Chapter 18: Heaven on Earth
Mounted on cranes, Xiao Nanfeng and Elder Ku flew into the skies. However, he was unable to get a full view of the Taiqing Island proper, which was shrouded by fog and hence occluded from view.
He looked up at the distant seas, at the ten thousand taels of gold he had yet to claim from the hull of the ship. However, Xiao Nanfeng wasn't too worried. He didn't plan on retrieving the money just yet, not while there was so much attention on him.
The cranes ferried master and disciple deep within the island, to a patch of clear ground.
The cranes slowly descended. There were a large number of small single-story cottages and residences in the area. The largest building, near the center of the enclosure, was four stories tall.
"The Vault of Scriptures?" Xiao Nanfeng read off the plaque on the building. Was this where the Taiqing sect housed its collection of scriptures?
The vault shone with golden light. Plenty of disciples walked in and out of it. A few disciples stood guard outside, maintaining order in the vicinity. This was where Elder Ku resided. Despite the fact that he had gone blind, he was clearly familiar with the layout of the land.
The cranes flew away from the enclosure as Elder Ku walked to the residences behind the vault. Xiao Nanfeng followed suit, still carrying Elder Ku's guqin as he looked all around him.
Behind the vault was the steep, rugged side of a mountain. From afar, he could hear the sound of chanting from a distance. About two hundred robed men and women were sitting cross-legged by the wall, facing the wall as they meditated.
"They seem to be reciting... Taoist scriptures?" Xiao Nanfeng wondered.
"Oh? Can you discern that?" Elder Ku replied curiously.
"Yes, Master. I've had some experience with them," Xiao Nanfeng replied.
"I live right here, listening to them chant all day and night. Are you willing to stay here with me? If not, I can have someone escort you to the Ascended peak. Ascended disciples reside there, and you can learn the fundamentals of cultivation with them," Elder Ku offered.
"Stay here and listen to them chant all day?" Xiao Nanfeng glanced at Elder Ku.
"Indeed," Elder Ku replied calmly, as though this were a test for his new apprentice.
At the same time, back in the Hall of Immortal Recruitment, Ye Dafu watched on as Xiao Nanfeng vanished from sight, still somewhat upset at how he had upstaged them all.
"Third Uncle, has that brat just leapfrogged past the rest of us?" Ye Dafu asked.
"Not quite. I suspect he won't be able to stand Elder Ku's living conditions," Ye Dafu's third uncle replied, sighing.
"Oh? Is there something wrong about it?" Ye Dafu's eyes lit up.
"It might as well be hell!" Ye Dafu's third uncle replied, shuddering.
"Hell? What do you mean?" Ye Dafu was very comforted by the idea that Xiao Nanfeng might not be having a good time. His face brightened the moment he heard that Xiao Nanfeng's lifestyle would be hellish.
"Elder Ku lives by the Vault of Scriptures, which neighbors the Cliff of Meditation. A group of disciples meditates there daily, chanting Taoist scriptures all day long... it's a nightmarish place to be for the large majority of Taiqing disciples!" Ye Dafu's third uncle seemed to have had a traumatic experience himself.
"What? Vault of Scriptures? Cliff of Meditation? Why is it a nightmare?" Ye Dafu asked.
"The Taiqing sect has many rules. Anyone who flouts one will be punished and forced to recite scriptures by the Cliff of Meditation."
"Recite scriptures? What sort of scriptures?" Ye Dafu still seemed perplexed.
"There are 48,000 Taoist scriptures stored in the Vault of Scriptures. Disciples who are being punished have to find a scripture related to and compatible with their cultivation, then recite it a hundred times by the Cliff of Meditation. Furthermore, the scriptures chosen can't be repeated. Do you know how long each scripture is? The shorter ones are alright, but the longer ones—anyone would go crazy. You won't be allowed to leave until you've committed the scripture to memory." Ye Dafu's third uncle shuddered. "I broke a vase accidentally one time, and I was forced to memorize two scriptures. It took me the larger part of a month..."
"What?! Reciting scriptures as punishment, and useless Taoist scriptures at that? Isn't that crazy? I hate memorization! Who established such idiotic punishment?!" Ye Dafu shouted, his eyes wild.
"The sect master, division leaders, and the manifold elders themselves..." Ye Dafu's third uncle replied, staring at his nephew with an odd expression. Can't you think before you speak? You'll offend everyone in the sect if you keep behaving in this way!
Ye Dafu stilled. "Ah, what I meant to say was, those who instituted such a punishment surely must be wise and virtuous sages, as expected of masters and grandmasters of the sect!"
His third uncle rolled his eyes. His nephew was really getting rather thick-skinned!
"We dislike these Taoist scriptures because they're cryptic and near-impossible to understand, but the sect leader and elders always emphasize their importance. They think that a good understanding of such scriptures is even more important than cultivation techniques, so they're forcing us to memorize them first. They claim that we'll be able to digest them slowly later, that this is for our own good." Ye Dafu's third uncle shook his head, sighing.
"This is a joke, isn't it? How can Taoist scriptures be more important than cultivation techniques?!"
"Elder Ku lives right by the Vault of Scriptures, so Junior Brother Nanfeng will have to listen to countless disciples reciting scriptures at every moment of the day. Not only that, Elder Ku loves using the classic punishment of the Taiqing sect—making others recite scriptures, supposedly 'for their own good'! You can imagine just what Junior Brother Nanfeng's life will be like now."
Ye Dafu gaped. "It truly is hell! I'd surely go crazy if I had to live there and listen to them recite Taoist scriptures day and night..."
"Isn't that so?" his third uncle agreed.
This was a widespread, and indeed the majority, view of the Vault of Scriptures held by the Taiqing disciples.
Xiao Nanfeng looked at Elder Ku with a gleam in his eyes.
"This is a paradise! I would be delighted to stay here," Xiao Nanfeng replied, almost beatific with joy.
"Hmm?" Before Elder Ku could say anything, those disciples forced to recite scriptures facing the Cliff of Meditation, having heard something ridiculous, all turned to Xiao Nanfeng. Who was that brat? What did he say? Paradise? Who was he trying to fool and flatter?!
Elder Ku was silent for a moment. He didn't know whether Xiao Nanfeng really meant what he said, or if he was just trying to please him.
"Master! Have you returned?" Suddenly, a young woman's voice came from the distance.
Xiao Nanfeng glanced over to see a young woman, who had been meditating in front of the Cliff of Meditation, jump up and greet Elder Ku.
The young woman seemed to be in her twenties, of middling height, with a curvaceous body primly covered up by fitting black robes. Her face was beautiful, her skin smooth, but her most striking features were her expressive eyes that crinkled with infectious charm when she smiled.
"Yu'er? What are you doing here? I've told you, I'm not accepting disciples! Don't waste your time here—go apprentice under your division leader!" Elder Ku chastised, shaking his head.
Yu'er replied hopefully, "I'd really like to learn the guqin under your mentorship, Elder Ku. I'm more than happy to cultivate with my seniors, but no one else can teach me the guqin!"
Elder Ku shook his head. "My skills aren't so easy to learn, I'm afraid. Furthermore, you're already at the peak of Immanence, a crucial period for your development as a cultivator. Stop wasting time with me—I won't take you."
"Elder Ku, how would you know whether I'm a good student without teaching me?" Yu'er refused to give up.
Elder Ku shook his head. "That's enough, I think. I can help you out if you have questions about cultivation, but let's not speak further about apprenticeship."
Yu'er still seemed to want to continue pleading with Elder Ku, but the disciples around her suggested, "Senior Sister Yu'er, why don't you give up? You know how long it's been since Elder Ku last took a disciple. It won't help no matter how many times you plead with him."
"Junior Sister Yu'er, you know Elder Ku's personality by now. He never goes back on his word, and he's already refused you."
A group of disciples were urging Yu'er to reconsider, but she glared at everyone and stomped her feet. "Worry about yourselves first! Hmph!"
Everyone laughed, but no one was mad. It was clear that Yu'er was beloved among the Taiqing disciples of the Ascended division.
"Have you finished memorizing your scriptures?" Elder Ku asked.
"I have, Elder! I have a great memory, and I can memorize a scripture just by reading it a few times. It's no issue at all!" Yu'er boasted, smiling.
"In that case, help Nanfeng arrange for accommodations around here, please," Elder Ku instructed.
Only then did Yu'er turn to Xiao Nanfeng. "Oh? Who's this? Were you the one trying to flatter Elder Ku just now? Let me warn you, this sort of thing doesn't work on Elder Ku. And paradise, you say? I don't think I know any other disciple shameless enough to say something like that, haha!"
"I do mean it," Xiao Nanfeng replied seriously. "Living here would be a dream come true."
Xiao Nanfeng did relish the idea of not having to spend money on Taoist scriptures, to have others recite scriptures for his enjoyment. Where else would he be able to find such an incredible paradise?
"A dream come true? How shameless can you get? Lad, who are you? Why is Elder Ku arranging for you to stay nearby? Could you be a new nominal disciple? As I said, it's useless for you to try to flatter Elder Ku." Yu'er put her hands on her waist as she interrogated Xiao Nanfeng.
"I just came from the public square of the Hall of Immortal Recruitment, where I was fortunate enough to apprentice under Elder Ku. What I said wasn't flattery—I do mean it," Xiao Nanfeng reiterated.
Yu'er's laughter abruptly stopped. Her face went still. "What? Elder Ku took you as disciple? How could this be?!"
She had pleaded with Elder Ku countless times, but he had ignored her each time! She had thought Elder Ku completely resistant to the idea of taking another disciple—but why had he succeeded where she had failed?
The other disciples around all looked at Xiao Nanfeng with astonishment. The fact that Elder Ku had taken a new disciple was clearly extraordinary.
"Elder Ku has a good eye," Xiao Nanfeng replied calmly.
Yu'er glared at Xiao Nanfeng for a long while, and then at Elder Ku in the distance. Have we all been mistaken? Does Elder Ku like disciples that flatter him? Look at the shamelessness of this fellow—"Elder Ku has a good eye"? Is he praising Elder Ku, or praising himself?
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