4 The Shinsoo Gathering Manual (1/2)
The moss was covering everything inside the courtyard, giving it a green-ish appearance.
Shin Sumi was careful to avoid tripping and finally arrived in front of the doorstep.
She gave a light push and the door opened without a sound.
The interior of the wooden house was simple. A table with an oil lamp, two chairs, a dresser.
In the corner, a single bed stood under the window.
Shin Sumi didn't spend more than five seconds looking at the dusty interior before sitting down on a chair.
Untying the leather knot, she let all the content of the bag of holding onto the table.
She discarded everything to the side, apart from the one thing that interested her.
”Finally I can read an Immortal book !”
Shin Sumi's eyes shone with a strange light as she looked at the book between her hands.
It was a relatively new copy of something that was passed down to every member of the Dark Sky Starry Sect upon arrival.
Inside the wooden cover were hundreds of pages describing the sect and the first steps of cultivation.
”The Blue Fire mountain range spans thousands of kilometers, separating the Blue Fire country from the Light Shore country. Inside the mountain range, ...”
”The Affairs Pavillion is located south-east of the Myriad Swords Pagoda, where Honorary Disciples can ...”
”It is forbidden to attack a fellow disciple. Apart from the tournaments, under no circumstances can a disciple injure ...”
***
Shin Sumi read for the whole afternoon and most of the night, only stopping twice to eat the bamboo cakes from the bag of holding, and to turn on the oil lamp.
When she finally put down the wooden book, the sun was already lighting the clouds in the sky.
The sect was still bustling with activity, as if the cycle of day and night didn't matter.
Even though the sun was up, the constant clouds kept the valley in a semi-dark atmosphere.
For some reason Shin Sumi didn't feel tired after a whole night of reading.
”Maybe it is because of the air... I've never felt such refreshing feeling before. Ah, it is truly an Immortal place.”
Shin Sumi looked at her wrist. A contradicted expression was showing on her face.
”It isn't all bad after all. And it seems like the nut finally left me. I still wonder what that leaf symbol was that appeared in blood though...”
Shin Sumi was about to step out the door to her courtyard when she realized what she was wearing.
Ever since she left home, she hadn't had the opportunity to change, and she hadn't even brought clothes with her.
Turning around, she grabbed one of the two red robes on the table, and proceeded to change after shutting down the window blinds.
Now that she looked like any disciple of the Dark Sky Starry Sect, she remembered the bag of holding.
Putting back all her belongings inside apart from the second dress, Shin Sumi tied the bag shut and the leather cord around her waist.
That was the way Fen Wudao, Little Azu and the clerk from the day before wore theirs.
Shin Sumi truly did look like any other female Honorary Disciple when she stepped out of the courtyard.
Following the crudely drawn map in the book, she walked leisurely up the path for an hour or so, admiring the Immortal trees.
According to the newcomer's book, one of the busiest places of the lower valley was the North Cultivation Plaza.
It was a good place to start meeting new people and try cultivation.
Shin Sumi had never been good at making friends, preferring the comfort of the fireplace to read books. Unless she had to, or to go to the big city library, she almost never went outside.
Her father had sent her to East Seaside Village's school when she was a kid, but her natural talent at learning and her shy nature lead all the other kids to quickly avoid her.
After a few months at school, she had cried a lot to her father, saying that she didn't want to go anymore.
But now that she had taken her first step in the Immortal world, how could Shin Sumi stay the same ?
”Even if I have to force myself, this time I won't let this opportunity go to waste. If I am to stay here for a while, I might as well meet people.”
It was with a steady determination to encounter other disciples that Shin Sumi walked up the valley.
The sun was high above the dark clouds, giving the Dark Sky Starry Sect the most light it could, when Shin Sumi arrived at the North Cultivation Plaza.
Similar to the platform where she had met Little Azu, a gigantic stone construction occupied the center of the plaza.
Two stories buildings were placed all around the square platform and it was possible to see countless disciples going in and out at all times of day and night.
Shin Sumi walked up the stairs to get to the platform when she spotted a small group of girls a few dozen meters away.
Shin Sumi only had been in the Dark Sky Starry sect for less than a day and had spent most of her time in her room reading, but she already knew there was way more men than women.
During her long walk up the valley she saw a lot of people. Most were men, looking between twelve and forty years old.
Most of them wore long red dresses like her but some of them wore bright orange robes.
She even saw from far away a man in a yellow dress, crossing tens of meters in a single leap, surrounded by red robed disciples trying to keep up.
Shin Sumi had tried to not pay attention to all of the other disciples, but she couldn't help but notice a few of them ogling her.
Now that she finally found other girls, seemingly her age nonetheless, Shin Sumi was a bit reassured in her heart.
The three girls all wore red and were in a circle, conversing with low voices.
”I heard that a green talent kid has arrived yesterday...”
”Green talent ? Come on Sister Liu, lying is bad, it can even affect your cultivation.”
”No, I heard the news too, apparently it's a very mysterious person that Senior Brother Fen himself brought up here ! I've got the news from Hui Dong at the Apothecary Pavillion.”
Shin Sumi couldn't help but overhear their conversation as she was walking closer.
A slight smile appeared on her face. It seemed like the three girls were already a bit impressed by her without even meeting her.
Shin Sumi still felt guilty and full of shame considering that she cheated in the three tests, but she had made the resolution to make friends, and her entering the sect seemed like a good ice-breaker.
”Hi fellow disciples ! My name is Shin Sumi, nice to meet you !”
Shin Sumi introduced herself as she was only a step away. The three girls cut short their conversation as they looked at the bowing figure in her new red robes.
”...”
”Erm... I am sorry for interrupting your conversation, but I arrived yesterday and you were talking about -”
”Who are you ?”
A loud voice interrupted her. Shin Sumi lifted her chin to look at the three girls, but their eyes were looking above her.
Turning around, Shin Sumi was now face to face with another disciple.
She hadn't even heard the girl arrive, but here she was, less than a step away from her.
She wore an orange robe, and her hands were tucked in the opposite sleeves.
Her long black hair flowed freely around her face white as snow.
Her red lips were in a sneer and the disdain was clear in her ink black eyes.
”I asked you once already. Who are you ?”
The woman's voice sounded domineering. Shin Sumi was confused for a second and started replying.
”Fellow disciple, I am Shin -”
”No, stop it there. I don't care after all. You're just trash. That's who you are. Now get away from me and my followers.”
Almost as soon as she opened her mouth, Shin Sumi was shut down by the menacing girl.
A few people around them had turned their heads to look at the commotion, wondering who Chu Erlong was talking to.
Behind Shin Sumi, the three other girls started commenting as well.
”You're right Big Sister Chu, she doesn't deserve to talk to you.”