Little Sis... Is a bad clan leader. I don’t think she noticed us at all. Like she flicked her wrist at Slimy Smile, but she still hasn’t actually turned to look at us. Watching her fake sob, completely oblivious, would be funnier if I wasn’t so uncomfortable. Noisy Dog sets me on the ground, I bank the rope they used, -- Demon Binding Silk? Not a demon! --, and stand up.
“They caught me, but they were running the wrong way,” I immediately tell on them, Slimy Smile’s double-take not as satisfying as waiting to see how they get punished. “They tied me up first. Didn’t call for assistance or tell anyone. Then they ran the wrong way.”
“We came straight here!” Slimy Smile says, before bowing his head again, Noisy Dog slowly adopting his respectful bow.
“No, you didn’t!” I snort. “I transferred here to show them who they’re relying on. I recognize your transfer trap! I come here, you have my poisons, know my reputation, can see my skill, and instead of teaching me you give me to these idiots? Why would I give them face? He tries to poison me and doesn’t take responsibility when he shows me all the food!”
I watch Little Lord’s expression change, face smoothing as he stares blankly at the two “sect members”. That’s right. I didn’t know where the labs were. Who took me to your labs? Especially with your special wine?
“They encouraged me to sample everything!” I say loudly, looking at Slimy Smile and watch as he remembers that, yes, he did encourage me to eat as much as I wanted.
“They’re the Young Lady’s special guest! We were just showing trust in her good judgement!” Slimy Smile says, bowing with great reverence to Little Sis.
“No one believes that,” I snort. “Your servants are very rude...” I dust myself off before waving to indicate Little Lord and Little Sis. “You’ve been stabilizing with my soak. Why do these two not have any poison cultivation signs before then?” I’m gonna tell on everybody. “Sis was very insistent that no one was allowed to use her Soak, did she tell you the secret I told her?”
“Nn!” Sis finally stops pity crying and looks at me, eyes wide and a quick, subtle shake of her head. When Little Lord turns to frown at her, it takes her way too long to stop trying to silently mouth instructions at me, but she tries to look innocent anyway. “I don’t know what Sis is talking about,” she says, turning her back on everyone in the room.
“Oh? Who here is more honest than me?” I boast, looking around smugly while I wait for Little Lord to punish Slimy Smile and Noisy Dog.
“This is stupid!” Noisy Dog shouts, pulling a small bundle of fabric out of his top robe and throwing it onto the ground.
“Was that supposed to be my gag?” I ask, looking down at the wad of fabric. “Was wondering why you two weren’t worried about me calling for help. The halls are so empty... If you two hadn’t been hiding around the corner, how else would you hope to find me. Who else did you have waiting to trap me?” I point out. They want to say they were waiting for me to turn me in, how many people were in on this?
Noisy Dog thrashes around, standing with a script paper held between his fingers, arms in a stiff cross in front of his body.
“Uncle! What am I supposed to learn from a failed sect?” Noisy Dog shouts, the paper glowing with blue flame. There’s a flash of blue flame in a corner of the room, and I get to watch the newcomer, a very corpse-y looking man, put on white gloves and a blank mask.
“That’s ghost flame,” Little Lord gasps, sitting down on his throne while not taking his eyes off of the not burning script paper.
“Apologies,” the newcomer says, stepping forward with a polite bow. “Young master, you were supposed to learn camraderie, and the importance of maintaining superior strength. You wouldn’t want our Vengeful Corpse Flame Sect to fall like the Red Silk Spider Sect, would you?”
“Are you a better sect? Do you deal with--?”
I can see the masked man standing before me, his arm extended. I’m pretty sure his hand is where my throat should be. I didn’t see him move. I blink, attempt to bite him, and he pulls back a bubbling mess.
Sweet! I think my blood is caustic now. What was in that medicinal soak?
[Name: Kisandera “Kissy Kissy” or “Sandy” or “Eclipsed Rainbow”]
[Affiliation(s): Thousand Valleys, Seven Moons, Companion of the Sacred Phoenix Sovereign, Inner Void Productions, Wimble Sunrise, Scarlet Silk Society, The Naturalists, Hunter’s Association, Eager Heart, Red Silk Clan, Red Silk Spider Sect]
[Race: Celestial Void Moth Queen[Shattered] (Saint)] 🦋
[Current Form: Hunan]
[Current Realm: Shimmering(Tier 5)]
[Current Karma: 95,601,362/107,275,977]
[Master: Shimmering Steel]
[Max Will: 9,579,451]
Rank: SS
[Current Condensed Qi: 1,831,227/23,900,339]
[Current Qi: 1,904,120/957,945,100]
[Mortal Wallet: 12E,692K,180P,697R,179Da,255De,2605k]
[HP: 9,579,301]
[Spirit Wallet: 0Dr,0Ph,0Th,1325Di,126Co,10680St]
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Holy, fuck! How hard did he hit me? Was that supposed to be a one-shot? Why do I have so much health...?
“Um, oh! You were trying to shut me up? I don’t have an actual voice box,” I snark. I know why I keep forgetting I’m a hunan-shaped bug, but why do other people keep doing it?
“Interesting,” the newcomer says while looking at their hand. They keep looking at their hand, and suddenly they have a pristine gloved hand. “Not as simple as you appear...”
“Tch, uncle!” Noisy Dog whines before the newcomer raises their hand to silence them.
“How long have you been part of the Red Silk Spider Sect?” the masked man asks me. Now is he giving face before he tries to kill me again or...
“I’m not!” I shout, coughing and cleaning myself up. He killed me, -- well, tried and failed, -- so I’m pretty sure I’m on this dude’s hitlist. “I was trying to join. I’ve helped them more than they’ve helped me, and I’m still not part of their sect.”
“What have you done?” Slimy Smile snaps, sucking his teeth while helping Noisy Dog get dressed in black robes with slightly off-black flames along the hems.
“Are you blind? You don’t wonder at their faces?” I snap, jutting my chin at Little Sis and Little Lord, the two of them looking away and idly touching their necks in an effort to not touch their hands. “I’ve stabilised their poisons. Now they’re not blatantly obvious poison cultivators.”
Fuck this, I’m going to my Logs. What are these fuckers thinking?
“And that’s not worthy of joining the Sect, but you have so many useless peasants. Why turn down a cultivator?” the Masked Man loosk to me with his fingers lightly pinching his chin.
He thinks I’m a spy. On a shitty sect. That’s taking advantage of me to get more stuff.
“They said I need to work my way up, but I think they just want more gifts,” I grumble. I’m kinda glad that we’re on the same page.
I rotate my neck, make sure all of my insect parts are working, and end up coughing up stray pieces that got smashed and replaced instead of healing in place. I shrug, eat them, then go back to my Logs. He said something about Ghost Flame Sect...?
“Uncle, this is supposed to be Kisandera the Catastrophe from Rising Sun Empire,” Noisy Dog perks up. “I thought they were some old pervert, but Hidden Smile says they’d be a good familiar.”
“‘Hidden Smile’?” I blink, looking around until I find Slimy Smile. “Meh, I wasn’t far off...” I mumble, going back to see Little Lord, err, Rich River Loam’s thoughts on this sect.
I can feel the judgement coming from Slimy Smile. His name is Fragrant Wine here, but Noisy Dog just outed him. I hear more gurgling, transfer to my void, and have a nice sit as I keep going through my Logs. So...
Ghost Flame Sect. Vengeful Ghost Flame Sect. Corpse Poisons... Ghost Flame is a powerful demonic cult... Haven’t heard of any powerful non-demonic cults, so powerful cult without overt political backing. Physical reinforcement, can kick my ass. Misdirection, illusions, so maybe poisons? Lots of sister branches. Vengeful Ghost Flame Sect, as internally corrected by the Masked Man, whose name keeps changing --. Am I reading aliases? Cool...?
Why didn’t I notice this before? I was reading thoughts and text from – is this just names I know? But I don’t know tons of people’s names and they were in my logs. I’m gonna guess these are aliases. Or --.
“Introspection later! Read now!” I shout. I know I find it hard to focus, but fack!
Shit! Who am I channeling? You’re not helping, you nosy busybody! Focus on what they said! We’ll figure out who said what later!
Vengeful Ghost Flame Sect. He spent a lot of gathered resentment on that strike. Who did what? Not hunan. Okay, that might be me. Could be useful. Definitely might be talking about me. Test my loyalties. To who? Unbound and near sexual satisfaction.
-Ew! What?!-
I zoom out of my Logs to get a sense of space between me and the text so I can read without feeling like I’m too close. Keeping that shit past arm’s length. Ew!
Where was I? Rise through the ranks, become a master, run the clan, unify the empire... Oh...! He nearly nutted at the thought of world domination. So not me.
-That was close,- I shake out my robes, confused why I’m wearing gold to blue to black with black grass embroidered at the bottom hem. -Oh! I changed. Yeah, I should eat.-
I go back to my Logs to read how stupid Red Silk Spider Sect is, -- agree, -- speculation on where I’d start training just from surviving an attack that should have halved my health if I wasn’t so tanky, -- I’m not, but that’s a good baseline, -- or killed me outright if I didn’t have physical reinforcement. Um... ‘kay...?
I pause long enough to set up the table with some of the grilled and fried foods I’d made fucking around with the Death Moths. Tch! I should get back to them at some point. I’ve got their food and a garden to build. Wait. My head drops as I remember that I made it back to my fish tank, but I might also have Eager Heart stored away in a bubble somewhere. I wave my hand to clear the thought away, baring my teeth at all of the distractions. Later.
I sample a dumpling dish with a fish broth base, get a fried bit of crispy seaweed to crunch on, pour myself a small bowl of tea while biting into one of the stuffed dumplings, -- think this is grilled dragon eel and a sweet sauce. Very nice, -- chew while taking a sip of my tea, and dive back into the Logs.
Quick Stream is an idiot for outing Hidden Smile. Quick Stream is Noisy Dog? I mean, Little Frog? Ugh! So... Quick Stream outed Hidden Smile, Widow’s Sigh, -- okay, that’s a pretty cool name, -- wants to bring me into the sect as a Familiar, not a disciple, but will accept me as a disciple if only so the sect gets stronger.
Okay, so if he can’t rule the world, he wants his sect to rule the world. Empire. Think it’s the same thing to these people. Up to when I left. They’re going to kill everyone and leave Rich River Loam as the sole survivor. Everyone will assume he killed everyone to further his cultivation, either as materials or to use the sect resources for himself.
Really? Is that how that goes?
-Oh, shit!-
I quickly eat my soup, -- I’m not wasting these dumplings, they’re fire, -- leaving the rest of the food to eat when I get back. I leap out of my void, ducking as I notice Widow’s Sigh standing off to the side all patient assassin butler style, then look around to see Little Sis is lying in a growing pool of blood, vegan sausage headless and in pieces in same pool, the bug’s darker ichor dying the red of the pool. I reflexively yoink the bodies, storing them for eating later, then remember that I’m supposed to be fearing for my life.
Widow’s Sigh just looks at me looking back at them, again, bows, again, and I sidle off to see what else I can take. I was planning on stocking up. Now I’ve got living poison vats, -- well, they were, -- and all the poison I can find. I just have to find them.
I’m not sure if I should ask Widow’s Sigh about their offer or not, -- they hadn’t said it out loud, but, come on...? -- but opt to get the bodies first. To the door, looking forward to taking it for the little lock puzzle, but the curtain is torn and the lock is busted all the way up. Like they took pleasure in destroying it. Assholes! That’s one cool thing gone.
Widow’s Sigh clears his throat, and I whip around trying to find out if I can see the ass whooping coming. He just casually raises his hand, pointing to what should be a trick door, but I can see a workshop.
-Ooh!- I perk up, racing forward, -- because the nice man offered me candy. Come on, me! -- and give him a quick nod as I get sprayed with needles again. I bank them, scratch as I experience what I’m sure is considered light inflamation, then start banking everything. Tables, tools, woodscraps. This room is going to be pristine by the time I’m done.
I see several items that appear to be crappy older versions of the special 32 spices in the secret sauce tool I ate before they go into my banks. Were these early trials or training tools or cheap replacements? I’ll think about it later. Loot now.
I slowly leave the room, looking around until I see Widow’s Sigh standing at the door to the hallway. I nod at him then explore the other rooms when he doesn’t try to kick my ass again.
Workshop smelling like food. Bedroom smelling like food. Throne room smelling like food. By the time I’m done all that’s left is Fashion Disaster lying on his back, -- fully clothed, I left the man his dignity, -- on a stone floor in an empty room. The rest of the shit? Mine.
I just came here for a few poisons and you lot kept playing around. See where that got you? By the time I’m ready to leave I assume Widow’s Sigh is actually just a figment of my imagination. And then he turns and leaves the room.
Okay, no.
“Are you waiting on me for something?” I narrow my eyes at him.
Is he waiting for me to take everything so he can rob me? Good luck! See if I don’t drop your ass in my miasma lake or my Persephone Bush Hedge!
“In a world where the strong rule the weak, the Red Silk Spider Clan was broken, and instead of gaining strength, sat on the ruins of its history in the hopes that things would return to normal. They might have access to techniques that their sister clans didn’t, but it was only a matter of time before one of those clans came to do what we’re doing now.” His voice is so lifeless that I don’t know how he’s not droning in a flat monotone. He just sounds dead inside. “If he attempts to rally others to his Sect or Clan’s banners again, it’d be amusing when there’s no proof of the deeds he claims happens. For this I would offer you a small boon.
“Not an invitation to our Sect, you need merely past the challenges, and I’ve no doubt you’re more than capable,” he continues, and I can hear the cold and clammy death smile in his voice. Ew. He turns his head towards me then looks forward. “I would offer you a small favor. Not much amuses me anymore, so you’ve more than earned it.”
“Sounds tastey, but how do you know where everything is?”
“The one you know of as ‘Hidden Smile’ was in charge of this Sect’s destruction,” he says with a light shrug. Is he denying Noisy Dog’s slipup? Smooth. “He’d been spying on them for years. It pays to ensure there are no hidden backers supporting such obvious Sects.”
“I think they accidentally got lucky,” I mumble around a mouthful of curry sausage. Apologies to Emerald Grass, they’re delicious!
I keep walking, waiting for Widow’s Sigh to comment. When I look over his head’s turned towards me, but the angle is off. I frown, eyes narrowing as I realize he’s looking down. Is he staring at my tits? Oh! Might be staring at the super pretty green centipede I’m eating like a long fruit tape.
“Did you want some?” I mumble. Figure I should offer since he’s apparently cool with me now.
Why do I mumble when I’m not making sounds with my mouth? I’m amazing at passing for hunan.
“No, thank you, but it is interesting to see your immunity in effect.” Is he coldly observing everything? It’s like a mild intoning.
I get the weirdest tour ever. Empty halls with the occasional sign of life, which I eradicate. I joke about learning how to leave behind dust so that it doesn’t look like he just cleaned the place regularly and get a brief moment of regard from my tour guide.