The Fourth Stage - Chapter 12 preview (Patreon)

“Thank you for agreeing to meet me, Elder Ko. Your advice on these matters is something I value greatly.” Wu Ying punctuated his words with a low bow to the bearded Elder.

It was strange, to meet with the Elder and realise that for all his greater age, Elder Ko was not much more advanced in his Core layering than Wu Ying. Perhaps eight or so layers in, close to being sufficient to advance to the next level but not there. More interestingly, was the leakage in the Elder’s aura, as wisps of Core energy seeped out. It had been something Wu Ying had missed in the past, but now, he could not help but wonder how had done so.

“Your invitation was a pleasant surprise. Though, I would have thought you’d seek to speak with Elder Shin. He controls the Core Disciple and Elder Library after all,” Elder Ko said.

Wu Ying leaned over and refilled the cup of tea set before Elder Ko. Having spent the past bell speaking on lighter topics, the plates of snacks and pots of tea had been dutifully reduced. Once the Elder’s cup was filled, he proceeded to fill his own in turn before placing the teapot aside.

“Whilst Elder Shin might be the most appropriate individual, I know him not. And Elder Ko has always been more than fair with this one.” Wu Ying touched his chest, where a scar still lay present on his body. “It was his guidance that saw me begin my path, and I believe the Elder is most appropriate in aiding me in my next steps.”

“You’ve grown a silver tongue boy,” Elder Ko said. “As distance tests a horse's strength, time reveals a person's character (4). And yours has shown to be strong and upright.”

“Elder Ko flatters me.”

“Elder Ko tires of all this. Show me what you intended.”

Wu Ying stood up and gestured for the man to follow him to another room. Passing into the library that he had set aside in his new residence, Wu Ying shivered a little as the formation probed his aura and pulled against it as he passed through. He noted Elder Ko grimace a little as he passed as well. But once he was through, the older man’s gaze landed immediately upon the table and its contents.

“Are those…?”

“Documents from my travels. Closest to us are various manuals, skill techniques and other works of that form I’ve acquired. Most are for Body Cleansers and Energy Storage cultivators, though a few suit Core Formation cultivators.” Wu Ying chose not to explain how he got those. “On the next table are works on Body Cultivation collected from the various kingdoms. Most are low grade, with few offering the entire pathway and almost all ruinously expensive to progress but they do include all the common elemental bodies.”

Elder Ko nodded along as Wu Ying spoke, walking along the edges of the tables, his gaze darting from one revealed manuscript to another. Many of the books were of middling quality, the majority worn and stained from use, ripped and dog-eared or the scrolls bent. Yet, while the cultivation works were numerous, they were dwarfed by the last section that the pair came to eventually, a section that took up three tables and even then, all piled high.

“An impressive collection,” Elder Ko said, then frowned as he neared them. He picked up three books, turning them over before raising an eyebrow. “Though adding copies of the same work does degrade the initial impression a little.”

“It’s important,” Wu Ying said. “Those are different editions from different kingdoms of the seminal work. However, the illustrations and in some cases, the plants included have been altered by the scribes. The one you hold on the bottom is the oldest copy, and what I believe is the closest to the original work.”

“Ah… scholarly mistakes.”

“And corrections,” Wu Ying said. “I have my own version of the work itself, updated by my own hand. Not every scholar is an artist, not every work is properly copied over. Even when wood blocks were used, if the initial carving or the printing was rushed…”

“You need not explain the problems of bibiolgraphic incompetence to me,” Elder Ko held up a hand, an amused smile on his face. “I was dealing with such matters long before you were born.”

“Of course. My apologies Elder.”

“Now, I assume you showed this to me for my judgment of the works?”

“Yes. I need to know which should be donated – thus allowing the sect to create multiple copies for my students in the future – and which I should keep for my personal library. And which, of course, would provide me contribution points,” Wu Ying gestured to the first piles. Those, he assumed, would mostly be donated to the school.

Contribution points, Wu Ying was fast learning, was a strange thing at the stage that he was within. Contrary to his prior beliefs, Elders were not just paid for their presence in the sect. Or perhaps, it was better to say that their existence was paid for by previous deeds. In the time taken for most cultivators to ascend, they gathered a significant number of contribution points. These points, while mostly spent in aiding a cultivator further progress also helped the sect itself, for the cost of the items they purchased were significantly marked up.

In this way, most Elders created a backlog of points through their progress that supported their new needs. Furthermore, many had acquired a significant amount of mortal wealth through the years and thus further subsidized their households in this manner, purchasing luxury products to fill their residences. Since many Elders spent long weeks and months in closed door cultivation, the actual cost of subsisiding them was significantly reduced for a sect.

For those who were focused upon progressing themselves via their profession, the sale of the pills, the plays and paintings and soirees they might host all provided both prestige and additional funds to the sect iself.

It was only anomalous individuals like himself and Tou He who strained the beneficial system that upheld the livelihood of the Elders. It was partly the reason why he had been sent south, his services considered payment to the sect for the draw on their resources.

As for himself, he had used little of the Sect resources – relatively speaking – and thus had no backlog of points to draw upon. Upkeep of his residence was expensive but Yin Xue’s gift had been more than generous and took care of the mundane needs. Wu Ying also knew he could access additional funds if necessary via the trading and sale of the basic resources in his World Spirit Ring. But it did leave him with a significant number of contribution points and resources he would need to draw upon for the creation of his new department.

Unloading all his excess notes, manuals and techniques should solve that problem. With the added benefit that he could then sell some of the storage rings he had used to contain them.

“Quite the collection,” Elder Ko said, stroking his beard. “I can certainly aid in this matter, but I would request that I – the inner sect library – be offered first choice.”

“So long as it abides by the rules of the sect related to the transmission of such knowledge,” Wu Ying said. “And, of course, so long as such acquisition is at an equivalent price.”

Elder Ko chuckled, casting a sideways glance at Wu Ying before he wandered back to the cultivation manuals. “We shall begin by processing the works that we already have copies of. Those neither library will purchase, though a small number might be added to the outer sect library.”

Stopping at the table, the Elder rearranged the work to give himself a small space before he began picking up manual after manual, scanning the front cover and the contents within before placing them aside. He kept speaking as he did so.

“Most of what you will have acquired, I assume, are from local merchants and smaller sects. Works they traded to a wandering cultivator for his aid, or provided for his perusal because it offered little to him.” Wu Ying inclined his head and the Elder continued. “Most such works would not even be added to our outer sect library. We have standards, as you know.”

That made Wu Ying grimace, but the Elder continued. “Also, an extensive collection. The goal of our collection is not breadth but utility. There is no point in having eleven cultivation techniques that work with a fire elemental body – especially when we get fewer than two dozen such Body Cleansing cultivators each intake. As you might recall, the majority of our library is focused on the unaspected.”

“The Yellow Emperor’s Cultivation Method,” Wu Ying chimed in. He recalled that cultivation technique quite fondly. It was not the most appropriate cultivation technique, it was in fact generally only partly efficient for most. However, it had the advantage at the lower levels of being compatible for the majority of mortals, making it suitable for distribution to the greater populace.

With the wisdom of years and study, Wu Ying still marveled at the ability of the Yellow Emperor to divine a method that could be so widely used. In his travels, not once had he encountered an individual crippled from the use of the cultivation technique – at least, so long as they had not practiced it improperly. A true marvel, when other cultivation techniques could cripple or setback individuals on the regular.

“Exactly. So much of these works are useless. While we keep a small number of other cultivation manuals, especially in esoteric elements.” Elder Ko hefted one and waved it before Wu Ying. A glance at the name had Wu Ying smiling a little, especially when Elder Ko placed the manual in the small pile that he had formed for purchasing. In contrast to the much larger pile he had discarded. Then again, Wu Ying had to admit, the Sea Turtle’s Wisdom was a strange cultivation manual, being specifically created for those with an elemental attunement to salt water. “The majority just aren’t of use to us.”

“But aren’t differing cultivation methods generally better suited for different individuals?” Wu Ying said, curiously.

“Oh yes, of course. But the actual difference is often marginal.” Elder Ko shrugged. “A meridian or two difference in cleansing potential in most cases. The hard working, the talented or the stubborn will find a way through, even with the least efficient method.” The old man paused, then added. “Also, the fated and fortunate, of course.”

“A single meridian difference could mean the difference between the inner sect and outer for some.”

“Oh, certainly. But I care for the sect, not the individual,” Elder Ko replied. “My concern must be for what is best for the sect as a whole.” He chuckled, fanning the three wood cultivation manuals Wu Ying had acquired and set aside before him for the other.

Wu Ying read their names on reflex as he did so. The Binding Poplar. Thirteen Flowering Bush. Silver Thorned Lotuses.

“Take these three. At a glance, would you know the difference between each?” Not even waiting for Wu Ying to answer, Elder Ko continued. “The first pulls chi through the second meridian and the lung point. The third uses the same meridian, but demands you concentrate it at the sixth heart point. And as for the second, well, that one is even stranger and requires you to open the sixth meridian to begin.” He pulled the first and third manuals and tossed them into the discard pile while adding the second to the purchase one. “If you were a student tasked with supplying a new cultivation manual, and had all three to choose from, how would you do so?”

“I do not know, Elder. It is not an area of study of mine,” Wu Ying replied.

“Exactly! You know enough not to make any random suggestions, even if I would think that you are actually more likely to provide a correct answer compared to many of the librarians that work for me,” Elder Ko said. “The fewer manuals we have, the safer they are for the majority, the higher chance that more of our sect members will survive and progress.”

Wu Ying paled a little, as the Elder moved on, turning to the cultivation techniques. He had never considered the management of the sect and the needs of a sect as a whole. He had collected many of these documents out of idle curiosity and desire to expand his own knowledge base – and a mild hope that it could be sold on in the future – but had never considered the restrictions the sect itself faced.

By the time he was done, he was surprised to find that Elder Ko was half-done with the pile of cultivation techniques. Even more surprising, nearly two thirds were piled high near the purchase pile of cultivation manuals.

“Elder…?”

“Oh, cultivation techniques are entirely different. Those, the more we have, the better.” Elder Ko said, grinning. “You would not believe the fools that purchase these in quantities. Nobles, martial cultivators, scholars. Most cultivators have a period where they study multiple techniques, never perfecting a single one before they calm down and learn what you have.”

“I have?”

“Of course. It is better to study a single, good technique or series of techniques and make them yours, creating a technique of your own from the mixture of your dao, cultivation techniques and element.” Elder Ko smiled a little. “Your cyclone was rather impressive. Now, a document about that…”

“It’s from my own sword technique, the Wandering Dragon.” Wu Ying offered. “The third form, the Dragon Turns.”

“Well, a work like that, we would likely restrict to the Core members,” Elder Ko said, stroking his beard as he turned to Wu Ying. “Of course, revealing the details of ones techniques… especially when it is linked to closely to both a Body Cultivation technique and a rare element, well…”

“I have no intention of providing the sect my technique. Or my family’s technique,” Wu Ying said, firmly.

“Of course, of course. A man must ask.”

Returning to the documents, Elder Ko continued sorting the documents, leaving Wu Ying to trail along. The conversation turned to specific documents as Elder Ko finished up on the techniques, leaving three piles. The first were the discards, the second the ones he would purchase and a third he laid out for works that were likely to be purchased but restricted to the Core. That third pile consistent of three works, two technique manuals and a scroll, amusingly focused on dual cultivation.

“Now, this is an extensive series of works on Body Cultivation.” Elder Ko said as he browsed through the group. He was not sorting them much, instead picking up works and reading through the first few pages before placing them aside as he spoke. “Quite extensive. The problem is, the sect does not generally encourage Body Cultivation.

“I’m sure you understand why.”

“Body Cultivators require a greater degree of resources than soul cultivators and more so on a regular basis.” Wu Ying intoned. “I know.”

“There are, of course, some basic body cleansing techniques that we all use, that help with the works. I see that some of these could provide such starts. However…” Elder Ko finished browsing his latest manual and he stepped back, frowning. “I will speak with the Sect Head and Librarian Shin. We must decide on this matter before we can process these works.”

“Of course.” Wu Ying did his best to keep his disappointment from his voice. He expected some of the Body Cultivation manuals to be rejected. Even a significant portion perhaps. But all of them? That was a blow he had not expected.

“Now, let us turn to the meat of the matter.” Eyes twinkling, Elder Ko spun around and strode over to the gathering manual. “Or the plant, if you will.” Then, loudly smacking his lips, he continued. “I dare say, this will be quite thirsty and hungry work, do you not think so?”

Wu Ying shook his head at the man’s shameless request but he raised his hand, waving the servants over. They returned with cups of tea and additional plates of snacks as the pair settled in to go through Wu Ying’s even more extensive horticultural library.


Footnote:

4 - Chinese saying. Its origin is in the Yuan dynasty, when the Mongols ruled China. I’m using it here, because this is a second world fantasy, not actual China and I’m not writing historical fiction.