Tales From the Myriad Realms (Peregrine x kookyboy9)

Du Fuyi listened carefully as Disciple Hou began to list off the important things to keep in mind. None of them were too outrageous. It was normal for outer diciples to not have the same kind of treatment as the rest of the sect. It had been different for the Myriad Realms Sect where he had been raised, but Caller knew that there were some sects in the Great Realm that considered outer disciples little better than slaves. All things considered, he thought the Serene Waves Sect was being quite generous.

He turned his eyes up towards the peak of the mountain, squinting against the cloudy sky in hopes of making out any details. The place seemed well-maintained, and he was able to make out a few details of it, even though he could only look at it through mortal eyes. After all, they'd just come out of an elder's residence, and were still at the peak of the mountain. Unconsciously, he glanced down the mountain, realizing that its foot was quite some distance away. Long enough that it seemed like it was going to be quite the hike to get there, without the ability to fly, or some sort of movement technique.

Who knew, maybe it was intentional, to discourage outer disciples from using the place too freely.

The quotas didn't surprise him much either. As a matter of fact, from his perspective they were quite generous. Of course, he figured that only having to take a mission a week was just the absolute minimum required to stay within the sect, and actually getting enough resources to make progress in your cultivation would require more than that. Or perhaps the missions were long enough that a week was required, but if a lot of them resembled chores, it didn't really seem like that would be the case.

What pleased him even more was that Disciple Hou took the time to go over the common sense rules as well. As a descender, common sense was one of the biggest worried for Caller, so having it laid out for him was very much appreciated.

"That makes perfect sense," he replied, voice steeped with gratitude. "Thank you for explaining them."

They walked in silence from that point onward, with Du Fuyi mostly doing his best to keep up with Disciple Hou and keep from bothering him. They worked their way down the mountain at a quick pace, one that was fast enough that Du Fuyi was already starting to feel his legs burning. He knew he'd have to pay for all this walking tomorrow. While Du Fuyi might have had decently strong legs, they were muscles that were used for swimming, not for moving around on land. Already, he was growing eager to unblock the meridians in his legs, so that he would be able to ease some of the stiffness and soreness he could already feel building in them.

When they finally reached the southern part of town, Du Fuyi felt like he was on the edge of collapsing. Fortunately, Caller was not unfamiliar with hardship, and was able to grit his teeth and ignore the pain, and the way his legs were shaking as though they were about to collapse. He wanted nothing more than to lay down, but he forced himself to bow once more to Disciple Hou. "I don't have any questions, thank you."

That wasn't entirely true. The walk had given him more than enough time to think of plenty of questions. Did he have to pay for room and board? Where did he go to find missions? Where did he go to eat? How did they keep track of time here? Where could he acquire spirit stones? But half of those were ones he was certain fell into the 'common sense' category, and the others he figured he could just as easily ask his fellow outer disciples.

Heading into South 104, he saw a little common room, with several doors leading off from them. Uncertain which were the rooms, and reluctant to simply barge into them without knowing where he was going, he ended up sitting on the floor in the middle of the room, letting out a small groan of relief as the weight was taken off his feet. He reached out to massage his legs with fingers, unconsciously trying to stimulate some of the spiritual energy within Du Fuyi. However, before it could circulate properly, it ran into a blocked meridian, causing him to wince slightly in pain.

Du Fuyi sighed to himself. Looked like there was nothing for him to do but wait for them to heal the old fashioned way.
 
Disciple Hou gives Du Fuyi a polite bow, then turns to start back up the mountain. "In that case, I wish you fortune in your endeavors. If you think of anything you'd like to ask, your roommates should be able to assist you."

His part said, Disciple Hou begins back up the mountain.


Du Fuyi has the building to himself for a few hours, before he hears a commotion outside. A few minutes later, a trio of male houtian cultivators opens the door, chatting among themselves.

"That was the funniest thing I've seen in months. I mean, come on. He's normally such a-"

The trio stops, spotting Du Fuyi. The cultivator on the left has a willowy build, with short, brown hair and is at roughly the third stage of houtian. The one in the middle is a shorter cultivator, with grey hair, but Du Fuyi can't tell much more about him than that he's in the houtian stage, and that Du Fuyi's cultivation is lower than his. The one on the right appears the youngest of the bunch, with bleached-looking brown hair. His strength is also in the houtian realm, and is similar to the cultivator standing in the middle.

The trio eye Du Fuyi for a moment before the cultivator in the center steps forward. "Who are you?" A moment later, comprehension dawns on his face. "Wait. Are you our new roommate? We thought they'd forgotten about it, given how long it's been."
 
At the sound of a faint commotion approaching the house, Du Fuyi forced himself back to his feet, stifling a groan. Even though he wanted nothing more than to continue to lay down on the ground, there was no way he was going to greet his new housemates while sitting on the floor. Shifting slightly from leg to leg in an attempt to find a comfortable position to stand in—a futile endeavor if ever there was one—he looked up when the door opened, his eyes filled with curiosity.

The three men who entered through the door were a very visually distinct trio, easy to tell apart from each other at a single glance. Judging by their cultivation levels they were likely still relatively new to the sect, which at least meant he wasn't intruding upon an already established clique. Although he couldn't help but wonder if the person who'd had their own room up until this point was going to begrudge his presence. For his part, Du Fuyi was not looking forward to having to share a room with someone else, and he figured the other person might feel the same about the matter.

"Yes, that's correct. I just joined the sect, and was assigned to this house, so that would make me your new roommate." He paused, feeling somewhat awkward. He couldn't help but recall the fact that Elder Tang had never introduced herself to him. What was he supposed to say now? Would they show him to his room, or was there some other process he was supposed to follow at this point?
 
The center cultivator of the trio smiles. "In that case, welcome to the dorm house. I'm Xiao Cheng, and the two on my left and right are Qiao Meng and Lian Mu respectively." He gestures to each of them momentarily, and each gives him a small, polite bow of greetings. "I believe the currently open bunk is in with Lian Mu, in the room to your right. It doesn't look like you've got much luggage, but there should be space to put whatever you have inside the room."

The other two cultivators start towards their respective rooms, stepping inside and out of sight. Once they step inside, Xiao Cheng speaks up again. "My apologies. Normally, we'd go somewhere for a welcome meal, but we just came back from a mission, and I think the other two are quite tired. Perhaps tomorrow instead?"
 
"Nice to meet you," Du Fuyi replied after their introduction, feeling somewhat relieved. It was good that it didn't seem like he'd have to play guessing games with everyone. "I'm Du Fuyi." Rather than imitating their bows, he still chose to give a merman's salute, feeling it had the dual benefit of familiarity and obscuring any ignorance he might have on the proper way to give a greeting in the sects.

As for luggage, well, he had none of that! The only thing in his possession was a merperson's tight-fitting one piece suit, which was the common clothing for merpeople who spent the vast majority of their time underwater. It was the only thing Du Fuyi had been given when he was driven out of the tribe, and although it had long since dried, it still smelled vaguely of saltwater.

Introductions concluded, Qiao Meng and Du Fuyi's new roommate, Lian Mu, walked away without a word, vanishing behind their respective doors. Well, that didn't seem like the best possible start to their cohabitation. Tired or not, Du Fuyi and Lian Mu would be sharing a room for the next couple months at a minimum, and he couldn't even be bothered to invite Du Fuyi into his room.

Or perhaps this was the beginning of the racism he'd doubtless have to endure as the only merperson he'd seen yet in what most likely amounted to an entirely human sect. Heavens knew that there was more than its fair share of the inverse of that in Du Fuyi's memories.

Du Fuyi didn't let a trace of discontent show on his face, instead offering a polite smile to Xiao Cheng. "It's no matter," he said, even though his stomach was already grumbling at the idea of food. After the long, torturous walk down the hill, any trace of benefit he'd gained from the citrus-like fruit he'd eaten at Elder Tang's residence had long since been digested, once more leaving him positively famished. "Could you give me directions to where I should go to get food, and then I'll leave you to rest as well? I'm sure you must be just as tired."
 
Xiao Cheng thinks for a moment at his question. "There's a fairly cheap restaurant on Ninth Street with good food if you have any money to pay for it. If not, I can lend you some to pay for a meal today and tomorrow so you have some time to get a mission done. To get to the restaurant, take a left on Cherry Lane, then take a right onto Ninth Street and look for the Coral Garden." He moves over to a table in the center of the room, placing his pack on it before turning back to Du Fuyi, awaiting his answer to the implied question.
 
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"Ah."

Du Fuyi couldn't help the faint, embarrassed noise that slipped between his lips at the mention of money. Just like his luggage, Du Fuyi had absolutely nothing to his name other than the clothes on his back. He had less possessions than a beggar; how could he possibly afford a meal?

Caller couldn't help but drop his eyes in shame. Here he was, a Law Seed cultivator, having to borrow money from someone who likely hadn't even made it halfway through the Houtian realm. It was vaguely humiliating, even if he knew full well that he'd been put into desperate circumstances by the nature of his descent.

"Thank you," Du Fuyi said softly. "I'll be sure to pay you back."

He left at that point, but didn't find the restaurant until many, many minutes later. It wasn't that there was anything wrong with Xiao Cheng's directions, but simply that Du Fuyi's imperfect memory forgot pretty much everything after 'left on Cherry'. However, in the end he found it, and the place was cheap enough that he could eat a light meal now, and still have enough for a similar breakfast or lunch tomorrow. It wasn't a particularly satisfying meal. The food was raw and somewhat hard to swallow. Hopefully he'd be able to clear a mission and get paid in that length of time, and then he'd be able to eat a little bit better. For now, though, simply filling his stomach was a relief.

It was a poor start, but at least he was still alive, and he wasn't in any great hurry. It was going to take time for him to build his strength back up, and that time would be put into building his foundation. Not only his cultivation foundation, but also his societal foundation. He'd earn some money, make some friends, have his name become known. Only then would he be able to proceed with his attack against the Frost Coral. One step at a time.

He was able to get back to his new home a lot faster than when he'd left it, legs shaking slightly. He knew he'd be paying for all this exertion tomorrow, but the strength of his legs should grow quickly. In the meantime, he'd simply have to deal with the pain.

The living room was empty, and when he entered the door Xiao Cheng had pointed to earlier, he found his new roommate asleep, or at least pretending to be so, on the lower bunk. Du Fuyi crawled up into the upper bunk, letting out a shaky breath.

It had been a long day. His mortal body wanted nothing more than to collapse onto the bed and fall asleep. However, he knew that if he didn't take the time he had left to start cultivating, he was never going to get anywhere. As an Outer Disciple, he was going to have to work to earn his keep. If he was too tired to cultivate after the day was done, then he'd never make any progress at all.

Momentarily slumping against the wall, Du Fuyi forced himself to straighten his spine a moment later, folding his legs under each other and resting his hands in his lap. Slowing his breathing into a familiar, rhythmic pattern, Caller carefully began to use his mind to explore the state of Du Fuyi's body. He couldn't help but frown slightly at what he saw.

Du Fuyi was a talentless waste.

It shouldn't have surprised him, given that he was well on his way to young adulthood and was still only in the second stage of Houtian, but Du Fuyi's meridians were a narrow, tangled mess. It was a good thing that he had Elder Tang to vouch for him, or he likely would have been thrown out of the sect's grounds as soon as any of the elders tried to inspect his meridians. Under normal circumstances, someone with meridians like Du Fuyi's would never be capable of reaching the fifth stage in his life.

However, Caller had two distinct advantages, which Du Fuyi could never possess. Firstly, he'd already cultivated all the way to the Law Seed realm once. The amount of energy control that was required to form a World Core was already incomparable to what was required to break through the stages of Houtian, let alone the formation of a Law Seed, which required a person to control not only their own energy, but also fragments of law energy. Even Du Fuyi's twisted meridians were nothing but child's play to a Law Seed cultivator.

His second major advantage was that he came from the Great Realm, and had the techniques to match it. After the life and death of countless generations of geniuses, the techniques in the Great Realm had risen far above what was possible inside a Lesser Realm, which was limited to the knowledge of Law Seed cultivators. Du Fuyi's sect, in particular, had curated countless cultivation methods, which could make the difficulties of the lower realms far more trivial.

Maintaining his steady breathing, Caller began to carefully stir up Du Fuyi's energy. However, rather than trying to circulate it through his body to break through to the next meridian, he instead began to use it to clean and straighten the two meridians that Du Fuyi had already managed to open. It would hinder his progress for some time, but just like sharpening an axe would not hold up the work of cutting firewood, strengthening his foundation now would only benefit him in the long term.

It was late in the night when Du Fuyi finally opened his eyes again, wearily wiping a trace of cold sweat off his brows. The room was freezing, and Du Fuyi quickly burrowed under the blanket. Perhaps due to the fact that he was a merperson, the cold still wasn't causing Du Fuyi to shiver, but the bone-piercing chill still left Caller, a fire cultivator, with a deep-seated sense of discomfort. Wondering if he could find a way to heat up the room tomorrow, Du Fuyi's exhausted body quickly tugged him off into the realm of sleep.
 
It had been a long day for Lian Mu. He'd begun his day with one of the week-long missions to help the farmers bring in their harvests. Normally, that was exhausting enough, but when he got back, Qiao Meng and Xiao Cheng had convinced him to come with them on another mission — this one to harvest a few medicinal herbs growing in the immediate vicinity of the island. He and Qiao Meng had spent a good portion of the night diving down to grab a few plants while Xiao Cheng kept watch for aquatic beasts. Unfortunately, towards the end of the night, things had gone quite badly, and an aquatic beast at the tenth stage of Houtian had shown up, forcing them to hightail it back to the sect.

After that, they'd picked up dinner, and went back to the dorm, Lian Mu almost too tired to keep up with the conversation. Qiao Meng had fared far better than he, though, and they were gossiping about an incident involving one of the inner sect disciples. From what he remembered, it involved some sort of prank gone too far, and the disciple had been furious after. To his surprise, however, when the trio opened the door, there was someone already inside. Lian Mu froze up for a moment, too tired and surprised to properly think of what to say. However, Xiao Cheng leapt to his rescue, revealing that the new arrival was their new roommate. Normally, he would've been interested in what the new arrival had to say, but right now, the only thought that could penetrate his weary skull was that he needed to go make some space for the new arrival. Leaving Xiao Cheng to entertain the new arrival, he went into his room and did just that, before finally collapsing on the bed and swiftly falling asleep.


He awoke the next morning in a ball of pain. Sitting up and stretching for a bit relieved some of the pain, but he was definitely still almost as stiff as a board. Next time those two proposed a scheme to get some extra benefits, he'd have to turn them down. That encounter just wasn't worth the paltry resources the group had earned. It was fine for their lordships the eighth stage and seventh stage, but he was only at the third stage of Houtian. He stood up, stretching, before looking around. It was at this point that he spotted Du Fuyi. He groaned. He'd certainly been rude the previous night. He'd have to hope that his new roommate wouldn't hold it against him.

He sat down in the room, waiting for the merman to awaken. He'd need to make a good second impression, especially to erase the bad first impression he'd made the night before. A cursory examination revealed him to only be at the second stage of Houtian, which meant he'd be in for a lot of hard work. Almost too much, in Lian Mu's opinion. Lian Mu arrived at the sect in the second stage of Houtian, and the only requests he'd been able to take alone had been the most menial, boring tasks in the sect. The beasts surrounding the island were too strong for lower-houtian cultivators to defeat on their own, so he'd been forced to either work in the fields or do grunt work for his senior martial brothers. He'd chosen to do the field work.

On the top bunk, he could hear his new roommate beginning to stir. He gave him a few minutes to wake up before actually addressing him. "Good morning! Sorry about last night. Do you need someone to show you around the island?"

He wouldn't offer excuses for his behavior last night. That'd just make his apology sound hollow. Hopefully this'd be enough to at least start to undo the damage from last night.
 
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Caller's sleep was disturbed by countless dreams that woke him through the night, unremembered but leaving him with a deep seated sense of discomfort and loss. For the first time in his life, he'd left his sect far behind. There was no one here to support him if he made a mistake. After all, he was no longer in the Great Realm, but some Lesser Realm that hadn't even been his intended destination. He was perched on the edge of catastrophe, surrounded by endless ice, with not a flicker of warmth to comfort him.

One wrong move might be enough to ensure he never went back home.

The sound of movement caused his eyes to suddenly fly open. As he tried to sit up, he had to stifle a pained groan that nearly brought tears to Du Fuyi's eyes. Even though it had only been one night, and tomorrow would unquestionably be worse, he was already paying for all of the walking he'd done with his weak body that wasn't used to bearing the burden of gravity. What was worse, another day of exertion awaited him, and no one was going to have any sympathy for him. Disciple Hou had already made it clear that Outer Disciples had to work for everything they used, and if Caller wanted to radically increase Du Fuyi's cultivation, he was going to need to get the resources to support it.

What was worse, it was doubtful that a Lesser Realm would have the kind of materials he was used to using to foster his cultivation. He imagined he was going to be stuck with something as simple as herbs and spirit stones at best.

Trying to stifle his mental complaints, Du Fuyi finally managed to sit up, gritting his teeth and wrinkling his brow for a moment, before Caller's mental strength finally allowed him to smooth out his expression. The sound of a voice from below him caused him to look around, almost unconsciously raising a brow at his roommate's unexpectedly chipper introduction.

Despite Xiao Cheng's platitudes from last night, Du Fuyi hadn't had particularly high expectations from any of his housemates. He was fully prepared to flounder his way through the next couple of days, until he was able to get a good sense of the Serene Waves Sect. However, it was looking like that might not be necessary.

"...Good morning," Du Fuyi replied, the pain making him entirely unwilling to fake being chipper, and his lingering tiredness not really helping the matter. All the same, he was going to be living with these people. He had to avoid leaving a bad impression. "If you have time to show me a few things, I would appreciate it."
 
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