2: (Lopsided by the Landscape)  

=====

It was to be expected that a disciplined martial artist would rise at the crack of dawn. Yet scratch that because apparently the world of [Immortal Rankers of the Six Realms] had four suns and two moons which made the timing a little off.   

Internally I wanted to roll over and fall back asleep, but it was the intrinsic habits of Shao Zheng that made me begrudgingly get up. So much for being a professional couch potato. 

That and it was probably important to keep up appearances. People were bound to get suspicious if I didn’t act like a stick in the mud who had a hyper focus on training. 

Obviously it was a no go to leave my private dwelling in night wear. Hence operation “search for a better wardrobe that weren't pajamas but everyday clothes commenced!”   

Eventually I found some dark robed layers that had billowing sleeves. Ah yes and of course can’t forget the most important thing: pants. 

After that I grabbed a fur trim jacket cape thing. Since much of the fashion worn was of the traditional hanfu style it was all very unfamiliarly loose fitting.  

My only major complaint is that there were no pockets but I guess that’s what a qiankun bag or dimensional ring was for. Which of course, the more expensive cultivation tool I was privy too.

I couldn’t be bothered to do anything to elaborate with the crazy length of hair I now had. Therefore the easiest thing I could muster was to lazily tie it back.    

Initially it took me a few tries to get it right but eventually I deemed it presentable enough. 

To pace around in contemplation was an odd thing, for my center of balance now relied on a tail. Another stark contrast is that when I walked through corridors I would have to duck my head lest my horns would get stuck in a doorway.    

Regardless, it was imperative that I did my best to keep a calm composure. A few servants and outer disciples glanced my way, but for the most part I went unnoticed. 

Since the novel was through the eyes of the protagonist Duan Feng, maybe the original Shao Zheng wasn’t that notable of a big shot that I thought he was. 

Other possibilities are it was still early in the timeline before a strong reputation was established. Yet the facts pointed towards him being the son of someone important, so since I was Shao Zheng I had to have some decent authority. 

Not that it mattered much anyway because my main goal was to locate Grandmaster Jiang and get up to speed on everything.  

From what I remembered out of all the Four Greater Sects the only one to survive was the Mystic Dragon Sect. Yeah, let's just say the author wasn’t very good at naming things.          

One of the major plot points was even for Duan Feng to revive the Five Phoenixes Saber Sect. Given that his name had fire bird in it, such a plot line was predictable.   

Although now that fiction had become reality, any certainty I had about the future was gone. Therefore my only true goal was to cultivate in peace and life a quiet life free of trouble.  

Home used to be a barren apartment in a uniform skyscraper. Now the place I lived in was called the Azure Pavilion. Row upon row giant structures were built.

Apparently the Mystic Dragon Sect was founded in a valley that was the burial ground for a great serpentine creature. A few times I got lost and took the wrong turn due to the sheer size of it all.

Nonetheless it seemed like a good place to cultivate. In the air there was an intense aura of positive and negative Qi plus other elemental energy.

During my stroll I saw a few people studying by some koi ponds. I guess even in a different universe the legend of a fish one day turning into a dragon was popular.   

“This senior is sorry to interrupt but do you know where I might find Elder Grandmaster Jiang?” I intruded on a group of students that were listening to a lecture about some ascetic monk. 

Silence fell upon the group until one of them finally decided to speak up. “Today he should be organizing scrolls in the demonic fauna section of the Western Library.”

“Many thanks.” With that I gave a small humble bow and was on my way. If only I knew which proper path led to the exact location I needed to go. 

It's not like I was in a hurry so I enjoyed the sounds and sights. In my old world a gas mask was a necessity to be worn outside. 

While the wuxia and xianxia aspects were off putting it was simply enjoyable to breathe in fresh air. Maybe it's the journey that's more important rather than the destination.     

In spite of that there were many modern amenities I missed like the worldwide web and video games. I can’t believe I also forgot to mention chocolate milk…

=====

Nephew to Grandmaster Jiang, but always an underdog, Jiang Bolin knew he was destined for greatness. Thus he trained, studied, and fought like there was no tomorrow until his efforts paid off.

Only a few cultivators have unique formations of the soul. Spiritual Roots grant a person prowess over a specific primordial element. 

Once it was found out that Jiang Bolin had a rare double Wood Spiritual Root he became the Head Disciple of the Mystic Dragon Sect. Some of his admirers even started calling him the new incarnation of the Azure Dragon. 

All was going according to plan until a major roadblock got in his way. Jiang Bolin was expected to be declared the next heir but it was for naught.

Out of the blue his blockhead relative rose to prominence. Shao Zheng had a common Earth Spiritual Root and inept social skills. Yet somehow the elders thought he would make the next best Sect leader.       

In a fit of rage Jiang Bolin shouted, “Shao Zheng! You bastard fight me!!”

“There's no point in sparring since I’m of the Core Formation and you haven’t even formed a Golden Core yet.” His younger cousin retorted. “Take your grievances up with Uncle Grandmaster since he nominated me to be heir.”

Such an encounter with Shao Zheng would go on to humble the arrogant Jiang Bolin. However, after a certain Qi Deviation things were never the same. 

Apparently a Beastkin now walked the Six Realms again as Shao Zheng had become a monster! 

At first Jiang Bolin refused to believe such a thing because the last time he saw his relative the aforementioned was comatose. Yet then another important meeting occurred. 

Jiang Bolin attended to his Head Disciple duties as usual. He gave a small seminar by the koi ponds, then all of a sudden an evil scaly beast wearing the face of Shao Zheng gave a mocking bow.               

The real Shao Zheng may have been thick headed but his defining traits were that he was blunt to a blessing and never gave courtesy to others.

Obviously from that interaction something was amiss. Once again the Mystic Dragon Sect was divided over who was to be the next true heir.

In terms of bloodline Shao Zheng was the undeniable best choice, but since their last confrontation Jiang Bolin had also grown stronger.    

=====

At the base of the famous Twin Peak mountain was small Pingshu Town. Far and wide mortals would stay there with the hope they’d be taken on as a disciple of the Hua Sect. 

Pingshu Town’s economy was sponsored by the nearby cultivators, but they also made money from illustrious story telling. That and the Liu family were merchants that spread wealth around.

It was a well known fact the Hua Twin Peaks wasn’t as famous as the Mystic Dragon Sect, the Scorpion Flower Pharmacy, or Alchemist Alliance, etc. Yet they were the group attributed with sealing off the Demon dimension. 

Hence, Duan Feng, a poor orphan boy who lived within the recess of Pingshu Town dreamed of becoming the best Hua swordsman.      

“Gege guess what?!” Came the shrill voice of his childhood friend.

He let out a sharp breath, plowing the local farmer’s field was hard work. “What is it this time Xiuxiu?”

“Since your into dumb martial heroes and cultivation, I thought I’d let you in on what my father told me to keep secret.” 

Often Liu Xiu would badger Duan Feng with annoying marriage proposals. Once he had considered it because the prospect would give him the funds he so desperately needed. 

However, it would also boggle him with the responsibility of the local merchant guild and he’d be expected to start a family. Obviously Daun Feng’s heart only held room for cultivation.    

“I have work to do by the hour, so just get on with it and tell me.” 

“Remember that dead young master Shao Zheng I told you about? Well such a handsome face actually lives and now my annoying maids can’t stop talking about his looks!’

There was no way Duan Feng could forget a cultivation legend like Shao Zheng. The Earth Shaker had gotten his nickname from apparently splitting a mountain in half.

However, even big carp can fall victim to smaller piranha. Stories tell of how the eternal heavens fell, with the tide of fate stones can easily be skipped or smashed.  

Meanwhile the only cultivator he had met in person was a novice named Kang Li. Safe to say the encounter hadn’t gone well as Duan Feng had a scar that went through his eyebrow.    

The three individuals were from the same generation but each entirely different; 

Shao Zheng was made of stone but he had privilege.  

Kang Li was lightning that broke away rock in that his methods were unorthodox.

Duan Feng had fire in his blood but he was stuck as a pebble at the bottom of a stream.  

Thus like an angry phoenix Duan Feng was spurred on. Sooner or later he’d get revenge on all those that he considered to have wronged him. 

He further seethed in jealousy because Liu Xiu had the audacity to gush about another man that wasn’t him.    

Sure, Duan Feng had no intention of marrying his childhood friend but at the end of the day he was the person who should matter the most.   

=====

Finally I reached the Western Library but the direction it was in happened to be North-West rather than just West.  

Book upon books, there were encyclopedias. Some titles were listed as “How to Subdue a Fox Demon” or more serious ones were things like “The Beginner's Guide to the Eight Trigram Seals.”  

Obviously I only had interest in the texts and scrolls that were practical for authentic cultivation. 

Maybe someone was talking about me or the shelves needed to be cleaned because of the dust. Anyway either reason contributed to me suddenly sneezing.  

Eventually I reached the demonic fauna section, only for one of the archivists to tell me “I’m sorry young Lord Shao but the Grandmaster is in another library. This is the North-West Library not the Western Library.”

Yikes... It was crazy the amount of books one place had, but then again I guess the Mystic Dragon Sect was the oldest known organization in existence.