I couldn't help but sigh as I stepped into the Spring Palace once more, ignoring the stirring of exhaustion, more mental than physical, even though the physical part was not negligible either.
I hadn't been particularly concerned during my self-appointed mission to bring Aisnam her medicine, even though it required me to trek through the wilderness and trick a lot of people who could kill me despite my blatant supernatural cheating.
It was supposed to be an investment, just a burst of effort before I settled down to my role, and lazed around until my dear Queen got bored with her boy toy. Things were supposed to calm down once she got strong enough to intimidate the others.
The eight Stages of the Qi Gathering Realm are supposed to be enough to deal with everything. Then, Tiger Fist army arrived, forcing me to save Pearyin before going to help Markas. It was bad enough, then somehow I managed to trigger Pearyin's ability as some kind of super cultivator who devoured Qi like a black hole.
The situation was getting away from me.
I didn't even have the luxury of blaming anyone, which might not be productive but it would have calmed me down. Not Aisnam, not Pearyin, not Marana … I couldn't even blame myself.
Yes, I gave Pearyin the spirit stone, which escalated the mess, but at this point, my knowledge about cultivation was not limited, and such a thing was supposed to be near impossible. Who knew it would trigger a random waitress who decided to stick with me.
The odds of something like that happening were supposed to be lower than winning lottery, therefore suspicious. That suspicion was also a major reason why I didn't just run away. Clearly, probability didn't matter that much here. Even if I arranged for Pearyin to join a sect and leave, I would probably encounter another messy situation.
As for abandoning Pearyin, that was even worse. At this point, she was rather obsessed with me. The last thing I needed was to trigger her resentment after awakening her super cultivation ability.
Ironically, the other reason I was reluctant to leave was the opposite case. What if I left, and my luck stopped working on the principles of exceptionalism. The more I learned about the cultivation world, the more I realized just how unbelievable was my encounter with Aisnam. A cultivator from an established family, alone and depressed, yet with easily manageable problems…
If I left her, it might take years for me to find another chance to enter the cultivation world, which was shockingly insular and merciless. They wouldn't be as willing to play along with my poor martial artist act.
And, while I could show some of my talents to gain admission, being a productive servant would make it very difficult to trigger the System, slowing down my growth.
Then, there was the warning I received about the coming Darkness, which was even more ominous than the mysterious being trapped behind the stone doors that could speak into my mind.
No, I had no choice but to stay.
"You're finally here," Aisnam gasped as she appeared on the stairs, her clothes slightly skewed. She must have changed back to her servant outfit after she heard me enter. I opened my mouth, but before I could answer, she closed in the distance with her cultivator speed and started patting me, trying to make sure I was still okay.
It was not just her hands, but also her Qi, checking me. Some of it mixed with my essence, and I silently absorbed it.
[Cultivation Difference Bonus - 50; Pity Bonus - 60 (Capped)]
[110x Return - 17 Qi Strand]
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
Not exactly the incredible reward that our fun dances provided, but every little bit counted. Too bad her worry seemed to be escalating. I interrupted her with a kiss, then pulled back. "Don't worry, I'm okay," I explained.
It took a few seconds for her to process it. "Why are you late, then?" she asked, still cross.
"There were a few problems. Nothing dangerous, but we needed to stay back for a while," I said.
"Tell me," she ordered. I was happy to oblige and spun a reasonable tale of encountering a small team of Connate realm artists, but avoiding them easily because they were afraid of revealing themselves. I added several details to match the letter in hand, trying to make a believable scene. Then, I passed the letter to her, and she read it without even bothering to go upstairs.
It was not something a servant, even a trusted one should do. She must have been really worried about me missing that detail.
"So, what do you think about them?" she asked, then a flash of realization passed over her face as it clicked she wasn't acting too much like a servant. "Any idea why they are helping her Highness?"
I paused, trying to gauge her reaction, and trying to decide exactly what she would find believable, while I also considered everything I had shown before. I revealed both the ability to create high-quality talismans and essence pills.
Technically, I could still claim that the organization was made only of martial artists, and the talismans they had given her had been acquired in a one-time deal. But, I decided against it. The moment I confirmed it, it would mean my ability to provide her with cultivation treasures would come to an end.
However, I couldn't just reveal the presence of cultivators as well, as she would want to meet with them.
I decided to pick a middle road. "I suspect they are working for a cultivator with a grudge against Kartpa Valley," I said, which was the most reasonable explanation for their sudden involvement. After all, Kartpa Valley had already revealed itself during the first battle of Markas, which gave that non-existent cultivator a reason to support Markas excessively, to the point of offering Aisnam an incredibly favorable deal.
"Have you seen that cultivator? Any idea about his power. He must not be strong if he doesn't dare to approach the Queen now that she's recovered?"
Her questions were good, with the implication of how a weak cultivator dared to target Kartpa Valley. Luckily, I was already prepared for that line of questioning. "No, their attitude implies their leader is not a simple man. I received the impression that they were far away."
She frowned. "Any idea about what they need?"
I smirked proudly. "That, I know because they didn't realize how sensitive is my hearing. I heard them discussing how they lacked a local channel to buy cultivation supplies. Apparently, they are lacking in spirit stones, talisman papers, jade for formations, and alchemy supplies," I said.
The last two were not immediately useful, but it wasn't like I was struggling to find more. I hoped that she had a better way to purchase them, as the itinerant cultivator market was particularly lacking when it came to that. For example, I had already depleted the available talisman paper there.
The formation of jade and alchemy supplies were not immediately required, but sooner or later, I would learn them. I just needed to find a way to teach Aisnam the basics first.
She fell silent, considering the implications of the organization with a grudge against a major sect. It was a dangerous thing. Understandable, as such a thing was risky enough to cost her life.
Soon, her face settled to a resigned expression, showing her acceptance. It didn't surprise me. The scraps I had learned from her situation showed that her family dispute had something to do with the rivalry between Entsa Pavilion and Kartpa Valley, with her branch of the family on the side of Entsa Pavilion.
It made the prospect of weakening Kartpa Valley much more acceptable.
"They say they'll only accept you as the messenger," she said.
I shrugged. "Makes sense. It's an easy task with little risk. Not even a job, and it gives me a chance to stretch my legs," I said, doing my best to undervalue its importance. I didn't expect such a small thing to interfere with the System returns, not with the way our relationship had turned out.
But, there was no point taking risks.
"Good. I better go talk with her Highness," she said, signaling her need to leave.
I gestured for her to stop. "Two things," I said. She nodded, signaling me to go ahead. "I got the feeling that they are from a faraway place. They didn't talk much about their grudge, but they implied that it happened in the Battlefield."
"And…" she said, realizing that I was leading to a point.
"The Queen might offset a lot of the money she needs to pay for Markas if she offers that knowledge," I suggested.
"Good point," she said with a thoughtful nod. I smiled. She believed it was because I managed to help her. I was happy because it solved my biggest problem by far. "And, what's the second point."
I grabbed her hips and pulled her close. "Well, her Highness could wait for a few minutes while you tend to my wounds, right?"
Her seductive smile was all I needed.