280: Chapter 279: Night Walk in Brocade [Tickets Wanted at Month End] 280: Chapter 279: Night Walk in Brocade [Tickets Wanted at Month End] Hou Niao returned to Xionger Town, and in the span of a year, there were no changes here; this is the contradiction between humans and nature.
Staying here in seclusion, racking his brains, he feared he might never figure out how to find the bridge leading to the cultivation path that was uniquely his.
Among the three felt bags, the one belonging to the Daoist Zhi Sun remained unopened and covered in dust, but a new monk from the Buddhist Sect in Xinye had arrived; upon seeing Hou Niao, he did not show surprise, but simply greeted him quietly,
“I’ve seen Hou Shangzhen.
I am Tideng, and this time I am here to succeed Tideng Monk in guarding the Yun Platform.”
Hou Niao shook his head with a wry smile.
This bald donkey had actually managed to get ahead of him?
“Alright, when I have the chance to see your Tideng master, tell him I look forward to cooperating with him once again.”
Without further ado, he sealed his own felt bag, activated the array, preparing for the transition and the arrival of his successor.
Tideng Monk had succeeded in ascending to the Upper Realm and had already departed; the success or failure of Daoist Zhi Sun was unknown, and his whereabouts were erratic; he too was about to leave, to pioneer his own new territory.
This journey was his special arena for practicing flying, all the way shaky and unsteady.
This was the condition of not having learned the skill of flight.
Although he could fly clumsily on the strength of his mana alone, the speed was pitiful.
Even so, it could not dampen his enthusiasm for flying.
Flying has always been one of humanity’s ultimate dreams, perhaps only second to eternal youth and longevity.
A few days later, Hou Niao returned to Jin City.
As he approached the city, a figure swiftly dived down towards him, like a hawk preying on a sparrow.
Hou Niao was a bit flustered as he abruptly stopped in mid-air, and in his hurried panic, he fell several tens of feet before looking up to find a robust cultivator staring intently at him.
Why do you trespass on Jin City airspace without permission?
Do you not know that the thirty-mile radius around Jin City is a no-fly zone?”
Indeed, Hou Niao was not aware of this rule.
Although he had reached the Tongxuan Realm, there was still so much he was unfamiliar with, especially the more common rules and regulations, as his path to cultivation had mostly been wild and self-taught, without elders constantly instructing him at his side.
“Please excuse me, elder brother.
I am Hou Niao, the guardian of Xionger Town, returning to the capital to report on my ascension.
Unaware of Jin City’s rules, I ask for your understanding.”
The other man laughed heartily, “I knew you were a newly ascended cultivator, otherwise, you wouldn’t be flying so chaotically.
My name is Mao Pang, a Capital Commandant of the Central Army.
Today, it so happens to be my duty to patrol Jin City.
Hou Niao was very polite; within the tripartite system of the Quanzhen Sect, he was rather unfamiliar with the Central Army.
Over the years, he had more dealings with the Mu Shuai and Capital Commandant, with little to no contact with the Central Army, making its place within the Quanzhen Sect unclear to him.
The less familiar, the more polite he had to be, for his wings were not yet firm.
“So, you are Brother Mao.
It is indeed my first attempt at flying, and I could not contain my excitement.”
Mao Pang was unperturbed, “No matter, an unintentional mistake, who would blame you?
Hmm, the guardian of Xionger Town, I’ve been on missions outside for several years and haven’t been back to Jin City for less than a year.
There are many newcomers I don’t recognize, but it’s alright.
Familiarity comes with time.
As a new Tongxuan cultivator, I imagine you must have many cultivation issues to resolve.
I won’t hold you up any longer, but if you’re ever interested in learning combat skills, you should visit the Central Army more often.
I assure you, you won’t be disappointed.”
Hou Niao smiled in thanks, bid farewell to Mao Pang, and walked upon landing; by this time, dusk had passed and the sky had grown dim.
Even though the Sword Storage Tower never closed its doors, he was in no rush to head there.
For Quanzhen disciples, succeeding in advancing to the Upper Realm, particularly the significant realmes, required reporting to the Mu Shuai’s office, thus earning the right to access higher floors of the Sword Storage Tower.
Hesitating between visiting Li Capital Commandant first or reporting to Mu Shuai’s office, he ultimately decided to report to the Mu Shuai’s office first.
This was the proper protocol.
Intra-sect conflicts were one thing, but the rules within the sect were another, and he did not want to be seen as someone who put factional interests above the overall situation.
Entering the Mu Shuai’s office, the place was much quieter than during the day.
Although there was no specific time constraint for cultivators to hold court, they still followed the conventional mortal bureaucratic schedule to some extent—starting court at Chen hour and ending at Shen hour; the difference was that cultivators could be summoned at any time, making it not so rigid.
The disciples who came and went took notice of his realm and cultivation, all of them addressing him respectfully as “Uncle-Master,” as if he had aged a generation overnight.
Years had passed, new faces continuously arrived, and frequent reassignments between states meant that few people recognized him since he was someone who didn’t seek prominence within Quanzhen and had never really held an official position in Jin City since beginning his cultivation.
Inside the Mu Shuai’s office was the Archives Room, responsible for miscellaneous personnel affairs, the place he needed to visit.
The night duty disciple, a new transfer from an Outer State in the Grain Avoidance Realm, was exceedingly respectful and polite, giving Hou Niao the first sense that maybe he did have some status within the Quanzhen Sect?
It also drove home the point that in the Cultivation World, the so-called credit mattered little; the core of everything was one’s Realm—everything else was a joke.
The night duty disciple briskly completed the procedures, providing him with the upgraded Quanzhen Token and…
Rubbing his eyes, the disciple thought this “Uncle-Master” was a peculiar character.
The matter of his official stipend was shrouded in mystery, and he felt unable to decide, so he could only seek guidance,
“Uncle-Master Hou, Mu Shuai is waiting for you in the Azure Dragon Hall.
Your treatment might, might…”
Hou Niao smiled, understanding the difficulty he faced and not forcing the issue.
It wasn’t the young man’s fault,
Once I see Brother You, everything will be easily settled.
The Azure Dragon Hall, a crucial location within the Mu Shuai’s office, primarily served as a place to decide on the major affairs related to the various branches of the Da Feng Plain.
Entry required at least Tongxuan Realm.
Other places included the Xuanwu Hall in the Middle Military Office and the White Tiger Hall in the Capital Commandant’s office, all symbolizing similar ideas with more symbolic than practical importance.
Mu Shuai You Sunzhi had governed Jin City on the Da Feng Plain for many years.
As the nominal ruler of a state, he had both the right and the necessity to meet with every cultivator who advanced to the Tongxuan Realm, as beyond this milestone, cultivators became the foundation of the Quanzhen Sect’s combat forces—individuals who could stand on their own.
Of course, if a cultivator advanced further to the Golden Core Realm, such a right no longer belonged to him but to the elders in Yujing City.
When Hou Niao entered the Azure Dragon Hall, You Sunzhi was writing vigorously.
Among the three offices, the Mu Shuai’s office undoubtedly had the heaviest daily workload, followed by the Capital Commandant’s office.
As for the Middle Military Office, its main requirement was just to be combat-ready.
Upon seeing Hou Niao enter, You Sunzhi didn’t bother to keep up appearances by continuing to review documents.
He looked up at the young man under thirty and felt a touch of emotion; a minor Energy Induction practitioner in his twenties who wouldn’t have had a chance to join the sect if not for the Quanzhen Sect’s expanded recruitment, yet in less than seven years, the young man had advanced through four realms and had truly become a central force within the sect.
It was a pity that he had been too bogged down in trivial matters to have discovered this promising disciple earlier, allowing the Capital Commandant’s office to benefit for nothing.