by Tao Wong
“Think carefully not only about what might be easily accessible when choosing your secondary occupation but also about your final Dao. Your supporting occupation must contribute to your Dao, not subtract from it. Too many fail at the final stage because of missteps along the way,” Fa Yuan said, stopping as they came to a crossroads. Down one street, the inner sect library resided. The other street led toward where the Elders resided. “Research before we speak again on this matter.”
“Thank you, Elder,” Wu Ying said, bowing.
She nodded and turned, kicking lightly on the ground and moving up the hill at blinding speed with little effort. Left alone, Wu Ying turned his head from side to side, considering joining his friend or taking action on Fa Yuan’s advice. In the end, Wu Ying sighed and strode toward the library.
Tou He would understand. Wu Ying had no time to waste if he was to develop himself.
Chapter 2
The inner sect library was built similarly to the outer sect library except it was nearly half as large, with three floors of scrolls and books ranging from basic historic texts to treatises about specific cultivation styles. Unlike the outer sect library, numerous scholars were working inside and happy to speak with and aid Wu Ying’s search.
Interestingly enough, Elder Ko, who Wu Ying had assumed was the library head for the outer sect library, was actually the Elder in charge of all libraries as he had learnt over the previous months. He transited between each library as needed, arranging for replacement attendants and scholars and taking consultation requests when he was present. Of course, other Elders also worked in the library, but Elder Ko was a fixture and perhaps the most well-liked. Numerous cultivators owed their ongoing success to his guidance.
“Looking to learn about supporting occupations?” the attendant said, stroking his long beard as Wu Ying approached him. The middle-aged scholar smiled. “How about being a scholar? We always need young blood.”
“Thank you, Senior, but I don’t know enough to know if such a path is suitable,” Wu Ying said.
“Ah, but you know enough to come to the library!” the bearded attendant said with a smile. “That is the heart of a good scholar—the search for knowledge. It is here, in our libraries, where you will find the sum of human knowledge.”
“Yes, Senior. Still, I would like to do some study first,” Wu Ying said.
“Ah, very well. Let me see. Khoo’s treatise on the five occupations should be a good start,” the attendant said.
Together, the pair wandered into the vaulted library, browsing the volumes on the bottom floor, which consisted of mundane manuals. Unfortunately, finding a document or book which listed the full variety of supporting occupations available to an individual was impossible. At best, some treatises discussed the differences and benefits of each occupation in comparison to another, but for the vast majority, the best Wu Ying and the helpful attendant could do was pull introductory manuals.
Numerous books were available for the main occupations in the sect, but soon enough, Wu Ying found himself burdened with other documents detailing minor occupations the Sect had once hosted or which an Elder currently practiced and hoped to expand upon. There were many such minor occupations, like scholars, dancers, musicians, gatherers, and more. The skills provided by each of these supporting occupations could make a cultivator more powerful and also guide their eventual Dao.
“Are you sure I can take these?” Wu Ying said, eyes wide.
“Of course. These are not cultivation manuals,” the scholar said. “We have multiple copies of all these documents. Though if you fail to return these copies, you will be required to copy a new document. To our standards.”
Wu Ying nodded quickly, acknowledging the threat. Considering these were all trained scholars, the required level of reproduction would be painful. It was a good threat too—while the vast majority of the books he was reading looked to be print block[1] productions, copying one by hand would be arduous and a waste of time. Of course, certain publications, like actual cultivation manuals, were mainly handwritten. Outside of the basic Yellow Emperor’s Body Cleansing Cultivation manual, which was distributed to all villagers, cultivation manuals were secret. Producing a printing press copy of these works would be anathema to the very idea of secrecy.
Seated at his table, Wu Ying read through the works before him. He first focused on the main occupations available in the Sect, finding the documentation profound and in-depth. Each manual obviously had its own bias, pushing the reader toward blacksmithing or pill refining or even combat specialization. And, in so doing, highlighted the flaws of focusing on each of those styles.
Pill refining was, as noted by Elder Yang, highly expensive. There were two major areas of expertise a pill refiner needed to acquire. Firstly, the knowledge and understanding of the various herbs and alchemical components that went into a pill. Secondly, the actual process of refining a pill and the techniques in doing so. Failure in either portion spelled failure in the pill concoction. It was the reason even the lowest-grade spiritual pill was so expensive—one was not just paying for the material of the pill itself but all the failed pill concoctions in the past and all the failed pill concoctions in the refiner’s future.
For most individuals, the first step in pill refinement was studying herbs. In the Sect, beginning pill refiners were assigned to work in the pill dispensary as gophers, picking out requested herbs from the storage rooms. In this way, beginning pill refiners could gain access to and view the herbs while having a more senior cultivator watch over their picks.
“So not impossible,” Wu Ying said softly to himself. While he might not have the funds to purchase the herbs, he could spend his time building up the knowledge of the herbs. A potential avenue for development.
The biggest advantage pill refiners had over most other major occupations was their versatility. Both talented blacksmiths and pill refiners could expect to make significant amount of taels with their skills. But pill refiners could create concoctions which helped one’s cultivation journey, which cleansed poisons or healed bodies. Pills could strengthen an individual’s fighting prowess or expand an attribute, providing greater benefits. At the later stages, common concoctions helped cultivators expand their senses, becoming one with the Dao and aiding them in gaining enlightenment.
Blacksmiths, on the other hand, were more limited. In general, there were two kinds of specialized blacksmiths among cultivators—armorers and weaponsmiths. Of course, in the initial period, a beginner blacksmith would learn both forms and practice his overall craft. Blacksmiths were in constant demand, as the weapons they made added to a cultivator’s strength. In addition, blacksmithing was significantly cheaper to begin—failed products could be reforged a number of times.
“Though I’m not sure I’d like to buy a reforged sword,” Wu Ying said. He recalled the cheap weapons he had seen—pitted weapons or those with a slight bend to them. Trash weapons were often sold to peasant farmers who either did not know better or, in some cases, had no choice but to buy them. The idea of making something like that pained Wu Ying, though he shook away his doubts for now.
Blacksmithing was an option, but because of its lower cost and requirements mentally, it also was more popular than pill refining. It also required a significant amount of physical strength and a fire attribute in their chi. If Wu Ying wanted to become a true blacksmith, then he would have to commit to being a fire chi user.
As for martial specialists, they were the most dangerous individuals. At later stages, martial specialists could specialize even further into team battle formations or army battle formations, becoming the leaders of numerous individuals. Such individuals could multiply the effectiveness of individual cultivators by numerous times. Individually, martial specialists often became a sect’s Protector, the individuals tasked with the overall safety of the Sect. Until then, martial specialists had a difficult time progressing their cultivation, as they had no special skills to provide additional funds to develop their
cultivation. This led to numerous deaths among martial specialists as they took on dangerous missions to gain the funds and cultivation resources they required.
Between his initial study of the Long family sword style and his own experiences, Wu Ying knew he leaned toward being a martial specialist. While most cultivators had to know how to fight, martial specialists were the dedicated and gifted. And Wu Ying feared this was where he failed. Unlike his friend Tou He, Wu Ying was not particularly gifted. Oh, he was better than most at his level, there was no doubt. But in his heart of hearts, Wu Ying knew it was due to constant practice rather than any particular spark of genius.
“The library is closing.” The voice interrupted Wu Ying’s musings.
The cultivator set aside the books he had read for storage and took the pile of other books with him, storing them away as he made his way back to his residence. Right now, none of the main secondary occupations drew Wu Ying. Perhaps somewhere in the pile of documents, Wu Ying might find something of more use. While progressing on a well-supported occupation was easier initially, as Elder Yang had mentioned, one’s Dao was more important. Choose wrong now and you could lose the opportunity to ascend.
Over the next few days, Wu Ying spent his time enclosed in his residence, alternating between cultivation and study. Ah Yee was tasked with the work of alerting Wu Ying of any useful lectures as they appeared, allowing Wu Ying to focus entirely on study.
Some occupations were easy enough to discard. He didn’t have the time or desire to become a physician for example. Or a dancer. Music as a supporting occupation was intriguing, but it required a certain level of skill and talent to allow music to become a weapon. While Wu Ying could—and did—sing during the harvest and spring festivals, he had never been lauded for his ability. He had a farmer’s voice—acceptable in groups, pitiful alone. As for instruments, theirs had never been a family of music.
Other occupations had some intriguing possibilities. Scholarship required little from its students in the beginning. It was an arduous and long journey though, with the amount of knowledge one must accumulate ever increasing. But it did have the secondary advantage of allowing one to potentially sit for the kingdom examinations[2], a decent backup plan if there ever was one. Certainly it was a way for Wu Ying to be near his family and stay in the kingdom if he failed to progress in his studies as a cultivator.
Celestial formations was another intriguing area. The documentation provided was sparse, insufficient for Wu Ying to truly grasp. But it seemed to require both a talent in that area and a willingness to spend long hours studying the natural world. Still, the powers a formation power could provide were significant. What Wu Ying did learn was how there were two types of formations—those which were custom-built, like the sect’s defensive formation, and those which were created from pre-made formation flags, transportable to numerous locations but significantly less powerful.
Beast taming was impossible, even if intriguing. Wu Ying liked animals, but without a proper guide, it was not an area he could explore. And liking animals was vastly different from dedicating oneself to the care and development of them through one’s existence. Other occupations, like fortune telling, toolmaking, and puppet mastery, were not practiced in the sect anymore, even if their books were present.
Then, of course, were the “mundane” or “common” supporting occupations that were made more exotic through the use of spiritual power and their handling of spiritual items. Spirit stone miners traversed deep mines, often in the most dangerous wilderness locations, to mine spirit veins and pull forth naturally occurring spirit-infused stone. Wu Ying was even more amused when he found reference to spirit farmers—farmers who worked with chi-infused rice, herbs, and other vegetables. Eating those ingredients along with demon beast meat—hunted by both martial specialists and demon beast hunters—could boost a cultivator’s absorption rate of chi.
Wu Ying sighed and tossed the latest book with its allusions to demon beast hunters onto the table in his office, crossing his arms in exasperation. “Does every occupation feel the need to add ‘spirit’ in front of its name to make it more prestigious?”
“Just about.”
Wu Ying spun around to see Liu Tsong leaning against the wall. The smiling female cultivator was clad in the willowy robes of the inner sect, setting off her slim, almost boyish figure.
“Senior!” Wu Ying jumped up and bowed to her. “I did not know you were here.”
“Ah Yee must be out. I knocked but received no answer, so I came in,” Liu Tsong said. “But most occupations desire to be seen as more prestigious. And with the thousand and one daos in the universe, most occupations can locate some prestigious cultivator or immortal to back up their claims.”
Wu Ying crossed his arms as anger washed over him. How foolish was it to reach into the past and borrow the name of an immortal to raise one’s work? If the work itself was not good enough in your own eyes, then only misery would accompany your existence for no external validation would ever be enough. The rain clouds did not ask if the farmer approved; they came or not as they desired.
“Some occupations make a better case than others, of course. And some, like pill refining, demon beast taming, and blacksmithing, are inextricably linked to cultivation. Others are secondary.”
Wu Ying glanced over the manuals. “Does Senior have any recommendations?”
“So formal,” Liu Tsong mocked Wu Ying. “There is no harm in specializing as a martial specialist in the beginning while familiarizing yourself with the various occupations offered. Even if you never take it further, knowing the basics of blacksmithing and pill refining is beneficial.”
“I guess it could not hurt to check out the various occupations,” Wu Ying said, realization seeping in that research did not need to occur only in the library. “Thank you for your guidance.”
“Good. Good,” Liu Tsong said with a smile. “Now remember, speak with the administrative hall first! If you wish to begin with pill refinement, you should try for an assignment at the pharmacy, but many vie for those. Without sufficient favor or an Elder’s backing, you can forget about receiving a role there.”
“Oh.”
“Do not look so down. You merely have to study properly. It might be slower, but spending time studying the basics will reinforce your learning,” Liu Tsong said. “Also, during the winter period, many vie for a place in the pharmacy. But it’s the worst time to be there because the number of new refiners are at its peak.”
“Isn’t that good? More work?” Wu Ying said, confused.
“More of the same kind of work. Everyone is trying to make the same Bone Cleansing, Meridian Opening, Spirit Strengthening pills. After you pull the herbs for the tenth time, you’ll be able to recognize them with your eyes closed. Then there are the frost binding, chill warding, ice warding pills.”
“Bitter much?” Wu Ying asked.
Liu Tsong gave her friend a wry smile. “Yes. I got ‘lucky’ too. You’re so busy you never get a chance to look at the other stored herbs. Spring and summer often sees many of the beginner refiners, the overconfident ones, give up. Then there are more seasonal pills too, so your running is wider too.”
“The weather makes a difference?” Wu Ying said curiously.
“Of course! Drawing in the right chi is important for the proper development of certain pills. You could set up or use spirit formations to regulate the chi and environment, but those rooms are expensive to rent from the Sect. Better to plan your production around the seasons,” Liu Tsong said.
Wu Ying nodded, grateful for the wisdom the woman imparted.
“Now, if you’re serious about learning, you should purchase a copy of the Principles and Species of Roots and Herbs[3].”
“Is it available at the library?” Wu Ying said.
Liu Tsong shook her head. “Only a few copies, and those are not annotated. You need to pick up your own and begin annotating it. While it is comprehensive, there are mistakes in the work itself, as
well as much that isn’t covered.”
“Oh. Do you have one?” When Liu Tsong indicated she did, Wu Ying asked thoughtlessly, “Can I borrow it then?”
“No!” Liu Tsong crossed her arms. “Would you show others your cultivation manual?”
Wu Ying winced and bowed low, offering profuse apologies. A moment later, he felt a light smack over the top of his head.
“Get up. I know you didn’t mean anything from it. But it’s still not something a refiner will ever show.”
“Yes, Senior.”
“Good. Now, make sure to come to my class in a week.”
“Your class?”
“Well, really, my Master’s. But because it’s for beginners, she has assigned me the task of showcasing the basics of herbology,” Liu Tsong said, preening a little.
“Congratulations, Senior. I’ll be sure to come. With my own copy of the compendium.”
“Good, good. Now, what else have you been up to?”
“Well…”
Soon enough, the pair fell into the usual gossip of sect life. But in the back of Wu Ying’s mind was the desire to progress both his cultivation and secondary occupations.
Chapter 3
The clang of hammers beating on iron rang through the building as the sweltering heat from the active forges made the cultivators sweat during this winter day. Two days after Wu Ying’s talk with Liu Tsong, he registered and squeezed himself into the most recent batch of blacksmithing students. There were, in fact, two different classes starting today. One group, consisting mostly of inner sect members, stood to the side and listened to the senior blacksmith as he explained their objectives for the day. All of those individuals had prior experience with blacksmithing and were now being given a series of projects to complete to gauge their level of expertise.
Wu Ying was in the other group, one consisting of a couple of his fellow newcomers to the inner sect and a few outer sect members. As Wu Ying looked around, he was amused to note that unlike the willowy, pale scholar appearance—which was the norm among the sect—many of the blacksmiths were muscular and stout. In fact, the blacksmith speaking to them was bare-chested, his sect robes tied off around his lower body as sweat gleamed off his pectorals and collected on wiry, dark chest hairs.