Wreath of Lilies, Cauldron of Poison

Hong Yi

Akula awoke with a start, her heart thumping wildly in her chest.

"K-kh…" she wanted to speak, but her dry throat made her word stop where they were. She coughed a few times, alerting Connie, who was poring over the Item Ring she obtained from the attackers.

"You're awake. Here, drink this," Connie gave her a cup filled with warm water. "I mixed it with some restoratives. How are you feeling?" Connie asked as she sat down and began examining her condition.

Akula drank the herbaceous tasting water and felt it coursing to every part of her body. "I feel…extremely tired. I felt like I had run for a whole day after using Irrimchur.

"Mm…makes sense. You've inadvertently used a Technique that drew forth from your life force after all."

"Life force? It sounds dangerous! Would something bad happen to me?!" Akula's ears perked as she grew worried.

"Overdrawing of lifeforce will harm your lifespan, yes," Connie replied bluntly. Such matters were serious and she would not sugarcoat it. "But don't fret. I managed to stop it from going off by cutting off the flow of Energy just in time. At most it just shaved off a few days. Once you start cultivating, you'll live for hundreds of years anyway," she answered as she placed a finger on her wrist.

"Still, I did not expect such a thing to happen. I have never known Memory Bestowal to have that kind of effect," Connie nodded to herself. "Yes, you are good. Now, while the soup is being reheated, why don't you tell me what you've witnessed in that memory?"

Akula then began telling her about what she saw within the memory animatedly, her hands moving to illustrate what she witnessed with fervor. All the while, Connie listened, occasionally making a complex expression. Which the Centaur did not notice as she was overcame with excitement.

"…She was magnificent. I have never seen a warrior as imposing as her! And you weren't joking when you said you were an old man. Your beard was longer than even my clan's shaman!"

Akula paused, suddenly imagining the young female in front of her as the imperious old man in red. She still could not believe it, even after seeing the memory firsthand.

While Akula had that short thought, Connie nodded firmly. A thin, painful smile on her lips. "The battle at Langke City, eh? That was my first time meeting her after I started killing my way down the List."

"The List?" she asked.

"Yes, the list of the people who had a part in destroying my family," Connie said. "It's meaningless now. I have no way to cross the last few remaining names off the list," she slapped her thighs with both hands as she got up from her seat.

"Connie…"

Connie patted Akula's shoulder gently. "It's the past now. However, I did manage to erase the Zhong Clan at the end of the battle. It was blind luck that she failed in using her penultimate move at the time, otherwise, I would have died there and then."

"Was she that strong?"

"She was…one of the best archers in my world. Kind, courageous, and unbending in her fight against evil. A true Hero. But if that was all that she had, she would be devoured by Jianghu without mercy. Fortunately for her - or unfortunate - depending on how you see it, she owned one of the most powerful Art of Archery in the world. The Ten Sun Slaying Arrow."

She then explained the legend where the original Sunslayer, General Hou Yi, used the Art to shoot down nine suns that threatened to burn the world. Since then, it had been passed down through the Hou Clan for generations. Up until the family was destroyed by a rival Clan. Leaving only a girl. It was truly, a story of a lone orphan rising through hardship to become a Hero.

"Sounds like you admired her."

"I did indeed, and I still do. We spent a few years traveling together after I went down the mountain before she chose to serve the Emperor in a bid to revive her House. We were bosom friends. Were it not for the manipulative hands of those shits from the Congregation, we would not have fought."

The blonde-haired girl sighed. "She is indeed, someone to be admired. But I warn you, Akula. Learn from her, but do not become her. A Hero like that, rarely have a good ending," she spoke with a stern voice.

"…I understand."

"Good. That's all I wanted to say. The next step is for me to activate your Dantian. Please, open your clothes. All of it."

Illumca, who had given them a wide berth for a while, commented. "Connie, here?"

To the Dark Elf's surprise, Akula took off everything without any complaints.

Connie examined the Centaur's naked body and commented. "Hmm, yes. Such great muscles. The human torso I am familiar with. As for the horse part," Connie felt her coat with a thoughtful look. "There is a first time for everything. I've done some simulations using paper, but I still need to do some adjustment. Hold still, this might be a bit ticklish or painful. Sit with your legs folded and your hands resting on your lap with your palms facing up."

Connie gathered the Energy from her body into her fingers and started jabbing into the acupoints on her back, she had to use more force due to the thickness of her muscles. However, once she began, she noticed that the flow of her Energy was very vigorous that she did not have to do much except to help guide Akula to do so verbally.

"…concentrate on the heat, and imagine the heat breaking through it."

"Haaaahh…!"

Akula's body felt hot and sweat poured from her bronze skin. She felt like she was running through the grasslands, a smile of happiness forming on her lips.

When she opened her eyes again, Akula saw that her sweat had pooled underneath her.

"Is it…a success?" Akula asked.

"Yes. That and more! This is the first time I've seen such a vigorous flow from someone who had only just started cultivating," Connie answered, then she began mumbling. Does it have something with her physique? Or is it because of that Memory Bestowal?"

After that, just as she did with Illumca and Martell, Connie taught her the basics of Cultivation that she only taught to Named Disciples.

Then they heard a loud sound. Connie looked at Akula, who looked sheepish as she held onto her stomach. "Ah, it is time then. Let us continue as we eat."

"Here. This is the Marrow Cleansing Broth."

The moment Connie opened the paper seal covering the earthen pot the broth immediately smacked everyone within its immediate vicinity with its distinctly pungent, fermented aroma. Some sensitive members of the Silence had to close their nose and pulled back just to resist the urge to hurl.

Illumca, who had already prepared herself by tying her scarf securely around her nose and mouth, smirked. However, Akula, who was standing directly in front of the pot, jerked involuntarily.

"Wha – huh?" Akula shook her head and blinked. D-did I just blank out for a second?

The broth having been fermented with a few additional ingredients added by Connie had turned dark green, the large chunks of fat that used to be there had dissolved into the liquid, giving it an oily sheen.

Connie poured the contents into a large bowl. The broth bubbled a few times before settling down.

"Drink the whole thing. It's good for you. It will purify your marrow and cleanse your innards."

"Connie?" Illumca could not help but ask. "Isn't the amount much larger than the one you gave me?"

"Yes, but Akula has two stomachs, and she is larger than normal human, so we have to calculate accordingly."

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

Akula put down her hat and removed her veil, watching the vile concoction that seemed to move by itself.

"It's alright. I can do this. I can become stronger with this," she willed herself to lift up the bowl and chugged the content.

Oh, Hurgul's Beard. It tastes exactly as bad as it smells. What was that lump that just slid down my throat?

The stench almost made her want to throw up, but she persevered. She drank it down to the final drop before putting the bowl down with an aplomb, wobbling as she did so.

Suddenly, her body glowed and she could feel and hear…everything. The feeling of the night breeze against her coat. The crackle of the fire beneath the cauldron. And the rustle of Connie's long hair, brushing against her robe.

Illumca shouted towards the Silence. "All of you, take at least 2 kilometers distance from the camp, right now!"

The Silence quickly vanished into the growth. Illumca then heard two gurgling sounds coming one after another. She watched Akula's face contort. Then she pointed towards the place where a temporary outhouse had been made.

There was no need for words between them, as Illumca nodded with understanding.

Akula galloped towards the direction Illumca pointed to.

After that, Connie and Illumca prepared for the next part, with only the sound of the babbling river next to them to accompany their silence.

After quite a while, Akula returned, her four legs trembling like that of a newborn foal. Her usual energetic form was nowhere to be seen.

"Come, sit. Now that you are clean in body, you will feast!"

On the table, there was a loaf of fragrant bread smelling of herbs. Then, a bowl of soup that glimmered like jewels. Red, orange, green, yellow, all vibrant and enticing. With flowers of early spring scattered throughout. There was also a plate of colorful salad.

"This is called the Wayfarer's Soup. It's food that people on the road eat during a long travel when they need a quick and warm sustenance with little effort. Usually, the contents would just be pieces of dried meat and whatever greens you have. But this is my own twist," Connie said, ladling Akula a bowl as she spoke.

When she took a sip of the broth, a warm, calming flavour seeped into her body. But it was no thin soup. The robustness of the boar meat shone through, enhanced by the clean taste of the vegetables. She polished her bowl within seconds, before handing it over to Connie for more. "This is delicious."

"Apple, pear, and apricot, boiled alongside carrot, radish, and other herbs that had been blanched to preserve their colors to nourish the body. Cured ham and boar meat are also added as we boiled it using my Technique to extract the most nutrition out of them. To refresh the palate, a salad of fresh radishes, cucumber, onion, and boiled larvae, with pine nuts. Not very traditional, but one must not limit oneself when exploring food."

Connie ladled her another bowl. "I'm glad you like it. This happens to be the first thing Hong Yi tried to cook for me during our travel together in Jiang Hu. As a Giant getting on her first trip down the mountain, she was not used to having to conserve food, so within the first month, we were already out of provision."

She smiled as she gazed at Akula devouring the soup and dipping the bread into it. The food, after a few days of fasting, tasted heavenly that she involuntarily let out a moan. Earning Connie a self-satisfied nod. "It was also, the first time I learned that she should not be anywhere near a kitchen. The cuts of meat were cut so big that even after two hours of boiling, the middle were still raw. And the vegetables were not cleaned properly that the soup became muddy as the road we were walking on," Connie laughed. "Of course, at the time I was not a good cook myself. As I had never even touched a cleaver before. Oh, how we laughed as we had to satisfy ourselves by eating what was left of our provisions."

All the food were gone within half an hour.

At the same time, back at Grottenstadt, the current Maiden of Water and her mentor were having supper together.

"How is it, being the Maiden of Water?"

Allenca looked up and to the left from her plate of blackberry pie and towards the former Maiden of Water, sitting at the head of the ancient dining table.

This was the first supper they had together since her mentor had come out from her seclusion. Her mentor usually took her meals in her room, which caused her to have questions.

"It is harder than I thought," she answered. Rachel Rottmuller was the only person Allenca could talk to without having to slur her words. Whether it was her mental prowess or the effect of some Skill or Artifact, she never knew. And she dared not ask.

"It is. If it isn't, then there would be no need for those hours of reading and listening to my ramblings, is there?" the old woman said as she sipped on her wine. It was a young one, sweet and lacking complexity, but easy to drink.

"How did you do it, Mentor? All this maddening game of politics that the others play?"

"Hah, when the silly hat was put on my head, it was far worse than now. The active discrimination of the other Races, and that business with Penance Coins? Selling outrageously priced coins to replace good deeds in the name of Junnaveil? Good riddance, that."

The current Maiden of Water gazed at the hardly eaten pie on her plate. "I wonder when I would be able to do what you did, Mentor."

"My dear…you are young, still. You will make mistakes. But you have your own people to help you reach that goal, don't you? And the Duchess seem to have been helping you to move forward with it."

"She did."

"You can learn a thing or two regarding decisiveness from her. She might be young but her way of dealing with things feels like an old hand."

"It comes with practice," the woman paused. "Speaking about practice, did I not tell you to train so that you can control your Skill during my seclusion? Why have you not made any progress?"

"I…I was too busy."

"Too busy," the old woman repeated the words. "Is that why you tried to control the people of Courandhel using your Words of Power?"

The sudden change of topic caused Allenca's hands to stop mid-air. She looked at her, unsure of how to respond.

"I – I don't know – "

"Spare me the excuses, Allenca. Babblebrook already told me after some hands-on persuasion."

"I – I'm sorry."

"At least you know that you did something wrong. It was fortunate that you did not go through with it, otherwise…" the old woman's stern face returned to her usual, caring one. "No. Let's not speak of it anymore."

The old woman's expression softened as she continued. "People often say that the end justifies the means. But those are just excuses to make things easier for themselves."

"You, as the leader of our Faith, must hold ourselves to a higher standard. To make the people believe in Junnaveil through your Words of Power would be putting the cart before the horse. It would save no soul. Otherwise, you'll end up like the King of Vorzenny. A despot drunk by his own ambition."

"Yes, Mentor."

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

"Come in."

Lieutenant Milicent walked in with a serious expression on her face. "I beg forgiveness for the intrusion, Your Highness, Your Eminence. An urgent matter has arisen."

"I haven't seen you look like that since the last time I had you clean the night bucket for a month when you were a trainee, dear Millicent. What is it?"

"A messenger from Duchess Steelheart had just come. She said that they was just attacked by mercenaries – "

"What?" Allenca shot up. "We must send he -!"

"Allenca!" the old woman spoke sternly, stopping her from finishing her sentence. "Please, continue."

"They succeeded in destroying the attackers. Furthermore they had found out that it was a perpetrated by spies from Vorzenny."

"Spies? Here in the heart of the Faith?!" Allenca slammed her fist on the table, furious.

"Allenca!"

"Forgive me, Mentor," Allenca took a deep breath to steady herself. "I must take my leave of you."

The old woman nodded. "Go. Do what you must."

As they walked through the hallway, Allenca asked. "Where is Babblebrook? Tell him to come."

"Understood," Milicent called a Church Knight standing nearby to call for Archdeacon Babblebrook. He was one of her men, trusted to guard the inner sanctum of the Temple.

"Beee…discreet," Allenca added.

A Church Knight was guarding the inside of the room where the Steelheart's Head Maid was waiting. Despite having had his manhood uprooted, seeing the woman elegantly enjoying a cup of tea stirred his heart.

"Ah, here they come," she said, putting down her tea soundlessly.

"Pardon?" awakened from his daydream, the man heard the sound of people coming and quickly opened the door.

Milicent entered, followed by Allenca. The Steelheart's Head Maid stood up and gave an elegant curtsy.

"Greetings, Your Eminence. This one apologizes for the late hour, but this one has been ordered by this one's Mistress to relay a message."

"I…heeeard that the Duchess…had been attacked. Is shee…fine?"

"Thank you for your concern. The Mistress is fine."

Allenca proceeded to ask more details on what had transpired, which Lihua obliged, omitting a few details here and there.

"Whaat is the Duchess…doooing in the forest…this late…aaat night?"

"Oh, this one is not qualified to answer that. It is a rather private thing. Perhaps you should ask that to the Duchess when you next meet her?"

Allenca did not look to convinced, but she let it go as there was something more important to do. "Where aaare…the attackers nooow?"

"They are all dead. Unfortunately, the Mistress was too enthusiastic during the interrogation, resulting in them being broken, mind and body. However, we have extracted the location of their hideout and the name of the person who facilitated this attack."

She then gave them the information. When Milicent heard it, her face turned grave.

"If this is true, then this would be a scandal."

"Theeen…let us find out…fooor ourselves. Theere… is not time to waste. Gather…yooour men, and set forth immeeediately. Do not…make too much…noise."

"As you command, Your Eminence," The Unrestrained Candidate Knights saluted smartly before hurrying away.

"Then, if there is nothing else, this one will take one's leave."

The Maiden of Water nodded lightly. "Please tell the Duchess my gratitude for this information." She spoke courteously to Lihua, despite her being of higher status. Such was the respect an Unrestrained Candidate inspired.

Madame Sui then curtsied with the appropriate farewell before taking her leave.

A few hours later, as the sun was peeking out in the horizon, Millicent returned from her mission. The smell of blood lingered in her presence as she entered Allenca's office. Babblebrook had been waiting by Allenca's side ever since he was roused from his nightly prayers.

"We have captured a few men who were in the hideout. One of them had this on his person. We also found a few other things under the hidden tavern."

A few pendants with two four-pointed stars placed at an acute angle on top of the other, and a dog-eared book with the same symbol as the pendant on the cover were placed on her table.

"Olnadyn's Mark," Babblebrook spoke as he lifted one of the pendants from the table. He inspected the pendant with furrowed eyebrows. Next to him, Allenca flipped through the book with a serious expression. "Book of the Four Winds…well-worn too."

Allenca was knowledgeable about the contents of other Faith's books. But these types of books were only owned by those with a considerable position in Vorzenny. Not only because such books were expensive to make, but also because they were a sign of status.

"So…it is true then. How about, the other thing?" she closed the book and ordered.

"The rat has been captured and is awaiting your judgment."

About an hour ago, the door of Deacon Oslo's house was viciously kicked by Church Knights under Lieutenant Millicent's order, and he was dragged from his warm blanket into the cold and drafty cell of the Temple's dungeon.

It would be a few hours still before the news finally reached Archdeacon Lowen and made him crush the half-boiled egg on his breakfast table, splattering yolk all over his nightshirt.