Wen Dongmei.

Lee had recognised the name the moment he heard it from the information packet. Though his master had loathed talking about his past life, some things were simply common knowledge. Of those things, perhaps the most ubiquitous was his first disciple.

His master had taken her in before he became a Great Lord and she shot through the ranks, eventually catching up with him and even ascending. Though all of that happened over a thousand years ago, Lee had felt signs of their influence during his time on Xenus. From statues of them that were worshipped as gods to sects thousands of kilometres away from the Lightning Peak falling at his feet when he mentioned them. What had struck him most about those interactions was the fact that the fear of his master had seemed secondary. It was when he mentioned his master’s relationship with Wen Dongmei that they truly seemed terrified.

Heaven’s Tyrant, they called her.

He would be lying if he pretended not to have felt some amount of trepidation when she sent him an invitation. Even knowing the protection that the backing of Lasvania gave him, he still felt that sense of wariness at the woman opposite him.

“I left my master in great condition,” he said, thankful for the fact that he never stopped pestering the old man for his real name. “He is now known as the Dragon Lord, Grand Elder of the Lightning Peak Sect. There are few back home that can rival him.”

“Dragon Lord eh, our old master was always rather dramatic, was he not? It was obvious that old Bo would give him the sect, no matter how much both of them denied it. I do hope he has not become a cranky old fogey who thinks pleasures of the flesh should be illegal. Still, I see he hasn’t lost his touch with students.”

He wisely did not mention the irony of someone named Heaven’s Tyrant calling another name dramatic. That sounded like a good way to get first hand understanding of the reason for the title.

“Yes, honoured elder. I would not be here without his teachings.”

“Good, good,” she nodded, then leaned in closer, her tone sly. “It seems like he was truly blessed by the Heavens, to find a student so talented. We explored up to the ends of the world before my ascension, and the very idea of someone ascending from our world in thirty years was still unthinkable to me until before very recently. I might not have even believed it if there was a chance you could fool the Lasvanians.”

Once again Lee was left unsure of what to say. He was aware of the fact that his situation was considered incredible by almost everyone. Even if he thought they were overreacting. Both of his friends became Great Lords within similar timeframes, after all. And they were noticeably less talented than he was. Treasures and fortunate encounters were capable of fuelling very fast growth. It felt a little strange that no one had used those things to the level he and his friends had before, but it was at least more plausible than the fact that three heavens’ defying, once in history prodigies had appeared at the same time.

“Gratitude for your compliments, honoured elder. They are more than I have earned.”

“No, they are not, as you well know. Tell me, Xiao Lee, what are you?”

He resisted the urge to groan internally. He had gotten that question many times back on Xenus. It was something he had most definitely not missed.

“I do not understand, honoured elder.”

“I am sure you very well know what I am talking about. Do not worry, you are under Lasvanian protection, which means I harbour no ill will towards you. I ask simply for my own curiosity. Of course, you could choose not to answer, but I would prefer if you did.”

Though her last sentence sounded a bit like a threat, he chose to pretend like it wasn’t. Now that he at least had some understanding of what his value was, he found it easier to be less scared around foreign powers. Though he remained cautious.

“I am a human cultivator from a small town in the Wu empire, one of the foremost powers on Xenus. My parents were simple mortals and died early in my life. The Lightning Peak Sect saw my talent and took me in, after which I eventually became a disciple of the Dragon Lord. If I have special blood in me, I do not know, nor care. My two companions, Chen Li and Bai Liu, became Great Lords shortly after I did, with the help of fortunate encounters and legendary treasures. Neither of them has seen the end of their third decade.”

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He could see the woman struggle briefly with surprise before she smoothened her expression. The exact part of his speech that shocked her the most was something would have loved to know. Still, he could not deny that there was some satisfaction in seeing her so surprised. No doubt she would have had some way to check if he was being truthful.

“Well then, forgive me, Ascendant Xiao Lee, for trying to accuse you falsely. Your situation just seemed so impossible that I assumed you were perhaps a Pertop or one of the higher races in disguise. To think the old goat would actually gain three world shaking prodigies at once,” she shook her head. “You spoke of fortunate encounters and natural treasures. I hope you would not be against giving me some examples.”

“Of course, honoured elder,” he agreed, then proceeded to tell her a series of outlandish tales, each less believable than the last. Stories he would have struggled to believe if he had not been part of them. He could see her trying desperately to give him the benefit of doubt, yet even that curtesy was struggling against the sheer impossibility of his tales.

He supposed finding a supreme cultivation manual in the stomach of a dragon seemed like a tall tale. It did not help that they were Core Formation disciples at the time and the dragon was a Great Lord. Lee actually made an effort to think about his encounters too deeply. Li always loved to joke about how his ridiculous luck was like something out of a story. Though that luck seemed to have toned down since he entered Lasvania. It had become merely extraordinary and not impossible.

” ...and that was how Liu finally mastered the Myriad Faces under the Heaven technique from the Monkey King.”

At some point in his retelling, his single audience had given up on trying to hide her disbelief. It was his turn to restrain himself, so he did not end up bursting into laughter at the way her jaw was hanging open.

“Well, you have definitely lived an interesting life so far. Even my journey round the Xenus was not this adventurous. Though it was not without its own fortunate encounters.”

She went on a tangent after that, telling him some of the things she had seen and done on her trip. They were interesting stories, and he could very easily see how she earned a reputation that lasted years after she was gone. He was even more fascinated by the fact that a few of the things she mentioned were things he also encountered. He wondered if there was anything to it, or if he was just grasping at straws and overthinking a mere coincidence.

“You know, it has been a while since I have been able to speak to someone from home, much less one who knew Master Hu. There are some Ascendants here from our world, but few are notable, and most of them either hate my guts or are still afraid. Even some of the one’s that ascended before I was born. The ones that don’t care are generally very very old. The Xenus they grew up with is completely unrecognisable to me. So, thank you for your stories.”

“It was my pleasure, honoured elder. Your tales were also enlightening.”

“Good. Now for the real reason you’re here,” she turned serious. “I have been following the situation in Cliver for a while now and it’s clear why you were sent. Lasvania is out for blood and they’re trying to see who is firmly on their side, all while giving two promising youths some experience. Let the president and the senate know that they have my full support. Though I may not be a part of the official government, I am the most powerful cultivator in this country. That position comes with quite a lot of influence. Though I am sure you will hear similar declarations both from the king and the prime minister.”

Her speech was just about what Lee had been expecting, so he gave her his already practiced reply.

“Then I thank you for your support, on behalf of Lasvania. We do not forget our allies. May both our nations live in unity for eons to come.”

The speech was clearly a rehearsed line fed to him by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but it was a game they all played. Regardless of how pleasant it was to talk with another student of his master, his primary purpose was still being a representative of the Lasvanian government.

“Before you leave, there is something I must give you,” Heaven’s Tyrant said.

She stretched out her open palm and a small box made of what looked like spirit jade appeared over it. She held it like it was delicate and gave it to him. He collected it from her, studying the little dragons carved into the exterior, and the way qi flowed visibly through the box. Yet he could not see what was actually inside it.

“Thank you for the gift, honoured elder,” he bowed politely. “May I ask what it is?”

“Of course. Our master has had many students before you. Though I am the first, I am far from the only one to have ascended. There are nineteen of us in total, and all but four are currently High Cultivators. You are our twentieth member now. Inside that box is a ring. There are nineteen other rings like it scattered across the galaxy. You will know the moment you are in the presence of a fellow disciple of our master. We may not be plenty, but we are powerful. I know you have friends in high places now, but more never hurts.”

He stared at the box for a long moment, his heart filled with emotion.

“Thank you, senior sister for this gift. I hope I will be able to meet my fellow senior brothers and sisters.”

“I’m sure you will. This has been an enjoyable conversation. Thank you for your time and do stop by next time you’re passing through.”

“I will do try my best to do that, senior sister,” he said, then stood up and turned to the portal that appeared suddenly, taking the dismissal for what it was.

He stepped out to the front of the hotel, with the executor waiting silently in front of him, feeling surprisingly refreshed. Speaking to someone from his home had been pleasing indeed.