Chapter 28 - Flower Sect

Flowers 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."

Hei nodded his head to indicate that he understood and waited for them to continue.

Seeing that he made no reply but only nodded his head, the second elder instead came out with a short laugh and said. "Interesting, although you are in front of the three of us, you are not at all agitated. It doesn’t seem that you don't understand the position we cover, but rather that you don't fear this position, am I right?"

The first elder retorted with a harsh tone. "Whoever knows his position and those of the people he has before him, yet he doesn’t behave properly is more guilty than the one who doesn’t know."

Before they started to digress, the sect leader said, "That's enough, we're about to conduct an evaluation, not to waste time on comments. Boy, even if you answered me, it's more pleasant to hear words than just a nod."

The sect leader's gaze was gentle and firm at the same time. The two elders said no more as Hei replied, "I apologize for my behavior. I will remember. "

"Well then, you can start telling us what you are called, where you come from, your age, and how you managed to get a spirit beast." The sect leader said calmly, including Lian in the questions. Since they had come together, it was normal for them to ask about her.

"My name is Hei while she is Lian. As far as our age and our place of origin are concerned, I cannot mention it. The albino buffalo here with me is nothing but a spirit beast that I met along with my journey along with a group of normal buffaloes."

Hei's replies could hardly be said to be exhaustive, and the three of them didn’t like them as they knitted their eyebrows. They didn't think he would have the courage to tell them he couldn't mention them.

Before the situation took a strange turn, Hei prepared to tell the version agreed with his mother.

"We are the children of a wandering martial artist. Our father is a beast tamer, and he sent us on a journey so we could earn experience. To grow faster. he suggested to join a sect."

This was Hei's answer by exploiting the cover story already used in the past. With slow steps, he approached Lian and held out a hand to her. Quickly, Ye and Xing came out of Lian's clothes to Hei's hand.

"As you see, I can communicate with spirit beasts and animals."

Hearing those words, the three of them were really surprised. Beast tamers were very rare to meet, especially one so young-looking. They were quite sought after, in particular, when it came to exploring unknown regions in search of treasures.

If they could get their hands on him, their sect could increase in prestige. If possible, they wanted to include him immediately in the inner sect within their respective factions.

But they also had to keep in mind that he was a stranger and, even though he had potential, inserting strangers into the inner sect could pose a danger.

As they pondered the question, the first elder asked, “Can’t we talk to your father, verifying his identity would automatically verify yours."

"It's not possible. My father is a loner. He doesn't like dealing with other people. He told me that if I encounter problems, I can directly request another sect and not fixate on one. "

On hearing this, the three became nervous. If they insisted on having a certainty about the children's identity, the couple could leave and apply to another sect. After all, not everyone would be so careful, and they would certainly take the risk to recruit such a young beast tamer.

The second elder proposed at that point, "Why don't we let him enter the outer sect? After all, this was initially an evaluation for the outer sect. In that way, we will have plenty of time to make a decision later. "

Accepting the proposal of the second elder, the other two nodded. So, the sect leader resolved, "All right, we'll do this. For you, it's ok, I guess, right?"

Hei replied calmly, "Yes, there are no problems for us to remain in the outer sect. My only request is if it is possible to live in an area isolated from the other people. We prefer quiet."

The request was unusual for a boy of his age but not so unacceptable. The sect leader, therefore, consented to his request,

"You will be assigned the hill to the north-west, there is a small house not used for a long time. You can stay there for the moment. The examiner who brought you here will take you there. However, if you have decided to be part of the outer sect, you must also work like everyone else. The examiner himself will explain the details of the available jobs, the donation system, along with your rewards. If you have no other questions, you can go now."

"We have no other questions. We thank you for the opportunity." Hei politely replied as he bowed quickly to the three of them. Then, he led Lian, Ye, Xing, and Shui to the outside.

Once Hei left the room, the sect leader asked, "What do you think?"

"There is no need for me to tell you what I think as you won’t certainly reveal to me what you really think." The first elder answered the sect leader sharply and stood up, without too much ceremony, to leave.

Being the first elder, he was also the sect vice leader and the second in power within the sect. He led the faction of the minor clans joined at the time of the union and was in contention with the faction led by the sect leader who represented the original members.

The faction led by the first elder was the most reluctant to accept members of the outer sect, preferring to have only blood-bound members. However, it happened from time to time that there were some individuals worthy of being acquired.

"Grumpy as usual, yet in front of the boy, he held himself with that reproach. I would say that he is interested, although there is to say to whom, though. Isn't that true?” The second elder retorted with a mysterious tone as he also left after greeting the sect leader.

He was a genius born in the outer sect who had climbed the ranks to become the second elder. His faction represented the minor sects joined at the time of the union. Unlike the clans, they didn't pay much attention to the issue of blood and accepted people from the outer sect without problems. Although it was the weakest of the factions, it was also the most popular as a choice for outer sect’s members.

‘Smart fox, he realized it then. The boy has certainly talent and, even if he looks like a fifteen-year-old, he had already awakened his spirit power. That alone would make him a first-rate talent among the big sect without considering his beast tamer talent. However, the girl seems to be about 11-12 years old, and she also awakened her spirit power. If so, she would be the most extraordinary genius on Rainbow Island in all its years of history. But at the same time, I get the impression that the boy's age isn’t equal to his exterior aspect, but he is younger, maybe the same age as the girl.’

With several doubts in mind, the sect leader took a sip of tea while pondering how to move.

Her faction, as tradition, mostly accepted women, but from time to time, she also took men. If she played her cards well, not only she could restore order within the sect’s internal situation, but she could also give a devastating blow to the other big sect’s prestige.