As I had prepared, the array which was left overnight for to absorb as much ambient qi as possible at my command comes into being with my activation acts of my index-middle handseal and my utterance of the words-
Emerge from the points, from the Four Cardinal Directions, and let it be so, that under mercy, all are made equal.
From my position reaching unto four equidistant marked points, a square barrier separating this space from regular reality is erected.
I made it a square since it saves more on the stored qi and my time spent calculating than a sphere and to me personally it evokes an auspicious connection to a boxing ring, also by invoking the Four Cardinal Directions alluding to the Four Guardian Beasts I strengthen and stabilize its connection to reality, because within this barrier I would commit a funny against it and I would like for the results to stick.
As the barrier envelopes us, the conditions and compromises giving the array its form while also maintaining its structure, 'such as being within the confines of the borders set' and 'the rules of this barrier must relayed to every sapient within it', begin to apply, meaning Song Yun gets hit with a jarring telepathic message relaying my spaghetti code and conveying how fucked he is right now, because by virtue of my cunning preparation, shrewd rules lawyering and my Array Intent I have made so that within this barrier-
By stepping within this barrier, every cultivator is expressing consent to being bound by a binding vow following the following rules.
Once stepping within this barrier, no one may leave without being victorious.
Within this barrier, if the cultivator with the higher realm should think, attempt, or act to use more power than the lowest realm cultivator, they will be hit with a penalty of being struck with an eighty out of a hundred chance of qi deviation.
As a reminder, arrays are the result of cultivators copying how Heaven orders things to be, by offering qi through the qi vessels of self expression it bribes the things into following their own bidding, so it is how one gaslights Heaven itself and having reality bend to their will up to a certain point.
Where Sword Intents can cut apart flesh, karma and concepts, and Painting Intents can make a moment hold still and ape at the attempt of creating worlds, it is known that what a Array Intent Master leaves behind as an inheritance is no simple Inheritance Grotto, but whole Hidden Realms.
While an Inheritance Grotto may only be accessed and plundered once, several masters working in concert with an Array Intent Master could create a Hidden Realm.
Where upon entering and passing the 'severely more than a regular Inheritance Grotto's' complex and numerous tests, what awaits those that passed are a multitude of techniques and resources to be plundered and not only that, but after a certain amount of time has passed, the Hidden Realm would have regenerated its resources and it can be plundered once more.
That is how much control over reality a Array Intent user has, but still Sword Intents can cut through anything, and in addition nearly all other intents can contest not just a Array Intent user's intent, but in principle every other intent inherently contests other intents, thus remaining perfectly balanced as always.
So it is with this little domain expansion I, an 8.7 Qi Sensing cultivator could fight at an advantage against a 5 something Qi Gathering cultivator, as to how I could do this, let me break it down for you.
One of the reasons is that he has to acclimate to being roughly at the peak of Qi Sensing again as with the deviation rule, one mistake could topple everything he was built for, and with him struggling every moment in the sect I would wager he scrambled for every advantage he could find, and he never took the time off to learn to fight at a disadvantage, being the concubine's boy he is showing weakness is practically a death sentence within the sect from I have heard.
The second reason that I have the advantage in this fight is that right now while he clutches his head at the mental equivalent of a sonic attack, he is receiving a painful mental message, meaning he is listening to a conversation, that counts as talking, and talking is not a free action in combat, meaning-
Strike Fast, Strike Hard, Be without Mercy, Black Mamba Mentality.
I have the first strike, and it will end him.
Arms rendered loose and snake-like by the Qi Sensing stage of my combat technique, and hands in index-middle handseal I rush towards him clutching between my two fingers my Array Intent manifestation of a talisman, my combat technique sequence in action he barely notices when I aiming for his dantians strike him in the chest.
The array characters for 'Seal', 'Bind', and 'Constrict', a curse-writ written and bound in my blood-ink and Array Intent imbed themselves unto his skin and penetrate further within his qi channel network roughly around the area where I hit him.
Concepts brought to life in the form of words, my very own poison of choice, are ingraining within his qi, he would need to cycle a meditative breathing technique to be rid of them, but that would take time.
Setting and timing, as explained by a YouTube channel I didn't deign to remember, every fight boils down to these principles, use your footwork, feints and taunts to set up your strike and wait for the right time.
Now in xianxia world with these cultivators what counts as setting and timing is how fast can you cycle your breathing technique, movement technique and combat technique in a sequence much better and faster than the other guy, because why bother of thinking about anything else than how to finish your opponent in as few blows as possible?
This fact is true only for at least street level fodder I hope, old monsters would always know how to do things properly around here that is why they are old monsters, but speaking of the other guy-
"Finger techniques?! Dirty bastard you will pay for that!" -he remarks having being snapped out of the mental transmission with a painful dosage of my reality.
"Bastard? Unlike you I am pretty sure that I came into this world through the right hole." -I perform my first ever exchange of witty banter.
"COURTING DEATH!" -I receive my second cliche response of my life, and judging by the volume of his screech, his lungs are also caught up in the array's effects.
He rushes forth full of his power, but I can tell that he feels it, the very qi of this barrier affecting his own telling him that if he continues he will suffer a deviation.
At this warning he hesitates and making use of this opportunity I hit him once more in the chest, causing the array within his chest to expand and with it the affects of the characters tangle up his most important qi channels and his lungs, taking out most of his breath.
"Happy Birthday Gen, isn't this fun?"
Grandmother relays and I send back my own mental transmission of my vague feelings of this fight, if I wanted to reply back precise words then I must be of Qi Gathering realm, but as plainly as anyone could see by our current showing I am clearly feeling the thrill of fight.
"Filthy finger techniques?! What a shameful display!"
"Cousin Song Yun! Hurry up and hit that disgrace!"
"Trash! Trash! Trash! Go die!"
"Young Yun! You should clear out your channels first then hit him!"
So much for a friendly spar, three fourths of the crowd break out in jeers and obtuse advice favoring our young daring underdog currently beefing with a child, can they not see that he is going to lose?
He has developed no Intent to counter me and foolishly allowed himself bound by a curse-writ sealing up his qi flow, binding up his qi channels, and constricting his muscles, in specific his lungs and his center, but most of all there is a eighty percent chance that when he does a xianxia protagonist and breaks through with a second wind he would begin deviating.
Oh shit he has a twenty percent chance of having a second wind and he only needs three good punches to end me, that's too close for comfort for me seeing that we are bound in the Heavenly agenda I should-
"Not yet, like I said I am here so there is nothing to worry about Gen, now show them who you are."
In order to snip this rebellion in the bud and maintain the lives of five Foundation Establishment Elders, thirty Qi Condensation Seniors, and an odd two hundred assorted Qi stage and below cultivators who each make up at least three fourths of the clan back under our control, my grandmother has ordered to me to make this fight drag on as painfully long as possible.
By the rites and psychology of champion combat their resistance will be made to known as futile from the start thus maintaining our strength and saving at least three hundred lives.
Such is the extent of grandmother's mercy and my very own trial to overcome.
"Cr-Crucible Strikes-!"
Coughing out blood the bastard gets the hang of being at the peak of Qi Sensing again and launches himself at me with a fury, and I prepare to dodge any of the standard combat techniques of the Melting Crucible Sect.
At birth or before that, one's body be it by the phases of the Guardian Beasts, one's bloodline or as in accordance with everything in this World is assigned an affinity for innate Ying, Yang and for an elemental phase.
One's affinity could be something as the regular common Spirit Yin and Physical Yang, the rarest Yin Phase-Yang Phase, the less rare Yin/Yang/Phase, and those that are uncommon, Phase inter-promoting Phase, Phase inter-regulating Phase, Phase overacting Phase, Phase weakening Phase, and Phase counter-acting Phase.
The beauty in the Melting Crucible Series of techniques is that no matter what your affinity is, the techniques would without fail will bring out your inner spiritual strength into the physical or transform your outer physical strength into the spiritual.
So by that logic every combat technique can be variated into various specialties depending on the affinity its practitioner has, and based on the fact Tang blood flows so thick within those bastard veins I would guess his affinity is either Yang Fire or Fire weakening Wood.
In the midst of choosing and cycling a combat technique, he commands his body into a horse stance and making a decision he starts with a wind up period to charge up his next strike to finish his sequence .
"-Yang Flame Fists!"
Yang Fire it is. I still saw that coming, and even if I get it wrong my feet are in a state through which I could feel the Reaper's Scythe.
The footwork of the 81st Death Charge could be described as stable and erratic at the same time, for it is being in the shuffling steps of those so close to death's door and to be herded together in that state through the will of Heaven commanding them to die so that they may live.
This movement technique as described by Daoist Ideal-Seeker is one fit for scholars who must go on the run while keeping their four treasures unharmed, a technique most suited to dodging and running and it most suits my situation now I dodge ten blows struck in the space of twenty five seconds, twirling and bending like a matador in a bullfight, now how is that for aura farming.
"Ha! There he is, my grandson." -Grandmother remarks after another close shave with a glowing fist.
"Stop dodging and fight like a man!" -one heckles.
"Cousin he is over there!" -one spouts unhelpful advice.
"Tch." -the bastard seeing none of his strikes are hitting, with clock running against his odds, he foolishly assumes more power instead of precision would make the fight his- "Damned brat, making me use this technique. Perish! With the Red-Hot Cauldron's Heat!"
With this sequence, his skin churns with a red hue from the fact that his blood is being misted out from his pores, all as a side effect of bringing out his Yang and inner Fire to strengthen and hasten his steps and strikes, well since we are playing by these themes-
"Boiling Cauldron's Steam."
While the Boiling Cooker's Blows puts emphasis on soft passivity and the Red-Hot Cauldron's Strikes obsessively focuses on hard aggressiveness, Grandmother's Boiling Cauldron's finds the middle ground, discards the useless add-ons, and applies what works.
So when I finally make my choice to no longer dodge, but instead keep up with him blow for blow as much as my seven year old body could do for our finale, I would say that works for me.
I choose to lead towards the the softer mist-like parry's and redirects derived from the Boiling Cooker's Blows to join and match with Song Yun in perfect pantomime of our ancestors, in the days where no one sat the Throne of Iron Dusted Jade, where every clan did what was right in their own eyes.
Let this act of theatre serve as his one moment in time and eulogy, he deserves the very least this, being my stepping stone after all.
The crowds cheer, seeing their vaunted technique long taught lost to time in action once more, the utter unbreakable strength of the Tang has... failed to hit its mark?
The crowds continue their cheers as the technique makes his Rampaging Yang exploded forth in great heat to... not even make him break a sweat?
The crowds cheer, seeing their underdog has... been losing breath and is standing still.
The crowds remain silent in anticipation, their hero has been cycling his breaths and would be making a comeback soon.
The crowds remain silent, no, all but one resists the urge to cry out in horror as their hero kneels to the ground clutching his chest and struggling for his last breaths.
"No, why... this isn't fair... This isn't fair! This isn't how its supposed to be!"
"Fair? Senior you, a fifth step Qi Gathering cultivator, have attempted to a kill a child turning seven today, how is that fair?"
"Hypocrite, this was supposed to a friendly spar was it not!"
"It always has been senior."
"In what part!"
"Under mercy, all are made equal. Have you not considered the rules?"
"We could have stopped at any time senior, why I would just have you reaffirm your loyalties to the clan and in exchange I would declare you victorious and this spar would end."
"You. Who are you to make demands of me! You were supposed to be my stepping stone! Do you think this barrier set up for you will save you?! I'll show you how its supposed to be!"
For just one terrifying moment in which I gambled my life on a twenty percent chance which may or may not be blessed by Heavenly design, his rage and qi builds up in a explosive momentum, and letting no petty rules restrain him in this instance as he reaches for the powers he earned as a Qi Gathering cultivator.
Yet, with that single act of defying the rules he accomplishes naught except for making the barrier expend nearly all of its power to enforce my reality, and of that gamble with a eighty percent odds in favor of the house what remains is just a scared boy barely reaching twenty writhing unto the floor crying for his mother.
His mother rushes banging on the barrier and whole crowd remains silent, preoccupied with thoughts of how to display their sincerity to the clan in the hopes of being allowed to affirm loyalty and live another day, after all, what is a little impermanent shame and heavy punishment compared to immortality.
With the barrier's shell flickering between spiritual and physical I let it collapse and allow his mother to exchange words and embrace him one last time, before my fingers make her head burst like a ripe watermelon spilling all over his face.
"AAAAAHHHH!!! AAAAAHHH!!! I'L KWIL YUSH!!! I WIL YU!!! I KIL UU!!!" -the deviated champion of a dead clan, who strutted about as if surviving for so long in the Melting Crucible Sect means that he was favored by Heaven, uses whatever neurons he has left to spit out curses in a deviated haze.
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
"You fought well Wu-Tang Song Yun, thank you for the pointers, this junior will endeavor to never forget them." -I thank the son of the first kill I have made within two lifetimes, my trial to become what I need to be is complete and my conviction is ever stronger, thank you so much Song Yun.
"KIIIIL!!!! KIILL!!!! KILLL!!!!" -the soon to be Rampaging Yang Enhancement Pill screams out while being dragged by the Tufu to grandmother's kitchen, I can only hope that such boldness would bestowed upon me upon my refinement of his remnants.
They could offer me Long with his stronger Rampaging Yang and I would refuse them Song Yun, not only would I take that as a great insult but because you are the Jamis to my Paul.
You showed me my path to immortality and through becoming a pill you share and entrust your strength and what you could be with me, that is how much you mean to me.
"Congratulations Gen, you are now a cultivator." -my grandmother says in words only I can hear, as she approaches me in the middle of the courtyard and placing her hands upon my shoulders.
Addressing the crowd she announces "My dear kinsmen, I give you your Young Master, our foremost prodigy, the next head of the clan, Wu-Tang Gen!"
"Wu-Tang clan greets the Young Master!" -some loyal few cry out.
"Wu-Tang clan welcomes the Young Master!" -they who watch how the tides change speak out.
"Wu-Tang clan acknowledges the Young Master!" -the whole crowd says as one.
"May we be blessed by his rise!" -the clan affirms and conforms to the new status quo, counts their losses and gains to prepare their gambits for the next rounds of the games.
"Let us be merry, for not only is this the day of his investment, but also his seventh birthday!" -grandmother continues.
"A Heaven defying genius! At such a young age! No wonder he took out that bastard Song Yun so easily." -one of our servants remarks sparking propagandic rumors.
"He posses Array Intent! He shall rise to the Heavens with talent like that!" -another servant speaks, fanning the flames and making the stakes and risks known to all of those making bets on my journey to immortality.
"Such a blessed day, this one wishes the Young Master a happy birthday!" -a brown nosing elder makes his 'sincerity' known, hoping to avoid the chopping block.
"Now, now. This is hardly the setting for such joyous revelry, let us make our way back to the dinning hall where shall make merry in celebration for our Young Master!"
Gladdened by the foiled rebellion quelled by my display of cruelty, grandmother whisks me away through her kitchen door unto the dinning hall where already a banquet is set, becoming the setting for the next round of our scheme.
Twenty long tables not unlike the one in the private dinning room are arrayed diagonally before our horizontal own, and one by one, the clan's elders trot along with their families into the hall to their tables, each bowing their heads and showing their hands clasped saluting us in a show of respect and submission as they wait to be seated and wait to see which one would dare approach with their pleas first, blasts of mental messages vibrating the ambient qi.
"Once more this seat wishes a happy birthday to his Young Master! This seat also came prepared with gifts for him!" -that brow nosing elder declares, presenting a storage ring stuffed to the brim with resources.
Receiving the gift once grandmother gave the go ahead, I see that all of the gathered resources are specifically helpful to someone in Qi Gathering with a Yang Fire affinity, by Heaven above, World below and the People within, I thought I was being shameless, this young master has eyes but has yet to see Mount Tai, elder has enlightened me on how low can someone go.
"This seat wishes a prosperous life and great health to his Young Master! My gifts shall surely help most effectively in journey to defy Heaven!" -another elder declares, this one has a hodgepodge of healing items paired with the Yang Fire cultivation resources, kudos to you there will be points for originality.
"This seat also wishes a happy birthday to his Young Master, I am sure my own presents would not be lacking, for among them I offer my great-granddaughter Yiwun's hand!" -the granddaughter in question, a Qi Sensing stage cultivator initiated into Melting Sect of the same age as the late Song Yun presents me with a storage ring filled with the usual fare, staring at me with a gaze and stance meant to display her womanly charms to a prepubescent boy.
Oh great here they come to present me the leeches.
"This seat wishes the Young Master a happy birthday! On this blessed day one should forbid invoking inauspicious moods!"
"However, seeing my fellow elder peddle their old maid before our rising dragon gives me quite the grief!"
"You dare-!"
"Yes I do, for with my gifts I bestow our Young Master with the hands of my great-great-granddaughter's, Daywei and Weiday!"
"These ones greet the Young Master!"
Twins, about two years older than me greet me in the same cadence and timing with an enthusiastic demeanor present the usual storage ring and its usual contents, and I know, I just fucking know that if Song Yun would have won in our little spar he would presented them to him too, what a sick bastard, I make a note to grandma to extort this elder extra.
"This seat is truly blessed that seven years ago Lady Yingyue has given our clan Young Master Gen, just as I was with little Deidei from her mother, who also gave me nine sons and two more daughters other than her."
"Seeing that she is gifted with a Steady Yang Fire counteracting Patient Yin Water I know she would be a perfect wife to our Young Master, so I present him with her hand alongside this paltry sum as the precursor to our dowry."
The five year old shyly hands me over a part of her dowery which no different from the other storage rings and steps back to stand by her father, her red face refusing to meet mine in her maidenly embarrassment in the thoughts of us being together.
If I were a mortal man aiming for a short but sweet life of a romance anime I would have joined with her in holy matrimony to live the rest of our lives together, but no.
If she hasn't been acting the whole time then I feel sorry for her, we could never happen with the way her father is barely disguising his greed of having an in through the running of the clan through me, thinking her rare affinity would be enough to entice me and my grandmother, it did alright but not in the way he wants.
This is a test, if I were to truly trod down the path to immortality petty thoughts such as shame, loyalty, righteousness and guilt should hold no strangle over me, to possess such a mindset would see me prepared to undergo the tests set before me, and if I fail I would be trodden over for the rest of my life as the Young Master of the Wu-Tang clan causing in more deaths than if I has passed.
Ruthlessness truly is mercy upon ourselves.
"Cripple yourselves and become broodmares." - with a heavy heart that I am working on to get used to this and a cruel demeanor I give my first command to the clan.
"At your pleasure Young Master." -the oldest does so with a smile and no hesitation, commanding her qi to slowly but painlessly erupt damaging her spirit roots in the manner all concubines of the clan undergo, just enough to perform pregnancy and birthing qi techniques but not enough to cultivate.
She must have no hope of progressing further in the sect, especially as unlike some of the one's gathered here today she does not wear the sect robes, and all that do are in the inner sect, she must have been preparing to be a broodmare ever since she got stuck in the outer sect.
"Ah of course Young Master." -the great-great-grandfather of the twins turns to towards his great-great-grandchildren and forcefully breaks their underdeveloped spirit roots, causing them to collapse upon the floor crying out in great pain, has he been so enthused with the prospect of having my ear he breaks their ability to use qi completely?
Yet at this display within the confines of my mind I wince at the sound of their cries and outside I let no one see nothing else, save my stone like face which betrays no emotions, that is all that I must allow them to see.
"Papa... will... will it hurt?" -the youngest fearfully, innocently asks her father as he prepares to cripple her cultivation.
"No it won't I promise, beside it is all worth it to become the Young Master's own."
"Who said anything about becoming my own, I simply ordered you lot to become broodmares." -I say stopping her father from crippling her spirit roots, grandma needs those intact to be paired with Song Yun's.
"WHAT!" -the great-grandfather and great-great-grandfather speak out.
"You lot plot have plotted treason and expect to be rewarded?"
"Since when has Heaven and World turned upside down to see a truth such as 'reward treachery with ill will and reward loyalty with good will' turned upon its head?"
"It was all Song! That viper nestled within Lady Caixi's breasts plotted this all." -the great-grandfather of the eldest cries out.
"Oh elders, we both know he would have not moved were you lot not there to encourage him, further more when his bastard failed you shameless lot now present his dregs to me, have you no shame graverobbing a corpse not yet cooled?"
The great-grandfather of the eldest addresses the crowd- "See this kinsmen! How-" -before getting skewered by the Tufu along with the two who were ready to back him up and did not hand me leeches.
At this sight the broodmare which was his great-granddaughter cries out in alarm to the complete silence of the clan and the other guilty elders, as the three dead elders are dragged to kitchen to make their additional Rampaging Yang a wonderful addition to the pot, once more bets were hedged and some were found unlucky.
"Oh Honored Hierarch, Young Master, it is known to the clan and the sect that I and Yiwun once shared affections for each other, seeing you have no intentions of claiming her for yourself, may this one bring her under my protection?" -and some like this cousin of mine many times removed got lucky, seeing the way the broodmare recoils at his ugly mug and rather big bones body shape I would dare say she never once looked in his direction, however.
Now through mental mediations with grandmother, she has no great-grandfather elder to protect and support her and her family, thus we have given him leave to have her in his bed as warning and message, we reward loyalty with good will and treachery with ill will.
"Young Master please-"
"I see no need to impede two lovers, do you Grandmother?"
"I see why not Gen, let it be known that from this day forth that Yiwun is under the protection of Wu-Tang Hang Sool, does no one object?" -as the silence continues the happy couple in question are already making it back unto the the boys family table, the girl now devoid of qi, attempts to scream but finds herself unable to due the firm grip on her throat.
"Honored Hierarch, since the Young Master has found my nieces unsuited to his person, may this one bring them under my protection to nurture them further and impress upon them the duties of concubines?" -speaks the direct blood aunt of the twins and resident madame of the clan whore house, but since I righteously put more respect to sex workers everywhere than the rest of my clan I would call it a cabaret.
Yes we have so many female clan members born out of wedlock and yes are paranoid enough to we have our own cabaret, better to keep leaked information and genes within the family after all, every clan worth their bloodline does this, and besides where do you think we get the dancers for most of our rituals to pay Heaven's definitely not a demonic clan toll?
"See how the elder so callously broke their cultivation grandmother? To do that so someone of your namesake borders on treason, I am of the mind to agree to her request."
"I too agree, let it known that from this day forth that Daywei and Weiday may seek happiness under the protection of the concubines of the indulgence hall, does no object?" -at the given implication the elder sweats, thinking of ways to please grandma as the silence continues.
"Honored Hierarch... what is to become of Deidei?" -the last guilty elder speaks up, knowing what is about happen and made peace with his losses, he has eleven other children after all.
"Gen my boy, what shall become of her?" -grandmother tests me, I know what I must but I not know- no I know I can do this, just a few words lost in time, what does the life of a mortal matter to eternity?
"I know you like the others have planned to betroth her to Song Yun. Let her join him." -I do what is correct but I know its not right.
The Tufu care not to block her mouth as she cries for her daddy to save her, this is all part of the test and I commit this to memory, someday I might forget this but I will make sure I won't.
I can cope by saying her worth is just the same as particularly precious herb or a rare beast, but I know that sooner or later I have to own up the fact I sent a innocent girl to die by the flames reserved for sinners.
Three elders to witness a boy and girl be joined in unity, with such ingredients I hope for the sake of their lives and my benefits that grandmother does not waste them.
"Now that is over do we have anymore well wishers?"
"Yes there are!" -uncle says opening the hall doors with the person I hoped to see after my fight.
Mother rushes to wrap me in her embrace and I return it, the weight of the expectations and sins placed upon me falling away, well I am still a boy after all.
Grandmother was right to forbid anyone I am close to from seeing my fight as the thoughts of thinking about them would only slow down my strikes.
"This one greets the Young Master and Hierarch of the Wu-Tang, I am Feng's partner, we work together in Disciplinary Hall after all." -speaks a man with soft contours and a glib tone, though both are robed in the Disciplinary Hall's ashen robes that shine with metal qi compared to my uncles eye-bagged gloomy facade this one contrasts him with eyes slated so thin you might think they were closed paired with a winning smile.
"This Young Master greets my uncle's sworn brother, I welcome you into these halls and let us be close as kin you and I."
"My, my Feng, you weren't spinning yarns the whole time I see, this one named Shin is glad to partake in the Wu-Tang's hospitality."
So this is uncles sworn brother, and from the moment I saw them stand side by side I knew then why uncle tends to not speak of him quite often, he is a little shy and ashamed that he is a bottom.
Having welcomed one of our guests, I turn to the figure at mother's side that joined the returning party that with the excuse of searching for my birthday presents excused themselves to not be present during my fight.
With a face set in a frown the old man looking like an aging asian action star is robed in the Melting Crucible Sects elder's dark black ashen robes made even more so black with a hazy wave-like ever shifting pattern of Water inter-regulating Earth's variant qi of Ink, with a jade token badge pinned to the hem of his robes reading out 'Head of Inscryption Hall'.
"Disciple greets Teacher! This disciple welcomes master to our clan!" -I say with proper etiquette a student is expect to display.
"Hah, such a pain he turned out to be huh Yingyue." -replies Daoist Ideal-Seeker, creator of the Impermanence Series of Techniques and my uncle and mother's master.