Book 3: Chapter 6: Hell and What Must be Taught |
There were a few things that immediately stood out to Yin Hu the moment they neared the inn Zhong Da was thinking of placing them. Above them all, a single one stood as bright as a North Star in a clear night.
No way in hell!
Yin Hu watched as people came and left this inn like an army of ants during war. Hundreds of people had to be leaving and entering at the same time from three different doorways. Some looked rich while others were dirt poor and were working on their hands in foreign pockets. Freeing up imprisoned coins from their captors and put toward what they assumed were better purposes.
“No.” Yin Hu waved Zhong Da and his wife to go in another direction. “Let’s go back to the bureaucratic building and find me an actual building with some privacy.”
Zhong Da hesitated for a second before he did as he was told.
To the bureaucratic building they went and into the cursed place they were forced.
Hours passed before they were finally taken up toward the waiting clerk who did not seem to be in any hurry and was content on reading pieces of paper instead of helping them out.
Yin Hu closed his eyes and kept his head down.
Killing this idiot because he was taking so long would not make anything go faster. The exact opposite. It would end up getting them chased out of the town without fulfilling their main task of recruiting dozens of highly talented disciples to join their Hu Clan. For all they knew, they could be missing out on the next ascended immortal just because of the bullshit that was bureaucratic lethargy.
He sighed and opened his eyes.
Zhong Da and Wu Xui were covered in sweat and kept their heads forward.
The waiting was clearly affecting them worse than himself.
I need to step up in this situation. Zhong Da doesn’t seem capable of speaking without turning the guy before us into paste.
Yin Hu cleared his throat.
The clerk looked up with a long sigh. “Yes? What can I do you for?”
Yin Hu’s eye twitched, Zhong Da choked behind him, but otherwise ignored the tone.
He could feel Shui and Jun glaring from the other side as well. This was their first experience with this type of system and came to learn of its horrors first hand.
“A building. We’re looking for a home–”
“Sign your names here and we will contact you in four weeks time.” The clerk picked up a thick tome with thousands of names. Flipped through it until he got near the back half where the signatures finally ended. Grabbed a quill and ink pot and put them in front of Yin Hu.
“Four weeks?” Shui shouted. “I swear I’m going to kill you!”
Jun grabbed the younger girl before she could dive over the table and assault the man. Her hammer rumbled with deadly threat as though Mr. Mo Mo was equally as miffed about the whole thing as she was. It didn’t help that the clerk screamed in terror and ducked under said table.
Five figures all appeared around them out of nowhere. All dressed like cultivators.
The largest of the bunch stepped forward. “Sirs and Madams. There seems to have been a mix up. Cultivators are meant to line up there,” he pointed at an empty section without a soul standing there. “We do not mix the mortal populous with our prestigious experts. Please come. Follow me and I shall help you find whatever it is you are searching for.”
God… I absolutely hate this place.
It took another hour but they got everything done. The whole bureaucratic process was taken care of faster than the man under the sign had suggested.
Having Zhong Da release a little bit of his Qi to impress every single cultivator in the building with his superiority and his impatience did help speed it up too.
He wanted to get out quicker than Yin Hu did.
They got themselves a large home within Cultivator Row; two floors with an eastern and western wing, a large courtyard in between the U-Shaped house, packed in between an area full of like minded peoples instead of the general masses and hundreds of bodies moving back and forth, and most importantly, it was supposedly quiet and peaceful. One of the rare spots that tended to be tranquil within the entire city.
More than that, they even convinced the large cultivator that they deserved to get an additional license to sell weaponry within the city limits too. That included a large shop with its own building near the slowest parts of Cultivator Row. The large man was confused why they’d pick such an atrocious spot to sell things in, but did what he was told and got them out of there with a guide and all the necessary paperwork done and completed.
Yin Hu waved his hand and the stack vanished, that got a look from the large man for a brief second that he schooled a moment later.
“Please follow little Chun here,” the large man pointed at a young bubbly girl that kept bouncing on her toes. “She knows the area better than I do.”
Chun guided them out of the building and led them through a dozen turns and loops until they broke past the sardine-packed streets into a wider one that looked older but more homely. Buildings were squeezed in tight, but they were all large and had ample space to them. She slowed down their blistering pace and began to walk as though showing off the views.
The group moved forward in the middle of the day. The wide streets and alleyways had people within them, but it was a comfortable presence rather than the hectic rush that was most of the city so far. More so than that, it was quite literally what the large man had said. Cultivator Row was for people of their ilk and occupied by said people too.
Yin Hu strolled next to his party as they watched packs of disciples, children younger than even Shui in small clearings stuffed between tall buildings in lines. Each one had a dojo behind them with a few older people sitting there sipping tea and very much looking the parts of masters and elders. Each one with long beards, robes, intense feelings from them, and more.
The ones leading the trainings tended to be men and women that were middle-aged or slightly younger.
He couldn’t help but frown.
Not a single person they walked by showed up with his perception skill. They were either extremely weak, a bunch of fakes, or the level of this general area was not as high as the large man made it out to be. Supposedly filled with martial families and smaller sects and clans, yet they did not look as impressive as they sounded at all.
They looked underwhelming.
Didn’t mean the girls weren’t impressed. Shui oo-ed and aw-ed at the kids that were being trained. Specifically a pair that were being guided by an ancient elder. One that kept a thin but flexible branch by his side in case the pair made any mistakes at all. Hitting them if they did, but otherwise said nothing and did nothing other than keep his eyes out for any possible dangers.
The kids were busy doing backflips… Triple air kicks… Spinning backfists.
Yin Hu looked left and found one teaching his disciples out of a manual titled Snakes Ascension into Dragonhood. Making them copy supposed snake techniques.
Another the Mantis Claw of Ruin and Destruction.
A fourth was on all four and howling like some maniac werewolf hybrid thing.
This was everything he had taught Jun and Shui to stay away from. The unnecessary flourish and frills that no fight needed. Looping strikes and calling out attack names like they were in some show to be watched and enjoyed by viewers. Battles were a place for life and death. Not some foolish idiot that thought spinning four times with one leg up only to chop with his palm was a worthy skill to teach the future generation.
I need to keep them well away from these old coots. Each one is teaching a different technique…
It didn’t take long until they reached their new home once they got into Cultivator Row. Yin Hu thanked Heaven a dozen times for that blessing.
A wall surrounded the courtyard that reminded him of their abode within the Silver Mountain Gang. Except cleaner, structurally sound, and much higher. It even had a tiled roof above it to prevent weathering from rain and whatever other purpose they had. The house was beautiful. Everyone took their section or room and went about their day as little Chun waited near the courtyard's gate so she could lead them toward the shop.
By the time Zhong Da and his wife were ready, Shui had convinced the little girl to play with her ball.
The dragon hatchlings were missing and that had affected the little girl more than she tried to let out. No one else played with her. She had no friends or people her age to keep up with and enjoy her time causing little mischiefs anymore.
Yin Hu did as he usually did while he tried to figure out how to find her playmates she wouldn’t crush into a pile of broken bones by mistake.
Summoned a lounging chair and found the perfect spot to sit, facing away from the house. All that was left was to summon the greedy Demonic Spirit Tree and use it as shade from the sun. Maybe share a cup or two of tea as long as it didn’t start acting picky. It had developed a sense of taste and refused to drink any of the Jasmine teas with the ground Earthen teas were so much more tasty to it.
Zhong Da stepped out of his room and saw the situation. He gave him a look.
Yin Hu waved him over and brought out two cups of tea. This would be the very first time he shared one with any person other than his greedy, selfish, annoying, and picky tree in a very long time. “Sit. Let them play until they grow tired, then we can worry about the shop afterward.”
“Yes, Patriarch! I am unworthy!” Zhong Da dropped and slammed his head on the ground hard.
Imma have to give him the same lesson I taught Jun last time. What’s wrong with cultivators and trying to crack their foreheads on the ground.
“Get up. A Hu does not bow.”
Yin Hu waved his hand and another normal seat and table appeared before him.
Zhong Da jumped to his feet and trembled as he picked the pot up. It clinked and clacked in his grip, yet not a single drop escaped him as he poured Yin Hu a cup. Then he poured himself one and sat down. Staring at said cup as though it would eat him alive and in brutal fashion.
I don’t think he’s going to drink it is he…? Does he not like tea?