Chapter 22 – To Be a Master (I)

Chapter 22

To Be a Master (I)

A single bit of news surprised me slightly on my daily descent to check out the decadent in case there were more hidden gems like Dai Xiu.

Just as I made my descent, I chanced upon a returning entourage of disciples–there were about nine of them, a mix of Inner and Outer, with four of them appearing heavily wounded and all others also bearing at least some minor injuries.

I caught the first bit of their report to Elder Qin–they were attacked by the disciples of the Fire Sun Sect, and, apparently, two kids had died, one stayed behind as a distraction, and these nine managed to escape.

My memories dictate that the Fire Sun Sect was the nearby competitor; their strength was ever so slightly greater than the Spirit Sword Sect on the whole, but they, too, only had one Void Transformation Realm cultivator, their own Sect Master.

And just like Spirit Sage, he, too, was at the early stage.

Skirmishes between the two sects were relatively frequent–after all, in this godforsaken corner of the world, there weren’t exactly all that many opportunities. So, the two sects competed for the resources, for the disciples, and even for the territory.

One of the ways sects made their money was through a taxation and donation system–taxes were paid by the surrounding villages with the understanding that the Spirit Sword Sect would act in case wild and demonic beasts (or even cultivators) appeared and attacked.

Donations, on the other hand, were, in reality, bribes… but nobody called them that.

Due to the overlap in territories, the two sects, thus, fought long and hard for every bit of resources that they could, often leading to the disciple skirmishes on the outside that resulted in just north of twenty deaths a year.

Still, it was a bit… ominous and odd; twelve disciples was an unusual number to be venturing out together. Ordinarily, even group missions mostly had up to six or seven kids; as it turned out, two such groups paired together when they got wind of some or another rare herb appearing.

Just as they defeated the demonic beast guarding it, disciples–and an Elder— of the Fire Sun Sect appeared and not only stole the herb but also killed and wounded as they pleased.

Hey.

Doesn’t it just sound like they were baited into going there where the trap was set and then beaten black and blue?

Right?

They’ll see through it, no?

Well, whatever–it has nothing to do with me.

What did have to do with me was one of the returning disciples–as it just so happened, Daoist Mu was his master, and boy, was it not pleasant to watch the aged dude just ream the kid out in public.

From the looks of it, all other disciples belonged to Elders, and, well, it was all politics, really.

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The reason I got curious was… call it instinct. Just the way the kid kept his composure despite being chewed out, and how the others held gazes of contempt when they looked at him… there was a backstory there, and it stank to high heavens of a protagonist.

Luckily, I was yet to visit the dreaded compound, so I took a peek…

[–Creator’s Eyes Used]

[Target: Yuan Zemin]

[Age: 19]

[Talent: peak-Mortal(Sealed)]

[Cultivation Realm: Peak Qi Condensation]

[Cultivation Method: Spirit Sword Harmony, First Volume; Golden Horn Body]