Meanwhile, in one of the areas of the high-ranking families of Gray Clouds Sect, three beautiful women were drinking spiritual tea while chatting.
"Is it true what they are saying? Does the sect master want to give his position to that Minos Stuart? An outsider?" One of them, a black-haired woman, asked while looking at her friend across the table.
The other woman there, also looking at the blonde woman who had her eyes closed at the moment, then said. "That is very unfair! The older sister battled Maisie neck to neck for decades, and now this Minos comes along and takes everything. What is the sect master thinking?"
The black-haired one nodded. "Hmm, it's bizarre. This Minos doesn't know anything about us. And from what I've heard, he's a barbarian who loves battles and licks the blood of his enemies on the blade of his sword!"
"Yes!" The young brunette agreed. "I've heard that he enjoys the suffering of others and has even forced a family to commit collective suicides in the Brown Kingdom! Do you believe that? How can a fanatic like him lead us? Even Lance seems to have suffered with him."
"A coward with delusions of grandeur and who loves the blood of the weakest..." Finally, the blond-haired woman said as she smelled the sweet aroma of her tea. "Is that the truth? I heard that he is already at level 62. But I remember that Maisie was pregnant with him just a few decades ago..."
She opened her eyes and looked at the garden next to where they were. "I was already a level 60 back then, but even so, I only reached level 71, while he didn't cultivate for half the time and still reached level 62..."
"Is he truly a coward like Lance says?" She asked her friends and supporters.
The sect had three major candidates to succeed Oswald in Maisie's generation. Among them was Minos' mother, Lance, and that blonde, Ivory Moss.
Maisie had always been the favorite because of her superior talents to these people older than her and her relationship with Oswald. But Lance and Ivory, although the blonde did better during the competition with Minos' mother, did not have a big difference in terms of support on those days.
Ivory was quite different from Maisie in terms of profile, and this only intensified as time passed. So she attracted more of those who did not want Oswald's daughter in the position of sect master.
On the other hand, Lance was not so different from Maisie in terms of goals. Still, he had the support of his family, which was focused on producing spiritual arrays, important defense mechanisms for this sect.
At the time of the competition with Maisie, Ivory was stronger than Lance. Also, the sect was not going through a time of need for defensive items. Thus, her influence was more significant than his, and she had more opportunities to 'duel' against Minos' mother.
The situation had changed with the war against the Saints Killing Sect and the difference in levels between them diminished. Therefore, currently, Lance was potentially Minos' biggest competitor, not Ivory, who had been Maisie's most prominent challenger.
Anyway, Ivory knew this and was in doubt about the rumors that Lance's group had started spreading the night before.
One of her friends then answered her question. "Him being talented doesn't change his personality! It is a fact that he is a violent monster terrorizing the northern region!"
"Tsk!"
"He has much more affinity with the damn Saints Killing Sect than with us!" The other said as she made a disgruntled expression.
"It could be..." Ivory commented as she remembered the information she had gotten about Minos and Maisie. 'The two are quite different and have several problems.' Her eyes narrowed. 'Maybe I can use that to my advantage to get closer to him!'
Meanwhile, her two friends continued to discuss how terrible Minos was, making him look like a dreadful monster who would scare little children.
...
Sometime later, Minos finished his negotiation with the woman from earlier, with whom he had reached an agreement that needed to be approved by her superiors.
After this, he and his wives left that store intending to continue doing business, to buy items for the Black Plain, and to get to know more of this place.
Unfortunately for the peace of that family, they were barred by a group of high-level Spiritual Kings and low-level Spiritual Emperors who wanted to approach them.
"Minos, you dictator! Free the northern region!"
"That's right. We don't like people like you!"
"Long live democracy!"
"Minos, I love you! Give me your children!"
"Man, you are indeed outstanding... Want to have a friendly match with me?"
Several people approached them, while the vast majority were silent, merely watching them with smiles or severe looks on their faces.
Minos heard those things and laughed while his wives, particularly Abby, looked in the direction of the woman who had said those absurd words.
'What a bitch! How does someone have the nerve to say things like that?' Abby made a deadly serious expression, feeling that she should beat that person up.
She could not do anything against the women Minos decided to relate to. But some random stranger, well, that was different!
This queen was already oppressing women who had access to Minos, forcing subordinates in her organization to dress discreetly and keep their distance from the King. At the same time, she prohibited certain unfit attitudes from happening in her state. So it would not be a person from the Empire who would stop her from armoring her husband!
While Minos was laughing at the idiots calling him a dictator and demanding the independence of an area they had never visited, he heard something that ended his mood.
"Minos Stuart, I challenge you to a fight!" A young blond man said this in a heroic tone. "Miss Miles deserves someone better than you, a man who won't humiliate her the way you do!"
Ruth looked in the direction of that person along with Minos, readily recognizing one of the men who ran after her in her time in this sect.
"Garrick? What do you think you're talking about?" She asked, looking at him, a childhood friend who had become another of the many interested in her.
To his misfortune, Minos had taken this woman's 'heart' for himself before he could genuinely approach her!
Garrick and Ruth had an age difference of only one year. At the time Minos met her, she was only 18, and he was 19 and still thought he would have plenty of time to try to get close to her.
Unfortunately for him, he had taken too long, and by the time he had worked up the courage to ask her out, Ruth had already realized her crush on Minos.
Because of this, he had come to this situation, becoming frustrated but still having Ruth as the 'goddess' of his life, whom he wanted to 'serve.'
"Who is this goofball?" Minos asked.
...
