Cultivating Chaos 6 -ch 4-

“I love it here,” Xiuying said before promptly stuffing half of a pancake into her mouth and chewing at it. She looked a lot like a giant greedy squirrel.

Not that Ash could blame her.

The food in this world was very similar to his own and he had been eating just about non-stop.

Thankfully he could just dispose of all the food with a minor cultivating session so he wasn’t concerned with gaining weight. It was just for the pleasure of eating, really.

“It’s very good,” Tala agreed, carving a section off a breakfast sausage and delicately putting it into her mouth. “Your table manners need work Sister. I mean, really.”

“But it’s just family!” Xiuying said with a laugh after swallowing the entire bite somehow. “I really like your fur today, by the way, Sister. What’d you do? It’s so pretty!”

Tala blushed, smiled, and shrugged her shoulders.

“Yes, you’re right… it’s just family. I’m sorry. It was that hair dryer under the counter. Ash pointed it out so I used the shower, then utilized the device,” Tala explained. “It took a bit, but it was very worth it.”

“I thought about taking a shower,” Chunhua murmured from where she was slathering butter on a waffle. “But I couldn’t stop watching the… electric box. I forget the name. There was a lot of interesting things on it though. A lot of interesting things.”

“The TV,” Moira said after taking a drink. “I agree. I watched a lot of it as well. Almost to the dawn. I took a quick nap before it arrived though. This world has so many entertainments. I can’t imagine anyone is ever bored.”

Ha.

Give it time I suppose.

How’s it looking by the way my glorious super-secret spy wife?

After having found all their listening devices and cameras, did you figure out if they’re watching from across the way or somewhere else?

“Most certainly. I then went and pull the shades on every window facing where-ever they were, then had Chu put in a small plane of stone against each window they had a… laser… on. I think it was a laser.

“Anyways, I had Chu put a stone plate against it. They couldn’t hear us anymore after that.

“Even if they could though, we all speak Kingdoms when we’re alone here. They wouldn’t hear much of use.

“Though, I think the language here is wrong. It’s strange.”

How so?

“Agent Crow spoke a different language then English. His mouth wasn’t making the same sounds I would expect with it. It was a different language.

“The pizzeria employees also spoke a different language.

“I think there’s something more going on here but I can’t understand it.

“Whatever it is though, it isn’t translating Kingdoms so we still have our own language to ourselves. Which is nice, but I wouldn’t count on it permanently working.

“My Chosen One always guarantees interesting times to be lived in, after all. We can just go to the Manse… or the Castle… or the Courtyard… or the Hall.

“Speaking of, you’re having dinner with Ren tonight. You’ve put her off long enough. I owe her. You owe her. Have dinner with her. She’s a glowing bright silver pillar in your Dao and is quite literally a tent-pole to the Sheng Alliance now.

“Brides in the realm can feel her as well as you now. She can’t form Bonds of Sheng with anyone, but they all know where she is at all times.”

Yes, yes, that’s fine.

“Agent Crow is coming, by the way,” advised Locke. “Along with a large number of women. Surprisingly, more than a few of them have Dantians.”

Ash raised his eyebrows at that.

“I’m going to go meet Agent Crow.

“I shall go with you,” Hui stated and stepped out of her seat, getting to her feet. She picked up an unbuttered waffle and vanished it into her storage device after taking a bite out of it.

“Ah, yes. Your Cuddly Bunny-wife shall go with you as well,” Tala murmured but didn’t get up, clearly wanting to remain.

“Would my beloved Tala Sheng remain seated?” Ash asked with a smile. “I’ll be fine with Hui. If I don’t miss my guess, Siu will appear over there no sooner than its time for her to do so, either.”

“True!” Locke confirmed from the end of the table. “I’m also watching so, I wouldn’t be too concerned. Not to mention, you had me all shoot you. You all know it’s more an annoyance than anything.”

“It got stuck in my bra and burned my nipple,” Xiuying complained with a pout. “Though Ash came and took care of me. It was also a really sweet lead-in to the bedroom!”

All the cultivators nodded their head at that, despite Ash wanting to shake his head.

Everything that concerned Xiuying was always weird, yet always worked out in her favor.

Even then, she was still a cultivator with an odd view on life.

Ash picked up a donut and headed to the entry of the hotel.

It really had been completely booked, top to bottom, for Ash.

Each and every employee had also left after that.

The building was in the control of Ash and his people and there wasn’t any oversight at all.

More than a few of the rooms had been taken by Brides or Knights the night before who wanted to experience this world or look around a bit.

To the point that there were a great many watch parties.

Reaching the entrance, Ash took a bite out of the donut and then sent it to the Hall. He saw no reason to not do what everyone else was doing after all.

Hui came to a stop next to him and Siu simply appeared on his left.

Dressed in a very similar and appealing outfit Ash did his best to ignore what she was wearing. He needed his faculties intact at the moment.

Only to pause, glance at her, and smother her in a truck-load of sexualized, needy, and loving thoughts. All for her, at her, and with her.

Then promptly turned them off and put his attention back to agent Crow as they came in through the front door.

Siu chuckled, unhitched her fan and began to lightly fan at herself with it.

“Good morning, Agent Crow,” Ash said as the man came to a stop in front of him.

“Good morning, Mr. Sheng,” said the man with a grim smile. He looked somewhat pale but as unbothered as ever for the most part.

“Long night?” Ash asked, retrieved the weakest energy pill he had in the Hall, and then held it out to the man. “This’ll help. You look pale.”

Agent Crow eyed Ash’s hand without emotion or a response.

“I’d be insulted if you didn’t take it immediately,” said Ash with a smile. “Consider this your first test of trust on my part, given how many listening devices, cameras, and other things we found in the building.

“Not to mention, you’ll be a first hand account of the effect of even my weakest of medicines.

“Did you want the listening device and cameras back, by the way? There were quite a few. Oh, we’re also done with the guns. We had fun shooting each other. It made for good reaction practice.”

Which it had, Ash just hadn’t participated.

“That would be appreciated,” Agent Crow stated, taking the pill from Ash’s hand. He clearly had come to a conclusion on all of that at the same time.

Ash once more noted he was wearing an ear-piece.

With a twist of his hand, Ash brought forth everything they’d collected from the agency. Guns, equipment, or otherwise.

It made a decent pile on the ground next to agent Crow.

Before Ash could offer the man water, he popped the pill into his mouth and swallowed.

“That’ll only take about five minutes or so before you feel it,” stated Ash with a smile, then he looked to the women behind him. “Siu, please pick out the ones who fit?”

“Immediately,” said the beauty with a click of her fan shutting. “It won’t even be that hard. It’ll—”

There was a sudden noise that reminded Ash of a cell phone ringing.

Followed by four or five more.

“Ah?” Ash asked, curious. “Please, answer it. For it to ring with so many people, it would seem something has occurred.”

Agent Crow had a flicker of emotion flash across his face before he pulled his phone out and looked to it. At the same time, a number of the women behind him did the same thing.

“There’s a tornado touching down not too far from here. Apparently were in an area where this can occur at certain times,” reported Locke.

Could Chu take it apart and eat it? Any other Brides with a Dao that would be useful to break it down and use it?

“Yes, two of them. Three, actually. One is even in Ren’s realm. We could summon them here and let them handle it along with Chu,” answered Locke.

Ash simply took two steps forward, looked down to the phone, then back up to agent Crow.

“My people can handle a tornado. Would you like that?” Ash offered. “Siu, sort the women. We’ll bring those who fit with us.

“Would you prefer if we drove to the location, Agent, or did you want us to display that we can fly to a degree.”

Ash had no doubt that Chunhua could levitate an entire platform Ash constructed out of Qi as long as he continuously fed her more Qi to do it.

“Driving, please,” Agent Crow said, his mouth a flat line and the muscles in his face tense. It seemed to Ash, someone had ordered it.

“Well, away we go then,” Ash said, summoned his donut, took a bit, and sent it away again.

All while Siu quickly moved women into two groups with only a glance.

***

Unsurprisingly, the tornado only took a few minutes for Chunhua and the other Bride to tear apart. The energy behind it dissipating quite quickly as it was rent asunder and feeding the other Bride.

Or so Locke told him.

Ash had spent the time fiddling with a handheld console and enjoying himself a great deal.

When they started back, Ash found that the vehicle Agent Crow was driving wasn’t going to the Hotel.

He, Hui, Xiuying, and the agent were in this car.

Locke, Chunhua, Siu, and the other Bride, were riding with the would be liaison agents in a large bus of all things.

“And where are we going?” Ash asked. “This isn’t the same cross street you used to take us out from the Hotel.”

“Testing,” Agent Crow said in a somewhat tense voice. “You said you had the ability to heal people, right?”

“Indeed,” agreed Ash. “I need a demonstration.”

Ash had noted the fact that the Agent had turned his phone off earlier and stuck it into a strange rectangle next to the cup holder. Ash had assumed at the time it was a charging port.

“I see. Is this approved by your government?” asked Ash.

Agent Crow snorted at that then shook his head.

His professional and calm demeanor was crumbling before Ash’s very eyes.

“They wanted me to somehow bring you into a fortified location and interrogate you,” he confessed. “I’ve been doing my best to somehow keep you from killing everyone and keep my bosses from getting us all killed, but it seems like they don’t care.”

“Ahhhh, yes. That’s fair. I wouldn’t exactly be friendly to a dignitary with an unidentified power running amuck in my own lands,” Ash murmured. “Like having a ambassador show up with a briefcase that hold a nuclear device. You have no idea of the yield.”

“You… you even… you know about nuclear weapons?” ask Agent Crow, glancing at him in the rear view mirror.

“I did say I came from a similar veil. Or world,” Ash answered, still fiddling with the console. “It’s fine. We’ll go speak with your leaders in person. I don’t going into their fortification either.

“What was the test you were going to do? Sick family member? Just give them this.”

Ash pulled out an extremely low grad pill that would often assist a Cultivator with healing serious injuries. In the past when he had given it to citizens it’d done wonders for them.

He dropped it in the cup holder and went back to his console.

“Just take me to the fortification, it’ll be easier dealing with this now rather than later,” he ordered. “It’s fine, Agent Crow. I’m really unbothered. It’s like fussing over if the ladybugs will kill me.”

“Does… does the nearly naked woman use other weapons?” Xiuying asked, pointing at the sexy dressed game avatar as she strutted about the console screen.

“I can, but I like this one. Want to try it?” Ash asked and handed the console over to her. He imagined she’d either love it or hate it depending on how her luck went.

“I… you’re sure?” Agent Crow asked as they pulled into an intersection.

“About the pill? Yes. Give that to whoever it is you wanted to test it on. Did you only need on?” asked Ash to which the Agent nodded his head. “I’m also positive about going to where they wanted you to take me. It’s fine. I’ll just advise the others to continue to the Hotel and start talking to those agents you gave us.”

“Why did you put married women in the line-up?” demanded Hui.

“We didn’t?” replied the agent.

“They had male semen in them and had all the hallmarks of a taken woman,” Hui stated.

“They’re citizens, Hui. Not Cultivators,” Ash explained as Agent Crow clearly processed the statement. “Casual relationships are far more easy come easy go for them.”

Hui harrumphed and shook her head.

“It will be hard to recruit Brides here,” Hui stated in Kingdoms. “Far too easy with themselves. The Hotel will be a good starting point for the sect embassy here but the recruits will be more pitiful than even those in Wahst.”

“It does seem that way,” agreed Xiuying with a sigh as her character died. “Oh… I failed. Now what?”

“You try again,” Ash said with a grin, locking eyes with Xiuying.

“Mm! I can do that. I’m good at getting back up,” she said and tapped the button to start over.

The car ride was nearly silent after that.

Agent Crow turned his phone back on and reported something that was clearly a coded message that they were coming.

“When should we begin recruiting? Siu already has thirty or so Brides out exploring the city and making maps, getting intel, and generally wandering about,” Hui murmured, still in Kingdoms. “Tan has paired them all with Knights and by and large, they’re being ignored as just a couple moving about the city.”

True, they can just go back to the Castle, Courtyard, or Manse, easily enough.

Then Locke can send them on their way otherwise.

Can’t you, dear?

Did you figure out how to get people to exit the Manse and the Castle back in Ren’s realm?

“Yes! It took some doing but it works. We just have them go to the Courtyard and walk out of bounds. They literally appear in the room that the Manse, Castle, and Coutyard are.

“We’ve identified more than a few avenues to approach from and recruit Brides and Knights.”

Want to tell me about it, or surprise me later.

“Surprise you later! So you reward me? Teehee? I love rewards?”

Yes, I know. You’re a lovely and talented wife, my dear Locke.

Thank you for giving me time with Xiu as well. She’s clearly quite happy today.

“Mm! I’m here to keep the inner-circle happy. Keep it moving well together. Also, we’re testing something. Jia, Mei, and Na are going to be moved into the Hotel. Don’t… don’t give them Qi. Let them be drained.

“Rou is testing some things and she thinks she has an idea. Please don’t panic when they start draining, okay? Don’t panic. It’s okay.”

Okay. I won’t… panic.

“You get a bit overly defensive when any Bride drains even a fragment of Qi. Any fragment! You cram them full to bursting. They’re all gaining bad habits of going all out in fights because they know Lord Sheng isn’t just watching over them, he’s practically monitoring them real time.

“You-you-you-you gave a Bride who used a spec of Qi just to summon a light-source in the middle of the night, enough Qi that all she could do with it was go into the Manse and expel it till you stopped.”

I thought… I thought she was under attack and was out on a mission.

“Yes… she gathered that from the extremely over protective feelings you had been throwing her way. She’s also somewhere at the bottom of the pillar with Sisui and I. Please stop going overboard.”

I’ll do my best. I just-I dunno. I don’t want to lose any.

If I could do the same to the Knights I would.

“They’ve felt it, you know. They feel you prowl around their statues. Trying to find a way to incorporate them. Tan described it as having your back to a roaring inferno that’s engulfing a forest and is trying to reach out to you.

“They don’t know what to make of it other than that you’re there and trying to watch over them. The newest Knights are warned of it now and that they can often expect to feel it at night.”

I get it. Okay.

I’m sorry.

Or not sorry.

I’ll work on it.

“Thank you. That’s all I ask. Now, pay attention, I think you’re heading into this ‘fortification’ now. I’m with you in the Hall by the way. It’s not like the Brides need me. They have their Manse and wedding rings.”

They enjoying being here by the way?

“Somewhat. They hate not being allowed to wear their uniform. Despise it.”

Blinking, Ash was surprised by that.

Agent Crow drove the vehicle into what looked a lot like a completely closed in parking building. One that had several guards on the outside of it and that they were clearly armed.

“Oh, do you think we’ll find new guns here?” Hui said with some excitement in Kingdoms. “If we find them, can we borrow them, test them, and return them?”

“I’m sure they’re already being taken, if I don’t miss my guess,” Ash replied dryly. He had no doubt that Locke was ransacking everything around them. Likely going through any paper documentation, reports, screens left open, and equipment.

All of it likely vanishing quickly into the Hall or the Manse.

Most of it being recorded, utilized, broken apart, repaired, and then put back.

Realistically, Locke was a monster of information and security if she was allowed to get close enough to something. Able to take and do whatever she wanted within a large range around Ash without anyone really being the wiser.

Ha… I wonder if I should just go to where-ever the most secure intelligence building in the world is and let her tear it apart.

“In fact… Tala and Moira are probably already shooting each other,” Ash finished with a laugh.

“They are. Moira likes the ones I just took from the arsenal several floors below you. They fire rounds very quickly! I think it’s an SMG from your memory.

“I wouldn’t mind raiding an intelligence agency either. It could be a lot of fun to see how much I could do!

“Also, there’s no formations, trinkets, traps, or Qi deviations that could impact your ability to leave the location and go into the Hall.

“Also, given that the floors are so close together, and with just a single layer between them, we can easily just hop you floor to floor upward and then out. If you didn’t want to walk out.”

Goodie.

This’ll be a fun warm up, I guess.

“Agent Crow, I’d love to know who I need to go talk to after I break out of here. Or maybe, what countries would be open to me visiting,” Ash began with a chuckle. “If you don’t mind, could you perhaps advise me of those sort of things? I’m sure you can already see where a lot of this is going and I think we can both see that this is likely going to come down to my part and I leaving the country.”

“Of… course, Mr. Sheng,” whispered Agent Crow. “I wouldn’t mind doing that at all for you.”