Medicine Hall, Si Lak Mercenaries
It took the combined effort Xi Yun, Gu Yan and Nalan Yu, to repress Yi Hei. Three restrictive matrices casted, and yet he could still struggle a bit. Xi Yun narrowed her eyes.
"You're stripped of your Guardian rank today, Yi Hei; and will be confined to the Boilers to remain there until the Grand Chief says otherwise,"
Yi Hei snorted, but he didn't respond. Due to him being restrained, Xi Yun was able to draw a teleportation circle beneath his feet which transported him immediately to the Boilers. She then turned to stare at the debris wreaked in the Medicine Hall, and at the badly battered Jun Ru.
"Where are the other disciples of the Medicine Hall?" Xi Yun shouted loudly, and, timidly, a couple of white robed students entered.
"Give Vanguard Tao He the medicine required by the Grand Chief; and take care of Vanguard Jun Ru's injuries,"
They all bowed.
"Yes, Senior!"
Xi Yun turned around to leave. On second thoughts, she raised her hand and cleared off all the debris. She then left with Gu Yan and Nalan Yu in tow. When they reached a fork in the road, Gu Yan turned aside to his own Riding Squad while Xi Yun and Nalan Yu continued on till they reached the Spear Squad main courtyard. The students who were standing around casually immediately stood at alert. Xi Yun ignored them and beckoned to Han Yuefeng instead. She said in passing to Nalan Yu behind her.
"Carry on what you were doing before,"
"Yes, Master," Nalan Yu bowed.
Han Yuefeng followed Xi Yun upon her prompting. They arrived at Xi Yun's living quarters. Just like the East Hall, there was a cultivation room at one side. The courtyard had a stone bench next to a fountain, and here Xi Yun sat.
"How have you been?" Aside the day she brought her back, Xi Yun had not set her eyes on her newest disciple. Hells, she didn't even know her name!
"Good, Master," Han Yuefeng addressed her the way Nalan Yu had. Xi Yun smiled.
"That day, I was so occupied with all that happened I didn't even ask your name,"
"I'm Han Yuefeng,"
"Oh? Who brought you to the Si Lak Mercenaries?"
"I don't know,"
"You don't know what they look like also?"
Han Yuefeng shook her head. Xi Yun shrugged.
"Alright. You should pick a Mercenary name one of these days. What's your element affinity?"
"Water," Han Yuefeng replied.
"I see," Xi Yun stroked her chin, "alright. Let's start from here. First of all, manifest your element,"
Nodding, Han Yuefeng scrunched up her face in concentration and held up both palms. After a short while, suspended above each was a blob of water.
"One is enough," said Xi Yun, "and let it be more than that,"
"Mn," Han Yuefeng clenched her left palm and the water above it disappeared. She then concentrated on her right and slowly, the mass of water increased.
"Good," Xi Yun nodded, "now, try to condense it into the shape of a sword,"
"Ah?" Sweat beading on her forehead, Han Yuefeng raised her head, her eyes wide, "I-- I don't think I can do that,"
"Don't limit yourself," Xi Yun rebuked, "you can do anything as long as you set your mind on it,"
Han Yuefeng nodded, and took a deep breath, looking at the rotating blob of water suspended above her right hand. To make a sword...why?! To even make simple shapes like circles and squares were hard! Anyway...to make a sword...she would need more water than this...
Sweating profusely, Han Yuefeng continued to materialise more and more water. After she reckoned it was enough, she started forcing it into a defined shape. She formed the hilt as a rough circle connected to a small cylinder. She added another short horizontal cylinder, and then a long pointy water spear.
She grabbed hold of the hilt and turned the whole thing to ice. She then looked up.
"Wonderful," Xi Yun clapped twice, "I'm going to give you a technique scroll related to your water affinity," Xi Yun retrieved a yellow scroll from her spatial storage, "I give you ten days to master it,"
Han Yuefeng bowed as she received it.
"Thank you, Master. I won't let you down,"
*
Li Manor
"Are you sure about this?" Shu Wanyi held her daughter's hands in hers. Ren Ziyan nodded stubbornly. The older woman frowned.
"Ziyan-- you're only a young girl. Why do you want to go there?"
"I want to hone my skills!" Ren Ziyan pouted, "and there's no need to worry. After all, niece is the owner of the Si Lak Mercenaries. No one would dare bully me," she raised her chin upwards with a small smile. Shu Wanyi groaned. Ren Ziyan glanced at her.
"Come on, mother! Come and let's tell Ziming-jie. Hurry," Ren Ziyan dragged her mother up and they both went over to the pavilion where Ren Ziming was. The latter smiled when she saw them.
"Come over, mother, sis. You can never have enough of me, huh," she chuckled.
Shu Wanyi sighed as she sat down. Ren Ziyan went over to cling to her sister's arm instead.
"Jie," she cooed. Ren Ziming reached out fondly to pat her head.
"Our Yan-er is all grown up. What is it? What do you want from big sis?" Ren Ziming asked with doting eyes.
"I--" Ren Ziyan glanced at her mother, who nodded resignedly, "sis, I want to join niece's organisation,"
Ren Ziming raised her eyebrows in shock.
"You what?"
"I want to join the Si Lak Mercenaries," Ren Ziyan stated without fear. Her older sister ogled her.
"Why?"
"I want to train my skills," Ren Ziyan supplied the same excuse she gave her mother. Her sister's eyebrows went further up.
"What skills?" Ren Ziming asked with a frown.
"I am an element manipulator," Ren Ziyan said self-importantly, raising her chin proudly. Now that she had thought about it, this sounded even better than saying she was a cultivator.
She showcased her mist skill to her mother and sister to their surprise and admiration. After she stopped, Ren Ziming's face turned serious.
"Yan-er, you have to understand that I can only tell Sihan. There is no certainty that she will accept you, so bear that at the back of your mind, alright?"
Ren Ziyan pouted. She pulled her sister's arm and clung tighter to it, placing her face against Ren Ziming's chest.
"But, you can convince her, no?"
"Yan-er; Sihan only takes the best of the best. She doesn't care for anything else, that much I know. So you have to work hard to impress her,"
Ren Ziyan started to grumble. Impress her niece? She didn't want to do that! But she didn't say anything. Ren Ziming gestured to the maid behind her.
"Go to the Agate Pavillion and call the first young miss here,"
"Yes, my lady," the maid bowed and left at once. Ren Ziyan sat up straight and tucked a stray hair behind her ear. Shu Wanyi poured herself a cup of tea as she started complaining about her daughter.
"Isn't she supposed to find a nice man and settle down as you did?" She said to her elder daughter, "look how well Zhenming treats you. If she can also find someone like him, my heart would be at rest! Instead, she wants to join a mercenary organisation --" Shu Wanyi tsked, "you won't be the end of me, Ziyan! Even Aiming is becoming more sensible than you!"
Ren Ziyan's face turned dark at the mention of her half sister. Ren Ziming chuckled instead.
"Mother, it's alright to let her have fun for a few more years. Also, that place is full of peerless experts. She might find someone she likes there,"
"Hmm," Ren Ziyan nodded, but her mother glared at her. Footsteps were heard and the three women turned their heads. Walking briskly towards them were Li Sihan and the maid sent to call her. Today the Grand Chief was wearing a small sword at her waist. Her hair fluttered behind her as usual.
"I'm here," Li Sihan said when she reached the pavillion. Ren Ziming smiled.
"Have a seat, darling,"
"I'm busy,"
"Oh?" Ren Ziming shrugged, "alright. Mother will go straight to the point." The maid bowed and retreated at a look from her lady.
"Your aunt wants to join the Si Lak Mercenaries," Ren Ziming stated. Li Sihan raised her eyebrows.
"She's serious about it, huh?" The stoic face crossed her arms, "Jun Ru told me she was an element manipulator. So what?"
Ren Ziming chuckled.
"Please, darling? Can you do it as a favor to mother?"
"No,"
Ren Ziyan rose.
"Niece--"
"You must call me Grand Chief if you mean it," Li Sihan stared hard at her, "can you stand strict training? You've been spoilt all your life. I expect you'll rot for a while in the hatchery,"
Ren Ziyan flushed. She was angry and furious to be talked to this way by, a child she was old enough to mother. She frowned.
"I'm capable of great things if I'm given a chance," she spoke through gritted teeth.
Li Sihan scoffed.
"Ever since I saw the pair of you I knew this would happen. To save myself further headaches, shouldn't I just let the other one go as well? Purple Wind," she called a name. A mercenary who had been dispatched as part of the Li Manor's guards appeared almost immediately. She bowed.
"Grand Chief,"
"Bring the two young misses of the Ren family back to the headquarters,"
Purple Wind raised her head and surveyed Ren Ziyan with unconcealed distaste. However, she nodded.
"I have received your order,"
Li Sihan turned around to leave and disappeared after a few steps. Purple Wind beckoned to the maid to fetch Ren Aiming. The said girl stumbled out of a nearby bush all out of breath.
"I'm -- I'm here,"
"You were eavesdropping on us?!" Ren Ziyan pointed angrily at her. Ren Aiming shook her head. Purple Wind coughed.
"Please, ladies," she already had a teleportation matrix drawn at her feet, "hurry,"
Ren Ziyan ran over to hug her mother before leaping into the matrix after her half sister. A blinding flash of light, and the three women vanished. Shu Wanyi sighed deeply.
"It's alright, mother," Ren Ziming comforted her with a laugh, "they'll be fine,"
As if.
.
.
.