Lastly, he added Bao Cong’s name to the expedition group, fulfilling the bureaucracy required before he made his way to speak with Tou Hei. Unfortunately, the ex-monk indicated that he had had no luck in finding additional help. Not that they needed more. With Li Yao, there would be four of them and that should be sufficient. Or so he hoped at least.
Tou Hei chased Wu Ying out soon after, as he had a lot of work to complete for his Master before he would be allowed to leave. Once again, Wu Ying thanked his friend as he left, vowing to help find a solution for the monk’s troubles.
***
As one of the most guarded locations in the Sect, the inner sect armory was large, isolated, and armed with multiple formations. With most of the martial specialists gone, Wu Ying knew the armory would see little traffic. Even at the best of times, the armory was never buzzing like the library, kitchens, or the blacksmiths hall. After all, most of the items within the armory were magical, higher tier equipment, not the common, mundane items made by the outer and inner set members for general use. These items were rare and expensive.
Wu Ying stared at the carved stone building for a short period, watching the small number of individuals moving in and out of the armory, before he walked in. Once he had announced himself and his intentions, he was taken to a small, private room. It was similar to the one he had been brought to last year, with its simple wooden table, plain chairs, and wall hangings. It was a place of business, not of comfort. While he waited, Wu Ying poured himself a cup of tea and mulled over what he could purchase.
“Long Wu Ying. I am surprised to see you here so soon.” Elder Wen, the Elder in charge of the inner sect armory, looked at Wu Ying as she stepped in. Standing barely five feet tall, the tiny elder had a vibrant personality and energy. Even so, Wu Ying could sense that her aura was well contained and controlled, unlike her personality. What he sensed at least. For all that he knew, she wanted him to sense the control and hid something else.
Wu Ying stood and bowed in greeting, waiting for Elder Wen to sit before he joined her. “I had not expected to be back so soon. But I am going on an assignment soon, and I am hoping that you will be able to suggest some items for my use.” Wu Ying fished out his sect seal and pushed it across the table so that the Elder could grasp his budget.
“Of course. Tell me about it.” Elder Wen touched the sect seal while he talked.
In short order, Wu Ying had related his problems. He held nothing back, knowing that the more the Elder understood, the greater the aid she could offer. When he was done, Elder Wen questioned him about his cultivation and martial styles, verifying the information she had drawn from his sect seal and adding to it.
Afterward, the pair sat in silence as the Elder contemplated. Wu Ying took the opportunity to pour refreshments for them both and offer the refreshments to the Elder. Finally, Elder Wen turned to the waiting attendants and barked out a series of names. Wu Ying knew that they would journey into the armory itself and pull these items from whatever stores the sect had. Wu Ying had never seen the inside of the armory. No one, that he knew of, had. Even the attendants were sworn to secrecy about what happened within the armory and its contents, blood bound to keep their lips sealed.
“Now, tell me about your expedition. I’ve heard a little about it, but I want to know from you directly.” Elder Wen leaned forward, her intense brown eyes on Wu Ying.
While they waited, Wu Ying regaled Elder Wen with the story about the expedition. He found himself going into detail about how the various equipment used among the various cultivators had worked, the Elder probing with insightful questions on the fit between the cultivators and their equipment. She was, of course, particularly interested in Wu Ying’s Woo Petal Bracer and his use of the equipment. Still, Wu Ying gained the sense that Elder Wen was just as interested in the gossip as the details of equipment.
Eventually, the attendants returned, bearing the equipment Elder Wen had requested. Wu Ying and Elder Wen walked to the table where the equipment had been artfully and efficiently arranged.
The first item Elder Wen picked up was a simple leather water bag. As Wu Ying took it from her and turned it around, he noted the gold inlaid stitching along the edges and across the bag’s back. It made the bag look much more luxurious than its simple use, and while Wu Ying could sense the flow of chi around the bag and note the inscription on the stitching, he could not understand its use. The enchantment of items, with formations and chi energy, was not something he had studied in detail. Even the basic lessons he had taken were to understand the best use for various types of enchantments, rather than practical identification knowledge.
“The Bag of Never-Ending Water,” said Elder Wen. “Of course, it is not never ending. It will refill itself to its brim once an hour. There’s a secondary enchantment, like your storage ring, in it too, which allows it to hold even more water. And unlike the initial attempts, this is not a failed product. The enchantment that checks the volume is not broken.” Elder Wen spoke the last sentence with slight smirk, almost enticing Wu Ying to ask about the story behind her comments.
But when he spotted one of the attendants turn red, he decided against it. Some questions were best not asked. “I am not sure the use of this.”
Water was never really an issue, at least not during the spring. Not in the State of Shen. Between the constant rainfall of spring and the numerous streams, rivers, and canals that made up the country, it was more an issue of fighting an overflow of water. For a small group like theirs, finding sufficient water would not be an issue. In fact, with the various rest stops scattered throughout the kingdom and the river that they would likely use from the majority of their journey, Wu Ying did not expect they would ever need this bag.
“Ah, you youngsters. Always thinking short term. Did you not consider what taking your village will be like? Even if you leave behind the majority of your livestock, you will still need to water those you bring along. Do you think most rest stops will be able to take care of that many animals? How about if you continue moving through those stops? That’s not even counting if you get caught in a siege.”
They did intend to leave behind most of the livestock. Once they drove them to the nearest town, they’d probably sell what they could to the butchers and other merchants. Still, at the very least, they’d be bringing along the horses. A lot of work needed to be done, and such animals would be useful. They also made bringing along the children and elderly easier. Still, Wu Ying considered if he was willing to spend his precious contribution points on something so mundane.
He paused and scratched his nose. Perhaps he had grown a bit jaded. Even a year ago, Wu Ying would have marveled at the bag. Never having to go draw water from the well or the river? This was the kind of magical equipment he would have loved as a peasant.
“Next, we’ve got fasting pills. I don’t think I need to explain the usefulness of these.” Elder Wen tapped the simple clay bottle.
There was a group of five bottles, each containing a set of twenty pills. Of course, Wu Ying knew about fasting pills. Generally, they were not recommended for those who had yet to enter the Energy Storage stage at the least, if not Core Formation. The pills were concentrated foodstuff, but by themselves would not provide everything a body needed. Those at the Energy Storage or Core Formation stage drew much of their energy needs from the world itself, the chi that surrounded them. Still, the pills would stave off hunger and, in the short term, provide enough food so an individual could skip a meal or two.
“Large-scale Deception Formation.” Elder Wen tapped the series of inscribed flags. She rolled out one of the flags to show him the simple inscriptions drawn on it before she packed it away again. “Usable three times. If you have someone with dual air and water aspect, they could recharge it once more before the enchantment fades entirely.”