Chương 14: Chapter 69: Terrible Music

Crane watched his disciple with a mixture of pride and melancholy. He'd had an exciting month, running to and fro over the skies of Murim to close any debts and spill the last of the bad blood he'd accumulated over his century-and-a-half of life. He didn't want any of his outstanding ties to cause his little chick any problems. Though he'd still left a few of the easier to deal with. No sense in making Haksaekki's journey too smooth. A cultivator required conflict to truly grow, after all.

That was where the Orthodox clans were going wrong these days – they coddled their cultivators too much, treating them like precious flowers in a greenhouse. When everyone with half a brain knew that chicks needed to be pushed out of the nest to properly learn the way of the world. Even those violent morons in the Heavenly Demonic Sect understood that. He watched the young human go through the transition from first form to second with a critical eye and gave a slow nod.

His disciple was not what he'd call a talented martial artist. However, between his connection with this Cyrus, and of course his own noble self, Haksaekki had some true promise as a cultivator. The 'frequency whispering technique' as they'd taken to calling it, was genius, and would sweep through the continent like wildfire if they spread it. What Master never wished for the ability to admonish his students in secret, or offer advice in the middle of a bout?

And it was clear that the constant back and forth of the two souls was having a positive impact on Song's development. This Cyrus had unique ways of looking at the world that could be helpful for Haksaekki's understanding of the dao of light, which was intrinsically linked with the dao of the stellar crane. But that uniqueness could serve a poison if it clouded Song's mind and he came to rely on it too heavily.

Cultivation was meant to be a journey of self-discovery, and having another self could have serious repercussions. Perhaps it was time he had a talk with this Cyrus once more. So, while Haksaekki went through the forms again and again, Crane slowly pushed his qi out and gently probed at his disciple's dantian. It was well-protected compared to the last time he'd done this, and Crane nodded with satisfaction. Still, it was filled with holes to his Core level eyes.

With a sniff between contempt and admiration, Crane pushed his way into Song's mindscape. — Cyrus sat in lotus position, his eyes open but focused on what was happening outside. Every so often he'd reach out to scratch an itch, rub his belly, or adjust his pants. He was finding that he was becoming, if not a slob, at least not quite as concerned with the niceties stuck in here alone as he was.

"Let's hope I don't go full Lord of the Flies," Cyrus muttered.

"Oooh, I should try weaving a conch next."

"What's a Lord of the Flies?" A voice asked over his shoulder.

"Jesus, Lord have mercy!" Cyrus shrieked, jumping to his feet and quickly assuming the first form of the Stellar Crane. The big bird monster stood right behind him, its beak practically touching his shoulder. Crane let out his ack'ing laugh.

"It's not funny!" Cyrus snapped. He smoothed out his clothes, but kept his guard up.

"I get to decide what amuses me," Crane replied nonchalantly.

"You have many Lords for one with so few manners."

"They're not my Lords… they're just Lords." Cyrus muttered.

"What're you doing here?" Crane walked in a slow, menacing – or maybe it just felt menacing – circle around Cyrus, and he watched the bird with a nervous air. Master or not, this thing had threatened to destroy him the last time they'd met.

"I'm here to see you obviously," Crane said after he'd made a full circle. He fluffed his feathers and preened.

"Me?" Cyrus asked, confused.

"What do you want me for?" Crane ignored the question. He pointed at the black weaves creeping up the walls, and the not-very-imposing structure of the qigloo.

"What is all this?" Cyrus's eyes sparkled. He reached down to the ground and pulled a bit of it up, explaining, "Remember how you said I could try reinforcing Song's dantian? I figured out how to use all the Void qi in here. I've been weaving it to strengthen the walls, and made a home out of it."

"I meant that you were to batter it over and over again." Crane's tone was flat.

"Like punching a log to strengthen the knuckles."

"Oh. Uh, I can try that too." Cyrus shrugged.

"And you were weaving solid qi?"

"Yup!" Cyrus rubbed a finger under his nose. He wanted to preen a little himself if even the almighty Master Crane was flabbergasted! Crane tapped a claw on the ground, then pecked at it with his beak. Just like Song, he seemed to be unable to pull any of the qi out of the 'ground' to work with it. Cyrus laughed.

"Impressed?"

"Are you impressed when a fish breathes water?" Crane deadpanned back. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

"Phooey, you're no fun." Crane clacked his beak.

"And you don't know what you are. Or what you're doing. Do you?" Cyrus shuffled a foot.

"No. Not really."

"In fact," Crane leaned in close.

"You're more a stranger to this place than I am. And I'm a Demonic Crane." Cyrus narrowed his eyes.

"I thought you weren't a demon."

"And neither are you, or so you claim. But what is Demon but a label that others place as they wish?" Crane flapped his wings once in a shrug.

"You may be able to do things I cannot, but I feel that if I'm to properly teach Song, then I will need to teach you as well."

"Wait, are you… are you offering to become my sensei – I mean, Master?" Cyrus blinked. He'd never considered having a relationship with anyone in this world. He… he didn't even really exist, on a certain level. So the offer came a bit out of left field.

"Evidently, you're already listening in on them, so why not?" Crane nodded.

"Song's my disciple, after all, and you're a part of him. Is it not a Master's duty to see to all his disciple's needs?" Cyrus raised an eyebrow." All?"

"Tradtionally. Food and shelter and clothing included. Much to the chagrin of anyone joining the Beggar Sect. Though I suspect Song prefers his yurt and lamb to fish and a fine nest. Ack! Ack!" Cyrus laughed along.

"Obviously."

"Ah, but if he truly wished to become one with the dao of the stellar crane, he should do so," Crane said, reaching out a clawed foot and tapping Cyrus on the chest.

"In his heart he's still human. This is why his martial arts are incomplete and will remain so until he solidifies his own dao."

"Oh," Cyrus rubbed his chin.

"I guess that makes sense. Why don't you make him do it then? He'd follow you."

"Oh, many reasons," Crane blew a raspberry.

"Foremost being that he is not a crane, as he so helpfully pointed out. This human fascination with the dao of beasts has always been strange to me. You are not a wolf, so why try to be one? Why not become the best wolf-man that there is? The greatest martial artists are those that have distilled the essence of the dao without changing their own being." Cyrus thought about it for a brief moment, before saying with an agreeable nod, "Eh, why not. It could be fun. Teach away, Master!"

Crane stood at his full height, which was actually taller than Cyrus, and stared down at him with eyes that whirled with contempt.

"No."

"What!?" Cyrus sputtered, then realized. With a complicated expression, he got down onto his knees and kowtowed, knocking his head upon the ground thrice.

"Lord Crane, will you take this unworthy Cyrus Park to be your disciple." There was a pregnant pause, until Crane laid a wing upon Cyrus's head.

"Welcome, Disciple."

"Thank you Master," Cyrus grinned. Crane stepped away, once more walking around the mindscape and observing.

"For your first lesson. Are you still unable to cycle qi?"

"Yes, Master." Cyrus stood at attention, legs akimbo as he always had for his bojutsu sensei.

"Then perhaps the problem is that you're trying to cycle something that you are more full of then a lake is full of water," Crane shook his head.

"Instead, try and feel the qi within you. Poke it and prod it. Let it move as it wishes to move. Become a log floating on the waves of your own qi and move to its rhythm." The word rhythm awoke something in Cyrus. A memory that his subconscious had buried so deep that it was a mere wisp of a dream. He quickly sat down in lotus position and tried to remember, grasping at that floating thought as he dove inward to sense his qi.

It was there, as always – an immovable block, nothing at all like the easy flowing energy that Song described. Cyrus gave it a poke, then a prod, then a bang. It let out a note that was both familiar and haunting. A note that his soul had felt countless times before, but his ears had never heard. He hummed a small hum, trying to match his own voice to it. But it was never meant for mortal lungs, and it burned even as it vibrated in his chest. And yet it felt right. So, so right. But not perfect, so he tried again.

He pounded and banged on his qi, letting the vibrations fill his body and soul, and his own humming rose in pitch to meet it until it was a sound no human body could or had ever produced. His feet twitched to the rhythm of the beat and his heart rose to meet it. For a fleeting moment he was flying as crane did, his body entwined with alien dancers upon rings of copper.

And his lips parted to let out the first note of the SON – Crane's wing beat down hard upon his head, and Cyrus was blasted down onto the ground, the note catching in his throat. The moment was lost.

"Ugh!" Cyrus groaned, grabbing at his head. His voice was plaintive and his face, oh so much and yet unlike Lee Song's, was pinched with the betrayal of it all.

"Master?? Why?"

"Your singing voice is horrid. Worse than a swan, and they think they're all that. You should be embarrassed to be within the songbird that is my first disciple. Choke on your spit and never sing again." Cyrus did choke.

"Dude! Harsh!"

"*Ack! Ack! Ack! But it was a good first attempt. I could see your qi move, if only a little. Rest now, and meditate. I need to go check on my Haksaekki."

"And no singing!" So saying, Crane vanished from the mindscape, leaving behind a very confused and sore Cyrus. Cyrus tried a short "do, re, mi," and frowned.

"I'm not that bad…. Am I?" — Crane emerged from his first disciple's mindscape and quickly ran his Core level senses over Song. The young human was still preoccupied with going through the physical moves, and hadn't noticed his Master's spiritual disappearance. To Crane's relief, Song's meridians were all well, and his qi flowed as it should. Crane gave a curt nod, and instructed, "Practice some more. When I return, I'll teach you the qi flow for the second technique."

"Yes Master!" Song said in a sing-song voice as he continued. With that, Crane swept out of the yurt, making sure nobody was outside before he did so. When he was a few paces distant and out of range of Song's hearing, he let out a hacking cough, and blood spattered the ground. It mixed with the rain and quickly disappeared into the mud. He felt within himself and was shocked to see that his meridians were an absolute mess.

His body ached more than it had after he'd tangled with that Peak Foundation badger a decade ago. Thankfully his solid Core was untouched. When Cyrus had begun to sing that note, every ounce of Void qi in Crane's body had tried to flow in the wrong direction. Like it'd been pulled by a force stronger than his own to move in a way it was meant to move. If he hadn't stopped Cyrus when he had, he might've actually suffered serious internal injuries. As it was, it would still take him a few days to heal.

"What a terrifying person," Crane muttered. Then chuckled as a dark yet amusing thought flashed through his mind. Demon is just a label we give to things we cannot understand.

"It seems I've gained a troubling disciple. Ack! Ack! Ack!" With a flutter of his wings, and a flash of his crest, Crane took to his native skies of Nakjo.