But soon, they discovered a problem—the White Cloud Sect was a sect, not a person, and the object they needed to report to was clearly a person. So, to whom in the White Cloud Sect should they report?
"Report to an elder?"
The handyman disciple who proposed this idea ran to the peak where the elders resided. With much effort, he found some large courtyards where the elders lived.
Just as he was about to enter and report, he was stopped by the guards at the entrance, who questioned why a handyman disciple was running here.
It turned out that with his status, he was not allowed to contact the elders.
This handyman disciple, despite all his efforts, found that he could not complete the task of reporting at all.
Another handyman disciple went to report to a protector.
In the White Cloud Sect, the status of elders and protectors was quite high.
A protector, as the name suggests, was someone who guarded the immortal methods, hence the name "protector." Here, "protect" meant to guard, and "method" referred to "immortal methods."
Those who could guard the immortal methods of the White Cloud Sect naturally had high status and were considered part of the White Cloud Sect's high command, thus eligible for reporting.
However, this handyman disciple, despite knowing the importance of a protector, had not expected that a mere handyman disciple would also be unable to see a protector.
If a protector were an inner disciple, then naturally, one could see them.
But for a handyman disciple, who wasn't even an outer disciple, a protector wouldn't even deign to glance at them.
This wouldn't work, and that wouldn't work either.
Although they had the idea to report, these handyman disciples soon realized that they didn't know whom to report to.
This was because they couldn't even see anyone.
"...We can only go find Steward Liu."
The leading young man, seeing that reporting to elders and protectors was not feasible, immediately came up with this solution.
Steward Liu was the one who managed their group of handyman disciples.
He was their official superior, both in name and in reality, he was in charge of them.
Although his status was lower than that of elders and protectors, according to normal procedures, finding Steward Liu should be correct.
"Let's go, we'll go find Steward Liu."
...
Steward Liu was sitting cross-legged indoors, cultivating the "Cloud Sea Technique."
Wisps of mist emanated from his body, the mist being orange-red with a hint of black, indicating that Steward Liu's "Cloud Sea Technique" had reached the fifth level.
With the fifth level of the "Cloud Sea Technique," one's spiritual power was sufficient to control a rainbow, and their遁光 (escape light) could traverse heaven and earth, allowing them to live for two to three hundred years without issue.
Steward Liu's strength was something that even those who cultivated the "One Qi Technique" to the ninth level of Great Perfection could not achieve.
After all, this was a true technique for outer disciples and formal disciples, naturally differing greatly from the cultivation techniques learned by handyman disciples.
"Alas, I made a mistake in my cultivation back then, failing to reach a certain cultivation level within the stipulated time and also failing the sect's assessment. Ultimately, I couldn't advance to become an inner disciple, and my path to the Great Dao was cut off."
Steward Liu was sighing.
His eyes were filled with regret and sorrow.
In his youth, he had a great opportunity, but he did not seize it, letting the great opportunity slip away.
This became the lifelong regret of Steward Liu.
If he had obtained that opportunity back then, he would probably be far beyond this mere position of steward now.
What a pity... In the end, he could only reach the peak of the outer sect and then be sent out to manage these handyman disciples...
Steward Liu was greatly dissatisfied with his achievements.
But dissatisfaction was of no use.
Things had already happened.
They had already occurred.
Even cultivators had no regrets, nor could they possess spells for reversing time.
Therefore, he could only accept this outcome and could only accept a future that he could see to its end.
Accept reality.
Steward Liu told himself.
He often regretted what had happened in the past.
But what was past was past, and no matter how much he regretted it, it would not change anything.
He could only choose to focus on the future, rather than regretting the past.
In his mind, Steward Liu divided time into past, present, and future.
What happened in the past was over and could not be pursued.
What would happen in the future had not yet occurred, and it was best not to consider it too much.
Only the present was something he could grasp.
Steward Liu often told himself this.
Although he often forgot these words, he would still remind himself of them when he had the time.
Because reality was cruel and cold, this was the wisest choice.
Having finished his self-consolation, Steward Liu intended to continue with his tasks.
Suddenly, his ears twitched, as if he had heard something.
"Someone is approaching me."
Steward Liu, having cultivated the Cloud Sea Technique to the fifth level, was a master far surpassing all handyman disciples. Even those handyman disciples who had cultivated the One Qi Technique to its limit after seventy or eighty years of practice could not compare to him.
With his five senses, his hearing was at its peak, naturally allowing him to hear from all directions, detecting the arrival of people.
"Who would come to find me at this time?"
Steward Liu frowned. He had no close friends, and his position as a steward offered no benefits and was not a good job.
Under these circumstances, who would come to find him, someone who had no future among the disciples?
"Let me see first."
Before the people had arrived.
Steward Liu made a move, forming a strange pattern with his hands.
This was a cultivation technique.
It was the "Clarity Eye Technique."
As the name suggested, as long as this spell was activated, a cultivator's eyesight would greatly increase. With Steward Liu's cultivation, being able to see for several miles was not a problem, and this was even without fully activating it.
With this spell, it was easy to see who was approaching.
Steward Liu, using the Clarity Eye Technique enhanced by the spell, took a look.
He discovered that it was several handyman disciples.
He recognized these individuals and knew they were handyman disciples, and not even those who had been in the sect for many years, but newly admitted handyman disciples.
"A few fellows at the first level of the One Qi Technique, why are they looking for me?"
Steward Liu felt a sense of confusion.
Although he was a steward and managed the handyman disciples, apart from checking on the handyman disciples at specific times, he did not bother with them during normal periods.
This was his cultivation time, and by all rights, no handyman disciple would be so ignorant as to disturb him here.
Everyone knew how infuriating it was to disturb a superior during their leisure time.
Steward Liu did not believe anyone would be so foolish.
So, had something major happened?
Steward Liu pondered, but he could not guess what major event it could be.
"Let's see what news they bring me later."
With limited information, Steward Liu could not guess what was happening.
He could only wait for these handyman disciples to come and tell him.
Soon.
This group of handyman disciples arrived.
"What is it? Looking for me at this time?"
Steward Liu spoke with an air of authority.
The leading handyman disciple, upon hearing this, immediately explained everything he had gathered about Fang Ming in great detail.