46 Reminiscence (2/2)
”My Black Cloud Curse defeated?!! That is impossible! Nobody under the Core Formation should be able to get rid of it!”
”Grand Elder please calm down. The chair has done nothing to you, old friend” Patriarch Sen intervened.
Under his bushy eyebrows, his clear eyes concentrated on the green dot shining on the spirit map. At this point all the Elders knew the name 'Bai Fulong' although none of them knew of that individual.
It was clear by now that whoever the green talented disciple was, he was hiding his identity well. Besides the Patriarch and Elder Zhu, none of the others present knew of Shin Sumi's real identity.
In fact it wasn't that important. No matter the talent shown, she was still only an Honorary Disciple. She had a long way to go to prove her worth at the scale of the sect, and was still just a promising bud that hasn't yet bloomed.
All it took was a slight overestimation of her strength in front of a powerful spirit beast and the bud could disappear. Or another flower could bloom first and steal all the sunlight.
***
Without the Black Cloud Curse in place, Bai Xuengen could not be traced easily anymore. For the first time in weeks, him and Lan Hui tasted a relative peace, taking the time to cultivate instead of fleeing every hour or so.
The group of three was still not completely out of danger from Chu Erlong's gang but now the only way to completely assure their safety was to progress in strength.
The third ring of the training dimension in which the Rising Star Tournament took place, the underground maze somehow related to the People was rich in ambient Shinsoo.
The further one progressed along the circular domains, the stronger the Shinsoo pressure was. It was relatively easy to get accustomed to the density of Shinsoo, and the benefits to one's cultivation was unimaginable.
With the treasures hidden about everywhere and the appropriate quality of natural energy, this place was as different from the sect grounds as heaven and earth.
Bai Xuengen and Lan Hui were slowly recuperating from the weeks-long hassle of being chased, taking in as much Shinsoo as possible and making impressive progress.
At their side, Shin Sumi was looking afar, her gaze lost in the distance. She didn't feel like cultivating, her concentration taken by other concerns.
”How do I find the third Vein of Hell Fire? And if we find it, how do I explain to Bai Xuengen and Lan Hui what I'm doing?”
Another thing she hadn't thought of previously and had just recently crossed her mind bothered her.
”Bai Xuengen has no idea who I am, he never saw me before. When we fought the golems he didn't recognize my sword either... But Lan Hui will for sure recognize the Gold Tyrant Flying Sword. He knows Fen Wudao gave it to 'Yan Yan' so he will at least know that my two fake identities are one and the same.”
She sighed, unable to find a way to continue to protect her secret ”how long will it take before Lan Hui links my battle prowess and the green talent I'm supposed to have? I am the only green talented disciple of this era and he's one of the only other disciples to know...”
Shaking some of the thoughts away, Shin Sumi decided to try cultivating. Sometimes leaving it up to fate or destiny was easier. If she could do nothing about it then she shouldn't be bothered by it. The only thing it could currently do was cloud her mind and slow down her progress, like a chain dragging behind her.
All three of them cultivated for an entire night, which was something they hadn't done in a long time. A sliver of divine sense was kept out around them at all times though, just in case.
The very next day they started to actively find a way out of the maze. They even went as far as taking notes on their locations, Lan Hui inscribing the information on a piece of jade using divine sense.
Shin Sumi saw new markings on the wall and instructed the two disciples accompanying her about what she knew of the People and their Story.
”Wow, you know a lot of things, Brother Bai. Where did you learn all that?”
”I used to read quite a bit a long time ago...” Shin Sumi stayed a bit evasive. It was almost as if she could tell what Bay Xuengen was probing for before he even asked.
”So... How long have you been in the sect for? Where do you come from?” his voice was very casual but the look in his eyes betrayed him, proving his piqued curiosity.
Feigning meditation, even Lan Hui was obviously interested in the conversation.
Immediately feeling Bai Fulong's reluctance to answer, Bai Xuengen continued to try and put him at ease.
”You know, not a lot of disciples knew how to read before entering the sect. I heard that most newly arrived disciples come from small villages and hamlets all around Blue Fire Country and Light Shore Country. The fact that you read a lot before must mean you come from a wealthy family like me, right?”
Shin Sumi's eyebrow lightly twitched when she heard the words 'wealthy family'. Bai Xuengen wasn't wrong, after all Shin Sumi was the daughter of the mayor of East Seaside Village, and their family mansion was the biggest there. But that was from another time.
Compared to the looks and scale of everything in the Dark Sky Starry Sect, Shin Sumi's family could only be described as lowly. Even still, she understood Bai Xuengen's words and viewed him in a new light as he continued.
”My family is the secondary branch of a small clan of Blue Fire Country. Every ten years they get to send one youth to the Dark Sky Starry Sect. One of my ancestors saved an Immortal from the sect a long time ago, and that was the promise he made in retribution.”
”I was born a commoner in a farm” started Lan Hui in reply, ”I don't remember where my parents live. I didn't even know that reading was a thing before I got here. I was picked up by an emissary of the sect in travels to Blue Fire Sect. The first thing he told me was that for a lowly mortal it was surprising that I had even an ounce of Shinsoo in me.”
”So when I hear about your Story of the People, it makes me wish I had that as well in my childhood. But it's funny, I almost never think of my parents. I am way happier in the sect anyway.”
Shin Sumi stayed silent during the entire talk. It was not that she didn't enjoy sharing memories but she had to keep her secret safe. And also because she had cut off that part of her life forever when she arrived at the sect.
The Shin Sumi from East Seaside Village was gone, only the cultivator remained. Or at least that was what she had thought.
But now hearing about their life stories, Shin Sumi felt a distant longing in her heart. Her soul was almost throbbing when she thought about her brother, her uncles, her father, and her mother.
She hadn't even said goodbye to her mother before leaving.
Bai Xuengen looked up at the face of Bai Fulong. A fleeting silvery light had attracted his eyes. It was a tear streaming down Shin Sumi's face that had escaped her own perception.
”But you know, stories are from the past. As cultivators we better look forward and not let our past hinder our cultivation.”
At first, Lan Hui didn't understand why Bai Xuengen would choose to change subject right when it seemed like Bai Fulong was about to speak, before he saw the tear on his face.
Shin Sumi quickly wiped it away when she realized what happened and jumped to her feet.
”You are right, Brother Bai. Let us concentrate and look for a way out. Brother Lan take the stairs up, you this tunnel and I will check the third path. In five minutes we regroup and decide which way to go.”
It was the way they had found to look efficiently for clues and directions, although it had yielded no results yet.
”It would be much more efficient if we spread further out, but we have to stay together, in case of an attack by Chu Erlong” she was thinking.
Unbeknownst to them, a shadow that had escaped their senses was observing them from a dark corner. The shadow disappeared in the blink of an eye. It was only after in ran past a luminous crystal that it was possible to see the details of the person hidden in the dark. Liu Qing.
Unbeknownst to Shin Sumi and her group, Chu Erlong still had another way of tracking them. Using the most discreet and most efficient at hiding and spying there was under the Liquid Realm as a pathfinder, Chu Erlong's group had been slowly tailing Shin Sumi's group, even using precious artefacts to hide their presence.
”Their group had split up two minutes ago, Big Sister Chu. We need to move now or else they'll be together again!”
”Alright Liu Qing. Everyone, go!”
Chu Erlong's orange dress waved, giving orders. Her eyes were shining with delight and her mouth was curved in a beautifully dangerous smile.