"Hello, hello!" Jin Hu was quite excited to meet Red Monkey and Storm Sword. On their part, the two stared at him uncomfortably.
"I used to be a good friend of your master," Jin Hu chuckled as he showed them to their seats at a round table filled with snacks, "I want you to help me bring a message to her,"
"Hmph," Red Monkey sat down and poured herself a cup of tea, "our Grand Chief is not someone even we can see casually. But anyway, you may speak,"
Jin Hi retrieved a sealed letter from within his sleeve. It was addressed: Respectfully, to my old friend Li Sihan, from your sworn brother Jin Hu. Red Monkey frowned.
"I wasn't aware my master had any sworn brothers,"
"Hahaha. You can't expect her to tell you everything!"
Sneering, Red Monkey stored the letter in her conscious and then stood up.
"Well, we'll be seeing you around, sect leader Jin. My junior and I have to go rest,"
"Sure, sure. I wish you luck in the gathering!"
"Sect leader, you can't be biased!" Qin Wu grumbled, as he saw the two mercenaries out. He then returned with a grave expression.
"What's wrong?" Jin Hu asked him. Qin Wu sighed.
"Sect leader, I'm really worried. This gathering might turn bloody at any moment if we do not take the adequate precautions,"
Jin Hu shrugged.
"If anybody dies, it's their own fault. This is my way of repaying Si Lak; no, her name is Li Sihan now. Yes, this is my way of helping my old friend get back at those who hurt her. Do you think I don't know what I'm doing? Are the Scorpion Hall some nice monks? Are they the type to form good relations with? No, but why do I always make sure they attend the Cultivators Gathering? Why did I instruct you to invite the Si Lak Mercenaries this time around. Hah. Anyone that hurts Li Sihan is my, Jin Hu's enemy. I will not allow them to get away with it,"
Qin Wu swallowed nervously. So, it could be said in a nutshell that the sect leader had instituted the Cultivators Gathering to help the Grand Chief on her path of revenge? Wow. Just wow.
"Just stay out of the fracas that will happen next, Qin Wu," Jin Hu crossed his legs on the table after sweeping everything to the floor, "I'm going to really enjoy this show,"
*
In the quarters alloted to the Si Lak Mercenaries, they were having a bit of a dilemma. There were only three rooms in the house, and a front room where they could have meals. They all stood in the middle and glanced awkwardly at one another. Finally, Swan Sight broke the silence.
"Erm. We're eight males including Senior Storm Sword. Except Senior, the rest of us can bundle together,"
"Why except me?" Hao Ren raised an eyebrow. Tao He coughed as he murmured.
"They're trying to respect you, Senior Master. How can we all stay together with you?"
"But nothing's solved. If you're respecting me, then you're respecting Big Sis Red Monkey as well. If Big Sis also has a room to herself, then that means the rest of you all will have to share a room,"
"So how are we doing it?" Yi Hei snorted angrily.
"Nalan Yu, you and the others can stay with me," Red Monkey said after a beat, "the men can sort themselves out,"
"No, no, that won't do!" Hao Ren and Red Monkey's disciple, Yu Han, immediately disagreed.
"By the way, I don't trust Puppet King to stay with you," Storm Sword grumbled as he pulled off his mask to glare at Puppet King. The lady sneered and shrugged.
"Don't make things so complicated. Eagle Beak, Yu Han, come on," Red Monkey made towards the room. The rest of the ladies followed her, all awkwardness forgotten. However, the men were still having trouble.
"It's good we have two rooms," Yi Hei smirked, "I'm taking one, and the rest of you can bundle together,"
"Impossible," Boar Claw chuckled. Yi Hei turned around menacingly and glared at him.
"Let me see anyone's bony behind in my room. I'll let you have a taste of what I served Jun Ru," and he stalked off. Tao He turned to Storm Sword.
"But Master, you can take him on, right?"
"Of course," Storm Sword smirked, "he only learnt a few forbidden arts restricted to us Seniors and he thinks he's so great. If he ever steps out of line I'll show him what orthodox training by the Grand Chief means," he chuckled, "well boys, I guess we'll have to bunk together after all,"
"Huh," Gingseng Blade sighed, "I wish you'd show him now, but on the flip side I don't want to share a room with that psycho,"
"I can hear you!" Yi Hei called from his room. The others all shrugged and went their way.
***
The following morning dawned bright and fair as the Yang Sect's disciples beat the traditional gong that signalled the start of the Gathering. Red Monkey and Storm Sword briefed the others over breakfast. Puppet King assured everyone that she had her opening sequence mastered. Therefore, they all stepped out into the soft sunlight, and headed to the main courtyard of the Yang Sect.
The courtyard had an elevation accessible by steps. Here, chairs had been arranged in clusters for each sect. The Si Lak Mercenaries found their own place and seated themselves. Last to arrive were the ostentatious Flower Sect. Sect leader Yao sat next to Red Monkey and smiled warmly at her. She had heard the fame of this person's ethereal beauty and thought she would finally get to see it for herself. Alas, she was wearing a doupeng. What puzzled Yao Mingyan, though, was that even after activating her See Through Sight skill, she was not able to make out Red Monkey's face. Was this ordinary looking doupeng an artefact? She doubted it.
"Hello, Senior Red Monkey," Yao Mingyan grinned. Red Monkey nodded once and turned her head in the other direction. Huh?
"Can I ask you a question?" Yao Mingyan was not deterred, though, "why do you Si Lak Mercenaries always wear masks?"
"The orders of our Grand Chief," Red Monkey replied stiffly.
"Is there a philosophy behind it?" Yao Mingyan pressed. Red Monkey turned her head back in her direction.
"Pardon?"
"I mean, is there a reason that your Grand Chief ordered it? Rules, after all, must have a certain foundation, I guess?"
"I don't know. For us Mercenaries, rules are rules." Red Monkey shrugged.
"Oh." Yao Mingyan tilted her head to one side as she examined her, "but I have noticed that most of you have iron masks depicting a kind of animal. Why are you different, choosing a doupeng? Is it your personal preference? Is it that you just have to cover your faces, or do the masks have attributes of their own? Perhaps, they are weapons? Artefacts?" Yao Mingyan breathed the last word as casually as she could, but her eyes were stern.
Red Monkey gritted her teeth in annoyance. This woman was like a buzzing mosquito.
"Sect leader of the Flower Sect is so interested in our Si Lak Mercenaries' affairs. Why don't I ask you why you Flower Sect people are so garishly dressed? Are we selecting concubines for an emperor's harem?"
"Haha," Yao Mingyan chuckled drily, but she said nothing more. The stage was set, anyway, and Qin Wu had started to address the crowd.
"Welcome to the Cultivators Gathering! Most of us are aware of how the competition is run, but I'd like to reiterate the rules so we can all be on the same page!"
Flinging out his sleeve, a giant scroll appeared above his head and unfurled itself. Written across it in bold print were the rules of the Cultivators Gathering.
"Well then," with another swish of his sleeves, the scroll vanished, "we shall begin! Sect leaders, or representatives, please proceed to the box placed here to draw out lots for who will first present!"
Red Monkey got up, and Yao Mingyan stood up after her. Along with Yan Sheng, Hall Protector Hu, Cat Whisker, and another elder of the Yang Sect, they approached the box with the lots inside it.
"Senior, please," Cat Whisker was the first to get to the box but he stepped aside to let Red Monkey pass. Glancing up at him without saying anything, Red Monkey put her hand into the box and drew out a wooden tally. It had the number 3 inscribed on it.
"Nice, your sect will be the third to present," Yao Mingyan smiled. Red Monkey stepped back and returned to her seat.
"Why is she putting on airs?" Yao Mingyan grumbled to Cat Whisker as Hall Protector Hu retrieved the tally with the number 5.
"Don't anger her, sect leader Yao, for your own good," Cat Whisker murmured. The Yan Sect had selected tally 1, "go on," Cat Whisker said to her. Annoyed, Yao Mingyan put her hand in the box and selected tally 4. The Yang Sect elder selected tally 6.
"Great, that means our Alchemy Guild is--" Cat Whisker turned his own tally over, "right, 2,"
"Alright!" Qin Wu got everyone's attention, "Yan Sect, please present!" Kicking his heel on the ground, he flew up out of the arena and onto the elevated stage where the sects sat. Yan Sheng turned around to face everyone else.
"Then, our Yan Sect shall take the lead! Xiao Ling!" He called the name of the disciple who would display the Yang Sect's unique skill. Said disciple flew down into the arena and bowed.
"This is the Nighthawk Sword Dance!" Yan Sheng announced, and Xiao Ling began at once. Stretching out his hand to the side, a long ivory sword appeared in his hand. He swung it upwards in a semicircle and a matrix array immediately appeared. With his other hand, the other half of the matrix array was drawn, and the two connected with an activating slash of the sword. Kicking his heel on the ground, he flew upwards as the matrix became a golem that attacked him head on. Thus he started performing the Nighthawk Sword Dance even while battling the golem.
"That golem seems to have an artefact core grade four or above," Yao Mingyan muttered, clearly impressed.
"Haha, sect leader Yao is not too far from the truth," Yan Sheng chuckled, "this is a mystic creature's spirit core rank seven,"
"Really! Where did you now come across a weapon smith capable of taming such a high grade core into a golem?" A Yang Sect elder exclaimed. Before Yan Sheng could open his mouth to answer, Boar Claw scoffed.
"Hah. What's so great about tempering a rank seven spirit core? If whoever did that is a grandmaster, then what am I?"
"Enough, Boar Claw," Red Monkey sighed. However, Boar Claw's comment had been overheard by everyone. Yao Mingyan immediately looked interested.
"Eh? But according to your voice and height, you don't seem to be much older than a teenager?"
Red Monkey waved her hand dismissively.
"You will see for yourselves the extent of his prowess. There's no use boasting about it here."
Hearing her confident reply, the others turned to continue watching the Yan Sect's display. Yan Sheng felt a chill at the back of his neck coming from someone in the Si Lak Mercenaries corner. He tried to find who it was using a Probe artefact that was on him, but to no avail. He eventually turned slightly to the side, and looked over them once. He could only feel a dense killing int
ent directed at him. He shivered once and cast it to the back of his mind.