Sweet Memories

Once outside the premises, Xiao regained consciousness. She shouted with jubilation by the roadside upon noticing her teacher's special surprise, attracting stares from onlookers.

"I have my limbs back! How!?"

<<Cease your celebration, they are only temporary. I advise we return to the sect immediately so you can start concocting that recipe I gave you.>>

Dying to know the secret, Xiao pestered her teacher as she walked. "Come on, teacher! Just give me a brief explanation!"

<<I said no talking while in public!>> Zhen let out what could only have been a defeated sigh inside her student's mind. <<You know what? I give up. Let the people around suspect that you are crazy.>>

Xiao grumbled, how could her master expect her to calm down after such a feat? She tried to rack her memory from before for some clues, only for her to redden as tomato upon the remembering the erotic events that transpired from earlier. She couldn't believe it, she had actually done the deed with Huli jing!

<<Your heartbeat quickens, are you perhaps reminiscing about your little 'negotiation' with the fox from earlier?>>

Although embarrassed that she got found out, she decided to stop being bashful about it since there is truth to what her teacher had said. It is what it is. She instead chose to chide her teacher in order to take the heat off of her.

"Screw you. Some kind of powerful teacher you are, letting her charm your student just like that."

<<Oh please, you were head over heels for her the moment you saw her. I only allowed it since it would make for an interesting development between the both of you, add the fact that I needed her qi essence. I have a feeling this will not be the last time that we are going to see our little foxy friend.>

Xiao didn't know what to feel about her teacher playing matchmaker for her and Yanmei. And the only thing she regrets about the whole thing is that she didn't get Yanmei to fall for her using her own natural brand of charm. If she does indeed meet her again, she would love nothing more than to sit down and get to get to know the fox. Ah, but that's going to be hard, since her tongue now carries Yanmei's sweet taste, her fingers vividly remembers her softness. Curse her meddlesome master!

Wait a minute…

What did her master say just now?

"Yanmei's qi essence! You restored my limbs using her qi essence!"

<<Bravo. Would you like a candy for your reward?>>

"No, I want spirit stones! I am broke, how else am I going to make a breakthrough if I am destitute?"

Zhen was considering it. She could have her student sell some rare alchemy recipes to earn some and fuel her cultivation. Come to think of it, her student's life has been a series of misfortunes so far, you'd think that she's the protagonist of some tragedy novel. Born an orphan, kicked out of her sect, left barely alive after her scuffle with a demonic cultivator, and now, the fate of an absolutely hopeless sect had been thrust upon her. She reckoned it was probably time to cut her student some slack.

"Then I shall grace you with my magnanimity, I will allow you to withdraw 150,000 spirit stones from this mask. And, a heavenly-grade treasure suited for training."

150,000! That would be enough to cover all the stars in her current realm! Xiao bursted with joy, her teacher could sound high and mighty all she wanted as long as she showers her with spirit stones. Not to mention the heavenly-grade treasure. Xiao's suspicions were correct, her miser of a teacher was indeed hoarding tons of great stuff inside this mask of hers!

"Great Ice Empress! How wise and powerful you are! Never once have I doubted that you are one of the strongest above the heavens!"

<<I am not giving you more spirit stones than that.>>

"Well, it was worth the try."

+++

"Elder, you have your limbs back! How did you do that!?" Fang Xuan beamed with elated curiosity as he sat on the driver's seat. Their elder had already been a force to be reckoned with while missing them, he shuddered with glee upon her battle potential now that she had them restored.

(I had to fuck a spirit beast.) Xiao fake coughed, "Once you've become strong, I shall tell you the secret. I fear that the information might be too much for you to handle with your current cultivation base. Come, let us hurry and return to the sect."

As soon as their carriage moved, her master spoke.

<<You have a talent for spinning lies.>>

"I can't possibly have told him the truth now, can I?"

<<True. Have you thought about granting his request yet?>>

Xiao gazed at the passing houses, deep in thought of whether or not she should aid the Transient Blades.

"I don't know. What would you have done?"

<<I would have helped. I already said that you are going to need powerful allies in your journey ahead. That boy has guts, mix that with loyalty and strength, it is the perfect recipe for a sworn brother.>>

"Talking from experience?"

<<Indeed I am. The monk that you saw on the night we met, I was the one who guided his cultivation, he's been a battle fanatic ever since. But since the teachings of Buddha forbade senseless violence, he disguises his intent to battle as 'enlightening' his opponents. I am not telling you to immediately take Fang Xuan under your wing, just keep an open mind for now."

Xiao could detect the faint smile with her corporeal teacher as she spoke about that sworn brother of hers. The camaraderie that the two shared must have ran deep.

"I'm still not sure. All I want right now is to raise my cultivation base high enough so I can get my revenge at that demonic baldie. But, I also don't want to seem ungrateful after the transient blades had given me a roof to sleep under. We'll see."

+++

"Patriarch Hao, I already warned you about taking in new disciples. And you had the audacity to promote a new elder?"

The unsavory man with long black hair wore azure sect robes with a shield insignia on his left chest. His crude tone bordered on hostility, daring to provoke the smoldering anger of the old man sitting in the patriarch's chair. Yet the old man was no longer capable of that, the flames of anger had been doused by despair when four of his Elders were killed. Now it was just him sitting alone at the Patriarch's hall with four empty seats behind him. The perpetrators? There is no doubt in his mind that they belonged to the same sect as the rude man before him.

"Aigou, if you truly believe in the strength of the Northern Vanguard sect, then why don't we just settle it at the tournament? After going through the trouble of poaching almost all of our disciples and killing my elders, are you still afraid to face us?"

To further his disrespect, Aigou mockingly laughed at Patriarch Hao's face.

"We only gave your disciples the standard rate of what the sects in most cities give. If you cannot step up to match the spirit stones that we give out, then can you really blame your disciples for flocking to our side? And I don't have a clue as to what happened to those weakling elders that you like to keep around so much."

The drive for limitless power that the city cultivators have did not match the easy going lifestyle of the cultivators living in the lush provinces. To the former, a sect is a place to bolster your might, cultivate until you have reached the peak, shatter it and go beyond. Ad infinitum. To the latter, a sect is a place to simply belong and coast through the life of a cultivator without carnage.

"Cut to the chase, tell me the reason for your visit." Patriarch Hao's demeanor darkened as soon as his deceased elders were disrespected.

"The reason for my visit is simple. I have come to recruit this new elder of yours, if she is indeed as powerful as the rumors say, then her talents are wasted in this dying sect."