The woman who had suddenly appeared in front of the group was strange to say the least.


    For starters, none of them could actually tell what her actual cultivation base was, nor if she was even alive in the traditional sense.


    Enyo could not exactly pinpoint her to be a spirit either.


    She was a true enigma.


    "My, what rude visitors you have brought with you, Aveena. Here for only a moment and they are already trying to probe me for secrets."


    The woman had a joyful and soft tone of voice that contrasted with her usatory words like night and day.


    "T-They mean no disrespect, Abess! I''m certain they were only mesmerized by such a beautiful and vibrant figure that is your own!"


    "Hohohoho! I''m sure that must have been the case."


    The old woman walked forward on her cane and inspect Taira with an unseeable light in her eyes.


    "My, my. I did not believe that I would ever see one of you in my lifetime. My disciple has brought a special guest indeed."


    "A-Abess, you mean you know what he is?" Aveena asked in a hushed and impressed voice.


    "Naturally. He''s a male escort."


    "A-Are you really, Taira!?"


    "You''ve been living with him for close to a month, you know that he''s not!" Keran yelled.


    "Oh? But if Abess says he is then..."


    It was hard to tell by looking at him, but Taira was beginning to regret voluntarilying down to this ce at all.


    The pale old woman in front of him poked his stomach with her cane as if she was inspecting him carefully.


    Once she tapped his midsection a couple of times, she raised her brow and made a thoughtful noise.


    ''Quite a cocktail indeed... How does something like this evene into being?''


    "Ah! Pardon my manors, I just realized I''ve neglected to introduce myself. I am Setsuka Takashi, Abbess of The Drifting Snowfall Sect. And you all are?"


    "Taira."


    "My name is Enyo."


    "I am Keran."


    "Lucia."


    "I''m everyone''s favorite; Vermeil."


    The old woman nodded in satisfaction after she heard everyone''s names and turned her back towards them.


    "Right, right. It''s the first time we''ve entertained guests in a while, so I should invite you in and showcase my best possible hospitality."


    Suddenly, the group blinked and they were on the other side of the stone bridge, staring directly at thepound grounds from up close.


    "Did we just... cross a two mile bridge in an instant...?" Vermeil asked shakily.


    "Yes. Do you want to do it again?" Setsuka asked.


    "Of course I-"


    "No, she isn''t nearly that childish." Enyo interjected. "But she was curious about how something like that was even possible."


    "How indeed." Setsuka said humorously.


    The group walked up a flight of stairs made from stone and ice to pass through an open gate into thepound.


    Immediately, they entered into a courtyard with arge garden with white flowers and bamboo trees buried directly in the center of it.


    It was strange to see nts growing so well so far underground, but Taira was immediately able to discern why that was the case.


    The spiritual energy within the air was so dense that someone could have choked on it.


    He could only imagine the leaps and bounds that he could make within his cultivation if he were allowed to stay here long term.


    "Oh?"


    "Junior sister is back.."


    "And she brought... a man?"


    "A very pretty man..."


    Out of nowhere, women started spilling out from two buildings on the left and right of thepound.


    No doubt these new faces had been lured here when they send so many unfamiliar auras show up, and their eyes were thoroughly glued to the only man among the group.


    "You''ll have to forgive them." Setsuka said with a chuckle. "As you can see, we are an all women''s sect, so it has been quite a long time since they have seen such an alluring member of the opposite sex."


    "...It is no trouble." Taira said as he closed his eyes.


    "Oh? I''m d to know you aren''t bothered by their staring, but I was actually talking to the three angry women who have your scent all over every corner of their bodies."


    ncing over his shoulder, Taira found Keran, Lucia, and Enyo ring at every woman who poked their head out to leer at him.


    It was all so alluring that he was bing dangerously aware of the sheer length of time it had been since he''dst had sex.


    He was really... really looking forward to the next moment he got alone with one of his wives.


    After shaking his mind free of dirty thoughts, he realized that there was something very special about this ce.


    Some of the women were clearly fallen, but others were surprisingly human.


    And not just human, there were other members of the supposed ''races of light'' here like dwarves, elves, and fae.


    It made Taira wonder about just how this sect went about selecting it''s members in the first ce.


    Abbess Setsuka led the group to a thergest building in the center of thepound.


    Only when the group went inside did they realize that the entire pce was her residence.


    As soon as they entered through the front door, the group reappeared on the rooftop where a garden filled with bright white cherry blossom trees was waiting.


    A wooden table with room for all of the guests sat between two of thergest trees and provided a one of a kind view of the crystal blueke nestled below.


    At the table, there was already tea prepared and exactly seven cups with steam billowing from them.


    "Shall we sit down?" The Abbess said with a smile.


    The group became nestled around the table, and enjoyed the warm beverages that had been prepared for them.


    "So... might I know why one of my initiates has broken her vow of secrecy and returned here with outsiders and a man?"


    "Ack!"


    Aveena''s saviors had never seen her quite so awkward and jittery as she was when it came to interacting with her master.


    She was strangely cute in an air headed kind of way.


    "Disciple knows that she was wrong for bringing in outsiders, but... these people saved my life and I owe them every part of my being."


    Aveena looked at Taira with a seductive glint in her eye as she sipped her tea. "I''m... more grateful to some than others."


    Lucia / Enyo / Keran: """Bitch, we will cut you."""


    "They are just being cranky, they actually adore me." Aveena said with a wave of her hand. "They were very attentive to me when I was injured."


    Setsuka ced her hand on Aleena''s and smiled at her like a loving grandmother.


    "I know your words to be the truth... Since I can sense the loss of your cultivation, I know that you must have been through quite the trial... I regret even allowing you to step outside at all."


    "If I may speak freely, Abbess... There were certainly trials, but... I do not regret my time in the outside world. I got to experience many things,ugh in ways that I never knew possible, and study normal interactions among people. If I had to do it again, I believe there are few things I would change."


    "Well...Since you seem so resolute."


    Abbess turned back towards Taira and his group and lowered her head politely.


    "You have my thanks for taking care of this girl, as troublesome as I''m sure she may have been."


    "Please, there is no reason to extend your gratitude to us. We were only doing what anyone would have." Keran said brightly.


    ''Such a kind child... Her sprit is so pure that it is almost like she''s a newborn.'' Setsuka thought with a twinkle in her eye.


    "Well then, unpleasant matters aside I hope that you will tell me why she''s brought you all here with such a tense aura surrounding you."


    The group looked at each other ufortably as they shuffled in their seats.


    "Well... I think before we tell you that, you should know exactly how we all met and what has led us here." Enyo said apologetically.


    It took a total of ten full minutes before Enyo could exin exactly what had happened when Aveena came down to Ferran.


    The entire time, Setsuka did not say a word and listened to the entire story with a seemingly stone-like demeanor.


    However, Taira and his wives did not miss the moment where the old woman flinched when she learned of the horrible condition they had found Aveena in.


    When they got to the part about the Hero of Unbreakable Iceing to strip this ce of it''s resources and secrets, the old woman shattered the cup in her hand from force.


    A bright blue light shone within her eyes as the temperature within the entire cavern dropped to such a drastic degree that the boiling hot tea that was within their cups froze solid.


    As the wind blew fiercely, the hair of the old woman flew around in a frenzy, and allowed Taira to see her ears that looked like they''d been cut or clipped to appear normal.


    ''Imagine that... she''s an elf.''


    "W-We know that this must be upsetting, but please understand! You all have to evacuate before-"


    Setsuka finally held up her hand to stop Vermeil from speaking and stood up from the table dramatically.


    When she spoke again, her voice was icy cold and not at all mischievous and sweet as it had been before.


    "Youngdy... If you are about to tell me to flee from my home because a human with a superiorityplex ising to steal from us, you are sorely mistaken."


    Setsuka stood up and started walking towards the balcony, generating icy footprints with every step.


    "Besides... these mongrels have dared to harm a member of my sect whom are like m own daughters. I wouldn''t let them go even in 10,000 years."


    With a menacing and authoritative presence, Setsuka stood over the balcony and peered down at her sect from below.


    "ALL DAUGHTERS OF THE DRIFTING SNOWFALL SECT, HEAR ME! SHARPEN YOUR WEAPONS AND PREPARE FOR BATTLE IMMEDIATELY!"