Unintended Cultivator

V13 Chapter 42 – Eerie

Moving through the city proved an utterly surreal experience. Sen was used to expressions that ranged from hard-edged anger and uncertainty to naked fear. In this city, all that was on display were expressions of curiosity mixed with a few slightly apprehensive gazes. The people might not be entirely happy with the appearance of foreign soldiers and cultivators, but nobody was afraid. Nor, it turned out, was there an army waiting to spring a trap on Sen and his people. There were soldiers here and there, but they weren’t hostile. Most of them weren’t even armed, let alone armored. Both things Sen would have expected from people preparing for violence.

Not that everyone was taking this shift in authority completely in stride. While the people and soldiers were out and going about what appeared to be their daily business, there wasn’t a cultivator in sight. Their brighter sparks were clumped together in what had to be sect compounds, all of which were at a distance from the roads on which Sen was currently traveling. He didn’t know if that was an intentional act on the part of the foreign generals leading them to the palace. If it wasn’t an intentional act, it was a strange coincidence. If it was, it showed a degree of calculated wisdom. Marching Sen directly past a sect compound was likely to invite a conflict that no one wanted. At least, no one wanted it yet.

The sects were undoubtedly debating if they had the strength to overcome Sen and his cultivators. They might have even been contemplating or discussing allying with the other sects. However, sects were too proud, as a rule, to believe that any other sect could match them. That same pride also meant that most of the sects in the city were carrying around long-standing grudges against the others. None of which precluded the possibility of an alliance, but it made it highly unlikely. As for the mortal leadership, they would want to have matters settled with Sen before any cultivator violence ensued. Not that it would help them much if the sect tried to go to war with Sen. He would try to protect the mortals as and where he could, but he couldn’t intervene in every single fight. That was beyond even nascent soul speed.

That surreal feeling never released its grasp on Sen as he made his way into the palace. There, he was greeted at every turn by calm faces and greetings that bordered on friendly. Even the people he picked out as nobles were behaving politely. Actual politeness, and not the knife-edged politeness he’d come to expect. Finally, he turned to Master Feng and raised a wind barrier around them.

“This is eerie, right? It’s not just me thinking it’s too easy?” Sen asked in a tone that only just fell short of pleading.

Master Feng’s expression was schooled into neutrality, but Sen could see something in the elder cultivator’s eyes.

“It’s not just you,” admitted the other man. “A show of politeness is one thing, but this looks genuine. I’m starting to wish that I’d spent more time in this city. That, at least, might have given me some insight into all of this.”

“Well, there are cultivators waiting up ahead in what I assume is the throne room. We can probably expect them to act true to form, even if no one else does.”

“Hmmmm,” said Master Feng. “It’s probably best not to assume anything.”

“They are cultivators,” said Sen, using those three words as a shorthand for a lengthy argument.

“They are, but, then again, so are you. So is that friend of yours. What do you call him, Righteous Wu Gang?”

Sen blinked at his teacher in surprise and asked, “You know about Righteous Wu Gang?”

It was true that Wu Gang and Master Feng had been in proximity to each other a few times. Of course, it was also true that Wu Gang had gone to great lengths to steer clear of Master Feng. Sen had always dismissed that as the man trying to avoid the attention of a historically murderous nascent soul cultivator. One might even call a decision like that uncommonly wise for a younger cultivator.

Master Feng snorted and said, “Everyone knows about Righteous Wu Gang. I was curious about him, but he was avoiding me. So, I let him.”

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“You noticed that?”

“It was hard to miss. He never actually ran away, but it came close a few times. It was sort of funny, to be honest. He’s never done anything to make me angry with him.”

“He was probably hoping to keep not making you angry with him. Some of you nascent soul cultivators have a reputation for being mercurial. Sort of like some of the pettier gods. Except, you live here, instead of the heavens.”

“I—” started Master Feng. “No. That’s fair. We can be a temperamental group.”

“I’m not temperamental,” said Sen.

His teacher lifted an eyebrow at him and asked, “Who told you that lie? You’re just as temperamental as the rest of us. You’re just capricious about different things.”

“Capricious? That sounds a little harsh.”

“Does it?”

Sen didn’t need to think back very far before he sighed.

“No, I guess it doesn’t.”

“I suppose it’s one of the benefits of being a nascent soul cultivator or an emperor. You’re expected to be capricious from time to time.”

“That doesn’t sound like a benefit.”

“It’s not for the people you interact with. It’s a benefit for you. People accept certain things because it falls within their expectations.”

Sen looked ahead and saw the doors to what had to be the throne room. That was a relief. It was an excuse to abandon the dreary conversation he was having. He dismissed the wind barrier that had been obscuring their conversation. As they approached the throne room, there were the usual formalities of introducing him. They also introduced Master Feng this time, which they didn’t normally do. It was his turn to lift an eyebrow. His teacher offered a tiny shrug.

“I expect all of that extra attention I’ve been paying them has made the whole lot more respectful.”

“That’s not necessarily a bad thing,” said Sen. “Assuming it doesn’t get out of hand.”

“I’m the very soul of restraint, Sen. You know that.”

Shaking his head a little at the outrageous claim, Sen squared his shoulders and strode into the throne room. He did his best to project the imperial authority he possessed by right, but never really felt in his heart. He supposed it might be one of those things that someone needed to be born into to ever really possess it in truth. Once again, he was met with something other than what he expected. There were nobles gathered, but most of them peered at him with open curiosity instead of hostility bared like a blade. Sen’s eyes moved over toward the throne, where he saw a child.

Well, he supposed the young man must have reached the age of adulthood if he was a crowned monarch. In truth, the youth probably looked like he was of an age with Sen. The king appeared almost excited to see Sen. It also looked like the rules of politeness and courtesy were the only things keeping that feeling in check. Standing next to the young man was a woman. She was older than the king, but it wasn’t clear by how much. There was a resemblance there. She might be an older cousin or, possibly, the boy’s mother. If that was the case, though, Sen couldn’t imagine a reason why she wasn’t sitting on the throne. Finally, he turned his gaze to the people he most expected trouble from. The cultivators.

Much as they usually did, they stood at the back of the room in a tight clump. The nobles gave them a wide berth. It was as though an invisible but impervious line had been drawn on the floor at a certain distance from the sect leaders. That’s what they had to be if they were in this room. They probably weren’t patriarchs and matriarchs. Sen’s deeds had become sufficiently well-known that only fools or the defeated would put their true leaders within his grasp. They were elders in all likelihood. When he met their eyes, he saw much more apprehension than curiosity in their gazes.

Even with them, though, there wasn’t the anger or aggression he’d come to expect. Sen was honestly starting to wonder if everyone in this kingdom was under the effect of some strange soul technique he didn’t know about. Or, perhaps, they were taking an alchemical potion to steady their nerves and dampen their arrogance. He couldn’t make sense of it and, he realized, this wasn’t the time to try. He finally turned his full attention to the young man who served as king. The youth immediately rose from the throne and offered Sen an incredibly deep bow.

“Emperor Lu, I am Gao Kangrui, King of Ningjing. I formally surrender to you and ask for acceptance into your empire as a province.”

For a brief moment, Sen felt an almost irresistible urge to say something flippant. Maybe something like, Sure. Why not? The only thing that kept him from giving in to that impetuous idea was the thought of Auntie Caihong’s disapproving look. He knew, without doubt, that she would give him that look when she heard the story. Gathering himself, he tried to think of something more appropriate to say.

“Gao Kangrui,” said Sen in his best impression of a momentous voice, “I, Emperor Lu, accept your surrender. While details will need to be discussed, you can consider these lands as a province in my empire.”

The collective sigh of relief that went through the room caused Sen to glance at Master Feng. The elder cultivator’s eyebrows were drawn together. Then, as if to indicate his lost interest in the subject, he shrugged.