Chapter 4: Chapter 4

The creature scuttled and stabbed at its glass prison as its captor looked on with exhausted glee. Less than a week had passed as Qiaolian gathered as many caustic creatures that time would allow for with each passing day the sect's union with the emperor's court grew ever closer. Yet a serene calm seemed to wash over Qiaolians form as she watched the scorpion's feral vexations ‘you may actually be the strongest ingredient yet, I hope you'll find pride in your final moments’.

 

Stashing the creature away, Qiaolian pushed forward, easing past the sweaty disciples as the smell of musk and fur grew ever heavy. Finally, with a swift pull, the stables found themselves open as the many yaoguai chirped and cooed at her arrival. A lazy grin lined her face as she slid her hands through the bars allowing the beast's coarse tongue to lick at her fingers. The beasts were small yet with time she knew it too would be the size of a carriage yet they would always remember those that showed them kindness. Thus Qiaolian passed the stalls and cages tending to the beasts and giving them what elixirs they needed until she arrived at the final room. Its large crimson doors loomed with imperial might as what lay behind sat with momentous stature.

 

Thick vermillion fur blossomed between its midnight stripes as its razor fangs peaked between its lips while sharp yellow eyes sat focused on its owner's hands. Its three tails curled to their owners' touch allowing a rumbling pur to shake the chamber. Qiaolian could only laugh as her friend stood engorged with his mount “it seems you still spoil Houju even after all this time”.

 

Cai turned his face alight and his robe dotted with tufts of vermillion fur “you came”.

 

“Well,” Qiaolian began, “you said Houju missed me so I had to pay him a small visit” strolling forth to the large cat qQaolian found its large yellow eyes meet hers, and with a gleam of recognition the beast moved to nuzzle its snout in her chest. 

 

“Told you Houju missed you,” said Cai with a smirk 

 

“Clearly, which reminds me” with deft hands Qiaolian rummaged through her pockets retrieving a series of emerald flasks sloshing with pale fluid and rose petal scent.

 

“Your stomach tonic oh inscrutable young master”

 

“Yeah yeah I know… thanks for this”

 

“Well I can't have you puking on house fur, again,” Qiaolian said, petting the beast's nose.

 

“It wasn't that bad… the first time” 

 

“I don't think Houju would agree '' Qiaolian quipped watching a sly side eye escape from Houju’s gaze.

 

“I'm sorry, okay! Anyway I have great news”

 

“Oh really?” Qiaolian asked, leaning into the beast's vermilion fur.

 

“Yes since we’ll be joining the emperor's court father said that I'll need a personal advisor and-”

 

Qiaolian found her wonder melt into quiet terror “Oh… oh no”

 

“What?”

 

Qiaolian gripped the bridge of her nose before nearing her slim fingers digging deep into her brow before revealing a look of indignation “Did you tell him you're going to pick me?!”.

 

“Well,” Cai shrugged “I didn't tell him yet but-”

 

“Cai, he's never going to go for it”

 

“Why not, you do practically everything for the sect and you know it better than anyone”

 

“Yes but advisors are always central to the sect disciples, hostesses, guards-”

 

“Arcanists”

 

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“Cai you'll be a laughing stock”

 

A warm smile graced his lips as Cai bent close to Qiaolians face, his eyes conveying an unshakable determination “I'd rather be  a fool with my best friend than a miserable immortal any day”

 

Stunned Qiaolian murrmered “Ill… ill think about it, just promise not to do anything rash"

 

Cai stood anxious as he shook his head with feigned consideration.

 

"Promise me"

 

"Okay I promise just think about it, please"

 

"Okay, I will"

 

Retreating from the stables, Qiaolian gave a mirthful grin at the faint sound of chitin against glass. Slowly night drew close and with the rise of the ashen sky Qiaolian laid her tinder carefully before setting her brazier ablaze. Dashes of sulfur flew into the blaze and while the fire appeared soft its heat was more than definite. Herbs and sap flowed into the furnace charring with the roiling heat. Viscous and deep the herbal tar stewed with the scent of death, hungering for its late combatants.

 

Each creature writhed in fear of the flaming enclosure clinging as best they could to their glass cages but soon they all fell. The toad, the centipedes, the scorpion, and the roach, each fell into the burning abyss that clung to their shells. Qioalian watched the creatures for a moment, their starved visage encroaching on the twitching life felt through the tar, each drawing close ready to feast. Mandibles, stingers, and tongues were loosed in their infernal prison, each creature feral from hunger and pushed by the searing heat.

 

Soon the lid fell and Qiaolian draped herself across her bench, a satisfied glimmer lighting her face. The joining of the emperor's court was drawing near and with it an uncertain future, though as Qiaolian took a glimpse at her roiling brassier she could see a grand future come to fruition. Slowly the fire died as a rancid smell wafted from the furnace and with it grew thick and old. Sulfur and rot strangled the air and once the furnace sat open something grave emerged. 

 

Spilling like an overflowing basin cursed qi spilled across the room, its essence sinking deep into the shadows and quietly choking out the light. Qiaolian shook for a moment her knees threatening to buckle from exposure but with steady hands, she gripped the furnace shifting it from the still smoldering embers.

 

What lay inside was indescribable as the creatures were no longer themselves; instead, a midnight array of limbs and shells were all that lay within. An odd twitch would take a leg but the qi confirmed that what laid in the furnace was most certainly dead. Still Qiaolian bit back against the bile swelling in her throat as she scraped to necrotic mass from its still warm container. With the consistency of honey and the appearance of gore the mass was poured into the mortar and crushed into paste. The abyssal ichor flowed from mortar to bowl, boiled, and cooled until all that was left was a cool dark fluid iridescent in the meek firelight.

 

Qaiolian took the fluid watching as it was sealed within twin flasks leaving her to marvel at her caustic creation. A light grin touched her lips as the toxin laid in her hands and as she sensed the rising heat she knew she had little time. With what little night remained Qiaolian dashed from the slumbering temple light steps carrying her through the dense foliage between the sect and the lands below. With untraveled paths gracing her steps, Qiaolian settled below a great tree and there she consulted the plates for her last steps.

 

“Akin to smothering a fire with wood gu poison can be defeated by an overflow of qi increasing one's aptitude however qi must be drawn from a reliable continuous source’.

 

Eyeing the woods cautiously, Qiaolin sighed as she looked at the bottle of poison before her. Her hands shook as she held the bottle a creep of fear forcing her mouth to dry and her hands to sweat. Bated breath escaped her lips and with a grit of determination, the bottle flew to her lips as the bitter mixture slid down her throat. With the taste of mustard seed and the texture of dung, her mouth sat ruined while a stabbing pain took her chest.

 

Grappling back against the cool tree, Qiaolian sensed the heat rising within. The burn crept through her lungs turning each breath into a wheezing retch while her extremities buzzed with pins and needles. Digging her fingers into the rough earth, Qiaolian clutched the soil with manic desperation as she fought to draw in the surrounding qi. 

 

The winds shifted against her form forcing her to shake and shiver and from there qi emerged.

 

The earth sunk stabbing her flesh and cracking her nails and from there qi emerged.

 

The pests and the beasts as they eyed the strange creature fell away as they approached as from them qi emerged.

 

Each trickle was brought through clawing force as qi flowed deep into Qiaoliang sweaty form. Her arms little more than damp twigs shook at the surging strength yet the burn grew greater still. Her eye hung heavy as rest tempted her dulling senses with eternal slumber but with a bite of her lip awareness returned for the briefest of moments.

 

‘More, I need to draw more. I need all of it! Everything! I need everything to become my strength’

 

Qi fell away from its natural course drawn by the will of another and with it, darkness followed. The ground became hard while plants came to wither, beasts laid to rest only to never awaken. All was flowing to black star burning with the will to survive.

 

Until the flame finally went out.

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