Screams of agony echoed up from the dungeon below. So loud they could be heard clearly even from the courtyard outside.
In the courtyard stood an ancient pine, its gnarled branches twisting like a dragon. Beneath it sat Lou Zhenwu, lightly tapping the stone table in front of him in rhythm with the cries.
Before long, the screams stopped. A punishment officer came to report.
"Fifth Senior Brother, the case is mostly clear. Ceng's wife begged for a quick death and confessed everything."
Lou Zhenwu nodded. "Let's hear it."
The officer began, "Junior Sister Qi acted out of good intentions. She stepped in to defend someone she believed was being attacked and accidentally killed Ceng Wugou. His wife held a grudge and later gathered a group of thugs to ambush Junior Sister when her guard was down…"
"Good intentions?" Lou Zhenwu's voice was cold. "She was reckless. That's her nature. No need to sugarcoat it."
The punishment officer gave a wry smile and bowed his head. "Understood. It's just that the couple was arguing fiercely; blades were drawn. To an outsider, it truly looked dangerous. Of course… Junior Sister Qi did go too far."
Lou Zhenwu shook his head. "Go on."
"After Junior Sister Qi was killed, her flying sword was taken by Ceng's wife. Since she wasn't carrying any spirit pills or stones at the time, the wife divided five spirit stones among the others. One for each."
Lou Zhenwu raised an eyebrow. "One each?"
"These rogue cultivators were all dead broke…"
Lou Zhenwu couldn't help but laugh; though there was no humor in it. "Five lousy spirit stones? That's what her life was worth?"
The officer spread his hands helplessly. "That's what it came to."
A wave of absurdity hit Lou Zhenwu, leaving him momentarily speechless. He finally exhaled a long breath. "Make sure everyone involved is dealt with... cleanly. Two of them escaped, didn't they?"
The officer nodded. "One called himself Wei, though his full name is unknown. Qi Condensation, fifth stage. He's a rogue cultivator from western Xiang, but we haven't confirmed where he's been cultivating. The other's identity is even murkier. His cultivation is unclear, but Cen's wife and the other four claim he was close to Wei and claimed to be a disciple of the Pai Sect. Surname Li."
"These kinds of criminals are always hiding behind fake names," Lou Zhenwu said. "Have someone draw likenesses. Send them to all branches of the Pai Sect and investigate thoroughly."
The officer added, "When the two were acting, both wore wide-brimmed hats and black face veils. None of the four captives saw their faces. But they did say they seemed fairly young. The one who claimed to be a Pai Sect disciple used sleeping incense to ambush Junior Sister Qi; it was a nasty trick."
"Sleeping incense? Enough to knock out Junior Sister Qi?" Lou Zhenwu frowned. "I've never heard of anyone in the Rank Sect using that kind of technique."
"Exactly," the officer said. "Most of them work with corpse herding or bug control. They have very dull senses of smell; it's part of the job."
Lou Zhenwu's eyes turned sharp. "Using sleeping incense against a Dongyang Sect disciple... shameless. Double the effort. I want both of these bastards caught. We will avenge Junior Sister Qi!"
With his orders given, Lou Zhenwu left the dungeon and made his way to see his Ninth Junior Brother, Su Zhenjiu.
He opened directly: "Junior Sister Qi's death has stirred serious anger among the elders. If something happens to Zhang Xianbai during closed-door cultivation, the outer sect might become completely useless. Recruitment needs to be handled with more urgency. We've only accepted one disciple in the last three years. That kind of pace threatens our sect's future. Last time I asked you to revise the candidate list. Any progress?"
Su Zhenjiu sighed. "Junior Sister Qi had the greatest talent among all our outer sect disciples. What a loss."
Lou Zhenwu shook his head. "It's a lesson. When accepting disciples, character is just as important as talent."
Su Zhenjiu nodded and handed over a name list while explaining, "As you instructed, this time I weighed temperament as heavily as aptitude. Anyone with a rash or unstable personality was removed. That left us with ten candidates; mostly from the aristocratic families of Jing and Xiang or rogue cultivators from minor sects, as usual."
Lou Zhenwu glanced over the list, immediately crossing out three names. "These three aren't from Jing or Xiang; they've only been here a few years. Who knows where they came from?"
"But their talent is exceptional," Su Zhenjiu replied.
"Even so, we don't want them," Lou Zhenwu said. "You must remember, our Dongyang Sect's roots are in southern Xiang. We should only select disciples whose background we know well. Outsiders take decades to truly integrate; sometimes fifty years or more. When trouble comes, they're often the first to falter."
Su Zhenjiu nodded. Regretful, but acknowledging his Fifth Senior Brother's logic.
As Lou Zhenwu flipped to the last page, he suddenly frowned. "Why is there someone from Wulong Mountain on this list? Liu Xiaolou?"
Su Zhenjiu replied, "He was recommended by one of our outer disciples stationed in western Xiang. They say he's eighteen, but unusually calm and steady. Though he's from Wulong Mountain, he hasn't been known to commit any major crimes or evil deeds. His desire for the Dao is sincere, and his talent isn't bad either. His master just passed away, leaving no one to pass down proper cultivation methods..."
Lou Zhenwu waved him off. "Junior Brother, that mountain's crawling with wild cultivators; thieves and scoundrels, every one. Their methods are crude, their reputations filthy. They're nothing like the reputable sects or even minor family clans. Such people are nearly impossible to reform… And Liu Xiaolou isn't eight. He's eighteen. His character is already set. Bringing someone like him into our sect, even as an outer disciple, would make us a laughingstock."
Su Zhenjiu made one last attempt. "It's said he's the last descendant of the Sanxuan Sect."
Lou Zhenwu tried to recall. "The Sanxuan Sect?"
Su Zhenjiu reminded him, "According to some accounts, their founder was once one of the lords of the Luofu Mountain Grotto-Heaven. Two centuries ago, after internal strife, he left Luofu and founded Sanxuan. Unfortunately, the sect declined. Now Liu Xiaolou is the only one left."
"And where did you hear all this?" Lou Zhenwu asked.
"…It's a tale going around the jianghu…"
Lou Zhenwu chuckled and shook his head. "I've never heard of it. True or not, if it is true, we should steer even further clear of anything related to Luofu Mountain. Let him fend for himself."
Su Zhenjiu sighed. "Understood. I'll bring the remaining six to the mountain for final selection, then?"
Lou Zhenwu nodded. "That's fine."
With Fifth Senior Brother's decision made, Su Zhenjiu had no choice but to carry it out. He wrote a detailed letter to his maternal uncle-in-law, Manager Su of the Loyal Righteous Workshop in western Xiang, explaining the situation clearly; emphasizing he had done all he could.
When Manager Su received the letter, he too was left with a bitter taste. After thinking it over, he decided to make a personal trip to Wulong Mountain. The cultivators from that place had a bad reputation. If he didn't handle this carefully, they might cause trouble. After all, he had already accepted generous gifts. He had no intention of returning them; there was no "refund" in this business. But if he didn't at least show his face, it might not end peacefully.
...
Western Xiang. Wulong Mountain. Qianzhu Ridge.
A cluster of bamboo. A ring of fencing. A thatched cottage. This was Liu Xiaolou's cultivation abode.
Manager Su didn't enter. Standing outside the wooden gate, he relayed the news through the closed fence. He ended with a sigh: "Young man, you're of good character, and your master was too. Otherwise, I wouldn't have befriended you both. But your origins… there's just no way around it. I've done all I can."
Liu Xiaolou was silent for a long moment, then managed a faint smile. "Thank you, Manager. Sorry for troubling you."
Manager Su looked at the young man before him, and his heart filled with regret. Such a handsome youth; if he'd entered Dongyang Sect, he might've become one of its brightest stars. But alas, born in a den of outlaws. Even if I wanted to help out of that pit, he's a small figure. His words hold no weight.
Having explained everything and shown his sincerity, Manager Su felt he had repaid the heavy gifts he'd accepted. Seeing Liu Xiaolou didn't lose his temper or make a scene, he cupped his hands and took his leave. "If you face trouble in the future, you can still come to me."
He didn't want to linger in this remote and treacherous place. The longer he stayed, the colder his back felt.
Liu Xiaolou bowed with a smile and silently watched him descend the ridge.
He'd gone to great lengths to build a connection with this Dongyang Sect representative in Yongshun Prefecture. Most of the wealth left behind by his late teatcher, Sanxuan Master, had been spent on it. And now it had all come to nothing. He'd always known this was a gamble; but even so, hearing the rejection stung badly.
What's wrong with being from Wulong Mountain?
Whom have I wronged?
With this path now closed, Liu Xiaolou sat dazed on the porch for a long while. Then he remembered; his sworn brother's dual cultivation ceremony was today. He turned to go back inside....and froze.
The spirit stone he'd prepared as a wedding gift was gone.
....
Let me know if you find any errors, thanks!