When Zi Hua returned, her subordinates were waiting for her but seeing her dark countenance they knew better than to disturb her. Xiao Bai passed the little prince to the members then followed Zi Hua to the underground chamber, Xiao Zi then threw the sh*t inside and Zi Hua threw a pill inside his mouth.
When the man swallowed the unidentified object down his throat, he tried to gag it out but to no avail.
"What did you feed me?!" Horrified, the man questioned Zi Hua.
"You'll know soon" Leaving the ambiguous and eerie message, Zi Hua left the man in the cell, she had made the cell herself due to boredom but even so a Martial Emperor would have low chances of breaking it, not to mention a Martial Overlord. Though, of course, as the creator and an aberrant she could.
Since he dared to harm her people and bully her technically 'nephew' she'll show him the consequences of going against her.
Xiao Zi placed some paper and ink on the floor and returned to the Heaven-defying artifact along with Xiao Hong and Xiao Bai.
Outside her quarters, Anemone and Gardenia were patiently waiting for her.
"Master" They greeted simultaneously.
"What's the matter?" Zi Hua nodded and asked, if they didn't have anything to report they wouldn't be here.
Seeing her master's countenance brighter, Gardenia reported "Master, during the recruitment test 15 people from Nan Xia, 15 people from Dong Ting, 17 people from Xi Qiu and 18 people from Bei Dong passed, with the addition of the two children it is a total of 67 people. We have already told them about the rules, given them lodging as well as investigated their backgrounds per your previous orders"
"Well done, how are their backgrounds?" If they had any troublesome backgrounds they would have to be sorted out.
"Most of them are orphans, but a few have complicated families, though we have already dealt with it, the only problem is..." Gardenia hesitated for a moment.
"What's the problem?" Zi Hua arched one eyebrow, questioning.
"One of them is the Dong Ting Empire emperor's disowned nephew, however after the recruitment, the imperial family have been trying to re-establish contact with him, I'm afraid that their relationship will get complicated" Although they didn't fear Dong Ting Empire but if they had bad connections, it'll ruin the delicate balance and possibly implicate innocents.
"Remember since he passed, he is one of our people, your brother. Don't worry much about it too much we're leaving this place soon anyways" The two understood that but they also understood that although their master was ruthless she didn't want to harm innocents if she had the choice.
"Master, you mean..." Gardenia inquired.
When Anemone heard that, a peculiar glint flashed in her eyes but immediately disappeared.
"Yes" Previously, she had sent them to locate the route to Moonlight Continent and had been planning to go there once the current matters were sorted since she may be able to get some clues. Or even better eradicate some of her master's enemy's subordinates, she knew that those people's claws were far reaching and if she wanted revenge she had to discreetly eradicate them from the branches too.
"Pass down the message to invite all powers to Nan Xia Empire's Light Phantom Hall, we will be holding a banquet to welcome the new recruits, specifically say that all off-spring and main wives must come as well. It will be held 3 months from now, release the news that the Sect Leader will be attending" It seems that she will have to abandon the plan of tormenting her slowly, Xia Wen Ya could've lived longer but she had to go and cross the line, Zi Hua's eyes were enveloped in ruthlessness and murderous intent.
Although their master seemed to have a mild and placid temperament but once her switch is flipped... Just take her 'sparring partners' who had eyes yet failed to recognize Mount Tai back on Wan Shou Mountain as examples to never follow.
"And also during this period bring the recruits to the Refinement Fountain but don't let them know the location. Once the recruits leave the Refinement Fountain have them consume the same pills you guys had and give them some Qi condensing pills for cultivation then get someone to guide them in their preferred profession. Make sure they are back for the Banquet." The new recruits haven't gotten a spiritual imprint yet so they were only 90% official and she knew how much lure the Refinement Fountain holds.
Zi Hua handed Gardenia a few bottles of pills, no matter how much they trained they still couldn't match up to her skills.
When Zi Hua got the Refinement Fountain on the seventh floor, she found out that the liquid was infinite so she made a mini fountain at their base by transferring the liquid into a pool for simplicity's sake and secrecy, but it's guarded by her creations and only those with her spiritual imprint can access it.
"Don't disturb me for a while please"
"Yes master" The two retreated to pass down the orders and make preparations, they could only secretly pity the new recruits, having just entered they already had to suffer, at least they would taste the pain of the Refinement Fountain before the hellish training programs and pills unlike them.
The Refinement Fountain causes inexplicable pain but it also increases pain tolerance and stamina.
If Zi Hua knew what they were thinking she would be full of indignation, it was her master's doing okay, her master was the origins of the Refinement Fountain.
But she seemed to have unknowingly inherited her master's trait, evident from her training programs and pills, she had improved the pills but it also made pills such as the bone reconstructing pill painful. Like master, like disciple.