Interlude - Senior Wong Yoong

Wong Yoong sat in a tub of medicinal herbs. She had pushed herself to the extreme in that last battle with Hen Li. She still felt the surge of spirit energy inside her rumbling like a distant lightning storm. All those pills she took were very dangerous, but that was the only way to fight Hen Li to a draw.

She shivered when she thought about fighting the five colored hound. It was stronger than her own Gaigung. How did he get so strong after only training it for the last three years? If he ever revived his Bifang Niu, it would blast her into a crisp with a thought.

How did their sect allow someone to have such a powerful spirit without shackling them? It was probably because he was the son of Elder Hen. That man has gotten away with so many things and keeps standing up to her father, the sect leader. One of these days, she’s going to rise into becoming an Elder and then teach him proper respect.

“Hey, the water is getting cold,” she yelled.

A maid quickly came in with her fire spirit monkey. With a wave of her hand, the water heated back up.

“I’m almost done in here, so prepare my clothes. I have to go back out there to look for that Lu brat.”

The maid bowed her head.

“I’m sorry Senior Wong. Sect Leader Wong is requesting your presence in the Ancestor’s Alcove as soon as you’re done here.”

Wong Yoong smiled. Even better. This might mean they’ve finally seen her value and were about to elevate her to being an Elder. That’s where they usually do it. She had been the best at capturing most of the Lu maidens in the last few weeks. Sure, she couldn’t get the last one, but it’s only a matter of time.

“Then forget heating the water. Dress me.”

Wong Yoong got up from the tub as the maid rushed to grab a towel for her. In minutes, she was dried and dressed in a dark blue tunic. It was probably the last time she’d wear this tunic again so she didn’t care too much that a few bits were out of place.

“Prepare something delicious for me tonight. I’m going to be celebrating.”

“Yes, Senior Wong, but aren’t you celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival with your mother and siblings?”

“Right, I forgot about that. Prepare something anyway. I’m in a mood to celebrate on my own later.”

“Yes, Senior Wong.”

Wong Yoong quickened her pace to the Ancestor’s Alcove. She had been there a few times when her father brought her there. It wasn’t too far away from her own room.

Everywhere she looked, her sect juniors were lighting the candles to prepare for the Mid-Autumn Festival. There were going to be quite a few more people around because of all the Lu maidens and some of their families, but it had nothing to do with her. She was waiting until after tonight when all those distractions disappeared and she could go back to her cultivation. The last few days of fighting with Hen Li and that Lu brat’s brother gave her a chance to break through to the next level.

“You’re counting your chickens before they hatched,” Gaigung said.

Wong Yoong’s right eye twitched. Her spirit rarely warned her.

“Why do you say that?”

“Because you haven’t captured the last Lu maiden.”

“That’s only a matter of time. The local magistrate has her in a cage and soon she will be on her way here. And then I’ll be given the honor of persuading the magistrate to work with us.”

“You threatened his family. When the Marquis comes back, that might be a problem.”

“Hah, if he comes back. Besides, after tonight whatever the ancestor told my father will come true. We’ll be stronger than before. What is a weakened Marquis going to do?”

“I hope that you’re right.”

“I have my father’s foresight in everything. It’s how he became the sect leader over all the others. And now I’m going to become an Elder. Who is going to retaliate against the elder of the Wintersweet Sect?”

When Wong Yoong arrived at the Ancestor’s Alcove, her father was nowhere to be seen. Only Elder Hen waited outside. The old man still looked good for his age. Unlike most of the other Elders that depended solely on their spirits in battle, he trained his body. Only the gray in his hair and beard reminded others of his age. It was one reason Wong Yoong also trained her own body as much as her summoner arts. She couldn’t lose to the old man.

The door to the Ancestor’s Alcove was open, though. She moved closer to get a peek inside.

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“No, I don’t think that would be appropriate,” Elder Hen said. He kept Wong Yoong from stepping closer. “Only Elders and the Sect Leader can see what’s inside the alcove.”

Wong Yoong cupped her hands and bowed.

“Of course honored Elder. I apologize. I was just curious.” What she didn’t add was that she was going to be an Elder soon, anyway. Then it wouldn’t matter.

“Is that Wong Yoong?” her father called out from within the Ancestor’s Alcove.

“Yes, Father,” Wong Yoong said.

“Then come in with Elder Hen. There’s something I need to tell you two quickly. Come, come.”

“But Sect Leader, she’s not an Elder. She’s not allowed inside the alcove,” Elder Hen said.

“She’s my daughter. Do you think she would betray the sect?”

Elder Hen looked conflicted.

That was all the time Wong Yoong needed before she slipped around him and entered the Ancestor’s Alcove. At first glance, she was confused. The room wasn’t decorated nor did it have any special treasures. All she saw was her father and a man chained to the center of the room. What was so special about this place, anyway?

Wong Yoong used her spirit sight and instantly regretted it.

The man that was chained in the middle wasn’t a mere mortal. Spirit energy flowed off him were brighter than the sun. The chains that held him in place were also heavy with spirit energy that made Wong Yoong feel heavy with only a glance. They were spirit forged to weigh down any spirit energy or techniques from the one it chained.

Wong Yoong closed her spirit sight right away and held onto her forehead. The headache was already there, worse than any headbutt she ever had.

“Oh, don’t use your spirit sight,” Elder Hen said. It was a little too late for that so Wong Yoong wasn’t sure if it was deliberate or not.

“Sit, sit,” her father said.

When Wong Yoong could see again, she sat down beside her father, facing Elder Hen. Her father didn’t look right. There were dark bags under his eyes and he looked like he hadn’t showered or moved from his spot for days. She didn’t even want to say which smelled worse, her father or the bucket in the corner.

Maybe sitting next to him like this wasn’t a good idea.

“Good, two of my most trusted people are here,” her father said. “First, tell me how it goes with capturing the Lu maidens.”

“Reporting to the Sect Leader, we’ve captured all the Lu maidens except one according to the city’s family registration. The magistrate is sending her over as soon as he can.”

“That’s a lie!” Her father yelled so loudly that spit flew from his mouth. “He doesn’t have her. No. The Ancestor talked to me. He knows the magistrate doesn’t have her.”

“But the magistrate wouldn’t lie to us. I made sure of it,” Wong Yoong said.

“Oh, he probably didn’t lie when he had her. But his useless constable let the little Lu girl go for some money. You two almost had her. What happened? We wouldn’t need to depend on these useless magistrates if you did your job.”

“I almost captured her, but Elder Hen’s son got in the way,” Wong Yoong said.

“Oh, you had a reunion with your son, Elder Hen?”

“No, sect leader. I was holding onto Sun Ren and sent Wong Yoong after Lu Na. She didn’t tell me my son was there.”

“That was after the Beggar King, Hung Rong, got in the way.”

Her father laughed.

“So what you’re telling me is that fate has been standing in your way, throwing obstacle after obstacle in your way and you two couldn’t even capture one powerless, weak Lu girl?”

Elder Hen bowed low. Wong Yoong couldn’t help but chuckle at the Elder’s shame. That’s what he gets for trying to put the blame on her. She was only following his orders.

“No, Sect Leader. It was my absolute responsibility to capture her. I will not fail you, as I will capture her myself.”

“No.” Sect Leader Wong summoned his tiger spirit. Its spirit energy filled the room and made it hard to breathe. Wong Yoong had to scramble a few feet away from him. She bowed low and didn’t dare raise her head.

Sect Leader Wong stood tall, his tiger spirit beside him.

“You two don’t understand what this means to our sect. The ancestor has made it clear. If we don’t capture all the Lu maidens, then our sect is finished. This is why we dared to attack the Lu compound within the city. But you haven’t retrieved the one that will destroy us.”

Elder Hen dared to lift his head.

“But Sect Leader, she’s only one girl. She’s talentless and powerless. How would one such as her—”

“Silence.” Sect Leader Wong said in a quiet voice. “You say all this yet you can’t capture her. Do you think our Ancestor is mistaken? Did our ancestor stutter when he said ‘all the Lu maidens?’ Do you not remember what happened the last time we failed him?”

Elder Hen was silent so Wong Yoong answered for him.

“With respect to Elder Hen, the last time we didn’t follow his edict, Hen Li almost destroyed the Wintersweet Sect.”

“Indeed. It was the foolishness of your kindness that almost destroyed us,” Sect Leader Wong said. “Of course it wasn’t entirely your fault. I was blinded by my greed to abuse his powers to expand our sect. Should the Ancestor ever proclaim that my daughter would destroy our sect, I wouldn’t hesitate to cut her head off even in front of her mother.”

Wong Yoong bowed her head until it touched the floor.

“Sect Leader Wong, I would never betray our sect.”

“Of course you wouldn’t. I taught you better.” Sect Leader Wong patted her on the head.

Wong Yoong was relieved.

“But of course, the Ancestor gives us cryptic messages where even someone as powerless as this Lu maiden has avoided capture even with the full force of the Wintersweet Sect after her. That is why I’m going to go personally meet with this Lu maiden and see what sort of power that fate has to protect her from us.”

Elder Hen raised his head.

“It would be my honor to accompany you on this mission. I will do everything in my power to capture her.”

“Even if it means killing your son should he get in the way again?”

Elder Hen had only the smallest pause before he answered, “Yes, Sect Leader Wong.”

“Very well. Then you and Senior Wong shall accompany me. This time, we will bring her back even if we have to level the entire city of Jianye. Tonight is the deadline. And who knows, after we do this, maybe we’ll get something good from this.”

“Yes, Sect Leader Wong,” Wong Yoong said. This was the perfect opportunity for her. With Sect Leader Wong coming to capture this Lu Na, they were guaranteed success. If that woman didn’t die by the end of the night, she would quit being a summoner.