Chapter 0055

Now that one of her plans went off without a hitch, it is time to settle another one.

 

“Emery!” Aria Se Jivock yelled, “When are you heading out to the Mysterious Wasteland?”

 

Bam!

 

Base Avon-Ying was sent flying.

 

With a “Stay back bastard!” Emery turned her attention to Aria Se Jivock. She noted Aria Se Jivock’s clear gaze, the tightening of her lips and her loose stand and immediately put up her guard.

 

A poser knows when another person is faking it.

 

“Geez, you don’t have to be so tense.” Aria Se Jivock relaxed her body, which made Emery tense even more.

 

“What do you want?” Emery gritted out. The leather clad woman knew she owed Aria Se Jivock for directing her towards the correct cultivation path, however, she doesn’t want to deal with another bastard. One red head bastard is trying enough. Add in a crazy silver hair psycho and Emery doubt she will live long.

 

“Take Ellen and Amber with you.” Aria Se Jivock said cheerfully.

 

“Who?” The drawback of being a loner, the lack of communication. Emery has no idea who Aria Se Jivock is talking about. She never mingled with the group enough to learn their names. Originally, it was advantageous for Emery to be alone because then she wouldn’t have to deal with the schemes of a certain red-headed bastard.

 

“Soft Legs and Crazy.”

 

Emery’s disgust was shown plainly on her face. She doesn’t have a good opinion of both of them. One is useless in a fight; the other tried to kill her!

 

Now Aria Se Jivock is asking her to escort them to the Mysterious Wasteland.

 

It makes perfect sense. Crazy people stick together, and Aria Se Jivock is the de facto leader of the bunch!

 

“Why should I?” Emery was fishing for benefits. Aria Se Jivock is too strong and most importantly, too strange for her to resist. Cultivation wise, Emery has a hodgepodge of skills she learned during her travels from the Magus Alliance to the Central Domain while Aria Se Jivock received formal training either from her clan until she became a waste or from the Brilliant Yin Sect. Fighting her now is like a toddler challenging an immortal that lived for thousands of years to a battle, a worthless endeavor.

 

Even though Emery learned that Base Avon-Ying is her true love, she can’t rely on him.

 

The man was keeping his distance all the while throwing her sad pitiable glances filled with longing for his lost love. The leather clad woman knew it was a facade to lull the susceptibles into lowering their guard against him before he attacks. He’d done it many times before on their journey here. The man is an opportunist.

 

Base Avon-Ying might join hands with her to fight Aria Se Jivock, but she doubts it. The man is an enigma. He moves at his own pace, towards his own goals.

 

Emery suspected he knew she was his true love when they first met, yet he kept mum about it and worked her harder than a workhorse. Many a time, she’d come back exhausted and the bastard sent her out on another errand, but when their horses were tired, the bastards stopped to rest them. So no counting on sentiments to get Base Avon-Ying to help her.

 

Since Emery can’t win against Aria Se Jivock then she might as well try to get something out of it.

 

“Soft Legs,” Aria pointed towards an unsuspecting Amber, “needs to wise up. I want Base Avon-Ying to turn her into a scheming fox.”

 

“Are you insane? Ah, don’t answer that. I already know the answer.”

 

Aria Se Jivock continued as if she never heard Emery’s outburst, “The girl is too lucky. She has friends who coddle and protect her. Being protected is all and well, but when that layer of protection is stripped away, she has to face the darker side of the human mind and when it happens, she won’t know how to handle the situation. I want Base Avon-Ying to train her mind. She needs to learn how to put on a mask suitable for the occasion, learn to manipulate men, rumors and public opinion as well as make plans, back up plans and contingencies when the occasion arises. She won’t survive the upcoming trials without it.”

 

“And you chose the bastard merchant for the job?” Scepticism was thick in Emery’s voice.

 

“If he can treat his beloved life companion as a stevedore, he can train an innocent girl into the most devious woman the Cardinal Realm will ever see.”

 

“I take your point.” Emery could say nothing to refute Aria Se Jivock. “Then what about the Mad Dog?” Emery asked, bringing up the person she really objected to.

 

Publicly Aria Se Jivock said, “She’s a Berserker. She needs to be trained so she can control her abilities. Since you are one of her fixations, I’d figure you’d set her off enough that one way or another she’d learn to control her rage. Or die trying. Whichever comes first.” Aria Se Jivock even shrugs her shoulders to emphasize her lack of concern for Ellen’s safety, as if she was finally washing her hands of a troublemaker.

 

Through her divine sense, Aria Se Jivock sent Emery a different message, “Congratulations. During the fight with the Alpha Iron Clawed Wolf, the Mind Meld bond ‘snapped’ in place between you and the ‘Mad Dog.’

 

“The Mind Meld bond occurs between a Berserker and his or her Anchor. No one knows why and I am sure you don’t want me to bore you with all the theories out there either, but it has been confirmed that an Anchor can control the Berserker through their bond. You controlled Ellen to kill the Alpha Iron Clawed Wolf. Oh by the way, don’t tell anyone you share a bond with Ellen, not EVEN your soulmate.”

 

“What?” Unlike the scheming Aria Se Jivock who can say one thing and mean another, Emery can’t handle two conversations at the same time nor can she process the information given.

 

“These two can help you along the way.”

 

By now, Base Avon-Ying had slowly inched his way towards his life companion. “If we take the two girls with us, they can take over your job.” Base Avon-Ying happily interjected, only to be sent flying again by Emery.

 

Aria Se Jivock looked at Base Avon-Ying and then at Emery with a complicated expression. Ultimately, she chose to say nothing.

 

_____________________________________________________________________

 

Tempest, on the other hand, pitied Emery. It is better to find a person who suits your personality and loves you rather than stick with a person who looks down upon you even though you are soul mates.

 

Attraction brings two people together, but it takes hard work and dedication to keep the marriage going. Staying together because religion says so or because it is the right thing or because society demands it leads to trouble.

 

It works if two people are truly in love, but Tempest can tell it isn’t the case with Emery and Base Avon-Ying. From what Tempest could pry out of Emery’s mouth, which isn’t much, and the tidbits supplied by Ventus, Base Avon-Ying treated her as a lowly guard beneath his notice during their trip here. According to his current behavior, Tempest is willing to bet all her money he knew they were soul mates during the entire journey.

 

Right now it looks like Base Avon-Ying is pursuing Emery, however, it doesn’t explain his previous behavior.

 

His method of wooing Emery leaves a lot to be desired.

 

Tempest wants the entire process of a romantic relationship: confessing, dating, commitment and marriage. For confessing, an ‘I like you’ or ‘I love you’ or an ‘I’m interested in you’ is a nice starter to dating. Maybe the legendary confession letter she sees in animes will work as well, though Tempest doesn’t believe a confession letter will work in the Cardinal Realm.

 

Base Avon-Ying’s confession is “You are mine because I am your soulmate.” Tempest would have sent him flying and Emery has been doing just that. She had to admire his tenacity. He keeps getting up and coming back. This relationship is getting nowhere unless he changes his approach.

 

Base Avon-Ying hasn’t completed step one yet, so dating and marrying Emery isn’t going to happen in the foreseeable future.

 

Speaking of seeing the future, judging by Aria Se Jivock’s behavior, they aren’t going to stay together for very long either.

 

Tempest doesn’t know what is going through Emery’s mind, but from her expression, she is going to give into Aria Se Jivock’s demand.

 

Unfortunately, before she can comply, Senna and Bailey interrupted the conversation with a “If Amber is going to the Mysterious Wasteland then we are going too.”

 

Bang.

 

Bang.

 

Two people were knocked out cold by Aria Se Jivock.

 

“Don’t worry, I handle these two. You take the other one with you.” Aria Se Jivock smiled happily.

 

Tempest couldn't stand Aria Se Jivock’s autocratic ways anymore so she stepped in. “Shouldn’t you consult the 2 in question before deciding their future then wait for the confirmation from Emery before counting your eggs?”

 

Aria Se Jivock and Emery didn’t understand what counting your eggs meant but they understand the gist of Tempest’s word, not that it stopped Aria Se Jivock.

 

“Soft Legs and Mad Dog, you are going with Emery to the Mysterious Wasteland.” Aria Se Jivock, tyrant that she is, ordered the two without a qualm.

 

To nobody’s surprise except Tempest, they both nodded their heads in agreement.

 

Due to being a transmigrator in the Cardinal Realm, Tempest lacks the basic understanding everyone knows about. The four main ones are: be careful what you say in the Mysterious Wasteland because it can and will be used against you, trust no one in the Heavenly Mountains because they are going to betray you, never fall in love with a mage from the Magus Alliance because they are emotional cultivators who can’t make a commitment and always obey a Soul Liner from the Ethereal Depths because they will make your life a living hell if you don’t or karma will do it for them.

 

There is a reason behind each saying, but since Tempest doesn’t even know the common knowledge, she won’t know the reason behind it.

 

Hence, her surprise when everyone just obeys Aria Se Jivock.

 

Base Avon-Ying had crawled up from where he was sent flying again to join the conversation at the most inopportune time. “Oh good, we will have two more people doing your work Emery.” He was sent flying again by Emery.

 

Aria Se Jivock gave the pair a complicated look again, but this time it was caught by both Emery and Tempest.

 

Tempest and Emery sighed at the same time.

 

They both knew there was going to be trouble and Emery needed both Amber and Ellen to survive it.

 

“You two, pack up your bags. We’ll leave as soon as we can.” Emery ordered, accepting Aria Se Jivock’s unusual goodwill. She knew Aria Se Jivock was doing this for their own good and for her own benefits. She can’t outright say it though.