360 Void Bodies (1/2)

Leon could not see their expression, but he could tell they were feeling anxiety, fear, and apprehension. Perhaps there was also a little bit of anticipation mixed within.

It might have just been his imagination, but there seemed to have been some disappointment from some of them when he rejected the tribal chief's offer.

Nevertheless, Leon was unsettled by Chief Valencia's offer. Although the tribal chief was trying to do him a favor, the treatment was unfair to the female servants.

To win him over, Chief Valencia did not hesitate to use the people she should be protecting. It was all a matter of when they are useful or not.

Noticing Leon's unsettled expression, Chief Valencia asks, ”Do you feel that my offer just now is unfair to these girls?”

Leon did not answer. However, he tacitly admitted with a forced smile.

”Well, I don't blame you for feeling that way. It is a bit heartless to them, but they will be thankful to me for it one day. After all, if you cannot cultivate, you have no status. Being weak is a sin. However, if they can become your mistress, their status will naturally rise like growing phoenix feathers.”

”Also, I cannot shelter them for a lifetime. They must make the decision to choose their spouses eventually. Otherwise, I will choose one for them. Even if they are destined to never become a warrior, they can still give birth to one. You see, the Darkmoon Tribe does not breed useless people. Moreover, it would be their fortune to mother the child of a talented person like you.”

Hearing to this point, Leon could not help but roll his eyes inwardly. In other words, the tribal chief is hoping he could knock up one of their tribeswomen so they could get his 'superior genes'.

'I never thought about having a child until I establish a stable foothold in this life. But even if I were to father a child, I certainly wouldn't be leaving it in this godforsaken place.'

Also, he was not a stallion.

Unaware of Leon's thoughts, Chief Valencia continued to advertise, ”You do not need to worry about these female servants being loose. They are still chaste virgins.”

Men seemed to pay particular attention to this detail when picking a partner.

Leon found it surprising how persistent a woman like Chief Valencia was offering other women to a man. Perhaps, Chief Valencia was not biased between genders and only cared about the difference between the weak and strong.

”I think that is beside the point, but never mind that. It can't be that only a minority of women have no talent for cultivation, right? Also, how do you determine that they have no talent for cultivation? Pardon my ignorance. I have lived outside of tribes my whole life.”

Leon attempted to shift the topic.

Living outside of tribes, his whole life implied that Leonhardt has never been affiliated to any tribe. This represents a clean slate. Chief Valencia was more determined to win this person over.

”It is quite easy to determine whether one has a talent for cultivation or not. Everyone will undergo the Rite of Baptism during their coming of age to formally embark on the path of cultivation. Surely, Little Brother Leonhardt already knows this?” Chief Valencia asked.

After Leon nodded, Chief Valencia continued to explain, ”The determining factor for the talentless is their bodies' affinity to absorb Darkness Profound Energy. No matter who it is, everyone should at least exhibit some change when their body contacts Darkness Profound Energy.”

”However, this is not the case for the talentless. Like these girls, they have what we call a Void Body. Darkness Profound Energy neither harms them nor empowers them and just flows in and out of their body like breathing air.”

”Oh? Are Void Bodies unique to women?” Leon asked.

”Not at all. You see, men are less picky with their partners. All the talentless male servants serving me had already chosen their partners. It's just these girls that have yet to.” Chief Valencia explained. After a brief pause, she asks, ”Could it be that Little Brother Leonhardt is interested in men?”

As Leon heard this, he almost spat out the food he was eating. Everyone else gave him peculiar glances.

”Not at all! I do not have such a strange taste! I am a straight man.” Leon firmly denied while waving his hands.

”Hm? Is that right? But you do not seem too interested in their beauty. Perhaps a woman such as myself is more to your liking?” Chief Valencia guessed.

Ahem!

All the men on the high seating platform issued a strong cough when they heard this. At the same time, Leon swallowed the food down the wrong hole and started choking violently. He pounded his chest and gasp for air.

”Are you alright, Little Brother Leonhardt?” Master Woodrow asked with concern.

Leon raised his hand while coughing.