Chapter 5: Council Beneath the Camphor Tree
Sunlit motes danced in the still air as Xiao Yu and Xiao Yan finished their long conversation. The weight of secrets finally lifted, replaced by the dense energy of new resolve. Together, they left the quiet courtyard, stepping carefully to avoid the aunts and elders bustling to morning duties. It was time to find Yao Chen, their quiet mentor and, unbeknownst to most, a Dou Emperor in exile.
### Seeking Yao Chen
Yao Chen's dwelling lay tucked behind the herb gardens, carved partially into a rocky hill for privacy. The morning's warmth had coaxed open the jasmine vines tangled at the window. Inside, the old man sat in still meditation, beard rising and falling with each deep breath. He opened one eye as the boys entered, and his gaze sharpened.
"Xiao Yu, Xiao Yan. Unexpected at this hour."
"Teacher, we need your guidance," Xiao Yu said, bowing deeply. Xiao Yan followed suit, his respect as much a habit as genuine feeling.
Yao Chen gestured to sit. "Speak. What burdens you?"
Xiao Yu exchanged a glance with his brother, then told the tale: of the sudden awakening, the Myriad Shop, the limitless gifts, and their hope to use them for the clan's and their own rise. He offered a demonstration, conjuring a scroll from thin air and handing Yao Chen a vial of rare spirit-rejuvenating elixir.
The old man's usually impassive face flickered from shock to scholarly fascination. He ran his thumb along the script of the scroll, sniffed the elixir, tested for illusions—finding none.
"A rare blessing—or calamity—depending on who learns of this," he admitted finally. "But to waste opportunity is itself a sin."
### Choosing the Path Forward
They convened at Yao Chen's small table, the air fragrant with drying herbs. Xiao Yu opened the Myriad Shop array once again—the endless menu of options appearing as lists in his mind. At Yao Chen's suggestion, they began by searching for powerful yet balanced physiques and foundational techniques, not just for instant strength but stable long-term growth.
- **For Xiao Yan:** Yao Chen recommended the "Heavenly Flame Core Physique," a body attuned perfectly to controlling rare flames and suited for Xiao Yan's temperament. Xiao Yu granted it through the system, and Xiao Yan's body pulsed as if reborn, face flushed with fresh vigor.
- **For Xiao Yu himself:** Yao Chen suggested a "Misty Shadow Lightning Physique," favoring flexibility and swift advancement—Xiao Yu accepted, feeling his veins buzz like summer storms.
- **For Yao Chen:** Xiao Yu purchased and bestowed the legendary "Divine Soul Source," a radiant pulse of Primordial Qi. In a brilliant cascade of light, Yao Chen's frail essence knit itself whole again. His damaged soul mended, body growing hale, his aura surging to the heights of his prime.
Tears glistened in Yao Chen's ancient eyes. He bowed before the brothers, voice trembling, "This old one owes you both his very life."
"Then be our guardian," Xiao Yu said quietly, "until the day we outgrow the need for protection."
Yao Chen agreed without hesitation, and pressed his palms over the boys'—a ritual pledge of alliance and loyalty.
### Planning for Power
With new strength in their bodies and a guardian at their back, the trio settled into earnest planning. Yao Chen outlined the next necessary steps:
- Train daily, blending clan routines with mystical cultivation and martial drills.
- Mask their growing power—never flaunt techniques or physique changes in front of outsiders.
- Slowly build a store of treasures, talismans, escape tokens, in case of clan betrayal or enemy invasion.
- Survey Wu Tan City's undercurrents for possible allies—or hidden threats.
They crafted a new daily schedule:
1. **Dawn:** Physique exercises by the river; stretching, deep breathing, and sparring to harmonize the new energies within their bodies.
2. **Morning:** Study advanced alchemy, martial arts, and Dou Techniques provided by the Myriad Shop or instructed by Yao Chen.
3. **Midday:** Garden chores and clan duties to maintain appearances.
4. **Afternoon:** System practice—testing new skills, distributing minor treasures to trusted friends or loyal clan juniors.
5. **Evening:** Sharing a meal, quiet strategy sessions, and discussing each day's discoveries.
6. **Night:** Meditation, circulating Dou Qi to reinforce their rapidly ascending foundation.
### The First Quiet Night
That night, Xiao Yu lay in his small bed, head spinning from new knowledge and power surging gently through each limb. Sleep came easily—the world, for the first time, felt like an open book, and he was finally ready to start writing his own story.
Xiao Yan, meanwhile, tossed and turned before succumbing to dreams of azure flames and battles under starlit mountains. In the next room, Yao Chen meditated, body aglow with renewed life—eyes bright as a man decades younger.
Outside, Wu Tan City slept on, unknowing that the fate of its greatest clan—and perhaps the continent itself—had quietly pivoted beneath a camphor tree at dawn.