Chapter 531 unedited unmemed

ARG I had a whole long note written, then found out theres something wrong with patreon and i get a blank screen when trying to create a link using their UI, so thats gone.

I'll outline the rest in a separate post, but there's still stuff to say about this ch. I wasn't very happy with it, and I might chuck it all into the garbageeeee. I don't like how the conclusion to last ch plays out, and i don't feel like this is a great time to be explaining a lot of the relevant info in the ch. it's more a pacing issue, but considering the PoV, kinda hard to get away with it without delving into the stuff i delved into.

I dunno, it might make more sense after you've read the chapter.

Anywho, here it is, I'll decide wat to do with it tomorrow, before starting on the next ch.

Enjoy!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zUiJ6JuGog1izzsQUyBOJHPd9cPNrIPuJflF4-m27ss/edit?usp=sharing

Though delighted by his newfangled success, Goujian was never one to let triumph and accomplishment cloud his judgment, because if life was trials and tribulations without end, then success was merely the bare minimum required to survive.

Such were Goujian’s thoughts as he watched the battle unfold before him, immersed within the moment so as to wholly experience his emotions in accordance with his new Path. A prospect more difficult than he first expected, because after decades of lies and misguided efforts, his mental defences set to guard against emotion were too ingrained to easily let down, much less dismantle entirely. Each time he sought to walk the razor’s edge, to surrender to his passions while holding on to a single thread of reason, he found himself resisting the influx of emotion and instinctively clinging to Imperial Lies of Balance instead. What’s mroe, the stifling heat wasn’t helping much either, his borrowed robes already drenched in sweat despite the late hour and sleeping sun. If a winter’s night could reach such sweltering temperatures, he hoped to never experience a hot summer day, but alas all he could do for now was fan his robes and suffer.

Putting the heat out of mind, Goujian took a deep breath and reflected on his next steps. Although he’d found True Balance once, he’d done so on the brink of death, meaning his triumph was the result of dire circumstances, fortuitous happenstance, and Heavenly intervention as opposed any true effort of his own. As such, it would take time and effort to replicate his achievements, for the razor’s edge was a most arduous Path to tread, but Goujian had time and effort to spare.

Unlike Falling Rain, whose death had already been set in motion.

How fitting for the runt to meet his end at the hands of a Water-Blessed Transcendent, and Goujian’s smile widened as he committed every detail and emotion to memory for posterity’s sake. The liquid lance hurtled towards Falling Rain’s heart and his thin, frail hands raised to stop it, but the boy knew it was but a futile gesture. His expression said it all, a flash of panic followed almost immediately by grim acceptance, and even though the boy was one of Goujian’s most hated enemies, he felt a faint tinge of respect for how staunch and steadfast Falling Rain remained in the face of inevitable death. Beside him, the too-talented Dastan Zhandos was already moving to intercept, but the callow youth had let his guard down in the midst of battle and would be several seconds too late to help, while the half-cat girl in Runic Armour had yet to even notice the boy’s plight. Then there were the many Experts around them, each one too slow to react to the Water-Blessed Transcendent’s unexpected assault on Falling Rain, because they’d all been too busy preparing to defend themselves instead. A plan carried out to perfection in order to execute the Empire’s false Hero, removing a most aggravating pawn from the board and dealing a crippling blow to Imperial morale.

Such was the brilliance of the young Emperor, though in truth, Goujian wondered if it was even worth it. Why go to so much effort to kill a cripple?

The lance struck.

A shower of mist splattered out.

Goujian watched with expectant glee.

And Falling Rain...

Emerged unscathed, with a believable look of confusion etched across his hateful face.

For the span of a single heartbeat, it seemed as if the entire battlefield had frozen in place, with Imperial and Defiled, Expert and Transcendent, ally and enemy alike stopping to gawk at Falling Rain. Then, Dastan Zhandos fell to the ground, an eternity too late with his diving leap to have intercepted the attack, and the battle resumed, leaving Goujian with only questions and confusion.

This shouldn’t have been possible. The globes of Water launched by the formidable Awakened Transcendent were powerful enough to kill Peak Experts if struck head-on, and the lance was a seemingly more powerful version of such, yet Falling Rain remained unharmed after a direct collision. No, more than unharmed, but utterly untouched, still sitting atop his giant weasel with nary a hair out of place. The boy’s clothes weren’t even wet, though the mount beneath him was thoroughly soaked, shaking its fur dry as animals were wont to do and sending a spray of droplets into the air. Being formed of Chi, those droplets dissipated back into Heavenly Energy before ever reaching the ground, but the Water Lance failed to even touch Falling Rain’s skin before vanishing into nothingness, along with the force of the attack.

How? Was there another Divinity there, Concealed in the shadows and protecting him in secret?

“You see?” Teeth bared in fury, the young Emperor grabbed Goujian by his soggy, borrowed robes and pointed at Falling Rain from across the battlefield, the young whelp clearly mouthing some profanity or the other while glancing around in convincing befuddlement. “You see how he pretends, feigning surprise and confusion? Hateful trickster, even his most trusted subordinates have been fooled, but this Sovereign has long since seen through his lies and deceptions.”

“My liege is perceptive beyond compare,” Goujian replied, meaning every word as the pieces fell into place. No wonder the young Emperor had seemed so wary during his meeting with Falling Rain, even flinching away from the supposed cripple and his two Peak Expert Guards, because the Bekhai runt was playing the pig to eat the tiger. Unfortunately for him, the Divine Son of Heaven was no mere tiger, but a dragon amongst men, one who was not so easily outwitted. Except... “Begging your forgiveness my liege, but this one is ignorant and still does not wholly understand. Even if he is not crippled, how did he block the Transcendent’s attack so easily?”

Snarling in bestial fury, the young Emperor loosed his grip on Goujian’s robes and shoved him away. “Fool. Did you forget? The stupid beast explained the concept not even an hour ago. Falling Rain is also Blessed by Water, so he only need summon Water Chi of his own and the Elemental portion of the attack is nullified.” Glaring daggers at the Bekhai run, the young Emperor’s voice quieted and Goujian had to strain to hear. Another improvement to be made, better hearing, along with better eyesight so he’d no longer need to Scry at events in his direct line of sight, like the battle raging in front of him. “But then what of the remaining kinetic force?” the young Emperor muttered, his confusion as clear as the scowl on his face. “This lacking vigour and physical frailty cannot be faked, so even if ninety percent is Deflected, the remaining momentum should have killed him outright or at least thrown him from the saddle. The Devourer carries too many secrets, brings too many surprises, breaks laws this Sovereign once believed inviolable, and for this, he must die.”

To this day, Goujian still didn’t understand why the Uniter had dubbed Falling Rain so, but if ever there were a time to ask, it would be now. While the Water-Blessed Transcendent fought multiple Peak Experts on Sinuji’s outer wall, Goujian wiped his forehead and questioned the young Emperor on Falling Rain’s talent and potential, uncovering a death of information which had previously been denied him. “This one,” the young Emperor began, using an uncharacteristically humble term to refer to himself, “Is the Emissary, for his Talent is to bring the Truth to all. This one speaks, and others listen, or rather others are more open to hearing the secrets of Heaven. This Sovereign does not wholly understand the mechanism behind it as of yet, and in truth, we might never deduce the true answer, for the mysteries of Heaven are infinite and many inexplicable, but the how is unimportant.”

There was something odd about how the young Emperor kept switching personal pronouns for himself, but Goujian couldn’t quite put his finger on why it bothered him so. Before he could ask, the young Emperor continued, “As for your question, Falling Rain is the Devourer, for his Talent is to consume and gather, to plunder and hoard. This one is antithetical to the Devourer in more ways than one, for one offers power to the many, while the other accumulates power for oneself, their Talent’s analogous to the ideologies of the factions they represent. Poetic, in a way, aggravating in many others, for it is only by the slimmest of margins that the Devourer stands with Imperial Clan instead of at this Sovereign’s side. A shame our alliance never came to pass, but such is fate.”

Goujian could hardly believe his ears, for he would never have imagined the young Emperor would be so magnanimous as to admit he wanted to fight alongside Falling Rain instead of against him, but if anyone was deserving of such praise, it was this Bekhai runt. “If my liege so desires it,” Goujian cautiously offered with a bow, “Then this servant will endeavour to make it so.”

How, he hadn’t the faintest clue, but should the Emperor demand it, then Goujian could only try.

“No,” came the immediate answer, delivered with more vehemence than the young Emperor intended. “The Devourer now walks a new Path in defiance of Heaven, with one foot firmly on each side, a feat this Sovereign once believed impossible. Possessing immeasurable potential, he is too dangerous to be left alive, too dangerous to be given time to grow, for his presence elevates the strength of those around him. The Slave, the Scribe, the Rival, the Hangman, these and many others are but the first of his inner circle, with too many more still to choose from. We must eliminate him now, before his power grows and allies flourish, now whilst he is still vulnerable and unprotected.” Eyeing Goujian up and down, the young Emperor shook his head and added, “But you are not up to the task, not as you are.”

Though vexed by the brusque and dismissive evaluation, Goujian had to admit the young Emperor was correct. Even putting his personal strength aside, if the current Falling Rain could be called vulnerable and unprotected, then there was no one alive qualified to call themselves strong and protected. All three Imperial Divinities had travelled to Sinuji alongside him, and there were no less than eighteen Peak Experts currently fighting on the walls to protect him. What’s more, there were at least twelve more Concealed Experts lurking about his position, all of whom had inadvertently revealed themselves during their rush to protect Falling Rain from the Transcendent’s Water Lance. Worst of all, considering how fourteen of the seventeen Bekhai Experts currently fighting on the wall had gone completely unnoticed until they voluntarily stepped out of Concealment, there could easily be more lurking in the shadows.

And all this only amounted to what Falling Rain and the Bekhai had brought to Sinuji. There was still the Living Legend Nian Zu himself to contend with, along with his honour guard of fifty Peak Experts, and given it’s central location on the front lines, it was hard to believe there was no Imperial Divinity stationed in Sinuji, if only for the sake of face. Few knew the truth, that Falling Rain was an Imperial Puppet dancing to the Legate’s strings, so the Imperial Clan would lose prestige if they allowed a ‘savage tribesman’ to bring three Divinities to the battlefield while dispatching none of their own.

Yes, Goujian himself was far from enough to kill, much less capture Falling Rain, and it was nothing short of outright arrogance to assume otherwise.

“Careful, Confessor,” the young Emperor said, using the title for the first time ever. “Keep to the razor’s edge, now more than ever.” In the young Emperor’s brown eyes, Goujian found genuine concern and consideration, where before there would have been dismissive indifference or perhaps even mocking amusement, but why the sudden change? In answer to the unasked question, the young Emperor smiled and said, “You have embraced the Truth and now follow in this Sovereign’s path, and as such, you count as half a Disciple.”

“Disciple? Of yours?” It wasn’t that Goujian scorned the young Emperor, but given their vast age difference, he would have no face left if he became Disciple to a Mentor six decades his junior.

“...Disciple of this Sovereign’s Mentor,” the young Emperor corrected, shaking his head in self-recrimination. “So a... fellow Disciple,” he continued, avoiding the pitfall of calling Goujian his junior, which was technically true. “Thus, this Sovereign will endeavour to guide you along as best he can until Mentor himself is available to offer pointers.” Gesturing at Goujian’s new body, the young Emperor explained, “You have embraced the Truth and as such, you were baptized the Energy of the Heavens, but your transformation is flawed at best.” Holding up a metallic hand to forestall Goujian’s argument, the young Emperor shook his head and sighed. “Do not deny it, lest you come to believe it. Best if you accept this Sovereign’s words for truth, learn from your mistakes, and strive to correct them, but if you prefer to tell yourself pleasing lies to spare your pride, then this Sovereign will wash his hands of you.”

Swallowing his indignation, Goujian closed his eyes and took a deep breath before he felt calm enough to continue. “How did this one err, my liege?”

“A hint, Confessor, for you erred just now.” Jabbing Goujian’s sweaty chest with a pointed finger, the young Emperor’s razor-tipped finger bounced off Goujian’s toughened skin. “Too much restrain, too much control, you still cling to Imperial lies of Balance. How many times must this Sovereign repeat himself? The razor’s edge, you must tread it carefully.”

Only now did Goujian realize there were others listening in, the former monks of the Brotherhood and countless Chosen of Heaven all gathering around to hear the young Emperor expound on the Truth, even though there was no need to be close since his words were delivered directly to their ears through Oration. Whilst the battle raged on in front of them, Goujian’s cheeks burned and his anger came to a slow boil as he envisioned tearing the hateful smirk off of young Gen’s lips. “I have forged a body more powerful than any human alive,” he said, proudly slipping his arms out of his robes to bare his upper body and display it for all to see, enjoying the cool breeze on his skin which did little it chill the twin fires of anger and outrage. “Thickened skin, denser muscles, and stronger bones have given me unparalleled natural defences, and combined with the power of my Domain, I can ignore all but the most powerful of attacks directed towards me.”

“A powerful body,” Gen agreed, nodding as his smirk grew to even more hateful proportions, so smug and superior despite his youth and inexperience. “But not without it’s flaws. Humour this Sovereign with a demonstration if you would; dash ten meters in any direction, stop, and return, as quickly as you can mind you.”

Scoffing at such a simple task, Goujian considered if this was some ploy to mock him as an obedient dog or some other such jest, but against his better judgment, he decided to do as Gen asked. Covering ten meters in the blink of an eye, he reversed his momentum to return to his starting position, but instead, he heard a loud crack and crashed to the ashy ground below. Spitting out a mouthful of dirt, Goujian panted and stared at his broken ankle while trying to make sense of the situation, unsure why his steely bones would split so easily.

Looming over Goujian’s fallen form, Gen... no, the young Emperor smiled in victory. “Skin, muscle, and bone,” he said, nodding sagely with each word, but then tilted his head and asked, “But what of your tendons? What of your lungs and heart, which are already struggling to keep up?” Rapping Goujian’s bare chest with his knuckles, Gen added, “What of your internal temperature, which will forever remain dangerously high thanks to the aforementioned skin and muscles?”

Shamed and humiliated, Goujian couldn’t even hate the young Emperor because these flaws were of his own devising. Sitting up to mend his broken ankle, he bowed his head and asked, “This foolish servant has erred gravely and begs for forgiveness.”

Instead of the ridicule he expected, the young Emperor merely patted him on the shoulder and said,

“The razor’s edge between struggle and surrender must be tread lightly. Struggle too much, and you see the results before you. The human body is a finely-tuned device, one crafted by the Heavens themselves, yet you sought to improve upon it with only your shallow knowledge? With age comes arrogance, but such is life.” Leaving Goujian’s side, the young Emperor directly addressed the audience for the first time. “Like a wild beast, the Energy of the Heavens will buck and kick beneath an unwelcome rider, so you must give yourself over to it, surrender to the torrent and let it take you where it will, while retaining enough control so as to not be thrown off mid-journey. Too much struggle, too much control, and you see the result before you, but this is far from a failure. No, had Brother Goujian here failed, he would not still be alive to serve as an example for you all, a cautionary tale you must each heed. Instead, would have died painfully as his muscles, fat, and organs were cannibalized by the rampant, uncontrollable growth of cancerous tumours.”

A fate shared by many an arrogant and aspiring Healer, and Goujian shuddered to think how close he’d come. The young Emperor’s lesson was not yet done however, and he continued to address the monks and Chosen. “This is but one side of the coin, one danger to guard against. As for the other... surrender too much and you will become like them.” Curiosity winning over his humiliation, Goujian looked up to see the young Emperor gesturing at the twelve, identical, armoured Transcendents around them. “The Imperials call them Demons, the Defiled call them Transcendents, but this Sovereign can only see them as failures. These wretched individuals came so close to embracing the Truth, but they lacked the luck and fortitude to wholly succeed. Though their physical bodies have transcended mortal limits, total surrender left their minds unprotected against the deluge of Heavenly Energy used to transform them, searing away their sanity and personality to leave them little more than beasts of rage and fury. And beasts,” he added, “Can easily be tamed and controlled.”

To prove his point, all twelve Transcendents bowed their heads and fell to one knee, each one exuding power and violence despite their subservient demeanour. “We, the Chosen of Heaven, tread the razor’s edge between struggle and surrender,” the young Emperor concluded. “This is our Path to Divinity, our Dao of existence, the means with which we seize the Energy of the Heavens for our own use. This comes at a steep price, and not without risk, but such is life, trials and tribulations, so that we might find the strength to Ascend.”

The gathered Chosen cheered for their young Emperor and Goujian joined his voice to theirs, no longer so ashamed of his lacking comprehension. Even with his flaws, he still stood third among the Chosen of Heaven, behind only the Uniter and the young Emperor themselves. The first was quite possibly a Divinity, while the other was the future Emperor Goujian had pledged to serve, so there was no shame in admitting inferiority to two such exemplary individuals. His ankle long since Healed, he marched over to the young Emperor and knelt before him in heartfelt admiration, for this young man was wise and intelligent beyond his years, beyond even Goujian’s own, a true dragon among men and Divine Son of Heaven. “My liege, this foolish servant begs forgiveness and seeks guidance on how to fix the error of his ways.”

Patting Goujian’s shoulder with a winning smile, the young Emperor nodded and said, “Some things are best experienced, rather than taught.” Gesturing at the two closest Transcendents, he added, “These two will protect you while you go forth into battle, but stay to the flanks, away from Falling Rain. Test your limits, and once you truly understand them, then perhaps you will discover the answers yourself.”

“Yes my liege.”

Hooked sword in hand, Goujian marched forth to do battle with the Enemy, but even as he admired his young Emperor’s wisdom, he couldn’t help but wonder about their hated nemesis. ‘The Devourer now walks a new Path in defiance of Heaven, with one foot firmly on each side’. This was no razor’s edge, and it offered power comparable to the young Emperor himself, so why could they not take this for their own?

Except...

How did one stand with one foot in struggle, and the other in surrender? A most perplexing puzzle, one Goujian would reflect on in battle.