As I open my eyes, I'm immediately greeted by the fat sour face of Hàorán.

  “Good, you're awake. Although I do enjoy your sleeping face, I'm afraid I wouldn't get quite the same reaction if you weren't.”

  Reaction? Reaction to what? And why can't I move? I try to shake off the drowsiness, but I still can't seem to move my arms or legs.

  “W-what?”

  Hàorán's lips stretch over his teeth In a twisted grin

  “Ah, nothing much. Merely a small test.”

  Searing pain fills my left hand. The one previously burnt to a crisp.

  “What… are you… doing?”

  Hàorán ignores my words as anger fres up in his sunken eyes.

  “This damned pearl! I made it! Why did it choose you! Just because you stole it?!”

  Hàorán pulls back his fist, his fingers curled over something with an odd glint. It’s only a moment after I recognize that glint as the shine of sharpened steel, that my hand erupts in agony once again.

  My eyes stretch wide in bloodshot crity as my arms and legs strain at their bindings. Before I can even so much as scream Hàorán forces a pill into my mouth. The pain clears up for only a moment before the knife carves into my flesh once again.

  Minutes turn into hours as Cold steel ravages the inside of my arm and hand, until Hàorán loses his patience, and finally, in vitreolent rage he leaves, cursing as he punches at walls and anything else that moves.

  Left lying on the cold floor of my cell, It’s all that I can do to drag myself up to the wall and y my head back as my consciousness fades.

  . . .

  It had been many years since I’d lost the gift of sight. The darkness of night pervaded my every waking moment. I lived for the restful dreams that carried the remembrance of sight.

  Recently however, the same dreams that had once comforted my worn and weary mind, had been far from peaceful. Dreams of pain and suffering beyond mortal measure. Of one who lives beyond the end of life, and exists in nothing short of torture. Of prison cells buried beneath the earth, and of the hellscape of corpses that rot there. On this particur day, I wake early and find my way toward my Peak elder.

  “Master. I have come”

  “Indeed? I almost missed it. Despite watching you walk in.”

  “... Your smug tone does not befit your position Master”

  “Mmm… It is as you say child”

  “I’m not here for banter Master. Lately my dreams have been… concerning”

  “Oh? Speak. Tell me about these dreams.”

  I shuffle back and forth a little as I carefully assemble my words.

  “I have dreamed of a young woman with long white hair, imprisoned beneath the earth, and of a pig-like man with sunken brown eyes, and a twisted grin.”

  I knew the breathing of my master well, and the sudden pause between his breaths did not escape my notice.

  “For being blind it often amazes me how well you see, child.”

  . . .

  Slowly, my eyes flutter open.

  “Xiu, XIU! By the Dao granddaughter, what do I call you?!”

  I groan and sit up, while my head spins.

  “Just a moment Grandfather… I…I need a moment.”

  I sit up as straight as I can, and begin cultivating again. As I take in Qi, and direct it to my arm and hand, I feel the weeping wounds draw closed.

  “I’m ok Grandfather. I suppose… you can call me Yī”

  As I circute my Qi, I find something odd. The manual I stole cimed that I would find blockages, but I had yet to find one at all.

  Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that my body was made out of ink and cked any blood? Or maybe it was that I had only been brought into this world mere days ago and simply hadn’t had time to develop any impurities.

  Whatever the case may be, this step of the Foundation establishment stage was about as easy as it could be, even with the leftover pain in my arm.

  While I cultivated, Grandfather coached me from his cell. Handing out pointers here and there, but otherwise simply watching me in amazement.

  “Xiu was never able to cultivate you know? Her body was naturally sickly, and she never could muster the strength to push herself. It’s quite jarring to see you do it so easily.”

  I smiled slightly at the praise, but continued to cultivate without a word.

  “Perhaps this gives us a chance however… If Hàorán didn’t know you could cultivate either, then it expins why he hasn’t put Qi blockers around your cell. You may be able to break out if you reach the Body tempering stage.”

  “What do I need to do to reach the body tempering stage? Just clear all my meridians?”

  Chen ughed.

  “If only it were so easy. Once you have your meridians open and clear, you'll need to undergo a tribution. A small one, but a tribution nonetheless”

  I tilted my head slightly in confusion.

  “Tribution?”

  “Indeed. One of two. Either a heavenly lightning tribution, or heavenly bck lightning depending on how well you've established your foundation.”

  Grandfather stroked his thin beard while he spoke.

  “Tribution is effectively the heavenly Dao testing you to see if you are worthy to approach the Dao. If your foundation is merely passable, you will receive a heavenly lightning tribution. If the great Dao likes you, you might get heavenly thunder too, but that's quite rare.”

  “If your foundation is perfect however you may receive heavenly bck lightning. Much more dangerous, but it's been known to carry down gifts if the Great Dao takes interest in you.”

  “Would that happen to me?”

  “...”

  “...”

  “Wait, you were serious?!” “Listen, The Dao hardly likes anyone among the human race, and he's the one who created them! As far as he's concerned, anything not human is an abomination to his order! If anything he acknowledges strength so if you were literally perfect he might, MIGHT give you lightning and thunder, but I wouldn't count on it.”

  Ouch… That hurts to hear, but I suppose it's better if I'm let down early.

  Grandfather's face softened slightly as he watched my expression fall.

  “You may be an exception however.”

  I shook my head and pushed the negative thoughts away.

  “I could be an exception? How?”

  Grandfather narrowed his eyes and resumed stroking his beard

  “You are Xiu’s creation, and humans are The Dao's creation. He may see you as human by extension. Don't count on it though.”

  Even as Chen turned away I could see a touch of red on his cheeks.

  He was trying to comfort me. The thought brought a little smile to my face.

  “I'll do my best Grandfather. For Xiu’s sake as well as my own.”

  SorisBckwinter