The heads gather

The qi suppressing Gu once consumed would stop the persons ability to use the qi within their body but it would not stop them from being able to continue using their qi art to gather more qi and refine it further.

Unlike the vitality gu it was a less lethal Gu but was dangerous if consumed by a martial artist who was undergoing a life and death battle.

If they could not use their qi and their palm or fist arts that utilise the qi in their bodies then they would be greatly weakened in combat.

For example if Marilyn wished to use her evil flame palm arts with the flame qi enveloping her hand then she would not be able to create a layer of qi around her hand if she had consumed the Gu worm and it had been given orders to suppress her use of qi.

If someone tried to use their qi and were stopped by the Gu worm qi would immediately become aware of it and would have to investigate the reason for them trying to do so in order to quickly solve any problems without revealing their status as a hidden divine ice sect member in training.

Soon the vials were sent to each person for them to consume along with instructions on how they should be careful of how they act and not to provoke any unnecessary troubles in the future.

After they were all sent out, Ki was able to focus on her research once more until she was needed again.

The week passed by quickly and a conference was being held within the main room of the mansion.

All heads of each department or organisation were sat in a circle around a round table and Ki was then among them.

Each person wore a mask that covered their face so that they concealed themselves from the others that weren't aware of their identity previously.

For example Marilyn, the reaper and Rashida concealed their identity from others because there were some people that were working under Ki that still did not know of their identities and they could not reveal themselves because of their individual role.

Nox and the reapers were organisations that were under Ki's direct command but their allegiance was still hidden from the outside world so their identities could not be overly exposed while the blood shadow group had always been a user of both mystical arts and blood sects martial arts so they could not be exposed so often because of their identity as a private elite group and their use of the blood sects martial arts.

The same was true for others so it was best to begin wearing masks during their entrance into the village as they are escorted to the mansion to protect their identity from the others.

On one seat there was a man skull mask on his face which was the reaper the leader of the reapers, another by his side was Marilyn the leader of Nox who wore a black mask with a grey flame emblem on it and Rashida the leader of the blood shadow group sat beside her and wore a black mask with a red blood drop under one of the eyes.

Ki wore a white mask that had a mulberry tree pattern on it, to her right sat Leon who had been appointed the leader of the white wolf elite group who wore a white wolf mask and to her left Evie the head of the treasury wore a plain green mask.

Sitting by each other was Rayleigh the leader of the entertainment halls who wore a icy blue mask with a white crystal marking on the forehead and Lumi who's role had yet to be decided who wore a icy blue mask with a white moon marking on the forehead.

Isaac the head strategist wore a plain black mask and next to him Miranda the head of the business and politics division wore a plain golden mask and finally there was another person with a white mask with an eye marking on the forehead.

The masked person with the eye marking was Spencer Riddel who was the newly appointed head of the law department who had grown up and proved his ability to take up the role.

After studying in the orphanage within the village, he had entered the law department and proven himself time and again until he was appointed as the leader as he had turned seventeen years of age.

Although his martial arts were a little lacking compared to the others in the room, he had made many contributions investigating suspicious people who had entered the village during the time of the northern invasion after the divine ice sect had fallen.

Each person was either the head of one of the divisions that worked for the family or were a leader of one of the secret business groups or organisations that directly served under Ki and not involved with anything connected to the family.

The first thing Ki did as the group gathered together was push a jade box forward that contained several pills. "The first thing I wish to bring up right now is to help the leaders of every division or organisation to increase their strength. I have acquired some qi boosting pills that will assist everyone in training until you can reach are able to become a peak martial artist."

She turned to Marilyn and Rashida and then continued. "You two will not need to use this because of the nature of your qi art and the current level of your martial arts."

She then removed the lid and then walked around the room and placed a pill in front of everyone else but the younger members. 'The reaper, Isaac, Lumi, Rayleigh and Spencer are in need of the qi boosting pills effects the most right now and I can keep the rest for when Evie and Leon have grown a little more.'

She turned to the slightly smaller duo and spoke to them. "I have one each for you both when you are ready to use it. For now keep training and gaining more experience."

Ki then turned to Miranda who had been left out and contemplated for some time and then spoke. "After the meeting is over I will talk to you about a way to increase your strength."

It wasn't that Ki had neglected her on purpose but it was that she was older in age than the others and she would not gain much from practicing martial arts as it would interrupt most of her duties.

After leaving things as they are for so long, Ki could not feel at ease leaving her to perform her duties as the head of her department without sufficient ways to protect herself.

Having guards placed on her could increase her chances of survival in the world but there will always be a situation where she will have to meet with someone one on one or enter someone else's territory to broker a deal so she is in need of a way to protect herself.

Miranda nodded as she understood Ki's worries a little so did not display any signs of rejection.

Over the years she had nursed herself back to the peak of her health after taking many tonics prepared by Ki but that did not mean that she was in a condition to endure harsh training in order to catch up to the others strength along with completing her own tasks everyday.

Ki then turned to Rayleigh and spoke. "I hope you have kept your word and not spread your martial arts to those I am not aware of because we cannot risk exposing you right now. If you have then let me know immediately so I can take measures to stop them from exposing their status."

Rayleigh shrugged and spoke coldly. "Of course not. I am keeping to the contract so you do not have to worry."

Ki thought for a moment and then spoke. "As for other matters concerning your current status and your business affairs I will invest some more money into stabilising your current businesses and will also purchase some buildings under your name to build some inns and taverns to expand a little. There will also be the matter of setting up your identity and place of living so we will sort that out soon whether it be where you will move to and what title you will be given along with who will be joining you to act as your family."

Rayleigh nodded and then turned her head away as she knew Ki was finished with her for now.

Although Rayleigh had been training diligently she had yet to reach the first rate martial artist realm just like Lumi but she was very close and once they consumed the qi boosting pill they would soon reach the peak realm if they put in enough effort to fully absorb its effects.

Unlike Lumi who could stay by Ki's side and had yet to have a role, Rayleigh needed an identity to mask herself behind when she had to appear in public in the future or at least someone who could act as her mediators until she can appear in public and not be at risk.

The best way Ki and Isaac had decided to take was to create a fake noble or merchant family.

While the parents or guardians that Ki would select to fulfil the role as a mediator and placeholder for Rayleigh, their only purpose was to provide a way for Rayleigh to act as she pleases and train until she reaches the proper age to inherit her share of the businesses under her name.

For now most of her current businesses are currently under the family name Meira.