Five waited until she was down the hallway from the Devil's room before she exhaled a sigh of relief, wiping her palms damp with sweat off on the thighs of her pants. That young man was absolutely terrifying. She replayed the entire course of the conversation in her mind as she left the inn, wondering if there was any way to come up with a better outcome.

The Devil of Flowing Water was youthful, strong, and domineering. Five specialized in sensory and detection techniques, as a middle Meridian Circulation expert herself with several acupoints around her head open. She found herself unable to get a consistent read on the man's cultivation; it was as though he were still a mortal, but the feeling of oppression from a more considerable level of strength was also unmistakable.

He was a man of few words -- a nod there, a grimace here, an occasional short sentence to draw her back to the point -- and yet he had dominated the discussion. Those blood-red eyes -- such a shocking shade! She had almost fled on seeing them clearly for the first time -- brooked no nonsense, and so she spilled as much information as she could.

He was also very bold, as could be expected from a man willing to draw the eye of the Balar Trading Company to this small corner of the world. She recalled the end of their discussion, as he casually gestured with that knife dripping with the juices of the roast while inviting her to stay, and a dribble of perspiration slid down her back at the memory. At that moment she revised her opinion of the encounter.

She had most definitely gotten the best possible deal when she was allowed to leave that room alive.

Shuddering, Five made her way back to her apartment, a small room in a complex next to the bounty office where she worked. She made her way inside, double-bolting the door after she closed it behind her, and immediately went to her bedroom, where she opened a small curio box. Inside was a small white jade bed large enough to accommodate a handprint: hers.

Double-checking her surroundings with her scrying technique to ensure nobody was peeking, she placed her palm on the jade bed and closed her eyes, pouring in a dribble of essence to activate the communication device. In the blackness of her inner world, several colorful steles materialized, one pulsing in color as a voice spoke.

"--and that is why we need to tread lightly before they come and investigate," it concluded. "Ah, Five, nice of you to join us," it greeted her. "Any news on that caravan or the Devil of Flowing Water?"

Five took a deep breath. "My apologies for the late arrival. I have news about both. The most important part is that our conjecture is true: the Devil of Flowing Water is the one who ransacked the Balar Trading Company's caravan outside of Aureate Hill."

Astonished murmurs greeted this pronouncement with faint pulsings of light, and one monolith lit up with white light. "You sound very certain about that, Five. I trust your ability to get to the bottom of such things, so I imagine you'll tell us what makes you feel that way."

"Yes, I am very certain," she agreed. "I was late tonight because I just walked away from a meeting with the Devil of Flowing Water himself."

Another murmur of astonishment broke out, and the white stele lit up again. "Was that wise?" it asked.

Five laughed. "Probably not, but sometimes risks are necessary. He's... a very different kind of person than what we expected. For one, he appears to not even be two decades old. He's also strong, very strong, enough that I couldn't get a definitive read on him. He did turn in four initial Meridian Circulation bounties today, all of which he hunted within the past two days."

The matter of his age had been a source of debate among the Dragonslayers. One line of speculation rose that the Devil of Flowing Water was an unknown ancestor of the clan who had gone into hibernation long ago and had awoken now, using blood essence to fuel his resurrection. Five's simple pronouncement shot down that theory.

"He's also very direct," Five continued, "and stands in clear opposition to the Dragon's Den. However, as we all know from experience, that isn't enough to make him one of us. I made an offer, and while he did not completely refuse, it seems he is looking for a partnership in taking down Brave Dragon himself."

"Rather bold, as can be expected from someone willing to offend the Balar," the white monolith remarked. "Not that I am necessarily on board with making our entire organization equal partners with an individual expert, but what are his conditions?"

"Nothing too difficult," Five replied. "He wants his autonomy, which is to say he won't do petty tasks. Also, he wants us to step out of his way when it comes to the Ghost of Flowing Water. There's apparently a deep vendetta at play there."

Another monolith, a purple one, lit up at that. "And why should we hand over another potential ally to appease him?"

Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

Five sighed. "Because, as I have already mentioned, his cultivation is unfathomable to even me. I don't believe he's built his foundation yet, but he still gave me a feeling of extreme pressure. In comparison, the Ghost of Flowing Water is only an initial Meridian Circulation expert himself, one who has stagnated there for almost a century."

"So we're gauging our potential alliances purely on strength then?" the purple stele retorted.

"No," Five disagreed, "the Devil of Flowing Water also made clear to me the source of his grudge in this case. The Ghost is the old clan chief of Flowing Water. Under his management, the clan fell into ruin with incidents of abuse swept under the rug. This corroborates rumors I've heard about them."

"So we're going to take his word for it, then?" Purple kept pushing the matter.

"It's not just that," the white monolith interjected in a placating tone. "Five has made it clear that the Devil is going to collect his due, whether or not we involve ourselves. You're certain about his strength, right Five?"

"Yes," she agreed, "he's the strongest man I've encountered besides Brave Dragon himself."

"See?" the white monolith continued, "Getting in his way is a great way to get our assets killed for no benefit except making an enemy we cannot afford to offend. The man is going to kill the Ghost whether we're there or not, and the Ghost hasn't done anything to be helpful. I will not ask people to put their lives on the line for counterproductive purposes."

"So," a green monolith lit up, "we're going to just roll over and let him kill another asset and pour resources into him for the promise of some help he may or may not provide down the road?"

"He didn't want any resources," Five corrected, "and once you put everything together, it should be clear why. I didn't get to mention this yet, but either because of some quirk of his physique or because of the art he practices, his hair and eyes are a bright blood red. He's so steeped in blood vitality that it shouldn't come as a surprise that he would ignore whatever paltry things we could offer him. The men of the Dragon's Den are his resources; by helping us, he helps himself without needing to dig into our coffers."

"Not to mention," the white stele jumped in to opine, "he also has whatever he got from the Balar caravan. Unless we want to delve deep into the Primeval Forest, we aren't going to produce anything to compete with that sort of wealth."

"Noted," the green monolith responded. "Then I withdraw my objection."

"Is there anything else about him you have to report, Five?" the white monolith asked.

"Nothing much, only a small concern."

"Oh?"

"He's a very dangerous man." Five made clear her personal misgivings. "I worry a little that we're going to overthrow Brave Dragon only to set up a greater threat. I think we should be cautious in whatever overt support we provide him, for this reason."

The white monolith let out a chuckle. "I don't think that'll be of very much concern, Five. He doesn't seem the type to attract followers, and he practices devil arts in the open. Once Brave Dragon is out of the way, he'll have to leave the scene one way or another. The people tolerate Brave Dragon because he puts on a front of righteousness and concern for the little folk. A blood-sucking devil is a completely different story, particularly one without an army at his back."

"You're right, of course," Five conceded. "Thank you, One. Your wisdom is the beacon that guides us all, as always."

"You're too kind." The white monolith pulsed at the praise. "We'll provide you with the details we have on the Ghost of Flowing Water to relay to him, then, and our assurances that we won't stand in his way. Right, folks?"

The monoliths murmured their assent, some with more enthusiasm than others.

"Excellent!" One exclaimed. "This is an exciting time, one I wasn't sure I would live long enough to see, my friends. The razing of Flowing Water has agitated the clan villages, and many are willing to flock to our cause now once we come out into the open. The Den has shown vulnerability and ruthlessness. The looming threat of reprisal from Balar will keep the Den in a conservative and defensive stance for the moment. And now we've encountered someone not only capable but also willing to take on Brave Dragon himself!"

Excited murmurings rippled through the circle of monoliths as One laid out their current advantages.

"We stand on the brink of a revolution. Now is the time to prepare for pressing our advantage. At our next meeting, I would like..." One continued laying out a general plan for the Dragonslayers, which consisted of mobilizing their entire network and spreading rumors among the populace at large. The group had engaged in such activities for years already in individual pockets, but this was going to be their first wide-scale application of what they had built together.

The meeting then came to an end, and the several monoliths winked out until only One's white monolith and Five remained in the dark space.

"My child, you've done well," One congratulated Five.

"I've performed adequately, grandpa," Five responded. "Besides sealing our agreement, what should I do next?"

"Hmmm..." the monolith pulsed as the old man behind it pondered. "It would be to our advantage if we could find a way to bind him to us, to give him a reason not to discard us when this is all over. I put on a decisive front before the others, child, but we very well could lose even if in victory if we misplay this. Any way you could think of to bind him to us would be welcome. I trust your judgment in these matters; you are our most effective recruiter, after all."

"Yes, grandpa." Five accepted her new charge without argument.

One provided Five with the details on the Ghost of Flowing Water and after they made their farewells the connection ended. Five felt rather wrung out between meeting the infamous Devil of Flowing Water and navigating the high-level politics of the Dragonslayers, but a plan had already begun to form in her mind, one she pondered as she let down her hair and fell back into her bed.

She'd need to get some good sleep tonight, for in the morning she would need to get two things before her meeting: a leave of absence from the bounty office and something suitable to wear; something revealing and yet fit for traveling without the benefit of carriage or herdbeast.

Five wasn't sure if she could pull this plan off, but she definitely wasn't going to half-ass it.