RuffWriter
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Chapter 464
🕑 Added 2019-05-21 23:46:14 +0000 UTChttps://docs.google.com/document/d/18zdIy3pDrC-LckhigaRcdKGG5-9YLksBSacSLqaamkY/edit?usp=sharing
Fingers curled around her porcelain teacup, Sarnai savoured the fragrant aroma and settled in to watch her adorable grandchildren Demonstrate the Forms. How quickly the years passed by, for the twelfth month was now upon them and in a few short weeks, her darling babies would be ten years old and halfway to becoming full adults. As much as she wanted to sit back and enjoy their charming demonstration in the courtyard, they were at the perfect age to set the foundation for the warriors they would inevitably become, so Sarnai hid her smile and watched them both with a critical eye.
Hard at work, sweet Tate wore a focused grimace which made him look oh so adorable as he moved through the Forms with crisp, flowing motions, a textbook performance with minimal flaws, but also without advantage. An impressionable boy, creativity was not his strong suit, too fixated on doing things right to allow for improvisation or extrapolation. This mindset could stifle his future growth, because the Forms were merely guidelines, and to reach the peak of Martial Strength, one must forge their own path using tools developed using said guidelines. To this end, Sarnai made a note to bring Tate to watch the spars of more innovative martial warriors in the citadel and give him a wider perspective on how others might interpret the Forms to their advantage.
Beaming prettily with her braids trailing behind her, lovely little Tali was the exact opposite of her twin brother, dancing through the Forms in a relaxed and carefree manner. Despite her poor focus and lack of interest in the Martial Path, Sarnai rated Talis performance a notch above Tates, for she Demonstrated the Forms with a natural grace and finesse absent from her brothers movements. Insight came easily to her, but her utter lack of concentration meant she retained little of what she learned. To make matters worse, nervous trepidation would cause sweet Talis mindset to shift drastically when placed in a sparring match, rendering her all but helpless before her opponents. Strict discipline alongside confidence building exercises would be needed to help her grow, but while the latter was easily done, Sarnai would sooner die than speak a harsh word to either of her sweet, angelic grandchildren.
As their grandmother, her job was not to discipline, but to spoil the twins. She would have words with Alsantset and Charok about disciplining Tali and Tates after they returned from the front lines, but in the meantime, perhaps Rain could be her mouthpiece while teaching the twins.
As if terrified by her thoughts, Rain jolted awake from his fitful slumber with a pained gasp, haunted by whatever nightmare had plagued him the night before. Though swaddled in silken covers and behind closed doors, his discomfort was clear as day to Sarnais heightened senses and it broke her heart to hear her poor son suffer so. A mere eight weeks had passed since Rains shattered Core left him in a world of agony and misery, yet already he had grown accustomed to his plight and only rarely let the pain show, though he did take a spoonful of medicine each morning to blunt the worst of it.
In contrast, seven years had passed since his ordeal in the mines, and still he had yet to overcome the trials he faced there, the scars of his ordeals laying deep within his tortured mind. Though she yearned to present him Zhu Chanzuis head on a platter, killing the bristleboar Ancestral Beast would do nothing to help Rains recovery in any meaningful way, or at least, thats what her dog-brained husband and slow-witted Mentor claimed. While Sarnai mostly agreed, she also thought it couldnt hurt to try, especially since Zhu Chanzui was confirmed to be working with the Enemy, but both husband and Mentor refused to bring the matter up for discussion because the Treaty must be upheld.
Pei. What Treaty? It had long since been broken when Zhu Chanzui killed Rains Dharma Protector, a man she owed a great deal to, but both sides were all too happy to turn a blind eye out of fear of escalation. Utter nonsense from old Imperial fogeys too afraid to risk their lives in combat. The Empire had abandoned the West over a year ago, which meant any people still left alive were liable to belong to the Enemy, so what harm was there in using the West as a battleground for Divinities?
A sharp hiss caught her attention and Sarnai deduced Rain had pulled a muscle while stretching in bed. Though she yearned to race over and help, doing so would only embarrass him and injure his pride. It didnt matter that his shattered Core left him exposed and vulnerable to the harsh elements of the world, or how every movement pained his aching, injured body, he still insisted on doing everything by himself, no matter how long it might take. Such was the way of her foolish, arrogant son, a man who valued his privacy and independence more than most and behaved as if asking for help would somehow make him less of a man. Though she often admired his stubborn persistence and unwavering determination, those same qualities almost brought about Rains downfall and near Defilement, for instead of going to someone for help, he sought to solve all his problems on his own, and being the blind fools that they were, his loved ones failed to see how he suffered, herself included.
Well, no more. Sarnai would see to that. No matter how much he scowled or pouted, she would make certain her son knew he had people ready to help him, no matter the cost.
Though liable to die of embarrassment if he ever found out, she kept a close ear on his actions as he got dressed, ready to send her servants in to rescue him if he hurt himself too badly. Sliding out of bed with a tortured groan, he muttered a steady stream of curses beneath his breath which would make a seasoned sailor blush while changing out of his night-clothes and into the lovely blue and white outfit shed laid out for him. A necessary imposition, because despite his many talents, her son lacked an eye for fashion and good taste, throwing on whatever clothes were readily available if left to his own devices, sometimes even the same clothes hed worn the day before. Not so terrible a crime for a Martial Warrior, but without Chi to cleanse his physical form, a whole host of new issues were cropping up, including a somewhat unpleasant body odour.
Originally, Rain dealt with his shortcomings by having a wardrobe filled with identical black outfits, but the dreary colours made him look more pallid and sickly than he already was, and these days, wearing anything less than fine silk would chafe his skin until red and raw, yet another downside of his new condition. All of this should have been handled by his wives, but Mila and Yan had run off to the battlefield while little Lin had more than enough on her plate to deal with. A shame that Zheng Luo girl was such a disappointment since shed seemed so promising at first glance, but lately shed thrown herself into her work and martial training instead of taking proper care of her Lord Husband. Sarnai had brought the matter up with Rain, but he was happy to leave things as they were, none too enamoured by the towering, busty, beauty with the wonderfully wide birthing hips. What a waste...
Sarnais tea had long since grown cold by the time Rain shuffled out of his room wearing a thick overcoat to ward off the cold and smelling of sweet herbs and sour sweat. The dark circles under his eyes no less prominent after a full nights rest, but his smile was bright and cheery as he made his way over with help from his walker, a four-legged cane he designed himself, which included a plank to sit on and a basket to hold his things like water gourds and Blackjack. The simple device proved his mind was as sharp as ever despite his slowed speech and poor reflexes, a small blessing which she gave thanks for every day. Lips chapped to the point of cracking, Rain gave her a light kiss on the cheek and said, Morning Mom.
Good morning, sweet child. Carefully smoothing out his oily hair, she handed him a small jar of unguent for his lips, prepared and delivered by Lin just last night. Spread this on your lips before they split. Something needed to be done about Rains skin too, for it seemed like he woke up with a new pimple every day and could never resist popping it. Incredible how far the Mothers protections went, and though the differences were faint and barely noticeable, having lost those protections only accentuated how far hed fallen in so short a time.
To think, hed been crowned the Number One Talent in the Empire only a mere nine months ago...
After doing as he was told, Rain frowned at her lack of outerwear and turned to a nearby servant. Could you go get a cloak for my mother, please?
Rolling her eyes, Sarnai accepted his kind intentions despite not needing more layers, as her warm, woollen robes were more than enough to guard against Centrals mild winters. Though cold enough to see her breath, only a small layer of frost sat atop the green grass of her courtyard, one which would melt away at the touch of the mid-afternoon sun. While she considered this weather comfortably brisk, Rain was already shivering from head to toe despite his many layers, yet another subtle sign of his infirmity. Time was, he would be fine with a light cotton shirt in weather such as this, even stripping bare to let his sweat turn to steam as he went through the Movements, but no more. Now, he was so weak he could barely lift a chair off the ground much less Demonstrate the Forms, his body still yet to adapt to his new, Chi-less existence. A stiff breeze could knock him over and break his brittle bones, and Taduk warned Rains heart could give out if overexerted, weaker and more fragile than even the basest of commoners.
Physically, there was nothing wrong with Rains body aside from a lack of fat and muscle mass, all of which had been used up over weeks of Healing, but Spiritually, he was crippled and with little hope of recovery according every Healer except Taduk. Not much was known about his ailment, for Martial Warriors rarely survived the destruction of their Spiritual Weapons and those who did were soonafter ignored and forgotten, but in short, Rains broken Core was no longer capable of holding Chi and his Spiritual self laid in tatters. Had this only left him a mere commoner, the situation would not be so dire, but a broken Spiritual self was far more disastrous than anyone expected. Rain and Taduk theorized that everyone, even children and peasants who never formed a Core, possessed a Spiritual self, a circulatory system for Chi or Heavenly Energy as it were. Thus, every person beneath the sun drew some measure of strength from the Heavens, protecting them ever so slightly from the harsh conditions of the world around them. Rain claimed it was an innate, instinctual usage of Heavenly Energy to survive where normal humans like himself would otherwise perish, granting them small advantages like resistance from the elements, increased stamina and toughness, or other such boons which went unrecognized because everyone possessed them.
He kept trying to explain it using teeth, but everyones teeth naturally grew back...
Though not entirely convinced this was the case at first, seeing the pain her son went through merely to greet his pets was ample enough persuasion. Though Auries thick fur felt soft and luxurious to her touch, Rain had screamed in agony the first time he stroked the sweet wildcats head the wrong way and the long hairs pierced through his tender skin. The same happened with the birds, bears, and quins, a distressing plight which drove her animal-loving son into the depths of despair until he found out his long-eared pets were still safe to cuddle, though he had to be careful of their nubby horns and digging claws. This was only the most obvious example of Rains newfangled fragility, though it didnt stop him from letting the animals onto his bed. Sarnai only put an end to it after noticing how much coin he wasted on new silken sheets, having to replace all the torn or bloodied ones, but no amount of pain would keep him from cuddling his pets.
Hello Aurie, he cooed, smoothing out the wildcats whiskers for a kiss. Did you have a good nights sleep with Mom? Mean old Dad didnt kick you out of bed again, did he? Naughty old man to treat his grandchildren so...
Tch. Speak no more of this. Cheeks heating at Rains teasing tone, Sarnai squashed the urge to rap him gently on the head, knowing it would hurt him far more than she intended. Even as she watched him smile and hug Mama Bun, Jimjam, and Banjo, she was reminded of all the pain and suffering hed gone through after the battle in Sinuji. The week-long ride to the citadel had been torturous for him, his skin peeling and blistering from exposure to the sun, and he once claimed the cold air felt like shards of broken glass rubbing across his face. Gaunt and skeletal from repeated Healing, he exacerbated his condition by eating less than a half-bowl of rice at every meal, presumably due to poor appetite, but Sarnai suspected it was because chewing pained him too much. He ate more after she switched him onto a diet of soup and congee, but his recovery would be slow and arduous at best, especially with him taking new injuries with each passing day.
For the first few weeks, shed held out hope he would recreate whatever miracle which let him wield Water Chi with ease and quickly return to the battlefield in glorious triumph, but the Mother was not so kind. Impressive as it had been, Rain remembered nothing of his powerful display on the fields of Sinuji, and the memory filled Sarnai with mixed trepidation, for she had nearly gone mad with rage when she looked through the smoke and steam and discovered her son was little more than a burnt husk of a man, with patches of tender, freshly Healed flesh poking through his charred frame. In this near death state, he demonstrated a level of mastery few living could match, and while she didnt know it at the time, Sarnai and everyone else in Sinuji were witness to a spent flame flaring up one last time before fading into nothingness, for it wasnt Elemental Chi Rain wielded, but rather the Energy of the Heavens itself. Injured and unconscious, Rain had instinctively used the Heavenly Energy hed collected from cleansed Spectres to keep himself alive and fight off his quasi-demonic foe, a fact which brought him to tears as he apologized for wasting the precious resource and being unable to Heal Sarnai of her affliction.
Her poor, sweet, selfless son, crippled and broken but still thinking of how he failed to help his mother. It made Sarnais guilt that much worse as she held his hand and cried, for she blamed herself for his plight. Oh how she wished she had given him more support and dispatched a half-dozen Peak Experts to guard him in secret instead of leaving his fate to Jochi and Argat, while Dagen and a few others lurked in the shadows. She had half a mind to lambaste all of those idiots for letting Rain get into so much trouble, but truth be told, this was her fault. She knew how headstrong and impulsive he could be, but it wasnt just about letting him go off to fight without adequate protection or supervision, but even letting him out to fight at all. Had she known of his internalized suffering, she would have never let him out of her sight until long after he was married and settled down. In the weeks since Sinuji, he told them everything about what hed been through in the past few years and how it affected him, about how hed developed a second personality to foist all his failings upon and then nearly succumbed to the stress of battle and responsibility.
Leave him be, her dog-brained husband had said so many times before. He is strong and will endure. True, but strong though Rain might be, he was still just a child and even now barely a man grown. Sarnai should have ignored her stupid husband and forced Rains secrets out of him, for though he claimed he was whole once more, who could say for certain? Even if true, this meant her son had suffered and overcome his trials and tribulations without his family even noticing, an unforgivable failure on her part. She was his mother, not by birth, but by choice, and as such, she was responsible for his happiness and well-being. Instead, itd taken a veritable stranger to see how her sweet son suffered so, and she couldnt even thank their benefactor because hed already passed away, protecting Rain as she should have.
Sarnai had failed Rain as his mother, an unforgivable offence.
Its okay mom, Rain said, reaching out to take her hand, and only then did Sarnai notice she was crying. Its not your fault.
Isnt it though? she asked, her voice breaking as she pulled him close for a hug, afraid to hold him too tightly for fear of hurting him. I should have kept you safe. I could have kept this from happening.
Youre saying you should have foreseen my hated nemesis would challenge me to a duel and let me stab him before turning into a quasi-Demon? While they all knew there was more to it, theyd agreed not to speak of it except through Sending, and Rain could no longer Send. Sighing in contentment, Rain shook his head and said, Theres nothing you couldve done to stop this, and if I could go back in time and do it over again, the only thing I would do differently is go for the head. Chuckling beneath his breath, he nodded at Baloo who sat with eyes wide and teary since his greeting had been interrupted. Someones jealous.
Wiping her tears with a laugh, Sarnai gestured for Baloo to clamber onto her lap and cuddled the sweet bear close, his happy grunts and chortles a delight to behold. The other animals sought to join in, and soon mother and son were both laughing at the animals childish antics, all pushing and shoving for their share of affection. Putting on a pair of bristled gloves, Rain set to brushing his pets while waiting for the twins to finish up while humming a cheery little tune. Truth be told, despite his debilitating weakness and frailty, he looked happier now than he had in several years, finally able to relax and recuperate instead of pushing himself to become stronger each and every day. Even back in the village, she couldnt remember seeing him smile so much, his mood bright and spirits high despite his circumstances. While she wouldnt go as far as to call this a blessing in disguise, this was a much needed break for Rain to spend his days laughing and playing with his family and pets, so Sarnai was content to share his joy and be there for him if he should need her.
When the twins finished their performance, it was time to go join Lin for lunch. Refusing the offer of a palanquin, Rain opted to walk instead, and though it was only a short journey , Sarnai feared it would be too much. Not just physically, but emotionally as well, for there were plenty of layabouts loitering about outside their courtyard manor, hoping to catch a glimpse of the crippled Falling Rain. Not three months ago, hed shocked the Empire by developing a Domain and displaying a Peak Expert level of power, but already the nobility were camping outside his doors to mock and deride him, chatting loudly about how he was no longer the Mothers Chosen son or even worthy of admiration after falling so low. The cripple, they called him, or Fallen Rain if they thought they were being clever, but were it not for her husbands rank and reputation, Sarnai would have wasted every one of those pompous buffoons and left these Imperial fools to fend for themselves.
Dont worry about what others say or think, Mom, he said, patting her hand as they readied to step out the double doors together with their matching walkers. Walking will help build our strength, so dont let a bunch of nobodies keep us from getting better. Let them laugh and joke all they want, because with every day, we grow stronger and healthier. Amber eyes burning with ambition, Rain smiled as if he knew something she didnt and added, We will not be weak forever.
Pride welling in her chest, Sarnai squeezed his hand and smiled. Of course not. This is merely a minor setback in the Saga of Falling Rain.
Groaning in mock disgust, Rain pleaded for mercy. Please dont bring that up again. I still cant believe BoShui thought it was a good idea to distribute his flowery write up. I almost threw up reading it.
In truth, Sarnai loved BoShuis rendition of events and had several copies hidden about her room since Rain had taken to burning every copy he got his hands on. Regardless of his amateur writing, BoShui certainly got one thing right. Rain had survived, broken but undefeated, and he would soon rise again.
This she believed with all her heart, because if anyone could do it, it would be her son, Falling Rain.
Comments
This gon be how it be.
Gabe Canada
Can rain use some central nobles for his first cannon tests? Or maybe just go straight to gatling guns or steam driven scorpions. Maybe drop them from a biplane? Because I've never liked the stupid empire. They dobt understand the importance of floofs. Or anything decent really.
Gabe Canada
I hate recovery arcs. Absolutely despise them. This Metroid new game + style for a whole volume please please no. I trust you as a writer but it's going to be against what made me enjoy the story.
Great work Ruff! Keep it up!
SMH. I only had to type 1 thing! thanks lol
Arnon Parenti
Washing their cheeks in preparation for the reckoning that's about to wreck their faces.
Rene Christensen
Why would he dignify their words by taking revenge? Its like a dog farting, just move away from the smell.
He still able to devour the Heavenly Energy and Specters, but without a Core to contain it, both will return to the World..I think he will rebuild his foundation using Spiritual Heart, similar like super strong Animals in Savage Divinity do (previously it mentioned there was never a human able to develop or create their own Spiritual Heart, nobody knows why)
"You should go for the head" LOL Can't wait when he come back and kickass everyone who mocked him using the name Fallen Rain and reply with "I am Falling Rain"
Devon P
Pertinent Abbot about to show up a kick Rain's ass into gear
Will he rebuild his foundation with H.E instead of chi this time? Or was there something special from before that allowed him to absorb it directly from his surroundings... I forget what it was, panda bro complained about purity display keeping him up
Arnon Parenti
Great PoV for this opening, looking forward for Rain's recovery montage.
Malcolm Tent
Yes! Now we get so many more chapters with Song in them. Being bound to him means shes going to be in the story way more.
Emmanuel Martinez
Every waifu is busy! Mila and Yan are off to war.. Luo-luo is doing business... and Lin is off to sleep. I can't wait for Song's pov! The forever bound waifu. The best waif.
terrance smith
i feel it i feel the b%$ch slapping coming soon . i hope those who are taunting getting their faces ready for it
lala jhones
It's so touching! You go Rain!!
EndlessTurtle
Great chapter, it's really nice to see Sarnai's PoV and I think it's a good choice to have a bit of a time skip here. Also "Chpater 464"
Jonathan
Alternatively the mother (and possibly father if he exists) could be chi constructs that came about from the collective belief of humans. Still have a strong suspicion that Rain is doing this to himself b/c he thinks he's earth normal now. This would go along with balance granting stronger belief in the stability of their inner self and thus reduce the spectre's ability to influence a person's ability to shape themselves.
Jonathan
I've been wondering since last chapter if Rain truly is weaker than a commoner or if he just thinks he is. We know the uniter was controlling spectre's in Rain after his core was broken and he let go of his arms "like he could read [his] mind" so maybe the extreme sensitivity is from the spectres and Rain's belief that he is weaker is causing him to be so. This matches up to Boshui and how he became like what he envisioned himself to be. Ever since we started seeing natal palaces and seen the reflection between the inner self and outer physical forms of demons it has made me wonder if his world isn't the mother's domain. This would mirror how Rain drew the monk's attention as soon as he started cultivating in his natal palace and how when Rain finally devoured heavenly energy it didn't feel like the mother anymore. Almost as if what everyone thinks is heavenly energy is actually the mother's chi with heavenly energy simply being impartial. Spectre's would then be entities of human tainted chi that are made real b/c a person believes it is until self sustaining.
Andrew
Thank you!
I teared up a bit 😢
