Mad God – Reborn

"You surprised me, I'll be honest," Kaipan said, pouring coffee for Ren, who had come alone and was now sitting in his study. It was already early evening, and the sun was halfway down below the horizon. "I did not expect a reply after only two days."

"We worked together for a long time. It was not a hard decision to make. Especially with the generous offer you made," she replied, taking up the cup of coffee and sipping it with a relaxed smile. "Ahh… since you introduced me to this, I can't get enough of it. Tasting the original brew is even better than what I can make!" Ren moaned with a satisfied voice.

"I'm glad you like it. I always was a wine man, if I want to be honest, but this drink was the one that made me push forward when there were long nights in the court. Now, it is only a nostalgic drink, reminding me of an already passed era."

"You may need it again because of what we are going to do. There are long nights ahead of you once more, King Kaipan."

"I know, but after all is done and dusted, I'll pass the throne to one of my grandsons and retreat to my little home in the countryside, making wine until the day I die," he said, leaning back on his chair with a tired, defeated expression. "I once dreamed about taking over the Naulin's role in the Kingdom of Ten, you know."

"I heard about it from my disciple." Ren nodded calmly. "It can still happen."

"Oh, I'm sure of it! And I mean the toppling of their bloodline." He nodded. "I have no doubt, as I speak with the one who will see to it herself. I am talking about my ancient dreams, young girl. In my old age, I realized dreams and reality are completely different, especially after seeing my granddaughter's progress and the things your Sect has achieved with its disciples. Your Sect is coming out with inventions every year… honestly, it makes me feel like a poor country boy. I bet there are youngsters amongst you who could mop the floor with me now. I would have preferred this awakening not to be rude and sudden, but now I can see clearly, at least! I want nothing more than to have the kingdom stabilize and be free of dangers."

"You are under our protection from now on, so don't worry." Ren said with a smile, "I am here to clean up your territory from these Ironclaw scums, for starters. Ariana, Lulu, Kyu, and Yanda have already gone out to start with their closest bases."

"Will they be okay?" He asked with a somewhat nervous voice.

"They will. Don't worry," she said, nodding, emptying her cup and placing it down gently.

"Haaahh… This is why I see the future not in my kingdom but in your Sect. I hope I'll have descendants with the talent to join your Sect and forge a strong tie with it as the years pass by. If that happens, the Elroth's name won't die out even if our homes are gone."

"I wouldn't worry about that!" Ren chuckled. "Your granddaughter hooked up with a strong guy, so expect some capable great-grandchildren in the future."

"That is a thought I can raise my cup to!" Kaipan laughed a little, pouring some wine for himself.

"Hm?" Ren flinched, and Kaipan's eyes noticed that immediately.

"What is it?"

"We have visitors in the city." She said calmly, looking out the window as the setting sun painted the landscape orange. "I can feel their cultivation levels and styles… clearly foreign," she explained quietly, closing her eyes. "Heaven's Gate." She added with a half-smile.

"You felt them? From here?" Kaipan asked, not really believing her at first.

"Yes. My senses have covered the whole city to ensure our new ally is safe."

"Since when?" He asked.

"The moment I stepped into your city. And I now know about them the moment they did the same." Ren laughed, stood up, and adjusted her black-and-purple robe, patting the sleeves and straightening the edges. "We did not announce anything, yet we already have visitors. Interesting!"

"Are you going to kill them?" He watched her with calm eyes, only curious and not trying to tell her what to do.

"No, at least not until they provoke me… but they made me curious as to why they arrived here. Don't worry; I will let you deal with them. I'm going to check if they will start trouble willy-nilly. Even after you are officially our ally, we won't forbid foreign disciples from visiting your Kingdom," She explained in a friendly voice.

"Do as you see fit, Elder Ren." Kaipan smiled, cupping his hands. "I am tired of playing games. If they ask for an audience, I'll tell them as it is. Heaven's Gate? Kingdom of Ten? I see no difference. To hell with both of them."

"Don't worry. We are here to support you." Ren winked at him before disappearing, leaving only her empty coffee cup behind.

…

….

…..

While Ren had her meeting with Kaipan, Toobu and Qeena sat on a restaurant terrace on the city's busiest street.

"This is good!" Qeena said with a happy voice, tucking her hair behind her ears while scooping up a spoonful of vanilla ice cream from her cup. "You should try it!" She pushed her spoon towards him as Toobu leaned forward, tasting it.

"Mmmh? You're right. This city does have some interesting inventions."

"Sure it does!" She nodded happily, smiling broadly. "The little one also enjoys it."

"Your tummy is yet to grow at all…" he rolled his eyes, but Qeena just puffed up her cheeks.

"I can still feel it!"

"Is that some kind of demonic thing?" he raised his eyebrows, watching her with a grin.

"You bet it is." She nodded proudly. Since living with him in the Sect, her personality had blossomed, and she had shed the cold interior she'd previously hidden behind as a tool for Heaven's Gate. Toobu soon experienced her fiery temper and how direct she could be, but this kept him warm and his feelings from freezing over.

As they were relaxing, waiting for Ren, they noticed the three people walking down the street, wearing the uniform of Heaven's Gate, dressed in white and purple clothes. It didn't take long for them to notice the two, and as their eyes met, the air immediately grew colder.

"Hey, isn't that the traitorous demon with a bounty on her head inside the Sect?" one of them asked, blatantly pointing at Qeena, not masking his voice.

"Looks like it." his companion nodded. "What was the reward for bringing her back? A full technique tailored for your affinity?" his comrades asked with a grin while Toobu watched them with slanted eyes, sending his voice over.

"If you try it, you will return home in boxes."

At first glance, it was clear both parties consisted of Harmony Realm experts. The question was whether they were at the same level.

"Why send them back at all? Let them be fertilizers for the land here." Qeena added in a calm voice; by now, she was no longer bothered by the trio.

"Hmph, someone thinks they are infallible, eh?" the leader of the three cultivators snorted as they walked closer to their table. They all looked to be in their twenties, with short, black hair and eyes.

"Sure, it seems." Toobu nodded, agreeing with them, flashing a slight smirk.

"You really think you are back home, don't you?" the Heaven's Gate disciples crossed their arms. "This is the territory of the Kingdom of Ten. The territory of Heaven's Gate and not your Immortal Wonders… so I'd advise you to think before speaking."

"Your territory?" Qeena laughed. "Are you a member of the Elroth family? I thought this was the Kingdom of Elroth, not the Kingdom of Heaven's Gate!"

"A chicken should stop talking to humans and go back to its enclosure and peck at the ground, or I'll make you into fried nuggets, bitch!" one of them snorted, assaulting Qeena with his aura, trying to push her onto the table. Still, Toobu's own aura immediately canceled it out.

"Don't even think about it," Toobu whispered as his breath was visible while the very heat from the air was sucked out around them, turning the warm summer day into a wintry one.

"Relax, I can take care of a phony like him," Qeena said as she patted Toobu's hand with a confident expression, ready to fight.

"Not in your state. I won't let you. Period!" He answered forcefully, drawing a bashful hue to her face and sparkles into her eyes as she nodded at him.

"Hah, you heard it?" the trio laughed. "We got a birdfucker here!"

By now, the terrace was empty, and people had cleared out not just from the restaurant but from the street and every building around it, afraid a fight would break out and level the area into nothing.

"Heeey, watcha' doin'?!" resonated a loud laugh along the empty street, and before they could react, Ren's face popped up between the Heaven's Gate disciples with a grin, hugging them by the waist. She didn't even reach their chests with her petite frame, yet none of them could get away from her, even if they tried. "If ya wanna have a drink, tell me, just say so, nyahahaha! I'll pay for it!" she laughed, waving her hand as chairs dragged themselves to her, pushing the trio down onto them as they could not resist her strength.

"This-" one of them tried to speak, but as soon as he looked into Ren's eyes, her violet pupils lit up, silencing the guy completely and freezing him in a stiff pose. Toobu and Qeena simply leaned back, relaxed, and watched the scene unfold, curious about what she would do with them.

"Don't look into her eyes!" the leader scowled, averting his gaze immediately, recognizing her the moment she stuck her head forward between them. The most frightening thing was that they didn't even feel her arrive before she was already holding them.

"Come on, guys! We are buddies, aren't we all? You wanted to have a nice chit-chat with us, didn't ya?" Ren giggled, rocking back and forth in her own chair and propping her legs on the table that appeared before them. "So we will have a nice little talk, that is all!"

"If we are hurt, you know there will be consequences," the leader said, trying to calm himself down.

"Your name is, boy?" Ren asked calmly, looking at him, but he avoided direct eye contact.

"Dillian," he answered after a brief pause.

"Nice to meetcha, Dillian~!" Ren giggled, nodding with a wide grin. "Here is the situation, Dillian: you insulted my disciple and his wife. That was a rude, RUDE thing to do, no? Don't ya agree, boy?"

"Isn't it also rude to talk us down like this? Just because you are stronger?" He snorted as he fought back, not wanting to back down so easily.

"Hm?" Ren tilted her head, stopping the rocking with her chair, taking off her legs and sitting up properly, placing her hands on the table, and leaning forward. "I can be more formal if you wish so," she said, her voice deepening and turning cold. "Little cultivator from Heaven's Gate." With a single switch, they felt the air turn suffocating. "Listen to me closely, Dillian. We did not come here to cause trouble, but that does not mean we are afraid of it. This is neither the territory of your Heaven's Gate nor our Immortal Wonders. This is the territory of the Kingdom of Elroth. Understood?"

"Same applies to you too, woman of the Empire…" As he ground his teeth, he added, "Aren't you doing exactly what you are angry about? Heh… hypocrite!"

"No. Because of these laws, you still have a mouth to speak from. If it were our territory, you would be dead. I don't want to cause trouble for King Kaipan in his own backyard, so I'm holding back." Ren whispered, looking at the trio with cold eyes. "Do what you came here for, but don't even think starting a fight with my people or that mouth of yours will only be good for screaming." She tapped on the table with her fingers as her aura slowly dispersed. "Are we clear?" She asked, back in a cheerful, childish voice. In the end, they just nodded, then stood and left the table. They looked back only once, but when their eyes landed on Ren, she just waved at them with an innocent, kind smile.

"Should we follow them, Elder?" Qeena asked in a polite tone.

"Nah. I already left my mark on them. I am curious as to what they are here for. They are already heading towards the palace... They are up for a surprise, I think!" she explained, leaning forward, taking away the melted ice cream in front of Qeena. "Man, this is great!" she moaned happily, acting like a kid as her senses tracked the trio hurrying toward King Kaipan, demanding an immediate meeting…