Chapter 87 – A Heady Feeling
Wan Ai had just had the best three months of her life. Growing up in the orphanage, she'd mostly been praised by Mistress Zhong for being a helpful and obedient child.
Mostly.
When Wan Ai did get into trouble it was for hiding away from the other children in the house. It wasn't that she was bullied or teased or anything like that. It was just that they were so loud. And she liked quiet. She liked to be alone.
For the last three months, she'd basically confined herself to a room, alone, and cultivated. For ten to twelve blessed hours a day, she experienced complete peace. Breathe in. Circulate qi as the jade slip instructed. Breathe out. Repeat.
Both the solitude and the improvements to her body and mind appealed to her. She found the cultivation method Master had given her nourishing to a fundamental part of her, which was weird because she hadn't previously realized that part existed. He'd told her she had a fire and nature aspect, and the more time she spent meditating, the more in tune she felt with those elements.
It was glorious.
At night, when Wan Ai emerged from the room to eat, she was not criticized or told to spend more time with the others. Instead, she was praised for her diligence by Mistress Zhong.
Glorious.
When the second month went by and Master did not re-appear, Wan Ai did not know what to think. The man had changed the entire course of her life in a day, but she had no idea how to feel about him. He was so strange and so powerful.
The bad thing was that he expected much from her. To become a great alchemist. To be an important part of his sect.
She just wanted to sit in her room and cultivate.
And then, out of nowhere, he reappeared.
She was so nervous that she couldn't even look at him, and he started complimenting her again, praising her for her diligence in cultivation. And when he said he had presents for her, she perked up.
No one had ever gotten presents for her.
And what presents they were and so many! Three books. She'd never even owned one. Herbs and seeds. An alchemy set. A dagger that looked really expensive. Two more jade slips, each holding a technique, real cultivator techniques.
But it all came with a price. There was a lot of work to do, and that was fine. She was used to hard work. Master was depending on her, though. He wanted her to be in charge.
That last requirement completely overwhelmed her.
He left, and she tried to calm herself, even skipping lunch. Before she managed to quiet her mind, a young man had showed up at the orphanage with an announcement. All disciples were to meet Master.
A command like that was not to be disobeyed, so she, Mistress Zhong, Xiao Rong, Chang Xioadan, and all eight cultivating children followed the young man toward the gate. At first, Wan Ai thought he meant to lead them outside the village, which would have been terrifying. She had never been outside. He stopped short, though, upon reaching a large crowd gathered in the plaza, and she sighed in relief.
It turned out that the large crowd consisted entirely of more of Master's disciples. Apparently, Master had been recruiting.
She stood in the back of the group that had arrived with Mistress Zhong and tried to stay out of anyone's notice. Wan Ai mostly succeeded until Senior Sister and Senior Brother came through the gate with Master.
They both had huge smiles on their faces at seeing her and greeted her warmly with hugs. After she returned the greeting, she noticed how many people were eying her, and she wished she could open a hole in the ground and disappear.
Luckily, it didn't take too long until Master returned with the Esteemed Honorable Mayor. After that, something really bad happened. It became apparent that Master intended to lead them outside of the village.
The very thought terrified her. There were spirit beasts out there. What if one attacked?
Seeing her distress, Yang Xiu hugged her again. "It's okay, Junior Sister. Between Master and the two of us, there is no danger. We've just got back from killing dozens of spirit beasts, so we might not even see another one of them."
"I'll try to be brave, Senior Sister."
"Here, let me get you a position in the front of the line right behind Master, Junior Sister. He's incredibly powerful, more so than you can even imagine. I saw him kill a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator with a single blow!"
Wan Ai didn't know if that made her feel confident to have someone so powerful presumably protecting her or even more afraid to be so near someone who could kill so easily.
She ended up not only behind Master, the most powerful person she'd ever met, but also the Esteemed Honorable Mayor, the most important man in the village. Even being around such prestigious people made her nervous but not nearly as nervous as leaving behind the village's walls did.
Every step was torture. She expected lions or tigers or bears to jump out from behind every tree. After a little while, though, when nothing had appeared, she began to think that maybe Yang Xiu was right. Maybe they'd already killed all the spirit beasts.
Then it happened.
At first, there was nothing to be alarmed about. A little squirrel scampered out of the woods. Just a tiny thing. Kind of cute actually.
Master blurred.
He moved so fast that she lost track of him from one step to the next. When she next caught sight of him, he had a spear pointed at the animal.
That was when it hit her. The cute cuddly looking animal was actually a deadly spirit beast.
Before she could even process that information, Master's spear hit the creature, and it … disappeared.
Wan Ai didn't know what she expected. Blood probably? A mangled corpse? She'd never seen an animal killed before.
The sight in front of her eyes didn't make sense. One instant the creature was there and living. The next instant it was just gone, along with a small section of the ground.
Had Master killed it and stored it in his ring so fast that it looked like it had vanished? If so, why did he take a part of ground?
She happened to catch the Esteemed Honorable Mayor's eyes. He looked stunned. Whatever Master had done was not normal.
Honestly, that conclusion was not unexpected. Master was truly unfathomable.
They finished their journey to … the middle of a field? No further spirit beasts appeared, so that was good.
The mayor and Master had a conversation. Apparently, Master owned all the land within sight. He'd bought a farm? Wan Ai had no idea why. Maybe to grow herbs?
Master seemed pleased. And thoughtful. He walked several dozen yards away from the group and did something with his hand.
A building appeared. A big building. In midair.
As quickly as it had appeared, it disappeared.
She had no idea what was happening or why.
Master suddenly had a shovel in his hands, and he started digging. Fast. Really fast. At times, he blurred again as he created random holes in the ground.
A quarter to a half hour passed as everyone watched him dig, fascinated by the display he was putting on and, if they were anything like Wan Ai, completely flummoxed as to the reason.
Finally, Master stepped back and looked pleased as he studied the holes he'd dug. The building appeared again, on the ground over where Master had been digging. And it stayed in place.
Master had summoned a building from somewhere or created one out of thin air. Or had it been inside his ring? But rings weren't that big, were they?
Nothing about Master was simple.
Soon, they were all brought inside the building, which turned out to an arena. Not that she'd ever seen one as the village was way too small to have anything like that, but she'd read stories where cultivators fought in one. Those descriptions fit the place to a t.
Master conjured a wagon, and Wan Ai was almost positive it came out of his ring. She couldn't help but imagine what else might be in there. He stood atop it and started speaking.
He was founding his sect at that spot. That was why they were out in the spirit beast infected farmland. At least that aspect of the trip made sense.
Wan Ai liked what he said about the sect. Rising Tide was a good name and a nice sentiment. She liked helping others and liked the idea that she could count on Senior Sister and Senior Brother to help her.
Righteousness also appealed to her. She was more one to be protected than to do the protecting and couldn't imagine facing evil, much less punishing it. Holding to her word was something she could get behind, though, and the other sentiments were nice if unapplicable to her.
Wan Ai had absolutely no problem swearing to be righteous, to be diligent in her cultivation, and to obey other sect members like Senior Sister and Senior Brother. In fact, she much preferred that last part to being made to be the one giving orders.
Then Master made an oath to the heavens and the heavens responded! She'd read about such things in stories but had never thought to see it herself. One had to be truly blessed for that to happen.
Master truly was not simple.
The call came for the disciples to rise and swear to an oath themselves, and Wan Ai couldn't have resisted if she wanted to. Fate pulled at her. The very heavens pulled at her.
She stood proudly in unison with the others and yelled at the top of her lungs, "We so swear, Sect Leader!"
It was a heady feeling being a member of a sect.
Chapter 88 – Another Tide Is Rising
As soon as everyone was organized for the trip back to the village, Benton scanned the area for any spirit beasts. There were none near.
Good. The twins and Ye Zan's guards should be able to handle any that popped up.
Benton pulled up his status.
Sect Name:Rising TideSect Members:55Disciples:55Sect Points:103Shop Points:59Host Cultivation:Foundation Establishment - Minor Realm OneQi Available:1,110Host Body Cultivation:Bronze - Minor Realm TwoHost Techniques (Qi Gathering):Analysis - Large SuccessBasic Archery - Large SuccessBasic Spear Combat - Large SuccessPill Basics - Large SuccessHost Techniques (Foundation Establishment):Layered Variable Shield Breaker with Void Finisher Weapon Augmentation – Large Success
Seeking Speeding Arrow – Small SuccessMenus:[Cultivation Method - New Features Available][Technique][Quest - New Quests Available][Perk][Advancement - New Features Available][Shop][Sect]The first thing that he noticed was that the sect name had been filled in. For some reason, seeing Rising Tide listed there made him feel a great sense of accomplishment. The second was that he now had fifty-five sect members and fifty-five disciples. He would have to figure out how to separate the two soon for the new inductees from the village, but as he had personally accepted each of the ones so far as his disciples, he was fine with that status continuing for the founding sect members.
His eyes drifted to the bottom of the screen where the Shop was no longer listed as locked. That menu was definitely high on his list of things to explore. Three other menus had changed as well, though, and one, Sect, had been added. Cultivation Method and Advancement both had new features available. He'd have to check all those out.
Interestingly, the Quest tab showed new quests available. The screen previously hadn't displayed that content even when he did, in fact, have new quests available. He'd had to open that tab to discover them.
It seemed that founding his sect had supercharged his System access in big and small ways.
The three other changes to the menu tabs could wait, though. He was most interested in the Shop.
"System," he said internally, "please open the Shop tab."
Welcome, Host, to the Shop.
What would Host like to purchase today?
"System, can you give me a list of what is available for purchase and for how much?"
Host can purchase any item that is appropriate for a cultivation world. When Host enquires about an item, the cost will be displayed, assuming the item is appropriate. Note that anything living, be it flora or fauna, cannot be purchased in the Shop.Hmm. A list would have been beneficial as it might have triggered him to buy something he wouldn't have otherwise thought of. In a way, though, the flexibility offered to buy literally anything he could imagine with a couple of well-defined limitations might be even better.
No sense wasting time asking about treasures and flying swords. He had real needs for his sect members. His first goal was to accelerate the cultivation of some, if not all, of his disciples. The faster and higher they ascended, the safer all of them would be.
Benton felt his shoulders tense up. A lot was riding on the answer to his next question.
"System, how much for Qi Condensing Pills strong enough to advance a cultivator from the beginning of Qi Gathering minor realm three to the beginning of Qi Gathering minor realm four and are there any restrictions on quantity?"
Qi Condensing Pills can be purchased 3/Shop Point. The only limitation on quantity for any item purchased from the Shop is available Shop Points.His shoulders relaxed. That price was really reasonable.
Benton's Pill Basics technique told him it was one hundred percent safe to use perfect purity pills to advance disciples through the Qi Gathering realm. However, there was a benefit for a cultivator pursuing the longer, slower path of meditating and following a cultivation method. Such a cultivator gained experience in manipulating and cycling qi that someone rushing through the minor realms simply didn't get.
Based on his expertise, he felt confident that using two pills was a good compromise between speed and experience and felt no hesitation recommending such a route even for disciples like the twins who would benefit from the expertise cycling in the lower realms as they later challenged the heavens.
A minor shortcut now should not impact them long term, considering how short Qi Gathering lasted compared to future realms. A slight risk was easily countered by the tradeoff for more speed.
In most sects, it was much more common for alchemists, blacksmiths, and other crafters to rely on pills to advance, but Benton suspected that those sects valued production of goods over cultivation for those members. If they stalled at Foundation Establishment after all, they could still produce, and sects had lots of members. Some of the crafters were sure to reach Golden Core.
For Rising Tide Sect members like Wan Ai, Shi Long, and Xun Wu, Benton absolutely refused to do anything that would stunt their growth. He was tempted, though, to advance some of the F ranked disciples quickly. Since they were highly unlikely to get past Foundation Establishment, anyway, was there any real harm? That path was something he'd have to give some consideration.
"System, how much for Qi Condensing Pills strong enough to advance a cultivator for the beginning of Qi Gathering minor realm eight to the beginning of Qi Gathering minor realm nine?"
Qi Condensing Pills can be purchased 3/Shop Point.That was a bit concerning. More qi was required to advance in the later minor realms than the earlier ones.
"System, is there any difference between the strength of the first pill I asked about and the second?"
Host may request whatever pill strength is desired. The cost remains constant.That response was interesting.
"System, how much for Qi Condensing Pills strong enough to advance a cultivator for the beginning of Qi Gathering Minor Realm One to the peak of Qi Gathering Minor Realm Nine?"
Qi Condensing Pills can be purchased 3/Shop Point.Okay. Using such a pill would be a horrible and dangerous experience for the cultivator in so many ways, but it was interesting that Benton had the option.
Time to move on to other matters, though. He'd gotten all the information he needed about that subject. Benton's main takeaway was that, to provide each of his sect members with two Qi Condensing Pills would cost point six seven Shop Points. Since each generated one Shop Point via a repeatable quest, he was left with a profit of point three three per sect member.
"System, how much for a Spiritual Root Refinement Pill?"
Spiritual Root Refinement Pills can be purchased for one Shop Point.Great. That took care of Xun Wu. Benton could get him started on his cultivation journey.
"System, how much for a Spiritual Root Refinement Pill that will improve spiritual roots more than a single minor step in rank?"
Spiritual Root Refinement Pills that improve spiritual roots more than a single minor step in rank are not available as they do not exist.That was unfortunate. He'd been hoping there would be a better solution to his problem with Peng Hanying not having any possibility of advancing high enough to use his time aspected qi than the risky process some sect leaders were known to use.
A thought occurred to Benton. Maybe he'd phrased the question wrong. He'd unintentionally limited the System's solution to a particular type of pill.
"System, is there any way to increase spiritual roots more than a single minor step in rank for mortals who have not yet begun cultivating?"
Yes. There are multiple methods available to increase spiritual roots more than a single minor step in rank. The cheapest method may be purchased for 10 Shop Points and will increase spiritual roots up to three major ranks plus or minus two minor ranks.
Whew. For ten shop points, Benton could improve Peng Hanying's spiritual roots from F- to C-, though the result could vary between D and C+. That was enough to make his ascension to Golden Core likely, but it was also quite expensive, the same cost as thirty Qi Condensing Pills.
Those fifty-nine Shop Points were going to go really quickly if he started spending one here and ten there.
"System, is there any way to give a mortal with a G rank the ability to cultivate?"
No. A mortal is ranked G only when there is no ability present to cultivate.Ugh. Jin LiJuan was going to be devastated. Surely there had to be some way.
"System, does it matter in the above question if the mortal in question had injured her spiritual roots by consuming spirit beast meat? She may have had the ability to cultivate beforehand."
Calculating…
Calculating…
Calculating…
It is possible that a combination of pills may help in such a situation, and those pills can be purchased for 15 Shop Points. Note that it is extremely unlikely that a cultivator healed in such a manner would ever rise above the lowest possible rank. No Spiritual Root Refinement Pill or combination of pills or any other items that could be purchased from the Shop would improve that cultivator's spiritual roots further. Likewise, it is probable that the potential cultivator has permanently damaged various meridians, channels, and even the dantian. Someone healed by the best methods available even to the Sect Leader System will be extremely unlikely ever to even reach Foundation Establishment.
If anything, that answer was worse than the first one. Fifteen points just for the possibility that Jin LiJuan might be able to cultivate at the level of a subpar F-. Was that amount worth the gain by any stretch of the imagination?
No.
She was going to be absolutely destroyed. Poor kid.
"System, how much would it be to purchase a bow for me similar in quality to the one I let Yang Xiu have?"
The Orange Vigor Spirit Wood spear was amazing. Maybe it wasn't quite as good as the one supplied by the System, but the difference wasn't huge at all. In contrast, Benton didn't like any of the bows nearly as much as his original one.
A bow suitable for use through the peak of the Foundation Establishment realm can be purchased for seven Shop Points.Meh. The price wasn't as bad as he feared or as good as he hoped.
Benton could have spent all afternoon asking questions about what things cost, but he had all the information he needed for his most pressing purchases. Further queries could wait until he had more time to peruse his options.
"System, please open the Cultivation Method menu."
An unfamiliar screen popped up.
Welcome, Host, to the Cultivation Method Creation Menu.
Select cultivation type:
Body
Mind
Soul
Spirit
Okay. That was different. Before, the menu had opened with choosing a realm, but that option had been replaced with a screen to choose a type. Which, honestly, he had expected as the System had previously told him that body cultivation would be unlocked.
What he didn't expect at all were the options for Mind and Soul. Su's memories didn't contain information about either of them.
"System, what is mind cultivation?"
Mind Cultivation improves the mind in much the same way that Spiritual Cultivation improves the spirit or Body Cultivation the body. Users will take in qi and cycle it through their minds, advancing on a track similar to Spiritual Cultivation.
Cultivators who focus on such pursuits as Alchemy and Formations often find Mind Cultivation to be useful.
Okay. That method sounded like a nice to have for sect members like Wan Ai. On the other hand, it seemed like any time spent pursuing it would take away from traditional cultivation. He'd study it more in depth later, but he felt good about putting it to the side for the moment in favor of more crucial issues.
"System, what is soul cultivation?"
Soul Cultivation improves the soul in much the same way that Spiritual Cultivation improves the spirit or Body Cultivation the body. Users will take in qi and cycle it through their souls, advancing on a track similar to Spiritual Cultivation.
Cultivators who require protection from the attacks of Demonic Cultivators often find Soul Cultivation to be crucial.
Uh…
Benton was stunned. Soul cultivation was crucial for protecting oneself from demonic attacks. Why did no one know that information?
He moved the topic way up his priority list. They'd have to balance it versus gaining traditional power, but it shored up one of the Rising Tide Sect's most glaring vulnerabilities.
"System, open the Quest Menu."
Welcome, Host, to the Quest Menu.
Host has five previously viewed open quests.
Host has five new quests.
Host has two completed quests.
Benton knew exactly what the previously viewed open quests were, and it was nice that Found a Sect had moved to completed along with Recruit First Disciple. His real interest lay elsewhere.
"System, please display new quests."
Oh? That part about new quests being available surprised him. He asked the System to please display them.
Build a Proper Foundation QuestPrerequisites:Found a Sect Quest CompletedMinimum 100 Sect MembersAverage Loyalty Rating greater than 6Reward:1 Perk PointSpecial:Host may view current Average Loyalty Rating by querying System
Defend Your Territory QuestPrerequisites:Found a Sect Quest Completed
Build a defensive wall around your sectReward:5 Shop PointsPavilionize QuestPrerequisites:Found a Sect Quest CompletedCreate a minimum of three pavilions in your sectAssign a minimum of five sect members to each pavilionReward:5 Shop PointsHouse Your Sect Members QuestPrerequisites:Found a Sect Quest Completed
Defend Your Territory Quest completedProvide housing space for each of your sect members inside your protected sectReward:5 Shop PointsSurvive QuestPrerequisites:Survive the Beast TideReward:Variable depending on percentage of sect members and villagers who surviveWell, now. Wasn't that interesting?
Chapter 89 – May You Live in Interesting Times
Benton started reading the new quests from the top. The first one didn't seem too hard on the face of it. Getting one hundred members only required forty-five more, and he fully intended to induct fifty in the coming days. The part about loyalty, though…
"System," he said internally, "what is my current average loyalty?"
7.2That wasn't so bad, considering that most of his sect members hadn't been with him all that long. Even some of the disciples he'd had the longest hadn't been around him much. He had, after all, left for three months right after accepting the twelve in the village.
There was some reason for concern, though. That seven point two was taking into account the average feelings of fifty-five people, ones who had decent reasons to be loyal to him. The fifty villagers he was about to add were instead much more likely to have allegiance to the mayor rather than him.
An average higher than six wasn't likely. To start off with, anyway.
Oh well, he had no doubt that, as long as he stayed true to his commitment to them, all would increase as time went on. Which was good because the reward for completing that quest was a perk point.
He wanted that perk point.
The next quest, Defend Your Territory, involved building a wall around the sect, a task he was already about to start work on. That one was basically five free Shop Points.
The combination of Pavilionize and House Your Members might have been long term projects were it not for the buildings he had stored in his rings. As it was, he'd convert those into ten Shop Points as soon as he got the wall built.
It was the last one that really was the eye opener. The area was no longer under a beast tide watch or warning. The beast tide was coming. Benton just didn't know when it would arrive.
He couldn't help but remember the old curse, "May you live in interesting times." Well, times sure were getting interesting. Benton added preparing for that potential calamity to his mental To Do list as the most critical item.
Finished with the Quest Menu, he moved on to the one of the two remaining visible change on his status sheet.
"System, please open the Advancement Menu."
Welcome, Host, to the Advancement Menu. You have 103 Sect Points available.
Please select one of the following options:
Increase Cultivation
Increase Body Cultivation
Increase Mind Cultivation
Increase Soul Cultivation
Add/Modify/Increase Technique
That change was pretty self-explanatory. He now had the ability to increase his mind and soul cultivation in addition to his spirit and body.
"System, please open the Sect Menu."
Welcome, Host, to the Sect Menu.
This menu allows Host to view information about Host's Sect. More options will become available as Host adds to the sect.
Please select one of the following options:
[Buildings]
[Members]
That one might be handy.
"System, please open the Buildings Menu."
Welcome, Host, to the Buildings Submenu of the Sect Menu.
Please select one of the following buildings to view information:
Arena
Too cool!
"System, please show me information about the arena."
Date Arena Established:Year 2685 Month 9 Day 15Arena Seating Capacity:1,134Arena Purpose:Not designated by HostArrays:Preservation (Note: other arrays present but inactive)Sect Member in Charge:Not designated by HostNeat. Benton could see how that information might be useful to develop priorities.
"System, please designate Arena Purpose as Sparring."
Selection confirmed. Arena Purpose designated as Sparring."System, please show me information about the arena."
Date Arena Established:Year 2685 Month 9 Day 15Arena Seating Capacity:1,134Arena Purpose:SparringArrays:Preservation (Note: other arrays present but inactive)Sect Member in Charge:Not designated by HostBenton chuckled. Nice.
"System, please open the Members Menu."
Welcome, Host, to the Members Submenu of the Sect Menu.
Please select one of the categories to view information:
Member List – Alphabetical
Member List – Power Rating
Member List – Length of Discipleship
Interesting. But he was just about back at the village, so he decided to wait until some other time to explore all the options. The menu wasn't likely to contain any information he didn't already know. Probably. Maybe.
Benton would figure it out later. More important at the moment was to figure out his next steps.
He decided to come up with a list:
Call a council meeting to get input on decisionsBeast Tide. Prep should impact all decisions!Call allies? Could reach out to Friend Kang and/or Fatty Ren?More martial stance for everyone or protect kids?Decide priorities of spending Shop PointsQi Condensing PillsXun WuPeng HanyingJin LiJuanDiscuss organization for Body CultivationSoul Cultivation, now or later?Logistics for wall buildingPavilions, who to assign to whatTold orphans they'd have a couple of years to decide. Break that?In general, who is in charge of what?Kids need teaching. Figure out rotation for lessons. Head of martial pavilion?Recruitment from village. What positions do we need filled?Just getting everything down in writing made him feel less overwhelmed. There was something about creating a list that made tasks seem much more manageable.
Benton was tempted to call his council meeting right away but hesitated. The feast would be starting in an hour or two, and the meeting was likely to last longer than that. He wanted everyone to have a chance to really celebrate. The founding of the sect was a big deal, and the feast was a chance to really bring that home to people.
Postponing the meeting meant keeping the council up late, however. Which they all could handle. But was it necessary?
Everything on the list was urgent, but he didn't know how urgent. From the concentration of beasts, he would bet that the tide wasn't imminent. It couldn't be. According to Su's memories, there were distinct signs that proceeded a beast tide, and the density had not reached near the breaking point yet. They should know at least a month in advance.
Cultivation was a marathon, not a sprint. Discussing actions tonight instead of in the morning wouldn't move the dial any.
Zi Delan's life had changed rapidly over the last month. Growing up in Vermillion Incomparable Rain Town, he'd seen cultivators occasionally. The Town Lord never left his palace, but the other four remaining members of the Righteous Rain Sect occasionally showed their faces around.
None of them were anything like Sect Leader Chao Su.
Zi Delan wasn't sure that anyone anywhere was like Sect Leader Chao Su.
Pulling a building out of thin air. Heaven's lighting answering his oath.
The man was not simple.
Zi Delan himself was not so simple anymore either. He was a cultivator nearing the third minor realm of Qi Gathering, the milestone at which he'd be given a real technique. And at which he and his friends would have to start earning their keep.
At first, he'd been afraid when the guards had been forced to go into the woods to hunt, only none of them had seemed forced. Concerned. A little afraid. But it didn't seem like it was against their will. And none of them got hurt. Not a scratch. They came back to the campfire at night full of stories of the mighty beasts they'd faced fearlessly.
Zi Delan and his friends were more than ready to do the same.
Weirder, though, was that he was invited to be a member of Sect Leader Chao Su's council, which was a strange concept and even stranger for including a street rat like him as someone important.
But that was the thing. Everyone treated Zi Delan like he was important. The siblings who clearly were the top dogs in the group never looked down on him in the slightest. The mercenary guard captain who would normally beat a street rat as soon as look at one was polite and cordial.
If not for those personal experiences, Zi Delan might have thought the Sect Leader's words about lifting each other up were pure hooey. With that treatment? Maybe. Zi Delan was withholding judgment.
One thing was for sure, he'd already been rewarded amply for his choice, what choice there had been, to come along to the village. Plenty of food. A decent weapon. And, oh yeah, don't forget a cultivation method that seemed as easy as breathing, literally, for all his supposed lack of talent.
And tonight? A feast. He'd never been to a feast. It sure sounded fun, though!
Peng Hanying followed his father.
"I think we made a good decision, Honored Wife," Peng Zhen said.
"I hope so. The village is underwhelming, but that ceremony was auspicious. Master seems to be one to keep his word."
Peng Hanying sure hoped so. The last month had been incredibly frustrating for him. To be told he was to become a cultivator was amazing. To be told the wait a month before he started because he had substandard talent was less so. He'd spent that time riding in a wagon watching everyone around him get stronger and stronger and return from the woods with tales of killing ferocious beasts.
And he couldn't even join in the meals. Because he was still a mortal, he had to eat what the children, and Master Xun of course, ate.
Beyond. Frustrating.
The sect had been founded, though, and they were at the village. Master had said that, once he reached the village he'd know if Peng Hanying's talent could be improved so that the sect could take advantage of his unique qi aspect.
He hoped so. He wanted to be of use. Mainly, though, he wanted to start cultivating.
Perhaps tomorrow would be his day. But, first, tonight, the feast.
Zhong Wen walked through the streets with her head held high. Her pride was a recent development. During the long, slow decline of the village, she'd fought for the orphans, those she considered her children.
That advocacy meant soliciting donations so no one went hungry, finding places for the ones aging out of her care to become apprentices. Her presence at someone's door had come to mean that she was asking for something, and in hard times, people had little to give.
All that changed when Master arrived. He'd made her into a cultivator and left her with meat. For the three months he'd been gone, she was considered one of the richest people in town.
Upon his return, she became known as someone who had his ear, which made the other villagers respect her. She basked in the newfound value they placed on her.
Nodding imperiously to a lady who used to look down on her, Zhong Wen walked into the plaza and saw the mayor talking with Master. He waved her over to them.
"I'm glad you're here, Mistress Zhong," Master said. "The Honorable Mayor needs us to arrange our seating, and I wanted your thoughts. I'm to be placed at the center, and I was thinking the twins to my right and you to my left?"
What? He wanted her to be placed in a seat of honor?
"If that is your wish, Master."
They went through the list, finding seating positions for the rest of his council at that head table with Wan Ai next to Zhong Wen.
It was gratifying to see that their time away from him hadn't seemed to lessen their importance. She had been somewhat afraid she would have been surpassed by other, more talented, sect members, a feeling that wasn't helped by her discovering that a council meeting had occurred in the village without including either of them.
Instead, Master deferred to her for almost all the decisions, saying that she knew the customs of the village far better than him. She felt like a queen, sitting in a place of such prominence and her choices, from the first dish to be served to which centerpiece went on which table, impacting everyone.
The village hadn't had a celebration in many years because food was always so scarce, and considering the short time period to prepare for the feast, Cai Peizhi had really outdone herself. There were three different types of meat—deer, boar, and unbelievably, bear. All were prepared perfectly, and best of all, there was plenty of it, along with rice, dumplings, spring rolls, and every type of vegetable grown nearby. Desserts were even provided, including almond biscuits and Zhong Wen's favorite, mooncake.
After everyone had their fill, two of the younger men broke out their instruments, a dizi and an erhu, and played while a young lady sang. The trio had obviously had much experience practicing together because they were quite good.
Finally, the Honorable Mayor made a speech welcoming the sect and praising the Sect Leader and all that he had done for the village. For his part, Master kept his remarks short, praising the mayor for entering a partnership with the sect and promising that the sect would cause the entire village's fortunes to rise.
The tones of both speeches were quite optimistic, and everyone came away feeling much better about the future than they had in a long time.
Chapter 90 - Belonging
A much smaller group gathered with Benton the next morning in front of the gate. His council, with the addition finally of Zhong Wen and Wan Ai, numbered eleven, and for so few people, it was relatively easy for him and the twins to kill the spirit beasts en route to the sect grounds while Ye Zan and Hou Yazhu kept any leakers from causing damage.
Not that Benton and the siblings let any beasts through, of course, but it was nice to have backup. He led them all into the arena and out onto the dirt, where he pulled a table and chairs from his ring.
Yang Xiu and Yang Ru looked perfectly in their element. They knew their place and clearly belonged as a part of the sect's leadership. How far they'd come in seven short months.
Wan Ai sat right next to Yang Xiu, and the smaller girl appeared to want to be anywhere but where she was. Being outside the village still terrified her even though she was surrounded by powerful cultivators and was one herself. Of everyone, she was the most unsure of her position.
In contrast, Zou Tian continued to grow in confidence. His advances, sparring with Yang Ru, and practicing his shadow technique with Yang Xiu had done the boy a world of good.
Zhong Wen seemed happy to be included. Benton had told her that she would be a valued member of his sect, but the meeting was the first time besides the feast the previous evening he'd actually followed through on that promise. Regardless, she didn't appear intimidated at all. Perhaps the mostly young ages of the cultivators surrounding her had something to do with that.
Shi Long was, perhaps, the most ambivalent. Having spent two months in transit being dragged into such meetings, he neither appeared to relish the role nor reject it.
Ye Zan, on the other hand, was really growing into his role as captain of the guard. He freely offered tactical and strategic advice. Su's experiences had been mostly as fighting one on one while sometimes and sometimes not being surrounded by sect members, so Benton looked to Ye Zan more and more when it came to managing groups in combat or patrol situations.
Like Zhong Wen, both Peng Zhen and Hou Yazhu appeared pleased to just be included, though they still seemed a mite intimidated by the people around them.
Ironically, besides the twins and Zou Tian, the only mortal at the table, Xun Wu seemed the most relaxed. Of course, he was also the oldest besides Benton's real age and, while not a cultivator yet, he had a natural confidence about him born from becoming an expert blacksmith, someone near the top of their profession.
Finally, there was Zi Delan, who seemed eager to please. Other than that, Benton didn't have a good read on the young man yet.
"Thank you, my council, for joining me here today," Benton said. "We have a lot of work to do, so let's get started. The first thing that you all need to know is that there will be a beast tide affecting the sect and the village. We have one to two months at a minimum and likely a year or two at the maximum before it occurs, but it will happen."
The was a bit of a murmur at the news, but no one looked too panicked. Benton didn't know if that lack of reaction was because they didn't understand the magnitude of such a threat or if their confidence in his ability to handle the situation was that supreme.
Honestly, he didn't know how to feel about their detached response. If they had experienced what Su had, most of them would have run for the hills. It was good they weren't so scared they couldn't function, but they also needed to take the beast tide seriously.
Very seriously.
"The first takeaway from that news," Benton said, "should be that every decision we make for the immediate future should be focused on how it prepares us for the beast tide. Understood?"
Everyone nodded.
"First question, should we contact allies for help? Kang Ya-Ting and Fatty Ren might be willing to send help."
Zou Tian frowned. "I don't like the idea of asking for help from another sect, Master. Even if they are friendly, it's a loss of face for us. My advice would be to let the Poison Claw Sect know about it in a very matter of fact way but not to make any requests. If they're able and willing, they'll send someone."
"I agree with Zou Tian, Master," Ye Zan said, "especially since any help they'd send would be complicated by not having a clear timeline. Also, the Vermillion Incomparable Rain Town Lord might not be in a position to help as the tide may reach his walls as well. In fact, I'd couch your message to the Poison Claw Sect as a request for help on Fatty Ren's behalf since the situation there is so poor."
"Those are both great ideas!" Benton said. "Further thoughts or disagreements anyone?"
There were none.
"The next concern," Benton said, "is that this event might be an all hands on deck type situation. If we fall, all our sect members fall, and the entire village will fall. I had intended to have the kids do basic training with weapons but with no real plan to put them in harm's way. Should we change that plan and increase their martial training? I had also planned on teaching them spears first, but if they're really going to contribute, archers on the wall might be a better place for them."
"They are part of the sect and old enough to contribute, Master," Zhong Wen said. "I can't speak to whether they should learn spears or bows, but that's my judgment on if they should fight."
Benton saw all the orphans as little grandkids but knew the culture of his new planet viewed them nearly as adults. It was nice to have Mistress Zhong to offer her much more unbiased judgment.
"Well, you are my designated outer sect elder," Benton said, "so honestly, it's your call to make."
"I've never seen a beast tide, Master," Ye Zan said, "but I've read about them and talked to men who have seen them. No matter how tall the walls are, beasts will get to the top. We'll need spears as well as bows both for defense and for sorties. Maybe shade to the latter a bit for the young ones, though."
Benton nodded. He'd been leaning to having them all learn bows, but he'd yield to Ye Zan's wisdom.
"Good," Benton said, "now on to a lighter topic. Org chart. Right now, my vision is to split the sect into five pavilions—Martial, Alchemy, Forges, Formations, and because of our proximity to the Orange Vigor Spirit Wood, Woodworking.
"With the exception of Zhong Wen and her subordinates who will run the outer sect and Peng Zhen and his wife, who will run the contribution store, I'd like for each of our members to be put into one of the pavilions. Obviously, everyone will learn at least a little combat and people can study multiple crafts, but each should have a designated primary pavilion.
"We need to figure out who is running them and who is a member.
"One issue, however, is that I told the orphans from town they'd have a while to figure out their passion. I don't want to go back on my word."
Given that his oath had been recognized by the heavens in such a visible manner, he really didn't want to go back on his word. Ever. Who knew if he'd get struck by lightning or something if he did. That was truly a possibility.
"Does an initial placement have to be permanent, Master?" Yang Xiu said.
"Good point. I suppose not."
"I will assist you in placing each of the children in the pavilion I believe most suits their talents, Master," Zhong Wen said. "I don't think your word is broken as long as they have an opportunity to switch later if they don't fit in."
"Works," Benton said. "Wan Ai, you're head of the Alchemy Pavilion. I know that isn't something you aspired to, but it is what it is. We'll do our best to get you help with the administrative stuff so you can concentrate on other things. But you are the lead."
"Yes, Master."
"Shi Long, unless you strenuously object, I'd like to have Xun Wu as the head of the Blacksmith pavilion."
"That is absolutely fine by me, Master. I don't know a thousandth what he does."
Benton eyed Xun Wu, who nodded his assent.
"Yang Xiu and Yang Ru, I'd like you to be co-leads of the Martial Pavilion, but I expect both of you to listen to the counsel of both Zou Tian and Ye Zan."
"Yes, Master," they said in unison.
"Zi Delan and Hou Yazhu, you'll both obviously be part of the Martial Pavilion as well."
"Yes, Master."
"Alright, that still leaves Woodworking and Formations unmanned, but it's a start," Benton said. "Everyone here has a defined role, correct? Anyone doesn't like where they've been assigned?"
No one spoke up, and Benton thought the silence was most likely because none of them truly objected to where he assigned them. Part of that was cultural. People of his new world, especially those who'd been peasants, were much more accepting of being told what to do than people back on Earth. He also felt that, besides Wan Ai, no one truly had a problem with their designated role.
"Next, initial tasks for each pavilion," Benton said. "Wan Ai, Body Cultivation is going to play a big role in our defense. I have enough herbs for eight hundred baths. We'll have some other logistics for others to handle later, but your mission is to get all those herbs prepared. Again, we're going to try to get you help, but you'll have your work cut out for you."
"Yes, Master."
"There's a lot for our Formations lead to do once we get one on board. All the sect buildings have arrays that need to be figured out, especially the cultivation rooms, and we need an array to help grow more herbs.
"Woodworking for now will be, I think, focused on wood harvesting and fletching. I only bought a thousand arrows. We'll need more than that. A lot more than that.
"Xun Wu, the same goes for you. Our most important need is going to be arrowheads for the immediate future."
"Yes Master."
"Any thoughts on priorities for our crafters?" Benton said.
"More bows, Master?" Ye Zan said. "We have plenty of spears, but if we're assigning everyone to the wall, everyone is going to need one."
"Good point. We'll have to see if the village has a bowyer as well as a fletcher."
Benton paused for a moment to see if anyone else had a suggestion before continuing. "Next, the martial pavilion. Lots to do there. First of all, Yang Xiu, Yang Ru, everyone who hasn't reached at least Large Success with a weapon needs lessons, so you need to organize those. Try to figure out the most efficient way to get everyone to Large Success with their primary and to Small Success with their secondary."
"Yes, Master," they said in unison.
"Ye Zan, Hou Yazhu, seventeen in one group doesn't work. I need two groups. Split it up how you think best. The groups have to be able to work independently, but ideally, could also come together. We have several tasks that you'll need to be able to accomplish. The wood harvesters will need guards, as will the people assembling the walls here at the sect and possibly people working here prior to the walls being complete. Additionally, caravan duty if we arrange for more shipments."
"Yes, Master," Ye Zan said.
"Zi Delan, your first task is to get to minor realm three and then four. Learn your weapon techniques primary and secondary like the others. After that, work with Ye Zan on squad tactics, but you'll be focused on extending force rather than guarding."
"Yes, Master."
"Everyone understand their position and tasks?" Benton said.
"Yes, Master."
"That's good, because we still have a lot to cover."
Chapter 91 – Body and Soul
Benton looked at his eleven council members. Though they'd been talking for a while, none appeared fatigued by the marathon session. In fact, they were all engaged as far as he could tell. That, he supposed, was an advantage to founding a sect in a society in which it wasn't a common experience to conduct a meeting to schedule a meeting to set an agenda for a meeting.
"The next topic on the agenda," Benton said, "is Body Cultivation. By taking three baths over the course of six days, one every other day, a cultivator can advance from one minor realm to the next or from no cultivation to the first. Advancing will make the cultivator stronger and faster and toughen the cultivator's skin, muscles, and organs.
"You're probably thinking, 'Doesn't Spiritual Cultivation do the same thing?' Yes, it does, but to a much lesser degree. In a contest between a Bronze level body cultivator and an equivalent Qi Gathering realm spiritual cultivator, the Bronze will win nine times out of ten based on sheer physical might alone.
"Obviously, advancing everyone to the peak of Bronze before the beast tide would be a tremendous advantage. Claws and jaws will have a harder time penetrating. Our forces won't get tired as easily and can defeat beasts on pure strength, not dissipating any of the limited amounts of available qi into the body.
"Sounds great, huh?"
Most of the disciples nodded, Yang Xiu vigorously. Only Zou Tian, Ye Zan, and Wan Ai knew there had to be a catch. The latter had to at least suspect exactly what that catch was.
"We have five tubs, and it takes about an hour to soak up all the energy in a bath. There is necessary prep that has to be done between baths, though. The water cannot be reused, and the tub must be thoroughly cleaned. Assume an hour for a mortal servant hired from the village to perform that task.
"Then, an alchemist must prepare the new water, herb, and spirit beast core mixture to get the tub ready for the next cultivator. That's another hour minimum.
"Still, that's not bad. Five tubs, one hour per bath, and two hours of prep time means we can get forty sect members per day into tubs, and since cultivators have to rest a day in between, we can do a total of eighty sect members every cycle. The Rising Tide Sect only has fifty-five members currently. So, no problem right?"
Wan Ai tentatively raised her hand. "This lowly one doesn't know yet what all is required to prepare for a bath, but up to forty a day everyday sounds like … a lot."
"Exactly, Wan Ai. No one, least of all me, expects you to be able to accomplish such a feat. You'll get more efficient as you gain experience and we get you helpers, but at first, I'll be surprised if you can prepare two baths a day."
She cupped her hands. "Gratitude, Master."
Benton really wanted to set the alchemy building up immediately and have her work there. Considering how terrified she was of being outside the village, though, that option wasn't really viable. She was also going to need some help.
Hmm. Who to pick…
"Zou Tian, you are assigned the task of finding a vacant house in the village for Wan Ai's use. Make sure it has enough rooms for her to have a workspace and to set up one private area for men to bathe and another for women. You'll probably need to coordinate with the mayor."
"Yes, Master."
The boy was resourceful enough to get the job done, probably, and Benton didn't have anything else for him to do.
"Wan Ai," Benton said, "your goal for the day is to figure out how to prepare a bath. I'll be giving you a jade slip in a moment. Study it. Practice whatever you need. Tomorrow morning, I just need you to tell me how many baths a day you think you can handle immediately. If you can't, yet, that's fine. Tell me when you might be able to."
"Yes, Master."
Speaking internally, Benton pulled up the appropriate System menu.
Please select a Body Cultivation Realm
Bronze
Silver
Gold
Platinum
Irridium
He obviously chose Bronze.
After confirming his choice, he selected Any Qi Aspect on the next menu. He would produce methods for his most talented disciples later. For now, he needed Wan Ai to focus on preparing herbs for the one that most of the sect would be using.
The subsequent menu was where things got interesting.
Please allocate 100 Body Cultivation Method Creation Points in the following categories:
Ingredient Flexibility
Physical Attribute Enhancement
Agility
Strength
Toughness
Vitality
With an inexpert alchemist, helpers who might never have held a knife before, and dried herbs of questionable quality, Ingredient Flexibility was, by far, his greatest concern. Otherwise, there was a good chance that the baths would do literally nothing, wasting time and materials. Having to run back to the city just to pick up more herbs would be ruinous.
He devoted eighty of the one hundred points to that category. Once Wan Ai became better at her craft, he might create one more slanted toward enhancing other categories to replace it. He'd have to see the results first.
Any Body Cultivation method would increase each of the physical attributes. His menu just allowed him to pick a focus for extra enhancement.
Out of agility, strength, toughness, and vitality, he was seriously tempted to select a balanced blend of all of them. Each was important. Each was potentially lifesaving. Agility would help his disciples dodge attacks. Strength would improve their chances to one shot beasts. Toughness would prevent injuries. Vitality would reduce the chance of death and make them heal faster.
Would an even spread be better or a specific focus? If a specific focus, offense or defense?
He had a hard time deciding and eventually put ten into Strength and ten into Toughness.
Good enough, he hoped.
The final menu was his least favorite—choosing a name. Suppressing as grimace, he submitted one.
Name accepted.
Congratulations, Host, on the creation of the Ascending Torrent Body Cultivation Method.
Confirm creation of this cultivation method for 25 Sect Points?
As much as he'd wanted to, he couldn't directly name it the Rising Tide method, so he chose synonyms. No one would notice. Probably.
Anyway, the name made him chuckle.
He confirmed his choice.
Body Cultivation Method created.
Host has 78 Sect Points remaining.
Benton produced the jade slip from his ring and handed it to Wan Ai. "There you go. Let me know if you have any questions." He thought for a second about how timid the girl was. "I'm serious. Getting you up to speed on how to prepare for our more martially inclined sect members to use that cultivation method is one of my most important priorities. If your comprehension can be sped by asking me or anyone else a question, we are all at your disposal."
"This lowly one understands, Master."
Benton gave her his best grandfatherly smile before moving on. "Ye Zan, after giving it much thought, I think your guards should be the first to go through the baths. Yang Xiu and Yang Ru are so far along in their techniques and cultivation that the added power from the process won't be a huge benefit. I mean, it will be a benefit but just not as large comparatively. Understand?"
"We understand, Master," Yang Xiu said. "The decision is a wise choice."
What Benton said had been the absolute truth, but he left out the part where he wanted to avoid creating the twins' methods for as long as possible. The better Wan Ai became at preparing the baths, the lower he could set Ingredient Flexibility in order to make his heavy hitters even more powerful.
"By the same token, Zi Delan," Benton said, "your group has too little experience. You need to be cultivating and learning weapons techniques. Body Cultivation would be a distraction, especially as you'll need to adjust to your new speed and power with each new realm."
"This one understands, Master."
"So, Ye Zan, I'm going to leave it to you to figure out a schedule for getting all your people through the baths while keeping up with your other duties," Benton said. "If you need help covering the positions that need guarding, you can draw some of Zi Delan's crew, just make sure not to cut into their learning and cultivating time too much. You also have me, Yang Xiu, Yang Ru, and Zou Tian as support. Speak up if you need us."
"Yes, Master. Of course."
"We do have one bottleneck on Body Cultivation besides bath preparation," Benton said. "Bronze minor realms one through three require one rank one spirit beast core per bath. We have close to three hundred of those. Bronze minor realms four through six require one rank two spirit beast core per bath, we have over four hundred of those. Bronze minor realms seven through nine require one rank three spirit beast core per bath. We have eleven of those."
"Yang Ru and I will take the task of hunting for more, Master," Yang Xiu said.
"That would be a help. Don't spend all your time on that, though. And be careful!"
She smiled. "Of course, Master."
That little scamp. He couldn't help but grin.
"Next agenda item. My research leads me to believe that the Righteous Rain Sect was destroyed by demonic cultivators. That attack happened over twenty years ago. Less than one year ago, I know of another sect that was wiped out, and that one definitely was attacked by demonic cultivators."
"But Master said that demonic cultivators didn't band together," Zou Tian said.
"Actually, I said it was difficult for such a thing to come about and that it's the one thing that I fear more than just about anything else."
"Yes, Master. Sorry, Master."
"Right now, I'd put the sect's three biggest risks to be, in some order, the beast tide, an organized attack by one of the big three sects, and those demonic cultivators. We're working on our plan for the beast tide. I hope that our friendship with the Poison Claw Sect somewhat mitigates an attack by another of the righteous sects, but in any case, the best measures we can take are the same we're taking against the beast tide. For the demonic cultivators, though, there is another method we can use to protect ourselves—Soul Cultivation."
The entire council looked confused.
"I know," Benton said. "It's not something I've discussed before and not something many have even heard of. To the best of my knowledge, it's not widely practiced. However, it just so happens that cultivating one's soul in a similar manner to cultivating one's spirit is a critical way to defend oneself from demonic draining attacks."
"Do you have access to Soul Cultivation methods, Master?" Ye Zan said.
"Of course." Benton said it like the question was a stupid one, like why wouldn't he have top heaven grade scriptures for a type of cultivation no one had even heard of.
He almost laughed at the fact that not a single one of his disciples appeared to think it was weird that he did, in fact, have such a thing handy.
"We need to decide how much of a priority to give Soul Cultivation," Benton said. "Any time spent on that type of cultivation is time not spent on other necessary tasks. The demonic cultivators might attack in a decade or never or tomorrow. I just don't know."
"Excuse me, Master?" Shi Long said.
It was nice to see him actively participating.
"Yes? Go ahead."
"Does getting to the first minor realm of Soul Cultivation take about the same amount of effort as getting to the first minor realm of regular cultivation, Master?"
"The two are similar," Benton said.
"Can Master give us a technique that will protect us even if we're just at the first minor realm?"
"Yes. I see what you're getting at. For just a tiny bit of effort comparatively, we can all have some level of protection." Benton thought about it for a second. "Okay, here's what I'm going to do. I'll give jades slips for both the method and the technique to Peng Zhen. Charge twenty-five Contribution Points for each of them."
The Soul Cultivation menu was brand new to Benton, and he didn't know how much time it would take him to sort through his options. "Peng Zhen, I need to determine which Soul Cultivation method and technique will be best for everyone to use. I'll find you either later today or tomorrow to get that to you."
That way, everyone would have access to the protection if they wanted it.
There was a minor problem, though. All the guards had gained points from selling cores and spirit beast parts they'd hunted, but a lot of the other disciples hadn't gained any yet.
"Everyone is going to be earning points with tasks for the pavilions soon, which is something that each pavilion head needs to track and get to Peng Zhen. In the meantime, let's allow sect members to go negative solely for the purpose of purchasing that method and that technique."
Peng Zhen cupped his head and nodded. "Yes, Master."
Just as Benton was about to move onto the next topic, his spiritual sense spotted a fast-moving blip heading toward the village from the direction of the Vermillion Incomparable Rain Town. A cultivator.
What trouble was about to find them now?
Chapter 92 – A Lovely Girl
Benton's face must have showed his concern at sensing a cultivator heading their way because Yang Xiu said, "Is something wrong, Master?"
From the cultivator's movement speed, they weren't using a flying sword. In fact, they weren't moving fast at all. Unless he missed his guess, it was someone in the Qi Gathering realm. Either that or someone hiding their cultivation.
"Give me a minute," Benton said.
The cultivator stayed on the path to the village until reaching fairly near where Benton judged the gate to be. At that point, the person changed heading toward the arena.
Well, the good thing was that Benton would know soon who was coming for a visit. The cultivator had obviously sensed two sets of cultivators, one in the village and one out in the middle of nowhere, and had chosen the middle of nowhere group as the more interesting one.
"Everyone stand up."
The entire council complied quickly and quietly.
"What I believe is most likely a Foundation Establishment Cultivator is heading right for us from the direction of Vermillion Incomparable Rain Town."
The person's speed was in the range of what he would expect from a Qi Gathering cultivator, but they had obviously used spiritual sense to detect the presence of his group, which was why he had made that conclusion.
"They'll be here in a few minutes." Benton stowed the table and chairs in his ring. "Ye Zan, Hou Yazhu, you two stay on the arena floor. Start sparring. Everyone else, to the stands."
Benton didn't want to hide the arena, and assuming the cultivator was from one of the big three sects, he needed a way to explain its existence. What better way for that subterfuge than to use it for its intended purpose?
"Why, yes, big three sect cultivator, we did just happen to build an arena in the middle of nowhere. We obviously needed somewhere to spar, right? Why do you ask?"
He chuckled at the imagined conversation, hoping it would go along well with the reputation he was building for being unfathomable.
Qi Gathering cultivators were slow in comparison to Foundation Establishment cultivators, but next to mortals, they were still quite fast. The one approaching the arena was moving with quite the bit of velocity indeed.
Soon, the person stopped outside the entrance to the arena. Ye Zan and Hou Yazhu had barely had a chance to exchange more than a few strikes.
The cultivator waiting outside was a really good sign. Busting in would have signaled aggression. Waiting to be admitted started things off in a cordial manner.
Now, who present could Benton use to escort the cultivator inside that would send the right message? He definitely didn't want to use anyone too aggressive or martially inclined like either of the twins. Benton wanted to be more welcoming than that. Timid and harmless Wan Ai would be a good choice, but there was no way the girl was up for being the first contact with an unknown cultivator.
No. There was only one person who might appear harmless but who could defend himself and who Benton trusted to represent the sect.
"Zou Tian, please escort in our visitor."
"Yes, Master."
When the boy returned, Benton was shocked by the person who accompanied him.
"Kang Lin!" Benton exclaimed. "Welcome. It's so good to see you again. Did you come to teach Yang Ru further lessons with the spear?"
The girl was obviously surprised at the extremely warm welcome, but she recovered quickly. "If the Esteemed Master Cultivator requests and this one's duties allow her time, of course."
Benton grinned even as the disciple in question frowned.
Hmm. Thinking long term, relationships between his sect and the big three would only be improved by personal relationships, and it occurred to him that the girl might just be a good match for Yang Ru.
They had the spear in common, and her more outgoing nature would help draw out the taciturn boy,
Of course, such decisions weren't Benton's to make, or at least they hadn't been back on Earth. Here…
One weird thing about her presence was that she was definitely still at the peak of the Qi Gathering realm.
"May I ask how you detected us?" Benton said.
"This lowly one is in possession of a detection treasure, Esteemed Master Cultivator."
Nice. That made sense. He smiled at her.
"Everyone, this is Kang Lin, a distinguished cultivator from the Poison Claw Sect and granddaughter of Friend Kang Ya-Ting." He continued, introducing each of the eight remaining disciples that the girl hadn't met back in the city.
After greetings and introductions were complete, Benton said, "You said that a duty brought you here?"
"Yes, Esteemed Master Cultivator. This one's grandfather has a message." She produced a scroll from inside her robe and presented it to Benton.
He quickly unrolled it and started reading.
Friend Chao,
Your letter did find me well and was surprising. I couldn't help but wonder at the meaning of the strange symbol—:)?
I was saddened to learn that a member of the Jade Chameleon Sect caused you trouble and threatened one of your disciples. Fear not that the event caused me any trouble, and I thank you for your thoughtfulness upon apprising me of the whereabouts of the body. The Jade Chameleon Sect extends their thanks as well and wished for you to know that they consider the matter a disagreement between equals.
The man who threatened your disciple was named Teng Chun. Much as you surmised, no one in his sect will miss him besides his father, Teng Jian.
Teng Jian is unfortunately in seclusion attempting a breakthrough from the sixth minor realm of Golden Core to the seventh minor realm. He has been secluded these past few months and might remain so for as long or more, even up to a year.
It is thought by those close to him that Teng Jian will not react well to the death of his son. You may find him visiting you soon after he emerges from his seclusion.
I am sure that you will have no issues dealing with a single Golden Core cultivator, but I didn't want you to be surprised.
I do have some curiosity about the actual fight. One of our spiritual residue readers was able to pick up impressions from the area, clear enough that she could identify each of the people at the site when it happened. One person was absent, however.
You are, apparently, completely invisible to her skills, which became apparent when Teng Chun was instantly killed by a single strike despite being cloaked in illusion.
Friend Chao is quite formidable.
It is quite curious that you do not show up to her skill, though. Such ability to hide from it is unprecedented.
Another curiosity is that this one's sect members found robes that were soiled from a breakthrough buried in the woods. These clothes resembled ones that Friend Chao had been seen wearing in the city.
I am quite perplexed by the meaning of these two oddities.
Until next time.
- Friend KangBenton laughed. He did so enjoy the back and forth between him and Kang Ya-Ting. On the other hand, he felt like an idiot for not thinking about the fact that someone could find his soiled clothes.
Oh well, what was done couldn't be changed. Hopefully, it would be just one more anecdote to add to his unfathomability. At least, he'd killed the guy cloaked in illusion with a single strike. That should lend even more credence to Benton's supposed cultivation level.
The worst he could expect as a result of the event from the Poison Claw Sect were tests and probes. A far greater threat was an upper realm Golden Core cultivator gunning for him.
If he had only a few more months, that could present a big problem. A year? Not so much if he gained Sect Points as quickly as he was anticipating.
"Kang Lin," Benton said. "I would like to pen a reply to your grandfather. Do you have time to wait?"
"Of course, Esteemed Master Cultivator."
"Gratitude. Can I offer you any refreshments or anything?"
She politely refused, and he got to writing the letter.
Friend Kang,
Your granddaughter is a delight. She is welcome to visit us at any time. Tell me, is she interested in anyone? I would love to know what she thinks of Yang Ru.
Anyway, I was very happy to hear from you. The fact that my actions did not cause you undue work gladdens me.
Look at the symbol sideways. The two dots are eyes and the curved line a mouth. It's a smiley face :)!
Much gratitude for the heads up about Teng Jian. I'm guessing that he'll be out for revenge, and there is likely no way for me to talk him out of pursuing a grudge against me?
Pity. There are so few people with the ability to reach Nascent Soul, and him breaking through to the seventh minor realm of Golden Core would make him one of them. I hate to think that I'll be forced to remove him from this world.
Maybe he'll do better in his next life.
Anyway, as long as he confines any ill intent towards me, I will hold no ill will against his sect. If you could gently pass along that, if any of my disciples or the village come to harm, I will be greatly displeased. Greatly. It has been quite some time since I truly unleashed the reins of my anger, but I fear it still resides in me.
As for the oddities, I know better than most that living a long time can get boring. If the mysteries presented by this humble one brings you joy as you puzzle their meaning, I am truly pleased.
Come out for a visit sometime and be sure to bring your granddaughter with you!
- Friend Su
P.S. We're expecting a beast tide. Best guess is between two months and a year or so. Not exactly sure of the timing, obviously, but it's definitely going to happen. I'm worried about Friend Fatty Ren up in Rain Town. The civilians are vulnerable if the tide extends that far, and he doesn't have the resources to protect them. Maybe see about getting him some help if you can?
P.P.S. Oops. I also forgot one other thing. Not knowing about the tide until I got back to the village, I woefully underbought bows and especially arrows. If you could mention that to a merchant, I'll be back in Rain Town in six weeks or so. Would love to trade beast skins, claws, etc. for them but could work with cash.
TTYL
Benton signed the reply scroll, rolled it up, and sealed it with wax. "Do you want to stay the night, Kang Lin? You are welcome to visit. Plenty of spirit beasts around if you want to collect some meat or cores."
"Gratitude for the generous offer, Esteemed Master Cultivator, but this one's duty is to return with any reply as quickly as possible to Honored Grandfather."
Benton sighed. "I understand. Thanks for visiting and both bringing me his message and waiting while I composed mine. I hope you can come again sometime and stay longer."
"Of course, Esteemed Master Cultivator. Until next time?"
"Until next time, Kang Lin. Best of luck to you."
Benton almost offered to have the twins or, if she preferred, just Yang Ru to escort her past the worst of the spirit beasts, but the girl was a peak Qi Gathering cultivator from a prestigious sect. She'd probably take the suggestion as an insult.
With the dismissal, she turned and ran from the arena.
"What a lovely girl," Benton said. "It's so nice to have visitors."
Chapter 93 – For the Good of the Sect
With Kang Lin having departed, it was time for Benton and his council to get back to work.
"Alright, everyone," Benton said. "Let's move back to the arena floor. There are a few more important issues to discuss."
No one groaned as he led them back onto the sand and set up the tables and chairs again. He wouldn't have blamed them if they would have. The meeting was becoming a marathon.
"After Body Cultivation, the next most important step is preparing for the defense of the sect grounds by building a wall around about five acres or so of the fields around us. Until we get this crucial structure constructed, we can't move to our cool new digs. I have dozens of buildings from houses to specialty pavilions to dining facilities in my ring just waiting to be set up, and it's killing me that I can't move all of us out here, yet."
Benton had expected them to be just as blasé about the announcement about the buildings as they had for most of the other things he told them. He was wrong.
"Dozens, Master?" Yang Xiu said.
"Well, I didn't really count them, but I'd say around sixty to seventy?"
Most of them seemed shocked. He didn't get what the big deal was. They'd seen how big his ring was, but apparently, fitting enough actual buildings inside to flesh out an entire sect grounds was a bit much even for them.
"If it helps, some of them are small?" Benton decided to move past the issue. "Regardless, the point of the whole thing about the buildings was the importance of building a wall, which is a multistep process. First, the twins and I will do purges every morning of the area around where the Orange Vigor Spirit Wood grows."
"Yes, Master," they chorused.
"Ye Zan, you'll be in charge of providing guards for the harvesters while they work. Yang Xiu, Yang Ru, help out on the first day to make sure nothing goes wrong, and the three of you can decide from there if your further assistance is required."
"Yes, Master."
"Going forward, the wood will be a big source of revenue and resources for the sect, one we're going to share with the village. Zhong Wen, try to find me one or two recruits who might enjoy being lumberjacks. Relying solely on villagers is a bad idea, so I'd prefer that we have at least someone from the sect who knows how to do the job."
"Yes, Master."
"The wood will need to be transported back to the village daily. I'll handle that part.
"Peng Zhen, you're going to be under-utilized for a while. Would you mind coordinating with the mayor and birddogging the process of converting the wood into planks and then having large sections of the wall constructed in town?"
Benton envisioned something like how tilt-up concrete panels were used. Big trucks transported entire prebuilt walls to a building site where cranes lifted them into place. His storage ring would play the part of the eighteen-wheeler, and cultivator muscles would fill in for the crane.
"This one can fill that function, Master."
"Gratitude," Benton said. "There will certainly be issues that arise for all the projects we're working on. Never be afraid to reach out for help if you need it. It's far better to ask than to struggle and create inefficiencies."
From Su's memories, a focus on saving face sometimes led to people failing at a job because they feared looking bad by admitting they didn't know something. Benton figured he'd have to deal with that some because deeply ingrained cultural instincts didn't disappear overnight. He could only hope that everyone would learn over time and that the mistakes wouldn't be too costly.
"Remember, the watchwords of the day are safety and speed. If you can't do the task without someone getting hurt, figure out another way to do it or draw in more resources. The second biggest consideration is speed. We're on an unknown timetable but make no mistake about it. The clock is ticking. Push everyone to work safe but also hard and fast. Those two directives go for literally everything we're doing at the moment."
The faces of his council looked both determined and excited.
"The next topic is somewhat happier," Benton said. "I told some of you that I might be able to access high quality alchemical pills when I reached the village, and I'm pleased to announce that I do, in fact, have that access."
A few of the council grinned, notably Ye Zan, Xun Wu, and Peng Zhen.
"Buying the pills requires me to use a special currency. For a single unit of that currency, I can buy three Qi Condensing Pills of perfect purity that are strong enough to advance disciples from the beginning of one minor realm to the beginning of the next minor realm."
There were even more smiles at that announcement.
"Each disciple can use two pills with no significant impact to their progress beyond a massive boost in speed. Ideally, I'd dispense one pill at the beginning of minor realm three and another at the beginning of minor realm eight. For anyone who missed that first one, I'll determine when to give it to them on an individual basis. Each disciple will receive two pills regardless."
Benton didn't necessarily like spending Shop Points, a limited resource, in such a manner, but Qi Gathering sect members were a lot less valuable than ones who had reached Foundation Establishment. For the time being, he judged that the acceleration in cultivating time, more than five months total, was worth the cost. The sooner he got that Alchemy Pavilion producing the pills, the better, though.
Everyone was nodding along, clearly enjoying the great news.
"There are two logistical elements involved. First, I need to determine when each disciple gets it based on where they are in their cultivation. That's purely my ball in court. And second, the process of advancing using such a pill will leave the disciple basically helpless for several hours. Each will have to be in a safe place and guarded while they assimilate the pills.
"Ye Zan, I hate to put even more on your plate, but that second burden is on you."
"Understood, Master."
"On that same happy note," Benton said, "Xun Wu, I have your Spiritual Root Refinement Pill, so figure on dedicating time later today to get that done. Talk to one of the twins about what to expect and, of course, Ye Zan about the when and where."
"Yes, Master," the blacksmith said, smiling.
"The next case requires a decision." Benton met Peng Zhen's eyes. "One of our fellow sect members, Peng Hanying, possesses a unique qi aspect that has the promise of being extremely powerful, but his talent is so poor that he is extremely unlikely to ever realize that potential. Xun Wu's pill cost me one unit, the same as three Qi Condensing Pills, and thus, purchasing it is a no brainer considering the benefits. In contrast, Peng Hanying's will cost ten units, ten times more, the equivalent of thirty pills. Should we do it?"
"Yes, Master. Absolutely," Yang Xiu said.
Zou Tian frowned. "How powerful would he be versus fifteen other sect members whose cultivation will be sped up or versus other pills that could perform equally miraculous feats, Master?"
"Well, at Golden Core, he'll be able to speed up and slow down time itself," Benton said. "Imagine trying to punch him, and relative to him, your fist moves as if in molasses. He'd have minutes to react to your punch instead of just an instant. His power would literally only be bound by his imagination. And if he reached Nascent Soul, he would literally be able to stop time, allowing himself to move when the rest of the universe is still. He'd be a nightmare to fight, a force which anyone moving against our sect would have to take into account. A major deterrent."
No one spoke for a moment, probably imagining how to counter such an opponent.
"Of course," Benton said, "there's many a slip twixt the cup and the lip. We'd be putting in a moderate amount of resources up front in the hopes of a return on investment later."
"It seems to me," Peng Zhen said, "that it all depends on how hard this special currency is to obtain. If it's extremely difficult, then the magnitude of the proposed spend is amplified. If not, then maybe this is a trivial expenditure? Of course, it's difficult for me to be completely objective, Master, considering that we're talking about my son."
"That a good point, and your voice is valid whether you're objective or not," Benton said. "I'd say the currency is somewhat difficult to attain. It doesn't grow on trees, so to speak, but neither is it so scarce that I'm watching my spend of every bit of it closely."
"It sounds like the gamble is worth the risk, Master," Ye Zan said.
"Anyone disagree?"
No one said anything, and Zou Tian just shrugged.
"That was my thinking as well," Benton said. "We'll proceed with giving the pill to Peng Hanying. Note that this is likely to be very painful. All things involving pills and cultivation tend to be so."
"This one understands, Master," Peng Zhen said, beaming.
"Okay, there's one more resource decision to be made." Benton explained Jin LiJuan's situation. "I can heal her enough that she can cultivate, but she'll never be anything more than the least talented person in the sect. The cost will be fifteen units, which we could use instead to buy forty-five pills."
"I'm sorry, Master, but that just doesn't seem worth the expense," Zou Tian said.
Benton looked to Yang Xiu.
"I feel for the girl, Master. I really do, but I have to agree with Zou Tian."
He met Zhong Wen's eyes. She shook her head.
"Okay. Decision reached. Jin LiJuan will always have a home in our sect, and she can fill any role she wants. But becoming a cultivator just isn't a possibility for her any longer."
Benton hated that decision, but it was the right one for the sect.
"On to less depressing topics." He explained the deal between him and the village. "Basically, the mayor is going to help us fill twenty-five needed positions in the sect. We need to figure out our priorities."
Benton paused to let them assimilate that information before continuing. "To get us started, I've come up with some needs. First, food prep. We're all going to be busy with a lot of tasks, too busy to worry about cooking for ourselves. I want dedicated people making our meals. I'm not sure how many, though. There will be multiple shifts, and it's not something I want a lot of our other members dedicated to unless it's something they're really interested in. My thought was five villagers and fill in servers from sect members needing an easy way to earn contribution points? We can also straight up hire some villagers to fill some of the needed roles."
No one had any problems with his suggestion.
"One big need not being served is formations. All our buildings have arrays that need to be figured out, and if we're going to need to grow more herbs for body cultivation, we'll probably need to design for that purpose, too. I'm thinking of asking the mayor for the three villagers who are best at math. Same thing from you, Mistress Zhong. We'll need two of more of the children who excelled at that part of their education."
None of them even questioned how skill at math translated into learning formations.
"Speaking of growing herbs, I figure we'll need farmers for that. Maybe two plus two of the children?"
Since the ones from the village were all nature aspected, the fit with growing things should be a good one.
Mistress Zhong nodded.
"Obviously, prep for Body Cultivation is going to be a major lift. If we can find four villagers and a couple of kids who have experience cutting and using herbs or simply have an interest, that would help."
The alchemy pavilion was starting out much more heavily stocked than any other than the martial pavilion. That might be a problem long term, but it was necessary now.
"The other big need," Benton said, "is fletchers and bowyers. Three of the first and two of the latter would fill out our Woodworking pavilion nicely. I'm not sure if we want any of the kids on these specific tasks, but if they have any interest in working with wood, they can get some experience with these jobs and move on to other tasks later on."
"Yes, Master." Mistress Zhong said.
"That leaves us with six positions to fill. Thoughts?"
"The Blacksmith Pavilion only has the one expert and one apprentice at the moment, Master," Xun Wu said. "I know it's not a priority, but…"
"No, you're correct. The goal is a minimum of five people assigned to each pavilion, and I'd missed yours. Say one blacksmith and one journeyman from the village and supplement with at least one new apprentice from the kids."
The big man smiled. "Gratitude, Master."
"Master," Yang Xiu said, "we're going to be killing a lot of spirit beasts that will need processing…"
The girl had not enjoyed learning that particular task. She hadn't complained, of course, but he could tell that it wasn't exactly her favorite activity.
"I'm not opposed to that idea. Actually, I'd like a Beast Pavilion at some point, but for now, organizing two of them under, maybe, the Contribution Point Store might make sense? Peng Zhen, what do you think?"
"That would be acceptable, Master."
"Great, for now use them however you need when they're not busy processing beasts."
The merchant nodded his head.
"That leaves us with two villagers to allocate," Benton said. "Any ideas?"
A few got tossed around, mainly martial oriented, but Benton didn't want to add any more fighters from the village yet. He was looking to fill support roles.
One thought did occur to him. He'd never been important enough to have an admin assistant, but all the big bosses had them. And he was a big boss now.
"The sect will require a lot of paperwork and administrative tasks," Benton said. "I'll take the last two spots for people to work on those."
With their agenda complete, Benton let everyone break to discuss their tasks going forward. His next mission was to go talk to mayor about getting villagers inducted into the sect, but he had a little bit more immediate business to conduct first.
"System," he said internally, "I'd like to purchase both the Spiritual Root Enhancement Pill and whatever is required for the cheapest method you mentioned to increase one's spiritual roots by up to three major ranks."
Host has purchased one Spiritual Root Enhancement Pill and one Heavenly Root Refinement Protocol for 11 Shop Points.
Host has 48 Shop Points remaining.
"Xun Wu, Peng Zhen, I have something for the two of you…"