Joshi assembled with the other Young Masters and their disciples just inside the entrance to the tower, the same clearing where he and the others had fought a giant bird not a week ago. In front of them were the Inquisitor, Magistrate Bao, and the Dowager Pearl with Hiroko in tow.

"Welcome back to the Tower Cull," Magistrate Bao announced. "We have finished conducting our sweep of this floor and have determined that the unfortunate incident was the result of a failed challenge. We have seen no other signs of similar challenges present here. Should you discover one and wish to face it, you must first file the correct paperwork with the Office of Cultivation. Anyone who does not file the proper paperwork will be most severely sanctioned."

The Inquisitor nodded, his presence a looming threat. Joshi reached out with his senses. He believed that Magistrate Bao had reached the Peak of Mental Refinement but gone no further. The Dowager Pearl was at least the rank of Spiritual Refinement, though he couldn't tell if she had gone farther. The Inquisitor felt similarly strong.

Of the other cultivators standing with him, only Young Master Feng had reached the Peak of Mental Refinement yet. All the other Young Masters were working toward that step. Most of the disciples with them had yet to reach the Peak of Bodily Refinement, though one of Feng's seemed to Joshi's senses to already be there.

His lux creature, Magan, hovered over his shoulder, humming contentedly, basking in the lux-rich environs of the tower.

The Dowager spoke up. "Cultivators, we are now beginning a new phase of this Tower Cull. You must finish the cull of the third floor as quickly and efficiently as possible. Once we are satisfied that the third floor presents no risk of eruption, we shall open the way to the fourth and final floor of this tower."

"As you know," Magistrate Bao said, "there is no guardian on this floor. On the fourth floor, you will face the Tower Guardian itself. The Tower Guardian will offer you a challenge, the nature of which shall be revealed to you on the fourth floor. The first one to meet this challenge satisfactorily will be rewarded. I am sure you have all heard many legends about tower boons. Do not fear that because this tower is broken, that its boon is in any way lacking. That is not the case. You may work together to defeat the Tower Guardian's challenge if you wish, but only a single cultivator may gain his boon. So, consider your allies carefully. Once you have defeated the Tower Guardian, lux technicians and artisans will move in to harvest the tower's lux stores."

Joshi pricked up his ears. This was something he did not know about, though from the way the others were nodding, he suspected it was common knowledge to anyone belonging to a sect.

Now at last the Inquisitor spoke. “The lux technicians will be arriving here at the camp in the next few weeks. Do not interfere with them. Their tasks are sacred duties from the Emperor himself. And remember," the Inquisitor said, his words dropping like stones, "at the end of this Tower Cull, all cultivators will be interviewed by myself or members of my staff to ensure that their lux levels are balanced and that they have not attempted to take what is not theirs. Your behavior and performance on this Cull will be reflected in the endorsements made to your license. I am sure all of you know that an unsatisfactory endorsement here will stunt your future growth as a cultivator and the reputation of your sect, while a satisfactory or better endorsement may open new doors elsewhere for yourself and your sect."

"You will begin shortly," Magistrate Bao said. "However, the Dowager wishes to speak with the Young Masters privately.”

Joshi turned to his so-called disciples. "Go that direction," he said, pointing quietly. "Until you reach a clearing with ancient cultivator scripts hanging from the trees. You should be able to practice your cycling techniques we've been working on there. I will join you once this is done."

The false cultivators all nodded to him. They were hard men, all more brawlers than sages, for certain. Joshi had found it hard to teach them a cycling technique they could actually use. He hoped now that they were in the Tower with its lux-rich environment, they would be able to move past Purification of Mind and Soul.

The other young masters were similarly dismissing their disciples before turning to attend to the Dowager. There was himself, Young Master Feng, Li Jen and Li Jiya of Moon Whispers, and the three young masters of Jade Lotus. The Dowager turned to those three. "You are dismissed," she said coldly.

They bowed low. "But Dowager Pearl—"

"Dismissed," she said. "We all know you won't be able to do what I need here."

The three, looking shaken, left without another protest. The Dowager turned to Hiroko. "Princess, step forward."

Princess Hiroko took a step toward them. Standing in front of the Dowager, she looked nervous.

"All of you, of course, know Princess Hiroko by now. I am entrusting her advancement to you."

The Dowager's pronouncement made Joshi blink. Young Master Feng said smoothly, bowing, "It will be an honor, Dowager. What do you require?”

"Princess Hiroko has a rare affinity for blue lux," the Dowager said. "That makes her early advancement difficult, as she is not in touch with the physical luxes at all. In addition, her talents seem to be almost exclusively toward healing."

That wasn't entirely true, as Joshi well knew. He'd seen Hiroko use her skills to wrap an enemy with mental chains and drain away its life, even as she kept him and Chang-li alive. He held his tongue. It wouldn't do to give away how much he knew about the Princess's capabilities.

"At the same time, she has been previously unable to use the standard technique we employ in such situations, which is to have Tower Beasts brought to her, their lux directed into her. She says she believes she needs to feed on creatures that she herself has participated in defeating."

Hiroko looked up. She took a deep breath. She looked quiet and a little worried. But Joshi could see the strength in her eyes, and he knew her well enough by now to know that Hiroko was no shrinking flower. She might be a gem court noble, but she could hold her own in a fight.

"It will be my honor to escort her," Feng said. "But, my Lady Dowager, would this not be more appropriate to do after Princess Hiroko has wed and bound herself to a cultivator? This sort of training might be better conducted between spouses."

"Nonsense," the Dowager Pearl said. "I am overseeing her training myself, and I have declared that what she needs next is to reach the Peak of Bodily Refinement and go beyond it. However, I do not wish her to wear herself out. The four of you shall escort her for five hours a day, returning her to me safely at the end of that time. After that, you may train your own disciples and cull the Tower as you wish. I am sure that all of you have sects strong enough that your disciples can handle themselves for a few hours while you are protecting the Princess and," she added, holding up a hand, "before you can say anything about taking turns, I have decided, for the reasons of safety, I wish all four of you to participate at once. You will all arrange to protect the Princess as best suits you. I shall listen to her opinions of each of you and consider when making my recommendations at the end of this Tower Cull." She paused and fixed them each with a glare. "It goes without saying that any harm that befalls the Princess will reflect badly on you and your sects. You may now consult with her."

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Joshi considered this turn of affairs as Feng and the Li siblings approached Hiroko deferentially. He decided it didn't change much. He would be able to continue his own cultivation while escorting the Princess, and he didn't really want to be saddled with the false disciples all day anyway. This way, he could help protect Hiroko from Feng.

He spoke up, cutting over the incipient discussion. "Dowager Pearl, any group must have a leader."

Feng turned. "I, as the highest-ranking cultivator—"

"Princess Hiroko will lead you," the Dowager stated.

Hiroko's eyes widened. She turned to the Dowager, a clearly pleading look on her face. The Dowager shook her head. “Princess, as a future cultivator spouse, you must be prepared to handle strong personalities. It is your duty to remind these Young Masters what the purpose of a cultivator spouse is. To head off the worst impulses of a cultivator, to mitigate and give good advice, to recall ever that their duty is to the Emperor, not themselves."

"I understand, Dowager," Hiroko said, speaking for the first time since Joshi had entered the tower. She sounded calm.

"I shall leave you to it," the Dowager said, and followed the Inquisitor and Magistrate Bao from the tower.

The four cultivators surrounded Hiroko in an arc.

"How can we best serve you, Princess?" Li Jiya asked politely.

Joshi approved. Li Jiya had made her intentions of becoming one of the Emperor's brides clear, so she was the only one here not seeking Hiroko's favor. Let her speak up. Anything Joshi said, Feng would take as the statement of a rival.

Joshi wanted no part of this Imperial nonsense. He would not be tied down by Imperial strings. His plan was to remain here at the tower until Chang-li returned, hopefully with the secret of reaching Mental Refinement. Then he would progress as far as he could during this Tower Cull, gain endorsements on his license, before taking himself as far across the Empire as he possibly could. There he would tell a story of a sect falling apart due to internal squabbles and find himself a new place. With a set of endorsements on his license, he'd be able to manage it. This seemed to offer an even greater opportunity than a personal testimony from a Dowager Pearl.

Hiroko turned her eyes to Joshi. He could have cursed her for that. She was drawing unwanted attention to him. "We need..." she began, then cleared her throat, straightened up, and fixed each of them with a gaze. "We need to see what our strengths are," she said calmly. "I am most able to use my skills when there are actual threats involved. One of you, at least, must place yourself in the way of some tower beast while you are killing it. I shall use my techniques to keep you safe."

"As though I have any need of..." Feng began, but Li Jen cut through.

"It would be an honor, Princess, to serve you in this way."

Feng subsided.

"It is a waste of time to stand here and discuss," Joshi said. "Let us move out, and we shall decide after our first tower beast how to proceed from here."

"I agree with the barbarian," Feng said. "Come, my lady, follow me. I shall protect you." He set off into the jungle.

Hiroko followed. Joshi hurried after them, determined to keep both Feng and the Princess in sight. He would let the others keep up as best they could.

It went about as Joshi had expected. He, or Feng, located a tower beast, engaging it in battle. Hiroko, running to catch up, wove her techniques, connecting the beast to the one distracting it, and keeping him alive, while the others fought down the creatures. Unfortunately, the beasts here were almost too easy to face anyone having reached the Peak of Bodily Refinement. They dropped within seconds.

"This isn't working," Hiroko complained after the fourth or fifth fight. "I'm getting the lux I need, but I'm not getting enough experience with my techniques. You kill them too fast."

"We must seek out stronger foes," Joshi said.

"Should we, though?" Li Jen asked. "We must ensure the Princess's safety first and foremost."

"A cultivator must always think about progression, not safety," Feng said severely. "You are too hampered by fear. It is holding you back, and your sect with you."

Li Jen bowed his head, accepting the scolding, which Joshi had to admit was well-deserved.

"We should instead locate a large collection of beasts," Feng proposed. "I shall lure them in while the rest of you wait. You may protect the Princess while I defeat them."

"It is a good strategy," Joshi agreed, "but we will alternate who engages each group." He smiled at Feng's unhappy expression.

"Yes," Hiroko declared. "We'll do that."

Feng looked rebellious but subsided. Joshi made no objections to him taking the first group. As soon as Feng disappeared, he turned to the others.

"I've seen Feng do this before. He will bring back as many as he is capable of rounding up quickly with no concern to whether we are able to match them or not. We must be prepared. Hiroko, are you able to affect more than one tower beast at a time?"

Li Jiya drew herself up. "Cultivator Joshi," she snapped, "you may be from beyond the Empire, but that does not exclude you from proper decorum. Watch how you address our Princess."

Hiroko turned on Jiya, her eyes flaring. “We are in a tower and we are placing our lives on the line in order to advance. Decorum and courtesy must come second to preparation and effectiveness. I am not Princess Hiroko. You are not Young Master Jiya. We are companions with the same goal, and we are wasting valuable preparation time with this discussion." She turned back to Joshi. "Pray continue, Joshi."

He stared at her, taken aback both by her strong reaction and his own thoughtlessness at using her name. He should not let himself slip like this, but the way she spoke his name warmed him oddly. For a second he could forget that they were here with a bunch of others. He cleared his throat. "I need to know how many you can manage at once."

"I'm working on three," she said, "but I'm only able to focus my healing energies on a single target."

"Then we will try to allow Feng to keep their attention while we take them down," Joshi said. "Our first goal is to keep them off of Hiroko. Our next is to kill the beasts as fast as possible, leaving her three targets untouched until last." He asked Jiya and Jen, "Are you able to tell which she is targeting?"

The two nodded. "Yes, our spiritual senses are that refined," Li Jiya said with just a little bit of a hint of scorn to her voice.

Joshi had sent Magan out in the direction he thought Feng would be approaching from. When the little lux creature pulsed a warning, he could feel it. "Feng comes," he warned. "Set yourselves."

They were standing in a jungle clearing. In the center of the jungle was a fallen tree. Its roots ripped out of the ground, forming a wall with a bit of a corner to it. Hiroko had her back to the corner. Li Jen and Li Jiya flanked her about ten feet out. Li Jiya had summoned her polearm, while Li Jen had a lux-infused bow.

Joshi cycled and summoned his gauntlet, sharpening the spikes until they were like razors. He was practicing with being able to lengthen and shorten the claws at will. That would give him a great deal of versatility in battle. For now, it was too much when he was in the middle of a fight. This configuration he called Tiger’s Claw.

A great roaring, crashing, wrenching sound came from the jungle. Feng burst into the clearing, pursued by an entire pack of ravening, hooting, chirping, screaming monkey creatures. The monkeys were covered in bright green fur and came up to Hiroko's shoulder, had they been able to reach her. They had three tails each and were throwing sticks and rocks with their tails, snatched up as they chased Feng.

A red and orange arrow flew past Joshi's shoulder, burying itself in the chest of the closest monkey. The monkey stumbled but did not fall. Joshi drove forward, punching the monkey square in the head with his gauntlet. The spikes impaled the creature through its brain. It collapsed to the ground.

Meanwhile, Feng was still the focus of their outrage. He stopped in the center of the clearing and wove a complicated technique Joshi could only catch glimpses of. It had red, blue, and green lux all braided together. He pulsed it out like a wave, focusing it on the monkeys, knocking them back.

Hiroko had connected two of them to Feng already. Joshi could see her strands of blue lux hovering in the air. She was working on getting a third.

Magan was back, and suddenly the little creature was pulsing in his head, sharing vision. Magan hovered about 20 feet overhead, giving him a full view of the clearing. With his help, Joshi saw the monkey skirting the edges of the fight, heading for Hiroko.

He leapt, empowering his legs with red lux to bound over the head of the nearest pack of squabbling monkeys. Li Jiya was in there with her long weapon, flashing as she shouted challenges at the monkeys. He landed beyond them and raced toward the outlier monkey, who was leaping up onto the fallen tree trunk to pursue Hiroko.

Joshi leapt after him. His feet slipped on the bark, and he cursed the boots that the officials had given him. These soles were too thin for a proper grip. He pushed lux out through the bottoms of his feet, forming spikes on his boots, and ran along the branch. The monkey was nearly on Hiroko.

Joshi shouted and pushed forward. He punched the monkey square in the back. It stumbled forward, off of his spikes and onto the ground below. He leapt after it, driving his fist downward as he fell. His feet and fist struck the monkey square on. It exploded under him, leaving a crater in the forest floor.

Joshi stood up, looking for the next fight —but the monkeys were down. Hiroko was beside him, flushed with lux and victory. “I did it! I made four connections this time,” she rejoiced. Without meaning to, he smiled back at her. Her expression changed, from victory to surprise, and then she blinked. “Ah. That is — thank you to all of you.”

Joshi stepped back, the exultance of combat slipping from him. “Ready for another pack?”

“Bring them!” Hiroko commanded, and Joshi leapt to obey.