42 – The First Trial

Thump thump thump

“EGADS!”

“Wuh!” 

I lurched awake. Throwing Yinrui off my chest.

I pat my chest. “You've been jumping on me?”

“Humph.” She turned her head away “You’ve been snoring loudly for three days.”

I blink twice. “Already?” 

How can I sleep for three days? Whatever, I will ask the old man why later. I look around to see that no one is here. Yinrui followed behind me as I went to the entrance. It seems like everyone is waiting for me at the entrance. Baoji with his wide grin and old man Zichen in his purple robe. Then I see Fumo and his senior brother.

Yesterday just after the meeting concluded…

“I apologize for my senior brother’s behavior,” Fumo apologized.

“The burly, thug looking one?” I asked. “I don’t know man. What’s his deal anyway?”

Fumo frowns. “Like you, senior brother Jianglong only began cultivating as an adult. Before that… he was a bandit.”

“Now that makes sense.”

“Please understand,” Fumo continued. “His temperament is heavily shaped by deep regret.”

Aren’t we all? But I keep this to myself. “Why? What did he do?”

“It was long before I was born. Senior Brother earned his title ‘Dragon Subduer’ after slaying a river dragon that had rampaged along the southern branches of the Great River Yan. more than two centuries ago.” Fumo explains. 

“But before that, he had spared the same dragon three times. The dragon had begged for mercy, and Jianglong had known it since childhood. Each time he showed mercy, however, the dragon brought ruin to hundreds of families. families he had sworn to protect.”

“So in his eyes, I’m that dragon?” I concluded.

“That is an oversimplification,” Fumo sighed. “But it is true and I apologize.”

“If you apologize one more time I’m going to hit your face.” I shove my fist to Fumo’s face.

Back to the present…

I looked down at Jianglong. He was taller than Fumo but still shorter than me. His habit was adorned with dragon-scale armor pieces. Knowing the story behind them, they probably served as both protection and a constant reminder of his failures. Will still shoot him if he tries to kill me though. I don’t know how effective my railguns will be against him. But if my railgun can affect senior sister Zhaoxia, then it should hurt to some degree.

Then our eyes met.

You are my brother! Why are you doing this!?

Mistake, Regret, Repeat!

Mistake, Regret, Repeat!

Damn… that’s just sad. 

Jianglong cupped his hands and bowed slightly. “I apologize for my conduct yesterday.”

If I still have eyebrows I will raise them. “That’s alright then. I apologize for my rage baiting yesterday too. I need to find out why exactly all of you are doing this.”

Jianglong nods. “I will take you to the trial. So… you may attend to your business.”

He said it as if I should be saying my goodbyes. But now that I know his name, I can hear his truths from the Noosphere. I looked at Zichen in the eyes. Nothing. 

“Would you mind taking care of Yinrui while I’m gone again?” I try to ask.

“I’m waiting for my daughter, but I’ve already made arrangements with the young monk,” Zichen replied, nodding toward Fumo.

“Thank you.” I nodded. “And uh, sorry for hogging your chair for three days.”

“I will relay your compliment to the maker.”

Then I look at Baoji. Still grinning. Let’s ignore him.

Then to Yinrui. Trying to act unbothered and looking away. A hand on her head is enough to break her act. Crying loudly.

“You’ll come back?” She asked, ears dropping.

“I promise I’ll try.”

Finally to Fumo. “If I don't get back, take her home. You know the way.” Then I start walking towards Jianglong. “And… don’t blame yourself for too long.”

I followed Jianglong to where the trial is. Monks lined the path, watching silently. Already this feels like a funeral procession.

“You’ll die. You know that,” Jianglong said after a long silence.

“Not before I shoot your master in the face,” I am confident in at least this much.

“Your death is certain.” Jianglong repeated. Did he expect a different response?

“All death is certain. Mine, yours, everyone else.” I try being pretentious again. Referring to a very old movie from my grandfather’s collection.

Jianglong glanced back but said nothing more. The rest of the walk was silent.

Then finally I reached the trial location. It is an empty, flat clearing. In the center stood a massive but broken down main door. Standing alone as if it once belonged to something far grander. Jianglong stood on the side.

Looks like this is my cue. I move and pull the door open. A staircase of ancient stone stretched upward into swirling mist and light. Neat. Three trials. Something of Greed, hatred, ignorance… and the Abbot waiting at the final one. I am never an exemplary person. But here goes nothing.

I step towards the stairs.

The door, closing behind me.

—

Jianglong looked at the now closed door. Feeling more uncomfortable than ever. Mostly from the brief interaction he had with Danxing. He has seen what happens when an adult mortal met a fortune and became a cultivator. They will be drunk in their newfound power. Abusing it and righting any perceived wrongs. Then die soon after if they did not correct themselves or beg for their lives.

But this Danxing, despite being a mortal more than a month ago, shows no sign of that. A sign of good education maybe. But his action during the discussion shows that he can. Despite that, he is too passive, doesn’t beg, too calm, too ready to die. Not even mortals live like this.

‘All death is certain. Mine, yours, and everyone else.’ The words echoed in Jianglong’s mind. Spoken so casually and in a mocking tone. Yet filled with absolute certainty and intent. It felt very suffocating, but also… liberating? Death and freedom. It is simply incomprehensible to him.

His master once said that the Dao is within all things. That even mortal may even comprehend some of it. So this… must be Danxing’s own Dao. Then he was reminded of his master. The heavy burden he always brought. The death and destruction of the previous Lingshan Temple. Perhaps this… is what his master needs.

So Jianglong sat down in front of the door and began to pray.

Let this not be a mistake. 

Let this not lead to more regrets.

—

“Why can’t they make these stairs straight?” I grumbled as the path continued to snake endlessly upward.

There was no practical reason for this design other than making the climb longer. I craned my head up, trying to see the end through the golden clouds and glowing mist, but nothing was visible.

“This feels exactly like a loading screen.”

So I went to more productive thoughts. Back then, I could see the truths from Jianglong. But not from Zichen somehow. Back in Jinchuan with Suxin, the Heaven's chosen, this ability triggers with simple eye contact. I didn’t know her name but as she is just a normal girl, the ability triggered with less requirements met. I have repeatedly had eye contact with Yinrui but the ability doesn’t trigger until I name her. Jianglong is Golden Core and my ability works after fulfilling three requirements met. Does that mean Zichen is a realm higher than Jianglong?

So from all I can surmise so far, the requirements would be eye contact, having a name or knowing the name, and difference in power not too large. Let’s assume that some of these requirements are also present in perceiving emotions. As I didn’t exactly see them on Baoji, Zichen, and Hanhua. I also need to properly name these abilities too as the book doesn’t codify their names. Hmmm. Truth Gleaning and Emotion Gleaning is enough for now.

After what felt like forever, I finally reached the top. Another set of grand doors stood before me. I pushed them open and peeked through. Beyond lay a misty forest path. The moment I stepped through, the doors vanished behind me. So this is where the trial begins. Already feeling a deja vu with my old VR games.

I started down the path. Tutorials should be appearing… now.

In the distance, the mountain trembled. A massive landslide roared down the slope, flattening everything in its path. When the dust finally settled, screams filled the air.

“HELP!” “HELP ME!” “MY SON!” “MOTHER!” and so on.

Quickly I make my way there. Flying with my AT field as using Great ThunderGod Steps might trigger more slides from the unstable land. When I arrived, what remained of a decent sized village lay half buried under rubble. Survivors were desperately digging with their bare hands.

I spread my divine sense across the entire area, mapping the original village layout and locating the living. Using a mix of earth manipulation and AT fields, I began lifting heavy debris. At first the villagers were terrified of my appearance, but they quickly moved to help once they saw I was pulling people out.

Many are saved from the rubble. Though most are not exactly fortunate. Many lost a limb or two from being crushed. In need of critical treatments or dying.

“Bring the ones needing treatment to me!” I shouted.

The villagers moved fast, carrying the worst cases. An exhausted father reached me first, his young son’s skull cracked open, blood everywhere. The father himself was badly wounded.

“Please help my son.” He begged.

“I’ll try.”

I am not a doctor and I rarely use biomancy too. But then I remembered the medical journal senior sister Zhaoxia had compiled for me. I took it out from my storage ring, flipping the pages until I found the one detailing head treatments. The image within the page is detailed enough that I can follow it. Draining blood, stopping the bleed, regenerating bone and tissue.

“My Son!” The father tries to shake his son awake.

“Let him rest, everything left is to wait if he will be awake or not.” Then I softly push the father and son away. “Next.”

I called out quite confidently after my first successful treatment. Only to see that I am way out of my depth as there are dozens. Each with more wounds than the last.

Hours passed. I did what I could, but far too many died before they reached me. The sound of mothers, fathers, and siblings wailing as I shook my head grew heavier with each passing case.

Truthfully, I didn’t know how effective my treatment will be. Even with Biomancy, I am mostly winging it. Every healing and regeneration I use is using the patient’s own energy. I tried using my own Qi to compensate but the result is almost ugly as the patient can’t hold the energy and almost explodes.

When I finally finished treating the last patient, I looked at the results. On one side was a makeshift shelter for the survivors. On the other, rows of bodies. More than half the villagers had died. 

Damn! Maybe… maybe I could have saved more if I read this journal much earlier.

“Immortal Master.” An old tired voice called out. 

I turn towards the voice. It is the man whose son is the first I treated. The wound on his arm and leg is badly bandaged. The son is nowhere to be seen. His face is wet with tears.

“I’m…”

“Thank you… for your mercy.” He said as he kowtow, head slamming the ground.

The rest of the villagers dropped what they were doing and knelt as well.

“We thank the Immortal Master for his benevolence!”

I took a deep breath.

It’s okay with me. I did something here.

“Alright. Stand.” I answer their thanks. “What would all of you do now?”

The man answers first. “Immortal master, we can rebuild. But, all our meagre wealth is now buried under the rubble.”

“What is your trade?”

“I am a carpenter.”

“Hmmm.” I thought to myself. 

There’s maybe something I can do here. Since I am in some kind of separate space that feels like a VR, these people are illusions too, right? Can I just project money and give it to them? But then I remember that the trial is about Greed too. Fuck it, just give em real money.

“Give me your pouch.” The carpenter did as asked. Giving me an old empty pouch. I put the pouch in my storage ring, filling it with fifty silver coins. Then pulling it out and giving it back to him.

“This should be enough to buy materials and hire more men should it be necessary to rebuild the village.” The carpenter accepts it with two hands in gratitude and everyone can see the pouch filled with coins.

Then another man came forward on his own. Kowtowing three times before speaking. “Immortal Master, I am the farmer of this village. If I can be presumptuous, I only need a few to restart the farm and feed the village.”

I nodded and I filled his pouch with thirty silver in my storage ring before giving it back. Everyone can see the filled pouch.

After him, came a young man. His clothes are dirty, but it is clear that his clothes are much more expensive than the rest of the villagers combined. He kowtow once before speaking.

“Immortal Master, I am the last man of my household. My family is the richest trader and caravan in this village. Please help me restore my family.”

Hmmm. His reasoning is not altruistic but honest. Besides, trade and caravan might be helpful in rebuilding the village. I picked his offered pouch. Fill it with only one gold, which should be equal to two hundred silver, and give it back to him. When he received his pouch, he felt it in his hands and frowns.

“Thank you Immortal Master.” The young man corrects himself and the villagers repeat.

Oh? After that, mist covers my entire vision. When it parts, I am once again back on the road. So… stage 1 clear? Or am I still in the first trial? Besides, what’s the purpose of this trial again? Positive karma farming?

I follow the road. Then, I saw the mountain where the previous landslide was. Then finally see the rebuilt village. A bit bigger than the layout I saw with my divine sense. One of the villagers saw me.

“Come! Come! Immortal Master has returned!” He shouts to the village with cheer.

With that, the villagers came out in droves. Pulling me into the village with a great cheer and gratitude. To the village head’s household. Immediately I am put into the seat and honor, feasts prepared. Then I saw the carpenter, who is now the head of the village. He looks more than a decade older. As he sat in front of me, he put a finely made small chest on the table.

“Immortal master.” He cupped his hand and bowed, his voice older and wizened. “Thanks to your help, we have rebuilt our village and made a fortune from exporting timber. Please, take this as our thanks.”

I checked the chest’s content and inside was 100 silver coins. Then, the farmer arrived next. He looks more than two decades older.

“Immortal master.” He cupped his hand and bowed, his voice older and tired. “Thanks to your help, the village can be self-sufficient. It might not be much, but we managed to save. So please, take this as our thanks.”

I accept the more simple small chest. Inside are 60 silver coins.

“Before I accept them,” I raise my finger, “This is not all your money right? Don’t use all your savings on my account.”

“Of course not. But we have enough and we are content.” The farmer said and the carpenter nodded.

Finally, it is the man from the trader household. But he looks not a single year older. He still has his better clothes, but he bring nothing.

“And how about you? It is okay, tell me the truth.” I said to the young man. Feeling an eerie sense of deja vu.

“Immortal master, I know you to be a cunning man. Reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you spread no seed. I have nothing and I have been given less. So I was afraid and I went and hid your gold in the ground.”

The carpenter and the farmer both look flabbergasted. That the young man has an entire gold the entire time that is still worth more than what they have done nothing with it.

“You idiot! The money I have given freely is meant to be used. What value is gold buried in the ground? If you are truly afraid to make a mistake then you can invest it on the carpenter’s export or to help the farmer to expand into a ranch!” I said in utter annoyance. I already bring myself to let the money be gone forever and to see it unused at all made me want to choke him.

Then I look towards the carpenter. “Take the one gold from him and divide it to both of you. Expand your export and buy some animals to expand the farm.”

After giving my judgement, I realized something. This feels awfully familiar.

Then like before, mist swirling until it covered my entire vision. Once again I am at the road where I start as the mist parted. My hand on my mouth as I walk once more. 

Did I just reenact a parable? 

But then I notice the soft glow in the distance. Then the screaming. The village is burning. Quickly I made my way there. Bandits all over the village. At the center is the young man from the trader household. Bloody sword in hand and the carpenter’s head in his other hand.

BOOM!

With a quick Divine Sense and railgun projections. He and all the bandits died in less than a second. I keep my Divine Sense spread out. Looking for any survivors. I found just one. I went to the village head’s house. Finding a scared little boy under the tile in a room. Gently I picked him up. He didn’t resist. Still trying with all his might to not cry. He looked at something behind me. So I cover his eyes. It's not something good to see.

“What do you want to do now?” I ask as I remove my hand from his eyes when we finally leave the village.

“My grandpa…” He hiccuped and tried not to cry again. “Said that I am smart and I need to study.”

“School right? It’s okay. I can help you with that.” There’s still a mountain of coins in my storage ring so I can help.

Once again the mist surrounds me. The young boy is no longer in my hands. When the cloud parted, I was on a completely different road. Wider and more maintained. In the distance I saw a young man. His clothes are dirty and ripped in multiple places. His face black and blue. He is the carpenter’s grandson. His eyes widened as he saw me. Then he turned around and ran away.

I caught him with my AT field and just pulled him back into the air to me.

“What happened to you?” I put him down in front of me.

“It’s nothing.” He looks away.

“This doesn’t look like nothing.” I point at this blackened eye. “Tell me.”

“I was kicked out of school.” He said after gathering his courage. “He calls me an orphan and accuses me of stealing. They don’t believe me when I say you are the one sponsoring me.” 

“Well that won’t do. Where’s this school?” I restrain my annoyance. “Lemme at 'em.”

“No no!” He said quickly. “It’s fine.”

“What you mean fine? They kick and beat you out of school.” So I went forward first. The young man followed behind.

“It’s okay! The lesson is dogshit anyway. They keep giving noble children extra credits and deduct mine and others for the slightest mistake.” He tried to stop me.

“Well… now I need to burn that thing down.” I hasten my steps and the young man needs to sprint to keep up with my stride.

“No, wait! I mean we can do something better!” He tried once more.

“Like what? Did you at least learn something good?” I slowed down. Can burn the school later. Better yet when he’s not with me so he’s not implicated.

“Well, it’s like this.” He led me to a fork in the road.

Then once again the mist gathers.

I found him once again. A little older. Drinking all his leftover money drunk. The business has failed. Another merchant group quickly copied him. He pushed me away. Telling me that he is a failure and not deserving help. I pulled him out of the place. Telling him to try once more. 

The mist gathered and parted.

Then I found him starving and begging in the streets. He tries to hide as he has no strength to run away from me. I pulled him away from the streets, fed him, clothed him once more.

The mist gathered and parted. On and on and on.

Each time he is older than before. Each time he failed. Oftentimes he tries to push me away. Plenty of times he is glad to see me again. I officiate his wedding. Then the mist gathered and parted.

Finally, the mist parted one last time. This time it is the end of the road. To a small humble home with a small fence. I entered the house. There’s no one here somehow. The carpenter’s grandson is on the bed. Head and beard white, face filled with the signs of old age. Older than any person I have ever seen.

I sat on a stool beside his bed. After a while, he woke up. His eyes is blind.

“Can I…” His voice was hoarse and aged. “Ask a question?”

“Go ahead.”

“Why me? Why do you help me? You can be anywhere else than here.”

I thought for a while. “I don’t know.” I never think that much.

“I guess I just… want to be that person that helps me when I was down and in need of help before. There’s no one for me back then. Maybe, I just don’t want you to suffer like me.” I keep my voice level.

He doesn’t answer. If there’s a sign he hears me or that if he has gone deaf too, there’s no sign of it.

“Will it be scary?” He asked once more.

“Not at all. You meet him every night. Every time you close your eyes and sleep.” I take a breath. “After that, you will wake up. As always. Just… not here anymore.”

“Thank you.” He then said and with that, he took his last breath.

The ground under my shoes felt colder than before.

The mist gathered and parted. Once more I am in the space with the stairs, golden clouds, and light once more.

“Xuan Danxing…” A voice came from above.

“You have failed this trial.”