So, how exactly do we begin this cultivation?

What is the meaning of cultivation?

I turned my gaze away from the scroll for a moment as I looked around me.

In this place, there were those who were ‘cultivating’ and those who were not. Both were mingling and interacting together rather normally and in a friendly way.

It did not seem that there was a very flagrant hierarchy imposed, as in, those without cultivation were not treated like lesser beings.

Is that a good or bad thing? It did not matter.

What mattered was that people probably were not cultivating in order to rule over others.

So why?

Was it for wealth?

No, it was unlikely. There were too many of those so-called cultivators here and they did not seem to be that wealthy.

Particularly, if we consider how the elder man, master Liang, from the shop reacted to my mana crystal. Considering how a single one elicited such a strong reaction from him, it did not seem like wealth was the reason they pursued cultivation.

So why?

I turned to Rongxia.

“Why are you cultivating?”

- * -

“Why are you cultivating?”

Was the Senior finally taking an interest in me? No way.

He was not that kind of person. He was probably thinking of something weird again.

Since he had been studying the cultivation technique, it might be related.

Then again, why am I cultivating?

I don’t think I ever asked myself the question?

From as long as I can remember, I was taught to cultivate. I am a daughter of the Rong clan after all… But why then?

Why did we, of the Rong clan, need to cultivate?

We could live life without it?

What reason is behind all of this hard work? How can we ever consider that these efforts will pay off without understanding why we are putting in so many?

I kept pondering on the question silently.

And clearly, I took too long. I was so engrossed in my self-reflection that I missed the Senior getting up and moving towards another table.

- * -

She did not answer.

It seemed like she did not even know why she was doing it herself.

How utterly stupid.

I got tired of waiting and got up.

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Since she was unable to answer me, I should go ask others. There are plenty of those cultivators around here anyways.

I moved towards the closest table where a bunch of them had gathered.

They were five and all within the “First level”. Novices.

All of them also had swords at their waists.

Cheap ones.

Clearly.

I introduced myself: “A pleasure to make your acquaintance, fellow seekers. My name is Lark”

They remained silent as they looked at me with a mix of curiosity and annoyance.

It is a fact that interrupting someone’s meal is rude.

I did not care though.

They were not worth that much.

However, they potentially had the answer to my question hence I had to ask: “Why are you, fellow seekers, cultivating?”

One of them started to laugh and the others followed suit.

It turned out that they were quite a rude bunch. Or was it an instinctual reaction to an unexpected situation?

Regardless, they were not answering.

I frowned.

One of them pointed towards me with a beer in his hand and stated “What’s wrong with this one? Fellow seekers? Where do you think you are, buddy?”

They laughed again.

Should I kill them?...

As the thought began to form, Rongxia arrived next to me and quickly interjected: “I am very sorry about this, Sirs! My Senior can be peculiar sometimes, please forgive him”

And she bowed.

Was she not at the third level of Novice? Why did she apologize? Why did she bow?

It makes no sense to me.

She spoke a few more apologies as the five men teased her for some time. Maybe they were even trying to flirt her a little.

She turns to me to ask me to return to my seat.

I nodded at her as she sighed and began to move back to our table.

However!

I remained there and asked again: “Why are you, fellow seekers, cultivating?”

This time, the five of them frowned.

They began to try acting tough and intimidating, mildly trying to threaten me without answering my query.

Was there still a point to question them?

I wondered as Rongxia was gripping my right arm’s sleeve, trying to drag me back gently while apologizing some more to that group.

The answer was ‘no’ obviously.

These monkeys were useless.

I turned around and looked around me some more.

There were quite a few people watching me and my actions.

I did not care.

I checked where the next closest group of cultivators was seated and moved with purpose, ignoring all attempts from Rongxia to drag me back to our table.

I reached the new table as Rongxia let go of my sleeves.

She went back to sit at our table alone.

She seemed dejected. Her expression blank.

Her emotions are not important anyways.

I was now at the second table. Three people, one man and two women.

I had their attention as they had been watching from before I even approached their table.

I introduced myself and asked them: “A pleasure to make your acquaintance, fellow seekers. My name is Lark, I would like to know why you are cultivating.”

They looked at me neutrally.

Clearly, they had more experience than the first group.

One of the women asked me: “Why do you ask?”

I nodded at her.

Indeed, it was fair for her to ask me why I would want to ask her something.

We weren’t acquainted after all.

I pondered for a moment on the reasons behind my actions.

Why was I asking?

I answered her: “I am hoping to understand why people desire to cultivate before I begin. It is important to understand the goal and consequences of one’s actions ahead of time.”

The trio looked between each other before the man answered: “I would say it is to be strong enough to be able to go anywhere unrestrained?”

He seemed unsure of himself.

I asked: “Are there places you wished to go to but could not then?”

“….Uh….” was his answer.

Clearly, he too did not know.

I turned my gaze to the two women. One of them raised her glass and stated: “To live excitedly!”

The other one raised her own as she said: “To protect ourselves!”

I sighed.

Living excitedly…Did not require cultivation.

Protecting themselves does not require magic or cultivation either.

I moved away but as I did, I was asked back: “Why are you?”

And this was all that was needed.

I smiled as I returned to my seat with the answer to my question.

It was for time.

All along,

Always.

I worked so hard, studying so many hours and practicing maybe even more.

Why did I study magic?

To be eternal.

As I sat back down in front of Rongxia, I asked her: “Are there immortals here?”

She shook her head sideways, clearly indicating a negative stance.

There were no immortals.

However, what caught my interest were her next words: “But that’s because those who grow beyond the 20th stage all ascend.

Ascend?

What did it mean?

Physically or spiritually?