Scáthach dragged Artoria off somewhere.
Apparently, they weren't as interested in clothes shopping as I was. But, it's their loss, because I looked fabulous. I wasn't upset, we would reconvene in a couple hours or so, and I wasn't going to tell them they weren't allowed to go have fun without me.
Besides, the main point was a brief visit Nuwa's Palace, this was just a small side stop for a bit of fun.
I looked at myself in the mirror and couldn't help but smile.
"How do I look?"
"Young Master, you're like a Dragon amongst Mortals." The Guide praised.
Did I know it was fake?
Yes.
Did I care?
Not at all.
I had some white robes which…I wasn't quite sure the name of. They were based on traditional Chinese garb – Hanfu, but I wasn't sure if there was a specific name for these in particular. Basically Loose fitting and elegant Daoist Robes.
And of course, there was one piece of my ensemble missing.
My guide handed to me the last piece.
A decorate fan.
I was sufficiently ready to court death. Now, I just needed to get into situations that caused this to occur. But I'm sure that won't be too hard, I already had some things in mind.
Regardless, I handed the Guide another handful of gold.
As a proper Young Master, I have to be generous with gifts to my subordinates.
Maybe I should find a fatty to follow me around and praise me for everyone to hear? And when they inevitably get beaten up, I could go take revenge.
I'm sad that I didn't have more time available, thus I had to make do with what I got.
"What's on the agenda?" I adjusted the collar of my robes a little to make it comfortable.
"Young Master, I know the best restaurant in town, if you're interested." He offered.
Well, that's what Artoria wanted, but Scáthach pulled her away for God knows what. May as well check it out, might even find Artoria there.
"Anything fun on the way?"
"We can pass through the market to see if anything catches your fancy, Young Master." He stated.
Oh, that sounded fun.
"Lead the way." I gestured, making sure to leave a sizable tip for the shop owner.
As a proper Young Master, I needed to flaunt my wealth.
As soon as we stepped outside, however, I had a question that popped into my head.
"Guide." I asked, making sure to use his title because that's how a Young Master would. "I'm curious about where this city is located. Regular Humans can't access this place, what's this realm called?"
Honestly, it seemed similar to Kyoto in a sense. Like, a pocket dimension slapped ontop of the regular world. I would almost call it something like the Underworld as well, but it's not that shut off.
"We simply call this the Immortal Realm, Young Master." He answered helpfully. "The Heavenly Courts sit atop in the Heavens, we, the Immortal Realm are below, then the Mortal world is below us. Long ago, when Immortals and Gods retreated from the world, they cut off a section for us to continue to live."
Ah, sounded about what I guessed.
They made their own pocket dimension not dissimilar to Kyoto, but on a far wider scale. I could imagine that the Nine Realms I'll be visiting were something in the same breath as well.
"Are the people that were born and live here…do they know about the mortal world?"
My guide pulled out a phone, holding it up for me to see.
Way to ruin my immersion.
"….are you just playing a character?" I had the sudden realization.
He coughed awkwardly. "Of course not, Young Master. Just as you are the brightest star in the sky, I am but a humble Guide."
Right, he's just fucking around to earn money.
You know what? Who cared?
"Here we are, Young Master." He said as we walked through the crowded street, opening up to a wide bazaar full of many different shops and street stalls. "Many strange and interesting trinkets can be purchased here. All that matters is your own luck."
Almost immediately I bumped into someone.
And honestly, it wasn't on purpose, this place was just packed to all hell and I was gawking every which way because it was honestly fun to see.
My head snapped to the person who I bumped into, and it was a man, perhaps a few years older than me with rather sharp features and cold eyes.
Next to him was two people with covered faces and black robes that looked a lot like bodyguards, and they were giving off a hint of killing intent as the Younger Man in the front stared at me.
I may have felt some semblance of excitement in my heart.
My first encounter!
I snapped my fan closed and stared at him, waiting for him to say something provocative so I could respond.
After a moment, he suddenly relaxed, and his expression softened. "I'm sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going." He offered an apology with a genuine smile.
And like that, I deflated along with all of my excitement.
"No, no, it's fine. With how many people are walking around, it's inevitably going to happen." I waved off with a small sigh in my heart.
There was nothing else and they went on their way.
"How lucky, Young Master. It's rare to meet the son of the Mayor on the street. It's said that he's one of the most kind and approachable masters in the city. He often volunteers at the Academies to teach younger children in his free time." My Guide spoke excitedly.
"Yeah….lucky." My lips thinned.
Of course I would run into the saint amongst the cities' population. But I'm not distressed, this was a big city, I'm sure there are plenty of people who will make me court death here.
"Mr. Guide, point me at something lavish to spend my money on."
He wasn't befuddled by my abrupt request, instead he pointed at a stall. The owner of which, immediately noticed.
He quickly pushed his more expensive goods out as I came close.
"My Lord, look at these –" The Stall owner began to speak, but I held a hand up to stop him.
"Ahem." The Guide cleared his throat. "My Young Master, would like to see your wares."
The owner looked at me blankly, but quickly recovered. "Of course, Young Master, I have rare and exquisite –"
"Don't care, I'll buy it all." I let out a bunch of Gold onto the counter, enough that it began to spill over and roll across the ground.
Without another word, I swiped everything on the counter of his stall into my ring without another look.
"My Lo – young Master, look what I have!" A woman nearly fell over herself running towards me with some vases in her arms.
"I'll take it." I didn't even look again.
A Young Master must be prodigal with their money.
As if the flood gates opened, dozens of people now rushed over.
"I have a rare thousand-year-old Ginseng!"
I'll take it.
"Young Master, that one looked barely a decade old…."
I ignored my Guide.
"Look, Young Master, this Ancient Bronze Bow was once wielded by an Immortal!"
"Nice, I'll take it!"
"Young Master, it was rusted from sitting out in the rain too long…."
"How about my Jade Imperial Seal! It's been in my family for generations, and legends say that it was once used by the cousin of an uncle of an acquaintance of someone in the Heavenly Courts!"
"Ooh, Pretty. I'll take it."
"….It has a 'Made in China' Mark half scratched off…."
"This Million-year-old Immortal Spirit Herb, gathered form the peak of Kun Lun, where Immortal Fairies sung under the moonlight for 10,000 years, wearing nothing but – "
"Too long, I'll take it."
"...that was a weed he pulled from the side of the road seconds ago…."
I just went around and grabbed whatever was in everyone's hand, giving them a modest sum for. Finally, I threw my arms up, letting a bit of gold hit the ground as they scrambled to claim it, giving me an opportunity to step out of the crowd.
My trusty Guide followed behind me dutifully.
"Well, that was fun." I said wistfully. "Truly, I am a generous Young Master."
"That is certainly a word that can be used in some circumstances." My Guide said dryly.
"Hey everyone, some idiot is buying any random crap!" I heard a shout from the other side of the crowd.
"Huh, I wonder who they're talking about. Looks like someone is going to get scammed." I hummed.
"…..Unfortunately, they will never be as wise and intelligent as you, Young Master."
Ah, I loved compliments.
"Oh, that shop looks nice." A new thing grabbed my attention.
"This shop is rather famous, Young Master. Please be careful, they have the backing of –"
I didn't need to hear anything else!
I ignored the guards standing outside and pushed the door open.
And once more, a Shop Owner greeted me immediately upon entering. "Welcome, Young Master." He said with a glint in his eyes. "Please, browse at your leisure, if you desire anything in particular, I will do anything I can to provide."
My inner Young Master instincts flared up as I wanted to immediately buy everything, but I was actually taken back by the quality of stuff here.
Walking towards the immediate selection, I picked up a piece of jewelry that caught my eye. "This is beautiful." I held it up to the light. It was a necklace with a purple Amethyst in the center with two birds – presumedly Phoenix's wrapped around it, both a light red—Orange that offset the center Amethyst surprisingly well.
Honestly, the color reminded me of my mom's eyes.
Now that I thought about it, I think Venelana's eyes caught my attention so much because my mom had a similar eye color.
I was honestly so caught up in my own head that I didn't even realize that someone entered the shop as well until I heard a surprised shout.
"It's perfect!" A younger girl exclaimed, pointing right at me, rather the piece of jewelry I held in my hand.
"Shop keep, wrap it up, I'll buy it right now." She said, still pointing at the necklace in my hand.
"I'm Sorry, Young Miss." The Shop Keep politely bowed. "But this Young Master has picked it first."
The Young Lady frowned, the intimidating looking burly man behind her reminded me to quickly slip back into my Young Master Persona.
"You, state your price." She demanded, obviously addressing me.
"No thanks, I'm buying it." I denied her.
"Do you know who I am!?"
"Nope." I found my excitement building back up again.
"Hand it over, or else!"
"Or else, what?" I said, challengingly.
"I'll….I'll!!!!" She built herself up, but the bodyguard put a gentle hand on her shoulder and all the tension immediately deflated.
"Young Miss, you know better than to use your status to bully someone to give you what you want." He said gently.
"I know…" She relented. "It would have been perfect for mom's birthday…" She let out a sigh. "Fine, I'm sorry." She said softly towards me, presumably at her borderline harassment. "Let's go somewhere else, maybe we can still find something good."
"The Madam would be thrilled with anything you find, Young Miss." He attempted to soothe her.
"Guide." I whispered. "Is she another paragon of virtue in the city that I should be aware of?"
"The Bai Clan is known for being generous and virtuous. Rumors say that the Young Miss is cold, but secretly warm to those in need. They say that many people she crossed paths with that were down on their luck mysteriously received help from unknown sources."
…..god dammit.
What's with my shitty luck?
I let out a long sigh of my own.
"Wait…..you can have it." I held up the necklace.
[***]
"Young Master, why do you seem to be in a bad mood? The Bai Clan's promise of a favor owed is not a small matter, even if it's from the Young Miss of the clan."
I sighed even harder.
"Just…..is there something fun around here that attracts a lot of people?"
"The Arena –"
"Pass." I rejected.
Scáthach was probably having fun there, I didn't want to intrude. At most, I would check up on her later.
"There is a Jade stone cutting gambling den nearby?" He said almost uncertainly.
But I found a new burst of motivation. "Excellent!"
The Guide, for some reason, wasn't as enthusiastic about it. But another handful of Gold did light a fire under his butt.
He quickly led me through a few alleys into….I didn't want to call it unsavory, but certainly a step or two off the beaten path.
The people around definitely had a rougher look about them. More were carrying weapons openly, not that it was dissuaded anywhere. But it was more predominant around here.
I, of course, flung my fan open once many gazes landed upon me.
As a Young Master, I must present myself properly at all times.
"Here we are, young Master." My Guide said as we approached a…I almost wanted to call it a shop, but it was a bit more open. Not quite a stall either, but perhaps a mix between them?
Lots of tables, lots of rocks strewn about.
Stone Gambling was weird. Interesting, but undeniably a weird pastime that people get into for some reason.
Essentially, you have a bunch of rocks that may or may not have Jade inside of them. You pay for the rock and gamble on that by cutting it open.
Simple and easy to understand.
"Young Master, please don't buy all the rocks. While the owners will allow it, you would be unwelcome back and cause annoyances to others."
"Do you really think I would stoop to such means?" I harrumphed, slapped my fan closed. "This Young Master was born with innate luck! I choose that rock." I pointed at a random rock.
My Guide, for some reason, didn't look like he believed me. He walked up, paid for the rock on my behalf and practically plopped it into my hand.
"This is going to be worth a fortune, just watch." I said proudly.
"Do you care to wager, friend?" A voice I didn't recognize approached.
A man with a small ensemble came forward. He had very delicate features and practically screamed Young Master vibes.
"You dare bet with this Younger Master?" I held my head up high.
The Young guy sort of blanked for a moment. "…..yes?" He looked confused and then looked at my Guide who gave him a shrug for some reason. "We each open our stones, loser pays the winner twice the stone's price."
"Very well, I accept your wager." I gestured for him.
The Young man carefully used a knife to cut open his stone, splitting it open, he revealed a small jade core. "Not bad." He held it up for everyone to see. "Do you need to use my knife?" He held it out.
I took it hesitantly.
Because I realized in this moment, that I had no idea how I was supposed to do this.
I stared at the knife and at my rock, and did the most logical thing. I threw my stone at the ground, shattering it.
They were stunned by my resourcefulness.
But probably also the fist sized Jade that was also broken along with the stone. It was about three times the size of his own Jade.
"Well, looks like I'm the winner." I said smugly.
The guy looked at the stone on the ground and frowned, looking back up at me.
"Something wrong?" I raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to inevitably renege on his bet.
Oddly, he did not. Instead, he let out a small sigh, squatting down and scooping up the pieces of Jade that shattered. "How unfortunate, that was a nice piece of Jade. It would have made a wonderful carving. If you didn't know how to open it, all you had to do was ask. If you want I can show you?" He offered, rather politely in all honesty. "Oh, let's calculate how much I owe you first."
…..With how easily he just accepted the loss, once more, I felt all my bubbling excitement die down. "I was just playing, you can keep the jade if you want. Sorry for making a mess." I couldn't help but apologize, essentially calling off the wager after the fact.
Was I just meant not to have my own Xianxia adventure?
"I won't take your jade for nothing." He laughed. "Keep my knife, it's a little less than the Jade, even shattered as is, but hopefully my friendship can even them out."
Well, he seemed nice.
As the saying goes, don't slap a smiling face.
Or something like that, I don't really remember and my Chinese idioms aren't really up to par.
"I was about to go to a restaurant, um…."
"Immortal Cloud Restaurant." My Guide stated for me.
"Yeah, that." I nodded.
If all else failed, I was one hundred percent sure that I would have a Restaurant Encounter. There was absolutely no way in hell that I wouldn't run into someone there that wouldn't start something so I could court death.
And the food would probably be delicious.
I was no Artoria, but I was still a bit of a glutton.
"Did you not hear?" He tilted his head.
"Hmm?" I blinked.
"The Immortal Cloud Restaurant was nearly destroyed not hours ago. Rumors are that some unsavory people started a fight with a young woman and caused the destruction of the Restaurant." My new friend informed me.
….great.
Just…fuck my luck.
With another long sigh, I sagged my shoulder. "Just forget it then. I need to go to the Arena to see –"
"The Arena is closed." My New friend also informed me. "I heard that someone destroyed it earlier as well."
...
"Just….take me to the mount rentals."
I'm done.
I'm just going to wait for Artoria and Scáthach to finish up whatever it is they're doing.
[***]
The rental place wasn't that far away, and I didn't care to play around anymore. My disappointment was immeasurable and my day was ruined.
Why did not a single person accost me!?
Was it so much to ask that some asshole Young Master start a fight, then lose, then call his many times great grandpa to get revenge for some tiny slight that escalated into some ridiculous scenario so that I'm fighting ten immortal sects!?
Apparently!
Bright side, Apparently Artoria and Scáthach were already here and waiting for me.
"Thanks for putting up with me." I tossed my Guide a big bag of gold.
"Shit, for this much money, I would call you my grandfather." His tone and character immediately dropped after I basically told him his job was done.
Even so, I couldn't help but laugh at the ridiculousness of it from his perspective.
Regardless.
I ignored the sights, the various beasts and devices that stimulated flight and just went straight for my head into Scáthach's chest.
"Student, did you have a pleasant evening?" She asked, accepting me without complaint.
"No." I didn't whine. "Did you two have fun at least?"
Artoria and Scáthach looked at each other.
"It was…..interesting." Artoria said cryptically.
"What did you two do?"
"We separated early on." Artoria informed me. "I sought out a meal. It was strange, a young man approached me and continuously tried to dine with me. I rejected him, but he further brought people over to attempt to persuade me."
"….did he eventually try to force you?"
"Yes?" Artoria tiled her head. "How did you know?"
"…..lucky guess." I forced out.
"I was unfortunately forced to fight. They were no threat, but they brought about much destruction to the restaurant. I compensated the owner, of course. But it was a most confusing experience."
And suddenly, some things made sense.
"What about you?" I looked up from between Scáthach's bosom.
"I separated from the lass to go explore this Arena of theirs." She replied. "It left much to be desired, but I allowed myself to fight equal to any opponents I came across to make it more enjoyable."
"I heard the Arena was destroyed." I pointed out.
She smiled wistfully. "Yes, some brat came to me and demanded that I throw a fight due to some passing of money."
"And you rejected, I assume."
"No, I accepted but still won." She grinned.
Hah.
"How'd that end?"
"The brat attempted to send one of his bodyguards to attack me, I felled him easily and taught the boy a harsh lesson, but allowed him to leave with his life. He did not take my warnings to heart and gathered a greater force some time later. I once more dispatched them, but he called for his father."
"Let me guess, he was part of some big clan?"
Scáthach tilted her head similarly to Artoria. "Yes. He would not stop speaking about it as well, and using their name to try and threaten me. Truthfully, it only made me hit him harder."
"And that's how the Arena got destroyed?"
"Yes." She nodded.
"And it didn't end there, did it?"
She shook her head. "They would not leave me be, so I sought out their home and had words with some 'Ancestor' of theirs until they relented. It was not an unpleasant afternoon." She said simply.
"…yeah it sounds like it."
"Is something wrong, Wilhelm?" Artoria looked at me. "You seem depressed about something."
"It's nothing." I waved it off. "So, you guys already get a ride or…?"
"Yes we procured a mode of transportation." Scáthach informed me. "Come, it is waiting for us." She grabbed my hand and led me to the side.
There was no one really guarding or waiting, only a large kite-like wooden contraption floating above the clouds below.
They both stepped onto it without any fanfare, and I followed suit.
"Come, it is a mild ride to our destination." Scáthach said, patting the surface as she sat down on it. "Tell us of your day. What mischief did you get up to?"
I sat down between both of them as our thing started flying away from the city. It was going fairly fast, all things considered.
And the more I looked at it, the more it looked like an oversized kite.
"Surprisingly, nothing happened."
"Why do you sound disappointed, student?" Scáthach quirked an eyebrow.
"I may have had certain expectations that were dashed. It's fine, it was just a stupid thing." In all honesty, I was being a bit silly to expect things to unfold like some bad novel.
"Come, student, place your head upon this Scáthach's thigh." She patted her leg.
Well, I certainly wouldn't say no.
It would be a bit of a flight, so I could relax until then. Only, as soon as I put my head down, she grabbed hold of me.
"What are you –"
"Lass, you take off his bottoms, and we will switch halfway."
"Very well." Artoria smiled.
And I was about to question what she was talking about until she started pulling off my Robes.
I guess today wasn't so bad afterall.
[***]
I quickly fixed my clothes. As the destination was getting close, both of them started fixing theirs as well. It would be kind of awkward if we arrived mid…..compromising positions.
The destination, if it could be called that, was a mountain.
Again.
The people here really liked their mountains.
I can't say it didn't look majestic from a distance. Because holy shit did it look like something out of a fairy tale. There were literal dragons flying at the summit. Or…..members of the Dragon Race. I think those were Flood Dragons, so wherever those land on the hierarchy.
But it was quite the sight.
Even with what we've seen already, this place had more of an ethereal vibe to it.
Sacred, if you will.
The clouds parted a bit more and we got a better view of why it was called Nuwa's Palace.
The Mountain was apparently more of a decoration in comparison. Because the Palace itself, while looking somewhat rudimentary and basic at a distance, it still held a sort of regal and archaic feeling to it that made someone unconsciously give it a certain respect.
Regardless, I wanted something good to make up for this trip!
Not that the last two hours with Artoria and Scáthach didn't make up for my disappointment thus far...but I wanted something new and shiny.
My inner Dragon Demanded it.
[Yo.]
Huh.
Hey Ddraig, did you ever have a big hoard?
[Yeah, but that White asshole spat his poison all over it way way long ago. One of the reasons we fought…I think, maybe we started fighting before that. It's been a long ass time.]
Huh.
Neat.
Great Dragon that lives in my head, what advice do you have for me?
[Eh, never heard much about Nuwa. Probably shouldn't try to flirt with her though.]
Thank you, oh Great Dragon.
The Giant flying kite landed at a…platform? Some dedicated place to land I would presume considering that everyone has to fly here.
As soon as we stepped off, the kite turned around and flew away.
How convenient.
"Do you have any expectations here?" Artoria asked. "We came in a much more casual manner than I would expect."
"Expectations?" I repeated, pursing my lips. "Well, she already knew we were on our way. It was an opening invitation, which around here was basically a 'come when you have time' type deal. It was expected that we come within a certain time frame to not be rude. As for my own expectations…..she seemed nice. I doubt anything will happen."
Even when I tried to look for trouble, it didn't find me. I doubt we will have any problems here.
Right, easy matter.
Pop in, say our pleasantries, she gives me something to absolve her of any perceived debt, and we go our separate ways, maybe to cross paths again in the future.
Well, it was nice scenery if nothing else.
I was tempted to start taking pictures to share back home but….I didn't want to be rude in someone else's house. By how the Guide reacted when I mentioned Nuwa, she was revered pretty heavily, so I didn't want to be disrespectful here.
There was a winding path up to her manner with a gate blocking.
As well as a single person blocking said gate.
"Halt, this place is forbidden, return from whence you came!" A feminine but cold voice resounded, coming from the woman who blocked the path.
She wore white robes and a veil covering her face with a sword at her hip.
"I thought you said we were expected?" Artoria looked at me with an eyebrow raised.
"We are." I furrowed my own. "Nuwa is expecting us." I directed towards the woman.
The woman was about to respond, with something presumably the same as before, but a little paper crane came flying through the air, handing on her shoulder. She looked at it, as if it was relaying a message.
I couldn't see her expressions behind her veil, but I could vaguely tell she didn't look pleased.
"The Goddess is expecting your arrival." She suddenly changed demeanor, bowing politely. The Gate behind her opened. "Please enter."
As we all walked forward, her sword flashed out and it was held up in front of me. "You, are not welcomed."
"Pardon?" I looked at her.
"Men are not allowed inside." She sniffed. "You will wait outside. The other two may enter."
"….are you being serious?"
I was honestly at a loss for words. For a culture that places such a huge emphasis on face and respect, this was a gigantic slap in the face for a supposed Guest.
"Fuck it, I'm not dealing with any of this nonsense, let's go home." I decided.
Whatever games were being played, I wanted no part of it.
"How dare you!" The Woman's voice was raised. "You were summoned as Guests" She said, directed towards Artoria and Scáthach who weren't really giving her the attention she probably wanted. "And you, will wait outside!"
I looked her dead in the presumed eyes, and flicked my hand, producing a portal. "I'm going home."
"You will wait here!" She growled with a strange anger in her tone.
Right, this wasn't fucking suspicious at all. And I'm fairly sure she was used to being able to boss people around due to her position.
"Or what?" I narrowed my eyes. "Are you going to kill someone that Nuwa invited as a Guest?" I rolled my eyes. I instead turned around and began to walk to my portal.
Almost as if on cue, another person came flying over at extreme speeds.
One of the women that I recalled was at Nuwa's side at the meeting.
"Junior Sister, you overstep." She called out, intentionally loud as to probably halt my attempts at leaving.
"Senior Sister, I –"
"Return to the Palace for punishment, I will escort our guests." She said sternly.
The Woman who held her sword up trembled slightly, before sheathing it and bowing her head in acceptance. She rose up into the air, flying back to the palace on her own.
"I apologize on my Junior Sister's behalf." The woman, I don't even know her name, bowed politely to us.
"Give me a reason why we shouldn't leave." I cut right to the chase.
The woman seemed surprised by my bluntness. Which, wasn't that surprising in hindsight, their culture emphasizes polite overtures even when insulted and insulting others. "The Goddess will give you a suitable explanation."
I waved my hand, dismissing the portal.
"Fine, let's see what your Goddess has to say." Artoria and Scáthach would follow my lead.
I was insulted on her doorstep, so I better be given a proper explanation.
Nuwa didn't seem like the type of person to burn a bridge like this for no reason, so we'll see.
"The Goddess prepared a Banquet for your arrival." She spoke, not commenting on my words, instead, politely leading us up the path to her Palace.
Normally, I would be all for the sightseeing some more, but at the moment, I was understandably peeved.
She led us through the front door, but obviously no one was in a chatting mood, so she didn't stop or narrate our walk.
Instead, she directly brought us to this supposed Banquet Hall
There were many women lined up on either side. Along with the Goddess herself center back, elevated to a higher position.
Some looked at us curiously, some disdainfully, some uncaring. But the Goddess herself looked…amused?
There was no grand entrance or introductions, instead our guide led us to seats next to Nuwa in a place of honor by their standards.
I didn't immediately cause a scene, and instead knelt down at my spot like everyone. As per tradition, there were no chairs, and the tables were small, one-person tables in front of each spot. It was very similar to Japanese tradition in this regard.
Without a chance to speak, everyone had a bowl of rice put in front of them.
It may have seemed odd, for something as grandiose as Nuwa's Palace, but even from this distance, I could feel the aura this mere rice radiated.
Looking at the people in the hall, they were eating the Rice grain by grain.
Curiously, I took my chopsticks and ate a grain.
As soon as I swallowed it, I felt something flow inside of me. It wasn't a lot, but something permeated my inners, something warm and welcoming.
Artoria and Scáthach also casually ate, obviously noticing as well, but they were also not perturbed because it was entirely beneficial.
If a regular human ate this bowl of rice, if they didn't die, they would probably become superhuman.
"You certainly are not one that acts according to customs." Nuwa's voice reached my ears. It was…not quiet, but it was obvious she did something to make sure others couldn't hear other than us and my girls.
"Do you mean when you had someone intentionally sit at the gate to greet us that would be disrespectful?" I replied casually.
"….and you are certainly blunt." She giggled.
"Customs indicate a similar standard of social values. I am not from your part of the world, I don't hold what you hold in values. My perspective and experience are vastly different from what you're used to dealing with." I explained calmly. "Did you expect me to fight her?"
"I did." She didn't deny it.
"You wanted me to humble her then." I could put two and two together.
"It was my intent." She once more didn't deny it. "I would have sent my dear disciple to arrive in time to save her Junior Sister after a sufficient 'humbling'." She seemed amused by my wording. "Then I would have offered you a proper apology as per our ways."
"But then I was just going to up and leave without you being able to correct the offense you gave me." I mused.
"As I said, you do not act how one would expect." She again spoke openly about her intentions.
"The quickest way to become my enemy is to attempt to manipulate me." I put my chopsticks down. "I despise when others attempt to secretly dictate my actions or subtly manipulate me. If you had simply asked, I would have helped you happily."
I caught her amused expression shift ever so slightly. Her snake-like tail that was swaying behind her came to a stop. "It seems I have erred. I apologize."
I nodded, accepting it.
It was…a miscommunication based on differing cultures. And I would leave it at that.
"You specifically wanted me to do it. Does it have anything to do with me being a man?" I asked.
"You are perceptive." She answered. "Little Wei Xiaoling is very talented, perhaps the most talented disciple I've taken in the past several centuries. Unfortunately….her life was not an easy one and her views mirror it."
"Ah, I can see where this is going." It's not hard to guess what a woman who has a hatred towards the opposite sex had to experience.
She didn't quite elaborate, so I didn't ask. Even if I didn't like that icy girl, I wasn't going to pry into that kind of thing. "There are two factions within my Palace. I've taken in only Women, it originally wasn't intentional, but it simply turned out this way. One side is….open, knowing of the world, and not caring about divisions. The others are like Little Ling'er who see our segregation as just and proper. By extension, they also do not wish to join the gathering of other factions. I intended to have her join with the younger generation of children as per the meeting, but there has been push back."
"So you wanted me to fight the supposed Genius Disciple you were raising, humble her, have her look beyond this little corner of the world?"
"That isn't wrong." She nodded.
Made sense, multiple birds with one stone with my arrival.
"Why me?" I asked. "Besides the obvious of me being here. I'm sure you could have found someone who practices similar cultivation. Or hell, ask Odin to send someone. You barely know me."
"You are young, extremely so. Even Ling'er approaches her third decade, but you vastly outstrip her in power. I do not know if I would be able to defeat you in battle. I wanted her to understand that there are taller mountains that she can climb, but she refuses to see past this one." She paused for a moment. "And you were chosen because you have a very interesting ability."
I was betting there was more to it than that. Some interpalace politics that she was settling in place. Sure, she could order all her people how she wished, but that only built resentment. And she seemed to genuinely care about everyone under her, so she was trying to be soft in her approach.
"And what ability of mine caught your fancy?"
"I noticed it from the gathering. You have a very impressive ability to infuriate anyone you desire." She responded with the same bluntness returned to me.
"Thank you." I took it as a compliment.
"You're welcome." She returned to her previous humor.
"He's not that bad." Artoria frowned.
"I am on the fence." Scáthach noted.
"Goddess Nuwa, are you sure this is the…..wisest method?" The woman who had led us here, she was at Nuwa's side and was apparently one of her confidants because she was listening in this entire time.
"I believe he is up to the task." Nuwa stated.
"But –"
"Can I get a fork to eat my rice?" I interjected randomly.
You could just see the slowly built disgust form on her face as she registered what I said.
"I retract my words." She relented.
Nuwa just nodded with a hint of smugness. "One of them will bring up the issue, and it will inevitably devolve into a contest of strength. I will have little Ling'er represent them as she is the closest to your age."
"Any restrictions?" I asked.
"Please do not maim or kill." She replied. "And I will offer a suitable reward to you afterwards, along with an additional gift as an apology."
Well, it seemed that Young Master Schweinorg wasn't quite done yet.
[***]
A/N
As I said, it's not a Xianxia Arc, it's like two chapters then back to the main stuff.
Anyways, if you want to read 9 chapters ahead or support me, visit my p.a.t.r.e.o.n.c.o.m / astoryforone
I also have a boosty for people who can't use the above with the same name.