Just as I was about to speak, a middle-aged man with a missing arm came rushing into the hall and stood between me and the small girl.
Extreme terror and fear painted his expressions as he looked at me as if I was a revenant ghost of horror.
He then came crashing down on the ground slamming his head as hard as humanly possible against the ground, begging.
"PLEASE! She did nothing wrong! Please!" the man spoke.
"F-father!" the girl spoke as she looked at who appeared to be her dad in a never before scene position.
"Please! Let her be if you still wish to have my hide take it! Just don't harm her, she did nothing wrong! Please!"
The people around me looked attentively at the scene and didn't dare speak up.
The girl on the other hand came down and was trying to help her father to stand up, but he adamantly refused.
"Please!" he begged once more.
I was still annoyed due to all he had done before, and thus, I used my foot and pulled him back to a seating position.
The was flung back to his ass and couldn't make eye contact.
"Father! Who is this man!" she asked.
"Please be quiet," he said as he dragged her behind him as if protecting her.
"Look at me," I said to the man.
And he did, fear and terror growing within him with each and every passing second.
"How does it feel to be a father?" I asked him.
A question I knew he wouldn't be able to answer, not in this situation.
"Terrifying isn't it, how much you're willing to go for, for your children. But fret not, I won't harm her, as you said, she did nothing wrong." I said.
The words I spoke were enough to blow life back at his pale face, but my next words were enough to engulf him back in terror and fear.
"But you're still unforgiven," I said.
"Who… is this man, uncle Fan," the girl spoke.
Wu Fan looked at me and I shrugged as I understood his intentions.
"That's your grandfather," He spoke.
The girl took note and failed to understand the relationship between us, I looked like a monster of horrors, even after regaining my older appearance, but that was because of the grim, filth and blood covering me, my torn clothes, and the shape I was in was too far fetched for me to be seen as a relative to a well-dressed and well-spoken person like the people here.
"I won't do unto you, what you did to me, Lu. I'm not that cruel, for you have betrayed the holy bond between us, I still won't kill you, because it is something unforgivable for a father to kill his own children. Nor will I impart you pain as heavy as you have done to me, because that is what it means to be a father. Though you seem to understand it slightly as you were willing to give up your own life for your daughter, you still lack the right to speak to me. Leave!" I spoke, the final word was powerful enough to shake the entire building.
"Y-yes!" he said and was about to drag his daughter with him.
"Only you, will leave!" I said.
"B-but."
"I won't harm my own blood, so just leave," I said and he then was escorted out by Wu Fan himself.
Hwa looked at me, confused and afraid, but Wu Di comforted her with a nod.
Once Lu left, I looked at my granddaughter and said, "Give me your arm," I asked.
She did, hesitantly so and again only after Wu Di nodded for her to comply.
I tested her pulse and realized that she had an incredible talent hidden within her.
"Hoo… interesting, Wu Di, did you notice this?" I asked.
"Yes, that's the Golden Yin Body. Something of legends even. It's pretty rare to find someone like this, but from what I understood, life here in this world was enough for the people to develop and be more attuned with heavenly energy, so seeing something like this, especially from a descendant of yours wasn't too shocking," Wu Di explained.
"Have you started cultivating?" I asked her.
She shook her head.
"Automaton," I asked and immediately the automaton that was administrating the Lord of Lords pagoda appeared in front of me.
"Yes, Master."
"Master?" she questioned, perhaps out of curiosity as she immediately put her hands on her mouth as if she didn't mean to speak the words.
"Ah, it's because the people here understand that this is a fake world, and they think this automaton that is administrating it is basically a god. So for her to hear it calling you master is bound to be a shock."
"And you guys didn't explain it to them?" I asked.
"There was no need to, I mean it was true, he managed weather, the security, and the safety of everything, if they wanted to believe it to be god, who am I to say no."
"No matter," I replied. "Anyway, Bring me the Divine Heavens Cultivation manual. The Soul Maiden Breathing manual and the Purple Butterfly Movement Manual." I said.
"As you command," he replied, and soon he disappeared and appeared back with all three manuals.
I handed them to the girl and said, "Learn these."
"Shen Bao," asked Xiao Lang, "Are you sure you want to open the cultivation door for her? Shouldn't she be left to live her life, as a mortal… the world of cultivation is too lonely."
"As much as I want to, I won't be able to be with you all for a long time," I said.
Wu Di understood immediately.
"You're going to do something dangerous aren't you?" he asked.
"Yes. I'll have to get stronger and pay the Fire King a friendly visit. But I can't take you with me."
"We can he-"
"NO!" I said as I stopped Xiao Lang from finishing his sentence.
"You all have a purpose, maybe you've forgotten, but didn't you promise to rebuild the Tian Ji Sect?" I asked.
"I never forgot, I'm still working hard to do that." Wu Di said
"I'll have to continue this journey alone. It's already incredibly difficult and I don't want people around me that I'll need to save help, protect and worry about."
"Then what will happen to us," Asked Wu Di.
"I have already thought about it, and have a clear idea of what to do. But I can't take you with me. I'll need to do this on my own, and alone," I said.
The words were heavy to all of them, but they accepted it.
"Hwa'er, though I don't have the right to be family since I've been away from your life for a long time, this is the least I could do. Learn those techniques, they'll help you grow stronger, and you'll be able to protect your father and mother and those you consider close. Take this also," I said as I handed her a holding bag.
"In there, you'll find all the pills and resources that you'll ever need to become a Soul Transformation cultivator, once that is done, you'll need to work hard on ascending, only then can you be able to protect those close to you with certainty. Work hard, and be stronger than anyone around you." I said as I turned.
"As much as I want to leave right now, I'll need to take a bath…" I said.
"I'll have some servants prepare a bath for you, lord." Wu Fan said.
"Good," I said.
Then I received a divine sense message from Wu Di.
"Shen Bao, the resources you gave her, are you sure that's wise?" he asked.
"Why?" I replied.
"First off, shouldn't you be the one using them to become a Soul Transformation cultivator? And secondly, greed in human eyes is something vile and can bring people to do ugly things."
"I can't use those resources; my cultivation technique is different from you all. Secondly, I already know that, and already have a countermeasure prepared for it. worry not, I'm not doing things randomly." I spoke.
I then left and took a bath, cleaning up.
Refreshed and finally feeling human again I walked out to find a robe in a dresser waiting for me to use.
It was surprisingly good quality, a purple robe with golden engravings all over the hems of it.
It looked exactly like the one that the statue was wearing.
I smiled as I wore the robes and tightened the belt around me.
Moving it felt smooth and like it was perfectly tailored for me. Just as I moved I felt something strange, my whole body seemed to be pleased to the touch of this robe.
And then my whole Qi began circulating as if I was cultivating, it felt as if every pore on my body was welcoming the Qi released from the robe itself.
"Strange…" I spoke as I walked out, finding Wu Di and Xiao Lang waiting for me.
"Well, what do you know, it looks damn good on you. I never thought that it was even possible to wear that." Wu Di said.
"What is this thing?" I asked.
"Oh, it was a gift to you from someone… do you remember when we were at the Deeps?" asked Wu Di?"
"Euh, yes?"
"So, the Pixie you saved then. They are very rare creatures and are usually hunted and enslaved then they have their hairs extracted and used to make one of the best fabrics that can smoothly control Qi."
"I understand that part, but if you have harmed her…" I said.
"Oh no, we didn't, she was actually the one who offered the dress." Wu Di said.
"Huh? How?"
"She said, because you kept your promise, she was never harmed, never hurt, hunted or felt endangered ever since she came here. And due to the nature of this world, her hair grew and she decided to make something for you, but apparently, this can only be worn by a crazed man… since… well, it's extremely poisonous and will cause anyone who touches it to die…" Wu Di said.
Xiao Lang then spoke, "When she presented it to us, as a gift to you, we thought she wanted to kill you, but after a bit of explaining, I thought that it would be best to give it to you then for you to decide if you would wear it or not.
Now that they mention it, no wonder I was feeling rather refreshed, the whole dress is made from Pixi hair, though the hair usually gets treated to have the poison expelled from it, it loses a lot of its sheen and smoothness, but with the poison still in the fabric itself, the robe is far better.
"I'll have to thank her personally then. This was rather a nice surprise." I said.
"Well, that'll be good, we'll be having a banquet in your honor, you can do that then." Wu Di said.
"Good, I can use a good hot meal," I said and the three of us moved together.
