Chương 6: 6. The days that spirit stones are distributed
Madam Ming allowed Yao Lei to acclimate himself to the sect. She gave him four days. During those four days, Yao Lei didn't stay idle.
The first thing he read was "Introduction to mental cultivation." Yao Lei was shaken by the fact that the sect leader could read minds. If anything, he wanted to learn mind arts to tell himself that he could protect his mind from invasions.
According to the manual, the mind arts are capable of expanding and protecting one's mind as well as invading the minds of others. It isn't like someone else's mind is a room you can walk in. What is being pushed around are memories. At the end of the day, a person's mind is always their own.
There are dangers to receiving too many memories and not managing them through mental arts.
During a scenario where someone had his mind filled with the entire lifetime of the person who is invading their mind, they might shift loyalties to the invader. That's because everyone is on their own side and the technique adds an extra person's worth of memories that justify the invader's position. In some cases, the invaded might develop a split personality disorder.
Mental cultivation teaches a person how to box an invader's memories into the corner of the mind. It allowed the practitioner to delete things from their minds too.
There are techniques for blocking someone from invading your mind. However, such techniques are ineffective against brute force. In contrast, implanting false memories onto oneself would protect the information you want to protect far better. Because the mind invader would be confronted with conflicting scenarios.
When practicing mental arts, a certain capability of complex thought is required. The capability to think is key to properly structuring spells in the practitioner's mind.
Thus, a certain shopping list for spells has been formed for Yuo Lei. He has to obtain a lot of contribution points to gain access. The specific spells he needs are on the second floor of the scriptures pavilion. Not only them, but he also needs scriptures for yin arts, refining arts formations, and sigilmancy for his actual work in the artificers and formations hall.
Although it wasn't his intention, he resigned himself to contribute to the Namjin Mountain sect economy for some time to come so he could defend himself in the future. Yao Lei felt as if he had been lured into a trap by a spider.
When it was time to properly accept Yao Lei into the fold, Madam Ming paid out of pocket for sigilmancy and metallurgy books. These were the basic proficiencies for creating spiritual artifacts. Madam Ming, as of now, is swarmed with work. The main reason for such busy days is that no one can pick up the slack. Most of the disciples gravitate toward sword art. The sword arts offer quick returns in the missions hall. It's a lot easier to hunt spiritual beasts and apprehend criminals than make complex spiritual devices for far fewer contribution points.
Convincing people to risk their lives will always have a large price tag. The prices of things do not reflect only what the intrinsic value of the deed contributed. The prices are always at the point that the payer and paid are willing the compromise. The payer says, "I'm not going to pay above a certain point for this work." and the paid people say, "I'm not willing to do this work below such pay. The prices of the work done are always between these points.
The work that people risk their lives in, namely sword work, therefore pays far more. Manufacturers have more to compromise because their lives are never in danger. The more the manufacturers compromise the more unappealing manufacturing gets. The fewer manufacturers there are, the more valuable the spiritual devices become.
The formations and artificers hall therefore is in a constant state of "Neck deep in work, barely keeping up with demand."
Yao Lei attentively read the sigilmancy book he is holding in his hands. The arts Yao Lei was learning offered far more to Yao Lei than a mere way to make a living. It was a way to reclaim his life from the swindlers. Unlike the other Outer sect disciples, he studied his subjects wholeheartedly. Six hours a day, he would chisel sigils marked by Madam Ming upon the swords using the energy scalpel. After he did his assigned work, he would run to the scripture hall and keep studying.
The scripture hall elder would always smile after seeing Yao Lei. The little kid kept studying away. He made the scripture elder feel like the future of the sect was in safe hands. He put his hand on the boy's back and said.
"You better not come tomorrow. Tomorrow the disciples will get their monthly spirit stones."
Yao Lei lifted his eyebrow.
"Why do I need to hide when disciples getting their spirit stones?"
The elder leaned in.
"When disciples get their spirit stones, it's never enough. They, as a result, go out to rob. The sect tacitly approves such behavior to separate the wheat from the chaff."
Yao Lei rolled his eyes. He didn't buy the whole "Separating wheat from the chaff." rhetoric. These crusty old grandpas were just too lazy to hold up justice. There was something nasty under every rock in this godforsaken sect.
The next day, just as the scripture hall elder said, Yao Lei was given three spirit stones. But instead of running and hiding, Yao Lei stepped outside the formations and artificer's hall with a bottle of ink, brush, and paper in his hand.
Just like that, a gang of sword-wielding disciples came to find trouble with him for his spirit stones. How was this supposed to separate the wheat from the caff? Yao Lei was outnumbered. He had to drastically outclass these disciples so as not to get his spirit stones robbed. He had to either form an even bigger gang or bring out any backing he had. None of which indicated his power level as a cultivator. Also, how was he supposed to get strong without any spirit stones to use in cultivation? The guys who had the most spirit stones were obviously going to get even stronger. What kind of dimwit system was this?
The ugly boy in front smirked, tapping his curved sword on his shoulder.
"Give us your spirit stones or get a beating."
Yao Lei looked up from where he was sitting.
"Sure, let me record your name onto the scroll of grudges first."
Ugly boy winced. The kid in front of him was going off script.
"What's the scroll of grudges?"
Yao Lei smiled. The boy had taken the bait.
"It's nothing much. I work at the artificer's hall. That means I can influence who gets swords first and who gets swords last. Good luck robbing people when you don't even have a sword. Or better yet, die in a ditch somewhere trying to fight without using spiritual artifacts."
Ugly boy looked at his friends and softly said, "Let's go, it's not worth it." He then turned toward Yao Lei and said:
"You better give me some discount when I buy swords!" and left.
Similar interactions took place with several other gangs until the end of the day. He had protected his spirit stones. That night, he set up a basic cultivation formation by writing sigils on the ground with a stick and then he used up his spirit stones. The more he carried the consumables, the more he was at risk.
The next day, Madam Ming was looking at him like he had done something wrong.
"Boy, did you threaten disciples with the waiting list? Who gave you the right? You know you have no say in the matter of the waiting list!"
Madam Ming pulled on Yao Lei's ear and scolded him. His crime was stepping out of his authority.
"Go face the wall over there and don't move until I say so!"
Madam Ming was not that angry. The system which separated the wheat from the chaff worked. Yao Lei was wheat, the robbers and the robbed were chaff who could only be trusted with grunt work. This boy, who just got here, had managed to survive his first robbery day with his head held high and dignity intact.
At the same time, Yao Lei was muttering under his breath.
"You stinky old hag! Why did I have to stand here? What did I do wrong wrong?"
Yao Lei's eyes were tearing. He felt so wronged. Madam Ming was barely holding back her laughter. The boy didn't realize she could hear his creative insults loud and clear with her advanced cultivation base.
The next day, Madam Ming bought him another manual. Yao Lei was growing dear to her heart. The title of the manual said "The Imperial Standard Yin Cultivation Manual" Yao Lei looked at Madam Ming in shock. It would be a year until he had enough cıontribution points to get access to a proper cultivation method beyond qi gathering. Was this woman crazy? One day she was like a storm, the next day she was so nice.
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