Chapter Thirty-Four: The Council of Elders

When the first rays of morning sunlight illuminated the Guest Tower of the Celestial Master's Mansion atop Dragon-Tiger Mountain, Hua Feng opened his eyes. The thought of soon departing for the heart of the Shennongjia primeval forest, returning to the headquarters of the Farming House, made sleep impossible.

With gentle movements, Hua Feng carefully disentangled Yun Meng's arm that was wrapped around him. Watching her brow furrow slightly in her slumber, a surge of tenderness welled within him. He recalled their passionate night, worrying that he might have exhausted her too much; perhaps he should learn to restrain himself in the future.

Hua Feng tucked the blanket around Yun Meng, then seated himself on a reed mat on the balcony to begin his daily cultivation. He felt the Taiji Diagram absorbing spiritual energy at a swift pace, cautiously guiding his true energy through its cycles.

Lately, the Flying Dragon Technique and the cultivation methods left by his master had grown ever more familiar. He sensed his progress along the path, lacking only more practical combat experience and breath control. Facing unknown trials and challenges ahead, Hua Feng knew he could not afford to relax. Even the position of Hero Chief, which seemed almost as if it had fallen from the sky, would not be his without absolute strength to command respect.

As his abilities advanced, new possibilities opened to him. Yesterday, Shen Qiu had left him a personal computer. After scanning his Hero Chief credentials, he gained access to the entire Farming House's intelligence database.

Meditation complete, he entered the Elder Council section, and the data revealed:

The Elder Council, led by the six elders of the Farming House, consisted of individuals recommended by each hall's master as their most outstanding members, chosen through rigorous trials and tests. They inherited a millennium of cultivation essence from the Farming House.

Every elder relinquished their factional titles and worldly life, inheriting not only the name of the Six Sages, but also their six supreme arts. The Six Sages included the Master of Arms, who commanded martial prowess; the Calendar Sage, who wielded the knowledge of calendars; the Medicine King, who mastered herbs; the Grain God, who presided over agriculture; the Yu Disciple, who oversaw water management; and the String Master, who governed musical arts.

The six supreme arts encompassed: divining calendars and observing celestial movements to master footwork; forging a domineering sword technique from martial arts; tasting countless herbs to achieve immunity to poison and mastery of medicine; discovering swift blade techniques through harvesting grain; forging the Unyielding Palm, inspired by water's persistence; and creating a vital acupoint technique through musical fingerwork upon the five-stringed zither.

Once, a generation of six Farming House elders spent ten painstaking years integrating these six arts into the Earth Blessing Formation, elevating the formation to unprecedented heights.

In ages past, the six divisions of Shennong convened at Banquan Field and decided to make peace with the Yellow Emperor. Chiyou, defiant by nature, refused to comply and left the tribe. Yet the Flame Emperor, compassionate and kind, set a rule: any disciple who lost their Farming House identity would be granted a single opportunity to reclaim it.

...

Faced with the millions of words in the Elder Council archives, Hua Feng felt his head spin. After skimming through key information, his mind settled somewhat. He proceeded to search for the Six Halls of the Farming House, and soon more data appeared on the screen: Kui Kui Hall, Chiyou Hall, Lishan Hall, Suyu Hall, Gonggong Hall, and Shennong Hall.

The ancestor Shennong, benefactor of all beings, established six great achievements—hallmarks of the six halls and symbols of the six elders.

The six achievements were: forging weapons, tasting herbs, cultivating grains, mastering music, developing waterworks, and understanding calendars. Forging weapons represented Chiyou Hall; tasting herbs, Shennong Hall; cultivating grains, Kui Kui Hall; mastering music, Suyu Hall; developing waterworks, Gonggong Hall; and understanding calendars, Lishan Hall.

Members of the Farming House possessed a unique constitution—immune to all poisons. As Hero Chief, besides the token proving his status, he would also require the Shennong Order to command the true power of the Farming House.

He had reached this point when the sound behind him signaled Yun Meng was awake.

"Little Meng, did you sleep well?" Hua Feng turned to look at the groggy Yun Meng.

"Mm-hmm, I slept well. Brother Hua Feng, you’re already up and busy so early. Are we leaving for the Farming House headquarters today?" Yun Meng asked as she dressed. Just as Hua Feng was about to reply, she interrupted, "Um, Brother Hua Feng, could you turn around first? No peeking while I change."

In a short while, Yun Meng appeared before Hua Feng, dressed in a stylish black-and-white fitted outfit, her slender jeans accentuating her graceful figure.

After a breakfast of vegetarian dishes, Hua Feng and Dan Qiu Sheng, along with Master Zhang, exchanged farewells, agreeing to stay in touch by phone without excess formality. Hua Feng then set out with Yun Meng and Hall Master Shen Qiu towards the Shennongjia primeval forest.

At the foot of the mountain, a lengthened and widened custom RV awaited in the parking lot, its driver standing by.

Though Hua Feng felt the travel arrangements for the Farming House leader seemed extravagant, he remained composed, inviting Yun Meng aboard. Inside, he found the decor not overly lavish. Shen Qiu took the passenger seat, while Yun Meng and Hua Feng settled onto the rear sofa.

As Dragon-Tiger Mountain receded swiftly outside the window, anticipation for the coming unknown encounters began to stir within Hua Feng. At that moment, Yun Meng, who had not yet cultivated her spiritual energy for the day, began her routine practice. "Brother Hua Feng, wait for me," she said, soon entering meditation. Hua Feng sat quietly beside her, waiting for her to awaken. He could not help but muse: Perhaps storms lie ahead, but fortunately, you are by my side. Closing his eyes, Hua Feng immersed himself in the evolving flow of the Taiji Diagram.