I'll have to leave this matter for later. Shuren tried to move the subject away, at least for the day.
No one had noticed when Haze had taken out a piece of sugar cane, but he was chewing on it as he said, "Good job, kids, for making it here. I'll give you my personal tour around."
Zhou Yan was the first to follow suit with a bow. "It is our honour, Sir Haze. Please educate us on the premises." The rest followed along, Aerestia stumbling from behind.
"Good, that sounds like music to my ears. First, we need to get you some fun toys. Shimmy on folks." Haze walked along to the main marble building at the centre, humming a tune. He smacked the reed on his palm, as he exclaimed, "Wait, we can't have you entering now with those dirtied clothes and footwear." He pointed his reed to a single floored wooden building. "Tarry along, get yourself jazzed up, folks. Right, you can choose any colour of clothing you want. We don't rank ourselves with something silly like that."
After the young men and women walked into different rooms, they were being measured up by some servants. Wu Ming was the first to approach Liu Shuren, slapping his back. "You crazy guy! How'd you even feel the taste of death and keep fighting without a reaction?!"
"I should be the one saying that, you madman! What I want to know is how you trained yourself to be that good at the sword, Wu Ming." Shuren faced towards him, this time with a deep grin.
"It's not that deep. I just spent all my free time training in the Kallas Jungles." He stretched the back of his neck. "Enough about that. What the hell's a Liu Clan member doing out here as a disciple?"
"I have some blood on me, but I'm just a distant relative from a minor branch. It's not like I could come here as a delegate," Shuren lied, to keep up the façade.
Ming glanced at the staff on his side. "Indeed, if you were close to the main, you would be pursuing the Sword Path."
Shuren forced down a groan.
Ming lifted his arms up for the servants to measure his torso, his sword sheathe rattling on the side. "It is a goal for me to one day gain an understanding of their swordsmanship. They are one of the greatest, after all."
Huang Shi Junyu made a comment as his measurements were taken. "It is true, the Liu Clan's renown in swordsmanship is known to us even here. Especially the rising dragon of the Liu, he made quite a storm some years back."
At those words of the rising dragon, Ming grinned with excitement. "That was the honourable Sir Mingjian. He single-handedly went against the Dragon Lotus Pavilion and Blade Healing Sect, two of the Great Nine, in pursuit of justice, when demonic cultivators had infiltrated deep within. That man truly embodies the path of a swordsman." He clutched his sword sheathe with eyes of wonder.
Shuren's eye twitched.
"Let me know if you plan to take a trip up north. At the very least, I can arrange for you a visit to our family training hall," Shuren said to assure Ming.
As the servants finished up measuring Ming, he stood to Shuren and performed a bow. "I am indebted to your honour. Let me know if you ever need anything, friend."
"Somehow, even I feel it's off when you act with class." Shuren compared the respectful gesture to the crazed fighter doused in blood from his battle frenzy.
"Hahaha, that so? Everyone always says it! I'm telling you, my dad is always pushy with this, but even you can tell it's off."
Shuren slapped Ming's back, this time with more force than when Ming did the same before. "You still need to keep up appearances, even if it's unlike you."
Chen chose the basic white robe with no adornments. He made no effort to get to know his peers.
Haze viewed the now dazzling assortment of the kids. "Superb. I can feel the passion oozing from your looks now." He pinched a part of his robe, showcasing a meticulously sown flower, glowing in rhythm. "You can even fine-tune them like this. Just collect some Cloud Sigils to trade for it."
At this point, the group had gotten a feel for Haze. Junyu chuckled as he added on, "You are exactly right, senior brother Haze. Clothing's are the reflections of our life itself, we should do best to beautify it." Haze smirked in response, feeling a sense of kinship as he lead them back to the main building. He lifted his index finger and a small crystal ball swarming with clouds floated.
"You gain these from the Cloud Missives, quests you can undertake for us. This is the only way you can gain further resources in our lovely sect here."
Haze led the group to the Hall of Missives, a three-floored pagoda painted in blue and white. It also doubled as admin work on the higher floors of the building for the sect.
The inside was speckless, the marble floor painting their reflections. A light, cool breeze danced through the building, contrasting with the warmth outside. Innumerable hallways, rooms, flying weapons, clouds and cultivators tangled together. A congregation was constantly streaming around a gigantic screen made up of translucent crystals.
"And that there it is, your source of income. Work hard kids, you'll need it if you wish to become a Core Disciple." Haze led the group to a tired, disgruntled man at a reception, a pipe in hand.
"What do you want now, Haze?" He groaned as he took a puff.
"You call the tune here, my good fellow. Six toys please for our newcomers. They'll need to get around."
The receptionist smoker clicked his fingers, a light sheen appearing from the archives behind him as silver bangles jingled on the desk.
Haze handed over to everyone the bangle they wore during the sect examinations. "This is a cloudmulet. A nifty thing has a few functions, but the main thing is," Haze changed the form of the bangle into a subdued puffy necklace. "Pretty neat, huh? Leave it in your pocket or accessorise yourself. The options are as malleable as, dare I say, a puff of cloud."
Everyone forced down the urge to groan. Hebi would love to be around this guy.
"But the second cool thing is, of course, your personal flying nimbus. Now isn't that stupendous. Simply insert a sliver of your Qi, and voila." Haze hopped on his dazzling rainbow and prismatic cloud, sitting with an arm resting on his chin. "Harmonise with your nimbus and flare it up. Don't make it boring kids, be creative."
Shuren and the others began to test the theory. Like moulding clay, each person crafted their own personal flying tool. Ming, as predictable as it was, made his cloud the shape of a sword and stood on it heroically. Zhou Yan made a carpet with flowers blooming out, while Junyu made a sofa chair, and sat on it snug.
Both Yuang Chen and Liu Shuren both made it a simple cloud. Aerestia was flustered, still struggling to form a shape. Haze floated over to her.
"Young Silvent, I believe your people have a different flow of Qi. Start from the tip of your branches and maintain equilibrium from the top down. You'll know once you've hit the right note, then extend your Qi into the cloudmulet."
With both her hands holding the token, Aerestia finally managed to start forming a cloud. She made a deep bow to Haze, "I give you sincere gratitude, honoured sir Haze."
He waved her off with his hand. "Enough, enough. This is my duty as the senior to teach you young ones. You'll embarrass me if you keep doing this, young Silvent."
Now that everyone had the ability to fly on their own, Haze enveloped his nimbus around his entire body. Wearing it like a suit of armour, in the shape of a bean, only Haze's face protruded out. "Now then, time for a crash course on my secret shortcuts." It took a while for someone to respond, staring at his ridiculous use of the nimbus. "Secret…shortcuts?" Yan Zhou asked, trying her best to hold in a chuckle at his appearance.
"The Cloud Archives, weapon stores, formation scrolls, basically any institute that uses your cloud sigils are on the fourth mountain here. On a different note, any competitions, tournaments or duels, you can expect them to be held here. And of course, the hidden event of the mountain here on why everyone loiters here." Haze led the rest to a river behind the main building.
"What do you mean by a hidden event?" Junyu asked, amused as he lay relaxed on his sofa cloud.
"The grand sect leader likes to stroll around the fourth. You could be doing a missive cleaning up the gardens, and if you're lucky, you can strike up a chat with him. But pretty much all the time, you never notice until he leaves. He clouds your mind to peer into your soul, to face the real you."
Everyone thought of scenarios of happening upon the sect leader by chance, hoping to gain great insights from the most respected being. But if we won't notice him, he'll only give insight to whatever we happen to be inquiring, Shuren mused.
They followed Haze through a trail of open caverns and waterfalls at the back of the mountain. Behind the fourth mountain manifested all of its flora and fauna. They carefully manoeuvred their way around large bird nests and swinging ominous vines. A blooming crimson flower budded along the vines, catching Zhou Yan's attention. "A blooming Kaestule here?" She skillfully extended her Qi in the form of a bubble, swiftly collecting the flower without dealing with the swinging vines.
As if Haze had eyes on the back of his head, he mentioned, "Ah, you must dabble in alchemy or botany? The second mountain will be your best place then once you've chosen your vocation to specialise. Just… Take care to take in moderation. Don't go stripping down the mountain bare."
"The very reason why I endeavoured to join this sect was because of its immense focus on the arts and crafts. Us striders on the Path can't sustain ourselves with merely strength." Junyu chided in, holding a folded fan in his hands.
"Indeed, Junyu, you understand our motto well," Haze replied. "The clouds go with the flow of Qi. Thus, we are an all rounder sect that dabbles in a bit of everything. We seek to harmonise your path with your soul, not to conform it to us." Haze flew around the waterfall towards the front of the mountain.
"Because of that, though we aren't particularly one of the stronger sects, they all send their successors as delegates to study. Not to blow my own trumpet, but when it comes to establishing the foundation of your path, we are irrefutably the best."
Shuren thought back to what his mother said, instinctively placing his hands behind his back. A habit he'd picked up after his grandfather.
Haze had made his way to the front of the mountain, in front of the dorms for students. "In exchange for sigils, we offer you the opportunity to upgrade to your own personal rooms, and even houses for the Core Disciples. For now, you'll be packed like sardines."
"Next time you want to head around here, just come from the back." Haze clapped his giant cloud hands together. "Now everyone, one final trick. Send a sliver of Qi into your cloudmulet, and envision the mountains from above."
Everyone started receiving a canvas of a map brushed out of all the other mountains. From smithing to alchemy and spirit taming, each offered an extensive motley of vocations.
"That ends my note here. Tarry forth, you lot, to the drum of your own heartbeat." And with great flair after his speech, Haze began floating upon as he fell asleep in his cloudy sleeping pod.
Sending off Ming and Junyu with a wave, Shuren flew to the dorms. I'll have to grab my things once I secure a personal room. For now, I'll focus on getting enough Cloud Sigils to rent one out.
A purple crow landed in Shuren's head, using his hair as a footstool, before launching itself towards the sky where Haze went. He scratched his head in confusion, making sure he didn't receive split hairs.
What I need to be more cautious about is the warning Grand Elder Wanshang told me. It seems there's some backlash to me being here. If I had to guess, a Liu Clan member, even if he's lived in Cloud City for a while, coming first for an examination meant for the civilians of Cloud City might've been too much.
He gazed towards the north where the Granxian Continent lay. But joining as a delegate for a year would've been a waste of my time. I need to secure an alliance with Cloud City on my own and prove my loyalty to do so. And the first step to that is…
Shuren remembered the hall with the smoking receptionist, which had a massive crystallised screen. The introduction to the sect's classes was in a few days.
He would have to take a mission now to get a head start.