Cave

A congregation of tribe members wept in the cave.

"Nia, Nia!" Their wailing echoed across the cave. They knelt before a massive stone scorpion, their guardian of the dead which stood before them carved into the rock. Behind the scorpion were scenes of animals and people carved into the rock relief. A few small alcoves contained precious items. In the centermost alcove sat a small jade phoenix. The jade phoenix watched the people in curiosity. Its newly awakened consciousness only took one thing away from this event.

Everyone's here for Nia. Maybe I am Nia?

The years went by and the small phoenix Nia watched many people gather. She loved to listen to their beautiful cherished memories told while kneeling and crying.

"What happy memories! Don't cry. If I was your friend, I would surely want to see you live your life to the fullest," Nia would comfort. But it was as if they couldn't hear her.

She watched the people hug each other and pat their backs.

"How wonderful it would be if I could hug you all too," she said to herself.

She tried and tried to leave the shelf to hug her guests. Through these attempts, natural energy began to circulate through the jade. Eventually, she could step out of the jade for a brief time and her spirit took on the form of a little girl.

"There, there. It's alright." The little girl Nia hugged and patted a child on their back.

No one could see her or feel her hugs. Yet, many would still feel comforted in their hearts. They would never know of Nia. They only believed the comfort was due to the proximity to their ancestor's resting place.

Every time they visited, they would lay down offerings. Nia loved these beautiful things.

"Oh my! What beautiful flowers!" she would say, caressing the flowers tenderly and dancing around them. Still, no one could interact with Nia.

Over the years her attempts to comfort these visitors would never cease, but soon they stopped visiting entirely.

"I wish the next family I meet will be able to hear me." Nia took a nap awaiting the next visitor.

* * * * *

I walk through a cave in the canyon wall. The light from the canyon is dimming so a small flame appears at the tip of my finger fueled by fiery Qi.

Thanks to the miraculous— but foundation destroying— speed of <Sputtering Candle's Dying Breath>, my body has recovered enough to travel. My Qi cultivation is now Warrior Realm, Condensation Step 5th layer. Although this foundation built upon the Sparking Fire Thistle will not allow cultivation past the precipitation step, the immediate power is worth it.

It's not that great of a spirit herb anyway.

The concealed entrance to this cave is still a long way from the canyon bottom, but it seems worth the effort to investigate. These lands have a long history.

To my surprise, there aren't too many signs of animals near the entrance. I find a small patch of mushrooms gathered around a stalagmite. None are spirit herbs, but I take several of the edible ones.

Further into the cave, several snakes writhe in the deep corners.

So, it's a snake den...

I leave them alone in hopes they will do the same for me. After a few hundred more paces, there is a large, perfectly round boulder set against an upward slope. Considering it odd, I approach for inspection. There are a few wedge-shaped rocks— vaguely man-made in appearance— under it. However, the largest snake in the cave is curled between the wedges. Its scales display a black and green striped pattern.

If memory serves, these colors mean it's poisonous. Yet, with my Warrior Stage cultivation, even my undertrained body can fend off this snake. Better check for treasure— or even better, another spirit herb. It will be worth it even if I upset the snake.

My floating embers approach the snake, singeing its tail.

"Hiss. [That hurt! Let me sleep. Ouch! Leave me alone. I'm going. I'm going. Get close and my children and I will bite you. Hateful creature!]"

In the corner of my eyes, several of the other snakes appear agitated by this move as well.

"Hiss. [Mother! Mother!]"

Better quicken the pace. I approach the wedge.

"Your services are no longer necessary," I say to the wedges with a smile.

{Terminate relationship?}

"No, not you, housing!"

My hand gestures finish and a compact glowing speck builds up at my fingertip according to the <Yang Firework>. This technique is so simple it doesn't even require training if you understand its concept. With a flick of my finger, the glowing speck floats whimsically towards the wedge and...

Bang! Shiii. Bits of sand and rock pitter-patter to the ground. Several snakes recoil. A few rattle their tails.

I pay them no mind and send out a second <Yang Firework>.

Bang! The final wedge flies sideways and I hear a groaning sound as the boulder loses itself from the rock.

Crunch! Rumble. I sidestep the boulder and produce little wisps of flame in the surrounding air to ward off the snakes. This is the technique <Fox Fire>.

I did spend my last life playing with fire. I know a lot of techniques, even if some of them have parts missing because of my encounter with the horror frozen at Castle Everest.

Crunch! Bang! Shatter! The boulder crunches into the far wall, crushing a snake and causing two stalactites to fall shattering on the ground.

In the newly opened grotto, a giant scorpion faces me, flickering with runes.

"Oh, good! An intact guardian!" This means there's an intact treasure.

First, I test the guardian by sending out a long-range <Yang Firework>. This involves a level of control still a bit difficult for me in my current state. My face furrows from the mental effort involved, but the spark arrives with a timely bang.

The scorpion shakes it off, head moving side to side, undamaged. It rears up and raises its tail in response.

"[Brother scorpion, what's wrong?]"

Hmm... A moment passes as I determine the source of this unexpected voice. Is there an artifact with a spirit in there? Could I use it as a spirit-root, or am I only limited to plants?

{Theoretically, plants are not the limit.}

"Alright!" My face gains a twisted smile.

As if my voice is a provocation, the scorpion scuttles forward.

Fire isn't particularly effective against stone, but the creators of this guardian couldn't have made it from only stone either. The formation granting its motion shouldn't be as flame resistant.

I don't enter its cavern, so it can't get to me. I throw a few <Yang Fireworks> at the usual places— eyes and joints, but it's ineffective and the scorpion scuttles back to its original position.

I'll exhaust myself with this long-range if I continue.

"Hey come back here!"

[It's best not to taunt brother scorpion. Although, I didn't know he could move until now either. Congratulations brother scorpion! You learned how to move!]

"Say! Do you happen to know the procedure for entering?"

[Procedure? What's that?]

"The procedure is rituals used to enter this grotto"

[Wait, you can hear me?]

"Yes..." I roll my eyes.

[Wishes do come true!] The glowing figure of a little girl with feathers appears and dances around the scorpion's legs. She wears a white and red long-sleeved dress similar to a kimono.

Ooh, an artifact with the ability to project its spirit! I've struck it rich!

"Quickly! Tell me the first thing people did when they came here in the past?"

"[Okay, new brother. They would bend down like this and say, 'Nia! Nia! We love you! Your the best girl who comforts us all the time and we want to hug you.']"

My right eyebrow raises. "Are you trying to make a fool of me?"

"[I'm sorry brother please, forgive me! It was a harmless prank. I just always wanted someone to praise me,]" the little girl bows with her hands clasped.

"I'll praise you if you can really guide me through the procedures."

[Really? Really? Okay, you do bow like this but instead, you say, 'Honored Ancestors, we, your descendants beseech you for your protection in the name of the blessed Coronal star. And then you..."

My body imitates the girl's movements, and my mouth repeats the phrases. Sure enough, in about the time it takes an incense stick to burn, the scorpion lowers its body into place and the runes stop glowing.

If only my body was more powerful. Then, a charade like this wouldn't be necessary to deal with a mere guardian.

The hole in the ground below the scorpion hid a pile of urns. They are likely filled with ashes, so I don't bother with them. Through the ceremony, I learned this was a burial place where the tribe interred their cremated remains. The treasures in the relief, however, are worth snatching.

"[Brother, I've done what you asked! Won't you praise me now?]"

A plan forms in my mind to optimize my ability to take things and flee.

The feather girl apparition kneels at my feet and wraps her arms around my leg. "[Brother, please tell me you can still hear Nia.]"

"Yes, Nia, just a moment, brother is planning something. Where is your actual body?"

"[This is my real body!]" She cocks her head to the side with a finger on her cheek. "[But if you're asking where I live, it's there.]" She points to the center shelf of the relief.

"Excellent, Nia."

"[Hee hee.]"

My mission begins from right to left. The first dozen items are bottles and pieces of jade and a sack of gems. They impart no reaction from the formations, so I change my plan and take all the comparable items first. I carefully fill the gem sacks with the other items. So they don't burden me, I lay the sacks at the entrance.

Right to left again.

The first new item in the relief is a sword. When it's moved, runes flare-up in the formation and pulsate with a murderous red glow.

"Son of a…" I lunge at the center shelf. The spirit artifact is my top priority now. To my horror, runes are forming along the side shelves, shielding the items. The wave of runes is steadily approaching the middle shelf. Will my hand reach it in time?