Spiritual power coursed through the air as the final bell rang clearly throughout the peak. With scissor-cut execution, Shen QuanLi had gotten full performance marks in the last round of the Spiritual Assembly. It was his debut, his announcement to the world, of who was exactly destined for the horizon of the cultivation world. The youthful cultivator was full of unbridled confidence, white uniform fluttering forwards he shoved his emerald green sword into the pedestal in the center of the stage.

He had already long won, but here, cocky disciple Shen QuanLi was challenging his other opponents, calling them back to stage to fight with him. Rather, he was taunting them, fully aware that no one would dare.

…Thinking back on the event, said disciple found it all too embarrassing. Several long years had already passed from the Spiritual Assembly, and he was now a sect elder of QianYan’lu. Several seasons have cycled past and Shen QuanLi was no longer the unruly youth he was before.

He hated those reckless and overconfident types, to admit he was once one of them, was entirely too mortifying. To be a cultivator was to be refined, to be graceful, to cultivate to immortality while improving the lifestyle of the common people.

Seeing the onslaught of potential new disciples stream into his sect, has got him reminiscent of the past. QianYan’lu was accepting their new batch of disciples this year, and although he should have been with the other elders, directing the event, he sat instead in his study. Simply put, Shen QuanLi wasn’t going to accept a disciple so there was no reason for him to be there.

The senior did, though, watch the selection process from his window before he moved to his vanity. Calmly minding the scenery, Shen QuanLi crushed a selection of herbs and weeds into a mortar. Then all of a sudden, Shen QuanLi felt a ripple in the barrier cast around his pavilion.

A knock proceeded to sound outside his study, coupled with a call, “Shuangyue Elder. Please come to the conference room.”

“For what?...

◈

“So. Who will take him?”

A young teen of fourteen sat on the floor next to the extravagant table. The curtains pulled open lit the back of the youth’s figure with soft sunset dye. He sat on his knees, hair of ink pulled together to form a ponytail with a small addition of three minuscule braids pulled into it. Golden eyes that were reflective of the Lai royal family, uncharacteristically boring into the ground.

The joyous and competitive mood of the disciple selection quickly shifted when the young boy had arrived in front of the elders. All participants had either been dismissed or accepted by this point, but in front of them laid a special case. The cultivation sect of QianYan'lu sat at the border of two neighboring kingdoms: Laixu and Mingsi, and they were well aware of the politics of each. And here, sat in front of them, was the runaway second prince of Laixu.

The topic of the hottest gossip in Laixu and the surrounding kingdoms.

It was obvious that no one wanted him. The public knew how sour the child’s relationship with the current king of Laixu was, and his cultivation had yet to be so extraordinary that anyone would preach for him. Accepting a runaway now would be asking for trouble. No one wanted to get in the ropes of the royal family’s problem.

Well aware, and almost as if he was ashamed of himself, the second prince fiddled with his finger as the elders of the cultivation sect stared him down silently.

Shen QuanLi appeared visibly uncomfortable looking at the scene. Being a part of the elders that cornered the child didn’t make him feel better either… He felt too old to be bullying a child. When he felt as if the most audacious of the elders, SiNing Elder, was about to reiterate his first unanswered question, he pressed his hand down onto the table and pushed himself up. “I’ll take him.” The brunette said out loud, holding back a sigh.

Instantly, the teen’s eyes brightened, as if his savior had arrived. The other nine elders at the long table were even more shocked. SiNing Elder was more than inclined to dismiss the child and send him back home just a few moments prior, but he was now unable to speak up to Shen QuanLi. After all, said man was the acting sect leader, ever since the sect leader vanished into long term seclusion.

The fact which made it more shocking was Shen QuanLi’s attitude to accepting disciples at all. Always willing to help the rest of the elders with their disciples whenever they needed, but had none of his own to take care of. The brunette maintained his air of elegance and freedom similar to an aunt that frequented traveling all over, rather than settling down.

Shen QuanLi had only accepted one disciple since his elevation to elder, and that disciple had long since graduated into a proper cultivator, making tides in the world. Aside from that, the elder had never accepted another. The other elders began to doubt themselves for not choosing the second prince as their own disciple. Was there some hidden cultivation aptitude they hadn’t seen?

Finding the looks he was receiving to be quite burdensome, Shen QuanLi began to regret his decisions. The green-eyed man walked towards the young prince, flicking his fingers upwards. “Alright, get up.”

With wide eyes, the teenager nodded, quickly gathering himself and following behind his new master. Once they had returned to his pavilion, the elder had the jet-haired youth sit across him, unsure what to say.

The both of them sat in silence. The young prince did not wish to speak until his master addressed him. And the master, who was all too unused to having a disciple again, did not know what to say.

“Shizun¹, this one is Lai Bing, courtesy name, XingXue.” After a few minutes dragged on too long, the youth panicked and spoke first. Yet all Shen QuanLi gave was a curt nod. “...Thank you Shuangyue Elder for accepting this one under his tutelage.”

After the prince gave his thanks, his new master came to criticize him immediately after, “It’s unorthodox to begin cultivating at your age” Shen QuanLi finally spoke, deciding to address the most difficult topic first. “My method of cultivation is also intensely difficult and harder to learn. If you don’t think you’ll be able to handle it, I’ll ask Ziwei Elder to take you.”

Unexpressive impressive Shuangyue Elder already wanted to shirk the second prince off to another elder.

“Huh?” the second prince stared up in shock. “I… No. I’ll stay.” His golden eyes lowered, moving to stare down at his own fidgeting fingers. “I’ll learn.” His temperament was meek, unable to speak up to authority, but he truly didn’t want to be ditched so soon.

Somehow feeling as if he had wronged the youth, Shen QuanLi cleared his throat, “Then get some rest. Report to me in the morning.”

Lai XingXue remained in his spot, waiting for his new master to continue speaking. But there was nothing else to say . So they both sat there, quiet. A strong cumbrous air remained between the two.

“...What’s wrong?”

“Where do I… sleep?”

Shen QuanLi’s mouth formed the shape of an ‘O.’ Eyes fluttered in contemplation before he stood up. He beckoned with a wave of his sleeve for Lai XingXue to follow him. Instead of thriving off the rich FengShui on top of mountains, common for many cultivation sects in MingSi, QianYan’lu sect was built in the middle of a meadow and lake. This resulted in a coalescence of waterfalls and rivers that bordered the two kingdoms. QianYan’lu operated under one sect leader, but it was divided and portioned off into 10 small quadrants. Outside of eating and sporting events, each disciple kept close to their master when it came to their living quarters. It’s just that, although Shuangyue Elder did have an area designated for his disciples, it hadn’t seen use for several years after his first disciple graduated.

The meadow was a troublesome place to build anything, but it was done. QianYan’lu came to be built in a maze-like fashion but it was built: Supported on stilts and a great foundation, each room, and facility were interconnected with a few portions of natural dry land that was sculpted into use. Shuangyue Elder’s disciple area sat at the very edge of the entire establishment, just off the elder’s general space in question. Due to its unuse, Shen QuanLi remembered talking to the sect leader about remodeling it into a library or a garden…

But now as he was leading his disciple to it, he had taken several turns and took the wrong one each time. After all… It has been.. years… Since he’s last used it. He had ended up more than once in another elders’ corridors. He was beginning to lose face, but he wouldn’t stop looking for the room.

Already deep into the night, the pair finally arrived at a building unexplored. With lanterns fashioned to radiate delicate light. Shen QuanLi touched one of the lanterns, discovering a past protection enchantment he had cast.

“Here.”

Lai Bing opened the entrance door to reveal a corridor portioned off into three separate rooms. Seeing another set of corridors, the senior sighed and waved his hand, “Choose whichever. Find me in the morning.”

The morning came far too slowly. Lai XingXue lay on the unused bed while dust permeated through the air in the room he had chosen. Sleeping in an unfamiliar place had put him on caution, wandering endlessly about the new unfamiliarity. As much as he hated it, he had become accustomed to palace life, where everything was glamorous. He was accustomed to the soft bedding and duvet in his room back in the capital, and the soft chime of his mom’s voice lulling him to sleep.

Yet, as he held his hand above him, stretching out his fingers and attempting to reach for the ceiling, he was well aware that he couldn’t consider that palace home anymore.

So this, he clenched his hand into a fist and pulled it back down, was his new home now.

The dust swept over his nose due to his movement. Lai XingXue unavoidably sneezed, throwing up more dust in the air… It would be better with less dust, the prince thought as he turned his head on the pillow.

He had idolized cultivation, idolized the grandmasters and powerful arts of a spiritual hero. He had read books upon books about the cultivators that had protected the country. The great deeds of the QianYan'lu sect were repeated more than once in the pages of the book. The nervousness of actually having interacted with a real-life cultivator poured more anxiety into his heart that he could barely keep himself walking.

Shen QuanLi.

Well, he was renowned.

The renowned LiangDi Immortal was his Shizun.

Lai XingXue couldn’t sleep that night. Too much disquiet in his chest. Too much dust in his eyes. He awoke eyeing the sunrise and staring at the old stone sundial that sat on the sill of a window. Such a distinguished person told him to meet him in the morning, and he dared not be late.

Once daybreak came, the youth found himself in front of the wooden pavilion doors. Too dazed to recollect the path he took, he knocked once more sun had shone itself. An aggrieved rumbling came from the other side of the door. Some shuffling, and a few clicks of furniture before a soft and mellow voice continued, “Come in.”

Said master had a hand propped up against his low sitting desk, shuffling through some papers. His dark sepia hair was pulled back in a half ponytail, similar to the first day he saw him, and equipped with a tight fitted fake collar with white tassels that dangled connected. QuanLi’s robes were porcelain gray and white ebbed with a faint green that showed up well against the fabric. The elder’s skin tone was pale to a point that Lai Bing found it eerily similar to snow. Any blemish and dark spots were so evident, and there hung two dark moons right underneath two sea-green fox eyes.

Shuangyue Elder hadn’t slept.

“Lai XingXue,” He withdrew his brush and set it onto the holder. Ink smeared on his fingers, he grasped the spine of a bonded book with a handkerchief and pushed it forwards.

“Its methods to cultivate your golden core.” One hand grasped the wrist of the young prince, as two fingers pressed to his pulse. “You have a wood and fire twin root, it may take a while longer for it to develop, but there shouldn’t be any problems.”

The youth only stared fondly with admiration. He had had more than a handful of teachers, but less than a handful would stay up all night to diligently craft him a manual.

◈

Day and night, Lai XingXue trailed after his teacher. He studied dutifully and hung onto every word that came out of Shuangyue elder’s mouth. During cultivation lessons, said elder couldn’t help but feel embarrassed with such diligence being perforated into the side of his face. This routine flowed for well about a year, with only a single change once the sect leader had returned. The sect leader’s personality catered and doted on Shen QuanLi to an extraordinary amount.

In the case where he has borrowed a lecture room, it was entirely for formalities. The Sect leader had insisted vehemently when he had heard he had accepted a disciple. Shen QuanLi sincerely didn’t want to bother, he rather preferred taking his disciple to lecture outside or perhaps even in his own office, their class consisted of only two people after all! To book a lecture room fit for 30 was simply the sect head throwing around his authority.

Wrapping up his books in a silk gauze, Shen QuanLi heard a rapping of knuckles against the room. Before he could say come in or go away, for any matter, a man, who appeared to be in his thirties entered the room with the confidence that he owned the place. Dark ink hair billowed behind him, and so did the vibrant sheen of silver and pearl blue fabric. The man wore white gold bracers and jewelry that enunciated wealth and had a headpiece that tied all his hair into a topknot.

Shen QuanLi eyed the man who had just barged in and greeted, “Qinglan-zhangmen².”

“QuanLi, ‘shixiong³’ is fine.” Wu Qinglan smiled, approaching the teacher’s desk. “How is the lecture room working out?” He turned his head around, searching. “Where’s that new disciple of yours?”

“He’s studying, does zhangmen need anything from me?”

Qinglan nodded, “The Spiritual Assembly, you should be aware already, but there’s no fault in a reminder.”

Eyes lowered, Shuangyue Elder finished the knot over his books, humming in affirmation.

“Your disciple will be attending, this time as well, right? Chenxi had gotten first during his participation, I expect this new disciple of yours to do equally well.”

Shuangyue Elder could only look up, a small frown disguised as phlegmatism tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Lai XingXue has only started cultivation. Zhangmen’s expectations flatter me.”

“There’s two years time, shidi⁴, no need to rush.” Wu Qinglan boomed as he patted his shidi’s back.

Refraining from showing his displeasure, sepia hair swayed and he didn’t want to respond. Five years is the expected minimum to even develop a golden core. The sect leader’s expectations were indeed too massive.

“Is that all?” Shen QuanLi smiled.

Wu Qinglan grinned back, “Not at all. There’s a minor request for manpower sent to our sect, I thought you might want to take it up. ” The sect leader handed a parchment scroll to him.

“Ah..” he unwrapped the simple ribbon binding the parchment, “Many thanks, Qinglan-zhangmen.”

“Shixiong.”

“...” Shen QuanLi paused for a moment, addressing his senior with an apathetic expression, “We’ll be off tomorrow.”

He returned carrying the stack of books looped by the silk. When LiangDi Immortal had arrived back to his pavilion he had discovered there was a gray-robed youth tending carefully to cleaning and sweeping.

“XingXue” A soft voice called out, immediately drawing the youth’s attention. “You didn’t notice at all when I came in.”

“Ah! Shizun, Welcome back! It’s this one’s bad.” Although apologizing, the prince was regardless, beaming.

An acknowledged hum, before Shen QuanLi withdrew a pipe from a stand on his desk, leisurely blowing into it without lighting it. “You don’t seem too apologetic.” Golden whisps poured out the spout.

“It’s…” The bright expression dampened quickly. Perhaps he had gotten too cocky recently. “... Shizun can punish me however-”

“It’s fine.” The second prince got quickly cut off. “How has the progress been towards your golden core development?”

As Lai Bing had been expecting the question, his smile returned. “I’ve completed it!” Excitement shone in his voice clearly, “I’ve done it all with Shizun’s help.”

“You have? Give me your hand.” Developing a core was easier when you were younger, it was also infamously tasking. He pressed his fingers against the youth’s pulse, closing his eyes briefly, before looking up at golden eyes ebbed with a bit of nervousness.

“I’ve done it right, right? Shizun?”

“You have. Well done.” Shuangyue Elder let go of Lai Bing’s wrist and his eyes quirked up in a smile.

The prince panicked a little at the unexpected response. It’s been years since he’s last gotten praised, and this was the first time where his master smiled at him. Shen QuanLi was always more sardonic and frosty than anything, a smile was just unpredictable. He lowered his gaze and avoided eye contact as a peculiar feeling rose in him.

“XingXue. We’ll be going down to Yangsu Village tomorrow, pack your things.”

Bringing him back from his thoughts, the prince tipped his head. “Yangsu Village?”