Targo led his fellow cultivators' charge, his head filling with information about the enemies they were about to face. Their meridian network, their qi intent, hell even small, even some never properly set bones.

Mistress Triss really was a terrifying cultivator. She seemingly managed to invade the bodies and auras of all thirty-five cultivators in the little time since they left the town, and prepare a memory packet for all of them. Wait. Thirty-five? Didn't she say they were followed by three dozen cultivators? A quick count show she only had information about thirty-five cultivators too, meaning one was too powerful to casually invade.

“Let's be fast, I want to see the mistress fight!” He yelled.

None of them had ever seen the mistress fight. And now that she met with another third realm cultivator? He wouldn't miss that for the world. The other guards around him sped up too, wanting to see their employer fight as much as he did.

Their enemies were powerful. If they were fighting him from half a year ago, he would have been outclassed. But now? With powerful advancement in his understanding of both qi and his qi intent, the silly looking gambeson they needed to wear, something called small unit tactics the mistress insisted they develop and the additional motivation of seeing her fight?

The enemy never stood a chance.

After all enemies were knocked unconscious by them they looked towards the hill. Targo sighed. The fight had already started. But only recently. He looked at her enemy and saw a red aura surround him. A berserker then.

“Watch your step, moving in high gravity is bad for your joints.” She taunted.

Of course she taunted a berserker. The enemy charged again, only for the mistress to fly upwards. Targo nodded his head. Yes, flight in the third realm, that sounded absolutely reasonable for someone that cultivated a force that pulled someone downwards. Just like suddenly going invisible or knowing how to advance into the sixth realm.

They all watched with bated breath, seeing the two third realm cultivators dance. As the Miss flew higher and higher, and her enemy angrier and angrier he wondered how long they would keep that up. Just jumping seemed to take less qi than actually flying, but you didn't know with some people.

Suddenly, the enemy jumped significantly higher than he had ever before, with the Miss moving out of the way like she did every time. Only this time, her enemy fell faster. Far faster than before, and than was natural.

So she won. Targo couldn't say he was particularly surprised, considering her insights. But one thing reignited inside his chest, seeing her fly, and him jump. He wanted that power too. More than ever before. Looking around himself, he saw that same fire burning inside the eyes of every other cultivator too.

And another feeling he agreed with. Working for her, despite the conditions, was the best decision of their entire life.

“Let's tie these lumps up, and strip them blind as she commanded.” He said.

The other guards jumped to do his bidding, even as he himself took a step forward, she’d want to hear a report.

---

I watched the cultivator to my feet with a complicated expression. On the one hand, he had tried to kill me, but on the other, he really looked quite pitiful, unconscious and with broken arms and legs.

“I see you had your own fight handled. I didn't know you can fly mistress.” Targo said.

I looked back at him, and the line of my guards, each stripping our attackers from their possessions.

“This was the first real fight I’ve ever been in.” I admitted.

“You handled yourself admirably, though I have to admit I doubting the wisdom of taunting a berserker.” He said.

“He did seem to get stronger over time.” I admitted. “But I can't really leave him like we’ll leave the others. I doubt they saw me fight, being occupied with being beaten up by you, but this guy? He knows I'm in the third realm.” I said. “Fetch me one of the more expensive robes, we’ll take him with us for now. He’ll have to swear a heavenly oath he won't reveal who beat him up. Or I will have to kill him.” I said.

Targo raised an eyebrow, but I just nodded towards the man on the ground, who’s breathing had just paused nearly imperceptively.

“I will return in a moment.” He said.

Running off, on his way towards our wagons at full speed.

“What do I do with you?” I mused. “I really don't like to kill, but you’ll just work against me in the future if I don't, won't you?”

A kick in one of his legs caused him to grunt and his eyes opened, glaring at me.

“Did you really think I wouldn't notice?” I asked.

“Do whatever you want, but if you kill me my clan will come after you.” He threatened.

“But they’re already after me. And to believe that little old me could defeat you? Don't be ridiculous! There are two immortals confirmed to live around here, you must have angered one of them.” I said with a snort.

“I would never anger an immortal!” He yelled.

“Are you sure? I mean, you are a berserker. You could have just lost control after they insulted you.” I said back, calmly.

“That's never going to roll, and you know it!” He snarled.

“Well, as I said, I don't want to kill you anyways. You’ll be a good boy, swear a heavenly oath not to reveal how I kicked your butt in any way, and I'm even going to set your bones, so they can heal properly.” I offered.

“And how would I know you will keep your word?” He asked.

“Obviously you don't. But can you really afford not to?” I asked back.

“I see. You really got us good, didn't you? What did we do to anger someone like that much?” He asked with a frustrated sigh.

“That's easy. One of your number killed my mother. I just snapped when that one guy entered my shop, demanding I work for him.” I said. “Now, after me.”

“After you?”

“Obviously. Heavenly oaths are only good if you design them to your own advantage.” I said. “You could easily swear not to tell my power to anyone, and then deny all other possibilities when asked. It wouldn't take long to find out who bested you.” I explained.

He flinched, obviously caught. I exerted my qi a little bit, with about a third of my total still remaining active and lifted him off the ground with a little application of my will.

“I’ll think about your oath for a little, but before that, I will set your bones. Cultivators heal too fast sometimes and any minute I don't do anything is one where I have to break something else to properly heal you.”

We moved back towards the wagons, me walking and him floating next to me.

“We reached an agreement. I will need some tent poles too.” I said.

Once I had everything, I simply used my aura to overwhelm his own, and my senses invaded his legs. Damn, that did look quite nasty. Both legs were broken in at least three places, with a few bone splinters going off somewhere they should not be.

Taking care of a cultivator was quite easy, in all seriousness. We died very hard, healed fast, and didn't need all that much food while healing either. And with something a powerful and convenient as aura at my disposal, I didn't even need any prior knowledge, I just had to puzzle stuff back together.

“This will hurt like a bitch.” I warned him. “If you move, I’ll knock you out again.”

“I can endure a little pain.” He answered with gritted teeth.

“You can move on, I’ll catch up later.” I said to my people.

I could easily imagine the guy starting to fight me again, once I was done. He was a cultivator after all.

I shrugged, my muscles wouldn't get shredded that happened, and I’d win again. First, the bone splinters. My qi couldn't directly control things, but over the months I had learned how to do something similar to telekinesis with gravity. My victim, ahm, patient immediately started squirming as the splinter moved back, so I paused, choked him until he fell unconscious again, and returned towards my task. All in all, I took two hours, and three chokings to treat all his broken bones, more than enough time to think up a heavenly oath.

“You're good to go. Time for your oath.” I said as he woke once again.

“You choked me!” He exclaimed.

“I did. It was the safest method to render you unconscious without further injuries.” I explained.

“You could have done it in another way. I'm sure there are some herbs around that could do the trick.” He protested.

“I could have decked you over the head, but that would have been more dangerous. And I make clothes, not drugs. Anyways, I ironed out our contract, and just need your name.” I said.

“I am Hatsume.”

“Good. Now repeat after me: By the heavens, I, Hatsume, hereby swear I will not, through action, inaction or thought, reveal the actual power or other secrets of the cultivator Triss to anyone. In exchange, she will allow me to leave with my life intact.” I commanded.

I felt the attention of the heavens fall on me for a moment, but seeing I did not see myself as Hatsume, they did nothing.

On the other hand, my opponent was engulfed in a golden glow, indicating the oath taking effect. Good.

“Good choice. Now, I really don't care what you do, but you won't find me as forgiving if you come after me a second time. And remember. I am eighteen. And I reached where I am without any clan or sect to support me.” I warned.

Before he could say anything else, I actually decked him over the head, knocking him unconscious and took anything looking valuable on his person - two rings, and some spirit stones. To the victor go the spoils after all. With a grin, I started following the road again, leaving a bunch of unconscious and injured cultivators behind.

That grin widened as I inspected the ring in my hand - my head was suddenly filled with the image of a largeish room, filled with all kinds of stuff. A spatial ring. This must really really hurt.