WilliamDArand
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Cultivating Chaos 5- Ch 20-
🕑 Added 2024-03-31 04:07:18 +0000 UTCThe Qi-Lord was worthless.
Absolutely, perfectly, totally, worthless.
Seconds after Rou had cut them free then they were off and running. Stumbling down the road back toward the camp at the base of the prison.
Trailing behind them stomach acids and what looked a lot like semi-digested chunks of meat that fell off his clothes.
Even now as the group collectively watched him scurry off, there was nothing that could be said to stop him.
There had been no words on their part either, just getting their feet to the ground and then rushing off.
“I expected something different. Something… more… grand from a Qi-Lord,” Tala mused. “They were supposed to be strong and cunning, I thought. Perhaps I’m comparing them to Ren. I like Ren.
“Or… or perhaps my Elegant Self has brain-rot from thinking about Ashley too often. Ashely and cuddling. That’s perhaps more likely the case.”
“No… it’s not brain rot,” Moira countered. “He just… really ran away. I believe he soiled his britches as well.”
“I think we are forgetting that the resources of the Qi-Lord’s no longer matters,” Jia stated. “They came from a world of low Qi and the Qi-Lord’s had the resources or skills available to them to acquire that Qi. To utilize it and make it theirs without anyone else being able to nay-say them, other than other Qi-Lords.
“There is no limitation out here, however. The Qi is plentiful and quite thick. It’s very pure even compared to our own realm.
“There is no resource scarcity and one can cultivate almost as easily as one would breathe. The influence of the Qi-Lord’s is likely… broken.”
“Haha, yeah! Get outta here. No room for you in the Sheng realm!” Xiuying chattered at the man’s back as he ran on. Blood seemed to be liberally splattered across Xiuying’s face in an odd way.
Turning she looked at Ash and gave him a bright smile, then stuck her tongue out and tilted her head to the side.
“That rat tail came down the road and crushed like seven of the big rats in front of me!” she said, her mouth turning into a cute pout. “Then I fell over and ended up in… uhm… Mei’s chest.”
“At which point I ended falling to the side and stabbing a beast that’d got too close to Chunhua,” Mei added, looking confused in that moment. Then she smiled and looked to Xiuying. “Forgive us for trying to make your fortune our own, Sister. It’s hard… hard to not… want… to keep you near us at all times.”
“I mean… I don’t mind? You’re all treating me kindly. You’re not trying to use me in a bad way or expect anything of me. You just want me to be near and… you’re kind to me,” confessed Xiuying with a laugh. “I’ve been around people who really want me for their own ends. Truly so.
“You’re… all of you… you’re nothing like that. Not in any way shape or form.
“You never blame me when something doesn’t go your way that you think should because I’m there, or get mad when things don’t work out and yell at me.
“Hui lost her hand and no one yelled at me for not being lucky enough or that it shouldn’t have happened with me being there. In fact I don’t think-I don’t think anyone even looked at me when it happened.”
Ash blinked at that and raised his eyebrows. He had no idea what Xiuying had dealt with previously but it sounded like an incredibly selfish mindset.
One that sacrificed everything else for their own gains.
Then again… that’s what I’ve seen time and time again from Cultivators.
From this realm.
Nothing else matters, gimmie mine, get out of my way, I’ll sell you for a coin.
“— just happy to see me! Even if I’ve done nothing at all,” Xiuying continued, laughing softly and patting one hand into the other while twisting her body to the side. It once again looked very cute. “So… no, I don’t care that you all want me around. Because you want me around for who I am as well as what my… ability… is.
“It’s no different than how you treat Ash. You don’t hold him to any faults he has despite what you think should be happening with a Fated One.”
“You’re a good person, Sister,” Moira remarked and gently laid a wing around Xiuying’s shoulders.
Ash wanted to prove a point to her suddenly.
“Xiuying, my pretty good luck charm… you’re a wonder. Now… quickly think and act for me, where do we go, point with a hand?” Ash asked, snapped his fingers, and then gestured at her with both hands.
Xiuying’s right hand shot up and pointed straight toward the city where it rose to a hilltop.
And the building that sat atop it.
“Well, there we go. Also, you really shouldn’t worry about what your ability is Xiuying. I wanted to make a point and that’s why I asked you to give us a direction,” Ash said with a laugh. Then gestured at the very same building. “Because I think every single one of us would have pointed at that and said that’s where we should go.
“Sometimes Luck is no better than common sense. I want you around because you’re a good person I can relate to, who also makes me laugh. You brighten my existence.”
“I make you laugh?” she asked, her eyebrows going up, a beautiful smile curling her lips.
“Yes, you’re a bright and shinny ray of happiness for me. Now… let’s get going. We still have no idea what happened here,” Ash murmured and simply threw the rat into the Hall.
Someone would break it down at some point for fun.
Walking up to the building on the hill the group did so without issue.
There were fluctuations in the Qi around them that left him with the realization that there were monsters around them. Lurking in the shadows and the buildings, they watched.
They stalked the group.
But did nothing.
When Ash and company reached the building, it was obvious it’d been the nest of the rats.
The chewed bones of countless animals and humans were strewn about in all directions. Though the bones that littered the top layers of the piles didn’t look human.
Those were all at the bottoms, in darkened corners, or hidden about.
What signs of civilization they did see were all very old.
Old, decrepit, and forgotten.
Whatever had happened here seemed as if it were long ago.
Long, long, long ago.
“I think the diary is extremely old,” Chunhua remarked while trudging over to a wall. She reached out and gently prodded at what looked to be the remains of a bookshelf.
The moment her finger touched the wood it toppled to one side.
It looked like the only thing that’d been remaining was a shell of some sort, the interior of the wood had rotted away somehow from the inside.
“Yes, it would seem that it has been a long time since the bunker became a prison,” agreed Jia. “The buildings on the way in were quite… problematic. I do not think they would remain standing with much more than a single heavy blow. Though that seems more to do with the sturdiness of the building.”
Xiuying tripped over herself and slammed face first into the ground.
Whining, the pretty cultivator began rubbing at her nose.
Rou and Hui gently lifted her up and began to brush her off. The former quickly giving her a check, the latter smoothing out her clothes and getting the dust off.
All while Xiuying sniffled and rubbed at her nose and forehead looking frustrated and grateful.
They baby her.
Ha… it’s cute.
Even as Ash started the thought, Locke was already behind Xiuying. Gently rubbing her on the back and murmuring consolingly to her.
And you baby her, too.
“Of course I do. Luck is luck. She’ll always end up coming up the right way when it really counts, but she trips, falls, breaks her nails, stubs her toe, and generally has a lot of bad things happen.
“You should baby her, too, you know.”
Blinking, Ash realized Locke was right.
Turning, he immediately walked over to Xiuying who’s eyes flicked to him as he neared. They widened as he came closer.
Locke, Rou, and Hui all let their hands fall. They all looked curious.
“Are you alright, my poor Xiu?” he asked as all four women looked to him. He’d deliberately taken a tone of concern. “You’re allowed to complain. To be hurt. You’re allowed to cry and whine. It isn’t weak. It’s honest.”
I’ve told everyone else the same and so far only Tala has really heard me.
Is that a cultivator thing again?
“Yes. It very much is. Uhm… you know… I bumped my elbow the other day. I could use some attention? I could really use you making sure I’m okay. A full physical, maybe?
“Check me head to camel-toe?”
Xiuying bit her lip, looked as if she was battling something in her head, then shook it. A full pout came on her and she stuck her lower lip out.
“I bit my tongue when I fell and I think I bruised my forehead,” she whined, shuffling forward toward him. It reminded him of a girlfriend he’d had a long time ago. “And-and on the way here, I smooshed my pinky toe on a brick. Then-then I stepped on a board with a nail in it and it went through my foot and it all hurt.
“I’m not a strong Cultivator. Everything here hurts me almost too easily. It’s all made out of material that’s stronger than me.”
She is rather weak.
Is this the Fortune’s Chosen again?
“Yes. She gets a lot of benefits by being your Fortune’s Chosen as a Fated One. She wasn’t wrong to try and pair herself with you.
“If I were in her position, I’d have forced it probably and rushed it, too. She’s handled it very well and just been herself around you.”
Ash nodded his head at Xiuying’s words, put his arms around her shoulders, and drew her into himself. Patting her on the back of the head he just held her against himself.
Then he looked to a surprised looking Hui, Chunhua, and Na.
Mei had a smile on her face as did Jia. The two of them looked insanely smug at the moment.
“They keep telling everyone that you’re like this. You’re just proving them right. There was a time not long ago that Na was suffering mentally with the mental gymnastics she was going through, seeing you as her lover and master, but not as a cultivator would
“Mei talked her through it and Jia as well. Even I pitched in. But they kept telling her to come to you about it.
“Honestly it would’ve solved it faster if she had but she’s fine now. Honestly… I think the only one with any room to grow mentally anymore is Hui but… I don’t think it’s far off.
“They’re all very much aware of your views of Cultivators and are making changes. Isn’t it wonderful?
“As if someone was pushing their mentalities around in the background? Telling them tips and hints? That every time they tested them out, they got positive results?
“Only to end up feeding right back into the same loop?
“Hm? Hm hm hm? Hmmmmmm?”
I’ll reward you desperately my Locke Sheng. You need only direct me later.
“Well, this seems somewhat a waste,” Na complained and sighed, peering at a mess that looked as if it had once been some type of creature. “We will collectively be richer after we knock the dust from this place off our clothes.
“While we are the conquering kings, these defeated bandits had nothing to offer us at all other than their lives.”
Still holding Xiuying, whom was curled up into herself while pressed in close and tight to him, Ash looked to Moira.
“Dearest and beloved Moira, would you go up into the air and search the surrounding areas for me?” he asked with a smile for her.
To which she smiled in return. Her wings quickly slid out from behind her partway and hovered there.
“Yes. I would be glad to do so,” Moira agreed, then gestured to her side.
Her Sparrow-Golem appeared, clearly being pulled from a storage device of some sort.
It landed on Moira’s shoulder and looked quite content.
“I wish I could bring Lee out more often,” Siu lamented. “But I just can’t risk him. My poor Lee. Though it’s nice that he lives in the Hall with all the others. Thanks again, Locke.”
“Of course! I’m just glad I can summon and send everything just like I used to. I had no idea how much that prison really restricted us all,” Locke remarked.
Oh… that… makes too much sense.
I should have put Hub there.
“I already did sweet heart. I did promise to take care of all the little things, didn’t I? You made me your house-wife and all. How could I not?
“Mei is such a sweetie. She and I are doing wonderful things to really bring your Harem in line. We’ve already gone through and made a list of all the Brides we need to slowly get you closer to.
“I didn’t want anyone getting closer but Mei and Jia convinced me otherwise. We need more strength and… well… the closer they are to you, the more their power grows.
“Liu is an amazing example. She is stronger than Gen now despite being crippled. She is a de-facto realm lord because of her closeness to you.”
Moira left the room to go scout for them.
“Ah… Ashley? I want to talk to you about some hurts I’ve felt as of late. Ones that made me feel quite foolish and weak, but I should discuss it with you,” Na offered quickly in the silence. “If you don’t mind? Please?”
“I too would like to talk. My Elegant Self is… I’m still upset about you being taken away by the rat,” Tala added.
“I as well,” Jia concurred.
“Yes, please,” agreed Chunhua.
“Alright. Uh… therapy sessions for everyone. Let’s go to the Manse. We can check in with the Brides and chat there,” Ash said.
“Please take care of my Sisters,” Xiuying stated quickly and moved away from him, patting his shoulder. “They have needs of you as well.”
***
Setup on the outskirt of the city, Ash and company were enjoying a light breakfast. Moira had come back after having gone in one direction for a number of hours and hadn’t found anything.
She’d returned just in time for the evening.
At which point they’d all returned to the Manse and spoke with a number of Brides and made plans.
Ren had also joined them once she heard that everyone was there.
The forced relocation of everyone who didn’t belong in the Sheng Alliance was going well. More Qi-Lords had been forced out, and now there was no one left who could resist Ren.
She, the Brides, and Knights, were systematically clearing through every area and making sure of it. They could feel if someone was opposing the momentum of Ash’s Dao for some reason, and had quickly ejected anyone who stood out to them.
Locke chalked it up to him forcing his Dao back to everyone else through the pledges. Give that all the pledge statues were now in the middle Dantian, that seemed appropriate.
It also felt like that the power he was exerting over them all felt uncomfortably high.
To which Locke laughed, abducted him, drained him of his worries, and Siu drained him of his libido. The two of them working in concert to leave him as little more than an empty husk in his bed in the Hall.
“— think I should fly to the north this time,” Moira murmured as her Sparrow golem flew around the others. They were all out and about right now as they ate.
A single meal a day was all they needed anymore at most.
Even that was a bit much at times but Ash felt like it kept him grounded to being a human. The worst cultivators seemed to distance themselves from their own humanity.
Lee had sauntered over to Ash and was sprawled out on his lap.
To which Siu had joined them and was trying to coax Lee off Ash.
“I think that’s a good direction,” Na murmured. “It’s regretful that none of us can fly as you do, Sister. I apologize for you taking on the brunt of all that work.”
Moira snickered at that and her large eyes moved around from person to person, before settling on Na again.
“I enjoy having a specific purpose all my own. Nor do I feel particularly bothered,” she admitted. “I shall go now. I’ll return once I’ve performed my search.”
Ash nodded his head and caught Moira’s eyes.
“Be safe. I nearly lost you once already,” he requested.
Moira gave him a pretty smile. Her large eyes crinkling at the edges.
“Of course,” she said and then rocketed up into the air.
“I want a unique purpose,” Mei grumbled and looked to Jia. “How can we be more unique?”
Jia opened her mouth, sighed, then closed it. With a shake of her head she seemed to have given up on whatever thought she had.
Then she smiled from ear to ear.
“I am afraid we are but cultivators, Mei. Thankfully, our dear Ashley cares for us as people,” Jia offered. “Have you forgotten already? Did he not see you as Mei and wanted… only Mei?”
Mei winced, let her gaze drop to the ground, then laughed.
“Aaaayaah… thank you, Jia,” Mei said while continuing to laugh. “I think—”
Moira slammed back into the ground not far away.
“Beasts are coming. They’ll be here in only a minute. We can escape on foot but I think they could run us down if they wished,” she blurted out.
“Well, let’s… see what this is about and if we’re fighting. A lot of these monsters demonstrated either great instincts or intellect,” Ash grumbled and gently set Lee to the side. Then he stood up and offered his hands to Siu and Locke both. “If it comes to the worst situation and we can’t win, we’ll just go to the Hall or the Manse. It’s not as if we can’t wait in either location for a while.
“The other Brides could bring us anything we needed in the Manse and we can move from the Manse to the Hall directly.
“You could monitor the Hall even if we were inside, right Locke?”
“Of course!” she said with a grin, holding tightly to his hand after standing up with his aid. “What am I if not a perfect house wife? The Hall is my area of expertise!”
