Though chief Li had spoken directly to him, Wuxian felt as if the words had passed into one ear and directly out the other. He blinked twice with a blank look.
“I had never considered that as a possibility.” He admitted frankly.
Chief Li smiled knowingly. “Your reaction in that regard is to be expected.”
“What do you mean?”
“Usually, people who actively seek to join the Jade Garden are not recruited.”
Wuxian looked at Li’s smile with an odd expression.
“I’m afraid I don’t quite understand.”
Chief Li waved a hand, leaning on his arm. “The Nightwatch is one of those connections to the mortal world that the sect maintains, as I previously mentioned, albeit rather briefly. The Jade Garden acquires most of its fresh blood from Cang’An city, yes, but unlike most other sects, it does not hold open examination days, or anything of the sort. Rather, elders and inner sect disciples take the initiative to recruit individuals of interest. However, Cang’An city is large and it is not possible for the sect members to conduct large scale investigations to search for a potential successor.”
Wuxian nodded in understanding. “The Nightwatch serves the purposes of both defending the city from things the city guard aren’t able to handle, while at the same time, acting as a concentration of talent that can be cherry-picked at will.”
“Exactly.” Chief Li said smilingly. “Although the Nightwatch is not as strict as the sect pertaining to matters of recruitment, we don’t go around loudly advertising either. While the lower rungs of bronze badges are filled with average martial practitioners, those who are appointed silver and gold badges are personally examined by me. While citizens may be aware of the Nightwatch as an organisation, they would at most consider us to be a more elite police force consisting of martial practitioners, when in reality, our top end consists almost entirely of cultivators.”
“Those that are recruited are not informed that the Nightwatch is somewhat of a display platform for the sect to pick from. As such, the chances of them having ulterior motives or attempting to join the sect as spies is drastically lower. Additionally, you’ll find that those who have joined the Nightwatch to hold the security of this city amongst their top priorities- from this you can see that the Nightwatch not only gathers talent, but also those that are inclined towards justice and good morals. It serves as a method of producing not only talented fighters, but righteous characters too.”
Hearing this, Wuxian felt a sense of bewilderment. He had originally been trying to get into chief Li’s good graces merely so that he could gather some information and to understand his own position amongst the various circumstances, but this information seemed a little more valuable than what he was expecting.
‘It would seem that even if he does not trust me, or believes that I have ulterior motives, he thinks that because of my character, I am worth recruiting? However, this seems a bit abrupt for someone like chief Li. Right now, the city is amidst a serious crisis, if I join the Jade Garden, wouldn’t they whisk me away to the sect, away from the city? In that case, I would not be able to contribute my combat power to defending the city and its people.’
Wuxian pinched his chin thoughtfully. ‘Someone who holds ulterior motives against the city of Cang’An would most likely be hostile to the Jade Garden, the sect that is in control of the surrounding territories, as well. In the hypothetical scenario that I am hostile to them, wouldn’t transferring me to the sect merely help advance my goal of sabotaging them?’
He raised his gaze to meet chief Li’s enigmatic smile, a slight glimmer concealed within his eyes.
“With your recommendation, any individual that is suitable enough can join the Jade Garden?” He asked slowly.
“So long as someone within the sect is currently looking for a protege, of course. Otherwise, yes, I do possess that authority.” Li replied, his smile deepening ever so slightly.
While they spoke aloud, a silent conversation took place at the same time, consisting entirely of vague body language and non-verbal movements. Wuxian now felt fairly certain he understood what chief Li wanted, what he was offering, Wuxian just had yet to obtain a direct confirmation, nor had he decided whether he wanted to accept the offer or not.
Suddenly, Wuxian turned his head slightly, casting a sharp gaze to the side. “You said that it is the people sect-side who decide. Does that mean that the potential disciple has no say in who their master is?”
Chief Li’s smile lessened, clearly surprised that Wuxian had managed to carry out such an analysis of his wordplay so quickly.
“Not bad, your wits are quicker than I’d initially been led to believe.” He commented in a slightly backhanded manner.
Wuxian ignored his words with a slight shrug. “Regardless, your ability to keep recruitment so secret, yet still manage to induct new members to the point where the Nightwatch is this large already, is impressive, to say the least.”
“No, as I said previously, I had not considered joining the Jade Garden, partially because it had not entered my radar, and partially because though I have lost my memories, I feel that it is likely I have previously been attached to another faction in the past. It would be disingenuous for me to join and freeload on the sect, only to leave once my memories return, taking the sect’s investment with me.” He lied.
Chief Li’s expression flickered briefly, slight doubt appearing for a fraction of a section before vanishing, replaced with the ubiquitous smile that usually sat there. Wuxian wasn’t sure towards what that doubt was directed, nor why, nor even if he saw doubt at all and that his eyes were playing tricks on him instead. But before he could make any conjectures, the chief spoke first.
“Maybe I’m making a blind guess, but it seems to me as if you’re undergoing an inner demon tribulation.”
Wuxian gave him a wary look. He was already used to chief Li being able to discern matters relating to his cultivation, but it was jarring nonetheless.
‘But an inner demon tribulation? Big North said that soft tribulations are difficult to detect externally- does that mean that chief Li is capable of divination, or some other method that allows him to not only detect one’s cultivation base, but also things like tribulations?’
He quickly dismissed the latter thought. For cultivators of higher cultivation bases than the target, they merely had to glance at one’s spirit body in order to ascertain the target’s cultivation progress, since things like the tempering of one’s meridians, the size of the dantians, and so on, could not be hidden. For a Qi Condenser, at least, not without a dedicated mystic art. On the other hand, the possibility that chief Li had the ability to conduct divinations was questionable as well. According to what Wuxian knew, chief Li’s biggest priority was the safety of Cang’An city. Wuxian’s own goals did not go against this- he only wanted to strengthen himself and leave before things became too dangerous for him.
If chief Li had divined Wuxian’s motives, then he’d know this too. Maybe chief Li didn’t have a divination technique, or maybe he did, but hadn’t used it on Wuxian because of the price he’d have to pay to do so. After all, matters relating to the lives of many, like the safety of the residents of Cang’An, would definitely be things that Heaven’s will would not relinquish easily.
Wuxian felt a slight headache come on. Attempting to predict the thoughts of someone like chief Li was something that was doomed to fail.
After speaking, Li had allowed Wuxian time to contemplate, watching his internal struggles with a kind smile. Seeing that things had cleared up, at least, temporarily, he continued.
“If you’re wondering, it’s because the headquarters hasn’t been struck by tribulation lightning. Without special methods, it’s not possible for a tribulation to be bypassed, so if it’s not a lightning tribulation, it has to be an inner demon trial instead.” He explained helpfully.
“Aren’t there many types of tribulation? How could you directly assume the only two possible tribulations to be either a lightning or inner demon trial?” Wuxian frowned.
“In the future, yes. Not for a Qi Condenser, however.”
“Ah. I see.”
With a gentle wave of his sleeve, chief Li redirected the conversation.
“What I intended by bringing this up was not to threaten you in any way, but to provide you with a potential way forward. Cutting directly to the chase- the sect can very easily help you in dispelling your inner demon tribulation. There are a multitude of both natal and artificial artifacts that are designed specifically to allow a cultivator to disable the inner demon and hinder its gathering of energy. This way, the inner demon would no longer pose a threat to the cultivator’s life, allowing them to cultivate in peace until eventually, it becomes completely harmless to them.”
Wuxian felt the urge to scoff out loud, but swiftly reigned himself in.
‘In that case, I would not be able to receive the heavenly talent bestowed upon a cultivator after passing the inner demon tribulation. Temporarily suppressing the tribulation should always be a last resort. In a cultivator’s life, there are only so many opportunities to obtain a heavenly talent- if I do not make the most out of my situation, then I will be no better than an animal. Besides, with the Survey of Mountains and Rivers, I am already on track to not only breaking through, but overcoming the trial as well. To already consider a way out before having even started attempting to pass legitimately is nothing short of foolish.’
Maintaining a neutral expression, Wuxian stayed silent. While he knew the benefits and drawbacks associated with suppressing an inner demon, chief Li did not know that he was privy to said information, nor did he need to know.
After a moment of mock consideration, Wuxian shook his head. “No, I am confident in my own abilities. I do not wish to rely on anyone else.”
“That is a fair response.” Li replied casually, as if he had been expecting such an outcome. “In that case, it seems that I cannot convince you to join the sect.”
“Well, you’ve already heard my opinions on the sect anyway. If I did seek to join an organisation capable of supporting my growth, it would most certainly not be one that is potentially on its last legs. While I cannot claim to be wise or particularly rational, getting aboard a boat that is missing a mast, a steering wheel and half of its crew is something that even I know better than to do.” Wuxian stated matter of factly. “And even if I was feeling particularly suicidal, I would be making the decision to do so on my own terms
“Sometimes, you’ll find that one is not always at liberty to present their own terms. But I digress.” Chief Li chucked, tilting his head to the side. “Alright, you may take your leave.”
Wuxian stood up and cupped his hands, taking his leave briskly. Watching the door shut behind him, chief Li’s smile faded away, leaving only a calculating gaze in its place.
Outside the door, Wuxian’s cordial and polite demeanour vanished as well. Though he walked at a leisurely pace, his mind was whirring like a machine.
‘In chief Li’s mind, I am a suspicious individual, regardless of what I do, so long as it’s short of single-handedly capturing the puppeteer and saving the city. It seems likely he believes that should I be harbouring ulterior motives, it would be against the Nightwatch and the Jade Garden. In that case, why would he insist on sending me over to the Jade Garden’s side? Is he not worried that he’d be helping a potential spy get directly to the final target, this sect that is apparently notoriously difficult to join? Or is he so confident in the sect’s ability to detect traitors that sending me over would merely be a weight off his shoulders instead?’
With a sigh, Wuxian shook his head. It didn’t make sense in the first place- it was chief Li who had initially convinced him to stay in the city, and now the man wanted to send him away again. Even though their meeting had initially been by chance, Wuxian was beginning to wonder whether that was entirely true or not.
Under such strange circumstances, Wuxian couldn’t help but think back over his experiences and encounters since his sudden and miraculous appearance in the immortal world. Of them all, the chance meeting with the effeminate green-haired man was the strangest of all.
“Under the machinations of Heaven’s will, there are no coincidences, only fateful encounters.” He muttered.