(MC POV)

I teleported both the white fox and I a distance away from the Dark Sect enclave, a small clearing that I managed to find during my initial scouting back then.

??

Honestly, I only took her along just for the heck of it. If it turns out to be a bad idea, I'll just wipe her memories if I have to later.

The fox youkai looked around in confusion, taking about a minute to take in her surroundings.

"Was that… Teleportation?" She asked with a voice full of wonder.

"Yep, the Dark Sect is just up ahead. Just like… Hide somewhere or something if you don't want to get involved."

"I would be against leaving a kid to deal with a group of Dark Sect members themselves… But something tells me I'll be face-slapped even harder if I said that, am I right?"

I grinned at her, I think I'm coming to like bantering with this girl, "You know your stuff."

"Not by choice, I'm afraid," she sighed. "But still, I would like to see what you can do if you don't mind. I can at least handle myself so you need not worry about me."

I shrugged a go ahead as I strutted towards the Dark Sect's direction.

I found the clearing easily enough, the previously crowded camp now devoid of anyone but a pair of sentries that sat near the centre of the camp.

Both of them were wearing the standard Dark Sect robes with the hood pulled over their faces, it was obvious that neither of them were serious in their lookout duties by how laid back they were.

When they finally saw me pushing my way out of the undergrowth near them, they immediately stood up with their palms pointed towards me.

"Stop right there! Who the hell are you?!"

I yelped at their angry voices before glancing around the camp in panic, my legs quivering at the same time dramatically.

"Uwuuu… You're not daddy and mommy… Where's daddy and mommy?" I cried out, squeezing out tears from the corners of my eyes.

"Aww it's just some lost kid man, you're way too jumpy," One of the sentries muttered, smacking his partner's shoulder playfully.

I pretended to be scared as the other one started stalking towards me, his face barely visible underneath his hood.

"You lost kid?" He asked, his grin showing rows of missing teeth.

I added in a tremble in my shoulders for dramatic effect, "Ye… Yes… Sir… Do you know where this is? Umm… Are you ummm… Bad people? My mom told me not to talk to bad people…"

His grin stretched to the sides of his face, "Oh, we're definitely not bad people. We are--"

"Goddamnit Si Ren! That's the kid we are supposed to kill!" The one at the back shouted, a mass of black flame already ammassing in his palm.

I clucked my tongue in annoyance.

I had thought putting on makeup was a little bit too much and using an illusion might tip them off in case they could sense the usage of Techniques in the area.

I may just be paranoid for the last part but hey, not like I really need it anyway.

Well, guess tricking information out of them is off the table. Time to do this the hard way.

I punched my fist in between the closest guy's legs, leaving him heaving and wheezing in pain on the ground.

The other one had sent forth a blast of dark flames at me but with a little bit of Astral quarks, I managed to manipulate the flame's direction to blast into the ground a few feet away from me instead.

That Dark Sect member looked confused at why his Technique got redirected away but quickly recovered to attack again.

Unfortunately he wasn't quick enough.

By the time he had enough sense to turn back to me, my knee was already flying towards his face, hitting him square between the eyes and knocking him out.

I only needed one of them for information after all.

"I think I'm starting to believe you now," the fox commented, stepping out of the forest to join me.

I grinned, "Did you know, I've yet to tell you a single lie?"

She raised an eyebrow at me, "So your name is really Mark?"

"I was introducing myself as the character so technically not lying. It's not like you even told me your name anyway?"

"Touche."

I went up to the guy who was still rolling on the ground and clutching the area between his legs in pain.

Waving my hand to summon two vines from the ground, I binded his arms to lift him into the air in front of me.

"So, we can do this the easy way, or the hard way. What are you guys doing here? I doubt a Dark Sect enclave would pop up around here for no reason."

"What makes you think he'll talk so easily?" The fox asked from behind me.

I turned to scowl at her, "Oh quiet you, can't you see I'm interrogating him?"

She shrugged and gestured a go ahead.

I turned back to see the Dark Sect member glare down at me, though his body still twitched from time to time because of the pain.

"So? I can just rip the memories out of you, but I'd rather be civilised here."

The guy spat at me, the spittle barely missing the side of my face as I avoided it by tilting my head.

"Hard way it is, then," I sighed, snapping my fingers.

Three more vines sprouted out from underneath the guy, two of them pulling his legs apart while the last one hovered underneath his robes between his legs.

"Last chance," I warned. "That thing has spikes."

A look of panic graced his face, "Damn it! I don't know everything but… We found something buried here and the boss is trying to understand what we found! That's all I know!"

"You got to do better than that," I gestured to the vine that was inching closer to him.

He sucked in a breath, trying to wriggle himself out of his prison, "The boss found an orb! It's energy was linked to this place and we're studying it! The boss will know more! Just don't put that thing in me!"

"Sure," I lied, waving my hand at him to have that vine sprout out spikes and dive straight between the guy's legs.

I drowned out his screams with a barrier I set up around him.

Guess I'll have to make that 'boss' come back here with his lackeys then… Not before I thoroughly loot this place that is.

"You're quite the sadistic one, hmmm?" The fox commented.

I had expected her to be disgusted by the sight but she was looking at my work with an odd look of interest.

She turned to me, "Very efficient and effective, I guess that must come from your forty years of experience?"

My lips stretched to a thin line, "You could say that."

She probably noticed my expression and chose not to pursue the matter, "So what's next on your wise plan?"

That question brought a smile to my face, "Well… I was thinking of blowing this place up for starters…"

Fire blossomed from my palms.

"Get the others running to the smoke, you know?"