Samuel came back to find Elizabeth and Eishath having a very animated conversation. Well, it was mostly Elizabeth doing the talking with Eishath just adding words here and there.

It was Eishath who saw him first, her eyes lighting up as she lay her eyes on him. Samuel was still rather inept at reading facial expressions if the person in question was not Elizabeth but he could have sworn that there was a predatory hunger in her eyes. That in and of itself was not anything, Elizabeth felt as such every other day, it was the fact that Samuel felt that that look felt like the most genuine emotion out of the woman yet.

He was thankful that like Elizabeth he would eventually parse this enigma and satisfy all his curiosities. In exchange, she would be cared for to the best of his abilities. But all that could come later. Right now he had an influential sect elder he needed to bribe so that their honor remains intact and hostility comes from him taking something that was theirs was negated or, at the very least, reduced.

"Disciples. Your master has returned."

This time Elizabeth too turned her head to him with a smile that went from ear to ear. She hopped to him and jumped into his arms clinging to him with all four limbs.

Samuel raised his eyebrows at that. This action signified he had done something she was greatly excited about or terribly depressed. Assuming the smile on her face was not a lie he could guess which of the two she was currently feeling.

Eishath approached with a much more measured cadence, her eyes gazing intently on her sister disciple. Samuel wanted to understand what that gaze meant but that could only come with time.

Then he noticed that others also started to approach, except most had very lustful intentions. Samuel had recently found out how to discern lust with his soul sight and now that he had seen it he could never un-see it. Cultivators were very very lustful entities, people who look at him have one lascivious intention or another. Now that he knew what to look for, sex seemed to dominate a significant part of everyone's mind and he was willing to bet even those whose soul he could not penetrate with soul sight also had a similar demeanor.

With this insight, he realized that in this den, the action of Elizabeth which was normally of simple heartfelt affection was being taken as an invitation to metaphorically use him by the other disciples.

Samuel was in no mood for such an action, especially as despite his repeated wishes for the contrary many males were also on the list of people approaching him.

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So against his desires, he carefully peeled off his bubbly disciple and made her stand in front of him. He did so gently and carefully abusing his soul sight to make sure she did not feel hurt by his actions. Elizabeth got easily hurt if he showed rejection in any form, something he came to grips with early and found ways to work around.

Like right now, he gently patted her head and whispered sweet nothings in her ears(another trick obtained from those 'guide' books) as he pushed her off. Then immediately following with.

"What has you so excited?"

Elizabeth seemed to not realize the actions that just took place as she excitedly said.

"I have a sister disciple! You gave me a sister disciple!"

"Yes. But that is an inevitability. I am looking to join the inner sect after all." Samuel said amused at Elizabeth's excited posture. He preferred a happy Elizabeth quite a lot. Depressed Elizabeth made him feel things he did not fully understand but the one thing he did know was that he did not like those feelings.

"It seems that elder sister wants to create a loving family of a handsome master and beautiful disciples." She said reserved amusement in her elegant voice.

Samuel thought that there was something else hidden there. Something that edged with malice and steeped in contempt. However, the feeling was brief that Samuel could not truly grasp it. Her immunity to soul sight removed the one edge he had in sentient interactions. Given that his hackles were not at all raised, he believed it to be benign and moved on.

Elizabeth puffed out her chest and said.

"I am one for one so far."

Eishath scoffed as she said.

"Elder sister barely knows her new sister disciple. Is she not being too brash?"

"Nope! If something bad happens master can deal with it. My job is to be a good disciple who worships her master! It is the master's job to take care of the rest." Elizabeth said as she leaned into Samuel who let her. The disciples eavesdropped on the conversation and realizing that there was no fun to be had were slowly backing off.

Eishath scrunched her face as if she wanted to say something before shaking her head and shifting her focus to him.

"Master. Can this disciple ask where her esteemed master has been?"

This time it was Elizabeth's turn to look funny. Samuel filed that away to ask later but there was a more important task at hand.

"This master had gone to prepare a gift for Belial for handing over one of his disciples. He has returned with the offering in hand."

His first disciple now turned that look back onto him as she looked up from where she was leaning onto his chest. She was also quickly blinking her mismatched eyes, an expression Samuel found that he quite enjoyed. But his attention soon turned to his second as she said.

"This disciple understands and appreciates the haste with which her master has performed his actions."

Samuel gave her a nod as his senses spread out to find the man in question, this time he found him near the back, his blinding presence preventing him from tracking anyone else in the vicinity.

Putting an arm around Elizabeth's waist he started walking, there would be plenty of time to talk afterward. Right now, he needed to free himself of his debt.