Heavenly Shae

Addressed to Captain of the Guard, Hua Julei

Written by Wise Shae

At The Honourable Dragon's Entreaty Sect.

During mid-fall, two weeks past the equinox.

To be delivered by Runner Carli

Prepaid, but feel free to give her a tip if she arrives promptly.

Hello Captain,

I hope you are doing well.

I thought you'd appreciate hearing that we arrived at the sect safely. There was a little excitement at Gatewash, but it turned out fine.

As you know from who delivered the letter, the situation I was in when we last met has resolved itself. Runner Carli did take the back route and ran ahead thinking she was already late. I trust that wasn't keeping you up at night, ha ha ha!

Thinking about your little dilemma, I hope it's not still bothering you. My newest suggestion is to do some contemplation. Even about martial arts and your usual training. Take it as an excuse to get up to the Jian Quan and enjoy the baths. They were very relaxing. Maybe just do that anyway.

If you end up on the sect side of the geyser, please say hello to Elder candidate Bai for me. He's the sword cultivator overseeing the geyser. I'm sure he's received some rumors by now, yet he might want confirmation the whole caravan made it safe. If he has heard about the battle then he might be rather disappointed that he missed it, so step carefully!

Thanks for being friendly, live well.

Heavenly-Wisdom's Shae

Shae found herself reasonably tired after her busy day. Still, she decided to take Elder Haifen's implied suggestion and attempt some cleansing that night. The cultivation building that she would need to be at the next day was also the location for arranging cleansing facilities. Shu had explained that they were keen on not leaving impurities around the sect for the cleaning staff to find. That mistake would cost most new recruits at least a couple sect comp in cleanup fines.

Because Shae hadn't formally started at the sect yet, she was charged a small fee to use the basic clean-up rooms. One sect comp a week was the lowest tier available, and only provided a private room with running water and special soap. A room that you weren't supposed to cultivate in, just cleanse impurities.

A few more questions and another comp point later and she had booked a room that was 'open to the outside qi flow.' It wasn't guaranteed to be high density, or any specific qi type. Just there.

She returned to the front desk immediately after seeing the room and re-explained important details from her acupuncture-cleansing technique. She had briefly mentioned it initially and the attendant had ignored the fact she would have lightning sparking off her skin and how it would attempt to find ground.

A short argument ensued until another cultivator stepped in. He was one of the primary staff doctors and offered to observe the technique. Shae briefly hesitated, then agreed. Training that they would find out about her method eventually.

On the way to a specialised room that usually cost more to book, the attendant had been keen to mention that, Shae fidgeted with her cleansing notes from Wise Yungfan.

After reviewing the information on her planned acupuncture site, she sighed and handed them to the elder. "Doctor Geish, you might as well skim these. They're notes on what I plan to do. Should save a few questions and even more of your time." She bowed slightly while offering them.

"Hmm. I usually don't read student's- oh? Wise Fairy Kaiun Yungfan was involved! Oh, and Wise Wuan." The darker skinned man's flat expression broke as he was surprised by one name, then disappointed by the second. He swayed his head back and forth as he read. His single long braid of hair flopped back and forth behind him.

Shae just assumed it was long, though she couldn't tell as it was coiled in a hood that had been added to his white and gold robes. Meanwhile, the top of his head was covered by white surgeon's cap. The gold details replaced all of the normal blue and red, marking him out as a healer. The exact hue of the gold seemed to have been selected to compliment his darker, almost red, skin, Shae might have thought he was from India if they had been on Earth.

Shae smirked and decided she liked this uncle-like character. Mostly because he didn't seem as reserved as others, such as Master Long. "You know of the monks? I met them both, and a few others, back in Minlin city. They all helped optimize the process. Though, we only had a few days."

"Ah." He grimaced lightly. "Still odd to hear that that town is calling themself a city. Did you think they were big enough for the title, Sayka Shae?" His accent was clearly foreign, and one Shae had heard recently, but couldn't quite place.

"Hmm. Flame Well and Gatewash are my only local reference points, and I wasn't in either for very long. I'd say no, simply because they haven't grown large enough to have their own slums."

"Slums? Really? Why is that your marker?" He mumbled as he read over the notes.

"I'll admit it's not a solid pass-fail. Slums are a sign that people want to be in a place, feel they need to be there, rather than just near it. Hmm... I suppose they could mean a place is growing faster than it can support, which might also be a sign of poor management." She ended the thought by staring up at the ceiling and frowning.

"Heh. That they are. Yet, I think you do have a valid point. Now, Sayka, how does it compare to the places of your hidden past?" He looked up and smirked at her with one eyebrow raised.

"Uhm..."

"I have read your token, and more beyond, it is why I call you Sayka."

"Oh. I thought that just meant junior or little. What does it mean, Doctor?"

"My question first, please."

"Oh. Hmm... I'm not sure it's a fair question. That world has absurd infrastructure that can make for massive cities. It means any place I can walk across in a day seems like a quaint village." She shrugged.

"In a day? Even as a cultivator?"

"Ah. Well, walking is walking, but I suppose most people- mortals -would only walk a third of the day. Hmm... Hard to slap a number on it, just going by population count, uhh, maybe a hundred thousand?"

Doctor Geish stopped walking. "Ah, that'd be around the fifth square-set, maybe half it? Humph. I had heard of other worlds, yet being confronted so directly is quite the experience."

Shae stopped as well and shrugged. "Like I said, not really a fair comparison. The cities here could be much larger if the economy could afford to hire cultivators for infrastructure support. Mostly delivering food across the city. Oh, water and waste management, too, of course."

He raised an eyebrow. "Is that what you do there?"

Shae shook her head. "No, but it's an easier comparison. I guess... Tamed spirit beast pulling carts might work, or spiritual tools that can accomplish the same thing."

"Like storage rings? You have many of those then?"

"I don't have anything." She gave him a weak smile. "But no, not quite that either. These comparisons just seem much easier than bringing up mortal built machines," she pushed meaning into the word as she had been taught by Doctor Cho.

"Ah! Mechanics and engineering? We have these things at home." He nodded after speaking the three unknown words. Clearly they were in his native tongue as he spoke them very fluently. He leaned closer and lowered his voice, "I'm not sure why these locals are so far behind. Only Gatewash's water-lifts compare to the marvels back home."

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"Home?" Shae attempted the word he used. "Is that home, but with more meaning?"

"Correct. Did you catch the others? ... Mechanics and engineering." He repeated the words with a little more power behind them.

She shook her head at the question and forced herself to concentrate. The second hearing was enough to get the gist of the words. "Ah. Yes, that kind of thing. I would use the word-" she caught herself and coughed into her sleeve. "Well, I shouldn't bother translating either into the wrong language. I will say that both fall under engineering. Though, I don't think there is an easy local equivalent. Not that the farmers and peasants use, at least."

He gave her another raised eyebrow at her use of the English word. "Sayka Shae, you impress me. Just from the meaning you used, I believe you have a much better understanding of those concepts than I ever gained. It wasn't my preferred subject, and your use of meaning is quite strong for your stage." He lightly swept his qi over her and shook his head once. "Nay, even for a stage higher."

She smirked. "I think I've heard a few people call complex tools with moving parts 'contraptions.' So, advanced contraptions might work. Though, if someone says 'tinker's contraption,' they meant it as an insult, and don't expect it to work."

"Ahh, now I understand something from my past." He nodded and tapped his temple with one finger. "No wonder they were so surprised. Heh heh. Ah, but we are distracted. This way please, Sayka." He gestured to a door one further from where they stopped and led the way.

"Doctor, you didn't explain Sayka."

"Hmm. I suppose I didn't." He paused until they had entered the room. "And now that we have some little-privacy I can say more. It is a word we use for those travelers of worlds. Originating from the Buddha, it was part of their chosen family name that they brought with them. Embarrassingly, it was originally Sa-kya, but the locals at that time had a hard time with the pronunciation, leading to Say-ka. Of course the Buddah is too kind to forcibly correct them, so things progress, and their followers continue to take it up. Now we expect that anyone from Buddha's home world would technically share their blood and thus be Buddha's family. Even if only a drop in an ocean. Does that explain it, Sayka Shae?"

"Hmm. I suppose it makes sense. Assuming..." She paused and looked at him cautiously.

"Assuming?" He smiled and leaned forward slightly.

"Ah, sorry- I just meant- err. I don't want to offend your beliefs."

"Assuming you don't want to offend my beliefs?" He paused. "I don't think that tracks. I explained it to you. Shouldn't you be the offended one?"

"Ah-um? What?"

His concern instantly flipped to a smirk. "Heh heh. A small joke. I apologize. Go on with your assumption, I am not easily offended. Besides, they are not truly my beliefs to offend, why do you think I left home?" He gave her a sad smile.

"Because you wanted to, I hope," she replied with her own sad smile.

"I was young; youth never knows what it wants." His checks twitched and he managed a more honest smile.

"Sleep, stimulus, sugar, and sex. Not always in that order." Shae grinned back.

"Oh- ha! Ha-ha haw!" He laughed so loudly Shae winced. "Haw haw haw! Heh heh, haw." The initial outburst settled quickly into a pleased chuckle. "Very good, Sayka Shae. Now I know why they call you Wise."

"Heh. I suppose that's part of it. Let's skip my earlier speculation for now. I worry it will only bring the mood down."

"Very well. Would you like assistance with the needle placement? I am an acupuncture specialist."

"Really!? Then I'll gladly accept your oversight. This is what I was planning..." She continued speaking on her intended acupuncture points and asked if there were better options.

"Hmm. That greatly depends on the results, which the notes did not cover adequately. I shall analyze you before and after, then give my opinion."

"Alright. That sounds great."

"These needles are quite interesting. Do you think you'll be able to source more?" Doctor Geish asked while inspecting her last hairpin.

Shae winced while inserting her second needle near her right armpit. It wasn't super painful, she just kept expecting it to be worse. "Hmm. In theory, I could. Yet, it was also suggested that taurusaur spines could be a good substitute."

He passed his right hand over the hairpin and handed it over. "And now it's sanitized. Taurusaur... yes, I think those could work. Though, when it comes time to cleanse your meridians, they may not be able to handle dense qi flow."

Shae hesitated. "I didn't think of that. Hmm. But how many will I need for that? One meridian at a time, right, so just three pins in one location?"

He shook his head slowly. "Meridians are not strictly in one place on your body. Blockages might be, yet the whole meridian is akin to a path through your body."

She scrunched her face and rapped her knuckles against her skull. "Right, I'm a dummy. I knew that already."

"Hew hew." He chuckled. "Practically every new recruit makes that mistake. Even after seeing good drawings. If we call something the stomach or liver meridian, we assume it is focused at that point."

She checked her notes again and counted down her ribs. Then winced before the needle pushed through her skin. "Hmgh. Okay. Check these, please?" She held up her arm to reveal a trio of needles running down her side.

"Any blood?" He asked without stepping around to look.

She craned her neck. "No."

"And you are sure you are comfortable with this?" He hesitated again.

"Yes, yes. I'm mostly covered and I'm still a child." She rolled her eyes. While tapping the side of her head, she said, "Plus I'm far too old to be modest about this."

"Hew hew, I suppose you would be, Sayka." He nodded and stepped from her far side to behind her. Leaning down, he stretched out both hands, setting one on her shoulder and the other over the acupuncture sites. "This may feel odd. Try to breathe calmly, like you are meditating. Stay alert, though."

She took a deep breath, and exhaled. Then a second breath and she nearly drifted into meditation. Tightly flexing her left hand, she kept herself awake. An odd tingling began near the needles. Like a faint breeze or gentle pressure just on the surface of her skin.

Another deep breath passed through her and she focused on the tingling feeling. It didn't grow stronger, instead spreading out from the needles. Rising up to meet Geish's hand on her shoulder. It paused near her shoulder joint, then flowed back down.

That was when she understood what it was. Her breath sharply inhaled and she asked, "Sand?"

"Heh. Yes, and just a touch of air qi. They say sand gets everywhere without you noticing. So, I thought, why not use that?" He paused as the sand reached the pins and slowly faded. "It does not like the metal in your needles. Yet that is not due to your placement of them. I have what I need now, you may proceed."

"Thank you. I'll go under, but my qi does most of the work itself, so I can surface again. Call out or shake me, if you think something is wrong." She nodded over her shoulder then closed her eyes.

She only heard a faint hum of consideration from the doctor as she fell into her meditation.

It had been a few days since Shae cultivated or cleansed, yet it felt familiar and her qi leapt at the first thought to move. She pulled handfuls into her channels, using the thinner and thicker variants that were close to the surface of the planet-like ball of qi in her Dantian. She spent breaths searching, but found very little neutral qi.

Mentally sighing, she reached out to the qi around her and pulled it in. The thick neutral qi of the mountain moved slowly, yet also took up more space in her channels, and quickly approached a balance with her own qi. She delayed her cleansing to feel out the ratio of neutral to personal qi. She didn't think not using it would cause the cleansing to fail, yet she did want a more consistent result by matching something that was close to what she did in the past.

Her mental imagery for connecting the divine flesh in her arm to the location she intended to cleanse felt much stronger than she remembered. When she pulled the trigger to start the cleanse it nearly formed into an unbroken bolt of lightning from her upper arm to her ribs. The mental image made her physically wince, yet she wasn't sure if she had felt any pain from it.

The sudden motion blurred her meditation and her awareness drifted partially back into the room. She took a deep breath, intending to go under again. The tingling from her cleansing had already started and she wanted to be able to ignore it by meditating. However, another odd tingling caught her attention.

The feeling of grains of sand on her left arm caused her to turn her head and find the doctor right there, investigating the enlightenment-bleached skin patches.

She stared blankly at him for a beat. "Doctor Geish?"

He blinked back. "Um. Sayka Shae. You're awake?"

"I was meditating, not sleeping, Doctor. I did warn you that I could rise during the cleansing."

"Ah. Yes. You did." He craned his neck around her to see the first sparks of lightning qi jumping off her skin and up to the acupuncture needles.

Shae looked down at her left arm. "Find something interesting?"

"Er, ah. Yes. I suppose so. You don't mind, do you?"

"I mind that you didn't ask permission first, Doctor."

He sighed heavily and withdrew his qi and himself. Then he kneeled and bowed formally to her in a style she didn't recognize. "I sincerely apologize, Heavenly-Wisdom's Shae. My excuses are fragile. I was overcome by curiosity at your enlightened aspecting." He gestured to her left arm. "I must admit that I've read the reports from Gatewash. We sect doctors like to stay informed on any of our cultivators that have been recently injured. This includes qi incidents."

He took a deep breath and kept his head lowered. "I thought I could ignore it until I could ask your permission properly, yet I was mistaken. Please, let these excuses break at your word."

Shae winced from a particularly strong bolt sparking through a needle and into her qi channels. "Ugh. Perhaps, Doctor, now is not the- ungh. Aahh. And I mean no disrespect to your customs. Perhaps we should do this later? Thank you for apologizing." She took a deep breath and closed her eyes in an attempt to return to meditation.

"Ah, of course, Sayka."

She nodded and pulled calming qi from her Dantian to smooth the process and force herself to relax.