Seven
Ash stood outside the gates to the sect with his hands behind his back.
Or more accurately, the bottom of the footpath and the gates there, that would in turn go all the way up to the heavy fortress like gates of the sect.
“This is rather exciting,” Siu commented from his left.
“It really is,” Mei confirmed from his right. “As Mistress Sheng… I’m truly looking forward to greeting everyone.”
Did she really beat Chunhua?
It just feels like an impossibility. Chunhua is just that strong and talented.
Mei’s great but… I thought… no?
“Mei put in the work. The time. The effort. She developed strategies, abilities, and honed herself. She genuinely defeated Chunhua. Then she cared for her as ‘Big Sister Mei’, mended her clothes, cleaned her home, and made her dinner for the next week.”
Glancing to his left, Ash saw Chunhua a step beyond Siu. She looked perfectly fine. Nothing out of the ordinary. She did seem somewhat bemused but not upset.
Ash wondered briefly if it was something he’d heard earlier. Most of the women around him, all viewed Mei like an older sister. She had cared and tended for many of them whenever they had an issue.
Mei beating her likely fit in Chunhua’s head and so the loss, while disappointing, likely wasn’t terrible.
“That. Yeah. What you were just thinking. Chunhua will develop her own ways to beat Mei in the future. But… I suspect Jia might… beat both of them soon.”
Jia?
“She is water. Her Dao is similar, and no I won’t speak to it. But what is water if no liquid momentum? She discovered that thought on her own and has been pursuing it.”
No sooner than he heard that, then he understood. Jia was a liquid in her actions and abilities. Her mind was more regulated and firmly systematic, but her Dao, belief, and self, were more akin to a bottle of water.
If heated, the water warmed.
If chilled, it cooled.
If turned upside down or to the side, it would shift into a new form.
Whatever was done, would only cause her to shift and reform. Jia had gone through a great many things and had always ended up shifting and changing freely.
Then Ash felt his eyebrows go up as he discovered that she was his Dao partner.
He was momentum in it’s purest form and her own Dao was a mystery to him, but even a casual inspection of how she acted told him it was a form of ‘flowing water’. Or ‘shapechanging water’. She’d used her abilities that he’d given her to shape and form water into the form she wished
Or the form she needed.
Without looking into his Middle Dantian, his Astral Plane and home of his sense of godhood, he reached out to where Jia’s statue should be inside of it. He didn’t want to turn his attention to it, because it would cause problems.
Everyone was preparing for the sect ceremony, he didn’t need to put them on edge.
He found Jia easily enough and then he nudged his Dao at her.
As if trying to move two magnets together.
There was a clack, followed by a thrumming that echoed throughout his Dao, only to settle down after several seconds. It was certainly out of the ordinary to Ash, but in the same breath, these things happened often with his Dao as events unfolded.
To the point that no one seemed bothered or concerned that something had changed in the Middle Dantian. In the Sheng Space.
“Ah?” squeaked Jia in a tiny voice.
Ash wanted to take a good look at Jia’s statue but he was interrupted. Multiple Cultivators were gliding toward him. Flying through the air from multiple directions.
“Guess we’ll see if the formations work,” Ash murmured to himself as he started picking out the groups coming their way.
Their arrival was a form of prestige in a way. That they’d be arriving as powerful Cultivators, rather than on foot. In Ash’s invitation, he had advised them that once upon Sheng lands, it would be advised that they should move upon the stone path.
It was a Qi path the earth Brides had spent a lot of time on. They’d carved it, painted it, and empowered it by utilizing multiple transference papers from storage.
The road itself would be refreshing for people to walk upon it.
“They just encountered it,” Chunhua remarked as everyone looked to the leading group of Cultivators.
As if they’d suddenly lost a shoe while walking, all of them slowed down. Almost in unison as they all crossed over the border of the lands of Sheng.
Looking them over, Ash found a great many of these people were all Awakened Mortals.
There was even someone who likely had the power of a Sovereign Immortal but was bottlenecked.
Soon… there will be people moving about that are just simply Sovereign Immortals. Moving around without a care in the world. Because the Emperor isn’t here.
This will be a difficult realm to deal with.
I can win many fights on my own, by myself, but their strength, and the numbers of this realm, simply overwhelm ours.
“It’s often said that the life of the Cultivator isn’t one of fights, but of relationships… and debts,” offered up Locke. “I think that this realm will not be so easy as you stepping up, decrying ‘remember this moment’ and kicking people in the face.
“Did I mention I really like that the Sheng Sect motto in this realm is ‘Remember this moment’ by the way? I think it’s hilarious and fitting in so many ways.”
The group of Cultivators continued to slow down as they grew closer to the sect’s perimeter wall.
Then finally, they pulled to the left, over the road Ash imagined, and went down to land.
“The formations work,” Hui stated from behind Ash. “This is good news.”
“Of course. Lord Sheng put them down,” Na confirmed. “It was never a question. Though I’m pleased to see how well it worked.”
“I should probably… go, shouldn’t I?” asked a quiet voice from behind him.
Ash turned to look and found Rou and Xiuying directly behind him.
The beautiful red-haired, blue-eyed Qi-Healer was dressed in a form fitting cultivator’s uniform that made her lovely to behold. Ash imagined that Rou would be incredibly rare and unique in this realm. Her traits would stand out in a big way.
She chewed at her lower lip and raised her eyebrows, looking at Ash.
“Yeah. You should probably head into the Manse or Hall, Rou. I’m sorry,” Ash said with a small smile. “You’re Cultivation is just… so very low. If someone had an artifact that could pull you away, I don’t think we could stop it.”
“I know,” muttered the Qi-Healer, followed by a sigh. Then she smiled at him. “It’s why I can remain in the Hall at your beck and call! I can help in an immense way, just… not in realm.
“I just wish I could do more is all. Though, I’m studying your Scrivenings and Carvings. I think I can start learning that as a secondary art!”
Before Ash could respond, Rou vanished.
“Uhm, I’m going to remain,” Xiuying said with a small bounce. She held her hands up in front of herself as if she were ready for a fight. “I’m all the way up to an Enlightened Mortal. I can-can defend myself! I can be here. Kind of.”
The beautiful Fortune’s Chosen was dressed in a strange pink and gold outfit that was breezy and almost looked like a costume. He had no idea where she’d gotten it, or why she was wearing it, but she was incredibly eye-catching.
Her light brown hair that bordered on being possibly blonde had a large white flower on one side, that matched a pair of earings. There was also a golden chain that came down the center line of her hair and rested in a circular shape against her forehead.
Extremely light-brown eyes that were sometimes hazel stared straight into Ash in a way that made him feel like she felt absolute conviction to be here.
It was hard to keep his eyes on her face and hair considering her costume had only made her large bust, narrow waist, and wide hips, all the more prominent. It was distinctly distracting.
“I… I wore this because I’m your wife, I’m pregnant, and a Cultivator,” she said, her hands moving down to her sides and looking nervous. “You’re going to introduce me as your wife them all. Aren’t you?”
Apparently I’m introducing her as my wife to them all.
“Agreed. Fortune’s Chosen chooses our fortune.”
Mei immediately grabbed Xiuying and moved her to stand directly at Ash’s right and switched places with her. Moving to the back of the group.
It was clear Mei had the same thought Ash did.
Seconds after that, a large group of Cultivators landed in front of Ash.
It was the Nie family, along with Jia’s one-time fiance, Xan Nie, at the front. Beside him was a man clearly in the late stages of Awakened Mortal.
Another monster arrives. There’s so many of them.
“Yes, many do not ever gain enlightenment and never leave here.”
“Nie family,” Ash said and performed a formal martial salute. “I am Ash Sheng, Lord Sheng. This is my wife, Xiuying Sheng.
“We welcome you to the Sheng Sect and our commencement, please. Come in. We welcome your whole family. The Duel between myself, or one of my followers, and one of your family members, will be during the open stage dueling portion.
“There will also be a great many exhibition fights from our own sect to demonstrate. As well as other things. Please, mingle, make yourself at home. Foreign and unique refreshments through our unique trade routes are available as well. Additionally, a great amount of fresh fruit.”
“Try the cactus juice,” someone put in. It sounded a lot like Mei but he wasn’t actually sure.
He did know the Brides and the Knights had both taken up the tradition of the original sect Ash had ben in. That as disgusting as it was, it’d been turned into a rite of passage and a way to remind themselves of how disgusting life could be.
The Nie family… said nothing.
They didn’t even bother to return the salute Ash and his family had given them.
Instead, they brushed past Ash and toward the sect.
Relations and debts, huh?
Well.
We gained an ally, Fu, and an ally, Nie.
I suppose… I should go stand at the center of the sect and start taking questions.
But let’s check with my lucky charm.
“Xiu, my love,” Ash said and turned to look at the suddenly blushing Xiuying. Who had at some point, somewhere, gotten a hold of a rather odd looking fan. It was pink, like her costume, and feathery. She lifted it up and partially covered her face. Her eyes wide and trying to imitate Siu. “Do you think I should leave you here? I was thinking of going to the center of the sect and answering questions.”
“Yes! You should. I’ll stay here with everyone else. You should go to the center!” Xiuying said quickly, nodding her head, her fan sliding down as if she forgot it.
Okay then.
To the center I go.
***
“—Sheng formation work. It’s not something we teach someone unless they’ve been in the Sect for many years,” Ash said to the Elder standing in front of him. It was a woman in her forties who was deceptively beautiful. She reminded him very much of an older Na or Jia.
“Ah, so I just need to put one of my grand-daughters in front of you and wait, hm?” asked the woman with a rather wide smile.
“I’m afraid that tactic has been used on me so often, that I have thousands of wives,” Ash confessed looking at the woman. “Even if they are as pretty as you are, I would barely be able to remember her name.”
“Flattery. I’ll send a grand-daughter anyways,” she murmured, patted Ash on the shoulder, and moved away. “I like this sect. I like you. It’ll be good to establish ties.”
“Thats the fourth… woman to say that to you,” Shuang whispered from his left. She was acting as a personal attendant right now to him until his demonstration later. “It is the outlander looks yet Cultivator demeanor, I think. You treat them like women, first, Cultivator, second. You also compliment them.”
“They keep sending hot MILFs at me. What’m I supposed to do?” Ash answered, laughed, then went back to his work. He was making a large battle-golem. One that would be twenty-feet tall.
“You respond to the older women better. They stopped sending younger women early,” Shuang remarked. “Now it’s women just a bit older than you, or… like that last woman.”
Ash grunted at that as he quickly made a line across the golem.
All around him, across the sect, Brides and Cultivators were actively making demonstrations, training, or showcasing abilities.
The Fu family was actively being led around by Jia and she seemed deeply happy about that.
The Huzhi, Luo, and Nie families were also meandering about.
The City Lord had also come as well as a great many others. Including the Realm Lords ambassador. A great many people were taking in the sights of the new sect.
“It is more akin to a very old sect with many secrets and secret masters,” Shuang offered from his side. “This will disturb the balance greatly.”
“Good,” Ash answered and glanced at the slightly older woman. She was more or less exactly the type of woman they’d been sending him. A touch more mature and somewhat ‘bigger’ in key areas. It reminded him of the difference between Na and Mei. “Yes, I really will be fixing your Dantian. Yes, you’ll be a Cultivator.”
Shuang nodded her head rapidly. He had already carved into her extensively. Her back was a criss-cross of thin scars that zigzagged all over her body. He had only spared her privates, really.
He hadn’t wanted to get anywhere those, above or below.
Her bones were deeply carved, however. To the point that she had become a living experiment.
When he connected everything together later today, she would become a full fledged Cultivator that shouldn’t exist. It’d given him a second idea was well.
When someone eventually found Jia’s other sister, he’d do the same thing. Giving her a false-Dantian and a storage space for Mana. In the same way he had Moira and Tala.
“Is this it then?” asked someone across from Ash. “This is your sect? You seem so proud of it. This isn’t anything that great. It’s no different than any other sect. This is exactly what one would expect except for a few odds and ends. But that’s no different than any other Sect either.”
Ah, here we are.
It’s time for the exhibition, duels, and the main events.
Let’s begin.
Please start bringing everyone over, Locke.
Reaching into the formations he’d laid out across the whole of the sect, he grasped them, and pulled. Causing the whole of the sect to vibrate in a way.
“This is Lord Sheng,” Ash said, his voice coming up from the ground throughout the sect. “The exhibitions, duels, and demonstrations will now begin. After which, the official ceremony will proceed with the City Lord, and Realm Lord’s Envoy presiding.”
As he’d sent the message, he had interrupted the ‘pause’ on the Qi drain that would normally be present throughout the sect.
Smiling at the Nie family, Ash released the formation. He could tell that what he’d just done had caused them an uncomfortable truth.
It wasn’t just the air over the sect that was under his control, but the entirety of the sect. They were here by invitation and were safe from him, but if they weren’t, this would be deeply problematic for them.
They likely felt the drain of their Qi in that moment.
“Please, take a seat, we’ll formalize everything now,” Ash said and gestured to the stands that surrounded the central point. It seemed it was now time for true show.
Where debts and relationships would be formed, broken, or owed.