As everyone is gathering their bearings with the new location, the bored voice of the cultivator comes out within the carriages.
“For the time before your portion of the evaluation begins, this is the housing that each of you are allotted. While you are not required to stay in them, they are likely the safest place for prospective members that don't already have a place within the city to live during this short time period. Of course, those who already have residences in the city are free to stay there for the duration instead.”
He gives somewhat of a long sigh before continuing.
“In three days, we will be starting the evaluation at the base of steps. Be sure to either meet us there, or be in the carriage here that morning. If you stay in the housing here the whole time, you are practically guaranteed to be able to make it to the evaluation.
“We also have sect members watching over this area, to make sure…”
He gives a cough, clearly indicating something.
“… that no unsavory activities occur to your fellow sect members.”
Beside me, I can see Mei Lin’s face focus on the housing.
Even though she’s been holding up well, it’s clear the events of the past days and potentially for earlier before then have affected her deeply. A safe place like this is quite the tempting notion, even for me, for my situation.
Unfortunately for me, I get the feeling that if I don't go out and heal people tonight and while I'm here, I won't be fulfilling the requirements to be able to get that cultivation method.
It is almost as soon as I think that I see at quite a far distance an old man, clearly in pain, diseased, and incapacitated. My eyes lock onto him, realizing this basically fulfills the first requirement. I have to heal him.
However, it is at that moment Mei Lin asks me a question.
“Brother, I’m a bit worried… could you stay with me for a bit?”
I can feel the anxiety in her voice and for the briefest moment, my attention flickers to her, though my eyes stayed on the old man.
And he was gone.
Like he was never there.
If that wasn't a sign of a secret test of sorts, then I don't know what is.
One of the big things about the cultivation methods and the reason why I can't just learn them Willy nilly, is not only because of the secret nature of it, which would essentially blow my brain open.
It is also the indicators and requirements that would make you the rightful user of such methods. For some methods, it is as simple as reading a book or learning it from someone who has the smallest idea of it.
As you get into the more and more powerful methods, the ways of acquiring them become even more complex. My guess is that this one is one that requires a test of some sort. Likely to do with healing people.
Maybe some ancient books somewhere listed that this city would have the test for this cultivation method, and that you have to perform these different actions in order to become worthy enough to even try to learn it.
Unfortunately, even if you become worthy to learn it, doesn't mean you have the capability to do so. Luckily, I have a healing constitution and a healing aura. Not only that, my skin has specifically directed me to use this method. So, if there's something wrong with it, I'm pretty sure I should be able to use either of those methods to overcome it.
Wait.
Now that I think about it, that could just mean it's a method that's extremely powerful, but that absolutely wrecks your body every time you use it. in all technicality, that would be the best method for me to use since I can basically renew from the usage of it using both of these abilities.
This frightens me.
Dang. Either way, I still need to get this method. If I don't have that, it will be much more difficult for me to achieve my goals in this world.
My mind and attention shifts back on my new little sister, as her face is turned even more anxious from my silence.
It kills me a little, but I can't stay with her tonight. It looks like I'm going to be working this whole time.
Now that I think about it, the cultivator that transported us here seemed to be standoffish when something was going to happen to her before.
Should I just rely on the goodwill of these cultivators to protect her?
No.
This is quite the conundrum.
The sound of one beast being transported reminds me that the mini hero group is in the last carriage of this group.
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Right! I can have them defend her during this time. I can continue to work, while also being able to keep an eye on this situation.
Mei Lin can likely see how I feel about the situation, so as the idea pops in my head, she had been looking at me with despair, but now is changing to curiosity.
I still feel bad about this, so I turn to her with a soft voice.
“I’m sorry, Mei Lin… I really wish I could stay with you tonight, but I have an enormous amount to do in the city, before it is time to take the evaluation.”
Her hopeful face crumples, but before she can say anything I follow up on my words with a tap on her notebook.
She looks confusedly down at me, before realizing what I wanted. Both she and I write in the book, protecting our words from listening ears.
“However, I do have three tamed beasts that can stay with you to protect you. They are extremely loyal and…”
I pause, hesitating to even say this.
“… they are extremely intelligent. Treat them as you would a human.”
Her eyes widen, as her status of being a merchant family’s daughter is clearly not going to waste. She understands the significance of such a statement.
For a beast to be of human intelligence, means they are getting close to becoming a spirit beast. Not only that, but there is a reason humans on my world defeated so many animals. The higher your intelligence is, the better your tactics and ways of overcoming a situation.
Pairing that with the specialized abilities of different beasts and you have a dangerous foe. It’s also why even now demi-humans are persecuted and trodden upon. Compared to normal humans, demi humans are more powerful and have better skills.
With that said, Mei Lin and I hop out of the carriage and head to the back area.
While we walk to the carriage, I had already notified the mini hero group of what I need them to do and my plans for it. I also make sure they understated that Mei Lin is very important to me.
Dana, the slime seemed to stare in my physical direction intensely for a bit, before shaking her head and happily assisting. I could practically feel her stare through all the carriages between us.
I’m not even sure I want to know what that was about…
Though, I was a bit worried about how Mei Lin would react to these, frankly bizarre types of creatures, it seems prefacing them as near spirit beasts automatically puts them in a different category in people’s minds.
She takes to them well and we quickly head into one of the buildings, as others behind us continue to unload their creatures and items.
The rooms are simple, reminding me of a typical hotel room. There are a few beds in here, likely for a small group. Almost immediately, the hero group gets in a bodyguard formation, covering the door and her side. Dana actually begins playing with her by flopping her body around like one of those squishy toys from my world.
Mei Lin is immediately entranced. They play around a bit and a piece of Dana breaks off and gives me a thumbs up. That piece then breaks off into smaller and smaller pieces and sets itself up around different areas outside the room. The other two give me a mental nod and watch for anything suspicious.
Okay, they are seriously better at this stuff than I am.
With everything appearing okay from this side, I head out of the room in the last direction I saw the old man.
As I walk past the rooms, my scan shows there are cultivators watching the rooms, but not inside them.
Looks like they respect privacy, at least for their prospective sect members.
Activating my migraine inducing scan, I am surprised by how much less painful it is. Still immensely painful, but I can at least concentrate and do other things now.
Well. Time to Heal.
My steps echo down the road as the sound of the other prospective sect members dims behind me.