Blossoming Path

"Cheers!"

All three of us raised a toast and clinked our cups together. We all dug into the meal before us with gusto. I had bought an excess of salmon and decided to cook them in various ways. I went with the way I knew best: seasoning it with soy sauce, ginger, my favorite spices, and steaming them until thoroughly cooked.

Lan-Yin took part in the cooking, filleting the fish and turning them into finely cut strips. She went back to her tea house to make the sauce she needed to create kuai.

Wang Jun brought out alcohol. Rice wine, made by Master Qiang himself. Turned out the mighty blacksmith had the tendency to make his own alcohol! It was delicious to boot! I'd have to ask the older man later if I could buy some of his stock for future use.

"Ah, this hits the spot. We should do this more often," Wang Jun said, a satisfied grin lighting up his face as he gulped down his cup in one go. I chuckled in response, matching his enthusiasm.

The aroma of ginger and soy sauce wafted through the air as we tucked into the tender salmon. The flavor was a delightful mixture of sweet and salty, each bite melting on our tongues. Lan-Yin's kuai was equally scrumptious, the finely cut strips of fish bathed in her special sauce, offering a unique tanginess that complemented the salmon beautifully. The rich flavor of the rice wine was the perfect finish, its robust body filling our mouths with a warm, smooth sensation.

"If we continue at this rate, we'll have reason to celebrate every day!"

At my declaration, Lan-Yin turned to look at me, her hand idly hovering over a strip of raw salmon. A curious gleam sparkled in her eyes as she spoke, "So does this mean you're at the first stage of cultivation? The initiation stage or whatever you call it?"

Her question hung in the air, drawing an amused smile from me. "Not exactly. But the method I learned will surely get me there soon enough!"

PERK(S):

Interface Manipulator - Allows manipulation of the Heavenly Interface and access to special features.

Race: Human

Vitality: Sufficient

PRIMARY

Affinity - Wood

Cultivation Rank: Mortal Realm - Rank 2

QI: Qi Initiation Stage - Rank 1

MIND: Mortal Realm - Rank 1

BODY: Mortal Realm - Rank 1

SKILLS

Spiritual Herbalism - 1 (...)

Gardening - 10 (...)

Reading - 4 (...)

Cultivation Techniques:

Rooted Banyan Stance - 1 (...)

Crimson Lotus Purification - 1 (...)

My mind, body, and qi have been stagnant according to the Heavenly Interface, but that was far from what it felt like to me. Perhaps there was a major difference between this rank and the next? I knew it though. With a cultivation method, I wouldn't be so idle. The one I was taught by Elder Ming was as basic as it got, and I knew it was because of my poor qi circulatory system; anything more advanced would've sent me into Qi Deviation or something worse.

But when I understood it so intimately, I felt that the chances of me going through Qi Deviation was low. I never encountered issues with the Rooted Banyan Stance, unless I experimented with it. I wouldn't test the Crimson Lotus Purification technique until I met with Elder Ming tomorrow morning, no matter how tempted I was. A promise I made was worth its weight in gold! Wait, I don't think promises held any weight, physically speaking. No matter! The point of the matter was that I would keep my promise to him.

"I'm proud of you, Kai. You've come a really long way in such a short span of time. Aren't you a genius, all things considered?"

"Don't push it, Wang Jun." Lan-Yin scoffed but smiled at me in a teasing manner. "He'll get a bigger head than he does now and we won't hear the end of it."

I smiled bashfully. Being called a genius was...it felt odd. From my perspective, I was slow. I overlaid the vision of Feng Wu's movements over mine whenever I trained; it was incomparable. But from those who didn't train in martial arts, my progress must've seemed explosive.

"I have Elder Ming to thank for that. He's the one who helped me understand where to focus my efforts. All I had to do was follow his lead." I said, grabbing a slice of raw salmon and chewing quietly. Delicious!

There was a pause in the conversation and I raised my head to both of them staring at me with a dumbfounded look in their eyes. I became a bit defensive.

"What?!"

Lan-Yin turned to her betrothed and whispered, but I could hear it clearly. "Has our young master swallowed a humble pill? He's unusually modest tonight."

"I know, right? Maybe he's going to die soon?"

"You jerks!" I blushed. Was it really that bad? I thought everyone knew that 'young master' act was a joke! "You've doomed your family to a thousand face-slaps!"

The rest of the night continued pleasantly. We talked about the daily happenings around the village. Lan-Yin was always up to date on the gossip, but I heard more about what was going on from Wang Jun outside the village. The orders from outside of the village never ceased. Master Qiang's shop was extremely well-known throughout the province, it seemed.

With multiple bottles of alcohol emptied, I brought up another topic I'd been considering since I came back home.

"Have you guys ever considered learning how to use your qi?"

"Us? We're not martial artists, Kai! And I have no plans of defying the heavens either." Lan-Yin chuckled. Wang Jun nodded his head, his face flushed. What a lightweight!

"You don't have to be a cultivator to use your qi. Think about it," I stopped slouching in my seat and sobered up slightly. "Even without the training, I use my qi to help me with gardening! I don't feel sore or tired after working all day. I think you guys should. What have you used the Heavenly Interface for since it arrived?"

"Nothing, really." She said. "What's there to use? We're not cultivators."

"I've gotten a couple quests for my blacksmithing. It helped me get a little better than I would've otherwise." Wang Jun said, chipping into the conversation with a quip of his own.

"That's what I'm saying! Isn't this the whole point of the Heavenly Interface coming down? We can use these skills and techniques that only cultivators had. But it gives us the ability to tap into our qi! Wang Jun! Imagine!" I took my chopstick and pretended it was a hammer. "You're in the forge, but you don't get tired. Your strikes remain as steadfast as they did when you first stepped in. How much more work could you get done?"

"...Maybe atleast twice as fast? The last few weapons take a lot of my energy to make. And I can't send out half-assed items, so it takes me more time."

I turned to Lan-Yin. "Isn't it difficult being the only waitress at the Soaring Swallow? What if you had the body of a cultivator? Wouldn't it be so much easier?"

My speech seemed to give them some thought, and in my drunken stupor, I raised my fist and boldly proclaimed. "Cultivator training isn't just for fighting! Gardening, blacksmithing, hospitality! We could make our lives easier, and now we have the ability to do it with the Heavenly Interface!"

"Yeah, but how? Unlike you, we can't exactly spend half our day meditating and contemplating the dao." Wang Jun asked. It was true. He spent half the day at the forge, minimum. They didn't have the leisure like I did to commit my time to cultivation. "How would we fit this into our daily life?"

"You could join me at Elder Ming's morning training. I don't think he'd mind. Something as simple as meditating would do wonders for your mental strength! Under his guidance he could teach you how to circulate your qi."

Ever since I received the Heavenly Interface, I asked why it gave it to everybody. Cultivator or mortal, they gave them the ability to track their cultivation progress. But it didn't limit itself to just cultivation! The evidence was right in the skills section. Even something as simple as reading was classified as one! I don't think the ancestors who made such a mighty spell would do it for no reason. From the very first message it gave, it hinted at its purpose.

WE ILLUMINATE THE PATH TO ASCENSION.

Equality. Power to those who seek it. Illuminating the path to all, regardless of their stature, talent, or alignment.

Wouldn't life be better if everybody was given the resources to succeed? Limiting the usage of qi to martial techniques was a stupid idea! Growing, creating, building! There was so much it could be used for.

I didn't know what my role was. Giving me the title of an Interface Manipulator, it was a mysterious yet heavy responsibility. I couldn't credit my progress to just my efforts. It felt like the Interface was pushing me towards something. It gave me quests, rewards, and functions that nobody else had. But why?

It didn't feel right to hoard this knowledge for myself. Teaching my fellow villagers how to use it, guiding them on its utilization to make their lives easier...Perhaps I would be the one to show them. The knowledge that all these sects desperately hoarded, I would give freely.

They left my house well past midnight, and although they didn't make any commitment, I could see on their face that the idea of learning how to cultivate intrigued them. I mean, how couldn't it? If I told myself a month ago that my garden would be growing like this just because of meditating here and there, I would've done it within a heartbeat!

"Ha~ What a great day, Tianyi." As I cleaned up the dishes, my gaze kept wandering over to Tianyi, sitting quietly on her self-claimed corner. We've fallen into a routine of sorts. I wake up, bring her to Elder Ming's, train, go home, do my daily garden maintenance, leave her here with Lan-Yin while I go about doing errands and additional training. Rinse and repeat. Sometimes she tagged along for the entirety of my day, others she didn't.

Even though our interaction was mostly limited to telepathic communication, I felt a kinship with her. Perhaps it was her constant presence or the soft hum of her aura that filled the room, but being around her felt comforting, homely. The moonlight seemed to highlight her intricate wing patterns, adding an ethereal glow to her, making her seem almost... magical. "You know, I think I could do with some company in the garden tomorrow," I mused aloud, not really expecting a response from the butterfly.

Maybe I was seeing things, but I swear the glowing aura around her had gotten stronger.

Name: Tianyi

Race: Mystical Butterfly

Affinity: Wood

Cultivation Rank: Qi Initiation Stage - Rank 2

Special Abilities:

Qi Haven: Transforms frequented areas into concentrated qi zones, boosting recovery and cultivation efficiency for those within its boundaries.

Moonlight Empowerment: Gains increased power and vitality under the moonlight.

Qi Siphon: Can absorb small amounts of qi from its surroundings to sustain itself.

Qi Transfer: Can imbue living beings with energy by transferring its qi, providing a small boost to those who receive it.

Bond Level: 3 (Close Companion) - Tianyi has formed a deep bond with you, displaying loyalty and commitment to your shared journey. Her abilities may strengthen in response to your connection, and she will be more attuned to your emotions and needs. Additional abilities or enhancements may become available as your bond continues to grow.

Nothing seemed to change in the description the interface gave me, so I shrugged it off. Our bond level hadn't changed since that fateful day in the forest! Perhaps that was the key to helping her grow and cultivate?

But how did one get closer to a butterfly?

"So..." I kicked up a chair and sat by Tianyi's corner facing the windowsill. "Is there anything you'd like in your sugar water, aside from...Well, sugar?"

She turned to face me, her wings unmoving. Nothing came through our telepathical link, but I could almost hear her asking if I'm giving an open-ended question to a butterfly.

"Ah, here. Let me make it easier for you." I went over to the bookshelf in my bedroom, fishing out an encyclopedia that contained several diagrams of fruits, plants, and herbs. Flipping it to the pages where I thought Tianyi would like the most, I pointed and asked her. "Peach?"

A strong sense of agreement washed over me, and I nodded. The charade continued for a long while. Tianyi didn't seem very picky. Or maybe she didn't understand what I was saying at all and just responded at random. I didn't know how a Spirit Beast understood human language, nor the diagrams in my book.

Butterflies couldn't eat, only drink. Perhaps some sort of mash for Tianyi would suffice? I could ask the elders in the village for any overripe fruits and make it into a paste that she could lick.

As I thought deeply on what I could give her, the butterfly fluttered over to the empty cups I had left out from Master Qiang's rice wine. She unfurled her proboscis and began dipping it into the small amount left. I watched in astonishment as Tianyi consumed the rice wine.

Is she going to be okay?

Contrary to expectations, I was not an all-knowing genius. I had no idea if alcohol was something butterflies could ingest. But Tianyi seemed to be okay. It'd be quite a terrible event for her to just drop dead from alcohol consumption.

The feeling that came through our telepathic link was similar to happiness. But a bit more...buzzed? It was colored with that warm feeling I often received in my stomach after drinking alcohol.

Tianyi was drunk.

After observing her for a few more minutes and making sure that her condition was stable, I cleaned up the cups and kept a tight seal on the last bottle of rice wine that Wang Jun had left for me.

I learned something new about Tianyi today. She was a heavyweight! She could drink her bodyweight in rice wine and stay standing! Maybe? She was oddly still, and I had to coax her back into the nest she made for herself on one of my shelves.

"I've heard of Spirit Beasts that like alcohol, but a butterfly? This is too much..." I told myself, getting comfy on my bed as I went to sleep. I stared at the ceiling, pondering my next steps for the future.

Was I ready to shoulder the responsibilities that came with these newfound abilities? I felt a sense of duty to share my knowledge with my fellow villagers, to empower them to enhance their own lives. But with that came a weight of responsibility that I hadn't expected. The role of a teacher, of a leader, was not one I had ever envisioned for myself.

But it shouldn't be a challenge! I am Kai Liu, and my name will ring throughout the heavens! Helping the Gentle Wind Village during these times of uncertainty was a simple matter.

With that determination in mind, I closed my eyes and dreamt.