Chapter 119
The Sage Brings Clarity
That night, Tobias performed for the Blossoms, Flowers, and girls of the Silver Blossom Pavilion. He hadn't noticed the shallow eyes of the newest girls before his enlightenment, but he watched the shadows fade as he performed, the horrors of their past replaced with a beautiful dream.
The Blossoms didn't know how to consciously wield the dao of hidden beauty, working with it rather than manipulating it, which limited what they could do. Tobias wasn't. He surrounded himself with the dao, wielding it like a scalpel, achieving in hours what took them months. His influence found its way into the girls' minds and hearts, not healing them but forcing them to see the world in a different light.
Such invasive actions were not something Tobias wished to undertake, but he needed to understand the process and figure out how to reverse it. Tobias was still considering the issue, trying to find an answer with his limited understanding of the dao of hidden beauty, while Blossom Genji escorted him to her home after the celebration. He had passed the Blossoms' tests with flying colours, so it was now time for him to be formally introduced to the Blossoms and learn the Hidden Blossom Sect's history.
Tobias was nodding his head, only half listening, when Blossom Genji mentioned where she had found the girls and in what condition. It was not a kind fate. Over the years, Tobias had managed to bring law and order to pockets of the continent, but beyond those pockets lived a harsh, cruel world. One much worse than The Three Kingdoms of his youth.
"You killed them," Tobias replied, honestly surprised by her declaration. The influence of the dao of hidden beauty lent itself more strongly to a peaceful existence rather than a violent one.
Blossom Genji nodded, walking with her hands cupped behind her back. "The dao of hidden beauty allows us to change that which is not beautiful and remove that which is ugly. Blossom Zhong found me in the same situation the year after you saved our family. Without the bandits to keep them away, slavers came for our village. They killed my father and grandparents and took me, my mother and siblings when they left. They were ugly, and Blossom Zhong removed that ugliness from the world."
Since his conversation with Hun Jia, Tobias had noticed that the Blossoms were not entirely in control of their dao. It had power over them, rather than being something they had power over. Blossom Genji's statement confirmed that the dao of hidden beauty was still manipulating them.
Tobias intended to correct this. "Where is your family now?"
Blossom Genji smiled and turned to the west. "They live outside the city. My mother has grown old, and my siblings have children. I have wrapped them in the dao of hidden beauty to protect them from the memories that made them scream in the night. They are no longer who they were, but they live beautiful lives and bring joy to all those around them."
Tobias heard no pain in her words or need for comfort. She was simply stating facts that no longer held any power over her. She was replacing her negative emotions with the dao of hidden beauty, replacing something ugly with something beautiful. It was like watching a drug addict run away from their problems by chasing a constant high.
Blossom Genji smiled at him. "I am grateful that you can see what your little rabbit has become."
Tobias smiled back. "I am grateful for that too."
Blossom Genji opened the gate to her home and invited him in. Lamps were burning in her classroom, where the other Blossoms were waiting for them to arrive. The once familiar setting now looked foreign to him, as her home was far more beautiful than he remembered, just like her and the other Blossoms.
Tobias followed her through the gate.
Blossom Genji led him to her classroom and opened the door with her chi, holding the heat in.
Tobias chuckled at her actions, and she turned back, frowning. "I never questioned why the temperature was always perfect in your classrooms. Even in the dead of winter, it was comfortable for your students."
Dozens of Blossoms nodded at his statement while others motioned to the empty cushion they had set aside for him to sit. The Hidden Blossom Sect had forty-seven members. Each had achieved dao enlightenment and had sufficient divinity to attain immortality. They did not visibly age, and their divinity did not degrade, which was something Tobias had never seen before. They were essentially the first immortal sect Tobias had ever encountered.
Tobias sat in the classroom with his sect sisters, noticing Hun Jia was not among them. Tobias had never wished to join a sect, but he could not think of the women around him as anything else. They had all guided him into their sect in one way or another, and his enlightenment had made him a part of it. You did not join the Hidden Blossom Sect. You were either a member or you were not.
It was Tobias's own attachment to the women around him that made him their junior brother, not his new status as a Blossom. He instinctively knew that if that attachment was not there, they would not view him as or wish for him to be a member of their sect.
Blossom Genji smiled at him as she sat. "As the youngest member of our sect, it is my responsibility to welcome our sect brother and share the history of the Hidden Blossom Sect."
Tobias cupped his hands and bowed. "Blossom Sage greets his senior sisters."
Blossom Genji gently shook her head. "We are not your seniors, just your sect sisters, for beauty does not rank others."
Tobias nodded, understanding that they lived in alignment with their dao, not the rules of the world. It changed how he viewed the sect and the other Blossoms and made him realise there was no judgment here. No need to restrict himself. Tobias unfolded his legs and shifted so he could lean on his side, since it felt more comfortable.
The Blossoms smiled, happy that he understood.
Blossom Genji took a deep breath. "The Hidden Blossom Sect has existed twice. Much was lost between the first and second iteration, and we know that the Hidden Blossom Sect that exists now is but a mere shadow of what it once was. We believe that the first iteration could trace its lineage back nearly four thousand years, existing mostly as our sect exists today. However, the second iteration has only existed since the Plague."
The Blossoms made small gestures, nodding or tapping their fans, to show support for Blossom Genji's words. Tobias realised that it would one day be his responsibility to perform this ritual, to pass along their history to the next Blossom to join, so he paid more attention.
It was an honour and privilege that he would only perform once, as the newest member of the sect, so there was no chance to practice. Not that practice was necessary. There would be no loss of face because of a misplaced word or an improper pause. Beauty did not care about perfection.
Blossom Genji beamed with pride at the support. "The Hidden Blossom Sect is believed to be the legacy of a spirit herb our ancestors of the first iteration called the Hidden Blossom. We believe that its ascension to immortality brought this place into existence, creating a location where the dao of hidden beauty could be interacted with. The founder of our sect was a mortal courtesan, whose name has been lost to time, who, through her actions here, interacted with the dao of hidden beauty and gained enlightenment. It is only within these walls that it is possible for a mortal to do this, and only a select few."
Tobias had heard three things already that just weren't true. There was no way that a spirit herb had caused this sort of change to the environment as it ascended to immortality. They simply didn't have the cultivation foundation to bring about these kinds of changes. Their founder also wasn't a mortal woman but a cultivator with closed meridians. While this location would have helped her gain enlightenment, it wasn't necessary for her to be here. The part about mortals interacting with the dao of hidden beauty here was true. They wouldn't have been able to do that to this degree anywhere else. Tobias would find the reason why in due time.
"Our founder laid the foundation for those who came after, reaching the peak of the initiate realm in her lifetime and guiding three others onto her path. They are known as The Three Daughters. This tradition continued for ten generations before they discovered how to reach the core realm. Another eleven generations passed before the fall of the first iteration of the Hidden Blossom Sect and the loss of our cultivation knowledge. We have always been few in number, but we have always used the time we are blessed with to save others from tragedy. This is the tradition of the Hidden Blossom Sect and one you are expected to continue."
Tobias cupped his hands and bowed. "I would be honoured to continue the traditions of the Hidden Blossom Sect."
The Blossoms cupped their hands and returned his bow, before rising to their feet and heading to the door. Within moments, Tobias sat alone with Blossom Genji.
Blossom Genji began to glance towards the door.
Tobias got the message.
That was the sum total of their traditions.
Tobais rosed to his feet and left.
***
Hun Jia was sitting on her veranda watching the stars when Tobias leapt over her wall and into her courtyard. The other Blossoms had all returned home and were preparing for bed, showing none of the excitement or curiosity that Tobias expected. They seemed to understand he had questions that needed answers before he was willing to help them.
Hun Jia didn't say a word as Tobias sat beside her and lifted his gaze to the stars above. The dao of beauty made them shine brighter here than anywhere he'd ever been. Tobias reached out and took her hand in his, unconcerned that she would misinterpret his actions because she could see his hidden heart the way he could see hers.
Hun Jia cared for his as deeply as he cared for her. There was mutual attraction, physically, intellectually, and emotionally. Neither was a slave to this attraction. They simply wished to share a closer relationship.
Tobias let the silence stretch, not intentionally, but necessarily, as he grasped insights into the dao of heavenly beauty that he had never seen before. It was as if Hun Jia was magnifying the beauty around her with her presence.
When no further insights were forthcoming, Tobias turned to Hun Jia. "You're not a Blossom, are you?"
Hun Jia shook her head. "Blossoms are guided to the dao of hidden beauty by others. No one guided me, so I don't carry the title."
Tobias smirked, intending to tease her. "You're the stem the Blossoms bloomed from."
Hun Jia glared, but there was no heat behind her gaze. "Don't let your sect sister hear you say that or they'll be calling me Stem Hun by morning."
Tobias chuckled softly. "It's better than Matriarch Hun."
Hun Jia dropped the glare, seeing it wasn't working. "I'm sure your clan wouldn't be quite so upset with our friendship if I embraced my seniority, Patriarch Finch."
Tobias shrugged. "My clan has no sway over who I make friends with, so don't let it concern you."
Hun Jia squeezed his hand, letting him know it didn't bother her in the slightest.
Tobias smiled. "You told me I would get answers after the celebration."
Hun Jia nodded. "What would you like to know?"
"How did you achieve dao enlightenment?"
"By the time my teachers perished, I was as entrapped by the dao of hidden beauty as you were. While the other girls slowly left the Silver Blossom Pavilion with suitable husbands, I remained behind to practice what they had begun to teach us. I expanded on what they taught me when it felt right, allowing the dao of hidden beauty to guide me, and eventually achieved dao enlightenment, seeing this place for what it truly is. The Blossoms who taught me did not leave much behind, intending to flee with everything valuable if necessary. I managed to piece together who they were and what this sect was by what remained, but not much else. After that, I began to rebuild, first learning how to cultivate, and then by continuing their legacy."
Tobias looked around him with his aura, seeing the other Blossom lying down to sleep, passing out within moments of resting their head. "The Blossoms aren't like you. None of them has more than one petal of enlightenment, and all of them are still influenced by the dao of hidden beauty."
Hun Jia nodded.
"You've been all by yourself for centuries."
Hun Jia squeezed his hand again and leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder. "Not anymore."
Tobias rested his cheek on her head. "No. Not anymore."
They sat like that for several minutes, Tobias comforting his lonely friend and Hun Jia accepting the comfort. Tobias could see what she could see. The Blossoms were more in control of their actions than they had been before their enlightenment, but were not entirely in control, too influenced by the foreign dao.
"Do you know why they are the way they are?" Hun Jia asked.
Tobias knew she knew the answer. She was just trying to make conversation, so she could ask the questions she truly wished to ask. "You are the most promising student I've ever taught, and you're asking me why your students can't keep up with you?"
Hun Jia pressed her lips together, smiling at the compliment. "It's as simple as that?"
"It could be. I'd need to see your cultivation manuals and manuscripts to be sure."
Han Jia opened the door behind her with her chi and summoned a few thin manuals from her room. She caught them in her hand and handed them over. Tobias lifted the first manual with his aura and started reading. It was not the worst manual he had ever read, but it was not something that should have allowed them to lay their foundation. Tobias moved on to the next, which was worse and should have harmed it.
Tobias looked over and sighed as he finished the last one. "Has a Blossom ever died due to chi deviation?"
"No. Never," Hun Jia replied.
"Then the dao of hidden beauty is somehow compensating for your near-complete absence of anything that approaches a basic understanding of cultivation. None of you should have reached the foundation realm. I'm honestly shocked any of you are alive?"
Hun Jia smiled. "I taught myself to let the dao of hidden beauty guide my actions while I was chasing enlightenment. I've passed this skill on to the others."
Tobias considered her answer and what he knew about cultivation, searching for an answer. "You've read my work, why do you believe you haven't died from chi deviation?"
Hun Jia sat up straight, excited by the question, but didn't let go of his hand. "I think it's related to spirit roots and what makes a prodigy a prodigy."
Tobias frowned. "How so?"
"Spirit roots are just unconscious dao within a cultivator, which allows them to manipulate elemental chi more effectively. Prodigies have significantly greater divinity than other cultivators, but that doesn't fully explain the ease with which they reach the core realm. Perhaps this ability is some form of hidden unconscious dao within them, which provides them with the assistance they need to only be pointed in the right direction."
Tobias smiled at Hun Jia, feeling as if he were truly seeing her for the first time. This was why she wanted to talk to him. She wanted to show off her true understanding. She wanted him to see her as an equal, not the talented mortal he could not teach. She wanted him to see she walked in his world and that he was no longer alone.
Hun Jia smiled back. "There is so much I've wanted to talk to you about, so many ideas I've wanted to share." Her eyes widened, and she raised her hand, causing a thick manuscript to fly into it. She'd managed to hide it from his senses using the dao of hidden beauty. "You need to read this."
Tobias' eyes had fallen to the manuscript the moment it appeared. It was surrounded by the dao of knowledge to a degree that he had never seen before. No manual he had created had ever been so heavily influenced. Whatever sat inside was more precious than anything he'd created.
The memory of Peace Master So snatching his manuals and manuscripts away from him when he threatened to take them back came to mind. Tobias honestly couldn't say he wouldn't react the same way if Hun Jia tried to take it back right now.
"What is this?"
Hun Jia passed him the manuscript without answering.
Tobias took the manuscript and was profoundly shocked when he opened the cover. It was the first manuscript he'd given her to read to Hun Fen, but rewritten. The language was beautiful in a way that Tobias knew he could not hope to emulate, and it triggered hundreds of dao insights before he finished the first page. Most of these insights were insights he'd already gathered, but they were triggered in an order where they made more sense, showing him a deep truth. After the fifth page, he had to close the manuscript, because his head was swimming. Concepts he had thought he understood came together far clearer than before, revealing truths he had not seen.
"You wrote this?" Tobias whispered in awe.
Hun Jia laughed at his shock. "Poetry and calligraphy have always been my greatest strengths. Tea ceremonies are one of my lesser talents."
Tobias still lived in awe of her tea ceremonies. "It's that much of a lesser talent?"
Hun Jia nodded. "I've discovered that while our actions as courtesans help establish our initial understanding of the dao of hidden beauty, greater understanding comes from following our own interests and applying the dao of hidden beauty to it. Beauty is not restricted, and the less we restrict ourselves, the deeper our understanding."
Her comments piqued Tobias's interest. "It's a universal dao."
"I'm not sure what that is."
"It's a dao that can interact with any other, except its opposite. The dao of creation is another example."
Hun Jia paused. "Do you not destroy one thing to create another, so do they not interact?"
"No. You transform one thing to create another. Changing forms is not destruction."
Hun Jia continued to frown, not understanding.
"Words are a terrible way to explain or share dao insights and concepts," Tobias explained. "It has taken me centuries to understand that. Their meaning is too limited to convey the deeper meaning that exists within dao. Cultivators have tried and failed to correct this with cultivator script, but this adds other problems. The issue is that when we say destruction, the meaning of that word shapes our understanding of the dao, and the word only encompasses a small aspect of the dao we wish to speak of and explain. It is why you find it easier to teach the dao of hidden beauty through silent lessons. You do not let words muddy the insights and concepts you are trying to convey."
Tobias saw a lightbulb go on with his last sentence and knew Hun Jia understood.
Tobias held up her manuscript. "How did you create this?"
Han Jia smiled. "I allowed the dao of beauty to guide me. I took your words and made them more beautiful, conveying their hidden meaning to all those who see them."
"Have you managed to read it?"
Hun Jia shook her head.
Tobias wasn't surprised by that. The insights in the manual were too overwhelming for someone who had not studied dao as widely as he had.
"Do you know what you've created?"
Hun Jia nodded. "I believe it's a method for conveying dao insights to cultivators."
"Why are you not excited?"
Hun Jia laughed softly. "Because you're the only one who can read it."
Tobias groaned, understanding what was going on.
"You understand what I've created.
"Yes, and no. The dao of beauty refined the language of my teachings, and the dao of hidden beauty revealed the dao insights that were related to it. I know what you've done to my work, but I have no idea how you've used these daos to do it."
"Is that a problem?"
"It might be. I only got through five pages, and I thought I understood the material better than anyone. It's going to take me years to figure out how this can be used for practical purposes."
"Will it help you understand how we can return to the world and speak freely?"
Tobias considered the question. "If hidden beauty can reveal what is hidden, then understanding how it is revealing the manuscripts' dao insights would likely help, but it would not be the fastest way to finding an answer."
"But you wish to explore it anyway?"
Tobias nodded. "I find it too fascinating to ignore."
"If you are willing to guide the Blossoms in cultivation, I would be willing to transform your other manuals and manuscripts using my method."
Tobias had no reason to say no. The Blossoms were not like any sect he had ever encountered. They had helped him in every way they could to improve his understanding of their dao, opening his eyes to their world. In no other sect would anyone go as far as they had.
However, Tobias frowned at her offer because of the implications. "Are you saying you have complete control over this ability?"
Hun Jian nodded, oblivious to what the simple action meant. "It takes time and effort, but it is something I can do freely."
Tobias heard a crack of thunder in the distance that only he could hear and knew what it meant. He hesitated for a moment, hearing a second crack of thunder, before accepting his fate.
Tobias never expected to meet another sage.
They came along only once in a thousand years, but there was no denying that one sat before him. The insights she had offered him left no room for him to deny her worthiness, and the heavens had backed up his assessment.
Tobias glanced at Hun Jia's manuscript, searching for her name the way Peace Master So had taught him, and found that it came effortlessly once he looked.
Tobias smiled at Hun Jia as he removed the Three Pigeons Treasure from his storage ring, unwound the talisman sealing its power, and opened the cap. Spiritual energy moved through his body and into his lungs, infusing his words with power that demanded the heavens' attention. Tobias took control of the full extent of his dao as his words entered the world.
"Sage Knowledge, recognised by Sage Peace, recognises Sage Clarity of the Hun River before the heavens. Any who deny her worthiness shall answer to me."
The stars in the heavens grew brighter under Tobias's power, and a beam of starlight condensed around Hun Jia, bathing her in a pure white light. Tobias had made the stars bow down before her, cementing her recognition before the heavens. The thunder in the distance grew louder, taking offence at his blatant disregard for the natural laws of this world.
Tobias ignored the heavens, confident they could not harm him, while playing by the rules. The heavens let out another crack of thunder, signalling that this wasn't over, before receding. He might have been playing by the rules, but he was pushing the boundaries by recognising her so blatantly.
"Sage Peace, recognised by Sage Prudence, greets Sage Clarity," Peace Master So replied through the treasure the moment Tobias finished speaking. Then he noticed the celestial disturbance. "Senior! Are you making the stars bow before her?"
Tobias smirked, but didn't answer him, looking at Hun Jia instead. "You may answer Sage Peace if you wish, Sage Clarity. He'll hear anything you say."
Hun Jia stared back in horror. "What about your clan? You just exposed yourself."
Tobias shrugged. "The heavens do not take kindle to sages not recognising our own."
"They don't take kindly to us making the stars bow down either, Senior," Peace Master So replied.
Tobias smiled, happy to hear his old friend's voice after so long. "It was the only way to hide where we are. And stop trying to probe through the treasure, I've learned far too many tricks since you saw me, so you won't be able to find me."
That was a lie. Tobias could hide himself for a short time, not indefinitely.
Peace Master So's probing grew more aggressive. "Let me take a look at her, Senior."
Tobias rolled his eyes. "No. But do me a favour and make sure everyone hears my announcement."
"What if I refuse?"
Tobias smiled. "I hold in my hand a manuscript that is surrounded by significantly more knowledge dao than any of my works. If you help me out, I'm sure I could stop by to visit when I eventually make my way home, giving you a chance to read it before anyone else."
"Fine, but you also have to answer my next question. Your mother wants to know if you ran off and got married. Did you get married?"
"No."
"No, you didn't get married, or no, you're not going to answer my question."
Hun Jia giggled.
Tobias sighed. "No, I didn't get married."
"That's what I said, but she wouldn't believe me."
Tobias put the cap back on and reapplied the talisman before returning the treasure to his storage ring.
Hun Jia's giggle slowly faded. She stared at Tobias as if seeing him for the first time. "Sage Peace said you made the stars in the sky bow to me."
"I had to defy the natural laws to make the heavens recognise you?"
"What does that mean?"
"It means that any sage realm cultivator will recognise you as a sage the moment they see you."
"Doesn't that risk you being found?"
Tobias nodded. "If being found is the cost of recognising your accomplishments the way you deserve, I can accept it, but I also would have been exposed if I'd done nothing. The heavens would have judged me for my inaction, and I would have had to face a tribulation."
"Do I have some sort of responsibilities I need to uphold now?"
"Receiving the title sage is a recognition of your accomplishments. It's not an obligation. This changes once you reach the nascent soul realm, but the only change is learning how to recognise another sage."
Hun Jia relaxed and leaned against his side. "Tonight is not going how I expected."
Tobias chuckled. "I was about to say the same thing."
Hun Jia laughed with him. "Will you accept my offer?"
"Only if the Blossoms start from the basics and build a complete understanding before progressing."
Hun Jia frowned. "That isn't necessary for us."
Tobias smiled back. "Understanding cultivation is what I am known for. I would not ask you to skip steps when teaching me a tea ceremony, so please do not ask me to do the same in my lessons."
Han Jia blushed.
Tobias laughed louder. There was no cruelty in his laughter, just amusement at calling her out for doing something he had been guilty of doing to all of the Blossoms on more than one occasion when they taught him privately.
Hun Jia eventually laughed with him. "Blossom Sage may teach his lessons as he wishes. I'm sure the Blossoms will be as attentive disciples as he was."
Tobias groaned, remembering how many times he thought he'd known better.