Chapter 25

"The Tiger mountain school," I say out loud when we have gathered all of what is the school board at the moment. There is me, Ha, Xi, Tion, and Xia, we are sitting down to have tea and strategize together. "Hear of it?" I ask Tion, she is the only one of us with any experience in the area. I will have a chat with Tun the priest and the village head later to sound them out about the sect as well. "No, but it is not surprising. Many sects have their own aims and hide. They usually fight amongst themselves or work as mercenaries for lords in time of strife." She says and sips on the cup of tea thinking. "Well, then we need information," I say and everyone nod. "I will send to my family and ask if they know anything." Tion tells us and the others have their own sources they can try and talk too.

I'm happy when I do not have to do anymore and go back to the drawing board for the school. Some plans are already put in motion like clearing the area and building up some parts. We will dry the lumber this year and cut it later for timber to build with. In the meantime, I am working on contraptions for my own enjoyment. I also teach Xia advanced forms of bookkeeping like double entry bookkeeping. She has her own plans for our farm planned to lie below the school, but this is a separate project and more hers than mine.

Weeks later Tion and Xia bring tea and snacks out to the building site. Sitting overlooking the fifteen or so men working I can both enjoy their company and appreciate the power of cultivation at the lower ranks in this world. The men are and barely what others would call first rank cultivators but they can still toss large stones around like gravel and the work is progressing at a frightening pace. I am wondering what truly battle oriented cultivators in this world can do.

"There is very little information on this sect. My mother has had some to do with them, but they are interested in their own things rather than worldly power." She tells us while I get to enjoy my wife's cakes. "Is this good?" Xia asks when no one else speaks. I kind of have to shrug since I have no idea, but it seems to be my turn to talk. "Don't know truly. I think it means we do not know what drives them." Tion nods at this giving me a signal I have at least gotten the gist of it. "That is worrying." Ha is the next to speak. I don't know why but after Xi knocked her up it seems to me her words have gained additional weight. Maybe it is because she is speaking for two, or maybe because being pregnant is a hassle. "No, I have to agree with my sister, this is not good." I agree and begin wondering what can be done about it. The danger might be there and I have no idea if or what it is.

Our day outside away from work passes and soon I am back to work. My days are filled with teaching all the students who have an aptitude for learning my more "pure" dao. I also spend time writing manuals on all the different teachings. It is a lot of work since it is the first time I put my thoughts into words. Developing a curriculum from scratch while at the same time working out the kinks in my own is not easy. Teaching Xia while I do so is helping since with her I feel I don't have to be all-knowing. The plusses with having a wife turn out to be many more than I ever imagined before and rather than an anchor dragging me down she is helping me stay afloat with all the work.

Time passes and soon we lay out the design for the buildings and begin putting up the foundations. It is an exciting time and my brothers are helping me a lot with being foremen directing the work and putting my vision into reality. I have designed the school with four terraces each with their own function.

"We had a look at your designs brother and liked them. Putting all the students up here at the top together we find a good idea." My brother La tells me and show me their outlines. "We thought you were too generous with space so we changed it a little and instead changed it so there is more space for recreation around the buildings." He says and shows me their thoughts. I am so happy they have a better understanding of space than me. "I like it, maybe if it really is hurting we can make the buildings two stories," I say and look it over. "That could work fine," Lu says.

Walking down from the upper level we descend down one level. "I really like the staircase, cutting it into the stone like this is nice," I say and let my hand pass over the stone as we descend. "Yeah, it is a good experience for our workers." Lu says and looks it over "had been nice with some artwork though." I have to agree with him in this "let us hold off on it and look at what the school will produce before we put something down." they nod and I think of actually making place somewhere for all the people helping me and building the school.

"Having all the buildings in danger of burning above has given us some good opportunities for construction down here," Lu says and show us his designs. "We have thought to have the main hall built in wood, but with stone pillars for effect." He points over to long stone pillars laying on the side. "We had some luck and managed to extract those six with no problems." He smiles at us and points it out. "Should make for a fantastic hall." He goes on showing us the smaller buildings on the sides and open spaces. "We have tried to incorporating the defences Tion mentioned, but we have not worked on it," Lu says and we look on the open spaces with steep drops on the downside. "It is kind of strange how the platforms butt out. It looks mighty though." La says and we just have to agree. "Dad has helped us loads with removing all the earth and threes." La says and then go on "But I am proud of what we have built here."

Again we descend the stairs and look over the large empty space around us. "Here we are level with the village and this will probably be the entrance to the school. We have cobbled the road up to here and then made a circle where you can choose where to go next. Should hide the gardens and the school from prying eyes and give some control over the entrance." La says and we look around. "Here I need to work more on the designs. The layout will be important, but I need to work more on it." I tell them and look at what is supposed to be the cultivation gardens, the crowning achievement of the school. I have a theory that I can artificially increase the density of heavenly energy if I build this right, but I will need to experiment more with it.

We stand above the level beyond, nothing much to look at and no reason to go down there. "Your mansion will lay by that door, Xia has agreed to it." La points out and I agree, I couldn't care less. This is Xia's project, the school is important to me. "Good, this all looks amazing and I am really impressed, just tell me if there is something I can do to either help you or your workers," I tell them and get kind of hungry smiles back. It is a bad case of having a lot and wanting more.

"It looks good," I say to my two brothers one evening when they have both been here working. "It does, the speed increase has been amazing," Lu answers and looks it all over. "No wonder that cultivators are renowned for their massive buildings. If they can work faster than this a new fortress would take months not years." La says and looks it all over with a smile. He has been mostly in charge of the masons, mostly being taught here. "Why don't they?" I ask and look around. "Fighting I think, even Tion is scared at how open you are with your teaching. She told my wife that the manuals in one's school are the most priced treasure." I look over at him, she has told me no such thing. "That sounds stupid, the more that know the more is possible to be done," I say and my brothers nod. "But then again, with such power, it is easy to see lord being scared for their position," La says and after his remark and how I heard people talk in Nassan, I kind of have to agree.