Upon hearing Fang Shi's remark, a change of expression was seen on all nine people. Liang Renwei, his lover, and the four mercenaries now had joyful looks on their faces while Kadeem's, Riven's, and Mira's faces had angry and frightened expressions.
Fang Shi noticed everyone's reactions and summoned the combat puppet to his side.
"Kadeem, you and your companions are still under my protection", he spoke loud enough for all nine to hear.
The six from the empire understood Fang Shi's intentions and grew embarrassed, if the immortal hadn't been here, they definitely would have attacked the other three now that rescue had arrived.
Fang Shi tried to calculate how long it would take for the three ships to anchor themselves in the cove, and realized it would be hours since the sails were not deployed and rowers were being used. An idea came to him that would both expedite their arrival, and establish his authority. He sent a command to the puppet to standby and guard his guest before summoning his sword, and jumping on it. Faster than anyone could blink, Fang Shi shot forward straight towards the small group of ships. Normally he would have changed back into robes to present an image that would induce awe into his visitors, but he has enough of the posturing he did in the other branches. He remembered his promise to himself to not act fake for others, and be himself.
Since the ships weren't far away in comparison to how fast he could travel on his sword, it didn't take long to reach them. He didn't even try to hide his presence as he circled around the three ships at a relatively slow and easy pace, and his enhanced hearing could hear the crews of the three ships panicking. Feeling that he had completed his goal, he enhanced his voice using Qi.
"Who are you, and why are you invading my island?", he spoke in an imposing tone.
The frightened crew grew silent as Fang Shi waited for answer. Then he could hear the leadership of each vessel whispering to each other before sending a signal to the largest ship in the middle. It was through the conversations he heard that he understood the situation. Liang Renwei had mentioned before that he was the nephew of a minister in the empire, and this was his rescue. His uncle had sent a ship with two escorts vessels to find him, but Fang Shi felt there was more to this. Most likely, the war ships would destroy any enemies that might be found in the area and the rescue Miss was also an excuse for the empire to scout for new targets to invade.
Fang Shi wasn't sure if his guess was correct, but being able to kill two birds with one stone is something a smart minister who wished to get promoted would do under the guise of 'rescue'. Realization came him that while he had time to consider all this, no one had still came forward to reply to his question.
"I see", he did his best imitation of a villainous laugh, "Mortals have grown so bold that they disregard me now."
He cast a simple ice spell and shaped it into a spear shape as he moved towards the center of the three ships.
This declaration caused an immediate reaction on the head ship as several people started running out of rooms into the deck.
"My apologies, great immortal", a man shouted fearfully, "It was my arrogance and negligence that caused you displeasure…"
"It's too late", Fang Shi threw the spear at the water's surface.
The place where the spear hit instantly froze, and a plate sized ice ball appeared. The next moment saw the ice ball expand at a rapid pace towards all three ships, and this caused all the crew members to shout in fears as they tried to flee to the opposite side of the ship.
"Honorable Immortal!?!", the man quivered on his knees.
"Not to long ago, others like you washed up on my island", Fang Shi looked annoyed, "Come with me to see if you know them until then stay silent."
The ice had expanded to encompass all three ships, preventing them from moving further. Fang Shi cast a water control spell creating a swift current to sweep the giant iceberg towards the island's cove. He kept a serious look on his face as he brought his cargo to its destination, but inside his mind he felt smug when he looked at the beach. All nine of his guests were standing on the shore looking towards him either covering their mouths in shock or their mouths hung open.
Fang Shi move his finger from the iceberg to the beach and a line of ice formed where he pointed.
"My dear guests, I found some visitors", he announced to them, "I believe they might be looking for you so please assist me in identifying them. Don't worry, if you feel you're in danger, I'll protect you."
Everyone on the shore looked at the frozen sculpture made up of the three ships, but it was Liang Renwei that stepped forward first.
"Magistrate Qui?", he called out in surprise.
The middle aged man who had tried to speak with Fang Shi heard this, and got back to his feet.
"Young master Liang?", he was confused, "You're alive? You're alive!"
"Boss, these people are here for me and my people", Liang Renwei turned his attention to Fang Shi.
"I see", Fang Shi replied.
He modified his ice spell melting everything except for the ice bridge to serve as a temporary dock before he rode his sword back to shore. Liang Renwei, Shen Lanyue, Garrick, Corvin, Markus, and Elias went the ice bridge that led to the main ship. By the time they arrived, Magistrate Qui, along with several aides, guards, and military officers had disembarked already. The six of them bowed when they reached Magistrate Qui, but Qui Zhen reacted.
"No need to bow", he greeted them.
How could he act arrogantly in the presence of an immortal.
"Please Magistrate, come and take a rest", Liang Renwei offered the older man an invitation.
"Yes, I'm very interested in what happened during your voyage", Qui Zhen was doing his best to hold his feelings in check, "And are you going to keep calling this old man magistrate all the time? Your uncle is my supervisor after all."
"Uncle Qui", Liang Renwei conceded, "Come this way, but I'll should warn you first. There are three members of the Free Island compact here, but they also paid for the boss's protection. You should forget about them."
Qui Zhen wore a scowl when the young master first started talking, but his enmity lessened as the young man kept going.
"I understand, but what did you use to pay for an immortal's protection", the magistrate inquired.
"I used the earth essence stone I had", Liang Renwei answered, "But the boss has told me he will accept copper, silver, and gold in the future."
"Essence stone?", Qui Zhen was confused, "That stone is worthless. The other immortals that live at the edges of the world don't accept it as currency. Why would this one?"
"Who knows why, but I'm thankful he did", the younger man smiled, "My stay here would have been much worse with out it."
The group had finally crossed the ice bridge, and arrived on shore.
"Let's continue this in my tent, Uncle Qui", he continued, "The food here is better than anything I've had ever, so let's take advantage of it before we leave tomorrow."
Qui Zhen nodded, and everyone followed Liang Renwei.
Fang Shi watched everything that happened as he also perused his system panel. He was checking his calendar function as he looked at the current day, a space that was circled with a note. Written on the calendar was a reminder that today was the release day of several games and shows at the other branches, and it gave him an idea. Since there were additional visitors today, it seemed obvious that he should also advertise his wares at this location as well.
Fang Shi left his home, which was now an extension of the new store, and walked to the beach. Tents now littered the area as hundreds of men were staying the night. There were several large gatherings of people at various tents, and groups of men walking to or from the ships. The largest gathering was an area where many tents had been set up to act as a cafeteria. The only exception was the tent of the three from the Free Island compact, which had the puppet holding a long saber protecting it. It was the evening and long lasting light talismans had been hung to brighten the night, though campfires had also been built.
When Fang Shi had walked out of the store, men assigned to keeping track of him had already sent runners to Magistrate Qui to inform him, but he didn't mind. The magistrate had just arrived when he made to the sand.
"Boss", the middle aged man had changed the way he addressed Fang Shi rather quickly, "Is there anything I can do for you?"
"Actually, this time I have come to show everyone one of the main services my shop will offer", Fang Shi responded, "Those who are interested can watch, but don't feel obligated if you aren't interested."
"Of course", Qui Zhen nodded in agreement, "But all the same, I'll have everyone informed."
Qui Zhen was certainly more motivated to see what this immortal wished to show after having eaten the food. In his mind, anything offered by the boss would be of excellent quality.
"I'll wait the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn then", Fang Shi decided.
Word quickly spread, and a large crowd formed quickly so Fang Shi walked to the water's edge. He cast a spell that cause the ocean water to rise and form a giant screen ten times bigger than the average theater screen. Another spell was cast and everyone could see him projected onto the water screen.
Fang Shi amplified his voice again, "My friends, by now everyone here should know that I intend on opening a pavilion here that will consist of a shop, a restaurant, and an entertainment lounge. Before anyone ask, my lounge will not offer entertainment in the form of courtesans but something different. Please watch and see if what I offer will interest you. Thank you."
The screen went dark for ten seconds before everyone heard a sound. Qui Zhen listened as notes were played ascending in scale and then descending in a rhythmic manner. It sounded beautiful, but what confused him was that he had never heard an instrument that could produce this sound before. This slightly frustrated him because he had attended every performance and opera he could in the empire, and he was familiar with all the instruments.
The music stopped and the black screen now looked similar to the starry sky. A different melody of delicate notes played as the stars began to move and a beautiful face of a young woman appeared. She had brown hair and green eyes. She suddenly leaned back and stood up, and the starry sky disappeared shifting into an alleyway. She wore strange clothes, a small red jacket and a long pink dress. As she moved forward, she came upon a main road and the next scene caused all the viewers to gasp. The view changed causing both the young woman and her surroundings to become smaller, and everyone saw the area as if they were a bird. The music that was delicate before now was grand and powerful as the audience saw more and more of the city.
"This must be a city of the immortals", Qui Zhen commented when he witnessed this.
Buildings higher than any tower or pagoda were everywhere, and signs of lights were mounted to them. Carriages with no horses moved along streets and he didn't know what the buildings, carriages, or streets were made of. Before he could further speculate, the screen began to switch back and forth in between two views. The first was the city but it continued to grow smaller, but the second was stranger. The other view was was a fast moving creature of some kind that was extremely loud as it moved. The two scenes switched several times until the screen brightened and words were displayed, 'Zuizhong Huanxiang'.
Liang Renwei was confused, but he noticed more written in smaller letters, 'Demonstration available today, Full release soon'.
He was overcome with curiosity, so he wished to get clarification but when he looked at Fang Shi, he saw the immortal dispersing the giant screen made of water. He gathered his courage, and walked over, "Boss, what's a demonstration?"
Fang Shi looked over at the young man, "As I said before, the entertainment I provide is very different than what you're used to. By using a special artifact, you can experience a life different than your own. You will see things you never would have imagined, or learn skills much faster. A demonstration allows you to experience a small part of the whole thing. Just imagine a book that has many chapters, but you only get to read the first few chapters."
"Does it cost any to experience this demonstration?", Liang Renwei asked.
"Yes", Fang Shi replied, "There is a one time cost of a hundred gold or one essence stone to purchase the demonstration, and for every hour of play you must pay two hundred gold or two essence stones."
Liang Renwei blanched at the cost before calming himself down.
"Oh, and there's one more thing", Fang Shi continued, "My lounge only has ten of these artifacts. My shop policy is first come, first serve so whoever the first ten are to pay get to experience the artifact as long as they can afford it."
Liang Renwei and several others within earshot of Fang Shi immediately dashed away to either borrow the funds needed, or to spread the news.
While the mortals were discovering the wonders offered by Fang Shi, the other branches also were watching new game trailers. Peng Hui was sitting on a couch on the first level of the pod cafe with all the most prominent children of the eight families: Lan Xiyue, Lan Haoran, Mei Lianhua, Mei Zhen, Zhao Jiayi, Zhao Tianfeng, Wang Yuxuan, Wang Heng, Chen Ruyue, Chen Linghuo, Feng Zixia, Feng Yiming, Xu Qinglan, Xu Jianhong, Gao Meiyu, and Gao Sheng. Over the last few years, the skill of each of these individuals has grown immensely due to the Heaven & Earth pavilion and it wouldn't be long before they would make their first attempt at breaking through to the foundation establishment realm.
"Friend Peng, why are we sitting here and not going to a pod?", Xu Qinglan voiced his thoughts.
Peng Hui pointed at the lights screens on the walls, "New games should be releasing today, so invited everyone here to watch it together."
This answer made everyone present smile as some picked up their drinks in response, and others started discussing their thoughts with their neighbors. Even though Peng Hui liked the games and shows available, he would always speak with Owner Fang to see if anything new was coming. Looking at the clock on the wall, his anticipation grew because the new games should release at the top of the hour, which was soon. He made small talk with the others for sometimes when all the walls suddenly changed from their normal appearance and a countdown started.
"Heaven & Earth pavilion is pleased to announce two brand new experiences in 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1."
The wall screens changed to darkness but the audience could hear the wind that sounded like it was blowing through empty ruins. The single note of a guqin echoed. Out of the darkness, mountain peaks appeared like swords pointed at the sky while fog rolled through the mountain range.
"Since ancient times, heaven, earth, and man have walked different paths", the narration began.
A young man with strong resolve stood at the edge of the cliff, his robes whipping in the wind. Behind him, and ancient seal with glowing sigils rotated in the sky. The scene changed and a battle was shown with blades clashing, talismans flying through the air, and a giant demon beast attacking a small village as the music swells.
A new scene emerged as a young woman in red robes with petals swirling around her looked sorrowful and said, "If fate is decided, can we still choose our own path?"
Another battleground…Lightning flashes illuminating the corpses of man and beast as the young man charges forwards, his sword blazing with spiritual power before the screen goes white and the music stops.
Ominous music played as a frightening pair of eyes open looking forward as like they could see through everything. The sky appears again as a palace is seen floating in the sky before switching to a glowing sword embedded into a stone.
The hands of a man and woman almost touch before their momentum changes and the screen fades as the hands appear to grow farther apart.
On a blank screen, words appear, "Legends…never die."
And the music ends on a single gong strike as the title of the game appears, 'The Legend of the Fairy and Sword: Chapter 3'
Peng Hui and the rest immediately became excited, 'The Legend of the Fairy and Sword' was one of the most popular games in the pod cafe, but in the Tianbao branch a different sentiment was being expressed.
After watching the first trailer, Gu Linwang, Feng Leiyu, Tei E, Yan Wei, and Jing Zhao had lost interest.
"It's so easy for those humans to makes us the enemy", Feng Leiyu snarled, "Did you see that giant beast attacking the village? They attack each other all the time but if we did it…"
"Do you think we should report this to Lord Long or Lady Feng?", Gu Linwang posed the question to the other four.
"No", Jing Zhao rejected the notion, "They left not long ago. I don't they were very impressed with this shop."
"Of course they weren't", Tie E nodded, "For guests who are low to mid level, this place is a paradise. Once you've advanced beyond that, the resources this place offers is very limited."
"What place could you go to find plentiful resources for high level cultivators or spirit beast?", Yan Wei countered, "I think everyone's expectations are too high."
Feng Leiyu was about to rebuttal the fox when the group notice another countdown begin on the wall.
'3, 2, 1'
"In a world where humans seek immortality."
A dark screen brightens to show the audience a large and dense city with cultivators flying on swords above tall buildings.
"Have finally met their match."
War horns and war drums start playing as beasts from all around sweep towards the city en mass. Various arrays activate as the humans begin to defend themselves. Soon, three giant spirit beasts emerge and head towards the from different places. On one side is a giant earth dragon, another side has a giant ape, and the third was a giant wolf.
"Choose your side."
The screen showed humans on one side and the beast on the other.
"Play alone, or with friends."
A small village appeared to be defended by one man which switched to a city that was defended by many.
"Cooperate, or Compete."
The screen showed multiple players working together to attack or defend a city, but then it changed to a human and spirit beast player facing the other head to head.
"Defy the sect, Destroy the cities, Demolish the Heaven."
The city protection array breaks, and the three spirit beast charge inside. The wolf bites the corner of a roof and tears the corner of the building off, the ape climbs a pagoda while smashing windows and eating pill furnaces, the earth dragon slam the auction house with its tail and raids the vaults.
"Vile beasts…you dare to attack this city", a sword cultivator flies towards the three.
The three roar or bellow in response as they go to meet the enemy head on. As they pass by buildings, destruction spreads.
"As the world cultivates, you devastate", the narrator spoke.
The war drums and horns that had been constantly playing stopped. A title screen appears, 'Rampage Titans' followed by the tagline, 'Ascend, Devour, Destroy'.
The five spiritual beasts looked each other shock before Gu Linwang said, "I think this needs to told to one of the Lords."