As they settled into seats, Kai took a moment to observe them. Liu Wei seemed more confident than before, his posture straighter and his eyes clearer. Zhi-Zhi, on the other hand, appeared less boastful than even the last time Kai saw him in the canteen.

Interesting character development. Time to gather some intel.

"So," Kai began, his tone casual, "how have you both been? It's been a while since we last spoke."

Liu Wei bowed his head slightly. "It's been... an adjustment, Master. My new…master, Elder Jiang, is strict but fair. The training has been difficult, but..." He paused, a proud smile tugging at his lips. "I've managed to break through to the fifth stage of Qi Refining."

Kai's eyebrows rose slightly. "That's impressive, Liu Wei. Congratulations."

Liu Wei

Level: Qi Refining Stage 5

Qi: 100/100

Strength: 33

Agility: 34

Endurance: 32

Intelligence: 15

Wisdom: 12

Loyalty: 80/100

Elemental Affinities:

• Wind: 20%

• Water: 15%

Skills:

• Basic Qi Gathering technique (Level 1)

• The Wind Rider's Path (Level 2)

• Wind Step (Level 2)

• Stealth (Level 2)

• Lockpicking (Level 2)

• Dagger Proficiency (Level 2)

The system's information confirmed Liu Wei's words. Kai's eyes lingered on the "Wind Rider's Path" skill.

I’m glad Liu Wei has now got a real cultivation method.

"Your new master seems to be teaching you well," Kai said, nodding approvingly. "The Wind Rider's Path is a respected cultivation method."

“How did you know…,”Liu Wei's eyes widened slightly. "Are you familiar with it, Master?"

Kai smiled enigmatically. "Something like that."

Turning his attention to Zhi-Zhi, Kai asked, "And what about you, little one? How have you been faring with your new master?"

To Kai's surprise, Zhi-Zhi didn't immediately launch into a boastful tirade. Instead, the spirit beast's eyes shone with admiration as he spoke.

"Master Cang Long is amazing!" Zhi-Zhi exclaimed. "He's so wise and powerful. Did you know he can create entire islands with his Qi? And he's teaching me all sorts of techniques. Like how to reinforce my shell with spiritual energy, and how to..."

As Zhi-Zhi continued to share his master's virtues, Kai found himself smiling. The little tortoise's character seemed to have undergone quite a transformation.

Looks like Zhi-Zhi found a role model. That's good. A mentor figure will help temper that ego of his.

After letting Zhi-Zhi ramble for a few more moments, Kai gently cut in. "I'm glad to hear you're both progressing well. Actually, that's part of why I asked Chen Wei to bring you here today."

Liu Wei and Zhi-Zhi fell silent, their attention fully on Kai.

Kai quickly summarized his plan to form a guild within the sect, explaining the benefits of working together and supporting each other. He emphasized how it would allow them to share resources, take on missions as a team, and combine their strengths.

"What kind of benefits are we talking about?" Zhi-Zhi asked.

Always looking out for number one, eh? Kai thought, amused. Some things never change.

"Well," Kai said, "for starters, members of the guild would have access to a unique form of communication. It's similar to spiritual transmission, but distance isn't an issue. You'd be able to contact any guild member, anywhere, at any time."

Liu Wei's eyes widened. "That's... impressive. How is that possible?"

Kai smiled mysteriously. "Let's just say it's a special technique I've developed. But that's not all. You've all seen my Qi condensing ability, right?"

They nodded, and Kai held out his hand. With a thought, he condensed his Qi into a small, glowing hammer. The others leaned in, fascinated.

"If you complete enough missions for the guild," Kai continued, "you'll gain the ability to use this technique as well."

Liu Wei gasped softly. "Really? But... how?"

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Kai dispelled the Qi construct. "It's part of the guild's... let's call it a cultivation secret. The more you contribute to the guild, the more you'll be able to tap into this power.”

The room fell silent for a moment as Liu Wei and Zhi-Zhi processed this information. Then, chaos erupted.

"What? Really?" Liu Wei exclaimed, leaping to his feet. "Master, that's... that's incredible! With an ability like that, I could..."

"I could create an impenetrable fortress!" Zhi-Zhi interrupted, his eyes gleaming. "No, a floating island! No, wait, a—"

"Calm down, both of you," Kai said, holding up his hands. "Remember, you'll need to earn this ability through hard work and dedication to the guild."

As Liu Wei and Zhi-Zhi continued to chatter excitedly about the possibilities, Kai noticed Chen Wei's more subdued reaction. Right, he hasn't seen me use this ability much. I'll need to make sure he understands its value too.

Kai cleared his throat, regaining everyone's attention. "So, would you like to join?”

Liu Wei was quiet for a moment, his expression thoughtful. Then he nodded, a small smile on his face. "I'd be honored. To be honest, I've... missed having you as my master. This feels right."

Kai felt a warmth in his chest at Liu Wei's words. Loyalty is a rare and valuable thing in this world, he thought. I'm glad I chose to bring Liu Wei with me.

"Thank you, Liu Wei, I'm glad to have you on board."

He turned to Zhi-Zhi. "And what's your decision?"

Zhi-Zhi puffed up his chest, trying to look important. "Well, I'll have to think about it. After all, I'm quite busy with my own training, and Master Cang Long might not approve of..."

Kai raised an eyebrow. "I see. Well, if you're not interested, that's fine. This is a limited-time offer, after all. I'm sure we can find another spirit beast to join in your place."

"Wait!" Zhi-Zhi exclaimed, his facade crumbling. "I... I accept! I want to join the guild!"

Kai struggled to keep a straight face. Zhi-Zhi is still as predictable as ever.

"Excellent," Kai said, smiling. "Welcome to the Trident Guild, both of you."

Liu Wei tilted his head. "The Trident Guild?"

"Yes, that's the name I've chosen for our faction,” Kai answered as he looked at the mark on his right wrist. “Now, there's one more thing we need to do to make your membership official. Each guild member receives a special mark. It's what allows for the long-distance communication I mentioned, and will eventually grant you access to the Qi condensing ability."

He held up a hand to forestall any questions. "Don't worry, it's not visible unless you choose to reveal it. But I do need to know where you'd like the mark placed."

Liu Wei considered for a moment. "Could I have it on my right forearm?"

Kai nodded. "Of course. Zhi-Zhi?"

The spirit tortoise hesitated. "Um... can it go on my shell? Or would that not work?"

"Your shell is fine," Kai assured him. "The mark is spiritual in nature, so it will work regardless of where it's placed."

With their choices made, Kai approached Liu Wei first. He placed his hand on the former bandit's right forearm, channeling a small amount of Qi. Liu Wei gasped as a faint, trident-shaped mark appeared briefly before fading from view.

New guild member added: Liu Wei

Kai smiled at the system message, then moved to Zhi-Zhi. He placed his hand on the spirit tortoise's shell, repeating the process.

New guild member added: Zhi-Zhi

"There," Kai said, stepping back. "It's done. You're now officially members of the Trident Guild."

Liu Wei rubbed his forearm, a look of wonder on his face. "I can feel it. It's like... a warm presence."

Zhi-Zhi was twisting his neck, trying to see the mark on his shell. "Does this mean I can talk to you whenever I want now?"

Kai nodded. "That's right. Just focus on the mark and think of who you want to communicate with. It might take some practice at first, but you'll get the hang of it."

As the others experimented with their new ability, Kai's mind turned to the more serious matters at hand. Now comes the tricky part. How much should I tell them about the guild's true capabilities?

He thought about the respawn ability, the ace up his sleeve that had saved his life more than once. It was tempting to share this information with his guild members, to assure them that they had a safety net.

But I can't tell them about the respawn ability. If the sect found out, they'd never let me leave. They'd probably lock me up and use me as some kind of resurrection machine.

Kai made his decision. Better to keep that ability hidden for now. I can always reveal it later if absolutely necessary.

Your request to hide the respawn ability from guild members has been granted. You will have the option to respawn fallen members if they have sufficient credits.

Perfect. That gives me some flexibility without revealing too much.

"There's one more thing you should know about the guild marks," Kai said, his tone serious. "They have... a protective quality. If you're ever in mortal danger, the mark will activate and try to save you. I can't say more than that right now, but know that being part of this guild means you have an extra layer of security."

The others nodded, looking both intrigued and slightly confused.

That should be enough to hint at the respawn ability without giving too much away. If the worst happens and I need to use it, I can come up with an explanation then.

"Now," Kai said, clapping his hands together, "let's talk about our first guild activity."

The others leaned in, eager to hear more.

"We're going to start a trading operation," Kai explained. "Nothing too big at first, but with the potential to grow into something significant."

He outlined the plan he and Chen Wei had discussed earlier, explaining how they would focus on supplying cultivation resources to outer sect disciples who couldn't afford to buy in bulk from the larger suppliers.

"Each of you will have a role to play," Kai continued. "Chen Wei has been gathering information on the current market. Tomorrow, he'll share what he's learned, and we'll start putting our plan into action."

Liu Wei nodded thoughtfully. "This could work well, Master. My time with the bandits taught me a lot about supply and demand. I could help identify potential customers and negotiate deals."

"Excellent idea, Liu Wei. You can help Chen Wei with that."

Zhi-Zhi puffed up his chest. "And what about me? What's my role in this grand plan?"

Kai smiled. "You, Zhi-Zhi, have perhaps the most important role of all. You'll be our scout and our secret weapon."

The spirit tortoise's eyes widened. "Secret weapon?"

Kai nodded. "That's right. Your small size and ability to hide in your shell make you perfect for gathering information unnoticed. And if anyone tries to cheat us or cause trouble, well... they certainly won't be expecting a Qi Refining Stage 9 spirit beast to pop out and teach them a lesson, will they?"

Zhi-Zhi's chest swelled with pride. "No, they certainly won't! I'll show them the might of a Spiritual Tortoise!"

And there's the Zhi-Zhi we know and love, Kai thought, amused. At least now his boasting might actually be useful.

"Remember," Kai cautioned, "this operation needs to start small and grow naturally. We don't want to draw too much attention too quickly. The goal is to build a stable, profitable enterprise that will benefit all of us in the long run."

The others nodded their understanding.

"Good," Kai said. "Now, let's go over the specifics of what we'll be trading and how we'll structure our operation..."

An hour later, the meeting began to wind down, Kai could see the wheels turning in each of his guild members' heads. Liu Wei was already muttering to himself about potential information sources, while Zhi-Zhi was listing off offensive techniques under his breath. Chen Wei was scribbling notes in a small book, probably planning out tomorrow's market research.

This is a good start. We've got a solid core group, each with their own strengths. Now we just need to execute our plan.

"Alright," Kai said, drawing everyone's attention once more. "We'll meet again tomorrow evening to discuss Chen Wei's findings and plan our first trades.”

The others nodded as they filed out of the room.

Once he was alone, Kai pulled up his guild management interface.

Trident Guild Status

Members: 4

Guild Level: 1

Available Missions: 0

Guild Funds: 0 spirit stones

Not much to look at yet. But every guild has to start somewhere. We'll build this up, step by step.