Runes • Rifles • Reincarnation
55. Worldly Laws

Jin Shu sat at a desk in the middle of Aunt Chen’s study, his gaze calm as she moved around the room, collecting various scrolls, books, and even a few jade slips. He recognized the jade slips from cultivation stories on Earth—the kind you press to your forehead, allowing information to flow directly into your mind.

Moments later, she placed the assortment on the desk and took a seat across from him.

“These hold the information you seek,” she said, gesturing to the items.

Jin Shu reached for one of the jade slips, but she waved a hand to stop him.

“Not so fast,” she said. “First, let me explain the basics of worldly laws.”

He leaned back, nodding. “Go ahead.”

“Do you know what worldly laws are?” she asked, her expression neutral.

Jin Shu shook his head. “Biyu told me they’re the truths of this world, but I didn’t really understand much of what she explained.”

Aunt Chen unfurled a scroll and glanced at him over its edge. “Worldly laws are the fundamental truths of this world—”

“Ah, right! That’s what Biyu said. But I still don’t get it,” Jin Shu interrupted, frowning.

She blinked but chose not to comment on his interruption. “As I was saying, they are the fundamental truths. Without them, the world would cease to function.” She turned the scroll toward him, revealing a vivid painting instead of text.

It depicted a blue dragon coiled amidst a sea of clouds. “This is the Azure Dragon,” she explained, “one of the five beings responsible for creating the laws of this world.”

“Biyu told me about that,” Jin Shu said, leaning forward slightly. “She mentioned something about it creating clouds.”

Aunt Chen smiled faintly. “We can delve into that later. For now, let’s stick to the basics.”

She unfurled four more scrolls and spread them across the desk. Each scroll displayed a detailed depiction: a white tiger roaring atop a mountain, a massive black tortoise with a snake for a tail half-submerged in the ocean, the flaming form of a vermillion bird, and finally, a bicorn with scales of jade, its majestic form surrounded by countless smaller creatures bowing in reverence.

“These are the four divine beasts and the king of beasts,” she said, gesturing to each in turn. “Together, they created the worldly laws. In the end, they formed the mortal realm—Fanjie.”

Jin Shu nodded along, though his belief wavered. As someone from Earth, it was hard to fully accept such a tale. Yet, as someone reincarnated into a world of cultivation, he could only be mildly skeptical. After all, this world defied logic as he knew it.

“They each started with one law,” Aunt Chen continued, pointing first to the Azure Dragon. “The Azure Dragon created the law of water, birthing life as their first law.”

Her finger moved to the White Tiger. “The White Tiger established the law of the earth, giving form and stability to life.”

Jin Shu opened his mouth to ask a question, but Aunt Chen raised a hand, silencing him. With her other hand, she gestured to the Vermillion Bird.

“The Vermillion Bird introduced the law that life requires fire to thrive.”

She pointed next to the Black Tortoise. “The Black Tortoise created the law that life needs sustenance to endure.”

Finally, her hand rested on the image of the Qilin. “And Lord Qilin declared the law of free will, granting the beings born of the Dragon and Tiger autonomy over their lives.”

Aunt Chen looked up at Jin Shu, her eyes probing. “Do you know why these were the first laws they created?”

Jin Shu hesitated before answering, uncertainty lacing his tone. “To give birth to humans?”

“No.” Aunt Chen shook her head, then pointed at the beasts bowing to the Qilin in the painting. “Those laws created these creatures.” She tapped her finger on the smaller beasts depicted in the artwork.

“The Dragon and Tiger created living beings to serve as soldiers in a long-forgotten war,” she continued. “The Bird and Tortoise weakened them so they couldn’t rise against their creators. Then the Qilin bestowed free will upon them, earning their reverence.”

Jin Shu stared blankly, struggling to grasp the significance of the tale.

“You don’t understand, do you?” Aunt Chen asked gently. “Neither did I when I first heard this from my Master.” Her voice softened, carrying a faint trace of nostalgia. “And perhaps, you’ll have to come up with your own interpretation. No one truly knows what it all means.” She chuckled wryly, as if sharing a private joke with herself.

“One thing, however, is certain,” she continued, her tone becoming serious. “Each of their laws corresponds to a specific element: Water, Earth, Fire, and Wood. The Qilin’s element is... tricky. It isn’t immediately obvious. Can you guess it?”

“Uh…” Jin Shu tilted his head, considering. “It couldn’t be Metal—that’s rigid and unbending.”

Aunt Chen’s brows lifted in mild surprise at his thoughtful musing.

“Is it Wind?” he asked hesitantly.

Her expression shifted to one of disbelief. She stared at him for several moments before speaking, her tone laced with surprise. “How did you arrive at that answer?”

“Well,” Jin Shu began, his voice slow as he pieced his thoughts together, “I figured that Wind is formless, just like the thoughts in our minds that shape free will.”

“You are correct. It was indeed Wind.” Aunt Chen picked up a book from the pile, flipping through its pages with practiced ease. “Honestly, all that talk about the Divine Beasts may as well be mumbo-jumbo,” she added with a sly laugh, then turned the book toward him.

“What?” Jin Shu gave her a questioning look.

She didn’t respond, simply tapping the page for emphasis. Jin Shu lowered his gaze and began reading, his eyes widening as he scanned the contents.

At the top of the page, a bold line stood out: ‘Elements are the basis of worldly laws.’ Below it, the text elaborated:

‘Many techniques give one’s qi an elemental property. However, this does not equate to mastery of the elements. True mastery requires perfect control of an element without relying on qi. The only known beings capable of this were the Divine Beasts, which is why they were believed to have created the mortal world and its laws.

Elements, are the foundation upon which the laws of this world operate.

Consider, for example, Air: it is the Wind element that moves the air through the world, allowing all creatures to breathe and live. Without this elemental force, life would cease to exist. Conversely, if one were to gain mastery over the Wind element, they could manipulate it to devastating effect, such as removing air entirely from the space around them.’

Jin Shu leaned back, the implications sinking in. The simplicity of the concept contrasted sharply with the profound impact it could have.

Jin Shu glanced at Aunt Chen. “So, which is it? The Divine Beasts or the elements?”

She smiled enigmatically. “That is for you to decide. But I will say this—I believe in this book. Many consider it heretical, but I think it connects to deeper truths.” She gestured toward the paintings of the Divine Beasts. “That doesn’t mean you can’t believe in the Divine Beasts and still reach those same truths.”

His head swam with a whirlwind of thoughts, none clear enough to grasp. Finally, he reached for the book, holding it firmly. “I think this one is easier for me to understand.”

Aunt Chen’s smile brightened, as if she’d been waiting for him to say exactly that. With a wave of her hand, the paintings and most of the other books, scrolls, and jade slips vanished, reappearing neatly on the bookshelves.

All that remained were the book in Jin Shu’s hands and a single jade slip on the desk.

She pointed to the jade slip. “This will give you a brief introduction to the elements.”

Jin Shu picked it up, examining it curiously. “Thank you, Aunt Chen.” Without hesitation, he brought the slip to his forehead and pressed it there.

Aunt Chen gave him a puzzled look. “What are you doing?” she asked, pointing at the jade slip.

“Uh…? Isn’t this how jade slips work?” Jin Shu replied hesitantly, his confidence faltering.

She shook her head, narrowing her eyes slightly. “No. Wherever did you hear something so ridiculous?”

His face flushed with embarrassment as he pulled the jade slip away. “Um… I just assumed? H-how do I use it?”

“Activate it with a small amount of qi, and its contents will reveal themselves,” she explained, her tone a mix of amusement and patience.

Following her instructions, Jin Shu channeled a small amount of qi into the jade slip. Instantly, his surroundings shifted. He found himself standing in an empty, white expanse.

Jin Shu blinked, his eyes darting around the strange, empty expanse. What is this place? he wondered.

Before he could make sense of it, the whiteness around him shifted, transforming into a vast expanse of deep blue water. Panic surged through him as he suddenly found himself submerged, the water pressing in from all sides. He thrashed, trying to orient himself, but there was no surface in sight—no indication of which way was up or down.

His chest tightened as he prepared to hold his breath, but then he realized something odd: he was breathing. Perfectly fine.

The panic ebbed, replaced by realization. This isn’t real—it’s all in my mind, he thought, steadying himself as the watery expanse continued to ripple and shift.

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