Fighting to be Kind in a Cultivation World

As I’m lying down on the carriage seat, I visualize where we will need to go after getting our cultivation methods.

Something that already could take a day or more.

Most likely, this step is already the one that will separate the groups in terms of coordination. Some people will already know what they need to do, while others will need guidance from the librarians, who are true experts on all the different methods available.

This will make it so that some people move onto the next steps and can leave, while others could be there for days. Only inner court members would be allowed to go for longer than a few days, at most.

They should be able to guide new sect members in making a decent choice by training those put into those sections.

With that said, for the outer court members, they may just suggest the sect’s generalized light-based method. A good way for those of average strength to become one of the sect’s guards. A relatively prestigious position for a normal cultivator.

But that won’t be the right choice for these guys. Such a method wouldn't have utilized their individual strengths optimally, even if I hadn't improved them.

Its main strength lies in how it assists in the sects’ formations. Not the type where there is a formation flag placed, but when hundreds of sect members using the same cultivation technique combine their technique to make something greater than the sum of its parts.

But they don’t need to actually learn the aforementioned cultivation method to learn the technique. It just makes it more effective and easier to do so.

With that in mind, it might actually be more effective for me to go to each person now, with what type of method would work best for them. This would give them the what they need, so the librarians, based on that knowledge, could accurately guide them.

I can already see the scenario of a librarian taking offense to an outer court member going against their advice, so I run my scan on ways to avoid that. Which just comes down to approaching the library as a group and informing the desk that this is my group, who are looking to get their cultivation methods. While introducing myself as the core disciple for Sister Nuan.

With this approach, they should treat anything my people say as though they’ve already gotten guidance, which they had.

After they receive their methods and techniques, they’ll head to the Sect Repository, where they can either purchase or receive their cultivation resources. For those in the inner court, they’ll receive resources and money as support.

As could be expected, outer court members receive nothing.

My thoughts pass quickly as the sun lifts over the horizon, with some others waking.

I use this as an opportunity to approach people one by one with what method they should be getting. Many are surprised to hear about certain affinities they had, but accept it, considering that I was the one who healed them.

There are benefits to being a healer. People assume you’ve learned what you needed to from their body if they’ve trusted you with that information.

Others… were not so receptive.

“I’m sorry, Young Master, but I’ve promised my family I’d learn the Seven Winds cultivation method…”

The young man before me is from one of the noble families. He seems strangely disheartened by his own words.

‘Strange’, if I didn’t know his situation.

This is one person who my scan informed me I might have issues with. Not due to him, but pressure from his family.

He was the one with an above average potential. His brother actually had lower potential than him.

But guess who was the favored son? Not this guy.

By this time, most people are awake and are now looking over at the person who denied my advice.

I can already see some twisted faces and people about to speak up, so I raise a hand for silence.

“Liu Wei, I understand the situation you are going through with your family. I know you don’t want to be held subordinate to your, to be frank, malicious, older brother. And that they are using the cultivation method as a bind. Putting down your cultivation base and suppressing your progression below your brother’s.”

Several eyes soften at this, particularly those of the noble group.

Unfortunately, interfamily conflicts are completely normal and expected. Things like this happen all the time, but despite that, something universally disliked. 

The Seven Winds method isn’t a bad one… but it is fully owned by his family. Not only that, but they have a superior one that will probably go to his brother.

So, not only would they be able to deny him progression in the method by not giving him the next parts to it, but they also would support his brother with a better method and likely more resources.

Liu Wei seems surprised at my knowledge of his situation. But as seems to happen frequently, he comes to some understanding on his own.

“So, it is already known to that point… I don’t know what to do. Even after entering your group, I won’t be able to escape their reach.”

I think for a moment. Letting the conversation scan run through me.

A lot of eyes are on me. What I say here will determine how and where my members rely on me. And to what extent.

How far am I willing to go for them?

… to be frank, I’d wish for each one of them to defend each other to the death on a battlefield. Something that may unfortunately happen in the future, considering all the crazy things that happen in this world.

The sect would most definitely expect them to fight on its behalf, in both an emergency and in calls to action, but I want something deeper than that. A group that will actually care about each other and will work to help, even if they aren’t being forced to.

It starts with me.

I look away from him. A collective breath is released from the group and Liu Wei looks down at this.

“Young master, I’m sorry to have…”

I hold up another hand to have him stop for a moment.

Really going over my options with the conversation scan. Literally thinking through what I want to say.

“You all likely do not know my origins…”

Just at these words, I have the entire group’s attention.

Even Ai and Lin.

While they have heard far more than the others, where I come from is probably still a mystery to them.

“I come from a land an unimaginable distance away from here. Someplace with different societal rules, cultures, and things to live by.

“But there were a few things that carried over to this one. One being that family is extraordinarily important in a person’s life.”

I can practically feel the disappointment rise from Liu Wei. I can tell there was a piece of him hoping to buck the trend.

“… With that said, there were a few words that match this situation from a Marge Kennedy.

“’… family is what you make it. It is made strong, not by number of heads counted at the dinner table, but by the rituals you help family members create, by the memories you share, by the commitment of time, caring, and love you show to one another, and by the hopes for the future you have as individuals and as a unit.’”

I look directly at him.

“Do you feel as if you have a strong family, full of love and care?”

A wry, sad smile is on his face.

“… not for me, young master. Not for me.”

I give him a small smile in return.

“There’s another quote from my homeland for you, then.

“‘Family isn’t always blood, it’s the people in your life who want you in theirs…’”

The air grows still.

What is meant to be a heartwarming moment is one of shock. But my conversation scan is not mistaken in the impact on them, especially for people in this culture. Even more so for nobles, where their family heads are comparable to rulers. Meant to be obeyed without question.

You do not leave. They exile you.

Liu Wei shakily asks me a question.

“… Are you saying that I should leave my family?”

I shake my head.

“No. I’m not saying that.”

There are some sighs of relief. But I immediately follow up with something else.

“But I believe it is your right to find a family that will truly care for you. And by joining my group, I want to protect you to the best of my ability… even when, as they say here, it is ‘family business’ and not mine.”

Once again, the group goes silent. This is the time to push further.

“… And even in the worst-case scenario, I would dare to defend you from high tier experts, seeking to drag you before your family elders. Because when you joined me, you became irreversibly tied to me. And I to you.”

I can hear heavy breaths coming from one area, pulling my attention away from him and locking eyes with the blond-haired, red eye noblewoman, Shi Ji.

She seems quite invigorated by this.

When I gathered my attention back on Liu Wei, he gave me a grateful look.

My intentions went through.

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