[RSM] Chapter 95. One for the Road (Patreon)

Tundra's senses could feel the little vibrations of their flying ship as it made their way to the White Striped Tiger Temple's home city of Fangara, or sometimes called Tigerstone. They still had another day, and he could feel the presence of Dorith Vulner and his party on the guest section of their flying ship. They offered the use of their flying ship, as the Storm Peaks did not have one. 

They would have had to charter the services of a luxury flying ship, and that would cost a nice pill or two. Something Dorith Vulner could afford, for sure, but it is an unnecessary expense. It would've been more helpful if the pill was used for one of his disciples. 

It was not polite to probe on his guests, so Tundra's spiritual presence didn't get close. It hovered right outside of their range, and then let them be.

His senses moved around the rest of the flying ship and sensed his own disciples, resting and meditating. Some were giving themselves a pep talk. Some of them were reading. Yerra and Sam were both talking and taking regular looks out of the small window.  

His senses then moved to the rest of the entourage. The visitors. His daughter, Anna, and his granddaughter, Annaly, both came along for the ride, while the rest of his descendants elected to stay home. Annaly was taking a nap, while Anna talked to Yavin and Julia. Yavin and Julia were both the designated 'elders' for this trip to the White Striped Tiger, and there, they would have to learn to act and behave in the presence of a true Great Challenger Sect. 

Great Challenger Sect or Great Pretender Sects were sects with a history of ninth-realm sect masters. Sects that were close to the tenth realm Great Sects, but still short of a step. That one last insurmountable gap. 

Then, to his wife. Celestia slept quietly on the bed provided. Her body was drenched in sweat from cultivation together. Even though she reached the fifth realm, the weight and presence of elemental truths still drained her significantly. She shifted briefly, and then got up. 

"I felt your spiritual presence." Celestia said with a slight slur, as if she had not fully woken from her rest. 

"Oh?" Tundra smiled, a little amused. One of the great advantages of bloodlines were their innate sensitivity to spiritual presences. Many spiritual beasts relied on their sharp spiritual senses to survive out in the world, and it is partially inherited by those who took their blood within them. "And I thought I was being careful."

Celestia pouted, she seemed unsure whether he was teasing her, or praising her for picking up on his spiritual presence. 

"Did I wake you?"

"A little." Celestia crawled out of bed in her nightdress and sat next to him. "We're arriving tomorrow, yes?" 

"Yes." 

"Is there something you want to do?"

Tundra blinked and shook his head. Not tonight. "No."

His wife peeked out of the window and noticed the strong winds. The lights were dim, and she yawned. Even if cultivators needed less rest as they went up in strength, sleep was still a restorative act that rested the body and reduced one's spiritual load. "I'm going back to sleep, rest, husband." 

"Alright."

She tapped her hands on his. "It'll be alright. Let's sleep."

Tundra paused briefly. The winds howled outside as the flying ship made their way to their destination. He realized his wife was right. 

***

The White Striped Tiger Temple located itself on a gigantic mountain composed primarily of a kind of mostly white stone, and it is said their founder, Tangara the Great, saw that the mountain resembled a crouching tiger from afar, and thus decided to create a sect centered at this very mountain.

They also later started breeding Wartigers at the heart of the tiger-shaped mountain. So, despite the tiger-shaped names, the Wartigers of the Sect were introduced many, many thousands of years ago from another location, but they have made this place home. Later on, through the contributions of many different sect masters, one of those Wartiger compounds developed into the Forest of the Thousand Rainbow Wartigers.

It is hard to tell now what was originally there, because the White Striped Tiger changed the land so much. Each sect master added to the features of the mountain and today, the entire mountain took the shape and form of a White Striped Tiger. 

The once jagged rocks were smoothed out, and many of the mountain's white stone cut into shape. 

It was honestly a beautiful sight, and Tundra actually never visited the White Striped Tiger Temple. So this place was genuinely new to him. 

The city of Fangara, that serviced the needs of the White Striped Tiger Temple, emerged around the great Tiger Mountain, while Tiger Mountain was turned into a fortress. Over the many centuries, the sect built into the mountain, through a series of tunnels and passageways. 

"Lord Gurdra Black, pleased to meet you again." Both Dorith Vulner and Tundra Fox both stepped off the flying ship at the same time, and greeted the Great Elder. The man was respectful, though Tundra sensed as if he wasn't too pleased to see them. "Thank you for receiving us." 

"Lord Fox, Lord Vulner. Welcome. I heard of your little trips to meet that self-proclaimed Crown Prince." Gurdra Black went for the assault almost immediately, so much that Tundra paused for a split second.

"Ah, it was nothing substantial, don't think too much of it. I went at the invitation of Duke Thunderstone of the Scarlet Thunder, as one of his invited guests." 

"Oh. I see." That seemed to change Gurdra Black's expression slightly. "It sounds like no real concessions were made?"

"Not at all." Tundra answered, and decided to see whether the White Striped Tiger had something to offer. "To be frank, my main motivation was to meet the Prince for myself and see what sort of man he is, and also, to meet the two Sect Masters of the Great Sects." 

"Oh?" Gurdra Black genuinely looked interested, but he was in thought. They were affiliated, as a sect, to the Snow Dragon Temple led by one of Tundra's peers, the rather ruthless Patriarch Whitedragon. That was a man that didn't care for little formalities like meeting lower ranked sect masters, and often delegated the task to his many descendants. "And how do you judge what you see?"

Tundra smiled. "It is not polite to say too much and comment on the royal family's behavior, but I did see enough to form an impression." 

"It is wise that you are a little careful when speaking about the Royal Family, Lord Fox." Grand Elder Gurdra Black said. The door opened and the two Sect Masters were led into a separate hallway. "But I must say, you're not careful enough when dealing with them."

Tundra acknowledged that fact, and decided it was wise to play the fool. "You are quite right there, Elder Black. I am frequently caught unprepared for imperial summons and royal incidents, often pulled along by forces outside of my will. I would truly appreciate some tips on how to better serve our Imperial Masters."

"Picking a master is quite like picking a wife, Lord Fox. Pick a good one and stay loyal." The elder said firmly.

That was a bit of humor Tundra wasn't quite prepared for, so he genuinely blinked and then chuckled. "You have quite a good sense of humor, Lord Black."

"Humor is but an attempt to coat the truth in a more acceptable form." 

Tundra smiled. The man was incisive in some ways. Most alchemists had to be. Dealing with alchemical materials required clear, realistic thinking. It often bled into the way they conducted with the world.

The rest of the lower ranked elders and disciples of the White Striped Tiger temple came to escort the rest of their entourage to their respective guesthouses in the city of Fangara. 

Gurdra Black led both Tundra and Dorith to a private tea room that had a particularly strong scent of flesh. So strong that it made Tundra's heightened scenes a little overwhelmed, and he had to tone it down. 

"Ah, my apologies for the fragrance of the dried tigermeat. They are a little pungent, but ultimately they are beneficial, even if just inhaled" The alchemist said, while the two Sect Masters took their seats. It was a small tea room, a round table with three sets of utensils arranged. "Wartiger's bodies are extremely useful, and many use their parts for various medical and alchemical uses. Today, we have Wartiger Bone Tea."

Elder Black of the White Striped Tiger picked up a pure white teapot carved from the bones of a tiger, and used it to pour out a faintly yellow clear tea for three. 

The three drank a small toast, and Tundra could feel a surge of the warm energies entering his spirit. All three of them were alchemists, and they all used wartiger parts before. Tigers were second to dragons only in the strength of their positive, yang-type elemental energies. 

"Now that we've settled down, let's get back to something we discussed back when we met. I've spoken to one of Prince Yaorl's closest confidantes." Gurdra Black decided to dangle something else instead, and looked at Dorith Vulner. "There's a special treasure realm opening within the next few years, one that could supply materials and techniques graded for the 8th to 9th realm, and I hear from the minister that it contains even rare dragonblood spirit beasts and the legendary world tree's golden leaves. If you two are keen, it'll be possible to get you two a few slots."

Tundra blinked. It wasn't even a guarantee of a treasure, but just the promise of entry to a 8th-9th tier spirit realm. 

Lord Vulner answered. "The White Striped Tiger Tournament has not even started, Lord Black, and we are already speaking of another?"

The regressor knew it was a rather facetious statement. Administratively, each sect juggles multiple matters at the same time, and plans for many different events concurrently. But Dorith Vulner said it merely to buy time. 

The elder smiled. "Of course, the White Striped Tiger is for our disciples and for the lower ranked elders of our guests. This treasure realm is one of the masters." 

"What sort of special treasure realm are we speaking of, Lord Black?" 

In Tundra's mind, if there was something that could truly flip his allegiance, that would be something like the opening of the Old One's Frozen Wasteland Realm that was due in another forty four years in Imperial Year 34050, and it opened once every five hundred years since. 

That treasure realm contained the remnants of the Old One's great Frozen City, and contained artifacts, treasures, and materials even in the tenth realm. Entry to that Frozen Wasteland Realm is unfortunately uncertain, though in this life, Tundra had some better insights to the event. Tundra wasn't able to gain entry to that realm until its fifth opening, in Imperial Year 36550. 

There was also the Great Desolation Realm, another of the Old One's ancient battlefields with the ancient enemies, and that would not be open until Year 34,500, and then it would reopen every 2,000 years.. 

Then, there's also Heavenly Primordial Garden, a garden realm that was filled with primordial plants and spirit beasts, and that was only going to open in Year 35,000 and again in Year 37,000.

But, there are likely many secret realms that Tundra never heard of. Simply because they were secrets kept to their own families, and the methods to gain access to these realms were lost to time. 

"It contains an ancient Library of the Golden Dragon Emperor Kandarl, with many scriptures for the eighth and ninth realm, and above." Elder Black said.

That made Tundra genuinely curious. He really wanted to see what sort of books and scriptures a Golden Emperor from over twenty thousand years ago would have. "Are you aware of what is in there?"

"There is the Golden Emperor's Dragon Formations Technique, at least three full copies inside. And a few methods decently from the various Old Ones." 

Gurdra Black continued to elaborate on the other possible materials and techniques in the secret realm, and Tundra could really feel the man's attempt to win them over to Prince Yaorl's side.

"Is this something you should tell us even when we have not agreed?" Dorith Vulner asked.

"Of course. You can know all you want, but in the end, only the Royal Prince Yaorl has the key to the Great Treasure Realms. Without his permission, there is no entry." Elder Black said. "So consider wisely. I must go and receive another entourage, this time from the Stonebreakers."

The two escorted Elder Black out of the door, and once he was a distance away, the two looked at each other.

"What do you think?" Dorith Vulner asked.

"I don't know. I must admit the opportunity to see an ancient library does tempt me."

"I actually don't know whether Prince Yaorl has a monopoly over the Treasure Realms." Lord Vulner countered. "If I am not wrong, all those who share the Imperial Blood can claim the keys to these Treasure Realm as part of their divine bloodline. It is a good offer for sure, but it is not unique."

"Would you risk it and bring this offer to another different Prince, and ask them to match it?" Tundra asked. The way the Golden Dragon's bloodline worked was a huge mystery. Sometimes, it felt as if the Golden Dragon could do almost anything it wanted.

"I don't have that sort of sway, Lord Fox, so I will accept Prince Yaorl's offer. But, you have choices."

"I do?"

"I hear that thanks to the Imperial Summons, Princess Luharl may be keen to keep you in her sphere. If she is in the seventh realm now, I think she may be able to claim the same keys. Or Prince Gomerl, though I doubt Prince Gomerl would entertain a request from you." 

Tundra blinked at Dorith Vulner's counterpoint, and it was true that Prince Gomerl had plenty of other talented and powerful cultivators to keep happy. So, Tundra wasn't big enough to feature in his plans. But Princess Luharl could be worth exploring. 

"What do you know of Princess Luharl and Prince Gomerl?"

"I do not hear good things about the Crown Prince. But Princess Luharl is a far more mysterious character."

Tundra poured himself another cup, and waited for the still hot Tiger Bone Tea to cool. 

***

Back home in the Verdant Snow Sect

"My father left." Edison said, and approached Lady Marin Eastheart in her part of the residence. There was nothing different about her residence, but Marin herself had a few pouches attached to a belt that contained all her belongs. "Are you ready?"

Marin looked at him as if he was stating the obvious. "Yes. Yes I am." Marin answered, and yet somehow her hands trembled. Was she afraid? 

What if she encountered bandits? Thieves? Other hostile cultivators? Before she knew it, there was cold sweat on her hands and palms. 

She shook her head. She is doing this. She must. 

She looked at herself, and her spiritual pouches. Everything was ready. She met with some merchants who agreed to provide transport to the far south. Somewhere so far from Tundra that they should be able to hide, even if he found out. Somewhere so far that it would be at least months before he dragged her back. 

Yet, she sat down, her heart uncertain. What if he really didn't care? What if he allowed her to leave and really just go? She cursed. She wanted to leave. Why was her mind thinking such strange things! 

She glanced around her room. Her home for the past few decades. Centuries even. This was where she played her part and served her duties to her family. 

Her home.

Her prison. 

She found it insane that her instincts told her to sit down and write a note for Tundra. To tell him that she will be away. 

It was even more insane that she sat down to write it. 

Her palm sweated. It stained the ink and the paper slightly. And yet, she still made a note.

Edison, surprisingly, didn't look so surprised. "You should write one for your daughters too. I spoke to my wife to tell her my plans. I also told my kids. I told them that I'm traveling for some time, and I won't be back for a while." 

"You spoke to Suri?" Marin glanced at the young master, her stepson, and asked. "How'd she take it?"

"She accepted it. She knew I needed space. I think, more than anyone, she knew it the most." Edison answered, and Marin could already feel a bit of a spark return to Edison's eyes. The thought of doing something without Tundra knowing seemed to excite him. Maybe it was just a son's rebelliousness. Maybe it really did take going away to regain what was lost at home. 

Marin took another look at the note she wrote. She's leaving and didn't know whether she'll be back. 

She placed the note on the bedside table, and then turned. "Let's go."

"Your daughters?"

"Oh." Marin paused. She realized she didn't think about them, but then they are already adults. "They'll be fine, I think."

Edison strangely pushed. "Are you going to be like father and leave without telling anyone?"

Her face turned red as she realized that she had just been insulted. No. She didn't want to be anything like Tundra. She certainly didn't want to be a cultivator who left them unattended.

So she sat and with a tinge of anger brewing in her heart, made two notes, one for each of her daughters.

Edison merely cocked an eye and didn't say more. He waited until she was done, and then when she was, he said.  "Let's go."

***