Cultivation is Creation

I stood before Wu Kangming, trying to find the right words to defuse what was rapidly becoming a classic cultivation novel scenario.

"Brother Wu," I said, managing what I hoped was a disarming smile, "I was planning to look for you. There's something I wanted to clarify before any misunderstandings could arise."

Wu Kangming's eyes narrowed, his hand resting casually on the plain sword at his side. "Is this about your relationship with my fiancée?"

"Ex-fiancée," Azure corrected, though thankfully Wu Kangming couldn’t hear that comment.

I shook my head. "What relationship? That's exactly what I wanted to clear up. I don't have any relationship with Senior Sister Wu Lihua. I barely know her." I spread my hands in what I hoped conveyed that I’m harmless. "We've had maybe two conversations, both of which consisted mainly of me trying to politely excuse myself."

Wu Kangming went very still, and for a moment his eyes seemed to lose focus, as if he was listening to something – or someone – that I couldn't hear. I had to suppress a smile.

If my theory about him having a Sword Saint's ghost as a mentor was correct, hopefully the ancient spirit was talking some sense into him. Heaven knows these protagonist types needed all the common sense they could get.

After what felt like an eternity but was probably only a few seconds, Wu Kangming's eyes refocused. He studied me carefully, and I had the distinct impression I was being evaluated by more than one set of eyes. Finally, he nodded slowly. "I've been watching you both. You don't seem to be lying."

I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. "Exactly. Look, I have no interest in getting involved in... whatever is happening between you two. I'm just trying to focus on my cultivation and survive long enough to see the next festival season. So there’s really no need for any bad blood between us."

"I appreciate your honestly,” Wu Kangming nodded slowly. “I would prefer to avoid bad blood as well…”

I felt a surge of relief. Had I actually managed to resolve a potentially deadly misunderstanding by just talking it out? That almost never worked in cultivation novels. Usually, it took at least three life-or-death battles and a jade beauty's tragic death before anyone started listening to reason.

"However," he continued, instantly crushing my hopes, "it doesn't change the reality of our situation. We will fight, and I will win."

I blinked. "I mean, if we get matched up against each other in the tournament, then sure, we'll fight. That's kind of the point of tournaments. But otherwise, there's really no need-"

He shook his head, cutting me off. "If we don't meet in the tournament, we'll fight after it."

"But... why?" I asked, trying to process the logic – or rather, the complete lack thereof – in that statement. "If you know I'm not interested in Wu Lihua, what's the point?"

"Because defeating you is the only way she'll return to me."

I resisted the urge to bang my head against the nearest wall. "That... doesn't make any sense. If she's using me to make you jealous or whatever this is, wouldn't fighting me just be playing into her hands?"

"You don't understand," Wu Kangming interrupted, and for the first time, I saw real emotion crack through his carefully maintained facade. "We grew up together, did you know that? Our families arranged the marriage when we were children, but it wasn't just politics. We were friends first. Best friends."

His voice softened, taking on a nostalgic quality that made him sound younger. "She wasn't always like this. She used to be... kind. Honest. She loved helping people, spent hours in her family's herb garden testing different growing techniques. She wanted to be a medicine cultivator, can you believe that?"

Through our soul bond, Yggy sent an impression of confusion. The idea of someone choosing not to work with plants seemed to genuinely baffle it.

"What changed?" I asked, though I had a feeling I knew the answer.

Wu Kangming's face darkened. "She started cultivating. Or rather, she started practicing that specific cultivation technique."

"What cultivation method does she use?"

He shook his head. "No one knows. One of the sect elders, now her master, gave her a unique method, something she's not allowed to tell anyone about. After that..." he trailed off, his hand tightening on his sword hilt. "She changed. Became obsessed with power, with status. The girl I knew disappeared, replaced by someone who sees people as nothing but tools for advancement." ŔАΝỐβÊS

An elder from the Azure Peak Sect giving a disciple a cultivation method that aligned more to the demonic dao?

"Have you considered that her cultivation method might be the actual problem here?" I suggested carefully. "There are techniques that feed off emotions, that require the cultivator to manipulate others' feelings to progress. If she was given one of those..."

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"It doesn't matter," he cut me off. "I don't care who she is now. I remember who she was. Who she could be again, if..."

If he could just defeat the right person, or gain enough power, or prove himself worthy – I could practically fill in the rest of that sentence myself. It was the kind of thinking that had launched a thousand cultivation novel revenge plots.

"Love really does make people crazy," Azure observed. "Though I suppose that's a redundant statement in this world."

"Even if it wasn't for how I feel about her," Wu Kangming continued, "I would still challenge you."

"For face?" I asked, though I already knew the answer. It always came back to face.

He nodded, and I braced myself for what I knew was coming – the tragic backstory monologue. I wasn't disappointed.

"When I entered the sect, I was deemed talentless. My engagement was broken, my future destroyed. Then Zhou..." his hand clenched around his sword hilt. "He didn't just cripple my cultivation. He took everything. My clan turned their backs on me, called me an embarrassment. The other disciples wouldn't even look at me. Do you know what it's like, to become invisible? To have people who once smiled and called you young master suddenly treat you like you don't exist?"

"Your clan sounds lovely," I commented before I could stop myself.

Wu Kangming actually laughed at that, though it wasn't a particularly happy sound. "They're ambitious. Status is everything to them. A crippled cultivator for a son? Better to pretend I never existed." His eyes took on a familiar gleam – the look of someone who had transformed their pain into purpose. "But I'll make them remember. I'll make them all remember. Every person who turned their back on me, every 'friend' who suddenly couldn't see me... they'll all regret it."

Yggy sent an impression that roughly translated to 'sad sword man needs a hug... or possibly a swift beating.' Sometimes it was hard to tell with vine emotions.

I held back a sigh. I had tried my best to avoid conflict, but if he was determined to fight and wouldn't see reason, then there wasn't much choice.

"Alright," I said finally. "If that's how it has to be, I'll honor your wishes. We'll fight." I held up a hand quickly. "Though I hope we can agree there's no need for this to be a death match? Whatever happened with Zhou—"

Wu Kangming's smile turned surprisingly gentle. "Thank you for understanding. And no – I only killed him because he was scum who took pleasure in crippling those weaker than him. Someone had to stop him. You're different."

"Well, that's... reassuring?" I managed.

"I'll be leaving the sect for a while," he continued, his smile taking on an edge that made me very glad I wasn't on his revenge list. "When I return... let's just say your chances of victory will be non-existent."

With that declaration, he let his aura flare fully – revealing the unmistakable pressure of the Seventh Stage of Qi Condensation. Then, in a movement too quick for most eyes to follow, he was gone, leaving me standing there with a lot to think about.

"Well, that was dramatic."

"Indeed," Azure agreed. "Though, if he's already at the Seventh Stage, by the time he returns..."

"He'll be at least at the Eighth Stage, probably higher," I finished the thought. "Especially if he's going on one of those classic protagonist training journeys. Those never end with just a single realm increase."

Yggy sent an image of itself growing stronger by absorbing sunlight, along with what felt like a suggestion that we should do some training of our own. It wasn't wrong.

I started walking back toward my quarters.

The tournament was still weeks away, but with Wu Kangming's current trajectory... I'd need every advantage I could get. The Two Suns world would help with the time differential, but I'd need more than just that.

"At least we managed to clear up the misunderstanding about Wu Lihua," I mused. "That's something, right?"

"Master, I believe we merely replaced one problematic situation with another. Instead of fighting him over a jade beauty, now you're fighting him over his need to prove himself to said jade beauty. I'm not sure this is an improvement."

"Hey, at least this way I don't have to worry about him thinking I'm trying to steal his love interest. That would have been much messier. Situations like that only end in someone being killed…brutally."

“You do have a point.”

As I reached my quarters, I couldn't help but wonder what Wu Lihua would do when she found out about our conversation. Something told me she wouldn't be happy about Wu Kangming and I reaching any kind of understanding, even one that still ended in a fight.

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