Zara Zuric stood at the entrance of Aksai’s villa, her demeanor calm and poised.
As instructed by Aksai, she was ready to handle the wave of visitors who came to congratulate him on his recent breakthrough.
These guests, hailing from various small and big organizations, were eager to bring Aksai into their fold, recognizing the value of a newly promoted Foundation Building Expert with no prior affiliations.
The first guests to arrive were representatives from minor organizations. Zara greeted them with perfunctory words, maintaining a polite yet distant tone.
“I’m sorry, but Lord Aksai is currently busy stabilizing his breakthrough. He can’t meet anyone right now,” she said, accepting their gifts on his behalf.
She escorted them to a sitting area, where she served them snacks and beverages. She answered some questions they had regarding Aksai on her lord’s behalf, letting them subtly know that Aksai had no interest in dealing with them personally. In the end, she politely waved them goodbye.
Next came the representatives from slightly larger organizations, such as merchant associations, artifact creation houses, Foundation Building level clans, small sects, and auction houses.
Zara greeted them with more respect, saying, “Lord Aksai is currently engaged in stabilizing his breakthrough. However, he appreciates your visit. Please leave your communication array disks with me, and he will contact you once he comes out of seclusion.”
She ensured their gifts were received and took extra care to note down their names and affiliations, making sure Aksai had all the information he needed to follow up later.
Aksai was not inclined to join any organization. He merely sought business cooperation. However, it didn’t hurt if he made some connections along the way. Even if these connections were perfunctory at best, he could still make use of them in the future.
In any case, it didn’t hurt to act polite just for the sake of it. The Spirit farmer in Aksai was not a trouble-seeking person despite how his victims’ souls would scream otherwise.
***
As the day progressed, Zara encountered representatives from some of the most prestigious organizations.
Eventually, the representatives of the Big Five sects, wealthy clans, and influential factions came to meet Aksai in small groups as if they had planned it.
It was a way for these big clans to exert a subtle form of pressure on Aksai, making him choose between them in a short time. Of course, Aksai handled these time-bomb-like social intricacies quite well by creating a buffer in the form of Zara.
Zara’s demeanor shifted to one of utmost respect whenever she interacted with such groups of guests. She did not give these guests any reason to feel unsatisfied with Aksai.
On this particular day, Zara welcomed another such group of guests into Aksai’s temporary abode.
“Welcome, honored guests. Please wait here for a moment,” she said, guiding them to a comfortable lounge.
She then used the array disk Aksai had given her to contact him directly. “Lord Aksai, you might want to meet these guests,” she said in a low voice.
Aksai, deep in his cultivation practices, received the message and acknowledged it. “Very well. Give me a few minutes. Meanwhile, serve them well.”
He took a moment to center himself, ensuring he was ready to present himself as a stoic and prestigious Foundation Building Expert.
He emerged from his private chambers, exuding an aura of calm authority. Zara led him to the lounge, where a group of guests waited. As he entered, the guests rose, their eyes reflecting their perfunctory respect and eagerness to get done with the business they had with him.
“Hello, and thank you for your patience,” Aksai said, his voice steady and composed. “I appreciate your visit and the congratulations on my breakthrough.” He cupped his hands together casually.
The representatives from the big organizations greeted him with deep bows and smiles, extending their congratulations and beginning their pitches to recruit him.
Even though these guests were only in the Spirit Refining Perfection realm, they had their respective big organizations backing them. As such, these guests weren’t as servile when speaking with Aksai as the previous visitors had been.
Some organizations had even sent Foundation Building Experts to greet Aksai. They were even more casual in dealing with Aksai because of the same cultivation base both sides shared.
Aksai didn’t mind the guests’ subtly casual attitude toward him. He listened carefully, considering the benefits and implications of each offer.
‘Aksai Everwood… My lord is quite different from the Foundation Building Experts I briefly met in the past. He treats me well and doesn’t let his new status inflate his ego.
I… I am glad that he accepted me as his maid.’
Zara thought to herself as she observed Aksai’s interactions with the guests.
She noted Aksai’s calm demeanor and the way he handled the various representatives, learning from his example.
After spending some “private time” with him, she could already tell that Aksai was not as simple a Foundation Building Expert as he pretended to be.
Despite Aksai not revealing his identity as a druid, Zara could subconsciously feel that Aksai was simply very mysterious.
Elder Xin, a dignified figure from the Purple River Sect, approached Aksai with a formal invitation, offering him the esteemed position of sect elder within their organization.
Aksai and Elder Xian knew each other. After all, Elder Xin was the same person Aksai had met during his last visit to Purple River Sect to meet with Aunt Reta and Ruan.
Despite Aksai’s reluctance to join in the past, Elder Xin dutifully presented the invitation, outlining the numerous privileges, premium resources, and exclusive benefits Aksai would enjoy as a member of the Purple River Sect.
Aksai listened attentively, acknowledging the honor but remaining firm in his decision not to join.
“Haha. Expert Aksai, I don’t mind. I just wish to know how the former inner disciple of my sect is doing.”
When Elder Xin asked about Ruan and Aunt Reta, Aksai’s expression softened with a sigh.
“Well, Ruan’s mother had passed away. As for Ruan, he–”
He relayed the news of Aunt Reta’s passing and Ruan’s progress as a resident of Emerald Cove.
After their conversation, Elder Xin bid his farewell, leaving Aksai to chat with the remaining guests.
Among them were representatives from the other sects of the Big Five, island owners from neighboring islands in the Dadangar Archipelago, and even an envoy from an opposing faction.
Politely refusing each offer, Aksai suggested they depart, maintaining his independence and neutrality.
Finally, only one guest remained: a Foundation Building woman representing the White Mountain City and the Core Formation lord behind its inception.
She too extended an invitation, urging Aksai to join her and become a disciple of the Core Formation Lord.
Aksai didn’t ask this woman named Sirina to leave right away. Instead, he decided to ask her a few things.
“Expert Sirina, may I ask if the White Mountain City’s library in the inner zone contains some cultivation techniques suitable for me?”
Aksai asked curiously as he looked at Sirina with a smile on his face.
===
AN: Elder Xin from Purple River Sect was introduced in chapter 136.