Volume 2 Chapter 10
Master Poh was reading one of the scrolls that he kept behind the desk for his private use when there was nobody browsing the shop when he sensed someone coming. They were moving at a mortal pace, however, so he had plenty of time to store the beautiful scroll away properly and prop his head up with one elbow on the counter to look suitably bored and disinterested.
The young boy that was recently admitted to the sect came in a moment later. He bowed to Master Poh and requested permission to look around, which Poh promptly granted.
Yin thanked the elder, who wasn’t truly an Elder but just an older disciple in charge of the contribution points shop, and began browsing the shelves. He ignored the gacha bin filled with ‘insight scrolls,’ he had asked what sort of insight they contained and learned that they were effectively fortune cookies.
With that out of the way, he had sixty points to spend. He followed Elder Yotu’s advice and promptly selected the best of the water aligned prayer mats from the bin where they were stored. He was certain that he’d picked the best because a little voice that wasn’t his own had said ‘this one’ when his hand had touched it.
He set it on the counter and looked up at Master Poh with a charming smile. “When I came yesterday, Elder Yotu advised that I buy one of these as soon as possible,” he explained. “He also advised that I take lessons with a weapons master to determine which weapon suits my frame and movements. I asked the other disciples, and they said that you are the one to arrange that?”
“Indeed,” Poh said in a bored voice. “There are three elders who offer advise on weapons selection. The test lasts between an hour or however long it takes to find a suitable weapon for you. The cheapest option is an elder who will do it for five contribution points, while the other two charge more. Altogether with your prayer mat, that will cost you fifteen of the sixty points that you bought with the mortal goods your family provided.”
“Oh, you already know my total,” the boy said, surprised but not overly so. “Yes, well, I was actually thinking. Are the more expensive weapon masters stronger or more knowledgeable than the cheaper option, or do they just not wish to be bothered as much?”
Poh blinked in surprise. He reevaluated the boy quietly, then nodded. “The finest weapon master on the mountain is the middle priced option. In fact, he is the master of the other two, or he was two centuries ago at least. Both of the other options swap their prices around eventually in some sort of duel to see who can get the most points from their juniors, while the middle placed option has not changed his price for one hundred and sixty years.”
“Then upon your recommendation, I would request a weapons evaluation from the middle priced option,” Yin said.
Poh nodded and went in back, pulling out a ledger. He quickly documented the transaction in the ledger, deducting Yin for twenty-five contribution points and marking the sale of the prayer mat. He filled out the formal request for mentorship, pausing only to get the boy’s name from him and to have him sign it, then instructed the boy on where to take it and who to present it to.
It would not go directly to the weapon master himself, an elder named Uto, but to a mortal who was in charge of the delivery of mail and parcels on the mountain. Technically it would have been Toh’s responsibility to see the request got where it should have been, but it was good to assign such tasks to the junior members of the sect, especially when they were young and didn’t know any better. It helped with their orientation.
Yin took both the mat and the scroll and left without complain. In fact, he had a smile on his face when he left.
Poh smiled back, reminding him of the contribution shop hours and encouraging him to come back whenever was convenient, then when the boy was gone he once more unrolled the scrolls behind the counter and looked at beautiful drawings until the next customer arrived to catch him.
It was, of course, the Red Rooster.
Hoten had changed in the past two years. He had lost weight, most of it muscle, and gained a grim determination in his eyes. While the determination was good for a cultivator, Poh had a feeling that the matter which drove Hoten to succeed were perhaps not the best motivations to have.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
“Ah if it isn’t my favorite customer!” Poh said in greeting.
“Yeah, hello Master Poh,” Hoten said. He pulled out a bag he was carrying and plopped it on the counter. “Delivery from Master Argoth. Twelve Foundation Establishment Pills, one hundred Wound Healing Pills, two dozen Bone Strengthening Pills. You know, the usual.”
“Thank you, we were running low of the Bone Strengthening Pills. Hold on a few minutes while I take inventory with the new delivery and place my new order,” Poh said, and he set about doing that while Hoten took a seat behind the counter, kicked up his heals, and pulled one of the scrolls from their hiding places behind the desk.
Poh tsked at the familiarity of the action, but he didn’t get too upset. As Master Argoth’s test subject-er-student and helper, Hoten was technically at the same rank as master Poh himself, who was appointed by an elder that he’d impressed thirty years ago.
There was even talk about taking the pills that one could buy from contribution points out of the contribution shop and establishing a separate location for their purpose for Hoten to man, although such things had been discussed before and had never gone anywhere.
“Where do you find these scrolls anyway?” Hoten asked as Poh worked.
“They’re the work of a mortal artist in the village,” Poh admitted. “I do believe that I’m his only customer, and that I am singularly responsible for keeping the old pervert from starving.”
Hoten snorted. “Well, what’s his name then? I might want to start making a collection of art myself, you know. For when I manage enough points to have somewhere private to hang them. Something more tasteful than these I think, though.”
The discussion went on for some time, with companionable silence filling the gaps in conversation. Poh didn’t particularly like the Red Rooster, but neither did he dislike him. Hoten was not nearly so charming as he seemed to think that he was, but he was tolerable under most circumstances.
“Oh, there is a new member of the sect who joined yesterday,” Poh commented.
“Oh?”
“Yeah. A young lad. Ten or eleven I think, he’s from a merchant family, and they loaded him up with enough goods to hit the contribution point cap.”
“There’s a cap?”
“The cap that we allow new members to trade mortal goods for,” Poh amended. “You were nowhere near it, but then you had all of those dun spiritual stones to trade, so it’s not like you were hurting. But yes, this new lad seems like a smart one. He’s actually asking for advice and following it rather than charging ahead and believing that he knows best in all matters like some young men.”
“Yeah, what fools,” Hoten said.
Poh suppressed a subtle smirk as he continued to do inventory.
“So what stage is his cultivation at?” Hoten inquired.
“How should I know? I wasn’t his evaluator, you know that. If you’re really curious go ask Yotu. But then you’ll have to be prepared to explain why you’re interested, and if you’re just going to shake the lad down—”
“Yeah yeah, I get it. I don’t care that much,” Hoten admitted. He sighed, looking down at his hands, which were colored red. He told everyone that it was a birthmark, but the truth was that it was a curse. “Still, if he’s only ten, he can’t be too advanced, can he?”
“If you’re going to shake him down, be careful,” Poh advised. “He’s a charming lad and if one of the elders takes a shine to him, you might jeopardize your standing.”
“Yeah yeah, I get it,” Hoten said again. The topic moved back to the drawings in the scrolls, and then Poh finished his inventory and placed his order for next week’s delivery.
Hoten left, leaving Poh to put the delivered pills away before he was finally able to return to his favorite pass time.
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