I gasp for air as the illusion around me breaks. I fall against the wall of my room, dropping my flute to the floor. I use the wall for balance as something changes within my spirit.

After the feeling within my spirit passes, I lean my back against the wall and close my eyes.

Even the Patriarch hadn’t come close to the power I felt within that man. It was inexhaustible, terrifying, and truly magnificent. Part of me is in awe, while the rest of me wants to run as far away from it as possible.

I hug myself as I focus on my breathing. As my breathing calms, so does the rest of my body, my muscles loosening and my heartbeat slowing to a normal pace.

Teng Zhu, the creator of The Twelve Requiems of Illusion, made me his successor. I know what that means, but something tells me that there is more to it beyond the obvious. His words had an effect on the spirit within me, but I am not skilled enough to tell what that effect is.

I take one last shuddering breath in, then out. I open my eyes, and step away from the wall, picking up my flute from where I’d dropped it.

I carefully examine it, checking for any damages. I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if I’d harmed my instrument.

I sigh with relief as I hug the unharmed flute to my chest. It was my mother’s last gift to me, and I think something inside of me would’ve broken if I’d harmed it.

Still holding the flute to my chest, I fall into my bed.

I close my eyes as I try to remember my mother’s face, her laughter and her own beautiful music.

I fall asleep with a small smile.

***

I stretch in my bed as I wake up the next morning, enjoying the feeling of the covers on my skin.

I leisurely get my martial robes on, feeling better than usual.

Once I’m completely dressed, with my sword at my side and my flute in the pocket of my robe, I open the door to leave my room.

The servant who stays near our rooms is sweeping the floor with an old broom. I nod to her as I pass her by, startling her.

I don’t go towards the Martial Masters for training, instead continuing on down a now well-worn path.

Tai Qiu sits meditating peacefully next to the portal that has ethereal chains covering it. I bow to her as I enter the clearing.

She opens her eyes, observing me thoughtfully. “I’ve been speaking with Elder Li Mei Wu.” She says, standing up. “We have been speaking of your position as my unofficial disciple, and I fear that I have been failing you.”

I look at her in surprise. “You haven’t been failing me Senior Sister. Without your guidance, I wouldn’t have made any progress with Spirit Cultivation.”

Tai Qiu shakes her head. “I haven’t been giving you the attention or training you deserve.” She holds out her hand, and qi flows into one of her rings creating a small black portal to her side. She reaches in, and pulls out a blade with writing going down its length. The blade looks to be made of… paper?

“You have been practicing your sword arts here in this clearing. Let me see what progress you have made.” She says calmly, her sword held to her side.

I hesitate for a moment, before bowing again. “I look forward to your guidance.”

Tai Qiu smiles sharply, her eyes taking on a look I’ve never seen from her before. “Come.”

I draw my sword and enter a stance for The Whispers of The Silent Raven. I step forward my movements as quick as I can make them,

She blocks my first strike, twisting my sword away until the tip of her blade is at my throat. “You use two very different sword styles Junior Sister.” She says as my eyes focus on the blade still at my throat. “The style you just used is meant for tricking and quickly killing your opponent, but you use it too forcefully. I could read your movements as if they were an open book.”

I step back, thinking on her words. I switch to a stance from The Roars of The Ruinous Dragon. My strike is powerful, and doesn’t open up my defences.

She steps to the side, her sword catching mine and moving the force of my blow away from her. Her sword quickly moves, the flat side hitting my arm and forcing me to drop my own weapon.

“You are an amatuer of both styles Jia Lin, do not switch between them until you are confident in your abilities in both.” Tai Qiu picks up my weapon and holds it out to me. “Return to the style you first faced me with. Once you are decent with it, we can move to the other style.”

“Thank you Senior Sister.” I say, grabbing my weapon.

“Hard times will come for you Junior Sister.” Tai Qiu says as I get into a stance from The Whispers of The Raven. “When those times come, I want you to thrive in them.”

I lower my head in thanks before moving forward again, my movements swift.

Tai Qiu easily blocks my every move, criticizing my technique and telling me what I’m doing wrong as I do. Every time she attacks, the flat of her blade hits me, reminding me of what could be my death nearly every time.

After a long time of this, Tai Qiu calls for a break motioning for me to have the water I’d brought with me.

She puts her sword back into the strange portal, and I sheathe mine.

I gulp the water I brought with me gratefully.

A motion from Tai Qiu brings my attention back to her.

“It is time I ask you this.” Tai Qiu says as I rest in the grass. “What technique do you cultivate, Jia Lin?”

Jing Xia’s warning about the dangers of telling those you don’t trust about your cultivation technique comes to mind. I look at Tai Qiu, who watches me back patiently.

“I cultivate The Twelve Requiems of Illusion, Senior Sister.” I tell her.

Tai Qiu furls her eyebrows in thought, before activating her ring with qi and reaching back into that strange portal. She pulls out a book and starts flipping through the pages.

I walk closer, curious what she’s looking for. With a snap, she closes the book, a strange look in her eyes as she looks up at me. “It seems, that you have gotten your hands on quite the treasure. The Twelve Requiems of Illusion is not listed as a cultivation manual at all, it was supposed to be in the music section of the library.”

I frown, “What does that mean?”

“It means that your cultivation technique was able to hide itself even from the patriarch’s eyes.” Tai Qiu looks at me excitedly. “Can you use one of the spells from it on me?”

I nod, and grab my flute. I look at her, waiting for her permission before I start one of the Requiems.

The First Requiem: The Field of Blood

My song is deep and dark, it’s notes filling the air around us with weight.

Blood covers the ground as men and women kill each other.

Tai Qiu observes the illusion calmly, her sword appearing in her hands almost by instinct.

As the battle draws to a close, the two last warriors fighting each other and dancing to my music, Tai Qiu speaks.

“Have them fight me.”

I pause, the illusion almost shattering.

Then the music continues as I try to follow her orders. One man kills the other, then turns to Tai Qiu, raising his sword. Tai Qiu calmly meets him, her sword matching his blow for blow. To my surprise, the man deflects her sword and goes for a killing blow.

Qi bursts out of Tai Qiu, throwing the man and I back, breaking the illusion.

Pain fills me as the requiem is forcefully stopped, my qi burning from the disruption.

Tai Qiu immediately appears at my side, gently holding me as I grit my teeth from the pain. “Forgive me little one. I went too far.” She says, her qi gently entering my body to calm the rampage of my own qi.

I close my eyes, my breath ragged.

Her arms hold me as the pain slowly starts to go away.

I bury my face in her robe, trying to endure the last of it.

When my qi is once again calm, I let out a breath of relief.

“I-I am sorry.” Tai Qiu’s voice catches.

I wrap my own arms around her and hug her to me, my face still buried in her robe.

She holds me and I don’t want to leave her embrace. Her smell reminds me of my mother.

After some time, Tai Qiu pulls away. “I shouldn’t have used my qi like that. I’m sorry Junior Sister.”

“I-it’s alright.” I respond, wiping tears away from my face. “Now I know what happens when a Requiem is forcefully broken.”

“It isn’t alright.” Tai Qiu says, placing her hand on my head in comfort. “But thank you for forgiving me.”

I look up at the slowly darkening sky and stand up. I bow to Tai Qiu “Will I be able to return to our lessons tomorrow?” I ask, hoping that she will say yes.

Tai Qiu looks up at me from where she still sits on the ground. “For as long as you’ll have me as your teacher.”

I smile at her. “I look forward to it, Master Tai Qiu.”

I look around to find my flute in the grass a few feet away from us, miraculously unharmed.

I pick it up gratefully, wiping it off with my sleeve.

I look over at Tai Qiu, who is silently staring off into the woods, then back towards the path leading away.

With a sigh, I sit down into the grass and bring the flute to my lips.

Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath and start to play. It’s another song of my mother’s, emotional and hard to play.

The music speaks of a new life, beauty rising from the ashes of destruction.

I open my eyes.

Tai Qiu watches me, her mouth slightly ajar. Qi flows from me into my music.

We both watch as plants grow from the ground and the trees, blossoming into beautiful blue and violet flowers.

The song ends, but the illusion of the flowers stay.

“Will you formally accept me as your disciple, Master Tai Qiu?” I ask quietly, unable to meet her eyes.

“I will.”

I blush, not looking at Tai Qiu as I hurriedly stand up and walk away. It was presumptuous of me to ask that. She’s supposed to ask me, not the other way around. I got caught up in the moment.

Still, she said yes.

I’m happy she said yes.

I hold my flute to my chest as I hurry back. I’m supposed to meet with Jing Xia and Ming Lai for dinner.