A group of four men were hiding behind a hill, awaiting news from their fellow disciple.
“Why must Qin Zhong get himself into such things?” one asked with a sigh.
Another leaned against the hill and looked into the sky. “Oh quiet. Just because he made the mistake of falling in love with that woman doesn’t mean he should leave behind the child, too. That is his daughter.”
“Tch~ should’ve just taken care of it.”
One of the two quiet men joined in. “Is that not what he’s doing now? After this, it’ll never be a problem again.”
As they were discussing, Xu Yaozu and his men were closing in on them. They went undetected their entire way there. They now stood before the hill behind their target. Xu Yaozu looked at them and nodded. When he received a nod back, he made a gesture with his hand, and they all dashed out.
“How long will this take? The elders have been pressuring me to step into the Body Tempering realm. I could be cultivating right now if—” one complained before he was interrupted by the sudden hand motion of another of the men.
They waited in silence.
Fwoosh, fwoosh, fwoosh…
Xu Yaozu and three cult disciples jumped out from behind the hill and were charging the four men. They were shocked for a moment, but they were still cultivators. How could they let themselves be taken advantage of any further.
“Ambush!”
Qin Daiyu’s father whipped his head around, but before he could jump to go help his allies, he suddenly felt the need to be examined. He hesitated, going into a defensive stance and looking around. Eventually, his eyes met a man standing atop a hill that wasn’t too far away. He was dressed in heavy robes. He and the robed man looked at each other for a second before an intense wave hit him. He didn’t know what hit him. It wasn’t like killing intent that could be ignored as long as it wasn’t too thick; it was like he was being stared down by a beast. He could only manage a step back before he was frozen.
With Qin Daiyu’s father dealt with, he sent the rest of the Red Team to go help Xu Yaozu’s group. Within moments, the sounds of fighting ended, and the four men Qin Daiyu’s father had brought were knocked out or tied up. Xu Yaozu and the three men who originally engaged them only had some bruising. Yù Quán considered this a success.
The disciples of the Archives of Mùlián had other thoughts. Everyone who stayed behind to watch Qin Daiyu and her father had seen Yù Quán stop him from acting with just a stare. They were amazed and immediately told Xu Yaozu and the others when they had finished dispatching the enemy. Qin Daiyu had also witnessed it, unable to believe what she had just seen with her eyes. Yù Quán nodded after making sure everything was alright, then headed over to where Qin Daiyu and her father were.
“Is everything alright, Qin Daiyu?”
Qin Daiyu couldn’t get a word out and only nodded.
“Good. This must be your father. Did he give you what you asked for?”
Before Qin Daiyu could answer, her father managed to yell out. “How dare the Sleeping Tomb Sect do such a thing! When the Balance Abode hears of this…”
Yù Quán turned to Qin Daiyu’s father and slowly walked towards him. He stopped right in front of him, looking down on the pathetic man, who flinched at his words. “Who is the Sleeping Tomb Sect?”
Qin Daiyu’s father then realized what he said. “Don’t play with me! I know you are of the Sleeping Tomb Sect.”
Yù Quán shrugged. He didn’t really care who the man thought he was; he just wanted to know more information about the world. Yù Quán looked back towards Qin Daiyu.
“Did he give you what you asked for?”
Qin Daiyu shook her head but quickly fought herself to spit out words for the sake of her father. “He didn’t bring any. He thinks this was set up by my mother.”
Yù Quán and her father both wore a confused expression, then looked at each other, then back at Qin Daiyu. Yù Quán realized how bad it looked. A hooded man jumping out while his men were being dispatched definitely could seem like they were in the wrong.
“Ah, I see.”
Yù Quán turned back towards Qin Daiyu’s father.
“Don’t you lay a hand on me! I will return to the Light Garden Sect with my daughter, even if I die trying!” Her father yelled, still shaking from fear.
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“Well, it seems this misunderstanding cannot be cleared up.”
Yù Quán had to think about how to salvage this. Her father was obviously too paranoid to listen to what he had to say, and he didn’t have any physical evidence. He could tell him about the cult, but that would be a liability. Then he thought of using Qin Daiyu to make him keep the cult a secret, but the cult kind of sounds like a silly, made-up backstory either way, so there was no way that would work. The only proof he had was in the mind palace.
“Hmm… that could work,” Yù Quán said as he walked towards Qin Daiyu’s father.
Qin Daiyu’s father got anxious seeing the man in robes head towards him. “W-what are you doing? Get away!”
“Fear not. I am Mùlián. I came to this world after learning all that I could in the last. Now I search to know all there is to know about yours. I am in need of followers to help me achieve this, to help me create my great archive.”
Yù Quán reached Qin Daiyu’s father, walked behind him, and put his hands on his back. When her father tried to move away, he used the ferocity of his eyes to scare him into staying still. Yù Quán decided to force her father to join the Archives of Mùlián. He would scare him into worshipping him with the mind palace, give him some knowledge to show his power, and then have him inducted into the School of Knowledge so that he could gather information from his sect.
“I bestow upon you the gift of entry. Because you’re being forced, this may be painful. I urge that you let down your defenses. I mean you no harm, but I know you won’t believe that.”
Everything Yù Quán said, except the part about being forced and it hurting, was created and recited by him and Su Chunhua in case he ever had to personally induct someone into the cult. When Su Chunhua and Rèn Chāngmíng do it, there are some slight changes, but it communicates the same information.
The [Quanzhì Palace Art] does hurt if forced on another, which is why Yù Quán usually wouldn’t do so, but he felt that they would benefit most from this in the end. He just hoped the guy would give up resisting after awhile.
…
Sometime later, the process was complete. Yù Quán gave him some knowledge of the cult so he could see how it worked. This seemed to be enough as he calmed down and bowed to his new master.
“Rise. What is your name, disciple?”
“Qin Zhong greets the great Mùlián.”
Yù Quán nodded, although no one could see it with his hood. “Then Qin Zhong, you are now a first peak disciple of the Archives of Mùlián. Communication is currently not available, so you’ll just have to carry out your duties until I send someone to contact you. Gather information for our cause; it will benefit you greatly.”
Qin Zhong, sort of in a daze from all the weird events happening, bowed towards Yù Quán.
After talking with Qin Daiyu, Yù Quán got the whole story. It turns out Qin Zhong had unknowingly fallen in love with a woman from their rival sect, the Sleeping Tomb Sect. When he found out, he fell out with her and lost the ability to see their daughter. Qin Zhong brought some close brothers of his to back him up and hopefully take Qin Daiyu back to their sect for her safety. Qin Daiyu was, in fact, not an illegitimate child, as her mother had said.
“Qin Zhong, your brothers are being held over there, so they have not witnessed any of this. I must ask you to keep it a secret from them until I have something to offer them as well.”
“Yes, Mùlián.”
“I will keep your daughter safe at the cult, you may come and visit when you are able.”
Qin Zhong bowed and left with his confused allies in tow, whom he told not to mention this as he had realized it was a misunderstanding and his daughter was no longer safe from the Sleeping Tomb Sect and would not be used against him or the sect. Qin Zhong was still trying to tackle all the events that happened in his mind, but he knew that this would end up working out for him. Even if he wasn’t forced to join, he would have joined. Mùlián was powerful, and following him would bring him and his daughter good things. Yù Quán and Qin Daiyu were standing on the hill, watching them leave.
“What about the techniques, my lord?” Qin Daiyu asked shyly.
Yù Quán let out a slight laugh. “He is now one of my people. He wouold’t mind if I took a technique or two from his memory.”
Qin Daiyu was shocked to hear Yù Quán laugh. She realized that this wasn’t someone to be afraid of but a caring leader for her to look up to. She smiled and turned her attention to the sun as it set in gold. Yù Quán was happy things turned out so well. He felt Su Chunhua would be proud. They now had healing techniques, a mole in an unfamiliar sect, and he got to show off for some of the disciples to help foster loyalty. Then he looked towards Xu Yaozu and Qin Daiyu as she was watching the sunset. He was excited. So much talent and potential was blooming from his cult already. He couldn’t wait to see what the future would hold.
…
Yù Quán
Realm: Body Tempering Realm
Stage: 3rd Level Skin Tempering
Main Cultivation Art: [Stolen-eyed Mùmùlián Body](Level 3)
Strength: 1050 Catties
Qi: 2400/2400 wisps
Mùmùlián Core: 22/100
Strange Fire: (Level 2)Murderous Flame(x1)
Techniques:
[Mùmùlián Eye Stealing](Level 3)
[Mùmùlián Eye Refining](Level 3)
[Murder Mantra](Level 3)
[Yellow Qilin Dance](Level 3)
[Qi Compression](Level 3)
Attributes:
[Strange Fire: Murderous Flame]
[Starfire Eyes](Level 1)
[Sightburn](Level 1)
[Top-Quality Maned Hog Ferocity Eyes](Level 1)
[Low-Quality Winged Watcher Awareness Eyes](Level 1)
[Low-Quality False Dragon Pride Eyes](Level 1)
[Low-Quality Death-Dealing Dama Killing Eyes](Level 1)(x2)