Chapter 5：First Tutorial Quest (4) (1/2)
Chapter 5 – First Tutorial Quest (4)
In ancient China, there was a tradition regarding hair. Confucianism dominated ancient Chinese culture for over a thousand years. In Classic of Filial Piety of Confucian, they considered hair as important as every part of their body or a legacy from their parents to children. Cutting one's hair was like cutting ties with their parents, which was considered unfilial and disgraceful.
Thus, ancient Chinese kept their long hair to display their connection and respect towards their ancestors. Anyone with short hair was considered as barbaric ruffians.
Imperial authority sometimes cut the criminal's hair to shame them before they imprisoned them. It was a gesture that they didn't deserve to be treated as filial sons or daughters as they broke the laws.
Occasionally, hair-cutting symbolized death. In Romance of Three Kingdom tale by Luo Guanzhong, when Guan Yu managed to capture Cao Cao after the Battle of Chibi, Cao Cao cut his hair as a substitution of himself that he had died there by the hands of Guan Yu. This action reflected their hair culture.
And in this world, the culture of the natives was the same. Miaomiao having short crew-cut hair was seen as a disrespectful person, an uncult barbarian foreigner, an unfilial man, or an ex-criminal. As a result, Mao Miaomiao was called a lowly slave as the natives didn't see him as their equal.
Miaomiao recalled the ancient Chinese culture, which reflected in most cultivation novels. He understood why everyone discriminated him.
'This is bad. My short hair is an eyesore for these people. I need a wig real fast.'
When in Rome, do as the Romans do!
Miaomiao understood the difference in cultures, but the native people didn't. Unless he had a wig or grew long hair, the discrimination would continue.
Miaomiao didn't waste his time loitering on the road anymore. He rushed toward Mountain Goose City.
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Back at Wei Huang's group, the owner of the stolen jade sword caught up with his grandfather's carriage.
Wei Feng, the youth in Mountain Goose Sect's uniform, rushed to his grandfather inside the main carriage. The escort soldiers made ways for their young master to get in.
Wei Feng sat inside the carriage and reported his trouble, ”Grandfather! A slave stole my jade sword. Can you-Eh? You have it?”
Wei Feng saw his engraved sword on his grandfather's lap, but the latter's face grimaced as he examined the dimmed weapon.
Seeing that Wei Huang was busy inspecting his personal sword, Wei Feng was curious, ”How did you get it? Did you run into that thieving slave?”
Sitting next to Wei Huang in the carriage, Wei Feng's younger sister was also interested in the dimmed jade sword. She answered in her grandfather's stead, ”Grandfather has run into the thief, and we got the sword back. But the charged yang qi energy inside the jade sword is gone.”
”Huh?” Wei Feng didn't believe it, ”That's impossible. That jade sword was refined by a 4th stage blacksmith yesterday. The yang qi inside the sword is enough to recover any exhausted 2nd stage cultivator's energy to the fullest many times. How come it's empty?”
The old grandfather peered his grandson, ”I also had the same idea, but I can't explain how this jade sword runs out of yang energy. Say, Feng'er, have you used this sword recently, or have you transformed into THAT body?”
”No! I've been keeping it to absorb its energy! I've never used it in a fight!”
”Then, how did your sword get to the hands of a stray slave?”
Instead of regretting, Wei Feng laughed, ”I gave it to him, so he can die from qi poisoning. I want to transform the jade sword into a haunted sword in legends!”
Wei Huang bellowed, ”FOOL! Only elite blacksmiths can handle cursed weapons! Even if we are demons, we won't be able to pacify angry spirits! Don't do this again, or I'll expel you from the sect myself!”
”Don't worry, grandfather. I have confidence as a proud Oni. We are the best demon race with yang qi, so those haunted spirits can't scare me!”
Wei Huang wanted to scold his grandson as he was too naïve, but he gave up, ”Forget it. If you want a cursed weapon that much, I'll ask a mermaid from Blood Sea to fetch a few of them for you to practice. For now, you should focus on passing the inner disciple examination. Even if I'm the first elder of the sect, I can't help you with this.”
Wei Feng smacked his chest like an ape, ”I won't lose to those inner disciple chumps! The moment I activate my true power, those humans will be flattened instantly!”
”The moment you reveal your demon form, it will be our clan's demise. Don't do that.”
”Just kidding! Hahaha!”
Wei Huang sighed and turned toward his teenage granddaughter. She was a half-Caucasian half-Asian beauty with gold wavy long hair. The granddaughter ignored their conversation and focused on the dimmed jade sword.
”What do you think?” Asked Wei Huang.
”It should have something to do with that stray slave. Didn't he unsheathe the sword? He might have absorbed all the qi in the sword at that time.”
”That's impossible. He's only a 1st stage cultivator. I didn't sense qi or any power in his body.”
”But demons like us can hide our qi, no?”
”… You mean.”
”I don't know if he's really stupid or a cunning demon in a human's skin, but I'm sure that he has a secret or two. We should find him and bring him back. I have a few questions to ask him.”
”Hmm,” Wei Huang leaned backward as he recalled the actions of Mao Miaomiao, ”It's troublesome if I go around and search for that slave. The Xu Clan and Fu De will definitely make a fuse and attempt to use this incident against us again. Let's just wait and hope that he will eventually run into one of our clan's shops, and then we can capture him alive.”