69 – A Matter of Experience
“You want me to preside over this tournament? Why?” I asked the City Lord.
“The Young Dragon and Phoenix Tournament is a prestigious event for the younger generation,” he explained. “For those from noble families, it is an opportunity to flaunt their newest talents. For those without such backgrounds, it is a chance to showcase their ability and be recruited by sects.”
“Your presence here, however, has arguably drawn attention away from the tournament itself.” he added.
“I see. There must be quite a few nervous wrecks, then.” I could understand the reasoning.
‘Accept the request.’
‘Take the job.’
Both Huiran and Wendao sent voice transmissions at the same time.
‘A task by the city lord is an opportunity on its own.’ Huiran then adds.
“What exactly are the duties of this Master of Ceremonies?” I asked first.
“Nothing too difficult. You will announce the start of the tournament, declare the progression of winners, offer commentary on the matches and tests, and intervene should any participant go too far. The tournament is restricted to the Qi Refining stage. It should be simple enough for you,” the City Lord laid out the responsibilities.
It sounded straightforward. There was only one problem.
‘I can’t exactly give proper commentary on the tests.’ I relayed to Huiran and Wendao.
‘I can cover anything non-combat related.’ Huiran offered.
‘I will handle anything regarding the fights.’ Wendao added.
“How long will the tournament last, and what are the contests?” I asked next.
“The tournament will begin in two weeks and last for one week. There will be two categories of contests: first, tests of intelligence and comprehension, followed by a standard battle tournament. The battles are further divided into two brackets. One for the noble families, and one for everyone else.”
“Three weeks in total. We can fit that into our timetable.” I glanced at Huiran and Wendao, both of whom nodded. “Very well. Let’s discuss compensation.”
“One medium-grade spirit stone and a manual of your choice from the first floor of our library, for you and each of your companions,” the City Lord stated. Huiran and Wendao’s eyes lit up at the mention of manuals, clearly the more valuable part of the offer.
“Advisors.” I corrected him.
“What?”
“Scholarly and Martial Advisors.” I pushed Huiran and Wendao’s expertise into the deal.
The City Lord rubbed his fingers together, his expression remaining neutral. “Four more medium-grade spirit stones each.”
I raised my right hand beside my head in a thumbs-up gesture, then pulled the edge of my veil back over my face. The City Lord rested his hands on the desk, one index finger tapping lightly. His expression was unreadable, the perfect poker face of an experienced businessman. A heavy presence settled over the office.
“Ten medium-grade spirit stones, or two manuals each. Any more than that, and the three of you would be working for me under personal contract.”
“Deal.” I said quickly.
‘Two manuals each! LET’S GO!’ I cheered together with Huiran and Wendao through Voice Transmission.
“Very well. You will find Fēnghuǒ and another of my servants ready to guide you through your responsibilities.” the City Lord said as he stood once more.
“As for the thief… I have no interest in how you deal with him, only that what was stolen is returned,” he continued while walking toward the door. “Assuming you manage to catch him.”
“We might be able to do that,” I said, following behind him, “but first we need to know what was stolen.”
The City Lord stopped just before the door. “It is the Thousand Buddha’s Liuli.”
The surprised expressions on Huiran and Wendao’s faces were all the confirmation I needed of how valuable the item was.
“It is a sacred artifact of Lingshan Temple that had only recently been secured. It was… stolen after Lingshan Mountain was cut down along with all of its monks. The Liuli carries tremendously pure Qi. It is capable of purifying powerful curses, dispelling Heart Demons, and greatly assisting Buddhist cultivation.” the City Lord explained further.
“It can also regrow cultivator limbs.” I added at the end.
“Yes. But that is an extremely inefficient use of it. Most of the pure Qi would be wasted if applied that way. Return it to me, and I can make special exceptions.” the City Lord said finally, before opening the door for us to leave.
—
Wanxia still remembered that day as if it had happened only yesterday.
“Thank you, Immortal Master, for accepting this lowly orphan as your disciple.” She had spoken with full reverence toward the graceful and beautiful fairy who had taken her from the streets.
It was the kind of fortune most people would never believe even in stories. For someone as lowly as her to be granted an Immortal Destiny, something even mortal kings spent their entire lives coveting. An orphan with hidden talent, discovered by an immortal and taught the ways of the heavens. To pursue immortality and more. Her heart and mind had fluttered higher than she had ever felt in her short life.
But the fairy carrying her ignored both her and her gratitude. They flew until they finally reached one of the five peaks of the Tianhe Sect. There, the fairy gently set her down on the ground and knelt beside her.
“From this point on, your name is Wanxia,” the fairy said softly. Then she pointed toward a young girl a little younger than her, wrapped in heavy winter clothes despite the hot summer day.
“That is your senior sister, Ningguang. She is your world now, and you must take care of her.”
Those words shattered every grand notion Wanxia had formed in her mind.
She did not possess any hidden talent. She was not even destined to become a great beauty compared to the girl standing before her. This was no Immortal Destiny. This… was merely convenience, no different from how nobles sometimes picked up suitable orphans to serve as attendants for their children.
“My name is Wanxia. I will be… helping take care of you from this point on.”
Still, Wanxia buried her shattered dream and forced herself to be content with her new lot in life. In a sense, this could still be counted as an Immortal Destiny of sorts. From that day onward, she fulfilled what was expected of her without complaint. She took care of Ningguang, tended to her needs, and even her own Fire spiritual root and cultivation existed primarily to help Ningguang maintain the balance of her Qi.
Wanxia could not truly complain. She had lived far longer than any orphan on the streets could have expected. She had been allowed to visit places no ordinary mortal could ever reach. Accompanying Ningguang and Elder Guyue on their visits to the Jiushuang Sect, she had even made many friends there.
Everything changed a little over a month ago.
The usual scheduled visit to the Jiushuang Sect for the treatment of Ningguang’s constitution was suddenly altered. Instead of departing with the Elder, she and Ningguang were sent with three perverted men who had previously spied on her and her sisters while they bathed.
From that moment on, she and Ningguang had been dragged from one crisis to another. Cultivators hunted Xuan Danxing with the intent to kill. Then, the moment they reached the city, further disaster struck. Not only did one of Ningguang’s sealing bracelets shatter and her constitution become publicly revealed, but even her good friend Hanmei had been attacked and left dying.
“Hey, you’re finally awake.”
Those casual words, spoken while the three men and Ningguang sat happily eating together, enraged Wanxia more than anything ever had before.
She admitted that what she did next was extremely childish. But in that moment, every restraint she had maintained for years unraveled for the first time. What followed was unlike anything she had ever experienced. The hands that tightly gripped her head, body, and limbs remained vivid in her memory, so strong that a single twist might have torn her limbs away.
“I see that both of you have never starved.”
The scathing remark from the Xuan cut deeper than it should have. She knew that feeling well. But it had been so long ago, buried beneath years of a life that was supposed to be better.
“Wanxia.” The familiar voice pulled her back to the present. Ningguang’s face was full of worry. “Are you alright?”
“I’m… I’m alright.” Wanxia forced herself to bury her worries once more. Both of them had refused to move even an inch from the office door, determined to wait for the three men.
The two guards had made no attempt to force them away, and ever since then, only silence remained. Wanxia’s mind wandered again, to Hanmei’s condition and everything else that had gone wrong.
“How about you?” she asked, trying to stop the spiral of her thoughts. “How did you manage to rein in your Qi? And what about Hanmei?” These should have been the first questions she asked before her rage got the better of her. The last thing she remembered was failing to help Ningguang control her Qi.
“Well… after you fainted, Brother Danxing created this.” Ningguang pulled out a bright glass jar. At its center floated a small, brilliantly burning orb surrounded by three rings. “This is how the sun looks in his homeworld.”
Even Wanxia could feel the powerful yet tightly localized warmth radiating from it. It was not something that merely warmed the body, it seemed to touch the soul as well. Something she herself could never achieve at her current cultivation level.
“As for Sister Hanmei, she will be fine. Brother Danxing purified the curse using his Merit Essence, and the poison has been completely extracted. She should wake within two weeks,” Ningguang reassured her.
“Merit Essence?” Wanxia was dumbfounded.
“Brother Danxing cultivates through the Arhat Path, following the faith of his homeworld.” Ningguang recited.
But that couldn’t be right. Those who followed the Arhat Path were supposed to be benevolent and wise. He had never shown such qualities… or rather, the circumstances had made it nearly impossible. Then the realization struck her. Not only had he resolved every immediate crisis, her earlier outburst now looked not only childish but also deeply ungrateful. A fleeting thought that she was useless flashed through her mind before she forcibly discarded it.
Finally, the door opened. The City Lord stepped out, followed by the three men. The latter looked mildly surprised to find that she and Ningguang were still waiting.
“I’ll leave you to your matters.” the City Lord said.
“Thank you, City Lord.” The three cupped their hands and bowed.
The City Lord then departed with his guards.
“I thought both of you had already left for the prepared lodgings,” the Xuan spoke first as he looked around. “This isn’t exactly a good place to wait.”
“I… apologize for my earlier conduct,” Wanxia said, bowing first.
“Alright. Technically I almost killed you as well, so I also apologize.” the Xuan admitted casually.
“What are you talking about, and why were we excluded?” Ningguang asked.
“I have no idea about the latter, actually. But as for the former, I’ve been tasked with serving as the Master of Ceremonies for the upcoming Young Dragon and Phoenix Tournament in two weeks.” the Xuan answered.
“You decided this without consulting us? Do we not get any say in this matter?” Wanxia asked in frustration. One of Ningguang’s sealing bracelets had already shattered. It was imperative that they reach the Jiushuang Sect as soon as possible.
“Hmmm. This might be cruel of me, but no. You don’t.” The Xuan’s words were blunt. “I would even say that you never have.”
The statement struck both of them squarely.
“From the very beginning, it seems Elder Guyue has always decided everything for the two of you. And I would dare say that the three of us are currently filling that same role. Concurrently, both of you have been little more than passengers.”
Neither Wanxia nor Ningguang could refute him. What he said was true. Elder Guyue had always been a constant presence around them. In fact, this might have been the first time either of them had gone out without her.
“Forgive me for chiming in,” Huiran added from beside the Xuan, “but this may also be why the City Lord did not invite the two of you into his office. It is a matter of experience.”
“Nonsense. Ningguang and I have cultivated for decades. There’s no way…”
“Then tell me,” Wendao cut in, “why do the two of you seem less prepared than someone who only began cultivating less than a year ago?”
Wanxia wanted to object, but found that she could not. Both she and Ningguang had traveled far and possessed combat experience, yet it could also be said that nearly everything they had done had been under safe, controlled conditions with Elder Guyue always leading them. The Xuan, on the other hand, had been thrown into an extremely difficult mission barely a month after arriving. He had survived being chased by five Golden Core elders and returned with major contributions.
She could argue that he was also protected by his adoptive father. But that protection only seemed to appear when he was completely outclassed, and she did not know whether Elder Xuan maintained the same constant presence as Elder Guyue. From the start of this journey, it certainly did not look that way. Accusing him further would only make her look worse.
“Now, now. I can say this is a fresh experience for both of them. Let’s not argue any further,” the Xuan said, diffusing the tension. “Consider us accepting the City Lord’s task as taking advantage of the current situation. After all, we can’t exactly leave without his explicit approval.
“I promise we will try not to add any more delays after this, at least not without consulting the two of you.”
~ Valarion