Hideaki Akiyoshi supervised the sect's treasury in place of his master, First Elder Katou Daiki, who was currently cultivating in seclusion.
His tasks included regulating the exchange rates between spirit stones and sect credits, overseeing the incoming and outgoing merchants from the desert outposts, ensuring the conversion of sect credits into goods proceeded smoothly and were recorded accurately in a timely manner, and a myriad of other technical and administrative responsibilities that the First Elder would normally be in charge of.
He would then give a proper and complete report of everything, including potentially unrelated but recent events and gossip going around the sect, to his master whenever he was called to his cave.
Except this time, it was a bit different.
Fifth Elder Kazane had left for a week on a mission for the sect that took her all over their continent of Yuanxi. Because of this, his master would end his seclusion early to welcome her back, but he still wanted Hideaki Akiyoshi's report before she arrived.
It was both a habit and preparation for the gathering of sect elders.
First Elder Katou Daiki did not want to appear uninformed or distant to the other elders who would mingle with the sect disciples more frequently. After all, he was the First Elder, and while they were all on equal standing, he was the de facto leader amongst them.
All this was no problem for Hideaki Akiyoshi. In fact, he had a lot that he wished to report to the First Elder.
First, this week was, both, an extremely fast and incredibly slow week in terms of sect credit trades.
Half of the bazaar merchants had suddenly sold out most of their products and rushed to cash in all their credits before requesting to depart from the sect and return to their homes. He had already converted their sect credits into the appropriate number of spirit stones and other goods they might have desired, but since the sect had been placed on a lockdown due to the Rusty Robber, he had to reject their requests to leave.
The merchants were unhappy, but because they had already obtained the expected payment from the sect, they had put up with it until today when Vice Elder Shirou was forced to intervene and assure the merchants that they could leave tomorrow; otherwise, Hideaki Akiyoshi feared a riot would have occurred.
Even though many of the merchants had made a big profit within the sect, the fact that the thief had still not been caught after three days had shaken their faith in the sect's security. Plus, their primary suspect was the pleasant and wealthy Qi Flourishing boy who had bought out most of their inventories, so it was needless to say that they currently doubted the sect's integrity and credibility.
As for the reason regarding this week's 'slow'-ness, it was concerning the sect's disciples and servants. The number of transactions between them and the treasury for the past few days had dropped to near zero. In fact, if it weren't for an inner sect disciple who came to purchase a new technique manual five minutes before his departure from the treasury, he would have had to report zero intrasect transactions for the current day.
Even if one factored in the abundant Qi rampant throughout the sect that encouraged the disciples to stop and cultivate, the number of treasury visitors were far too few. As a result, Hideaki Akiyoshi used his newfound spare time to investigate the reason which led to the discovery of a strange shop that popped up several days ago in the servant's quarters.
It traded common resources beneficial to Body Tempering, Qi Flourishing and Foundation Establishment cultivators in exchange for an unreasonably short lease on a person's keystone.
For Hideaki, they might have been common resources, but for the vast majority of the outer sect and servant population, it required half a month to several months of saving just to obtain the same item from the bazaar or the official apothecary. This discovery combined with the recent influx of Qi in the sect explained the deficit of disciples visiting the treasury as well as why he had heard nothing about it until after he left to investigate.
Once someone learned of the shop's nature, they would immediately rush over and take advantage of the service. Without their stones in hands, why would they be caught anywhere near the treasury? Anyone who still had their stones and visited the treasury obviously did not have knowledge of the store yet.
This delayed Hideaki Akiyoshi from obtaining such important information by more than a couple of days, so he was a bit frustrated with himself. Hopefully, his master would not be too disappointed with him.
As for the current state of that store, it had already been shut down for half a day by the time he had gone to inspect it in person. A servant named Migiwari Puchi was running the shop, and the reason no one raised any questions about the shop's origin or its 'too good to be true' deals was primarily due to its location: it replaced a sect-sponsored shop that normally targeted servants who needed living necessities and low-end pills.
No sect disciple would doubt the sect's intentions.
Unfortunately, he did not have enough time to fetch the servant responsible and interrogate him before his rendezvous with Vice Elder Shirou and his master.
Aside from that and giving an account of the inventory, there was also that Rusty Robber intruder and his list of stolen goods, but Vice Elder Shirou was accompanying him specifically to consult about that matter.
Thankfully, there was some good news.
There was a new star disciple in the outer sect named Kitamura Bolo who broke five records and received countless acknowledgments from the ancestors in the Dragon's Basin. Rather than 'star disciple', it might be more accurate to call him a 'monster'.
Hideaki Akiyoshi, known as the foremost genius of the younger generation, had eight records to his name, but they were spread out amongst the Qi Flourishing, Foundation Establishment and Core Crystallization stages, and it took him years to achieve them with a lot of hardwork, effort and assistance from the elders.
Yet, this Kitamura Bolo fellow was only at the Qi Flourishing stage, and he had not even been in the sect for a week before challenging the Dragon's Basin. Moreover, Hideaki Akiyoshi had obtained a handful of acknowledgments, but Kitamura Bolo had gotten so many of them that no one could keep count anymore. The entire sect was repeatedly lit up with the numerous rays of light over the past few days, originating from the deceased elders' caves.
What was even more amazing was that he had no pillar of support behind him. The sect records and various informants indicated that he had barely managed to join the outer sect with no connections.
When compared to him, Hideaki Akiyoshi's performance from when he was in the Qi Flourishing stage was nothing special…
Still…it was good news for the sect and for his master who was a sect elder. Talented disciples were the future of every sect.
Finally, there was the matter of Fifth Elder Kazane taking in four new disciples at once.
It was his master who had warned him about the princess' arrival, but the other three were unmentioned.
The twins in front of him were nondescript.
They were young and slightly better looking than the average mortal but still below the standard of cultivators he was acclimatized to. Their cultivation was quite low, having barely reached Qi Flourishing, and the only redeeming quality Hideaki Akiyoshi could ascertain was a slightly faster cultivation speed than average which was insufficient of a reason for the Fifth Elder Kazane to take them in. Additionally, they seemed to be paranoid and lacking in their mental faculties.
When he remembered how the two girls thoughtlessly approached Vice Elder Shirou and began spouting conspiracy theories about the elusive Rusty Robber and his similar appearance to a mortal relative named Kenja, he discarded all thoughts of communicating with them any more than necessary.
Towards women, Hideaki Akiyoshi was not heartless nor was he hateful, but over the past few years, Hirose Hide and Shimizu Mizutani waged a silent battle over his affections to the extent that he had sighed innumerable times over the topic, becoming cynical towards any woman who was pursuing a man.
And once again, here were two little girls who would not stop worrying about this brother of theirs even though they should have already severed their mortal ties.
…If they could not break away from their mortal past, the least they could do was be more subtle about it.
Hideaki Akiyoshi could only push his glasses up the bridge of his nose and sigh in silence at the disappointing behavior of the women around him.
Regardless, he had no plans to interfere with the conversation between the venerable Vice Elder and these two ignorant girls, nor did he intend to help them…until she came along.
Hirai Hikaru, the fifth disciple of the Fifth Elder, respected big sister of the youngest Ryu princess, humiliator of fellow Tributary Matsushita Hizumi, victor over two of the sect elders' challenges, despite being a Qi Flourishing cultivator, was completely unknown and unheard of before entering the sect.
He could see something was different about her from the moment she entered his view, all thanks to his innate constitution.
While he was a talented genius in cultivation, it was his visual perception and natural acuity that attracted his master's attention.
He was hyper sensitive to the small changes in people's faces and body language, and after a few years of training under his master to strengthen his vision, very little could escape his gaze. It was to the extent that, with the aid of his glasses, his scrutiny could compete with the Nascent Soul elders who had a hobby of peeping from the top of their tower on the citizens of Ryuga.
Due to his keen sensitivity, it was difficult for the other two male Tributaries to defeat him in a spar. He could quickly analyze their moves and accurately deliver the precise counter that placed the battle's rhythm in his hands. Even when Matsushita Hizumi pulled out a surpise talisman or Sora Yu executed a new technique, Akiyoshi could immediately deduce that something was coming and took out unexpected counters of his own to rattle them.
Putting aside his battle prowess, his eyes could easily discern a person's mood or the true feelings behind one's smile. Managing the treasury was considered part of his training to improve this ability as he continually dealt with both outsiders and disciples alike.
Alas, it was this gift that had made him keenly aware of the ardent stares and hidden intentions of many sister disciples in the sect, including his sister Tributaries.
Which was why Hirai Hikaru was so interesting!
Akiyoshi had the opportunity to meet her several days ago inside the treasury before she secluded herself inside her cave. At the time, she appeared to be a run-of-the-mill tomboy with intriguing quirks such as walking with a man's gait, talking unreservedly and turning her head to one side intermittently.
And thanks to his empowered eyesight, Hideaki Akiyoshi saw that Hikaru's gaze did not land on him or the other men in the treasury, nor did her expressions reveal anything beyond caution, contemplation and curiosity. Unlike the others who focused their attention on beauty, gossip and men, he could tell from her questions that she was genuinely interested in learning about the world around her and matters relating to business administration.
It was a refreshing sight for Hideaki Akiyoshi who was used to spectating the subtle schemes and piddling pettiness of his pursuers.
He was truly excited to have met someone aside from his master that could speak with him on such topics until he learned of her recent deeds. The strange behavior she exhibited right before she left the treasury along with everything he found out about her afterwards only raised more questions than answers.
Even his research into techniques that hid one's cultivation level was fruitless.
One could not hide the uncontrollable Qi strands that bodies emit naturally; otherwise, they would not be described as uncontrollable. Nor could one pressure others without revealing the depth of one's cultivation. Accomplishing such a feat was like trying to drown someone in a lake without letting them see or feel a single drop of water: impossible.
It was not a lack of research or knowledge on his part. These were fundamental principles that could not be overthrown.
Thus, she became an enigma, shrouded in secrecy, masked in mystery, wrapped in riddles.
Was she an undercover Odalisque that utilised some type of special constitution to hide her identity as she guarded the princess?
Was she some famous, distant sect princess that ran away from home while carrying a bunch of protective tools and concealment enchantments?
Was she a true Immortal with abilities that exceeded the natural laws of the world who came here on a whim to slum it with mortals?
Hideaki Akiyoshi could not figure it out, but regardless of who she was, he could not afford to offend her. She had already reduced Matsushita Hizumi to 'junior brother' status in public without revealing her true power and kept three of the sect elders waiting outside her cave for several days.
Now that he finally saw her again, something about her was dramatically different without any apparent changes in her physical appearance nor any boost in her cultivation. She still walked like a man while donning her inner sect robes with a blood-red scabbard fastened to the left side of her waist and a single shell earring on her right ear, but for some reason, it was a struggle to tear his eyes from her. She had the enchanting aura of a fairy rivaling the Fifth Elder who was at the Nascent Soul stage.
He was certain it was not infatuation or something idiotic like 'love at first sight'. After all, it was the second time he saw her, and he was not some mortal with a short life who rushed into such feelings irrationally.
While love did exist amongst cultivators, it was rare to witness and even more rarely pure or innocent, frequently involving hidden motives on both sides. There were many reasons for this.
As a person's cultivation advanced and the body evolved, their improved brains had an easier time regulating their emotions. While this provided an overall evolutionary benefit, it had the added side-effect that it was more difficult to be engrossed in illogical and wholly altruistic acts and sentiments.
Another reason for love's rarity could be blamed on the longer lives that cultivators lived.
While mortals usually lived from anywhere between forty and eighty years of age, cultivators could live up to double, triple or quadruple that time, maybe more. Perhaps one could put up with the same person for a century, but expecting them to maintain the same feelings for each other past that had proven to be unrealistic. Couples that could stay bound together forever were even more mythical than unicorns and true Immortals.
With all this being common knowledge amongst cultivators, the occasional infatuations and crushes without benefits were often viewed as both, temporary and insignificant, before they were bottled up and forgotten. Because of this, any pursuer who made his intentions known would be doubted by the pursued party.
But right now, his head was filled with thoughts of how to leave a better impression on her.
When he discerned the genuine concern she showed her younger sister diciples, he figured if he could help resolve their worries, Hirai Hikaru might view him more favorably. So he brought out his transmission candle that was given to him by his master for the purpose of sect business or in case of emergencies.
Of course, he had never used it before since there was never a need for it, but considering what this purple-ribboned twin mentioned previously, he decided that this matter could be loosely classified as both 'sect business' and an 'emergency'.
Except…it did not work.
He could not comprehend what went wrong with the candle, but the moment he heard Hirai Hikaru's barely audible sigh, he was reminded of his own silent sighs of disappointment when he faced Mizutani and Hide's antics.
Was she disappointed with him and his attempt to help?
To confirm his suspicions, he turned his head suddenly and gave Hikaru a focused stare.
She returned a polite smile, but Hideaki Akiyoshi saw a tiny, almost invisible wrinkle appear on her forehead which meant she was feeling troubled or anxious towards him.
"I give you my word: I did not know that the candle wasn't working when I suggested we use it. I hope my sisters do not hold it against me," he said to the three of them in an indirect attempt to pacify Kenja.
The twins reassured him that there were no hard feelings as Shizuka pulled Yoshie down to bow in gratitude for his intentions.
Kenja was perplexed by Hideaki Akiyoshi's gaze that seemed to focus on him even though his words were directed more towards his sisters, but he assumed it was Snail's stupid disguising technique that drew eyes to him. Even he had to admit that his own eyes lingered on his disguise's reflection whenever he passed by a mirror.
But according to Snail, he was only experiencing around thirty percent of what the others go through when meeting him as there was more to a good disguise than just the visual aspect. After witnessing enough heads turning and people gawking, he was compelled to believe Snail. After all, not only did his friends and family fail to see through the disguise, but even he could not recognize himself when Snail did his thing.
Kenja maintained his smile while giving Akiyoshi a slight bow alongside the twins, but the wrinkle on his forehead disappeared.
Akiyoshi celebrated!
Seeing that his words had soothed Hikaru, Akiyoshi pressed on while confidently pushing the bridge of his glasses up, "I will request a replacement from my master, and we can try once more." He hoped she could sense the sincerity in this proposal.
As expected, Shizuka's half-closed eyelids opened further to indicate her transition from hopeless to hopeful while Yoshie's pupils dilated to showcase a nervouse excitement. But for Hikaru…the forehead wrinkle returned and was more pronounced than before. Plus, her chin was slightly elevated which meant that she was lightly gritting her teeth, a sure sign of irritation.
She was annoyed!
But why?
"Do not trouble yourself, senior brother," Kenja replied.
This reply dampened his sisters' moods, but they understood the reasoning. It was rude and unreasonable to drag him, let alone his master, any further into their private family affair. Their senior sister had reminded them of Kenja's advice to be wary of accepting gifts and favors from strangers.
"Yes, senior brother. We do not wish to cause you anymore trouble," voiced Shizuka, her nails digging deeper into her palms than before. They had grown a bit longer after their recent breakthough, and she had not had a chance to trim them yet.
Yoshie nodded her head vehemently in agreement with her sister. Her eyes had lost the sparkle that was there a moment ago.
Akiyoshi was beginning to doubt his eyes. He tried once more to verify what he saw.
"It is no trouble at all. I will need to test out the replacement anyways, so why don't you all accompany Vice Elder and—"
"That won't be necessary," interrupted Kenja, "After all, our master is returning soon, and we must prepare to welcome her back."
Akiyoshi could see the wrinkle on her forehead lower itself closer to the glabella, a sign of increasing anxiety. Proving a stronger level of annoyance, the chin was elevated even further than before, and Hikaru's smile at him was tightened, an indicator of increasing displeasure at the sight of him to the extent that the smile became forced.
Akiyoshi was dazed. His glasses slid back down the bridge of his nose, and his confident and intellectual aura had mostly dissipated.
Was this battle unwinnable?