Chương 135: Joining a Guild

"The formation guild," Elder Chen Yong began, "is a lot more than some sect organization. It spans across all Four Great Continents, and it maintains branches inside every major sect and city out there." He gestured his hand down the path sitting ahead of us, which slowly wound from the main sect grounds and headed toward this cluster of buildings sitting outside the sect that I'd always assumed were random storage facilities.

"I thought those places were warehouses," I admitted. They were deceptively simple looking; they were these plain stone buildings that had slanted tile roofs on them, and they looked nothing like the grand architecture inside the main sect.

"That's intentional," Elder Chen Yong replied.

"The formation guild values substance over appearance. Though," he added with a slight smirk on his face, "the formations they layered directly into those walls could probably withstand attacks from a small army." When we got closer, I noticed subtle little details I'd missed before.

The stones weren't quite as plain as they initially appeared to be – every one of them was carefully carved up with microscopic runes that seemed like they were shifting and changing around whenever you looked at them from different angles. And the roof tiles somehow formed patterns that were only visible whenever the sunlight hit them, which ended up creating fleeting images of highly complex geometric designs.

"The guild system is one of the very few things out there that transcends sect boundaries," Elder Chen Yong continued explaining.

"Formation masters, alchemists, blacksmiths – we all maintain our own networks. Political issues between the sects may come and go over time, but the guilds always remain constant."

"Why put it here though?" I asked.

"Why wouldn't they put it in Three Rivers Town or somewhere that is a lot more central?"

"Ah," Elder Chen Yong said, his eyes twinkling.

"That is a story about convenience and necessity. Most of the neighboring sects around here are significantly smaller than Azure Peak is. So, when they decided they needed a regional guild branch, it made sense to place it near the largest concentration of potential members." He took a small pause, and then he added with a clear touch of pride in his voice, "And of course, having an expert of my caliber living nearby didn't hurt their decision either."

While we were approaching the front entrance, I noticed something that made me do a double-take. The disciples who were moving in and out weren't wearing the familiar grey, blue, or purple robes from Azure Peak at all. Instead, they wore pure white robes that had varying numbers of horizontal lines running across the chest.

"Those lines indicate their rank," Elder Chen Yong explained when he noticed the look on my face.

"One line for Level One, two lines for Level Two, and so on. It's a simple system, but it is effective." He gestured his hand over at this young woman who was hurrying past us that had three lines sitting on her robe.

"That particular disciple might be from the Crimson Sword Sect, but while she is here, she's simply known as a Level Three formation practitioner."

"So, anyone can join?" I asked, watching the diverse mix of cultivators who were moving around through the courtyard.

"Anyone who has the proper skill and gets a proper introduction," he corrected me.

"The guild maintains certain standards. And usually, that means they have to pass a series of difficult tests, but..." he gave me a grin, "having me here to vouch for you tends to speed things along." When we entered inside the main building, I couldn't help myself from marveling at the interior. The huge ceiling soared overhead, and it was supported by columns that were inscribed with spiraling formation diagrams. The floor itself was a massive formation in itself, though its purpose wasn't apparent to me.

"The identity of being a formation expert," Elder Chen Yong kept talking while we walked around, "carries weight throughout the cultivation world. the sects that might normally be hostile toward each other will think twice before they try antagonizing a guild member. We're simply too valuable, you see. Because everyone needs formations, whether they're using them for defense, for cultivation, or simply keeping their wine cellar at the perfect temperature."

He fondly patted a nearby wall while he was saying that last part.

"And are there any special missions?"

"Oh yes!" His eyes lit up.

"The guild receives requests coming from all over the place – doing everything from having to analyze ancient formation arrays to setting up magical defenses for merchant caravans. The pay is excellent, and more importantly, you get the chance to see formation techniques from different regions and cultures. It's quite educational to do." We approached a large desk where a remarkably severe-looking man was processing applications with this mechanical efficiency.

The way all the other disciples deferred to Elder Chen Yong was subtle but still noticeable: they gave quick bows, respectful nods, and carefully maintained their proper distance. So clearly his level wasn't simple at all.

"Ah, Zhou Qiang," Elder Chen called out to the desk clerk.

"I have a new member to register." The man looked up at him.

"Elder Chen Yong, this is unexpected. You rarely ever sponsor new members."

"This one here is special," Elder Chen replied, and then he launched into an explanation of my Symphony Shield that made it sound far more impressive than it was. While the clerk was processing my registration, I felt a heavy shift in the atmosphere. Elder Chen Yong's posture stiffened up slightly, and a few nearby disciples quickly found reasons to be standing elsewhere.

A woman who was wearing white robes with six lines on them had entered the hall, and though she appeared to be young, something about the she was moving set off every survival instinct I possessed.

"Chen Yong!" she called out with a smile.

"You're still drowning your failures in wine, I see." The elder's jaw visibly tightened almost imperceptibly.

"Madame Butterfly. You're still pretending to be young, I see." I nearly ended up choking. Madame Butterfly? That had to be a chosen name, and if it was... well, it said a lot about someone's personality when they picked out something that cliché.

"Now, now," she smoothly glided closer to us.

"Is that any for you to greet an old friend? Especially when you somehow still haven't managed to reach Grandmaster yet?" Her smile was sweet enough to rot teeth.

"How long has it been now? Has it been three centuries? Four?"

"Five," Elder Chen ground out.

"And like I've already explained to you, my breakthrough to the Life Realm…" Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

"Yes, yes," she quickly waved her hand dismissively.

"There's always some kind of excuse with you, isn't there? First, it was 'I need to focus on my merchant cover,' and then it was 'the wine method requires specific timing,' and now it's 'the Life Realm interrupted my progress.'" She let out a sigh.

"If you'd go ahead and become a Grandmaster already, I could finally manage to return to the Celestial Butterfly Sect. Except instead of doing that, I'm stuck here, having to babysit this branch..."

"Politics isn't for me," Elder Chen replied with a blank expression.

"That's what failures always say." She condescendingly patted his cheek.

"But it's good that you've finally come to accept your own limitations." I stood there watching their exchange with this growing fascination. On the surface, it looked like a standard cultivation world rivalry – the kind that usually ended up resulting in someone being thrown through several mountains. But there was obviously something else going on here...

"Master," Azure's voice echoed inside my mind.

"Based on my detailed analysis of their interaction patterns, their vocal tones, and their body language... I believe Madame Butterfly is attempting to court Elder Chen Yong." I barely managed to keep my face neutral. Because now that Azure pointed it out to me, it was painfully obvious to see. Like the she kept finding excuses to stay standing near him, and how she turned every conversation into this weird competition for his attention, and her increasingly aggressive attempts to provoke a reaction out of him...

It was classic cultivation world flirting, where saying "I want to kill you" often secretly meant "please notice me." Though in this case, it seemed like the target of her affections was oblivious to it.

"Oh!" Madame Butterfly finally seemed to notice me standing there.

"Are you taking on another student now, Chen Yong? How... surprisingly charitable of you." She carefully examined me.

"Though this one seems to have some talent, unlike your usual strays."

"Ke Yin," Elder Chen introduced me with obvious reluctance, "go ahead and meet Madame Butterfly, who is the current overseer of this branch. Madame Butterfly, this is Ke Yin, he is my newest student."

"This junior greets Senior," I bowed.

"Hmph." She studied me for a moment longer.

"Well, at least you taught this one to have proper manners. Your last one barely managed to reach Level Three before giving up in despair."

"Ke Yin has already achieved Level Two," Elder Chen Yong quickly replied, and there was this hint of pride creeping into his voice.

"How nice," she smiled at him, though it didn't reach her eyes at all.

"Perhaps this one will manage to survive long enough to see you finally reach Grandmaster. Though at your current rate, that could take another millennium or two."

"I said my breakthrough…" I watched them bicker back and forth like an old married couple, except one party didn't realize that's what they were doing. It was simultaneously amusing and painful for me to witness.

"Here's your guild badge," Zhou Qiang interrupted my thoughts, holding out this small metal disc. It was surprisingly heavy for its size, and it was carved up with intricate formation patterns that seemed to shift and change while I was turning it over in my hand.

"It serves as being both your identification and a formation focus. The patterns will adjust to match your current level, and it can be used to prove your identity at any guild branch." After receiving a brief overview of all the guild rules (most of which boiled down into "don't embarrass us" and "pay your dues on time"), Elder Chen Yong's long catch up with his 'friend' was finally done.

"If that's going to be all," Madame Butterfly's voice cut through my thoughts, "I have work I need to do. Unlike some people out there who spend their days pretending to be crippled merchants." Elder Chen's eye twitched.

"Well, at least I'm not pretending to be young."

"No, you're obviously pretending to be competent." She sharply turned to leave, but then paused.

"Oh, and Chen Yong? Do try to make it to the next guild meeting. Your... unique perspectives on formation theory are always so..." her lips naturally curved into a smile that was equal parts mockery and pure invitation, "entertaining." We both watched her leave, and her departure somehow managed to be both graceful and provocative at the same time.

"Terrible woman," Elder Chen muttered out, already pulling out another wine bottle.

"She is a monster. She has no respect for proper formation theory at all." I shot him a sideways glance.

"Are you sure that's all she wants? Respect for formation theory?" He abruptly paused mid-drink.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well..." I chose my words very carefully.

"It seems like she might be interested in more than professional rivalry." The elder choked on his wine.

"What? No! Heavens no!" He shuddered.

"That awful monster isn't interested in humans. She deserves to be with a demon or something equally horrible." I held back a sigh. Clearly, thousands of years hadn't been enough time for him to catch on to her rather highly obvious intentions. But then again, given how she expressed those intentions through giving him increasingly elaborate insults and challenges, maybe I couldn't blame him for missing the signs. Part of me was tempted to explain things more clearly to him, but... no.

I already had enough problems of my own without getting myself involved inside an immortal romance. Because knowing how my luck worked, any attempt I made to help would probably end up resulting in both of them declaring blood feuds against me.

When we returned to his quarters, Elder Chen Yong's eyes lit up.

"Now then, can we please get back to studying that fascinating energy of yours?"

"I have a few questions first, if you don't mind." He visibly deflated but still gave a nod.

"Go ahead and ask." I quickly explained the situation going on with Wu Lihua and Wu Kangming, while watching his expression grow increasingly dark.

"Do you know who her master is?"

"Very few people know the real name of that demoness." Elder Chen Yong slowly shook his head, but I could sense genuine fear hiding behind his words.

"I'm worried Wu Lihua's cultivation technique might be very similar to the Heartbreak Dao," I admitted, trying to see if he will give me more information about it.

"The way she manipulates emotions..." He waved off my concern.

"There's already been multiple complaints sent to the Sect Master, but he dismisses such worries. He says disciples like Wu Lihua are simply a 'test' for the other disciples' willpower. And he claims techniques like that can't affect those who have strong minds." He took a long drink from a wine bottle that appeared from nowhere.

"It is a load of nonsense if you ask me, but what can you do about it?" I frowned. I wasn't worried about myself. But Wu Kangming was the type of person that such techniques were designed to exploit; he was someone dealing with deep emotional wounds and unresolved trauma. And the last thing I needed right now was for him to believe that killing me was the only way his crazy ex would accept him...

"What's this technique called?"

"Cultivators prefer to keep information like that a secret," Elder Chen Yong shrugged.

"Then how can you be sure it's safe?"

"These techniques," he slowly explained, suddenly serious, "they only ever work on those people dealing with heart demons or who have a weak will. Avoid those people, and you're fine." He took a quick pause, and then he added, "Mostly fine. Probably fine." I let out a sigh but still gave a nod. There wasn't much else I could do about it at this point anyway. Through our soul bond, I could feel Yggy's restless energy.

The small vine had been growing increasingly eager to explore outside my inner world, and I could sense its intense curiosity about this new world.

"Master, I have another question. Are there any beasts or beings out there with energy that is different from normal qi? How common is that?" The elder took a thoughtful sip from his wine bottle.

"Spiritual beasts are the most common, of course. But while cultivators progress higher up through the realms, they often create their own unique beings. Life Realm cultivators especially do it, once you successfully understand the core principles of life creation, you can make all sorts of interesting creatures." He dismissively waved his hand.

"It's not that strange at all to see unusual beings walking around with unique energy signatures." I gave a nod, thinking about Wei Ye, who was Wei Lin's father. The man wasn't human; he was some sort of artificial being created using advanced cultivation techniques. And if such crazy things were common enough for the higher realms that they simply didn't question them... Elder Chen Yong's eyes suddenly widened.

"For you to ask this question... I assume you've encountered something unusual?" I debated with myself for a moment. The elder already knew about the blue sun's energy, which was arguably one of my biggest secrets. And when compared to that, having Yggy around was relatively minor. Besides, since the little vine was created by Elder Molric, it was technically an artificial being anyway. The elder would probably assume it was something someone had created and I had found it. Which wasn't inaccurate to say.

"Actually," I said, finally making my decision, "I wanted to introduce you to someone."