Glendios Hello, everyone! Sorry for the late update!
Had to deal with life for a whole week and these seven days sucked all the life out of me which is why I felt too weak to write a chapter that should have been posted ages ago.
Still, here it is! Hope you enjoy it!
It had been two weeks since Kasumi Ai and Mei Wu became the servants for the Queen Bee, and frankly?
The Queen Bee was honestly both surprised and unsurprised by the changes that were happening in her hive since she accepted the alraune and her so-called minion into her hive's not-exactly chains of command.
The two were honestly quite entertaining, but somehow acted as she thought from her first impression on them.
The Thorny Alraune was still taking things casually, doing the work of making nectars assigned to her with an almost giddy disposition. It was clear that she didn't really care about the work as long as her needs of food, shelter and reasonable work conditions were met. And yes, the Queen Bee fully understood that point and agreed with it.
Even from a purely pragmatic view, giving good work conditions to outsiders who can and want to work with you is just the best way. It definitely helped her do so that Kasumi Ai was satisfied with things that were normal and easy to get, and had no interest in harming the hive, even as her Qi grew purer thanks to her cultivation, something the Queen Bee was still pondering if it should be talked about so soon. She preferred things to happen on their own since rushing things could be more harmful than helpful when there was no rush, but she might need to talk about it soon.
Mei Wu, though, was definitely the most amusing one of the two. She just seemed to be so frustrated yet ironically relieved by the work she was tasked to do by the bees. She was clearly still being, as the Alraune put it, inconsistent in her attitude, and was still trying to get used to the rather big change of her new living conditions. Though at least she found 'herself' or the equivalent of it, from what the Queen Bee's servants told her.
It was, at the very least, fascinating how the human woman's Qi seemed to stabilize and solidify as the days passed. It is still far too weak to even make the Queen Bee break a sweat, but now Mei Wu's power was solidly into the equivalent of a Level 2 [Braveman] even without having a Grimoire. The way she seemed focused on 'painting' her Qi with her own desire was a rather interesting as well, though it was clear that it would take a while for that to happen.
But, that would be in the future. Right now, she needed to make more of her stronger subordinates.
'More Silver-ranked Protector Bees are needed.' she thought.
Even now, after years since she took this area as her hive's domain, even if she had to conceal it to prepare with minimum distruption, it was still too draining to create her Silver-ranked protectors. It would make her exhausted for days even if she tried to create a single one.
Thankfully, Kasumi Ai's healing nectars were frankly highly potent in restoring her reserves, even if it still took nearly a dozen doses to fully revitalize herself, and even then it was better to take it easy the next day just in case. It was just so exhaustive to her body and Qi to create a Silver-ranked being from her body.
The Queen Bee knew that making far more Bronze or Normal-ranked bees would be a lot easier thanks to the effective Qi cost, but she preferred practicality, understnding that while Bronze-ranked beasts are still rather rare and strong in the continent, there were beings that could kill them with little to no effort.
Plus, thanks to the Alraune, she can have both quality and quantity, and that was far better than quantity alone as far as she was concerned.
She would have probably find a way to reward the Alraune for all these benefits. Entire rooms full of healing and energy-filling nectars, and even some of these Rainbow Colored Blooming Flowers. It was clear that Kasumi Ai didn't know the full worth of the gifts she was giving to the Queen Bee, and it felt a bit inappropriate to leave that without any rewards.
But what to give, that is the important question.
'Maybe I should ask her what she wants?' the Queen Bee pondered. Yeah, that can work. As long as it is a reasonable thing, then she would try to grant it to her new juniors.
Was she getting a bit soft and a little too friendly to the two non-bee women? Maybe, but a part of her told her it would be fine to be like that.
'Everything changes at some point, isn't that right?' she pondered with amusement, picking one of the many nectar containers, consuming it.
The sweet taste flooded her mouth and energy filled her being.
She closed her eyes, focusing her Qi around her abdomen, the egg containing the new living Silver-ranked Protector Bee starting to form, and the drain made itself known, but she didn't falter.
She would protect her hive, and to a lesser extent, her new workers.
This tiredness, it's nothing for her.
Mei Wu fell on the ground in exhaustion, her body aching and protesting as she took a moment to breathe, feeling drained. She still had enough energy to scowl at the smirking Alraune's face. Well, both her faces, since even the lower face was thoroughly amused, though the smirk on it was far more predatory by design.
"I so hate you..." she groaned as the Qi of nature felt like laughing at her misery. Kasumi Ai, in her infinite generosity, saw that her Qi stabilized and grew a bit stronger, thus decided to increase the so-called training imposed on the pink-haired woman.
"Love you too, sweetie~! Here, let this little me help you stand on your feet~!" the smugness emitted by the alraune felt so dense it could cut gold with ease, and Mei Wu only scowled harder at that, but didn't complain when Kasumi Ai gave her some water and nectar.
"Thanks a lot." she spoke with a hint of annoyance as she consumed them and felt her energy and stamina return to her battered body.
Mei Wu breathed as the few bruises and scratches she sustained healed themselves, and once again, she was honestly happy that Kasumi Ai was very gentle, if highly eccentric and irritating, even if that made her frustrated from time to time.
Had they been fighting each other to death, then any of these scratches would be filled with poison or aphrodisiacs, and Mei Wu would be turned into food, in the best case scenario.
"Why do I feel you're thinking of something rude about me?" the Qi of nature and plants took a strangely threatening yet teasing feel as the grins on the alraune's faces widened, and Mei Wu pondered for a second if Kasumi Ai was also becoming better at deciphering her thoughts or if this was just one of the times where people are just plain mind readers and simply know who was thinking badly about them. Just like how wives and girlfriends seem to know when their lovers secretely declare their unhappiness by their choices.
She scoffed. Either way, her answer was the same towards the highly human-like beast in front of her.
(knowing that she won't be harmed for this level of 'defiance' definitely helped.)
"Because I'm too inconsistent for your liking?"
"Well, I won't say I don't like your inconsistency, it's fun! But, at least you seem a lot more relaxed than before. Not as stressed, definitely." The alraune's response was reeking of honesty even as the grin was toned down to a more genuine smile.
Mei Wu pursed her lips at that. True, ever since she realized what kind of purpose and desire she held in her being, she found herself a lot calmer than before. She was still definitely worried about many things, the Xie clan most likely hunting her being one of them, but she was genuinely not as much of a nerveous wreck that she was before.
Her power was now higher than before, and she was making progress in growing even stronger thanks to the training... even if she was dragged into it by a mere whim from Kasumi Ai... No, she's not going to forget that.
"Yes, yes I'm not as stressed as before." she admitted, "though it's a shame that I still can't paint my flavor on my Qi yet. I don't have any technique that fits with my goal, and I don't know where to even begin."
She sighed as she looked at the blue sky. She knew it was probably rather rash, but damn, if she didn't feel like she deserved some compensation for her misery in her life!
"Huh... I know that cultivation is hard, and even now, I'm still on the first stage of my technique... But is it really that hard to paint your Qi with your will?" Kasumi Ai asked her, curious.
Ignoring the feeling of nature Qi almost prodding and poking at her cheeks, Mei Wu huffed at her, arms crossed.
"Yes, it is that hard. I want these scums that laid their fingers on me to be crushed under my foot to show my dominance." Mei Wu ignored the way the alraune whispered 'ohh, kinky~!' and practically threw away any embarrassment that implication held.
"But I want it so that they have no power like I was. Qi, physical power, special techniques. I want them to see how all their powers, all that progress that they trained for, or gained by sheer luck, to be rendered unusable, to make them even weaker than when I was right then. And crush them like the lowlives they are!" she hissed at the end, before having to calm herself.
"But the problem is that I'm basically walking blind when it comes to how I must advance. I doubt there are techniques or styles that focus on what I want. Oh sure, there are ones that can suppress one's Qi, and there are of course some items that negate the usage of it against warriors, mostly captured or jailed criminals, but they're not what I want. I would basically be required to make my own style and cultivation technique from scratch."
It was rather silent when she finished. It was honestly a concerning thing to her. Most techniques, cultivation ones at least, weak or not, were generally created by ancient warriors who either passed them or were found later after their death, or were stolen.
Even if there was a cultivation technique that worked on the principle of basically enforcing the user's will to create a Qi-less world for their enemies, then Mei Wu highly doubted that it would be in the Soaring Dragon Continent. It might exist in the Tong Tian Tower, but that was just a speculation as far as she can think.
"Hm... True, that would be a big headache, I believe." Kasumi Ai agreed with her, looking contemplative.
Mei Wu shook her head at that, dispelling these thoughts. Well, she would just have to keep training and cultivating until she finds her path, that's the best she can do.
"Should we return now? It's going to get dark soon." the human woman asked, even if she was lying a bit since it would be hours before the sun even started to set.
"You go back if you want, I want to cultivate here. The feeling of nature around is a lot more helpful than the taste of honey in the air." the alraune dismissed her with a smile. Then she blinked, then blinked once more, as if she discovered some important fact.
Mei Wu's eyebrows twitched as she felt the amusement oozing from her flip-flopping not-friend. Oh, great, she must have thought of something amusing that she will now use to annoy her with.
"Actually, before you leave, I want you to hear a bit of advice. It might help you~! Think of it as trading pointers and wisdom~!"
What the hell?
The alraune coughed, before her smile widened as she looked like she was a philosopher, her voice attempting to sound deep and mature but only felt like a mockery of the real thing.
"Remember, my dear student... White is not the color of purity, but what happens when one rejects all visible colors in existence, just like how black is what happens when one makes no contact with any color the sun gives, rejecting its colors without mercy. Embrace the duality, for that is the path of men... or women... or everything in between and outside of these two strangely specific yin-yang identities really."
That... was pretentious and corny as hell.
Mei Wu looked at her with a deadpan expression. "Is that supposed to give me a new understanding of cultivation and result in a breakthrough for me or something? Because I feel only disappointement."
"Ouch. That cut deep! You sure you want to train your cultivation?" Kasumi Ai held her hand on her heart in a hurt expression that might have convinced the pink-haired woman if not for the amusement that the Qi of nature was emanating. "With that tongue of yours, you might kill your enemies a lot faster than just punching them!"
Rolling her eyes, Mei Wu snorted before she decided to return and leave this stupid, yet honestly amusingly frustrating alraune outside.
Black? White? Everything? Honestly, that felt like a child trying to sound deep and wise more than an actual advice!
Which is probably what Kasumi Ai wanted, acting so pretentious. What would that even mean to Mei Wu? That she wanted to keep herself pure, therefore she would leave her inner world black to show her pure, purified purity while spewing white color so intense it wipes any other colors she hates?
Yeah, righ-
She stilled.
Wait a minute... didn't that feel so...?
Her Qi pulsed, from shock and from the sheer absurdity of what just happened.
Isn't that just what she wanted, but put into words using 'colors' as metaphors!? Should some nonsensical words told as a joke even count as one!?
"Okay. What the fu-"
"Hm... Curious, and a bit worrying." a man looking like he was in his fifties muttered as he absentmindedly stroked his beard, looking at the tea cup on the table.
He was rather tall, nearly reaching two meters with hair that was already turning grey, wearing a simple white robe, as he seemingly pondered to himself.
"It's been more than three weeks by now. Are these youngsters just getting too excited and simply forgetting to even bother writing a letter to show their progress?"
He felt that was highly possible.
Xie Li, despite his skills, was still a very petulant and unrefined, and his attitude was quite uncouth as he had so little restraint when it comes to the pleasures of the flesh. Even as a Level 3 [Hero], and with a relatively good beasts, he had a lot to learn if he wanted to be truly strong. Even though he was the child of the clan master Xie Tao, he clearly still had a long way to become a leader material.
Xie Yu was a rather good warrior, but he was more of a follower to Xie Li than an actual individual, which was a shame, the old man thought.
Mei Wu...
He sighed at that. The woman wasn't the strongest of the warriors, but her Qi-sense was a truly terrifying skill. It was honestly tragic that she became Xie Li's bed warmer just to survive in the clan. Alas, even the old man had his limits and he knew that he couldn't help every mistreated member. Not to mention that it's just a bother to go out of his way to do so.
Still, with Mei Wu's sensory skills, they should be alive, maybe. Hopefully.
"I'd really hope they are alive, but..." a sharpness that could cut steel instantly appeared in his eyes even as his expression had not changed.
It was a rather simple and straightforward mission; go check on what was happening in a forest, and return to tell the elders. At worst, it would be the apprearance of demons or high-ranked beasts and warriors causing chaos, and at best, a few Bronze-ranked beasts appearing.
It should have been a simple mission...
"I guess I should go check on them just in case? Ahh, who cares about the reason? I wanted to have a vacation from just being inside this compound for so long. Hm, I should also pick some of the youngsters too. I heard that some want some real action."
With that, the Xie Clan Elder, Xie Yao, stood up and left his chambers.
It was high time to check on his Clan Master's son, and maybe drag him kicking and screaming if he was in a trouble too much for him to handle.
And if he found him slacking, then a stern talking would be the least of that brat's problems!
Glendios As you can see, the plot started moving, or at least I plan it to. Let's hope I can do it well enough :)
Glendios Hello, everyone! Sorry for the late update!
Had to deal with life for a whole week and these seven days sucked all the life out of me which is why I felt too weak to write a chapter that should have been posted ages ago.
Still, here it is! Hope you enjoy it!
It had been two weeks since Kasumi Ai and Mei Wu became the servants for the Queen Bee, and frankly?
The Queen Bee was honestly both surprised and unsurprised by the changes that were happening in her hive since she accepted the alraune and her so-called minion into her hive's not-exactly chains of command.
The two were honestly quite entertaining, but somehow acted as she thought from her first impression on them.
The Thorny Alraune was still taking things casually, doing the work of making nectars assigned to her with an almost giddy disposition. It was clear that she didn't really care about the work as long as her needs of food, shelter and reasonable work conditions were met. And yes, the Queen Bee fully understood that point and agreed with it.
Even from a purely pragmatic view, giving good work conditions to outsiders who can and want to work with you is just the best way. It definitely helped her do so that Kasumi Ai was satisfied with things that were normal and easy to get, and had no interest in harming the hive, even as her Qi grew purer thanks to her cultivation, something the Queen Bee was still pondering if it should be talked about so soon. She preferred things to happen on their own since rushing things could be more harmful than helpful when there was no rush, but she might need to talk about it soon.
Mei Wu, though, was definitely the most amusing one of the two. She just seemed to be so frustrated yet ironically relieved by the work she was tasked to do by the bees. She was clearly still being, as the Alraune put it, inconsistent in her attitude, and was still trying to get used to the rather big change of her new living conditions. Though at least she found 'herself' or the equivalent of it, from what the Queen Bee's servants told her.
It was, at the very least, fascinating how the human woman's Qi seemed to stabilize and solidify as the days passed. It is still far too weak to even make the Queen Bee break a sweat, but now Mei Wu's power was solidly into the equivalent of a Level 2 [Braveman] even without having a Grimoire. The way she seemed focused on 'painting' her Qi with her own desire was a rather interesting as well, though it was clear that it would take a while for that to happen.
But, that would be in the future. Right now, she needed to make more of her stronger subordinates.
'More Silver-ranked Protector Bees are needed.' she thought.
Even now, after years since she took this area as her hive's domain, even if she had to conceal it to prepare with minimum distruption, it was still too draining to create her Silver-ranked protectors. It would make her exhausted for days even if she tried to create a single one.
Thankfully, Kasumi Ai's healing nectars were frankly highly potent in restoring her reserves, even if it still took nearly a dozen doses to fully revitalize herself, and even then it was better to take it easy the next day just in case. It was just so exhaustive to her body and Qi to create a Silver-ranked being from her body.
The Queen Bee knew that making far more Bronze or Normal-ranked bees would be a lot easier thanks to the effective Qi cost, but she preferred practicality, understnding that while Bronze-ranked beasts are still rather rare and strong in the continent, there were beings that could kill them with little to no effort.
Plus, thanks to the Alraune, she can have both quality and quantity, and that was far better than quantity alone as far as she was concerned.
She would have probably find a way to reward the Alraune for all these benefits. Entire rooms full of healing and energy-filling nectars, and even some of these Rainbow Colored Blooming Flowers. It was clear that Kasumi Ai didn't know the full worth of the gifts she was giving to the Queen Bee, and it felt a bit inappropriate to leave that without any rewards.
But what to give, that is the important question.
'Maybe I should ask her what she wants?' the Queen Bee pondered. Yeah, that can work. As long as it is a reasonable thing, then she would try to grant it to her new juniors.
Was she getting a bit soft and a little too friendly to the two non-bee women? Maybe, but a part of her told her it would be fine to be like that.
'Everything changes at some point, isn't that right?' she pondered with amusement, picking one of the many nectar containers, consuming it.
The sweet taste flooded her mouth and energy filled her being.
She closed her eyes, focusing her Qi around her abdomen, the egg containing the new living Silver-ranked Protector Bee starting to form, and the drain made itself known, but she didn't falter.
She would protect her hive, and to a lesser extent, her new workers.
This tiredness, it's nothing for her.
Mei Wu fell on the ground in exhaustion, her body aching and protesting as she took a moment to breathe, feeling drained. She still had enough energy to scowl at the smirking Alraune's face. Well, both her faces, since even the lower face was thoroughly amused, though the smirk on it was far more predatory by design.
"I so hate you..." she groaned as the Qi of nature felt like laughing at her misery. Kasumi Ai, in her infinite generosity, saw that her Qi stabilized and grew a bit stronger, thus decided to increase the so-called training imposed on the pink-haired woman.
"Love you too, sweetie~! Here, let this little me help you stand on your feet~!" the smugness emitted by the alraune felt so dense it could cut gold with ease, and Mei Wu only scowled harder at that, but didn't complain when Kasumi Ai gave her some water and nectar.
"Thanks a lot." she spoke with a hint of annoyance as she consumed them and felt her energy and stamina return to her battered body.
Mei Wu breathed as the few bruises and scratches she sustained healed themselves, and once again, she was honestly happy that Kasumi Ai was very gentle, if highly eccentric and irritating, even if that made her frustrated from time to time.
Had they been fighting each other to death, then any of these scratches would be filled with poison or aphrodisiacs, and Mei Wu would be turned into food, in the best case scenario.
"Why do I feel you're thinking of something rude about me?" the Qi of nature and plants took a strangely threatening yet teasing feel as the grins on the alraune's faces widened, and Mei Wu pondered for a second if Kasumi Ai was also becoming better at deciphering her thoughts or if this was just one of the times where people are just plain mind readers and simply know who was thinking badly about them. Just like how wives and girlfriends seem to know when their lovers secretely declare their unhappiness by their choices.
She scoffed. Either way, her answer was the same towards the highly human-like beast in front of her.
(knowing that she won't be harmed for this level of 'defiance' definitely helped.)
"Because I'm too inconsistent for your liking?"
"Well, I won't say I don't like your inconsistency, it's fun! But, at least you seem a lot more relaxed than before. Not as stressed, definitely." The alraune's response was reeking of honesty even as the grin was toned down to a more genuine smile.
Mei Wu pursed her lips at that. True, ever since she realized what kind of purpose and desire she held in her being, she found herself a lot calmer than before. She was still definitely worried about many things, the Xie clan most likely hunting her being one of them, but she was genuinely not as much of a nerveous wreck that she was before.
Her power was now higher than before, and she was making progress in growing even stronger thanks to the training... even if she was dragged into it by a mere whim from Kasumi Ai... No, she's not going to forget that.
"Yes, yes I'm not as stressed as before." she admitted, "though it's a shame that I still can't paint my flavor on my Qi yet. I don't have any technique that fits with my goal, and I don't know where to even begin."
She sighed as she looked at the blue sky. She knew it was probably rather rash, but damn, if she didn't feel like she deserved some compensation for her misery in her life!
"Huh... I know that cultivation is hard, and even now, I'm still on the first stage of my technique... But is it really that hard to paint your Qi with your will?" Kasumi Ai asked her, curious.
Ignoring the feeling of nature Qi almost prodding and poking at her cheeks, Mei Wu huffed at her, arms crossed.
"Yes, it is that hard. I want these scums that laid their fingers on me to be crushed under my foot to show my dominance." Mei Wu ignored the way the alraune whispered 'ohh, kinky~!' and practically threw away any embarrassment that implication held.
"But I want it so that they have no power like I was. Qi, physical power, special techniques. I want them to see how all their powers, all that progress that they trained for, or gained by sheer luck, to be rendered unusable, to make them even weaker than when I was right then. And crush them like the lowlives they are!" she hissed at the end, before having to calm herself.
"But the problem is that I'm basically walking blind when it comes to how I must advance. I doubt there are techniques or styles that focus on what I want. Oh sure, there are ones that can suppress one's Qi, and there are of course some items that negate the usage of it against warriors, mostly captured or jailed criminals, but they're not what I want. I would basically be required to make my own style and cultivation technique from scratch."
It was rather silent when she finished. It was honestly a concerning thing to her. Most techniques, cultivation ones at least, weak or not, were generally created by ancient warriors who either passed them or were found later after their death, or were stolen.
Even if there was a cultivation technique that worked on the principle of basically enforcing the user's will to create a Qi-less world for their enemies, then Mei Wu highly doubted that it would be in the Soaring Dragon Continent. It might exist in the Tong Tian Tower, but that was just a speculation as far as she can think.
"Hm... True, that would be a big headache, I believe." Kasumi Ai agreed with her, looking contemplative.
Mei Wu shook her head at that, dispelling these thoughts. Well, she would just have to keep training and cultivating until she finds her path, that's the best she can do.
"Should we return now? It's going to get dark soon." the human woman asked, even if she was lying a bit since it would be hours before the sun even started to set.
"You go back if you want, I want to cultivate here. The feeling of nature around is a lot more helpful than the taste of honey in the air." the alraune dismissed her with a smile. Then she blinked, then blinked once more, as if she discovered some important fact.
Mei Wu's eyebrows twitched as she felt the amusement oozing from her flip-flopping not-friend. Oh, great, she must have thought of something amusing that she will now use to annoy her with.
"Actually, before you leave, I want you to hear a bit of advice. It might help you~! Think of it as trading pointers and wisdom~!"
What the hell?
The alraune coughed, before her smile widened as she looked like she was a philosopher, her voice attempting to sound deep and mature but only felt like a mockery of the real thing.
"Remember, my dear student... White is not the color of purity, but what happens when one rejects all visible colors in existence, just like how black is what happens when one makes no contact with any color the sun gives, rejecting its colors without mercy. Embrace the duality, for that is the path of men... or women... or everything in between and outside of these two strangely specific yin-yang identities really."
That... was pretentious and corny as hell.
Mei Wu looked at her with a deadpan expression. "Is that supposed to give me a new understanding of cultivation and result in a breakthrough for me or something? Because I feel only disappointement."
"Ouch. That cut deep! You sure you want to train your cultivation?" Kasumi Ai held her hand on her heart in a hurt expression that might have convinced the pink-haired woman if not for the amusement that the Qi of nature was emanating. "With that tongue of yours, you might kill your enemies a lot faster than just punching them!"
Rolling her eyes, Mei Wu snorted before she decided to return and leave this stupid, yet honestly amusingly frustrating alraune outside.
Black? White? Everything? Honestly, that felt like a child trying to sound deep and wise more than an actual advice!
Which is probably what Kasumi Ai wanted, acting so pretentious. What would that even mean to Mei Wu? That she wanted to keep herself pure, therefore she would leave her inner world black to show her pure, purified purity while spewing white color so intense it wipes any other colors she hates?
Yeah, righ-
She stilled.
Wait a minute... didn't that feel so...?
Her Qi pulsed, from shock and from the sheer absurdity of what just happened.
Isn't that just what she wanted, but put into words using 'colors' as metaphors!? Should some nonsensical words told as a joke even count as one!?
"Okay. What the fu-"
"Hm... Curious, and a bit worrying." a man looking like he was in his fifties muttered as he absentmindedly stroked his beard, looking at the tea cup on the table.
He was rather tall, nearly reaching two meters with hair that was already turning grey, wearing a simple white robe, as he seemingly pondered to himself.
"It's been more than three weeks by now. Are these youngsters just getting too excited and simply forgetting to even bother writing a letter to show their progress?"
He felt that was highly possible.
Xie Li, despite his skills, was still a very petulant and unrefined, and his attitude was quite uncouth as he had so little restraint when it comes to the pleasures of the flesh. Even as a Level 3 [Hero], and with a relatively good beasts, he had a lot to learn if he wanted to be truly strong. Even though he was the child of the clan master Xie Tao, he clearly still had a long way to become a leader material.
Xie Yu was a rather good warrior, but he was more of a follower to Xie Li than an actual individual, which was a shame, the old man thought.
Mei Wu...
He sighed at that. The woman wasn't the strongest of the warriors, but her Qi-sense was a truly terrifying skill. It was honestly tragic that she became Xie Li's bed warmer just to survive in the clan. Alas, even the old man had his limits and he knew that he couldn't help every mistreated member. Not to mention that it's just a bother to go out of his way to do so.
Still, with Mei Wu's sensory skills, they should be alive, maybe. Hopefully.
"I'd really hope they are alive, but..." a sharpness that could cut steel instantly appeared in his eyes even as his expression had not changed.
It was a rather simple and straightforward mission; go check on what was happening in a forest, and return to tell the elders. At worst, it would be the apprearance of demons or high-ranked beasts and warriors causing chaos, and at best, a few Bronze-ranked beasts appearing.
It should have been a simple mission...
"I guess I should go check on them just in case? Ahh, who cares about the reason? I wanted to have a vacation from just being inside this compound for so long. Hm, I should also pick some of the youngsters too. I heard that some want some real action."
With that, the Xie Clan Elder, Xie Yao, stood up and left his chambers.
It was high time to check on his Clan Master's son, and maybe drag him kicking and screaming if he was in a trouble too much for him to handle.
And if he found him slacking, then a stern talking would be the least of that brat's problems!
Glendios As you can see, the plot started moving, or at least I plan it to. Let's hope I can do it well enough :)
