The Alchemist representative turns straight towards me, her voice coy and flirtatious. Being a short, pale, black-haired woman, the conversational style fit her well.

However, the way she’s doing it gives off the feeling that she’s not used to doing such things.

“… Well, that was quite the display you’ve shown. Though it only adds to the mystery of how you could walk away from our last meeting.”

I stay silent to her inquiry. Neither acknowledging her statement or the implications of what she’s saying.

She tries a different approach. More direct.

“Some people in our organization think it could have been an illusion where I was tricked. Of course, I know differently. There’s no way my eyes would have been fooled.”

Her eyes are flashing at me that she wants to know.

She’s pressing on, despite the fact that I’m clearly not going to say anything to this.

If she’s trying to get me to work with their organization, she’s doing a poor job.

What is she getting at? What is she actually trying to achieve?

She keeps talking and getting close to me. Not only that, but she’s making clearly seductive efforts towards me.

It is at this point, then I change a bit of my combat scan over to a conversation scan. This whole time, I’ve been ready for a fight and focused everything on that.

I didn’t want to take anything for chance, especially after what I’ve just gone through with her. But now, I’m missing out on cues that I’m clearly not grasping.

And that’s when I see it. The light scars barely showing as she moves her hands. The shadows and bruises under her eyes, although she’s a middle stage qi condensation cultivator.

And finally, the limp that she had as she was walking around, that my combat scan had identified, but only as a potential weakness. One that comes from a significant injury in a certain place.

She has been getting punished for messing up.

Looking into her eyes as she is speaking, I see something else that I didn’t notice earlier because of my wariness.

Desperation.

… This is probably a last chance effort to redeem herself.

Sent on a mission to provide me with the flower I would need for Senior Song, at a cost of membership. But coming with her own goals in mind.

To recover a relationship that someone has probably scapegoated her for. Likely being called incompetent, for skills and abilities that she knows were correct in their estimation. A disposable tool.

Of course, these signs are subtle and barely perceivable. My scan can pick up these up from its detailed oriented style and visual context clues.

All of this means she’s fishing for information and something to bring back as a benefit to save herself.

Now the only question I have to ask myself… do and should I care?

This is a woman who callously killed the woman that was initially trying to kill me. Someone whose death, despite my healing of the trauma, I’m still trying to get over.

This is a person who would have killed me in the same fashion, had I not had the abilities I do to survive.

My initial logical thought is no. While my standard and personal thought is yes.

Although she’s an enemy, no one should have to go through something like what she did. And currently, she’s not my enemy.

As is sometimes said,’ Yesterday’s enemy is today’s friend.’ This may be an opportunity.

This is a person who needs an excuse to stay relevant in their organization, or they’ll die. Likely terribly.

This doesn’t change what they did to me or that woman, but I can at least see the opportunity here.

I want some consistency in the relationship with the alchemy Guild. Not only that, but if I can somewhat normalize relations between me and the alchemy Guild, it will let me move around easier.

Obviously, I will not join them. The research society fits my goals more than they do, and I don’t like the way the alchemy Guild operates.

In fact, I can only see this relationship heading on a long negative course…

But in the short term, and potentially as a counterweight, I can give them just enough benefits to not take any serious actions towards me as I continue to grow in strength. I need them to think that long term, it will be positive.

Also, if I join another group, they likely will have a heavy distaste for the baggage of a negative relationship with the alchemy Guild. Despite the benefits that I bring. So, I will need to make up with them in some way, anyway.

With my game plan set, I changed my attention back to the woman in front of me.

As I clearly had not been responding to her earlier, she's been saying stranger and more desperate things. She moves to perform certain actions. Her earlier proud face has crumbled, both in the metaphorical and social side.

What The guards and I had seen from her earlier, in terms of her demeanor, was simply a façade. Hiding away a person willing to do anything to survive. A person living on the knife's edge, while trying not to make her situation worse by portraying the organization she’s part of as desperate.

The guards have already Left, as she had quickly notified them after I stopped responding, that this is a personal situation involving the two of us. With little fuss, they took the family out of the house and left us in there alone together.

My scan showed their eyes, looking at me with a mixture of fear and respect.

I will need to communicate to them not to share anything unnecessary, so that she doesn’t bring down the ‘face’ of the organization.

I quickly speak up and grab her hands, to make sure she doesn’t go any further, as her desperation is leading her into areas I don’t this want her to go.

“Stop. You don’t need to do this.”

She freezes at the word stop, but I don’t think she heard the rest of my words. So, I Try a different approach, to speed things along.

“I can give you a few refined alchemical recipes than the ones commonly known. I can also give some rare ingredients that I know your leaders will appreciate.”

She looks up at me in confusion, before her face lights up in excitement.

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“Really?!”

She breathes heavily, sinking to the floor, as if I have lifted a great weight from her shoulders.

My mind moves to What I should actually give them that could compensate for me not being part of their group but still showing respect.

To be specific, I have a plethora of items that could serve this purpose, but I don’t want to give all of them to them, or even more than a few. Not only do I have to have gifts for the groups I’m going into, there are plenty of uses for these that would be wasted in their hands, as I won’t be giving them the recipes anyway.

As I’ve been thinking through this, the woman’s been leaning further and further forward, making me feel suspicious. I Slowly start raising my combat scan and as she moves, I’m glad I did.

At least until she does something unexpected.

She pulled down my pants. My mind and body freezes in place.

My scan shows no hostile intention from her.

And just when I’m about to Call out and move to stop her… I can feel her hot breath on my lower member.

Like a warm breeze on a cold day, I can’t help but to subconsciously lean towards it.

Even though I know I should move away, I can’t look away from her eyes, fixated and hungry on one singular thing.

It is at this moment, something that I had been avoiding for a long time, mesmerizes me. A feeling that grips me and I can’t seem to break from in this moment.

The feeling of power.

Over this woman. This situation. Over something that I once feared.

A way of getting revenge for me and others' anguish.

It feels so wrong… but why am I hesitating to stop her?

Her gaze shows that she’d accept anything I’d want. Completely submissive to my every whim.

… I could do anything I want to her right now. And she’d love it.

The feeling of labored and moist breath on my tip. A dedication to satisfying me fully. Her feelings are palpable.

Then she moves.

Sending a long, wet lick from the base of a now stiffening section to the precipice of its peak.

“Ahhhh, oomph.”

She swallows the mountain.

Vibrations run straight down my spine as a three-part symphony of warm, wet, and tight sends my mind and body into a blank state.

Being a virgin of 27 years, who hasn’t had an experience like this, I briefly lose myself in this newfound feeling.

A sudden intake of breath and oxygen to my brain rockets me back into the situation.

I need to stop this!

I briefly regain hold of my sanity and attempt to move back, but she resists and wrapping her arms around my waist, gobbling it even deeper. Preventing me from getting away.

Her tongue wagging and dancing upon its base.

My member goes into sensory overload, as once again, I can’t help but to lean in. Deeper into this cave of obscene pleasures.

But then it was at that moment I remember.

Ai and Lin.

Gong.

Shi.

And my own morals.

Guilt surges through me, despite the amazing feeling coming from below.

Not like this.

I won’t let it happen like this.

… This is normal in this world. To take from those who have taken from you. To make them submit to you in the basest of ways.

I decided early on that I won’t let myself stoop to this.

This gives me the willpower to calm myself.

Grasping her hands from behind my waist, I use my strength to move her off me before I get caught in a web of pleasure, yet again.

My pants still on the ground and her still on her knees, she’s looking at me in a daze. Slowly her eyes travel up to mine in confusion. It takes some effort, but I look her in eyes with some strength, as I put my clothes back on.

“You don’t need to do this. I’ll still help you without needing this sort of thing.”

Despite my decision to stop, I can still feel a craving for those baser feelings and pleasures. I’m subconsciously stuttering as I try to regain hold of the situation. And myself.

As I say this, her eyes gain a little clarity again, but still appear befuddled, as it was clear I was enjoying the experience. Her mouth opens to draw me back in.

“… but you want this. I want this. Just release some of that pent up frustration on me. Maybe in doing so, I could pay you back a bit for my… previous actions.”

…

Her answer gives me pause, even as she gets to her feet, readjusting her clothes.

She might have a point. Despite what she’s gone through, she’s doing this with her own violation. We could continue…

…

No.

It doesn’t matter what she thinks about this. This isn’t about what is normal, or what she thinks.

I wanted to ravage her. To take advantage of the situation.

Even if she wanted something from it as well, doesn’t make it right for me.

If I go down this road…

There’s only darkness for me there.

…

The whole time I’m thinking, her eyes remain locked on my crotch.

Watching for the smallest sign of reengagement. I see her nose constantly twitching, like a hamster in front of a meal.

Her nose twitches.

Her nose.

Fuck.

… the pheromones.

She must have gotten a full dose of it, being so… close to me.

Even if she was going to do this anyway, she’s basically drugged right now.

I’m not going to take advantage of either of these situations. Especially not like this.

I shouldn’t and I can’t.

Even as I think that, my eyes never left her soft lips and ravenous eyes. And how easy it would be able to have them retur…

I quickly put on my pants to keep my body moving and push these thoughts away.

Feelings of shame, guilt, and, to be frank horniness, run through me as I shuffle to get some distance.

All the while, a mixture of disappointment and frustration crosses her face. In order to not gain my ire, she doesn’t move any further.

After I’m done dressing and getting myself under control, I turn back to her.

“… what’s your name?”

She takes a bit to respond.

“… Meili.”

It doesn’t seem she has a family name. That’s the norm, but it seems a little sad that she’s just being used by this organization like this.

… it’s happening again, isn’t it?

I have a soft spot for her, because she did that to me. Because she’s looking at me in such a way. Because she’s a woman.

Am I really so lustful?

She killed me. It’s clear that she’s killed many others as well.

… But I can’t deny that I feel conflicted right now.

I need to just deal with this situation, separate from her, and figure out how I feel about this later.

As I turned my mind back to her, I can see that she looks frustrated. She definitely noticed my glances earlier, even as I rejected her.

Ignoring that, I moved straight to business.

“Okay, here is what I will give you to take back to your leaders.”

I create for her a list, using a pen and notepad nearby, comprising 20 different alchemical ingredients, all of high value. 3 of the items are extremely valuable and hard to find, because of their specific properties, which hide them from spiritual and normal senses. Obviously, I could find them because of my scan.

A much longer list, (turning into a book) is where I included 5 different recipes, most of which are improvements on the current popular concoctions for buffs and cultivation treatments. Better effects, with cheaper and easier sourced ingredients.

I do include two recipes that are currently not known by any group in this area (at least that my scan had identified). They are healing recipes, one of which is to more cheaply treat conditions like the one the cultivator guard’s daughter had.

It should be noted, that trade secrets and ingredients like these are worth more than their weight in gold.

Everything I’ve given them, basically for free, should increase their profit margins by large amounts because of the cost savings. In fact, because of the popular effects of potions like these, they are massively profitable and overpriced.

It should wipe out and somewhat exceed what I’ve cost them in the prostitute and women’s market. Over time, at least.

I also write on these sheets that I hope that this will normalize our relations and that I would like to keep Meiji as my contact.

After I hand over all the information to her, it has already been a bit of time to where she’s calmed down and can see that I’m giving some huge items. Once she reads over them, it’s clear she doesn’t understand everything on them, but some names catch her eye.

Her eyes constantly flash up at me as she reads, in disbelief, mostly.

All until she reads the last line, where I request her as the main contact.

It’s clear she wants to say something, but I leave the house quickly and begin calling the other creatures to me. Of course, I let the cultivation guards know they are mine beforehand.

The creatures are carrying bags and bags of items on them as they approach.

Meiji keeps pace with me and clearly wants to interject, but I keep speak orders out loud and speaking with the guards. Checking with them on how many creatures I can bring through and at what cost.

Just myself and a few creatures is one thing. But a whole platoon’s worth is different.

As I suspected, it appears they would need to charge for this many creatures to come through.

And to be frank, it’s expensive for a non-noble.

But luckily all the market shenanigans I had done earlier, as well as the ingredients the creatures are bringing over, can cover it.

The guard whose family I healed hands the money back to me as he shakes his head.

Repaying the favor.

I express my gratitude.

I still have to hurry, though. She’s still there. Watching.

As quickly as I can, I have them send me and the creatures through. Dropping off the ingredients for the Alchemy Guild on the way through and pushing past my thoughts from this experience.

Once back into the soaring hallways of the teleportation sub-space, I wait for the other creatures to arrive. One by one, they appear until all of them are here.

From here, I move with my plan.

I can’t go back the way I came from. There’ll most definitely be people watching there.

Not only that, but I have to drop these creatures off somewhere.

My eyes drift around, looking for an area close to the sect, but in a place that I could drop off creatures at.

The scan quickly provides an answer.

The Myriad Monsters group has several teleporter areas near the outer city. They have this, so that people can bring the creatures they’ve tamed and made contracts with straight to a housing facility.

This will be perfect. And since there are multiples, it will buy me some time to get away from there before the Alchemist group finds out.

The portal appears before me and I move towards it.