“Your Divinity,” Von Wickten began, “I am certain that you are already aware, however, I felt that I ought to report to you regardless: The Heretic’s Daughter has obtained the fangs in search of which she ventured north. As a Storm-soul Cultivator, she is an order of magnitude more dangerous now that her spirit-weapon is no longer crippled; likely far more dangerous than she was at the time of Ubul’s waking. I also sense that the Hulson has awakened the Immortal Blood, and grown stronger in some other manner which I cannot discern. And Khestun… There is something terribly wrong in him, but I cannot sense what; my connection to the boy has weakened since I’ve attained clarity of purpose. I am, however, certain that he, too, has changed in some abominable way. Cao Hu has voiced his own theories, but I would not dare suggest such asinine-”
“Speak freely,” the Emperor demanded. He wondered why Cao Hu wouldn’t just call him directly, but it wasn’t surprising. The Curse-eating General’s own transformation wasn’t exactly proceeding smoothly; it was possible that he had passed the theory along in a moment of clarity, and was now once more in the throes of tribulation.
Von Wickten collected himself without an iota of surprise, and continued: “He believes the youth to have consumed the soul of an ancestor as part of an esoteric process called the Enantiomorph, one which permits two individuals to become as one. Cao Hu believes the other soul to be specifically Koschei the Undying, Second of the Triarchy, who ruled Ikesia during the ah… The Three Kings Era, which your Divinity ended. I am not permitted to know why, but it seems he has good reason to believe this to be true.”
Xiān Dì didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry. An equally unsettled and unsettling grin grasped his face, and soon a cackling laugh erupted from him as he grasped for his face with one hand. His voice rang out through his throne chamber and washed over all those present like a miasma of utter terror; his subjects had no clue how to deal with the outburst, and so, in fear for their own lives and those of three generations of their clans, they ignored it. This… He hadn’t felt this strongly about anything in centuries, and that was the fourth or perhaps fifth time he’d had this thought in recent memory. Time and again, he got drawn out of the mire of his own absolute success. He took control of himself, and with but a gesture, emptied his throne room. Hundreds of eunuchs and guards flooded out in unison before the doors slammed shut behind them.
This wasn’t about privacy, Xiān Dì could easily just sound ward his immediate surroundings or even create an opaque bubble to block sight of him. He wanted to be physically alone. Xiān Dì called to himself all his scrying mirrors, initiating conversations with all his most trusted advisors across the Pateirian heartland.
“What else?” he questioned.
“Cao Hu has been progressing through his tribulation as expected, and work on the other project proceeds apace. Furthermore, I have a request-”
“My answer remains no, as it has been since last you asked. I shall consider your request after the project comes to fruition. As it stands you would be marching off to your death, should you go after the Heretic’s Daughter. Your debt to me precludes you from choosing your own death, Adalbert.”
Von Wickten bowed before the Black Mirror Array on his side and his image flickered from view.
“Good, good, good…” he muttered sarcastically to himself. Sarcasm. Annoyance. Even such emotions had been beyond him for who knows how long. He hated this as much as he enjoyed it.
Several days later, he had learned just how widespread the aftershocks of that abominable rite were. Several of his court artisans had reported strange and mutually congruent strikes of inspiration, and that same pattern continued not just throughout the empire, but even in Ikesia and other far-off provinces. Agents planted in Kargaria and Grekuria reported much the same.
There were none alive who knew of Xiān Dì’s true nature as a transmigrator… But there were a few among his advisors whom he had made familiar with his unfiltered way of speaking. They were made to believe that it was the Heavenly Dao speaking through him with knowledge from other worlds, and through this roundabout method, he was able to talk freely on occasion.
“I have foreseen that many across the empire will soon be struck by inspiration from the Demonic Dao. All manner of artist and craftsman will find his work tainted by ideas such as iron fangs bared against fate, of a Walking Tribulation meting out violence against those who rightly use their own strength which the Dao bestowed upon them through myself. I would not see them killed or made destitute, for it is not their own fault. Memoryhole them. Do not take direct action against them, but ensure that they never hold any significant sway and that their works are forgotten. Co-opt what they create for the homeland’s purposes, change details and invent new characters so that these poor souls’ misguided work is not wasted.”
He knew better than to act directly in contravention of occult, antediluvian magic… But he also knew that it could be tricked and worked around. He hoped that this was among the old magics which could be tricked and worked around.
Xiān Dì turned his mind towards dealing with the Newman situation as it was. All sides, including the Grekurians and Kargarians, had plans in motion. The most obvious move was to just come after Newman as soon as possible, or to galvanize efforts to counteract the efforts of Willowdale and the Free Cities Alliance at large.
However, the abrupt growth of his foe came with a silver lining. Major breakthroughs tended to be followed by plateaus, especially if a cultivator didn’t encounter challenges to push them into surpassing themselves. He was certain that, of all people, she would be able to push herself through sheer will alone, but he still had to be wise about how he proceeded forward.
Rather than keep up the pressure, Xiān Dì decided to turn his resources elsewhere; both at other targets, and inward. He would take measures to ensure that his next clash with the Heretic’s Daughter would be on favourable grounds. His own New Era of Cultivation plan would take some time to get going, and the potential cultural disturbance of Newman’s deed had to be curtailed at all costs.
Akaso
If you’d like to read ahead, consider heading on over to the Patreon! You get up to 20 advance chapters for both Retribution Engine and Cherno Caster.
I’d also greatly appreciate it if you could rate my story, maybe even leave a review or advanced review!
For a link to the discord, check the synopsis.
“Your Divinity,” Von Wickten began, “I am certain that you are already aware, however, I felt that I ought to report to you regardless: The Heretic’s Daughter has obtained the fangs in search of which she ventured north. As a Storm-soul Cultivator, she is an order of magnitude more dangerous now that her spirit-weapon is no longer crippled; likely far more dangerous than she was at the time of Ubul’s waking. I also sense that the Hulson has awakened the Immortal Blood, and grown stronger in some other manner which I cannot discern. And Khestun… There is something terribly wrong in him, but I cannot sense what; my connection to the boy has weakened since I’ve attained clarity of purpose. I am, however, certain that he, too, has changed in some abominable way. Cao Hu has voiced his own theories, but I would not dare suggest such asinine-”
“Speak freely,” the Emperor demanded. He wondered why Cao Hu wouldn’t just call him directly, but it wasn’t surprising. The Curse-eating General’s own transformation wasn’t exactly proceeding smoothly; it was possible that he had passed the theory along in a moment of clarity, and was now once more in the throes of tribulation.
Von Wickten collected himself without an iota of surprise, and continued: “He believes the youth to have consumed the soul of an ancestor as part of an esoteric process called the Enantiomorph, one which permits two individuals to become as one. Cao Hu believes the other soul to be specifically Koschei the Undying, Second of the Triarchy, who ruled Ikesia during the ah… The Three Kings Era, which your Divinity ended. I am not permitted to know why, but it seems he has good reason to believe this to be true.”
Xiān Dì didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry. An equally unsettled and unsettling grin grasped his face, and soon a cackling laugh erupted from him as he grasped for his face with one hand. His voice rang out through his throne chamber and washed over all those present like a miasma of utter terror; his subjects had no clue how to deal with the outburst, and so, in fear for their own lives and those of three generations of their clans, they ignored it. This… He hadn’t felt this strongly about anything in centuries, and that was the fourth or perhaps fifth time he’d had this thought in recent memory. Time and again, he got drawn out of the mire of his own absolute success. He took control of himself, and with but a gesture, emptied his throne room. Hundreds of eunuchs and guards flooded out in unison before the doors slammed shut behind them.
This wasn’t about privacy, Xiān Dì could easily just sound ward his immediate surroundings or even create an opaque bubble to block sight of him. He wanted to be physically alone. Xiān Dì called to himself all his scrying mirrors, initiating conversations with all his most trusted advisors across the Pateirian heartland.
“What else?” he questioned.
“Cao Hu has been progressing through his tribulation as expected, and work on the other project proceeds apace. Furthermore, I have a request-”
“My answer remains no, as it has been since last you asked. I shall consider your request after the project comes to fruition. As it stands you would be marching off to your death, should you go after the Heretic’s Daughter. Your debt to me precludes you from choosing your own death, Adalbert.”
Von Wickten bowed before the Black Mirror Array on his side and his image flickered from view.
“Good, good, good…” he muttered sarcastically to himself. Sarcasm. Annoyance. Even such emotions had been beyond him for who knows how long. He hated this as much as he enjoyed it.
Several days later, he had learned just how widespread the aftershocks of that abominable rite were. Several of his court artisans had reported strange and mutually congruent strikes of inspiration, and that same pattern continued not just throughout the empire, but even in Ikesia and other far-off provinces. Agents planted in Kargaria and Grekuria reported much the same.
There were none alive who knew of Xiān Dì’s true nature as a transmigrator… But there were a few among his advisors whom he had made familiar with his unfiltered way of speaking. They were made to believe that it was the Heavenly Dao speaking through him with knowledge from other worlds, and through this roundabout method, he was able to talk freely on occasion.
“I have foreseen that many across the empire will soon be struck by inspiration from the Demonic Dao. All manner of artist and craftsman will find his work tainted by ideas such as iron fangs bared against fate, of a Walking Tribulation meting out violence against those who rightly use their own strength which the Dao bestowed upon them through myself. I would not see them killed or made destitute, for it is not their own fault. Memoryhole them. Do not take direct action against them, but ensure that they never hold any significant sway and that their works are forgotten. Co-opt what they create for the homeland’s purposes, change details and invent new characters so that these poor souls’ misguided work is not wasted.”
He knew better than to act directly in contravention of occult, antediluvian magic… But he also knew that it could be tricked and worked around. He hoped that this was among the old magics which could be tricked and worked around.
Xiān Dì turned his mind towards dealing with the Newman situation as it was. All sides, including the Grekurians and Kargarians, had plans in motion. The most obvious move was to just come after Newman as soon as possible, or to galvanize efforts to counteract the efforts of Willowdale and the Free Cities Alliance at large.
However, the abrupt growth of his foe came with a silver lining. Major breakthroughs tended to be followed by plateaus, especially if a cultivator didn’t encounter challenges to push them into surpassing themselves. He was certain that, of all people, she would be able to push herself through sheer will alone, but he still had to be wise about how he proceeded forward.
Rather than keep up the pressure, Xiān Dì decided to turn his resources elsewhere; both at other targets, and inward. He would take measures to ensure that his next clash with the Heretic’s Daughter would be on favourable grounds. His own New Era of Cultivation plan would take some time to get going, and the potential cultural disturbance of Newman’s deed had to be curtailed at all costs.
Akaso
If you’d like to read ahead, consider heading on over to the Patreon! You get up to 20 advance chapters for both Retribution Engine and Cherno Caster.
I’d also greatly appreciate it if you could rate my story, maybe even leave a review or advanced review!
For a link to the discord, check the synopsis.
