Chapter Text
Shen Jiu grits his teeth as he struggles to keep himself from face planting to the ground like his shizun who is lying a few feet away bleeding out. He lifts his head, glaring as he meets the eyes of the person they tried to rob.
The man smirks down at him with a relaxed stance, as though he doesn't deemed him as a threat. Like a tiger finding amusement in their prey. “Hmmm....”
It was all Wu Yanzi's fault.
Earlier they were heading to the Immortal Alliance Conference, planning to sneak in to rob and kill amateur cultivators at the event. On the way they saw a man in fine quality clothes assumed to be a noble, unarmed leisurely walking without another person in sight.
An easy target or so they thought.
The man easily trounced them. He doesn't have a sword nor any other weapons on him to defend himself. He uses his qi to attack with precision and accuracy, qi that can cut through air and break hard surfaces. With only a few moves both Shen Jiu and Wu Yanzi are down. The man didn't even break a sweat or out of breath, his qi reserves are probably not even depleted.
The man tilts his head. “Are you not going to beg for your life?”
“Do you want me to beg?” Shen Jiu snarls. “Does it matter when my fate is in your hands?”
“Indeed,” the man muses, his head tilts as he's assessing Shen Jiu. “You manage to stay standing much longer than that master of yours, lasting seven more moves than him. And just by your stance and technique alone, it doesn't look like you have any sort of formal training but not hopeless.”
A small part of Shen Jiu feels giddy that he managed to outlast Wu Yanzi, only to squash that feeling immediately. What's the use of praise when he's at the hands of this man's whimsy.
“You also managed to cut off the hem of my robes,” the man points to the bottom part of his robes that was slashed by Shen Jiu's dagger. “No one has ever come close. You have caught this venerable one's attention.”
Shen Jiu quickly straightens up. Although the man doesn't give any indication of ending his life, he is still on guard and wary, keeping his distance and ready if he needs to act. “What do you want?”
“You showed signs of potential if not wasted under that master of yours,” the man replies. “This venerable one is feeling generous and would like to offer you a chance to follow under my tutelage.”
Shen Jiu narrows his eyes. “Are you going to kill me if I were to decline?”
“Why should I kill you? Whether you accept or not, is your life worth anything for me to take?”
Shen Jiu bites the inside of his cheek. This man is much stronger than Wu Yanzi and is leagues above the average cultivator. But it seems this is what his luck has lead to, following morally dubious men on empty promises of fame and power.
There was movement behind the man that had Shen Jiu instinctively move. But in a blink of an eye the man had reacted the attack from behind before Shen Jiu can shout. Wu Yanzi on his last bit of strength had tried to sneak attack only to be thrown and smashed into a tree a good distance away.
The man lowers his hand, it only took one move to take down the rogue cultivator. “Are you not going to beg to spare your master's life?”
“Would my begging be of any use for you to spare him?” Shen Jiu retorts.
“Probably not,” the man idly picks up a sharp piece of copper from the ground, twirling it between his finger. A vestige of Shen Jiu's pitiful attacks. “And it's not worth begging if the disciple is better than his shizun.”
“He didn't teach me that,” Shen Jiu corrects him, on the sharp material in his hand. “I learned that on my own...”
The man raises an eyebrow, intrigue.
For a while there weren't any words exchanged before the man tosses the sharpen material aside and walks away. The man kept walking even though Shen Jiu isn't following him until he tilts his head. “Well, aren't you coming?” he says even with his back turned.
Shen Jiu looks at the man's direction before turning his head to where Wu Yanzi lies. With an attack like that he doesn't even know if the man is still alive. And in that same direction was the Immortal Alliance Conference. The direction the man is going is away from all the sects.
Away from Yue Qi's bones.
What more does he have to lose?
Shen Jiu runs to catch up to the mysterious man. The man's strides are long, he's barely keeping pace due to exhaustion and injuries he sustained from fighting him. The man only glance once at him to see if he's still following.
“I don't know your name,” Shen Jiu says.
The man smirks, a gleam in his eye. “Are you even worthy to know my name yet?”
--
Although the man decides to allow Shen Jiu to follow him, he still has not earned the privilege to call him shizun nor even know his name yet.
They didn't stop for rest nor stop to determine their direction. The man moves with purpose, without any hesitation of where he's going. Shen Jiu only asked one question of where they are going before the man gave him a look that had him shut his mouth. He doesn't ask anymore, just following along.
Eventually they finally stop to purchase a carriage for the journey and by then Shen Jiu realizes how far away they were from the major sects.
“This is your last chance,” the man says as he sets up his ride. “We will be going far away and unlikely to return.”
There's nothing left keeping him.
A beat later Shen Jiu gets in the carriage without fanfare and finally he is deemed worthy to know the man's name.
The man calls himself Yan Wushi. An arrogant name for an arrogant man.
Another demonic cultivator. At this point with his luck Shen Jiu feels he shouldn't be surprised anymore. But Yan Wushi is knowledgeable and doesn't mince words for the truth. Such as when he evaluates Shen Jiu's condition.
“Your meridians are a mess,” Yan Wushi retracts his hand. “I'm surprised you managed to get this far. Any longer and it'll be harder to cultivate a golden core.”
Shen Jiu grits his teeth at the thought. When he first met Wu Yanzi, he was praised for having the perfect condition to cultivate. It was only after experiencing a qi deviation and burning down the Qiu Manor that he ended up in this state. The man had exaggerated and his condition must have gotten worse. On top of the demonic cultivation Wu Yanzi has pushed onto him, he suspect it would have lead him to ruins.
“So it's too late for me.”
“I did not say that,” Yan Wushi crosses his arms over his chest. “But I will say that your path will not be easy and it will all depend on you.”
Shen Jiu raises an eyebrow. “So it's not because I'm too old to cultivate or anything.”
“I wouldn't say that,” Yan Wushi scoffs. “Unless you have the aptitude and drive, age doesn't matter but it's best to start early to build a foundation otherwise as you get older you will be stuck in your ways and past the optimal time. It is a common knowledge but often misinterpreted and is something those stuffy cultivators used to gatekeep others. But as martial practitioners, we always strive to get to the next level no matter the age.”
Shen Jiu tilts his head at the thought. “You don't like the great four sects.”
This had Yan Wushi snort. “What's so great about them. I came from far away just to see what's so good about them. Only to realize their reputations exaggerate and not worth acknowledging. Their attitude and aptitude are laughable. Thankfully you hadn't join their sect, otherwise I will return to my sect empty-handed.”
This had Shen Jiu curious. “If you don't mind me asking, what's your opinion about them?”
“Where to start,” Yan Wushi muses with a hand under his chin. “Tian Yi Overlook; a bunch of pacifist and bystanders, their aptitude not worth mentioning. Zhao Hua is filled with a bunch of bald donkeys only interested in preaching but not practicing when it really matters. Huan Hua are a bunch of pompous peacocks, the gold couldn't hide how lacking they are. And Cang Qiong likes to act lofty, like they are above such mortal perils, a bunch of hypocrites. And the smaller sects are not worth mentioning.”
“And you think your sect is much better?”
“Of course. This venerable one is the sect leader.”
It was no wonder why Yan Wushi could be so arrogant. And... that makes a lot of sense.
The rest of the journey was uneventful, occasionally stopping to rest or fight off bandits. Yan Wushi doesn't waste his time with those he deems lower than him, barely wasting his energy before getting back in the carriage and go on his way.
It took a long while to get past the mountain ranges before they finally see signs of civilization. During their journey Shen Jiu learns that the Huanyue Sect, the sect that Yan Wushi leads, was part of the Riyue Sect of the Fenglinzhou before it was disintegrated and splintered into three other sects. These sects are constantly in disagreement and fighting amongst themselves.
Many of the sects in jianghu have their own cultivation practices and doctrines that might not agree with one another. But when asked about his own sect, Yan Wushi only shrugs.
“Why should I limit myself and others to follow what they deemed is righteous,” Yan Wushi scoffs. “We are labeled as demonic because we don't follow their orthodox method even though its all one in the same. Pursuit of satisfaction, that is the demonic sects core of thinking. Nothing is taboo.”
The sects back where Shen Jiu is from would have spit up blood if they have Yan Wushi in their midst. The same might be true for where they are heading.
The journey was tenuous and long, Shen Jiu's mind forces himself to keep awake, fear of the unknown. On occasion it felt like the air he breathes is empty and dull. Probably from the high mountain ranges they have to cross. They finally descended from the mountain tops and after traveling a while stopped at a compound, Yan Wushi gets out with Shen Jiu straggling along.
Not long after, a boy that looks close to Shen Jiu's age rushes to greet them. “Welcome back from your long journey, shizun. Per your instructions, everything has been prepared to your specifications.”
Shen Jiu looks at the boy curiously, he looks well put together and neat. When the boy meets his curious gaze Shen Jiu automatically straightens up, self conscious of his appearance all due to Yan Wushi's generosity. On their journey they stopped at an inn for Shen Jiu to get himself thoroughly clean. For most of the journey they will have to stay in the carriage together and Yan Wushi is a clean freak who couldn't tolerate his stench. He was also given new clothes but they were ill-fitting as Yan Wushi doesn't want to waste unnecessary time waiting for the tailor to make the adjustments when he will soon get his disciple uniforms.
“Bian Yanmei, this is Shen Jiu, your new shidi,” Yan Wushi introduces. “I trust you also made the necessary arrangements for him.”
Bian Yanmei nods. “Yes shizun.”
It was so much more than he ever expect or ask for. From a street kid to a slave, to a rogue and now a disciple. It all felt surreal and too good to be true.
“Welcome to the Huanyue Sect.”
--
Shen Jiu was given a tour around the compound and a introductory spiel of the sect. He was given time to settle and familiarize himself with his accommodations. The compound was even more extravagant and larger than the Qiu's. He was even given his own room and a proper bed, something he's never had in his entire life before. Anything he needs, he could ask Bian Yanmei or any of the servants, and they will be able to provide for him. Bian Yanmei mentions bringing Shen Jiu to a tailor later to get more fitting clothes for him.
There aren't a lot of servants around, most are busy with their own tasks but they look kind and greeted Shen Jiu with respect. There also aren't many disciples at the compound either. Often it feels like only Bian Yanmei and him are the only disciples around. When asked Bian Yanmei only shrugged. It wasn't that long ago the sect was splintered and the other outer disciples probably have duties to attend. They are still stabilizing their position in jianghu.
Bian Yanmei is polite and knowledgeable. He is accommodating to provide Shen Jiu's needs and happy to explain things to him. He also manages sect and court matters with Yan Wushi, having responsibilities that might be overwhelming for someone his age. But there's this sort of air to him that tells Shen Jiu he shouldn't be underestimated. There's more than meets the eye with this Bian Yanmei.
He hasn't seen Yan Wushi since he left him with Bian Yanmei. As a sect leader, Yan Wushi is busy not only managing his sect but also the court and jianghu's politics. But that doesn't mean that he abandoned his disciples.
Shen Jiu didn't start learning cultivation right away. Yan Wushi had prescribed him medical concoctions to fix and re-straighten his meridians and qi and improve his overall health. Pricey medical concoctions that a master wouldn't splurge on a slave. He was also given instructions to meditate and center himself to make his recovery faster. Occasionally Bian Yanmei would come over to help pass along his qi to restore proper channels of his meridians. The feeling has him shuddering every time.
Yan Wushi had also assigned him a tutor to improve his reading and writing skills. A slave's education is lacking, even on par with the common folk. Though his skills might be a little higher due to Qiu Jianluo's generosity, even his mathematician skills are above an average commoner. He was glad and relieved that Yan Wushi didn't make a snarky comment about his illiteracy.
He was glad neither Yan Wushi nor Bian Yanmei asked about his past. Neither any of the other servants or disciples running around the sect. He was glad he never has to put up a front.
He's never had anyone done so much for him in such a short amount of time. To provide for his needs and rectify any issues without him having to ask or beg for it. To even improve upon the current status of things. Inwardly he feels grateful along with the feeling of unease.
If he could ever be worthy to belong here.