Story 11 - How to Save a Sect in Six Simple Steps (4)
A few weeks after the battle with the demonic cult, I explained to my band how I was actually an alchemy grandmaster from the Indomitable Will sect who had arrived on this continent thanks to an enemy of mine.
Shockingly, I hadn’t even had to ask them, but they all swore on the spot to keep my real identity a secret.
Of course, with Noxious backing , I wasn’t worried that I would get exposed. But their trust in that day may have given my ancient master’s heart a warm feeling or two.
When I arrived at the practice grounds, Azure lodic River stood just inside while Dread Lotus waited at the center with a huge grin on her face.
She was definitely up to sothing. I doubted that she’d heard about the war yet. Since I didn’t want to ruin whatever she had planned, I decided to wait until everyone arrived before I ntioned anything.
As soon as I stepped inside the soundproofed area, she pulled out a mundane zither and pointed it at with one hand.
“I’m going to smash this over your head today!”
Since it was made of thin wood, that was the equivalent of hitting my Foundation Establishnt body with a paper fan.
I grinned. “Only if I allow it!”
“Sa rules as last ti?” After the incident with the demonic sect, Dread Lotus wanted to get stronger in any way she could. One of the sect elders who adored her found her a body cultivation technique that she could use instead of my unbearably painful baths. But part of the technique required her to fight. Since I was the only other normal body cultivator she knew, she would sotis challenge to an exchange before our sessions.
While I hadn’t been defeated, my friend had closed the gap significantly over the past year.
She nodded. “Only our body cultivation, mundane weapons, and movent techniques.”
I moved my flying sword into my spatial ring and clasped my hands behind my back like the master I was.
“Oh, co on! Start more seriously than that!”
I grinned. “If you wanted to be serious, why bring a zither?”
She laughed and ran toward , lifting the instrunt above her head, and then swinging it down. “I’m practicing being both gentle and forceful since I keep breaking things unintentionally.”
I sidestepped another swing. My sleeve struck the zither’s strings, causing them to vibrate, and I took a step back. “Co on, at least get to use my hands.”
“Do you know how hard it is to not shatter this thing?”
“Wouldn’t a stick be better?”
She jumped forward, kicked out with her left foot, and then attempted to bash over the head from the right. I had jumped to avoid her leg so I had to gently use two fingers to redirect the zither.
“That’s better.” I grinned.
After a few more exchanges her brow furrowed. Her jaw clenched. She was definitely getting frustrated.
“You and my uncle get along really well.”
Hah! Was she trying to distract with nonsense? I sidestepped her swing.
“With what eyes did you see us getting along? We’re coworkers who tolerate each other.”
“Ever thought about maybe joining my family as my aunt? Though, if I had a brother, I’d offer him instead.”
Did she just ask to beco part of her family? Adorable.
“Dread Lotus. You are the closest friend I’ve had in this universe but that’s gross. I’d rather ask him to beco my disciple.” And I refused to ever take one!
She froze for a mont, placing the zither’s edge on the ground, and held up her hand. Her eyes turned into curved slits, and she seed to be desperately holding sothing in. Laughter burst from her as she doubled over.
I waited.
She didn’t stop laughing.
Goddamn it.
“Hold on, hold on.” She laughed a bit more, then wheezed. Finally, she held out her hand with her thumb raised. “You should definitely ask him. Just make sure you bring all your defensive tools, just in case. Oh! And record it! I want to see his face.”
I frowned and lowered into a fighting stance.
“Are you ready?”
She lifted the zither and struck down at again. I dodged, practicing the sa footwork technique I taught to Little Spring.
“So, are you not planning on ever getting married?” She managed to dart over to using a quick movent technique and swung the zither toward my feet. I jumped over the instrunt as if floating, then stepped behind her and tapped her head before running to the other side of the training grounds.
“Well, I have impossible standards.”
She rested the zither on her shoulder. “You have seen my uncle, right? He’s successful, a talented cultivator, and, just like all mbers of my family, his appearance is good.”
She probably ignored his shitty personality because he was family.
I rolled my eyes. “Looks, while important, can fade and preferences can change. Besides, I’m more successful and talented than him.” Though, I actually didn’t care if my partner was better than or not. “But what I want is a man who is a true partner, only loyal to . Soone who won’t give up on even after ten thousand years. Soone who won’t let down.”
Dread Lotus frowned, but then ran toward and swung the zither at my head.
I jumped away. “A man who won’t run around with other girls then desert . Who’ll be devastated if he ever makes cry, and not just because I would kick his ass.”
She attempted to dart forward and push with the weak instrunt. I used my palm to redirect it and stuck my toe out to trip her as she moved past . She barely caught herself before jerking her weapon backward in an awkward strike. It missed.
“If I were to ever let go of my singlehood, it would have to be after I’m over twenty-three hundred years old and for a man who would never tell a soul-destroying lie, or harm .”
These things were impossible to expect from soone in this fucked up Xianxia universe.
Dread Lotus stopped. She must have exerted herself because she paused for a long ti and breathed. Her face turned red. “You’re never going to find that!”
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
I nodded sagely with my hands behind my back. “And I refuse to compromise and lower my standards.”
She ran toward again and swung. “But won’t you be lonely?”
I jumped, landed on the zither, and smiled down at her. “I would rather be alone but powerful, and happy, than with soone who would betray , or make miserable.”
When she pulled the zither upwards, I jumped off it, practically flying backward like a kite with its strings cut.
She ran toward . “I respect you for that!”
Gold String Delicate Touch and Daoist Formidable Tiger, our new guitarist, entered the soundproofed area at that mont.
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