The common room of The Humble Petal Inn was thick with tension. Lantern light flickered, casting restless shadows across the walls. The remnants of a hastily eaten meal lay forgotten on the low table, pushed aside in favor of the weighty silence between them.

Tian Hao, Lin Mei, Fatty Wu, and Jiuwei sat in a loose circle, their gazes shifting between one another, unspoken worries pressing down upon them.

Lin Mei’s breath hitched. The confrontation with Qian Zhi and the Iron Talon Sect disciples still clung to the air, a storm cloud that refused to dissipate.

Jiuwei perched on the edge of the table, golden eyes gleaming. She let the silence stretch, savoring the tension. Then, she broke it.

Her tail curled around her paws, a lazy flick sending ripples through the lantern light that played across the room. "We cannot afford to sit idly by," she declared. Her tiny voice, though soft, carried the weight of command rather than mere suggestion.

"The Iron Talons aren't known for their patience. They'll be looking for payback," she continued, eyes narrowing. "They expect us to run or hide. They expect fear. Let’s not give them what they want."

Lin Mei, her face pale and eyes shadowed with worry, wrung her hands nervously, the jade charm Tian Hao had given her earlier a comforting object she used to occupy herself, her fingers tracing its smooth surface. She shook her head slowly, her voice barely a whisper. “But what can we do? They’re too powerful. They’ve got eyes and ears everywhere. And my family...” Her voice cracked, the unspoken threat hanging heavy in the air.

“You want to cower in fear?” Jiuwei retorted, tilting her head, one foxy eyebrow rising above her golden eyes. “Is that how the Skyward Lotus Sect faces adversity? Pathetic. Is this what you were taught? To shrink before adversity? To huddle in fear and whisper amongst yourselves of how best to run from what might one day become something you might have faced with more dignity?"

“Not cower,” Tian Hao corrected Jiuwei gently, glancing at Lin Mei with concern. He placed a hand on her shoulder, a silent gesture of reassurance. “But be smart. We can’t just rush in blindly. That would be suicide.”

“And how does sitting and doing nothing help?” Jiuwei’s tail lashed with intensity. “We need a plan. One that requires more from each of you. We have some few options,”.

Jiuwei's eyes narrowed. "The risk of telling Tian Shou is too great. He would be obligated to do what is best for his sect, for his standing among the great cultivation houses. Lin Mei would be questioned, perhaps imprisoned, or at the very least forced into a tribunal. And then what? What happens to her family?" She paused, letting the weight of her words settle.

Fatty Wu shifted uncomfortably. "But Tian Shou is fair—he wouldn't just hand her over, right?"

Jiuwei snorted. "Fairness means little when sect politics are involved. If he sides with Lin Mei, he risks the sect's position. Do you think he would throw away the Skyward Lotus Sect’s influence to protect one disciple?"

Lin Mei's hands clenched around the jade charm Tian Hao had given her. "So what do we do? Run? That’s what they expect."

Jiuwei shook her head. "No. We go into the same shadows the Iron Talons crawl from. We play their game, match their cunning. That’s how we gain the edge."

After a moment, Tian Hao exhaled sharply, crossing his arms. "That, at least, gives us a sliver of a chance to save Lin Mei’s family."

Lin Mei hesitated. "But if we sink to their level, if we fight in the dark... do we become like them?"

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Fatty Wu shifted uncomfortably. "And what if we lose?" He swallowed hard. "I'm not exactly known for my combat prowess."

Jiuwei's tail flicked as she studied them, her golden eyes sharp. "Fear won’t save you. Only action will."

She let the silence stretch for a moment, then sighed, as if disappointed. "You all speak of morality like it holds weight in battle. In the world of cultivators, only the naive believe honor alone leads to victory. The sects, the great clans, the so-called righteous schools—they all do what must be done. You think the strongest cultivators reached the peak by following the rules? By asking permission?"

Jiuwei tilted her head. "Survival, power, control—these are won by those who act. By those who understand that the world does not reward hesitation. You may wish to be righteous, but righteousness means nothing if you're dead."

She flicked her tail again. "Now, are you ready to play their game, or shall we sit here debating what is 'right' while the Iron Talons prepare to tighten their grip?"

Tian Hao exchanged a look with Lin Mei, his expression unreadable. Lin Mei swallowed hard, her grip tightening on the jade charm. Fatty Wu fidgeted, his fingers drumming against the table before stopping abruptly.

"It's not that simple..." Fatty Wu muttered, but his voice lacked conviction.

Jiuwei's gaze flickered toward him, her tail curling lazily. "It never is. But hesitation will cost more than your conscience."

Tian Hao exhaled sharply. "This, at least, gives us a sliver of a chance to save both Lin Mei and her family."

Jiuwei’s gaze softened slightly as she tilted her head. "Your family... they're innocent in this, correct?"

“Innocent?” Lin Mei echoed, her voice a mix of frustration and barely contained fury. “They’re farmers! They have nothing to do with any of this. They don’t deserve—” Her voice broke, the injustice of it all too much.

“Which is why we act,” Tian Hao said, his voice now quiet. “You’re right, Jiuwei. Knowledge is power, even if that knowledge leads to more pain. If we can figure out the Iron Talons’ plan, then perhaps there’s a chance to get out ahead of it.” He looked at Lin Mei, his gaze resolute. “We’ll save your family, Mei Mei. Even if it means defying the sect itself. Especially now that we will be facing more than mere rogue cultivators and damaged trinkets."

“But what if we’re caught? What if they capture us?” Lin Mei’s voice trembled with fear, though her usual skepticism had been replaced by a desperate need for action, any action that might give them hope.

“Perhaps there’s a better way,” Tian Hao said with a grin, his words echoing his father’s earlier instructions, though he suspected the sect elders might disapprove of their next course of action. “Observe, learn, and then do what seems best, not what is expected.”

He turned to Jiuwei, his eyes narrowing slightly. “You said you sensed… something in that hidden market. Something darker. What did you mean?”

Jiuwei flicked her tail, her eyes glinting with a knowing light. “Indeed, the shadows there whisper of more than underground goods. Of artifacts whose power transcends the boundaries of mortal comprehension...”

Lin Mei took a deep breath. “It’s a risk,” she conceded, though her earlier skepticism now replaced by a desperate need for action. “But we don’t really have a choice, do we?”

“Then the matter is settled,” Tian Hao grinned.

Fatty Wu hesitated, his fingers twitching against the edge of the table. His eyes darted between Tian Hao and Jiuwei, doubt clouding his face. He opened his mouth, then closed it, swallowing whatever excuse had risen to his lips. Then, with a deep breath, he straightened. His shoulders squared, puffing out his chest as if trying to physically manifest his resolve.

"Alright, Young Master, you’re right. I'm with you. We cooks—we may not be warriors or cunning cultivators, but we know how to handle a bit of heat."

Tian Hao turned to Lin Mei, exhaling through his nose as the weight of their decision settled in. This wasn’t just about Lin Mei’s family anymore—this was a step onto a path they couldn’t retreat from. The Skyward Lotus Sect would disapprove, the Iron Talons would hunt them, and the risks would only grow. But, if they hesitated now, if they let fear dictate their actions, then they could lose Lin Mei. “It’s time we faced the music, Mei Mei. The longer we wait, the more risks your family faces. After all, what’s life without a little… spice? Even if our path is not what the sect expects or wants.”

He paused, meeting her gaze. “Are you in?”

Lin Mei exhaled. A memory surfaced—her mother’s voice, calm and steady as she taught Lin Mei how to read by candlelight. The way her little brother had clung to her sleeve when he was scared of storms. They had no one else.

Lin Mei nodded, her gaze hardening. "No more hesitation. No more waiting. If this is the path I have to walk, then I'll walk it without regret."

The fingers of her hand not holding the charm curled into a fist. "I’m in. Let’s do this."