Chapter 352: V5C30: District of Tradition

Not long after shaking hands, they returned onto the discussion of previous events, and it inevitably led to a certain point.

“By the way, your reaction to my preferences… Is that a northern standard?”

“You mean the preference for women? It is common over at the very north, but at the Central Plains, where I’m from, a more neutral stance is generally held by the majority. However, when one has the same preferences as you, it is hard to treat this as anything more than a minor, insignificant detail, whether in the grand scheme of things or the minutia.”

“You… Ah, so that’s how it is… There were some rumours about that, weren’t there? You might not be aware, but very little of your actions have gotten over to the south in full. All that we have learned for the moment was that you may be a tyrant, might be a hero, might be a man in disguise, and might have very openly slept with some woman that the man I heard this from was very attracted to, despite never having seen her and only hearing tales of her beauty,” Gang Xiu Ling said, looking over her, “You don’t seem like a man, and that is all that I’m sure of, to be honest.”

“That would be the first I’ve heard of such an impression – both you not seeing me as a man or the various rumours. Would you believe that I had been able to disguise myself as a man when I was younger?”

The immediate look to her flat chest was a sufficient answer.

“You had said that you knew of some ways in which you could help me. Do you intend to use your identity and power to force the Gang District and family to act?”

“While I may be able to do this, I would first like to consider something a little more simple. For instance, what is the restriction on same sex relationships based on? Is it that the south generally dislikes such partnerships, or is the issue with them that they may prevent you from having children and continuing your bloodline?”

“The latter, which is also why it is generally acceptable if it is done quietly. So long as it does not interfere with general, well… so long as I fuck some suitable guy enough and get the family a few capable children, there is no real reason to stop me from having orgies with women on the side.”

“In that case, why was the report of your preferences even significant?”

“First of all, I had spent far more time with my lover than the guardians would have liked. They believed that it could lead to me forgetting to do my supposed duty. Then, there is the issue of me being a woman with interest in the same sex, rather than a man. While the south generally prefers a degree of physical strength and endurance, the Gang family’s techniques in particular necessitate a strong physique, just like the older techniques of Yi City. An area in which men have a natural advantage, as even someone with a body like your own would have to agree.”

“Yes, I understand that very well. Had I followed a different path and had the same resources, I could have been stronger had I been born as a man, although I don’t think that it would have been an overall improvement, nor do I wish for that to ever occur. I happen to prefer the way I am now, frankly.”

“Same. It would be rather unpleasant to have ended up in a different body, even if the memories of this life never came to me… At least, that’s how I imagine it. Without memories, there shouldn’t be any difference what kind of person I become, and what kind of body I end up occupying, unless our souls are indeed as unique and specific as some believe.”

“I would rather not comment on that, but I happen to have experienced the memories of a man. It was strange, and it took me quite a while to get over all of it.”

“So, the significance of the distinction is?”

“If all that is necessary is you having children, I can make it so that your interactions with other women can be treated as a strict positive, and as a step forward for the district as a whole, opening up a whole new path to advance beyond tradition while still adhering to it,” Wei Yi explained, raising her hand and conjuring a book of killing will with no title on the front, “Just take a quick look at tell me if this is acceptable to you.”

The manual was based upon the Yin Soul Yang Root, except for the many minor and major modifications that she had needed to make to the method in order to accentuate the unexpected transformation aspect, and to allow someone with less yang energy and fewer yang-type techniques than her arsenal to achieve that same effect.

Obviously, given the degree of discomfort she had needed to deal with when she had first stumbled across that effect of the Yin Soul Yang Root, she wasn’t just going to throw this at someone without properly explaining exactly what could occur. That being said, with her own experience, she suspected that this would be a far preferable alternative to needing to sleep with some random man found by the family for the sake of procreation. In fact, depending on her exact desires, having a cock might be an improvement without any negatives at all in her eyes.

She watched as the potential Matriarch of the Gang District slowly read through the modified technique, and observed the eventual realisation of exactly what it was that it permitted.

“Is this… even possible?”

“I’m guessing that this doesn’t mean that you aren’t interested. The advantages of this are rather significant, and you could always claim that this was what you were attempting to develop in secret, before your competitor had thrown it out without sufficient context. If that wouldn’t work, then there’s bound to be a better way to explain it, with or without involving the past. As for whether it’s possible,” Wei Yi brought lowered her hand to her waist, parting her robes in order to expose what lay beneath.

Although she still wore the tight custom-made underwear made by Fu Zan, it was hard not to see what lay beneath, especially not for someone very familiar with what should normally be found in that part of the body.

“T-That… isn’t that… a… a man’s-”

“No men are involved, don’t you worry. In my case, it was an excess of yang combined with a rather rushed situation where I had too little time to process what I was doing. In your case, I have worked on the technique a little bit, and it can be used in full so long as you are able to find someone to cultivate it with… I’ll have to decline in advance, as I have plenty of other things to handle.”

She fixed her robes, as the continuing stare was making the woman’s intentions a little uncertain and her gaze rather uncomfortable.

“You mean that you aren’t interested in being on the receiving end?”

“That was one of the fastest recoveries from a moment of embarrassment that I’ve seen in a very long time… In part, yes. The rest is none of your concern, so let us just focus on the technique itself. Are you capable of cultivating it, are there any issues you are able to foresee, and is there anything else that needs to be discussed before we move onto addressing the countless other issues with the current plan of putting you into the position of Matriarch? From what I recall, there were a total of three-hundred and fifty-seven issues to deal with, and only one has been brought up so far,” the Ascendant switched the topic as quickly and directly as she possibly could.

She wasn’t exactly uncomfortable with admitting certain preferences and faults that she had, but she would rather have it occur at a time less vital than now. The year was slowly drawing to a close, and her journey back to the north, to a battle against the Greats and all kinds of other foes of Yi City, had been delayed time and time again, albeit not without some benefits to herself.

Once things were done and calm for a while, she could easily share each and every one of her fetishes and turn-offs in great detail, if she wanted to do so and there was anyone that would actually listen to her. Even those that had developed a rather unreasonable and uncomfortable interest or attachment to her due to anything from the Dao of Lust to some aspect of her appearance or personality would likely get tired of such a list a short while in, and she saw no reason why every detail even needed to be known by anyone, herself included.

After all, the majority of desires could and would only ever be carried out in one’s fantasies, and she did not need to make use of any of those for all kinds of reasons.

“No, the technique appears to be within my capability to practise, and, after the long time I’ve spent thinking about the marriage that I might need to participate in had I become Matriarch, this does seem vastly preferable to any alternatives, at least those that I’ve been able to think of,” Gang Xiu Ling said, “As for the three hundred and fifty-six other problems, well, not all of them matter. Essentially, so long as the biggest reasons for them to pick Gang Shu Wen over me are removed, or if a greater reason to not select him is found, it may be possible to convince the guardians to allow me to challenge him for the position.”

“How would that work? Has he received any benefits that would bring him onto the Oblivion Halo realm, or are you expected to cultivate to it on your own?” Wei Yi then pointed out the obvious issue that would arrive from the former possibility, “If they’ve already spent resources or energy on him, they may be reluctant to change their selection even if you were a better choice.”

“… True. And most people are rather difficult to persuade if it would mean that they’ve done something wrong. There would need to be something extreme to lead them to change their mind, wouldn’t there?”

The Ascendant shrugged, “You know the answer better than I, so I’m not sure why you’re asking me. Still, while it may be challenging, things like the technique I’ve given you can be explained as something that only came to fruition at a later point, so rather than making a mistake, they were simply unaware of certain information that might have led them to arrive at a different conclusion. The two of us will know that this is essentially the same thing, but they won’t.”

To say that she was being entirely honest with the woman would be a blatant lie, although she had yet to provide a single falsehood to the potential Matriarch. Rather, by making it seem as if the two of them were going to be working together perfectly, she was attempting to make her overlook any instances of her using the exact same methods against her in the future, if she needed to.

Wei Yi needed to be prepared to burn some bridges and break some alliances in the future, especially those that were only formed by the need to defeat the Greats and grant her Ascendant’s Arbiters some more power as quickly as possible. Perhaps some would remain in a good relationship with her faction, but especially in interactions driven by personal benefit, she did not expect that she would have that luck too many times, and with too many people. Gang Xiu Ling could always prove to be a reliable ally in the future, at which point she could always explain and clarify any of her actions that might otherwise be misinterpreted in a negative way for her, but if not, she would rather keep as many cards to her chest as possible.

On a completely insignificant note, she had never had the opportunity to play any kind of card game in all of her years of life. It wasn’t much of a problem, but the analogy brought up the thought.

“So, what are the biggest obstacles in your way if you intend to challenge Gang Shu Wen? I can help with certain matters, but others are more suitable for you to handle, given that you’ve at least been to the Gang District before, unlike me,” she said, “At least we’re closer to the Central Plains than the Qiang District had been, so I won’t be completely lost.”

“Out of all the districts you could have come to, the Gang District may be the most different, at least out of those that I’ve been to. Our focus on tradition has kept us many years back in comparison to some of the more ordinary districts, like what the Yi District is meant to be. If there is anything that you need once we’re there, it would be best for you to ask me to either get it for you, or at least to advise you on the proper way of going about it, as you may be thrown out otherwise,” Gang Xiu Ling mentioned, “Now, the biggest troubles are fortunately few. I can only think of four other issues.”

“Four? Alright, go ahead, tell me all about them.”

“He’s in the seventh realm, and I am not. This is a rather big deal, as he has already been provided with the resources to reach it and they will be unable to give them to me, even if they really wanted to.”

“I can resolve that easily enough. Modifying your technique and giving you a few materials should be sufficient to bump you up to the first stage of the Oblivion Halo realm, and if it isn’t necessary to be in the seventh realm, then it is rather easy to let you have the strength of that realm for a little while. After that, the experience might even allow you to reach the realm yourself with less effort,” the Ascendant said.

“You speak about the seventh realm far too casually, even if you think you can reach it easily.”

“Trust me, in a few more months, the seventh realm will be very standard. It will be the eighth or ninth realm that everyone attempts and struggles to enter, and even that might be far easier depending on how events in the future proceed.”

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The potential future Matriarch looked at her with a strange expression, but ultimately chose not to comment and moved on, “The second issue is that I have lost a number of supporters that my opponent has not. Although the guardians and other people that may be involved in the selection process are meant to be impartial due to tradition, it is also just as traditional to have personal interests and preferences. As such, we need to figure out a way to change their minds regarding their chosen selection…”

“Do we need to make you seem better, or him seem worse?”

“Both would work just as well, although spoiling his reputation is both easier and more likely to seem like I am acting in a deliberately negative way, while supporting mine is harder to prove and maintain, but it is significantly more positive and far harder to depict in a negative way…”

“So, what you’re saying is that both should be done in moderation, right? We use whichever one we can wherever we can, and do our best to balance these out so that it is clear that you are simply showcasing your strengths while indicating the faults of your opponent. I can help with improving your own ability, whether it is simply perceived or true, but you know your enemy better than I will, even if you begin explaining right now.”

As with everyone, especially now that she was out of the restrictive illusory domain at the Bao District, she had been browsing the mental domain of the woman opposite her, and so even if Gang Xiu Ling did provide her with a lengthy explanation of everything that there was to tell of her foe, she might learn little. The mental blocks that most people had within their own subconscious might in fact limit her information and lead to her saying less than her reading her mind would allow Wei Yi to learn, completely defeating the point of even asking for any kind of information to be provided. It was funny how that worked.

The potential future Matriarch nodded and moved on.

“The third trouble is that we need something significant that would cause them to consider not only letting me into the district and into the higher echelons of society that I had left, but also to challenge the current Patriarch. This isn’t something that will be obtained by convincingly manufacturing a tale of his preference for the same sex, for instance, not just because he already has a wife with whom he spends quite a bit of time in private, but also because shifting the foundations requires good reason.”

“That much is obvious, and it seems like something we can think about for a while. Perhaps we don’t need to invent anything, just unveil something to the world that he had kept hidden.”

“Would they believe us, though? Clearly, if the knowledge had been hidden away for all the years that he had lived, then it would need to be proven sufficiently for the guardians to actually listen and care about the things that we say. It is rather challenging to prove anything in this world, however…”

“Fortunately for you, that is something that I’ve been considering myself, and for quite some time. I can remember almost everything perfectly, so as long as I am able to observe it, or if you choose to share your memories with me, I should be able to not only broadcast it once the time comes, but also prove that it is as authentic as it can be. This will not be possible right away, however, as I have not ironed out any of the ideas that I have been wanting to put into practise a little later than this, and with a slightly larger audience that a few guardians.”

“When did you wish to use it?”

“When confronting the Great Families, to show the entirety of Yi City, and possibly beyond, that they have kept immense quantities of knowledge and power away from them all, and that they are a plague that must be purged if we are to survive and prosper, as we would have done had the Master of Yi City been able to remain and keep us on the path of constant growth.”

“Say…” Gang Xiu Ling suddenly got a scholarly and wise expression on her face, “Would that be a safe or sustainable thing to do?”

“Safe? Depends on what you mean, exactly, but there is no problem with resources, unlike the situation of certain otherworldly demons that have come to my lands over at the north. Due to the way in which planar energy functions, everything that is derived from it, and thus everything of value to us, is essentially infinite, and even if we were to literally devour materials to attain growth, all materials that are appropriate for a certain planar energy concentration will simply come to be somewhere where we have not yet looked,” the Ascendant explained, “You’ve seen how planar energy can never be exhausted, how we can constantly harvest more herbs and treasures, how there are always sufficient materials for blacksmiths to create all kinds of weapons and armour.

“That is the way of the heavens, and that is also why, as planar energy allocation – essentially, how much of the maximum quantity is present in any one space – rises, we will begin to see the return of certain materials. In theory, spatial metal should come about soon enough, although I do not have the knowledge of what it looks like, nor where it would be found. This is rather unfortunate, but I shan’t bother you with all of the details.”

“Thank you… for all of that… anyway…” Gang Xiu Ling’s momentary bright expression had faded by that point, and so she seemed to have lost whatever spark of inspiration had driven her to ask the question in the first place, “A-Anyway, the fourth thing… what was the fourth thing?”

“Did I say something abnormal?”

“Honestly, I don’t know. It just suddenly slipped my mind, but I am pretty sure that it wasn’t necessary to cover it right away. I’m sure it will come to me once we’ve had a night to rest.”

‘I get the feeling that it won’t be that simple, but I can protect a single person with great ease. Fortunately, she isn’t coming along with an army, or else it would have been difficult to resolve the issue once the times comes,’ Wei Yi thought, glancing out of the windows of the carriage in an inconspicuous manner, “Sure, let’s do that, why don’t we. Doesn’t sound odd whatsoever.”

The woman did not appear to pick up on the sarcasm in her voice, and instead returned to reading the technique manual, her cheeks getting noticeably red as she was reaching the ending of the manual. She would occasionally glance up from the words and look upon the Ascendant, perhaps hoping that she would look away for a little while. This was not something that she did for the rest of the journey, and it appeared that the potential future Matriarch also realised that there wouldn’t be much of a point to looking away when they were sitting so close to one another, in the same carriage, and with their spiritual perception occupying the same space.

It was best for them to be focused upon their entry to the district rather than simple distractions, which even Gang Xiu Ling had to realise after she had gotten through every word in the manual. They were all simple enough, with Wei Yi specifically having removed any and all ambiguity that old techniques tended to build up across the years of failed improvements and minor and insignificant changes, so there was little to mull over. All that she’d need to do was find a willing participant and make use of it.

Thus, both of them looked out of the window that was most convenient to them as the carriage travelled down an open road to the district, and finally reached the gates of the Gang District, which looked to be prehistoric – figuratively and literally. It was far older than the walls of any other district.

All of the districts had originated from various settlements, tribes and towns that had existed prior to the foundation of Yi City, before it had even claimed a single district, not to mention the twenty-four that it currently had. Most were brought to a far greater level through Kong Shi Meng’s action, and some caused the nearby population to shift to a different place, but the Gang District differed in that it had been there from the start, so to speak. It had come to be many decades before Kong Shi Meng was born, and it was incredibly capable at the moment that the Master of Yi City had arrived to speak with their leaders and promote unification with Yi City.

In the end, they were still united, and the Gang City became the Gang District. The details on that process were incredibly sparse, for one reason or another, and Yi Shi Ming was not available to learn what had truly happened, so that little bit of history was all that she had. For now, it was sufficient, so she wasn’t going to pry beyond what she could gather automatically.

She wasn’t going to be missing out on much as a result, though. With her current range of spiritual perception, capturing half the district with her perception was easy enough, and storing all of the books within her mind was rather straightforward. By the next day, she would have as much of an understanding of things as anyone that had lived in the district for a few years, and after a week or two here, if she needs to spend that much time on the process of promoting a new Matriarch, she would know everything she could.

At the gates, they were stopped for a brief moment as the guards inspected their carriage, prompting the Ascendant to glance to the potential future Matriarch.

Given that she was meant to have been exiled in some capacity, getting back in should be somewhat challenging due to the obsessive conformation to tradition. Such a lifestyle should result in rather law-abiding individuals that wouldn’t be lazy and overlook significant factors, and they would certainly not take bribes anywhere near as easily as the guards in the Chen District. Then again, those were a rather complicated matter, as they were either open to any and all bribes, or they were already bribed or otherwise paid off by another figure that was ready to provide a larger sum than the one who wished to bribe them.

Clearly, this was also what Gang Xiu Ling assumed as she began to remove several silver and gold coins from a small bag hanging from her belt, but after the guards looked upon the carriage for just a little while, they stepped away and let them through.

“So, someone is either waiting for you or there is something abnormal within the district. What do you want to bet on?” Wei Yi asked, receiving no reply by the time that they had gotten through the gates, ”Do you have a place that you were intending to stay, or are we just going to be searching for it in our own free time?”

“I do have a place, it’ll just take a while to get there.”

“You sure have a lot of things prepared despite having never returned to this place since you lost the selection.”

“Given that I was returning here before you showed up, I have obviously put some thought into this. My plan wasn’t quite as complete as what you’ve been able to offer me, but I did have one,” Gang Xiu Ling insisted, putting back the coins and leaning back in her seat, a frown quickly changing to a smile and returning to a frown a short while later, “There should still be a few people in the district who think of me fondly, so I will be trying to get in contact with them. You should rest.”

“As should you. If you go out immediately, someone will inevitably notice and think of you as being far more dangerous to them than if you just showed up for a good time and nothing more. They might even decide that you aren’t really interested in returning, and be left alone for a while as a result.”

“Good time… should something like growing a new organ be pleasant?”

“For me, it happened while I was asleep after a night of intense activity… what? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“You are describing suddenly getting a cock after sleeping with a woman, so it’s a little odd how you’re not being more explicit. I don’t care, given that I’ll have a similar experience soon enough, but it does seem odd.”

“I can give you a full description of the two hours and seventeen minutes I had spent with the woman I’d slept with, as well as what happened once we woke up to find something extra on my body, but as you have just said, there’s really no point to it. Furthermore, we’re bound to be arriving to your place soon enough, so if you do find someone that is interested in you, then I will be the one that will need to stay away and ignore you.”

Gang Xiu Ling glanced down at the technique manual in her hand, “By the way, what do you wish for me to do with the technique? Is it to be kept secret, or publicised as much as possible?”

“I’d prefer it if you kept it away from as many people as possible. Obviously, your family will need to get it so that they believe that your supposed development of this technique wasn’t actually just you carelessly swallowing a dragon’s blood and getting overly lucky,” Wei Yi said, “That being said, this technique… it is not one that everyone should practise. Without fully being certain of one’s actions, cultivating a technique like this can lead to a permanent and extremely significant change, one that people may never recover from and thus ruin their lives.”

“Is it that bad?”

“I recall when receiving a few too many memories from a man had sent my mind into a growing chaotic state until I was able to resolve some of the issues caused by it. Trust me, it is significant, and incredibly so, and thus I would urge that it remains as secret as it can.”

With the frank and serious tone that Wei Yi spoke with, the potential future Matriarch found little room for argumentation. She simply relaxed and waited for the carriage to bring her to the residence.

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