The Shinsoo Gathering Manual

The moss was covering everything inside the courtyard, giving it a green-ish appearance.

Shin Sumi was careful to avoid tripping and finally arrived in front of the doorstep.

She gave a light push and the door opened without a sound.

The interior of the wooden house was simple. A table with an oil lamp, two chairs, a dresser.

In the corner, a single bed stood under the window.

Shin Sumi didn't spend more than five seconds looking at the dusty interior before sitting down on a chair.

Untying the leather knot, she let all the content of the bag of holding onto the table.

She discarded everything to the side, apart from the one thing that interested her.

"Finally I can read an Immortal book !"

Shin Sumi's eyes shone with a strange light as she looked at the book between her hands.

It was a relatively new copy of something that was passed down to every member of the Dark Sky Starry Sect upon arrival.

Inside the wooden cover were hundreds of pages describing the sect and the first steps of cultivation.

"The Blue Fire mountain range spans thousands of kilometers, separating the Blue Fire country from the Light Shore country. Inside the mountain range, ..."

"The Affairs Pavillion is located south-east of the Myriad Swords Pagoda, where Honorary Disciples can ..."

"It is forbidden to attack a fellow disciple. Apart from the tournaments, under no circumstances can a disciple injure ..."

***

Shin Sumi read for the whole afternoon and most of the night, only stopping twice to eat the bamboo cakes from the bag of holding, and to turn on the oil lamp.

When she finally put down the wooden book, the sun was already lighting the clouds in the sky.

The sect was still bustling with activity, as if the cycle of day and night didn't matter.

Even though the sun was up, the constant clouds kept the valley in a semi-dark atmosphere.

For some reason Shin Sumi didn't feel tired after a whole night of reading.

"Maybe it is because of the air... I've never felt such refreshing feeling before. Ah, it is truly an Immortal place."

Shin Sumi looked at her wrist. A contradicted expression was showing on her face.

"It isn't all bad after all. And it seems like the nut finally left me. I still wonder what that leaf symbol was that appeared in blood though..."

Shin Sumi was about to step out the door to her courtyard when she realized what she was wearing.

Ever since she left home, she hadn't had the opportunity to change, and she hadn't even brought clothes with her.

Turning around, she grabbed one of the two red robes on the table, and proceeded to change after shutting down the window blinds.

Now that she looked like any disciple of the Dark Sky Starry Sect, she remembered the bag of holding.

Putting back all her belongings inside apart from the second dress, Shin Sumi tied the bag shut and the leather cord around her waist.

That was the way Fen Wudao, Little Azu and the clerk from the day before wore theirs.

Shin Sumi truly did look like any other female Honorary Disciple when she stepped out of the courtyard.

Following the crudely drawn map in the book, she walked leisurely up the path for an hour or so, admiring the Immortal trees.

According to the newcomer's book, one of the busiest places of the lower valley was the North Cultivation Plaza.

It was a good place to start meeting new people and try cultivation.

Shin Sumi had never been good at making friends, preferring the comfort of the fireplace to read books. Unless she had to, or to go to the big city library, she almost never went outside.

Her father had sent her to East Seaside Village's school when she was a kid, but her natural talent at learning and her shy nature lead all the other kids to quickly avoid her.

After a few months at school, she had cried a lot to her father, saying that she didn't want to go anymore.

But now that she had taken her first step in the Immortal world, how could Shin Sumi stay the same ?

"Even if I have to force myself, this time I won't let this opportunity go to waste. If I am to stay here for a while, I might as well meet people."

It was with a steady determination to encounter other disciples that Shin Sumi walked up the valley.

The sun was high above the dark clouds, giving the Dark Sky Starry Sect the most light it could, when Shin Sumi arrived at the North Cultivation Plaza.

Similar to the platform where she had met Little Azu, a gigantic stone construction occupied the center of the plaza.

Two stories buildings were placed all around the square platform and it was possible to see countless disciples going in and out at all times of day and night.

Shin Sumi walked up the stairs to get to the platform when she spotted a small group of girls a few dozen meters away.

Shin Sumi only had been in the Dark Sky Starry sect for less than a day and had spent most of her time in her room reading, but she already knew there was way more men than women.

During her long walk up the valley she saw a lot of people. Most were men, looking between twelve and forty years old.

Most of them wore long red dresses like her but some of them wore bright orange robes.

She even saw from far away a man in a yellow dress, crossing tens of meters in a single leap, surrounded by red robed disciples trying to keep up.

Shin Sumi had tried to not pay attention to all of the other disciples, but she couldn't help but notice a few of them ogling her.

Now that she finally found other girls, seemingly her age nonetheless, Shin Sumi was a bit reassured in her heart.

The three girls all wore red and were in a circle, conversing with low voices.

"I heard that a green talent kid has arrived yesterday..."

"Green talent ? Come on Sister Liu, lying is bad, it can even affect your cultivation."

"No, I heard the news too, apparently it's a very mysterious person that Senior Brother Fen himself brought up here ! I've got the news from Hui Dong at the Apothecary Pavillion."

Shin Sumi couldn't help but overhear their conversation as she was walking closer.

A slight smile appeared on her face. It seemed like the three girls were already a bit impressed by her without even meeting her.

Shin Sumi still felt guilty and full of shame considering that she cheated in the three tests, but she had made the resolution to make friends, and her entering the sect seemed like a good ice-breaker.

"Hi fellow disciples ! My name is Shin Sumi, nice to meet you !"

Shin Sumi introduced herself as she was only a step away. The three girls cut short their conversation as they looked at the bowing figure in her new red robes.

"..."

"Erm... I am sorry for interrupting your conversation, but I arrived yesterday and you were talking about -"

"Who are you ?"

A loud voice interrupted her. Shin Sumi lifted her chin to look at the three girls, but their eyes were looking above her.

Turning around, Shin Sumi was now face to face with another disciple.

She hadn't even heard the girl arrive, but here she was, less than a step away from her.

She wore an orange robe, and her hands were tucked in the opposite sleeves.

Her long black hair flowed freely around her face white as snow.

Her red lips were in a sneer and the disdain was clear in her ink black eyes.

"I asked you once already. Who are you ?"

The woman's voice sounded domineering. Shin Sumi was confused for a second and started replying.

"Fellow disciple, I am Shin -"

"No, stop it there. I don't care after all. You're just trash. That's who you are. Now get away from me and my followers."

Almost as soon as she opened her mouth, Shin Sumi was shut down by the menacing girl.

A few people around them had turned their heads to look at the commotion, wondering who Chu Erlong was talking to.

Behind Shin Sumi, the three other girls started commenting as well.

"You're right Big Sister Chu, she doesn't deserve to talk to you."

"Yes, she is just trash. You already have us three followers, why would you need more red robed thrash ?"

"Big Sister Chu, tell her to get her own Big Sister to follow !"

In less than ten breaths of time since she had tried to meet the three girls, Shin Sumi was rebutted violently.

Before she even realized, one of the girls pushed her hard and she stumbled across the platform.

Snorting loudly, Chu Erlong gathered her followers and left.

Soon, all the people who were looking at the commotion shook their heads and went back to cultivation.

Chu Erlong was after all an orange robed disciple. Her talent was far better than that of normal red robed disciples, so who would dare to butt head with her ?

Shin Sumi got up as fast as she could. Her palm was bleeding after scraping against the hard floor but she didn't care.

All she wanted was to get away as fast as possible.

She ran for a few hundred meters, ignoring the puzzled look on every disciple's face, until she found herself under the cover of a few trees.

Hiding in a clearing that resembled the one where she found the strange nut, Shin Sumi sat against a tree.

She was still crying a bit, remembering the last time she went to school a long time ago.

"So much for having a new life here. Maybe it's really for the best that I go back to the Big City."

Her face was inside her hands, between her knees, when a sudden heat from her wrist made her open her eyes again.

As soon as she flipped over her hand, the inside of her wrist flashed with a deep red leaf pattern and the nut appeared in its place.

"That's where you've been ?! How did you - Wait what are you doing ? Stop it, I- Ouchiiie !"

Instantly rolling between her fingers, the grey nut bit the side of her index before Shin Sumi had the chance to do anything.

"Why are you always biting me ?! What are you ? Stop following me !"

Without thinking about it twice, Shin Sumi waved her arm violently, throwing the nut away.

Once again, a strange vortex appeared in mid air, and the nut transformed once again into a book.

This time the book didn't change back into the form of a moving nut but stayed there, in the air, unmoving.

Forgetting momentarily about her recent problems, Shin Sumi stood up and approached the book.

It wasn't her first time seeing it, but every time she threw it away before, it would turn back into a nut and fly towards her.

But not this time.

The book was hovering a meter above the ground. Once again Shin Sumi observed the bark-like covers of the book, and the leaf pattern that was entirely covering it.

Before she could even get her hand close to it, the book suddenly jerked open to the first page.

There on the blank page, a character was slowly forming.

The process rapidly gained speed as Shin Sumi couldn't do anything but watch words appear all over the page.

In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the page was entirely covered with miniscule characters.

At the top of the page, three words were written in deep green.

"Shinsoo Gathering Manual"

As if she were in a trance, Shin Sumi put her fingers on the page. Rapidly going over the page, it didn't take long for her to read the entire thing.

"This page... The beginning is the exact same as the last part of the newcomer's manual that I read last night ! Even the title 'Shinsoo Gathering Manual' is the same. But after the middle... Where do the fourth and fifth steps come from ?"

As every book she had ever laid eyes upon, how could Shin Sumi forget the content of the newcomer's guide ?

But this strange old book in front of her was almost the exact copy of the book in her bag of holding.

The only difference is that for some reason it seemed more... complete.

The newcomer's manual not only described the sect as a whole and show the rules. It was also a guide for the Honorary Disciples to get to the Liquid Realm cultivation stage.

The book clearly described the three steps necessary to progress in the cultivation world.

First, find a source of Shinsoo and breath it in to fill the body. Second, circulate the Shinsoo to awaken the Shinsoo passageways. Third, condense the Shinsoo to form a vortex, leading to the Liquid Realm.

But the information recently appeared on the old leafy book was different. A fourth and a fifth step were added.

Or more precisely, another two steps were now between the already existing ones.

Out loud, Shin Sumi recited.

"After the Shinsoo has entered the body using the previously mentioned breathing technique, the next step is to use the Flowing Shinsoo breathing technique to refine the Shinsoo and leave out all impurities."

"After the first passageways have been cleared, the steps one through four should be followed again until all the sixty-four passageways have been opened."

For some reason, the added steps seemed to be more precise than the other three.

For the first time in her life, Shin Sumi started to doubt her reading abilities. Since when did she start forgetting about a book's content ?

The old book was still floating unmoving in the air when Shin Sumi took out the newcomer's manual from her bag of holding.

Quickly opening it up, she tried to find the passage about the three steps of the Shinsoo Gathering Manual. But no matter how much she flipped the clear white pages, she couldn't find it again.

Instead Shin Sumi only found a couple of blank pages where the Shinsoo Gathering Manual was located.

"What is going on here ? It's almost as if... the old book stole what was written on the guide. But I'm certain there were only three steps. Could it be that this magical book upgraded the information ?"

Shin Sumi was feeling a mix of emotions that couldn't be described with words.

Pondering for a moment, she put the newcomer's manual away in her bag of holding.

"Why did only the Shinsoo Gathering Manual get stolen ? Is it because it describes cultivation ? After all it's the only part of the book that was really about Immortal stuff."

A new idea slowly bloomed into Shin Sumi's mind.

Her eyes were shining like two pearls with excitement.

"I know my talent is severely lacking. I think for now it is best if I keep a low profile. But if the information on this page is true then once I get to the second step of Shinsoo Gathering, I should see changes in my cultivation that nobody else has !"

Shin Sumi had decided that this new life of hers in the Dark Sky Starry Sect was a good opportunity for change.

She had tried to make friends, but that was a failure.

Considering her severe lack of talent, she quickly discarded the idea of going back to that Chu Erlong girl after getting her green or blue robes. She might be able to scare the girl with her apparent talent, but if any altercation ensured her true level would be instantly revealed.

But if instead Shin Sumi could cultivate with the method inscribed in the true Shinsoo Gathering Manual her talent would advance by leaps and bounds !

If Shin Sumi couldn't make friends in this new life, she wouldn't let people bully her again.

Taking the old leafy book in her right hand, Shin Sumi didn't have to do anything. Instantly the vortex reappeared and transformed the book back into a small nut.

In a flash of light, the deep red leaf pattern on her wrist shone and the nut disappeared completely.

"Strange... It must be some sort of summoning magical art."

Shin Sumi had no idea what she was talking about but in the history of the Dark Sky Starry Sect there were many instances of magic use. With her shallow knowledge she could only take a guess at what was happening with the nut.

***

Shin Sumi decided to not go back to her courtyard for now.

The lower valley in the sect was a big place spanning a few kilometers and there were many things to see.

Most of the valley was occupied by forest areas or dormitory for Honorary Disciples.

The Dark Sky Starry Sect could only be described as a middle ranking sect in the Light Shore country, and was the house to a bit more than ten thousand mortals who hadn't attained the Liquid Realm yet.

Obviously all those Honorary Disciples couldn't have their own courtyard like Shin Sumi did.

In fact all of the red robed disciples lived in big dormitory areas, sharing rooms with each other.

Only the orange robed disciples and above could have their own houses, and only those above yellow could be considered for a courtyard.

But in a small sect like the Dark Sky Starry Sect, the yellow talent individuals could be counted on the fingers of two hands.

Above the yellow robes, green blue or the mythical violet robes were virtually nonexistent.