In the days that followed the meeting at Li Heng’s home, He Yu threw himself into cultivation. If they were going to venture into the dangerous wild, he wanted to pack as much qi into his cultivation base as he could before they left. He may not reach the Fourth Realm in such a short time, or even reach the peak of the Third, but every bit would help.

He made sure not to lose himself too much, however, emerging at least once a day to check whether Yan Shirong had sent a construct. After a week in semi-seclusion, he found a wooden bird bound by shadow perched on the edge of his courtyard roof.

By posting a hidden construct to watch the sect assignment hall, Yan Shirong had learned of a job that would serve their purposes. There were two downsides to it, however. First, they had a strict time limit, which Yan Shirong said was common for these sorts of jobs. They would only be allowed to spend at most two weeks in the wilds before they would need to return.

The second downside seemed to be designed to ensure compliance with this order. They had to notify Elder Cai of their intent to accept the job, and to pass beyond the area normally permitted them. This, too, was common for these sorts of jobs according to Yan Shirong.

Via the construct, He Yu asked Yan Shirong to gather them all at his home so they could discuss. He had no doubt that Elder Cai would immediately see what they were up to and forbid it, but he wanted to find out what the others thought regardless.

Once they’d all gathered around his courtyard, He Yu asked for opinions.

“I don’t see what the harm is,” Tan Xiaoling said. “If Elder Cai forbids us from this particular job, we’ll just wait until there’s a job that doesn’t require his approval. Yan Shirong said they exist. If one comes up, we take it. If the elders disapprove, they’ll stop us.”

He Yu hadn’t looked at it that way, but he immediately saw Tan Xiaoling’s point. There was no way they’d be able to do anything that the elders didn’t want them to be doing. It probably wouldn’t even require an elder’s intervention, now that he thought about it. A single core disciple would be more than enough to rein in any wayward Third Realms poking their noses where they didn’t belong.

“I’m not certain defying the elders is such a good idea,” Chen Fei said.

Immediately, Yan Shirong spoke up. “I agree with Sect Sister Chen. As much as I would like to learn more about all this Sunset Court business, I’m not so eager that I’m willing to cross the sect elders.”

“It seems to me that your father gave his tacit endorsement for our errand,” Li Heng said to Yan Shirong.

“What makes you say that?” He Yu asked.

“It’s simple, really,” Li Heng said. “Minister Yan instructed him to perform a divination once within the far wilds. Clearly, he’s curious as well. I’ve no doubt that should Yan Shirong come to any trouble, his father would intervene on his behalf.”

“You realize my father is a mere count, and only of the Fifth Realm, correct?” Yan Shirong asked. “Minister or not, I’m not willing to wager anything on his ability to influence the sect elders to any real degree on my behalf. We are not a particularly powerful family.”

“I find it easier to ask for forgiveness than permission,” Tan Xiaoling said.

“Easy for someone like you to say,” Yan Shirong scoffed. “Between your status and your father’s cultivation and rank, I’ve no doubt that you can typically do whatever you want without much consequence.”

“I mislike your implication, Sect Brother Yan,” Tan Xiaoling said, a cold spike of danger settling over them all.

“I don’t think he meant anything by it,” Chen Fei said, glancing between the two of them.

For the moment, He Yu was content to sit back and let them talk. Tan Xiaoling and Li Heng were both intent on taking the job and pressing forward. Yan Shirong and Chen Fei advocated caution. It was clear that He Yu would be the tiebreaker, and both sides had good points.

After a time, he made his decision. It wasn’t anything any of them said, but rather his one and only previous meeting with Elder Cai. He Yu had been given the Cloud Emperor’s Heavenly Palace. It was the very same art that Elder Cai had used to seal the Dawn Palace formation. While He Yu wasn’t anything close to an expert on formation work, he’d never heard of specific arts being key to formations before. Whatever the connection was between the Sunset Empress, the Dawn Palace, Elder Cai, and the Cloud Emperor’s Heavenly Palace, that thread eventually connected to He Yu as well.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Elder Cai may have given He Yu the Heavenly Palace art for Zhang Lifen’s benefit—placing his finger on the scales, as he’d said—but He Yu couldn’t believe for an instant that the choice of art had been anything but deliberate.

“I think we should take the job,” he said. “If Elder Cai forbids us for whatever reason, we’ll figure something else out. But I don’t think he will.”

“You don’t think so? Why not?” Yan Shirong asked.

“Tan Xiaoling said it herself. If we were doing anything the elders didn’t want us to, do you think we’d truly be able to hide it? To that end, do you truly think the elders aren’t aware of the messages we’ve been sending?”

Nobody had any objections to that, and it seemed the matter was settled. They decided to proceed as though they would be allowed to venture forth. The others returned home to make any final preparations, while He Yu made his way to the inner sect Commission Hall to accept the job. Once he’d registered them, he turned his sights to the highest of the inner sect peaks.

Shrouded even more thickly than the rest of the sect, the peaks where the sect elders had their homes were considerably higher than the rest of the sect grounds. The way up wasn’t anything a mortal would have been able to climb. In fact, it could hardly be called a path or a road at all. It was a series of terraces, connected only by mist and empty air. He Yu had to proceed by leaping from one to another, frequently activating his movement technique to clear the distance.

As he climbed higher, carried by the winds from one manicured garden terrace to another, the qi grew even richer and denser than the grounds of the inner sect proper. Water qi suffused the area, borne by the ever-present clouds and banks of mist that clung to the jagged, near vertical mountain slopes. The lush greenery that clung to the various outcrops, natural or not, radiated the vibrant qi of wood and life. The peaks themselves thrummed with the pulse of mountain and earth. Winds buffeted the slopes, and although there was no storm he could feel, the tingle of heaven ran through it all.

It took him nearly half the day, but He Yu eventually found himself at the foot of a grand stair that led to a veritable palace. The outer walls of Elder Cai’s home were painted with cinnabar and inlaid with jade. A pair of stone lions, carved with formation characters and practically gushing power, perched at the base of the stair. They were powerful defensive constructs that would come to life in the event anyone was foolish enough to attack a sect elder in the seat of his power.

He ascended the steps and approached the double doors set into the outer wall. These too were carved with formations. Qi surged through and emanated from the entire edifice. Simply being in its presence was almost overwhelming and more than a little intimidating.

Before him, the doors swung soundlessly open. Beyond stood Elder Cai.

The elder’s spirit was restrained; at least as much as it could be. Eighth Realm—Divine Soul Apotheosis. The fraction of Elder Cai’s presence that seeped through pressed down on He Yu with the weight of a mountain.

An alabaster tower stretched to the heavens. Celestial radiance blinded and burned all who looked upon it. Faces were carved into the tower, pointed to each of the four cardinal directions. Each face was set above the characters naming that direction’s guardian beast. Four sets of eyes were closed, as if sleeping, but deep within He Yu’s spirit he knew that should they awake and open, only destruction would follow their terrible gaze. Heaven qi sparked above, and occasionally crackled down the length of the tower in brilliant, flickering arcs.

He Yu needed to flex his own spirit, cycle his qi, and fully release his presence in order to remain standing before the merest shadow of a sect elder’s power. A part of him feared he was being rude, but what else could he do? He was merely a Third Realm, standing before a cultivator a full five realms above him. He feared that if he didn’t cycle his qi, he would surely be killed.

The feeling of Elder Cai’s spirit receded, and with it, the impressions of his presence. He Yu looked up and saw the reason. Elder Cai held out a jade coin at the end of a silk ribbon, inscribed with yet more formation characters. His face was serious, but not unkind. His eyes flickered with distant flashes of heaven’s light.

“Hold on to this while you are here. It will allow you more comfort than you are currently able to provide for yourself.”

He Yu saluted and took the offered talisman. “This one thanks the Honored Elder,” he said. Then, he tensed up, recalling the rap of knuckles on the top of his head.

He thought he heard the ghost of a sigh before Elder Cai spoke. “Out with it. Although, I know well enough what it is you want, boy.”

“My friends and I seek to take a job from the inner sect. To do so, we must report to you,” He Yu said, straitening.

Elder Cai eyed him, saying nothing. The silence stretched out between them, from one heartbeat to the next. Finally, the elder spoke.

“You seek dangerous knowledge, Disciple He.” It was all he needed to say to confirm everything He Yu feared to be true.

Again, He Yu saluted and bowed. He was moments away from throwing himself to the ground in full kowtow. The only thing stopping him was the feeling that would only make things worse.

“This one apologizes for his insolence,” he said. “He was only following the instructions on the job notice.”

“You have had run-ins with agents of the Court,” Elder Cai said. When he spoke again, he sounded almost tired. “Thanks almost in full to my foolish disciple’s meddling. The Eternal Dao moves as it moves.”

Then, the full weight of Elder Cai’s attention pressed down upon him. The gates of heaven opened, and He Yu found himself standing in the presence of an emperor. He immediately recognized the technique—the Cloud Emperor’s Peerless Judgment.

“I see you’ve had some small success in cultivating the art I gave you. Perhaps you’ll be worth something someday after all,” Elder Cai said. “Go on. Ask permission for your ill-advised little endeavor.”

“May we proceed with the sect job? To venture out into the wilds, beyond the western edge of the sect?”

“That wasn’t so difficult, now was it? Before I grant you license to do as you wish, we need to speak. Follow me.” With that, Elder Cai turned and walked deeper into his home. He Yu did the only thing he could, and followed.