Chapitre 13: Scouting of Subordinates
"As you may have realized, primeval essence is one of the most fundamental foundations of Gu cultivation," the elder announced in a strong voice for all the young students to hear, his expression as calm as ever. "But unfortunately, after awakening our aperture with the innate talent fated to us, we cannot increase its quantity."
"Fortunately, the Heavens have not left us without a path forward. For those willing to walk it, while we may not achieve a quantitative increase in primeval essence, a qualitative change is possible!"
Hearing this, the students nod repeatedly, especially those with lower talent, Hei Tu notices.
"This is cultivation, as you all know. There are nine major ranks, from Rank 1 to Rank 9, and four minor stages—Initial, Middle, Upper, and Peak—and right now, you are all in the lowest cultivation level: Rank 1, Initial stage Gu Masters." Saying this, he steps closer to his table, pulling out a relatively small pouch and three bamboo-branch-shaped badges. "So your priority is to advance to the Middle stage in your cultivation as quickly as possible, achieving this qualitative improvement in your primeval essence."
"Therefore, the next clan test, after the bamboo-shooting competition, will be for the first to advance to this stage," the academy elder pauses mid-sentence, allowing the young students to express their excitement amongst themselves.
For Hei Tu, this means he had a moment to hear Zi Heng talk about betting a primeval stone on who between them would reach the Middle stage first.
Which Hei Tu accepted readily, knowing Zi Heng's cultivation diligence. Even if he had A-Grade talent, Hei Tu would still be moderately confident about winning the bet.
"The first to advance to the Middle stage will receive this pouch with thirty primeval stones and the position of class chairman, while the second and third to advance will each receive ten primeval stones and the positions of vice-chairman."
With these words, the students erupted with even more fervor and excitement than before, with several glances going to Su Ah, Bi Xia, and even Hei Tu himself, along with a few other relatively talented youths—though the attention on the latter was less than on the first two.
"Well, with that said, let's begin the class."
Cough "Our glorious first clan leader established our clan in the very location of the mortal village where he grew up..."
---
"They really need an organized curriculum here…" he murmurs quietly, rubbing his head, which aches a bit after listening to the elder lecture for hours.
The academy elder's lesson, which began with the clan's origins and the life of the first elder, quickly shifted to the advantages of the Bamboo Shoot Gu—such as lower primeval essence consumption and various Rank 2 advancement routes—and then to how those with high innate talent will always be ahead of the less talented, before finally ending with more clan propaganda.
But that wasn't of much importance to him, as he was more focused on the fact that his deduction—that the next test would be about cultivation advancement—was, fortunately, correct.
This almost made him let out a sigh of relief, as it meant that his slightly more unrestricted use of his primeval stones wouldn't have negative consequences for him.
"What are you talking about? I thought the elder's lesson on the glory of the clan's first leader was great!" Zi Heng said with an excited grin.
Like many of the young people in the clan, he was incredibly enthusiastic and thrilled when hearing about the accomplishments of the clan's former leaders—a sentiment Hei Tu understood, as he felt the same way about historical figures from his own father land.
However, some of the young people here took their devotion to an extreme, with many declaring that they would have fought side-by-side with, and given their lives to save, the clan's first elder from assassination.
He overheard several of them talking about how they would become Rank 5 Gu Masters and free the Shu Clan from the tributary state imposed by the Zhang Clan, a status that started dating back to the rule of the clan's second leader.
To Hei Tu, this notion was foolish, given that, throughout its long history, even the geniuses of the past couldn't achieve such a feat, yet these undisciplined youths with no remarkable talent thought they could.
Besides, even if someone did manage to reach such strength, according to the elder's words, the Zhang Clan currently has dozens of Rank 4 Gu Masters and at least a few Rank 5 Gu Masters, while the Shu Clan has only one Rank 4 Gu Master and fewer than a dozen elders at Rank 3.
So, he imagined that one additional Rank 4 or even Rank 5 Gu Master wouldn't make much difference.
Moreover, he didn't believe the upper ranks of the clan would make such a move, given the risks involved. It was even a semi-taboo topic in the clan, which he could see by how curtly the academy elder reprimanded the youths who spoke about it.
---
"Well, what I was trying to say is that—" Hei Tu stopped mid-sentence, noticing a short girl approaching them.
The girl gazes at him with light green eyes, a delicate smile gracing her soft features. A touch of makeup enhances her natural beauty, while her short, dark hair falls just above her shoulders, creating a striking contrast against her pale white skin. She wears a long, teal-blue Chinese-style dress that covers much of her figure, adding to her graceful presence. This is Su Ah, the clan leader's daughter and the top talent of the year.
"Oh, I'm sorry to interrupt your conversation, but… I'd like to speak with you… Hei Tu, correct?" Su Ah said gently, her tone soft and a bit shy.
Hei Tu was momentarily taken aback, as he hadn't expected such a manner from the girl who often had an expressionless, calm face.
"That's correct. And you're not interrupting anything important, so there's no need to apologize," Hei Tu replied, trying to keep his voice calm and respectful. She was, after all, the clan leader's daughter—a person he'd prefer not to be on bad terms with.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Zi Heng adjusting his posture, puffing his chest out, and putting on a confident look, almost making Hei Tu sigh.
"That's good! I'd like to talk to you if you have a moment." Su Ah said with a gentle smile, her gaze shifting subtly to Zi Heng, conveying her desire to speak privately.
But Zi Heng, oblivious to the cue, continued to stare at her with growing nervousness, as if struggling to find something to say.
Hei Tu gave him a gentle pat on the shoulder. "You can go ahead; I'll catch up with you later so we can continue our conversation." Zi Heng's eyes widened, and he slapped his forehead as he finally understood Su Ah's intention.
"See you later!" Zi Heng called, hurrying out of the academy hall.
Su Ah nodded softly, and then, with a hint of timidity in her voice, said, "Well… to get straight to the point, so I don't take up too much of your time—you're aware of the responsibilities, privileges, and goals that come with being the class chairman, aren't you?"
Seeing him nod, she continued, "Then you know it's customary for those who become chairman and vice-chairman to gather a group of… let's say, talented friends and supporters who will form the political foundation of their support base after graduating from the clan academy."
Hei Tu nodded calmly, as if he fully understood, although much of this information was new to him.
Still, he wasn't naïve; it was clear she had come to recruit him as one of these "talented supporters." It wasn't surprising that she saw him this way, considering he was the fourth to refine his vital gu and had received consistent praise from the academy elder for his precise and accurate responses in class. Not to mention, he had made a name for himself in sparring, thanks to his advantages with the Hound Strength Gu and Yang Gu, often standing out among his peers in the clan's martial arts sessions.
"Of course, as part of my support base, you would receive benefits according to your merits, and you'd be directly affiliated with the clan leader's faction." She met his eyes as she said this, as if gauging his response or contemplating her next words.
"I… I don't mean to sound arrogant, but I'm confident that it's only a matter of time before I become class president, so… following me now as one of my close supporters could be greatly beneficial for you." A soft blush rose on her cheeks as she offered a dazzling smile, seemingly embarrassed by her own words.
Hei Tu considered her offer for a few moments, then responded with polite, noncommittal words, expressing appreciation for her proposal but explaining that he needed time to think it over. He promised to give her a definitive answer within a few days.
This "consideration" was, of course, due to Bi Xia, whom he expected to be her rival in this competition for future supporters. He wanted to hear Bi Xia's perspective before aligning himself with Su Ah, although he was already inclined toward her; she was, after all, the clan leader's daughter, with a secure future in the clan's politics. Her gentle, shy demeanor also seemed endearing and much easier to work with than the arrogance he'd expected from someone of her high importance within the clan.
After he explained his need for time, Su Ah thanked him warmly, listing a few more benefits of joining her faction before excusing herself and leaving the academy hall with quick, graceful steps.
As he watched her go, Hei Tu noticed her posture seemed much more relaxed, making her earlier formality seem stiff—likely due to her shy personality, he assumed.
"Well, I'd better not keep Zi Heng waiting any longer," he murmured, heading for the hall's exit, where he spotted Bi Xia.
Bi Xia was a slim, wiry young man with long hair. Despite his slender frame and his slightly below-average looks, he carried himself with a distinct, masculine confidence.
Bi Xia approached Hei Tu, and, like Su Ah, he brought up the topic of recruiting Hei Tu as one of his future supporters when he became class president. However, Bi Xia was far more polished in his words, making the conversation feel casual, as if their discussion had come about naturally from a genuine interest, displaying an impressive skill in persuasion that Su Ah lacked.
If not for his prior conversation with Su Ah—and if Hei Tu had been a bit more naïve—he might have thought Bi Xia had simply happened upon him by chance and found a mutual interest, with friendship as his only intent.
Hei Tu couldn't help but admire this talent; it was a gift few could cultivate through effort alone, a talent that came naturally to Bi Xia.
In the end, Hei Tu politely declined, as he had with Su Ah, though with considerably more difficulty, as Bi Xia had a way of drawing him back into the conversation, making it harder to wrap things up. At one point, Hei Tu nearly found himself agreeing to join Bi Xia and some of his friends for dinner that very evening.
Fortunately, Zi Heng, who had returned to check on why he was taking so long, provided the perfect excuse for Hei Tu to make his exit. Not about to let this chance slip away, Hei Tu seized the moment and hurried off with Zi Heng—careful not to mention any of Bi Xia dinner plans, as that would have sealed his fate for the night.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone