Cultivation

Medicine Hall, Si Lak Mercenaries

It took the combined effort Xi Yun, Gu Yan and Nalan Yu, to repress Yi Hei. Three restrictive matrices casted, and yet he could still struggle a bit. Xi Yun narrowed her eyes.

"You're stripped of your Guardian rank today, Yi Hei; and will be confined to the Boilers to remain there until the Grand Chief says otherwise,"

Yi Hei snorted, but he didn't respond. Due to him being restrained, Xi Yun was able to draw a teleportation circle beneath his feet which transported him immediately to the Boilers. She then turned to stare at the debris wreaked in the Medicine Hall, and at the badly battered Jun Ru.

"Where are the other disciples of the Medicine Hall?" Xi Yun shouted loudly, and, timidly, a couple of white robed students entered.

"Give Vanguard Tao He the medicine required by the Grand Chief; and take care of Vanguard Jun Ru's injuries,"

They all bowed.

"Yes, Senior!"

Xi Yun turned around to leave. On second thoughts, she raised her hand and cleared off all the debris. She then left with Gu Yan and Nalan Yu in tow. When they reached a fork in the road, Gu Yan turned aside to his own Riding Squad while Xi Yun and Nalan Yu continued on till they reached the Spear Squad main courtyard. The students who were standing around casually immediately stood at alert. Xi Yun ignored them and beckoned to Han Yuefeng instead. She said in passing to Nalan Yu behind her.

"Carry on what you were doing before,"

"Yes, Master," Nalan Yu bowed.

Han Yuefeng followed Xi Yun upon her prompting. They arrived at Xi Yun's living quarters. Just like the East Hall, there was a cultivation room at one side. The courtyard had a stone bench next to a fountain, and here Xi Yun sat.

"How have you been?" Aside the day she brought her back, Xi Yun had not set her eyes on her newest disciple. Hells, she didn't even know her name!

"Good, Master," Han Yuefeng addressed her the way Nalan Yu had. Xi Yun smiled.

"That day, I was so occupied with all that happened I didn't even ask your name,"

"I'm Han Yuefeng,"

"Oh? Who brought you to the Si Lak Mercenaries?"

"I don't know,"

"You don't know what they look like also?"

Han Yuefeng shook her head. Xi Yun shrugged.

"Alright. You should pick a Mercenary name one of these days. What's your element affinity?"

"Water," Han Yuefeng replied.

"I see," Xi Yun stroked her chin, "alright. Let's start from here. First of all, manifest your element,"

Nodding, Han Yuefeng scrunched up her face in concentration and held up both palms. After a short while, suspended above each was a blob of water.

"One is enough," said Xi Yun, "and let it be more than that,"

"Mn," Han Yuefeng clenched her left palm and the water above it disappeared. She then concentrated on her right and slowly, the mass of water increased.

"Good," Xi Yun nodded, "now, try to condense it into the shape of a sword,"

"Ah?" Sweat beading on her forehead, Han Yuefeng raised her head, her eyes wide, "I-- I don't think I can do that,"

"Don't limit yourself," Xi Yun rebuked, "you can do anything as long as you set your mind on it,"

Han Yuefeng nodded, and took a deep breath, looking at the rotating blob of water suspended above her right hand. To make a sword...why?! To even make simple shapes like circles and squares were hard! Anyway...to make a sword...she would need more water than this...

Sweating profusely, Han Yuefeng continued to materialise more and more water. After she reckoned it was enough, she started forcing it into a defined shape. She formed the hilt as a rough circle connected to a small cylinder. She added another short horizontal cylinder, and then a long pointy water spear.

She grabbed hold of the hilt and turned the whole thing to ice. She then looked up.

"Wonderful," Xi Yun clapped twice, "I'm going to give you a technique scroll related to your water affinity," Xi Yun retrieved a yellow scroll from her spatial storage, "I give you ten days to master it,"

Han Yuefeng bowed as she received it.

"Thank you, Master. I won't let you down,"

*

Li Manor

"Are you sure about this?" Shu Wanyi held her daughter's hands in hers. Ren Ziyan nodded stubbornly. The older woman frowned.

"Ziyan-- you're only a young girl. Why do you want to go there?"

"I want to hone my skills!" Ren Ziyan pouted, "and there's no need to worry. After all, niece is the owner of the Si Lak Mercenaries. No one would dare bully me," she raised her chin upwards with a small smile. Shu Wanyi groaned. Ren Ziyan glanced at her.

"Come on, mother! Come and let's tell Ziming-jie. Hurry," Ren Ziyan dragged her mother up and they both went over to the pavilion where Ren Ziming was. The latter smiled when she saw them.

"Come over, mother, sis. You can never have enough of me, huh," she chuckled.

Shu Wanyi sighed as she sat down. Ren Ziyan went over to cling to her sister's arm instead.

"Jie," she cooed. Ren Ziming reached out fondly to pat her head.

"Our Yan-er is all grown up. What is it? What do you want from big sis?" Ren Ziming asked with doting eyes.

"I--" Ren Ziyan glanced at her mother, who nodded resignedly, "sis, I want to join niece's organisation,"

Ren Ziming raised her eyebrows in shock.

"You what?"

"I want to join the Si Lak Mercenaries," Ren Ziyan stated without fear. Her older sister ogled her.

"Why?"

"I want to train my skills," Ren Ziyan supplied the same excuse she gave her mother. Her sister's eyebrows went further up.

"What skills?" Ren Ziming asked with a frown.

"I am an element manipulator," Ren Ziyan said self-importantly, raising her chin proudly. Now that she had thought about it, this sounded even better than saying she was a cultivator.

She showcased her mist skill to her mother and sister to their surprise and admiration. After she stopped, Ren Ziming's face turned serious.

"Yan-er, you have to understand that I can only tell Sihan. There is no certainty that she will accept you, so bear that at the back of your mind, alright?"

Ren Ziyan pouted. She pulled her sister's arm and clung tighter to it, placing her face against Ren Ziming's chest.

"But, you can convince her, no?"

"Yan-er; Sihan only takes the best of the best. She doesn't care for anything else, that much I know. So you have to work hard to impress her,"

Ren Ziyan started to grumble. Impress her niece? She didn't want to do that! But she didn't say anything. Ren Ziming gestured to the maid behind her.

"Go to the Agate Pavillion and call the first young miss here,"

"Yes, my lady," the maid bowed and left at once. Ren Ziyan sat up straight and tucked a stray hair behind her ear. Shu Wanyi poured herself a cup of tea as she started complaining about her daughter.

"Isn't she supposed to find a nice man and settle down as you did?" She said to her elder daughter, "look how well Zhenming treats you. If she can also find someone like him, my heart would be at rest! Instead, she wants to join a mercenary organisation --" Shu Wanyi tsked, "you won't be the end of me, Ziyan! Even Aiming is becoming more sensible than you!"

Ren Ziyan's face turned dark at the mention of her half sister. Ren Ziming chuckled instead.

"Mother, it's alright to let her have fun for a few more years. Also, that place is full of peerless experts. She might find someone she likes there,"

"Hmm," Ren Ziyan nodded, but her mother glared at her. Footsteps were heard and the three women turned their heads. Walking briskly towards them were Li Sihan and the maid sent to call her. Today the Grand Chief was wearing a small sword at her waist. Her hair fluttered behind her as usual.

"I'm here," Li Sihan said when she reached the pavillion. Ren Ziming smiled.

"Have a seat, darling,"

"I'm busy,"

"Oh?" Ren Ziming shrugged, "alright. Mother will go straight to the point." The maid bowed and retreated at a look from her lady.

"Your aunt wants to join the Si Lak Mercenaries," Ren Ziming stated. Li Sihan raised her eyebrows.

"She's serious about it, huh?" The stoic face crossed her arms, "Jun Ru told me she was an element manipulator. So what?"

Ren Ziming chuckled.

"Please, darling? Can you do it as a favor to mother?"

"No,"

Ren Ziyan rose.

"Niece--"

"You must call me Grand Chief if you mean it," Li Sihan stared hard at her, "can you stand strict training? You've been spoilt all your life. I expect you'll rot for a while in the hatchery,"

Ren Ziyan flushed. She was angry and furious to be talked to this way by, a child she was old enough to mother. She frowned.

"I'm capable of great things if I'm given a chance," she spoke through gritted teeth.

Li Sihan scoffed.

"Ever since I saw the pair of you I knew this would happen. To save myself further headaches, shouldn't I just let the other one go as well? Purple Wind," she called a name. A mercenary who had been dispatched as part of the Li Manor's guards appeared almost immediately. She bowed.

"Grand Chief,"

"Bring the two young misses of the Ren family back to the headquarters,"

Purple Wind raised her head and surveyed Ren Ziyan with unconcealed distaste. However, she nodded.

"I have received your order,"

Li Sihan turned around to leave and disappeared after a few steps. Purple Wind beckoned to the maid to fetch Ren Aiming. The said girl stumbled out of a nearby bush all out of breath.

"I'm -- I'm here,"

"You were eavesdropping on us?!" Ren Ziyan pointed angrily at her. Ren Aiming shook her head. Purple Wind coughed.

"Please, ladies," she already had a teleportation matrix drawn at her feet, "hurry,"

Ren Ziyan ran over to hug her mother before leaping into the matrix after her half sister. A blinding flash of light, and the three women vanished. Shu Wanyi sighed deeply.

"It's alright, mother," Ren Ziming comforted her with a laugh, "they'll be fine,"

As if.

.

.

.

"The rules of the Mercenaries are thus," said Purple Wind as she deposited the two ladies on stools facing a mirror, "anyone brought in shall forget their past completely. This is signified by cutting off all their hair,"

Silence.

Purple Wind picked up a scissors from the dresser in the room and approached Ren Ziyan first. She shrank back.

"You're -- you're serious?!"

Purple Wind narrowed her eyes.

"Do I look like I'm joking to you?" She asked with a growl.

"But-- but -- my niece didn't say that--!"

"Does our Grand Chief have the time to detail everything you'll face here to you?" The mercenary hissed, "you were warned. This is only the first rule, and you're being disobedient. You can't go back. It's too late. You're here, that means you're here."

"I'm willing," Ren Aiming said instead, "come cut mine,"

"Who said I won't? Whether you're willing or not, you will abide by the rules," but Purple Wind still went over and snip! Within a few minutes, Ren Aiming was shorn. She was crying silently. Her half sister watched in stupefied horror.

"Done," Purple Wind threw the last lock over her shoulder, "now, you?"

Ren Ziyan gulped.

"But--"

"No buts!" Purple Wind growled, "I don't have much time. I have to go back to my duty post," she strode to the other girl and hurriedly also cut off all her hair. The girls were still shocked.

"Now-- I'll be taking you to the hatchery," said Purple Wind, "that's where you'll learn some basic skills. You'll stay there until you are selected into a school. While there, you must obey all orders given by the girl who's in charge,"

"Yes," the two girls replied meekly in a low voice. Ren Ziyan sniffed. Ren Aiming wiped her eyes quickly. They rose up and followed her out of the room. Going along a corridor, it opened up into a wide courtyard. A number of girls were milling about there. Some were cultivating, others were chatting. They all stood up and arranged themselves at the sight of the intruders.

"Hello," Purple Wind raised one hand. All the hatchlings bowed. They didn't know how to address her as she was not a tutor or a Squad Leader.

"Where's the current Big Sister?"

Su Hanlin stepped out of the dormitory room and bowed.

"It's me-- elder?" she wasn't sure how to address this mercenary either. So she used the term she would have used for a moderately ranked person.

"These are new girls joining you," Purple Wind gestured to the sisters, "take charge of them,"

Su Hanlin bowed again.

"Yes, elder,"

The mercenary turned to leave almost immediately, and disappeared after a few steps. The Ren sisters were still looking about them. To their little relief, they realised all the other girls were shorn as well.

"Welcome," said Su Hanlin with a nod; she wasn't overtly friendly or cold, "what are your names?"

"Ren Ziyan,"

"Ren Aiming,"

"You're sisters?" Li Beiyao came up to them at once.

"Yes," said Ren Aiming,

"And I'm the Grand Chief's aunt," Said Ren Ziyan, announcing loudly.

SILENCE.

Gasps.

Su Hanlin frowned at once.

"Weren't you told the first rule of the Si Lak Mercenaries?" She was suddenly very stern, "once you stepped into the grounds, your past identity doesn't matter anymore!"

"What do you mean by past identity?" Ren Ziyan raised her chin proudly, "there's no such thing. I am who I'll always be,"

"Hah; you'll rot here," Feng Chusan laughed. All the hatchlings outside immediately surrounded the duo.

"Let me give you one advice you'll need," said Gu Yuwei, "never ever say that in the ears of a tutor!"

"Especially Tutor Ning," Li Beiyao said with half a smirk in Gu Yuwei's direction.

"Do you hear that?" Su Hanlin frowned at them.

"No!" Ren Ziyan was very annoyed already. She hated being repressed. She always had things go her way. How dare these shorn headed girls speak so rudely to her? She had expected them to all fawn on her at her identity reveal!

Ren Aiming stepped forward and bowed to Su Hanlin.

"Please don't mind her. She's very full of herself. The person that brought us here; Purple Wind-- she told us the rule! But my sister--"

"Shut up!" Finally given an avenue where she could bully Ren Aiming to her heart's content without having to look out for people who would scold her, Ren Ziyan did not hold back. She pushed her sister roughly, "be quiet, now!"

Su Hanlin shook her head gravely. This was bad, very bad.

"Beiyao," Su Hanlin said, "tie her up," she nodded at Ren Ziyan. The latter frowned and tried to counter, but found her hands already tied firmly by an aura belt conjured by Li Beiyao.

"Hey! How dare you!"

"Five minutes in the hatcheries you're already causing trouble," Su Hamlin shook her head again. "I can assert that you're not going to enjoy your time here. I'm being very liberal. If it was the tutors," she chuckled drily, "it'd be worse. There's no need for all this. We can all get along. The rules are simple: your past identity doesn't matter anymore; never speak about it. No bullying. No lying. Obey the Big Sister. Obey the tutors. Do your share of work with honesty and humility. Don't complain. Is that too much?"

Struggling against the ropes, Ren Ziyan wanted to retort to a number of the rules she didn't agree to. But everyone was now watching her like a puppet show. She gritted her teeth.

"Fine!"

"Good," Su Hanlin nodded, "to learn your lesson; your hands will remain tied until I say otherwise,"

"What?! You-- you can't do that!"

"I can," Su Hanlin was getting very irritated already, "don't make me more annoyed." She turned her back, "Haobei, give the two separate beds no where near each other,"

"Yes, Big Sister!" Ye Haobei clapped her hands, "come with me!"

She led the two inside the dormitory.

"You, go over there," she pointed Ren Ziyan to the furthest bunk against the wall on one side, "and you, over there, " and Ren Aiming in the opposite direction. She also supplied them with blankets and pieces of chalk. Ren Ziyan couldn't collect hers as her hands were tied, so Ye Haobei called the girl who was to be her bunkmate to help her.

Ren Aiming, bent on carving a stellar impression of herself, meekly accepted her own arrangements, greeted her bunkmate with an humble bow and a smile, and shyly asked where the bathroom was.

The two girls settled in. A couple of minutes later, Ye Haobei approached Ren Aiming, who she felt was more cool-headed.

"So," she said, "Sister Yuwei had allocated you to kitchen duty, so you'll work under me,"

"It's my honour," Ren Aiming looked eager, "I do know how to make a few dishes,"

"Oh-- interesting," said Ye Haobei eagerly, for as yet in the hatchery no girl was a chef, and their meals were ordinary and boring.

"I-- I don't know your name yet, sister?" Ren Aiming murmured.

"Ah. Yes. I'm Haobei of family Ye,"

"Nice to meet you, Sister Haobei," Ren Aiming beamed. The girl was taken aback. Here in the hatchery, no one called her so respectfully. All some did was even laugh and make fun of her. This...

"Anyway," Ye Haobei rubbed her nose in embarrassment, "that's it! I'll-- I'll tell you when I need you. We're having lessons in a bit, so get ready. Sister Yuwei also asked me to allocate your sister to toilet duty--" she bustled away.

Ren Aiming flashed a triumphant smile. If she was not wrong, she had this fat bumpkin under her palm already...

Sal Qian strode into the hatchery, her hanfu flowing after her. The girls all converged in the courtyard. The sun was quite high in the sky, so the cultivation instructor led them instead to the clearing in the small forest not far from the hatchery within the boundary. The girls all sat cross-legged in front of her, and she herself conjured a boulder which she climbed up and sat on so everyone could see her.

"I've brought you guys something," Sal Qian said with a mysterious cheeky smile. The girls all tittered excitedly. If they were not wrong, it was cultivation enhancing pills! The instructor had been lobbying for these pills at the alchemy guild for some time now. Perhaps she had finally gotten it!

"Three cheers for Tutor Sal!" Cried out Su Hanlin as Sal Qian retrieved a whole box of porcelain bottles from her spatial space.

"Yay! Yay! Yay!" The girls clapped and hooted. They were very excited. Cultivation enhancing pills! Once they used this to level up their cultivation, the chances of them getting out of the hatchery would increase!

"Alright," Sal Qian waved her hand and the cheers seized, "finally, I got these pills for you. You mustn't disappoint me!"

"We won't!" The girls chorused. Sal Qian beckoned to Su Hanlin and Gu Yuwei and they got up and went over to her.

"Listen up. We'll give preference to less endowed hatchlings. Five pills for those that haven't started cultivating at all, so they can catch up. Three pills for Martial Practitioners; two for Skills, and one for a Martial Master,"

"Yes, tutor,"

Thus the two girls divided the pills among the others. When it got to Chu Gumei's turn, she frowned.

"Hey, hey hey! Don't think I didn't see you give your girls five pills! Why am I getting just one?"

"Yes, why?" Asked Fan Yurou, who got two. Gu Wenwen, who also got one, added her voice as well.

"You think you can get away with this, Hanlin? The tutor's right here!"

Su Hanlin sneered and passed by her. Gu Wenwen immediately pulled her back.

"I'm taking to you!"

"What's the matter? What's happening?" Sal Qian called out. Su Hanlin snatched back her sleeve and turned to the tutor.

"Based on your instructions, Tutor Sal, I've distributed the pills. However, Chu Gumei and Gu Wenwen seem to be dissatisfied with your arrangement," she smirked. The girls frowned in confusion. Was it... Was it the tutor that ordered this?

"Chu Gumei, Gu Wenwen!" Sal Qian called angrily, "since you look down on the pills I spent so much energy and time to get, hand them over!"

"We-- tutor-- no!"

"They-- they didn't tell us it was your order!"

Eventually, even Fan Yurou was stripped of her own two pills. Fuming, they glared daggers at Su Hanlin and Gu Yuwei, who were in extremely good spirits.

"Who are these ones?" After giving an extra pill to the Big Sister and her assistant, Sal Qian still had two pills on hand. She noticed the Ren sisters who had surreptitiously sat together. Ren Ziyan's hands were still tied.

"Oh, they're new hatchlings someone called Purple Wind brought back," said Gu Yuwei, who paid great attention to detail and had remembered the name of the mercenary.

"You, how dare you call her name so casually!" Sal Qian tapped Gu Yuwei on the head with a finger.

"Ah? Who is she?" Gu Yuwei rubbed her forehead but she was very interested in knowing.

"That's Vanguard Purple Wind, the fourth vanguard. She not far behind Vanguard Shadow Claw in terms of strength," said Sal Qian with a nod, "have you heard of Vanguard Shadow Claw?"

The girls shook their heads.

"That's a very important person," Sal Qian said with a small fangirly smile, "he's the next most authoritative person after the Four Seniors. Some even call him the Fifth, but he's not a senior. I've had the honour to receive his teaching before," she smiled again.

"Ohh," the girls cooed, "wow! Tell us more, Tutor Sal!"

Sal Qian looked surprised at their expectant faces. She sighed.

"Fine. At least you'll be able to show proper respect if you come across them. I've heard a rumour. Instead of picking one by one as all the Schools have always done; I heard there'll be a mass selection,"

"A mass selection!" The girls were thrilled.

"Yes. It's said that a representative will come from each School and Squad. There will be a series of tests they'll each set. And, you, Hanlin, make sure you do well. Don't keep relying on Guardian Yi Hei. He's in serious trouble as we speak; in the Boilers,"

"In the Boilers!" Some of the girls shouted. Gu Yuwei glanced worriedly at Su Hanlin.

"What is she now to do, tutor?" Gu Yuwei shook her head, "Hanlin, you should have just gone with the Senior that day!"

Su Hanlin shook her head.

"Everything is for a reason. Besides, what about Yuefeng? Yuefeng saved us; she deserved to be selected as the Top Senior's disciple,"

"Listen to me," said Sal Qian, "I've provided you all with what can be considered a cheat code now. What remains is your own passion to be a great person. Let's cultivate!"

Su Hanlin and Gu Yuwei hurried to sit down. Sal Qian gave the extra two pills in her hand to the Ren sisters to their surprise and delight.

"All together now; a pill at a time: consume! Enter the cultivation mode!" Sal Qian ordered.

Ren Aiming, alongside the others, threw one pill into her mouth and swallowed it. She then closed her eyes as her meridians were activated under supervision by the tutor and started to absorb the cultivation essence in the surroundings. It was as if her senses were heightened; no, that another sense which she didn't know she had was suddenly activated. She could now sense cultivation essence, auras, and the flow paths in her body! She could feel as the essence seeped through her pores and dispersed all around her system! She could sense that the pill she consumed was what made the essence rush wildly towards her and her body quickly assimilated it! Wow! It was thrilling! So this was what it meant to cultivate!

"Time up!" All too soon, Sal Qian's voice sounded in her ears. She opened her eyes, her face flushed. She could feel a wild raging power in her system. Was this her own unique prowess?

"Newbies, don't consume anymore pills. Those of you that have been cultivating for a while, you can go ahead and keep on consuming the pills until!" Sal Qian's gaze turned sharp, "until you feel the first; the very first pang that says you can't take it anymore. Please don't overwork yourselves; take it easy, alright?"

"Yes, tutor,"

"By the way," Sal Qian frowned, "where's Meng Yue?"