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墨書 Inktalez
Human Sacrifice
When Dao Child uttered the term "lower-class people," he did so calmly, without a hint of mockery on his face. Perhaps ever since being taken in by Elder Hong, he had always looked down from a high perch, naturally believing that many others were indeed beneath him.
As I exited the mountain gate of Azure Cloud Mountain, the crowd that had accompanied New Disciple had not yet dispersed. I hurriedly made my way down the mountain path I had come up.
The black-clad bodyguard of Fat Boy spotted me emerging from the gate, glanced around, and then quietly followed behind me.
The path down the mountain was rugged and uneven. I recalled a particularly difficult section that required climbing to ascend. There was a blind spot on the way down where one could not be seen from above. I planned to make my move there.
I moved quickly, and the bodyguard kept close behind, likely waiting until we were off the mountain to act. After all, killing a new disciple of Azure Cloud Mountain was a capital offense, and he needed to weigh his options carefully.
When I reached that steep path, I jumped down and immediately rolled beneath an outcropping rock. The bodyguard soon emerged from the bushes, peering down. He lightly jumped down, gripping a gun in his hand. Seeing no one on the path below made him cautious; it seemed he sensed danger.
I suddenly sprang out from behind him and tackled him to the ground, swiftly breaking his wrist and disarming him. No matter how skilled this bodyguard was, he was ultimately just an ordinary person, and my strength far surpassed his. No amount of grappling techniques could help him against me.
He struggled relentlessly, using his elbows to jab at my abdomen. I tightened my arm around his neck with all my might until he stopped moving beneath me.
I picked up the gun from the ground and dragged his lifeless body into the bushes beside the path, covering it with leaves before hastily continuing down the mountain. This was my first true fight; previously, when I had stabbed Huang San'er at Futu Ridge, he had been unable to resist.
This time, I easily killed the bodyguard, largely due to his underestimation of me; he thought that as someone from a mountain village, I would be inexperienced and easy to kill.
This instilled a sense of urgency in me because there was no legal protection in these Qinling Mountains. Here, the words of those in power within sects were law; strength and status were the currency for survival.
I could take this opportunity to escape without stepping foot into Azure Cloud Sect, but other sects were no better—perhaps even worse.
Before the Entrance to the Dao, Mr. Chang had reminded me more than once about the dangers of the Daoist Sect.
Furthermore, I had promised Grandma Wu to help her inquire about her son Wang Hai. My Fish Intestine Sword had earned me a chance to enter the sect, and I couldn't let it go to waste just because I offended someone from the Miscellaneous Room.
In the evening, I arrived at Grandma Wu's house in Shanquan Village. She was overjoyed to hear that I had entered the Azure Cloud Sect. "I knew you could get in! Did you find out anything about Hai?" she asked eagerly.
I replied, "Grandma, Brother Hai became a disciple twelve years ago. I asked a Dao Child inside, but he hadn't heard of him. There are too many people in the Azure Cloud Sect—at least ten thousand. It's impressive if one person knows a few hundred others. I'll have to ask around a bit more. Don't worry; I'll let you know as soon as I find something."
Hearing this, Grandma Wu seemed relieved. "You must be starving after coming all this way to tell me. We have three chickens at home, and one isn't laying eggs. I'll go kill a chicken and cook it for you. Learning in the Daoist Sect is tough work."
"No need, Grandma; I have to head back," I said.
"It's already late! It's dangerous for you to go back now. Can't you stay until morning?" she insisted.
"The Daoist Sect has its own rules. I'm sure Hai wants to come back and see you too. I'm new here, and my home is just down the mountain, so I have a chance to return once in a while. Please take care of yourself at home."
Grandma Wu nodded but insisted that I finish the meal she prepared before leaving, constantly adding more chicken to my bowl.
After bidding farewell to Grandma Wu, I returned to the Azure Cloud Sect, arriving at the mountain gate just past midnight.
Walking alone at night always made me uneasy, but those days of traveling through wind and rain, never knowing what tomorrow would bring, had made me fearless of the dark. I had finally become a wanderer who could roam through the night without my mother's worries holding me back.
When I reached the gate of the Azure Cloud Sect, I noticed that the disciples on guard were no longer Bai Shihou and his companions. The two individuals in front of me stopped me as I approached and asked, "Who are you? What brings you to the Azure Cloud Sect at this hour?"
I respectfully replied, "Brother, I am a returning New Disciple. Brother Ma asked me to return before dawn, which is why I'm here now."
"Brother Ma?" the Mountain Guardian Disciple asked in confusion.
"He's the Dao Child next to Elder Hong," I replied.
"Oh, now I understand. My senior brother mentioned you during the shift change today. You're the one who was taken in to work at the Water Storage Room, right? I heard you even offered a family heirloom sword," the Mountain Guardian Disciple said.
"That's me."
"Old man, have you lost your mind? You had to offer a sword just to enter the Water Storage Room?" another Mountain Guardian Disciple remarked, his mouth twitching as he absentmindedly groomed the hair on a mole on his face.
I bowed to both Mountain Guardian Disciples and then walked toward the entrance.
"Hey, wait a minute! Who gave you permission to just walk in like that?" the one with the mole said.
"What else am I supposed to do?" I asked.
"Oh, you're quite bold. It's late at night, and you're trying to enter the mountain gate without even a token. You need to follow proper procedures: undress for inspection. There are many things from the secular world that can't be brought in, especially firearms and knives. The checks inside are even stricter," he said, tilting his chin up defiantly.
"Senior Brother Qian, he's just a newcomer. Why make it difficult for him?" the other Mountain Guardian Disciple interjected.
"Where do you get all this sense of justice? I'm just having some fun with a newcomer," the mole-faced disciple replied with displeasure. He waved his hand dismissively at me and continued, "Scram! This time I'll let you pass. Looking at how you're dressed, it's clear you're just a broke country bumpkin. Once you get to the Water Storage Room, you'll see what it's really like. The sect distributes two Qi Gathering Pills every month; when that time comes, you can offer me one, and I'll speak a few good words for you."
At that moment, I didn't fully grasp what this Mountain Guardian Disciple meant. However, when I reached the mountain where the Water Storage Room was located, things started to make sense. The place was brightly lit, and surprisingly, people were still working even after midnight.
A rugged middle-aged man was directing others as they carried water from down the mountain to fill up the water tower and large vats surrounding it.
The middle-aged man saw me coming down from the mountain and said, "Are you the new one from Jin Bai?"
I replied, "Yes, I am Yang Hao."
The young man nodded and said, "So your name is Yang Hao. I've heard you're quite wild; you beat up someone from the Miscellaneous Room on your first day here. In the Water Storage Room, we appreciate those who are strong. You seem older, so I won't punish you. After all, we need to solve the water supply issue for the entire Azure Cloud Mountain. I'll take you to see your dormitory now."
The Rugged Middle-Aged Man led me to a collective dormitory not far from the water tower. He showed me around inside; it was damp and had a foul smell. Some beds had people sleeping soundly, while others were unoccupied, likely because their occupants were out fetching water.
"It seems the collective dormitory is already full," he said. "You'll have to stay in another one."
He directed me to a nearby Tile House. I was puzzled; Azure Cloud Mountain was filled with ancient pavilions and grand palaces, so why was this area just a water tower and a Tile House? The people here were carrying heavy loads of water, their shoulders and hands red and sore. How could this possibly aid in cultivation?
In my imagination, I realized that the Water Storage Room wasn't a good place; it was where the lowest-ranking disciples lived, fetching water and chopping wood. But at least one could train leg strength with sandbags and study Taoist texts during free time, practicing Taoist Arts.
However, these people looked exhausted, their eyelids drooping, and their clothes soaked through—whether from splashed water or sweat, I couldn't tell.
The Tile House that the middle-aged man led me into had only two beds: one empty and the other occupied by a slightly plump young man.
The boy looked about seventeen or eighteen, with delicate features that reminded me of someone. He seemed startled by the creaking door and jumped up like a frightened rabbit, hiding under the covers with a terrified expression as he stared at me and the Rugged Middle-Aged Man.
Then he trembled and called out, "Brother Huzi."
The Rugged Middle-Aged Man nodded knowingly at the boy and said, "Pang, this is your new roommate."
The boy responded eagerly but looked at me with suspicion.
The Rugged Middle-Aged Man pointed at the two pieces of clothing on the bed and said, "I see you haven't brought any luggage. These two Daoist Robes are what you usually wear for work. It's best if one of them is dry; otherwise, if they get wet, you won't have any other clothes to change into."
I nodded and spread out the rolled-up straw mat and bed sheet on the bed. The middle-aged man said, "Now that you've made the bed, it's time to get to work."
"Are we starting tonight?" I asked.
"Yes, we'll start tonight and finish by eight in the morning, then another shift will take over."
"But Brother Ma told me I could start later," I tried to interject.
The middle-aged man's expression darkened slightly. "There’s no Brother Ma here. On this mountain, I make the rules. If you have a problem with that, you can leave. I don't have much patience for newcomers."
With that, the Rugged Middle-Aged Man turned and walked out of the room. The boy on the bed behind me made a shushing gesture and said, "Don't argue with Brother Huzi; you'll regret it."
I asked, "What's his name?"
The boy replied, "Huang Laohu, the head of this mountain."
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