As Hou Niao waited, a Daoist paced out, holding a rolled-up book behind his back.
His black hair was like silk, his eyes like the stars and moon, his figure like a spear. A sword bag hung diagonally across his back.
Looking at Hou Niao, he nodded and said gently, "Hou Niao of Fufeng? I am Li Chuping, one of the three chief officials overseeing Quanzhen's recruitment this time. There is no need to be nervous. Just relax."
Hou Niao formally paid his respects. This was a true senior. "Greetings, Daoist Master. May I ask when the test will begin?"
Daoist Chuping waved a hand. "No hurry, no hurry. Let me ask you: what exactly happened during the Anhe Prayer?"
Hou Niao answered cautiously, "This disciple's realm is low and his knowledge shallow. I can only recount what happened. As for the profound principles involved, I was truly lost in a fog, unable to make sense of it..."
Daoist Chuping laughed. "Just the events. I wasn't expecting anything else..."
Hou Niao recounted everything that had happened that day exactly as it had occurred, neither exaggerating nor concealing anything. Apart from the effects it had had on himself, he hid nothing. He did not think there were any Daoist Sect secrets involved.
After listening, Daoist Chuping felt there was something worth pondering, but did not pursue it. Asking a mere Pulse Movement cultivator to gauge the depths of heaven's will would truly have been asking too much of him.
"...So you also killed someone during the Prayer. I was wondering why the Daoist Sect had cast you aside like a worn-out shoe. So that was it."
"He wanted to possess my body, so I could only... I had no choice!"
That made things clear. With this fellow's temperament, he would indeed find little favor with the Daoist Sect. His realm was low, yet he was impulsive and quick to kill, outside the standards of conduct the Daoist Sect required of its disciples. Instead, he was more to the Demonic Sect's taste. Thus, although his choice appeared impulsive, there had been calculation in it too.
Quanzhen's recruitment had been forced by circumstances. The higher ranks sensed that wind and rain were about to sweep the continent, so they were placing their pieces in advance. So-called demonic sects like theirs had their own difficulties when recruiting.
Most disciples were raised from childhood. They were loyal, but might not become true practitioners of the sword. That depended on each person's innate nature; those unsuited to it were simply unsuited.
The rogue cultivators recruited from outside had the disposition for killing and combat, but they joined midway through their lives, wild and unruly, doing as they pleased. Quite a few shared the same bed while dreaming different dreams. It was a contradictory business.
But since wind and rain were coming, conflict over the Dao and fighting would be inevitable. For a sect, fighting strength was fundamental. That was the reason for this large recruitment.
In fact, much had not been disclosed to outsiders. For instance, Quanzhen had quietly relaxed its standards considerably for this recruitment, which would allow some unqualified rogue cultivators to enter, particularly certain villains whose evil deeds were plain for all to see.
It could not be helped. Even within the Quanzhen Sect, there were two factions whose opinions differed, and the arguing had continued to this day. Such matters were not for outsiders to hear.
This Hou Niao conducted himself uprightly, something relatively rare among rogue cultivators. After Right River Town sent a request for assistance with the investigation, the Commandant's Office's secret agents had handled it. As the head of the Commandant's Office, he had found this man's life quite interesting, and had thus developed an appreciation for his talent.
Now, he seemed quite good. Apart from his low realm, he was a very suitable seedling for sword cultivation.
His own preference was precisely for this sort of character with the bearing of the ancients.
"So-called body possession is a vague and elusive legend to begin with. Few succeed, yet it leaves endless troubles in its wake. In particular, I have never heard of anyone successfully possessing a body during a Prayer.
"But countless such tales circulate among rogue cultivators. In truth, they are merely clinging to a one-in-ten-thousand chance, a great taboo in cultivation. The one you encountered probably learned some crude method from who knows where. Harming others without benefiting himself, he brought it upon himself."
Hou Niao felt that this Daoist Master was very friendly, if a little long-winded. He kept asking about things unrelated to the assessment, including cultivation methods, cultivation, and precautions for the Qi Gathering stage, but never mentioned when the assessment would begin.
He patiently kept up the conversation. If the Daoist Master did not mention it, surely he could not take the initiative to ask? Countless rogue cultivators had come to try their luck at Quanzhen's recruitment. If every one of them received this much attention, how could they possibly manage?
Half an hour later, Daoist Chuping waved a hand. "Go wait for news at the Sword Manor's outer lodge. Quite a few fellow Daoists have come lately. For fairness's sake, it will be nearly a month before the results are posted. Cultivate diligently in the meantime. Those three Qi Gathering cultivation methods of yours are good. My personal advice is that, since you have begun, you should not change them."
Hou Niao was a little bewildered. He was being shown the door already?
He could not hold back any longer. "Daoist Master, I haven't taken the Sword Gall test yet?"
Daoist Chuping broke into an involuntary laugh. "What test? There is no need! Your experiences have already said it all!
"Killing a man in the hall at Fufeng showed unbending integrity. Beheading the shrimp general at Liupan showed no fear of the strong and tyrannical. Fighting back during the Prayer showed the wisdom to protect yourself... These are Sword Gall!
"Did you think I would drag out a monster for you to prove yourself against? You underestimate our Quanzhen's methods far too much!"
Hou Niao breathed a sigh of relief. This Daoist Master liked leaving things half-said, keeping people dangling in suspense.
"Thank you for granting me this opportunity, Daoist Master!"
Chuping nodded in satisfaction. "You earned it yourself. There is no need to thank me. Also, as for this sort of advance selection, do not spread it around..."
Hou Niao understood perfectly.
Leaving the courtyard, he sighed inwardly. Everywhere had its own jianghu, even cultivation sects. There were no exceptions.
Clearly, he had been taken into Daoist Chuping's faction, the line of his examining master. He did not know which great figure stood above this faction, but its underlings certainly included the four masters of Right River Town.
Taking sides was normal. Admiring one's own solitary fragrance offered no future, especially when one's own strength was insufficient. Since he would have to choose a side sooner or later, at least this Chuping faction seemed fairly decent from top to bottom?
What right did an undercover turncoat like him have to pick and choose?
The meaning behind Daoist Chuping's words was already clear. His Sword Gall was fine; the problem was his realm. Realm without gall made one a weakling; gall without realm made one a reckless brute; only with both gall and realm could one be a hero.
Cultivation demanded consideration of every aspect. The difference lay only in the emphasis, just as with the distinction between Daoist and demonic sects: the Daoist Sect placed greater weight on realm, while Quanzhen used gall as its measure.
Daoist Wang led him to the outer lodge, where Jincheng Sword Manor received fellow cultivators. It had now become the place that housed cultivators taking the entrance assessment.
Clearly, this fellow also belonged to Daoist Chuping's faction. Without any change in his expression, he handed over a bamboo scroll.
"While cultivating, do not forget the foundation on which Quanzhen was established. Here are three sets of sword techniques, all fundamental teachings passed down in our sect for thousands of years. Do not treat them lightly simply because they are mortal skills.
"These are the basics. Familiarizing yourself with them early can only help. A cultivator without a strong grounding in sword techniques can never become a qualified sword cultivator."
Knowing this was Daoist Chuping's kindness, he did not refuse. It was something he would have to do sooner or later, and he could use it to familiarize himself with his body's new strength during this period of physical transformation.
"Thank you, fellow Daoist. Without you, my journey here would not have gone so smoothly."
Daoist Wang chuckled. "No need to be so polite. Just call me Senior Brother Wang. I'm very familiar with Fatty Pang and the others."
Hou Niao thought for a moment. "Daoist Master Chuping, hmm, in Jincheng, he is..."
Daoist Wang knew what he was asking. "Jincheng's three outstanding men of Quanzhen: Governor-Commander You Sunzhi, General Gao Jianli, and Commandant Li Chuping. The three of them oversee the entire Upper Region of the Great Wind Plains."
Hou Niao nodded. It seemed that the Quanzhen Demonic Sect was closely intertwined with this country.
Daoist Wang glanced at him, somewhat unable to understand why the commandant valued this minor cultivator so highly, and therefore reminded him:
"Commandant Li has a profound family tradition of learning and extraordinary natural talent. He is famous not only in the Great Wind Plains, but throughout the Shan Kingdom. There is a poem to attest to it:
"Among Marquis Liu's disciples was Chuping, who at nine followed his master to dwell in the Jade Capital. Heaven bestowed several books, all written in birds' tracks; his family's inherited sword was a dragon's essence..."