Chapter 24 – An Oath to Do Nothing

  Inheritances were as old as cultivation itself.

  Some were born of reverence for the Dao, left by great cultivators who chose to leave something behind when they neared the end of their lifespan. They wanted to leave a legacy and a path for those who came after them to ease their journey.

  These inheritances could be a final statement of their Dao, etched into the land itself. Or they could contain their material wealth, their spiritual artifacts or the culmination of all their knowledge.

  Those Inheritances were the most honourable kind, trials not left for fame or fortune but to ensure that their life’s understanding and accomplishments would not fade into dust.

  Other types of inheritance were more deliberate in their intention. Some cultivators, who were still very much alive, simply turned to fate to pass on their legacy, to allow it to select a disciple for them.

  They would scatter their knowledge into the world, locking it away for the worthy and wait. If someone succeeded in retrieving it, then that was the will of Heaven.

  Inheritances like those often carried fragments of consciousness, slivers of the Cultivator’s soul that lingered and watched over the site and judged those who entered.

  Finally, there were inheritances that were not gifts or altruistic.

  There were stories of slain cultivators whose spiritual artifacts refused to die with them. Weapons, rings, pendants and other tools so steeped in their master’s Qi that they awakened after death and built legacies of their own.

  The intentions of these artifacts were unpredictable, and they could only be approached cautiously by those desperate for them.

  Strangely, there were the Southern Continent’s own inheritances that were different from all the rest. The Sects and Clans here would encounter sites that contained an opportunity for those talented enough to be selected by outside forces.

  Hundreds of thousands of sites dotted the land, crafted over countless millennia by design. They were all meant to attract talent and draw ambitious cultivators from the scattered reaches of the continent.

  The prize wasn’t just a technique or weapon but an opportunity to form a karmic bond with a greater power.

  An inheritor who passed the trials within such a site would carry the mark of its origin, allowing that connection to grow and the threads of karma to be spun with immortal realms, far-off empires, clans and other legacies.

  Jun De recognized that Inheritance was a bridge to future growth through learning from the past, but they were also potential chains and bait.

  And he had no intention of obtaining this legacy.

  He was thinking through all the information the elders had given him about Inheritance and their importance while staring out at the barrier that prevented them from accessing the site.

  Jun De could feel the weight of hundreds of eyes pressing against his back like blades as he tried to come up with a plan for navigating the minefield he found himself in. He was surrounded by loose cultivators, members of smaller Sects, and all sorts of other rogue cultivators who were filled with barely restrained hunger for the treasures within.

  The only thing standing between them and Jun De was his fellow Sect members, most of whom couldn’t be trusted not to stab him in the back or let someone kill him while they looted the inheritance site.

  Some of the Outer Sect Disciples disliked him for the position he had been granted or were jealous of his elevation or a thousand other different reasons that they couldn’t fully be relied on.

  But Jun De knew that the only way he could survive inside the site was with their help. He would need to lean on the support of the Outer Sect Disciples, particularly those who were stronger than he was.

  Things would have been so much easier if the Elders had placed one of the Inner Sect Disciples in charge, but the few that he had seen were cold and disinterested. Jun De hadn’t even bothered approaching them. They were focused on reaching the Foundation Establishment to the exclusion of everything else.

  After half a day of pondering his situation, Jun De was interrupted by the return of Ren Qiu. The young man walked through the camp while flanked by several members of his Clan whose cultivation was in the middle of the Qi Condensation stage.

  “Ren Qiu, your timing is impeccable!” Jun De greeted him with a smile on his face, the first time since he had arrived at the site that his frowning expression had changed.

  Ren Qiu nodded and gave Jun De a smile in return as he greeted him.

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  The pair returned to Jun De’s tent, where he poured Ren Qiu a cup of fragrant tea and gestured for him to sit on one of the comfortable mats placed on the floor. Each of the Disciples had their own tent, but as the expedition leader, Jun De’s tent was as large as those belonging to the Elders.

  Ren Qiu took the cup with a nod of thanks as he studied Jun De. His friend seemed tired and distracted, and he knew that the responsibility of leading the expedition was likely weighing heavily.

  Determined to help him, Ren Qiu described what had happened to him since he left Tranquil City.

  “I arrived three days ago and attempted to enter the site, but the barrier rejected everything our Clan attempted.”

  “So, instead, we gathered information from those around it and from locals in the area. The entire region is a barren wasteland that was once a battlefield before the Tranquil Mountain Sect was established. The Inheritance Site is likely to contain the remnants of the fallen.”

  Ren Qiu stated, his voice quiet and firm. He offered more details, along with everything else he had learned during his investigation. Jun De exhaled slowly in response as he processed the information.

  “The Elders divined that the inheritance was suitable for someone of the Qi Condensation stage, but they didn’t offer much more than that. Thank you, Ren Qiu.” Jun De said sincerely, and Ren Qiu brushed off the thanks with a wave of his hand.

  “What will you do?” Ren Qiu inquired, and the frown reappeared on Jun De’s face.

  “I’m going to ensure that we all have the greatest chance of survival while the Tranquil Mountain Sect gains the inheritance.” Jun De said aloud, while internally, he was thinking something different.

  ‘I’m going to make sure that I’m nowhere near the inheritance and surrounded by people I can trust to keep me from harm! Screw the legacy, my life comes first!’

  His decision made, Jun De asked Ren Qiu to send word around the camp that he wanted a meeting with the top talents, the strongest Disciples or the most well-connected that evening to discuss how they would operate within the Inheritance Site.

  By the time twilight settled over the camp, Jun De’s message had spread through the Outer Sect Disciples like ripples over a still pond. The most promising Disciples each received the invitation, and by the time the sun had fully set, the interior of his tent was filled with thirty or forty Disciples.

  There were sword cultivators with sharp eyes, talisman specialists with ink-stained fingers layered in protective charms, Alchemists with the scent of herbs hovering around them, and dozens of other specialties that Jun De couldn’t recognize.

  They entered the tent to find him seated cross-legged on a cultivation mat, his face calm but holding a seriousness suitable for the situation they found themselves in. The soft light of the lamps didn’t hide the tension in his shoulders.

  When the last of the Disciples arrived and settled into their places, Jun De rose from the mat and addressed them. He didn’t raise his voice or infuse it with Qi, but it still carried with ease to every corner of the large tent.

  “Thank you for coming here tonight. You have all heard the rumours by now that the site is an ancient battlefield filled with equal parts death and opportunity, with an inheritance left behind by a Core Formation Cultivator. But the bones buried in the dirt here are mostly from those of the Qi Condensation Realm, like us.”

  A murmur passed through the crowd, and Jun De could see the greed, ambition, concern and dread in their eyes as he spoke.

  “Unfortunately, it is not just the danger that lies within that has me concerned, but the tens of thousands of cultivators around us. They will claw at each other as soon as the barrier falls, and if we don’t stand united, not only will we not be able to seize the opportunity in front of us, but it is likely that none of us will survive.”

  Jun De’s presence filled the tent, and even those who were older, more powerful and more experienced than him hung on his every word.

  “I propose that we divide our forces into groups, each led by one of you, who will be responsible for your own members. You will handle disputes involving those you lead. But between the leaders, I will take the role of the final arbiter of disputes. When conflict arises between teams, I will settle them peacefully.”

  ‘And that way, I don’t need to fight with anyone. Hopefully, I won’t even come near the Inheritance!’ Jun De thought in satisfaction. He had spent all day thinking of a solution to his problem, and this was the best idea he had.

  Someone in the back of the tent scoffed before speaking up.

  “Jun De, your reputation is well-earned, but why should we trust you to act in our best interest? We are all here in search of opportunities; you expect us to believe you are any different?”

  A few others murmured in agreement, although most remained silent.

  Jun De bowed his head slightly as he recalled what Elder Shen had told him regarding what he was about to do. He raised his right hand and spread his fingers slightly before speaking.

  “Upon my path, I swear on the Dao. I will not hinder any Disciple of the Tranquil Mountain Sect from gaining inheritance or treasure within the site. I will not show favouritism, even if it means surrendering treasure, glory or the inheritance itself.”

  The crowd reacted with shock as Jun De began to speak his oath, and several leapt to their feet.

  “Should I break this vow, may my cultivation collapse and my path to the Dao be severed.”

  His actions were met with an extreme silence that was filled with surprise, disbelief and shock. Swearing an Oath like that was not something a cultivator did lightly. It wasn’t just mere words; the Oath would destroy his cultivation and prevent him from cultivating in the future if he broke it.

  Elder Shen had instructed him on the process but warned him of the consequences as well.

  “I ask that you all take an oath to not harm any fellow Tranquil Mountain Sect Disciple while within the Inheritance Site, that you will respect and abide by the judgments in dispute between our groups.”

  “I believe this is the best way for all of us to not only survive but prosper and seize the opportunities ahead.”

  Jun De finished and waited for a moment as his eyes scanned the group.

  There was a long pause before Ren Qiu stood up and spoke.

  “I will take the oath.” He said, his voice confident and loud.

  Others followed until, one by one, everyone agreed with Jun De. Despite entering the world of Jianghu, where might made right and laws were rare; they would carry some of the rules of the Sect with them.

  When they all left the tent, Jun De let out a relieved breath and collapsed onto the ground. He didn’t care about the oath since he had no interest in the inheritance or treasure anyway, but at least he was assured that no one from his Sect would try to kill him over what was inside the site.

  Now, if he only had to worry about all the loose cultivators.

  “Why couldn’t they just let me stay in the Sect!?” Jun De muttered to the heavens, but again, they refused to answer.