The away team was highly excited about the upcoming Emergence, especially Feng, who had lived most of her life inside the Tower. Everyone else, was excited too, asking for food, clothes or other things, especially news about their families, for the new recruits. It had been more than a decade for them, and the reality that only a few days passed outside wasn't quite...real.

  Lady Xia was checking her disguise and enchanted robes, while Amelia was spinning a poison needle between her fingers, eager to use it on the person that poisoned her mother.

  As for me, I was simply enjoying the fluffy tails of my red fox, rubbing them over my face and neck. Meadows pleaded at me with a silent gaze, but I shook my head. Spirit Beasts were not companion pets in this world, at best they were considered war mounts, if harshly trained and broken by a Beast Tamer.

  "Another time, when exploring the wild, you can come out. But not inside a city. Unless you want some Divine cultivator to tame you..." I whispered gently, and my fox's ears flopped down in bitter sadness.

  "I am training on my shapeshifting, but it's still not working. I guess I still need to become Divine before I can use that ability. Maybe you can find that yellow-robed monk again and buy a shapeshifting pill?" Meadows spoke in a pitiful tone.

  I sighed inward. Fat chance for that. In general, shapeshifting was considered a demonic ability, and was also used exactly to infiltrate towns and cause mayhem. Then again, who knows? I did find an imprisoned Demon Prince sold at the market for cheap.

  "I'll keep an eye for anything like that. I could also use the shapeshift ability, you know?" I asked a bit rhetorical. Going out in heavy camouflage was a bit tiresome.

  Only Zhang Song was luckier in this aspect, since his task was to be our face to the world.

  And I also wanted to test my Revered Ancestor perk, with its reality-warping ability to make my people loyal. I didn't bet my life and freedom on it, but if it worked as intended, it would be quite amazing. Then again, in general the xianxia world was renowned for entire sects dying to the last disciple because nobody would run, even when besieged by overwhelming forces. Traitors were quite the exception, and usually they were spies sent from the outside to infiltrate a sect, instead of defectors.

  "Gather round, and move close to me!" I ordered once everyone was prepared. Then, the away team got stored in my spatial ring.

  Afterwards, I shifted outside, still under Concealment, and flew away from the tree while checking for extra shadows and other signs of being followed. Luckily, this time there was nobody waiting for me, so after reaching an alley a dozen streets away, I took out the three girls and Mister Song, who had become Elder Song since his lateral promotion to the Outer Tower.

  Four Saint Puppets wearing the new Aegis armor appeared around us for bodyguard duty, which may sound overkill, but we did intend to visit a real auction. I haven't read a single novel where an auction didn't end in a big battle and looting of precious resources.

  "Market is that way." Amelia pointed out, as she was a local from New Moon City.

  I nodded towards Elder Song, who lead us to an expensive restaurant instead. Lady Xia also had to practice her True Qi in a live-fire exercise, and where else could we find a readily-available Young Master looking for trouble.

  Lady Feng kept her head spinning all over, taking in the sights of a major city, while holding to my left hand as to not get lost.

  "Look at that man! How come he is so round?" she asked in a naive voice. I glanced that way, and indeed, there was a person so fat that he almost looked spherical. But since he was at Xiantian realm, this look was most likely his preference.

  "Round? I'm simply big-boned..." the said man muttered in fake outrage.

  "And that woman has no teeth?" Feng pointed at someone else. I sighed inward. This was a medieval world, and most people lost their teeth after the age of 40. The mortals, I mean. Cultivators were built different, and might even regenerate lost limbs with enough time and effort.

  The said woman started crying and hid in an alley, so I just glanced at Lady Xia and nodded. Her True Qi was quite miraculous for healing, since it could merge with a different person seamlessly, and without causing rejection.

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

  Xia fell back for a minute, followed by a Saint puppet, then caught up with us just as we reached the restaurant. She smiled gently at me, under her veil, confirming she had healed the poor woman. This gave me an idea for later, perhaps a clinic to create goodwill.

  But for now, there were faces to slap and teeth to break.

  "Mister Song...I've heard you quit the Treasure House?" the restaurant's owner asked as he recognized the only unveiled person in our group.

  "Indeed. I have joined the Tower since then, and invited a few Tower members to a fancy meal at your Moonlit Delights. Bring us your best." Elder Song spoke in a pleasant voice, then followed a waitress to a free table, covered by paper screen on three sides.

  The open side was of course meant for viewing the other customers and the central hall, since gossip replaced television and internet in this day and age. People gained their news and entertainment from gossip, which was as reliable as the news on TV in my old life. It didn't matter what the truth was, as long as the storyteller controlled the narative.

  "...I heard they eloped, rather than accept the marriage contract from his family."

  "...I heard there is a Fiery Roc egg for sale at auction today!"

  "No, it's a Burning Phoenix egg. I know someone, who has a nephew on the inside."

  "And a Divine Sword too!"

  "Who would be stupid enough to sell a Divine artifact? That's a Duke rank or even a Martial Lord, right there!"

  "...Is true! Nine cultivators were found dead, and without their hearts..."

  Rumours filled the restaurant from every side, some mundane, some interesting and others pure fabulations.

  I sipped some Blue Lavander Tea, which wasn't lavander at all, but some kind of vine growing on blue glowing rocks, which did taste nice and glowed cyan blue in my cup. Perhaps it was also radioactive, if that glowing rock was polonium or some other radioactive mineral. Hopefully it was only aspected Qi of some kind.

  I held eyes with Amelia for a second, since her Divine soul was the most accurate. She nodded towards the table where they discussed the gruesome murders. Not a lie? Very likely a sign of a demonic cultivator, gathering human hearts for some innocent ritual. Or innocent hearts for a demonic ritual.

  As expected, the peaceful meal didn't last long. The restaurant's door flew open as a trio of important-looking youngsters and their merry band of bodyguards strolled inside. Including a Saint among the bodyguards, with a black metal mask. Curious.

  "...The three Lions!"

  "...cowardly lions..."

  "Wastrels!"

  "The one with a green hat, is Young Master Mo. His fiancee fled last week..."

  I snorted out loud at the last gossip, making the trio turn their attention to our table.

  "Look, Brother Mo! There are three fairies here, you might find a replacement wife. Or just take all three." The first so-called-Lion proposed in a brave voice.

  Elder Song threw me a wary glance, since he likely knew the clans of these Three Stooges.

  "Aren't you three called the Cowardly Lions? What did you drink today to sound so brave? I want three liters of that too!" I asked in a curious voice, making Feng choke on her tea and spit it out.

  "You must be new in town. Seems we have to teach you how things work in New Moon." the third Lion proclaimed and fumbled a bit to take out a feather fan and open it.

  My eyes measured the Saint-grade artifact with some surprise. This thing was quite valuable. Almost a million spirit stones.

  "You will teach me how the Cowardly Lions work? Will you beg for your lives, and give me a precious gift?" I wondered quite curious.

  The third idiot waved his fan at me, creating a mild wind slash, weaker than anything I could do when I was 8. I just waved my hand, slapping his face with hard air while capturing the Saint fan and taking it into my hand.

  Must have hit a bit too hard, since he lost all his teeth from my gentle face slap. Then again, I was a Saint and he was not.

  "See that man? He also doesn't have any teeth! Must be a mortal." I spoke to Feng, while gifting her a new fan.

  "Hah! I understand now, husband. We shouldn't make fun of people without cultivation talent." Feng answered in a wise voice, making both Amelia and Xia let out gentle laughs.

  The Saint bodyguard flashed forward, then halted as Amelia focused her Divine Soul on him. His knees bent and his mask thumped the floor, making a pleasant noise, like a gong. "I didn't see Mount Tai..." he murmured in distress.

  "Do that sound again a few times. It sounds nice!" I demanded with a wry tone, making the poor bodyguard smack his face a few more times on the floor.

  The Cowardly Lions began to retreat slowly, walking backwards with awkward faces.

  "I didn't hear any begging for your lives, nor did I get a gift. What would people visiting New Moon even think of this city, when they hear about your poor manners?" I asked in a warning voice, and soon enough, two more people were smacking their foreheads on the floor.

  Lady Xia and Amelia got a gift each, while the Cowardly Lions advanced bravely, if backwards, taking the third wounded Lion with them.

  As we were walking towards the Treasure House a bit later, I considered the mission finished. Restaurant scene, complete!

  "You seem quite pleased with yourself, husband." Amelia noted before we entered the auction.

  I nodded in agreement. Face slapping was quite a rewarding job, filling my soul with good feelings of fullfilment.

  Reading about it just didn't feel the same as doing it.

  "I might do it again, see if I gain a new soul level from it. And if it works, then we can harvest this, since teeth grow back..." I proposed in a wise voice.

  Xia sighed, probably worried she will have more work.

  Feng took mental notes and nodded too, since a Sect Master lead by example.

  Then I took out my Heaven Token and buldozed through the crowd at the auction entrance, with my armored puppets acting as buldozer blades. They worked just fine.