26

Even after they left Yu Wu's former home, the pair's strange new connection hadn't disappeared. It seemed as if it would be a new constant in both of their lives. To Yu Wu, that fact felt like a blessing from the heavens. She clung to that link like it was the only thing keeping her afloat in a dark ocean.

Onari had mixed feelings about the connection. On one hand, it just felt right in an indescribable way. Like this was how they were both always meant to live. Like he had been missing a piece of himself that had gone unnoticed until it had slotted into place.

On the other hand, he was worried about what the connection meant for Yu Wu's independence. She obviously wasn't ready to stand on her own right now, but what happened when she was ready? Onari pushed that worry aside. They'd just have to cross that bridge when they got to it.

Onari stayed with Yu Wu that night. It was almost physically uncomfortable for them to be separated for too long. The discomfort would fade as they both got used to the bond, but for now the simplest solution was to stick together.

He found he didn't mind having to stay by Yu Wu's side. Her presence -- both through the bond and physically -- brought him a sense of peace that he had never experienced in either of his lives. So he watched her pretend to sleep, and he didn't say anything to disturb the tranquility of the night.

"Onari?" Yu Wu eventually said, breaking her pretense of sleep. "I can't sleep."

"I realized," Onari said, casually adjusting the strands of hair that hung around his face. "This connection is very… intimate."

"... I like it that way," Yu Wu whispered softly.

Onari hummed, "It will take some getting used to, but I think the bond is one of the more positive results of this whole situation."

Yu Wu visibly shrunk in on herself, "More like the only positive result…"

Onari winced at his misstep, but didn't apologize, "Things will get better. You're strong enough to stand straight even after what you've gone through. And if you falter, I'll be here to support you."

She was silent, but Onari could feel her gratitude through their connection. The silence stretched for a minute or two before Onari broke it.

"What do you think about my family?" he asked.

"... Your mother seems nice. I always wished I could have a mom like her. You told me she tries her best despite how busy she is. Kunou is great too. I like the way she bounces around like she doesn't have a care in the world. You and your mother must take good care of her."

"I noticed you defaulted back to that young mistress persona of yours when you were talking to them. Want to talk about it?"

"It's… comfortable. I've read so many Wuxia novels that it just kinda pours out of me when I'm nervous. When I'm 'Young Mistress Yu Wu', I can act like I'm more experienced than I actually am… Like I'm better than I actually am…"

Onari scooted himself closer to Yu Wu, but didn't touch her. His steadfast presence was comforting enough, and a tiny bit of unseen tension faded from her body.

"As long as it continues to make you happy, I have no problem with it. But I will say that I think both sides of you are equally great."

Yu Wu was quiet for a minute, "... Why?"

"Hmm?"

"Why do you think both sides of me are great? One side is this confident and strong young mistress, and the other is just a lonely, socially stunted girl with anxiety… How can that lonely girl ever hope to match the young mistress?"

"... Because they're one and the same. The lonely girl is the one who gives life to the young mistress. And the young mistress is the one who protects the lonely girl when life gets too tough. The young mistress is the yang to the lonely girl's yin. But together, they both make up the beautifully complex woman named Yu Wu."

"..." Yu Wu quietly contemplated Onari's words.

Eventually, Onari broke the silence to say something more, "And that complex woman? She's the one that I connected to. She's the one my Qi and soul resonate with. So she must be great. This young master would not just bond with anyone after all!"

Yu Wu giggled softly at the faux arrogant way Onari declared she was his equal, "Pfft, is that how I sound?"

Onari smiled and shook his head as Yu Wu's mood lightened, "No, you're much better at that persona than me. I'll leave the 'pretentious cultivator' talk to you in the future."

Musical laughter continued to fill the room for the next couple minutes. Through the bond, Onari could feel the happiness that bloomed in Yu Wu's chest when he alluded to their future together. Slowly but surely, Yu Wu giggled herself to sleep.

Satisfied that she was sleeping peacefully with a lighter heart, Onari turned his focus inward. Before the fight with Da Shuizhi, Onari had wanted to take his cultivation a bit more gently. He had wanted to take some time to get used to his new strength and study the Dao of Fire.

Understanding had been more important to him than pure strength, but now he saw that he couldn't ignore one aspect of cultivation for the other. Da Shuizhi had focused on understanding, delving into the Dao of Alchemy, and he had fallen to two cultivators who were basically just starting their journeys.

Sure, there were other factors in Da Shuizhi's death. He had underestimated them to the very end. He was old, and his cultivation base had been corrupted by possibly centuries of demonic practices.

In comparison, Onari and Yu Wu were young and basically in their primes. They had been powered up by their bond and the emotional nature of the fight. They didn't hesitate to go all out either.

Still, the fight was a little too close for comfort for Onari. He wasn't too worried about stagnating just yet, but he knew he couldn't allow himself to get complacent. He had to continue to strive for power with everything he had. To Onari, power was the only way to truly control his own fate. He had been powerless before, and he vowed to never go back to such a pathetic life at the whims of fate ever again.

And now, Onari had gained insight into the most important element of cultivation: Balance. He had to strike a balance in all things. A balance between pure strength and profound understanding. A balance between his personal relationships and his pursuit of power. A balance between his true cultivation and the other avenues of power he explored (like illusions, formations, and alchemy).

The heavens felt as if they were smiling down at him. Small sparks of Yin and Yang energy swirled around the thin connection between Onari and the sleeping Yu Wu. Every so often, a matching pair of these small sparks of energy would be sucked into the bond, strengthening it.