Seeing the young cultivator before him sink into thought, Daoist Chongling was in no hurry. He knew how precious the chance to join the Daoist Sect was to a cultivator!
Especially for an unaffiliated cultivator of mediocre aptitude, the difference in resources was like heaven and earth, to say nothing of a stable environment, instruction from elders, support from fellow disciples, a complete and detailed system, and an inexhaustible wealth of mystic arts and marvelous techniques to study.
These were things rogue cultivators could never hope to encounter. While cultivating on their own, they fought tooth and nail for the occasional gain, and even without knowing whether it suited them, they would treasure it and practice it diligently.
And all of this might be obtained by taking the risk of infiltrating the Demonic Sect. Eight or ten years at most, two or three at least-for a cultivator's lifetime, it was well worth it.
Only after a long while did Hou Niao ask, "What if I do everything I can and still fail to get into the Demonic Sect?"
Chongling did not hesitate. "After three years, you will still be admitted into the Anhe Daoist Sect, because I trust your character. You won't deliberately let things go to ruin. Besides, how much worse could you possibly get than you are now?"
"How will the extent of my contributions be assessed?"
"There is no fixed way to assess them. It comes down to a tacit understanding between us. As long as our hearts are in the right place, there will surely be a standard to judge by."
"Will the Demonic Sect lower its admission standards considerably during its mass recruitment?"
"Precisely. The Demonic Sect has always made entry easy and advancement difficult, unlike our Daoist Sect, where entry is difficult and advancement easy. That is a difference in philosophy. Getting in will be easy, but the competition will be fierce. I don't want to mislead you with talk of boundless prospects. If you decide to go, you must prepare yourself for that."
"How many people know I'm going to infiltrate the Demonic Sect?"
"Two! Martial Uncle Lu, a Golden Core cultivator, and me. After today, he will forget this matter, because he wants nothing to do with a fellow with no prospects! I alone will hold all the information about you. Nothing will be entered in the Daoist Register, no records kept, nothing put in writing."
"In other words, if you die, I'll become a Demonic Sect disciple for good, with no chance of ever returning to the Daoist Sect?"
"You could understand it that way! This helps keep you safe, but as you know, there is no foolproof plan in this world. If you want something kept secret, you have to take a little risk."
"Could you be more specific?"
Daoist Chongling smiled inwardly. This fellow has finally stepped into the trap! In truth, he did not have much faith in the young fellow's prospects in the Demonic Sect. At most, he might manage to become a low-ranking member. There was no hope of him infiltrating its upper ranks.
On the other hand, he felt this fellow would adapt well to the Demonic Sect's environment, because people there most admired men like Hou Niao, decisive and ruthless when it came to killing. There was still hope of him getting by at the bottom. Besides, Chongling's own realm limited him; he did not need information from too high up, nor could he handle it.
Low-level information would suit him just fine.
"First, although you have not been admitted into the Daoist Sect, to help you advance more smoothly and increase this operation's chances of success, I will provide as much assistance in resources as I can, including Spirit Stones, cultivation methods, materials, and so on.
"Of course, these will all be the most basic kinds. It would be inappropriate for you to learn teachings exclusive to the Daoist Sect. They would arouse suspicion.
"Second, you cannot travel to the border with me. That would easily attract attention. You must go alone. Once we part today, you will receive no further help from me until you have established yourself in the Great Wind Plain Demonic Sect Branch."
"Finally, if you really succeed, don't rush to make contact. You will need time to lay a solid foundation and gain trust, rather than hurry to pass on information. I will decide when we make contact. Liuyang and the Great Wind Plains are only a border apart. I imagine we will have no shortage of opportunities to meet.
"My advice is to forget your identity as an undercover agent for at least the first two or three years. You must first find a way to survive there."
Hou Niao was meticulous in his thinking, an essential quality for someone who worked in criminal law. Relatively speaking, this quality made him better suited to the task than those favored sons of heaven who had grown up in the Daoist Sect.
For a life-risking business like going undercover, Daoist learning came second. First, one had to learn how to deal with people.
"Then do you need to arrange a new identity for me?"
Daoist Chongling shook his head. "No fabricated identity can stand up to scrutiny, especially for a living, breathing man in his twenties like you!
"Creating a false identity would involve more people, from household registration officials and village elders to the neighbors on either side. In the end, you would find holes everywhere. If a single link leaked, you would be completely exposed.
"Besides, who would investigate a low-ranking demonic cultivator like you? Unless one day you rose to a high position."
He continued explaining, "Go under your real identity, as someone on the Criminal Register of Fufeng City, Sanjiang Prefecture, Guangchuan Continent, Anhe Kingdom. All of that genuinely exists and can stand up to scrutiny.
"You were wronged by the Daoist Sect and dragged to the Anhe Prayer Sacrificial Altar as a sacrifice. You survived by luck, only to suffer unequal treatment from the Daoist Sect, one praised and the other disparaged.
"And so resentment built up in your heart, and you swore revenge, determined to master the skills to wash the Anhe Daoist Sect in blood. That was why you left for a distant land to seek advancement!
"You see? It fits without a gap. What need is there for a new identity?"
Hou Niao sighed. "Daoist Master, you truly are divine. You've laid out the course of my thoughts with perfect clarity. That is exactly what I was thinking!"
Daoist Chongling gave him a meaningful look. "I can understand how you felt at the time. But after a few days, once you have calmed down completely, you will know what choice to make. Perhaps those pointless grievances will disappear?
"I have one piece of advice: never make decisions when you're angry. That is where regret begins!"
"Was the man who spoke so harshly at the altar your martial uncle?"
Chongling nodded in satisfaction. This lad was sharp, a good choice for this sort of work.
"Indeed. Otherwise, did you think the Daoist Sect really had such a shallow fellow, indulging his tongue to humiliate an insignificant little nobody? It was only a performance for others to see, to give you a reason to defect from the Anhe Daoist Sect."
Everything had been planned perfectly, but Hou Niao knew Daoist Chongling was helping him, only in a very peculiar way.
Daoists all had such strange temperaments. They were clearly repaying a debt of gratitude, yet dressed themselves up as cold, indiscriminate schemers.
After years of cultivation, he had not advanced an inch within the Pulse Movement Realm. Why should going to the Demonic Sect let this salted fish turn his fortunes around? The benefits from the immortal at the altar had gone to the Anhe Daoist Sect, not to him, Hou Niao.
Taking such a long, winding route amounted to nothing more than wanting to give him resources, Spirit Stones, and cultivation methods, and let him lie low in Shan Kingdom. Success in cultivation would be best; if he failed, he could still settle far away as a wealthy man.
This was the Daoist Sect, with its peculiar Daoist hearts.
If this were truly a plan of the Daoist Sect's, he would not go. But this was Chongling's goodwill, and he could not refuse!
I haven't even joined the Daoist Sect, and I'm already becoming peculiar too?
Hou Niao set down his wine cup. He decided to accept; that would put everyone at ease.
"All right. I'll go!"
Daoist Chongling watched him swallow the last mouthful of noodle broth, rise, briefly cup his hands, then turn and disappear into the drizzle.
At that moment, something seemed to touch him, but he could not grasp that elusive feeling. He could only watch the figure recede farther and farther into the distance.
Luggage slung over one shoulder, a lonely scholar with books and sword...