Blossoming Path

The morning after was just as troublesome as the night before.

Tianyi knelt before me, her antennae twitching in what I could only assume was mortification. Her head was pressed firmly to the ground, her wings folded tightly against her back. The sheen of her black hair caught the faint morning light as she kowtowed before me.

"For my transgressions last night, I shall carve the word 'shame' into my wings and leap into a pit of flames to atone..."

"Stop!" I raised both hands, before rubbing my head, still aching from the blows she landed on me. "First of all, there’s no need for that. Second... where did you even learn to say things like that?"

Tianyi blinked, tilting her head in genuine confusion. "The books in Elder Ming's house. Am I not using the phrase properly?"

I groaned, rubbing my temples as I recalled the novels. There was a scene in the Storm Sage Chronicles like that. They’d been full of dramatic oaths and over-the-top declarations, and apparently, Tianyi had taken them to heart. "No, Tianyi. Nobody actually disembowels themselves over an accident."

She sat back on her knees, her wings drooping slightly. "Oh. But… I was so disrespectful. Surely, I must—"

"You have to stop overreacting and let me get a word in." I sighed, glancing at the empty rice wine bottle still sitting on the counter. "Besides, we have bigger things to talk about. Do you remember anything about last night?"

"I… bits and pieces. I remember drinking the rice wine—" She paused, looking away. "—and then everything gets… hazy. I recall moving, fighting, but… it was different. Less clear. Less… me."

Tianyi’s gaze dropped, her hands twisting nervously in her lap. "Did I… hurt you?"

I rubbed the faint bruise on my jaw, the memory of her drunken rampage still fresh in my mind. "You tried. But that’s not what I’m worried about." I leaned forward, fixing her with a serious look. "Tianyi, your fighting style changed completely. You went from your usual style to something… wild. Almost like a brawler."

Her wings twitched, and she tilted her head in confusion. "A brawler?"

"Unrefined. Reactive. It wasn’t controlled in the way you usually fight, but it was… effective. You were faster, more aggressive, and your strikes had more impact, but they lacked precision."

"That doesn’t sound like me at all."

"It wasn’t. At least, not the you I’m used to seeing. But it might not be a bad thing." I hesitated, considering my next words carefully. "Whatever happened last night, the alcohol seemed to change the way you fight. If we can figure out how to control that, it might give you an edge in combat."

Her eyes widened slightly. "You’re saying I should drink more alcohol?"

"No! Not exactly," I groaned, realizing how dangerous that suggestion sounded. "What I’m saying is that we need to understand why the alcohol affected you that way. It’s not just a matter of drinking; there’s something deeper going on here. Maybe it’s tied to your transformation into a human or how your body processes substances like alcohol now. We'll go bring this up to Elder Ming."

"But..."

She glanced over at Windy.

Tianyi hesitated, her blue-tinged eyes flickering with uncertainty as she glanced at Windy, still floating in the basin. His breathing had steadied, his scales had regained their luster, and the faint traces of corruption had finally disappeared. But he remained unconscious, his form eerily still despite the visible improvements.

"I don’t want to leave him." she admitted softly, her antennae drooping slightly.

"Nothing will happen to him," I reassured her firmly. "Yin Si will be here. She can keep watch."

At the mention of the spider, Tianyi lifted her head. A faint skittering noise echoed from the shadows, and sure enough, Yin Si emerged, her multiple eyes gleaming in the dim morning light. There was a brief pause—a silent conversation I wasn’t privy to—before the spider moved closer to Windy’s basin, her posture almost protective. A thin strand of silk trailed behind her, securing the area like a silent barrier.

With one last glance at Windy, she followed me out of the shop and into the cold morning air.

The village was quieter than usual, the early dawn casting long shadows over the snow-dusted paths. Despite the stillness, the tension in the air was palpable. Disciples patrolled the village perimeter, their movements sharp and vigilant. Their pouches, once standard issue, now carried the essence-purifying elixirs I had created. It was a subtle but necessary change—one that might save their lives if demonic cultivators attacked.

I let my gaze linger on the pouches as we walked. Jian Feng had insisted the disciples carry them after I revealed what the bloom could do. At the time, I had agreed without hesitation. But now, as I felt the empty space where my own supply should have been, I realized the problem—I was running out of essences, and plants to extract them from.

We needed more.

For the village’s safety, for the disciples’ survival, and for whatever larger threat lay beyond the mountains. The Silent Moon had fallen overnight. If that wasn’t a warning, I didn’t know what was.

By the time we reached Elder Ming's home, Wang Jun and Lan-Yin were already there, their postures straightening at the sight of Tianyi.

"Tianyi?" Lan-Yin blinked in surprise. "Are you well enough to be out?"

"I am fine," she said simply, her wings folding behind her. "Kai has healed me."

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"We might have found a way for her to grow stronger," I explained. "We wanted Elder Ming’s insight."

At the mention of his name, Elder Ming stepped forward from the shade. His gaze was calm yet expectant as he looked between us. "Explain."

I summarized the events of the previous night—Tianyi’s sudden burst of strength, the change in her fighting style, and the possible connection to alcohol. He listened in silence, his expression unreadable, before nodding slowly.

"An interesting theory," he murmured. "We must test it."

He turned his gaze to Wang Jun and me. "You two will spar against her."

I flexed my fingers, already feeling the weight of the coming challenge. We stood together, a short distance away from Tianyi. She had always been fast, but last night had proven she could be something else entirely. Something untethered. If that was the case, then we needed to see just how far this transformation could go.

Elder Ming raised his hand. "Begin."

Wang Jun charged, hammer swinging down hard. Tianyi didn’t flinch. She watched, unmoving, until the instant his weapon neared her face.

Then, she was gone.

A blur of motion—too fast to track.

She reappeared low, sweeping Wang Jun’s legs out from under him. He barely caught himself, but before he could react, her foot snapped up, striking his ribs with pinpoint precision. He staggered back, breath knocked from his lungs.

I moved in at the first opportunity, my palm alight with the Heavenly Flame Mantra.

She twisted around my strike, her balance effortless. A sharp kick drove into my side, perfectly timed to my momentum, sending me skidding back. She was noticeably better than before.

Had she improved in the span of a few days? Or had that battle awakened something in her?

"Enough." Elder Ming raised his hand.

Wang Jun recovered, his grip tightening around his hammer as he adjusted his stance. "And I thought I was going to catch up..."

Tianyi landed lightly on her feet, her wings fluttering once before folding against her back. Unlike last night, there was no erratic wildness in her movements. She was completely in control—calculated and precise.

I clenched my fists. How had she ended up so badly injured in the first place? If she was this strong now, just how terrifying had the demonic cultivators been to leave her in such a state?

Elder Ming disappeared into his home for a brief moment, and when he returned, he held a small ceramic cup filled with clear liquid. He extended it toward Tianyi.

"Rice wine," he stated simply. "Not as strong as Master Qiang’s, but still potent enough."

I frowned, rubbing the faint ache on my jaw from last night’s chaos. "Elder Ming, I don’t know if that’s a good idea. Perhaps we should start her off with—"

"That was because she consumed an unfiltered, high-proof concoction. That blacksmith doesn't know the first thing about subtlety. This is a far weaker mixture, properly distilled. The effects will be different."

Wang Jun scratched his head. "I would defend Master Qiang here, but... Elder Ming's right. he's always liked his rice wine strong. Even I can't have more than a cup or two."

Tianyi glanced at me, then back at the cup, her antennae twitching slightly. Without further hesitation, she took it from Elder Ming’s hands and brought it to her lips. Her throat bobbed as she downed the contents in one go, her expression unreadable as she lowered the cup.

Elder Ming nodded approvingly. "Good. Now, resume the spar. Let’s see if we can observe any changes."

Wang Jun and I exchanged a brief look before taking our positions. Tianyi stood opposite us, her wings still and folded neatly against her back. For a few moments, nothing seemed different. She bounced lightly on the balls of her feet, shifting into a familiar stance.

Then she moved.

Wang Jun barely had time to react before Tianyi struck. Her fist connected with his stomach in a precise, almost surgical strike, and he crumpled immediately, his body folding over her extended knuckles before he hit the ground hard. The breath rushed out of him in a single, pained gasp.

I stiffened.

She turned to me next, her blue-tinged eyes locking onto mine with a sharpness I hadn’t seen before. Then, she advanced.

Her movements were different now—not just fast, but invasive. She was closing the distance deliberately, forcing me into close-quarters combat, an area I usually avoided in favor of mid-range strikes. I pivoted, throwing a quick palm strike, but she ducked beneath it, her body swaying in a way that made her movements unpredictable.

I tried again, this time adjusting my timing, but she twisted at the last second, my attack grazing harmlessly past her shoulder. Before I could react, she drove her foot forward in a sweeping kick, catching me right at the ankles.

My balance faltered, and I was falling.

I caught myself on one arm, barely stopping my full weight from crashing down. But the Black Tortoise Tribulation made this a losing battle—my body was heavier than before, each motion requiring more effort than I was used to. Even with qi reinforcing my limbs, the strain was immense.

Tianyi didn’t hesitate. She shifted, her foot already moving to land another strike while I was still vulnerable.

But before she could follow through, Wang Jun lunged in, his hammer swinging low. Tianyi snapped her head toward him just in time, leaping back as his weapon slammed into the ground where she had been standing a heartbeat ago.

The brief opening gave me a chance to roll back to my feet, my stance immediately shifting back into readiness. Tianyi exhaled sharply, her gaze flicking between us before she swayed slightly in place, her posture looser than before.

"Enough," Elder Ming called, stepping forward. "The spar is over."

We all froze in place. Tianyi tilted her head slightly, her antennae twitching as she turned toward Elder Ming.

"Can you understand me?" he asked evenly.

For a moment, I worried if she'd attack in a drunken rampage. The Village Head wouldn't survive an attack from the uncontrolled strike of an Essence Awakening stage spirit beast.

She blinked, then nodded, though her movements were slightly sluggish. A moment later, she swayed again, catching herself just before stumbling.

Elder Ming studied Tianyi carefully, his sharp eyes narrowing slightly as she steadied herself. The slight unsteadiness was noticeable, but not nearly as bad as last night’s uncontrolled rampage.

“Sit,” he commanded, gesturing toward where he was sitting. “Drink some water.”

Tianyi obeyed, moving to the bench and accepting the cup Wang Jun handed her.

Elder Ming stroked his beard, exhaling through his nose. “I have seen this before.”

I blinked. “You have?”

He nodded. “A constitution like hers. I once witnessed a cultivator in a tournament who possessed something similar—what is often called a drunken fighter’s constitution.”

I let out a sharp laugh. “That’s a real thing?”

“Indeed. It is rare, but not unheard of. Though, in Tianyi’s case, her transformation into a human may have altered it in ways I cannot predict.”

Tianyi’s antennae twitched as she lowered the cup of water. “Drunken… fighter?”

Elder Ming nodded. “It is a unique constitution that allows one to fight with enhanced adaptability and unpredictable movements when under the effects of alcohol. The more they drink, the more erratic—and dangerous—they become. But it is a double-edged sword.”

I frowned. “Double-edged how?”

He leaned forward slightly, his gaze unwavering. “The tournament fighter I witnessed had full control over his abilities because his alcohol was specially refined—it granted him strength and clarity in battle. However, the nature of this constitution is unstable. The effects are not linear. The more alcohol one consumes, the more unpredictable their movements become. But with that unpredictability comes a loss of precision. What you saw just now is a controlled state. But if she were to drink more…”

I glanced at Tianyi. She was still swaying slightly, her posture much looser than usual, but her gaze was sharp, focused. This was nothing like the chaos from last night.

She bit her lip, her wings twitching slightly. “So… it’s not just random?”

“No.” Elder Ming’s voice was firm. “Your instincts adjust. You fight differently, relying on reactions rather than conscious thought. Against an opponent who has never faced such a style, it is overwhelming. But to a prepared opponent… it becomes a liability.”

Wang Jun rubbed his chin. “Meaning if she drinks too much, she won’t just lose control—she’ll be easier to read.”

“Exactly,” Elder Ming said. “A skilled opponent would recognize the shift and adjust their strategy accordingly. The key to mastering this constitution is not in drinking more, but in knowing how much to drink. It is not a simple power—it requires discipline.”

Tianyi was quiet for a long moment, her fingers tightening around the ceramic cup. “Then… I should avoid drinking?”

Elder Ming shook his head. “Not necessarily. It is a tool, one that can be sharpened like any other skill. But you must know when to use it. And when to stop.”

I crossed my arms. “So what you’re saying is that Tianyi has a new ability, but if she abuses it, she’ll be just as likely to get herself killed.”

“Cultivation itself is full of double-edged swords,” Elder Ming pointed out. “She is not an exception to the rule.”

I let out a slow breath. It made sense, but it was still hard to wrap my head around. A fighting style that relied on alcohol… it sounded absurd. But I had just witnessed it firsthand. And the implications…

I turned to Tianyi. “How do you feel right now?”

She tilted her head slightly. “Strange. But… clearer than before. Not like last night. Closer to what I felt when I fought against the shadow.”

“That’s because this time, you drank a controlled amount,” Elder Ming said. “Your instincts sharpened, but your mind remained intact. If you continue training with it, you may be able to learn how to balance the two.”

Tianyi was silent for a long time. Then she exhaled softly. “...I see.”

She frowned, her antennae twitching slightly. “If I train this ability, will it make me stronger?”

Elder Ming nodded, his expression measured. “Yes. it will undoubtedly become a powerful skill once you learn to harness it.”

Tianyi absorbed his words in silence, her wings shifting slightly. She looked down at the empty cup in her hands, her fingers pressing lightly against the ceramic.

“Then I will learn.”

There was no hesitation in her voice. No bravado. Just quiet determination.

For some reason, that made me feel lighter.

As heavy as everything felt right now—the endless list of things I needed to do, the uncertainty of what lay ahead—I wasn’t alone in this.

Tianyi was training to become stronger. Wang Jun, Lan-Yin, and everybody in the village too. Even the disciples carried the elixirs I had made, a quiet reminder that they trusted my alchemy to protect them, preparing and learning about the threat around us.

It was easy to feel like I had to do everything myself, to bear the burden of every crisis. But that wasn’t true, was it?

I exhaled slowly, the tension in my chest loosening just a little.

I didn’t have to do this alone.