Chapter 70: Rise Above
“Hundred Beasts Movement!”
Pei Zi Yun focused his energy for several seconds before opening up his arms slowly. Yu Yun Jun and Zhao Ning’s eyes were wide open and staring at how Pei Zi Yun’s movements were neither too quick nor too slow. In fact, he had reached a stage of proficiency that even when he was still, his stance was flawless. They both watched, stunned.
‘This is impossible!’ Was what they were simultaneously thinking.
For a normal person to master just the fist techniques or just to understand the techniques without putting into practice would require more than 10 days to half a month. However, he managed to execute the entire technique with such accuracy. It was impossible for anyone to master the whole thing in under three to five years.
A genius is one who’s able to look at a set of complex movements once and be able to emulate it the exact same way. In fact, these techniques were very complex. But right before them, this person was executing it perfectly. He was being neither too quick, nor too slow, and was still able to maintain his stability and rhythm. Just watching him made them blink dumbly.
“Master level. No, almost master level.” For his fist techniques to reach a stage like this, he had already achieved the essence of the entire movement. It can be said, that since he was so proficient in this, he didn’t even need to cultivate other aspects. Just by repeatedly practising the Hundred Beasts Movement this flawlessly, he would be able to fuse his blood and Qi perfectly, and be able to become a Human Immortal.
For mortals, every few hundred years would present maybe a person like this. This was what they referred to as "using Martial Arts to enter the Dao, or enter the Dao through dancing”.
“Inner strength is thin, but Qi flows through his entire body, causing him to absorb the essence of the movement, and buffing his inner strength.”
“It can be said that his level of attainment is definitely not beneath ours. It’s only whether he truly understands. However, for him to display such deft movements would mean that he understood its entire essence.”
The four people before Pei Zi Yun were appalled. Yu Yun Jun was ecstatic, her face was all smiles.
The little girl Chu Xia applauded loudly, "I have such a talented junior brother. In the future I can just walk straight and crash through everyone, and they will all have to avoid me.”
Yu Yun Jun stretched out a hand and poked her forehead before saying, "You have plans to become a crab in future? Little Xia!”
Zhao Ning’s face changed subtly. He then looked at Pei Zi Yun once more, his eyes were gleaming. At this very moment, he realized that he had taught this person for so many years, and had managed to miss out on a true genius. He was still smiling, "With this level of comprehension, it’s terrifying. As long as you keep working hard, you will be able to rank top 3 within the outer disciples.”
“Clap clap clap” A young man walked in through the big entrance of the hall. This was the third master from old master Hou’s household, Wei Ang. He had been watching from outside the hall. As he walked in, he clapped his hands and smiled before bowing, "Big Senior Uncle, Senior Aunt, Wei Ang pays his respects.”
After Wei Ang had paid his respects to his senior uncles, he then faced Pei Zi Yun, "Pei Zi Yun had just arrived here yesterday and had already made such a grand entrance. Indeed a genius. I’ve came to see how you fared today, and your reputation is indeed not without justification. Looks like our Free Cloud Sect is very lucky. Who knows, in future we might need to rely on brother Pei to bring the sect to greater heights.”
The piece of advice given by Zhao Ning had no hidden meaning. To give advice and guidance in the hall, meant that anyone who was around could freely participate. It’s just that the outer disciple are all outside practicing now, and thus not many people were around. Wei Ang was outside when he heard Zhao Ning guiding Pei Zi Yun and had seen his performance as well. He was fascinated and thus decided to come in.
When Pei Zi Yun heard the voice, he raised his head and looked at the man. He had seen him before. In fact, it was just yesterday. This man was together with Song Zhi. Seeing him again reminded him.
Ji Bei Hou’s third son, Wei Ang.
He had a long face, a pair of thick and bushy eyebrows and eyes that looked like a splash of paint on a canvas. He was not wearing a Daoist robe, but rather a traditional robe. The original owner remembered that this man was very low profile, and withdrawn. However, he had just witnessed this man being so loud and confident. It didn’t match his memory of this person.
Song Zhi smiled and said, "Junior brother is a Top Scorer. In future, we have plenty of chances to visit one another in the capital. With a pair of brothers like us in the capital, we can definitely bring the sect to greater heights together.”
As he said this, he then turned to Yu Yun Jun and Zhao Ning and said, "Senior Uncle, I have something to attend to, and shall take my leave now.”
He seemed to be extremely at ease, he left as soon as he said this. However, once he passed through the door, his face fell. He was in the lead for the honorary disciple spot, to be groomed to take over the sect leader. Furthermore he was a big senior brother in Free Cloud Sect. Who would’ve expected this Pei Zi Yun to show up and threaten his position.
When Song Zhi was some distance away, Pei Zi Yun then laughed coldly. Since the original owner had wasted so much time, and had brought into the sect foreign techniques, he had no way to penetrate the nucleus of the sect.
Anyway, it was too late for the original owner as well. Song Zhi was already an honorary disciple by then.
Free Cloud Sect had been under the attack of Dark Altar Sect. In order to withstand the attacks, the original owner had revealed the Plum Blossom. Song Zhi then betrayed the original owner by handing the Plum Blossom over to the Dark Altar Sect. In exchange, he became a Senior Advisor within Dark Altar Sect. Pei Zi Yun’s hatred for this man ran deep, and was hard to dissolve.
According to the original owner’s memory, Xie Cheng Dong was rapidly rising up the ranks now. Within 10 years, he would shock the entire Dao world with his progress. Pei Zi Yun did not have much time.
In order for one to become an Earth Immortal, he would first have to be a core disciple. Hence just because Pei Zi Yun wanted to survive, he had to steal the spot away from Song Zhi and become one of the five core disciples. From there, he might even ascend to the honorary disciple spot.
Although he had the original owner’s memory, he didn’t have the time to accumulate strength yet. What was most pressing was the fact that the honorary disciple spot was almost due to be bestowed on Song Zhi. If he didn’t do anything soon, the spot will go to Song Zhi and when that happens, he will have no chance to snatch it back.
‘It has been rumored that this Song Zhi is the reincarnation of a sect elder and has a close and intimate relationship with the current senior advisor to the sect. This was why he was able to influence the decision of the sect members. Furthermore he was able to participate in decision making on several occasions. Over the years, he had accumulated a significant amount of contributions as well.’
‘This Wei Ang is the third son of Ji Bei Hou. Ji Bei Hou had followed the current Emperor to war all over the nation, and thus is a very powerful man. Since it is peacetime now, all war ministries have been converted to education. However, he still wielded immense power. Since his son Wei Ang has joined the sect, they have access to many benefits. Clearly, the reason Wei Ang is in the sect was because of his family status.’
‘One with family status, the other with the sect’s adoration. Competing with these two wasn’t going to be easy at all.’
‘According to the original owner’s memories, he didn't have much time left to accomplish his objectives. If he failed, even with a perfectly cultivated Dao Technique, he wouldn't stand a chance.’
He glanced at the faces of Yu Yun Jun and Zhao Ning, and realized that their faces bore cold expressions. He thought to himself, ‘Although Song Zhi was doing a good job hiding his true colors, how could the both of them not see right through him?’
Yu Yun Jun then instructed him, "Since you're already familiar with the Dao manual, go and cultivate by yourself.”
“Yes!” Pei Zi Yun bowed in obedience and walked out.
Once he had left their sights, Yu Yun Jun then withdrew an enchanted communication amulet and tapped it once. The amulet started to light up. Before long, the face of an old man appeared on it. Zhao Ning and Yu Yun Jun bowed reverently.
When the old man appeared, he laughed and asked, "Yu Yun Jun, Zhao Ning, what's the matter?”
“Sect leader, my disciple Pei Zi Yun had just received the Dao manual yesterday and by today had claimed to finish studying it and learnt the Dao techniques within. He displayed them flawlessly. Hence I request for sect leader’s approval to promote this disciple to the inner circle.” Said Yu Yun Jun.
“Is that so?” The Free Cloud Sect Leader was shocked himself, and thought deeply.
“Yes leader. I can vouch for fellow sister Yu. I've seen it with my own eyes.” Zhao Ning added.
“If there's really such a thing, it seems like this disciple really has fate with our sect. And is a step closer to Dao.” The sect leader smiled and replied.
“Leader, do you think he can be promoted to the inner circle? And become a core disciple?” Yu Yun Jun asked.
The sect leader contemplated for some time before exhaling, "My two sect elders. This cannot be done. For a person to enter the inner circle, he has to cultivate up to a certain level. And for a person to become a core disciple, it would have to be based on his contributions on top of his cultivation level.”
“In order to reach the inner sect, regardless of how gifted Pei Zi Yun is, he still has to break through the gates of heavens and become a Yin master. Those are the rules.”
“And to become a core disciple, he has to first enter the inner circle. From there he has choose between using his spiritual roots, karmic luck, innate talent or contributions to vie for a spot. But since he had just joined the sect, and haven't done anything for us, plus the fact that he hasn't cultivated up to the required level, promoting him would only break the rules.”
“Besides, if he's truly gifted. It will only be a matter of time before he cultivates up to the required level and joins the inner circle. There's no need to break rules for him. Both of you just guide and look after him. Doing this will help to foster strong relationships between the sect members and elders.”
Yu Yun Jun and Zhao Ning eyed each other. In reality it was very normal for Yu Yun Jun to recommend her disciple to receive direct supervision from the sect leader. What's more this disciple was indeed outstanding.
Although the sect leader refused now, that didn't mean that he will refuse forever. It was clear that the sect was at a critical conjecture now, and promoting Pei Zi Yun would give added competition pressure to Song Zhi. Afterall, being a core disciple was a big honour and a person had to be deserving.
“Although it’s been long established that Song Zhi was not the reincarnation of the sect leader’s advisor, the sect leader could still not bear to face it.” Thinking this way, the both of them sighed and replied, "Yes, leader.”
(E/N: An advisor is also a sect elder)
When Pei Zi Yun and Wei Ang received their command to go and cultivate by themselves, they thus walked out of the main hall. Little Chu Xia followed along beside them. She was holding onto Pei Zi Yun’s sleeve as they walked.
The three of them were speaking excitedly, although the little Chu Xia was so talkative she was a bit of a headache, Wei Ang was very patient. Halfway through, Wei Ang smiled and suggested, "Senior Sister, Junior Brother, why don’t you come to my Hou Mansion. It’s an invitation by the landowner as a measure of friendship.”
“Great, great!” Little Chu Xia agreed.
“Many thanks brother Wei. But I’ve just started cultivating, and need to stabilise my foundation. I seek brother Wei’s forgiveness.” Pei Zi Yun saluted him as he spoke. He suddenly understood why Wei Ang was so talkative and in high spirits, unlike the version of himself from the original owner’s memories. Pei Zi Yun then went quiet.
“If I remember correctly, Ji Bei Hou was involved in a big case later on, and was executed. Since Wei Ang was protected by the sect, he was finally absolved of the crime after much difficulties. However, he had lost his ace card - family status, and thus fell behind.”
“With someone like that, it’s not worth it to be close to him, especially within the sect.”
“Since my junior brother is not going, then I won’t go as well. We shall go to your house the next time to play.” The little girl said. As she said this, she then dragged Pei Zi Yun by the sleeve to play. It was the first time that this little girl had been to the outer sect quarters, and she was intrigued. She pulled Pei Zi Yun to explore the different corners of the place. Pei Zi Yun could not ditch her, and had to follow.
Wei Ang smiled as he left the monastery, riding an ox-cart back to Hou Mansion.
Hou Mansion was relatively near and he reached in 30 minutes. He then saw a line of fearsome soldiers standing still outside. Wei Ang walked in without a care. He then walked along the corridor all the way to the pond. There he saw an unfamiliar soldier. This soldier’s face was painted red and black. Although he was short, it was clear that he had immense strength and exuded a fierce aura. This man seemed like he belonged to the elite group of people within the capital, and yet he was not dressed like an official. He pondered for some time, "A warrior from Fu Sang?”
Wei Ang furrowed his brow and thought hard. Just as he was thinking someone came out from the library. This man was about 40 years old and he looked exhausted. Wei Ang paused for sometime before bowing, "Mr Shen.”
This man was Shen Zhi, the secretary of Fu Mansion. Ji Bei Hou ruled his house with an iron clad fist. When generals and ministers visited Ji Bei Hou, they did not even dare to look up and speak to him. This secretary however, was dressed in a plain white robe and spoke freely to Master Hou and won his admiration. It was to the extent that even Master Hou’s sons had to address him as "Mister” whenever they saw him.
“Oh, it is third young master.” Shen Zhi looked at Wei Ang and sighed. Wei Ang was born a literary genius and distinguished himself from his peers at a young age. Since he was young, he was intelligent and bright. Ji Bei Hou had hopes that he could rely on his son in court. Nobody expected him to join the Free Cloud Sect. Shen Zhi started advising him, "Young master, you are very talented and would excel in becoming a government official…...”
Even before he could complete his sentence Wei Ang interrupted him, "Mister, you need not say further. Big brother would inherit father’s post, and second brother is a high ranking official. Two in the family is more than enough. Besides, I have no ambitions of becoming an official. In my life I’ve always wanted to be free and unfettered.”
As he said this, he waved his hands and left.
Seeing his shadow fading away, Shen Zhi heaved a long sigh. To take on a responsibility as huge as becoming a government official required someone to want it. There was only this much he could do. Besides, he could not say that Wei Ang was wrong about whatever he said.
Chapter 71: Confer a Title
Green Cloud Monastery
The autumn rain was unrelenting as it beat down upon the devout worshippers. Umbrellas were opened, shielding them from the flurry of rain. Pei Zi Yun exhaled deeply, as he retreated from his state of quietness. Instantly, he felt a certain sense of invigoration engulfing his body. His senses were sharper and he felt extremely comfortable. His Dao Techniques had improved another notch.
However, his face did not reflect any of these. In fact, it remained expressionless, "I’ve been cultivating and practicing everyday. The purpose of this process was to change the structure and capabilities of my internal organs.”
“According to the rules of this world, the evolution of the body was a sequential progression. However according to the rules of my original world, this was a natural process. Interfering with this natural process would have certain consequences.”
“Even if there were magical pills, was it possible to promote cell division at will, and recreate an entirely new body?” At this point, he heard the door open. Turning around abruptly, he saw that it was the little girl Chu Xia.
Everyday after cultivation time was over, the little girl would come around and disturb Pei Zi Yun mischievously. She would exploit the fact that she was his senior sister, and drag Pei Zi Yun out to play and have fun. There would always be a new street to explore, or a new adventure to embark on. This was in the name of "exploring the secular world”, when in fact she was buying kites, fanciful masks and candies.
At times, the little girl Chu Xia would even drag Pei Zi Yun to poke fun at a few of her other junior brothers. This little girl Chu Xia was extremely mischievous. Even in the original owner’s life, she had poked fun of him several times before.
Recalling once again of how she had died tragically, Pei Zi Yun could not help but feel a sense of tender feelings towards her. Hence, he always gave in to her demands whenever it was possible. This little imp would always cause complains within the monastery as she wrecked havoc in the name of fun. Even Pei Zi Yun became accustomed to being dragged before Yu Yun Jun and being scolded together with Chu Xia for mischief.
“Where shall we play today?” Pei Zi Yun said with a sly grin.
“We’re not playing today. There’s not much fun left to be had here in the monastery. We are to return to Fu Mansion. Aunt said that you’re already familiar with the routines and have excelled in the work entrusted to you here. Thus, there wasn’t any need for us to remain here any longer. Furthermore your mandatory High Scholar etiquette class is going to begin soon, and thus you have to return to the Academic Institution where the class will be held.” Chu Xia seemed gloomy as she replied.
“Oh, I get it now.” Pei Zi Yun nodded his head. The purpose for their visit here to Green Cloud Monastery was to familiarize himself with the outer disciples, the rules and their way of life. Pei Zi Yun had excelled and astonished everyone with his proficiency. Indeed, he could leave now.
Capital, Fu Mansion
Yu Yun Jun, Pei Zi Yun and the little girl Chu Xia returned to Fu Mansion, where High Scholar Fu had prepared a welcoming banquet in their honor. Since Pei Zi Yun was now his junior brother, he had to look after him well.
During the banquet, Pei Zi Yun and High Scholar Fu were deep in discussion, where they paired wine with their colorful conversations. Since both of them were High Scholars, they were a good match for one another. According to High Scholar Fu, he had attempted to take the Grand Scholar examination for a long time, and yet could not clear it. Furthermore Yu Yun Jun was his sister-in-law, and thus under her coaxing, he joined Free Cloud Sect as her disciple.
A few days later, in the morning, Pei Zi Yun had just woken up when a servant knocked on his door and requested to accompany him to the dining hall. He saw a sumptuous breakfast dishes on the table. High Scholar Fu, Yu Yun Jun and Chu Xia were all already present.
Pei Zi Yun then followed the servant to the table. Chu Xia was chirping away, "Little Junior Brother, hurry up and join us, we were waiting for you to begin eating.”
She then jumped off her chair with agility, and tugged on the sleeves of Pei Zi Yun and dragged him to his seat.
High Scholar Fu was experienced in matters such as this as he smiled and said, "In actual fact, the High Scholar etiquette class could be taken in your own county. But since you’ve been excelling in your classes, I figured it was important to let the High Scholars within the capital meet you during the class conducted here.”
“Although this etiquette class is not very important, you should still attend, for there are various lessons to be learnt. In future, when you have your own dealings with government officials, these skills will come in handy.”
"But it has to be said, even to this day, the common people refer to the Emperor as Jade Emperor, but officials call him Heaven Emperor, the difference in the names is only one word, but It holds a complete difference in essence"
“Although you’ve already entered the Dao, learning this is important too. This lesson teaches the important interaction between the dynasty and its interactions with officials, common folk and even religion.”
Pei Zi Yun nodded his head in acknowledgement. When he had finished his breakfast, Pei Zi Yun followed High Scholar Fu out as they prepared to leave.The little girl Chu Xia chased after them, "Junior brother, come back soon! When you’re back we can go by the river and fly our kites.”
Outside the mansion, there was an ox-cart being prepared by the servant as they made their way towards the institution. Once they arrived, Pei Zi Yun noticed two fearsome soldiers standing guard at the entrance. They strolled past these fierce looking soldiers and and walked towards a classroom. There were already several high scholars present. Many of them did not recognize Pei Zi Yun and were shocked that someone so young was already among their ranks, "Who’s that person, he’s so young!”
Someone replied in a hushed voice, "That person is this year’s Top Scorer.”
When they heard this, everyone was appalled, "So this is the fifteen years old Top Scorer that everyone’s been talking about.”
Many people approached Pei Zi Yun and clasped their hands in salute and Pei Zi Yun responded in kind. Everyone was exchanging pleasantries when a sonorous voice echoed through the corridors, "High Scholars, enter the classroom.”
The minute they heard this, the smiles were wiped off all their faces to be replaced by a gloomy expression. A person dressed in an officials robe walked in with two secretaries carrying a large stack of books behind him.
The teaching official stood before the class and shouted, "Silence!”
The noise within the classroom instantly vanished, and was replaced by silence. He then held up a namelist, which he checked against the profiles of the students before him, "Fellow Scholars, I’ve conducted a thorough check on all of your backgrounds and realized that among the 67 of you present, 6 of you came from extreme poverty.”
“As of today, regardless of background, as long as a person excels in the examination, they would have a chance of becoming an official. All of you here started off as regular students before becoming Elementary Scholars. You then took the examinations and passed before becoming High Scholars. In future, you will have a chance to become a Grand Scholar as well. Your past examinations had been based on the four books and five classics. Since you are here in this classroom today, it means that you’ve had a good understanding of these subjects.”
“At this point, do you think you have a good chance of becoming a Grand Scholar?”
“Just by looking at the few of you, I don’t think so.”
When they’ve heard this, everyone was dumbfounded. The silence in the room was deafening. The teaching official then smiled and revealed his teeth, "You might feel offended and insulted now. So I shall give you an example.”
“A random High Scholar, had studied for more than twenty years, and had a stellar reputation within the county. I’ve met him a few times before, and he spoke to me about the Lotus Goddess and her sufferings.”
“I know many people in villages worship the Lotus Goddess, and yet few people know that the mandatory sacrifices believers had to cough up, were all based on a bunch of fraudulent lies. It was a ploy to cheat and con believers of their money!”
“All of you are students, and thus are different from the masses. Not only must you uphold yourselves as honorable men, but also genuine men. When you stumble upon something like this, not only must you write a letter to the relevant authorities to inform them, but you also owe a duty to the people to ensure that the culprits behind these ploys are being captured and prosecuted. That is what we call decorum.”
“As for that High Scholar, I have no idea where he ended up. But I can say for sure, that if a high learned man such as himself is unable to set apart real sacrifices to religion, and fraud, how can he hope to become a Grand Scholar.”
The teaching official said fiercely, as though he were disciplining the many High Scholars before him. After pausing for several moments, he then smiled, "Gauging decorum first requires a person’s status to be determined, followed by his depth, and lastly his feelings. Only after these three are established, can you determine the appropriate course of actions to take.”
“This is of extreme importance, as it differentiates the educated from the uneducated. Everyone under the Emperor is aware on how to conduct themselves before His Majesty, and yet many are unaware how to conduct themselves before each other.”
In actual fact, everyone was drowsy and falling asleep in class. Pei Zi Yun however, was attentive and captivated by the lesson. In this world, everyone from top down are ruled by a particular set of etiquettes and decorum. This includes the Emperor and his ministers, all the way down to common folk. The level of decorum reflects their status in society, which determines how the people are divided and the lastly the allocation of resources to these status groups.
That was, in essence the contents of the class.
When the class was over, High Scholar Fu and Pei Zi Yun bumped into Chen Jin Chun and Yu Guang Mao on the way out. The pair of High Scholars clasped their hands to greet High Scholar Fu, who smiled, "We are all High Scholars, there’s no need for such ceremony.”
Before Chen Jin Chun and Yu Mao Guang became High Scholars, they had lived in Fu Mansion and were spoilt by the comfortable lodging and delicious meals. Most importantly, they received the guidance of High Scholar Fu in times of need. Seeing him once again rekindled their respect for him. They talked to each other as they left the institution. When they were outside, they boarded their respective ox-carts and bade farewell to one another.
Fu Mansion
When they reached the mansion, they alighted the oxcart as High Scholar Fu smiled, "Well, that lesson was boring. However, as High Scholars, it’s important knowledge to have. Knowing how to behave when engaging with people of different classes is fundamental. If not, behaving wrongly in a particular setting could get yourself into trouble.”
“Thank you for your guidance. Actually, I didn’t find it boring.” Pei Zi Yun had studied sociology and international studies in his past life before becoming a stockbroker and had a clear understanding of these topics. He understood that every country had a ruler and ordinary citizens. The interaction between superior and subordinates might seem very simple, but it was a simplified analogy of how class systems worked from top to bottom.
Even in this current world, understanding who plays the role of master, and who is the servant was the essence of politics.
Pei Zi Yun would go so far as to say that even after reading a thousand Confucius books, it could not compare to the lecture he had just heard today. However, since he had already entered the Dao, he could slowly examine these ideas. He then asked, "I still have some queries. The dynasty had conferred a title on our sect, to which I am a little unclear of. Please explain to me further.”
During the lecture earlier today, Pei Zi Yun could not help but thought of his sect and the relevance of the lesson to his sect.
High Scholar Fu pondered for some time, forming the thoughts in his head before speaking, "The imperial court divide their actions into four stances. They were Hostility, Harmony, Advocate and Partner Positions.
“Hostility Stance refers to the imperial court attacking and suppressing the Dao sects.”
“Harmony Stance refers to the imperial court granting sects lawful existence. However, the sects are not allowed to interfere with the system or running of the nation. This is the current arrangements between sects and the imperial court.
“Advocate Stance refers to the imperial court being respectful of the cultivation of the sects and show favor to the sects. However, this does not mean that the imperial court will go so far as to offer sacrifices or tributes to the sects. However, if they do, it’s only a one-time grace shown.
“Partner Stance refers to the imperial court making annual sacrifices and tributes to the sects. They will also share the Imperial Qi between themselves and the Dao sect. This is the most advantageous stance a sect can have with the imperial court.”
“To be more specific, titles will be bestowed to the leaders of the sect once their sects attains Advocate Stance and above. In order for a sect to reach Advocate Stance with the imperial court, it will first have to be of the Harmony Stance. Likewise in order for a sect to reach the Partner Stance, it has to first be of the Advocate Stance. The Emperor can also bestow the title of Baron to deserving individuals. The titles then raise to Viscount, Count, Marquis, Duke and finally Prince, depending on the person’s contribution, birth and merit.”
“Within our sect, the titles that can be conferred would be Dao Masters and True Sovereigns.”
Pei Zi Yun nodded his head in agreement. The titles bestowed upon the sect were first, Dao Master followed by True Sovereign. However, this title of True Sovereign wasn’t the same as the True Sovereigns whose bodies become saintly and attain immortality. Instead, this True Sovereign title bestowed by Free Cloud Sect indicates a title within the spiritual realm.
'According to the original owner’s memories, regardless of whether a title was obtained through the sect or through the spiritual realm, everyone still desired for the title conferred by the imperial court.'
'The duties of the outer disciples were to strive towards improving their standings with the imperial court. Hence, the disciples will help to build a solid reputation for the sect by writing books and building monasteries as often as they can. Another way they can do this would be through the killing of monsters and demons all across the region. This would aid in spreading the name and reputation of the sect. The last method would be to travel all across the nation and help by healing the sick and injured. This method was the last resort due to the fact that the recognition would be very minor and the effort taken was tremendous.'
'At this point, what is important is to amass the contributions towards the dynasty as soon as possible. Taking my own time off is out of the question.'
Thinking like this, Pei Zi Yun thus decided to represent the sect in making contributions toward the dynasty. Free Cloud Sect does not chase after wealth and riches. Instead, it strives to be stronger and have more power. However, in order to attain more strength and power, it would require lands and wealth. This way, it would have an unbroken stream of resources to sustain its acquisition of power.
“Healing the sick around the nation was something that every normal disciple from any sect would set out to accomplish. Travelling across the nation to slay demons and monsters were a common occurrence as well. In fact, so many people had been doing this that they were probably extremely proficient in these areas already.'
'As for the level of contribution rendered by Wei Ang, he wielded his own influence outside of the sect and contributed a fleet of ships and boats to travel to and from the sect. Additionally, he even built a monastery on a large plot of land, that saved the lives of thousands. In doing these, he was able to rise above his fellow disciples.'
'In order for me to catch up to the contributions of Wei Ang, I have to accomplish something big. At this point, Free Cloud Sect’s title conferred was only Dao Master. According to the original owner’s memories, the sects were all thrown into chaos after the death of the current Emperor. All the sect leaders with Prince titles were fighting for the crown and caused a great deal of inconvenience to the other sects. However, since Free Cloud Sect only had the authority of Dao Master, and yet already owned an entire mountain, disaster struck.'
'If I’m able to think of a way for the imperial court to grant our sect the title of True Sovereign, that would be a huge accomplishment. From then, we would wield significant authority and be prepared for when the dynasty collapses.'
'If I am able to accomplish this, not even Song Zhi or Wei Ang can be compared to me.'
'With this contribution alone, I would be able to become an honorary disciple. I would have at least satisfied the contributions requirement.'
Just as he was thinking out aloud to himself, he felt a sharp pain on his forehead. A small, white Plum Blossom appeared before his eyes, expanding rapidly before turning into an information interface. It was almost transparent as it floated around. Details began to form before his eyes. A red line of words appeared before him.
Mission: Establish a big achievement for the sect, become the most outstanding member within the outer sect
Pei Zi Yun stared at the screen for sometime before finally understanding, "The objectives of these was to make me establish a great accomplishment within a short period of time. This way, I would be able to compete against Wei Ang and Song Zhi in vying for a spot as the nucleus of the outer disciples.”
The only thing was. How should he accomplish that outcome?
Pei Zi Yun paced several steps forward, with a plan in his mind in order to achieve his objectives and spread his reputation far and wide.
Since his name had already been recorded within the sect’s logs, he could not take the Grand Scholar examination. The next best way was to write books and poems and create a reputation for himself. This was to only way to increase the authority of the sect, and achieve victory for himself. This method was very familiar with the original owner.”
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received Weekly Power Status
200+ Power
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