The squad didn't have an early morning task to do today, thankfully, but they still all got up far too early for Tang Ze's liking even on normal days - to do things like get ready, clean up the common area and their rooms, etc.
However, despite how groggy his head felt at being woken up at this 'early' hour, the dream was still vivid in Tang Ze's memory.
"Ah, there was something I wanted to ask you all about," Tang Ze said to the others while they were having breakfast.
"What's going on?"
"I uh, had a strange dream," Tang Ze said. "Actually, I've had this dream before - but there was something different about it now. There was a woman there, and she was really beautiful, but it wasn't an actual woman though, it was her spirit, and she was talking to me."
The others suddenly had worried looks on their faces, and they glanced at each other. While they didn't say anything, from their expressions Tang Ze could figure they were communicating to each other something along the lines of 'I was worried that something like this would happen in the future, and now it actually has.'
Zhang Long walked over to Tang Ze and clasped him on his shoulder. "Brother Tang Ze," Zhang Long began. They never addressed each other with honorifics, so this alone set off alarm bells in Tang Ze's mind. What was so wrong with what he had just told them to elicit this kind of reaction? "I think it's obvious what's going on. The fact that you don't have a girlfriend has been messing with your head - causing you to have weird dreams like this."
"True, true," Yin Tiang said. "The only scenario in which Tang Ze could get his little brother wet is if he washes it himself - ah, no offense intended."
"Indeed," Chen Yu said, shaking his head. "None of the female sect members want to even be near him after he broke into their side. No doubt this has caused severe psychological trauma to him, which has manifested in this kind of dream." After that incident, all of them were aware of what Tang Ze did. Although the others had also taken credit for the same, the women knew the truth, and the others had only tried to claim credit around the men. As such, only Tang Ze's reputation was tainted among the women - which he thought was fair, given that he was the one who had crossed over, but no one would believe his explanation involving Xu Feng at all, which he thought was quite unfair. Why was he being forced to bear the consequences of Xu Feng's actions?!
Tang Ze sighed. "There's nothing like that going on - I don't have psychological trauma or anything because of not getting a girlfriend or anything like that."
"Right," Zhang Long said, sounding unconvinced. "So, you had a dream about a spirit, and rather than reacting in the normal way by being scared or running away - you described her as 'beautiful?' Ah, I think you can see why we're all concerned for you, Brother Tang Ze. Surely you don't think that's normal behavior?"
"No, no, it's not like that," Tang Ze said.
"Okay - so you saw the spirit of a woman in your dreams. What happened next?" Zhang Long asked.
"I ah… that's right! I asked her if she could take her clothes off," Tang Ze said, only realizing how that must have sounded after the words left his mouth. The others gave him deadpan looks, so he quickly added. "I mean, I just wanted to know what kind of fabric it was made of, y'know, it was nothing like that, I mean, it was entirely for research purposes-"
Zhang Long clasped Tang Ze's shoulders again. "Right…"
None of the other three were even the slightest bit convinced by Tang Ze's explanation.
"You know," Zhang Long said. "I think I can ask Jin Zhen if she has any friends who are single - if you're fine dating a mortal woman. Ah, but those kind of girls would be looking for marriage though, I should warn you, and not just some fun."
"Nah, he needs something quick and easy without having to commit," Yin Tiang said, waving his hand. "Look, Tang Ze, I know this brothel a ways out - they buy contraceptives from our sect, I think you can easily get in and it should be cheap - plus I have cures for most venereal diseases even if you happen to catch one."
"Nah," Chen Yu said. "I still think that my idea is the best - he should pretend to collapse from an 'Extreme Yang Physique.' Then again, I think some of the women hate you so much that they wouldn't even try to save you…" Yin Tiang and Zhang Long shook their heads at this suggestion, both of them still believing it to be preposterous.
Tang Ze sighed. "Look guys, I'm serious, what I wanted to know was that the spirit was asking me to visit her at…" He frowned. Due to all of this conversation, he had been distracted and forgotten what the name of the place was!
"Oh, I wouldn't go anywhere if a spirit asks you to visit it," Chen Yu said. "It's probably just a malignant demoness who wants to steal your Yang energy."
"True," Yin Tiang said. "I heard of this Golden Core cultivator at another branch, who, while he was walking down a dark path in the woods at night - he was likely picking Moonspun Flowers; an alluring woman invited him to join her behind a group of trees, and once they had done the deed, he had found that his cultivation progress from the last few months was gone as the woman disappeared into the shadows! True story, at least, the guy swears it was true."
"That's crazy," Zhang Long said.
"Actually what's crazy is that he would later be found wandering the same place loudly saying things like, 'Ah, I'm a vulnerable cultivator and it would be a real shame if any demonesses came to try to take advantage of me right now,'" Yin Tiang added.
"Truly horrifying," Chen Yu said. "Would you mind giving me the exact coordinates of where that took place so that I can make sure I never wander there by accident?"
"Right, that is crazy," Tang Ze said. "But again, not what's happening with me… at least I don't think so…"
The day proceeded as it usually, though there was something quite different in the way that Tang Ze perceived things.
Ever since he had gotten to the first minor realm of Qi Condensation, it was like he had been partially blind his whole life and someone had suddenly granted him a pair of corrective glasses.
The whole world seemed different now. Qi was everywhere, he could sense it flowing through his friend's meridians brightly, but there were more subtle Qi flows he hadn't noticed before. Like the tiny spots represented by the bees collecting pollen, or the even slower, but still present nonetheless, flow of Qi in the trees in the courtyards.
People also looked at him differently now - likely because they could now tell he was a cultivator, and they seemed to give him a bit more respect than usual thanks to that. Well, either that was the reason, or it was the white sash around his waist. There was also the possibility that they had heard of him 'curing' the Komainu.
Regardless of the underlying cause, there was a new spring in his step now as he took note of it.
The others had offered to give him a portion of their pills given that he had given them his share before, but Tang Ze was fine with things as they were.
He felt bad for his envious thoughts yesterday knowing how much they had all tried to help him before then, and he just wanted to be better. He was okay with them all starting with a blank slate and forgetting about the earlier shares of his pills.
That night, he found himself back in that same cavern.
Xian Yue stared at him. "You didn't come…"
"Yeah, uh, this is kind of awkward, but I sort of forgot where this was again?" Tang Ze said.
"Ling Yuan Mountain! Remember that this time!" Xian Yue said.
Tang Ze scratched his chin suspiciously. "You're not just trying to steal my Yang energy are you?" The last time he had trusted a ghostly presence, things had not turned out peachy for him. Well, she wasn't exactly a ghost but still…
"What? No! What does that even mean?" Xian Yue asked. "I have something else to ask you - but I need you to be here physically first!"
Tang Ze wasn't really crazy about approaching her after what his squad mates had told him, but he would consider it.
In the future, after taking the necessary precautions that is.
As a side benefit of Tang Ze helping the Komainu out, he was basically made its 'unofficial caretaker' and he and his squad were assigned to it at least once a week, so that Tang Ze could help it routinely get the exercise it needed.
Tang Ze and his squad didn't mind this at all, as taking care of the Komainu was far better than some of the other tasks that they could be assigned to.
"It's already wagging its tail the moment it sees you - it seems to really like you, Tang Ze," Zhang Long said as they went to go give it a bath first as usual.
"Yeah," Tang Ze said.
There were also other things - like the fact that it would sometimes let out Qi, which would help them in their cultivation, and also the fact that Tang Ze could use some of its fur to make things like wigs - he was actually trying to gather some to make a fake beard, which was something he hadn't gotten with the costume set that Yin Tiang had given him.
Once Tang Ze and the Komainu were done running around, he told the others that they could head back to the sect as he was fine leading the Komainu back to its shed on his own.
The Komainu gave him a sad whimper when it realized that Tang Ze was leaving. "Don't worry - I'll be back next week!" It perked up whenever he said those words.
As Tang Ze was headed back to the sect, someone stopped him.
"Ah, would you happen to be Tang Ze by any chance?" the man asked.
"Uh, yes," Tang Ze said. "Do you need something?"
"No, no," the man said. "I just wanted to congratulate you - and say that I truly appreciate your work helping the Komainu out. I had seen the sect Komainu when it had first been brought here as a puppy, and had been quite worried about its health when I heard that it was declining, so to see that it's finally feeling better is wonderful news."
"Ah, it was nothing," Tang Ze said. He scanned the man up and down - who was this guy? He was wearing a sect uniform, but not of any kind that Tang Ze recognized. It was 't an Initiate or Regular uniform, and to cap it all off, he couldn't feel a drop of Qi from this person, and he should have been able to unless he was beyond the Qi Refinement realm. "Are you one of the Komainu's caretakers?"
The man shook his head and gently smiled. "No, no, if only my days could be spent playing with the Komainu from sunrise to sunset, that would be paradise in a way - but, I have a different role in the sect. I merely saw you on my way, and wished to congratulate you, and ah - come to think of it, take this as a personal 'thank you' from me for your work."
He reached into this pocket and handed Tang Ze a small envelope. "There are first-class Qi Condensation pills in there, I had heard your cultivation was lagging behind your peers. Take it as a sign of gratitude from me, and hopefully it will help you catch up with them."
"Ah - there's no need for-" Tang Ze was about to say before the man pressed it into this hands, and then went on his way.