-based dao techniques are universally considered the weakest in terms of offensive power. Their greatest use is in healing; secret arts like Restoration Technique, which mend the body, are rooted in water dao. Most people don’t specialize in water dao unless their elemental alignment favors water. To cultivate 'Condensing Water into Spirit' requires not only fortune, bone, aptitude, and diligence, but also an essential prerequisite: extreme affinity with water among the five elements. Yet, those with extreme water affinity have very weak alignment with the other four, nearly unable to use advanced techniques of those elements. But, when mastered, 'Condensing Water into Spirit'—then condensing spirit into sword—possesses power that can shake the heavens and earth. It’s said the demon’s left eye was destroyed by Master Yunhai’s spirit-condensed sword.”
Bai Qiu continued, “The five elements—metal, wood, water, fire, earth—are the foundation of immortal arts, each with its own strengths. Metal techniques are bold and aggressive, suited for attack. Wood techniques are vital and enduring, suited for control. Water techniques are flexible and versatile, suited for healing. Fire techniques burn all, suited for destruction. Earth techniques are sturdy and stable, suited for defense. Besides the five elements, there’s wind, which is nimble and free, and thunder, which is swift and intense. The five elements generate and counter one another, combining for endless wonders. For example, the Thunder Mountain sect combines the five elements with thunder, forming five thunder arts—Metal Thunder, Wood Thunder, Water Thunder, Fire Thunder, Earth Thunder—each with its own unique features.”
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