novelraw Chapter 44: I'll Try
Chapter 44: I'll Try
Wuyi sighed; he had been doing it a lot recently, and murmured, "He killed his own students out of pettiness?" This was something new; the threat had to be reassessed.
Wuyi thought he might have to suffer, but now Boluo gave him a new perspective. So, he was to be taught by a man who could potentially be a murderer of his own students? What had this damn Lady Meixiu gotten him into?
"Yes," Boluo said, as if reading Wuyi's thoughts. "Be careful, Wuyi. Don't shame me. Show him that the blood of the Yuanjing clan runs true in you but as a diligent student. Don't give that petty bastard cause for something that would harm you or scar you for life."
"I'll try," Wuyi said, his voice tinged with apprehension.
That night, he went to bed filled with a sense of dread again. Why couldn't he have a simple life? If he had to be reborn, couldn't he be born in a normal family and gain power quietly? Absent father, drunk guardian, assassin master, and now a petty murderer teacher who hates him even before meeting him.
The Cultivation Garden, situated atop a circular tower within Lujingbao Fort, stood apart from the other gardens on the estate. Its walls were high on the sides facing the sea but lower to the south and west, featuring stone benches. These walls captured the sun's warmth and shielded the garden from the sea winds. The air was still, yet there was an untamed essence to this stone-founded sanctuary.
Once, the garden must have been filled with medicinal herbs and enriching plants; there was a lingering smell. Now, only a few stalks and mossy earth remained in the stone pots. The skeletal remains of a vine clung to a decaying lattice. The garden filled those who entered with a profound sadness, colder than the first chill of winter.
Wuyi was the first to arrive at the Cultivation Garden. Soon after, LiJun entered, the grandson of the Congming. He was fifteen. With a broad build and the clan's characteristic dark features, he greeted Wuyi with a nod before turning his attention to the ancient statuary that adorned the garden.
Others trickled in, over a dozen in total. Aside from LiJun, the rest were distant kids or subfamilies of the Luyao clan—cousins and second cousins, both male and female, spanning a range of ages. Wuyi was probably the youngest, while CiXin—appeared to be the eldest, in her mid-twenties.
The atmosphere was subdued; some engaged in hushed conversations, while others wandered aimlessly, examining the empty planters and statues.
Then, Gao arrived.
The door to the stairwell slammed shut behind him, startling several people. He stood there, surveying the group with an air of disdain, as if they were unworthy of his time.
Gao was a man of lean build, but unlike Chao, who seemed to burn calories with his zest for life, Gao appeared to be the kind of man who disapproved of the world so much that he begrudged every morsel of food he consumed. It seemed he had never savored even a single spoonful of congee or a bite of baozi.
His attire was perplexing. It was lavishly adorned with intricate embroidery and jade beading, yet it fit him so snugly that it seemed as if the tailor had run out of fabric. In an era where flowing robes with intricate patterns were a sign of affluence, he wore his garments as if they were a second skin. He carried a small whip but acted as if he was a scholar.
The overall impression was one of austerity, despite the richness of his clothing.
His pale eyes swept over the group, assessing and immediately dismissing their worth. He exhaled sharply through his nose, like a man bracing himself for an undesirable task. "Clear a space," he commanded, his voice tinged with impatience. "Move all this clutter to one side. Stack it against that wall. Be quick about it; I have no patience for dawdlers."
The last remnants of the garden were dismantled. The pots and beds, once arranged in a manner reminiscent of ancient meditation paths, were pushed aside. The delicate statues were haphazardly stacked atop them.
Gao spoke again, directing his words to Wuyi. "Quicken your pace, bastard," he ordered as Wuyi grappled with a hefty pot of soil. Gao brought down his whip across Wuyi's shoulders. It was a light touch, but it felt calculated. Wuyi paused and looked at Gao. "Did you not hear me?" Gao questioned.
Wuyi nodded and resumed his task. A glimpse of peculiar satisfaction crossed Gao's face. The gesture, Wuyi sensed, was a test, though he couldn't discern whether he had passed or failed.
The rooftop of the tower was left barren, with only the green traces of moss and old soil lines indicating the garden that once was. Gao instructed the group to form two lines. He arranged them by age and stature, then separated them by gender, placing the females behind the males and slightly to the right.
"Distractions and unruly behavior will not be tolerated. You are here to cultivate, not to engage in frivolities," he cautioned. He spaced them out, ensuring that their outstretched arms couldn't touch even a single fingertip of another. Wuyi anticipated physical drills, but instead, Gao commanded them to stand still, hands at their sides, and listen.
"For seventeen lunar cycles, I have been a cultivator and mentor to the disciples of this fortress. Previously, I only trained the elites, not wasting a moment on those lacking in innate talent or discipline.
"However, dark times loom over us. Demonics plague our lands and slaughter our people. Lord Congming, the young masters and warriors of the clan employ their martial skills and cultivation to shield us. Their efforts are monumental, though the commoners remain oblivious. Against the cultivators I have trained, these demonic entities stand little chance.
They may have achieved minor victories by catching us off guard, but the forces I have nurtured will triumph!"
His pale eyes ignited as he raised his arms towards the heavens. He paused, his arms aloft, as if drawing celestial qi into his being. Slowly, he lowered his arms.
"I am certain of this," he continued in a subdued tone. "Our lord, may the heavens grace him, harbors doubts. As he is my lord, I yield to his will. He has commanded me to search among you, those of lesser lineage, for potential cultivators. Legends speak of ancient cultivators who could shift mountains with their minds and cleave rivers in a single stroke.
They served alongside emperors to protect the realm. I don't expect you to become legends, but at least a respectful warrior who does not disappoint me. Whether these tales are exaggerated or not, my lord has ordered me to attempt to create a surplus of skilled warriors. And so, I shall."