Chapter 280: The Problem with Delegating
Benton had a nice vacation watching the kiddos playing with the spirit beasts. He loved that the older ones had really focused on making sure that Jin LiJuan got the most out of the trip and decided that the three of them needed to be rewarded for their kindness and consideration.
He also liked that Yang Ru seemed to have come up with a new use for one of his techniques, one that should suit him well for the upcoming tournament. Yang Xiu, on the other hand, seemed a bit more stagnate. Benton would have to discuss preparations with them.
With all three of them, though, or just the twins? Kang Lin was his disciple, and he’d always gone out of his way to include her just like she was a sect member. But she wasn’t. She’d be fighting for the honor of the Poison Claw Sect, not for him.
He gave the situation a mental shrug. As her master, it was incumbent upon him to help her, so that was what he would do. If help required a massive outlay of resources, that was one thing. There was no requirement that he bankrupt his sect for her. For example, he was not planning on creating a Lightning qi source, a treasure that would benefit only her as far as his sect members and disciples went.
Actually, he felt really bad about that and suspected that he might end up changing his mind down the road.
Anyway, the point was that he wanted to help her and he would, but he might not put quite as much oomph into what he gave her as into what he gave the others.
Did that make him a bad master? He hoped not.
Speaking of choices he’d prefer not to make, Jin LiJuan was the other problem child. She simply was not far enough along with her techniques to put up a good showing at the tournament. If she didn’t improve significantly before then, she might have to stay behind.
She’d be devastated, of course, and having to stay home would probably negatively impact her confidence. He had to think, though, that getting trounced in the tournament would be an even bigger blow.
Regardless, with morning of the last day of the expedtion having arrived and the kids looking like they’d reached a good stopping point, he Teleported to them. “Ready to head back?”
Not a one of them appeared even the slightest bit surprised that he’d suddenly appeared right in their midst. He would have to come up with a flashier trick. Maybe he could make everything except his head invisible? Or trigger Lightning or something when he arrived?
He’d have to think about it.