26

After the riots were crushed, often to paste, Pef took the women for a ride on the airship and landed some 20 kilometers up river, and then simply began cooking, after pointing at the river.

Xie jumped in first, cleaning herself and her items off blood.

One after the other, the 12 Core ranked Guardians followed her and washed, sometimes glancing at the Guardian Leader with nervous or scared eyes.

Luckily Xie had twenty of her spare clothes, prepared in case she had to massacre 20 bandit armies or something.

Pef didn't ask, he just paid the seamstress, as it boosted the economy.

An hour later, 13 women sat on logs, being served delicious foods.

"My wife Xie, has endured two years in a Tang breeding camp. But the Tang had thousands of captives, who had their babies taken and traded to the Disciples of Arachne, to be injected with spiders. She didn't break or took her life, even after her child died.

Because, we are not just Guardians. We are immortal souls. Through pain and struggle we can become gods, and shed our flesh completely. So today, you all fought bravely and defeated your captors. You stepped on the path of cultivation.

And those spiders...they are the enemy. We feast on their flesh and enjoy our revenge. Tastes good, doesn't it?" Pef orated, but in a normal volume.

The new Guardians looked at Xie with pity and sadness. Then looked at the spider legs in their hands.

"It does taste good, Master Xi. But...my life is ruined..." one woman said, between bites and tears.

"What will make it better? I am the Emperor of the continent. Make a wish" Pef said after watching Xie for some clue. But she didn't have any.

"Anything?" a braver woman asked with a clenched fist.

"Sure. I am rich enough, I think" Pef said with a shrug.

"Keep our secret then. Nobody else knows, for sure" The Guardian demanded with a pleading voice.

"Wouldn't quite work, in this town. Rumours would still spread, if you appeared now. Perhaps if you came with me, to Smithtown. We have a garrison there too" Pef mused, thinking a bit.

"Can I...sleep with you? Make the bad dreams go away?" a mousy woman with a small frame asked shyly.

Pef sighed and looked around at all the Guardians. They eyed him with curious looks.

"It wouldn't work like that. Your Core bodies have already healed. Just a few bruises. But your minds...you would hate me. And your job. And all men." Pef explained with a pained voice, as he began storing his stove and pans.

"My husband is right. We waited a year and is not easy yet. Focus instead on cultivation. I reached Earth rank during this year." Xie said gently, and began explaining womanly stuff.

Pef took off, flying back to the Guardians mansion.

"Master Xi, you're back!"

"Did you find the girls?"

"Those women are crazy! They butchered everything. All Core ranks, everyone of them.

Who said they needed saving?" Pef asked in fake outrage.

"Are you sure, they were not that strong..." a shy Guardian muttered in confusion.

"Sadly yes. And they met with my wife, Lady Xie of Yellow Tear. And now they plan to roam the wastelands and hunt more bandits...well. Xie is Earth rank anyway, but she loved the style of those girls. One chopped off a bandit's hands, another took his head, and she got extra reward for the kill. There were hundreds of hands lying around....brrrrr" Pef said in creeped out voice.

"I guess they did fine after all. But wastelands are not safe, Master Xi. There're beasts too, strong ones..." another Guardian interjected and looking worried.

"Yeah, I know. I had to kill a Sky rank spider north of Yellow Tear. This one!" Pef complained with a sad face, and produced the corpse of the Arachne queen.

The Guardians stared at the enormous spider in their courtyard. Their eyes filled with awe and praised their luck for such a strong Leader.

"It's huge!"

"Guess I can take the girls with me and drop them at the Smithtown garrison. They can hunt Core beats and earn their keep by gathering bones. By next year they should form their Nascent soul. And you guys...are not strong enough. Focus on three aspects. Sword, smithing and bow or spear or peacekeeping. And get married already!" Pef proclaimed in outrage, then stored the spider and flew to check on the Volcanis fort.

Luckily, the disciples here had incendiary oils to chase of intruders in their fake volcano.

And a dozen high ranks. That was probably more important.

"Alchemist Xi, is the crisis over?" a relieved Volcanic Fire disciple asked as Pef floated over their stone wall.

"Yes. Please go help my Guardians and restore peace in the town while they recover. And burn some 2000 bandits, that litter our city with their corpses" Pef asked politely.

"God, 2000 bodies? Volcanis will be pleased for your offering! Come by anytime. And especially with more spider legs..." A Spirit rank Elder exclaimed in awe, and drooling a little.

"Okay, I will. But now I'm going home to meet Ladies Jian and Qin so, take care!" Pef proclaimed and flew away, like a Sky rank cultivator.

As he left, the disciples rubbed their bellies in hunger. It seemed it wasn't a feast today.

Well, except for the pyres.

Soon, Pef returned to the picnic site, and landed gently next to the women.

"You fixed the problem, husband?" Xie asked with a kind smile.

"Yeah, you are all heroes! Just don't come back, before you have a Spirit rank. By then nobody will care or remember what happened today"

"Can you just hold me tonight, Leader? I'd sleep better..." another woman asked with teary eyes.

In the end, Pef had to build a tent and sleep in a pile of women.

It was a bit hot, but Pef endured. He had endured much worse after all.