As Lu’s short and hurried explanation drew to a close, Ban Do’s face became muddled with a mix of different emotions. “…And so, the Patriarch will be announcing the joint mission momentarily.”

“We’re working with her? The same woman who destroyed our mountain not even a single year ago?” One brow tilted upwards, and for a moment Lu felt like he was speaking to a haughty core disciple, rather than the second realm man who existed in front of him.

“Well…” His brain ran through a number of different excuses, before giving up. “It is the Patriarch's will. I don’t like her any more than you do, but sealing the wild breaches is of great importance.” At least the other two are more polite.

Ban Do opened his mouth, but before the conversation could continue a great flaring of spiritual sense caught the entire room’s attention. Lu’s gaze lingered on Ban Do for only a fraction of a moment, before it turned back to where Steadfast Heart had appeared a minute and change ago. Did something happen, Sir Do? You seem more animated than I’ve ever seen you.

In the middle of the large room stood not only the Patriarch, but also White Knuckle and the taller priest. Despite the crowdedness of the room there was an empty space two metres in radius around the trio, not a single disciple putting comfort above the respect they had for their leader and his personal student. And perhaps even the holy man; it isn’t as though every cultivator is as bereft of faith as I.

White Knuckle’s head moved back and forth, seeming to meet the eyes of every single person present. “Thank you for your prompt gathering, disciples. I will not waste time with formalities; if you would, Priest Hun?”

The priest – Hun, apparently, a slightly foreign name – nodded. “Very well.” He cleared his throat, and his voice took on a rich and sonorous quality that was almost entirely at odds with his previous, rougher tones. “I am Hun, a priest of the faith, and your honoured Patriarch has generously answered my and my colleagues’ call for assistance.” I suppose it makes sense, priests often have to lead prayers and give speeches. But still, it’s startling; he almost sounds like an entirely different person. Is he drawing on the power of Heaven to enhance his voice? “Across the continent there now exist six cracks in the barrier protecting our reality – similar in nature to the one in possession of this sect, but controlled by the invaders.”

The gathering of Elders and other disciples sharpened their collective eyes.

“Myself and two other servants of Heaven have been tasked with removing these points of ingress – but alas, this new world is not the only threat to hang above our heads. The light of Heaven is powerful, but unsubtle; I must ask for your aid in fulfilling my task without alerting the forces of Hell, which even now roam the countryside.”

He bowed his head, and White Knuckle took the reins back. “A concise explanation. This mission will prioritise three things; stealth, speed, and combat ability. Specific knowledge of the forces of either Hell or Salt will be relevant.” Again he scanned the crowd, and Lu felt their eyes meet for a moment before the Elder continued. “As this mission is meant to be subtle, only a small number will be sent. Any who volunteer, please step forward; I will select those who are both willing and appropriate first.”

A whisper found its way to Lu’s ear from the side, Jiendao’s high-pitched voice only barely audible. “Will we be participating, teacher?”

…Should they? They have a modest chance of sensing ki, possibly better than a higher realm disciple who hasn’t studied consumption… He glanced away from the centre of the room, searching the faces of his students. Jiendao looks ready for a fight. Ah, but also quite worn out; she must have been training all day. As expected from my top student.

Kai Hiien is placid, while Ban Do is full of energy. Hom How is nervous and withdrawn. In terms of their consumption…

…No. Jiendao seems to have deepened her reserves a bit, but other than that they haven’t changed much at all. Taking them, especially the fully mortal Hom How, would be completely irresponsible even if there weren’t limited slots. I’ll have to leave them behind for the moment.

Lu opened his mouth, but hesitated as he caught up to his own thoughts. Leave them behind? Wait, that implies that I’m considering going! Which I absolutely am not!

…Aren’t I..? But as he considered it, a sour look came to his face. Argh. No, I have to volunteer; I’m theoretically the best person in the sect for closing breaches, and familiar with fighting Salt warriors besides. I’m good with illusions, and can sense the leaking ki from a relatively great distance.

His face continued to sour until it looked as though he had an entire lemon stuffed into his mouth, and his students began to trade glances of mildly concealed concern. I don’t have another heart demon, do I? No, no, this isn’t like going down into that mining tunnel; this time I have an actual reason. My gentlemanly heart simply won’t allow me to shirk duty.

“I’m afraid I’m going to have to request that you four stay behind. I can’t stop you from volunteering, but I think it would be a poor decision based on where you are right now.”

Jiendao narrowed her eyes in frustration, while Hom How seemed relieved. As for the other two, their expressions were too controlled for Lu to skim off any meaning.

Sorry, sorry. I know I’ve only given you a few basics, not nearly enough to call myself your master or anything, but please listen to my wisdom just this once. “I know you were all powerful cultivators mere months ago, but please consider the current situation. Could any of you even scratch that small demon that Giro found?”

The twins nodded, but Jiendao seemed unconvinced. “Are you any different? Your face is very open, teacher; you’re thinking of going, aren’t you?”

It isn’t as though I want to, all right?! It’s obligation, terrible obligation! “I have many treasures, and hidden methods. My understanding of consumption is also quite possibly the most advanced of any human; my volunteering and you doing the same are not equivalent.” A quick turn of the eyes found several disciples already lining up for White Knuckle’s inspection. “Again, I cannot stop you. This is merely my advice as your unofficial teacher.”

Lu turned, forcing his face to smooth out. “Do as you will. If White Knuckle believes you worth a slot, then I suppose my understanding of your abilities was simply incorrect.”

----------------------------------------

Hom How watched his teacher’s back as he walked away, his limbs stiff with reluctance. Good luck, Sir Lu, he thought, even as Jiendao seethed with an agitation that was visceral to even his stunted sense.

…Ah, perhaps I should wish myself good luck as well. As the proud martial artist stepped forward, Hom How gathered his resolve and called out. “Senior sister, a word?”

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

She turned, scowling. There were bruises on her face, splotches of purple-black that hadn’t been healed in the slightest. Left to sit like bodies on a field. You challenged one of our former peers in the core sect, didn’t you?

“What?” The word was sharp-edged, much like her expression.

“You are a powerful combatant, able to fight above your realm. This is known.” Immediately Jiendao’s face darkened a shade further; evidently, that was the exact wrong thing to say. He had to force himself not to bite his tongue as he continued. “And of course Sirs Hiien and Do are the same. But this is not a test of pure strength; it is not a mistake that Elder White Knuckle named combat ability as the third of the three qualities necessary.”

Jiendao did not look convinced. Why is it so much harder to speak than to write, when the words are all the same? Her teeth flashed out, stained ever so slightly red. “I know some illusions, and a good movement art. And I fought those men of Salt as hard as anyone. In fact,” her eyes narrowed, “Of the four of us, there is only one who cannot say the same. Who could that be?”

Hom How felt neither ashamed nor chastised for his pacifism, but even so the weight of her words caused his head to bow. Jiendao began to turn away, a hint of satisfaction at having won the argument evening out her expression. But before she could go far, another voice called out.

“Oh my. Did you get beaten so badly, elder sister?”

She turned, her expression regaining the frustration it had lost and then piling more atop. “Ban Do.” Her voice was flat. “Do you have something to say?”

Ban Do stepped forward, and for a moment a look of surprise flash across Kai Hiien’s face, one that Hom How was sure was mirrored on his own. I don’t know Sir Do very well, but this seems different than usual – or perhaps this was the way he was before his defeat, and he’s regaining his confidence? Hom How wanted to be happy for the man, but the sly and mocking smirk on his face made it difficult.

“I do. Your words against Sir How were both unkind and in poor spirit; he healed a great many of our junior brothers and sisters, sacrificing his very cultivation in aid of a stranger. All Paths lead to Heaven – is that not how the saying goes? You should not think less of him for his lack of combativeness.” Though his words were kind in meaning, the tone he said them in drew out further anger. Jiendao took three steps, her shoulders arched and her teeth bared.

She and Ban Do stood across from each other, noses nearly touching, their locked eyes promising violence. I should… Hom How took a step forward to try and diffuse the situation, but a raised arm blocked his path.

Sir Hiien? He sent a worried look at the man, but the swordsman’s attention was entirely on the pair sizing each other up. His face was blank, but there was a spark in his eye that made him look hopeful.

Jiendao continued, in that same flat tone. “Those are big words for a first realm to be saying. Can you back them up?”

Ban Do’s smile only widened, his red-painted lips vivid against pale skin. “Not at all. Not even a little.” His arms were crossed, nowhere near his sword, and Hom How was both relieved he wasn’t escalating and fearful that he wouldn’t be able to defend himself. No, I shouldn’t worry. The Elders wouldn’t allow a fight to actually break out… “But are you any different?”

The tension in the air seemed to snap, and the forms to a second realm shield were clear in his mind as Hom How stepped forward, pushing Kai Hiien’s restraining arm away. This has gone too far. I shouldn’t have spoken up.

But the imminent violence he imagined in his head failed to appear. Jiendao moved savagely, but not to attack; she pushed through the space Ban Do had occupied as he smoothly sidestepped, their movements seeming almost choreographed until she continued forward with a sneer. Kai Hiien stepped aside for her as well, then Hom How himself, and then she was moving through the crowd towards the exit.

Watching her leave, he decided not to call out a second time.

----------------------------------------

Jiendao had not cried when she lost her cultivation. Nor when her consumption had stalled out. She had let tears slip when the gate array appeared, but those had been tears of relief, not proper crying.

So why, in this moment, did she feel hot moisture slip from the corners of her eyes? From no more than losing a spar, and a meaningless argument?

Things that had happened to her a thousand times before, without her so much as blinking. Things that should be driving her forward towards the next handhold, not freezing her in place, not making her back down.

She stepped lightly around one Elder, another, and then she was out. The room had no doorway, simply a wide entrance that formed a short hallway, open directly to the outside air.

She stood for a moment, attempting to control her breathing. The Elders had politely averted their eyes, but she could tell that damnable Ban Do had seen the first tear begin to form.

Stop. Stop. I’m better than this – the child was right, I wouldn’t have been allowed to go anyway. Why am I so emotional?

Sparring with Bu Guanyin had been a mistake, but nothing bad had come of it beyond fleeting pain. Being talked down to by an outer disciple, while humiliating in concept, was even less of an issue – nothing he said had been wrong, or worded insultingly, and he had legitimate authority on the matter.

So why? As the salty liquid leaked slowly down her face, Jiendao wrestled with herself. This doesn’t mean anything. My cultivation is going well, and I’m finally making progress in consumption; these small, stupid happenings truly don’t mean anything. I shouldn’t feel more than a flash of irritation.

Ten seconds passed before she finally pinned herself down, her tears drying as her breathing became smooth and slow. There.

It’s just… pressure. My low realm causing a loss of control. Nothing more. Another ten seconds of meditation, and when she opened her eyes there was no trace of the murderous frustration she had felt less than a minute ago. She breathed in, then out.

…Should I go back in? A moment’s thought revealed her answer to be no. There was no reason to return… Or maybe there is. She stared across the unfamiliar patch of mountainous terrain, having no idea where she was. Based on the qi concentration I’m somewhere around the lower half of the inner sect, but that’s a lot of ground to cover. Better to ask for directions than wander for however long it took to recognise a landmark – or better yet, get teleported out the same way she had arrived.

But just as she was about to turn around, something entered her sense and the successfully buried irritation threatened to claw itself back from the grave.

“Ban Do, I have no intention of-” She turned, but the figure that had been standing behind her was not Ban Do. Neither was it his rumoured lover, who was nearly indistinguishable on a spiritual level.

No, as Jiendao’s eyes tracked upwards she beheld a reptilian face, finger-long teeth below slit-pupil eyes.

“…Pardon.” Why had I thought she was Ban Do? “Lady… Stinger-Tail, if I recall correctly?”

The reptile raised one hand in a wave. “Hi.”

“…Hello.” An increasingly awkward silence. “Can I help you?”

Stinger-Tail rocked slightly from one foot to the other, her bejewelled translation necklace jangling lightly against purple scales. “Um…” She hesitated, but then a quick flood of words tumbled out as if a dam had broken. “Okay so I don’t know how to say this to a human, it would be really really rude to point it out back home but you don’t have Comprehensions naturally so I don’t really know how to explain, uh..!” Another pause, her child-like tone becoming more serious as the remaining words came out at a more sensible pace. “Your Comprehension is bad. Sorry. I thought you should know.”

Jiendao blinked.

The monstrous woman fidgeted. “Sorry. Again. I don’t know how rude that was.”

“…Not rude. Not rude at all.” I suppose I’ll have company while I wander at least. “Please, explain what you mean by that. I guarantee I won’t be offended, even a little.”

----------------------------------------

Lu left the sect within an hour of the meeting, as was appropriate given the urgency of the task. Apart from himself and the Heavenly trio there were six others, rounding the group out to an even ten.

Elders Winding Wind, Goldenseed, and Seventh Wheel formed the core. Each of them with formidable speed and illusory skill, as well as knowledge of both Salt warriors and demons.

One of the remaining slots was filled by a woman Lu was unfamiliar with, a core disciple by the name of Mai Rong. The other two were the Elder’s direct students, Giro and Tai Sho.