Fan Yiyao was currently in his quarters in the handyperson courtyard, inspecting the abstruse umbrella. The umbrella had a worn-out wood stem, and its canopy was similarly worn-out, faded, azure fabric. It felt sturdy. Examining it closely brought him to the highly dull-looking inscriptions snaking their way around the umbrella. He tried to clean the umbrella to better look at the inscriptions, but it wasn't dirty in the first place and did not get any cleaner. It could be a spirit tool, but he didn't have the spiritual energy to try it out. He was not going to ask anyone to help with it. He could use it as an umbrella when he wanted to, but how would he prove where he got it from. Seeing that he wasn't getting any closer to solving the mystery, he could only let it rot in the spatial storage he had connected with recently.
Soon, it would be time for him to sweep again. The whole cultivation world was settling in. The flowing robes, surreal sights, intricate ancient architecture, and everyday superhuman feats were breathtaking. He had seen beasts who had teeth more significant in size than him. He had maintained distance to maintain safety. Only to realize later that the space he kept might have worked with a lion from his previous world but not the current one. So he had stepped back even farther.
Fan Yiyao's actions would have mattered if he had been anywhere near the beast in the first place. He had only looked at it from afar and felt it was too close for comfort. No matter, Fan Yiyao would adapt in time.
What mattered now were the astute observations he had made. He felt they were astute, but anyone would realize the difference had they been in his place instead.
Questionable statement number 1.
Did cultivators get more beautiful as they progressed to higher realms in cultivation?
Was it a fact, or was it a myth?
Well, it was a bit of both: part fact and part myth.
Yes, they did get more beautiful, but not in the traditional sense, not in the 'beauty standards prevalent in his old world' kind of way. Cultivators did not obtain six-pack abs or jade-like bodies as they progressed to higher ranks. Having sharp jawlines or abs resulted from toning and shaping of the body. Some techniques could change body, bone and muscle structure, but that was a function of the techniques and the methods employed and not the result of a high level of cultivation itself. Some techniques geared towards seduction, glamour and the like made the party affected see an illusion of their ideal wants based on their biases and perceptions of the world. It did not change the cultivator itself; instead, people's perceptions of them became twisted to their individual preferences. People also did not get more attractive as they levelled in cultivation. Their influence on the world around them increased from their now-stronger aura. Skin whiteness did not mean the body was devoid of waste or the black gunk so widely believed. There were too many races to count, and intermixing was prevalent. Cultivators would get together to create better, stronger, and more powerful progeny. So a darker colour, fat body, etcetera, did not imply waste in the body or an unattractive body. Some bodies changed as a result of the cultivation manual employed. Many fat people had more energy reserves and dominated in battle. Cultivators didn't have a concept of being overweight or underweight, and assuming such things could lead to alarming outcomes. Being of a particular shape, height or size would get you nowhere. Power of self or background were the only things that swayed cultivators.
Gender and sexuality were fluid for a reason. A cultivator looking like a child could be older than entire lineages. Thus, cultivators gave nary a care for gender and sexuality. They cared for face and power.
Might was right in the most literal sense. Powerful old cultivators were revered so much that the listeners took any nonsense they spoke as sacred words. At the same time, the listeners mocked these old ones as fools inside their hearts. It was a fascinating contrast; to see them both revere and mock those they aspired to be. It was not difficult to understand why they were ridiculed. A lot of cultivators had no substance backing their words. Add on top of it, acting like wise sages, speaking big words, repeating the same old things, and the general spite other cultivators had for them.
Questionable statement number 2.
Sects were destroyed and looted all the time.
Was it a fact, or was it a myth?
Again, it was a bit of both: part fact and part myth.
The fact was sects were destroyed all the time. Smaller ones that got decimated were aplenty, a dime a dozen. Most smaller ones paid tribute to the larger ones. But that was not a guarantee in and of itself; it was a straightforward compulsion. Either you pay and stay relatively safe or get destroyed by not paying. Even then, the larger ones did not care about sects under them warring as long as balance was maintained. The balance where they sat firmly on top of those below them. Thus, two sects which were enemies of one another could fight and damage each other, and the larger sect would turn a blind eye to it. Why would they stop these fools from weakening themselves? Their weakness meant more resources could be exploited out of them. Sometimes, the larger sect planted seeds of opposition to keep any power under it from getting too stronger. And sometimes, sects were destroyed due to internal squabbles. The best outcome was splintering into even smaller sects; the worst was either assimilation by another or complete annihilation.
The myth was that sects were plundered of their wealth all the time. Hardly was this the case. Most believed, if not mine, then not yours either. And they would definitely obliterate all they had collected if they had no option. Let the resources turn to ashes instead of being used by the enemy. It did not work like how protagonists did in the stories of his previous life. It required dedicated professionals to steal anything from a sect treasury without raising alarms, alerting or getting caught. You couldn't just smash and take. But there were enough dare-to-do foolish people around who wanted to make a name for themselves.
Questionable statement number 3.
The weight of face in a cultivator's spirit.
Was it a fact, or was it a myth?
Likewise, it was a bit of both: part fact and part myth.
Cultivators went to war for face. They could stand indomitably in front of indisputable power and utter ruin for the ideals that anchored their heart. They could go out smiling at times like these. Their boldness and resolve had to be applauded. But they subverted all the respect they earned in his heart in the face of great enough benefits. The one surefire way to move a cultivator was to increase the benefits they were served. Have enough benefits, and entire sects, clans and kingdoms would move. To go against the heavens was their will and to fight for more resources was their way. The one other thing that was surefire was that most cultivators barring a few exceptions, would not betray their Dao heart, a set of beliefs and ideals they had faith in. To stand firm in the way of obstacles was their way and to survive to fight another day was their will. Whether that be by persisting in fighting another day by themselves or by passing on the torch.
It was a much engrossing contrast they possessed.
Questionable statement number 4.
The premise of all-powerful physiques, techniques and arts.
Was it a fact, or was it a myth?
An asinine myth.
There was no all-powerful art or physique or bloodline. All those novels talking about the protagonist having the strongest physique type, the strongest technique, the super-strong-ultra-ultimate manual, etcetera, were banal. To a cultivator, only the heavens who rained down tribulations and punishments, who judged them of ascension, were all-powerful. After respecting and admiring such power, they had developed ways to temporarily cheat past them. Impermanence was in the nature of such methods, and their costs were too high, yet they were designed even if only as a temporary measure. Then, how could they believe in a technique that was the be-all and end-all in all of cultivation? The thought was a narrow and foolish absurdity at best.
A cultivator was known for one thing besides power and fear. And that was versatility. To be able to deal with whatever in whatever circumstances. That was a cultivator. One thing he had to commend them for. They did have the will and courage. Honour, maybe, depending on interests and benefits involved, but will and courage they did have. Cultivators were a complex and complicated creature, similar to the people in his previous life.
Fact was, the sheer presence of such ludicrous misconceptions would remain an eternal mystery to him. And to find their source of origination would take him back to his previous world, which he was not keen on, regardless of the possibility of being able to go back.
On the other hand, a mystery he was keen to work on was the power he had been given. It seemed too good to be true. What excited him was not the things he would gain but rather the act of gaining stuff out of thin air itself. Whether he would end up tuning into the rhythm of trouble or tranquillity, only time would tell.
For now, his broom called for him. He had a job to do, and he would do it well.
