Chapter 28: The Patriarch

A thin finger stroked across his cheekbone. It dabbed at his chin.

The awakening was... unusual.

Without even opening his eyes, Yee Rhys already knew who was coming to visit him. Only one person could show up like this without being asked.

The young man slowly opened his eyes.

In the reddish hues of the sunset, the Lady looked... hot. And her smile was mesmerizing. Bloodthirsty.

- Can you tell me where that unique smell of yours has gone? - Softly sang the beauty.

- It's worn off. - Yee Rhys replied in a level tone, sitting down on the bed.

- Yes? And the mental energy has worn off too? - The Lady doubted.

- I hid them. - The young man admitted. - There'll be a lot of people at the Beginners Ranking Tournament. I don't want anyone to notice too much.

- Hmm. - As if the watcher would believe it. - Couldn't you hide it before? There are a lot of people in the square during the lecture, too.

- It's just the lecturer and the newcomers. What would they notice?

- Now, no tricks. - The lady drew him close and put her fingers to his temples. - Open up, or I won't restrain myself.

Well, hope dies last.

Yee Rhys unmasked his mind, letting the Beauty explore whatever she wanted.

- The first current of mental energy. - The Lady's gaze grew complicated. She was both delighted by this find and terrified of its potential. The youngster was proving to be too talented.

Pressing lightly with her fingertips, the Beauty made the young man lift his head and look into his eyes.

Calm. Too calm.

As if nothing could happen to him.

And the Lady understood the reason why. Even if this cocky youngster's life had been in her hands, she would have thought several times before destroying such talent. The unwritten rule of cultivators was that as long as a treasure could be used, it must be used.

Exhaling unhappily, the Beauty stepped back and pulled out the communication jade slip.

A few seconds later, a portal opened in the room.

- Come. - The lady pointed unequivocally to the dimensional passage.

Yee Rhys calmly stood up and entered the portal. His face remained impassive.

The watcher slid in after him.

***

On the other side of the portal was a large hall, with pots of plants ranging from flowers to small trees along the edges. In the shadows of the greenery were several ornamental benches.

In the middle of the hall, with his back to the guests, stood an elderly man dressed in golden robes.

At the sight of him, a smile flickered across Yee Rhys' lips. In the next instant, the expression on his face was again impenetrable.

- Dra Jae greeted the Master. - The Lady stepped forward. Then looked demandingly at the young man.

- Yee Rhys greets the Patriarch.

Since he had officially become a disciple of the sect, he should at least make it look like keeping up appearances.

The Elder turned around and glanced at the new arrivals. Then his attention focused on the young man. Yee Rhys sensed that he was being carefully scanned.

As he approached, the Patriarch stopped three steps away from his guest.

- Whose are you? - The Elder asked dryly, looking intently straight into his eyes.

- I am yours. - Yee Rhys calmly met the elder's gaze.

- Good. - Patriarch nodded, sensing no falsehood in the young man's words. - You are my treasure. Repeat.

- I am your treasure. - Uncomplainingly, Yee Rhys repeated.

- You are my instrument.

- I am your instrument.

- My word is Law.

Patriarch, did you from closed cultivation... lose your mind?

- Your word is Law. - Nevertheless, in an even tone, the young man repeated.

- Now take off your disguise. The whole disguise.

Yee Rhys obediently disabled all cloaking spells. With such a difference in levels they were of no use anyway.

- Hmm.- The old man carefully examined the boy's body and mind once more. He even circled him for greater effect. - A mentalist, indeed. A mentalist after all.

Then he went over to Yee Rhys, who was standing still, and brushed aside a lock of his hair, revealing the tattoo on his temple. He stared at it for a moment. Then he checked the other temple. Finally, he looked intently into his eyes.

In fact, it was the first time the elder had looked into the young man's eyes since he had completed the merge. And the young man's eyes were unexpectedly deep, as if a shallow lake had suddenly deepened a hundred kilometers. And there was also something... at the very depth. At the very bottom. In the deepest darkness there was something even more black. And it was watching. It was as if a speck of consciousness of some higher being had lurked in the depths of the young man's mind.

And then it was gone. All that was left were these unusually deep and calm eyes.

The Patriarch frowned. Was it an imagination? Or had some higher power really marked this young man? He suddenly remembered that at the very end of the merge, at the very end of the seizure, he felt as if time had stopped. And then everything went back to normal, as if nothing had happened.

What had he become? The elder dug through all the archives of the sect, but could not find a single clue. And now he had a creature of an unknown race lurking under his side, capable of successfully impersonating itself as an ordinary man. If the Patriarch had been even a sphere weaker, he would not have been able to unravel this boy's disguise. Who disguises himself so powerfully? And why?

And most importantly, what to do with this little gift? His potential was greatly pleased. And just as greatly frightening.

Only the fact that his previous statements were without lie tended to make the older man appear optimistic.

- You may disguise yourself back. - At last the Patriarch gave the go-ahead.

Yee Rhys was relieved to put the cloak back on. Such close scrutiny of ancestral marks proved very unpleasant. With a little thought, he concealed the level of mental energy as well.

The elder scrutinized the result. Astonishing efficiency for such a low level.

- Now tell me, why all this masquerade at all?

If the young man disguised himself as soon as he reached the required level, there had to be a reason. The Patriarch himself didn't care much about the disguise, but it was better to hide the true gem deeper. So, he didn't mind the fact of the disguise itself.

- Because of the bloodline. - Calmly answered Yee Rhys. - Your sect follows the orthodox path. But many cultivators of devilish sects enhance their power through bloody rituals. And the bearers of special bloodlines are a snack for them. I just don't want to become a victim on the altar of someone else's cultivation by taking my first step into the outside world. So I ask the Patriarch to keep my bloodline secret.

The elder nodded. The explanation sounded quite logical. These lunatics are after even just good talent. And special bodies and bloodlines have to be hidden from them, and the more valuable, the deeper.

- You are mine. - The Patriarch's finger touched the young man's chest. The left side of his chest. - And since you are so gifted, you will be my secret weapon. Officially, you will remain an ordinary disciple. But from now on, you are forbidden to show your mentalist powers without my permission. Understood?

- Understood.

- Good. - The Elder nodded in satisfaction. And turned to the Lady. - How are his achievements in other directions?

- I gave him access to the Puppet Coliseum. - The watcher responded, taking out a jade. - Here is a record of his training.

The patriarch took the jade and put a wisp of Qi into it, scanning the contents.

- Very good. - Satisfied, the elder nodded as he studied the record. - The effort to keep the young man alive has paid off. But such combat effectiveness seems a bit excessive to me. A secret weapon should not attract unnecessary attention.

- I'm going to confine myself to the two small limits. - Yee Rhys explained, - The lady has forbidden me to take an apprenticeship with the Outer Sect elders. Two levels will show my talent, but won't cause too much excitement.

- Good decision. - The Patriarch approved. - Good point about apprenticeship. When you reach the Soaring Core Sphere, I'll take you on. You don't need a tutor until then.

The lady smiled happily.