36

Life in the Xi household slowly returned to normal, with the maids taking care of house cleaning or washing clothes or a hundred tiny chores.

The qi cultivating Guardians were called out, and began slowly clearing the land and digging a canal towards the sea.

Smithtown continued to grow in size, as cheap housing and hard working jobs attracted even people from Lacrimosa City, not just the surrounding villages.

There were now a thousand smiths in the city, most of them rookies. However, melting and pouring copper wasn't as demanding as bending beast bone with your soul.

Even normal people were able to learn and smith metal.

For the other trades, like ship building and carpentry, sewing and farming or raising animals there was less competition, but the jobs were nonetheless necessary and thus paid.

A smaller class of white collar workers emerged, dealing with paper and books and teaching.

Local stories and myths were recorded and written down. Children were being taught letters and numbers.

But most of the hard work was still forest related. Picking out herbs, hunting animals, cutting trees, all demanded vasts amounts of workforce, which is why 90 percent of the locals were villagers.

Another occupation was the military, which was mostly spearmen and some bowmen.

Regiments were being formed in all towns, and then sent to train on the frontier. The forest border was huge, going for thousands of kilometers.

The pace of reclamation was slow and quite dangerous. Startling a beast could result in many deaths if there were no Guardians nearby.

Still, over the next month, a line was drawn, from Smithtown to the sea. And here a new port was being built, both a naval and trade base.

Two large lakes were being dug, and connected to the sea with canals.

These lakes will be the anchorage for the West Navy and various trade vessels going to Lacrimosa.

From Carthage, which is how the Emperor named the port, a huge canal was being planned, going above Smithtown and towards Stoneport, 5000 kilometers away.

A branch of this canal would be cut towards Lacrimosa, just 50 kilometers away to the south, and create a first triangle completely free of forests or beasts. A safe place.

A tenth of this land was already being planned for housing or industry, while the rest will provide pastures and farming.

Then every year, another expansion westward, as the Continental Canal was dug.

In a hundred years, the civilized area would extend a thousand times, and create enough farmland to feed a billion people.

And Pef, well he is now training in the mysteries of the sword. Although he trained since he was nine, most of it was old memories, of another life.

Sure it made him fast and strong, and had served him well.

But it wasn't a real method. His sword wasn't imbued with qi, and enhanced to cut beasts like wood. That's why Pef had prefered the axe or a dagger.

Aunt Ching won the 96th fight, and tilted her head in amusement, as Pef had tried kicking after his attack failed. And now the hero was laying on the ground, while the oracle massaged his stomach with her heel.

"Why would you try to kick me?" she asked with some confusion.

"To push you away, and allow me to attack again." Pef explained with a grunt. That heel was still digging into his stomach.

"Can you kick faster than my wrist would turn, and chop off your leg?" the oracle wondered a bit ironically.

"Ah, I guess not..."

"If you are locked in a sword stance, then a kick might help, perhaps a fast sweep of the leg.

Kicking higher than the knee though...it's stupid. If you are faster than your enemy, you also don't need to kick. Just take his head." Ching explained sternly, and lifted her heel.

Pef rose and picked up his wooden sword again.

"I have four more chances to win today!" he declared with a grin, and held his sword in a high guard.

His strike was fast, going diagonally at 45 degrees, and should have hit Miss Ching in the shoulder.

But she had stepped a bit to the left and stroke down as well, just after Pef's sword had passed. Her sword hit Pef on the forearm, and made him drop his weapon again.

Madam Ling applauded with a polite smile. She wasn't this fast anyway, so her teacher had her beaten up by a random guard, every day.

"No matter! Three more chances. One day I will get lucky!" he yelled and tried again.

And again, and again.

Auntie Ching bonked him on the head last time, to signal the training was over.

"You want more training, bring me another oracle. Now go away." she said in a flat tone.

Pef rushed to hug his Auntie, but had a secret weapon today. "So warm...Miss Ching. You have to take care of yourself. I am leaving tomorrow."

The oracle tensed, then hugged him back. "Leaving, huh? Departing the continent?"

"Yea, I have to visit my folks on Blue Xi. My airship is ready, and I was trained by a sword master." Pef said gently, and took her hand.

As Miss Ching eyes widen, he placed a ring on her finger. Then poked her airbags while her mind was reeling, and flew up and away at high speed.

Her brown hair fluttered in the breeze left by the departing bolide, and maybe her heart fluttered a little too. A quick search showed her the ring was a storage ring, twice as big inside as her ancient relic, and filled with different things.

Books and metal plates, a couple of Sky rank items and a large glass mirror.

"Did the Emperor just, poke your chest, Oracle?" Madam Ling asked in amazement.

"That boy, Pef...he finally won, after failing 6000 times" Miss Ching answered with a longing voice.

"You're a great teacher then!" the apprentice said with a knowing grin.

"If you have time for fun, you can run a hundred times around the house!" Ching said sternly pointing at the beaten track. Madam Ling started running, while still grinning like a schoolgirl.

The oracle then made her way inside her bedroom, and started taking out the treasures.

The mirror was the greatest treasure in the end, as Miss Ching stared at herself for an hour, not quite believing her eyes. Her face was flawless now, her skin like jade. Her breasts were firm now and her posture imposing, with no sags anywhere.

Everything about her looks yelled young unmarried woman. The mirror she glued on her wall, to remind her she wasn't dead anymore. She had been reborn, and had a long life ahead now.

Meanwhile, Pef landed at the Quing Mansion, looking around for more talent. A thousand new Guardians were training in the backyard, swinging wooden swords.

Nine Practitioners stood out, they moves more confident and posture relaxed.

Nine water balls flew out and hit them in their face.

Startled Guardians looked around for their sneak attacker and noticed the Guardian Leader float to the side.

"Leader? Did I do anything wrong?" one of them asked in confusion.

"Come, I'll let Chief Quing explain." he said in a flat tone, flying towards the mansion's door.

He knocked and a maid came out, somewhat awed, to be face to face with the Emperor.

"Ah, Mister Xi...I'll call the Chief..." she muttered and ran away.

"Miss Loung is kinda shy, but has a good heart" a man explained as an apology. Pef almost suggested a wedding but stopped.

"Once you have your Core formed, you'll need to work on the Continental Canal for a decade, Guardian. You might emerge with a Nascent or Spirit rank from there." he said in a gentle voice, as his father-in-law appeared at the door.

"You! Brought me good news already?" the man asked still hoping for a grandchild.

"Good to see you too, boss. Found these new guys, if you agree." Pef explained while ignoring the ridiculous demands.

"Them, huh? Less cowards then the rest, I suppose. Get in!" the Chief yelled turning around

and stomping towards the basement.

The men gulped and followed Quing, as Pef walked behind, he made sure none of them ran away.

The Chief had set up a comfortable basement too, with a shower and large beds, even small legged tables for invalids. He sat on a bed and gestured to the others.

"Sit anywhere. Now, The Emperor is a Xi as you know. But even more, his qi method can be imparted to other cultivators. It hurts some, but I got my Earth rank in a few months, so I don't complain. You guys want it, or not?" The Chief asked bluntly.

The new Guardians looked at each other, then at the respected sage.

"Does it hurt more than the weekend tenderizing?" one of them asked hesitantly.

The Chief mused for a second. "A bit less than that. But it builds up over time. I cried a little after three weeks." the man admitted with surprising frankness.

One of them looked around for the exit. Pef sighed and waited.

The other eight Guardians nodded and looked hopeful toward their Leader.

Meanwhile, Quing moved with slow steps next to the last Guardian.

"Poor choice, man." he said with a sad tone, and then snapped his neck in an instant.

"This is a Class one imperial secret. Don't talk about it to anyone." Pef explained with a shrug, and went to shake hands with every new Legion member.

Perhaps one day there will be no need for secrecy, but as the weakest continent on the planet, the Empire would need a safeguard.

After a minute, the Awakening began and the Guardians laid themselves on beds, to suffer and cry.

'How long?' he asked his glove.

'Six weeks is still safe. After that...'

'Five weeks then. My own Legion Rats' Pef decided and walked out.

As he was leaving, he passed by the maid and realized, the dead man was the one who liked this woman.

He was more wary now, of what the prolonged pain really awakened. But the glove had mentioned that resisting one month was a good estimation of a capable Soldier.

And if the Legion, with its cruel methods and training on neutron stars, kept the Awakening limited to a month, it possibly meant the trainers tried to avoid undesirable traits.

Bloodlines maybe, or banned skills, perhaps recessive genes from a beast ancestor, or something even worse.

He still remembered those Disciples linked mind-to-mind by spider silk. Although Sky rank silk, with some unknown properties. Perhaps neurons or myelin sheaths. Perhaps other, more bizarre transformation via magitech.

A bit less than five minutes later, he arrived at the Xi mansion in Smithtown, and began cooking a last meal for his wives.

Lady Di was only hours of love away from Nascent rank, which they shared during that last night.

Next morning, Pef stole Xie away and left, leaving behind the Saint continent for a life of adventure across the sea.