Fighting to be Kind in a Cultivation World

While the cheetah-like demi-human before us continues with his report, with Gong giving directions on how to handle situations, I consider whether the ‘Madame Wei’ he spoke of is the same person.

Yeah.

She definitely is.

After all, I already knew she had an intelligence network and gave her that superior spirit stone to use it to the group’s benefit.

Considering how much she already knew about me, it would be obvious to her that there’s a deep connection between Gong and I. Not only that, but it was more than a couple of weeks ago that I healed her and set her as the intelligence officer of our Foundations of Heaven faction.

With Sister Nuan making it clear she wanted me to head back to Monchon City, she would have had plenty of time to make preparations and establish relationships with Gong’s group.

A look over at Gong shows me she doesn’t seem surprised by the name and has heard of her before, as well. As the demi-human runs back towards the gates, Gong’s next words confirm it.

“Your people are pretty skilled, James. We had to do a few checks to verify that this ‘Madame Wei’ was actually part of your group. But the information they’ve been feeding us has been very helpful.”

She lowers her voice a bit, leaning down so I can hear her whisper.

“She’s even been able to notify us about some attacks on our section hours before a large assault. Letting me take care of it quietly.

“Honestly, we might have had a few casualties in the village without that notice, so I’m quite grateful. Of course, we’ve paid her back in our own way, but I’m curious about her sources… especially since she must be back in the sect in your area.”

After saying that, she straightens her back again, having said her piece. Leaving me with another consistent thought.

Man. Thank goodness for the scan.

It looks like she was a good choice to bring on.

… Even if she can be weird.

Things are a bit muted after that conversation, with the rest of the walk allowing me to gaze over the changes in architecture up ahead.

Previously like cement, the stone walls were pieced with web serving as the cement, but now it seems they’ve been increased in size and reinforced with concrete and metal, likely from the salvaged urban areas that used to surround this land.

The walls and gates still have the elegant patterns of dragons and giant sea creatures battling, with men facing rising tides of water, decorating and repeating across the bottom and top surface of them. However, now the middle sections have a new design that wasn’t previously there.

Glyphs of spiders, creating webs that interlace with the actual webs covering the walls' surface. An interesting design, that seems to have a more practical purpose, of leading the spiders along common paths when laying their webs.

Somehow, even with the recent additions, they still give off that feeling of collective beauty.

The gates themselves still rise above the surrounding walls, having been increased in size to compensate. Instead of the plain stone they were before, now they are filled with spider like designs and, interestingly, a small formation that seems to be an alert system tied to the entire circle of walls.

I’m surprised that she got a formation expert, even a low-ranking one, to come out here to do this for demi-humans. Though, I suspect it wouldn’t be too hard with a word from Big Sis Crane.

It makes me wonder how much Gong truly leans on her and how much she doesn’t.

It’s also makes me wonder where all the rest of the materials went…

Diving too deep into those interactions is a bit dangerous, since Big Sis Crane is definitely above Nascent Soul. So, I Really won’t be trying to figure that one out with the scan.

As we get closer to the walls, I can now see the buildings of the town area on the outside of the walls. An area that, if my memory serves correctly, is for demi-humans that Gong doesn’t trust enough to have in the walls, but still wants close to protect.

A variety of demihumans hop out of the buildings, waving at and shouting their greetings to Gong, but as soon as they see me, they seem to shrink back a bit. Quieting down and becoming more serious.

Immediately after, they bow to the two of us while we pass.

A glance over at Gong has her speaking her greetings to some people around, but not telling them to rise.

… I’ll go with the flow, but why did they bow just because I’m here?

I glance over at her in confusion, but she gives me one back, before shaking her head with a little exasperation. Her eyes fall on the seal carried on my side. The very same one from the sect.

Ah. Right.

I’m a Core Disciple of the Revolving Heavenly Light sect.

While I take things pretty easily, that’s actually an immensely enormous deal for people in the sect’s territory. And even outside of it, for that matter.

I’ve been getting attacked so often and have been dealing with higher realm cultivators who don’t care, that I haven’t really experienced the normal effects of the role.

That also means that Gong can’t be the one that tells them to relax. It has to be me.

“Please, everyone, raise your heads. If you’re friends of Gong, that makes you friends of mine. Feel free to act normally, as you usually would do.”

Some of them move their heads back up slowly, out of caution, but with my now disarming smile, some of the mirth from before comes back. To make things easier for everyone, I pick out a person who was originally eager to see Gong and that I could have a good impact on.

A young, rat-like, demi-human boy.

The moment I said to lift their heads, he rose his and stared as if to burn the sight into his mind. Unfortunately, my talent scan isn’t showing that he has any real talent, but it’s obvious he has plenty of motivation.

I tap Gong’s shoulder, to let her know I want to stop for a moment and head over to him. His eyes get wider and wider the closer I come. Panicking a bit, as he realizes I’m going towards him specifically.

Even so, his eyes stay locked on me, while wavering in fear and anticipation.

“Hey, kid. What do you want to do when you grow up?”

The boy looks frozen in shock before one of his friends nudges him out of it. As he realizes the potential disrespect, he bows and shouts out his answer”.

“P-p-p-p-p-p-powerful l-like you, Senior!”

Everyone’s faces scrunch up as they shake their head. Obviously, as a demihumans, he won’t be able to become a cultivator. At least, to their knowledge. And he didn’t exactly answer the question.

Personally, I can’t help but give an open laugh at that, though I make sure not to make it condescending with my next words.

“Hahaha, those are some great dreams, young man! Well, while that might be tough to help you with at this point, I can give you something to get started on a sustainable path for yourself.

“Would you like that?”

At my question, his eyes go blank again in shock, but he’s already nodding subconsciously.

“Good. Here, this will give you a way to help others and become ‘powerful’ in your own way. Do good where and how you can, as you pursue this path.”

I say this while fishing out a jade slip from my space bracelet, touching it to the kid’s forehead.

Of course, considering that he’s a demi-human, there’s only one path that he can pursue that wouldn’t fully require cultivation to be powerful.

Alchemy.

A route that at the early middle levels requires cultivation, but below that can be handled without. With some exceptions, depending on the skill and knowledge of the alchemist.

All on that jade slip is the foundational training for being an alchemist, as well as the knowledge of how and where to pursue more knowledge.

This was my original idea on how to help the demihumans out of poverty, though Gong has already mostly succeeded on a macro-scale.

It’s part of the reason that most of the alchemist suppliers in the city were instructed to not trade with demi-humans, as it had the possibility of them gaining a form of strength. After all, with enough and the right talismans and elixirs, a demi-human could even be better than cultivators.

And while this kid, without cultivation and much talent, won’t be able to become a powerhouse, he’ll at least be able to defend those around him and heal those in his community. Potentially more, if he spends his life on it.

Not everyone has the skills or talent to excel. But with extraordinary effort, the right guidance, environment, and resources, they still have a chance to succeed.

My scan may show that he isn’t anything special right now or in the future, but it’ll be up to him to change that. Though, sadly, it’s likely that no alchemist organization will regard him or any demi-human like him as an alchemist.

Heck, I’m technically not an ‘Alchemist’ yet, either. Something that I believe will get rectified here, in Monchon City.

I leave some parting words to the boy, as his eyes clear back up from the influx of information that entered his mind.

“Study and practice well, keeping in mind the purpose of power. Do good with it, for both you and those around you.”

Gong and I keep walking on, as the attention naturally lands on the young boy with the new gift of knowledge.

Knowing Gong, she’ll make sure that he’s protected and won’t be taken advantage of. And that this is only the start for public facing changes we’ll make to protect people here.

Once we pass through the large gates and finally reach the inner section of her area, I finally see my group again in the village area Gong had first built.

And wow… do they look comfortable.