Her slowly growing Cheshire grin helps me to realize something new about Sister Nuan.

She’s terrifying.

Despite her serene and mind-blowingly attractive appearance, the freakishly large smile on her face radiates cold malevolence. A piece of her I’ve never seen.

But none of it is directed towards me and all of it is directed in one place.

Her words, calm and unhurried, but carrying a weight beyond the concept of qi, cause even me to hold my breath.

“Elder… Ti. Ni. I see your brother has sent you to ‘welcome’ newcomers again. However, I think he may have chosen the exactly right person for the job this time.”

She waves in our direction.

“So… do what you came here to do.

“Welcome them.”

I can actually hear the gulp from him as his body follows her order rather than his mind. The act of complete submission to her whims.

As he does so, I can see her face completely change as she turns toward me, giving a kind and reassuring smile. One that I am more familiar with from her.

This actually causes even more shivers, seeing the complete differences in her persona on a such a enrapturing face.

The sense of a monster buried underneath the surface.

Knowing someone is strong is one thing. But to feel the utter despair of such a thing is different.

Even when I challenged her to get into the inner sect, she didn’t give off such an aura. It was more of an… entertained, yet annoyed feeling. Even as she crumpled me into the ground.

Now, I can see why the other elders were terrified of her and also pitying me.

…. Even on my side, I am honestly scared.

My eyes naturally drift over to my close friends.

If I feel this way from the slight bit I felt, what about them?

Frozen in fear. Almost literally. Not a single person moves even an inch in the hopes of not catching her attention.

It is not until she gives an affirming nod to the group, before a collective breath is let out and all eyes land on the supposedly esteemed elder, who is looking as if the world is ending.

He shakily moves before me and bows his head deeply.

“W-Welcome to the sect, Young Master James. I-I have great expectations for your growth.”

He takes a cautious look at Sister Nuan, as if to see if she is satisfied.

She raises a hand, slightly exposing her space bracelet.

“I think a ‘welcome gift’ is in order from such an esteemed and prosperous elder, towards a new talent that is raising other such talents.”

Even more than before, it looks like he takes a physical blow from this as he staggers back, before recovering.

I don’t know what she’s doing, as my scan isn’t picking up anything… but my best guess is she’s using the tactics he was planning to do to us on him.

His arm touches a ring on his left hand and pulls out a familiar type of spirit stone. An orb filed with a fog of sorts.

A superior spirit stone.

Easily worth $1 million dollars or 1 Big Gold Coin in this world. An able to be liquidated into 1000 regular spirit stones.

At this sight, all of the followers look hungrily at it.

All until it reluctantly leaves his hand and enters mine.

For an elder of his strength and background, I’m assuming this shouldn’t hurt him too much. But likely, the message behind why he has to give this and in front of so many people are what’s really getting to him.

… for us though, this is practically gold. And not just for the monetary aspect.

This can be split into 1000 other stones… which I can distribute to the group. From what I can tell,

I’m already satisfied by this, as this will be massively helpful to us.

But Sister Nuan isn’t.

Her face has changed even a little towards this Elder Ti Ni. Her steadfast eyes are practically showing that this isn’t enough. She wants to make him hurt for even daring to go against her.

And him coming to do this is definitely a slight against her.

As my scan shows, things like this are used as tests of the master-disciple relationship for adversarial groups within sects. The fact they sent an elder to do this ‘welcoming’, rather than a disciple shows they are really testing what level of individuals could get away with things against her disciple.

If she let an elder get away with it, then they’d send a disciple, if a disciple, then a regular student.

Most masters are not willing to go to hard against another elder for something and will just stop them from taking anything. When a disciple comes, they’ll scold them and request compensation from their elder. Anything below that shows the master doesn’t really care or has too many disciples to care.

Sister Nuan responding to this is a matter of course for her first disciple. But her level of response is disproportionately high.

She gives an angry sigh, as the elder in question begins to pull out another superior spirit stone.

“… Ti Ni. You seem to be under a misconception.”

She drops all pretenses and titles. The chill in her voice is palpable.

“Your boss should have informed you of what transpired between my disciple and I.

“… so why would you not believe offending him, wouldn’t be offending me?!”

Her voice is soft, but is like a shout in our ears and behind her a faint image of an impossibly sharp sword appears. The ground shudders slightly, creaking beneath us. While no movement is happening in the air, it feels like space itself near her is being cut by an edge.

A sword aura slipped out. An unconscious action that shows her level of internal anger.

Before any of us or even the elder can even react to this, it quickly disappears. Her face turns serene and calm, but still staring intently at him.

But its existence remains deep in our minds.

And for the person who it was aimed at, even more so.

His eyes wide in fear, I can see him searching for words, with all the arrogance of a cultivator gone.

I can practically see him think through his next actions, before he deeply bows to her and then just as much to I.

“I-I’m deeply sorry for my actions. I did not realize the bond that you two shared and have overstepped my bounds. As a f-fellow elder of the sect, would you be able to forgive this transgression with this humble gift?”

He holds out 10 additional superior stones to her.

She continues to stare at him, before giving a small nod. Taking the stones.

He gives another shiver, before bowing again to us both and leaving at a fast pace on his sword.

As he soars off in the distance, the chill in the air fades and is replaced with a mirthful warmth from Sister Nuan.

“Ahhhhhhh. I’ve been waiting to put him in his place for a while now. Serves him right.”

She lackadaisically tosses the 10 stones over to me. Rather than try to catch them all, I grab them with my space bracelet as they come close.

“While I still don’t think these are nearly enough, I probably shouldn’t push it any further.

“Here. These are for you. And for your group, if they work hard for you, of course.”

She turns to the group. The group immediately bows to her. Out of a combination of fear and respect.

She speaks casually, but with the same mirth as before.

“My disciple is capable. You made the right decision in following him.

“Obey his instructions and he’ll treat you well. Without question he will make you better off than you were before. That is all.”

“““Thank you, Elder Song!”””

The group shouts out, mostly in unison, their thanks.

She gives a wince at being called an elder, but nods and hops on her sword. Turning her head to me, with her voice a little lower.

“I’ll meet you at the tower. Let me know if anything serious comes up with this. Though, that should ward away any other idiots that might try something”

She throws over a talisman. My scan shows me it is one that will allow me to notify her if something is wrong.

Just as quickly as she came, she flies off into the distance.

And now with a group looking both meek and hungrily at me.

… I’m going to have to give up these stones, aren’t I?