The Fallen Vampire

"And then she said that she liked him! I didn't know what to do!" Ina exclaimed.

Taira pretended that he couldn't feel the girls staring holes into his back even though he definitely could.

He continued to get dressed in silence until Vermeil became impatient and poked her head into his peripheral vision.

"Something on your mind, my love?" He asked plainly.

"Yea. Shakti." She nodded.

Taira rolled his eyes as he pulled a new dark colored robe over his shoulders.

"I can't say that's a wise use of your time. She is a subordinate. It's inappropriate."

"So you have no interest in her at all?"

"I have never thought about her that way. I don't plan to start either, since, as I've just reminded you, she is our subordinate." Taira gave Vermeil a playful flick between the eyes.

Vermeil didn't really say anything in response at first, just stared at him with a look that said she wouldn't let this go so easily.

"…You know I'll never try to dissuade you from having your focus on us. But if you do start to look at Shakti differently, I want you to know that I would support it."

Taira actually seemed a bit surprised by this.

"I believe I would too, actually." A voice said.

Taira was surprised to find Aveena wearing a rather thoughtful look as she bandaged her breasts.

He wasn't the only one to begin looking at her strangely. Enyo, Keran, Lucia, Inadu, and even Yukiko were doing the same thing.

Enyo: "...

You

are fine with this??"

Lucia: "You're the most jealous out of everyone here."

Keran: "Raymond complimented me on one of my dresses and you clotheslined him."

Inadu: "You saw Saanvi staring at our husband for too long and you told Yem not to feed her for a day..."

Aveena shrugged shamelessly as if to say: 'Yea, I did all of that and I will do it again'.

"Have any of you ever actually talked to Shakti? She shares quite a lot in common with us, and is actually really amusing in a cutesy-awkward sort of way."

It was at this moment that the group remembered that Aveena and Vermeil spent the most time with Shakti, since those two are often the busybodies of the Cult and The First Bane likes to lend a helping hand wherever she can.

Taira also spends time with her, but as everyone already knows, he doesn't like to talk very much, and as such the two haven't enjoyed much tantalizing conversation as a result.

As she pulled on her skirt, she met Taira's surprised gaze with a slightly mischievous look.

"I'm only saying that I'm not bothered by the possibility, not telling you to go running to do something you feel is unnecessary. But I do want to know, have you never found her attractive even once?"

As always, Taira was incredibly observant. Except for when it came to matters such as this one it seemed.

Technically speaking, everyone in the cult was attractive, since body cultivation was known to have that effect on people.

But he had never thought about Shakti's attractiveness until now.

It could be said that Taira didn't necessarily have a 'type' of women he liked. He payed more attention to personality than appearance.

But from a purely physical standpoint... Shakti was... enticing, to say the very least.

Taira felt something brush past his feet and looked down to see Yukiko staring up at him with big inquisitive eyes.

"New mommy?"

"..." For only the second time this morning, Taira was rendered completely speechless.

-

The valley had been decorated for the first time over the cult's multi-day stay.

Normally, the middle ground separating all of the palaces is completely empty; serving as a mere glassy path.

But today, things were a bit different.

Long, white rows of tables had been set up in front of each palace's gates in a circular pattern, with as many as three rows behind each other.

Closest to the very center, there were a set of much smaller tables reserved for the Sect leaders and whatever immediate family that they might have brought with them.

The ringing of a gong signified the beginning of the event for all in attendance.

At the first ringing of the gong, Abbot Tang Gyoeksan emerged from his dwellings with the rest of the Thundering Cloud Sect following uniformly at his heels.

Two or three minutes later, the gong sounded a second time and Dan Master Hideyoshi arrived with the entire Profound Pill Union.

As the center tables were the closest to each other, the two old men could turn and talk to each other without much issue.

With the ringing of the third gong, Gu Mu-Song and his Purple Haze Sect stepped into the sunlight.

There was a depressed, somber mood emanating from each of the cultists that was so thick it was almost tangible.

Neither the Abbott, nor the Dan Master said anything, but they both noticed it.

Immediately after he sat down, the gong rang again, and one of the day's new arrivals strode out.

At the head of the herd, there was a true giant of a man.

Like Abott Tang, he appeared to be a monk, though one of a completely different variety than his predecessor.

He wore simple, but dusty plain white gi that looked like it had seen a great many battles, but not a single washing machine.

His earlobes were stretched to the point that they hung beside his neck and could be mistaken for fleshy earrings.

His head was shaved bald, and he had a searing, intense look in his bald eyes as he stared at Grandmaster Gu Mu-Song and his disciples.

Upon coming close enough, he did not miss the opportunity to spit on the ground where the old bird sat. Earning his ire, but inspiring no rebellion.

He then proceeded to turn toward the other two men at the table, where he offered them a much more polite look.

"Amitabha. May the Light of The Uncompromising Palm clear all obstacles in your way, brothers."

The pair of old men exchanged their own salutes with the hulking monk.

"And to you as well, Brother Romula. Your training seems to have gone well these past 100 years." Abbott Tang noted.

"A lazy foundation spoils the mind and spirit, brothers. You need not feel jealous that I am the first among us three to reach the Quasi-God realm."

Dan Master Hideyoshi and Abbot Tang stared at each other with a look that the new Grandmaster didnt understand.

"...What?"

""Nothing."" The two responded quickly in unison.

The large man raised a brow, but did not get the chance to question the men further before the next gong sounded...