Chapter 10 - Plums For Silver

The Plum Blossom Sect is known all over Red Sun Province, the province to the east of the High Heaven province where the capital resides. It is not for their martial prowess since the sect only has a peak stage Core Formation expert as their grand elder. No, the Plum Blossom Sect is known for the Four Elements Plums grown in Plum Blossom Valley. These astonishing fruits can raise a cultivator's affinity in one of the four primary elements when eaten. The fruits have a decreasing effect for each additional one eaten and ultimately the fruit can not give any significant gains to cultivators with a high affinity in the same element already. This is ultimately the reason why the Plum Blossom Sect still manages to retain ownership of the Plum Blossom Valley even with the special cultivation technique required to care for the plum trees in the valley.

In the Plum Blossom Valley, two people are having a meeting in the middle of the night. One of them is a middle-aged man in the purple robe of the Purple Blossom Sec with a long beard and mustache swaying in the gentle wind. Walking back and forth under one of the plum trees he seems agitated.

The other one is a youth in a black martial robe and clock with a hood over his head sitting on one of the tree's roots, focusing on calmly peeling an apple with a knife.

“How am I supposed to sell that many Four Elements Plums to just one small trading company, and for such a low price?” The Middle-aged man says as he keeps passing back and forth.

The youth sighs heavily without looking up from his apple. “The price is the same you give to your long-term business partners so I do not see a problem with it and we both know you could produce more of the plums if you chose to.

“Not without great expense and with the low price you are asking us to sell for we will lose profits.” The man retorts.

“Then feel free to redirect sales from some of your other buyers.” The youth answers patiently.

The man stops his passing, turns to the youth, and says. “Those long-time buyers are our allies and primary protection, if we anger them…”

“My patience is waning, sect Master. I am fully aware of the fact that you will suffer a loss over this. I only need to know if that loss will be the secret of your Blossoming Spirit Technique leaking to your enemies or some plums to the Silvermountain Trading Company.” The youth interrupts, looking the sect master of the Plum Blossom Sect in the eyes.

The man just stares at the youth but his face hardens as he asks. “And what if I just kill you here. You are only a Qi Gathering brat.”

The youth goes back to peeling his apple and answers. “Then your most important technique will be spread to your enemies and you will have made enemies with the people I am representing.”

Finishing up the peeling of the apple the youth cuts a slice and pops it in his mouth as the sect mast of the Plum Blossom Sect stands frozen in indecision.

“Yin Er, the second young master of the Silvermountain Trading Company will arrive in a few days. You will trade with him and only him. Do we have a deal? The Youth continues after finishing the slice of apple.

Visibly frustrated with having to acquiesce to this youth’s demands, the sect master nodes.

“Good, then we can part as friends. It was a pleasure to do business with you, sect master.

Putting away the knife the youth stands up and walks away while munching on his apple, leaving the middle-aged man standing there in the dark.

Walking through the orchid of Plum Blossom Valley the youth’s swaggering step first transforms into a brisk walk and then into a run.

Running to the wall covering the entrance to the valley the youth pauses to look who is guarding the gate. Recognizing the brute of a man he approaches the gate and throws over a purse to the guard when he notices him.

“Half while entering, half while leaving as we agreed.” the youth state bluntly and keep walking.

The guard's attention is immediately on counting the silver coins in the purse and lets the youth pass without a word.

Navigating the buildings of Plum Blossom Sect the youth eventually arrives at a small house on the outer edge of the sect. He stands outside the door for a moment to listen for any obvious sounds coming from inside but hearing none he enters.

Inside the cramped house, there is a single room with a table and two chairs. At the table sits a lean courtly man in an elegant robe that does not fit the current atmosphere. The youth walks in and sits down at the empty spot at the table.

“Report.” The man says.

“The sect master has agreed to the deal and will only sell to Yin Er.” The youth responds while he removes his hood, revealing a handsome 14-year-old boy.

“Good work Tian Yan, you have performed adequately on this test but I still feel that blackmailing the sect master was not an elegant solution. It might end up having consequences later down the road.” The man says.

“Thank you, Instructor Mou.” Tian Yan says and makes a slight nod. “I do however not agree with your assessment about the blackmail.”

“Of course, you do not.” Instructor Mou says with a sight. “I know you feel a need to control the situation but politics and scheming sometimes require a lighter touch.”

Tian Yan is annoyed, this is not the first time he hears this speech. “But the possibility of leaking their secret technique is the only bargaining chip….”

“Because you came here intending to force the issue. You could have pursued multiple options when you first arrived.” Instructor Moe cuts in.

Tian Yan scowls but remains silent.

The instructor sighs again. “Just because you do things with a gentle hand does not mean you exclude the option of the hard fist later. You could have approached the situation more diplomatically and presented it as bringing information about a security breach in their midst.”

“But for that, I would have to reveal my source.” Tian Yan counters.

Instructor Mou looks at Tian Yan with a sharp look. “Yes, a source with very little value to you compared to the possibility of a friendly relationship with a whole sect. Small as they may be, the Plum Blossom Sect would have been another pebble, just like the Silvermountain Trading Company, for you to build your mountain with.”

Tian Yan does not agree, but he rarely agrees fully with instructor Mou. He liked the old gardener that had told him about the secret of the Blossoming Spirit Technique after Tian Yan saved his life. That Tian Yan had engineered the whole situation with the bandits did not take away from the fact that the gardener was a nice old man and Tian Yan did not want to see him punished.

Knowing that there was no use in arguing with his instructor on the subject, Tian Yan remains silent.

Seeing that Tian Yan does argue the point, Instructor Mou continues. “As for the true goal of your test. Yin Er will arrive in a few days and barring no problem with the deal will be able to succeed as the manager of the Silvermountain Trading Company instead of his older brother.”

Tian Yan can not stop a smile from reaching his face as Instructor Mou pauses.

“You have therefore achieved the goal of making the manager of the trading company owe you a favor. Hopefully the profit they bring in from the deal you engineered will allow them to properly develop and be useful to you in the future when Yin Er takes over. Well done.”

“Thank you, Instructor Mou.” Tian Yan says and starts to stand up.

“However, if anyone was aware of your plan to supplant the older brother’s position with the younger it would have been laughably easy for them to impede your plans. I agree the younger brother is a better person to owe you a favor but it would have been many times easier to coerce a favor from the older brother.” The instructor continues.

Tian Yan had to agree, he had found a few skeletons in Yin Yi’s closet. Helping him sweep them under the rug while still keeping evidence to blackmail him would most likely have been the preferred method of Instructor Moe.

But Yin Yi is an asshole and Tian Yan did not want to, so he chose to help Yin Er instead.

Seeing that his words are not getting through, instructor Mou continues. “Well, the results are better this way so I will not lecture you on risk-benefit analysis. I see no point in staying here to watch how it all plays out, I will leave someone to report to us later. Are you ready to go home?”

“Definitely! Being away with you for five months made me miss everyone.” Tian Yan blurts out.

“I will try to not take that as an insult.” Instructor Mou says with a reprimanding tone.

Getting up fast to avoid having to respond, Tian Yan packs the few stuff he has with him.

-

Traveling at night does not impede a cultivator in the Nascent Soul Realm like Instructor Mou so they set out after a quarter-hour.

They move fast and Tian Yan is being carried on the wind by Instructor Mou’s efforts.

Mou Jun is from his mother’s family and is technically Tian Yan’s uncle. Born from one of his grandfather’s concubines he did not receive the Cheng name. When his mother had searched for instructors to teach Tian Yan, the absolute highest concern was loyalty since they would have to learn his secret.

That is how Tian Yan had ended up with an uncle from another continent as an instructor in political maneuvering. The fact that Instructor Mou also has a wind affinity is an extra convenience both for helping Tian Yan develop and for fast transportation.

Realizing he will be home in a few weeks at this pace, Tian Yan can not wait to be home. He and Instructor Mou left five months ago for a sort of final test of his acquired skills. Receiving a favor from the future manager of some small trading company had seemed like an easy task but it had ended up taking way longer than he thought it would.

Tian Yan could not wait to see his mother and… others from back home.