~~~

“Black Feather?”

Chirp.

“Fierce Talon?”

Chirp.

“Bright Claw?”

Chirp.

Liu Jin sighs as his eagle says no to yet another name. Already, his pet’s body is taking a sleeker shape as his baby feathers start to fall off. No longer is he a ball of fluff. No longer does Liu Jin need to wear a nest on his head, something he is quite thankful for. It would have been awkward if he had gone into the Armory like that.

It is already late in the afternoon, and Liu Jin and his bird are relaxing in the same spot of green where they met Feng Hao. Khong Hu may have told him to avoid being alone, but he doesn’t have to worry about being attacked by someone like Xi Mou here. That is not to say this spot is entirely safe, but his eagle seems to like it for some reason.

Liu Jin really should have come up with a name for him already.

Bei Hong and Lu Mei have suggested plenty of names over the past few days, as had some disciples of the Apothecary. Had Huang Shing not been in an isolation chamber, Liu Jin doesn’t doubt he’d have come up with a few as well. Even Khong Hu has done so.

However, Liu Jin had turned down every single one.

They simply did not feel right.

He frowns.

No, that’s not it. Rather, it’s hard for him to decide on a proper name with so many things on his mind lately.

The Crimson Cloud Tournament, for starters.

Liu Jin had learned of it from Xiao Nan a long time ago. It is a tournament held every four years in the capital of the Crimson Cloud Empire. Only those under 21 are allowed to compete, and every sect and clan in the Empire sends their best there. It is a momentous event that allows the many factions of the Empire to compete against each other in a relatively safe way.

However, to him, it had just been, “A Tournament in which Elder Brother had participated in.” Nothing more. Nothing less. Its relevance only extended as far as Xiao Nan’s role in it. That was the scope of Liu Jin’s interest.

He can no longer afford to think like that.

He is no longer Liu Jin of Eastern Port City. He is Liu Jin, son of Liu Jianguo and disciple of Old Jiang. He is Liu Jin, brother-in-law of the Xiao Sect’s future Patriarch. He is Qing Jin, disciple of the Eternal Flame Clan.

The Crimson Cloud Tournament is not something he can ignore.

Four years ago, the Xiao Sect made it to the Top 100 thanks to the efforts of Xiao Nan. In terms of talent, not a single person in the main branch came close to him. Liu Jin is sure the same can be said for the other branches of the Xiao Sect. Furthermore, the best disciples of the Xiao Sect all lived in Eastern Port City. Without them, the various Branch Masters would have to agree on who to send.

Without a central authority, Liu Jin does not dare to imagine the mess that ensued.

Besides, is there any point in doing so?

The Crimson Cloud Tournament has already begun. The Xiao Sect has already chosen its participants. Is Liu Jin meant to leave the Eternal Flame Clan and go to Xiao Fang’s side? No. From the beginning, he had decided this was more important than the fate of the Xiao Sect. Xiao Fang… he had probably understood that. That is why he had not once mentioned the Crimson Cloud Tournament in the message he sent through Lei Kong.

What Liu Jin needs to do right now is focus on how the Crimson Cloud Tournament is affecting the Eternal Flame Clan.

Liu Jin snorts.

It is amusing, really. The way a person can simply fail to connect the dots. Liu Jin had noticed some of the older disciples had been busy with something, but it had never occurred to him to look into it. At the time, it had simply been something to be thankful for. It guaranteed Huang Shing and Bei Hong’s antics wouldn’t attract the attention of someone much stronger than them.

Now, everything is clear to him. The disciples had been busy because they had been putting more effort into their training in hopes of being chosen for the Crimson Cloud Tournament. That had been far more important than a few unruly Inner Disciples.

Unfortunately, those who had selected the participants for the Crimson Cloud Tournament had not done so in an impartial way.

That is why Feng Zhi had not been chosen.

Even though he is only in the First Level of the Earth Realm, someone as important as Feng Zhi would usually be sent along with the delegation, if only so he’d gain more experience. However, that had not happened.

Once Liu Jin had started asking his fellow disciples in the Apothecary about it, it became surprisingly easy to piece everything together. It is just as Lu Mei had said when they had been traveling to Night Phantasm City. Sometimes asking is all it takes.

The Division of External Relations and Internal Disputes both support Lord Feng Shang. Those two divisions are largely the ones in control of selecting the participants for the tournament and had chosen disciples aligned with them. That way, when they won, it’d be Lord Feng Shang’s victory.

From the beginning, it had been impossible for Feng Zhi to be chosen. That is why Elder Xue had sent him on the mission to Night Phantasm City. In that way, she was able to control the narrative. It wasn’t that Feng Zhi had been rejected. Rather, he had been busy attending other duties.

Still, while that saved Feng Zhi’s image to some degree, it did nothing for the larger picture. If the disciples chosen by Lord Feng Shang can claim victory in the tournament, that will boost Lord Feng Shang’s reputation. During the last Crimson Cloud Tournament, it had been his son, Feng Zhuo, who took first place. If the Eternal Flame Clan won again, this time without Feng Zhuo, it’d be further proof of Lord Feng Shang’s qualifications.

However, things do not seem to be going so smoothly.

The Core Disciple Liu Jin met the other day, Xi Mou, is someone who has already been eliminated from the tournament. The Department of External Relations has been trying to control most of the information sent from the capital, but such is simply not possible, especially when petitions for supplies keep arriving.

Said petitions have apparently been repeatedly delayed by the Armory and the Apothecary. Only the Medical Pavilion has consistently sent supplies. That is why that Core Disciple had been in the Amory.

However, it is unlikely he will accomplish what he was ordered to do.

After all, Lord Feng Shang is in the capital right now. In his absence, it is Lord Feng Gui who wields the most authority within the compound. Patriarch Feng Zhang may be the absolute authority in the Sect, but he is far too focused in his cultivation to pay much attention to the day-to-day affairs of the Eternal Flame Clan.

That is why the Division of External Relations has not been able to make more out of Feng Zhi’s lukewarm performance in Night Phantasm City. Had they tried, Lord Feng Gui would have stopped them. Besides, any potential disgrace suffered by Feng Zhi would fade away all too soon if they happened to perform poorly at the tournament.

Liu Jin sighs and shakes his head.

He knows all of this, yet what is he to do with that information?

“Am I scary?”

A startled gasp comes from above. The corners of Liu Jin’s mouth twitch upwards.

“You sensed me.”

Feng Hao does not make any sound as he steps into the ground. The tree in which he was hiding barely rustles. Just like before, he looks at Liu Jin with dubious eyes. The expression, however, is ruined when Liu Jin’s eagle instantly jumps on top of his head.

“I did.”

Feng Hao frowns at him. Liu Jin gets the feeling he’s attempting to be intimidating, but he’s still too young and round-faced to pull it off.

“I hid my Qi.”

“You lowered your Qi,” Liu Jin corrects him. “That is not the same thing.”

Feng Hao’s frown deepens. Once again, the effect is ruined. This time because his eagle is playing with his hair.

No matter how much Liu Jin looks at him, he’s just a kid.

“It’s not?”

Liu Jin blinks at the clear confusion on Feng Hao’s face.

“Lowering your Qi makes it harder to sense,” Liu Jin explains. “That is sufficient to deal with those who don’t pay much attention to their surroundings. However, you are not truly hiding your Qi. Anyone with sufficient skill will be able to detect you. Truly disguising your Qi requires you to manipulate your Qi in such a way that it mimics the ambient Qi around you.”

It is a little surprising that Liu Jin has to explain this. As Feng Zhi’s half-brother, Feng Hao should have access to excellent tutors.

“How?”

“Huh?”

“How do I... how do I mimic the ambient Qi around me?” Feng Hao asks. His eyes are wide and inquisitive. There is nothing but innocent curiosity on his face, yet that doesn’t make his question any less dangerous.

“I would think,” Liu Jin says after thinking it over for a while, “that Young Master Feng Hao would be better served by posing that question to his tutors.”

Feng Hao flinches.

“You know who I am,” he says.

“I do.”

Feng Hao is suddenly very interested on the floor. He mutters something, but his voice is too low.

“What?”

“They just teach me boring stuff,” Feng Hao mutters, kicking some dirt away. “It is all Qi control exercises.”

Ah.

Suddenly, it becomes clear why Feng Hao knows how to lower his Qi but not how to hide it. For all his talent, Feng Hao is still young. No doubt, his tutors are focused on having him learn the basics so his foundation will be strong. Learning how to lower his Qi is far more critical for his growth than learning how to disguise it.

“So… could you?” He gestures at Liu Jin then at himself, still not managing to lift his head. “Could you please teach me?”

This is not ideal.

Day ago, he wouldn’t have known who Feng Hao was, but now he does.

Feng Hao is Feng Zhi’s half-brother. Born from the same father but different mothers. Feng Hao is the son of one of Lord Feng Gui’s concubines. Usually, he wouldn’t be considered all that important.

However, Feng Hao was born in possession of a staggering amount of talent.

A talented child is a boon to his father. That is especially true in these circumstances. Patriarch Feng Zhang is clearly taking the strength of his grandchildren into account to choose between his two sons. That is why Lord Feng Shang is in the lead. Feng Zhi is widely considered inferior to his cousin, Feng Zhuo.

Feng Hao may not be.

That is why Feng Hao had been made to take the Selection Exam by his father even though he did not need to. He wanted to show off his son’s talent to all the Elders watching.

“If I taught you, I am not sure your tutors would like it.”

“I won’t tell!” Feng Hao proclaims with extreme seriousness. “I promise I won’t!”

It doesn’t matter if he doesn’t tell. Liu Jin is fairly sure they are being watched by at least five different people right now. It is why he was sure Xi Mou wouldn’t dare start anything here. However, just spending time talking with Feng Hao makes a statement regarding his loyalty. If he goes a step further and starts teaching him something, however small, then his name will definitely start being noticed.

“Please?”

Liu Jin sighs.

“Sit,” he says, pointing to a spot of grass in front of him. Feng Hao’s face brightens immediately as he takes his place in front of Liu Jin. “I will try my best to explain the process, but I expect you to take this seriously. This is not as simple as lowering your Qi. If you’re the sort who quits at the first sign of trouble, you will definitely not master this skill.”

He expects his words to discourage Feng Hao, but if anything, the child looks more eager than before.

“I won’t let you down… huh…” Feng Hao trails off as he realizes he does not know Liu Jin’s name.

“This one’s name is Qing Jin. There is no need for the Young Master to remember it.”

“Thank you, Elder Brother Qing Jin!”

This is going to be trouble. He just knows it.

“The first thing you must do is….”

~~~

Unexpectedly, Feng Hao is a quick learner.

Feng Hao probably doesn’t think so as he spends several hours trying to disguise his Qi only to end the lesson still unable to master the skill. He is probably so used to learning things quickly that he cannot understand what a tremendous success it is that he has made any progress at all during a few hours.

“I promise I’ll do better tomorrow!” Feng Hao says just before leaving, likely not realizing he is imposing himself on Liu Jin’s schedule by saying that.

Liu Jin sighs as he returns to the Inner Disciple’s quarters. He’s been doing a lot of that lately. Sighing. It’s unseemly of him. He knows his goal, yet now that he’s close to it, his path is suddenly unclear. Should he seek out Elder Xue? Is that really the best choice for him?

If he does nothing, he’ll just be moved about by the whims of others.

“You!”

Liu Jin had not missed the Qi approaching him. Still, the sudden spike of anger in the air is not something he had been expecting. As the owner of that Qi stomps his way towards him, it becomes easier to understand why.

“You!” Pan Qiu yells out again, this time pointing a finger at him. He is swaying as he walks, almost as if drunk. “What are you doing here?”

Liu Jin raises an eyebrow and gives a significant glance to the large building just a few yards away.

“I happen to live here.”

Pan Qiu stops for a moment to look at the Inner Disciple’s living quarters. A large blush rises in his face as he realizes the stupidity of his words.

“Shut up!” His words come out a bit slurred. He holds his face with his palm as if he needed help keeping it up. “You always have that damned look on your face! So damn superior! Whose fault do you think it is that I’m like this?”

Yours.

That is the answer Liu Jin wants to give, but he decides to wait until Pan Qiu is done talking.

“Yours!” Pan Qiu jabs a finger in his direction. “It’s all… your… faul...t...”

Before he can finish, Pan Qiu’s body falls forward, face-planting on the ground. It is not due to anything Liu Jin did. Pan Qiu just collapsed in front of him.

Liu Jin blinks, waiting for Pan Qiu to pick himself up.

He doesn’t.

Liu Jin sighs yet again. This has been one of those days.

~~~