Elder Ibro, the person in charge of Beast Hall never made an appearance. He left our orientation for staff and Sect members to explain what would be expected of us each morning. I felt bad for Justine. His disappointment was obvious when instead of the Elder, a slew of outer and inner Sect members appeared.

Each of us was assigned to assist one of these members, a type of buddy system. The program was effective as each mentor was nearby to make sure any mistakes we made were corrected immediately and no harm came to the animals we might be working with. For the first week, I was on shit detail. There is no nice way to pretty the job up, it was a back-breaking, smelly job that had to get done.

The stables and barn had piles of manure that needed to be gathered daily before fresh hay and straw could be spread. The manure would be processed into fertilizer by the Alchemy and Herbology departments and used to enrich the soil for Sect herbs or sold to the citizenry. My father would purchase a ton of the crap once a year.

The Sect actually awarded us contribution points for the job, something they probably realized was the only reason most of the members would show up during the weeks the manure rotation each member was required to serve. It was only one point ever hundred pounds of shit gathered, but some of these animals made piles that allowed for an entire team to collect and earn points.

The job was hot, smelly, and hard work, even the cool breeze of the early morning could not change that. The grumblings I heard from my fellow novice sect members were actually pretty funny. Especially a pampered young lady that had probably never done manual labor in her life.

I kept hearing her muttering under her breath as we passed each other, "The glamorous life of a Sect Cultivator, shoveling crap!" I became a target for her ire the one time I laughed when passing. It wasn't her misfortune that I found so funny, but the idea of a recruitment drive the Sect might initiate using her words as a slogan.

But the highlight of the day was when that fastidious young woman was nipped by one of the grazing animals that could be used as a mount and slipped in a pile of dung that reached to her knees. Her swearing and loss of dignity was only compounded when the animal that had nipped her turned and offered a fresh offering. Shit, as a weapon? Who knew?

The only bad part of the morning was I never got to interact with any of the animals that were available. Tiem, the sect member who was shepherding me for that week made up for that somewhat. He was a fount of knowledge, explaining and identifying the animals we passed, their habits, and why they were kept at the Sect.

He also slipped me a jade token before I left with the details, habits, and growth potential of the beasts that were available from the Sect as well as a list of some hardier species that could be found in the surrounding wilderness when conducting missions.

The Sect beasts could be purchased, but they would cost contribution points to claim. For those that weren't interested in, or able to afford what the Sect might have in stock it was possible, if you were lucky enough to find something suitable, a beast in the wild that may be enticed to forming a bond.

This method was not without risks. Animals in the wild had already imprinted, and it could be dangerous to separate a beast young enough to claim, one that could establish a bond strong enough to endure. A beast companion breaking free of the bond a Cultivator had coaxed and nurtured became more certain the older an animal was when the bond was formed.

There had been a sense of testing the entire morning. A pressure or tasting that took a while for my Qi perception to identify. These animals were not dumb beasts of burden, they had cores, realms, and a rudimentary intellect much more advanced than what you would expect. The little flicks of Qi pressure that I was feeling was an evolutionary mechanism animal's with Qi had developed.

They were sizing us up, comparing the taste of our Qi to determine where we ranked socially. This was where Justine shined. The animals identified him as part of the pack, and a highly placed member of the pack. It had a bevy of beasts tagging along behind him all morning pleading for attention from him. Tien explained what they were doing and taught me a taming technique that allowed me to harmonize with those questing tendrils of Qi the animals sent out. Once I'd learned the trick, the feelers and inquiries into my status tapered off until finally I was ignored.

Other than the hard work, the morning was actually profitable; I managed to earn ten contribution points by the time they released us, and considering that was an hour after we started, shoveling manure seemed an easy way to gain points. They did have a nice perk once the morning chores were finished. One of the springs that flowed through the area had been diverted into a cul-de-sac that was heated. The pools allowed us to sluice off the sweat and shit we'd been covered in and soak in hot tubs once we were clean to soothe tired muscles.

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Freshly laundered clothing and sandals with a network of leather straps were supplied for each member that chose to take advantage of the hot tubs. There was no soap available, but certain herbs and plants were within reach, some of them would allow you to lather up. They also head a mild astringent and healing property, similar to aloe vera. It helped with any of the small wounds that we were unable to avoid as we worked.

By the time I made it to the Dining Hall, my stomach was growling angrily at me. The soup and potion I had an hour ago nothing more but a distant memory. I made a mental note to collect a basket of fruit so that I could eat a piece or two each morning before starting the day's labor at the Tamer's arena. Perhaps some trail mix or nuts. Something portable that I could eat as I walked. The soup was nice, but there wouldn't be a repeat without another concussion.

Breakfast was pork Jok with a poached egg. The flavor profile and texture were directly derivative of native Thai cuisine, and I found it not only filling but fulfilling. The Qi had been condensed in some manner, with three different types of Qi essences, only one of which I could now identify. The prevalent Qi was water, which made sense but had me wondering how the essence was infused. The Qi had been distilled, somehow made more potent. I would have to find out if I should ascribe the changes to the cooking method needed to make the thick congee or the kind of water that was used.

I managed to eat four servings, my body still working to replace the nutrients I had lost during the honing and cultivation process. I could feel my improved cultivation ramp up and begin processing the refined Qi immediately.

It wasn't cultivation; I wasn't cycling the Qi that the food released; it was more like revitalizing each cell of my body, filling the depleted cells with energy that I hadn't been aware was lacking. Thankfully, the process didn't translate into more impurities being expunged. I'd just cleaned up and donned fresh clothing, and I certainly didn't want to embarrass myself by releasing toxins in the middle of a meal.

"Master and Elder Shadow had a discussion about your training after yesterday's events," Tarrah said as she set her breakfast tray down and took a seat across from me. "They agreed that Elder Shadow would be responsible for your martial training, while Elder Tye would focus on Herbs and Pill concoction.

"It has meant changes to your schedule," she informed me.

"You will be considered a half-step disciple. Elder Shadow has taken it as his responsibility that you find yourself the enemy of Elder An and his faction.

"I am not sure what they discussed, but they seemed determined. You will continue with beast taming training before breakfast. Elder Shadow will take over training until it is time for your midday meal. The afternoon will be relegated to Master Tye and pill studies.

"I won't need to attend classes or lectures?" I asked in surprise wondering what that would mean for my development.

"No. And the contribution points Elder An paid, along with those you had been awarded previously, should allow you to purchase a good weapon," she promised. "If you're lucky, Elder Shadow may even have something in his personal library he is willing to share.

"I know Elder An has been ordered to provide you with techniques, but you should definitely have those vetted by Elder Cix before you use them. Techniques sometimes have hidden traps that if not navigated carefully can actually destroy your cultivation.

"Today's lessons will instead be more testing. Elder Shadow asked that you meet him at Martial Hall after breakfast. He plans on doing a personal examination of your abilities and potential to determine what style would be most appropriate."

I finished breakfast by grabbing some extra fruit and storing it within my spatial ring. It was interesting that the fruit was graded, and I was only allowed to select those pieces that were considered grade one. The attendant explained that as my cultivation level progressed, I would be able to absorb more densely packed Qi and Spirit fruit. But until I had graduated from Body Refining Realm to Qi Condensing Realm, grades one to three were my only safe choices.

I would need to step into the high tier of Body Refining in order to make use of the grade two and three foods. It also explained why Cafeteria Hall was multi-storied. I'd assumed that the upper levels were reserved for those willing to pay contribution points or Elders. In fact, each floor was reserved for a Realm. This morning was the last time Tarrah would join me for a meal, her Realm required much denser food, she was forced to augment her nutritional requirements with pills when she dined with me.

Something she could do indefinitely with no harm, but the cost in contribution points had to be borne by her. The food in the Hall was free, so it was rare for people to rely on pills except when out on missions.

The Sect had become livelier while Tarrah and I ate, more people starting their day, people that hadn't had to rise with the sun. I heard whispers as I walked to Martial Hall, but they were easily ignored. I wasn't sure if they were discussing me and the attack from yesterday, or simply chatting, and I didn't care.

I was wary and careful each time a person or group moved behind me, paranoia from yesterday's attack shaping my actions. Until I could identify Braun's supporters, it just made sense to be cautious around everyone.