Chapter 2
Victor snatched the deep-V black robe, his expression thunderous. "This is preposterous!"
"Do you even understand your character? You're the aloof, brooding swordsman," I insisted, thrusting the garment toward him.
I practically wrestled him into it. "Look at that definition! Those shoulders, that tapered waist. You're devastating."
Rayden received a soft azure robe, and I cinched it with a jade belt. "You're our gentle healer," I said with a grin. "Pure, soothing energy."
Walter's snowy white robe was perfection itself, tailored to his frame, with a few delicate lilies of the valley embroidered at the collar.
"The poetic, melancholic heartthrob. Every lady cultivator's fantasy," I teased.
All three looked as if they'd rather be swallowed by the earth, but for the promise of Spirit Stones, they clenched their jaws and bore it.
"Next up, it's catchphrase bootcamp," I said, pulling out a stack of cue cards. "Own your lines."
I read them aloud. "Victor: 'Your sword heart, I will be its sanctuary.'
"Rayden: 'Gentle as jade, I mend the fractures within.'
"Walter: 'A melody to soothe your soul, an eternal harmony by your side.'"
Walter mumbled, "A-a melody to soothe your soul, an eternal..."
"Louder! Put some feeling into it," I snapped.
"A melody to calm your soul, by your side for—" Walter broke down and started crying on the spot.
I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Never mind. Let's work on expressions first."
I positioned them before a mirror, drilling them to master that elusive blend of gentle tenderness, subtle defiance, and effortless grace.
Victor glowered like he was envisioning his next victim. Rayden blinked with painful, mechanical stiffness. Walter kept his eyes squeezed shut, too terrified to even look.
"Unbelievable!" I rolled up my sleeves. "Watch and learn."
In an instant, my demeanor shifted from drill sergeant to ethereal sprite. My gaze softened, a hint of playful concern touching my eyes.
"Sir, was your cultivation peaceful today? I sense a wisp of worry between your brows..." My voice was a warm, gentle murmur.
The trio stared, utterly dumbstruck.
"Wa-was that a bewitchment charm?" Rayden stammered, awestruck.
"That's called professionalism!" I retorted, rolling my eyes. "Now you guys do it again."
After two grueling days, they finally began to embody their roles.
Victor could now deliver a gaze that smoldered with lethal intensity.
Rayden had honed the art of attentive listening, his nods conveying profound understanding.
Walter, at the very least, could recite his lines from start to finish without dissolving into a stammering mess.
On opening day, I adorned the entrance with massive crimson lanterns and posted a bold sign: [Professional Cultivation Companions. Clarify Your Heart, Ward Off Inner Demons!
First Ten Guests Receive a Free 15-Minute Session.]
A cluster of female cultivators paused, curiosity piqued.
"What kind of establishment is this?" one wondered aloud.
"Seems to be a new cultivation advisory service," another observed.
"That swordsman in black... he's breathtaking," a third whispered, her eyes fixed on Victor.
I emerged bearing a tray of luminous spirit fruits. "Girls, we've just opened! Please, sample a spirit fruit and enjoy a complimentary session."
A simply-dressed female cultivator hesitated before asking timidly, "Can you truly ward off inner demons?"
Spotting our first real prospect, I swiftly guided Rayden forward.
"This is Dr. Wells of the Herbal Valley, a specialist in complex cultivation blockages," I proclaimed with practiced enthusiasm.
Rayden stepped up, his initial awkwardness fading into the routine we'd drilled. "Miss, have you encountered a bottleneck in your cultivation?"
The young woman sighed. "I've been stagnant at Mid-Foundation Establishment for thirty years. Despite all attempts, a breakthrough remains elusive..."
"Would you share more?" Rayden gently guided her to a seat and offered a cup of spirit tea.
I watched from the sidelines, holding my breath.
Her name was Mina Chase, a steward from a minor sect, perpetually overlooked due to her modest aptitude.
"The sect competition approaches. Without a breakthrough, I'll be relegated to endless menial tasks," she confessed with a bitter smile.
She added, "Yet the more I agonize, the more turbulent my mind becomes. Lately, I cannot even achieve basic meditative stillness."
Rayden listened intently, his focus complete, nodding with genuine empathy as Mina spoke.
As she unburdened herself, her words flowed faster and faster, until her voice hitched and tears welled in her eyes.
"Truthfully... cultivation was never my passion. My family compelled me onto this path... What I truly love is embroidery, but my father deems it an unworthy pursuit..."
Rayden's voice was soft but steady. "To walk the path of cultivation, one must first make peace with one's own heart."
Mina trembled as if struck. A dam broke within her, and tears streamed freely down her cheeks.
Suddenly, the spiritual energy around her roiled and exploded. Her cultivation aura surged violently upward.
"Heavens... she broke through?!" exclaimed a bystander, stunned.
Mina stared at her own hands in disbelief. "I... I've reached late Foundation Establishment?"
The crowd erupted into chaos.
"Oh my god. It really works!" someone cried.
"I want that swordsman!" another girl shouted.
"Leave the music cultivator to me!" a third chimed in.
In moments, our shop was inundated with eager female cultivators, a tide of excitement sweeping through the door.