Seeing his questioning gaze, she continued. "We have special stones in the Core Region that indicate the states of those that have bonded with them. His hasn't dimmed in the least, so he's either been captured by the enemy, or he's fled from the Sect Master's realm of influence."

  That five great elders had been assigned the same task was surprising, even to an outsider like Jason. From what he'd heard, there were only ten such positions within the sect, and perhaps twice as many people powerful enough to vie for them. To send five of them for a single task made him wonder after the identity of their target.

  "So, we probably won't be able to meet like this anymore, huh?"

  "The way you said that annoys me."

  "It's your choice to let it bother you," he smirked, crossing his arms and leaning his chair back to balance it on its hind legs. The chair gave out beneath him as two tiny snakes slithered out of Sersa's sleeves and snapped the back legs with quick bites of their muscled mouths. "Not today, haha!" Suspended by a sudden expulsion of energy, he wasn't affected in the least by her little ploy. She'd done the same thing during their last meeting, to an embarrassing effect.

  "I see you've broken through," she sighed, a heavy, aged sigh that had no business coming from a girl so young. "Your aura's ridiculously heavy, as usual."

  "What'll you do?" he asked. "You going to stay here and wait for some elder or other to come kill you for your part in Marcus's job here? They will kill you, you know. They're all insane."

  "I'm aware." Her eyes trailed his index finger as he traced out a basic repair arrayment, which quickly mended the legs of the chair. "I have my own plans."

  "You gonna share them, or…?"

  "All I'll say is that I’ve decided to head north." Gesturing to the Dragon's Tail in the distance, she said, "Rane and Maxus are already somewhere out in those mountains. I suspect the entire purpose of Marcus's mission was to lure him into an unfavourable position and dispose of him, under the guise of him having been killed by their target." Her slim fingers were fidgeting in a way that seemed uncharacteristic of her, based upon the temperaments that she'd shown up until now. "Whatever he was plotting, it seems that it has been uncovered."

  "And you still plan on joining him?"

  "What other choice do I have? It's the best pathway towards accomplishing my goal."

  A momentary quiet set in, the surrounding flora set in motion by a light, innocent flutter of wind.

  "You could come with me," he said without thinking. "Believe it or not, I've already pulled two other disciples to my side."

  "Oh? So found yourself another slave, then?"

  Understanding what she was getting at, he hurriedly added, "Not as a slave, but as equal partners. You're at the peak of Integration now. Don't you want to rise up to the next level?"

  If Sersa ended up betraying the sect, an eventuality made evident by her words, then she wouldn't have to shy away from open confrontation with her former allies. That would open up a whole new world of cultivation resources for her to enjoy, and high-quality ones at that.

  To his surprise, she actually considered his offer for a few moments before shaking her head. "Once Marcus's replacement arrives, we'll have to leave anyway. I’ll have to decline. It’s best that I head north." For the first time since they'd met, she fixed him with a harmlessly curious gaze. "What about you, Jason? What will you do?"

  "You know, that's the first time you've called me by my name."

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  "I'm sorry I asked."

  "I'll be staying in the area. There's somebody I'm trying to find, and since I've got no idea where he might be, I need to stir up a big enough commotion to get his attention." Picking a bit of dried blood out from beneath a fingernail, he put on a wolfish smile that would have made him unrecognizable to his parents were they there to see it. "If killing a great elder isn't enough, then I don't know what is."

  She let out a haughty breath. "You're a madman, you know."

  "Show me a great person in history that wasn't," he said. Sobering slightly, he added, "I'm nothing like I was when we met. There aren't many people that can kill me now. Not on this continent."

  There was a slight change in the way that she stared at him, but only for a moment and then it was back to her usual wariness. "That might be the case with just one opponent, but you forget that there are countless members in my sect. Even after a million or so have died during these latest Acquisitions."

  "That many? Jesus."

  She let out a rare laugh. "Your contributions to that number weren't light, you know." She pulled out a stack of parchment, suddenly serious. "This is all the information I have on the allocation of forces in the area, along with the next wave that'll be coming." She stood up, indicating that it was time for her to leave. "The next group will have regular members, Jason. Those too old to be disciples but too weak to be elders. They're all in the Integration stage.”

  “How many of them are we talking?”

  “I’m not sure. The reports were pretty vague.” She gave a lazy stretch, and let out a long yawn. “Well then. Live a good life, Jason. If we meet again, let it be as friends."

  He instinctively grabbed her hand, surprising both of them. "We're already friends. Listen, Sersa. I don't think you should go north. This Marcus guy sounds like the last guy you want to be around, and I guarantee you that you'll see better results if you come with me."

  Studying him closely, she spoke without pulling away from his grasp. "Just because our goals align—"

  "Think about how much we've grown since we met. You think your 'master' is going to let you have any freedom, any choice about how you handle your business?"

  Her expression darkened as she seemed to recall a series of unpleasant memories. "So long as I can accomplish my goal, then that's fine."

  Pulling her hand away, she made to leave, but Jason appeared in front of her to block her path. "Join me, and you can have both." He looked over the papers that she'd tossed on the ground, taking note of a particular piece of information. "The war bands that are moving east right now, the ones going to reinforce the eastern front. That's more than enough for you to break through to the next stage."

  "And die to the aftereffects of my cultivation method in the process."

  "I may not look it, but I've got some knowledge with concocting medicinal pellets. There's one in my memory that can stop you from losing yourself to that feeling."

  "Such a pellet exists?"

  He nodded. "Though we'll need to gather a few ingredients first. Think about it. We're talking about the unhinged, totally justifiable refinement of thousands of people. Thousands of strong people. Can Marcus promise you something like that?"

  Again, she went quiet.

  Jason wasn't sure why he was so anxious over her response, or why he felt relieved when she eventually placed her hands on her hips and agreed.

  "I'll have a few conditions, namely that I won't have to answer to you, or to anyone else for that matter. Also, we'll need to head south before the new great elder arrives, to the capital of the southern territory that the sect has claimed in Hauss."

  "That’s fine. But what do you need to do down there?"

  Leaving the chairs behind as she led the way into the forest, she said, "There are some people I'd like to bring along." Looking at his reaction, she waved him off. “They’re of the same mind as me. Don't worry, you're free to enslave them. I know how much you love enslaving people."

  He ran after her. "You make me sound like some sort of pond scum."

  Once out of the forest, Jason took the lead and brought Sersa over to Brud and Angelica, the latter starting up in surprise at the sight of their new companion.

  "D—Deacon Rose?" The gaze she fixed upon Jason after he and Sersa arrived was one of newfound respect, and even a bit of reverence. "Looks like you've found an impressive master, Brud!"

  Glaring in response to the girl’s friendly slap on the back, he spat in his usual tone. "He's your master too, now."

  "Yes," she said quietly, her words without mirth. "Yes, he is."

  Jason told them to quiet down, and then filled them in on their plans.

  "As far as anyone else can tell, we're ordinary disciples of the sect. Got it?"

  "What if we're targeted by the lessers—ah, the locals?" asked Angelica. "Are we allowed to refine them?"

  He scoffed. "Did you listen to nothing I said earlier? No, of course we don't."

  "Enough talk," said Sersa. "We don't have much time. I'd like to arrive at our destination by nightfall."

  "But that's only a few hours away,” Brud complained.

  "Then you'd best shut your mouth and follow my orders, slave."

  Jason couldn't help but smile as they set out to begin their long sprint. He could already tell that he'd enjoy having Sersa around.