"You surprised me, I'll be honest," Kaipan said, pouring coffee for Ren alone as they were in his study. It was already early evening, and the sun was halfway down below the horizon. "I did not expect a reply after only two days."
"We worked together for a long time. It was not a hard decision to make. Especially with the generous offer you made in it." she replied, taking up the cup of coffee and sipping it with a relaxed smile. "Ahh… since you introduced me to this, I can't get enough of it. Tasting the original brew is even better than what I can make!" Ren moaned with a satisfied voice.
"I'm glad you like it. I always was a wine man, if I want to be honest, but this drink was the one that made me push forward when there were long nights in the court. Now, it is only a nostalgic drink, reminding me of an already passed era."
"You may need it again because of what we are going to do. There will be long nights before you once again, King Kaipan."
"I know, but after all is done and finished, I'll pass the throne to one of my grandsons and retreat to my little home in the countryside, making wine until the day I die," he said, leaning back on his chair with a tired, defeated expression. "I once dreamed about taking over the Naulins' role in the Kingdom of Ten, you know."
"I heard about it from my disciple." Ren nodded calmly. "It can still happen."
"Oh, I'm sure of it! And I mean the toppling of their bloodline! I have no doubts about it as I speak with the one who will see to it herself! I am speaking about having dreams. In my old age, I realized dreams and reality are completely different. Especially after seeing my granddaughter's progress and the things your Sect achieved with its disciples! The inventions are coming out from your Sect every year… honestly, it makes me feel like a country boy! I bet there are youngsters amongst you who could mop the floor with me now! I would have preferred it if this awakening had not been rude and sudden, but now I can see clearly, at least! I want nothing more than to have the kingdom stabilize and be free of dangers."
"You are under our protection from now on, so don't worry. I am here to clean up your territory from these Ironclaw scums! Ariana, Lulu, Kyu, and Yanda have already gone out to start with their closest bases."
"Will they be okay?" He asked with a somewhat nervous voice.
"They will. Don't worry." she nodded, emptying her cup and placing it down gently.
"Haaahh… This is why I see the future not in my kingdom but in your Sect. I hope I'll have descendants worthy of talent to join your Sect and forge a strong tie with it. If that happens, the Elroths' name won't die out even if our homes are gone."
"I wouldn't worry about that!" Ren chuckled. "Your granddaughter hooked up with a strong guy, so expect some capable great-grandchildren in the future~."
"That is a thought I can raise my cup to!" Kaipan laughed a little, pouring some wine for himself.
"Hm?" Ren flinched, and Kaipan's eyes noticed that immediately.
"What is it?"
"We have visitors in the city." She said calmly, looking out the window, watching the setting sun painting the landscape in an orange hue. "I can feel their cultivation levels and styles… clearly foreign," she explained gently, closing her eyes. "Heaven's Gate." She added with a half-smile.
"You felt them? From here?" Kaipan asked, not really believing her at first.
"Yes. My senses have covered the whole city to ensure our new ally is safe."
"Since when?" He asked.
"The moment I stepped into your city. And I now know about them the moment they did the same." Ren laughed, standing up and fixing her black and purple robe, patting the sleeves and straightening its edges. "We did not announce anything, yet we already have visitors. Interesting!"
"Are you going to kill them?" He watched her with calm eyes, only curious and not trying to tell her what to do.
"No, at least not until they provoked me… but they made me curious as to why they arrived here! Don't worry; I will let you deal with them. I'm going to check if they will start trouble willy-nilly. Even after you are officially our ally, we won't forbid foreign disciples from visiting your Kingdom," She explained in a friendly voice.
"Do as you see fit, Elder Ren." Kaipan smiled, cupping his hands. "I am tired of playing games. If they ask for an audience, I'll tell them as it is. Heaven's Gate? Kingdom of Ten? I see no difference. To hell with both of them."
"Don't worry. We are here to support you." Ren winked at him before disappearing, leaving only her empty coffee cup behind.
…
….
…..
As Ren met with Kaipan, Toobu and Qeena sat on a restaurant terrace on the city's busiest street.
"This is good!" Qeena said calmly, tucking her hair behind her ears while scooping up a spoonful of vanilla ice cream from her cup. "You should try it!" she pushed her spoon towards him as Toobu leaned forward, tasting it.
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"Mmmh? You're right. This city does have some interesting inventions~."
"Sure it does!" She nodded happily with a broad smile. "The little one also enjoys it!"
"Your tummy is yet to grow at all…" he rolled his eyes, but Qeena just puffed up her cheeks.
"I can still tell it!"
"Is that some kind of demonic thing?" he raised his eyebrows, watching her with a grin.
"You bet it is!" she nodded proudly as since living with him in the Sect, her personality blossomed and shed the cold interior that she was previously hiding behind as a tool for Heaven's Gate. Toobu soon experienced her fiery temper and how direct she could be, but this kept him warm and his feelings from freezing over.
As they were relaxing, waiting for Ren, they noticed the three people walking down the street, wearing the uniform of Heaven's Gate, dressed in white and purple clothes. It did not take long for them to notice the two, and as their eyes met, the air immediately got colder than before.
"Hey, isn't that the traitorous demon with a bounty on her head inside the Sect?" one of them asked, blatantly pointing at Qeena, not masking his voice.
"Looks like it." his companion nodded. "What was the reward for bringing her back? A full technique tailored for your affinity?" his comrades asked with a grin while Toobu watched them with slanted eyes, sending his voice over.
"If you try it, you will return home in boxes."
It was clear at first glance that both parties consisted of Harmony Realm experts. The question was whether they were at the same level or not.
"Why send them back at all? Let them be fertilizers for the land here." Qeena added with a calm voice. She was not bothered by the trio.
"Hmf, someone thinks they are infallible, eh?" the leader of the three cultivators snorted as they walked closer to their table. They all looked to be in their twenties with short, black hair and eyes. Their heights were between 180 and 190 centimeters, and their cultivation level was on display at all times, seemingly very proud of it.
"Sure, it seems." Toobu nodded, agreeing with them, flashing a slight smirk.
"You really think you are back home, don't you?" the Heaven's Gate disciples crossed their arms. "This is the territory of the Kingdom of Ten. The territory of Heaven's Gate and not your Immortal Wonders… so I'd advise you to think before speaking."
"Your territory?" Qeena laughed. "Are you a member of the Elroth family? I thought this was the Kingdom of Elroth, not the Kingdom of Heaven's Gate!"
"A chicken should stop talking to humans and go back to its enclosure and peck at the ground, or I'll make you into fried nuggets, bitch!" one of them snorted, assaulting Qeena with his aura, trying to push her onto the table. Still, it was immediately canceled out by Toobu's own.
"Don't even think about it," Toobu whispered as his breath was visible while the very heat from the air was sucked out around them, turning the warm summer day into a wintery one.
"Relax, I can take care of a phony like him!" Qeena patted Toobu's hand with a confident expression, ready to fight.
"Not in your state! I won't let you. Period!" He answered forcefully, drawing a bashful hue onto her face and sparkles into her eyes.
"Hah, you heard it?" the trio laughed. "We got a birdfucker here!"
By now, the terrace was emptied, and people cleared out not just from the restaurant but from the street and every building surrounding it, afraid a fight would break out, which would level the surrounding area into nothing.
"Heeey, watcha' doin'?!" resonated a loud laugh along the empty street, and before they could react, Ren's face popped up between the Heaven's Gate disciples with a grin, hugging them by the waist. She was not even reaching up to their chests with her petite frame. "If ya wanna have a drink, tell me, just say so, nyahahaha! I'll pay for it!" she laughed, waving her hand as chairs dragged themselves to her, pushing the trio down onto them as they could not resist her strength.
"This-" one of them tried to speak, but as soon as he looked into Ren's eyes, her violet pupils lit up, silencing the guy completely, freezing him in a stiff pose. Toobu and Qeena just leaned back, relaxing, watching the scene unfold, curious about what she would do with them.
"Don't look into her eyes!" the leader scowled, averting his gaze immediately, recognizing her the moment she stuck her head forward between them. The most frightening thing was they did not even feel her arrival before she was already holding them.
"Come on, guys! We are buddies, aren't we all? You wanted to have a nice chit-chat with us, didn't ya?" Ren giggled, rocking back and forth with her own chair, placing her legs on the table. "So we will have a nice little talk, that is all!"
"If we are hurt, you know there will be consequences." the leader said, trying to calm himself down.
"Your name is, boy?" Ren asked calmly, looking at him, but he avoided direct eye contact.
"Dillian," he answered after a brief pause.
"Nice to meetcha, Dillian~" nodded Ren with a wide grin. "Here is the situation, Dillian; you insulted my disciple and his wife. That was a rude, RUDE thing to do, no? Don't ya agree, boy?"
"Isn't it also rude to talk us down like this? Just because you are stronger?" He fought back, not wanting to back down so easily.
"Hm?" Ren tilted her head, stopping the rocking with her chair, taking off her legs and sitting up properly, placing her hands on the table, and leaning forward. "I can be more formal if you wish so; cultivator from Heaven's Gate." she changed her voice into a cold one as a suffocating aura covered all of them. "Listen to me closely, Dillian. We did not come here to cause trouble, but it does not mean we are afraid of it. This is neither the territory of your Heaven's Gate nor our Immortal Wonders; this is the territory of the Kingdom of Elroth."
"Same applies to you too, woman of the Empire…." As he ground his teeth, he said, "Aren't you doing exactly what you are angry about? Heh… hypocrite!"
"No. Because of these laws, you still have a mouth to speak from. I don't want to cause trouble for King Kaipan in his own backyard." Ren shook her head. "Do what you came here for, but don't even think starting a fight with my people or that mouth of yours will only be good for screaming." She tapped on the table with her fingers as her aura slowly dispersed. "Are we clear?" In the end, they just nodded before standing up and leaving the table, looking back, but seeing Ren, she was just waving at them with an innocent, kid-like smile.
"Should we follow them, Elder?" Qeena asked in a polite tone.
"Nah. I left my mark on them already. I am curious as to what they are here for. They are already heading towards the palace. They are up for a surprise, I think!" she explained, leaning forward, taking away the melted ice cream in front of Qeena. "Man, this is great!" she moaned happily and acted like a kid while her senses kept track of the trio hurrying towards King Kaipan, demanding an immediate meeting…