For some, the ancient history of a province during the Age of Darkness would be a world-shaking revelation.

To Shen Yu, Cultivator of the Imperial Realm, The Unconquered Blade, Master of a hundred thousand styles and holder of the most discerning alcohol palate in existence, the tale of Xaioshi was merely interesting. His Grandson and his Cock had been a more shocking revelation.

He’d heard this tale before. Not exactly, of course. But it did rhyme with other memory crystals and ancient portents he had seen.

Shen Yu, in his quest for knowledge and power, had plumbed the depths of this world. The ancient fortresses from the Age of Darkness had been his hunting grounds for the reagents of the Ancients were of superlative quality and their techniques unrivaled. Some yielded their power to any who could find the ruined remains. Others were death traps of the highest order that challenged any who entered. All of them contained at least some fragments of those black times. Great Battles against Demons had been commonplace then. Desperate last stands against the beasts, in some sense, had been routine.

In this case, the crystal was nothing special. In the depths of the world, there were other civilizations. Other languages. Other Empires. Even Crimson Crucible City had once been the seat of power for a powerful Lord, before they had sworn fealty to the Emperor. The knowledge of this was not even suppressed, but most did not care to look for it nor to remember the tragedy of the lost.

He had watched more than one Cultivator rise to the highest heights, and then fall from the top. To Shen Yu, these tales were boring in their tragic familiarity.

However… it was certainly a more complete story than the fragments he had discovered. The amount of Spirit Beasts had been intriguing. The battles had been fascinating. He had several new techniques he would have to test out, after watching it.

In the end the world broke. The Demons did not win… nor did they truly lose.

As the tale ended; as he found himself in a floating plane of blue, there was nothing extraordinary about this… save for the fact that it was the missing context. The root to why this province was as it was.

Xiaoshi himself had Shen Yu’s respect. The man had fought for his ideals. He ascended to the status of Emperor. He had crafted a civilization that was the peer of any Shen Yu had seen. He had realised the corruption in his soul—and he had taken the last steps to ensure that the demonic host had been defeated completely and utterly even as he lay dying.

In the end, he had failed… but he was the truest definition of a Martyr that Shen Yu could conceive of. He had fought the Demons of the Age of Darkness, and fallen in battle against them. For that alone, Shen Yu would endeavor to remember him as a comrade against the Demons, separated only by time and circumstance.

Tianlan, the Earth Spirit, was the other piece of the puzzle that was the Azure Hills. Truly, she was nothing Shen Yu had ever seen before. A Spirit who had gained a corporeal form; one who gave her power without restraint; who had found a new champion in Jin. Shen Yu did not wholly understand the relationship between Tianlan and his grandson, but it was likely that this path Jin walked was subtly different from the normal path of Shennong. This was no parasite, waiting for Jin’s death—the power of the Earth Spirit had been possessive of Jin, and likely would do anything to prevent his death, and behind it he could feel the little drops of love and affection she had had for him. It served to soothe the lingering worries over Tianlan.

It helped that she was the key to Jin’s plan.

The formation that had empowered her likely formed the basis of Jin’s own thoughts of ascending an entire land.

The last point of interest was in the Breaking, and what had happened to the land after Tianlan had been broken.

It was familiar.

There were other places that hungered for Qi, where the world was bleached bone white and with black sand. Where the hunger for life energy felt actively malevolent, rather than just… present.

It reminded him of the Deadzones. The Wastes.

The Wastes, it seemed, was where the Demons had won completely, and drained the land dry of all Qi, consuming their equivalent of Tianlan, their Earth Spirit dying. The Azure Hills was a place where they had almost succeeded. It was still lush and green, instead of devoid of all but the most hardy of life. That paradoxically made them stronger than the Azure Hills, as their inhospitality made them brutal proving grounds, the places rife with bandits and murderers honing themselves in the howling dark, and the most vicious of traps.

Was the darkness and dregs of Qi where the whole world would head if the Demons won? These places, the blackholes of Qi… were they what was causing the degradation of the world? Were the Earth Spirits some manner of lynchpin?Things did seem to be getting weaker, as the centuries dragged on, so slowly it was nearly unnoticeable. Were the wastes actively harming the world? Draining Qi into the bottomless, empty Dragon Veins, and harming the continent in its entirety? Holes left by consumed Earth Spirits, instead of something natural?

It was just a theory—And it was also the most valuable part of the crystal. He would have to speak to some colleagues about this. The rest of it?

Shen Yu was ambivalent about the past. He respected the power of the ancients. He gave their teachings and techniques due consideration.

But what was the point of obsessing over what one couldn’t change? The past was the past— what truly mattered was the future, and his own ascension. Perhaps, if Shen Yu had been a Noble Scion, he would have cared more about the ancients and the legacy that brought his family about. He was a street rat from Crimson Crucible City; his legacy started with him.

The Emperor certainly would be interested—and he would reward whomever brought him this knowledge handsomely.

Shen Yu’s lips twisted into a smile, imagining striding into the throne room and presenting Fengyan with a chicken to receive merits and honours.

Absolutely hilarious.

Shen Yu shook his head and glanced to the side, where a Spirit of blue light began to coalesce. He felt no ill-intent but rather excitement from the construct, and so did not dismiss it. Jin and Bi De had mentioned that there was an “annoying spirit” within this thing. As the spirit formed it gazed upon Shen Yu. Its eyes were bright and clear. It seemed to shudder and twitch, a wide grin spreading across its face.

“You, oh honoured one, have power overflowing.” The spirit began, as it gazed upon Shen Yu. “You are truly a cultivator of virtue and power. This Spirit asks of you—would you take up the mantle of Emperor of these lands?”

Shen Yu stared at the spirit. He considered its question. And gave the only answer he could to the construct.

“Of course not.” He said. Being Emperor was entirely too much work.

The spirit, so excited, wilted. Shen Yu shrugged. There was nothing else to say really, and Jin and Shen Yu’s newest disciple were awaiting his judgment on what to do.

Shen Yu extracted himself from the crystal. As his consciousness pulled away, he heard the spirit start to wail.

“Whyyyyyy—?!”

=====================================

It had taken a few hours for Shen Yu to complete his examination of the crystal—and when he returned to the world, his Grandson and his fine porcine maid already had refreshments available.

Tea and other victuals were assembled for him, and the Disciples of Fa Ram gathered: the Spirit Beasts, Meiling, and Cai Xiulan lined up at the table, ready to hear Shen Yu’s words the crystal.

Shen Yu rolled his shoulder and started things off.

“It was an interesting tale,” he said mildly as he took a sip of tea. “Most enlightening to the past of this province… but what was it that you require my assistance for, Grandson? Do you wish to be Emperor?”

“Hells no.” His Grandson replied immediately, his face scrunching up comically. Good. Shen Yu had already deduced Jin’s answer, but it was good to hear it. While this crystal would provide legitimacy to whoever held it… it was far from the only ancient crystal that promised power to whoever held it. Old cultivators, Demons sealed in rings, such objects were rife within the Empire. And this was the Azure Hills. Anyone who dared to rise up would be crushed the instant they tried to challenge the Emperor’s Authority.

If Jin’s ideals and aims were pure enough, Shen Yu may have joined in that challenge. As it was… eh. It was a moot point now.

“Then, what do you plan to do with it? Tweak the formation of the old Emperor? I may know some friends who may assist with it.” Shen Yu said as he picked up a confection.

Jin blinked. “Honestly, nothing, for the most part. It's an old story, and the past is the past.” He said. Shen Yu smiled at his Grandson. “We just wanted to know your thoughts on it, Gramps. In case this was bigger than we thought it would be, and if it was like some Heaven-shaking revelation or if it was useful against the Demons.”

Shen Yu mulled over the statement. “And if it did contain such insights? What would you do then?”

“Give it to the Emperor and let him deal with it?” Jin replied. “Or give it to the Cloudy Sword Sect. Anybody else more equipped than us, at least.”

Shen Yu nodded at the immediate answer. It was practical, if nothing else.

“Well. There is nothing urgent contained within, I can say that much. I will investigate a few things… but other than that, it's nothing world ending.”

There was a sigh of relief around the table. Bi De, however, seemed the most amused.

“It took me months to figure out this crystal, and in the end, so little comes of it.” The rooster shook his head.

“I would not say that.” Shen Yu replied. “I do know of some scholars who would be most interested in this.”

“Truly?” Bi De asked.

“Indeed. I would dare say that should you choose to show this to them, this journey is just beginning. It would be quite the adventure, even. Something to investigate while on the road.”

Bi De stoked his wattles, intrigued, while the rest of the animals murmured amongst themselves. The rat in particular seemed to be deep in thought.

“That actually goes in line with my other question, Gramps. Is there any way to copy the memories into another crystal?” Jin asked.

Shen Yu nodded. “Yes, it's relatively simple. I can show you how, if you wish. You would just need an empty memory crystal.”

Jin smiled slightly at the statement. “You know, I thought we would have to go on some kind of expedition to figure that out. The problem is getting enough memory crystals, I guess—”

Shen Yu tapped his storage ring. Six memory crystals fell out onto the table. Normally Shen Yu was against freely giving away such things… but well, these weren't exactly cultivation tools. It wasn’t cheating here as there was no lesson to be learned, simply a task that could be hastened and so was.

“Why would you need more than one? I can understand making a copy, but multiple?”

Jin turned to Cai Xiulan. The woman cleared her throat.

“Honoured Grandfather. It was our plan to return to the sects of the Azure Hills what had been lost to them, of the styles of their ancestors. The initial worry was that with only one existing copy; there would be infighting to gain possession of the sole record. With your aid and gift, there would now be multiple crystals, and thus the inclination to steal or hoard this knowledge will be significantly lessened.”

“And what is this in service of, young lady?” Shen Yu asked her.

“I’m going to unite the Sects of the Azure Hills.” She stated with absolute conviction. “This will be the first step upon that journey.”

“And why do you wish to unite the Sects of these hills?”

Her eyes flicked to Jin and Meiling, before they settled back on Shen Yu. “So that no tragedy like this… like the one I lived through, ever happens again.”

Shen Yu stared into those blue eyes… and nodded. “I see your conviction, Cai Xiulan.” Shen Yu said. “I approve of such ambition.”

To unite the Sects under Cai Xiulan, and by extension Jin.

It would truly be the entire province, dedicated to a single task. A single task, of raising the Azure Hills, while still protected by the Empire.

Shen Yu was pleased by her loyalty and motivations.

“Then I suppose this is resolved for now.” Shen Yu stated simply.

Thus the meeting adjourned. The disciples filed out, pleased that there was no threat that they had missed. The humans stayed and began to clear up the plates and tea with Pi Pa— at least until Jin’s son began to fuss and Meiling began to tend to him.

Shen Yu watched as Ri Zu tugged on Bi De’s feathers, and the two traveled outside for a private conversation.

Shen Yu himself headed to the living room, to sit and go over what he had learned, just to be certain he had not missed any detail.

He was pulled out of his musings as Jin sighed and flopped onto the other couch. “That went a lot easier than I thought it would.” Jin grumbled, “Man, why does this stuff always have to be so stressful…” His wife climbed up beside him, still cradling her son. Cai Xiulan took the other place, absently pulling out a board game.

Shen Yu was still slightly confused about Cai Xiulan’s relationship with his Grandson, but they obviously cared for each other. Sometimes good friends, sometimes brother and sister, and sometimes… well, he could just be seeing things.

He looked at Meiling’s purple eyes and freckles as she transferred her son to her hip and began to comfort her husband, her fingers pulling through Jin’s hair.

An Emperor, with eyes like baleful purple stars and freckles like constellations across the bridge of his nose.

He turned his gaze to the bountiful form of a dancer, Cai Xiulan, as she leaned against Jin in silent support.

A woman rallying an army to combat what may as well have been a god to them; a peerless artisan making a formation that would upended the heavens and the earth.

And if Shen Yu squinted, he could almost see a little golden form hanging off Jin’s shoulder. He could almost see a Spirit's angry glare.

“I’ll be with you. No matter what.”

And it was not just them. A Rooster, as pure as the moon. Two Pigs, a perfect and complimentary Taijitu. A Cat, who was a brilliant and filial daughter. A Rat, who was a diligent apprentice. A pair of brothers, loyal and true. A Dragon, generous and content as Shen Yu had ever seen. A Rabbit, burning like the sun, and a Snake equal to any master artisan. An Ox, dedicated to the blade; a Monkey, who dredged up the bounty of the earth. A Mortal, striving for his own form of immortality. Pearls, found in the muck of a broken land.

Truly, there was luck, and then there was luck.

If it was possible to ascend a province… Jin would be the one to do it.

Shen Yu let out a breath, and leaned back into the couch.

It was very comfortable.