June 8th, 2032 - The Value of Dual Cultivation

"Goodbye, you lovely ladies." Kaze said to Marilyn, Lisa, and Rell, the three women on the private sky cruiser.

"Goodbye!" Marilyn said with a flushed face.

"Same. Thank you for the amazing experience." Lisa said with a bow.

"It was magical. Safe travels!" Rell said with a bittersweet smile.

All three had trouble standing and were all sad to watch him go. They all felt connected to him, so it felt like a part of them was leaving.

"Don't look so letdown." Kaze chuckled, shaking his head, "You act as though you'll never see me again."

Their faces lit up when he reaffirmed his earlier statement and waved goodbye as he entered a pitch-black shuttle.

The driver, a clean-shaven, muscular man with thin brown eyebrows, looked at Kaze in the cab camera skeptically.

"Those women seem satisfied." He commented as they took to flight, gliding through the Lexington skies glittering with nighttime lights.

"All ladies that I spend time with leave satisfied." Kaze scoff-laughed at the man's circuitousness, "That afterglow is the reason I'm here."

The driver's face tensed up at his arrogant response. "You're not here to please Lady Trotsky. You're here to perform a service."

Kaze scoffed in disbelief. "Putting aside your grotesque assertion that sex could ever be a lifeless transaction, I perform sex cultivation.

Do mortals believe I can channel Qi in an awkward 5-minute prostitution session?"

The man's eyes widened. The emperor's language was crude, but his point was valid. Despite that, he was duty-bound to represent his clients.

"I don't think that language is appropriate." He replied in a terse voice.

"And I don't think that a servant should interfere in the affairs of their patrons." Kaze replied mockingly, "I'm here on business. How I conduct it is between your patrons and me; it has nothing to do with you. So stay silent and do as you've been ordered."

The driver's face twitched, but he couldn't offend the man. As Kaze said, he was on orders and couldn't break them. So he fell silent and finished his flight.

The two touched down at the Trotsky family's private air dock, and the driver opened the door for Kaze.

A group of ten men in suits checked him for weapons, making him laugh mockingly. It had almost been a week since cultivation began, and everyone still checked for guns as if they were the only threat.

The guards then led Kaze through the airstrip and into the back entrance of the home. Once they reached the top of the stairs, a man and woman greeted them.

"Welcome." The man, with pale white skin and blonde hair, said in a thick Russian accent.

"Greetings, Mr. Phillip Trotsky." Kaze replied while shaking his hand and giving him a slight nod.

He glided his eyes toward the elegant looked woman to his left in a rich red dress. She wore red lipstick and had straight, shoulder-length auburn hair.

"And I assume this is Ms. Inessa Trotsky?" Kaze asked while reaching his hand to give her a light shake.

"Yes." Inessa replied with a slight handshake and smile.

Phillip closed his eyes before opening them with a warm, fake smile. It was clear to everyone that the value of the meeting didn't make it easier.

Only the emperor was unfazed by the situation. The deal was far greater in their favor than they realized.

"Let's talk business, shall we?" Phillip requested while motioning Kaze to a white sofa lined with white bear fur.

"Of course." Kaze replied while sitting down, "First things first, did you follow secrecy protocols?"

The Russian man and his guards were stunned that Kaze arrogantly took hold of the conversation and demanded information.

"No need to worry," Phillip replied, "Your presence here hasn't been disclosed, and the money is getting routed through two shell companies in Switzerland before reaching your account."

Kaze nodded. "Thank you. I'm sure you have questions, so feel free to ask them."

"Can I see the scroll?" Phillip requested.

Few people received a direct transfer of their techniques. Evalyn got one because she received a sky-grade cultivation technique, which they wouldn't proliferate. The same was true of Frosted Blades, which they wouldn't carry.

Kaze shook his head, stunning everyone present.

"What—"

The guards started moving in, and Phillip began demanding answers before Kaze raised his hands, chuckling and giving everyone mocking smiles.

"I'll perform a direct transfer. It's a high-level technique that imprints the cultivation technique into your mind and gets you started." Kaze explained.

"First, I'll give you a cultivation technique, then help your wife reach the Earth realm.

After you pay me, I'll give you both Earth techniques and unlock the knowledge you need to use them at full capacity, skipping decades of practice.

You'll get four techniques, cultivation and offensive, for each, and your wife will skip an entire realm, multiplying her power exponentially. Everything is beyond what you can get elsewhere."

Phillip's eyes glittered, and his guards' eyes filled with bitter jealousy.

"Now, please let me touch your forehead." Kaze said. The guards nervously watched as he reached forward, prepared to strike.

The emperor scoffed at their attitude and touched the Russian man's forehead. An explosion of knowledge entered the man's head, leaving him wide-eyed, analyzing the profound blueprint he had received.

"Try it out." Kaze requested.

Inessa and the guards watched in shock as the man immediately began without the need to study the technique.

"Ha hah! It works!" Phillip exclaimed in his Russian accent as Qi entered his body at an insane level compared to the low-end mortal-grade technique he had.

"That's only the beginning." Kaze said with a slight smile, "You'll normally need to spend decades mastering this. Once I'm paid, I'll give you that information, and you can see for yourself."

Phillip grinned in delight. Then he remembered that period that stood between then and the present. He gave Inessa a sidelong glance before locking eyes with the emperor.

"Your power. How does it work?" Phillip asked.

"Just as Qi is channeling through your body, dual cultivation allows individuals to share." Kaze replied, "Since I'm at a far higher level of cultivation and have more skill, I can immediately bring Ms. Trotsky into the Earth realm."

Everyone's eyes widened, abstract understanding at his overly simplistic explanation.

"Additionally, dual cultivation uses three different types of Qi, speeding up cultivation exponentially. Yin and Yang Qi are unrefined and are released from exchanging bodily fluids." The emperor continued.

Phillip cringed instantly, but Kaze continued with the selling point.

"It's the most intricate form of cultivation, but it's also the fastest. After tonight, your wife will leave with a six-month headstart on everyone with mortal grade cultivation techniques." He said, "It will highlight your power and increase your fame."

The Russian man thought about it, combing his fingers through his blonde hair. "Is it…."

He looked at Kaze with a strained expression. "Is it possible to just buy the techniques, as a potential option?"

The emperor smiled. He would have asked the same question, so it wasn't surprising.

"Of course," He replied with a slight smile.

"I'm providing a professional service in exchange for money, so selling the techniques will accomplish my goals.

However, I'm a dual cultivator that also benefits from co-cultivation. So if you wish to turn down the sub-service to boost your wife's cultivation, I'll charge you the same price."

Phillip narrowed his eyes. "I'm not sure how I feel about you benefiting from sleeping with my wife."

Kaze scoffed at the man's offensive words. "Mr. Trotsky, the techniques you are receiving are worth far more than what you're paying. You're just my first customer. By next week, I'd value these techniques in the billions."

The Russian eyes widened, and he held his breath. The emperor's manner of speech didn't sound like a sales pitch; it was matter-of-factly and laced with exasperation.

"I'm offering your wife a six-month headstart on cultivation in exchange for the co-benefits I'm receiving.

If you cannot understand the benefits, I'll erase that technique from your mind and leave."

The pressure in the room multiplied. Everyone was shocked at the emperor's brazenness, and the guards prepared to strike.

Kaze and Phillip stared at each other for a split second before the latter turned away.

"I apologize for offending you. Please understand this is a sensitive action." The Russian said.

The emperor's face relaxed, and he nodded at the man's reasonableness.

"Of course. That's why your wife will also receive a dual cultivation technique, allowing you to increase your power through sex." Kaze said with a slight smile, "Surely, that's appealing. Is it not?"

Phillip's eyes widened in surprise. He looked at his wife, who nodded in acceptance. It was a strange development that he wasn't expecting.

"I do find that appealing." He said, "So I can trust you won't take advantage of my wife with your power for one-sided gain?"

"Sir, I'd never take advantage of a woman." Kaze replied, "Everything I do will be to increase her power in the most agreeable way possible."

Phillip closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Then he clapped while standing.

"Okay, let's take you to the prepared room." He requested, "Come this way."