Chapter 105 - Master Tin Says (1/2)
Shin Sumi was standing straight, her neck arched to look right above her. From below she could see the old Patriarch and the five Masters that were behind him.
Three of them she recognized from the previous day and two were still anonymous, their faces concealed inside long dark cloaks. Curiously, Shin Sumi noted that Master Lead was nowhere to be seen.
”Brother Bronze should go first, Patriarch,” said one of the cloaked figures.
”I agree, most of the credits go to him so I also would like him to go first,” continued another.
The Patriarch smiled and nodded.
”According to my fellow Masters' wishes, I will pick the new disciples that will train under me,” Master Bronze said respectfully, then took three steps in the air and placed himself in front of the Patriarch.
Taking his time, Master Bronze looked at each prisoner individually. Every time his eyes would land on somebody, the Sky Earth disciple would avert their gaze as if there was some kind of pressure bearing on them like a waterfall continuously pouring on their shoulders.
Master Bronze stayed silent for the better part of fifteen minutes, only smiling or grimacing slightly sometimes. He was making calculations but nobody knew what for.
”I've chosen,” he finally said, breaking the silence and the invisible tension in the plaza.
Extending his hand, Master Bronze used the same technique as before to lift ten young prisoners from the platform, raising them mid-air as he himself descended to their level.
”Tell me your names,” his words were sharp but somewhat kind as he spoke to them.
One after the other, all the chosen disciples spoke their names, bowing after their introduction as a good show of respect. Seemingly happy with his pick and the whole process, Master Bronze nodded and took the disciples to the edge of the platform, where the crowd quickly dispersed to let them land.
With the ten behind him, Master Bronze folded his large arms over his ċhėst and looked back at the Patriarch, sending him an invisible signal.
”Right, I believe next should be Master Copper?” the Patriarch turned to one of the hooded figures.
After Master Bronze and Master Copper came the other Masters. One by one, six of them observed the prisoners and chose some of them, seemingly without any predictable pattern.
”There are only three Masters left and about a hundred prisoners. What will they do with the rest of us if we aren't picked?” asked a girl besides Shin Sumi in a low voice.
It sounded like the girl was speaking to herself, and yet it didn't stop another Sky Earth Sect prisoner to mutter ”What do you think? They will probably kill us or force us to work the fields and do their dirty work like slaves.”
Not all the disciples had been convinced by Ming Jian and the Patriarch's argument earlier.
As for Shin Sumi, she didn't know what to make of it. She had heard the Masters talking the day before, when the prisoners were still unconscious and stuck within the State of Sleep.
”The Patriarch's reasoning makes sense and is probably true for most of the Masters. The Blue Fire Sect is just looking for ways to strengthen themselves. But that can't be true for all of them, Master Lead especially is concerning.”
So far, the young man with the old voice who was called Lead Fire had not yet to be seen.
”Fresh samples” was the expression he had used to talk about the prisoners, which could not mean anything good for the prisoners he would choose.
The Patriarch's voice once more interrupted Shin Sumi's line of thoughts.
”Where are Lead and Tin? They should be the last ones to choose.
-Oh this old one is here, Patriarch,” Master Lead's voice rose from behind the crowd,” but I would be happy to wait for brother Tin to pick.”
As Master Lead Fire rose slowly into the air to join the Patriarch high above the plaza a strong gust of wind blew from the east, causing a lot of disciples to cry out in surprise, their robes and long hair flying wildly around them.
”Sorry for my late arrival, Patriarch. Seeing as brother Lead conveniently waited for me, I shall come next and choose the new members of Tin Peak.”
Another dark cloaked figure had joined the ȧssembly, directly rising next to the Patriarch. He was a light skinned man with golden hair, the slightest bit grey around his temples. Unlike the other Masters, his hood was undone and resting against his back.
His face was beautiful, his silhouette strong and heroic and yet his eyes were almost completely black. When his sight crossed paths with the crowd, disciples couldn't help but turn away, a strange shiver crawling down their backs.
”Hello, new members of the Blue Fire Sect, I am Master Tin. Could you please raise your hand if your cultivation level is above the second step of the Liquid Realm?”
Shin Sumi twitched slightly, as did most of the remaining disciples. Was one of the Master of the sect asking for their cultivation level?
Not that it was that strange, but a man of his power surely would be able to discern each prisoner's ability with just a glance of his divine sense.
More than half of the hundred or so disciples did as he had asked, Shin Sumi included, and raised their hands.
”Ooooh, interesting,” Master Tin smiled, his black eyes squinting to the point that they became two thin black slits, ”Liars.”
A fair skinned hand appeared from under his long cloak, the index finger pointing out.
”Tremble!”
Master Tin spoke in a soft voice then retracted his hand. For a moment, nothing seemed to happen, the confused eyes of the prisoners looking around.
”Aaaaargh!”
Piercing cries erupted in different places of the platform the prisoners were confined to. Five people, one whose hand had been raised suddenly dropped to their knees, holding their head while being torn with pain.
”I'll ask again, raise your hand if your cultivation level is above the second step of the Liquid Realm.”
A wave of pure terror took over the plaza. A single drop of time during which both the onlookers and the prisoners held their breath, their soul trembling with fear.
In unison, hands were raised, not one disciple trying to escape like before. The plaza was silent, except for the five prisoners who were still being tortured in place, crying and mȯȧning.
”No no no, that won't do at all, brother Tin. You see, this is why I waited until the end to pick new disciples,” Master Lead shook his head to the side.
”You five, get up. You'll be with me.”
With a swift hand motion, Master Lead instantly broke the technique that had tortured the poor lying disciples before transporting them to the side of the plaza.
”Sorry for the interruption, you go on with your pick, Tin.”
”Heh, alright. Now raise your other hand if you are below the age of twenty-five. And remember, don't lie to me.”
As if any prisoner would dare lie now.
Why did they lie in the first place? Shin Sumi didn't understand. Like all the other prisoners they should have realized that there was no point in lying, especially for such an arbitrary rule. Something was going on with this peculiar Master Tin.
”Now who has had experience in divination?”
Breathing out slowly, Shin Sumi retracted her hand, as did most of the other cultivators on display. She couldn't help but be relieved even though it only meant more chances for Master Lead to pick her with the others.
”How disgraceful. Only five of you have ever delved into the brilliant art of divination?! You're worth less than a heap of garbage, I should smite you before you can tarnish the Blue Fire Sect's reputa-