“Brother Yavin! How nice of them to seat us with you!” Clara said flirtily as she somehow sat next to Yavin Redaxe. Yavin nodded.
“Nice to see you two ladies as well.” Yavin answered with a smile, and quickly stood to help them to their seats. The round table was big enough for fifteen, and for them, they were in the second row. The first row of round tables was reserved for direct family members and also their close allies. The second row were people like the Core Disciples and the other allied folk. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Young Master Caden.”
Caden Blackshore had to hold in his frustration, much to the two ladies’ amusement. Their brother wanted to be close, but the very idea of them getting involved with a potential elder of the Verdant Snow Sect was a little too close. Not just that, it was a threat. But Yavin was the first amongst equals. He was the best of the Verdant Snow’s Core Disciples, and his disposition showed.
It was for that reason Clara and Clarissa found it supremely easy to cultivate genuine attraction for him. He was confident, talented, polite, well educated and had the direct ears of the sect master. He radiated potential and power in ways that were super attractive. Clarissa smiled. “This is our elder brother. He is the designated heir of the family.”
“Ah, I see.” Yavin smiled genuinely. “You have big shoes to fill, but I’m certain you would rise to the moment.”
Clara somehow chuckled, while Clarissa smirked. “Our elder brother is trying his best, but if only he had a fraction of your talent.”
“Behave yourself, sisters. You are the descendants of the Blackshore family.” Caden said bitterly.
“Ah, I doubt I would do better as a young master. I’m certain your brother’s duties are more complicated than what meets the eye.” Yavin said in his defense. “It is not easy to be a young master, some crumble under the pressure.”
“Aww. Brother Yavin, did you really need to defend him?” Clara said as her fingers touched the Core Disciple’s fingers. Caden glared, but she pretended not to notice.
“It certainly isn’t easy.” Yavin said. “I’ve met many young masters, and not all would accept their father’s orders and move to a different city without much support, and try to gain an upper hand in their dealings.”
That made the three Blackshore siblings tense up, and they glanced at each other uncomfortably.
Yavin then smiled. “But it just so happens that our wise Sect Master still believes this is a fruitful relationship, and in the future, I would expect much more collaborations with you, young master Caden.”
Caden’s eyes twitched. “Collaborations?”
“Ah yes. In time, I will be made an elder of Sect, and it seems the Sect Master is keen to assign oversight of the Verdant Snow’s affairs in Lakeshore to me. It is for that reason I am seated here, and not elsewhere.”
Caden’s eyes twitched again. It didn’t stop. Clara and Clarissa struggled not to grin, “Oh, you’re truly a generational talent, brother Yavin. Would you really be made Elder soon?”
Yavin nodded with confidence. “Of course. In a year or so.”
Caden’s fingers trembled briefly. It was as good as a threat, that they were dealing with someone who would be a 5th realm. If he so desired, he could deliver a damaging blow to the Blackshore family.
The two ladies, who were already touching him repeatedly, pretty much glued themselves to him.
“You seem to be enjoying yourself, senior brother.” It was then gently interrupted by another Core Disciple.
Yavin smiled at the passing Core Disciple Julia as she walked to her table. She was seated with a different group of allied families. The table arrangement was designed so that the Core Disciples were each seated with friends and allies of the Sect, in hopes that they could better mingle with those of the allied families and sects. Yavin nodded. “I am. It is a pleasure to have two beauties by my side, it would make the frequent trips to Lakeshore more pleasant. Our dear guests would also be able to visit their family more frequently.”
Caden twitched. The two girls smiled and Clara teased playfully. “We would feel truly safe if you’d escort us, brother Yavin.”
Yavin nodded. “In due time, miladies. In due time.”
Julia laughed. “Well, knock yourselves out. Be gentle to the girls.”
The two Blackshore daughters blushed, but one of them quickly unbuttoned one of her dresses’ top buttons, exposing a little more of her flesh. It was the little things she did to lure her prey. It wasn’t the first time, and Yavin’s travels exposed him to more than just little tricks.
He merely picked up the rice wine, and offered a toast to the heir sitting a few seats next to him. “Young master. May we work well together.”
Caden reluctantly accepted the toast. He couldn’t offend a future elder of the Verdant Snow, but now he wondered whether their family bit more than they could chew.
***
Anna watched in amusement how the problem solved itself. She watched how the two girls deftly threw themselves into the arms of Yavin Redaxe, and rather than reject it outright, the Core Disciple seemed to enjoy the very act of handling the three descendants of the Blackshore.
He must’ve gotten some pointers from the elders, perhaps even her own father.
But for some of the male members of the Fox family, the sight was an insult. Is there no one worth their eye that they resorted to a Core Disciple?
From her point of view, this issue was entirely brought onto themselves. If they all worked a bit harder, they’d all be at least a few minor realms higher, and they would find themselves without a shortage of suitors.
Most of the world’s population lived their entire lives never leaving the lower realms, and it is often easy to forget how many mortals and 1st realm cultivators existed.
In fact, there were already people making a move on her and her many half-siblings. She may be a widow, but her status as the eldest daughter of the Fox family, and first child of the Sect Master still carried some limited weight.
“Lady Anna Fox, may I have a bit of your time?” A mature man said, he was from one of the nearby cities, and if Anna was not wrong, someone in the low-third realm.
“Oh, and what would it be about?” Anna countered, a little irritated. But the suitors are all thick faced, and prepared for rejection. They would move on to the other sisters.
“Would you consider remarriage? I understand you’ve lost your husband a long time ago, and I would like to be there if you are considering making connections once more.” The man said smoothly. It must’ve been practiced. Anna couldn’t believe how blunt he was. Even if she understood that with cultivators, it is often better to just state the facts and move on from there.
Anna looked at the man, as if sizing him up. The man stood a little straighter, as if ready for her judgment. She sighed. “No. Not at the moment. Give it a hundred years. My grief still festers in my heart.”
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It was mostly a lie. She was over her husband’s death. The man took the hint, nodded and left. “Very well. I wish you well, Lady Anna.”
She approved his retreat. A man that knew when to cut losses is a talent, in its own way. But she was tired of the whole relationship ordeal, and as she looked around at the rest of her family, all approached by interested suitors, Anna hoped they were made of sterner stuff.
Her eyes glanced at Adelia and Azelia, the two daughters of her step-mother, Marin Eastheart. The two ladies were well dressed in a perfectly fitting qipao meant specifically for the event. The slit along the thighs were probably a little higher than usual, and the makeup on their face a little thicker than normal.
She rarely spoke to her two half sisters. They seemed a little airheaded, but the fact that they put on a dress like that meant they were also looking for interested suitors, and wanted to use the event to attract high-quality partners.
Their life, at the moment, was tied to the fortunes of the Verdant Snow Sect. Given their own rather lackluster talent, their next best option was to find a partner that could protect them, if something were to happen to their father.
That was a simplistic way of thinking about it, of course. Anna knew that if their value was the connection to their father, once their father was out of the picture, they were still worthless either way.
Almost everyone making a move in an event like this was an opportunistic scoundrel. Players in a game of scratching each other’s back, but she’s not feeling itchy.
Her eyes then darted to her father. The now 7th realm Tundra Fox stood imperiously at the platform. In front of him was a large table. Her three stepmothers were there.
There was a space reserved for Edison next to his father. He was the current heir apparent, and Elly, the chief organizer of the event, did the seating arrangement. Naturally her son would be placed next to father.
Next to Tundra was the Imperial Minister Folan, and next to that was the Sect master of the Mystical Harbors. There were a few more Sect Masters, in the 5th realm, sharing the table with them, along with the wives and elders.
***
Tundra sat at the table, and his gaze scanned the large banquet hall. There were more than a thousand visitors here, many came with gifts, most were for him, but some were given to his family and the elders.
Attempts to curry favor were as old as time, and he smiled. But first, there was the man representing the Imperial Throne. “I hope our basic simple meals don’t disappoint you, Minister Folan.”
He shook his head. He ate only one mouthful of the spiritual rice, and for a cultivator in the fourth realm, they only needed sustenance about once every two weeks. Eating was performative, rather than a requirement. “It is satisfactory for a sect of your size.”
Tundra chuckled. “I see. We will try to do better the next time you are here.”
The minister Folan found that statement surprising. “The next time I am here?”
“We would be holding another banquet when my fellow elder ascends in rank to the sixth realm. Would you not be there?”
The Minister paused, and his eyes then darted around to examine the three elders sharing the table. “Oh? Who will be attempting their ascension?”
Severian coughed and faked humbleness. “Ah. Sect Master Fox is merely stating something that has not yet occurred. If the heavens cooperate, I hope to reach the sixth soon.”
“You?” The Minister tried to take a measure of Severian’s character.
Tundra smiled. Normally a sect would hide some of its powers, but they often do so with their secret wings. Not just Elder Severian, Tundra intended to elevate all three of his elders to the sixth realm soon.
But for now, Jon and Jashen’s planned ascension will be a secret. With the right pills, they should both be able to ascend approximately at the same time. The Sect Master watched as the Imperial Envoy was lost then momentarily in thought.
Minister Folan’s mind was likely calculating how the balance of power in the local area would shift, if the Verdant Snow Sect had one sixth realm elder and one Seventh realm Sect master. The Minister must have realized that such a level would immediately push them up the ranks and make them one of the stronger regional powers, an upper-mid tier sect. “Are you confident, Master Fox?”
Tundra nodded. “We will try and try again until we succeed. After all, as a seventh realm Alchemist, such things should be within reach.”
At that point, Sect master Lucia Whisperwaters leaned forward. “Would you mind sharing some of that good fortune, Lord Fox? The rest of us could benefit from your generosity.”
He smiled at his fellow Sect master, and then, he briefly looked at Edison. He was as quiet as he ever could be. After all, in this entire table, he was the weakest. The only reason he was here was because he was Tundra’s son. “In due time, Lady Whisperwaters.”
Yet, as his eyes briefly glanced at the woman named Lucia Whisperwaters, an idea sprung up in his mind. She was one of the few elders that focused on training, in the alternate future where the Verdant Snow absorbed the Mystical Harbors. He wondered whether she could help his children in a way he couldn’t.
A child sometimes just refused to listen to the parents, but would listen to the same message delivered by others.
So, Tundra looked at Lucia Whisperwaters, and asked. “Lady Whisperwaters, my son, Edison, is struggling with his cultivation, and I believe some time away from me would be good for his cultivation.”
Edison’s eyes immediately glared at his father. “Father-”
“What do you think, Edison? As the next generation, I certainly shouldn’t keep you holed up in the Verdant Snow Sect, and I think it’ll be good to expose you to some opportunities elsewhere. The Mystical Harbors is now relatively stable, and I believe Lady Whisperwaters and her team of elders can aid you in ways we cannot. Consider it a trip, just to get to know some new people and meet the elders of the Mystical Harbors. The two sects are good friends, after all.”
Edison looked at his mother. This was a surprise to her too. Elly immediately came to her son’s defense. “Husband, this is much too hasty-”
“It’s just a short learning trip. Actually, Elly, maybe you’d like to go too? The Mystical Harbors is a water-focused sect, and you could improve as a cultivator. It’s not a long term deployment. Maybe a month, or more.”
Edison looked at his mother, and then back at him. In that split second, Tundra thought he saw anger in his son’s eyes. His glare was momentary, but Tundra realized he may have misspoke.
As Sect master, he would often suggest for his Core Disciples to go on exchanges with other sects. His children, somehow, were not so open to his ideas. Inwardly, he felt a twinge of frustration. An education trip would be good for them, but sometimes, children just refuse to engage in good faith. “But of course, it is just a random idea, not a real concrete plan. If my children are busy, we will think about this some other time.”
Elly breathed a sigh that looked like relief, while Edison just looked away. Maybe he was too abrupt.
“Ah. That would be a good idea, we would be very glad to host our great and helpful allies.” Lucia Whisperwaters said with a smile that was a little too flirty. Tundra never noticed the woman was someone who was flirtatious, but wondered whether he was just being overly sensitive.
“A tour of our friendly sects would be excellent.” Severian interjected. “I would like to start with the Inner Disciples. Many of them don’t get the chance to exchange pointers with friendly sects. It would be a good time for them to learn where they rank between heaven and earth.”
“Excellent idea, Elder Severian. Our inner disciples do need the experience.” Tundra had to thank his elders privately for redirecting the conversation.
“Sounds good.” Lady Whisperwaters nodded. “Let me know.”
The rest of the dinner went on normally. Tundra gave a short speech, met with most of the visitors and shook some hands. Most of the visitors would not get much attention, the best they hope is that they don’t get ignored.
Some of these visitors tried to meet with some of his daughters more often. He noticed a few regional families making a move on Adelia and Azelia, his two daughters with Marin, and also some attempts to woo his granddaughters.
They likely wouldn’t attempt anything dangerous.
Of his granddaughters, Annaly, Anna’s daughter, and Lavinia, his deceased 3rd wife’s youngest daughter were the prime targets. They were both under 100 years old, and already in the mid 2nd realms. So, they both were decent targets for smaller sects.
As father and grandfather, it was a complicated feeling to have one’s daughter wooed by others. There was an instinctive protectiveness, that all these people were not worthy. Yet, at the same time, as a father, he also hoped that they would find someone who would care for them and share their cultivation journey. Some that became their peer, and viewed them as such. Cultivation companions made the journey less lonely, even if it took him forever to learn it.
He would try not to get in the way, as hard as that was, but he would be there if they threatened his family.
A few more toasts and cheers later, the dinner slowly drew to an end, Tundra escorted the Minister back to his carriage. They exchanged the usual pleasantries before one leaves, and the minister asked. It was quite a pointless question, because it was not a choice.
“Would you be at the Imperial Summons?”
“Of course.” Tundra answered without a moment of hesitation. “I am a servant of the Emperor, should the royal family desire my presence, I will be there. For all our power, we are nothing before the Emperor.”
The Minister grinned, proud of his borrowed status. For a man of the court, he was surprisingly vulnerable to a little bit of sycophancy.
Still, Tundra’s mind wandered and he recalled the conversation with Lord Saljuk. Zuja’s agents were among Princess Luharl’s retinue. He would need to prepare accordingly.