"The soul is bound by the influence of its surroundings taking on whatever was the highest peak of events during its development." Hei Hui explained, "The majority of assisstants that aid us guardians are also tied down by such circumstances."
"Really?" Lotus's eyes widen in surprise when she heard this because Soul Bind isn't something that's so common that everyone knows of. Had the times really changed this much?
"Of course, it is different in our world where such physiques are very rare." Hei Hui explained with a frown, "However..."
"Ah, I get it now." Lotus nodded as she recalled her words, "Those vows are a double edge sword, after all."
"As a result, unlike the dog's era, the child is unable to leave as part of the aftermath of the vow." Hei Hui explained simply.
Hearing this, an idea came into her mind.
'Crystal, was your people also influenced by this event in the same manner?'
'Yes, my lord.' The butterfly queen responded instantly, 'However, this obstacle could be overcome in another manner.'
'Tell me.'
'I too was only an egg when the vow was formed and witnessed everything from the egg my people carried me in. I also have the same physique as this child. However, it was only after forming a contract with you that the affect of soul bind naturally disintegrated from my body.'
Her words surprised Lotus as she hummed in thought and nodded, "I've found a way out of this."
Her words surprised them as she continued, "Recently, I've also formed a contract with a former assisstant from the Savanaclaw dorm. She was also bound by the soul bind, it seems. However, that vanished after I formed a contract with her and she was able to leave the dorms unscathed. Well, unless he wants to find a way to protect me while I come in here, but that would be a bad idea."
"Why's that?" Raaji looked to her in confusion.
"Have you ever heard of the phrase, 'The walls have ears'?" Lotus turned to him calmly with a small huff, "If I leave the dorm unscathed and enter back and forth, the other assassins would start to suspect that something is amiss and naturally try to bring trouble to the students again. Last time they aided Afterglow Savannah officials to kidnap Leona's nephew to frame him and targetted the dorm leader of Octavinelle to benefit from his coming overblot all because a few subordinates were slowly being chipped away and restrained. So, they panicked."
"So, it really was you who finished off the assassins sent to the three dorms." Huo Wei looked to her rather impressed as Raaji just stood there stupified.
Lotus waved her hand, "The aftermath from when your group entered to try to take over those dorms again was not my doing anyway. I simply alerted the guardians of those dorms during the previous incident. However, back to the topic, it is clear that a contract is best used to help you guys leave the dorm. However, I do not form contracts with those that refuse to be contracted and I don't want to force a contract. These are my conditions. So, we can try to talk things out with the guardians again regarding the situation, or-"
It was then that the roc made a strange face and wanted to turn to the two when Hei Hui shook her head and sigh, "Then, ask the child to form a contract with you or he can just wait for you to show your face in these parts again after tens to hundreds of years."
Hearing this, the roc was startled and cried out, "I-I'll do it! I'll form a contract with master!"
He can't wait for tens or hundreds of years to make up for his mistake with his humiliation upon Hei Hui's and A-Cong's backs. With this in mind, he turned to Lotus and said firmly, "I want to make the contract with you, master."
Lotus raised a brow in surprise and turned to the Hound, "And, what about you?"
"Do you really think that-!"
Just as the hound spat this out, Lotus reaffirmed with a firm stare at him, "I'll say this again. I don't like to force contracts. Between your own pride and your own life, which do you value at the moment? With your pride, you can perish at the hands of the guardians for this event and be forgotten like another piece of dust or you can live on and get another chance to regain your dignity. Do you really believe that the guardians would just let your stay here forever or let you leave so simply? If you don't make a choice now, your life will naturally be in the hands of the guardian here, but all you would lose is a level or two of cultivation and be imprisoned with your life for a while if you decide to go with me."
Seeing her gesture to the woman calmly, the hound was stunned! He didn't think that, between the two, the woman would be the guardian in this dorm! Then, could that mean that she's much more powerful than the other mythical beast?!
He pondered over his choices again wanting to rethink his strategy carefully. What the boy said made a lot more sense. So, if he worked hard enough, perhaps he could rebuild the lost dignity he have today from the establishment of a contract with a mere mortal. Raaji looked between the two nervously. He didn't think that Lotus would be able to negotiate with some powerful monsters and an assassin that wants her life so calmly and confidently! Just where did she get this bold behavior from? Quietly, he made sure Wes was calm and well in his embrace before hearing the hound's words.
Having pondered for a while, the hound finally came to a conclusion unwillingly, "I... I will form a contract with you..."
"Then, it's settled." A-Cong grumbled in dismay.
He disliked the way how a low-level cultivator and rule-breaker was making them do these things against their will, but he won't go against her if it was someone who endangered others by breaking the laws concerning the vows they made.
"Yes." Lotus nodded, "However, I am currently too weak to contract them under me or even tame them."
"What?" A-Cong looked to her in surprise.
Hei Hui nodded her head after assessing her level, "You were injured recently and also lost a significant amount of mana from your body. No doubt from the number of imprints you've made before reaching here."
"Thus, I would like to hold off on forming contracts till my graduation from this school." Lotus responded, "I should be well enough by the time it is time for me to graduate. I fear with the current situation in the school that this year will require my entire attention and effort. Forming anymore contracts than what I have right now is not idea and I could end up dragging the two into more life-threatening situations than right now. So, wait for another three years. After I graduate, I will come to tame them and make contracts."
Raaji was confused when he heard this. If this was how she was going to do things, then why negotiate to this conclusion from the beginning?
Though the hound wants to denounce on the student, he was unable to speak further when he felt the murderous aura radiating from the beautiful woman.
To Lotus, she retracted that aura and nodded her head approvingly, "That would be a wise decision. Then, until you graduate, we can talk about this price again."
"Then, since that is settled, let's meet again after graduation." Lotus bowed her head politely, "I'm afraid I cannot stay here much longer. I have matters back in my dorm left unfinished."
"I see, then..." Hei Hui produced a couple of stones the size of the palm and handed it to Lotus, "Please take these with you. It is a mother and son stones. They are like your phones, but the son stones can only create a line of communication with the paired mother stone and to the other mother stones or son stones. Since I am rather fond of you, I'll give you this stone. It is paired with my mother and son stones separately. So, if you're in need of some information or even a chat, you may communicate with me again, Lotus."
"I see, that's great!" Lotus smiled wide as she took these stones, "It's hard to come by these stones since they don't exist in this world."
She waved her hand as a gold embroidered fan appeared in her hand. The fan had a beautifully finished carving and polish over it followed by a jade finish at the handle. Lotus handed this fan over to her, "This is one of my few works I've been practicing on. It's nothing much, but I hope it is to your liking."
Hei Hui looked to the polished gold metal fan with the jade finish and asked curiously, "What is this?"
"It is one of my own creations." Lotus explained, "I call it Tempest Fan. With it, aside from attacks from manipulating the wind element, it can even put out the heat of the desert or create a sandstorm in this terrain. If you want, it can also gather the water elemental energy and summon the rain. However, these effects are only based on your abilities and amount of control that can affect the distance of your surroundings. Since your control over mana is very good. I feel that this will be a good fit for you, Lady Hei Hui."