Chapter 344 - Changes (I)
Chapter 344
Changes (I)
The journey along the lake's shores has been... dull, to say the least. Every day felt the same--so much so that I've been going a bit mad, to be honest.
It wasn't just the days that felt the same--it was the landscape, too. It never changed.
To our right extended the lake; to our front, just dirt and sand and mud; and to our left were mostly hills and then the trees beyond them. No matter how much distance we crossed, it felt like we were standing in the same place.
For a little while there, I thought we got caught in some entrapment array or something. But, considering that none of the folk who are far wiser than me in these matters ever mentioned anything, that's unlikely to be the case.
... which must mean that this is just one of those places in the world that goes on forever without changing. Kind of like driving through the Midwest, in a way; just an endless road through a song of nothing, lonelier than, I dunno, a teenage boy with a face full of freshly-brewed acne?
We stayed on foot for most of the day, as the temperatures were rather pleasant. Except at night, when they tended to actually drop near or even below zero.
Two days passed like that before I decided to deal out the rewards, as I'd finally finished 'sorting' them.
"Oh, you do it like that!" As we ate dinner, the kids all discussed Martial Arts, as they often did, with Long Tao occasionally throwing out a piece of advice or two toward Xi Zhao. "Thank you, Senior Brother!"
"Humph. Forget that, Zhao. When are you going to break through?" Dai Xiu teased. "Aren't you embarrassed?"
"He he, I am, Senior Sister..." He certainly didn't look embarrassed; he looked more annoyed that she kept asking him that every meal.
"Alright, before you lot start again," I interrupted as I knew if I didn't, they'd be at it all night long. "Master has some rewards to give."
"Oooh!!"
"What kind of rewards?!"
"I can't wait!"
"Whatever Master gives, I will cherish it with my life!"
"..." yeah, for however much they've changed since the start... the core of who they were as kids is still loosely the same. "Khm. Quiet." They finally did quiet down. "First, Rayce."
"Y-yes, Master?"
"Here," I procured the 'Circle of Light', which was simply a pin-sized piece of metal arrayed with a faint, golden hue. "It's called Circle of Light. It allows you to form an independent magic circle."
"...!!!" while others merely exclaimed softly, three people in particular had their jaws hanging immediately: Rayce, Long Tao, and Lao Shun.
They all whipped their heads toward me and looked at me as though I were of an alien species. Having practiced for that very moment, I merely took a sip of the tea, as though it were the most common thing in the world.
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"Lao Shun," I took out the Infernal Cauldron--luckily, it came in two sizes: its actual one (which I've yet to test) and the miniature one, sort of like the chariot.
"What's that?"
"A cauldron."
"A cauldron?" he shot me a rather snide look. "Like I'd need a caul--HOLY SPIRIT OF DAO, WHAT IN GOD'S NAME IS THIS?!!!" His tune changed as soon as the little fire-spun thing landed on his palms.
He shot up to his feet like a bullet, his expression in an utter upheaval as his hands trembled as though there were a world-ending earthquake.
"T-t-t-t-his..." I've never heard a grown man stutter that much, and that includes me trying to ask Ashley out back in high school.
"Xi Zhao," I said, taking out Single Severance. Now that he's unlocked the Endless Draws trait, this godforsaken thing can actually be useful without becoming a major handicap. "This is an art that my Father once talked about at length. While extremely powerful, it also settles you into a singular Dao. Before you commit to it, read through the art, look within yourself, and come and talk with me once you've made your decision."
"Y-yes, Master!!" Xi Zhao took it with trembling fingers and immediately opened it up, ignoring everything else.
"Long Tao," I turned toward the old monster, who, actually, winced.
"Y-yes?" and even stuttered! Holy shit!
"You've been at the peak of the Spirit Manifestation Realm for a long time now. It's time you broke through."
"No, I--"
"Trust your Master," I said. "And simply break through. That is my reward to you."
"..."
That left Wan Lan, Dai Xiu, Xing Feng, and Light.
Actually... I didn't have anything specific for them. I could give them random shit from my inventory, but that would be pointless. In more ways than one. What I can give them, though, is whatever martial arts they want.
"M-Master, w-what about me...?" Dai Xiu asked, suddenly acting completely differently to the girl she was when facing Xi Zhao.
"I don't have specific items for you four, but I will hear your wishes," I said. "What Martial Art do you desire? Whatever it is, Master will search the ends of the world to find it for you. In just a few days, at that." I could basically hear them rolling their eyes, even though none of them actually rolled them. How is that even freakin' possible?
"In that case," Dai Xiu said. "I want a better movement art!"
"Oh?"
"D-don't get me wrong, Master! Shadow Steps is really amazing, but... I, I feel it doesn't suit me that well."
"What kind of movement art do you want, then?"
"One that would allow me to surprise others! I want to be so fast that they can't follow me with their eyes!" ... yeah, that's not vague at all.
"Very well. Master will see what he can do. Wan Lan?"
"Hmm," she mulled over it for a moment before replying. "An offensive art. Any, really. While we were fighting against those cloaked toads, I realized that, even if I can endure fighting for a long time, I really struggle to defeat them."
"Hm. Good point. Master will--"
"--I want an art that makes me fly!" oi, Light.
"... what?"
"I want an art that makes me fly."
"If, if you keep cultivating diligently, eventually you'll be able to fly without an art."
"No! That will take too long! I want to be able to fly now." She stared at me with those beady eyes, though I knew that behind that stubbornness was likely some insecurity.
"... fine," can I make a flying art? Honestly, I never thought so. I mean, that's something cultivators can do naturally at some point, so why would I? But... heh, the prospect of already being able to fly? "But that's not an Art exclusive to you. What do you want?"
"... uh, I don't know," she said, appearing a bit confused for a moment. "Can I think about it first?"
"Yes, of course. That leaves you, Feng'er." I turned toward the young boy who was quietly nibbling away at some fruit, seeming rather confused by it all. "What do you want?"
"... I can have a reward, too? But... I didn't do anything..."
"That's not true," I said. "You were very brave. Even in the face of those monsters, you were brave. That alone deserves a reward."
"A-ah," he shyly looked down, his cheeks flushing a bit. "I... I don't know what I want..."
"Hmm. How about Master finds something for you, then?"
"R-really?! Okay! I will trust Master!"
"Ho ho ho, it's good to trust your Master," I said. "Alright, alright. Everyone's free to go and test their--" I couldn't even fit in a sentence before they all bolted out. Well, not everyone--Xing Feng stayed. I have a feeling he and I will become best friends rather quickly...
... just how depressing is that, actually?