Stormy Mountain Sect Chapter 11 (Patreon)

*** AUTHOR’S NOTE ***

Out camping with the family, really bad signal last night. Enjoy!

*** AUTHOR’S NOTE ***

“What are you going to do now?” Nuan asked me.

“Go to the Administration building,” I said. “We both got what seems like a lot of points, and I want to see what we can do with them.”

“I’ll come with,” she said. “I was thinking of signing up for a job there. While we do have a bunch of points, I know how quickly even a fortune can be spent.”

“That’s a good point,” I laughed. “Come on. Feng? Melody, Aisling?”

“I will be leaving,” Feng said. “I have Introduction to Physical Cultivation as a mandatory class at fifth bell, and the location is fairly far up the mountain.”

“I’ll let you know what I find out,” I said.

“I would be indebted to you,” he gave me a small bow.

“I can come,” Aisling said shyly.

“Graille offered to help me learn my cultivation method better,” Melody said. “We both have an Earth Affinity.”

“That’s awesome,” I said.

“Thank you,” she said, “but I should hurry back to my domicile.”

We left the room, filing out of Mackenzie Hall, and then we split up at the first intersection on the road. Feng headed left, turning up the road towards the other communal buildings. Melody went right, heading back towards the domiciles. Aisling, Nuan, and I went straight, passing two more buildings similar to Mackenzie Hall before reaching the Administration building.

I led us around the building to the entrance we’d taken after finishing the entrance party. The road naturally continued to the correct entrance, with three other buildings opening off the same square I hadn’t noticed before. I shrugged, I guess I was focused on Rowan’s discussion and warning, and not on my surroundings. We entered the building. The signs for newcomers were gone, and instead the two aisle were labeled, ‘Cultivation resources.’

“I’ll go speak to the Elder over there,” Nuan said, pointing to the right where an older man was reading a book.

“And I’ll go see what cultivation resources are available,” I said. Aisling followed Nuan over to the Elder. I got in line behind three other people. Nuan and Aisling didn’t have to wait, the Elder available immediately to help them figure out potential positions in the sect.

My line moved quickly, and after only a few minutes I found myself in front of a twenty-year-old young woman. “What would you like to purchase?” She asked, her tone respectful but bored.

“Uh, may I ask what is available?”

She looked at me closely, and I vaguely felt the gossamer touch of Qi from her. “Ah, a newbie. Do you have your badge on you?”

“Yes, ma’am,” I said.

“Hand it over,” she put out her hand.

With a nod, I pulled it off my sect uniform and handed it to her. She took it and tapped a tablet to it. “There, now you have the current list. This will be good for three days, and anything listed with small quantities has no guarantee of being available. Go browse, and then come back with your desires.”

“Uh, thank you, ma’am,” I said. I stepped off to the side, letting a slightly older than me boy walk up to the clerk. I pulled my badge up to my eye, and then slowly worked on putting some Qi into it. Nothing seemed to happen. I frowned at the device, looking all over it to try and find the text that should have appeared.

“Oi, newbie, put it on your forehead,” the clerk called after about a minute of me fumbling.

“Thanks,” I called, then touched the gem to my face like I was instructed. Nothing happened for a second, and then I sheepishly moved Qi into it from this position.

Immediately, I KNEW the listing. The explosion of knowledge caused me to stumble backwards. My brain felt fuzzy, but I knew that a (name) pill like I’d received on the trip to the sect cost a thousand points. A bell of cultivation in a Least Cultivation Room was fifty points, but a Lesser Cultivation Room cost five hundred. Nothing in the list I was given was worth more than five thousand points.

“That, wow,” I stammered to myself. There were thousands of options, pills, powders, and potions for specific Affinities, or specific levels. Everything was useful for me, even the pills for a Fire or Metal Affinity could help me develop in a different direction if I wanted. I just didn’t know what everything would be useful for. What in the world is a Seven Fragrance Jewel Herb, and why would I want it? Ah, I know so little, why did I think this would be a good idea?

I sat and thought for a bit, realizing what the chairs were useful for. There were at least two other people sitting in silent contemplation of the purchase list. Even as I thought that, another person came stumbling over. She was a young woman who I thought sat a few rows below mine in the cultivation class.

“What’d you learn?” Nuan asked, sitting beside me.

“Too much,” I said, holding my head. “The list is now in my head, and I can’t get it out.”

Aisling asked, “Is it like a knowledge jade?”

“A what?” I asked.

“Uh,” she blushed. “I read about knowledge jades, where you could immediately learn a technique or read an entire book in an instant.”

“Yeah, that,” I said with a grin and grimace together. “A Trueflame Cultivation Pill costs five thousand credits, while a Least Fire Cultivation Pill costs only two hundred. I know the prices, but I have no idea which is better for me.”

I shrugged, “There’s hundreds of pills, but the descriptions are kinda vague. An Overgrowth Cultivation Pill costs two thousand five hundred credits with a description that says ‘Enhance the Wood with Growth, advance a minor realm, be more than you were.’ I think that’ll push me from Tendon to Bone Refinement, but I’m not sure. What does ‘be more than you were‘ mean? It’s not worth most of my credits to see.” I took a deep breath. “Cultivation rooms sound like the best option for now, at least until we can get more information.”

“Cultivation room?” Nuan asked.

“I’m assuming it’s a room with higher Qi, and the level of room determines how much Qi there is,” I said with a shrug. “We can ask when we get through the line. Maybe the clerk could give us some advice?”

“Doesn’t hurt to try,” Nuan said.

“Unless we annoy someone who’s strong enough to hurt us,” Aisling countered.

“She might welcome a distraction. She sounded pretty bored when I talked to her the first time,” I said with a shrug. “Here, put it to your forehead and put a string of Qi into it.” I handed the jade to Nuan. “Careful, though, the amount of information hurts a bit.”

Nuan nodded, then held the tablet like instructed. She shuddered as the knowledge flooded her, and I reached out and grabbed her upper arm when she started to fall. She caught herself a second later and smiled up at me in thanks. “Your turn, Aisling,” she said.

“Fine,” Aisling said resignedly.

We waited in line for a few more minutes, then walked up to the counter. “Did you come to a decision?” The clerk asked.

“Uh, do you have any advice for a Wood and Growth affinity Tendon Refining cultivator?” I asked, smiling hopefully at her.

“How many points do you have?” She responded.

“Uh, a bit over twenty five hundred,” I said. “I did pretty good on the stairs.”

“Impressive,” she said, suddenly more interested in helping. “Have you taken any pills before?”

“Yes, senior,” I said. “A (name), given to me by Elder Li Mei.”

“What level were you?”

“(Check) Refinement,” I said.

“You should be clear to take another pill. I would recommend a Least Overgrowth Cultivation Pill or a Lesser Oaken Fortification Pill, but I wouldn’t take any until you reach the peak of Tendon Refinement. Pills are best used for breaking through to new levels, not advancing through the level. At your level, a Least Cultivation room is more than enough. You could even share with your friends, though policy is we charge only one person,” she said. “You really should search for some cultivation zones on the periphery first though. Don’t be in too much of a rush.”

“So if I got an Overgrowth Cultivation Pill, it really would push me to the next level?” I asked.

“Yes, but that would be a waste. An Overgrowth Cultivation Pill would push you through a level of Qi Condensation as well. You shouldn’t push too far too fast,” she said. “Too many pills, too much advancement without experiences will limit your capability.” She paused, looking at us three. “Though, at your level there aren't many downsides. Talk it over with your mentors and instructors before you spend thousands of credits.”

“Okay,” I said. “Thank you for your advice.”

“That’s what they pay me for,” she laughed.

I grinned at her, “How many people could use a Least Cultivation Room at my level without issue?”

“Most likely four, though that depends on your cultivation techniques,” she said. “If they’re focused on different affinities, maybe five. If the same affinity, two. To be safe, four is the max I’d allow, but even six would still be stronger than your courtyards.”

“Harvest,” I said with a grin, “when can I schedule a bell?”

“Anytime,” she answered. “There are one hundred Least Cultivation Rooms, and usually only fifty are in use at any time.”

“Marc, we can pay for our own,” Nuan said.

“Or we can all share, and rotate who pays for whom,” I said. I turned back to the clerk, “May I please schedule a Least Cultivation Room for tenth bell today?”

“Sure thing,” the clerk said, holding out her hand. I quickly handed her my badge. She tapped at a tablet, then touched my badge to it, before nodding and handing it back. “Your badge will show you the way to the room. You are in room ninety-four. At tenth bell, your badge will unlock the room, and you will be given a warning five minutes before the bell.”

“Can I add a bell to the same room?” Nuan asked.

“Me too,” Aisling said.

“I’ll allow the first girl,” the clerk said. “You’ll miss dinner if you stay longer. You have time, there isn’t a rush right now.”

“Okay,” Aisling said with a pout.

“You can buy the first hour tomorrow,” I said consolingly.

Nuan handed the clerk her badge. She processed her payment, then said, “If your badge is within the room, the alert will not sound until the end of your time period. Be sure you do not have anything else scheduled during that time. Your instructors will not be pleased if you miss a mandatory class.”

“Thank you, senior,” we all intoned.

“You should look at the jobs,” Nuan said. “There are dozens of assistant positions available. I got one as an assistant to an alchemist. It starts tomorrow at seventh bell for three hours.”

“I, uh, didn’t check my schedule for tomorrow,” I said with a sheepish grin.

“You, uh, should do that,” Aisling said with a wry smile on her face.

I laughed, then pulled out my schedule tablet. With an infusion of Qi, I accessed it, and then poked at it. A gesture like turning the page on a book moved the date to tomorrow, and I saw that I had Introductory Physical Cultivation from second bell to fourth bell, and nothing else mandatory scheduled. I looked through the options, but nothing else jumped out at me. “I should be free after lunch,” I said.

“Go on,” Nuan said. “We’ll wait for you.”

“Thanks,” I said, then went over to the job counter.

“Here ya go,” the guy there said brusquely, handing me the booklet of jobs.

“Uh, thank you, senior,” I said.

“Bah, look through the book, then come back,” he said, waving me off.

“Yes, senior,” I grimaced, taking the book and then sitting down at one of the chairs. The book was helpfully divided by affinity, though the majority of the options were affinity agnostic. I opened to the Wood affinity, since there was no Growth affinity section. Oh, that would be neat. I can work for an Elder or a Core tier Inner Sect Cultivator, assisting them in their garden. They want Wood or Earth affinity. I’m sure my Wood and Growth will make them happy. Seventh through tenth bell, pay is ten credits per hour. Wow, most jobs are similar in pay. That makes the amount I got from the stairs feel like so much more.

I browsed for another few minutes, finding seven separate jobs that were assisting higher-level cultivators in their gardens. Each one only had a few slots available. The last one offered twelve credits per hour, but no one had signed up for it yet. I shrugged, then walked over to the clerk, “Can I sign up to assist Outer Elder Yao in their garden?”

“You sure about that?” he asked.

“Uh, why shouldn’t I be?” I asked back, confused.

“Never mind,” the clerk said, though his grin didn’t make me comfortable. Elder Yao is probably mean, so no one wants to work for them, I thought while handing the clerk my sect badge. I can deal with mean, as long as I get to learn something. If not, well, I only have to last a month and then I can change jobs.

“Here you go,” the clerk said. “You have three days to start working, and must perform at least twenty hours every ten days. Hours over the minimum do not pay more. Since you’re new, I’ll remind you that the sect deducts two hundred credits from your account every ten day for your stipend of pills, lodging, and food. So don’t spend too much.”

“Thank you, senior,” I said with a bow. “I will keep that in mind.”

“Good. Many don’t, and end up in debt to the sect,” he told me. “Then you end up having to take the worst positions until you have paid your debt off. Keep on your best behavior, Elder’s can deduct credits if you violate the rules of the sect.”

I nodded, scooping my badge back up, then turned and walked over to the others. Nuan looked up at me, “What weapon are you going to use for your duel?”

“I was thinking my bow,” I said with a grin. “I doubt he’ll expect it, it’s not against the rules, and it’ll teach them not to mess with me.”

“Well, you should probably run and grab it,” she said with a wry grin on her face. “You’ve only got ten minutes until the duel starts.”

“Blight,” I exclaimed, turning and running out of the building. I sprinted down the way, reaching my domicile quickly. (Name) was cultivating in the courtyard, and he looked up at me when I ran in.

“Emergency?” He asked.

“No, just a duel in a few minutes,” I said, breathing a bit hard. “Gotta get my weapon.”

“A duel, already?” (Name) asked incredulously. He thought for a second, “Ah, you got on the bad side of one of the gangs, didn’t you?”

“Yeah,” I said, darting into my room. I grabbed my bow and quiver, leaving the bow unstrung for now. I walked out, “One of the Sharks tried to get Nuan to go with him, and I objected strongly. He wasn’t used to being talked down to, but he was way too strong to challenge me. This morning, one of his crony’s bothered me, I snapped at him, and he used it as an excuse to challenge me. So I picked weapons.”

He looked at my bow. “That’s only going to work a few times,” he said. “But you’ll make a good profit while it happens. Just don’t hit a joint or major artery, or you’ll have to pay for the healing. Good luck.”

“Thanks,” I said, then jogged out.