Benton had a Sect Point burning a metaphorical hole in his pocket. Yang Xiu achieving Mastery with her archery technique had gained him two, pushing him to his twenty-first total gained. His ten percent rule meant he could use one to increase his personal power.
He hadn’t wanted to make a move while the harvesters had been present just in case any of them caught on to his unusual advancement, but with them departed, he could pull the trigger while he and the siblings walked to the orphanage.
There were three choices. One, he could increase his spiritual cultivation, keeping him barely ahead of the siblings. That option was the simplest. Power in the cultivation world was measured primarily by realm. The sooner he could get to Foundation Establishment and then to Golden Core and then to Nascent Soul, the better. Any other choice would have to be an obvious and immediately needed upgrade to compete.
Two, he could increase his body cultivation. That option was the dark horse, but thinking about the issue in regards to the benefits for Yang Ru had made Benton consider his own. The two points he’d already invested made him stronger, faster, and tougher. That advancement was one of the reasons he was able to take on the rank three spirit beast. On the other hand, another point spent on his spiritual cultivation would put him very close to the high Qi Gathering realm, on a more equal footing with beasts of that rank. And there was no obvious and immediate need for him increasing his toughness. He felt confident he and the siblings could deal with rank threes, and it was unlikely he’d be facing a rank four soon.
Without dying, at any rate. If one of those showed up, their only option was to run away with all due haste.
Three, he could acquire the Analyze skill. That option was a staple cheat of transmigrators, and on the surface, it felt like a no-brainer to get it. If it worked like he hoped, it would allow him to scan objects just like he was able to scan people. That information would be invaluable for determining what to buy on his upcoming shopping trip and for finding spirit plants in the wild.
But he wasn’t planning on becoming a merchant. Sure, until his sect was established, such activities fell on him, but long term, his sect members would handle that kind of thing. Besides, Su’s memories filled him with enough knowledge to get by. It felt more and more like Analyze was a nice to have kind of ability, not a must have.
Benton sighed. Increasing his cultivation wasn’t as exciting as gaining a new ability, but it was the right call. He navigated to the appropriate menus and invested the sect point.
Sect Name: Not Chosen Sect Members: 0 Disciples: 13 Sect Points: 36 Shop Points: 17 Host Cultivation: Qi Gathering - Minor Realm Six Qi Available: 40 Host Body Cultivation: Bronze - Minor Realm Two Host Techniques: Basic Spear Combat - Large Success Basic Archery - Large Success Menus: [Cultivation Method] [Technique] [Quest] [Perk] [Advancement] [Shop - LOCKED]
Ah. That was the stuff. Leveling up felt good. The increase in dantian size. Generally feeling stronger, faster, better, more vigorous. He’d come a long way from that achy sixty-year-old back on Earth.
“Senior Brother,” Yang Xiu said, “did something happen?”
“You sensed my spiritual energy shift?”
That was weird. She shouldn’t be able to do that yet.
“No, Senior Brother,” she said. “I was practicing my new perception technique, and I noticed your movements change. It seemed as if your foot suddenly sent you too high up on one step, and you had to adjust to more strength.”
Benton grinned. “Very good. Very, very good. Excellent observation. You’re doing well indeed.”
Her face lit up.
He didn’t sense any cultivators nearby or see or hear any civilians within earshot, but he lowered his voice anyway. “I just hit the sixth minor realm. You brats are moving too fast. I had to keep up.”
“Congratulations, Senior Brother.” Yang Xiu had a determined look on her face. Her competitive spirit had definitely been aroused. She’d probably be advancing soon herself.
It didn’t take long for them to reach the orphanage, and Benton had Zhong Wen gather all the kids along with her assistant and Wan Ai. Another young lady joined the group as well, so he scanned her—a basic F, nothing special. The only slightly unusual thing was that she lacked the nature-related aspect that was so common in the village.
Benton pulled Zhong Wen to another room. “Who is the new girl?”
“Answering the Esteemed Master, this lowly one hoped that, since the Esteemed Master had chosen a new purpose for one who was to be my new assistant…” Zhong Wen was visibly nervous.
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“Ah. You recruited a replacement. Well done. I like initiative such as that.”
She relaxed considerably. “Thank you, Esteemed Master. Chang Xiaodan wasn’t in nearly as bad a situation as the other two girls, but she really likes children.”
“Say no more. I trust you on such personnel matters. Continue to choose who you think is best.”
“Thank you again, Esteemed Master.”
With their conversation concluded, the two returned to the overcrowded dining room. Benton couldn’t hold back a smile when he saw all the people present. They weren’t all that many in the grand scheme of things, and most cultivators would see mostly a group of talentless orphans. To him, though, those gathered were the foundation of his future sect.
“Attention, everyone,” he said. “All of you in this room are either now my disciples or will be given that chance at some point in the relatively near future. I expect all of you to support and nurture each other and to follow the orders of your seniors. The hierarchy is as follows—I am the leader. My word counts above all others. You should refer to me as Esteemed Master.”
He pointed at the two siblings. “Directly below me are my two core disciples, Yang Ru and Yang Xiu. These two have been with me from the start and earlier today helped me slay over fifty spirit beasts, including a draconic rank three. They are each extremely talented and possess a fine character, worthy of emulation. You refer to them and any other above you as Senior Brother or Senior Sister.
“You all obviously know Mistress Zhong. She is to be in charge whenever the siblings and I are on a mission and, in general, will continue to instruct and raise the younger disciples and disciples to be. She has my full confidence.”
Zhong Wen blushed at the words.
“Next is Wan Ai. Her job right now is not to lead any of you but instead to cultivate and to learn as much as she can about alchemy. If she succeeds as I hope, she will likely become one of our most important sect members, and each of you will be glad to have her as a senior sister.
“Finally, Xiao Rong and Chang Xiaodan are Mistress Zhong’s assistants. They will be taking on much of the day-to-day work of caring for the children, so please listen to them and give them your respect.
“For the other eight who became my disciples last night, your journey as cultivators will begin shortly. First, Mistress Zhong, if I give you some more boar meat, vegetables, and rice, can you and Xiao Rong prepare dinner?”
“Of course, Esteemed Master.”
“Great. Chang Xiaodan and I will conduct the tea ceremony while you do that, and then, after dinner, we’ll teach the nine of them how to sense qi.” Benton turned to Yang Xiu. “Why don’t you and Yang Ru get to know Wan Ai? I’d like the three of you to work together closely in the future.”
“Of course, Sen… I mean, Esteemed Master.”
Benton preferred that the two of them continue calling him Senior Brother, especially when they were away from the village, but he would tell them that privately later. It was probably better from them to use the “Esteemed Master” honorific around the other kids anyway.
***
Yang Xiu practically floating up to the clouds upon hearing her master’s praise for her and her brother. Extremely talented. Worthy of emulation. And they’d been clearly named as being just below her master in the sect’s hierarchy. Her heart soared.
Wan Ai’s introduction had been much more subdued, filled with mights and maybes. Perfect. There was simply no comparison between the two of them.
If the other girl disagreed, she’d simply have to be made to see things in the correct manner.
Yang Xiu was excited to actually meet the girl and size her up. As soon as everyone started breaking up, she tugged her brother toward her objective.
“Hi, Wan Ai?”
The girl was not anything impressive to look at, shorter and kind of plain in appearance, and her body language showed weakness as she shied away from the siblings, actually going so far as to step back as they approached. Clearly only fourteen at the oldest, she was visibly trembling, clutching her hands to keep them from shaking. “This lowly one is Wan Ai, Honored Senior Sister and Honored Senior Brother.”
Yang Xiu couldn’t believe that timid little girl was someone her master was impressed by. “Are you okay, Junior Sister?”
The girl cupped her hands and bowed. “This lowly one is sorry, Honored Senior Sister. This lowly one did not mean to offend.”
She was terrified. Of Yang Xiu. What? Why?
Yang Xiu didn’t understand what was going on, but she knew one thing—that girl was no threat to her. Her master said they should work together, not become rivals. Once again, he was absolutely correct.
So, Yang Xiu did the only thing she could think to do. She hugged the slight, scared child. “It’s going to be okay, Wan Ai. Ru’er and I are here to protect you, not to hurt you.”
The girl buried her face in Yang Xiu’s chest, and tears started leaking from her eyes.
“Come, Junior Sister. Follow me. Let’s get somewhere more private.”
By the time they’d found a room that was unoccupied, Wan Ai had recovered herself somewhat. “This lowly one apologizes for her pathetic display, Honored Senior Sister and Honored Senior Brother.”
“It’s okay. Really. Can you tell us what’s wrong?”
“This lowly one could not—”
“No!” Yang Xiu said. “None of that ‘this lowly one’ stuff. Truly tell us. I meant what I said. We are your senior siblings in truth. It is our job to protect you, to help you. Even if you think it’s trivial and beneath our notice, we want to know what’s bothering you.”
“It’s just all so overwhelming, Honored Senior Sister. Yesterday, I was working for a baker, but with all the troubles, the family was barely getting by. I was nothing to them but another mouth to feed, a worthless orphan and a burden. There was much resentment. And then Mistress Zhong showed up to take me away.”
As she got going, the words tumbled from her mouth faster and faster. “At first, I was thankful. She offered me a new job. I would be taking care of kids. She was always so busy, working so hard to provide for all of us, but I knew she truly cared about us. It was an offer sent from the heavens in my time of greatest need. It combined so many advantages. I’d get to work with someone who actually cared for me. I’d be away from that family who bore me such disdain. And I’d get to contribute something useful to someone. But there was a catch. I had to meet a cultivator.”
Yang Xiu tried to picture the girl’s life. Growing up in an orphanage. Feeling worthless and unnecessary. Losing the love of a family.
“The cultivator was so scary. Intense. And the way he stared at me. I thought he had unkind intentions, but then he told me I had great potential to be a valued member of his sect. No one had ever expected anything from me before, much less to do something that sounds as important as being an alchemist.
“On one hand, it felt really good to be wanted for something, to be valued, but on the other, that was a lot of pressure. Who am I to become a cultivator at all, much less a crucial part of a sect?”
Wan Ai sniffled, almost near tears again. “And then he introduced you two, who helped him kill over fifty spirit beasts today! I would run away crying if I ever even saw one, and you two killed fifty! It’s. Just. So. Overwhelming!”
She clamped her hands over her mouth.
Yang Xiu immediately drew her into a tight embrace. “It’s going to be okay, Junior Sister. I’ll be with you every step of the way. You’re going to make a great cultivator and a great alchemist. I guarantee it.”