A Peasant’s Guide to Sorcerery 6

A Peasant’s Guide to Sorcerery 6

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Commissioned by Ichypa

Wordcount: 2500

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Ying looked down upon the meek, read-haired bandit that knelt before her beneath the light of the full moon with a frown, before shaking her head.

“You are a thief. You steal from others to live. I have every right to cut you down and so do all others who know you.” Ying reached for the parcel that she’d asked made from the clan and placed it before the young woman before her. “You are fortunate that I had little stomach for slaughter at that moment, because now I believe that taking you as another responsibility was a poor decision. You will do your best to ease my worries, unless you wish to perish.”

The scarlet-haired woman before her shivered and did not move. Ying almost relaxed at this, before raising her guard against any potential trickery. A skilled thief with the foundation required to reach immortality was not to be underestimated. Many thieves became legends, as they had cunning in spades, which they used to great effect when given the power so many desired.

She could easily fall, if she was not careful with her current ward.

“I am inducting you into the Beggar’s Sect. Your talents will now be used for the betterment of the lives of others and the sect. You will abandon your previous identity and become a new person, so that your past will not trouble either of us.” Ying gestured at the parcel and the scarlet-haired thief took that as a command to open it. The thief reached for it and did as she was bid with eagerness to please. “I spoke for you, I saved your life, and so I now bear responsibility for you. I will train you, I will feed you and clothe you, and most importantly, if you deviate from the path I prescribe I will kill you.”

Ying’s head ached lightly as she considered all that she had to do. Zhang had to be taught, his livelihood assured, and his power kept from the eyes of others who would seek to take them. She could not think of any aspirant of immortality who would not do such a thing, if given the chance, as he offered direct empowerment through his magics. On top of the daunting task of seeing her savior saved from his own skills, she had her original mission and the thief hastily writing in a blank register for a new identity who she had to teach.

“Your clothes will be burned. You will wear what I have provided you now. You will swing that weighted blade a hundred times every night, every morning, and every afternoon until you can do it in an instant with your eyes closed.” Ying spoke and relied on her training. She conveyed the simplest and most basic teachings first. The two-handed, downward strike was simple, but with speed, precision, and training it was a devastating attack with a sufficiently durable weapon. It saved her many times. “Give me your new name, now.”

The thief hesitated for just a second, but Ying permitted it because a name was difficult to part with no matter the circumstances.

But the thief knew her place and bowed her head.

“Su, I wish to be called Su from now on, Lady Ying of the Beggar’s Sect.” The former thief professed while clad in the simple brown robes of an initiate. Her flowing red hair was now cut short and she held in her hand a simple mixture which she would imbibe to change the color of her hair. It was a costly thing, usually used by noblewomen who wished to change with every season, but the Fei’yen clan could afford one with utmost ease. “I thank you for your benevolence.”

Her words could’ve concealed her true intentions, so Ying searched her for deception. The sword wielder felt for her Qi and searched it for any malign intent… only to be surprised by the clarity of heart that she had and the relief that she saw within it. She had been trained in Qi before. She at least knew how to detect the power within the individual. That knowledge had saved her life when she realized that she shouldn’t oppose Lord Zhang. A thief would also need to know how to calm their Qi and heart so that they could hope to steal from those who walked the path towards immortality, too… which would normally leave Ying frustrated as she would be unable to glean the truth.

But Ying was far from who she used to be.

Her senses were far sharper now, especially when she used Qi to enhance them to their limits.  She could see with utter clarity the dilation of the eye in fear, the thudding of blood just beneath the skin, and the tense and untensing of muscle even through clothing. The Beggar Sect’s Princess could hear the slightest change in one’s breath, smell the stink of fear and mad courage, and even taste the salt in the air. The sharpness that she gained with her senses extended towards her ability to perceive another’s intent.

Her sharpened senses relayed to her… an immense amount of relief constrained by an iron will.

The thief that she had saved was desperately trying to not celebrate being given a chance to walk the path of the Beggar’s Sect and be bereft of the life she had before.

That interested Ying a great deal and she lowered her guard slightly around her new student.

Slightly.

“Your words mean nothing. Only actions. Pick up that weighted sword and begin swinging. You will learn, you will become better, and you will reach your limits.” Ying took a seat beneath the full moon and cast her gaze upon her new student. Her stance was uneven, her body lacking in confidence, and her lack of experience evident. There were no thoughts on how to do things differently, thus Ying knew that the thief lacked any knowledge on how to fight and had no preconceptions. It was good. There was nothing to unmake. There was only clay to be molded. “Stand straighter, square your shoulders, keep your head up, and put your dominant foot forward. With every strike, you will step forward and swing with all your might! Ingrain this technique into your body until you can call upon it in an instant to save your life!”

“Yes, teacher!” The thief—no, Su, spoke and did as she was told by Ying. “Hah!”

Ying watched the first strike executed by the reborn woman with a nod before speaking again.

“You stepped too far forward. That’s an opening that will cost you your leg at best and your neck at worst! Again!”

“Yes, teacher!”

So, the night flowed with the glowing moon and stars as their witness with Ying training her impromptu Sect member.

She almost wished that it would never cease, even as the young woman collapsed, because the following morning she had to comb through Zhang’s potential retainers for someone of utmost loyalty, but with enough talent and knowledge to help steer the man through life.

An utterly loyal advisor and counsel for a man bereft of knowledge, immense power, and a questionable morality at best.

Yes, Ying desperately wished that the night would last forever.

…

“She seems a bit young to be a retainer, Lady Ying.” Zhang tilted his head from side to side as he observed the individual brought forth by Ying. The process of picking a retainer had taken the Beggar’s Sect Swordmaster through several schools within the town. Many promised that their students would be the best suited for a fledgling lord, but she found only a handful with any talent with mental fortitude and loyalty. Both of which was very necessary to be Zhang’s assistant and navigator through life. “But I’m sure that you know better than me, I’ll take her!”

Ying looked to the retainer she hired for Zhang for her reaction and was pleased.

Fa Bai was absolutely aghast and barely holding herself back from reprimanding her new lord… and barely managed to not sigh in relief when Ying nodded at her and bid her to do as she wished.

“No, Lord Zhang, you cannot speak in such a way, nor can you stand in such a way, and nor can you dress as you do!” Fa Bai was a small whirlwind as she approached Zhang, who took her strides towards him with nothing but curiosity. If the girl knew his true strength, she would’ve hesitated, but she thought Ying was stronger than him. The Beggar Sect’s Swordmaster did not dissuade the thought, because she knew progress would be limited had she done so. “You are a budding lord, becoming nobility, and so you must comport yourself with grandeur?”

Zhang’s response, as Fa Bai rounded on him, picking at his clothes, making his posture straighten, and untilting his head, was to speak with complete innocent once more.

“Comport? Grandeur? What are those? They sound pretty tasty together.” Zhang’s words crashed upon Fa Bai and she looked to Ying. Once again the long-haired Swordmaster nodded. She chose the young woman because she was intelligent and be a teacher, assistant, and bodyguard to a young lordling of a noble house. Her family aspired to have her become this to become a prime servant from the moment of her birth, investing great sums for their household into the child, and that sum was returned threefold by Zhang with naught but a quarter of first true payment for his wares. “Is something wrong?”

“You will have lessons every day. I will teach you and must listen and learn!” Fa Bai spoke firmly. Her loyalty was spoken for through bonds of blood. She could not harm Zhang directly nor she could speak to betray his trust. But Ying was aware that such defenses could be overcome by a cunning and self-serving individual. Such people were common amongst those who trained their whole lives to be well-learned advisors, bodyguards, and teachers and they valued the trust of their charges more than their mission. They taught them wrongly, pleased them instead of being strict, and did not do their duty because they sought to replace their lord or lady. So, Ying was pleased to see naught but irritation and confusion in Fa Bai’s heart as she spoke to Zhang. “Do you understand?”

Ying watched as Fa Bai subconsciously readied herself to be yelled at and even struck for her words, before sighing at Zhang’s response with a faint smile.

“Oh, I’d like that. I like learning! We can even learn in the afternoon, too!” Zhang beamed at the prospect of gaining more knowledge. “I’ll be sure to do everything properly and practice when I can, until I can do everything right, too!”

Fa Bai was so taken aback by the boundless willingness of Zhang that she physically had to step back. The small young woman with simple, but formal robes looked to Ying with such speed that the Swordmaster wondered if she also walked the path towards immortality and somehow hid her Qi. She knew that wasn’t the case, though. The young retainer was simply utterly, completely taken aback by Zhang’s positivity, brightness, and lack of pride that had blinded Ying from the moment they met.

He was a humble man with great wealth and power.

A thing that many thought was utterly impossible.

Thus, Fa Bai was left speechless and utterly out of her depth, so Ying stepped in.

“That’s good, Lord Zhang. Your ancestors will be proud of you for being so willing to learn.” Ying chose her words carefully and almost regretted it, as she was struck by a smile so innocent and pure that she nearly took a step back herself. The absolute joy Zhang had upon being told that his ancestors would be proud of him was something she’d expected out of someone who’d achieved their lifelong dream. “With Fa Bai’s help, you will become a better farmer, then a better landlord, and finally a noble who will have a household that shall care for your future generations.”

Zhang’s smile somehow widened at those words.

“Oh, I see! This is how I learn to be better. I was worried about this, after I read all the scrolls my father left. This is great, thank you!” Ying almost waved at the absolute sincerity shown her the way. Zhang did not hold back in his effusive praise. Normally, someone with his amount of power would say such words with malicious attempt using them to imply that they have been shamed, but Zhang said it all with genuine earnestness from the very depths of his being. For someone who fought their entire lives, who witnessed so much cruelty at the hands of immortals, Ying struggled to keep her composure and not do her utmost to seek any threat to such innocence. “I’ll do my best to be my very best!”

Ying managed to nod at those words and watched at Fa Bai came forward after clearing her throat to begin giving him his first lessons on culture and etiquette.

As she watched, an unnatural sensation slithered into her and she had to stop herself from reaching out towards Zhang.

A strange premonition crossed her mind and fear filled her at the thought of what could go wrong with what she did. Her actions could send Zhang into a terrible place, where men and women menaced one another for the most petty things, and where power was abused whenever it could through any means. She thought that she was protecting him, and by providing him with a capable retainer, she was. However, what if, what she did wasn’t enough? What if she was sending him forth to be tainted by the rest of the world and made like the rest?

What if the purity that she sought to protect, that she felt herself valuing more than the fact that she was saved, was to be broken and unmade by her own hands by forcing him to be part of society that she loathed?

Those thoughts rampaged through her, almost bidding her to go forth and take hold of the one who saved her, and pull him away from the path she set him upon.

But she held firm against her wanton thoughts and fears.

If such was the case, then she would do her utmost to save him as he did her.

It occurred to her that she might have to spend the rest of her life doing so, but that thought didn’t frighten her in the least.

Her life had been saved by him, therefore she felt that looking after him for the rest of it was the absolute least she could do.