Cultivation Nerd

A week had passed since Wu Yan regained her ability to cultivate, and surprisingly, there were no aftereffects from her creating her spirit roots out of nowhere. Now, she was ready to break through to the second level of Qi Gathering.

This time, we didn’t even bother going to the second floor. She simply sat down in a kitchen chair, closed her eyes, and focused.

My mother was in the kitchen too, watching us quietly. Though I didn’t want her involved, it wasn’t like we could hide the fact that Wu Yan had grown a head taller. At least she knew not to ask questions, and as usual, she doted on Wu Yan without hesitation.

“Does everything feel okay?” I asked.

Wu Yan nodded. Slowly, the Qi within her began to bubble up as she temporarily increased her spirit root branches. Without much fanfare, she directly advanced to the second star of Qi Gathering, and her spirit roots returned to ninety-eight.

I placed a hand on her shoulder, using my Qi to check for any side effects. She didn’t resist my probing, though she easily could have at this stage.

Everything seemed stable. Her spirit roots, dantian, and body showed no signs of strain. It was remarkable how smoothly it had gone, though I knew very little about the process. A good kind of strange, though.

Perhaps it would be safe for her to break through one star a day, but I didn’t want to push it. She still needed time to consider her element.

“Good. Now, take this pill,” I said, handing her a thumb-sized medicinal pill.

Her body froze as the effects of the pill took hold.

“It’s a sedative,” I explained. “From now on, we’ll be working on teaching you how to break down substances in your body, especially poisons.”

The chances of her encountering poison in her lifetime were slim, but with her talents, it would be a waste not to unlock the full potential of her body.

Our ultimate goal was for her to turn her body into an alchemist’s furnace, able to ingest raw ingredients and process them as though they were fully refined pills. Of course, that goal was still far off.

“Are you hurting her?” my mother asked, worry etched across her face. “Is this really safe?”

“I’m adding an extra layer of protection. There’s someone in the Blazing Sun Sect who uses poison, and I don’t want Wu Yan facing someone like that without being prepared,” I reassured her.

My mother shifted uneasily, her hand moving to her gray, scarred eye; a reminder of the injury she sustained from a monstrous beast while traveling with my father in their youth. She knew that the outside world was dangerous.

“Rest here for a bit,” I told Wu Yan. “The paralysis should wear off in about two hours.”

I left the kitchen, heading toward the house’s entrance. A cold wind greeted me as I stepped outside.

The yard was now blanketed in snow, with winter in full swing. By the frozen pond, a snow-covered bump marked where Speedy slept.

I sighed, walking toward the snow mound my big friend had made. If I didn’t remind him, the poor guy would probably sleep all day and forget to eat.

Still, another problem lingered this winter. The beast waves around here weren’t as dangerous as those near the Blazing Sun Sect, but they were still a threat.

And with our clan on the brink of civil war, things felt even more unstable. How could we survive the harsh winter when we were so divided?

But no matter how bad things got, I knew I could save my parents and Wu Yan if the worst came to pass… or so I hoped.

“Troublesome people,” I muttered under my breath.

********

Liu Bo pushed open the heavy doors to the Clan Head’s Hall. The room felt like a temple, with its striking crimson floor polished to a gleaming shine beneath his feet. Tall white pillars reached toward the blue ceiling, and the walls were painted a deep, rich green.

At the far end of the hall, seated on a dark throne carved from pure obsidian, was a man whose presence dominated the room. His green eyes gleamed with an intensity that seemed to pierce right through, and his long, dark hair cascaded over his shoulders. He wore a snow-white, loose-fitting robe that contrasted sharply with the darkness of his seat.

Without saying a word, Liu Bo knelt on one knee and waited for the Clan Head to acknowledge him.

Although Liu Bo had reached the five-star Qi Gathering, his cultivation speed had outpaced his talent, thanks to his discovery in the immortal’s tomb. While this boost would only last until he reached Foundation Establishment, he was still satisfied.

Even so, Liu Bo knew his place. He had no desire to rebel against the family that had cared for him for so long.

When orphans were left behind due to one tragedy or another, the Liu Clan Head would take them into his household and raise them as his own. As long as they were from the Liu Clan, no orphan would go hungry.

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The Clan Head, Liu Nu, was named after Liu Feng’s grandfather. Or, as most people thought about it, the Clan Head's own uncle.

“How long are you going to keep the kid kneeling?” came an old voice.

Liu Bo instantly recognized it as the voice of Liu Feng’s grandfather, the same old man who had pestered him for weeks on end until Liu Feng showed up. It was a voice not easily forgotten.

“Rise,” said the Clan Head, his voice soft and almost melodic.

Liu Bo stood, taking in the hall more fully. He finally noticed the old man leaning against one of the pillars, arms folded and a pleased smile on his face.

“Kid, do you have a master in the Blazing Sun Sect?” the old man asked without even waiting for a breather.

“No,” Liu Bo replied, shaking his head. “Unfortunately, my talents weren’t enough. Only Liu Qian gained an elder’s attention. Liu Feng also has an outer elder as his master.”

“Yes, yes, I know how impressive my grandson is,” the elder laughed. “But we’re not here to talk about him.”

Not here to talk about Liu Feng? Liu Bo was surprised. During the months he had spent with the elder atop the walls, all the old man had ever talked about was his grandson. Anyone else would have thought he only had one grandchild.

“So,” the elder continued, “are you willing to become my personal disciple?”

Personal disciple? That meant Liu Bo would eventually inherit the elder’s position. Elder Liu Nu was, if not the most influential figure in the Liu Clan after the Clan Head, certainly one of the most powerful.

Years ago, Liu Bo would have accepted without hesitation. But now, he had learned the hard way that there was no such thing as a free meal.

“Why?” he asked cautiously.

“Why not? It’s clear my grandson has no interest in inheriting my position,” the old man shrugged.

Liu Bo couldn’t help but wonder what had led to this. He knew how much the elder cared for his grandson, more than anyone else.

“I accept,” Liu Bo said, knowing it would be rude to ask further questions or refuse.

“Good,” the old man nodded. “As my personal disciple, you’ll get to learn a few things. But you’re also forbidden from sharing my secrets with anyone.”

Liu Bo nodded, remaining silent. His gaze drifted to the Clan Head, who sat quietly on the throne, having said nothing the entire time.

Though Liu Bo wasn’t as well-versed in clan politics as Liu Qian or Liu Heng, he knew there was tension between the Clan Head and certain factions within the clan, led by Elder Liu Nu.

“My grandson remains neutral in these matters,” the elder said, turning to the Clan Head. “No matter how hard I’ve tried to sway him, little Feng won’t take sides against family. It makes me proud, but also makes me want to slap him for not playing along. After all the effort we put into this plan, what kind of grandson doesn’t listen to his grandfather?”

What? Liu Bo struggled to maintain a neutral expression, but this was not at all what he had expected.

Weren’t the Clan Head and Elder Liu Nu on opposite sides?

“The younger generation is tight-knit together and won't betray each other,” the Clan Head nodded. “Liu Feng has even offered some good advice to Liu Qian. She shouldn't limit her views to a small place like this.”

Liu Bo frowned, now thoroughly confused. Clearly, there was a reason he had been brought here.

With a hesitant heart, he finally asked, “What’s going on?”

Elder Liu Nu turned to him as if only now remembering he was present and smiled. “We’ve created some fake internal drama to weed out the weak, the traitors, and the overly ambitious fools who might harm the clan. We’ve also been in a stalemate for a while, and we’re hoping our enemies will make a desperate move, thinking we’re divided and vulnerable.”

“It’s a good idea to stir up internal conflict every decade or so, to clear out bad blood.” the Clan Head added calmly.

“We need you to keep an eye on the youngsters,” Elder Liu Nu warned, “and make sure they don’t actually escalate this fake conflict.”

Liu Bo was stunned as the reality of the situation sank in.

They were playing the entire Clan! It was a dangerous strategy, but perhaps it was better to have a fake enemy you could trust than to deal with an unknown threat.

"We'll need to lower the fake tensions soon," the Clan Head said. "The first snow is usually a sign that the beast wave is coming."

"My plan to ease the tension by making it seem like my grandson and your daughter were getting married didn't work out," Elder Liu Nu said with a chuckle, shaking his head. "Even if they had fallen for each other for real, that would have been fine. But it seems like the youngsters are in a rebellious phase and didn't agree to it from the start."

"This isn't so bad," the Clan Head replied.

"Yes, I know a war with the Fu Clan would have been terrible. But at this rate, we'll have to face them one day," Elder Liu Nu insisted. "If it weren't for those Fu bastards, my brother would still be alive, and you wouldn't have grown up without a father. Even my new disciple's parents here would still be alive."

"Your grandson is resourceful. He might be able to unite the clans somehow. After all, the Fu Clan Head only has one child," the Clan Head said. "At least as long as cultivation goes, he has many untalented bastards."

Liu Bo clenched his fists as thoughts of his parents resurfaced.

When their bodies were found, it had been made to look like they'd been killed by monstrous beasts. But monstrous beasts devour their prey. Many suspected a nearby Fu Clan team had killed them and staged it as a beast attack. Their belongings were missing too, something beasts wouldn't have cared about.

But as anger threatened to rise, Liu Bo forced it down. Though he was passionate and often let his emotions get the better of him, he knew he had to prioritize the Clan. They couldn't afford a war, not until the younger generation was ready.

And in that regard, the Liu Clan had an overwhelming advantage.

"I don't like the idea of my grandson marrying into that clan," Elder Liu Nu muttered, frowning. "I've been fighting those bastards since I was young, and now I'm supposed to give them my grandson? Can you imagine their children being half Liu and half Fu? Just the thought makes me furious."

"The girl will be marrying into our clan, uncle," the Clan Head corrected him. "Not the other way around."

"Yes, but a Fu Clan girl living under the same roof as my grandson? That Fu whore will tear him apart," the old man sighed. "And there's that clause in the ceasefire, about her not having to change her family name. They put that in on purpose, I'm sure of it!"

"Think of the marriage as a ceasefire," the Clan Head said calmly, "A way to buy time for the next generation of the Liu Clan to grow in peace, and for our talented young ones to live past twenty. Besides, there's always the chance she might decide to change her family name of her own accord, if she falls in love with your grandson."

"Yeah, right," Elder Liu Nu scoffed. "As if a Fu woman could feel love. I bet this so-called fiancée of his is just a scheming tramp!"

Like a statue, Liu Bo stood silently at the sidelines, observing the dynamic between them. Despite their power and influence, it felt like watching a nephew trying to calm down his war-hungry and crazy uncle.

It was a strange dynamic...