(MC POV)
After the shocking news that Sect Master Qing had given me, I quickly guided my sisters through the Sect and introduced them to the interesting parts of it.
They were considerably awed and kept referring to the place as my Sect despite me repeatedly correcting them about it. The fact that every Sect member we came across was extremely respectful to me didn't help matters either.
In the end, I just got tired of repeatedly correcting them so I left it at that.
With that done, I had them follow me back to my room so that I could tell them what I had intended to do with them by inviting them here, thinking I could also go through the work Sect Master Qing left for me at the same time.
I realised how naive I was when I entered the room to see the place completely flooded with letters, gift boxes, books and various alchemical and cultivation materials.
"Oh, welcome back Master," Lian Li greeted me when I entered. "I was just finishing up sorting through the things. I've got the letters arranged from each of the individual Sects, Kiyomi and Eris are organizing the gifts while Brendan and Diao Chan are recording down where each gift came from."
"Tea, Master?" Manami asked, offering said tea that she had brewed just moments ago.
I took the cup from her with a kiss as thanks before sipping it, enjoying the taste of both the tea and her lips.
Yep, having disciples is great.
"Papa! Huggies?" Cai Hong pleaded with sparkling eyes while both her hands were making grasping motions at me.
I placed my teacup down and lifted my little dragon up to cuddle my chest, Cai Hong giggling and hugging my neck. Adopting a loli dragon daughter is great too.
"So what do we have?" I asked Lian Li.
"Umm… Almost all of the Grand Sects had sent something… Phoenix Sect, Hawk Sect, Heavenly Sword Sect… There are even more from Minor Sects… Crouching Dragon Sect, Sky Penetrator Sect, Four Hundred and Twenty Blaze Sect, Electric Boogaloo and some other weirdly named Sects…"
I think we need some association up that manages the names of Sects because some of those definitely don't sound like what a Sect would call themselves.
"Though most of these are political gifts to help them get out of Guiying's purge… There were a few 'thank you' gifts by the Sects that participated in the war as well," Lian Li continued.
"Thank me? For what? Wasn't Elaria the one who brought reinforcements at the last moment to save everyone?" I pointed out.
Lian Li smiled at me, "Master… I believe we can all agree that without your influence, Elaria would not have been able to pull that off. Also, I believe you had single handedly stopped a calamity that was prophesied to befall on the land, yes?"
Well… I had help for that one but there's no way I'm telling them I had an army of monsters there too.
I shrugged and decided I should just start from the bigger Sects and work my way downwards.
"Which one is from Phoenix Sect?"
Lian Li picked a letter that seemed to be embroidered in gold before passing it to me.
I inspected the embroidery, "Huh. They used a letter that is embroidered using actual Phoenix feathers, that's quite extravagant of them."
Manami glanced over my shoulder, "Ara, ara? They must be especially desperate then. I hear they only have a handful of those and only the Sect Master himself is allowed to make use of them."
Diao Chan nodded, "I believe counting this one, they have only sent three such letters in the entire history of their Sect. One of them was to the founding King of Beiyang and another one to the hero that slayed the demon lord."
I swivelled my head to my Witch, "There was a hero and a Demon Lord? When?"
She blinked at me, "About… twelve years ago? I don't remember the hero's name since he didn't want his name to be recorded, but the event was written within the historical annals within the Sect, Master."
How did I not know about this? Twelve years ago… So I was like… Ten? Well, that was before I became a Master or even admitted into Heaven Sect for that matter. Ah… It's probably when I lost my memories. It's still interesting that this event was not talked about either.
Oh well, who cares?
I looked back down at the letter and cracked it open to read its contents.
"'Dear Master Lin, warmest greetings to your most benevolent blah blah blah… We are awed at your blah blah… Circumstances forced us to reject the Queen's call and blah blah blah… All of us at Phoenix Sect would be indebted to you if you could speak up for us blah blah… Yours, Sect Master Feng.' Wow he really talks a lot."
"They also sent this, Master," Brendan spoke up, passing me a quite elaborately decorated box.
Opening it without much thought, I peered inside to see two whole Phoenix Embers. Not two petals, but two of the entire flower. I had to remind myself about its worth in this Plane instead of its other worth as Practitioner Droppings in the higher Planes.
"Ohhh~ They're pretty, Onii-sama!" Elaria exclaimed, not knowing what these are.
The fact that they actually went to send two of these incredibly rare flowers means they must really hope that I accept huh? It must have cost them an arm and a leg to get these so they must be pulling out all the stops for it.
"Hmmm? Only two? That doesn't seem very sincere… Guess they aren't really that desperate after all," Lian Li muttered, apparently not thinking so.
"This is a Phoenix Ember, Lian Li. Isn't giving two of these sincere enough?" I pointed out.
She shook her head, "Would Master think that your securing Master's Sect's existence is worth just two of these Phoenix Embers?"
"Hmm… I guess not. Still, Sect Master Feng is a relatively nice guy so I suppose we'll see. Kind of weird they went with the embroidered letter but a lacklustre gift."
The girls looked at one another but said nothing.
I picked up another letter, this one just written on plain paper this time.
"Hawk Sect?" I asked.
"That is correct, Master. They have also sent this with it," Lian Li confirmed, presenting a book to me.
"Huh… They're actually willing to give away their Sect's founding manual for Techniques?"
"I did a check just now, Master," Kiyomi informed me. "It's not the original one and had signs of tempering. I believe they had edited the book's contents in some way, probably using some inferior Technique manual and disguising it to look like their founding manual."
"Cool, maybe I'll take a look at it and send them the corrected version, hahaha!" I laughed heartily, chucking their unopened letter aside.
Two misses on the Grand Sects so far, that's not looking good for them at all.
"Master, you might want to take a look at this one," Lian Li suggested, handing me another letter that had an elaborate wax seal on it.
I recognised the seal as the Heavenly Sword Sect's seal.
Curious as to why Lian Li would point this one out directly, I broke the seal and glanced through its contents.
"'Master Lin blah blah… Hope this letter finds you well blah blah… Hopefully our offered servant could please… blah blah' Wait, what?"
I looked up at Lian Li in disbelief.
She nodded, "They aren't the only ones, we made all of them wait in the corner of the courtyard. I think it would be a good idea to go through everything first before you went to address them, Master."
Ugh… And I just got back from vacation too… Why is there so much work for me now?
I should have just taken up Queen Guiying's offer and stayed there longer…
