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Cultivation - Ch 3
🕑 Added 2022-10-24 00:22:14 +0000 UTCElder Xia returned from the Palace, arriving at Kit’s residence.
There were now 4 days until the ceremony.
Upon her return, she found Kit asleep just like he was before. Come the next day though, she made sure to watch as Kit trained.
But his training… She wasn’t sure if she could call it that.
Traveling to the forest not far from the residence, she managed to spot Kit during the dead of night. However, he was dashing around the forest like a maniac.
He was chasing something she couldn’t see as he bounced from tree to tree. Sometimes his hand would shoot out toward the trunk, his fist digging into it and gouging out its core. But every time, he seemed to be disappointed.
This kind of strength naturally surprised Elder Xia. It wasn’t normal to be able to simply gouge the core of a tree with your bare hands.
But he also wasn’t mindlessly running around like a crazed beast. Conjuring some of her power, Elder Xia poured Qi into her eyes to see what was going on.
*Flash*
Her vision brightened with myriads of colors that represented a few elements. This vision of the world’s Qi and the elements was what Kit saw all the time. She had to admit, it could get annoying.
But she managed to see something interesting.
Between all the plants and trees, there was a little ball of light that was zipping around frantically, running away from Kit. It went between the roots and the bushes, using the plants as a medium for travel. That’s why Kit was constantly clawing at them.
Amazingly though, Kit was still blindfolded, which meant he could see that ball of light even though his vision was supposed to be dampened.
“His eyes really are something else…”
She muttered with awe. Then, she suddenly saw Kit reach for his blindfold.
After ripping it off, she could see his eyes flash with that beautiful rose gold. And with his amazing vision, he was able to chase down that ball of light with pinpoint accuracy.
He caught it before long.
“Hm. Finally.”
He smirked as his hand grasped the ball of light, which was within the trunk of a tree. His forearm was half embedded in it, but he ripped it out like it was nothing.
Then, his head suddenly turned.
“Aunt Xia?”
“Hello Kit. Mind telling me about your friend?”
“Not a friend.”
He spoke callously, clutching the ball of light that was contained within the core wood in his palm.
Then, he began walking to another area. With his eyes, he constantly scanned around, taking a few turns here and there before suddenly coming upon a pool of water.
It was a naturally peaceful place with overhanging trees and a few boulders that acted as a natural barrier to keep the place secret.
After stripping some clothes, Kit lifted the core of wood with that invisible ball of light inside.
Then, he crushed the core in his hands. He could see the splinters of the wood fall into the water along with motes of the light that used to be the ball.
That light dispersed within the pool. After that, Kit stepped into it, lowering his body and submerging himself.
“I see…”
Elder Xia watched this interesting process, her eyes drifting toward the scar across Kit’s body.
Then, she watched as the Qi that now filled the pool drifted into his body. It slowly increased the density of his bodily Qi.
“I should be able to form the dantian tomorrow. This pool will last me a few days anyway.”
“A few days?”
“Yea. I can’t absorb everything all at once like I used to. It's gotten slower as my Qi got denser. So one of those sprytes that’s bigger than normal will last me a while.”
Kit spoke while relaxing in the pool. Elder Xia couldn’t help but praise him.
“You know, you’re rather amazing Kit. You’ve come up with your own system of Immersion and have gotten really strong. All without my help. I thought you were having issues all this time with getting enough Qi. But it turns out you were paving your own path.”
She approached him, running her fingers through his hair.
“You’ve done a good job. I’m proud of you.”
“...Thanks.”
He answered back quietly, something he had to be taught to do or he wouldn’t answer back at all.
As she combed his hair around, Elder Xia went deep into thought.
She wasn’t married, but this child had become hers after that fateful day. And she had done her best to pull him out of the dark hole of despair he fell into.
Years of nurturing, years of love, years of stress trying to figure out what was best for him.
She had known that her closest friends, Bonen and Fang, had a child together. She knew his name was Khan, but since the child called himself Kit, she went with it not knowing what that name truly represented.
Back then, she was sure that Kit was a child just as bright and cheerful as all the others. But now, he was always so quiet.
If it had only happened later. Sure, having one's parents die right in front of them was a traumatizing experience no matter what age. But at least those of older age who had more time for development would handle it better.
Kit was only 10. He was just old enough to understand how valuable his parents were and how much he loved them, but not old enough to handle that level of trauma.
It couldn’t have gone worse, and Elder Xia had cried and cursed the heavens for bringing down such horror upon him.
But, she also knew more about the situation than she let on.
As she watched Kit, she contemplated something.
‘Perhaps it would be best to give it to him now, while he has time…’
She deliberated for several minutes, her mind conflicted between protecting Kit and shedding some light on the truth.
Before, she argued that he was still too young to understand. But now that he had years to think and process what happened, she believed he was finally in a far better frame of mind to accept the possible reality of what happened.
Especially now that he was beginning an arduous path of martial arts, he would need more motivation. He surely had the discipline, enough for him to devote himself to Immersion for two whole years. Now, he just needed a goal.
She made her decision.
“Kit.”
“Hm.”
He hummed. It seemed that this Immersion training was just sitting around in a pool of Qi. He was enjoying himself much more than others who were doing what he did.
But Elder Xia was serious as she spoke.
“There’s something I want to give you. Here.”
Waving her hand, a book suddenly appeared. It was a journal.
She handed it to Kit who grabbed it casually.
“It’s your father’s Will.”
“...”
Those words made Kit flinch. Anything relating to his parents poked at the wounds in his mind.
Elder Xia knew this, so she grabbed his shoulders and spoke comfortingly.
“I’ve decided that you’re finally old enough to understand and handle what he wanted to say, so I’m giving this to you now. I hope it will give you more information about what exactly makes you, and your paternal lineage, special. I’ll also say this as a forewarning. Your father’s death wasn’t as random as we may think. When you read, you’ll understand…”
She spoke as softly as she could, anything that might calm Kit down. Still, she could feel his heart thrum erratically. Even his breath hurried as he clutched the journal.
She remained silent as a war raged in Kit’s mind. Still, he wasn’t reacting violently, which made her incredibly thankful.
Just as she was about to retreat and give him space, she could hear him speak.
“You read it?”
“...I did.”
“...”
He didn’t respond, instead opening the book.
Seeing that, she took a seat behind him.
He read.
…
Khan.
If you’re reading this, it means I’ve left this world. I write this knowing that I will inevitably perish, and not while old and gray as I hope.
This journal contains the accumulated knowledge and inferences that not just I, but my father and his father before him have made regarding our memories, eyes, and the mysterious case of paternal death at early ages.
First, allow me to discuss what you desire to know the most.
My death, regardless of its nature, is not natural nor random.
My great-grandfather died while middle-aged, not even able to see his grandson even after having my grandfather while young.
My grandfather also died relatively young, even before my father had me.
And my father died when I was only 18.
It's a pattern that my father noticed. Our fathers were dying earlier and earlier despite their rising talent and power. Although they were able to reach greater and greater heights, going from talentless commoners to martial artists of the Sky Realm, they were only dying faster, and from various causes like lethal encounters with Sky Beasts or lethal Qi Viruses. It seemed the heavens wouldn’t allow us to live, killing us before being allowed to see our grandchildren.
Not only that, but no matter how much we tried, none of us were able to have more than one child, and the child was always a boy.
So while the details of our deaths can be argued over, the fact of our children always being a single boy is not random or coincidental.
Still, I prayed with each passing year. I remember when my own father died. I had been 18 years old, and I was devastated. He and my mother fell together in the face of an overwhelming Mind Beast! He was a warrior I adored, but alas, the heavens cursed him to die before realizing his true talent.
I only prayed that I wouldn’t die before you grew a little older.
I write this to you, and right now, you are only 9 years old. If you somehow see this before becoming an adult…
Khan, no words will express how sorry I am.
I only hope that the heavens are merciful to you, and that the people I’ve chosen to care for you when the time comes have not forsaken my trust.
Xia Zhilan
Magnus Gold
Ferra Han
The only way you have seen this journal is if one of those names has given it to you. They are your aunts and uncles, and I have chosen them as the ones who shall care for you when I pass. I would trust them with more than my life, so you can trust them with yours.
…
“Zhilan…”
Kit mumbled under his breath the name of the woman who cared for him no different from his birth mother. At the same time, despite the somber atmosphere, Xia Zhilan smiled weirdly.
“Even I didn’t realize your father thought so highly of me. That day… He sent me an emergency call through one of the talismans that he requested from me not long before. I never knew it would’ve been for something like this…”
“...”
Kit went silent, and continued reading.
…
Now, let me explain what little we know about our eyes and memories.
My father had written many notes about what he thought regarding these two abnormalities. And through his knowledge of the notes that had been taken by his father and even his grandfather, he summarized.
My great-grandfather was the first to see that lady, a woman named Alice. And that event is the one that sparked the change in our eyes.
He said that from then on, his eyes began to glow, and he would begin to see things like atmospheric Qi. He could even see the Qi of others, enabling him to be a great estimator of power and advance himself to the peak of the Terrestrial Realm.
But things changed when he had a child who had even brighter eyes then he. My grandfather supposedly had brilliant yellow eyes like the sun.
And, he was also the first who came to be able to see the Elements of Qi, as well as the mysterious Shen of the middle dantian.
Then, my father attained brilliant golden eyes, and upon reaching the sky realm, he was able to see not just Shen, but the arcane laws surrounding Shen.
And finally, I myself was able to see not just Shen and the Arcane Laws, but even before advancing to the Mind Realm, I was capable of seeing glimpses of the vast Concepts that lay within the great Wu Wei. And my eyes were an even deeper royal gold than my father’s.
You, Khan…
You have the most royal eyes of us all, a brilliant Rose Gold. Not only that, but if we simply follow the pattern of our ancestors, you will become the most talented of us all.
Even at the young age of 29, I have reached the peak of the Sky Realm after training for a mere 12 years. I could keep up with the monsters of the great family clans within Light’s Glory! What other commoner with absolutely no roots or talent in martial arts could say that they rose to the great heights we have?
Those memories activated something within us, and all of us have a feeling as to why.
That woman named Alice. You know this too. She spoke of reaching the same heights as the Sovereign Sect Leaders, those impossibly powerful demigods! Perhaps she came from beyond the heavens where the Sect Leaders rose too, and now, she desires for us to go there too.
But, it has taken 5 generations of constant growth in talent. Each of us grow more powerful, but each of us also die faster.
Only now, I believe that things are changing.
You, Khan, who now contains the greatest talent of our paternal line.
One of two things may happen.
Either you will grow and have a child around 20 years of age, and then die young while passing on even greater talent to your child.
Or you will mark the end of this blessing and curse that plagues us all, and grow to unfathomable heights as the culmination of our ever growing talent.
I have prayed since the day you were born that you, the fifth generation, would finally be allowed to harvest the fruits of our lives, especially since you will no doubt become haunted by my death at such a young age.
Khan, before you lies a martial road paved by myself and your grandfathers before me.
For your own sake, I hope that you come to strive along that road. It will take you to many places, and you will meet many amazing people, both good and evil.
I know this sounds like an ill omen, but even if you are cursed to die at a young age, do not allow yourself to forsake those around you. Do not shy away from the bonds you may form.
I knew that my destiny was not to become the one who ascends to that bright heaven. But even so, meeting your mother, the love of my life, and bearing you as a child, was something I would die for countless times again.
As I always told you, find yourself a good woman. You deserve nothing less than that special person who makes the whole world just as bright as the one in your memories.
Though, I do have one small warning.
For all that is holy under the heavens, do not get entangled with more than one dao partner.
I love your mother, but if I hadn’t chosen her as the only one…
I may have dug myself an earlier grave!
That is all I have to say on the matter.
Khan…
Become the one who reaches toward that beautiful height.
Fulfill the desire of myself and your grandfathers, climb that endless path of martial arts, the one that we so desperately strived for.
Do it all while smiling with those special people around you.
And know that you are forever loved.
From your father, the Heavy Hand, Bonen Managold,
And your mother, the Holy Fairy, Fang Auger.
…
