Regressor Sect Master

“Edison.” Tundra called and Edison was reluctantly summoned to sit in his wagon. Elly was seated next to her husband, and so Edison took the seat opposite them. “Did you enjoy your trip to Mistburn?”

Edison’s eyes looked at his father, and momentarily tried to understand the angle of the question. He couldn’t find any, so he answered what he did. “Father. I did. It was nice to meet my cousins after so long. It’s been quite a while since they last visited.”

Tundra could still feel the reservations in his son, even if his cultivation had moved up by two steps. He looked around the wagon, and it was a fairly cramped, old fashioned thing. He remembered trying more powerful and spacious vehicles, such as some of the sect’s flying ships.

In his first life, he acquired the first flying ship when they were in the 8th realm.

Those flying ships were amazing, and so spacious. They allowed the sects to move from place to place quickly. Tundra decided to talk about them, rather than let the silence continue. “Do you like these wagons?”

Edison didn’t know what to say, but it didn’t seem like his father was looking for agreement. “Not really.”

“I see.” Tundra nodded. “They are quite clunky and old fashioned. I’m interested to look at some flying ships, what do you think?”

The mention of flying ships immediately made both Elly and Edison’s eyes bulge with greed. “A flying ship, really?”

“We probably cannot afford to buy a big one, but a decently sized flying ship for fifty people should be doable. I’ll need to make some good pills, that should be enough to trade for one. We can all visit the Imperial Auction Markets or the Flaming Phoenix Yards to get one.”

At this point, the Verdant Snow Sect had no enmity with the Flaming Phoenix Sect. Not yet, anyway. If he remembered correctly, it started when one of his later sons, born from a wife that is probably still not yet born, fell in love with a woman from the Frost Mountain Sect.

Unfortunately, one of the young masters of the Flaming Phoenix’s ruling families had their eyes on the same woman.Then, it all got out of hand from there.

He’d probably bring his wives, and his children.

“Really, father? When?” Edison asked greedily.

“When I’m done making pills, and after we visit my other in-laws.” Tundra said. “It’ll be easier for us to visit each other more often.”

“Oh.” Edison squirmed uncomfortably at the mention of the other in-laws. It meant the Eastheart family.

Elly looked at Tundra, her mind trying to understand what he was getting at. It’s been fairly hard to get a read on her husband, not like the old Tundra that had fairly predictable goals. “Something on your mind?”

Tundra looked at Elly, and shrugged. “Not really. I was just thinking about these wagons, and thought we should travel in greater comfort and speed.”

“Isn’t it really expensive?” Elly asked.

“It is.” Tundra said.

Flying ships were made by the crafters of the world. Artificers and craft-masters of the 6th realm would produce smaller versions of airships for profit, and the larger ones were made by more powerful craft masters. Often, they would collaborate with formation masters to construct the defenses and set up the necessary amenities.

These were works that took years, though he was aware of some crazy craft masters that could finish a ship in a few weeks single-handedly, often with the use of spiritual assistants.

Travel in the world of cultivators came in many forms.

Spiritual beasts as mounts, flying ships, flying swords were all commonly used, and for individuals moving discreetly, flying swords was one of the preferred means. However, these flying swords couldn’t carry many people. The largest Tundra ever seen carried only ten people.

But just as artificers of that realm were a rarity, alchemists of that level of talent were equally a rarity. Flying ships were also not really a necessity, while alchemy pills were pretty much an essential component of a cultivator’s journey.

“I’ll need help to gather some materials-”

Elly then brought up a question. “The flying ship- is it for family, or for the sect?”

Tundra’s immediate thought was, “Both?”

He wasn’t sure how many people could be ‘bonded’ with the flying ships. Not at the 6th realm, When he started acquiring flying ships, he could purchase a few, so it didn’t really matter.

Elly frowned. “On the family side, who will get to use it?”

Edison naturally caught on, “Mother, naturally it should be the eldest members of the family.”

Tundra inwardly felt sad, and wondered why he even brought it up. He thought bringing a reward would be something that united the family, but then again, he should’ve known better. Rewards like this would be hoarded by the members of the family.

In a sect, it was naturally given to the most outstanding of elders or disciples. But when it comes to family, it is complicated. He couldn’t ignore the lesser members just because they were less talented. It didn’t help that some of them were more ‘senior’.

He sighed. “I’ll decide later.”

Elly’s facial expression turned complicated. She understood. Edison’s face was immediately a scowl, and countered. “What is there to decide, father? It should be family.”

Tundra looked at Edison, and realized he couldn’t avoid this conversation. His immediate instinct was to ignore him. That’s how he treated stupid questions in the past.

Elly gave their son a sad smile, as if telling him to ignore it.

But Tundra thought about Patriarch Mistburn’s advice, on how he raised Eric.

He had to involve him in the thought process. Explain what he thought about. Over time, Eric acquired the ability to think like his father, even if to a lesser degree.

“Edison, my son.” Tundra said, much to his own reluctance. He didn’t like exposing how he thought about things, but that didn’t work in his first life.

Edison paused, suddenly surprised by Tundra’s changed demeanor. Tundra looked into his eyes, and Edison briefly thought he would be punished.

“I am the Sect Master of the Verdant Snow Sect. My appointment to the role is based upon the trust of the previous Sect Master, who judged that I was the right person to lead the Sect. I was the strongest, true, but I was also, in my adopted father’s opinion, the one that could grow the Verdant Snow Sect.”

Edison was unsure where this was going, but he listened. Father had rarely talked about the past.

“As Sect Master, I have a duty to the sect. To treat the elders fairly. To treat the disciples who joined us fairly. To be a just, equitable arbiter on how resources are distributed. To provide direction and guidance. Choose actions that are in the sect’s best interests. At the same time, as Sect Master, I have free rein on how to use the Sect’s resources, both people, and the treasures we collected over the many, many years. In my first life, I reinvested most of the resources into the sect, I made the elders stronger. I made the core disciples stronger. I fought wars with many other families, cities, and sects, to control more resources.”

Elly listened intently, herself surprised by how Tundra opened up.

“I was, in my opinion, doing my duty, as our late Sect Master wished me to. Now, I also have a family, just as many disciples and elders do, and according to the Sect’s structure, we are permitted to claim a salary from the sect, and where thought fit, take some of the sect’s resources as compensation for our services to the sect. As Sect Master, it is always in my mind that the elders and disciples of the sect do not exist to serve us. There is no reason for them to do so, unless they feel a sense of loyalty, and they feel they have been fairly treated. We invest in them, and in return, they provide their services to us.”

Tundra felt the wagon move over some bumps. He looked out the window for a while, caught his breath, and looked back at Edison.

“As for my family, why do you get privilege? It is because of my position in the Sect. I am a Sect Master, and they respect me. By extension, they will respect you, because they do not want to offend me, and want to cultivate good relations. They also believe that my children will inherit some of my talents, and will also rise to some level of power like me. It is in their best interest to curry favor with those who could rise to my station.”

Edison shivered at the last sentence.

“Now, as Sect Master, if I use the resources of the Sect, to buy a flying ship, does that flying ship belong to the Sect, or belong to me?”

Both Edison and Elly didn’t answer. To some extent, they thought Tundra would continue.

“What do you think, Edison?”

Edison, for once, didn’t answer immediately. In fact, he looked at his father, and sighed. Tundra took it as a hint to elaborate further on his thoughts.

“It is not an easy question. As Sect Master, I have some rights to use the Sect’s assets. In some sects, where the Sect Master is the founder, and his contribution to the sect far exceeds the resources of the sect, it is only normal that the flying ship belongs to the Sect Master personally. If the Sect is large and prosperous enough, it is even more natural that some assets could be withdrawn from the Sect, and be part of my personal property. In that case, if it is exclusively used by the family, that is only natural.”

Tundra looked at his son.

“Do you think, for our first flying ship, it should be exclusively used by the family?”

Edison was clearly torn and Tundra was relieved he wasn’t that shameless. His son wasn’t totally lost. Not yet.

“I would like for the Sect to grow, my dear Edison. When the Sect grows, our resources grow. Our ability to protect it grows. And if we have multiple flying ships, then it is only normal that one or two flying ships will be for our family’s use.”

Tundra hoped the message was nailed into his head. He continued anyway.

“Flying ships are expensive, and if you do not have the strength to protect it, other cultivators will steal it from you.”

Edison felt that, and looked at Elly.

“It is why, all this while, we didn’t really think about buying it. Without strength, the wealth that we flaunt is free to be taken by others.”

Tundra stopped there and then looked at Elly. Elly somehow gave Tundra an appreciative look, while Edison’s face seemed red, and looked out the window. Tundra didn’t say a word, and instead, took the chance to cultivate with his wife and son.

For once, his son didn’t seem to protest all that much.

***

“Welcome home, husband.” Both Celestia and Marin were there to greet him as the wagon returned to the Sect grounds. The elders were busy, some were out on their own errands, and since this wasn’t an official sect visit, their presence was not expected.

Tundra smiled, and decided to walk closer to his two wives. He wondered how the old him would have acted. As far as he remembered, he didn’t even go on visits to family. “Well, I missed my two ladies too.”

Elly groaned. “Husband, our children are still here.”

Tundra laughed. “Well, they are dismissed and free to rest, while my dearest wives must come with me to my room.”

Marin looked at Tundra curiously. “We must?”

“Yes. Of course. Are you not going to come and sit with me?”

“Ah- but, I thought you would have sect matters to attend to-”

“I will, later. Tomorrow. The rest of the week. Is the Sect under attack?”

“No.”

“Then there is nothing.” Tundra said. He remembered in his first life, he was probably waging an attack on Blackbone City and the Black Ash Temple around this time. Their Sect Master was in the 5th realm, and therefore, weaker.

In hindsight, it was a pointless attack. The resources of Blackbone City was pretty good, but with his 10th realm experience, nothing truly exceptional. The savings from controlling the mines and forests of beasts were decent, but not worth it.

Not when he now could make far better pills to afford whatever extra costs he had to pay.

It wasn’t worth it, attacking the Black Ash Temple and killing all those people. The only thing that he felt was justified, was that the Black Ash Temple wasn’t an orthodox sect, and leaned more on the unorthodox and perverse sect. Still, their unusual cultivation practices weren’t that unusual.

Not with what he’d seen.

Thinking about it, if there was a specific resource he wanted to control, it would be Shunya Mines, which produced the Shunya sands. The Shunya sands were an essential part of the mass-produced anti-Zuja worm pills.

But the Sect that controlled the Shunya mines, the Golden Sands Sect, was actually a fairly nice and upright group of people, and he didn’t think it was right to hurt them.

***

The three wives gathered in Tundra’s quarters. The servants hurried about, unloaded the rest of the things. Tea was served, and some refreshments as well.

“How were things while I was away?”

Marin nodded. “Nothing unusual. The sect was fairly quiet.”

Celestia nodded too.

Tundra looked distantly, and decided he needed to share information. “While we were traveling back, I was thinking that we should acquire a flying ship, to be shared with the Sect and our family.”

The 5th and 6th wife waited for him to continue.

“I’ll need probably a few months to do so, since we’ll have to make pills that are of that tier, as our price to trade for the flying ships in the markets. It is my plan, but it won’t happen so soon. We will start that process after we visit Marin’s family.”

“We?” Elly asked.

“Well, you can stay if you want. But Marin and my two daughters should come along. It’s been a while since I last saw them.” Marin glanced at Elly, and she would try to catch the 4th wife later. The 5th wife clearly wanted to know what happened back in Elly’s hometown, so that she could prepare for the visit. She didn’t like to be caught unaware.

Marin nodded. “I’ll make the arrangements-”

Tundra thought for a moment, and remembered that it was a matter of spirits beasts harassing the mines. “Wait. I thought it would be appropriate to arrange a hunt. Family, as well as for some of the Sect’s disciples and elders. The resources from the hunt could be used to make pills and medicine.”

“If it’s a hunt-” Marin frowned. Her family did not conduct a hunt because the spirit beasts found in the Dragon’s Earthspine were usually pack-hunters, and they didn’t have the resources to mount such an attack, while protecting their homes. Without the formations of their home towns, it would be harder to mount a battle with successful odds.

However, if elders and the Sect master himself were present, they’d be able to. At their level of strength, the spirit beasts of the Dragon’s Earthspine shouldn’t be much of a threat, since those creatures were 3rd and 4th realm creatures.

“Celestia, would you like to join?” Tundra asked. “I remember you’re quite the hunter.”

The 6th wife didn’t answer immediately, instead, she looked at Marin for her reaction. Marin shrugged. “I have no objections. But accommodations-”

“Both of you will share a room with me.” Tundra answered frankly. “I’m not letting my wives sleep elsewhere.”

Marin was taken aback. “I will let father know.”

“I’m thinking of visiting in about a month or two, I’ll need to sort out the sect’s people that will attend, and make the necessary preparations.”

“Then I will suggest two months later. my father will want the time to prepare appropriately, as the host.” Marin countered.

“Very well.” Tundra nodded, and then looked at Elly. “Ask the children whether they’d like to join a monster hunt. I offer to make them pills based on their harvest.”

Elly paused, and realized this could be beneficial for her own family too. As a cultivator in the fourth realm, she’d have the best chance of success in hunting spirit beasts, at least for her branch of the family. “Marin, is your guest room big enough for four of us?”

Marin’s face panicked. “I am not sure. I will have to check with father.”

Tundra nodded. “Well, that is all I’d like to say for today. Let’s get back to cultivation.”

***

Marin, Elly and Celestia exited Tundra’s room after the cultivation. It was already in the early mornings. Tundra didn’t sleep much, as someone in the 6th realm, he didn’t need it, though he did enjoy the act of sleeping.

“How was it back home?” Marin asked.

“It was fine.” Elly answered.

“I mean, what did he do back home? Did he do anything strange? Anything that caught you off guard?”

Elly paused, and turned to look at Marin. “He had a lot of private sessions with my father, helped my father break through to the 5th realm, gave me brother advice.”

“I mean, okay, but did he like, say something inappropriate or strange? Ask any unusual questions? What did he want to do when he was there?” Marin felt Elly’s response wasn’t answering the question. Tundra moved with purpose, most of the time. He wanted something, and her father would expect her to know what he wanted.

Elly looked back at her co-wife. “Honestly, I don’t know. My father told me he asked about my childhood, and Eric’s childhood, and really seemed interested in it.”

Marin frowned. “Why?”

“How’d I know?”

“Celestia. Can you ask him what he wants to achieve when he visits my family?”

Celestia frowned, a little frustrated at being put in the spot. It really wasn’t the first time they’ve tried to bully her into asking the difficult questions. “Lady Eastheart, I believe you should ask our husband personally. It’s not right for me to ask on your behalf, when it relates to your family. There may be things about your family that he can tell no one but you.”

Marin’s eyes furrowed, but didn’t say more.