...In which a transmigrator decides the only winning move is to get the hell out of dodge....

////////

Lu Ri stared at the disciple. The boy had his arm in a sling, a black eye, and several other wounds marring his body. A quite pitiful sight, all told.

“You wish to leave the sect?” He asked, repeating the disciples request..

“Yes, Senior Brother,” The disciple said. “This Jin Rou’s abilities are lacking, and I was defeated by others two years my younger. I would leave before I bring greater shame upon this Cloudy Sword Sect."

Lu Ri nearly sighed. In all honesty, him being crushed by one of the inner disciples looking for someone to “practise” with was a forgone conclusion, even with the age difference. The elder disciple considered the brown haired boy. Indeed, Jin Rou was not powerful, but he was diligent, and always willing to tend to the less desirable tasks around the sect. Losing him for his attention to detail in caring for the compound and lowly spirit herbs would be a minor blow… but it was hardly anything that the sect would notice losing. The boy had no real training, or techniques of the sect yet either.

And if this was enough to crush his spirit, and ask to leave… Then he was not meant to be a cultivator in the first place. This was no place for the weak of heart.

At least he was polite enough to formally go through with his leaving, instead of just disappearing. He was the first in over three hundred years to use such courtesies, and had even provided the sum that was his recompense to the sect for taking him in, as outlined in the proper documents. Lu Ri considered attempting to dissuade him from leaving… but he felt no tumult in the boy’s paltry Qi. His conviction was set.

“What is your intent after leaving this place, Disciple?” he asked out of idle curiosity.

“I shall become a farmer, Senior Brother,” The boy replied, “I had some luck in growing the lowly spiritual herbs, so such a thing should be within my minor talents.”

Lu Ri once more nearly spoke against it, at hearing this madness. A mere farmer, from a boy who, though barely, passed the first of their sect’s initiation? The devastating defeat must have completely demoralised him. Unfortunate.

This time he did sigh.

“I see. I shall mark down your leaving. You are no longer a disciple of our sect, Jin Rou.”

Jin Rou bowed his head, and clasped his fist in front of him. “This Jin Rou thanks you for your time and consideration. I shall darken the compound’s halls no longer.”

Lu Ri stood, and inclined his head. “Then go into the world, Jin Rou.... and here.”

He held the pouch containing the severance money back out to him. “I shall mark it down as paid in full. Diligence and proper courtesy deserve some reward, and the sect does not need such a paltry sum.” It was probably all the money the boy had, anyway. He did have some kindness to him, and Jin Rou would need the luck of heaven in the future.

Jin Rou looked shocked, but again bowed his head in supplication.

“May Heaven be kind to you, Lu Ri.”

And then Jin Rou was gone from the sect.

His leaving went unnoticed.

///////

I came to in the middle of dear old Jinny-boy getting his *** beat by a stereotypical “young master” type.

Let me tell you, that was horse shit. Jin was kind of an idiot for not getting out of the way in time when the little shit wanted to **** somebody up, but at least there was no meridian destroying because “the commoner was so beneath him”.

A few of the other disciples were kind enough to drag my twitching body back to my little room... and then ransacked some of the herbs as "payment".

Dicks.

It only really hit me that I was in magical china land while I was moaning in pain. Apparently one of the bodyshots had hit poor Jin hard enough, and in just the right way to stop his heart and kill him.

And before he even fell over, I got shoved in. At least I got his memories, and how to actually use the remainder of this current batch of herbs to deal with the worst of the damage. Which is some mashing and grinding, which is extremely painful with how many injuries I've got.

Jin himself was fairly respectable, I suppose. He was an orphan, after his gramps disappeared, who managed to join a sect through hard work, kind of. His admittance was because one of the instructors flipped a coin when deciding his fate, because he just barely squeaked past. Said something about heaven favoring him or some shit.

Jin was full of wanting to become a powerful cultivator, a master among masters, and do whatever it is the dickbags who run this place do, which is presumably to be dicks, dickishly. I kinda... didn't care about his motivations. My body now, buddy. Sorry, not sorry. Dear old Jin was essentially a servant right now anyway, and had to do every task that the other people offloaded onto him, while harboring vengeance and hate and angst.

And let me tell you, I wanted none of that shit. I declare any revenge fantasies and ambitions null and void. I wanted none of the little fuckboy who wasted my ***. And most importantly, I wanted nothing to do with the politics of this world, because holy shit. Lots of line extinguishing, and murdering each other for face.

You know, standard xianxia stuff.

So I looked up the methods to leaving the sect when I was mobile the next day, grabbed one of Jin’s pouches of money, and went to the guy in charge of this kind of stuff.

I wasn’t expecting to get the money pouch back, but I was fine with losing that one. Jin was actually fairly good at saving: He had been saving to purchase a few spiritual pills, after picking up so many extra chores.

But what was his is now mine. And I’m getting the **** out of here, and far away from all the sword formations and Grand demonic **** punches or whatever the **** these chuuni bastards spout.

So I started travelling to the Azure Hills. Which was regarded as the weakest, and therefore safest place on the continent.

Hopefully anyways. Cultivators usually cleared out of “weak” places pretty quick.

////////

I smiled down at my new plot of land. It was a few rolling hills, covered by a forest, and had a lovely little river winding through it. It was fantastically picturesque, as were most places in the Red Phoenix Continent.

The land was considered largely useless by the Magistrate of the town, as there were some minor monsters around, and it needed lots of clearing, but hopefully nothing I couldn’t handle.

It was also extremely cheap. I had got this place for a steal. Man, **** property prices back home, this is where its at. I had considered the possibility I had been fucked over, and asked the locals about this place, but nope. No sleeping big bad dudes, as far as anyone new. Just out of the way and more trouble than it was worth.

People rarely came down this way too, as far as it was from the town, and the surrounding villages. Nobody to bother me here. Just peace.

I breathed in the fantastically clean and invigorating air, and shook my head. Enough lazing around. I reached into my wagon and grabbed my axe, causing my chickens to cluck irritatedly at me and the young rooster to crow at the sudden jostling.

I gave him a little scratch under his developing wattles, and he calmed.

Well, time to get to work. Operation “No Cultivator Bullshit" is go!

////////

Theres a certain sort of zen you reach when you engage in heavy physical activity for long enough. My axe hewed through trees, My saw made planks, my hammer drove in nails, and my plane made things level, fueled by the supernatural strength of cultivator, even if I was an exceptionally weak one. It was calming and invigorating at the same time, and I must confess I heartily enjoyed the heavy physical labour and the strength of ten men. My breathing was a perfect rhythm, and my qi circulated around me. I felt so invigorated and refreshed!

That, and being able to tear a stump out of the ground with nothing but brute strength would never get old.

My first home was a simple, one room affair, built within the first three days. It wasn’t anything spectacular, but it would keep the elements off me, and the bugs at bay, with it's thatch roof and pounded dirt floor. It was right against my chicken coop, so I could hear if there were any predatory interlopers during the night, but the foxes and the wolves had yet to notice my intrusion, and the prey animals that I had.

I was proud of what I had built.

I woke with the call of my rooster, who I had named Big D. An incredibly childish name, I confess, but it amused me greatly. My young lad would follow me around during the day, hopping around, and often sitting on my shoulder, and proclaiming his dominance to the world, the cheeky shit.

“Cock-a-doddle-doo!” He’d screech.

“You tell ‘em Big D.” I’d reply.

My hoe bit the earth and never dulled, reinforced as it was by my qi, tearing into it with more speed than any ox could generate. My chickens eagerly followed behind me, pecking the bugs and plants I unearthed with my efforts, bucking and clucking all the way.

Yes, get good and fat my pretties, and you will be delectable in the future.

Ah, my mouth is watering just thinking about it.

Up and down went the hoe, up and down went the hoe, until I noticed something. A strange root poked out, and had a faint sense of qi about it. Interested, I picked up the lumpy, and slightly nondescript root.

In xianxia novels, this is where the protagonist would immediately identify the plant, spouting that it was some rare so and so root of six elixirs or something, but quite frankly, I had no fucking clue what it was. I’d have to go to the town Archive at some point, but considering it was here, it probably wasn’t very rare or important.

Shrugging, I put it into my house, and got back to work. After this field, which was going to be my vegetable garden, I’d start on the rice paddy. It sucks that I haven't been able to get any wheat yet, but whatcha gonna do?

//////

That night, I had an absolutely delicious egg fried rice, with Big D sitting on my shoulder. Maybe it was a little morbid, to eat eggs right near your pet chicken, but he didn’t seem to mind. Eggs from my chickens, rice from my reserves, some sesame oil that I had splurged on when I bought my land… and some of the leftover Lowly Spiritual Herbs I had uh, liberated from the Cloudy whatever sect. They tasted pretty damn good. A little spicy, a little sweet, a little savoury-- I’d definitely have to grow more of them. They weren’t that hard to grow from Jin’s memories. I’d just have to baby them for a bit.

Sure, I could convert them into pills, but I was extremely suspect about all the pills these people choked back. I’m half convinced the reason every cultivator is so damn nuts is because of all drugs they did.

I shook myself out of my introspection and tuned to the pleased clucking sounds coming from my “kitchen.” Big D was eagerly pecking at the little nubs of spirit herb I had cut off that looked a bit wilted.

They probably wouldn’t kill him. Never heard of something dying from eating these things before.

Eh, if he likes ‘em, he likes ‘em. Not going to deny the little man his food.

Soon enough, I got into my bed, with Big D jumping up onto the perch I made him by the window.

Man, If I was still in the sect, I'd be doing shitty chores, or sitting in a corner cultivating for months on end, instead of actually making stuff.

I went to sleep happy and content with my life choices.

I jolted awake to Big D’s furious battle cry, and the angry sqwalling of a fox. I had a shovel in my hand and was out the door as fast as I could into the extremely pleasant night.

Big D was flapping around the fox’s head, kicking at it furiously. He was too young for his spurs to deal any damage, but he was trying his little heart out.

I was transfixed for a moment, as David challenged Goliath.

Until the fox managed to hit him with it’s paw, and knocked him down and away. His footing was fouled. His fate was sealed. The Fox pounced, It’s razor sharp teeth going for the kill, to end my little warrior.

Oh? You dare trespass into this Daddy’s domain?!

….I can’t believe I just thought that. I snort to myself.

The fox’s teeth clamped down on iron instead of flesh, and it looked up, shocked at the intervention.

It was then the fox realised it fucked up.

My shovel whirled, and with a klang! The fox died.

I looked to my little warrior. He had managed to get to his feet, and was glaring as hatefully as he could at the fox’s corpse. I gave him a once over, and he was fine, as were my girls. Just a fright.

I didn’t blame the fox, it was his nature. I hoped he didn’t blame me for braining him with a shovel in retaliation.

And then selling his fur, because I’m totally going to do that. And I think you can eat fox.

/////////

You can, in fact eat fox. wouldn't recommend it. Tastes like ***.

//////////

Growing rice properly involves a bit more than just chucking your seed into the ground and hoping for the best. I had witnessed the cultivation method of the farmers from the village, and they were a bit… lacking.

For example, the first thing you do is soak it in a 1/16 ratio of salted water. The rice seed with the greatest amount of endosperm, and therefore the best chance of a yield will sink to the bottom of your barrel, while the rest will float to the top.

Then, after soaking, you plant the desirable seeds in wide buckets for the first part of their life as they sprout.

Then, finally, you transplant them to your paddies. I always found it rather strange that rice does better when you rip it out of the soil and stuff it somewhere else than leaving it be.

The funny thing is that I learned most of this from reading a manga. Thanks, Shizuko. Cheating using techniques from the 1860s when I was in a mid-to pre-thousands world, like all true Isekai heroes!

Except guns would be pretty much useless, and I had no desire to conquer the world. Eh, rice is more important than that stuff anyways.

But enough about that. I was currently on the “sprouting” stage. The paddies themselves were under way, carved into the side of one of the hills in the terraced style, and fed by one of the small rivers, for when it finally came time to flood them.

Cultivator strength and endurance always did turn tasks that should have taken months or years into matters of mere days.

Though sometimes I had a sneaking suspicion that my “zen” modes lasted for longer than I thought they did. I was always super hungry when they stopped, and occasionally Big D was giving me the gimlet eye when I got back home.

Cultivation be whack, yo.

I grunted, as I finished examining the terrace wall for any potential defects. It looked pretty good, but just in case, I pushed some more of my qi into it, lending my spirit to help reinforce the wall, and strengthen the grass’ roots to keep everything steady.

The masters at the sects would probably have an aneurysm about how much qi I was “wasting”, but I didn’t see it as a waste. It was a resource. If you got it, use it. Besides, it didn’t take that long for it to come back. At the start of the next day I was normally feeling fresh as a daisy. Maybe if I was a better cultivator, or had bigger reserves, it might take longer, but I didn’t know, and didn’t care.

Yawning, I wandered back to my little house, Big D greeting me with his signature screech.

“You tell em, Big D.” I scratched his head affectionately. His defeat hadn’t made him nervous, so that was good. He was still a little ball of piss and vinegar.

My Lowly Spiritual Herbs were growing in their buckets beside my sprouting rice. The spirit herbs needed qi to grow properly, and I figured, why not just juice the rice too? Can’t be any harm.

I had also repotted the strange root I had found. I couldn’t just run off to the archive, so this was the only way I had to store it, and It had some qi to it. So It got a dousing too.

I carefully infused my spirit into the water, and then picked up my watering can and got to work, with Big D sitting on my shoulder, occasionally hopping off to snap up a bug that dared try to assault my little grow operation.

Good Boy. More spirit greens for you after dinner.

/////

And so things went. I had to brain a few more foxes and a starving looking wolf, but otherwise, things were largely peaceful.

Chop wood.

Break rock.

Plant crop.

Nurture with qi.

Eat food.

Sleep.

Months pass.

I love it here.

/////////

The Great Master had given him the name Bi De. He knew not what it meant, but he knew the name was his. He knew it was powerful.

But he was not.

Awareness was a fickle thing. It came and it went. But he knew during those times. He thought. And he was elevated above those who were beneath him. During the night, his senses were sharper, to better alert the Great Master to interlopers, those of red fur and sharp teeth.

But every time he failed in something he knew was his duty, to defend the females, he knew great shame. His Great Master nurtured him without reservation anyways, treating him like a favoured son, and not the shameful thing he was.

He was weak. He had to grow in strength, and fulfill his destiny!

He rode upon the Great Master’s shoulder while he infused their food with his very essence, and struck from above upon the base creatures that dared to sup off his powerful essence.

He stood the night watch while the Great Master slept. He guarded the home while the Great Master completed his great wonders, commanding the land and taming the forest.

He watched, as the Great Master moved in the morning, his body flowing with wondrous skill.

And so he sought to improve himself. He ran through the Great Master’s Lands. He jumped over the hills, and onto the giant branches of trees. He shoved his body against the Great Pots of Growth, until he could finally move them.

And now, he stood upon the Great Pillars of The Fa Ram (another name with a surely sublime meaning), and gave it his all to imitate the Great Master, to have some pale imitation of his sublime skill.

His body soared through the air. His legs lashed out with strength unknown to his lesser kin. He danced as the Great Master danced. He did breath, as the Great Master drew breath.

Something swirled around him.

Within him.

/////////

I smiled at Big D as he hopped and kicked along my fence.

Cute little guy.

Bi De knew fury. One of the red ones had vexed his Great Master. It had nearly slain one of the Great Master’s flocks, somehow managing to sneak past him. He barely sound the alarm in time, his voice berating the foul interloper.

But this red one, this vile beast, was skilled. It danced around his blows, and even, horror of horrors, evaded the Great Master’s mighty spur, the one that he used to tame the earth. In all other cases, his iron spur had been a command of death. With a single contemptuous blow, he smote all others.

But not for this one.

At first, he was stunned nearly to the point of spitting blood. Why did his Great Master not pursue? He could have easily slain the interloper, this demon, if he directed his full and terrible wrath against it.

He did not understand, but he knew his Great Master had wisdom that far eclipsed his.

Thrice, the foulspawn did attempt to take what was rightfully the Great Master’s. Thrice, did the Great Master’s mighty blow miss.

He even gave it a name from the very pits of hell: Basi Bu Shi. Bi De shuddered whenever he heard it. His Great Master’s words of power contained both virtuous and fell wisdom.

But now, he understood. He had figured out the conundrum his Great Master had set before him. His Great Master had once more bought out his mobile coop. He remembered vaguely, before he was enlightened, travelling to these blessed lands upon the mighty fortress from the…. other place that was more hazy.

Some of his master’s supplies had run low. He wished to return to the other place, so that the people there may give tribute to his glory.

But to travel outwards, he would have to leave his home. With only Bi De as it’s guardian.

And he was not strong enough. His weakness was preventing the master from living how he wished. It was unacceptable.

He had been issued a challenge, in Basi Bu Shi’s continued existence. A mighty task to prove his worth against the wicked.

And so he redoubled his efforts. His kicks took on new energy. His dance, new grace. He would slay this mighty enemy, and earn his Great Master’s trust.

The Great Pillars of The Fa Ram called.

/////////

Well, just a bit more till I head back to Verdant Hill. I’d have to take the chickens along with me, so they didn’t all get eaten. I should probably finally deal with Basil Brush. I was being kind of lazy about it, just chasing him off and hoping he would get the message, but he was becoming persistent.

I squinted at Big D as I finished dressing the fox pelt.

Was…. Was my fucking chicken doing a training montage?

I watched his incredibly crisp kicks for a little longer.

I shook my head. Nah, I had spent too long alone. Humanising him a bit too much. Or its just cultivator world bullshit.

Alright, tomorrow I’ll hunt Basil down.

Heheheh. Boom Boom.

////////

Tonight, he would slay wicked Basi Bu Shi.

Tonight, it would be either glory--or his death. Either were acceptable. If he fell in this battle, it merely proved that he was unworthy of his Great Master’s continued sufferance.

He went into the night, hopping from tree to tree in silence. And there, he found his quarry.

The beast was arrogant. It stalked, but did not realise others could stalk it.

In silence, Bi De descended, and he struck. His legs lashed with great strength, and his enemy snarled in pain.

He struck again to press his advantage, but Basi Bu Shi was worthy of his master’s ire, the lithe creature shooting away, but with a deep scar in it’s flesh that leaked blood.

Bi De saw it, in his mortal enemy’s eyes. The spark of awareness. The spark of fury.

This one… this one knew too.

His foe did not run. It knew he had not called his Great Master. It knew it could lay him low here.

Their silent dance began.

His legs and spurs cut through the night air, as he flipped and dashed around his enemy’s razor teeth and tearing claws.

It tried to strike him with it’s limbs, to foul his footing and drive him to the earth, but he had grown wise to these beast’s tricks, dodging them when he could, and accepting the blow to gain distance when he couldn’t.

The two whirls of red chased each other through the trees, bouncing off trees, and leaving scratches in the forest floor.

Bi De felt triumph. He was equally matched with this one-- nay, he dared think himself it’s superior. It’s nose was slashed open, one of it’s ears a ragged mass.His spurs ran crimson.

But the wicked one could have tricks too. It raised it’s limb, as to strike another blow, sending his wings snapping out to redirect hit momentum.

He saw the gleam of satisfaction too late.

The paw slammed down instead, launching the wicked one forwards, and the vile Basi Bu Shi became a streamer of red, trailing behind an open maw.

Teeth crashed down upon his wing. The wicked one shook it’s head savagely, and then threw him across the clearing, to slam into a tree.

It was pain like no other. He nearly cried out, he nearly summoned his Great Master, but he refused to. This was his test, and he refused to fail.

He staggered to get up, his legs shaking with the effort. But it was for nought.

Basi Bu Shi drove him to the earth with his mighty paw. He laughed over besting the Great Master’s disciple. He savoured his victory.

Bi De knew only shame, as he lied there, pinned to the base earth. He could not return his Great Master’s Blessings. He could not ever repay him. All he could do is stare up at the night sky in torment.

The enormous crescent moon loomed in his vision. It was his favourite phase of the celestial object, and he always contemplated it when it showed its most perfect form. It looked somewhat like his master’s mighty spur-- or his own useless, weak ones.

Ah, how he wished for a mighty weapon to slay the wicked.

The Crescent Moon loomed.

Bi De, in his last moments, contemplated the lunar glory.

Bi De, in his last moments, understood.

He guided his energy and intent true. Blades of light, pure as the moon above, sprung from his limbs.

[Rising of the Crescent Moon]

His body sprung from it’s prone position and he rose as surely as the moon. The wicked could not contain him with it’s paltry strength. The blade struck true, gouging out one of the foulspawn’s eyes as he flipped in the air.

The enemy shrieked in pain, its very soul burned by the righteous, heavenly blades he now bore.

He hung there a moment, under the moon’s celestial light, gazing down upon his enemy.

All things that rise, fall.

[Descending Lunar Fangs]

It was inevitable, as true as the sun, the moon, and the stars set, so too did he once more descend to the base earth, carrying the weight and glory of heaven with him.

Both of his glimmering spurs buried themselves in the neck of the red one. This unsightly Basi Bu Shi.

[Wheel of the Crescent Moon]

His legs split apart, once more throwing him into a flip, the white energy forming a ring-like afterimage around him, and parting his mortal enemy’s head from it’s shoulders.

He landed gracefully once more upon the earth.

His enemy’s head thumped to the ground behind him.

He.. he had done it. Bi De had completed his master’s task.

He roared his victory to the heavens.

His Great Master burst into the clearing upon hearing his cry, fury in his eyes at those who would dare attempt to harm his disciple.

//////////

I stumbled to a stop, after once again being called out of bed. The small clearing was cut up from something, and there was Big D, looking pleased as punch, standing on the savaged and beheaded form of Basil Brush.

What the ****?

/////////

His Great Master, as always, lavished affection upon him. His broken wing was bandaged. His messed feathers combed, and his wattles rubbed in a most pleasing way.

He was delivered back to the coop, and fed full sprigs of Heavenly Herbs. His Great Master Commanded him to replenish, and enjoy himself.

He was a good disciple of his Great Master. He had passed his test, and was now to be granted guardianship of The Great Fa Ram, trusted to hold faith for his Lord while he braved the world.