Mage And Wolf
Chapter 158

Chapter 158: Chapter 158

More Elders from High River Sect are called in to hammer out the details with Sect Master Sun and a few of our training focused Elders. It sounds like things are going well though, nobody is outright objecting, in fact they seem enthusiastic, it’s just a matter of the details to be worked out.

Tentatively, they’re going to ask families to send two potential trainees for every position we fill with a qualified recruit, to account for failure rate and differing aptitude. The Shadowed Blade Elders think this is a great idea, because it moves us further from the model of the male centric martial cultivators and towards the more balanced composition of purely cultivation or knowledge focused Sects, as most Neutral Sects are.

Appearances are important when you’re actually sending assassins to every corner of the continent.

Sect Master Sun is lucky in that the Sect currently has Training Elders that used to be both household staff and Ladies Maids. With that knowledge in hand, the first wave of bodyguards can be properly prepared for their expected duties and the other necessary trades can be taught to the incoming students.

Students is the name they’ve reserved for those going into domestic service. They’ll be trained well as cultivators, but officially calling them disciples might upset a great number of other Sects who would view it as a blatant power grab. Training students as servants to do domestic chores for noble households while raising their cultivation enough that they’re not a liability sounds more like a benign public service.

Many schools currently exist for the purpose of raising future staff for nobility, minus the cultivation training, which is why they become a liability, or disposable asset, depending on the views of the family.

Me, Karl and Elder Song have a different mission today though. We’re setting off on a short journey to recover a lost relic of the Sacred Thunder Sect to return as a gift in the upcoming open tournament. Elder Song has gotten word that we’re not the only ones looking for it, as the relic was recently sensed by a number of Elders from various Sects following the earthquakes caused by the unstable portals.

That’s why he’s coming with us. To keep everyone civil. Fights between competing Sect members after the same target are always expected, but unless it’s a Light Sect and Devil Sect member meeting, it’s considered in bad taste to kill each other. At least, if you get caught.

Elder Song, as he has now reached the level of Divinity in his cultivation gives us an unfair advantage over most. Not only are his senses stronger and more accurate, as a mage type cultivator with an aptitude for Arcane spells, he can open portals so we can simply step across the continent instead of running for weeks.

The energy signature of the artifact is diffused over an area, but we can at least get within a few hundred kilometers of the destination accurately to begin our search.

"What is this artifact that everyone is searching for it?" I ask Elder Song, who is preparing random items he thinks might be useful on the trip.

"It’s a Thunder totem, like the Death Energy totem Karl carries for cultivation, except made for the Sacred Thunder Sect. In its radius, Lightning type cultivators will cultivate roughly three times as fast. That’s the kind of benefit cultivators would kill for." Elder Song explains.

That totem we use is a pretty sweet item, and if it were Thunder instead, without the chance of corrupting its surroundings it would be even more desirable to your average cultivator.

"I can see how giving it as a gift would sway Sacred Thunder Sect to our side pretty easily." Karl says, thinking of the search ahead with excitement.

"I’ve got all the pills we’re likely to need, including more for cultivation breakthroughs and a lot of regeneration and camouflage pills. I know we can all Shadow Meld now, but sometimes it’s better to just blend in." I let them know my end of things are prepared.

"Before we go, the area we’re going to is a Stronghold of Self Righteous sorts who call themselves ’Virtuous Cultivators’. Don’t say anything about forbidden techniques, Cursed Pills or dual cultivation. Your Death Energy cultivation will be fine, they’re not worried about that, but a hint of cleavage will send those old virgins into a rage." Elder Song warns us.

"Wait, they don’t believe in sex? How does that work?" I gasp stunned.

"They believe it hinders their cultivation, and is a sin against divinity, so they forbid it for cultivators. Mentioning it, or making fun of their virginity will immediately start a fight." He laughs.

"So, the Young Miss should likely change?" Karl laughs. I’m in a cute black sun dress with elbow length sleeves, but it’s got a decent bit of cleavage showing. Seriously, it’s always hot here, let me breathe guys.

Elder Song looks like he’d rather I didn’t, just to see the reaction of the first group of locals we met, but deciding on prudence I went for the lightest shawl I could find. It’s mint green and accents my knee length black dress well, plus it is extremely thin, not trapping heat in, even when flipped across my shoulder to hide my cleavage.

"That will do. I’ll deal with any of the extremists. You never know what might set one of them off, and most of the immortals will be able to sense the Death God’s mark on you both."

We step through the portal into a deserted corner of a city’s shopping district.

"Welcome to the city of Abbeville. Home of, well, boredom." Elder Song says with a grand gesture.

We step out into the busier street and immediately draw attention. Everyone is in what looks to me like baggy track suits. The presence of the guys well fitted, though far from tight, Robes is enough to get disdainful glances, and those who notice me look positively scandalized.

"You’re right Divine Elder. These people look like a fun loving and cheerful sort." I joke and an old man in the empty Cafe near us snorts in laughter.

"Things have changed recently. The Virtuous Sect Alliance now controls the city. They’ve banned dresses in public as an affront against cultivators decency. Anything feminine sends them into a rage. They burnt down the bookstore for having a pink wall in the children’s section and ordered it rebuilt with only cultivation texts." the old shop keeper explains.

"Elder Song, I think we’ve got a fight coming." Karl says, pointing down the street where a dozen cultivators are running our way.

The fact they’re running is a good sign, immortals fly if they’re in a hurry.

"You three, change clothing immediately! You are committing the crime of disrupting cultivation. Do you know how much of a disturbance you’ve caused?" their balding, red faced leader shouts.

"Well, alright, it’s a bit unorthodox, but I’ll change now." I grin, removing my shawl and sliding my dress off one shoulder.

"You trollop! Out, get out of our city!" the leader shouts, his nose bleeding and his eyes firmly locked on my chest, trousers painfully tented.

They’re gesturing wildly towards a nearby gate, and we jog over, doing our best to avoid laughing.

"Reason for exit?" The gate guard asks as we approach, not even looking up. I’ve straightened my dress and returned my shawl to my shoulders already, not that he’s noticed.

"My wife’s existence was causing unvirtuous thoughts among the locals." Karl says and the guard looks up before laughing out loud.

"A bit of bare shoulder and they’d likely mess their britches." the guard nods in a solemn voice and gestures that we can leave, while the cultivators fume in rage.

"I’ve got a set of the Forbidden Treasure Sects old robes, want to see if we can kill someone without launching an attack next time we find a city?" Karl grins mischievously.

"As long as we go in matching outfits." I giggle.

"You say that like I wouldn’t. Can you imagine their faces?" Karl laughs and Elder Song ushers us away from the gates and the near apoplectic cultivators.

"As much fun as that idea is, we should get out of sight before their reinforcements arrive. Fighting within sight of the gates will likely cause bigger issues, and I’m certain that we’ve caused a fight by now." Elder Song assures us, while pushing us along.

We retreat into the woods, keeping a close watch out for the incoming cultivators, and I change into my Priestess Robes, not wanting to ruin a perfectly good outfit in a cat fight with a bunch of Gynophobes.

"I hide my cultivating pretty well, so let’s not let them know I’m capable of fighting yet. Elder Song whispers, nodding towards the city wall that the dozen middle aged looking men have just hopped over.

One of the older members seems to have recognized my official High Priestess apparel, but he doesn’t get a chance to speak before the leader flies into a rage.

"We’ve got you now, degenerates. Now, learn what it means to defy the edicts of the Virtuous Alliance." He announces proudly.

"Forgive me, I’m foreign and my grasp of language is weak, does this word Virtuous mean what we call a Wizard in my country? Beyond middle aged and still desperately hoping to lose his virginity?" Karl says with a heavy German accent.

There’s the reaction he was hoping for, blind rage. It’s time for a fight.