Chapter 6 – I’m not Paying for That!
“Good, great, excellent! Young Master Jun De, are you willing to join our Tranquil Mountain Sect? We’ll need to go through the selection process, of course, but I doubt a virtuous youth like you will have any trouble succeeding!”
The Young Man, Jun De, as he had just declared his name to be, tilted his head slightly and gave a warm, gentle smile.
“I would be honoured.”
Internally, Jun De was confused.
‘That’s it? Shouldn’t you wait until after the test to make me an offer?’ Jun De thought to himself.
But that thought was immediately shoved aside by excitement. A cultivation Sect! That’s where he can learn the secrets of cultivation, gain immortality and be surrounded by a harem of beauties.
The Elder beamed with undisguised delight at Jun De’s response, and he nodded happily.
“Marvelous! Then please, take a seat. The test is already underway, but we still have time.” The Elder directed, gesturing to several of the woven mats at the front of the courtyard.
Jun De nodded and stepped further into the courtyard. Dozens of sets of eyes followed him, all ranging from curious to openly envious. He passed rows of seated candidates, none with glowing orbs.
A few were openly frustrated as their glass orbs remained dull, but one young woman at the front was close to success. Her orb would flicker faintly before dying once again. She was scowling at the delicate item in her hands, and Jun De thought she might hurl it at any moment.
She was younger than he, probably around eighteen or nineteen, and wearing simple, hemp clothing that was clean and well-tended, but obviously poorer than his own clothing. Her dark hair was pulled back behind her ears, and her dark eyes were locked onto the orb in her hands.
Jun De took a quick glance at her and immediately dismissed her from his potential harem. She lacked a lot of the necessary…assets that he desired.
‘It’s my first ever harem, I can afford to be picky!’ Jun De thought.
When Jun De lowered himself into a cross-legged position and waited for the Elder to give him his orb, the young woman let out a cheer as the orb in her hands gave a burst of light and remained glowing.
“I did it!” She exclaimed happily. The orb was as bright as a candle, but its glow was steady. The Elder, arriving next to Jun De, nodded at the young woman.
“Good, you may proceed to the next test. Take your place with the others and give young master Jun De your orb.” The Elder directed. The shattering of several orbs on the ground had left the Elder short, and the simplest solution was to just have the young woman pass hers to Jun De.
The young woman hadn’t noticed Jun De at first, her fingers were curled gently around the orb in her lap, and she hadn’t looked up until the Elder spoke. When she heard that she needed to pass her orb to ‘Jun De,’ she glanced sideways and froze.
Her breath caught in her throat as her eyes darted to his face, then quickly down again. Her cheeks flushed pink, and she blinked rapidly, as if trying to convince herself that she wasn’t imagining him.
She clumsily scrambled to her feet and brushed her hand at the front of her clothing to straighten a few wrinkles that had appeared.
“I…I didn’t see you there. I apologize, Young Master.” She stammered softly, her voice barely above a whisper.
Jund De’s gaze was steady and gentle, as he waved his right hand gently to dismiss her apology.
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“There is nothing to apologize for. Congratulations on your success.” Jun De said to her kindly as he reached out to the young woman to take the orb in her hands.
Seeing his intention, she blushed deeper in embarrassment at not understanding what he wanted, and she quickly offered the orb to him.
The moment Jun De’s fingertips brushed against the cool glass surface of the orb, there was a reaction.
The orb, whose white colour had been muted in the young woman’s hands, flared to life with a blinding intensity. The glow erupted outward with a brilliant and pure white light. It cast long shadows and illuminated the courtyard as if a second sun had ignited.
There was a ringing sound, and the orb cracked like ice under pressure. A breath after igniting, it shattered in a silent explosion of light. The shards hovered in the air for a heartbeat, glittering like stars, before they dissolved into golden dust and drifted away on the wind.
All around the courtyard, other orbs responded in kind.
One by one, they lit up with a multitude of colours, bursting to life in harmony like stars in the night sky.
Gasps filled the courtyard, a chorus of stunned awe, and no one moved. More cracking sounds rang out as all the orbs were destroyed, one after another.
Jun De’s face, normally carefully composed, showed his shock by the widening of his eyes and the slight parting of his lips. His hand was still raised to touch the orb, and his fingertips were now covered in gold dust.
He was at a loss for words, and Jun De’s mind stopped working as a single thought thundered in his head.
‘I’m not paying for that!’
Jun De took a cautious look at the Elder, who was already planning his escape from the courtyard. The old man in blue robes stood motionless for a moment, his eyes fixed on the space where the last golden particles shimmered and vanished.
Then, his face split into a wide grin that transformed his sternness into something nearly unrecognizable. Jun De immediately felt himself relax, although he was prepared to argue that he didn’t have any money to pay for the destroyed orbs.
For the Elder, all he could think about was his reward for bringing such a treasure back to the sect. Forget about a Foundation Establishment Pill, Core Formation might even be within his reach!
“Ha! Marvellous, absolutely marvellous!” The Elder exclaimed, clapping his hands together sharply so that it echoed across the now-silent courtyard.
He strode forward with surprising energy, his delight palpable. He dipped his hand into his robe and withdrew a single, paper talisman. It was thin and yellow, inscribed with red ink that pulsed faintly with spiritual energy.
His finger moved with practiced ease as he whispered an incantation under his breath and tossed the talisman high into the air with a flick of his wrist. It spun through the air, glowing brighter as it travelled, until it reached the apex of its arc.
The talisman shivered in midair, before folding in on itself and becoming a small, golden bird that chirped once at the Elder and darted into the sky.
It disappeared from sight in a moment as the Elder watched it with expectation in his eyes.
‘Magic is real.’ Jun De thought. Between the Orbs dissolving and the piece of paper turning into a bird, any doubts he had about Qi and Cultivation were put to rest.
“That will bring my mount.” The Elder said to Jun De before he turned and faced the assembled crowd. His expression of happiness and joy was concealed again, replaced by the stern fa?ade he had worn before.
“The ceremony is concluded. We depart for the Tranquil Mountain Sect at once.”
A wave of surprise moved through the crowd. The other people who passed the test looked at each other with excitement and delight, while several people who had still been in the middle of test looked unhappy and even angry.
But no one dared challenge the Elder.
Let alone his status in the Sect, a 10th-evel Qi Condensation Cultivator was an expert in their city. Even the City Lord was only at the 8th level.
The Elder paid no attention to the crowd or even the other successful candidates. His eyes were on Jun De, and his lips quirked upward in an irrepressible smile.
“The Sect will be excited by your arrival. We'd best not keep them waiting.”
In reality, the Elder was so eager for his reward that he would have bundled Jun De up and carried him on his back to the sect if he had to!
High above the courtyard, a soft cry pierced the sky. Heads turned to look upward as a colossal white crane descended in slow, graceful arcs. Its wings were spread wide, catching the sun in shimmering waves.
The crane’s feathers were as white and pristine as fresh snow, and its frame was so large that Jun De knew that if he rode on it, the creature would have no trouble carrying dozens of people on its back.
Around its neck fluttered a finely woven cloth that was as white as its feathers and had bold, deep-blue characters written on it with impeccable calligraphy.
Tranquil Mountain Sect
Gasps of wonder rippled through the crowd as the great crane lowered itself toward the courtyard. Its landing was so graceful that it didn’t disturb even a speck of dust.
The Elder stepped forward without hesitation and leapt onto the back of the crane. With a swipe of his sleeves, he gathered Jun De and the others who had passed with his Qi and lifted them with ease to settle them behind him.
“Prepare yourselves. The Tranquil Mountain Sect awaits!”
With another cry, the crane launched itself into the air with its six passengers and had soon travelled beyond the sight of the city.
