Chapter 28 - Flower Sect (1/2)
Flower Sect, one of the big five sects existing on the Rainbow Island. There were two big sects in the Forest kingdom, two in the Lake Kingdom and one in the Mountain Kingdom.
In the past, the Flower Sect occupied the first place among the five big sects, but over time their power and influence had diminished to the last place.
Concerned about the rapid decline in prestige, the then sect leader decided to make a sharp change, changing the very foundations of the sect.
The sect that, up to that time, had welcomed and was managed by women alone, decided to absorb various minor sects and clans within themselves. They offered them positions of importance, thereby also welcoming men within the sect.
Thanks to that move, they managed to preserve their position among the five big sects. However, the original members had lost much of their internal influence, creating various factions in the sect previously united.
In addition to accommodating other sects and clans within it, the sect also implemented a system of division between inner and outer sect.
In the inner sect, there were the various clans and sects'members who had joined the Flower Sect along with its original members. In the outer sect, the inhabitants of the neighboring territories were welcomed, plus all the foreigners who wanted to join the sect.
In this way, the Sect was able to triple its original territory. But it had to compromise with the kingdom to occupy more land.
The main difference between the inner sect and the outer sect was that the outer sect's members worked to support the needs of the inner sect through production jobs. In return, in addition to being guaranteed their safety, they were promised a vague hope of becoming martial artists.
The outer sect was composed of people without or with minimum spirit power. They were forced to maintain a specific share of donation to the inner sect in order not to be chased away. Even so, everyone worked hard with the hope that their children could enter the inner sect and change the fate of their family.
To increase their enthusiasm, even more, they were given as rewards techniques manuals and cultivation methods of little importance, but which for them represented a gift from the heavens.
Over the years, the outer sect had increased its members exponentially. So, they began to implement a careful selection for those who wanted to join by increasing their donation share and the admission requirements.
In order not to lose their privileges, the outer sect's members began to rival one another, increasing the climate of rivalry and division in the sect. However, at the same time, the quality of the outer sect's members improved, increasing the overall strength of the Flower Sect.
*
At the entrance of this big sect, there was a large group of people who came to be selected as outer sect members. Every year, a brief test was carried out to see their potential. However, instead of crowding and pushing each other to be the first, they were all huddled on one side of the road. They were too intimidated to get in line.
In the middle of the road towards the sect territories, there was a herd of buffaloes, arranged in a row in pairs. In front of them, a single albino buffalo stood majestically with a blue-haired girl on its back. She was wearing a large black robe covering her entire body while she was looking disinterestedly into the surrounding environment. Near that albino buffalo, there was a boy with a vigorous and handsome appearance. His brown skin, in particular, made him stand out because there weren't many people with that kind of color in that area. On his back, there was a spear, apparently of good quality.
The group in question was none other than Hei and the others. Since he would join the Flower Sect, he thought it would be problematic to hide the buffaloes and then make them appear out of nowhere. So he decided to introduce himself to them. However, this choice had attracted the attention of all those present. The guards at the entrance had no other choice than calling the outer sect examiners who hadn't arrived yet.
When they arrived, they were taken aback by this view. It wasn't so much for the boy or the girl as for the albino buffalo instead. They immediately understood that they had a spirit beast in front of them, and it seemed that it was strong enough to defeat them without problems.
Without hesitation, one of them took something from his pocket that lit up slightly. It was a communication talisman: connected with another talisman that acted as the receiver, it was possible to communicate with another person, although the distance was limited.
The person who the examiner called was nothing but the sect leader of the Flower Sect. Since several factions had been created in the inner sect, the acquisition of new blood from the outer sect had also become a matter of contention. The sect leader had made arrangements to be warned if someone extraordinary would arrive.
But like how she had ordered this, the representatives of the other factions had imposed similar orders. Soon, all the principal elders of the sect were informed of the situation.
The examiner who had communicated with the sect leader turned to Hei, ”Follow me. You will conduct your evaluation inside.” Without another word, he motioned for Hei to follow him.
Even the other examiners wanted to go with him, but they knew they couldn't all go and neglect the task for which they had come. Warning their respective superiors was more than enough. So, they stayed behind to examine the others present.
Hei meanwhile followed that one examiner leading the buffaloes in tow. Since there was a slight air of tension, he followed without uttering words, merely observing the surrounding landscape. Even Lian would turn her head from time to time even though it was because she was forced by Ye and Xing, who wanted to see the new place where they would be.
On the way, they met many people busy to grow wheat and other plants. When those people saw the examiner, they greeted him with courtesy before they quickly returned to work.
The fields extended for meters and meters and occupied much of that area. In the distance, you could see many hills surrounded by small woods with a high tower each at the top. Because together they formed the perimeter of a circle, Hei realized that all this was part of the sect's territory.
After walking for a while, they came to a large, isolated building. It had an ancient but robust appearance, and the absence of other buildings in the surroundings gave it a solemn feeling.
The examiner asked Hei to let the other buffaloes stay outside and bring in only the girl and the albino buffalo. Without making a fuss, Hei did as requested. So, he went inside with Shui and Lian while the examiner remained outside.
Once inside, he found himself inside a large room with a polished wooden floor. On the walls were hanging various weapons and flower designs. It looked like a mix between a sanctuary and a dojo for training. On the other side of the room, there were three figures seated side by side.
In the center, there was a woman with long purple hair elegantly placed behind her neck. She had cherry-pink eyes and wore a white robe adorned with cherry-petal designs. She was sitting on the ground in seiza style. In front of her, there was a teapot from which came a fragrance of tea.
To her right was a short-haired man with grizzled hair and a serious face that was slightly scarred along the left eyebrow. Unlike the woman, he sat with his arms folded and his legs crossed. He wore a simple black tunic without drawings of any kind.
On her left, there was another man with a more youthful and friendly appearance than the first. He had long black hair tied back in a tail with light brown eyes. He, too, sat in a seiza style wearing a light blue tunic with white clouds patterns. But, although he had an elegant appearance, a hint of savage could be seen in his eyes.
Hei led Shui and Lian to them, stopping a few meters ahead. As previously agreed, his mother, Ye, and Xing remained hidden for the time being.
When he stopped, the woman in the center turned to him, ”Welcome to the Flower Sect. I'm the sect leader. On my right, you can see the first elder while on my left the second elder. Because of your special circumstances, we will conduct your assessment.”