🌱Chapter 10: Goose meat
That night in a quiet room. The air felt warm because of the yellow lamps that were hanging from the wooden beams. Their soft light made the walls glow like old honey. The place wasn't fancy, but it had a kind of pride in it. everything inside had a kind of presence.
There was a huge table standing in the middle of the room. The table looked long enough for ten people to sit around it, yet there were only four men sitting around it. The table was filled with plates, bowls, trays, and pots. There were also dishes like Goose meat, roasted fish, bitter roots, thick soup, and sweet wine. Hot steams rose from the dishes, twisted and curled slowly in the warm air.
Three of the men sitting were eating and drinking. Their chopsticks clicked against bowls as Soft chewing sounds filled the air.
But one of the men wasn't eating at all.
He sat with calm eyes and a straight back, his hands were steady. His name was Elder Xuan Yi. His long dark hair fell neatly behind his back, and his brown robe-like uniform carried the smell of herbs. He wasn't touching the food at all. Instead, he held a small blue pill between his two fingers.
"Hmmm…" he breathed softly as he rolled the pill once between his fingers. The pill had a faint glow inside it, like a tiny drop of frozen lightning trapped in crystal. It was rather beautiful.
He lifted his hand and slowly placed the beautiful pill on his tongue. And chewed.
Crunch!!!... Crunch!!!...
He felt a sharp and cold feeling running down his chest. The feeling made His body shake lightly. He closed his eyes. His breathing slowed.
He focused all his attention on pushing the pill's power down into his core essence. It was a slow and stressful process. His fingers twitched as the medical essence tried to spread. His jaw tightened as a low "tsshhh…" escaped his nose.
This was the way to cultivate faster without spiritual locations. Better than gathering spirit essence from the environment, which took months and months. And not every place had a good quality of spirit essence.fir example Some valleys were dry. And Some towns were poor. Only special places, like sacred mountains, held strong spirit essences that entered the body easily.
But even that wasn't enough. Everything came back to talent. Even with pills to help speed up the gathering of spirit essence. Talent always decided who rose in level and who stayed stuck.
One of the men that was eating at the table leaned back. He had a sword placed across his lap, he stroked the sword gently. It was almost like the sword was a part of him. His clothes looked messy because he had been eating with too much energy. A piece of goose meat dripped oil down his fingers, but he didn't care.
He smacked his lips and pointed the goose meat on his hand at Xuan Yi.
"Elder Xuan Yi," he called out, with a rough oily voice that always sounded slightly annoying, "why are you mushing on spirit essence pills while the rest of us are eating dinner? Hmmm?"
Xuan Yi didn't reply. His breathing stayed slowed as he continued focusing on the pill.
The swordsman elder raised his eyebrow.
"No amount of seriousness will make you breakthrough. It all comes down to talent. You know this now. You know this before. Your cultivation is already high. So why are you still forcing yourself like this?"
The sword man kept talking. And talking non-stop.
His name was Elder Chen Niao, a man who couldn't even stay quiet for one cup of tea. Every time he opened his mouth, something about swords escaped his mouth. It's either Sword path. Sword will. Sword spirit. Or Sword dao. Anyone near him always heard one thing: "Swords."
And tonight was no different. He waved the goose meat like it was a sword handle.
"You see, cultivation is a deep thing. It is not only about spirit essence. It's about the dao and the great path of all beings. Especially the sword dao. Everything returns to the sword. All swords to the master. Everything can be a sword. When you study the way of the swordless sword even the world cuts for you. When you blink, the air splits. When you...." Chen Niao continued yapping away.
Xuan Yi's brows twitched from frustration. His teeth are pressed against each other.
Chen Niao continued speaking proudly.
"Let me explain properly. The sword is...."
"Elder Chen Niao," Xuan Yi muttered, his voice low and tight, "that is enough… please."
Chen Niao blinked. "Eh?"
"You're always talking about sword will. Sword techniques. Or Sword dao. Always talking about Anything and everything related to swords. Every single time you get an opportunity." Xuan Yi opened his eyes slightly and gave him a tired stare. "Can you please stop for one night?"
Chen Niao sat there with his mouth open, with goose meat hanging from his fingers. His face twitched like he wanted to argue but wasn't sure how to.
"Ahem."
A soft cough came from another man with white hair.
He was older than the others. His hair fell down his back like silk snow. He had sharp but gentle eyes. This was Elder Han Zhen, a man known for being calm and steady like an old river.
He placed his chopsticks down and looked around the table.
"Elder Chen Niao may have spoken too far beyond the topic," he said softly, "but the topic still stands."
Chen Niao nodded quickly. "See? Even the Elder Han understands..."
Han Zhen raised a hand, making him shut up.
He continued, turning back to Xuan Yi. "Why is Elder Xuan Yi not joining us at all tonight?"
The fourth person at the table lifted his cup of wine but didn't speak. He looked rather young. Maybe too young. With blue hair that shimmered under the lamp's light. His eyes looked soft but unreadable.
He was Sect Dean Qin Mo.
Qin Mo gently swirled the wine and took a small sip, then nodded.
"I agree with Elder Han Zhen," he said quietly. His voice was clean and calm. "It does look strange."
Xuan Yi sighed. His sigh sounded tired and heavy.
"Hmmmm… alright."
He controlled the pill's cold essence deeper into his core, and then opened his eyes fully.
"This pill is not normal," he said. "It is a new type of spirit essence pill I made."
Chen Niao leaned forward. "A new one?"
Qin Mo's eyes flicked up with interest.
Han Zhen silently waited.
Xuan Yi lowered his hands. "But it seems to have only increased in effectiveness by… 0.0005% from the original."
The room went quiet for a second.
Then a strong laugh broke the silence.
"Pffft—HAHAHAHA!"
Chen Niao burst out laughing, and slapping the table. "Elder Xuan Yi! The great alchemist! The one who shakes the halls! The one who makes pills like a flowing river! And yet you fail to make a world-breaking change? Hahaha! Ahhh—my stomach... Hmm come to think of it you've already made other world breaking changes!"
"Thud."
His laughter made his elbow hit the table. Making a wine cup tipped over.
Han Zhen slowly exhaled. As his eyes softened with understanding.
"Elder Xuan Yi," he said, "you are already a great alchemist. You have such great achievements behind you. But you are still beating yourself over small things." He placed a hand on the table. "As all of you know, I am an array master. A unique type at that. But even I know there are people out there far better than me."
Xuan Yi stared down at his palms. His fingers trembled a little from the pill's cold energy.
"The gap feels too wide," he whispered. "No matter how hard I've tried, the changes are always small."
Han Zhen shook his head gently. "Even small changes matter."
Qin Mo kept sipping his wine quietly. He didn't say anything. His calm presence filled the room like soft waves.
Xuan Yi breathed out again. "Maybe you are right…"
The table fell quiet.
Chen Niao finally calmed down, wiping tears from his eyes. "Hmph… still funny though."
Han Zhen pushed his chair back.
Creek!!!.
"I need to attend to something."
He stood up, his white hair moving with the motion. He reached out to the side, then grabbed a dark robe, and draped it over his shoulders. Then he pulled a cloak on top of it.
Before leaving, he paused at the door. And turned back.
Xuan Yi looked up At him.
Han Zhen glanced back at him and gave a single serious and slow nod. That Xuan Yi understood.
He understood completely.
Han Zhen opened the door. Cold air flowed in. He stepped out. And left the room.