The loud sound of clanking pots and pans shocked Anji so badly that she immediately disconnected from her dreamscape and came back to the world of the living. Grandpa Jin, who was in the middle of an important lecture, grumbled about how quickly time passed in the living realm. However, he went back to slumbering quickly. It would be a while before Anji was available for another lesson.
Rushing to shower and get dressed, Anji felt more refreshed after last night’s medicinal bath. Even if she spent it spying on Song Geying, Anji’s body was much better than it was yesterday. Today, she will meet Researcher Ke, who specialises in point-to-point teleportation. A little excited, Anji wondered how the new researcher was. Although Anji did not have many talismans drawn to help her with chores, she stuffed the few she made into her sleeve pocket and carefully climbed down the slippery steps.
One of these days, she would clean these slippery, steep stairs. If it were difficult for Anji to climb down them, it would be worse for her blind shifu.
When Anji finally appeared in the mess hall, there were more people there for breakfast than Anji remembered yesterday. Apart from Pearl and Aunt Wine, whom Anji was expecting to see, Researcher Yang and Doctor Yun were also there. The two men sat awkwardly at the table without speaking until Anji arrived. Newest update provided by NoveIＦire.net
"Good morning?" she greeted in confusion at the crowd.
Aunt Wine laughed heartily when the girl entered. This was probably the most number of people they had seen in years and it was all thanks to her.
"Good morning, little cutie! Did you sleep well?"
Concerned about Anji’s injured elbow, Doctor Yun insisted on checking it while the cook brought out food. Today’s breakfast on the children’s menu was steamed rice noodle rolls with sweet sauce and sesame seeds. Everyone else had sticky yam cakes with a spicier and savoury sauce, making Anji curious.
Giving Anji a small bite from her breakfast, Pearl asked if Anji had written the letter for her family. Anji nodded but also asked if she could have more paper. She also asked if it was possible to get more talisman papers as she intended to create more talismans for various chores at different research compounds.
"I can provide the talisman papers," Researcher Yang offered before Pearl could say anything. "Is a thousand enough?"
A thousand?! That’s a lot of paper. Anji only needed three hundred at most.
Laughing at her concern, Researcher Yang assured Anji he had no issues giving her that much. After all, he had acquired a new budget after getting rid of both assistants.
"I’m currently looking at recruiting new assistants and submitting a new project outline. Those talisman papers were resources from the previous project."
Accepting the generosity, Anji was finally allowed to eat after Doctor Yun concluded Anji had fully recovered.
The adults chatted about various work-related matters while Anji ate. However, Anji listened to their discussion and learned that Song Geying’s expulsion was a great matter. The Mystical Qilin Sect seldom expelled people. To join the sect, a rigorous interview and testing method filtered many cultivators for both character and intelligence. Those who voluntarily left the sect had to take an oath to protect the sect’s secrets. However, it was not the same for those they expelled. They were not obliged to take that oath without loyalties binding to the sect. Instead, the sect leader would usually be in charge of wiping out the memories of those leaving the sect. However, Yan Ping’s whereabouts were unknown, and only the discipline committee was in charge.
"We don’t know that the spell would last forever. Unlike the sect leader, the spell cast by the disciplinary committee merely blocks the memory, not rewrite them," Pearl pointed out.
Researcher Yang agreed. However, he also pointed out that they should have more faith in the final barrier.
"The barrier does not allow outsiders to enter. However, it allows those who no longer belong here to leave, taking everything they know about the sect. Even if the memory spell fails, there is still the founder’s ward."
Nobody truly understood how the founder’s barrier worked. Hence, Anji understood their concerns when her shifu could not attend to these sect matters. Yet, the more confusing thing was why they did not retain Song Geying in the sect under the disciplinary committee’s watch until her shifu returned to settle the matter.
Hearing Anji’s question, the adults exchanged looks at each other. Surprisingly, it was Aunt Wine who answered Anji’s question.
"It was the sect leader’s orders," she frowned. "I don’t know what she is thinking. However, nobody questions a half-sage who can see the future. Maybe Song Geying is just a pawn for a bigger game. We would not know."
Surprised that they were still in contact with her shifu, Anji asked if anyone knew where Yan Ping was or how to contact her. However, Doctor Yun laughed.
"No, it does not work like that. Rather than communication, think of it as heaven’s mandate. The sect leader usually sends a message to the person she needs in the sect through a messenger bird. There’s no replying to her. We only receive word from her and carry out her will. It’s how I came to know about you before your arrival. Pearl was also chosen to become your guide for the orientation, and we were told to let you live in her cottage."
Nodding in the realisation that her shifu had figurative eyes on everything and everyone in the sect, it made more sense why the elders and researchers could act so independently even without their sect leader. The system was unique to the Mystical Qilin Sect. Any other sect that attempted this would fall into chaos. The Celestial Dragon Sect’s main pillar was her mother, not her father. Even so, they needed to divide the duty because of the massive coordination. Her older sister and second brother were assisting them in different ways, and the family was always busy because of how many matters there were. In comparison, her shifu gave autonomy to those who met her qualifications. At the same time, to ensure fairness, she made those with autonomy pass votes for any major decisions while setting boundaries of what they could and could not pass in her absence.
"So the higher-ups that gave orders were they all from the sect leader?" Anji asked.
Shrugging, Doctor Yun sighed.
"Sometimes they are, other times they aren’t. The order to give you daily checkups was from a different person. However, the information that you would be under my charge was from the sect leader. Your previous health reports were from a different source, and I’m told to submit a weekly report about them. Thankfully, there was no big incident yesterday. I would not know how to explain what happened otherwise."
Agreeing with Doctor Yun, Aunt Wine gave Anji her sternest look.
"How bold of you to miss lunch. If you do it again today, I will tell the higher-up about it too!"
Gulping nervously, Anji promised to remember the time and attend lunch today.
Looking at the time, Pearl offered to take Anji to find Researcher Ke, but Researcher Yang stopped her.
"It’s better for me to escort Anji. Researcher Ke can be difficult, especially when this was my last-minute request. She’s especially busy, so I have to show my sincerity."
Parting ways for the morning, Anji waved goodbye to Pearl, Aunt Wine and Doctor Yun while following Researcher Yang to find Researcher Ke. What kind of person was she? Anji felt nervous but decided that nothing would faze her anymore after yesterday’s experience.