“Alright then, breathe in deeply now and hold your breath,” Hisai directed me.

  I did as he said. We were sitting side by side on the edge of the cliff next to the waterfall. When he said he wanted to come up here to show me some things, I felt like I was in a Jackie Chan movie.

  “Focus on your surroundings, take in the sounds of the waterfall, the smells of the woods. You want to focus on everything around you in the world,” he instructed as he motioned around to our surroundings.

  It was hard not to ignore the sounds of the waterfall with where we were sitting. Not that we heard the crashing sounds I assumed it sounded like at the bottom. Up here, the sounds of the rushing falls were just a nice backdrop. It was early afternoon, and the sun was beating down on me. It was already too hot for my comfort, and sitting here in these robes wasn’t making it any better.

  We were on a little grassy area next to each other, facing the sun in a lotus position. Let me tell you, this position isn’t the easiest as someone who has a bit of a gut like I did. Nevermind the fact I never stretched or did any physical activity.

  “So you don’t have a path, hm?” He asked.

  “I’m not sure…” I responded after I opened my eyes and looked at him.

  He shook his head. “You aren’t breathing properly anymore. Look forward, eyes closed. Answer when you’re able to in the breathing's rhythm.”

  I went back to breathing how he showed me. In deep and hold exhale halfway, inhale and hold and then exhale completely.

  “So, you don’t have a path, yet you have a core and more than a little power,” Hisai said, and I could feel that cold tingle that told me he was inspecting me.

  “There is something odd about your core though, it’s like its….” He paused for a moment, searching for the world. “Incomplete?”

  I had just turned my head and look at him when he held a finger up at me. “Breathing,” he commanded.

  I closed my eyes and looked forward once more before I resumed my breathing. “So, what does that mean?” I asked him when I was able.

  I heard him make a soft ‘hm’ noise before he responded. “I don’t know. Does cultivating hurt? Or if you use a technique?”

  I thought about it as I concentrated on the breathing pattern and at one of the spots where I held my breath. I responded again. “I don’t think so.” Granted, I’m not sure I ever really cultivated, but it didn’t hurt when I tried to use that messaging stone.

  “Have you cultivated? You must have. You’re far along your path,” he said. I didn’t say anything. It seemed more like he was talking to himself than me. He was trying to work out his thoughts as he worked on figuring me out.

  “You don’t have an element,” he continued musing to himself and I listened while I worked on my breathing.

  “You have a spirit beast, don’t you?” He asked.

  I stayed quiet and breathed and after several moments he said something. “You’re supposed to answer that question.”

  I blinked and stared at him. “Sorry, yes, I do. Betsy, she’s a lightning beast.”

  “Interesting, interesting…” He said and nodded his head in thought.

  I blinked and looked him over. “So how do I cultivate?”

  Hisai’s face brightened with the question, and he poked a finger up once more. “Well, that’s quite easy. While you’re doing your breathing exercises, you reach out with your spirit. You reach out into the aether and pull aura into your body. If you’re somewhere where your element is strong, you’ll cultivate quicker. If it’s weaker then your spirit will convert the aura, it just takes longer.”

  He frowned once more and went back to his thoughts. “But you don’t have an element, so you can’t really convert aura or even find your particular element to cultivate, but you have a core.”

  “Uh..” was all I could really say. Cultivating in this world was a lot like in the books I used to listen to. That’s how I thought it would be, but it’s nice to have it confirmed by one of the masters on the subject.

  He shook his head. “No, now isn’t your time to talk again.”

  I blinked and looked back forwards and went to count my breaths.

  “Come, let’s go have some tea. We can discuss your plans and why you came to see us so soon,” the young master said and climbed to his feet in one fluid movement.

  Unlike him, it took me some grunting and groaning and a few minutes to get to my feet. Once I was standing and adjusted my robes, I looked at him. He looked awestruck.

  “Are you sure you’re a cultivator? Do you have some trick to make it look like you have a core? That might explain why you don’t have an element as well,” Hisai said, flabbergasted.

  “I… what?” I blinked and grabbed my stomach.

  “I have a core,” I said indignantly as I grabbed my stomach.

  Or well, a skeleton god guy told me I had one, but judging from Soga’s reaction when I told him that, I didn’t think I should tell Hisai.

  “Hm,” was all he said and turned and walked away from the stream.

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  I followed him down the side of the mountain and listened to the sounds of the woods. This entire area was just peaceful. I couldn’t get over it and completely understood why this was a sect of hippies. I snorted and thought, The Glorious Dudism Sect.

  It didn’t take us long to get back down to the wooden structures and into the main building. We walked in the open layout of the very main building and there was already a small table setup with a teapot and some cups. As soon as we sat down, a servant came over and poured us some of the tea.

  “So, tell me what you had in mind?” Hisai said with a smile after he took a small drink.

  I nodded my head and tried to think of the best way to explain what I wanted. “Do you have some paper and a pen?”

  Hisai blinked at me. “A pen?”

  “Something to write with?”

  Hisai looked at me for a moment with a cocked brow before he slowly turned his head over and waved over the servant. In just a moment, I had some parchment and a pencil, though I was unsure what they called it and why he looked at me so weird.

  It took me only a few minutes to draw out what I had in mind. I crudely drew the joint, very badly, that would mimic the way a semi truck turns. Before I could say anything, Hisai reached across the table and dragged the piece of paper over to him so he could see it better.

  “How interesting,” he said as he thought it over.

  “This way–”

  “You can have basically two wagons, and the second could be longer? But you’d still be able to make tighter turns in the narrow streets of the small villages and busier cities,” he interrupted me.

  “Yes, the front wagon will be like my living area. That way, I’ll be able to do longer journeys and deliveries and won’t have to stay in an inn or anything,” I offered.

  “Mhm,” he paused and then stood. “Come on, let’s go meet with the craftsmen. See if they can do it. You’ve had enough tea, yes?” He asked, as he was already out of the room.

  “I, uh…” I scramble to my feet and follow him. I have had enough tea, actually. The people here love to sit and drink tea, first Nakayasu, then Nenshoki, and now Hisai.

  He led me through the back of the main building that was their sect. We even went through one of the smaller mountains that led to more of the sect. There was water that dripped around our feet and I ran my fingers along the cool, wet walls of the cave. I smiled at the musty smell as I saw the literal light at the end of the tunnel.

  “We just walked under the waterfall. It took our sect a long time and had to use many costly enchantments to get through. Probably goes against the whole ‘staying harmonious with the world’ thing we have going, but…” Hisai trailed off and even made little quote marks with his fingers when he talked.

  I nodded my head as we walked along wooden walkways they had built to level the rocky terrain. As we got closer to a new set of small buildings, I heard grunts and slapping noises from the larger of the buildings. I cocked my brow and looked over at it. I could swear I knew some noises that were emanating from the building.

  “Hey Hisai?”

  “Don’t worry, we’re almost there. I’m taking you to the head of the craftsmen. He’ll be able to tell us if we can do it,” Hisai told me.

  “No, what’s that noise?”

  We just walked past the entrance to the wooden steepled roof building and I peeked into the open doorway. I stood there and looked in wide eyed and slack jawed.

  “Do you not know what sumo is?” Hisai asked as he peeked over my shoulder.

  I didn’t even really hear him. Instead, I walked into the building and watched. These men performed sumo wrestling, but they certainly weren’t built like typical sumotori. They were, well, they looked more like young masters from your xianxia book. Well built, lithe figures who seemed they’d be more at home running a marathon than doing sumo. They were wearing the mawashis the sumotori wore, and it was a little odd seeing them on such smaller people.

  “Can I help you?”

  I was watching two people crash at their initial tachi-ai and grapple and didn’t hear the voice. I didn’t even realize anyone was talking to me until he was in my face. Eyebrows raised, and I took a few steps back towards the door until I bumped into Hisai.

  “What’s that? I’m sorry I was watching…” and I pointed at the ongoing match.

  I felt Hisai’s fingers grip my shoulders, and I looked up to the grizzled man who stood at least a head taller than I did. If I didn’t know any better, he was definitely straight out of a US Military recruitment poster. Or well, back in his hey–day he could have been. He was still in shape, just the salt and pepper beard gave away some of his age. The eyes, as well. There was something about the dark eyes that told me the kind of life the man had lived. Not only lived, but saw things that most people wouldn’t be able to handle.

  “Elder Hisai,” the man said stiffly, and gave an awkward bow. “Welcome to our dohyo.”

  Hisai stepped to the side of me and returned the bow to the man, though his was a lot more fluid and natural. Hisai even flourished it a bit with a hand extending in the air behind him and one at his stomach.

  “Maikeru, this is Jonii. He’s the head of our sect sumo club, he comes from…” Hisai trailed off and looked at me. “Well, somewhere closer than you, but I have a feeling you two have some things in common,” Hisai said.

  How the hell does he get to be Jonii, but I change into Maikeru?! An eye twitched a little at the thought and then I bow to Jonii. “Good to meet you Jonii, where are you from? You seem, uh…” I trailed off, not quite sure how to end the sentence.

  “Yes, he is rather intense. Especially for a mortal. That’s why we recruited him, though. He’s traveled the world, probably one of the few people who actually has. Has learned many martial techniques and with the new information we’ve learned, we figured we should pick him up,” Hisai explained.

  Jonii grinned and nodded to the elder as he looked at me.

  His stare kind of made me feel uncomfortable. It wasn’t that he was looking at me, it’s that he was looking through me. I’d rather he was sensing my spirit than this. Jesus. Trying to stop thinking about it, I looked over at Hisai. “What did you learn from the sumo wrestlers?”

  I noticed Jonii’s grin disappear, and he glared at me.

  Hisai just raised a finger to his lips. “Mums the word, my boy.”

  I sat and watched the sumo practice for a while. Hisai sat next to me. Jonii was a very hands-on coach and got in there often with the cultivators. I was dismayed to see so few pusher thrusters in the group. It was my favorite kind of sumo to watch. I’m sure even though these guys were smaller than your average sumotori, they had to have a lot of power behind them. They were cultivators, after all.

  It made sense, though, considering who they were learning from. Jonii seemed like way more of a technical wrestler. He focused on grappling and belt work and, while it usually made for a good match full of more nuanced wrestling. It was fun to just watch someone clobber someone else. He really focused on grappling, and I could see how he had the background, like Hisai said.

  “So, how does sumo relate to cultivating? What did you learn from them?” I idly asked Hisai as we watched.

  Hisai frowned and looked over at me. “Didn’t I say mums the word?”

  I looked at him with a cocked brow and a grin. “Alright, sorry,” I say before I look back at the matches.

  “I’m sorry, my friend, I would like to tell you. We should share cultivation and knowledge with everyone, but…” He trailed off and motioned out at the sect. “Sect secrets and I’m sworn to secrecy.”

  I nodded and told him that I understood. It figured a sect would keep some secrets from outsiders about their various techniques or paths or whatever they called them in this world.

  we’re gonna take a break from the main story and have some Halloween episodes this weekend (don’t worry it’s Michael’s pov).

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