"Wait, wait, your father?" Kai helped Zae Zin Nim through the back corridors while trying to remember everything she'd said. She'd told him about her family in the past, but it had been a long time ago. "Are you sure it's not a coincidence and they're just trading with Yulthens?"

"If they did, it's true that I wouldn't have known," she shook her head sharply, "but it cannot be chance. He knows I went to Deadwaste. Sending a group like this after me would be exactly his usual methods."

"But I recall that he didn't care about you anymore, since you were blocked. Why change his mind now? Why send them here?"

"For why... if he had all his experts watching Deadwaste for any reason, they would have noticed my qi when I broke through and deduced it was me. As for the exact location... I can only hope that is a coincidence and he is searching across the continent. If they specifically know I'm here, then this situation is much worse."

Though Zae Zin Nim gave the sense of being razor focused, Kai was certain that was her way of covering over fear. He'd seen her facing what appeared to be certain death and she hadn't been like this. Just how much of a hold did her father have over her?

"I guess I won't question that any more," Kai said, "but you have to explain if you want me to help. Why order me to hide you?"

"Because I have to assume they're using specialized techniques to locate me." She reached a corner, peered around the side, then gestured for him to follow. "They must have a way to filter out crystal cultivation, given the location. Your soul is one of the few things that would completely obscure mine, or so I hope."

"I'm glad to help you with this, but what next? We need to pick up the bid and you don't want to be visible. How do we actually proceed?"

After a fraught discussion, Zae Zin Nim hid in a back room and tried to completely erase her presence. She said she could remain hidden while still, but needed him to come back and get her. So Kai had to leave to pick up Orillia's potions and deal with the rest of their business.

He had to avoid staring at every single cultivator he passed. They didn't so much as glance at him.

On the way back he planned how he was going to explain the incident to Orillia. But when he arrived, he found that the auction house was in an uproar. He hastened to the dowager's side, trying to glean anything useful from the chaotic voices around them.

"What took you so long?" Orillia pulled him down into the chair beside her and lowered her voice. "They claim there's been a theft of some of the items. Not mine, thankfully. Also, I purchased those resources you wanted, and I would have sent you off for them if you'd come back in time. Stay here for now."

"Is the auction canceled?" Kai asked.

"With profit to be made? Of course not! But everyone will be quite restive from now on."

The bidding on the remaining lots was tense and sometimes angry. Kai noticed that some of the balconies were empty, including Suortril's and Omilaena's. He worried about Zae Zin Nim the entire time and was relieved when the last item was finally purchased.

Orillia didn't complain in the slightest as they left, suddenly the very picture of focus and efficiency. The two of them descended into the holding area, where he found that security had increased. Not due to more soldiers or auction house officials, but crystalliers and other enforcers from various merchants. Without him, Orillia likely would have been pushed aside, and without her, Kai would have needed to talk his way through more problems.

One group was unavoidable: a small bunch of cultivators wearing foreign silk robes. Several of them glanced oddly at his soul, presumably surprised by his cultivation, but they never looked twice. If they were anything like Zae Zin Nim had been at first, they probably dismissed everyone on Deadwaste as weak fools who could only cobble together a little power.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

He used the opportunity to get a better look at their souls without attracting attention.

<

Name: ???

Total Power: 334

Cultivation: Nascent Foundation 5% (250)

Physique Level: E-0 (80)

Soul Level: 2 (4)

>

All their souls were so similar, the cultivators seemed like copies of one another. Every single one was at the Nascent Foundation stage, with exactly the same Physique Level. Now he understood why Zae Zin Nim had looked at cultivation stage and nothing else.

Still, it was a bit intimidating that her family - the Brightwind sect apparently - could marshal forces like this just for a search party. On one hand it made sense that they wouldn't send anyone weaker, since they knew Zae Zin Nim was at Nascent Foundation, but it was still a display of Cloudspire's strength. These servants were in range of the top crystalliers. He could only hope that they didn't have an Earth Soul cultivator with them or the imbalance would be even worse.

Eventually they picked up all their items, including his qi - that concern felt very distant at the moment. As they moved out to their carriage, Orillia leaned closer to him.

"And where is Hanelay?" she asked.

"Trapped in the back rooms by the chaos." Kai knew that answer might not work perfectly, but it was all he had on short notice. "Is there a side entrance, anywhere she could slip out?"

"To the northwest." Orillia didn't ask a single question, just gave him directions. Kai thanked her and then plunged back into the confused frenzy.

After a very tense walk back, he found Zae Zin Nim where she'd hidden. She was kneeling behind a stack of supplies, but she was there. As soon as he arrived she sprang up and stuck close, her eyes flickering around the exits.

"I think the cultivators pursuing me have left," she said quietly. "But they'll be alert for any incidents. What's going on out there?"

"Some kind of theft, presumably the kind they were worried about with all this security." Kai put an arm around her shoulders as if she was injured or disoriented, and to his surprise Zae Zin Nim not only didn't flinch, she remained fiercely focused. "I have an exit for us, but we can't move too fast or we'll attract attention."

"That's fine."

They moved in silence for a while, dodging others rushing after their personal problems. Kai wanted to ask Zae Zin Nim more details about her family, but it felt like mentioning the issue might speak their enemies into existence. Instead they pretended to be on important business as they left the corridors of the auction house and walked into the courtyard. From there it was a short distance to a small gate that stood open with only a few moving nearby.

"Hey!"

They'd been so close to the exit, about to walk free. Kai considered just sprinting the remaining distance, but rushing would only draw more suspicion down on them. He turned around casually, as if only surprised to be yelled at. As he did so, Zae Zin Nim shifted to stay at his back, maybe to defend him but also to keep herself obscured.

"Why are you skulking around here?" The person who had shouted turned out to be Graetri - Kai hadn't recognized his voice, but he definitely recognized the face. His rival from the desert looked even more surprised. "Wait, Kai? How the fuck are you still alive?"

"The dragon didn't quite finish me off," Kai said casually. "Got lucky, I guess. Listen, we need to get our purchases back, so we'll just be on our way."

"Not so fast." Graetri drew himself up and his eyes narrowed. "Someone has stolen something extremely valuable from Lord Suortril. We have no idea how they got in and out... but it occurs to me that a crystallier could probably walk out with the supplies."

"You don't think everyone else thought of that?" Kai spread his arms to either side as if he was just frustrated by the entire thing. "Search us if you have to! But we need to get everything back to security before the thief strikes again, so hurry up with it."

For a moment it looked like his bluster worked. Graetri frowned but started to step back, as it was obvious that neither of them was carrying anything large. Then something in his face shifted. Kai couldn't put a name to the exact change, but he saw a glint of malice.

"Kai! This is what the dragon wouldn't give you!" Graetri sent a spike of crystal flying at him, but it was bright gold. Kai knew that it must be connected to his Dragontouched ability, the problem was that he didn't know how much it would empower the attack.

There was no time: Kai struck the shard with an overhand swing, smashing it to the concrete. The impact cut his hand, but did no further damage. Graetri stared for a moment, then glowered at him. Since no further attacks were incoming, Kai merely scowled back, then finally left the auction grounds with Zae Zin Nim in tow.

"If you're going to fight him, do it soon," she said flatly. "We're going to have to deal with a lot worse."