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Chapter 202 – Formality and Nervousness
🕑 Added 2025-02-22 18:49:20 +0000 UTCSun Hua’s heart rose to her throat as she stood outside the door leading to what the sect leader called his “office.” The mayor’s house was large enough to hold a similar room, but he called it a “study.” She was fairly sure that the sect would use the former term going forward based on the sect leader’s preference, so she made a point to call it that in her mind.
Though she’d been assigned to be his assistant nearly a month ago, she’d never actually spent any time alone with him. Besides being introduced and being handed a few minor assignments, she’d barely even seen him.
But now she’d been summoned via a blue dragon made of paper. She’d have been terrified if the sect’s rumor mill hadn’t abounded with tales of the origin of the wondrous devices.
As she was stood there gathering her wits, though, she was aware that the sect leader was inside expecting her. Hesitating was stupid. Her mother would have called her a fool for making such an important man, her direct employer, wait.
Besides, her fear was stupid. The sect leader had a great reputation for being kind, so there was no justification for her fear.
She sighed. No rationalization, no matter how factual, could calm her nerves.
Summoning all her courage, she halted her wondering thoughts and knocked on the door.
“Come,” the sect leader said.
Sun Hua entered the room as she had been taught to do when approaching one of a much higher station. She took small steps so that her feet neither dragged the floor nor made a loud sound when contacting the floor. Moving quickly but quietly was the key. Don’t delay. Don’t disturb.
There was no furniture in the room, only a small cultivation mat on which he sat in the lotus position. As her mother had trained her to do in such situation, Sun Hua knelt before him and cupped her hands.
“Assistant greets Sect Leader.”
To the best of her knowledge, few people if anyone in the village used that particular formality of referring to oneself by one’s position. It was much more common here to use “this one” or “this lowly one.” Esteemed Mother, however, had been raised outside the village and taught Sun Hua that the other form of address was more proper.
She wanted badly to please the sect leader while honoring her mother.
A scroll appeared from thin air, but Sun Hua did not gasp. Though she’d not previously been so close to the sect leader when he used his spatial treasure, it was known to all the villagers, and she’d at least seen items being removed from it from a distance, including an entire building.
Rumors in the village speculated that all who reached Foundation Establishment would be gifted one of the rings. Since all sect members who were diligent were promised all resources within the sect leader’s ability to help them reach Foundation Establishment, all sect member, including her, should eventually own a ring of their own.
Sun Hua thought the reasoning logical but couldn’t bring herself to believe such a thing could possibly be true.
The sect leader smiled. “This is the priority list that I promised you.”
“Assistant expresses gratitude to Sect Leader,” she said, accepting the scroll.
Why was he giving it to her, though? Just her, she meant. Why had she been summoned and not her fellow assistant, Xu Gang?
She didn’t dare voice her questions, though.
“What’s bothering you?” he said. “Tell me.”
Her expression must have betrayed her. Mother would be so disappointed if she ever found out that Sun Hua hadn’t kept her face impassive before the sect leader. An assistant’s personal thoughts should never intrude upon their employer.
Having been called out, however, Sun Hua had no option but to respond truthfully. “Assistant answers Sect Leader. Assistant does not understand why just the sect leader’s other assistant was not summoned as well.”
To her surprise and consternation, the sect leader chuckled. “You are, without a doubt, the most formal person I’ve met in the village. I wonder if that’s why the mayor chose you?”
Sun Hua was positive she was chosen for the position due to her qualifications. In addition to being taught proper manners, her mother had instructed Sun Hua in writing, mathematics, bookkeeping, and a myriad of organizational practices from the time she was weaned. There was no one in the village more highly trained to be an assistant for the sect leader.
For so many years, she had doubted her mother’s instruction. Why learn these things when they have no value in the village? The mayor certainly didn’t require her services, and no others could spare the funds to pay for any employees beyond the ones absolutely necessary for the business’ survival.
And it wasn’t like she could leave the village to seek her fortune elsewhere. The beasts prevented that. She had been trapped.
The village had not been a good place for her overall. Little food. No resources. No suitable employment opportunities.
Worse, there were even limited opportunities for marriage. As the danger from the beasts had grown, more and more men had died to them, leaving many more women seeking husbands than there were men to fill the need.
Since she was neither particularly pretty nor outgoing and funny, she was passed over for the girls who were either or both of those things.
She tried not to have regrets, but she’d always hoped to have children. Every time her mother, who she loved deeply, criticized her or pushed her to perfection, Suh Hua thought about how her home would be filled with love and hugs and no expectations to excel at everything her children tried.
But that was not to be.
With the formation of the sect and the massacre of the beasts, the village was starting to see new blood arrive. Opportunities grew. She was a cultivator and had been appointed to be one of the sect leader’s assistants.
After the mayor had informed her of her new position, she had gone straight to her mother, kowtowed before her, and thanked her for her instruction.
Things were looking up for Sun Hua, but she still wished things had turned out differently. If the sect leader had found the village just a few short years earlier, she might have had a chance at finding a husband and having children. As it was, twenty-two was well past the age for marriage.
“Sun Hua?” the sect leader said. “Did I lose you?”
Her eyes went wide. Somehow, she’d allowed her concentration to drift. In front of the sect leader.
Oh no. No. She couldn’t believe she’d been so stupid.
Sun Hua kowtowed, touching her forehead to the wood floor. “Assistant apologizes to Sect Leader. Assistant begs for forgiveness.”
“Whoa,” he said. “Relax. Get up. It’s not a big deal.”
She had never been more mortified in her life. If Mother found out, Sun Hua would never hear the end of it. Mother could never find out.
Her face burned as she rose back to a kneeling position, and she kept her face pointing to the ground, unable to bear the thought of the sect leader seeing her blush.
“Assistant answers Sect Leader. Assistant is more highly qualified for the position than anyone in the village. Assistant’s recent performance notwithstanding, Assistant will not let Sect Leader down.”
She said that as fervently as she could. If the sect leader dismissed her from the position, she’d never, ever get over the shame.
He cleared his throat. “Well, this is a bit awkward. I didn’t mean to stress you out. And the reason that I called only you into the office alone is that you seemed to be a bit more on top of things than the other girl did. Do you think she is as qualified as you are?”
Oh no. She had not meant to imply anything negative about the other girl. If Xu Gang were dismissed, it would be a bad thing indeed.
Sun Hua had to answer the sect leader’s question, though, and she couldn’t lie. She also had no idea what she could say to prevent him from dismissing Xu Gang. “Assistant answers Sect Leader. Sect Leader’s other assistant is pleasant and tries hard. This assistant will make sure that Sect Leader is pleased with the performance of the entire staff.”
“So they saddled you with a dud, huh? Why?”
Sun Hua’s eyes went wide. Her answer had the opposite effect of what she had intended. And again, she was forced to answer the question without lying. “Assistant answers Sect Leader. Other assistant is the mayor’s niece.”
“Ah. Okay. That makes sense.”
Mayor Mo Jian was extremely popular in the village. The sect leader was gaining influence, but the villagers had known the mayor literally their entire lives. If she got his niece dismissed, Sun Hua would be ostracized. And that fate paled in comparison to what her mother would do.
“Assistant requests to question Sect Leader.”
“Go ahead. Shoot.”
Her heart was pounding. “Assistant expresses gratitude to Sect Leader. Will Sect Leader dismiss other assistant?”
“I don’t think there’s a need for that unless she is a complete liability. Honestly, I wasn’t sure that I really required two assistants in the first place. I’ll relay my instructions to you, and you can delegate as you feel appropriate. Works?”
As covertly as possible, she let out a relieved breath. “Assistant answers Sect Leader. Assistant will of course proceed as Sect Leader directed.”
“Great! You have the list. Any questions?”
“Assistant answers Sect Leader. Assistant has no further questions.”
“Perfect. One more thing, I get that you’re nervous and that you’ve been trained to be formal, but I really need you to work on being a bit more casual. I don’t want you to be uncomfortable, and I won’t dismiss you or anything like that. But I’d much prefer you to relax a bit, okay?”
Sun Hua started her response before she even thought about what he had said. “Assistant answers… Uh. Assistant… Uh…”
“Oops. I think I broke you. Think on what I said for next time, okay? It’s not a big deal. I’m not displeased with you at all. I’ll go now so you don’t have to figure out how to tell me you’re leaving.”
And with that, he disappeared.
###
Benton chuckled as he appeared in the Formations Pavilion. Had he really just let his assistant drive him out of his own office?
The situation was too absurd.
It was okay, though. He’d dealt with people like her a lot in his past life—smart, capable, but timid. She’d been trembling like a leaf in a thunderstorm for most of the meeting.
It made him feel bad even though he’d been as gentle as he possibly could be.
Once she got used to dealing with him, he was positive that she would be a true gem. She just needed more time and more interactions with him. He made a mental note to have her accompany him when he was teaching the pavilion heads about the arrays in their buildings. The experience would give her necessary knowledge about the sect and get her more familiar with him and the other important people.
Perfect.
Of course, she would soon be dealing with all those important council members on her own as she approved their housing choices. Hopefully, those encounters would turn out fine.
Benton grimaced as he envisioned Yang Xiu meeting with the timid Sun Hua.
Surely, it would turn out fine.
Comments
BWFoster78 Last
With this chapter, pretty much. I'd still like to get Monday's chapter out tonight instead of in the morning, but we'll see.
Sparkley Unicorn
I hope not, I'm off work tomorrow and want another chapter lmao
Louis Cousins
Wooo! Back on schedule now?
