G. Tolley
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Chapter 446 – Life 117, Age 17, Martial Master 3
🕑 Added 2025-12-04 12:58:33 +0000 UTCWhile JiuLi and YuLong were dealing with matters in the Shi Clan, I dispatched Kan and Meng LuYao to the Su Clan. Ideally, I would have deposited them into one of Chang’an’s fields and had them enter through the city’s gates, but this risked drawing too much attention. So, I instead sent them directly to Kan’s long-vacant apartment within the upper reaches of the outer wall.
Shortly after they appeared, a young Disciple arrived and guided them up to a conference room near the top of Chang’an’s central tower. Set up in much the same way as the Hall of Elders in the Shi Clan, this room had three tables arranged in the shape of a U, with two elders seated at each table.
The leaders of the Gui and Lan families sat at the far end of the hall, while the leaders of the Ba and Tong families were on the right. The Liang Patriarch was on the left, next to the representative of those members who weren’t affiliated with a branch family.
Notably, unlike in the Shi Clan, there were no empty seats, forcing Kan to stand at the room’s entrance and the masked Meng LuYao to remain in the hallway.
Had the clan’s elders known the identity of this masked figure—or had they understood who Kan was truly representing—they would have been far more deferential. The politics of the Su Clan were complicated, though, and revealing too much would only invite trouble. Keeping our identities quiet would, hopefully, give us a chance to recruit those we needed, not just spies and sycophants.
“Is this why you called us here, Zhen?” asked the Ba Patriarch, his tone edged with impatience. “You want to show off that your boy has finally learned how to cultivate? Fine. Declare him your successor, but let’s put an end to this nonsense about him forming a sect.”
The Ba Patriarch rested his hands on the table, his gaze sweeping across the room. “We maintain our authority among the Five Great Clans by acting as one. If we start dividing our people into sects, this unity will crumble. And, when it does, so will our position as the leaders of Chang’an.”
Suliang Zhen’s gaze shifted from Kan to Meng LuYao as he searched for an appropriate response. However, having been forbidden from disclosing the true nature of our sect, there was precious little he could say.
“Our sect already exists,” stated Kan, cutting through the room’s silence. “I am not here to ask for your approval. I am only here to offer your families the opportunity to join us.”
A ripple of displeasure spread through the room, with every elder—except Suliang Zhen—turning a hard gaze upon Kan, their expressions darkening at his breach of decorum.
The Ba Patriarch pounded his table. “Know your place, child. Do not interrupt your elders when they are speaking.”
Kan straightened and lifted his chin, his young face tightening into a look of scorn that far exceeded that of his ‘elders.’ “I am the Sect Master of the Amorphous Blade Sect. That is my place.”
Kan swept his gaze across the room, letting the weight of his words settle.
“We have allotted each of your families—including the clan’s unaffiliated members—two slots in this year’s recruitment class,” he said coldly. “If you choose not to make use of them, they will be given to others. Consider your decision carefully, though. I cannot promise when we will open recruitment again.”
Turning to leave, Kan paused only long enough to deliver a final reminder. “Patriarch Liang is aware of our sect’s requirements. Seek him out if you require clarification. Just remember: Our rules are absolute. Anyone who violates them will be executed—no exception.”
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After returning to Kan’s apartment, Meng LuYao removed her mask and shot him a worried look. “Was that really the best approach? You attacked them and then stormed out. That’s not usually the best way to win people’s support.”
Kan shook his head. “Maybe not, but showing meekness would have been worse. We’re the ones helping them. Their only choice is whether or not to accept this help. Further discussion would have only led to pointless bickering.”
A grin tugged at the corner of Kan’s mouth. “If necessary, we’ll just bypass the family heads and recruit a few Disciples ourselves."
Meng LuYao’s brows knitted with concern, but Kan waved her worries away.
“It won’t come to that. The branch families can’t get rid of us, so their only option is to cooperate. At worst, they’ll try to undermine us by sending their least talented Disciples, but that works in our favor. Those Disciples are the least likely to cause trouble, and turning them into experts will be an excellent way to showcase our sect’s power.”
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Back in the conference room, the Ba Patriarch was fuming.
“What are you playing at, Zhen? Setting your boy up as the leader of a sect and sending him to steal our most talented Disciples. What is this, some kind of coup? I respect the role your ancestor played during the Cataclysm, but the Su Clan is ruled by a council—not some ‘Sect Master.’ I will not allow you to usurp our authority.”
Next to him, the Tong Patriarch nodded in solemn agreement. “LieHu’s words might be unpleasant, but he isn’t wrong. You should have consulted us.”
“More to the point,” said the Lan Matriarch, “you need to explain how your child ascended to Martial Master so quickly. Less than two years ago, he had yet to even start cultivating. How did someone without any affinities advance so quickly? How much essence did you give him?”
As the Matriarch asked this last question, her voice turned cold, and Suliang Zhen began to sweat. Left alone in a room of angry Lords and forbidden from saying anything that could clear his name, his only option was to press forward and ignore the rising hostility.
“Kan has not accessed the clan’s essence. His advancement is a secret of his sect.” Suliang Zhen turned toward the Ba Patriarch, forcing calm into his voice. “I did not establish this sect, nor am I privy to its inner workings. It exists outside our walls, so according to our agreement with the other clans, it is beyond our authority. If you wish to uncover its methods, your only option is to send people to join and learn what they can. However…”
His eyes swept across the room, meeting those of each Patriarch and Matriarch in turn. “…do not be surprised if those you send choose not to report back.”
As the room fell into silence, with the leaders of the various branch families alternating between annoyance and contemplation, the representative of the unaffiliated members spoke up.
“Sect Master Kan spoke of requirements. Please, tell us more. Who, exactly, is allowed to join this sect?”
Suliang Zhen released a slow, steadying breath. “The requirements are actually quite simple: one need only be an unawakened youth. Each family is allowed to send up to four candidates. The sect will oversee their awakening ceremony. Then, the sect will select up to two youths from each family, based on criteria known only to the sect’s leadership. Those who are not chosen will be returned to the clan unharmed.”
Sitting up a little straighter, Suliang Zhen let his gaze sweep across the gathered elders. “Participate or don’t—the choice is yours. Decide quickly, though. The awakening ceremony is only a few hours away, and once it begins, this opportunity will disappear.”
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None of the Patriarchs or Matriarchs were happy about the position we had put them in, but true to Kan’s prediction, they also weren’t willing to be left out. So, in the end, they all sent at least two youths to participate in our awakening ceremony.
Most of the families chose to send us children from collateral branches—children without strong blood ties to the clan’s core lineages. This wasn’t to slight us, though. They simply didn’t want to risk their best and brightest on what they saw as a gamble with a low chance of success.
The only exception was the Ba Patriarch, who sent two of his direct descendants. However, this wasn’t a gesture of goodwill. It was a calculated attempt to either take control of our sect or destroy it from within.
Each of these youths was taken to a chamber in the city’s outer wall, where I transferred them to the basement of our villa in the Broken Spear Outpost—much like we had done in the Shi Clan. This time, however, it was Kan who presided over the ceremony.
Once it was over, I sent these newly awakened youths to quiet rooms in Chang’an to meditate on their blessings and talents. During this period, they were forbidden from contacting their families, as we did not want word that those who had participated in our ceremony had received blessings to spread too early. Instead, they were given a brief explanation of the Amorphous Blade Sect and asked to decide whether they wished to join us now that they knew the truth.
Nearly everyone agreed, leaving us to narrow them down. JiuLi recorded their blessings, and Meng LuYao evaluated their talents. Kan checked their affinities, and YuLong tested their combat skills. I, meanwhile, monitored their emotional responses—watching for arrogance, volatility, malice, or anything else that might endanger our sect.
The most interesting cases were the two members of the Ba family. While many of the others were merely excited about what their blessings represented, these two radiated overconfidence and unconcealed ambition. These were dangerous traits, but after several tests, I concluded that they only posed a threat to Kan’s leadership, not the sect as a whole. So, since these two were also exceptionally talented, I chose to accept them. Their competitive spirits would help push both Kan and our sect forward.
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Having recruited ten members of the Shi Clan and twelve members of the Su Clan, we had only three remaining slots for Premier Disciples. YuLong’s sister, YuHua, was still too young to officially join us, but since we didn’t know how long we would remain an Eight-Star Sect, we needed to keep one of these slots reserved for her.
The final two positions went to a young woman from the Bao Clan and a boy from the Ye Clan. While most of our new Disciples would specialize in combat, these two would be able to use their herbal expertise to elevate our gardens, expanding our sect’s alchemical potential.
Once everything was finalized, we gathered up all of our new Disciples and escorted them to the Sect Affairs Bureau. There, each youth was issued a yellow sash, granting them protection from anyone at or above the level of Martial Grandmaster. As their elders, JiuLi, Kan, YuLong, Meng LuYao, and I would be responsible for shielding them from Masters. However, as members of a First-Class Sect, we could not intervene in matters between Disciples. Against their peers, they could only stand or fall on their own.
So, with this in mind, we began their training.
Comments
Michael Ferguson
Ye SuYin, Bao's wife yep. They must have brought some of their extended family into the small world if they have separate clans.
Michael Ferguson
Who is the Ye clan? Was that Bao's wife?
Michael Ferguson
I love it! Discord in the ranks. Change is painful.
