South Slope

The night progresses quietly. Outside, the natural world continues its nocturnal activities, but time still stands inside the cave. Li Wei remains motionless, his chest rising and falling with each breath.

Hours passed, and Li Wei's sleep was undisturbed. The tranquillity of the cave provides a safe haven.

Eventually, the first hints of dawn begin to filter into the cave. The faint light signals the start of a new day, but Li Wei remains asleep, taking advantage of these final moments of rest.

As the light grows stronger, Li Wei's sleep begins to lighten. 

He opens his eyes, adjusting to the light that illuminates the cave. The remnants of the bone fire are cold; its job is done. 

Slowly, he starts to stir, his consciousness returning to the present. His body feels rested, the sleep providing much-needed recovery from his pursuits' physical and mental demands.

He tries to sit up. His body feels heavy, a result of the previous day's labour. As he moves, the bandage wrapped around his head is tight. It rubs against his skin. The sensation is uncomfortable. The bandage has been there for a while. It was meant to protect a wound near his ear. Now, it chafes. The area around the bandage feels tender.

His ear, under the bandage, is sore. It throbs gently with each movement. The pain is not sharp but dull, a constant reminder of the injury. The bandage needs changing.

"I don't have fresh gauze for a new bandage and if I rip more cloth from my robe, I'll end up looking like a beggar." 

A dishevelled appearance could undermine respect.

"Walking around with a tattered robe won't do. It could raise questions or draw unwanted attention; I'll just have to bear it for a few days more".

As Li Wei stands in the cave, he reflects on the implications of the new year and the tasks ahead.

"The assessment marked the beginning of a new year," 

"Technically, my job at the pill hall is finished," he thinks, recalling when he had been assigned there. 

"But Senior Huo hasn't released me yet". 

"I should collect my two bone pills from the internal affairs hall again."

His thoughts then shift towards another significant aspect of his visit to the internal affairs hall. "It's also a good place to gather information about Xue Feng. They keep records on all disciples. They should have something on him." The idea of finding Xue Feng, a task assigned by Senior Huo, weighs on his mind.

"I need to be discreet in how I ask about Xue Feng. I can't arouse suspicion or seem too eager." He knows the importance of balancing gathering information and keeping his intentions hidden.

"I must find out about Xue Feng before I make my move," he tells himself. 

"I need to determine Xue Feng's cultivation level. Is he more advanced than I am, or are we evenly matched?" These questions are crucial. The answer will dictate his strategy and approach.

"What techniques does he possess?". Knowing what Xue Feng is capable of could mean the difference between victory and defeat.

Li Wei understands the risks involved. Going into a battle unprepared is a gamble with deadly stakes. 

Li Wei takes his ceramic cup and opens one of the pouches. He adds numerous pinches of essence to the cup and then pours in water. He stirs the mixture with his finger until the essence partially dissolves into the water.

He drinks the liquid from the cup, then sits down to cultivate. He closes his eyes, focusing inward, allowing the essence to aid him. After some time, he repeats this action. He adds more pinches of essence from the pouch to the cup, mixes it with water and drinks, and then returns to his cultivation.

Li Wei repeats this entire process four times. With each cycle, he deepens his cultivation, harnessing the power of the essence to strengthen his internal energy.

Once he finishes his fourth cycle of cultivation, Li Wei stands up. He is ready to leave the cave and sets out towards the internal affairs hall. 

The air is cool, the day not yet warmed by the sun. The path to the Internal Affairs Hall is one he has traversed many times before, worn flagstones guiding his way.

As he walks, the silence around him fills with the sounds of the sect waking. The sect comes to life around him with the distant murmur of voices and the faint rustling. But his focus does not waver; his mind is on Senior Huo's task.

He reaches the Internal Affairs Hall as the first disciples of the day are entering. The building looms before him, its doors open wide, inviting the day's business. Li Wei joins the flow of bodies, stepping into the cooler air of the hall's interior.

The hall is a hub of activity, with disciples moving to and fro and clerks stationed at their posts ready to attend to the needs of the sect's members. 

Li Wei approaches the cave abode directory, a large ledger kept by the hall to track the dwelling assignments of all the sect's members. The clerk, an outer disciple, looks up from his work, waiting for Li Wei to state his business.

"I need to locate Brother Xue Feng," Li Wei begins, keeping his tone even and his expression neutral. The clerk raises a slight eyebrow, prompting Li Wei to continue. "I believe he may have information that will aid me with my... botanical research," Li Wei adds, careful to sound convincing yet vague enough to avoid suspicion.

The clerk nods and turns to the ledger, the pages filled with the names and details of every disciple within the sect. Li Wei watches as the clerk's finger moves down the list, stopping occasionally to check a name against the records.

After a moment, the clerk looks up, "Xue Feng.... Xue Feng... Xue Feng, other than the fact that he has passed four sect assessments There are no detailed records." The clerk's tone is matter-of-fact, and he offers no further information, implying that what Li Wei seeks might be beyond the purview of what the Internal Affairs Hall would typically provide.

"The records indicate he's in cave number 327," the clerk adds as an afterthought, eyes scanning back to the scrolls before him. "On the south slope of Mount Qiyun."

"Thank you," Li Wei says, maintaining his composure despite the new churn of questions. Why would Senior Huo target such a disciple? What threat or opportunity did Xue Feng pose?

The clerk has already returned to work, dismissing Li Wei as another face in the crowd. Li Wei takes his leave.

Li Wei stands in the line for bone pill allowances. The line is not too long, but it moves slowly. People in front of him talk quietly among themselves or wait in silence. He waits his turn patiently, his eyes fixed on the counter ahead.

The disciple managing the bone pill distribution today differs from when Li Wei was here last. This disciple is taller, with short hair. He's by the standard inner disciple red hem. His movements are efficient as he attends to each person at the counter.

Finally, it is Li Wei's turn. He steps up to the counter. The disciple looks at him, waiting.

"Li Wei, 5th level outer disciple," 

Li Wei reaches into his robe and pulls out his token. Signifying his entitlement to the bone pills. He places the token on the counter.

The disciple picks up the token and examines it briefly. Satisfied, he reaches for the bone pills. He takes two small bone pills from a container and places them on the counter before Li Wei. The pills are round and have a faint sheen to them.

Li Wei picks up the bone pills. He holds them for a moment, looking at them. Then, he carefully places them into his pouch, securing them safely. The exchange is silent, efficient, and without unnecessary conversation.

With the transaction complete, Li Wei steps away from the counter, making room for the next person in line. The disciple turned his attention to the next person, and Li Wei moved away from the counter, ending the encounter.

He steps out of the hall, the early morning light stretching across the sect grounds, signalling the start of another day of cultivation, intrigue, and survival.

Mount Qiyun, Li Wei reflects, thinking about the mountain that hosts both his and other outer disciples' caves.

"My cave is on the north slope," he thinks, a mental image of his dwelling coming to mind, marked by its distinct terrain and specific challenges. "But Xue Feng... he's on the south slope, in Cave 327."

The south slope of Mount Qiyun, he knows, is a different world compared to where he resides. "The south slope is safer," he muses. "It's a place where higher-levelled qi cultivators reside. They tend to refrain from attacking one another, unlike the north slope where murders are more common."

Li Wei's mind races. All the clerks could provide four sect assessments, but even that is telling. 

"To survive four assessments, a disciple has to be at least at the 8th level of Qi Cultivation," he thinks, understanding the rigorous progression system of the sect. Each assessment requires advancement of two levels, so four assessments equal eight levels of advancement.

"Xue Feng is at least an 8th-level Qi Cultivator." The calculation is straightforward, but the implications are immense.

"Fuck, this is suicide," Li Wei admits to himself with stark clarity. "I'm only at the 5th level. I'll die like a dog."