by Tao Wong
Wu Ying chuckled, as he was not the one who was out of the loop. Liu Tsong had spent the first few days of his initiation, after Wu Ying had recovered, ensuring he completed all the bureaucratic necessities correctly this time. Along the way, Wu Ying had also managed to learn more about the way the inner sect worked.
“It’s one of the introductory lectures,” Wu Ying said. “How are you here if you didn’t know about it?”
“I was following everyone else. What’s an introductory lecture?”
“You know how there are three kinds of lectures?” Wu Ying said, and Tou He shook his head. “Well, there are the private lectures, which are only accessible if the Elder invites you. Those are generally meant for those who are already a disciple of the Elder. Then there are the paid lectures. Those Elders lecture on the topics of their expertise, but those lectures are open to more students and are less personal.
“Lastly, there are the public introductory lectures. The Elders rotate constantly as the lectures are repeats. But they’re a good introduction to the various occupations, fighting styles, and introductory knowledge a serious cultivator requires.”
“And this is an introductory lecture,” Tou He said as the pair took seats. The lecture hall was a small half-oval with two levels facing the simple stage. “To what?”
“Cultivation in the Energy Storage phase,” Wu Ying said.
Since the sect was not a school and the intake of new members to the inner sect was sparse, the introductory lectures were never set up to cater to the new members. Instead, new inner sect members were expected to work with their sponsoring Elders or other senior members to brush up on what they needed to know. Of course, introductory lectures to the basics of each occupation happened too, but those were often scattered throughout the year as demand built up.
“Who’s lecturing?”
Before Wu Ying could showcase his ignorance, their lecturer walked onstage. Wu Ying’s eyes widened then narrowed as he mentally chided himself. Of course Fairy Yang was the most likely candidate. Not only was this lecture extremely basic, the Fairy was also the newest Elder in the sect. Such menial duties would obviously fall to her.
Yang Fa Yuan was the youngest, most famous Elder in the Sect. Most of her infamy came from her beauty—her pale, fair skin was set off by long lashes and lustrous black hair, a delicate jaw, and a shapely, long-limbed figure. Her title of Fairy was indubitable, and many a cultivator had spent hours daydreaming about the cold, imperious beauty.
“Today’s lecture is about the beginnings of Energy Storage and its differences from cultivation in the Body Cleansing stage. For those who have advanced to the later stages, this lecture is of little benefit.” Fa Yuan paused, obviously waiting for a few cultivators, who stood up and left. Her gaze grew colder as it swept over the members of nobility who stayed before moving to the rafters and spotting Wu Ying and group. As his senior and another student sponsored by Elder Cheng, the pair had a more intimate connection than most.
“Energy Storage, unlike the Body Cleansing stage of cultivation, is significantly more dangerous. This is because the Energy Storage meridians in a cultivator’s body are entirely closed off, unlike the twelve meridians which are opened during the Body Cleansing stage. As such, to open each new meridian, a cultivator must use additional chi to breach and cleanse these meridians,” Fa Yuan said. “Use too little and a cultivator faces backlash from the backflow of chi into their dantian and meridians. Use too much and you can damage your energy meridian.”
The soft scrape of ink on paper resounded through the hall as cultivators took notes. Wu Ying sat forward, hands clasped as he listened intently. Thus far, the Fairy had not said anything he had not known, though his lack of notes was also due to his lack of funds. Tou He was quietly turning prayer beads in his hand as he listened.
“Now, the amount of energy used varies greatly depending on the type and aspect of one’s chi. This is why the presence of an Elder is always recommended during the first attempt at breaking into the Energy Storage stage,” Fa Yuan said. “However, time has shown certain truths. Using the Yellow Emperor’s Cultivation method, it can be deduced that for the majority, double the amount of chi used to break the twelfth meridian is required to open the first Energy Storage meridian.
“As to which meridian to open first, it is, of course, a matter of your cultivation style. However, many styles have multiple routes of opening. This is unlike Core creation stages, where the development of your Core is specified in exacting steps. In light of this, the Energy Storage channels and their uses are as follows…”
Wu Ying made sure to listen and memorize as best he could. Much of this knowledge was theoretical, but knowledge could always bring a moment of enlightenment. Still, a part of Wu Ying noted his need to speed up his own cultivation. As a Body Cleanser 8, he was the weakest cultivator in the inner sect by at least one level. While it was unlikely he would be driven from the inner sect, a lack of progress in the next year would definitely carry penalties.
***
An hour later, the lecture was complete. As Wu Ying got ready to leave, he straightened in surprise as a voice entered his ear.
“Come down. We should speak,” Fa Yuan said, sending her voice to his ear via spiritual communication.
It was the first time Wu Ying had experienced this form of communication, but he found himself nodding automatically.
“I have to meet Elder Yang,” Wu Ying informed Tou He.
“No problem. I need to visit the inner administration hall,” Tou He said. “See you there?”
“Possibly. It depends on what Elder Yang desires,” Wu Ying said.
Tou He nodded of course, and the pair split up, Wu Ying making his way down the stairs to the edge of the stage. As he walked up to the Fairy, he felt the jealous stares of the nobles who had hung behind, not daring to approach the Elder directly.
“Elder Yang,” Wu Ying said, bowing in greeting.
“Junior Long.” Fa Yuan’s words caused a stir among the inner sect members, many who did not know of their relationship. Gazes grew even more heated as Fa Yuan continued. “Elder Cheng has left for the time being. He has mentioned you might require some help during this period.”
Wu Ying bowed again, smiling. Elder Cheng was considered somewhat eccentric, his belief in fate sometimes trumping what many would consider common sense. That he even mentioned this matter to Fa Yuan was unusual and probably indicated Elder Cheng still thought he owed Wu Ying some minor karma. “Thank you, Elder Yang. I would be grateful for any assistance you might offer.”
“Very well,” Fa Yuan said approvingly. “Come. I have much to do. Now, tell me. Have you chosen your supporting occupation?”
“No, Elder,” Wu Ying said. “I… well, I’m still learning of them.”
Fa Yuan hummed in thought as the pair walked out of the lecture hall and turned toward the peak of the mountain. “Choosing a good supporting occupation is important. While certain prodigies or well-resourced individuals might be able to progress in two or three supporting occupations, for most, mastering a single occupation is their limit. A wise choice now can avoid heartaches in the future.”
“Yes, Elder.”
“Of the numerous supporting occupations available in the kingdom, the Verdant Green Waters Sect has expertise only in a few. Blacksmithing, pill refining, and martial specialists have significant numbers of experts in the Sect,” Fa Yuan said. “In addition, Elder Wang is a famous celestial formation master of the fourth ring. He is the one who upkeeps the defensive formations around the Sect.”
Wu Ying let his gaze roam over the surroundings. Of course, not being trained in celestial formations, he could not pick out the numerous changes to the landscape. Many long-term defensive formations were achieved by altering the natural landscapes of a location rather than the use of temporary formation flags. As the formations were part of the natural landscape, it was impossible for anyone untrained to spot their locations until they were activated.
“We no longer have a vibrant Spirit Beast taming section, mostly due to the loss of Elder Cho. His death, along with his primary students, in the war a decade ago has impacted the department significantly,” Fa Yuan said, a slight frown creasing her face. “Thus far, we have yet to find a suitable replacement for the Elder. Do any of the ones mentioned interest you?”
“I don’t know,” Wu Ying said truthfully. “I have heard pill refining is both lucrative and useful in cultivation.”
“It is,” Fa Yuan said. “But it is also an extremely costly occupation. To gain expertise in pill refinement, you must be willing to fail numerous times at production. Countless herbs and Cores are wasted by new pill refiners. Can you afford such a loss?”
Wu Ying’s face fell at her words. Fa Yuan was correct. He did not have the background to become a pill refiner, as he lacked both knowledge and funds.
“Think carefully not only about what might be easily accessible when choosing your secondary occupation but also about your final Dao. Your supporting occupation must contribute to your Dao, not subtract from it. Too many fail at the final stage because of missteps along the way,” Fa Yuan said, stopping as they came to a crossroads. Down one street, the inner sect library resided. The other street led toward where the Elders resided. “Research before we speak again on this matter.”
“Thank you, Elder,” Wu Ying said, bowing.
She nodded and turned, kicking lightly on the ground and moving up the hill at blinding speed with little effort. Left alone, Wu Ying turned his head from side to side, considering joining his friend or taking action on Fa Yuan’s advice. In the end, Wu Ying sighed and strode toward the library.
Tou He would understand. Wu Ying had no time to waste if he was to develop himself.
Chapter 2
The inner sect library was built similarly to the outer sect library except it was nearly half as large again, with three floors of scrolls and books ranging from basic historic texts to treatises about specific cultivation styles. Unlike the outer sect library, numerous scholars were working inside and happy to speak with and aid Wu Ying’s search.
Interestingly enough, Elder Ko, who Wu Ying had assumed was the library head for the outer sect library, was actually the Elder in charge of all libraries as he had learnt over the previous months. He transited between each library as needed, arranging for replacement attendants and scholars and taking consultation requests when he was present. Of course, other Elders also worked in the library, but Elder Ko was a fixture and perhaps the most well-liked. Numerous cultivators owed their ongoing success to his guidance.
“Looking to learn about supporting occupations?” the attendant said, stroking his long beard as Wu Ying approached him. The middle-aged scholar smiled. “How about being a scholar? We always need young blood.”
“Thank you, Senior, but I don’t know enough to know if such a path is suitable,” Wu Ying said.
“Ah, but you know enough to come to the library!” the bearded attendant said with a smile. “That is the heart of a good scholar—the search for knowledge. It is here, in our libraries, where you will find the sum of human knowledge.”
“Yes, Senior. Still, I would like to do some study first,” Wu Ying said.
“Ah, very well. Let me see. Khoo’s treatise on the five occupations should be a good start,” the attendant said.
Together, the pair wandered into the vaulted library, browsing the volumes on the bottom floor, which consisted of mundane manuals. Unfortunately, finding a document or book which listed the full variety of supporting occupations available to an individual was impossible. At best, some treatises discussed the differences and benefits of each occupation in comparison to another, but for the vast majority, the best Wu Ying and the helpful attendant could do was pull introductory manuals.
Numerous books were available for the main occupations in the sect, but soon enough, Wu Ying found himself burdened with other documents detailing minor occupations the Sect had once hosted or which an Elder currently practiced and hoped to expand upon. There were many such minor occupations, like scholars, dancers, musicians, gatherers, and more. The skills provided by each of these supporting occupations could make a cultivator more powerful and also guide their eventual Dao.
“Are you sure I can take these?” Wu Ying said, eyes wide.
“Of course. These are not cultivation manuals,” the scholar said. “We have multiple copies of all these documents. Though if you fail to return these copies, you will be required to copy a new document. To our standards.”
Wu Ying nodded quickly, acknowledging the threat. Considering these were all trained scholars, the required level of reproduction would be painful. It was a good threat too—while the vast majority of the books he was reading looked to be print block[30] productions, copying one by hand would be arduous and a waste of time. Of course, certain publications, like actual cultivation manuals, were mainly handwritten. Outside of the basic Yellow Emperor’s Body Cleansing Cultivation manual, which was distributed to all villagers, cultivation manuals were secret. Producing a printing press copy of these works would be anathema to the very idea of secrecy.
Seated at his table, Wu Ying read through the works before him. He first focused on the main occupations available in the Sect, finding the documentation profound and in-depth. Each manual obviously had its own bias, pushing the reader toward blacksmithing or pill refining or even combat specialization. And, in so doing, highlighted the flaws of focusing on each of those styles.
Pill refining was, as noted by Elder Yang, highly expensive. There were two major areas of expertise a pill refiner needed to acquire. Firstly, the knowledge and understanding of the various herbs and alchemical components that went into a pill. Secondly, the actual process of refining a pill and the techniques in doing so. Failure in either portion spelled failure in the pill concoction. It was the reason even the lowest-grade spiritual pill was so expensive—one was not just paying for the material of the pill itself but all the failed pill concoctions in the past and all the failed pill concoctions in the refiner’s future.
For most individuals, the first step in pill refinement was studying herbs. In the Sect, beginning pill refiners were assigned to work in the pill dispensary as gophers, picking out requested herbs from the storage rooms. In this way, beginning pill refiners could gain access to and view the herbs while having a more senior cultivator watch over their picks.
“So not impossible,” Wu Ying said softly to himself. While he might not have the funds to purchase the herbs, he could spend his time building up the knowledge of the herbs. A potential avenue for development.
The biggest advantage pill refiners had over most other major occupations was their versatility. Both talented blacksmiths and pill refiners could expect to make a significant amount of taels with their skills. But pill refiners could create concoctions which helped one’s cultivation journey, which cleansed poisons or healed bodies. Pills could strengthen an individual’s fighting prowess or expand an attribute, providing greater benefits. At the later stages, common concoctions helped cultivators expand their senses, becoming one with the Dao and aiding them in gaining enlightenment.
Blacksmiths, on the other hand, were more limited. In general, there were two kinds of specialized blacksmiths among cultivators—armorers and weaponsmiths. Of course, in the initial period, a beginner blacksmith would learn both forms and practice his overall craft. Blacksmiths were in constant demand, as the weapons they made added to a cultivator’s strength. In addition, blacksmithing was significantly cheaper to begin—failed products could be reforged a number of times.
“Though I’m not sure I’d like to buy a reforged sword,” Wu Ying said. He recalled the cheap weapons he had seen—pitted weapons or those with a slight bend to them. Trash weapons were often sold to peasant farmers who either did not know better or, in some cases, had no choice but to buy them. The idea of making something like that pained Wu Ying, though he shook away his do
ubts for now.
Blacksmithing was an option, but because of its lower cost and requirements mentally, it also was more popular than pill refining. It also required a significant amount of physical strength and a fire attribute in their chi. If Wu Ying wanted to become a true blacksmith, then he would have to commit to being a fire chi user.
As for martial specialists, they were the most dangerous individuals. At later stages, martial specialists could specialize even further into team battle formations or army battle formations, becoming the leaders of numerous individuals. Such individuals could multiply the effectiveness of individual cultivators by numerous times. Individually, martial specialists often became a sect’s Protector, the individuals tasked with the overall safety of the Sect. Until then, martial specialists had a difficult time progressing their cultivation, as they had no special skills to provide additional funds to develop their cultivation. This led to numerous deaths among martial specialists as they took on dangerous missions to gain the funds and cultivation resources they required.
Between his initial study of the Long family sword style and his own experiences, Wu Ying knew he leaned toward being a martial specialist. While most cultivators had to know how to fight, martial specialists were the dedicated and gifted. And Wu Ying feared this was where he failed. Unlike his friend Tou He, Wu Ying was not particularly gifted. Oh, he was better than most at his level, there was no doubt. But in his heart of hearts, Wu Ying knew it was due to constant practice rather than any particular spark of genius.
“The library is closing.” The voice interrupted Wu Ying’s musings.
The cultivator set aside the books he had read for storage and took the pile of other books with him, storing them away as he made his way back to his residence. Right now, none of the main secondary occupations drew Wu Ying. Perhaps somewhere in the pile of documents, Wu Ying might find something of more use. While progressing on a well-supported occupation was easier initially, as Elder Yang had mentioned, one’s Dao was more important. Choose wrong now and you could lose the opportunity to ascend.
