Chapter 70 - A Night in the Forest

Having restored a level of civility, the group of five quickly rejoined Mo Yan and the other young brawlers who had been sent to stand a distance away. Zhang Bai kept his explanation short, saying only that he was satisfied by his investigation and that a string of coincidences had been strung into an imagined nefarious plot, framing the Tang family. He also lamented his incapability, saying that he had no idea who might have done such a vile thing but promising that the parties responsible would be discovered. 

Eventually, after spending much of the day hiking back towards Falling Leaf town, too little light remained for most members of the group to navigate the woods and the young cultivators pitched a much more luxurious camp than the one that Ao Wen's group had made do with while on their own hunt. 

Seeing the campfire crackling merrily as the loosely allied group of young cultivators exchanged stories under the starry sk, Zhang Bai gestured expansively. "We have an abundance of talent gathered together on this fine night! Why don't a few of you display your skills to enliven our humble gathering?" Mostly, he hoped to break the tension that had hung over the group since several of the young men here had drawn blades at Tang Jin… if they had the chance to get to know each other better, perhaps things would go better once the group returned to town. 

The first to step forward was Chen Xiong, a brawny youth whose massive torso strained against his tunic. "They call me Bear Chen for my prodigious strength," he announced, a brilliant toothy smile flashing in the night as he gave a brief bow in the direction of Ao Wen and Feng Xi. Seizing a fallen tree trunk thicker than a man's waist, Chen Xiong hefted it overhead with a challenging grin. The entire company gaped as he proceeded to juggle the massive log between his meaty hands as though it were a twig. Just as mouths were dropping in shock, he tossed it skyward, catching the trunk neatly on one shoulder to resounding applause from the other young men present. Even Feng Xi offered faint applause while Ao Wen gave the young man an appraising look. 

"Brawler Chen," Ao Wen called out to the burly young man. "Would you be willing to let us know about your noble bloodline? Are you just called a bear because you're strong or is it something more?"

"Ah ha ha," the brawny youth laughed boisterously. "Fairy Ao has called me out. I'm descended from the Surging River Grizzley line," he added, pumping his arm to show the thickness of his biceps. "Even the mortals in my family boast considerable strength, but the two or three each generation that have awakened are strong without peer in Turning Leaf town," he boasted. 

"Hmm… River energy is problematic, even if primal energies align," Ao Wen said thoughtfully. "I'll make you a deal. Jin here has just slain a Thunderclap Black Bear and the beast core is pristine. If you can offer him a fair price for it and bring me a bundle of Thunder River Rush that's at least fifty years old along with the claws of a Surging River Grizzley, I'll concoct an elixir for you that give you the ability to burst your strength as explosively as the Thunderclap Black Bear does. No flash of lightning or clap of thunder, but it'll help make up for how slow you are with all that muscle mass to move. I'll only charge you half the going rate, or if you can bring me a few tools that I'm currently lacking I won't charge you a single spirit crystal."

"You'd do that for me?" Chen Xiong exclaimed. "Wait, I wasn't aware that Fairy Ao was an alchemist…" he said, scratching his head in puzzlement. 

"Friend Chen," Tang Jin called, looking up from the bone he'd been gnawing roasted meat off of. "You saw my fight today. I'm this strong because of the elixir that Sister Wen concocted for me. If she says she can make something for you, then perhaps it's your turn to have your destiny change." 

"In that case, this Chen will search out the other items Fairy Ao requires as soon as we return. Friend Tang," he said, turning to Tang Jin. "I'm afraid I can't offer you anything for the beast core of the Thunderclap Black Bear at the moment, not until I have the other ingredients for Fairy Ao, but will you reserve it for me for a period of one moon? If I can't purchase it from you by then I'll at least compensate you for holding it for me. 

Meanwhile, the other cultivators looked at each other and back to Ao Wen in shock. Tang Jin had become this strong because of an elixir concocted by Fairy Ao? Wasn't this too exaggerated? This was a leap of an entire stage! Not a small step from early to middle stage Brawler but from Brawler to Soldier! If they could earn such an elixir from Fairy Ao….

One of the youths sprang immediately to his feet. "My name is Tao Juan, called Lightning Fingers," said the lithe smiling youth with dancing eyes. Drawing an impressive array of weapons from his sleeves, Tao Juan set blades whirling between clever fingers. Spinning darts and twirling knives swiftly blurred until they resembled metal stars orbiting his whirling form. Tao Juan himself pirouetted with careless grace through their flashing arcs, never disturbing his complex rhythmic pattern. Only when his dance wound to a close amidst enthusiastic cheers did the enthusiasts notice multiple blades embedded neatly in a tree trunk behind them, forming the characters for "Peerless Dexterity."

"Tao Juan," Ao Wen asked lightly. "Do I detect a trace of Flickering Fingers Simian in your bloodline? I had thought that there weren't anymore in Turning Leaf town."

"Fairy Ao has very sharp eyes," Tao Juan said, catching his breath as he retrieved his knives and darts. "Most of my father's family takes after the Scarlet Fang Viper, but I take after my maternal great grandmother." 

"That explains it," Ao Wen said with a smile. "I noticed your energy binds when you pirouette, right around the base of your spine. You're not a simmian, you don't have a tail but your energy is trying to flow through one. For the price of a full set of silver needles when we return to Turning Leaf town, I can fix tht for you," she said with a smile. 

"How did you notice my energy flow problem from all the way over there!" Tao Juan said in shock. "Wait, you can fix it without using a Body Reformation Pill?"

"Body Reformation Pill?" Ao Wen asked in surprise. "Why would you need something so extraordinary to resolve a minor growth imbalance. Six treatments," she said, holding up her hand with the thumb and small finger touching. "Each one to be carried out ten days since the last one. Complete bed rest in between treatments with one hour per day of following a modified energy circulation method and you'll be fine. It's just that I currently lack the one hundred and eight silver needles required to preform the treatment. Get me the needles, I'll treat you for free."

Eyes shining in excitement, Tao Juan bowed deeply. "Fairy Ao will have her silver needles within three days!"