Chapter 28- Embracing the Wild Sky

“Blackwater Willow is an excellent source for Earthly tier medicines. Why is that, Junior Brother?” Senior Brother Wong was reclining on a blanket, happily eating a small bowl of lychees. There was a calabash of peach blossom tea by his hand, and a small selection of nuts. He had picked the perfect spot where he was shaded by the willow but not laying directly on roots.

“Because it produces many good things, and it regrows quickly, Senior Brother.” Tian’s voice came as a muffled grunt. In a wonderful demonstration of the infinite complexity of yin and yang, he was simultaneously hot and freezing. The sun was brutal and scorched his head, but the waist deep pond was cold enough to make him shiver. It was certainly the coldest thing he had ever felt.

“Exactly. And what are those things?”

“Erm. Well. The roots, obviously.”

“All the roots, Junior Brother Tian?”

“The wet roots of the Blackwater Willow are Yin water herbs, Senior Brother Wong.”

“Better. And what else?”

“The bark is Yin, wood herb, good for pain. The leaves are Yin, wood, and can be added to hair medicine.”

“Shampoo. Not exactly medicine, but related. You can also harvest the whips to make baskets and things, but that’s not really relevant. Willow wood can also be used to craft magical tools, but the Blackwater Willow is simply too low-level an existence to justify the effort. Maybe for some evil or heretical arts.”

Tian kept trying to dig underwater, straining to clear out as much dirt as he could from around the roots. In a moment, he was going to have to duck under the water and saw the root off. It was the only way he would have any chance of harvesting it.

“Yes, Senior Brother Wong.”

Harvesting the bark had been easy- barely three minutes of work with a curved knife to cut away big pieces. You just had to make sure you didn’t take too much, and then apply the protective paste to the exposed wood afterward. No sense in letting the tree pick up a disease or get infested with insects.

It wasn’t easy trying to shovel and saw underwater with only your index finger and thumb intact, but he managed. One key was that the saw was actually a sharp bit of chain with ring handles on either end. Tian didn’t understand how it was made, but there were teeth pointing out of the chain. You looped it under or over whatever you wanted cut, and pulled back and forth. The chain just ripped through wood. He’d never seen anything like it.

“Brother Wong?”

“Yes, Junior?”

“Could I make a rope dart with this chain?”

“Many have. This exact type of saw is a little too rigid- you see how the rivets are attached? But variations on this do exist.”

Tian kept scraping, forcing the shovel into the furiously resisting dirt.

“Although once your fingers regrow, you are probably going to want to change to a different weapon.”

“Why is that, Senior Brother?”

“Because sooner or later you are going to start fighting people or demons who are wearing armor or have hardened their skin somehow, and the maximum amount of force you can transmit through your dart is limited. It’s going to bounce off of them, is what I am saying.”

“A sword would bounce off too, wouldn’t it, Senior Brother?”

“Yes, but you are much more likely to force the blade between a gap in their armor to make the kill. Also, there are zero legendary rope darts, and uncountable legendary swords, sabers, spears, staves, maces, halberds and even axes.”

He’s right, you know. Grandpa Jun sounded like he was grinning. And he hasn’t even mentioned bows, knives or needles. There are legendary cauldrons, furnaces, hammers, even stamps, stele and tablets, but not a single legendary rope dart.

Tian grunted and kept working. It wasn’t like he wanted to dedicate his life to the rope dart. He just felt a lot of fondness for it. It made him strong enough to protect himself, and that counted for a lot.

“I always favored a pike myself. Hint hint.”

“Isn’t a pike a long spear? Does he think I should take up long spears?” Tian wondered.

There was a sudden feeling of movement in the water. Tian jumped straight up, tucking his knees up all the way to his chin. A bright flash of silver speckles passed underneath him, brilliant against the murky green water of the pond. Tian slashed down with the chain but it sprayed the water without coming near to the fish.

If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it’s taken without the author’s consent. Report it.

Tian came down with a splash and started wading for the shore. Brother Wong shook his head and pointed back at the pond. “Don’t run away from lunch, Junior. Those are good eating. If a little aggressive.”

What followed was a chaotic mess. The fish blended perfectly with the water plants and attacked explosively. It had figured out that Tian was about the same size as it, and clearly liked its odds. Tian figured out other things. Things that did not spark joy. Things like “The water slows the thrown dart to the point of uselessness after a couple of feet” and “The water stops both the rope and chain when it comes slashing down.”

He also learned that fish that size are extraordinarily strong and slippery. Trying to grab it just wasn’t going to happen. By painful process of elimination, Tian figured out a plan. First, he stood in the most shallow water the fish was willing to swim in. Then, he crouched low, with his head just above the surface of the water. Then he waited, dart in hand.

It was impossible to detect the fish’s movements until it was almost on top of him. It was a pure test of reflex and awareness. Tian’s reflexes were decent, but his awareness? That was very good indeed.