Chapter 8: A Bad Little Temper
Editor: celllll, Nou
"Show me your token!" a chilling voice demanded, belonging to the shixiong with the corpse-like face who’d taken Fang Xing to Elder Gao for questioning. He’d been waiting outside of the garret room, and a sweep of his sleeve caused the wooden block to fly into his hands.
"D-Rank? Another useless one." The young man flipped the token over as he looked to Fang Xing with disdain. "I’m actually quite busy right now; just go to Qing-Mu Hall on your own." He pointed off in a direction and turned to leave.
"I’ll remember you, just you wait!" Fang Xing muttered hatefully under his breath. This corpse-faced shixiong was clearly supposed to guide Fang Xing to this place called "Qing-Mu Hall", but it seemed his assigned rank made him too unimportant and he’d been left to find the hall on his own.
As Fang Xing walked towards the direction the corpse-faced man had pointed, he uttered an endless string of curses beneath his breath. ‘How the hell do I know where this "Qing-Mu Hall" is? Everything here looks the same!’
"Err… is that you? Shidi Fang Xing?" A familiar voice rang out, followed by a fat figure that stopped only a few inches away from Fang Xing.
It was the plump Daoist Fang Xing had been drinking with the night before, now embarrassed. He’d promised he would be waiting for Fang Xing at the Samsara Bell in the morning, but who would have known he’d oversleep and not wake up until the bell actually rang? After realizing he was late, he’d rushed hurriedly towards the bell only to bump into the cursing Fang Xing.
Fang Xing smiled in welcome, immediately understanding what was in Yu Sanliang’s thoughts. "Isn’t that Shixiong Zhu? I’ve been waiting for you, where have you been?"
"Ah… ahem. My name really is Yu, not Zhu…." Seeing that Fang Xing was actually quite pleased, Yu Sanliang dropped his worries and smiled as well. "Sorry to have kept you waiting, Shidi Fang Xing. By the way… why are you alone? Where’s the shixiong that was supposed to guide you?"
"Well, there was this corpse-faced shixiong who was supposed to, but he suddenly had diarrhea and ran to the toilet. Since I couldn’t wait any longer, I decided to go on my own."
"Cultivators can get diarrhea…?"
"Who knows? Maybe his intestines have rotted," Fang Xing cursed the corpse-faced shixiong one last time before cheerfully hooking his arm around Yu Sanliang’s fat neck. Fang Xing was quite a few inches shorter by comparison, so it took some effort even with Yu Sanliang bending down slightly to help him reach.
"Which rank did you get into?"
"What’s yours?"
"Unfortunately, I’m in the lowest, D-Rank."
"Hah! In that case, we’re the same!"
Two figures of stark contrast—one tall with the other short, one fat with the other thin—walked merrily towards the Qing-Mu Hall together.
Yu Sanliang didn’t think twice about Fang Xing being placed in the same rank as him, and Fang Xing also learned from Yu Sanliang that within all of the outer court disciples, more than half belonged to the D-Rank—the lowest rank in the sect. Half of the remainder was in the slightly better C-Rank, while only an eighth of the outer court disciples total belonged to the B-Rank.
For the best—A-Rank—there was only a handful of people with suitable aptitude or background to qualify. Each of these individuals was a treasure to the entire sect, as they were the ones most likely to progress the furthest.
‘On the bright side,’ Fang Xing thought to himself, ‘at least I’m not the absolute worst.’
It wasn’t long before the pair arrived at the Qing-Mu Hall. It was another wooden garret, although this time it was three stories tall. It looked like nothing special upon first glance, but closer inspection revealed details in the connecting parts of the entire structure that showed off the designers and artisans’ fine craftsmanship. It was simple, yet impressively solemn.
Once Fang Xing and Yu Sanliang had walked up to the garret, a meager old man moved to greet them, and Yu Sanliang grabbed onto Fang Xing’s sleeve while introducing the newcomer as "Shixiong Chao". With a little help from the Book of Revelation, Fang Xing learned this man—seeming nearly as old as Elder Gao—had only achieved the fourth tier of Spirit Stage. Regardless, Fang Xing still wouldn’t have a chance against him in a fight.
Once Shixiong Chao saw Fang Xing’s token, there was no further questioning. Fang Xing was soon assigned to a district within the outer sect’s living quarters and given a new set of robes that would identify him as an outer court disciple; the remaining chapters of the Qing-Yun’s Qi Formation manual; and a red pebble-sized rock—a low-grade Spirit Stone. Fang Xing was then hurriedly sent off towards the Pavilion of Spirit Tools.
"Don’t underestimate a single Spirit Stone like this; not only can you use this to exchange for things you want, our cultivation almost entirely relies on it as well," Yu Sanliang began to eagerly explain as he saw Fang Xing playing around with the Spirit Stone in his hand. "We only get one of these every three months… but in the world we used to live in, a single pebble-sized Spirit Stone is worth over one hundred taels of gold!"
"Only one every three months? Why is the sect so cheap!" Fang Xing complained, dissatisfied.
"One every three months is already pretty good, you know; at least we have something! It’s because of our lack of talent; even if we’re all outer court disciples, C-Rank disciples receive one stone every two months, and B-Ranks receive one every month…. As for those A-Ranks, they’re moneybags that get two every month!"
"Hrm, moneybags, you say? Maybe I could borrow something from them someday…."
"Are you serious? Those A-Ranks are not to be messed with! If there’s any dispute—even if we were the ones provoked by them—the elders will still pin all the blame on us. If you want to make some extra stones, I can actually introduce you to some departmental duties. It’ll earn you another one of these Spirit Stones every three months as a wage—it’s like instantly doubling your income!"
"Hah, that might not be a good fit for me, but I’ll think about the offer anyway."
The pair chatted with high spirits as they arrived at the front of the Pavilion of Spirit Tools. Suddenly remembering something, Yu Sanliang began to caution in a low voice, "By the way, once you’re inside the pavilion, give the shixiong that guards the place the stone. He’ll help you choose a better spirit tool…."
"Are you kidding me?" Fang Xing was stumped for a moment before he rolled his eyes. "We only get one every three months! One! Why the hell should I hand it over to someone else?"
Fang Xing’s question left Yu Sanliang torn between laughter and tears. "Shidi Fang Xing, this is no time to be stingy. We only get to choose a spirit tool once! Each tool in the pavilion once belonged to an elder of the sect, but not all of them are useful or even in good condition," he patiently explained. "Now, if you give the guardian shixiong a Spirit Stone, he will guide you to a more powerful one, but if you don’t…."
Yu Sanliang swallowed some saliva before taking a talisman out of his pocket. "This is what I got for not giving them a Spirit Stone when I first entered the sect. They told me this sword talisman could release sword powers equivalent to that of a tier four! I was so excited then and believed I had found a treasure, but who would have thought this talisman could only be used once…. That once was used up when I tested it in the pavilion, and now I just hold on to it as a keepsake."
‘So you’re one of those spineless idiots, too! No wonder you only strut around the daotongs.’ Although Fang Xing’s thoughts were filled with contempt for Yu Sanliang’s cowardly behavior, he still showed polite gratitude, "Thank you for pointing that out to me, Shixiong."
—
As Fang Xing swaggered into the entrance of the pavilion, a loud voice suddenly reverberated throughout the room, "How outrageous! Do you know where this is? This is the Pavilion of Spirit Tools! Who do you think you are!"
Fang Xing jumped at the sudden voice as three men appeared from the back of the pavilion. The person in the lead appeared to be in his thirties, with a thin body and a small mustache on his face. His shifty eyes were even more mouse-like than those of Mousy from the herb field.
Fang Xing was able to see their cultivation stages clearly and without much effort: the mustached man was in tier three, and the other two were in tier two. Understanding that they were just posturing to show who was in charge here, Fang Xing responded in a polite manner. "My name is Fang Xing, the newest outer court disciple. Please, take a look at my token from Elder Gao…."
Satisfied with Fang Xing’s demeanor, the mustached man grabbed the token and smiled, revealing his stained teeth. "I see, so you’re the one who rang the Samsara Bell earlier today, is it? I’ll forgive you this time since you didn’t know the rules around here. But… did you come here empty-handed?" he tried to hint to Fang Xing about the stone, his eyes sparkling all the while.
"What? What do you mean?" Fang Xing pretended to miss the signal the mustached man tried to send, and responded just as innocently as any regular ten-year-old child would.
There was no way he was willing to give up his only Spirit Stone without a very good reason. Besides, while others may need these shixiongs to guide and help to pick out a spirit tool, Fang Xing had the Book of Revelation; was there anyone who could compete with him in the art of appraisal?
"What a disgrace you are! Don’t act like you don’t know about this, hurry up and hand over your Spirit Stone or get the hell out of here!" one of the other men impatiently yelled, throwing away all manners and shame to go directly for the prize.
Fang Xing’s expression also changed as he was yelled at. He’d originally decided he would hand over his Spirit Stone to the leader even though he really didn’t want to—if only just to keep a low profile—but Fang Xing was only open to persuasion, not coercion. As soon as the man started to yell at him, he decided there was no way he would hand over the Spirit Stone anymore. Definitely not to them, at least. In a voice even louder, he yelled out, "I only get one stone every three months! Why in the hell should I give it to you bastards?"
Chapter 9: Mask of Wanluo
Editor: celllll, Nou
"How… how dare you!"
One of the men to the mustached man’s side was taken aback. Although these people all belonged to the outer court, the job at the Pavilion of Spirit Tools was much harder to get and had greater benefits than a job at one of the departments employing someone like Yu Sanliang. Each of these three had used either bribery or connections to secure their positions, and it was because of this that they also knew their position of power was higher and more secure than any ordinary outer court disciple.
They would never have imagined that a new disciple—and a kid on top of that—would dare to speak to them in such a manner. The man at the side angrily walked forward and nearly slapped Fang Xing before the boy let out a loud remark that stopped the man in his tracks: "So first you wanted me to bribe you, and now that that’s obviously failed, you want to hit me? Do the sect’s rules not apply here?"
Although there was an unwritten rule about handing over the Spirit Stone, it was still against the Qing-Yun Sect’s official rules. The sect was still a sect built on the foundation of righteousness, after all.
Despite Fang Xing’s young appearance, he didn’t look like someone who’d be afraid of revealing these dishonorable trades to the elders. The mustached man suddenly smiled and laughed, "Haha, why are you guys arguing; you’ve only just met." He turned towards Fang Xing and continued, his fake smile growing even wider, "Don’t mind him, we were just playing around with you. I can see you’ve got a bit of a temper, huh? Please do come in and choose the item you’d like, but do make sure to choose wisely.…"
"Thank you, Shixiong," Fang Xing replied, cupping his hands in thank. Even though he knew the mustached man didn’t have any good intentions, he still walked inside.
After entering, Fang Xing was surprised by the sheer size of the pavilion and the large collection of items scattered every which way—it was more like a grocery store! There were shelves after shelves filled with Flying Swords, talismans, weapons….
With only a quick look, each and every one of these items would look very impressive. Some had small notes beneath them with their names and functions, while others were just piled on top of each other in a hideous mess that left it unclear whether they were even still usable.
It was only after seeing the room that Fang Xing realized why all the disciples who came here were willing to pay the Spirit Stone—the place was just a chaotic mess. Without the guidance of a trained eye, the odds of choosing a bad or useless item was very high.
All three men exchanged meaningful glances with each other when they saw Fang Xing’s expression. Fang Xing wasn’t the first to refuse to hand over the Spirit Stone, but those who refused would leave without finding anything useful.
The Pavilion of Spirit Tools held over three thousand items suitable for those in the lower tiers of Spirit Stage, and each new disciple would be allowed one chance to choose a weapon or tool of their choice. The recent recruitment from a few months ago had left most of the better tools picked out by these newest disciples, and any decent items still remaining had been hidden by the three men long ago. They believed the chance of anyone choosing something useful without their guidance was next to zero.
‘Hah! I see how this is. These jerks want to cheat me? I’ll show you how to cheat!’ Fang Xing laughed to himself before pacing towards the back of the room.
"Every person here is allowed only one
Truthfully, the incense they’d started to burn had already been broken off by one of them at its bottom, reducing the already small amount of time even further. Of course, if the new disciple had offered payment, the time limit would have been all but forgotten and guidance would be given, though the quality of that guidance also depended on the number of Spirit Stones they’d been given.
After activating the Book of Revelation, the names, material, usage, and current status of all these items came into view.
‘Low-grade Flying Sword. Contains one spell. Made from ordinary metal…’
‘Storage ring. Contains a quarter of a square mile for storage. Made from Thousand Hammer’s Gold…’
‘Copper Flying Sword. Contains three spells. Broken.’
It was exactly as Yu Sanliang had warned; the pavilion was full of weapons that looked to be in good shape but were actually broken. No matter how good a spirit tool was, it may as well have just been ordinary steel if their inner spells were broken. Especially for these low-grade weapons, the repair fee might even be more expensive than buying a better weapon altogether.
‘This can’t be everything...’ Fang Xing thought to himself while wondering if he’d actually have to choose from one of these items.
Right now, Fang Xing wanted to find something a little more suitable for himself than a Flying Sword or a fancy weapon. Not only might he not even have enough Qi to actually activate such an item, but his uncle Sanshu had already gifted him with a dagger and he had no need for another weapon.
No, what Fang Xing really wanted was a support-type tool with a unique ability; after all, after growing up in a bandit nest, it wasn’t as though he had any shame in taking a Flying Sword or two from someone if he really liked theirs.
When the three men saw Fang Xing stop in front of a good Flying Sword they’d hidden away earlier, they started to worry he might luck out and decide on it. One of the men abruptly coughed in order to interrupt, "Shidi, your time is almost up. If you’re really uncertain, I can recommend this flag here. After putting some Qi into it, this flag will light up in flames and—with a wave—you can send out a fire dragon towards your enemies!"
With the help of his book, Fang Xing glanced over and noticed the flag actually had seven spells engraved in it—a rare find if it wasn’t severely damaged. Just like Yu Sanliang’s talisman, it would only be good for a couple of uses before turning into useless baggage afterwards.
As he looked past the flag, however, his eyes lit up. Thrown in the corner and covered in a layer of dust like trash, he saw a blue mask covered in sword marks with a gap broken off near the top.
‘Mask of Wanluo. Contains thirty-six spells...’
Further inspection caused Fang Xing’s excitement to grow; not only did it contain thirty-six spells, but nearly all of them were completely intact! The appearance and the sound of the wearer could be changed a total of thirty-six times—if he chose this mask, he could change into thirty-six different people!
This was exactly what Fang Xing had been looking for! It was a godsend for the mysterious tenth bandit, Fang Xing.
"It looks like Shidi has decided?" the mustached man asked in quite the happy manner, seeming to know neither the true function of the mask nor even its name. "This mask… this is called the Demon’s Super Fire Thunderbolt Mask! Once you wear it, you’ll be able to borrow a demon’s powers and have endless potential…."
"Yes, a nice mask that sounds perfect for Shidi!"
"I’m sure Shidi will look impressive while wearing it!"
The other two quickly followed suit, trying to rush Fang Xing’s choice.
Fang Xing tossed the mask between his two hands as though undecided. "Really? Is it really that cool? You wouldn’t lie to me, right?"
"Why would we? This mask is perfect for Shidi! With this mask, you’ll be able to improve your cultivation in the blink of an eye. You’ll be able to reach tier four in a matter of only a year or two, and by then, you’ll be able to become an inner court disciple…."
"Yea! How about you take this with you today, and if you really don’t like it in the next few days, you can exchange it with us for something else," one of the men pressed on, reassuring Fang Xing of the minimal risk.
"If Shixiong says so, then…" still pretending to hesitate, Fang Xing slowly picked up the mask, "I’ll take it!"
"Great! Come here and we’ll make a record for you." The mustached man swiftly and happily took out a blank jade plate and used a spell to carve out some words:
Day 1 of the 11th month of the 37th year. Outer Sect Disciple Fang Xing obtained one (1) low-grade spirit tool.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
200+ Power
Ranking 
0 Power
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