"Shit, what should I do!"
Tha blast was coming straight to Ryu who already thought that his fate was sealed. Fortunately, another qi blast from another direction encountered Zankoku's blast and there was an explosion at their collision canceling both blasts.
Ryu lifted his hands and closed his eyes to cover himself from the wind and smoke. He reopened his eyes and looked in the direction of the qi blast that countered Zankoku's.
"Who are these guys Ryu,"
It was Hina, and she had a deadly look on her face while glaring at Zankoku.
Ryu grinned and gave a breath of relief when he saw Hina, "I really thought I was gonna die there..."
Zankoku stared at Hina with a horrified expression at a point even the cigar in his mouth fell to the ground.
"How dare you counter Master's blast, who do you think you are!" Fu shouted.
"Fu, you never told me he had a bitch this strong protecting him," Zankoku said as he grabbed Fu by his collar.
"Master, I have never met her ever since I know the boy..."
Suddenly, Hina prepared another qi blast, but this time, it was ten times bigger than her previous one.
"Don't move, it will prevent you from dying a painful death..." Hina said coldly as she launched the attack at Zankoku.
"Don't underestimate me!" Zankoku shouted blasting another qi blast slightly bigger than his previous one.
When his attack and Hina collided, Zankoku's blast was pierced through by Hina's blast that was continuing its trajectory toward Zankoku. It was like a metallic punch piercing through cardboard.
"Damn you!!!" Zankoku shrieked as the attack was getting closer to him.
At the moment the blast was going to hit Zankoku, the blast surprisingly canceled and vanished in thin air.
Ryu saw what happened and turned his head to Hina, "Why the fuck did you stop at the last moment!?"
"Do you think I'm that merciful to let these shitbags live!?"
Ryu then had a puzzled expression wondering how Hina's attack was canceled.
"Now there everyone," A voice from behind Ryu said.
"That voice," Ryu thought.
He turned around and realized that it was the old man from the Ceremony.
"Old man, what are you doing here!?" Ryu shouted.
The man gave Ryu a smile, "Please just call me Senzo"
"Alright then, please, stop all this unnecessary fighting," the man said turning his head to everyone, "It has been quite a while young man, and I see that you brought your sister with you... Please, let's find a better place to discuss,"
"Yeah, I got a lot of things to ask you Old man!" Ryu said walking towards Senzo.
Suddenly, a qi sphere had been launched to Senzo, and fortunately, Senzo sliced the sphere in two with his index finger.
"Hina, he the old man I have been talking about last time!" Ryu said trying to persuade her to not engage in combat.
"Well there, it is a big honor to be in the presence of a divine being such as you... Hina,"
What he had said immediately caught Ryu and Hina's attention who were both shocked to hear that he knew about her divinity.
"I guess I'll follow you then," Hina said flipping her hair backward.
Zankoku and his members were left in shock with their mouths agape. All they could do was watch them walk away. They knew they didn't stand a chance against Hina and especially not against Senzo.
***
"Tea in Peyredragon is really splendid,"
Hina, Ryu, and Senzo were at the tea shop in the central street.
"Now explain to me how you deflected my ball back then in the Grand Ceremony!"
Senzo sipped his cup of tea before answering, "It's simple, I saw it coming and used qi to deflect the ball,"
"That simple huh?"
"Well, the reason you couldn't see my ball was that your senses are not very sharp and your qi control is still rookie level,"
Senzo then turned his head to Hina who wasn't listening to their conversation at all and was stirring her tea,"
"As for you Ms. Hina, since the ceremony, I sensed your divine aura, and I would like to say that if you do not hide this aura of yours, it might lead you to a few complications in the future," Senzo said.
"Unless you have a Procrypta amulet, then you better stop talking now," Hina replied without looking at Senzo.
A Procrypta amulet was an artifact that allowed the user to dissimulate his original aura, however, these amulets are very rare in the mortal world.
"Fortunately, I happen to have one," Senko said with a smile handing a necklace with a green square-shaped crystal on it.
Hina glared at the amulet with an astonished look and put the amulet over her neck.
"Your divine aura vanished all of a sudden, now you have a normal aura," Ryu said with an astonished look.
"Who are you, first you managed to stop my attacks twice in a row with much ease, and now you are presenting me with an artifact that is supposed to be normally impossible to find in the mortal world," Hina asked.
She seemed to be more suspicious about Senzo now than when she first met him in the meadow.
"Well... I am the Grand Master of the Hijima Cultivation sect, and I would like to recruit you two young children to my sect," Senzo replied.
'I have already heard of Cultivation Sects before, and I thought that they were only reserved for the most talented...' Ryu thought.
"I know, you might be skeptical at first, however, I would want you to please consider the offer before refusing. Concerning you Hina, given the fact you are at a high stage of cultivation, you will surely be assigned as one of the Council Masters of the sect, Ryu however, you will start from the very bottom, but that doesn't mean you won't be able to get stronger,"
Hina thought for a moment because she knew that entering the sect would mean that they would have a shelter without taxes to pay. Given the fact their Grandparents were dead, and it was getting harder and harder to pay taxes, this offer was a great one, however, she would be assigned missions and would have many duties. Most importantly, she would be ordered by other people!
"We'll think about it, we still need time to decide whether it is a good choice to join or not," Hina replied.
"Please think wisely, you will have two days before I leave for the sect, so please consider my offer," Senzo said before leaving.
This was the decision that would change both their lives forever, it was either they decide to continue living normal lives, or they decide to become Cultivators and grow in power and in fame.
Senzo left the tea stand and outside, a man in his thirties wearing a black kimono, black shoes, and a belt with the yin and Yang symbol and yang symbol.
"Master, this younger disciple thinks it will require more time and perseverance to recruit such talents," The man bowed down to Senzo as he was speaking.
"Worry not, they will become, I just know it," Senzo replied.