Getting Ready

Seated on a soft cushioned sofa, Zhi Rui lazily turned pages on her encyclopedia. Then looking at her door she said, "Come in"

Zhun Xuying stopped her hand from knocking the door

Shaking her hand she thought 'She is sensitive '

Zhun Xuying pushed the door. she almost tripped she stoped to look around; bedsheets all over the floor, plates, bottles of wine on the corners. The hair on her arms stood up she looked at Zhi Rui who was lying on top of the sofa speechless.

Zhu Rui who stood the whole night studying the book saw her expression.

"if it bothers you so much call the maids to clean it."

Zhun Xyuing started pulling her sleeves

Zhu Rui stopped her "Not you, you'll be busy with something else. What I told you to do?"

Zhun Xuying stopped looking around, took a deep breath and closed her eyes, ignoring the situation on the room .

"Young lady, I followed every instruction on the letter " Zhun Xuying put a small wooden box on the ground.

Zhi Rui looked at the box and nodded, then she looked the woman's trembling closed eyes, doing everything to not look at the mess around her.

Zhi Rui started taping the cushion under her hand with the finger, examining Zhun Xuying from top to bottom. She stopped and spoke

"Zhu Xuying you have until the end of this week to refine that core, in the weekend we'll make a move; I want you there."

Zhun Xuying ceased fidgeting, she opened her eyes and saw Zhu Rui's green abyss.

She bowed solemnly "yes young miss" she went out and closed the door behind her.

Outside in the hallway, sweat dropped from her forehead, her clenched hands mad her knuckles white. 'The time came, either I'll die a dog's death or will live and gain an opportunity of immeasurable value.'

her breathing grew erratic her palms were sweating, she then remembered her husband.

"Better have a relaxing time with him."

She mumbled while walking slightly fast

----------------

Zhi Rui looked at the closed door, "To put her and Hilda to good use I'll need something more than mutual benefit..."

Standing up slowly Zhi Rui and threw a hope rock in front of her.

five seconds after the clear image of Hilda appeared, it was around eight in the morning but opposed to Zhi Rui, Hilda was wearing her gear.

seeing the lazy image of the disheveled Zhir Rui Hilda smiled.

"A beauty calling for me first thing in the morning, I'm flattered."

"Do you have an answer?" Zhi Rui flatly replied

Hilda frowned and looked at the girl with a weird gaze.

"Yesterday you told me to answer after a week, now you're pushing me the morning after?."

"Hilda, competent people get the work done fast, I asked you today because I know you already have an answer."

Hilda stood speechless

Zhi Rui smiled, "so?"

Hilda shrugged her shoulders

"I went to see it, and as you said they are lazy with security."

Zhi Rui smiled at the feline's actions.

" Zhun Xuying delivered you the letter with the payment correct? but I want to add a new condition; if you help me from the beginning to the end of this, I'll help you to evolve."

Hilda squinted her eyes at Zhi Rui.

Zhi Rui grinned "Don't look at me like that, the report you gave is too detailed to be from a rank two mercenary. And yet you have the means to get that information, which tells me, either you don't want to evolve, which is absurd as you're in your limit already. or for some reason, you can't."

Hilda had a dazed expression she tought a little then nodded then took the stone in front of her, terminating the connection

Zhi Rui smiled at where Hilda's image was, Hilda is too cautious having someone reading her like this probably raise her guard, but she's still nodded in agreement, so, for now, there's nothing more to worry about.

Zhi Rui took the box Zhun Xuying left in the ground.

The blue flame moth's core, she opened the case, a slightly bluish heat distorted the area around the core

the attributes and abilities obtainable from this core are illusion, affinity with fire and healing, to its flame is weak and the healing is just slightly faster than normal, people only choose this core for its illusion ability which is useful for messing with people's vision. but it's weak at the beginning. people only choose this if they are in despair.

but coupled with Zhi Rui's denser energy it has the double of the strength.

as there's a scarcity of illusion masters it'll be to her advantage

And Zhi Rui focused on another point. Moths are animals that survive primarily on their senses, the reason why people have to choose well on their first core is that it dictates how your cultivation will be from then on.

every time you define a core, it's essence nourishes your inner core,

if your first core is a strength-based then your inner core will evolve around strength, you can nourish with other types of cores too but it has to complement the first. So When Zhi Rui refine this moth core, her cultivation will revolve around illusion, affinity with fire and the moth's sensory abilities will nourish her core giving a small passive increase in those areas

Zhi Rui put a 'don't disturb sign' on the door and started refining her core

She sat cross-legged on the floor and started the process

With her mind inside the inner core, she swallowed the small blue core and started to dissolve the fire essence of the core on her red sea of refined energy. The leftover attributes of the core from the core were already assimilated by the inner core's walls.

Zhi Rui could feel the vibrations on the area around her, she almost could see forms with the vibrations of the air and soundwaves around.

She can feel a warm current on her inner core, that now is slightly blue.

She opened her eyes, Her body was wet with sweat, she looked outside, it was already morning again.

'the blessing of lust also helped in the refinement. this should last 3 days with the spiritual water, but with lust, it was faster.

She lifted her hand direct a small amount of refined energy to her hand, a small imperceptive blue flame almost transparent appeared on her finger. It wasn't hot but it distorted the image around itself, she willed it and the flame took the form of a moth, it flew on top of her door and dispersed becoming as small as particles, soon her door seemed to be slightly far away.it seemed little. but still, in a close fight, an action is taken in milliseconds. if you can even slightly influence a person's perception, then you're in the control of the fight.

'Just for Zhun Xuyingto refine her core then we can start.'