Chapter 339 – Contingency Plan
Sun Hua sipped her tea, trying to still her trembling hands. When Senior Sister had invited her, the expectation had been that they were simply escorting Senior Brother, providing him moral support for his date. But, when they'd actually met up with him, she'd indicated that there was something important for she and Sun Hua to discuss.
What could that be? Had she done something wrong? Was Senior Sister mad?
Sun Hua's attack of the nerves lasted until after they'd ordered and begun drinking the first cup of tea.
It was after a sip that Senior Sister said, "You've been moping for weeks now."
Sun Hua hadn't known what accusation would be lobbed at her, but that one was not it. "This Assistant has not been moping."
"Really? You've been quiet even for you. Instead of your normally perfect posture, you've been slouching. I keep hearing you sigh. And you don't leave your room unless someone forces you. How would you describe your behavior if not moping?"
Sun Hua's first instinct was to defend herself, but the truth was that she had been feeling down ever since learning that Wu You had most probably been sincere in his desire to date her.
"Maybe I deserve to mope for a while. I messed up my chance."
Yang Xiu sighed. "You really haven't embraced the whole cultivator philosophy of challenging the heavens, have you? Your motto is more, 'succumb to circumstances.' If you hit an obstacle, give up. Is that it?"
"I'm not like you, Senior Sister. If, when you were still a mortal, you came across a tiger in the woods, you would have tried to strangle it with your bare hands. I would have fainted from fright and been eaten."
"You'd be surprised at the things I did—or rather didn't do—as a mortal, but I get your point. But I'm not asking you to strangle a tiger or even put yourself at risk. You simply need to get to know your young gentlemen caller better."
"Like it's that easy!"
"It is that easy," Yang Xiu said.
"He was so disgusted with me that he stormed out of the tea house."
"No, he encountered a small obstacle and gave up. You and he apparently have more in common than a love of paperwork."
Sun Hua glared at Yang Xiu.
"What?" Yang Xiu said. "It's true."
"If he were ever truly interested in me, he no longer is."
"How do you know that?"
"He stormed out of the tea shop!"
Yang Xiu huffed. "We appear to be going in circles."
"Yes!"
"Let's go back to the beginning. The fundamental question is—are you interested in him, or do you want to give up?"
Sun Hua's first impulse was to blurt out another quick response expressing her frustration with the entire situation. Honestly, the way Senior Sister treated the situation trivialized it. To Sun Hua, moving forward was both difficult and emotionally fraught.
But…
She had no way of salvaging the situation. If it were up solely to her, she and Wu You would end up going their separate ways, never to see each other again. Senior Sister was at least trying to help. Even if that help was problematic, it offered a slim chance, which was better than nothing. Probably.
"I'm … interested," Sun Hua said after a long pause.
"Are you willing to make some effort?"
"I'm scared, Senior Sister, and I don't understand why he'd want me after what happened." Sun Hua still couldn't accept that he would have wanted her in the first place. After the way she'd acted in the tea house, there was no way he could possibly see anything in her.
"The girls in his sect don't respect him because he doesn't possess martial talent. He hopes you will respect him because he's competent at logistics just like you are. His interest is understandable, and none of the underlying conditions have changed. When he walked out, he wasn't saying, 'I never want to see you again.' From his perspective, he reached out and was firmly rebuked. Walking out was his way of telling you that, if you're interested, the onus to act is on you."
Senior Sister had a way of making the most crazy things seem plausible, and Sun Hua desperately wanted to believe her.
"What do you have to lose?" Yang Xiu said.
Sun Hua winced. Pride. Dignity. Her heart exploding. Tears. "N-nothing."
"Great. You're willing to proceed?"
Sun Hua hesitantly nodded. "I don't understand why I need to get to know him first, though."
"Because the end goal is for the two of you to get married?"
"But my mother will arrange the marriage, right?"
Yes, that sounded a lot better. Mother would be happy, and Sun Hua wouldn't have to deal with any of the awkwardness involved in trying to get things to that point.
"We should message him and tell him that his parents should contact my mother," Sun Hua said. "If he's still interested, he'll have them do so. If not… Well, we tried, right?"
Yang Xiu took a deep breath. "I understand where you got that idea. Where I grew up, the elders decided who married whom. I mean, there was some choice, but rejecting the one the elders chose was very much frowned upon. On the other hand, I knew everyone likely to be chosen for me, and the elders, my parents, and the young man's parents would take our personalities into account when choosing. The situation here is a bit different. There is no one who knows if the two of you are fundamentally compatible or not."
"He's very similar to me. I'm sure we'd be well-suited for each other."
"You've met twice. I bet you haven't even said a hundred words to each other."
"You're exaggerating."
"Not by much!" Yang Xiu said. "Besides, I don't think Master will let your mother make this decision for you. He'll want to know that you approve. Are you ready to walk into his office and convince him to let you marry that guy?"
When put that way, no. No, Sun Hua wasn't.
"You really think Master will…" Sun Hua stopped to think about it for a moment. "He will, won't he? Unless I can convince him that I've thought it through and it will make me happy, there's no way he'll let me do it." She sighed. "Fine. We'll do it your way."
"Excellent. Next step, we'll send him a message." Yang Xiu pulled out a talisman and ripped it in half, summoning a message paper. "Let's see, 'My Dearest Wu You, My heart has ached to see you again. Every second since our last meeting has inflicted me with the pain of a thousand cuts.'"
"No! You can't say that!"
"Loins," Yang Xiu said.
"What?"
"A message like this has to contain the phrase, 'burning loins.' It's a must."
Sun Hua buried her face in her hands. Just what exactly had she agreed to?
Zou Tian enjoyed pretending to be a regular commoner, one rich enough to buy tickets to watch the tournament from the bleachers. Sometimes, he pretended to be a young master, using the funds Master had given him to secure the use of a luxury box complete with meals, cushioned seats, and shade. On other days, he dressed in rough clothes and blended in with the crowds in one of the standing room only sections.
As the contests went on, the Jade Chameleons cheered more and more for the Swift Blizzards. The Swift Blizzard cheered more and more for the Jade Chameleons. The Poison Claws cheered more and more for the Rising Tides. And the Rising Tides cheered more and more for the Poison Claws.
Conflict was in the air. The sides were tangibly forming. Even if there wasn't an ambush planned, things would eventually erupt.
The commoners, though, were muted in their spectating. They'd shout praise for a big hit or a particularly good show of martial expertise or technique mastery, but they made sure to never pick one sect over another.
Which made a lot of sense to Zou Tian. As a street rat, he'd never have dared to voice a preference for one side or the other in a conflict. Such would just lead to the other side targeting you.
He wondered if the commoners were simply exercising normal caution or if they, too, sensed the undercurrent of tension between the sects. Or perhaps their neutrality signaled a preference for the City Lord's faction.
His most important takeaway from their actions was that, if the upcoming conflict were known, the commoners weren't confident enough in the strength of the Jade Chameleons and Swift Blizzards to side with them. All things considered, that would mean great face was being given to the Rising Tide Sect—or, more accurately, to Master.
Attending the tournament wasn't just about Zou Tian performing his job as a spy, though. He found that he enjoyed it. The atmosphere. The fights. The entertainment. It was an event he couldn't have gotten within a mile of as a street rat, and one for which he would have envied those who could.
Each experience—regular commoner or rich young master or poorest of the poor—was enjoyable in different ways. Sitting with others mimicking the habits of their betters amused him. The comradery and uninhibited fun of the rabble was energizing. The luxury of the box allowed him to experience a life he'd never dreamed of.
As he attending the matches daily, the important thing was, though, that no one in any of the sections would recognize him as he always wore different clothes and a different face, and there was absolutely no reason for anyone to guess his association with the Rising Tide Sect.
The fourth and fifth rounds of the low Foundation Establishment division passed in an expected manner. Since the Swift Blizzard Sect had anticipated that their manipulations would succeed, they'd selected easy opponents for the next couple of matches. Thus, Kang Lin, Senior Sister, and Senior Brother breezed through their competition, all advancing to the sixth round.
As the Rising Tide Sect exited the area, Zou Tian had one more mission—passing another message. Master had delivered the beacon, anti-interference pylons, and the new talismans through Elder Kang, and with those, Zou Tian could start putting together his contingency plan.
Not that he didn't have faith in Master. Zou Tian believed that no number of ambushing Nascent Souls would have even a chance of defeating Master. But the manuals said that, if a spy doesn't have at least three contingency plans for every situation, he was not doing his job.
Zou Tian didn't know how to put together three plans, but he had one in mind. It seemed unlikely to be of much worth, but if all went wrong, it might be just what was needed to save the day. He just had to lay the groundwork with Senior Brother and Senior Sister, so that, when the time came to present the idea, they'd be ready to accept it.
Zou Tian let out a long breath and stalked toward Wan Ai.
Chapter 340 - Resignation
As Kang Lin approached the board where her next matchup was posted, she was actually quite happy. Reaching the sixth round meant that she was in the top sixteen cultivators in her division in the entire tournament. Even if she advanced no further, getting that far was a significant and admirable feat. She could definitely hold her head up high.
If fact, her fellow sect members were already recognizing her achievements. Everywhere she went, someone congratulated her, even some whom she'd always considered to be much more talented than she was. It was a heady experience.
Kang Lin felt … good, bringing honor to her family and her sect.
That positive feeling lasted until she saw the name of her next opponent—Yang Ru (Rising Tide Sect).
It wasn't that she was afraid he would beat her—she was absolutely positive that he would. She lost around three quarters of their spars, and she suspected that she only won when he was either experimenting with a technique or simply wasn't trying his hardest. But that was okay. Reaching the sixth round—being one of the top sixteen!—was already an amazing accomplishment. There was no shame in not reaching the seventh.
No, the problem was seeing him. She'd avoided him for months. Literally months. She hadn't spoken to him or, with the exception of watching from the stands as he fought, even seen him in all that time.
Honestly, she'd hoped to keep up that streak for as long as possible. Years. Decades. Centuries if she could manage it.
When Kang Lin thought about him, her emotions became a tangled mess. She was positive she was doing the right thing. By forcing him away from her, he'd eventually find someone better for him. Someone who could keep up with his monstrous talent.
But...
There were rumors whispered by those in her sect who thought themselves too far away for her to overhear. It was said that Yang Ru had started dating again. Which was good. It made her feel … relieved. The thought of him being as miserable as she was made her heart ache.
The girls he had tea with though… All were of lower talent than even her. If she couldn't keep up, they'd be left so far behind that no method that Master could conjure up would help them. He deserved a top talent. A star. Not trash.
The thought of throwing away her relationship with him only for him to end up in an even worse circumstance was agonizing. But what could she do about it? If Yang Ru wanted to be an idiot, that was his choice. Her backing away was what was best for both of them, and if he didn't see that, he was a complete moron!
Even if he married trash, she still was doing the morally and ethically correct thing. That none of those girls were good enough for him meant nothing. Her being slightly better than them still left her as an inferior partner for him.
Being with him was wrong. Period.
Fighting him tomorrow meant nothing. She'd do her best and lose and never have to see him again.
Resigned that she was doing what was best for both of them even if it made her miserable, she spun and stalked away from the board, dabbing at a bit of moisture at the corner of her eye.
As Yang Ru approached the board where his next matchup was posted, he was beyond apathetic. Reaching the sixth round meant nothing to him. Honestly, the fights up to that point hadn't even been that much of a challenge. He'd barely learned anything through the first five rounds.
That indifferent feeling lasted until he saw the name of her next opponent—Kang Lin (Poison Claw Sect).
That name changed simply everything. For her to fight him meant she had to be on the arena floor at the same time as him, the nearest they'd been in months. His heart pounded. He'd see her again. Up close.
He knew that there was nothing he could do to win her back. Not truly. She'd clearly made up her mind. But just the thought of being near her was amazing. Maybe she'd let something slip that would let him know what he did wrong, and if he knew what he'd messed up, maybe he could figure out a way to fix it.
Again, not likely, but any chance was better than no chance, right?
He felt the ends of his mouth curl up, unbidden, just a bit. It was the happiest he'd been in a long time.
Ultimately, he was resigned to the fact that he had little chance to change their fate, but he appreciated the heavens for giving him even that much.
Kang Lin was almost late. She so dreaded seeing Yang Ru that she procrastinated each part of the process of getting ready, resulting in her barely making it there on time.
When she walked onto the arena floor, she discovered that Yang Ru had arrived first. She honestly didn't know if he already being there was better or worse than her having to wait. On the plus side, there was a lack of having to experience awful anticipation while thousands of people watched. On the negative, she was so very, very acutely aware of his eyes on her as he approached.
She made the mistake of glancing at his face. He noticed and gave her one of his goofy smiles. Her heart thudded, remembering how his face would light up when she walked into a room.
Immediately, she looked away, focusing on her walk as if navigating the slight swells of sand required her full attention.
"Don't look up" became her mantra as she walked. But she couldn't help it. She looked up.
Yang Ru resembled a kicked puppy.
Or how she imagined a kicked puppy would look. She'd never actually kicked one.
Until that moment.
How could doing the right thing feel so wrong? It was making both her and him miserable.
The most positive thing about being almost late to the match was that she didn't have much time between when she arrived and when it started, meaning she didn't have much time she had to stare at her feet with his eyes surely burning a hole through her.
To distract herself, she focused on her first move. He always opened by charging at her, building up Momentum as he ran. That gave her the opportunity to get in several strikes with her Lightning.
Not that it would hurt him, but the qi burned by his shield blocking her ranged attack was slightly in excess of what she used to create them. Thus, the more times she could hit him, the better.
Of course, he had close to three times as much qi available as she did, but every little bit counted?
As per the official tournament rules, no techniques could be charged before the match began, but as soon as the official signal was given, she quickly manifested a full strike, looked up, and let loose.
Yang Ru hadn't moved an inch. The Lightning flashed across the sand and struck his chest, where his shield blocked it.
Surprised and trying to determine what his new tactic was, she blasted him again. And again. And again.
He still didn't move.
Finally, she couldn't stand it any longer. "What are you doing?"
He shrugged.
Great, he'd learned a new nonverbal way of communicating. That was exactly what he needed.
She threw another Lightning bolt at him. And another. And another. All had the same result, fizzling against his shield.
There wasn't much she could do about it. Even if he was burning more qi per strike than her, it wasn't by much, and she'd run out long before him.
Kang Lin tightened her hands around her spear, frustrated at the situation. Frustrated at him.
She sent another bolt.
It struck his chest, leaving a burn mark on his robe. He visibly winced.
"What happened?" she said. "You surely have qi left."
"I disabled my shield."
"Why would you do something so stupid in the middle of a match? Idiot!"
"It seemed like you wanted to hit me, not my shield?"
That man was absolutely ridiculous.
She sent another bolt, striking him again. That one burned through his robe and left a black mark on his chest.
And another.
He collapsed onto one knee.
"What are you doing?" she yelled.
"Being electrocuted."
"Why?"
He shrugged again.
"You think this is what I want?" she said. "For you to just let me hit you. Let me hurt you."
"This hurt is nothing."
His words felt like he'd physically struck her as she knew exactly what he meant. Compared to how much her leaving him had hurt, being hit by lightning was nothing.
"I don't want to hurt you," she said, much more softly.
"For months, I've been trying to figure out what you want. I still have no idea."
"Right now, I want you to fight me."
"No."
"No?" she said, not understanding what he meant at all.
"No."
"You won't fight me?" she said. "We're in the middle of a tournament match."
Again, he shrugged. She found it to be even more annoying than his grunts and sent another bolt of Lightning.
After it hit, he had to put down one hand on the ground, clearly in pain. She didn't know who felt worse—her or him.
"That's it," she said. "I'm done hurting you."
He lifted his head and showed the most joyful expression imaginable on his face. "You'll come back to me?"
"What? No! Why did you…" It took her a moment to put together the sequence of events, replaying what she'd said. "I meant that I'm done hurting you with Lightning."
"Oh."
Kang Lin didn't think she could possibly feel any worse, but that one syllable somehow managed to bring her lower than she'd ever been.
"Get up and fight," she said.
"No."
"You don't need me. You have those other girls."
Why in the world had she brought up that subject? For one thing, it was none of her business. For another, she wanted him to move on.
"Yang Xiu forced me to do that," he said.
It was her turn to say, "Oh."
Honestly, she should have realized that. Yang Xiu interfering was a much more likely explanation for his behavior than him suddenly becoming a social butterfly.
"Can you please just tell me what I did wrong?" he said. "Whatever it is, I promise I'll try to fix it. I swear."
Heavens. He was tearing her heart out. Which, honestly, she deserved.
"Fight me," she said.
"No."
"Fight me!"
He sighed, and for a moment, she thought he would rise to his feet and charge her. Instead, he looked directly at the official and said, "I resign."
And that was it. The match was over. She was one of the top eight.
Never had she achieved something she felt that she deserved less.
Chapter 341 - Rift
Yang Xiu didn't get truly angry often. Master had come into her life at its lowest point, and since, she'd experienced heights she never could have even dreamed. She deliberately put aside the trauma and tragedy that had led up to their meeting and instead focused on the positives and potential of her future.
Between when she'd met Master and the current day, the only time she'd felt so absolutely livid was when the Golden Core from the Jade Chameleon Sect had killed Ye Zan.
If he had fought against a cultivator of equal status and died, she would have been angry and upset and saddened, but ultimately, she would have accepted that such things happened to cultivators. Challenging the heavens meant risking death.
Instead, his death was caused by juniors being targeted by an existence so far above them that they had no chance. The Jade Chameleon Sect had shown themselves to be honorless curs that day, and she would see the entire sect suffer to the maximum extent possible.
The tournament match she witnessed triggered a visceral fury in her that was in no way second to the day of Ye Zan's death.
Yang Xiu had been quite tolerant of Kang Lin's actions. She was, after all, clearly going through something that had her struggling immensely. Not only that, but after what Yang Xiu had experienced at the hands of Fang Wei, she was the last person who would advocate pressuring a young woman to marry anyone not of that young woman's choosing.
Sure, she thought the girl was being silly. The arrangement was obviously good for both parties. Kang Lin would gain resources that far outstripped anything her sect could provide, ones that surpassed even what she'd get for simply being Master's disciple and, in doing so, would prove herself filial in her duty to her family by finding a talented match.
Yang Ru needed someone to protect, to be a rock for. She'd provide purpose for his life above and beyond his duty to the sect.
Her humor would balance his stoicism. His solidness would steady her lack of confidence.
A mutually beneficial, balanced relationship. It was what the town elders strove for, and Yang Xiu was positive her parents would have approved.
All that being the case, Kang Lin had absolutely no obligation to marry, or even date, Yang Ru.
Yes, her actions in the past had hurt Yang Ru. He didn't show it much, but the breakup had been devastating for him, leaving him floundering and unsure of what he did wrong or what he could do to fix matters.
But she hadn't intended that hurt. She likely would have cushioned it if she could have. Yang Xiu bore her no malice for it. Those types of things just sometimes happened.
It was no one's fault.
But the pain she had inflicted upon had during that match had been completely unacceptable. Physical and emotional and public. Continuing to strike him with fully charged lightning bolts when it was clear he'd stopped defending himself. Rubbing it in that she did not want him. And doing both those things with thousands of people watching.
Kang Lin had done nothing to mitigate the abuse she inflicted. Not for one second had she given consideration to Yang Ru or his feelings. She'd simply done what was in her best interest.
Yang Ru was clearly the better of the two and would have won if he'd bothered to try. Kang Lin knew that. She should have simply resigned when she realized the match would not be a fair fight.
But she didn't. Instead, she took advantage of the situation and came out the victor. Never before had she acted so much like a ruthless cultivator.
There was no cause for her actions. Blood feuds had been started over less.
Yang Ru exited the arena floor. To anyone who truly knew him, he was clearly barely holding himself together. He bypassed the entrance to the stands where the rest of the sect was seated and instead headed directly toward the compound.
Huang Yimun dispatched several guards as an escort.
Good.
Kang Lin wasn't far behind in leaving the arena floor, her to cheers of her fellow Poison Claw Sect members. All of them were elated that she'd advanced to the final eight of the division, seemingly oblivious to how callously she'd treated Yang Ru.
Yang Xiu clenched her fists. Her hands ached to summon her bow and nock an arrow. Before she even knew what she was doing, she was on her feet marching toward Kang Lin.
It didn't take long to reach the girl.
"You and me," Yang Xiu said, "we're done. Not friends. Definitely not sisters. Don't come back to the Rising Tide Sect. You're no longer welcome."
"What? Yang Xiu—"
"I said we're done. Do not let my name touch your lips again, and you better pray to the heavens that you lose a match before you have to face me."
With that, Yang Xiu spun and headed back to the Rising Tide Sect's section.
To say that Kang Lin was stunned was a massive, massive understatement. The thing with the match and Yang Ru had not gone how she'd expected, but she didn't think she could have handled it any differently. She hadn't wanted to hurt him, but he'd practically insisted.
No girl in her sect would have handled the situation any differently.
He should have kept his qi shield up. Only an idiot dropped it in the middle of a tournament match. And no one—no one!—forfeited a chance at the top eight. The resources. The prestige. Cultivators worked for years just for a chance to finish so high in the rankings.
Now that spot was hers, a spot that she didn't deserve. Her mind was still reeling from that development when Yang Xiu approached.
The girl had been a true friend, more so than anyone in the Poison Claw Sect. There was no trying to gain an advantage—not that she needed to with her talent—and no backstabbing. When Kang Lin had broken up with Yang Ru, Yang Xiu's own brother, she had been disappointed but understanding. There had been no pressure to get back together with him.
Which made her actions a few moments ago so confusing and frustrating.
For one thing, there was always an undercurrent of steel beneath Yang Xiu's often playful exterior. But it was hidden deeply. Even when faced with a potentially deadly attack from a Golden Core cultivator, she didn't flinch and traded barbs like he was no more powerful than a random fishmonger at the market.
It was honestly hard to associate the happy and adventure seeking girl with a powerful cultivator with an A+ ranked Ice aspect. Evidence of that element played no part in how she acted.
Until a moment ago.
She'd let her full frigidity into the open. There was no joy. No soft core of humanity to balance the deadliness of her realm and talent. No warmth.
Left behind was a cold, ruthless killer, someone whose only objective was the absolute destruction of her enemies. And Kang Lin now counted among that number.
But why?
Yes, she'd rejected Yang Ru again, but there'd been no real prior objection. And, sure, she'd inflicted some minor amount of pain on him, but nothing compared to what they'd done to each other in some of their spars. Even she and Yang Xiu had caused each other more pain than that.
Kang Lin didn't understand what she'd done, but she'd clearly opened up a rift today between her and Yang Xiu. Worse, she'd caused friction between her family and the heirs of the Rising Tide Sect, stars whose power was sure to shake the foundations of the continent when they grew into their own. Worse still, she might have opened a gap between two allied sects just as a war was about to break out.
That argument, witnessed by the entire crowd, had not been a simple spat between friends. It was a potential disaster.
Kang Lin needed to talk to her grandfather but not where they could be observed. She'd go straight to his study. He surely understood the ramifications of what just happened even more clearly than she did. As soon as he could get away from the matches, he'd find her.
She rushed from the area.
Yang Xiu felt strange.
During her short exchange with Kang Lin, Yang Xiu somehow expended all her rage. Instead of the hot, burning cauldron taking the place of her heart, a ball of cold replaced it. Nothingness. Not apathy, per se, but her feelings were definitely muted. And she couldn't find it within herself to care.
She sat silently watching the next couple of matches. When it was time for her to take to the arena floor, she calmly and steadily marched down the steps and out onto the sandy terrain of the battleground.
Though she'd read the name of her opponent the previous day, she didn't remember it. Honestly, she simply didn't care. It didn't matter. Neither did the fact that he was from the Jade Chameleon Sect.
The boy across from her postured, flexing his muscles and aiming the sun's reflection from his sword at her eyes. She didn't respond to his display of arrogance and gamesmanship, not verbally. Not physically.
Instead, she simply observed, her eyes cataloguing his every movement.
The announcer called his name, and he didn't bow to her. Neither did she bow to him.
For a moment, Yang Xiu felt conflicted, like she should have offered him courtesy. That it was important to do so. But she couldn't bring herself to care. She simply watched.
As the time for the match's start drew close, his right foot twitched, and she knew. He'd use a movement skill, try to close with her before she could make use of the advantage of her ranged attack.
Such a tactic wasn't exactly a revelation. Any opponent of hers only had three options—get close, use their own ranged attack, or hide. And the arena floor offered little protection. Pitting any shield against her efficient arrows was reckless at best, leaving them with only two effective choices.
Part of her mind acknowledged that he was one of the top sixteen combatants in the entire division and probably had much experience fighting ranged opponents. He obviously either thought himself so fast that he could avoid her arrows until he closed on her or so tough that a few hits didn't matter.
Old her would have laughed at his foolishness. New her simply decided on the best counter.
The match started. He darted, as expected, to the right. Two arrows were on the way before he'd taken a single step.
He smirked, clearly not worried about her attack. His shield could easily withstand two hits. By the time, she readied another shot, he'd be nearly to her. Even if he had to take one or two more, so what?
But neither of her arrows hit him.
The first landed just in front of his left foot, impaling itself in the sand.
His foot impacted the slight obstruction. It wasn't enough to cause a stumble, but the unexpected obstacle threw him off his stride by a minute amount.
The second arrow careened off a wall and traveled parallel to his leg, arriving just as he was adjusting his left foot. His shin struck the shaft.
Again, the impact was minor, but he was still accelerating, attempting to reach her before another arrow could be nocked. One obstacle was easily overcome. The second … wasn't.
The boy stumbled. He tried valiantly to catch himself, but he was moving too fast. His balance was too precarious.
He face-planted in the sand.
After that, it was an easy matter for her to pepper him with arrows. His shield gave out long before he gained his feet, and he surrendered.
Her job complete, Yang Xiu turned and left.
Chapter 342 – What Punishment?
Yang Ru had never felt so miserable in his life. He'd known that he had little chance to fix whatever mistake he'd made with Kang Lin, but neither had he expected her rejection to be so absolute.
He tried to separate himself from his emotions. Even during the worst time in his life, when he and Yang Xiu fled their home without even properly burying or mourning their parents, he could set aside the negativity somewhat to view things logically instead of giving into despair.
For some reason, that ability to coldly analyze his feelings wouldn't materialize, though. Instead, each emotion stabbed at his heart, unmitigated by the icy dispassion he usually could eventually achieve.
The bitter sadness of loss. The sharp stab of betrayal. The empty abyss of loneliness. He just wanted them to go away.
As he struggled to manage his reactions as he always had, a new sensation tugged at his soul. The more he concentrated, the clearer his perception of the pull became.
"Don't bury your emotions in a frozen grave. Use them to move forward. Determine a goal and channel them into your efforts to achieve it. Turn your pain into passion," a voice deep inside him urged.
The message resonated with him. He would burn the sadness, betrayal and loneliness on a pyre and use it to fuel his fury. His steps would move forward, always.
He'd be unstoppable. Undaunted. His unwanted feelings would form the foundation he'd use to trample and bury anything in his path. To crush all foes.
Even if those foes used to be friends. Or if he'd hoped those foes would become more than friends.
Kang Lin kowtowed, burying her face on the floor, as her grandfather walked into the study. "This lowly one has erred, Esteemed Elder."
Silenced stretched as she kept her forehead flat against the cold bamboo flooring while she waited. Which wasn't a good sign. If she were overestimating just how much trouble she was in, he would have told her to rise. Not speaking meant she might actually have underestimated the magnitude of her failure.
"By all rights," Grandfather eventually said, "today should have been a celebration for the Kang family. One of our members recently jumped from the peak of Qi Gathering to the third minor realm of Foundation Establishment more rapidly than the most feted geniuses in Sect history. Throughout the tournament, that family member displayed poise in combat and a mastery of multiple powerful techniques. Advancing to the top eight should have solidified her status as a rising star."
He paused, a lengthy break that lasted so long that Kang Lin almost—almost—raised her head.
"Have I been too lenient?" Grandfather continued. "I kept thinking, 'Kang Lin is a smart and filial girl. She knows how important it is to keep good relations with the Rising Tide Sect. She understands her duty both to her sect and to her family. Sure, she's going through something, but I have every confidence that she'll work it out.' But your actions today have absolutely destroyed any trust that I had in you."
Kang Lin kept her body motionless and remained speechless even as his words slammed into her with more force than a hammer. The worst part was that he was right. There wasn't anything she could say to defend herself.
"How bad is the rift?" Grandfather said. "Is it repairable?"
She pictured Yang Ru's face in her mind. He looked absolutely miserable when he left the ring. Her actions had surely destroyed whatever relationship, whether friendship or something else, they had.
Yang Xiu was the same, except with anger instead of sadness. If the two of them ever met again, Kang Lin would be lucky to survive the encounter.
"No, Esteemed Elder."
She heard an angry huff, an unusual sound coming from her usually good natured grandfather. It seemed that it was her day to trigger uncommon emotions in people she cared about.
People who used to care about her.
"You have cost your sect good standing with two future powerhouses," he said. "The impact cannot be calculated. The most optimistic outcome is that only the Kang family is diminished. A not impossible consequence is that the eventual destruction of the entire Poison Claw Sect can be laid upon your actions this day."
Kang Lin frowned. That analysis seemed … inflated. Sure, Yang Xiu and Yang Ru were powerful, but wasn't it exaggerating to say they could somehow annihilate a big three sect?
Grandfather's view of the side of her face must have given away her thoughts.
"You doubt me? Think about it, you silly girl. Two A ranked talents. Top heaven ranked scriptures. Apparently any technique they can imagine given to them. Equipment from the best craftsman not only on this continent but that I've ever even heard of in a legend or even a tall tale. A Trials Pagoda that can burst any bottleneck. Their master, who dotes on them, possesses power so great that it is nigh incomprehensible. What will those two become? What is their ceiling? Nascent Soul?"
He scoffed. "They won't aim that low. Nihility at the least. Perhaps they'll reach immortality. And what will be the fate of any those two decide to eliminate?"
Kang Lin swallowed hard. She herself had referred to them as legends in the making. It just hadn't sunk in just what their seemingly inevitable ascension would mean for the Poison Claw Sect. At the time, she'd considered their eventual success nothing but a positive. Because she was their friend. Because the two sects were allies.
Had been allies?
Just how badly had she messed up?
"What should this lowly one do, Esteemed Elder? There has to be something." A thought struck her. As much as she didn't like the idea, it might be her only way forward. "This lowly one will go to Yang Ru and grovel. Pledge marriage. The situation can be fixed."
"Would he have you now? Why? You humiliated him in the arena. You gave him less face than you would our worst enemy," Grandfather said.
He was right. If she were Yang Ru, she would even grant her an audience, much less agree to a marriage. Her actions had gone way beyond mere error. It wasn't out of the question for the Punishment Hall to get involved.
"Please tell this lowly one what to do, Esteemed Elder." Her voice was pleading, seeking salvation from the only source that might be able to right the ship.
There was another long silence.
"I fear the disciples are lost to us but maybe not the master," Grandfather said. "Go to Chao Su. You are still his disciple. Plead your case. Ask for his forgiveness. Throw yourself on his mercy. That is the only path."
Again, Grandfather's wisdom was absolute. As much as she feared her master's wrath after what she'd done, he was her only hope.
"Gratitude, Esteemed Elder."
Benton blew out a sharp breath. Watching teenagers go through angst sometimes tended either to amuse him, assuming the cause and effect were relatively trivial. Mostly, though, witnessing such an event filled him with sympathy for the sufferer. After all, the fact that he was way too far distant from that time in his own life didn't mean he couldn't understand what they were going through.
The act he'd just seen stirred a different emotion. He found himself feeling something unexpected—anger. Two of his kids were experiencing pain. Worse, two of his kids had been made to experience pain.
The new Benton, who had been given power he wouldn't have even been able to imagine back on Earth, wanted to punish the source of that pain.
Which presented two problems. One, it indicated that he was becoming a much different person than he had been, and not necessarily in a good way. He'd always been a "turn the other cheek unless he was absolutely forced not to" kind of guy. The fact that a desire for retribution came to him so readily was more than a little disconcerting.
Two, the perpetrator was also one of his kids. And that one stung.
Usually, his choices were simple. If someone harmed one of his, that person was in for trouble. In the current situation, though…
It wasn't like none of his kids ever fought. His middle child and youngest were like cats and dogs for a couple of years. It got so bad that he and Evelyn even decided against a couple of vacations simply because they didn't want to have to deal with the two children being confined together in a car.
Bickering was one thing, though. Truly hurting each other was something entirely different. Punishment seemed warranted, right?
Benton sighed. Maybe. No one acted out of actual maliciousness. Kang Lin let her emotions and self doubt get the better of her. Yang Ru didn't have the maturity or wisdom to take a step back and allow her to work things out for herself. The fact that they were forced to fight each other in the tournament also didn't help, obviously.
Still, cultivator society demanded certain proprieties be observed. Benton wasn't so great at observing those conventions, but he both had the power to get away with it and the willingness to deal with whatever repercussions arose. Kang Lin had neither. The way she'd behaved in public against a Rising Tide Sect member was not okay.
So back to punishment.
If he had to name his biggest weakness as a father back on Earth, it was his willingness to allow his empathy to overrule any sense of justice he might have had. Without Evelyn there, his kids probably would have grown up to be complete brats.
A twelve-year-old who let her emotions and impatience drive her to do something stupid didn't deserve the punishment of never being allowed to cultivate. A sect whose Golden Cores deliberately went after juniors, killing one of them, definitely did deserve to have their branch sect destroyed.
What punishment, if any, did Kang Lin deserve?
Chapter 343 – Inconceivable!
Sun Hua fingered her contingency ring as she glanced nervously around the tea shop. As much as she'd been embarrassed by having a full squad of guards and two Foundation Establishment cultivators protecting her on her previous visit, it felt weird and a bit dangerous not to have anyone with her.
Since Senior Brother had been knocked out of the tournament the previous day by Kang Lin, Senior Sister had not been acting like herself. Sun Hua had gone to Senior Sister to ask permission to go to the shop, and instead of demanding a truly mortifying number of guards for an escort, she'd simply said, somewhat coldly, "Go. You'll be fine."
Sun Hua did not feel fine. Sure, she had the ring that would summon Master instantly if something went wrong, not to mention a stack of easily accessible talismans that could, apparently, destroy a good portion of the city if she wanted. But she was not a fighter. If someone truly came after her, she suspected she'd simply freeze up.
A few minutes later, Wu You walked in, though, and he appeared to be alone. He looked around, spotted her, waved, and walked in her direction, soon taking a seat opposite her.
"I have to admit that I was shocked to get your message," he said after they'd exchanged polite but somewhat awkward greetings.
Luckily, he meant the calm, measured note that she'd composed, not the crazy and embarrassing mess that Senior Sister had teased about sending.
"What changed your mind?" he said.
Sun Hua wasn't sure that honesty was the best policy in that situation, but she wasn't one to mince words. "Our allied sect investigated you, and your story held up."
"That's … blunt." The ends of his lips curled up slightly. "But I don't see any guards. That's very trusting of you."
Sun Hua didn't know how to respond to that. As much as she liked the idea of finding a companion, the actual methodology both scared and confounded her, so she simply sat there.
He smiled, seeming quite comfortable despite her unease. "Have you already ordered?"
"This Assistant didn't want to presume."
"Is there a particular blend that you like? If not, there are a few that I can recommend."
She gave him permission to order for her, and he selected an oolong for both of them. It was light with a slight floral note.
"I've never had oolong," she said. "It's quite nice. Gratitude for your selection."
"Never? It's quite common."
Sun Hua told him that the selection of most items was quite limited in the small village where she'd grown up, which had led to him asking more questions. So she'd naturally shared a few stories from her childhood, ones that did not feature her mother. Before she knew it, they'd been chatting for over half an hour. She wouldn't have believed how easy it was to slip into a conversation with a strange man.
"Do you go on a lot of dates?" she said. "You seem quite accomplished at it."
He grinned. "Believe it or not, you're the first since … Well, you know."
To that point, she'd avoided saying anything that touched on his being a widower, and she mentally kicked herself for doing so in that instance.
"Apologies, if this Assistant's clumsy language…"
"Nonsense. It's not an easy subject, but it's not one to avoid. She was a big part of my life. If we are to truly get to know each other, it's inevitable that we talk about her." That heavy topic wasn't right for such an initial phase of getting to know each other, though, and he quickly moved past it. "What about you? Considering your position and obvious value to your sect, I would have expected you to be more comfortable entertaining suitors."
Apparently, he'd just moved from one uncomfortable topic to another instead. If there was one thing that Sun Hua didn't want to discuss on a date, it was her lack of experience. Trust had to start somewhere, though. She explained more about the conditions in the village, including the fact that, prior to it being completely surrounded by spirit beasts, brave young men would try to hunt for food outside the walls and thus tended to be killed at higher rates than young women who weren't expected to risk themselves in such a manner.
"That sounds horrible!" he said.
"Mother and I weren't affected as much as some since we didn't directly lose anyone, but hunger and fear became constant companions in the last couple of years before Master appeared. The village owes him much."
The somberness of the last couple of conversation subjects cast a pall over the table, and the two lapsed into an uncomfortable silence. She felt bad for her role in creating the depressing atmosphere but didn't see a way should could have avoided it.
"Well, last time I told you what I was looking for in a potential partner and why," he said. "Could you share some of your thoughts?"
Though he brought up the subject in a gentle manner, it still wasn't something that was easy for Sun Hua to talk about. It was a sign of just how badly she wanted things to work that she actually gave answering him a chance.
"I've always wanted children," she said.
He grimaced.
Her admission didn't feel like a great thing to say to a man who was interested in her. After all, she probably wouldn't react well if a man told her that he was only interested in her due to a factor than any random woman could fulfill rather than a particular trait of hers. On the other hand, she felt that starting off a relationship by being dishonest wasn't the correct way to go.
"I think companionship would also be a positive," she said quickly. "And other … stuff."
She was acutely aware of how absolutely inadequate her answer must have come across to him.
"It's not that," Wu You said. "It's the … medical issues involved."
Oh. Well, that wasn't so bad. She understood the difficulties, too.
"Of course, it's not a given that we'll be able to … conceive, but I'd like to at least try." Her face heated as she realized how her comment could have been interpreted.
"And if we do conceive? What then? Will I have to watch you die as well?" His voice was filled with anguish.
Sun Hua could only sit there, stunned. She never thought about how her desires would sound to a man who'd lost his wife and child in the way Wu You had.
"I'm sorry," he said after a brief pause. "Those wounds are fresher than I'd realized."
"No, I understand."
And she did. Kind of. Though who could truly relate to losing a spouse except those who had also been through it?
"Perhaps it would be best for us to meet another day?" he said. "Tomorrow after the matches?"
"This Assistant would appreciate you meeting me again."
He gave her a brief smile before dropping enough taels on the table to cover both their drinks and exiting the tea shop.
Staring at the door as it closed, the best thing Sun Hua could say about the way their meeting had ended was that he hadn't actually sprinted away from her. From her perspective, though, it was near thing.
Wan Ai was at loose ends. Master had graciously set up a few alchemy stations, but they were quite basic setups compared to the ones in her pavilion, meaning she couldn't do everything she wanted. Worse, Master had asked those at the peak of Qi Gathering like she was to wait until they returned to the sect to break through, meaning she couldn't cultivate. Meaning she had to wait to start practicing real alchemy.
She had an option of course. A talisman that would Teleport her back to the sect sat in her pocket at that very moment. A few things kept her from using it, though.
One, social weight. The other sect members had supported her during her contest, and even though she would have preferred they left her to compete alone, she felt some obligation to support others. Besides, no one else seemed to want to leave.
Two, talismans were valuable. Wan Ai had learned enough about cultivation and sects by that point to understand that most Qi Gathering cultivators didn't have access to the kinds of powerful inscribed abilities that Master had given them.
Of course, he really had given the talismans away. Though they'd been instructed by the other council members to keep them secret for emergencies, no one indicated that the devices couldn't be used whenever its owner wanted.
Still, to use it selfishly seemed like a waste.
Finally, three, Zou Tian was in the city. Even if she couldn't see him, he still occasionally communicated with her. Being close to him was infinitely better than being far away.
So instead of going back to the sect and doing something much more productive, she sat in her room going over manuals. Which would have definitely been considered productive. If she didn't already have them basically memorized, that was.
A knock sounded on her door, a circumstance that would normally make her anxious. After all, she much preferred solitude to company. Not being able to cultivate had left her bored nearly to tears, though, so as she got up to answer the knock, she found herself almost welcoming the interruption.
Almost.
Sun Hua stood on the other side of the door.
Wan Ai hadn't had a lot of experience with the other girl, usually only seeing her at meetings or for one other specific reason.
"Greetings Assistant, does Master or Senior Sister have a task for me?" Wan Ai couldn't help but feel eager at the thought, in sharp contrast to the pressure she normally experienced.
"Apologies, Senior, but this Assistant came to ask a question about alchemy."
Oh. Well, that wasn't such a bad thing, either. If there was any subject that Wan Ai liked talking about, it was alchemy. "Please enter and make yourself comfortable."
The buildings Master had brought with him for the tournament weren't nearly as luxurious as the dwellings back at the sect. For one thing, the rooms were smaller, each containing just enough space for a bed, a cultivation mat, and a small chair with a workstation.
Not that she or anyone else would complain. The accommodations still included heating and cooling and were much nicer than anything most of them had grown up with.
She sat on the bed, leaving the chair for Sun Hua.
As the sect leader's assistant walked across the small room, it struck Wan Ai that the two of them shared at least a couple of similarities. Both were reserved around others. Both had been lifted from unremarkable lives with few prospects to become leaders in the sect.
It also struck Wan Ai, as Sun Hua took her time getting settled in the chair, that she appeared nervous. The question she came to ask must have personal implications.
"It's common knowledge that there are complications and health risks regarding cultivators and … pregnancy," Sun Hua said eventually, obviously uncomfortable with the subject.
"Is this something you're personally worried about?" Wan Ai wasn't aware of Sun Hua being involved with anyone and certainly not to the point of nearing marriage. The implications of her being worried about such matters might necessitate a talk with someone older and wiser than either of them.
"Yes."
Wan Ai tried not to react, but her eyes widened involuntarily.
"It's not like that!" Sun Hua said.
"Sorry to assume, but…"
She went on to explain, haltingly and not in great detail, about being in the initial stages of talking to a cultivator from another sect who was a widower.
"I see," Wan Ai said. "You want children, and his experience has made him wary of even making such an attempt."
Sun Hua nodded vigorously.
Truthfully, Wan Ai had been considering similar matters herself as of late. It wouldn't be long until she and Zou Tian were married, even if she had to forcefully drag him to the mayor's house. And well, the natural progression of things usually led to … babies.
"There are two pill recipes in the Foundation Establishment level manuals Master supplied," Wan Ai said. "One improves the chances for a cultivator to become pregnant, and the other eases the birthing process."
"That's … promising."
Wan Ai sighed. "Not as promising as I'd like. There's a reason it's well known that issues regarding such matters exist. I doubt either of two pills easy enough for a journeyman alchemist, at best, to make will fully solve those problems."
Sun Hua looked disappointed. "What do we do, then?"
"What anyone in the Rising Tide Sect does when they face an insurmountable problem—we have Master give us the solution."
Chapter 344 - Avoidance
Benton sensed three cultivators approaching his closed door, one expected and two not. He sighed. When it rained, it poured. Who should get their desired audience first?
The expected one would arrive first, but that conversation would be quite serious and probably more lengthy than not. He wasn't sure of the topic the other two were bringing to them. From what he sensed, it seemed to be something serious but not urgent. They weren't worried, but something was definitely on their minds.
Three disciples. Two audiences. One decision.
First come first serve? No. Most important topic? No. Likely easier topic first? Yes.
Benton was no stranger to putting off conversations he'd rather avoid. Quickly, he sent off a message dragon.
Wan Ai and Sun Hua found Kang Lin waiting outside Master's office. She held a blue paper that obviously had recently been folded into one of the message dragons.
"You two are to go in first," Kang Lin said.
Sun Hua frowned. "But you were—"
"Master's instructions." Kang Lin waved the paper.
"Oh."
Wan Ai smiled. "We'll be quick."
"No hurry." Kang Lin blew out a breath. "No hurry at all."
After knocking and being granted entrance, Wan Ai and Sun Hua entered. Master had already prepared three cups of tea, and they sat and grabbed theirs. Usually, they would have sipped quietly, perhaps exchanging small talk until all three cups were empty.
Sun Hua, though, was quite aware that dallying would be somewhat rude under the circumstances. After only a few minutes, she cupped her hands. "Gratitude for seeing this Assistant, Master."
Wan Ai was surprised by the slight breach in decorum but quickly mirrored the greeting. She was even more taken aback when Sun Hua told Master that Wan Ai had something she wanted to ask.
She glared at the other girl before saying, "Master, how effective are the pills in the manual at helping cultivators to become pregnant and at easing childbirth?"
"Uh," he inelegantly said, obviously not expecting the topic. "Not very, to be honest. I mean, they'll help, but…"
That answer was what Wan Ai had expected. A Minor Healing Pill produced miraculous results from one perspective, but when compared to a Major Healing Pill, which was far too advanced for a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator to make, it came up far short of what was needed in a lot of situations.
"Is there something I need to know?" Master said, eyeing both girls.
Sun Hua's face went scarlet, and Wan Ai felt heat rise in her own. She forged bravely ahead, though.
"Zou Tian and I are to be married when we get back to the village, Master."
"Ah." Master sounded relieved. "That makes sense." He paused. "When did Zou Tian propose?"
"He didn't, Master."
Master tilted his head slightly to the side. Normally, Wan Ai would have shrunk away upon being questioned, especially since her answers were sounding strange even to herself.
Instead, she took a deep breath. "Being apart had firmed my resolve, Master. I'm not scared anymore. I'm sure he'll agree."
"Well, good I guess. Congratulations." He paused for a moment before smiling widely. "The sect's first big wedding! I can't wait."
Wan Ai groaned internally but tried to keep her face placid. There was no point arguing with him. She just needed to get to the mayor before Master did.
He turned to Sun Hua. "And you? I wasn't aware of you being courted by anyone."
She nervously but resolutely explained the situation with Wu You.
"The main thing that I want is to have children, Master," she said as the tale wound down, "But I can see how he'd be scared after what happened to his wife."
"If I'm understanding this correctly," he said, "you are considering marrying a man you just met who happens to be a member of a sect we're basically at war with, correct?"
Sun Hua tensed, but she nodded.
"I didn't hear anything in all that about any great passion for him over any other guy in existence, right?"
She nodded again.
"It's all about … having children?"
"Y-yes, Master."
He frowned. "Wan Ai and Zou Tian met. They got acquainted. Their acquaintanceship deepened into something more until it became love. Now they're talking about marriage and children. I understand and approve of that progression. Yours is giving me more of an issue."
Sun Hua tentatively tried to speak, but Master held up a finger.
"Give me a moment to process this," he said. "Arranged marriages are much more common here than where I'm from, so that part of things is a cultural issue that incumbent on me to overcome. Just because your practices are different than I'm used to doesn't make them somehow wrong. It's just that I'm an old dog, and new tricks can be a bit difficult for me to learn.
"My main objection is that I want to make sure you're not settling for some random guy because you think he's your only chance to get what you want."
"He's the first to express any interest, Master."
Wan Ai couldn't help but be impressed by her sect mate. The timid girl was standing up for herself in a very awkward situation.
"He won't be the last, though," Master said.
Sun Hua tried to interject, but he spoke over her.
"I know that your experience in the village has shaped your perspective of yourself, but you need to adapt to the changes. Being slightly older than your peers is meaningless when your lifespan expands to centuries. What really matters to your potential suitors is power. Think about what the Rising Tide Sect has shown at this tournament, how we've finished so much higher than anyone expected.
"We are a rising power.
"Then, think about your place in the hierarchy. When I'm not available, who is in charge? The twins and you. You are third out of the entire sect, and I don't see that ever changing much, regardless of how big the sect grows."
He smiled at her warmly. "I want you to be happy and to get married and to have as many babies as you could possibly want, but I also want you to know your worth. You are valuable. Understand?"
Much like Wan Ai would have been, Sun Hua was obviously uncomfortable with all the praise, but she faced up to it well.
"Yes, Master."
"Getting to know this guy is fine, and if he's the one you decide to marry, I will not object," Master said. "I trust your judgment. Just, please, consider what I've told you."
Sun Hua cupped her hands. "Gratitude, Master. This Assistant will do as you have instructed."
"Good," Master said. "Give me a second."
He disappeared from the room in a blink, an occurrence that didn't surprise either of the girls. Master's Teleport ability was well known, and between all his techniques and his superior cultivation realm, he was extremely fast. Less than five seconds later, he popped back into his previous position, seated with a teacup in his hand.
He casually took a sip before placing the cup on the table in front of him. A small wood disk appeared in his hand, which he held out toward Sun Hua. "Obviously, things might get intense between our sect and your suitor's. I do not plan on purposely attacking Foundation Establishment realm members, but there might be collateral damage. Give him the token, so I'll know to protect him specifically."
She swallowed hard and took the device. "Gratitude, Master."
On an intellectual level, Wan Ai knew there were tensions between the sects, which logically were probably heading toward bloodshed. It was honestly hard for her to get her head around the fact that people were literally going to die, though. She figured that Sun Hua must be feeling the same way.
"Now," Master said, "on to happier tidings—great grandbabies!"
Wan Ai couldn't help it. She smiled. Though she didn't know a lot about other sects, she suspected that not many of them had a sect leader who viewed all of his members like grandchildren.
"Way back before I was an all-powerful cultivator, my wife and I were friends with a couple who had fertility issues. They tried everything, spending all they could on the issue, and still could never get pregnant. I have a lot of sympathy for anyone having that kind of problem. Raising kids can be a challenge, but there is no greater strength on any world than a parent's love for their child. Everyone willing should be able to experience that joy."
Wan Ai's smile grew even wider. She had suspected Master would feel that way. It was very nice that she was correct.
"There are three solutions to most problems facing a cultivator—a technique, a formation, and a pill," Master said. "I don't think that a technique, which requires an extreme time commitment, is right for either situation. A formation to aid conception seems … wrong. One would either have to be installed in each home, or the couple would have to travel to the formation."
Wan Ai shook her head, her face heating at the thought.
Master grinned. "I think I can whip up a pill that will work just fine. Once you get to Golden Core, you can take over production."
She cupped her hands. "Yes, Master."
He turned to Sun Hua. "The pills will cost contribution points, but that cost won't be ruinous. And they'll work on the first try as long as all the instructions are followed."
"Gratitude, Master."
"As for childbirth, I think that a formation in the Healing Pavilion is the right path. Pills will help, but the best methodology is having trained professionals with the right equipment guide the process. That service will again cost contribution points but not much. And no member of my sect will ever be denied lifesaving healthcare just because they don't have enough points."
Wan Ai didn't know much about other sects or about the world outside her village, but she understood that life was often not fair. Until relatively recently, she'd lived in near starvation while waiting for the day spirit beasts burst into the village and kill everyone. The fact that a man's wife and child died because he couldn't afford pills to save them did not surprise her.
Hearing her master's words, she made two vows—one, to remember how fortunate she and her sect mates were and, two, to use what resources she had to help others avoid the fate of that poor woman and her baby.
"Gratitude, Master," both girls chorused.
Benton had been obliquely aware of issues with cultivators and pregnancy, but it hadn't been something he'd paid much attention to. Now that his sect members were getting to a stage where it was relevant, it was worth it to him to make sure that those problems went away. Completely.
Though the conversation had touched on awkward subjects, it had been nice to give his sect members exactly what they wanted and needed. But it was that thought that made him sigh as Wan Ai and Sun Hua left the room.
His next conversation would surely not go as easily.
Chapter 345 - Punished
Kang Lin's hands wanted to shake, something that simply wasn't tolerable for a cultivator of her stature, so she let out a deep breath and steadied them tight against her legs. As she stared at the door in front of her, the one that led to Master's office, and tried to summon enough courage to knock, she couldn't seem to keep from hunching her back to keep her head low.
Could she even call him Master anymore? Sect Leader was probably more appropriate. Surely, at the very least, he would expel her as a disciple.
Which would be terrible. The disciple-Master bond was sacred. When a disciple acted so badly that a Master had to end the relationship, the chance of anyone ever taking that position again was almost none.
With one ill-considered act, she'd managed to lose one of her best friends, her former almost fiancé, and her Master. She couldn't believe what an idiot she'd been.
Still, though, a part of her didn't understand what she could have possibly done differently.
Before she could muster up enough gumption to announce her presence, a message dragon popped through the door. She grabbed the paper and read it.
Kang Lin,
Your reason for coming here today is important, and I do not want to diminish that seriousness. In fact, it is due to the gravity of the situation that I sent this message.
Wan Ai and Sun Hua are on their way to my office. I believe that it would be much better for me to complete that conversation first so that I can give you and your situation my full attention. Please tell them to come in when they arrive.
Well, it looked like she'd have to wait a bit longer to learn her fate.
Less than a minute later, the two girls arrived, neither looking particularly angry at Kang Lin. In fact, none of the Rising Tide Sect members she'd seen as she'd walked through the campground had reacted to her much at all.
So there was that…
She immediately told the two that they were to enter first.
It had taken a lot of courage to go to Master's office, and she'd been surprised when the other two girls who had arrived slightly after her had been admitted before her. She wasn't upset about the order, though. Master's explanation had, after all, made sense. Besides, the longer she could put off what was coming, the better.
But as seconds and minutes stretched with agonizing slowness, she grew more and more anxious, going over in her mind how the meeting with the sect leader would likely go. Waiting was torture, but at the same time, she prayed to the heavens that whatever the two girls were discussing with him would last so long that he wouldn't have time to talk to her.
Moments later, Sun Hua and Wan Ai emerged from the office, and the sect leader called for Kang Lin to enter.
She sighed. It was too much to hope for.
The other two girls seemed happy, and they both cupped their hands to her, a gesture she returned. That was good, both because they showed absolutely no animosity toward her and because their meeting with the sect leader had gone well.
At least they probably hadn't upset him. Her presence was sure to do enough of that all on its own.
When she stepped into the office, the first thing she noticed was that there was no tea waiting for her. That slight was expected, but it still stung.
The sect leader kept his face as impassive as she'd ever seen it. For any other elder, that would have probably been a good sign. The sect leader, however, was generally a happy person, and that usually showed on his face. Being expressionless was his version of a scowl. The only thing worse would have been him being livid, an experience few had seen and lived through.
As she reached within several feet of him, she kowtowed, pressing her forehead flat against the cool floor.
"Rise," he said. "I want to see your face while we talk."
She swallowed. Her words weren't unkind, but they were cold. When she'd gone to her grandfather, part of her had held out some hope that she was overestimating just how badly she'd messed up. She'd somehow allowed the same optimism to arise before facing the sect leader.
From his tone, she hadn't exaggerated how much she'd erred. If anything, she was in even more trouble than she'd anticipated.
Still kneeling, Kang Lin rose so that she could see him. "This lowly one apologizes, Sect Leader."
A brief silence followed.
"Do you understand why I'm upset?" he said finally.
She'd done so many things wrong from his perspective that it was difficult to choose just one. "This lowly one doesn't know exactly. Refusing Yang Ru's offer of marriage and disrespecting your sect in public were likely this lowly one's two largest transgressions."
His lips turned down into a slight frown. "You were never under any obligation to marry Yang Ru. Politely refusing his desire for marriage for whatever reason is not something that would ever draw my ire."
Kang Lin tensed. Somehow her words acknowledging her improper actions had made things even worse. She kowtowed three times, touching her brow to the floor with each one, before rising. "Apologies, Sect Leader."
His face tightened, a sure sign that he was growing even angrier. Her every act of contrition seemed to be the exact wrong thing to do.
"No more of that," he said.
So cold were the words that she wouldn't have been surprised if actual frost had formed around her. Such things were possible with a cultivator as powerful as the sect leader.
"This lowly one doesn't know what to do to make things right, Sect Leader."
He sighed. "You've always been so level headed that I almost forget that you're only sixteen. Tell me, how many boys aside from Yang Ru have courted you?"
Oh. If there were one question she'd never have expected him to ask her…
"None, Sect Leader."
He sighed again. "To reiterate, what you did isn't wrong. It's the way you went about it that was absolutely dreadful. By rejecting him so thoroughly and in public, you hurt him, Yang Xiu, and my sect. And the latter of those three is the least consequential. If our honor or face or whatever else all these idiot cultivators consider so important can't withstand the angst of a teenage girl, then honestly, my sect isn't strong enough to exist. Understand?"
Kang Lin felt heat rising to her face. To have matters that not only she but her entire sect considered to be so important be so trivialized by such a powerful figure wasn't easy to hear. It made her feel like a silly child.
"Yes, Sect Leader."
"At first, I was simply angry that you hurt those who are as close to me as my own children. Since I feel the same way about you, however, I could have gotten over that relatively easily."
He thought of her like one of his own? Somehow that revelation made her feel even worse.
"The real issue," he said, "is that you've triggered a situation that might become significant indeed, leading to both my heirs possibly suffering a qi deviation."
Her jaw literally dropped. She'd known nothing about such a thing. "A qi deviation, Sect Leader?"
"You're no doubt aware how aspects can shape personalities?"
"Yes, Sect Leader."
"The extent of the influence is dependent mainly on two factors. The cultivator's talent is one of those, and both twins are in the A range, meaning that their aspects are more likely than not to affect their behavior."
Kang Lin nodded. Such was widely known to cultivators.
"The second fact is a bit more esoteric. Zou Tian is more heavily linked to the Shadow aspect than most cultivators are to theirs, allowing him to manifest its power even before he became a cultivator."
She nodded again, fascinated by the information despite her dread of what was still to come.
"The characteristics of an aspect make its impact highly variable," he said. "Even I don't have a way to measure that factor accurately. I do know that aspects with a dominate qi element tend to have more of an effect than those with multiple.
"The twins are a particularly weird case. Have you ever wondered at the fact that Yang Ru's personality seemed much more Ice related while Yang Xiu's seemed more suited to Fire?"
"This lowly one had noted that, Sect Leader."
"That was a function of what I like to call Twinned Quantum Qi Aspect Resonance."
Her eyebrows rose.
"Yeah, it doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, does it? Still, it gets the point across that, somehow, their being twins with highly ranked spirit roots made their aspects bleed over to influence the other's personality. At least, that was what was happening until you came along.
"I'm not exactly sure why, but something about them both experiencing extreme emotions at the same time somehow reversed the effects. Which is a problem because the reversal of their previous behavior is having a bad influence on them."
Kang Lin frowned. "If all it took was an extreme emotional event, why wouldn't it have occurred when their parents were killed, Sect Leader?"
She was partly honestly interested in the answer, but she had to admit that, if her question disproved the "extreme emotion" theory, it would also lessen the blame on her, which would be a welcome outcome.
"At that time, they weren't cultivators. My belief is that their mortal emotional states couldn't affect the aspect resonance."
Uh. Kang Lin didn't know how to respond to that. She wasn't exactly an expert on how qi aspects impacted people.
"The point is that, since they grew up essentially being influenced by a different aspect, they have no innate resistance to the one affecting them now. Yang Ru isn't doing too badly since Fire and Momentum are both so prevalent in his. The two elements fighting for control gives him the ability to stave off some of the worst effects. With Yang Xiu, though, all her other qi elements are secondary to Ice, and her personality has done a one eighty in a short time. I'm worried about her."
He didn't have to say, "and it's all your fault." Kang Lin felt it to the core of her being.
"So I'm left with two kids whom I love very much being in pain," the sect leader said, "and I hate, hate, hate to see that. I want to strike out against the cause of their distress."
Kang Lin tensed, worried for a moment that he might physically attack her. If he did, that could literally be the end of her.
The sect leader met her eyes. "The problem is that I care for the cause of that hurt almost as much. You are important to me, Kang Lin. I know you have your own family and your own sect, but I always felt like you were one of my own." His anger from earlier had been replaced by deep sadness.
That was when she realized the truth. Her actions hadn't only hurt the twins; she'd hurt the sect leader as well.
"I keep thinking that, since you've done great damage, punishment is warranted," he said. "Then I think, you didn't mean to hurt anyone. You were—and still are—trying to work through your own stuff. It's hard to punish you for that. So I was left with one course of action that seemed prudent—to ask what you think."
Huh?
"So I ask, should you be punished? And, if so, what should that punishment be?"
Kang Lin had come into the sect leader's office expecting to be admonished and willing to accept whatever consequences were given to her. She'd messed up and deserved to pay for those mistakes. What she was completely unprepared for was for her to be required to give her input into those consequences.
Her mind spun.
She kowtowed, flattening her forehead against the floor again. "This lowly one has dishonored your sect and your heirs. Punishment is not only warranted; it is necessary. This lowly one only requests that the consequences be limited to this lowly one and not extended to the Poison Claw Sect."
"I won't hold an entire sect responsible for a kid screwing up."
"Gratitude, Sect Leader." She paused, still keeping her head down. "There is only one punishment that this lowly one considers adequate—you publicly rebuking me and dissolving my discipleship."
Her voice was shaky, and tears welled in her eyes.
The sect leader let out a long breath. "Rise, please."
She did.
"Are you sure?" he said. "That's a big step, a really bad one for you."
"Yes, Sect Leader. It is the only way."
His lips tightened into a thin line. "If you feel that solution is the only acceptable resolution, I won't disagree with you. I do, however, require a cooling off period. Nothing so important should be done in haste but rather only after careful consideration. We'll wait until after the tournament finishes. If you still agree that this is the only way forward, I'll make an official public announcement."
"Understood, Sect Leader."
Though she recognized the wisdom of waiting, she was equally sure that she would not change her mind. Her future was destroyed, but a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She'd taken responsibility for her actions, and she no longer had to worry about what would happen next.
Kang Lin rose to her feet and exited the room with her head held high.