Chapter 83 - To NOT Play By The Rules

A room was given to every trainee along with a token and a separate uniform. Our rooms were in a tall five-story pagoda. Mine was actually on the second floor as I was a Viscera Purifying practitioner.

Lingling was at rank 8 because she had started practicing the Jade Sword Body and was later than others. My sister was preparing to break through to the next stage.

On the other hand, even as a rank 9 Body Tempering practitioner, Feng Yi didn't get to enjoy the benefits of First Sky Martial House as she could not enter.

The name of the pagoda in which all the trainees stayed was Rising Leaf Pagoda. There was a reason for such a name. This Martial House had a ranking system and those who just joined were considered rookies, usually assigned rooms on the lower two floors.

As one's ranking got higher, not just in cultivation but also in the Martial House, he or she would get a better room that was on the upper floors.

As pagodas are built, they start with a large base and decrease in size towards the top. That meant less space and rooms on the upper floors. Thus, only those with exceptional records could get access to those limited upper rooms.

Better cultivation resources, personal training from more high-ranking masters - one could get these only by staying in the upper rooms. For that, however, one would either have to grind for years, be a talented genius, or take risks to hunt beasts and complete various missions.

There were two types of rankings. One based on practitioners' martial prowess and another based on talent for different non-combat disciplines like alchemy, inscribing, forging, and array formation.

Food and water were provided to the trainees in their rooms and we just had to train in the techniques we had taken from the Resource Hall. We had to complete a mission once a month. There was no grading of the missions here like in Yellow Rocks Mansion. Practitioners could apply for any mission by their own choice.

''Hmm, interesting… maybe I can bribe the workers at the mission hall to skip these useless missions…''

That was my first muttering after I finished reading the trainee handbook. I didn't sign up to work for free. I just needed the cultivation resources here. All those ''trainers'' and ''masters'' weren't qualified to guide me anyway.

Still, it was good to know them. As long as I planned right and kept working towards my goal, I would have no trouble reaching the higher ranks. It was quite nice inside this room even though this was just the second floor.

The food was good, the bedding was way better than any inn I had been in. There was more space so I could even practice my moves here. Wait, did that mean the upper rooms would be smaller? I couldn't know that without asking someone.

I had been here only for a little time and haven't had the time to make connections with anyone else other than Xian Luur and that Fatty. I had searched for the innkeeper's son but it seemed he couldn't pass this test. I was informed that he had gone to another city after failing.

At the moment, I was at the Resource Hall with Lingling. We could choose a cultivation technique for ourselves but I felt no need. There were movement, body tempering, special attack, and defensive techniques.

However, I was more interested in the Ginseng, a blood nourishing pill and an apprentice inscribed weapon given to all new trainees. An external elder had just given those to us and we were about to leave.

''What will you do about this month's mission?'' asked Ling'er. Today, she was wearing a simple white robe and tied her hair with a silver headband, though leaving two strands of hair hanging on both sides of her cheeks.

''No worries, Ling'er. No worries. We can just pick the easiest missions.''

''But those don't give enough points.''

''Who said we have to care about points?'' I said. We could exchange for resources with the help of those points but there was a better way.

''We will buy points,'' I told her in a hushed manner. That was forbidden here but no one could get ahead by obeying the rules others made.

Lingling had always been surprised by my shenanigans but this time she had expected me to say something like this. She was learning my ''out of the box'' tactics slowly like Chunu. Feng Yi already knew that I didn't abide by the rules.

''But how? The external elders are already at Meridian Opening rank, can we really get this done under their noses?'' She was thoughtful. If we got caught somehow, getting thrown out of this Martial House was a good outcome. The bad one was getting crippled because of violating the rules.

But everything was possible once we had power. There was no way we could reach Meridian Opening in small time, so there was only one option.

''We find a young master or young miss to latch on to. We become their best friends but actually take advantage of their influence until we get powerful ourselves.''

I continued, ''We won't associate ourselves with the people who are too ambitious, too arrogant, and too greedy. Those usually look down on practitioners like us. We have to look for a simple, gullible, and righteous young man or woman.''

''Do those types of people even exist?'' This intrigue was intriguing to her.

She was not the kind of person to go along with a plan such as this but after months of being together with me, she had seen the benefits of taking advantage of someone. Her character was slightly changed and as someone who had worked under Yaya to do some unethical deeds, she wasn't new to this.

We walked some distance while thinking about whom to target. It seemed I actually needed to complete this month's mission and get to know some people. I would also start to practice array formations during this time.

Of all the non-combat disciplines, that was the best suited for me. No need to search for materials and learn various techniques to master the art of creation.

I could set up a formation anywhere, I just needed to have some knowledge about the surroundings. Once I reached Qi gathering, I could set up arrays that would directly help me in combat.

Alchemy was the most popular option here but neither Chunu nor Ling'er chose it. Instead, both opted to practice inscription. It was not the easiest but certainly the cheapest of all. Knowledge of runes was necessary, however.

At this moment, we had exited the gates of the Martial House and reached the streets. We were going to meet Feng Yi. There, someone suddenly called me and turning around, I saw that it was Sheng Yin.

How fast! She had already recovered! It had to be taken note that her wounds were severe and now seeing her in tip-top condition after just one fortnight, I was more than impressed by the healing methods of this world.

''How do you know my name?'' I asked her. She had her hair down and was wearing a similar set of clothes the last time I met her.

''Elder Gamu told me,'' she replied, blinking. She was accompanied by two young girls, who looked quite subservient.

Lingling nudged me and asked with a whisper if this was the same girl who nearly died after killing the Purple Lightning Tiger.

I had a talk with Elder Gamu yesterday. He had kept this matter from being leaked. Although I couldn't take credit for subjugating a rank 2 beast, I had to lie in front of that elder. Otherwise, how would I be taken in?

''I want to thank you for saving me that day.'' Sheng Yin didn't resent me one bit for taking her spot. Well, she couldn't as I really had saved her and she was in no condition to join the Martial House that day.

''If it isn't too much trouble, can we meet at Eastern Tang Restaurant tomorrow? You see, my brother wants to have a chat with you. You can bring any friend you want.'' She looked at Ling'er with a gaze I did not understand.

It was the start of summer and the monsoon was fast approaching. I noticed that there were more carriages on the road today. We were wearing the uniform of First Sky Martial House, garnering people's attention on this busy street.

''Miss, it's time. We must not keep the Lord waiting,'' urged one of the girls. Their miss had come nicely dressed just to say that? She could have told them to invite me.

That gave a view of Sheng Yin's character. She was honorable and trustworthy. Despite how I treated her at our first meeting, she felt gratitude towards me. Anyone would be grateful to their savior. There was no doubt about it.

Yet if she heard my thoughts at the moment, I was sure her impression of me wouldn't be the same.

'Let's see how powerful her family is… she could be of use.'

"Yes," I agreed with a smile.