For a moment after my declaration the twin brothers sat in shocked silence. They stared at me with blank faces, when sudden realisation dawned on them. Yu Jin’s eyes widened like saucers and I saw accusation written on his face.
Having witnessed Wang Ren’s heavy hand when dealing with Feng Mei, he didn’t speak out of turn. His mouth closed and then his lips curled upwards into a smile. Yu Bao went through a similar reaction, only a step after his brother.
“You mean… We can cultivate? But I thought…” Yu Jin trailed off.
Actually I’d seen a similar reaction in patients suffering with potentially terminal illnesses. Even many of my ordinary patients, given that warzones and high life expectancies didn’t go hand in hand.
When given good news, instead of celebrating, they were only confused. Spending all your time waiting for death only to be told you were going to live was a complete upheaval.
The situation here wasn’t quite the same, but it produced a similar reaction. We all sat in silence for about an incense stick’s worth of time, the only sounds were the heavy breathing of the two boys.
Then, Yu Bao finally broke the tension. He bowed to the ground, pressing his head against the floor.
He was about to do it a second time when I placed a hand on his shoulder to stop him. “Once is enough. Three times is to recognise your master. I am not your master,” I explained.
He perhaps didn’t understand the implications yet, but he nodded regardless and didn’t make an effort to kowtow again. Yu Jin followed suit and then the two boys stood up.
They bowed at the same time. “Disciple Yu greets the Sect Leader. We will work hard to repay you,” they intoned together.
I waited until they were out of sight to laugh. Maybe all those movies weren’t that wrong after all…
The Grasping Life Sect had obtained its first disciples. Well, first new disciples. We had arrived as a group of six, but the status of the others was still a little confusing.
Teng Sheng and Xiao Cui were disciples for sure, given that they could both cultivate. However, Yu Chun and Du Wen had lost track of what to do. They were carrying out menial chores and finding ways to entertain themselves, but without a long term purpose they might find themselves drifting away from me.
However, I couldn’t micromanage everyone. There was too much to do. If they couldn’t find a purpose themselves then we were simply not fated to remain together.
With the new disciples organised, I could return to my tasks. My two priorities were helping little Cui take her first steps on the road of cultivation and continuing to observe Teng Sheng as he progressed.
Actually I would need to have robes made to give to everyone. Now that we had begun to grow, maintaining a uniform identity would be important, especially when we started to deal with outside organisations in truth.
I expected a steady trickle of patients to begin arriving from the nearby settlements soon. Now that there had been time for Wang Ren’s news to spread, at least a few curious people should take the bait.
With my priorities in order I stood up and pocketed the talent stone. It was an interesting object that I wanted to study further, but that would require testing more people. It could wait.
I considered how to put Xiao Cui onto the path of cultivation. Choosing a suitable method was important. I didn’t want my first disciple to have a poor foundation.
In an ideal world, I would be able to give her a method that bolstered her ability to heal others, but I had barely made progress in that regard. So I would have to settle for a method we had on hand.
Or did I?
I could go the easy route and give her the best method we had to hand—the Cloudy Falls Sect’s basic cultivation manual. Both Wang Ren and I followed it and we had decent enough cultivation.
Well, I don’t think my own cultivation counted anymore since I had arrived and hijacked my predecessor’s body, but Wang Ren was certainly a powerful man. Even without a ‘perfect’ method for her, I could still read through all our available methods and try to draw inspiration from them, making the best of what we had to hand.
I believed it wouldn’t take too long, so rather than head straight to meet my little disciple, I instead made a detour towards the newest building on the mountain—Second Elder Li’s home. He had built it in a matter of hours, using his advanced cultivation and powerful formation techniques.
Most of the specifics were lost on me, but I knew I’d made the right choice in getting the Li clan’s assistance. I had expected him to produce an ostentatious manor, reflecting the style of North Peak Town. Instead he had made his home in the same style as the other buildings of the sect, blending in seamlessly.
He didn’t have to do that, so I was grateful for the consideration. He had made his pagoda larger than those of the others, but I didn’t begrudge him the status that brought. Giving a knowledgeable teacher face was an easy way to keep them happy.
I entered the building without knocking. He would be able to detect my arrival anyway with his senses, so it was rather pointless.
I found the second elder sitting on a cultivation mat, reading a weathered, leather-bound book that looked older than the man himself. There was a stack of books beside him in various conditions. From a quick glance at their titles I realised he was studying formations.
Despite his brash and overbearing demeanour, it seemed the man was a studious formation master. That boded well for our future cooperation. However, I wasn’t here to talk about formations. I was here to talk about cultivation.
“Sect Leader Zhao. Welcome,” the elder said, closing the book and placing it on the stack beside him. “To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit? Do you wish for me to begin teaching your disciples?”
I took a seat opposite when he waved a hand, producing an identical mat from his storage ring. It was quite comfortable and the moment I had settled, I felt the flow of my qi speeding up a little.
If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.
“This is a wonderful thing,” I said, waving at the mat. “Where would I procure one for myself?”
He chuckled. “Keep it. They aren’t expensive. The clan orders them in bulk from an artisan in Twisting Ridge.”
“To tell the truth, I’m not here for your knowledge of formations, Second Elder. I wish to talk about cultivation,” I explained.
He raised an eyebrow. “Cultivation? We are at a similar realm, I am not sure what use I can be to you. Our paths are different, too.”
“Well, I only wish to discuss the basics. I have had a rather… unique path to get to where I am now. My disciple is preparing to take her first steps and I want to ensure she has the best start I can give her. Discussing all of my options with those around me seems prudent.”
“A wise choice. She is lucky to have such a considerate master. Most would simply thrust their own methods onto their disciples, believing them to be superior to all others. That is the way. The children of the Li Clan all follow our clan’s methods. It has worked for a hundred generations and it will work for a hundred more, constantly improving,” he replied, a proud look on his face when he spoke of his clan.
“Do you never look to other methods for inspiration? To take what works and weave it into your own techniques, creating a superior method? Does anyone do this?” I asked, even though I suspected his answer would be no. This world seemed averse to cooperation.
“Are you insane?” he exclaimed, before laughing in my face. “Combining cultivation methods is suicide. Each mantra is carefully designed to move the spiritual energy around us and the blood and qi inside our bodies. To wantonly carve them apart and try to sew them together is the work of demons and madmen. It does not work.”
His tone grew cold towards the end. I feared I had wasted some of the goodwill we had gathered over the past few days, but I didn’t mind.
The answer left me with more questions than I’d had when I entered, but it also told me many important things. Discussing further would be pointless and likely serve to enrage the man even more, sowing distrust where I didn’t need to.
“I see. Thank you for your wisdom, Second Elder. I will take my leave,” I said, offering him a martial salute as I stood up and pocketed the mat.
“At least you see sense. Let me know when you wish for me to begin teaching. The basics of formation arts are simple enough if one is dedicated and possesses a modicum of talent,” he replied.
I nodded and turned to leave the way I’d come. As I reached the door, I heard the second elder stand up and follow after me.
“Wait a second. I have something interesting to tell you,” the man said, placing a hand on my shoulder.
I turned with a raised eyebrow, curious as to what he might have to say. I doubted it was related to our earlier conversation and he must have known it the entire journey here, yet decided not to share until now.
“Yes?”
“You have heard of the Blossoming Heavens, yes?” he inquired.
I nodded.
“Good. Then you know that the golden age of the era is approaching. Before we left North Peak, my brother informed me that the heavenly lotus appeared above Jade Spire City,” he announced, an excited glint in his eyes.
I was sure he expected me to know what that meant, but I had no clue. It was related to the Blossoming Heavens, but what was I supposed to do with this information?
He must have seen the confusion on my face, because he waved a hand and continued. “The appearance of the heavenly lotus is the sign that the Blossoming Heavens is ready to appear. There is less than a month until the secret realm’s entrance opens and everyone in the world will be on their way to plunder its riches. The clan began preparations when we left. Do you intend to go?” he asked.
It was a clear dig for information. I wondered about his motivations. The Li Clan were working with us now, but that was only a temporary arrangement.
What would they do if they knew that Wang Ren and I had left the mountain. With its two most powerful cultivators gone, the Grasping Life Sect would be defenceless.
In their eyes, anyway. They didn’t know about the existence of Senior Guan Jin or the cave of golden spirit stones. I didn’t plan to share that knowledge with the Second Elder, either.
“Elder Wang and I discussed it at great length, but decided against it. The journey is long and dangerous and we didn’t wish to leave the sect now, when it is only setting its roots. Besides, how could we contest with the great powers of the Celestial Jade Empire? We are only Qi Gathering cultivators,” I replied with a sorrowful smile and a shrug of my shoulders.
His beard twitched at my use of the title Elder. Wang Ren was a man in the prime of his youth, but nonetheless it was appropriate to call him as such.
“I believe that is a mistake. You don’t understand the riches and opportunities that are hidden in the Blossoming Heavens. A single treasure could change your destiny. I heard a tale of a Body Tempering practitioner who found a fruit which allowed him to ascend right to the Core Forging Realm in a single step! It is worth the journey,” he exclaimed, enthusiasm filling his voice.
“Opportunity and danger come hand in hand. I am sure the treasures are beyond my wildest imagination, but a weak man treasuring a jade is a crime. What is the use of fortune if I die and leave my sect without a leader?”
The second elder sighed. “It is true. I think you are making a mistake, regardless. However, it is your mistake to make. I won’t bring the matter up again. Although, if you were averse to going yourself, you could send your disciples with our Li Clan,” he suddenly said, whirling back to face me.
“How will you protect them? What if some Nascent Soul sage decides he doesn’t like the way you look and stomps you to death? I can’t risk their lives.”
“Nonsense. We aren’t travelling under our own banner. We will go with the Soaring Sword Sect, who are in turn under the protection of a greater sect. It will be fine,” he dismissed my concerns with a flick of his sleeve.
“If what you say is true, I doubt the Li Clan has the freedom to send as many of their younger generations as they wish. Would you have the pull to bring more tagalongs?”
He tapped a foot, considering my words. “You are right. The Li Clan only has two slots and we are sending our most talented youths. However, I am sure the first elder could convince the sect to bring one more child along. If they returned, they would bring honour and wealth to your sect.”
“It is too dangerous. The Soaring Sword Sect would sooner slaughter my disciple than allow a new sect to emerge in their lands. Thank you for the offer, Second Elder, but I must decline,” I said, raising a hand when he started to object.
“As you wish, Sect Leader Zhao. It is your decision to make,” he sighed, offering a brief martial salute and returning to sit on his mat.
I shook my head as I left. Why had he been so forceful? It almost seemed as if he was desperate to have someone from the sect accompany the Li Clan.
The danger was too great, especially if the people I would be entrusting with our safety were the Soaring Sword Sect. The Li Clan may have nefarious intentions in our deal and I needed to discover them sooner rather than later.
However, I realised that I hadn’t quite understood the potential that the Blossoming Heavens offered. Even so, it was still too great a risk. Dying now would mean throwing away everything I’d worked for and it would leave those I cared about vulnerable to the local powers.
Second Elder Li had told me that mixing cultivation methods was madness, but that couldn’t be true. I’d observed Teng Sheng making progress using only half his method, so there had to be ways around it. I looked inside my spatial ring at the mountain of manuals I had available.
There were more on the way too. Once the Golden Leaf Consortium’s delivery arrived I would have enough books to build a library.
Actually, that sounded like a great idea. First though, it was time to study. The sun was shining in the sky and the scent of flowers wafted on the breeze.
I found a nice spot with a view over the surrounding landscape and took out the first cultivation manual. Reading the title, I wanted to curse the cultivator who wrote it. Why did they have to use such flowery language when simple descriptive words would do?
By the time I got through all of these I would probably want to tear my hair out, but it was necessary. To give Xiao Cui the best start possible, I would read a thousand copies of Venerable Yuan Li’s Five Mountains, Six Rivers, Seven Seas Heavenly Cycle if I had to.
