“Then there’s the blacksmith and armory. You can purchase weapons and turn in rare metals if you find any. Obviously, those metals that are suitable for smithing are rarer, but they’re less picky about the state the ore is in.”
Wu Ying nodded slowly, taking in all this information. It seemed he had been missing out on much of the sect. Though in some ways, it didn’t matter, since he’d had no contribution points to spend anyway.
“Is there a way to get more contribution points?” Tou He said as he glanced at Wu Ying.
“Oh! There’s the assignment hall of course. But did you not go there?” Liu Tsong said with a frown. “Surely that’s how you got your current assignments.”
“No. Elder Huang just told me to come by the next day,” Wu Ying said.
“Oh. Oh dear.” Liu Tsong frowned.
“What?”
“Nothing. Nothing,” Liu Tsong said, waving. “I’m sure it’s nothing.”
“Really?” Wu Ying said.
“Sure…” Liu Tsong smiled sweetly. “Well, that’s all I can tell you about the facilities. Did you have any other questions?”
Wu Ying considered then said, “Are there any cultivation methods or items I should buy? Or not?”
“That I should not speak about,” Liu Tsong said firmly. “That is something your own Senior or sponsor should discuss with you. Or those in the appropriate departments.”
Wu Ying grimaced, but no matter how he pushed, Liu Tsong refused to budge. After his third request, she politely but firmly escorted them out of her house, leaving the pair standing on the doorstep.
“That was rude,” Tou He said.
“Yeah. I was just asking—”
“Not her. You.” Tou He waved a finger in front of Wu Ying’s face. “She already refused you once. Why did you ask her again?”
“But how am I supposed to progress?”
“The same way we all do. Through hard work,” Tou He said.
At that point, a group of cackling noblemen walked past. They were clad in the same green robes of the outer sect members, but their station was clear through the sheer variety of expensive items they wore. An embroidered gold-edged fan, a belt with a jewel-set sword, and a jade-and-gold hairpin were among the many expensive items the group showcased.
“You were saying?” Wu Ying said as the group walked past them.
“Well, those of us not born with their advantages,” Tou He muttered.
Wu Ying rolled his eyes but clapped his friend on the shoulder. “Come on then. Let’s visit the library.”
“I must decline. I have learned what I needed and should continue my own cultivation,” Tou He said. “But I wish you well.”
“Uh huh,” Wu Ying said with a snort and waved as his friend left him.
At least Wu Ying had directions to the building now. Setting his feet on the main trail, the cultivator took a light jog to head up the mountain. One of the reasons he had not known about all these important facilities was due to their location. As important buildings for the sect, they were not located at the lower edges of the mountain like the outer sect members’ residences and the kitchens but secured within the inner sect portion of the mountain. Of course, there were rumored private collections reserved only for Elders farther up, but those were of little concern to Wu Ying.
The mountain that the Verdant Green Waters Sect occupied was one of the highest in the province and stretched for numerous li upward. The one main road up the mountain branched off along the way to residences, halls, and other locations for training. In fact, Wu Ying lost count of the number of halls available just for the outer sect members. As it was, the new recruits all trained in one courtyard and ate together in one hall, while older, more established outer sect members stayed at other residences according to their results in the tournament.
Wu Ying actually had little interaction with those outer sect members. A large portion of those sect members were like Tou He—lacking any real ambition to progress, they were content to work the menial jobs and while their life away slowly progressing in their cultivation. It was, Wu Ying had to admit, not a bad life. Compared to a peasant’s life, it was downright luxurious. A small number of outer sect members—the few who had just missed out on promotion the year before—spent most of their time cultivating and training. With their goal missed the previous year by such a small amount, most worked hard to ensure they entered this year. None wanted to be another infamous story in the sect like the thrice-touched Lee.
Because of all this, most of the outer sect members had little time for those who had just arrived and had yet to undergo the tournament. Who knew which one of the sect members would last the year and which would leap over the dragon gate[9]? In the first case, one would waste their time, and in the second case, one might inadvertently insult a soon-to-become Senior. For those outer sect members who desired a quiet, peaceful life, neither option was desirable.
Jogging up the mountains, the lush vegetation of late spring all around him, Wu Ying listened to the distant rumble of water down the river and the minor falls throughout the mountain. He could not help but wonder how his parents were doing. The one thing he had made sure to take care of—with the help of his friends at the docks and Xi Qi—was to ensure that the majority of his allowance was sent to his family. Since he received his payment directly from Elder Huang, that had been a simple matter to set up through the use of promissory notes and the merchants in town. A letter should be coming soon, Wu Ying hoped.
Finally, Wu Ying found himself at the library, its designation splashed across the front in large, beautiful calligraphy. Even from his position a few feet back, Wu Ying could feel the pressure of the spiritual energy imbued into the calligraphy.
“Right place. Now, where…?” Wu Ying said softly as he walked toward the main doors.
Within, a desk attendant sat, watching over entrants.
“Purpose of visit?” the attendant asked, his tone bored.
“Greetings, Senior. I want to browse the martial arts manuals for outer sect members,” Wu Ying said.
“Browse, or do you want a consultation with the Elder?” the attendant asked.
“Consultation?” Wu Ying said hesitantly.
“Place your sect stamp on the jade plate.” The attendant pointed. “I will verify your total.”
“Yes, Senior.” Wu Ying placed his stamp on the plate. After a moment, he spoke up. “Could you tell me how many I have?”
“You don’t know?” the attendant said with scorn in his voice before he looked down and muttered under his breath, “Idiot nobles.” The attendant looked up. “It’ll cost a hundred contribution points to see Elder Ko. I had a slot open up earlier today, so you can see him in an hour if you wish. I will send him to you if you wish to browse the stacks until then. And you have a hundred forty-seven contribution points.”
“So many!” Wu Ying yelped. He even ignored the attendant’s spurious accusation of him being a noble, so great was his surprise.
“Of course. It is not worth the Elder’s time to speak with you otherwise. But the price of the consultation also includes one manual recommended by the Elder,” the attendant said. “Or you can browse the stacks and look for yourself.”
Wu Ying looked behind the attendant at the shelves that made up the library. He frowned at the disordered mess the numerous scrolls and books seemed to make, never mind the sheer volume. And truth be told, Wu Ying had little confidence in finding a martial art that suited him. Not yet, at least.
“I would be grateful for whatever guidance the Elder may impart,” Wu Ying said.
After the cultivator had stored his sect stamp and the attendant had provided Wu Ying a brief summary of the library’s rules and layout, the attendant waved Wu Ying in. All the necessary bureaucracy taken care of, Wu Ying took a deep breath and stepped into the library to take the next step on his cultivation journey.