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Chapter Text

Xue Yang wasn't sure what to do for awhile. So, he wandered around.

Ok, so that wasn't entirely accurate. He very much knew what he wanted to do. He just wasn't sure how to go about doing it. Legal like. All air-tight.

The boat he'd stowed away on had been going south. Traveling with the current, a faster get-away. Sticking to warm climates was better when you were sleeping out in the open, anyway. He knew a lot of merchants passed in and out of Kuizhou heading to other cities nearby - so he was probably somewhere between Yunping or Yunmeng. He knew a lot of street rats warned against going towr's Yunmeng area since the sect who held its dominion was against a resident homeless population. Driving anyone on before they could settle. Apparently by order of the sect mistress, a terrifying woman with a magic wip, if rumours were to be believed.

He'd found that most of his peers didn't exaggerate about things like this, unless it was a trap. He didn't think the girl had been lying to him. She'd had the marks wrapped around her forearm like a snake. The shiny burn with an unnatural purple tinge. He'd met her in the woods hunting for dinner while she'd been hunting for herbs. He'd traded parts of his game for lessons in making medicinal paste and a few other tinctures she knew, before she moved on.

People drifting in and out of your life was to be expected. In his experience, nothing ever stayed.

Except, inexplicably, the Xue homestead. In a way. But he knew he was running out of time to formalize his claim.

He couldn't go back to Kuizhou. Even if he could, with what he knew now, he wouldn't trust them to file it correctly. His best bet would be to file it in the governor's office for whatever territory the property was technically located in, even if it was realistically in a no-man's land outside of an individual town's jurisdiction. But lots of individual towns, though they had their own leadership, held fealty to a governing body located in a nearby larger city. Even some of the smaller sects, which could be considered small towns due to their size, also did this. The YueyangChang were one, and often passed through Kuizhou when he was younger on the way to different cultivator events. Loudly complaining about the major sects, and having to pay tariffs on the upkeep of different roads. All of the major sects were governors for their own territories, having a say in cultivating and not cultivating stuff happening in their lands. Though he'd heard in the more rural areas, that passing rogue cultivators tended to favour, that non-cultivating governors were more common out there.

The problem was that Kuizhou wasn't too far from the border of Jin, Jiang, and Nie territories. He didn't want to go directly to a cultivator sect, he knew from experience they didn't much like poor people, especially if they weren't cultivators. But filing in one of their bigger towns, that weren't Kuizhou, should work just as well. He knew Kuizhou was under Jin jurisdiction, but the house wasn't under Kuizhou's control. So the question was, where did the Xue house fall? What town should he go to, under who's subordinance?

He really needed help reading the rest of that deed.

He huffed, kicking a rock.

Reading was stupid. It itched knowing that it really wasn't. But it was hard. And even harder to learn on his own.

He grit his teeth and shrugged. You know what? He was proud of what he did know. He'd just get better, and he'd show them all!

Xue Yang decided he'd head towards Yunping. Which was...somewhere South-East of here. He knew he'd need money to file, and new robes if he wanted to be taken seriously (which was super unfair and frustrating! But he'd made people take notice of him before...by being a complete and cert-i-fied badass). 'Menace' was a compliment, in his experience. And he could adapt. Xue Yang was good at adapting. He'd done it before. That's how people survive. Roll with the punches. Dodge and weave, fight back, run, and never ever let them see you cry. Just bare your teeth and smile. And hold on to whatever you managed to get with all you got.

Xue Chengmei, he was Chengmei now. He'd decided that. Nodded firmly, and dusted off his robes.

He scrubbed at his face, to clear it from what totally hadn't been tear tracks earlier. And pulled his hair back in a tangled messy knot at the back of his head. He needed a new comb. He'd left the old one in his hide out. Ex-hideout. He hoped the punk appreciated it. It'd been a good one.

He needed to get a move on. There were no pockets to pick out here in the middle of the woods. (Or jobs to be have, if there were any available. If there were any willing to give em to 'shady looking' strangers like him). He started walking.

His hair flapping in a faint breeze made him smile.

Chapter Text

Xue Yang had spent three months in Yunping. He was honestly surprised with himself. He'd got a job. Which he refused to admit he liked. And was still surprised whenever the man kept his word and actually paid him.

Yunping wasn't much different from Kuizhou. It was slightly bigger. And more humid, being a bit closer to the coast. It definitely had a more urban feel to it. Some of the buildings were over three stories! And it had a far more bustling red-light district, it was practically its own neighborhood. It was built on another tributary, and was about a five day walk from Lotus Pier - where the Jiang sect cultivators lived. Though you didn't see many of them here (unlike the Jin - you'd think at least some of their cultivators would have a day job or something. How did they make all their money if they were never out killing dead things?)

The Jiang, if rumours were to be believed. Their disciples were expressly forbidden from coming here, to Yunping. Except on official night-hunting business. Though, they hadn't been here in awhile. Since apparently a lot of their disciples were off studying at some lecture in Gusu. The town itself was also smack on the border between Jiang and Jin territories. Technically on the Jiang side, but the town did frequent business (of varying types) with both sects. Though the Jin were the ones who frequented his new neighborhood. Which, honestly fit with everything he knew about the Jin. Thankfully, the absence of Jiang cultivators also meant the scary wip lady was never nearby.

Xue Yang had spent about a week loafing around, picking pockets and listening in on conversations. Trying to get a lay of the land. He'd also stolen himself a new outfit off the back of a traveling merchant's cart as they left town. Something nondescript. Cheap, simple, but clean. A quick bath in the river outside town and he came back looking like a different person.

He landed the job, somewhat by accident.

Ok, it was a complete accident. He'd been walking back into town and he heard some snarling dogs. He didn't really care about dogs. Indifferent, that was the word. But he hated the rabid ones. Even a wild dog could be tamed, if you were careful and patient enough. A kid in Kuizhou had done that once, to help protect himself from bullies and snatchers at night, and to keep warm. But the mad dogs, they couldn't be fixed. And they'd rip a person to pieces if given a chance. And it spread, fast. Since he was currently living on these streets, he didn't want any of them on them here. Anywhere.

Ignoring the problem would just be stupid.

Hearing a person shouting about 'mad dogs' cinched it for him.

Xue Yang grabbed a handful of rocks from the street and jumped up onto a nearby roof. The familiar warmth filling up his legs.

Following along the rooftops so he could look down on the situation instead of running in blind. He saw an older man cornered in a side alley by a frothing mutt. The guy probably could of escaped in a normal situation. He was fairly big, and reasonably fit for his age. But he had a big splint on his leg that he obviously could barely move around with. And was attempting to fend off the rabid dog, which may or may not of become one of them undead things cultivators usually fight, since Xue Yang wasn't entirely sure it was breathing, with one of his rough hewn crutches. The other crutch was lying muddy in the street, out of the guy's reach.

Xue Yang pulled the warmth into his arms and down into his hands, super-heating the rocks (though they didn't burn him, he supposed the warmth recognized him) before throwing them at the dead mad dog thing. The stones whistling through the air like arrows and sunk deep into the matted flesh. Normally, this would be enough to down a bird or stray rabbit in the woods. But the dog was larger and clearly no longer living, so it didn't even notice.

Thinking quickly, Xue Yang looked around. And spotted a stack of clay roof tiles that'd been abandoned mid-job repairing a roof. Grabbing the whole heavy stack, his arms still burning with energy, Xue Yang carried them to the edge. Carefully aimed, and dropped them on the dead dog's head. Smushing it flat, the thing finally stopped moving and 'at rest', as the cultivators would say. Just in time too, because the man had fallen over, and likely wouldn't have escaped getting bit. If not his throat torn out.

Against his better judgement, Xue Yang shouted down, "Yeh, ok old timer?!"

The man looked up with a shaky breath. He pulled himself to his feet with great difficulty. But it wasn't Xue Yang's job to help him, so he didn't bother offering. The man looked between the fully dead dog, Xue Yang, and back again. Looked at his leg, and grimaced.

"How would you like a job?"

Xue Yang blinked.

"What kind?"

Chapter Text

The old man's name was Tzu Ping, and he'd broken his leg falling from the roof a few days before.

Specifically, the roof Xue Yang had just dropped a stack of expensive tiles off of. Ooops. Luckily, the guy didn't seem to mind. Apparently, saving a person's life can come with perks. Who woulda thought? He introduced himself as Xue Chengmei.

The man (because he didn't like being called 'old', he was 'only 52 dammit') was a handy-man who worked at a pleasure house. He did a lot of the repairs, cleaning in the public areas, running errands for groceries and the like, and some of the cooking. Most of his duties being filled while the rest of the house was sleeping during the morning, and late afternoon after the lunch rush. Making himself scarce when the evening lanterns were lit.

Old man Tzu wasn't contracted to the house (and thus could leave at any time), but some of the older staff (who were contracted) that didn't get as many patrons anymore, were in charge of cleaning the less public rooms and making the delicacies that were served to patrons. Unlike Ol'man Tzu, they were also on call during peak business hours to serve food, clean up spills, and other menial labor. As a 'skilled laborer', Tzu Ping was excepted from those duties, and despite being a (normally) fit larger man, wasn't expected to help deal with unruly customers. There were other staff for that.

Unfortunately, most of the man's job was based on his ability to walk, and, on occasion, bend his knees. The splint (and broken bones) prevented him from doing things like climbing ladders, getting down on his knees to install tiles, scrubbing floors, going to the grocer, or even standing for long periods of time. And the doc expected him to be in the split for at least 3 months. Maybe longer.

"I still have my hands and eyes at least" said Tzu Ping. Which is what lead to their current agreement. If Tzu Ping couldn't do his job, he would lose it. Xue Yang needed money, and coveted knowledge. Tzu Ping was a trained carpenter, who knew how to build houses, fix doors and interior walls from rowdy customers (usually drunk cultivators that forget their own strength), repair furniture, and general house maintenance.

If Xue Yang was willing to be Tzu Ping's legs as his 'errand boy' the man would split his pay check with him. All Xue Yang had to do was follow directions as Tzu Ping hobbled around and told him how to fix different things. With Xue Yang's recent interests (and life-changing revelations), it was a no-brainer.

He doubted the man was actually giving him a true half of his wages. But he let him eat with the other staff (when the matron wasn't around) and sent him to the kitchen for breakfast and dinner when she was. Xue Yang even got to try some of the leftover 'delicacies' that'd been made for the customers.

He always knew pastries were delicious.

The first thing they'd done was finish fixing the roof (the man had been surprisingly receptive to answering his questions). With the warmth he could draw on at will, Xue Yang wasn't too afraid of falling. It was also how he met two soulmates, who's room had been directly beneath the hole he'd been fixing.

One of the ladies was simply called 'Sisi', and had been born in a pleasure house, later inheriting her mother's debt. After saving for many years, she'd eventually been able to buy out her contract. Only to meet her soulmate, who she'd refused to leave behind. The woman probably would have been thrown out, since a free agent could keep all their profits instead of giving the house a cut (with the house only getting money from things the house provided, like food, baths, or a change of robes).

But they'd been soulmates.

Sisi still worked at the pleasure house, and as a free agent used her wages to buy things for herself and her soulmate, rather than relying on the house itself (and thus incurring more debt) for their basic necessities. She'd also done it for their son, with her soulmate's help, so that their 'a-Yao' remained debt free and was able to leave the pleasure house once he came of age. Rather than being forced to take on a contract himself.

Which he'd done about two years before Xue Yang's arrival, in search of his father. (A foolish endeavour in Xue Yang's opinion, if the man had wanted him, he could have taken him at any time. Especially since newborns didn't start incurring debt until they were weaned, and the man had been wealthy enough to be a frequent visitor until that time).

Sisi's soulmate was a woman named Meng Shi. She'd been the fifth daughter of a wealthy merchant, and had been educated in her youth. But when she was a teenager both her parents died in an accident. Her uncle hadn't wanted to deal with her, and had sold her to the closest pleasure house, once he'd inherited their property. Her elder sisters, who'd been married, had tried and failed to get their husbands to buy her freedom. They too worried about their reputations if they bought out the contract of a woman from such a place. Contact with her sisters had been cut off shortly after.

Xue Yang had taken an interest in them, Meng Shi specifically, for two reasons. Meng Shi could read and she had cultivation manuals. Many of them were probably bullshit, but they'd been good enough that her son had been able to form a golden core. So something must have worked. The boy had left them behind for his mother to sell, in the hopes better manuals would be made available to him in the near future. (Which, Xue Yang begrudgingly acknowledged, he hadn't been completely wrong about. Even if he'd been incorrect on the how of it. Naiive idiot.)

Apparently the guy had been beat up and kicked out when he approached his father. (No surprise there, especially once he heard it was Jin Guangshan, cause, yikes). Afterward, 'a-Yao' had gotten a job as a book keeper for a few months in Qinghe while 'indisposed', before helping a senior Nie disciple out with a tax problem. Which had got him the attention of sect leader Nie, and apparently a job in the sect, when the man realized he had a golden core. Some sort of secretary, which sounded more like a baby-sitting gig. Since he was currently accompanying the leader's younger brother at the Lan's lectures in Gusu.

The ladies liked to brag about their boy. And Xue Yang didn't mind listening while he was working nearby, some of it was interesting. Especially the warning about Wen Cultivators.

Xue Yang wasn't entirely sure if the boy knew Sisi and Meng Shi were soulmates. He called her "aunt" instead of "step-mother" in his sparse letters and coins that he sent them. But he wasn't surprised if the House had made them hide it, even from him. Little kids weren't always the best at keeping secrets. And it was a bad look, which would of hurt business to advertise. But even worse to have split them up, and be discovered for it later.

Soulmates were a funny thing. Not everyone found their soulmate, though it was believed everyone had one. Lots of people got married and had good, bad, decent, whatever lives with or without them, for a variety of reasons. It was what you made of it, and your circumstances, and all that. Striving for a perfect ideal was stupid. In Xue Yang's mind, something was perfect if you said it was. Hang anyone else's opinion.

The priest and philosophers said that it wasn't so much a fated meeting, but a 'resonance of souls' or whatever. They were the person best likely to click with you perfectly. You could 'click' with a lot of people, of course. And not everyone gave it a chance. But they were your most 'auspicious match' you could come across. The person, who the astrologers would say, 'best aligned' with you. From all the few soulmates he'd seen, that seemed to be true. (It was sickening to watch sometimes. Though he refused to acknowledge, out loud, ever that he was jealous of other people who'd had a chance to build such a connection. No one ever wanted to talk to a street rat. Not unless they wanted something.)

Because of that, splitting up soulmates was Not Done. There were a lot of superstitions and public opinion about it. Some of which varied. But everyone seemed to agree (based off every merchant and traveling story-teller he'd ever seen or heard) that it was a Big Deal. A death sentence could be commuted to life imprisonment, if one already had a soulmate. Finding's one soulmate was one of the few reasons that a person could break a betrothal or ask for divorce, and keep the honor intact for all parties. And just have the marriage end, no questions. The most terrible offence had to be forgiven, if it coincided with the discovery of a soulmate. All the stories said so. Some even saying that the loss of a soul mate, once found, could cause Deviations. That it could unsettle the qi of not just cultivators, but non-cultivators as well. Causing erratic, even violent behavior, and death. Making the forced separation of soulmates not just cruel, but dangerous. Adding a whole 'nother level of romanticized drama to the affair.

Which was one of the reasons why the gentry were so buttoned up (though they refused to admit it). Rich people were really big on arranged marriages and alliances and preserving one's station (from what he'd seen of them). An accidental brushing of hands in the market with a peasant could ruin years worth of carefully laid plans to merge with a more 'valuable' and 'connected' family. So most rich people were careful with who and what they touched until at least a wedding and heir was born. Since a baby would cement relationships even where bows couldn't (where soulmates were concerned). A found soulmate basically immediately got all the benefits and protections of being a member of their soulmates' family (whatever that may be) as soon as it was confirmed. Even if they never married, their families were still joined. Though, at least in the stories, the lack of marriage was usually due to a tragic unexpected death than from refusal on anyone's part, once they'd gotten to know each other. (Which totally did not sound romantic, no matter what the punk back in Kuizhou always said after spending a day hanging round the teahouses.)

Previously established relationships were ok, generally speaking. But getting together with someone already soulmated, who's soulmate was still alive? That was generally considered...icky. Off-putting.

No one would've hired Sisi or Meng Shi if they'd known they were soulmated. Lucky for them, their marks were easy to hide. They'd accidentally cracked heads going through a door at the same time, their first touch mutually under their hairlines. Sisi had literally just bought her freedom, and Meng Shi had just realized she'd lost hers (her uncle and brother's in law long gone, the matron couldn't get her money back - and had been bitter and vindictive about it ever since).

They'd been saving up to buy out Meng Shi's contract. Xue Yang was usually cynical, and wouldn't admit it, but he kind of hoped they made it.

Xue Yang didn't think he would end up with someone, though. He was too distrusting. Skeptical of people. He realized that and had long accepted it in himself. (Even if he wished for the family and security he couldn't remember). But he knew, if he did have a soulmate. If he ever had them. If they were still alive and out there somewhere. And he found them? He'd fight for them too. Just like these two weird old ladies, who seemed to delight in talking at him whenever he was close enough to 'listen'.

(That might be something worth taking a risk on. Slim chance though it may be. He refused to get his hopes up.)

He spent a few weeks charming the older ladies. Then bartered running errand for them for free while he was out with Old Tzu, in exchange for a peek at those old cultivation manuals, before they selled them. And help with reading lessons.

For some reason, they insisted on teaching him things he didn't ask for. Like how to play an instrument, weird posh etiquette stuff, and a nicer hair style. They probably missed their son or whatever. Who they'd been training to be a 'young master' to the best of their abilities, to 'give him better opportunities than themselves'.

But Xue Yang wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. More fool them.

Since they were being nice, he didn't cheat them when they gave him money for the shopping.

It was just cause he didn't like owing people. No other reason.

It might of helped that they both thought his courtesy name was cool.

Chapter Text

By the time Ol'man Tzu was able to walk around again, it'd been five months.

During his time in Yunping, Xue Yang, courtesy Chengmei (not that he'd told anyone the former, due to its connection to Kuzhou, though that was already seeming to die down) had earned more money than he'd ever seen in his life. Bought, (bought!) a pair of his own robes for the first time. With! Boots! Used hair oils for the first time. Found out nail files existed (soooo much better than just chewing the rough ends off). And read every manual Meng Shi owned at least twice (which didn't sound like much, until you counted how many she actually owned), before she sold them.

His vocabulary, under his bartered tutelage, had also expanded. Both written and spoken. He'd learned to hold a brush (his writing was terrible but legible, so it still counted! And far more permanent than writing in the dirt. He'd taken to carrying scraps of paper and charcoal around with him, to take notes on.) This included every day conversation (some of which was quite flowery - his 'tutors' quite familiar with talking sweet to people to calm down less enjoyable patrons). He wasn't very good at it, probably too sharp in his other manners. But the more flirtatious remarks to throw people off guard were fun. It apparently made for an eerie combination, which Sisi found amusing.

At this point, Xue Yang also felt more comfortable that he could make, at least basic repairs to buildings. Not artisan level quality, but livable. Xue Yang figured anything else he needed to learn, he could learn later. Once his home was secure, he'd have all the time in the world. He just had to file the paperwork. (Once this looming deadline was gone, he could finally breathe. There'd be very little that could be done, to take it from him now).

He found out from old Man Tzu it cost five gold pieces to register a land claim of that approximate size. He'd had four and a half the month before saved up, and Old Tzu had seemed on the mend. But then the old man had pulled himself out of bed the next day and started moaning about hurting himself in the night. And had insisted he stay on another month. Which seemed fortuitous.

He'd also finally been able to get a read on the deed.

He'd brought a list of words, and a few stray sentences, for Meng Shi to look over. The Xue homestead was on par with a small estate. It owned water rights to the tributary that passed through it, and the right to tariff any roads on their lands - so long as they maintained them. (Curious, that one of the main roads between Lanling and Kuizhou, should pass through it). It was about 19 acres of wood and farmland (though it'd obviously overgrown a bit). There'd been 3 working wells spread across the property at one point. With about five acres of old growth orchards. He'd seen the main house, with two outbuildings in its immediate vicinity (the kitchen and shed respectively). But what he hadn't seen or remembered, was that there were at least three more buildings on the property. Including a barn, and what may have been an old tenant house. Interesting.

In the box with the deed and the map (and the pouch, which he still couldn't bring himself to open, though he sometimes though felt strange temperature fluctuations coming off it) there was also a list of the previous property holders. A genealogy of inheritance. The first, had been his great great grandmother, Xue Yue, and her brother Xue Yaozhu. Who'd purchased the place together. The tenant? Tenant house had been their original homestead, with the main building built later. The buildings and other property assets added with their dates of completion had been added to a list that'd been kept with everything else. The most recent owners of the property had been his father, Xue Peizhi, and his mother, Yan Wenling.

He was also able to determine that the entire estate was on Yunmeng territory, and thus fell under Jiang governance. However, it was about an hours walk to the Qinghe border. So, when Xue Yang went down to the court house, he paid extra to have a copy of the file delivered to the Nie record house as well. Just in case. He also bribed Ol'Tzu and Sisi (as free persons) to stand as witnesses, keeping copies of their signed testimony (that he'd commissioned from Meng Shi through the same manner, though she'd requested two extra days) that could be placed with the files and kept on his own person. It had been unexpectedly easy to get them to agree.

But he'd always been good at getting what he wanted. Ol' Lady Feng in Kuizhou was a renowned hardass, and he'd always managed to knick from her stall. So maybe he shouldn't be surprised. He'd been good at stealing from the mayor's ware houses too, before the Kuizhou mayor had started poisoning 'em, so Xue Yang burned em down instead, rather than let anyone eat the shit. And he'd never been caught. Nor did they have proof, he'd heard from a drifter passing through that they'd called off the manhunt when a judge passed through the town and reamed them for 'lacking evidence'.

It was too late for the 'deliquent' epithet, however. It had apparently stuck.

No biggie. O'Tzu said he had a bad nickname once when he was younger, and no one remembered it now. He also refused to say what it was, no matter how many times Xue Yang asked. Which was no fun.

The third morning after he'd filed the paper work, it was time for Xue Yang to leave. He hadn't expected anyone to see him off. Except the house matron, who'd been displeased with his presence from the moment he came and probably wanted to make sure he would go. But Ol'Tzu had come outside too, the splint finally off his leg. And Sisi and Meng Shi were there too. The latter's eyes watery, probably from the pollen. Obviously.

"Now, you take care of yourself boy. And don't get into any trouble! You hear!" called Sisi in a stern voice.

Meng Shi coughed wetly into a handkerchief, making Sisi look at her in concern. Which Meng Shi smiled away.

"Xue-gongzi is always a good boy." She turned and smiled at him while the matron scoffed. "Don't let anyone lead you astray. You're a treasure. A gentleman Chengmei, in all the ways that count."

Xue Yang rolled his eyes, ignoring the strange squirming feeling that felt warm in his chest. In a way that was different from his spiritual energy, from what he learned cultivators called a golden core. (He liked thinking of it as 'the warmth' instead. Though he supposed he should adapt his thinking. But. The way they talked about it in the manuals of a spun warmth, like a tightly wound ball of yarn, just didn't relate to him. It felt more ever present, pervasive, in his experience).

Ol'Tzu gave a brusk nod, before turning back inside.

Not much for goodbyes, Xue Yang started walking. Whether he lifted his hand in farewell when he reached the end of the street, without looking back. Well, that was his business.

There was a poster in town for a small village north-west of Yunping who'd been losing chickens and the occasional goat to some sort of elusive wildlife that was living in the area (or maybe, no-longer living. It sort of reminded him of something that happened in Kuizhou a few years back). And the townspeople were offering a decent reward to anyone who could fix the problem.

The reward was a little over half what he'd make in a month working for Ol'Tzu (no wonder people became 'rogue cultivators', that was a big payout for one job, so long as you didn't die before you could collect it). For the reward to be so large, it must of been going on for awhile. (Or just not deemed important enough to handle, if they were posting for help even outside official cultivation areas).

Xue Yang figured he could handle it. That's what he'd done last time, with the evil dog. And traveling around wasn't much different from living on the streets, these past few months had been an anomaly. He was used to sleeping in different places and living off the land. And it was easier to pick pockets if he stayed unnoticeable and transient. Which was hard to do working at a popular business with big name visitors in a small neighborhood (even if the drunk gossip being dropped was delicious). And he'd need the money to buy tools and shit if he wanted to make his old-new home livable again.

And, Xue Yang hadn't been wrong.

He'd killed the creature (it had indeed been undead, though he had no idea what it was supposed to be called. Meng Shi hadn't had a cultivator bestiary, though a few of the texts had referenced their existence. It seemed specialized texts were even harder to find outside cultivation sects, and the more base manuals were already hard to find. Most things accessible to the rogue lay commoners focusing on basics and common civilian problems - like fierce corpses or possessed cooking pots. Not whatever the fuck this thing is. Some sort of cat looking thing with tentacles for a face? ), and he'd even managed to collect the reward. (And buy some candy! Should he start collecting recipes?) They even thanked him, which had honestly freaked him out a little. But he'd managed to hide it, so whatever. And with the prosthetic he paid Sisi to make, no one had even noticed his finger! (He hated the stares, the pity and disgust. How it became one of his sole defining features, as if there was nothing of merit to him except in the ways that they saw him as 'less'. The other kids in Kuizhou had learned quick not to ask questions about it).

So the hunt had gone great. (His first official, paid 'night hunt'. Did this mean he was a cultivator now? A professional one? He didn't have a sword. Should he get a sword? Were'nt their's magic? How did one go about getting a sword? What was the difference between magic and non-magic swords? Should he steal one? Could he steal one? He once heard they bonded to their masters. Hmmm) He'd even managed to make some extra cash doing odd jobs the evening before he'd left, and was allowed to sleep in the hayloft of some guy's barn for the night.

All in all, it'd gone quite well.

But then he'd run into cultivators from the YueyangChang sect.