"Yao'er… something is different about you," said the Grand Elder to the sect master who seemed to be pacing around in her own room.
"What do you mean?" asked the Sect Master.
"You look… different," the Grand Elder said, looking attentively at the slightly red faced Sect Master.
"Ah, don't worry about it, it's just that the… euh, the Blood Night was good, I don't have the Soul Destruction poison anymore," she said.
The news, now that the Grand Elder heard should have been something to celebrate and to be joyed about, however, from the looks of the deliberating, pondering, and constantly out of tune Sect Master, it seems that the news of her 'revival', from a Destruction Poison that would have ended with nothing but her corpse, seemed trivial.
"Yao'er, you're worrying me, are you alright?" asked the Grand Elder.
"Yes, I am, don't worry, it's just something I'm thinking about," she said.
"Something that's more important than your survival of a destined death… how come?" asked the Grand Elder.
"It's nothing really, anyway," the Sect Master Tried to change the subject, "When do we expect the humans to arrive at our borders?" asked the Sect Master.
"It should take half a year for them to travel across all that vast distance. Why are you asking," said the grand elder.
With the news of the human envoys needing to take half a year, the sect master sighed.
"Thankfully, he is just some random person, it would have been really awkward otherwise," Mumbled the Sect Master.
"What are you talking about?" asked the Grand Elder.
"Oh, nothing, nothing," the Sect Master said.
Suddenly, someone at the door to the Sect Master's palace spoke.
"Your ladyship! The envoys of the Poison Sect had arrived!"
As if her heart sank, the sect master's eyes widened realizing that her moment of relaxation was about to turn upside down.
***
"Oh, this place looks nice, but it would be nicer if we weren't tied like this," I mumbled as we were escorted by a company of a couple of dozen Demon Race clansmen.
"It's for your own protection," our guide now transformed into a half demon spoke.
"Right, but I kinda feel that if you wanted us dead, with these cuffs on our hands, it would be pretty easy wouldn't it," I said.
"If we wanted you dead, none of you would have taken a step here." The guide said
"Fair enough, but where are we going now?" I asked.
"We'll need to meet with the Sect Master, only she knows of your mission, she is right up ahead." Said the demon clansman.
We moved past dozens of beautifully designed homes, they looked like small domed huts of brick built into the mountain range that made the Demonic sect. The paved way and the grand trees seemed to give the entire range a spiritual heavenly feel to it.
As for the main palace, it was built atop the highest mountain, and only by walking up a steep and high set of stairs can one reach it.
Once we were at the top, we arrived on top of a platform that seemed like the entire mountain tip was shaved off, allowing a flat surface where the main sect palace was built. And in front of the palace, we stood all three of us. Waiting.
Several elders were outside the palace, they were all gazing at us with clear disdain in their eyes, more like murderous intent.
Ai Li seemed to shy away from the gazes of the elders as it was too strong for her cultivation level. Well technically speaking the pressure they were emitting was just enough to make us shudder, but not enough to cause any injuries, it was to assert dominance. It would have worked on me, if my soul wasn't already far stronger than the elders though.
"Enough!" spoke an elderly woman who came out of the main palace.
pαпdα Й?νê|,сòМ I assumed she was the sect master, since her words were enough to disperse all the 'rude' divine sense pressure of the other elders.
"Children of the human race, you came bearing the white flag. We shall treat you as guests in the house of the Demon Sect, make sure to behave as guests would, however." She said.
It was a clear warning, don't fuck up, or you'll die. And I respect that.
I clasped my hands at the old lady and said, "We've come here to present this," I said as I held a scroll forward.
One of the elders on the side approached and grabbed the scroll from my hand, he then handed it to the older woman.
Before she opened the scroll, the woman looked at our former guide and asked. "How come you arrived this fast?"
"It was Shen Mo. He has a mechanical board that could travel vast distances in a short time. If we didn't have an accident we would have arrived even earlier," he said.
I didn't expect him to not reveal my secrets since he was a member of the demon clan, but damn man, at least wait to tell her that in private now everyone is interested in this 'tool'.
"Very well, now," she said and opened the scroll.
Reading through the scroll, her eyes widened then squinted to a puzzled look.
"This… we need to discuss the details of this with the Sect Master," the grand elder said. Come in, the three of you," she said and with one wave of her hand, she managed to break all our handcuffs.
I flexed my hands which finally were relaxed and followed after the woman.
Hearing that she isn't the Sect Master made it clear that even someone with her power had someone stronger ruling over them. I wonder how powerful the sect master is.
Just as we walked inside the main palace. Ai Li sniffed at the air and frowned.
"What's wrong?" I said in a low tone.
"This smell… it smells just like the one you had on you from yesterday," she said.
"Huh? What are you talking about?" I wondered.
"Please remain quiet, the Sect Master will be here with you soon.
And just like that the elder left us in an empty large hall where only one seat was presented, placed high above a dais, higher than the entire room.
A woman with pink hair and horns that crowned her head walked in.
Just as our eyes met, hers widened and so did mine. Yet the mouth that spoke made things far more awkward than they should have.
"Ah, I knew it, she has that scent, you were fooling around with women yesterday instead of staying on guard!" Ai Li spoke. And I wished she hadn't. Because her words could be misinterpreted. Well, actually, she wasn't wrong but sister did you really have to go and expose us like this?
The Sect Master who is the woman who just sat on the chair coughed as if she didn't hear Ai Li blurting out some scandalous things.
"We have received your message. And a truce is not something that can be decided in a day or two. We shall deliberate the content of this request with our Elders and present you with a reasonable answer in due time. For now, you will be placed under watch, to move about in the Demonic Sect, but do note, that your behavior here will have to be in accordance to a welcomed guest." She said.
I clasped my hands and nodded "As you wish, Sect Master," I said.
The two idiots with me took in the queue and did the same.
Just as we were leaving, "You there, stay, the other two, you may leave, there will be someone to escort you to the guest house."
'Ah shit…'
This 𝓬ontent is taken from fre𝒆webnove(l).𝐜𝐨𝗺