Cassandra's Decision (2)

Shui didn't actually intend on killing all of Cassandra's maids if she refused to surrender, but it was true that he wouldn't be merciful if they decided to attack him after hearing of her death. Still, it would be troublesome in many ways if he killed Cassandra at this time, so he planned on making her go 'missing' while he stayed in the manor. Her maids would likely suspect him, but as long as there was no evidence, he would be able to enter the Spirit Sanctuary. 

However, Cassandra couldn't be completely certain of his thoughts, so she had to keep the worst-case scenario in mind. Her motive for wanting to get rid of him was so that he didn't become a stain on Kate's purity, and from their interactions so far, she didn't think there was anything to worry about for the time being so she could afford to take her time. Unfortunately, Shui would certainly be thorough if she agreed to an oath, so it would be nearly impossible to interfere in the future. 

Still searching for a way to get out of this predicament, Cassandra posed a question.

"Say I agree to make this oath; what are you going to do if Kate finds out? Surely it won't look good if she learns that you made me submit to you."

"You might be right, but I'll handle that if the time comes. You just need to worry about your answer. Now, that's enough delaying. If the next thing that comes out of your mouth isn't an answer, then I'll have to take action at my own discretion."

Though he appeared to have her in check, Shui couldn't be sure that Cassandra didn't have a trump card to turn this around, so he didn't want to give any more time. Cassandra was also reaching the limits of her imagination, but as she thought about the girls whose affection she held, even the hatred she felt for Shui settled.

"...Fine, this is your win. I won't bother you anymore, but that doesn't mean I'll become your slave either."

"Don't worry. As long as I can ensure the safety of myself and Kate, I don't plan on imposing too much on you. Now, as for the specifics regarding the oath,"

After explaining the exact terms he wanted in the oath, Cassandra grimaced but agreed since he didn't touch her bottom line. Once Shui had confirmed that she made the oath, he asked about his friends in the manor. While she wasn't totally restricted from lying, if he asked her a question, then she had to answer honestly.

"So quick to take advantage of your position, I see. Kate, Reinhart, and Luke are all out training or on missions. It seems they didn't expect for you to return so soon. It's a similar story for those two friends of yours in the inner section, but they left more recently, so it'll take some time before they return. As for your ex-girlfriend, I hear that she's been meeting with Clyde, who returned a week earlier."

Cassandra didn't bother to hide the fact that she had been monitoring everyone who was in contact with Shui, and he didn't bother getting upset over it either. It was a bit of a shame that there was no one in the manor to celebrate his return with, but he quickly got over that disappointment. As it involved Clyde, it wasn't hard for Shui to figure out who Cassandra was calling his ex-girlfriend, but he didn't plan on making a fuss about it. He would leave the city regardless, so it was better if she had someone she could be comfortable around in the long run.

"Keep me updated. I'll be cultivating at home."

"If I feel like it."

Cassandra appeared to be especially callous in her tone after swearing the oath, but since he was sure she couldn't threaten him, Shui didn't let this get under his skin.

A few hours later, news spread that Shui had returned after successfully completing his mission. The elder who had verified the completion of Shui's mission didn't realise that he had met Shui until it was time for him to switch with the next elder, and the next elder pointed it out after hearing his report.

"A subdragon egg from the Merulla Region? Are you sure that wasn't Shui?"

"Shui? What do you- Ah! That was him! I couldn't see his face, so, but why couldn't I see his face? Why didn't that bother me?"

"Are you okay?"

The elder was struck by confusion once the hypnosis was lifted, but it would clear after he took some time to rest. The disciples who had been in the vicinity at the time of Shui's arrival also didn't recognise him, but that was because he was hiding his appearance from them, not due to hypnosis, so they didn't have the same symptoms. Once everyone heard that Shui had returned and had successfully completed his mission, it was the hottest topic inside the inner section. 

It was rumoured that he had died in the incident at Garakil, so most were surprised to hear that he returned with his mission complete. However, there were some who tried to spread doubt regarding the completion of his mission. Given that there was such a commotion in Garakil, they said that it was hard to believe Shui was able to make it back unharmed. They even suggested that the egg Shui brought back was either fake or not from the Merulla Region. However, that would mean that the on-duty elder had failed in his job, and although the Mater faction held much sway, it wasn't enough for the elder to lie just out of fear that he might offend them.

Once the elder confirmed that the egg was real, the matter was essentially settled there. Mater didn't give an official order to prevent Shui from becoming a core disciple, so the elders supporting him couldn't make too overt a move, especially with Core Elder Ren backing Shui. In the end, it was decided to leave Shui be for the time being while they made preparations for the upcoming tournament and opening of the Spirit Nest.

Meanwhile, Shui settled down in his residence and started meditating. He had stopped early since he had his mission to deal with, but now that he had about two months of free time, he wanted to practice forming a connection with the land. On the surface, it seemed like a simple application of spiritual sense that allowed him to listen and feel everything that happened on the ground, but his intuition told him that there was more to it.

He spread the tendrils of his spiritual sense into the ground while trying to cover as much space as possible. Like the roots of a great tree, his spiritual sense covered the ground beneath his room and then the house and eventually the manor as well. And so time went by until the three-month period of the Core Disciple Selection was over.