She looked completely different now than she did a minute ago. She looked straight at me, her freckled face unmoving, her curious brown eyes scoured me for my reaction. I made sure to remain still but I could not help the contemplative look that took over my face. What I really wanted to do, however, was jump off the sofa, grasp her collar and shout my lungs out.
A reincarnated soul?
I did not feel that she was lying, at least, the atmosphere was enough for me to tell the level of seriousness she was speaking with. It hung heavy, thicker than my cloud of incense.
A reincarnated soul?
I could not help but repeat my thoughts over and over. The implications of such knowledge only really began making themselves clear after I had pondered for a good few minutes.
A reincarnated soul?
Preposterous. Almost impossibly unlikely. She was mocking me, she had to be. “Do you understand what you’re saying, child?” I asked, unable to hide the venom.
The girl had the nerve to scoff at me. “Of course I do,” she said. “I am just trying to save my friend.”
“You may spare his life,” I nodded in admittance. “Although it would not be much of a life to spare, if what you say is true.”
“What do you mean?” she asked confusedly.
“You are foolish. I am the most powerful person here, what makes you think I will ever let him go?” I asked, a coy smile on my face. She looked surprised by what I said.
“You can try,” she eventually shrugged. “However, I’m sure you would gain far more from striking a deal with him. He is not a bad person. If you show him hospitality, he will definitely reciprocate it.”
“As if he is the one who is doing me a favour?” I got up, angrily. “He almost killed my Elder, the boy must be punished.”
“Of course he does,” she nodded. “It is what we signed up for when we joined the sect. The rules have already helped us directly and we are thankful for them.”
“Do you desire lenience or preferential treatment?” I asked, wanting to understand her goals.
“I want lenience, His life is not yours to take, it’s mine. He already promised it to me. As for his cultivation, you stand to directly benefit from it remaining intact,” she began. “Beyond that, you will see just who you have been lucky enough to meet.”
“I don’t like the way you say it girl,” I snarled.
“I apologise, Sect Master. I am rather riled up at present,” she said with slight remorse.
“Please, Sect Master. Give the girl a chance to prove her statement true. It is easier for me to believe such a revelation considering my experience with him.” Mele joined in, she too was singing his praises.
“I cannot communicate with him prior to the commune. So you will have to give me good reason, right now, as to why I should speak on his behalf. The Grand Elders will undoubtedly want him dead, after all.”
“If he is not who I say he is, you can take my life as well,” said Safi instantly.
“I have no interest in your life. Just how would that benefit me? Foolish child.” I reprimanded her, causing her to sink into thought.
“Get a truth teller in, I will prove to you that I am telling the truth.”
“I have no doubt that you are, girl. I am more worried about whether he lied to you.” I admonished her naivety, she looked insulted but did not speak it.
“Then I will show you the technique he provided me,” she said resolutely. She sat still and watched for my reaction.
“What are you waiting for then, girl? Go and get it,” I said and waved her away. She got up and ran faster than I was expecting, all her manners had disappeared, what was left was her desperation. I could only respect such reckless expressions.
“You are lucky too, Mele. To have found such a committed disciple,” I said to the waiting Elder.
“Truly, both of them are more than I could have ever asked for.”
“Do you know, I was already going to spare the boy’s life?” I asked. She looked surprised, which I took for a no. “You see, as soon as he woke up he demanded to see a healer. I only just today received a report that the issue in the infirmary with my strongest expedition team has been sorted. All of those affected who were not already dead, were saved.”
“Do you think…?” Mele began.
“I do. The fight occurred outside the infirmary. He was probably on his way to help,” I said, trying to gauge her reaction.
“That does sound likely,” she admitted.
“So you see? I am hesitant to take the life of the boy that saved my expeditioners.”
“Thank you, Sect Master.” Mele bowed while sitting.
“Though, the matter of his identity as a reincarnator intrigues me,” I said, my vision blurred as thoughts consumed me.
“I have made the vow, I am his Master,” said Mele as confidently as she could in front of me. I chuckled when I realised what she was insinuating.
“I will not come in between you and your precious disciple Mele, I am not such a person. I am insulted by your implication.”
“Apologies, Sect Master.”
“Your apology is accepted,” I said as Safi came sprinting back into the room. She was breathing heavily and held a well-used book.
“Here,” she said and presented it to me with two hands.
“Lonely Whispers,” I mused as I read the cover. It was written well but in a plain way. “I was expecting more,” I said.
“Are you more concerned about his calligraphy or his knowledge?” Safi asked impatiently.
“Both,” I said with a smile as I opened the book. “I’ve never heard of it before,” I said with a frown as I began reading the first passage.
It overtook me instantly. It was as if every word held multitudinous meanings. Like every lesson contained thousands more. I was not so attuned to creatures like Safi appeared to be and even I could practically hear the wailing cries of a small, despondent cub, the shrill squawks of a lonesome bird in an empty sky.
The level of comprehension that would be required to calm the noise and understand the passage was far beyond my level. At my age, and with my power, no book I’d ever seen was unreadable. My understanding of qi was unmatched amongst my peers, my dao comprehension was at an equally lofty level.
I would expect Safi to be overwhelmed by a book like this, not me. Definitely not me.
“Incredible, isn’t it?” she asked me. There was no mockery or arrogance. Only genuine awe for what I held in my hands. “I’ve read a lot of books,” she continued. “But, I have never read anything like that. I am still meditating on the very first sentence. I roll it through my mind over and over again. I think about it when I’m eating, when I’m fighting, even when I’m sleeping. I am yet to comprehend it, I thought at first it was normal. Now I am certain it is not.”
“It is definitely not normal,” I said as I slammed the book shut, unwilling to gaze upon my lack of knowledge any longer.
“May I see, please?” asked a quiet Mele. I handed the book to her and she opened it only to suffer a similar reaction to me.
“Now do you understand?” said Safi. A smile painted her pretty face.
“I do,” I said.
Casualperv Click the
She looked completely different now than she did a minute ago. She looked straight at me, her freckled face unmoving, her curious brown eyes scoured me for my reaction. I made sure to remain still but I could not help the contemplative look that took over my face. What I really wanted to do, however, was jump off the sofa, grasp her collar and shout my lungs out.
A reincarnated soul?
I did not feel that she was lying, at least, the atmosphere was enough for me to tell the level of seriousness she was speaking with. It hung heavy, thicker than my cloud of incense.
A reincarnated soul?
I could not help but repeat my thoughts over and over. The implications of such knowledge only really began making themselves clear after I had pondered for a good few minutes.
A reincarnated soul?
Preposterous. Almost impossibly unlikely. She was mocking me, she had to be. “Do you understand what you’re saying, child?” I asked, unable to hide the venom.
The girl had the nerve to scoff at me. “Of course I do,” she said. “I am just trying to save my friend.”
“You may spare his life,” I nodded in admittance. “Although it would not be much of a life to spare, if what you say is true.”
“What do you mean?” she asked confusedly.
“You are foolish. I am the most powerful person here, what makes you think I will ever let him go?” I asked, a coy smile on my face. She looked surprised by what I said.
“You can try,” she eventually shrugged. “However, I’m sure you would gain far more from striking a deal with him. He is not a bad person. If you show him hospitality, he will definitely reciprocate it.”
“As if he is the one who is doing me a favour?” I got up, angrily. “He almost killed my Elder, the boy must be punished.”
“Of course he does,” she nodded. “It is what we signed up for when we joined the sect. The rules have already helped us directly and we are thankful for them.”
“Do you desire lenience or preferential treatment?” I asked, wanting to understand her goals.
“I want lenience, His life is not yours to take, it’s mine. He already promised it to me. As for his cultivation, you stand to directly benefit from it remaining intact,” she began. “Beyond that, you will see just who you have been lucky enough to meet.”
“I don’t like the way you say it girl,” I snarled.
“I apologise, Sect Master. I am rather riled up at present,” she said with slight remorse.
“Please, Sect Master. Give the girl a chance to prove her statement true. It is easier for me to believe such a revelation considering my experience with him.” Mele joined in, she too was singing his praises.
“I cannot communicate with him prior to the commune. So you will have to give me good reason, right now, as to why I should speak on his behalf. The Grand Elders will undoubtedly want him dead, after all.”
“If he is not who I say he is, you can take my life as well,” said Safi instantly.
“I have no interest in your life. Just how would that benefit me? Foolish child.” I reprimanded her, causing her to sink into thought.
“Get a truth teller in, I will prove to you that I am telling the truth.”
“I have no doubt that you are, girl. I am more worried about whether he lied to you.” I admonished her naivety, she looked insulted but did not speak it.
“Then I will show you the technique he provided me,” she said resolutely. She sat still and watched for my reaction.
“What are you waiting for then, girl? Go and get it,” I said and waved her away. She got up and ran faster than I was expecting, all her manners had disappeared, what was left was her desperation. I could only respect such reckless expressions.
“You are lucky too, Mele. To have found such a committed disciple,” I said to the waiting Elder.
“Truly, both of them are more than I could have ever asked for.”
“Do you know, I was already going to spare the boy’s life?” I asked. She looked surprised, which I took for a no. “You see, as soon as he woke up he demanded to see a healer. I only just today received a report that the issue in the infirmary with my strongest expedition team has been sorted. All of those affected who were not already dead, were saved.”
“Do you think…?” Mele began.
“I do. The fight occurred outside the infirmary. He was probably on his way to help,” I said, trying to gauge her reaction.
“That does sound likely,” she admitted.
“So you see? I am hesitant to take the life of the boy that saved my expeditioners.”
“Thank you, Sect Master.” Mele bowed while sitting.
“Though, the matter of his identity as a reincarnator intrigues me,” I said, my vision blurred as thoughts consumed me.
“I have made the vow, I am his Master,” said Mele as confidently as she could in front of me. I chuckled when I realised what she was insinuating.
“I will not come in between you and your precious disciple Mele, I am not such a person. I am insulted by your implication.”
“Apologies, Sect Master.”
“Your apology is accepted,” I said as Safi came sprinting back into the room. She was breathing heavily and held a well-used book.
“Here,” she said and presented it to me with two hands.
“Lonely Whispers,” I mused as I read the cover. It was written well but in a plain way. “I was expecting more,” I said.
“Are you more concerned about his calligraphy or his knowledge?” Safi asked impatiently.
“Both,” I said with a smile as I opened the book. “I’ve never heard of it before,” I said with a frown as I began reading the first passage.
It overtook me instantly. It was as if every word held multitudinous meanings. Like every lesson contained thousands more. I was not so attuned to creatures like Safi appeared to be and even I could practically hear the wailing cries of a small, despondent cub, the shrill squawks of a lonesome bird in an empty sky.
The level of comprehension that would be required to calm the noise and understand the passage was far beyond my level. At my age, and with my power, no book I’d ever seen was unreadable. My understanding of qi was unmatched amongst my peers, my dao comprehension was at an equally lofty level.
I would expect Safi to be overwhelmed by a book like this, not me. Definitely not me.
“Incredible, isn’t it?” she asked me. There was no mockery or arrogance. Only genuine awe for what I held in my hands. “I’ve read a lot of books,” she continued. “But, I have never read anything like that. I am still meditating on the very first sentence. I roll it through my mind over and over again. I think about it when I’m eating, when I’m fighting, even when I’m sleeping. I am yet to comprehend it, I thought at first it was normal. Now I am certain it is not.”
“It is definitely not normal,” I said as I slammed the book shut, unwilling to gaze upon my lack of knowledge any longer.
“May I see, please?” asked a quiet Mele. I handed the book to her and she opened it only to suffer a similar reaction to me.
“Now do you understand?” said Safi. A smile painted her pretty face.
“I do,” I said.
Casualperv Click the
