Gui Empire, Imperial Capital, Unknown location:

Yu appeared in a poorly-lit room made of what looked to her like dark stone. Curious at their location, she scanned the area. The first thing she did was confirm that Bai was next to her. He was. Then she felt his confusion and nervousness so she reached over and gave him a scratch between the ears. That calmed him slightly so she continued her perusal of their unexpected arrival area.

Before anything else, she found her master in his golden robes on her right side. Looking up into his face, she saw he wore his neutral but annoyed expression, meaning he was not fully into his madman persona, but neither was he his usual self with her either.

Ignoring him for the moment, Yu looked with more focus at the rest of the room. Without enhancing her senses, she tried to get an impression of where she was. Her five enhanced senses, usually starting with smell, were what she habitually used to get an initial impression of unfamiliar environs, no matter the situation. This time however, even they were pushed aside due to a familiar but overwhelming other sense. The Qi in the area was oppressive. It felt so thick that she almost felt like she was swimming in it. It felt to her like she was in a Qi well, but many, many times even the largest she had ever experienced before.

She looked at her master to see if he reacted to it, but his expression did not change. As such, she attempted to move on and understand her surroundings. Taking a deep breath in through her nose, she found the air to be filled with the scent of staleness, but also found it lacked dust. To her that meant this area was rarely used but also often cleaned. That could mean many things, but primarily that it was important but hidden.

The only sound besides the breathing of her, her master, and Bai was a very slight echoing tap that she could barely make out with her “normal” hearing, which was, despite not being actively enhanced, was still many times better than most. That affirmed her belief that it was likely a relatively secret location.

Visually, the room was not very big, probably only able to hold ten people comfortably, nor did it have any furniture. This led her to believe it was not generally used as a clandestine meeting hall. It was also quite dark, lit only with occasional dim ether lamps. It also had a dark ceiling with no obvious access to the outside except for four arched tunnels equally distance from each other. That meant to her that it was not an arrival area for large groups.

This is definitely not the welcome area for the tournament. So where in the hells are we?

Yu turned fully toward her master. He was looking to his left, into one of the arches that led to a dark stone hallway. Following his gaze, she directed her senses in that direction, realizing that the tapping she had heard earlier was coming from there. And it was slowly getting louder. Squinting slightly, she noticed a dim light brightening with the increased sound.

Footsteps. Someone is coming to get us then. But why are we here? Shouldn’t there be some sort of welcoming for all the participants? Why are we in this dark dingy dungeon of a hall?

Yu wanted to ask what was going on, but her master had specifically told her not to say a word until he directed her to. Why, she did not know, but providing reasoning wasn’t really his thing.

So breathing, footsteps, and a nearly tangible impatience permeated the stale air as the light – and presumably the person causing it – grew closer. Yu tried to see past the light, but its glare in the dim hallway prevented it.

It was only when the person exited the tunnel and Yu’s sensitive nose to could smell an acrid perfume that she could make out and details on the individual. It was a man with a gray neatly kept beard that went to just above his sternum. In his left hand was an ether lamp while his right was behind his back, making him look very professional. He was straight-backed, brown-eyed, of slightly above-average build and height for a cultivator, and appeared in his sixties or seventies if he were mortal.

Find this and other great novels on the author's preferred platform. Support original creators!

He was not however.

It was obvious to Yu by his bearing, confidence, and lack and of any sign of physical weakness that he was likely a Warrior. But she supposed he could be a Mage.

I can’t wait until I’m strong enough to detect Qi around me so I can figure out who’s what. Appearances only go so far.

When he reached three paces from her master, the man bowed deeply at the waist to him.

“Lord, it is my honor to welcome you home,” the man said with obviously well-practiced perfect inflection for a servant to one far above him.

In response, her master sounded not angry really, but displeased. “Hmph! I am not your lord this is not my home.”

“Of course, lord,” the servant said smoothly, as if he had not just been contradicted. “Shall I lead you and your guests to your rooms?”

“No!” he snapped. “Lead me out of this place. I don’t want us here any longer than needed.”

“Understood, lord. The master of the house informed me you would say that. However, he also ordered me to tell you that he requests that you and your apprentice attend to him in the master’s hall before you depart.”

“No. We’re leaving.”

The old man sighed. “He also informed me that he knew you would say that. And then ordered me to tell you the following: ‘You cannot hide her from us in the capital. We’ll get to her while she’s here either way, and you know it.’”

You watched as her master’s jaw muscles clenched and she felt a small pulse of power leave him. It astonished her that this simple conversation caused her master to have such a strong reaction.

Yu wasn’t stupid. She knew the conversation was about her. But the visceral anger she saw from him was something she had not seen in her three years as his disciple.

He’s livid. Who is this person he doesn’t want me to meet?

“What else did he say?” her master ground out through clenched teeth.

The old man cleared his throat. “Ahem. ‘You know how this will end. Why not make it voluntary? It might even be cordial.’ That was the end of his message, lord.”

Yu tried to process the information she’s gained so far and understand what was going on.

My master took us here even though he knew there could be an issue involving me. Why?

Okay, details. Work through what I know… We’re in the capital obviously. Why does that matter? The tournament is here? No, nothing about what’s going on has to do with the tournament. I’m not even participating. Hmmm… What else matters? We stepped here to avoid the travel time. Again, why does that matter? Stepping was logical. Wait, we stepped here! Right into the middle of the capital of the empire. That has to be a huge security risk, right? I bet there are formations to stop stepping, like on his island in the sect. So how did we get through? He’s got permission maybe? That seems unlikely. He’s a violent murderous lunatic. Who would give him the ability to teleport in? So if it wasn’t him personally… the place maybe? The location in space? Could this location be unprotected? Or maybe he has permission for this specific location? Again, why? Who would give this madman… The person in charge? But why? Because wants to meet me? If so, why? Why would the person in charge of a place who can teleport through warding formations… Oh. Oooohhh. Uh-oh…

“We’re at a Long clan estate?” Yu whispered.

Both men’s head whipped around to face Yu. She visibly winced and looked down, but not before she saw the old man’s eyes widen and her master’s narrow.

Yu heard a chuckle and the old man spoke. “I see. You did not tell her, lord.”

“No, I did not. And for good reason. However, despite her many failings, she is occasionally too smart for her own good.”

“Well, she has the blood.”

Then something surprising happened. Her master sighed in apparent defeat. “Fine. Let’s get this over with.”

“Excellent! If you would please follow me, I can lead you to your rooms.”

Yu stood still, her mouth agape and unable to move, shocked to her core that her master – a man who had not bent to anyone else’s will in the three years she had known him – seemed resigned about taking orders from another.

Did that seriously just happen?

Yu looked down at Bai who was looking back up at her, his head tilted to the side. The bond told her he was confused at her reaction.

He had never really directly interacted with her master. In fact, Yu had worked hard to make sure that was the case. She didn’t trust the madman with Bai. Not that she could stop him if he insisted, but he, for whatever the reason, stayed away from her bond.

The old man turned around, but not before giving Yu a brief up-and-down. His face showed a brief smirk and then she saw only his back as he lead them down the dark hallway. Yu followed her master, silent and obviously unhappy by his

He’s always been opposed to me meeting his…our clan. And my mother left them long ago. I wonder if I’m about to find out why.