Li Xuan considered the possible moves before him. If he was correct, and the commotion he could hear coming from the streets above them was a result of either the Ironwood Pavilion Sect or the Thousand Petal Grove Sect arriving in Qinghe, then Jiang Tian was in danger.

The Azure Sky Sect may be the largest in the province, but it wasn't so large that the other sects wouldn't risk their ire. Besides, all the strength in the world didn't help when it couldn't be applied – and unless or until the Azure Sky Sect deigned to send one of the elders to Qinghe, they simply wouldn't be able to stop the sects from acting. Not even with the aid of Mistress Bai, which couldn't exactly be counted on.

Despite only being an inner disciple and not a core disciple, Li Xuan knew he was stronger than his rank would suggest – strong enough to contend with the core disciples of the other sects, certainly, but still far from the strength required to face one of their elders. He could only hope, then, that whichever sect had arrived early hadn't sent an elder.

The choice, then, was clear; he had to ensure that no one found out about Jiang's presence in the first place.

"I am going to meet up with Mistress Bai to learn what is going on," he announced. "Try not to start any wars while I'm gone. In fact, find a quiet inn, preferably one without a gambling den or a brothel attached, and stay there until I send word. The fewer people who see you, the better."

Zhang bowed sharply, clearly determined to redeem his earlier embarrassment. "Yes, Senior Brother."

Jiang just nodded. Li Xuan didn't trust that nod for a second.

"Do me a favour and try to avoid brawling in the dirt again," he instructed, not above poking a little fun at the all-too-serious Zhang. As expected, the disciple flushed and clearly bit back an unkind response, while Jiang just smirked.

He sighed inwardly as he turned to leave. Cultivators, in his experience, had an uncanny knack for trouble. Put two of them in a city and they'd find an excuse to duel before dusk. Put ten in the same place and the city would burn within a week. The thought of every sect in the region descending on Qinghe at once made his head ache. He hated having to deal with politics at the best of times – it was something of a cruel joke that he'd been assigned to the diplomatic mission to the other sects in the first place, let alone being the only higher-ranking disciple in the area and thus being left to sort this whole mess out as well.

Still, not like he had much choice. Advancement within the sect required a certain amount of political acumen, which was holding him back. Strength, he had in spades, but diplomacy? Not so much.

He sighed again, already dreading the upcoming conversations. No sense in delaying – Mistress Bai was already unlikely to be in a patient mood.

— — —

The Quiet Scroll was already bustling when he arrived, though the atmosphere was tense rather than lively. The servants' usual chatter was absent, replaced by the faint, sharp tones of Mistress Bai's voice carrying from her office. Li Xuan followed the sound, schooling his features into polite neutrality.

"…without warning, Elder Gui," she was saying, her tone smooth as silk and twice as cutting, "you march your disciples through the main street, banners raised, drums pounding – and then you act surprised when the mortals respond as they have? Don't insult me."

Elder Gui was from the Ironwood Pavilion Sect, so at least Li Xuan knew who he was dealing with. That was both good and bad – on the one hand, the Ironwood Pavilion Sect generally disdained politics almost as much as Li Xuan personally did. Unfortunately, their response to it was often as blunt as a brick to the face. He didn't have to worry about them sneaking around, poking their noses into his business – no more than usual, at least – but on the other hand, if they did catch wind of a Pact-bearer in the city, they would probably wouldn't bother dancing around the issue and just rely on brute force to carry him off.

"I assure you, Mistress Bai, that we do not seek to insult you. This is a simple matter of our disciples feeling proud of their instruction and wishing to display their admittance to our sect," the Elder was saying, his voice a smooth, deep baritone. "We had no idea our arrival would cause such a… spirited welcome from the local populace. We are merely here to offer our assistance."

Li Xuan stepped forward before Mistress Bai decided to stab the man for trying to insist on his stupid excuses. While it would undoubtedly be amusing to watch, getting Jiang out of the city without causing a ruckus would be complicated enough without a war being kicked off.

"Elder Gui. Mistress Bai. My apologies for the interruption."

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

"Ah, Inner Disciple Li," Elder Gui said, his smile widening. "It is good to see the Azure Sky Sect takes this threat so seriously. Though," he added, his gaze sweeping the empty room, "I had expected a larger contingent. Is your Sect so stretched for manpower that they can only spare a single disciple for a matter of such importance?"

Li Xuan smiled thinly. "We find that one capable cultivator is often worth more than a dozen merely enthusiastic ones. Of course, I understand that Ironwood Pavilion favours a… different philosophy."

The elder's expression didn't change, but the temperature in the room dropped several degrees. "Quantity breeds strength, Disciple Li. Without numbers, how does a sect endure?"

"Oh, we manage," Li Xuan said lightly. "Though it must be exhausting, trying to keep track of so many junior brothers."

"Gentlemen," Mistress Bai interrupted mildly, "please refrain from measuring the size of your… sects in my establishment."

Li Xuan inclined his head in mock deference, fighting down an inappropriate smile. "Of course."

Mistress Bai seemed pleased, which was a rather dramatic turn-around – but then, Li Xuan's opening comments had rather directly placed them on the same side. Or, at least, indicated that they were both displeased with the Ironwood Pavilion Sect. That was about as close as cultivators ever got to being friends.

Elder Gui, for his part, seemed a little taken aback. His Sect may generally disdain these sorts of soft political games, but that didn't mean they were oblivious to them. It was a departure from the norm – one thing the sects could almost always agree on was that they were better than independent cultivators. The fact that Li Xuan was indicating that the Azure Sky Sect was aligned with Mistress Bai was… unusual.

While they exchanged further pleasantries – the kind with knives hidden under every word – and Elder Gui attempted to subtly probe the extent of the connection between the Azure Sky Sect and Mistress Bai, Li Xuan allowed his mind to wander.

Outwardly, he kept his smile polite; inwardly, he was turning over his own small victory. Jiang Tian. A Pact-bearer. His find, his report. If everything went smoothly, he'd be credited with securing one of the most valuable assets the Azure Sky Sect had encountered in a decade. Elder Lu would get a share of the credit as well, of course, having been the one to notice the boy first – but then, Jiang had technically fled the Sect while under his authority, which would be a black mark.

In the end, Elder Lu had probably done just enough to contribute to the Sect and thus silence his detractors, while simultaneously not doing enough to actually stand out. A balance the man had somehow maintained for quite some time.

Li Xuan didn't much care.

He'd been stuck out here too long – this frozen backwater with its half-trained disciples and lack of opportunities. But if he could hand the Sect a Pact-bearer, one who by all accounts seemed either incredibly lucky or incredibly talented – and often luck was more important than talent anyway, in the long run – it might finally be enough to justify a transfer. The Ironwood Pavilion might have its pomp and banners, but there was a reason the Azure Sky Sect was considered first among equals out here. Their line ran deeper – all the way to the central provinces. A promotion upstream meant better resources, better allies, and real influence.

He refocused on the conversation just as Mistress Bai was finishing her explanation. "—and his methods are a direct threat to the stability of this region. He has twisted mortals, granted them a sliver of Qi, and turned them into mindless, suicidal soldiers."

"A true demonic practitioner, then, not just unorthodox." Elder Gui said, his earlier bluster gone, replaced by a grim seriousness. "Operating in Azure Sky territory. And a former disciple of your Sect, I hear?"

Li Xuan met his gaze, the unspoken accusation clear. "He was expelled decades ago for his temperament," Li Xuan said smoothly. "A wise decision, it seems. We cut out the rot before it could truly take hold. Imagine the damage he could have caused had he been allowed to learn any of our Sect's true arts."

Neither Elder Gui nor Mistress Bai looked particularly convinced by his attempt to spin the failure as a victory, but they let it pass.

"Our current difficulty," Li Xuan continued, pressing the advantage, "is one of information. Gao Leng has hidden himself well. Our only concrete lead is his connection to the various bandit crews operating in the outer territories. He uses them as a screen, a source of manpower and resources."

"Which is where you come in, Elder Gui," Mistress Bai added, her voice a purr that hid steel claws. "Your Ironwood Pavilion has arrived with considerable numbers. While we pursue more… subtle avenues of investigation here in the city, your disciples would be of immense service in clearing the surrounding forests of these bandits. A direct, practical application of your Sect's martial strength."

It was a clever trap. Li Xuan watched the older man, waiting. Elder Gui had to know he was being maneuvered, that there was a piece of the puzzle he wasn't being shown. But he couldn't refuse. Hunting a demonic cultivator was a duty, and a chance to show his Sect's strength.

The Elder grunted, a sound of reluctant agreement. "Very well. A hunt, then. Though my disciples will require a few nights in the city to rest. The journey was… arduous."

Li Xuan barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Naturally," he said instead. "Travel can be so very exhausting."

It was a transparent lie. Even cultivators in the first realm were all but immune to the rigours of travel, and while Elder Gui had moved fast to arrive here so soon, it wasn't nearly fast enough that his disciples would be exhausted. But etiquette forbade him from calling it out – just as etiquette forbade Elder Gui from asking why both Mistress Bai and an Azure Sky disciple were suddenly so eager to see him gone.

Beneath the surface pleasantries, all three of them knew exactly what was happening. None of them would admit it. That was the game. Elder Gui was buying himself time, a few days to poke around the city and figure out what was really going on.

He could only hope Jiang and Zhang were capable of lying low for that long.

And even as the thought crossed his mind, he felt it.

A faint pulse of Qi from somewhere in the lower city. His senses for that kind of thing weren't the best – he'd always preferred the certainty of direct techniques to the more esoteric stuff – but even he could feel the wild, dark undertones.

Shadow-aligned.

He closed his eyes for a long, murderous moment.

Of course.

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