Planning for Generations

The next morning dawned dull and grey with an overcast skies and light drizzle. The birds and animals in the trees twittered, squawked and called cheerfully despite the gloom as Tai hummed contentedly in their link but Chún scowled at the sky as he looked out the cave passage entrance through the leaves of the Heaven and Earth Vine, despite knowing this was just what the planet needed.

Despite the fact that he was of peasant stock, was no longer inconvenienced by being cold or wet and had a more or less indestructible body, part of him wanted to turn around and spend the rest of the day in his warm, brightly lit and comfortable 'Immortal's Cave' - possibly soaking in the boiling hot spring.

Tai emoted an amused tolerance for his partner's complaining, "You cannot do that. The livestock will be here in the next few shi."

Chún grimaced as he looked through the leaves that vibrated slightly with the impact of light rain - and the occasional heavier droplet of collected moisture - at the Essence mists shimmering as they drifted about the clearing, mingling with the heavier than normal morning fog.

Happy chirps emanated from a swarm of colorful Essence Sprites as they energetically flew to and fro on various chores between the plants and the Heaven and Earth Vine, "I suppose you have a bunch of other suggested tasks I should be taking care of?"

He sighed, taking in a deep breath of the refreshing scent of the air after rain and brushed his fingers over the dimly shifting Dao Patterns of the Vine leaves, "it seems I am the only one feeling out of sorts because of the rain," he murmured in a self-deprecating tone, chiding himself.

"There have been a lot of twisted Essence Beasts attacking the original mountain site on Golden Crow - likely due to the collapse of that hidden plane yesterday. If you can refine some more medicine I can start sending the Essence Beasts who are wounded from fights up to the clearing," replied his locus.

"Anything getting through the borders?" asked Chún, his attention immediately focused as he pushed aside the wet leaves and glowwing vine fruit, idly catching the one that dropped off as he passed through the living curtain.

He brought the Essence filled fruit to his mouth and took large bites, quickly finishing it as he slowly walked to a clear area, away from the garden, the vine or the bustle of Essence Sprites around the recently grown animal stables, looking around at the lightly glowing Dao patterns of protection, obscurity and hiding that sparkled and gleamed faintly as the shapes and runes tumbled, shifted and twisted inside Essence mists drifting through the clearing.

Centering himself with a deep breath he began a very slow, basic set of martial forms from the Tiger style that Prince Bái had shown him.

"As far as I can tell, the World Tree has been able to block any immical creatures; we are getting a steady trickle of lower level Essence Beasts that are refugees just fleeing that plane, though," reported the Hidden Mountain as he moved through the set.

"I am surprised we're getting - lower - level beasts," responded the young true Cultivator thoughtfully as he moved his arms slowly through a push and pull movement. Bái insisted on calling it 'yin-yang cross palms', but Chún's peasant and street rat upbringing felt it was a pretentious name for a set of pushing and pulling actions, "I would not have thought they would survive a collapse of that nature."

"I suspect many left long before - those that were able to find rifts or could leave under their own power, did - fleeing the fighting that was occurring," speculated his locus, "the higher level Beasts would likely not feel threatened by the fighting and would have been killed when the plane collapsed - or none of them have tried to come through peacefully."

"Or have cultivation levels high enough to get through unnoticed," commented Chún, pessimistically.

"Unlikely," replied Tai, sending the distinct feeling of rolling eyes at his friend's dire predictions, "but if it happens, we have three Guardians now."

"Oh - that is true," replied Chún, mentally adding another reason his locus had been so insistent to add the Xuánwǔ and the Bái Hǔi as Guardian Beasts, then carefully completing the martial set.

"Quiet Standing," reminded Tai and the young teenager smiled at the stray thought that for the first time in a long time he had someone looking after him and caring for him, "I am getting to it, Tai, but thank you," he settled his core as he widened his stance and sank his heels down into the grass, letting his being merge with the Mountain that was as much a part of him as his heart.

---

A gentle nudge in the link from his locus roused Chún from his meditations and he opened his eyes. The light rain had stopped, but the day remained overcast and the clearing looked and sounded as busy as ever with the activity of birds and Essence Sprites. Chún sighed and stretched out, an idle thought floating into his head, "did you finish the Dao Pots I cast yesterday?"

"Yes, they were fired and finished overnight. They are on the shelves in the drying pit," replied Tai.

"Well, I will need them if I am to collect Essence herbs and materials for medicine - should I hunt?" asked the young True Cultivator.

"I will contact the Cauldron Artifact," suggested his locus, "it has been wandering about collecting all manner of items for its own advancement, but it is hoarding a significant surplus that will be useful for you to refine medicine with. I believe your control of the various types of Essence Fire has advanced to a point that I can teach you a few more efficacious medical recipes as well."

"Will the Cauldron give up its spoils?" joked Chún as he walked out of the Heaven and Earth Vine's clearing, "and I am surprised that you are still teaching me medicine - I thought the Cauldron would be doing it from now on."

"Who better to teach you the best ways to use the products of the land and everything on it than the land itself?" demanded his locus genially as his friend walked through the Essence mists into the trees around the Heaven and Earth Vine clearing, "The Cauldron Artifact is young yet, and while it can help you refine medicine you have not mastered yet on your own, it only gains an instinctual knowledge of new recipes as it advances. At the moment, that is not many. Someone else - such as a generous Mountain - can teach you a higher level recipe and the Cauldron can help you with refining it - and will remember it afterwards."

"En," answered Chún distractedly as he stepped into the workshop clearing and swept his gaze over the pots sitting on the shelves in the drying pit. He could see beads of moisture running down their sides from the earlier rain, "looks like a good batch," he muttered as a gust of wind rattled the leaves on the trees and shook droplets of water down onto him and across the clearing.

He twitched irritably and almost considered calling out the cloak, but Tai's clear amusement rolling through the link, made him refrain.

"A suggestion," remarked Tai, "Circulate Essence through the water flame seed and push the water Essence outward."

Chún blinked and frowned in thought, then shrugged and followed his locus' direction, resulting in an almost imperceptible blue mist drifting off his skin, "Now what?" he asked his locus curiously.

"Keep it circulating," replied Tai, "and just go about your chores normally. It is an effective Cultivation technique - it is good to practice techniques so that you can learn to perform them concurrently whatever else you are doing."

"Okay…?" muttered Chún in puzzlement, then shook his head and jumped into the drying pit and carefully started gathering up the Dao Pots, dropping them into the spatial storage of his cloak.

He had emptied half the shelves when a fresh gust of air heralded the start of a steady driving rain. As the rain hit him, his eyes narrowed in annoyance then widened in surprise as the drops splashed into the mist and burst into tiny puffs of water Essence. He felt the strength of the current of Water Essence increase as it circulated into the Water Essence Flame and back out.

"You could have mentioned this last night, instead of letting me fly back in the rain," he grumbled to his locus as he continued picking the pots off the shelves.

"You could have worn your Cloak," pointed out the Mountain unsympathetically, sending the young teen into a fit of coughing.

---

The Cauldron arrived several kè later, floating serenely through the air and landing with a solid thump in front of Chún as he was sitting in the middle of the workshop clearing, organising various miscellaneous items that he had removed from his cloak in order to make space for his new pots - he had made several trips back to the cavern and the entrance cave slash tunnel to store them - leaving the things that had been taking up room in his Cloak on the workbench in his workshop clearing.

"Do you think our new Dark Lady of the North would be interested in these old martial manuals," he asked Tai absently, leafing through the pile of old, restored and amended Consumer Cultivation manuals that his locus had gathered when they had been working on creating the 'Lucky Encounter' grotto in the old geese pasture that anchored the stabilised connection between the Golden Crow and Hidden Mountain Planets, "or maybe the Tiger Prince would be interested in these old weapons."

He shifted around a small collection of old weapons that had been likewise restored - to what Chún could now see was a rather poor state, after helping Bái with forging - and various other Consumer talismans and formation plates.

"I doubt either of them would put this trash in their eyes," responded Tai matter-of-factly, "except to tear them down for raw materials perhaps or merely to point out their flaws."

"En," agreed Chún, shaking his head, "I can see how poor they are myself now - odd how I remember being so excited about them when you gathered them up and I worked on restoring them by renewing their Dao Patterns."

"You have learned a great deal since then - and manuals are no substitute for good teachers, or battles, both of which you have had quite a lot of exposure to lately," pointed out his locus, "leave them for now, we could still use them in some low level treasure or Cultivation relic trial. The Cauldron is here now."

Chún nodded, looking up at the sky as shafts of crow-light broke through the cloud cover, sending rainbows of light refracting through the droplets hanging off leaves and branches or scattered on webs and grass on the ground.

"What should we focus on?" he asked as he stopped the circulation of water Essence over his skin, "or, I suppose I should ask, what recipe are you planning to teach me?"

"We need a lot of healing medicine - for beasts and, I think humans." There was a heavy pause after the last statement.

"More of the Healing Pills - with the Wound Heal, Blood Ginseng and five element honey?" asked Chún quizzically, "I think we have cured everyone in the village and supplied them with sufficient pills for quite some time."

"No, this will need to be medicine for Consumer and wounded Essence Beasts of higher level Cultivation levels," replied Tai, "a number of Consumer refugees are fleeing from Grass pursuit in this direction - I have been observing them for the last few shi. They appear to be desperate - and I am not sensing anything higher than Sky level Cultivation among them."

Chún blinked and frowned, waiting for several moments for further explanation, but his locus appeared to be reticent to elaborate.

Rubbing his glabella in order to stave off the incipient headache, Chún closed his eyes and breathed in and out to calm his mounting agitation and collect his thoughts.

When he was sure he had a firm control over his emotions, he sent a firm push into the link between himself and the Hidden Mountain Planet, "This is where you explain - why - I should refine medicine for a - group - of relatively powerful Consumers?"

He paused, thinking furiously as another thought occurred to him, "I assume that if I am providing them medicine they would become aware of at least part of what we have been attempting to - conceal - ever since I awoke you."

He stopped again as he felt his emotions beginning to rise at what felt like yet another high handed decision from his locus and circulated his Essence deliberately through all six Essence Fire seeds in his dantian. The process was involved and forced him to step back from his anger.

"The situation has changed recently," replied Tai firmly, no sense of apology in the link, just a feeling of… momentum?

"If you tie this back to the Guardian Beasts again, Tai, may I remind you that we do not yet have a Southern Guardian," Chún pointed out calmly, "and I have serious doubts, that even with four Guardians we could completely protect ourselves if the Consumers found out about us, to say nothing of the Eradicator faction of the True Cultivators."

He began ticking off points on his fingers, raising a finger for each one, "even if you are now a separate realm or planet from Golden Crow, you have only Cultivated to a single Heaven, I have only a middle sky Cultivation with a relatively low combat power - at best - and our Guardians are young and untested."

The young teen tapped his fingers on the workbench in agitation, "You were the one who told me these things - told me we needed to hide. None of this has changed. Why risk bringing in outsiders, let alone Consumers - you and Yijing have both told me constantly how untrustworthy, dangerous and destructive they are - driven mad by twisted Cultivation techniques that damage their own Dao." He pushed his frustration, fear and confusion at his locus, "You keep pushing for risky decisions - the Guardians - especially that Xuánwǔ and now this," he exhaled noisily, "Why?"

"I have also told you that we will not be able to remain hidden forever," responded his locus calmly, the words feeling like granite blocks slamming into place, "the recent events with the Grass Cult demonstrate that clearly enough. It is only their preoccupation with this other Consumer cult or sect that they are fighting with that have allowed us to escape their notice so far."

"You said that you were sending false reports," protested Chún, "you said that whatever has happened in the last few days has their forces severely drawn down and retreating from the area - and you have killed the rest."

The ground shivered as Tai rumbled in disapproval, "but the fact remains, that they will eventually regroup and eventually come looking for those members they cannot account for. Whether we become strong enough to hold off a full assault by the time to discover what has happened - it depends on too many factors to be sure."

The Mountain Planet paused for emphasis, "I have said many times that we need allies. Layers of defense. At the moment, we rely on the villager's silence, the Dao patterns of obscurity, illusion, misdirection and hiding we have woven into the original Mountain site on Golden Crow and that we should be able to close the connection if we are found."

"And the Essence Beasts that you request to patrol and the World Tree and the Guardians," interrupted the teen, "I do not see why adding Consumers to the Mountain on Golden Crow would not add more risk than protection."

"Because all our defences are just that - defensive," responded Tai sharply, "apart from yourself and the Essence Beasts we have no offensive force that could dislodge or attack a force. The Guardians can only defend the Planet. If they go onto Golden Crow they would force Golden Crow's own Guardians to respond - not to mention that they would lose most of their power. We would be sieged with no way to respond."

"And a 'friendly' Consumer Sect that sees us as their private treasure land is any better?" asked Chún skeptically, "surely they would plunder you as much as the next group."

"I am proposing that we assist this group - we already have a common enemy in the Grass Cult. At the moment they are weaker than us and if we help them we can bind them with oaths and life debts," responded Tai coldly.

Chún blinked at the cold blooded explanation as Tai continued, "Furthermore, I suggest that we allow them to establish themselves on the original mountain site on Golden Crow. The original site has become a very reasonable 'treasure mountain' in it's own right from the outflow of Essence from this plane and its connection to myself. That alone would be enough to secure the power of a powerful Sect - and if managed carefully, will only grow stronger in future - it is very slowly growing and spreading outward."

Chún nodded, "yes, I recall you mentioned eventually folding the village and surrounding areas away in a hidden land eventually over time, by slowly growing Dao patterns of concealment, so that in a few generations the humans would claim this area had always been this way."

Chún frowned, "where's the benefits to us in this - you are listing all the reasons they would agree, but how does it help us?"

"Any sect established here would fight fiercely to defend what they would see as their land and resources from other sects or Consumers," pointed out Tai, "by protecting the original mountain site they would prevent any large scale discoveries of our presence - and the resources will make them very powerful, so that it would take a much more powerful force to dislodge them - the defenders have advantages - especially if we support them from behind the scenes."

Chún rubbed his glabella again, "you have been thinking a great deal about this - how would we support them without giving away the secret of Hidden Mountain?"

"The Mountain Spirit," answered Tai triumphantly, "You would act as the go-between us and the upper echelons of whatever sect or group that flourishes. They would not be aware of the full extent of this world - it would be presented as a mysterious inheritance that the Mountain Spirit might grant access to if the need arises. Perhaps every hundred years they could hold a tournament and send their most promising young members into the Inheritance - of course it would be understood that there is no guarantee of survival."

His locus paused and continued soberly, ""Remember that all Worlds need a certain level of pruning and harvesting or eventually they will have more Essence than can be balanced. The Consumers have their place in the Dao as well - it is only when they are able to consume without limits that problems arise."

"Granting them access - however limited, to you would make them very powerful," Chún slowly spoke out loud, working out the motives behind his friend's reasoning, "even if only a few young members in each generation managed to find 'lucky encounters', over time…"

"Precisely," agreed the Planet, "they would remain stronger than anyone else that might challenge them and thus protect us. They also give us a valve to release excess and some of the treasures and Essence would flow out into Golden Crow, beginning the process of reversing its decline. You remember, I told you - you were born to fix the current imbalance before Golden Crow is depleted and becomes a dead world."

"This all assumes everything will go as you have planned," pointed out Chún skeptically, "that seems unlikely."

"It is only the broad strokes of a possible plan," agreed his locus, "we will have to adjust as things change - they may never even find us, for example."

"I sense a but in there," questioned the young teen, "why are you so sure this is the way to go?"

"Two nights ago when you were sitting by the fire with the Tiger Prince, you felt a pivot point - around the same time as those Grass forces changed their deployments - someone made a decision that changed the Dao pattern for all of us," answered his locus solemnly, "something or someone is coming… I can feel it. Where there was barely any hope, now there is something changing."

"Well you did say that if the Dao want someone to find us, they will, no matter what obstacles are in their way," said Chún thoughtfully, "I suppose it does not hurt to be planned for all possibilities. But no going out of your way to guide any random stray Consumers in. If they are meant to be then it is fated. No cheating."

"I would never," replied Tai indignantly, "your own nature as a True Cultivator loads the dice enough in our favour," the locus finished smugly.

"I am still not sure I believe you about that True Cultivator changing probabilities stuff," snorted Chún, "OK - show me the recipes for the medicines you want me to refine."

"OK Cauldron - cough up the treasures - we need yin grass, yang grass, black star seed, molten core of a…"

The Cauldron 'clunked' indignantly as Tai started listing out ingredients but spat them out sulkily, its lid flying off as piles of rare and precious treasures flew out of its mouth and arranged themselves into piles around the workbench.

---

Two Shi later, Chún sat slumped over his workbench with piles of pills and medicines of hundreds of types stored in Dao pots all around him, grumbling, "you are a slave driver, Tai. I have not felt this overloaded from channeling essence in a long time."

"But the medicine is finished. And the Cauldron Advanced its cultivation with all the refining and new recipes it learnt," replied his locus with satisfaction and Chún glanced at the Cauldron that sat there proudly puffing multicolored clouds of Essence out of iits elaborately sculpted vents - which looked more elaborate, detailed and shinier than ever - and, Chún realised it was visibly larger.

"I am glad someone enjoyed it," answered the young teen, "my brain feels soggy."

"You can have a quick break," soothed his locus, "your precious goats, chickens and sheep are finally here - go and make sure they do not get eaten and settled in their pens."

Chún grinned and left the workbench quickly dashing into the clearing to see a small procession of animals being herded into the clearing by a Crystal Warrior and a multicolored swarm of Essence sprites.

In the two weeks since he had left the village with the livestock, they had visibly changed. All of them were much larger and glossier with a disturbing level of intelligence gleaming in their eyes. The wool of the sheep glittered like precious gems, or gold and silver, depending how the crow-light hit it. The goats were noticeably bulkier with heavy, black curled horns guarding their brows and the chickens and rooster looked more like turkeys with iridescent feathers - Chún even thought he saw multi coloured tail feathers on them.

"The Essence levels have really made changes to them," he remarked in astonishment.

"That and eating all the wild Essence Herbs and plants they came across," pointed out his locus wryly, "the Crystal Warrior has quite a few eggs as well. The Sprites will lay the fertilised ones aside, but the rest are very nourishing."

"Fertilised eggs are also very nourishing," remarked Chún, "but I suppose that can wait until the flock has a chance to grow a little."

As he watched, Essence Sprites swirled around the Crystal Warrior in a cloud and when they darted away they were weighed down by a dozen eggs. The Crystal Warrior was nowhere to be seen and Tai answered the unspoken question, "its task is done so returned to the Mountain."

Chún nodded and watched as the eager Sprites swirled around the small flock, leading them to drink from the steam, feeding them choice bits of plants and vegetables as they led them to the pens and small stables he had grown a couple of days previously.

"Well, that was anticlimactic," Chún remarked as they settled comfortably in with a host of attendants.

"Well, the wounded Essence Beasts are almost here," warned his locus, "get ready to start healing."

As the first creature, a familiar black panther limped into the clearing with bloody rents in its hide, Chún sighed and hid the clenching of his nerves with poor humor, "I am going to be exhausted after this…"

"Stop complaining about good training," pointed out Tai, "the Sprites will help - bring food, medicine, water - and help move the worst patients. Try to save as many as you can. Remember, rebuild their Dao patterns with wood and life Essence..."

---

The Heaven and Earth clearing was dark as Chún accepted the last grateful howls and snout to earth bows of his last patients - a wolf pack that he had healed from the brink of severe injury. As the pack vanished into the forest, he dragged himself into his Immortals Cave exhausted and humming with Essence strain.

"It is really bad out there," he gasped as he dropped wearily into the hot spring, "I did not realise. The Heaven and Earth Vine fed well today," he murmured sadly, thinking of the animals that had made it to the clearing that he had been unable to save despite his best efforts.

"Others could not even make it this far - the clean up of the ones who lost the battle will take a while," agreed Tai, "but I should be able to keep any of them rising as Essence Wraiths."

I have to get stronger, Chún thought resolutely as his muscles relaxed, then I can save more of them, next time, feeling the approving pulse of emotion from his locus as he fell asleep in the warm water - never noticing as a swarm of Essence Sprites flooded into the dimly lit cave and lifted him out of the spring and into his bed.