Chapter 372

Chapter 372

You crafted Joranis Runic Device? Hopping aboard their barge without so much as a pardon me, Taduk lands beside OuYang Yuhuan and strips her bare with his voracious gaze. A most ingenious contraption, even after so many months, Im unable to decipher its purpose, much less understand how it was made.

Oh? Faced with his intense stare and dazzling smile, the Tyrants icy glare melts away to reveal a blushing, wide-eyed beauty in skin-tight leggings and a form-fitting tunic. Far from the domineering and disdainful greeting I received, the Tyrants voice softens to a girlish chime as she addressed my oh so handsome Teacher. I didnt think the Bekhais new craftsman would be the famed Medical Saint Taduk. This one doesnt dare accept Great Ones praise.

Nonsense, praise is deserved for one so talented. Taduks stare runs up and down her body as his smile does all the heavy lifting, a natural charmer through and through. From where I sit, he looks super pervy, but I know his intentions are mostly pure. Ever since I gave him Yo Lings book, Taduks been obsessed with the study of runes, but the Defiled bandit leader of Butcher Bay wasnt much of a craftsman. He cheated somehow, using the Spectres to help create his runes, something Taduk was understandably leery of trying.

Though maybe I should give it a shot... but not any time soon. When my minds in a better place and my bodys far, far away from Imperials...

Since Yo Lings writings were lacking, Taduk turned to studying Runic Devices and trying to reverse engineer them, but aside from Li Songs breastplate and Joranis little wand, there wasnt much else for Taduk to study. Unfortunately for the smitten Tyrant, Taduk isnt interested in her slender figure or sharp features, but rather the plethora of items scattered about her person and the precious knowledge inside her pretty little head. Rings, bracelets, necklaces and more, the Tyrants alluring frame is festooned with Runic Device, wearing all sorts of jewellery from circlets to anklets and much more in between.

Im curious to know exactly how much more. A proud and powerful warrior, the Tyrant has a regal, authoritarian air about her, undoubtedly a woman of noble upbringing and proper manners, but I bet shes got a wild side and is hiding a few naughty piercings beneath her slinky little outfit. Judging by how she parts lips and arches her back for him, I bet shed be more than happy to show Taduk all her secrets, the lucky half-hare that he is...

Ugh, I need to get laid or masturbate, somewhere far away from my horde of sweet, innocent floofs and the creepy, face-raping octopus. Three wives and zero sex means Im probably doing something wrong, but what can you do. Im doing my best to respect Mila and Lins wishes to not have sex before our wedding, and lovely as Luo-Luo is, Im somewhat repulsed by her, and not because of the tandem pooping incident. I dont mind imagining sex with strangers or visiting a prostitute, because then its just about sex and nothing else, but with Luo-Luo, I feel like theres this expectation of intimacy and affection, both things Im unwilling to share with a veritable stranger. Thus, until I get to know Luo-Luo better, or Mila turns twenty next year, its a life of celibacy for poor, lonely me.

The Monk would be so proud, if he hadnt ghosted after trampling across my fragile psyche, the big, fat jerk...

Laying on the charm thick, Taduks naked greed does little to dissuade the Tyrant as he sidles up beside her, his eyes fixated on one Runic Device in particular, a jade pendant nestled in her modest bosom. Carved in the shape of a phoenix, it sits with wings furled and head tucked, which makes its body sort of egg-shaped. Such skill in one so young, Taduk says, adding a mournful sigh for effect. Your creations make my efforts look coarse and unrefined in comparison, an unshaped lump of clay next to your beautifully shaped works of art. The phoenix and its egg, one and the same, mixing destruction and rebirth in a single, dominating Rune. Brilliant.

...What? Did I miss something, or did Taduk just say the Phoenix itself is the rune? Dont get me wrong, its a detailed, complex piece of work and a beautiful lifelike carving, but I assumed Runes would be... I dunno, cryptic symbols carved on the phoenix which hold certain meanings. Whats a sleepy bird have to do with getting Heavenly Energy to do what I tell it to?

While my imagination gets the better of me, Taduk and the Tyrant carry on as if no one else is around. Offering a slight bow which is little more than a bob of his head, Taduk lays it on thick as he sighs and says, Truth is I dont dare call myself a Runic Craftsman, especially not in present company. I am but a mere dabbler, not even worthy of the title of novice. A single ring on your jewelled fingers would be beyond my meagre comprehension, much less a grand undertaking like this barge we stand on.

This one has heard of your generous gift to the Legate, and four shields of that size is no simple feat. Why, my little brother spent decades learning the craft, and only recently found success making rings... The Tyrants jewelled fingers twirl around a lock of her hair as she extols the virtues of Taduks shields, a sure sign of flirtation as any. Sorry Guard Leader, but you snooze, you lose. I didnt like you much anyways, bullying poor Taduk and uprooting his Spiritual Plant collection like that, even if it was for a good cause. Plus, shed probably be super mean to my sweet, lovable Lin, bullying her day and night like an evil step-mother would. Though... I doubt a woman nicknamed the Tyrant would be much kinder, and the mention of her brother, the stingy OuYang Clan Patriarch who tried to kill and rob us, has me leery of forming ties to this unknown woman. Besides, OuYang Yuhuan might be smoking hot, but having seen Guard Leaders martial skills, I doubt her veiled features are any less attractive.

Plus, Guard Leaders body is top tier, not willowy and light like Yuhuans, but with ample curves in all the right places. Though her attitude is less than ideal, theres nothing modest about Guard Leaders bosom...

Seeing his comrade engaged in flirtatious shop-talk, Lei Gong drops a rope ladder and wordlessly welcomes us onto the barge, an invitation I graciously accept. For one, the barge looks much safer than our tiny skiff, doubly so after Taduk implied its a Runic Device, a mind blowing revelation I have yet to recover from. The stones on the Tyrant, crafting a Runic Device large enough to sail on. Ignoring the cost of such a massive undertaking, how big would the explosion have been if she messed things up?

While hauling Sir Inkys pot up with Guan Suos uncharacteristic help, I study the stylized engravings along the surface of the barge, but I cant tell which are Runic inscriptions and which are fancy decorations meant to cover them up, assuming either exist. Noticing my confusion, Lei Gong claps me on the back with a hearty roar of laughter and sends me stumbling across the deck, though thankfully, Ive already put Sir Inky down. Think yer smart enough to puzzle it out by looking, do ye? I watched her craft the damned thing and hundreds more of her little toys, but I still cant make heads or tails of runes and whatnot. Heaven aint fair, but yer talented enough as it is boy. No need to go adding Runic Craftsman to yer long list of titles and accomplishments.

Uh... Thanks. I havent accomplished much to be proud of and my latest titles are a mixed bag. Imperial Manwhore doesnt need to be explained, and Im only the number one Talent in the Empire because of Aura shenanigans. Anyways, introductions. Everyone, this is Lei Gong, Lord of Thunder, member of the Azure Ascendants and comrade of GangShu, the Ancestral Beast of Sanshu. This is my teachers nameless bodyguard, and this is Guan Suo of the... err... Divine Turtle Protectorate. Giving both my companions a warning glare, I pray theyre smart enough to mind their manners when dealing with the lackey of an Ancestral Beast.

Probably not, but one could hope.

Leaving the three Experts to silently sort out their pecking order, I listen in on Taduks conversation. Hoping to witness a budding romance and tell the story at their wedding, my hopes are cruelly dashed by my teachers hardheaded foolishness. Wholly ignorant of her seductive body language, Taduk keeps the conversation solely focused on runes and inscriptions, but luckily the Tyrant is more than happy to exchange ideas. While Taduk describes his process as a melody for the Heavens, the Tyrant claims her technique is rooted in symbolism and allusion, neither of which screams Language of Energy and leaves me utterly baffled on how runes work. Even though their approaches differ, both craftsmen can recognize the intent behind each others work, even though the Tyrant has only seen Taduks work drawn with his finger in empty air.

Or something like that. Theyre using a lot of words I dont understand, which highlights the Tyrants early explanation regarding the limits of language. Without context, words might as well be gibberish and gobbledygook, hardly the best way to communicate with the Energy of the Heavens. The thing is, her symbolism is the same. Taduk calls the Phoenix a creature of destruction and rebirth, because in the local mythos, thats exactly what they are. Legend has it, there was once a bird who tried to ascend to Divinity and form a human body, but was struck down by the Heavens in a blaze of fire, destroying everything for kilometres around. Bloodied, broken, but still drawing breath, the Phoenix limped away to recuperate. Centuries later, the Phoenix was stronger than ever and tried to ascend once more, and this time the Heavens sent down a blaze greater than before, but again, the Phoenix survived, but at great cost to its surroundings. Thus began a vicious cycle as the Phoenix emerged from each fiery tribulation stronger than before at the cost of even greater destruction to lands around it, eventually forming what is now the uninhabitable volcanic badlands south of the Empire.

Well... uninhabitable except for Defiled.

Problem is, when I hear the word Phoenix, it brings to mind a fiery bird who can die, but is always reborn from the ashes. Were I to guess what the Runic Device does, I would have thought it was linked to healing or regeneration and overlooked the destructive aspect of the local Phoenix interpretation. So... why would Heavenly Energy accept the Tyrants interpretation over mine? Assuming it all actually happened, does Heavenly Energy have a hive mind and remember striking down the Phoenix so many millennia ago? Or is there really a Mother watching from up above, arbitrarily testing us for her own purposes or amusement? Why cant birds ascend? Is it because the Mother, like myself, ascribes to the Dao of All Things Cute and Fluffy?

Putting the theological debate aside, I go back to pondering runes and communication. Adding in my errant thoughts on Aura and staying home, I realize Ive spent all this time looking for Blobby, but I havent tried calling him. I use my Aura to convey emotions all the time, so why cant I use it to let Blobby know Im here and looking for him, assuming hes close enough to reach?

Keeping Guard Leader and Mama Bun between Lei Gong and myself, I close my eyes and focus on the feeling of home. Not home as a physical location, but the sensation of home and the emotions which come with it. Warmth and safety mostly, love and acceptance. Taduks comforting hugs, Alsantset and Charoks supportive presence, the twins beautiful smiles, Baatars thumping tail, Sarnais uproarious laugh, this and more is what springs to mind when I think of home, and I distill those thoughts and memories down to a base, raw emotion before infusing it into my Aura.

Time stretches into eternity as I reach out with my Aura, searching every living thing in range one by one in desperate hopes of finding Blobby once more. I want him to know Id really like it if he came home so I could stop coming out here to find him. I mean, yea, I sorta replaced him, but if he wants to leave, then the least he could do is let me know hes still safe and sound, right?

Sadly, my efforts are wasted and I find no familiar presence in the waters around us before my Chi runs dry. With a mournful sigh, I open my eyes and am surprised to see everyone on high alert as they stare westward with similar looks of grim determination pasted across their faces. Even Ping Ping is alarmed by this unseen threat, surfacing next to the barge in siege-mode, which means shit is about to go down, though Mama Bun is still dumb and clueless as ever, desperately struggling to get out of Guard Leaders arms and presumably dive into the sea. Quickly securing Blackjack inside my pouch, I stand with Unity and Tranquility at the ready and inch close to Taduks side, staring at the deceptively calm waters of the Azure Sea while waiting for the hammer to drop.

...

And waiting.

...

...

Still waiting.

...

...

...

Huh. This might be my fault. Not even an hour ago, I was super careful not to let my Aura slip out while using it to calm Sir Inky, and then I turn around and use my Aura to invite every creature in range here to home and safety.

Whatever this is... I brought this upon us.

Like the fucking idiot I am.

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