Story
Former senior agent of Mingting's Internal Security Agency. Though enmity filled his younger days, loyalty defined his later years. However, scapegoated for a murder, he is now but a blind swordsman wandering the world alone.
Miscellaneous Records of Mingting's Minister of Sentinel Affairs: Correspondence Collection My dear friend Dongyuan, A few days prior, the Internal Security Agency forwarded documents from the Justice Commission and the Huaxu Academy to the Ministry of Sentinel Affairs. Without delay, I instructed the Chongzhou official to assist in the matter and thoroughly examine the local Resonator register. It has now been confirmed that the individual in question has no connection with the Sentinel or the Threnodian of Chongzhou. According to the Ministry's records, this individual has been a Resonator for over fifteen years. Described as one who "sees the world through bamboos and hides his blade within them," he is blind yet wields a remarkable ability known as Mindsight. Through this power, he perceives his surroundings through a "bamboo forest" in his mind, enabling him to discern opponents' intentions and vulnerabilities. He can even manifest the Mindsight into tangible illusions. This is not a person to be underestimated. Moreover, his swordsmanship appears to stem chiefly from personal skill rather than his Resonance Ability. Observations indicate that he consistently restrains the use of his Resonance power. He claims that the bamboo flask he carries contains a concoction—prepared by a wandering healer in Chongzhou—that stimulates his Mindsight and Forte, and is used only when necessary. This matter may be forwarded to the Academy for further analysis. As for the detailed test data, please await the Academy's formal report... Dongyuan's annotation: Simply ensure this is recorded clearly. We follow the Ministry of Sentinel Affairs's judgment… My my, Lin still writes with his characteristic formality.
A bamboo flask Qiuyuan often carries, crafted from black bamboo native to Chongzhou. Its natural fragrance has long faded, replaced by the lingering scent of the medicinal decoction it always contains. When Qiuyuan once teetered on the brink of death, a doctor from Chongzhou saved him with a potent regimen. While he recovered, his Forte did not, though it can be temporarily restored to full strength with the decoction in this flask. Yet even this power serves only as an embellishment to the already refined swordplay he takes pride in.
A token of Mingting's Internal Security Agency that Qiuyuan always carries. It should have been confiscated along with his uniform after he left the service, yet someone within Mingting ensured he kept it. "…I hereby entrust this to you. Let all officials of every state know: whoever bears this token carries my presence."
He came to know the world through his ears, not his eyes. The weary sighs of his parents, the whispers of wind coming from Chongzhou's hollow bamboos, the clash of blades, the drop of his master's blood, the furious cries of his foes... And then, in Mingting, he heard light, but also the shadows lurking beneath it. He heard the greedy begging for mercy. He heard schemes snarled with lies. He heard resentment and hope spoken in another kind of voice. He cannot see, yet he hears all things clearly and inevitably. They are already there before the sounds ever reach him, as natural as iron becoming a sword, jade slumbering within stone, or music waiting in the heart of a bamboo flute.