A new journey, and a moment's rest

Lee Yenshu smiled fondly at his sapling brother's words.

-Dont worry, I was only gone a short while in this world. But your Master taught me much in the time we shared.

He went on to explain how the ancient tree spirit had halted the flow of time, allowing Lee Yenshu to train under his guidance for five full years uninterrupted. Though in the mortal realm merely a few moments passed.

Guang Zhishu leaves fluttered in shock upon learning that the lost Peach Garden legacies now filled his brother's mind and livened his physique. The young tree spirit swelled with pride for his sibling chosen to inherit such profound teachings.

"This explain this new look you have, this clear skin and silk like hair. You have become even more amazing, brother! Truly destined for astonishing things," Guang Zhishu exclaimed. "Will you seek out a sect to take you as disciple and hone your skills further?"

Lee Yenshu considered this, gazing up at the vibrant green canopy shielding them. He had heard from his father that the humans all flock to sects, and each of those have their own hidden techniques and resources, in a ever flowing battle to be the best sect in the world.

But he also remember the sect wars that the old oak tree told him about, how greedy they could be, and how fierce the inner workings of a sect were.

- Perhaps in time. But for now, I feel drawn to roam freely, using what I've learned to help others while seeking personal enlightenment. There is still so much more for me to understand about this world and my place in it.

Guang Zhishu sagely agreed with this thinking. As heirs to the Pine Tree Spirit, wandering the lands aiding others aligned perfectly with her noble character.

After a thoughtful silence, Lee Yenshu knelt before his brother's thin trunk with sword planted firmly in soil.

- Brother, I'm sorry, but I have to go, and leave you behind. I'm sorry for leaving you again so soon. But your Master warned me, that staying here long risks attracting evil forces seeking my demise. I have to lead them from your side. Once you've regained enough strength, let us meet again to share tales of our journeys.

Guang Zhishu was saddened to part ways again after reuniting. But he understood the danger still stalking his brother's steps. Their fates intertwined by fraternal love and destiny's call. This brief goodbye paled against the eternity of seasons yet to be written together.

"Dont Worry brother. Wherever the fates may carry you, know that back here I will be nourishing my roots awaiting your return. Please take care, and remember, you need not shoulder any burdens alone."

Lee Yenshu nodded, comforted by his sapling brother's spirit, knowing that despite their lengthy separation, they would never really be apart. He would carry these heartening words with him on the solitary path ahead, together with the memories of the tiger village.

After a final adieu, the young cultivator departed the secluded forest, embarking for new unknown horizons.

The Peach Garden lineage talisman and his listless silver seal rested secure in the void pendant around his neck. His Eight Branch sword hung comfortably across his back.

With purposeful strides, Lee Yenshu traced a winding trail through the ancient woods he once called home. Fond memories flooded his thoughts with each familiar sight - the well worn training hollows, tiny woodland shrines nearly obscured by leafy boughs and vine, hidden hot springs shrouded in thin silvery mists.

Nostalgia and excitement dueled within Lee Yenshu's heart as the last stands of towering pines receded from view. He paused at the forest's edge gazing back one final time, engraving this special sight in his memory, specially the village were he found a family, and the cave, were he left his brother to grow.

As Lee Yenshu passed the border stones signaling his crossing into foreign lands, the spirit cloak gifted by Tiaowen rustled softly molding itself over his traveling clothes. A surge of energy from the hidden tiger core infused his body with renewed vigor.

- Father, thank you.

Lee Yenshu whispered gratefully to the spirit cloak sensing Tiaowen's enduring blessings.

- I will make you proud, and make sure to find myself on my adventures.

Taking the last memories into his chest, Lee Yenshu set foot outside, finding a small ruble road, tattered down by ages, but with some signs of use.

As he moved down the road, he enjoyed the song of some birds, the scent of flowers flowed into his noise, it was different from the forest, there, the most prominent scent was of moss, but here, in the open, he could fell the wind bringing a lot of new scents.

After several hours walking down the road, the blend of scents began to change, for a more earthy aroma, almost like he was back in the Yi County. It was a mix of coal, bread, and grass. On the horizon, he could see the village. It was a small, but cozy town, he noticed on some of the shops, there were items that the tiger village sold to human merchants, and more than that, there were a few non human children playing around, it seemed that this was a good village.

Eager for some casual human interaction, and happy that he would be able to see some humans after so long, Lee Yenshu rushed to the village.

Soon he began to see more of the town, it was a modest village, tucked against a bubbling stream winding through gentle hills.

The landscape was surrounded by small farm plots and lowing cattle. Those humble folk eyed Lee Yenshu warily but with more curiosity then fear. They were a simple clan living off the land rarely bothered by the discord of the martial world and its power struggles. The children were the first to approach him, looking at the weird sword in his back.

-Mister, mister, what is that for? It looks weird. Is it a sword?

-Yes little one, this is my sword, I designed it myself, is not for hurting others, only to defend, and to stop others from harming.

The children smiled upon hearing that, and started running around Lee Yenshu, pretending to wield imaginary swords.

Lee Yenshu gave friendly greetings to villagers he passed along the dusty main track into town, he was given directions for the town's inn, since he was tired, and wanted to rest a bit.

The inn was a small building, and on the front of the building, there was a weathered signpost. The proprietress, a pleasant faced woman with country rosy cheeks, welcomed him with genuine warmth, saying it had been ages since anyone used the guest rooms.

Lee Yenshu had still some money from the scarfaced man, that was kept inside the void pendant. That amount was sufficient for a few weeks of rest. But he settled for a few days. After arranging modest lodging for a few nights, Lee Yenshu thanked the inn owner, she told him that all meals were included, and gave him a small map of the village, to make sure he could roam better.

With that in hand, Lee Yenshu wandered the town making the acquaintance of the residents. Most were common herders and tradesmen living modest but largely contented lives. They shared amusing local legends and news of recent happenings in nearby towns. In return, Lee Yenshu entertained eager crowds at the village pub with lively tales of exotic spirit beasts rumored to roam the mountain wilds.

By his second evening staying over, Lee Yenshu was already heartily accepted as an honorary local by most of the villagers with whom he drank and dined merrily late into the night before retiring exhausted but fulfilled to his cramped rented room.

He had never spent such a good time along humans before, those bonds were something he dreamed of when he was a slave, but could never have. Those simple acts of charity and community amongst even the lowliest commoners refreshed his hope and faith in society. If simple folk like these villagers could live together harmoniously, then balance was possible despite the endless intrigues and corruption plaguing the high immortal sects.

The village elder, seeing as Lee Yenshu had the body and aura of a cultivator, asked him to teach some basic martial arts to the people who served as guards in the village. Lee Yenshu was more than glad to help.

The old village elder proceeded to guiding the young cultivator to were the guards were, upon arriving, the few guards were no more than a few farmers, already seasoned in age, and some young folk, that really didn't seem to like being placed as a guard.

The first to greet Lee Yenshu was the most peculiar looking one, he was neither young like the ones he notice first, nor as old as the farmers. He was larger than everyone present, and taller, but what really stood out, was the fact that he had bear ears, but was not covered in fur, like most beast take human form.

- Welcome warrior. Thank you for agreeing in teaching us some martial arts, our village is peaceful, and most beasts leave us be, but, sometime we have issues with bandits. My mother tried to teach me the arts of my tribe, but being only half bear, I could not fully understand the martial arts she tried to teach me.

He was polite, but there was something fierce on the way he talk, with a glance, the young folk that were playing around all gather around him, and made a bow to Lee Yenshu, lowering their heads. The old farmers just lowered their own heads, while laughing a bit.

- I've never meet someone who is half beast, half human before...

The words came out of Lee Yenshu's mouth before he could filter it, the thought of that sounding as prejudice only happen after he had already said the worlds.

-Yes, we are quite rare, my mother was a Bear warrior, in her tribe, the woman fight, and the men stay inside, caring for the village. She was injured fighting against some raiders who had kidnaped their young, and was at death's door. My father was this village hunter, he saw her, and brought her back, to allow her to heal. They fell in love, and I came into being.

A hint of sadness could be seen in his eyes.

- The name my parents gave me is Jiāxio, I hold the letters for Bear and Home, since my Mother could no longer return home after having me, she made me her whole tribe. Both have long passed, and I've myself, never seen another mixed breed before.

-I am sorry. I did not now, I've never seen the bear tribe before, my father is the leader of the Tiger tribe, and he never told me of the bear tribe. I'm sorry if I was rude.

Jiāxio's eyes brightened as he heard Lee Yenshu tell him about his father. It was like a magic that removed all hint of sadness

- You are Tiaowen's boy? That's amazing. He did try to teach me some stuff when I was in my rebellious phase, about 100 years ago, I remember that I took a beating when he found out I had actually run away from home, and brought me back. My mom was really angry that time.

-Young master, please don't mind Jiāxio, when he start talking, he never stops. He is old enough to be our village elder, and yet acts like a kid all the time.

 The one who interrupted Jiāxio was one of the older farmers. He was about as big as Jiāxio, but you could see how much time had taken it's toll, he had help to stand straight, using a wooden staff to shift his weight. 

- My name is Tsu, I'm what you may call a childhood friend of Jiāxio, not that he was a child at the time, he was already a old man, and still acted like a kid.

-Somethings never change!

A chorus of voice replied, as if it was something they had planned from the beginning, everyone in the room laughed, it was a good way to break the ice.

After that, Lee Yenshu spent a few days training the guards, as compensation, the village elder helped the young cultivator make his token, as he had never left the forest before, he did not have one, in small villages, a token was not needed, but, if he ever wanted to go to larger towns, the token would count as a identification, and was necessary for entry.

As time passed, Lee Yenshu began to train the kids of the village as well, teaching the Flexible Pine Sprout to as many of them as possible.

He also tried to create manuals, so they could continue learning after he left.

In the times he had for himself, his focus was on meditation, to start the creation of his spiritual Landscape. He took the words he learned from the Pine Tree, and understood just how important it was, to have a strong spiritual landscape, and more than that, he wanted something akin to the old Oak tree, not a simple landscape, but a realm were he could control even time, if needed be. A place where he could control all, in order to fight Maoyei.

Time passed, and so, Lee Yenshu felt it was time to leave that village, he was at the start of his journey, but, Maoyei was growing inside his soul, he had to explore more of the world, discover more new things, understand how the world works, because, by doing so, he could better understand the Dao, and protect those that he holded dear.

He said his farewells in the village, and to his students. The children hugged his legs, while crying, telling him to come back soon, and teach them more and more.

- Count on it my young friends!

Lee Yenshu laughed feeling their eager innocence. He waved warmly striding away down the sloping village path already planning his next return. He would return, but only after making sure, Maoyei was no threat to those innocent young ones.

Over the following weeks Lee Yenshu wandered between a string of roadside villages and tiny wilderness temples. Chatting with locals and befriending the peaceable monks, he offered his strength assisting peasants in the fields or aiding monks repairing their remote monasteries from rough mountain weather.

In return for his kindness, the simple country folk kept him fed and sheltered as he roamed through rural borderlands.

When not lending help to the villagers, Lee Yenshu passed hours simply absorbing the beautiful constantly changing landscapes. Soaring craggy peaks disappearing into misty heavens, tranquil bamboo groves filled with dancing golden sprites and chatterbox raccoon spirits, towering ancient redwoods, jade green lakes, and such stunning vistas stirred his deepest senses.

Even in his previous world, all he saw was the dungeon, and the house of his former master, and in the tiger's village, he knew every single rock and plant that grew there. But here, every sight was new, every road was a experience, and every encounter, a mystery.

As he hiked further along splendid scenes distracted his inner contemplations. Hidden hot springs with waters overflowing carved granite bathing pools in delicate floral mosaics, how could nature create such art, without the aid of human or spirit. But, nature did, and created so much wonders that could fill hundreds of paintings.

To that, Lee Yenshu wondered...Are we artists, when we paint a beautiful landscape, or write about a fortuitous encounter? Or is nature the artist, and we just viewers, looking at her canva?

This sparked a deeper understanding of nature itself, and in doing so, ignited his wood and earth Qi, his sword began to glow, and one of the eight branches, turned golden, while another turned green. His sword had resonated with his understanding of the Dao of Nature, and in response, focused the Wood Qi around her in one branch, and the Earth Qi on another one.

Truly this picturesque countryside nourished both body and spirit equally. Lee Yenshu was grateful for the gift nature had given him, and stopped to watch as another radiant sunset welcomed his wearied soles and opened his mind's eye to beauty abounding the natural world.

The journey he had taken, although solitary, also showed him how free life could be. And in doing so, showed him that seeking deeper understanding of his place amidst the cultivated world's complex interwoven landscape, brought him joy, like he never felt before. He was not learning because someone told him, he was not trying to understand the world, to please someone, he was doing that for himself, that feeling brought him much joy, and a single tear.

-I...I am myself...

Away from everyone, what he thought he had already understood, that he was no longer a slave, that he was Lee Yenshu, he noticed that he had never really got it right, even his name, was given by others. Calling himself, this one, or Lee Yenshu, was almost the same, but now, he truly understood, he was himself, no one else, no matter the name, no matter if he was the sage, this desire to learn, the love he had for his adoptive family, was his, and his alone. And, as he was lost in this realization, night took over the sunset, and he could hear the sound of the animals, the flow of the wind through the cracks of the hills, the sound of the far away water running.

For the first time in a while, he missed home. Because now he truly understood the love his adoptive father gave him. For now, he truly began to see himself, as a person, as his own person.