When they came out from the other room, everyone was dressed in their lovely new dresses representing the Forbidden Treasure Sect and looking like the sort of virtuous maidens who would get along well with the Lotus Blossom Sect.
"I believe that Elder Ling will be leading a group into the city this morning if you want to go with them," Penny suggested, having overheard the Disciples talking last night.
"We can go with them if they agree, or we can go alone to explore the city at our own pace. The decision is up to you ladies." Cain agreed while working with the Record Keeper to adjust his aura.
That sort of illusion was child's play to the greater demon, and a simple act like hiding his power level, or the nature of his power was no problem at all. Cain wanted to keep any of the Immortals that they met from seeing through his disguise as a Magic-type cultivator and realizing that he was, in fact, just an ancient in disguise.
That would not go over well here, from what Cain understood about this world being under the purview of the Human Gods, and it would be a tragedy if his nature got his disciples in trouble as well.
Once both of them were satisfied that his aura was properly tweaked, and could be instantly adjusted to something more threatening if there was an issue, Cain nodded to the girls, who were looking out of the tent with an expectant look.
Elder Ling was already headed their way, with a large group of the Inner Disciples, some of the strongest that the Sect had brought with them here, and a small cart carrying items that must be too bulky for their storage rings.
The System Inventory only needed one spot per item or a stack of identical items, and a storage ring worked on total volumes, like the enchanted chests that Cain used to keep miscellaneous items in his inventory.
"Greetings to the Forbidden Treasures Sect. I see now why you chose that name, they truly are lovely aren't they?" Elder Ling asked.
"They truly are. And they're off-limits. I know what men are like." Cain joked, making the Elder laugh along with him.
"Let's go see the city. The first day of lectures is today, but they won't start until after lunch, so you can go check out the signs from everyone who has arranged a spot to teach from, as well as check out the vendors in advance before the crowds get really crazy later this week." Elder Ling informed them.
"How long does this run for, if it only starts getting busy later in the week?" Cain asked curiously.
"An entire season, every other year. You came at the perfect time, especially if you're looking to teach your followers a wide range of eclectic techniques. You will have the maximum amount of time, and you are free to stay with us as long as you like, we will be here for the duration."
"I do appreciate that. I'm not sure how long we will be here for, but I would like to see what sort of event they have organized, and Luna wants to know all about the new types of food."
Luna looked offended for a moment, then just shrugged in acceptance. He wasn't wrong, that was the part of visiting the city that she was the most interested in. The people they had met so far had all been envious of even simple items, and they only trained in one set of identical skills for the entire Sect, so it was a bit like having shown up to the wrong Class's gathering, only to find out that not only were they not your class, they were all broke and boring.
People at home were way more interesting, they all had different classes, there was new food in every city that they visited, and she could wrap Cain instead of walking. All in all, this new world was pretty underwhelming, even if there were some shining moments where she found fun things to do.
The sight of so many women together drew everyone's attention as they walked through the gathering of Sects outside the city itself, and Cain got a rather devious thought. If he just transformed, he could blend right in with the group, and the idiots who were giving thirsty looks until they spotted him would lose their visual deterrent.
He was absolutely certain that it would end in violence, and the more he had to put up with them leering in his general direction, the more appealing violence became.
"There really aren't a lot of female cultivators are there?" Cain asked Elder Ling.
"In total, about one for every four men. At the lower levels, the numbers are closer, but many give up the path of cultivation in order to grow old with their mortal family, or suffer a traumatic experience that makes them retreat from the world." The Elder shrugged, turning her warning glare at another group of cultivators, these ones shirtless and in tight leather pants.
Every Sect seemed to pick an outfit that matched their technique, either in element or in personality, so Cain wondered what sort of technique those guys were training, or if it was just a one-off among the crowds of loose-fitting robes.
Cain listened in on their thoughts to get his answer and found that they were a form of Rangers. They specialized in whips and archery and trained a variety of beasts to assist them. That explained the outfits. Many magical beasts had uncomfortable hides, and a casual rub from them could tear the soft cloth robes.
"You look distracted, Mister Cain." Elder Ling whispered as they walked.
"Sorry, I had a funny thought, and got lost in it for a moment," Cain replied, and she gave him an interested look.
"If I disguised myself as a twin to one of my Disciples, do you think the idiots would still turn away as fast, or do you think the ladies would get a chance to let out some frustrations?" Cain whispered back.
"That's both funny and evil. I can almost guarantee there would be a fight. They don't recognize your sect, for now, so they don't know if it's a blended sect or an all-female one. But if they only saw women, they would assume that you were a small sect under our protection, and they would definitely act more brashly." Elder Ling informed him.
"No picking fights out here. They turn into a huge spectacle, with every Sect in the area coming to watch and referee the battle, and a penalty being imposed on the loser. That's why everyone outside the city walls moves around in the largest group that they can." One of the disciples told him, clearly not interested in a fight first thing in the morning.
"You could make Elder Ling a Jade Beauty though. I would pay good money to see the first time an old pervert tried to make a move on her." One of the others chuckled softly, assuming that it was too low for the Elders to hear.
She was mistaken, and the look that Elder Ling gave her was enough that even Cain thought he felt the air turn frigid, despite the woman not releasing any energy.
Their luck didn't hold forever though, and as Elder Ling led them around a large group of Gold Robed Cultivators, a loud voice called out to stop them.
"I don't think it's safe for so many pretty ladies to travel without companions. Why don't you just stop right there and let us have a real good look?" The balding man announced, stepping out in front of them with a group of lackeys.
"I know I am particularly lovely, but I don't think that your concern is warranted," Cain told the man, making the nearby cultivators from other sects burst into laughter at the bald man's expense.
Cain stepped to the front of the group, with the peach sash at his waist fluttering and the gossamer black coat showing off a finely toned torso, covered in tattoos. Elder Ling was certain that some of them weren't in the same position she had seen them in yesterday, but passed it off as her memory failing her in this moment of tension.
"And who might you think you are to challenge us? Head Disciple of a group of weaklings and children who need the protection of a group of Lesbians." The bald man sneered.
"Oh man, he is so screwed." Luna laughed, drawing amused glances from the bystanders.
Cain didn't feel threatened in the least, but in a place like this, that was also a bad thing. When threatened, the usual response was to puff up and try to make yourself seem more threatening so the opponent would back down. If you didn't at least try, it usually meant that you didn't even consider them worth your attention, and would almost always make things worse.
"Ladies, do you recall how I showed you the introductory technique of [Flame Arrows] last night?" Cain asked, looking back at the Lotus Blossom Disciples.
"Yes, Mister Cain." The nearest few responded.
"This unfortunate-looking fellow seems to want to volunteer to test it. Should we not thank him for his selfless sacrifice?" Cain asked.
This was what the crowd had been waiting for, the trash-talking and veiled insults, the true weapons of an argument between cultivators.
The bald man had a much shorter temper than expected and instantly attacked when Cain called him unfortunate looking, with the first strike flying past Cain's rapidly evading body even as Cain finished his question.
Using [Versatility] to increase [Flame Arrows] to Spirit Rank, Cain sent the maximum of one Arrow per level at the attacker, whose arms turned to a blur of motion as he frantically tried to parry them with his twin short swords.
Cain varied the targets, making the man spin, twirl, and jump in an intricate dance to avoid death, while the crowd cheered at the spectacle. When the barrage ended, Cain gave a grand bow at the man who was now nearly thirty meters away, thanks to his efforts to avoid the arrows.
"After [Flame Arrow] would come [Fireball] It is much more versatile as it explodes at the target destination," Cain explained to the ladies of the Lotus Blossom Sect, who laughed at the unfortunate cultivator as his friends grabbed him and frantically pulled him away.
Cain hadn't hit the man one single time, but that wasn't the point. The crowd had gotten the point of the lesson, and they were happily throwing coins at Cain's feet.
When they stopped and the attention turned back to what they were doing, the Disciples picked up the coins, filling their empty pockets with some spending money for the day.
"So that's how impromptu lessons go? Maybe this place is more fun than I thought." Luna told Elder Ling, who only shook her head at the girl's naive outlook on life.
"It doesn't go nearly as well if you're not as strong as the one who challenged you. Stay in the group until we're in the city and under the protection of the guardians and don't attract attention at any time. Your father is our shield, he can be outlandish to drive people away, but it's not good if anyone else does it." Elder Ling explained softly.
Luna made a note of that. Strength is the great difference between a moment of amusement and a bad ending. That was valuable insight.
