~~~

Liu Jin and Lu Mei do not leave right away. They stay by the lake for a while, hoping their unguarded presence will draw an attack. It ends up being for naught, leaving the two to enjoy a quiet afternoon, talking about mundane, harmless subjects.

It is... almost pleasant.

The sun is starting to set by the time they make it back to the Bright Phantasm Sect. Feng Zhi and the others still have not come back yet, but neither Liu Jin nor Lu Mei is worried about it. Not a single one of those three is the sort of person who can be taken down quietly or easily. That is why the two are able to proceed as planned.

If this were the Eternal Flame Clan, an audience with an Elder would be hard to obtain. Here, there is no way they can be refused. A servant leads them to Elder Wong’s study, and they enter without even asking for permission. Had they wanted to, they could have made Elder Wong go to them instead, but that insult would have been a little too much.

They want him surprised and maybe a little angry, but not too angry.

“To think you’d seek this old man out of everyone in the Bright Phantasm Sect,” Elder Wong says as he rises to greet them. “Truly, this is an honor.”

Elder Wong’s study is small and cramped. The walls are lined with dusty cabinets and bookshelves full of ancient texts. His desk is sturdy, but it has definitely seen better days. The seats, Liu Jin must admit, are fairly comfy. Still, the room is not what one would expect out of an Elder of one of the most important Sects in this country.

“Nonsense, Elder Wong. We are glad you were able to make time for us,” Liu Jin says, conveniently omitting that they had not given Elder Wong any choice in the matter just to see how he’d react.

“You are our guests and our allies. Lord Qing, Lady Lu,” Elder Wong says, offering a small bow to them. “Everyone under this roof will always have time for you. If not, we’ll simply make time. Even if it is the middle of the night, this old man will gladly help you.”

Although he calls himself an old man, Elder Wong doesn’t look the part just yet. His face shows a few wrinkles, but not unduly so. His hair still retains its color, blue like Patriarch Wong and Wong Shou though perhaps a few shades darker. Physically, he appears to be in his fifties. However, as he is in the True Realm, Elder Wong could easily be one or two hundred years old. Perhaps more depending on how old he was when he reached that level.

“I do hope you enjoy this,” Elder Wong says as he takes out a bottle of wine from one of the cabinets and pours a glass for each of them. “This wine was made using Decadent Night Plums from the Night Forest. I have been saving it for a special occasion. Surely, this counts as one!”

Lu Mei covers her mouth with her sleeve as she laughs. “Oh, Elder Wong! You flatter us too much!”

“Nonsense. This is just the right amount of flattery!” Elder Wong beams at them as he takes a seat. “Now, please, tell me what I can do for you.”

“It is nothing urgent,” Lu Mei begins. “We merely wanted to—” She stops. Her eyes widen as she tastes the wine. “Delicious!”

Following Lu Mei’s example, Liu Jin takes a small sip. It takes but an instant for him to break the wine down to its base components, and another one for him to conclude there is no risk to drinking it. In the second sip, he allows himself to enjoy it fully.

His eyebrows go up. A low hum escapes his mouth.

“Quite nice.”

Elder Wong smiles proudly. “Isn’t it? The plums used came from one of our best harvests. The Yin Qi gives it a special taste. I am glad it was able to satisfy Lady Lu and Lord Qing’s palates.”

“Well, now I am even angrier at whoever damaged the plums.” Lu Mei shakes her head sadly. “It really is unfortunate. I imagine this must be hard on all of you.”

“It has certainly been a cause for concern,” Elder Wong replies, his face growing serious. “However, my heart rests easy knowing Lord Feng has decided to lend his aid to us. Even now, he is out there, trying to find the culprits! You are lucky to serve such a man.”

It surprises Liu Jin that he doesn’t find himself immediately disagreeing with Elder Wong. Based on how Feng Zhi had acted when they first met and what Huang Shing had said about him, Liu Jin had expected to have a difficult time in Night Phantasm City. He was sure Feng Zhi would leave all the unpleasant tasks to them and lord his authority at every turn.

Instead, Feng Zhi has carried himself with diligence at nearly every turn.

The Young Master of the Eternal Flame Clan does not like them. He had made that quite clear, but he has never once let that interfere with his choices. Not yet, at least.

“Indeed, we are. Knowing we work for such a dependable person helps us better focus on our duties,” Liu Jin says, only lying a little. “I imagine the same can be said of Elder Wong. Patriarch Wong strikes me as a capable man.”

“Naturally.”

“And his son as well, of course. You must rest easy knowing the future of the Bright Phantasm Sect is in good hands.” Lu Mei then frowns, her face full of concern. It almost looks genuine. “At least, that is what I wish I could say. I am afraid I have heard mixed things from the servants.”

The smile on Elder Wong’s face freezes in place.

“Ah,” Elder Wong smiles sadly, “so it is about that. Yes, I can imagine what you might have heard. I suppose it was inevitable. Even now, some murmurs persist.”

“I must admit I am confused by some of these rumors,” Liu Jin says. “I have only interacted with him for a short amount of time, but nothing about Wong Shou struck me as particularly objectionable.”

“Looking at him now, it may be hard to believe, but there was once a time when most thought Young Master Shou was ill-suited to one day assume the leadership of the Bright Phantasm Sect. This was an opinion I shared. In fact, I was the one who helped spread it through the Sect.”

Lu Mei and Liu Jin share a discreet glance. They had not expected him to admit it so easily.

“Wong Shou was... too indecisive, too weak-willed. Too shy. Too cowardly. His cultivation was not the worst, but his character was simply too weak.” There is no heat in Elder Wong’s voice. If anything, he sounds rather melancholic. “He was not suited for the life he was born into. His father’s expectations were a heavy burden on him, which wreaked havoc on his mind and spirit. At his worst, Wong Shou was afraid of even his own shadow, constantly fleeing the presence of others.

The words Wong Shou said the other night flash through Liu Jin’s head.

“I am also not fond of overly crowded places. They wreak havoc on my concentration. That someone from the Eternal Flame Clan shares this characteristic makes me feel validated.”

However, even though Wong Shou had said that, there had been no nervousness in his expression. Even though he was addressing Liu Jin, he had been calm. He hadn’t been in awe and fear of the Eternal Flame Clan’s reputation like so many members of his Sect.

“It was plain to see Wong Shou was ill-suited to lead the Sect, yet Patriarch Wong would not consider any other candidates. My cousin wished for his son to succeed him, no matter how much Wong Shou wished otherwise.” Elder Wong sighs as he finishes his glass, his head shaking softly. “I am quite sure you already know this, or else you would not have come to me, of all people.”

“It is indeed as Elder Wong says,” Lu Mei admits, putting just the right amount of regret in her voice. “We apologize for our rudeness, but it seemed to us that out of everyone in the Bright Phantasm Sect, you would be the most honest regarding Young Master Wong Shou. To hear you sound so sympathetic to him… it comes as a surprise.”

The “Because you tried to ruin his reputation within the Sect” is left unsaid, but they all hear it regardless.

“Wong Shou is my nephew. Why would I not be sympathetic to his plight? I know what you may have heard, but it was never any resentment towards Wong Shou or his father that guided my actions. I acted out of concern for him and the Bright Phantasm Sect. My cousin was leading Wong Shou towards a path that would surely lead to his doom. At least, that is how I saw it at the time.”

“What changed?” Liu Jin asks.

“Wong Shou did,” Elder Wong says, his lips pulling back into a smile. “I thought for sure he would break down, but my fears never came to pass. Instead, Wong Shou rose to meet the challenges life threw at him. Over time, the cowardly child I knew seemed nothing more than a fleeting dream. My cousin’s position became secure once more. As for me…”

Elder Wong gestures at his small study. Nothing more needs to be said. Because he had tried to oust the Patriarch and failed, his support in the Sect had crumbled. Even though he’s an Elder, he has been shoved to this small corner of the Bright Phantasm Sect, alone and forgotten.

“Do you regret it?” Liu Jin asks. Elder Wong chuckles.

“Regrets are for people with too much time on their hands. I acted for the sake of my nephew and the betterment of the Bright Phantasm Sect. Though it wasn’t due to my actions, I no longer have to worry about both those things. The trouble in the Night Forest is inconvenient, but it will pass. Wong Shou will one day inherit leadership of the Sect, and now there is no doubt in my mind that he will do a good job. I am at peace.”

He is a bit like Wong Shou, Liu Jin realizes. Rather than his father, it seems like Wong Shou takes more after his uncle.

Perhaps, that is a good thing.

“That is quite wise of you to say, Elder Wong,” Lu Mei says.

“Wise?” He laughs. “No, please. That is far too kind. I have made many mistakes and managed to learn from a few of them. That is all.”

Liu Jin leans back into his seat. This is not at all what he expected to find, an opinion he’s certain Lu Mei shares if the annoyed glint in her eyes is any indication. They had expected for Elder Wong to deny what he had done or try to convince them they should not trust Wong Shou. Instead, he’s fully acknowledging his culpability.

His actions are not those of someone carrying a grudge against the Bright Phantasm Sect. They will need to talk to Wong Shou and Patriarch Wong to get their side of the story and contrast it to what they have just learned, but for now, it doesn’t seem like...

Something explodes.

The shockwave booms throughout the room and leaves it shaking. Several priceless texts fall to the floor. The papers on Elder Wong’s desk are blown away, and the wood rattles as if about to break. The bottle of wine teeters off the edge and falls but is caught by Lu Mei just in time.

Elder Wong is on his feet immediately. “An accident?”

“An attack,” Liu Jin corrects him. There is no doubt in his mind.

“Here? Outrageous!” Elder Wong scoffs, but then his eyes widen. “Unless… The storehouse!”

He dashes out of the room, barely having enough presence of mind to open the door instead of just breaking through. Liu Jin and Lu Mei take off after him. As soon as they exit the building, they see a column of smoke rising into the sky. Elder Wong pales, his fears seemingly confirmed.

That is when they strike.

Dark-robed figures burst from the ground, shades, the same things that attacked Liu Jin and Bei Hong. They catch Liu Jin completely by surprise to the point he’s unable to shout a warning to Elder Wong.

He doesn’t need to.

Just like the ones he and Bei Hong fought, these shades are all in the mid-stages of the Nascent Realm.

“Begone, you wretches!”

Elder Wong is in the Eighth Level of the True Realm.

Using nothing but his Qi, he squashes everything within a few yards of him. The shades never stand a chance. Had he done something like this inside the building, he’d have brought it down over their heads.

His enemies destroyed, Elder Wong vanishes in a blur of speed, dashing towards the source of the smoke.

“Well, he is certainly in a hurry,” Lu Mei comments, looking at her nails. “You’d think he would have at least finished the job before moving on.”

As soon as she says it, her hand grabs the wrist of the shade trying to attack her from behind, its dagger stopping inches from her neck.

“It is rude to sneak up on a lady.”

The hand is crushed. The shade fades to nothingness. One down. Over a dozen of them left.

Lu Mei moves.

There is something deliberately graceful about the way she fights. She is not like Liu Jin, who rarely makes a wasted motion. Instead, it is almost like she is dancing. She spins as she moves, never in a way that seems hurried, yet her opponents cannot lay so much as a finger on her. Every time they try to get close, she’s already far away. When they try to defend, she somehow slips past their guard.

Her legs are long and graceful; her kicks beautiful to the point the devastating impact they have feels like a lie. Her small hands leave deep gashes in her foes. Had the shades been flesh and blood, the ground would be soaked by now.

She is using wind, Liu Jin realizes.

Wind coats her body like a cloak. It gets in between her and her enemies. Pushing Lu Mei away when others try to get close and propelling her when she needs to attack. Always just out of reach. Then it sharpens when she goes on the attack.

It doesn’t even take her three seconds to finish the shades around them. Liu Jin barely needs to contribute.

“Let’s go,” she says.

By the time they reach Elder Wong, a small crowd has already gathered on the scene. It is with relief that Liu Jin notes the smoke is not coming from any of the buildings. It is the ground just outside that has been left scorched. The force of the explosion caused some damage, but it seems the buildings are fine.

“Lord Qing! Lady Lu!” Wong Shou calls them. There are at least ten disciples of the Bright Phantasm Sect near him. “I am glad to see you here! Were you attacked as well?”

“We had to deal with a few of the shades,” Lu Mei answers as they walk up to Wong Shou and Elder Wong. “Did the explosion hit anything important?”

“Thankfully, not,” Elder Wong says. “I can’t believe those dogs tried to attack the storehouse!”

Liu Jin’s eyebrows rise slightly. So that is why Elder Wong had taken off in such a hurry. Indeed, if the explosion had hit the treasures and herbs the Bright Phantasm Sect kept in storage, well, that would have been a significant blow.

“We managed to find the shades sneaking inside the compound,” Wong Shou explains. “One of them exploded as soon as it was found out. It is safe to assume it planned on doing that once it had entered the storehouse, but because we caught it on time, the damage to the compound was minimal.”

“A good thing that you did!” Elder Wong slaps his nephew’s back. There is a grin on his face. “We’re lucky you had the foresight to increase security within the compound.”

“It is nothing, Uncle,” Wong Shou says. “Rather, it is because Lord Feng Zhi is out there that we could afford to keep a few extra disciples here.”

“We will be sure to tell him, although he will doubtlessly find it unfortunate he was not here,” Lu Mei says. “Your forethought has prevented quite the troublesome situation, Lord Wong.”

“No, please. There is no need to thank me. Rather, I must thank you for fighting the shades.” He gestures at the disciples behind him. Unlike him, they are bloody and tired. “As you can see, we do not have an easy time dealing with them. I can only imagine how much worse things would have been were it not for your presence.”

“Well spoken, nephew,” Elder Wong says. “It is heartening to know you will one day lead the Sect.”

Once again, Liu Jin does not detect any trace of deceit in Elder Wong’s words, and indeed, he finds it hard to disagree with his assessment.

However, that is not important right now.

The Bright Phantasm Sect’s compound has been attacked. If this happened today, it can easily happen tomorrow as well. Again and again, until it works. Even if they can defeat whoever is behind the attacks, doing so before the Bright Phantasm Sect is irrevocably damaged might be another matter entirely.

~~~