Yang Sect, Dawn Empire
The hosts of the cultivation gathering, the Yang Sect, were really putting in a lot of work this time around. And why? The Si Lak Mercenaries were attending!! The elders did not understand their sect leader's masochistic attitude. The Si Lak Mercenaries had clearly said that the Yang Sect would be disgraced in this competition. Why was the sect leader so happy about that? His reaction to Elder Qin's description of the Si Lak Mercenaries' Grand Chief was also worrying and problematic. The elders talked among themselves. Was their sect leader finally insane?
"Hurry, hurry!" The hermitic sect leader that rarely appeared was now shooing the junior disciples whose job it was to decorate the stage. The disciple's eyes bulged as they stared at the famous sect leader. Why...? Why was he dressed like that?
Jin Hu was wearing a flowing blue hanfu patterned with bamboo stalks. He carried an ostentatious fan which was now employed in the veritable occupation of whacking the dilly-dallying disciples on the head, eliciting cries of pain. Eventually, the elders couldn't stand the spectacle anymore.
"Sect leader," Elder Qin stood in the excited Jin Hu's way, "the representatives of the sects will soon be here. You should retire,"
"What do you mean?" Elder Qin was whacked on the head as well, "I'm hosting the tournament today!"
"Sect leader, that won't do," Elder Qin ignored his throbbing forehead as he tried to reason with the eccentric sect leader, "you know that as much as I do. You are the life-force of our Yang Sect. It won't do for these coming people to discover your weakness,"
"Say, since Si Lak has become a child," Jin Hu suddenly changed the topic, "how about I just let my cultivation regression take it's course? Then I can go to Phoenix Empire to look for Si Lak!" He hooted as he clapped his hands excitedly. Elder Qin's face turned dark.
"Sect leader, this way," he quickly ushered Jin Hu into the main hall of the Yang Sect, "please don't say things like this again, I beg you. You know I'm the only one you can trust. If any of those other ambitious elders hear this, they will be overjoyed as that will give them an opening to take over the sect!"
"Let them take it over then, I don't care," Jin Hu shrugged his shoulders, "I want to go look for Si Lak!"
Elder Qin shook his head. The sect leader's mind was already suffering from the effects of his cultivation regression. Soon...his body would also be completely affected. Currently, Jin Hu had a middle aged appearance. Qin Wu wondered what had caused this. Could it have something to do with the Grand Chief of the Si Lak Mercenaries' condition? After all, she was renowned for her constant use of the Space Tearing Arts during her peak time. Top cultivators suddenly suffering from regression... Was this the effect of the compounded tampering with the fabric of existence of the mainland?
"Qin Wu, what are you standing there frowning about?" Jin Hu's whining voice brought Qin Wu out of his reverie. He answered respectfully at once.
"What does sect leader require of me? Anything but you hosting the cultivators gathering will do." He added sternly. Jin Hu's shoulders slumped. It seemed like that was what he wanted to ask. Qin Wu sighed. Then suddenly, Jin Hu's eyes lit up again.
"Can I watch then? I'll behave. I won't draw attention to myself. I'll use the aura concealing artefact. But," he raised a finger, "I want to talk to the Si Lak Mercenaries representatives when they arrive, privately,"
Qin Wu frowned.
"Sect leader, that's not a good idea. Meeting the Si Lak Mercenaries representatives, I mean. You know what kind of people they are. Mercenaries. First of all, we can't trust them to keep a secret. Second, their first reaction to everything is violence,"
Jin Hu chuckled.
"I know! Who are you to be telling me about their attitude when I related for a good ten years with their leader," his face became animated, and he sighed, "oh! How I miss Si Lak! Those ten years were the best years of my life,"
"Hmph," Qin Wu grumbled. "I'm afraid she doesnt feel the same way. She reckons you were just following her to learn a Martial Technique,"
"That was my excuse," Jin Hu smirked, "it was hard coming up with one. She likes kicking people across the continent, Si Lak. I'm still annoyed I never got to know her name,"
"She's now called Li Sihan," Qin Wu commented, "her identity is the first young miss of the Li family of Phoenix Empire,"
"How old did you say she was again?" Jin Hu feigned casualness.
"Nine years old; and no, sect leader, I will not allow you to regress --"
"The Yan Sect of the Upper Prefectures have arrived!" A disciple suddenly announced. Qin Wu smirked.
"They're always the first to arrive," he murmured. He quickly ushered Jin Hu, to the latter's great displeasure, back to his seclusion room.
"Remember you promised I'll meet the people Si Lak sent!" Jin Hu stuck out his lower lip.
"I didn't promise, sect leader," Qin Wu replied drily.
"You!" Incensed, Jin Hu rose up, "then I'm not staying here! Either I meet them privately, or I host the tournament! Either way, I'll meet them, so choose the one most convenient for you!"
Qin Wu sighed. It looked like he really couldn't get out of this.
"Very well, sect leader," he was quite tired of babysitting him, "but as you said, privately-- the other sects must not know, or else they'll think we're giving the Si Lak Mercenaries cheats. And also, I must be there,"
"Whatever," Jin Hu faced the wall, "go, go,"
Qin Wu sighed but he bowed and left the seclusion room. Returning to the main hall, he noticed the representatives of the Yan Sect, who had been chaperoned by their sect leader. Qin Wu went up to him and they both exchanged perfunctory pleasantries.
"And has your sect leader been well?" The Yan Sect leader asked. Eyes narrowing, Qin Wu replied in the affirmative.
"Actually, he should just retire," the man chuckled, "and let you take over. You've been running the Yang Sect for over forty years, anyway--"
"Sect leader Yan should refrain from interfering in the matters of our Yang Sect," another Yang Sect elder piped up at once, frowning. The fact that Qin Wu was the defacto sect leader was known by all of them, but they refused to admit it. Hearing an outsider say this only grated more on the taut nerves of the Yang Sect elders.
"The Alchemy Guild of the mainland is here!" A disciple announced again. Qin Wu and sect leader Yan looked at the door interestedly. Soon, the red robed representatives from the Alchemy Guild entered. Their pompous manner was unconcealable. Leading them was a Grandmaster of the Alchemy Guild, an ex-Si Lak Mercenary. This person, by name, Cat Whisker was an enigma in the cultivation world, as he was the only surviving person who had managed to leave the Si Lak Mercenaries successfully.
"Grandmaster Cat Whisker," Qin Wu performed a fist and palm salute to him, "I'd like to quickly tell you something ahead of time,"
"Go ahead, Elder Qin," a little surprised at Qin Wu's urgent tone, Cat Whisker nodded.
"Emm-- the Si Lak Mercenaries are also coming to this session of the Cultivators Gathering--" Qin Wu examined Cat Whisker's reaction, "I hope that won't cause any problems for you--?"
Cat Whisker looked genuinely surprised.
"They are coming? Why? But we didn't use to be interested in things like this," he mused.
"Yes. But the Grand Chief of the Si Lak Mercenaries --" Qin Wu noticed Cat Whisker tremble a little at the name, "she agreed this time,"
Cat Whisker rubbed his nose as one of those following him came up to them.
"Will that be a problem, father?" The stunningly beautiful young lady was his daughter, Yu Yinan. Her brows were currently furrowed. She loved her father very much and she did not want any problems for him. And-- those people... Her father had told her all the stories from the time he was there. They weren't exactly reasonable people. What if seeing her father, a traitor, set them off on a killing spree??
"We can leave," Yu Yinan said quickly, "we'll tell the Guild Leader to send another chaperone. It's not worth it to risk your life meeting them, father," she added anxiously. Cat Whisker reached out and gently patted her head.
"This is a public gathering. If any of the Si Lak Mercenaries representatives has a score to settle with me-- which I doubt-- they wouldn't do it immediately. There's nothing to worry about. Elder Qin," he cupped his hands to Qin Wu, "thanks you for informing me ahead of time."
Qin Wu quickly waved his hand.
"It's nothing, it's nothing. After all, the Cultivators Gathering is held in our Yang Sect. If something were to happen to Grandmaster Cat Whisker, I really wouldn't know how to explain to the Guild Leader,"
With a few more words, both parties waved it off. However, Yu Yinan's forehead still had a crease as she kept her eyes on the doorway, her heart thumping. Hmph! So what if her father had left the Si Lak Mercenaries? If he didn't leave, would he have had her? Yu Yinan raised her head. She would make sure to totally crush the Si Lak Mercenaries during the alchemy competition!
"Senior Yu," one of the other disciples came to stand next to her, "don't worry. The Si Lak Mercenaries can't do anything to Grandmaster Yu,"
Yu Yinan nodded absently. She would not allow them! No one was allowed to hurt her father!
If Cat Whisker heard what she was thinking, he would only laugh. Actually, he was quite looking forward to seeing old faces again...oh, no, they would be masked. However, seeing them in person would still be good.
"The Flower Sect is here!"
The all female sect from the Tang Empire ostentatiously made their entrance. Their sect leader, a beautiful woman appearing to be in her late thirties, approached the other chaperones and greeted them familiarly.
"Ah, Yu Yinan, you came this time around," she even knew Cat Whistler's daughter. Yu Yinan greeted her respectfully.
"I'll be looking forward to see my disciples compete with you. Remember, the doors of the Flower Sect are always open should you ever change your mind," she added. Yu Yinan forced a fake smile. At the Cultivators Gathering ten years ago, that is the one before the last, for it was held every five years; the sect leader of the Flower Sect had taken a great liking to her and attempted to poach her to her own sect. Cat Whisker wasn't too bothered; to him, his daughter's happiness was paramount. If she would be happy to join the Flower Sect, he wouldn't mind at all. However, the Guild Leader of the Alchemy Guild wasn't having it, and Yu Yinan herself was also unwilling to leave her father's side. She had made a few friends from the Flower Sect, though, and one of them now came up to her.
"Sister Yinan, long time no see," Yao Minglan smiled. She was the top disciple of the Flower Sect, the sect leader's own daughter. She was around the same age as Yu Yinan.
"Hello, Sister Minglan," Yu Yinan greeted her back.
"I hope you've properly honed your skills. I won't go easy on you during the alchemy competition!'
"Hah. Neither will I," Yu Yinan puffed out her chest.
"The Scorpion Hall have arrived!"
The black robed representatives entered, dousing the room in an unnatural aura. Lips pursed, Qin Wu went forward to welcome them, but they stood apart and didn't join the chatter of the others. Their chaperone only looked over the assembled people and counted out the Yan Sect, the Flower Sect, the Alchemy Guild, them the Scorpion Hall, and the hosting Yang Sect. The Five Sects that usually attended the Cultivators Gathering were complete. He raised his eyebrows.
"Well, we're all here. What are we waiting for?"
"We'll be six this time around," Qin Wu responded. Hall Protector Hu raised his eyebrows.
"Really? Who is the sixth, then?"
The shout of the announcing Yang Sect
disciple answered his question.
"The Si Lak Mercenaries are here!!"