A Snail's Wisdom

As if to dispel any opportunity to regain his footing, Kenja addressed all of them with a change of topic, "Actually, I left to find out when master would return. But I was surprised by everyone cultivating in front of our caves. I didn't want to interrupt them with my noisy pestering. Plus, it was a bit embarrassing to ask such a thing, considering I'm her own disciple…"

Kenja revealed a blinding and unrestrained smile that pulled on the heartstrings of the four listeners. He instinctively scratched the back of his head in an attempt to hide his embarrassment, an action that Akiyoshi had never seen a girl perform.

Kenja was ashamed.

It was not just the elders who came to receive Fifth Elder Kazane, but so many unrelated outer sect disciples and servants joined them in doing so. Yet, he, one of the Fifth Elder's direct disciples, had to go around asking for his master's ETA.

Even if he were willing to interrupt their meditation, he did not wish to appear ungrateful and ruin his new master's reputation in front of three elders and half of the sect.

The two sisters who were momentarily starstruck by the combo of Kenja's dazzling smile and Snail's aura manipulation registered his words and were reminded of the other reason they left their cave.

In one fluid motion, Yoshie moved closer to Kenja to pinch the edge of his sleeve as if physically touching him could reduce the burden of his embarrassment. She would often act in this way to comfort Kenja, Shizuka or Baba during their troubled times.

"We are the same big sister."

At the same time, Shizuka turned towards Vice Elder Shirou, and with a blush of shame, she added to Kenja's request, "We also wish to know when master will return. We hope to prepare something for her."

They had originally wished to find a gift for their master after washing up, but the criminal's poster with an uncanny resemblance to their brother had derailed their plans, causing her to completely forget about their master's impending arrival.

She felt that if Kenja could see her now, he would surely be disappointed in her. She was supposed to be the responsible one now that Kenja was not around.

Hopefully, they still had enough time to browse the bazaar for an appropriate present.

Vice Elder Shirou who had been contemplating the matter of the faulty transmission candle was brought back to the present by Kenja and Shizuka's query. He nodded in approval of their filial piety. In regards to finding dutiful disciples, the First and Fifth Elder were definitely a step above the other four elders.

"She arrived at one of our border outposts a short while ago. Because the sect has been placed on lockdown, she can't use the Teleportal, so she will have to travel here on sword. It should take her around three hours to reach us if she leaves now."

The three curious disciples relaxed once they knew they had some time left till she arrived, but Kenja was shocked by the estimated travelling speed of his master.

Supposedly, it took roughly a month for mortal men to walk from Ryuga to the boundaries of the desert where the sect outposts were located. If you excluded the time spent on pit stops, nighttime camping, and hostile encounters, that would still be twenty days' worth of walking.

Yet his master could travel that same distance in the time it took him to walk from Baba's house to the sect and back.

This reaffirmed his decision to become a cultivator; if he wished to travel the world freely, this was the best way!

"Junior thanks Vice Elder. I should have enough time to visit the treasury then."

Kenja bowed slightly to show his appreciation prompting the other two girls to mimic his gesture.

Akiyoshi who had been struggling to find a way to insert himself back into their conversation celebrated at the opening this fascinating fairy gave him.

"If sister waits for a short while, I can personally assist you with your visit."

With his short, dark brown hair, perfectly symmetrical glasses and gentle smile, he had the appearance of a handsome and sincere elder brother. Even though he was intentionally going for such a look, he was truly sincere in currying favor with Hirai Hikaru.

Kenja smiled back, but the right corner of his lips were tilted higher than the left. Akiyoshi knew this was a sign of nervous reluctance.

"No need, senior brother. I already know what I want."

Akiyoshi tried one more time. "I might be able to pull some strings and reduce the cost of your purchase." He tilted his head downwards and winked playfully at Kenja. It was less of a flirtacious wink and more of a 'merchant trying to lure a customer' wink.

Akiyosh reveled at the sight of Kenja's slightly opened mouth, signalling a bona fide interest in what she just heard. He knew his offer had ensnared her interest, but his hope plummeted when Kenja's smile returned tighter than ever and with eyelids thinned into slits.

"Brother is too kind. Maybe next time. Please, forget about me, and settle your matters without worries."

She had completely shut him out, with both her face and her words!

This time, Akiyoshi could only stare at her dumbfounded. His glasses slid off his nose, but he clumsily caught them and placed them back on.

Did she really detest him that much?

He was the unofficial leader of the Tributaries, direct disciple of the First Elder, an extremely rare genius who reached the Core Crystallization stage by the age of 35, a feat comparable to ascending the Heavens.

While this could be considered a difference of one generation between Kenja and him in the mortal world, this kind of gap was not worth mentioning to Immortals. They were most assuredly within the same generation of cultivators, and seeing how he was the leading figure of the sect's younger generation, he could not understand why Hirai Hikaru was pushing him away so strongly.

Was she that against interacting with him?

Vice Elder Shirou coughed lightly to snap Akiyoshi back to reality.

"Let us be on our way, junior."

After observing Hirai Hikaru for a short time, Vice Elder Shirou sympathized with Akiyoshi. Her bewitching aura was strong enough to affect him, one at the Nascent Soul stage, so there was little hope for Hideaki Akiyoshi to resist it.

From what he could tell, Hirai Hikaru did not have the accentuated curves or perfectly proportioned body structure that males d.e.s.i.r.ed and women envied. Her movement did not exude the refined elegance that would come with time and experience. And her cultivation was still too weak to naturally achieve this magnetizing appeal that could compete with the Fifth Elder herself.

Yet, the sound of her voice produced a powerful resonance that compelled one to listen, and despite not purposely drawing the gazes of others, the moment one noticed her, it was difficult to look away. Her portrayal resembled a near-perfect blend of Yin and Yang that few could emulate.

She was still too young. For her to be at such a state, how unfortunate…

Because he could not discern the added help of an enchantment or tool that artificially bolstered one's charm and because such enchantments and tools were unable to produce such profound results, the only rational explanation he could find for Hirai Hikaru's appearance was that she must have a rare constitution.

Such women were born cursed by the Heavens.

If they did not open their meridians and remained as mortals, they would be prized for their beauty, often becoming wives, consorts and concubines of a ruler. Even if their appearance was lacking or scarred, many would still find them 'pleasing to the eye' and instinctively d.e.s.i.r.e them. The most unfortunate would often become the highest paid courtesan, doted on by multiple politicians and army generals.

Arguably, this sort of ending was not terrible regarding mortals, with the woman's freedom simply being more restricted than others, but trouble arose when such a woman began her journey towards Immortality.

With the influence of Qi and the expulsion of impurities, both males and females experienced an aesthetic upgrade. Pores would shrink; hair would become fuller and longer; bones would strengthen and shift to create a stronger and more appealing skeletal structure. While it was just a slight improvement from one stage to the next, the seemingly-impossible, ultimate end was Immortality, divinity, Godhood, etc.

As long as they kept advancing, their bodies would eventually exhibit a feeling of divinity that stemmed from the very essence of Yin and Yang, and it was natural for a God to be revered and envied. Such individuals who exuded these qualities were indeed respected, admired and d.e.s.i.r.ed. Girls would begin touching upon this quality near the end of the Core Crystallization stage as they prepared to conceive their Nascent Soul, and they would learn to control it a few decades after their advancement.

At such a point, they were sufficiently capable of protecting themselves and had powerful backers who could protect them. Additionally, the divine aura would not be overly powerful and rampant like the one on this young disciple.

Those born with one of these rare constitutions would exude this quality immediately after opening their meridians and unlocking their dantian. Before they could discover it slowly on their own, before they were capable of learning to control it, before they could gain enough power or a reliable shield to protect themselves with, this aura ignited the burning d.e.s.i.r.es of every person who spotted her. The aura's effect was further compounded by the beauty of the individual or the beholder's preferences.

Those graced with what some call the 'Angel's Body' would not survive long in the world of cultivation as they would be frequently sought and assaulted by stronger cultivators, often taken dishonorably or imprisoned in one's stronghold. The end result was usually death or suicide while cursing the Heavens under their breath.

Those with prior knowledge had very few ways to circ.u.mvent this problem.

They would hide their body and face 24/7, live alone as a hermit or disfigure themselves beyond recognition. Some expensive tools and enchantments could temporarily contain the aura, but this was hardly a long-term solution. The best measure one could take was hiding behind the back of a powerful cultivator or master, but even this was full of danger as the master must be strong enough to ward off others while being righteous enough to resist the aura's temptation.

Vice Elder Shirou nodded to the three female disciples before walking past them towards the central tower.

Shirou could only admire Fifth Elder as a truly kind elder.

Knowing Kazane Kazue's past, it was understandable why she accepted these mediocre twins. As for the the princess, she was the daughter and student of two of their fellow colleagues, so it was natural she would become her teacher while she stayed in the sect. On the other hand, this Hirai Hikaru's background was unknown, and her recorded examination results, while strange in their own right, did not warrant direct discipleship to an elder.

He decided that protecting Hirai Hikaru from her pitiful circ.u.mstances was probably the main reason the Fifth Elder accepted her as a disciple. Her skipping the orientation also made sense since she would want to avoid so many eyes.

He silently shook his head in disappointment. Elder Kazane truly was a role model that the other elders should learn from.

Seeing Vice Elder Shirou's back grow more distant with each step, a frustrated expression appeared on Akiyoshi's face as he moved to pursue him, but before he could take another step, the twins popped into his view whilst bowing.

"Please do not worry over our matter, senior brother. We are grateful for your help."

"Y-yes. R-r-really, we are fine! Thank you, senior brother," Yoshie stammered.

When the two girls saw his face, they mistakenly believed Akiyoshi was distressed over their matter, so they decided to show their appreciation and ease his concerns.

Akiyoshi's typical gentle smile returned to his face as he gazed at their bowed heads.

Perhaps he was too quick to dismiss these young girls. He could feel their sincerity, a rare thing to see amongst cultivators.

Full of hope, he glanced at Kenja.

Kenja returned a gentle, yet dazzling smile. "Best of luck, senior brother."

Akiyoshi's glasses slid back down his bridge, nearly falling again.

A heightened upper lip and raised eyebrows…a sign of anticipatory excitement and jubilation.

She was super excited to see him leave…

Akiyoshi nodded to the three of them and quickly followed after Vice Elder.

He made a vow to himself that he would treat the twins and his other sisters better. He would no longer be quick to judge them. It certainly did not feel good to be judged prem.a.t.u.r.ely…

After they left, Shizuka and Yoshie turned to Kenja.

"We are going to find a gift for master. Would you like to join us, senior sister?" Shizuka politely invited Kenja to join them on their shopping trip.

She found it funny when she thought about how they had gotten closer to both, the silent yet powerful Aoi Rin and Ryuga's younger princess Ryu Hanabi, more than the new sister disciple who was similar to them in both cultivation and status. This was a chance to remedy that.

"We can h-help you find something, too, big sister. We visited the shops a few days ago and a-asked around for what she might like."

Due to the time constraint and overwhelming variety of merchandise the previous time they had browsed the bazaar with their elder sisters, they postponed purchasing a gift for their new master, hoping to ensure they found something appropriate.

Buying acupuncture needles for the absent Kenja was just an afterthought when compared to presenting their esteemed master with an item that displayed their gratitude and reverence.

Kenja was moved by their offer, but he declined. "Thank you, but I already have something in mind for master. We can compete fairly to see which one master favors more," he challenged with a playful wink.

Shizuka furrowed her brows and huffed at him without thinking, "You won't win this time, Kenja-niisan!"

Only a moment after her declaration did she mentally smack herself and rush to correct her words, "I'm sorry, Hirai-san. I meant—"

Kenja held his hands up to stop her. "Don't worry. It's natural that your mind is still worried over your brother. I did not take offense," Kenja hurriedly gave her a plausible reason for her Freudian slip.

"Good going, disciple! I give you a perfect disguise, and you still find a way to muck it up with your poor acting! You're lucky you still got a peanut inside that head of yours, misdirecting them like that saved us lots of hassle."

When he thought that Shizuka had uncovered his disguise, he panicked.

He had forgotten himself and issued them a challenge like the good old days, instinctively adding the darned wink he would use to tease Shizuka.

These two had often competed over who could present the better gift to Baba-san, Yoshie and sometimes a neighbor that had helped them out previously. Even though Shizuka would come up with an excellent gift idea, Kenja would obtain a seemingly obscure or unthinkable item that would perfectly fit the giftee.

To ill.u.s.trate this point, when they were ten years of age, Shizuka and Yoshie worked together to secure Baba-san a stylish, new purse that could replace her small, worn-out handbag for her birthday while all Kenja found was a thrown-out rocking chair that he patched up.

At that time, Shizuka felt she had beaten her overconfident brother, but over the years, that purse had rarely left Baba-san's bedroom dresser while Kenja had been requested to fix the creaking rocking chair more than a hundred times by the old landlady.

He would almost always win, and the few times he supposedly lost was due to Baba-san or Yoshie insisting they liked her present more just to make her feel better.

It didn't work…

The two parties parted their separate ways.

Noticing Shizuka was still sulking, Yoshie comforted her without any hint of nervousness in her voice, "Don't feel bad, nee-chan. I also felt we were talking to Kenja-niisan for a second there. We just miss him, that's it."

Yoshie often relied on her elder twin to keep them on track, but whenever she was thinking about Kenja, Shizuka would become more absent-minded, moody and indecisive. She was the same, but only when Kenja was physically present.

Shizuka did not answer back as she led Yoshie towards the bazaar.

She was not thinking about Kenja at that moment. She felt that she was genuinely speaking with him which made her even more upset. Was she trying to replace the elder brother in her heart with someone else?

Seeing that Shizuka's mood did not improve, Yoshie came up with another idea.

"I saw some candles last time. Maybe they're like the one that Senior Brother Hideaki showed us. Should we try to buy one while we're there?"

Shizuka broke out of her trance and stopped to face Yoshie with a brilliant smile.

"You're so calm and smart only when it's just us two! Why can't you be like this all the time?" Without giving her time to answer back, she clasped onto her wrist and pulled her along at a much quicker pace.

…

"Do you understand what to do, Snail?"

Standing in an alleyway a short walk away from the treasury's front entrance was a single fairy dressed in inner-sect robes. She wore a blood-red scabbard on her waist and a single shell earring. In her hand was a spear with the name Katou Daiki engraved on it and a bag tied on its head.

Also, she was not a she but a he.

"I got it, I got it! Yeeeeesh. I don't understand why you won't let me just take the entire thing. It would save so much time."

Kenja let out a small sigh, forcing his patience to hold strong.

"I am not a thief, Snail, so stop trying to steal things!"

"Who said I am stealing anything? Haven't you ever heard of 'Finders, Keepers'? I found this giant shell, so it is only right for me to keep it. If you don't want your things kept by others, don't let them find it!"

It took a second for Kenja to register that Snail was referring to the treasury building as a shell found on the ground, but instead of reasoning with him, he opted to change the topic.

"Are you sure you can do your part of the plan flawlessly?"

Snail harrumphed.

"Of course I can! Who do you think you're talking to? I might be a bit rusty after all these years, but I just had some practice a few minutes ago."

Sakura vibrated ever so slightly in approval of Kenja's improving manipulation over the troublesome Snail and his short attention span.