Chapter 118
Blossom Sage
Tobias hadn't noticed he was becoming eccentric as he aged, less attached to the rules of the mortal world. His time as a courtesan started as a way for him to train Hun Fen and study her progress, but as he delved into the depths of the dao of beauty, he forgot he was playing a role. He stopped limiting his actions to the more playful side of the profession and began taking lovers to help him find the insights he was missing. He found more suitors with diverse interests, exploring what he could discover through their actions and his. He sought out the Blossoms for private lessons, accepting anything they would teach him, trying to grasp that which was just out of reach.
Without even noticing it, he had lost himself to the dao of beauty, not knowing where the dao began and where he ended. It gently corrupted his mind, making him a beautiful person who did not question his actions as he pursued the dao enlightenment that was just beyond the horizon.
The dao of beauty was as insidious as the dao left behind in his shopping and entertainment district, but Tobias did not realise this until after he'd been released.
And it was not his lessons or his suitors that triggered his enlightenment, but one of the other Flowers walking past his pavilion and tripping, only for her suitor to catch her. The man placed her back on her feet, cupped his hands and bowed, apologising for touching her inappropriately. His actions made the dao of beauty sing, unveiling an aspect that had been missing from his understanding.
Beauty could be hidden, even from oneself, but not extinguished.
This insight caused Tobias's comprehension to merge effortlessly into a dao enlightenment that changed his understanding of the dao he sought to master and of the world he lived in.
Tobias was not searching for the dao of beauty, and the Blossoms were not guiding him to the dao of beauty. He had stumbled onto the path of the dao of hidden beauty, a dao which had manipulated his mind without him noticing.
Tobias came back to himself, back to the man he had been before he arrived at the Silver Blossom Pavilion and began searching for the dao of beauty. Ming Dia Lu was lying with her head on his lap, reading the array manual he had given her to study while he absently stroked her hair. She had recently turned twenty-six and was still not approaching the point where she could safely cultivate.
She was a late bloomer, but this no longer bothered her in the slightest, as the insecurities which once troubled her were but distant memories.
As his enlightenment faded, the illusion that was the Silver Blossom Pavilion fell away from his eyes, revealing the hidden beauty that lay beneath.
Spirit herbs, with the dao of hidden beauty, replaced mortal flowers and grass and moss became spirit grass and spirit moss. He noticed for the first time that the chi saturation in the pavilion could support nascent soul realm cultivators and that there were auras of foundation realm cultivators within it, each belonging to a Blossom.
Tobias took in what he saw and felt, and the memories of the years he had spent living with the courtesans, and he realised he had been living in a dao illusion. One he could not see through without dao enlightenment for the dao of hidden beauty. The dao had left him completely defenceless because there was no reason to defend. Beauty did not harm. It did not take advantage. It existed to make the world better.
Dozens of current and retired Blossoms noticed the moment Tobias awakened from his dream and projected their voices to his ears through their spiritual senses. "Welcome to the Hidden Blossom Sect, Blossom Sage."
Tobias watched Hun Jia in her home as her face lit up like the sun. She smiled with unrestrained happiness, excited to be seen for the first time since they had met. She was the strongest cultivator in the sect, with the dao of beauty and hidden beauty so tightly wrapped around her that Tobias could not see where the daos ended and she began.
Tobias gave the Blossoms a beautiful smile, effortlessly wielding his dao enlightenment, and projected his voice back to their ears without moving his lips. "Blossom Sage greets his sect sisters."
Han Jia replied alone. "I will answer all your questions after the celebration."
Tobias nodded, sensing their attention returning to their suitors and disciples. He could see from the smiles on their faces that they were happy he had entered their world, and those who were alone wept openly with joy. They appeared to have been waiting for him.
Ming Dia Lu felt his nod and looked up questioningly.
Tobias smiled down. "I just became a Blossom, Princess."
She stared at him for a few seconds, trying to see if he was teasing her again, and then gave an unhappy groan and returned to her manuscript. "My lessons are going to bankrupt my clan if you really are a Blossom."
Tobias chuckled softly and fed her another piece of melon, manipulating the dao of hidden beauty without effort. "You could always stop visiting me, Princess?"
"Never. I'll pay the patriarch back eventually. A few core realm arrays will more than pay for your time."
Ming Dia Lu had a gift for arrays both intellectually and physically. Tobias had altered her lessons to match this and created a version of her family's cultivation method which suited her perfectly. Not because he wanted to, but because he was caught up in the dao of beauty and wanted to make the world more beautiful through her arrays.
She was born to be an array master, and with each passing year, her natural talents blossomed.
Ming Dia Lu opened her mouth for more melon. She had grown increasingly demanding over the years, realising that he was happy to play his part. She now called his lessons princess time and demanded he entertain the princess and let her want for nothing. Tobias fed her out of habit, not even questioning the action. The beauty of his movements did not go unnoticed.
Ming Dia Lu raised an eyebrow. "That was beautiful. I mean, everything you do is beautiful, but that was much more beautiful than usual."
"I had a small dao enlightenment for the dao of beauty, Princess."
She nodded her head like that was perfectly normal, which, for him, it was, and went back to reading. It was a strange reaction, because there was no follow-up question, but there were many strange reactions in this place.
Tobias looked at the world around him with new eyes. Every building was far more beautiful than it had been only a few minutes before. They had not changed, but before his enlightenment, he couldn't perceive their beauty, seeing beautiful mortal structures instead of ones crafted by cultivators' hands. It made him question how many wonders of the cultivation world were still hidden from him.
This thought brought a smile to his face.
Tobias had lived for centuries, unravelled many mysteries of the cultivation world, and there was still more for him to discover. It filled him with joy and excitement to know how small his understanding was and how vast the world could be. There was always more for him to discover.
Tobias answered Ming Dia Lu's questions as they came up, enjoying the view of the sect and the insights being able to perceive it offered him. What had been hidden from him was now revealed, and Tobias made constant progress because of this, capturing insight after insight with surprising ease.
The Blossoms were the sect's only members. The Flowers were all as blissfully unaware as he had been. This was a place where mortals and cultivators lived side by side, though the mortals did not know it.
When the sun began to set, Tobias walked Ming Dia Lu to the gate and saw her off. They had been doing the same thing for years, and what had started out as scandalous behaviour had slowly evolved into an odd eccentricity of hers. She was constantly seen lying with her head resting on his lap, but it had been years since they were alone together, so people had concluded that while she had questionable behaviour with odd demands for being called Princess, she was not morally compromised. Tobias taking lovers had helped her reputation, because his behaviour with his lovers was entirely different from his behaviour with her.
Tobias scratched the back of his head as he walked down the main path to the family compound, thinking about some of his more questionable actions over the years. His life as a courtesan was certainly different from the one that he originally envisioned. He had fully embraced the lifestyle.
Not because he wanted to, but because the dao of hidden beauty demanded it from him. He had been searching for insights, pieces that were hidden away where no amount of observation would find them.
The Flowers all smiled at him as they walked their suitors to the gate. The retired Blossoms who acted as servants had told them that he had fulfilled the requirements to become a Blossom and that tonight there would be a celebration in recognition of his accomplishments.
The Flowers and Blossoms had politely apologised to their suitors for the inconvenience and returned their gifts, which Tobias would have to reimburse them for.
Hun Jia was waiting for him when he arrived at the gate to the family compound, looking far more beautiful than she had ever looked in the past. She had always been a beautiful woman, but her true appearance placed her in the realm of fairies. She stood at the peak of this realm, and the transformations Tobias had undergone due to his enlightenment left him only a step below her. The other Blossoms were like him, beauty incarnate, but not quite on Hun Jia's level.
Tobias felt it odd that his own divine beauty improved with his enlightenment, but no one had noticed. It was just like how he had not noticed the Blossoms were all fairies.
Hun Jia stepped forward, her arms wide and embraced him, trying to crush him with her joy. "I'm so proud of you."
Tobias hugged her back, feeling her soft body against his as they melted into one another's arms, radiating the dao of beauty. "I might have been a little quicker if you had said something.
She stepped back and shook her head with a wistful sadness. "We are the Hidden Blossom Sect. We cultivate the dao of hidden beauty. All we can do is share the dao of beauty with those around us and hope that those who comprehend it can find the path to our dao we truly wish them to seek."
Tobias stared at her, gently shocked by the meaning behind her words. "You're not intentionally hiding."
She shook her head, and her sadness faded. "The dao of hidden beauty traps us like this, because the only actions that could reveal our existence are ones we would not take. You're the first cultivator in the history of our sect who has comprehended our dao. You have no idea how excited we were when Ming Dia Lu still recognised you as a cultivator."
Tobias stepped to the side as more Flowers arrived. Each of them stopped, gave him a hug, congratulated him on his success, and commented on how much better his hugs had gotten before moving on.
Tobias turned to Hun Jia as they walked off. "They heard you talk about the sect, but they didn't notice."
"It is one of the many problems with cultivating our dao. Mortals and cultivators will hear us talking about our sect and cultivation, but will not remember anything we say, forgetting it a moment later."
"Does Hun Fen know?"
Hun Jia shook her head. "She's comprehended some of the dao of beauty but hasn't made the necessary comprehensions to understand hidden beauty and gain enlightenment."
Several issues occurred to Tobias at once. "You know who I am, don't you?"
Hun Jia took his hand in hers and looked into his eyes, expressing beauty with every action. "Hello, my friend, Sage Knowledge."
Tobias gently squeezed her hand to let her know he didn't mind her using his title or knowing his identity. "How?"
"You couldn't perceive we were cultivators, so you couldn't sense our spiritual senses when we listened in to your conversations with your disciple. You wouldn't believe how many questions we have for you about cultivation."
Tobias chuckled and motioned her body with his empty hand, not letting go. "I doubt you need my help. Your foundation is exceptional."
"Thank you, but I can't take credit for it. Our dao path influences our actions, so we do not make the mistakes that others do. In many ways, we are like prodigies because of this. All we need is a basic understanding, and we can proceed. The problem is we do not understand what lies beyond the foundation realm or how to reach it."
"What about my manuals and manuscripts on cultivation?"
Hun Jia squeezed his hand and bumped her shoulder into his arm, pouting with indignation. "You shared your secrets with me so I could guide my daughter. I would never break your trust like that."
Tobias looked into her eyes and smiled, knowing he could trust Hun Jia more than anyone he'd ever met. Not just because she had kept his knowledge secret, but because his dao enlightenment had left him with a new ability. He could look at someone and see their hidden heart, what they wanted and how they truly felt. He had caught glimpses of this ability over the years, but now it was as effortless as breathing.
Hun Jia had been truly moved when he taught her about cultivation, so she could guide Hun Fen. He had allowed her to enter a part of her daughter's world she never thought she would, and for this, she would never break his trust, even if it cost her sect its greatest opportunity.
"Do you not have anyone to guide your cultivation?" Tobias asked. He had searched the entire city with his aura but found no signs of any Blossoms who were stronger than Hun Jia.
Hun Jia shook her head. "The Hidden Blossom Sect was destroyed during the plague. We are what took its place and carried on its mantle."
Tobias had lived through the plague and had studied his role in it, so he knew the incident Hun Jia was referring to. The Battle of Ming City occurred during the short period that he and Peace Master So had created his clan's hidden realm. Peace Master So's assistance on the project was essential to ending the plague sooner, but over a quarter of a million people had died without him to protect them. Ming City had been little more than a shell for the century following the battle, but Tobias and Peace Master So's actions ultimately led to the plague ending sooner, saving more lives.
It was necessary at the time, and from a historical standpoint, it was the right decision, but this didn't change the fact that so many had perished because of their choice.
Tobias frowned. "You were a disciple left with no teachers?"
Hun Jia shook her head. "I was no more aware of the Hidden Blossom Sect when it fell than the Flowers you see around you."
Tobias stared at her for a moment as if seeing her for the first time. "You achieved dao enlightenment without guidance?"
Hun Jia nodded. "Once, I achieved enlightenment, I saw what this place truly was and who the former Blossoms truly were. Our ancestors expected the city to fall, so they took all their manuals and manuscripts with them to the battlefield, ready to flee if the city could not hold. None returned, so I was forced to rebuild our foundation without guidance."
Tobias was still holding her hand, so he sent a pulse of chi running through her. She had a divinity of nine and was approaching the end of her life, yet showed none of the physical or spiritual signs of ageing. Her divinity remained intact.
Hun Jia noticed his actions and smiled. "You are the first nascent soul realm cultivator I have met who has an attachment to the mortal world with which we could use to open your eyes. Any assistance you are willing to offer us on our path is welcome."
Tobias swept his aura through the sect, scanning the other Blossoms. "I find it hard to believe the Hidden Blossoms Sect would have refrained from trying to gain that assistance when I could not remember giving it."
Hun Jia paused. "You understand my foundation."
Tobias nodded. "You borrow heavily from the Ming Clan. You are not opposed to taking their secrets, so I doubt you would be opposed to taking mine."
"While I was not willing to break your trust, others were willing to attempt to gather your secrets. However, you were able to deflect these questions."
Tobias frowned. "I don't remember having such conversations."
"They were part of your pillow talk lessons."
Tobias tried to find the memories but couldn't.
"It's because you resisted. Our dao strips the memories from your mind when this happens, instead of suppressing them."
Tobias wasn't upset by this. He was intrigued. "Do you know why?"
"We were hoping you could tell us."
They truly were ignorant. "I'll give it some thought."
"We are happy to help you gain further insights into our dao. You are only a one-petal Blossom. Now that you can comprehend the dao of hidden beauty, there is more that we can teach you."
Tobias chuckled as he considered her statement about a one-petal Blossom, remembering their time on the mountain helping her daughter control her dao enlightenment. "I never questioned why you didn't scream in terror when Hun Fen first woke up on the mountain. What you saw should have terrified you."
"It did terrify me. I had never seen something so destructive, but when you told me that she could not be harmed by her own dao, the fear faded."
"How many ranks have you established for the dao of hidden beauty?"
"The highest state we have achieved is a four-petal Blossom. Only I have reached this state."
"Do you have manuals I can study?"
"A few. However, we have discovered that our dao is only understood through lessons like the ones we have already shared with you."
Tobias turned and hugged the next Flowers who arrived, accepting their congratulations on his ascension. There was no anger or hurt feelings. They laughed happily with him and were glad for his success. The Silver Blossom Pavilion was a place of beauty both outside and in.
Tobias watched them walk away. "They're like I was this morning, aren't they? Walking through life in a dream."
Hun Jia nodded. "Every Blossom and Flower has a tragic past, things best forgotten. The dao of beauty pulls us out of our nightmares and into a beautiful dream. It fixes what's broken, but if they do not comprehend our dao, the dream never ends. They live and die beautiful lives, never quite being themselves."
"Ah."
Hun Jia smiled. "You just realised why you are willing to train my daughter despite who her father was."
Tobias nodded. "The anger and bitterness I carried with me are gone. The events are still there, but how I choose to view them is different. I see all the good it led to, and do not let it taint my thoughts or actions."
"For doing so would not allow you to live a beautiful life."
Tobias nodded and paused to think, realising the answer to a question that Hun Jia was too afraid to ask directly. "You don't need to be concerned. Trauma is not necessary to comprehend the dao of hidden beauty."
Hun Jia froze.
"Hun Fen will find her way without needing to come to harm."
Hun Jia pressed her lips together, holding back tears. "You're certain?"
"Yes. What I understand about dao says it is not necessary. It may help for some, but will hinder others, so it is not necessary."
Hun Jia slammed into his side, hugging him tight. "Thank you."
Tobias wrapped one arm around her, still holding her hand with the other. "You can let go of your worries, my dear friend. They do you no good when they are false." Tobias felt her body relax against his before she stepped away, happy, content, and beautiful inside and out.
The mental transformation was instantaneous. She was capable of fear and worry, but only when it was necessary. When it wasn't, it could vanish without a trace.
She pulled him through the gate. "I need to get you ready for your presentation."
"Am I going to have to be naked for this?" Tobias asked, only half-jokingly.
The Silver Blossom Pavilion had a tradition in which all the Flowers and Blossoms had to stand naked before each other once a year. Everyone was expected to study their bodies and know them as intimately as they knew their own. This was done because they had to come to the defence of any Flower or Blossom who had their beauty questioned by a suitor. Stating a flaw did not require you to defend them, but if someone lied about another Flower or Blossom, you were required to call them out on this.
Tobias had to defend many Flowers and Blossoms from his suitors over the years and had heard them defend him ten times as often. It was a strange rule, unless you understood there was beauty in defending others. Until today, Tobias had just thought it prevented slander and upheld the integrity of all within their walls.
Hun Jia laughed at the question. "No. But you will have to display your more respectable abilities before all the Flowers and Blossoms. If anyone believes they can do better or rejects your worthiness as a Blossom, you will lose the title."
"Is that possible?"
"The Flowers will not question your skill, but you will find your sect sisters are quite strict. We know what you are capable of, and if you do not transcend those capabilities with your deeper understanding of our dao, we will reject your promotion, despite you being our first sect brother since the rise and fall of the Hidden Blossom Sect."
"There is beauty in doing your best."
Hun Jia smiled. "I see you understand."