62 - A Sect Leader’s Ascension

Why did Chu Duo go out of his way to give such a heavy gift to him? Why did Chu Hongshang regard him differently because she couldn’t perform a soul-search? All these questions became clear once Chu Duo mentioned "that matter." The patriarchal system of the Great Zhou Academy dictates that each sect has various rights over the ordinary citizens within their territory. One of these rights states: if a citizen within the sect’s territory possesses a life-born spiritual root and has the potential to become a cultivator, the sect has sole, irrevocable ownership of that individual. Take the Chu Qin Sect, for instance. If among the immigrants brought by Qin Ji there appeared a child with the potential for cultivation, that child would have no choice but to join the Chu Qin Sect as a member. Neither the Wang family from the Bingzhan Fang nor the Southern Chu Sect could take the child into their own sects by any means, lest they violate the Great Zhou Academy's regulations, which would result in extremely severe penalties. Even a powerful sect like the Southern Chu Sect could face disbandment, with its leaders held accountable. Typically, children from the age of three would participate in the Ascension Ceremony hosted by various sects. If they showed talent, they would become cultivators of the sect. Of course, they would have the freedom to make their own choices once they grew up. However, what Chu Duo referred to as "that matter" was much more ominous: it involved stealthily abducting highly talented children from various regions who had yet to participate in the Ascension Ceremony, secretly bringing them to the Chu Qin Sect to forge legitimate identities, and then openly integrating them into the Southern Chu Sect. With Qi Xiu's natural ability, derived from his Red-back Horse Monkey origins, rendering him immune to soul-searching, it meant that if Qi Xiu handled this matter, others would be unable to obtain solid evidence from him that implicated the Southern Chu Sect. Even if Qi Xiu confessed, the Southern Chu Sect could deny its involvement. So, if the plot were ever exposed in the future, casting Qi Xiu and the Chu Qin Sect as scapegoats would prevent any trace from reaching the Southern Chu Sect. The downfall of the Chu Qin Sect seemed inevitable. Qi Xiu found himself unable to reject Chu Duo's demands. By the time Chu Duo informed him of the situation, he was already on the boat. Trying to leave the boat would likely only result in death. Given Chu Duo’s nature, it was doubtful he’d spare even the families of Chu Qin. "This is a dead end!" Qi Xiu lamented. "Five years? Ten years? Fifty years? Such activities will surely be discovered sooner or later, and the fate of the Chu Qin Sect is almost predetermined.” Could he resist? No. Could he tell anyone? No. Telling his disciples would mean their death; telling Wang Guan and Kan Lin would endanger them too. Could he seek help? From whom? Who could stand against the Southern Chu Sect, which even had Nascent Soul cultivators? Besides, the Southern Chu Sect had once given the Chu Qin Sect a great favor by sustaining it. It seemed the time to repay this debt had come. Could he say no? Impossible! "The only way to break the deadlock might be through strength. If Chu Qin were to produce a Nascent Soul cultivator..." He shook his head, dismissing the fanciful notion. If that were truly possible, the Southern Chu Sect would never have approached him. Forget it. Since they treated him as a pawn, he would perform his duty and show his value. He couldn't let himself become a discarded piece; that would only lead to a more tragic end. Burdened with these thoughts, Qi Xiu opened the door, bumping into Zhang Shishi. "Headmaster, where have you been? I couldn't find you anywhere and thought something happened!" "What's the urgency?" "Earlier, cultivators from the Southern Chu Sect brought a couple over, claiming they were servants offered to compensate for the damage caused by a misunderstanding with the ancestor." "It’s begun already? That quickly? It seems the Southern Chu Sect is impatient!" Qi Xiu murmured to himself, replying coolly, "Got it. Assign them to the back mountain to guard the ancestral tablets in the shrine." "But..." Zhang Shishi looked troubled. "The couple is deaf and mute, and the woman is pregnant, due soon. Is it appropriate to place them in such a remote spot?" "What’s inappropriate about it?" Qi Xiu didn’t want his disciples involved, so he feigned displeasure, giving Zhang Shishi a pointed look. "They are sent by the Chu family, after all. Just put them there and don’t assign them tasks. Just let them be." "Uh... Yes." Uncertain why the headmaster snapped at him, Zhang Shishi went to make the arrangements. Sure enough, within half a month, the mute woman "gave birth" to a pair of twins. "Coincidentally," a Southern Chu Sect female cultivator passed by the Black River Peak, assisting with the delivery and then conveniently taking the babies back to be raised by relatives of the mute couple in the Southern Chu Sect. The whole event was like a passing ripple, leaving no noticeable stir in the Chu Qin Sect, though Qi Xiu alone understood the bittersweet reality, guarding this secret, unable to share it with anyone. Of course, participating in such perilous dealings yielded considerable benefits. Qi Xiu obtained new cultivation techniques, while Zhan Yuan and the others were allowed to return to Black River Fang to resume their ghost market and inn businesses. Bai Xiaosheng, however, remained tormented at the crossroads by Chu Youguang’s varied means. Some White Mountain cultivators went out of their way to witness this spectacle, which only boosted Black River Fang’s fame within White Mountain. It became widely known that a White Mountain Foundation Establishment rogue cultivator was chained and humiliated like a dog at the crossroads, a situation that was ironically beneficial for both the Chu Qin Sect and White Mountain cultivators. Black River Fang flourished, an ironic index of success for both the Chu Qin Sect and White Mountain cultivators. Zhan Yuan had fully renovated places like the Chu Qin Pavilion, replacing them with grand tiled structures favored by Daoists. In a spiritual array, Qi Xiu sat in meditation, the small Linglong Pagoda before him as he practiced the modified Mingxin Jianxing Art by Chu Huixin. He abandoned the contemplation of his true life-born Red-back Horse Monkey form, focusing exclusively on the Linglong Pagoda to visualize the intricate Seven Aperture Linglong Heart. The technique circulated slowly through his body. To his astonishment, the barrier of the first stage of Qi Refinement, which he hadn't surpassed in over two decades, began to loosen. Within his consciousness, he sensed a translucent, heart-shaped life-born symbol pulsating rhythmically. “This technique is miraculous indeed!” An irrepressible joy surged within him, nearly causing a deviation. Hurriedly, he slapped a Clearing Heart Talisman onto his chest, narrowly avoiding the disaster of a Qi deviation—from bliss nearly turned to tragedy. "Headmaster, what happened?" Zhang Shishi, meditating beside him, noticed Qi Xiu’s abnormality and asked concernedly. "It's... nothing." Despite trying to remain calm, Qi Xiu couldn’t suppress the joy on his face, using a prepared excuse. "I didn’t expect that using the Linglong Pagoda as a focus would allow such progress in my cultivation. I got a bit too excited." "Congratulations, Headmaster!" "Congratulations, Headmaster!" The disciples meditating alongside offered their congratulations. "Not yet, not yet. Until I surpass the first stage of Qi Refinement, it’s all just an illusion," Qi Xiu replied cheerfully, turning to inquire about Zhang Shishi’s progress. After the encounter with the Black River Lizard, Zhang Shishi felt a connection with shield-type magical artifacts. He switched to a first-rank Heavy Earth Shield as his focus but still struggled to overcome the barrier to the sixth level of Qi Refinement. "It feels... less compatible with my life-born essence than the Stone Mat," Zhang Shishi confessed, dejected about his cultivation. He trained harder than anyone but He Yu, yet his progress stalled. "Why not try another one? With Black River Fang's rising income, we have more resources. Let's buy a second-rank focus," Qi Xiu suggested, aware of his relentless efforts. "Maybe... I should wait." Zhang Shishi hesitated, knowing Fang's profits were largely Zhan Yuan's doing, reluctant to spend the earned spirit stones. "Winter is near. Once the first snow falls, our Pond Skewered Porkfish will be ready for harvest. I'll decide then."