Kenja continued waiting in line for his turn.
He watched how the attendants dealt with the other disciples waiting in line. Most of them handed over a keystone for a small transaction and received it back along with several low-tier spirit stones.
One man clothed in an outsider's robes handed over his keystone and was given a document to sign. As he signed it, Kenja noticed something strange with his signature.
After signing the document, he was handed a bag and led through a door behind the counter.
"Why did he imbue Qi into his signature?" Kenja pondered out loud to no one in particular.
"Is this junior sister's first time seeing a soul contract?" an earnest voice coming from ahead of Kenja asked.
Kenja looked ahead of him and saw that he was next in line.
The attendant behind the counter was a bespectacled, young man who gave him a gentle smile. He wore inner-sect robes and had a cultivation level similar to Hizumi.
"Soul contracts?" Kenja said in a puzzled manner as he stepped up to the counter.
"Yes, soul contracts. These things here…" the studious-looking man took out a paper from his bag and placed it in front Kenja.
I hereby swear on my soul that I have not ascertained the location of the Flowing River Sect from anyone or anything during my stay.
I hereby swear on my soul that I have not, in the past or present, conspired against the Flowing River Sect.
I hereby swear on my soul that I have no ill intentions against any disciple or establishment in the Flowing River Sect.
I hereby swear on my soul that I have handed over all my keystones to the Flowing River Sect and wish to conclude my business and leave.
Signature:
"This is a business contract," Kenja assessed the paper.
"Oh, junior sister is much more knowledgeable than she appears. Yes, using contracts like these, we can permit vendors and visitors into the sect without worrying about their intentions or what they might divulge after leaving."
Kenja chuckled at this newfound realization.
He had been surprised that a hidden, underground sect could be so vast and thriving on its own, but now it made sense. While the location was 'secret', their doors were still open for merchants and friends.
"But how do they arrive here without figuring out the location?" Kenja had a lot of questions concerning the viability of such an arrangement.
While the contract could be used to prevent outsiders with ill intentions from leaving the sect, how were they brought here in the first place?
"We have set up several trading outposts around the Freezing Desert's border. We can freely teleport to and from them," he explained.
Kenja's eyes gleamed in understanding.
"After all, we are the only sect in all of the Freezing Desert. If they had to endanger themselves and journey through the desert just to deal with us, I fear no one would come here for business," joked the young man.
'How brilliant! The resources continue to flow into the sect, and they oversee what flows out,' Kenja thought, impressed with the sect's propensity for business.
"Ah, so you make them sign another contract before teleporting here as well?" queried Kenja.
The young man's eyes blinked in surprise from behind his lenses and returned a bigger smile to Kenja. "You catch on quick, junior sister. You are correct. This way, we prevent problems from both sides."
At this time, a flying spear with a golden spear-point flew into the room from outside and headed towards the young man. The spear-point had a silver-embossed inscription, 'Katou Daiki', and tied around it was a storage bag.
The spear stopped over the counter, in between Kenja and the young man.
"Forgive me, junior sister, but I must deal with this first. Please, wait a moment while I finish this up quickly," he apologized as he removed the bag from the spear and took a paper and keystone out of it.
He put the keystone into the TD behind the counter before placing the paper on the table and writing his signature on it, imbuing it with Qi. To Kenja's amazement, a list of items appeared on the paper after signing it. The young man began reading the list while marking things down in a notebook in front of him.
"Why did words appear after he signed that paper?" Kenja asked Snail.
"Didn't he just explain it? It's a soul contract!" Snail stated in a matter-of-fact tone.
Kenja furrowed his brows in contemplation. "Is it similar to how some terms of a contract aren't revealed till the signature is obtained?"
"Yes. If you imbue your intention and Qi into a special ink as you write the request, the words won't appear until your intention is met. Although I am not sure what the terms are, it looks like the Treasury has an arrangement with the owners of those spears," elaborated Snail.
The young man turned to a Foundation Establishment attendant and instructed him authoritatively, "Hurry and get Sister Shimizu's carrier fifty low-tier spirit stones and two silver lecture passes. Send it on its way immediately."
"Sister Shimizu of the Tributaries?" questioned the attendant, taking the spear from the man in glasses.
"Do I have another sister named Shimizu? Now stop wasting time; I have already given the order my name."
The attendant scurried to the TD and began adjusting the dials. The young man turned back to Kenja and apologized again.
"Why did you have to sign that paper?" Kenja inquired. He wasn't normally this nosy concerning things unrelated to him, but he couldn't contain his curiosity. New experiences involving business matters were always exciting for him.
"Oh, the carrier's request? It's just my master's guarantee for those who use the Treasury's carriers. Upon receiving a carrier's request, we must prioritize its completion as long as they supplied enough credits. Signing it reveals the request and serves as a sort of receipt."
The young man continued explaining to Kenja as if he was reciting some store promotion for the umpteenth time, "If our carrier does not return with the completed request within a single incense stick of time after signing the request, First Elder Katou Daiki guarantees to return the request threefold. For that reason, my master makes all the workers here complete the carrier requests first and foremost."
This wasn't Kenja's first time hearing of the first elder's exploits. He had intervened in the second elder's work on the broken TD, preventing him from wasting time on fixing a machine that might have gone unfixed indefinitely.
"Can't someone intercept the carrier on the way back to the owner and take its contents?" Kenja posed the problem with such an arrangement to the young man.
"Junior sister, show me a brother or sister that would dare cause my master trouble?" He chuckled at the ridiculousness of Kenja's suggestion. He was enjoying their conversation and was in no rush to end it since there were no other inner-sect disciples waiting behind Kenja.
Kenja already knew the answer to his own question, but he wanted to confirm there were no other safety measures in place. The first elder's thoroughness in handling the sect's economic affairs was quite impressive, but he couldn't cover every aspect without using his reputation.
The carriers were like the emperor's official envoys. Although the envoys themselves may seem weak and vulnerable, no one would dare interfere with them and cause the emperor to lose face.
"Did junior sister come here to obtain some spirit stones for her cultivation?" he asked Kenja, sensing the topic was at its end.
"I have joined the sect recently, so I am here to look at my options before deciding on anything," admitted Kenja.
He nodded his head at Kenja in approval before taking out a thin pamphlet from underneath the counter and placing it on the counter.
"Since you have joined the sect recently, you likely don't have many credits. The first two pages have the simpler items that you can purchase with the sect credits given to you with your keystone."
At this time, a well-endowed inner-sect woman with long brown hair walked in and approached the counter in front of Kenja.
"Sister Shimizu, why have you come? We were about to send your carrier back," the young man directed his words to the lady who was now standing next to Kenja.
"Brother Hideaki, we are fellow Tributaries! I have already given you permission to call me by my given name, Mizutani," she flirted back with a pout before continuing, "I ran into some interesting gossip shortly after sending my carrier, so I decided to drop in and tell you about it."
Hideaki returned an awkward smile after hearing her overly-familiar tone and turned back to Kenja. "Please take your time browsing, junior sister. I will be conversing with this sister, so just speak up when you are ready to proceed."
Although he had seniority over Kenja, the first elder had taught Hideaki the importance of accommodating those visiting the Treasury. He walked over to Sister Mizutani and began speaking with her telepathically, leaving Kenja to himself.
"What a polite boy, but he is too spineless! This attractive woman is clearly leaving the door unlocked for him, and he doesn't push it open. Are most boys these days as spineless as you, disciple? Even that Hizumachi had more backbone than you two," evaluated Snail.
'His name is Hizumi,' Kenja corrected Snail silently.
Kenja paid no more attention to Snail as he perused the contents of the pamphlet, flipping the pages back and forth as he compared prices between the various items.
'100 credits for a low-tier spirit stone but 1,000,000 credits for a mid-tier spirit stone?' Kenja's eyes popped at this revelation. What was with this difference?
Spirit stones came about from the natural amalgamation of the universe's Yin and Yang within natural rock formations. They provided an efficient alternative for drawing in Qi during one's cultivation. For this reason, they were used as a currency for cultivators everywhere, but to think that the difference between a low-tier and a mid-tier was this enormous.
"I am surprised as well, disciple! Look at page three, at the bottom!!!!" Snail interrupted Kenja's shock.
Kenja flipped to page three and examined the listed items near the bottom.
Sleek and Stainless Rust-Removing Metal Wax - Guaranteed to return your priceless artifacts and spiritual tools to pristine condition while giving them a glossy shine. Caution: Cannot repair broken parts and fragmented weapons. 3000 Credits
'...this snail can't shut up about the wax, and what the hell is with this sketchy advertisement? 3000 credits for wax? What a joke!' Kenja began suspecting someone had planted this item in the pamphlet as a joke aimed at him.
Kenja's eyes caught another item of interest below the wax.
Treasury Carrier - You no longer have to visit the Treasury. If our carrier does not return with the completed request within a single incense stick of time after signing the request, First Elder Katou Daiki guarantees to return the request threefold. Caution: Carrier and guarantee only works within the Flowing River Sect. 10,000 Credits
Kenja chuckled when he realized that Hideaki had recited the guarantee verbatim.
'A tad expensive…' Kenja surmised.
Meanwhile, the two tributaries stood a small distance away from Kenja in deep discussion.
"Are you sure this Sister Hirai was only at the Qi Flourishing stage?" Hideaki asked Mizutani in disbelief.
"It has to be true. All the servants and the entire outer sect are still talking about it. She bullied Brother Hizumi and took his keystone after eating almost the entire fruit by herself," Mizutani assured Hideaki.
Despite conversing telepathically, she took a step closer to him, fearing that what she was about to say would be heard by someone else.
"They're saying she is an Odalisque in disguise."
Hideaki's eyes widened in amazement when he heard this. "You mean...as in one of the concubine's Odalisque?"
Mizutani nodded her head. "How else would you explain it? Even the princess called her big sister, and they were both accepted as the Fifth Elder's direct disciples."
Odalisques were the head attendants of the Ryu Emperor's concubines. They were tasked with guarding their well-being as well as handling their day-to-day affairs. Their ability was rumored to rival the emperor himself.
"This would make sense as well. To safeguard the princess, it isn't unreasonable to think that her mother might send her personal Odalisque who is already close with her daughter to watch over her." He nodded his head in agreement with Mizutani's theory.
"Moreover, Brother Matsushita did voice his intention to befriend the princess as well, so it makes sense that she would punish him." They stopped speaking for a breath, pitying the misfortune that their fellow brother had brought upon himself.
A voice interrupted their solemn silence, "I am ready to place an order."
The man stepped in front of Mizutani to block her scowl from Kenja and serve as a reminder for her not to bully his customer. He had been aware of Mizutani's ulterior motives in approaching him and had already achieved great skill in redirecting her advances.
"Yes, junior sister. How many spirit stones would you like?"
Hideaki anticipated that she would purchase some spirit stones since she recently joined the sect and was unlikely to have amassed enough credits for another purchase.
"Actually, I would like to purchase this Treasury Carrier we spoke about earlier. The convenience it offers is invaluable," confessed Kenja, giving Hideaki a sincere smile.
Ten thousand credits for a tool of luxury seemed a bit steep, but this spear was ideal for someone like Kenja who wanted to remain anonymous as he spent his credits. He could use different keystones for the deliveries to keep himself from being placed under scrutiny.
"The carrier?" Hideaki blinked several times as Kenja handed him a keystone.
He looked at the keystone's inscription: 3-2.
'Isn't that Hizumi's cave?' he thought.
"Sister, are you acquainted with Brother Hizumi?" Hideaki asked politely, gulping quietly as he cautiously refrained from addressing Kenja as his junior.
Kenja's face turned sour for a moment before letting out a cough. He had underestimated Hizumi's popularity; people even knew the numbers inscribed on his cave.
"Since I am new here, Junior Brother Hizumi is earnestly lending me some of his credits," fibbed Kenja. While he could be open and honest about defeating Hizumi in a wager, Kenja didn't believe in rubbing salt in others' wounds.
Hideaki and Mizutani's eyes bulged when they heard this. 'Junior Brother Hizumi???'
"Is this her?" Hideaki asked Mizutani telepathically.
Mizutani's mouth lifted up from one side as she tried to determine Kenja's identity. "I am not sure, but is there another person at the Qi Flourishing stage who would dare address Brother Hizumi as their junior?"
Hideaki turned back to Kenja.
"It is good to see you are a friend of Brother Hizumi. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Akiyoshi Hideaki, and this is Sister Shimizu Mizutani," he said, clasping his fists.
It didn't take a genius to figure out that Kenja had to introduce himself now to avoid being rude. He sighed inwardly and relented.
"My name is Hirai Hikaru. Master Kazane has taken me under her wing," Kenja greeted them while bowing.
"It's her!" Hideaki and Mizutani said to each other in unison.
"Brother Hideaki, can you see whether she is hiding her true cultivation?" Mizutani implored Hideaki.
"I'll try." Hideaki pushed his glasses to his forehead and examined Kenja closely.
The more one had cultivated, the stronger their body became. Hideaki did not wear glasses because of poor vision but because his eyesight was his greatest asset.
Due to his keen perception, the first elder had gifted him glasses made from Silver-Eel Eggshells which greatly enhanced the eye's vision and sensitivity to various energies.
Hideaki gulped again as he realized something unusual about Kenja.
"I can't see a single thread or fluctuation of Qi from her," he reported to Mizutani. He glanced at Mizutani and the other attendants and disciples in the room to confirm that his vision was working fine.
Cultivators cannot perfectly control the energy of the universe inside their body. Occasional strands will escape from their bodies, especially in the earlier stages. While one's control improves the further he goes, 'perfect control' is nigh impossible except for those of legendary standing.
"Even her bracelet and earring emit Qi signatures, but nothing is escaping from her body," he confirmed for Mizutani once more.
Mizutani gulped when she heard this as well.
To see nothing escape the body would mean Hideaki was either looking at someone whose control over Qi exceeded his own master or a person who had never cultivated in their life, a mortal.
But Kenja's cultivation was clear to them, so he couldn't be a mortal.
'But if she is an Odalisque, why did she not know what a soul contract was?' pondered Hideaki, still doubtful of Kenja's identity.
During the exchange between the two tributaries, Hideaki had been casually noting down Kenja's transaction in the Treasury's records.
"Is the carrier all you require...Hirai-san?" He was unsure of how to address Kenja, so he played it safe.
"Yes, that is all."
All of a sudden, the entire Treasury could feel an immense aura emanating from somewhere in the room.
'What is this?!' Mizutani and Hideaki's faces became ashen after feeling the aura.
Myriads of servants and disciples in the room twisted their heads in panicked silence looking for the source. Within half a breath of the aura appearing, a voice echoed in the room.
"Actually, could you also add the wax on page three to my order?" Kenja urgently requested with an awkward smile. He was too embarrassed to say the full name.
The aura vanished as abruptly as it appeared, and no one could tell where it came from, or why it had come and gone.
Both Mizutani and Hideaki gulped again as they trembled slightly from what they had just felt. They stared at Kenja in fearful awe of what had just transpired. Even though they couldn't tell who caused the aura, it appeared and vanished with Kenja's words.
Hideaki no longer doubted Kenja's identity as an Odalisque, and he was intent on staying in this sister's good graces. If Kenja feigned ignorance to build credibility as an inexperienced disciple, then Hideaki wasn't going to be the one who took off the mask.
"Of course, senior sister. I'll ring that right up!"