Chapter 59 - A Man Who Is Good at His Job
As Benton waited for the crew to reset the arena from archery range mode to the normal bare sandy floor for the upcoming duel, he wondered if the spars would be as tilted in favor of the Poison Claw Sect as the contests had been. He found he didn't care all that much. As long as his disciples had an opportunity to advance, a loss was fine with him.
His mind drifted to the future, though, and the heights the twins could achieve. First, he had to get back to the village, though. Thoughts of founding his sect reminded him of his dwindling point total. He soon, hopefully, would have two new inner disciples, and so far, he'd given personal cultivation techniques to all the kids he'd found who had spiritual roots in the D rank and above. It seemed unfair to not provide Zou Tian and Shi Long the same advantage.
The problem was that Benton literally only had twenty-three points remaining. Individualized Qi Gathering cultivations methods ran ten Sect Points each. After that expenditure, he'd only have a measly three points remaining.
That wasn't nearly enough for emergencies.
Granted, it felt like threats of immediate danger had calmed down a lot with his budding friendly relations with the Poison Claw Sect, but he didn't like running on such thin margins.
It occurred to him that the System was a lot like a pyramid scheme, requiring a lot of shmoes at the bottom in order to pay out the ones who'd made it to the top and, of course, for him to skim his share, too.
And okay, the analogy wasn't perfect. The most important difference was that he wasn't scamming his future sect members. They really were getting benefits no one else could provide. Additionally, no one was drawing more out than they put in for the long run. The ten points he invested in each of the two new inner disciples would eventually return him fourteen points. He had to put in the investment up front, but barring something really unfortunate happening, it would pay off.
For Qi Gathering realm, anyway. With the quality of his cultivation methods, he felt positive that even an F- could reach Foundation Establishment eventually. He suspected that the lower ranks would struggle to reach Golden Core—if it were even possible at all. Still, fifty points for a cultivation method that any of the outer sect disciples could use would eventually be paid back given enough people.
If he were to actually think of the sect as a pyramid scheme, though, it was a good one. For most of his members, he only had to buy a product once and sell it over and over again to the folks at the base. Every low ranked person he brought in was pure profit.
In order to realize those profits, though, he needed time, and to survive long enough to gain that time, he needed more points. Which, in turn, necessitated that he treated the situation just like he would in administering a pyramid scheme—recruit more people on the bottom.
"Esteemed Elder," he said to Kang Ya-Ting, "I am reluctant to admit it, but this one seeks another favor."
"This one is willing to entertain such a request, depending on what it is."
Benton cupped his head. "Of course. I have six wagons of materials to travel with, and while we can manage that number, it occurs to me that hiring drivers might make the trip much more convenient. I could obviously find willing employees, but…"
"Say no more. This one understands that the Esteemed Master Cultivator truly doesn't care about the talent of his recruits, but for political reasons, it would be much better if the Poison Claw Sect acquired them for you."
Benton cupped his hands again. "Much gratitude."
There. Six more people to potentially convert to point earners.
He sure had come a long way from the encounter where he'd convinced the twins to join him. Back then, he'd thought about his future sect a lot like a board-gaming club he'd helped some friends of his start back in college. The university required twenty-five people before you could officially register the club, and they'd had to beg and plead with people to join.
When he had talked to the siblings, the thought running around in the back of his head was, "Hey, would you like to join this club I'm starting? It's really cool, but well, I haven't actually formed it yet and who knows when I'll be able to and I know I don't seem like I'm much now but I'm going places…"
He'd since learned differently.
Asking someone to join a sect and be made into a cultivator was more like asking a youth from Earth if they were interested in a contract to be a social media influencer and, oh yeah, you start with a million followers. Only, the sect was even better. You potentially could live forever, and your circumstances definitely would be better than all the peasants you currently hung around.
Benton's sect—yet to be formed as it was—was even better still. It gave out top heaven grade techniques and cultivation methods like candy. The world was a really big place, but he was willing to bet that very few, if any, sects could say the same.
Of course, people were weird. If you asked enough of them, one would eventually turn him down, but Benton suspected the rarity of encountering someone like that to have the same chances of meeting a G rank or an S rank.
His approach for the near future was going to be different than his start with the twins. Each potential recruit would be told what was expected of them, and they would be required to commit to meeting those expectations before he'd allow them to join. No more begging.
Benton was broken from his thoughts by the two duelists entering the arena, and he scanned the slight young man holding a pair of daggers who took the position of Yang Ru's opponent.
Affiliation:Poison Claw SectAge:15Cultivation:Qi Gathering - Minor Realm SixQi Available:???Techniques:Slashing Wave Daggers, Dashing WatersSpiritual Roots:BQi Aspect:Ocean wave eroding a boulderInteresting. Benton wasn't one hundred percent sure how that qi aspect would play out in fight. Relentlessness maybe? The water element was obviously known to be highly adaptable as well. Maybe absorbing attacks somehow?
Looking at the kid's techniques, it was apparent that the Poison Claw Sect really went all in on giving even Qi Gathering cultivators ones that matched their qi aspect. Both his weapon and movement techniques were water aspected.
His guess was that the two kids matched up well, meaning both sides had a good chance of winning. He was looking forward to a challenging fight.
The rules were the same as the last duel he'd witnessed in the arena, a fight to the "death" with the exception of there being no wager involved, and soon, the two were facing each other from across the sand.
Yang Ru began by charging, and Benton groaned. The same reasons he'd told the kid not to do that last time still applied.
Oh well, failure was just as good a way to learn as success. Maybe even better.
Yang Ru built up quite a bit of force as he sprinted across the arena. His feet barely even touched the sand, leaving not so much of a footprint behind to mark his passing. Still, Benton couldn't imagine anything good coming out of the headlong rush.
Turned out, Yang Ru was full of surprises. He stopped on a dime right before reaching his opponent and transferred his momentum into a devastating spear thrust.
Well, it would have been devastating had it connected. His opponent used what was clearly his Dashing Waters movement technique to dive forward, hitting Yang Ru with three quick dagger strikes in the process.
"This one thinks the Esteemed Master Cultivator's disciple came out ahead in the exchange despite taking a few small cuts," Elder Pan said.
"Really?" Benton said. "How so?"
"The Esteemed Master Cultivator's disciple is much more efficient in his qi usage than Lang Yuhan and has a larger available pool as well. Meanwhile, Lang Yuhan's movement technique consumes a relatively large amount of his qi."
"What about poison?"
"The sect does not allow poison usage for sect members below Foundation Establishment," Kang Ya-Ting said.
Okay. Benton could understand that precaution. Wouldn't want the kids accidentally killing themselves or others.
Two more exchanges took place. Yang Ru tried to swipe at his opponent. His opponent dodged and inflicted small stabs in return. The Poison Claw Sect kid definitely won those.
Death by a thousand cuts.
Ahh. The qi aspect made sense—using a movement technique to flow around an opponent while eroding him with a bunch of small wounds. Once the boy added poison to the mix, he'd be dangerous indeed.
Yang Ru was quick on the uptake, though. Allowing his opponent to move out of the way without paying a cost in qi was clearly a losing battle as long as he was taking hits. Instead of small swipes, he switched to fast, powerful lunges targeted at center mass.
Lang Yuhan's only choices were to take the strike, surely ending the match considering the force used, or to use his movement technique to get out of the way. Which he did. Both times.
"He doesn't have much qi left," Elder Pan said. "Only one or two more uses of that technique remain."
Benton nodded. The problem with backing an opponent into a corner was that it forced them to fight with everything they had.
His thoughts turned out to be prophetic.
Lang Yuhan used his technique one more time but not to dodge. He went on the offensive. Almost quicker than the eye could see, he darted toward Yang Ru, one dagger targeting his heart and the other his neck.
Both hit.
Benton thought it was over. And it was, just not the way he expected.
When the action cleared, Yang Ru was standing over his fallen foe. His spear had struck his opponent in the chest at full strength, blowing Lang Yuhan back several feet.
But the daggers had struck.
Yang Ru sank immediately into the lotus position, and soon, a box that explained everything popped up.
Host's Disciple, Yang Ru, has reached Large Success in Stone Skin.
Host is awarded one Sect Point.
Host has twenty-four Sect Points available.
Benton laughed out loud. His disciples really were the best.
He cupped his hands toward Elder Pan and bowed much more deeply than was necessary due to their supposed cultivation difference. The man acknowledged his gratitude with a smile.
Zou Tian, on the other hand, looked completely confused.
"Are you wondering why I did that, Zou Tian?" Benton said.
"This lowly one does not understand. Sorry, Master."
"It's fine. I was just giving props to Elder Pan for being very, very, very good at his job." Seeing that the kid was still confused, Benton continued. "Not only did he arrange for a very challenging match that either one of the participants had a chance to win, but his choice to select an opponent focused on lots of small cuts helped Yang Ru reach Large Success with his defensive technique."
Zou Tian cupped his hands and bowed respectfully to both his master and to Elder Pan.
"The Esteemed Master Cultivator allows his wards a lot more leeway with asking questions than this one is used to," Kang Ya-Ting said.
"How are they supposed to learn if they can't ask questions?"
"By watching and observing."
"I guess that method would work," Benton said, "but it does seem inefficient. On the other hand, a lesson learned by figuring it out for yourself does tend to stick better."
While he supposed that Kang Ya-Ting's approach to teaching had merits, Benton wouldn't be changing his process any time soon. It had always worked for him in the past.
The crew down in the arena prepared for the next fight, the one between Yang Xiu and her Poison Claw Sect opponent. Curiously, they were placing many obstacles around the arena—walls, stones, wagons, etc.
Benton supposed that made sense. If Yang Xiu had clear line of sight across the arena, her opponent would sprout more arrows than a pincushion by the time they reached her.
The upcoming spar should be interesting.
Chapter 60 - A Healthy Rivalry
Benton watched as Yang Xiu and her opponent, a girl who looked severely out of place with her yellow hair, walked into the arena. He scanned the blonde.
Affiliation:Poison Claw SectAge:14Cultivation:Qi Gathering – Minor Realm SixQi Available:???Techniques:Misty Silent Steps, Wind and Water Fan Art
Spiritual Roots:A-Qi Aspect:Mist on the moor, concealing allYikes. The sect was bringing out their best. An A- talent and already at minor realm six while still being fourteen. Nice. And like the previous duelist from the sect, she had both a weapon technique, interestingly a fan, and one for movement. Both were aspected to match her own qi.
After the rules were read, the exact same as the last duel, the bout began. The blonde immediately hid behind a boulder and pulled out a talisman. An instant later, mist began pouring out of the device.
As Benton had expected from the girl's qi aspect, she primarily used mist for concealment. What he almost commented on was how her incongruous hair stood out so much. It was definitely not a natural shade unless Su had seen much less of the world than he thought.
Benton wondered if the girl colored it that way as a rebellion against her natural type or, a much more likely scenario, if it was a deception tactic. No one would expect someone who stood out so much to be a concealment type.
"Does the Esteemed Master Cultivator object?" Elder Pan said.
"No," Benton said. "This is perfect. Yang Xiu will need to bring her A game in perception to win this one."
Hah. A game. As opposed to the blonde's A-. He hadn't even intended that particular pun.
Of course, he wasn't wrong, either. Yang Xiu and Yang Ru had probably chatted between matches, and he wouldn't have been able to resist gloating about his achievement. She must be just about desperate to not only to match his win but to also reach Large Success in her perception technique.
The two were closer than almost any sibling pair Benton had ever met, but they were also very competitive with each other. It was a healthy rivalry as far as he was concerned.
"The talisman requires Mao Ning to use her own qi to produce the mist," Kang Ya-Ting said. "A device that uses another's qi or any external power source such as a beast core is prohibited."
Benton hadn't known that. The only device like the elder described that the twins had was a single defensive talisman each, and Benton didn't think either would even consider using the expensive, life-saving measure during a completely safe spar. Besides, maybe that rule had been explained to them during preparations. Or maybe the rule only applied to the sect members.
However the rule was administered, the growing cloud of mist gave Yang Xiu trouble. His spiritual sense tracked Mao Ning as she made her way closer and closer to the archer, but his disciple didn't seem to know where her opponent was.
"Keep a watch on how Mao Ning uses her mist to hide herself, Zou Tian," Benton said. "See what kind of ideas you can pick up."
"It almost sounds like the Esteemed Master Cultivator plans to make the ward into a disciple," Kang Ya-Ting said.
Time for another gamble. The more truth Benton revealed, the more he seemed like an eccentric who had fun being mysterious instead of someone who had a lot to hide. He just hoped his read on the sect elders was accurate.
"Of course, I plan to take Zou Tian as a disciple."
Both Kang Ya-Ting and Zou Tian were clearly shocked. Only Elder Pan took the matter as one that was obvious.
"The Esteemed Elder Kang did not think I would take the boy as a disciple?" Benton said.
"No. Obviously that was your intention. This one was just surprised that the Esteemed Master Cultivator would admit it."
"I also plan on teaching cultivation to all the guards and wagon drivers you send with me."
"Please tell me that the Esteemed Master Cultivator is planning to at least wait until after leaving the city before teaching any of them," Kang Ya-Ting said.
"Uh… Is that a big concern?"
"Does running afoul of the City Lord concern the Esteemed Master Cultivator? Because the authorization that was granted was to take all these people out of the city, which is the exact authorization that the Esteemed Master Cultivator requested this one to obtain. The authorization does not allow making any citizens into cultivators. Of course, any acts performed outside the walls don't fall within the City Lord's jurisdiction, but with all the attention that has been drawn from becoming a friend of the Poison Claw Sect, this one wouldn't advise flouting any regulations."
"Got it," Benton said.
"Why would the Esteemed Master Cultivator want to teach all of them anyway?"
"Mainly because I don't have a choice," Benton said. "The road between Vermillion Incomparable Rain Town and Prosperous Gray Forest Village is simply teeming with spirit beasts. There is a high possibility that I and the twins will need to go into the woods in order to counter threats, and we can't exactly leave all the mortals alone and helpless. Even if they're only Qi Gathering Realm two or three at that point, that's still less helpless than if they weren't cultivators at all."
"Why would the Esteemed Master Cultivator tell me all this?"
"Well, we're friends, right? There should be no secrets between friends."
"So, friend," Kang Ya-Ting said. "What is your cultivation?"
Benton laughed. He was genuinely starting to like the elder. "Well, now, see you got me there. I fear that, if I were to tell you that, it would ruin our burgeoning friendship."
"I see."
"Truly," Benton said, "no jest. What if I told you I was actually in a really low realm, like Qi Gathering or something? You'd be all like, 'This one cannot be friends with someone at such a low realm.' Or if I told you I reached Nihility fifteen hundred years ago. You'd be all like, 'Yessir, Master Cultivator Who is the Highest Ranked Cultivator on the Continent, Sir.' Either way, friendship gone. It could only survive if I actually fall in a narrow range of realms that you suspect me of being in."
"Nihility?"
"No. Don't go drawing conclusions from that, my friend. I just pulled that realm out of a hat. It doesn't mean anything. Probably. Almost definitely. Surely, it doesn't." Benton grinned, having entirely too much fun.
Down in the arena, Mao Ning was slowly creeping toward Yang Xiu, who had no idea where the other girl was. Benton, in addition to tracking the sect girl with his spiritual sense, could hear her feet crunching on the sand when he channeled just a tiny bit of qi to his ear.
His disciple could surely do the same with the technique he'd given her. The problem was that she was having trouble processing the input, meaning she couldn't use the sounds to place where her opponent was.
"I'm is surprised Mao Ning isn't using a movement technique to silence her steps," Benton said.
"Creating the mist uses a lot of qi," Elder Pan said. "The Esteemed Master Cultivator's disciples have access to about twice as much qi at that realm as any of our sect members. The Esteemed Master Cultivator's disciples also use qi much more efficiently. It was quite the task to find opponents who would challenge them instead of simply being overwhelmed by the huge qi deficit."
"Well, then. I thank you greatly for your diligence."
"Think nothing of it. It is this one's job."
Benton turned to Kang Ya-Ting. "I don't know if you have anything to do with the pay structure around here, but you should seriously think about giving Elder Pan a raise."
"I'll take it up with the leader of the sect branch here in Sixth Flawless Flowing City," Elder Kang said dryly.
Down in the arena, Yang Xiu did something that made Benton smile. She closed her eyes.
"Oh, I think she's got it…" Benton said.
Yang Xiu steadied her breathing, almost looking like she was meditating standing up.
"That's the right track."
Her bow was pointed toward the ground with an arrow nocked but the bowstring not yet pulled. She held her breath.
Benton didn't say anything else, not wanting to add any noise.
In an instant, Yang Xiu spun thirty degrees to the left, and in one smooth motion, raised her bow, pulled back the bowstring, and loosed.
A grunt came from the mist.
Yang Xiu smiled. After that it was simply a matter of how many arrows would it take to kill her opponent.
Soon, the other girl was down, and the match ended. In contrast to the last contest, Yang Xiu didn't bother exchanging niceties with Mao Ning before sitting on the sand and sinking into a meditative state.
A moment later, Benton got the notice he'd been expecting.
Host's Disciple, Yang Xiu, has reached Large Success in Peerless Peering and Perception.
Host is awarded one Sect Point.
Host has twenty-five Sect Points available.
"Again, much gratitude to Esteemed Elder Pan for his diligence and skill at arranging matches."
"This one takes it that Yang Xiu also advanced in her technique?"
"I believe she did."
Surprisingly, another box popped up.
Host's Disciple, Wan Ai, has reached Qi Gathering – Minor Realm Four
Host is awarded one Sect Point.
Host has twenty-six Sect Points available.
Wow. Wan Ai had gotten past the minor block between the third and fourth realms all by herself. She was doing great.
"The Esteemed Master Cultivator truly has amazing disciples," Elder Pan said. "They beat the two best matchups in the same minor realm that this one could find for them."
"I'm quite proud of them."
"They should return for the All-City Tri-Sect Tournament. As friends of the Poison Claw Sect, they are allowed to participate. We would be honored to have them represent us."
A tournament? Greg would probably tell Benton that the disciples had to participate in a tournament. It was like a rule of the genre or something.
"Elder Dai." Kang Ya-Ting cupped his hands. He had no idea how she was going to take the news. He had no idea how he should take the news.
"How did the matches go?"
"Our sect members won both contests, though we held clear advantages in each."
"And how did our new friend react?" Dai Shuren said.
"He was overjoyed."
Elder Dai raised her eyebrows. "Truly?"
"It was a good learning experience for his disciples."
"I see. And the duels?"
"Chao Su's disciples won both, though the fights were close. Each was able to achieve Large Success on a technique they were learning. Chao Su was very grateful and complementary of Elder Pan. He said we should 'give him a raise.'"
"Interesting turn of a phrase," Elder Dai said.
"Indeed."
"Anything else to report?"
Kang Ya-Ting tensed. "Chao Su admitted that he planned to teach everyone who left the city with him how to cultivate. I felt his words a tacit admission that he plans to found a sect."
"Really? In Prosperous Gray Forest Village?"
"Presumably."
"What are your thoughts?" Elder Dai said.
"If he's doing what he explicitly stated—raising up F-ranked peasants to mid-Qi Gathering in order to defend the village from spirit beasts—it's a non-issue. The return of steady shipments of the spirit lumber would be good for the economy, and since we have an in with Chao Su, the Poison Claw Sect might be able to find a way to profit off the trade. There is a larger concern, though."
"Do tell."
"I asked him about his cultivation."
"Just in the middle of a conversation? Really?" Elder Dai said.
"You had to have been there. It made sense at that moment."
"I'll yield to your judgment, but I'm assuming he didn't tell you."
"No," Kang Ya-Ting said, "but I did glean interesting tidbits from his answer. He claimed that it was possible he was but a Qi Gathering cultivator."
"Interesting. Could it be true? Have we ever seen him manipulate his qi?"
Elder Kang thought for a moment. "I've seen him use a spatial ring without relying on a beast core, so he's definitely at least Foundation Establishment."
"Good point."
"For all my spiritual senses tell me, he could be a mortal. I don't even get the vague unease around him like I do with the sect leader. The more I think about it, the more I keep coming back to a single probable conclusion—Chao Su has reached Nihility, two major realms above us."
"Nihility? Really?" Elder Dai said. "That realm would mean he's one of the strongest cultivators on the planet."
"The best evidence in support of that conclusion is the fact that I can't sense him at all. Being so far above me would make my failure logical. And let's not forget his treasures. Elder Pan suspects that both the twins' cultivation methods, weapon techniques, and auxiliary techniques are all Heaven grade. Note that the siblings don't share a single one of those in common. That means, counting the sword technique Chao Su gifted us, he's handed out seven Heaven grade scriptures. Seven! And every single one of them matched the recipient's qi aspect and needs perfectly. How many does he have access to in order to pull out the perfect one for each situation?"
"You make a compelling argument, but Nihility is just so hard to believe."
"In his response about his cultivation level, that was the other example he used, that he reached Nihility fifteen hundred years ago. Being that old would explain a lot of his weird behavior."
Elder Dai took a deep breath. "I can't believe we might have had the strongest man on the continent visiting our sect and we've been treating him like a common tourist."
"We definitely shouldn't change our behavior. This treatment is what he wants."
"You're sure."
"Positive."
"I hope you're right," Elder Dai said. "For all our sakes, I hope you're right."
Chapter 61 - One Last Celebratory Dinner
Zou Tian had never eaten so well. Gone were the times when he had no idea when he would next find food. Instead, since being asked to move into the warehouse, he'd been given three meals a day and was allowed to eat as much as he wanted at each of them. He was even occasionally served dessert.
It was amazing.
Access to plentiful food wasn't the only amazing thing, though. Watching the spars the previous day was one of the most fun things Zou Tian had experienced in his life. Street rats like him didn't exactly get to go to shows. Their only form of entertainment was spectating fights between other street rats.
To be invited as a guest of a sect to observe such an event in their arena was a surreal occurrence, especially considering he sat with two Poison Claw Sect elders. He had felt so important.
And the contests themselves were so interesting. One on one spear fighting. An archery match featuring insane trick shots. Two head-to-head fights between cultivators.
Then, as if all that wasn't enough, he learned he was to be taught cultivation and become Chao Su's disciple. Zou Tian, the street rat, was to become Zou Tian, the cultivator. Who would have ever believed it?
And all those extraordinary changes were due to the man who was to become his new master, who he had already been directed to refer to as Master.
His first impression of Chao Su had been that he was one scary cultivator. That opinion had been slightly modified. To his disciples and people on his side, he was actually quite personable. Nice was probably a better descriptor.
Of course, unfathomable was the most apt description for him. His actions and speech and abilities frequently defied explanations. But contrary to his youthful appearance, he seemingly was actually an old monster, and that description explained all eccentricities.
Zou Tian had no idea how much of his master's kindness was an act. He would definitely prefer not to be on Master's bad side, though, because he was still one scary cultivator to his enemies.
Elder Pan was in charge of the Poison Claw Sect martial pavilion. There was only so much that a street rat like Zou Tian knew about sects, but that position seemed really important. Despite that high status, Elder Pan deferred to Elder Kang, meaning the latter must be even more important.
Both men showed gave Chao Su much face.
If those two men were as high up in one of the three major sects in the city as Zou Tian believed and they both held Master in high regard, exactly how important was Master?
Scary.
Zou Tian wasn't an idiot. He'd recently learned that his ability to blend into his surroundings was a manifestation of shadow aspected qi, and everyone knew what task was assigned to cultivators who utilized shadow qi—assassination.
Poisoning people, slitting throats while people slept, killing people at all, wasn't what he had wanted for his life, but he was more scared of Master than conflicted over performing such duties.
Zou Tian resolved that he would do anything and everything Master asked of him.
"Kids, time to go," Master said.
The job required of the three disciples was to bring three of the wagons to the market in order to pick up the load of food for the village that was to be their new home.
"I want each of you to hook up an ox to a wagon and drive it. I'll ride with Zou Tian and show him the ropes." Master chuckled. "Literally. Because, you know, reins, right?"
The twins shared a glance.
"Master," Yang Ru said. "One ox isn't really enough to pull a fully loaded wagon. The sole one we had at the time really struggled pulling the wood. It would be better to use a team of at least two."
"Oh. I guess we're going to need yokes, then." Master sighed. "Probably six more oxen then, too, since we're going to be using all the wagons at once soon."
That conversation was interesting for two reasons. One, Master apparently didn't know to use two oxen, meaning he wasn't as all knowing as he seemed. Two, Yang Ru had no problem correcting Master, and Master didn't object in any way to being corrected, instead simply agreeing and taking corrective measures.
Showing any sign of not knowing something and allowing a disciple to correct them was not how Zou Tian thought cultivators acted. In fact, he was almost positive the exact opposite was true. A master always strove to appear to know everything even if he didn't, and a disciple who dared offer correction to his master would soon find himself in deep trouble if not expelled from the sect or killed outright.
If he were to be a disciple, he needed to understand how he was expected to behave, so he filed the information away in his head.
The four of them went to get six yokes and six oxen, stopping along the way for Master to buy multiple ready-made meals at every decent street stall they passed. After the second one, Yang Xiu asked him what he was doing.
"I was thinking about how there are going to be around twenty of us traveling back to the village and figured we might not want to cook every meal. Having breakfast already prepared and not having to stop for lunch could mean we can travel an hour or two extra a day, right? And since my ring stores things essentially in stasis, I realized I could buy meals from these vendors and take them out hot and fresh when we're ready for them. And since they're so cheap, I figured I'd stock up."
Another interesting fact—Master was okay with his disciples questioning him and very willing to explain his exact reasoning. Those attitudes also conflicted with how Zou Tian believed most cultivators behaved, especially those serving as a master to a disciple.
When they reached the food market, workers piled the three wagons high with supplies, and the disciples had to stop multiple times on the way back to pick up items that spilled. Finally, though, they made it back to the warehouse. It was a bit of a logistical challenge to get all three filled wagons inside, and even the big open space inside the warehouse began to feel crowded with six huge wagons, a dozen oxen, and the camping/sleeping area they'd set up.
"Ugh," Master said. "I'd put the animals outside if I weren't so afraid of them being stolen."
"Wouldn't Master detect anyone who tried to take them?" Yang Xiu said.
"Not if I were asleep or if they were mortal. Spirit beasts and cultivators can't hide from me, but mundane animals and people aren't detectable at all to my spiritual sense."
That simple statement was another divergence from how Zou Tian believed normal cultivators to behave. To announce details of your abilities or, even more strange, your weaknesses was anathema to a sect member.
Zou Tian returned his attention to the actual conversation. He actually felt he could contribute something to the conversation but still didn't feel comfortable doing so. His face must have showed his thoughts, though.
"Do you have something to add, Zou Tian?" Master said.
"This lowly one feels uncomfortable offering a suggestion, Master."
"It's fine. Even if I don't like the idea, I won't get mad at you."
Zou Tian suspected that statement to be true, but it still felt weird to him to, in a way, correct such a powerful man. "This lowly one, as a street rat in this city, would not even consider touching the Esteemed Master Cultivator's animals or anything else in or around this warehouse. This lowly one believes the local gangs will feel the same."
"What? I thought they had greed in their eyes or however you put it even after we killed those cultivators. Did something change?"
"This lowly one would never dare interfere with the business of one who wears a token denoting them a friend of any of the three sects represented in the city, Master. In the past, sects have taken such interference … badly. There have been … purges, Master."
"Ah. These tokens are a bit more significant than I thought," Master said. "You really believe the oxen will be safe?"
"This lowly one believes the only people who would dare touch them is a cultivator from a rival sect."
"And the chances of that are small because what would their motivation be for such a petty act? Okay. Let's move them outside, then."
It was something of a challenge to maneuver all the oxen outside and get them tied up, but the disciples eventually managed. As soon as the door closed, Master stored the excess food in his ring, leaving the wagon tops flat.
Another factoid—Master went to great lengths to hide how much material his ring holds even if he didn't do a great job for anyone truly paying attention.
That quirk at least made sense. Zou Tian didn't know much about spatial rings, but it was common knowledge that the amount of storage space was one of the determinants of value. If Master's ring had an outrageously big storage space, that quality becoming known might ignite avarice that would be troublesome to deal with.
All four of them spent the next day at the Poison Claw Sect, Senior Brother and Sister using the cultivation rooms. Master had asked Elder Kang if Zou Tian could explore on his own, but the elder said it wasn't entirely safe for a mortal to walk the sect grounds unescorted, especially since mortals couldn't be given the token that indicated they were a friend to the sect.
Zou Tian didn't mind, though. For one thing, the thought of navigating the sect without protection was terrifying, but mostly, he found Master interesting. Besides, Zou Tian had never thought he'd be able to visit a sect library. His only access to reading material was when someone might throw away a scroll or a book that street trash like him happened to run across.
That night, they all dressed in their best robes, and Master got them a table at the best restaurant in the city. Apparently, the cultivation room had been a great success because both Senior Brother and Sister advanced to minor realm seven, which Master treated as a big accomplishment.
Zou Tian couldn't wait until he was allowed to start cultivating. Maybe he'd start to feel less out of place among the three cultivators.
The next two days, he spent either at the sect watching Senior Brother and Sister training and sparring or following Master around buying mass quantities of meals from street vendors. He did buy one other thing that seemed strange, a piece of something he called quartz that had been shaped into a sphere roughly four inches in diameter.
Zou Tian was still to intimidated to ask why the object was important, and Master hadn't volunteered the information.
The morning after, Master woke up excited. "Get all your sightseeing done today and tomorrow, kids, because the day after that, we're finally getting back on the road toward the village."
Senior Brother and Sister had nothing they wanted to see in the city itself and opted to spend more time at the sect. Master chose Zou Tian to accompany him to take a wagon to pick up a load of herbs. This time, the cargo didn't overflow the bottom, so the trip back was much easier.
Zou Tian, after thinking and rethinking about how Senior Brother and Sister interacted with Master, asked him what the purpose of the herbs was.
"Points, my little man. Points."
Zou Tian was none the wiser from the response, but he felt glad his conclusion regarding Master's attitude toward the question was correct.
The next morning, Master woke up happy again.
"The spears should be ready today!" Master said. "I know I should give them till at least afternoon before I check, but it's going to be hard to wait."
Contrary to his words, it didn't seem like he had all that much difficulty killing time. With Zou Tian trailing behind, Master spent the morning going from food vendor to food vendor buying whatever meals they had ready.
"I wonder how much I've spent on food like this," Master said.
Zou Tian wasn't sure if the question was supposed to be rhetorical or not, but he answered anyway. "Just shy of two thousand silver taels if my calculations are correct, Master."
"It's amazing that you knew that. And how many meals did I purchase for that astronomical amount?"
"Just over six thousand, Master."
"I think you are going to be a very useful addition to our team."
Zou Tian was grateful his master had that sentiment, but he didn't see why his master had suddenly stated it. There was no one nearby who looked like a target for his master to assassinate.
Finally, his master deemed it time to take a wagon to the blacksmith who held the finished spears. The man allowed Shi Long to present the first one to Master.
The wood of the eight-foot-long shaft, instead of being its natural orangish shade, had turned a deep red, and the bluish metal attached to one end tapered to what looked like a wickedly sharp point.
Master hefted the spear. "Nice weight. Good balance. I like it. I like it a lot." The weapon disappeared into his storage ring.
"Between the natural hardening process employed by the master woodworker and the alchemical treatment," the blacksmith said, "the spear should withstand sword strikes from an enemy at the peak of the Foundation Establishment realm without taking any damage, and both the wood and the metal are designed to transmit qi with little resistance or loss. It is a formidable weapon. If this one were to put it up for auction, this one would set the reserve at one thousand seven hundred fifty taels."
Master said each one cost six hundred ten. Over a thousand taels profit per spear wasn't bad. Not that Master was planning on selling the weapons. Zou Tian didn't know what Master wanted them for, but he seemed to value them more than as just a commodity.
That night, the five, including Shi Long, had one last celebratory dinner before going to bed early. They were meeting the rest of their traveling group at dawn.
Chapter 62 - So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiederseh'n, Goodnight
Benton hummed to himself as he walked toward the gates. When he saw the small crowd of people gathered waiting for him and his four disciples, he started softly singing. "So long, farewell, auf wiederseh'n, goodnight."
He wondered how the kids would react to seeing The Sound of Music. Maybe he could figure out some technique with illusion that would let one of his disciples recreate movies. Or maybe enter a partnership with the Chameleon Jade Sect.
Hmm. That idea might actually work. Best to not even ask the System about it yet, though. He didn't want to be tempted to spend his limited Sect Points on frivolous entertainment. Down the road if he were swimming in points, however, and recruited an appropriately aspected disciple…
Returning his attention to the city, he figured he'd accomplished a lot during his time there, but he was more than ready to leave. The founding of his sect called.
Besides, though he'd tried to hide it from the kids and even avoid thinking about it himself, the last week or so had been incredibly stressful. One false move could have resulted in everything he was trying to build falling into ruin.
He vowed never to let his plans ride on so narrow a margin ever again.
Still, the train of wagons following behind him and the group of young people standing in front of him were a huge step in the right direction.
Kang Ya-Ting had been kind enough to send the six drivers to meet them at the warehouse, and those guys knew more about hooking up the oxen than Benton and the twins did, meaning that leaving went a lot smoother than he had any right to expect.
Each of the men drove one of the wagons slowly behind Benton, three filled with food, one herbs, one weapons, and the last the bathtubs, textiles, and some other miscellaneous items he'd purchased. Only the food ones were full to the top, which was by design so he could create space for his new recruits to cultivate by shifting things around, including into his ring, without being too obvious to prying eyes.
The cargo represented everything that had been on his purchase list and more, so he checked that task off his mental to do list.
More important than all the goods combined were his two new disciples, Zou Tian and Shi Long, who he was sure would eventually fill important roles in the new sect. Almost, or perhaps even more, crucial were the six young men driving the wagons and the eleven men and women standing just inside the gate.
The latter group who was standing next to Kang Ya-Ting were presumably the guards Benton had requested. The sect elder had acquired matching blue outfits for all of them, loose long-sleeved shirts and flowy pants, and each had a relatively new looking bags, presumably filled with spare clothes and such, and a bedroll along with enough tents for every two of them to share.
No weapons yet, but that was fine. Benton hadn't even expected the outfits and camping gear, and he had spears aplenty.
All told, he was looking at nineteen new recruits for his sect, more than doubling his current total. Which was good because he really needed the points. He had, after all, already used four from his future earnings, so he'd have to earn six more total to be able to afford to advance to Foundation Establishment.
He'd expected Kang Ya-Ting and the guards to be there, but one addition was a small surprise—Pan Jiang.
"Greetings, Friend Kang. This looks like a fine group of guards you've hired for me."
Kang Ya-Ting chuckled. "Greetings to you as well, Friend Chao. I do so hope you will find them adequate." He turned to a stout fellow who seemed a little older than the others. "This is Ye Zan. He will lead the group of guards if you'll have him."
The man in question cupped his hands and bowed. Benton scanned him.
Name:Ye ZanAffiliation:NoneAge:19Cultivation:NoneTechniques:NoneSpiritual Roots:F-Qi Aspect:Loamy soil prepped for growthHmm. He was a terrible talent, as was to be expected, but even his qi aspect didn't seem to be particularly good. Maybe the earth aspect would help if he wanted to be a farmer, but Benton suspected that the nature types in the village would do a better job.
Guard probably was a good choice of occupation for him. Earth qi users tended to be strong and dependable.
Ye Zan introduced the others, and Benton asked a bit about their experience. Nine of the eleven were men, aged fifteen to eighteen mostly with Ye Zan being the outlier. The two women, both sixteen, were sisters to two of the men.
Apparently, Ye Zan and five others were a mercenary crew with a fairly good reputation who did jobs around the city, mainly protection work like escorting wagons through the slums and guarding a full warehouse and such. They were accounted to be scrupulously honest and reliable by Yang Ka-Ting and at least knew which end of the spear to point at the bad guys.
Since Benton had requested a minimum of eight, they had filled their ranks with three boys they knew, and two siblings of the original group members decided to come along as well.
"And you all realize it may be a while before you get back to Sixth Flawless Flowing City?" Benton said once the introductions were complete. "I'll pay you once we reach the village, but it may be a year or more before I or my disciples return. You're free to leave the village whenever you want, of course, but the conditions against that may be adverse."
Of course, they all would likely be staying near the village as members of his new sect, but it wouldn't be a good idea to mention that while still inside the city limits. Best to act as if the guards were a temporary addition.
"We understand, Esteemed Master Cultivator. None of these lowly ones have been outside these walls, and accompanying such a renowned cultivator seems like the opportunity of a lifetime."
He wasn't exactly wrong about the opportunity part, but renowned might be a stretch.
"Well," Benton said, "pleasure to have you aboard then. There are spears in the fifth wagon back. Don't take any of the red ones, but the rest are fair game."
Ye Zan cupped his hands and bowed in acknowledgement.
It didn't take the guards long to find weapons and get themselves situated. They all seemed pleased with the quality of the weapons, which made Benton wonder about what they normally used. The spears he'd directed them to use were the inexpensive ones destined to be beat to pieces during training.
Benton stifled a chuckle when Ye Zan literally slapped away the hand of one of the younger members of their group when he reached for one of the red spears.
As Benton was preparing to direct the guards on where he wanted them, Ye Zan stepped up and started barking orders. He placed two in front of the first wagon, two behind the last one, and two on each side of the wagons spaced between the front and back. He declared his intent to roam to make sure his people were paying attention.
Benton couldn't help but wonder if the man knew they would be walking from sun up to sun down for the next sixty days or so. It seemed like a rest schedule would be a good idea with half walking and the other half riding in the wagons. They could address that later, though. Ye Zan probably just wanted to make a good first impression, portraying his guards as hard, diligent workers.
While Benton conducted his business, Pan Jiang had waited patiently. Once the discussion with the guards was complete, the sword wielder stepped forward. Benton was mildly interested in what would happen next.
The boy cupped his hands and bowed deeply. "Esteemed Master Cultivator, this lowly one expresses much gratitude. This lowly one couldn't see Mount Tai and was rude to the Esteemed Master Cultivator and his disciples. This lowly one's poor display was met with only generosity. Much, much gratitude to the Esteemed Master Cultivator. The technique gifted to this lowly one is … is … phenomenal. If there is any way that this lowly one can repay the Esteemed Master Cultivator's kindness, please let this lowly one know."
Benton's initial impulse was to say that the boy's master had him covered, but something occurred to him. "Truthfully, there is one thing I really desire from you."
"Anything, Esteemed Master Cultivator. Even my sword."
"Keep your family's sword, Pan Jiang. I think Friend Kang just went apoplectic from you making the offer."
"Then what, Esteemed Master Cultivator? Ask this lowly one for anything."
"I want you to practice that technique diligently and master it. Then, the next time Yang Ru and I visit the city, I can watch you and him exchange pointers. No bet. No stakes. Just two cultivators who are good with their weapons trying their best to beat the other and to improve."
Pan Jiang grinned. "That this lowly one can do, Esteemed Master Cultivator. I swear it on my family's honor."
"Well, then, I look forward to meeting you again." Benton offered a shallow but respectful bow to the young man.
After a much deeper bow, Pan Jiang left.
"I've known that boy his entire life," Kang Ya-Ting said. "I don't think I've ever seen him as motivated as he has been since I let him learn that sword technique. I'm pretty sure, though, that he's only going to be more motivated going forward. I really appreciate what you did for him. His father is going to appreciate it as well once he learns of the results."
"Think nothing of it. I sincerely like helping kids grow. If I was able to assist in some small way, then that is my true reward."
"There is one matter that we haven't discussed."
"Yes?" Benton didn't know if he should be worried.
"It wasn't clear if the sword technique was solely for Pan Jiang's use or if it was intended for any who could use it. The sect didn't want to overstep our bounds and give it out freely."
Whew. That topic was actually easy.
"It was a gift meant to help Pan Jiang specifically, but I gave it to you. I'm grateful that the intended recipient is getting use out of it, but I have no objections to you using it however you wish. Let me know if you need more copies."
"Thank you once again, my friend. Until we next meet."
"Until we next meet."
The two parted and soon the wagon train made its way out of the city. Finally.
Just being a step outside the walls made Benton feel better. He was sure miles would be even better still.
The next time he returned, he wanted to be at least Golden Core.
Chapter 63 - Every Day Is Like Survival
Benton took a deep breath as the wagon rolled slowly, really slowly, along beneath him. The mortals could walk as fast as the oxen moved, not to mention how much faster a cultivator could go.
He supposed it was fine. Two months on the road instead of one made little difference in the end, and the time would give all his soon-to-be new disciples time to cultivate. Some of them would probably reach Qi Gathering minor realm four before they reached the village.
There was no reason to be so impatient.
Really, the main issue was a desire to be as far from the city as possible. They were over a mile away by that point, and he was feeling safer with every creak of the wagon's wood wheels despite his spiritual sense detecting the presence of a cultivator following them.
Which was probably going to become a problem.
Benton sighed. He wouldn't feel legitimately safe until the sect was protected by more than just him. The twins were great, but no Qi Gathering cultivator was a threat to a sect. If he had, say, five disciples who were as strong as the siblings, the best that could be expected of those five would be them teaming up to maybe take down a weak Foundation Establishment cultivator, but the fight wouldn't be clean. He'd probably would lose one or more.
Benton was not looking forward to the day when one of his future sect members died protecting the others. He accepted that he lived in a cultivation world and such a thing was bound to happen, but that acceptance didn't mean he had to like it. The only things he could do about it were to become as personally powerful as possible to serve as a deterrent and to make his sect members individually as strong as he could.
Things would be slightly better when his people started reaching Foundation Establishment. A true attack by a rival sect would involve mostly Foundation Establishment cultivators with a few Golden Cores. He needed enough of his own to counter such an attack.
Of course, he'd need something like twenty Foundation Establishment cultivators all as strong as he thought the twins would become just to fight one Golden Core, so such a position of strength was a long way off.
Even then, he wouldn't feel truly safe until he had reached the Nascent Soul realm and all his lieutenants were in the Golden Core realm themselves.
Yes. Then, finally, he would feel safe.
Well, safe-ish. The Flowing Tiger had three Nascent Souls and dozens of Golden Cores, and they'd still been wiped out almost to a man. Benton wasn't sure anyone was ever truly safe in a cultivation world.
Still, he was at least on his way.
He pulled up his log of open quests.
Found a Sect QuestPrerequisites:Sect name selectedMinimum of one discipleSect land ClaimedReward:Shop unlockedRecruit Additional Disciple QuestPrerequisites:Recruit First Disciple Quest CompleteReward:1 Shop PointSpecial:RepeatableNew Quests AvailableOh? That part about new quests being available surprised him. He asked the System to please display them.
Recruit First Foundation Establishment Disciple QuestPrerequisites:NoneReward:10 Shop PointsRecruit Additional Foundation Establishment Disciple QuestPrerequisites:Recruit First Foundation Establishment Disciple Quest completed
Reward:2 Shop PointsSpecial:RepeatableAdvance First Foundation Establishment Disciple QuestPrerequisites:NoneReward:5 Shop PointsAdvance Additional Foundation Establishment Disciple QuestPrerequisites:Advance First Foundation Establishment Disciple Quest completed
Reward:2 Shop PointsSpecial:RepeatableOkay, that information was cool. He'd get Shop Points for his disciples advancing to Foundation Establishment, which was great. Any additional sources of those points were likely to come in really handy in the future. If nothing else, he had lots of uses for pills since he'd become an expert on the subject of using them for cultivation advancement.
The other quests were interesting as well. He'd never even considered trying to recruit sect members who were already cultivators, especially not those already in the Foundation Establishment realm. Once he got his sect up and running and gained a bit of status, those two quests might be doable.
Finding the new quests was a distraction, though. He had wanted to look at the quest to Found a Sect, so he pulled it up again.
That quest had three criteria. First, select a name. He hadn't yet, but he had a good idea, one he was almost positive he'd go with. Two, minimum of one disciple. Check.
The third one was the difficult one. Sect land claimed. Even with the Poison Claw Sect knowing his association with Prosperous Gray Forest Village, he still wanted to set up near the village. It was simply too good of an opportunity.
There was a highly commercial product nearby for the sect to utilize. Spiritual beasts roamed the area freely, which would give his sect members experience fighting and access to valuable materials for crafting. It was in reasonable proximity to a major source of qi at the mountain he'd viewed from across a valley, and the nearest sect to that source had been wiped out, leaving a hole that was ripe for filling. Even better, the other three large sects in the area didn't want one of the other big ones to have it, so he could play each one off the others.
It truly was an Advantageous Starting Position worth the Perk Point he'd paid.
Obviously, he could have simply picked a plot of land and told the village he was claiming it. There wasn't exactly anything they could do to stop him.
The way he was going about first winning their support, though, held so many benefits. To begin with, the village needed the food he was bringing to them. Not wanted. Needed. Any route other than the one he took would have left any who died over the winter to weigh on his conscience.
Of course, his decision wasn't totally altruistic. When he delivered the food, he'd be the village's savior. He'd build trust. The village would be more inclined to work with him instead of against him, meaning he could pull recruits from there without fearing quite as much that he was giving superpowers to a bunch of people who might turn against him at the first chance.
Their goodwill should last until at least the second chance to overthrow him. He was living in a cultivation world after all.
Not getting the land to establish his sect was a deal breaker, though. The day after he reached the village—if not the night of!—he would found his sect. If the mayor had a problem with that, the village would need a new mayor, and they would keep needing a new mayor until one agreed with him.
There was being nice and there was being a pushover. He had at times in his life been accused of being the latter, but he couldn't afford to be one in this situation.
As he thought about his future plans, more and more of the day passed. Traffic was light on the path but not non-existent. They hadn't overtaken anyone, not that he would have expected them to do so considering their speed—or lack thereof. Two merchants had passed going toward the city, though. Each had seemed wary but not hostile as they waved.
Benton spent the day seated next to the driver on the rear wagon. The man seemed used to sitting all day on rough wood that often bounced violently over ruts in the dirt path, and Benton didn't mind the conditions at all as his two levels of body cultivation and nine levels of spiritual cultivation had hardened his behind enough that something so mundane wasn't able to cause him discomfort.
The twins were likewise comfortable enough riding but possessed more restless energy. When they took breaks from cultivating, he encouraged them to hunt. There were no spirit beasts in this part of the forest, but there was plenty of game—mainly squirrels, rabbit, deer, and boars. They didn't need much of a push, especially when he reminded them that the villagers could use fresh meat in their diets, and as mortals, they couldn't eat spirit beasts.
He did advise them to stay ahead of the wagon train in order to avoid the cultivator who was still following.
The twins shared a glance.
"A cultivator is following, Master?" Yang Xiu said.
"Yes. A ways back. Since we left the city."
"How strong, Master?" Yang Ru said.
"I don't know. My spirit sense can detect the rank of a beast from miles away, but I have to be close enough to see a cultivator to determine their strength. And since I don't know if this is someone who could easily overwhelm you, I'd prefer you range in the opposite direction. If the cultivator moves toward you, I'll intercept."
Benton suspected that they might object to him putting himself in danger without them present, but they didn't seem concerned at all. He was a bit flummoxed as to the reason for their attitude before he figured it out. They had so much confidence that he could handle the situation that they really were completely blasé about it.
Regardless, nothing happened with the cultivator, and the twins came and went from the woods, finding various small game for Benton to store in his ring.
The guards lasted longer walking than he had expected before eventually asking his permission to switch to shifts having everyone ride in the wagons. Since the front seats easily held three people—four if they were friendly—it worked out to keep four guards walking at any one time.
Eventually, the sun began to set, and the lead driver advised that it was time to stop for the day.
The drivers also insisted, for values of insisted when someone who was essentially a peasant was addressing a cultivator, on cooking dinner, which was actually a nice surprise as Benton was used to meal prep. It probably would have looked strange if the high and mighty cultivator were to do something as menial as preparing food for everyone, anyway.
Yeah, Benton could see how him serving them would make a bunch of peasants uncomfortable, so he gave in pretty easily and directed the drivers to use whatever they wanted from the stores in the wagon Benton had designated for the sect. He also pulled out several rabbits the twins had managed to kill.
Darkness was fast encroaching on their camp, so as the men cooked, Benton used qi orbs to light the area around the wagons. Twenty-two people were, after all, quite a large number to cram around a single cookfire, and he wanted everyone to have enough light to see what they were eating. Besides, he'd stocked up on dozens of the handy little light sources, and each lasted quite a while as long as you replenished their qi, which he or the twins could do using beast cores.
Rabbit stew obviously took a while to make, but it was quite a hit. One of the guards exclaimed quite loudly about how he'd hadn't expected fresh meat to be served. Benton couldn't wait to see their reactions when he served them hot and fresh street vendor meals for breakfast and lunch.
Dinner finished, Benton was ready to begin the most important part of the day, gaining new disciples. His first thought was to do all nineteen at once, but he rethought that. Like it or not, this world was not as egalitarian as Earth. Well, as his culture was, anyway. Two of the recruits stood out from the others and should be treated as special, even if that was to just have their ceremony separately.
He summoned Zou Tian and Shi Long and, using a qi orb for light, led them a short distance into the woods, just far enough that they wouldn't be heard by the mortals at the campsite.
"You both already know me, but my name is Chao Su. I am forming a sect near the Prosperous Gray Forest Village, and I would like both of you to join as sect members." He stopped a moment to let that sink in. "This is a serious commitment. I will teach you to cultivate and make sure you have everything you need to be successful. You will be diligent in your cultivation and training. You will use your talents to serve the sect. Are you with me so far?"
"Yes, Master," Zou Tian said.
Benton gave him a somber smile.
"This lowly one thought the Esteemed Master wanted a blacksmith?" Shi Long said.
"I do. You will be a cultivator blacksmith who works with qi-infused metals. You will create things beyond the ken of mere mortals."
The boy considered the response for a moment before speaking. "This lowly one is honored. If the Esteemed Master truly wants this lowly one's service, yes."
"Great. Let's get the two of you tested."
Benton felt a little bit stupid while doing it, but he made a big show of having each of the boys hold the silly quartz sphere he'd purchased like it was some valuable, mystical thing. Zou Tian would obviously see through the ruse as he'd been present when the rock was purchased, but the rest of the inductees should believe that the orb allowed Benton to determine their spiritual roots.
"Excellent," Benton said when the two boys had finished. "Zou Tian, you obviously have shadow aspected qi, but you'll be pleased to learn that your talent is ranked D-."
The boy seemed far less than pleased.
"Don't be disappointed. That rank is better than ninety-eight percent of people. A lot of smaller sects would take you, and I'm especially glad to have you as a member."
"Yes, Master. This lowly one apologizes for seeming ungrateful. This lowly one will gladly serve as your assassin."
"What?"
"Sorry, Master. This lowly one will gladly be an assassin in your service?"
"No, I'm not worried about the way you said it. Why do you think I want you to be an assassin?"
"Apologies for making an assumption, Master," Zou Tian said, "but everyone knows that cultivators who use shadow qi fill that role for sects."
"Well, not for my sect. I'm not going to employ assassins."
Zou Tian looked hopeful. "May this lowly one ask what task Master wants fulfilled?"
"I want you to be an agent. A spy. A scout. To quietly infiltrate an area, observe carefully, and return to me with information, leaving no enemy the wiser that you were ever there in the first place. I want you to do what you're already good at."
The boy looked overjoyed. "That … This lowly one would be happy to do that for Master!"
"Good. I'm glad we got that settled." Benton turned to Shi Long. "Well, you already know your task for the sect, and it might not be a surprise to you that you actually have dual aspects—fire and metal."
"Both fire and metal!"
"Yeah, you are literally destined to be a blacksmith and, I think, a good one. You have B rank talent."
Benton really wished he had more spirit root improvement pills. One would definitely be worth using on a disciple as talented as Shi Long. Unfortunately, it would be a minimum of two months before Benton got access to the Shop, and he had no way of knowing how expensive the pills would be or even if they were available at all. The Shop could have levels that he had to unlock to access pills or those pills could only be available with Perk Points or any number of other System shenanigans could come into play.
He decided that the potential advantage of raising Shi Long's spirit roots from B to B+ simply wasn't worth the present loss of cultivation time combined with the possibility of not even being able to buy a pill.
Honestly, the decision was a tough one. If not for the latter issue, he probably would have told the boy that he'd begin cultivating when they got to the village.
With the two boys excited to begin, Benton performed the bai-si tea ceremony and officially accepted them as disciples. The standard popups followed, telling him he'd gained two more Shop Points, taking him to twenty.
His Sect Points remained at twenty-eight, of course. For a moment, anyway.
He'd pretty much made up his mind to use twenty of those points to create individual cultivation techniques for each of the two boys, but he went over his thought process to make sure. On the con side, Benton would be left with only eight points for emergencies.
That state would only last a little while, though. He had seventeen more people to induct right after he finished with Zou Tian and Shi Long. Those points plus the two for the boys would bring him back up to twenty-seven, more than enough.
Satisfied with his reasoning, he created two new cultivation methods for ten apiece and got two of those points back as he taught them to cultivate, ending with a whopping ten points remaining. More importantly, he'd increased the size of his future sect from fourteen to sixteen.
Overall, it had been a good day, and it was going to get even better shortly when he inducted the guards and the drivers.
As he approached the path, though, he sensed the cultivator that had been following them advancing. Soon after Benton reached the wagons, the cultivator stepped into the light created by the qi orbs.
It was a middle-aged man in gray robes. Benton immediately scanned him.
Affiliation:Jade Chameleon SectAge:37Cultivation:Foundation Establishment – Minor Realm 9Qi Available:???Techniques:???Spiritual Roots:C+Qi Aspect:A mirage hiding deadly bladesShit. Peak Foundation Establishment. They might be in trouble.
Chapter 64 - Bluffing Works Great, Until It Doesn't
Benton's scan of the Jade Chameleon Sect member told him a lot about the man. The first important fact was that he used illusion aspected qi.
According to what Su had learned in one of his lessons at the Flowing Tiger Sect, around three quarters of people born had qi aspects corresponding to one of the five primary elements—earth, fire, metal, water, and wood. There were additionally many, many secondary elements, including lightning, ice, nature, poison, shadow, and the list goes on. Obviously, then, less than twenty-five percent of cultivators used a secondary qi aspect, and since there were possibly hundreds of such aspects, that meant that the incidence of each was relatively small, though some were definitely rarer or more common than others.
Thus, even though the Poison Claw Sect favored poison users, well less than half of their members utilized that unique aspect. The same was true for the Jade Chameleon Sect.
Making the assumption that one of their members used illusion was less than an odds on bet. Benton, however, knew the man approaching did, which meant he knew to be aware of trickery.
The fact that the man was thirty-seven years old and only at the peak of Foundation Establishment told Benton a lot as well. C+ roots weren't bad at all, but though spirit root rank was referred to as talent, having quality roots did not guarantee success. Anyone could bottleneck at any time. Deviations, heart demons, pill toxicity build up, lack of diligence, quality of cultivation methods, and any one of probably hundreds of factors could leave a promising cultivator to languish.
Given the quality of those roots, the odds greatly favored the man's cultivation getting stalled in the Foundation Establishment realm instead of in Qi Gathering. He probably had plenty of years to master techniques as he struggled to overcome his bottleneck.
Of course, that conclusion was mostly speculation. He could have started cultivating at twenty-five years old and actually be right on track. Or he could be lazy or stupid or whatever and simply not cultivated much or learned anything.
Benton wouldn't bet on any of the latter scenarios being true, though. In all probability, the man stalking toward the camp was an illusionist who had years to master many combat tricks.
If things escalated to a fight, Benton wouldn't be able to trust what he saw, heard, smelled, touched, or even tasted. His best bet was to end things as soon as they started.
Of course, winning a fight with a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator at all was not a foregone conclusion. Benton's ten available Sect Points would only advance him to the fifth minor realm, and he'd not even have a chance to adjust to his surge in strength and qi before the fight began.
A single quick and decisive strike would be his best bet.
No. Actually, his best bet was his go to move—bluffing.
The problem was that Benton wasn't sure it would work. When Kang Ya-Ting had flown toward that initial confrontation between Yang Ru and Pan Jiang, Benton had understood why the man approached. He'd understood why the man was angry. Kang Ya-Ting's actions and emotions were to be expected of a master whose disciple had just gotten involved in an altercation with what he considered to be street rabble.
All Benton had to do was to get the sect elder to stop and think in order to alter his perception of the situation. And the tactic had worked like a charm.
For the Jade Chameleon cultivator, things were different. He had to know that the caravan he was approaching was manned by friends of the Poison Claw Sect. Even if he didn't before he approached, Benton still wore the snake pin. If the man had ill intentions, knowledge of the sect's backing should give him pause, but he showed no hesitation.
By the same token, the cultivator should have extended a polite greeting by that point if he had friendly intentions. But he hadn't.
His face held a severe expression.
The situation felt off. Benton glanced at Yang Xiu, meeting her eyes and trying with all his will to convey to her that her and Yang Ru's job was to protect the mortals and the two new disciples. She nodded, so hopefully, she understood the direction. It was the best he could do.
Benton faced the approaching Chameleon Sect member and nodded just the same depth he had in the first encounter with Ya-Ting.
"Kowtow before me, gutter trash," the cultivator said. "Actually, you're not even gutter trash. You're nothing. You're just a mortal."
That opening line was not auspicious. Benton needed to proceed very cautiously. He couldn't kowtow, but he didn't want to provoke the sect member either.
"This one is a good friend of the Poison Claw Sect."
"Those idiots. The Jade Chameleon Sect fools them all the time, just as you have. I've watched you for an entire day. You have used no qi. The only sign that you can use qi is that spatial ring, but I've heard of ones that can be utilized by mortals. You're nothing but a conman. A rich conman who will soon make me a rich cultivator."
Well, bluffing was out. The best Benton could do was advance quickly to Foundation Establishment and hope some external qi manipulation would make the man re-evaluate. Unfortunately, advancement to the next major realm would trigger a purge of impurities, which would be immediately obvious to the cultivator and ruin the deception.
Nope. Benton was almost positive the situation was going to devolve into combat.
"You have two choices," the cultivator said. "Give me all your personal items and assist me in getting the wagons back to the city or die now."
Benton didn't need Su's memories to know that surrendering was not an option. The guy was going to kill them either way. Fighting was the only recourse.
Well, it was possible Benton could find some argument or clever trick to make the man let them go, but nothing was coming to mind. And he wasn't willing to bet his life or the lives of anyone present that he'd be able to think of something in time.
The problem was that the man was a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator. Benton wasn't exactly like a gnat in comparison at the peak of Qi Gathering, but he felt like it.
Su's sect had been a lot more martially inclined than Benton had witnessed from his brief experience in Sixth Flawless Flowing City. For the Flowing Tiger Sect, fighting was a way of life. One doesn't survive so many battles without developing some tricks, and there was one using a spatial ring that would give Benton the element of surprise, which may or may not be enough to win.
He had exactly one shot to pull off the victory, and everything had to go perfectly. Knowing the man was an illusionist full of tricks, Benton carefully scanned the man with spiritual sense while also using qi to enhance vision and hearing.
It was as Benton suspected. The man standing before them was an illusion. The actual cultivator stood slightly behind and to the right of the projection.
Benton would never have noticed if he hadn't known to be on the lookout for something similar.
"System," he said internally, "advance me to Foundation Establishment minor realm one as soon as I move."
He hated that his life and future sect was once again riding on a single moment, and his success depended on so many assumptions. One, that the man's actually height and appearance matched the illusion. Two, that the estimate of the man's position given by Benton's spiritual sense was accurate enough for him to make a killing strike. And three, that the System would comply with his direction. So far, whatever guided the System's actions had been quite flexible, but Benton hadn't previously tried to execute a conditional command.
"Not ready to surrender, huh?" The man sneered. "Well, that's going to cost you one follower. Let's try that one!"
A blade appeared from the position of the invisible sect member. An instant later, three more blades appeared, these from the illusion. The blades combined into a diamond shape targeted at Zou Tian.
"Only the one on the right is real," Benton yelled for his disciples' benefit.
That was all the help he could give them, though. His job was to take out the main threat, not to protect the people behind him. And he had his hands full.
He lunged forward and to the right with his hands and arms in position like he was holding a spear.
Several things happened simultaneously. He felt a surge of power as the System advanced him to Foundation Establishment just as he summoned his Orange Vigor Spirit Wood spear from his ring.
"Wha—" the cultivator tried to say.
He never got to finish the word, though. Nor would he ever finish a word again.
As quickly as Benton's Foundation Establishment new strength could propel him, he thrust the spear at the man, aiming, hopefully, for the eye.
The tip hit a tiny bit off center from where Benton intended, but close, in that case, counted.
The speed and surprise of the sudden strike meant it happened too quickly for the cultivator to use a defensive trigger or technique, and the force of the blow was easily strong enough to penetrate the corner of the eye all the way to the man's brain, killing him instantly.
The illusion disappeared and the man's bloody corpse, held up on the end of the red spear, appeared.
Benton heart thudded mightily. He glanced back, fearing that Zou Tian was dead.
Instead, he saw a blade lying on the ground, dented by an arrow, and Zou Tian calmly observing.
Benton truly did have the best disciples.
"Uh, Master," Yang Xiu said. "What is that awful smell?"