I Cultivate in a Government Office

Following Qin Huaiming into the courtyard, Yang Wenqing got a closer look at his master's Cultivation Field.

The courtyard had few decorations, but it exuded a natural rhythm at every turn. Soft, spiritual moss grew tenaciously in the cracks between the bluestone pavers. A winding, covered corridor connected the various halls and side rooms, and from its eaves hung several quaint bronze lanterns, their shades engraved with runes meant to clear the mind and calm the spirit.

Occasionally, he saw a servant or two, or some young people in simple short coats, walking quietly through the courtyard. They all addressed Qin Huaiming as "Sixth Grand-uncle," so they were likely members of the Qin clan. They had been sent to this place, so rich in Spiritual Qi, to perform menial tasks like sweeping and serving while building a foundation for their cultivation.

Lan Ying suddenly flew up from Yang Wenqing's shoulder and circled curiously above the courtyard. Her attention was soon caught by a few Spiritual Birds leisurely pecking at Spirit Grass seeds near a medicinal garden. She dove down with a sharp cry, as if declaring her sovereignty or issuing a challenge.

The Spiritual Birds were startled into a flurry of flapping wings, scattering in every direction. Some hid in the flower bushes, while others panicked and crashed right into the corridor pillars.

Lan Ying then flew back to Yang Wenqing's side triumphantly. She landed on his outstretched arm, her little head held high, looking incredibly proud.

"You little troublemaker."

Yang Wenqing tapped her head helplessly, earning a coquettish "CHIRP" in return.

Qin Huaiming merely smiled and shook his head at the sight, not scolding her. He was clearly quite tolerant of Lan Ying's lively Spiritual Attribute.

At a corner of the corridor, Qin Huaiming instructed Qin Feng, "Take them to rest first." The "them" he referred to were, of course, Yang Zhong and Yang Wenjian.

Then he said to Yang Wenqing, "You, come with me."

Yang Wenqing patted his brother's arm, telling him not to worry, then followed his master with Lan Ying in tow.

Qin Huaiming led him to a small, separate hall in the deepest part of the courtyard. The hall's doors were ajar. Pushing them open, he was met with a rush of cool sandalwood incense mixed with an air of aged history.

The hall's interior was very simple. Directly opposite the entrance was a quaint incense altar. On the wall behind it, two black memorial tablets with gold lettering were enshrined, one higher than the other. The upper tablet read, "The Seat of Master Sea Guardian," while the lower one read, "The Spirit Tablet of the Xuanyue Daoist."

And on the wall slightly above and behind the two tablets was a massive, brilliantly colored mural. At its center was the figure of a Daoist whose features were difficult to discern, his body wreathed in a mysterious, five-colored radiance.

He seemed to stand at the dawn of creation, the sun, moon, and stars revolving behind him and the mountains and rivers of the earth stretching out beneath his feet. All living things appeared to be bowing to him in worship. Even as a mere mural, it still faintly exuded a supreme and boundless aura.

This was Saint Changqing, the universally acknowledged and undisputed supreme being of the Cultivation Realm, the legendary Ancestor of Ten Thousand Laws. Whether they were orthodox cultivators, heretical practitioners, or even the demonic cultivators and evil spirits of legend, all had to maintain a basic level of reverence and respect before his legend and symbol.

But he existed only in legend. All records of him were filled with an air of unreality.

With a solemn expression, Qin Huaiming personally took three specially made incense sticks from beside the altar, lit them from an ever-burning lamp, and respectfully placed them in the incense burner. He then took a step back and bowed deeply to the mural and the tablets.

Not daring to be slow, Yang Wenqing quickly stepped forward and did the same, offering incense and bowing. His heart filled with reverence for his sect's heritage and the very source of the Great Dao.

After they had offered the incense, Qin Huaiming said, "First, go bathe and change into the sect's daily robes. Then come back, and we will speak in detail."

After speaking, he waved to someone outside. A servant came to the door and led Yang Wenqing to a prepared side room. Hot water and clean clothes were already laid out. The sect's daily robes consisted of a soft, moon-white, wide-sleeved short robe, which better suited the clear, spiritual air of the estate.

While Yang Wenqing bathed, Lan Ying kept her distance, as she was a little afraid of water. When he had finished dressing, she flew two circles around him, seeming to find his new attire quite pleasing.

When he returned to the small hall where the ancestors were enshrined, Qin Huaiming was already seated cross-legged on a cattail cushion beside the incense altar. At his master's gesture, Yang Wenqing sat properly on the cushion opposite him.

Qin Huaiming looked at his disciple, whose demeanor seemed more composed after changing into the short robe, and nodded in satisfaction. "Wenqing," he began, "now that you are here, it is time you learned some of our sect's history."

His voice was calm as he recounted the origins of the Xuanyue Lineage.

He spoke of how the original Master Sea Guardian founded their Daoist tradition on the East Sea Shore, and how the Xuanyue Daoist later carried it forward, allowing it to formally branch out and establish a firm foothold in the East Sea Cultivation Realm, forming the lineage as it was today.

"As for the present..."

Qin Huaiming's tone shifted to the present day. "Among the living elders of our Xuanyue Lineage, there is still a senior uncle, whose title is Qianxin. He serves as the deputy director of the General Bureau. He is in seclusion year-round, seeking to comprehend a higher realm. Unless the survival of the lineage is at stake or there's a major upheaval in the Cabinet, he does not concern himself with ordinary affairs."

"Among the martial brothers of my generation, I am the youngest," Qin Huaiming continued. "I have three senior brothers. Eighth Senior Brother, Gu You, is also at the Entry cultivation level. He has a restless nature and is traveling the New Continent under an alias, gathering intelligence. Sixth Senior Brother, Fei Ji, has already reached Second Realm cultivation and holds an important position within the General Bureau, so he is usually quite busy. As for Third Senior Brother, Lu Song..."

As Qin Huaiming spoke of him, his tone carried a trace of respect and emotion. "Third Senior Brother's talent is extraordinary. His cultivation long ago stepped into the Third Realm. He currently serves as the Inspector General for the Provincial Government Soldiers in Chaodong Province, which borders the East Sea Islands. He is one of the pillars of our lineage in both the imperial court and the local regions. However, Third Senior Brother has also been in seclusion for much of the past few years and does not emerge unless a matter of great importance arises."