Myriad Rivers to the Sea

Li Yu left the bustling capital behind and walked toward the towering mountain range in the distance. The wide dirt roads of the plains gradually transitioned into narrow rocky paths as the elevation increased. The air grew noticeably thinner and colder with every passing mile but it carried a refreshing crispness that invigorated his lungs.

He traveled alone this time since the slow moving merchant caravans did not extend their routes into the steep peaks of the surrounding borders. The next kingdom on his diplomatic list sat on the other side of these treacherous mountains.

Li Yu stepped over exposed tree roots and navigated narrow stone ridges with practiced ease and fell into his element of traveling while enjoying himself. The steep inclines would exhaust a normal mortal within hours but Li Yu possessed the physical endurance of a Creation Lord. He did not use his powers to fly over the peaks or leap across the wide ravines.

He simply put one foot in front of the other and respected the natural layout of the land. His main mind remained anchored in the physical present while his second mind hummed quietly in the background refining his techniques. He was slowly but surely finding his balance in taking steps forward while also being in the present. The urge to actively cycle his Qi and refine the ambient energy still flickered in his chest occasionally but it was a bit less now and becoming more manageable.

Li Yu took the time to appreciate the vibrant green moss growing on the gray stones and he listened to the sharp cries of hawks circling overhead. The flora changed as he climbed higher. Broadleaf trees gave way to hardy pines and short shrubs clinging to the rocky soil. The journey was slow but the steady rhythm of his footsteps brought a strange sense of comfort to his spirit that was missing during his journey in the previous realm with Heiyuan.

After two days of steady climbing, Li Yu reached a wide plateau nestled securely between three towering peaks. A sprawling village sat upon the flattened land. Intricate terraced fields carved into the mountain slopes surrounded a cluster of sturdy stone houses. The locals grew hardy root vegetables and vibrant purple herbs that seemed to thrive in the high altitude. The view overlooking the village was simply amazing and Li Yu took a few moments to take it all in before continuing to move.

The villagers wore simple spun garments and worked the fields with wooden tools. They were not starving or miserable despite the harsh environment. Their faces held a deep tan from the sun and they moved with a quiet strength born from daily physical labor. They moved dirt and watered the crops with a coordinated rhythm that showed a deep connection to their environment.

Li Yu approached the edge of the village and a few farmers paused their work to offer friendly nods to him. A young boy tending to a flock of mountain goats waved a carved wooden stick in greeting. Li Yu smiled and waved back before walking toward the center square. The village was built around a deep stone well and a communal grinding mill powered by a diverted mountain stream. The large water wheel stood still right now because several thick wooden spokes had snapped under the pressure of recent heavy rains.

Just as Li Yu sat down on a carved wooden bench near the well, a loud commotion echoed from the main path leading up the mountain. A grand procession of men entered the village square and broke the peaceful silence. They were led by a wealthy merchant dressed in bright red silk robes adorned with shining gold thread. The merchant rode a sturdy mountain horse and looked down at the simple farmers with a clear look of disdain. Four muscular guards followed closely behind him while carrying two heavy iron chests.

An older man with deep wrinkles and a warm smile stepped out from a nearby house to greet the newcomers. This was Elder Su who guided the daily affairs of the village and mediated local disputes. While he had no cultivation to speak of, he was valued for his wisdom and knowledge.

"Greetings, traveler," Elder Su said while wiping dirt from his hands onto his woven apron. "You have climbed a very long way to reach our quiet home. How may we assist you today?"

The wealthy merchant sneered and gestured for his guards to set the iron chests on the ground. The heavy boxes landed with a loud thud that kicked up a cloud of dry dust.

"I am Lord Feng from the Azure Peak capital," the merchant announced with a puffed chest and a loud voice. "I have come to do you simple people a great favor today. I recently discovered the purple herbs you grow on these terraces have potent medicinal properties for curing common fevers down in the cities. The royal apothecaries will pay a high price for them."

Elder Su nodded slowly and crossed his arms over his chest. "We are aware the herbs are useful, Lord Feng. We harvest them carefully and send a small portion down the mountain each season to trade for salt and iron tools. It is enough to sustain our needs and keep the village fed during the winter."

"Sending a small portion is a waste of potential," Lord Feng scoffed and waved his hand toward the terraced fields. "I am here to buy this entire plateau from you. I will take ownership of the land and the herb patches. My men will expand the fields and harvest everything to maximize the output and generate real profit from these lands. You are not using them to their full potential and only growing a fraction of what could be grown here. In exchange, I am offering you enough gold to move your entire village down to the lowlands. You can buy proper houses in the city and live comfortably for the rest of your lives."

The guards flipped the lids of the iron chests open to reveal piles of shining gold coins to everyone around them. The metal caught the sunlight and cast a bright yellow glow across the square. The sight of such wealth would normally cause a mortal riot but the villagers simply glanced at the chests and went back to their daily chores as if they didn’t care too much for the shiny metal. A few people took a few glances at it but eventually looked away and went back to what they were doing. A few women carrying woven baskets of laundry walked right past the gold without a second look.

Elder Su looked at the chests and then smiled politely at the merchant. "Your offer is very generous, Lord Feng. We thank you for such a generous offer but we must decline your gold. The land belongs to our ancestors and it provides everything we need to live a good life."

Lord Feng blinked in shock and his face turned a shade of crimson. "Did you not hear me, old man? This is more gold than your entire village has seen in ten generations combined. You are rejecting a life of luxury to stay up here in the freezing wind and dig in the dirt. With this money you could eat luxurious meats every night and sleep on mattresses stuffed with fine goose feathers."

"We do not mind the dirt," Elder Su answered calmly while keeping his voice even. "The lowlands are crowded and loud. We prefer the quiet of the peaks here. Please take your gold back down the mountain, Lord Feng. We are not interested in selling our home today or any other day."

The merchant spent the next hour arguing and trying to explain the value of the coins. He pointed out their worn clothes and their calloused hands. He talked about the dangers of a bad harvest and the struggles of surviving a harsh winter. Elder Su remained immovable through the entire speech and did not give in. The elder answered every insult with a polite smile and a firm refusal.

Eventually Lord Feng realized he could not force the sale without inciting violence which would not go well. Li Yu had learned during his time traveling that the Zhan Clan was actually protecting this entire realm, much to his surprise. While they did not rule over all the lands, they were a faction that anyone in this realm could go to to settle disputes.

Li Yu learned of a group of bandits that had murdered a town in the past. Many people saw them do it and took it to the Zhan Clan. The Zhan Clan sent cultivators to investigate and then after confirming, the bandit group was completely wiped out forever. Several other well known incidents occurred throughout the history of this realm, with the biggest one involving a mad man king and he was wiped out, along with all of the armies that followed him.

From this, most organizations in this realm did not result to violence unless two sides were actively fighting one another. If it was a one sided killing, only word had to be given to the Zhan Clan base and an investigation and surely an execution would take place soon after. It was simply not worth it to try.

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‘Why is this realm so protected and in such a way. The beings here are relatively weak so I can understand that it wouldn’t take much man power to do this, having the relative juniors of the clans manage such things. But why do it in the first place? I will have to ask about this when I get back.’ Li Yu had thought to himself back then when he learned about this. He wasn’t aware of any other realm the Zhan Clan was doing this for but then again, he didn’t really understand the operations of the Zhan Clan much at all.

Back at the present, the merchant cursed the villagers for being backwards fools and ordered his men to shut the chests. He turned his horse around and led the angry procession back down the treacherous path in a terrible mood but there was nothing else he could do. The villagers here held the deeds to the land and only they could sign it over willingly.

Li Yu watched the merchant disappear into the trees and found himself deeply intrigued by the exchange. He stood up from the bench and approached Elder Su who was already turning his attention back toward the broken water wheel.

"That was a lot of gold to walk away from," Li Yu noted while standing beside the elder.

"Gold is heavy and very hard to eat," Elder Su chuckled while inspecting a snapped wooden beam on the mill. "I have never seen you before. It seems you are also a traveler, young man. Are you here to buy our herbs as well?"

"No," Li Yu replied with a warm smile. "I am just passing through on my way to the next kingdom. I saw your water wheel is broken and the village cannot grind grain without it. I have some experience with building, am quite strong myself and I would like to help you fix it."

Elder Su looked at Li Yu and noted his clean robes. "It is dirty work my friend. The timber is heavy and the stream water is freezing this time of year."

"I could use some work to stretch my limbs after walking for so many days," Li Yu insisted and rolled up his sleeves.

The elder accepted the offer and called a few younger men over to assist once again. Li Yu stepped into the freezing stream and helped guide the heavy wooden beams into place. He relied solely on his physical muscles which was already more than enough to do the job easily. He felt the rough bark scrape against his palms and he felt the cold water soak through his boots as he limited his strength for the fun of it.

He had to coordinate with the other villagers to lift the central axle and slide the carved wooden spokes into their designated slots. They communicated through shouts and grunts over the rushing water. They used iron axes and heavy chisels to shape a new log from the tree line and fit it into the ancient mechanism.

Li Yu found a sense of satisfaction in the repetitive physical actions with his new team members. The honest sweat on his brow felt more rewarding than drawing in spiritual energy. His muscles burned slightly from the restricted exertion and he welcomed the sensation it brought. They worked together for several hours until the sun began to dip low and the final wooden pin was hammered firmly into place.

Elder Su pulled a heavy iron lever near the bank and the diverted stream rushed over the wooden paddles. The great wheel groaned loudly and then began to spin smoothly once more. The heavy grinding stones inside the mill turned with a satisfying rumble and the villagers cheered at the success of the repair. They patted Li Yu on the back and thanked him for his strong arms and efforts.

The sun soon set behind the peaks and cast long dark shadows across the plateau. Elder Su invited Li Yu to share a meal at his stone house as thanks for the hard work that was done this day. The interior of the house was furnished simply but was extremely warm and welcoming. A hearth fire burned brightly in the corner and illuminated the sturdy wooden furniture. They sat at a large table and ate a dinner of freshly roasted tubers and steamed greens seasoned with mountain salt.

Li Yu took a bite of the food and enjoyed the hearty flavors of the meal that was prepared for him. The meal was relatively plain by banquet standards but it filled the stomach perfectly after a long day of physical labor. He looked across the table at the elder and decided to ask the question that had been lingering in his mind since the afternoon.

"Elder Su," Li Yu started while setting his wooden chopsticks down. "I understand having a strong connection to the land but Lord Feng was somewhat correct about the struggles you must face here. The winters must be harsh and the labor is unending. With that gold, your people could have lived in large houses with servants to do the chores. Why reject such wealth so quickly and without any hesitation?"

Elder Su poured a cup of warm tea from an iron kettle and slid it across the table toward Li Yu. He then poured one for himself and took a slow sip.

"The outside world has a very flawed definition of wealth, young man. At least from how I see it at least." Elder Su explained with a serene expression. "People like Lord Feng believe wealth is measured by the weight of the coins in their pockets, the number of servants they command or the things they owe. They think having things done for them makes them rich. But what does that gold truly bring to a person's life?"

The elder pointed a weathered finger toward the window overlooking the village square. A group of children were running around the well while laughing and chasing a stray dog in the moonlight.

"If we took that gold and moved to the city we would trade our peace for other complications," Elder Su continued with a serious tone. "Thieves or swindlers would probably target us for our coins. Our neighbors would envy us or try to trick us out of our fortune. Our young men would stop working the fields and start spending their days in taverns drinking themselves into ruin because they have no true purpose perhaps. The wealth Lord Feng offered is a poison disguised as a blessing. While that is not completely true, I believe it to be mostly true."

Li Yu listened closely and felt the wisdom in the elder's words. He had seen many powerful cultivation clans destroy themselves from the inside because they possessed too many resources and too much idle time. Not from those things specifically but what those things often do to the people within the clan. The infighting, the paranoia and the greed.

"To us, wealth is the crisp mountain air in our lungs every morning." Elder Su said while smiling at the children playing outside. "Wealth is watching our children play safely without fear of city gangs or greedy merchants at every turn. Wealth is the pride of our self reliance of being to live up here with little or no help at all from the outside world. When we fix the mill together, we share the burden and we share the victory. We grow our own food and we heal our own sick with the herbs the land provides. We sleep soundly at night because we owe nothing to anyone and don’t own anything of value for people to steal. At least the latter was turned until recently. That is a wealth no chest of gold can ever buy."

Li Yu stared at his cup of tea and a realization washed over his soul. It was something he always knew but would sometimes forget as people often do. Wealth was not a universal concept that was the same for everyone. It was defined differently for each person depending on what they valued in their heart.

A person could value the fast paced life of a sprawling city while another would prefer to be isolated in the quiet country. One person could define wealth by their materialistic possessions and the artifacts they hoarded while another person could consider a caring and loving family to be the greatest treasure in existence.

He thought about his own family back at the Five Star Lakes. He realized he had been projecting his own anxieties and his own definition of security onto them. He thought the only way to secure their future was to gain ultimate power and build an unbreakable fortress around them.

But what did his parents actually consider to be a wealthy and fulfilling life? What did his grandfather Zhan Tian want for his twilight years? What did Lian value most as they walked the path of cultivation together? These were things that until now, he didn’t realize that he didn’t even truly know.

‘I have been so selfish and self absorbed that I never found these things out from them. They were the adults and allowed me to be a child. They allowed me to pursue what I enjoyed and continue to live my life the way I wanted. Then I got obsessed with getting stronger to share some of their burdens but never once did I truly understand what their goals and dreams were. What they really wanted in life…’ Li Yu thought and scolded himself harshly. He had been rushing so much towards something he thought would be helpful to those he cared about without ever truly understanding them.

Li Yu had been so focused on wanting to protect them from unseen cosmic threats that he had never really stopped to ask what kind of life they actually wanted to live. Securing their safety was important but enjoying their happiness on their own terms was just as vital to him and his Dao.

Li Yu needed to understand their definition of wealth before he forced them into a cage of his own design even if he was doing it with the best of intentions. He could eventually build them a palace of safety but if they wanted to be the giants shouldering the sky as they are now, he would be failing them just as Lord Feng failed to understand the villagers.

"Thank you, Elder Su," Li Yu said with a bright smile while raising his teacup in a toast. "You have given me a lot to think about tonight. Your village is truly one of the wealthiest places I have ever visited."

The elder laughed warmly and returned the toast. He wasn’t sure if this young man truly understood his words but even if it was able to take away a fraction of an understanding from their meeting, it was enough.

They spent the rest of the evening talking about the changing seasons and the best ways to harvest root vegetables from the rocky soil. Li Yu let his mind exist fully in the conversation without worrying about the flow of time. The thin air of the mountain realm felt richer than ever and the burden on his Dao Heart grew lighter with every passing hour. Li Yu was determined to return home eventually and learn what true wealth meant to the people he loved.