When Unyielding Firestorm brought us back through the front gates of the sect, Little Spring pointed at two familiar figures making their way toward the gates on foot.

Even from this distance, those two were recognizable.

“Isn’t that Red Three and Red Seven?” he asked.

It was. The last time we saw them was a few weeks ago when they pretended to still be with us to pull our pursuers away.

Red Three was a cultivator at Golden Core who had broad shoulders. Where he once walked steadily and without injury, now he had a slight limp.

Then there was Red Seven. Aside from a white crescent scar under his right eye, he had another long red line across his neck. It must have been one hell of a wound for it to scar a golden core like him.

What were those two doing here?

I glanced to Unyielding and said, “Senior Unyielding. Come get me in a bit.” I grinned, then jumped off the immortal boat. With a hand gesture, I used a technique to soften my landing and approached the two on foot.

Their eyes grew wide when they saw me.

After I used my divine sense to brush against them, I noticed they had had far more injuries than I originally suspected. Most likely, these were from dealing with assassins.

I needed to make sure these two received extra hazard pay… in the form of superior medical treatment. Well, if they agreed to be treated by me. But that could come later.

“Greetings Apprentice Alchemist Lin!” They chorused and bowed.

“Greetings Senior Seven, Senior Three.”

Just as I returned their bow Little Spring and Unyielding touched down with the immortal boat and walked over.

Since I asked those two to give me some time and not show up right the fuck away like they just did, I sent them a perturbed glare.

“Junior Sect Leader,” I said and sent him a look to let me handle this... which he ignored. As if I were actually a child. Which he assumed I was. Damn it.

Well, at least it was better than him believing that I was a demonic cultivator who’d stolen a child’s body.

Unyielding smiled at the two injured Colden Core cultivators. This grin didn’t seem as friendly as the ones he gave me. “So, who are you two and why does Little Fairy Lin know you?”

They both looked at each other and then bowed. “We’re guards hired by the Alchemists’ Guild to protect Apprentice Alchemist Lin until she enters the Indomitable Will Sect.”

He glanced back at me and I nodded. Now that I had thought about it, I had forgotten to tell the Junior Sect Leader about them. But it had been a hectic several weeks.

He crossed his arms under his chest and looked at the two furiously. “Then where have you been? Do you realize how much danger Little Fairy Lin and Little Spring were in while you two weren’t with them?”

“Senior Unyielding,” I said to calm him down. “I sent them away. We had assassins after us. These two risked their lives to keep them off our trail.”

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

He sighed then shared a look with Little Spring. The kid looked back as if saying, ‘See what I have to deal with.’

Hey! I knew what I was doing! There was no reason to look that exasperated.

Ignoring those two I turned to the Reds, “Have you been in the area long?”

Seven shook his head. “We were detained several times and had to take time off to heal or hide from our pursuers.”

“We eventually lost them.” Red Three grimaced. “We only just reached the sect entrance today.”

“We were going to check with the gate guard to see if they had already accepted you into the sect.”

Red Three glanced at Seven before speaking. “Did you enter yet?”

I shook my head, then scowled at the situation. “There were some complications that are requiring us to take the test with the other prospective disciples in two months.”

Red Three nodded, “Then, according to our assignment, we’re still your bodyguards.”

I paused and thought it over. If we were going to be in the city for two months, then we could use the extra protection… and extra training buddies. But only if they were alright with staying. A bodyguard who was only doing their job half-assed was worth less than having no bodyguard at all.

Of course, considering that our assassins chased them for so long, Violet Pill Fairy probably hadn’t given up on killing us yet.

God, she was such a greedy, hypocritical, excessive, two-faced bitch! A match made in heaven for that insufferable asshole, Bloodsword. Going so far… against kids, because she lost!

I added her to my ‘Fairy Lin’s People to Kill (When You Can)’ list. This particular list would likely grow a lot faster in this life.

I peered up at the two Reds.

Frankly, I would find it strange that these two decided to follow through with their assignment so well except that the Alchemists’ Guild didn’t hire disloyal incompetent shitheads. The guild also held these two with spiritually binding contracts.

Not that there wasn’t a way to get around those, but even that bitch Violet Pill Fairy wouldn’t have the necessary influence to manage something like secretly breaking a guild contract. Not at her current level, anyway.

***

Once we finished catching up, the Junior Sect Leader brought us to one of the sect’s courtyards in the city. One that could only be rented out with contribution points or by the sect itself for an honored guest.

I glanced at Unyielding. “We can’t afford this place.” Not with its beautiful gardens, auspicious red door, and traditional elegant architecture. Its design wasn’t that fancy, but the materials used in the construction screamed that they were near treasure quality.

But mostly, I had no contribution points to pay for this.

And I was damn fucking sure the sect didn’t consider us honored guests.

He smiled. “I know. I’m renting this place for you for two months.”

Little Spring swallowed. “This... looks expensive.”

Unyielding raised both eyebrows. “After all the contribution points I earned as the leader of the team that brought in the last ingredients needed to save my master? I think I can afford it.”

I bowed. “Thank you.”

“This is the least I could do. Especially since I couldn’t have you directly take a simple test to enter the sect.”

I sighed. “That... was sect politics and policies at its finest. But I mostly expected that. I am an unknown quantity to the elders. And passing the Sect’s regular entrance test... well, I hope you like seeing little kids get bullied.”

He chuckled. “If you’re the one doing the bullying, then I’ll gladly watch.” His head turned towards the sect and he winced. He must have received a sound transmission. “I have to go, but if you need anything or get in any danger while you’re here, send me a sound transmission and I’ll be beside you as fast as I can. Or at least send someone in my stead.”

He tossed me the entry token to the courtyard and left.

I looked around the elegant courtyard that had many rooms. In the middle, its massive garden had a small bean-shaped pond. A lovely fake mountain in the center of the water feature gave the space a bit of majesty.

But what I liked most about this house, was that it had already been set up with decent formations, saving me time and energy.

Energy I needed to spend looking after the health and cultivation of the two people who would save our asses from any assassins who found us here.

And time that I could spend training Little Spring.