Sana wasn’t sure what to tell Zahar later, but she didn’t feel she had much leverage to refuse Aria Silvan’s offer. If she offended her, it’s likely that she could make things difficult for her and her family. Being her maid, by association, actually improved their prestige and her father would likely approve of her decision.
The one she had to convince was her husband.
Zahar returned extremely late at night with a strange plant in his hand.
“Welcome back, dear.” Sana said with a practiced bow. She wore a night robe that was a little loose around the chest and fairly easy to remove, something her mother swore would work on a man. Her mother said one of the ways to get a man to agree to things is to first please him, and then ask the question in a soft, seductive way.
She didn't expect to get all that education crammed into the last few months.
Zahar merely smiled at his concubine’s seduction. “Ah, did you wait for me?”
Sana thought of lying and doing what her mother taught her to do, but she couldn't follow through. So, she decided on honesty. “Yes. I did. I- I have something to discuss.”
Zahar sniffed the air briefly. “Oh. A powerful visitor, I suppose?”
“-you could tell?”
“Of course.” Her husband walked to the living room. The tea was still warm, and the two girls didn’t finish it earlier. He sat and gestured for Sana to sit next to him. She did.
His left arm curled around her waist, and then he looked into her eyes.
“Who came?”
“Lady Aria Silvan, of the Silvan family.”
Zahar briefly remembered the name. Sana did go at length to explain the powerful families of the Empire, but honestly, to someone like Zahar, these powerful families are just stronger bunch of flies. But, they are among flies, and fly politics was still very real. Zahar nodded and listened as Sana explained the entire conversation. It was fairly usual politics, as far as Zahar was concerned.
“She wants me to be her maid and confidante.”
Zahar nodded.
Sana gulped. “Are you- are you alright with that?”
“You believe it is the correct thing to do?”
She nodded.
Zahar smiled and his arm squeezed her slightly. “Then I have no real objections. Let her know that your loyalty is first to your husband, then your family, and only her.”
Sana felt relief. She was concerned about being between two difficult forces. So long as Zahar permitted her to be Aria’s maid, the two forces could coexist, rather than be in conflict.
“It would be a good cover and explanation for how you will obtain some unusual treasures,” Zahar answered. “Their first suspicion would be the Silvan family.”
“That is true.”
His arm around her waist pulled her a little closer, their bodies touched. “So long as you remember who you belong to.”
She nodded, her face flushed at how close he was. They’ve been together for months and it made her heart beat quickly.
Zahar kissed her on her forehead.
Sana briefly remembered her mother’s words again. If your husband agrees with your request, give him a kiss so it’s harder for him to change his mind. She looked at Zahar, and decided to try to return the kiss. She intentionally shifted a little closer, and their lips touched. Zahar’s arms wrapped around her body, now she couldn’t retreat.
The lips locked for a bit, and things escalated from there.
***
When Sana woke up, Zahar was meditating with his plants. A brief shower to freshen herself up and after she washed off the sweat, she got dressed in her house dress and made herself a small pot of tea.
She couldn’t leave the house dressed like this, of course. But there’s no one at home except her husband, so it didn’t matter.
The outer disciple sat quietly and gathered her thoughts for the day. First, she’d have to go and meet Aria to inform her of her choice, that she accepts her assignment. But, as outer disciples, they would have to gather merit points, and so the time she could accompany Lady Aria would come after that, unless the two went on missions together.
She briefly thought about how it would affect her own relationships with Evin and her peers. Would she be seen as suddenly attaching herself to someone more powerful than her?
As she sipped her tea, in her mind, it was likely that it’ll make things messy. The boys will try to use her to get closer to Aria, and Evin probably wouldn’t like it, since it meant less time for her.
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Unless she pulled her along, and even then, there was likely no great outcome. Evin may not want to be her maid, or Aria may not want her, either.
She tried to think back to the dinner, and realized Evin didn’t talk to Aria or vice versa.
At that point, Sana realized this was way more thinking than she was used to doing, and decided to go out for a walk. She changed into her outer disciple robe, tied her sash and belt, and as she was about to walk out, she said.
“I’m going out.”
She wasn’t sure whether he grunted, but it felt like he did, so she left.
***
Zahar fiddled with the small plant in his arms, and felt his own qi swirl within. The process of altering a plant often starts with deconstructing the plant’s functions and recombining them in a way that produces what the cultivator desires. A master could do more with less, and a newbie would need something closer to what he intended.
His qi swirled and slowly the plant changed. It was an act of tremendous focus, and he sat there for hours, focused. Strand by strand the plant was remade, its masking abilities amplified
There was a question long ago, in the higher realms, on how did a regular plant ascend into a full fledged cultivator? How did something mindless gain a mind?
Zahar remembered it was a fellow Divine Emperor, who was once nothing more than a tiny bamboo shoot in a qi-dense grove. Somehow, fed by the qi of the immortal realms, she ascended, and once she gained a mind and a form, she gained even more power and then became one of the Divine Emperors.
She discovered that each little segment of a plant has tiny predecessor cores, and over the process of qi gathering and exposure, those tiny cores gained and stored more Qi. Those tiny predecessor cores, so small that one needs a special technique to see them, collected Qi, and linked to tiny fragments of core next to them. Once they collectively crossed a certain threshold, it would trigger all these tiny predecessor cores to merge, and form what was commonly known as a Beast Core.
For mortals, humanoids, yaos, or ‘ghosts’, it was the Soul Core.
For plants, it was a Plant Core.
Then, as that Plant core grew, it could ascend into a full fledged cultivator, and be one of those plant-origin folks. Just as beasts, or even things.
Back then, it was a discovery that was so obvious in hindsight. Every living thing, no, everything had these tiny predecessor cores. Potential cores. It was how things could grow and transform into greater beings. It is through these ‘seeds of immortality’ that every creature or being had a path to greatness.
Zahar focused on the plant.
Changing these nascent little cores altered the form and function of the plant.
A true master of the plant could make a plant from scratch, but most just stuck to alteration of existing forms. It was less taxing, and faster.
It would take another few days for this to complete.
***
Sana approached the mansion of Lady Aria Silvan. It was properly a mansion, and unlike the rest of the Outer Disciples, she lived in a private property owned by the Silvan family, where she had some attendants to support her.
It was an exemption afforded to people of their stature.
The Sect was supposedly a place of equality, and was so when their founding ancestor set up the Sect, but in reality, each powerful family found ways to bend the rules a little bit. Over time, that was how the Roaring Dragon Sect turned into this nepotic organization.
There was a guard outside, just one, but Sana could tell the whole mansion thrummed with the presence of defensive formations. She wasn’t sure when, but lately when there’s a strong flow of Qi, the sensation felt more pronounced to her.
Was it a product of the 3rd realm?
“State your business” The guard asked as Sana approached.
“Sana Eshtar, here to see Lady Aria Silvan.”
The guard pressed a communications crystal and a moment later the door opened. The guard gave her a simple set of instructions as she walked in. It was a strangely sparse mansion. There were very, very few attendants, only one or two cleaners and housekeepers.
“Sana!” Aria said as the heiress watched her approach from her main receiving hall. “So, what will it be?”
There was a whiff of qi and mana swirling in the room, a density far higher than the streets. She suspected that heiress was cultivating when she arrived.
Sana bowed, choosing to go with politeness and courtesy. She wasn’t sure there were prying ears in the hall, though there certainly didn’t seem to be any. “Greetings, Lady Silvan. This one humbly accepts your offer to serve as your personal maid. My husband only asks that I do not partake in actions or activities that may damage his trust and loyalty.”
The heiress smiled. “I wouldn’t do so.”
“I am thankful for the opportunity, Lady Silvan. I shall try my best to serve you.”
The heiress withdrew a bronze bracelet with a customized Silvan crest, and motioned Sana to come close. “This is a personal crest of mine, which signifies that you act on my behalf. Do you prefer it to be a ring, or a bracelet?”
“A bracelet, milady.”
The bronze bracelet had a silver component, and a crest. She could feel a faint whiff of Qi within it, and it was very clearly Aria’s own Qi. It felt quite comfortable, with excellent workmanship. Aria brimmed. “Great, then you will help me go hunt some beasts today.”
“-oh.” Sana wasn’t expecting that.
“It wouldn’t do for me to lose in merit to my fellow peers.” As she said that, one elderly man appeared. “And, this is my protector, his name is Elder Shuang, and he’s in the 6th realm. He won’t bother us much, but he is just there to ensure nothing happens to me. Shuang, this is my new personal maid, Sana.”
Sana paused and bowed to the elderly man. “Pleased to meet you, Elder Shuang.”
He nodded but didn’t say a word.
Aria grinned. “Alright, let’s go hunt some monsters! It’s been a while since I did so with some company.”
At that point, Elder Shuang spoke up. “There are disciples who are our vassals, if you require some company, milady. I am certain they will be more than happy to assist you. There was no need to pick up a nobody, and mingle with these people.”
Sana didn’t respond to that part of the sentence. Aria just frowned. “Be nice, Shuang. Don’t talk like that when Sana’s around.”
“Think about what people will say about this, milady. Your father will not be pleased.”
Sana wasn’t sure whether she should intervene, but ultimately, decided to keep quiet as she followed Aria out of her mansion. She wanted to walk behind the heiress, but then the heiress grabbed her hand and pulled her, as if telling the world that they are close.
There were spies. Informants on the street watching the Silvan house’s mansion.
News travels.