11
Elsewhere, Bai li yue was travelling on the road to the thousand bamboo immortal sect. It was a well travelled road but she had to follow it if she wanted to reach the sect quickly. She tried not to let her anxiety get the best of her but her pace betrayed her innermost thoughts. The news was a bombshell and a part of her sensed that the old man was telling the truth.
I suppose we should have at least factored that possibility into our plans. Teacher has been gone for more than a thousand years. It shouldn't be strange for his sect to collapse during that time. Numerous civilizations on earth have risen and fallen in less time. The only thing that remains is time, the tireless machine that reminds us that nothing lasts forever.
In the Thousand bamboo immortal sword sect.
The first elder was burning incense in the Remembrance hall. He glanced at the wall of name plaques and bowed his head.
' we juniors have failed you. The thousand bamboo immortal sword sect is just a name.'
He sighed in despair. Shame was for those who have power, but failed to rise up to the occasion. Despair was for those who were hopeless, because they are also powerless to change anything.
'we can't justify the state of the sect to our seniors. Everyday, it goes from bad to worse. Everyday is a battle against the dam that will eventually drown us.'
He had grown in the habit of visiting his sect seniors after the daily morning meeting with the other elders. The meetings did nothing except to increase the rate of his headaches. He could feel one coming on with the mere thought of the decision he was going to have to make if they wanted the sect to continue on. They had rejected the proposal decades ago, but the issue kept returning with startling frequency these days.
Sure, they could lower the realm requirement for entry into the sect. If they accepted initiates, it would increase the number of sect members and more than that flood their coffers with gold from examinations fees alone. But, he was against it. That was the only rule their master had given them when he was handing over the sect to them. Even if everything fails, they had to maintain the sect's dignity. More than ever he was more against lowering the bar now that those upstart sects were watching their every move like sharks in the water. They were already laughing behind their back, but soon they wouldn't even bother hiding it. He didn't want to be the one to make a decision. Like a death sentence, there will be no going back.
' first elder, coming here every day is a bad habit.' a spindly old woman spoke from a dark alcove behind him.
' sect grand aunt. I didn't see you there.'
'that's why i chose it. That elder mu has been hounding me day and night to agree to the sale of the herbs from the medicine garden. I don't listen to a word he says and he doesn't listen to a word i say. I know we need the money, but the sect members also need the herbs, so I've been hiding from him.'
The first elder only sighed. Elder mu was only thinking of the survival of the sect. They needed money to survive while the sect grand aunt was concerned about the present. For her, the sect and its members had to be strong now in order to survive. He couldn't take sides since both arguments were valid.
' don't beat yourself over our troubles, first elder. Our problems were inherited. Even back in my day, we could see the problems surfacing. We did our best to solve them, but a weak sect is like a pregnancy. No matter how you try to hide it, one day, it will be impossible to hide. Frankly, i'm surprised we lasted this long. Take my advice, enjoy the peaceful moments when you can. The situation won't get any better so why worry over every little thing?'' she added cheerfully and retreated into the shadows.
The first elder was glad someone could be cheerful in the current situation. Sect grand aunt mu was the only member of the past generation left. Unfortunately, she was no more than a cripple. The former sect master had accepted her back into the sect after she returned from adventuring more dead than alive. He had nursed her back to health, but the harm had already been done. She had entered into an ancient tomb and fallen under a curse that gradually atrophied her dantian. At her peak, she had been a sage, but she fell down to the king realm as a result of the curse. He had given her a position in the sect managing the medicinal herb farms and named her sect protector, but only a few of the elders knew that in her condition, using a sliver of spiritual energy will lead to death.
The two elders sat in silence. Each lost in thoughts; that is, until the moment a guard burst into the hall as if his life depended on it.
Yang bo jian had worked hard all his life. He had known from a young age that he wanted to be a cultivator. From that moment, he left home, he fought and cheated his way into the outer sect, but very soon he had to face reality. He wasn't as young as the others or as talented. Not one to be discouraged from his dream, he deftly changed course. Who says one has to enter a sect to cultivate? Being in close proximity to cultivators and a place of cultivation would naturally lead to cultivation. That was the most important thing. So he had applied for a position as simple guard. when others had been dejected and returned home, he had stayed.
He was standing at his usual post at the main gate of the sect. He was currently in year three of his five year training. Elder shen had told him that if he was able to complete the five year training, he would be accepted into the hall of discipline.
The sun was high in the sky. His armour was being heated by the scorching sun. His water skein was already empty and his next break was hours away. The combination of discomforts put him in a bad mood all together.
He couldn't help but sigh in relief and close his eyes when a cloud cast a cool shadow over his steaming body.
What a welcome change!
He wallowed in the coolness before cursing his bad luck.
It wasn't a cloud, was it? Clouds don't suddenly appear out of the blue. He had been standing under the sun for hours. How couldn't he tell that there wasn't a cloud in the sky?
'Who is there? Show yourself!'
He watched the cloud drift closer and closer to the ground where he stood. He gathered his energy and swung his spear. It tore through the air aimed at the centre of the approaching shadow.
Tchink!
The spear was torn from his hand and he went tumbling back from the force. He closed his eyes to welcome his death like a man, but the expected blow never landed.
He pried his eyes open finally. The dust had settled and there stood a young man in an oversized robe. Before he could continue his appraisal the young man snapped his fingers in impatience. He threw a badge at yang bo jian and walked past him into the sect as if he owned the place.
' i'll be in the main hall. Show the badge to the sect leader and bring him to me.'
Yang bo jian, was not a dumb person. When he was born his father had taken a look at his eyes and declared that his son was a smart boy. Even when he left home at the age of ten, his father had called his decision a smart move.
As a guard, it was his job to know who was inside or outside the sect at any moment. The sect leader was absent at the moment leaving the first elder in charge. He knew of the daily meetings that took place in the council hall. He rang a bell thrice to alert his fellow guards of a sudden shift change and took off running in the direction of the council hall.
He asked after the first elder in two locations before finding his current location. By this time, he arrived at the remembrance hall, he was out of breath and beyond caring. The sect was too big.
'Who thought placing critical locations miles apart was a good idea? Bring him in front of this grandfather so i can give him a good beating. In fact, bring all the people who agreed it was a good idea to me. I will give a good lashing too. Making this old man run around in this hot weather!'
Yang bo jian muttered under his breath as he drew closer to his destination. He burst into the remembrance hall and showed the badge to the first elder. He took the time to catch his breath while the elder studied it.
'where did you get this from?'
' a visitor came. He said to show it to the sect leader. He is waiting.'
'quick! Lead the way.'
' not so fast, first elder. Let me see the badge.'
A voice sounded from the shadows. They both bowed while the badge flew into the shadows.
' eehh?! What are you two standing there for? Let's go?' grand elder mu flew out of the shadows and rushed past them.
' if this who i think it is, then we may yet survive the crisis.'
'sect grand aunt, who is this person? The badge is that of an elder. Other than that, i know nothing.'
'chu jiang li was a sect elder generations before i was born. But nobody alive knows more about the older generations than i. this badge belongs to ancestor chu jiang li. If it is him, then we are saved.'
If Yang bo jian could hear their conversation, he would be the first to tell them not to raise their hopes. The person he saw didn't look like an elder much more an ancestor.
They passed by elder mu on the way. Grand elder Mu silenced him with a wave.
'not now, son. If things go well, then we won't need to sell anything.'
His shocked face was a sight to behold. The last time his mother had called him son was a century ago. She was scolding him for insisting on following her adventuring when he was only 12 years old. She had returned injured and dying. When she regained most of her health and became a functioning human being, he realised that the woman he called mother was gone.
After more than a century, what could break through to her and elicit laughter that was filled with the most heartbreaking of emotions: hope.
He had to see with his own eyes what or who could bring about such a change. He joined the group without further ado on their race across the sect. Yang bo jian left the trio outside the sect hall where the visitor was waiting and returned to his guard post.
Grand elder mu, the first elder and elder mu entered the closed hall. The hall had long fallen into disuse. It had been closed down to reduce the cost of maintenance. Dust had settled over every surface. It was an obvious declaration of the state of affairs in the sect.
Upon entering they found a young man standing in the middle of the hall. The first elder and Elder mu saw only a young man standing in front of them, but grand elder mu had lived long enough to know that sometimes the wonderful mysteries often shrouded themselves in the ordinary. Legendary heroes sometimes roamed the continent as beggars.
She gave a big bow gesturing at the others to follow her lead.
' mu li feng, daughter of the 31st sect leader, welcomes ancestor chu jiang li back to the Thousand bamboo immortal sword sect.'
Bai li yue was taken aback for a brief moment from being the victim of reverence from her elders.
Ahh… i'll just accept it. After all, if we're calculating seniority, then i'll also be their ancestor.
' i have been away for too long. I hoped to return to find the sect like it was in my memories. Time is cruel indeed. what about sect leader thousand sabres, ancestor thousand groves? Eccentric thousand waves? Where are they?'
' ancestor doesn't know? The immortals left. They had hoped to climb the tree of life and death by using the path that appeared in the frost hollow world. To this day we don't know if they ascended to the spirit realm and became deities or if they met with failure.'
Silence fell in the hall as bai li yue digested the information. This was what she had been afraid of. More than a month of travel for nothing.
'no!'
She looked to where teacher chu stood and a tear rolled down her cheek; which she wiped away furiously.
' no! We can go to another sect. There must be a 5 star sect somewhere. There must be someone in this stupid world who can save you!'
The translucent form of chu jiang li stepped out of the shadows behind the door and walked to his weeping student.
' it's alright, li yue. You have done more than enough for this old man. I cheated death once. Maybe this is the will of the heavens. For me to end my days in the place that i call home.'
The trio of elders watched the scene taking place in front of them. They were trying to make sense of the identities of the characters before them and the news they'd just heard.
Elder mu, the fastest of the bunch summarised the information in a few sentences.
' the boy is a girl, the spirit is the ancestor, he is dying.'
Meanwhile, Bai li yue could not be comforted. chu jiang li was more than her teacher, he was her only family. In the same way, chu jiang li, saw her as more than a student. She had saved him when she was no more than a mortal from the negative feelings that had controlled him. She had been his companion during those years and gave him the chance to act like a fussy grandfather put in charge of his granddaughter.
He understood what she was feeling now. Death wasn't easy for anybody. Most of all for a person like bai li yue who had lost her family.
Bai li yue's sobs filled the room. She was mourning the loss that was coming. Since there were no 5 star sects on the continent. On the off chance they decided to brave the crossing, reaching another continent in the time teacher chu had left was impossible.
Angry tears flows were replaced by desperate tears and pleading tears. Bai li yue soon drifted off to sleep from exhaustion. Her fatigue had finally caught up with her. Elder mu carried her into an empty courtyard that was appropriated for her use.
Elder chu spent the night talking with the elders and understanding the full situation of the sect.
A rift had opened months after his departure. It led to the frost hollow world, rumoured to be the closest world to the tree of life and death. Lu Bu, the white wolf had ascended to godhood by eating one of the fruits after a lifetime stuck as an immortal. It was the easiest as well as the most difficult way to ascend to the spirit realm.
He couldn't really blame his immortal seniors for leaving.
If i was in the same situation, seeing a chance at ascension, i would give up everything to seek it even if there was a chance of death.
The mountain peak was too high for cultivators to ascend. Only the few fortunate could make it. He hoped his master and his sect uncles were among the lucky few.