v4c70.2: Aftermath 2

Shao Heng awoke to an unfamiliar ceiling; yet such a thing was something he was long used to. He had slept anywhere from under the stars to in mortal barns, and the place where he awoke had long since ceased to be a consideration. As long as his instincts told him it was safe, he could rest his head anywhere.

And indeed, his well-honed abilities told him one thing only: that he was as safe as he could be considering the circumstances.

To think he would be safe in the middle of a fox’s den.

Yesterday the very idea would have been preposterous; but the world had changed between one hour and the next, and all that was left was to adapt to his new circumstances.

Shao Heng pulled back the soft covers of his bed and slowly rose to be seated. His head hurt from the drink he had partaken of last night; his less advanced cultivation made it so much more obvious that he had overindulged. Yet headache or no headache it was time to get up and continue the exercises Ri Zu had given to him for his returning cultivation.

He was certainly going to be feeling better than the room’s other occupant, at least. Young Han had drank until he passed out; and Heng had then taken the lad to his own room, just in case. The fox-woman he had slumped over onto obviously held him no ill will, but Heng had decided that at least some caution was warranted; so like a good senior he had seen to Han, and then after he was certain the boy would be fine he had went and collected Yushang… Who had been teasing Doctor Ri Zu and Bi De, who were both covered in mud for some reason.

Shao Heng rubbed at his pounding head and took a deep breath. Then he rose to his feet and exited into the silent hall.

Few were awake at this hour, especially after last night… but there were some servants going about their business, fake fox ears on their heads.

That their blood was so weak that the fox ears were faked and that few of them had any capability to use illusions had been… well, it had been a revelation.

Nobody impeded his progress. In fact, a couple bowed politely and got out of his way as he exited out into the courtyard. The sun was still hidden behind the mountains, and the air was bitterly cold.

He began warming up and paused as a fox-person set down a jug of water as well as some towels on the railing for his use after he was finished.

“My thanks,” he said, and the woman bowed to him before departing to leave him to it.

He watched her go.

If he was honest, he was slightly surprised at the welcome he had received. He had expected more animosity, with them being members of the Shrouded Mountain Sect, but the fox in charge, Nezan, had simply welcomed them all after he found out their roles in helping Bi De and his company, immediately labeling them all good friends.

Shao Heng had heard for nearly his entire life that the foxes were all vicious, vile creatures. It was honestly something that had just faded into the background of his mind. The leaders of the Outriders had always repeated that they were the first line of defence against the foxes, and they always made sure to have a small stock of Revelation Spheres, the portable illusion detectors, in their packs.

Yet in spite of all that those warnings had gradually become background noise. In his forty years, ranging from every far-flung outpost and foiling thousands of attacks from Spirit Beasts and men… the Revelation Spheres he carried had never so much as twitched. Shao Heng had never even seen a fox, let alone witnessed a fox attack a settlement.

He had heard stories about them and other Outriders had claimed to have hunted the beasts… but their stories had never seemed quite right.

And now he knew why. He had learned last night by listening to the fox-woman, Da Jin, that had joined in their little group speaking about the foxes. Instead of predators filled with endless malice and beasts of great power who were constantly waiting to lay them low, most of the foxes were barely even cultivators at all.

They were a scattered and broken people eking out a living wherever they could. While Nezan had been howling with laughter at the harm brought to the Sect… all Heng had seen was relief in most of the other foxes’ eyes that they would no longer be hunted.

He had seen those eyes a thousand times before. They were the same eyes that the people of far-flung villages had when Shao Heng arrived and told them that they need not worry anymore, for the heroes of the Shrouded Mountain Sect were there to protect them.

They were the eyes of a people who suddenly had salvation.

He took a deep breath as he finally turned away from the fox-woman servant and began his morning exercises.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Shao Heng didn’t know if he was still of the Shrouded Mountain Sect. But… he would still be a hero. That was his goal in life. That was his reason for being. That was what Ri Zu had reminded him of when she had saved his life.

And once he regained his strength the mountains would once more be patrolled—even if he had to start up his own sect to do it.

For with the sudden power vacuum that was sure to form, many villages would be left without guardians.

Shao Heng did not fault his companions. The sins of the Shrouded Mountain Sect had been heavy and many.

So, like he said before, there was only one thing to do.

Adapt. Adapt and figure out a path to victory. Once he was back to his former strength then he could begin to truly act.

So Shao Heng did his “physical therapy”. He exercised his meridians in the way Ri Zu had shown him. He felt himself grow, his old strength returning to him in a fraction of the time he had spent originally cultivating it.

And he was better than before. His foundation was a rock. His strength was as sturdy as the mountains. His past self would have been dumbfounded if they saw him now.

Shao Heng let out a final breath as he completed his exercises and opened his eyes.

The sun crested the horizon and its warmth hit Shao Heng’s body. A man’s gentle voice began to echo out over the mountains.

He turned to where a short woman was standing, watching over him.

Ri Zu smiled at Shao Heng. She seemed to be positively glowing today as she stepped down to check on his progress.

“You’re doing well,” she told him. The care and affection in her voice was obvious. She cared about him, not merely that he could do his job. “You’re progressing faster than Ri Zu’s estimates.”

“It is due to your care and diligence in crafting my exercises,” Shao Heng demurred, but Ri Zu shook her head.

“No. It’s Shao Heng’s discipline and determination. Without it, no matter what Ri Zu did, it would yield no results,” Ri Zu declared, and then she looked into his eyes, her tone changing. “Are you well?”