Chương 8: B1 Chapter 8

"It is a pleasure to host you and your monkey again so soon, Daoist Scouring Medicine. I have taken the liberty of locking my workshop door this time."

"That is understandable. I appreciate your tolerance of his curiosity. You are perhaps the one person in this sect I would not wish his mischief upon." Daoist Enduring Oath suppressed a frown as the two cultivators sat down opposite each other. The sect was not perfect, and his sworn brother's poor treatment of late sat ill with him. But the depths of Li Xun's disillusionment disappointed him. The two of them had been through so much together wearing the Azure Mountain's emblem.

Would he really throw away half a century of history over his petty dispute with the new sect master?

"This?" The monkey asked, pointing to the third chair.

"Table?" Daoist Enduring Oath's eyes widened. When he'd first met the monkey, Daoist Scouring Medicine had insisted it was able to understand language. Even speak a few words. But the beast had been too excitable to demonstrate, and he'd been impressed enough at its willingness to sit quietly as the two men talked.

"Chair." Daoist Scouring Medicine corrected.

"No table?"

"No. Chairs are for sitting in, tables are for supporting objects." The monkey slapped its furry ass, then waved its hand.

"Table." It repeated without conviction.

"Chair bad word."

"I believe he's trying to say chairs are tables for butts and it is silly that we have different words for two very similar structures. He is still somewhat displeased I do not allow him to sit upon my worktables. And about the fact that human language contains multiple words for a given object." Daoist Scouring Medicine explained with a bemused expression.

"Incredible." Daoist Enduring Oath could not believe his ears.

"You are not putting words into its mouth? It's hard to believe this is the same monkey that ate my joinery salts not even a week ago." Daoist Scouring Medicine smiled smugly.

"Is it really that surprising? Surely you too have not lost faith in my medicine? I've long claimed the beast taming sects are but dabblers, acknowledged as experts because nobody more competent cares to properly study the rearing of simpler creatures."

"You truly have no shame, my friend. You are no doubt as shocked as I, you've simply had more time to hide it."

"Perhaps. But it's rude to call out a man who has seen such ill-fortune on his little pleasures. I assure you, while he must have had a tremendous fortuitous encounter on that mountain, it is not solely responsible for his mental development. I've been steadily refining a variant of the Mind-Opening Pill specifically for his circumstances.

By carefully supplementing his diet with both pills and spiritual herbs I've kept him in what Daoist Clear-Eye's work refers to as the optimal environment for improvement for the entire week."

"Orange-hair!" The monkey suddenly proclaimed, pointing to himself. Hardly the best of manners, but Daoist Enduring Oath supposed they had been dominating the conversation.

"He's Li Hou on the sect rolls. But that's what he's calling himself, now that he grasps the difference between the fruit persimmon and the color orange." Daoist Scouring Medicine added.

"He was persimmon head for a few days. It will be amusing to explain the connotations of that later, when he can properly appreciate them." The two daoists watched as the monkey scampered around the table. With no concern for the dignity of their positions, it climbed into Daoist Enduring Oath's lap. Standing at its full height atop his knee, its eyes only barely met those of the seated daoist. Placing its hands upon the collars of his robes, it stared seriously at him.

It was a cute little creature, now that he finally got a good look at it when it was not squirming around. Small, compared to his great form, and decidedly juvenile-looking. A narrow face with a protruding snout, framed by dense fur. Its coat was a dull rust at its extremities, lighter towards its center. Its head was crowned by a free-standing mass of hair resembling a flame, brilliant orange, but uneven in length.

"Big-shiny." The monkey proclaimed with all the certainty of an Imperial Edict-Bearer. Daoist Enduring Oath coughed. He definitely did not laugh.

"Daoist Enduring Oath." The bald man corrected. Big was understandable, he'd long since accepted that his frame lent him a physique closer to an ogre's than what was considered ideal for a prince or daoist. Shiny, though? He did sometimes oil himself... It helped keep his skin from cracking, an unfortunate side effect of his cultivation method.

"No daoist." The monkey said.

"Enduring Oath." It repeated itself, slowly sounding out the words.

"Enduring Oath." It nodded, satisfied. Enduring Oath's eyebrow rose.

"Claiming that a man who has formed a core, however flawed, is no true daoist? That would be bold for a prince, let alone a monkey."

"Ah, that one might be my fault." Daoist Scouring Medicine interjected.

"I told him daoist meant the same thing as another sound he was using. I think he is under the impression there can only be one daoist in an area. Only the most advanced meriting the title."

"I see." Daoist Enduring Oath wasn't certain he believed that. But he hadn't really believed the monkey was well on its way to being verbal three days ago either. The monkey turned to Daoist Scouring Medicine.

"You word yes?" The monkey scampered around the table to face his master.

"What word you?"

"A word for a person is a name."

"You name yes?"

"You never introduced yourself?" Daoist Enduring Oath asked. He supposed he was probably confusing the poor monkey even more, making it wait for an answer.

"I did, but that was last week. Three words were a great deal for him to remember then. We've been alone oft enough he had little need for a name, there were no other men for him to address."

"Daoist Scouring Medicine." The aforenamed man said, pressing his hand to his chest.

"Scouring Medicine." The monkey repeated.

"Medicine is pill. You pill man?"

"I do not think it would be unfair to call me pill man." The monkey scratched its head.

"Why Scouring Medicine?" Orange-crest asked. Daoist Enduring Oath sighed. It was impressive to understand that a daoist's name was not arbitrarily chosen. But the two men had shared this conversation far too many times. His martial brother had... Opinions.

"I hold that medicine should be uncompromising. Pursuing above all the twin goals of efficacy and refinement." Daoist Scouring Medicine explained with conviction.

"There are many schools of thought in alchemy and pill refining. One of the largest is those who are practically minded, and think that the efficacy of a pill for its purpose is the only thing that matters. This school would say a healing pill ought be gentle, even if this means a dozen are needed, but see no flaw in a Dragon's Desperation Pellet leaving the meridians of its imbiber shattered.

The virtue of a medicine is its purpose, so it is quite acceptable for a pill of last resort to weaken or kill the one who consumes it, so long as it first grants him the strength to slaughter his enemies." If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Daoist Scouring Medicine's brow furrowed violently at the thought of such malpractice.

"I do not accept this dichotomy. I believe every medicine should be both effective and beneficent. That true medicine, the highest expression of our art, should scour away that which is weak and unwholesome, and grow and reinforce that which is vital and strong. Medicine that if taken as directed does not merely close wounds or grant bursts of power, but refines the body and strengthens the spirit. Pills that take the imbiber one step, however small, closer to perfection, rather than further away from it."

"You... Best medicine?" The monkey summarized.

"I make medicine that is harsh and pure." The daoist corrected.

"Harsh and pure best or not best?"

"Brother Scouring Medicine, I think your speech might have been a little too profound for persimmon head to grasp."

"No!" The monkey interjected vehemently.

"Orange-hair!"

"I do not coddle him." Daoist Scouring Medicine continued, ignoring the monkey.

"In learning as in medicine, through struggle will he grow strong."

"Seeing his progress in such a short time, it is difficult to fault your rationale. I still think your philosophy is incomplete, though. The pill acts within the body; what is good fortune for a strong man might be disaster for a weaker one." Daoist Scouring Medicine snorted coldly.

"And I maintain that is a matter to be overcome! At worst, it is a matter for proper prescription, not pill design. A truly perfect pill should scour away the weakness of its patient, not cripple itself to accommodate them! If the body is too weak to handle its energies, just refine the body! Ancient legends speak of pills so perfect the mere act of imbibing them was sufficient to raise a mortal to immortality! Why should we accept anything less?"

"I do not think we will settle this debate today." Daoist Enduring Oath said.

"Ek." The monkey added.

"I do believe he agrees with me."

"No, he just wants to be involved in the conversation." Daoist Scouring Medicine said.

"To return to business for a moment, I wanted to commission another project from you."

"Can your coin-pouch afford another commission?"

"It is a small matter, I can pay you in pills. I have no doubt there are a few things in my repertoire you can make use of."

"Are you certain you do not wish to simply accept the work as a gift? I owe you much already."

"And I insist that there is no debt between us, and I refuse to create one by taking your charity. That pill was a failure of my art. Experimental and unrefined, any fortune that followed from it was fate."

"Very well, we've rehashed enough old arguments for one afternoon." Daoist Enduring Oath said.

"What can I do for you?"

"I want a number of jars, refined to be capable of storing qi and resisting both corrosion and pressure. Durable to at least mid Foundation Establishment standard."

"An interesting request. Are you planning to revisit your research on incendiaries?"

"No. Please refrain from mentioning those indiscretions around the monkey. I burned that work for good reason, with Sect Master Xiang's full support."

"Oooh?" Orange-crest knew they were talking about him. Monkey was him. The conversations between Enduring Oath and Scouring Medicine were beyond difficult to follow. His brother and his brother's-other-brother made no effort to accommodate him. But he could smell a good secret. And one had just whistled by, scent sharp as a summer-hungry tiger. He noted down those words. Incendiary. Xiang. Research.

"Li Hou has expressed an interest in brewing." Daoist Scouring Medicine continued.

"No, more than an interest. He has expressed an interest in pill refining and writing, he already understands brewing. A crude, animal understanding. But all the same, a greater understanding than many mortals possess. With minimal assistance from me, he filled half my existing jugs with fruit wine mash. Between the projects I expect us to undertake together in that arena, and some of the new compounds I plan to refine for his bath, I thought it prudent to expand my collection of storage and fermentation vessels."

"Interesting. Do bring him and his wine over when it's ready. I suspect you are hiding something from me, but I shall not pry. You will have your containers. Ceramic with a non-reactive internal coating aligned with metal and water, if that is acceptable. I will take some of those False Samadhi Fire Pellets in return. As many as you think is fair." Scouring Medicine's gut twinged.

This was a little closer to lying to his oldest living friend than he liked to come; made all the worse by the fact he'd seen through it instantly. Daoist Enduring Oath was a straightforward man. He would never betray Daoist Scouring Medicine's confidences, but what he didn't know couldn't eat at his conscience. Gu refining was a proscribed art in the empire with good reason. But he'd always had a fascination with a great many proscribed arts.

It would not be the first time he worked with something that had the potential to devastate a countryside if misused. The sentience and will of a gu made it a uniquely dangerous poison, but he'd discovered no shortage of things over the years that would devastate the mortal population of a region if they made their way into the wrong source of water. He would simply not allow a venomous calamity to escape containment. Not that his first attempts would involve venom at all.

An alcohol gu had limited utility, at least to a daoist that did not walk the way of the drunkard. But the principle of the thing, a gu distilling a virtue other than poison. That held incredible promise. His library contained recipes that called for literal Qilin horn, an ingredient he'd never once seen in person. Using gu as a substitute for some of these heaven-defying ingredients could open entire new horizons for his practice.

"Metal and water is fine." The alchemist answered, ignoring the accusation.

"Metal and earth would be even better, if it's not more trouble. Why do you need the pellets though? I've seen your fire arts, they're more than sufficient for your forge." Daoist Enduring Oath did not answer.

"No. After all this time? Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Daoist Scouring Medicine demanded.

"It's not catastrophic. My lifespan and strength are unaffected. My recovery times simply are not what they used to be." The larger man said, his normal jovial humor gone.

"Bad?" The sudden tension in the room was apparent even to the monkey.

"If you let me run some tests—""No." Daoist Enduring Oath's eyes were like mountains in winter, stark and certain.

"You have enough work before you. This is not a problem for medicine. It does not stem from the impurities in my core. I never expected to outlast my first vow, it is only natural my cultivation suffers for it. This is a trial I must surmount alone, my friend." Daoist Scouring Medicine was quiet for a time. He considered several responses, but held his tongue each time. Orange-crest waited patiently, still as a stone monkey. He might be an animal, but unlike men, he could read the room.

"I always did think your way was foolish and self-destructive." The alchemist finally said.

"Men have accused you of many failings, but an excess of tact at the expense of honesty has never been one." His brother acknowledged.

"Very well. You have supported my poor choices. I will leave you to your own. Let us speak of happier things."

"Hah. As you say. I heard your monkey broke the Yang boy's nose." Daoist Scouring Medicine smiled.

"Indeed. I'm not certain I would say Li Hou won that fight, but he showed the vigor an outer disciple should. Arriving to see Disciple Chang sitting on him was a rare treat."

"I've heard good things about the boy. His family has been good for the east, and by all accounts he takes after his honored uncle."

"Takes after?"

"Rumor has it both his uncle and Sect Master Ren have expressed interest in claiming him as a personal disciple. Wherever the winds of fate blow him, his future is likely to be bright."

"Interesting..." At moments like these, Daoist Scouring Medicine found himself wishing he had a dignified white beard to stroke. Unfortunately, appearances mattered. For one who had not yet attained Core Formation to look elderly tended to lead other daoists to make unfortunate judgements about them. At best, it would be considered an eccentric mimicry of a status he had not earned. At worst, a sign that his lifespan was running out at such a low realm.

"Interesting?" The monkey asked, sensing that the conversation had turned.

"Interesting is curious-good. Change-good or maybe-good."

"Ooo." The monkey pondered.

"Daoist Scouring Medicine is interesting." Daoist Enduring Oath watched the byplay with a small smile.

"I do believe he has you there."

"I was thinking," Scouring Medicine said, ignoring him.

"That this Yang Wei might be a useful stepping stone for my disciple."

"Hah! Not setting your sights low, are you? With his backing and talent, that boy will rival us in a century. Assuming he survives that long."

"You know I am not a man prone to tall tales. I expect my monkey will reach the equivalent of the second stage inside of a month."

"And you think he can keep that pace, once the residue of his fortuitous encounter is spent?"

"Under my tutelage? Without question. This started as a tantrum, but I feel more alive than I have in a long time. More certain of my Dao. I will raise up the monkey. I will sever my ties with the sect. I will advance, in both body and spirit. And once I do, I will fix the damage my failure did to your core."

"Hah! There's the Li Xun I remember, hungry as a river dragon, twice as proud, and half as wise. We should be drinking something harder if we're to make bold declarations like these!" Daoist Enduring Oath said with a laugh.

"Still, I cannot allow you to make such claims on my behalf. I've been ahead of you for thirty years. If you plan to break through, then so too shall I. Who else will keep you out of trouble?"

"Me!" The monkey suddenly exclaimed.

"I keep out of trouble!" He recognized that phrase. It was the one brother Daoist Scouring Medicine kept repeating every time he left Orange-crest unattended. Both daoists burst into laughter.

"I do believe," Daoist Enduring Oath said with a wry smile.

"That that monkey has outdone both of us with his boast. Not even an immortal could keep you out of trouble."