"Why is a Pixie like you here?" I asked the creature.
"H-how do you know of my origin?" the pixie asked.
"Your kind is pretty recognizable, but you're not fully grown, I'd say you don't even have a full pixie linage, so you're hunting here to make your bloodline purer, I say, the blood of cultivators must really be helpful to you."
"Since you know what I am, there is no need to keep you alive." The creature said and charged me.
I replied to it as I dodged the clumsy attack, "True, pixies are famed for their lush and lustrous hair, which can be used for a lot of things. A lot of women would kill to have a few strands of a pixie's hair. But as I see, you're still too young."
"Die!" cried the half-pixie as it swiped deadly talons at me.
I grabbed her hand with ease, stopping her claws right in front of my face.
"Sadly, without a full linage, your illusions aren't powerful enough to bring down prey stronger than you," I said.
"You're a mere core cultivator! If it was not for that treasure, I would have had you under my spell!" the pixie replied as it squirmed to getaway.
"True," I said then grabbed one of her fingernails with my free hand as I still had her arm pinned with the other.
Then I snapped and plucked her fingernail out. Wrenching a scream of agonized pain from the depth of her stomach.
"Sorry about that, but even if I had fallen under your illusion," I said as I bit at her nail, and took in the poisonous substance from within it.
"You wouldn't have been able to harm me."
"!"
"Surprised? How come I managed to directly take in a half-pixie's poison without immediately dying, right?" my words came easy, but to the pixie, who had very weak combat ability, and could only rely on illusions and her poisonous fangs to kill her prey then feed off their blood, this was a blow to both her ego and her chances of survival as she was now facing a predator and a powerful one that counters all her assets.
"Now, I would have enjoyed harvesting some of your hair strands, but right now, as you're still young, your hair is no different than algae, it's useless," I said as I released the creature who squirmed away, falling to the ground then with fear in her eyes, as she grabbed her hand, she skidded back on her behind and pinner herself to the wall, afraid, as death had approached and was bearing its life reding scythe above her neck.
"I'm a magnanimous man, I won't outright kill you even after you had shown me hostility, still you have tow you have two choices."
I said, then pulled a collar from my side bag.
"Live," I said as I pulled the collar with one hand towards her, "Or die," I said as I aimed Creeping Demise at her forehead.
The choice was simple, follow or be mowed down. I might be cruel here, but in a sort of twisted sense, this is the best thing that would happen to this creature. Because the moment the Nascent Soul cultivators come here, she will definitely be captured and sold off or outright killed, she will be used and harvested for her hair once she evolves.
And to make her transform from a half-pixie, most people would take the easy way, and supply her with a lot of blood. Then once she becomes a fully-fledged pixie, she will be harvested for hair, day in and day out until the day she dies.
I have similar use for her, though I only need a few strands of hair, nothing like making her bald. And if she submits, I'll make sure to treat her well, but now the choice is hers to make.
I waited for the creature to make a choice, and I saw her hesitating between the collar and the knife because she knew that once she takes the collar her freedom is gone.
"Kill me," she said.
"Good choice," I replied.
"But you're too useful to die this way, I'll tell you what, do you wish to live somewhere…safe, away from all of this, I can guarantee your safety, and also that no one will disturb you."
"Humans lie, I wouldn't trust you, you're after my hair when I grow, you've done this to many of my sisters."
"I'm not like the rest,"
"I don't believe it," she said.
I sighed, "Then done," I said as I pulled my token and opened a gate to the Lord of Lord's treasure.
I threw her directly into the Sea biome and walked into the treasure area.
"Arslan," I called and the lion came rushing in in less than a minute.
While I waited for the lion, the Pixie looked around in awe, she was standing on the beachside and amazement was painted on her face.
"What is this place?" she asked.
"For you, it's heaven. You can cultivate here without anyone disturbing you, ah you're here," I said as Arslan arrived to my feet.
He cooed and nudged his head next to mine.
I rubbed on his mane and said, "She is a friend, protect her, and don't let anyone try anything on her." I said, the lion immediately approached the now terror-filled and petrified-looking pixie, sniffed her twice then licked her face.
She didn't even move from fear.
"You'll give her a heart attack this way, she is still scared," I said.
The lion moved a few steps back.
"Why are you doing this?" she asked.
"For my own greed, nothing more, I'll wait until you grow, and I'll take a few strands of hair as payment, once that is done, you'll be free to go, meanwhile you'll be safe here, isn't that so, Lao Bofan," I said.
Immediately afterward, the Nascent Soul cultivator and right hand man of the Purple Cloud Sect Master came in.
"Yes, I noticed your arrival and came here, I got the gist of it. A pixie, really rare, even if she is still young, she can be really useful to an alchemist."
"Right, anyway, how is the Sect Master doing?" I asked.
"Surprisingly well, the treatment had worked greatly and she is in the process of recovering her strength."
"Good, here," I said as I pulled the piece of True Ice I obtained from the auction.
"What is this?" Lao Bofan asked.
"That's true ice, you should know it,"
"Oh, but a piece this big, it must have cost a fortune."
"This is just a fragment, I'll try and find bigger pieces, give this to the sect master, have her cultivate the Ice Qi inside it, it will stabilize her cultivation even better than the cold Biome and will probably unlock some of her Ice Body," I said.
"The Sect Master has an Ice Body?" Lao Bofan said.
"Yes, but a weak one, nothing too fancy, still it's better than no affinity to ice. Tis should help her for now. I'll head out, I still have things to tend to. See you guys later.. As for you, you'll be safe here with Lao Bofan and Arslan keeping you safe, live well, and if you need anything just ask for it, and don't kill any cultivators, the moment you do that, the safety of your life is forfeit."
