To say that my mind was blown after the night I had with elder Chyou would put it lightly.

But the experience caused me to look at things differently. I noticed in the sect most men had more female disciples than male disciples, and the reverse was the same. I thought it odd, but I dismissed it. After all, most of the men and women of the sect were gorgeous. Now I realized it was an essential part of their cultivation.

Elder Chyou was more than willing to help me cultivate. She even showed me how different positions could change the amount of energy we produced and even the potency of the energy. We didn't just meet for cultivation, either. Our first lesson had left an impression on her. We made love several times. We were developing a relationship of sorts.

Cultivators often had wives or concubines inside and outside the sects. When I asked her why, she settled into lecture mode. Believe me, that's very sexy, especially when she's already naked. It made it hard to concentrate on the lesson, but I did my best.

"The question is, why do cultivators have two sets of wives? The answer is lineage. Children born in a sect are members from the time of their birth. They're known as successor disciples. While children born outside the sect have to either be sponsored by their parent, or another member or pay the entrance fee. Most cultivators that belong to a sect leave mortal children to carry on their lineage. It comes in handy. An example would be the Dragon Emperor. He's the great, great, Grandson of the sect leader."

I felt my eyes all but bug out of my head. "The Emperor is related to Jiutian Xuan?"

Elder Chyou nodded her head. "Yes. She has a soft spot for him so she does what she can to follow the laws he put in place and he shows the proper respect to his filial and martial senior."

I ran my hand through my hair. "So I should have kids so they'll one day be of use to me? Like pawns?" I shook my head. "I'm sorry, but that will not happen."

She smiled and joined me on the bed. "That's why I adore you. I said no such thing. You don't have to take wives in the sect." Her proximity to me had stirred my desire for her, and she guided me inside her. "You're welcome to share my bed anytime, though."

For a few happy months, that's how things were. I was growing in my cultivation. Li Mei and Liu Feng were happy, and I was thinking about asking them to cultivate with me and maybe even be my lovers. Well, I knew Li Mei was going to be my concubine. She'd hinted at that.

I was currently at the farthest point of Xiu peak. It was a special closed-off room for cultivators when they were going to breakthrough. Thanks to Chyou I was about to break through to Qi refining. It admittedly took me longer. I'd focused on my body cultivation so I wouldn't be lacking in that area. I was now Early Body Perfection Rank 5. The name matched. My body felt like perfection. I required less food. My physical attributes were through the roof. If I'd bothered to cultivate before the battle with Deming Fais men, I probably could have killed half the army."

No point dwelling on the past. I had just been with Chyou and I had all the Qi I needed to attempt to breakthrough. I sat cross-legged. Breathing in a slow, rhythmic manner.

Qi circulated through my body with each breath. I drew in more Qi to circle through the twelve meridians of my body. It pushed and strained against them. Again, it circulated, passing from meridians to just below my navel as it entered my lower dantian.

Qi flowed from my dantian, following the meridians, rushing forward at an ever-faster rate. Each breath brought another circulation among the greater and smaller meridian paths. Then the release as my Qi passed through the barrier.

The feeling was indescribable. I felt lighter. My spirit felt as if it was something solid within me. I felt as if my body had been bleached. As if I had been dirty and I was now clean. It was an all-encompassing sensation that left me euphoric.

I opened my eyes and smiled. It felt incredible. I stood and opened the door, feeling like nothing could touch me. Then my eyes landed on a figure laying on the wooden steps. It was Liu Feng, and she was hurt! I rushed forward and knelt, cradling her in my arms. One of the qigong techniques I made a study of was the healing arts. I studied them diligently for just such an occasion as this. Channeling my Qi through my hand, I passed it over her body. Her cuts and bruises vanished.

She opened her eyes and grasped the front of my robe. "Master, you have to save Li Mei," she begged.

"What happened?" I asked her.

"Disciples of elder Chan came looking for you. When they saw Li Mei, they attacked. I fought them off as best I could. They were stronger than me. I'm sorry, master."

I shook my head. "You did well. What happened to Li Mei?"

"She went willingly if they promised not to kill me. They would take her to Ting Ai hall." Liu Feng said. I popped a pill into her mouth to speed up her recovery. I made a habit of keeping a few recovery pills on me.

"When you feel well enough, go back to the house and wait for me there. I'll bring her back." I promised. With a speed that momentarily shocked me, I raced to Ting Ai hall. Stopped just outside the hall and composed myself. I could hear raised voices from within. Upon entering the hall, I saw Li Mei kneeling in the center of a semicircle of elders. Elder Chan was talking animatedly, demanding she be put down.

The rage that filled me turned my vision red. But reined it in. Two of elder Chan's disciples held a length of chain in their hand that was connected to a manacle around Li Mei's neck.

I focused on the two and released a blast of QI that sent the two men sailing clear to the other side of the hall. They landed with the sound of breaking bones and lay still. Alive but paralyzed. The sect had advanced medicine that could cure them. They'd be fine. All eyes turned to me. I bowed respectfully to the sect leader.

"Jiutian Xuan. Why is my servant here?" I asked in a reasonable tone.

"Servant?!" Elder Chan all but bellowed. "You scoundrel. I knew you were too weak to kill a Huli Jing, and you blatantly lied. You ought to be executed along with that thing!" He shouted, pointing his finger at Li Mei.

I ignored him, keeping my focus on Jiutian Xuan.

"Elder Chan brought her here. Claiming you lied about the success of your mission. Doing so means you stole sect contribution points. You were paid for an uncompleted task."

I raised an eyebrow. "Did I?" I asked in an innocent tone. "Do you have a copy of the assignment?"

"Of course!" Elder Chan said with a huff. He stomped over to the sect leader and presented her with a copy of the assignment paper.

Jiutian Xuan took the paper and looked at me expectantly.

"Tell me, sect leader, does the paper specify what method of disposal I was to use?" I asked, keeping my tone pleasant.

She scanned the paper briefly before replying. "No."

"It is Implied!" Elder Chan shouted.

I was getting sick of him. "Does the sect rules not state that if a mission has no specific methods listed, a sect member is to use their own discretion when completing an assignment?"

"Yes." Elder Huan Ping said. Elder Chan was glaring daggers at him. Huan Ping gave me a quick wink, and I was released to know he was on my side.

"If I recall correctly." Elder Chyou said, stepping next to Elder Huan Ping. "When you first started out, Elder Chan, you were instructed to collect ginseng for the medical ward. They didn't specify how. So you used your family's money to buy twice the required amount, earning yourself extra contribution points. Wasn't it implied that you were to find wild ginseng and deliver that to the medical ward?"

Elder Chan was fuming. "Fine, he completed his task, but he still brought a murderous Huli Jing into our sect."

"Murderous?!" I asked with an exaggerated gasp. Placing a hand over my heart for added effect. "I did not know! Please, elder Chan, tell me who she killed?"

"She-" He began, then cut himself off. He seemed to think it over. When it was clear he couldn't name a single person, he turned beat red. "She's a Huli Jing. It's what they do!."

"Is it?" I asked. "You must have saved thousands of lives from Huli Jing."

If his face was turning purple and I briefly wondered if he'd actually explode.

"You know, elder Chan. There are men who rape women. How many women have you raped?" I asked him.

"How dare you slander me!" He drew his Jian and pointed it at me.

"Slander?" I asked with a shocked expression. "But elder, you claimed that Huli Jing are all murderous? Is it not true that all men rape women, steal, murder, and cheat?"

His sword shook in his hand as his rage boiled over. With a savage yell, he lunged. Before his blade could harm me, Jiutian Xuan drew a whip from her waist and struck elder Chan's wrist. With a cry of surprise, he dropped his Jian and cradled his broken wrist.

"Enough theatrics, Master Alastair. Get to the point." She ordered.

I bowed and stood next to Li Mei. She'd remained mute and still trusting in me to protect her. "Her name is Li Mei. She's not murderous. She is very gentle. Can she kill? Yes. So can I. So can any cultivator. Has she killed? I don't know. That's none of our business. She has harmed no one in the sect. Even in Honshu village, her only crime was having a physical relationship with the merchant's son. Because of a million-year-old grudge, her kind is hated and killed for no reason other than what they are. If you insist on killing her sect leader, do it for a crime. She's actually committed."

Jiutian Xuan briefly smirked at me. "Let's put it to a vote. Since you feel so strongly about it, it would not be fair if it fell on my perception alone. All those in favor?"

Elder Chan stuck his uninjured arm into the air. He was the only one. He looked at the others, his scowl deepening.

"All those opposed?" Every hand except elder Chan's went up. Relief washed over me and I felt a surge of pride that I belong to such a reasonable sect.

"Pride, prejudice, and envy. These three traits are a cultivator's folly." Jiutian Xuan said, staring at elder Chan. "Your pride was wounded when he outsmarted you. Your prejudice blinded you to the fact this poor girl has been among us for nearly half a year and has not harmed a single disciple, and lastly, your envy of his status and power led you to murder him by proxy and send your disciples to violate his home and attack his household. Elder Chan, you are to remain in your residence for the next month. Should you step one foot out of your home or speak to any disciple of our sect before the allotted time has passed? I'll end you myself."

Elder Chan bowed low to her. He gave me one last hate-filled look before he scurried out of the hall. Not wasting another minute, I walked forward and ripped the manacle around her neck in two. She smiled at me lovingly. She had been naked when they brought her here. I knew she prefers this state but after the way they treated her it seemed too vulnerable a state. I took off my outer robe and wrapped it around her before I picked her up princess style and carried her home.

Huan ping and Chyou fell into step on either side of me. I was grateful for their support and company. When we returned home, I'd cook them something special.