Torsten Hewson

v2c66: Crystal Deal

“Yes, Sir. You may store your wares here. I swear upon the honour of the Pale Moon Lake City Guard that none shall lay a hand upon it,” the guard said, as he handed me a note with a seal on it. He and his fellows saluted me respectfully. “This will be where your wares will be stored.” He pointed to a storage area on the map, near one of the guard houses.

“Thanks. You boys have a good day, now!” I called out to them. They bowed once again, as the bandits were taken to the tem...

v2c65.3: The Tournament part 3

Tigu yawned as the last bouts started. The person who had their stone show up blank was almost absently pushed out of the ring by the Hammer man, who appeared deep in thought, with his face still a bit red, and was constantly sneaking glances at Tigu.

Ri Zu would not explain why she should not call him ‘handsome man’, only that it was inappropriate.

Tigu shrugged, and glanced around. All of the Petals had made it through the first match, and were looking mighty pleased with th...

V2 65.2 Revamp

The chapter has been changed, after receiving feedback, and looking over it again.

The actual chapter will be released today as well, but it will be late.

The first part and the last part of this chapter are new content. The middle part, with Huizong, is unchanged. hopefully this makes for a better reading experience, and answers some questions people had. As well as getting rid of some of the strangeness of Yun Ren suddenly knowing how to lip read, which was valid.

2021-09-27 18:59:24 +0000 UTC View Post

Deleted Scene from chapter 65: How to Melt Iron

I didn't feel like this fit, so I removed it. From the Young Master of the Hermetic Iron Sect's POV.

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Tie Delun, Young Master of the Hermetic Iron Sect could feel the vein in his forehead bulging as he witnessed the slip of a girl insult his sect.

He would crush her for this insult, and injuring his junior so!

His eyes were fixed on the scene, remembering every blow, which he would make sure to strike in the sam...

v2c65.2: The Tournament part 2

“Zang Wei! Second Stage of the Initiate’s Realm!” Bai Huizong boomed. The Resounding Crystal Dais beneath him hummed, as it took his words and echoed them for all to hear, but his voice was still straining from how much he had shouted earlier. He was still excited, and his tone reflected that. There was always a feeling of immense power when he stood here, his voice thundering like he was some manner of cultivator himself. He captured the minds of all who heard him.

Bai Huizong, H...

v2c65: Tournament part 1

‘Tigu-cat! Tigu-cat, head-turn back! You stupid-fool! You scurry-ran off too quickly! Take Ri Zu back to other Family-Clan!’

Ri Zu’s strident voice hollered as Tigu darted around the crowds in the predawn light. The town had seemingly transformed overnight. The taller buildings rained petals from strange looking baskets, and there were even more cloth banners and flags! The streets were already lined with crowds, gazing on and shouting names as they watched the people wit...

Yun Ren (Vol 1)

I did say more art incoming!

Here is the fox brother of the duo, Yun Ren, as well as the height difference. They do look a bit like stereotypical bandit villains, don't they?

Once again, the art is by Tsuu!

Gou Ren (Volume 1)

And now we enter into a period where we should be getting art more often then normal! Here is the Vol1 design of Gou Ren. As you can see, quite monkeyish, and while hes fairly fit, hes not exactly cut like he get later on.

The haircut and trimming the burns helped him out quite a bit.

Art is once again by Tsuu!

v2c64.2: A Smaller Blade of Grass Part 2

An Ran stared with interest at the image of Pale Moon Lake City from the top of the mountain. She had never actually been before. None of them had, living out almost all their lives in the Grass Sea, and the only City they visited was Grass Sea City.

“This thing is very useful.” Li said, examining the wafer of crystal in Yun Ren’s hand. “Why has nobody thought to do such a thing before?”

Yun Ren’s shrugged. “The crystal was defective. Nobody wanted it because it coul...

v2c64: The Smaller Blade of Grass part 1.

An Ran and her fellows managed to recover their composure, after the boisterous girl’s greeting, and led them to the prepared room.

None of her Senior Sister’s companions were what they thought them to be. Rou Tigu, as she had introduced herself, fairly skipped along, her eyes taking in as much as she could as they walked through the courtyard, to the separated entertaining room. The other two were more sedate, but were obviously keeping an eye on their junior.

Huyi snorted, h...

Commission: Jinta Claus is Coming to Town

This was commisioned by one of my patreons, Turtool, and Drawn by Tsuu, depicting Jin travelling to Hong Yaowu for the solstice.

Thank you both for this wonderful image!

Contact Information: Artist: J.C. "Tsuu" (aka Tsurot)
Discord ID: Tsuu#8796
Credentials: College Degree In Architecture
Agent: Samuel White
Discord ID: WhiteSamurai#3996
Email: 2021-09-16 04:21:59 +0000 UTC View Post

Fan Art By Fables

And finally, we have some absolutely wonderful fanart of Tigu by Fables!

https://twitter.com/StoryKey5

Thank you.

Two thousand people.

Two thousand people have thought this story is worth something. Two thousand people have decided to use some of their hard-earned money on this.

Every day, I'm still blown away. Every day, I seem to have to remind myself that its real.

I honestly thought that writing was a pipe dream. I never intended for this to become popular, and make money. I was just writing something I enjoyed.

So, let me just say, in this post: Thank you. Thank you, to every...

v2c63: Registration

“So…. you gonna meet up with her again?” Yun Ren asked after a mouthful of food. His smile was wide. “We saw some places you could take her. Need my help again?”

He looked entirely too amused.

Surprisingly, it was Xiulan who answered, even as Disciple Gou Ren’s brow furrowed in irritation.

“Junior Brother can do much better. Xianghua is too. Too..” She seemed to struggle with her words. Like she couldn’t quite find anything truly wrong with her. 2021-09-15 20:56:22 +0000 UTC View Post

Small chapter 61 update

Also, after looking through Chapter 61, I've gone and updated things a bit. the plot hasn't changed at all, but I've given the person who escorts Xiulan to the sect a name, Bolin, and made elder Yi less outwardly aggressive. They're small changes, but I find it improves the chapter. Gou Ren's part hasn't changed.

v2c62: Wayward Companion

The meeting with the Elders had gone on for longer than Xiulan would have liked. After the discussion of the tournament, they had moved on to sampling the syrup… which was a bit amusing, when her Honourable Father had groaned with pleasure.

It appeared they had something amusing in common. Though his was more a deep grumble of contentment rather than her… rather undignified sounds.

Senior Sister said it was endearing, but Xiulan still tried to keep a tight grip on it.

�...

v2c61: Sect Business

Xiulan’s clothes shimmered in the light. Her skin was pale and flawless, like she hadn’t been out in the sun for the entire summer. Her lips were red and inviting. Her hair was braided immaculately, silky locks that otherwise cascaded down her back.

It was a production. An image projected… but she didn’t mind this one. This one was real. Not a mask that had been put on for a falsehood.

It looked right.

She turned from the mirror to her companions. Yun Ren was just st...

v2c60: The Dueling Peaks

“Boring!” Tigu muttered as they trekked along in the setting sun. “They were boring!”

Xiulan was glad that the trip to the noodle bar had been uneventful. She had been a slight bit worried, after hearing Master Jin’s statement upon restaurants and cultivators. Through her own experience, it would seem that that statement rang true. How many times has she seen a fight break out, or at least start, over something that happened in a restaurant?

“Maybe it had something to ...

v2c59: People and Places Part 3

Just something before we start. The previous chapter had been edited slightly, adding some content to the end.

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The Grass Sea. It stretched out before them even as their stride ate the li before them.

Tigu knew vaguely what the “sea” was, despite never having seen anything like it. She just knew. Images flashed in her head of an endless expanse of water, and of her Own Master’s words. That Pale Moon Lake was close, but compared t...

Apocrypha: Fortuitous Encounter.

Here is the axed part of the chapter. I think it doesn't fit quite well, but threat may be me. Also, there has been a small update to Chapter 59.1, just fleshing out a bit more conversation. the chapter remains largely unchanged.

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The rest of the day passed quite pleasantly, if a little boringly. The sights and sounds of the city steadily grated on Gou Ren, once he got used to them, and Tigu too seemed to dislike the crowds. The giant Still...

v2c59.2: People and Places part 2

This post has been edited, changing the ending.

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In the end, Biyu had insisted on guiding them around the city. She was a bit overeager, and acting full of confidence…. but she kept glancing back at them, like she didn’t quite know what to do.

Gou Ren guessed she had never really played guide before.

“The City is arranged like the spokes of a wheel, so if you ever get lost, you just walk to one of the main streets, an...

v2c59: People and Places Part 1

“Whoa…” Gou Ren muttered, as he stared out at the absolutely enormous lake that stretched out before them. The chill from Cloudrest seeped into his bones, his boots crunching slightly through the snow on top of the hill. He had seen the images, of course, but he still couldn’;t believe that there was snow in summer up on the mountain.

“Big!” Tigu agreed from her perch on his shoulders, her yellow eyes equally as wide. Her legs dangled on either side of Gou Ren’s head.

v2c58: Growing by Miles

My hands drifted along the wood as I worked, taking in the form. There was, as always, something so profoundly relaxing about sitting down and working with my hands. Or, at least with some things it was. Mechanics had never been my forte, but woodworking? It was one of the things I had been good at, in another life. A bit of an old-fashioned thing, to be sure, like knitting, but it helped pass the time and let everything wash away.

It was a little odd, for things to suddenly be...

Interlude: The War and the Rooster

The soldiers stared dispassionately down at their foes. They howled and raged, clumping  together, and gathering courage. Their black armour was tarnished, and their lances crooked and broken. With a roar, they suddenly surged forward, slamming into the ranks of the soldiers.

Blades flashed. Armour held firm. For the third time, the enemy assaulted the gleaming, near iridescent phalanx. For the third time they were repelled, bodies falling to earth, and laying unmoving.

Despe...

v2c57: See You Again

It was a scene of organised chaos, the night before they left. There were items lined up or scattered around the room, and the atmosphere was tense with anticipation, as Xiulan stared at the flat piece of stone in her hand.

“Turned out pretty good, if I do say so myself!” Yun Ren decreed, sitting back and nodding with pride. He wiped a hand along his sweaty brow.

All Xiulan could do was nod, as she stared at her own smiling face. There was another, this piece’s twin, that wa...

Notice of break: 23rd to 27th

From the 23rd tot he 27th there will be no posts. This is both to work on plot elements, and as a general recuperation period.

As you've no doubt noticed, things have been getting pretty late day by day as well. Hopefully this can return things to a more timely manner, while keeping the story up to quality!

v2c56: One Last Dance

Swords whirled through the air reaping rice. A girl ran as fast as she could along the rows, orange hair two trailing streamers, her arms grabbing great bundles of the grain. She moved swiftly, tying them together, and setting the bundles against the erected scaffold so they could dry,

I rolled my eyes at the little competition going on between Xiulan and Tigu. The cat-turned girl was surprisingly good at dragging people into doing silly things, now that she wasn’t as aggressive about...

v2c55: Past, Present, Future

“Now, this is how one sets the fire for the morning! And then, we must commence our guard duty! Our charges need much protection, and our presence soothes them!”

‘Yes, Senior Sister!’ Yin nodded seriously as Tigu lectured, the cat inordinately proud at how sincerely Yin was calling her by her won title. She also still had his feather tucked behind her ear. It was both annoying and flattering how proud she was of the feat. Annoying, on account of her being insufferably s...