by Tao Wong
Wu Ying blinked at the proclamation and glanced at Tou He, who offered a peaceful smile in return.
“Thank you,” Wu Ying said as he offered another bow. “If Senior is willing, perhaps he could offer me some pointers? I fear I am uncertain about my next steps for development.”
“Train. Train your styles further and spar with us,” Chao Kun said. “You are not ready yet to learn a third style. Even if the inner sect has a wider variety of styles, some of which might be more effective, you would need to purchase these styles with contribution points. And at the Body Cleansing stage, the improvements you would see is minimal.”
“Minimal?” Wu Ying frowned.
“In comparison to integrating the style fully into your fighting form and practicing it in a stressful environment? Definitely,” Chao Kun said, raising a finger and waving it. “Others might tell you one style is better than the other. But if you do not practice any style properly, it matters not how powerful it might be in theory. Only by integrating the style into your very bones, gaining at least an intermediate understanding of a style, will you see true results.”
“He is right,” Tou He said. “At Body Cleansing, it’s more important to gain enlightenment of your body and form than the style itself.”
“You keep saying at Body Cleansing,” Wu Ying said. “Does it change at Energy Storage?”
“Yes. Even more so at Core Formation,” Chao Kun said. “Once you are projecting chi, it becomes important to not just find a fighting form which is inherently efficient, but one which most efficiently uses your particular chi and element. As each individual has a different fate, each style is different. It is why we keep such a large library of styles.”
“Like cultivation manuals,” Wu Ying said.
“Exactly,” Chao Kun said.
Wu Ying fell silent, considering what he had been told. It made sense. The human body could only move and contort in so many ways. While many manuals had gaps in the kinds of things they focused on, the application of such skills—unless they were completely wrong—would often be similar. The true difference between each manual at the Body Cleansing stage, barring missing information, would be in the philosophy and application of its techniques. To understand, you would need enlightenment of the technique and style itself, which was possible if one practiced.
Before Wu Ying could inquire further, a commotion at the entrance of the training grounds caught his and everyone else’s attention. Tou He visibly brightened, while trainees from all around the ground ceased their fighting. Even Chao Kun smiled, clapping Wu Ying on his shoulder.
“Come. Lunch is here!” Chao Kun said.
“Lunch?” Wu Ying said, surprised. It was still early for the normal lunch hour.
“Yes. Because the sect sees the value of our work, they arrange for our lunch to be delivered first everyday,” Chao Kun said.
“In fact, lunch is served early here,” Tou He said. “If you are still hungry, it is a short walk to the main dining halls. And the training grounds have a snack sent over at three as well, before dinner is served.”
“You seem to have gauged the times quite well,” Wu Ying said suspiciously.
“Me?” Tou He looked at Wu Ying, his eyes wide with blameless innocence.
“You’re salivating,” Wu Ying said.
Tou He sniffed, turning his head away from his teasing friend before surreptitiously checking.
“I shall introduce you around,” Chao Kun said. “I am sure many will wish to speak with you.”
In short order, the trio joined the crowd. Though there was no line, the crowd was polite and took their turn taking their lunch before sitting on the ground or a stone bench. Lunch consisted of a pan-fried fluffy rice bun stuffed with chives, bean sprouts, onions, and other vegetables, as well as large pieces of pork. Each sect member received two of these buns and jealously guarded them.
Wu Ying soon learned why, as he saw a pair of sect members begin an impromptu duel over one of the combatant’s remaining bun. A flurry of blocks, locks, and grabs were conducted as the pair attempted to place the bun in their mouth. In short order, Wu Ying noted some informal rules involved in this fight—no movement of the feet allowed, no strikes to the body or face, no overuse of saliva.
“Don’t worry,” Tou He said, bumping Wu Ying with his shoulder when he noticed his friend’s fascination. “It’s your first day. They won’t pick on you yet. Also, you can only challenge for the second bun among those of your same level.”
“But lunch is an hour later up the road,” Wu Ying said, puzzled.
“This is not about the food,” Chao Kun said. “This is for the honor and training of ourselves. If a man cannot protect his food, he cannot protect his friends.”
“Don’t listen to this idiot,” a sweet voice cut in.
Chao Kun bristled even as Wu Ying turned to regard the speaker. It was his first female challenger, the one with the unfortunate phrasing.
“Chao Kun spends more time thinking with his muscles than his brain,” she said. “The food fights are for fun. If you indicate you do not wish to participate, no one will take your food.”
“Thank you, Senior,” Wu Ying said. “I am Long Wu Ying, a new inner sect member.”
“I know. Lee Li Yao,” Li Yao said.
Now that she was not attempting to brain him with her quarterstaff, Wu Ying realized Li Yao was quite pretty, in the way many of the martial specialists were. Slim, fit, and from the glimpses of the outline of her arms and legs, compactly muscular. Wu Ying stretched his senses for a moment, testing her aura, and concluded she was early stage Energy Storage. Stronger than him, but not by much.
“And I’m not much of a senior. I was in the intake before yours.”
“Of course, Senior Lee,” Wu Ying said.
Li Yao looked young, with fair skin and remnant baby fat on her cheeks. Of course, Wu Ying would not ask to ascertain her exact age, though he was comforted by the fact that the sect rarely took those below sixteen.
As his father had pointed out, it was a matter of practicality for the sect to limit intake. The sect could support a limited population, and it was only when one achieved Energy Storage that one could truly be considered to have started on the road to cultivation. Knowing that, and balancing the sect’s need to locate talent early—before others did—the threshold of sixteen allowed those without talent to fall behind in their cultivation. Rather than spend precious resources on untalented individuals, it was better to let the populace work through the Yellow Emperor’s manual themselves. In addition, because many of those who would have the opportunity and resources to progress were nobles, it was better to allow their families to pay the price rather than the Sect.
“I’ve never seen your particular style before,” Li Yao said, waving one bun-filled hand exuberantly as she mimicked Wu Ying’s jian motion. “It reminds me of the Water Snake of Three Cherry Blossoms, but it’s not it, is it?”
“No. It’s my family style,” Wu Ying said.
“Oh, that’s why it looked so snaky! Dragon[38], snake, they are all the same.” Li Yao nodded wisely and took a large bite of her food.
Seeing he had a moment’s reprieve; Wu Ying mimicked her motions.
Mouth full, Li Yao continued to speak around her bun. “But fighting my staff at a distance was a bad idea. My Iron Thicket will not allow your snake—sorry, dragon—near me. Senior Ge, you need to stop eating so fast!”
Wu Ying was grateful he had still been chewing when she spoke. Chao Kun had not been as lucky and was now attempting to clear his lungs from food which had gone down the wrong way.
“Eh! Anyway, Senior Liu is calling me. I’ll fight you another time!” Li Yao said, waving goodbye to Wu Ying. She bounced off, stuffing another bite of the bun into her mouth as she left.
“Does she know?” Wu Ying said after he’d swallowed.
“We’re not sure,” Chao Kun confided softly. “We think not. If she does, she’s the devil itself.”
“Devil? What kind of devil?” Tou He said. “I do not have my Master’s touch, but I do have a few Taoist psalms which might help.”
Chao Kun and Wu Ying shared a look before they turned to the ex-monk, smiling as they answered in unison. “Nothing at all.”
“Long Wu Ying, right?” another voice interrupted before Tou He could speak.
Wu Ying turned, smiling as another of his sparring partners came up to introduce himself. Soon, Wu Ying found himself caught up in the friendly chatter of his ex-partners, trading tips and compliments. Though, the ex-farmer noted, a few he’d fought failed to seek him out and stood to the side, watching the entire scene with looks of distaste.
Their actions did not mar Wu Ying’s overall good impression of the martial specialists. They were, for the most part, more intent on the progress of their martial forms and abilities than external concerns like birthright. Here, the fist ruled, rather than blood.
Chapter 5
Days later, Wu Ying found himself slipping into the crowded lecture hall that would host Liu Song’s lecture. In the past few days, Wu Ying had successfully joined the blacksmith class, having worked the bellows to the satisfaction of Elder Wang. In addition, Wu Ying had spent time with the martial specialists. His initial impressions had proven true, to his delight. The group was even less stuck-up than the blacksmiths, and what little animosity Wu Ying had felt for his upbringing was directly dealt with on the dueling stages, which he happily accepted.
Which was why the disdainful sniffs, the “accidental” elbow bumps, and the discourteous replies to questions about the availability of empty spots in the lecture hall was even more jarring for Wu Ying. Whereas the martial specialists might be openly but friendlily competitive and blacksmiths competitive but cordial, pill refiners were just competitive.
Eventually Wu Ying found a seat in the upper tiers of the lecture hall, a seat that provided one of the worse possible viewing angles. But luckily, the section was also relatively empty. Seated with a pad of papers by his side and his ink brush ready, Wu Ying took a moment to review the hall again. The lecture hall was extremely busy for a beginner’s lecture. As he tried to puzzle out the reason why, Wu Ying saw numerous individuals pulling out careworn copies of the Principles and Species of Roots and Herbs. Wu Ying winced, realizing he had forgotten to purchase his own.
Before he could chide himself further, Liu Tsong made her way onto the stage. In her hands was a large wooden box she set on the stone table before turning to the attendees. Her gaze swept over the group, taking them all in and waiting till they quieted before she spoke.
“I am Lee Liu Tsong, here to represent my Master, Elder Wei. This class is meant for those looking to study the basics of pill refining and will cover the most common herbs and plants you will be required to know when you begin refining,” Liu Tsong said. “Now, turn to page eighteen of your book.”
What followed over the next four hours was a lecture on numerous plants listed in the book, their characteristics as explained in the Principles, as well as the incorrect, misleading, or missing information and common mistakes. For example, northern yu ginseng was easily mistaken for southern shen ginseng due to the way the lower leaflets of the southern shen sprouted from a lower point on the stem but the northern yu all came from one point. In addition, during different times in its growth, the ginseng itself would look different, with varying amount of compound leaves.
On top of identifying the plant, Liu Tsong went into detail about the differences in potency and effect which occurred when the plant was harvested at different times. As each plant also had numerous portions that could or could not be used—from leaf to stem to root and, of course, the various berries or nuts or flowers it might create—each discussion of a plant took up to forty minutes.
Wu Ying found himself scribbling notes constantly. The sheer amount of detail Liu Tsong provided meant no beginner would be able to remember it all. It soon became apparent that while everyone in the hall was paying close attention to Liu Tsong’s words, some of the attendees were only occasionally making notes in their books while others, like Wu Ying, were desperate to take it all down. It did not take much conjecture to realize that some were experienced pill refiners, here to verify the details of their prior notes and potentially learn a little more. Certainly whenever Liu Tsong came to interactions and potential complications, they paid more attention.
The hours passed in a blur, leaving Wu Ying lamenting his lack of paper and preparation. Toward the end, Wu Ying was forced to set aside his brush and focus on Liu Tsong, doing his best to remember all the pertinent details. If there was one advantage Wu Ying had, it was his background. While some of the newer nobles frowned and sucked air through their teeth whenever Liu Tsong described or pointed out minor variations in a plant, Wu Ying found he could spot those differences easily. A childhood running around the nearby forests and plains, often tasked with finding wild herbs and vegetables to add to the family cookpot, was paying off. While he might not have recognized some of the names Liu Tsong used, in many cases, he recognized the plants themselves. And their variants.
Watching her discuss the different ways to tell the difference amused him, as he recalled the cruder methods the villagers used. Check if a plant bloomed on the third day of the new moon? Why not break off a leaf and rub it on the edge of your arm? If your skin flared up in a few minutes, it was Bottle Fern. If not, you could pick to your heart’s content.
Of course, Wu Ying had to admit he was learning a lot too. The exacting methods Liu Tsong briefly touched upon could distinguish plants Wu Ying had never heard of and they were all, by far, safer and less onerous on a cultivator’s body.
“Now, the long-eared double-tailed spotted mushroom looks similar to the long-eared single-tailed spotted mushroom. It is at its base you can tell the difference. While the single-tail version is non-toxic and often used by farmers to season their food, the long-eared double-tailed mushroom is highly poisonous. Ingesting even a quarter cap of this mushroom will kill an Energy Storage cultivator,” Liu Tsong said, tapping the cork board and pointing at the differences between the two.
Wu Ying leaned forward, paying particular attention to the last mushroom. In truth, the difference was not hard to see, as the spots were relatively numerous. Of course, that was if the mushrooms were not bruised. Bruising could easily make it difficult to tell.
“For the double-tailed—” Liu Tsong paused as the peal of bells informed everyone that another hour had completed. She straightened, waving to dismiss the group. “That will be all for today. Another lecture will be held next week. Make sure to review your notes before then.”
The class stood in unison and bowed to Liu Tsong, some going so far as to offer verbal thanks. Afterward, they streamed out of the hall while Liu Tsong packed up her living examples. A couple of keen male students joined Liu Tsong on stage, vying to help the beauty and shooting each other glares. As Wu Ying watched the competition between the two, the cultivator changed his mind about approaching Liu Tsong and instead offered her a quick wave goodbye as he finished packing up his own supplies. Being seen as another contender for her affections would likely create even more difficulties for himself.
In addition, he really should make his way to the town below the sect to purchase the book. It would not do for Liu Tsong to learn that her advice had not been heeded. Even if the mistake was genuine.
***
“Going down?” Elder Lu Xi Qi, the gatekeeper of the sect, asked Wu Ying as the younger man arrived at the paifang which overlooked the entrance to the sect. “Do you have your pass?”
“Yes, Elder. Just looking to do some shopping.” Wu Ying showed Xi Qi the simple wooden pass he had picked up from the assignment hall. As an inner sect member, the pass to enter the town was not strictly necessary, since the town itself was still considered sect territory. On the other hand, acquiring the pass was both a courtesy to Xi Qi and any Elder in charge of Wu Ying and avoided any misunderstanding down below.
“Good,” Xi Qi said. “Are you happier now that you’re not carrying rice sacks for Elder Liu?”
“I was never unhappy,” Wu Ying replied. Speaking ill of one’s elders—and Elders—was always bad form. But as Xi Qi had provided Wu Ying help before, Wu Ying clarified further. “I am settling in as an inner sect member. It feels strange, not to have to work for Elder Liu, but I have a month left before I must find a more permanent assignment. More, if I’m willing to trade my sect points.”
“A bad idea. But you know that,” Xi Qi said.
Wu Ying agreed immediately. Sect contribution points were hard enough to gather in any useful amount. Trading them for more time to dither was a foolish thing.
“Unless you intend to be a martial specialist,” he said. “It is not a horrible choice for one of your standing. Many low-born choose that path, since they lack the education or connections to excel at other occupations.”
“I have trained with them,” Wu Ying acknowledged. “But…”
“But?”
“I do not know if it is my dao. No. I feel it is not. A part of it, but not it.”
Xi Qi stared at Wu Ying, testing the weight and conviction in Wu Ying’s gaze before the Elder’s hand brushed his long beard. “It is good to know one’s path, murky as it is. But you are young yet. What might seem the dao when you are a youth might change as you mature.”
“If your dao changes, then is the dao not your true dao?”
“Har! Do you think the dao we find is the Dao[39]?” Xi Qi said, amusement in his voice as he tugged on his beard. “Of course, the Dao itself never changes—except when it does. But the daos we grasp, that we work on to achieve immortality? Those are only a portion of the true Dao. Man is mutable. Man is mortal. If we cannot change, then what kind of truth can we grasp?”
