---D-Day+112, Dherus 19th, Wednesday Afternoon---

---Jinshibo, Kung Fu Gym---

*blegh* *splat*

'Damn.  That had chunks in it.'

"Xingan!"  My yanese princess can get loud.  "She needs a physician.  Quick, follow me!"

My little china girl stands.  Splotches of blue inner disciple daoist robes are black now.  Caused by the fox girl's blood soaking in.  Said fox is next to her.  Kept upright by an arm held over Li's shoulder.

Oh, and Li calls me “xingan” because it means “heart and liver” in yanese.  Something you can’t live without.  Sweet, and gross.

Gotta admit though, want to kill some folks right now.  A little cathartic sprint of murder and mayhem.  Think I could take everyone here but the elders and maybe the twins.

Might be able to take them too.  If I use the skellies and golems in the hold.

'Some of you may not survive.  But that is a sacrifice I'm willing to make.'

Hey, bullying kids just brings out my inner murderhobo.  Yes, I’m an overprotective helicopter parent.  And fuck you Mrs Therapist.  My kids were not isolated and had friends.  You stuck up know it all delusional bitch.

"Xingan!"

Huh?

'Oh, yeah, the dying kitsune.  Come on buddy.  Focus.  Whoa, Little Li looks super upset.'

Nod to her.

"Right, sure."  I take kitsu, that’s her name now, from the princess and pick her up in a princess carry.  And getting blood on me.  Great.  "Let's go."

*viish*

Like pulling the plug in a full sink.  My living shadows spiral inward.  Draining back into me.  The oppressive aura follows them.  Shrinking until it's a steel sphere the size of a basketball again.

With the lockdown lifted, some disciples collapse.  Others spin to face me and assume martial stances.  Fists, swords, and spears, point my way.

Almost as quickly, my harem swarms in.  Surrounding me.  Protecting me.  Hands on swords, daggers, and wands.  Mana pressure builds.  Ready to unleash spellular destruction.  Glowing magic circles appear in front of hands or over heads.  The languages of the elementals circling in them.

Of course thanks to the wedding rings’ empathic link?  My massacre mood is felt by my four wives and three concubines.  Frankie is the first to call me on it.

“Master, reaping their lives will make joining their sect afterwards?  Difficult.”  She looks at the frog.  “Though one or two should be acceptable.”

Young master does not appreciate my priest-wife’s comment.  And replies with a sneering face.

“Geng duo nuren bu zhidao di difang.”

Can feel qi mustering as he prepares, even with a wooden sword, to use another technique.  Then a hand taps on his shoulder from behind.  It's the inner elder old guy from dinner last night.  Speaking softly but still loud enough for us to hear.

“Baohu ni bu hui.”

Which brings the young master up short as he does a double take and stares back at old guy.

[Touch of Menerva]

Chantless cast as they start arguing.  Old guy is calm but young master acts, well, incredulous.  Big Ji slides up next to me and begins translating.

“Disciple Huang insulted your harem and was going to attack.  Inner Elder Duan Xiuyon told him he would not support that action.”  More back and forth.  “The young master believes his clan would approve and punish the elder if he lets him die.  Elder Duan disagrees.”

*crack*

A frustrated Frog snaps the practice blade in two and throws the pieces to the ground.  Then storms out of the room.  Leaving everyone a bit stunned by his tantrum.

Old guy sighs, turns to me, and shakes his head.  Then speaks in tourinese.

“Unable to see Mount Tai.”  Another sigh.  “Please be warned, junfei, that the Huang clan is powerful.  They will seek compensation in blood if, xixi, when you kill him.”

Tilt my head.

“You don’t care?  Isn’t he your disciple?”

Elder snickers and waves a hand.

“Xixi.  Owed the Huang a favor.  Bringing him so he could chase his princess?  Repaid it.”  A sad smile.  “His father was a friend of mine.  Before demons killed him.”  Shrug.  “So a tiger really can beget a dog son.”

As we chat the atmosphere relaxes.  Other elders and disciples start barking orders.  Getting the recruits moving and training again.  Guess disciples being left in a bloody incapacitated state?  Isn’t that unusual a sight.

Little Li steps forward and bows while doing the daoist hand clasping thing.

“Esteemed Elder Duan.  I have refused Disciple Huang and will continue too.”  Glances my way.  “The rice is cooked.  Among the heavens and earth, I have found my place.”

[Embrace of Hygieia]

Another chantless cast as old guy smiles.

“Xiao Li, while this old man is happy the swan has found her flock?  That young master already feels he cannot live under the same sky as your junfei.”  Makes a helpless motion with his hands.  “His clan is just as determined.  There are things you do not know.  Troubles that have been hidden from-”

*blegh*

‘Really?  Ugh.’

Yep, fox girl bazooka barfed blood all over my chest.  So gross…

Princess panics.

"Sayuri!  Oh, w-we must find the ship's doctor!"  Turns back to old guy.  "Forgive us, elder, we must leave."

He nods as Li leads me out of the gym.  My entire wary harem in tow.  Rushing through hallways we go down another stairwell before entering a large room.

Much smaller than the gym.  It has several single beds with mosquito net like canopies.  

A middle aged man is going through drawers and shelves along the wall.  Outfitted like a Jinshibo officer, with a green top and big sleeves over brown pantaloons.

Two women in jacket robes are assisting him.  Taking notes on small chalkboards.

'Are they doing an inventory?'

But twenty people storming the room?  Gets their attention right quick.

"Yisheng!"  Little Li screams.  "Bangzhu ta!"

Doc drops the herbs in his hand and nearly falls off the stool.

His, uh, nurses recover first and guide me to a bed, where I lay kitsu down.  My yanese princess describes what happened with words and motions.

Mr Healer turns pale and begins grabbing medicines from small drawers.

While he's doing that the nurses strip kitsu.  Robes, wraps, bandages, even her loincloth.  All removed.  Exposing her condition.

'Holy shit.'

It's one thing to have [Super Senses] show you there’s damage.  Another to see it out in the open.  Lit by hanging lanterns, grates, and prism blocks in the walls.

Under the robes, bathed in yellow and white light, fox girl is a mess of welts and bruises.  Some even break through the skin.  Oozing pus or blood.

Angrily I turn on Little Li.

“Is this what I can expect from your mighty sect?!”

The yanese princess seems just as flabbergasted as me.

“I…  I don’t understand.  Wha?  Why did th-”

A voice from the doorway interrupts her.

“Because an opportunity is all her courage purchased.”

Don’t even turn around.  Shadows show kung fu queen and the twins at the door.  But I don’t really give a fuck about excuses right now.

“Opportunity?!”

Feel the shadows bubbling off me.  Their rage.  Yeah this world is shit.  Kind of obvious.  Doesn’t mean I agree with it.  Doesn’t mean I’ll put up with it either.

My women are ready for a fight again.  Unfortunately we got a slaughter blocker.  One Royal Princess Tiang Li Zexi.  Who is angry as hell too.

“Elder Baiyu!”  Points at kitsu on the bed.  “Explain this!”

Superwoman raises an eyebrow.

“An elder?  Explain herself to a disciple?  Are you sure-”

But Li isn’t in the mood to put up with bullshit.

“Elder!  As a Royal Princess of Yangxu, I have every right to an explanation.”  Clenching her fist.  “If not from you?  Then I can ask my royal father instead.”  Scowls.  “Which would you prefer?”

While their tiff is going on the doctor has already moved in.  Applying different ointments.  Rubbing in mixtures of crushed herbs.  Especially to the open wounds.

Kitsu grimaces in pain and clenches her teeth, but stays silent.

Baiyu pointedly glances at me.

“Is this a conversation you want to have… now?  And in his tongue?”

*ahem*

Attention shifts from the arguing girls to the doctor.  Who gently herds us away from fox girl.  Giving us at least a little privacy.

Nervously rubs his hands together.  Don’t have to be a mind reader to tell the news isn’t good.

“Shenghuo ta hui.”  Fuck.  Wrong language.  “Ci po dantian.”  Sad face.  “Canfei de.”

Big Ji with the save!  Hear her whisper behind me.

“The doctor says she will live but…”  A pause.  “Her dantian has been pierced.”

Look over my shoulder.

“So?”

Big Ji searches for the right words.

“Umm…  The lower dantian is where gathered qi is, uh, stored.  Without being able to store qi?”  Hands roll over each other.  “She might not even finish Body Refining.”  Shoulders droop.  “Sayuri’s dao journey is over.”

While Ji’s been explaining things to me.  Doctor, princess, and elder, have continued their conversation.  And from the expressions on the doc and Li’s faces?  The outlook is not good.

‘In for a penny.  In for a pound.’

Interrupt the doctor’s diagnosis.

“Baiyu.”  Twins bristle at me not including her rank.  “What did you mean by opportunity?”

Kung fu queen looks at the princess, who nods.  Then says one word to the doctor.  Considering how quickly he grabs the nurses and leaves?  I’m guessing the word was “scram.”

The twins follow the staff out and I feel a barrier go up.  Just like when I tried to snoop on them this morning.

Sensing the latest crisis has passed.  My harem spreads throughout the clinic.  Finding seats on beds, stools, tables and chairs.

The elder herself finds a stool and takes a load off.  While the princess and I choose to stay standing.  Big Ji remains close.

“Exactly what I said, junfei.  Disciple Yamabe showed a lot of courage approaching me.  Begging for a chance to join the North Jade Dragon Palace.”  Grins.  “Even after I explained all the ways she was courting death.”

“Courting death?”  I.R. Confused.  “How?”

Princess chimes in.

“Because, xingan, she… is not a beastkin.”  Eh?  “Sayuri is a Huyao.  A demonkin.”

Give her my best “what the fuck you talkin bout willis” look.

Kung fu queen continues.

“Junfei, Xiao Li is correct.  Huyao are a rare breed of demonkin.  They look like foxkin but are quite different.”  Her eyes get a twinkle of greed.  “One difference?  As they get stronger?  They grow extra tails.”

‘Shit.’

“Extra tails?”

Princess nods.

“Yes.  And those tails have very magical properties, xingan.”  Sighs.  “Some of the most potent pill and elixir recipes require Huyao tail.”

Start rubbing my forehead.

“How many tails?”

Baiyu tilts her head.

“How many, junfei?”

Nod.

“Yes, how many tails do they grow?”

The princess and elder share a confused glance before Li replies.

“There is a legend of a nine-tailed Huyao.  A calamity that nearly toppled the old empire before its death.”

My groan surprises both of them.

‘Fuck…  They really are kitsune.’

“Jon-kun?”

The way Hitomi says that makes it clear she’s thinking the same thing I am.

Japan.

One of the things the four japanese teens looked for after they landed in aquecia?  A Japan analog.  Someplace where they could speak their own language.  Where the local’s ways wouldn’t seem so… alien.

Well they didn’t find one.

Aquecia is some sort of Ancient Rome analog.  Tourin is an analog of medieval France.  Lustonia?  Sweden.  Even Luyan seems to be an analog of China.

Japan?  Nada.  Squat.

Combine the sort of japanese sounding name with her being a kitsune?  She might be from the place Hitomi and company have been looking for.

So I pop the question.

“Elder Baiyu.  This girl.  Where is she from?”

Kung fu queen tilts her head again.

“Junfei why…”  Stops and rethinks.  “Disciple Yamabe is from Nandao.  Uh, south islands.”

Hitomi and I share a look, and a silent promise.  A southern islands vacation is now in our future.

But first?

“So she deserves to be tortured like this because she’s a demonkin?”

Baiyu snickers.

“Xixi.  No, she deserves death because Disciple Yamabe is a demonkin.”  Lifts up one hand.  “The Huyao accepts torture because she wants to escape it.”

Princess Li is as confused as I am.

“Escape it, elder?”

Superwoman nods.

“Yes, Xiao Li.  Escape it.  Demonkin have demon qi.”  Shakes her head.  “Only death awaits in Luyan unless she suppresses it completely.  And physical… struggle, can speed one’s way through Body Refining.”  Glances at me.  “Well she doesn’t have to worry about that anymore.”

A glance I don’t miss.

“Is there no way to fix her dantian?”

A shrug in reply.

“Of course there is, junfei.  Expensive and rare medicines.”  Dismissively waves.  “Certainly not something anyone will waste on a Body Refining demonkin.”

‘You manipulative bitch!’

Narrow my steel grey eyes.

“And she agreed to this scheme?”

Li looks at me confused.

“Xingan?  Scheme?”

Keep my eyes on kung fu queen.

“Yep, scheme.  You told them what I was doing for the guild.  Right?”  She stutters trying to reply.  “It's okay, Li.  Don’t like to advertise but don’t mind folks knowing either.”  Rest my hands on the hilts of Tormentor and Sanctity.  “Figured they would want a demo.  Just didn’t expect them to go this far.”  Spit on the floor.  “What.  Couldn’t find a cripple so decided to make one?”

My little china girl wheels on Baiyu.

“Is this true?!”  The elder nods.  “How… could you?  Isn’t this just too cruel?”

The sect elder looks at Little Li with almost pity.

“Xiao Li, it was her only chance.”  Points at kitsu.  “Suppressing her demon qi is taking too long.”  A tender look.  “Sayuri wasn’t going to make it in time.”  Focuses on the princess.  “Especially since you shortened this voyage by months.”

‘Ouch, bet that hurt.’

And from my little china girl’s face going pale and mouth hanging open?  It did.

Shake my head.

“And what makes you think I can help?”

Baiyu snorts.

“You can restore limbs.”  Glances at Frankie and Hitomi.  “Even grant new bodies.”  Rolls her palm.  “Compared to that?  Purging demon qi?  Jushou zhi lao.”  Say what now?  “Uh, easy as lifting a hand.”

Sigh…

‘Goddammit.’

Ignore Little Li’s stuttering distraught attempt to ask me for help.  A glance tells her sister Ji what to do and the flustered yanese princess is put in a seat.

I’m next to the bed now and looking down at fox girl’s bare body.  Would put her furry level at borderline or semi.  Most of her body is bare skinned.  Except for her back, forearms, hands, shins, and feet.

The forearms have silky rusty red fur on the top and sides.  A strip of white on the bottom.  The tops of her hands have the same rusty red hair.  But the underside palms and fingers are bald.  The hair ends at the elbows.

Her shins are the same.  Rusty red fur starts at the knees and goes all the way to the toes.  The bottoms of her feet are bare.  And a white stripe goes from the back of the heel to the back of the knee.

Carefully roll her onto her side.

Kitsu’s back is similar.  From the top of her neck to the tip of a bushy tail is rusty red fur.  The tip itself though is white.  Following back under her tail is a strip of white.  Which ends at her butthole.

Back to her head.  Out of the top sides stick two pointed fox ears.  Rusty red fur on the outside.  White fur on the inside.  Her head of hair is also rusty red, straight, and a bit longer.  But doesn’t even reach her shoulders.

The fur is thick enough to hide the bruises under it.

Roll her back onto her, well, back.  Her orange slit pupil eyes are open and locked onto mine.

“Do you speak tourinese?”  I’ve completely spaced whether she does or not.  Her nose has the barest hints of a snout and whiskers.

Still staring deeply into my eyes she slowly nods.

“I don’t really know what I’m doing.”  Figure I should be honest.  “Pretty decent with flesh and bone but no clue on danitians, meridians, and such.”  Heave a sigh.  “I might kill you.”

Her eyebrows squinch.

“Y-you care?”

Gently touch her face.

“Of course.”  Tender eyes.  “As your physician.  I have the duty of care.”

A tear trickles down her face.

*sniff*

“Th-then *cough* doctor.  Place my f-fate in your hands.”

Sigh…

“Alright.”

*knock* *knock*

Eh?

The door behind me opens and a pain walks through.

“Hao xiangnian ta meiyou.”

A voice too high.  A body too tall.

‘Goddammit’

Kung fu queen faces the elf.  Feel qi stir in the air.

“Elder Qinxin.  You are not welcome here.”

Gold eyes and an angular face returns her gaze.

“Elder Baiyu.”  Bows and clasps hands.  “How could a seeker of life’s mysteries ignore such an event?”

She smirks back.

“By turning around and walking away?”

Their auras begin pushing against each other.

“The Danshao She offers its support to the Xinulong Zu.”

Elder Baiyu’s aura vanishes like a popped balloon.  Her face shocked.  Rendered speechless.

“X-xi?”

Rendered almost speechless.

“That is what you and your fellow conspirators want.  Is it not, Shou of the Xinulong Zu?”

Baiyu looks at me.

“For him?”  Disbelieving.  “You offer that much?”

An angular maniacal smile.

“That you cannot understand?  Shows how much farther you have to go.”

Superwoman still can't believe it.

"What do you me-"

*ahem*

Clearing my throat interrupts the two cultivators.

"Oi.  Could use some quiet here."  Look back down at kitsu.  "No fucking clue what I'm doing as it is.  Don’t need even more distractions."

The Leaning Tower of Elf pivots towards me.

"Forgive us, junfei.  I am merely here to observe."

I frown.

"Well don't fall over, Lurch.  Not sure the deck can handle it."

Baiyu's eyebrows go sky high but Qinxin just laughs.  High pitched male laughs are weird.

"Hihihi!"  Amber eyes twinkle.  "I will try not to.  As long as you try not to kill the crew, half-dead.  Zombies are terrible sailors."

'Huh.  Nice comeback, dickless.'

"No promises, hush."

Focus on fox girl.

"[Vision of Isis]"

Chant cast a spell to show what her insides used to look like.  Fingers crossed that for someone with meridians and dantians?  It will show them too.

'Bingo.'

The various astral pools and pathways light up.  Can see where the dantian's punctured by comparing the two.  Need to lean more on astral incantations. 

"[Aid of Ourai] [Needle of Wangmu] [Hand of Yaoshih] [Chiron's Fingers]"

Quad cast, with chant, chantless, and two signs.  Barely feel the ice pick going into my brain anymore.

Phase my fingers but this time instead of passing just through flesh?  They reach into her astral form.

‘Hmm…  Hope these two work.’

Have not used two of these spells before.  But their chinese sounding names and descriptions make me think these might be what I need.

‘Immortal foundry?  Psychometric restoration?’

Oh, forgot to wipe the demon qi.

“[Focused Purification]”

Slowly I stitch her dantian back together.  Then massage her meridians.  Squeezing out the demon qi.  But?  The taint is still there.  New qi seeping in is changing into demon qi.

‘Why?  Wait, didn’t someone say something about spirit roots?  Affects how much and how easily the types of qi get absorbed?  What if it changes qi too?  Let’s see…’  Page through my mental grimoire of [Recovery Magic].  ‘Hah!  This looks interesting.’

“[Eye of Yanguang]”

Below me, my vision of kitsu changes further.  More than just glowing astral organs.  Her spiritual guts are exposed and…  Well, a lot of it doesn’t make sense but?

‘There you are.’

Nestled in amongst the dantians and meridians is something that looks an awful lot like a root.  Can see where the surrounding qi is getting absorbed and what’s coming out the other side is…

‘Demon qi.’

How the fuck do I fix this.  Hmm…

*page* *page* *page*

I’ve gotten a lot more used to perusing the mental grimoire of [Recovery Magic] that angel tits shoved in my brain.  It’s still a shitload of spells to dig through and reads like the Handbook for the Recently Deceased.

‘Shit.  Nothing about changing a spirit root.  Maybe I can just…’

“[Focused Purification]”

Ever so slowly.  Ever so gently.  I begin kneading fox girl’s spirit root.  It’s resisting.  A lot.  So I channel more and more mana into the spell.

*crack*

‘Shit!’

“[Hand of Yaoshih]”

The split that opened in the black oily root begins to close.  As more and more of the spell and my mana soaks into the astral trunk.  It begins shifting to a dusky grey color.  Then to an ivory white.  And finally almost transparent.

‘Whew.’

The, uh, world qi is being absorbed faster now.  And what’s coming out is no longer demon qi.  In fact?  It doesn’t seem to have a type at all.

‘Hope that’s not a bad thing.’

Well, as long as it’s not the “kill her now” type qi?  She can learn to live with it.  I observe the clean qi begin moving through her meridians and collecting in her dantian.

‘Good.’  Nod to myself.  ‘No leaks.’

"[Embrace of Hygieia] [Touch of Menerva] [Hepius Weaving] [Caress of Dharti]”

Another quad cast as I move into taking care of her material body.  Spurring healing.  Stitching torn muscles and skin back together.  Reducing the swelling and bruising.

“[Breath of Airmed] [Airmed's Hands]”

Move into cooling and soothing kitsu’s nerves and skin.  By the end she looks downright normal again.  Totally naked and a semi-furry but, otherwise, normal.

Use my cleaner spell on her clothes.  Notice Margo and Ferra, my winged shadow oracles, had manifested and were sharing their senses and mana with me.

Send them my gratitude and they smile back at me.

‘Ha.  Even my ghost women are amazing.’

Look down and see fox girl still staring up at me.  The tears have stopped.

“How are you feeling?”

She’s hesitant to reply.

“A-are y-you a g-god?”

And how do we answer that question?

“Yes, yes I am.”

“Pffft.”  Not helping Hitomi!

Fox’s eyes sparkle.  “Okay,” is all she says as she pulls my right hand to her cheek.

*sniff* *lick*

‘Awe, that’s cute.  Like she’s a puppy learning my scen-’

*chomp*

“Ow!”

Jerk my hand back and see teeth marks.  Not missing any fingers, but I’m bleeding.

‘The bitch bit me?’

---

Duan, Xiuyon (male, human, yanese)

• 5’7”, 200 years
• Beyulongong sect
  • Neimen Lao (Inner Elder)
• Daoist
  • Ninling (Spirit Condensing)
  • Zhongqi (Middle-stage)
• Old guy