Mage And Wolf
Chapter 96

Chapter 96: Chapter 96

Giving a grand tour of the Outer Sect grounds is a lot of fun. I was given a map and told to memorize, but today we get to go over the highlights, hidden gems, most relaxing places and the people you simply must know.

A lot of what Elder Song pointed out I didn’t know myself.

For his part, he’s having a grand time of it, escorting a group of beautiful women, including an actual Sect Master, who has her hand demurely rested upon his arm like a proper lady of high society in her amazing new robes.

They’re much like the disciples, but far more ornate, with the dye fading from peach to bright pink and yellow at bottom and top. Embroidery covers the entire sleeves and I marvel at the spell he must have used to accomplish it.

Maybe I can get a copy for Arcana City.

We’ve attracted a lot of attention, as robes of other sects always will, but smiling at overly friendly young disciples is enough to send most of them into hiding, a violent reputation keeping everyone polite and civil.

Stopping by the Inscription halls reminds Elder Song of our agreement, ’just the basics’ he says as he’s preparing the memory transfer Karl knew as the learning spell.

Goddess that’s a rush.

I should have asked what qualified as the basics though. There’s a lot of random life experiences in the mix. Not a millenia like the alchemy information dump, but quite a few, and not all suitable for work. Though through that I do learn that you can write binding spells and protective inscriptions directly onto a person and not just an object for them to hold onto or hang to effect an area.

It’s a bit like the Mage tattoos that hold a spell or ward, but temporary. That’s pretty cool.

"Is she alright?" One of the Forbidden Treasure disciples is whispering. Guess it’s time to focus on the real world.

"Yes, sorry about that. I was just taking a moment to digest the new information" I tell her, but she doesn’t look entirely convinced.

The last stop in the tour is the grand baths. Sure you can wash up in any of the disciples dorms, and the Elders have showers, but these are a giant hot spring.

The fact they’re separated into men’s and women’s sides draws upset jeering from the Dual Cultivators, but Elder Song reinforces that there have been enough incidents already that intimate actions in the bath are prohibited entirely.

We split off from Elder Song to enjoy a nice bath, wishing him a good night while Sect Master Becky makes a suggestive joke about just how good she will make his night.

"So that’s your type is it?"

"Definitely. A man needs a few years on him to learn how to do things right" my implanted memories flash to things I really didn’t need to know about Elder Song.

"Just don’t take any pills he gives you" I laugh "It might be a stamina pill, it might be a mass fertility aid"

"I’m not sure I want to know but" one of the disciples asks.

"Just like it sounds" Becky assures her "Near guaranteed impregnation with 6 or more"

"What sort of evil sect would even invent that?" another girl gasps.

Elder Song, that’s who. He invented that for a friend’s cat and then discovered it also worked on humans. Best not to ruin his reputation any further though.

"Who knows?" Sect Master Becky shrugs. "But I’ve heard rumors it is a real thing"

We lounge around the hot springs for hours, chatting and filling the disciples in on what to expect once it’s time to move to my world. Many other women from the Shadowed Blade come to join us and get sucked into the stories of life in a dual cultivating Sect and life in another world.

"So you’re saying that they made a device so a non cultivator can travel as fast as a Fortification Realm cultivator over the ground?"

"Exactly. And upgraded the roads so everyone could travel that way. Don’t even get me started on the speed of air travel."

"Even if they’re a weaker cultivator, and they insult you in public, you can’t just kill them? Even outside the city and unprotected?"

I almost forgot how different our worlds are. I mean, other than the cultivation thing.

"For now anyhow. We’ll see how long that lasts after the restrictions on cultivators power fades."

We’re all cleaned up and gathered in the kitchen at Elder Po’s pagoda to make dinner when the man in question suddenly returns home.

"Elder Po" I bow deeply "We didn’t expect you back for a few days. What brings you so urgently?"

"The portal you came through is starting to destabilize. It’s gone from flickering once a day to once an hour after you left the tournament. You all need to go."

Well I guess that rules out long goodbyes and packing heavily for the journey.

"Don’t worry Young Miss, I’ve packed essentials for you."

"Do I have time for some quick shopping at the towns along the way? Just a couple hours to burn through monster cores getting things my world doesn’t have yet."

"What do you need? I’ll get it quickly while you ladies run to the portal." He agrees after a moment’s thought.

"Alchemy herbs and other materials, that good translucent silk, herb seeds, inscription supplies, a baby magical milk cow?"

Everyone seems to think that last bit was a joke, but I actually want one.

"I’ll get what I can from the towns." I throw him a sack full of monster cores, about half what I have.

"Use that, I can get more when I get home"

"Girl, you never told me you were rich" Sect Master Becky sighs when he opens the bag to see the contents.

"Why do you think they call her The Young Miss?" Elder Po laughs. "She wants for nothing, anything she desires she finds she has the means to obtain."

"I’ll miss your teasing Elder" I laugh.

"Don’t miss me too much, we’ll find another portal open to your world. Or we’ll get bored and gather to open a gate straight to you. You’ve got a True Transmission Token for the sect we can use to target."

Elder Song and Elder Ming come running across the courtyard together. "We brought you emergency supplies." They say in unison, making me feel loved.

A token hanging from Elder Song’s belt flashes and his eyes go unfocused, much like werewolves when they’re mind linking, he must be getting a mental communication.

"We’ve got trouble. Elder Ming, please gather 100 of the Inner Sect disciples and I will explain everything when we’re all here."

Elder Ming and Elder Song both hands me the parcels they brought and Elder Ming vanishes in the direction of the Inner Sect.

"What terrible, or genius timing" Elder Po sighs. "Almost everyone has sent their strongest Elders and students to the tournament, so the Sects in the region are at their weakest"

Elder Ming returns quickly with 100 excited disciples, almost all in the mid Core Formation Realm. Likely the strongest we have at home right now.

"Listen up everyone" Elder Po calls to the assembled crowd "We’ve got a situation requiring emergency deployment. You know what that means, double contribution points for everyone that goes"

Contribution Points buy from the Sect what money can’t. Priceless resources and treasures from the vaults and a small cheer goes out.

"There is an unknown Sect attacking the region, they have claimed it as their own. Estimated strength is at 4 thousand members in the Mortal Realms with 9 Immortals."

I can feel the tension in the air at this. We’re seriously overpowered.

"Fortunately for us, they are currently attacking 3 other small Sects and have split their forces in 4 squads. We plan to use the movement of the Forbidden Treasure Sect to set an ambush for that unoccupied group."

Ambush sounds good. Straight on fighting sounds suicidal even to me. But why does it sound like I’m the bait again?

"3 groups led by the three Elders present will remain in stealth and follow the Forbidden Treasure Sect and Young Miss. When the enemy group is spotted, their team, designation Caravan, will goad the unknown named enemy Sect into a formal declaration of war, to be broadcast by the Forbidden Treasure Sect to every Sect in the region."

"With their declaration, our actions won’t trigger a response from the other light sects, so that part is very important" Elder Ming adds.

I’m totally the bait again.

"I understand Elder. We will move out immediately, hiding our cultivation bases as much as possible until we have engaged the enemy"

The Elders move in to give me a good luck hug.

"Taunt them with your Priestess authority, they’ll be highly offended at your audacity" Elder Po suggests.

"Keep a regeneration pill handy" says Elder Ming.

"I enchanted your new dress to adapt to your tail and repel blood" says Elder Song.

I knew he was secretly the most fun one.