I had no one to learn how to be a spirit seamstress from, and only did a few experiments before my mother died.

So when the guard came to my home one week after I moved back in, asking if I was ready for my business to be announced for the world I shook my head, and told him I needed a little more time to experiment.

And I did. Currently I was seeing if I could imbue the qi I threaded through the clothes I made with memories, for example of rockness. A pseudo intent so to say.

And of course testing the products. And I could say it worked, to an extend. With the added bonus of being useless as a cultivation resource for people that didn't know how to cleanse qi.

Of course all those experiments didn't take all that long, but I spend most of that time learning how to control my aura.

Something that felt significantly easier than it did before I left that chapel. My time in there felt like a dream, but I knew what I experienced, even if it was strange. At first I had been worried - after all my head had been messed with, but the benefits had been tangible, so I decided not to complain.

This time.

I would stay as far from that building as possible anyways. Better safe than sorry after all.

Extending it in a thin tendril was still hard, really hard even. Just compressing it down into my body was something I managed to do quite quickly, and while that stopped my aura from getting .ore qi to fall into my body it should also allow me to fool anyone into thinking I was a first realm cultivator.

If they didn't look too close. My control wasn't perfect, and still wavered from time to time, but all in all I was ready to open business.

So I left the house, this time not to buy some food but go into the town hall. The mayor had returned by now, and I had to speak with him before I was allowed to open business.

I wasn't worried, after all cultivators were rare, and cultivators that didn't want to fight or at least learn a craft probably even more so. I had decided to wear robes, as much as I disliked them, and filled them with a thin net to of qi to reinforce it. I added a thicker net of qi at critical points for both robe and human too.

I hoped it wouldn't come to that though, and had a cloth napkin filled with qi in case he asked for a show of my skill.

I hoped he'd be distracted by the craftsmanship and not look into my cultivation base. I wasn't sure if I could rebuff him after all, and even if I did it wouldn't be possible to keep my secret.

The town hall itself was located in the middle of the town, in the central plaza just like the barracks were, so I took a little while to get there.

I was lucky, and one of the guards I knew was on duty when I arrived, so he knew what I wanted, and where to direct me.

The mayor was in his office, which was located in the highest point of the town hall, the only room on the fourth floor in the entire town.

Office was no fitting name. Cultivation chamber would probably be a more apt name for the room I just entered.

After all it was filled with qi, enough qi to normally fill a room four times this size usually. Interesting, but unsurprising. After all I could do something simar. I just didn't need to anymore.

"You must be the small cultivator Captain Tiger told me about. Triss. Good to see you finally found it in you to visit me." A voice said.

I looked around, but didn't see anyone. Great. Another person that could hide himself from me, though this one was probably less thorough than the fox. He just decided who saw him and who didn't. This guy just used a trick.

As I considered if I should tell him that doing that was really rude, a middle aged man stepped out of what seemed to be a wall.

"Sorry for that, but I can't stop doing that." He said.

"It's fine." I said.

But made sure to glare at bit, though just long enough to show it wasn't and make sure he got the message.

"So, what do you think about my domain? Quite impressive, isn't it?" He asked.

"I've never seen something like it." I admitted honestly.

Pah, impressive. Good thing I had my full mental faculties to me right now. Directly lying to him could be stupid. After all who knew what bullshit a third realm cultivator could do? I certainly didn't.

"So. Your name is Triss. Are you happy with that name, or want more perhaps?" He probed.

"Nope. I'm fine. I like my name. No reason to change it." I answered happily.

This was going splendidly.

"Did you manage to control and cultivate qi yet? If not I fear you will not be able to be a successful business." He asked.

"I did and am able to." I said.

Not supplying any additional information.

I drew the napkin out of my pocket, and threw it right to him. If he couldn't catch something that slow moving I'd be seriously surprised.

He did catch it, and inspected it. Probably with more than his eyes, but with my aura restrained I couldn't sense qi beyond it. Or anything else really. Quite frustrating to be honest.

"Very good. You are quite talented. Do you know how much you could sell this for?"

When he spoke up again the mayor was speaking a little faster than before, but only a little, just as much as someone in the first realm could manage for a few minutes.

Or what I assumed someone in the first realm could do at least. I based that on the stuff Brayden talked about in the cultivation manual. A drop of liquid qi to break into the second realm.

Which was honestly a laughable amount. Anyways. I decided to be around half way, which meant I had perhaps three minutes time to do that.

"No. If it wouldn't trouble you too much I'd like to know about the average price range of my profession." I said.

"Oh, it doesn't trouble me at all. You are going to help me much more than I am going to help you, just by living here after all." He said. "Quite impressive you know this trick, did someone teach it to you? How long can you keep it up?" He asked.

"I learnt it myself."

True, but only half of it, I had been told what to work for after all.

"And it's rude to ask about someone's cultivation. Especially if you are a stranger. But I can continue a little longer if I have to." I said.

Also true, but very much misleading.

"Very well. Are you sure you're living fine where you are? As a cultivator you deserve a far better house than you have right now." He continued, back at normal speed.

"I'm fine." I grumbled. "Why does everyone want my home? A cellar would be nice though."

"A cellar? That's easy. I'll have one of my people take care of it immediately. You'll probably have to move back into the barracks for a week or two though, digging a cellar under an already existing house is hard, loud work. Are you ok with that?" He asked.

"Yes. But I can't really work in the barracks, too little space." I warned.

"Good, and I thought as much. You are a serious craftswoman after all. What do you want your cellar furnished with?"

"Nothing much, a few cabinets to store my materials in." I said.

"Perfect. You are excused then. Some of my people will arrive at your house soon, to do you cellar. Until then you can prepare for opening shop, I imagine you'll get your doors ran in once the announcement is out. Now shush." He said.

Actually shooing me towards the door!

"The prices sir mayor." I coughed.

"Ah yes, one of my people will create a list, don't worry about it." He said.

I nodded, bowed towards him, and left the room before he got any ideas. Like checking my cultivation. Now I just had to wait for a bit, before my plans could start. I really hoped there was bamboo to be found, and if not that than something similar. It was the basis of my plans after all.

It was going to be glorious.