Bi De stared at the spirit.

The spirit stared at Bi De, its head tilted further to the side.

One upon a time, the spirit might have resembled a man. But, like the Temple Dog, time had done it no favours. Its face was smooth, like polished stone, and it didn’t have any features except its glowing eyes. It was now just a being of blue light.

Its reaction, however, was one that was profoundly common. It was quite amusing that even this ancient spirit had the same reaction as so many others. All who gazed upon Bi De had that moment, the moment of shock and confusion, and Bi De had to admit that he was slowly coming to enjoy their incredulous reactions. Which way would their faces twist? Would they hold up their hands to the heavens in consternation? Would they shout out ‘impossible!’.

It almost made him want to start carrying a recording crystal around like Disciple Yun Ren just so that he might record an image of their reactions. Bi De dismissed that thought, actively recording an image seemed rather rude to him, so instead he contented himself with filing away the reactions into his heart. At least he’d be able to tell his fellow disciples of it, it was always amusing to compare the shocked reactions between them.

The amusing thought faded as Bi De’s turmoil reasserted itself.

He gazed back at the spirit, willing it to speak its peace. It was twitching, its form was fuzzing and destabilizing. Perhaps after so long a confinement it was as the Temple Dog had been. No being should be subjected to such a thankless task without acknowledgment.

Taking pity on it, he cleared his throat. “Greetings, Honoured Spirit. This one is Fa Bi De. I apologise for disturbing you. Might I aid you in some way?”

The Spirit buzzed, and its entire form shuddered. “SpIRit bEASt?” it asked, its “voice” twisting and grating harshly before it focused sharply at him. There was a feeling of intent. Of Qi.

The endless expanse of the crystal trembled slightly, and Bi De felt something reach out and touch him. It was not hostile but it pressed upon him and after a moment Bi De allowed it past his defenses. The touch filled him for a moment and it felt like his very soul was being weighed.

“Strong foundation, noble spirit. All requirements of the Lord are equalled.” The spirit said in a bewildered voice, seeming to have forgotten that Bi De was there at all.

“Thank you for your kind words.” Bi De replied, causing the spirit to jolt. It seemed almost panicked as it turned back to Bi De.

“Forgive this spirit, young lord! Your form was merely… unexpected! But truly, you do fit the qualities that were set by the Emperor!” The spirit declared, clearly shoving off its previous trepidation. Its voice lost its confusion taking on a rapturous edge. “This one is Shenguashi, the polished benevolent stone of the Emperor, tasked with finding his successor! It may have been… a very, very long time, by this one’s reckoning, but now, this one may fulfill its duty! Rejoice, great and noble cock. For you have the qualities that befit an Emperor! You shall be heir to the legacy of our beloved savior and bring peace to the realm. This Spirit shall guide you upon this fated journey!”

The spirit approached Bi De eagerly, its eyes just slightly tinged with madness.

For one moment Bi De was trapped in indecision. How did one respond to an ancient spirit’s declaration of your destiny to become the next emperor?

Bi De was all for confronting issues head on. But today? After all that he had seen?Sighing internally, Bi De tried for a diplomatic response. “I require some time to meditate upon what I have witnessed. It has been a day of revelations.” He was quite exhausted, and that was the truth. He needed some time.

The spirit froze. It had grown animated during its rapturous speech but at Bi De’s words it deflated and fuzzed out for a moment before it replied.

“As the Young Lord Wishes. Fret not, This one shall devise a plan for thy ascension in the meantime!” the spirit said, almost desperately. “Return to the crystal tomorrow, Young Lord, and I shall have everything prepared!”Bi De nodded to it in acknowledgement.Shenguashi seemed to take this as a sign of acceptance from Bi De. Bowing once to Bi De he then flew away into the starscape of memories.

The rooster took one last look at the vast expanse of shining memories that had revealed so much to him and then carefully extracted himself from the crystal.

=====================

As he gradually grew more aware of his body, Bi De kept his eyes closed. Sensations returned to him bit by bit. He could feel the light of the moon, streaming in through the windows. The warmth of the blanket on his back, draped over his body. He extended his senses and reached out, he could feel the Qi of each and every member of Fa Ram.

He breathed in and out. Slowly calming his racing heart. His world was not caught in the flames of war and suffering. The world he returned to was peaceful, its denizens slept without fear.

Bi De let out a shaky breath and tried to separate his own emotions from the feelings projected into him by the crystal. He took another few calming breaths, and let his energy cycle.

Then, he opened his eyes.

The living room was illuminated by the moon; the hearth had burned down to embers. The bright moon spilled in through the window. It was the room where everyone gathered. At this time of night Bi De expected it to be empty—

Yet on the couch was Bi De’s Great Master.

His Lord was still awake, reading a medical scroll that the Healing Sage had given to him, and running his fingers through Brother Chun Ke’s mane. Both Sister Ri Zu, and Yin were asleep against the great boar’s side.

Bi De felt a surge of affection for them. He had been considering going to the roof to contemplate… but seeing them here like this, being alone was the last thing he wanted.

An unnamed emotion welled in Bi De as he stared at his Great Master… no, the man who may as well be his father.

He rose from his position, and walked to the couch, hopping up beside his Great Master.

“Hey, buddy.” his Great Master whispered, a gentle smile on his face. He put down the scroll he had been reading to turn and look at Bi De. Whatever he saw when he looked at him made his face fall. “...that bad?” he asked, reaching out and brushing his fingers against Bi De’s wattles.

Bi De leaned into the touch, and nodded his head. He stayed quiet, not quite trusting his voice just yet.

“Need some time?”

Bi De nodded again.

“Then take your time. I’ll be here.” His Master scooped Bi De up from beside him, and settled him into his lap. His fingers dug into the feathers of Bi De’s back, massaging out a soothing rhythm.

The touch calmed his trembling Qi. Beside them, Chun Ke, Yin, and Ri Zu stirred, but did not wake.

As the soft comfort of his master’s hand brought peace to Bi De, he closed his eyes again, and focused upon the earth shaking revelations he had been delivered.

For the size of the mountain he was sitting upon had been unveiled to him. He knew his Master’s strength, and envisioning anyone stronger than him had always been a difficult task. How could anything match the master of Fa Ram?Seeing the true scope of cultivators that even his Great Master had warned him of shook him.

The sheer power of Xiaoshi and all those who had lived before was utterly humbling. Ruolan, the Opera Singer, had been in the Earth Realm. There were farmers and miners at the end of Xiaoshi’s reign who would be equal to Bi De in power.

It was one thing to hear it… and another to see and feel a man create a star and throw it at somebody. To feel the heat and the light and the Qi.The world was vast and never before had Bi De understood so keenly his place. He was not the strongest.

Bi De took another breath, calming his trembling Qi.

Xiaoshi. Tianlan, who was now connected to his Great Master. The Demon War.. and the breaking of an entire province. His thoughts swirled from revelation to revelation before settling on Xiaoshi.

He could not truly judge the man. Once upon a time, Bi De himself had been tempted to consume a friend. To consume his own kin when accosted by Chow Ji. To be tempted was forgivable, but to go through with the act was not. That he had in the end stopped himself was commendable, how he had gotten there less so.

Bi De could see where the man had gone wrong. His self-imposed isolation. Xiaoshi had insisted on shouldering everything, doing everything himself. He shared nothing of his burdens, lied to even Tianlan, his closest companion. Bi De has seen how even in the little things he had spurned the support of his friends. All out of a desire not to worry his friends, until it came apart in the end.

He was, in a way, a dark mirror of his own Master. What could have been. His Great Master too would not abide others harming his family. He could see the path of escalation that his Lord could have taken, while hating every moment of it.

For them, he would fight, and fight, and fight until he stood atop a pile of ashes, and sat upon the Azure Throne—all for their sakes.

The hand ghosted through his feathers.

No.

He would not allow that to happen. His Great Master would live a life he enjoyed, free of the bonds that path would place upon him. Bi De would do everything in his power to prevent that from happening.

All of them would.

Just the same, he was sure all of them would aid with the other part of the equation.

Tianlan. The Earth Spirit. The existence that he had been giving his Qi to. The source of most of his Great Master’s power.

At first, he had considered her more akin to a god, than anything. Nameless and faceless. Eternal, and all powerful.

Bi De, even knowing what he knew now, still found her worthy of the reverence he had given her. Everything he had seen of Tianlan had only deepened his admiration. She too had awakened in her own way just as he and the other disciples had, leaving behind the base nothingness to reach for something more. The earth spirit was kind, and generous to all that she had met. A nurturing, friendly goddess who had supported her people without complaint. The other half of the pillar. The world upon which they all walked. Invincible, and eternal. Or so he had thought.

But now… now he knew just how vulnerable she really was. Her Dragon Veins were shattered. Her body was broken… and for untold eons she had likely believed that her greatest friend had utterly betrayed her.

She had lived as a shattered, hurting husk. Until his Great Master had connected with her, and started the cycle anew.

Bi De would not let her suffer. She would be healed. She would be made better, one way or another, for she did not deserve the fate that had been visited upon her. This, Bi De swore. He would do everything in his power to aid her.And hopefully, protect both her, and his Great Master from the ones who had been at the core of it all.

The Demons.

They had already shown themselves. If Bi De had to guess, The Twilight Cuckoo’s Triumph, the ability that the Demon in Kongming had used was what had infected Zang Li. The beasts had survived, and with Tianlan growing in strength. They could possibly be attracted back into the province. They were already here in some numbers.

The histories said that the demons were defeated by the First Emperor. But some of them, the arch deceivers that they were, had passed on their blood and abilities to humans, forming Demonic Cultivators. It was why they were so hated; they used the blood and teachings of the arch nemesis to empower themselves.

It was a threat that would need to be faced, eventually, yet one Bi De did not know how to truly combat.

Bi De grimaced. He had longed for answers, and now that he had them. He was left with challenges so far above his reach he could not comprehend how he would face them. Perhaps they should have stayed buried.

They certainly complicated things.

He took another breath, drawing comfort from his great Master’s ministrations.

But there was no going back now, he had unearthed them. Now, he knew what had happened to the formation, he knew what had so damaged the land.

Those that did not learn from past mistakes repeated them.

And Bi De was no fool.

He may not have had any ideas on truly solving the issues yet. But he knew what he could do. What he had to do.

He would share everything he had learned with his fellow Disciples, and ask for their aid. Bi De vowed to never become that lone, crumbling pillar that Xiaoshi had become.

There may have been something appealing, about being the sole pillar. At being the strongest, and the strongest alone.

To stand alone at the peak… was to stand alone at the peak. There were none to catch you if you fell.

They would sharpen each other, and figure out a course of action.

Together.

So he faded off to sleep, as his Great Master stroked his feathers, taking comfort in the knowledge he was not alone.

As he drifted off to sleep, there was one thing that nagged at his tired mind.

Though Bi De had recovered the Crystal… he hadn’t truly found it. An old crone had given him a map, directly to its location.

He had not yet spoken to her. He had wanted to figure out what exactly was in the crystal first. But now that he knew, it was time to ask her a few questions.