Wind Jade sect.
The assembly hall.
A qi lantern illuminated the hall as it hung from the roof. The pale green walls and grey floor with designer tiles filling it was a beautiful sight. A wide red carpet ran along the middle of the hall as many jade dragons were carved onto the walls. The spacious hall was occupied by 6 chairs on either side of the carpet. Persons in distinguished robes are sitting on them and their faces reflect no emotions. One of the chairs were empty and the one supposed to sit there was kneeling on the carpet along with the coachman elf. Their fear was easily shown by their sweaty face.
The room was silent and no one dared to speak. Some had closed their eyes and were inwardly anxious to hear the words of the grand elder.
"So....that man kicked you, and you fell unconscious?!"
The carpet leads to a wide, raised platform with 3 steps to descend. A beautifully carved armchair made of Red Copper Wood stood proudly on top of the platform. A woman in her late 40's sat with a deadpan expression as she stared at Xiu Fai. Her pink classical hanfu attire was elegant to behold. The dark circles under her eyes and slightly wrinkled face emitted a serious aura. With her right hand at her chin, she leaned onto her right as she supported the elbow on the armrest. Her eyes rose and thoroughly scanned through the faces before her.
"Answer me!"
The anger filled in her voice jolted the seated elders. It was very rare to see the grand elder raise her voice in displease.
"Grand elder…...that man…..was…..very strong….. He....did not…..bat an eye…...when I....mentioned…...the name…...of the sect."
Grand elder's eyes paused for a moment before focusing back onto Xiu Fai. Her eyebrows slightly twitched as one of the elders addressed the man who knocked him unconscious in one kick as 'very strong'. Her head rose from the support of her hand as she sat straight. The remaining 11 elders peered at the grand elder as they could tell that she is about to declare her final say.
"The Wind Jade sect has been one of the three most powerful sects in Alls, other than the Golden Pheasant sect and the Phoenix Claw sect. Our strength is only slightly better than them as the annual tournaments rarely end up in our victory. We cannot afford to have one more opponent."
A breeze of happiness blew inside Xiu Fai as anyone trying to tamper with the pride of the sect was ruthlessly eliminated. These operations are done behind the veil of darkness and have been the custom for centuries. Due to this reason, the disciples of different sects usually do not display their hatred and repulsion in the public. They used to resort to challenging their opponents to decide the victor. For this reason, arenas were a common sight in Alls.
"If what Xiu Fai said is true...…"
The grand elder's voice paused as her eyes slowly rose up and met with the burning lantern. The 12 elders laughed inwardly in pity for the young man's misfortune. They looked at each other and nodded in agreement even before the grand elder finished her sentence.
"Then we must have him as our sect disciple immediately!"
*BADHUM*
The words were clear and sound. For a moment, there was no movement in the hall as everyone slowly comprehended what was just said by the grand elder. The sympathetic smirk of the 11 elders were replaced by intense surprise as their eyes went wide. With disbelief, their heads turned immediately at the grand elder.
Xiu Fai was the most devastated one. He wanted to seek justice from the grand elder, but his appeal went south. With pale face and dry throat, he submitted his reason.
"Grand elder, he is very dangerous... He is very powerful….and young….His attire was also weird…..Could he not be a spy from other sects? Shouldn't we eliminate him?"
The cry of a bullied child to seek justice was evident in the elder's voice. Hearing him, three more elders stood up and let the grand elder know of their agreement with Xiu Fai.
"Are you really the revered elders of my Wind Jade sect?! Are you the ones that teach hundreds of disciples about Art of War?!"
The annoyed voice of the grand elder unfolded a tease against the elders. Everyone including Xiu Fai was well aware of the grim ways she implements. The delightful smile that decorated her face covered toxicity beneath it. They scolded themselves for forgetting her true self.
"Elder Xiu Fai, describe that man."
The elder got up on his feet and illustrated Lee in detail. The poker-face, abnormal attire and his companion were all well presented.
The hall was silent as he finished his narration. The elders and the grand elder were now greatly interested in the person. The grand elder, especially, was more eager to cut him open and study his anatomy. Her inauspicious thoughts and hopes awoke a menacing smile which gave a shiver up the spines of the elders. After taking a moment to enjoy the blood-red fantasies, the grand elder stood up while suppressing her ominous pan.
"Bring that man to our sect before other sects snatch him away. He will soon be our puppet. Depart and find him!"
The grand elder shouted and the elders stood up and took a bow. Without wasting a second, their figures flashed to the outside and into the darkness. They alerted their respective squads and gave them a description of Lee's strange attire. When over three hundred disciples scattered into the city to find one man, the other two sects were also informed of today's incident by various means. When the powerhouses were exploring the city, the man they were looking for was having a silent and peaceful dinner with his love!
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Restaurant.
Before An and Lee, two of each dish were placed. The two bowls of Saffron Cauliflower soup with piping steam and alluring scent had a strange beauty. Two plates of tender and visibly delicious mutton diced into pieces and sprinkled with pepper along with a mouthwatering blend of spices yelled 'eat me!'. The plate filled with thin slices of cooked Silk Rooster meat decorated among long strips of smoked One-eyed Salmon surrounded by exquisite vegetables was a feast to the eyes. Lee and An stared at the delicacies in front of them for a whole 3 minutes while gulping down saliva crazily.
The dwarves were drunk with wine and the drooling faces of the duo made them laugh hysterically. The loud laughter pulled them out of their trance. Li Fenfang was amused by their nativity, and was happy to see that they are enjoying the food from the glance itself. Her grown-up etiquette matched her voice as she wished them a Happy meal before disappearing into the kitchen. Without any further ado, the chopsticks were lifted off the table and proceeded to perform their duties.
The chopsticks squeezed the mutton as they were lifted to the mouths. A puddle of saliva welcomed the tender pieces as it entered the mouth. The moment it touched the taste buds, a violent explosion went off in the minds of the couple as their eyes went wide with the enticing beauty in their mouths. Slowly and steadily, each piece of mutton was churned with abundant saliva while Lee and An savoured its taste by every bit.
The trance was disrupted as the mutton pieces were all gone inside their mouths. Like a pre-recorded action, they pulled the plate of Silk Rooster meat and One-eyed Salmon combo in front of them. The circular arrangement of overlapping meat textures and the thick viscous curry flowing over them was enough to bring out the glutton inside anyone.
It only took a few minutes to empty the plate. The taste was different from the previous spice-loaded cannon. This dish entirely depended upon the grace of meat and it's intricacy. The applaudable purity of meat and it's optimum condition that enabled it to release maximum potential was awe-inspiring. As the meat faded into abyss, a sense of satisfaction crept up the hearts of Lee and An.
Yet, their hands went towards the steamy bowl of soup. Its warmth was perfect for melting the soul and mind away. As the scent swept into the nose, Lee felt a chaotic release of memories inside him. He became alarmed, but D reminded him that it was just another unlocked fragment of his memories.
The chopsticks were replaced with spoons. These shallow and wide ones were appropriate for savouring the deliciousness of soup. When the steam was blown away, drool would come out along with them. Impatience took over An as she gulped down the steam rising spoon full of soup. She immediately regretted the decision. But the taste, HEAVENLY! Never in their wildest dreams might have they thought that a soup only made of Saffron Cauliflower and some spices can shoot you into the sky!
Lee felt something strange as he saw her face getting bright and relieved. The spoon in her mouth did not move an inch as she was one with the soup. Lee glanced at the spoon and took a mouthful of it.
*BOOM*
An avalanche of warmth and tenderness broke out in his mind. His resolute mind became squishy as a sponge in the process. The wonder taste of the soup made them ignore the rising steam as they drank it down with enthusiasm. The track of time and space was lost for them. No notification could pull Lee back to reality. No sense of hostility disturbed An's serene dinner.
The soup level in the bowl hit the bottom as the spoon made a clang noise with the bowl. At the very instant, their stomachs let out a long thanksgiving song. Looking around, they realised isolation around them. While the soup gave them a heavenly vision, all the other customers had left.
Hearing the thanksgiving song, Li Aiguo came to collect the plate. Visibly older than Li Fenfang, he had a cute and adorable appearance with a tall and lean physique. He smiled as he bowed and offered to take the plates. Lee smiled and nodded as he took the plates away. Old man Li approached them as Li Aiguo left for the kitchen.
"I hope the food was to your liking. We are not very famous when it comes to delicacy. If you like the food, please come and visit us again."
The feeble voice of Old man Li was greeted by a warm and broad smile. Old man Li inquired further-
"Have you found a place to stay in the city?!"
An shook her head in disagreement as Lee replied-
"Can elder Li suggest us a place to stay?"
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==========
Name: Lee
Age: 20
Title: Grim-reaper, Soul Liberator
Fame: 2120
Essence: 16800 (9 PM)
Money: 953 Gold, 0 Silver, 31 Copper
----------
Partner: An
----------
Health: 320
Strength: 320
Vitality: 320
Agility: 320
Defense: 320
Endurance: 320
Sense: 320
Intelligence: 320
Resolve: 320
----------
Immunity:-
• Greater Poison Immunity (1887/1000000)
• Medium Lightning Immunity (3229/10000)
• Medium Air Immunity (200/10000)
Affinity:-
• Greater Poison Affinity (11884/1000000)
• Greater Lightning Affinity (12385/1000000)
• Lesser Fire Affinity (0/100)
• Lesser Water Affinity (0/100)
• Lesser Ice Affinity (0/100)
• Greater Rock Affinity (11975/1000000)
• Greater Metal Affinity (11974/1000000)
• Medium Sand Affinity (286/10000)
• Greater Nature Affinity (11984/1000000)
• Medium Air Affinity (1165/10000)
• Greater Sound Affinity (12371/1000000)
• Greater Dark Affinity (11797/1000000)
• Lesser Light Affinity (0/100)
• Medium Death Affinity (286/10000)
----------
Mastery:-
• Absolute Blade Mastery
• Absolute Nunchuck Mastery
• Medium Bow Mastery (778/10000)
----------
Cultivation: Peak stage Core Formation realm
Qi: 0/1100
Mana: 0
----------
Innate Skills:-
• View
• Foresight
• EsGen
• EsConv
• De-Spell
• Flight
----------
INVENTORY:-
QUESTS:-
MAP:-
SHOP:-
RE-MODEL:-
==========