Chapter – 153 - Planning on Joining the Mercenary Mission

Rihanna was lying sprawled over the chair which she had dragged all across the room to the large window. Currently she was lying against the cushions, with both legs hanging over the armrest, staring at the white clouds rolling in the blue sky outside.

At times she would blink. It was a habit she had developed back on earth. Whenever she was thinking about something, contemplating or trying to understand the situation before her, she would unconsciously start blinking. Currently her mind was divided - partly circling around her own thoughts, partly focusing on the background discussion.

And the background discussion was quite a lively and heated debate going on between Artreya and Ye Luo. Though neither had as yet developed their own Guiding Weapon, both seemed to have studied it a lot over the years, and they were full of their own opinions and understanding after watching the Second Stage of the Conquest for the last 11 days.

Currently Rihanna was too tired to even think. She was wishing she could turn her mind into a vacuum space, with nothing inside it. Earth Man, Tornado whip, Fire Dragon, Lightening Whips, Blood-Snow Storm, Poison-Ice Wings, Void Fire Walls.....thinking about even one of these was giving her a headache.

Trouble was that even after watching so many fights, and so many different Guiding Weapons in action, she was still not clear about the concept. Or rather, everyone seemed to have developed their Guiding Weapon in their own method, and each weapon was different from the other.

The discussion was becoming too heated for her liking. Especially since she wished they could disappear from her room, and leave her in silence!

"Tsk! You both have your own rooms, so why in the world are you huddled inside mine?"

"Because it's more fun seeing you all irritated and annoyed, and still unable to do anything about us!"

Artreya couldn't stop himself from blurting out. Looking at her eyes narrowing dangerously, he bit his lips and leaned back into the couch, trying to use Ye Luo's body to shield himself from her glare. Ye Luo glanced at him speechlessly, then decided to ignore him.

"I was wanting to talk to you. But I got diverted by Artreya's questions. If you are having a headache I can come back later."

Rihanna shook her head, unwinding her body to sit up in a more presentable manner. From the corner of her eyes she glanced at Apu who was sitting in mid-air as usual, looking around with a contemplative gaze. Did he think he was Father Time, and he was watching the world go round all around him?!

Though they had made a contract, Rihanna had absolutely no control over this one. He came and went as he pleased, often disappearing for days. Being a Spiritual Body whose consciousness was more than 200,000 years old, he was pretty strong. And once he went into invisible mode, no one in these lands could probably trace him out. Perhaps she should be grateful that he was just roaming around and not creating any trouble for her.

Finally sitting up straight to face the two boys, she flexed her hands and neck to remove the numbness in them.

"Hmmm. Okay....I am ready. Let's talk."

Ye Luo tried to stifle his laughter, whereas Artreya didn't even bother and laughed right on her face.

"You are talking like you are ready to go kill a herd of demon beasts! Hey, you should be grateful that the almighty is giving your little presence so much importance. She even shifted her position! Why does she never change her position while talking to me?! Tsk! I have failed to create my importance in her life!"

Ye Luo raised his hand and swatted at the back of Artreya's head.

"Be serious! Anyway, I was just wondering if you have any plans after the Coronation is over. Will you be coming back to the Sect with me, or do you plan on going somewhere else?"

Rihanna didn't answer, but a tiny smile grew at the corner of her lips. Ye Luo sighed while Artreya started laughing again.

"See....I told you so! Why do you even bother asking? Ever since she had a talk with her Uncles, I knew she was cooking something inside her brain! And I can bet she is planning on joining the mercenary group and travel to Abarone-Tengai...Am I right or am I right?!"

The small smile had already turned into a big grin. This was the fun of having both of them. She didn't even need to speak and they knew her mind. Rihanna squinted her eyes, trying to remember if she had shared such a unique friendship with anyone back on earth.

She turned around and noticed Xioaguli sitting on a chair on another side of the room. Phantasm lay stretched out on his lap, as his fingers gently kept rubbing against his back and stomach. Fluffy was also stretched out on the bed, fast asleep.

"Two of the ingredients for Fluffy's transformation can only be found around Void River."

"You can easily give out a mission for those ingredients to the mercenary group. Or you could give the mission to your Uncle's, since they'll be joining the mission anyway. And you can pay them separately."

Rihanna pursed her lips. She didn't know how to answer this. She had a hidden agenda, but she couldn't tell him this. How was she supposed to explain that she was interested in travelling around to figure out the different countries, the way they functioned, their governance, the way of life of people in these five lands. She couldn't keep on using the excuse that she had forgotten her memories from before the fall every time...could she?

"I am a nomad at heart. Can't keep staying in the same place for too long. Anyway.....there's no place as such which I can call home in this country, you know."

Ye Luo kept quite. He wanted to say that she could always come back to the Sect with him...but there was truly no cause for her to go to the Sect. Moreover, since she was hiding her cultivation, she would at most be treated as a more intelligent commoner. She could probably get some job as a small supervisor, but that would be the most she could go up as a commoner.

That would be too much of a sacrifice for her. Especially since she had so much hidden potential in cultivation. Indeed, travelling around might give her more experience and help her grow. She might even come across some fortuitous encounters and gain something remarkable.

"Then you should wait for me at Falanderie City. I will need to head back with your Uncles to the Sect. Once we have settled Uncle Daogi in the Sect, I will be accompanying them back. We can all join the Mercenary Mission together."

Rihanna frowned as she stared at Ye Luo.

"You seem to have a lot of free time. Are you so dispensable in your Sect?"

"Nah, I am in the gaining experience period."

Both Rihanna and Artreya looked at him in confusion, their eyes clearly saying 'Don't-stop-tell-the-whole-story'. Ye Luo chuckled at the blatant curiosity sparkling in their eyes.

"My.....My Master had been ill for a long time. That time when I met you in Poison Swamp, I had actually gone to fetch the Flaming Ice Coral from the Swamp. It was one of the core ingredients for his medicine. Now that he is better, he is pushing me to go out and gather some experience. This mission can also be counted as that."

Rihanna nodded. She knew by now that most cultivators would travel around, often taking up mission in and outside the country to gain some experience and enhance their cultivation. This was a very important part of their growth. Because only through a lot of experience could they gain better comprehension and control of their powers.

"But, we'll be going to a different country. There might be unforeseen troubles. You had better get a consent from your Master. Also, you should probably inform your family before leaving."

Ye Luo frowned as he looked at Rihanna, to which she sighed internally. There was vast difference in the concept of family, attachment, reliability and responsibility between here and earth. She would often end up saying things which did not make much sense to Ye Luo or Artreya.

Ye Luo didn't mind however. He was long used to these weird talks. Though it was strange, he could gather that she wanted him to notify his Clan, so they wouldn't be too worried. Of course he didn't need to. Once a cultivator becomes the disciple of a Sect, the only person he is duty-bound to is his Master. The Clan becomes secondary. However, he simply nodded.

"Okay. Then we will wait for you all at Falanderie City."

Rihanna turned towards Xioaguli who was still caressing the back of a drooling Phantasm.

"What are you planning? You are free to decide what you wish to do. You may come with us, or you can follow him back to his Sect. You have a good cultivation base...you might find some good work in the Sect. Or do you plan to do something else?"

Xioaguli was a bit dazed as he looked at Rihanna. He often paid no attention to their talks, so he had no idea why the conversation had suddenly turned towards him. He sat, staring at them in confusion for a while, trying to piece together his thoughts. After a while he turned towards Artreya. After all, that was the person in this group of three he was most comfortable with.

"Can I accompany you? I have never been out of the place where the Dorminions used to stay. Then I was stuck in that Sect inside the Dimension. So I don't want to go back and stay inside a Sect again. And.....I would like to stay with her for some more time."

Artreya glanced at Rihanna, who shrugged in response. Then he turned to look at the still sleeping Phantasm, who had no idea how much weight he held in this conversation. Then he turned his eyes back to Xioaguli and nodded.

"Fine. Consider this as an educational trip. Whatever you experience here, use to enhance your powers. And if possible, break through into the Foundation Laying Stage."

Rihanna nodded at this. They all needed to grow their strength. Both Artreya and Ye Luo had reached the Mid-Stage of Foundation Laying Level. Which was a remarkable feat, considering not many cultivators were able to achieve this stage at this age. Ye Luo was stronger than Artreya since he was a Sword Cultivator. As for her.....no one knew exactly what stage or level she was at...thanks to her weird path of cultivation!

But after seeing this Conquest, and all the people who had come to watch this event, she knew that they were still too weak. And sometimes that made her anxious. They were attracting too much of trouble all around. Without enough strength they wouldn't be able to keep ahead of all those trouble-makers.

'Hey Weird Girl! Exactly how long are you planning on ignoring your own space?! And what is this crazy thing you have digested! It broke through into my space, and refuses to leave. And now it is creating havoc inside my space! If this thing breaks down my space....then.....I will break you!!'

Rihanna almost jumped in shock as a sudden but familiar scream echoed inside her mind.

'Little Purple....is that.....?!'

'Yeah....that's that weird seed. You should take out some time and visit the Ancient Spirit Seed Space. That green energy which that expressionless man gave you has somehow entered that space. And I can sense something is happening inside the space, but I cannot say what it is.'