Video | un: a jug of wine amidst the flowers

[wenderer]

[ A man with long dark hair, dressed in green silk robes, is lazily fanning himself and smiling, as he lounges by a campfire. He’s singing along with a group of children seated next to him:

Stitch by stitch,
The love of a witch
Will unravel

Dusk to dawn
Each morning to mourn
With blood and gravel

He lifts his hand, stopping them. ]

I think I’ve learned it now, I’ll teach you all a verse also, come listen.

[ He clears his throat, and in a formal style, speaks as if he were reciting before a large audience. As he does so, the man’s eyes drift away to something just out of view. ]

When mountain peaks wear away, when all the rivers run dry
When thunderstorms rumble in winter, and snow falls from the summer sky
When heaven and earth seal back together, only then will I dare to—

[ A hand abruptly darts out from off camera, obscuring the scene for a moment. When it draws away, the stone has been forcibly moved, revealing the face of another man. ]

That’s not why we’re here. We’ve found out a few things about Lord Arha. If the song these children have been singing is true, this ghost army isn’t trying to rescue anyone, it’s out for revenge.

[ The first man scoots back into the scene, sitting right next to and parking his chin on the second man’s shoulder. ]

Ah-Xu, the man was betrayed!

[ He clicks his tongue, shaking his head sadly.]

He went to rescue his lady, but she joined hands with her enemies instead. The whole army was slaughtered!

[ "Ah-Xu," with a slightly frozen smile, says through his teeth: ]

Keep it down.

[ The undead army is clearly changing its guard in the background. More softly, the first man says, leaning towards the stone: ]

I’ve met some people who say they know how to deal with ghosts. Kindly share your knowledge, I have a feeling we’re all going to need it.

[ Meanwhile, the children have started softly singing again:

Love, her love
Hatisse’s sweet dove
Arha fell last

Vowed to return
His lady to scorn
And spit on their past

With strike of sword
The love of a lord
Will unravel

Dawn to dusk
His memory a husk
Each year he will travel.


ooc: replies from Wen Kexing wenderer and/or Zhou Zishu fated_dance ]

Comments

un: in a manor of speaking

[fated_dance]

Surprised or not a twist or not, compiling -

[ Zishu sighs at his soulmate's words, dropping his gaze. ]

Compiling what we know and what we can do is the best way forward. Am I wrong?

[softheartedshizun]

We should definitely find all the flags and unlock all the lore.

[ He had not quite settled in how he wished to present himself in this world yet. ]

But what is our goal in relation to this exactly? Does his revenge make retur in home more dificult or easier?

[fated_dance]

That is the purpose of this message.

[ At...least...his purpose of it. Kexing is just ridiculous but he can't help but love him. ]

Do you wish to chance dying to see if that returns you home?

[softheartedshizun]

No.

But we are simply visitors in this world, getting involved in the politics seems a bit... heavy with consequences we have no way to understand.

[fated_dance]

I have tried not getting involved in politics. It didn't work. So we tread carefully, listen observe, and pick where we step in as best we can.

[softheartedshizun]

It's easy when one leaves the world and resides in the mountains.

[ As a proper cultivator should! ]

What immortal indulges in such things, and what community would want an immortal involved? None.

[fated_dance]

They came for me there, too.

[ He blinks. ]

Immortal? Through art or birth, if I may ask?

[softheartedshizun]

Through art.

[ Was such a thing as birth a true possibility? ]

Both martial and scholarly.

[wenderer]

[ Butting in: ]

What kind of art?

[ His demeanor has completely changed. All his sarcasm is gone, and he seems to be earnestly, if not desperately asking. ]

Immortal master, what's the method?

[softheartedshizun]

[ Oh now you try and show respect! But like an aloof cat he glances away not replying for an uncomfortably long time. ]

Did I not just say martial and scholarly. Of course cultivation through the sword and the five arts. If you are interested I would say you're too late.

[ Though in all honestly he wondered if that was quite true. He would say Wen Kexing's foundation was quite good and simply needed more focused qi refining to bring him up to speed with new diciples. Of course he wouldn't expect going super far not having the proper training early enough, but it wasn't impossible like other adults with no back ground at all.

Of course he was not going to easily offer this. ]

[wenderer]

[ He's visibly impatient during the time it takes the old monster to decide to respond; once he does, Wen Kexing immediately responds: ]

For someone who already has this background, in scholarship and cultivation, what then must be done?

[ His expression is wide-eyed and earnest, a picture of innocence and dedication. ]

[softheartedshizun]

Then perhaps it's not completely hopeless, but that person will need a willing master and dedication to their teachings.

[ Somewhere inside he felt like maybe he was a brat collector.... Though he would never co sider any of his diciples brats, so well behaved they were. Binghe... a complicated exception. ]

[wenderer]

[ ...

It seems that this is just a special form of cultivation. If so, Zhou Zishu won't have to lose his martial arts. It sounds pretty good, except... ]

You... you can't be one of these abusive masters, you must respect your disciple's dignity!

[ Otherwise he can see Zhou Zishu getting fed up and quitting. He himself could step in and learn the method in that case, and then teach it, but it's unclear how long that will take. It's better if Ah-Xu can simply learn it from the master. ]

[softheartedshizun]

This master is loved by his disciples! Don't say such terrible things!

But surely you must understanding taking a master and taking a disciple is not a light thing to do?

[wenderer]

[ Loved? This guy? He suppresses a scoff. ]

Naturally, which is why respect is important, especially when a disciple’s cultivation is advanced already!

[ A beat. Zhou Zishu is very attached to the former master of Four Seasons Manor. He might be averse to taking another, at least formally. ]

And… and you shouldn’t expect such a disciple to formally join your sect or call you “shifu.”

[softheartedshizun]

This one is Shizun.

[ But that was honestly here nor there. ]

Joining my sect isn't so simple, and I don't expect someone to join in such a way.

[wenderer]

...

[ Of course, the man is so pompous as to require the title "Shizun." He'd snort, if not for Zhou Zishu. ]

That's settled, then.

[ All that remains is for Zhou Zishu to agree. ]

[fated_dance]

[ He can think of stranger things, now that this world is starting to open his mind.

But it does have him lower his gaze, thinking hard. Wu Xi isn't here, and so...what choices are open so his soulmate doesn't lose him? Kexing hops in and he listens for a few minutes. ]

If one's meridians are under threat, would these methods still work in reversing the damage?

[softheartedshizun]

Damaged meridians is an issue....

[ A grave one and suddenly he felt super self conscious about his own meridians and qi flow. ]

This master is not one of medicine, and can only offer rudimentary knowledge. It is not impossible to repair damaged meridians through cultuvation, but it will take someone with a lot of cultivation and time to assist in that.

[ For a small moment he thought of the fact this body should not have functioning meridians and that Luo Binghe must have gone through quite a lot of effort to repair them....

Better not to dwell on that though! ]

[fated_dance]

Aah. [ Agreement.

He hates talking about it too.

Not of medicine. Zishu doesn't allow himself the freedom to feel disappointed. Instead, he focuses on what is offered. Or seems to be offered. ]

Even rudimentary knowledge would be of help.

[softheartedshizun]

Then at least a basic examination will be needed.

[ He paused a moment. ]

And someone with a lot of qi, preferably one who has a golden core, or is near to one.

[fated_dance]

[ His expression remains frozen, but there's a rather telling look to the side, to where Kexing is. ]

If that is what is required, then I will allow it.

[ For Kexing...he'll do anything. He looks back to Shizun. ]

I'm not worried about that. [ He figures Kexing has enough qi for this. ]

[softheartedshizun]

You're not...?

[ He was! He most definitely was! In fact, hadn't it been a little too long already? Were his organs already starting to rot!? Had he ever quite gone this long without fixing the problem?

Now that he thought about he... he definitely should have been trying to find a solution sooner than this....

He didn't want to ask for help from strangers though! ]

Then this master would like to meet them....

[fated_dance]

[ Zishu raises a bit of a brow. ]

...Wen Kexing. He is stronger than one might think.

[ Plus he trusts his soulmate, which he feels is just as important as having a large well of qi. ]

[softheartedshizun]

[ Shen Qingqiu would argue that trusting someone does not make them more capable than they are physically able to. ]

This one doubts... but perhaps looking into the others of our merry band will find a qualified candidate....

[ Perhaps he should have explained that this was for him to be able to preform the examination. ]