Torsten Hewson
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v2c95: Fragments
🕑 Added 2022-02-09 23:17:34 +0000 UTCTianlan was so happy when she managed to finish the road. She pulled off her yellow helmet, and wiped her brow, staring with pride at her construction. It had been hard work, but she had managed it. Forging ahead of her Connected One, instead of having to catch up to him. Also, she got to see her little ones who had been missing for a while, out of her web. Her people.
Tigu. Ri Zu, Gou Ren, and Yun Ren. Perhaps even the grass girl, who felt… familiar, sometimes. Hers. It was good to feel them again, after days of building. She carefully guided the little cracks of gold, taking care to avoid the bulk of the sleeping energy under the mountain. Some of her energy bled, and touched the mountain, causing it to stir… but it didn’t do more than sluggishly churn, not trying to touch her.
She breathed a sigh of relief, as nothing happened, and ruffled Chun Ke’s mane. Her touch caressed what was hers, spreading out along golden cracks. They were safe and whole. Smiling, she let out a breath, as the energy she had been using to create the connections dispersed back down the link she had with her Connected One. He felt very tired. So she gave some of herself back, perking him up, so he could get here and play with his friends—
And then, there was terror. She plunged down the link from Tigu.
What was hers was in danger. Tianlan tried to push Qi down the link, but the newly built roads were still too fragile - they were not meant to have such power coursing through them. They would need to be bigger.
But to make them bigger, she would have to touch the mountain. She would feel it. The ball of memories, and screaming pain within.
More fear came down her link. More determination. What was hers was fighting. Hurting.
Chun Ke was there, a stable rock against her back. Tianlan swallowed thickly. She would not stand for it.
She strengthened the connections. The little gold roads thickened and surged, burrowing into a rotting piece of herself.
It was like a spike was driven into her skull.
Memories. Remembrance. Pain.
She fell to her knees and grabbed at her eye, screaming as the thoughts surged, and threatened to overwhelm her.
She did not let them. She had to help. She shoved her own Qi down the connections. Tiny golden cracks in their souls, proof of their bonds, opened up. It was a bare trickle of power that she could give them, but it did its work, reinforcing their bodies and letting them fight long past when they should have fallen over exhausted.
Her Connected One’s strides grew in length, covering the distance of a hundred steps with every one he took, pulling him towards her along a golden road.
Her people held the line. Moment by agonizing moment. She felt the little Blade of Grass burn. She felt Tigu’s turmoil, screaming as she forced her body back into its original form.
And then Her Connected One arrived.
His resolve burned. Tianlan could feel his determination shining through her, along with his sorrow. The disgusting, wriggling thing that had been attacking the grass girl stood before her Connected One. It was a cancer that needed to be excised, if one that felt oddly familiar.
Her Connected One asked. His Qi brushing up against hers.
Tianlan answered.
Her head pounded with the sudden influx of memories rampaging through her but she managed to hold off sinking into oblivion.
Just a little longer. She had to help her Connected One.
She gave of herself without hesitation, Wood and Earth mingling together. She spoke the old, old words, blending together with her Connected One’s movements. Gold burned in the darkness, flooding everything with light.
‘And so the great Ancestor, Shennong, commanded his disciple in the ways of preparing the fields. Till the land. Cut down the trees. Divert the waters—’
Old memories. Old pain. The feeling of being drained. Tianlan sang it. Tianlan screamed it, as the two of them put their all into the blow.
[Break the Rocks]
And then, nothing at all.
=======================================
“Something for all of us. A place for music, culture, and arts. A place to see our future defenders.” A man said with conviction, staring at the mountain that had been split in two by his struggle.
The thousands behind him nodded their heads.
“Let's get to work.” He commanded.
=======================================
When Tianlan returned to consciousness the first thing she felt was an old sensation.
Exhaustion. Bone deep, weary exhaustion. It was something that Tianlan knew all too well. She knew it so well that it was a return to normalcy.
She reached to her chest to pull down the rags that were her clothes… though this time with both hands. She stared at the new limb where before there was a stump of gold, there was cracked flesh. The gold was dull. It had lost its luster. But… to her surprise, no new wounds had opened up. The Qi of her Connected One had held fast, binding her wounds closed.
She glanced around at her surroundings. It looked like a dilapidated bedroom. There was an ancient stone bedframe, bare of any covers.
It felt familiar—
Another spike of pain pressed through her head. She grimaced, and walked towards the door.
The hall was… ancient. It was filled with levers and pipes, and machinery.
Her hands ghosted along pathways and mechanisms. Some powered on, but those... Those were in the minority. Most stayed dark. Some, when they turned on, tried to move, only to break themselves completely.
Tianlan grimaced, as the knowledge of how these worked once more assaulted her, and she shook her head to clear the haze.
She clambered out of the depths of the mountain. The Earthly Arena, the Palace of the—
She cut the thought off, as she grabbed her head, alone in the darkness. Until a snout touched her.
Chun Ke chuffed happily at her. He grinned, taking some of the pain she felt into himself like he always did. Bearing some of her nightmares to give her a modicum of peace.
Shaking, she pressed her forehead to his nose, and climbed onto his back.
Chun Ke needed no other direction. He cantered out of the old hallways, rising back into the sun so she could feel her other ones. They were safe. She breathed a sigh of relief.
Well, most of them. She could feel Xiulan still on fire. For a moment, she considered leaving the girl. The overfly familiar woman who dared to trespass again and again… but the others would be sad if she died.
And Chun Ke had already started trotting in the girl’s direction.
The girl had grown on Tianlan as well. Like a mushroom.
Tianlan took a breath, as they arrived at the connection. It was hot to the touch. Tianlan slid off the boar’s back, and pressed into it.
In a field full of fire, the girl danced a familiar dance. Something Tianlan could remember, would always remember, no matter how broken she was. It was something she had loved.
Her feet touched the ground, and the two of them danced together. The girl danced well. She had learned to cast off the rigid, wrong forms.
The mushroom had learned. She no longer felt… wrong. Tianlan could feel she had resolve to give her life for the little ones. It was enough.
Tianlan joined her. It always felt so right, dancing with the girl. Though having to teach her felt wrong. For some reason Tianlan always felt she should have been the better of the two of them. But there was none of that hesitation now.
Xiulan danced, the lessons of the Cycle surging through her soul, and repairing the ruined ground within her.
Their familiar dance ended.
Cai Xiulan opened her eyes, and smiled at Tianlan.
It caused a dull ache. But… the woman was so happy to see her, and see her friends safe.
As Tianlan pulled her head down, to claim her as her own, another familiar face flashed overtop.
Her lips touched Xiulan’s forehead. The girl woke up. But Tianlan, still exhausted, fell asleep.
====================================
“What are these for?” Tianlan asked, raising an eyebrow at the bundle in Ruolan’s hands.
Ruolan grinned. Her eyes were outlined in red, and her robes were the finest silk. Tianlan tried not to be jealous of the other woman’s perfect grace. Her stunning beauty and crystal blue eyes were the envy of all… even Tianlan.
The opera singer and dancer smiled brilliantly at Tianlan, she posed, as she was wont to do, flicking her silky brown hair behind her.
“This one’s performance needs them!” The woman decreed, her fans floating behind her. “A work must have props, to deepen the immersion!”
“Swords though?”
“The character is a warrior! A fierce one! This Ruolan would never forgive herself if the performance was anything less than perfect! The Verdant Fan Opera troupe provides only the best, and these Jade Grass Blades will take this Ruolan’s performance to new heights!”
Tianlan rolled her eyes at the woman’s antics.
“Just don’t make the mistake of having people think you can actually fight, now.” Tianlan teased.
Ruolan seemed affronted. “Who would dare sully the thirty-two Fans of Grass with something as base as combat?” She demanded.
Tianlan shrugged. “Dunno.” she said, before shaking her head. “Enough about those. Do you have what I asked for?
“I do indeed. The Essence of Wood is coming along, I do think. My Lord shall be pleased. The Cycle of the Elements shall be my magnum opus!” Her eyes shone with passion.
Tianlan laughed and stood. Her feet got into position, and the other woman smiled at her.
“Shoulders set. Eyes forwards. Plant that lead foot.” Ruolan began as she always did, a little grin on her face.
Together, they crafted a masterpiece.
==========================
The moments where she was awake…. Stuttered. More and more. Every time she saw somebody through her Connected One’s eyes.
People she didn’t know, yet knew.
A man with a bandana and tattoos.
Gatai Altan, who took the name Guo Daxian like he was some kind of bandit. Enduring dishonour to keep his people safe. They fought together. They laughed together. And when Atlan called her sister, Tianlan smiled.
Tianlan looked at her hand, the one that had been recently repaired, the outline of what looked like a design of a faded tattoo upon it.
Tigu’s Handsome Man, as the cat talked about her new friends in their dream, allowing Tianlan to brush her hair.
Tie Jun, the mason nodding sagely as he carved characters into massive stone pillars, following the designs laid out for him. Slow and steady in all he did. He always said that stone was more talkative than metal, eschewing his ancestors’ craft.
Even walking with him, along the halls of a place that was so strange, and so familiar. Everything reacted to them. Igniting. Bowing to her Qi.
It was unnerving and relieving. Like she was coming home to a place she no longer remembered could be home.
A stone chair. A band of light formed like a crown, which brought the light of happiness, and the depths of despair at the same time.
“My Lord. My Lady. We humbly receive you!”
Tianlan looked away, only glancing back when she could feel her Connected One’s distaste for them visiting. The feeling of their Qi was... Disgusting.
The feeling of them reaching inside and plundering.Grasping hands tearing sensations. Why weren't they helping? Why were they ignoring her desperate pleas? She was begging them for help—
Her Qi surged without her consent, pinning them with her fury.
===============================
The days continued.
She was… uncomfortable. The place here had filled her head with memories. Fragments of who she used to be. Things that she had forgotten clicked into place. Friends long since dead, yet in some form, still existing.
She couldn’t help seeing the similarities. The looks the tattooed man gave her Connected One. Xiulan, who looked so much like an old friend.
Why had they forgotten? Why had she forgotten? Why was a mason working like a smith? Why was a graceful dancer’s body heavier with muscle meant for war?
It hurt and confused in equal measure.
And all she could do was watch on.
A crown above a dear friend’s head. I’ll make it better.
Fear seized her heart for a moment.Would the past repeat? Would what happened before, happen again?
Would they break her, again?
It was an insidious thought. She took her breath in great gasps, as she curled up into a ball. Nervous. Worried, and—
A hand on her head.
She looked up.
“You okay, shortstop?” her Connected One asked. He stared down at her with concern, his Qi gently touching the gold in her body, and wrapping around her. Concern. Worry.
A boar chuffed at her, and she pouted at Chun Ke, as the man picked her up, and placed her in his lap.
She curled into him. Feeling his heartbeat. She shook her head.
Her Connected One sighed, as he held her. “Well, I can’t speak for everybody…. But getting home always makes me feel better, you know? I can’t wait. Everything is.. Too complicated here.”
Tianlan hiccuped a sob as she hugged him. His hands ghosted over her scars. Resolve filled his voice.
“Shh,... shh.” he soothed her. “Hey. don’t worry, kiddo. Nothing like what happened to you will ever happen again. I’ll make sure of it.”
His voice stopped the shaking.
She clung to him. She believed in him.
Just like she had once believed in somebody else—
A nose touched her side. Chun Ke chuffed. And another hand joined the one on her back. Another set of hands embraced her.
She lifted her head to See Meiling’s smile.
Not just two of them. But three. Or was it four? Or was it everybody else, the little golden strands had connected to?
She buried her face back down, tears streaming down her eyes.
======================================
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this is the chapter that I thought would work better later.
Lore! Earth Chan! Fragments of a mountain.
Editing credits G Canada, Shahidul “Oshi” Kabir, Brandon “Philosophysics” Zhang-Leong.
Comments
Jan Alexander
Love this chapter. Earth chan is recovering!
Joe Silva
I've passed kidney stones that have made me less emotional than this book has at times. Any story that actually makes you f****** feel something is worth waiting for.
Cory
Keep in mind folks...this is a human being. I've never seen CF not give a delay notice previously (since I've been reading for the last couple months anyway). Here's hoping CF is doing okay, and has no other issues happening at the moment.
Indy
i have no problem with delays, but a info about it would be nice
Bum Bumbo
He didnt even need to write a chapter for this Wednesday. A single chapter on time in the last 2 weeks. Not even giving the chapter delay notice anymore...
Dale Tucker
chill bros. Farmer is still waiting in the lost ark queue
Aggammenonn
Noon, where's our fix.
C Davidson
I'm still waiting, so I hope so.
Thom_View
Was there supposed to be a chapter today?
Sere Maddox
Wow
Sere Maddox
The "perfect dance" opened reality and summoned demons because it was interrupted. Perfection marred became Calamity.
ericksond
This was thick with Chinese mythology. Of ancient gods and dragons. After some quick reading, the names gave it away. Shennong, Tianlan, Roulan, Atlan… this is amazing lore. Thank you CF
Heidao
Oh geez, looking back. Guo Daxian's people were probably the archivists, the "tattoos" were probably ink scrawls to memos or something on his body, and the descendants took the quirk as marking actual tattoos as heritage markings of the like.
Heidao
There must've been a truly calamitous time following the incident the Blaze Bears recounted, while they and many other creatures were shifted in elemental alignment, so too had the paths and purpose of the ancient sects became as they were. A performing troupe of cultivators becoming warriors, their acting mask so firmly in place it became their real one, stone carvers whose works could work qi to flow and gain enchantments became blacksmiths. This gives the impression of a classical setting of degeneration after a major conflict or disaster, almost to suggest that whatever happened, wasn't accidental. That whatever happened was so intense and so costly, that the experienced ancestors of the time period died too fast and in great enough numbers that the descendants never knew their true origins, and that whatever infrastructure or personal records to point them in the right path were destroyed or lost. One could wonder if this region is "weak", was due to a past demon invasion or if it was actually a former nation invaded and swallowed by the Empire
paul Emmer
We will see this series is creative and may go in a completely different direction but the hints and clues seems to at least lean towards that possibility
Akki
I think Arturo was being sarcastic when he said "Yeah... I don't see it happening /s" and instead actually agreeing with your statement.
paul Emmer
I said it was Is plausible not likely
Arturo
You mean meimei? The girl that makes bedroom eyes to xiulan all the time? Meiling "you should share our bed" Hong? Yeah... I don't see it happening /s
paul Emmer
Not that I'm for that type of thing; but Jin and xuilan could end up together. It would really tie into the story ; but it would have be initiated by the 2 women, for it to happen. Kin would never betray his wife
Mickey Phoenix
This whole chapter made my eyes leaky. The poor little thing! I'm so glad that she has friends! I just want to hug her and tell her it'll be okay this time around. Interesting hints of reincarnation. Maybe it'll be okay this time around because *we've learned something from the last time*. Maybe because this Connected One doesn't try to keep his power to himself, but shares it freely, building a community in relationship with the land. Maybe both. The way you write decent people being decent to each other will always make me happy-cry. ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜
RJKY
THANK YOU!
RJKY
FEELS!
Ichypa
Huh, interesting. So the reason that Xiulan was “doing it wrong” wasn’t because of lost wisdom or corruption from using pills and ruthlessly seeking fast ascension, etc., it was because the dance is literally a DANCE, and Xiulan was probably doing katas or something.
Another fun chapter.
James Squibb
they are all descendants is my thought. Each have forgotten what once was. The library should assist with this, I believe.
Len
Oh, Tianlan now has 2 Chosen ones, Jin AND Xuilan, she has connected ones- the animals and meimei & the baby, she now has chosen xuilan with the kiss after the dance. OH OH has anyone noticed that it was ruolan-xuilan's ancestor/maybe she is reincarnated ruolan- who Choreographed all the dances the villagers do? And it looks like jin might be the reincarnation and or decendant of the founder of that area. who is the one who made the "sword cut" in the dueling peaks. it would give reason to WHY he went to the azure hills, in his past life, it was HOME.
jetblackvalias .
holy fucking shit
Great chapter, and I am glad you wrapped up the other areas before posting it. I can't wait to see where this goes
Efgbog
This chapter just proves that Chun Ke is indeed, the best.
NoAriGuy
Im sure i speak for most when i say this but more pls? Pretty pls with cherries on top?
This was amazing... Good work and well worth the wait
Ashlee Jacobsen
Yea, this was an amazing piece of lore building, I can see why you wanted to delay it. I'm glad you did
Dennis
Yeah I 100% understand why you wanted this chapter a bit later.
Oskatat
I can see why you wanted to delay the chapter, it made a lot more sense like this
Oskatat
And is she 'the' earth spirit, or 'an' earth spirit. Are there more like her?
Shadow Gaming
If Tianlan is the earth spirit are there others for other adpects like the sky and sea?
Keifru
Its bloody hilarious that a performance Art has transformed into a combat art
The Lost Pages
This was nothing short of pure Gold. Thank you for the beautiful chapter.
Raya
The feels!
H
Tears 😭👍
REPOsPuNKy
woot
Will mILLER
Worth waiting for
Aaron
Glorious.
ShadeByTheSea
I'm pretty sure you couldn't include america in that, we've been pretty militaristic since the start.
AernJardos
Now that's an awesome chapter!
Kyfe
So far my head Canon is that the Actress turned her faux combat expertise into real expertise, and the stone Mason forged weapons of war, both out of necessity due to the Demon Invasion. They're the epitome of peaceful villagers turned warriors because of the threat of annhiliation. In popular fiction, they're like the Channelers in the Age of Legends in The Wheel of Time. RL examples would be the Romans, and arguably America. The Romans, before they were militaristic and created an empire, were farmers who were raided one too many times and finally said Never Again, and became a warrior society (look it up, that's a true story).
Lord Felidae
Fuuuck. Damn that’s some tasty lore.
Steven Whitfield
Hotdiggity! Backstory! And surprisingly deep depths for the sects.
Robert Burchette
Great Sage Chunky, who always knows more than you expect. May his wisdom guide us all.
Joe
Worth the wait, good chapter. Thanks
James Squibb
Well worth the wait
guymcfearsonm
It was a good choice to post this later. Alternate perspective recaps are best done a little while after the content they cover. The lore has space for delivery here, since we know the Farm Sect is planning to go home now.
Jeff Scott
So she didn't just power up the mountain, it was a large piece of her that she reconnected!
Carl Mason
It seems to be only Tianlan in his lap.
Carl Mason
That was beautiful. It was unexpected, but beautiful.
Xultanis
Possibly, or it was that particular act that inspired the original al founder of the sect. Perhaps we will find out.
SuperiorFreak
Not gonna lie, the thought of the Verdant Blade Sects reaction to the truth of their origins makes me smile greatly. "Oh sorry guys, your great Master was actually an Actor. Its all one big misunderstanding. Oops?"
Caithdean SValerient
Love this! Kudos!
Nick
Did I miss read or are both tiguer and the earth spirit in Jins lap?
Undead Writer
Love this!! Can’t wait for more!
Len
Surprised noone mentioned that the verdant blade sect originally was an opera dance troupe. And fans are supposed to be used
paul Emmer
This story has so many interconnected levels to it like fate,carma ,reincarnation and the cycle of the ages all mixed together I think a sleeping power house is slowly being awaken: the heavens ; earth based and interconnected perhaps I'm reaching but it's exciting thinking about the possibilities And so that journey begins
Memories. Foggy.
The Slowest Turtle
Lovely
Havefeith
There's one error still there. You called the guy who called himself Guo Daxian eventually by "Atlan" and "Altan" in the same paragraph. This was interesting to read. Good to see Earth-chan recovering her memories.
Bonifacio Mario Peña Jr.
Earth channnnn!! You need all the huggss!!
ericksond
Sad yet beautiful. One of the best chapters for sure. Shedding tears at a Xianxia novel… what have we gotten ourselves into?
Dust Russell
That made me cry
Joseph
Moving chapter
Imspinnennetz
Unfortunate for the magistrate you mean. He is going to go through some stressful times in the near future.
Sean McClain
Well now we know why the qi in this area is so low, a cultivator was bound to become the spirit of the land somehow and they are injured. (I think) Unfortunately, as the people of fa ram heal her, the azure hills will become more interesting to rest of the empire and become less quiet.
Amazing as always, thank you
Imspinnennetz
Jin meets with the earth spirit and Rou during his sleep. He is not fully conscious during all the meetings.
Guy L.
This was some interesting perspective. I'm torn between wanting to learn the deep lore, see the epic events unfurl, and wanting to glide along with Jin's chilled out, comfortable little farm, with the occasional outsider presentive showing how terrifyingly powerful the Disciples of Fa Ram and their master actually are.
Demian Buckle
Thank you for the Chapter.
BZD
I’m so confused. I thought that the Earth Spirit wasn’t a physical being. And then it seems that Jin actually has met her before, I thought he didn’t know about the Earth Spirit actually being fully sentient.
Nick
Thanks for the chapter
Phillip Ingram
I love chunky so much. He's seriously the best
Adam Albright
Thank you!
Elliote Elanor
Get back in there tear
Stav Tri
This one was actually fantastic! Lovely depictions and goings on for tianlan, and seeing her move and active in ways that expanded the previous actions
Jacob
Dam onion cutting ninjas
Alan dryfter
That was more powerful than I thought it would be. May she always be safe.
BRUNO ASTUR
I am not crying. No I am not. Believe me, please.
Carl Smith
Yeah, this was better here.
Tim Olson
Thanks for peeling back the veil! Excellent!
Jhjadfhjsdjkjdfkhgsbksjd. Dead. Slain. Gone from this mortal coil. This heart tribulation hath laid me low, for I cannot continue any longer. The sheer bittersweet love and friendship. Too much, too fast.
ShimizuA
Seeing all the AH cultivation's roots is fascinating.
Imspinnennetz
Tianlan chapters are always great. Chunky is always so impressive behind the scenes.
Yuanlong Dai
OOOOO
Seadrake
Stop lying, I had sand in my eyes. Perfectly normal in suburban environments.
God, that was beautiful. Made me shed a tear, or fifteen.
Thx for the chapter! Sad for spirit girl
