Torsten Hewson
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Joyous Song of Yellow Rocks 2
🕑 Added 2024-03-23 01:34:07 +0000 UTCAnd so, I had an earth Spirit attached to my soul. A little weird, not going to lie, and very concerning…. But those concerns were soon laid to rest.
“What? Do I have some kind of world saving quest for you to do? Where’d you get that idea?” Huanle asked, looking amused as she floated on her back. She flipped over in the air to look at me. “Oh! Like one of your stories from the Before place?”
I frowned as I looked over my corn. Big D was on my shoulder, his little cowboy vest complete with a shiny sheriff’s star—that I had melted some tin to make— lending him the air of a true hard-bitten warrior. His eyes scanned the crops, and each bug he found was obliterated instantly, disappearing down his gullet.
The fastest beak in the west, my little man.
“... I mean, kinda?” I replied to her after a moment. “That's what normally happens in shit like this. World-Ending threats, old vengeances, that kinda thing. Like did your previous contractor die horribly to some betrayal and you want me to avenge her or something?”
“What? Nah, Luzhi died of old age, sitting in her favourite chair.” Huanle replied. “It was that way, two thousand and forty eight Li, at sunset. Both her and her hubby went within a day of each other, then her kiddos buried them both. I fell asleep not long after that. But nope! No spirits you have to lay to rest there!” Huanle floated in front of me, a teasing grin on her lips. But she saw my expression, and she paused. Her eyes softened, and the teasing grin disappeared.
She gently took my face in her hands. I could feel her, even though she was technically a ghost.
“There's nothing I want or need from you, Jin, except for you to keep doing what you’re doing. What did you say? We give to the land, and the land gives back? Thats all I need.” I looked into her serious green eyes. She had only spoken the absolute truth—I could feel it. I nodded hesitantly. “And if anybody tries to give you a tragic backstory we’ll beat the hell out of them, okay?”
I snorted out a laugh, and Huanle started laughing too. I shoved her ghostly form away from me, and she whirled around like a leaf on the wind, giggling all the way.
“Okay, okay.” I sighed, chuckling.
“And if you really want a quest, it's to share the glory of tequila with the world!” I rolled my eyes at the passion in her voice, as she raised her fist to the heavens.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah, I’ll get right on the still, Huanle.” I said. But…. it kinda wasn’t that bad of an idea.
I took a breath, and let it out, feeling the tension leave my shoulders.
I got back to work, expanding my farm, and fortifying the soil. My only company was my sheriff and Huanle—until Big D let out a tremendous crow, his eyes locked on a figure in the distance.
I narrowed my eyes at the creature.
Wile the coyote stared back, his eyes gleaming with intelligence. Bastard had nearly gotten one of my hens, and he was smart as hell.
I kind of didn’t want to kill him, if I was honest. He was just a coyote doing coyote things.
“Hey, Huanle. Is there any way I can scare him off without killing him? Get him to move on?” I asked.
The ghostly woman beside me perked up, and then squinted at the silhouette in the distance.
“Well, you could ask her. She's a Spirit Beast. Like Bi De here.” Huanle said, almost flippantly.
I blinked that would be an easy solution—”Wait, Big D is a Spirit Beast?”
Huanle let out a bark of laughter. “What kind of normal chicken wears a vest and is so obedient?” she demanded.
“I mean, there was one in the before who helped me feed the hens and could do tricks.” I replied defensively.
“Really?” Huanle asked excitedly.
==========================================
His Name was Bi De.
And he was his Lord and Master’s sheriff. A vigilant guardian and law man. It was a powerful, sublime title that had been bestowed upon him by his Master, and he was determined to live up to it.
He hopped up onto his usual place, upon one of the great pillars of Ran Chu, and stared out into the distance. The sun beat down harshly, and he could feel the air wicking away the moisture from the inside of his beak.
It wall hell beyond this barrier— The dust and the spiny cactuses were no place to live like a civilized man, and it was full of bandits and thieves that coveted Ran Chu’s treasure. From the Brass Beaks, to the Cactus Bats, to those that could have been his kin, save for the fact that they were ten times his size. All of them wanted what lay beyond the pillars, and what Bi De was protecting. He knew their greed well, but most were smart enough to feel his MAster’s presence in the air. The gentle hand that sent them on their way.
The foolish, however, would try their luck regardless, lusting for what lay within.
Bi De turned from the dustbowl, and peered back into paradise. Instead of crags of orange and yellow, the entire place was stunning green.
Water flowed without cease; the scents of flowers were carried on the wind. Fat heads of corn, rice, and wheat swayed in the breeze.
Bi De took a breath, and sighed with contentment. There was even a lovely twanging background melody. The two trouble makers had finally stopped fighting all the time. Bi De smiled at the melody, until there was a a stutter, and the notes overlapped.
‘You son of an egg-bound slattern! You dared to mistime that note?!’ Er Ne Sitou roared, his tail dropping from his mouth as he glared at his counterpart.
‘Mistimed?! You scale-rot ridden dandy, your incessant need to add so many notes is what put you behind!’ Heke Tou roared back.
‘My flourishes please our patron, our master! My songs grace his ears! That I am forced to put up with your dull, uninspired dreck is an insult!’ Er Ne Sitou snarled, the lizard with a big, well defined jaw puffing himself up indignantly.
‘Flourishes? Is that what you call those? The Great Lord much prefers my perfect melody to your crazed, tuneless strumming!’ the lanky, skinny Heke Tou shot back.
‘Tuneless—you dare? You’re courting death! I your father, will teach you a lesson!” Er Ne Sitou stood up on his hind legs and advanced, his eyes blazing with fury.
‘If you’re my father, then I’m your grandfather! May your innards be eaten by a beetle!’ Heke Tou returned, also rising to his full height.
‘Heke Tou!’
‘Er Ne Sitou!’
Both of them slammed belly to belly and began flailing at one another, hissing and spitting and cursing.
Bi De sighed, and shook his head.
“A shame. They actually sounded good before that. But this sort of show is just as amusing.” A husky, sultry voice mused from beside Bi De, and he turned to lay eyes upon Ran Chu’s newest member.
Wei Li had approached alongside the fence in his blindspot, but he had managed to hear her breath—and thus he did not react to her blatant provocation.
Bi De still did not trust the bandit. But his Lord had taken her in, so there had to be some reason.
“Indeed.’ Bi De replied. ‘It appears I must offer instruction again.’
Wei Li chucked throatily. ‘If they don't learn, we can always eat them.’
Bi De’s eyes narrowed. Then his wing lashed out, and he took great pleasure in watching the bandit yelp and recoil.
‘There shall be none of that, thief. All who live here follow the rules of our lord. The Pipa Dragons are to live; this he has decreed.’
The coyote glared, sizing Bi De up—but Bi De’s cultivation was still superior.
The beast huffed, and backed down.
‘Now, you shall join us. Music pleases our Lord, and you also can sing.’
The coyote blinked in surprise. ‘I sing for the moon, not on comma—” a chastising wing beat struck her ear. “Ach! Bastard! That is no way to treat a lady—ow! Hey! Fine, I'm coming you little shit!”
Bi De separated the lizards, and arranged his own flock, the coyote, and—
‘Oh! Hello! This looks fun whatareyoualldoing?!” A voice demanded, eager and curious.
Bi De blinked at the small creature that had just hopped up to them. It was a strange thing, with dusky fur, a long nose that moved like a trunk, and entirely too long back legs. The little creature moved with bounding leaps as it circled around them all.
“....singing?” Bi De ventured.
“Oh! Canijoin? I’ve got a good singing voice!” The little rodent cheered, and then let loose a single high pitched bark.
Their master, curious, came to investigate.
And that was how Guanxia Leizi joined Ran Chu.
===================================
Rooster: Big D
Dog:Wile coyote (female)
Dragon: Pipa Dragons (lizards) Ernesto and Hector
Rat: Kangaroo rat Gonzales
Comments
The GrandMage
I mean, I doubt it. Canon has Bi De note his hens are given names and fed on high Qi food as part of being on Fa Ram, but none of them gain the spark.
sindri
I get the impression that part of the ascension process is being Named. The diffrence between an animal with large Qi reserves, and a nascent Spirit Beast is if they have sufficient definition to evolve beyond that stage. Beloved pet, family member, God of the wild, or unstoppable scourge of civilization, any proto spirit beast that is Named gains definition and sentience, because names are definition, a critical element of sentience.
Gg
I Know I may have already commented but if you are putting music make wei li sing this version of gerudo valley at some point in the future https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rTTWsiWoFCk&pp=ygUUZ2VydWRvIHZhbGxleSBseXJpY3M%3D
Jack Trowell
Sontheblocal carp he mentioned won't be the dragon this time
swishmcfish
No. In Soaring Heaven's Isle, the Dum Dums Rail Canon lands on top of the Blade Wolf. The Dark Timeline Meiling Universe is completely different.
Randall Brynsvold
Any universe where Jin doesn't go to the Azure Hills could become a Dark Timeline Meiling universe. I think that the Dark Timeline story we got previously (9/2/23) was intended to be part of the Soaring Heaven's Isle AU, since the author's note said "This particular snip takes place after her own "Shrouded Mountain Arc", where everything has gone to shit, and is meant as kind of a jumping off point for Dark Timeline Meiling meeting Jin and the rest of the Crew."
Auralia
True, im just impatient
Randall Brynsvold
I think the AU stuff is just done relatively quickly, for fun, and doesn't significantly affect the schedule and quantity of main story chapters. If you have been assuming that CF is giving us free-form AU chapters instead of an equivalent number of tightly plotted main story chapters, well, I don't think that's how creative writing works. The mental energy involved is not the same.
Randall Brynsvold
It's not clear how long Huanle's previous contractor's life was, whether they were originally a cultivator like Jin, and whether the rest of the family had a normal or a long life. The Path of Shennong is for mortals, but I get the impression that what that means is up to the earth spirit and the details of their agreement with their contractor (including power-sharing). Tianlan's interpretation appears to be "as long as we can make it", where "mortal" doesn't mean short-lived, just not on the cultivator's path to ascension. Shen Yu originally thought that Jin might be doomed to a normal mortal life span, but found that Tianlan wanted to keep and protect Jin, with the prior example of her relationship with Xiaoshi, implying something more like a cultivator's available power and lifespan. (Shen Yu still yearns for a "son" to join him when he ascends.)
Arin Storm
One of the defining features of the path of Shennong is that it ends. All cultivators who follow it have much longer lifespans than mortals, but will definitively die some day as a way complete the cycle.
tien
I think that CF needs to do different writings to maintain his interest in continuing with V5, so think of the Alternate Universe chapters as (unexpected) bonuses...
Story Time Compass
I know this is technically not cannon, but the way the Earth Spirit spoke of her previous connected one and her children makes me think she and her "hubby" had a mortal life span... is it like this for the main story or am I missing something here?
Old Dog
Awesome as always. Appreciate you authoring this ancillary addition.
Auralia
Not a fan of the Alternate Universe chapters, I’d prefer to have V5
Len
Heh imagine pepe` le peu...
Randall Brynsvold
I expected the Sheriff would get a coyote-fur vest, but Jin got there first with an invitation.
Marta Barańska
😂love it! Sheriff Big D rules!
jord
Love these AU chapters, boat time is fun and now we have Magic Chinese Mexico too!
FreakShow
This is dope, but is it also the universe where ling ling turns into the Poison Constellation?
Lonnie
That's why the words were bled together! 🙂
Lonnie
Cute
CrimsonEclipse
Well we already know one's gonna be an Ape and the other a Fox, I wonder what the others will be? Meimei is definitely gonna be a snake with all the poisons at her disposal lol.
CrimsonEclipse
So we got the Martial Artist, the Navigator, and the Sheriff.
Barry Morgan
Beware Of Chicken: Into the Roosterverse
Randall Brynsvold
The BAWK!verse Dimensional Narratives: A Chicken in Every Plot.
Munirah Hutchinson
One of the big birds maybe?
Abhimanyu Susobhanan
Impatiently waiting for Bugs Bunny lol
Abhimanyu Susobhanan
Is YRP!Jin going to assemble the Loony Toons?
Sean Ulrich
Got an Art Idea. If the animals get Human art, can we get the Humans of the Farm as Spirit Animals? A bit of role reversal
Civer
I would love this as well
TwoRavens
Doubtful. The Rooster is the one in the zodiac, not the hen. But maybe one where both do, instead of two pigs? Only Casual knows.
Truedragon5374
OK, at some point one of the Jins needs to find a pond called The Mirror of 1,000 Worlds, which will let him chat with his alternate selves. Cuz this is all kinds of awesome. Ooh! No wait, better idea. We already have Into the Spiderverse, now we need Into the BoCverse!
BargleNawdleZouss
Given what's in the theaters right now, and that it's a kangaroo rat, I'm surprised you didn't name it Muad 'Dib. 😁 But Gonzalez IS more consistent with YRP Jin's theme.
Julia Pennoyer
Ran Chu! Fa Ram and Ran Chu 😁🤣
Laura Hemly
Bi De as the sheriff? I about fell off my chair at the mental image!! So in the main universe, is Bi De getting a cowboy hat to wear alongside Chun Ke?
WarStrider72
Now where’s the Road Runner if we have Wil E.?
Lanter
(This part of the) World Quest: MAKE TEQUILA! Hahahaha, relax Rou Jin Rou, you're in a farming slice of life genre! Ain't no demonic scourge or cultivator ploitics here (yet(?)) This is fun
The GrandMage
Huh, but is there any reality where it's one of the Hens that awakens, instead of the Rooster?
Kasinki
Ah yes, i love these AUs. So fun. Thank you CF!
Gg
2nd! Now we just need an accordion, trumpet and we can go full mariachi
Anon
Gonzales going to be... Speedy?
Devon
So happy to get another chapter. Jin is just stuck with Main Character energy, no matter where he goes it is wonderful
WarStrider72
1st!
