A Song For The Ages

Feiyin adjusted the weight of Baiyu gently around his shoulders, taking a moment to compose himself before stepping forward. The group of alchemists, two first-class and one second-class, stood near the back of the gathered crowd, their robes pristine and their expressions cool, detached.

With a polite bow and a composed smile, Feiyin approached.

"Greetings, I'm Cai Feiyin, second-class disciple from the Saint Alchemy branch, newly certified Essence Alchemist. I was sent as backup to support this mission."

The three turned to him, taking in his youthful appearance and calm demeanor. The first to speak was a sharp-eyed woman in her late teens with long, coiled braids of black hair and a delicate chain of silver beads in her hair. Her robes bore the gleaming cauldron of a Essence pill alchemist.

"Jian Mei," she said coolly. "Essence Alchemist. I specialize in medicinal pills."

Next was a tall man with dusky skin and thick gloves tucked into his belt, his sleeves rolled up despite the morning chill. He had a wide smile, strong jaw, and short, bristled hair the color of burned copper. The sigil on his chest showed a burning flame.

"Gao Ten, artifact refining," he offered, nodding. "Glad to have another hand in the rear guard."

Finally, the second-class alchemist bowed slightly. A quiet boy with sloped shoulders and nervous eyes, maybe two years older than Feiyin.

"Renji," he murmured. "I specialize in healing and restorative pills."

Feiyin gave each of them a courteous nod. "Looking forward to working with you."

Before they could exchange more, a heavy footfall echoed over the outpost courtyard. The mountain-like figure of the Saint Body inner disciple stepped into view, his arms folded and presence commanding silence with a glance.

He spoke in a voice like rolling thunder.

"Listen up. I am Ba Shanyue. Together with the other inner disciples, I'll be leading this mission. Your task is simple, but far from easy. We are to carve a foothold in the warring states region. First, we will strike one of the weaker powers, identify it, dismantle it, and establish our presence. Once rooted, we are to expand rapidly, anchoring our forces and spreading outward. The objective is not just conquest, but strategic disruption, ensure instability reigns by fueling existing conflicts and sowing new ones wherever possible. Create friction, kindle rivalries, and dismantle peace before it can take hold. Only through prolonged chaos can we ensure the long-term influence of the sect."

A hush fell over the courtyard.

"We are to become mercenaries. This area thrives on conflict, we are to fan those flames. Prevent any unity from forming. Every alliance you see, break it. Every faction that looks stable, shake it. Our presence must be felt like a storm that never passes."

He paused, letting the weight of his words settle.

"Each branch disciple will answer to their inner disciple. The alchemy and spirit branches will be stationed in the rear guard, under the protection of the Beast Taming branch for the travel. You'll support from there. Understood?"

A chorus of acknowledgment echoed across the gathered disciples.

From the back, the blonde inner disciple raised her hand, her voice crisp. "Beast Tamers, prepare for transport."

Feiyin followed the gathered disciples as they made their way behind the outpost, where four great ships sat in a wide clearing, resting on stone slabs etched with glowing sigils.

The ships were unlike any he had seen. Made of pale-hued wood veined with silver lines, their hulls gleamed with talismanic carvings. There were no sails, no oars, just smooth, elegant arcs and a control matrix near the prow.

Stolen novel; please report.

He climbed aboard one of the vessels with the Beast Taming disciples and found a quiet spot near the middle. Baiyu slithered down his arm and coiled along the railing beside him.

Across from him, the blonde inner disciple reached into her robes and pulled out a pristine pouch. She placed it next to her crystal antlered deer.

With a pulse of essence, the deer shimmered and vanished, sucked neatly into the pouch.

Feiyin's eyes widened. Spatial pouch with beast-binding formations. Those are expensive.

Soon, essence stones were placed into the central control matrix, an array of sigils forming a glowing circle. As the energy flowed, the sigils lit up and the ship trembled, slowly rising into the air. One after another, the other ships followed.

Feiyin took a breath, watching the ground slip away beneath them. Then he turned to the other disciples.

He smiled, light but warm. "First time flying on a sky ship. Pretty amazing, huh?"

A nearby disciple with light green streaks on his robes chuckled. "Yeah. You alchemists don't get out much, do you?"

Feiyin laughed. "We spend most of our time breathing in smoke and hoping nothing explodes. I figured I'd make the most of being outside."

The other disciples laughed, and the tension eased.

Feiyin quickly blended in, setting down a small case of pills beside him and subtly offering a few for aches or fatigue. One of the disciples, a stout girl with a bramble tattoo on her wrist, groaned as she stretched her legs.

"Too much weight training yesterday?" Feiyin asked lightly.

"You have no idea," she muttered.

He passed her a pill. "It should help. Mild muscle relief."

Others nearby took notice, and soon a few more asked quietly for help with headaches or stiffness. Feiyin obliged without complaint, using the moment to ask gentle questions, where they trained, who they followed.

He spoke little of himself, listening closely as conversation opened up naturally. Eventually, one of the disciples chuckled and pointed toward the inner disciples at the head of the foremost sky ship.

"That's Ba Shanyue, from the Saint Body Branch. The guy's a real monster, apparently he has some giant blood, I heard he once wrestled an Earth Bear and won."

Another leaned in, gesturing subtly toward the blood-eyed girl seated near the Saint Blood disciples on the left ship.

"That's Ruan Lianhua, she's from the Saint Blood Branch. They say she was raised in war zones. Some even whisper she's the daughter of the branch head. Apparently, she bathed in battlefield blood before she turned ten."

Feiyin tilted his head slightly, eyes narrowing in curiosity. Through his oscillation sense, her presence on the other sky ship flickered like a storm cloud heavy with thunder, murderous intent that never fully dissipated.

"And obviously, the best is Jue Qingling, from our own Beast Taming branch," said a disciple with green streaks proudly. "She's a prodigy, no joke. I heard she doesn't just train beasts, she bonds with them. She raised Fenlan, that crystal antlered deer, from a cub. No one's even sure how she managed to catch such a rare beast."

Feiyin followed their gaze to the elegant figure seated calmly near the front of the ship. Jue Qingling's composure radiated a serene yet commanding presence. Her long golden hair, catching the sunlight, shimmered like strands of woven starlight, cascading down her back in soft waves. Even as she sat still, there was an unmistakable aura of control and harmony around her, like a tamer whose very breath could summon beasts to heel.

I can see why they admire her

"And that… that's Feng Liu," came a more hesitant voice, soft but close.

Feiyin's fingers froze on Baiyu's back. The coil of his companion tensed subtly, mirroring his breath.

The disciple leaned closer, eyes darting around before continuing.

"He's from the Joyful Union branch. Not someone people talk about openly, but everyone knows him. Deals in… cauldrons. Traded favors and 'gifts' to gain support from the branch elders."

Another scoffed from behind them. "He's a creep. I heard he has a thing for blue-eyed girls, that he keeps on collecting them. He's been pestering Qingling nonstop since we gathered."

Feiyin nodded once, his expression unchanged, but the pressure from his palm upon Baiyu increased just slightly.

"He's always smiling, always talking smooth. No one really trusts him, but he gets results."

Feiyin didn't speak. He simply absorbed the words, storing them in the quiet corners of his mind where nothing would be forgotten. The names, the details, the tone of voice used when speaking of them. Every whisper was a clue, every rumor a puzzle piece.

The mood among the disciples lightened again, the talk drifting to speculation about the mission, hopes for advancement, predictions of glory.

Feiyin leaned back, letting the quiet chatter flow over him. Baiyu gently nudged his side, sensing the focus burning just beneath his calm surface.