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Clouded Soul Vol 1 Outline Part 1

Added 2023-08-28 14:17:49 +0000 UTC

Whew okay here we go. It's really important you give me feedback on this one if you read it. Start of new series, it's way different than anything else I've worked on, and I'm very optimistic. The overall outline will be in 3 parts. 2nd part will be Jun's recovery and training, 3rd part will be his first adventure and Miao's arc. Will start the next one later today.

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There is some POV hopping but when I say 'we get a new POV' I'm not implying any of this is in first person. It'll be 3rd, like I typically always do. Just saying.

Prologue

We start on the beaches of Glimmering Bay, where parents always tell their children not to play. It’s springtime. The glass pillars surrounding Little Haven have been worn down over the countless years since their formation, and glassy shards often wound up ashore at the beach.
Fangzhi Jun doesn’t mind- it only adds another element to his training. The boy is six years old and in his spirits, practicing some basic martial arts routines his tutor had taught him. He’s only been training for a few months now, but Jun is determined to improve as fast as he can and make his father proud.
Jun trips up and narrowly avoids putting his hand on a glassy shard, only to move his hand to where another one was waiting. He’s annoyed but resolves to improve. You don’t get better if you don’t take risks, and that’s why training here was worth the scolding he would get from his sister Huifang. He bandages himself up, knowing he can’t stop here. Once he gets the basics of these techniques and breathing patterns down, he’ll be able to move onto training and developing his chi, whi ch is where the true path to Soul Refinement starts.
Jun trains for a few hours until he starts to tire out. He’s accumulated a few more small cuts and has patched them up as best he could. He isn’t looking forward to his sister’s reaction, but he leaves the beach and starts walking the busy streets of Glimmering Bay.
We get a description of the place and how it feels. It’s the biggest city of Little Haven, but it’s the only one Jun knows so that doesn’t mean much to him. A few kind people greet the boy on his way home so we can get a few character moments out of this. Someone teases him about his sister not being happy with him, another tells him to pass along thanks to his former for an elixir that helped him past a bottleneck in his advancement, and some friendly refiner asks how his training went.
In all these interactions we see Jun is a kind, well-liked boy with a good head on his shoulders.
Jun gets a view of the Sasei clan land for foreshadowing purposes. Snake themed gate, a looming pagoda off in the distance. Creepy guards.
He also stops at a shrine to Wo Manlai and thanks the local deity for overseeing his training. Unfortunately, his sister catches him here and he’s surprised to see her. Apparently, Huifang’s business class was cut short so she was on her way home. She is 18 years old currently and is a student studying a wide array of topics to help their father.
She comments on how rough he was to himself in his training and Jun tries to defend himself, but her scrutiny ends soon enough as it always does and she gives in, pledging to take him home and patch him up while delivering some choice words about his training. Jun loves his sister deeply- with no mother, she’s always been there and taken care of him, and she acted older than her years.
Before heading home, they stop at their father’s shop since that was where all the good medicine was.
We get a desc. Of the shop. Their father started life as a peddler on the streets but slowly built up enough connections and money to set up a proper shop dealing in the most lucrative product- refinement resources and natural treasures. Now, their family shop is one of the few in all of Little Haven that can proudly declare they- occasionally- do - minor- business with the mighty Threefold Kingdom itself.
Fangzhi Ping is there checking some inventory but he drops what he’s doing when his children arrive, one of them covered in injuries. He is a man in his forties. Had no time to ever develop himself beyond Clouded Initiate nor was he skilled to justify it, so he is slightly overweight, dressed in fine silks, a long mustache and deep smile lines.
He tries to act stern but he’s just proud to see Jun working so hard. Huifang is disappointed but not surprised, her father loves that Jun is showing talent in refinement from a young age, letting him live vicariously by seeing his son excel.
Ping dismisses the notion but it’s obviously correct. Jun breaks down how his training went and he thinks he’ll have these basic things mastered soon. Ping strokes his chin and believes he’ll have to go looking for a tutor soon, only the best for his son. Huifang glares at him before Ping adds in a statement not to overwork himself and so on.
Ping gives her something to use on his wounds and she takes him to the back where he and his sister have a moment together. She rubs in the magical salve and it starts taking effect, healing his scrapes like it was no big deal.
Huifang apologizes for how stern she can be sometimes, but from her perspective, it wasn’t that long ago that he was in diapers. Jun is embarrassed and deflects that he’s not a kid anymore, which is what she’s getting at. She’s going to have to get used to him growing up. It starts with training on the beach, but who knows how long before her baby brother leaves home to join a sect or something?
Jun isn’t used to seeing her so concerned and he’s embarrassed about it but tries to comfort her. It’s acknowledges it’s something she needs to accept, but she still insists he shouldn’t be doing his training on the beach. He gets him to promise and he means it. Everything is happy, and they leave the storeroom to announce they’re going home.
Jun is expected to work on some actual studies with Huifang’s help for the rest of the day, and she asks if there’s anything her father would like for dinner tonight so she can tell the servants. He’s about to say something, but the door opens and a menacing presence makes itself known. An unsettling aura.
The man at the door is tall, with a severe face, and wearing black robes with serpents patterns. Behind him is a boy several years older than Jun. Both Jun and Huifang freeze in the presence of this man. from the get go, the encounter seems very hostile. Ping picks up on this but tries to ease the tension by greeting Sasei Li and his son Shan like a flattering merchant would.
Ping tries to excuse his son and daughter as just being on their way, but Li speaks and insists that this won’t take long and that they might as well stay. This is a matter that regards family, after all. Li isn’t interested in Ping’s small talk and cuts straight to the heart of his visit. Several weeks ago, Ping sold him something he promised would speed Shan’s development up to Clouded Initiate and increase his chi reserves twofold.
Ping of course recalls, flattering him by saying it’s not every day one gets to do business with the head of the local branch of the great Sasei clan. The phrasing annoys Li, but explains the problem. It caused a chi blockage- a severe one. Shan would’ve died had it not been for his resources.
Ping is deeply sympathetic here but Li shows his frustration, demanding that Ping speak honestly and stop drawing power from his charisma mantra. His honeyed words have no effect on him. Ping drops the flowery way of talking and is now starting to become afraid. He looks to his daughter and they share a mutual look of concern before Ping continues.
He asks for more details about the blockage. He reminds Li there were very specific steps you had to go through to use the resource, and that he did indeed warn Li that this was a possibility if those steps weren’t taken. Even tried to get him to buy something less dangerous, but-
Li says you sold me a faulty product. Ping says no, but the alternative is that he’s implying Shan failed to follow instructions. Li takes great care to hype up his son, calling him a prodigy and so on, but Shan looks very uncomfortable and like there’s something he’d like to say but knows better than to interrupt their talk.
Li says Shan is the future of the Sasei clan and Ping tries to make amends by offering a full refund and let Li pick anything in the store to make up for it. He senses this isn’t enough and offers even more, saying he can take something for the whole clan if he likes. Li is not backing down and Ping starts to fear for the worst. This wasn’t the first angry refiner he’d dealt with over his years and he’d had many close calls, so he is still hopeful this can be avoided.
Shan finally speaks up and urges his father to take the offer. Ping calls him a smart boy, but Li corrects him that he’s too kind for his own good. He takes the opportunity to remind Shan that when others have wronged you, you have every obligation to wrong them back. Li steps towards Jun.
Huifang reflexively tries to carry her brother away, but Li activates a snake eyes technique that leaves them both paralyzed. Ping warns him not to take another step toward his family, getting out a weapon he breaks out in case of angry refiners. Li barely expends any effort, destroying the weapon with a flying dagger.
He looks down at Jun and Jun can feel Li scanning his soul. He’s terrified, like looking into the eyes of a Yiansha. Li asks Jun how old he is. 6. He compliments Jun for seemingly having a good amount of chi for his age, says he would make a promising refiner, especially with his father’s resources. Ping makes one last attempt to reason with Li but the man isn’t listening. He simply tells Shan to watch carefully.
Li takes one of the two snake headed chainwhips from his belt and Jun is lifted into the air by it. Powerful green aura flares from his right hand and Li stabs two fingers into Jun’s heart, and he feels immeasurable pain from within his soul. It’s agonizing and lasts a long time before Li throws him to the ground unceremoniously, where Jun passes out. Ping rushes to his son as his daughter picks him up, screaming what have you done.
Li says you nearly made a cripple of my boy, so I’ve made a cripple of yours. Perhaps now you’ll understand the gravity of crossing the Sasei clan. Huifang calls him an honorless coward for attacking a child, but Li scarily says if he was without honor, he would’ve killed the boy.
Li warns Ping that next time he won’t be so merciful and tells him to send a selection of his finest wares to the Sasei clan in restitution. Ping hangs his head and thanks Li for his mercy. Shan lingers at the doorway staring in shame at the devastation his father wrought but follows him on the way out.
Huifang is panicking and Ping commands his daughter to watch over Jun, he’s going to go and fetch a healer.

Immediately After

Jun is adrift in a dreamless sleep lasting on and off. He doesn’t have a clear picture about what’s going on but he remembers his family crying over him, different people examining his body, and the feeling of chi being used on his body. It’s all very surreal.
When he wakes up for real, he is in his room. Jun tries to sit up but he’s met with a scary realization that he can’t move his body currently. He’s panicked and wonders if this is the work of a demon, having temporarily forgotten what happened to him. He screams and one of the servants comes in, gasps, and calls for his sister.
Huifang hurries into the room to be by his side, telling the servant to send word to her father. Jun is scared about not being able to move and how hazy everything feels, before learning he’s been in a coma for a month. He has a vision of what happened and minor ptsd kicks in, knocking him out again for a moment only to reawaken when his father arrives.
Jun gets the full story and remembers it all now, then gets filled in on the specifics of his condition. Ping hired every skilled healer in the city to come and take a look at him and it seems very definitive. Li damaged Jun’s soul itself, halting the flow of chi to Jun’s entire body.
Jun takes this as well as a 6 year old can and asks when he’ll be better again. Their responses aren’t encouraging and he can read the implication, but Ping forces optimism. He says that Jun should regain a limited form of movement eventually but for anything more than that Ping will have to reach out to his connections and see what can be done. He promises his son that they can fix this.
As they hug him, Jun doesn’t really feel anything.
Cut. Later that night, Ping and Huifang are having a discussion in his chambers. She doesn’t think it’s right that Ping got Jun’s hopes up and believes he should’ve been more honest. Ping was being honest, he’s not just going to accept that his son is now an invalid. Not without doing everything he can to fix him first.
He says he’s going first check with all of Little Haven’s major sects and clans, the ones he typically does business with. He’ll journey there himself. Huifang asks if that doesn’t work? Then he’ll sail around the southern islands and make use of his extended connections. And if that doesn’t? Ping is hesitant but says he will venture to the Threefold Kingdom and see if he can find help there.
She points out how That one’s a pipe dream- there’s no way they could ever afford a healer or medicine from the mainland. The only trading Ping does with them is buying up elixirs brewed by alchemists in training, and even then he can barely afford it.
Ping is despondent before admitting she reminds him of her mother too much for her own good sometimes. He sobs about how she would’ve known what to do. She comforts her father and asks when he plans on leaving. A few days, as soon as he can make the arrangements and hire some guards. He says that she’ll be in charge of the shop now. Huifang worries it’s too soon, but it’s not as if they have a choice in the matter.
No one is going to help Jun but themselves. They couldn’t find Justice with the city council even if they brought it to their attention. The Sasei clan might not be the most powerful on Little Haven, but because of their main branch back on Drake Roost they get to act as if they are. No, Ping has to do it himself.
Cut. Jun is in bed a few days later. Ping is leaving today and he’ll be there to say goodbye soon, but Jun isn’t really mentally there right now. The days have run together since he woke up. His sister or one of the servants would take care of him and keep him company, teach him things, or tell him stories, and Jun would pretend to listen. Sometimes he had to relieve himself. That was the part he hated most of all.
Currently, he's all alone right now and feeling despondent. We get a glimpse into his dark thoughts beginning to form, but they're still put through the filter of a young child's point of view. He focuses on how this isn't fair. How sad he is. How much he hates the Sasei clan. How he doesn't want his father to go away. How much he wanted to be a refiner. It's all very sulky but justifiably so I would say.
He is not optimistic about his father finding a cure. He knows his father is an optimistic man who will stop at nothing, but he trusts his sister's judgment more than his, and Huifang didn't seem convinced and every time he's asked her if he will be cured, her words are more vague and her expressions forced. She tries to tell him more on how he can learn to live with his new circumstances and how they will get through this together as a family, but Jun doesn't buy that.
His thoughts focus on the Sasei clan and the young boy wishes struggles with childish thoughts of vengeance, though they aren't very well formed and he has trouble sorting them out. Everything comes back down to this not being fair. He tries to raise his hand but isn't able to do it, making him feel even worse.
Ping and Huifang enter the room and his father is dressed in travelling attire. Jun is sad to see this and Ping explains he'll be on his way soon, detailing his intention. He's going to travel Little Haven by carriage and speak with as many of his associates as possible. Healers from across the island may show up at the manor after he's met up with them, and they're to treat them as honored guests. Jun asks even if they don't cure me? Ping says yes, even then.
If one of them is successful Ping will return, but if not, he won't be back until he's visited every major stop on the island. Jun is sad still but he ends up asking about the Sasei clan and if anything can be done about them. He says you have all these connections but you can't use them to get- what, revenge? Ping gives his son a stern lesson about the realities of the world. There are people more powerful than imagining out there, and people even beyond that. The best that weak people like themselves can hope for is to prove useful enough that these strong people see fit to keep them alive, but if not, there's... really nothing that can be done.
Jun voices his thoughts on fairness and Ping emotionally agrees, asking if Jun believes there's nothing he would like more than to see Sasei Li pay for what he's done? Of course not. He wants that more than anything else- but the chances of that happening are impossibly low. He could waste his life trying to orchestrate vengeance on a clan far, far out of his league, or he can go and try to find a cure for Jun. He chooses his son over revenge, and this is a big moment for Jun's development and the defining memory of his father, enshrining him as a wise and noble man who understood the pitfalls of revenge.
Ping bids farewell to his children after that climactic moment, bidding Huifang take care of her brother and that he will write them as often as possible. And so began the slow decline of the Fangzhi clan.

Year Later

Cut. A year later. Jun is 7. We get an overview of what's happened since. Jun has remained primarily bedridden but with the help of some healers he's managed to gain some limited movement back, but as opposed to being a happy seven year old practicing his soul refinement, he's confined to his room with only a bookstand propped over his bed to entertain him. Jun had just enough strength to turn the pages, sometimes not even that, and he would be stuck reading the same page multiple times over until a servant came to check on him or one of his tutors dropped by for their daily lesson.
True to his father's words, healers from across Little Haven periodically arrived at their manor. They came from strange sects and ancient clans, eachs of them trying some strange art or elixir that supposedly could mend a broken soul. None of them worked, but Jun enjoyed the company of these visitors all the same. They all had interesting stories to tell him, and some of them came bringing gifts. Jun's room was decorated in an array of minor treasures he's been given by these people. Nothing insanely valuable, but still a kind gesture. If nothing else, it showed how many connections his father really had that he could get all these random people to come and help his son.
Jun didn't get to see his sister as often as he liked. She was busy running the store fulltime, and for as smart as she was, she wasn't prepared for it leading to long hours and lots of stress. It's nighttime and she should be getting home soon, giving Jun something to look forward to.
He's reading a book one of the visitors brought that had records of the most famous clans and sects on Little Haven. He wanted to learn more about the Sasei clan, though that was unlikely since they only came to LH recently and were an offshoot of a clan from elsewhere. His soul didn't burn for revenge, but Jun would be lying if he said it still didn't cross his mind. Sasei Li took everything from him, and oftentimes in his dreams, Jun imagined himself as a powerful soul refiner who took everything from him in return. Jun would often awake from these dreams unsatisfied, leaving him unsure what he really wanted.
Jun hears the servants greeting his sister downstairs and he perks up a little from his stewing to greet her when she comes in. She's tired, she always is, but other than that she's the same as ever and is very loving to him. Jun asks about her day, she gets into some details and it's the same as it ever is. She asks how his day was, which Jun doesn't see the point in answering but does so anyway to pretend at normalcy. She asks what he's reading before taking a look at it, and she goes a little cold.
She thought she had the servants take this one away. Jun says they are very loyal to their crippled young master, especially when he gets all pouty and uses it to his advantage, Huifang teases that he's a clever little brat, his father's son. Jun presses her on why she didn't want him reading it, and its a hard discussion.
It's been a year and no major progress in his recovery. She thinks that books about soul refiners and stories of action and heroics are only serving to get his hopes up and that sort of thing, same with all his talking sessions with their exotic visitors.
Jun confronts her about how negative she's been about his condition since the beginning. He's still only a child, but he has some surprisingly detailed criticisms for her. I may be crippled, but you don't need to constantly treat me as one. You are only narrowing my world even more than it already is, and that's saying something.
You think these books and stories from the visitors are bad for me, but they're all I have. They let me imagine myself as I am not, and live through them. You would deny me this comfort to have me read poetry or other uninteresting stuff, and you say you're doing it to protect me?
Huifang is shocked by her brother's words and really takes them to heart. It takes a minute, but it sinks in how much he's right. She regrets her treatment and coddling of him and wonders when it is he became so wise. There's not a lot else for him to do other than sit around, think, read, and soil himself, so he thinks a lot.
Huifang praises him, saying he might have the makings of a scholar or a philosopher yet. Jun is placidly receptive but thoroughly uninterested on the inside. She then admits to her wrongdoing and says she will no longer get in the way of whatever he wants to read or his talks with the visitors, apologizing for being so shortsighted. She hugs him and he wishes he could hug her back.
This intimate moment is interrupted by a surprise announcement. Servant comes in and brings a letter from their father that just arrived. He'll be home within a month and he's bringing the matriarch of the Jileng clan- which is a massive deal. They both can't believe it, and Jun allows himself to feel a measure of optimism.
Cut. Month or so later, the day they know their father is coming. Jun has been excited all month, and when he finally heard the sounds of greeting his father from the servants, he impulsively tries to jump out of bed and run to see him. It doesn't work, but that's not enough to dampen his spirits. He counts down the seconds until seeing his father before a stranger enters his room wearing ragged clothes. It takes a moment to register his own father, as life on the road has changed him so drastically. He's thin and tired, but still full of joy and he greets his son with the same warmth as always.
Jun gets a sense of how deeply Ping has toiled for his sake and actually manages to weakly hug him back, a huge milestone. Ping asks when he's had the strength to do that. Just now. They'll have to celebrate later, but before anything else, he brought a special visitor to see Jun. He tries not to be overly optimistic but fails, mentioning how this really might be the one. Your sister is entertaining her right now, but give me a moment and I'll send her in. He stresses how polite Jun must be- he can't say for certain, but this woman might very well be the strongest refiner in all of Little Haven. Stronger than Sasei Li? Much. He's only at Clouded Master, but this woman is a Clear Initiate. The gap between clouded and clear is wide as a chasm, and Jun gulps nervously.
Father leaves and in comes Jileng Wen, an older woman with light blue hair and a flowing white robe. She is the most beautiful woman Jun has ever seen, like what he imagines the royalty of the Threefold Kingdoms might look like. Her every move is elegant and graceful as she approaches the bed and introduces herself to the boy. Despite how imposing she is, she is warm and loving, even though the room grows cold in her presence. Despite the cold, she has a folding fan that she uses to cool herself.
Jun is very polite to her and she is kind in return. Jun wonders aloud why someone so powerful would come so far from their home to help a stranger, and Wen says not to mistake all powerful refiners as underhanded snakes like the Sasei clan. His father promised many things in exchange for helping his son, but Wen came of her own volition. Why? Because she has a daughter a few years older than Jun, and her heart ached at the thought of what she would do if this ever happened to her.
Jun is overwhelmed by this kindness and she comforts him, as well as pointing out that this has the benefit of irritating the Sasei clan, who are a thorn in her family's side. Jun doesn't say it, but he hopes the Jileng wipes them out. Wen picks up on this, but she asks him if his heart burns for revenge. Truthfully, Jun doesn't know. He wants them to pay for what they've done, but it's not so simple as that. Rather than thinking solely about revenge he elaborates on some of his earliest realizations of justice. He wants this world to be fair, even though it never will be.
Wen thinks that's a fine ideal to strive for, stating that a child aught to dream big. Let's see if I can do do anything to help you get there.
The examination takes place and it's similar to all the other one's he's had before. She probes his chi channels with her chi, which makes him feel like he's freezing from the inside out. Wen tries multiple things, tries to stimulate his soul, to forcibly control it, even to freeze the cracks. She even produces a special healing elixir of her clan, but it does nothing to help. Jun watches as she becomes increasingly dismayed at the procedures.
By the end of it, Wen curses Sasei Li for what he's done. She gives the best explanation of his condition so far, that Jun's soul itself was damaged. Ordinarily, that's not the end of the world, but one's soul isn't fully formed until it's 10 or so. When combined with Sasei Li's specific technique, the damage inflicted far exceeded Li's typical capabilities... and those of her own. It's not all for naught. The elixir might strengthen him in the long run. Jun asks if he'll be able to talk, but she is honest with the boy. Maybe a few steps before falling over. Jun frowns and accepts this. He asks honestly how bad his prospects are.
She admires that he's unafraid and wants to be told straight, so she spells it out. Ping could search the Southern Isles for a hundred years and not find the level of help Jun needs. It would take someone or something beyond the mortal realms of soul refinement. A Sage at the very least. Jun is floored, even if he has no concept of how insane that really is outside of his stories.
Jun asks if she's told his father, yes, but he still intends on searching the southern isles regardless. She doesn't blame him. Getting help from anyone in the Threefold Kingdom would be akin to a seeing a dragon or a phoenix. Not impossible, but highly unlikely. Best to keep his expectations in check and continue his search where at least he has connections.
Jun is downtrodden, but not overly so. He's understanding of his condition and thanks Wen for her time. He asks if she'll be staying long, but no, she has one other thing to do in town and then she has to return to Frostflow Peak. Wen is kind and tells the boy if he ever recovers, her clan would be willing to take him in should he still wish to walk the path of soul refinement. This gesture means a lot to Jun and the scene ends.
He will have developed a childhood crush on Wen that will make the eventually news of the Jileng Massacre hit a lot harder for him, as well as give him a personal stake when the arc starring Wen's daughter arrives.

Jileng vs Sasei Build-up

The other thing Wen has to do in town is visit the Sasei clan. She is brought to their complex with an entourage of attendants and she is greeted respectfully by Li and Shan and other high-ranking members including Xiusho, Li's brother. Li plays at hospitality, thanking her for gracing their clan with this auspicious visit, but she insists that they won't be staying long and she has wishes to have a brief discussion with Li. Alone.
Some of the higher ups look uncomfortable about this but Li settles them all and accepts her into his tower, leading her to its top floor where his private sanctuary is. There's an altar for his wife among all the mystic martial arts shit to add a little more humanity to him. Li is speaking more honestly now, but he is still wary of how much more powerful this woman is than him and wants to know what he can do for the head of the mighty Jileng clan.
Now also speaking honestly, Wen waves her fan and three severed heads frozen in ice magically fall from wherever she was holding them. Some of Li's men. She will not tolerate his people skulking around her mountain, and he is to consider this his only warning. Li is quiet as this registers but he tries to spin this as her killing his envoys. She laughs this off- they attacked her man who discovered them and nearly killed him. We aren't like you- we don't terrorize those weaker than ourselves and kill without reason, nor do we go around crippling innocent children for entertainment.
Li has genuinely forgotten what she's referring to and has to be reminded of Fangzhi Jun's existence. He states his version of the events but by this point she's heard enough. Wen puts it plain as day- the only reason that she has yet to wipe his treacherous little clan from the face of the earth is the threat of earning the scrutiny of the version of the Sasei clan that actually matters. He is stung by this but tries not to show it.
Wen warns him that so long as she lives, the Sasei will never set foot in the Hallowed Cave of Silent Souls, and the next time she catches his men anywhere near her mountain, she will incur the risk of offending the main clan by freezing every last one of the snakes and throwing their frozen bodies off of a cliff herself. Li is forced to humbly bow before her and he promises to not dare approach Frostflow Peak. Wen warns him that he better not. From atop the mountain, they can see everything now that they know to be looking out for them.
After Wen leaves, we get a quick POV switch to Li showing just how mad he is after this encounter. He was humiliated and destroys something in his office once he senses she is far enough away. Some insight into his thoughts on all this. Li is furious at his brother Xiusho for his agents fucking up what was supposed to be simple recon. Li waited 8 years since he was stationed here to grow his clan and accumulate power before he even dared to peak in on the opposition, and they fumbled the first move as badly as they possibly could've.
They essentially just lost the possibility of gaining the Jileng's trust over time, and worse, Wen knew exactly what they were after.
The entire reason for this branch of the Sasei's founding was to wrest that damned cave away from the Jileng, a task which Li himself was personally assigned. Now he's unsure how to proceed. He'd heard the matriarch was a Clear Initiate, but the gap in power between them was even wider than he dared imagine. The Jileng have more men, more resources, the home field advantage, and there's no way the Sasei can beat them at their current level. Perhaps if Li could advance to Clear Soul himself they might have a chance, but if he could simply do so, he wouldn't have been sent to this damn island in the first place.
He realizes he's going to be here a lot longer than he hoped, and he rages that he'll be unable to give Shan the life he deserves any time soon. We get some thoughts on his son, how he believes Shan is a prodigy that the likes of the main clan could only ever dream of, yet they won't take him in simply by virtue of him being Li's son. After a bit of quiet contemplation, Li resolves that no matter how many years it takes and whatever cost he has to pay, he will crush the Jileng clan. He walks over to the portrait of his wife at the alter and swears to her that their genius son will one day have all the all that he deserves and more.

Ping's Fate and Huifang's Career Change

Ping is in his study, disappointed that Jileng Wen was unable to help. She'd told him it would take a Sage, but that didn't deter him. He is pouring over a map, plotting the most cost-efficient route across the southern islands. Huifang brings tea and they discuss things and how Jun is taking what happened today. It's a disappointment all around, but Huifang noticed he seemed rather fond of Wen after the fact. Ping laughs at this and says he would've proposed a marriage between her young daughter and Jun if it wasn't liable to offend her. With any luck, that girl will grow up to be as beautiful as her mother.
Huifang looks at what he's working on and she can't help but notice how extensive his plans are. She bluntly asks how he's planning to afford all of these trips across the islands. The shop isn't doing as well as it once was, for obvious reasons. Before he leaves, Ping plans on selling some of their belongings and asks which of their servants they can afford to let go of. Huifang is concerned, but Ping says with any luck he won't actually have to visit every destination on his list. And if he does? Then it'll take around two years.
Cut. It says that Jun wouldn't see his father for two years, and these passed very slowly for him. The visitors were more infrequent, they rarely brought gifts anymore (implication being Ping can no longer lavishly treat these refiners well enough for them to want to suck up to him), and all of them had the same thing to say when it came down to it. Jun's sister was around even less, they could no longer afford any tutors for him, and all Jun had was his books to occupy his time.
Ping has been sending some with his letters every time after learning how much Jun likes to read, but every book made Jun feel bad knowing how much he was costing his family. At least Wen's prediction came true and he gained somewhat more mobility. He can turn the pages as often as he wants, now, and so long as he had a stack of books at his bedside he didn't have to call for a servant to turn the page anymore.
Still no luck on the going to the bathroom without assistance thing, though. He'd tried once and his heart almost gave out.
Jun has grown even more despondent in the years since. Alone with his thoughts, they continue to spiral and dwell on the inherent suffering and unfairness of the world, even beyond himself. The more he learns from his books, the more he realizes how widespread suffering is. He often thinks of his conversation with Wen and his thoughts of justice begin to develop further.
When his father next returns, there is little fanfare. His sister merely told him in advance, and then it happened. The man who arrived was even more unrecognizable than the one Jun saw last. He's very thin now. Gray is starting to take root in his hair. His smile is tired. It hurt Jun to see him like this, though it hurt more knowing he was the cause. Ping had searched all of the southern islands and had significantly less results than he had in Little Haven.
Jun tries to get Ping to stop his journeying. He misses his father and he can't stand being the cause of his family's decline. Huifang can't run the shop by herself and even a kid can see how bad their family is doing. Ping brushes aside these concerns asking Jun if he's happy how he is. He tries to lie and say he is, but anyone can tell he isn't. Ping insists that if there's any chance of improving things then it's his duty as Jun's father to take that chance. Ping holds himself resonsible to a degree for not being able to stop Li, so this is his act of redemption.
Besides, there's only one last place he can even check. The Threefold Kingdom. Jun points out Wen didn't think finding help there was very likely. Ping admits this but says it's in bad faith to expect the worst in people. He won't know until he's there.
Cut to several months later. Ping didn't stay long. Only a few weeks as he planned out his journey, procured more funding, and let go of more servants. He set out on a big ship headed for the mainlands and that was that. Jun's days were even lonelier than before, and all of them were the same until they weren't.
Huifang came into his room one night in tears clutching a letter. Jun tries to comfort her and find out what's wrong but when he learns the truth he is just as shaken as his sister. The ship their father was on was attacked by a notorious and well-known pirate (drama point for later, perhaps). There were no survivors.
Jun struggles with reality in that moment. Nothing seems real. This feels like a joke. It can't be. On top of everything else in his life, he can't have lost his father. He won't accept it. It isn't fair. Huifang sorrowfully reminds him the world isn't fair, but Jun has a moment of anger where he attacks his bookstand and screams it should be- and someone should make it so. This physical exertion completely robs his strength and he has an attack in the wake of it. He manages to recover and they hug and cry together.
Cut. We focus on how Huifang is handling it all and get some more details on her struggles to run the shop. She never had any talent for soul refinement so she couldn't even make it past clouded beginner- unlike her father who was at least able to engrave 'Charisma' onto his soul. That would've helped a lot, but it wouldn't have saved the business. It wasn't that she wasn't smart enough to succeed, but that she had to handle so many things at once. Making sure Jun was cared for, managing their household in Ping's absence, dealing with suppliers who were giving her worse rates because she wasn't her father meaning she had to increase prices leading to less customers- absolutely everything was stacked against Huifang.
The death of their father was the last straw. Everything became so much harder to deal with after that. She carried the weight of the world on her shoulders- shrugging was only a matter of time. And she did. The shop only lasted another year after Ping's death before they ran out of funding completely and were forced to close. They sold the manor, almost all of their remaining possessions (aside from Jun's books, which Huifang wouldn't entertain the thought of selling), let go of all their remaining servants, and used the money to find a cheap house in a poorer district. The transition was rough, but Huifang loved her brother above all else. He was all she had anymore, and as long as he continued to need her, she would continue to work herself to the bone for him.
She didn't rest for even a second. As soon as they were moved in to their new place, she began working multiple jobs ranging from waitress to servant. Jun wasn't happy about how little he got to see her, but there wasn't anything she could do about it. She had to put food on the table, get her brother some books, and see that he was provided for. Perhaps once she'd worked at somewhere long enough she could get a full time position and afford to take more time to be with Jun, but her chance came sooner than she thought it might. Just not in the form she was expecting.
One day a beautiful woman appeared in her restaurant- the head madame from one of Glimmering Bay's most successful brothels catering specifically to soul refiners. Restaurants in poor districts were a great place to go scouting for prospective girls at the end of their rope, but it was rare to find one that shined as brightly as Huifang. She makes conversation with her and after bringing it up she tempts Huifang about the benefits once she learns about her situation. More pay, more time for her brother, and so on.
Huifang obviously doesn't want to become a prostitute, no matter how classy. She's still very tempted though and in a moment of weakness she asks about a stipulation. Wonders if the Sasei clan makes use of the place very often. Yes, they do. Huifang would only consider it if she never has to serve them. While a tall ask, the madame gets the impression that this is non-negotiable. Guesses they might have something to do with her brother. Huifang is quiet on the matter. Madame says she'll consider it if Huifang does the same. Chapter ends with the implication that she's thinking of accepting.

Next Few Years and Huifang's Fate

Cut. Many years go by. Jun is 16 and things have changed a lot for the better. He's mellowed out a lot, partially beaten down by fate and partially just because of the passage of time. Things weren't as good as they used to be, but Jun wasn't as lonely. His sister was home a lot more, and she had a lot of pretty friends visiting their place all of the time. Things really started to change once she took up that new job of hers a few years back. Jun was confused by all the changes at first, but as he grew older, he started to put together the pieces.
Huifang has never confirmed it outright, but he knows she's working at a brothel. She wears skimpy robes when she goes to work, only works at night, wears thick perfume, and so on. Jun hated what she did for him, but he was too beaten down to ever press the issue. The world was unfair, and between crying about it and being thankful that he had a sister who would go as far as Huifang to provide for him, Jun chose to focus on the latter.
Speaking of unfair, the biggest thing he had to complain about was going through puberty surrounded by your pretty sister and all her pretty friends who came over to hang out. He still felt the pangs of puberty, even if his body didn't physically respond. It was probably for the best that it didn't, but it made his teenage years a confusing and painful time for Jun. Still, things could be a lot worse. Their house was lively. Huifang had plenty of time off. He was drowning in books, and on good days and festivals, she would take him out in a wheelchair.
Jun was about as happy as he could be, at least on the surface. When he was alone, he would occasionally try and work on his mobility and in the years he’s gotten a lot farther than Wen ever guessed he would. Rather than confined to his bed all of the time, Jun can walk around the length of his bedroom without much difficulty now. Any more than that is still painful, though, and he can’t lift anything heavy, but at least he could go to the bathroom by himself at long last.
The training took a lot out of him, and keeping it a secret from Huifang was difficult, but Jun refused to let everything his father did for him be all for naught. Ping had procured hundreds of elixirs and secret medicines and gave Jun treatments by dozens of soul refiners, and Jun won out despite the odds. If you could call his current state ‘winning’. Which you very well could, considering where he started out.
Life was as good as it had been in a very long time.
Huifang is getting ready for work and she shows off her outfit and makeup to him, asking how she looks. She's trying something new tonight. She looks beautiful as ever, he's embarrassed but honest.
She thanks him and they share a moment, asking if there's anything he wants or needs. He says no, but she pressures him into admitting there's a few books he's interested in. Big surprise there. She has off tomorrow so maybe they'll make a date of it. He jokes that he's getting too old for dates with his sister, but supposes he doesn't have many options.
Huifang lists some of her friends who might be interested, but Jun says while they're all very kind to him but he's not interested in any of her work friends that way. Maybe if his body worked it'd be a different story, but alas. Huifang jokes that he's stuck with her, then. Jun says guess so.
She kisses him goodbye and says she'll be back home in the morning and after her nap they'll go out. He's looking forward to it.
Once Jun is alone, we get a comedic moment where he tries to play with himself and get it up but sighs at no response and gives up when his body hurts. Obviously it won't be graphic since he's a minor in this scene, it'll just be alluded to. Will try to make it not seem explicitly sister related, either, with him thinking about some of her pretty friends just because they were brought up.
Cut to a new POV, Sasei Paoshi, cousin to Shan and the villain of Miao's arc later in this book. He's a young, cocky, underhanded asshole and he is at Huifang's workplace in the entertainment section of the establishment where clients hang out and drink with the girls while music is played.
Paoshi is at a table with two different girls, and he's openly complaining about Shan. Whining about how he gets all the best advancement resources and gets to train with the best masters his dad can afford. What do the rest of us get? Nothing. I'd be as strong as him if I had half the opportunities that shithead did.
The girls are doing what they do best, flattering him and keeping him drunk. They promise they will provide him with plenty of training opportunities tonight, and he drunkenly laughs and is all for it. Then he catches sight of Huifang from across the room and we get an over the top description of her beauty and Paoshi's instant infatuation with her. He's been here a few times by now but has never seen her before. He asks his girls about her and they sense trouble, trying to temper his expectations.
They tell him she doesn't accept clients from his clan and he remembers hearing there was a girl like that. While the Sasei were allowed to visit this establishment by Li, they were very specifically not supposed to cause trouble and they weren't supposed to mess with this girl. Drunken Paoshi disregards all that and goes to see Huifang. She is not impressed- he's dressed in Sasei garb/colors so she can instantly tell who he is. Still, she's a professional. She flatters him and tries hard to disengage, but he won't take the hint.
Security gets involved but even this doesn't deter him. He takes out his signature weapon, daggers coated in poison. He warns them not to get any closer as he shows off a little, juggling the daggers and showcasing his Control mantra. The establishment is freaking out now but security advances. Huifang tells them to hold off for a moment and she makes a dramatic explanation that this is why she will never serve the Sasei- they're all tyrants who think the world is theirs just because they know a few tricks. She reveals his patriarch crippled her brother (giving Paoshi reason to recognize Jun eventually) and insults their honor, which causes the drunken fool to snap.
He attacks her with his dagger, calling her a whore. The cut both deep AND poisonous. Security attacks and restrains Paoshi, the madame bursts in and takes control of the situation, urging them to hurry and take Huifang to the infirmary. Paoshi taunts that they can't save her. Even if she survives the wound, his venom is among the fiercest in his entire clan. Madame signals for security to knock the idiot out and they do.
Sadly, Paoshi was correct and Huifang does not survive.
POV cut. We check in on the Sasei clan immediately after this to a meeting with Li, Xiusho, Shan, and a few other high ranking members. Li is absolutely furious. That brothel was a valuable resource for sexual soul refinement, important for stress relief for their men, and their girls were top quality, and now thanks to Xiusho's son, they are banned for life.
Xiusho says there are other classy brothels in Glimmering Bay but Li points out that you think they will want us, either? If any of them accept our men after this, we'll be lucky if they only charge triple for a night's session.
Xiusho is lucky that Li doesn't kill Paoshi as atonement. Some of the others think he actually should, but Li acknowledges the boy is young and stupid yet still has potential to be of value to him. In terms of development potential, Paoshi was second only to Shan. A distant second, yes, but still not worth sacrificing.
Li admonishes Xiusho and makes him grovel before his feet, pointing out how many times his younger brother has failed him, but it does not satisfy him. Li is at a breaking point and Shan tries to comfort him, but it doesn't work. Li stressed how long they've been on Little Haven and yet they are no closer to taking down the Jileng clan than the day Wen visited to threaten them. Some even say that Wen's daughter is an unprecedented genius already well on her way to Clouded Master despite her young age, saying she has even more talent than Wen herself did at her age.
Meanwhile, look at us. A bunch of snakes who can't keep their idiotic men from killing worthless whores. Li runs through some of the other higher ups who are present, giving examples of how they have each failed their cause. One failed to ally with another sect, one wasted funding chasing an ancient treasure that had been robbed centuries prior, and so on. Li is surrounded by failure on every front and cannot bear to look at any of them. He dismisses everyone but Shan.
He apologizes to his son for showing such weakness, but Shan understands. Everything he said is true. They aren't in a good situation now, and what Paoshi did was beyond stupid and he honestly wouldn't have been surprised if Li thought killing him was warranted. Li wants to, he really does, but as discussed he just can't sacrifice any pawns that might have development potential.
Li reiterates that everything he has done has been for Shan. Shan understands this and bows before his father in gratitude. He says he may not always agree with his father, but he appreciates all that he has done and continues to do for his sake. Li looks at his son with fondness and remarks on how proud his mother would be of him if she could see him now.
Li has a question for Shan. Would you still be proud to call me father if this snake shed his skin and transformed for the sake of their future? Shan is disturbed by the question and tries to get more information, but Li is vague, only saying he is pursuing a lead of his own secret to the others that might give them the necessary power to accomplish their mission and secure the Cave of Silent Souls within two years.
Shan asks about the Jileng clan, scarily being told they will not be an obstacle. Shan wants to know what this transformation will cost, but Li will not say. With the little information he has, Shan will insist that his father will always be his father, no matter what emerges from the shedded skin. Li likes this answer and has Shan approach- he gifts him the dual chainwhips treasure. The strongest weapon in their clan's possession. Shan says he's not worthy etc, but Li ends by saying he will have no need of them soon enough and he had always meant to give them to Shan when he was ready.
Shan feels that accepting this would be very bad, but he does so anyway and the scene ends.

Everything is Lost

Huifang does not return home in the morning. This doesn't immediately alarm 16 year old Jun. There have been late nights before, but as the day goes on, he can start to feel something is deeply wrong. It was as if Jun was attuned to tragedy at this point in his life and could sense as it approached. He tries to stay calm and rational at first, but soon enough, an older woman enter his home. He's never met her but he knows her as the madame from comments made by Huifang and her co-workers.
Madame is wearing an expression that told him everything. It looks like an expression she was used to wearing, but one that never got any easier. She introduces herself, and Jun becomes despondent. His thoughts are swirling. This isn't fair. Why is this happening. Have the gods forsaken my family? He collects himself long enough to welcome the Madame, but she gets the sense that he doesn't need to tell him why she's here.
Jun is desperate for it not to be the case. She can tell how much this kid has been through. He sees through eyes that look like they've seen a century's worth of tragedy in his short lifetime and it fell to her to deepen that tragedy. She tells him what happened.
So the Sasei clan has wronged me yet again, and nothing will be done about it? She explains that they're banned from her establishment and none of the other brothels will be eager to serve them, either. Jun laughs in her face, offended at the idea of the Sasei clan not being able to get laid is of any sort of comfort to him. That isn't justice.
Madame feels bad. No, it isn't justice, because justice doesn't exist. The only thing that can be relied on when you're weak is that life will bring suffering, and all you can do is hope you have it a little better than the other asshole. Jun reckons with this and stresses himself making a fist and getting worked up, but he manages to calm himself and recline back in bed, having given up. He thanks her for coming to tell him and says she can go now.
Madame says that Huifang was a gem among women, and she tries to look after her own. I will take care of you from now on, if you will let me. Your every need will be seen to, and I will treat you as my own son. Jun laughs. He doesn't want to bring tragedy to yet another person, so he declines. He's lived a life of being pitied and looked after by others, and he's done with it.
She calls him a fool and asks what he intends to do about it, then. Kill himself? Tempting, he jokes, but his father and his sister worked themselves to their graves providing for him and he will not dishonor their sacrifices by taking the life they sustained.
She points out that not taking her offer is equivalent to suicide. Asks if he can even leave the bed. He showcases just how far he can make it but as he leaves his room it gets more difficult. He’s heading for the front door, even if by now every step brings him enormous pain and brings him closer to toppling over.
Jun says he will submit himself to the will of the heavenly whole and the gods. If they truly hate me then let me die on the streets and end my suffering, but if not, he will struggle and scrape for every scrap he can get. Either way- he's done with being pitied and cared for.
The Madame has seen many a broken man in her times, and she gives in. If this is truly what he wants, then she won't stop him. He thanks her and then manages to leave the home.
Cut. Truncated run through of Jun's year of life on the street. Rather than begging, he has taken to scrounging and eating garbage, sleeping in any alleyway that he collapses in. Despite what the Madame believed, Jun had not given up. He really is trying to survive, and he's waiting for the world to do what it will with him. Either he will die and prove their is no justice in the world, or something will come along that will prove him wrong. The way Jun saw it, he didn't have anything to lose either way.
Many people of Glimmering Bay knew Jun and his situation and tried to help him, including many of his sister's old friends, but he would turn them all down whenever they offered money or food. Others laughed at him or harrassed him. It was a year of seeing the best and worst in others.
It was stubborn of him to forsake all help and not live off of what his sister had left for him, but for as rough as his life was now, there was a sense of liberation to it that he'd never felt before in his life. Even at his peak condition he was still limited to just his bedroom, and though it hurt to wander the streets for long, he was still free to do as he pleased.
It was a hard year, though, and he almost didn't make it a few times. He grew sick in the fall for a few weeks and the following winter was rough, but he clung to life using nothing but his stubbornness. Soon enough, spring would come and near the anniversary of his sister's death, the will of the heavenly whole would soon be revealed to Jun.

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Some additional notes

Well, a lot of this has changed from my initial plans. It's much more in depth and features a lot of POV hopping which I wasn't expecting. I also have a much clearer picture of Jun's character now, and on top of now being an intellectual who enjoys reading, I think he'll be less hesitant about killing when it comes to justice if he deems it as appropriate. Still not an edgelord, but will have to handle things case by case. The ship has sailed on my thinking he would end up as a peaceful Buddha-like figure. Now he’s more of a vengeful Nioh.

I think he might have some additional conflict with his feelings with Miao now. Even after his training I think Jun might still genuinely believe he's bad luck and might hesitate to invite someone into his life like that believing he would bring them tragedy, and Miao will help to heal him by disregarding his concerns and insisting that if that's true then they'd deal with it together.

As noted before I was able to work in some stuff about the eventual Jileng massacre and really flesh out Sasei Li as our main villain. Paoshi is now the killer of Jun's sister, giving him a personal stake in the eventual fight and his first test as justice incarnate. Giving Jun a tie to the Jileng clan will instill a bit of guilt in him, especially since Wen offered to take him in if he recovered.

Obviously he couldn't have made a difference if he was there during the attack and training with a sage was better for him, but he will still feel bad about it. Now his romance with Wen's daughter will have set up, and she will know of Jun's existence and remember his father as a kind man.

Overall, I'm very excited about this story and how it's shaping up. I think it’s quite different from anything else I’ve worked on and while still having room for all my comedic stylings it has a more operatic flair to it that I’m eager to explore further.

Also the madame will have an actual name. She was just inserted into the outline for plot reasons and rather than slow myself down I just left her as a blank slate for now.