Chapter 12: A Piece of Cultivation

Chapter 12: A Piece of Cultivation

Imperial doctrine had a lot to say about engaging with spirits, from the minor annoyances to the especially powerful types. This spirit of earth undoubtedly fell in the latter category.

It was the immortal cultivators’ first duty to defend the Empire and the mortals within it from the spirits of the land. These conscious beings of pure power, arising from countless natural phenomena—sometimes spontaneously and ephemerally or long-lived and permanent—could cause all sorts of mayhem. Spirit’s typical targets were, unfortunately, those particularly unfamiliar with their ways or the dealings of qi. In general, the most common method of dealing with them was avoidance.

If Paike had known such a creature was in this cave, avoiding it would have been his first choice. At least until he was stronger.

Out of the sect, if there was a powerful spirit holed up near the base of a mountain, then any village would be established far away. One of the first tasks when placing any sort of farm or settlement at the edges of the Empire was to survey the local spirits of all kinds. Of course, it wasn’t always possible to find all of them. Sometimes, they slumbered, appeared spontaneously, or woke suddenly from seemingly innocent gestures.

After that, the Empire had several options: they could drive out the spirit, kill it if necessary, exorcize it, bind it, or appease it. The choice depended greatly on the spirit’s temperament and aggressiveness. Killing them was the last choice. Bound spirits could be extremely valuable, and cooperative spirits could be essential in managing a healthy ecosystem.

Killing a spirit was viewed as a bit like burning down a forest of lumber ready to be harvested. The perpetrator was considered to be a dullard, unable to think of a better solution.

Those were the practical thoughts that ran through Paike’s mind in the first few fractions of a second. However, that wasn’t the only type of thought he had. There were far more legends and myths about young heroes finding fortune.

Tales of young cultivators finding spirits and using them for resources, learning techniques from them, and even adopting them into families. Marriages between ancient spirits and humans produced offspring that founded some of the most powerful houses in the Empire. Those houses had great reverence for their ancestral spirits and didn’t tolerate disrespect. Although such unions were slightly frowned upon in current culture, the process was not entirely unheard of.

All of that wasn’t to say that spirits weren’t fought all the time. Sometimes, there just wasn’t any other choice.

Paike had studied—or at least heard tales of—many of these options. But facing down this ancient spirit now, he didn’t know what to do. Now that it wasn’t cloaked by slumber, he could feel that its power was far beyond his own. Fighting it or driving it off seemed fruitless. Could he just leave it be? It could clearly speak, so maybe he could reason with it.

Realizing he hadn’t said anything for an uncomfortably long time, Paike cleared his throat.

“Ancient spirit,” Paike said with a deep bow, pressing his fists together and holding them before his heart. “I did not mean to disturb you. I was simply investigating this cave on behalf of my sister.”

Often, members of the Empire’s bureaucracy knew how to appease the spirits of various rivers or mountains. This practice was formalized in many places, especially in lands closer to the Empire’s heartlands. Complicated rituals, ceremonies, tributes of cultivation resources, or even just shows of respect were enough to keep wild spirits calm. Manuals were written about it and passed down through generations of caretakers. But Paike was by no means an expert in the subject. And there was no tradition with this spirit.

Sometimes, spirits responded well to familial loyalty. He was sure he had heard a story along those lines. The ancient spirit seemingly bent at what could be called a waist, its face coming closer. Paike could make out its eyes amongst the cloud of heavily earth-tinted qi that made up its body. Stalactites moved as it breathed.

“What does your sister want with my home?” it said in a deep voice.

Paike blinked. At least the spirit was willing to converse rather than just taunt him. In hindsight, that should have been obvious. He hadn’t been eaten instantly, and it had spoken first. It would be silly for the elders to leave an incredibly dangerous spirit that was automatically hostile so close to the sect. Surely, they were aware of this spirit.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

“This one is named Kong Paike,” Paike said, introducing himself. He should have done that earlier. He scolded himself internally—some spirits were really particular about manners.

The ancient spirit stood upright and looked down on him. “I am known as Xu Jing. Now answer the question, Mister Kong.”

Paike felt that his introduction hadn’t been a waste of time after all. There was a certain respect in the ancient spirit’s voice. Not enough to push his boundaries, but enough that he didn’t feel like he was in danger of being instantly consumed.

“My sister is looking for something called Grim Veil Coral. Do you know if any is to be found here?”