The Laws of Cultivation: Qi = MC^2

Su Lin walked through the city streets, feeling extremely out of place. Every man, woman and child that walked past him was a cultivator, much stronger than the elders that had previously run the Cloudy Peaks sect. The extravagant scent of perfumes, the scent of flowers and blossoms were eternally carried by the spring breeze that traversed through the city streets.

He felt extremely out of place here, like a lost child who’d wandered somewhere he shouldn’t be, stepping into a world that didn’t welcome his kind.

Su Lin tried not to sigh, but he felt tired nonetheless. The thugs had begun spreading rumors and causing trouble for You Lan and her auction house, nothing serious, no one had been injured or murdered, but people were getting mugged far more around the place, and it was bound to cause trouble. Lu Jie had entrusted this task onto him, and though he’d accepted, he still felt reluctant.

It wasn’t like he was some silver tongued guy who could walk into any group, and quickly make friends no matter where he was. He paused. Well, maybe he was a little bit like that, but that was on the Seventh Peak, in a place he was familiar with and people who he knew, being thrust into the Azure city of all places and then told to ‘go and make sure the thugs don’t cause trouble’ was a lot more difficult than it had been made to sound.

He’d even told Lu Jie that these folks wouldn’t just start listening to some outsider or speak to them so easily, but the boy had simply said ‘I’m sure you can handle it’ and pat Su Lin’s shoulder before being pulled away by some other tasks.

Ah, he missed the days when his only worries were stealing herbs from the sect, and taking care of brother Zhang. Just how had he gotten involved in all of this?

This time, Su Lin’s attempts to not sigh didn’t work as one made its way past him, heavy with the burden of the task put onto his shoulders. He really should’ve just stayed behind when Lu Jie had asked. It’s not like the boy would force him. It was just stupid hard to say no to his sincere eyes and the blind trust he put into people.

Naive, far too naive. Often Su Lin had thought about the many ways he could make Lu Jie’s life hell had he wanted to. Lu Jie trusted him too much. He should scold him sometime about it.

Su Lin felt the spirit lurking in his shadow stir at his thoughts. He shivered once, before pulling his mind away.

His steps took him to the busier parts of the city, the colors of azure and blue architecture transitioning into more reds and yellows, with flowers blooming all around the area, and young girls trying to grab customers for their courtesans.

The entire thing made him sick. He disliked the exuberant wealth on display, and the scent of perfumes and the sickening desperation of men that visited these parts.

“Hey, brother, you look tired. Would you like to have some tea?” One of the young girls called out to him, batting her eyelashes at him while making a doe-like face as she grabbed at his arm.

Su Lin looked at the little girl, surprised that she’d gone for him. He’d always looked like a ruffian, and most city girls would know to stay their hand.

It took him a moment to realize why she had. He wore much finer clothes now, and stood straight and tall. Even with his cultivation being the equivalent of a child’s in this city, he was walking confidently.

Only two kinds of people would do that. Either a young master who was doted on by his family, with too much money to spare. Or an idiot.

“Come on, brother, why so shy?”

“I’m good. You’ve got the wrong idea, I don’t got any money to be able to afford tea,” he said, flashing her a smile.

The magic words immediately flipped a switch as the girl lost all interest, snorting as she stepped away, off to find someone else to grab.

Su Lin tried his best not to shake his head as he continued on. This was exactly why he hated places like these. These places were meant for the rich and powerful, built upon the misery of others.

But this was exactly where he’d find the kind of folks he was searching for too. The Seventh Peak may not have a grand district like this, but it had places, and the wrong kind of folks that accompanied these beautiful houses from the shadows. He knew them of course, he used to be one of them.

He’d never really stopped being one of them, in fact.

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The streets grew less busy as he walked through the alleys. The vibrant and cloying displays of colors and music and scents began to fade, showing the truer sights that hid underneath. He saw people, a bunch of them crippled in their cultivation, and others with missing limbs or scars that had robbed them of any grace or dignity that may have remained.

The sight reminded him of brother Zhang, and what could’ve happened to him, had he and Chen not taken care of the man.

Had Lu Jie not saved his life.

Even the city of immortals was not without its flaws, it was just better than most at hiding it. This much Su Lin knew. No place was perfect, none of them would ever be. All of it was a grand show, a way to exert power and influence, to make the emperor and empire look strong and rich. What a farce.

Kicking at a pebble on his way, he walked past the filthy alleyways, and before long, spotted a group of men standing around the alleyway with the kind of arrogance and confidence only thugs would have.

He continued to walk, not changing his stride or demeanor much, just enough to look a little more nervous, and a little smaller than he was. His weak cultivation would help him out here.

As he passed by the group, one of them turned to look at him, before elbowing another man nearby.

“Ay, brother, where you headed? You look lost,” a man called out from behind.

All his instincts told him to keep walking, and to ignore the man. Only a fool would stop here.

But he had to play the part today, and so he froze in his steps. He felt an arm around his shoulder as one of the men grabbed him, leaning in close. “You know you can’t just be heading through these alleys for free, brother. It’s dangerous out here, haven’t you heard?”

One of the other men snickered around him.

“No, I’m new in town,” Su Lin replied, feigning ignorance as he looked at the man. “What’s so dangerous?”

“You must be really new then, my brother. There’s a tax in place, you gotta pay up to use these streets,” the man said, as another drew a knife.

“Ah, you must be the thugs that’re lurking around this place,” Su Lin said, pretending as if he’d just found out.

The men laughed together. “Thugs? Hardly. We’re just some men trying to make a living, don’t you understand brother? We gotta eat, after all,” the man said, flaring his Qi as he began to use his aura to push against Su Lin.

Su Lin glanced back, looking at the man. “I understand, I understand,” he said, nodding to the man.

“Good, now empty up whatever you have, before we gotta make you understand physically.”

“Sure, sure. But before I do, just one question. Who’s paying you to cause trouble in these parts?” He asked.

“Huh? What’s that got anything to do with ya,” the man said, growing agitated as Su Lin continued to not be afraid.

“Well, you see. My brother’s got some important event here, and I was just trying to see the area to make sure no one was causing trouble. But here you are, and I know you guys hang out in these parts, it’s easier to mug drunk men after all, they fall over like fools, hah,” Su Lin said, smirking all by himself. The thug started to look confused.

“But you see. There’s one rule the streets never forget. It’s that rats will always be rats. And rats shouldn’t go around making so much trouble that the wolves begin to take notice,” Su Lin said.

“What nonsense are ya spouting, you country bumpkin. Don’t you understand what’s happening? We’re mugging you. Give us everything you’ve got or we’ll make sure you ain’t got even your life to spare,” the thug shouted, drawing his knife as Qi flared all around him.

“I really wouldn’t recommend doing that, even if the job pays well,” Su Lin said.

“This bastard, he must be screwed in the head. Why, pray tell, do we need to listen to anything ya got to say?”

“You don’t. But if you don’t like me speaking, I can have my friend talk,” Su Lin said, shrugging.

A second later, his shadow began to stir and swirl. The thugs all stepped back in surprise as a powerful aura descended all around them. Silver flames danced around Su Lin as a tall muscular figure appeared, with arms folded and an aura of death and violence lingering around him.

“You see, my friend isn’t a fan of talking. But he does speak very well with his fists,” Su Lin said, and Ash let silver flames manifest around his hands, as he slammed his fist into the wall nearby, denting it in a single blow.

“So, what do you say? Which one of us would you like to hear from?” Su Lin asked, smiling.

The thugs looked at Ash, gulping nervously, before glancing back at his own men. Slowly, he lowered his blade. “Who sent you?” The man asked, looking at Su Lin.

“None of your business, my friend. Stay out of this area, and my friend won’t burn you alive till your flesh is tender,” Su Lin said.

The thug clicked his tongue, glancing back. “We can’t turn our backs on the Alchemy Halls. They’ll wipe us out.”

“You don’t have to worry about that. They won’t be wiping anyone out, soon enough,” Su Lin said.

“You… you’re insane. You think you can stop the Halls? The emperor supports them!” The thug shouted.

“For now. Give it a few days,” Su Lin said. “Now get out of here before I lose what little patience I have left. And tell your men to stay away from this area. Trust me, I’ll know if you don’t,” Su Lin said.

Ash let his fire spread around even more, taking a stance, ready to attack as his aura flared with power.

The thugs glanced around one another, before turning around and leaving quickly.

Su Lin let out a sigh, as Ash let go of his flames, returning to the shadows once more.

That was one small task done. Now to make sure they actually stayed away. That damned Lu Jie, giving him troublesome things to do.

He’d better get something good for this at the end.

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