The Second Elder led me past the large gates of the training complex and into the maze of red walls and narrow streets that I was familiar with.
I thought about taking out my journal and continuing my work of making a map of this place, but our journey ended before it really began. The courtyard I had been assigned was right next to the compound’s entrance.
The building in this courtyard was elegant but not opulent. It was a red wooden structure with small decorations in blues, whites, and other colors painted across the eaves and lintels. While the ground here was mostly paved brick, this courtyard did include a small garden with a variety of ornamental plants.
As we approached the entrance of the building, a young woman in simple dark brown robes opened the door.
The elder led me inside and gestured to the well-appointed room awaiting us. Its furniture was nothing too fancy, but everything was well constructed and carefully chosen to best suit the environment.
“Prince Fang, consider this your home while you are staying in our training compound with us. This courtyard is reserved for the use of only our most important guests.” He motioned to the young woman who opened the door for us. “This servant has been specially chosen by our head eunuch, and you can trust her to serve you well during your stay.”
After looking at everything with a discerning gaze, I returned my attention to the elder and nodded in acceptance.
“Thank you for your hospitality, Elder Su.” I turned to the young woman. “Have all of this furniture removed by the end of the day.”
Her eyes widened in shock, and not even the Second Elder was entirely sure how to react to my request.
“I... Ye... Yes, sir. Please excuse me while I make the proper arrangements.”
She gave a deep bow and scurried away.
Once she was gone, I turned back to the Second Elder. “When will the training sessions commence? I would like to be present for them from the very beginning.”
He cleared his throat and blinked to regain his composure.
“Yes... Of course... The new disciples are arriving today, and we will conduct the ceremony tomorrow morning. You are welcome to join us at that time.”
“Very good.” I nodded to the elder and YuanFei. “Elder Su, Young Master Su, it was nice to meet you. I shall retire and prepare for the trials ahead. Good day to you both.”
They didn’t seem overly happy with my quick dismissal, but there was little I wanted to say to these two. I would rather relax alone than spend even one more moment with them. However, the thought of a man who had to be nearly two centuries old still being called ‘Young Master’ made me chuckle internally. The title seemed a bit insulting, but unless his father was willing to step down, there must not be anything he could do to change it.
After those two departed, Su Heng also took his leave to prepare his own living arrangements. As my attendant, he would also need a place to stay within the training complex, and I wondered if he would get something as fancy as what they were giving me.
---------------------------------------------------
Once everyone had left, I found the house’s master suite and quickly moved all the furniture out into the hall. Then, I set up a simple privacy formation so that no one other than myself could enter the room. That done, I took out and swallowed a Shadowed Soul Pill, turning invisible and untraceable by anyone within the Wastes.
Of course, if I wanted to remain undetected, I couldn’t go around opening and closing doors, let alone the massive gates that were strewn about the training complex. So, after jumping out a window, I used a small burst of qi to propel myself to the top of the wall surrounding my courtyard.
After quickly getting my bearings, I ran along the walls and headed deeper into the compound in the direction of the tallest, most ornate buildings. I occasionally spotted a guard or two patrolling these ramparts, but unlike in the clan’s main compound, these walkways were mostly abandoned, so I was easily able to move about without needing to worry too much about stealth.
It was still the middle of the day, so I had expected the place to be rather busy, but I only saw the occasional guard or random servant doing odd jobs around the place. It seemed like this training compound didn’t get much use without any new Disciples around. Though, there was also the possibility that every building I passed held dozens of cultivators in secluded meditation. Except for martial arts, most training as a cultivator was just sitting alone in a room, after all.
Once I was seated, the servant assigned to me by the Su Clan made us tea from the leaves I had purchased at the Pavilion. After a quick check to ensure nothing had been tampered with, I took a sip before turning to discuss the topic at hand.
“Is it time?”
Su Heng, who had been looking around and gawking at everything, flinched as he was pulled back to the present.
“Wha... Ye... Yes. The blessing ceremony will begin one hour before noon. The children are being led in as we speak.”
I sat quietly in thought as I slowly sipped my tea. Once my cup was empty, I stood.
“Very good. Let’s depart.”
I didn’t wait for Su Heng and directly exited the building.
Su Heng caught up with me and tried to guide me, but I paid him little attention. Using my map of the complex, I walked straight to the large courtyard where I had undergone the blessing ceremony in the distant past.
It had been many lifetimes and many centuries since I had been forced to return there, but after identifying the residential area, with its broken-down houses and crumbling walls, I was easily able to find the courtyard where my journeys in this world had all begun.
When I entered, the only people present were a few servants who were working on finishing things up and making the place more presentable.
Some small piece of my soul compelled me to step onto the packed dirt ground, and with a little searching, I found the spot where I had first entered this world. I didn’t kneel down, that would have been too unseemly, but I did spend a few moments standing there, allowing my thoughts to drift back in time.
Suddenly, I turned to Su Heng and gave him a sharp nod of my head.
“This will work well.”
Then, I stepped forward to the small platform where YuanFei had always stood as he conducted the ceremony.
The servants had already placed seven chairs here, one group of five and one group of two.
I glanced at Su Heng for an explanation.
“These five are for the compound’s Grandmasters. These two are for us.”
I had to smirk at this deft maneuvering. If there had only been a single group of seven chairs, it would have been politically necessary to position me in the center of them, marking me as the most important person present. By separating us, YuanFei could retain his position while also not offending my sensibilities.
It was tactfully done, but should I poke the bear? I didn’t see any reason why not. I wanted to ensure the clan continued to see me as a pompous noble, after all.
I grabbed one of the two chairs that had been placed apart from the others, shoved it into my storage bag, and replaced it with an ornate throne.
With that, I sat down and waited for the festivities to begin.