“Greetings, fellow Daoist,” one of the men said warmly. “What brings you here today?”
Cha Ming handed them the white envelope. “I’ve come to see Lu Tianhao.”
The man nodded. “You may call this servant Kang Zexi,” the man said, stepping out from behind the desk. “Please follow me. I will lead you to Senior Partner Lu.” As Kang Zexi led Cha Ming through the white wooden doors, he was amazed at the similarity between this building and the Obsidian Syndicate. They had a similar layout and organizational structure. The various workshops and storefronts appeared much the same, albeit with fewer artisans than the former.
“Honesty is a pillar of business,” the man explained. “And so is reputation. Our customers may observe our artisans crafting their wares whenever they wish.”
“Aren’t you worried about espionage?” Cha Ming asked.
“Not so much,” Kang Zexi said. “For one, our members are at the pinnacle of their craft, so it is difficult to steal their secrets through imitation. Second, the honesty brings us extra business. Another organization has storefronts to put up a show, but we do not. It’s a quality check. We recruit craftsmen, not actors and prostitutes. At the same time, we do not welcome everyone to be our clients. We refuse to do business with unsavory individuals and with those who have unverified reputations. The customers we approve are very unlikely to do things like espionage.”
As they continued, Cha Ming was led through wonderful gardens and accommodations. “These are the standard accommodations for our members,” he said simply. He didn’t elaborate, didn’t embellish. As they traveled, they passed several other offices and residences. Cha Ming could faintly see a jade glow beneath the crack of each door.
When they passed the library, Kang Zexi explained that members could study certain books depending on price and achievements. He was ambiguous on what these achievements or prices were. When Cha Ming asked if spirit stones were required, the man simply shook his head and laughed.
It wasn’t long before they arrived at one of the many offices. “Senior Partner Lu will see you now,” he said before leaving Cha Ming outside the door.
Remembering his previous experience with a transcendent devil at the Obsidian Syndicate, Cha Ming gulped and pushed the door open.
He was greeted with a large, simply built office. The floor tiles were made of marble, but they were inscribed with various formations he didn’t recognize. On the walls were several bookshelves made of mortal oak, also reinforced with formations. In fact, as Cha Ming looked around, he didn’t see any extravagant materials. Everything was plain but reinforced with a formation of some kind.
Peering inside the room, he saw no one. The office contained an empty desk. On the desk was a small turtle shell inscribed with a talisman beyond his comprehension. There was also a stack of paper, various crystals, and a small doll. The doll, like the many other things in the room, was made from ordinary materials. But unlike the others, it wasn’t inscribed with any protective formations.
Cha Ming was very curious about the contents of the shelves but kept his hands to himself. Instead, he sat down in front of the desk and waited. Time passed slowly as he sat, but still he waited in silence, for fear of offending a transcendent existence. It wasn’t until half an hour passed that he heard soft footsteps walking through the entrance.
“What a patient young man,” a voice said. Cha Ming turned around and saw a man with long white hair. He wore plain white robes, the type that one would wear in mourning at a funeral. Cha Ming couldn’t see his realm, but neither could he feel a stifling pressure from the man. There was a vivid green jade aura surrounding him. It was nine inches thick but unlike the ones he had seen before, converging at the man’s back, where it shaped itself into wings.
“An angel,” Cha Ming whispered.
The man chuckled softly. “Only of the lowest tier, young friend. No need to pay attention to these wings of mine. My name is Lu Tianhao. Please call me Senior Lu for now.”
Cha Ming clasped his hands and bowed. “Senior Lu, please call this junior Cha Ming.”
“Very well,” Lu Tianhao said. “Now then, let me review this trusty checklist my administrator provided.” He took out a creased sheet of regular paper.
“Soul Level: Peak Incandescent Realm—Superior compared to cultivation level.
“Cultivation Technique: Perfect Five Elements Cultivation Technique—Superior.
“Cultivation Level: Initial Foundation Establishment—Unsatisfactory.
“Body Cultivation Technique: Unknown, suspected to be a five-element technique.—Above average until confirmed.
“Body Cultivation Level: Initial Bone Forging—Unsatisfactory.
“Combat Prowess: Low-Tier Mid-Foundation Establishment—Superior. Verified by members Luo Xuehua and Dongfang Hao.”
The mystery behind the sudden letter of invitation was now solved. He had received two internal recommendations from members he’d fought with.
“Profession: Talisman Master, Lesser Grade. Capable of poetic talismans. Verified by Luo Xuehua.
“Verified Special Abilities: Eye technique that identifies devils and devil cultivators, verified by Luo Xuehua and Dongfang Hao. Technique also identifies merit halos and angelic endowment, verified by Lu Tianhao. Evaluated as a superior-grade ability due to its ability to transcend cultivation realms.
“Now then,” the kindly man said. “Are there any special abilities you would like to add?”
Cha Ming thought for a while before nodding. Revealing personal information to a literal angel probably wouldn’t backfire on him.
“One more,” Cha Ming replied. “Minor shapeshifting. I can transform my appearance into any other human’s that I have seen, as well as an amalgamation of their features.” To elaborate, he transformed his appearance to mimic Lu Tianhao’s, then immediately reverted.
“A very useful ability,” Lu Tianhao said cheerfully. “Now that the useless paperwork is done, we can start the real interview.” He crumpled the sheet of paper and tossed it into a nearby wastebin. “Are you relaxed yet?”
Cha Ming felt the bit of the tension that had accumulated dissipate with this question. “I suppose I am,” he replied, chuckling. Going through the motions of a regular interview had stressed him a little, but he realized the familiar process had helped ground him.
“Excellent,” Lu Tianhao said. “Why do you wish to join the Alabaster Group?”
Cha Ming was surprised by the question. He had not been asked such things when offered a position at the Obsidian Syndicate. “I wish to ask Mo Tianshen to concoct pills for me. I realize this is difficult, but I am currently embargoed by the Wang family’s Jade Bamboo Conglomerate in Quicksilver.”
“Why is that?” the man asked.
“Due to their family politics,” Cha Ming said helplessly. “Their second young master is my friend, so I have been blacklisted by association.”
“No, not that,” Lu Tianhao said gently. “I don’t care about the reason for your embargo. What I’m asking for is your reason for wanting alchemical pills.”
Cha Ming answered in a confused voice, “To increase my realm quickly, I need alchemical pills. It is very difficult to find someone able to craft pills for my unique constitution.”
“Once again, that’s not what I meant,” Lu Tianshen said. “Let me rephrase: Why do you wish to improve your strength quickly?”
“Does it matter?” Cha Ming asked.
“It makes all the difference,” the man replied seriously.
“There is trouble in the Song Kingdom where I come from,” Cha Ming said. “I need to gain strength quickly to help them.”
“What kind of trouble is it?” the man probed again.
Cha Ming stayed silent for a moment before responding. “There have been devil attacks, attacks which involve the royal family. I have seen the consequences of their actions, and I need to help the people in my country.”
The man nodded understandingly. “That wasn’t so difficult, was
it? Now that you know what I’m looking for, please answer my next question. Why did you reject the Obsidian Syndicate?”
“Because it’s a den of evil,” Cha Ming said curtly.
“Explain,” Lu Tianhao said.
“When I was introduced to their facility, I saw no less than fifty devils within their barracks,” Cha Ming said. “In addition, I have been under the effects of a slave sigil before, which was inscribed on me by their sigil master, Guo Jia. Finally, when I met their transcendent senior partner, he too was a devil. Isn’t that a good enough reason on its own?”
The man nodded. “That’s a very good reason! Most people don’t know that the Obsidian Syndicate originated from the Alabaster Group. One of our senior partners fell into depravity and became a devil. However, I never imagined that they would blatantly recruit devils in such large numbers.” He looked down at his feet wistfully. The silence that followed seemed inappropriate to interrupt. “Are there any other reasons you want to join the Alabaster Group?”
Since Cha Ming had already divulged so much information, he decided to stick to the complete truth. “I have two more reasons. Firstly, I may need to recruit forces at the request of my friend Wang Jun if a conflict in the Song Kingdom escalates.”
Lu Tianhao frowned a little but remained silent. He clearly wasn’t pleased with this reason.
“As for the second one, I’m looking to learn battle techniques and formation arts. If I could pick one, I would pick formation arts. My opponents in the Song Kingdom used formations extensively.” Cha Ming quickly described the sequence of events in Fairweather.
“Guo Jia,” Lu Tianhao said.
“Pardon?” Cha Ming replied.
“Guo Jia is one of the three mortal formation masters in the city,” Lu Tianhao said. “We hold one of them as well, and the royal family has the last one. The Quicksilver Kingdom is nearest to the Song Kingdom, so the probability of Guo Jia laying those formations is rather high. In addition, the Obsidian Syndicate is the only group that would accept such a mission.”
Cha Ming frowned. “But isn’t Guo Jia’s skill level too high to lay down those basic formations?”
“Not at all,” Lu Tianhao said, chuckling. “He was likely there for a larger formation and laid the others down in passing. He is a very frugal individual and will never make something of higher quality unless he is asked to do it. As for what that other formation was… who knows?”
Cha Ming sensed an impending headache coming. “What’s the next question?” he asked.
“That’s it,” Lu Tianhao said nonchalantly. “You’re in.”
“Just like that?” Cha Ming asked incredulously.
“Just like that,” Lu Tianhao said. “Now for proper business. I can help you out with battle techniques and formations simultaneously. However, there is a price to pay for everything.”
“What’s the price?” Cha Ming asked nervously. What could a transcendent being possibly want?
“All I want is confirmed devil kills,” the man in white said. “I’ll give you twenty-four hours of instruction per confirmed devil kill. For now, I’ll credit you seventy-two hours. In addition, I can lend you books.”
“That’s it?” Cha Ming asked.
“That’s it,” the older man said. “I’m a rich man, but unfortunately I am a transcendent being. I can’t directly harm all the mortal devils on this plane due to karmic restrictions. All I can do now is recruit likeminded people and teach them.”
“Why isn’t hiring people to kill devils restricted by karma?” Cha Ming asked, curious.
“It’s due to the plane’s interference,” Lu Tianhao explained. “Basically, my power is too great for this world, and it wants me out. It doesn’t want me acting directly, because every move I make can potentially destabilize the plane. Therefore direct hostile actions by me are strictly forbidden. If I dare kill a mortal directly, the heavenly tribulation resulting from it could damn near kill me.”
“What about fighting other transcendent beings?” Cha Ming asked.
“Still forbidden,” Lu Tianhao said. “And very deadly if a tribulation strikes us in mid-combat. We wouldn’t dare to do such things. In any case, I know that you are still weak, but I see great potential in you. If you sign a contract with us, I can secure you a meeting with Mo Tianshen. No guarantees on whether he will help you, though. If he can’t, your only alternative will be to cultivate using energy-gathering formations. I can teach you those as well. You’ll burn through money like it’s going out of style, but there’s nothing that can be done. As a member, you will not be allowed to frequent the Obsidian Syndicate and their pill-making resources.”
Cha Ming though for a moment. “I can’t leave the city currently. Xiao Heilong has me locked in. He is tracking me with a fengxue compass locked on to me using karma.”
“That is troublesome,” Lu Tianhao said. “I don’t have anyone available to deal with him quite yet, but I do hope that you can kill him eventually. For now, all I can do is help you learn a movement technique with which to outrun him once you get to early foundation establishment. Is that fair?”
“Very fair,” Cha Ming said. “Where do I sign?”
Chapter 23: Formations
The formalities were completed a short while later, and Lu Tianhao immediately dove into a mini lecture on formations. “Cha Ming, what do you know of formations?”
Cha Ming hesitated before responding. “They are like talismans in that they incorporate runes and runic lines?”
Lu Tianhao nodded. “That is correct, but not completely correct.” Lu Tianhao waved his hand, and twelve blue stones appeared on his desk. With a second wave, the stones organized themselves in a peculiar pattern. With a third wave, qi poured into the twelve stones. Simple runes that Cha Ming immediately recognized lit up, and roughly fifty lines appeared. They were immediately followed by a shifting ice shield. The room’s temperature immediately plunged.
“When you were outside the city, I noticed that you used the Myriad Ice Shield Talisman,” Lu Tianhao said. “This uses the same base but different methods. What differences have you noticed?”
Cha Ming, who had been observing it with his incandescent force the entire time, replied in an uncertain tone. “From what I can gather, the runes have been prepared into these stones. However, they are not finalized and require soul energy and qi to activate. The second difference is that the lines have not been predrawn; they are drawn with qi and regulated with soul force. A talisman is static, and a formation is dynamic. However, a talisman is built to expend itself on use. But from what I can see, this formation will continue indefinitely.”
“That’s right,” the old man said. “Not only can I supply it energy, but it plunders energy from its surroundings. That is why larger formations are so effective—they use their large size to draw on a greater amount of energy. In fact, many formations use auxiliary energy-gathering formations that have no other effects than to support the original.”
Cha Ming thought of the blood-gathering formation and the gold-gathering formation he had seen in Fairweather City. He nodded solemnly once he understood the implications. Any energy could be used.
“The disadvantages are also obvious,” Lu Tianhao continued. “They take more time to prepare. Also, since it’s a dynamic process, it can be interrupted and countered after activation. A talisman cannot.” Lu Tianhao threw out five brown stones from his sleeve. They fell into position outside the shield, and five brown runes and ten brown lines simultaneously shot out. They shattered the blue shield and its lines, stopping the process entirely.
“What are some other advantages and disadvantages you can think of?” Lu Tianhao asked.
“It seems that the capital cost of setting up a formation is higher,” Cha Ming answered. “But at the same time, the components can be reused. Another advantage is that you can supply external energy. I am extrapolating here, but I assume spirit stones and liquified elemental essence and the like can be used. But the energ
y consumption is far greater than the one-time effect of a talisman.”
“All these claims are accurate,” Lu Tianhao said. “Another advantage is that, after initial setup, the formation self-regulates because it is in harmony with heaven and earth. Therefore, less precise control is required over a greater quantity of energy. Formations are more tolerant of mistakes, leading to a higher success rate.”
“How does one break formations?” Cha Ming asked.
“Through knowledge, power, and preparation,” Lu Tianhao answered. “Let me ask you, how many runes do you know, and to what efficiency?”
“Ten thousand,” Cha Ming replied. “To above ninety-five percent.”
“What do you know of runic lines and logic?” Lu Tianhao asked.
“I know the basics of addition, subtraction, and grammar, but not perfectly,” Cha Ming said. “If I were to give myself a score, it would be eighty-two out of a hundred.”
“And what of sigils?” Lu Tianhao continued.
“A smattering,” Cha Ming said. “I know the very minimal core of the five elements, thunder, and lightning, but my knowledge is far from complete.”
“Great, great,” Lu Tianhao said, eyes shining. “You’ve been to Fuxi’s Library.”
Cha Ming was shocked at the man’s inference.
“No need to be surprised. I come from a transcendent plane and have been to many mortal planes. While I have never been to a library, I know that they are closely guarded resources by major sects. They send their heaven-chosen there every year in the hopes of perfecting their Dao foundations. Although I would appreciate knowing the location, I would never force you.”
Cha Ming relaxed after this explanation.
The man then stood up and grabbed a thick book, laying it on the desk. “This book summarizes the creation of formation stones and formation flags. Before you come back, I want you to create twelve formation stones for each rune you know.” He continued along the bookshelf and picked out twelve or so thick books. “Before you come back, you need to have memorized and successfully formed all first- through ninth-grade formations. We won’t bother with any exams, as I have the authority to grant you a formation-master certification of the appropriate grade.”
Pure Jade Page 23
