The Beautiful Jade

I look down at my choice of The Twelve Requiems of Illusion, knowing that it is the right choice. It is a thin book, maybe a hundred pages, but the leather bound cover shows its age, despite how well it has been kept by the library.

Reverently, I open it, reading the first few lines.

Cultivation is the art of learning the truths of the universe

And what is shrouded in more mystery than the art of music? Music can make you cry, it can make you laugh, it can be a powerful force, thrumming through your body. In this manual, I can show you how to produce more than feelings, with music you will let people see their greatest desires, their greatest fears. Or you can simply show them a story, as music was created to do.

The Twelve Requiems of Illusion will require much of you, but its words will teach you things that you have yet to imagine.

I close the manual, a grin on my face.

I look over to see that Jing Xia is still caught up in her search for a cultivation manual. Holding my new book close to my chest, I walk over to Sister Lai.

I tap her on the shoulder, distracting her from the book she had been reading. “Done already?” She asks.

I nod, then look at the rest of the library. “Can I explore?”

She smiles. “Go ahead, but don’t harm the books in any way, don’t even fold a page. If you do, you might find yourself banned for life.” she responds “Any one of these books could be a priceless treasure.”

After the ‘go ahead’ I tuned the rest out, already walking towards the section with a picture of two swords clashing.

I lose myself in the shelves, finding books on topics from martial arts, to medicine, to philosophy.

My father had thought to make me a scholar, because of the love of books I’d had as soon as I’d learned to read, but my mother had insisted that I learn the ways of a noble house. Some days, I wish my mother hadn’t insisted on such a thing, after all there are so many worlds waiting to be found in books.

In the end, neither of their plans had worked out, I am now on the journey of cultivation. A long and perilous journey, or so everyone tells me.

I find myself reading a children's book, telling fantastical stories about the Great Spirits, creatures or animals that had grown through various means into powerful cultivators.

“Hello there.” A woman calls out to me.

I look up from my book at her. Immediately catching my attention are a pile of three books resting on top of her head. I turn my gaze down to her light brown hair and eyes, she smiles at me politely.

“Hello.” I respond, not sure why she interrupted me.

“You are one of the new inner disciples, yes?” She asks, kneeling down to look at me, the folds of her plain brown dress lightly wrinkling. I notice that the books on her head stay perfectly balanced.

“Y-yes.” I answer.

“I believe that your friends are looking for you.” The woman says.

I pull myself up at her words and hurriedly grab The Twelve Requiems Of Illusion. I look down at the other book I had been reading. Closing it cautiously, I pick it up, then put it back in the spot I had found it.

I turn back to the woman that had found me and bow to her. “Thank you for letting me know.” I say politely, “If I may know Elder Sister’s name?”

She chuckles, “What a nice young lady you are. This elder sister’s name is Tai Qiu. May I know Junior Sister’s name?”

“Jia Lin. May we meet again soon.” I turn around to hurry towards where I last saw the other girls.

“Ah, one moment.” Elder Sister Qiu, stops me before I can make it out of the section. “I can see that you have a love for books. If you would like to read some more, feel free to ask for me at the front desk tomorrow.”

I brighten at the idea of being able to come here again. I bow to Tai Qiu again. “Thank you!”

I find the girls easily, it turns out that Jing Xia had just found her book and they hadn’t been searching for me too hard.

“What cultivation manuals did you end up choosing?” Sister Lai asks, as we move towards the exit of the library.

I open my mouth to respond, but Sister Xia steps in between me and Sister Lai, bowing “My apologies Senior Sister Lai, but it would be inappropriate to give such valuable information to someone we just met.”

Silence surrounds us for a few seconds before Sister Lai smiles and nods towards the still bowing Jing Xia. “I take no offence, it is private information after all. But do try to remember who are your allies and who are your enemies. I can offer valuable insight if you wish me to.”

Jing Xia rises from her bow. “I shall remember your offer in the future, Senior Sister.” She says, motioning for Sister Lai to continue walking.

I had not thought about how valuable such information might be, but I am grateful to Jing Xia for stepping in before I could give such information away.

The three of us are silent after that, the quiet continuing well after we leave the library.

I frown at the awkward silence, “What is it like? Being an inner disciple?” I ask, breaking the silence.

The two of them look at me in confusion.

I hurriedly explain, “I-I mean, what are our responsibilities? What do we do as inner disciples?” I pull on the edges of my robe, embarrassed by my lack of knowledge. “None of this was actually explained to me.”

Jing Xia laughs, while Sister Lai looks at me with puzzlement.

Sister Lai’s expression softens, “You are still a child, aren’t you? It is easy to forget that.”

“Hey! I’m not a kid. I am twelve years old.” I respond, irritated with her tone.

“I did not mean any offense Junior Sister.” Ming Lai pauses in thought, causing the outer sect disciples to walk around us, like a rock in a stream. “As an inner disciple, you will be expected to be..., well, better than everyone else. You will receive the personal instruction and guidance of the Elders, and you will gain the resources of the sect.” She says, slowly moving forward again. “For now, you merely have to meet the Elder’s expectations. You don’t need to worry about anything else.”

“For now?” Jing Xia asks before I can.

Sister Lai nods, looking up at the sky with a vacant gaze, “When you have advanced on the path of cultivation, you will be expected to represent the sect. Inner Disciples are used as mediators, leaders, and ambassadors in the sect’s dealings with the outside world.” We arrive at the building with our rooms, but Sister Lai doesn’t seem to notice. Her gaze is sharp, but it isn’t directed at us. “We are pawns really.” She finally looks at the both of us, “But... pawns have their own importance, because someday they may become queens.” She shakes her head and smiles at the both of us. “Don’t think too hard on it. For now, simply try your best to improve. No one can ask anything more of you.”

With that said, she nods to the both of us “I have just gained some inspiration that I wish to meditate on. I shall see the both of you again soon.” Then she walks off to her room.

I look at Jing Xia sideways. She looks to be lost in her own thoughts.

“What a strange friend you have Sister Xia.” I say, startling her from her thoughts.

“Hm?” Her eyes focus in on me. “I’m not certain that she is a friend….” She smiles at me, “But she certainly is strange.”

I shrug, leaving the conversation at that. Taking out the bag that the librarian at the front desk had given me, I study it curiously. “What do you suppose is in here Sister Xia? I had completely forgotten about it.”

“The low grade spirit stones probably.” Sister Xia responds, reaching into her pocket, likely to touch her own bag.

“Cultivator’s money?” I ask innocently.

Jing Xia pats me on the head softly, giggling “Spirit stones are more than money. They hold tiny amounts of qi in them.”

My eyes go wide, a small “Oh.” escaping my mouth.

“Exactly. I doubt that the outer disciples ever see more than a few of these at a time.” She says, taking out one of the crystals from her pocket, it glows with a soft green color. She looks at me with a frown, “Don’t keep these on your person and make sure to keep them safe.” She says seriously. “Don’t tell anyone where you keep them, not even me. You understand?”

I nod.

“Good. And use them wisely. You only get four a week.” She pats my head again. “I am going to my room to cultivate, I suggest you do the same.”

I bow to her, “Thank you Sister Xia. I’m glad I have a friend like you.”

She squeals and pulls me into a hug. “That was so cute!”

I sigh in irritation.

After a moment, she finally lets me go and walks to her room.

I slide open the door to my room softly and walk in, closing it behind me. I take out the cultivation manual from my robes- it is amazing how many folds the thing has -and look it over.

I open it again, caught by the words written inside.

When I close the cultivation manual again, the sun is already disappearing in the sky.

A servant knocks softly on my door before entering, her presence being the reason I had stopped reading.

She bows to me, before quietly lighting a lantern in my room. She bows to me again as she leaves.

I open the book to one of the first pages. Musical notes cover the page.

The First Requiem; The Field of Blood.

I reach into my robe and pull out my flute. Gently, I unwrap it from the cloth surrounding it.

I put the flute to my lips, closing my eyes, the notes on the page staying fresh in my mind.

I start playing.

The song is deep and dark.

A remembrance of the dead, that is a Requiem.

As I play, the sounds of battle come from all around me, the screams of men as they die, the screech of metal against metal. A single man yells out, defiant, refusing to die. His blade enters flesh, taking the life of another. His defiant yell, turns to a sorrow filled one as yet another blade takes his life.

I open my eyes, my fingers moving gently to the next notes. I look out at a bloody battlefield, only two swords still clashing against each other.

Tears fall down my face, as my fingers slow down, almost stopping the song. But something pulls me to finish and I know.

I know that I cannot end it here.

The smell of blood hits my nose as I play a long dark note.

I no longer see the book, but the song is imprinted in my brain.

The two swords refuse to stop, a deadly dance between powerful men, their comrades dead around them.

I feel as the song comes to an end, the dance moving faster, becoming deadlier, following the beat of my song.

The last note plays out as both of the men stab each other, blood spraying out around them.

No one lives through this battle.

The last note ends.

The scenery disappears. I find myself back in my room, the soft lantern light illuminating my bed and a small table.

I place my flute in my lap and I cry.

Why? Why was I forced to watch such brutality? Why did I have to see the lives of men end in such a way? How could one man do that to another?

My soul aches from the pain.

I look down at the cultivation manual, tears blurring my vision.

Nothing could have prepared me for what I witnessed.

Taking a deep breath, I bring my flute back up to my lips.

The Second Requiem: Remembrance

I can feel it, while the first requiem had brought me horror. I know that this one will bring me peace. Peace that I desperately need right now.

I take one more deep breath, then I begin to play.