The Heavens Shall Fall

The tea that Joren brought out looked and smelled wonderful, with a tinge of raspberry mixed into its natural scent. It was served in a small pot of pale green ceramic, painted with reeds and long-legged birds standing in shallow water. The cups were smaller than he expected, but he kept his mouth shut, unlike Arya.

"Master, what is this? A cup for ants? I may be small, but... that's tiny even for me! This is a rip-off! Ask for your money back!"

"Seloryn is the one paying."

"Ask her for her money to be given back to you, then!"

Ignoring her comments, he watched as steam rose from the pot, intensifying the sweet scent. Beside it, Joren put down a tray of small pastries, two bowls of sliced fruit, and, because Joren had evidently been accustomed to serving people with beasts, a separate plate of roasted meat and nuts cut into bite-sized pieces for Arya and Marly.

"Okay..." Arya added when she saw that land on the table, "He may keep the money. Still... small bites, but, hmph!" She shut up at once, because Marly was already on the table, reaching for one to munch, moaning happily, which was surprising.

"Yum! Big Sis, this is... awesome!"

Siu understood what she meant when he picked up the tea and took a sip, feeling a rush go through him, spreading all over his body. No wonder this was served in such a tiny cup... a bigger gulp may be overwhelming.

"Nice, isn't it?" Seloryn noticed his shiver, of course, smiling, "Don't rush it or try to drink it at once... It is to enjoy slowly."

“Haaah…” Siu sighed, putting down his cup and letting the feeling linger, “I see what you mean.”

"Welcome to the Hollow Song proper."

“Proper...” Siu repeated, "So, I guessed right, that this is the actual sect itself."

“Mhm.” She took a sip, then set the cup down, closing her eyes for a little while before continuing. “Indeed. You are not merely in the inner disciples’ section, but in the sect. You have now officially been made part of it and are no longer on trial.”

Siu glanced toward the window, where he could see the main road outside, with disciples moving past, their numbers greatly increased now that the early morning had passed.

“So the outer disciple area is…”

“The outer disciple area,” Seloryn chuckled, “Think of it as a proving ground. It belongs to the sect; it is within its borders, but it is not the sect in its entirety. This valley is where the actual body of Hollow Song is, while where we start and join is just... the entrance hall.”

“That explains the size.”

“Don't even try to measure it!” She leaned back with a giggle, her eyes following his gaze outside. “It is bigger than it seems. Whatever magic was used to establish it, we wouldn't understand it with our current strength. What I know is that it was done by someone who reached the Third Circle."

"..." Siu glanced at her as she said that, but he only knew ot he name. That this world had three great cultivation circles, as for what they entailed, he only knew of the first one, as he was climbing through its ladders. Clearly, Seloryn was the same, as she didn't say more on the topic.

"Inner disciples live here, yes," she continued, still looking out the window, "but so do core disciples; they are the direct disciples, under the tutelage of an Elder," she added quickly. "This also means that many Elders, some High Elders, and all the support branches that make the sect function are also living here. Naturally, the more accomplished an elder is, the more private and hidden their home is from view."

"So most of the buildings are homes or...?"

"Oh, no, most of them are not even homes," she giggled, taking another sip, "They are... Well, shops for," she began rattling them off very quickly, "Formations, medicine, weapon crafting, beast management, record keeping, trade offices, guest residences, disciplinary halls, libraries, cultivation chambers, ambassador buildings for named lineages, faction estates… And more, but don't make me list it all. You just have to know, you will find all and everything in here.”

"Heh," Siu slowly lowered his tea, too, shaking his head, remembering the rundown sect that wanted to train him since he was a child, which was nowhere near this level of power, “That is a lot.”

“And that's only what we, as inner disciples, can know of.” She added, resting her chin on her steepled fingers.

“Do Elders just walk around?” he asked, suddenly remembering what he had seen earlier, “I noticed some people without sashes.”

“Yeah," She nodded, "Some are Elders, some are servants attached to estates and whatnot. When someone fails to promote or get ahead, they can't just be kicked out of the sect, nor will they be killed. That's... not how the Hollow Song works. So, they are turned into servants to repay what the sect had given them until that point. Don't look down on them, because despite failing, they are still strong, most of them forever stuck in the Flesh Morphing stage."

"Ouch..."

"Yeah." She sighed, taking another sip, "Besides them, people you will see are craftsmen, some of them are employed by the sect but are not part of it, some are relatives of long-standing sect members, and a very small number are guests. Do not assume everyone without a sash is beneath you... Some make that mistake and pay a heavy price!”

“I wasn’t going to.”

“I know, but it is best to tell it to every newcomer. Also, do not assume everyone with a sash is close to you in strength. The Blood Resonance stage has some really big differences, depending on ability, affinity, and the volume of essence you can gather and move around. Everyone is different, every one of us is a container that has a different size, and we try to increase it to its maximum before reaching the Flesh Morphing stage.”

“That one I already guessed.”

“Of course.” Seloryn smiled, continuing. “Some have been here for decades and are only a step away from becoming a Core Disciple or an Elder... As for core disciples... I had seen some who were stronger than new elders in very specific fields but have not advanced because of bottlenecks, politics, or personal choice.”

"Politics? And... Decades?” Siu asked, frowning a little.

“Of course. Having factions within the sect is natural, and although we stand united, without some challenges and competition, we would be stagnating. Also... Did you think everyone advanced every few years?” She laughed loudly, squinting at him.

“I suppose not, but…”

“Spending decades with the title of Inner Disciple is perfectly normal. Your pace is not normal, Siu. Many disciples here have refined one technique for longer than you or I have been alive.”

“What about High Elders?” he asked. “You said I might run into them if unlucky.”

“If unlucky,” she confirmed, grimacing a little.

“Why unlucky?”

“Because most High Elders are busy, much more powerful than a regular elder, and uninterested in wasting their words. If you run into one by chance, it usually means either you are somewhere you should not be, something has gone wrong, or they have noticed you.”

“That last one sounds good.”

“It can be, if it's because of a talent you showed off,” Her eyes sharpened faintly, “It can also be terrible. They have a far-reaching authority, and they pretty much run the day-to-day life in here. Even if you are an Elder, you will mostly still report and interact with them as your superiors.”

Siu nodded once, memorizing everything, and then he thought of Grand Elder Yan and how he was sleeping, well, recovering, in her home. Then he thought of the Sect Master, whom he had apparently been examined by while unconscious...

“What about Grand Elders?” He asked as his thoughts went there.

"...?" Seloryn looked at him for a moment, then she chuckled, shaking her head, “Tsk, if you meet a Grand Elder, the entrance examination and the breathing technique distribution don't count, that we all go through, then I will call you Senior.”

"...!" Siu coughed into his tea, hearing that.

"Hah!" Arya looked up from the meat plate. “Master already did that.”

"Yeah!" Marly nodded. “Many times! You slept in her bed for days!”

Siu did his best not to react, while Seloryn’s eyes flicked toward the two beasts, then back to him.

“I see they had something to say.”

“Nothing important...” He added, wiping his mouth.

“About me?”

“No, no, I would punish them if they were that rude.”

"Mmmh..."

Instead of saying anything, he took another sip of tea, deciding he was not going to mention what really happened before his breakthrough. Best if that remains... his secret.

“Expensive?” he asked, finishing his tea, deciding to change topics, "I can pay my part."

“Yes, and no,” she caught on at once, "I'm paying. Take it as my welcome gift."

"I won't refuse it then," Siu sighed and reached for one of the pastries that Marly’s eyes followed with intense focus, clearly afraid he would take them from her... so he broke off a piece and handed it to her before she began complaining.

"After breakfast, I will take you to the Nine Hanging Bells."

"What's that?" Siu asked, his mouth half-full of the surprisingly fulfilling snack, which tasted just like the tea, giving him an energy rush.

“The true Mission Hall. You will have to register, first and foremost.”

“I have to register?”

“Yes," Seloryn answered, gathering her thoughts, “First, your identity as an inner disciple will be recorded properly. Your sash already carries the promotion mark, but that only proves you have been accepted. The Mission Hall creates your active disciple profile, and through it, you will be able to take missions tailored to your powers.”

“Profile? Tailored missions?”

“Naturally. They wouldn't want you to try to go for something that is above you and get yourself killed. That would be a waste! So, they keep track of your cultivation stage, known strengths, known weaknesses, beast companions, combat evaluation, accepted fields, restricted fields, faction affiliations, and... What else... Ah, yes, special permissions. The Mission Hall uses that record to decide what missions you can take.”

"They... keep track of... all that?" He asked, gulping.

“Yes, and unlike amongst the outers, here, it is run by a High Elder, while the workers are servants. So you don't have to worry about your weaknesses leaking.”

“I will keep my opinion of that to myself," He said with a half-smile, making Seloryn giggle, "So I can’t just choose freely what mission I want?”

"Absolutely not. Well... within a certain reason, because you will be choosing missions that are graded to be at your level. If you want the choice of freedom, you have to go to the Disciple Hall.”

"What's that?"

"It is the Secondary Mission Hall," She explained quickly, "It handles the requests by the disciples, and they are worked by other disciples. It is also where your request popped up when I found it. It is there that the outers' requests also land, and the best place for gossip, too."

“Mmmh... I see. Thank you for telling me all this.”

“No problem, most of this is laid out for newcomers, if they have connections, like an inner disciple group that has a branch amongst the outers. You will either have to make your own group again, so you can help your friends when they promote themselves, or gather some friends here... if you are like me and refuse to just join a faceless organization to toil for their profits."

“So... missions require groups?” he asked, sensing the slight edge in her voice, but didn't ask why she was so sharp about it.

“Many do. Some require a minimum number of disciples, usually four to six, sometimes... up to twenty. Some require certain roles, such as a tracker, a restrainer, a combat lead, and, of course, a healer or a medicine-trained disciple; those are always in high demand. Traveling to an outside ruin might require someone with knowledge of formations, or when escort missions often require a disciple with a certain social standing or a known name, because strength alone does not always mean that we have to flex it when working with mortals. It can backfire.”

"So, in a way, others' backgrounds still come to play..."

“Only when dealing with mortals," She nodded with a soft shrug, "But in the sect, your personal strength is what matters, and it is always boosted by your fame. And fame is important; you have to understand this, Siu. If your name is unknown, you start at the bottom. People do not know whether you are reliable or who you even are, so they will always test you, ignore you, exploit you, or all three, sometimes at once.”

“That sounds pleasant...”

“It is how it works.”

“Are you saying that I have to be... famous?”

“You should hide your trump cards only,” she nodded, “But never your strength. That will only backfire on you, because nameless people will find it much more difficult to get from A to B. It is tiring to always explain everything when you want to barter or gather people for a mission...” Clearly, she had experience with that, some annoyance flashing through her eyes, “If you hide everything, people will assume you are either weak or scheming for something. Naturally, if you reveal too much, people will prepare counters to bring you down and stand on your back to raise their own fame. The trick is to show enough that others hesitate before stepping on you, while keeping enough hidden that those who try regret it. It's one of the reasons we improve, because once a trump card is revealed, you have to work to develop a new one and grow stronger.”

“Suddenly, I feel like Toban's way of living has come to bite him in the bottom.”

“Golden Scroll’s leader?” Seloryn asked. “The sharp-eyed one?”

“Yeah.” He chuckled, making Seloryn smile, "Ex-leader now."

“Oh, I wouldn't worry about him,” Seloryn leaned back, chuckling. “He was prepared, and as far as I know, he is building himself up nicely. He is doing his best to break into the brokerage industry, which won't be easy, but he has a knack for it. I still don't know if he is a snake or a fox...”

"Oh..." Siu’s fingers tapped the table, hearing it, feeling surprised.

“As long as he doesn't bump into someone who is on the Paragon List, he will be fine.”

"Excuse me," Siu’s brows rose after hearing that. “The what?”

“Paragon List.” She repeated as she set her empty cup down. “It is the ranking of the top one hundred disciples in the sect.”

“Inner disciples?”

“Disciples,” she corrected, “Inner and Core. Though in practice, it should be only Core, but it was probably agreed in the past that they split the list into two. The upper half is entirely of core disciples, and among them, they will only challenge each other to get onto the list. The other fifty below them are inner disciples. Naturally, they are elite inner disciples, who don't have a golden sash just because no Elder took them in.”

"Don't they ever challenge core disciples?" He asked, feeling curious.

"They do, but as far as I know, in the past two or three centuries, none succeeded in beating one."

“Huh," He nodded, feeling himself getting excited, "And those on the list are called Paragons, I assume?”

“Those with a place on the list may use the title, yes.”

“Are you on it?”

"Am I?" Seloryn smiled, and before Siu could change the topic, she nodded. “Yes,” she said simply, "I'm rank 88."

"Congratulations."

“Heh," she giggled, "I know you don't understand it yet, but thank you. Just know this: anyone on the Paragon List has earned that place, and most of us have defended it more than once. Do not challenge them casually!”

“I just joined... I am not even thinking about trying it.”

"Everyone thinks about it," She said with a smile, standing up, putting down the price of the meal on the table, "But that should satisfy your thirst for information. Now... let me take you to the Nine Hanging Bells, and get you registered. Until that's done, you can't really do anything."