The sky was just beginning to lighten as the first rays of dawn pierced the morning mist.
The Chu Family’s small courtyard was silent, save for the occasional crow of an early rooster that broke the stillness.
Chu Bai let out a soft sigh.
’Even after becoming a cultivator, an awe-inspiring Immortal Master, the bonds of kinship were a connection that could never truly be severed.’
’Saying goodbye in person would have been too hard on his parents, only adding to their worries.’
He took a long-since-written letter from his robes and placed it on the corner of the table where it would be easily seen.
Then, he pulled out a heavy envelope containing twenty taels of patterned silver and gently set it on top of the letter.
’Not long ago, his parents had to beg everyone they knew just for the ten taels of silver to cover his tuition fee, nearly emptying their home of all its valuables.’
’But now, this amount was something he could leave behind for them without a second thought.’
’The gap between immortal and mortal was sometimes starkly reflected in something as mundane as money. It was both real and ironic.’
’Time to go.’
With that final thought, Chu Bai turned and gently closed the door. His figure flickered once before melting into the thin morning mist.
Chu Bai walked at a leisurely pace toward the city gate, his mind drifting back to the banquet from the previous day.
It had been held at the most extravagant restaurant in Anping County. Amidst the clinking glasses and lively chatter, countless eyes had been fixed on him, the newly minted Top Scholar.
During the feast, several of the city’s most prominent merchants and wealthy patrons, including the owner of the largest book-seller, had approached him with broad smiles, hinting both overtly and subtly at offering him generous gifts of money.
The book-seller went so far as to offer the astronomical sum of a hundred taels of patterned silver, asking only that Chu Bai pen a few words of calligraphy for his shop—even something as simple as the two words "Good Book" would suffice.
A hundred taels of patterned silver. That was enough for any ordinary family in Anping County to live without a care for generations.
But Chu Bai recalled the meaningful look in his master Daoist Zhang’s eyes, and his words: ’A Cultivator must cherish his reputation and avoid getting entangled in worldly cause and effect or the stench of money.’
So, he had politely refused them all with a smile.
’Taking the money would be selling his name. If the book-seller got into some kind of trouble down the line, that Cause and Effect would be laid at his feet.’
’He had just set foot on the path of cultivation; it wouldn’t be worth the price to be negatively affected by something like this.’
Chu Bai couldn’t be bothered to investigate whether the book-seller’s business was truly legitimate or not. After all, even wasting a sliver of time on it wasn’t worth his while.
On the other hand, when a few of the village’s clan elders and gentry later scraped together just over twenty taels of broken silver for him, Chu Bai accepted every bit of it.
It wasn’t a large sum, but it represented their desire to forge a connection with him, the "Top Scholar"—a small offering to keep the relationship warm.
By accepting the money, he was accepting a debt of gratitude.
Only by having him in their debt would those old men feel secure. In the future, they would treat Chu Bai’s parents with the utmost care and diligence, fearing any slight that might sever this newfound connection.
Such were the benefits of indebting oneself on purpose.
"The ways of the world are sometimes even more complex than cultivation."
Chu Bai chuckled in spite of himself, shaking his head to cast these stray thoughts from his mind.
「Outside the Anping County gate, by the main road.」
Several exquisitely decorated carriages had been waiting for some time. The fine steeds pulling them had glossy, lustrous coats, clearly no ordinary beasts.
Upon seeing Chu Bai appear, Li Han, who was already there, smiled and waved.
And standing by the carriages was a group of Anping County’s true dignitaries.
Daoist Zhang from Cyan Cloud Academy, the headmaster of Cyan Feather Academy, and the recent Chief Examiners, Li Wenyuan and Zhang Cheng.
As Chu Bai drew near, a gratified smile touched Daoist Zhang’s face, and he gave a slight nod.
Just then, the curtain on the largest, most opulent official carriage at the head of the procession was suddenly drawn aside.
A middle-aged man in official robes, carrying an air of authority, stepped down slowly.
Everyone present grew solemn and bowed in unison. "Greetings, County Magistrate!"
The man was none other than the Magistrate of Anping County himself, Qian Shen.
’Chu Bai was inwardly startled. He never imagined that his departure, as a mere Top Scholar, would warrant a personal send-off from the highest authority in the county.’
"At ease," Qian Shen said with a wave of his hand. His gaze fell upon Chu Bai and Li Han, a hint of admiration in his eyes. "You two are the Scions our Anping County has chosen this time. As you go to Dayuan Prefecture, you must focus on your cultivation. Do not tarnish the good name of Anping County."
"We will not disappoint you, County Magistrate," Chu Bai and Li Han replied in unison.
Qian Shen nodded without saying more, but his personal appearance spoke volumes. It signified official recognition and endorsement, cementing the two’s unshakeable status in Anping County.
As was custom, the crowd escorted them for a hundred paces before stopping.
"Go on now. The path of cultivation is long and arduous. Make sure you take this first step firmly," Daoist Zhang said, patting Chu Bai’s shoulder one last time with heartfelt gravity.
Chu Bai took a deep breath and gave his master a deep bow. Without further hesitation, he turned and boarded the most spacious of the Daoist School carriages.
"HYAH!"
With a sharp crack of the driver’s whip, the carriage began to move, slowly at first, then gradually picking up speed as it entered the main road leading to Dayuan Prefecture.
The carriage interior was surprisingly spacious and lined with thick, soft cushions. Even at a full gallop, there was hardly any sensation of bumping.
Inside the carriage with Chu Bai and Li Han were only their escorts, the examiners Li Wenyuan and Zhang Wu.
Sensing the somewhat somber atmosphere, Li Wenyuan smiled and broke the silence. "The journey to Dayuan Prefecture is about three hundred li. However, these are Wind Chasing Horses, which have Demon Beast blood in them. They’re incredibly fast. It should only take a few hours; we’ll arrive this afternoon."
’Three hundred li in just a few hours... the speed was indeed staggering.’
Chu Bai glanced out the window at the scenery flying by, gaining a new appreciation for the capabilities of the Cultivation Realm.
"Once you get to the Prefecture Daoist School, the rules are different from what you’re used to in the county," Li Wenyuan continued, seeming to offer a deliberate pointer. "This year, the Prefecture Daoist School is opening its gates to three hundred new disciples who will be Receiving Talismans."
"Three hundred?" Li Han said, taken aback. "If all seventy-two counties get a slot, that number..."
"That’s right." Li Wenyuan noticed their confusion, a strange look in his eyes. "Dayuan Prefecture governs seventy-two counties. Each county gets two slots at most. If you add it all up, that’s a little over a hundred people, tops."
Chu Bai’s brow furrowed as he did the math in his head.
’A little over a hundred versus three hundred... so the rest of them...’
"The remaining slots," Li Wenyuan said nonchalantly, dropping the stunning truth, "all come from the Prefecture City itself."
The carriage fell silent.
Chu Bai felt a chill.
’Back in Anping County, he had fought with every ounce of his strength for one of just two slots. The slightest slip-up would have meant failure.’
’Yet in Dayuan Prefecture City, the slots were so plentiful they were practically overflowing!’
No wonder Zhang Cheng had mentioned the number of slots was shrinking. The truth was that the Prefecture City had long since siphoned off the lion’s share of resources, leaving only the scraps for the seventy-two counties to fight over.
"This also means," Zhang Wu interjected coolly, "that in the Daoist School, you’ll encounter a great many disciples from the Prefecture City. They’ll have the lead in terms of family background, resources, and worldly experience. But you two have excellent innate talent, so don’t let that intimidate you."
Although Zhang Wu hadn’t stated it outright, Chu Bai could already sense the underlying antagonism and class disparity.
Chu Bai and Li Han exchanged a glance, and each saw the gravity in the other’s eyes.
Seeing that the two of them understood the implications, Li Wenyuan smiled and offered a comforting word:
"Don’t worry. The Daoist School is fundamentally a place for imparting knowledge and clearing up doubts. While there is competition, it is always kept within bounds."
’Where is it any different? The path of cultivation comes down to a single word: contend!’

Comments

Loading...