23 "What Do You Prefer I Call You?" (1/2)
Shin Sumi wanted to leave the Myriad Sword Pavilion. She was afraid the idea would leave her mind as fast as it had appeared.
Her respect for the older generations and the general etiquette indicated that she should stay though.
Returning to her original position, she clasped her hands together and bowed.
”Sorry for disturbing you Elder Xi, this junior shall take her leave.”
”Ohoho not at all, not at all. It has been a while since a red robed disciple entered this place anyway. In fact I haven't seen a Honorary Disciple in a long time.”
Shin Sumi became intrigued. Asking carefully while keeping her bowing position if he was the Elder in charge of the Myriad Sword Pavilion.
”You could say that. Although it is mostly because I like to roam around here. Did you know that this building is one of the oldest in the sect?”
”Disciple Shin ignored that fact. Why is it so?”
”It is the oldest and one of the most valuable. Not because of the weapons but because of the building itself.”
Shin Sumi was getting slightly annoyed with this Elder. She wanted to leave but couldn't, so she was listening with only one ear. Seemingly interested, she said:
”I'm afraid I don't understand.”
”Then let me teach you a bit about the history of the sect. Before the Dark Sky Starry Sect, the valleys were occupied by the mighty Sky Sect. The first Patriarch of the Sky Sect built this building itself.”
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Shin Sumi had always loved hearing and reading stories, and thus decided to listen to the old man.
”He used a special Shinsoo spell that no one else has been able to understand since then on this very building. Did you realize something when you first entered here?”
”No, I didn't... The door closed, it was dark and then I was here.”
”Precisely. That is the beauty of it. Since the splitting of the Sky Sect in the Sky Earth Sect and the Dark Sky Starry Sect, not many disciples know of this spell. Where do you think you are?”
”I'm not sure I follow you, Elder Xi.”
Now this mysterious Elder Xi had all of Shin Sumi's attention.
”You could say 'on the first floor of the building', which would be right. But if you said 'in the lower valley', then that would be wrong. Nobody but the first Patriarch knows where exactly this place is located.”
The Elder had a cunning smile on his wrinkly lips.
”This building exists in the lower valley, the upper valley and even on the highest mountain of the sect. All at the same time. The spatial formation at work is impressive isn't it?”
”So you mean the Liquid Realm Disciples also come in here from the upper valley?”
The elder laughed affirmatively. Shin Sumi was lost in thoughts. When Elder Xi stopped laughing, his eyes contained an intelligent gleam that hadn't been there previously.
”Now young disciple, what did you need in coming here?”
Shin Sumi ignored why the Elder had told her about the Myriad Sword Pavilion's specificity but since she was here, she might as well search for information like she had planned on doing.
”This disciple wanted guidance on swords and sword bonding.”
”Ah, I see. If you are looking to find yourself a sword, follow me” the old man said as he started walking away, his hands behind his back in a peaceful manner. ”Choosing a sword is like choosing a daoist partner. Compatibility is absolutely required.”
”Some swords are very different from others. Usually female disciples tend to choose 'softer' swords. These on the left are easier to control, they don't need much mental effort” he continued, occasionally pointing to the many racks of swords on the dark wooden walls.
”If a sword is too strong and the cultivator too weak, their compatibility will drop. That makes for an unusable weapon. Weaker swords are easier to control for women, but can also turn easily against them. The key is finding balance.”
Shin Sumi was alerted by the elder's words.
”Balance?” she thought, once again turning all her attention to Elder Xi's words.
”These swords are a bit more caracterial, but are still soft overall. I would advise you to pick one of them if you can afford it. How many spirit stones can you afford to spend?” he asked while turning to face her.
Shin Sumi was a bit embarrassed to having led him to believe that she was interested in buying. Bowing slightly in apology, she responded:
”Actually I didn't come to buy a sword. I came to know a bit more about certain things.”
She hesitated a bit under the elder's deep gaze, but still kept talking. Apart from Elder Zhu, she had no real reason to worry about the Elders of the sect. She didn't remember all their names, but Lan Hui had mostly told her that they could be trusted.
”Have you heard of a Gold Tyrant Flying Sword, Elder Xi?”
A moment of silence followed. Under tired eyelids, a strange flash that Shin Sumi didn't capture illuminated the man's pupils. Gauging her for a long minute, he finally spoke again.
”Do you prefer I call you Green Disciple Shin Sumi or Red Disciple Yan Yan?” he said in a soft voice that was maybe a bit too calm for Shin Sumi to keep her composure.
”You don't have to worry about me knowing. I don't care about how or why you would decide to hide your identity. I understand why you would come to Myriad Sword Pavilion, but you should have realized by now that you will not find the answers you are looking for here.”
The elder started walking again, this time at her side instead of in front of her. He showed her the door while making small talk.
”I wish the best to you, feel free to come back whenever you want, but you should focus on your training. Soon you will understand.”
”Junior Shin Sumi thanks Elder Xi for his lesson on the sword, she will not forget it” she answered almost mechanically.
When she stepped out of the building, she was still in shock.
”What just happened? How did he know me? He knows about the strangeness of the sword? He said I would understand soon?”
A lot of questions assailed her mind but she didn't feel panicked at all. For some reason her trust in this Elder Xi was still intact. She almost felt happy he knew who she was.
Her visit to the Myriad Sword Pavilion had been full of mysteries. First she had found enlightenment about the copper bell and possibly the flying sword. Then the elder had revealed impressive secrets about the Pavilion itself. Then there was this strange interaction that she still couldn't qualify completely.
She took a forest path back to her courtyard. Meanwhile in the square where the Pavilion was located, a young boy that still hadn't succeeded in getting close to the Myriad Sword Pavilion was talking to a girl wearing a red robe. The girl was Liu Qing and seemed really interested about the person that the boy had seen enter.
Shin Sumi had not paid any attention to the two of them as she had walked past them. People were found anywhere in the sect at any time of day and night. She was deep in the woods when she sent a divine sense message to Lan Hui.
The response didn't wait for long to arrive. Lan Hui was the best disciple she knew when it came to gathering information. Shin Sumi was happy to feel her identification medallion vibrate in her hand.
”What? No Elder Xi in the whole sect?!” she exclaimed with a frown upon hearing the recorded message.
How could Lan Hui not know the old man? Shin Sumi was sure that Lan Hui had gone to the Myriad Sword Pavilion at least once, and besides he surely would know of at least a disciple that had met the old man there. The words 'Elder Xi' had spoken implied that he often spent his time roaming inside the place.
But Lan Hui's words were clear. He was absolutely sure about his fact. He had even added off the top of his head a list of all the Elders of the Dark Sky Starry Sect.
Once again, Shin Sumi felt at a loss. She was sure Lan Hui would have been able to solve her internal mysteries but in the end he didn't.
”But the old man MUST be an Elder. Or else how would he have been able to enter the sect and know that much about the Myriad Sword Pavilion?”
Her mind went back to what she knew about the sect. For some reason she thought that the old man could be much older than he appeared. Maybe it was his apparent great wisdom.
”No it's not right”, the history of the sect was fresh in her mind. She never forgot anything she ever read. Her calculations didn't add up.
”The Dark Sky Starry Sect came to be when the Sky Sect dissolved about a thousand years ago, the highest cultivators here are Core Development Elders and Patriarchs. Even their lifespan isn't great enough to still be alive.”
Every time Shin Sumi thought back on her interactions with the mysterious old man, a deep sense of reverence birthed in her heart. Whatever mystery was around his existence, Shin Sumi still couldn't believe that it was a bad thing.
The old man had even helped her.
Her line of thinking was simple. If she had no way of making sure of it, as long as it wasn't detrimental to her, why should she obsess over it?
For the time being it was best to leave that on the side and concentrate on what mattered.
She cultivated for the rest of the afternoon, finally purging off the last drops of muddy Shinsoo in her system and getting back to the condition she was in before her breakthrough.