Chapter 3 – Journey to the West

As the sun crested the horizon, First Princess of the Song Empire made her way towards the palace gates. Gone were the richly embroidered dress, the gold-and-jade hairpins, the earrings with gemstones worth a village, the necklaces and most other adornments.

Sher had chosen to wear her most practical travelling clothes. Fine-quality leather high boots emerged from beneath her ruqun, its red skirt adjusted for better mobility, and a white jacket’s slim sleeves were tied at the wrist with red ribbons.

A single, simple gold ring adorned her fingers—a recent acquisition from Old Wang. It contained a spatial storage space to which she would have access as soon as she could wield Qi of her own. While she also had a small bag with most immediate necessities, the rest of her belongings she deemed important for this journey had been stored in the ring through Old Wang.

As she neared the gates, guards hurriedly began to open them. Sher glanced over her shoulder and noticed her half-sister staring intensely at her from one of the palace balconies. With a wink, she turned to the now open gates and continued.

Welcoming her was a large flying ship docked at the plaza in front of the palace gates. Gathered near it were the two Baihu cultivators from yesterday and the three youths lucky and skilled enough to have been selected.

As she drew near, Sher greeted them in a melodious tone.

“Greetings Elder Feng, Senior Sister Li. And to you, my three new Junior Brothers. Let me formally introduce myself, I am Song Sher, courtesy name Sherenna, of the Baihu sect.”

While Elder Feng greeted her back with a slight smile, Disciple Li just frowned at her. One of the boys started mumbling an answer, the other two suddenly found the ground beneath their feet interesting.

“Well, we are all here now. There is no time like the present. Let us depart.” Having said that, Elder Feng boarded the ship first.

* * *

The ship ascended from the capital, which gradually shrank beneath them, and flew over the Central Plains heading West, where beyond the borders of the Empire, after a long and hopefully not particularly arduous journey, they would reach the Baihu sect.

While Disciple Li showed the four new disciples their quarters on the ship, Elder Feng took his place at the helm of the ship and powered the arrays needed for the ship to fly. He then remained there, adjusting the course and looking out for abnormalities. However, the arrays themselves did not require further Qi input; on the contrary, they gathered enough Qi to both power the ship and provide adequate conditions for cultivation.

After the disciples settled, they were ordered to gather on the deck, where Li waited for them.

As she was about to start speaking, she noticed the gazes of the new disciples. She decided to give them a moment to gawk and adjust to the very unusual situation for them, as they looked out of the ship towards the horizon and the ground far below. Only the girl, the princess, kept a measured look at Li herself.

“While your Entrance Ceremony is still ahead of you, you can already consider yourself members of the great Baihu sect. Be proud! Most of you worked hard to be here.” Li said, glancing at the princess. “My name is Li Meilien, you may call me either ‘Senior Sister’ or ‘Senior Li’.”

Senior Sister Li lifted a hand holding several manuals.

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“In a moment, I will give each of you a manual for our sect’s breathing technique and another for a simple palm technique. During this journey, each morning you are expected to gather on the deck for instructions on how to perform the breathing technique correctly. In the evenings I will provide guidance on advanced breathing techniques as well as the Tiger Palm technique.

You should be diligent and work hard, as your progress in these techniques will determine your standing in the sect on arrival. “

After the disciples received their manuals, they were told to familiarize themselves with their contents and adjust to the life on the ship. The first lesson would commence the next day.

* * *

Sher retired to her room and flipped through the manuals. Tiger Palm technique was indeed quite simple, though perfect for beginners, and would prove a decently useful defense in Qi Condensation realm.

The White Tiger Blawan, on the other hand, was quite ingenious. While Sherenna’s previous Qi Condensation breathing technique focused on efficient accumulation and speed, with purification of the body as almost a side effect, the White Tiger Blawan focused on guiding and cycling Qi through the whole body—skin, flesh, bones, internal organs. It not only removed impurities but also left traces of Qi in the affected parts, enhancing them over time beyond the norm of the Qi Condensation realm.

It was a slow technique for two reasons. First, it dispensed Qi outside the Dantian. And second, it required varying degrees of adjustments for every body part and every organ affected. However, a cultivator, especially a Body cultivator, would start accumulating gains from the very beginning and further along the path of cultivation, the accrued benefits would yield exponential growth.

Which suited Sher just fine, as this was her life of cultivating her body, to reach Immortality of second Aspect.

Sher entered the meditation pose described in the manual and started breathing in and out according to the instructions in the first part of the manual. And for the first time in over twenty-one years, Sher reached out to the surrounding Qi and exerted her will to make it her own.

And as the first, slightest trickle entered her body, she almost lost the rhythm of her breathing.

Oh, how she had missed this.

* * *

As the sun headed towards the horizon and the first day of the journey drew to an end, a slight tap resounded on the door to her cabin.

“You may enter,” said Sher, curious as to who the uninvited visitor might turn out to be.

It was one of the selected youths. The unassuming one, not that the other two were especially memorable. Sher stared at him; did he look somewhat familiar?

“Why, hello, what can I do for you Junior Brother?”

“Um, First Princess, I-I mean…” The poor boy was obviously jittery.

“Just call me Senior Sister, or Senior Song!” Sher said cheerfully. “I mean, you are probably a bit older than me, but there is no way I am calling you a Senior Brother, so deal with it.”

“Ah, yes, I am Fu Jin.” Now he finally looked at her. “I came to tell you something, though please forgive me for my insolence…”

“Consider refraining from insolence to begin with.” Fu Jin lowered his gaze again. Sher winced. That came out too harsh.

“You are right, of course, First Princess. But what I am trying to say is that even though I had been a guard in the palace,” Aha! That’s why he seemed familiar. “I am now a cultivator. And cultivators don’t serve the Emperor and his family. So I am not going to serve you. In the sect we have the same position and the same opportunities. And I am not going to give up my chance.”

The boy looked slightly pale.

“Don’t worry, I don’t expect you to.” Sher gave him an encouraging smile. “Junior Brother Fu, I am a cultivator, too. And I do have my pride as not to try to bully and abuse you.

Now, if that was all, you are alone with a lady in her chambers after sunset. If you don’t mind…” She watched, amused, as the boy fled.

* * *

Sher continued gathering Qi into her body. While she decided against trying to store it in her Dantian, for now, and let it disperse through her body and out into the surrounding, the revitalizing effects were still there. It would simply not do to break through into the Qi Condensation realm on her first night, before receiving even the first instructions.

She had much to consider, as the talent she displayed would affect how others would perceive her in the sect.

And others’ perception would dictate their actions. Their actions would benefit or endanger her.

She could assess the disciples and take a slight lead. Be the shining star of this generation.

She could break through with the others, to be considered as talented and noteworthy as the carefully selected disciples from all over the Empire.

She could lag behind, assuming a low profile and avoiding notice.

She could also be true to herself.