When Teng Wuying imagined climbing to a high position in the Jade Chameleon Sect, he never envisioned quite so much paperwork. As he signed one report and picked up another, his assistant stepped into the room.
“Your Esteemed Brother, Teng Jian, has successfully broken through the seventh minor realm of Golden Core, Esteemed Elder,” she said.
“Understood. No instructions at this time,” he said, dismissing her.
The moment had finally come. It was time to inform the hot-headed Teng Jian of the death of his son, Teng Chun, at the hands of a cultivator named Chao Su.
Hmm.
Between the weaselly worded missive from those simpletons at the Poison Claw Sect and the message his spies had intercepted from Pan Jiang regarding the beast tide, Teng Wuying had no doubt the region’s newest sect leader could easily kill his brother. Which was not a problem. Such an outcome was, in fact, good.
The problem was blowback. Teng Jian wasn’t a weapon to be pointed with precision. He was more like a disaster to be aimed in the general direction of an enemy.
Either way, it would definitely be best if he heard the news from a somewhat friendly face.
Teng Wuying quickly made his way to the designated cultivation cave and waited patiently outside. Well, more like impatiently. It took more than a half hour for his brother to emerge.
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“Ji’er, congratulations on your advancement. The seventh minor realm is quite impressive.”
Teng Jian scowled. “Why are you here, brother? Has something happened or is there a mission for me that is so urgent that I can’t even have a decent meal before you approach me with it?”
“The former, I’m afraid,” Teng Wuying said. “I don’t know how to tell you this, but Teng Chun has fallen.”
“Man or beast?”
“Man, but—”
“Who?” Teng Jian said, his eyes narrowed into thin lines.
“A new sect, The Rising Tide, has been formed in the old village kept by the Righteous Rain Sect. Your son encountered the sect leader on the road. They fought.”
“How many people are in this sect?”
“A couple hundred,” Teng Wuying said, “all lower realms except the sect leader.”
“I’ll be leaving tomorrow morning. When I return, this Rising Tide Sect will no longer exist.”
Perfect. Except that, if Teng Jian somehow survived, not providing him all the relevant information could be a bad thing. A very bad thing.
“The sect leader recently killed a rank ten beast that led a tide,” Teng Wuying said reluctantly. “He did so in a solo battle and apparently emerged unscathed.”
“Nascent Soul?”
“Doubtful, but possible.”
Teng Jian frowned. “I’ll bring Chen Jingguo and Hu Huiqing. Brother Huiqing will draw out the sect leader by attacking his people. Jing’er and I will ambush him when he responds.”
As Teng Wuying had feared, there was no reasoning with his brother. No measured, careful response or planning. Just attack and salt the ground. Destroy everything. Which was fine if he succeeded. If he didn’t, it was Teng Wuying who would have to deal with the consequences, which might include an attack on the sect annex in Sixth Flawless Flowing City.
Something told him that being around for that event would be bad for his health.
Hmm.
The main sect grounds were beautiful in the winter. Perhaps a visit was in order.