The Fire Plum sect was in chaos.
Disciples ran around like chickens, unsure what to do. Their panicked expressions and frightened screams earning only contemptuous words from my new slave.
As we headed towards the Main Hall, she explained quickly that her mother had been a concubine to the Sect Master. And not by choice. After giving birth to her, Nia's mother promptly died of shame for not producing a third male heir.
Although, she suspected it was poison and not shame.
Nia's life had been a challenge. And as soon as she hit puberty, it was clear she had some minor ability to cultivate. This should have been in her favour, but her strength wasn't high enough to assert herself within her family, let alone within the sect.
She'd come to terms with the fact her father would soon be giving her away to someone powerful to be used as a furnace. Not a pleasant future for a young woman as pretty as she was.
I grunted as she regaled me with her tale of endless woe.
In my old age, maybe I was getting soft. But I wasn't going to fight her determination to be my slave for now.
If I turned her away, she'd be quickly snatched by some rotten cultivator wanting to exploit her.
In the longterm, I'd give her to my wife to sort out. That was the right thing, I told myself. After all, it was my wife's job to manage the household and its servants.
Right?
As we reached the Main Hall, I saw it had been barricaded shut from within.
Pausing at the doors, I shook my head.
"Master Wey?" Nia stepped up to my side, her pale green eyes brimming with tears. "I swear on my fragile meridians, that this little one will never pursue any retribution for today. I will be loyal, I swear. Please… Please don't make me stay here."
I reached out and gave her a gentle pat on the head and smiled.
Then kicked the doors.
They exploded in a wave of chi, reduced to sawdust which formed a fog within the room and covered the cowering old men with splinters.
There were about a dozen of them, all in similar red robes and gold trim.
"How dare you!" One shouted, then was muffled by the hands of someone next to him, who dragged him down and shouted at him to be quiet.
I nodded at them all.
"I am Ten Cent Wey," I told them. "Junior Disciple of the Black Feathered Goose sect. Your Sect Master and both his sons are dead. Your Arms Master and his sons are dead. Your Guard Captain is dead. I don't know if he has any sons, but if they want to be dead, tell them to step forward now. No? Very well. Who is in charge?"
"Y-y-you?" One of them stammered.
"Nonsense," I growled. "I am simply a disciple of the Black Feathered Goose sect. I am not fit to be a Sect Master."
"Great Elder," one of the men stepped forward smoothly. He had a greasy look to him. "My name is Denning Dan. Please accept our deepest and sincere apologies for any insult our sect may have given you. But we have not yet had time to discuss who might lead us forward."
"Hmm," I said. "That makes sense. It's only been a few minutes."
"And, as you can see, we're also a little confused ourselves."
"You're not the only one," I told him. "I only came here to let the Arms Master know his son had been killed. I didn't come here for all this nonsense. No one needed to die."
He frowned a little at the news but bowed slowly. "We will assume that any matters relating to this have been resolved?"
"Are you planning on pursuing it any further?"
"I don't believe we will, Great Elder." He glanced at the others who all gave rapid nods back to him. "It appears we're in agreement that everything has been resolved and any shame our sect may bear relating to this incident are the shame of the Fing family. Of which it appears only the Sect Master's daughter remains."
"I've been taken as a slave," Nia cried, letting the tears flow. I wasn't sure where they'd come from, but women do seem capable of having many in reserve for times such as this. "My father and my brother were slaughtered like pigs, and I offered myself to the Great Elder to protect the sect and accept the shame caused by my family's actions. Please forgive me, Great Elder!"
At this, she dropped once more to her knees at my feet and bowed deeply, touching her head to the ground.
"Is, umm, that necessary?" Denning asked, his eyes skipping over the girl. "She is the Precious Daughter of the Fire Plum…"
I looked from her to him. "Hmm."
"This little one has already given herself, Elder Dan," she said, her voice calm and serene. "Please understand my sacrifice is to protect the sect by taking the shame on myself. The shame must be resolved, or some might use it to make trouble in the future!"
"There are many treasures in the Treasure Hall," Denning said. "Great Elder, surely you would prefer something of more value to you than a simple girl with very little talent in cultivation?"
I stared at him.
So, he was the one she was to be traded to.
How he must have yearned for the day he hauled her to his bedroom and forced her into a life of dual cultivation. I could practically see the grease oozing from his tongue.
"Paltry junk," Nia cried, her head still on the floor. "The Great Elder has no interest in such common trinkets. With one wave of his hand, he shattered the Phoenix Blade in my father's hand! What use is anything in the Treasure Hall to him?"
"The Phoenix Blade was broken?" Someone gasped. Others quickly echoed that gasp with gasps of their own.
Denning's lips tightened into a barely-hidden scowl. "Great Elder, surely we can come to some other arrangement?"
I strode past the girl on the floor and put a hand on the man's shoulder.
Leaning in close, I whispered; "You wish to use her as a furnace, brother?"
He flushed, his cheeks reddening.
He glanced at the pocket of old men gathered behind him.
Then gently nodded. "Belger Fing promised to give her to me."
"Understandable," I said. "She appears to possess just enough talent to make it worthwhile. And she's very pretty, too."
"She is!" He leered at her behind, which was thrust up as she hadn't moved from where she was bowed on the floor. "Please, Great Elder. I will do anything to have her!"
"Really?"
"Really! Tell me what I need to do, and I will do it!"
"That's a good attitude," I said. "I think we can come to an agreement."
"Truly? Great Elder, I would be eternally grateful!"
"Good." I patted him on the shoulder. Then I raised my voice. "Nia Fing! Your Elder here wishes to use you as a furnace. It is the way of demonic cultivation for the strong to dominate the weak. As such, I have agreed to give you to him."
"Great Elder Wey is very generous," Denning intoned, unable to keep the smug tone from his voice as the girl remained frozen on the floor.
I heard her let out a small sob.
I smiled wider. "Of course, there is a condition."
"Condition?" Denning blinked.
"Yes. Only a little one. Nothing too difficult."
"What, umm, condition, Great Elder?"
"Survive my blow," I said.
I gave him time enough to appreciate the sneer on my face.
Then slapped him with an uppercut to the chin which evaporated his head and covered the old men behind him in a spray of blood and bone like soggy confetti.
Silence trembled in the aftermath.
I shook my head as the twitching body crumpled to the floor.
"It seems this trash was undeserving of my generosity after all," I said calmly. Giving the old men a withering gaze, I sighed. "Does anyone else wish to use the young princess as a furnace? No? This is good. Such deeds are despicable in so many ways, but most of all because they are the path of the weak. Using women as furnaces is a callous crutch for those who are ill-equipped for cultivating strength! If you wish to be strong, you must cultivate! Cultivate until your heart feels like it will explode inside your chest! And then cultivate some more! The simple path of draining the weak is a foul and pointless trick which will pollute your inner sea and then you will be forever unable to form your core! Heed me, or you will never reach the peak of the great dao."
The old men flinched at my words.
Clearly some of them had a furnace or two locked up in their basement.
I thought about cleaning up the sect for them, but it wasn't my place.
The old men suddenly dropped to the floor as one.
"Thank you for your wisdom, Great Elder!" One cried. "We will meditate on your words immediately!"
"Do that," I growled. "And then cultivate. Oh. And I'll be letting my Sect Master know that the Fire Plum sect is now our subordinate. From this day forward, let the Fire Plum sect be a feather in the great wing of the Black Goose! Be prepared to greet our emissary shortly."
As one, they shouted; "Yes, Great Elder!"
"Does anyone have any issue with this?"
"No, Great Elder!"
"Good." I spun away, stomping towards the door. "Come along, Nia."
The young girl lifted her tear-stained face. Her eyes were red, but hopeful.
"Does that mean-"
"I'm taking you home with me, yes. But anything after that is up to my wife," I sighed. "It's not a conversation I'm looking forward to."
"I won't make trouble, Master," she promised, skipping along to keep pace with me. "I will polish her cauldron! I will peel her fruit, sweep her floors. Anything she wants! I'm a good girl, I swear!"
"Girl, if you desire a fulfilling life, you won't tell her that or she'll have you doing it all, and more, every day of your life until your miserable death! You're our slave in name, Nia," I warned her. "Don't let yourself become her dog."
"I'll consider your words, Master," she said, smiling a little. "Very carefully."
"Good. And if you tell her I said any of them, I'll bury you in the backyard like a dog."
"Eep!"
With that, I swept her up into my arms as her cultivation was too low for her to fly. As we rose into the air and bulleted out across the valley towards home, she gripped tightly to my neck and squealed every time I changed direction.
Soon, she buried her head into my shoulder and I could feel her crying again.
Crying with joy as she felt the miles blur and the distance between her and her old home were stretched. Clearly, she hadn't ever expected to be allowed to leave.
"Thank you, Master," she murmured softly. "Thank you!"
I patted her head.
An ominous feeling went through my shoulders at her words.
But there was nothing I could do about it now.