Leo woke to the clip-clop of hooves and the gentle swaying of a carriage. He lay in a cushioned chair inside a luxurious wooden carriage. It was large, with white curtains covering the windows. It was clearly night outside, and four beautiful, bright light crystals in the corners illuminated the icy beauty sitting by a window reading a book.
Celeste turned to look at him as he woke up, and said, "Leo Carter, I'm… sorry for my earlier outburst. And also, uh… call me Sect Master from now on."
She's… apologizing to me?
Leo was confused, and still slightly disoriented from his abrupt trip to knock-out dreamland, but knew better than to open his mouth now. He just nodded. The Sect Master was clearly awkward, being called an old lady by a mortal and then having to apologize for the results of her rage. And due to that, Leo allowed himself a small, smug thought, Heheheh, I've managed to score one this time.
But as he looked back to the events in the VIP room, Leo was very alarmed by the experience. Cultivators are too powerful, he thought. Until I create a Path and gain some power, I'll have no confidence of staying alive if a bad situation occurs. Currently, I'm as insignificant and easy to crush as an ant. I have to do something fast.
[Host, you need not rush yourself. The process of creating a Path relies on inspiration. You will find some form of inspiration in the world around you and build on it to create a Path. It all depends on being in the right place, right time, and in right state of thought. It is a matter of fate.]
Alright then, system, Leo thought, as he relaxed back into his chair, I'll wait for that stroke of luck.
His eyes fell on the cold, expressionless face of Celeste again, who had resumed reading her book, and he remembered the fact that she was the Sect Master of a cold-beauty, man-shunning, all-female sect.
Why did she buy me, then?
He opened his mouth to ask, but looking at her frosty expression, thought better of it and closed it again. This happened multiple times in the next half an hour of riding, until Celeste sighed and broke the silence, "Whatever you want to ask, just ask. Don't worry. That will not happen again."
Leo smiled wryly, and said, "Alright then, Sect Master. I just wanted to ask, if the Cold Moon Sect is an all-female sect, then why did you a me, a man, and a rather handsome one at that, as a slave?"
Unlike last time, Leo suffered no damage for opening his mouth. The only blow she landed was an arch of a perfect eyebrow at the word 'handsome.'
After a moment of thought, she answered, "That is because I needed a servant for my residence. But I cannot get a cultivator because the Sect Master Residence of Cold Moon Sect is a treasure trove for cultivators. The gardens are filled with spiritual materials. There are legacy cultivation techniques and qi arts of the sect inscribed on the walls. The house itself is made of valuable spiritual materials. It is also the focal, controlling point of the grand formation that protects the sect. It is absolutely not allowed for any cultivator, except for the Sect Master and her personal disciples, to enter even the vicinity of the the residence."
"I had initially come to this area to hunt spirit beasts in a forest nearby, but decided to attend the auction because the sect needed some slaves for menial work. But when I heard you are a mortal with no Qi Root, I knew I had a safe servant for my house."
Well, thought Leo, internally shaking his head, I've fallen far too much. First she calls me a little boy. Now she tells me she bought me 'cause I'm a harmless little kitten. This world is too harsh on poor souls like me…
"I guess that answers your question", said Celeste, her frosty voice cutting through Leo's inner monologue of self-pity. "It's late. I'll be cultivating. You can sleep on that chair."
With those short, cold words, she strode over to a small bed in the carriage, sat down cross-legged on it, and closed her eyes. Leo didn't watch her cultivating. He knew everything he needed to know about cultivation from his, or rather, Leon's memories. He just sank into the chair comfortably, and with a loud yawn that caused the Sect Master to frown in irritation, he went to sleep.