Three days before the Founding Day of the Misty Sect…
More and more delegations arrived at the Savadeen Mountains. Due to Sun Wukong's earlier escapade, the Misty Sect had reinforced the security of their sect, as well as the City of Eirwen.
No one dared to cause any more trouble after the Red Devils and the corrupt officials were all dealt with.
Several Flying carriages pulled by Giant Eagles flew past the city and headed towards the mountaintop. Each of these carriages carried the banner of the Kraetor Empire.
After a few weeks of travel, Emperor Leonidas, Prince Maximilian, Princess Sidonie, Kenneth, Lilith, Pearl, and other high-ranking nobles had finally arrived at the main branch of the Misty Sect.
As soon as their carriages landed, several inner disciples of the sect respectfully greeted them, and brought them to their temporary residences. The Misty Sect had prepared for this event for a very long time, and all the influential people were given the VIP treatment.
Emperor Leonidas and Prince Maximilian went to see the Sect Master to personally give their greetings. Princess Sidonie, on the other hand, led their entourage to their respective quarters, in order to rest. Although their journey was uneventful, traveling for long distances was still exhausting.
Kenneth and Pearl shared a room, while Lilith went towards the quarters prepared for the Amazons. Empress Andraste had arrived a day earlier, and was waiting for Lilith to tell her about her experiences with William.
"The boy has a big appetite. Not only is Princess Sidonie his fiance, he also married the Sin of Gluttony?" Empress Andraste asked with great interest.
Lilith nodded. "Yes, Mother. Also, from what I can tell, he is also close to the Sin of Sloth."
Empress Andraste chuckled as she eyed Lilith with a smile. "So, are you interested in him, daughter?"
Lilith frowned. After the incident with Princess Sidonie, her impression of William had greatly changed. Also, during the conference, she had seen "William's" unrestrained attitude. This change in personality confused her, so she couldn't come up with an immediate answer.
"What's wrong? Is he not what you were expecting him to be?" Empress Andrasted pressed on for answers. "Is he not qualified?"
"… He is qualified," Lilith answered after arranging her thoughts. She didn't want to admit that a chill ran down her spine when Wililam had snuck up behind her, and asked for the collar that she had stolen from the Lusty Princess.
For a brief moment, she felt like submitting to his will, and this scared her a lot. Lilith was an unrestrained individual, and didn't want to be tied up, but, in that brief moment, she felt like several invisible shackles had locked her in place, leaving her no room to escape his clutches.
"Do you like him?" Empress Andraste arched an eyebrow because she could tell that her daughter was acting differently from her usual self. She still hadn't met William, but a glance was enough to tell her that he was no ordinary young man.
No ordinary man could make her daughter act with uncertainty, and this made her interest towards the Half-Elf rise to a higher level.
Lilith firmly shook her head. "Mother, giving birth to strong warriors is the duty of the Amazons. Whether we love our partners or not, we will always look at the bigger picture."
Empress Andraste stood up and walked towards Lilith to give her a hug.
"Silly girl," Empress Andraste teased. "Who said that you can't give birth to the child of the one you love? Although we do pride ourselves for choosing a strong partner, there is no law that prohibits us from falling in love."
"Mother, I can't fall in love with that guy. He's so…"
"So?"
"Dumb looking and stupid."
Empress Andraste's shoulders started to shake as she stifled her laughter. "He really made an impression on you. You wouldn't call him dumb looking and stupid otherwise. Well, you don't need to do anything. I look forward to meeting this teenage boy who has recently become the talk of the entire continent."
—–
Inside Sun Wukong's residence inside the MIsty Sect…
"This girl has a lot of potential. I rarely see such a talented girl in my wanderings of the world. It will be a shame if she doesn't get proper guidance from your sect," Sun Wukong said as he patted the head of the little girl who sold apples to Zhu and Sha a few days ago. "Don't you agree?"
Thea forced herself to smile as she nodded her head. She had already subtly checked the body of the little girl a while ago to see if she had any special talent inside her body. Unfortunately, the apple seller was only a normal human, and her body was not suitable for cultivating magic.
"Your Excellency, I don't think she has what it takes to study in our Main Sect," Thea replied respectfully. "However, I can send her to a good learning institution to study. There are plenty of academies in the Central Continent, and I'm sure that she would fit into one of them perfectly."
Sun Wukong chuckled before staring eyeing Thea with contempt.
"Are you saying that my vision is lacking?" Sun Wukong inquired. "Do you think I am blind? Are you implying that I am not capable of seeing how amazing this child is?"
"N-No. That is not what I meant, Your Excellency," Thea stuttered. "I mean, this child is indeed worthy to study at our sect. I will be more than happy to take her in."
Sun Wukong ignored Thea's reply and took out a peach out of thin air. The little girl's name was Amy. A few days ago, she had found herself at the mercy of the Red Devils, but now, she had become the tour guide of Sun Wukong, Zhu, and Sha.
They had given ten percent of the total savings of the Red Devils to her family, so they were not lacking any money. The three decided to take her to the Misty Sect so she could be nurtured properly, and never suffer again.
However, just as Thea surmised, Amy was just an ordinary girl. She didn't have any talents in regards to magic, but this was just a minor matter for the Great Sage that Equaled Heaven.
"Eat this peach," Sun Wukong coaxed the little girl, who was looking at the peach with curiosity. "Although apples are good, I guarantee that this peach will taste better."
"Thank you, Uncle Wukong," Amy replied as she happily took the peach and bit it.
Sun Wukong nodded and patted her head. "Good girl."
What he had given Amy was one of the peaches that grew on the Orchard of Longevity back in the Celestial Palace. Those who consumed the fruit would have their bodies strengthened and allow the power of Heaven and Earth to be attracted to their body.
As Amy ate the peach, Wukong once again shifted his attention to Thea who was doing her best to retain her dignity as a Sect Master.
"I want her to have the best education, so make sure to make her one of your inner disciples," Sun Wukong said in a carefree manner. "I will visit her from time to time to check her progress. If I see her getting neglected… hehehe."
Wukong made a slicing gesture on his neck while looking at Thea.
As the Sect Master, she already knew that she couldn't afford to antagonize such a strong being. Even their Guardian refused to fight Sun Wukong, which proved that the latter was stronger than the protector of their Sect.
"We will do our best, Your Excellency," Thea bowed respectfully. "However, learning magic depends on the talent of the individual. Even if we give her all the best resources, if her ability falls short there is nothing that we can do."
There had been no precedence for a normal human to cultivate the secret arts of the Misty Sect. only those that were able to wield Ice Magic could benefit from it. Thea didn't want to antagonize Sun Wukong, but she didn't really have any way to create a miracle.
No matter how much you beat a dead horse, it will no longer move no matter how hard you try!
Sun Wukong snorted and waved his hands to dismiss Thea's words.
"Just do as I say," Sun Wukong ordered. "I am not asking for our opinion. The only thing that I want to hear from you is Yes and Yes. So, are you going to train Amy or not?"
"Yes," Thea answered in resignation. "We will train her to the best of our abilities."
Sun Wukong nodded. "That's more like it."
The Elders of the Misty Sect that had accompanied Thea to welcome Sun Wukong and his entourage had complicated expressions on their faces. Even so, at the face of absolute strength, they had no choice but to hold back their complaints in their hearts.
—–
Meanwhile, on the outskirts of the City of Eirwen…
"Oh my goodness! We finally arrived."
"Kekeke. I'm hungry, can we find something to eat first?"
"Okay, the promised date is still a few days away so we can still do some sightseeing," the young man wearing a bamboo hat said with a smile. "Let's enjoy the local delicacies first. Maybe we won't have time to eat anything during the feast."
A little devil landed on William's right shoulder as he eyed the mountain whose peaks were covered by dense clouds. A devilish grin was plastered on his face. Clearly, he was looking forward to the things that he would see at the peak of the Misty Sect.
A little angel landed on Wiliam's left shoulder. He placed his hands behind his back as he, too, looked at the towering mountain in the distance.
The angel's eyes glowed faintly before returning to their normal color. Soon, an angelic smile appeared on his face as a plan formed in his mind.
The young man wearing a bamboo hat wasn't conscious of what his two companions were thinking.. The only thing on his mind was to enter the city and wait for the promised date to arrive.
