Chapter 28: Life 58, Age 16, Martial Disciple Level 1

Coming back to life this time was horrible. The thoughts of my final moment lingered. That life had lasted nearly eighty years, but all my memories of it were overshadowed by the terror of suffocating to death while being unable to move. The memory compression that came with a rebirth helped. It separated me. Still, a lingering fear tainted all memories from that life black. I retained everything I learned, but if I thought about how I learned it, fear struck. Focus on the future, not the past. “System, I want to expand my storage space to 1,000 cubic centimeters.” Cost 29,760. Confirmed. 13,070 credits remaining. I didn’t feel any different, but when I looked into the storage space, I found it significantly larger. This would, at minimum, let me start lives easier. After that, I considered a few other purchase options. I thought about asking where to find a spatial spirit fire seed or where I might be able to get powerful cultivation techniques, but I decided not to. I wanted to look for these on my own. If I didn’t make any progress, I could always buy the information later. There was one thing I was interested in looking into though. A long time ago I bought an ability that would let me identify pills. The original ability was ‘limited’ and could only identify a few of the pills I had made. I had expanded it during my seclusion to help me further, but even the limited ability had been useful. “System, how much would it cost to buy a limited ability to identify cultivation techniques up to Rank 3?” The cost is 500,000 credits. “And the cost if it only goes to Rank 2?” 5,000 credits. “So, it’s equal to the credits generated from level 5 of that tier? Seems likely. Unfortunately, it seems like getting Rank 3 is off the table until after I reach Rank 3.” I thought about other possibilities options. “System, how much to expand my pill appraisal to Rank 2 as a limited ability?” 1000 credits. The value of Martial Master 1. I considered buying one or both of those abilities, but they wouldn’t benefit me immediately. I could buy them at any time. I decided to hold onto my credits in case something came up during this life that was worth spending them on. Purchases complete, it was time to move forward. I wasn’t sure what I should do. I could return to the sect, attempt to join the Blue Wind Pavilion, or strike out on my own. I decided to lay out potential goals to pursue to help me focus. Acquire a Profound Rank 1 or better cultivation techniqueAcquire a Peak-Yellow Rank 2 or better cultivation techniqueAcquire a Rank 3 cultivation techniqueAcquire a spatial spirit fire seedLearn how to use my spirit fire seedLearn how to make Rank 2 pillsLook into cultivation techniques that can use multiple affinitiesLearn more about the world around meFind out more about the fight at the Su Clan I considered these goals and how to best accomplish them. Heading off to explore on my own had some appeal, but it wasn’t for me. So, Blue Wind Pavilion or Twin Mountains Sect. The Pavilion felt like it was the better choice, but I had to go there first anyway, so I decided to just play it by ear. I would do what felt right in the moment. “System, send me to Dragon Gate City.” Confirmed. 13,040 credits remaining. I considered advancing a few stages before heading to the Blue Wind Pavilion, but it seemed like part of the reason WuJing valued me was my ability to do alchemy with no cultivation. I had no idea what his cultivation was, but I could guess that any level of Martial Disciple wouldn’t impress him much. Performing alchemy with no cultivation base had, so that is what I went with. Understanding how the Pavilion operated this time, I acted like the sophisticated gentleman that I was and headed directly for the pauper’s entrance. I didn’t see any need for a repeat of what happened last time. “Hello, my name is Fan BingQing, can I help you?” asked a woman in a disinterested voice. It wasn’t Mei. It was a young woman only a little older than my current self. She wore the same light-blue qipao dress uniform as the other women I had seen working in the Pavilion, but her makeup was a bit heavier. Of course, this place had dozens of workers, so running into someone new shouldn’t have been a surprise, but the difference in reception was. “Yes,” I said taking a pill from my storage space, “I want to sell a pill.” It was the only pill I had, and it wasn’t in a proper bottle. I hadn’t had a chance to make pills since purchasing the expanded space. This was a pill from my last life that I had kept in my old storage sheath. I didn’t think too much when I had stored it away, but I suddenly remembered it was a 100% Perfect Basic Qi Gathering Pill. I didn’t know how common they were, but I had never heard of anyone else making one. I wasn’t sure if showing it had been a good move or not. She departed as WuJing’s attention returned to me. “Alchemist Su, how may this one help you today?” Originally, I was split on what to do in this life. Join the Pavilion or return to the sect. This interaction though... it was all wrong. This wasn’t the foundation I wanted here. If Mei came, maybe her ability would help fix things, but it would still be a strained beginning. I decided not to pursue a position here in this life. That could come in the future. “Manager Chen, I was hoping you could tell me what you know about the Twin Mountains Sect.” “Of course, Alchemist Su,” he said after a brief pause to think. “I would be happy to share what little knowledge I have. May I ask what business you have there? I do not wish to pry into your secrets, but knowing may help me understand what information would be of value to you.” “It’s no secret. I recently received a blessing that has been of benefit to me in alchemy, as you can tell by the pills I have sold you. I wish to further my studies, and I have heard that sect may be a good place to learn, but I know little of it.” WuJing looked at a pill bottle that had been sitting off to the side. “Yes, a Perfect Basic Qi Gathering Pill. Very impressive. If you wish, a position in the Pavilion could be opened for you, but the Twin Mountains Sect is a fine choice too.” “Is that so? You would recommend it?” “To someone at your level? Yes. It is likely the best place for you in all the Wastes.” “Do you know about their cultivation technique? I have heard a little and am concerned.” “Yes, I know of it,” he responded slower. “It is not my place to share their secrets, but I can assure you there is nothing to worry about. The technique I believe you are referring to is given only to the less skilled disciples.” “Oh? And would you still recommend the sect to someone like that? “Absolutely, even more strongly. The Twin Mountains Sect provides a home. It isn’t for you. It isn’t for anyone with true ability, but it is better than they can expect from most places.” “You are so convinced of my ability after seeing only one pill?” “I know what it means to make a Perfect pill, as would anyone trained in alchemy. The elders will fight over you if you go there. You should be careful who you choose to ally with though. Make no mistake, the sect may seem peaceful, but as with any organization, the waters run deep.” “And you have a suggestion for me?” I asked. “Elder Mu,” he said firmly. “Mu is a close acquaintance of mine. I believe you will do well with his guidance.” WuJing seemed very conflicted about what to say on the topic, as if he wanted to say something but didn’t know if he should. As I had seen before, he was a great actor though, so I couldn’t be sure what was real and what wasn’t. “You are a new Martial Disciple, right? You understand that after Disciple is Martial Master then Martial Grandmaster?” I nodded. “Do you know what is above Martial Grandmaster?” “No,” I said honestly. “Above Grandmaster is Martial Lord. The ascension to Lord is a bit different than others, more complicated. Suffice it to say that it is impossible to become a Lord in the Wastes and no Lord can enter the Wastes. All the Grandmasters here, including myself and Elder Mu, are looking for an opportunity to leave and ascend.” “And you believe that I can somehow help Elder Mu ascend?” I asked, confused. “Yes. The reason I would recommend the Twin Mountains Sect is that they are an outpost of a strong sect in the outside world. I believe with your abilities you will be able to climb up to that sect. As your master and teacher, Elder Mu will benefit from your achievements, helping him to leave and ascend to the Lord realm.” He looked at me meaningfully. “That is why the elders will fight for you, and that is why Mu will want you too. The reason I think you will want Mu is because he is aloof from many of the sect’s politics. His only desire is to advance. Most of the other elders are too worried about internal affairs and have lost the hunger needed to move forward.” It was left unsaid the benefits WuJing himself would get from this arrangement. “How should I get in contact with Elder Mu?” “That may be difficult. I cannot contact him directly, so you will have to rely on yourself to do so. You can, of course, make a public display of your abilities. If you openly craft a few perfect pills, you will certainly draw attention, but then you may not be able to choose the master you follow. The best path is to find a deacon who reports to him. All deacons in the sect are subordinates of one of the elders. As long as you can find one of his deacons, I trust you will be able to get their attention.” After a few more pleasantries, I departed. Originally, I had planned to ask for information on some of my previously listed goals, but I didn’t. Asking for techniques and fire seeds here didn’t feel like the right play. WuJing had sent me to learn from someone else. I would see what Elder Mu had to offer. Should I completely trust WuJing? No, but I always felt he was playing straight with me. His shift in personality made it clear that what he showed me was an act, but even then, it didn’t feel dishonest. If he wanted, he could probably easily kidnap me and force me to work for him. He had a powerful social blessing and the skills to use it. He may or may not be a nice guy, I don’t know, but he seemed to know how to do business. Screwing over someone caught in a time loop would definitely be bad business. He may not know the details, but I believe his blessing gave him enough information to be cautious. I would follow his advice and meet Elder Mu. It would be a good test of how far I could trust him when he wasn’t being told how to act. If everything proved out, I would be more than happy to work with WuJing in future lives. I just wanted to meet with Mei first next time.