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.
Chapter 10: Penniless
Editor: celllll, Nou
The name of the mask wasn’t actually recorded; none of the three men knew its correct name, and all items of this nature were usually recorded just as 'low-grade spirit tool'. The record being made had set this event in stone, and the mustached man newly regarded Fang Xing without emotion. "Good. All done now. Congratulations on your new spirit tool; off you go."
Still pretending to be uncertain, Fang Xing asked again, "You’re definitely sure this is good? What if…."
"Nonsense! You’ve already chosen this item and it’s already been recorded down. You cannot give it back for exchange any longer."
"But… you just said I could come back and swap it for something else if it’s no good…" Fang Xing pretended to be in shock on the surface while continuously mocking the three men in his mind.
"Swap?" the mustached man laughed, "It’s not impossible, it just depends on how you act when you come back."
It wasn’t as though things like this hadn’t happened before. Most of the disciples who didn’t pay the Spirit Stone in the beginning would come back later and be forced to pay an even higher price to exchange their spirit tool for another. Using this method, the three men had gained quite a generous savings of precious gems and rare items.
The sect would never be able to find out exactly which item Fang Xing had chosen, after all; the jaded plate only had "low-grade spirit tool" engraved on it. It would be a lot more difficult if the name of the mask or another item Fang Xing chose was known since it would be recorded, making it impossible to secretly swap or exchange at a later date.
"Okay, I guess that’s how it is!" As if finally convinced, Fang Xing took the mask into his arms and walked off.
As soon as Fang Xing left the pavilion, all three men burst out into laughter. "He really chose that mask thing! Hahaha, and look at him treasuring it as though it’s actually worth something!"
"It was his own fault for offending us, yet he actually wanted something good? In his dreams!"
"Hah, watch me burn a hole in his pocket when he comes back for an exchange!"
—
As soon as Yu Sanliang saw Fang Xing walking out of the pavilion, he hurried closer with a worried expression and quickly asked what had been chosen. Fang Xing passed the mask to Yu Sanliang, and the man carefully examined it in his hand. "What is this thing?" he asked in confusion; the mask was old and tattered, and it definitely didn’t look useful.
"You don’t know shit; this is definitely something good," Fang Xing replied before snatching the mask out of the plump Daoist’s hands. "Now go, take me to where I’ll be sleeping tonight!" Seeing how Fang Xing was confident in his chosen item, Yu Sanliang stopped his questioning and asked Fang Xing to follow him closely as they walked towards their next destination.
—
After working at the Miscellaneous Department for several years, Yu Sanliang was quite knowledgeable of the sect. Furthermore, despite the fact he wasn’t very popular, he was also up to date with the latest gossip since he usually ran the less pleasant errands for the other departments and was exposed to a lot of people.
"Take a look at this side, this place is known as Clear-Sound Valley, where all the female disciples live. There’s a large pool of crystal-clear spring water running outside the valley that female disciples usually go to bathe at. Apparently, to prevent any male disciples from peeping into the pool, the elders placed a smog spell around it that they claim to be impenetrable all year ‘round. But, there was a shixiong who claimed he managed to see them bathing once, and he even bragged about it for months afterwards!
"Now if you look towards this cliff, this is where Elder Song Gu holds his classes. He is extremely powerful and knowledgeable, and he’s even a bit of a legend here in the sect. He’s also one of the few elders who are friendly and easygoing; even for people with poor talent like us, if you ask him a question—any question—he will greet you with a smile and answer you with patience. There’s also Elder Song Yan who visits here every ninth day of the ninth month to speak about the ways to cultivate or to give hints and tips for using spells. It’s always packed when he comes, so even those core disciples try to get in there early.
"That place over there is known as Danxia Valley, one of the four inner courts of our sect. All the disciples there are dedicated to studying the path of alchemy, and not one—not a single one of them—has a good temper. They’re all arrogant assholes, but everyone needs their help with medicinal pellets and elixirs, so it’s best to avoid their bad side. They do, however, house the highest number of female disciples within the sect, and they’re all quite pleasing to the eyes. Maybe when you’re a bit older, we’ll try to find you a wife there; it should be really beneficial for your cultivation."
Hidden-Cloud Summit was where some of the outer court disciples lived. It took more than four hours before they’d finally reached the summit by foot, yet Yu Sanliang hadn’t stopped talking once during this time. To others, Yu Sanliang could come across as a nuisance, but this was an opportunity for Fang Xing to learn and find out as much gossip and information about the sect as possible. For Yu Sanliang, it was finally his chance to show off everything he knew about the sect, and he turned into an unceasing torrent of information during the journey.
"The inner court disciples live over in that mountain peak. Don’t go near it without a good reason…"
"Those who break the sect rules are sent here…"
"That’s the Culinary Department. All outer court disciples who want to dine there will have to pay a hundred silver taels per month…"
"This is the Pavilion of Enlightenment. It has collections with all of our sect’s important spells and books, but only inner court disciples can go in there…"
—
"This is where you will stay. Mine is close by, so if you need anything, just let me know!"
The summit was covered by a white fog that alternated between hiding the area below and revealing the few hundred little cottages that were scattered about. Its vast size kept it from feeling crowded, and the surroundings were quite pleasant as well; a small waterfall flowed through the valley, and a light breeze of wind would cause the bamboo forest nearby to rustle with soft sounds. Although it was already late autumn in the Chufung Kingdom this time of year, the abundance of spiritual veins caused the Qing-Yun Sect courts to still flush with spring blossoms.
According to Yu Sanliang, Hidden-Cloud Summit was merely one of the ten districts allocated for the outer court disciples, and he himself lived in a neighboring valley a few miles away. In fact, all of the outer court disciples lived in cottages like this, and it was only after becoming an inner court disciple and reaching tier four that they would be able to move to one of the better locations closer to a spirit vein. If they managed to achieve tier seven, they would even be awarded an entire summit for their cultivation use, receiving the same resources and treatment as the sect elders.
Once the pair arrived, a man came politely towards the two of them. He was in charge of room assignment and orientation despite only being in the second tier, and after checking Fang Xing’s token with his name and rank, he assigned Fang Xing a cottage next to the spring well and asked whether or not he would be dining at the Culinary Department.
"If you want to eat there, you’ll have to pay a hundred silver taels per month," Yu Sanliang reminded.
Stumped, Fang Xing showed a bitter smile at that—he didn’t have any money at all. He tapped Yu Sanliang on the shoulder and said, "In that case, lend me a hundred silver taels and I’ll give it back to you another day!"
This only left Yu Sanliang stumped as well. "You don’t have even that much?"
Fang Xing was unwilling to admit his penniless state and lied, "No, I just don’t have it on me right now!"
Unfortunately, Yu Sanliang did not bring enough with him so he had to ask if they could pay tomorrow. The man fortunately agreed without much of a fuss, but he gave a fleeting glance of obvious disdain towards Fang Xing.
In the world of cultivation, if one didn’t have any extraordinary talent, then the only other way to thrive was with money… but it was an unlikely bet even still. Then there were people like the looks of this boy, unable to afford even a hundred silver. ‘It’s almost guaranteed nothing will come of him,’ the man thought to himself.
Fang Xing headed back to his cottage. Despite how plain it was, it actually wasn’t too shabby; not only did it use a good pinewood known to repel mosquitoes, but there was a bed, table, and set of chairs inside as well.
Such things costed money, but this naturally came out of Yu Sanliang’s own pocket as well. He’d already decided to pay for Fang Xing’s meal plan, after all; there was no point being stingy and holding back from paying a little bit more. He’d brought this situation on himself with his choice on who to befriend.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
200+ Power
Ranking 
0 Power
stone 
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