Lihua seemingly undeterred by my greetings greets me back in the same gentle voice she used when we first met. “Yes, it is good to see you again Elder William, though I do hope in better circumstances this time. Which is why I felt the need to meet you here and apologise for the action I took against you and you descendant . It was impulsive of me to do so, to say the least.” How boring, coming out all this way to apologise. If it weren't for the twenty odd people currently hiding I might actually believe her. Though it's probably a ploy by that Uncle of her's, since he didn't seem that impressed by the whole oath thing. Well, whatever.

Though unknowing of my thoughts and seemingly ignoring Henry violent shaking she presses on. “However, it is good to see the both of you safe and sound, especially Henry over there. It would seem that having one of my uncle's subordinates escort you on your journey was the right call.” Sure it was. Though do wonder how much your Uncle trust you in regards to picking the perfect warden.

Before she speaks again I stop her by raising my hand, and in a much more assertive tone I ask here, “Miss Lihua what is the real reason for your visit. Checking up on the comfort and well-doing of people you've meet once doesn't seem like the thing someone of your stature would normal do.” Since I don't have time for games right now, it's better to not beat around the bush.

However, my direct questioning seemed to have left Lihua rather flustered, even causing her to have trouble starting here sentences. But before Lihua could regain her composure I instead continued my offensive. “If that's not direct enough then let me phrase it like this, why are you checking up on someone that you not only attempted to kill but also forcibly conscripted them.”

“William!” Ramaze shouted at me, but I don't care about what he thinks right now. Besides, Henry seems to be getting more and more agitated while in the presence of little miss precious over there.

But before I can think about the two people besides me, Miss Lihua really needs to snap out of her daze. “Fine then, let me be blunter. Why are you really here, Bai Lihua?”

“I-I” But before Lihua could speak, she was interrupted by an old man wearing a blue robe, who after stepping out from behind her, proceeded to then walk straight in front of Lihua and begun to speak in one of the most arrogant voices I've ever heard.

“So this is how ancient spirits act upon their resurrection? Seeing your verbal bullying of the young mistress I can only feel anger and contempt for someone like you. Now before my anger takes hold and breaks any of my restraints, forcing me to do something that I may regret, then I suggest you get on kowtow before our mistress and beg for her forgiveness.”

“Elder Chu, please your only making things worse.” And she's right of course. Not since my first examination with my professor, has a speak annoyed me so much. Well, at least this time I can vent out my vexation on the speaker at least.

“Young miss, I do hope you will understand the importance of this in the future. But as of now I can not let this man off so easily, or other people will start to think that the Rising Lotus's name is so easily dragged through the mud.” Pompous people.

However, she wouldn't him off, and started using a more dignified tone to speak with the elder. “Elder Chu, I am commanding you to stop this at once. This entire conversation has become one big misunderstanding.” Taking her eyes of the so-called Elder Chu, she turned her gaze towards me. “Yes Elder William, I am aware that the person sitting on your left is someone I tried to kill, and I will admit from the time I've spent here every person I've met has been nothing but evil, so my actions were easily influenced by my own bias and someone's silver tongue. But I'm ready to face my wrongdoings and fix what I have broken” Well that was unexpected.

“Young miss!” However, any surprise about a potential and genuine good little miss is quickly destroyed by that annoying Elder Chu.

But the little miss completely ignores the Elder and continues on. “And one of these fixes was to make you a guest Elder. This way, my overprotecting Uncle wouldn't be able to do something so stupid as try to and get revenge for you simply protecting yourself. Where once again I was in the wrong as I was more worried about destroying a potential threat and protecting my own life, I never stopped to think about whether or not the thing in question was truly evil or not.” Good grief, can we please bring back the arrogant and pompous Elder Chu please, any more of this righteousness and I'm going to puke.

My inner turmoil aside, Henry was noticeably a lot calmer and was even sticking to every single word of hers. “So that is my reason for being here Elder William. I'm here to try and fix the mistake's I've caused and defuse any bad feelings that may have occurred between our groups.” This evidently caused mix reactions in the groups, with the two most extreme being Henry almost jumping out of his seat to exclaim that he never really blamed her, to begin with, and Elder Chu who looked like he was having a hard time not shouting abuse at us.

Seemingly swallowing his anger, he turns and tells his young master some new news. “Young miss, while your devotion and feelings are an example to us all, your reason for being here is solely for yourself.” This time, it's Bai Lihua's turn to be surprised. “On the order's of the Grand Elder Zhou, one William Nixon, formally named Guest Elder of the Lost Forest by Elder Gang. Is hereby ordered to give up their unique martial arts for the continuing glory of the Sect.” His proclamation about surrendering my so-called 'martial arts' is faster than I anticipated, but it does give me an opportunity. 

Jumping down from the carriage I begin to walk closer and closer towards the main Sect due. All the time having everybody's attention on me: Henry wondering what I'll do, Ramaze prepared to stop me creating any serious trouble, Lihua was worrying over my action, while Chu and his cronies readying themselves for a fight they've prepared for in advance. Stopping meter away from the bottom step where Elder Chu had taken up residence, I slowly pronounce my intention to them. “And what if I decide refuse the Grand Elder's orders, Elder Chu?”

The smile on Elder Chu's face couldn't get any bigger, but he seemed able to restrain himself somewhat, though his arrogance was seeping out of him at this point. “Elder William, there's no need to refuse, although the message I've given is a decree sent by the Grand Elder, it isn't all I've been sent with. The Grand Elder understand the compliance of your martial techniques so of course you will be given a suitable title and position within the main sect to teach your technique to the next generation. Not only securing a safe place for you to regain your body and your descendant over they to fully immerse themselves in an environment better suited to bring out their full potential, much better than training in this dump of course.” Such generosity, if only I believed that for a second that I wouldn't be stabbed in the back the second I stepped through your sect's gates.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

Though going by Chu's actions of having his minions move closer. Even if I accepted, I'd properly not even reach the portal onto their continent. But even if that was the case, “I will still have to refuse Elder Chu. This technique of mine can only be passed down by members of my family, so teaching it to outsiders would not only be sacrileges to my dead ancestors, but also an impossibility for my conscious to undertake.”

Without dropping his arrogant smile, he attempts to act sombre when he answered my declaration. “Then that is truly regrettable, William.” He said as he raised his hand. “But it seems that I will have to go with the Grand Elder's original plan and simply drain the information from your mind.” As his arm reach the zenith of its height towards the sky and his actual intent was known the surrounding atmosphere darkened and using the warm summer day I dropped the temperature to allow me to use my spells more freely.

Meanwhile, my companions were shocked at how quick the situation had devolved, I could sense that Ramaze was ready to jump into the fray and try to calm us down, while Henry was rooted to the bench in surprise. Similar, Lihua was rooted to her spot at the mansion entrance in surprise as well, though in her case her face showed an equal amount of fear as well.

After a few seconds of complete silence, not only had I managed to drop the temperature around me to a level that allowed for me to manual form clouds in the sky, but Chu's henchmen had also reached the outskirts of the mansion pathway.

Whoosh, the hand fell and twenty-three men jump at me from either side. From a glance, I couldn't tell single one of them apart. But why should I? A single glance was all I needed anyway. Since as soon as I finished looking at the most extreme right, my formations fell and a symphony of lightning and screams erupted throughout the courtyard.

All but four of them survived, but not untouched as their clothes were singed and blackened as there had been hit by the following bolt. But they wouldn't survive the next one, especially if they were to regroup with the Elder Chu.

However, that little power taste seemed to have fried the nerves of one of the shorter men in; an even blacker robe, who's face and eyes seem to be even more in shock compared to his surviving companions. “Im-impossible, how were they killed so easily. That man mustn't be human.” The accusation of being non-human hurt a little, but Chu's once prideful face slowly turning in one of extreme anger was completely worth it.

“You idiots! What did I tell you! When you attack with the tenth circulation garbage, make sure to do so in a formation attack! Now look at the mess you've left me with, you'd think four ascending stage men can't take care of a single damaged spirit.” Even while angered to such a degree, he still manages to show off his arrogance as he steps forward to come in front of his surviving men. “If you four are that useless then I guess this Heaven stage Elder will need to step in and fix your problems. Now assume the formation!” Idiots.

While you pranced around, did you think I'd stay nice and still while you stated up your next attack plan? It's pathetic. Now you morons will be the first to taste one of my level two spells. Hopefully, you can be kind enough to allow me to test how much pressure it'll take to break you.

Just as the five begun to move they suddenly came under an unknown pressure that rooted them to the ground. The four lackeys at this point were beyond fearful, the pressure had forced three of them to the ground while one of them only barely managed to stay upright. Elder Chu, although slowed down still managed to move forward, though each step left a deep imprint in the pathway.

Grinding his teeth, Chu began to spit out more words of abuse. “Treachery. You're using treachery William. Even when the young miss was kind enough to take a mongrel like you in, it seems you've ended up resorting to treachery. Who is it? The Zheng Empire? The Wallowing Pit? Or are you craven enough to accept help from the Dark Guild? Huh, answer me!” What a pathetic old man. While he shouted out his accusation I began to activate the formation.

Under each man, a black pit opened up. This was my second speciality, Vortex magic. As I relieved the spell that bound them. The many many, level one lightning bolt spells begun to activate within each one. Over the course of the next ten minutes, Elder Chu and his men would be subjected to the hundreds of spells that were stored within the vortexes.

I don't know when the four men stopped screaming, but I only noticed when the young miss seemed to almost faint at the sight of the barbequed men. Elder Chu, on the other hand, seemed to be fairing much better, so not wanting to waste mana, I moved the now useless vortexes to be positioned all around Elder Chu and let him experience my not so subtle wrath.

Half an hour later and the old goat was still breathing. Though considerably more barbequed than he started, but he won't be able to take much more, swallow breathing, unfocused gaze and bleeding profusely from all over his body from projectiles I had thought into the mix. He was a sorry sight for sure.

Best to put him out of his misery. But as I begun to advance, the ever annoying Bai Lihua, stepped in front of the unstable man and even paler than here already considerable pale skin, she seemed to want to defy me. “S-Sir William, even though Elder Chu has done you a grave misdeed I can only beg for you to forgive him.” The shaking in her voice wasn't helping her case, but before I could rebut her, she pressed on. “Although, Elder Chu may be overly arrogant, but his father is one of the leading members of the Rising Lotus Sect and if he were to die today, not even I could stop him from mobilising half the sect to hunt you down.” Is she still trying to help me?

“Why Miss Lihua. Isn't it better to kill a man like him, wouldn't it be better for your sect overall if I did you this favour and rid you of someone like him?” 

“No.” “I need him and his father alive. I still need their arrogance so that when I make my move I can clean the Rising Lotus Sect completely and bring it back to its former glory. So I beg you, please leave him alive.” Why is she so adamant on this?

“Take the opportunity William.” While I ponder the strange urgency Lihua had in her request I never noticed Ramaze come up to me. “You and Henry were never meant for a place like this it better if you two flee while you still can.”

But Ramaze's words are made redundant when Lihua speaks after him.“I don't know who you are, but since you were with Sir William when Elder Chu attack it would safer for you to leave with them.” Even with the armour on I can almost feel his expression fall. “So that you can get away quicker I'll make sure to erase the tracking beacon on the carriage, and for you, I simply make your life a bit easier by removing the mark that my Uncle left on you.”

“Young Miss.” Almost emotionless he calls out towards Lihua. Turning around I look toward Henry who although isn't shocked anymore but is rather casting pity toward Bai Lihua.

I would argue more, but it would seem that I've managed to exhaust the limited amount of mana I've managed to collect and the form I've chosen is beginning to flicker.

It's truly pathetic. Both mine and the Rising Lotus's situation.