Promised Land
Fu Liwei had maintained a constant state of fury during the entire trip back from the Blue Crane Kingdom. That Fu Jinjing had forgotten her place! Even with the favouritism of Uncle, she had always been an outsider among the siblings. Now some lucky encounter had raised her arrogance to the sky!
Fu Liwei had awoken on a stranded beach. It had taken hours to reach the ports and he had burned most of his remaining wealth to catch the fastest qi-aided ships to speed up his return journey.
Once he returned to the family, he would tell his mother all about his arrogant sister. Perhaps it would anger her to the point of sending out a group of experts to exact punishment.
Fu Liwei sped away from the harbour when he made it back to the majestic port city of Liang’tokrat. It was a renowned free city of loose cultivators and competing sects on the southern coast of the mainland.
The city was a confluence of opportunity and pitfalls for artisans from all over the continent. The Fu Family were a newly established blacksmithing clan at the lower end of the city’s hierarchy. It would be more accurate to say that his Uncle was a blacksmith and the rest of the family had glommed on to his success.
Fu Liwei made his way to the family compound in the lower artisan quarter. The area housed a collection of merchants and craftsmen who could only produce items that were limited to peak golden core cultivators. In Liang’tokrat such a realm of cultivation was only the first step on the immortal path.
Fu Liwei rounded a corner and was baffled to find that the doors to the family compound had been blasted off of their hinges. Upon entering he found his mother wailing for forgiveness at his Uncle's feet.
Fu Liwei’s heart started to pound as he witnessed the scene. He knew that something major must have happened to reduce his mother to such a low posture. She usually displayed the height of arrogance.
Fu Liwei’s father was saying in an annoyed tone, “Brother you know that my wife can be impulsive. It is in her nature as a woman. Rather than recriminating her, think of how we can avoid this calamity.”
Uncle Fu replied in a deep rumbling voice, “Avoid? The calamity has already taken place. The young miss of the Bao family has already given her an ultimatum. We must leave the city immediately.”
Fu Liwei’s father scrunched up his face and spat, “But where else on the southern coast can we establish ourselves? Every other city is tightly controlled by some sect.”
Uncle Fu sneered, “Your wife should have thought of that before she slapped the Bao family’s servant in front of thousands of shoppers!”
Fu Liwei knew of the Bao family. They were a powerful martial family of the lower quarter. They worked as mercenaries for the larger families of the upper quarters but their outsized strength made them close to hegemons in the lower Liang’tokrat society.
They had often bought weapons from Uncle Fu in bulk for their newly initiated Golden Core warriors. Fu Liwei started to sweat as he thought of offending that family.
Uncle Fu continued in fury, “If we leave what will happen to Jinjing how will she find us once we go.”
Fu Liwei’s father huffed, “That ungrateful brat has probably run off with some loose cultivator. You are wasting your worry on her.”
Before Uncle Fu could explode in anger Fu Liwei made his presence known, “I have found sister Uncle. She is living a good life in a remote western kingdom.”
Uncle Fu looked sceptical but he did not doubt his nephew, rather he asked, “What Western kingdom? The only land in that direction is a barren wasteland of Qi-starved soil.”
Fu Liwei quickly narrated his visit to the Blue Crane Kingdom. He glossed over the unpleasant bits as he was ashamed that some local bumpkins had restrained him so thoroughly.
A calculative light had entered his father’s eyes and he said, “You say that the qi is rich there and Fu Jinjing has wealthy friends?”
Fu Liwei scoffed and replied, “I would not call those locals wealthy. The Kingdom is largely still a land of ignorance. They use metal currency instead of spirit stones and they drooled over pittances. Apparently, the qi has only just started to return to that place.”
Fu Liwei’s father turned to his brother and said, “Our family can move our foundations to that kingdom and if it is as Fu Liwei says we can get in on the ground floor. I am sure genuine sects and cultivators will start to arrive there soon. We can even use the base Jinjing has established as fuel for the beginning of our new shop.”
Uncle Fu waved away the thought, “I do not need to steal from my niece. However, if it is as you say, perhaps I could make a fresh start there.”
After some more thought, he nodded and proclaimed with a decisive chop, “It is settled we will move the family. I miss little Jinjing and if she has started over there then I will accompany her. You will go ahead with your wife and children. Perhaps if you remain out of sight the Bao family will let me spend the time to pack up my store and sell my remaining goods.”
Fu Liwei’s father nodded and was about to go make preparations when Uncle Fu’s voice stopped him, “Also you will have to restrain your wife when you arrive. We cannot afford to offend the whole world for her vanity. I will also ask little Jinjing how she ended up there. There is something fishy in all of this and I don’t believe she refused to come back without good cause.”
Fu Liwei’s father paused but only nodded and left the room.
Promised Land
Fu Liwei had maintained a constant state of fury during the entire trip back from the Blue Crane Kingdom. That Fu Jinjing had forgotten her place! Even with the favouritism of Uncle, she had always been an outsider among the siblings. Now some lucky encounter had raised her arrogance to the sky!
Fu Liwei had awoken on a stranded beach. It had taken hours to reach the ports and he had burned most of his remaining wealth to catch the fastest qi-aided ships to speed up his return journey.
Once he returned to the family, he would tell his mother all about his arrogant sister. Perhaps it would anger her to the point of sending out a group of experts to exact punishment.
Fu Liwei sped away from the harbour when he made it back to the majestic port city of Liang’tokrat. It was a renowned free city of loose cultivators and competing sects on the southern coast of the mainland.
The city was a confluence of opportunity and pitfalls for artisans from all over the continent. The Fu Family were a newly established blacksmithing clan at the lower end of the city’s hierarchy. It would be more accurate to say that his Uncle was a blacksmith and the rest of the family had glommed on to his success.
Fu Liwei made his way to the family compound in the lower artisan quarter. The area housed a collection of merchants and craftsmen who could only produce items that were limited to peak golden core cultivators. In Liang’tokrat such a realm of cultivation was only the first step on the immortal path.
Fu Liwei rounded a corner and was baffled to find that the doors to the family compound had been blasted off of their hinges. Upon entering he found his mother wailing for forgiveness at his Uncle's feet.
Fu Liwei’s heart started to pound as he witnessed the scene. He knew that something major must have happened to reduce his mother to such a low posture. She usually displayed the height of arrogance.
Fu Liwei’s father was saying in an annoyed tone, “Brother you know that my wife can be impulsive. It is in her nature as a woman. Rather than recriminating her, think of how we can avoid this calamity.”
Uncle Fu replied in a deep rumbling voice, “Avoid? The calamity has already taken place. The young miss of the Bao family has already given her an ultimatum. We must leave the city immediately.”
Fu Liwei’s father scrunched up his face and spat, “But where else on the southern coast can we establish ourselves? Every other city is tightly controlled by some sect.”
Uncle Fu sneered, “Your wife should have thought of that before she slapped the Bao family’s servant in front of thousands of shoppers!”
Fu Liwei knew of the Bao family. They were a powerful martial family of the lower quarter. They worked as mercenaries for the larger families of the upper quarters but their outsized strength made them close to hegemons in the lower Liang’tokrat society.
They had often bought weapons from Uncle Fu in bulk for their newly initiated Golden Core warriors. Fu Liwei started to sweat as he thought of offending that family.
Uncle Fu continued in fury, “If we leave what will happen to Jinjing how will she find us once we go.”
Fu Liwei’s father huffed, “That ungrateful brat has probably run off with some loose cultivator. You are wasting your worry on her.”
Before Uncle Fu could explode in anger Fu Liwei made his presence known, “I have found sister Uncle. She is living a good life in a remote western kingdom.”
Uncle Fu looked sceptical but he did not doubt his nephew, rather he asked, “What Western kingdom? The only land in that direction is a barren wasteland of Qi-starved soil.”
Fu Liwei quickly narrated his visit to the Blue Crane Kingdom. He glossed over the unpleasant bits as he was ashamed that some local bumpkins had restrained him so thoroughly.
A calculative light had entered his father’s eyes and he said, “You say that the qi is rich there and Fu Jinjing has wealthy friends?”
Fu Liwei scoffed and replied, “I would not call those locals wealthy. The Kingdom is largely still a land of ignorance. They use metal currency instead of spirit stones and they drooled over pittances. Apparently, the qi has only just started to return to that place.”
Fu Liwei’s father turned to his brother and said, “Our family can move our foundations to that kingdom and if it is as Fu Liwei says we can get in on the ground floor. I am sure genuine sects and cultivators will start to arrive there soon. We can even use the base Jinjing has established as fuel for the beginning of our new shop.”
Uncle Fu waved away the thought, “I do not need to steal from my niece. However, if it is as you say, perhaps I could make a fresh start there.”
After some more thought, he nodded and proclaimed with a decisive chop, “It is settled we will move the family. I miss little Jinjing and if she has started over there then I will accompany her. You will go ahead with your wife and children. Perhaps if you remain out of sight the Bao family will let me spend the time to pack up my store and sell my remaining goods.”
Fu Liwei’s father nodded and was about to go make preparations when Uncle Fu’s voice stopped him, “Also you will have to restrain your wife when you arrive. We cannot afford to offend the whole world for her vanity. I will also ask little Jinjing how she ended up there. There is something fishy in all of this and I don’t believe she refused to come back without good cause.”
Fu Liwei’s father paused but only nodded and left the room.
