The compound of Climbing Mountain Sect was situated most of the way up Red Mountain on an eastward face of the mountain. Red Mountain had three minor peaks created by the sect: Hidden Dawn Peak, Open Dawn Peak, and Radiant Dawn Peak. They loomed over the outer court. The actual, natural peak of Red Mountain had been claimed by spirit beasts united under an Awakened and none had yet reached the strength to challenge them.

Eight outer sect disciples sprinted into the compound, their eyes almost white with terror. Two of the seniors were carrying juniors, and all of them were drenched with sweat that stank of panic. Radiant Dawn's Peak Master intercepted them.

"Report!" the peak master ordered, flaring his qi to catch the panicked juniors' attention.

They stumbled to a stop, and three of the runners passed out, blood mixed with the sweat on their skin showing that they had exceeded their stamina and had been burning their health to keep up. One of the seniors carrying a junior collapsed, but stayed conscious. The other was among those who passed out.

One of the older juniors, a girl with poor cultivation potential, but usually stable personality, panted out, "Shibo, Peak Master Honglu, a dragon has come to the mountain!"

"Explain," he ordered.

"Peak Master Binwi sent us to evict the miners. They said we were wrong on the days that rent was due and were too early, but Peak Master would not be wrong! We were warning them to start gathering their slaves and belongings and leave, but two people came up the road behind us. Shijie Noalia was in charge of us, and sent Shidi Gou Pelar to warn them away from interfering. They tossed him back into us! A hundred meters, maybe two hundred! He landed well, but while I was seeing to him, they came up to us. Shijie asked for their names, and they refused, saying that our realm is too low for their names to be known. Shijie asked if they were faceless, then, and the woman answering for them said we were just children. Shixiong Mui stepped in, called her a Transcendental, and asked for her business, when the dragon in human guise spoke and demanded we leave and send apology gifts to the miners. We were all disturbed by this, but he oppressed us with his qi and none of us could stand! Then he relented enough for us to flee, ordering us to go, and the bite of his draconic qi has been nipping at us all the way to the sect gates!"

While the junior reported, Peak Master Honglu glanced over the collapsed disciples, then gestured forward some other outer court disciples to collect those who had passed out and take them to Hidden Dawn Peak for healing. He passed around a gourd of low grade Spirit Waters to help those still conscious recover.

At the end of the junior's report, he used a Sound Art to summon the other Peak Masters, the sect Elders, and the Sect Master to conference, and gathered up the five remaining of the party. They followed him to the Deliberations Hall inside the inner court, where they repeated their reports and answered every question their sect leaders put to them.

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There wasn't much to glean from them, so the questioning took less than an hour.

Sect Master turned to Open Dawn Peak Master Binwi. "The contract we have with Fengar's Minerals clearly states that their annual rents are due in the fourth moon, according to the calendar of XiTian. This is the common measure of time for business minded associations. It is not yet the end of the third moon of XiTian, or am I mistaken?"

Peak Master Binwi was the youngest of the leaders, a prodigy raised within the sect and apparently inadequately taught about matters outside of the sect as his expression showed shock. "XiTian? Why would we accept the use of any but our own realm's calendar? It's already Fifth Month and they have not paid the rents due us!"

Sect Master sighed and massaged her temples. "Go back to the Hall of Records and personally read every contract your peak is responsible for, Shidi Binwi. Do not attempt to enforce a contract again without having personally reviewed the contract just prior. Your cultivation is great with the Dao of the Sword, but your comprehension of the Dao of Humanity is low."

Letting her hand drop back to her lap, Sect Master gathered up everyone present with her gaze. "What do we have ready made that will appease a Transcendental as an apology gift? Naturally, we will forgive this year's rent, but it cannot be counted as an apology gift."

"We can't afford that!" Binwi said.

Sect Master glared at him. "Shidi," she said, her tone harsh, "We cannot afford to break our contract! You have already placed us in jeopardy of that, and if you had bothered to read the contract, we would not be in this position!"

"But! We can take over the mine! We wouldn't lose out--"

"Silence!" Sect Master roared. "Shidi, your cultivation put you on that Peak, but your ignorance is about to see you removed from it! The mine is insignificant! The people behind Fengar's Minerals, they matter! We cannot lose good relations with them! And if we engender their anger, we will live to see the dissolution of Climbing Mountain Sect and all that we hold dear! We ourselves might very well end up bearing debtors collars! This is not the Peak of the Immortal Realms! We cannot anger the Associations!"

Binwi's head pulled back on his neck at the angry rebuke, and he glanced around, seeing all the senior leaders grimly nodding with the Sect Master.

"Oh." The full realization of the consequences he hadn't perceived before now hadn't sunk in, but that he had seriously miscalculated did. He mentally rifled through the talismans and treasures he had forged or accumulated over the past century of his life. Despite not grasping the extent of his blunder, the grim future the Sect Master painted if they failed to make right his wrong was enough for Binwi to offer up the Long Fated Dancing Sword he had only just gained sufficient comprehension to forge.

The Living Scrolls had proclaimed it a Low Expert grade animate sword, with the ability to siphon an enemy's health and stamina to support the wielder's. Gaining the materials to forge the sword had been a trial of cunning and patience all on its own.

A few other treasures of the sect were added to the apology gift, which Sect Master gathered into a Mid Journeyman grade storage ring before taking off.