Ethan looked at the massive spread of luxurious food and then at the shivering, bowing innkeeper, a dark, highly amused laugh bubbling from his throat.
"You frontier businessn truly know how to read the wind," Ethan chuckled smoothly.
With a casual flick of his wrist, he reached into the open leather purse on the bed, pulled out a single, perfectly cut translucent rock, and tossed it through the air. The pebble cut a sharp arc before landing with a heavy, tallic CLACK right on the center of the innkeeper’s silver tray.
It was a pristine mid-grade spirit stone.
The innkeeper’s single eye widened to the size of a saucer, his heart skipping a beat as he stared at the imnse fortune sitting on his tray as a re tip. "M-Master... this is..."
"Take it as a tip for the quick service," Ethan murmured, waving his hand lazily toward the door as he sat down at the dining table. "Now leave the trays and close the door behind you. We wish to dine in peace."
"Right away, Master Ethan! Bless your noble soul, Master Ethan!" the innkeeper gasped hysterically, ushering the maids out of the room and closing the heavy door with the utmost care, his hands shaking with absolute ecstasy as the family finally turned their attention toward the spectacular, steaming feast.
The rich, savory aroma of roasted spirit-deer ribs and steaming dicinal rice filled the suite, instantly making everyone’s stomach rumble after hours of brutal labor in the damp mountain valley.
"Now this is what I call the good life!" Roy exclaid with a loud, boisterous laugh, his eyes gleaming as he reached a hand out toward the largest silver platter on the table. But halfway there, he froze, his nose wrinkling as a sharp, pungent whiff of his own sleeve hit him. "Aw, crap. I sll absolutely horrific. I think I’m covered in dried spider guts and swamp mud. I’d better take an urgent bath before I accidentally poison myself with my own clothes."
Mary let out a soft chuckle, shaking her head as she adjusted her grip on the heavy purse of spirit stones. "Go on then, wash the filth off. You look like a bog monster."
"Don’t take all night, Roy," Ethan murmured, leaning back in his wooden chair with his hands behind his head. His bare chest, completely healed and devoid of a single scratch despite the catastrophic hole in his armor, caught the warm glow of the flickering candles.
Roy paused at the bathroom door, looking back at Ethan with deep, unadulterated respect shining in his eyes.
"Listen to closely, Roy," Ethan said, his voice dropping into a low, resonant baritone that carried the absolute weight of a seasoned conqueror. "This banquet, the bowing innkeeper, the terrified rcenaries clearing the streets for you... this is exactly what a real man must always aspire to. To have the world resting at your feet. To dictate the terms of your existence through sheer, unquestionable strength, so that no one—neither beast nor sect elite—can ever tell you how to live your life."
Roy swallowed hard, the profound words sinking deep into his soul. His small martial fist tightened against his side. "I will rember that, Master Ethan. Every single word."
With a determined nod, the boy stepped inside and slamd the bathroom door shut, the sound of rushing hot water echoing through the suite a mont later.
With Roy out of the room, the atmosphere inside the cabin shifted, turning thick and strangely tense. Mary quietly carried the massive purse of stones over to the corner wardrobe, carefully locking it away, leaving Louisa standing awkwardly near the dining table.
Louisa’s heart was hamring against her ribs like a trapped bird. She kept her eyes glued firmly to the floorboards, her small fingers twisting the hem of her apron into tight knots. Ever since she had witnessed Ethan’s terrifying, abyssal jaw devouring the battlefield back in the valley, her entire perception of reality had been shattered. He was a god, a demon, a king—and she was currently standing in a small room with him while he was completely shirtless.
Ethan’s athyst eyes drifted toward her, a subtle, highly amused glint dancing in those purple depths as he noticed her aggressive trembling.
"Louisa," Ethan spoke softly, his smooth voice causing her to jump slightly. "You’ve been standing there like a stone statue since we entered. Sit down and eat before the at grows cold."
"Y-Yes, Ethan," Louisa whispered frantically, her voice cracking as she quickly pulled out a chair as far away from him as politely possible. She sat down on the edge of the seat, her face flushing a deep, violent crimson as her eyes accidentally traced the powerful, sculpted contours of his chest and shoulders.
Mary set the heavy room key down on the counter and stretched her aching back, her eyes casting a quick, highly intentional glance toward Louisa before settling on Ethan.
"Well, since Roy is going to take a century in there, I think I’ll head over to the adjoining room and make use of the second shower," Mary announced with a dramatic sigh, brushing a strand of hair from her shoulder. "I’m drenched in spider musk myself, and I certainly don’t want to poison the food either. You two go ahead and start without us."
Before Louisa could even open her mouth to protest, Mary practically glided out the door, shutting it behind her with a soft, decisive click that echoed through the quiet suite like a thunderclap.
Louisa remained frozen on the edge of her seat, her eyes locked onto a small knot in the dark wood of the dining table.
Ethan casually picked up a silver chalice, taking a slow, asured sip of the vintage plum wine. His athyst eyes never left her pale, shivering form, watching the frantic rise and fall of her chest with the cold amusent of a predator that had already cornered its prey.
"Louisa," Ethan spoke, his deep baritone cutting through the quiet like a razor-sharp blade.
She flinched, her knuckles turning bone-white as she clutched her own skirt. "Y-Yes, Ethan?"
"Do you want to talk about what happened back in the valley?" Ethan asked flatly.
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From this mont forward, to avoid confusion regarding cultivation ranks, I will include this footer with the current established levels.
Note: These are only the ranks ntioned so far to avoid spoilers.
Body Refinent Realm
Skin Refinent / Bone Refinent / Organ Refinent
Spiritual Gathering Realm
Spiritual Perception / Spiritual Mist / Spiritual Condensation
Spiritual Core Realm
Core Solidification / Core Awakening / Spiritual Collapse (Half-step Spiritual Core)
Spiritual Soul Realm
Spiritual Soul Awakening / Soul Nourishing / Soul-Core Fusion
Golden Core Realm
Pri Fusion / Core Perfection / Core Destruction
Spiritual Sea Realm
Stage 1 ?? / Stage 2 ?? / Stage 3 ??
Dao Manifestation Realm
Stage 1 ?? / Stage 2 ?? / Stage 3 ??
Spiritual Transcendence
Stage 1 ?? / Stage 2 ?? / Stage 3 ??
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