Sexy Sect Babes Three: Chapter Thirty One (Patreon)
Content
âThis is not the end,â Shi grunted as she rolled up her own version of the contract.
Jack resisted the urge to sigh as Ren rolled up her version of the document theyâd just spent the last few days quibbling over with the Imperial Delegation. Honestly, having been forced to sit and watch it, Jack thought it was almost a shame that Ren hadnât been born back on Earth. She could have given a few corporate sharks a run for their money with the way she argued.
Which was not to say that Shi hadnât given as good as sheâd gotten. For one thing, Jack apparently hadnât conquered Ten Huo.
Heâd bought it.
And the cost of that purchase would be paid in food over the next hundred years. Non-perishable canned food. Tons of it each month, to be shipped east, where it would be picked up at the border and then distributed across the empire â or sent straight to the front.
It was a not insignificant expense even for him.
Just about anything else heâd have been able to summon with a wave of his hand. Not food though. And unfortunately for him, food was what the Empire wanted.
Desperately.
Well, they wanted one other thing too, but there was no chance I was giving them that, he thought as he reclined in his command chair, glancing up at the stone ceiling of the fortressesâ command center.
No, as much as it pained him to admit it, of the things he was willing to trade for peace, food was just about the only thing the Empire was willing to accept to back off.
Which said a lot about their internal situation.
Unfortunately for him, his own wasnât that much better. Barely a fraction of the provinceâs populace had returned to the fields â and even then, only those fields closest to either Ten Huo or the Jiangshi fort-town network. And while his hydroponics farms beneath both places were slowly growing, they were still in their nascent stages.
No, the provinceâs days of rationing have just been extended by years with this move, he thought as both women slid their signed documents into equally fancy looking containers. With that said, itâs a small price to pay for peace.
And an even smaller price to pay not to have to supply his weapons to the Empire. No matter how stridently Shi argued for it, that had been one of the few details heâd refused to budge on.
Once upon a time heâd supplied the sects of Ten Huo with weapons because he hadnât truly been capable of stopping them from taking them.
As he gazed at a nearby monitor displaying a live feed of a spot in the distance where a mountain now no longer stood, he knew that was not the case now.
Oh, he had no doubt theyâd get some in the end. Shi certainly hadnât given up the one she had in her possession, and he hadnât asked for it.
And more would clandestinely slip through the net later down the line.
But there was a world of difference between a few stolen examples of technology and enough to outfit an army.
âIt is,â he responded finally. âToday the Empire managed to spare an arm to swipe at me and mine, despite the Instinctive Horde bearing down on it. Tomorrow though? It will require both arms merely to survive.â
Shi sniffed at his words, but said nothing else.
Much of that might have been to do with the fact that Yating was glaring at her from the back of the room. As he had been doing for much of the past few daysâ worth of negotiations. A task that Jack hadnât asked the divinity to perform, but had been thankful for nonetheless.
He well knew how difficult it was to negotiate with someone when you had the magical equivalent of a walking nuke staring you down.
Especially when you lacked nukes of your own to stare back. The Imperial Divinities had left days ago. Called back to the war. And no doubt they were even now being forced to make up for losses incurred in their absence.
Not that he had much sympathy for either of them, given that theyâd revealed themselves to be just as culpable in the enslavement of their fellows as the Empress herself.
âPerhaps,â Shi allowed finally. âThough I would do well to remind you for both our sakes. A word of the Roosterâs release. To anyone. Or a hint of her inside the borders of the Empire, and we will come for you. In full. Consequences be damned.â
Jack believed her. It would be mutually assured destruction of course, but it wasnât like he alone held a monopoly on that concept.
If the Empireâs other Divinities broke free of the Empressâs control, the only question that remained would be what destroyed it first.
The Instinctive Horde or the rage of just under a dozen angry goddesses.
Neither situation was particularly appealing to him. Currently the Empire and Horde were in a semi-deadlock that kept either of them from truly focusing on him.
That was a set of circumstances he wanted to prolong for as long as possible. Which was a large part of the reason why he was humouring Shiâs demands that he pay for the province rather than just outright threatening her with annihilation to leave him alone.
Because as much as the Empire was a threat to him, heâd be fucked the moment they folded.
It was a complicated situation.
Yating growled at Shiâs words.
Jack just shrugged though. âAs you said. Repeatedly. I have what I want. If Yating chooses to void our agreement, sheâll receive no support from me.â
For just a moment, the topic of the godâs ire shifted direction, but ultimately he said nothing. The Roosterâs displeasure at Jackâs refusal to commit elaborate suicide by going on a crusade to free his brethren was well trodden ground at this point. Shi hadnât been the only one heâd been arguing with lately.
Then again, arguments are superior to certain other behaviours, he thought, but as he glanced around, a certain diminutive figure remained stubbornly absent.
âAnd as disappointing to me as that lukewarm response is, I can see itâs the best I will receive.â Shi muttered. âWith that done, I bid you farewell.â
Jack waved her off absently. âMy people will escort you to the border. Youâll go straight there. No deviations.â
It was a little amusing, the minute twitch of irritation that slipped across the womanâs frame at his words, but she continued her march to the exit, her aides close behind. Only at the threshold of the doorway did she stop though.
âJack Johansen,â she breathed. âThough I know you have little love for me and mine, I also know you have a weakness for the common man and woman. To that end, know that the Empire is not simply a collection of cultivators. For every one of us, thereâs a thousand peasants.â
He raised an eyebrow. âYour point?â
âMurm claimed you werenât a divinity,â she continued, making him twitch. âThat you werenât even a cultivator. To tell you the truth, I struggle to understand the notion. Given the things you can do.â
The miner said nothing. The topic had definitely come up a few times in recent days. And heâd successfully put it off each time. Oh sure, heâd given some generalities to the people closest to him, but that was it. To that end, he got the feeling that confusion was the pervading sentiment regarding him amongst his own people.
Someone had called him a mortal and he hadnât argued. But he could do things mortals couldnât do. That was a paradox. One that couldnât be reconciled without a decent understanding of what technology was truly capable of.
An understanding that just didnât come anything close to naturally for a society that had yet to figure out even the steam engine, let alone the computer.
Shi continued. âTruth be told, the reality of what you are matters little to me. All that matters is that a time may come where the Empire may⊠ask you for aid. And though your antipathy towards my mother may compel you not to act, know that the brunt of that decision will not necessarily fall on us, but the people under our stewardship.â
As surprised as he was at the words, he resisted the urge to point out that the Instinctives were people too. Fucked up people, but people all the same. Sure, he had little enough sympathy for cannibals, but to hear Baidar â his resident Instinctive prisoner - talk about her people, a quarter of them would be vegetarian.
That was not a small number.
âŠLess than the Empire though. And the Empire isnât the aggressor here, he thought. At least, as far as Iâm aware.
Though he wouldnât exactly be surprised if he learned that was not the case. Even if it was, though, it didnât change the fact that the Instinctives were barbarians in the truest sense of the word. Barbarians that slaughtered entire cities when given the opportunity.
âIs this some roundabout way of begging me for help in advance, Madam Inquisitor?â He smirked, trying not to show just how uncomfortable the thought of just letting the Empire fall made him.
He had a feeling he wasnât as successful as he hoped, even as his words made the woman huff irritably. âSimply keep my words in mind. Please.â
Ugh, heâd been hoping for a slightly more animated reaction from his needling. Heâd definitely have gotten one from Huang back in the day. Frowning, he leaned back in his seat.
âNoted. Now get the fuck out of my province.â
Even as her escorts scowled, the blonde woman simply nodded before leaving. And with her disappearance, the almost palpable air of tension that had pervaded the room seemed to lessen just a bit.
Not entirely though.
Because there was another elephant in the room.
An elephant he knew it was well past time to address.
âOur lord is tired,â Ren intoned after a few pregnant moments. âYour work is done for the day. You may depart early.â
There was no mistaking the suggestion as anything other than an order for everyone to vacate the room. Which most people did.
Quickly.
Before long it was just Ren, Gao and Yating left alongside himself.
The room was silent, but for the whirring of machines and the faint hum of monitors. Yet even as Ren regarded him carefully from across the room, Jack felt his microbots tense in preparation for conflict.
A conflict he wasnât entirely sure wasnât forthcoming.
âI suppose this is it then,â he said, cracking his back as he rose from his chair. âIs it time for my reckoning?â He regarded Ren in turn. âThe Empire is sated. The contractâs ink is dry. And youâre alone with me.â
For a given value of the word.
âIs this the moment you turn on me for deceiving you about what I am, Ren?â
The woman cocked her head. âTurn on you? Is that what you expect me to do? Even with a goddess backing you?â
Jack glanced back at Yating. âMeh, our relationship is pretty fraught at the minute. If you could make her a better offer than me, she might support you as my replacement.â
Yating said nothing.
Still, Jack wasnât worried. For all that heâd joked about the god abandoning him, he was pretty sure the divine being was still on his side. Even if the Rooster ignored that Jack had freed him from slavery, the god still needed him if he truly wished to free the others.
A motive that Jack was reasonably sure was genuine.
Heâd half expected the ancient being to tear off around the planet on a journey of discovery. The Rooster had certainly spoken of wanting to do so once or twice in wistful tones.
And now that he didnât have a brand keeping him within the confines of the empire, he could.
Yet he hadnât done that. He was still sticking around â specifically, he was sticking to Jack like glue. Likely searching for an opportunity to free his brethren. And while that was an opportunity that might not come for years or decades⊠that was a gnatâs fart to an immortal.
No, he didnât think Yating would turn on him. Not now.
And though Ren likely knew that, he also knew that the ambition of cultivators often outpaced their good sense.
âPerhaps,â Ren allowed. âYou are a mortal after all.â
It was funny, the words werenât accusatory. If anything, it was like she was seeking confirmation.
In other words, it was a tacit opening to lie.
âŠOne he didnât take.
If there was ever going to be a moment for this reckoning, now was it.
âI am.â
Ren regarded him for a moment longer, before sagging. âI see. Your refusal to show your ki openly certainly makes sense now. I admit, sometimes I suspected you of being some manner of being akin to Elwin. A magister of a different ilk.â
He said nothing.
âYet it seems those suspicions fell short.â Ren glanced at a nearby tablet. âIt would have taken a great leap in logic for me to think that you were in fact devoid of any manner of esoteric energy, and were in fact merely a mortal using some manner of mystic tool. Even now, the idea of that⊠some part of me finds it hard to fathom.â
He just shrugged.
The sight actually made Ren chuckle. âWith that said, those same goddesses who accused you of being a mortal ran from your power.â
He felt her eyes on him as she regarded him seriously.
âIâm a merchant, Jack.â He couldnât help but note the lack of âmasterâ or âlordâ. âUnlike⊠certain members of our company, Iâm more than familiar with notions of power beyond those held in oneâs arm. If⊠you are a mortal who just so happened to stumble across some⊠all powerful mystical toolâŠâ She took a breath. âSo be it. Youâve leveraged it in a manner that would make even my own master weep with envy.â
The sudden admittance and the relief it gave him nearly made Jack laugh out loud â though he stifled the urge at the last second. His humor wasnât entirely derived from relief. Ren was laying her compliments on a bit thick there.
Heâd made plenty of missteps.
âI arrived with it actually.â He smiled warmly. âThe tool. It, and I, are from another plane of existence entirely.â
Gao laughed, the first noise heâd made since arriving in this room, before choking as realized Jack wasnât joking.
Ren and Yating said nothing. Ren because she seemed beyond any kind of surprise at this point, and the goddess because she already knew.
âUh, this another lie boss?â Gao asked.
Jack smirked.
âThere exists more between heaven and earth than is dreamt of in your philosophy.â Sure, he was an uneducated miner, but heâd seen Hamlet 7: The Vengeance. And heâd liked that quote once it was explained to him.
Twice.
âNo, this is no lie,â he continued. âThe truth is simply less believable than the lie.â
Ren looked considering though. âI⊠see. Which then begs the question⊠is the tool the cause of your strange ability to nullify ki?â
âAnd magic,â a familiar voice said.
All three residents of the room glanced up in alarm as Elwin strode in.
âThere were guards on that door,â Gao grunted dangerously. âThey wouldnât have just let you in.â
The elf simply waved the implied threat away. âThey're fine. Just taking a quick nap.â
Jack spoke up before Gao could say more. âElwin, how nice to see you. Here to kill me?â
The woman shrugged. âI was considering it.â She completely ignored the way both Ren and Gao bristled at her words. âBecause as amusing as all this has been, you did both deceive me and waste my time. Be glad you were on the other side of the province when that local goddess announced your true nature.â
Yes, the broadcasts. Another part of the reason why he wasnât trying to cover his true nature up. The idea was out now, and one way or another, his political rivals would quickly start putting his authenticity to the test.
Before, heâd taken refuge in the idea of him being a mortal as quite literally inconceivable.
Now, that was no longer the case. The âhowâ would no doubt be in question, but the very idea that he wasnât what he claimed to be was now a consideration in the minds of many.
Indeed to that end, he was expecting to deal with some manner of rebellion when he got back.
Fortunately, Shuiâs still with us in Jiangshi, he thought.
She was the most immediate figurehead the sects would have championed to replace him, and without her in the city, theyâd either be waiting for her to return or squabbling over who to use in her place.
Still, that was a mess for the future.
âAnd has anything changed?â Jack asked casually, even a mental thumb hovered over a button that would summon his hand-cannon.
He really didnât want to kill Elwin. She was odd, but useful. And despite being insanely arrogant and forward, she had attempted to help him in her own way in the past.
With that said, heâd gun her down in a heartbeat if he saw so much as a spark leave her fingertips.
And that assumed Yating didnât get to her first.
âIt depends.â The Elf smiled wolfishly. âI still need to hear the last part of your statement. Is your tool the cause of your ability to nullify magic? Or is that something native to the people of your dimension.â
âThe latter,â he breathed.
Though he still had no idea why â and likely never would.
Elwin drew herself up for half a second, before she seemed to deflate in relief, her righteous fury fleeing her. âI see⊠thatâs good.â
She smiled, even as she leaned on a nearby workstation for support. âThen all is fine. Our deal remains.â
The woman patted down her dress. âNow, I nearly killed myself flying over here to lambast you, so Iâm going to go collapse in another room now.â
With those words, the woman left as quickly as she arrived.
âStrange woman,â Gao muttered after a few stilted moments.
Jack couldnât argue. Elwin was indeed strange. Though he still didnât know whether that was an Elf thing or an Elwin thing.
âAnyone know what that was about?â he asked finally.
Ren glanced at him. âI would have thought the answer obvious. Your ability to nullify ki is inborn. Ignoring everything else, that means your body is still valuable.â
âReally?â
The dog-woman looked incredulous. âOf course. Magistrates across the Empire would beggar themselves for a courtier capable of such. Curses. Bindings. Even some of the more esoteric poisons. The ability to nullify ki is a boon not easily discarded!â
âAt the cost of the ability to manipulate it,â Jack pointed out, only to feel even more incredulous as Ren waved a hand dismissively.
âA disadvantage yes, but ki-use is something every family has. The ability to ignore it though? Thatâs unique as far as I am aware. Our progeny could not be combatants, but as you have proven, a lack of combat power can be supplemented through the aid of others.â
Ren paused in consideration. âAnd that assumes that our progeny wouldnât gain the benefits of both. Your peopleâs and mine.â
âOr neither,â Jack resisted the urge to say, mostly because he was caught up on the womanâs continuing use of âourâ when he thought sheâd been describing Elwinâs interest.
The woman continued on. âAnd thatâs ignoring the fact that this⊠tool of yours can seemingly be shared.â She waved her hand at her tablet, seemingly getting more excited as she spoke. âAs I, and others, have already been doing. Each of us could be guaranteed to have your power.â
Jack nodded.
âStill not tempted to try and steal it?â
The blonde scoffed. âI barely understand it. Could I use it even if I took the⊠core from you?â
âNo.â His answer was instant, because it was true.
His gear was gene-locked. It only worked so long as his neural interface was active. The moment that stopped being the case, everything heâd built would go into standby mode.
âNow, you could be lying,â Ren continued as if he hadnât spoken. âBut I wouldnât take the risk. No, I have much to lose by turning on you. For better or worse, Ten Huo is an independent province now. And it will not survive without you. âMortalâ or not.â
It was actually kind of scary how hyped up she was getting.
He coughed. âSo, uh.â
âThings will continue as they have before. Albeit, with a bit more honesty in regards to your capabilities on your part.â She eyed him. âI assume thatâs fine with you?â
He nodded slowly. âMore than fine.â
The merchantâs smile actually hurt to look at she grabbed the tube holding their contract with the Imperials and stood up. âWell, now thatâs all out of the way, I have a document to prepare for our return to Ten Huo.â
She moved to leave, only to stop at the door. When she turned back, her cheeks looked a little pink. âActually, in light of recent events, is that why you always insisted uponâŠâ
âYes.â Jack interrupted, before Ren could say any more in front of Gao, who looked curiously onward.
âHuhâŠâ That actually seemed to surprise the woman. More than anything else that had been said that day. âSome part of me is a little disappointed by that⊠but on another level. Itâs rather exciting. To be pinned down by a âlesserââŠâ
âJust go!â Jack grunted, looking away to hide his own flushed cheeks.
Sure, he was no shrinking violet, but there were certain things that just werenât discussed in front of your subordinates.
Ren chuckled throatily, blushing a little herself, before she wandered off.
It was a striking reminder that while the woman was a bit of a âsubâ in the bedroom, that was only because she was a âdomâ in just about every other aspect of her life.
And it seemed, if he hadnât badly misread that last comment, that would continue to be the place.
It was actually a little⊠sad, how relieved he was by that. It felt like a weight had been lifted off his chest.
Only some of it though, he thought, rubbing his brow. One big ass stone remains.
âWhat about you?â he asked, turning to a puzzled looking Gao. âPlotting a rebellion now that you know your boss is just as mortal as you?â
The man looked puzzled for a moment, before shaking his head. âNo.â
Jack waited for some kind of elaboration, but the scarred man simply stood there.
âThatâs it? Nothing else to say.â
âNope.â
Gods, even Gao was teasing him â in an admittedly Gao-like fashion.
Jack leaned back in his seat. âOk then. I guess.â
Gao chuckled as he moved to leave. âJust⊠keep doing what youâre doing boss. Do that and Iâll follow you into hell itself if need be. Mortal or not.â
Then he was gone.
And Jack could only stare after him in puzzlement.
Keep doing what he was doing? Amassing power and generally satisfying his ego at the expense of others?
Man, the indoctrination goes deep, he thought, almost pitying the scarred man.
Sighing, he turned to the last occupant of the room. âAnd what about y- and youâre gone.â
Sure enough, the God had disappeared at some point.
âJust great,â he muttered.
Still, that was one of his cultivator lovers down.
âJust one more to go.â
And he had a feeling the second wouldnât be quite as accepting as the first.