DDD Chapter 128: Sharing Stories (Patreon)

After our match concluded in my victory, Old Man Corvus and I made our way down the stone platform and into the arena’s back areas. As we passed by them, several of the other participants, the ones not currently fighting in a match, stared at us and murmured to one another. Rather, they stared at me. I overheard them say the words “divine demon” several times. The attention made me uncomfortable, but I ignored it as best I could.

Together, Old Man Corvus and I made our way to the little corner that I claimed on the first day of the Rising Heroes Tournament. I even set up a simple privacy array, to keep people from eavesdropping on my conversations. Cultivator Vivian sat there waiting for us. She wore a cross expression on her face. When I went to sit down, she clicked her tongue at me.

“Tch, I can’t believe you revealed that you were a divine demon so soon, Cultivator Darian.” She grumbled. “You should’ve at least waited until you and I fought. It would have been more dramatic that way.”

I gave her a baffled look.

“Old Man Corvus proved more difficult to face than I expected.” I said. “Using divine qi was the fastest and most effective way to defeat him.”

“So?” Cultivator Vivian asked. “You could’ve defeated him without using divine qi. Look at you! You haven’t even used your Demon Form yet.”

I rolled my eyes at her and looked up at Old Man Corvus, who remained standing with an awkward expression on his face. I gestured to the area next to me.

“Please, take a seat.” I said. “If you don’t have your own cushion, I can lend you one.”

Old Man Corvus glanced at Cultivator Vivian.

“Is it alright for us to be so close to a disciple of the Thousand Blade Sect?” He asked. “I thought they were our enemies.”

I shrugged.

“Cultivator Vivian and I are rivals.” I said. “However, when we’re not fighting, we get along quite well.”

“This only applies to you, Cultivator Darian.” Cultivator Vivian said in a cold voice. “I despise demonic cultivators.”

I raised an eyebrow at her.

“I’m a demonic cultivator.” I said.

Cultivator Vivian snorted.

“You’re a divine demon.” She said. “You’re half a demonic cultivator at most. You’re too nice to be a full demonic cultivator.”

I opened my mouth to respond, but paused before I said a word. Cultivator Vivian wasn’t wrong. Despite my heritage and demonic nature, my actions were righteous more often than not.

“Regardless,” I said, “Old Man Corvus is my fellow disciple within the Dawn and Dusk Sect, and I’m interested in hearing his story. I would appreciate it if you were at least polite and civil with him.”

Cultivator Vivian stared at me for several moments, her brow furrowed, before she let out a sigh.

“Very well.” She said, before looking up at Old Man Corvus. “You may join us, Fellow Cultivator. Just don’t expect any warmth or friendliness from me.”

Old Man Corvus nodded, before pulling a cushion out of his storage ring and sitting down next to me.

“Before I begin,” he said, “I want to say that it was an honor to face one of our Dawn and Dusk Sect’s divine demons.”

My cheeks heated up a little at his words.

“You’re too kind.” I said, embarrassed.

Old Man Corvus shook his head.

“I merely speak the truth,” he said. “Decades from now, after your name has spread far and wide, I can brag that I once fought you in the Rising Heroes Tournament.”

I ducked my head down, unsure of how to respond. A moment later, Cultivator Vivian gave my side a hard poke, eliciting a yelp from me.

“Stop blushing like an inexperienced youth.” She scolded. “You’re my rival. Act with some dignity.”

I glared at her, before I looked back at Old Man Corvus. Amusement twinkled in his eyes.

“About that story you owe me.” I said.

“Very well, Cultivator Darian.” Old Man Corvus said. “As I mentioned earlier, it’s a rather simple tale.”

I held up my hand, interrupting him before he went further.

“One moment.” I said. “This calls for tea.”

With that, I pulled a small stone stove, a kettle, and a tea set out of my storage ring. I lit a fire in the stove, filled the kettle with water and set it to boil.

“You’re rather prepared, Cultivator Darian.” Old Man Corvus said, eyeing the stone stove with a surprised look on his face.

I shrugged.

“I often grew bored while waiting between each of my matches.” I said. “So, over the past few days, I developed a habit of brewing spirit tea while I waited.”

“He’s quite good at it.” Cultivator Vivian said. “You’re in for a treat, Cultivator Corvus.”

A few minutes later, the water started boiling. I poured it into the teapot. Soon, I filled three cups with fragrant spirit tea. This particular kind smelled somewhat spicy.

“Howling Desert Blossom Tea!” Old Man Corvus exclaimed. “I haven’t had this in a long time.”

I glanced at him in surprise. He was right. This was the tea I bought before I left East Mesa City, the one made from Howling Desert Blossoms.

“You’ve encountered this before?” I asked.

Old Man Corvus nodded.

“Years ago,” he said, “When I first reached Foundation Establishment, I visited East Mesa City and entered the Violet Desert hidden realm to gather materials for a magic treasure I wanted to refine.”

I chuckled.

“What a coincidence,” I said, “Cultivator Vivian and I met in the Violet Desert hidden realm. She tried to kill me.” I smirked. “As you can see, she failed.”

Cultivator Vivian snorted.

“Only because I felt merciful that day,” she said, “Otherwise, you would’ve never made it out of that place alive.”

I sneered at her.

“Keep telling yourself that.” I said. “You hit me with your strongest attack and it failed.”

Cultivator Vivian narrowed her eyes at me. The two of us glared at one another for several seconds, before Old Man Corvus coughed. We looked towards him.

“Shall I start my story?” He asked with a chuckle.

“Please.” I said, before taking a sip of my tea.

“As I said, it’s a simple tale.” Old Man Corvus wore a nostalgic expression on his face. “For most of my life, I lived as a farmer in a small village far from here. It was difficult, but rich and rewarding. I gave to the land, and the land gave back to me. Every day was a treasure. I didn’t think so at the time. For me, it was just the way things were. No more, no less. However, with the benefit of hindsight, I realized how happy and fulfilled I was.”

A sinking feeling filled me. My intuition warned me that this story wouldn’t have a happy ending. I regretted asking to hear Old Man Corvus’ story, but it was too late to ask him to stop. I made this bed. Now it was time for me to lie in it.

“My wife and I had several children,” Old Man Corvus continued, “Even more grandchildren, and dozens of great grandchildren. Our home was noisy, but warm and full of love.” His expression turned melancholic. “That all changed when a disease wiped out our village. At first it only took the old, the infirm, and the babes. However, it wasn’t long before everyone became sick. We tried everything we could, but nothing worked. We even hired a physician, but he ended up getting sick as well. It didn’t take long before people started dying. One by one, I lost everyone and everything I ever knew. My neighbors, my family, my wife. Everyone. In the end, I was the only one left.”

Sorrow and sympathy filled me. I wanted to say something, anything, to comfort Old Man Corvus. However, words seemed inadequate. Anything I said would sound trite and insincere. I endured many hardships in my life, but they were nothing compared to what Old Man Corvus experienced.

“I wanted to join my family in death,” Old Man Corvus said, “However, I decided to bury everyone before that happened. It was the least I could do. As the sole survivor, it was my responsibility to lay their spirits to rest. So, I spent the next several months burying everyone. When I finished, I laid on the ground and waited to die.”

I opened my mouth to ask a question, but my mouth felt dry. I sipped my sip to wet it.

“What happened then?” I asked. “Clearly, things didn’t go to plan.”

Old Man Corvus nodded with a small smile on his face.

“My master, an elder of Restless Grave Hall, found me,” he said. “He noticed me lying on the ground and decided to investigate out of curiosity. After I told him my story, he offered to take me in as his disciple. At first I refused, but he convinced me in the end. He said that as long as I lived, the memory of my loved ones would live on within me. They wouldn’t be forgotten. So, I took him up on his offer and became his disciple.” He nodded towards me. “And that is the story of how an old man like me became a cultivator.”

I took a moment before saying anything.

“Thank you for sharing your story with me, Old Man Corvus,” I said, “And I apologize. If I had known how painful it was, I wouldn’t have asked you to tell it.”

Old Man Corvus shook his head.

“There’s no need to apologize, Cultivator Darian,” he said. “I could have refused to tell you, but I didn’t.” He touched his chest. “Time has dulled the pain of my loss, and I’ve even started to rediscover the joys of living.”

“I respect and admire your resolve, Cultivator Corvus.” Cultivator Vivian said. “Most people would’ve given up after experiencing the pain you endured.”

Old Man Corvus nodded at her.

“Thank you for the compliment, Cultivator Vivian.” He said.

She narrowed her eyes at him.

“I still don’t like you.” She said. “You chose to become a demonic cultivator.”

I glared at Cultivator Vivian, but she ignored me. However, Old Man Corvus didn’t seem offended by her words.

“Well,” he said, “I became a cultivator to keep the memory of my lost loved ones alive. From that perspective, becoming a ghost cultivator seemed the most fitting.”

Cultivator Vivian snorted, before taking a sip of her tea.

“What about you, Cultivator Darian?” Old Man Corvus said, turning towards me. “What is your story? How did you become a cultivator?”

I frowned. On the one hand, I felt a little uncomfortable about sharing my past with a stranger. None of it was a big secret. However, it was personal. On the other hand, Old Man Corvus shared his story with me. I felt as if I owed him something in return.

“Feel free to decline.” Old Man Corvus said, as if reading my thoughts. “I told you my story because I wanted to. Not because I wanted something from you in return.”

After mulling it over some more, I made my decision.

“No,” I said. “I’ll share my story. You shared yours with me. It’s only right that I reciprocate.”

Cultivator Vivian leaned in closer, her eyes gleaming with interest.

“Oh?” She said. “Do tell.”

I rolled my eyes at her, before I began.

“It all started when my third eldest sister kidnapped me…”

***

After I finished telling the story of how I became a cultivator, Cultivator Vivian told her story as well. Hers was the most… Orthodox(?) out of all of us. She grew up in a cultivation family, so she was always destined to become a cultivator. Her parents sheltered and nurtured her, until she was ready to go out into the wider world. In fact, the events in the Violet Desert hidden realm had been part of her first real foray into the world.

The next hour passed by in a similar manner. We drank spirit tea, shared stories, and overall had an enjoyable time with one another. Cultivator Vivian never warmed up to Old Man Corvus, but at least she remained civil and polite to him. For the most part.

We were interrupted when an unexpected person intruded upon our little corner. It was one of the other participants that I took note of in the past few days, the rogue cultivator with the garish outfit. She approached us with a bright and cheerful smile on her face. I was tempted to ignore her, since she was being rude. However, I was curious about what she wanted. Cultivator Vivian and Old Man Corvus shared my curiosity.

“Greetings, Fellow Cultivator.” I asked after deactivating the privacy array.

This was my first time seeing the woman up close, so I took this opportunity to study her. To my surprise, she was gray. Her skin, her hair, her eyes, everything. It was as if someone had drained her of all color, leaving only gray behind. I never noticed it before, because of her garish outfit.

Other than her strange coloration, the woman seemed normal. Her features were plain and average. She had a slight physique, though I couldn’t tell for sure because of her outfit. Her fingers were long and slender.

“Greetings, fellow cultivators!” The rogue cultivator said in a bright and cheerful voice. “May I join you?”

I blinked at her in surprise, caught off guard by her sudden request.

“You’re a bold one.” Cultivator Vivian said in a scornful tone. “We’re disciples from two of the Seven Great Northern Sects. What makes you think you have the right to sit with us?”

While I disliked Cultivator Vivian’s snobbery, she wasn’t wrong. In terms of status, the three of us were above almost everyone else here. The rogue cultivator blinked in confusion. She gestured to us.

“You’re the most interesting people in this place.” She gestured to herself. “I am also an interesting person. What else matters?”

My mouth twitched as I resisted the urge to smile. That was an… Interesting response. Old Man Corvus outright chuckled.

“I say we let her join us.” He said. “Of course, the decision is up to you two. I am merely an invited guest here.”

Cultivator Vivian and I glanced at one another.

“No.” She said, giving me a flat look. “The only reason why we haven’t been bothered by sycophants is because we kept ourselves distant and aloof. If we keep letting random people join us here, that will change.”

Cultivator Vivian gestured to a crowd of participants that hovered nearby. It was clear that they wanted to come over and talk with us, but they dared not. She glared at them and they skittered away.

“She doesn’t seem like a sycophant to me.” I said, nodding towards the rogue cultivator. “If we were from lesser sects, she still would’ve approached us if we were interesting enough.” I glanced at the rogue cultivator in question. “Right?”

She nodded.

“Yep!” she said. “What’s the point of immortality if you surround yourself with dull people?”

I gave Cultivator Vivian an “I told you so” look. She just rolled her eyes at me, before looking at the rogue cultivator.

“You may find us interesting,” Cultivator Vivian said. “But what makes you think we find you interesting? Other than your colorful choice of clothing…” She trailed off and narrowed her eyes at the rogue cultivator. “You’re from Gray Valley, aren’t you? I hadn’t noticed until now.”

The rogue cultivator nodded.

“Uh huh!” She said.

The Gray Valley? What was that? I had never heard of it before. However, given the name, I assumed it had something to do with the rogue cultivator’s odd coloration. Now I wanted her to join us even more.

“If that’s not interesting enough for you,” I said, “She uses a zither as her weapon and can imbue her sound attacks with sword intent. I watched her use it when she faced an opponent in late Foundation Establishment.”

Cultivator Vivian pursed her lips with a thoughtful expression on her face.

“Fine,” she said, “She can join us.”

“Yay!” The rogue cultivator said, before pulling out a cushion and sitting down. The four of us formed a little square. I reactivated the privacy array and poured a cup of Howling Desert Blossom Tea for the rogue cultivator.

“Ooh!” She said, studying the cup of tea in her hands. “This is new!”

She sniffed the tea, before taking a sip. A delighted expression spread across her face. It was endearing, like watching a child experience something joyful for the first time. My lips twitched again as I held back another smile. I glanced at Cultivator Vivian and Old Man Corvus. They wore similar expressions on their faces.

“I like this!” The rogue cultivator said. “What kind of tea is this? And where can I get some?”

“Before that,” I said, “I believe introductions are in order.”

The rogue cultivator gave me a surprised look.

“Oh, I’m sorry!” She said. “I forgot about that. My name is Florence, but you can call me Flo.”

I nodded to Cultivator… Flo and gestured to myself.

“My name is Darian.” I said. “My companions are Cultivator Vivian and Cultivator Corvus.”

“You can call me Old Man Corvus.” The latter said. “Everyone else does. Well, most everyone.”

“Okay!” Cultivator Flo said with a bright smile on her face.

Despite her rude first impression, I found myself liking Cultivator Flo. Her bright and cheery personality lifted my spirits.

“To answer your earlier question,” I said, “This is Howling Blossom Desert Tea. I procured it from East Mesa City in the Howling Desert province.”

Cultivator Flo’s eyes widened.

“Oh my!” She said. “I’ve never been there before. What is it like?”

I smiled at her.

“I’d be willing to tell you,” I said, “If you tell me about Gray Valley. I’ve never heard about it before today.”

Cultivator Flo’s expression soured somewhat.

“There isn’t much to tell.” She said. “It’s a boring place filled with boring people and boring things.” Her expression brightened again. “The Howling Desert province sounds far more interesting. I’d rather talk about that!”

Cultivator Vivian snorted.

“Gray Valley is one of the Northern Region’s lesser known oddities.” She explained. “It’s a place devoid of all color, except for gray. The people, the land, the vegetation. Everything there is gray. No one knows why. Otherwise, there isn’t anything special about Gray Valley. No spirit herbs grow there and there aren’t any precious materials. Not only that, but Gray Valley produces few cultivators. Almost the entire population is mortal.”

Cultivator Flo snorted.

“Like I said, it’s a boring place and the people there are even more boring. They have no interest in the outside world at all! They think it’s too colorful and flashy. I left a long time ago, and I haven’t regretted it since. There is so much to see and do out here!”

“In that case, then how do you know of it?” I asked Cultivator Vivian.

“It’s located near the Sword Plains province, the home of our Thousand Blade Sect.” She explained. “My parents taught me about all the nearby special locations and hidden realms, including Gray Valley, in case I ever wanted to visit them.”

I nodded. That made sense. For the next several minutes, the four of us made small talk while we waited for the next round of matches to start. We didn’t know which of us would have to fight, so we didn’t delve into any deeper topics. Soon, several tournament tokens lit up, signaling that the matches were about to resume. However, none of ours lit up, so we relaxed.

“Tell me, Cultivator Flo,” Cultivator Vivian said. “How did you end up becoming a cultivator? As I mentioned earlier, most of the people within Gray Valley are mortal. Few of them ever become cultivators. Why are you an exception?”

Cultivator Flo’s lips curled up in a small smile. Unlike her other smiles, this one was soft and gentle. Given her vivacious personality, I never expected Cultivator Flo to make such an expression.

“My master helped me step onto the path towards immortality.” She said. “Ever since I was a child, I always wanted to explore the outside world and go on adventures. However, my people discouraged such thinking. To them, the outside world was full of danger. While Gray Valley was boring, at least it was peaceful and safe.”

“There’s nothing wrong with peace and safety.” Old Man Corvus said. “For some, it’s a luxury they’ve never known.”

Cultivator Flo nodded.

“I’m not saying there is,” she said, “However, it wasn’t the life I wanted. Yes, the outside world is dangerous. However, it’s also so vivid. Ever since I left Gray Valley, every day has been full of new experiences.” She lifted her tea cup. “Like this.”

Old Man Corvus looked thoughtful for a moment, before nodding.

“Fair point.” He said. “It is good tea.”

Cultivator Flo beamed at him, before she continued with her story.

“One day, my master traveled to Gray Valley to find inspiration for a song she wanted to compose.” Cultivator Flo said. “I volunteered to act as her guide. Together, the two of us explored every inch of Gray Valley. Thanks to her, I found places within my homeland that I never even knew existed. Once I got a taste for exploration, I couldn’t give it up. So, when it came time for her to leave, I begged her to take me with her. At first she refused. However, when she discovered that I had pure spirit roots, she took me in as her disciple. The rest, as they say, is history.”

Cultivator Vivian frowned.

“Who is your master, if you don’t mind me asking?”

Cultivator Flo puffed up her chest and gave Cultivator Vivian a proud smile.

“My master’s name is Aurora!”

Cultivator Vivian, who was in the middle of sipping her tea, started choking. Old Man Corvus and I stared at her with wide eyes as she had a coughing fit. She thumped her chest a few times to clear her airway.

“Eccentric Aurora?” Cultivator Vivian asked in a rough voice. “The Wandering Storm? That Aurora?”

Cultivator Flo nodded her head several times.

“Uh huh!”

Old Man Corvus and I glanced at one another with confused expressions on our faces. From her reaction, this Eccentric Aurora was a renowned figure. However, neither of us had heard of her.

“Who is Eccentric Aurora?” I asked.

Cultivator Vivian wore a complicated expression on her face. 

“She’s a famous rogue cultivator,” she said, “At least in the Sword Plains province and the surrounding provinces. If I recall, she’s both a sword cultivator and a music cultivator.”

“Indeed!” Cultivator Flo said. “She’s the one who taught me how to imbue my sound attacks with sword intent.”

I frowned.

“With a moniker like the Wandering Storm, I expected to be a Lightning cultivator or a Wind cultivator,” I asked.

Cultivator Vivian sighed.

“Her nickname has nothing to do with her abilities.” She said. “Rather, it’s because chaos and destruction follow her wherever she goes. For example, about two hundred years ago, a group of cultivators in the Nascent Soul and the Domain Creation realms went to explore an immortal abode left behind by an ancient cultivator in the Path Seeking realm.” She gestured to me. “This group included your mother and my father.”

“And my master!” Cultivator Flo interjected.

Cultivator Vivian gave her a strained smile.

“Yes, Eccentric Aurora was part of that group as well,” she said. “In fact, she played a key part in the events that occurred afterwards. I don’t know the full details, but due to Eccentric Aurora’s actions, the entire abode fell into some kind of spatial rift and disappeared from our world. Everyone escaped with their lives, but they gained nothing from the expedition. Needless to say, the rest of the group was furious with Eccentric Aurora. They tried to hunt her down, but she evaded them long enough that they gave up in the end.”

Old Man Corvus and I stared at her for several seconds, before we turned to look at Cultivator Flo.

“Isn’t my master amazing?” She asked.

I didn’t know how to respond to that.

“That’s one way to describe your master, yes.” Old Man Corvus said.

Cultivator Flo beamed at him. My lips twitched as I tried to hold in a laugh. I failed in the end, though I disguised it as a cough.

Well, this impromptu gathering turned out to be more enlightening than I expected. There were countless ways to step onto the path towards immortality, countless ways to seek the Dao. Some were more common, like with Cultivator Vivian. Some were steeped in tragedy, like with Old Man Corvus. And some had the help of an eccentric master, like with Cultivator Flo.

Yet, despite our different beginnings, each of us traveled towards the same destination. Our means and methods differed, but each of us was trying to attain immortality.

I felt like there was a deeper meaning behind this thought. However, if there was, it was beyond my grasp at the moment. I would meditate on it later, once I returned to my courtyard in Dragon Palace.

“As thanks for the tea and the pleasure of your company,” Cultivator Flo said after she finished her cup, “Let me play a song for you all.”

She pulled her sword-shaped zither out of her storage ring.

“You’re not going to imbue your music with sword intent, are you?” I asked, a little worried.

Cultivator Flo tilted her head and gave me a puzzled look.

“Why?” She asked. “Do you want me to?”

I opened my mouth to respond, before realizing that I didn’t know the answer to that question. On the one hand, listening to music imbued with sword intent sounded like a terrible idea. On the other hand, experiencing another cultivator’s intent could help me gain insight into my own. I wouldn’t be able to manifest it until I reached mid Foundation Establishment at the earliest, but there was no harm in learning about it now.

“Yes,” I said. “I do.”

Cultivator Vivian and Old Man Corvus looked at me like I was crazy.

“Why?” Cultivator Vivian asked, flabbergasted.

“To better understand intent.” I said.

Old Man Corvus pursed his lips, before shaking his head.

“You’re an odd one, Cultivator Darian.” He said. “However, I shall part ways with you all here. I’d like to keep my eardrums intact.”

Old Man Corvus stood up and gave each of us a martial salute.

“It was a pleasure sharing tea with you.” He said, before walking away.

After Old Man Corvus left, I turned towards Cultivator Vivian.

“Are you going to leave as well?” I asked.

Cultivator Vivian pursed her lips.

“No,” she said, “I want to better understand intent as well.” She narrowed her eyes at me. “Besides, as your rival, I need to prove that I can withstand the pain better than you.”

I snorted.

“You can try.” I said, before facing Cultivator Flo. “You may begin. We’re ready.”

Cultivator Flo’s expression lit up.

“Okay! You’re going to love this.”

With that, she started playing. What followed was one of the most painful, yet enlightening, experiences of my life. Cultivator Flo’s music quite literally stabbed me in the ears. Despite that, it was beautiful and sublime. Listening to it gave me a deeper understanding of intent, and even improved my cultivation base by a small margin. I didn’t regret it, even though I bled from my ears, eyes, and mouth. The taste of copper and salt coated my tongue.

“There.” Cultivator Flo said after she finished. “Did you like it?”

I gave her a nod, even though it felt like my head was full of a thousand tiny cuts.

“It… Was… Wonderful.” Cultivator Vivian said, her voice slurred.

“Great! In that case, I shall play you another one!”

Cultivator Vivian and I shared a panicked look, before we both tried to stop Cultivator Flo. However, we were too slow. She started playing again. In the end, all we could do was endure.