Elder Hen stood atop a tall hill overlooking the western gates of Jianye. Not too far away was a gathering of his most senior disciples and another Elder from the Wintersweet Sect. They had set up a small camp at Elder Hen’s directions.

“Elder Hen, are you sure they’re going to go tonight?” Elder Xu asked. She was an older woman who looked like everyone’s grandma, angry eyes and a constant scowl. But despite how she looked, she was one of the kindest people Elder Hen knew and one he trusted the most.

“My foolish child doesn’t know that I have ways of monitoring him,” Elder Hen said. “It was one condition Sect Leader Wong demanded when he allowed me to seal away Hen Li’s spirit. He didn’t want a powerful summoner like Hen Li to come back and attack us.”

“So you leashed him. That’s brilliant. He can do all the work for us while we reap the rewards.”

Elder Hen didn’t like the way she said it but Elder Xu was right. Hen Li left their sect with one of their most prized possessions and a lot of the sect’s resources. It would have been better if they killed him to prevent other sects from poaching him, but he made a promise to be a monk and not interfere with our sect. Because if he did, the seal can be undone, killing him.

“But I’m not sure how well you and Sect Leader Wong thought this through,” Elder Xu said. “The only person who can detonate the seal on him is you and Sect Leader Wong. He’s currently in a catatonic state and you would never kill your own child.”

“I would if it was for the good of my sect,” Elder Hen said.

Elder Xu smiled. It looked like crooked teeth trying to fight each other to form a line.

“No, you wouldn’t. I know you. You’re too soft-hearted. It’s why I never had children. I knew they would one day disappoint me, as yours have.”

Elder Hen sighed. He had high hopes for his son to be the next sect leader, to bring glory to their sect. But maybe Elder Xu was right. He was too soft-hearted and he raised a son just like him.

“Being soft-hearted is not a weakness,” Fengma, his horse spirit, said. “If Hen Li wasn’t soft-hearted, he would have listened to his spirit, Bifang Niao, and burned the entire sect to the ground with everyone in it. We wouldn’t be able to do anything about it.”

“Either way, that’s old news,” Elder Hen said. “Those two ladies are trying to deceive us. How foolish. Let’s remind them why our Wintersweet Sect is the strongest in the region.”

“Oh, are we going to capture them now?” Elder Xu asked.

Elder Hen shook his head.

“These two ladies are very headstrong. Going against them directly would only cause them to run or dig in, as they have done in the past. So instead, I’m going to ask our most senior disciple her opinion. Little Yoong, get over here.”

Wong Yoong stalked over, still dressed in her dark blue tunic. She clasped her hand and bowed to the two elders.

“Yes, Elder Hen?”

“It’s time for you to prove that you learned your lesson from last time. What do you think we should do with those two ladies?”

“The one with the secret? The Lu maiden from a month ago?”

Elder Hen nodded. He hoped that their senior disciple would learn from her mistakes and be better than her father. No matter her dislike for him, Elder Hen knew that Wong Yoong was going to be the next pillar of their sect. She most likely won’t be chosen as the sect leader, but selected as a next generation elder is all but certain.

“I think we should confront them but in a more peaceful manner, asking if we could help them with their quest,” Wong Yoong said. “That way, we could share whatever they find. We’d make it more like a business transaction.”

“That’s good. You’re thinking. If you did that when you first met with them instead of destroying her home, she might have agreed to come with us,” Elder Hen said. “However, that’s not what we’re going to do this time around. Elder Xu, what do you think?”

Elder Xu smacked her lips as if she tasted something disgusting.

“You know I would rather do it like what little Yoong wants and force them, but you have never lost against me in chess. So if I were you, I think you’d follow them until they reached something interesting and then snatch it after they’ve uncovered it.”

“That is correct. We have the element of surprise. They think we don’t know. And to top it off, we have enough disciples and elders here to take on three measly people.”

Wong Yoong clasped her hands and bowed.

“Elder Hen and Elder Xu are both correct. I will learn from this process and hope to improve myself.”

Elder Hen placed a hand on her shoulder.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

“I know you will. You’re going to be a successful elder one day and will lead our sect to greatness. But until then, try to learn from us.”

“Yes, of course,” Wong Yoong said before going back to her other disciples.

“Tell me something Elder Hen, why did you need me to come with you?” Elder Xu asked when the disciples were out of earshot. “With your strength, you could easily take on the three children. Unless you feel you wouldn’t be able to deal with your son.”

Elder Hen pulled Elder Xu closer.

“I trust you Xu Ming. Of all the other elders, you are the only one I trust to protect the interests of our sect. So I’ll tell you this secret, but you can’t tell anyone else.”

Elder Xu’s eyebrows perked up.

“I’m dying,” Elder Hen said. “After trying to contain Sect Leader Wong, I overspent my spirit energy. As an elder, you know better than anyone that we only have so much spirit energy before we run out and then die.”

Elder Xu smacked her lips.

“You can take a few pills for that.”

“Yes, but you know the true secret of these spirits. They’re absorbing our life energy to form their techniques. And frankly, I’m out. I’ve been surviving on pills for the last month but they’re losing their efficiency.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. Your spirit is not giving you any leniency?”

“Fengma is a great spirit. He’s been using his own spirit energy since last month to sustain me. But there comes a time when that won’t be enough either.”

“That is a tough situation you’re in. Is that why you’ve brought all these disciples with you on one last adventure?”

Elder Hen looked fondly upon all the disciples he taught over the years. Most of them were senior disciples now.

“No, it’s because whatever those three children are after, it might save me. It might give me a second chance at life. If that’s the case, I would need all the help I can get to take it from them. And that’s the true secret.”

Elder Xu cackled.

“No wonder you pulled us all out despite our sect falling into shambles. Many other elders thought you would rise and take over as sect leader. But if you’re dying, then there’s no point.”

Elder Hen nodded.

“And of course I would never swindle my best friend. Whatever secret we find from those three children, I will share with you. Maybe this will usher in a second golden age for our sect, one where we won’t need that ancestor spirit anymore.”

“Oh for shame, you would disrespect our ancestor?”

“He’s more spirit than man. His only concerns are for the spirits. I would rather concern myself with humans and preserve our sect for many generations to come.”

Elder Xu cackled again.

“For once I am glad I have stuck with you all these years. I’ll gladly give it my all to see our sect rise to be the country’s top summoner sect.”

“Speaking of that, what do you think those other summoner sects are going to do? By now, they should have felt that phoenix spirit pulse and are converging onto Jianye as we speak.”

“That trash? Even at our weakest right now, our sect can take care of them all with no problems.”

“But what if they unite against us once we have the treasure?”

“Who cares? Even if they destroy our Wintersweet Sect, we can reform the sect with our senior disciples here. All those other Elders are only after their own interests and never cared about the sect. And Sect Leader Wong will pass on from the attack. No loss there.”

Elder Hen looked over at Wong Yoong. He only felt a little grief at orphaning her, but the man did it to himself. Besides, he doubted Little Yoong would be disappointed from being promoted to an Elder in the newly formed Wintersweet Sect.

“Hopefully, this treasure is as strong as we can imagine. Otherwise, we would have walked upon this path for nothing.”

Elder Xu stretched her back and straightened up. She was taller than Elder Hen.

“Oh, I’m sure of it. I remember the cackling phoenix spirit energy coming from the fight. If that was only a shadow of what the actual treasure could do, then there is no doubt we would destroy every other sect from root to stem.”

Elder Hen chuckled.

“Sometimes I worry about your insatiable bloodlust. It was probably a good thing you didn’t have any kids.”

Elder Xu looked toward her senior disciples.

“Who needs kids when I can mold other people’s kids into monsters?”

“Just don’t forget about me when you are ruling the world. All I’m asking for is a peaceful little corner where I can tend to my gardens.”

Elder Xu cackled.

“If the treasure can restore your life, we might also restore our youth. Then maybe we can revisit having kids again, you and I.”

It took a lot to make Elder Hen blush, but that did it. He remembered Elder Xu in her youth and all the things she’s done since then.

“Maybe it will help you get over your son,” Elder Xu said.

It was Elder Hen’s turn to laugh.

“That is how I know you’re not ready for motherhood. Having more kids doesn't make you forget the ones you already have. It just adds to your burden as a parent.”

Elder Xu placed a hand on Elder Hen’s arm.

“Oh my dear Shimin, you’re over thinking things. Even if we regained our youth with that treasure, we’d be spending most of it on improving the sect. That never changes for people like us.”

“People who care so much about leaving a legacy behind?”

Elder Xu smiled her crooked smile.

“No silly. To gain power and influence so that others cower in front of us. I’m going to stop teasing you and tell the disciples to get ready to move.”

As Elder Xu walked away, Elder Hen paused to consider what his true motives were. Was it as Elder Xu said and that he was mostly cultivating so he could gain power? If it was, then he would be no better than the other Elders in the sect.

No, power could be measured in other ways. Everyone always remembers the first ancestor that started the sect or other strong people within the sect that made a name for themselves throughout the generations. However, he had always played it safe and made sure to put the sect ahead of himself.

This time, with such a powerful treasure so close at hand, he would use it to make his mark not only on this sect, but the world. No longer was he going to die a miserable, unknown death, achieving nothing. This time, he’s going to go all in no matter the cost.

When he told Elder Xu that he brought them because he feared that he was too weak. In reality, it was because they were all fodder for his next steps to greatness. Now all he had to do was discipline his son.