Ken was led to a vault, which was deep within one of the pavilions. There were several Martial Experts who were within ear shot of the pavilion, and there was an older Martial Master who was drinking casually.
Patriarch Newblade pricked his finger and dropped his blood against the first array, which Ken had taken note of, and it opened up a door. There was a long corridor ahead, which he was pushed through by Yue.
Chandi walked behind, followed by the Patriarch’s personal guard. As they were led through, Patriarch Newblade continued to open up the various arrays, mostly with his blood, but also with a few objects that were on his person.
Eventually they came into a large room with many treasures. The treasures were as numerous as those within the Blackdeer’s vaults, though they weren’t as high quality, and most of them were sword.
There were three rows of cabinets, each covered with an assortment of-
[[MORTAL! PICK THE BLACK STONE IN THE CORNER OF THE ROOM FOR THIS QUEEN IMMEDIATELY!]]
Ken's head fell to the side as the screaming filled his ears. He couldn't even examine the place for all its treasures as he motioned towards the back of the room where a small black ring was, formed out of some kind of rock.
"The Black Rock Ring,” Patriarch Newblade said. “It's a mysterious item that my ancestor found. He was unable to refine it, even though he was a great figure. We don't know what it does. Are you sure you want this item?"
"I'm sure," Ken replied. He had never been shouted at before, and he was certain that the goddess would kill him if he didn’t pick it.
"Very well." Newblade bowed his head as Ken took the rock, escorting the cripple out.
Ken had wanted to admire all the treasures, but it would be awkward if he spent time examining the other items. Why couldn’t the goddess at least allow him to window shop?
He tried to shift away the ring into another ring, but it didn't work.
[Oh? Curious!]
[[Hehe. What a foolish mortal, trying to put away the Black Rock Ring.]]
He wanted to talk to the goddess, but he was still with the Patriarch.
"Patriarch Newblade, when is it that you want me to come and refine the pills?”
"Just in the weekends if it pleases the Arrayist. We will prepare the gold and materials before you arrive and you can refine for us many low grade earth pills.”
"Why do you only want low grade earth pills?”
"We have a large amount of people below the age of fifteen, and I wish to prepare them for the future. If we're able to acquire a few hundred low grade earth pills, then our foundation would be stable. Our goal is to maintain the young and pray for good fortune for the few who become powerful."
"Good fortune comes for those who are bold." Ken handed over a middle grade earth array. "Take this as a gift from me to you. I hope that we have more dealings with one another."
"I will accept your kindness." The Patriarch bowed his head and took the array.
He couldn't believe his luck. He had managed to create some good will between himself and an Arrayist Alchemist. Hearing those old fogies constantly complain to him about how much he had offered had annoyed him, but he was glad that he had done so.
"Would you mind bringing more tea for my slaves as well?" Ken asked when they finally returned to the open aired pavilion.
"A small matter." The Patriarch called for more tea, motioning something with his eyes.
A young woman appeared, carrying a sword at her hip. She had long black hair and sharp eyes like a hawk. Her face was pretty, but more in a masculine way, though her figure was refined.
"This is my daughter, Hana Newblade, and she is learning the Gentle Petals Blade. She is currently a Middle Martial Apprentice, but she will ascend to Higher Martial Apprentice soon."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Young Miss Hana." Ken bowed his head lightly in a greeting.
"I greet you, Arrayist." Her voice was low, and her eyes were judging him. She didn’t seem too impressed by Ken, whose cultivation was much lower than her own. She did not need the approval of a cripple.
"Hana, why don't you show him your technique?" Patriarch Newblade said, glaring at her for a moment to try and get her to behave.
Hana frowned for a moment, but she grabbed her sword. She began to display her techniques, which was like a dance. Flowing petals began to appear nearby, and she continued to slash and pierce, revealing her great balance and her ability to move quickly and yet gracefully.
Then her eyes glared towards Ken and the petals flew towards him, like a dozen daggers. The petals were split in half as the Patriarch held out his sword, having stepped in front of the Arrayist.
"Hana Newblade!" The older man’s voice boomed loudly, and several others nearby began to pay attention. A few Martial Experts appeared nearby, keeping an eye on the situation.
Hana’s eyes grew wide in shock as she dropped down to her knees. She was trembling lightly, having not expected her father to behave in such a way.
“How dare you!” The Patriarch’s sword shook, his heart beat wildly. He needed to try and salvage the situation. He turned to Ken, his eyes full of worry.
Ken raised a hand. "Calm down. She held no killing intent in her attack, so I assume she wanted to cover me in petals as a gift. Isn’t that so, Young Miss Hana?”
"I... I..." She had just wanted to scare him a little, but she hadn’t expected to get into so much trouble.
"It's a shame your father cut the petals. Perhaps I could ask for a gift at another time?" Ken waved his hand dismissively to the Patriarch and leaned back.
"Of course, Arrayist." The Patriarch said quickly, seeing that Ken wasn’t going to make a big deal of it. His heart was still pounding wildly.
Though, Ken needed to take advantage of the situation. "I would like to know what you had in mind with introducing your daughter to me," Ken said, sipping his tea.
The pair were looking past Ken, who followed their gaze to see Chandi baring her teeth, her eyes full of killing intent. She hadn’t moved yet, noting that Ken was being relaxed about the situation, but even so, she was ready to attack.
"Chandi, settle down."
"Master! She tried to-"
"Chandi. Settle down. She tried to give me a gift, nothing more." Ken glared up at her, and Chandi quickly relented.
Even so, she remained more vigilant now. She would have been able to protect Ken, though Patriarch Newblade was extremely quick.
"I was hoping that the great Arrayist would take positively to her,” the Patriarch admitted. “Perhaps she could become your maid…" He looked down to his daughter, who had ruined such a great opportunity.
"I do take positively to her, but let me ask her. Young Miss Hana, do you want to become my maid?"
"I don't! I want to become a powerful cultivator for my family! I have no time to be a maid!" Though she had been quite afraid moments ago, her eyes were filled with a great resolution.
"Then I will no longer speak about that matter." Ken sipped on the tea. "What do you two think? This tea is very nice, right?" He looked up to Yue and Chandi.
"It’s delicious. It’s quite a popular flavour in the north," Yue said.
"It's good." Chandi had finished it quickly, wanting to remain on guard.
"Since I have had such lovely tea and company, I'm in a good mood. Here." Ken handed over a low grade earth talisman of blasting and a defensive one too.
"Thank you, Arrayist."
"Like I said, alchemy is a hobby. I believe my array skills are much greater.” He smiled. He was still spreading along the message that he was an Arrayist, especially since it might be required with the small realm.
Ken was led to a vault, which was deep within one of the pavilions. There were several Martial Experts who were within ear shot of the pavilion, and there was an older Martial Master who was drinking casually.
Patriarch Newblade pricked his finger and dropped his blood against the first array, which Ken had taken note of, and it opened up a door. There was a long corridor ahead, which he was pushed through by Yue.
Chandi walked behind, followed by the Patriarch’s personal guard. As they were led through, Patriarch Newblade continued to open up the various arrays, mostly with his blood, but also with a few objects that were on his person.
Eventually they came into a large room with many treasures. The treasures were as numerous as those within the Blackdeer’s vaults, though they weren’t as high quality, and most of them were sword.
There were three rows of cabinets, each covered with an assortment of-
[[MORTAL! PICK THE BLACK STONE IN THE CORNER OF THE ROOM FOR THIS QUEEN IMMEDIATELY!]]
Ken's head fell to the side as the screaming filled his ears. He couldn't even examine the place for all its treasures as he motioned towards the back of the room where a small black ring was, formed out of some kind of rock.
"The Black Rock Ring,” Patriarch Newblade said. “It's a mysterious item that my ancestor found. He was unable to refine it, even though he was a great figure. We don't know what it does. Are you sure you want this item?"
"I'm sure," Ken replied. He had never been shouted at before, and he was certain that the goddess would kill him if he didn’t pick it.
"Very well." Newblade bowed his head as Ken took the rock, escorting the cripple out.
Ken had wanted to admire all the treasures, but it would be awkward if he spent time examining the other items. Why couldn’t the goddess at least allow him to window shop?
He tried to shift away the ring into another ring, but it didn't work.
[Oh? Curious!]
[[Hehe. What a foolish mortal, trying to put away the Black Rock Ring.]]
He wanted to talk to the goddess, but he was still with the Patriarch.
"Patriarch Newblade, when is it that you want me to come and refine the pills?”
"Just in the weekends if it pleases the Arrayist. We will prepare the gold and materials before you arrive and you can refine for us many low grade earth pills.”
"Why do you only want low grade earth pills?”
"We have a large amount of people below the age of fifteen, and I wish to prepare them for the future. If we're able to acquire a few hundred low grade earth pills, then our foundation would be stable. Our goal is to maintain the young and pray for good fortune for the few who become powerful."
"Good fortune comes for those who are bold." Ken handed over a middle grade earth array. "Take this as a gift from me to you. I hope that we have more dealings with one another."
"I will accept your kindness." The Patriarch bowed his head and took the array.
He couldn't believe his luck. He had managed to create some good will between himself and an Arrayist Alchemist. Hearing those old fogies constantly complain to him about how much he had offered had annoyed him, but he was glad that he had done so.
"Would you mind bringing more tea for my slaves as well?" Ken asked when they finally returned to the open aired pavilion.
"A small matter." The Patriarch called for more tea, motioning something with his eyes.
A young woman appeared, carrying a sword at her hip. She had long black hair and sharp eyes like a hawk. Her face was pretty, but more in a masculine way, though her figure was refined.
"This is my daughter, Hana Newblade, and she is learning the Gentle Petals Blade. She is currently a Middle Martial Apprentice, but she will ascend to Higher Martial Apprentice soon."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Young Miss Hana." Ken bowed his head lightly in a greeting.
"I greet you, Arrayist." Her voice was low, and her eyes were judging him. She didn’t seem too impressed by Ken, whose cultivation was much lower than her own. She did not need the approval of a cripple.
"Hana, why don't you show him your technique?" Patriarch Newblade said, glaring at her for a moment to try and get her to behave.
Hana frowned for a moment, but she grabbed her sword. She began to display her techniques, which was like a dance. Flowing petals began to appear nearby, and she continued to slash and pierce, revealing her great balance and her ability to move quickly and yet gracefully.
Then her eyes glared towards Ken and the petals flew towards him, like a dozen daggers. The petals were split in half as the Patriarch held out his sword, having stepped in front of the Arrayist.
"Hana Newblade!" The older man’s voice boomed loudly, and several others nearby began to pay attention. A few Martial Experts appeared nearby, keeping an eye on the situation.
Hana’s eyes grew wide in shock as she dropped down to her knees. She was trembling lightly, having not expected her father to behave in such a way.
“How dare you!” The Patriarch’s sword shook, his heart beat wildly. He needed to try and salvage the situation. He turned to Ken, his eyes full of worry.
Ken raised a hand. "Calm down. She held no killing intent in her attack, so I assume she wanted to cover me in petals as a gift. Isn’t that so, Young Miss Hana?”
"I... I..." She had just wanted to scare him a little, but she hadn’t expected to get into so much trouble.
"It's a shame your father cut the petals. Perhaps I could ask for a gift at another time?" Ken waved his hand dismissively to the Patriarch and leaned back.
"Of course, Arrayist." The Patriarch said quickly, seeing that Ken wasn’t going to make a big deal of it. His heart was still pounding wildly.
Though, Ken needed to take advantage of the situation. "I would like to know what you had in mind with introducing your daughter to me," Ken said, sipping his tea.
The pair were looking past Ken, who followed their gaze to see Chandi baring her teeth, her eyes full of killing intent. She hadn’t moved yet, noting that Ken was being relaxed about the situation, but even so, she was ready to attack.
"Chandi, settle down."
"Master! She tried to-"
"Chandi. Settle down. She tried to give me a gift, nothing more." Ken glared up at her, and Chandi quickly relented.
Even so, she remained more vigilant now. She would have been able to protect Ken, though Patriarch Newblade was extremely quick.
"I was hoping that the great Arrayist would take positively to her,” the Patriarch admitted. “Perhaps she could become your maid…" He looked down to his daughter, who had ruined such a great opportunity.
"I do take positively to her, but let me ask her. Young Miss Hana, do you want to become my maid?"
"I don't! I want to become a powerful cultivator for my family! I have no time to be a maid!" Though she had been quite afraid moments ago, her eyes were filled with a great resolution.
"Then I will no longer speak about that matter." Ken sipped on the tea. "What do you two think? This tea is very nice, right?" He looked up to Yue and Chandi.
"It’s delicious. It’s quite a popular flavour in the north," Yue said.
"It's good." Chandi had finished it quickly, wanting to remain on guard.
"Since I have had such lovely tea and company, I'm in a good mood. Here." Ken handed over a low grade earth talisman of blasting and a defensive one too.
"Thank you, Arrayist."
"Like I said, alchemy is a hobby. I believe my array skills are much greater.” He smiled. He was still spreading along the message that he was an Arrayist, especially since it might be required with the small realm.
