Compromise

"Daddy, isn't the Frost Devil Arts too violent for you? It will require lots of blood... and some cultivators who've cultivated even any type of Devil Arts went crazy with killing."

I looked down only to see Fiona, her face scrunched up with reluctance as if she's fighting an internal battle with herself. She mumbled, "injured... going to get hurt... dangerous."

"Fiona," I said as I squatted and turned her head towards me, looking at her beautiful, glittering eyes. "Trust me. It's going to be alright."

She stared at me, the color of her eyes flickering with the clouds that moved outside bringing forth the mellow colors of the evening sun. We were locked in a staring contest before she dove into my arms.

"Wu, daddy... why is it that everything you do is so unsafe?" Fiona grumbled as she punched my chest, lightly, of course. Else I would've been blown away. It looks like I really need to raise my cultivation base soon, or else when Fiona throws a tantrum or something, I'm going to be in danger. I can't tease her then, as well... that's problematic.

"With great risks comes great rewards," I answered, trying to appease her.

They say third's time the charm and this is the third time she's gotten angry... I hope that she doesn't blast a hole in my chest or freeze me like a popsicle.

Hm, that's actually not that bad of an idea. I can get familiar with ice-type abilities that way as well, experiencing it first hand... no, let's not seek death.

"Fiona wants to try seeking death then."

"Wha-? NO." I grabbed her hand. "Don't you even think about that."

She tilted her head and put a finger on her lip. "Biting off more than one can chew?"

"No. Stop thinking about it."

"THE PAVILION BOOKS ARE AL-" I cut her off and glared at her. Hmph, why is she acting all high and mighty when we both don't have the strength to back it up? Priorities, Fiona, priorities! Stop arguing and let's start cultivating!

"Fiona will act arrogant then." She put herself down and strutted with her head held high and long, elegant strides. Crossing her arms, she said smugly with puffed up cheeks, "hmph, my name is Fiona and I'm the princess of Glendora! Bow to me!"

"Pfft." I tried hard not to laugh. Fiona gloated triumphantly as if she'd done a good favor in talking to a peasant like me.

"Bwahaha!" I laughed, clutching my stomach. "That's not arrogance, that's acting cute..." I said as I wiped a tear from the corner of my eyes.

"Don't laugh in front of me, else it'll be off with your head," Fiona said seriously, drawing a line across her neck.

I grew somber as my face tensed together. "Don't do that, Fiona. I'm serious."

"Mommy does that all the time though," she said while shrugging her shoulders.

"You're not your mother."

"But am your daughter."

"..."

Can I not win in any battle against her right now...? Neither words nor weapons? That makes me kind of sad...

I sighed in defeat. "Let's compromise. What would you like me to do then, Fiona? You're really stabbing me in the foot with this one."

She turned around and grabbed a cultivation method and tossed it at me. I caught it. "This?" I asked.

"You want me to cultivate the Frost Aura Scripture?"

"Fiona won't feel at ease with daddy cultivating Devil Arts. If he likes, he can cultivate it on the side."

"I thought you said that there are consequences if one cultivates different cultivation methods?"

She nodded. "This two together should be fine. They are both ice-element methods, and are both external ways of cultivation so they won't get in the way of one another. Daddy doesn't have to do internal cultivation with his dantian and such. These techniques also don't require any talent or are rare and flashy, so daddy won't draw attention."

... She's thought this through. This might be the best for me, albeit the cultivation speed will be a little bit on the slow side. Bummer. Well, this way is safer for me and will provide Fiona peace of mind, so I guess it evens out.

"We'll do as you say then." I patted her head. "Thank you, Fiona."

"Eheh." She turned her head away, flustered.

So cute.

"Do you want to borrow a technique or something? They seem quite nice, all high-grade and all."

"No, Fiona wants to master the ones she's already learned. Learning too much techniques is bad for you. Besides, the Pavilion only allows for one book or scroll to be borrowed at a time."

"Oh? But we're borrowing two."

She smirked and pulled out the black card from her spiritual ring. "Don't forget we are super VIPs, daddy."

_____________

Fiona led me to the 'checkout area' and dropped the cultivation methods on the table. She slid the card to the old man sitting there. I couldn't see his cultivation base, which worried me, but I didn't dare to search with my spiritual sense thoroughly. I'd heard that other cultivators can feel it, and take it to a large offense. It's morally incorrect as well, uh, peeping at other people's bodies.

His eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the card but regained his composure quickly. "5th tier customers, haven't seen that in a long time. So, duration, for how long?"

"Until it's learned," Fiona replied.

"Return to the same branch?"

"Probably not."

"Mhm. You're borrowing both?" The old man asked, indifferently it seems. He gave me a different feeling though, almost as if he's testing us. Trying to see if the card is real? Or just curious about our, erm, Fiona's identity?

Fiona seemed unconcerned about the impassive old man. She gave him a curt nod. "Is that alright?"

The old man chuckled and pulled out something from under the desk. "I assume that you know how the Pavilion works, little girl."

"Mhm."

Fiona touched what seemed like a crystal ball, and then the two cultivation methods. A blue aura flew out from her fingers at her touch, and she directed it to the card. It seemed as if the books were now bound to her card. Impressive and magical. Quite over the top, too. As expected of the cultivation world.

The blue aura swirled around and settled into the card. Fiona put it back in her spiritual ring and dipped her head to the old man.

"Thank you, sir. We'll be sure to return it as soon as possible." With that, we walked out of the pavilion.

Inside, the old man's eyes followed the girl and the man out the exit. "A girl of around ten years of age with a black card... there's only two. The grandmaster's daughter and... the princess of Glendora. I'd thought both of them were in the Azure Frost Kingdom..." he murmured to himself.

He glared at the crystal ball. "Damn rules, how I wish to see track her spiritual essence... sigh, working as the branch master really is annoying."

"Darce." He called out, and a shadow appeared behind him. "Which of the two do you think she is?"

"The princess of Glendora." The voice replied softly. "The grandmaster's daughter's element is wind, not ice. Plus, Princess Fiona is supposedly engaged to the Azure Frost. It would make sense if she were to learn and cultivate ice-element methods in order to get close to him."

The old man scratched his beard. "That would mean that the man beside her is... her adored father? He wasn't so weak if I recall. Barely starting his cultivation."

"He did disappear for a year. During that time, the Pavillion Head had assigned me to search for him, but to no avail."

"That old geezer still wants me to hold this position, huh... How boring." The old man sighed. "You go follow them, then. Report any interesting information, especially about the man."

"Yes, sir." The voice answered, and a shadow darted through a window.

The old man sat in the chair with a loud creak. "Princess Fiona, her father, the Azure Frost of the North, and Glendora of the East... it seems like another storm is brewing with the powerhouses of the continent."