Unintended Cultivator

V12 Chapter 66 – The Great and Mighty Imperial Lu Clan

There was something truly odd about watching an army prepare to leave, in Sen’s opinion. There had been at least semi-orderly rows of tents, makeshift paddocks for the officer’s horses, and a frankly staggering amount of wood smoke. Now, it looked as though someone had disturbed an especially large anthill. Bodies were moving in what, at first glance, appeared to be random directions and cross purposes. Yet, bit by bit, the tents were coming down. Gear was being stowed in packs, and what had been a comparatively idle mass of human beings was now a horde composed of bellowing, motivated individuals.

Not that even this hive of activity was a true signal of the army’s departure. That wouldn’t happen for at least another day. Something that was allowing Sen to briefly avoid the onerous duty of telling Yue Shui that she would not, in fact, be coming with the departing army. Her unhappiness at that would only be compounded by the difficulties in explaining it. If she were an adult, he could just lay out the facts. Unfortunately, she was a very little girl, and he had enough experience with very small children to understand that facts meant nothing to them. They were cauldrons of emotion with only the thinnest layer of civilization painted on top.

“You can’t take her with us,” said Misty Peak.

Sen gave her a suspicious look and said, “I can’t take who with us?”

“You know who,” she said with a roll of her eyes. “That adorable little girl that you’re still pretending isn’t going to be adopted directly into the great and mighty imperial Lu clan.”

Sen peered out for the city wall and said, “You can’t possibly know I was thinking about Shui.”

“How could I not know? You look like a puppy that’s been left out in the rain whenever you think about her.”

“I most certainly do not.”

“You do,” said Falling Leaf from his other side.

He tried to glare at her for that betrayal, only to be caught off guard by the sight of her tossing rocks into the air. Except that she was alternating throws, so the rocks appeared to be moving in a complicated pattern in the air.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“I saw a human doing it to entertain other humans. I wanted to see if I could do it.”

After watching for a few more moments, he said, “Well, it appears that you can.”

The ghost panther sighed and caught each of the small stones.

“I thought it might be interesting, but it turned out to be easy.”

“I fear I underestimated how bored you were here,” admitted Sen.

It was Falling Leaf’s turn to glare at him.

“Very bored, human boy. I have been very bored. You didn’t even take me on your hunt.”

Realizing that there was no victory to be found down that conversational path, Sen turned his attention back to Misty Peak.

“As for the supposedly mighty Lu clan, just how mighty can we be? There are only three of us at the moment.”

“Oh, please. Maybe there’s only three of you officially, but that means exactly nothing. Everyone knows that particular clan includes at least three or four demigods as honorary members. Old monsters who will cheerfully smite anyone stupid enough to bother your girls. Then, there’s her,” said Misty Peak, nodding in Falling Leaf’s direction. “Throw you in, and that’s enough combined might to topple kingdoms.”

She was probably right, but Sen hated admitting that Misty Peak was right about anything. He feared it would set a bad precedent.

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“Fine, but what makes you think I’m adopting her?”

“History? Reason? My ability to see? Any of those would do. Also, who else would you trust her with? Someone here?”

“I feel like you’re trying to irritate me today.”

“No. It is a benefit,” she answered with amusement in her eyes, “but it’s not my intention.”

“What is your intention?”

Some of the humor faded from her expression to be replaced with something more somber.

“To remind you that a battlefield is no place for a child. Even foxes know that.”

“I know that, too.”

“Do you?” asked Falling Leaf, fixing him in place with her eyes. “That hasn’t been clear recently.”

“I do,” said Sen in a voice too weary for someone as young as he looked. “I’m not that far gone. Not yet. It doesn’t mean I have to like the way this situation turned out. I had intended to leave her here, but with the way everything happened—” he trailed off. “Well, I have my reservations about her safety here.”

“Will you send her back to the capital?” asked Misty Peak. “Surely, your allies there would protect her.”

“I’ve considered it. Grandmother Lu is there, try her patience though it does. I just worry she won’t have the time or attention to spare. Then again, I doubt anyone has the time and attention to spare with things the way they are. I’d prefer to send Shui back to the sect, but that is a very long journey. It’s probably not as wildly dangerous as it used to be, but I’d have to send core cultivators to make sure she got there safely. I don’t think I can afford to sacrifice anyone that valuable on the battlefield. Not for something that won’t affect the outcome of the war.”

“You should just ask the Feng or the Kho to take her,” observed Falling Leaf.

“I’ve tried reaching out to them through the communication cores, just to find out where they are, if nothing else. I haven’t had any luck. It’s possible the core they had was lost or damaged. There may be some limit to how far it can reach. I’ve talked to Glimmer of Night about it, but even he isn’t sure. And if he doesn’t know, the answer doesn’t exist yet.”

“So complicated,” said Falling Leaf. “Just go talk to them.”

“I’d love to, if I knew where they were.”

Falling Leaf looked at him like he’d lost his mind before she pointed.

“They’re right over there.”

Sen followed the line of her finger and saw two figures in the extreme distance flying toward the city. Even with his enhanced body, he couldn’t make out their features. They were also beyond the reach of even Sen’s spiritual sense. He glanced toward Misty Peak, and she was squinting in the same direction and clearly not having any better luck than he was.

“Are you sure it’s them?” asked Sen, as he tried to make his vision better through pure force of will.

“Of course, I’m sure. Can’t you see them?” asked a suddenly perplexed ghost panther.

“I can see that someone is coming. I can’t tell who they are, though.”

Falling Leaf frowned in concentration for a few moments before she said, “Oh.”

The three of them waited in silence as the two figures drew ever closer. Finally, they got close enough that Sen could see them. He snorted when they finally became clear to his eyes.

“What?” asked Misty Peak. “I can’t see them yet.”

“Master Feng looks grumpy, and Uncle Kho is reading a scroll,” said Sen with a broad smile.

“Fate’s Razor looking grumpy doesn’t sound like a reason to celebrate,” observed the nine-tail fox.

“It is. If he looks grumpy, it means that everything is normal. Same with Uncle Kho reading a scroll. If they looked angry or worried, I’d be very concerned.”

“How concerned?”

“Panic is probably the word for it. I’d be panicking.”

“I didn’t think you knew how to panic.”

“I do. I just keep it on the inside. Panic is like spilled wine. It spreads.”

When Master Feng and Uncle Kho got close enough, Sen formed a qi platform beneath himself, Falling Leaf, and Misty Peak, and lifted them into the air. He gave the fox-woman a stern look.

“Best behavior,” he admonished.

“You’re damned right about that,” she said in a tight voice. “Is it too late to stay behind?”

“Yes,” said Sen.

Sen met the long-absent nascent soul cultivators near the city walls. Master Feng gave him a long look.

“I see you’ve advanced again. Nascent soul. It’s a big step.”

“He can tell that just by looking at you?” whispered Misty Peak.

“First, he can hear you. Second, he already knew. Auntie Caihong told them.”

Master Feng sighed and looked at Uncle Kho.

“He never did have the appropriate awe for us.”

Uncle Kho looked up from his scroll, nodded, and said, “I’ve always rather liked that about him.”

“So do I, but would it kill him to at least pretend in front of the fox and the panther?”

“The panther already knew,” said Uncle Kho. “Which reminds me. It’s good to see you again, Falling Leaf.”

“And you, Kho,” she answered. “You as well, old dragon.”

Master Feng straightened up a little at that.

“At least she knows how to greet us. I always liked you best, Falling Leaf. You could learn something from her, boy.”

Sen grinned at the twinkle in Master Feng’s eyes and said, “I am very happy to see the two of you.”

Before he could say anything else, a tiny voice wafted up to them.

“Uncle Sen!”

Uncle Kho lifted an eyebrow and asked, “Sen, why is a tiny mortal girl trying so hard to get your attention?”

Sen pinched the bridge of his nose and said, “About that.”