Wén

*Fate leads the willing and drags along the reluctant.”

Chapter 1 Written in Stone, Written in Sand

In the land within four mountain peaks, there was the empire of Xian Jiu Guan. It had stood the test of time, surviving disasters, raids, and takeovers.

It is said that Xian Jiu Guan housed the strongest man alive, a man who had surpassed enlightenment and achieved immortality. A man who could share his immortality with those he deemed worthy. A man who had built Xian Jiu Guan by pulling the mountains apart to make room, and raising the rivers from nowhere. To most, he was seen as a god.

But to the citizens of Xian Jiu Guan who knew him, he was a simple old man who enjoyed nothing more than sipping oolong tea and watching the moon's reflection in the river.

The stone courtyard bustled with the laughter and running feet of children as they played, their voices echoing off the ancient walls. Amidst the joyful chaos, a small girl with pigtails trailing behind her dashed forward, eyes wide with awe and admiration. Her sandals scuffed the paving stones as she suddenly tripped, arms pinwheeling before her.

A large, calloused hand extended to catch her by the shoulders, steadying the child before she could fall. The girl's head whipped up to meet the warm, crinkled gaze of Master Wen, the renowned chi master whose skills were spoken of in hushed tones.

"Master! Master!" she exclaimed breathlessly, wisps of hair falling across her flushed face. "Is it true you raised mountains?"

A deep, rumbling chuckle tumbled from Master Wen's broad chest as he straightened the girl's robes, dusting off the flecks of dirt with a fond patience. "Will knowing this make you happier, little one?"

The child's brow furrowed in confusion for a moment before realization blossomed across her cherubic features, a beaming grin stretching from ear to ear. She nodded vigorously, pigtails bouncing with the motion.

Chuckling again at her enthusiasm, Master Wen extended a hand, fingers splaying as he summoned his chi in a shimmering azure aura. The courtyard around them seemed to dissolve as the air shimmered, coalescing into a three-dimensional hologram that hung suspended in the space between them. “I pulled the mountains apart, I broke the ground to house rivers...”

The projection showed a younger Master Wen, standing atop a towering mountain amidst a jagged range that pierced the clouds like obsidian fangs. With a roar of exertion, he slammed his fists into the stony ground, brilliant blue chi erupting from his arms. The very peaks began to shudder and groan as unimaginable power flowed through him.

In a cataclysmic upheaval, the mountains twisted and reshaped under Master Wen's control, rock and earth parting as if guided by a divine sculptor's hands. Valleys were carved, rivers birthed from the redirected ocean's swell, until what had been a treacherous range stood tamed - a fertile island ready to nurture generations to come.

The girl watched in rapt silence, her mouth hanging open, eyes reflecting the incredible vision. So transfixed was she that she barely registered the approaching servant until his voice rang out.

"Xie! Children! We are heading back inside," the man called, ushering the group to follow. Only then did the hologram flicker and dissipate.

Today was his day to see the next generation who will be protecting Xian Jiu Guan. He taught them the history of their birthplace, played with them, and throughout it all he listened for that familiar ripple in their spirits. A future Jingshen Chedui in the making.

One of the servants, a middle-aged man in humble brown garb, emerged from the temple doors. With a gracious bow, he gathered the rambunctious children, herding them out in an orderly line as their chatter gradually faded into the distance. An unexpected pang of wistfulness tugged at Wen's heart, the innocent mirth stirring bittersweet memories long tucked away.

He closed his eyes, allowing the gentle breeze to caress his weathered features. So much of life had blurred together into a vast tapestry - moments of elation woven amid tragedy, enlightenment hard-won through suffering. Yet the simple delight of these children struck a dissonant chord, their untroubled laughter a stark contrast to the weighty contemplations that so often consumed his thoughts.

Slowly, reverently, Wen sank down onto an ornately carved bench, one calloused hand absently stroking his beard. An unbidden thought took root. Perhaps it was time to seek companionship beyond these hallowed walls and his monastic duties. Not just a servant bound by oaths, but a friend - one who could wander by his side, an inquisitive mind to challenge his own perspectives. A fresh breath of vitality to reinvigorate his spirit.

Yes, the notion resonated with the same warm promise as the golden sun filtering through the leaves. Wen allowed a faint smile to crease his lips. This could be exactly what his soul had been yearning for without realizing. Someone to share in life's humble joys, to remind him that wisdom came not just from dusty tomes, but the vibrant world awaiting beyond the temple gates.

---

The decision had been made. Master Wen inhaled deeply, his weathered face impassive as he emerged from the dim recesses of the ancient temple into the bright morning sunlight. Despite the cacophony of skeptical voices still echoing in his mind, he knew his gut instinct could be trusted implicitly - it had never failed him before. From the towering stack of names and histories, one had simply felt...right. A spark of fate, guiding his quill.

Raising a hand to shield his eyes from the blinding rays, Master Wen scanned the modest crowd gathering in the temple courtyard. Most prospective servants wore eagerness and ambition plain on their youthful faces, the chance to study under such a revered master a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. He felt a pang of regret that more could not be chosen, but quickly pushed it aside. This was the way, the universe's careful design. One day, perhaps, they would understand. He wanted a servant and a friend to talk to about more than their duties. A friend to share tea with. He had plenty of students, even those young faces were his. But he had no servant that was his. Until now.

His new servant. Master Wen's lips quirked upwards in a wan smile. Yes, this one would be unexpected...but wasn't that so often the way of fate's great mysteries?

Unseen by the wizened master, five figures observed from the shadows of the great temple's entrance. Narrowed eyes watched his every move in terse silence, broken only by the occasional derisive snort or muttered imprecation.

"If the old fool wanted companionship so badly, he need only have asked one of us," Shen grumbled, his brow furrowed in consternation. He shot a sidelong glance at Han. "You're certain you've no idea who this...person is he's picked?"

Han shook his head, features etched in contemplative repose. "No knowledge, save the curious fact he chose them from a list of names, not by their deeds or reputations."

A cruel bark of laughter burst from Jing's lips. "To avoid judging them beforehand, you mean! They're likely some pathetic peasant barely fit to scrub the chamber pots."

"Peace, gentlemen." Zhao's rich baritone cut through the cacophony, accompanying the indolent stroke of fingers through his lustrous hair. "You know as well as I that this is but another stratagy, another masterplan of Master Wen's making. Plucking a lost soul from obscurity to redeem through his teachings, no?"

He favored them with an easy grin, though the slight dimming of its wattage betrayed a fleeting pang of uncertainty. Yin's rasping whisper cut through the stillness like a rusted blade.

"Even so...such trust, invested in a stranger?"

Shen started violently, as though physically struck, before whirling on Yin with an accusatory finger. “Shit! Man, where did you come from? I thought you ignored my chi message!”

Yin shifted restlessly from foot to foot, fingers twitching towards the sheathed blade at his hip. His dark eyes narrowed, scrutinizing the dimly lit stairway leading up to the main hall.

"I wanted to be sure the Master didn't pick a spirit by accident," he muttered under his breath, knuckles whitening. If their new arrival turned out to be some kind of malicious entity in disguise...his brow furrowed, considering all the gruesome ways he could dismantle them.

Zhao seemed to sense the violent undercurrent in his aura. "Easy on the killing aura, Owl," he chided, the slightest hint of a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. "Master Wen can see the future remember? He probably knows who he picked even if it was just from a list."

Yin scowled at the use of his nickname, but some of the rigid lines in his shoulders eased slightly at Zhao's reminder of their mentor's preternatural foresight. Shen, however, looked utterly undeterred - his fiery temper flaring as violently as his crimson hair.

"Well, whoever it is, I'll make sure they don't mess with our old man," he growled, fists clenching. In his mind's eye, he could already envision getting a few good hits in, feeling the satisfying crunch of knuckles against flesh. "I'll beat the shit out of them, even if they're just some little–"

"Shen." Han's cool, modulated tones sliced through his violent reverie like a blade through silk. One elegant eyebrow arched in subtle censure as he regarded the younger man. "Are you suggesting you'll kick a child?"

Shen flushed a brilliant scarlet, mouth working soundlessly as he backpedaled. "No! I just–"

"Shh, shut up!" Jing's sharp hiss cut through the bickering, her dark eyes blazing with uncharacteristic intensity. "They're arriving."

As one, the five guards immediately snapped to high alert - ears straining, bodies tensing like bowstrings drawn taut in preparation. Yin shared a series of hand signals in their secret combat code, and in a blur of motion too fast for the naked eye to track, they scattered - disappearing into the shadows like phantoms. Only Han remained visible, lounging casually against a carved pillar with an inscrutable half-smile.

Measured footsteps echoed in the tense stillness, drawing inexorably closer with each passing second. A slight figure emerged from the gloom at the base of the stairs, shrouded in swirling robes that revealed little more than a slender silhouette. Yin narrowed his eyes from his hidden vantage point, studying the stranger.

"Ah, you've arrived." Master Wen descended the staircase with a serene smile, robes billowing like ghostly wings behind his wizened frame. He came to a halt before the enigmatic figure, peering keenly into whatever veil concealed their features. "Tell me who you are."