章節 8: 8. Namjin Sect palace politics
Hao Shun had a dwelling of his own. Therein, servants, golden arcs, auspicious clouds, and mists that part as he walked in. It was extravagance in the highest order. Prim and proper women choreographically stepped back, making way for Hao Shun. Hao Shun's body language went small. He was terrified of the unfamiliar environment. He went inside and did the only thing he was taught to do. He cultivated the Seven Stars cultivation manual. His consciousness drifted into an illusory sea of stars. Every celestial body that drifted in the dark sky was connected with non-auspicious, non-ominous massive strings of karmic ties. As they drifted, they collected chaos energy. The chaos energy from the distant celestial bodies diminished the most. However, they could not be excluded from the process for efficiency's sake because they still had their mass affecting other planets. The seven-star cultivation technique would fall apart if a cultivator tried to do so. They would mistake the locations of these masses without factoring in the variables from the excluded planets and try to connect with empty space. Which would yield no results.
Hao Shun felt the chaos Qi pulsate from the cores of these planets. A minute amount of it made its way through the karmic tie. However, it was only a minute amount on a planetary scale. Which meant it was an avalanche. Eventually, chaos energy made its way to the world Hao Shun was standing on. Hao Shun took a deep breath. This was the hard part. He only took in the amount he thought he could handle. Too much would destroy him, too little would render the whole practice pointless.
He connected to the planet's core with the help of the formation underneath him. He felt his meridians straining themselves trying to carry the energy. He carefully guided it to his diantian and let it join the rest of the chaos energy.
This chaos energy slowly degraded into the seven types of Qi, allowing Hao Shun to cultivate six of the seven elements successfully.
He slowly opened his eyes. When he did so, one of the servants was sitting before him. A shining dagger was sitting on top of an ornate piece of fabric. Hao Shun flinched.
"You were in deep meditation. I could've killed you easily."
Hao Shun was terrified. His voice cracked when he replied.
" Wha-what do you want?"
The woman smiled.
"My master, Guo Nuan of the Guo clan wants to talk to you about important matters. She wants you to attend her tea ceremony at midday."
Hao Shun was visibly shaken. He swallowed his spit.
"Aren't you employed under my name?"
She started laughing a bone-chilling laugh. Questioning her loyalties was funny to her.
"Don't be late honey."
Time past. Before long, it was midday. Hao Shun was led by his arm to the Gao clan residence in the inner sect. As a ten-year-old boy, with fear in his eyes, was led through the inner sect, no one seemed to bat an eye.
The dwelling in front of him was even more gaudy than his own. Hao Shun's dwelling was up to par for a disciple of the sect leader. Gao Nuan's dwelling was above and beyond. Gao Nuan was dressed to impress. She looked ethereal and otherworldly.
She was sitting high, and Hao Shun was sitting low. She wanted to physically make clear their positions.
"I would like to welcome our new junior brother among us."
Shivering, Hao Shun forced a smile. How "Nice." he thought. She acts as if she didn't threaten his life.
"Nice to meet you."
She elegantly put the tea on her delicate lips. She deliberately acted slow to let the silence marinate. She wanted to add gravitas to her next words.
"There is a great injustice taking place. It all looks fine and pretty outside but, In this great sect of ours. My great Gao clan is getting their rights trampled upon by Gong Guoying and his vile Gong clan."
A single tear traveled on her jade cheeks and dripped on her clothes from her chin. Her red lips were quivering.
However, unbeknownst to her, Hao Shun was still in fight or flight mode. He just thought of ways to escape this situation.
"That goddamn Gong clan, they are nothing but dogs."
Hao Long shivered and looked Gao Nuan in the eyes. He desperately hoped she would let him go. Her cheeks were red, and she was glad that she had found another ally among the sect leader's disciples. She suddenly disappeared from where she was sitting and reappeared, hugging Hao Shun's head lovingly.
"I knew Master's new disciple would see the truth. The good and truth will always prevail. In the next vote, vote for the Gao clan to manage the Xianming mine will you?"
Shivering, Hao Shun nodded.
"I will."
Gao Nuan noticed that Hao Shun was quivering like a baby bird.
"Are you cold? Don't fret martial brother!"
She warmed him up with the snap of her fingers. Hao Shun gathered all the bravery his little heart could muster and asked a simple question.
"May I excuse myself, Senior sister? I have some things to attend to." She let Hao Shun go. While he was leaving, she brought something out of her spacial ring. She jump-scared him with a jade stone in her hand.
"Here is a subspace formation jade. It's convenient to carry. Gao clan always takes care of their allies."
Hao Shun was so scared, that he felt as if his soul was leaving his body. He took the jade and cupped his fists. She smiled and tussled Hao Shun's hair. She had left satisfied with this interaction.
Hao Shun didn't know how to interact with a subspace formation jade. As far as he was concerned, he just received a fancy egg thing. He, dejected, hunched over, made his way back toward his dwelling.
Hao Shun's guards denied him entry to his dwelling, Suddenly he heard a voice calling out to him. Surely, the owner of the voice was the one who took control of his guards with money or some other means.
"Junior brother, what a coincidence!"
"Coincidence my foot!" Hao Shun sneered inwardly. He cupped his fists.
"My name is Hao Shun, What is senior brother's name?"
Gang Guoying was pleased with the Hao Shun's attitude.
"My name is Gong Guoying, Junior brother. Nice to meet you."
Hao Shun's heart sank. "Of course it is," he thought to himself. He attempted to go into his dwelling once again.
"What's the hurry, Hao Shun? Come, join me for a tea."
Hao Shun's eyes grew dim with a subtle rage. "May your tea sink to the sea," he grumbled inwardly. Hao Shun smiled. "Lead the way, Senior brother." Gong Guoying's face beamed with joy. This was an opportunity to pull the new disciple of his master to his side.
He leads the listless Hao Shun to his dwelling. His dwelling was as equally gaudy as Gao Nuan's residence. In the same manner, He made Hao Shun sit below him as he prepared to make his pitch.
"Brother, How did you find our sect? Is it alright?"
Hao Shun nodded. "Our sect is great. It's a slice of paradise."
Hearing that, Gong Guoying found an opening in the dialogue to inject his rant organically.
"That paradise is rotting underneath brother Shun. Gao clan is reaching out for more and more. Every aspect of the sect is filled with Gao clan's goons. Brother Shun, they need to be stopped. Fret not Brother Shun, our Gong clan is making a stand. I hope you can stand behind our great cause. In the upcoming vote please vote for the Gong clan so the Gao clan won't further creep into every facet of sect life."
Hao Shun forced a smile.
"Of course."
He was now a member of two opposing political affiliations. His eyes were full of emotional pain.
"Now if you excuse me brother Guoying, I have some matters to attend to." Relieved that he had secured another vote for his cause he let the boy go.
Hao Shun once again walked back to his dwelling. This time, he was able to successfully enter his own house.
"All of you, dismissed!" he bellowed. No one listened to him. He sighed and made his way to the meditation room. The planets themselves weren't this complicated. While going there, he happened to walk in front of a mirror. His forehead was wrinkled with worry and crevix between his cheeks and his mouth was visible. He looked like a forty-five-year-old man had been shrunk to the size of a ten-year-old.
He sat in his meditation formation and concentrated. The company of planets made him feel at ease. It was as if no one could get him there.
He finished up with his cultivation and stood up. He was far more serene than before. He decided to think long and hard about what to do. He had put himself in a silly situation.
"Man, I have to go and see Yao Lei. Maybe he knows what to do. He is good with this stuff."
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