A Snail's Wisdom 26 Underground City

Kenja stood next to his sisters in disbelief as he looked at the view down below.

A tea time's walk away, a bustling city lay at the bottom of a valley. Surrounding the city was a moat with several bridges connecting the city to the outside. In the center of the city, an enormous pillar stood erect, and it stretched to the sky that was littered with odd-looking stars.

"When did it get so late?" asked Kenja.

Rin didn't respond, but Hanabi spoke up for her.

"It isn't late, big sister."

"Look closer! Those aren't stars," hinted Snail.

Kenja squinted his eyes upwards and realized that the sky was no sky; it was a ceiling. The strange stars weren't stars either. They were floating flames that helped illuminate the giant dome-shaped cavern that encapsulated this entire place.

Kenja heard the sound of a rock s.h.i.+fting.

He looked to his right and saw a person opening the entrance of a cave and exiting it. After the door closed, he saw a small circular jade on the door engraved with a number. He noticed that the entire cavern's walls were decorated by a nearly endless a.s.sortment of these jades. He could see a disciple enter a cave from the ceiling.

'So many caves...Is this a sect or a beehive?'

"It seems the entire cavern is covered with Immortal's caves. It's my first time seeing such a thing," Hanabi explained excitedly.

An Immortal's cave is a cultivator's private room where they can cultivate freely without fear of interruptions or distractions. The caves usually offer some form of naturally-occurring spirit energy to enhance one's cultivation.

Hanabi turned to Rin and asked, "Will we be getting our own as well, big sister?"

Rin merely nodded in response. Hanabi flashed an excited smile, eager to receive her own cave. She had always been a princess with servants and maids attending her every need for every hour of every day. A sanctuary to call her own with no threat of prying eyes or helping hands was a novel thing for her.

Kenja grinned in antic.i.p.ation as well. Not only had he always dreamed of procuring his own cave, but right now, the cave would be the perfect place to rest his weary body.

"Welcome to the sect..." an old, withered voice grumbled from nearby.

In the corner of his eye, Kenja noticed a scruffy, gray-haired man sitting against the wall left of the pa.s.sageway. Clothes tattered and ripped, he leaned forward as though asleep. The wrinkles lining his face hid his eyes. He appeared ancient, but his cultivation was only at the low-level Body Tempering stage.

Rin didn't respond to his greeting, and Hanabi had already decided to ignore him. People of their level couldn't be bothered to acknowledge every single bug or ant that greeted them.

Even within the same sect, disciples were categorized in several different groups: servants, outer sect disciples, and inner sect disciples.

Servants dealt with the majority of the sect's ch.o.r.es and upkeep while they tried to break free of their mortal constraints and join the outer sect. They received very few resources and guidance from the sect. If they couldn't take the first step towards cultivation on their own, then they were deemed unworthy of the sect's attention and help.

Compared to servants, outer sect disciples gained many more privileges and resources from the sect. Their responsibilities weren't as heavy either which allowed them more time to cultivate. The servants and outer sect disciples combined make up more than ninety percent of a sect.

As for the inner sect, they were the sect's heavily groomed and most gifted disciples. If all went well, they would manage and lead the future of the sect. Even though they took up less than ten percent, most of a sect's resources were allocated to them. They were the seniors of the servants and outer sect disciples.

Without considering Hanabi's mortal ident.i.ty as a princess, Rin and Hanabi were inner sect disciples. Even within the inner sect disciples, they would be revered and respected because they were being personally groomed by an Elder. No matter how they looked at him, this dirty, old man had no qualifications to receive their greetings.

Kenja gave his sisters' att.i.tude an awkward smile. He wondered if he would act the same way had he grown up with a silver spoon in his mouth.

Kenja took a few steps closer to the old man and greeted him, "Junior offers greetings to Uncle." He took out a bottle of expensive-looking alcohol he had obtained from the corpse in the forest along with a bejeweled silver cup and placed them next to the old man.

Kenja's life was not easy, but it was the elderly that offered him grace and help in his times of need. Baba, Frederick, even Wise Man Satos.h.i.+...he owed them a lifetime of grat.i.tude, and he would show deference for any venerable elder he met, regardless of their status or cultivation. Cultivators don't have use for mortal gold or silver, and Kenja hadn't really acquired a tongue for alcohol, so offering this much wasn't hard.

The old man grabbed the bottle and stretched one eye open to examine Kenja before closing it and nodding to him. He placed the bottle and cup into a storage bag.

Rin ignored Kenja and began walking down towards the city. Hanabi was astonished with Kenja's respectful demeanor towards the beggar, but she quickly regained herself and followed Rin.

"We should hurry big sister," Hanabi beckoned to Kenja.

Kenja quickly followed behind Hanabi, leaving the old man to his solitude.

As they continued downwards, Kenja saw other disciples carrying out various activities. Many were talking amongst each other or offering advice to their juniors. Some were lounging along the slope's path, reading cultivation manuals. The occasional disciple would fly past them on a sword.

They reached the moat and began crossing one of its bridges. The bridge was only thirty chi long; Kenja could clear the moat with a single jump if he were in a hurry. The water in the moat flowed clockwise around the city.

"What a funny 'river'! Shouldn't they have named themselves the 'Rotating Moat Sect'?" Snail joked to Kenja, looking for a chuckle.

Kenja smirked; he had to agree with Snail's observation. This wasn't much of a river.

They entered the city. Walking through the streets and pa.s.sing by various shops, they were heading towards the city's center where the giant pillar stood. Nearly everyone was dressed in daoist robes bearing the sect's insignia. Occasionally, he heard the hammering of a blacksmith or smelled the waft of a medicinal concoction. Through the windows of one fancy-looking establishment, he could see two people probing a complex-looking contraption consisting of circuits and gears.

"They have spiritual architects here?" Kenja asked in amazement. He looked at Rin for an answer, forgetting that she didn't talk very much.

"Yes," she replied without turning her head.

"Whoa, whoa, slow down girl! If you say too much, how will we keep up?" Snail said sarcastically to Kenja in response to Rin's curt behavior.

He stopped paying attention to Rin and focused back on Kenja's words. "Why do you care about spiritual architects? Do you want some type of item crafted?"

Kenja didn't respond. He couldn't talk to Snail while others were nearby, but he was also too embarra.s.sed to confess why he had an interest in the field.

Spiritual architect was a very rare profession to see. They crafted items and machines that utilize Qi to produce a desired effect. Hanabi's carpet that carried them as well as Wise Man Satos.h.i.+'s cooking utensil that used spirit stones to heat his goods were both crafted by spiritual architects.

Although very useful and highly sought out, there weren't very many in existence. It required a keen understanding of the world's laws and principles as well as an extensive background in Qi and cultivation, but the profession was very unappealing to cultivators. An alchemist's pill concoction could a.s.sist a cultivator's cultivation while a blacksmith's weapon could protect a cultivator's life, but the spiritual architect had to spend a vast amount of time studying and experimenting, only to create items that had no impact on one's progress to Immortality.

'I can't say that I like to play with them...'

Kenja was a veteran garbage diver, and his first dive dated back to his earliest memories. Usually, it was for food or clothes for his sisters, but he also ran into thrown-away spiritual tools that mortal households used. He originally took them home and fiddled with them for a source of entertainment, but he eventually learned how to repair and sell them for a decent turnover. It reached the point that he could enhance and improve them with the knowledge he ama.s.sed from his 'morning lectures'.

They didn't dawdle as they quickly arrived at the wide open area that surrounded the giant pillar. As they neared the pillar, Kenja saw that the pillar wasn't circular but made up of several sides. On the side in front of him, he could make out the same jade tokens used to designate the Immortal's caves.

'Even this pillar is made up of caves?'

The pillar's face had five jade tokens at the bottom: a big jade token in the center engraved with the number 5 and two smaller jade tokens on each side. Moving up the pillar, many tokens belonging to caves could be seen, but the big jade token had no cave above it.

"Looks like your Elder doesn't want anyone sitting above her. We'll just have to show her who's boss, right disciple?" Snail winked at Kenja.

Rin reached into her storage bag and took out several thin pamphlets and a couple of black stones. She handed two of the pamphlets and one stone to Hanabi before pointing to one of the caves adjacent to the center cave. Hanabi nodded and walked to the door, standing outside of it. She tilted her head for a moment and looked back to Rin.

"Big sister, I think it's broken."

'This princess...'

"Hahahahahaha...it's broken...hahahahaha..." Snail laughed annoyingly in Kenja's ear.

Rin's icy stare got even icier. She walked to Hanabi, lifted her hand which held the black stone and placed it in front of the cave's jade token. It opened up immediately.

"Ah, I see. I appreciate the lesson, big sister," Hanabi thanked Rin innocently.

Just as she was about to walk in, a loud voice stopped her.

"What do we have here, junior sister Aoi! Helping out some new recruits, I see."

A handsome, young man emanating a Core Crystallization cultivation approached them. He carried himself with an ostentatious air and a smug smile that made one want to punch him, but his overpowering aura made others retreat before doing so.

He stopped in front of them and began looking over Hanabi. When his eyes reached Hanabi's 'Kiss of the Dragon,' she instinctively tilted her face away to hide it. While she had decided to stop being ashamed about her mark, habits weren't easily forgotten.

"It is a great honor to have Ryuga's very own princess become my junior sister. I am Elder Kondo's first disciple, Matsus.h.i.+ta Hizumi." He clasped his hands and bowed his head ever-so-slightly.

Rin gave him a cold stare as Hanabi clasped her hands and bowed to her new senior brother.

"Please forgive your senior sister Aoi, for she isn't too talented in guiding newcomers around the sect. Let us dine together, and I can introduce you to the various things around the sect." His tone held many hidden implications.

Rin held her arm in front of Hanabi while keeping her gaze locked on Hizumi, but she did not say anything. The silence grew more awkward as he continued to wait for Hanabi's response, ignoring Rin's actions.

"Senior brother, big sister Rin has been an excellent guide. I would like to rest first before exploring the sect, so please excuse me," Hanabi politely declined.

"In that case, I will return tonight after you have rested." He nodded his head with closed eyes as if all problems had been solved and there's no refuting him. Rin didn't respond, and Hanabi's eyes showed a defeated look.

Insubordination was an intolerable offense within sects. Disrespecting seniority or the chain of command was punishable, and who would want to risk punishment immediately after joining the sect? For Hanabi, she couldn't easily refuse her senior's offer to help without showing disrespect.

As he was about to leave, a voice made him stop.

"I am sorry senior brother, but Elder has given us strict orders. Hanabi won't be able to join you tonight. Please forgive any rudeness and understand that we are simply following our master's command."

Hizumi furrowed his brows and turned around to look at the audacious person who refused him. He saw a woman as tall as him calling the princess by her first name. After examining the nuisance, he spoke out once more.

"Junior, you should name yourself before you speak to your seniors."

Kenja gave an innocent smile before clasping his hands and replying, "My apologies, senior brother. Junior's name is Hirai Hikaru."

"What orders did your Elder give you?"

Kenja put on a troubled face as he lifted his hand to his face in a way that only a girl could.

"My apologies, senior brother. Elder did not say that I could share the details of her instructions. I will request her permission to divulge the details to you."

Hizumi was infuriated. The pretty girl in front of him was only a Qi Flouris.h.i.+ng, but she spoke in such a way that he couldn't go against her. He would have to wait for the Elder to return from her trip before she could be asked for permission. Not only that, but he had no business intruding on an Elder's instruction over their disciples. Presenting an Elder with such an inquiry would be 'him' who was perpetrating an act of insubordination.

"No need. If your master has given you orders to follow, then you should follow them. We can dine at a later time."

He put on a fake smile and left, taking the stifling aura with him. Hanabi and Rin let out a sigh before they both turned to Kenja who was able to convince the high-level senior brother to withdraw his invitation and walk away, especially Rin whose eyes seemed to gleam in surprise and grat.i.tude.

"Disciple, you are one smooth actor. Are you sure today was the first time you pretended to be a girl?" Snail was in awe.

'Shut up!'