“So...You’re saying there’s no sign of what might have happened to them?” said Yang Shichao, the current Sect-Master of the Forest of Life and Death. Two juniors stood before him.

Both of them were core-disciples from the Forest of Life and Death, and High-Elders from the Tree of Passionate Verdance. They were there to report the happenings that took place during the recent Ten-Year Tournament. This whole matter was a headache and a half. Not only had the cultivation world’s problems spilled into the secular world, but it had happened on such a large scale, that there was no hiding it.

As things stood, they would have to give away some benefits to keep the immortal authorities from the temples, and the mortal authorities from the nations, from joining together to give the cultivation world the political equivalent of the wedgie to end all wedgies. If it had gotten out that those idiots from Zeng Zhiqiang’s group had been threatening to wipe out the entire middle-realm, like some damned old-world comic book villains, the very foundation of the sects might have ended up being threatened.

Now after everything had quieted down, and mortal world and the gods had been appeased, it was time for the sects and cultivator cabals to take an accounting of all the losses and gains accrued from this decade’s Ten-Year Tournament. In the case of a great many sects, they had experienced more losses than gains. This was especially so, for those sects who’d ended up being revealed to have ties to those miscreants who’d caused all this trouble.

The Tree of Passionate Verdance and the Forest of Life and Death, were some of the few sects who’d managed to come out with no losses. Or so it had seemed. Now Yang Shichao wasn’t sure, and he found himself wishing he and his peers had been able to break the seal that had trapped them within the high-realm sooner. If the reports were to be trusted, his sect and their subordinate the Tree of Passionate Verdance might well have lost something priceless.

“Yes, Sect-Master...After further investigation by Elder Trefor and myself, we were unable to find any trace of the two Elders Calloway,” said Miya Makoto. Bowing before stepping forward to speak, and then withdrawing her hands within her voluminous sleeves to hide the nervous clenching she was doing as she spoke.

“Based on what we and the Elders lent to us by our allied sects ‘were’ able to find, we were able to roughly determine that after pushing us and all the innocents that had been caught up in the incident out of the illusory dimension Elder Jilbert created...the two Elders Calloway were forced to stay within the illusory dimension to assure that the deranged-spirit of the void that Zeng Zhiqiang had been hoping to weaponize wouldn’t be able to escape,” said Trefor Pradhan. His expression was sorrowful.

“Mhm...And the two Elders’ life-tablets, have they broken or lost their charge?” asked Yang Shichao. Sighing. afraid he already knew the answer.

The two juniors looked between themselves.

“No…, Sect-Master,” said Trefor.

“Ah, I see. Truly a sh-... Wait, did you say no?” said Yang Shichao. Nodding sadly and then blinking as he caught what had been said. Now he wore a look of puzzlement. His sunken hazel eyes, suddenly uncharacteristically open.

“....Yes, Sect Master,” said Trefor. Puzzled that the sect-master was so puzzled.

“Huh...And are the life-tablets slowly waning?” said Yang Shichao. His slightly wrinkled face scrunched up as he considered this new information.

“No, sect-master...In fact, the people down in records, say Calloway couple’s life-tablets seem to be reporting a life-signal that is stronger than ever,” said Miya.

“Ah...So, you’re telling me they're just missing then?” said Yang Shichao.

“Ah, yes, sect-master,” said both Juniors.

“Tch, lead with that next time, young ones. You had me thinking that we’d lost the first Nascent-Immortals that our sect had gained in centuries. Are you trying to kill this old man?” said Yang Shichao. Both relieved and annoyed. Agitatedly stroking his elegant gray-blond beard.

“I...Our Apologies, Sect-Master. We thought that was clear in the written reports and that you were asking for further information,” said Miya. Her tender black eyes were filled with embarrassment, concern, and just a hint of blame.

“Er...Well, I did...Of course, I did. Do you dare say I didn’t? It’s just that you made it sound like the situation had changed...Anyway, Elder Fang what say you?” said Yang Shichao. Sweating a little, because he might have decided to save reading the report till later. Figuring the juniors would give him the gist of how things were going anyway. Then quickly changing the subject, Yang Shichao turned to Fang Wei, who’d been returned to his status as an Elder of the Forest of Life and Death after his contributions during the tournament crisis.

“Well, Sect-Master Yang...I’d say that while the disappearance of the two Elder Calloway is concerning and their loss would be something worthy of us going to war with all the bastards responsible...We can probably just wait and see for the time being,” said Fang Wei. Giving his sect-master a supercilious look. Clearly having seen through his old friend.

“Wait and see?” said Yang Shichao. More than a little surprised. That lackadaisical answer making him wonder if he was talking to the same anal-retentive, ever anxious, Fang Wei he’d known since they were both young men. It also made Yang Shichao worry that Fang Wei was holding a grudge against the Calloway couple, for the part they technically played in getting him demoted.

Fang Wei laughed and then he scowled.

“Those two brats are filled with more secrets and surprises than any devil-cat or fox-queen...Their contributions cannot, and will not, be forgotten and the fact they were able to do as much as they did, fills me with a strange confidence that we haven’t seen the last of them yet…” said Fang Wei. Stunning Yang Shichao with the oddly fond tone he took.

“I see...Heh, in that case, let’s hope you’re right. In the meantime, can anyone tell me, why seven out of the ten conspirators that we’d been able to capture alive keep saying that old witch Maeng Young-Soon had something to do with this whole mess?” said the Sect-Master. Inwardly finding that he shared Elder Fang Wei’s certainty that their Forest of Life and Death would soon see the Calloway couple again.