Myriad Rivers to the Sea

Li Yu stood before the towering pale silver trees. He took a deep breath of the crisp evening air. He did not summon his Star Crusher staff. He simply channeled a thin concentrated edge of Qi along the side of his palm.

He stepped forward and struck the trunk of the nearest tree.

His hand passed through the thick wood with zero resistance. The tree groaned and tipped, falling to the floor with a loud echoing thud. Li Yu moved to the next tree and repeated the process. He fell two dozen trees in a matter of minutes. He dragged the heavy trunks out of the forest and piled them in the center of his ten acre plot.

Using his Qi as a blade he stripped the branches and sheared the bark away. He was left with a large pile of smooth silver logs. That was the easy part.

As Li Yu stood looking at the pile of raw timber he realized a glaring problem. He had no experience building a home. He had spent his life cultivating, fighting and traveling. He knew how to break things apart with devastating efficiency but putting things together was an entirely different set of laws.

He got to see the amazing craftsmanship that others had used in building grand places or simply their homes. Li Yu understood what things should look like and what was needed but to put it into actual practice was a completely different matter.

All he could do now was his best.

He decided to forgo complex joinery since he had no idea how it worked. He settled for the most basic design possible. He cut deep notches near the ends of the logs and began stacking them one on top of the other. The work went fast due to his physical strength but the result was incredibly rough.

The logs did not sit perfectly flush. There were uneven gaps between the timber walls where the wind blew right through. He used heavy mud from the riverbank to pack the empty spaces and seal the drafts. For the roof he gathered thick wide leaves from the forest and layered them over a lattice of thin branches.

By the time the three suns rose the next morning his work was complete.

It was absolutely not an architectural marvel. It was a crude and blocky log cabin. Right next to it stood a two story log tower that looked even more precarious. The structures leaned slightly. The doorways were uneven and the mud packing gave the exterior a messy and smeared appearance.

He walked into the small courtyard he had framed with leftover timber. He took a thick log and sliced it straight down the middle. He laid the two half log pieces on the ground to serve as benches. He stood a wider stump upright in the center to act as a rough table.

Li Yu sat on his new half log bench. It was hard and terribly uncomfortable. The table wobbled slightly as well. However, a feeling of accomplishment still washed over Li Yu as he got to enjoy the fruits of his labor. The Dao was in everything and even the simple act of building a home, regardless of how poor it was a learning opportunity when the mind was in the right state.

He looked at his new estate. It was completely functional but it was not pretty. It offered shelter from the rain and a place to rest his head but it lacked any semblance of craftsmanship or beauty.

"This is definitely something I need to work on," Li Yu said to himself. He made a firm mental note to improve his building skills over time here. He vowed to replace the uncomfortable benches and fix the drafty walls as soon as he learned how to properly work the wood.

Before heading into town, Li Yu spent the next hour exploring his property. He wanted to understand every single detail of the land he was claiming. He walked the perimeter and made specific notes of the terrain.

The center of the property possessed a gentle rolling slope. The dark soil here was incredibly loose and rich. The slope provided excellent natural drainage so water would not pool and drown the roots of his future crops. This would be his main farming field.

Near the river side of the plot he found a natural depression in the earth surrounded by smooth white stones. The river water pooled slightly here before rejoining the main current. It was a perfect ready made basin. He noted this spot for later. He planned to dig it out further and establish a proper pond for his fish.

On the far forest side of the property the pale silver trees grew incredibly dense. The canopy was thick enough to block out the suns creating a cool shaded grove. The ambient Qi here was completely still and peaceful. It was an ideal natural environment for shade loving herbs and delicate flowers.

With his property fully mapped in his mind Li Yu washed the dirt from his hands in the river and set off toward the town of Silkwood.

The walk took only a few minutes. Silkwood was a peaceful settlement. The residents were mostly moth kin with soft iridescent wings and various other insectoid merchants. They moved at a relaxed pace and were entirely detached from the bloody politics of the capital.

The town was close enough to the capital so there were rarely if ever any bandits coming here. It was mainly an agricultural town but not very big so it did not hold any strategic advantage that would make it a target. This combination made the town one of the most peaceful within the realm. Perhaps the Queen decided to give Li Yu a piece of land here while knowing that.

Li Yu walked down the smooth stone streets and took note of the local establishments. The center of the town was a large open air market. Brightly colored silk banners hung between the stalls. The area was called The Weaver's Square by the locals.

Just off the main square he heard the rhythmic ringing of metal on metal. He found a sturdy stone building pouring thick smoke from its chimney. An imposing beetle demon was hammering a glowing chest plate. This was the Chitin Forge.

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Further down the street he passed a lively building filled with laughter and the rich smell of roasted meats and sweet wine. It was a place for the locals to gather after a long day of work. This was the Silver Lantern.

He bypassed a few small food stalls selling spiced grubs and clear broths. He finally found exactly what he was looking for. It was a wide wooden shop overflowing with burlap sacks, clay pots and hanging dried vines. A wooden sign above the door read The Sprouting Husk.

Li Yu stepped inside. The air smelled of rich damp earth and crushed leaves.

"Welcome to my shop, traveler!" A voice called out from behind a long wooden counter.

The owner was a middle aged person with moth kin features. He had soft grey wings folded neatly against his back and a calm welcoming smile. He did not possess a strong cultivation aura. He was simply a man who dedicated his life to the soil.

"My name is Oren," The owner introduced himself. "What can the Sprouting Husk provide for you today?"

"I am new to Silkwood." Li Yu replied. "I recently acquired a plot of land just outside town. I want to start a farm. I am interested in watching and learning how different things grow. I need a wide variety of seeds. Vegetables, grains, herbs and flowers. I want to try my hand at growing a bit of everything"

Oren’s eyes lit up with genuine enthusiasm.

"You came to the right place!" Oren said while walking out from behind the counter. "Farming is a test of patience. The soil teaches you everything if you are willing to listen. Let me gather a diverse selection for you."

Oren moved through the aisles with practiced efficiency. He was pulling small pouches from various sacks and jars. He returned to the counter and laid out eleven different types of seeds.

"For fast growth and sturdy roots I recommend Silverleaf Radishes," Oren said, pointing to the first pouch. "They absorb ambient Qi into their leaves making them incredibly crisp. Next are Spirit Root Carrots. They grow deep underground and require very loose soil to expand properly."

Oren tapped a pouch of dark green shells. "These are Void Pod Peas. They grow on creeping vines and yield a high harvest. I also included Sunfire Gourds. They produce large orange fruits that retain natural heat."

"What about leafy greens and grains?" Li Yu asked.

"Azure Cloud Cabbage," Oren answered, pushing another pouch forward. "The leaves hold moisture from the morning dew and look like swirling clouds. For grains I included Ironstalk Wheat. The stalks are incredibly durable and consuming the grain helps temper the physical body. I also added Bone Marrow Beans. They are a rich legume that fortifies the blood and improves the soil they are grown in."

Li Yu nodded and was absorbing the vast amount of agricultural knowledge. "And the herbs and flowers?"

"Starfire Peppers will ignite a tiny spark of Qi in the stomach," Oren explained. "While Frostbite Mint spreads quickly and provides cooling properties to soothe internal heat. Finally, I included two very special flowers. Blood Lotus seeds for the water and Moonshade Orchids for the dark. The orchids only bloom in deep shade and their scent calms the mind."

"Thank you for your help Oren, this is perfect." Li Yu said as he was placing the pouches in his spatial ring. "Do you have any common Qi gathering arrays? Something designed specifically for agricultural use."

"Of course." Oren reached under the counter and produced a set of small polished wooden stakes etched with simple gathering runes. "Plant these at the corners of your field. They draw the ambient spiritual energy of the environment directly into the topsoil. It speeds up the natural growth cycle without burning the roots."

Li Yu paid for the eleven seed varieties, the array stakes and a few basic iron farming tools. He thanked Oren for the advice and carried his supplies back to his plot. When Li Yu returned to his land the three suns were sitting high in the sky. It was time to begin the actual work.

He walked to the gentle slope in the center of his property. He took the iron hoe he purchased and drove it into the ground.

He could have used his cultivation to move the earth apart and turn the soil in a fraction of a second. But he deliberately did not do so. He relied purely on his physical muscles. He wanted to feel the resistance of the earth. He wanted to do things carefully and well. Some flashes of demons trying to do agriculture flashed through his mind while he was doing this work that brought smiles and some laughter to him.

He swung the hoe, pulling the dark rich soil up and breaking the thick clumps apart. He worked in straight lines and was creating long even rows across the slope. It took him several hours of continuous manual labor to properly plow the field. The goal was care not speed.

When the earth was fully turned and loose he began planting. He carefully separated the seeds. He planted the Silverleaf Radishes, Spirit Root Carrots, Azure Cloud Cabbage, Bone Marrow Beans, Ironstalk Wheat, and Starfire Peppers in long alternating rows ensuring they had enough depth. He planted the Void Pod Peas and the Sunfire Gourds near the edges where he planned to build trellises for their vines later. He tucked the Frostbite Mint near the base of the tower where it could spread freely.

He left the main field and walked down to the natural depression by the riverbank. He tossed the Blood Lotus seeds directly into the pooled water. He then walked to the far shaded grove under the canopy of the pale silver trees and carefully planted the Moonshade Orchids in the cool still dirt.

Once all eleven varieties were buried, Li Yu walked to the corners of the plowed field. He drove the wooden array stakes into the dirt. The moment the final stake was placed, a faint hum vibrated through the ground. He could feel the ambient spiritual energy of the area slowly shifting being drawn directly into the soil to nourish the sleeping seeds.

His final task for the day was watering.

He grabbed two wooden buckets and walked down to the clear river. He filled them to the brim and carried them back up the slope. He walked methodically up and down the rows pouring the fresh water over the freshly turned earth. He repeated the trip to the river dozens of times until the entire field was perfectly damp.

The suns began to set and was casting long shadows across his land. Li Yu washed his hands in the river and walked back to his rough log courtyard. He sat down on his uncomfortable half log bench and looked out over his property.

His house was ugly. His furniture wobbled. He had dirt under his fingernails and there was nothing to show for it besides a damp but empty field.

But as he sat there watching the dark wet soil of his new farm he felt an incredible sense of peace. He had established his foundation in this realm. The first foundation he had established in a long time. Ever since the Green Mountain Sect was destroyed, he had been traveling. He rebuilt the area where the sect once was but it still didn’t feel quite right. He was trying to restore something that wasn’t there anymore. The area had then turned into the main headquarters of the Golden Shell Guild and he had not been there for a long time.

Now he had this piece of land. He owed it outright and he had just set a little bit of his roots here. His journey had led him here. Li Yu was like a constant traveler who didn’t even know how much he missed ‘home’ until he was back within the comfort of his own place.

The violent cycle of destruction and rebirth he endured during the poison purge was no longer ravaging his body. It was now safely contained within the earth waiting to sprout.

He boiled a pot of river water on a small fire and brewed himself a cup of bitter root tea. He sat in the quiet evening and was entirely content to watch the soil and wait for life to begin.