Chapter 53- A Five Colored Road To Eternity

Tian felt wronged. Everyone seemed so upset. Grandpa was howling with laughter. And for some reason, everyone acted like his voice had some kind of magic charm to it. Even the movements of his hands caught everyone’s eye. He could understand if they were fixated on Sister Hong. She looked ready to fight ten armies and win.

“Junior Tian, state matters clearly. Did you have immoral relations with the master of the Six Turns Cavern?” The cadaverous looking elder glared at Tian.

“I did not.”

“Then why do you have lipstick on your neck?”

“Because the Saintess put it there.”

This didn’t seem to make anyone happy. Tian was very filial, but he was wondering if “Kicked-In-The-Head-Itis” had reached epidemic proportions in the Inner Court. Why ask if you didn’t want to know? Why ask if the answer should have been obvious in the first place?

“Why… how…”

Tian waited very patiently. This didn’t seem to improve the elder’s mood.

“EXPLAIN FURTHER!”

“I went through the rooms, I found her with her pets in the void chamber, I knew I couldn’t win a fight, but since we didn’t have to fight, I demonstrated my understanding with a tea session. She didn’t like that I called her kind, but other than that, we were able to communicate well. We had three cups of green tea and a chat. She then tidied me up and sent me up to all of you. I’m sorry, seniors but I really don’t understand what all the fuss is about.”

“Wait, what do you mean “we didn’t have to fight?” Sister Hong cut in.

“We didn’t have to fight. We could, but we didn’t have to. We just had to survive and demonstrate our understanding of the elements. Our understanding just had to reach a certain threshold, and the null chamber would open, same as every other chamber. Sister Hong… just what have you been doing for the last month?”

Tian’s heart ached. His poor little sister was a bit slow and a bit of a martial maniac. She must have suffered terribly. He gave her an understanding, compassionate look. This did not improve her mood. Or, interestingly enough, the mood of the other sister there.

“You don’t have to fight.”

“No, Sister… I’m sorry, I don’t know your name?”

“I’m fine with that. What do you mean-”

The conversation was getting nowhere. Tian looked over to Elder Rui for a rescue. The elder, for his part, was giving Tian a strange, and somewhat calculative look.

“He’s right. Each chamber is a challenge to be overcome, and while we usually think in terms of violence, so long as your level of understanding satisfied the master of the Caverns, you pass. Did you say you drank tea with the Saintess?”

“She inhaled the tea qi. I drank the tea.”

“But she sat with you and talked with you.”

“Yes, Elder Rui.”

“About… no, never mind.” The Elder shook his head. “Senior Redmane?”

The giant crane glided in and landed with casual ease. “Hmm. Better than some previous years.”

“Three out of five, a very satisfying result.” Senior Rui’s smile was wretched, if brief. “Come on you two. Or will the Lin clan be joining us in the wastes?”

“We will not.” The senior behind the messy girl had been silent most of this time. Tian got a prickly sort of feeling from him. Not hostile, exactly. Just a sense that he was being carefully watched.

Senior Redmane jumped back up into the sky. Tian felt like he was soaring alone among the drifting clouds. It wasn’t a moment of revelation, so much as everything was just so beautiful. The sun above, the air, the earth below, all the greens and blues and yellows and reds and… and everything. Existence was just so damn marvelous. It hurt. It was scary. It was ugly and smelly and too big for words. All he could do was sit and marvel at it.

He drifted out of the state a little after moon-set.

“The Dao charm is starting to dissipate, though it won’t go away entirely. Very well done, both of you.” Elder Rui’s voice was soft and immensely pleased. “You bring this old man a lot of face. Even if Junior Tian looks like a… young man of dissolute character.”

Tian coughed and quickly straightened himself up. Though the lipstick stain was oddly stubborn. He never even got kissed!

“I don’t think the Saintess liked being called ‘kind.’” Tian muttered.

“No, I don’t imagine she did. Knowing you, you were being sincere. She probably would have taken that as disrespect. Kindness so often being indistinguishable from weakness and being taken advantage of.”

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