Chapter 36: Initial Understanding
Yesterday, Jiang Ce didn’t pay too much attention, the elevators in the lobby used by ordinary employees and guests consuming at the clubhouse cannot reach the 16th to 20th floors.
Only the private elevator accessible by the Gatekeeper’s check-in at the side hall can reach these floors.
As the elevator door opened, Jiang Ce was surprised to find that these five floors were actually a single entity.
There were no partitions between them, but a giant space nearly twenty meters high.
This was the secret training ground for the Gatekeepers.
It was like a paradise, with rockeries, fountains, buildings, and venues.
The overall appearance was not modern, but more like a Taoist temple in the mountains.
The only difference was that because there were no windows, it was completely isolated from the outside world, and under the illumination of lights 24 hours a day, it gave a feeling of splendor.
“How did they build a house like this without it collapsing?”
Jiang Ce looked around but couldn’t find any structure that could effectively bear the load.
Lu Yun explained proudly from the side, “Of course, Xiao Zhi Men reinforced it personally, it wouldn’t collapse even from a missile!”
“Impressive.” Jiang Ce, lacking in culture, could only express his admiration with the simplest four words.
“You can just say ‘awesome’.”
“Awesome.”
However, unexpectedly, there was no situation of a crowd waiting at the elevator to block him as Jiang Ce had imagined. The Gatekeepers in uniform were in twos and threes, either idle or in a hurry, seemingly all busy with their own affairs.
Lu Yun didn’t know what he was thinking and performed his guiding role well from beginning to end.
“First, I’ll take you to get your White Talisman.”
Upon hearing this term, Jiang Ce, who had been somewhat disappointed,’s eyes lit up: “Are you from Fujian?”
“Huh? No, why do you say that?” Lu Yun was confused.
“Didn’t you say we’re getting the White Tiger? I didn’t expect the benefits for Gatekeepers to be so good.” Jiang Ce was full of excitement.
“What White Tiger? I said White Talisman, it’s the Gatekeeper’s identification.”
Lu Yun explained, “When we first become Gatekeepers as Jianghu Magicians, we get the White Talisman. Gatekeepers of Fifth Rank and above, with certain achievements, can be promoted to the Blue Talisman. After becoming a Heaven-Reaching Dharma Master, like Master Ye, they can receive the Purple Talisman, no longer need to stay put, and can freely carry out missions in various places, also having considerable influence. Higher than that is the Red Talisman, which allows one to control one of the Eight Gates, hence also called Gatekeeper. As for the Golden Talisman, there is only one person, who serves as the Chief Steward, that is Wei Lao, who founded the Gatekeepers together with Cao Gong.”
“Oh, that’s what it means.”
Jiang Ce became disappointed again.
“What else did you think it meant?” Lu Yun asked suspiciously.
“Uh, I thought it was like an employee ID card?”
“It’s not far off.”
The strange misunderstanding was cleverly smoothed over by Jiang Ce.
Led by Lu Yun, the two arrived at the Gatekeepers’ Grand Hall.
Jiang Ce looked up and said, “You Sha Hall.”
“It was named by Xiao Zhi Men. Each Gatekeeper has great autonomy, including the right to name. Except for the Lord of the Gatekeepers, Cao Gong, and the Chief Steward, Wei Lao, theoretically, even a Gatekeeper cannot interfere with the affairs of other branches.”
Lu Yun explained diligently.
Jiang Ce was a little curious, “How many Gatekeepers are there in total?”
“There are currently six, each in charge of one of the Eight Gates. For example, Xiao Zhi Men is the controller of the Wound Gate. Wei Lao alone controls the Life Gate and the Death Gate. I don’t know about the other Gatekeepers.”
“No wonder they’re called Gatekeepers, it’s related to the Eight Gates then.” Jiang Ce nodded, “So now there are seven branches of the Gatekeepers, plus one headquarters?”
“No, Wei Lao is usually at headquarters, so there are only six branches.”
“I see.”
As they walked and talked, with Lu Yun’s explanations, Jiang Ce quickly grasped the overall framework and power structure of the Gatekeepers.
It also corresponded to the attitudes of the various big figures he had met in the room last night.
However, besides Xiao Lin, Hong Xingzhi, and Jie Tan, there were three other Gatekeepers he had not seen.
“By the way, this so-called Eight Gates, is it just a designation, or is there really a materialized gate, and can one become stronger after taking charge of it?”
“I don’t know,” Lu Yun shook his head.
“You don’t know?”
Lu Yun answered everything he knew: “Yes, the realm of a Gatekeeper is considered top-tier in the entire cultivation world, and most matters can be resolved by their own power.
If there are matters beyond their abilities that need to be resolved, Wei Lao or even Cao Gong will step in, and that’s a level we can’t access anyway.
The only publicly known matter is that the Four Gods Hall can only be opened with the power of the Eight Gates. You are a special case, with the Gate of Jie Tan and Master Ye vouching for you. Normally, the Four Gods Hall is only opened during the annual gathering when all Gatekeepers congregate at Headquarters to allocate slots for those entering. Generally, each Purple Talisman holder gets one recommendation slot.”
“Oh, I see,” Jiang Ce nodded thoughtfully.
His intuition told him that the function of the Eight Gates should not be limited to this; it must have a more powerful purpose.
Tsk, if I work hard, I’ll try to get one to play with as soon as possible, Jiang Ce mused to himself.
While others were still planning to become Blue Talisman holders soon and gain respect even from those thousand-year-old sects, Jiang Ce, who wasn’t even a White Talisman yet, had already started strategizing how to train and develop the gate assigned to him after becoming a Gatekeeper.
This was naturally due to his confidence in his own lack of merit and his full awareness of it. He wasn’t sure about Half-Immortal, but reaching the level of Heaven-Reaching Dharma Master was just a matter of time.
Unfortunately, among the eight gates of Life, Death, Open, Halt, Duration, Shock, Injury, and Despair, there was no “Despair” (Yin). Otherwise, if he could become a Gatekeeper, Jiang Ce could choose the Despair Gate and call himself the Despair Gate Guardian in the future. He thought it sounded romantic and pure love.
“This is the East Hall, where the Blue Talismans handle affairs. I’ll take you to see Tian Tou’er first.”
Lu Yun’s words interrupted Jiang Ce’s wandering thoughts.
“Tian Tou’er is the most powerful Jianghu Magician in the You Sha Branch. He joined the Gatekeepers along with Xiao Zhi Men, so he is highly valued by Xiao Zhi Men and is his confidant. You’ll need to say a few good words when you meet him later. Although he’s a straightforward person, he’s very protective of Xiao Zhi Men, and I’m worried he might harbor some dissatisfaction towards you.”
Jiang Ce felt a bit more goodwill towards Lu Yun and immediately nodded his thanks.
“But I thought your Boss was Master Ye.”
“Master Ye was originally a Blue Talisman in the You Sha Branch and had a good relationship with Tian Tou’er. Therefore, he took good care of us and taught us a lot. To us, he’s pretty much the same as Tian Tou’er.”
Soon, Jiang Ce met a burly man with a perpetually mournful expression.
His pathetic expression made it seem like he couldn’t possibly have experienced anything less than being cuckolded ten or eight times.
“Tian Tou’er, I’ve brought him for you.”
The burly man grunted at Lu Yun and looked at Jiang Ce, “You’re Jiang Ce?”
“Yes, yes, I’ll be counting on your guidance from now on, Boss,” Jiang Ce said respectfully.
“Guidance is not really the word. Lu Yun should have told you everything, so I won’t repeat myself. If you don’t understand anything, ask him. Gatekeepers don’t have many taboos; just don’t harm colleagues or do anything wicked.”
“This is your White Talisman. Remember to keep it safe. It’s not just an Identification, but it can also call for help and transmit messages if you’re in danger. If you sustain a fatal injury, it can also sense it and protect you for a period, maximizing your chances of survival.”
The burly man handed Jiang Ce a White Talisman. Although his movement was bold, it was contrasted by his expression, making it seem like he was handing over his life savings, which was quite incongruous.
Jiang Ce stifled a laugh and asked seriously, “I still haven’t asked your name.”
“Tian Yongle, just call me Tian Tou’er,” the grim-faced burly man said.
“Hiss,” Jiang Ce couldn’t help but let out a breath.
His name and appearance didn’t quite match.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” Jiang Ce quickly waved his hand to salvage the awkwardness. “I just had a tooth pulled, my tooth hurts.”
“Mm, then you can go. Our team doesn’t have any outdoor missions today, so you can get familiar with the environment with Lu Yun first.” Tian Yongle waved them away.
Just as Jiang Ce was taking his leave and turning to go, he heard Tian Yongle say something pointed:
“Don’t be too ostentatious. After joining the Gatekeepers, be down-to-earth and take things one step at a time. Capable people will always be recognized.”
Jiang Ce froze. This couldn’t be called an implication anymore; it was practically a direct hint!
This Tian Tou’er seemed to know something, and he was intentionally trying to guide him.
This was enough to prove that his guess was correct.
So he turned back and bowed respectfully, bending slightly, “Thank you for your guidance, Tian Tou’er.”
“Go ahead.”
Exiting the East Hall, Jiang Ce was almost certain that Xiao Lin was indeed playing a very old trick, and that Tian Yongle, his confidant, knew about it.
Lu Yun didn’t know what exactly happened last night. With a pre-conceived notion, he assumed this was a warning to Jiang Ce, so he earnestly advised, “Did you remember what Tian Tou’er just said? It seems Tian Tou’er was ultimately soft-hearted. If he truly intended to deal with you, you might have suffered greatly.”
Jiang Ce didn’t explain, just smiled and nodded.
But just as the two were about to look around, several people approached.
They’re finally here! Jiang Ce was slightly on guard.
The person in the lead looked at Lu Yun, then narrowed his eyes and sized up Jiang Ce, “Are you Jiang Ce? I heard you’re very arrogant.”
Jiang Ce also narrowed his eyes at him, nudged Lu Yun with his elbow, and whispered, “What talisman? What rank?”
“White Talisman, Eighth Rank,” Lu Yun replied softly.
Jiang Ce nodded, then looked back at the man, his demeanor calm and unhurried.
The man frowned, “What are you whispering about?”
Jiang Ce slightly raised his chin, appearing quite arrogant.
“Who the hell are you?”
