“Find claims that are important if true, and might be true.” https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/ii4xtogen7AyYmN6B/learning-by-writing

It was the first time that Fa Za had trained these cultivators. In fact, to Jessica it seemed like the first time that he’d trained anyone.

He had no command voice. His words were blustery, filled with nonsense sayings that were opaque even to Jessica. Did he know anything? It was unclear. In fact in the strictest terms possible, Jessica wasn’t certain that he’d ever had to explain anything ever to anyone. In other words, despite his ability, he was useless as a leader.

Still, it was entertaining, and she’d stifled a laugh or two, especially when it was clear that he never paid attention.

“The dao dictates that as the cultivator must rise to the heavens, so must their martial prowess,” he said, clearly trying to emphasize a point, “And as such we must master the basics of combat, and throw ourselves with abandon against our enemies.”

She tuned back out, even as the boy he’d apparently befriended sat in rapt attention. He at least seemed to be following along.

Part of Fa Za’s deal with Jessica had been that she’d requested that he speak to her students about cultivation and what he knew.

She didn’t need lectures about cultivation theory, which is what he’d had in droves. It seemed like he’d read a lot about it, but was unable to give them a bottom line on what was useful and what wasn’t.

There was a difference between gathering information, which Fa Za had a lot of, and being able to generate a bottom line.

Sure it was nice to speak about the heavens, heaven's mandate and the Dao, but in the end all of that was woo if you couldn’t put it into practice.

Additionally, he didn’t separate the claims that were important if true and those that might be true. In essence, she’d allowed him to blow hot wind to her students for an hour.

This was the entire opposite of what she’d wanted. So when he broke them all for tea, she came to speak to him.

“Fa Za, this is great and all, but I think you’ve lost them in the theory of things. Do you think that you could help me lead some of them in a practical exercise? I was thinking that we could find a spiritual beast and take it down as a group. It would be an honor if you could help me find a suitable target.”

Fa Za looked at her. To others, he had a blank expression, but to her, well he tended to look confused.

Confused at why she would be looking directly at his eyes. Honestly, she was getting tired of the deference, even as she liked being in charge.

She didn’t need a school of yes men.

It was apparent that he did. He seemed lost in her eyes before he snapped back into it.

“Ah, that would be a wonderful idea! A combat exercise, allow me to see if there is…. Oh there is.”

Fa Za leaped from the center of the stone training grounds to the nearest wall. Jessica followed, once again landing nimbly.

He pointed, she reached out with her spiritual senses.

Somewhere far out in the wilderness, he’d sensed something. Even from behind the wall, and well into the center of the school. She’d not been able to do that herself.

She would have to ask him how he’d done it but then she saw his face.

“It’s going to be too easy for the likes of us,” he said.

“Easy is good! We’re trying to advance them,” Jessica said, gesturing back to the students. Her wild pantomime made her yak fur overcoat fly up, then flap in the wind.

She didn’t need it, but kept it as a reminder that it was actually cold. Cold, but not the end of the world. It was like those vestigial ears flaps on those russian hats. One could love them but know that they looked silly at the same time.

“That… makes a bit of sense then, so it does.”

Fa Za was lost in contemplative thought as he looked out beyond the safety of her walls.

“So then, let’s take it down as a group,” Jessica said.

Five minutes later the group was running towards the demon, with one of the spear specialists out front. Ki No, one of the most promising junior disciples was a journeyman with a spear. He was also a master cultivator.

Ki No had taken notes directly from Fa Za, with his sister Ah Le. She, equally skilled with a spear, had wisely chosen to let him try to be the first to use the spear in combat. To Jessica, though it gave Ah Le more of a king waiting for the royal taste tester vibe.

Behind him, twenty cultivators, a mix of scouts and second realm cultivators, to include two aunties trailed behind. Their methodical steps left little trace on the ground as they moved to encircle the beast. Another fire chicken, this was at least a third realm equivalent, according to Fa Za. Jessica was sure that with his help it would be simple, if not easy.

The cultivators fanned out into a large circle.

The new tactic that they had prepared for was the circle slowly closing in as Ki No engaged the beast, then using the circle, they would draw in and cycle their qi into him through Jessica at one side of the circle, and Fa Za at the other side.

He’d been intrigued by this idea and it hadn’t taken Jessica much convincing as he ran out to the left flank assuming a position about ten meters away from the nearest cultivator on each side.

As they got into position, Jessica saw that Ki No was in the fight of his life.

Already closing in, Ki No jabbed with the demon spear, keeping it close to his body. The demon chicken nimbly sidestepped.

Landing on fresh snow, the steam shot up, obscuring her view.

Jessica cursed, switching to her spiritual senses.

Calmly the spiritual beast cycled, then lashed out with a barrage of pecking.

Ki No, blocked the pecks one at a time in a furious retort. The demon spear sounded like it was laughing with each peck.

“Oooh that tickles! Do it again! Oooh! You can’t hit any harder, can you? I bet you can’t!

The pair disengaged and Jessica took one large step forward, closing the gap. Seeing her move in, both of the cultivators next to her stepped in. She cycled her qi through her core connecting it to Ki Nos.

As soon as she sent it over, she could see the difference. Through the misty steam, he turned to watch the chicken as it alternatively looked at the circle then back at Ki No.

If the beast had been offended by the demon spear, it appeared to not care.

It whirled back at Ki No, pushing him back. His feet left a large steaming mess, a clear path through the packed snow as the circle reformed a slight bit closer.

The qi came in strong as Ki No pushed off the ground, flying into the chicken. The two rolled into a heap of snow and steam as he tried to land a blow.

Finding no purchase, to his surprise he lost his footing and fell prone.

The chicken was on him instantly, ripping a chunk of flesh off his left arm with its beak.

He howled as blood sputtered up around him, but was back up in an instant.

The chicken, triumphant, cackled at him.

Qi flowed through the circle, crackling with energy as it all moved through Jessica directly through to Ki No, leaving him with an overflowing core.

Ki No stood up, and brushed off his left shoulder, the whole time staring down the beast. The beast, mouth agape, stopped it’s chewing to glare back.

His core expanded. A shimmery glow of pure energy coated him as he grasped the chicken by the throat. His palm closed, cutting off its air supply.

With the other arm he thrust the demon spear into the chicken.

“Bawk!” The chicken screamed.

Qi flowed from the beast, through the spear directly into Ki No’s expanding core.

Jessica wanted to use some smudge wipes on her spiritual senses. The spear drew in the enemy's qi and pulled it? In theory, she believed it, but seeing the overflowing core expand, packing energy down the practical use of power was a sight to behold.

This would be far easier than just cycling and getting to the top of one's strength in a realm. In one fell blow, a third realm cultivator had jumped almost to the fourth realm. Jessica wondered where she could get a bit more artisanal help.

The draining complete, Ki No stepped back. The drained corpse fell off the spear as it burped malodorously.

“Ah, when you said something about being a chicken kabob, I had no idea that we would be going to find these. I suppose it will do.”

Ki No held out the spear for his sister, and she greedily accepted. Ah Le was entranced up until the moment she grabbed it.

“Elder Jessica, I do believe that there is a second spiritual beast, not too far from here,” Fa Za said, “This one needs to cycle and advance now, otherwise the qi will overwhelm him. I can guide him through the meditation, but we need to be somewhere safe.”

“We can handle the next one,” Jessica said, “Correct, Junior disciple Ah Le? Elder Fa Zam if you would please take Ki No back to the compound, we can handle the next one.”

Ah Le nodded, clapping her brother on the back.

“I’ll pass you!” She said.

“Not in a million years, little sister!” He replied.

Fa Za approached the center, placing a hand on Ki No.

“Listen to my instructions, and no one will get hurt,” Fa Za said, his face suddenly broke no compromise. He grabbed the corpse of the beast gingerly with one arm.

“Yes, Elder, this one hears and obeys!” He said.

Fa Za grabbed him under the shoulder with his free arm and the two took off, flying back to the outer walls. Jessica tracked a large flurry of snow at their landing, and then she turned back to the circle.

“Junior Disciple Ah Le, you are next. Let’s make a kabob.”

The group whooped as Jessica pointed the direction to a nearby spiritual beast and the group sprinted behind Ah Le and Jessica.

This time, the group wasted no time in forming the large circle. As Ah Le approached the center, the first bits of qi dribbled from the circle into Jessica, and through her, into the Junior Disciple. Jessica found that maintaining the transfer of the qi was a bit easier this time.

Ah Le squared off against the chicken and attacked.

A barrage of ice spears flew from her open palm. The chicken ducked around each, avoiding all, moving right where Ah Le had intended.

Then it let out a savage bellow, as a fireball escaped it’s maw. The large ball dwarfed Ah Le, instantly sublimating all of her ice spears. The amount of qi expended put pressure on Ah Le as she extended her spear to stop the fireball.

Only the combined energy of the nineteen cultivators were enough to stop the fireball in its path, Ah Le expending everything to pull up a wall of ice.

The chicken flew over the wall as the circle moved in closer.

Qi cycled through them as the energy sparked, becoming visible as it arced to Ah Le.

The chicken lashed out at her, spinning into a talon rake.

The demon spear caught the talons as Ah Le pressed it back into the ground.

Ah Le had learned from her brothers misfortune and when the beak darted to her arm, she pushed off, flipping in midair. The chicken snarled.

Jessica smiled as the beast snapped at the descending cultivator.

Spear first, Ah Le pushed the demon spear straight into the beasts core.

“Ahhhhh delecatable! Second breakfast!” The spears words rang out in the sudden quiet.

A sickening crunch resounded in the area as qi poured out of the impaled beast directly into Ah Le. It was unsettling to hear, but Jessica imagined that one could only hear a spear digesting food only so often before it became a rote part of life.

As she watched, Jessica felt Ah Le’s core compacting and overflowing.

And she smiled. Another Senior Disciple would be made that day. Sa Kon, demon spear of the north, would have his second breakfast.