>>6157472

You stop to take a breath as the crowd hushes, hanging on your every word

"The dead disciple, only the one who ever will be called that if I have anything to say about it!" You finish of her introduction "Give a earth splitting, sky splitting round of applause for the most adorable of the contestants, everyone!"

Xue Long shoots you a disbelieving, almost offended look, clearly not know anything about your tastes or sense of aesthetics. Snickering, you swirl your finger and jab it down at Luli

"And stop, so I can introduce the cutest contestant as well!" You demand, still snickering before stifling it to introduce Luli to the crowd, thought they already know her well, but then again, they also know Yujijiao well "We have the gift given to me by my friend, Lady Lian! Her own much adored little sister, and the only flower grown from the thousand lotus hall with some real thorns. The little mistress of mushrooms, the swaying leaf dancer, the little tyke with one hell of a kick, and the young fairy of spring... Luuuuuuli~!"

Luli bows her head, blushing furiously

"Heiress of the Lian clan! Who shall surpass its founder! The deadliest thing beneath the heavens of her size and one of the proudest, fastest rising stars in my palace whose taken her ancestral laws to new and stranger heights and who still has some very nasty surprises tucked away in those short sleeves of hers. As well as her just darling little mushroom familiars! Give her a round of applause that will rip the very boundary between the land of the living and hell apart! I, the queen of beasts, empress of hungry ghosts, demand it! Show them your admiration, mortals, immortals, daoists, Buddhists, rich, poor, beast and man, all of you, applaud them, thank them in advance for the once in a life time show they're about to give us, NOW DAMMIT"

And you relish in the thunder that follows, and the resounding roar of cheers and chants of Yujijiao and Luli. Ahhh, if only you'd placed a few calculated bets before this leg of the tournament began.

"Now, without further ado, they've already had their chance to exchange words, now is the time for them to exchange blows and..." You start, flicking your tongue across your teeth before

"Master" Yinying says softly and you whip around and hiss at him, annoyed by the mood sullying appearance of perhaps your most faithful disciple and personal, self appointed bodyguard

"WHAT!" You snarl, stomping a foot hard into the railing you're standing on, snapping it and sending dust and pebbles down onto the stands

"Lord Xia has returned from the errand you requested he complete" He answers, ears flattened against the sides of his head "As has your mother, and all other disciples sent to investigate the source of the beast stampede, whole and well"
Cont

>>6157473

And that good news makes you nearly forget how angry you were about this interruption, but remembering how tight lipped Xia Jinse-Shayu and the messenger her sent were about what happened, even to the point of not saying if anyone was hurt or died out in the field, which thinking about again soils your good mood as soon as you'd reached it. But it doesn't spoil the hype and intoxicating rush you feel in anticipation for the finale of the Qi condensation fights

"Ohoho! That's quite the face you're making, Huanliuxue, didn't think that fairy face of yours could wrinkle and screw like that" Xue Long laughs, and He Ping, Ehuang AND Liao Gang's heads twist to look at him aghast and horrified, no doubt expecting you to violently react to that remark, and Xue Long remains as cool as his father was before you melted him with localized sun created inside of his own body. But you decide to allow what he said to slide, if only because he shares blood with your adoptive mother and thinking about it, past the raising of your hackles and demands of your pride, what he said was a little funny.

You still have half a mind to cut his tongue in half, but that is neither here nor there. Reigning in your conflicted feelings, and composing yourself with a single, deep breath you smile

And what do you decide to do, after this sudden interruption of the last match and your fun, Huanliuxue?

>Tell Yinying to tell Xia to write a report, and carry on with the fight and commentate it

>Put Luli and Yujijiao's fight on hold, and stomp off to listen to what Xia Jinse-Shayu has to say and what happened over the border

>Invite Monu to watch this last fight, since you know she likes both Yujijiao and Luli more than she does most people, which may not be saying much, but still, you want to see her

>Force Yinying and Xue Long to be your co commentors, as...Punishment?

>Just step out of your body, and puppet it from a distance so you can both hear Xia and Monu's account of their mission and give a running commentary on the match (Coordination trial. DC 95)

>write in

>>6157474
>>Tell Yinying to tell Xia to write a report, and carry on with the fight and commentate it

>>6157474
>Just step out of your body, and puppet it from a distance so you can both hear Xia and Monu's account of their mission and give a running commentary on the match (Coordination trial. DC 95)

>>6157474
>Invite Monu to watch this last fight, since you know she likes both Yujijiao and Luli more than she does most people, which may not be saying much, but still, you want to see her

>>6157474
>Imvite Monu, we can hear his report later.

>>6157474
>Invite Monu to watch this last fight, since you know she likes both Yujijiao and Luli more than she does most people, which may not be saying much, but still, you want to see her

If something bad happened we will know the instant she appears, if things went well she can tell us how it went after the fight.

>>6157474
>Just step out of your body, and puppet it from a distance so you can both hear Xia and Monu's account of their mission and give a running commentary on the match (Coordination trial. DC 95)

>>6157474
>Invite Monu to watch this last fight, since you know she likes both Yujijiao and Luli more than she does most people, which may not be saying much, but still, you want to see her

Momma is an excellent commentator too

>>6157474
>>Just step out of your body, and puppet it from a distance so you can both hear Xia and Monu's account of their mission and give a running commentary on the match (Coordination trial. DC 95)
oh boy, What happened?

Also we can use this to train ourselves in using our spirit and body at the same time, a neat little challenege.
>>6157624
Junior there are children watching this tournament.

>>6157474
>Invite Monu to watch this last fight, since you know she likes both Yujijiao and Luli more than she does most people, which may not be saying much, but still, you want to see her

>>6157474
>>Just step out of your body, and puppet it from a distance so you can both hear Xia and Monu's account of their mission and give a running commentary on the match (Coordination trial. DC 95)

>>6157474
>Just step out of your body, and puppet it from a distance so you can both hear Xia and Monu's account of their mission and give a running commentary on the match (Coordination trial. DC 95)
Wait, when was the last time Xue Long saw Monu? That's a reunion that'll probably give him an aneurysm

>>6157695
Like that ever stopped her....

File: 1712377838097310.png (19 KB, 400x600)

19 KB PNG

Rolled 1 (1d2)

Ending and tallying the vote, hope you can forgive my tardiness juniors. Grandfather was busy over the weekend searching auctions and markets for suitable gifts and offerings to his venerable ancestors and clan mates for the seasons holidays.

Tell Yinying to tell Xia to write a report, and carry on with the fight and commentate it:1

Just step out of your body, and puppet it from a distance so you can both hear Xia and Monu's account of their mission and give a running commentary on the match:5

Invite Monu to watch this last fight, since you know she likes both Yujijiao and Luli more than she does most people, which may not be saying much, but still, you want to see her:5

There's a tie. So i'll break it quickly

1- Step out of your body

2- invite Monu

>>6159771
Alright, so you'll attempt to hear the mission report and commentate the match, at the same time

Update will arrive shortly

There is no reason to be upset or panicked. Monu is alright, and no one is dead. Not that death is any obstacle in the palace of natural laws sect, but it would be a mark on the temple and your own personal pride if one of your students had died on their covert mission. And besides, there is a way for you to be in two places at once. You have a soul and a body. And your spiritual senses are honed, and have a far enough range for you to observe the match even if your mind is elsewhere. The only difficulty is observing it closely enough to accurately commentate on it and being able to puppet your empty, limp body well enough to accurately and passionately broadcast the amazing bout between Luli and Yujijiao. Which depending on what Jinse-Shayu says, might be made more difficult because who knows what happened or who got hurt when that Ling bastard showed his face and frightened your poor little sister, Jionghuagege half to death.

And who knows how the sects they entered into an alliance of convivence react to that battle and the truth that more than half of their valiant saviors were all "Demonic Beasts"

"Hey, brother, watch this!" You declare bawdily, winking as you step out of your body, immediately making Ehuang shriek and cling to Liao Gang as He Ping nearly chokes on his tea and Xue Long stiffens his back before he narrows his eyes and hisses through your teeth.

"What a heretical refinement! Cutting the string between body and soul" He balks, shaking his head "Your intimacy and veneration towards the dead has gone so far for you to mutilate your own self so as to better mimic the hungry ghosts and rampaging phantoms!. Would you even die if your body was killed. What an obscene art, what eerie mysticism! To reduce one's self willingly to a wandering soul, to become a living ghost. I'd be outraged if I didn't know to expect it from the master who taught her pupil how to survive as just as head"

"Oh calm yourself, master snowman" The mask wearing heretic chortles, shaking his head "Just because it is macabre and strange, doesn't mean it is so obscene. To renounce ones own earthly attachments and to sever with their own hand the mortal ties between immortal spirit and frail mortal flesh, is it not enlightened? Also, think of how useful such a transformation could be, to become a spirit on the wind, unweighed by thine own earthly sins"

Xue Long's expression softened and you couldn't help but to admire your fellow heretics absolute mastery of bullshiting and tricking Orthodox cultivators into believe the lies he sold them

"Well" You say, waving a spectral hand as the limp vessel you left behind, caught in the arms of Liao Gang and He Ping, rises twitchily up, making Ehuang faint and He Ping shriek as you buried a few strings and twine of Ghostly Yin Qi into the still, slumbering flesh, pausing to admire and enjoy your beautiful sleeping face as you began to puppet your own lifeless body.
Cont

>>6159782

Much like you would while playing Ghost Empress melody to control a corpse or someone else's living body. Of course, without the magical tool to facilitate the puppeteering, actually controlling and moving around your empty shell was a little more difficult than it would've been if you had your Guqin on hand.

"Grotesque" Xue Long muttered as you purposefully contorted your body's arms in a way that would've hurt even for someone as flexible as you are, just to make the process of figuring out which strings to put where and when to pull them to make your body move a certain way all the more disturbing

roll 2d100. DC 95. Best out of five

Also got my senior martial brother a journal containing all the lore and short stories from black myth wukong!

Rolled 58, 10 = 68 (2d100)

>>6159783

Rolled 9, 26 = 35 (2d100)

>>6159783
Woot woot

Rolled 60, 68 = 128 (2d100)

>>6159783
>Also got my senior martial brother a journal containing all the lore and short stories from black myth wukong!
That's rad. I was surprised at how fun that game was. And just HOW MUCH style it oozed.

Rolled 77, 21 = 98 (2d100)

>>6159783
Well, I'm sad that we're starting to show off more, but maybe that's also a good thing? Give our enemies more to think that we're comfortable, when we still have an entire arsenal to work with.

>>6159803
Revealing this trick does sting slightly, but showing off is well worth the price to see Xue cringe.

Just agree that we aren't entering the martial bracket of the competition.

>>6159807
I think that's already a done deal.

>>6159809
Whhhhhaaaaat?!

I don't want to fight in the golden core bracket. I don't want to reveal our secrets and killing moves and I ABSOLUTELY don't want to lose because we are holding back!

Everyone present is an enemy, in the future or in the past, Entering tournaments without a mega prize is a net loss for us in every metric.
Fuck, we can take the alchemy and medicine and maybe spell casting trials, show off some skills that they can't easily replicate or learn from, like a formation that teleports around using astral qi or any of our poisons.

Rolled 73, 84 = 157 (2d100)

>>6159783

>>6159823
Incredible success! 60 over DC. Update will arrive shortly

>>6159821
Hm, back in thread 24, one of the options as to how to start the tournament was with the golden core bracket, with us as a participant. I suppose it hasn't been totally decided yet, but that tells me that Huan has the intention to participate.

>>6159831
I make it noted I oppose in the strongest possible terms, and instead insist we ought do an alchemy/medicine display as a form of promotion and face saving measure.

Not something detrimental in the long run.

Channel blood and Qi to the lungs and throat, to create the illusion of breathing and allow your empty body to speak on your command, wrap the tongue in a thousand little spider webs to make it wag and pin and needle your jaws with ghostly tethers to let you open and close your mouth and speak. Flutter and open your eyes, sharpening them with increased blood flow, and move them with both the hooks of ghostly yin qi and the tightening and opening of the blood vessels inside of them

"Uncanny" Xue Long says, sounding haunted as you bring your hands up to your hair and brush and comb it back into an acceptably messily wild man as you march your soulless body up to the top of the ledge and take in a deep breath "This is...I cannot see the difference between her puppeteering her empty vessel and her normal movements, it is a perfect recreation. That means..."

"We can never know if we're talking to Huanliuxue or her discarded shell" The heretic says, voice grim as he turns to face your ghost "And never know if, in the event we are thrown into battle against one another, that if victory means her death or if she will simply usurp another. Most disquieting indeed, brother daoist"

"She...she didn't just renter her body" He Ping gasps, face draining of color as Liao Gang strokes his beard nervously

"And we can never be certain if she isn't within one of our own students, acting as them. I heard...she'd possessed that saintess doctor" He says softly, losing all of his warrior spirit and boldness as you smirk, having turned revealing one of your most elementary and early techniques into a source of paranoia and uncertainty for anyone who learned of the art Severing of the Eternal soul and Mortal vessel [刌 永恒魂会死㿾, Cǔn-Yǒnghénghún-Huìsǐzhù]

"Or if she is invisible in our halls. She can repress her Cultivation Aura and ghostly presence better than any other I've met, surely, she could disguise her ethereal, haunting presence and overwhelming Deathly yin Qi just as easily, when she becomes a living ghost" Xue Long shudders as you make your body shout and get all of the arenas attention as you swiftly travel as your unique looking ghost flame to find where Xie Jinse-Shayu and Monu are waiting. As well as Qiang, Baifenchi, The Geges, Siwang, Huili and the Fa twins

You find them waiting in this temple's ornate throne room, standing among the trees that act as both decoration and structural supports.

"Ah, sweet daughter!" Monu chirps excitedly as you transform your ghostly body to resemble your regal, feline self, making Lord Xia Jump and Baifenchi coo. You frown, as elsewhere you declare the opening moves of Luli and Yujijiao's match, Luli tossing a handful of seeds and sprouting them midflight as Yujijiao attempts to knock her out instantly via draining her life force.
Cont

Your mother, and all of your students are bandaged, and wearing different clothes and robes than you sent them out in. Qiang has bruises across her face and shoulders and wrappings all down her arms, Huili is lounging in his human form, his entire face covered in gauze, while Baifenchi's wings are covered in paper talismans containing healing magic. Jionghuage has a cut on her cheek, and Tiexingege is practically mummified. Siwang has a wing in a brace and a bandage over one of his ever curious and intelligent eyes.

And your dear mother has a nasty bruise across her belly, burns around her lips, and a black eye and bandages wrapped around her throat.

Jinse-Shayu, without his wife or any of the disciples he brought with him, kneels

"I am happy to report, that we've discovered the source of the beast stampede, most illustrious master!" Siwang shouts, saluting with his uninjured wing

"And killed a lot of rabid beasts, Red fur!" Tiexingege mumbles from behind the bandages covering her mouth

"And save just a many lives, and made a few friends" Her sister, Jionghuagege continues

"And kept our true natures disguised, as you asked" Baifenchi said sweetly

"Even spread some anti Ling sentiments while we were helping the foreign sects" Huili snorted, wiping some dried blood off of the back of his hand

"Oh it is so nice to see you, Huan! It feels like I've been away for years and years" Your mother croaked, wiping a tear from her eye "And it fills my heart with such joy, to know you care so much for me to send your dog to save me when another comes biting at my heels. Not that I needed the help, the poor boy didn't know how to handle me"

"Your mother could have easily killed the Ling Elder, but the poisonous gasses and insects she was unleashing, could've easily have felled all the non aligned cultivators fighting alongside your disciples" Xie begins before you, contorting your ghostly form as your body, elsewhere describes the match as it begins to pick up and become a true battle between prodigies of cultivation, as Luli, using her newly refined body, endures a wave of ghostly yin qi and curses that could outright kill a foundation establishment cultivator

As you tower over Xia in the monstrous appearance of a demonic cat and hungry ghost, you snarl one question "And why didn't you tell your messenger to tell me what had happened"

"I wanted to be the one to deliver the good news, your majesty" He squeaks, sweating as you snarl, and elsewhere cheer as Yujijiao grabs Luli with her maw and lifts her off the ground, before Luli explodes out of it with an cloud of spores "But, I did kill the Ling elder, with my own spear"

"And washed away my hard work when he drowned the battlefield with water, while his gorilla of a wife carried me away. What an ugly woman she is" Monu huffed and pouted "But as little Wusheng said, we found out, that the Ling created and direct the beast stampede. We don't know how, but I smelled Primordial beast essence on them"

>>6159855

You smile and laugh, knowing it was probably the ling, but also because, after several minutes of fighting, Luli slowly starts to come out on top, countering everyone of Yujijiao's ghostly tricks until the longest match of the martial arts contests is brought to a close by Yujijiao formfitting as Luli...basically force feeds her so much lifeforce that it makes her unnable to move or keep her ghostly form coherent. Winning in a way only Luli could, incredible! And you move your body down to hug her, and help Yujijiao recover from her forced gorging of life essence

"Of course, I expected as such, but I am still cross that that fish kept his mouth shut to try and impress me!" You declare happily

And then, with the end of the martial arts contest, what do you do Huanliuxue?

>Opening declare your findings to all the gathered sects of Chuan, acting shocked

>Ask for more details about Monu and the rest's journey and fights

>Meet with the secret heretic and hear his story

>Punish Xia Jinse-Shayu, somehow

>Reward Lord Xia, somehow

>Ask if the sects outside of chuan are friendly or not to the palace of natural laws

>Write in

>>6159856
>Reward Lord Xia, somehow
He did good, an ally, and not from our sect itself.

>>6159856
>Openly declare our findings.
Let the drums of ear start to beat and the flames of outrage burn.

>Punish Xia [Slap him across the skull in our ghostly form. Just to discipline a kit.]
Don't doctor or censor your reports of vital information. We care about success, failures and vital information. Withholding it doesn't impress us. But

>Reward Lord Xia
You saved Monu, Killed the Ling, achieved all objectives given, and did so in the time it took 5 junior battle matches, and brought them back. Xia only has one wrinkle and that was his attempt to impress us. Which let's be real, it's us. Why would he not.

I posit that he be given first pick of the bits of the beast we killed with Ao Or an offer to have his chosen students train under us for a spell. A session or two should advance their cultivation by leaps and bounds.

AND he may have a small Favour to be called in later, On account of truly flawless timely behavior. /we may also have just out him into the ling War with this act so let's reward them properly.
He can forfeit the first two rewards for a second minor favour. Like healing his golden core ass.

>>6159856
>Punish Xia Jinse-Shayu, somehow
>Reward Lord Xia, somehow

Reward his sect with the spoils of the ocean hunt we did and reward his wife in his stead with something cool because he witheld information.
Maybe even the mountain strength pill so when he upsets her she can smack him around proper.

>Meet with the secret heretic and hear his story

As much as I want to declare the Lings as the evil they are we haven't heard the full story yet and consulted with our new Ling ally on how to spin it.

>>6159856
>>6159936
Support.

Think this'll increase Xia's endearment towards us, or decrease it?

>>6159856
>Ask for more details about Monu and the rest's journey and fights

>>6159856
>>6159865
Support
>Write-in Heal up everyone with what you learned while figuring out how to regrow an arm. It'll be good practice.

Hmm maybe create some healing art.

>>6159856
>Punish Xia Jinse-Shayu, somehow
>Reward Lord Xia, somehow
>Heal up everyone with what you learned while figuring out how to regrow an arm. It'll be good practice

>>6160116
Good catch, I will add heal up to >>6159865


>>6159936
I don't see a reason to be too harsh. A sharp slap ought to be chastisement enough given the loss of face.

>>6160281
I don't think rewarding the wife in his stead is harsh, cheeky maybe, but so was his witholding of info on people we care about.

>>6159856
>>Meet with the secret heretic and hear his story

>>6160343
Xia probably really doesn't mind his wife getting a reward, deducing that It is functionally the same as him getting it but being a chastisement, I still feel that intentionally waiting to tell us information isn't enough to void his contributions of killing a ling elder and securing our students. Their lives and health far outweigh a petty slight.

>>6160408
Yeah, he deserces a reward but also a punishment and that's why the wife gets it in his stead?
What is your point of discussion here?

>>6160439
My point I guess is that I believe the passing off the reward to the wife carries a wrong message.

It wouldn't sink us to do, but it conveys that minor displeasure outweighs proven and resoundingly successful results.

>>6160553
So you'd suggest we still give him something good, just maybe not as good as it could have been?

Like we could give him some rare edible and then claim there would have been more but we nervously ate it to quell the unrest in our hearts at not knowing what happened?

>>6160576
My original suggestion was a bitch smack across the face, now, in the present view of several juniors.
Though considering his utterly shameless ways, he might rationalise it away as 'only' amongst close disciples.

My suggested rewards were here.>>6159865

Minor favour plus one of [have some goodies from the sea beast or have us train your students]

Using the idea of reducing the reward, dangle the idea of the sea monster over his head and withdraw it. "The relief I felt was equal to any part of that big sea hog when I heard you succeeded, but that festering anxiety over my students wellbeing grew fat by burning through that relief".
Or something like that.

Training his sect is still a gain, but it isn't a gain to HIM and his directly.

>>6159966
+1 for healing, if we can.

Although, will this lower the believability of our claim that they were just in a pretty life-or-death battle, if they all show up fully healed when we try and talk about this with our Ling ally?

>>6160636
We did offer to regrow his arm so having healed others with a wave of the hand shouldn't be so unbelievable...
Especially given the healing displayed to heal the tournament fighters and the rumors of our association with the saintess doctor. If anything not healing them may look more suspicious.

>>6159856
>Punish Xia Jinse-Shayu, somehow
Smack him for making us worry
>Reward Lord Xia, somehow
Split the sea monster with him

Not for the declaration of the Ling's crimes just yet, don't want news to reach them faster than we do and they're more prepared when the day comes

File: 1712387678453402.png (15 KB, 990x780)

15 KB PNG

Please forgive me for my tardiness juniors. I was sick the last few days, feverish.

Reward Lord Xia, somehow:7
-Give him and his sect portions of the sea monster:5
- reward his wife instead:2
-Give his students 1 lesson:2
-Give him a favor:2

Heal up everyone with what you learned while figuring out how to regrow an arm. It'll be good practice.: 4

Meet with the secret heretic and hear his story:3

Opening declare your findings to all the gathered sects of Chuan, acting shocked:2

Punish Xia Jinse_Shayu, somehow:6
-Ghost slap:3
-Reward his with instead:2

Ask for more details about Monu and the rest's journey and fights:1

So you'll reward and punish Xia, by allowing the summer sea dawn sect to get the choicest cuts/ organs/ cultivation materials from the sea monster, and punish him as you would a misbehaving kit, with a harsh, ghostly slap

Before offering to heal everyone with the medical skills you trained while figuring out how to heal and arm and the whole new school of healing methods/ magic you cooked up that lead to the creation of Lively yin Qi

update will arrive shortly

Lord Xia bowed his head lower to the ground, all but kowtowing as Monu cackled in her witchlike, croaking way as all of your students turned and face the man who, if he wasn't your underling and kind of funny, could have very well been turned into a corpse in a few seconds for displeasing you and further drawing your ire through doing the sort of thing you'd thought was restricted to poorly written imperial palace drama stories and other drivel about the petty intrigues and maneuvering of spoilt little rich things draped in fine silks.

"Jinse-Shayu!" You snap, stepping and closing the distance between you and him, pulling back your spectral hand as you return your ghostly body to smokey, wispy recreation of your human form, and leave a bright blue, almost frost bitten mark across the sea lord's cheek as you strike him hard enough to make his head whip "Do not, ever again, without hold information in a misguided attempt to impress me or earn more of my approval! All I care about, is success or failure, and censoring or doctoring vital intel to brighten your plumage, is a quick road to earning my enmity. However'

You sigh and change into a bobbing ghost light, circling around and over his head as you continue to speak to him, your ghostly core glowing with every sound you make as you hover and bounce just over his head, illuminating the court of your garden's castle with carmine light, starlight glimmers, and yawning, spine tingling shadows.

"However, you did save my mother, even if she thinks she could've handled herself. And even better, you killed the Ling dog who dared to bare its fangs towards my most beloved and treasured mother" You coo and purr as Xia rubs his cheek, wincing as small patches of frost appear on his finger, as the patch of flash frozen air melts to reveal to bruise your intangible smack had left behind "You achieved everything I asked off you, and did so with incredible swiftness and tenacity, and even escorted everyone on the mission back home and safe with the same rapidity! That is deserving of a reward"

You frown as you turn into a ethereal mirror of your natural form, flicking your tail as it tip flickers like a lantern flame in a storm

"Just as your stupidity and vainglory earned you that slap, your applaudable and complete victory otherwise, earns you and your sect a great reward" You purr, stepping around and circling him, though in the other direction than before "As such, the sea monster who your lower ranked disciples and clanmates have been busy butchering, I will allow you to make your selection of your portion of the haul and dissection. You've more than earned it"

"This grandmaster is humbled by your generosity, madam Huanliuxue! And he shall take your, mercifully light, scolding to heart!" Xia declares as Monu continues cackling, giggling from behind her hands as Siwang sighs and hangs his head in relief while Huili and Baifenchi look almost disappointed that you weren't meaner to Xia
Cont

>>6162099

Then, leaping dramatically into the air, you shape shift your ghostly essence back to appearing as a human specter and grin as you wag your hand and beckon your disciples forward

"Now, starting with my exalted mother and the grand elder of the palace of natural laws, then followed by my adorable little sisters, then in order of seniority and leaving Xia Jia for last so he can really feel the sting of my displeasure, come up and present yourselves so I may pamper you and heal you of your wounds!" You playfully declare, and Monu doesn't need to here anything more to cheerfully skip up to you and hold out her arms as if she was about to pull you into her embrace, even as her chest bounces in a way that stings your chest as you're reminded that you still lose to her in one category

"Huaaaan~ my my, generous and kind as I raised you to be! Momma is happy to be blessed so, even if your smile and purr would be enough to..." She begins before her eyes shoot open and she looks down at her body then at her hands as she clenches and opens them "Oh? That's new, never been healed in a manner like that before? Geges, come over here! Your incredible elder sister has discovered something interesting"

"Created it!" You correct with the cackle you inherited from your mother "I had some time to meditate on some medical insights I picked up earlier and figured out a brand new school of healing, both mundane and ordinary, and mystical and Qi fueled"

"Oh?" Tiexingege grunts, as you perform the same operation on her and she rips out of her plastered bandages "Oh! Red Fur! That's incredible, it feels like I'm newly hatched or stuffed with Jiong-Jiong's honey, come here!"

"Eeeep!" Jionghuagege yelps, before sighing in contement and nearly melting into her shorter sisters arms "Oh that feels lovely, all the muscle fatigue and exhaustion is gone!"

"Hm?" Qiang hums, and smiles softly as you touch two fingers to the tip of her head "Nice salve, master. My arms don't feel like tattered rags anymore"

"I'm curious as to the exact method our most venerable master has uncovered and Hoooo!" Siwang begins before he is hit by the pleasant sensation of your miraculous new rapid healing spell, as the sorcery surges through his blood "What a remarkable elixir! I can feel the bones and marrow in my wings reknitting together! How curious!

"Oi! My turn!" Huili swaggers and yowls as you hover your ghostly hand over his arm "You're doing something to my blood! That's weird!"

"Blood Qi...but not? Ghostly yin?" Baifenchi mutters as you fix her wings as well. And then heal Jinse of the few bumps and scrapes he got, except for the slap and the bruise it left behind. He have to heal that with his own money or techniques, or else bare it to the world as a mark of shame!
Cont

>>6162100

And now that that is done, what do you do as the tournament proceeds to the Qi condensation stage sorcery and formations/ tactics contests, Huanliuxue?

>Observe both and invite your mother and Xia to watch them with you

>Pretending to still be inside your body, begin both games and comment on them if anything exciting happens, while actually meeting with the secret heretic

>Ask Aodasheng if anyone has caused any trouble or if there's anything that could interrupt your tournament

>Tell Jionghuagege just how busy of bees her daughters had been while she was away

>Show off your new healing arts by fixing up the victims of Luli and Yujijiao, before beginning the next contests

>Write in

>>6162101
>Show off your new healing arts by fixing up the victims of Luli and Yujijiao, before beginning the next contests

>>6162101
>>Pretending to still be inside your body, begin both games and comment on them if anything exciting happens, while actually meeting with the secret heretic

>>6162089
>Please forgive me for my tardiness juniors. I was sick the last few days, feverish.
Dang ol blood demons man. Bastards.

>>6162101
>Show off
>Observe both with Monu and Xia

>>6162101
>Observe both and invite your mother and Xia to watch them with you
Maybe it's just me, but I feel like it's a bad idea to show off our our new hidden arts in front of every major sect in Chuan (and who knows how many heretics). Wuxia characters are always in need of trump cards, and given that we have a war to wage against the Ling coming up soon, it's better to keep as many of ours hidden as possible.

>>6162260
It's not a combat art though

>>6162261
>It's not a combat art though
And? You don't think that knowing your opponent has access to absurd healing magic changes how an army fights in inter-sect conflict?

>>6162101
>Pretending to still be inside your body, begin both games and comment on them if anything exciting happens, while actually meeting with the secret heretic

>>6162260
While you are absolutely correct that we need trumps, I am opting to reveal our healing abilities on the basis of making healing arts one of the pillars of our sect power.

We already have heretics, Fire power and currently ELITE members of the lower generation. This is all very good. Now, how exactly do we tackle the manner of financial?

I would have LOVED TO MAKE A BIG FUCKING BET ON LITTLE MUSHROOM WINNING! But even that SIZABLE WINDFALL isn't enough for perpetuity.
We need, therefore, a source of revenue.

We can try and demand tribute from Xia as our subordinate but that's liable to make them dissatisfied with us. . .or we might demand a tribute anyway as a membership tax for the alliance?
Eh. Thoughts for later.

Instead, I recommend we set ourself up as Premier healers. Such things cost a pretty penny.

>>6162101
>Pretending to still be inside your body, begin both games and comment on them if anything exciting happens, while actually meeting with the secret heretic

>>6162101
>>Pretending to still be inside your body, begin both games and comment on them if anything exciting happens, while actually meeting with the secret heretic

Lets have that talk with the heretic now.
We are already observing the games with our clone, Im sure if anyone was causing enough trouble for us to worry about it, aoda would've came to us. The bees are small talk, and the other sects can heal their disciples, we shouldn't be going off showing our new healing method. Its a potential trump card.
With that said, time to find a heretic from a foreign province and see how they exist beyond Chaun.

>>6162432
We do have nigh exclusive access to several materials and the drugs made out of them that we could establish a market with as well

>>6162554
I will never say no to more stable markets of profitable entrepreneurship. Healer, drug producer, artisan, Lawyer hiring.

Absolutely do advise advertising Swiang as a master of the Legal code.
Would do his cultivation good.

>>6162101
>>Pretending to still be inside your body, begin both games and comment on them if anything exciting happens, while actually meeting with the secret heretic

>>6162101
>>Pretending to still be inside your body, begin both games and comment on them if anything exciting happens, while actually meeting with the secret heretic

>Ask Aodasheng if anyone has caused any trouble or if there's anything that could interrupt your tournament

>>6162101
>Observe both and invite your mother and Xia to watch them with you

>>6162101
>Pretending to still be inside your body, begin both games and comment on them if anything exciting happens, while actually meeting with the secret heretic

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Forgive me juniors. I, your grandfather, was possessed by the holiday spirit of cheer. Happy Christmas, Merry holidays. I hope my tardiness may be pardoned.

Show off your new healing arts by fixing up the victims of Luli and Yujijiao, before beginning the next contests:2

Pretending to still be inside your body, begin both games and comment on them if anything exciting happens, while actually meeting with the secret heretic:7

Ask Aodasheng if anyone has caused any trouble or if there's anything that could interrupt your tournament:1

Observe both and invite your mother and Xia to watch them with you:2

So you'll meet with the secret heretic, while puppeteering your empty body, initiating the Sorcery and Formation/tactics contests and commenting on anything exciting while you speak with the mask wearer

>>6162132
I think it was a winter flu, still kind of snotty

Spell casting and formations. Neither of which sound like very interesting or exciting contests, the pre qi condensation rounds of both at least had mortal ingenuity for you to look forward to, but all the Qi condensation novices will do is cast elementary, simple spells to try and wow the judges with trifling magics and while the tactical ability and formation skill contest might be more exciting, considering the different philosophies of sects waging war and how they fight their battles, well they aren't Ju or Ho, and will probably stick very closely to the teachings of their sects and masters rather than experiment and take risks that rouse the spirits of the crowd and keep you awake.

Now a secret heretic? That sounded interesting, fun, and mysterious, all things a cat and girl like you craves. And once you'd gotten the hang of partially possessing your own empty husk of a body from a distance, which might have applications in controlling others without having to step into them like they were a robe of meat and skin, and donning their homely faces rather than your stately own at the cost of your imperial beauty. Hmm. something to test later with Yuyi or maybe one of the newest members and underlings of your sect. That mousey scholar who was the runner up in the scholarly trials might be a good robe to wear to test how little of your arms you need to keep it one over your shoulders, since Yuyi would probably raise a fuss and come at you with a knife again if possess her again without a very good reason. Or at least do so and end up blessing her with feline graces again.


Humming, you move unseen through the crowds, and track down the mask wearing fake slurping thick, spicy brothed noodles through the one hole in his mask. He turns to face you, and dips his head respectfully as he sets his bowl down on the edge of the roof he was sitting.

"Don't leave an imprint of your ass on the future housing of my newest disciples" You scold as you appear to him as an ethereal cat, baring your curved fangs as he nods

"I made sure to dust the tiles before I sat down" he says "So, I suppose, now is the time you wish to speak with me. Remarkable how quickly you were able to sniff out that I was a heretic in disguise, queen of apostates"

"Ooh, not that's an epithet I could get used to Heh-Heh" You cackle as you float just a few inches away from his face, flashing your phantom fangs as ghostly flames peel off from your paws and tail "But a curious cat never forgets a scent, and I know how other heretics smell. Besides, your story was full of holes"

"Curious indeed, but how may I ask, was my cover lacking" He chortles, throwing back his head as he lifts his mask to reveal just enough of the lower half of your face to get a partial look at his expressions and thus his emotions
Cont

"Well, besides that no one would've kept an ember burning for a sect who had nothing remarkable about them, whose history was brief and uneventful, without controversy or triumphs, and who naturally faded as their masters sought to found their own temples or join other, more successful schools?" You muse, drawling out your words "Its how you held yourself, these orthodox dogs still don't realize how dangerous and brief a cultivators life can be. You, like myself, and my students, never drop your guard and expect to be attack with the intent to kill. Now I admit, some of them are learning how cutthroat our world is, but there's a difference between being cautious and knowing the world is out to get you"

"Ah, so our mannerism and way of holding ourselves was too similar. And I do suppose, acting as a proud secret inheritor of an isolated sect of no repute, is only a good enough disguise to trick those who have long known temples to rise to never again fall. But to one who recalls the true face of cultivation, the harsh realities of the three realms. Especially one who has become quite acquainted with a relative of mine?"

"Lei?" You ask curiously "Hm, and here I thought you might've been apart of those sun worshipping crazies"

"Oh no. I was behind that cult, needed fresh human ashes, used some slight of hand and parlor tricks to convince them I was a minor, blood thirsty sun god. Thumbing my nose at those golden thread wearing maggots, imagine my surprise to find my pet project all torn to shreds, with no explanation or perpetuator in sight!" He laughs amiably, like you were discussing some drunken misbehavior rather than human sacrifice and the whole sale slaughter of a cult of lunatics "And then, one of the lanterns of my clan thought extinguished reappears, donning a mask embodying a newly deified house hold spirit. And what a surprise, the diety was real, and quite the fascinating creature. Heaven's stench is on you, what is that about, Madam Bleeding Moonlight?"

"Ohoho~, what a charmer you are when you're not pretending to be an uptight monk, another title for my to cherish" You purr as you switch your appearance to a chimera between your human and beast selves, but in the manner Yujijiao prefers, with your human body rising from where your feline head would normally be on your ghostly body.

"I cannot help to compliment that which I find beautiful or worthy of respect, you are both. Not even my clan is crazy enough to learn how to drink a ghost's breath and cultivate the essence of blood, and certainly I know no demon binder confident or crazed enough to sneak into the heavens" He exclaims, grinning madly as he slurps a mouth full of noodles, as you stare at the one defining feature you can see on his face. A beauty mark, just above the left side of his jaw "If that is why you stink of incense, beneath all that grave soil and blood. And how you bled upon the moon. How'd you manage that? And where'd you find those curious pets of yours"

>>6164698

"Children" you correct sweetly, tone sharp and threatening "And why would I tell you how I did it?"

"You relish in your heathen ways, I assumed, I might make your tongue slip with flattery" He tittered in a very girlish, maidenly way "But, you do have my sincere thanks for preserving a branch of my family, even if the Mute is...well, rather insane"

"That's just Lei" You brush off

"I for one am thankful I was not the heir to a technique that required the removal of my dexterous tongue" He says "So, what did you want to discuss? The message I got from your gesture was you wanted to know the reason for disguising my true origins and allegiances? Or did I misread you, or is there something else you wish to know or discuss"

What do you tell the Heretic, Huanliuxue?

>"Correct, correct. Explain yourself, stranger. Tell me why you'd degrade yourself eating some trash temple's robes?

>"I'm not giving Lei back, and what, are you an entire bloodline of demonic cultivators? How'd you escape notice so easily until Lei's branch got pruned?"

>"Are you a fan of mine? Seems like it? Why are you here? Can't be to cause trouble. And if it is, well, it is much easier to toss you out than it is those sword maniacs"

>"Lets chop nails. What do you want, are you just snooping or do you want something of mine or from me? Or did you just want to flirt with death incarnate?"

>Write in

>>6164701
>I'm not giving Lei back, first off
>Let's chop nails and sever iron, what do you want of my temple.

Let's not tip our hand completely, but he seems like a more charming alliance than the seven sword morons.
Adding him to the alliance as an elite and reclusive sect, to hide their demon worship might be an idea.

>>6164701
>>"Lets chop nails. What do you want, are you just snooping or do you want something of mine or from me? Or did you just want to flirt with death incarnate?"

>>6164714
support

>>6164701
>I'm not giving Lei back, and what, are you an entire bloodline of demonic cultivators? How'd you escape notice so easily until Lei's branch got pruned?"

File: 1712441376486306.png (357 KB, 709x506)

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Ending and tallying the vote now. Hope all of you juniors got at least one thing good this holiday. I received a sacred scripture I couldn't find in any of the scroll repositories I visited. And I am happy to report my brother enjoyed the black myth wukong lore book I got him!

I'm not giving you lei back....etc: 3

Lets chop nails...etc: 3

Alright, so you'll tell the Heretic that he isn't getting Lei back and cut nails and sever iron and ask him directly what he wants.

Update will arrive shortly

You swirl around the heretic who claims to be one of Lei's relatives, turning to a blood red mist as you surround them and hum melodically as if in deep thought as he stares ahead, a smile that is admittedly very queer and Lei like on his face as he waits to hear your answer, hands patiently and quite politely resting atop his knees as you flow away and reform your ghostly form next to him, sitting on your cat as purely a cat.

"I'm not giving Lei back, first off" You answerer jovially, tittering with an echoing, haunting effect, covering your mouth with the back of your paw as his smile twitches and becomes a little more smirk like

"I wasn't seeking the return of my relative, especially one whose mine was clearly addled at some point" he answered, amusedly "Though I am happy to see him flourish, even if I did not know him personally, the continuation of his branch's technique is a great joy to me and mine"

"What, are you an entire bloodline of demonic cultivators?" You snort, amused as you shake your head and shrug your shoulders as he turns to face you head on "And how'd you escape notice so easily if Lei's branch got pruned"

"How did you not become noticed until your secret cultivation became a cosmic event? Even the heavens hadn't noticed you, despite your very existence being forbidden by a divine ban that has been in place for ten generations of immortals?" He asked back, in a tone like the two of you have been laughing about a funny joke instead of discussing things that'd get your heads lopped off if someone below on the streets overheard "To put it simply, most rightfully regal and respected seeker of the secrets of the dead, Lei's family, clan and temple attracted overt attention. And acted like Demonic cultivators are expected to be, exaggerated by horror stories and manipulated historical records. Sure, I am to, a madman who kills others for his own gain, a selfish seeker of immortality who, as you know, founded a human sacrificing cult for laughs..."

"Was the one worshipping the drunk rain goddess...?" You interrupted, wagging a claw in his face as your tail flicks

"No. Though that was amusing. Guessing you killed them off as well? And here I was waiting to possess a fair maid's body to recruit myself new pawns, when, suddenly my marks were guts and blood floating down the river" He laughed, smile turning a little fittingly demonic looking, like the actual reincarnated demon who is probably killing another sword maniac who didn't know better than to not poke the devil with a poker out of misplaced honor or an honest wish to die violently

"A girl needs her secrets" You coyly answer, playfully batting your paw at him "But, you're refining human lives, what could Lei's family have been doing that was worse enough to rouse the orthodox sects into fulfilling their duties. Ya know, before I made my grand entrance and gave them all a kick in the rear?"

Cont

>>6165180

"Being obvious about it" He answers with a shrug "I got human ashes through a cult. Lei's family, if they were making the same sorcerous ink, would've simply walked into a village, and began burning people. They cut their tongues off, and trapped demons inside of themselves. It isn't hard to mistake them for anything but practitioners of demonic mysticism"

You do not say that you hadn't realized Lei was a demonic cultivator until well after you'd met and grown fond of him. But to be fair, even with your knowledge of humans and their ways, how is a young cat supposed to know when a weird human isn't just a weird human?

"Yet both you and him wear masks, just of different" Kinds, you point out, batting the top of his half worn masks

"So do the Ling" He answers back "Wearing an odd mask isn't a crime, howling like a lunatic or drunken wolf as you use a living corpse as a pill cauldron, is against the law, at least in the eyes of our fellow daoist. They were just overly confident, and acted in the open too often. Just because we're villains doesn't mean we can't sit down and have a pleasant chat with someone, of course, I could be wrong and Lei's family just got unlucky, but it wasn't the first time they got wiped out. So I presume what happened is the same as the last time they were nearly extinguished to the last"

"Fair, I suppose, though I find it hard to picture Lei doing that" You say, and it wasn't just because he was mute, Lei was weird and could be pretty ruthless, especially in battle, but he also spent most of his day just...acting weird. Fishing in irrigation channels, stalking after someone just to dance goofily when they turn around, sitting on his ass all day eating candy and throwing the same candy at street musicians. Really, he just kind of does things without their being any reason besides he thinks they'd be fun to do or are somehow funny to him, like when he "Borrowed" one of Monu's fine silk dresses and stretched out the shoulders

"Anyways" You say, banishing that particular nightmarish image from your memory "Lets chop nails, sever iron. What do you want of my temple? Are you just snooping or did you want something? Did you come here just to flirt with the terrifying me?"

"Hah! No, I may be depraved and your human mask may be enchantingly beautiful, but I am not so far gone as to practice bestiality. You are a cat, first and foremost" He laughs, and you felt a surge of pique as you thought about just exploding him on the principle of the matter for actually being sensible and realizing you aren't human despite often looking like one...and acting like one, and a particularly virtuous and kindly one at that

He quickly realizes his mistake and the steady current of killing intent, waving his hand frantically "Not that I am looking down at you or calling your true self ugly, far from it. There is beauty in being one of natures most effective killing machines writ large and drenched in blood and death's miasma!"
Con

>>6165181

"Good, don't slip your tongue like that again" You purr with faux sweetness, eyes narrowed threateningly "But besides irritating me , why did you come here?"

"Curiosity" He answered plainly "I was curious what separated a Heretic, from a demonic cultivator. While you have no issues wetting your snout with blood and practice obscene methods of cultivation, you aren't degenerate and sufficed with evil. Rather the opposite in fact. You clearly don't devour souls, since Chuan is overflowing with the dead now. And you adopt all manner of students and treat them fairly and raise them like a mother hen, protective and nurturing. You even hunted down another of the regional monsters, before they could grow. But not to remove a threat, but to end his reign of terror. It is interesting, how despite laughing in the laws of heaven, cultivation and man and living to your own ideals, your karma is good, even though your every day life is an offense to the gods. Despite living and being brought up in the same circumstances I willingly adopted, you turned out...A good person"

"I used to eat people" You pout as you can feel a chill even in your ethereal form as a different, darker mist suddenly flows down the rooftop as Aodasheng steps from the shadow, and nearly kills your conversation partner from fight

"Is this wretch bothering you, master?" Ao drawled, the spear of mortal death in his hand as somehow, he isn't noticed by the crowd below or walks without wiping them out with his overwhelming deathly yin aura and malevolence, while elsewhere, you commentate an incredible match between the Dusk marsh wolves and Summer Sea Dawn sect, whose basic formations and fighting had turned the arena they're matched in to a sandy marsh, with their squads fighting tooth and nail to beat the other senseless

"That is a calamity level phantom" Lei's nameless relative choked

"Yeah, Ao and I are friends, after we nearly tore eachother to pieces" You snicker "And I may generally do good, but that's just because I found doing good deeds pleasant, I follow the rules of nature and do what I want, when I want. Its just my whims tend to be beneficial to those in need around me, see?"

"What's the matter, is a man who threw away anything for power and dominations sake really in the position to claim they have moral standards? You're a cutsleeve. Huan is a perfect beauty and you'd laugh off the idea of her because she is by birth a man eating cat. IN my era, Cultivators seeking strength would seek out dragons and seduce or subdue them to steal their vital energies through duel cultivation. Your talk of refining humans and making cults, acting like it made you the lowest of scum, annoyed me greatly. You are barely a demon path follower, you do not know the true depths cultivators can descend in pursuit of power" Ao rants and raves
Cont

>>6165183

"Wait you were watching us? for that long?" You balk and he just giggles

"I thought he was flirting to, and was curious to see how you'd two would get along" He says, sounding both oddly upset and oddly relieved "I was just dumbstruck at how far even demonic cultivation has fallen, is all and noticed that he had drew you ire with that thoughtless remark and dismissal after he acted a flirt"

"I wasn't interested, I just like toying with people like Mama" You pout and Ao's smile turns slightly less overtly murderous

"What?" Lei's relative squeaks "Wait, are you and the forgotten king..."

A spear was at his throat in an instant

"Huan and I are just the only two who truly know what it means to be a cultivator, to follow and live according to your own ideals and laugh at any who try to temper and force you to obey their laws. She is the only true strength produced in this era, and I find her existence intriguing. So I decided to bind myself to her, as guard, advisor and friend" He says with a pleasant but dangerous voice "And I will not permit gossip of that nature, mostly, because it is offensive to think just because one refines ghostly Qi, means that one"

"Ao, shut up" You snap, before he can lead the conversation anywhere else weird and because how he's acting is making your body blush, which could cause a different sort of gossip, since currently you're watching a brutal, drawn out brawl between two sects that has turned bloody, and elsewhere are listening to Coffin Maker Wen, now dressed in your sects colors, listening to an actual Jiangshi maker talk about the best graves to plunder to make their hopping minions

"Oh, sorry, I was just offended on your behalf, and in my era, offenses like his were met with more than warnings and sharp words, but bloody retribution and often, truly inspired extended executions. Say, Little Demon pretender, did you know that the Innocent Witch's court used to castrate men and feed their writhing bodies to mounds of bone nesting ants and other, venomous creatures, such as the Viper head scorpions. I wonder why they stopped. Huan, you've spoken with them, why did the innocent witch court lose their fangs" Ao rambles, which thankfully, allows you to forget how oddly dashing he seemed a moment ago.

"Why have you shut up to, go on, talk, you said you were just curious to meet me, and see how I could be a heretic but generally a good person, is that all?" You ask and Lei's relative, suddenly as mute as him, nods rapidly "Really? Oh I'm touched. See, the other heretics I know, are rabid sword maniacs who can barely string together a coherent sentence and apparently came here just to drive in droves and soak my new garden in blood before I wanted it to be"
Cont

>>6165184

"oh the Seven slaughtering sword is still around? I remember that cult" Ao laughs, slapping his knee "I'm almost glad they're still as directionlessly suicidal and seeking new, exciting ways to get themselves killed. I actually owned one of their namesake swords, since one of their masters back then pissed me off, can't remember how, might've just claimed his sword could sever this old friend of mine. Anyways, I gutted him with it and hung him out to dry in front of his own sect's main hideout, after taking what was worthwhile from his corpse...why are you paling, you're a demonic cultivator, are you not?"

"No...I mean yes I am, but hearing how the monster who was sealed by the heavens lived, and seeing him act like a J.." Lei's family member began started before the spear of mortal death touched his throat without grazing "Like a good friend to a modern day calamity, is quite unbalancing"

"Ao, stop threatening to kill him. If you weren't my underling, I'd let you do it, but since you are and he and I were getting along, I'll have to order you to not cut off his head. If you're bored, do it to Fu, he likes it" You say and Ao shuts his eyes, clearly holding back a laugh at the very mean spirited joke you made at your first disciples expense just now "And you, curiosity isn't directionless like a seven slaughtering sword cultist seeking a interesting grave. You were curious for a reason"

you pause, and smirk as you decide to give the Jiangshi maker the win in the sorcery contest, if only because, while you can make carmine mystic Jiangshi, puppet and possess corpse, and know more or less how to make traditional Jiangshi, his talent at making and controlling them at his level of cultivation is astonishing. That, and He and Coffin Making Wen get along, and it behooves you to encourage a good martial sibling relationship between your disciples. Even if Yue You and Ma Wengcheng aren't approving of their new senior martial sibling, and Tie Zhen, Chicken farmer Ho, Fen Kong and Ju don't really care. And Maozhuaban, Huannupu and Chuanmao would accept a corpse eating ogre as their comrade if they had your approval, since you are quite literally the object of their worship

"Of course" Lei's relative said, eyes firmly locked on Aodasheng rather than you, which is a little insulting you feel "Recent years, the orthodox sects have been roused, and I fear that"

"You'll end up like Lei, and are looking for a place to wear a mask and relax after your clan is slaughtered by a demon hunter?" You ask'

"Worse case scenario" he answers with a nod "I was just thinking, you've got the stench of hell and heaven on you. And I am well known amongst those who follow the demonic path, and my sect has few friends"

"An alliance?" Ao chuckles

"Oh, so that's why you disguised your true nature and acted like you belonged to a long dead sect" You laugh as well and he nods
Cont

>>6165185

"Perhaps not outright, but it would be beneficial to us all. Your sect is in too high standing to procure useful cultivation materials, and mine, well, is at danger of being made into worm food if we even make a name for ourselves like Lei's branch did" He continues "At the very least, I thought I could learn how to keep that from happening despite our willingness to...well, refine humans"

"Lei...the odd fellow with the mask who can devour Qi?" Aodasheng asks, looking to you, smiling as he waits to see if he remembered your disciple correctly, you nod and he clenches his fist triumphantly

Double vote!

How do you answer Lei's relative

>By agreeing to giving them a chance to join your alliance and asking for their name, telling them, they'll have to impress you and the other heads of the alliance to actually get in

>By saying you won't be their enemy, and asking exactly what sort of demonic cultivation they practice so you can know if you'll need to kill them later or not

>Give him pointers on how not to be noticed by orthodox cultivators and offer to let him talk with Lei and set up a family reunion. Oh, and tell him one of his ancestors is ferrying souls down in hell

>By outright refusing

>Write in

And what do you do afterwards, Huanliuxue

>Actually mean the Jiangshi maker in person and decide what reward you'll give the summer sea dawn team for winning the formation contest

>Introduce The secret demonic cultivator with the actual demon reborn Xie'e Mowangzi. What's the worst that could happen?

>Introduce the new jade rabbits to Monu and her other new juniors in the sect, as you and her watch the rest of the Qi condensation tournament

>Give Lei's...uncle? Cousin? a task to earn your favor and have Ao shadow him to make sure he does it. Just to amuse yourself, really

>Write in

>>6165187
>Get the general jist of what his cultivation entails. Just so we know if we need to kill him
>If none of it is taboo, by our standards, then Say he needs to impress the other alliance leaders.

>introduce the newbies to Monu.
>Challenge the Heretic to get a flower from the Thousand lotus elders/sect head, a promise from the dusk marsh wolves and the name of Old StormClouds disciple who was at the trial, and we will sponsor your joining.

Mostly, I just want to see if he has the silver tongue to be really useful.

Also, Ao continues to be the best.
>"YOU CALL THIS DEMONIC CULTIVATION?! THIS IS BARELY TABOO! SUCKING THE TOES OF A DRAGON? IVE HAD A CHILD WITH A DRAGON THEN CONSUMED THE MOTHER INSIDE OUT! THIS IS WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A DEMON, SWEET FUCK!"

I need to find that Slannesh copy pasta about deciding some pleasure cult as derivative and pathetic for thinking excessive sex was true depravity.

>>6165187
>>By saying you won't be their enemy, and asking exactly what sort of demonic cultivation they practice so you can know if you'll need to kill them later or not
>Actually mean the Jiangshi maker in person and decide what reward you'll give the summer sea dawn team for winning the formation contest
What is it that he is doing first and fore most.
also Jiangshi maker could make a killing in our sect, we should make sure to give em a good luck.

>>6165184
>orget how oddly dashing he seemed a moment ago.
OH NO HE'S HOT! lmao

>>6165187
>you nod and he clenches his fist triumphantly
Honestly, Ao is such a goober. Love this guy.

>>6165187
Having this guy meet Xie might be entertaining but Huan doesn't really like the sword demon.
(...besides I'm now afraid that Xie and Ao could hit it off.)

>bring this demon cultivator to meet Lei and ask questions about his cultivation method, if it's too fucked up we can refuse to help and if children are involved kill him on the spot.
(I don't think he would have approached knowing our reputation if he did hurt children but there's always fools around.)

>Actually mean the Jiangshi maker in person and decide what reward you'll give the summer sea dawn team for winning the formation contest.
I believe Monu will gradually gravitate to the kids on her own and we have stuff to see to.

>>6165187
>>Get the general jist of what his cultivation entails. Just so we know if we need to kill him
>If none of it is taboo, by our standards, then Say he needs to impress the other alliance leaders.
>Actually meet the Jiangshi maker in person and decide what reward you'll give the summer sea dawn team for winning the formation contest

>>6165187
>By agreeing to giving them a chance to join your alliance and asking for their name, telling them, they'll have to impress you and the other heads of the alliance to actually get in

>Give Lei's...uncle? Cousin? a task to earn your favor and have Ao shadow him to make sure he does it. Just to amuse yourself, really

Hope you had a good Christmas everyone
>>6165187
>By saying you won't be their enemy, and asking exactly what sort of demonic cultivation they practice so you can know if you'll need to kill them later or not
>Actually mean the Jiangshi maker in person and decide what reward you'll give the summer sea dawn team for winning the formation contest

>>6165187
Supporting >>6165470.

>>6165187
Don't let Ao find out about the book huan wrote. She'd be too embarrassed.
She'll have to be careful when writing book 2.

Honestly, tho prob the best match for Huan is Ao. Doesn't piss her off and can be considered equals. Gonna have to snag a Ling to bring him back to life.

>The simple question is do you kill children. That is my main rule, no killing children. That line if crossed will make you my enemy.

>>6165470
Support

Curious if he uses life energy. No doubt something barbaric if he needs to harvest people. Least he's not a total dumb person.
If it's such an energy we could have him change his cultivation to pure blood qi. If he proves himself worthy. Give him to Ao as an underling.

>>6165187
>>By saying you won't be their enemy, and asking exactly what sort of demonic cultivation they practice so you can know if you'll need to kill them later or not
>>Actually mean the Jiangshi maker in person and decide what reward you'll give the summer sea dawn team for winning the formation contest

>>6165908
I think Ao being the only viable romance candidate is hillarious, but it's also. . Just kind of natural really.
I'm not gonna push it. But I wouldn't oppose the flow either.

Empress of ghosts takes a consort from a calamity level ghost.
Huh, what do you think the next grade of ghost is?

>>6165187
>Get the general jist of what his cultivation entails. Just so we know if we need to kill him
>If none of it is taboo, by our standards, then Say he needs to impress the other alliance leaders.
I don't want a repeat of the deal we gave the Crow Demons. We let them off very easy for, you know, their demonic actions.

>Actually mean the Jiangshi maker in person and decide what reward you'll give the summer sea dawn team for winning the formation contest.

>>6165908
>>6166993
Im glad Im not the only one that noticed the chemistry between them, steady as she goes. Xuebai and Yujijiao must also be revived!

>>6167064
We don't really care that much about demons though? It's just the way they are. They're people like anyone else, and have done far less to us than normal humans or the heavens have.

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Lost track of time, Ending and tallying the vote now. While I was away, a friend of mine ran a solo game of Wandering Heroes of the ogre gate for me, a Wuxia/ Xianxia ttrpg. Very fun. I played Fu Cai, street rat and petty con man, who entered the martial world due to a chance encounter with an old monster who pointed out he had potential and warned him his current con would've ended up poorly (Drugging, stealing the robes of cultivator and pretending to be one for alms/ selling fake fortunes). Long story short, session ends with him eating a Gu Mantis, turning his Qi toxic as well as forcing open his meridians and leading him to take the art name of Tanglang, or praying mantis and setting down on the path of the poisoner and assassin for a very Huan reason (To make sure no child/ human becomes a rat/ suffers like he had)

Very fun game. Anyways

Ask what sort of demonic cultivation they practice:10
-Do you kill children?:1

Give them a chance & Tell them they need to impress the other alliance leaders:6

Lei family reunion:1
____

Introduce Monu to the newest disciples:1

Challenge the heretic/ give him a task:2
-Flower, promise, name...etc:1

Meet the Jiangshi maker and decide the reward for the SSD sect:8

So you'll ask Lei's relative about his method of cultivation, and if none of it is too taboo/ offensive, tell him he'll have to impress the other heads of the alliance to join it.

Then you'll meet with the Jiangshi maker in person and decide the reward for the Summer Sea Dawn team's victory

Update will arrive shortly

>>6165195
>>6165250
Ao is one of my favorites to write for a reason

>>6165908
>>6166993
>>6167064
Well, its your guys choice in the end

>>6167159
I said their actions anon, some "demons" are alright but the crow demons were killing people and stealing the souls of the fallen. Souls of those that died in battle for us and, not only do we let that go, we reward them with the soul of the emperor.

>>6167302
Like I said, steady as she goes. No need to focus on it when the chemistry leads there so naturally.

Holding back a cackle, you turn to face the mask worn by Lei's relative who still hasn't given you a name, even a false one.

"Well, before I can consider an alliance or even just any sort of relationship with you and yours that doesn't end with fresh color soaking into my fur or hair" You say threateningly as you preen your ghostly claws and stretch out "I'll need to know the basic details, and foundation of your cultivation. I know how rude it is to ask, but you understand that if any of it is repugnant to me, taboo by my standards or simply just offensive well"

"Death" Ao helpfully adds, with a sagely nod "Of a most gruesome sort. Though she may at times masquerade as a human fairy, she is still by nature and birth a cat, and I shan't need to explain in overt detail the peculiar hunting and play habits of housecats, and what sort of tortures those naturally cruel impulse may result in, when said house cat has grown to the size of an Ox or knows how direct the flow of death and enmity's miasma"

Lei's relative gulps, and rubs his throat, sweat escaping from the gap between the uncovered half of his face and the mask he wears

"Our lineage bears no clan or family name, but I am known as Sun-seeker Chao" He explains with almost courtly civility "And, I am no fool, I know you revile nothing and no one more than those who'd harm or abuse children. I may be risking much, but I am not so fool hardy as to risk certain death"

"Even the corpse thief knew not to injure a child in my presence, I still blew him to pieces for being gross" You purr as Ao remains standing, spear at the ready and eyes narrowed to slits, that gleam with killing intent as an ethereal coat of teal fire waves on his shoulders "So just not committing the ultimate sin as I see it, is not enough, do, tell me Chao, what are the foundations and pillars of your cultivation"

"And I will know if you are lying" Ao says jovially "I lived long and long ago, so I will be certain to recognize the source from which your method streams, young pretender"

Chao audibly groans

"Human refinement. Lei's branch practice Life force and Qi stealing, and sealed demons inside themselves to harness their power to supplant their own and make use of their unique preternatural powers and forces" He explained "They cut their tongue for a number of reasons, so they would not sell their secrets even if tortured or befuddled by a hex, and so the demon locked inside their flesh couldn't speak through them. However, my side of the traditions, believe that human strength and spirit are far more potent a fuel than fires of Daiyu"

"Lei's meridians were sealed by the devil entrapped inside of him" You muse outload, tapping a claw on your chin as you once again shift your ethereal body, this time to make it resemble the corpse of your human self "And absorbed all the Qi he could gather, so what, are you a pack of cannibals?"

Cont

>>6167317

"We do not make a feast of our fellow man" he begins before Ao whistles

"Wrong, don't cover your own eyes to ignore the rot in your bowl. Using human ashes, bone marrow or other portions as cultivation materials or medicinal ingredients, is cannibalism. Not that there's anything wrong with it, one can easily skip several processes in gathering necessary essences and foundational energies by simply taking them from corpses, rather than searching for them in grasses and stones" He corrects, wagging his finger as the iron thorns on the spear of mortal death crawl and wrap around his arm

"Then I suppose we are" Chao accepts immediately "We are careful in our selection. Lei's branch were breath thieves, they stole Qi and spiritual energy to replace what they used to seal the demon, to mix earth and hell in their meridians. We however procure choice organs and bones, and transfer their properties to ourselves. We know how to graft spiritual roots and transplant hidden organs or special physiques"

"Hm, the wretch Jingyu did similar" You pout "He stappled and stitched pieces of his victims to and inside of himself, and tore out their viscera to absorb it and the powers it contained"

"Crude, but effective" Chao hums "But obvious. We preserve the special qualities into medicines, extracts, and imbibe them"

"The difference of skinning a man to make a coat from his flesh and eating his meat to grow your muscles, neither of which were considered good mannered or respectable, even in the wild era I lived and reigned. Though I did do similar to a dragon" Ao remarks, transforming his hand not gripping and gripped by his beloved spear into a dragons claw "perhaps, it were your ancestors who I took this secret from. I believe they were a tribe of savages, but, I can't recall which tribe it was that I took this particular art from"

"Perhaps, we don't care much for our history. Only recording it in stories. Keeping written records would be suicidal and sheer stupidity" Chao answers "But yes, we do not stich arms to our bodies or tear out hearts to replace our own, we just"

"Grind them into powder and form them into balls. Something many cultivators have done to my people without so much as flinching in disgust. I may not eat humans as often as I once did, but I do still use parts of them for similar purposes" You grumble, deep in thought "Bone ash, mostly. And it isn't as unnatural as what Jingyu did, and the only reason it'd be repugnant is...well, you're doing it to your own kind"

"Would you do it to other housecats?" Chao asks and freezes as you reach into his chest and hold his heart still for a moment, for speaking out of turn and interrupting you as you were thinking

"No" You answer icily "They're my subjects. I am fair ruler. My people are my wealth, not my fodder. I'm no cannibal. But I can't really judge you for being one"

He gasps as you release his heart and pull your ghostly hand from his chest
Cont

>>6167318

"If I did, I'd have to start judging my mother for fermenting human corpses in liquor to make medicine and poisons" You snicker as Ao strokes his well kept beard "And is using corpse parts really so taboo? I have a belly full of grudges and steal the breath of ghosts. Sure, your way is demonic, but it isn't nearly as offensive as becoming a walking afront to nature, sticking stolen flesh and fusing other's bones to your frame. Consumption is natural, what Jingyu did was not"

"Interesting" Ao mutters under his breath

"So you will not kill me where I stand?" Chao asked frantically

"Eh, so long as you don't kill too many innocent people or harm anyone I care about or cause problems" You answer vaguelly with a shrug of your shoulders "I'd prefer if you stuck to criminals or scum, honestly, but unless I find your cultivation more abhorent later on, either due to myself or seeing it in action, well, we'll see"

He sighs in relief at knowing you won't kill him today.

"And if you want to be more than just a trading partner, or come close to being my friend, you'll need to work for it, and to join the alliance, the other heads and grandmasters of the tomb, mountain and sea need to accept you" You explain, clapping your hands together "And that's assuming it doesn't become, Tomb, mountain, garden and sea soon, Heh-Heh-Heh. But for now, using human made pills is nothing I can condemn or wrinkle my nose at, so you're free to go. Come on Ao, lets go meet that Jiangshi master"

"Though I may still kill one or two of your seniors, just to test the mettle of your sect" Is how the king of ghosts bids goodbye to the still corpse pale Chao, who nearly slips from the roof as he says it, and sends his bowl of noodles clattering to the ground.

Reuniting with your body, and snickering to yourself when you saw that no one realized you weren't inhabiting it, even those who had seen you leave it earlier, you walk up to the Jiangshi maker, who is currently amazing Coffin Maker Wen by having one of his corpse servants hop around while balancing a tray of tea on their outstretched arms

"Ara ara, what a pretty corpse" You praise as you lean and look into the glassy eyes of the beautiful woman who became the Jiagnshi, fangs poking out from behind their lilac hued lips, as a raspy groan was pushed out of their throat "Not intelligent, or aware. Though I can taste a mist of resentment on their putrid breath. They're still inside themselves, aren't they. My my, how obscene"

Ju shuddered and Tie zhen stroked his chin thoughtfully as Baifenchi, gasp and flittered her wings excitedly, moving around the feet of the well preserved corpse as its master sat, dressed like a Jiangshi himself
Cont

>>6167319

A slutty Jiangshi, his chest was bare to his navel and his shoulders were uncovered, yet he still wore long hanging sleeves and a talisman that had a name written on it instead of a command or spell. You knew immediately he and Renshu were going to be the best of friends.

"Ni hao" He greets as you read the paper on his face, which read Gentleman's Corpse, which you took to be his art or style name (Shenshi Shiti, 绅士 尸体)

You nod to greet him in return

"You have a fine eye for corpses, and souls. She is a failed student of my old master, who made the mistake of creating a true Jiangshi" He explains "I came here to see if she could be improved and made whole again. I am Shenshi-Shiti. I have no other name, for it was our master's way to give us names based on what our corpses would be, she is Meili-Shiti, beautiful corpse, and is my favorite Jiangshi"

"Do you perhaps share my fondness for the macabre and ghastly, you dress yourself like your puppets, Shenshi-Shiti" You ask politely as you and the fair faced corpse master smiles a toothy grin, his sorrowful willow leaf eyes opening from behind the cap he wears

"Of course, appreciate all aspects of life, even its end. I meditate by imagining my own decay and putrefaction" He adds as you feel a flush on your cheeks

"Ah ah, so do I! I dream of how this beautiful body of mine may moldering and rot away, it is a most pleasing fantasy" You purr and get a lot more strange looks "Say, say, do you also find yourself awestruck by the shedding of your own blood"

"When I must extract it, Big sister, to keep Meili-Shiti and her siblings' hunger for breath and life at bay, say say, I heard you created a new breed of Jiangshi, one that suckles on veins rather than lips" He exclaims and you cheerfully nod and quickly have Renshu and Ruolan brought forward

"This is what an ordinary Jiangshi looks like?" Ruolan admires, frowning "Well, I must say, I greatly prefer our alchemical process, Master. It is so much more dignified and beautiful, not to mention, Brother and I have retained our minds"

"Well, I have, not your brother by blood, little devil" Renshu chuckles as he admires the maker rather than the product, his eyes painted like peacock wings "And say, Gentleman's corpse, your sense of style is wonderful. I see you appreciate fashion as well as corpse"

"My my, you two reek of blood, and you of the sea, well dressed brother" Shenshi-Shiti snickers from behind his drooping sleeves, looking younger than renshu even after he regained his youth upon being made into a carmine mystic "Are you the alchemist called, of the river?"

"I am he" Renshu chirps happily

"And you, little lady, your eyes glimmer like enchanted gemstones...my my, what interesting corpses you've collected, Big sister" Shenshi-Shiti, a very pretty boy dressed like a hopping corpse exclaims "Please, allow me to give my thanks for being welcomed into your temple of corpses, ghouls and phantoms!"
Cont

>>6167320

Senshi-Shiti is Qi Condensation Rank 6 (Focuses: Sorcery: Talismans, Jiangshi creation/ Command). He practices the heretical law of the Parade of Lively Corpses (yóuxíngdīhuānshishītǐ, 游行的欢势尸体, a Yin/ Water Aligned Law focused on talisman and Jiangshi creation, and without a fighting style of its own but containing several unique spells/ curses

"I like this one" Ao whispers from somewhere nearby

"Your blood is still warm, even though you reek of the grave" Ruolan compliments "Also you're not as flamboyant as my fellow heir"

"He does seem lively, at least more than his corpses" Renshu jokes

"Why are you looking Aghast, you knew the character of the master before you joined the sect" Wen asks Yue you and Ma Wencheng, who funnily enough is standing beside his elder martial brother Wang Wencheng

"Those humans are dead?" Fen Kong gasps suddenly as Ho's eyes widen

"You're right, they aren't breathing, oi, scratching post, that beauty is dead!" The chicken farmer tells Maozhuaban by tugging on his sleeve

"And?" He replies as Huannupu pulls on a string of yarn

"Cat's steal breath, a cat deity should have a corpse owner in her service" She answer brightly

"He did a good job masking their rot" Chuanmao compliments

"I need to ask how he did it, exchanging tips, as craftsmen" Tie Zhen mumbles

"Junior brothers act surprised" Qinxin laughs "Did you forget one of the senior most disciples has a corpse's arm, Rejungui (忍俊鬼, Smiling Ghost), my own sworn brother"

"Idiots" Yujijiao snickers "You're going to be sleeping above graves soon!"

"Hmm" Qiang sighs, rubbing the handle of her sword before remarking "You better hope you aren't compatible with the Ruler of the great wheel's law (统治者的这重大轮回法律, Tǒngzhìzhědīzhèzhòngdàlúnhuífǎlǜ) then. These things are much less frightening than what lies in wait down in hell"

"Oh, oh may I go there?" Senshi shiti asks excitedly "Or meet the cursed armed exorcist, or the avenging judge who carries the dead upon his back, or the silent death! Oh I've heard such tales about your temple, big sister"

"...horror stories, right?" Qiang asks bluntly

"Yes!"
Cont

>>6167321

Double vote!

What is the reward you give to the summer sea dawn team that won the formation contest

>A chance to "Upgrade" to the palace of natural laws

>A lesson from yours truly, once the Qi Condensation tournament ends

>Fine armor/ robes and a chance to meet their weaver (A certain spider demon, but no reason to tell them that)

>Spirit stones or rare medicine

>Write in

And as the Crafting, Alchemy, Scholarly, free for all, and luck trials begin but before they conclude, what do you do, Huanliuxue?

>Bring your allies and friends from the other sects to watch the events, mostly to gossip with them and hear their commentary on them

>Introduce Senshi-Shiti properly to the other ghostly/ macabre minded disciples in your sect, and let him meet Aodasheng.

>Examine the winners of the pre Qi condensation stage and decide what you'll teach them now rather than later

>Place some bets on your own students, learning from your mistake to not fleece the sects of Chuan with Luli's help earlier

>Write in

>>6167322
>A lesson from yours truly, once the Qi Condensation tournament ends
Stealing disciples from allies is bad form

>Place some bets on your own students, learning from your mistake to not fleece the sects of Chuan with Luli's help earlier

>>6167322
>>A lesson from yours truly, once the Qi Condensation tournament ends
Tip one, don't die. Unless you want to.

>Bring your allies and friends from the other sects to watch the events, mostly to gossip with them and hear their commentary on them
Party time. We'll have snacks, and drinks, and a cool little dude with a sitar or something. We need a musical midget. The second most respectable job for one of the diminutive types.

>>6167322
I support >>6167329


It would be really rude to steal their disciples. It isn't rude to train them.

>>6167304
To be fair we also threatened them to keep themselves (relatively) clean lest we remind them why we’re call Crow Killer.
>>6167322
>A lesson from yours truly, once the Qi Condensation tournament ends
They will come back to their sects changed individuals, whether they like it or not.
>Place some bets on your own students, learning from your mistake to not fleece the sects of Chuan with Luli's help earlier
Is it really a tournament if there’s no gambling? Though I image the big buck will still wait for the Foundation tournament where our are waiting.

>>6167302
I love Wandering Heros. It's a really fun system and mostly easy to remember. Balancing techniques is ass though.

To any aspiring GM's, just fuckin' ban or remove techniques that deal wounds equal to Qi level. it breaks the power scaling.

>>6167322
>A lesson from yours truly, once the Qi Condensation tournament ends
>Place some bets on your own students, learning from your mistake to not fleece the sects of Chuan with Luli's help earlier

>>6167322
>A lesson from yours truly, once the Qi Condensation tournament ends
>Examine the winners of the pre Qi condensation stage and decide what you'll teach them now rather than later

>>6167322
>A lesson from yours truly, once the Qi Condensation tournament ends

>Place some bets on your own students, learning from your mistake to not fleece the sects of Chuan with Luli's help earlier

Some lessons for this kiddos and cats like shiny coins.

>>6167322
>Fine armor/ robes and a chance to meet their weaver (A certain spider demon, but no reason to tell them that)

I WANNA VISIT OUR SPIDER FRIEND

>Bring your allies and friends from the other sects to watch the events, mostly to gossip with them and hear their commentary on them
Alright guys time for the family get together.

>>6167322

>>6167333
I'll support this, a little party midway to chat and mingle. Let them digest the sights and revelations they witnessed and stifle or make new rumors.

>>6167322
>Write in
Kisses from you

>Bring your allies and friends from the other sects to watch the events, mostly to gossip with them and hear their commentary on them

>>6167322
>A lesson from yours truly, once the Qi Condensation tournament ends

>Bring your allies and friends from the other sects to watch the events, mostly to gossip with them and hear their commentary on them
I want this and the bets but since the bets are one vore ahead I'll do just this.

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Ending and tallying the vote now, hope all of juniors had a fantastic start to the new years. I drank a bit too heavily and ate some seafood I probably shouldn't have, which is why I didn't post on the day itself. Also bought 2 kilos of tea from my favorite shop.

A lesson from yours truly, once the Qi Condensation tournament ends:9

Fine armor/ robes and a chance to meet their weaver:1

Kisses: 1
___

Place some bets on your own students, learning from your mistake to not fleece the sects of Chuan with Luli's help earlier:5

Bring your allies and friends from the other sects to watch the events, mostly to gossip with them and hear their commentary on them:5

Examine the winners of the pre Qi condensation stage and decide what you'll teach them now rather than later:1

Alright, so the prize for the summer sea dawn team will be a private lesson with Princess Huanliuxue, and you'll bring your allies and friends from other sects to watch the events, mostly to gossip and hear their thoughts

Once you've finished placing a few clever bets on your own students....

Update will arrive shortly. Sorry for taking so long

"Inform the winning team from the summer sea dawn sect their reward is a private privilege, a personal lesson and training beneath my most majestic and talented self" You announce to Lord Xia who had come asking about what was the reward his disciples could expect for winning, and the moment you told them, he flashed a gleaming smile and his eyes sparkled with delight

"A fitting reward. All in Chuan know there is no teacher as masterful or fine as yourself, Lady Huanliuxue. It is said even by those who once looked down upon you that those taught by Bloodshed are sure to make names for themselves, to become renowned heroes and wise sages" He exclaims, happily rubbing his hands together as you lounge on the silk couch Monu or Siwang had bought when you were preparing to host the tournament

"Of course, I know that. I'm a renowned teacher, with just my guidance I took novices and turned them into figures who haunt the nightmares of any who may have slighted me or trodden upon a cat's tail in the past" You snicker, fanning yourself as Jinse-Shayu nods "But tell your students they'll have to wait for the Qi condensation contests to finish, then the whole team can come to me and be granted my blessing to bask, momentarily, in my most radiant brilliance and see exactly why my disciples have become so ferocisous and skilled!"

"Of course, master" He answers with a nod, looking greatly delighted as he turns and laughs, telling himself "Sure the flea ridden months mocked me for supplicating before you and making myself a servant, but see how my subservience is rewarded, across my sect. Treasures from the sea and gleaming insights handed down by the rising star of all of cultivation, Hah! Chew on that Shidi"

You smirk and watch him go, Yinying and his young guards all resting around you as Siwang reads through a list of expenses and incidents that occurred while he was away

"Yinying, Siwang, go find the heads of our allied sects and my close friends and tell them they're invited to watch the latter half of the Qi condensation rung of the tournament. You should know who I mean. Lady Lian, Master Su, the Xia who just left. I might decide I mean more, since I found I enjoy the company of one or two of the acquaintances I made during the first rounds, but don't worry, you won't be punished if you can't predict my whims, Heh-Heh"

"Then why don't you just go invite them if the mood strikes you, master?" Siwang asks, adjusting the glasses he now wears to be fashionable in his human form

"Cause I need to place some bets, and while I can be spiritually in one place and physically in another, I need to put some serious thought towards which of your martial siblings I'll put cash down on them winning" You explain, throwing up your hands as Siwang nods slowly "If someone I want to respect by giving them a seat at my side isn't there, I'll just have them brought up from the stands"
Cont

>>6169853

"Of course" Siwang and Yinying both say in near unison, making them exchange half amused glares at mirroring their rival so closely.

And then you swagger and sashay your way to the betting office you specially set up, greeting the outer disciples you trusted to run it as you watch magical beasts and humans mingle and discuss how incredible your tournament is as the underling whose name you don't even know looks up to you happily

"Have you come to collect the cut we've taken from all bets and winnings, master?" He asks, and you realize that is probably Monu's doing. Of course it could only be your clever mother's doing, finding a way to get a bit of cash from everyone else throwing around their spirit stones and treasures simply for a thrill they could get just tossing around a few handfuls of dice.

"No, I just wanted to put down some money and stones myself, to show my beloved disciples my support " You announce loud enough for all the rest to hear, and can tell from the shocked looks that the only thing that's on the minds of most of the crowd of betters and gamblers is concern that you have an even more talented disciple than Lian Luli waiting to be unleashed on their unsuspecting opponents. And you grin ear to notched ear as you hear them mumbling and whispering to themselves

"O...oh" the bet taker stammers, hurriedly digging threw a mass of scrolls written with the names of every competitor "I should've been ready for this, forgive me Master, You said you wanted to bet on our temple's inner disciples, yes? For which contests and who? And for what amount, sorry, but we must be specific with these dealings or we might be cheated through a loophole or exact wording or.."

You sigh through your nose, and the little outer disciple shuts up and pushes the list containing the names of which of your disciples are competing in which games, and instead of using the offered pen and ink, cut open your thumb and use your highly refined blood control to turn the drops of blood that dribble out into your pen and ink.

Who do you bet on and how many spirit stones do you bet on them, Huanliuxue? *total spirit stones 3506*

>Renshu and Ruolan both in the alchemy contest, can't do to play favorites between your carmine mystic descendants, after all

>Senlin Zhenren or Niu or Liu in the scholar's exam, since you aren't sure which of them is the smartest between the three

>Yujijiao, Yinying, Zhurou, Bo, Wang Wencheng, Houmogui, Youzaiwang or Jiangliehuo in the free for all. They're all about equally matched in terms of cultivation and talent, but you have to choose one

>Flick a drop of blood to decide who you'll bet on in the Luck test, to really test their good fortune.

>Ask why no one is competing in the crafting contest? Sure your sect only has one or two artisans, but still!

>Write in

>>6169855
>Flick a drop of blood to decide who you'll bet on in the Luck test, to really test their good fortune.

>>6169855
>>Flick a drop of blood to decide who you'll bet on in the Luck test, to really test their good fortune.
Gamba? Gamba! GAMBA! YEAAAHHHH BABY! 250 stones.

>>6169823
>ate some seafood I probably shouldn't have,
Is there truly any seafood we should eat? The hubris of man in unmatched. To be where they should not. Eat what they can not hunt. Truly this is the peak of arro- oooh shrimp platter.

>>6169855
>Flick a drop of Blood, put down for 500 stones

>Bet on Yujjilio, 200 stones.
Snake girl is really hard to handle.

>>6169855
>>Renshu and Ruolan both in the alchemy contest, can't do to play favorites between your carmine mystic descendants, after all

>>6169855
>lick a drop of blood to decide who you'll bet on in the Luck test, to really test their good fortune.

Going to let the vote go on for a bit longer. Also, remember to list how many spirit stones you want to bet with your vote

Hey guys we're doing some rolls for an event in normal cultivator quest. If you guys are down to come over and roll. Come on down.

>>6169855
>Renshu and Ruolan both in the alchemy contest, can't do to play favorites between your carmine mystic descendants, after all
for 1000 stones.

>>6169855
>Flick a drop of blood to decide who you'll bet on in the Luck test, to really test their good fortune.
444 stones

>>6169855
>Flick a drop of blood to decide who you'll bet on in the Luck test, to really test their good fortune.

All in on Luck baby!

>>6169855
>>6170878
For the sake of consensus, I'll change to the Luck test and anon's auspicious 444 bet.

File: 1668526144281201.png (2.91 MB, 1328x2651)

2.91 MB PNG

Ending and tallying the vote now. Sorry for taking a bit, but I was asked to feed and watch a relatives Cats. And while I could've refused, I always take a chance to Cat-Sit when I can since my cats show jealousy with affection.

Flick a drop of blood to decide who you'll bet on in the Luck test, to really test their good fortune.:7
-444:2
-500: 1
250:1
-All in:1

Yijijiao, free for all: 1
-200:1

Renshu and Ruolan: 1

so you'll flick blood to decide who to bet on, and put down 444 spirit stones, leaving 3062 until you collect your winnings, if there any

However, before you can exert you control over the drop of blood bleeding from the tear at the tip of your finger, a wild whim crosses your mind and flutters down to capture your heart. Gambling, even in the form of betting, is always a game of chance. Even a favorite to win can trip and stumble at the last leg of a race and the same is true for any contest. Of course, betting on a favorite isn't any fun really, and isn't exactly profitable. But since gambling is just luck unless you decide to cheat and weight your bets, why not decide who you'll bet on randomly? It'll be a bit like folk fortune telling, but instead of burning and watching the cracks that form in bones or tossing a bundle of incense sticks, you'll be flicking your priceless blood across the ledger

"Hold that up" You command, lifting up your bleeding finger as a few observers mutter about how gory and unsightly the sight of the beautiful blood pouring down you fair, jade like hand is, and those with sharp enough eyes to see the wound you dug with a nail have the most amusing reactions. Such weak stomachs they have.

The disciple, who you think after looking at his face for a few moments might've be one of the martial artist friends of Fu who simply wasn't born with the potential to cultivate nods obediently and obeys, holding up the scroll holding the names of only the students of the palace of natural laws. And now, more than the injury you inflicted on yourself, the crowd is drawn to you and transfixed by your odd behavior.

Smirking, adoring and reveling in the attention, you slowly almost ponderously lift up your bleeding finger and act out being indecisive before breathing in sharply through your nose, rolling and then relaxing your shoulders and then quickly flicking your cut finger and spraying you greatly refined and Qi rich blood across the paper.

"It'd be unbecoming to play favorites in a game of chance, rather uncouth and unrefined" You haughtily declare, making a show of tittering like a noblewoman should "So, I'll leave all of it up to chance. Disciple, who am I betting on?

His eyes scan down the blood speckled scroll and without prodding, decides that the largest splotch of your blood denotes your choice

"Renshu of the River, Alchemists' Tourney!" He declares proudly turning the ledger out to show the result to the crowd, who now realize you were just acting dramatic for no real reason "And what amount will you be placing on their performance, Master Huanliuxue?"

"Renshu? The storied medicine peddler who used to travel all up and down the rivers of Chuan?"
"I heard he'd gotten picked up by the palace of natural laws, and has somehow regained his lost youth"
"Do you think she did something with her blood? To make herself look unbiased"
"Just because blood is in her name, doesn't mean the divine spirit can control blood"
"You are unenlightened to the breadth of the world my friend, Huanliuxue is..."
"Ah, Master Peacock! He once saved my great uncle from measles!"

>>6171784

"Four hundred forty four spirit stones, taken from my personal coffers and the sects treasury" You answer with a please smile, enjoying the gossip you're hearing and the air of mystery surrounding yourself "I'd bet four thousand four hundred and forty four, but, well, this tournament was pretty costly to set up"

Everyone goes deathly quiet. You frown

"Hah! Four is my lucky number!" You declare with a grin, holding up four fingers and turning your eyes cat like as you create a ghostly mist around yourself by releasing just a drop of your deathly yin qi into the air "I dance with ghosts and meditate in tombs, the grave is my bed and bones are my chimes. Why should I fear the number of death as an Ill Omen, when I spend so much of my time with the dead or surrounded by the dead, Heh-Heh-Heh!

"I should ask one of her priests to bless my mother's funeral...when she dies"
"Cats are pretty close to the spiritual world, I supposed"
"I don't think that is how numerology works..."
"Do you want to tell her that?"
"She really does lean in on the ghostly angle doesn't she?"
"You haven't ever ran into her when she isn't suppressing her aura, death is very becoming of her..."

Pleased by that sort of complimentary gossip and sure that any rumors that might spread because of this little display will be the sort you delight in, you march away, swaying your hips as you head off to watch the contest you just bet on.

"Master Su, Master Xia, Lady Lian, Old man Shoushan!" You declare happily, clapping your hands as you glide like a specter over to the allies of your sect and your friends who aren't officially a part of the tomb, mountain and sea "How delightful, and Mother, what a lovely tiger stripe pattern. And Elder Sister, what a lovely chill you've brought with your company"

"I'd not refuse a direct invitation" Jinse-Shayu declares "And my wife sends her regards. She's gotten into....a spat with Lord Shidi's boar of a wife"

Monu clenches her jaw, pursing her lips to not say anything rude, even though you can read what she really wants to say in her eyes

"I've sent the Fa twins to make sure they do not go overboard, and told them to stay away from the killer wandering the tournament and those odd, renownless golden cores" Master Su tells you with a nod "and don't be mean to the youngster, you witch"

"I didn't say anything, you old vole" your mother scoffs, flipping a lock of her black hair and grinning, the lines of moles on her face lifting as her beautiful face turns toad like as she sticks out her fat tongue "And the minnow knows what I'd have wanted to say, he's an underling, so I am allowed to bully him. I outrank him, after all, Heh-Heh-Heh"

"You know, grandmother, it is pretty unnerving how much you and Huan sound like eachother when you laugh" Tianhua remarks politely

"So we're often told" you and your mother say together as the blind Buddhist master fans himself
Cont

"Daughters and mothers often resemble eachother, like masters and pets" he muses outload "Even if they share no blood. But I think our host taught herself to laugh like that"

"I'd be flattered if that was the case" Your mother sweetly swoons "But, Xuebai also laughs like me"

"And I haven't had a lungful of air in so many years" She says with a wispy, ghastly sounding voice "And foxes don't naturally croak"

"Neither do cats" You say with a shrug as you stretch out, yawn and slowly transform from human to cat, casting aside the robes you were wearing as you did so

"I think I heard your bones crack" Tianhua shudders "It made me remember Luli's fights"

"Oh I did that on purpose!" You laugh, grinning ear to ear as you watch the contestants examine their equipment and test the quality of their reagents through various methods. Renshu and Ruolan are placed next to eachother, and are drawing even more attention than you somewhat grotesque choice of transformation style

"They say they're undead" Shoushan says suddenly

"I think they are, technically" your mother thoughtless remarks, tapping her chin

"Are they?" Lord Xia asks, eyes sharp with fright

"They're still breathing, but that could just be them putting on airs" Su says, chuckling to himself over the pun her just made

"Are they?" Tianhua asks directly

"No" You bluntly answer "You could call them, and me a kind of Jiangshi, I guess. But none of us are dead. Their hearts beat, their blood flows, and they still breath. And they can eat food like anyone else can. They don't subsist on life force or breath or anything like that. Though"

You smirk and flash your fangs

"They do have a taste for fresh blood, but it isn't a curse or a hunger. They draw most the Qi they cultivate out of it" You explain simply "It is a remarkably clean cultivation method, despite its blood appearance"

"Hmm" Shoushan hums "reminds me of a certain old legend"

"We all know what it resembles, buddhist" Xia sighs

"But not exactly" Su points out

"Clearly because my Huan sanded down the rough edges of an old art" Monu smugly answers

"Carmine mysticism, perfected, isn't that what you call it?" Tianhua asks and you nod, but wag a finger

"Perfected carmine mysticism" You correct "Mine is the pure, proper form of it, and those two are the two whom I trust to inherit the redeemed artform of this most curious branch of blood sorcery"

"There were others?" Shoushan correctly guesses

"One got cold feet, the other betrayed my trust forgetting I can control every tiny drop of blood, and that his veins were filled with it" You say, demonstratively clenching then suddenly opening your fist

"Sometimes I forget you turned that corpse stealing monster into so much gore, my friend" Tianhua says with a nervous smile

"Cats like to play with their food" Your mother excuses on your behalf

"I wish I could've seen both those things, did they make a funny noise when they popped, little sister?" Xuebai yips as you flick your tail

>>6171786

and decide at that moment to start the alchemists' test, and watch in silence as all the cultivators busy themselves to hurriedly produce a worthwhile alchemical good, be it medicine, spirit pills or some lethal poison.

And what, mostly, do you gossip and discuss with for the rest of the tournament with your allies and friends, Huanliuxue?

>Candidly talk about the origins of Carmine mysticism and see if they'll believe your tale of time travel

>Talk about the tournament itself and the things you've missed, and if any of them have their eyes on a particular contestant

>Demand Xia tell you about his fight with the Ling, and kindly ask your mother to talk about her adventure outside of Chuan's borders.

>Nothing important, mostly mundane things and your thoughts on the other sects of chuan and their heads

>Write in

rolled physical dice to determine who Huan would bet on.

>>6171787
Renshu is a solid pick so our luck might be smiling down on us!

>Candidly talk about the origins of Carmine mysticism and see if they'll believe your tale of time travel.
Truly, it's becoming harder and harder to surprise people with what we can do.

>>6171787
>Candildy discuss the origins of perfected carmine mysticism.

>Note our first encounter with its corrupted form and our resolve to be above such baseless foolishness

>>6171787
>Demand Xia tell you about his fight with the Ling, and kindly ask your mother to talk about her adventure outside of Chuan's borders.

>>6171787
>Demand Xia tell you about his fight with the Ling, and kindly ask your mother to talk about her adventure outside of Chuan's borders.

>>6171787
>>Demand Xia tell you about his fight with the Ling, and kindly ask your mother to talk about her adventure outside of Chuan's borders.
Aight time to find out wtf happened out there.

>>6171787
>Candidly talk about the origins of Carmine mysticism and see if they'll believe your tale of time travel

>>6171787
>Candidly talk about the origins of Carmine mysticism and see if they'll believe your tale of time travel

>>6171787
>Demand Xia tell you about his fight with the Ling, and kindly ask your mother to talk about her adventure outside of Chuan's borders.

>>6171787
>Candidly talk about the origins of Carmine mysticism and see if they'll believe your tale of time travel

>>6171787
>Demand Xia tell you about his fight with the Ling, and kindly ask your mother to talk about her adventure outside of Chuan's borders.
will give us a little information on the territory which we currently lack.

>>6171787
>Candidly talk about the origins of Carmine mysticism and see if they'll believe your tale of time travel

>>6171787
>Demand Xia tell you about his fight with the Ling, and kindly ask your mother to talk about her adventure outside of Chuan's borders.
I don't get it, what's the appeal of spilling the beans on Carmine mysticism intead of finding out the details of what happened on our students' mission. Picking both would make more sense at least.

Rolled 1 (1d2)

Ending and tallying the vote now. Lost one of my Teapets today, dropped it. And the store I got it from doesn't sell its like anymore.

Candidly talk about the origins of Carmine mysticism and see if they'll believe your tale of time travel.:6
-Note your first encounter...etc:1

Demand Xia tell you about his fight with the Ling, and kindly ask your mother to talk about her adventure outside of Chuan's borders.:6

A perfect tie. I'll break it really quick

1: Carmine Mysticism

2: Adventure outside of Chuan

>>6173536
Alright, that's that.

Update will arrive shortly

>>6173536
>And the store I got it from doesn't sell its like anymore.
What's that thing the Japanese do with broken ceramic? They put that gold lacquer or whatever in the cracks to seal it? You could do something like that. Obviously not with gold. Some kind of thermo-hardening paste.

>>6173542
it was in too many pieces, and I don't like the look of that style, anyways.

Anyways, update in coming, and its huge

Cause Huan info dumps the beginnings of Carmine mysticism, from their beginnings

"In fact, they did! They made Different noises actually, but they were both kind of funny. The failed carmine mystic made the sort of sound a bladder overfilled with water would make when its burst, while Jingyu sounded more like the squelch of warm guts under the heel" You tell your ghostly sister, snickering as Tianhua turns a shade of green fairly close to her younger sister's hair "But more importantly, all this talk about the horrors of the original flavor of Carmine mysticism has made me remember, no one but I know how it and the improvement I made to it came about, hm?"

"That is correct" Zhe'xínglǚ cheerfully answers as Tianhua fans herself, her flowers wilting and herself practically wilting under the shadow of Xuebai and the mental soundscape you created for her with your probably too vivid description of the noise a human or near human body makes when it explodes into a geyser of blood. The old master fumbles with his belt idly as he adds "Though there are numerous legends, detailing its supposed origin, but anyone with sense can tell they're a myth sprouted from a fragment of truth at best. Like our prior understanding of magical beasts

"And used by those close minded sorts who believe all who live outside of our society and beyond the known borders of these once heavens blessed lands are savages barely a step up from rabid animals" Blind Shoushan snorts dismissively "That it was born from a disease brought by sailors or a twisted mysticism from shores far distant from ours, all nonsense"

"Not often I agree with a Buddhist, but of course it was" Xia Jinse-shayu chuckles "My sect sails far and many of our subjects live far from Chuan's shores, we've never found anything like the old stories of blood sucking corpses and mutated jiangshi that devoured as much blood and flesh as they did breath"

"I for one am curious~" Your mother purrs from behind her hanging sleeve "And I can tell you want to spread that little secret you know, daughter of mine"

You smile, and think better of revealing that the same seed that sprouted carmine mysticism was also the beginnings of the Thousand Lotus hall, their treasured bloodline and their prized Verdant Sprint Mysticism. Telling that would only hurt the Lian clan. You had no doubt the elders would wipe their hands clean of the matter and claim total ignorance of the matter if word spread of the mud those lotus' rose from.

"Well, actually, there is a nugget of truth there. I spoke with one of the souls of the original practitioners. Down in Hell" You explain, and are amused by how all of those listening to your tale treat your walks down to the Yellow springs as everyday and ordinary as others taking a stroll down to the market

Cont

>>6173568

"We'll not tell the Shidi Clan of this" Xia says with a pleasant smile but flinty eyes "They'll never let us hear the end of it"

"In what manner?" Shoushan asks, much more serenely than your subordinate did

"Well its complicated. See, long ago there was no Carmine Mysticism, just a sect that went by the name of the Peerless Sanguine Jade Shrine Sect [绝伦血红色玉庙, Juélún Xuè Hóngsè Yùmiào]" You explain slowly "And this was long, long ago, before the Supreme devil mind arose and before the Five Colors Emperor was a glint in their ancestors eye"

"That tracks with the known history" Master Su points out "Carmine mysticism was always an ancient threat, a warning of old monsters and atrocity"

"But is that the truth, I wonder" Monu hums as you flick your tail and lift up your chin thoughtfully "Since they were rendered extinct long ago"

"Not as long as you think" You rumble, shaking your head as your small audience reacts with shock or dread in the case of Tianhua "Some were present for the genocide of us magical beasts, but nowadays all of them have long been reduced to ash and dingy old bones. But anyways, their origin lies in the Sanguine Jade, whom were an ordinary sect by all accounts, save one key difference, in the Qi they sought out"

You smile and look over at your descendants and inheritor of the true legacy of Blood Qi as they, like puppets, performed alchemy, moving with inhuman and almost ethereal grace and precision

"Blood Qi" You breath out, the air chilling like you were telling a ghost story rather than history "It is a difficult thing to cultivate, all living creatures, all blood, contains a minute amount of it inside of them. And it is often dirtied and impure. To cultivate blood Qi, one either must be willing to turn their meridians to mud and taint their mortal flesh, or find a wellspring of the pure stuff"

"And these old cultivators..." Tianhua squeaks as you smile

"Managed the later. They found a special spirit fruit, A divine Sanguine Spirit Peach, and cultivated it and watched it grow for generations, centuries perhaps. It spread its roots throughout their shrine and infused the very air and earth with Pure Blood Qi. But they had one tree, a single peach. The only known source of uncorrupt Blood Qi" You begin and Xia Jinse Shayu chuckles

"And they must've lost it, and turned to the lesser method afterwards?" He guess and you grin

"Correct!" You declare

"A bad decision, daoists who had the immortality they seek in their grasps, turning to truly selfish and monstrous means to recover it" Shoushan waxes, and earns several heated, offended glares

"I want to argue, but can't" Zhe'xínglǚ huffs

"That is often how cultivators end up on a demonic path, losing a treasure of their sect or the teachings of their master" Tianhua sadly remarks
Cont

>>6173569

"Well not all of them did" You say softly, remembering one who didn't, Tianhua's own ancestor "Many left, forsaking their ancestral cultivation methods to find new paths. Others died, trying to recreate the peach or seeking a new source, like the blood of calamity bringing monsters or storm calling dragons. They died as men and proud cultivators, and their failure was good fortune, less they had survived to see what their sect would degenerate into"

"Oh? Do go on, Huan, I need to hear this!" Monu starts, but by then, the alchemical contest is reaching its end and while there were many worthy entries, there are a handful of geniuses who stand above the rest. Two from the innocent witches court, one from the thousand lotus hall, and another from the white jade devil opposing army. And of course, Renshu and Ruolan

However, Renshu had one advantage over the rest. He doesn't show it, but he had the experience of age, even the eldest of the Qi Condensation novices hadn't lived for more than two decades, but Renshu had grey hairs before Carmine Mysticism revitalized his body. And he was well traveled, and despite working closing with Ruolan, he knew how to make use of the more...exotic ingredients, be they herb, mineral, insect or torn out of an unfortunate devil's guts.

Both of them knew how to handle and refine divine blood honey, but Renshu alone knew how to mix it with a hanged man's tongue and some rotten ginseng to create a pill that could bring someone back from being dead for at least a few seconds

He actually asked you to test it himself. And once you put his heart back into his chest, he springs right back up and once the audience stops looking at you in horror, they applaud him as he, bare chest and bleeding, peacocks around and bows dramatically, his refined and trained carmine sage heart pounding and beating for all to see how his practice had transformed it into a crucible.

And you're delighted by both his survival and invention, but also that this means you've just become a little richer from his victory as well. And can see the Weiwupo and several of her junior elders seething, seems they really emptied their purses on this match, Heh-Heh- Heh. You'll have someone collect your winnings later.
1332 spirit stones won. New total 4394


The crafting test was won by, surprisingly a Storm Shrine Mountain sect member, who had crafted a iron rod that could not only catch lighting and store it, but produce it through a few rare ores that when shaken could produce a brief, but strong burst of metallic Qi. And you were presented the Lighting producing staff by Shandian, as a gift,

Magical tool/ weapon, Lighting Making Staff, added to sect's treasury

And while you waited for the scholary trials to complete, you found sometime to continue the story of carmine mysticism
Cont

>>6173571

"Even the leadership was against the dark, dirty path they found. The source of Carmine Mysticism came from a low ranked disciple of the Sanguine Jade Shrine, only recently promoted to the position of inner disciple within the sect, when they lost their prized peach" You explain as you try not to sneeze from ink filings and smell in the air "And they had already driven the shrine's members to become manslayers, since blood refinement was always a secondary means of cultivation in the sect, and had turned to gathering as much of it as they could, to refine over decades to fill a single cup to progress at all! They hoarded the best and highest quality blood for themselves and taking the little drops their students could muster and refine, forcing them to struggle to progress with dirty, common blood. There just wasn't enough blood in the world for all the Peerless Sanguine Jade Sect to cultivate properly, and all but the masters and elders were reduced to slaves"

"The perfect circumstances for a monster to be born" Monu keenly points out

"Desperation will drive men to depths lower than even demons will dwell" Shoushan sighs

"Greedy masters always bring about tragedy" Master Su agrees

"Exactly" You say, nodding your head and smiling as you watch your students work through their written tests and exams "And that low ranked disciple became a monster. No man, Monster, demon or even cultivator had blood of high enough quality and purity for him to progress any further, and what could've helped him went instead to the elders in tithe. So, he" You pause and smile as Senlin Zhenren presents a poem about the transitory nature of life and the illusion of death, a musing on the cycle of reincarnation and relationship a soul shares with its own incarnations

And by the end of it, the deer has everyone in attendance demanding he be named the winner, and who are you to disagree?

"But continuing from where I left off, that low ranked disciple" You start from scratch again "began to experiment, he mixed Daoist sorcery"

"Hmph" Shoushan snorts

"And Buddhist prayers" You add with a smirk

"Hah!" Xie Jinse Shayu scoffs

"with Strange Alchemy he learned from across the sea" You snear and see your underling wince as Tianhua smugly smiles and Your mother looks a little too interested in the last of the three "To create a new kind of internal refinement and physical cultivation, through transforming his blood with Ghostly Yin Qi to turn his heart into a furnace and crucible. An in straddling the line between life and death, he created living death, and made himself an abomination"

"And that isn't what your form of carmine mysticism is?" Tianhua asks innocently, meaning no offense
Cont

>>6173573

"Of course not, those fools misunderstood blood Qi on a foundational level. It is life itself" You snort derisively, flicking your tail in annoyance "They turned the wheel into an arrow and then wondered why it did not spin. They forgot the dao encompasses all, and so failed. What the mystic I spoke to called their true last grandmaster, did, was transmute his meridians into veins and enchant his blood with deathly yin, purging his body of heavenly Qi. It all became blood. And in doing so, he attained great power, stolen from the blood of others. His heart turned even the most worthless of blood into a source potent power, and with the transformative and mutative abilities of blood refinement....Carmine mysticism was born"

You frown and sigh, turning yourself human and dressing yourself with a robe of roiling blood

"Carmine mysticism, is to common blood sorcery, as the dragon is to the serpent, and blood sorcery is potent by its own right" You hiss and snarl, baring teeth lengthened and sharpened into jugular ripping fangs "But it is only forbidden because it is unpleasant, it is just a different way to use one's own or someone else's life force or internal energy, but it forbidden because of its gruesome cost and sacrifice But Carmine mysticism, in its original form, is far more depraved and deserving of being called demonic cultivation. The corrupt carmine mystics, forsook Qi all together, and sought only to cultivate and refine blood. Abandoning blood Qi for the life and power in blood itself! Anyone who knows the power within blood can use blood sorcery, but that isn't true for carmine mysticism, not even the form of it I created, that I refined and purged of its flaws and taint"

Even monu is silent, as you grow more and more impassioned relating the history of Carmine mysticism, even Shoushan, always serene, looks unsettled and frightened. Tianhua is clinging to your mother, and Lord Xia and Master Su are holding eachother

"To practice it, requires a transformation, to alter ones own heart and veins, and the old way required one to cast aside their virtues and morality" You continue chillingly "And back then, refining blood, even refining souls, was permitted. Cultivators of that Era thought nothing of devouring the Qi of their fallen enemies. And what that Blood Glutted Rat did by creating Carmine mysticism, brining blood refinement and sorcery to a new pinnacle, so disgusted the wild cultivators and free sects of the time, that it and every form of blood refinement and sorcery, was outlawed. Before even my kind were dubbed demons. The original carmine mysticism was a sickness, a curse. its creator turned on his teachers, his Shifu and his elders, and devoured them, and betrayed his peers and new students by leading them down a path that perverted not only life but death, turning into walking affronts to the natural order. They became monsters worse than any you could find in hell"

You shake your head

Cont

>>6173574

"Even the mystic I met, blood starved and half mad, warned me of the folly of practicing it. Even as he extolled its virtues, how his betters had found a new path to immortality, even though only the most blood glutted and inhuman amongst them appeared human at all" You continue own hauntedly, remembering the role you had to play in their downfall, guilt whispering in your ear as your conscience and good natured heart dwell on what you had done, even if it was preordained to happen by your hands or another's' "They devoured provinces, just to stave off their thirst. And in doing so, absorbed the rage and sorrow of those they consumed, in pursuit of the promise of immortality the schools of carmine mysticism promised. to them, it was an easier path than any orthodox cultivation. But they mistook blood for power. I recognized it as Life. And that was their folly that lead to their descent into villainy and monstrosity. They forgot that all exists within the dao, in their arrogance, they believed they were free from it. If they had seen beyond the fragment they obsessed over, their downfall may have been averted. The mystic I spoke with, when I told him this, he wept, and saw the great folly of his kind and willingly offered himself to my claws, to be returned to the proper cycle of death and rebirth"

"Was that when you created your perfected, non cursed version of carmine mysticism?" Jinse Shayu asks as you watch Yujijiao possess one of the fighters in the free for all, having done it several times already to avoid being sealed and to wait out the initial stages of the brawl'

"No, it was when I went from a foundation establishment realm cultivator to golden core, I realized how to do it, through long pondered insights of life and death and the blood in my own veins" You answer "I didn't try before then, because I could've easily been consumed by my own arrogance. As they had been. It took...wisdom that can only be found by walking against the turning of the great wheel of transmigration, of immersing one's self in both the carmine breath of blood Qi and the ghostly breath of Deathly yin Qi to understand. But...being there the day it all began, probably helped"

"Huuuuaan~, darling, have you been getting into my laced opium?" Monu asked nervously as everyone else looks at you like you're an idiot

"No? I found Pure Blood Qi the same place the original Carmine mystics once did. I dropped by their old temple, and took the peach" You answer plainly and your mother laughs nervously as the others, Tianhua in particular, look concerned for your mental health

"O...of course you did' She says, patting your shoulder "I don't doubt that you..."
Cont

>>6173575

"Mother, I'm not lying. I went back in time" You say seriously, looking into her eyes "I was the one who took their Divine Sanguine Spirit Peach. How'd you think I came to possess Pure Blood Qi to begin with"

She freezes, like ice, and stares blankly ahead, mouth agape. You catch her pips as it rolls out of her mouth

"That's a funny joke" lord Xia begins "But, it is rude to make such a jest at the expense of..."

"It isn't a joke, or a Lie" You say firmly and shut him up as Tianhua begins to sweat as you turn to her "I ate their peach. I was there the day their downfall began, cause I started it. I am the reason carmine mystics ever existed in the first place, and I refined and redeemed their schools of mysticism, in part to alleviate my own guilt. WOW that feels good to get off my chest"

"Eh?" Monu finally gasps, completely dumbfounded and looking more woozy than any drug you've seen her take has ever made her

"You're serious" Xia gasps as Tianhua shivers

"She isn't lying" Shoushan mutters "Even if that isn't what happened, if it was just a vision, she truly believes that she did it"

"Excuse me, Liandyue for the tone and words I'm about to speak to your daughter with, but What the fuck" Master Su exclaims eyes bulging "Not that I think you did it out of malice but, how? How did...My head is splitting!. Liandyue!"

"Uh, eh. Huan, darling, I'm sure you've must've imagined..."Monu starts before faltering "No, you've been to hell, the nine heavens and the moon. Sweetie, how did you end up in the past?"

"I can't believe that..." Tianhua says firmly "It has to be metaphoric or symbolic or"

"No, youngster, that magical cat is speaking with utmost confidence and honesty, her dao heart is resonating with it' Shoushan says sharply "Stop trying to escape reality"

"No one can know about time travel, whatever technique, or ritual, spell or treasure you used to..." Xie Jinse shayu, suddenly sounding terrified starts, as you smile pleasantly as Yujijiao becomes the last one standing in the brawl, after knocking poor Youzaiwang out with just her ghostly aura after possessing him and using his new human body to thrash Houmougui, Jiangliehuo and the four other combatants left standing.

The luck trial would probably be wrapping up, about now
Cont

>>6173576

Triple vote!

What do you tell your friends and allies

>"Oh, five colors decided I was worthy of it and sent me back in time for a bit. And I was being a bit over dramatic, I just took the place of the original thief, he told me"

>"Believe what you will. I could probably do it again, through my own power, once or twice, before I burn the ability out of myself. If you could repay me for wasting such a golden finger so frivolously, I could take one of you to the past. Or future"

>Take Tianhua aside, and tell her about her clan's connection the Peerless Sanguine Jade Shrine Sect, and that you met her grandfather's once rival and eventual Killer

>Laugh it off and claim you were just messing with them, and you just found the peach pit that was taken on the side of the road one day

>Write in

What is the next bracket of the tournament

>Beast only

>Foundation establishment

>Core formation

>Golden core

And what do you do before it starts, Huanliuxue

>Hand out the rewards to the victors of the Qi condensation rung, welcome the ones who are joining your sect, and give the training your promised to the summer sea dawn team

>Ask Ao what he thinks actually happened, if you were always the thief and five colors was just trying to make you not feel guilty or if you took the place of someone else in history

>Realize, to your horror, that the original breed of carmine mystics probably aren't all dead and the burst and constant flow of Blood Qi from your core formation and day to day wanderings would be more likely to rouse them than anything else would

>Decide that now is a good time to confront the five mystery cultivators you suspect of being fallen gods...

>Write in

>>6173577
>Grandpa Five colours decided I was worthy. It generally takes someone of his level to protect someone going through time. Hmm? Before you accuse me of lying again, you can ask my little sisters who taught them their laws, and the exceptional quality of those laws is already apparent.

>Foundation Establishment.

>Decide now is the time to deal with the fallen gods.

>>6173577
>Take Tianhua aside, and tell her about her clan's connection the Peerless Sanguine Jade Shrine Sect, and that you met her grandfather's once rival and eventual Killer

>Foundation establishment

>Decide that now is a good time to confront the five mystery cultivators you suspect of being fallen gods...

>>6173577
>"Oh, five colors decided I was worthy of it and sent me back in time for a bit. And I was being a bit over dramatic, I just took the place of the original thief, he told me"
Old man shenanigans, nothing to think about too deeply.

>Realize, to your horror, that the original breed of carmine mystics probably aren't all dead and the burst and constant flow of Blood Qi from your core formation and day to day wanderings would be more likely to rouse them than anything else would.
We should probably offer a warning to our allies too at least.


>Take Tianhua aside, and tell her about her clan's connection the Peerless Sanguine Jade Shrine Sect, and that you met her grandfather's once rival and eventual Killer.
She probably needs to know most of all since there may be some buried ties that might lead one of those monsters to her doorstep.

>Ask Ao what he thinks actually happened, if you were always the thief and five colors was just trying to make you not feel guilty or if you took the place of someone else in history
I feel he might offer some amusing insights, but mostly I want to know his opinion.

And lastly:
>Foundation establishment

Sorry for being greedy grampa but your writing is just too good!

>>6173577
>>Laugh it off and claim you were just messing with them, and you just found the peach pit that was taken on the side of the road one day
>Foundation establishment
>Hand out the rewards to the victors of the Qi condensation rung, welcome the ones who are joining your sect, and give the training your promised to the summer sea dawn team

>>6173577
>Grandpa Five colours decided I was worthy. It generally takes someone of his level to protect someone going through time. Hmm? Before you accuse me of lying again, you can ask my little sisters who taught them their laws, and the exceptional quality of those laws is already apparent.

>Foundation Establishment.

>Decide now is the time to deal with the fallen gods.

Grandpa is built different.

>>6173577
>Take Tianhua aside, and tell her about her clan's connection the Peerless Sanguine Jade Shrine Sect, and that you met her grandfather's once rival and eventual Killer
>Beast only
>Decide that now is a good time to confront the five mystery cultivators you suspect of being fallen gods...

>>6173576
>>Grandpa Five colours decided I was worthy. It generally takes someone of his level to protect someone going through time. Hmm? Before you accuse me of lying again, you can ask my little sisters who taught them their laws, and the exceptional quality of those laws is already apparent.
>>Foundation Establishment.
>>Decide now is the time to deal with the fallen gods.

>>6173577
>"Oh, five colors decided I was worthy of it and sent me back in time for a bit. And I was being a bit over dramatic, I just took the place of the original thief, he told me."
>I mean honestly is it hard to believe time travel exists? The flow of time is a river of possibilities. Fun to know mother that was how I acquired the pill to heal you. In another jump through time. However that was a once off opportunity I was given. I doubt I'd get another chance like that one.
>Hand out the rewards to the victors of the Qi condensation rung, welcome the ones who are joining your sect, and give the training your promised to the summer sea dawn team

A casual reminder to my fellow daoists that upon conclusion of this tourniment, I heavily recommend we go back to space and advance our Evolution via sun killer to prepare for the Ling killing event.
We are skilled enough to surpass an entire realm difference, but no reason to make it harder than it needs to be.

>>6174254
>advance our Evolution via sun killer to prepare for the Ling killing event.
There are many tools at our disposal, of which a Cosmic evolution is only one. There's no substitute for good old-fashioned practice. Huan can probably break through from Gold Core to Nascent Soul after the tournament is over, so we aren't fighting someone a realm higher... again. There are also several techniques and cultivation aides which we flat-out don't understand the mechanics of, like:
>the various paths of Carmine mysticism (we haven't even touched some of the basic abilities. I don't think we've really absorbed anyone's blood at all, other than maybe old icicle's instead of just manipulating our own
>better time manipulation, through using "True" Specter Lightness Skill: Broken Clock
>studying Baoli's heart-manual to get the follow-up skills of Eye-Stealing Grasp, so we can actually steal techniques from our enemies
>studying Jingyu's "flesh soul" to better understand the relationship between the physical and spiritual
>absorbing a drop of divine blood
Huan is already a menace-- but we can make her so much harder to deal with. It just depends on how much we can squeeze in before the timer is up and we have to go to battle.

>>6174352
Breaking through to nascent soul is a bad idea. One because it might cost us our deadline since we cannot control how long we stay in meditation. Two because we have the strength and the skill to surmount the difference in realms, and the reward for doing so is high.

>Studying the heart
Not a bad idea, and something else to be done after. Just space out our sessions so we can keep a clear head. But yeah, absolutely do that.

>Absorbing a drop of divine blood
Dc 185. Or we get a wound. That's really quite risky. If we can figure a way to reduce that, would be pretty good.

The rest is aspirational really, but aside from the drop, evolution is a swift and rather easy process once we have the required materials

>>6174481
The arrow is gone. How do you suggest such an evolution is performed?

>>6174531
He shot down 9 sun's, we obviously used one.
It stands therefore that there are a maximum of 8 other arrows left, we just have to find them in the cold reaches of space.
More likely they are somewhere on Luna, his wife's domain.

>>6174481
>Dc 185. Or we get a wound.
Thats not at all costly if you consider opportunity costs! We get wounds from not being strong enough during fights anyways - and worse, it keeps us from protecting innocents. If we don't make the roll (which admittedly is barely beatable), its one wound - we get several of those in all major combats that we fought so far. I even very much enjoyed the "spectre-starvation-mini-arc" after the first and only time something actually serious arose from multiple wounds. We should collect a few more wounds, maybe we learn even more again? Even if its a more serious wound, we could just step out of our body as a ghost and do some possession games until our body has healed.

>>6174834
No friend, we have had ONE wound in our lifetime.
It was the wasting hunger curse, which we had to take an extra ordinary effort to fix.

However.
The true cost is losing a drop of gods blood for no gain. That is a MASSIVE blow to us, even if we only strictly need 2 for our purposes. [Cultivation chamber and stimulant for our carmine mysticism]

If we can think of a way to lower the DC, then I would be more in favour of throwing ourselves at the problem.
Hmm, it is a fortitude trial. Maybe drugs?
Consuming it slower?

If the test was "do you avoid damage while getting the benefit" instead of "do you get the benefit or the damage" then I would wholeheartedly endorse hurting ourselves for it.

>>6174925
You're mistaking injuries for severe wounds (back in the days, however the distinction was not that well-defined yet. The thread also seems to not be in the archive.).
Even if GM would change their mind and make us suffer a severe wound, we would still not suffer from it, as we have Trait: Living source: Blood Qi and Dao: Ghosts as happened in post 6001277 of thread 22.

>>6175172
I would still not underestimate it as divine blood will most likely be used to improve exactly on our blood Dao which gives us that protection.
We (might) risk incurring in a flaw in our cultivation that might be much more difficult to recover from than a mere flesh wound!

>>6175172
I concur with the Anon above me that we REALLY shouldn't take this thing lightly.
But I am willing to compromise.

If we can lower the DC via drugs and methods to a reasonable 160, I will give it my wholehearted support.

>>6175203
We should use it first to enhance our Carmine Mysticism, which as I understood it is distinct to all types of Qi cultivation and does not represent a Dao, even though it synergizes with our blood Dao.

>>6175220
Maybe the wiser decision would be to actually take some medicine pills (and buy a few more), prepare our latest healing techniques in advance, and warn Monu that we're about to do something dangerous and so on.

.... however, the severe & lasting injury Yin imbalance: Overabundance also sounded interesting! Adding to that, Huanliuxue finds her own injuries totally interesting, we might just as well role play that.

But (now again) seriously: soonish, we'll be up against a Nascent Soul enemy with abundant experience, probably multiple, strong artifacts, who might covertly be assisted by some1 from the Heavens. We need to use all chances to become stronger fast.

>>6175279
Yeah I'm in agreement with everything you said.
But I want to be without a severe and distracting injury when we fight a nascent soul level foe.

>>6173577
>Take Tianhua aside, and tell her about her clan's connection the Peerless Sanguine Jade Shrine Sect, and that you met her grandfather's once rival and eventual Killer
>Beast only
>Decide that now is a good time to confront the five mystery cultivators you suspect of being fallen gods...

>>6174352
While I can't support going all the way to Nascent due to how long it'll take in meditation being outside our control (unless we can burn one of our rewinds to keep our level up which is another massive cost), I still think training until we either run out of time or hit a bottleneck could be fruitful. Another thing is we still have the map of Chuan that had several locations marked the we never used that could get us treasures and materials not just for ourselves but for our students who'll be taking part in the battle (it'd be suicidal to try and take down an entire sect solo, even if we can sneak our way in). Speaking of our students, getting our closest students to Core Formation (and maybe even Monu to Golden Core?) at least will be a massive boon.
Oh yeah, and train in using Cosmic Qi too, I know some people want us to keep it hidden but we went through all that effort to acquire it for a reason and currently have nothing to show.

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I was just about to tally up the vote, when I got word that my mother was in the hospital. So safe to say the update will not be coming out tonight, Juniors, since I'm just too stressed out to write it

>>6176208
This curse is most despicable.

A prayer for you and yours Grandfather.
And we shall break the legs and arms of this curselayer, CUT THEM TO THE BONES.

You know something else?
I kinda want to adopt the Mao family as subservient figures to the Chuan. Or of their imperial delusions aren't able to be curbed, I'd quite like instead for them to become retainers to the palace of natural laws.

"A man's loyalty is deeper than words" says the surviving lord of Mao, and we were very satisfied with the former empress and general we met.

We just need them to join with our faction and it'll all be coming up roses.

>>6176208
Oh damn man, I feel for you. I hope she ends up being okay. I had to take my mom to the ER a few times just to make sure she was okay when she was feeling ill. Godspeed.

>>6176208
Best wishes to you and yours, Grandfather. May your mother recover swiftly.

>>6176208
All I can do is wish you both luck and strength during this time. If you need to take a break again feel free.

Uh offhand how long until they start trying to cultivate to nascent soul? And when was the last time they cultivated?

>>6176939
Who is they?

>>6176217
>>6176465
>>6176560
>>6176730
I'm deeply touched by your concern and well wishes, it truly means a lot to me. From what I've been told, she should be out of the hospital in a few days, but I'm still terribly worried especially due to the recent loss of my grandfather.

If you're wondering, juniors, why I don't have my trip on, it's cause I'm phone posting, since I hurt my knee and don't want to get out of bed at the moment.

Slammed it into an old, iron hose pipe that i hadn't seen sticking out of a wall. The curse is going to give me heart demons if it keeps up

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Ending the vote and tallying it now. My mom got let out of the hospital, earlier than expected. And I was finally told what actually happened, she fell and hit her head, but she should be alright. Still worried sick about her, but I talked to her earlier today and besides "feeling like I got hit in the head like a baseball bat" the matriarch of my clan is feeling fine.
Tell them the truth:5
-Grandpa five colours decided I was worthy...etc:3
-Oh, five colors decided I was worthy:2

Take Tianhua aside, and tell her about her clan's connection the Peerless Sanguine Jade Shrine Sect, and that you met her grandfather's once rival and eventual Killer:4


Laugh it off and claim you were just messing with them, and you just found the peach pit that was taken on the side of the road one day:1

I mean honestly is it hard to believe time travel exists? ...etc:1
___
Foundation establishment:6

Beast only:2
____

Realize, to your horror, that the original breed of carmine mystics probably aren't all dead and the burst and constant flow of Blood Qi from your core formation and day to day wanderings would be more likely to rouse them than anything else would.:1

Ask Ao what he thinks actually happened, if you were always the thief and five colors was just trying to make you not feel guilty or if you took the place of someone else in history:1

Hand out the rewards to the victors of the Qi condensation rung, welcome the ones who are joining your sect, and give the training your promised to the summer sea dawn team:2

Decide that now is a good time to confront the five mystery cultivators you suspect of being fallen gods...:4

So you'll tell the truth, Foundation establishment will be the next bracket, and you'll confront the five might be gods

Update will arrive shortly

You flick a few stray drops of blood that had wandered down from the sleeves of your robe formed out of blood off of your fingers and smile

"Grandpa Five Colours decided I was worthy" You answer proudly, and Your mother and the rest go deathly silent, though Master Su is especially struck dumb, with his mouth hanging open after hearing you claim you met the head of the pantheon.

"Wu..wuh...wah?" He stammers, struggling to form words but still wagging his tongue as Shoushan laughs and throws his head back while your mother smiles pleasantly but says nothing, and Lian Tianhua and Xia Jinse Shayu both blink rapidly, as if you'd just slapped them both hard enough to give them concussions.

"It generally takes someone of his level to protect something going through time" You explain as all of them stare at you, and your mouth tilts her head and starts hurriedly stuffing her pipe full of smokeable opium mixed with spirit stones, her favorite blend "Hmm?"

Master Su holds up a finger, and Tianhua pushes him aside as Jinse-shayu rubs his chin and Shoushan keeps laughing

"And before you accuse me of lying again" You interrupt with a pleasant and polite, and very well mannered tone "You can ask my little sisters who taught them their laws, and the exceptional quality of those very same laws is already readily apparent"

"Hold on! The Geges were trained by" Monu gasps, dropping her pipe and creating a cloud of opium powder and ground up spirit stones, making Shoushan cough and cover his mouth as Master Su goes limp

"Yeah. No one ever asked why they, as foundation establishment novices, could hold back the combined armies of two regions with their techniques and sorceries? And none of you asked how I got blood Qi or what I actually found on the journey I took with Ping, Lei and Feiqing" You casually explain, shrugging your shoulders "I just don't talk about knowing him, cause I figure he has his reasons for being a hermit. I don't lie, unless it'll amuse me"

"None. Of. This. leaves. this. group" Lord Xia says sharply, flicking his sleeve "Of time travel or Huanliuxue being sent back in time by the supreme diety"

"Funny, don't you daoists claim it was he who had it out for magical beasts" Shoushan snickers, waving his gnarled walking stick over his head

"No don't you old blind..." Master Su starts as you see a look of dawning realization grace your mother's jade like face as she grins toadishly and begins to cackle madly as Tianhua swallows hard "Oh now she will never stop! She'll tell everyone who cares to listen the Celestial Emperor loves beasts as much as she does"

"He has always been very kind to me" You titter, covering your laughing face with the cascading sleeves of blood covering your bare arms "But anyways, I should see whose the winner of the last contest, before starting the next bracket. Should be foundation establishment and....Tianhua"
Cont

>>6177620

"I...I need a drink" She says woozily, as your mother throws her arm around her shoulder and smiles

"Kaoling wine?" She offers, some how pulling a bottle of the foul drink out from her cleavage


"I'm serious, not a peep about this, Huanliuxue already turned all of Chuan on its head and had nearly every sect suffer a split the last time she got to ramble about the secrets she knows. Imagine what would happen if word spread she is favored by the god of gods!" Jinse-Shayu snaps, growling very much like a wolf "I'll accompany those two, to make sure they keep this...heavens upturning secret to themselves"

"Whippersnapper, I'll go with them" Master Su says wearily "I know how best to handle an intoxicated Liandyue, she is a handful and we wouldn't want the Lady Lian to lose her chastity"

"Oh this is too funny, I am glad we're friends, red cat" Shoushan snickers, patting you on the shoulder and freezing "Ah, you're wearing your namesake I see...I see. I need to wash my hands"

"Haaah, I feel like my hair is greying just hearing her talk so casually about it" Tianhua groans and it is then you decide to hold back on taking her aside and telling her that her Lian Clan descended from a former member of the peerless sanguine jade shrine sect and that you're pretty sure you met his killer when you traveled back to the past. That can wait until she's recovered from the shock of today's revelation.

And once you've checked to see who won the luck trial which was a very late contestant, Fa Jin who just got back from the mission you sent him on, and told Siwang to also watch your mother to make sure she doesn't try anything...untoward to Tianhua, you decide now, before the tournament gets back into full swing, is the best time to confront the five mystery cultivators who you are mostly sure are some of the gods who fell when they failed to kill you during your tribulation to attain human form.

Star Shooter (Xīng Shèshǒu , 星射手)
Martial King (Jié Wáng, 偈王 )
God Lance (Shén Máo, 神矛)
The Earth Breaker (Dìqiú Làng, 地球浪 )
Immortal Fury (Xiānnù, 仙怒),

And with Marital names like that, you can't be blamed for thinking that! Especially since no one has ever heard of these five, high realm cultivators. And the moment a cultivator reaches core formation stage, their name is known across the land! Hell, you're pretty sure everyone knows Huanliuxue, even outside of Chuan, its just that the facts are lost and they think you're the next supreme devil mind rather than a usually kindly and beneficent princess of peerless cultivation talent. And many other sorts!

The problem is, walking up to them and accusing them of divinity would be...world shatteringly stupid.
Cont

>>6177622

Especially since, even stripped of their immortality and deity, they are according to their challengers they've crushed as easily as squashing a grasshopper and the contests they've entered and at what level, they're probably some of the few forms of life who could actually have a chance at beating you at a fight.

Like that Ling Bastard. or your good friend Ao.

Even they aren't gods, the five of them would be...troublesome to handle if they decided to attack you. And you're certain they're gods. What cultivator wouldn't boast about being so strong? They'd have founded new sects, not just suddenly appeared like a bad fart with pompous art names, spending money like water and not interacting with the other nameless, reputationless rogues unless one of them tried to fight them for some stupid reason or another ever since they gathered at Tiān'éqī !(天鹅栖, Swan's Rest)

No, you have to be subtle about this, cautious. Delicate, even.

And how do you confront the five probable gods, Huanliuxue?

>By pretending to be interested in meeting such powerful cultivators and inviting them, away from the rest of the tournament, to your castle

>By possessing someone who is mostly disposable and approaching them with gifts sent by your "Lovely and merciful master Huanliuxue" and see if wine won't loosen their lips.

>...Have Ao kidnap the weakest one of them and just create a cover story and if everything goes wrong, when in doubt, blame the seven slaughtering swords! And if need be, call in the favors the crow demons owe you for not killing them all

>Your beauty is such that gods have fallen for your looks before, and you were mistaken for a minor goddess in the Nine heavens when you visited, and you've only gotten more faith directed to you since then. If you dress yourself like a priestess of your cult...er, faith, then you could probably trick these five idiots into you're a goddess

>Carefully separate them all and arrange a "Chance" meeting with one of them (which one of the five?)

>write in

>>6177612
>she fell and hit her head,
That happened to my mom a while ago. I hope your mom did just get a bump on her noggin' and it wasn't too bad. But it does sound like she's doing alright.Insist that she uses a cane or walker for a month or so after she gets her feet back under her, regardless of what the doctor says. Just in case.

>>6177624
>>By possessing someone who is mostly disposable and approaching them with gifts sent by your "Lovely and merciful master Huanliuxue" and see if wine won't loosen their lips.
Gods love gifts. They think it's "only right" to receive them. They'll fall for it. Probably. Most of them. We'll have to give whomever we possess a payment, too. For borrowing their skin. It's only polite.

>>6177612
That is good news, as long as she didn't hit her head too hard
>>6177624
>By possessing someone who is mostly disposable and approaching them with gifts sent by your "Lovely and merciful master Huanliuxue" and see if wine won't loosen their lips.

>>6177624
>A disposable asshole.
There has to be another junior from the sword sect around here somewhere.

>>6177624
>Your beauty is such that gods have fallen for your looks before, and you were mistaken for a minor goddess in the Nine heavens when you visited, and you've only gotten more faith directed to you since then. If you dress yourself like a priestess of your cult...er, faith, then you could probably trick these five idiots into you're a goddess
This is funny because it worked in heaven and its the best callback.

>>6177693
Yeah but these assholes probably watched our entrance and very visible calls and rattling off commentary.

>>6177715
Honestly true,
>By pretending to be interested in meeting such powerful cultivators and inviting them, away from the rest of the tournament, to your castle
in that case, I want to meet them directly, ask how they are liking the tournament, if they think they can best the current cultivators of the realm vs the unorthodox ones, if they wanna join our sect or others :D

>>6177624
>By possessing someone who is mostly disposable and approaching them with gifts sent by your "Lovely and merciful master Huanliuxue" and see if wine won't loosen their lips.
I really didn't want to step on the dog's tail to see if it will bite but since we're a curious cat let's see how their mood is first.
I would hope they developed some resentment for the cruel heavens that cast them out but this is xianxia so I expect hotshot young masters and prideful old goats turned to eleven.
Most of all I wouldn't want to underestimate them since the archer that shot Huan down when she ran in the sky was said to have used what little shreds of divinity he still had. If the others too have some left then fighting them is not ideal at all.

>>6177612
Good to know it wasn't a worst case scenario, though bonks to the head can have complications. Keep your mom company as often as possible for a few days.
Hospitals can be a little too quick on dismissing patients to clear out the beds sometimes...

>>6177624
>Your beauty is such that gods have fallen for your looks before, and you were mistaken for a minor goddess in the Nine heavens when you visited, and you've only gotten more faith directed to you since then. If you dress yourself like a priestess of your cult...er, faith, then you could probably trick these five idiots into you're a goddess