This too shall pass.
Once upon a time, in a land far far away, in the years where there was only one king in Israel and Judah, a sultan went to the king who God had blessed with wisdom to inquire of him.
He asked the wise king for words that no matter will always remain true and impermanent, or words that can make one happy when they are sad and make one sad when they are happy.
It all depends on the storyteller really, but it is known that the wise king spoke thus-
This too shall pass.
The sultan, enlightened, sent for his jeweler to inscribe upon a ring these magic words so he may carry them always upon his person always.
Ever since then, every time the sultan gazed upon his possessions, lovers and the lands he was sovereign over, he would gaze at his magic ring and the words would make him sad whenever such things brought him pride and joy unearned.
Ever since then, every time the sultan was struck in battle and the crown grew too heavy on his brow, he would gaze at his magic ring and the words would make him happy whenever such things brought him gloom and sorrow undue.
In thus manner was how the sultan ruled with wisdom for all the days in his life.
It is in this manner I ask anyone, please anyone, please let it pass.
Cooking heat, scorching heat, painful heat, purifying heat suffixed my whole existence and a myriad of agony followed.
It has been a week since entering grandma's kitchen, it has been a week since I calmed my mother down and convinced her to give her blessing to this ritual and it is on this day I have awoken inside grandmother's cooking pressure cauldron.
Last night I have ingested a small amount of the sleeping potion paired with pain killers which as planned sent to me into a short coma in which they flayed my skin, castrated my genitals, scooped out my eyes, and tore out my tongue, besides it was better and far cheaper to tear out these parts and put them back together rather than regrowing them back, it is also auspicious that we start the ritual without them.
It is in this state I find myself being awoken by grandmother, telling me the cooking is starting and I should prepare myself, 'What do you mean the cooking is starting?' I would ask if I still had my tongue before everything burned, in an instant my throat, my muscles and all orifices are filled with the flames of Diyu and I scream, with a thousand and with a myriad of other voices in time with the whistling of the pressure lid.
I feel her qi, what I think is my grandfather's qi, and the qi of the myriad elders sacrificed to become the cauldron, invading my body's tempered semi active spirit root pathways, twelve acupuncture points and eight extraordinary meridians, all collectively referred to as the qi channels, with their own qi through the purifying flames to clear them of impurities.
Within my growing body, spirit roots cultivated by the Tufu and Chushi and harvested by the cauldron and my grandmother will be implanted as auxiliary spirit roots, a feat usually accomplished in Qi Condensation, but as I am still young and growing the auxiliaries will turn into true spirit roots.
The difference between true and the auxiliaries is that true spirit roots exists in the physical and spiritual manner, while auxiliary spirit roots manifest solely the spiritual manner, making them only useful for certain techniques unlike the true roots.
When one in Qi Condensation wants to turn an auxiliary into a true root, they have to painstakingly gather resources for a body rejuvenation, through which by sacrificing a portion of their current cultivation they achieve regression giving space and time for the process for the body and soul to accept the auxiliary as physical.
It is known that when we die, it is said that in the East our Heavenly Grandmother would offer her draught of forgetfulness to all souls, as its the price one must bear to pass her bridge back to the living world, while it is said in West that the Reaper would cut off all the selves our life has been compromised of, leaving only the true original self and taking all the harvested selves as price to pass his gate back to the realm of the living.
Then, with the guidance of the Four Guardian Beasts set in their Heavenly Configurations, we fall back into the World having been granted new fates and talents thus finishing the cycle of reincarnation.
In the East it is said that if one's karma was auspicious enough, based on their status they would be in addition to the blessings of the Guardian Beasts will be granted additional boons in their next life.
The more positive karma accumulated there are and the more auspicious they are, the more auspicious they will have, a peasant would gain great strength or beauty in their next life, a noble would get richer and be of higher peerage, a cultivator would have more golden fingers and be more powerful, and when they have accumulated so many positive karma they will then serve in the Heavenly Court as True Immortals, earning a life of true bliss being part of the Heavenly Dao and at times would be reincarnated to enact Heaven's Will.
In the West it is said if one lived a virtuous life as weighed by the Scales based off all their other selves, they would be promoted to a higher rank of existence in their next life.
A peasant would become a noble, a noble would become an cultivator, a cultivator would then join the ranks of the Paragons who have escaped the cycle of reincarnation all together, living a life in paradise being a part of the Godly Pantheon, but at times some would be sent down from Heaven, reincarnated to preserve the Heavenly Harmony.
When one however, has been determined to have committed acts that disrupt, misuse, and subvert the harmony between the Heavens, the World and the People, one must be punished and purified of such notions before they can be returned to the cycle of reincarnation.
So it is that sinners are cast into what is known as Hell in West and Diyu in the East.
From a hundred years to eons, souls are tortured and simultaneously purified by great conflagrations of demon and impurity slaying fire, until the hour that their sentence ends, where in the East our Heavenly Grandmother shatters the soul and its predetermined function in the world of the living and sinks it in back into the Worldly Primordial Ying to become reincarnated as demonic beasts, whereas in the West the Reaper takes every instance of the suffering selves and based on the Scales' judgement, the true original self is demoted either from a cultivator to a noble, from a noble to a peasant, and from a peasant to a demonic beast.
Thus it is so that Ying and Yang remain in balance and the cycle begins anew.
Knowing all of this still does not alleviate the pain I am suffering through, although Grandmother keeps saying that I must keep on thinking and hold onto sanity, as if I can do it in this state, some seconds feel like minutes and some minutes feel like days in here, I can hear mother and uncle calling out from beyond the cauldron but I can't parse out anything.
Grandma prods my body floating in the midst of the blazing flames that compromise this cauldron, urging me to think about anything or anyone, that doing that even praying would be enough to cultivate in this state.
Well I could start praying but what would be the point, the Abrahamic God can't make a miracle happen in this world and a crucifixion cannot compare to the pain I am in now.
Wait there is Saint Lawrence, who when asked for the treasures of the early church he presented the orphans, the infirm, the old, and widows to the prefect of Rome, saying- "Here are the treasures of the church. You see, the church is truly rich, far richer than your emperor!" -or was it- "Behold in these poor persons the treasures which I promised to show you; to which I will add pearls and precious stones, those widows and consecrated virgins, which are the Church's crown."
It all depends on the storyteller really, but what is undisputed between accounts, as they set him upon the gridiron to be burned alive, in a calm manner he merely spoke thus-
'Turn me over, I am done on this side.', and as the kids in Sunday school would sing, he was very based, upon the rock of course.
Then there is the maiden of Orleans, La'Pucelle, Jeanne de Arc, sold out by her king and burned like a witch by perfidious Albion, ruining any chance of the Fr*nch at becoming a decent people or country, she was my very first /his/ crush and waifu.
Through sheer pure hype and aura she made sure that there was a France still left standing in that Hundred Years War, with all of her contemporaries describing her with a countenance so pure when they had sleepovers together on campaign no sinful carnal thoughts would befall upon them.
She, as they said, was remarkable with sword and lance yet would always prefer wielding her banner, she was the type of girl that would pray for you in a mesmerizing low sultry voice as you lay out in a field dying one day and on another would tease you in a cheerful playful and tomboyish manner as you two prepare to kill the Anglos.
I don't care if they say she is schizophrenic and belongs in a mental ward with the way she conducts herself on the matters of the slaving Br*tish brutes I've seen what people do without a Jeanne filled hole in their lives, they get accused of touching kids and get their property seized.
Yet, keep on thinking as I might in these lines of thought no one will intercede in my torment, at least... at least there will a special Chushi unit to be salvaged after this...
No.
There is one man, one example who I can-
No, who I must follow.
There was a man bored of living. A man who has witnessed the vicissitudes of life.
A man who showed no expressions on his face, yet he was a person filled with emotions.
A man who dreamt of a an impossible goal, yet he stuck true to his own beliefs.
A man who was constantly beaten and worn down, yet he struggled for his immortal life.
A man who constantly betrayed others, yet remained loyal to himself.
A man who endured countless hardships, yet he knew the way forward better than anyone else.
The man who lived several lifetimes, but remained true to his own nature.
I gather all the qi in my surroundings of the cauldron that I can manipulate and the qi forcefully inserted into my underdeveloped qi channels and began making a array, breathing in sequence all the breathing techniques I have learned.
Despite the pain, I knew it in my bones that I will create a breathing technique fit for this situation.
Qi, qi has saturated me, did I breakthrough without noticing?
This is working then, as I derive principles from the Impermanence Series, with the way it slows down the beating of my heart, which hopefully should slow the movement and sensation of the pain shooting throughout my entirety, and with the way it lets everything else fade away for the purpose of inscrybing, it is my aim that in this manner it shall surely result in a new breathing technique passing into its ranks.
Impermanent
I had once screamed, gradually, I lost my voice.
Impermanent
I had once cried, gradually, I lost my tears.
Impermanent
I had once grieved, gradually, I became able to withstand everything.
Impermanent
I had once rejoiced, gradually, I became unmoved by the world.
Permanent
And now!
All I have left is an expressionless face, my gaze is as tough as a monolith, only perseverance remains in my heart.
This is my own, an insignificant character's Perseverance!
Perseverance, I erect an array from what principles the basic barrier technique has taught me, not in an futile effort to protect myself from the flames, but to drive out the hesitation within my mind and to condense the qi even further, the pain becoming an afterthought to the benefits I shall receive.
Perseverance, I form my array upon this character and persevere to help move the flames of Diyu with grandmother's qi guiding me to put the auxiliary spirit roots into suitable places that will form the basis upon which I will form my dantians and establish my qi formation.
Perseverance, I remember know, why I love this genre of stories, these stories with severe powercreep, badly machine translated prose, and silly cliches.
Perseverance, I rejoice, since such notions are dependent on the storyteller, these stories are just like those of higher repute, for do they not spread happiness in seeing the characters achieve their goals? Do we not revel with their joy, immerse us in their sorrow, and make us rage at the cliche and absurd situations they find themselves in?
Perseverance, I laugh at the fates thinking I would not see them seeking to bring me, a middling talent young master, with a high dao comprehension which possibly comes from being isekaied as my golden finger, down into a pawn for Heaven's amusement, made to be a stepping stone for main characters to show their thousand techniques and multitude of inheritances.
I already have the inheritance of the Great Love Immortal Venerable.
Compared to this simple inheritance, I am sure whatever every other immortals left behind will fall short of it.
This inheritance spans over two thousand chapters and over a million words in which the truths of the cultivation world are laid bare, such as there is no eternal enemies or sworn comrades, as all things are bound to impermanence.
Another is that there is no difference in the life's worth between any number of fauna, flora and homo sapiens, as all are equal within the world, and if you must choose between yourself and the world, then it is with great love you should choose yourself before the world.
Most fitting for me, is that the harshness of this world and the beauty of fate that simultaneously, everyone is the main character and everyone is just an extra.
Yet above all of these truths, as I had bore witness to it in action and thus I would uphold above all else, you must not be restrained by petty things such as morals and laws, for within breaking that mindset is how you defy Heaven. In essence just be without shame and such troubles regarding it will never matter to you.
How do I remember all of this? It is said that we never really forget things, that within the eye lies muscle memories that record all information retained throughout a lifetime, and it seems that multiple lifespans stack.
Thus is it so that the inheritance has passed to me, by having my cultivation improve so much that my memory also improved, and thinking more upon it I cannot help but find it funny, oh grandma if you wanted someone to remain sane for at least six months in unrelenting agony, giving them something to read to help them take their mind off it should help.
Lucky for me I already have my inheritance to go over, and just like back then, in my dorm room failing my classes the words come to my mind-
"Fang Yuan, quietly hand over the Spring Autumn Cicada and I'll give you a quick death!"
The cauldron whistles its knockoff Aztec death whistle tune as I keep on remembering and reading, until I, within this chamber of vexing flames, stuck within my readings, reached a Legend of Ren Zu chapter, and by that point that is all I can remember until I lost consciousness with the sudden change in temperature and pressure.
The torment is over. I think I have fallen into a nice, deep, and dreamless slumber. It continues on for a nice while, but I regain my consciousness, awakening.
I wake up. I am on what I can recognize to be my bed and judging by the fact I am not in another place and time or onto the road into the afterlife I would say that the ritual worked.
I feel a hand clutching mine, and I wonder how many days and night has mother spent like this by side?
Well she did not show up often for most on my childhood as she was on sect business, so it would be really silly of her to spend her time with an unconscious me.
I release myself from her grasp, and to see a Foundation Establishment cultivator reduced to a state so defenseless and tired unable to stop me from escaping fills me with a little shame, for I may have been a little bit of an unfilial son to her, but only a little shame as I have established I shall endeavor to crush such petty notions so it can be never used against me.
It is a beautiful night with the full moon shining upon my face, and I breathe in the qi about me where it is gathering through my pores, the inscryptions worked into the insides of my skin doing their part in filtering the impurities out, and my qi channels now fully awake suffix my body with power.
A strange feeling overcomes me as I circulate my qi, and as I move to follow its vague implications to hold out my hand in front of me, with middle and index fingers sticking out in a hand sign as if to pin a talisman betwixt them, it dawns on me on how far I leapfrogged in my cultivation, when out of my qi a glowing talisman, pure white with black edges and highlights, manifested.
I am on the 8th step of Qi Sensing, and I have acquired Array Intent.
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The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
It has been three years since I entered the Inner Sect, and five years since I returned to the manor.
I had left this place as a nameless bastard and now I return a fifth step Qi Gathering Inner Disciple of the Melting Crucible Sect, and I return as the Tang clan's Young Master.
"A toast to Song Yun! My son and our clan's prodigy!"
"A toast! To the clan!"
Although I owe a great deal to my father along with the elders that secretly survived the culling of the old monster that holds grip over our once noble clan, who helped to further my cultivation inside the Inner Sect, this victory was all truly mine.
"Cousin Yun! Show us some pointers later!"
"Sure thing cousin, for now let us be merry and stuff ourselves full of energy. I mean to have you at your very best when I give them to you of course!"
When they expected that fool Long to enter the Inner Sect to degrade their ranks, who was it that used him as a stepping stone using only the techniques and cultivation that his merits earned? Me.
"Little Song, have some more of this sweet pork, you look a little famished don't you?"
"Of course thank you uncle."
Who did they expect that would die during the Beast Hunts, expelled during the inter-Inner Disciple tournaments and crippled during the competitions between Sects, never to return victorious and distinguished back to the Sect? Me.
"Song Yun, my child how have you been? Everything well within the Sect?"
"More than well mother, I think I have to tell you and father about a matter though."
Oh Heavens, even though I have sown the seeds of my own deeds, I didn't expect this how much this harvest of fate blessed us, with my successes my mother, a concubine who was largely ignored, could finally become a legal wife and father could finally set aside his current one, she could finally learn how to cultivate properly instead of being a broodmare!
Not only can my mother move higher in the world, but such is that fortune has smiled on me and granted me the boon of having Fairy Tian give her affections to me.
We both had many fortunate encounters with each other, so much to the point and coupled with my earnest courting she thinks such companionship with me could prove auspicious.
Now I only have to back up my claims, that with the backing of her own clan I, the new Young Master could eventually force the hand of the Hierarch to name me heir and as I rise through the steps of immortality, I shall return the Tang clan to its former glory as we throw off the shackles of the Wu.
So with merriment and joy, I join in with the rest of the clan in my victory lap, we-
All of a sudden, the dinning hall's door's bursts open with the house guards escorting the old witch into our midst, and as they swiftly flanked all corners of the room we are forced to give our greetings to the Hierarch.
"Mo-mother-in-"
Killing Intent. Killing intent so thick and potent washed over the whole vicinity, forcing all to kneel... is this... the power of a Core Formation elder?
Is this is the height I must climb through in order to defy Heaven?!
"Song." -she addresses my father, from his downcast kneeling position she twists his head sharply to make him face her- "my sweet Cai'er misses your presence in your marriage bed, would you kindly join her this evening?"
"Ye-yes, yes Honored Hierarch!"
"Hmm, hmm that is well indeed, let me have a look at you boy."
"Honored Hierarch." -I give my greetings as in the same manner as my father, with my head in her hands, but instead of a fearful expression I carefully hid my defiance under a demeanor of subservience, just you wait you old hag I shall surpass you, whether it be today or tomorrow the Tang will rise again!
"My, my, second step of Qi Condensation already? Fine enough for a concubine's boy indeed." -the monster holding up my chin in a vice-like grip chuckles-
"Don't bother hiding what you are feeling my child, like all the Tang men it is unsuitable for you."
"m-My Hierarch, may I ascertain what is troubling you?" -my heart froze and my face shifts to an as normal inquisitive stance but letting a bit of fear show, does she know? No she can't possibly know the elders are secretly fermenting rebellion else I shouldn't have been existing when I used Long as a stepping stone, anyways what could a cook like her even know?
"Tch, have it your way. Song my dear son-in-law, my own grandchild has requested a friendly spar between your bastard and himself. Would you acquiesce to his request?"
"My-my-"
"Of course my Hierarch, this instant my Hierarch?" - I reply in my father's faltering state, and never would I ever think that I would see the day Long would have the nerves to stand up once again, however trash will always remain trash whatever one should say, ah how convenient of him that presenting himself to be used as stepping stone twice!
"Why yes indeed, everyone to the training yard if you would have a care to observe your juniors." - she said as she lifts her killing intent, freeing everyone from their prone kneeling positions.
I arise and assist several of our clansmen in rising with me and I curse that old hag, for there were children in this hall!
What would you do if you give them heart demons with all that killing intent you were throwing around?
It is for this reason is why I would listen when my uncles and brothers say no matter what I should teach that bastard Long a lesson for this incident and consider it righteous.
Bolstered by our unity with a few scattered voices lending cheers and encouragements to me, we make our way unto the training yard, where we are greeted with this scenery.
A boy no older than six sits in the middle of the courtyard, that has all the training poles removed to play the part of an arena, playing in the dirt.
"Gen, everyone is gathered, you two may begin whenever you are ready." - I hear the Hierarch call out, already making herself comfortable in her seat, does... does she mean for me to fight this!
As our faction in the clan settles in amongst the others too craven to stand with us, some snicker and a few daringly point out on the fact I would be fighting a child.
For face slapping this already goes to far, they already think Long too far gone and sent a child out in his stead?!
This is what they think to be my near peer for heir?!
That insolent boy rises, deigning not acknowledge the most dangerous person nearest to him, and stretches out lazily.
With his back turned he continues to warm up in a lackadaisical manner blissfully unaware of his coming doom.
"Junior do you dare?!" - I ask in disbelief at this frog trapped in a well, does he know it is unwise even in this setting to turn your back to your opponent?
Round eyes, round eyes upon a face stare at me, making up a frame that my fellow sister disciples would wish they could have, were it not for the earlier description of a grandson I would have assumed this one was a girl, with how the way his wavy dark locks are tied up and in the manner his white robes cling unto his general body shape which hides most his ought to be manly features.
He stares on, with an attempt at an expressionless face, but no, I can see the plain arrogance in his countenance with the display of pity he is hiding in that stare.
How dare he, treating an Inner Disciple of the Melting Crucible Sect like this, courting death!
"This one named Gen, surnamed Wu-Tang, greets the one named Song Yun, surnamed Wu-Tang, would you deign to exchange pointers with me?"
"This one named Song Yun, surnamed Wu-Tang" -tch- "will teach junior a lesson!"
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It has been a year since I have spent recovering from the ritual, and today I will be seven years old.
I dodge a swipe from a Tufu's fist and using my Array Intent parry a talisman sent my way by a Chushi.
They tell me Song Yun is a righteous practitioner of the fist arts but not so righteous to not rely on the clan's talismans, so to train for the upcoming crippling I ask the Tufu and Chushi to match me with their fists and talismans the way he would be doing.
I ask them to start first at the skill level and power that a 5.0 Qi Gathering cultivator would have, and whenever I cannot defeat the pair fast enough, they would slowly scale it up to the first steps of Qi Condensation which they are more familiar with or suddenly without warning just cut straight from gathering to condensation.
Knowing how most of these fights could go with the protagonists breaking through in the midst of battle gaining a second wind, and the more likely outcome which is hiding their skill level, I cannot be caught off guard and besides I already have the toolset to punch way above my weight class.
For starters the arrays beneath my skin do more than help filter out the impurities, they also do the process of absorbing qi faster and in greater quality, and as a treat they also have inscrybed the arrays meant for the premeditative wound closing, meaning I could stay in the fight longer, these arrays beneath my skin in the form of tattoos were skillfully inscrybed by my uncle and mother alongside with the backs of my eyes to enhance my vision and make it easier to use seeing techniques.
I have mastered my breathing techniques and movement techniques to an acceptable level a Qi Gathering cultivator is expected to have, my Black Mamba Mentality proving sufficient enough for my current self, and I hope they get me an actual finger technique this time instead of having to kitbash my own.
Speaking of my finger arts, in an effort to waste no time the Tufu have been tending to my partial training of it while I was in my second coma, although I am not yet at level of the Kengan Tournament's very own Rihito, I could scrape through wood and cloth just fine, but penetration isnt the only thing finger arts are more known for are they?
My index and middle are pitch black compared to my other fingers, as they were conditioned in qi ink as part of the partial training, and as planned in conjunction with my grandmother, for while the cooking process let me leapfrog my cultivation, it also tempered my body, as a result my muscles are far denser than before and my bone marrow like certain qi beasts produces blood more suited to arrays, thus I now have my poison for my nefarious finger technique and through my other golden finger, my own fingers have become my own brush.
Speaking of my new golden finger, it is known that long as you have dedicated your heart to a specific purpose, you can develop an Intent.
Intent is the state of qi that is achieved through manifestation of the concept of the object's very own qi helping its wielder whenever the object is put to use.
It is mastery, dedication and obsession made manifest, whenever someone bearing a intent says they could perform the object's function even better than the rest or make it work in a certain way you better believe they can do it.
Killing Intent is the most common one being everyone's first exposure to an Intent and the introduction to way one could earn Intents, with only a select few unable to be affected by it or unable to manifest it.
Sword Intent, Spear Intent, Fist Intent and other Weapon Intents on the other hand are rarer due to the lengths one has to reach to attain such Intent, however plenty still strive to receive them.
Carving Intent, Painting Intent and other Tool or Art Intents is the next most common Intent out there, compared to any sort of weapon intent attaining it is rather easy, for when instead of your purpose being to cut, bash or pierce through other experts, you all could just compete with whatever you are making.
There as many Intents out there under the Heavens as there is as many purposes under the Heavens, and whenever two possessing Intents were to ever fight, it is said the gap between their cultivation barely matters unless it is a whole realm between them, and that's not even talking about those without one, that is how equalizing the power of Intents are.
This is my second golden finger, born of my perseverance and my dao comprehension, developed after a whole six months of being pressure cooked, it is through the process of erecting my own little pseudo barrier that I have developed Array Intent.
I could not even begin to describe the feeling having it, but whenever the arrays beneath my skin move, they do so with the smooth grace of overly engineered high class watches and I can make any array feel the same.
It is also the feeling of being a senior coder and your operating software is reality itself, for with just a flex of my qi I can impose my own will upon the World itself.
Due to that reason once it has been determined to be safe enough, the sect will reveal publicly reveal my status as a Rank 6 Array User so they may boast.
Daoist Ideal-Seeker is also getting very impatient since I just can't enter the sect just yet, so the only option he has is to come to me directly, thus he is torn between the matters of his pride and desire up to point that he is being very irritable as I last heard from mother
It is due to these reasons my mother, uncle and grandmother judged it right for me to participate this scheme of preventing a rebellion, besides if there are any more complications I have one nasty little array trick to start off with.
"Stop. It is nearly time Gen." - says Grandmother, the Tufu and Chushi comply as do I.
"Is he here?"
"He is, and they are throwing him a party, it will not matter because you will be making sure it is his last day after all."
"Yes... I will grandmother."
"Now now Niu'er" -she says as she gently cups my head in her hands.- "it isn't like you to be hiding your feelings, you Tang men are unsuited to it after all."
"Tell grandma about troubles you, surely there is something I could help with?"
"I am scared grandma."
"Good, good, good that means you aren't stupid."
"If I-"
"You won't, I will be sure of that, and even if you fail I am sure I can work something out."
"Still... how does it feel, a fight I mean. I think I have resolved myself that I could kill easily enough grandma, just restrain anyone and I will slay them its just-"
"Ahahaha you silly boy." -she embraces me close, giggling and patting my head- "You wouldn't know this since you are what you are, friendless and peerless, but its all like a game after all."
"You are growing up quicker than most and I pity you. You never got to play a good game of tag after all."
"Never feeling the blood rush up to your head because of petty words."
"Never feeling the dread of loss, and the feeling of never living that one loss down when you get tagged that lasts until the next game."
"Never feeling the pride of tagging out all of your friends, proving you were better than everyone and that feeling keeps you going for another game."
"Why do you think we seek out eternal life after all my dear boy?"
"It is because you and I want to continue playing in the games for as long as we want, it is as simple as that Gen."
"Now go and wait here and recover, I will set up the stage so there is no need to do anything but focus on that, and know when the fight is started I will be with you."
Kissing me upon the brow she leaves, and I follow her instructions, thus I lose myself into water writing.
What seems to be a eternity passes as I wait for the other shoe to drop when suddenly-
"Gen, everyone is gathered, you two may begin whenever you are ready."
I arise and begin my stretches, a crowd gathers about the courtyard and the sun casts its glow upon us all, its light setting upon Crucible City reflecting in my clothes, for as Seth-son-son-Vallano wore white on the day he was to kill a king, I too wear white on the afternoon I take my first life.
"Junior do you dare?!" -oh lord here it is, the moment I have been waiting for, my first cliche response, isn't this grand?
I turn to my opponent, while bearing the standard Tang clan embellishments of stature and frame, a closer look denotes a clear inclination of his features towards his mother, in addition the bastard of Aunt Caixi's husband wears the Inner Sects robes of charcoal black with a surcoat of the clan colors of blue and orange, all in all he has all the bells and whistles of the standard appearance of an immortal hero.
"This one named Gen, surnamed Wu-Tang, greets the one named Song Yun, surnamed Wu-Tang, would you deign to exchange pointers with me?"
"This one named Song Yun, surnamed Wu-Tang" -he says with undisguised distain - "will teach junior a lesson!"
So we begin, he steps within the courtyard, walking with disgust as if to give a servant a clout behind the ears for an offence to his being, and in doing so steps within the parameters of my barrier.
Emerge from the points, from the Four Cardinal Directions, let it be so, that under mercy, all are made equal.