The 4th elder was fuming, not only was his core belief spat upon, but he as a person was being treated like a joke. "you dare you upstart, I am an elder you will show me respect." Zhou Chang only made '4th elder' because his uncle retired and left it to him. he was only at mid-level soul strengthening, Dao formation was standard for an elder. Dave found out that morning. . .
"Listen up you goddamn nepo-baby, I've known looser cry-bullies like you before, you were handed everything on a silver platter and whined when others weren't! You have never in your life actually earned anything but think that people who break their backs should hand out everything they earn! most people will never leave their hometown forget reach the foot of this mountain, how many have to till fields in a drought to simply not starve?" Dave was about to rip into him about the whole of his ignorant beliefs but Chang used the emerald sword hand to strike the side of Dave's head.
To Dave, it moved as fast as a slug on a salt flat. He smirked and took it like a gentle breeze. Stunned and frozen in fear all the elders and students present couldn't believe what they had just seen. "people whose ideas have no merit nor value always resort to violence to force it on people that don't want it." had Chang died right that moment no one would have blinked, instead Dave set him back on the ground and flicked his forehead knocking him across the square. "he's your problem you deal with it, you three fallow me, Lilly let's go." the group left without another word spoken by anyone.
"Lilly go spar with Dong for an hour before dinner. "mn." As for you three, I have a gift similar to the saintess so I know you are not being trained properly." after spending the day at the library and asking everything he could think of he could see their paths were grayed out as were several dozen of Lillys and all his own, in effect not yet active.
"Kel ra you are no warrior, you are meant to be a scholar you shall train with these" several strategy games and illustrated instructions 'Most people in the other worlds are illiterate'. "Kaelasa, good fortune is yours to give or take, luck is hard to train but start with these." giving her a handful of dice. "Ahiga you are a fighter destined to die . . . repeatedly, you have an immortal body every death shall make you stronger." this stunned the other two and terrified him. "shall I die now then?" Dave shook his head no. "gaining strength beforehand is more important, also fighting people stronger than yourself will accelerate your growth."
Dave played a game of risk with the 3, by dinner time Kel ra had improved dramatically the other two had fun. "Can Lilly play too, Lilly likes games." Lilly was covered in bruises, which was normal but Dong had a split lip which was not. "she has improved in both technique and qi use." Lilly was at peak blood transformation nearly ready to start condensing her core, her stats now in the 700+ range. "sorry Lil after dinner you need to meditate and heal yourself, maybe some other time." nope, nope, nope. Dave had no intention of opening another path for her within 10,000 miles of the saintess, he really did not want to explain that.
The meal a simple fair by Dave's standards had the trio in shock. Dave checked everyone's cultivation levels Lilly had just exceeded the trio but Dong was about to break through to the first stage of 'immortal'. The meal was filled with pleasant conversation Dong told of his training, and Dave a few stories of battles but once the conversation turned to Zhou Chang's training methods Dave almost blew a gasket. arg
"That idiot found one pearl of wisdom and this himself wealthy, others find several pearls in one place and think it the source of all wisdom but the truly wise can find pearls in near anything till they stand upon a mountain and reach for the moon knowing they will never have enough."
Dave was shocked as he witnessed the others visibly reach enlightenment. Light expanded beyond the dinner table and covered the whole of the mountain. everyone stopped what they were doing and began to meditate Dave ran out of the building and saw people everywhere just soaking in the light. 'fuck' "We gotta get out of here before I break something." he heard giggling "You worry too much, this kind of thing is good for my world." sigh "Ya but it leads to hassle." he could almost see the smug look on her face and a wink.
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Dave went back inside and finished eating in silence looking at everyone's stats ticking up wisdom +1 every minute or so and slowing over time. 'neet' Kel ra was getting a +2 but that was expected of a would-be scholar 'Nope make that his path now'. It ended after 3 hours, the trio and Dong kowtowed toward Dave a chorus of we are not worthy and thank yous. "Lilly's master is amazing, Lilly is blessed, thank you, master, for keeping Lilly." she then kowtowed for the first time since their meeting. "NO. Lilly, you are mine and you grovel before no one especially me." Lilly's smile could light the world at that moment. "Master, do you know what you have just said to the girl?" Dong looked surprised with a hint of mischievousness. 'oh, shit'
in a xianxia world, EVERYONE kneels to those with more power, friends, children, disciples even wives Dave had not only declared 'undying love' but a promise to literally take on gods for her. this was beyond a simple proposal it was a binding oath. "that was hilarious, you can't take something like that back you know?" Dave still operating on the assumption it was a marriage proposal. "I stand by that, I may have worded it poorly but I stand by it." Dave wasn't into kids but in a world where a lifetime could exceed the cosmic scale what's a decade? "master that oath is a binding soul oath, it may extend beyond death..." Dave and both goddesses turned pale at that. "By the gods, Lilly I'm so sorry I didn't mean to do that to you." Lilly was almost in tears. "Lilly will always follow master, why would master not want Lilly, master just said he would keep Lilly forever." now fully in tears.
Dave looked at Dong jerked his head at the trio nodded grabbed Lilly and teleported away. Now in their room, Dave cast [area of silence] so no sound could get in or out. Holding her tight. "Lil, we are going to live a very long time, and if that was all there was I'd be happy to spend more years with you than could be measured in stars in the sky." Lilly was now very confused if a is b how is b not a? "Lilly doesn't understand you said sorry." Dave nodded understanding the confusion. "Lil, I cannot die . . . ever, well not permanently anyway. Remember how I came from other worlds? nods well if I die here I have to go to another one and now maybe you have to too." The concept of eternity is nearly impossible for anyone to understand and a child's mind cannot connect eternity with change. "Lilly loves master, Lilly will be happy forever."
It was an honest answer but a child's answer, how could Dave explain just how serious it was . . .He couldn't. 'well, tomorrow's problems for tomorrow's Dave' was the only conclusion he could come to. sigh "Let's take a bath we can worry about this later." "mn." after their bath Lilly stood before Dave and dropped her nighty. "will master use Lilly now?" her face one of, Desperation? Hope? Determination? he looked at her stats in hopes of finding her state of mind but found 'Methusila' age at 1/10 speed. Sitting on the edge of the bed Dave leaned forward and lifted her onto his lap intentionally sliding his fingers between her legs. She froze sitting bolt upright. "sweetheart I will never use you, when you are ready I will love you but right now your hurt hurts so I can't ok?"
slightly shaking her voice breaking every other word. "Lilly doesn't understand, master said he loved Lilly already so why not use Lilly what's the difference?" Dave had not even a basic understanding of psychology and less in dealing with trauma. It was a dumb idea but the only one he had given it would take 90 years for her to be an adult 50 for a minimum pass. "only this once, I'll show you the difference." he lay her down on her back and gently kissed her starting with her lips and working his way down. Lilly had never been treated so gently, with only his lips and tongue Lilly felt the difference and understood as she climaxed she began to cry. Dave cradled her against his chest, she only cried harder.
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