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墨書 Inktalez
Human Sacrifice
Although the status of an Inner Sect Disciple is higher than that of an Outer Sect Disciple, and their strength is greater, the treatment they receive is not much better than that of the Outer Sect. Aside from receiving ten Qi Gathering Pills and one Foundation Pill upon entering, they are largely ignored afterward. In the Inner Sect, only those with strong fists can earn respect.
Speaking of virtue will only lead to disdain.
Within the Inner Sect, the top ten experts on the Dragon-Tiger List each have Inner Sect Disciples attached to them. They are candidates for future sect leaders and elders, and once they become core members of the sect, it is essential to develop their own influence. However, aside from those on the Dragon-Tiger List, others also cultivate their own power.
Wherever there are people, there are factions; this is simply how it works.
The reason I distributed Qi Gathering Pills to the three young men living in the Siheyuan was not out of fear. One reason was friendliness, and the other was that if the Inner Sect operated on wealth and connections, I would need to adapt. Yet now, I found myself surrounded by numerous Inner Sect Disciples demanding that I hand over my Foundation Pill to their leader, Iron Baldy.
In a Daoist Sect, it was surprising to see a bald head; several times I had to stifle my laughter. After I refused to give up my Foundation Pill, Iron Baldy glared at me fiercely and said, “Do you want to leave the Inner Sect?”
“Is your power really that great?” I asked Iron Baldy.
He snorted and waved his hand. Suddenly, everyone began to rain down punches on me. My fists and arms were enveloped in a layer of earthy yellow light as I unleashed the Mountain Split Technique with full force. In an instant, over a dozen people fell; anyone I touched either had broken bones or torn tendons.
My strength was already considerable, and now with Dao Qi enhancing it, each punch felt like thousands of pounds. Since I had just entered the Inner Sect, I didn’t want to cause too much trouble, so I refrained from using my trump cards. If I had employed the Drawing Technique or used the Dragon Abyss Sword, it would surely have resulted in fatalities and exposed my identity.
Though I took down more than ten people, I also sustained injuries; after all, they were Inner Sect Disciples with robust physiques. They quickly got back on their feet, their faces filled with rage.
“Thinking about dying before even entering.”
Iron Baldy snorted again and made a gesture towards those behind me. Suddenly, I felt a rush of wind past my ear and immediately activated the Wind Spirit Technique to shuttle through the crowd and escape to the side. Turning back, I saw two people brandishing short knives.
“Are you really going to kill me?” I frowned at Iron Baldy. Just having arrived and already facing death—how could I survive in the Inner Sect after this?
Iron Baldy replied, “Young man, you don’t know your place. Do you think this is what the Inner Sect is? You dare defy authority before even officially joining? Even if we kill you, no one will stand up for you.”
I took out the Foundation Pill and the remaining four Qi Gathering Pills from my pocket and tossed them to Iron Baldy, saying, "Here are the Foundation Pill and the four Qi Gathering Pills. The other six went to my three housemates in the Siheyuan. There’s nothing else; do you want anything more?"
"You're teachable," Iron Baldy chuckled, waving his hand impatiently. "Get lost."
The other disciples sneered at me as I turned and walked back to my room in the Siheyuan.
Iron Baldy was at the mid-stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm, while I was only at the early stage. If I didn’t use anything from my Qi Sea, I might barely be able to kill him, but with so many people present, each at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, I stood no chance. It wasn’t worth it for a moment of pride. Although I had lost the Foundation Pill and Qi Gathering Pills, I at least understood the situation in the Inner Sect now and knew how to deal with things moving forward.
The next morning, I arrived at the Inner Hall as promised. After waiting for half an hour, the Young Steward who had taken me to my residence finally showed up. I asked him, "Manager Senior Brother, isn’t there a ceremony for new disciples entering the Inner Sect this morning?"
As he opened the door, the Young Steward replied, "The Sect Leader and several elders are out on business. The Grand Elder is managing the sect and is too busy to spare any time. The new disciple ceremony was supposed to be handled by Senior Song, but he has something urgent to attend to as well. My two senior brothers and I will just give you a brief introduction; there aren’t too many formalities in the Inner Sect."
"Then once I register, I’ll be considered part of the Inner Sect?" I asked.
"Of course," said the Young Steward. "Your name has already been added to the Inner Sect roster, and your benefits have been issued."
"But last night, my Foundation Pill and ten Qi Gathering Pills were stolen. Does the Inner Sect handle such matters?" I inquired.
The Young Steward looked at me with surprise and disdain. "Your Foundation Pill was stolen too?"
I nodded and replied, "It was taken by Iron Baldy."
The Young Steward said, "I can’t help you with that. I advise you not to report it to the elders; otherwise, you’ll regret it. Some things you will experience on your own; that’s your own business. Let’s proceed with the initiation ceremony."
After finishing his words, he walked into the hall. A moment later, he came out accompanied by two middle-aged Taoists; all three were Managers from the Inner Hall.
The two Middle-Aged Stewards glanced at me and asked a few questions before lighting candles and incense for me to pay respects to our Ancestor Master. Kneeling before the statue of Ancestor Master, listening to the Managers recite the rules of the Inner Sect, I felt a sense of unease in my heart.
I have never had much sense of collective honor, and right now I am even more disappointed with the Azure Cloud Sect.
I hold great respect for the predecessors and sages in my heart, but it truly disheartens me that the sect does not value its disciples. They take good care of the talented ones while treating ordinary disciples with indifference.
They warned me about the strict rules of the Azure Cloud Sect: those who betray their masters and ancestors will be killed without mercy.
I no longer feel any awe. After all, since coming to the Azure Cloud Sect, I have had a narrow escape. If it weren't for my understanding of schemes and a bit of luck, I might still be working in the Water Storage Room, perhaps already dead at the hands of Huang Laohu.
Or maybe I would have been secretly killed by Elder Hong and his disciple.
Moreover, I have never taken anyone as my master, so how could I betray my teacher or ancestors?
Since strength is the rule in the Inner Sect, I will follow my own rules.
"Hey, is this the new disciple initiation ceremony?"
An exaggerated voice rang out from behind me. A Fat Young Man was holding a bowl of rice, seemingly just back from the cafeteria. He clinked his chopsticks against the bowl and began to sing. Others passing by heard the commotion and gathered around, laughing when they saw me kneeling before the Ancestor Master, holding up my initiation Token while listening to the Daoist Sect's rules.
The Fat Young Man said first, "Manager Senior Brother, this new disciple's initiation ceremony is much quieter than ours was. Back then, two hundred disciples bowed to the Ancestor Master, with the sect leader and elders present. The announcement of sect rules was grand and imposing. Why has it changed for this one?"
"Different people receive different treatment. Who knows what kind of gifts were brought in? Just giving him an initiation ceremony is already quite generous," another young man replied.
The Young Steward frowned and said, "If you have nothing to do, hurry up and leave. Don't disturb the two senior brothers during their ceremony."
"Manager Senior Brother, that's where you're wrong." The Fat Young Man stepped forward and walked into the inner hall in front of everyone. He placed a Taoist hat on my head from the table before the Ancestor Master and pointed at it while turning back to the crowd. "Look at this! This is how it should be done—wearing a hat of non-action above while kneeling on blue soil below. Even if it's your relative, you can't give special treatment."
A group of people burst into laughter, and even the Young Steward couldn't help but chuckle as I continued to hold my initiation Token without moving.
After the Middle-Aged Steward finished reciting the rules of the sect, I performed the three kneelings and nine prostrations before the Ancestor Master and asked, "Senior Brother Manager, is there anything else that needs to be done?"
The Middle-Aged Steward waved his hand and said, "No, you can go back."
The Young Steward said, "Senior Brother, aren't you going to assign him any tasks?"
The Middle-Aged Steward replied, "Forget it. The Alchemist's Chamber is full, and the Dao Artifact Workshop doesn't need more hands. The sect doesn't support idlers. Besides, with the competition coming up soon, judging by his appearance, he won't win anyway. He'll have plenty to keep him busy."
After finishing his words, the Middle-Aged Steward returned to the hall. I bid farewell to the Young Steward, and the Inner Sect Disciples who had gathered to watch the spectacle dispersed. I followed a Fat Young Man who was carrying bowls and chopsticks from a distance. When he entered a courtyard, I casually walked in after him.
A moment later, I chewed on three Qi Gathering Pills as I wandered around other areas of the mountain.
That Fat Young Man had been beaten by me until his face was bruised and swollen, and his legs were broken and tied to a chair while he cried bitterly.
I arrived at the Dao Artifact Workshop in the Inner Sect, where several disciples were busy crafting Taoist Artifacts—some were long swords, others were compasses; there was a wide variety. After that, I headed to the Alchemist's Chamber. The Alchemist's Chamber was situated on a gentle slope, with several ancient-looking Alchemy Rooms in front of it. Smoke billowed from the chimneys of these rooms, filling the air with a strong medicinal scent.
In front of the Alchemist's Chamber stood two large Alchemical Furnaces that appeared to have not been used for a long time. Each furnace had holes in it, likely burnt from prolonged use.
I avoided the bustling crowd in the Alchemist's Chamber and walked toward the back of the mountain until I found a Herb Garden. There were some disciples gathering herbs inside; I observed them from a distance for a while before turning to leave.
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