To my disappointment, one of the manuals Lin Chu gave me had the Ice Cutter technique. I still read it, but learned almost nothing new.
The rest of the techniques were:
Dragon Fist—a Fire technique that made fire explode from the user's fist after a punch.
Stone Body—an Earth defensive technique that made a person's body as hard as stone. Or, at least, hard enough that a blade in the hands of a mortal could only scratch you.
Bamboo Growth was the Wood technique that had nothing to do with bamboo and little with growth. It was just about circulating Wood energy in one's body to regenerate faster.
Blade Breaker was an interesting Metal technique. It used the resonance of metal energies to crack and shatter a piece of metal the user touched.
And finally, Corpse Puppet. From its description, it had many similarities with controlling a normal puppet: except the puppet was a corpse, and instead of strings, a cultivator used Death Qi. It was unwieldy and required at least one hand to use…
But it was still a powerful weapon in the right situation.
I began my next day—my first day of the new routine—with physical training. Sergeant Zhou Hou ordered me around until even my enhanced body couldn't deal with it anymore, and then some.
After lunch, I went to the technique training ground. However, on the way there, a commotion near the gates of Lin Manor caught my attention.
I squinted in its direction and spotted the familiar and distinct purple-and-blue Qi of Lin Chu. Of course, after that I had to come up and see what was going on.
The small crowd of other curious people parted before me, either recognizing my status or my cultivation.
Lin Chu stood near the gate, holding reins of a saddled horse. Besides them, there were five other Qi Foundation disciples and twenty soldiers, all on horseback.
When I approached, Lin Chu was talking with a cultivator I didn't recognize—a well-endowed middle-aged woman with a few scars on her face and an attitude as cold as Lin Chu's.
"Apologies, Junior Sister Lin Wu," my teacher said and turned toward me. "Disciple Ru. Things are as I warned you, and it's good that I had the time to give you instructions earlier."
I bowed to him.
"As you warned me? Does that mean you are leaving for a while, Master Lin Chu?"
And he didn't even send me a message… I guessed this was something urgent, and Lin Chu's irritated scowl confirmed it.
"I only found it myself this morning. Elder Xiao insists that my presence is necessary there, and it's not for me to question his judgment. If gods are on my side, I will return in a couple of weeks. If you are the prodigy some claim you to be, this time will be enough to learn at least one of the techniques I gave you."
I opened my mouth to say that I already did, but Lin Chu didn't finish speaking.
"My wife, Madam Min Yuen, manages my household in my absence. Obey her like you would obey me, and ask her if you need anything, but don't bother her for learning tips."
He turned to Lin Wu.
"I trust you to keep Young Master Lin Deng from reckless decisions in my absence, Junior Sister Lin Wu. It's been too long since the Lin clan had been called to a major war, and some people can get overly excited over the prospect of one."
She bowed to him.
"I will do my best, Senior Brother Lin Chu."
And just like that, Lin Chu leaped on his horse in a single graceful movement and commanded his group to move out.
I was left to swallow dust.
Coughing, I mentally groaned. Why now, of all times? I wasn't a student of this sect for a year, and it was already about to go to war?
Then again, wasn't someone here constantly at war with someone else? The difference was only in the scale of wars.
It was time, I decided, to refresh Lin Tan's geopolitical lessons in my head.
Earlier, Lin Chu told me that our enemies this time were Crystal Phoenix Sect.
I heard about them—they were well known for purging by fire everyone who worshiped a wrong god. Any god who wasn't their shiny oversized chicken was a wrong god. In short, they were bad news, but it was hard to tell yet where on the scale of "bad" they fell.
After all, the Purple Dragon Sect practiced human sacrifice. Even if I wasn't at risk of becoming one anymore, I still considered it a bad practice.
With a wistful sigh, I imagined sitting in a cave somewhere right now, away from all the wars, pondering my dantians and coming up with my own techniques—slowly but without stress.
Notably, the Crystal Phoenix Sect didn't attack the Lin clan specifically. But the Lin clan was one of the vassals of the Purple Dragon Sect. The Lin clan was somewhere in the middle of the overall hierarchy of clan vassals.
For the most part, Purple Dragon Sect let the clans govern themselves. It was a typical feudal arrangement: the clans needed to provide cultivators for wars and pay tribute, and in return got protection and some other bonuses like techniques.
Of course, there was a religious aspect, too. Purple Dragon Sect and its clans worshiped several common minor deities and spirits, especially one called Divine Purple Dragon.
It was a being of majestic power that granted dark blessings to those bringing him sacrifices and conquering others in his name. Once upon a time, he installed the first Grand Elder of the Purple Dragon Sect, who and whose successors ruled in His name since then.
Or so they claimed, at least.