Molting the Mortal Coil

Time passed.

Sage saw many things on his travels, widening his view of the world and the people in it. He learned that in this world power is what mattered. While sitting in roadside taverns he heard many stories that had the same theme. A powerful person took advantage of a common person. In one story it was the Young Master of a powerful clan, in another it was a disciple of a powerful sect, in another it was the son of a general or a member of a royal family. Everytime, the powerful person would ignore the rules and the law, doing what they wished. They would use their power and claim things opposite to the truth. Most evidence for crimes was simply eyewitness accounts and statements. The one who has the most power is the one telling the ‘truth’ and the weaker are the ‘liar’. Just like the old days in my world, without forensic science to study evidence it’s all just hearsay!

It was a very important lesson, power is everything. In order to not become a random victim, Sage needed power.

A swarm of Silverbees created a small cloud around the head of a screaming man. A dozen feet away, Sage was twirling his staff, trading blows with a large, well muscled, and roughly dressed man. He’d been besieged by bandits a few dozen times already. The first time he was heavily wounded, barely escaping with his life. Afterwards he realized it happened because he was trying not to hurt anyone, fighting without his Silverbees and only aiming to disarm his foes. Making a vow to himself, Sage swore to no longer hold back if his life was on the line. On that cliff I already killed a man, didn’t I?

He hadn’t exactly become bloodthirsty, and he didn’t kill everyone he fought, but if he counts the one currently being swarmed by Silverbees and falling to his knees, Sage’s kill count was already around twenty. There was quite a few battles where he simply had to flee, meaning he wasn’t really sure how many had died at his hand, but he had grown somewhat numb. They tried to kill me and rob my corpse. Who knows how many other people they have killed… they deserve to die!

Bending forward at the waist and twisting his body, the dark oak staff twirled like a top above him. Right hand behind his back to spin the length of wood. Sage ducked underneath the sweep of an axe while his staff knocked against the Bandit’s stomach. Sage had grown used to the Tiger Glove, especially using the superior grip force to his advantage. The fingers of the Tiger Glove clenching as the thumb pushes hard, adding to the force of his twisting waist. The Bandit was a level 28 (rank 2, stage 8), while Sage was level 25. Unfortunately for the Bandit who had faith in his 3 stage higher cultivation the Tiger Glove had the gripping force of a level 35. If it had been a blade the Bandit would have been easily sliced clean in half, since it was a staff his internal organs were bruised and he was sent flying into a tree and knocked unconscious.

Sage recalled the Silverbees and sighed as he examined the man they’d swarmed. Seeing the number of sting wounds, Sage shook his head and took the man’s valuables. Going over to the other man lying near a tree and checking him as well. He didn’t really think about how robbing the bandits would only push them to waylay even more people. Sage has just played too many video games where you loot the bad guys after you beat them.

“Damn that’s merciless Kid. I know they’re bandits, but at least spare them a little mercy.”

A voice called out to him from behind and Sage jumped up, brandishing his staff defensively. Fearful of another enemy attack now that he was injured and tired from battle. An old man walked out from behind a tree, walking leisurely and looking at Sage with something like pity. He slowly stroked his mustache which was in the shape of a fu manchu, a thin goatee and long tails on either side of his mustache. The three fell straight down to his chest, nearly a foot long like a white trident of hair. The old man walked slowly closer, his well worn blue robe trailing just an inch over the ground. Sage seemed quite apprehensive as he responded, “Greetings, Sir. I did not wish to harm anyone, but these Bandits aimed to take my life so I had to defend myself.”

Shaking his head the old man scolded him, “I’m not blind, Kid. I just didn’t think I’d meet such a ruthless youngster today.”

“Ruthless, what do you mean?” Sage looked to the two Bandits again, “I didn’t kill them, why are you insulting me, Old Man?”

“Hah! You truly are ruthless! That one has his internal organs ruptured and the other one will suffer severe nerve damage from all that toxin. It will be a marvel if he can move even half as well as he could before this. In my day, at least we gave Bandits a merciful death. The younger generation can be so depressing.”

Sage blinked a few times and then looked to the two Bandits, “I didn’t realize…”

“Of course you didn’t! You’re a kid just barely out of his diapers leaving people disabled and penniless. Even if they aren’t eaten by wild beasts before they wake they’ll have to struggle miles through the woods and even if they reach civilization they’ll have no money to pay for the medical treatment they will require. Men like these take to Banditry because they have no other options. At least free them from their difficult lives, don’t saddle them with even more suffering!”

Sage had gone silent, his mind rolling as he thought of all the people he’d left in similar states. He had confirmed only twenty of them were dead, yet from what the Old Man said, he had probably put far far more of them in terrible situations. The Old Man’s words echoed in his mind, and he looked down at the man he’d smashed into the tree. He’s right… but can I do it? What else can I even do, take them to the doctor? We’re miles from town and they wanted to kill me.

Laughing, the Old Man simply walked right past Sage. Strolling slowly down the path till he turned a corner and disappeared from view. Sage watched him walk away, still wary this was some sort of plot to catch him off guard. After a few minutes, he realized the man was gone and Sage tried to examine the two unconscious bandits again. He found their pulse failing and their complexions pale. The Old Man was probably right, these two would have a very hard time. The one covered in bee stings might not even wake up again. Sage consulted the medical books he had in his storage ring, using the guidelines to determine their condition. So, this is mercy, huh?

Sage drew out a knife from his storage ring and slid it across two throats.

Sage had lost half the hive.

He’d been following an irregularity pointed out by the Bagua Compass and was delighted to find an area of intense qi concentration. He was surrounded by thickly growing bushes and plants, glittering an emerald green. Such vibrant colors and an unusual area had Sage checking his books and he soon identified the bushes. Emerald Holly. The leaves were a bright almost glittering emerald green, sharply pointed and inciting a feeling of danger among observers. The small berries were a dark blood red, matte in color they almost seemed to draw in the light making them seem nearly black from most angles. Both the leaves and berries were valuable, if the ones his ring had were all low level materials, the parts of the Emerald Holly could be considered mid-leveled.

Distracted by the task of identification and the glittering grove’s value, Sage was caught unaware as he rushed in past the outer layer of Emerald Holly bushes. He’d been looking for more valuable things in the center of the small grove when he stumbled into hundreds of small spider webs. Reacting instinctively, just as he’d gotten used to in danger, Sage released the Silverbees. Tragically, the majority of them were almost instantly caught up in the many webs around him. Dozens of palm sized emerald green spiders revealed themselves and started to assault the trapped Silverbees. They attacked with a paralyzing bite and then quickly wrapped the bees in translucent webbing, catching Sage completely off guard. He tried to call the bees back, but far too many of them were already captured and were beyond help.

Fearing for his own situation, Sage suffered only a couple bites before he pulled free of the webs and was able to roll back out of the grove. He felt a numbness spreading through his body, but thankfully the Mantis Heart Manual, like all qi cultivation techniques of the Chong Clan, was quite powerful against poison. For a clan whose main business dealt with poison creating creatures, it was a given they would have many methods to deal with it. Even so, Sage felt quite a few stages weaker than normal and felt regret at how many of the Silverbees he’d lost. Their sacrifice distracted the spiders enough to give me time to escape.

Quickly retreating, Sage realized the Silverbees had plenty of room for improvement.